Last Thursday, I promised you Rosie Wadman of Group Haarth’s latest update on the Great Wall Of Night (Series) Read-Along – which is, of course, a reread of the series-to-date from go-to-whoa. 😀

Group Haarth

Rosie’s current update follows completing the read-along for The Heir of Night, Part 2 – but before we go to that, on Thursday I reminded readers that Group Haarth is a (private) Facebook group that “…was formed by and for [The Wall Of Night] readers who want to hang out together and talk all things, you know, Haarth.”

Rosie Wadman

And as Rosie shared when first embarking on the read-along, the purpose is to revisit  the WALL story with fellow readers on a chapter by chapter basis, with a keen eye for “…a multitude of details, from individual characters and their relationships, to the beginning of narrative arcs, world building, and of course the joy of any reread…all the foreshadowing!”

The Great Reread and Read-Along Overview: The Heir of Night, Part Two

Hello everyone, greetings from sunny England! Well, sunny for now, anyway. You would think that with all the rainy Saturday afternoons I have had at my disposal this winter, I would have romped through Part Two of the Great Re-Read, but sadly Covid had other ideas. However, I have reached Jaransor at last and it is finally time to look back on Part Two, including rediscovering my favourite chapters in the whole series (to date ) in the process.

UK/AU/NZ

Before I get to them though, I want to start this summary post with a favourite aspect of storytelling within these chapters. Last time I focused on foreshadowing, which is fitting, because for me Part 2 is all about ‘past-shadowing’. From the opening scenes with Tasarion and Rowan, to all the conversations that give us insight into the drama that played out when Malian was born, I get such a sense of the stories that have gone before. Not the myths and legends, or even the more recent history of the Derai, but the personal stories of the adults who surround Malian and Kalan. They were clearly a band of ‘siblings’ in their youth and there is a complex sub-story here that lends so much weight to the book.

USA

Back to my favourite chapters, 19 & 20, where we meet the enigmatic Huntmaster and the not-so-merry hunters for the first time. I love them for what they add to the narrative, both in terms of understanding the characters and introducing some important artefacts, but most of all I love the nod to the Wild Hunt. It’s always been one of my favourite motifs from the folklore I grew up with and I was thrilled to meet them here. From this point on I was on the lookout for other echoes and references, and wasn’t disappointed (cave of sleeping warriors waiting for a time of great need, anyone?). For me, blending our own mythology into that of the Derai adds a wonderful layer of connection to the story.

by Rosie Wadman
Group Haarth

Previous Posts:

• December 12, 2023: The Great Reread and Read-Along Overview: The Heir of Night, Part One

Conclusion

Thank you so much, Rosie! Just btw, dear readers, if you’ve been following the Daughter of Blood Q&A reposts, Rosie’s love of motifs from folklore is evident in her question on the Web of Mayanne – which is from the exact same part of the book discussed today. You can read it here:

Q&A Thursdays Reprised #6: Rosie’s Question

I’m sticking with the same format the first post, which is that if anyone wishes to add their own reflections on The Heir of Night Part 2 or to ask Rosie a question, then I’ll very happily post any comments here.

For those on Facebook, the other option is to head on over to Group Haarth, knock on the door (it’s a private group) and join in the read-along and discussion there. Rosie assures me they are very welcome of all Haarthlings. 😀

~*~

Speaking of (ahem) updates, I’ll be cobbling together something on The Wall Of Night #4 progress for you on Thursday (April 11.) You may even get some visibility on what I refer to as the Zig-Zag…