Saturday, June 10, 2023

Keeper of the Lost Cities Book #8 Legacy Kindle Notes

These are the passages that I marked in my Kindle book.  The passages were marked either because I felt they contained significant information or because I simply found them interesting or amusing.  These passages contain MAJOR SERIES SPOILERS, so readers who haven't made it this far should avoid this post.  

SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER


Page 16   "I believe you've heard about the proposal for building a Human Sanctuary that circulated a few decades back, haven't you, Miss Foster?"  "Alden mentioned it a while ago," Sophie agreed.  And the thought of moving all the humans to what would basically be an enormous prison still made her queasy.  "Was that the Neverseen's idea?"

Page 16   "A global conflict involving every living being."  He let that sink in before he added, "That's why the Black Swan was formed—and why Alden and Quinlin have carried out so many of their own secret investigations throughout the last few decades."

Page 18   "What do you think the Neverseen truly want?  I'm talking about the order as a whole, not the personal agendas of their individual leaders."  The only answer Sophie could come up with was:  "Power?"  "Exactly.  They want to be in control—that's one of the primary ways our orders differ from one another.  The Black Swan resorted to rebellion because we had no other means of pursuing necessary solutions.  And our ultimate hope has been—and always will be—to work hand in hand with the Council as we address these complicated challenges.  But the Neverseen have always desired to take over."

Page 27   "I'm sorry, Miss Foster."  His eyes stayed focused on his pathfinder as he locked the crystal into place.  "I can't tell you what you want to know." 

Page 28   "You don't even know what I want to know," she pointed out.  "Actually, I do.  You… want to know who your biological parents are."  Sophie blinked.  "How did you—"  "I know you far better than you realize.  Which is why I also know that you won't be happy with me when I tell you that, unfortunately, the answer to your question is 'no.' "

Page 29   "Please," she said, ready to drop to her knees and beg.  "I won't tell anyone and—"  "You'd have to," Mr. Forkle interrupted.  "The information would only be useful if it were part of your official records.  And that cannot happen."  "But I'm unmatchable!" she repeated, much louder this time.  And she couldn't help noticing that he didn't flinch.  That's when she realized… "You knew."  

Page 31   "The upbringing you forced on me," she spat back at him.  "Yes, that is one of the few things we didn't give you a choice in.  And yet, I suspect you wouldn't trade the time you spent with your human parents and sister."  "I wouldn't," she conceded.  "But that doesn't mean I don't deserve to know who my biological family is—especially since not knowing them ruins everything."  "Not everything," he corrected.  "And not ruins.  It simply complicates certain things."

Page 40   The only clues Mr. Forkle had given her over the years were that her genetic parents had no connection to each other, and hadn't been told who the other was—which meant she'd have to look for them individually, instead of searching for a couple.  He'd also sworn that he wasn't her genetic father.

Page 40   Of course, that was assuming he'd actually told her the truth about any of that, which was a fifty-fifty bet.

Page 78   A really nerdy-looking guy.  Between the tweed blazer and the bow tie and the ruddy cheeks and the wild hair, he looked like some sort of professor stereotype.  All he was missing was a pair of thick spectacles and… "He's human," Sophie realized, focusing on the man's deep brown eyes.  She'd gotten so used to being surrounded by blue-eyed elves that it was almost jarring to see someone with the same eye color as her—and someone with deep smile lines and strands of gray peppered through his messy red hair.

Page 80   And the man that Keefe had drawn was a pretty generic-looking British guy—from his bright ginger hair down to the elbow patches on his blazer.

Page 95   "If you're still on the 'lock me up' plan, that's never gonna happen," Keefe warned.  Ro sauntered closer and pinched both of his cheeks.  "You're so cute when you think you're being all tough and rebellious.  But let's get real for a second, shall we?  You get away with the things I let you get away with, because I don't care enough to fight you on them."

