Keeper of the Lost Cities: Why Prentice Called Swan Song

This post contains MAJOR SPOILERS from late in the set.  Do not read this post unless you've read ALL of the books that have been published.  You've been warned.

In this post, I focus on piecing together what I can about Prentice and what happened before his memory break.

I am confident that the books have sufficient clues for us to draw the conclusion that Kenric is Forkle (see post).  When Kenric asks Prentice to be his Keeper in Forgotten Secret #5 in Stellarlune, his true intent is for Prentice to be the Keeper of the Black Swan.  Since Prentice does become the Black Swan's Keeper, we know that he must have accepted.

In Exile, Sophie enters Prentice's mind for the first time and speaks to Jolie (page 242).  Eventually we learn that Prentice uses Jolie to picture himself, because his mind is so broken that he doesn't know what he looks like.

In later books, Prentice uses Cyrah to represent himself in his mind (Nightfall, page 584).  Since Cyrah is important to Prentice, I assume Jolie is also important for some reason.  According to Forkle, Jolie was working "deep undercover" for the Black Swan (Everblaze, page 460).  We also know that Prentice was investigating something during the time just before he was arrested (Nightfall, page 43).  Prentice and Jolie might have been working together.

Forkle believes that Prentice's mind contains something crucial (Neverseen, page 107).

The Lodestar symbol is retrieved from Prentice's mind (Lodestar, page 95).  Sophie obtains pieces of the symbol after transmitting "swan song" to Prentice.  Prentice uses Jolie to tell Sophie that the phrase has "a pull, like an anchor."  This implies that the Lodestar symbol has something to do with the reason why Prentice called swan song.

Livvy discovers that Prentice was drugged with soporodine before he was handed over to the Black Swan (Nightfall, page 493).  The characters believe that the Neverseen probably drugged Prentice due to fear that Prentice would reveal something.  It is assumed that a dwarf loyal to the Neverseen is responsible, but no one knows for sure.

Lodestar, page 349:  She explained about the disk in his cloak, and how Prentice's memory of the symbol seemed to be connected to him calling swan song, and how they found the shadowprint of the symbol on the floor of the abandoned hideout in Paris.

I assume that Prentice discovered the Lodestar symbol during his investigation. 

Nightfall, page 43:  "We didn't know you'd caught on to Prentice until it was too late," Livvy said quietly.  "Even when he called swan song, I thought it had something to do with what he was investigating, not that he was about to be arrested.  "What was he investigating?" Sophie asked.  "Honestly?  I have no idea," Livvy admitted.

I suspect that Prentice had no idea he was about to be arrested and that he called swan song for some other reason.  If Prentice was investigating the Lodestar symbol and the Neverseen, he could have found out about Nightfall.  

The first chapter of #10 Elysian was published in the paperback edition of Unraveled.  I noticed some familiar descriptions.  From Chapter 1 of Elysian:

Gisela flashed a smile..., "I thought I was hunting down a place—not a person.  Following clues scribbled on the tatters of a long-forgotten map to 'whispering rapids' and 'butterflies kissed with red'..."

Kenric uses the same phrases in Forgotten Secret #6 in Stellarlune:

Stellarlune, page 261:  "By following a convoluted trail of evidence that I've slowly pieced together over the last several months."

Stellarlune, page 262:  "Something had mentioned 'whispering rapids,' so when I found this river, I followed it here."

Stellarlune, page 263:  "But see how they have red on their faces?  I found a mention about that, too—'butterflies kissed with red.' "

Clearly, Kenric and Lady Gisela had the same information source.  But how could that be?

Kenric likely learned the clues about Elysian sometime prior to Prentice becoming his Keeper (butterflies kissed with red, etc.).  It is apparent that Kenric's clues about Elysian were saved to Prentice's mind.

In Exile, Sophie enters Prentice's mind.

Exile, page 240:  There was a fountain in the center of it all, two golden figures standing in a round pool, holding hands as colored streams of water showered them from every direction.

The description is of the Unity Fountain in Atlantis, featured in Nightfall.  The Unity Fountain is the entrance to Nightfall.

Sophie also sees this when she enters Prentice's mind.

Exile, page 239:  Glowing eyes peeked through bushes covered in blue ears, and butterflies with bright red lips whispered sounds like mush. 

That part describes the place, Elysian.  If Kenric stored that information in Prentice's mind, then surely he stored everything he knew about Elysian in Prentice's mind, including the phrases "whispering rapids" and "butterflies kissed with red."

What if Gethen got to Prentice?  Gethen might have probed Prentice's mind and retrieved the information about Elysian.  An event like that would have caused Prentice to call swan song.  I believe Shannon hints at something like this in Forgotten Secret #5.

Stellarlune, page 254:  "Even if your plan works," Prentice said, noticeably not agreeing, "the Keeper would be a target for anyone seeking privileged information."

Kenric insists that only he and Prentice would know.

Stellarlune, page 254:  Prentice shook his head.  "We all know how easily information can leak."  "Not if you and I are the only ones who know we're working together."  

Stellarlune, page 257:  Instead he stepped closer and told Kenric, "No amount of talent will ever make me infallible."

Prentice was probably investigating something that had to do with the Lodestar symbol and the Neverseen.  Perhaps he came to the attention of the Neverseen in some fashion, so Gethen probed his mind.  In fact, Gethen might have tried different trigger words that would have then revealed important secrets, like the information about Elysian.

Gethen might then have washed Prentice's memory so that the Black Swan and Prentice would have no way of knowing that he had probed Prentice's mind.  

Stellarlune, page 249:   Everyone assumed he'd used the Black Swan's code for imminent danger because he'd somehow uncovered the Lodestar symbol and feared the Neverseen would be coming after him.  But the explanation didn't totally make sense, as Prentice could've told someone what he'd learned—both to help prove his innocence and to make sure the information didn't get buried if he ended up in Exile.  Instead, he had kept everything to himself.  Almost as if he hadn't known who he could trust.

Gethen might have washed enough of Prentice's memory that it caused him not to know who he could trust.  In fact, Gethen might have wiped out almost everything in Prentice's mind that pertained to the Black Swan.  I suspect that Prentice's mind was already broken to a significant degree before his mind was completely broken by Quinlin and Alden.

While I'm sure that I don't have it quite right, I feel that I'm on the right track.  If Gethen retrieved Kenric's clues about Elysian from Prentice's mind, he might have shared that information with Lady Gisela.  Lady Gisela followed the clues to Elysian sometime after Prentice was exiled.  She didn't find anything, and then her starstone was lost.

Kenric didn't know what Elysian is, and Lady Gisela is quite surprised to learn the truth in the released first chapter of #10 Elysian.  This makes sense.  If Kenric didn't know the truth, then the truth was not placed in Prentice's mind.

I have had several theories about why Kenric searches Fintan's mind.  In my post about Forgotten Secret #4, I wrote that Kenric learned about Elysian from Fintan's mind.  I now think differently.

Kenric learned about Elysian from some other source, possibly Fallon Vacker.  That information was saved in Prentice's mind, and I believe that it was retrieved by Gethen.  Lady Gisela then used that information.

