#group rifter reread

[wiltkingart]

What queer books do you recommend?

oh honey i have a whole rec page here if you're up for anything, but i mostly read adult m/m fiction. lots of weird and old stuff with dark tones more often than not. if you want some specific titles as a flavor list, here's a few favorites! i'll link their storygraph pages so you can read their synopses too:

Fantasy: The Rifter by Ginn Hale (dark fantasy featuring a romance that spans years and time and space in decaying world with a destroyer god, and bones. so many bones. has one of the most interesting and well written story structures i've encountered. very moody and dark, hits just right).

Scifi: Body after Body by Briar Ripley Page (erotic adult scifi novella with transmasc and transfem MCs. dreamlike and grotesque, delicate and stomach churning, it's about a group of mind-wiped laborers tending genetically engineered mutant bodies.)

Historical: The Still by David Feintuch (my book series of all tiiiiiiime. it's fantasy too but mostly medieval military fiction. don't even talk to me about Rodrigo if you're not ready to be hit with a twelve page verbal essay i'm not joking, that is a threat. not a typical romance, expect heartbreak and plenty of it and to never recover.)

Horror: Hexslinger series by Gemma Files (planning a reread of this one soon to see if it still holds up but this series has stuck with me like a fly to molasses. it's a fucked up time full of desperation, Mayan gods and godessess, faggotry, blasphemy, and witchery) go with the Bound in Flesh anthology instead if you want good trans body horror, or Down by Ally Blue for deepsea suspense horror.

Contemporary: All for the Game by Nora Sakavic (you probably know about this classic but for me it still tops most everything else i've read. it's got sports, mafia drama, and trauma). for something a little different (but still traumatic) try Mo Du / Silent Reading by Priest (dark mystery set in China that follows several disturbing cases and the psychology behind them + romance between a detective and a rich pretty boy)

but yeah i talk about books a lot on my personal/main blog @wiltking (in lieu of updating my actual rec pages these days, it seems) if you ever want more real time recs! i'm a book guy. i like books a normal amount :)

[kind-destroyer-god]

Group Rifter Reread - Book 4 notes

I wasn’t even gonna post this but I thought I had some good notes this time. Let’s see...

I think book 4 was where things started coming together for me. Lots of info, even though we don’t see my beloved Kahlil, we get a lot of John being the Rifter, which I also like. A lot of foreshadowing as well, and I start to get nervous.

“That man was a colleague of mine who now has a price on his head. He joined the Fai’daum.” - Hann’yu being Hann’yu. Also, we start to see the Fai’daum more sympathetically.

“ [...] some kind of allergic reaction or possibly a sensitivity to the fungus that formed the mycorrhizae sheathing the plant’s roots.” - John is such a nerd omg

““In combat practice two days ago,” Fikiri said. “Ravishan did it.”” - Fikiri kinda trying to turn John against Ravishan and John doesn’t even notice...

“Even Behr and Loshai don’t know why you did it.” - Do they not know about the key? I don’t remember. Or did they just not tell Fikiri yet?

Here’s a bunch of super sad and heartbreaking stuff I thought was pretty significant, and makes the happy ending so much more worth it imo. I think an interesting theme of these books is that sometimes there are no good choices, sometimes things are bad, but we gotta keep going and try to carve out our space and our happiness (of course god-like powers always help lol):

“He didn’t want to think about what he had done to Fikiri. At the time, he hadn’t really known what would be expected of the boy. But even if he had, John knew he would have forced Fikiri up those steps anyway. He would have done it because Rathal’pesha was the key to his return home. He could offer himself the excuse that Laurie and Bill were both depending on him. He could tell himself that it was only a matter of numbers—the needs of three to that of one. He could say that Fikiri wouldn’t have been alive at all if it hadn’t been for him. John had simply made the best of the options he had been given. He had done what needed to be done. He wanted to take some consolation in the truth of all that, and yet none of it made him feel good or just. It made him feel sick with himself and with the world that surrounded him.”

“Sometimes his life seemed like nothing but a series of ugly choices. Putting his dog down or having it live on in crippling pain, lying to his family about his life or losing them for the sake of honesty. There never seemed to be a painless option, only degrees of what he could live with and what he could not bear.”

“It was regret, John supposed. Another right choice that he had made that hadn’t been much better than the wrong choice. And what for? So that he could end up here, in this stronghold of repression, lying awake at night fantasizing about Ravishan and praying that he didn’t get them both killed. What consolation was he supposed to take in knowing that his father, an entire world away, knew he was gay? Pointless, John thought. Sometimes life was simply pointless.”

“He had made hard and even cruel choices, but in the end they were the ones he knew were right. There was no use in regretting them.”

“He hates it here. He hates all of us. He wants to go home. He wants his mother. The kind of thing that boys say when they’re hurt and scared.” 

“Even scaling the face of a steep incline, with his body pressed against the frigid rock, hand and footholds seemed to simply open where he needed them. It gave him an odd feeling of security, as if the mountain itself were cradling him, and it would not let him fall.” - How about those Rifter powers huh

“He didn’t cry like Fikiri, but John knew that Ravishan had endured far worse for much longer.” - Again how they both endured similar situations but turned out different. Ravi’s was probably even worse what with being gay?

“I want to cross into Nayeshi with you and…I want the life I can have there with you.” - I’m just crying rn

“He never seemed to expect happiness and that made giving it to him so much more of a pleasure.” - Stoppppp being sappy

“Within the Basawar culture, Samsango was perfectly consistent. He was kind and just. It was only from John’s point of view that a contradiction emerged.” - He’s like a racist grandpa...

“He suddenly thought of Kyle, recalling the way his old roommate had, at times, just stood there staring at him. He, too, must have been shocked by the society around him. John wondered which of his own actions had sent waves of secret revulsion through Kyle.” - You fool, Kyle had such a crush on you

“He had fixed John with a look that was half-shock and half-accusation, but he had said nothing. John had taken as much of Fikiri’s wound as he could without losing his own fingers. Now both their palms and wrists were crossed with the same tender, red scars like some blood-brother pact gone terribly wrong.” - Idk, I feel like John literally feeling Fikiri’s wounds in the flesh is somehow significant?

“But, you know, it’s like anything. You get used to it.”“I don’t know if I want to get used to it.” John scowled at his red fingers. “It can’t be helped.” Samsango shrugged. “You do something enough and it becomes part of your nature.”

Payshmura symbol of peace -  ✌️ 

“he could still remember the boy’s name. Saimura.” - My son!

“partial descriptions of a miraculous steam engine, new printing presses, and the brilliant street lamps of Nurjima.” - Worldbuilding!!

