Not religious (though like you, Johanna I was raised Catholic) and never had an incline towards spirituality but this was a fantastic discussion.

Thanks for inviting me, I had a wonderful time! These kinds of comversations are wonderuflly fulfilling, and help me expand and settle into my appreciation for reading even more! Also, on a tangential note, I am kicking myself for not mentioning it (I blame the time) - while _Pet Sematary_ may be King's rawest exploration of grief, both _Lisey's Story_ and _Revival_ should be at the top of that list, too. The former is a little more fantastical, sometimes a little goofy, ands the latter is a slow burn of a story that not only highlights King's skill in character but also boasts one of his best endings.

Thank you for being such a wonderful host, as always, Johanna! I had a lovely time chatting with you and Lekden -- these are the sorts of discussions I love most, so I'm deeply grateful.

IMAGINATION. No other method of information/entertainment input provides as much room for imagination as reading does. Reading is key when activating the mind, getting to know yourself, your species and your environment. At some point when I have time I'll certainly binge on this fantastic and extremely pertinent series!

Damn this was a beautiful and amazing episode! Great work Johanna..

Shame I missed the discussion on IT as it's one of my favourites but this was such a great discussion of varied topics.

I'm sad to have been unable to catch this live. This was a brilliant conversation that I absolutely would have engaged with in the comments. Between Lekden's enjoyment of the ❤Hobb ❤ he's read so far, the topic of inclusion vs erasure for alternative sexuality, into the experience of reading being different for everyone, and even to talking about Stephen King's It. FAN-TAS-TIC discussion. I'm raising my hand to be a part of any discussion around IT that you have. My credentials, like anything I'm prepared to talk about, is that I've read it *multiple* times, it's in the dozens. If you're not certain you want to host one, but want to discuss it anyway, Johanna (and Lekden and Philip) I'd love to have you!

Ahh, I can't believe I had to go before you brought up The Dispossessed, Johanna!

I missed it! Damn

Sorry for your loss, Johanna. Completely understand where you're coming from. I read Sarantine Mosaic very shortly after losing my grandmother (I finished StS on the ferry to the funeral, ironic given there's 0 sailing in StS 😂) and found it a very cathartic experience, though as a result Sailing to Sarantium stands out way more in my memory than Lord of Emperors does. I will say, i strongly agree with you on the horniness of the series, we didn't need that much page time dedicated to it given by Fantasy standards the books aren't that long. In September I've read: *DC Comics* Green Lantern: Secret Origin (re-read) Written by Geoff Johns | Art by Ivan Reis *Fantasy* Dunk & Egg 1: The Hedge Knight (re-read) - I was kinda underwhelmed on my first read, but on re-read I loved it. Rain Wild Chronicles 2: Dragon Haven Rain Wild Chronicles 3: City of Dragons Rain Wild Chronicles 4: Blood of Dragons - 1st 3rd of Dragon Haven was kinda rough but it really picked up after that. Overall it is my least favourite subseries of RotE, though I'd read it again. Fitz & Fool 1: Fool's Assassin - Book of the Month! Loved the Gothic atmosphere throughout and exploring the later years Fitz's life. My only complaint, is that there isn't enough of the Fool. *Image Comics* Criminal 1: Coward Written by Ed Brubaker | Art by Sean Philips - Read in a sitting! It's a series I'd been curious about for years. *Marvel Comics* Astonishing X-Men Complete Collection 1 Written by Joss Whedon | Art by Sean Cassaday Daredevil 1: Hell Breaks Loose Written by Saladin Ahmed | Art by Aaron Kuder - Thoroughly enjoyed this. Waiting for the next trade to come down a little in price. Moon Knight 1: The Midnight Mission Written by Jed McKay | Art by Alessandro Cappuccio - Love me some Moon Knight. *Mystery* Mystic River / Dennis Lehane - One of my favourites of the year! So far in October I've finished: *Fantasy* Memory Sorrow & Thorn 2: Stone of Farewell *Short Fiction* Hell is the Absence of God / Ted Chiang - I'm not a religious or spiritual person but gave me a lot to think about. As for what I'm currently reading: *Comics* Ultimate Spider-man 1: Married with Children Written by Jonathan Hickman | Art by Marco Checchetto *Fantasy* Memory, Sorrow & Thorn 3: To Green Angel Tower

Excellent review of Sarantine, Johanna! Even if you are on the list of enemies now 😆 I really need to pick up some Toni Morrison but I know it has to be the right time.

