The snow finally cleared out of the yard this week. It’s still not truly warm, but Spring is definitely on the way. Yesterday, I organized the shed. I at least got everything put into good groupings, and out of the middle of the way, but I’m definitely going to have to see how I use things this year to see what I really need to keep.
Today, I got the seed starting kit ready to go for next weekend. This will not be a permanent fixture here – we’ll have to store it in the garage when it’s not in use. But I’m really excited to get started with the seeds next week.
This is the second novella in this series. In the first, Binti left home, in this one, she returns. Why that’s important doesn’t make any sense unless you’ve read the first story. And I think this story is a certain amount of building to whatever will occur in the third story.
These stories have absolutely wonderful world building – it’s really neat to see scifi from a non-western perspective.
This book begins with a woman and a man in a prison – they’re across the aisle from each other, so are the only two people they can each see, other than the guards. They have a bit of a wary relationship, because of that sight. She knows that it’s been a year since she was imprisoned, and the lord must give her a hearing. But the guards are cruel, and let her know that she will not survive to the next day.
That night, she receives a visitor, who offers her a chance at a new life, but she must pledge herself to help people for the next seven years, and go north to the kingdom of Dalraida. She must leave her revenge behind. (That revenge becomes clearer over the course of the book.) She accepts, and a tree destroys their portion of the prison. Renaming herself Blackthorn, and with Grim as a companion, they travel north.
Blackthorn is a wise woman, and sets up in the abandoned cottage of the old wise woman to the town ruled by the heir to Dalraida. Prince Oran is betrothed to a lady named Flidais from the south. They have never met, but exchanged many letters before Flidais journeyed north, and the lady that arrives there is not the same lady he exchanged letters with. Eventually, he engages Blackthorn and Grim to help him figure out what’s going on.
Blackthorn and Grim really are the main characters here – Oran and Flidais are an interesting sub plot. We learn more about why Blackthorn was in prison, but we have yet to learn Grim’s full story. I dare say they’ll eventually go back south, with new allies, and I’m just so interested to see the wider story here.
Managed some more of the raking I wasn’t able to do last Fall because we moved in so late in the season. There’s no after picture yet because what I accomplished was to expose the wet lower layer, which I can then go after once it’s dry. (Its set to rain this weekend, of course.) There were even a few bonus snow piles concealed in the bigger piles. Woo! At least I’m getting there slowly.
I’ll post pictures of Kettle Cove shortly – while I enjoyed the pictures and the walk, I was mainly there to collect seaweed. I’ve got two bags’ worth out behind the shed waiting on the new beds.
The houseplants are definitely loving their new home. The abutilon and clivia are both blooming right now. Hopefully it won’t get too hot for them in the summer, but it’ll definitely stay as their winter home.
These guys have not ventured near the front yard feeders yet, but I was just so happy to see them. Listening to the males sing in the tree across the street was one of the things I really enjoyed in our old apartment.
The North Wind and the Sea 