Emperor of Thorns (The Broken Empire, Book 3)
Chapter 39
by Mark, Lawrence,The chapter follows Chella, a necromancer and delegate of the Dead King, as she travels with her companion Kai and the Gilden Guard toward Honth. The unsettling presence of the lichkin Keres lingers, having departed to rejoin the Dead King through fractures between the living world and death’s domain. Captain Axtis, eager to maintain morale, urges swift progress, but Chella remains preoccupied with her mission and the Dead King’s unsettling plans. Tensions simmer between her and Kai, whose fleeting moment of intimacy is dismissed as trivial by Chella, who is more consumed by her disdain for life and the burdens of her role.
During a stop in Wendmere, the Gilden Guard’s opulence and detachment from the common folk are highlighted, with Kai criticizing their elite status as superficial. Chella, though more diplomatic, shares his skepticism about their combat prowess. The guard’s lavish treatment contrasts sharply with the impoverished followers trailing them, including sex workers bound by desperation. Chella’s thoughts drift to the lurking threat of Thantos, another lichkin, and her unease grows as she reflects on Keres’ recent injuries, which remain unexplained. The chapter underscores the fragility of their journey and the hidden dangers ahead.
Captain Axtis recounts the guard’s last battle decades prior, revealing their lack of recent experience, which Chella notes with grim amusement. She suspects Axtis might prefer to dispose of her and Kai to thwart the Dead King’s influence at the upcoming Congression. Despite her cynicism, Chella finds herself momentarily distracted by the countryside’s fleeting beauty, though she quickly chastises herself for such weakness. The chapter emphasizes her internal struggle between her necromantic detachment and the lingering pull of life’s sensations.
The journey is interrupted by an unexpected confrontation as another delegate, later revealed to be Jorg Ancrath, demands access to Chella’s carriage. Axtis attempts to block him, but Jorg’s forceful demeanor overrides the captain’s authority. The chapter ends abruptly as Kai opens the door, setting the stage for a tense encounter between Chella and Jorg, hinting at deeper conflicts to come. This interruption underscores the political tensions and unpredictable alliances shaping their path to Vyene.
FAQs
1. How does the chapter characterize the Gilden Guard, and what does their portrayal reveal about the empire’s state of affairs?
Answer:
The chapter portrays the Gilden Guard as superficially impressive but potentially ineffective. Kai dismisses them as “petty noble’s third sons” who grow “fat on bribes,” suggesting corruption and nepotism (Kai’s dialogue). Their last battle was a generation ago (Crassis Plains, 60th year of Interregnum), indicating prolonged peace or stagnation. The guard’s elaborate dining rituals with velvet-lined cases contrast with Chella’s skepticism about their combat skills, highlighting a disconnect between appearance and capability. This reflects the empire’s decay—maintaining ceremonial grandeur while actual military readiness remains untested against real threats like the Dead King’s forces.2. Analyze Chella’s internal conflict regarding her mission and the Dead King’s plans. What literary devices underscore her turmoil?
Answer:
Chella’s conflict is revealed through visceral imagery and metaphors. She feels “sick with being alive,” with a “stomach roiling” at the journey ahead, symbolizing her discomfort with her role (physical reactions). The Dead King’s plan, once unquestioned, now strikes her as “insanity,” showing ideological dissonance (internal monologue). The contrast between her necromantic detachment (“three lives spent digging into death”) and forced engagement with life (“life casts more spells… softness”) uses paradox to highlight her struggle. Her biting her tongue to “sharpen” herself against life’s allure further illustrates this tension through self-inflicted pain as a grounding mechanism.3. What thematic significance does Keres’ absence hold in the chapter, and how does it influence the narrative tension?
Answer:
Keres’ absence amplifies unease about unseen supernatural threats. Her “brittle feeling” lingers, with descriptions of dryness and decay foreshadowing her predatory nature (sucking moisture, traveling with plagues). Chella’s chill despite fire/wine reflects unresolved dread, as Keres—skinned yet silent—becomes an ominous unknown. The lichkin’s ability to traverse “fault-lines” between worlds symbolizes permeable boundaries between life/death, mirroring Chella’s own blurred allegiances. This absence creates suspense: readers, like Chella, are left questioning Keres’ fate and whether her silence implies greater danger, reinforcing themes of uncertainty and hidden power.4. How does the chapter use contrasting settings (e.g., carriage, inn, countryside) to develop Chella’s character?
Answer:
Settings mirror Chella’s duality. The creaking carriage, a confined space where she resists Kai’s proximity, reflects her guarded nature and necromantic isolation (“twelve inches separating their swaying bodies”). The inn’s opulence (imperial eagle cutlery) contrasts with her disdain for living decadence, underscoring her alienation. Conversely, the countryside’s sensory details (“scents of the countryside, the stink of farms”) briefly captivate her, revealing latent vulnerability to life’s allure—a tension resolved when she bites her tongue to reject it. These shifts between confinement, artificial grandeur, and natural openness trace her struggle between detachment and involuntary engagement with the living world.5. Evaluate the significance of Jorg Ancrath’s abrupt appearance at the chapter’s end. How does this cliffhanger reshape reader expectations?
Answer:
Jorg’s interruption subverts the chapter’s slow-building dread with immediate confrontation. His “blacks” and forceful dialogue (“You can’t stop me”) reintroduce chaos, contrasting the Gilden Guard’s rigid order. The unresolved confrontation—Axtis slamming the door, Kai’s retreat—creates urgency, shifting focus from Chella’s introspection to active conflict. As a wildcard figure, Jorg’s arrival threatens Chella’s mission and the Dead King’s plans, hinting at political upheaval. This cliffhanger reframes prior tensions (guard’s incompetence, Keres’ threat) as secondary to Jorg’s unpredictable agency, priming readers for a collision between necromantic schemes and Ancrath’s ruthless pragmatism.
Quotes
1. “She would travel in coffins, shadow the sick, drift with plague spores, and in time she would enter the Dead King’s court, wrapped again in unquiet spirits, snatched up on her journey.”
This vivid description of the lichkin Keres’ journey back to the Dead King showcases the eerie, supernatural elements of the world and the haunting persistence of death’s influence. It reflects the chapter’s dark tone and Chella’s necromantic perspective.
2. “Life casts more spells than any necromancer and they can be twice as deadly in their softness.”
Chella’s bitter reflection on the seductive dangers of life contrasts sharply with her necromantic powers. This quote encapsulates the chapter’s tension between life and death, and Chella’s struggle with her own lingering humanity.
3. “Pretty armour doesn’t make a warrior.”
Kai’s cynical assessment of the Gilden Guard highlights the theme of appearances versus reality that runs through the chapter. This critique of imperial power structures foreshadows potential conflicts and challenges to authority.
4. “A trouble named is a trouble tamed.”
Chella’s pragmatic wisdom about confronting problems directly reveals her practical nature despite her dark magic. This line represents her approach to the mysterious threats they face and the chapter’s building tension.
5. “I’m on a diplomatic visit, Captain. Your job is to facilitate such intercourse. If we delegates come to blows you may intervene.”
This confrontational dialogue introduces Jorg Ancrath’s disruptive presence, signaling a major turning point in the chapter. The quote exemplifies the political tensions and power struggles that characterize the narrative.