Great video! I'm so happy that I finally watched a review of a GGK work where I felt like I needed to add it to my already too long backlog of books. Unfortunately, though, I might have to add some of Toni Morrison's works to the to long of a list. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on The Great Ordeal, as that and TUC are my favorite Bakker books. Thanks for sharing you thoughts

Thanks so much for sharing your detailed thoughts, Johanna. Great video!

I've been wanting to read it for a long time, I hope to be able to before the end of the year!

The Bluest Eye sounds like a brutal read. Honestly sounds more horrifying than anything im picking up for October.

Really refreshing to hear your thoughts on Sarantine, especially because I had not heard a women's perspective on the series before. Glad that you still found so much to appreciate in there though, GGK is just a master at his craft! Also, I really need to read some Toni Morrison already, but I just keep putting it off because I keep not being in the right headspace for such a heavy story. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, hope you are having a great start to October 🥰

I burst out laughing at the 🌽y and 😘y aside after the very serious discussion that preceded it! You have a really interesting and keenly observed way of framing a book, so I wasn’t entirely expecting that shift 😆

Great wrap-up, Johanna! I enjoyed your thoughts on the Sarantine Mosaic, even if our individual appreciation did differ in that one.

Many people have hyped The Sarantine Mosaic to me. I am reluctant to try it though I am a fan of Kay's writing. We ll see how it will turn to be. It was interesting to watch something that does not hype it. Also great that The Great Ordeal is on. This might be my favourite fiction book. It can arguably be the weirdest, most difficult book of the whole series, but I think it gas the most palpable atmosphere and tone and the greatest parts of Bakker's morbid imagination. A truly special book for the genre

The writing in Bluest Eye really blew me away. She has such a command of language, and the the way she approaches difficult topics. I can see Octavia Butler having inspiration from her, in the way she handles hard situations.

Toni Morrison has been on my tbr for a while but she sounds like someone I have to be in the right mood for to appreciate. Haven't tried Sarantine Mosaic but I'm a bit of a GGK hater. Still enjoyed hearing your thoughts! I've been reading a fair amount of weird/unsettling stuff lately and it's mostly been excellent.

Shame Sarantine didn’t reach the heights of your other GGK reads, and I fear the same thing will happen for me since I truly cannot imagine having an experience to the same level as the one I had with a Song for Arbonne-the most special read of my life by a pretty wide margin. I should be getting to Sarantine within a couple weeks so I’ll be right behind!

I appreciated hearing your thoughts on Sarantine, Johanna. I feel like I’ve heard such glowing reviews, so it’s nice to hear some of the things that didn’t really work for you. I still want to read it, but I feel more informed going in. Thank you!

I really appreciate you taking the time to share your nuanced thoughts on this. Oftentimes I find more balanced reviews like this one to be the most helpful in recalibrating the top of my TBR and this video came to me at the perfect time for that.

In September I read three Rosemary Sutcliffe novels: 2 YA Historical Fiction Novels, «The Silver Branch» & «The Lantern Bearers» (set in Ancient Britain during the Late Roman and the Roman Withdrawal & Saxon Invasions, respectively) and an Arthurian Historical Fiction novel, «Sword at Sunset», all loosely connectied to each other following a family over generations, with the POV character of «The Lantern Bearers» as a mentor figure and his son one of Arthur’s companions in «Sword at Sunset». I also finished «Sword in the Storm» («Rigante» series #1) by David Gemmell (S&S/Heroic Fantasy, inspired by Celtic Britain and the Roman Invasions) and «The Eternal Champion» by Michael Moorcock (Multiverse S&S/(Anti-?)Heroic Fantasy). Also finished «Lustrum» (US: «Conspirata», «Cicero»-Trilogy #2) by Robert Harris (Historical Fiction about the Roman Statesman), that one or «Sword in the Storm» might be my Book of the Month! Cheers Johanna and stay safe!

Though The Sarantine Mosaic didn't turn out to be your favorite story by Kay, I'm still looking forward to reading it as part of my GGK read through in 2025. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on it here, Johanna! Also, great to hear your reactions to The Bluest Eye, another book I hope to read! I'm afraid I'm behind on The Great Ordeal as my SPFBOX reads are taking longer than I thought they would, but I'm looking forward to it very much.

Wow, way to add Toni Morrison to my huge tbr! What a great review, colour me intrigued! Very interested to Dre how you get on with IT.