We know that Gisela was in contact with Ethan Benedict Wright, who I believe is a Forkle identity.  Forkle/Ethan could have heard information about Elysian from Gisela and then realized that a leak had occurred.  

I believe the leak is Prentice via his mind being probed by the Neverseen.  But Kenric didn't know that had happened.

Kenric might have entered Fintan's mind to see if Fintan was connected to why Prentice called swan song.  Kenric was checking to see how much of the information stored in Prentice's mind had leaked.  He was checking to see if Fintan had the information.  Kenric shattered the portion of the memory from while he was in Fintan's mind to avoid anything about Elysian from spreading further.  

Alvar showing up in San Diego searching for Sophie has always bothered me.  He was ostensibly searching at Alden's request, yet the Neverseen chided him for making the mistake.  Even though Alvar was searching for Sophie at Alden's request, he was actually helping the Neverseen find Sophie.  

I believe Alvar knew to search in San Diego because Gethen probed Prentice's mind and learned Sophie's location.  That is why the fires were set in Keeper.  Alvar had failed years before, and then the Neverseen set fires around San Diego to try to flush Sophie out.

All of my past Keeper posts are linked from this page:

Keeper of the Lost Cities Summaries, Reviews, and Theories

I appreciate those who have commented on my posts.  If you ever want to comment, you can do so at the end of every post using a screen name.  First, click in the text box but don't type anything.  Look right above where you clicked to see a drop-down menu where one option is "Name/URL."  Enter a name (no URL needed), and that name will display on the comment.  

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Thoughts on Chapter 1 of Elysian

This post contains MAJOR SPOILERS from late in the set.  Do not read this post unless you've read ALL of the books that have been published.  You've been warned.

These are my thoughts on the first chapter of Keeper #10 Elysian.  The first chapter of Elysian was published late last year in the paperback edition of #9.5 Unraveled.  By the way, Shannon Messenger pronounces the name as "eh-LEE-see-an" (see post).

On the first page, Shannon immediately identifies Elysian as a female and uses two female pronouns.

Who was this strange, gray-cloaked female who'd appeared out of thin air and announced in a dark, melodic voice that her name was Elysian and she was the power source they were all looking for?

I suspect that Shannon makes Elysian's gender very clear because of how many fans somehow missed the word "she" at the end of Stellarlune.  It has astonished me how many fans have thought that Elysian is male.

I wonder why Elysian hides her face.  Her hood falls away partway through the chapter, revealing that she has "pale, freckled skin" as well as "round checks and a snub nose."  Elysian also has long, pointed ears, so we know that she's an ancient.

Some fans believe that Vespera is somehow alive.  I don't think that's possible.  In Elysian, Vespera is described as "a lifeless, twisted red-stained spire."  In Stellarlune on page 383, Forkle says that Brumevale was destroyed by one of Gisela's rocks.  The lighthouse "twisted into a whole other form" and "took on the shape of the energy."  The same thing happened to Vespera.

Sophie wonders about their missing abilities.  She thinks:

Abilities couldn't be switched off—everyone knew that.

I laugh each time I read that line.  Keefe makes nearly the same statement in Unraveled on page 141:

Abilities couldn't be turned off once they'd been activated.  Everyone knew that.

Ha, ha.  Keefe then manages to turn off his own abilities in Unraveled.  Sophie can do it to her own Enhancing.  And now we know that Elysian can zap everyone's abilities away.

The Elysian debacle is foreshadowed on page 538 of Lodestar:

"I'm not going to be like Rogue, right?...  She's a character in these comics my sister loved, where some people have genetic mutations that give them superpowers.  Hers makes it so she can't ever touch anyone without absorbing their power—and if she touches them too long, she'll kill them." "Humans and their wild imaginations," Mr. Forkle said with a small smile.

The elves have said that human stories and legends have their roots in the elven world.  Rogue's characteristics appear to be similar to Elysian.  Rogue's hair color varies depending upon the adaptation, but it's often been red, just like Elysian.

We learn that Gisela has another means to track Sophie and her friends.  Gisela reveals that Keefe is no longer the one with a tracker.

We see that Elysian has long red hair.  I have a theory that Elysian has a twin sister who is possibly Tinker.  Tinker keeps her hair piled on her head, possibly to hide long ears.

Gisela admits that she has been to Elysian's island before but found nothing.  Gisela reveals the clues she followed:

"I thought I was hunting down a place—not a person.  Following clues scribbled on the tatters of a long-forgotten map to 'whispering rapids' and 'butterflies kissed with red,' where there was supposed to be a source of world-changing power—but apparently that was a mix of half-truths and outright lies, buried under illusion after illusion.  All to hide you."

I have been trying to figure out how Gisela and Kenric had the same clues to Elysian.  The source appears to have been an old map with statements scribbled on it.  But who had the map?  Did Kenric find it, save the clues to Prentice's mind, and then Gethen retrieved the clues in a memory break on Prentice?  Or did Gisela find the map, and Kenric somehow obtained the information?  I feel like one party had the information first, and then the other party learned it.

Gisela says that Elysian is a prisoner while Elysian says that she is not.

Gisela laughed.  "In my experience, you don't get trapped in a custom-built prison and wiped from history unless you've done something truly horrifying—by the Council's definition, at least."

"This is my home—not a prison," Elysian corrected.  "You just cannot see the true wonders of it... What matters is that I stay here because I choose to."

"Ah, but that's the funny thing about choice."  Gisela cut in.  "You can think you're dong exactly what you want—and all the while you're being manipulated."

I believe that Gisela is correct.  Elysian is a prisoner, but she's been manipulated into believing that she's on her island by choice.  In fact, we see evidence that lies have been told to Elysian.

"I don't care who she was—or who any of you are!"  Elysian stepped closer to Gisela.  "I just want to know where you found that stone."

A moment later:

"So now you will tell me where you found that rock," she ordered Gisela.

"Tell me why you care so much about it, and I will."  Gisela countered...

Several silent breaths crawled by before Elysian murmured, "Councillor Fallon assured me that every shard had been destroyed."

Gisela clapped her hands... "How shocking!  Another lie from the Council!"

"It is more than a lie," Elysian said quietly.  "It is..."

Fallon lied to Elysian about the rocks.  I believe he also manipulated her into staying on her island, when in fact she was a prisoner—for thousands of years.  I believe she's the prisoner referred to by Kenric in the Forgotten Secrets.

Gisela makes this statement in Stellarlune on page 55:

"I'm not the one who started any of this!  The Council did that ages ago when they took away a tremendous source of power and then tried to bury any proof of its existence.  We've been stifled for millennia!  All I'm trying to do is expose them—and take back what we've been denied."

Kenric speaks of a prisoner in Forgotten Secret #3 from page 222 of Stellarlune:

"During my last investigation, I learned that we've been imprisoning someone for thousands of years—someone whose crimes were so horrible, they've been completely stricken from any kind of record."

I originally believed that Kenric was referring to Vespera, and that's because Sophie and Oralie suggest that Kenric is referring to Vespera.  Instead, Shannon is foreshadowing Elysian's entrance into the series at the end of Stellarlune.  I now have little doubt that the mysterious prisoner is Elysian.

