I posted a small snippet on Twitter and got a really varying guesses as to who the speaker is. So here is a snippet and a poll to go with it. If the majority of people guess correctly, the mysterious speaker will be confirmed on Friday.
“Did I stutter, Sharrim? Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?”
“Yes.”
“Repeat back to me what I said.”
“You said not to go,” I intoned.
“And what did you do?”
“I went.”
“So you deliberately disobeyed me.”
“Yep.”
Loading ...PS. There is a clue in Magic Binds.
Love this discussion! I originally voted for Erra based on prior knowledge, but after the clue of looking in Magic Binds, I think it’s actually Roland. Too late to switch the vote now! Sneaky sneaky Authorlords!!!
I originally voted for Nick because of the “give ’em hell, Sharrim” part in MAGIC BINDS, but after re-reading I think it’s actually Roland, too. When she is in Mishmar and he arrives, it’s almost the same thing that he says, but not in all caps this time.
I wonder how many of us went back and re-read last night to see if we were right? And I hope our gracious Authorlords take pity on us and confirm the identity regardless ~
I voted Roland. Then I read the comments and went … hmmm… never thought about it being Nick.
I was debating myself between Erra and Roland.
I love the comments. Some of you guys could be lawyers.. you make good arguments.
Thanks Author Lords.
Ok. It has to be Erra, Roland or Nick.
Roland calls her daughter, or blossom.
Erra calls her niece, ,sharratum and often idiot.
Nick does call her sharrim. And he could be the one channeling Chris Rock.
Darn it. I was sure it was Erra.
Couldn’t have been Roland. When he wants to enforce things, he calls her daughter. Erra or Nick we’re the only two others who would even consider giving her an order, but Erra would call her an idiot or a fool for disobeying, not act as if she EXPECTED to be obeyed. Only Nick is that special kind of asshole.
On the other hand, if there hadn’t been a list of options to consider, I’d probably have guessed something stupid, like Adora. I just knew it couldn’t have been Roland.
Right. I ruled out Roland. Deliberately disobeyed has Erra written all over it. But “are you hearing the words coming out of my mouth” is a contemporary reference which made me doubt myself and consider Nick.
I bet Ilona didn’t have fun at the dentist and decided that we needed to be brought into her world of pain.
Chris Tucker:/
I would’ve thought Barnabas, but he isn’t even an option.
That said, given the combination of both familiarity, seeming obescience and condescension all wrapped in the same tone I’m going with Ghastek.
Haven’t got the space in my head at the moment to think back through the interactions in the previous books. If I get around to doing a re-read before your reveal and want to change my vote I’ll come back 🙂
Ghastek was my first thought!
Mine too!
Ghastek does NOT give orders to Kate.
I thought it was Roland talking about Kate going to MishMar. I didn’t say Erra because Erra really didn’t speak to Kate until after Kate brought her back from MishMar. But as always, I could be completely wrong 😉
My thoughts, too.
Who else tells Kate what to do? Not Nick, not Ghastek, only Roland, Erra, or Curran.
i think the word sharrim is also a big clue. The pack normally doesn’t call her that, only to mock her. I think it has to be either ghastek or nick. Erra would be more aggressive and or bitchy 😉 (i love that about her :D). Roland calls her blossom or daughter. Adora is still to polite to word the sentence that way, i think. tricky tricky… 😉 lets hope my vote for ghastek is right.
Aaah, but as of previous books Adora has only just had her obedient world view shattered and is coming to appreciate how she really feels about the world around her on her own terms, not on what she is told to perceive – so I can see her still being in the habit of calling Kate sharrim, but also perhaps starting to express her own confidence, especially if she feels Kate might be disrespecting her experience and advice.
But yeah, it just doesn’t feel like Adora.
