What is your take on the new Liurial situation? What is your impression of Jezera's angle here. Does she even have one or is she just being childish? I'm guessing both; since that is usually how it goes- interested in your take though.
I'm still not convined that Liurial isn't actually just part of an elaborate scheme by Jezebel. But I'm also starting to think I'm just caught in a
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prison. She makes sure to let Rowan know that she has schemes and spies running around him, just enough to make us question what is and isn't a scheme and who we can and can't trust. Clearly not everything can be a scheme and not everyone can be a spy, but we are forced to act as if that is the case.
My personal pet theory is that Liurial
is a spy for Jezera, but eventually catches feeling for Rowan and turns on her. I don't have any proof to back it up, I just think it would be a good narrative. But if we assume that is not the case, and that everything going on is largely as it seems... I would say that it is a case of Jezera threatening things Rowan cares about. Alexia is a pretty good tool in that regard, but if their relationship starts to deteriorate, or Rowan finds out Andras has been successful in seducing his wife, or Alexia starts growing fond of minotaurs or fishmen, or that she fucked some random goblins at her barmaid job, or... Well lets just say that it might be a good idea to have some extra strings on him that she can still use to keep him compliant.
I'm also interested in other folks take on the Cla-min arc. It was actually rather whimsical and wholesome; a simultaneously dysfunctional yet functional family hiest. I liked that aspect of it to be honest. So much of Rowan's content is just suffering. Talking to some Goblins and starting some shenanigans against more minor villians was a nice reprieve from that. The idea that a mage can track someone through the artifacts was interesting. Also, I really want to know what they do ;-). Its two rings- so I kinda wonder exactly what the angle is there- are we choosing who to give them to? Is it a Marriage arc?
I like that we are starting to get some non-sex based characterization of our cast of characters. It really helps develop them as people. And it gives more of a reason for Rowan to chaff less at his captivity. These sorts of interaction show that he is developing actual relationships and not simply having momentary lapses in judgment when some one flashes their tits at him. I'll be interested in where Cla-min's story goes long term since she seems pretty dead set on bringing Rowan into the family. However I imagine that would be a pretty hard sell for Alexia, who seems to have taken an instant dislike to Cla-min (it probably didn't help that Cla-Min pretty much introduced herself as Ms. StealYourMan).