Hello there hey there hey Hello hey there

I loved the way you talk about The Bluest Eye. Along with Ishiguro, Morrison is another author I really want to read. Baldwin is another… is he also on your TBR?

Have only read A Song for Arbonne by Kay and I think The Lions of Al-Rassan will be my next read by him. The Bluest Eye sounds very interesting.

I will definitely try Morrison on audio now, thanks for the tip. I've been debating which book of hers to read next--was hoping for one not so emotionally taxing--but I haven't decided yet.

Well, Sarantine Mosaic is in running for my book of the year so I'm just gonna sit here and sulk :D I know how you feel, it can be quite difficult to peacefully read a book when your close circle has been singing its praises for so long. Some of the most dissapointing reads I have encountered have been, funnily, the ones that it seems everyone else adored and I thought was fine but didn't connect with me....not amazing not terrible but ok (The Dandelion Dynasty in my case). I will be hopefully reading A Song for Arbonne this month so I am looking forward to comparing. As far as my nonsense......I had a pretty successful month of reading during my first month in Europe. I revisited some of my favorite entries in the Detective Inspector Gamache series, which I listen to while working out. I have read these books multiple times in college, so I know them quite well. Before reading this series, I didn't know much about Canadian history or culture, which is sad considering Canada is one of our closest neighbors. It's not taught in schools. I'm glad to know more about our friends from the Great White North. I read an old book I absconded from my grandmother's basement called "The Prince of Foxes." It was turned into a movie in the 1940s starring Orson Scott Card. It's a good action-adventure story with some nice conversations about art. I studied art history, so I enjoyed that part. I also realized that the Borgias are definitely the worst. It might not be the most unique book I've ever read, but it's not bad. My first Conn Iggulden book was, "Genghis: Birth of an Empire." It was a decent adventure kind of book. The writing was pretty good and the characters were decent. I'm interested in learning more about Genghis Khan, and this series could be a good starting point for me. Although I'm not usually a fan of action-adventure books, I'm willing to give the second book a try, as well as explore more of Iggulden's other works, such as the one about Pericles. I read a nonfiction book called "Snow Country Tales." It's an out-of-print book that I found in a used bookstore in DC. This is a wonderful Japanese classic, authored by a native of Japan’s snow country during the late 1700s and early 1800s. The book reads like a natural history, with commentary on nature and the human culture that has developed in this challenging environment. It also includes original illustrations sketched by the author. If you are interested in Japan and looking for a new perspective on the country, this book might be of interest. I was inspired by the Brother Gwynn to try "Glorious Exploits" by Ferdia Lennon. It's a relatively new release, coming out in March of this year. The book is short, making it a good choice if you need a break from huge tomes. I found it to be one of the most unique books I've read this year. It's a great way to introduce Greek literature to the uninitiated. I've read both of the plays highlighted in this book, and I've loved exploring Greek plays since I was a kid. T The next book was technically a reread but as I haven't read it since middle school, I think I can be forgiven for counting this in the count of the month. This was Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra. I had the privilege of visiting this great fortress, one of the most fascinating and mysterious in Europe. There is such a sense of mystery there. I would love to explore there at night when the memories of the castle's previous inhabitants are supposed to overlap with the present. This book is beautifully written from the first page. On the tour, the guide mentioned this book several times. It seems that they are quite grateful to Irving for increasing American interest in Granadan history. Great book. I got through the sixth book in the Legend of the Galactic Heroes series. It's challenging to discuss the sixth book in a series but, in brief, I enjoyed this one! While the first three books remain my favorites, I'm looking forward to reading the seventh book either this month or next. I'm also eager to find out where to watch the newer anime adaptation. I believe the story was made for a visual medium. The last book I read was Guy Gavriel Kay's River of Stars. Technically, it's a sequel to Under Heaven, my favorite book last year, but it takes place hundreds of years later. I was a bit nervous about reading this book because of my love for the first one. I enjoyed it, though. I felt quite invested in the characters, setting, and plot. However, I'm not sure if I would have been as invested if I hadn't already been drawn in by the first book. For example, I was worried about the fate of the land of Kitai in this book, but that might be because it's the same land as Under Heaven. It's hard to tell. The poetry is still great, and there is a lot. The reference to the Outlaws of the Marsh reminds me of how much I want to read that. I have a hard copy at home, which I will grab when I go home around Christmas. It's quite long, so that will take some time investment next year. Well, have a wonderful October! I just started teaching and studying for an exam, but I think I will have some time on weekends to stuff some literature in. Happy Reading!

Such eloquent reviews, as always.

