There were all sorts of little clarifying details I liked with the two boys. I'll probably think of more over time, but tonight I'm thinking about:
Gil's reactions to Klaus sending him out after Agatha. Anger, reluctance, but not serious resistance. But he does have the very beginning of a revelation: his father not only absolutely can arrest anyone he likes under the pretext of keeping the peace, but he has. Not often--it's clear that Klaus usually uses that ploy for perfectly legit reasons. But it's also clear that it's sort of nudging at Gil that Klaus doesn't always use it for its presented purpose, and that there are no checks and balances to stop Klaus or him from misuse.
I think that's important...the start of a moral arc for him, that the current plot arc is likely to push further. Now Gil is simply and absolutely at the other end of the rope -- innocent but with no recourse, framed, but with no court of appeal.
Tarvek: An important detail added in the novel is in the rephrasing of Tarvek's Madboy rant to Agatha...who turns out to be Lu. He doesn't just say he wants to take over Europa, he says he wants to bring about "true stability." To me that's a critical clarification...his goal is to bring something he feels Klaus has not brought, a truly stable political structure. The story so far suggests Tarvek is right: that the stability in Europa is imposed by force, and only holds so long as one strong player holds the reins....and can fall even then, given a sharp shove.
Whether Tarvek is the right man for the job is another question, but it makes it that much more clear that his goals are not simply power-hunger. They may be vain and delusional: that has to be seen, yet. But they're valid goals in response to a real problem.
One of my current guesses growing from reading the book is that the time after Gil and Tarvek bicker during the repairs, when Tarvek goes to be unhappy and brood alone, is that his big revelation is that his plan had been to use the wasps if he had to to create a stable Europa...
But that Gil's enough better than he thought to be an attractive Heir after all, and that he could avoid the wasp problem entirely by promoting Gil as Klaus' successor, and pushing Klaus out. Gil's just been spouting off the sort of concerns for the people that I'm more and more suspicious matter to Tarvek, he's trained, he's got his own sort of legitimacy, and he could rule a stable Europa, especially if he could be brought to take advice.
Now THAT would make Tarvek unhappy and broody. He'd have to give up his own ambitions, and the hero role, he'd probably have to give away a lot of the secrets he's fought so hard to gain, and he'd have to give them to Gil, who's his rival in EVERYTHING.
It would fit far better than a sudden revelation that wasping people is bad: there's really no sign he was ever actually indifferent to that. It would match the dialog while leaving Gil room for his own doubts. And it would explain even more why Tarvek's been so willing to go the last mile to save Gil. For all the old friendship, Tarvek's started protecting Gil in the same way he protects Agatha, with a dedication and fierce commitment...and unlike with Agatha, it has to override a very real and ongoing conflict between the boys.
Another point is that he does NOT want Gil wasped. Now part of that will be to keep him out of Lu's hands. But it also keeps Gil out of Tarvek's own control. It's always important to remember that Tarvek has the technology to capitalize on slaver wasp tech. If he were mean and greedy and nasty enough, he'd let Gil be wasped in the knowledge that he could command his rival from there on in. But he wants Gil free.
There are practical reasons as well as honorable ones, but it's still interesting to watch.
Gil comes across more fatalistic and more clearly gritty in this: he's more decidedly tougher and a bit less squeaky clean. Tarvek, conversely, comes across a bit shinier. Both clearly love Agatha. Both just as clearly could be experiencing first love, but not necessarily permanent love: that's left open, which I think is good.
Tarvek does clearly lie in this: that's easier to check than previously. But his lies are for more obvious and sensible reasons, and are far less easily mistaken for "he'd do anything at any moment to gain power." Lu mistakes him for that at first, and is just beginning to revise her opinion as she begins to realize there's steel under the superficial fluff.
no subject
Gil's reactions to Klaus sending him out after Agatha. Anger, reluctance, but not serious resistance. But he does have the very beginning of a revelation: his father not only absolutely can arrest anyone he likes under the pretext of keeping the peace, but he has. Not often--it's clear that Klaus usually uses that ploy for perfectly legit reasons. But it's also clear that it's sort of nudging at Gil that Klaus doesn't always use it for its presented purpose, and that there are no checks and balances to stop Klaus or him from misuse.
I think that's important...the start of a moral arc for him, that the current plot arc is likely to push further. Now Gil is simply and absolutely at the other end of the rope -- innocent but with no recourse, framed, but with no court of appeal.
Tarvek: An important detail added in the novel is in the rephrasing of Tarvek's Madboy rant to Agatha...who turns out to be Lu. He doesn't just say he wants to take over Europa, he says he wants to bring about "true stability." To me that's a critical clarification...his goal is to bring something he feels Klaus has not brought, a truly stable political structure. The story so far suggests Tarvek is right: that the stability in Europa is imposed by force, and only holds so long as one strong player holds the reins....and can fall even then, given a sharp shove.
Whether Tarvek is the right man for the job is another question, but it makes it that much more clear that his goals are not simply power-hunger. They may be vain and delusional: that has to be seen, yet. But they're valid goals in response to a real problem.
One of my current guesses growing from reading the book is that the time after Gil and Tarvek bicker during the repairs, when Tarvek goes to be unhappy and brood alone, is that his big revelation is that his plan had been to use the wasps if he had to to create a stable Europa...
But that Gil's enough better than he thought to be an attractive Heir after all, and that he could avoid the wasp problem entirely by promoting Gil as Klaus' successor, and pushing Klaus out. Gil's just been spouting off the sort of concerns for the people that I'm more and more suspicious matter to Tarvek, he's trained, he's got his own sort of legitimacy, and he could rule a stable Europa, especially if he could be brought to take advice.
Now THAT would make Tarvek unhappy and broody. He'd have to give up his own ambitions, and the hero role, he'd probably have to give away a lot of the secrets he's fought so hard to gain, and he'd have to give them to Gil, who's his rival in EVERYTHING.
It would fit far better than a sudden revelation that wasping people is bad: there's really no sign he was ever actually indifferent to that. It would match the dialog while leaving Gil room for his own doubts. And it would explain even more why Tarvek's been so willing to go the last mile to save Gil. For all the old friendship, Tarvek's started protecting Gil in the same way he protects Agatha, with a dedication and fierce commitment...and unlike with Agatha, it has to override a very real and ongoing conflict between the boys.
Another point is that he does NOT want Gil wasped. Now part of that will be to keep him out of Lu's hands. But it also keeps Gil out of Tarvek's own control. It's always important to remember that Tarvek has the technology to capitalize on slaver wasp tech. If he were mean and greedy and nasty enough, he'd let Gil be wasped in the knowledge that he could command his rival from there on in. But he wants Gil free.
There are practical reasons as well as honorable ones, but it's still interesting to watch.
Gil comes across more fatalistic and more clearly gritty in this: he's more decidedly tougher and a bit less squeaky clean. Tarvek, conversely, comes across a bit shinier. Both clearly love Agatha. Both just as clearly could be experiencing first love, but not necessarily permanent love: that's left open, which I think is good.
Tarvek does clearly lie in this: that's easier to check than previously. But his lies are for more obvious and sensible reasons, and are far less easily mistaken for "he'd do anything at any moment to gain power." Lu mistakes him for that at first, and is just beginning to revise her opinion as she begins to realize there's steel under the superficial fluff.