Discussion Questions

[velvetrose09.livejournal.com]

I've been re-reading and I have some questions that I hope you wouldn't mind discussing with me! =]

In CoKs
Eddis tells the Magus that Gen's asked to bring Sophos to the training ground. The Magus asks her why Attolis doesn't tell Sounis himself, and then says nevermind he knows why. Did I miss something here? Why couldn't Gen just *tell* Sounis himself?

In CoKs
It seems that Attolis and Eddis are "plotting" both are feeling indefinitely guilty about *something* and this begs to question, was there a way Sophos could have kept his kingdom and prevent war, himself?

In CoKs
At the very end when Gen says "You shot the Ambassador" and Sophos says "you gave me the gun" they both laugh. I don't mean to sound thick but I think I missed the joke...

Comments

[live-momma.livejournal.com]

And that's what Gen feels so guilty about - that he needs to use his friend as a pawn for the (for want of a better term) greater good.

This, for me, is pretty much the theme of the entire book. What's best for Gen and Attolia and Eddis is not what's best for Sounis, and Gen knows that, and he also knows that Sophos the man trusts Gen the man and since Gen the man likes Sophos the man, it totally sucks that Gen the King has to have very different goals. The compromise Gen and Helen and Irene came up with allowed Sophos to win as much as possible, but he still had to lose some. They regretted that, and none more than Gen.

[velvetrose09.livejournal.com]

I suppose needing to use Sophos as a pawn and being his friend is what caused him to be so distant for the majority of the book.

While I can't see another way, I just wonder if there is one, and we can't see it because Gen and Eddis dont want Sophos to, and the book is his prespective, pretty much

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Nicely said! Plus:

The compromise Gen and Helen and Irene came up with allowed Sophos to win as much as possible, but he still had to lose some. They regretted that, and none more than Gen.

And not only did they work it so Sophos had to lose some, they had to deceive Sophos to some degree, too. He doesn't know about the volcano, he doesn't know that he won't have enough soldiers to fight off the barons, he doesn't know a whole lot of things, and his friends are manipulating him. Luckily for everyone he's very forgiving.