First Impressions *SPOILERS OBVIOUSLY*

[Katarael]

WHOOPS, I guess I posted this in the wrong area. Repost!
Well, after reading through all of your replies I guess we all thought the same thing. LOL.


<sup>I never really cared that much for Carrion's character before this book. He seemed kind of bland and "meh" to me. But this book made me like him a lot more. Now I'm really worried about what will happen to him in future books. Although I want him to end up happy I really cannot see him and Candy ending up together. I'm really afraid that Clive Barker will end up making him die in the end or something. Like, maybe he gives up his life to destroy Mater Motley or something like that. I really hope this doesn't happen. I've got my fingers crossed that Clive Barker is way ahead of me and has something better in mind.

PIXLER-REQUIAX, I LOVED THAT. I'm really excited to see where that story line takes us.

As for Gazza- He seemed like a really boring character to me. He's just kind of there. And he's annoying. I don't understand what his point is. Other than for Candy to talk about how much she loves him. There is so much character development between Candy and ANY of the other guys in the story. I don't understand why Gazza had to show up. But I guess he has potential, we don't know him very well. Maybe Gazza will pleasantly surprise me in future books.

While I'm thinking about it, WHERE did Letheo go? No one even talked about him! I miss him!

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I'm very anxious to read the next one and I want it to come out right now!</sup>

[Abaratian]

Oct 16, 2011 19:25:21 GMT -5 malingomango said:

Oh and wtf is up with christopher carrion in the 3rd book? All of a sudden he seems like a likeable fellow, whereas in the 1st and 2nd book he was both captivating and somebody to fear. Now he seems almost good. Which makes him a much less interesting character IMO. Gosh darn it, I loved his tormented conflictedness between wanting to be good and being cursed to be evil. Now that's taken away.

I disagree so much that I might actually make a thread about it, if anyone would be interested in debating.

Clive Barker has, since the beginning, been trying to set Carrion up as someone that we are unsure whether to feel pity for or be terrified of. That duality has always existed. From the first moment we see him when he's speaking with Shape in his library, he is described as being an incredibly sad person. We've also known since book one that in his youth he was a legitimately good person. His goal was, if you remember correctly, to unite the islands of day and night. If you'll also remember, both Boa's father and brother wanted her to marry Carrion - NOT Finnegan. He was clearly a good enough person that her father who otherwise doted on her wanted her to be his bride.

It was only until Boa's abuse of him that he caved into Mater Motley and became the evil character that we see today.

He has always been a good person inside, but his hurt has made him bitter, hateful, and unwilling to trust or become close to other people. He does what Mater Motley tells him to - and this is important, it is revealed in this new book that he has basically been doing exactly what she wants him to and is not acting by himself - because she is the only person, in his experience, with sense. Even the council on Yebba Dim Day realized that he is not a threat to the Abarat, but his grandmother is. She tells him not to love, but he does anyway, and look what happens! His heart is seemingly irreparably broken. Now it only makes sense for him to listen to her.

He tortures people. He kills people. He feels no remorse for this. These crimes he has committed will not be forgiven, and if Clive intends a full redemption than Carrion has a lot of work to do. But underneath it all, he has always been a good man that simply cracked. These cracks are being sealed thanks to Candy, who has consistently seen through him, but now also the reunion with his father. Remember, he thought no one has ever loved him, but his father has the whole time, and he sees Candy loves him in her own way. Also Mater Motley has been revealed as a liar and a pregnant dog, so his trust for her evil ways has been drained, too. It is only natural that as he heals, the good person that he was born as is surfacing.
In a nutshell, his reason for being evil has been taken away.

If you like him less for the development of his character, then I personally think you haven't understood him from the beginning. I don't mean that in a negative way, I know it sounds that way because you can't hear tone through typed messages. I just mean that I honestly believe that if you examine the facts and clues, you'll see that this change is very natural considering the circumstances.

ASIDE FROM THAT, THOUGH ~ I do NOT think that Carrion died. I don't think that in any way. I just think that Clive kind of... forgot to write about what happened to him. I'd guess he's probably hiding from Mater Motley now.

[requiax]

i really don't think Christopher is dead either.

And to clarify...I was exaggerating when I said the Requiax were good. I was just talking about how they fought Mater Motley when I totally expected them to be on her side before I read this book.

And Cesaria, you're definitely right about there being more than one way to lose a love...hmm. I really wonder if Clive is serious about Gazza or if Candy will lose that love. And if she does lose it, then how? Or if this is a seriously canon couple from now onwards, how will they grow?

[elppa284]

"have you ever loved, then lost your beloved?"
"No. I haven't."
"Then let us remember to talk again, when things are different." (page 255)
It can't be coincidence that this dialogue was in there a few chapters before Gazza is introduced.

Those words have been foreboding to me the moment I read them-they are definitely going to come back and bite Candy. Gazza is probably going to die. From the very beginning the Candy keeps on being connected to Carrion. They make such interesting foils of each other-wouldn't it be a nice and satisfying twist if their roles switch and it's Carrion who helps Candy get over the emotional toil of losing a loved one?

EDIT: SPOILER ALERT!
Also remember when Candy had thought that Malingo had met his end, and how absolutely furious she became? The hatred in her-it's certainly a very dark part of Candy that's the opposite of the good she's inspired in others. Not a good sign I don't like Gazza too much but I'm afraid. If he dies then what would happen to Candy? What could she become?

