[CutterYounghand]

Finished BH a few days ago, and I didn't like the climax very much. It felt like being told that "Kalam is the ultimate badass MUTHAFUCKA bitches!" over and over again. I knew he was going to survive somehow when Pearl shot him. And Pearl's entire arc this book was so tragic. He thought the only woman he ever loved (and I'm pretty sure never loved him back) was dead, so he was going to take revenge on Tavore (I think) for ordering the attack on Y'Ghatan in which Lostara 'died' . And Lostara wasn't really dead. So he gets killed by Apsalar (who I frankly don't care about), but everyone (else)'s favorite badass Kalam gets to survive somehow? Totally unfair. Although that's life, I guess...

[Khellendros]

What makes it great writing, in my opinion, is how Pearl's death can still elicit major sympathy and be seen as tragic even though the means by which he took down Kalam just before were pretty despicable. Neither is Pearl's death glossed over, but rather continues to have some repurcussions throughout the series.

[Studlock]

Also Pearl is straight puuuuuuunk!!!!!!!

Just kidding, I never truly liked Pearl, as snake-like as he was slithering one way or another, but I do agree with Khellendros (is that a name from the series or are you just Greek?) that his death is a powerful moment in the book and continues to echo throughout the remainder of the series. As for Kalam I was one of those fool who thought he had truly died that night and was very anger at Tavroe (a continued anger, she killed her sister, she burned half her army, and then she get both Kalam and her lover killed...to this day I don't understand the loyalty the BH gave her is all that warranted) for allow it to happen.

[worry]

Nobody but Pearl/Lostara knew who she killed in HoC, Leoman burned her army, and T'amber and Kalam were killed by Mallick Rel more or less. Plus they were never really Bonehunters anyway.

[Studlock]

I'm not going to turn this into a giant 'Why Studlock dislikes this thing' thread but I really don't think she is a capable leader and while obviously the people who committed the act deserve the blame, she, not the attackers, had the responsibility to keep her people safe being the leader (an action she committed to, one that eventually ended up in her killing her own sister...nailed it!). She didn't, and I'm sure she feels bad about that, she is above all else a good person, but I think it can be argued that she ultimately ineffectual in her position.

But anyways Pearl man, the worst. Kalam 4LIFE!

This post has been edited by Studlock: 06 June 2014 - 05:40 AM

[worry]

Yah I always knew you were a Tene Baralta at heart!

[Studlock]

More of a Blistig really.

[Tru]

Kalam is a Bridgeburner, and thus earns my respect and favor no matter what. Also, pair him with Quick Ben and you have one of the most dynamic, dangerous, and interesting combo's in the entire series...thus, killing Kalam off in book 6 would have sucked far worse than seeing Pearl, who became a sympathetic character, but still had a pretty tainted history, survive...to be sure, if he'd survived and Kalam died, then Pearl would have become rather hated. So instead, he becomes something different, something better, by his death. I actually can't wait to see how this storyline pans out...why was Pearl the final target which Cotillion had for Apsalar? It's a rhetorical question in the confines of this thread..I just can't wait to see how it resolves, and the motivations of Shadowthrone and Cotillion is a truly compelling storyline for me.

[theocean]

The part that i thought was funny was both Kalam and Pearl wanted to do the exact same thing in the long run. They both wanted to kill Korbolo and Mallick... other than having to fight eachother i think both of them wouldve done the exact same thing if they had been given a night off. In the end they basically are the cause of eachothers inablility to do what they both really wanted to do.