Page 108   There were no names on the list at all—but Keefe had put "Foster Mommy" on one side and "Foster Daddy" on the other.

Page 111   "It's one of the things I'm always jealous of about you.  You just… handle stuff.  No running away or making a bunch of huge mistakes.  Somehow you keep your head clear and just dig in and deal.  It's pretty amazing."

Page 126   It was bad enough walking through the halls of Foxfire surrounded by all of her bodyguards.  If people were dipping curtsies or bowing, she might as well ask Magnate Leto to set up a permanent spotlight to follow her around.

Page 128   "The Neverseen have had that knowledge for long enough to do something with it, and yet nothing's changed.  So the Councillors feel that the more important lesson is for the Black Swan to be much more open with them in the future, to ensure that our enemies never have more knowledge than our leaders."

Page 142   "It's not a reference to prodigies," Councillor Emery tried to explain.   
" 'Prodigious' means 'extraordinary.' "  "It also means 'abnormal,' "  Councillor Bronte informed them, with the closest thing to a smile that his sharp-featured face was capable of making.

Page 146   "Yes, well, we are not the public."  The diamonds in Emery's crown seemed to shine brighter with the words.  "And we're working hard to remove the veils of secrecy separating ourselves from that order.  Which is why we felt it would be best to draw from a family with an existing connection to the Black Swan, since that would make for a smoother process when we need to rely on the Collective for these projects."

Page 149   "If we go that route, why don't we just call ourselves the Order of the Phoenix?" Sophie couldn't resist suggesting—but of course no one appreciated her reference.  "Never mind."  "Human thing?" Dex guessed.  "A super-famous one," she agreed, kinda wishing she had a few more shared life experiences with her friends.

Page 151   "We realize you struggle with authority," Councillor Terik added, before Sophie could push the issue.  "Particularly our authority.  And I, at least, won't deny that you're justified to feel that way."

Page 153   "And Sophie is the key to winning them over.  She's gained a level of notoriety in our world—and lately, a bit of respect.  It's time we send the message that the Council sees her value and is utilizing her to the fullest extent possible."

Page 156   "It isn't," Councillor Emery agreed.  "But it's also nothing to fear.  We're on the same side."  "Are we?" Tiergan asked, beating Sophie to the question.  "Truly?"  "Yes," all twelve Councillors said in unison.  "Unity is our best chance for survival," Councillor Emery added.

Page 174   Sophie was a few seconds from face-planting into the floor when strong hands hauled her back to her feet.  "Thanks," she mumbled, blinking at her savior.  She knew she was having a strange day when ending up in Bronte's arms wasn't even the weirdest thing that had happened.

Page 176   Clearly all the months since Kenric's death hadn't lessened Oralie's grief over losing the person everyone had suspected she'd secretly been in love with—and who'd obviously been in love with her, too.

Page 178   "The crowns and fanfare are simply a facade to look the part we've found ourselves having to play.  They do not change the fact that what we really are is a group of twelve relatively normal individuals trying our best to be what people need.  And that is why we must stay in power."

Page 179   "And we stand here now, ready to swear to you that from this moment on, you can be assured of three things:  We will listen.  We will learn.  And we will adapt.  All we ask in return is that you be ready and willing to do the same.  If you put your faith in us, we will put that same faith in you.  For the good of everyone."

Page 184   Sophie realized they'd each been paired with the same Councillors who'd helped steady them when the Paragon had stopped moving.  So she wasn't surprised when Bronte and Oralie moved to stand next to her—but she was surprised that she didn't mind the idea of working so closely with Bronte.

Page 187   "And then there was one," Emery noted as Dex, Clarette, and Noland glittered away.  "The girl who changed our minds," Terik added, and Sophie couldn't tell if he meant that as a good thing or a bad thing.