==================
a) Uses Sharrim
b) Feels comfortable giving Kate directions.
c) Gets upset when Kate doesn’t follow those directions.
d) Is powerful enough, and familiar to Kate enough, to express anger when Kate disobeys (but in doing so still uses Sharrim)
Really, if it wasn’t for a) I’d think it was Curran – a) is really the only reason I thought it might be Barnabas, or Ghastek.
It’s not the use of ‘Sharrim’ but ‘disboyed me’ which has me piqued. Not a lot of people who can talk to Kate that way, or rather whom she would allow to talk to her that way…
“And then he had the audacity to tell me that this is what happens to the people that disobey him. Disobey. Like I’m one of his flunkies…” Kate didn’t like Roland using the word in Magic Binds, but he’s not going to stop all of a sudden. Damn, I should have voted for Roland.
Sure Roland could have expressed himself like that (but I think they’re passed that level/degree of tone in their communications) … but would Kate have responded in an ‘intoned’ way?
There’s also the issue of balance of power.
Kate can allow her flunkies/friends/advisors to interact with her in this way because everyone of them now knows who and what she is, and that she is the biggest badass in the room. Kate loses nothing by allowing some degree of emotional expression from that set of people without lashing out herself, but gains everything, as she keeps herself from becoming too aloof with those she needs to keep close. Everyone still knows she is boss.
In her interactions with Roland however? She can’t allow him to take one iota of tonal authority. He already pushes at her borders, interferes with her citizens, makes degrading comments on her capability to provide for her wedding guests. If she gives him one inch he will never let her take it back.
Hmmm. I’ve just talked myself into thinking it might be Erra.
But Kate also takes her time with setting people straight. She does it right, not right away. She’s let people dig their holes before and only then told them exactly what she thinks about their attitude. Joke’s on me because I voted wrong before reading the passage and deciding it must be Roland after all 😀
Oh no, now I have to re-read Magic Binds in its entirety! There goes my weekend. What a tragic development. 😉
I think the key words here are disobey and Sharrim, which mean of the king. Anyone who knows Kate would understand that ordering her to do something is counter productive. Also, after the break with Roland, Ghastek would not reference him in connection to Kate, because as her Legatus he wants her power to be separate from her father’s. In fact among this list the only person who still wants her associated with Roland, is Nick, because it justifies his rage at her. Otherwise he would have to see they are on the same side and that he is judging her too harshly for the actions of others, rather than on her own merits.
I see your point.
This a a compelling argument. I’ve voted but I must now reflect and re-think. I had voted for Ghastek.
Okay, my vote was for Ghastek but your argument is very compelling. Darn it, I’m so confused. lol
This is so hard! I’m voting Roland. The only time he calls her sharrim is when he shouts at her over Mishamar.
Please please pretty please tell us anyway? I thought Nick (since he calls her Sharrim a couple of times) and there could be a situation where she has agreed to follow his orders and the tone is just wrong for all the other suggestions. And Ghastek? No way can I see kate agreeing to obeying him?
Aaahhh, the agony of indecision!!!! ? I absolutely LOVE it when you torture us so exquisitely like this! I feel like my brain is going to explode through the top of my head any moment now. ? Kaboom!! Yep, there it went.
The overall sound and feel of the exchange just made me instinctively think of either Jim or Ghastek (actually made me think Barrabas first but he wasn’t one of the choices). I could reason around and make justifications for Curran, Roland, and Erra as well (depending on the context).
I looked at the results after I voted, and where they stand now I don’t think we have a majority voting correctly (of course I am probably wrong as I so often am!). If we don’t, would you give us another clue and let us have at it again?! Purty purty please with extra chocolate sauce on top? It is just too much fun!!
I hope the dentist went well, that your cold is better (or that you are at least feeling a bit better), and that things in general do not seem as dreary.
You are a mischievious imp with this challenge, and I hope you get as much a kick out of this as we have.