After making the statement about the prisoner, Kenric then adds that they "found evidence of a plot to break her free."  Breaking Elysian free would be much more significant than breaking Vespera free, based on what we now know about Elysian from the released first chapter of #10 Elysian.  Indeed, I believe the only reason that the Neverseen ever released Vespera was so that she could hopefully lead them to Elysian.  I also believe that the main reason Vespera was imprisoned was so that she couldn't help others find Elysian.

Vespera did end up helping Sophie and her friends find Elysian.  The kids used Gisela's missing starstone, with Vespera coming along with them.  Vespera removed the elusions which ultimately led to Elysian's appearance.  It actually makes sense why Gisela kills Vespera.  Gisela had gotten what she needed from Vespera, which was the illusions removed.  Vespera had to die so that she wouldn't seize the suspected power source.

I wonder why Elysian cares so much about the rocks.  It sounds at first like Elysian has believed the rocks were destroyed and is now concerned that one still exists because they are a danger to her.  But instead, it could be that Elysian asks about the rocks because she needs them, perhaps to get out of her "home" that is more likely a prison.

If Elysian is a prisoner, then she doesn't want her unwelcome visitors to know that.  She might be lying about the place being her home.  She wants to get out, so telling them that she's there by choice misleads her unwelcome visitors so that they'll let their guard down.  

Elysian says early in the encounter that they will regret it in response to Keefe's suggestion that Lady Gisela will "haul Elysian away."  So, what will happen?  Based on what we can tell about powers disappearing, it would be very bad.  Imagine what would happen if Elysian were set loose in the Lost Cities.

I have previously mentioned my theory that Elysian and Tinker are twins in my post, A Theory about Twins.  I also posted about my theory on Reddit some months ago.  Here are those comments:

I mentioned previously that I suspect that Tinker could be connected to Elysian somehow.  I don't think they are the same person.  Rather, I wonder if Tinker and Elysian could be twins.  They could even be identical twins, since it is possible for identical twins to have different eye colors.  Elysian has turquoise eyes, and Tinker has gray-blue eyes.  Both Elysian and Tinker have red hair and freckles. Elves aren't usually described as having freckles, so I see that description as possibly significant.

Elysian is an ancient and has red hair and long ears. Tinker piles her red hair on her head, which could be hiding long ears. It's possible that Tinker is an ancient.

Elysian has been isolated since ancient times, most likely because the Council feared her power. If she's a twin, then that's why twins are regarded as bad. They are potentially to be feared.

I searched through all the books for the words "freckled" and "freckles." The only elves who have freckles are Tinker, Elysian, and one of the matchmakers who determined that Sophie is unmatchable. For the record, the only other character who has freckles is Amy Foster, and she's not an elf.

If Tinker and Elysian are twins, then that could have something to do with the bias against twins. It could be that Fallon lied about twins being weaker because he was fearful of how strong they were. Fallon says that "things from our past are often more than they seem" (Book 7, page 33). Perhaps the bias against twins is more than it seems.

It is also likely very important that Fallon and Luzia Vacker are half-siblings.  Fitz says that it's "one of those Ancient scandals" that his relatives pretend never happened (Book 7, page 71).  How strange.

Many people are saying that Elysian is a Vacker.  We can't tie her to the Vackers based solely on her eye color.  Turquoise and teal are not identical shades of blue.  The Vackers have other eye colors in their lineage.  Fallon has eyes "dark as a midnight sky."  Luzia's are "clear blue," and Noreen's are indigo.

That said, the idea of Elysian being a Vacker is mighty intriguing.  Whether she is or not, her situation is undoubtedly at the heart of the Vacker legacy.  

Releasing just one chapter of Elysian has given us much to think about.  Shannon is masterful at weaving a mysterious story, doling out vague clues along the way.  Our job is to try to put it all together.

All of my past Keeper posts are linked from this page:

Keeper of the Lost Cities Summaries, Reviews, and Theories

I appreciate those who have commented on my posts.  If you ever want to comment, you can do so at the end of every post using a screen name.  First, click in the text box but don't type anything.  Look right above where you clicked to see a drop-down menu where one option is "Name/URL."  Enter a name (no URL needed), and that name will display on the comment.  

Keeper of the Lost Cities: A Theory about Twins

This post contains MAJOR SPOILERS from late in the set.  Do not read this post unless you've read ALL of the books that have been published.  You've been warned.

Some fans have wondered if Gethen could be Sophie's father.  Another theory is that Forkle is Gethen's father, which would mean that Gethen is Sophie's brother.

I read a post on the KotLC Wiki by Park.Song that posits that Gethen is Sophie's brother:  

Gethen – A Theory 

I personally doubt that Gethen is related to Sophie.  If Forkle is the father of both Sophie and Gethen as Park.Song suggests, then Sophie's brother Gethen killed her father.  I very much doubt that Shannon is taking this series down that dark of a path.  Likewise, I do not believe that Keefe will kill Lady Gisela.  Some plot developments are a bridge too far for this particular series.

However, Park.Song makes many good points and is right about certain details.  I wholeheartedly believe that Forkle is Kenric and that one of the Forkle twins is Sophie’s father.  There are too many clues for the series to be heading in any other direction.  I have compiled them (see post) and have gotten a lot of flak from people who are deeply offended by that post.  I enjoy theories, and I don't understand why what I've compiled is so upsetting.  As best I can figure, it's because they have their hearts set on the series concluding in a way consistent with their personal head canons.  

The beginning of the Kenric/Forkle reveal occurs in Kenric's Forgotten Secrets, when the reader learns that Kenric asked Prentice to be his Keeper (of the Black Swan) and that Kenric knew specific details about Project Moonlark (Sophie's mother's identity) that could only be known by Forkle himself.  Yes, Kenric said that he heard about suldreen from hearing Oralie say it, but he stepped away from Oralie when he told her so that she wouldn't detect the lie.

I find the points about Gethen's name coming from Norwegian words to be interesting and certainly enough to give me pause.  They might be false clues planted by Shannon.  She has placed so many clues through the books that it’s reasonable to assume that some clues are red herrings.

Park.Song also mentions Forkle's use of Leto and Loki in their post.  One Forkle identity is Leto, and that name is the same as the Greek goddess Leto, who is the mother of twins Apollo and Artemis.  Forkle's middle name is Loki.  The Norse god Loki has sons, Nari and Vali, who are sometimes described as twins.  The twin thing is interesting, and the names could have been early series clues that Forkle would be later revealed as a pair of twins.

It's also possible, as Park.Song states, that the names imply that Forkle is the father of a pair of twins.  Park.Song suggests that Gethen and Sophie are twins, but Sophie's embryo was frozen for years before it was implanted.  I am skeptical that Gethen and Sophie are twins or even siblings.  I do have another idea, however.  Before I get to it, I want to talk about twins in KotLC.

Biana points out that all the decisions they keep questioning were probably decided by Fallon (Nightfall, page 451).  The decisions include the bias against multiple births, the match system, and the ban against Pyrokinesis.  Fallon himself says that "things from our past are often more than they seem" (Flashback, page 33).  I suspect that the real reason for the bias against twins is because twin elves are stronger, not weaker. 

