Book: The Sweet Far Thing
Chapter: 2
Synopsis: The girls have managed to gain Nightwing's permission to sketch the new East Wing, and by "sketch" we mean "stare", and by "the new East Wing" we mean at the big, burly men who are rebuilding it. Mrs. Nightwing seems to be going even barmier than usual in trying make sure the East Wing is built just so, and Fee is determined that they should enter the Realms, the sacred magical place to which now only Gemma holds the key, tonight at any cost.

Possible Discussion Points:

- Girls and boys...hasn't really changed much at all, has it?
- Mrs. Nightwing's sudden crusade to renew the East Wing?
- Fee's determination to see Pippa. Why is that, d'you think?

And anything else!

Book: The Sweet Far Thing (!)
Chapter: Prologue + Chapter 1
Synopses: Prologue: Dear old Archie and Rupert, those fine specimens of English Manhood, are ferreting about in the Thames when they come across the very much dead body of a woman, who, apart from having a few shillings and a pretty dress, carries a letter with the message The Tree of All Souls lives.

Chapter 1: Gemma Doyle is in hell. Well, maybe not real hell but it sure as...well, hell...feels like it. Mrs. Nightwing is training the girls of the First Class to debut in front of Her Royal Majesty the Queen of England in May, and Gemma is 99.999% certain she will fall flat on her face and then be avoided like typhus. This vision of doom and gloom is not at all helped by the constant hammering and banging going from the East Wing, which is suddenly being rebuilt by order of the ever-tyrannous Mrs. Nightwing.

Possible Discussion Points:
- The dead woman.
- The Tree of All Souls lives. Thoughts? What did you think that meant at first?
- Apparently, Cecily is still the spawn of Satan. In a dress.
- The East Wing is being rebuilt?!

And anything else! YAY we're on TSFT!

Book: Rebel Angels
Chapters: All!
Synopsis: It's Christmastime in London, but all is not well with the Realms, which hang in a precarious balance. Gemma Doyle, the only one who can get in and out of the mysterious Realms, and her friends try to restore the balance of magic as well as find and defeat Gemma's old foe - Circe, who is still and large and still desperately wants the power for herself.

Possible Discussio Points:

- The book as a whole. What did you like? Not like?
- Favorite/least favorite moments?
- Favorite/least favorite characters?

Discuss anything you want! Have fun! (And please participate!)

Book: Rebel Angels
Chapters: 49, 50
Synopses: 49: Gemma goes about setting up her own Order, breaking up with Simon Middleton, and making amends.

50: Gemma returns to Spence, where everything seems to have changed - or maybe it's just herself that has changed. Gemma briefly entertains second thoughts about Simon, Fee is giving archery lessons, Mrs Nightwing is suddenly someone to be admired, and Gemma realizes she has friends on her seemingly lonely path...towards what, she doesn't quite yet know.

Possible Discussion Points:

- Kartik/Gemma, and the compromise
- Gemma's New Order, containing people of all different groups?
- The end of Gemma/Simon. D'you think, if Simon and/or Gemma had stoked the fire just a little bit longer, they could've made it?
- Mrs. Nightwing

Tomorrow will be Rebel Angels book discussion! Can't wait!

Book: Rebel Angels
Chapters: 47, 48
Synopses: 47: On the train, Fee, Gemma and Ann manage to conjure the door into the Realms and get in, with some effort. Gemma beelines for the true Temple, and offers Asha, its keeper, herself. Asha leads her into the heart of the Temple to bind the magic - to come face to face with Circe.

48: Gemma confronts Miss Moore and, after a fight in the heart of the well of eternity, binds the power into herself, making her the conduit for all the magic. The girls finally have to say goodbye to a much-changed Pippa. Gemma frees the gorgon, and gives her father the strength to fight his own battles, rather than fight them for him.

Possible Discussion Points:
- Gemma = Lady Hope
- Pippa (and Fee)
- Miss Moore's offer of friendship
- Gemma's choice of words for the binding


And anything else! Tomorrow we'll be finishing up Rebel Angels, and Monday will be discussion day! Stay tuned!

Book: Rebel Angels
Chapters: 45, 46
Synopses: 45: Wretched with guilt, Gemma goes back to Miss Moore's lodgings to regroup herself and find a new course. As she sits alone in Miss Moore's room, she begins to discover a hideous secret - one that could be the ruin of all. Horrified, Gemma remembers what Nell once told her, and tries to actively get a vision and succeeds - the day of Nell's descent into madness.

