But the question remains, as Avery asks himself… why are they being attacked so often?
And equal parts wonderful and frustrating for readers, because by this time I was asking myself: are these attacks happening because of Jubblepore's protection doesn't extend this far? Because the locals are angry about what the Company is doing in Jubblepore? Or because of what B&A did while in Jubblepore? And the first time I read it, I just didn't know! It was as disorienting for me as it would have been for Avery.
Another conversation between Avery and Blake! Love that Avery is all ??? about Blake attempting to lecture him on manners, Blake has a point but Avery’s confusion does seem justified.
This is so great because you can really see it sinking in for Avery that Blake has a much better handle on things than either Avery or than Avery's given him credit for thus far, and you can just see him doing the mental equivalent of *confused puppy head tilt* as he tries to figure it all out. It's certainly not intuitive for him, given what society's taught him about class, nationality, and the rest of it.
Bearded Blake! I do love a good beard…
YES. I love that he gets to go around bearded and in Indian clothing for much of this novel (and was initially bummed when I found out the next one was set in London and that wouldn't be happening anymore.) (*^ ^*);
Blake obviously thinking that the resident is an idiot is great.
You can just see his mental eye roll here, and I love it. Avery's reaction to the palace is fascinating and telling, because although he's obviously awed, he still hasn't put two and two together: you can't build on this scale and organize on this scale without being, I dunno...civilized? And yet he still hasn't made that leap. On the one hand, India is exotic beauty to his mind, but on the other it's a lawless, uncultured place that needs a guiding European hand. There's so much cognitive dissonance going on, and I feel sympathy for Blake having confronted this over and over and over...
Blake pretends to be a little annoyed about it, but I think he’s secretly quite impressed by Avery’s nerve. It’s all certainly progress. As is Blake setting Avery gently right on his assumptions, and Avery actually considering that instead of flying off the handle.
There's so much great character development here. I think they're both learning that they get more results from the other through patience and explanation (and in Avery's case, a dose of minor trickery!) than immediately shutting the other down for being "wrong" about whatever the situation at hand is. I think Blake is indeed quite secretly impressed, not least because he can identify with Avery's approach for solving that problem--it's what Blake would surely have done in his shoes--and he liked being surprised by it.
Obviously I’m looking at this from a modern POV, I’m from the UK where we haven’t had executions for going on seventy years now, and so I think all executions are bad… But the company really has no room to judge, when they’re also killing people.
Yup. I just can't see that execution is ever really just or humane, especially because the chances are so high that someone might be executed in error and there is no way to ever fix that. But the scene does nicely illustrate that hypocrisy you mention, and also the fact that the local populace wasn't objecting to the hangings in Jubblepore because they were executions, but because they didn't view them as legitimate. We certainly don't see a riot following the execution in Doora.
I find it adorable that he was so awed by the white tigers, and also headcanon that Blake found it pretty adorable too. I love that Blake saves Avery from eating the almond paste, and keeps gently guiding him. I also love that our heroes are now comfortable enough with each other to joke around a bit, to the point that Blake makes Avery snort!
Absolutely! And I think it's another little surprising or endearing moment for Blake too, because we certainly get hints throughout the books that he likes tigers himself (he stops Avery from shooting the tiger on the road to Jubblepore, and I think he has an illustration of tigers in his rooms in London, too). I kinda felt for Avery in the banquet scene--*I* would have been disappointed at not getting to eat the almond paste too. XD
And I totally hadn't thought about it that way, but you're right--getting Blake to snort is an Achievement Unlocked for sure. :D
I really wish we could have had more of Parkes' recalling Blake as a young kid, because a) I just want more of this, b) hers would be a fascinating narrative voice to have it in, and c) how awesome would it have been if she could have been Blake's pseudoparent instead of Mountstuart?
Re: Chapter 10
And equal parts wonderful and frustrating for readers, because by this time I was asking myself: are these attacks happening because of Jubblepore's protection doesn't extend this far? Because the locals are angry about what the Company is doing in Jubblepore? Or because of what B&A did while in Jubblepore? And the first time I read it, I just didn't know! It was as disorienting for me as it would have been for Avery.
Another conversation between Avery and Blake! Love that Avery is all ??? about Blake attempting to lecture him on manners, Blake has a point but Avery’s confusion does seem justified.
This is so great because you can really see it sinking in for Avery that Blake has a much better handle on things than either Avery or than Avery's given him credit for thus far, and you can just see him doing the mental equivalent of *confused puppy head tilt* as he tries to figure it all out. It's certainly not intuitive for him, given what society's taught him about class, nationality, and the rest of it.
Bearded Blake! I do love a good beard…
YES. I love that he gets to go around bearded and in Indian clothing for much of this novel (and was initially bummed when I found out the next one was set in London and that wouldn't be happening anymore.) (*^ ^*);
Blake obviously thinking that the resident is an idiot is great.
You can just see his mental eye roll here, and I love it. Avery's reaction to the palace is fascinating and telling, because although he's obviously awed, he still hasn't put two and two together: you can't build on this scale and organize on this scale without being, I dunno...civilized? And yet he still hasn't made that leap. On the one hand, India is exotic beauty to his mind, but on the other it's a lawless, uncultured place that needs a guiding European hand. There's so much cognitive dissonance going on, and I feel sympathy for Blake having confronted this over and over and over...
Blake pretends to be a little annoyed about it, but I think he’s secretly quite impressed by Avery’s nerve. It’s all certainly progress. As is Blake setting Avery gently right on his assumptions, and Avery actually considering that instead of flying off the handle.
There's so much great character development here. I think they're both learning that they get more results from the other through patience and explanation (and in Avery's case, a dose of minor trickery!) than immediately shutting the other down for being "wrong" about whatever the situation at hand is. I think Blake is indeed quite secretly impressed, not least because he can identify with Avery's approach for solving that problem--it's what Blake would surely have done in his shoes--and he liked being surprised by it.
Obviously I’m looking at this from a modern POV, I’m from the UK where we haven’t had executions for going on seventy years now, and so I think all executions are bad… But the company really has no room to judge, when they’re also killing people.
Yup. I just can't see that execution is ever really just or humane, especially because the chances are so high that someone might be executed in error and there is no way to ever fix that. But the scene does nicely illustrate that hypocrisy you mention, and also the fact that the local populace wasn't objecting to the hangings in Jubblepore because they were executions, but because they didn't view them as legitimate. We certainly don't see a riot following the execution in Doora.
I find it adorable that he was so awed by the white tigers, and also headcanon that Blake found it pretty adorable too. I love that Blake saves Avery from eating the almond paste, and keeps gently guiding him. I also love that our heroes are now comfortable enough with each other to joke around a bit, to the point that Blake makes Avery snort!
Absolutely! And I think it's another little surprising or endearing moment for Blake too, because we certainly get hints throughout the books that he likes tigers himself (he stops Avery from shooting the tiger on the road to Jubblepore, and I think he has an illustration of tigers in his rooms in London, too). I kinda felt for Avery in the banquet scene--*I* would have been disappointed at not getting to eat the almond paste too. XD
And I totally hadn't thought about it that way, but you're right--getting Blake to snort is an Achievement Unlocked for sure. :D
I really wish we could have had more of Parkes' recalling Blake as a young kid, because a) I just want more of this, b) hers would be a fascinating narrative voice to have it in, and c) how awesome would it have been if she could have been Blake's pseudoparent instead of Mountstuart?