{"id":4580,"date":"2018-06-21T05:00:10","date_gmt":"2018-06-21T12:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/?p=4580"},"modified":"2018-06-17T20:56:07","modified_gmt":"2018-06-18T03:56:07","slug":"mark-reads-monstrous-regiment-part-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/2018\/06\/mark-reads-monstrous-regiment-part-13\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Reads ‘Monstrous Regiment’: Part 13"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the thirteenth part of Monstrous Regiment<\/i>, Blouse continues to lead everyone into danger, and Maladict\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hallucinations start affecting the others. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to read Discworld<\/i>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Still don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know where this book is heading, STILL FIND THIS ABSOLUTELY ENTERTAINING. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m 280 pages into this, I am lost within the chaos, and I cannot think of any other Discworld <\/i>book that reads like this. We barely<\/i> have a clue as to where Paul might be\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI assume he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s in the Keep, given that this is where the remainder of the Borogravian troops are???\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand the conflicts are varied across the board. Blouse\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s characterization is the main problem at this point, which is so wild to me because I had assumed Jackrum<\/i> would be the biggest issue for these women. His gung-ho attitude and zest for war is a nightmare, but even he recognizes that Blouse\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s misguided attempt at glory is going to end terribly. So what the hell are they all supposed to do?\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

de Worde<\/b><\/p>\n

Why did he tip<\/i> Jackrum? Out of respect? Or was it closer to something like pity?<\/i> I suspect it is the latter and that he was more or less playing along with Jackrum\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lies, knowing full well that this little battalion of soldiers was about to discover the truth. Which means I suspect that de Worde isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t going to fall for Blouse\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lie either and will fully expect all these people to come rolling into the Kneck Valley.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is going to be a disaster.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A Strutting Bully<\/b><\/p>\n

One thing that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been hard to discern because we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re so close to this predicament and these characters is whether or not Borogravia really is<\/i> the violent, colonizing force that other people say it is. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s certainly possible, and we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been given pieces of information from outsiders\u00e2\u20ac\u201dparticularly journalism out of Ankh-Morpork\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat says Borogravia has long been the aggressor. On top of that, how many Jackrums were there over the years? How many men just like him pursued war at the cost of ethical obligations? What if they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been the enemy the entire time<\/i>? I imagine that this is actually more complicated than that; Discworld<\/i> hasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t been all that concerned with black-and-white political realities in the past, and we also have no idea what Zlobenia is like. But I love that this text is making me think of these questions, that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s forcing me to interrogate who I consider the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153bad\u00e2\u20ac\u009d guys or the heroes.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ulterior Motives<\/b><\/p>\n

It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s always been clear that Polly has had no interest in actually<\/i> fighting this war. It was a means to an end, a way to reach Paul and bring him home. We know why this is important to her, so I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t question her quiet decision to get into the Keep on her own. BUT I LOVED THAT THE OTHERS WANTED TO COME WITH HER!!! Shufti and Wazzer are both going to accompany her! And then\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 well, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know. What happens if they do<\/i> find Paul? Will Polly just leave them all behind and go home? I feel like she won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t because\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 well, she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s gotten a bit attached to these people. Even if she doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t admit it aloud or to herself, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve made an impact on her life. She can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just leave them behind\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 right?<\/p>\n

Wazzer<\/b><\/p>\n

AHHHHH, I JUST LOVE THE THEME OF BELIEF AND FAITH A LOT, Y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ALL. And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s long been an integral part of the Discworld<\/i> experience! This is no exception, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m so completely enamored with the character of Wazzer. I know what it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s like to struggle with being an unquestioning believer, especially since it means that there is actually<\/i> a lot of questioning going on beneath the surface. It seems as though Wazzer is trying harder than ever to connect with the Duchess and with Nuggan, despite that there is virtually no evidence anymore that these beings truly care for anyone. Well, from Polly\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s perspective, that is. Wazzer clings fiercely to her faith, but that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not a bad thing, is it? It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s uncomfortable for Polly, sure, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not actively harmful.<\/p>\n

What I am looking forward to is whether or not Wazzer continues to believe that she is on a divine mission, that she is blessed, that this is exactly what she is supposed to do. If de Worde was telling the truth\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand I see no reason for him to lie to these people\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthen there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a massive disappointment in Wazzer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s future. Will she still rely on her faith then, or will she adapt?<\/p>\n

Withdrawal<\/b><\/p>\n

Seriously, one of the things I love about this book is how dense it is with character conflicts. Because on top of all of this, Maladict\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s withdrawal has now gotten to the point where his hallucinations are so powerful that other people can see them. <\/i>Unless they somehow find a random coffee supply soon, Maladict is going to bring a new<\/i> round of chaos to this book. Will their hallucinations be manifestations of their desires or something else? I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think that scene with Death was Polly\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s imagination (I love that Death is pretty much in every<\/i> book), but I am<\/i> certain this is only going to get weirder.<\/p>\n

HELP.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/MR2-zHBE5B4<\/p>\n

Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n

– My YA contemporary debut, ANGER IS A GIFT<\/a>, is now out in the world!\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>If you’d like to stay up-to-date on all announcements regarding my books, sign up for my newsletter<\/a>! DO IT.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"