Linh tells Tam that "we're stronger together" (Legacy, page 730).  Linh and Tam are said to have very strong abilities.  

Two of the Dizznee triplets have manifested.  While elves are said have unruly abilities soon after they manifest, I wonder if the Dizznee triplets' abilities will prove to be very strong.

And then there are the two Forkles.  Oralie said that Kenric was one of the very best Washers.  If Kenric is Forkle, then that would be another pair of twins with strong abilities.

I wonder Tinker and Elysian could be twins, since they both have red hair.  Elysian is an ancient with long ears.  Tinker keeps her hair piled on her head, which could hide long ears.  They could even be identical twins, since identical twins can have different eye colors.  Elysian has turquoise eyes, and Tinker has gray-blue eyes.  Both Elysian and Tinker have freckles.  

Tinker is an unusually gifted Technopath.  Elysian has the ability to take away other elves' abilities.  If Tinker and Elysian are twins, then that could be the original source of the bias against twins.  Fallon might have lied about twins being weaker because he was fearful of how strong they were.   

Now, let's continue with my idea about twins.  I previously suggested (see post) that Eleanor Olivia Wright could be a backup moonlark to Sophie.  If Eleanor is part of Project Moonlark, then she must be Sophie's half sibling at minimum.  Eleanor's full name rearranges as the anagram "love Oralie with a grin."  Maybe it's just coincidence, but it's strange enough to make me wonder.  It could even be a red herring planted by Shannon. 

Regardless, I firmly believe that Kenric (one of the twin Forkles) is Sophie's father.  Most fans shut down this idea, because Forkle told Sophie that Sophie's parents don't know each other (see post refuting Forkle's statement).  If Forkle was truthful, then Kenric isn't Sophie's father.  That is a given.  The problem is that Forkle could have been deceptive, and I don't understand why most fans assume that Forkle must have told the literal truth. 

If Forkle is Kenric, then he could not admit that Kenric is indeed her father.  Sophie would quickly draw some uncomfortable conclusions.  She'd think about Kenric's death, which is truly just a disappearance that is an assumed death.  Sophie would also wonder how Kenric came to know about Project Moonlark.  She'd think about how Kenric was a Telepath, and Forkle is a Telepath as well.  If Forkle is Kenric, then he had to lie to Sophie to keep Sophie from figuring everything out.

In the post about Gethen, Park.Song said that Forkle reacted defensively when Gethen suggested that Sophie's embryo was frozen.  I agree that Forkle's reaction was odd.  In fact, I feel like Sophie's embryo must have been frozen, and it's mighty interesting that Forkle was so touchy about it.

Were there two frozen Moonlark embryos?  Was Eleanor one of them?  I've struggled with this idea, since I haven't been able to figure out who would have carried Eleanor's embryo. 

It's now occurred to me that both embryos could have been implanted in Emma Foster, and that would make Sophie and Eleanor a pair of twins.  Emma is overweight, and baby bumps can be less noticeable in overweight people.  It would have been possible for Emma to be pregnant with twins and not know it.  While uncommon, some fertility doctors also deliver the babies.  If Mr. Forkle, while posing as the fertility doctor, took care of Mrs. Foster throughout the pregnancy and delivered the babies, then information about how many babies Mrs. Foster carried could have been kept from her. 

Is it possible that twin elves are stronger because their abilities are strengthened by the other as they develop in the womb in close proximity?  

Here's something else.  How would the twins have decided who would be Sophie's father?  What if each of them was the father to one of the girls?  Currently, this feels right to me.  Each twin wanted to have a child with Oralie, and so each of them did.

Of course, all of this is ethically questionable.  Even what we know for sure about Sophie's creation is questionable.

This is all just wild speculation on my part, but it's interesting to think about.  Even if I'm completely wrong, Ethan and Eleanor Wright must be of great importance.  We do know that Eleanor is hiding from Lady Gisela and the Neverseen.  We just don't know why.

.............................................................

July 21, 2026:  I wrote everything above the divider months ago.  I would now phrase some of it differently, but I'm leaving it as is.  I want to add my current thinking.

I remain staunch in my belief that Forkle is Kenric, which means that Kenric was a pair of twins, one of whom is now deceased.  Forkle tells Sophie about how he and his twin studied genetics, trying to figure out why twins were considered weaker (Nightfall, page 179).  The twins realized that DNA could be adjusted to impact abilities and that was when they decided to join the Black Swan.

I read something more into this passage.  I believe part of the reason the twins reached out to the Black Swan was because they wanted to prove that twins are not weaker.  For that reason, I firmly believe that the twins created two Moonlarks.  I believe both Sophie and Eleanor are the Moonlarks.  Now wait... keep reading to the end before you shoot this down.  If you're thinking what I think you are, then I will address it as part of my theory.  Stay with me.  You also might want to read this past post, The Clues about Ethan and Eleanor.

I struggled for a long time trying to decide which Forkle twin would have been chosen as Sophie's father.  I settled on the second-born twin, thinking that the second-born twin would have been considered by other elves as weaker.  The Forkles' thinking would have been to prove that the second-born twin was not weaker by having him be the father of the Moonlark.

I then realized that wasn't it.  Of all the injustices in the elvin world, the bias against twins is the one that impacted the Forkles more than anything else.  They wanted to prove it wrong.  They needed for the Moonlark to have a twin to disprove the bias.  

I believe that Eleanor is the other Moonlark, and that she is Sophie's twin sister.  One Forkle is Sophie's father, and the other Forkle is Eleanor's father.  Since the twin Forkles were actually twin Kenrics and in love with Oralie, both of them would want to have a child with Oralie.  Even though it's ethically problematic like everything about Project Moonlark, this feels right to me.  I feel like this is it.

I believe Ethan Benedict Wright II is the fifth Forkle identity, and Dr. Wright was likely the name used for the Fosters' fertility doctor.  That's why Ethan Benedict Wright II's obituary leaves off his title of doctor.  That the omission of doctor was specifically mentioned by Keefe in Unraveled means that its absence is significant.

Why has Eleanor Olivia Wright been hidden away?  She's probably Talentless.  Oof.  The Forkles' big plan went awry.  A Talentless Moonlark twin wouldn't help prove that twins aren't weak, so Eleanor had to be hidden away.

Now, your objections:

"Eleanor can't be an elf because she would have already manifested."  I just addressed the lack of manifestation of an ability.  If Eleanor is Talentless, then she won't manifest.  

"But Eleanor is human!"  We're told that Eleanor is human.  Eleanor says that she's human, but Sophie thought she was human until she met Fitz.  We don't know if Eleanor is human.

"But Eleanor's eyes are green!  She can't be an elf."  And Sophie's eyes are brown, but she is an elf.  If Eleanor is another moonlark, then her eye color being wrong supports the theory.

I believe that Lady Gisela has tracked down Eleanor and likely has her held captive.  I expect Eleanor to reappear shortly into the upcoming next volume, #10 Elysian.  Keefe might touch hands with Eleanor at some point, causing her to manifest a latent ability.  I also have a theory about what will happen next.  I have a lot more I could write about this, but I will stop here.

