Emperor of Thorns (The Broken Empire, Book 3)
Chapter 33
by Mark, Lawrence,The chapter begins with the narrator, exhausted from travel, drifting in and out of sleep in a carriage. The journey is marked by discomfort and shifting companions, including Osser Gant and Katherine. In a dreamlike state, the narrator senses Katherine’s presence, which pulls him into a shared vision. Through this connection, he finds himself inhabiting the body of Robart Hool, a spy in the Tall Castle, who is sleepwalking under Katherine’s guidance. The narrator questions her motives, revealing tensions and past lessons about trust and vigilance instilled by the church.
Katherine directs Hool through the castle’s underground vaults, a place filled with ancestral tombs and eerie familiarity. The narrator recognizes the setting as the Tall Castle’s crypts, where the dead of House Ancrath lie. As Hool moves deeper, the narrator grows uneasy, suspecting Katherine may be leading him to confront a personal trauma or a new tragedy. The cold, ancient corridors evoke memories of his family’s history, including the repurposed statues of the Or dynasty, now altered to represent Ancrath ancestors.
The tension escalates when Hool encounters a group of mire-ghouls—decayed, sinister figures—heading toward the tombs. The narrator questions why Katherine hasn’t raised an alarm, realizing she prioritizes gathering information over immediate action. The ghouls’ presence suggests a necromantic threat, possibly linked to the dead regaining strength. The narrator reflects on the nature of death and resurrection, drawing parallels to his own experiences with ghosts and the lichkin’s deceit.
In the final moments, Hool unsheathes his sword, defying Katherine’s warnings, as the ghouls approach the tomb of the narrator’s mother. The narrator resolves to intervene, though his ability to control Hool remains uncertain. The chapter ends on a cliffhanger, blending dread and determination as the narrator prepares to confront the ghouls and uncover Katherine’s true intentions. The scene underscores themes of loyalty, the past’s haunting influence, and the blurred line between dreams and reality.
FAQs
1. How does Katherine communicate with the protagonist in this chapter, and what does this reveal about their relationship?
Answer:
Katherine communicates with the protagonist through a shared dream state, using Robart Hool as a vessel. This occurs while Hool is sleepwalking, a condition induced by Sageous to allow true-dreams. The protagonist recognizes Katherine’s touch and voice, indicating a deep familiarity between them. Their interaction reveals a complex relationship—while Katherine helps the protagonist by showing him the mire-ghouls’ intrusion, she also chastises him (“Shut. Up.”), suggesting a mix of care and frustration. The protagonist’s trust in her is evident, as he follows her guidance despite his confusion about her motives.2. What is significant about the setting of the tomb vault, and how does it connect to the broader themes of the story?
Answer:
The tomb vault symbolizes the weight of ancestry and the cyclical nature of power. The protagonist notes how the Ancrath family repurposed the Or dynasty’s mausoleum, altering statues to represent their own lineage—a metaphor for usurpation and the impermanence of legacy. The vault also ties to themes of death and resurrection, as the mire-ghouls’ presence hints at necromantic forces at work. The dry, whispering atmosphere mirrors the protagonist’s internal desolation and foreshadows potential supernatural threats. This setting underscores the tension between past and present, a recurring theme in the narrative.3. Analyze the significance of the mire-ghouls’ intrusion. What might their presence suggest about the larger plot?
Answer:
The mire-ghouls’ infiltration of the Tall Castle signals a breach in security and a looming supernatural threat. Their appearance in the tomb vault—a sacred space for the Ancrath dead—implies they seek something tied to the family’s history, possibly for necromantic purposes. Katherine’s failure to raise the alarm suggests she prioritizes gathering information over immediate action, hinting at a larger scheme. Their presence may also connect to the protagonist’s earlier encounter with the lichkin, reinforcing the idea that death is not an end but a manipulable force in this world, with dire consequences for the living.4. How does the protagonist’s reflection on his father’s possible death reveal his internal conflict?
Answer:
The protagonist grapples with disbelief and denial about his father’s rumored death, calling him “too mean to die” and speculating the lichkin lied. This reflects his unresolved trauma and complicated feelings toward his father, who once tried to kill him. His hesitation to accept the truth suggests both fear and a twisted respect—he cannot imagine his father succumbing to a “soft death.” This moment highlights the protagonist’s struggle with vulnerability and his inability to process loss, a recurring emotional barrier that shapes his actions throughout the story.5. What role does Robart Hool play in this chapter, and how does his characterization reflect the story’s themes of loyalty and control?
Answer:
Robart Hool serves as a pawn in Katherine’s espionage, his sleepwalking state exploited for surveillance. Once the protagonist’s spy, Hool is now unknowingly used by Katherine, illustrating the fragility of loyalty in a world of manipulation. His instinct to draw his sword—even while asleep—shows his training and discipline, yet he lacks autonomy. This mirrors the broader theme of control: characters are often tools for others’ agendas, whether through magic (Sageous’s influence) or political machinations. Hool’s duality—both protector and puppet—reflects the moral ambiguity of power dynamics in the narrative.
Quotes
1. “I have the church to thank for teaching me that last lesson in reading the signs, in seeing the trap rise around you, in never lowering your guard. A lesson that has served me well.”
This quote reflects the protagonist’s hardened worldview, shaped by betrayal and trauma. It captures a key theme of vigilance and paranoia that defines his character, while also critiquing institutional power (the church) as both teacher and adversary.
2. “Espionage was never my forte but I had been rather proud of having a man so high in the king’s guard on my payroll. Until now.”
This moment reveals the protagonist’s vulnerability in his strategic thinking. The ironic admission - pride in a spy network that’s being used against him - underscores the chapter’s tension around control and surveillance in the political landscape.
3. “The dead were not so different. Necromancers returned them to their flesh or bones to find their strength once more. But what drew them here?”
This philosophical musing bridges the physical and supernatural threats in the narrative. It elevates a tense tomb exploration into a meditation on mortality and power, while foreshadowing the mire-ghouls’ mysterious purpose in the vaults.
4. “A parched and whispering place like the dry-lands where souls fall.”
This vivid description exemplifies the book’s atmospheric worldbuilding. The simile connects the physical setting (the tomb vaults) to the broader mythology of the story’s universe, while creating an eerie tone for the climactic discovery scene.
5. “Robart Hool’s fingers closed around the hilt of his sword. […] The sword whispered from its sheath, a decent blade […] runed for sharpness.”
This action moment crystallizes the chapter’s building tension. The poetic weapon description (“whispered from its sheath”) contrasts with the visceral threat, embodying the narrative’s blend of lyrical prose and brutal conflict that defines the series’ style.