46: A devastated Gemma finds herself back in her room, sick with a fever and drugged with opiate(?). In her drugged state she finds herself in the Realms, and the true Temple - the Cave of Sighs. Unable to end her dream before it's too late, the last thing she sees before becoming lucid is Miss Moore with Nell Hawkins as her sacrifice entering the Temple. The next morning Fee and Ann pay a visit to cheer her up, but Gemma is inconsolable as she tells them what has happened and who Miss Moore really is. She also gets a visit from Simon, who gives her his grandmother's brooch as a token of promise. Finally, in a last ditch attempt to get Gemma out of the house, Tom insists that she accompany him to Bethlem to visit Nell Hawkins. This turns out to be a very good thing, as Nell Hawkins, her mind fighting furiously against hidden demons, gives Gemma hope that all is not yet lost. Gemma races across London to find Fee and Ann, and catches them in the nick of time. Gemma hurriedly tells them that there is still hope, but just as they decide to go into the Realms they find Jackson and Fowlson of the Rakshana making their way towards the girls. Fee, brilliant as ever, hatches a quick plan to give them the slip.

Possible Discussion Points:

- MISS MOORE IS SARAH REESE-TOOME? WHAT?!
- Gemma's vision of Nell Hawkins
- The real Temple (Why d'you think the Untouchables guard it?)
- Simon. Oh, Simon.
- Miss Moore and Nell Hawkins. Does this make you more sympathetic to Miss Moore?
- Nell gives Lady Hope...hope?

And anything else! We'll be doing two tomorrow also, to catch up =).

Book: Rebel Angels
Chapter: 44
Synopsis: Defeated and dejected, Gemma returns to her own world, where she is plagued by a dream in which Nell asks her repeatedly what she has done. She wakes to the sound of Mrs. Jones telling her briskly that Lady Denby and her son have come for a visit - a visit to tell Gemma that her friend, the "rich" Ann Bradshaw, is really nothing more than a liar and a pretender. Devastated, Gemma races to the Worthingtons and tells Fee and Ann of Lady Denby, who immediately decide the magic must be used to save Ann - and consequently Fee. Gemma argues against this, and cruel words are hurled. Finally, they decide to have Ann become "ill", as nobody speaks ill of the ill (huh, really?), and so Ann pretends to faint. As Gemma leaves the Worthingtons, she is kidnapped and rendered unconscious by Jackson and Miss McCleethy herself. She comes to in what seems to be the secret lair of the Rakshana, and experiences a brief moment of joy to find Kartik (yay!), only to find out that Kartik's "task" is to kill her. Taking a leaf out of Ann's book, Gemma (with the help of Kartik, who defies the Brotherhood he pledged his life to to help her) manages to escape with Kartik, and the two of them begin walking among the throngs of London, with Fowlson hot on their heels. Suddenly, Gemma sees Simon coming out of one of the gentlemens' club situated on that street, and are nearly found out, until Kartik acts the fool and manages to save Gemma, who makes her way to Baker Street, and Miss Moore's lodgings.

Possible Discussion Points:

- Nell and the dream
- Ann
- Miss McCleethy and the Rakshana
- Kartik's task, and his sacrifice

And anything else!

Aand we're back!

Book: Rebel Angels
Chapter: 43
Synopsis: Frantic with worry for Ann, who's been taken by the water nymphs, Gemma decides to bring in a fourth party who might be able to help - Miss Moore. Though reluctant to believe her at first, Miss Moore enters the Realms, and together the girls and Miss Moore climb onto the Gorgon's ship and set out to save Ann. The Gorgon takes them to the edge of the water nymphs' home, where Ann is tied to a rock. Gemma swims out to save her, but an exhausted Ann who is unable to swim very well coupled with the treachorous girls in white is enough to catch the nymphs' attention, and they begin to go after Gemma and Ann furiously. Luckily, Pippa and the others manage to stop the nymphs using nets. Even more enraged, the nymphs begin their siren song. Gemma and Fee are nearly undone, but it is Ann who saves the day with the power of song. It's not over yet, though - the girls in white bring with them one of Circe's assassin, and Miss Moore sacrifices herself (cough) to save the others, much to Gemma's horror.

