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.

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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.

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: How a Certain Theory Is Plausible

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.

Previous related post:

The Significance of the Forgotten Secrets

I believe that Forkle is Kenric and that he faked his death in Everblaze.  I have compiled many clues showing that Kenric probably is Forkle (see post).  Most fans dismiss all evidence that Forkle is Kenric.  This is because they cannot reconcile Kenric's love for Oralie with the idea that he could have hurt Oralie by pretending to be dead.  

Forkle himself, as Sir Astin, suggested exactly that.

Neverseen, page 539:  "No."  He cut her off before she could fully form the question.  "Kenric is gone."  "So was Fintan!"  "Yes.  But do you think Kenric would let us mourn his loss?"

Neverseen, page 540:  But Sir Astin was right.  Kenric would never let Oralie suffer.  Just watching her thrash and flail and sob broke Sophie's heart.

I struggled with it myself.  During my first reading of the series, I had decoded the anagram (see post), but I couldn't understand how Kenric would hurt Oralie that way.  Even so, I knew that Kenric must have faked his death.  I just didn't understand why.

Everblaze, page 455:  "Could you betray your own father?"  "I've done far worse," Mr. Forkle whispered.

I interpret Forkle's remark as suggesting that he has done something awful to someone important.  He could very well have been referring to faking his death.  But how could he have hurt Oralie so terribly and not shatter from the guilt?

I don't expect to convince you that Forkle is Kenric.  Rather, my hope is to show you that—if Kenric is Forkle—it is possible that Kenric could have faked his death and had a good reason for doing so.  

I must remind you that Mr. Forkle was originally a pair of identical twin brothers.  They shared their identity and all of their memories, considering themselves to be just one person. 

Nightfall, page 176:  "I was him and he was me.  We only ever had one life, that we shared equally."

I am wholly convinced that Forkle is Kenric, so when I mention either Forkle or Kenric in this post, I refer to both of them interchangeably and as one combined entity.  Anything true about one is true about the other.  Keeping this in the forefront of your mind is key to understanding this post and why Kenric might have faked his death.  

Ironically, I believe Kenric faked his death because of Oralie.  Kenric's motivation has multiple layers which are all tied up in his desire to protect Oralie and give her the best possible chance at future happiness.

We see evidence of Kenric's protective instinct firsthand in Forgotten Secret #3.

Forgotten Secret #3, Stellarlune, page 221:  Kenric argued.  "You have no idea what horrible things come to light during these kinds of investigations—and you'll be affected more than anyone else."  "That doesn't mean I can't handle it."  "It doesn't mean we should risk it either..."  "I'm capable.  And I'm tired of being treated like I'm weak!"  "I don't think you're weak, Oralie.  In fact, I'm fairly certain you're stronger than all of us.  But your ability will always make you more vulnerable to certain things."

Kenric comes across as contradictory here since he tells Oralie that she's strong.  He's admitting that he believes she is quite capable, so it's odd that he has prevented her from taking on difficult investigations.  Kenric simply wants to protect Oralie because he's in love with her.  He can't let anything happen to her. 

And that's exactly why one Forkle is dead.  That Forkle was killed when he allowed himself to be struck by the sword intended for Oralie.  That Forkle reached for Oralie's hand as he closed his eyes for the last time.  Protecting Oralie at any cost was more important than his own life.

Forgotten Secret #3, Stellarlune, page 217:  She leaned closer, placing her hand over his.  "You're a better liar than most.  But I can still tell."

This establishes that Oralie can tell when Kenric is lying.  Later, Kenric's solution is to step away from Oralie when he lies so that she can't detect the lie.  Anytime Kenric steps away from Oralie in the Forgotten Secrets, he is lying.

Forgotten Secret #3, Stellarlune, page 220:  The projection of Kenric took a step back and said, "I know what you're thinking, Oralie... You're much easier to read than you think you are—and you're wrong.  I voted against you because I didn't think we should elect someone who rushed through her assignments..."

