Quote Originally Posted by The Fury View Post
Spoiler: Verde
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The Verde/Vegeta comparison is doing weird things to my brain. Not that I mind it, it's just... my imagination goes to strange places sometimes. So Vegeta trains hard to go Super-Saiyan, right? Verde trains hard too, only she's not a Saiyan, she's a wizard. So she's training to go Super...Wizard... Oh no...

Spoiler: oh dear...
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FINAL CHAPTER! LET'S GO!

Spoiler: Chapter Twenty-Four
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Rei wakes up from a comforting, dreamless sleep. A detail that adds a certain small tragedy to the character, is that apparently Rei has always dreamed of nothing but fire. It's all embers and roaring infernos with Rei's dreams. I guess she's never had a happy dream. Not one that she remembers anyway.

Of course, Rei wakes up in a hospital bed. Seeing as how she got the snot beat out of her and passed out in the street, it makes sense that she'd be put there. Chloe is there when she wakes up, and is a little too relieved that Rei's alright as she enthusiastically hugs her. Ow. Rei still has no feeling in her right hand, and it's been splinted.

As for everyone else, Verde and Gamma both have some frostbite in addition to their other injuries. They'll both be fine though. Apparently, Verde's mother saw to both of them. And was also so angry at being kept out of the loop, that Gamma was scared. Now, Gamma's a menacing guy. What scares Gamma though? Dr. Mom.

Rei is out of danger, she's healing and she with a friend. Yet she reflects that she is not OK. She still killed someone, and she has to live with that fact. She pushes that thought down for now as Chloe takes her hand. The upside to all this is that Rei and Chloe seem to have repaired their relationship, or at least rebuilt it into something their both happy with. Rei asks about what Chloe was going to say when Kestrel had her on the phone. It's pretty clear that it was going to be "I love you," but I can see why Rei might want to hear it when neither of them are in mortal peril. Chloe gets flustered and says that she'll tell her if Rei can beat her in a rematch. Rei's wager is a callback to Chloe's from the game tournament-- if Chloe can beat her, Rei will hang out with her, and just her, for a week.

On the rooftop of the hospital, Verde and Gamma are training. This is despite their injuries. Guys... take a break. Meanwhile Ella is eating a big tray of hospital food as she looks on. Eventually Verde and Gamma decide to rest for a moment. Verde takes this moment to show off her knife, the one that she enchanted with her own blood. It produces a gust of wind when it's drawn from the sheath. Verde takes a moment to catch a glimpse of her reflection with her new battle scar. Verde's upside is that she's got a cooler-looking face. Gamma and Ella both have a look at the knife, the latter with some reluctance. Neither of them know what to make of it. Verde just has a windy cutthroat razor now. Good thing too, as the three agree that ONY will be back for them.

Speaking of ONY, Kite's been observing things from a distance it seems. (Remember him? Kestrel's buddy?) Maybe "buddy" is too generous of a term, since Kite approaches the scene of Kestrel's fight with Rei and reflects on his failings. Unlike Kestrel, Kite is able to play a long game and he gets what he's after-- a sample of Rei's blood, likely very clean from a combination of Rei's pyromancy and the cold air. What's it for? We'll have to wait and see, I suppose.

Back at home, Aria slumps into her chair and searches for someone in a book of contacts. She's interrupted by President Yamata of ONY coming onto the news. He's presenting a new in-home robot that can take care of everything from security concerns to childcare. Now, as cool as a robot nanny sounds, Aria recognizes the "robot" for what it really is-- a puppet. No one could every understand how dangerous letting something like that into your home would be.

Aria finds the contact. Evidently not someone she knew very well, but someone that Samson did. She calls and after a while gets an answer from a woman named Luna Crescent. Aria says that she wants to hire Luna now that Orochi Yamata has found them.

That's where the chapter and the book ends. For now, there's at least Rei and Chloe resolving their differences and Verde growing into a role that she feels suits her. Also, our heroes made it out alive so that's good. We're already getting things planted for the next book, Hidden Embers. Who is Kite exactly? His description is deliberately sparse, but we have some clue to his personality already. He'll hang out and observe things from a distance. He prides himself on being able to play a "long game," which seems consistent with Kestrel's semi-truthful anecdote.

Luna Crescent is also largely unknown, but some things can be inferred about her-- she's gruff, possibly a drinker since Aria is not sure if the grogginess in her voice is from sleep, she also knew Samson but didn't remember him right away. Her forgetting about Samson could be taken a number of ways. Maybe she wasn't as close to Samson as Aria thought, maybe she's so used to seeing people killed that she doesn't remember them as well, maybe it's because it happened eighteen years ago. Though she immediately becomes collected and professional as soon as it's mentioned that she has a job.


I separated out some closing thoughts for the book as a whole as well.

Spoiler: Closing thoughts
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On its own, Initial Sparks is a decent outing. Like has been noted here, there's foreshadowing that's subtle enough that it's not immediately obvious on the first readthrough, which makes it good to reread as well. Not only that, it prevents twists from seeming like they came out of nowhere.

As the first entry to a series, Initial Sparks needs to introduce readers to the world and get them interested, and this is a point where I feel it succeeds. Not just because of its worldbuilding, but because of what it says about the direction of the characters involved. As Rater has noted, Verde seems more OK with the darker side of the supernatural world than Rei and Ella are. Not to say that Verde is definitely going to go in a darker direction, but she and Gamma seem the most cool about everything that happened.

