In the seventh chapter of Untold, the group discovers what has happened at Hallow’s Field. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Untold.
Chapter Seven: Hallow’s Field
This is all so haunting, isn’t it? The idea that these people’s families are involved in the near-murder of Angela is kind of too much to think about. Nicola died because of them, and now they’ve just made it clear that this isn’t the end. Oh no, it’s barely starting.
I was pleased that this was from Kami’s point of view because there’s a very unique sense of betrayal that Kami must have been feeling after finding that her mother had gone to Hallow’s Field. I’ve noticed that the mothers in this series have increasingly fascinating roles in their children’s lives. There is a lot of betrayal, a lot of pain, and I think you could draw a ton of parallels between people like Mrs. Prescott, Kami’s mother, and Lillian. For Kami, though, she’s headed to Hallow’s Field and expecting the absolute worst. Her mother had already betrayed her years ago, before she was even bored, and then lied about it until Kami got too close to the truth. Now, her mother is continuing to cover up her involvement in this disaster in Sorry-in-the-Vale, though, admittedly, her involvement is not what we were lead to believe it was. EVEN WHEN WE’RE PREPARED, WE ARE NOT.
But before I get to Kami’s mother, who just became even more interesting with this chapter, I wanted to address the way that Sarah Rees Brennan writes Kami’s interactions with Jared. One of the things I’ve come to appreciate about Sarah’s writing in terms of the protagonists is that she inherently respects their emotional states. The text doesn’t denigrate how they feel. And in a world where women are constantly shamed for being too emotional, Brennan puts those feelings front and center in the narrative. It’s unavoidable! And I love that. I love that Kami’s complex emotions towards Jared are such a vital part of this story. I mean, they have to be, you know? This book continues to analyze what it means for Kami not to have her connection to Jared, and that pops up here. While Kami feels as if she can now exist in her own head without someone else in side of it, she has the contradictory thought that she wished she could read Jared’s mind. Notice how one-sided it is here; she’s not wishing for Jared to be in her head. And I think that’s indicative of how badly she’s hurt by Jared’s dismissive, rude behavior. She wants some sort of explanation for why he’s treating her this way, and she knows she was once able to do so.
The narrative then shifts to focus on Hallow’s Field, where EVERYTHING IS MESSED UP. This almost becomes the first time we’ve seen a sacrifice happening in real time, but by the time Jared and Kami are able to get close enough to see what’s going on, all of the sorcerers are gone. Their sacrifice was left behind, though, and it’s so horrifying. However, I was completely unprepared for this:
The people standing in front of the gate to Hallow’s Field, Kami was almost sure, were not those who had been running through the field casting spells and shedding blood. There was the mayor, Chris Fairchild, and his wife, Jocelyn, and several people who Kami knew were on the town council. There was her headmistress, Ms. Dollard. There was Mrs. Thompson, who Kami knew was a sorcerer, but who looked as if she might be about to have a heart attack.
Well, shit. Like I said in the video for this chapter, is this some sort of secret opposing society of sorcerers? Are these people banding together to stop Rob and his people? How did they know that Rob would be in Hallow’s Field?
While these questions aren’t answered, Rob arrives to announce the return of the old Lynburn ways, including a yearly human sacrifice, and this is when Kami’s mother surprises everyone. I admit that I love the idea that she’s naturally the leader opposed to Rob because it plays with our expectations of her. I’d foolishly assumed that because she was gone, she would be with Holly’s family, but now it’s clear that Kami’s group won’t be alone in fighting Rob.
So now Hallow’s field is on fire, the ultimatum has been set, and this new group of potential sorcerers knows that Kami and Jared were there, watching everything. That’s actually my favorite part of this whole chapter. How can Kami’s mother ignore her daughter? What about the mayor and council members? How involved are they going to get in this fight? Will the city start talking about what’s happening openly instead of hiding in secrets? Oh gods, there are so many ways this story can go from here, and IT’S GODDAMN EXCITING. I want to read more because I want to see where Brennan will take this.
“I don’t have to do anything,” she answered. “I’m the Lynburn of Aurimere, and magic has come back to this town. The sorcerers are all going to come to me. Then we’ll meet my husband and his traitors before the town. We will crush him.”
HOW COULD YOU NOT BE EXCITED BY THIS? THIS IS GONNA BE SO GREAT, Y’ALL.
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