Kenric was in love with Oralie, but he was a pair of twins.  The twins' shared identity could never have a relationship with her.  Kenric voted against Oralie becoming a Councillor because the twins initially didn't know how to handle the situation.  Their shared identity found a solution in acting resentful and hostile towards Oralie in order to trick her empathy.

Forgotten Secret #4, Unlocked, page 526:  "You breached his mind?  Why?"  Kenric backed away, resuming his pacing.  "The same reason I always breach someone's mind—but I didn't find the information that I was looking for, in case you're wondering."

Kenric doesn't tell Oralie the real reason that he breached Fintan's mind, which was probably to search for information about Elysian. 

Forgotten Secret #4, Unlocked, page 530:  "There's nothing to know," Oralie swore.  Kenric laughed sadly, stepping back.  "Empaths are terrible liars... That time when you were ill... I stayed by your side the whole night, just to be safe... You'd toss and turn and whisper... something that sounded... a lot like suldreen."

Kenric is lying about how he knows that Oralie is Sophie's mother.  Kenric is Forkle and the architect of Project Moonlark.  Kenric can't tell Oralie that.

Everblaze, page 133:  "I don't have a wife."  His voice had turned thick, his face twisted with emotion—though Sophie doubted even an Empath could translate it.

This is an odd moment for Shannon to include, unless it means something.  Leto, or rather Forkle, is tormented that he doesn't have a wife.  He can't have a wife, because he's a pair of twins who are both in love with the same person.  

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."  "Good.  It'll be easier to protect you that way."  "I don't need your protection!"   "Yes, you do.  And you'll have it.  I'll be right here by your side, even if I have to pretend that things between us are strictly professional."

Here, Kenric promises to protect Oralie.  He touches her as he speaks, so he is telling the truth.  The remark about Kenric staying by Oralie's side is true as well.  He's just not telling her that he might have to leave the Council at some point. 

If Kenric had stayed on the Council, Oralie might have begun to suspect something.  In order to keep Oralie separate, Kenric had to disappear.

Sophie was no doubt a constant subject of discussion on the Council once she arrived in the Lost Cities.  Kenric would have had trouble navigating those discussions as a Councillor without Oralie suspecting the truth.  He would have had to make sure he wasn't in close proximity to her to avoid lies being detected.

Kenric could not risk Oralie finding out about his involvement.  He made sure that Oralie was kept separate by leaving the Council so that she wouldn't guess that he was in the Black Swan.  By doing that, he protected her.  

Before I get to the second reason why Kenric faked his death, I must review more of the Forgotten Secrets.

Forgotten Secret #3, Stellarlune, page 217:  "Clarette told me during dinner that you were the lone holdout vote during my election—which you would've heard if you'd stayed past the first course tonight..."  "No, my stomach wasn't feeling well, and I assumed you wouldn't appreciate it if I vomited during your fancy dinner."  "Yet you seem perfectly fine now."  "Because I hailed Elwin! ..."  She leaned closer, placing her hand over his.  "You're a better liar than most.  But I can still tell."

Kenric gives a flimsy explanation for disappearing during the first dinner course.  Oralie calls him out on the lie.  Kenric probably left the dinner to switch with his twin.  Since the twins shared all of their identities equally, they must have switched places at least once each day.  Their identities must have disappeared at strange moments.

Forgotten Secret #6, Stellarlune, page 265:  The scene shifted as they leaped back to Oralie's sparkly castle and Kenric led her to one of the armchairs... "That must be the visitor I can't remember," the real Oralie said when someone knocked on her door a few minutes later... But when the figure strode into the room, their face was a blur... "Why can't we see who it is?"  "I think they're wearing an addler," Dex told her.  The real Oralie groaned.  "You're probably right.  Which means it must be the Washer Kenric called to make sure I wouldn't remember any of this."

