Topher Lydon

The hangover did not arrive with the gentle, creeping ache of a standard alcohol binge, nor did it announce itself with the dull thud of a sleepless night. It hit Mickey Ryder with the concussive, apocalyptic force of a dying star collapsing in on itself. It was the physical manifestation of a biological debt being violently called due. His brain had been running on a toxic cocktail of adrenaline, raw spite, and the frantic, buzzing electricity of a prolonged manic high for weeks. It had m

The man was mentally ill. The problem was that a certain someone sought to exploit that for his own chance at the Crown of Jerusalem.

The stench of Arqa was something Julian d’Avenel knew he would never truly wash from his skin. It was a physical, cloying entity, woven from dysentery, rotting horseflesh, and the suffocating desperation of thirty thousand starving fanatics. As Julian and Ser Lloyd rode with the practiced, frantic efficiency of men trying to outrun an impending disaster, a strange, terrifying sound began to roll through the sprawling siege camp. It was not the clash of Fatimid steel, nor the blare of a war

Things do not go to plan for Raymond of Toulouse. But mark me well, it is a set back, not a defeat. To explain what Peter Bartholomew attempted, he had the whole army gather in front of them, then claimed that the Saints had sent him a vision that the Crusader army, his own army, were full of sinners. He broke the army into groups of five men, and told one of those men to kill the other four. It was the final straw, people realized he was insane, that the horrors of eating people, fighting with no food, crawling through the frozen muck for the second year in a row. Butchering the Christian-Armenians they were supposed to save, and dying by the droves... was all on the orders of a mad man... it was too much. And he was forced to prove he was chosen of god, and the lance was real. In trial by fire. A horrific ending to a horrific man. I would say good morning, but, instead I will raise my cup of coffee and wish you well

He is present through the story, but this one is very much an exploration of Mickey, Mickey's past, and Mickey's illness.

Now I am getting the Urge to set the next Vega Vixen in a Denver Megastore, where employee's pee breaks are charged by the milliliter

Denver Corp would like to remind you, to shop Denver Megastore.

Agreed, Isaiah was right to teach the three Cs to Dimitri. managing the illness needs effort from all of them. The question being, can they get to Mickey first, before those less understanding can.

Yeah, Isaiah's earned this, he's been through two years or more of Mickey chaos at this point. And given his own background with the New Eden cult, he's resilient. Now he just needs to get Mickey back where he can get some kind of treatment.

rereading it, Stephen used the pommel of his sword to knock teeth in twice, and a kit-shield. The mace he only used to break the lock on the cage. So I think Ashot's technically right. it's unclear in the final battle as well if Stephen used the mace to kill anyone, he's too busy keeping people from killing him and Ashot again, shield.

I believe he did. He picked up the mace during the whole rescue mission for the Patriarch. Did I screw something up ?

I really, with this book, wanted to explore where Mickey's disaster stems from. And the impact his chaos has on the people that love him. Bipolar disorder is vicious to everyone that endures it. But Isaiah loves Mickey very much, and isn't giving up, and ensuring Dimitri has stability no matter what is his gift to that family. It's nice to see how Isaiah changes things in both Dimitri and Mickey's life. He's tired, he's stressed out, but he stays.

SNACKS!

The biolab smelled like old textbooks, alien plant specimens, and the faint, lingering ghost of whatever the Gremlin had been eating when it thought no one was looking. Dimitri Ryder-Bell sat at the main workstation, his chin propped on his hand, his glasses sliding down his nose for the third time in as many minutes. The holographic display in front of him showed a detailed diagram of a xenobiological respiratory system—something about atmospheric adaptation in low-oxygen environments—but

This is Wylan in a nutshell. He has never wanted crowns, titles, lands, or gold. All he has ever wanted was that wall of a man that he loves and who loves him. Convincing Darien of this is his next challenge.

There's a scene of this in the book. Raymond of Tolouse whipping up fervor again, and trying to get the whole army to march without armour, and barefoot to meet the enemy, because "God will protect them" Raymond was insane.

Wylan isn't about to be constrained by prophecy, and there is a MASSIVE catch in the prophecy. Wylan just has to convince Darien that there are things more important than crowns.

There's a reason I gave them the chapter header photo. They are so much the heart of this particular volume

It's also good to show that beneath all of Ashot's bravado, and swagger, he's deeply scarred, and that Stephan holds his world together. Stephen needs Ashot to challenge his shyness. And Ashot needs Stephen's steady dependability and reassurance.

There is a price for victory. It should be noted that Godfrey is Baldwin of Edessa's brother. The remaining Crusader Lords are a nest of vipers, and all of them know that Darien and his Vanguard are the Kingmaker for the crown of Jerusalem. But while Darien is trying to protect his own, Wylan is not going to stand by and allow him to die. Wylan is a mighty little magi, and he isn't about to be drowned by prophecy, not when it comes to the man he loves.

Raymond of Tolouse's butchery at Marrat al'Numen was a warcrime. It changed everything, and bode a stark warning for what would happen If HIS madness was unleashed on Palestine. Darien's most dangerous enemy is not the Vizier, the Witches, or the shadow of Kalijj Arslan. It's a man with a rusted piece of iron.

good morning. "He will drown in dust!" The prophecy revealed.

The winter that descended upon the high, jagged peaks of the Judean mountains was not merely a season; it was an absolute, physical assault. Freezing, relentless sheets of rain battered the ancient limestone walls of Bethlehem day and night, turning the narrow, winding streets of the town into treacherous rivers of freezing mud and human refuse. The sky remained a solid, bruised iron-gray for weeks on end, completely suffocating the warmth of the sun and plunging the world into a state of

Poitr has a point, Flynn doesn't have any friends, he doesn't know what friendship looks like. It also gave Gary a chance to explain how important to Poitr Flynn is. I love Gary, he's just such a good friend to the boys.