“Eloci Nass’ilem.” Hann’yu smiled fondly. “She wasn’t allowed to write nearly enough in her time.” - Woman writer!!!!

“If you keep bullying me like that, Behr is going to take pity on me and you know where that could lead,” - DOES ALIDAS IS GAY? All signs point to Y E S

“He didn’t flip through the pages as John had; rather, he treated them with care and read with interest.” - Alidas loves books

“images of black holes ripping through the skies, tearing away color and light from the land the way a rupture in the hull of an airplane could whip away all life within. He shuddered in revulsion—as if those two lambs were once again dying in his hands and he could not stop it from happening.” -  Is John seeing what would happen if they opened the gates again?

“He reached the doorway of the shrine but didn’t come out. Instead, he slumped down to the floor and pressed his forehead against the wall. His eyes were clenched shut, but tears still dribbled down his cheeks. He clamped his hands over his mouth to cover the sound.” - Hann’yu crying because of the girl they had to kill.

“Somewhere in him there had been a self-image of a man who was brave enough to suffer for his convictions. A man who would not stand by as a girl was murdered in front of him. Now revulsion and recrimination were eating that ideal away.” - Bad choices all around. Poor John.

“There was even a big, golden dog. Nobody tried to kill her or cook her.” - Ji!!!

“They made you burn your own mother?” - Honestly Ravishan’s life just makes me cry tbh

“You’ve had a crappy life.” - Understatement of they MILLENIUM.

“he had a strange sense of being watched.” - Damn Fikiri

“You think I’d be this calm if the Rifter were here?” - LMAO

“We can tell you many things, but none are certain and many are lies.” - I just like this quote

“John caught whispers of ruin and fires, the lost key, the demoness, the Rifter, and Jath’ibaye.” - Just thought it was neat that John hears them talking about himself but doesn’t know lol

“It wasn’t that his fear of Dayyid had lessened, but rather that his anger towards the man had grown.” - FUCK DAYYID

“You’ve baked Dayyid into a giant cookie which we will offer to the unsuspecting leaders of the Fai’daum?” John responded glibly. Both Ravishan and Ashan’ahma exchanged a brief smile. “No. Where do you get these ideas?” - John reads ASOIAF confirmed.

“I don’t think knowing how is as important as remembering that I can,” - He says this when he pulls Fikiri out of the gray space. L o v i n g  this BAMF!Jahn

“I never have to question myself or fear that I am on the wrong path, because Parfir is with me in everything.” - Fanatics are scary. There’s people who think like this in our world.

“He wasn’t here to fight the injustices of the Payshmura religion or to teach Dayyid some humility. He had come to Rathal’pesha to find a way for himself, Bill, and Laurie to escape this entire world. He’d promised to show Ravishan a kinder, better life in Nayeshi. No matter what he couldn’t lose sight of those things. He just needed to endure all of this.” - Interesting to see how his point of view will shift.

That’s all there is for Book 4! Tomorrow I’ll do book 5 and last week’s chapters and then I’ll be 100% caught up!!! Hmu to talk about this if you want!

[seeroftodayandtomorrow]

The Rifter group reread

Chapters 103-107

I don't have many notes on these chapters. Also, I kind of messed up my notes, so if you're confused, that's why.

Chapter 103

-After what feels a long time, we're finally back with Kyle being tortured.

-I can totally imagine Laurie writing English obscenities in between the sacred Payshmura writings.

-I still retain a sense of sympathy for Laurie, and I can -up to a point- understand her doing what she can to try and go back in time and keep them from going to Basawar in the first place. But at this point, she is just evil.

Chapter 104

-Yes, take the Yasi'halaun (the only thing that can kill you) back to the enemy's stronghold, that's a great idea, John!

-On the other hand, it saves him the trip back to fetch it

Chapter 105

-Ji's death must be quite a shock to the Fai'daum community, as she was not only a beloved leader and trusted advisor, but she must also have been one of their only constants for a long period of time

-Rousma is so cute it kind of spoils the drama of the scene a little

Chapter 106

-I profoundly dislike the wording of things like, "women inducted into the issusha'im", or, "sacred beds". I could understand Ravishan thinking in those terms, as he was raised with them, but John...? It's women being tortured in the vilest way imaginable, and I wish John wouldn't think in euphemisms.

-If Laurie succeeded and destroyed Basawar on the process, wouldn't Ravishan/Kyle die anyway? So there's really no reason forJohn to do what she says

Chapter 107

-The Rifter equivalent to Harry Potter's "All was well" : John is all right

Only the epilogue to go now...

[fakexpearls]

The Rifter Re-Read Notes: Chapters 98-102

I can see the end! It’s so close!!!

Chapter 98:

“Just Jath’ibaye,” John said. “I’m no one’s lord.”  I marked this because John has yet to accept the name, as he still refers to himself (and is referred to in the narrative) as John. Whether this is a stylistic choice by Hale to keep the timelines clearly separated or not, I think it also speaks to John’s identity as the Rifter. Jath’ibaye is the Rifter, not John. We see that has changed in the other narrative (even Ji calls him Jath’ibaye).

“The bone shimmered and then melted into John’s hands, leaving them feeling warm and just a little stronger.” So....the bone dissolved into him, right? I want to be sure I’ve read that correctly. But it also made him stronger, like hew as absorbing the strength of past Rifters. That was pretty cool.

“Only here on the seventh terrace, where the watchtowers and the Temple of the Rifter stood, did the buildings retain their structural integrity.” I know John didn’t avoid the temple on purpose but...coincidence? Did he subconsciously avoid it?

“I’d be far more offended if you didn’t allow women inside the temple than if you did.” John is so earnest here, but I also imagine a bit of sarcasm? Also, he’s a good egg. 

“Their Rifter was a the promise of divine justice and unfailing courage. John could promise neither of those things. He was tired and hurt and worried that all he could bring these people was more ruin.” John never accepts the religious icon part of the Rifter, as we know. I liked this because it showed the humanity to a God, which we discussed before with previous chapters. John is just a tired man. But he has all these people bowing down to him after he created all this ruin to get to his lover. 

