Reddit Post by u/balletraton July 4th 2022
And so we come to the end!
Chapter 36
Camilla, Harrow and Gideon fight Cytherea and her awful creepy bone construct (the one who killed Isaac and likely Jeannemary). Harrow and Gideon mind-meld in order to trap the construct in regenerating ash, and when the construct throws Gideon into the air Harrow saves her from a fatal fall by making a giant skeleton arm tower (then promptly passes out).
Meanwhile, Camilla tries to cut Cytherea's throat but is foiled by her Lyctor powers. As she's about to gut Cam with a rapier, Ianthe puts a blade through Cytherea's belly instead. So now Ianthe and Cytherea are dueling, and Gideon is getting Cam and unconscious-Harrow under cover, thank you very much - only for Canaan House itself to start falling apart.
Ianthe's blood magic seems to be turning the tide in her fight against Cytherea, but the older Lyctor had just been letter her tire herself out, like a toddler having a tantrum. So she sucks a bit of thalergy out of her to heal her wounds...and cut's Ianthe's arm off.
Cytherea turns her attention back to Gideon and her crew (including Harrow, who has woken up), and it's on for round two. The construct is back too, having ripped itself free of Harrow's prison (albeit leaving a bunch of pieces of itself behind in the process. Still nightmare fuel though). Things seem hopeless, but Harrow creates a big dome of bone to protect them. She tries to convince Gideon to run with Cam, while Harrow distracts Cytherea. Then Cam offers to be the distraction. But the reality is...everyone's going to die.
And then Harrow says something really nice to Gideon.
And then Gideon does something really stupid.
Best Lines
"Leave it!" barked her necromancer. (407)
Like Gideon is a dog. Seriously, Harrow??
"We do bones, motherfucker." (409)
"You can't hurt me," said Cytherea, almost despairingly. "Nothing can hurt me anymore, cavalier." (415)
Interesting. Why despairing?
"You're very brave - a bit like another Gideon I used to know. But you're prettier in the eyes." (424)
WHAT. I totally glossed over this as filler/flirting the first time around but look at that foreshadowing.
ACT FIVE
The Act Five title page has the aviator-wearing grinning Gideon skull at the end of the usual lineup - a fun little detail.
Chapter 37
Gideon is riding along in Harrow's head/body. They take down the construct - easy-peasy now - and pick up Gideon's sword to fight Cytherea. With a little bit of help from Pal's "turbo-cancer", and a well placed sword thrust, Harrow kills Cytherea. Then she pulls Gideon's body off the spikes.
Best Lines
"I meant it about not wanting an afterlife subscription to Palamedes Sextus's Top Nerd Facts." (435)
Lol.
"I cannot conceive of a universe without you in it." (437)
Just break me, Tamsyn. It's fine.
Epilogue
Harrow meets God. We learn that Ianthe is alive, and that Cam, Judith, Coronabeth, and Gideon's body are missing.
Discussion Questions/Thoughts
First of all, the fight scenes, which comprise most of chapter 36 and a good portion of chapter 37. I'd love to see these scenes on film, though I think these books are too niche and in some ways too subtle to succeed as an adaptation. But in my heart of hearts, I'm imagining a Showtime prestige series in the vein of Penny Dreadful. Just for fun: if you were going to fancast these chapters, who's playing who?
I have to ask: What was your gut reaction to Gideon's actions at the end of Chapter 36
So we finally meet the Emperor Undying. Is he what you expected?
SPOILERS BELIOW
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Re-read Discussion Thoughts
At the bottom of page 438, Gideon quotes Ruth 1:17 ("The Land that shall receive thee dying, in the same will I die: and there will I be buried. The Lord do so-and-so to me, and add more also, if aught but death part me and thee")
This implies that the Bible exists in the Locked Tomb world, more evidence that it's our apocalyptic future - and perhaps suggests that we should read Jod as a failed Second Coming.
HtN spoilers:Is there something to be said about "The land that shall receive thee dying" in light of what we learn in HtN about the dead souls and the River and the stomas? Is this going to be a literal place?
In what other places does Muir reference, draw on, or deconstruct Catholic traditions and teachings? There's a LOT to be said here and I'm looking forward to one day reading someone's Masters thesis on the subject.
While this verse (and the one before it) are often used in modern-day weddings, in the original context these lines were said between two women (Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi). I am fascinated by its inclusion here, once again between two women - queering the Bible.
HtN spoilers:In this epilogue Harrow says Gideon's name and it's not replaced. Does this imply that this scene takes place before she lobotomizes herself??
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END OF SPOILERS
Link to full discussion on Reddit with Comments