Throughout the Forgotten Secrets, Kenric is highly secretive about Elysian.  Kenric and Oralie had just been to Elysian.  Kenric had said that he would be destroying the crystal they used after they got back to Eternalia.  He couldn't risk a Washer learning something when the memory was washed.  The only Washer Kenric would have trusted was his own identical twin brother.  Kenric's twin was the Washer, and he was wearing an addler because he likely was in the guise of either Leto or Astin.  

The Forgotten Secrets are Shannon's way of revealing the truth about Kenric and the genesis of Project Moonlark.  Kenric even recruits Prentice as the Black Swan's Keeper in Forgotten Secret #5.  Kenric just doesn't tell Prentice in what capacity he will be Keeper.

Let's get into the second reason why Kenric faked his death.

Kenric faked his death in order to set Oralie free and give her a chance at future happiness with some other elf. 

I mentioned early in this post that you should keep in mind that Kenric/Forkle is a pair of twins living a shared life.  Think about what that means.  Kenric was in love with Oralie.  Kenric could never be with Oralie because he was a pair of twins who were sharing their identity.  They could not reveal the truth because of the consequences.  They'd be banished or exiled, and they would lose everything.  

Even if the twins weren't banished or exiled, neither could be with Oralie.  How could they decide which one?  The situation would end up being disastrous and a burden to Oralie.  

The twins had to keep their secret.  They felt that they needed to leave the Council to protect Oralie.  Resigning was a possibility, but what if Oralie had resigned as well?  They would have had to reject Oralie.  Nothing good would come of it.

I suspect that most of you still don't see it.  Let's try this.

Here is my idea of how part of a conversation between Kenric and Oralie might go after Oralie learns the truth.  

Oralie sobbed, "How could you have hurt me like that?"

Tears came to Kenric's eyes.  "There were two of me.  Neither of us could ever be with you.  It was an impossible situation...  We were utterly heartbroken that a future with you could never be.  We thought that if our shared identity died that someday you might find someone else—"

"Kenric, I could never!"

"Ora, I know."  Kenric's voice trembled, and his eyes watered.  "I know," Kenric whispered.  "But we just wanted you to have a chance at happiness.  You are such a special person... you deserve to be in a loving relationship.  We wanted you to have that possibility.  We thought that someday... someone special might come along..."

Oralie frowned.  "Were you never coming back?"

"We considered that.  We planned to continue with our other identities.  We also thought that after enough time passed that Kenric could reappear.  You would have been angry enough to cut ties, and that would have solved the problem.  We would not have burdened you with the truth."

Kenric sighed deeply.  "We never expected one of us would actually die.  The irony is that our decision hurt the one person most dear to us—the person we wanted to protect.  I now must live with the knowledge that you may never forgive me for what we did."

That's my idea of how a portion of a reunion conversation might play out.

Before I close, I want to address another sticking point.  Fans have stated that if Kenric is Forkle that surely Oralie would have sensed Kenric's love when she was near Forkle.  For most scenes, we simply don't know if Forkle was close enough to Oralie for her to use her empathy.

There are two scenes where Oralie and Forkle touch hands, and it's both Forkles but at different times.

The Forkle death scene is the first instance where Oralie and Forkle's hands touch.  Oralie should have been able to detect Forkle's feelings.  However, she was trying to keep Forkle from bleeding out, so she was a bit distracted.  It's quite likely she was too upset to use her empathy.  Additionally, I doubt that the dying Forkle was thinking very clearly.

The other instance is when Oralie asks the living Forkle if he can forgive her.  That Forkle also takes Oralie's hand.  Oralie was trembling and quite upset about what had happened.  She also may have been too distracted in that moment, as well.

I don't see it as a problem.

Hopefully, you've made it this far.  I've been told that my posts are too long or that I'm pulling some kind of trick.  I don't know how else how to explain my observations.  The Keeper series is very complicated and voluminous, much more so than you would expect of a middle-grade series.  That is the crux of the problem.  