Page 187   "No need to look so stunned," he told her with a rueful smile.  "I never said I was pleased with the idea.  I could simply tell that this was where we were heading.  Why do you think I pushed you the way that I did?  I had to ensure that you were truly someone who could be trusted with the role you were surely meant to play.  And I won't claim that my behavior toward you was always admirable—or fair.  But… you bore it far better than I ever would've expected.  And now, here we are, and I must say… you are certainly worthy."

Page 188   But instead of the vow, she found herself blurting out, "I have no idea what I'm doing."  Bronte took her other hand, guiding her closer to the beam of light.  "I'll let you in on a secret, Sophie.  One that you may or may not find reassuring.  None of us know what we're doing."

Page 193   Oralie shook her head.  "Of course not!  You just look so…"  "So…?" Sophie prompted.  "It's hard to explain.  You've changed since the first day I met you.  You're… not a little girl anymore.  Which is how it's supposed to be.  I just wish…" Oralie bit her lip and looked away.

Page 195   "So while Oralie finishes whatever nonsense she's doing, I'll walk you through the Articles of your Regency.  The more we multitask, the sooner we can escape this pink monstrosity."  Oralie flung one of the powder puffs at his head, showering his face with a cloud of glitter.

Page 200   "But you need to know I'm unmatchable." Oralie froze.  Bronte sighed.  "I'm assuming that has to do with the lack of information about your genetic parents."  Sophie nodded, wondering if Bronte was yet another person who'd been expecting this to happen.  Oralie didn't seem surprised either.  More devastated.

Page 200   "Because no good can come from it."  Bronte kicked aside several pillows as he turned to pace the length of the room.  "Remember, the Black Swan has kept their identities hidden by choice.  I'm sure that means they have good reason for the secrecy—and I think this is an instance when we should trust their judgment.  Uncovering the secret will surely cause a tremendous amount of turmoil for the donors—and it's possible that their turmoil could ripple through our entire world.  Their identity could also renew the scandal surrounding your unconventional past, right when public opinion has finally shifted in your favor."

Page 201   "I'd had time to review all of my match lists—and I was still far too young.  I had no inkling of the sacrifice I was making."  Bronte cleared his throat.  "I realize that you may have certain regrets," he told Oralie, "but can you honestly tell me that given the chance to do it all again, you'd do anything differently?"  Oralie tilted her head to stare at the lanterns twinkling above them.  "No.  But my decision was my choice."

Page 202   "But that would be a very bad idea." Bronte resumed his pacing.  "In my experience, when the Black Swan wants something to stay hidden, they have a way of making that happen—at any cost."

Page 202   "But trust doesn't cover everything," Bronte noted.  "And in this case, what it means is that we believe the Black Swan to generally be working for the good of our world.  That doesn't mean we don't still expect them to bend or break any rules they deem necessary in order to attain their goals.  And they've already told you that they cannot and will not reveal your parentage, yes?"

Page 202   "They know this secret affects their moonlark in many unfortunate ways.  And still they've kept it hidden.  Do you honestly not see that as proof that nothing will stop them from keeping this truth safe?  And if you agree with my assessment—as you should—then are you truly willing to say, 'Hang the consequences,' and embark on such a quest solely for your own personal benefit?"

Page 204   "I'm sorry," Oralie whispered before she stepped back.  "For what?" Sophie asked.  "Many things."  She adjusted a strand of Sophie's hair.  "But mostly for the fact that you've needed an ally so many times—and I haven't been there.  I promise that's changing."

Page 232   "There's no telling what he'll do if he fears exposure.  In fact, I almost wish you'd go to Mr. Forkle for confirmation instead.  He can't inflict pain or threaten you with Exile."  "Yeah, but he's a way better liar," Keefe argued.  "And he won't be nearly as caught off guard, since I'm sure he already assumes Foster's looking into this.  So his reaction would be much harder for me to gauge."

