[Jackson]

Hello everyone, I just had a quick question. I am currently reading Dust of Dreams, and it has been about a year since I finished The Bonehunters. I cannot seem to remember why the Adjunct and her army were betrayed by Empress Laseen and the empire. Can someone please remind me why and how?

[Aptorian]

PSA: Don't put spoilers in your title. The title will be visible on the front page on the forum and can spoil people who aren't up to date on the series.

You should edit it now if you're seeing this post before a mod edits it. It sucks getting story twists ruined this way.

The Bonehunters weren't betrayed. They were sacrificed. Mallick Rel returned to the empire before the 14th and poisoned the well, metaphorically speaking. Rel created a political spin in which he was the returning hero and the 14th betrayers and potential ursurpers. Instead of risking her control of the empire, Laseen used the "excommunication" of the 14th to sure up her position. This played into the narrative that the Wickans were at fault for the loss of 7 cities.

[Vengeance]

Jackson, on 30 January 2016 - 07:15 AM, said:

Hello everyone, I just had a quick question. I am currently reading Dust of Dreams, and it has been about a year since I finished The Bonehunters. I cannot seem to remember why the Adjunct and her army were betrayed by Empress Laseen and the empire. Can someone please remind me why and how?

I edited your tittle. Apt is correct don't put spoilers in titles. I also moved your question to dust of dreams. Apt is correct in his answer.

[Gredfallan Ale]

I think what Apt states is what happened in broad lines. However, I don't think the books offer us any detailed descriptions on how the political field in Unta was evolving, how Rel found purchase in the political playing field for his spin and why Laseen deemed it absolutely necessary to sacrifice the army to steady her position. I think that's one of the beauties of the series, the epical scale means that there's a lot going on, everywhere, and most things, even if they have a direct influence on the main story, happen "off screen". We find clues, often see the broad lines, but whole books could be written about the events surrounding the main series.

[worry]

IIRC there is a little bit of that info too. Like the rebellion and (eventually) the plague in 7 Cities had messed up trade (esp of food/grain?) and the Empire needed the fertile Wickan lands, which were essentially the Great Plains of Quon Tali. Mallick Rel and Korbolo Dom "joining" the Whirlwind Rebellion might have been at least as much about taking out Coltaine and the Wickans as they were double agents in Raraku.

So in TBH Laseen is trying to convince Tavore -- who by this point knows she's been used to lead the cleanup crew -- to see the practicality of her decisions, the cold necessity. And it's not like Tavore doesn't "get it", it's that she can't stomach it. That's the choice she had to make, to eat it or not, and that's the source of the rift. Laseen gets that too -- you can say there's mutual understanding, but total disagreement between them. But Laseen can't abide disloyalty at this time, given that she needs the Wickan plan to succeed and she's prepping for the events of RotCG.

[Kanese S's]

Well, three entire books, for one thing.