All of my past Keeper posts are linked from this page:

Keeper of the Lost Cities Summaries, Reviews, and Theories

Keeper of the Lost Cities: The Forkle Parent Lie

This post contains MAJOR SPOILERS from late in the set.  Do not read this post unless you've read ALL of the books that have been published.  You've been warned.

I believe that Kenric is Sophie's genetic father, and I also believe that Kenric is Forkle.  However, for this post I will completely ignore my assertion that Kenric is Forkle.  I will focus solely on Kenric as Sophie's father and how the "Forkle Parent Lie" from Neverseen is compatible with the theory that Kenric is Sophie's father.

Fans say that Forkle doesn't lie to Sophie, so his statements in Neverseen about Sophie's parents definitively prove—in their minds—that Kenric is not Sophie's father.  The overwhelming majority of fans look only at that one passage and ignore the many clues throughout the series that point directly to Kenric being Sophie's father.  

Let's first cover the three types of deception.

Lying by Commission

This is what people mean when they say that someone has lied.  Lying by commission is the act of making a direct false statement.  

Example:  

"Does the vehicle have any mechanical issues?"

Lying by commission:  "No, it doesn't have any mechanical issues."  The liar denies that anything is wrong with the vehicle.

Paltering

Paltering is the act of making selective truthful statements.  The palterer avoids a direct lie, but they deliberately mislead by stating just part of the truth.  

Example:  

"Does the vehicle have any mechanical issues?"

Paltering:  "The vehicle drove perfectly yesterday.  It just got new brakes and an oil change."  The statement is true, but the palterer avoids mentioning any problems.  The other person will assume that the vehicle is fine.

Lying by omission

Lying by omission is the act of withholding crucial information that sheds light on the situation.  It can overlap with paltering.  

Example:  

"Does the vehicle have any mechanical issues?"

Lying by omission:  "I enjoy driving this vehicle."  The question is avoided by not answering at all.  

I agree that Forkle generally tells Sophie the truth, but he is often highly evasive.  When the topic is Sophie's parents, Forkle either palters or lies by omission.  Paltering better describes what he does.  He tells Sophie some partial truths to obscure the actual truth.  He doesn't directly lie, but he is highly deceptive.

This is the passage that I call the "Forkle Parent Lie" from Neverseen:

Mr. Forkle sighed.  I can tell you're still pondering possibilities.  So I will add that your genetic parents had no connection to each other.  There was no unrequited love.  They weren't even friends.  I did that purposely, because I couldn't allow them to know who each other were.  (Neverseen, page 369)

I am 99.9% certain that Sophie's genetic parents are Kenric and Oralie, and this passage appears to contradict that.  The only reason I am not 100% certain is because Shannon has not confirmed it in a direct statement.  She has indicated it through numerous clues scattered throughout the books.  Read these posts for the clues:

The Clues about Forkle's Identity
The Significance of the Forgotten Secrets

Kenric is Sophie's father.  The problem is the Forkle Parent Lie, especially if Forkle doesn't directly lie to Sophie.  I previously tackled this topic in Fan Theories on Keeper of the Lost Cities.  In that post, I stated that parts of this passage are outright lies.  This time, I will take a different approach.  Since Forkle does generally tell Sophie the truth, I will assume that every line is completely true.  Does the Forkle Parent Lie negate the theory that Kenric is Sophie's father?  I say that it does not. 

So I will add that your genetic parents had no connection to each other.

Most people assume that "no connection" means that Sophie's parents didn't know each other, like they had never met.  I previously wrote:

This part is an outright lie.  But then, it also could be clever wording.  What is meant by the word "connection"?  Kenric and Oralie certainly knew each other, so they were connected.  However, a synonym of connection is relationship.  A relationship could just be friends, which Kenric and Oralie were.  A relationship could be marriage or by blood, which they were not.  Kenric and Oralie had a connection, but then they didn't.

Scratch all that.  What if the statement is not a lie at all?  What else can "no connection" mean?  I utilized Google search to see all the different meanings that "no connection" could possibly have.  I found one that would work in this situation.

Two people with "no connection" have no means of contact with each other.      

Oralie donated to Project Moonlark.  She had no means to contact Sophie's genetic father.  Mr. Forkle was the only elf who knew the father's identity, so Oralie had "no connection" to the genetic father.  Likewise, Kenric donated to Project Moonlark.  He had "no connection" to Sophie's genetic mother.  Kenric had no means to contact her, since he didn't know her identity.  In this context, Kenric and Oralie could be Sophie's genetic parents, not know the other parent's identity, and therefore have no connection—that is, no means to contact each other.  

There was no unrequited love.

Same here.  If the parents didn't know each other's identities, then they couldn't have unrequited love.  They had nothing.  They had no connection and no information about each other.

They weren't even friends.

Once again, same.  If the parents didn't know each other's identities, then they "weren't even friends." They had no connection and no information about each other.

I did that purposely, because I couldn't allow them to know who each other were.

If the parents had no connection, then they didn't know who each other were.  

Everything Forkle said was completely true, but it was highly misleading.  This is a classic example of paltering.  It's not exactly lying, but it is deceptive.

Now let's tackle the other part of the Forkle Parent Lie from Lodestar, page 43.

"Was Kenric my father?  He was a Telepath.  And he was always so kind to me."  Her throat closed off as she remembered his bright smiles.  The red-haired Councillor had been one of Sophie's strongest supporters, right up until the day she'd lost him to Fintan's inferno of Everblaze.  Magnate Leto reached for Sophie's hand, tracing a finger across the star-shaped scar he'd accidentally given her when he healed her abilities.  "Kenric wasn't involved with Project Moonlark.  And that's all I can tell you.  Some secrets must remain hidden."

In this passage, Leto doesn't even answer the question.  When Sophie asks if Kenric is her father, Leto replies, "Kenric wasn't involved with Project Moonlark."  If Kenric truly isn't Sophie's father, then why didn't Leto just say that he isn't?  He instead chooses to be evasive.  That in itself is a red flag.

I believe that Leto's statement is technically true but highly misleading.  Kenric could have donated to Project Moonlark but not be involved with Project Moonlark.  Take a look at this passage:

Forgotten Secret #4, Unlocked, page 533:  "No.  I swear, Kenric.  That was part of the deal."  Her gaze shifted to her feet.  "I'm completely separate."

Oralie donated to Project Moonlark and was told that she was "completely separate."  That means she technically wasn't involved in Project Moonlark.  Kenric could have been "completely separate" as well.  Leto's answer isn't a lie, but he is being misleading.

Additionally, Leto is tracing Sophie's scar as he says that Kenric wasn't involved.  It's like he's talking about the scar which was caused by Forkle.  Kenric didn't cause the scar.

I'd like to see more fans overcome their denial of the many clues pointing to Kenric as Sophie's father.  The Keeper forum discussions are mighty frustrating.  Each time someone gives a valid explanation of why Kenric is Sophie's father, multiple people respond, "But Forkle said he's not because the parents don't know each other!"  Forkle manipulated Sophie by telling her vague, partial truths.  

I hope I've shown how the Forkle Parent Lie does not eliminate Kenric as Sophie's father. 

