I enjoyed the realisation that Jehane was the woman shouting in the valley, and I liked the outlaw and his sons, but I am starting to worry about the episodic tendency of the book. I hope it will all be drawn together in some way at the end, and that he is not relying on simply the reflection of real history to justify the narrative. All this strategising had better work out in the end.

I love the image of ibn Khairan and Belmonte laughing their hats off while Jehane is shouting.

I am quite shocked that the priest would betray the family confidence without even consulting Miranda. I cannot imagine the high priest is likely to be terribly tolerant, and I am not sure how much use the boy can be to anyone not actually fighting against Belmonte. But I assume this will have some part to play later on. If it is just a random episode I will be disappointed.

Ibn Khairan's reaction when he is chided after the attempt to kill the children, when he does not get hot chocolate after having hurt his fingers trying to make shadow figres, he remins me of someone, and I cannot remember who. It is dreadfully annoying. It is, I think, another literary crush of mine, but I cannot remember.

The attempt to kill Ines. I take it it is done by Cartada, but set up to look like one of the neighbouring countries; or vice versa? And I assume the king and the doctor have seen through the plot, and will (with all this secrecy) act accordingly. I wonder whether the doctor is someone we have already heard of, or if it is just a random new person.

I am not entirely sure what everyone is getting out of the moonlit water. I take it as a reference to his Kindath councillor, but I am surprised it is not stated more explicitly. Kay chooses to be subtle (that word is never going to be usable again) at random times.

Almalik II seems stupid and weak (but not overdone, I think), and I hope someone will kill him soon. I imagine ibn Khairan will do the deed? I wasn't terribly worried about his killing Belmonte in his room. I seem to remember el Cid dying in another way. But I liked ibn Khairan's reaction to the visit and the news he brought.

In fact, I loved the whole ibn Khairan/Jehane meeting. I have been looking forward to it. I didn't really see why she had to worry about Belmonte. Is that because Kay feels that if Jehane could easily choose between the two men, ibn Khairan would be marked as cooler than Belmonte? I think the obsession with making the two men the same, or at least the same level is taken a little too far, even though I enjoy the symmetry.

That whole "who is dead" scene annoyed me. It was completely overdone, and the mystery did not add anything to the story; quite the contrary. The blow by blow description of the fight was also not my cup of tea at all.

But I am looking forward to seeing how it all draws together in the end.