Chapter 99:

“Even after all the ccrushing, bloody injuries he had endured, the thought of being burned alive still terrified him. The memory of the writhing, charred bodies on the Holy Road curled up in his mind, triggered by the sharp scent of smoke and veru oil. He couldn’t imagine any worse pain than burning. But the fires needed to be extinguished and there was no one else to do it.” Poor John, even though he created all that wreckage - and flame - he is still trying to heal (with no time to do so) from his own tragedies and horror. Which leads to my next highlighted section... “John almost broke down then. He could never even hope to mend the damage he had done here. The destruction seemed endless and irreparable. He didn’t know if he could stand to see any more burned remains or crushed bodies. He wanted to walk away to somewhere quiet and safe to escape from the all-encompassing ruin.”  To be honest, John hasn’t had a minute’s rest since arriving in Basawar where he wasn’t driven by some plan. He’s finally able to slow down (or slow down by his standards) and take note of all he’s done. “But he knew he couldn’t give up. He had brought this devastation down on Vundomu and he had to do all he could to make amends.” UNLIKE THE CHURCH EVER DID. But also, more crying about John being a good guy. “The kahlirash’im prayed for strength. But common priests and workmen wept. They begged the Rifter for mercy, begged him not to end their world.” I wonder if the kahlirash’im were also begging him for the world not to end, but in their prayers...or in private.  “You knew that I would do this?” John asked. “Not always.” Ji said.” I just really liked this. Ji with her all-knowing but never reading too far into it.  “John felt odd using the term ‘us’ so freely with Wah’roa. He’d hardly spent more than two days with the man, but during that time they had labored and suffered for a common cause. They had saved lives and stabilized much of Vundomu. John couldn’t help but feel a bond in that.” I liked this passage because it reminded me how much I did not like the previous war/planning sections with the Fai’daum.    Chapter 100: “John expected him to stand and embrace him. Instead Ravishan collapsed down against the floor, prostrating himself at John’s feet.” Hi, I hated this entire section SO MUCH. It felt so out of character for Ravishan.  Chapter 101:

“I never crossed to Nayeshi to find the Rifter. He crossed to Basawar and found me.” Look, I’m not saying soulmates...but.  “And most importantly, they will not be able to bring another Rifter from another time to Basawar. (with the destruction of the gates).” “Two Rifters? Is that possible?” Arren asked.” ....what do you guys think? Two Rifters? I don’t think it’s possible, but I’m curious what you guys think. 

“Don’t worry too much. Things will work out. We only need to give them the chance to do so.” “I’ll give them the chance,” John assured her.” Ji wasn’t wrong...it just took years for those things to work out.  Chapter 102: “He wracked the land with fury at what he had done with his own hands.” This is a beautiful sentence; it paints a great picture of John in the moment.

[notesfromnayeshi]

Announcement: Group Reread

Red alert! The fandom is gathering!

For real though. A group of Rifter fans is organizing a community reread of the series. If you like the Rifter (aka you’ve read The Rifter), then you are cordially invited to join in.

I’ll be posting weekly discussion recaps, as well as my own thoughts while I reread.

UPDATE: I made a pretty schedule of which chapters we’re reading each week. Check it out here.

Ways to participate:

You can join the Nayeshi discord server, where we have a reread channel. It a really casual chat and very welcoming to new members. Invite link: https://discord.gg/3av3Acc

You can track the tag ‘partyinbasawar’ to see all the reread-related posts on tumblr. Like and reply to posts to keep our spirits up!

You can keep an eye on this blog by following. I’ll post updates and let you know what’s going on.

Go ahead and join the reread. We’re starting this week (Mar 12, 2018 - Mar 18, 2018) with the Chapters 1 - 5. Read with us and post your thoughts!

[kind-destroyer-god]

The Rifter Group Reread -  Book 2 notes

I am finally FINALLY caught up but now you’ll get all my notes AT ONCE (sorry)

We start with John’s POV. He overhears Ji and helps the Rashan’im save Fikiri and kill the Fai’daum. He saves both Alidas and Saimura, whomst I love. Then he finally gets to Rathal’pesha:

“Grass shoots seemed to curl around his fingers like they were returning his grip, gentle and assuring.” - Why do I love all mentions of his Rifter powers so much??

“Fikiri but he knew that the boy was only thirteen, too young to be despised by anyone, but especially by his own father. John knew all too well how badly that mere idea could hurt a young man.” - Way to make me cry here

“John didn’t doubt that Pivan felt a deep reverence, but the best John could do was respect a spirituality he didn’t share.” - Joke’s on both of you, John is actually god lmao

“John felt slightly guilty as he continued chanting prayers that compelled Fikiri to mindlessly climb the steps. It seemed like a sinister power to have over the boy and one that, as a decent person, he shouldn’t use. On the other hand, they were making much better time this way and Fikiri wasn’t crying.” - Such a shitty situation. 

“A year ago he would have found such a thought absurd. Now he simply accepted it.” - Now you’re getting it lol

“ The position offered John a clear view of his muscular throat and sharp jaw. The rest of his face was in shadow, his tall body hidden in the folds of his priest’s robes. And yet John knew him at once.” - “muscular throat” John your crush is showing omg

“The strength and heat of Ravishan’s body pressed so close and the scent of his skin seemed almost heady. John felt his heartbeat skip in a wild rhythm as Ravishan’s jaw brushed against the tender skin of his neck. It felt so good after nearly a year of physical isolation.” - My poor touch-starved son!!!

“Ravishan smiled such an honest, handsome smile that John shied, withdrawing further from his openly affectionate expression. It was one thing for him to find Ravishan handsome, even to indulge in a brief flirtation, but he would be worse than a fool if he allowed himself to believe that Ravishan returned his desire.” - Stop being dumb

And then we get to Kahlil’s POV! Which I love way more now than I ever did!!! I appreciate it!!!

“Jath’ibaye’s reputation alone warranted concern. He was rumored to be a Shir’korud demon, a deranged Payshmura oracle and even an undead Eastern sorcerer. Some whispered that he slept with men. Others claimed he consorted with beasts.” - This is what we first see of Jath’ibaye

“He had served the Fai’daum during the war with the Payshmura priests. It was believed that his assaults had led the Payshmura to unleash the Rifter. The entire northlands had been devastated in just a few hours. Jath’ibaye had been one of the few men to walk out of the ruins alive. Now he and his surviving Fai’daum followers held the fortress of Vundomu and all of the lands lying north of there. They owned coal and iron mines, as well as the taye fields that had once been gaunsho’im holdings. If there were any ruins left of Rathal’pesha or Amura’taye, those too were in Jath’ibaye’s grasp.” - Why does no one know he’s the Rifter, though?

“It felt like a door key. Kahlil supposed that he found it familiar and reassuring because it implied that there was a place for him; a door that would open to him. He supposed this sensation must be one he carried with him from a time when he had belonged somewhere, when he’d had a home.” - This is heartbreaking enough on its own but the worst part is that Kahlil’s wrong.