All of my past Keeper posts are linked from this page:

Keeper of the Lost Cities Summaries, Reviews, and Theories

Reminder: eBay and Etsy Listings Will Be Deactivated on Friday

This is a reminder that I will not be selling for a period of time beginning on Friday.  I expect the downtime to last until October.  My listings are 12% off on both sites.  I have the eBay sale set to last until Friday.  At present, the Etsy sale ends on Thursday.  

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

Nancy Drew Diaries #27 Vans & Villains, or How to Fix This Mess

Publisher's summary:

When George wins an exciting contest from her favorite van life influencers to transport their camper van from Chicago to Los Angeles, she naturally invites Nancy and Bess along to live out her van life fantasies for seven days.

But things quickly go sideways for the girls, from bad weather to mechanical problems, leading to personality clashes in a small, closed space.  Worse yet, Nancy feels like someone is following them.  Could someone be trying to sabotage the trip?  Or is Nancy so used to solving mysteries that she's starting to see villains where there are none?

Nancy had better figure it out quickly if their road trip—and their friendship—is going to survive the chaos.

First off, #vanlife is mentioned enough times in this book that it should have been used as part of the title.  I used AI to alter the title to Van Life Gone Wrong.  Much more appropriate.

This book has very few characters, which makes for a better story.  It has a simple plot and is easy to follow.  I found it to be light, enjoyable reading.

I do have a minor quibble with George's behavior.  She doubted in Nancy's belief that something was off.  I get tired of Nancy's friends doubting her.  Instead, the girls should have had a united front.  They could have called the sponsors with their concerns, and the sponsors could have doubted Nancy's assessment of the situation.

I have only read the Nancy Drew Diaries series once per year as each new title has been released.  This means that I can't compare the current story that well to previous stories, due to the time lapse.  I went through all of my blog reviews and made quick notes, as I was curious about a few things.

That was in January.  At this point, I actually don't remember what I was curious about, since the previous paragraph was written over four months ago.  Still, I can present the brief notes that I made.

#1 Nancy loves clothes.  George eats lots of food and is rude.

#2 Bess is girly.

#3 okay

#4 good

#5 very good

#6 very good

#7 liked but obvious sabotage

#8 forgetful Nancy, didn't like

#9 sabotage, childish

#10 sabotage, so-so

#11 sabotage but other flaws fixed, very good

#12 sabotage, very good

#13 Nancy gets nervous, shaky voice.  Good but tiring.

#14 very good

#15 Nancy is scared, queasy, stupid; referred to series as "epic fail"

#16 terrible, my review speaks for itself

Christmas Story - very good

#17 great book, no problems

#18 Nancy weak at times, weak story

#19 boring

#20 odd coded language, boring book

#21 excellent

#22 very good

#23 full of series book lore, overall good

#24 sabotage!!! boring

#25 too many characters, boring

#26 so boring

#27 pleasant reading

My takeaway is that the Nancy Drew Diaries series was all over the place.  It could never settle on what it was, and it floundered from start to finish.  What a disappointment.

You'll notice that I'm using past tense.  I've heard that the Nancy Drew Diaries series has ended.  Another incarnation is likely in the works.  I have no additional information, but I can tell you what I think needs to be fixed.

1.  Get better writers or manage the franchise better.

Simon & Schuster publishes some really good books for children.  Most of the books that are great were written by authors whose names are on the books.  That isn't going to happen with Nancy Drew, since ghostwriters are always used.

It's critical that the ghostwriters are more skilled than the group used for the Nancy Drew Diaries series.  I don't know how to solve that problem, since ghostwriters aren't paid much.

The bigger problem is Simon & Schuster's loose handling of the franchise.  The Nancy Drew Girl Detective series, although flawed, was pretty consistent.  The Nancy Drew Diaries series was wildly inconsistent, and that is because someone dropped the ball.  

The ghostwriters must be given clear guidelines that they must follow.  The characterization must be consistent across all books.

2.  Quit treating Nancy Drew like a helpless female.

Nearly 10 years ago, I wrote Gender Inequality in the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Books.  Here is the beginning of that post.

While reading the Hardy Boys Digest series, I realized that the modern Nancy Drew is constrained by her gender.  The Hardy Boys are allowed much more interesting adventures, since they are boys.  The Hardy Boys get to be truck drivers, volunteer firefighters, and tightrope walkers.  In one book, they even get to use machine guns and drive a tank.

Nancy Drew gets to investigate museum sabotage, fundraiser sabotage, zucchini smashing, any other lame sabotage that Simon and Schuster can create, and the occasional disappearance.  The Hardy Boys get lots of sabotage as well, but they also get all the more interesting types of sabotage stories.

This means that the modern Hardy Boys books have more varied adventures than the modern Nancy Drew books.  This is baffling, considering the trend in society towards gender equality.  For some inexplicable reason, Simon and Schuster is taking Nancy Drew in the opposite direction, choosing to keep Nancy Drew in a strict gender-defined role that limits her ability to sleuth while allowing the Hardy Boys to have exciting adventures.

Simon & Schuster must correct this problem. 

3.  Go back to third-person point of view.  

We don't need Nancy Drew to be relatable.  There's nothing wrong with third-person point of view.  Honestly, it's less confusing for the type of story expected of the Nancy Drew franchise.  Nancy Drew stories aren't supposed to be about romance or deep feelings.  The stories should focus on interesting mysteries, and third-person point of view is sufficient.

Third-person omniscient would be the best approach, especially for the Hardy Boys franchise.  I could never tell the difference between Frank and Joe and kept having to flip back to the beginning of each chapter to figure out which brother was featured.  

4.  Quit relying solely on sabotage and give Nancy Drew more interesting plots.

We are sick of sabotage.  A quote from my post, Comparing the Nancy Drew Diaries to the Hardy Boys Adventures is apropos.

I noticed that all of the Hardy Boys Adventures books would work as Nancy Drew Diaries stories.  Most of them have very little action.  Almost every Nancy Drew Diaries book is sabotage, and several stories feature very boring sabotage plots.  Not as many Hardy Boys Adventures books are sabotage, and most of the sabotage books are creative sabotage that is engaging and interesting.  As a result, most of the Hardy Boys Adventures stories are better quality than the Nancy Drew Diaries stories.  Several Hardy Boys stories are extremely creative and suspenseful.  The better story ideas are being used for the Hardy Boys Adventures series.

Several of the Hardy Boys Adventures books read in a similar fashion to young adult dystopian fiction.  Perhaps the publisher thought that the content is too dark for Nancy Drew and more suitable for boys.  If true, that's a shame, since dystopian novels are quite popular today and are read by both boys and girls.  Those kinds of stories should not be limited to the Hardy Boys, when lots of girls read dystopian novels.

Taking a dystopian approach would improve the Nancy Drew franchise considerably.  I'm not talking about anything supernatural or having to do with aliens.  I'm thinking more in terms of organizations that are doing unethical research.  We could have AI running amok (which isn't a stretch, since AI is already out of control).  Cyberbullying would make for a compelling topic.  One of the highpoints of the Nancy Drew Girl Detective series was The Identity Mystery Trilogy, in which Nancy investigates cyberbullying. 