Thank you for the snippet and for taking the time to do it when you have so much else on your shoulders. I am currently rereading the Innkeeper series for the umpteenth time, but now I will have to hurry up and finish it so I can reread the Kate series (also for the umpteenth time). I said it before and I will say it again – You are an evil genius!! Muahaha, muahaha! (Add rubbing of hands together and a twinkle in the eye – or maybe you are more of a sit there and stroke the cat kind instead of gleefully rubbing your hands together.) ?
I voted Jim too, based on the familiarity Kate’s jupp denotes combined with the lunacy of thinking whoever has the right to order Kate to do anything.
I agree Kate would probably only allow someone she is friendly with to get away with the disrespect, and Jim is the delusional enough to think his position as pack leader gives him any power over her. And in the past she has let him get away with stuff because of her bonds to the pack. But it is that, allowance. After Jim let her down as a friend she might be doing it mostly for Curran (Jim is his friend) and her other friends though. Keeping the family peace so to speak. And Jim is both manipulative and dominant enough to take advantage.
So I can totally see him ordering her around. And her just ignoring the order rather than immediately confronting him. And Jim then using the title, not as a title, but as a reminder of his distrust, because he knows her enough to know that his good opinion used to matter, and he’s manipulative. But not sensitive enough to have realised he’s burnt some of the closeness bridges with her, and she’s just pretending they’re still cool because of her hubby’s feelings…
Soo…its Friday where I am, is it Friday where you are ? Did the majority of us guess correctly??
My year-end vacation/office closing starts at 2 pm mt….starting a reread of the entire Kate Daniels books. This series is one of my favorites and often reread. Happy Holidays all! And yeah, Kate is defying her Pop’s.
A fun challenge. I’m voting for Erra, but will re-read the book this weekend. And may I point out that in spite of the “Everything is Bad” blog you have not only survived it, you have rebounded excellently. Miserable damned cold. Lemon and honey – a life saver. Good luck on the move.
Like some others, I think the two key words here are “Sharrim” and “disobey”. While there are others who call Kate Sharrim, I figure only Erra, Roland, or Nick have the arrogance to assume the right to expect obedience from Kate. Because there’s a reference to this in Magic Binds, I can only guess that it’s Roland talking about Kate going to Mishmar. Even if Roland has never called her Sharrim before, I can see him doing so.
So I voted for Erra. Partly because she has the arrogance & standing to use Sharrim while expecting obedience and the ignorance to think Kate would care. Mostly though I want to see Erra absorbing pop culture and quoting Chris Rock (or Jackie Chan). Brilliant! Erra watching Game of a Thrones… can you imagine?!?
Okay. I guessed Rowena. For the simple fact Roland calls her daughter and Blossom. Ghastek calls her Kate. Nick doesnt necessarily call her anything. I mean he hardly acknowledges her. If he does he’ll call her Sharrim to annoy her. Plus I cant really see Nick giving her advice. Sooo. I know her friends and Curran sure as heck wont call her that. Erra is her Aunt and doesnt really call her that either but its possible. My guess is Rowena because she ALWAYS calls her Sharrim ever since she was outed and she did help her with her blood magic briefly. Probably guessed wrong but oh well. LOL.
If Nick had been at Mishmar, I would have picked him, because he is just the kind of wet nasty that would remember and use Kate’s father’s words against her. But I can’t remember, and I don’t think he was there undercover, so I’m going to have to go with dear old dad himself. Roland gets the vote!
I have a feeling its Ghastek. I thought Erra for a second but she tends to call Kate “Child” so I don’t thinks it her. It was a toss up with Roland and Ghastek. But since Roland and her are at war and not talking so much and this is something Ghastek would say now that he is her Legatus of her Legion.
Nick
I think it’s Curren. I thinks thinks he’s just poking at her a little.
Bacon
I guess enough people didn’t get it correct? I don’t see a confirmation :(. I really do think I was right though and its Ghastek, he started calling her Sharim when he found out who she was, especially if in front of other masters of the dead.