regshoe | Flight of the Heron read-along: Part IV chapters 3-4

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Farewell even to our Scottish name, so famed in martial story...

Another pivotal set of chapters. It's all coming together now...

Next week we'll read Part IV chapters 5 and 6.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

luzula

Well, I don't know what I can add to

regshoe's comments! I remember the first time I read this book, and the increasingly jawdropping way that it just went straight for the iddy slash. And these two chapters are a really great illustration of that, wow.

The description of Ewen and how far he has been broken down is really heartbreaking. We see the scene from Keith's POV, but from Ewen's...first the torture from Guthrie, then the tender mercies of Greening. And finally he has nothing left but to think about how he has betrayed Lochiel! So Keith finally winning through his distrust must really give Ewen back a lifeline of hope and trust again. ♥

Ha, and at the end Keith is at it AGAIN! Yet why, he asked himself, should he care what Ardroy was suffering, now that he had cleared his account with him? As soon as Ewen is no longer in his presence, he's trying to deny his feelings again.

This week's research reading does not actually have much to do with FotH, but is about the very interesting Anne Erroll, main organizer of the Scottish end of the failed Jacobite rebellion of 1708. Read if you like middle-aged competent women.

From:

regshoe

Argh, I know, poor Ewen... probably for the best that we don't get this bit from his POV, although him finally coming to trust Keith is lovely from Keith's POV too.

And good point about just how much being able to trust Keith means for him, after everything he's been through. In fact, have another amazingly iddy line, from just after Ewen faints: But Ardroy was not gone far. In a moment or two he raised a hand to his head as he lay there, and murmured something about a ray of hope.

Thank you for linking the research reading—more terribly interesting stuff. :D

From:

killclaudio

Ha, and at the end Keith is at it AGAIN!

I am enjoying Keith's oblivious pining so much. At this point I think it actually makes more sense to consider his feelings romantic instead of platonic, because if it were only friendship he felt, I don't think he would have as much difficulty admitting it to himself. Especially after he'd only just told Ewen "I would as soon betray my own brother!" Oh, Keith.

If Broster were alive today she would be writing fanfiction for sure.

From:

luzula

At this point I think it actually makes more sense to consider his feelings romantic instead of platonic, because if it were only friendship he felt, I don't think he would have as much difficulty admitting it to himself.

This is a good point! Oh, Keith. ♥

Yeah, Broster would totally have been at home in fandom.