Now, when I finish reading a book I'll usually do one of two things. Either I'll put it away and not think about it for a while or I'll seek out other write-ups about it, read its TVtropes page and try to experience as much of the work as possible. Initial Sparks is firmly in the latter category. As I get my final thoughts down, I can't help but feel a little ambivalent. I'm glad to have read it, but I don't want to be finished. Hidden Embers will be out eventually, and I think it practically goes without saying that I'll be reading that one as well.
Your insights have always been exquisite, and finally seeing this reach the end has put a mark on my soul that I'll never get off. If I do become popular, this will be the foot stool that propels me. If you don't mind that bit of self agrandization, anyway, hehehe.

Anyway! As I promised... here is an excerpt from Hidden Embers, from chapter one.

Spoiler: Hidden Embers Draft 1.0 teaser
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Chloe was waiting for her, just like she said, a shopping bag flung over one arm. She was dressed in a woolen, sky-blue overcoat, undone to show a simple white dress shirt and beige slacks. A red scarf gently wrapped around her neck, loose enough that she could pull it up to her face if needed. Her hair, naturally wavy and gold in colour, hung around her shoulders.
Rounding out her ensemble was the dressing and gauze that covered the right side of her face, from forehead to chin. Even from a distance, Rei could see the faint edges of the dark-red burns and scars. Her right arm down to the finger tips had been burned as well, and while it was harder to see, the bandages still lingered there too.
Rei took a breath, bracing herself for what was about to happen. Chloe saw her and her calm expression broke out into a smile so wide it disappeared into the gauze. Her single eye sparkled like a sapphire.
“Rei!”
Chloe half-rushed over to her, comparable to a brisk jog, and embraced her in a tight, warm hug. If it wasn’t for her own bag of pills, medical information, and washed clothing the nurse had hoisted upon her, Rei would have hugged her back twice as hard. Instead, she just pressed her head gently against Chloe’s.
“Hey, Chloe. How’re you uh, doing?”
She pulled back, and smiled brightly again. Rei almost felt like she should look away. Like seeing her this close wasn’t allowed, not by her. But she couldn’t take her eyes off her.
“I’m doing well, Rei. Though, better now that I know you can leave the hospital. You look wonderful by the way… how’re you holding up?”
Her voice was melodic, clear and crisp, with just a hint of haughtiness to it. The concern, the care in her voice- not to mention the hug- made Rei blush a faint red.
“I’m okay, Chloe. Just… you know. A little scarred up. It’s fine, see?” Rei said with a semi-forced chuckle, waving her right hand. A starburst of pink scar-tissue marked both sides of it.
Chloe took her hand with a gentle, slow movement. She looked at it a moment, as if taking it all in herself. Rei was sure she saw her chin waver.
“So,” Rei started. “Um, I like your haircut. It looks nice.”
“Oh- thank you, Rei. I wasn’t sure you’d notice. I figured, with the rest of it growing back in,” she gestured to her face with her bandaged right hand. “I should just cut it short. Keep it even, you know?”
There was a hesitance in what Chloe said. She cared a lot for her appearance- perfect hair, fashionable clothing, expertly applied makeup. Rei could still remember the discarded comb she’d seen in Chloe’s own hospital room weeks ago.
Despite it all she still pulled through, still looked dazzling. Rei felt inadequate next to her; simple burgundy sweatpants and a black t-shirt. They felt like night and day.
And yet you’re still going out with her, after everything.
The thought came and went, like a hot flash. Before she could linger on it, Chloe spoke up again.
“I’m uh, glad you’re okay otherwise. Seeing you all hurt like that was… scary, especially after we’d just made up.”
Rei nodded. “Yeah. It was kinda touch and go for a bit there. Thanks, by the way… for visiting every so often. I think it helped.”
“I mean, it’s the least I could do, Rei,” Chloe gave her an almost dismissive laugh- had it not been for what they both went through a month ago Rei’d have believed it was intentional.
Then she suddenly hitched, as if she remembered something. “Oh, by the way, I brought you this.”
Chloe rummaged through the shopping bag she had with her, pulling out a jacket. Lighter than her own- really more of a windbreaker than an actual overcoat- with a faded red, almost pink colour to the nylon material.
“I uh, bought it for you. Since it’s winter and all. I wasn’t sure if you needed a heavier one since-” Chloe looked around the nearly empty hospital lobby. “-well, you know. I hope that’s okay?”
She was referring to Rei’s pyromancy. The fire in Rei’s veins made it so even the chilly winter seasons of Dulace weren’t that cold. But secret, supernatural flame wasn’t the only thing warming her at the moment. Chloe’s face- what she could see of it- had flushed red.
She’s blushing!
Rei gave her a warm grin, and pulled her into a one-armed hug, catching her off guard. Chloe made an adorable squeaking noise.
“It’s perfect, Chloe. Thanks. So, I guess we’re uh… still on for our uh, date, then?”
She nodded, then broke away from the hug so Rei could throw the jacket on.
“Absolutely! I’m… I’ve really been looking forward to it. We’ve been talking for it awhile, but I never realized it’d happen so quickly.”
Rei nodded in return. “Yeah… I’m not gonna lie Chloe, I’m a little nervous. Five years of barely even talking to each other is a lot of time to make up.”
Chloe linked her right arm with Rei’s left, and held her hand tightly.
“True, but we’ve got the time. So… ready to try again?”
She squeezed Chloe’s hand firmly, and went for the exit.
“Yeah. I’m ready to try again.”