The Hardy Boys Adventures series featured a network of tunnels under Bayport.  I'd love to have something like that in the modern Nancy Drew books.  

The stories need to lean into modern intrigue and amp up the danger.  

If Simon & Schuster would fix just these problems, then the Nancy Drew series output would improve considerably.  I could even forgive Nancy continuing to take excessive bathroom breaks so long as the stories improve.

New eBay and Etsy Listings, Store Sale, and Upcoming Store Hiatus

I began listing many books on eBay and Etsy several weeks ago before school let out for summer.  I am completely finished listing on Etsy and am finishing up with new eBay listings.

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

Due to some upcoming events, I will deactivate all of my listings on around June 20.  I doubt that it will be feasible for me to reopen before school starts, so I expect the store hiatus to last from around June 20 to sometime in October.

That is why I really pushed myself to get books listed as school was winding down.  The problem is that my Etsy listings have a four-month duration, and I pay a $0.20 fee for each listing.  When I pull my listings down, I will lose most of the listing duration.  That bothered me a little bit, so I decided that I should run a sale on Etsy in order to encourage some sales before I close.  My books on Etsy are now 12% off.

I pay for my eBay store subscription by the year, so it doesn't bother me to be closed a few months.  I have unlimited free listings (up to 5 million!), so I don't pay to list.  The store subscription covers it.  I'm less concerned about moving books off of eBay before I close.  However, it wouldn't hurt to get some of them sold, so I have also placed most of my eBay listings at 12% off.

I have not included my newer eBay listings in the sale.  When I list new books on eBay, a good number of them sell very quickly, so I don't want to have those on sale at the beginning of their run.

The sale on eBay and Etsy expires on June 18.  I expect to deactivate all of my listings by June 20.

Before I close, I want to mention that my job has become all-consuming.  I can't say anything about my personal situation.  In addition to that, teaching has been completely upended by AI usage, and it's become infinitely harder.  

I have long Covid from my infection of December 2024, and it has caused eye inflammation.  I also have this unfortunate thing where I keep smelling menthol.  When I smell the nonexistent menthol, my eyes also burn like menthol is in them.  It's now happening less often, and I hope it quits soon.

I don't believe I've mentioned much in this blog about my health situation in a couple years.  I decided to put all health updates in a new blog that I created last year.  

My Hashimoto's and Sjӧgren's Experience

It's been a lot.  Scroll down a few posts if you're interested in what has been going on.

My listings will be deactivated around June 20, so purchase anything you want before then.

Keeper of the Lost Cities: The Black Swan's Leak

This post contains MAJOR SPOILERS from late in the set.  Do not read this post unless you've read ALL of the books that have been published.  You've been warned.

Note:  I cited the page numbers for the scenes mentioned so that my points can be verified.  After I realized that I overlooked something, I revised my final list of the two probable leak candidates up to four probable candidates.  I am uncertain whether the list can be narrowed down further, although I do strongly suspect that the leak is a certain character rather than the other three.

...............................................................

Mr. Forkle reveals in #9 Stellarlune that the Black Swan has a leak.  This explains how the Neverseen always seem to be one step ahead of the Black Swan.

Stellarlune, page 387:  "Does that mean you think it's someone we know?" Grady asked.  "Someone in the Black Swan?" Sophie added.  "It's hard to say," Mr. Forkle told them.  "Though I don't believe anything was said or done maliciously, if that's what you're worried about.  Secrets have a way of slipping through cracks, especially as our order grows larger and larger." 

I feel like Mr. Forkle has vetted all Black Swan members well enough that he knows he can trust them.  If the leak is unintentional, it could be anyone in the order.  A member could speak about plans around family, and a family member could leak the information.  This idea intrigued me, and I decided to try to uncover the identity of the leak.

This is a partial list of what has been leaked:

• Edaline tells Sophie that Gethen somehow knew that Prentice had been healed (Nightfall, page 764).

• Gethen tells Sophie that he's pretty sure that she's hiding an ability with her gloves (Flashback, page 81).

• Gethen knows what Fintan told the Black Swan about the Celestial Festival, and he acknowledges that Fintan didn't quite have it right (Flashback, page 757).

• Gethen knows that the kids have been training and wonders why Tam hasn't made more progress with his force field (Flashback, page 759).

• Gethen knows that Fitz suspected Alvar all along but nobody believed him, not even Sophie.  He even mentions how much Fitz relies on Sophie (Flashback, page 760).

It's unsettling how much Gethen knows.  The leak must be someone who is around Sophie all the time.

The Keeper books are so complicated and lengthy that it's difficult to spot most of the clues.  Additionally, some aspects of the series seem silly, which makes them easy to ignore.  For instance:

Nightfall, page 487:  Mr. Forkle wasn't the only one waiting for her.  The other four members of the Collective were there... Livvy was Physic again... Grady was there too.  And Alden and Della.  And Fitz, Dex, Biana, Tam, and Linh.  And Sandor, Grizel, Woltzer, Lovise, and Cadoc.

By listing every character present, Shannon is giving us the means to figure out which character is the Black Swan's leak.  Someone who is always around during certain events and discussions is the Black Swan's leak.  

In Stellarlune after the Neverseen destroy Brumevale, Mr. Forkle explains that Brumevale can only be found if one knows the exact location of the stairs.

Stellarlune, page 387:  "I wonder how the Neverseen were able to find it, then," Edaline said.  "We're trying to figure that out," Mr. Forkle told her.

The Neverseen were able to locate Brumevale because the leak was present when the kids arrived at Brumevale for the Forkle twin reveal (Nightfall, page 159).  These characters were at Brumevale that day:

Sophie, Sandor, Fitz, Grizel, Keefe,  Biana, Woltzer, Dex, Lovise, Linh, Tam, Tiergan, Forkle

In #8 Legacy, Lady Gisela knows that Keefe has been worrying about whether she killed Ethan (page 576).  No doubt she learned from the leak.  I found each scene where Ethan is mentioned, noting who is present.

Sophie, Sandor, Fitz, Grizel, Keefe, Ro, Dex, Lovise, Forkle, Elwin, Livvy, Edaline, Lord Cassius

Comparing this list to the Brumevale list, we can eliminate Biana, Woltzer, Linh, Tam, and Tiergan, since they were not part of the Ethan conversations.  The possible leak list narrows down to:

Sophie, Sandor, Fitz, Grizel, Keefe, Dex, Lovise, Forkle

The ogres attack Havenfield in #5 Lodestar.  Immediately after the attack:

Lodestar, page 491:  The ogres had almost won.  Somehow they'd seemed to know that Sandor wouldn't be there.

The leak must have told the Neverseen, which is how the ogres knew.  Sandor isn't present during the attack because he's at Lumenaria with Sophie, Forkle, and Oralie.  The leak must have been present during the discussions about the planned visit with Gethen.  

