As far as I'm aware this has been the first book where we've seen "partial" salting. Where a limb or part of one, usually arms of legs is salted from contact instead of killing them.

Yes, we've seen "rinds" or skin damage from proximity to Chorae but not from direct hits.

Serwa survives a direct hit and only loses the arm? But before we've seen cases with those have especially deep Marks to start salting from just proximity. Surely a Mark like Serwa's should have left her dead after a direct hit to the arm rather than losing the limb?

In fact, in the first chapter of TDTCB, Achamian is essentially held at gunpoint by a Chorae above his palm. Now, at 44 years of age at the start his Mark must have been pretty deep.

I made Chorae feel less dangerous seeing people survive them. Was there any explanation for this?

Following Serwa's example shouldn't

I was so excited to have Ishterebinth on the side of the Ordeal, and it go total War of the Last Alliance. Qûya mages fighting alongside Gnostic Sorcerors, one of the Tall charging the Extrinsic Gate and strangling Bashrag.


The Tall don't even get a glossary entry...

Instead they were killed off screen, and like 3 Qûya turn up but end up fighting the Mysunsai?

I actually thought Sorweel would become a genuine Believer-King and given his part-Nonman soul lead the Cûnuroi contingent of the Ordeal.

I can't help but feeling that so many awesome things were set up but then just fizzled out rather than exploded.

Maybe I've got this completely wrong, I finished TUC last night in a frenzy.

Were the Mutilated prisoners taken from the initial assault on Ishual who then subverted the Consult from inside.

Or did they join before and assist in clearing Ishual out?

My guy is saying the former.

Proyas had gone grey, hair and beard by the first chapter of TJE, now his hair's black again.

Why do I notice all this 

Couldn't agree more. I can't get onboard with the whole "historical inaccuracy" thing and just see it as poor and lazy editing.

The Allosian/Allosium example there happens within a line of other, changing in the space of an entry.

Doesn't detract from the story but it's annoying nonetheless.

Awesome, didn't realise there'd be so many. I'm in Glasgow. It was the Stirling store I checkd though.

I've ordered the one in the Carlisle store to get picked up on Argyle Street, so hopefully it's only a day or two!

I found the writing excellent but was still a bit underwhelmed compared the openings of the other books.

I've only read them through once but the only thing that stood out in chapter one was Esmi setting the WLW on Kellhus? I don't recall this.

Chapter 2 just seemed like Moenghus bitching about not getting rescued by Serwa via sorcery, though didn't she have an agonic collar on the whole time so that was hardly feasible. I'm also a bit confused about what happened between the last Ishterebinth chapter from TGO and this. I don't doubt it'll fill out but I'm still a bit lost. I guess Serwa wrecked the place but there's little mention of any of the events of the final showdown so to speak.

The chapter titles have got me more excited than the 2 chapters, I'm just slightly underwhelmed.

That said, my preorder has been in for months and I'm still confident the book overall will be fantastic.

Kellhus and Cnaiur have a showdown!