Beneath the Surface... CLIVE-APPROVED SPOILERS

[Abaratian]

This thread will have spoilers, just read with caution. Of course Clive doesn't spoil any more than he'd want us to know, but I just figured I'd add this disclaimer in case you want to avoid it entirely.

Has anyone purchased this yet? I have. Fifteen dollars is a lot for any digital book, in my opinion, but I've honestly been waiting so long for some more new Abarat information that I felt like it was a small price to pay. It literally gives me chills to be reading it. So many years I've waited for this third book, and finally it seems like it's happening. I love this. I'm so happy.

By far what made me the happiest was the interview section with Kodiak Middle School. One particularly intelligent student asked him about Candy and Boa's relationship in the future. And all I want to say is - I SO CALLED IT.

For one thing, Boa is not a very good human being; we haven't discovered just how bad Boa is... And I think up until now we've probably just thought that she was a pretty good lady who was fooling around with the wrong person and that person obviously was Christopher Carrion. We are about to learn just how bad she is. (Barker 84)

[requiax]

AWESOME

And I should not have looked hahaha

This is why CB keeps me hooked.

Okay. Well no more studying for me.. i'm going to go buy this thing... T_T

[Abaratian]

I KNOW ISN'T IT AWESOME ^_^

I can't wait until you buy and read this thing (it's a quick read... only 120 pages and a lot of it is beautiful pictures). I need someone to scream about the spoilers with. Cuz the thing up above is just the tip (albeit the large, beautiful, and Titanic-destroying tip) of the iceberg of awesomeness that this book contains.

[requiax]

Since I don't want to forget anything I'm going to start commenting as I'm reading..

Paintings: The Ice Pyramid on pg 26! WOW. And the Bug boys on pg 29, someone's siblings maybe!?? hhha jk.
The islands picture is 19 feet long! Whoa!
An early sketch of Mater Motley is labeled "Mother Motley - - Miosma" What could Miosma be?
And there's a picture of Carrion giving Letheo the green thuaz. He paints his nails black apparently AND I'm going to have to stop commenting about every other page...

[requiax]

Kaiaphar the original Vol! By the way his nose rotted away from spider poisons XD

[requiax]

And I'm just blowing up the message boards.. but there's a passage that says Candy also knows the language of the animals, besides magic etc. What if she befriends a dragon??

Quote: "The paintings which illuminate this book are not illustrations in the usual sense....Instead I've painted portraits of characters you'll find looking out at you as I caught them looking at me..."
YES. That is what really caught my attention about these paintings. I couldn't put my finger on it.. but that is the reason.

And on that note, time for sleep. Halfway. I love this book--so many of his paintings and sketches ^.^

[Abaratian]

Miasma is, I'm fairly certain, the name of Shape's mother. It was mentioned in the first book when he was remembering the songs she sung to him as a child. Perhaps it was a temporary first name for Mater Motley?

Are you certain that the painting is of Carrion and Letheo? I always imagined Carrion having much larger hands then that, and the hand in the painting isn't quite the same color as his complexion. On the other hand, I can't imagine who else it would be. I just can't imagine Carrion painting his fingernails XD

On the SAME page as that picture I believe was a painting I'm fairly certain is of Carrion's father, whose name is revealed to be Zephario. He looks JUST like Mater Motley, except he's wearing some Abaratian version of a Hawaiian shirt and he looks like some sort of homeless hippie.

[requiax]

okay, i got to page 78. And yeah..I like his beanie haha. Also, pretty much definite that that is a picture of Carrion and Letheo. It's possible that it was an early painting though, and because of that wasn't for sure Carrion's hand. Maybe.

So. ABOUT TO MENTION SPOILERS.
Miss Schwartz eh??? Becomes a monster. And he mentions that the beasts of Efreet were created. Perhaps Miss Schwartz becomes a beast in the same manner. Or maybe Candy's dad defeats her with the stolen magic, and that's how he gets everyone to follow him? But that's too heroic for such a failure.

Other than that, what I've read up to is mostly the intricacies of the Abarat. There are some even more beautiful thoughts about the place than I could've imagined. It's just, wonderful.

Oh yeah!! The Abarataraba! Dude we're going to get to see bits of it. How magic works I'm guessing? It's rules? I wonder how they get a hold of it. But it's going to be important obviously. I guess Candy and Boa are going to increase in power, just like Candy wanted.