Great breakdown on GGK! I agree, I really enjoyed it but it didn't hit quite as hard for me as Lions or Arbonne. But at the same time I definitely enjoyed it quite a bit more than some of his other work like Under Heaven, Ysabel, etc.

Glad to hear your thoughts on The Bluest Eye. It’s a great book. I’m thinking of reading the second book in December. I feel like I might have been to caught up in the newness (to me) of the story and of Kay’s writing.

I can definitely appreciate that feeling of enjoying a book and feeling okay recommending it but at the same time just wishing it was just a little _more,_ and not because you got lost on hype or had expectations but because you saw the potential in the book itself. I appreciated your balance of praising what the book did well while still expressing disappointment, that can be a hard line to walk.

I should read Kay in English I guess… I don’t have enough challenges for my self. 😎 But first Philip’s trilogy, Tad Williams in English… Esscelmont books also waiting for me. Your reviews are always great.

I have not read the Lord of Emperors yet or watched the spoiler section of your group discussion but I think you mentioned the women in Sailing: Spoiler for sailing to sarantium I agree the book feels dreamlike in the first half and that was 5 stars for me, but the second half not so much because those aristo women, they were complete dreck! I do hope they are not in the second one so much.🤞GGK’s editors should have put a kibosh on them!

What an evaluation of The Bluest Eye!👏👏👏 Your point about this story’s power, its impact, in a large way stemming from the way the horrors of the book are normalized within the community Morrison writes about, was brilliant. Thank you. Read Beloved. Not now; when you are ready.

Happy reading to you!! 😊

I've not read every Kay book but I think I've got this right: Tigana - It's own world A Song for Arbonne - It's own world Fionavar - Portal Fantasy Ysabel - Our world Under Heaven & River of Stars - Their own world Sarantine Mosaic Lions of Al-Rassan Last Light of the Sun A Brightness Long Ago All the Seas of the World Children of Earth & Sky - Their own world.

So glad to hear you appreciated The Bluest Eye. After reading this twice, Beloved, and Recitatif, I do find it very difficult to pick up another Morrison so I completely understand!

