Double Reading Log Week 16-17

Book: Darke
Author: Angie Sage
Pages read: 306 - 373

 Merrin Meredith has an incredibly twisted way of viewing the world. His goal is to take over the entire Castle, particularly the Wizard Tower. He is using Darke Magyk in order to do this, incredibly Darke. People are very nearly dying and experiencing horrors in the Castle because of this, and all because Merrin wants to prove to people that he is not simply the irritating boy that is always swatted away like an annoying fly. For example, the book reads, "'You idiot!' she yelled at him. 'You have no idea what you are messing with, do you?' 'Neither do you, Wizard-face.' Merrin laughed. 'Run away to your twinkly little Tower and take old haddock-brain with you. I don't need her anymore.' ... He had never had such an attentive - such an astonished - audience. It was wonderful. It was what he had always wanted." (Sage 342)  This shows that Merrin was basking in the "glory" of everyone knowing that he was responsible for all the Darkenesse shrouding the Castle. I believe that Merrin feels this way because he used to be apprenticed to DomDaniel, believing he was Septimus Heap, seventh son of a seventh son and therefore incredibly Magykal. But then when he realized he was not as incredibly gifted and Magykal, and wasn't even the actual Septimus Heap, the real Septimus took the only, if incredibly dim, spotlight he had. Since then, everyone had ignored him as a pestering, annoying bug and he wanted to show people how gifted he actually was. So he meddled with the Darke, and this is the result.


Book: Darke
Author: Angie Sage
Pages read: 373 - 430

What will happen once the Darke Domaine reaches the Big Red Door at the end of There and Back Again Row, where everyone lies in wait? What will happen to Beetle stuck in the Sealed Hermetic Chamber in the Manuscriptorium with no way out? I believe that once the Darke Domaine reaches the Big Red Door, behind which everyone - Sarah, Septimus, Jenna, Marcellus, Simon and Lucy - are hiding, that the more fragile, non-Magykal people - such as Jenna, Sarah, and Lucy - will be escorted out of the room, or into a safer place somehow. Most likely on Spit Fyre, who I believe will show up just in the nick of time. I believe this because it says, "Spit Fyre didn't like what was happening to the Castle either; he could smell the Darke, he could feel it coming closer. And then, suddenly, he saw a movement in the shadows. His Pilot's StaySafe kicked in and so, as a group of Things crept up on him in a pincer movement, knives at the reader, Spit Fyre raised his wings and, with one powerful downstroke, he was airborne." (Sage 384). This shows that Spit Fyre is flying somewhere right now at the moment in the story I am at currently, and based on the way the author states it - "he was airborne" - it leaves a mysterious question lurking as to where Spit Fyre is now. And he will most likely end up in the story soon. The rest of the people in the room behind the Big Red Door will show a great display of courage and Magyk in fending off the Darke, enough to escape and begin to devise a plan to banish it completely. I believe that Marcia is in the Wizard Tower, somewhat oblivious to exactly how far the Darke Domaine has gotten. I believe that Beetle will survive, but just barely. It is hard to say that he will find a way to escape the Sealed Chamber, but I believe he will survive the time one way or another. Perhaps he will find another Suspension Charm or something similar to it, or find a way to UnSeal the Ice Tunnels hatch underneath the desk. Whichever way, I believe he will survive.

Book: Darke
Author: Angie Sage
Pages read: 494 - 568

I believe that Marcia is going to perform the Great Undoing of the Darkenesse soon, which will save the Castle from the Darke that Merrin Meredith set about the entire Castle. Everyone who became trapped in the Darke Fog fell into a Darke sleep somewhere between life and death. It is my belief that once Marcia completes the Great Undoing, the entire Castle will be freed from the Darke curse made by Merrin, which will be one of the climaxes of the book. For example, it says in the very beginning of the next chapter, "Marcia was about to put the Paired Code together." (Sage 569) This shows that, because it was the very beginning of the chapter, it is very important to the plot of the story. Once Marcia put the Paired Code together, she would be able to perform the Great Undoing. Also, there was another climax very recently, when Septimus battled Merrin Meredith and his Darke dragon on his own dragon, Spit Fyre. There were several moments when it seemed as if Septimus would lose, but in the end, good prevailed as the Darke dragon sank to the bottom of the lake. This is an important climax reached by the small event of the Darke Domaine being created in the very beginning of the book.

