for bringing back the forum to us 

Ok, I've been rereading and the chapter where Grimm meets Folly and Master Ferus for the first time is full of interesting things. I'll post a few in a separate thread but this one deserves its own one.

I remember in my first reading to have read that in the TAW world there is a moon. I specially noted it because of course no moon or 2 moons would have indicated there is no chance TAW happens on Earth. But in this chapter, Grimm mentions the mural that seems created by a child. It's all colorful and it has many unknown creatures and a moon too big for the sun. I was thinking. Could it mean that the TAW world is another world, but the aetherealists remember/know about our Earth? Or TAW is Earth so many years in the future than the moon is farther away from Earth? Other options, besides "it is not important, it is just a drawing?". For instance, atmospheric changes making the moon look smaller in the TAW present?

Hubby has began reading the book. He is struggling with it because he is irritated for the constant racism against the Aurorans (corrupt, inneficient). As we are Latin Americans and have Spanis inheritage he feels offended when the Spaniards are attacked. I've told him that the book only reflects the English point of view of British against Spain, at least in the Victorian times. So, it's accurate. He feels it is offensive anyway.

I know you are not of Spanish descent, but do you think someone should be offended by a novel written by the point of view of something who hates your country? I actually loved this book but I am wondering if I should have resent its treatment of my people. I am being not patriot enough?

So my question is not about the particulars but about the general idea of "should we be offended when a book speaks poorly of our country, even if it is in the mindset of an enemy country?" What do you think?
I

What are the scenes you liked the most? and the least? I can't decide one for the first but I am sure of the latter.

Like:
The prologue
Gwen with Kettle helping with the cristals.
Grimm watching Bridget carrying Benedict (and Rowl)
Master Ferus being attacked by 3 men.
(and about a hundred more!) 


Don't like
The scenes preceding "Cavendish twitching a finger". Seriously, I understand we needed an excuse to see Cavendish power and why Spira was so wary of her but the excuse itself felt too forced for me. We were told that Aurorans officer are proud of being gentleman with the ladies and here we have a young officer who directly offends the woman who is having tea with his commander. He is being rude even after his commander has told him to leave the room. And he offended a lady, because Cavendish is a not so young woman with fine clothes who is having tea with Spira and protected by custodians. I think his behavior would have been rude in a pirate but was totally out of character in an Auroran officer.
(sorry, I was carried on)

I am very scared too. I don't want to see the Predator destroyed, specially not after we heard her "talk". I am also worried for the Albion sphere itself, as it the home of the characters and their families, but I think my worse fear is for the ship. After what Jim did to the Blue Beetle I don't think anything is safe and Folly's vision terrified me.

I loved the book but I specially wanted to thank you for creating awesome female characters. Gwen, Bridget and Folly are great and Cavendish is a scary villain. The only character I don't like is Ransom. The "evil ex-wife" it a tiresome plot and even when she tried to save Grimm, she fired over the other ships and the shipyard and she caused many, many deaths. So she really deserved something worse than what she got.

I love the humanity in Gwen, Bridget and Folly, they are very different women. And even when Gwen, the petite trigger-happy girl has some reminiscences of Murphy, she never annoyed me as much as Murph in Storm Front and other books. I think Gwen is actually my favorite character (it's difficult, I love most of the characters)

Oh, and Jim, thank you for allowing a balance, the girls are not always the ones in danger, sometimes they are the ones who rescue their male friends. And sometimes, they are rescued by them too. And that is fair. Grimm, Benedict and Master Ferus are awesome too. I also love Bayard, Kettle, Journeyman, even Creedy. And the Spirearch! And I can respect Spira as a foe.

I've seen several threads without spoiler warning, and some of them with spoilers in the title. I tried to tell this in some of them, but it would be good if a mod could do a quick revision.