Canuk

Mark Arbour, please send JJ into the army; anyone that can so successfully transmit poison across a continent could be a usefull weapon of war. There's the side benefit that he may die..... Signed Not-a-fan-of-JJ

Awesome writing. Very scary. Stalkers are sick people. And generally the police while well meaning, are not that helpful.

It's only taken me almost a decade, but I get the feeling Mark Arbour likes torturing his characters!😘

Be bloody careful what you wish for; I am not sure its beyond our author to torture us by sending JJ back to Napoleonic England.....

I agree, but while not wishing to defend Marc, or Stef's reaction, I do think that Mark Arbour has written Stef as a man of his generation and experience; that the sex was enjoyable mitigated the "coercion". While not excusing his attitude, it is in line with many of his (unreconstructed) generation. This doesn't make him any less wrong, it just suggests why he holds the attitude. Good writing, as ever, challenging readers! Thanks👍😘

It would be a far better world if sentiments like " think about your inheritance" were just plot drivers in good stories. Sadly even in this day and age people using or attempting to use money to control others is far too common. Great read. Thanks.

Sometimes it's so boring to read a story that just so like my home life.....🤣🤣😘

That's not "wobble" that's the rotation of the earth around the sun....

True...but nothing to do with the seasons, which was the point I was inexperty trying to make.

It's not "ego and selfishness", it's a complete lack of any info dissemination/consultation/decision making processes being established. It's one person making all the decisions within a very small group and that person deciding a "military command structure" is best. It's interesting to see that an eighteenth century document is still having its negative effect on governance almost 800 years later (if I have the stories correct timeframe!) Fascinating to see how our author deals with this tension! Fun read. Looking forward to more!

Interesting progress... I am confused by the statements that seasons on earth are produced by "wobble".... the earth doesn't "wobble", it rotates around the sun at an angle; a very consistent angle. When the south pole is slanted towards the sun, the northern hemisphere is in winter, as the year progresses, the earths progress around the sun means the seasons change, and spring then summer occurs in the north as the north pole faces the sun. I don't get how this could be called "wobbling"?

Coming to this some two years after originally published, I am enjoying the story. As an observation ( not a criticism) coming from a citizen and some time resident of Australia and Canada, I find the assumptions and "history" very much US centric. Of course this is a story and as such there had to be a reason why the Ark's journey started, but is interesting that in the 200 or 300 years between now and the date the Ark departed, the only path was a world split between haves and have nots, armies defending the haves, the breakdown of civil society etc. Even the threat of climate destruction was not enough for US society to adapt to a more "common good" and less beggar-my-neighbour individualism. Had the author taken us down that route, there would be hardly justification for the story, so in some ways I am glad they didnt! But they way the story is constructed, it's drivers and direction, did pause and make me think...a sign that it's written well! Thanks and I look forward to seeing it all unfold....

I am surprised that Mickey isn't in a hospital or at lest a rehab hospital. I realise for the drama to move on that Drew his "friend" needs to be able to assist, but I'd hope IRL Mickey would be getting more professional care!

True, but isn't that part of the suspense?

We have what must be, in the Arbour world, a unicorn; what looks like a sane, stable, rational, loving and caring relationship between two adults. Will and Travis. Makes me all gooey inside..... 《sigh》 What is the chance it stays this way?

So we now have an all new all improved chemically enhanced Jeremy where the bitchy, super-hyped comments are only said in his own head... so the leopard has not so much changed his spots as had them bleached.... IRL, I would had sympathetic and congratulatory murmurings regarding his recovery however as this is soap literature, I can safely say that I look forward to his next explosive and entertaining catastrophe!

Could George get any more god like? Not only is he handsome, rich, accomplished, a great leader, political and social power house, but he also listens and takes advice from a woman! The rest of us wouldn't have a hope......

The Claire /Stef rivalry was good to read. Reminds me of my own family! First we had Poster now some poor French volleyball player .... Mark certainly has a way to ensure the explosives always have a wick just ready for lighting! May the games continue!

Sorry, I just cannot cope with the impeccable Nicholas Galitizine being saddled with JJ and yes I know I am conflating/confusing characters with real life and dare I say it fantasy, and yes Kris is handsome and there will be someone out there who is his perfect doppelganger, however could we preserve Nicholas' innocence for, perhaps, some older Australian/Canadian? Apart from the incarceration of JJ, I rarely ask for much...... 💕

So Poster is JJ-in-training...😳🤯 I feel Mr Arbour treats us like people who volunteered for the Spanish Inquisition because we'd heard that pain could be fun..... But then you remind me ... Orlando Bloom in 2004 《sigh》 🤩😍😘😜🤩🤩🤩 my sort of crumpet!

"but wait half a chapter and he'll invent new improved ways to self-sabotage" was to be your next line, I am guessing.....

"I had no idea why I always had bad luck. Even the universe was against me." Well the drugs have done some good - whatever the dipshit is calling himself at this moment now knows we all hate him.... any chance the metaphorical walling himself off from the rest of the world, could become reality? It is just SO good to have one particular character to focus ones negative energy.... Thanks!

Best part of the chapter is JJ/Jays/Jeremy is locked up for the duration. Now for Thor's hammer......😜

"I have managed to piss off everyone in my life." Knock me down with a feather! JJ / Jays has a split second of self knowledge.... Is this the rock-bottom turning-point for one of the most self obsessed pig ignorant narcissistic characters ever created? Nope; why evaluate reality? - just change your drugs. Nothing like a character staying in-character!

Making our hero have to prove to a tyrant that he hasn't slept with his wife, seems a savage test of Grainger's diplomatic skills.....