Most people don't believe that Forkle is Kenric, but I am practically certain.  Eventually, it will come out.  I am not bothered that most people don't see it.  

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 Significance of the Forgotten Secrets

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 Forkle is Kenric (see post), which means that the Forgotten Secrets are Forkle's secrets.  The Forgotten Secrets are Shannon's way of revealing that Forkle is Kenric and that Kenric is Sophie's father.  When I first read through the Forgotten Secrets, I already believed that Forkle is Kenric.  Even so, I still had to read each Forgotten Secret multiple times to discover the hidden meaning.  

This is what Sophie and readers know before the Forgotten Secrets are revealed:

1.  The ancient Councillors knew about the ogre plague.

2.  Tiergan said that Mr. Forkle alone knows who Sophie's parents are (Nightfall, page 170).  Not counting Sophie's later knowledge, just three people knew the identities of one or both of Sophie's parents:  Mr. Forkle, Oralie, and Sophie's father.

3.  Oralie is Sophie's mother.

4.  Sophie shares an odd trait with her mother, Oralie.  Both of them pull out eyelashes.

5.  Prentice was the Keeper of the Black Swan.

6.  Forkle is a Washer and knows how to implant memories.

If we keep in mind what we already know as we read through the Forgotten Secrets, then we can draw certain conclusions.

Sophie is so fixated on Elysian that she fails to make the connections.  Since Sophie says that the Forgotten Secrets are pointless, many fans feel the same way (see post).

I've written about the Forgotten Secrets and what I think they reveal, but I want to take a slightly different approach.  What is the primary purpose for each secret?  What does Shannon want us to learn?

Forgotten Secret #1:  Bronte and Kenric dealing with a dead gnome (see post)

This secret is the only one that someone other than Kenric saved to his cache.  The biggest reveal from this secret is that Kenric counts the seconds like Sophie does.  

We already were aware that Bronte knew about the ogres and the plague (Neverseen, page 527).  Bronte might have known other ancient secrets, like the truth about Elysian.  The information might be in his cache.

Key takeaway: Kenric counts the seconds, which means that he and Sophie share an odd habit.  Bronte might have information about Elysian.  

Forgotten Secret #2:  The Matchmaker Memory (see post)

Behnam Aria reveals that Oralie received all five of her match lists.  Kenric apparently never registered for the match.  Aria provides the match lists for Kenric and Oralie, showing that they are number one matches.  

Key takeaway:  Kenric and Oralie are number one matches.

Forgotten Secret #3:  Kenric and Oralie in Kenric's readying room (see post)

This secret reveals that Kenric voted three times to keep Oralie off the Council.  He and Oralie did not get along at all.  Kenric implies that she's wrong to criticize his taste in everything, which suggests that he might like her but hides it with hostility.  

Kenric left Oralie's first-year dinner, reappearing later.  Oralie takes it as a personal affront, and Kenric lies about why he left the dinner.  

Oralie complains that Kenric keeps her from being assigned difficult tasks.

Key takeaways:  Kenric disappears at strange times and lies about why.  Kenric protects Oralie because he probably loves her, but he acts abrasive to keep her from sensing his feelings. 

Forgotten Secret #4:  Kenric and Oralie with Fintan (see post)

Noxflares are mentioned for the first time and are said to be fire resistant.  

Sophie has a moment of insight when she wonders if Fintan is being evasive (Stellarlune, page 231).

We learn that Fintan served as Councillor during the same time that Fallon did.

The portion of the memory from inside Fintan's mind was shattered before being placed in Kenric's cache.

Key takeaways:  The presence of noxflares means that either Fintan knows something about Elysian, or the information is in his cache.  Kenric is so secretive about what he learned in Fintan's mind that he shattered that portion before placing it in his cache.  

