The Hunger and the Dusk #4: I'm reading my first Brandon Sanderson novel, "Mistborn: The Final Empire," and I can safely say that Willow's world-building is on par with his.
Before diving into the details, I'll note that Willow uses this issue to underscore that we're dealing with a dying world, whatever it's named, though it remains unclear why it's dying. For example, Mikil stumbles upon a grassfire as he tracks the Vangol, and a group of orcs mention how much earlier the grassfires are starting. In fact, the need for more grasslands for the cows after calving season ends drives (allegedly) Ironfang Overlord Marda's efforts to end the treaty with the humans. Moreover, the issue's narrator alludes to a larger disaster, mentioning the delayed rains and abandoned cities in the East. The narrator asserts that the humans and orcs would replicate the Vangols' aggression if they understood the threat as well as the Vangols did.
Moving to the story, Tara helps Nera with a wounded knee when Sev arrives complaining of a thorn in his foot. The Last Men laugh at his hypochondria (he's really complaining) until Tara pulls out a whale tooth, which the Vangols use in their weapons, making them realize the Vangols are hunting in the same area as they are.
In the North, Troth and Faran arrive for a Council meeting at the Silent Shore, an Angkor Wat-esque complex that looks as beautiful as we've heard. Faran cheerfully greets her father, the Stoneback Overlord Gartok, who in turn greets Troth warmly. Gartok asks Faran to speak with her before the meeting, and Faran is surprised when Gartok implies he's ready to support Marda in breaking the treaty.
The meeting starts with Marda interrupting the leader and making her pitch to take the Southlands from the humans. Troth notes that, beyond the lack of honor in breaking the treaty they just signed, going to war with the humans would force them to fight on two fronts. Marda tries to claim that Troth signed the treaty without her support, but Troth reminds her that she agreed to the terms of the treaty before Troth went to sign it. Marda pivots to questioning whom the treaty benefits, and Gartok takes up this point, noting the Icemanes can protect their cattle in the mountains but the Ironfangs and Stonebacks are trapped in the Lowlands.
Faran interrupts, noting the humans are dying on the coast and in the foothills in fighting the Vangols, which is buying everyone else time. She also points out the Last Men Standing sent Doren with information about the Vangols taking a dwarven fort on the Coast. Her impassioned speech convinces the Council to support the treaty, infuriating Marda and confirming for her father that he's lost her to Troth. Faran and Troth then finally have sex for what seems the first time.
Meanwhile, the Vangol that Mikil is tracking gets the jump on him and drags him to the Tidal Fort, confirming the Vangol wasn't lying about the dwarven forts. There, Mikil comes face-to-face with the Lord of the Sky-Dwellers (i.e., the Vangols).
All in all, Willow is really writing a Remender-esque series here, where you worry about all the characters you like and she gives you just enough hope so that it'll be all the more devastating when it ends poorly. It's the highest praise I can imagine.
Kill Your Darlings #3: This issue is straight forward except for the start, where we witness the Girl Who Wouldn't Burn, I presume, eating her child. It's definitely an attention-getter.
In the present, Rose, Elliott, and Wallace arrive at a video store, and Elliott informs Rose that they tore down the old neighborhood after "what happened." (That seems kind of extreme, honestly? Like, when I was in middle school, some guy killed someone but we didn't, like, raze the town.) At any rate, it explains why the door to Rosewood is now in the video store, since it's built where Rose's old house was.
The group goes through said door and arrives at a place called the Sanctuary. They run across someone named Bartleby, and Rose is disturbed when he doesn't recognize her. They go into Spikey & Sons, where Spikey (a porcupine) the Blacksmith does recognize her. His wife, Annabelle (a bird), does as well.
After a joyous reunion, the group informs Rose that it's been eight years since she left. They bring her to the edge of town, where she sees the rest of Rosewood. It's all in black and white, and Wallace informs her that he and the others send out patrols to help refugees make their way to the Sanctuary. But he makes it clear that the Beast, as he calls it, that destroyed Rosewood is getting closer.
Before Rose can react, the Beast grabs Elliott and drags him through the Dark Lands. The issue ends with a zombie-looking Elliott speaking in numerous voices, including the Beast's, who welcomes Rose.
Our Bones Dust #1: This issue was too brutally graphic for me, so I'm not going to hang in there. If cannibalism in all its horrors floats your boat, though, check out this one.
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