I checked through the discussions about Gethen.  These characters were present:

Forkle, Oralie, Sophie, Sandor, Edaline, Grady, Fitz, Grizel, Biana, Woltzer, Dex, Lovise

Keefe can be removed from the possible leak list, since he was with the Neverseen and not in on the discussions about the Gethen meeting.  The remaining possible leaks are these characters:

Sophie, Sandor, Fitz, Grizel, Dex, Lovise, Forkle

Sophie, Forkle, and Sandor know where Sophie's human family is living after their second relocation (#8 Legacy, page 300).  Since the Neverseen haven't gone after Sophie's human family again, Sophie, Forkle, and Sandor cannot be the leak.  I never considered that any of Sophie, Forkle, or Sandor could be the leak, but I kept all three as possibilities until I could eliminate them.  In case of a bizarre plot twist, it's best not to overlook anything.

This decreases the leak candidates to:

Fitz, Grizel, Dex, Lovise

I had previously narrowed the leak list down to Fitz and Grizel, but I'm not sure if my reasoning was sound.  This is what I thought:

Lady Gisela seems to know that Keefe recovered the memory where she took him to Nightfall to seal the door with his blood (Nightfall, page 125).  I went back to Lodestar and found where Keefe shares the memory with Sophie (page 353).  These characters are present in the immediate aftermath:

Sophie, Sandor, Fitz, Grizel, Alden, Grady

These would be the remaining leak candidates:

Fitz and Grizel

The problem is that in the scene with Lady Gisela, Sophie mentions Nightfall first.  That might have tipped off Lady Gisela that Keefe recovered his memory. 

If so, then the leak list can only be narrowed down to these characters:

Fitz, Grizel, Dex, Lovise

Could Dex trust someone who is working for the Neverseen?  It is possible.

Could Lovise?  Yes.

I feel like we can rule Fitz out, since he is Sophie's Cognate.

Even though I'm not sure I can eliminate either Dex or Lovise, I believe that the leak is most likely Grizel.

In #5 Lodestar, Sophie comments that Grizel accidentally switched Sophie's and Keefe's Imparters (page 264).  Since Grizel is on my list, the Imparter switch is a possible red flag.  I wondered if Grizel could be the leak and did it on purpose so that Lady Gisela could talk to Sophie.  However, Sophie is the one who suggested that Grizel compare the Imparters, so the switch might have been accidental.  

When Fitz and Biana arrive at Dex's home just prior to Dex discovering the Imparter switch, Grizel is mentioned as not coming along (Lodestar, page 217). She's not present when Dex discovers that Sophie has Keefe's Imparter.  Rather conveniently, no one talks to her about the Imparter switch.

When I looked at the scene where the Imparters are switched, I found it a bit odd that Grizel takes the lead in searching through Keefe's things (Lodestar, page 111).  The kids typically drive the plot—not the bodyguards.  Grizel does drive the plot at times.  Speaking of which....

Mr. Forkle asks Sandor to check the Silver Tower to help figure out how the Neverseen got to Wylie.

Lodestar, page 280:  "If you're looking for powerful senses," Grizel jumped in, "You should have me go with him.  Sandor lacks a certain... shall we say, sensitivity?"

Grizel is involved in everything.  Culprits frequently do this so that they can interfere with the investigation.  The Imparter switch and Grizel insisting on going to the Silver Tower are two red flags that make her a strong candidate for being the possible leak.  Of the four possibilities, Grizel is by far the most likely leak.  Some of her behavior is suspicious, so for that reason, I believe that the leak is Grizel.

What's interesting is that the type of information leaked to the Neverseen changes beginning in Lodestar, and Grizel's first appearance is on page 11 of Lodestar.  When Alvar was the leak, Council information was leaked to the Neverseen—no doubt what Alvar learned from Alden and from his own work with the Council.  Beginning in Lodestar, the information leaked becomes specific to Sophie and her friends.   

Assuming that the leak is Grizel, here is a list of key points.

• Alvar outs himself as a Neverseen member near the end of Neverseen (page 621), and Grizel makes her first appearance at the start of Lodestar (page 11).  Grizel takes Alvar's place as the leak from the Vacker household.

• Grizel switches Sophie's and Keefe's Imparters (Lodestar, page 264).

• Grizel decides that she, Sandor, Sophie, and Fitz will be the ones to see where Cyrah's starstone goes (Lodestar, page 525).  

• Grizel insists that she go through the mirror first (Lodestar, page 551).  

• Grizel is present when Gisela explains where Sophie's family will be found in Nightfall (Nightfall, page 370).  Alvar is found in that exact location.  

• Grizel is present during Prentice's healing (Nightfall, page 580). This information is leaked.

• Grizel goes with Linh, Tam, and Fitz to the Unity Fountain in Atlantis to locate Nightfall (Nightfall, page 641).  The location is leaked to Lady Gisela.

The question is whether Grizel is a member of the Neverseen.  She is upset after the Havenfield attack, and her reaction seems genuine.  My theory is that Grizel is unaware that she's helping the Neverseen.  Grizel's contact is a member of the Neverseen who is hiding their allegiance, making Grizel an unwitting accomplice.

I feel that Grizel's contact is most likely a Councillor or someone who works for the Council.  If the contact is a Councillor, then I expect it to be one of the Councillors who has been involved in the plot, such as Bronte, Emery, Terik, Oralie, Alina, or Noland.  Of those Councillors, Alina is the most suspicious.

In Everblaze, Alina advocates for the ability restrictor to be placed on Sophie.

The Council decides in Flashback to send Alvar to Everglen for six months.  The Neverseen's plan was for Alvar to be sent to Everglen where they would restore his memory so that he could open the gate.  How strange that the Council does exactly what the Neverseen want.

Terik speaks about it, saying that he descried Alvar again (Flashback, page 28).  I doubt that Terik is with the Neverseen since he lost his leg at Lumenaria.  But then, Brant was killed at Lumenaria, so another Neverseen member could have been injured.  Furthermore, there's been a lot of chatter recently about Terik faking his ability and that he could be with the Neverseen.  We can't rule it out.

Alina argues several points in favor of Alvar going to Everglen in Flashback (pages 37-39).  It's possible that Alina is with the Neverseen and that she argues in favor of Everglen so that the Neverseen's plan will work.

Alina later wants to train Keefe and keep Sophie away from Keefe (Unlocked, page 591).  If Alina were to train Keefe, that could help the Neverseen if Alina were aligned with them.

I found a scene that negates the likelihood of a Councillor being the contact.  Sophie reveals to the Council that Tam sent her a warning about Keefe (Legacy, page 150).  Lady Gisela is surprised to learn about the warning (Legacy, page 579).  Either the Council doesn't contain a Neverseen member, or that Councillor wisely chose not to leak information told only to the Council. 

If a Councillor isn't the contact, then they might be a Vacker.  I doubt that the contact is Alden, because Alvar was the Council's leak, which would have been unnecessary if Alden were also working for the Neverseen.  Della is also unlikely to be the contact, since she stayed with the kids at Alluveterre.  There was no indication that Della leaked the location, so she's not likely in league with the Neverseen.

While Grizel is probably the Black Swan's leak, Grizel's Neverseen contact could be anyone.  And then again, perhaps Grizel herself is a member of the Neverseen.  She could have pretended to be upset after the Havenfield attack.

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Keeper of the Lost Cities Summaries, Reviews, and Theories