Page 261   "But… the longer I'm around him, the more it doesn't feel like he's the one—especially when you consider the whole 'secret twin' thing.  The Forkle brothers were the only people who could do most of the stuff they did for me, which makes those good deeds seem way less significant and more like… they were just doing their job, you know?"  Sophie shrugged.  "I also wondered if it was Councillor Kenric, since he was always so nice to me and he was a Telepath and he gave me his cache.  But Forkle said he's not—and with Kenric being dead… I don't really see why he'd bother lying."  

Page 266   "But they were also experimenting with your life in ways that were bound to cause problems for you—and that didn't stop them from doing it.  So, I'm just saying… anyone who helped with the project probably has some issues—especially the people who didn't even want anyone knowing they were involved."

Page 310   "What about you?" Amy asked, studying Sophie like she was checking her for injuries.  And somehow, even though Sophie's right hand showed no new scars, Amy's focus lingered there.

Page 314   Sophie snapped back, twisting her arm a different way and wondering if her sister had figured out how to channel strength when she lived with the elves because seriously—how was she so strong? 

Page 333   "Yes, you did.  I still have nightmares about it sometimes."  He stared at his hands, wringing his fingers back and forth.  "It was me with you that day, in case you were wondering.  Not my twin brother.  It's why I was chosen to be the one to reset your abilities the second time—everyone felt I had 'experience' with the situation—though truthfully, both times I've never felt so out of my depth or terrified in all of my life."

Page 339   "Not in this case."  Mr. Forkle turned to the room's largest window, parting the curtains and scanning the yard.  "All I have is a handful of dormant Inflictor genes, which I wasn't ever supposed to be able to use.  They were simply part of a test."  "A test," Sophie repeated, not sure why the word made her stomach feel so squirmy until she realized, "You're talking about Project Moonlark."

Page 339   "My brother and I split it up—he tested your Polyglot genes and I tested your inflicting."

Page 340  He lifted the hem of his tunic to reveal a palm-size round blotch on his hip where the skin was so pale, it almost looked translucent.  And when the light hit the patch, his skin shimmered with tiny flashes in every color of the spectrum.  Amy gasped.  "Did that hurt?"  "Of course," Mr. Forkle told her, lowering his shirt back into place.  "Definitely one of the top ten most painful things I've ever experienced.  But that was a price I was willing to pay in order to guarantee that everything we were planning for your sister would be both safe and effective."

Page 345   "But I swear the rest comes from the fact that I'm basically defective."  "No, you're not!" Mr. Forkle snapped, stalking closer with such intensity that Sophie shrank back, leaning on her sister.

Page 345   "And I won't deny that we've run into unexpected challenges.  But none of that makes you defective.  You… are my greatest success."

Page 345   "And I hope you know that as far as all of us involved with your creation are concerned, you exceed our expectations every single day."  The words were some of the most wonderful things that anyone had ever said to Sophie.

Page 346   "But that's the full extent of his involvement in Project Moonlark—and he has no idea he was even a source of inspiration.  I gathered the sample of his DNA without his permission and conducted all of my research without his knowledge."

Page 348   "Is that what this is, then?" he asked, his voice ominously low.  " 'Tell me who my biological parents are or I won't let you reset my inflicting'?"  Sophie hadn't realized it was until he spelled it out that way.  "Yes," she said quietly.  "That is… unfortunate," he gritted out as he paced back the other way.

Page 354   "Because you're the moonlark?" Keefe asked.  She nodded.  "The entire reason I exist is so I can use my abilities to stop the Neverseen."

Page 420   "I am not your genetic father, Miss Foster.  By any means.  And if you need to verify that I'm telling the truth, ask Councillor Oralie."  Oralie stumbled away from both of them, shaking her head hard enough to tangle some of her ringlets.  "I don't want to be involved in this."  "Neither do I," Bronte noted.  "And yet, here I am."  Oralie's rosy cheeks turned very, very pale.  "If anyone found out…"

Page 423   "Good," Bronte told her, frowning when he glanced at Oralie, who still stood several steps away, her gaze fixed on the horizon.  "Then go inside and get ready.  To play the part, you first need to look the part—isn't that right, Oralie?"  Oralie didn't respond.