[katarael]

Elppa:
I think you and I were thinking sort of along the same lines. From the very beginning of the series Candy has been described as having a "morbid streak" that she gets from her grandmother. So far she hasn't really been that morbid. Not compared to other things we have seen in the books.

[requiax]

Yes, her morbid streak. Eventually she won't be the goody two-shoes that normal epic protagonists are. She already apparently stole Boa's Abarataraba piece.

Oh yeah, that was something that confused me that I wanted to bring up. In Part 1 she says she took Boa's knowledge on the Abarataraba, but then near the end she doesn't know a thing about it and Zephario explains everything. What's going on here? Or she just stole some basic spells or what?

OH. And one more comment about Maratien. I'm sure you guys are like, uh, what? But..for some reason..this was the greatest secret about the book to me. Okay.

So when we are first introduced to Maratian, she's all normal and perfect servant. This of course annoyed me right off the bat. Then Mater Motley takes a liking to her and she's in half of Motley's scenes. And the whole time I have to read her character I can't get over how boring she is. How she can't think for herself. Lame. Frightened. So, understand that I'm basically rolling my eyes at her character by the middle of the book.

Then, Motley is on the Needle Tower and is telling her to look at the Nephauree's ship, and she is freaking out clinging to her skirt. I'm thinking, 'I am so over you, please just die now.' And then...Mater Motley brings up all the same issues I was having with her character and kills her! I was like, AH I was having Mater Motley thoughts!

Tricky one by CB hahaha. So, anyway, I ended up really enjoying that because I realized I was evil. Did this happen to anyone else?

[Cesaria]

Barker does say that at the beginning of the series Candy could go either way, so I think she has some evil in her but ultimately she'll turn out good. Maybe she will end up doing some evil things along the way though.

[smartie12]

Why did candy get a glimse of pixler when she went "dream walking" and the next thing we know she is with hundreds of people about to be murderd by mater motley???

[requiax]

Good~ question haha. But I like how she becomes the ship during that dreamwalking scene. And I have to agree with you guys about Candy's morbid streak. Perhaps she will -actually- kill someone? I think that would put her in that grey area where she starts wondering.

On the ship, while that guy starts preaching, he says "Children of Eden" right? And isn't that what Candy's father calls him religious sect? Do you think Bill and the rest of Chickentown might make it to the Abarat somehow?

Anybody want to talk about the poem at the end? Where do you think they are?

[Alisha]

Wow, Absolute Midnight packed quite the punch! When I thought Malingo had perished so brutally, I felt like throwing the novel out of the nearest window. Thankfully, in true Abaratian fashion, he re-emerges as a magnificent disembodied head! Cue the collective sigh of relief! Despite the popular fandom for our geshrat hero to win Candy's heart, I want her to stay with Gazza. I know nearly everyone who has posted hates him, but hear me out!

If Carrion's nightmares can resurrect his corpse despite his perilous journey from Chickentown, then without a doubt Letheo survived the journey back to the Abarat. He relies on Carrion not only for the continuous supply of antidotes for his condition, but also for a general support system. Based on his interactions with Carrion in book 2, you get the impression that Letheo has no one else to turn to. Carrion truly is his savior, his means for survival. Therefore once arriving in the archipelago, he would use his knowledge of where Carrion generally haunted (or perhaps he told him before they split up abruptly where he would be) to find him in order to ensure his safety and health remained secure.

It would not surprise me if shortly after his rebirth, his embittered heart inspired a vengeful plan against Candy. Given the importance Letheo's character had in the second book and how despite all odds he became friends with Candy with a subtle element of romance; the first logical course of action is that he uses Letheo to hurt Candy. Not to mention Letheo is in-debt to him and swore his allegiance. Additionally, Clive isn't going to toss a character that his readers have become so attached to out of the following book.

This becomes fairly obvious during Candy's first encounter with Carrion in Absolute Midnight. After briefly on his past relationship with Boa, he tells her almost threateningly that she should give her opinion to him once she has lost the one she loved. It appears that he implied that he resents Candy for unwittingly harboring Boa's spirit for the last 16 years. A great motive, folks!

& of course right on cue, a young man who is described to share similar physical characteristics as Letheo suddenly appears rather dramatically and steals her heart instantly!

All this being said, isn't it quite plausible that in exchange for a cure to his illness, he agreed to fall under some type of love enchantment Carrion cast? Although, I doubt the Letheo knows that he actually traded his life...

Love incantations aside, I feel that their is something real between them. It was there when they first met in book 2. Even if it's predominantly superficial, I found their relationship heart warming and comforting during the grizzly precipice of the Abarat's undoing. It definitely helped that I felt Gazza was Letheo from the moment he was introduced. Which explains why I adore Gazza, while nearly everyone on this thread wants him to spontaneously combust.

I'm curious if anyone agrees with my theory as to why Gazza is Letheo in disguise. Thanks for reading. :)

[requiax]

I'm going to re-read the book and picture Gazza as Letheo, I am sure I will be much happier It would be a great twist. I can't remember, was there a picture of Gazza? I don't know whether I agree or not, but I hope you are right. Besides me just liking Letheo much better, it would make the series more continuous.

I wonder against Carrion being as dastardly as to try and get revenge on Candy. I haven't read the book recently, but my impression was that they had an odd sort of friendship now. But… I would think he would be very bitter towards Candy after what happened at the end of book 2, though he didn't seem to be. Elppa284 said that it would be an interesting twist to see Carrion actually help Candy with her broken heart, and I can definitely imagine that happening. So far, he is really the only character that has lived with that kind of pain, besides Finnegan. But Finnegan got himself captured..so…ignore him.