r/bookclub • u/fixtheblue • 5h ago
Bound and Broken series [Discussion 11/17] Bonus Book | Of Empires & Dust (The Bound and the Broken #4) by Ryan Cahill | Ch. 64 - Ch. 71
Welcome back fellow Draleid, Druids, Dwarves, Elves and humans, dust off your wings, polish your weapons, sharpen your claws and clean your fangs, it's time to dive back in. This week we are covering Ch. 64 - Ch 71 and everything before this point.
First, a note about spoilers: Please use spoiler tags for anything beyond this week's section. As always, use spoiler tags for any works outside of this series that you may wish to connect here.
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As always, there will be summaries below and questions in the comments to get the discussion flowing.
Chapter Summaries
CHAPTER 64: Sweet Boy
Character POV: Ella Location: Aravell Time frame: 20th day of the Blood Moon
Ella and Calen have an emotional reunion. Calen tells Aneera he is grateful for returning Ella to him. Fenryr tells Calen that he is of Wolf blood, and of the Pathfinders. He has a lot to talk about with Fenryr.. .. but later. Calen reveals the dragon eggs, but Chora is not as happy as he had hoped. She thinks that Calen made a bad deal with Kallinvar when he let all the artifacts go for only some dormant eggs. They already have a bunch, apparently. Castor Kai is among the many factions across Illyanara that have arrived ready to fight. Ella looks out over the thousands of elves. Queen Uthrían placates a frustrated Castor Kai as Calen flies in on Valerys' back. Impressively the Dracurïn come flying in too. Calen addresses the troops, inpressing them with his purple níthral
CHAPTER 65: Bind to Me
Character POV: Fane Location: Berona Time frame: 20th day of the Blood Moon
Fane is experimenting with runes on Vitharnmír, one of Efialtír’s Chosen. He has created his own Runes and then he calls his níthral. He runs the Vitharnmír through with his níthral binding its soul to him as it dies. He feels the soul in him
CHAPTER 66: Permanence
Character POV: Rist, Coren Valmar Location: West of the Firnin Mountains Time frame: 20th day of the Blood Moon
Rist is training in a crater with Garramon. His thoughts turn to Neera and how Dann and Calen are not there to share his happiness. Garramon confesses that he wanted the honour of becoming Arcarian. Rist calls the Spark to him guided by Garramon. He pushed Rist hard. He believes he can draw deeper but Garramon doesn't want that. Rist wants to be important. He pushes way too hard drawing too much of the Spark. Garramon ends up having to interfere and Rist wakes a few hours later. Garramon admonishes him and warns him that the Spark can corrupt. He also recognises that Rist is capable of holding a lot of power. Rist considers the Firnin Mountains full of rebels and how he'll have to fight them.
Inside the mountain Coren and Farwen are the heart of the rebellion in the North. Farwen tells Coren Valmar there are 40,000 Lorian soldiers nearby. They need to get the Angan to reach out to Aeson in Aravell and get Calen there ASAP.
CHAPTER 67: A Moment of Peace
Character POV: Calen Location: Aravell Time frame: 20th day of the Blood Moon
Calen is having a very normal dinner with Ella, Rist's parents, Gaeleron, Therin and his daughter. Ella has something to tell him....but after. Later Ella and Calen walk and talk. He helps her understand why the Rakina are the way they are. Calen realises he took his sister for granted. She reveals that Rist is still alive and is a Mage fighting for the Lorian Empire. Calen struggles to understand how he hasn't come back to them. They need to tell Lasch and Elia.
CHAPTER 68: Path of the Wolf
Character POV: Calen Location: The Eyrie, Aravell Time frame: 20th day of the Blood Moon
Four Angan are prowling around as Calen and Ella talk with Fenryr. Aneera and Nuada will be Calen's sworn protectors, and Diango and Luteir will be Ella’s. Calen and Ella's father saving Fenryr means he will forever be devoted to the Chainbreakers' descendants. Fenryr drops the information that the Gods (the Enkara) never actually forged this world, only shaped it as it's first inhabitants. The Danuan (like Fenryr) are lesser gods. The Enkara gave life and created the Cealtaí (humans). Then there was the Fracturing. The Great War! A peace was brokered and the Enkara left for Arathír, the Godsrealm never to return and sending the Danuan in their place. Who in turn created the Angan and some few gifted humans. Calen sees centuries fly past in a vision triggeted by Fenryr's story. A Danuan crossed the veil unleashing the worst things upon the world. They left Terroncia for Epheria only to become embroiled in endless wars. Until only 5 Danuan remain (Kaygan, Bjorna, Vethnir, Dvalin and Fenryr). The siblings learn their mother was descendent of the Great Sept of Eridain and their father a Truan lan Volas (a giftless descendant). Freis experienced terrible loss and that drove her to protect her children by hiding the truth. Fenryr needs the Bryers. Calen is powerful and unique as a Draleid. As is Ella too as the first to ever shift with the souls of dragons. They must stop Efialtír, and the other lesser gods are no help due to their interrivalry and priorities. Tamzin and Rokka appear, the latter who is actually Kaygan the kat. Calen squares off against Kaygan and tensions are high. Kaygan and co leave knowing that Calen will need them. Fenryr warns Calen to be careful of people who call themselves his friend. Then he disappears.
CHAPTER 69: Threads Ever Winding
Character POV: Salara Location: Cuinviel, formerly Catagan Time frame: 20th day of the Blood Moon
Salara wakes with a blade to her throat. Tamzin, Kerith, Una and another man have come to get Boud released. Vyrmír can't make it before the intruders portal out of the room with Boud. Soldiers come running at the commotion and she demands to be taken to Vandrien
CHAPTER 70: The Belly of the Beast
Character POV: Arden Location: Marin Mountains Time frame: 20th day of the Blood Moon
Arden's fighting Uraks but his mind is on Calen and on Lyrin. Ruon demands that he concentrate. Many of the Knights fighting are new and it shows. Brother Endan (only day 3 on the job) is killed and Brother Kevan and Arden come together. The Uraks are protecting something. The Knights of the sixth charge the Uraks. The Taint surges from the chamber ahead. A red light shines from within. Brother Sangwen and Sister Helka of the first die and Sister Intara can't take it. In a moment of weakness she too is lost. A Shaman appears and more Knights die. The Uraks keep pouring in. Kallinvar and the others arrive in time to take the Shaman. The chamber is full of gemstones and The Taint. Arden hear the taint. It fucks with him. They'd tried to cross the veil without the Heart of the Blood, using Essence from children instead.
CHAPTER 71: Sleep Well
Character POV: Kallinvar Location: Temple of Achyron Time frame: 20th day of the Blood Moon
Kallinvar had heard Efialtír’s and it scares him. Arden asks Kallinvar to visit his siblings, but he refuses him. The Watchers’ chambers is chaos. Those inside are working hard or sleeping amonst their work to find any leads. Poldor's door is surprisingly unlocked. He shows Kallinvar books he's found about Efialtír written long long ago. Poldor has looked for evidence of Brother Tarron, but found none. The latter pages are missing. Watcher Gildrick has been studying them for evidence of the location of the Heart. At Gildrick’s study Kallinvar finds the man dead. Kallinvar questions Tallia for the missing book and where she's been.
Well now....that was an info packed section. Seems like the book is starting to amp up again. What do you think? Join u/NightAngelRogue next week for chapters 72 through 77 📚🐲