Page 434   "I… may not be your biological father, nor have I ever wanted to involve myself in that kind of experiment.  But… if you were my daughter, I'd be very proud."

Page 473   "We did," Sophie said, proud of how steadily she stood.  "I invited him for a different reason."  Her eyes locked with Mr. Forkle's as she added, "I'm ready to let you reset my abilities."

Page 478   "But… the fact that you were always frustrated by how few and far between our notes were should prove how methodical we try to be—how thoroughly we explore all of the options before we choose to involve you."

Page 479   "But the Black Swan has had to operate in the shadows for most of our existence, and our goal has always been to involve as few as possible to avoid detection—plus we're well aware of the danger involved with our assignments and prefer to keep the risks to ourselves."

Page 480   He turned to Sophie, and she was a little surprised by the level of pride radiating from his expression—like a dad whose kid had just hit a game-winning home run.

Page 513   "Given what happened with the Council and the meeting with King Enki, I'm realizing it's time for all of us to aim for a higher level of transparency."  "Said the guy who still won't tell me who my biological parents are," Sophie felt the need to point out.  "Ohhhhhh, she has you there!" Livvy added.  "She does indeed," Mr. Forkle said through a very long sigh.

Page 540   Dex snorted.  "You want Sophie, Fitz, and Keefe to do trust exercises together."  "I think it would be very enlightening," Mr. Forkle agreed.  "Oh, it'll definitely be that," Dex said with a particularly huge grin.  "Can I, uh, be there when you do?" he asked Sophie.

Page 542   …someone was clearing their throat behind them and they turned to find Mr. Forkle standing on the path, watching them.  And he seemed… Nervous.  It almost looked like he wanted to raise a crystal and leap away before any of them could ask why he was there.

Page 545   "Ethan Benedict Wright II, and”—her stomach turned—“ his ten-year-old daughter, Eleanor Olivia Wright, were struck by a bus outside of the British library and killed instantly."

Page 554   "Well… that's… convenient," Fitz said slowly.  "So the accident just happened to take place in one of the rare gaps in the Black Swan's surveillance?  Nobody else thinks that's odd?"  "Oh, I think it's very odd," Mr. Forkle told him.

Page 591   Mr. Forkle grinned.  "Again, such astounding loyalty.  And yet, despite that pressure, I chose to leave the three of you alone to fend for yourselves—and it was also not because I enjoy allowing you to risk your lives more than anyone else standing before you.  Nor did I expect an uneventful evening.  And still, I left you alone because I fear that as these challenges continue to escalate, our enemies are going to target each of you individually.  And the better prepared you are for those moments, the more likely you'll be to survive them."

Page 611   Empaths have a physical reaction when we lie. You have to be reading our pulse to feel it, but it's always there.  Our hearts skip three beats.  One from guilt.  One from fear.  And one like a held breath, waiting to see if someone will catch us.

Page 636   "Also a risk I'm willing to take," Alvar said quietly.  "Because your mom planned everything so carefully—but I knew the moment I met you, you'll never be who she wants you to be.  Remember that, okay?  Consider it my parting gift, since I always liked you more than I liked my actual little brother."

Page 636   "No matter what happens next, you can still be you," Alvar promised Keefe.  "But you're probably going to have to fight a lot harder."

Page 655   "My enhancing's extra strong with Empaths," she warned, "so I don't know if that'll be too distracting." Oralie frowned.  "Only with Empaths?"  "Also with Telepaths," Sophie corrected.  "Any idea why?"  "Not necessarily…" Which wasn't really an answer, but Sophie decided not to point that out either.

