The Procrastinators Book Club discussion

Welcome to the The Prisoner’s Throne Buddy Read Discussion thread! This thread officially opens on June 7th and anyone can join at any time. Please keep in mind that spoilers are allowed in this thread but only up to the group's current reading place. Do not spoil the book if you've read further than the group. Any extra days can be used to catch up!

Each day we will be reading by chapters or page numbers. Page numbers are an approximation based on the hardcover or paperback that is the default on Goodreads. The suggested Buddy Read discussion schedule is as follows:

Week of 06/07
June 7: Prologue – Chapter 2
June 8: Chapters 3 – 5

Week of 06/09
June 9: Chapters 6 – 8
June 10: Chapters 9 – 11
June 11: Chapters 12 – 13
June 12: Chapters 14 – 16
June 13: Chapters 17 – 18
June 14: Chapters 19 – 21
June 15: Chapters 22 – 23

Week of 06/16
June 16: Chapters 24 – 25


PARTICIPANTS
~ Sarah-Vanessa
~ Juliane
~ Anushka

With thaaaat ending, I can't wait to get started on this one! Phew! That was some turn of events.

I can start from today. What about you two?

Hi, I will start later today, are we still on our plan just that we pushed it two days later than originally planned and mentioned above?

Yes @Juliane. Roughly 2-3 chapters a day.

Hello Ladies, happy to be back with you, discussing the second book. I just started it and will write my first thoughts tomorrow.

Prologue to End of Chapter Four --

I must say I like reading through Oak's perspective better than Wren's. His games and tricks are fun. Getting to see a tiny glimpse of his gancanagh power was intriguing as well.
I don't like this side of Wren however, even if it is remarkably similar to cold Jude. Something is up with Wren, from what Bogdana said in the throne room but the insinuation didn't make sense to me.
Let's see what unravels.
I want to see if Wren's ice fractures a little bit upon finding Oak has been tortured by her own soldiers.

Prologue - Chapter 5
@Anushka I can relate to your point. Oak is fun to read. Wren is somehow bitter. I don’t like her this way. I get Oak hurther, but she’s bern through so much torture why would she put someone else through that. I also suspect she might be sick, considering the situation with Bogdana. It was weird how Bogdana talked to her in front of everyone

I have to admit I still struggle a tiny bit with Oaks family and all the names. I probably have to look all of them up again.

Yeah @Sarah. If I hadn't read the folk of air trilogy, I would have been utterly lost. More power to you!

Till the end of chapter 8

I agree with both of you that its really good to get Oaks POV, its so interesting to find out just how torn he seems to be between wanting to find his own path in life and following the different ways of his family.

I wonder if Melliths heart, now that its Power has been unleashed, doesn't quite work together with Wrens body anymore, maybe it would need a different vessel for that kind of power, in which the whole unmaking in exchange for the power could be better balanced.
Maybe thats what Bogdana is aiming for since she clearly has more knowledge (or at least suspicions) of this than anybody else, inculding the reader.
There seems to be a war going on inside of Wren between her understandable anger and her generally still good nature.

End of Chapter 11 --

Wren has already proven herself as a strong Queen with her powers and the allies she has won. The boon she gave the falcons will make them tough soldiers to beat. I wonder how the first meeting between Jude and Wren (both strong, cold and ruthless queens) will go.
Tbh I miss Cardan a little bit and would love a short cameo, haha.
Apart from the royals however, I am at this point quite invested in Hyacinth and Tiernan's love story as well. The two have been through quite a bit but their love remains and that's beautiful.

Bogdana perching in her vulture form away from Wren so she cannot be ordered away was hilarious. I am equal parts suspicious of Bogdana but also in awe of her. A happy ending for me would be Bogdana letting go of her bitterness and need for revenge and choosing to be a loyal adviser to Wren going forward.

I guess Bogdana and Madoc are two characters that I can't hate no matter what they do. *sigh*

Chapter 6 - 11
Catching up because I might have too many reads going on, but still behind schedule. 🙈

@Juliane I definitely liked your theory and it was quite fitting to what is happening to Wren. Whenever she uses it to remove a spell it removes a bit of her. What an amazing and at the same time terrible power.

@Anushka Yes, give me more of Hyacinth and Tiernan. I‘m so invested with their story since the first book.

And I‘m definitely looking forward how this fake engagement will blossom into a real one, because that’s what I‘m expecting or at least wishing for.

End of Chapter 14 --

The Undersea attack was unexpected and Wren's situation seems worse for it. She doesn't seem like such a worthy adversary anymore with how quickly she drains out and all but collapses now.

Meeting Jude and Cardan was nice --the first one lethal and the other inappropriate like always, haha. I had fun.
Bogdana was rude, as expected but Wren kept her somewhat under control.

Chapters 9 to 13

I'm with you both on Tiernan any Hyacinths love story, I so hope that they can find a way to be happy and not that their relationship will turn into a tragedy serving only as motivation for others.

What are your theories regarding the poisoner of Liriope, the person whos hand Hyacinthe wants? I don't really see any proper hints yet to be honest unless I missed something, but my current theory is Oriana because it would be so shocking but also might make sense if she was deperate to have a child maybe, completely wild guess to be honest 😅

There are so many parallels between Madoc and Bogdana and the way they use their children for their own gains, I wonder if one of them will see a full reckoning cause I don't yet see every character having a happy ending.

Sorry I didn’t have much time to read, the last two days. But I‘ll finish this one today.

Chapter 12 - 18
It feels like every single person involved here, has their own agenda. And I have no idea what that agenda is.
Oak and Wren are sort of a mystery to me. I don’t really get their dynamics. They want to be together, but at the same time they don’t. And why does Oak drag Lady Elaine into this?

@Juliane I‘ve had the same thought. But honestly I have no idea at all, who is the killer of Liriope, Maybe because I‘m not familiar with the other characters that much. Oriana could be a possibility because she didn’t have a kid. But honestly I have no clue.

Chapter 19 - 21
Oh, so that might to be the plan: marrying Oak to Nicasias…
If I was Oak I wouldn’t trust Jack, don’t know I just don’t trust the guy at all.

Wow, someone murdered Garrett to prevent him from telling Oak who murdered his mother. I don’t believe it was Hyacinth it must be someone from Oaks family. The same person who probably murdered his mom in the first place. It seems it’s not Oriana as she was too surprised.

What do you think about Wren? Did she really do it? I somehow don’t want to believe she betrayed Oak like that. Maybe she was forced by Bogdana?

I finished this one…

(view spoiler)[

Chapter 22 - 25
Well… I was kind of hoping it wouldn’t be Bogdana as it kind of was the obvious outcome, but well…

And do I remember correctly that we did not find out who killed Liriope?

Well overall it’s a 4 star. It was interesting, but not mindblowing. I especially liked the second part. The villain was kind of foreseeable but it’s ok… I personally think it would have been better if I would’ve read the series before this one. Like that I could’ve understood all the small remarks and I would’ve been more familiar, but it was still understandable.

(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 14 to 20

I have do admit I did not see Randalin as one of the traitors, he played his role very well. Murdering the Ghost and Eliana seems like a really risky move, they must have been so sure of the plans of their trap for the Royals.

Also how could nobody in the court have any idea there was an attack coming, like I get grieving the Ghost but not a single one of them recognised that there were no well-known knights protecting the tent, also using Dains sigil for Oaks father probably should have alerted someone.

Oaks frustration with his family is understandable, I sometimes wonder how anyone trusts anyone and while I understand Jude wanting Oak to have a better life and normal childhood I find there to be something so sad about the idea of Oak having to hide his true self from even his closest family simply because he imagines that he has mostly seen them scheming and is afraid they will use his powers for their own gains. Communication is really nobodys strength in this family 🫣

Till the end

The ending seems quite fitting for all the characters getting their mostly deserved fates, especially Bogdana seeming to lose all her powers. That uncontrolled creation of storms was clearly a power that needed to be controlled. And the way she tried to justify leading Wren to her death just so the hag could get revenge by sinking one of the isles was sinister.

It did feel a bit rushed to me how some things were resolved, especially the sword fight between Jude and Oak it seemed a bit too quick the way they managed to have the conversation and agree on their next joined next steps.
But I found the way Wren was basically reborn and the reunion with her sister quite beautiful in its result.

@ Sarah-Vanessa I think the Ghost was actually responsible for Liriopes death, which I take mainly from two different characters telling Oak something along the lines of that the Ghost regretted his actions to her death 🤔

@Juliane I like your thoughts. Indeed it was a bit rushed at the end, although it didn’t bother me that much.

Yes ghost killed Liriope, but I thought I read somewhere that he was put up by someone to do that… And Hyacinth wanted Oak to find out who that someone is… But maybe I‘m mistaken 🤔

@ Sarah-Vanessa I see now what you meant by the question of who did it. I think it was mentioned that it had something to do with Liriope having a relationship both with the king as well as his son, although I'm not sure anymore which one of them hired the Ghost to do it, I think it was the son because he was worried of the king finding out about the affair. I hope it wasn't just my imagination, there was just too much treachery in that family 🫣

It is not the main point of the first trilogy, if I remember correctly, but unfortunately I'm guessing this is one of those things that will make a little more sense when reading those books, at least regarding the family-dynamics that led to the whole mess surrounding the royals.
But if you enjoyed the duology I have no doubt that you will love the trilogy 😊

@Juliane So sorry! Completely forgot to answer you. Yes, sorry I wasn’t too clear in the way I formulated my words….There was a mentioning it was his son who murdered Liriope. I just maybe thought there would be a more deeper storyline about that.

Yes, I think I will read the trilogy soon - after the summer event - and see if everything makes a but more sense. The duology itself was ok to read without that knowledge. Although I probably missed out on some insiders and hints, besides getting all the characters confused.