Forgotten Secret #4 Kenric and Oralie at night (see post)

We learn that Kenric is a Washer.  Kenric says that he might someday leave the Council.  He admits that he knows that Oralie is Sophie's mother.

Key takeaways:  Kenric is a Washer.  Kenric knows that Oralie is Sophie's mother.  Kenric has considered resigning as Councillor.

Forgotten Secret #5:  Kenric and Prentice (see post)

Kenric asks Prentice to be his personal Keeper.  He tells Prentice that he would implant the secrets in Prentice's mind and that the secrets would have trigger words which would allow Kenric to know when they were needed.  

Key takeaways:  Kenric recruits Prentice to be his personal Keeper.  Kenric can implant memories using trigger words.  

Forgotten Secret #6:  Oralie and Kenric in Elysian (see post)

Kenric mentions "whispering rapids" and "butterflies kissed with red."  Oralie mentions places that can mess with one's senses.

Kenric has Oralie's memory washed.  The Washer arrives wearing an addler.

Key takeaways:  We learn some of Kenric's clues, "whispering rapids" and "butterflies kissed with red."  Kenric calls a Washer who wears an addler so that Oralie won't recognize him.

Forgotten Secret #7: Map of Elysian (see post)

This secret is a map presumably of Elysian (her location).

Key takeaway:  Kenric had a map of Elysian, and this secret triggers Sophie's memory of a similar map hidden in her mind by Forkle.

Now let's put it all together, comparing what we knew to what we learned in the Forgotten Secrets.

1.  The ancient Councillors knew about the ogre plague.

Forgotten Secret #1 reveals that Bronte also knew and hadn't said anything about it.  

Conclusion:  Bronte might know other secrets from ancient times, such as information about Elysian.  The information could be in his cache.

2.  Tiergan said that Mr. Forkle alone knows who Sophie's parents are (Nightfall, page 170).  Not counting Sophie, just three people know the identities of one or both of Sophie's parents:  Mr. Forkle, Oralie, and Sophie's father.

Forgotten Secret #4 reveals that Kenric also knew.  A secret known only to Forkle and to Sophie's parents is also known by Kenric.  This implies that Kenric is Sophie's father.  The suldreen explanation is likely a lie, since Kenric steps away from Oralie before he reveals it.  

Conclusion:  Kenric could be Sophie's father.

3.  Oralie is Sophie's mother.

Forgotten Secret #2 reveals the match lists for Kenric and Oralie, showing that they are number one matches.  Kenric gives a flimsy excuse about his need to "move on" to explain his request.  Kenric's stated reason makes no sense.

Conclusion:  Kenric was likely involved in Project Moonlark as the male DNA donor.  He needed to confirm his number one match so that she could be recruited.  This indicates that Kenric is likely Sophie's father.

4.  Sophie shares an odd trait with her mother, Oralie.  Both of them pull out eyelashes.

In Forgotten Secret #1, Kenric counts 300 seconds as he waits for Bronte to speak.  The only other character who counts seconds is Sophie.  One other character mentions counting the seconds, and that is Forkle (Lodestar, page 474).  

Conclusion:  Kenric is probably Sophie's father, since he shares an odd trait with Sophie.  Kenric might be Forkle since Forkle mentions counting the seconds. 

5.  Prentice was the Keeper of the Black Swan. 

In Forgotten Secret #5, Kenric asks Prentice to be his personal Keeper, and Prentice must have accepted, since Sophie sees a memory in Prentice's mind that mentions the Elysian butterflies (Exile, page 239).  By a strange coincidence, Prentice also becomes the Keeper of the Black Swan.  This means that Prentice became both Kenric's Keeper and the Keeper of the Black Swan.

Conclusion:  Kenric was likely recruiting Prentice to be the Keeper of the Black Swan, and Prentice accepted.  Kenric is probably Mr. Forkle. 

6.  Forkle is a Washer and knows how to implant memories.

In another strange coincidence, both Kenric and Forkle are Washers and know how to implant memories.  Implanting is said to be a very rare skill that only a few people can achieve (Everblaze, page 377).  

Kenric is the likely male DNA donor for Project Moonlark.  He recruited Prentice to be his Keeper around the time that Prentice became the Keeper of the Black Swan.  Kenric is a Washer just like Forkle.  Kenric can implant memories just like Forkle.  Kenric had a map of Elysian, and Forkle implanted a map of Elysian in Sophie's brain.  All of these taken together lead us towards the conclusion that Kenric is Forkle.

Also, the name "Kenric Elgar Fathdon" rearranges to form the phrase "Forkle grin and teach" with all letters used exactly once.  Shannon is fond of anagrams, and fans have found some obvious ones (Granite/Tiergan and Kerlof/Forkle).  Shannon wrote a passage in which the characters mention anagrams (Nightfall, page 612).  The Kenric/Forkle anagram is the smoking gun. 

While we don't know for certain that Kenric is Forkle, we have compelling circumstantial evidence.  But there is still one problem with all of this:  It seems impossible that Kenric would have purposefully faked his death and caused Oralie so much pain.  I'll tackle that next (see post).

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

Keeper of the Lost Cities Summaries, Reviews, and Theories

Many Books Listed on eBay and Etsy + Current eBay Auctions

I have listed many books on both eBay and Etsy.

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

I have a few eBay auctions for special items.

I chose auctions for these items to give more than one person a chance at them.  Any auction listings that do not sell will be converted to fixed-price listings.

I will list more books in the next few days.

Current Value of the Applewood Edition Nancy Drew Books

I recently posted on Facebook (see post here) about an overpriced eBay listing for Nancy Drew #1, The Secret of the Old Clock, and the listing actually sold.  Since I did not want the comments on my post to be just people bashing the seller for listing at such a high price, I added this comment: 

NOTE: The seller did nothing wrong.  DO NOT criticize them.  Sellers have a right to price their books however high they want.  It's not fraud.  This seller made no claim about the book's value or printing status.  The seller said this:  "Acceptable condition. This book has been read several times, is showing signs of advanced age, and the dust jacket is worn and badly torn."

As I expected, there were still some comments about the seller being wrong to price the book that high.

I have been selling books online for nearly 30 years.  I find it truly impossible to price books fairly in all situations.  Every seller prices wrong at times, and it's unfortunate that some people are so judgmental.  Pricing books in a way that is fair to both buyer and seller is difficult.

I had two-thirds of a set of Applewood edition Nancy Drew books in very nice shape to list.  I needed to decide whether to go with eBay or Etsy and how to price each book.  It's not easy.  I want to get a good price for myself, but I don't want to overprice them.

I went into eBay's Terapeak to see the highest prices paid for the Applewood editions in the last three years.  For the earliest titles, I ignored results for the first printings.  Beginning around #7, I went with highest overall.  I made that decision since my copies of the earliest titles are not first printings.  

I made note of the highest prices for each title, based on the above criteria.  I wanted to know the highest price so that I had the upper boundary for the value range.  The lower boundary is useless.  I try to list my books somewhere between 50% and 75% of the highest price, depending upon condition.

#1 Old Clock - $19.99
#2 Hidden Staircase - $18.00
#3 Bungalow Mystery - $19.99
#4 Lilac Inn - $24.95
#5 Shadow Ranch - $20.00
#6 Red Gate Farm - $19.99

#7 Diary - $41.95
#8 Letter - $59.95
#9 Twisted Candles - $29.99
#10 Larkspur Lane - $40.00
#11 Broken Locket - $44.99

#12 Hollow Oak - $59.99
#13 Ivory Charm - $54.99
#14 Whispering Statue - $50.00

#15 Haunted Bridge - $157.49, $66.99
#16 Tapping Heels - $84.99
#17 Brass Bound Trunk - $79.99
#18 Moss-Covered Mansion - $89.99

#19 Missing Map - $134.32, $114.99
#20 Jewel Box - $114.99, $110.24
#21 Old Attic - $142.95, $115.00

I felt that the highest sold price for #15 Haunted Bridge was an outlier, so I also noted the second-highest price which was more in line with the prices for the other books.  I also listed the top two prices for the last three titles since sometimes buyers and sellers overvalue the final books in the set.

I noticed that Twisted Candles sells for lower prices than the surrounding titles.  It could be that more copies were printed.

I inserted line breaks in the list to indicate where I feel that the overall scarcity increases.  There are approximately five levels of scarcity for the Applewood editions.

#1-6 very easy to find
#7-11 usually easy to find
#12-14 a little harder to find
#15-18 moderately difficult to find
#19-21 hard to find

But still, it's not that hard to find any of them at a reasonable price if you are patient.  The books are out there.  If you're looking to build a set quickly or want to acquire any book in the set immediately on any given day, you must expect to pay more on average for the higher-numbered titles.

I decided to list my books on Etsy.  I looked at sold prices on eBay for the last 90 days as I prepared to list each book.  When I create a listing on Etsy, I copy my new listings from my own sold listings, which are still available to me in my account.  I had my own sold prices to guide me as well.  These are the prices I went with for the books I listed:

#4 Lilac Inn - $14.99
#5 Shadow Ranch - $14.99
#6 Red Gate Farm - $14.99
#10 Larkspur Lane - $24.99
#12 Hollow Oak - $24.99
#13 Ivory Charm - $37.99
#14 Whispering Statue - $37.99
#15 Haunted Bridge - $49.99
#16 Tapping Heels - $59.99
#17 Brass Bound Trunk - $59.99
#18 Moss-Covered Mansion - $79.99
#19 Missing Map - $99.95
#20 Jewel Box - $99.95
#21 Old Attic - $99.95

I priced #13 and #14 at $37.99 to split the difference on the postage amount.  $34.99 would not qualify for the free shipping promotion, but I didn't want to price the books at $35 and trigger the free shipping promotion.  I also didn't want to price the books at $39.99 to where the buyer would get free shipping—but not really due to the higher price.  I went with a compromise so that both the buyer and I benefit partially.  There is a lot to consider when pricing books. 

My goal is to price the books somewhere in the middle—not too high and not too low.  As I mentioned earlier in the post, I want to price the books fairly for both the buyer and for me.  Sometimes I am wrong and let a book go for too low of a price.  Other times, I price a book too high and then gradually lower the price until it finds a buyer.  I do the best I can, and I don't stress over the mistakes.  It's always a bit of a guessing game, and I don't spend a lot of time thinking about it.  I go with my gut.

Public Domain Day 2026: Enter Nancy Drew

The original text versions of the first four Nancy Drew books enter the public domain today. 

1.  The Secret of the Old Clock, 1930
2.  The Hidden Staircase, 1930
3.  The Bungalow Mystery, 1930
4.  The Mystery at Lilac Inn, 1930

The first four Nancy Drew books in first printing copies from 1930

The entry of the first four Nancy Drew books into the public domain means that anyone can reprint the original versions of those books.  No one needs permission, and they won't have to pay licensing fees—so long as only the first four Nancy Drew books in the original text version are used.  Derivative works based solely upon the first four Nancy Drew books can also be created.

Certainly, some rogue publishers will reprint Nancy Drew books not already in the public domain or will create new stories that use components of Nancy Drew that remain under copyright.  There is no way of preventing this from happening.  All we can hope is that Simon & Schuster remains vigilant.  I am certain that they are interested in protecting their trademark of Nancy Drew.  I don't know how aggressive they are about searching for infringing content, but I believe they do issue takedown orders when they are made aware of infringing items.

Last year, I saw these AI-produced "Nancy Drew" books on Amazon.

The books were very short, barely enough to be considered books.  I could tell from the Kindle previews that the books had been created by AI.  The listings have since been removed, but I took a screen capture of the first page of one of the books.  Here it is.  (Click on the image in order to see it better.)

It reads well enough, but it is generic AI content that is not worthy of purchase.  Even though these books have been removed, others will show up in the future.  It will never end.  

This is why Nancy Drew books entering the public domain is not of great concern, in my opinion.  With AI, people have already been infringing.  The only change is that many people will now reprint the first four books, but buyers must decide whether the books are worth purchasing.  

In my case, I will not purchase any modern reprints of the first four books, unless they are very special.  I understand that leather-bound editions are to be released later this year.  I will almost certainly purchase those, but I will ignore nearly all other reprints.  

Low-effort reprints of series books have been available for many years.  The Mystery of the Fire Dragon has been in the public domain for years due to a failure to renew the copyright.  That's why this low-effort reprint exists:

Whenever it pops up on eBay, I ignore it, just like I ignore all the flashlight editions.  I plan to ignore all the new reprints as well.

Another twist is that slasher or adult movies based on Nancy Drew could be made.  

From Public Domain Day 2026 Is Coming: Here's What to Know:

[I]t's an especially strong year for female detectives—both young and old.  The earliest Nancy Drew mysteries from 1930 hit the U.S. public domain on January 1, 2026, as does the first outing of the genteel Miss Marple in Agatha Christie's The Murder at the Vicarage.  Maybe they can team up to solve the mystery of why Hollywood is only interested in using public domain characters to make schlocky horror films.

Indeed.  In 2023, the horror film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey was released.  Something similar could happen to Nancy Drew, although there are restrictions since the derivative works must be based solely upon the first four original text Nancy Drew books.  

Also from Public Domain Day 2026 Is Coming: Here's What to Know:

In a case involving the now-public domain Sherlock Holmes, the court in Klinger v. Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd. clarified that a copyrighted character begins to fall into the public domain when the first published story featuring that character enters the public domain.  Once that happens, "story elements—including characters covered by the expired copyright—become fair game for follow-on authors."  But copyrightable aspects of a character's evolution that appear in later, still-protected works may remain off-limits until those later works themselves expire.

Bess, George, Ned, Burt, and Dave remain fully protected under copyright—for now.  But 16-year-old Nancy Drew, Helen Corning, Carson Drew, Hannah Gruen, and other characters from the first four original texts can now appear in derivative works.

It's fitting that Helen Corning is the first of Nancy's friends to be tossed into the public domain.  Now, don't misunderstand.  I have always liked Helen Corning and have always wished she were in more books.  But...

Helen Corning was abruptly cast aside and forgotten after Edward Stratemeyer passed away.  The Nancy Drew series changed its trajectory beginning with The Secret at Shadow Ranch when Bess and George replaced Helen.  Since Helen was cast aside in 1931, it is somehow fitting that she is the first of Nancy's friends to be flung into the public domain.  Perhaps some new derivative stories will give Helen the attention that she deserves. 

Just hopefully they won't be horror stories with Helen turned into an axe murderer.

In closing, I must state that I am strongly in favor of past works entering the public domain.  We want the works to be available to future generations.  Many of the old series books are so scarce that they are about impossible to find.  Those books need to be in the public domain so that they can be made available in digital format.  

We are now exactly five years out from the entry of the book Beverly Gray at the World's Fair into the public domain.  That will occur on January 1, 2031.  That day can't come soon enough, because fans of World's Fair are rapidly aging out.  It's a shame that the book is so hard to find and pricey, since it's an important book in the Beverly Gray series.

For more information from Jennifer Fisher and James Keeline, please read these posts.  Both posts contain information about some exciting 2026 new releases.  

Nancy Drew & The Case of the Missing Copyrights

Happy Public Domain Day, 2026