And the 25th hour, is "the deepest" of any of the islands? Thought wise or literally? Because if literally, that would mean it stretches into the depths of the Isabella. Maybe it's a passageway for the Requiax. That might be a little ridiculous however. He always says, "you'll see, you'll see." So Candy must be going back there sometime. How, I have no idea, because Diamanda seemed to be the only one willing to allow that.

Hmmm I'm happy

[Abaratian]

I assumed he meant physically deep, too, like it extends underwater. And Clive says we're about to see that there's more of the Fantomaya than the women we've seen so far, so presumably another member could help Candy onto the island? Or maybe the other two decide they put more faith in Candy than before? So many possibilities!

Another part I loved was the mention that Gorgossium isn't the darkest island, but 5 AM is because there is no moon and no sun.

He really put a lot of thought in to this. I love it so much.

[eitherangel]

Spoiler warning!
The mentions of picture of Carrions father and Boa true personality (I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!!!) convinced me to buy this book on Yudu yesterday.

This book made my day! I just love the illustrations and the paintings in it and what caught me most was the early sketches of Christopher Carrion and Clive Barkers own point of view of him. (Like how Carrion eat and sleeps while having this bowl of nightmares around his neck. )

But there is one thing I wonder from one of Abaratians comments about a possibly picture of Carrions father Zerphario (With a Hawaii T-shirt and looks like a softer side of Mater Motley.). I took a look at the picture and I agree it has a great similarity with Mater Motley , and perhaps Carrions portrait. But there is one painting on page 95 (Absolute Midnight and more.) which shows an old man, with a blue beard, a big hat on his head with candles on and red eyes. Couldn’t he be the father? He looks old and mean! Don’t you think?

[THE LADY OF MIDNIGHT]

OMG I've been following this thread and its makin me soooo EXCITED for the new book! After Mother's Day perhaps I can convince my mom to buy the book for me as a present... hahaha... -crosses fingers- NOt having it is ripping me apart!

[Abaratian]

If I am looking at the correct picture, the title is "Councilor Yobias Thim" so that's who I'm assuming the painting is of

The one that I'm speculating on, the one that I believe could be Carrion's father, does not have a title or caption mentioned.

[requiax]

*spoilers*

well, we do know that he will be a very evil man. Very powerful too. As similar as that portrait is to mater motley, I don't know how frightening a hawaiian shirt is. Or the beanie. Just looks like cute old pops version to me hahah

I'm confused as to the point of the Nephauree. We already had these mysterious evil forces/creatures, and then again more evil more mysterious creatures are created? If he brings these in, then what happens to the Xuxux bugs and the Requiax?

And Finnegan Hob isn't an epic hero.. hahahha LOL. that's what he gets. And the fact that Boa isn't a good person...these are just the wonderful reasons why I turned back to these books after years of not looking at them. He's the only author that has ever written exactly what I love to hear and see. Finally something against the grain!

What's your opinion on Malingo's family? I think he won't find them. He's got a new family now.

[Abaratian]

I'm not sure why there are so many evil creatures introduced, either. I was actually thinking the same thing. Candy and the gang seem to have their work cut out for them. Although I wouldn't be surprised if the various evil forces ended up working against each other.

Anyways, I've put a lot of thought into the subject of Carrion's father, because I don't know if he necessarily IS evil. There's a bunch of opinions going through my head, most of them really vague and not really based on any evidence. For example, if he was very evil, why would he be in hiding all of these years? His son and mother have been openly evil, and you'd think he would have joined them. They're working to better themselves, after all. I think he's more ashamed and guilt-crazed than evil. He did kill his entire family, but that seems more a proof of insanity than of evilness to me. Like Carrion killed Boa, but there seems to be some consensus amongst fans (as the interview with KMS in this book proves) that we don't think he wholly is and don't actually want him to be evil. Besides, we don't entirely know if his family's death was on purpose. He could have set fire to the orchard out of grief, locked his children up for their safety, and then the fire grew out of hand.

[requiax]

*spoilers*

I keep thinking about the character that is going to be "redeemed" in the third book. Initially I thought it meant the obvious choice of Carrion. But I can't see him turning to the side of 'good' so quickly, right? He has a long way to go before he is completely redeemed I think. Then I thought it might be Letheo, but I don't see why he would make it seem so mysterious at that point, or even bring his character up, because no one asked about him.

But now that you mention that his father might not be completely evil, then perhaps he is the one who is redeemed? It would make sense. A lot of backstory is told in this book, so we learn his story, and then he redeems himself somehow. It might happen. That way it leaves everyone with the feeling that Carrion might do so as well.

I just like making predictions Because if I'm wrong, then I get to be surprised.