Book: Darke
Author: Angie Sage
Pages read: 567 - 622

This book has finished. The main idea of the last part that I have just completed is that the Great Undoing created everything to become Magykal again, with no trace of Darke, which is extremely good. This can be seen when it says, "And then they saw the most beautiful sight they had ever seen - the Darke Fog rolling away." (Sage 585) This displays that everyone was indescribably relieved to have gotten rid of the Darke. Also, Merrin Meredith will hopefully not be performing any more Darke, though I have a feeling he will be returning in the next book. For instance, it says, "'Come on, dearie.' Nursie linked her arm through Merrin's good one. 'Let's get out of this place. I never did like the Castle. Nasty memories.' 'Me too,' said Merrin. 'It's a dump.' (Sage 601) This shows that Merrin is still the dark, Darke boy with a bad attitude and a dangerous amount of power, though not as much as before. Jenna has finally realized that she is royalty and therefore must be protected, whatever she may believe. This is shown when it says, "She had turned down offers from Silas and Sarah to come with her. This was the way she wanted to return to her Palace - on her own." (Sage 603) This means that Jenna has finally realized that she is the Princess and she is royalty, and although she does not like other people risking their lives for her, she has finally accepted the fact that the Palace is hers and no one will be there to take over if she dies. They need her.

Reading Log Week 15

Book: Inkspell
Author: Cornelia Funke
Pages read: 193 - 246

Fenoglio has such different morals than Meggie it is almost laughable. Fenoglio, author of Inkheart, thinks he is high and mighty, so when he noticed that the story was not going as he had planned it at all, he became determined to change it back to the story he once made. Cosimo the Fair, who was to become the wonderful ruler of Ombra, had died, and Fenoglio was furious. No, not devastated; furious. He was upset things were not going the way he had planned. For example, it says, "'Meggie!' Fenoglio placed his hand on her shoulder. 'You saw the Laughing Prince! He could die any day, and then what?...he's made Firefox, who is a murderer and arsonist, his own herald!' 'Oh yes? And who made him that way? You did!' Meggie angrily pushed away his hand. 'You always did like your villians best.' 'Well, yes, maybe.'" (Funke 243) This displays the mindset of Fenoglio in the sense that he believes that whatever best contributed to the story, whether good or evil, was the best for everyone, no matter how many people it killed. It is my personal opinion that if death is brought upon anyone it is not worth however good the story. This opinion is shared by Meggie, who later says, "'You like making them up!' she said quietly. 'All these monsters.'" (Funke 243) This shows that Meggie shares the same opinion as me, that villians should not exist if it costs even one life, no matter the story.

Book: Inkspell
Author: Cornelia Funke
Pages read: 246 - 302

I believe that Mo will actually be the Bluejay, and once he discovers that he truly is the Bluejay, the robber from the songs that acts like Robin Hood, this will set a large course of events in motion, ending with the Adderhead's death. I believe this because it says, "'No one drives us away, but once they hear the Bluejay is here, that will be over. They'll say we were hiding him.' 'But he isn't this Bluejay! I told you so before.'" (Funke 293) This shows that Resa is still arguing that Mo is not the Bluejay, but the author cleverly uses repitition to foreshadow that Mo could perhaps be the Bluejay. This is why I believe Mo will set in motion a course of events that leads to the happy ending this book is sure to have. The Adderhead's death.

Reading Log Week 14

Book: Warriors-Into the Wild Author: Erin Hunter Pages read: 204 - 272 Multiple perspectives: From Firepaw's point of view, Tigerclaw is the traitor who wants nothing but to seek power. From Bluestar's perspective, he is an extremely loyal deputy who will rise valiantly to any occasion for his Clan. And this is also the perspective shared by the rest of the Clan cats. Firepaw, for example, notices the untrustworthiness in Tigerclaw when it says, "What was it Ravenpaw had said? That Redtail had killed Oakheart? But according to Tigerclaw, Oakheart had killed Redtail and he, Tigerclaw, had killed Oakheart in revenge." (Hunter 147) This shows that Firepaw began suspecting Tigerclaw and putting the puzzle together at a very early start. This quote shows that Tigerclaw might have been lying, and Firepaw never really enjoyed the grumpy Tigerclaw's company, which leads me to believe that Firepaw had good reason to distrust Tigerclaw. As for Bluestar and the rest of the Clan, they thought that Tigerclaw was fiercely loyal to the Clan. This is obvious when it says, "'There was a time, when Tigerclaw was a young warrior, that I feared for the strengh of his passion. Such energy can need careful channeling. But now I am proud to see how much respect the Clan has for him.'" (Hunter 229) This means that Bluestar completely trusts and depends on Tigerclaw, because she has seen him grow up and become more mature, leading her to believe he was trustworthy. Book: Inkspell Author: Cornelia Funke Pages read: 1 - 80 Predictions: I believe that Basta, Farid, and Meggie are all going to be sucked into the Inkworld, and Fenoglio would reenter the story. Also, Mo, possibly Resa, and Elinor would try to follow them into the Inkworld, thus creating more conflicts. I believe that they will all enter the Inkworld because Meggie really want to go, Farid says he needs to go, and Basta would create mor conflict. For example, it says, "where the passage mentioned a boy, in the sentence left unread by Orpheus, Mwggie had added 'and the girl.'" (Hunter 72) This displays that Meggie desperately wants to go to the Inkworld to see all the things her family had described. This leads me to believe that she will go in order to add plot twist.