Page 662   "Well… it at least explains why your enhancing is so much stronger on Empaths."  "True," Sophie agreed.  "Though my enhancing's also stronger on Telepaths—but that might be because of what Lord Cassius said.  He said the way I use my telepathy reminds him of an Empath," she explained when she saw Oralie's confusion.  "I pick up on emotions with my thoughts, I guess, without having to be in the emotional center."

Page 663   "She said she thinks the Black Swan wouldn't have given me the same abilities as my biological parents because that would make it too easy for people to figure out who they were.  And if she's right… their genetics would probably still affect me in certain ways, you know?  And so many things about me are similar to Empaths, so… maybe that's what one of my parents is."

Page 664   "It kinda makes sense, doesn't it?  Especially if it's an Empath?"  "No," Oralie told her—so firmly and immediately that Sophie should've been disappointed.  But.  But.  She'd… also felt a tiny shift in Oralie's pulse.  Three skipped beats.

Page 664   "So…," Sophie said slowly, wanting to make sure she hadn't imagined the tell, "you don't think one of my biological parents could be an Empath?"  "I honestly haven't given it a lot of thought," Oralie told her, pulling her wrist free.  But before she did, Sophie felt it again.  Three skipped beats.

Page 664   But… Sophie couldn't stop her brain from reminding her that Oralie was an Empath.  A blond Empath.  Who'd always supported the Black Swan.

Page 665   So before she could think it through or change her mind, Sophie lunged forward, grabbing Oralie's wrist as she blurted out, "You're my mother… aren't you?"  And when Oralie said, "No!" there were three more skipped heartbeats.

Page 666   But it turned out that Sophie didn't need it.  Because this time Oralie told her, "Yes."  And there were no missed heartbeats.

Page 667   Her biological mom was an Empath.  Her biological mom was Oralie.  COUNCILLOR Oralie.

Page 670   "Just like you couldn't stand up for Prentice!" Sophie added—and somehow Oralie managed to turn even paler.  A ghost of her pretty pink self.  "I didn't know Prentice was hiding you," she whispered.  "When I found out… I've never been so ill."

Page 670   "Yes, I was told that I could help them create something—"  "Something," Sophie interrupted.  "A wake-up call," Oralie clarified.  "A force for change and good, who would make our world pay attention in a way that no one else ever could.  Make people see things for what they are, not what we thought they were."

Page 670   "No," Oralie said, turning toward one of the windows and staring out at the stars.  "I thought it sounded like the only way I'd ever be able to have a child."

Page 688   "I'm done searching for my biological parents.  And I'm not going to tell anyone what I know, even though it's already messing up my life.  So you can skip the lecture or the pep talk or whatever you were planning.  You're already getting what you want.  I'll be the good little moonlark."

Page 775   And yet, the Black Swan and the Council apparently followed the Tribunal with a rousing speech of their own, standing united before the crowd and claiming the events in Loamnore as a victory—which might have made Sophie throw her bottle of Youth across the Healing Center when Grady first told her.

Page 785   Oralie sighed, her gaze turning distant as she reached out her hand, catching one of the falling blossoms.  "I want so many things, Sophie.  That's always been my problem."

Page 787   "No—this is about trust.  If I show you what's in this cache, I'll be violating some of the most fundamental vows I've made as a Councillor.  And you're the only person I'm willing to take that risk for." Sophie snorted.  "Right, because my very existence violates a ton more vows you made."  Oralie sighed, but admitted, "That too."

Next, I give my thoughts about what some of this might mean.  This part of the post also contains spoilers.

On page 8, Sophie hopes to see "clues to who Mr. Forkle truly was" in his office.  This tells me that even Sophie realizes that Leto is not Forkle's true identity; or rather, we are being told that Leto is not Forkle's true identity.

On page 343, Forkle mentions how he gave Sophie the location of the unmapped stars.  The Councillors are the only elves who know this information, which means that Forkle most likely was a Councillor, almost certainly Kenric.