My list of thoughts and references I caught: (2/2) Seige of Hinnereth: Somewhat akin to the seige of Nicea, where the Byzantines negotiated the Seljuks occupying it to surrender, with the Crusaders surrounding the city as leverage Nurbanu Soter: Ptolemy I SOTER (“the Savior”, Macedonian general under Alexander the Great, later the 1st Hellenistic Pharaoh of the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt)? Eucalyptus: Only native to the Pacific Ocean Sycamore (Figs): Are mentioned multiple times in the Bible, including as trees destroyed in the ten plagues of Egypt in the psalms Shigek: Egypt was the intended target of multiple later Crusades, with the 7th under French King Louis IX being the closest, capturing the Port City of Damietta for a time. Iothiah: Mix of Memphis (Old Dynasty Capital) and Alexandria (site of the legendary library), with a Tolkienian-sounding name The Kerathotics: Akin to the Miaphysites and the Armenian Eastern Orthodox local to the Holy Lands, who sometimes aided their Frankish fellow Christians during the Crusades The Great Ziggurat of Xijoser: The Kheops Pyramid mixed with the (Step) Pyramid of Djoser (the earliest Egyptian pyramid) Husyelt: Celtic Cernunnus, Biblical Nimrod, the Valar Oromë, the mythical Hern the Hunter? Angeshraël: Twisted mix of Moses (The Burning Bush) and Abraham (who in serveral Jewish & Islamic traditions has a rivalry with Nimrod, and in Islamic Tradition is saved from a burning fire) “Though you lose your soul, you will gain the world”: Reverse intention of Matthew 16:26 in the New Testament Merchant caste: In the Hindu Varna System, Merchants (together with farmers and herders) belong to the Vaishyas Caste, the second lowest after the Brahmin (Priests) and Kshatriyas (Aristocracy/warriors) and above the Shudras (Artisans/Laborers/Servants) and the casteless (Dalit), while in the Confucian Caste Systems of East Asia, they were technically the lowest caste under scholar/officials (China) aristocracy/warriors (Japan), farmers and artisans (but often occupied a much more important role, being able to fund important persons and projects). Achamian dodging and “jousting for scrolls” with the Scarlet Spires/Ainoni in Iothiath: Straight out of a Cold War Spy Story in Divided Berlin (or the Divided Occupied Vienna of “The Third Man”) The Sareots: The Great Library of Alexandria was founded by Ptolemy I SOTER and parts of the Library survived as the SERAPEUM (also the Essenes, the Jewish Monastic Mystics who most likely wrote the Dead Sea Scolls) Seleukara: Mix of Seleucia (First Capital of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire, near modern day Baghdad, Iraq), as well as Gandhara (Indian City, once Capital to the Indo-Greek Kingdom after the death of Alexander the Great)? Conriya & High Anion: Mix of Persian (looks, names) with both Medieval and Cold War German elements (Palatines, phalanxes (pikemen akin to German Landsknechts), former empire divided into multiple nations) Cnaiur’s distress over his obsession of have Serwë: Again, hints to Achilles sulking over losing Briseis to Agamemnon in the Iliad Ishterebinth, last of the Nonmen Mansions: Rivendell or the Vadhagh Castles of Moorcock’s “Corum”? Akka’s visions: The Battles of the Silmarillion mixed with the Iliad and the battles between the Tuath Dé Danann & the Fomorians in Irish mythology The Seige of Caraskand: Clearly inspired by the Seige of Antioch (former Capitol of the Seleucid Empire, Roman built walls), during the First Crusade, first captured from the Seljuks by the Crusaders and then surrounded by several Seljuk Atabegs & Emirs. Similar to Imbeyan, Yağısıyan the Seljuk Emir of Antioch tried to escape, but unlike Imbeyan being captured, humiliated and hanged, Yağısıyan was cut down by an Armenian and his head brought to the Crusaders. Saubon’s nickname “The Blonde Beast”: 1) Metaphor used Nietzsche for his “Master Race” of “good, noble and pure aristocracy” of the Aryan race (though he also counted the aristocracy of Japan and Arabia among them) above their “dark-haired native” subjects. 2) Nickname for Reinhard Heydrich: SS Officer, Gestapo Director and “Deputy Protector” of German-occupied Bohemia and Moravia (Modern-day Czech Republic) Saubon declaring himself King of Caraskand, despite the Nansur Indenture: Similar to Bohemond of Taranto declared himself Prince of Antioch, something the other Crusader Princes agreed to, feeling themselves absolving to any Byzantine oaths, after Bohemond lead the Crusaders to take the city on their own, after Tatikios left the seige (something contested by the Byzantines, given their constant supplies to the Crusaders and Tatikios supposedly left to secure more) Mastodons: Elephants were never extensively used during the Crusades (except individuals given as peace gifts by the Sultans of Egypt to Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II after the 6th Crusade and King Louis IX of France after the 7th Crusade), so more likely inspired by the Haradrim Oliphants from “LOTR”. Padirajah Kascamandri: The Seljuks were very fragmented under several atabegs and emirs during the First Crusade (largely the reason for its surprising success) as their Sultan Berkyaruq was just a teenager, so the Seljuk seige of Antioch was lead by Kerbogha, the Atabeg of Mosul, together with the Emirates of Damascus, Homs & Aleppo, neither of which perished. The Unmasking Room: Straight out of Josef Mengele’s experiments or Clive Barker’s “Hellraiser”, YIKES! The Inchoroi: Sauron mixed with the “Hellraiser” Cenobites and the Devils from Arthur C. Clarke’s “Childhood’s End”? Anyway, the Epilogue: DOUBLE YIKES!💀💀

