The Scarab Path

It took me a ridiculously long time to finish this book, not because it isn't engaging (it is, oh my goodness, it is!). I had devoured the first four books of the series, and the sheer emotional impact of them was starting to wear on me. I finally had to put the book down and take a breather, reading some fluffier things. When I came back to it, though, I fell right back in without missing a beat.

Finishing the book was very emotional, after spending so much time immersed in the universe. I had to go to the author's site RIGHT THEN and check through blog entries for reassurance. I found myself breathing ever so much more easily as soon as I found a post mentioning books six, seven, and eight. None of them are published yet, of course, but they're coming, and I'm satisfied with that for now.

??I thought the first half of it dragged on a little. I wasn't too interested in what was going on with the Refek agents and their mobilization to have the Scorpions attack Khanaphes. The interactions between Thalric and Che are what interested me the most. Thoto was so annoying. I almost wish he was killed at some point. The mystery of the Masters in Khanaphes kept me engaged with the story, but in the end, I didn't get Ethmet, the First Minister. Was he really in touch with the Masters at all? He seemed just like a puppet, repeating old sayings. And why the Masters were dormant? And why after they woke up, found Che, let her go, and then went back to sleep? What was their goal? It seems like this mystery is the backdrop of what this series is really about.??