On page 40, we are reminded that Mr. Forkle said that Sophie's parents didn't know each other and weren't a couple.  But then Sophie reflects that Mr. Forkle might not have been truthful about that.  On page 232, Keefe says that Forkle is a good liar.  Exactly.  Readers who don't see what's really going on have let themselves be misled by Forkle's statements, which of course is what the author intended to have happen.

This human character described on page 78, Ethan Benedict Wright II, fascinates me.  Just that we know his full name is a red flag, because of the possibility of an anagram.  The way Ethan is described is even more important.  Ethan has "wild hair" that is "red" and he has "deep smile lines."  In book 1 in the series, Kenric is described as having "wild red hair" and he loves to grin.  It sounds like Ethan could be Kenric working as a double agent of sorts.

Yes, we are told that Ethan is dead, but then Kenric is dead as well, which I don't buy for a moment.  I tried to find an anagram in Ethan's name.  I'm not sure if I succeeded, but I did come up with a mighty interesting group of words that uses every letter in Ethan's name, including the Roman numerals at the end. 

Ethan Benedict Wright II can be rearranged to form these words exactly with no letters left over: "grin teach tweed inhibit."  Remember that Kenric Elgar Fathdon's name can be rearranged to form these words exactly with no letters left over:  "Forkle grin and teach."

If the anagram that I found for Ethan Benedict Wright II was intentional, then "grin" and "teach" point to Kenric.  "Tweed" points to Ethan, since he was described as wearing a "tweed blazer."  "Inhibit" could mean that he is trying to inhibit Lady Gisela and the Neverseen.

On a later date after I had this post set to publish, I worked on Eleanor Olivia Wright's name some more.  I had previously checked it and had no luck.  With the help of an anagram solver, I began to find some interesting words and names.  I found Tiergan (or granite) and Oralie.  I found wraith, grin, heart, love, tower, olive, and rival.  I was most interested in my discovery that Oralie's name could be pulled out of Eleanor Olivia Wright's name, since Eleanor is female like Oralie.  

It took me one hour to finally come up with a complete phrase from Eleanor Olivia Wright with all letters used exactly once and none left over.  The phrase is "love Oralie with a grin."  I think this is a real anagram and not just a coincidence, so probably the anagram I found for Ethan is real as well.

On page 542, Mr. Forkle arrives to tell Sophie Ethan's name.  He is very nervous, which isn't like him.  He gives an excuse, but it seems off to me.  Is he nervous because he/Kenric is Ethan?

On page 108, I realized that Sophie's human family, Foster, means her human parents are her "foster parents."

On page 193, the author begins dropping fairly obvious hints that Oralie is Sophie's biological mother, with the reveal occurring on page 667.  I am certain that book 9 drops obvious hints about Sophie's biological father, and that reveal will likely occur in book 10.

On page 261, Sophie once again wonders if Kenric could be her father.  She then says, "But Forkle said he's not—and with Kenric being dead… I don't really see why he'd bother lying."  But what if Kenric isn't dead?  What if he's Forkle?  He'd lie about it.

On page 306, Mr. Forkle is amazed about Amy, how strong she is emotionally, and how close she is to Sophie.  I wonder if Amy has some slight elf powers from gestating in a human who had previously carried an elf.  Amy also looks at Sophie's right hand when asking how she is, like Amy knows that something else has happened.  On page 314, Sophie is shocked at Amy's physical strength.

On page 423, Bronte frowns at Oralie as she stares into the distance, apparently freaked out over Sophie thinking that Bronte is her father.  I wonder if Bronte begins to suspect the truth about Oralie's involvement in Project Moonlark at that moment.

On page 655, Sophie points out that her enhancing is particularly strong with Empaths and Telepaths.  The obvious conclusion is that one parent is an Empath and the other a Telepath.  The book is just pages away from revealing that Oralie, an Empath, is Sophie's mother.  This means that her father is almost certainly a Telepath, which points to Kenric.

No comments: