I don't have a copy of the older version so I can't look it up and if I am wrong please do correct me, but from what I remember, Darryl "curing" his autism was more like...an afterthought? Kit and Nita and Darryl were talking about being able to use Darryl's co-location to have him both stay in the mindscape with the Lone Power like he promised and go back to the waking world and live his life there. It's already established that he's doing that when I think Kit says "oh by the way you can also leave your autism with the one in the mindscape." I don't remember it feeling necessary that he leave behind his autism, and so it felt more like it was supposed to be a bonus than a sacrifice. So I appreciate that Duane has learned enough about autism to realize that removing the autism is not actually a bonus, and that she was willing to write her new understanding.

I don't think this book loses any depth because it doesn't have that kind of big personal sacrifice. Part of the themes of this book is in fact dealing with the aftermath of sacrifice, like Nita's mother's, and the recognition that the struggle itself is important even if there's no big flashy moment signaling the end. Nita struggles through her grief, but that isn't a struggle that just ends -- it's something that keeps coming back in different forms, but Nita learns how important it is to continue through it. Darryl struggled through making the Oath and his Ordeal, and now he's choosing to go back out into the world as himself, knowing how many things here are designed for the neurotypical and punish the atypical.

And honestly, I like that there isn't a big sacrifice. Too often in life, people (especially minorities) are just expected to make sacrifices. I think it's a victory against entropy to find a way around that, to find a path forward where you get to keep yourself together. It's a personal pet peeve of mine how heroes seem to be expected to constantly sacrifice and their journey is worth less if they find some respite (I'm not thinking of your comment there, by the way, but other media where the heroes just seem to get relentlessly pounded). I think it's good storytelling to sometimes give the heroes an unalloyed win, both as a break in a pattern of spiraling angst (which I appreciate as the audience, or else I start to get angst fatigue and lose investment in the story and characters) and as a way to boost the heroes' morale for the next part of the story.

And then, while sacrifice is definitely a theme throughout this series, it's not the only one. The struggle itself being important is also a deep-seated thread in the series, because what is wizardry except the constant fight against entropy? I don't mind having a book to highlight this theme more than another one, especially coming after a book where sacrifice really was the big thing.

So I would be interested in hearing people's thoughts about Darryl as an abdal -- a black kid as the embodiment of innocence and goodness. Because that was what struck me most as I reread this part, especially in the context of tragedies like the murders of Trayvon Martin and Tamir Rice and knowing that the USA does not really consider black kids to be as innocent and good as white kids. So in that context, I really appreciated Duane's choice to make Darryl both black and an abdal.

Then I read oneshykitten's comment above about the negative tropes of "magical/innocent autistic person," which I did not know was a thing. So now I'm really interested in hearing what people think about the intersection of these identities. (I'm white and allistic, so I would especially appreciate the perspective of people who are black and/or autistic.)

V nz abg nhgvfgvp, fb V irel zhpu ybbx sbejneq gb urnevat lbhe gubhtugf, ohg gung unf orra n qvfphffvba V'ir orra nagvpvcngvat fvapr V fnj Znex jnf ernqvat Lbhat Jvmneqf. Ng gung cbvag V'q bayl ernq gur bevtvany rqvgvba bs guvf obbx, naq bayl tbg nebhaq gb ernqvat gur Arj Zvyyraavhz irefvba erpragyl. Unir lbh ernq gur bevtvany rqvgvba? Vs fb, V'q or irel vagrerfgrq va urnevat lbhe gubhtugf ba gur punatrf va gur raq bs gur obbx. Gubhtu V fhccbfr V fubhyq jnvg hagvy jr trg gurer!

Been awhile since I commented, but something in today's post just really sparked something I wanted to mention:

Vg vf nyy cneg bs n genafnpgvba, naq gung zrnaf gung Avgn jvyy cnl ertneqyrff bs gur pubvpr. Fur pna cnl jvgu ure jvmneqel, be fur pna cnl jvgu ure zbgure.

Znex urer vf ernyyl gnyxvat nobhg Orggl yvxr fur'f Avgn'f. Naq Avgn naq gur Ybar Cbjre jrer qbvat gur fnzr guvat, ohg V qvqa'g ernyyl abgvpr hagvy V fnj Znex'f rdhvinyrapr -- "fur pna cnl jvgu ure jvmneqel be fur pna cnl jvgu ure zbz." Ohg fur qbrf abg npghnyyl bja ure zbz gur jnl fur bjaf ure jvmneqel. Gur pubvpr vfa'g gur fnzr orpnhfr gurer vf nabgure crefba jubfr evtug bs frys-qrgrezvangvba vf vzcnpgrq urer.

Juvpu vf jul, nf fnq nf vg vf, V'z fb fngvfsvrq jvgu gur pyvznk bs guvf obbx. Orggl Pnyynuna fubhyq unir ntrapl va guvf pubvpr -- naq fb Qhnar tvirf vg gb ure. Vg'f fnq jung pubvprf Orggl vf yrsg jvgu, ohg V'z fb tynq gung fur trgf gur punapr gb znxr gurz.

I appreciate that! :) I know it's a joke, but when you've heard it many many times... :p

Sigh. I know it's joking, but I have never liked chocolate, and the constant surprise and horror at that admission is honestly really tiresome. I don't enjoy the taste of something most people do, so I am an untrustworthy bad soulless baby kicker!

Please be mindful of that kind of joking exaggeration. For those of us on the other side, as small a minority as we may be, it's not very funny.

I believe Mark is not having a prediction post for WOTE (understandably), so my question for everyone who's read it is...

JUB'F ERNQL SBE PNABA YNEXGUBEA NAQ DHRRE QNWN? JUB'F ERNQL SBE ZNEX GB NOFBYHGRYL SYVC BHG NOBHG OBGU BS GUBFR GUVATF?

V pna whfg vzntvar...nyy gubfr uvagf nobhg Qnwn fgnegvat gb snyy va ybir jvgu Evmh...V jbaqre ubj dhvpxyl Znex jvyy cvpx hc ba gurz? Naq sbe nyy gung JBGR vf fbzrgvzrf uneq gb ernq orpnhfr V jnag zl pvepyr bs sevraqfuvc onpx, V pna'g jnvg sbe uvz gb frr gung uvf Qnwn vf rira zber yvxr uvz.

Mark, you've been mentioning in your videos throughout this book that Daja has been thinking of her foster family more often than Sandry and Briar did. I hadn't even noticed that, but I thought a little bit about it since you first mentioned it, and...Daja's the one who had the biggest, closest family before Winding Circle. Sandry clearly loved her parents and Pirisi, but it doesn't feel like she really had a big support network (between the flightiness of her parents and not being close to extended family until Vedris). Briar's mother died when he was four and then he had his gang. Tris had a big extended family, but she was never welcome among them. Daja, on the other hand, lived and worked alongside what sounds like a big, close family.

So maybe Sandry and Briar just aren't...habituated to thinking of their family as often as Daja does. They're more used to having less support. That might also be why Daja is the first one to think she wants to go home to her family immediately. She's the one who is most used to associating family with comfort and support.

Yes, this is exactly what I thought. I was fifteen when this book came out, and the utter creepiness had pinged me, but I hadn't immediately gotten that the arsonist was Ben.

Mark, at least this time you won't get nervous nunning about when you'll figure it out...

I have the firm belief that Kol/Matazi/Frostpine has happened in the past, and maybe still happens. :D