My list of thoughts and references I caught: (1/2) The Dragon/Wracu mocking Seswartha: “Our Lord (…) hath tasted thy King’s passing, and he saith, ‘It is done’” (Jesus’ last words, “It is finished”, Gospel of John 19:30, also Frodo after the Ring falls into Mount Doom) “Thy tribe hath perished, dashed like a potter’s vessel by our fury” (Jeremiah 18) “Bent Bow” (Psalms 11:2) and “whetted bronze” (Iliad, Book 13) Seswarta: Siddhartha (Gautama Buddha and the famous eponymous novel by Hermann Hesse) The Sogian Way: The Sogdians, people know as traders and missionaries of various faiths along the Silk Road Trysë: Troy/Trysil, Norway? Inrithi Holiday of Venicata: Latin «I came down/through» The Death of High King Anasûrimbor Celmomas on the Fields of Eleneör & his prophecy: The Death of King Theoden at the Battle of the Fields of Pelennor + the prophecy of the Return of the King from “LOTR”/The Death of King Theodoric of the Visigoth against Attila and his Huns at the Battle of the Plains/Fields of Catalaunian+The Mythical Prophesied Return of King Arthur. “Sweet Home Mo-ma-ann, Where the Skies are so blue!”: Royals/Imperials and Alabama, eh! 😬😅 Cnaiur and Conphas share both elements with the Byzantine General Tatikios, who was of Turkish origin and lead the “Princes’ Crusade” through Anatolia to Antioch Asgilioch: Osgiliath, Gondorian Capital reduced to a ruin, captured by Mordor Gielgath: Gil-Galad/“Gath” Noldorin for “Cavern” Ruöm: (The Sultanate of) Rum, made out of lands in Anatolia/Modern Day Turkey captured by the Seljuk Turks from the Byzantine/East Romans (“Rum”-the Seljuk name for “Rome”) Gedea: Judea Shibboleth: Password/custom used to identify fellow members of a group from outsiders, taken from a Hebrew Civil War in the Old Testament (The Book of Judges, Chapter 12), with the Tribe of Ephraim’s pronouncing of the word marking them out “Periodically he paused to search the darkness behind him. Old habit” The Kian “while they ride - fire backward at their pursuers”: The (in)famous Parthian Shot, tactic used by the Parthian and Sassanid Persians, as well as the peoples of the Steppe, such as the Scythians, the Huns & the Mongols The Galeroth Agmundrmen with teardrop-shaped shields & the Tydonni Numaineiri using kite shields: Akin to the Normans. There were two Norman Armies in the First Crusade: One under Robert Curthose (Duke of Normandie, eldest son of William the Conqueror) and one under Bohemond of Taranto/Hauteville (oldest son of the Norman Conqueror of Southern Italy and Scilly, Robert “Giscard” (“the Fox”/“the Cunning”), but disowned for a younger halfbrother, fought the Crusade together with his nephew Tancred, with them later becoming the first Crusader Prince of Antioch and the Count of Galilee/Regent of Antioch, respectively) Agmundrmen with longbows: Akin to the English and Welsh, especially during the Hundred Years War The second battle of the Holy War at Mengedda: (Minus the sorcery of the Cishaurim and the Tears of God, obviously 😅) Seems inspired by the Battle at Dorylaeum, where the Crusader Vanguard under Bohemond of Taranto and his nephew Tancred (somewhat similar to Prince Saubon and his nephew Earl Athjeäri) and the Byzantine General Tatikios held their ground while ambushed and their camp surrendered by the Seljuk Turks under Kilij Arslan (the Sultan of Rum, who had previously destroyed the Popular Crusade similar to Skauas with the Vulgar Holy War, but unlike him, Kilij was just a teenager) near a marsh, before being saved by Crusaders from the main force riding to their rescue. When Bishop Adhemar (representative of Pope Urban II at the First Crusade) ambushed the undefeated Seljuk Camp, the Seljuk retreated. The Shiral Knights charge at the Cishaurim, made me think of the (in)famous Charge of the Light Brigade, when the British Light Brigade Calvary under Lord Cardigan during the Crimean War, due to a misunderstood order, charged right into a well-defended Russian Artillery position (with less successful results then the Knights). Inspired the eponymous poem by Tennyson (“Into the Valley of Death, Rode the Six Hundred”), which in turn inspired the Iron Maiden song “The Trooper”! The Galeroth game of Gandoki/“Shadow”: A hint at Jung’s theory?

Hi Johanna, loved your video. I do visualize while i am reading a book. When i visualize i have a hard time bringing in every minute details as mentioned in the book and also the places that comes to my mind is almost the same all the time and i try to change it to something else and sometimes it works. Is it me thinking too much i donno😅. So sometimes i feel like i am not imagining as mentioned in the book. Don't know if my thinkings are relevant. Do you have any tips for this.

So sad I missed this! I was in Western NC when Helene came through and I lost power and cellular, hopefully I can catch the next GGK deep dive discussion 😢

Catching up from where I left off...I am team Jake, that poem means absolutely nothing to me 😂😂😂 but I'm glad it touched you so much, Johanna! Unfortunately you are still not forgiven for liking Midgana more than this.

Pertennius is supposed to be an analogue to Procopius, using the idea of The Secret History becoming the actual history in Sarantium. In other words Pertennius wears his grudge against the emperor openly vs. Procopius’ secret antipathy toward Justinian and Theodora in real life.

There are multiple species of dolphins indigenous to the area around the real Byzantium and they would have been a common sight from Constantinople in the Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Black Sea etc. There’s also a coat of arms in the Hagia Sophia featuring twin dolphins.