“ The sky would darken to a dull slate but it never attained pure black. A darker night, a consuming blindness, existed within his mind. By comparison, the night sky over Nurjima was only a shadow.” -  Does he mean the sky in the North because there was less light? When he was ushiri? Or does he mean Nayeshi? John also says he can see in the dark but I assumed it was Rifter Powers...

“Even now he caught himself stroking the key. The gesture had already become a habit. It soothed him just to touch it. His body relaxed as he traced the curves and edges of its form. The metal was always warm from lying against his bare skin.” -  I think this mixes Khalil's past memories of losing the key and his crush on Alidas.

“I’ve seen him tear boys like you apart with his bare hands.” - Talking about Jath’ibaye. Was this about something specific?

“It was the face in the photograph he had been carrying when he had first reached Nurjima.” - A photograph??? I have no memory of this. Was it from Nayeshi? Do they have photographs in Basawar?

“little astonished to see the unorthodox shortcuts he took.” - Just realized he means the gray space lol

“Making Yu’mir happy gave Kahlil an odd rush of pleasure. It felt good to do something kind for another person just for their sake, rather than out of duty or necessity. It made him feel like he might actually be a good man deep down.” - Oooh my fuckingg goddddd That’s all for my useless notes on book 2! On to book 3!

[kind-destroyer-god]

Group Rifter Reread -  Book 3 notes

Ok! Here’s the stuff I found interesting about book 3! Lots of Kahlil’s POV, hell yeah!! I love my child!

The thing that strikes me the most is how much I’m enjoying Kahlil’s POV. This is my fifth time reading these books and I don’t think I’ve ever loved him more tbh.

“muscular auburn-haired man.” - In all of my rereads, it never registered that Saimura was a redhead.

“Have we met before?” - Oh wow of course Saimura would also recognize him...

“Breathe as much as you like. It’s free,” - Ooooh because the air in Basawar is thin, and the air inside the greenhouse is probably full of oxigen, ok, I don’t think I’d realized this before

“Even Alidas had never been able to provoke such a reaction from him.” - Kahlil’s crush is showing... 

“He remembered the torn envelope, the letter with its single word: Don’t. Don’t fail. Don’t forget. Don’t let him live. Only one word to obey, and he hadn’t managed it.” - Hi yes I’m sad again

““A prostitute?” An undignified image of the fifty-year-old Alidas working a street corner came to his mind and Kahlil almost laughed aloud.” - Let him laugh you cowards.

“I’m sorry that it turned out like this, but perhaps it’s for the best. At least your life is your own now.” - Ahh poor Kyle, either he has to kill his crushes or they have to kill him... what bad luck

“His life was his again. It was like inheriting a burning house.” - U G H

“He didn’t want to die, but the choice wasn’t his.” - STOP DYING SO MUCH

“suddenly had an insight into how Fensal must have felt about him eating the goatweed.” -  "it makes you look the stupidest" is what Fensal said to Kahlil. Kahlil is thinking this about Jath’ibaye

“I have [wanted to die], from time to time,” - lowkey heartbreaking, John

“You let him poison you because you thought it would be easier than breaking up with him? Do you have any idea how stupid that sounds?” - L M A O

“He had come back to Basawar to kill the Rifter and instead the Rifter had saved him.” - My heart

“ He had never wanted to do it in the first place. He had liked John—more than liked him, if he was truly honest. He thought that he might even like Jath’ibaye if he got to know the man.” - MY HEART

“I wish I had.” -  Wow i love how they're talking about different things in the same conversation

Aaaan we’re back at Rathal’pesha, which let me tell you I was not excited about this time around, if only because I know things are horrible and then they get horrible-ler. John is fighting in the mud and kicking everyone’s ass. Two years have passed since they arrived in Basawar, which is kind of a lot:

“Instead, it seemed that the soil accommodated him, shifting and folding to support him.” -  That's because it is, ya dummy

“It would mean facing Laurie and Bill and telling them that this world would be where they lived from now on. Sickness would dominate the rest of Bill’s life; servitude and repression, the rest of Laurie’s.” - Everthing is horrible

“John gave Fikiri a brief smile and the young boy returned” - I’m sad

“the sense of utter revulsion—a physical sickness—that came from touching the edge of the Gray Space.” - I wonder if other people feel this or just Jahn because he’s the Rifter. My guess is it’s the latter.

“He’s a good man.” Fikiri’s voice trembled and he dropped his gaze submissively to his own feet. “You shouldn’t be hurting him.” -  Poor Fikiri... If only he didn't turn out to be such an asshole...

“I know this, and Ushvun Jahn knows this. For the sake of your education, Ushvun Jahn has offered himself to assist you all to learn.“ - I’ve said this before but fuck Dayyid

“how much Ravishan and Dayyid resembled one another, not just physically, but in their mannerisms. The inflections of their voices and their expressions mirrored each other. No wonder Dayyid became so infuriated when Ravishan turned a commanding glower on him. It was Dayyid’s own glare.” - I know now that Dayyid is Ravi’s uncle but I don’t think we know this by this point... it sucks

“He broke a prophecy.” - I guess this puts a lot of pressure on Fikiri.

“We smells its blood,” -  Do the issusha'im speak English?? Is that why their speech pattern is weird, because they're not fluent?

“You should sleep,” Ravishan told him. “You as well,” John replied. “I’ll be right behind you. Don’t worry.”“Don’t take too long,” John said. “I’ll be waiting.” - Such saps...

“It was easy to find Ravishan’s shorter locks in the sameness of bowed heads and long black braids. Fikiri too stood out with his dark blond hair. Both knelt directly behind Dayyid at the edge of the dais.” -  Fikiri and Ravishan as opposites. Same history of abuse, same pressures, but they became different people. Maybe the difference in the influence of John and Laurie: peace or vindictiveness?

“fanatics like the Kahlirash’im in Vundomu” - Not that the Kahlirash’im are not fanatics, but it’s the pot calling the kettle black at this point (Hann’yu is not a fanatic, but most of the priests at Rathal’pesha are)

“Then the conversation turned to the vague prophesies surrounding the Rifter. It was good to hear about things that had nothing to do with him for a while.” - L M A O

“except one finger bone,” - Talking about the original Rifter, who was missing a finger bone. Doesn’t Kahlil have a skeletal finger by the end too?

“John didn’t respond. He wasn’t inclined to believe in curses, but he also wasn’t inclined to believe in gateways to other worlds or men who traveled through the Gray Space. He’d been living around too many things that he wasn’t inclined to believe in to feel completely secure in his skepticism.” - FINALLY

“A den of sin and revolutionaries.” Hann’yu smiled as he spoke. “It’s a beautiful place.” - hahaha

“His roommate Kyle had been the last Kahlil, and he had been on Nayeshi hunting for a Rifter.” -  Took ya long enough Jahn

“Guilt still nagged at John for the theft. Now, it seemed a far worse transgression. Kyle, the last Kahlil, had ended up torn to pieces in the White Space between worlds.” - He still feels guilty about the key. Also, he thinks Kyle’s dead, which I guess is part of why he didn’t recognize Ravishan...

“What an awful thing to have to tell someone: you’re the Rifter, the living incarnation of destruction, desolation, and death. He couldn’t even imagine how much worse it would be to be told such a thing.” - Oh baby

“He wouldn’t have shacked up with his destroyer-god for months just to hang out with him, would he?” - YES HE WOULD

“Living in Basawar had only made her resent being told what to do even more than she normally had. John couldn’t blame her. As a woman, the culture didn’t afford her much respect. Even with her relatively elevated status as Lady Bousim’s attendant, Laurie didn’t have the right to venture outside the Bousim grounds without a male escort. She couldn’t carry her own money and she couldn’t be out past six bells when the sun began to set. [...] Basawar had changed all three of them. With everything she was and everything she did being wrong here, Laurie had grown to expect condemnation and offhanded dismissal. She had become angrier than she ever would have been and more defensive.” - Sad

“He dreamed of the dark chambers high in the monastery, where doorways led nowhere. He saw a room full of mutilated bodies, skinned, but still struggling. Their slick bones writhed against bindings of red wire while they whispered threats into his sleep.” - I guess the first time around I thought this was just nightmares, but now I know it’s the Issusha’im looking for the Rifter, huh

“The thought of Ravishan bound and burning on the Holy Road destroyed John’s desire in a moment. “I will not put you in that kind of danger,” John said flatly.” - Oh no

Oh well, that’s all for book 3. On book 4 we’ll get to more heartbreaking stuff, and I’ll miss Kahlil’s POV!

[kind-destroyer-god]

Random thoughts about the Rifter: John, you are too laid back about your weird and creepy roommate. Kyle you are too weird and creepy but I love you.

[seeroftodayandtomorrow]

The Rifter group reread

Chapters 98-102

Chapter 98:

-Don’t meet your Idol: The actual Rifter must be quite a shock to Wah’roa and the other Kahlirash’im, in that he is nothing as expected: No divine wrath and heavenly retribution, just a guy who doesn’t quite know what to do with all the power he possesses (and who definitely doesn’t want to be worshiped)

Chapter 99:

-Starving yourself won’t help Ravishan, John. Though I understand the impulse.

- “It was only Fikiri”: knowing what Fikiri is about to do and what becomes of him later, this is almost comically absurd

-I thought you could keep people alive with water and honey for quite some time

Chapter 100:

-Why do they discover Ravishan was cursed only after he awoke? What does that change? He didn’t say anything about being cursed?

-Fenn’s death is doubly sad because of  all the potential between him and Saimura

-Also, what a thing to tell someone! “He did this thing that killed him because he thought you’d approve! But don’t feel responsible for his death or anything!

-I wonder why the Kahlirash’im are always praying in front of the shrine. If they wanted something specific from the Rifter, they could just ask Jath’ibaye. So I think it’s either for the familiarity of prayer that might offer them comfort when their world has been turned upside down, or to pray for a different Rifter that might match their expectations

-I also guess they still have to learn that their Rifter has a sex life. Although, I think Wah’roa knows now.

Chapter 101:

- How does Ji turn pages?

-Ji should talk to John before ‘outing’ him as the Rifter. I guess that is one of the cases where personal feelings seem insignificant to her when looking at the whole picture, but this could have big consequences to his life, and she should at least consider his opinion or explain why she deems it necessary

-Also, maybe the fact that the RIfter this time is on the Fai’daum side and actually not in Basawar to destroy is something she should lead up with

-You should have killed Fikiri, John

Chapter 102

-What kind of woman is able to do this to other women?

-Ugh...I forgot that John just....straight up kills Ravishan. I though maybe Fikiri had used him as a shield or something. Ugh...to live with that loss, and that guilt, all this time....

[fakexpearls]

The Rifter Re-Read Notes: Chapters 103-Epilogue

I actually finished up the re-read with the last set of chapters....and forgot to post my notes. So here they are!

Chapter 104: “John knew that and yet he couldn’t bring himself to consider harming Laurie. He couldn’t kill someone he loved, not again.” Not that I expected John to get over killing Ravishan, but this shows just how deep that pain and regret went. Even though Laurie became evil, John still thought he couldn’t kill her to save Basawar. Was it to protect himself for the pain? Or was it actually to save Laurie? “John felt a tremor pass through his body. The sky above him was utterly still; not even the slightest breeze moved, as if even the air was too shocked by the loss of Ji to respond.” I thought this was beautifully written. But I also like that John was so shocked, he caused nature to stop for a moment in mourning.  Chapter 106: “A few feet ahead of him a statue of Parfir lay on its side, its outstretched arms broken off and its face blackened with curses and English obscenities.” @notesfromnayeshi Mentioned the other English Laurie had scrawled everywhere, but this is simple vandalism. I think it’s funny, to be honest.  “Laurie responded with a quick, sardonic smile. ‘Why would I care about Basawar? What has it ever done for me?’“ The woman ain’t wrong. I like Laurie as a villain because the reader sees her journey and all the events that led to this point. Sure, she wasn’t the greatest friend or person to begin with, but she experienced nothing but cruelty in Basawar. I don’t blame her for wanting to get the hell out of there. But also, destroying the world is a harsh consequence...but I also see her point. I’m now very torn.  “Why do you think I want to go back to Nayeshi? To live our the rest of my life as the star attraction of some freak show? I’m going back to stop us from ever coming here. I’m going to save us.” This was another passage that @notesfromnayeshi marked! I’m still unsure if Laurie could actually go back in time like that, but she had to have been 150% she could.  Final Thoughts: Well, that concludes my notes for the reread! It’s been...a long project; one I am glad that I took part in, but also one I am glad to be done with. I still consider The Rifter series to be one of my favorite lbgtq fictional works, and as this was only my second time reading the series I picked up on show much that I missed (and then missed again, but thanks to the notes of other’s, I caught!). 

[seeroftodayandtomorrow]

The Rifter group reread

Chapters 78-82

Chapter 78

-Part of the reason Ravishan wants to kill the Fai'daum is jealousy, isn't it?

-" They're enemies of the Payshmura church." - "So are we." Changing one's loyalties definitely takes some getting used to!

Chapter 79

-Saimura makes batteries of himself

-I'm not cut out for this jealousy stuff. Like, you're in immediate danger here, don't you have other things to worry about than what Ravishan might think when you sit next to Saimura (also, it is not acceptable to kill a group of people just because one of them hugs your boyfriend)

-I don't think it's okay to give John fahti without telling him what it is or why they give it to him

Chapter 80

-It's funny when you read the interrogation in the light of John/Jath'ibaye later becoming the leader of the Fai'daum. Yes, he likes men. Get used to it.

-Also I don't like Ji basically blackmailing John into joining the Fai'daum. I guess she feels like she has no choice and the end justifies the means and the need of the many and all that, but still

Chapter 81

- I think the most important thing to understand about Ji is that Ji is prepared to sacrifice anything and everything, including but not limited to herself, for her cause. Her cause is a good one, and she is a nice person when she feels she can afford to, but she is also absolutely ruthless

Chapter 82

-John beating up the Fai'daum one homophobe at a time

-But I love how we're getting to know the Fai'daum here. Not as the good guys or the bad, but as individuals, so we know there are, just like in any other group of people, assholes and nice guys among them. They have their share of bullies as well as genuinely kind people and everything in between

[fakexpearls]

The Rifter Re-Read Notes: Chapters 78-82

Better late than never....and my notes are sparse but I’m not as into the John/Ravishan timeline this read-through. 

Chapter 78

“He (John) hadn’t read anything in any Payshmura text about a Rifter controlling his power. There had been nothing but blind destruction in the old books. But then no previous Rifter had survived in Basawar for more than a few days.” Passages like this remind me of how unique John’s entire situation is. I got caught in the lull of Jath’ibaye’s life in the other timeline because he’s so settled and that’s how Kahili sees him (fun fact: I typed “Rahlil” at first because even my brain is all “same person”). All the Rifters before John never survived more than a few days, and John will go on to live there for what the reader assumes is FOREVER. The Payshmura texts had no reason to explain how a Rifter controlled their powers because there was no need. If the Rifter was calle,d it was for quick destruction and then when the demon had done the deed, it was time for death.

Chapter 79

“It seemed that power in Basawar always required bloodshed, whether it was Fai’daum witchcraft or Payshmura incantations.” It’s been discussed in chat that this series focuses on there being no good choices, only the one with less repercussions. Neither the Payshmura or Fai’daum are what the people of Basawar need, but they are the two forces that cause the most damage to the people. The fact that this always comes with blood is a fierce reminder and made me think of modern politics. While we do not always have bloodshed for beliefs (or not as commonly as Basawar), those with the most power have the scariest weapons. 

Chapter 80 had no notes.

Chapter 81

“Some of the men complain. They want girls to be quiet and shy. She’s (Tanash) not like that.”  Here is another young woman character I LOVE. I had forgotten all about her too! This particular quote made me smile because Basawar needs more women like Tanash. And I love the idea of even fictional men being displeased that they can’t control a woman. I love it. I live for that displeasure. 

“He didn’t even know the word ofr ‘gay’ in Basawar. Maybe there wasn’t one. Or if there was, it might not be a term he would care to use to describe himself or anyone he loved.” I think it’s very telling that John has never heard the word for homosexuality - my first thought was that there wasn’t a word. The word used would be part of a phrase like “in partaking in XYZ activities” or is it so taboo that there is no word? Surely there’s a word for the crime, like sodomy? 

“The entire point of creating the issusha’im is to make them wrong, to undo the future they foresee.” This is another line that jumped out at me because it’s common sense, and I’ve never thought of oracles that way! Of course people try to stop their predictions in all stories, but there’s always the lingering thought that it might not matter. How Ji says it here, there’s always the chance to make the issusha’im wrong. 

Chapter 82 had no notes.

[seeroftodayandtomorrow]

The RIfter group reread

Chapters 48-52

I’m late, sorry! I was somewhere without internet. 

Chapter 48

-The Rathal’pesha priests should at least make sure their Kahlil has the means to get where he has to go

-John manages to make having no money and simple clothes seem superior - such wordly concerns are simply beneath the notice of the Kahlil. At the same time, he makes sure they have what they need. He is a good attendant to Ravishan.

-I’m so glad they get to have this week for themselves

Chapter 49

-they actually consider disobeying orders sent to Nayeshi. Kyle never did. He would have regretted having to kill John, but he would have done it.

-Nurjima seems like a much better place to be until you read about the fantastic racism. But, as John notices, at least there, they are free to talk about what isn’t right. 

Chapter 50

-when you think about it, the Paysh’mura church is a very strange religion. They claim to worship Parfir, but a very big part of their faith is summoning the Rifter to destroy the land, Parfir’s flesh, and then killing the Rifter, “Parfir’s most holy incarnation”. They use and kill the God they claim to worship.

Chapter 51

-so that’s where all hell breaks loose. It seems strangely anticlimactic to only hear about all that has happened, but I’m glad we only hear about it as I wouldn’t have wanted to read about it happening. Bill is dead, Laurie convicted for witchcraft and about to be turned into an issusha, and Ravishan accused of murdering Dayyid and about to be killed. Too many things at once for John to be able to sort it all out, and unfortunately, that means Laurie gets kind of neglected.

-John can partly withstand the effects of the fahti. Is it because he is the RIfter or because he only drank half?

Chapter 52

-Poor, kind Samsango. I want to know more about him. If the small kindnesses John showed him made him the happiest he had ever been, what has his life been like? I’m also glad he will never know his sacrifice has been in vain. 

-the casual cruelty in this chapter is staggering. Breaking the prisoners’ bones before burning them, using mere boys to transport them to the Holy Road, the snide remarks was all very upsetting.

[fakexpearls]

The Rifter Re-Read Notes: Chapters 53-57

I love and miss Kyle when we are away from his narrative and timeline for too long. 

Chapter 53

What a chapter!

““There’s no need for a truce between us,” Kahlil said. “I never thought of you as my enemy. Not even in Nayeshi. I just had a duty to do. But that’s all over now.”” I love how simple Kyle’s thoughts on his duty are here. I wonder if the previous Kahlil’s who had to bring the Rifter to Basawar were torn over the decision to kill the Rifter when the time came? I also like that Kyle just moves on quickly from that duty - it’s over, so John doesn’t have to worry about him as an enemy in any sense, etc. How much of that ties into how he was treated at the monastery, I wonder? Would he had been more set in the ways had his youth been less cruel? Would he have been more committed/less likely to become attached to John?

“Even in Nayeshi, he’d never been phsyically free with John. He had never dared to allow himself that.” Ugly frowns. Here we have Kyle behaving on instinct as Ravishan did, and I feel so bad for his poor head.  ““If there is going to be a war, then yes, you would make an invaluable weapon,” Jath’ibaye said. “But are you sure that you want to be a weapon?” “What else would I do? I am your Kahlil and so long as I am bound to you, you might as well use me.”“ I love this exchange because it’s so true to both their characters! 

“’Don’t you want me? I am well trained and no one could be more loyal to you in a fight.” Kahlil’s tone grew emphatic. “It’s not a matter of what I want,” Jath’ibaye said. “The uest is, what do you want? For yourself?”“ Another example of both their characters, but also unsubtle romantic tones. I could picture Kyle batting his eyelashes even if he didn’t know he was doing it. And that emphatic tone sure had some suggestion to it. If I had to explain them both in as few of words as possible, Kyle is the sullen cat and John is the friendly dog. Kyle gives very few to no fucks, while John gives all the fucks - enough for everyone around him and then some. “”I want to be your Kahlil. It’s all I’ve ever wanted and you know that. In Candle Alley, you told me yourself that I couldn’t run away to another life. And you were right I-” “I told you that?” Jath’ibaye’s voice was oddly soft.” *points at notes above* JUST MORE OF THAT.  Kyle is saying he just wants to be around John and it hurts me! But he’s also remembering parts of Ravishan’s life with John and that hurts me more for both of them. John has to be so confused but hopeful.

“I know what kind of man I am and what kind of life I’m made for. I was chosen and consecrated to be the guardian of a god, not a goat herder.” I feel like Kyle doesn’t really care what he’s doing or what is wanted of him, unless someone tries to take away his right to protect John. And he does not like being told about his other options. Ever. I think a lot of that attitude was partly ego-based when he was younger, but as he grew to know John in Nayeshi (in the old timeline), I think it morphed into this sense of loyalty and want to be near John. Mix in the memories from Ravishan and it’s easy to argue that they’re meant to be together in some capacity (my romantic heart:  they’re soulmates). To have John offer him another alternative is almost insulting.  

Chapter 54:

“”He brought you back as well. I never would have thought he could have done that, but here you are.”” I’m torn here because while the reader knows John didn’t bring Ravishan back, he sorta did bring Kyle back - at least to Basawar. There’s a lot of details and situations that led to them meeting up after Ravishan died and John had become Jath’ibaye (you know, maybe even fate), but still....it was meant to be?

“”I was to lead an assault into Umbhra’ibaye, send a false message to the Kahlil in Nayeshi, and then destroy everything.”” This is more of a personal note to explain the beginning of the story because before, we were all trying to remember how that all went down.

Chapter 55:

“Kahlil was still here, the vestigial remnant of a history that never existed.” This is sad. Kyle is so sure of his place in one moment and the next, feels like he has never belonged and never will. Which brings me to my next note...

“For a moment, Kahlil reveled in Ravishan’s memories. They were filled with assurance and belonging. He had been happy and he had been loved.”   (and then) “The idea of claiming Ravishan’s identity felt like theft or something worse. A wave of repulsion rolled through him as he realized how jealous and envious he was of Ravishan. Of course Kahlil wanted Ravishan’s life. He wanted it so much that it came as a relief to know that Ravishan had not lived to claim his own history.” SO MUCH SADNESS. Here is when I start to get a headache trying to analyze how if Ravishan had lived, then Kyle never would have...or he would have faded eventually - if he had even come through the gate...and I’m not going to drag us all down that road. It’s not hard to accept Ravishan and Kyle as essentially one person, but it is also very easy to make the distinctions between them with Kyle’s POV. I do like that Ji shares her own memories of the other timeline, though. She simplifies that out a bit. Her easy acceptance is easy for the reader to follow along with.

Chapter 56:

“Probably every person in this entire three-story complex had something to tell Jath’ibaye. It wasn’t as if he was Kahlil’s private deity anymore.” I really loved this line. It reads as romantic/unrequited pining and also Kahlil’s religious devotion/duty in Nayeshi. We know John was a solitary kind of guy, so I’m sure that whenever Kyle had something to say, John was there to listen. 

Chapter 57:

“In his dreams, the walls of Vundomu collapsed around him. A desperate voice called to him. As he searched through the crumbling ruins, arcs of flames exploded through the halls.” (inset oh shit” tone of voice here) It’s a memory of Ravishan dying. 

“He easily recognized the unique shadow cast by Ji’s canine body. She was up on something - a chair or a table - shaking her head as she spoke. Her back arched slightly, hackles up.” I only highlighted this because of the discussion earlier this week where we were asked who we would be in the story and I said Ji. Here we have a dog sitting on a chair, telling everyone what exactly she thinks of what they just said. Later on, she gets belly rubs and John carries her. WHAT A LIFE. Also, sort-of immortal. 

[fakexpearls]

The Rifter Re-Read Notes: Chapters 93-97

Not too many notes this week as all the world-building and plot is driving the story as we get closer to the end.

Chapter 93:

“A slab of granite slammed into John’s side. He crumpled beneath the weight. The jagged edge of stone crushed John’s ribs.” Even though this is the section of the series where John’s strength and his limits are constantly shown, some descriptions of what he can do still shock me. It took a slab of granite to slow him done - just to slow him. 

Chapter 96:

“John simple nodded. (...) His own power was immense, but it was also destructive and difficult to direct. And he couldn’t share his own invulnerability with those around him.” We start to see John becoming the leader he will be as Jath’ibaye in the years to come, and a return to his more passive ways when it’s been all destruction all the time and following orders.

“Ravishan reached up and gently touched John’s cheek. HE gazed through the darkness into John’s face. ‘I won’t be killed. My god will protect me.’ ‘No! He won’t - he can’t -’ John’s voice broke, and he realized that there were tears in his eyes. ‘He can’t protect you.’“ I will admit that I was craving one last reunion for these two, even knowing how VERY BAD things are about to get. (I feel like I’ve been saying that for ages, but we’re finally almost there...the knowledge of Ravishan’s end has weighed so heavily on the last sections for me.) We also get a lost bit of irony here, because John knows he cannot save Ravishan from everything - by Gods he’ll try - but that is dashed by Ravishan admitting he knew John was the Rifter.... So I am left wondering if he meant “My god will protect me” as in John or John’s other incarnation? Did he really manage to separate them in his mind?

“Whether you were the Rifter or not, I would have to do this, Jahn. The kahlirash’im are fighting for everything I believe in. I have to go to them.” I just keep eating my words from earlier in this timeline when I said I found Ravishan annoyingly young. He has grown so much in their time with the Fai’daum and I feel that he is fighting for what he believes in whereas before he was clinging to stay with John. 

[fakexpearls]

The Rifter Re-Read Notes: Chapters 48-52

This was such a good set of chapters! But, as I got to Chapter 51 and 52 I kept saying “Oh no. OH NO.”

Chapter 48:

I love John and Ravishan on their adventure through Basawar! I remembered this particular set of scenes from my first reread and how lovely and happy it was. Being away from the monastery is so good for the both of them personally (just....not for the world at whole).  “But Ravishan deserved to be treated better.” I just love John this chapter and how insistent John is of Ravishan’s importance. 

“Hann’yu said that many of the gaun’im are unconvinced of the need to return the Rifter to Basawar.”  I do love the politics that we see coming through here, and how aware of it Ravishan is. As a huge political figure - whether he wants to be or not - his reaction of *shrugs* made me laugh. 

“At first glance it could have passed for a historic Victorian district of Seattle.” My mental image of Basawar (well, at least the cities), was correct!

“A pair of dark green tahldi (...)” GREEN TAHLDI??? I love it!

“They had both lived in deprivation so long that this simple day of pleasure and ease came to them like a gift.” First of all, I’m still mad that the priests in Rathal’pesha are treated so poorly. But! John and Ravishan get to be together for the first time EVER!!!  It’s pure and good and they deserve it.

Chapter 49:

“It was quite clear now why Fikiri and his mother had been banished to the north. Among the guan’im, Fikiri’s light hair would have been taken as a testament of his mother’s adultery.” The adultery was discussed on the discord awhile ago, but here’s the proof! Because of Fikiri’s hair, this should have smacked me in the face.

“They hadn’t stayed long near the docks, just long enough to purchase the sheaves of dried river grass that Hann’yu had asked John to look for.” I just thought it was nice they were picking things up for Hann’yu/other priests when they were on the pilgrimage. 

“‘Just because they oppose the church doesn’t meant that they oppose Parfir,’ John reasoned. ‘Things aren’t always so clear cut.’” I really liked this quote because John has avoided the politics in Basawar for so long, but he’s not stupid or as unobservant as he comes off on occasion. 

“Ravishan regarded him with slight surprise. ‘I never know what you’re thinking. You keep things so private even from me.’  ‘I know. It’s one of my bad traits.’” Just some domestic conversation showing more about their relationship than the reader doesn’t see in the text. “When they talked about the Rifter, a lot of them seemed to think he would return to wipe the corruption in the church.” I love that idea. We’re getting to the part in the story where I don’t remember what comes too much further ahead until I’m in the chapter. But, John does come out and start destroying shit in a bit, and I love it.

Chapter 50:

I had to go back and reread this chapter and the next because SO MUCH happened so quickly that I didn’t take any notes...

As I said, shit gets real real quick here, but I really enjoy Ushman Serahm and his put-upon attitude while explaining to John that he was called back Rathal’pesha: “‘I don’t think I’ve known anyone to run the whole way. Very blonde of you.’ He flipped his long black braids back over his shoulder, opened his book, and began to read.” This man has clearly had enough of everything. But, I don’t understand what ‘Very blonde of you’ means?

“They must not brings it to us. Must not brings it to us!” The oracles are warning you all. All of you! I wonder how much the priest took the predictions from the issusha as ramblings before now and it screwed the church over? They clearly missed the signs in regards to John as the Rifter: “They puts him in the fire, another issusha hissed. They puts him in the fire and he kills us all.” I’ve always heard the issusha voices as a bit childlike. Just a note on that, but I wonder how others hear them?

“Ushman Serahn leaned against the doorframe and opened his book once more. “I really don’t have all day,” he added without looking up.” I really appreciate this fed-up priest who just wants a moment of quiet. 

Chapter 51:

This is when I started saying “oh, no” a lot. 

“Hann’yu shook his head. “I have nothing but bad news. It was like the whole world collapsed as soon as you and Ravishan left. I don’t know how to tell you.” It’s very intersting that the Kahlil’s and Rifter’s co-existence for so long in Rathaal’pesha (unbeknownst, I know), but they leave town and it all implodes. I know that it starts with Bill’s death, but the timing of it all was a great narrative choice from Ginn Hale.

“You have to understand, things were such a mess. People in Amura’taye panicked and accused half the women in the city of witchcraft. (...) After what had happened in the blood market, none of them wanted to be associated with an enemy of the priesthood.” I find it very interesting that no one is talking about the stranger(John) who closed the God’s Razor. WHY NOT???  I would think that would be more of a popular topic than anything.  “No one up here knew what to do. If Dayyid had still been alive, he would have taken control of it, but...I honestly thought it might just die down on its own.” Yes, Hann’yu. This is exactly how a hysteria ends. Just leave the common people alone and they’ll all calm down. *Eye roll* 

“Ravishan has always had a willfulness about him but not the kind of pure malice that I felt in Daayyid’s wounds.” Ravishan was never bad, but he was different and Dayyid had such an issue with it - but no one else did! Also, that pure malice coming from John....how much was the Rifter (which he refers to later as a separate part of him), and how much was his need to protect Ravishan?

“And do you know whether yous sister practiced witchcraft?” John snorted at the idea of his sister practicing witchcraft. His sister wouldn’t let her daughter watch Sesame Street because it was full of the devil’s work.” This is a new nugget about John’s family back in Nayeshi! I like the way the truth serum worked so exactly - the question asked how to be precise. Here, John says his sister never practices witchcraft, because his sister back in Nayeshi doesn’t. But had they asked about Laurie directly, I think the answer would have differed. 

Chapter 52:

John refers to the part of himself that houses the power of the Rifter as a separate entity in this chapter, and I found it very interesting that he does so, whereas before he accepted that he was the Rifter and he did xyz: “He felt something deep and dormant within him had suddenly come awake. And it could do what he could not. (...) It would chatter stone, burn iron ignite the air and sear the oceans into smoke. It would devour mountains, split the earth, and tear the atmosphere to pieces. It would destroy worlds just to keep living. To survive, it would do anything. Destory everything.” This is super powerful imagery, which I love. I want to think of all of this as John’s survival instinct that was never needed before, but like I said above, I think it could also be him placing the Rifter and the Rifter’s powers as a separate being within him?

The end scene where Ravishan comes from him is what I was reminded of last week when Ravishan pulled John from the debris in the blood market!