Gods in KoA

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

rowana touched on this in the last thread, but I think it deserves a thread of its own.

The gods were very involved in QoA, but seem less so in King. Other than the very surprising and funny "Go to Bed" scene, we don't see them (although I think they were making the coin turn up lilies each time, too). They speak through the Oracle, and Gen is not happy with what he is told.

I have a feeling there was more going on.

At the end of QoA, Irene is determined to continue to rule. By early in KoA, she wants Eugenides to rule. In between there, they married and she has gotten to know him better and see what he is capable of.

Because of her barons she knows she can't hold onto the throne much longer. She never seems worried about what will happen. She's not surprised at the coin showing lilies. She seems certain he WILL rule sooner or later, even though he doesn't want to. I wondered if the gods were at work here, too, although there's no evidence they were.

Did anyone else see subtle signs of the gods at work? Do you think they were annoyed at Eugenides for not wanting their "prize"?

Comments

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

An easy explanation? Me? I thought I made everything hard. :)

I think she had faith in him and trusted him completely. She wanted him to be king, certainly for their countries' sake, and for her sake, too, and I suppose for his as well, knowing he'd never be happy as a figurehead.

I guess what I'm not sure of is why, knowing how much he hated being king, she would be so sure he WOULD be king. Unless she knew somehow that it was meant to be. He knew it was meant to be after he got the answer from the oracle at the temple. He knew he had been given a "prize" he didn't want. I think she knew that, too, and it's the scene with the coin that makes me think that.

[rowana.livejournal.com]

I think perhaps in terms of Gen's becoming King, everyone seemed to recognise that in the end he'd have no choice. Gen couldn't help Attolia from behind the scenes and pretend to be a puppet forever.

In terms of the Gods being at work, I definitely get the sense that there's more going on, but I'm not sure how to sum it all up. All the allusions that are made to the gods, and the scene with Gen at the end not wanting to offend them, by talking about how he doesn't want the prize he's been given (but is, at the same time terrified they'll take it away) - I don't see how there can be those small glimpses that we get without more going on.

But they don't seem annoyed at Gen for not wanting their 'prize', which is interesting. :)

[fabricalchemist.livejournal.com]

I think the gods must have realized a long time ago that if they were going to get annoyed at him, they would be annoyed all the time. So it's better to smile and nod and be amused...because ultimately, he's going to have to do what they want anyway.