In the seventh chapter of Squire, I full expected one thing, and I got another thing. Unfair. If you’re intrigued, then it’s time for Mark to read Squire.
Chapter Seven: Old Friends
OH MY GODS, I THOUGHT I COULD HANDLE THIS CHAPTER, BUT I WAS LULLED INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY. YOU ARE ALL EVIL.
- Oh, I was fine with this. I appreciated the reappearance of old friends. I noticed the subtle character growth in Kel and Owen, and I was surprised by the play on the title, as I meet “old friends” of Kel’s that are actually new to me.
- And then Tamora Pierce did that thing, and I am not ready. I AM NOT READY.
- See, chapter seven settles into this really comforting sense of love and friends and happiness, and that’s not fair! Kel gets back on the road with Raoul, and she develops a routine in traveling. Jump, Peachblossom, Hoshi, the sparrows, and the griffin all have their place. It works! We don’t hear of anyone being a jerk to her!
- And when she’s finally back at Corus, SHE GETS TO SEE ALL OF HER FRIENDS. CLEON. NEAL. IDEN. WARRIC. BALDUIN. OWEN. NEALLLLLL. Oh my god, I missed these guys so much!
- Yet there’s still some emotional complexity in the reunion, especially when Kel realizes she doesn’t hold the same feelings for Neal. Oh gosh, I felt so bad for her when she questioned if her feelings were valid in the first place. Kel, they very much were! People change, and we change how we feel about those in our life all the time!!! Oh, I just wanted to HUG HER SO HARD. Actually, I find that I want to do this with fictional characters all the time.
- Dom must be a real dreamboat, y’all.
- Calling it: Cleon has a crush on Kel. OOOOOOOOHHH, I CAN TOTALLY TELL.
- I enjoyed that these squires and pages got to swap stories about what they’ve been up to. Pierce has done a fantastic job giving us such a fascinating view of what it means to be a knight. I mentioned in the first video commission that the passage of time is executed well, and I think that this is why I’m enjoying this so much. We don’t need every detail of every interaction Kel has out in the field (THOUGH I WOULD READ THAT BOOK, TOO) because this establishes a system for the squires. We understand that they’re tasked with helping out in random scenarios all over the kingdom, and that they can’t control where they’ll be. The realm of Tortall is a busy, chaotic place!
- AND THEN YUKIMI SHOWS UP, AND SHE STRUTS HER STUFF, AND SHE TROLLS ALL THE BOYS, AND SHE IS MY NEW FAVORITE. HOLY SHIT, I LOVE HER SO MUCH.
- I think I’ll leave the portrayal of a culture that’s very similar to Japan to those who are Japanese. My father was half Hawaiian and half Japanese, and I recognize a lot of that culture in this book. So, what do y’all think? I personally loved that it was put front-and-center in the chapter, that Kel got to see all of her old friends, that she spent time with them, her mother, and Queen Thayet. (!!!!!!) But it’s not my culture, so I don’t want to overstep my boundaries.
- “Kel suddenly realized that if it were possible to be Lady Alanna’s squire, she wouldn’t do it. She liked where she was.” Wow, that massive wave of feelings that just hit me is a bit much to handle. I am so thrilled that Kel’s knightmaster is Raoul. I am SO THRILLED.
- Y’all, I seriously missed Neal so much.
- I love the idea that Kel and Shinkokami both grew into women they never thought they’d turn into. That’s some lovely parallel character growth.
- This chapter also made me wish Ilane was around more.
- So, look, I found this to be a beautiful and fascinating chapter. Up until the end, the main plot wasn’t accelerated that much. I expected that things would not pick up until the Grand Progress came around, and I was fine with that. For the time being, I enjoyed all the various adventures and jobs that Kel lived through. I knew she was growing! I knew she was becoming a better squire, too. My initial shock, though, came in the form of Raoul. Suddenly, he’s insisting that Third Company not be in Corus during the Grand Progress. Oh. Oh! I was pretty much fine with the idea once I thought about it. Plus, that just meant more adventures and teaching opportunities for Kel.
- Then the letter arrived.
- And no.
- NOPE.
- “They’ve found who paid those two rogues to kidnap your maid in April,” he told Kel. “We’re going back for the trial.”
- ……
- ………
- …………………………………
- but
- BUT I AM NOT PREPARED FOR THIS.
- I’M PREPARED FOR ADVENTURES.
- AND THE GRAND PROGRESS.
- BUT WHAT THE FUCK I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THIS.
- Oh my god, who did it??? WHO DID IT???
- MUST READ ON RIGHT NOW.
Part 1
Part 2
Mark Links Stuff
– I have redesigned MarkDoesStuff.com! Check out this post explaining the new changes, which includes the start of a permanent archive of all Mark Watches videos!
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– I have been nominated for a Hugo in the Fan Writer category! If you’d like more information or to direct friends/family to vote for me, I have a very informational post about what I do that you can pass along and link folks to!
- Mark Reads Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is now published and available for purchase! It’s available in ebook AND physical book format, and you can also get a discount for buying the ENTIRE SET of digital books: $25 for 7 BOOKS!!!
-Â Video commissions are open, and you can commission a Mark Reads/Watches video for just $25!