Possible Discussion Points:

- Miss Moore. And (spoiler!) her incredible acting skills. Seriously, the woman deserves an Oscar or something. She puts Lily Trimble to shame.
- The water nymphs
- Ann and the power of Song
- Fee and Pippa (who's getting even more creeptastic by the chapter)

And anything else! A HUGE thank you for everyone who's stuck with this so far - you guys are awesome, seriously. We're almost to TSFT! EEK!

Hey all!

Hope everyone (in the US) had an awesome Thanksgiving! And, once again, I am behind on posting - except this time I'm really, really behind. So, because I am actually ridiculously behind on life and kind of need a small break to pull my shit together, here's what's going to happen - this Sunday, we'll officially be a week behind, and so I'll just start with the chapter we were supposed to do last Sunday, and go from there. Basically, we'll be a week behind from here on out. I'll update the schedule tomorrow to reflect the new timings =). I'm so sorry for the inconvenience, guys - my life is kind of kicking my ass right now, and so rather than frantically trying to keep up, I figured we could just use the week off. I could, at least, lol. Hope everyone has a good holiday!

- Shar

Book: Rebel Angels
Chapters: 41, 42
Synopses: 41: Things are going rather horridly for Gemma And Co., who find themselves in the (spectacularly creepy) hands of the Poppy Warriors. In a frantic attempt to escape these creatures, Gemma proposes a game - a game in which they are the hunted, and the Poppy Warriors are the hunters. The leader of the PWs, Azreal, is intrigued by this, and so he gives the girls a chance to get out. Unfortunately, this does not work quite as well as Gemma would have hoped. In a rush to find the right tunnel of the five in the Poppy Warriors' domain, Gemma accidently flings her amulet out into the dark - and finds it at the toe of Azreal, who has won.

42: The Poppy Warriors hold the girls tight within their grasp, and feed greedily on each of their fears - on Ann's fear that she is and ever will be unloved, on Fee's fears of her past, and her fear of being unlovable, and on Gemma's fears of failing the ones she loves. Gemma realizes that the Poppy Warriors are strengthened by human fear, and so she desperately tries to rally Ann and Fee against them, even while trying to master her own. As she does so, she notices that her amulet is beginning to glow, showing them the pathway out once more. Just when all hope may be lost, Fee conquers her fears and manages to let loose an arrow straight into Azreal's throat, after which the girls make a mad dash for the exit. They experience a fleeting moment of triumph once they're on the boat - which is promptly snuffed out when Fee and Gemma realize Ann has been taken by the water nymphs.

Possible Discussion Points:

- The Poppy Warriors
- Felicity's fears (and experiences)
- Ann's fears
- Gemma's fears
- The tunnels and the game

And anything else, of course! =)

Book: Rebel Angels
Chapters: 39, 40
Synopses: 39: After the disasterous findings of the ball, Fee refuses to see Gemma, who then tells an extremely worried Ann that she has found the way to the Temple at last, and wishes to go as soon as Fee is ready. Back in her own home, Tom is at his wits end in trying to cope with the health of their father. Gemma volunteers to watch her father for a while, giving Tom a much-needed break. Gemma's resolve not to give her father laudanum is weakened, however, when he tells her of the horrible dreams he is having - horrible dreams of strange creatures coming and telling him (though he doesn't realize it), about the Order. Determined to put it all to an end before Circe can hurt her father and longer, Gemma goes to see Nell Hawkins, to tell her she is going for the Temple as soon as she can - to find Nell in a terrible state of her own.

40: Fee's curiosity wins out over her anger, and she and Ann come to call on Gemma a few days later. Once they arrive in the realms, it is pretty clear that all is not well in the Realms - the garden looks wild and overgrown, and just as a pretty little creature comes trotting towards them, it is hunted and killed - by Pippa. Gemma refuses to tell Pippa anything further, afraid of what Pippa might have become. Hurt and enraged, Pippa accuses Gemma of not trusting her when she was the one who warned Gemma in the first place, and of leaving her to die because of jealousy before going off on her own - despite the fact that Fee begged her not to. Afterwards, Gemma, Ann and Fee follow the pathway illuminated by the necklace once again to the Cave of Sighs. There they find the three girls in white, who lead them (off the path, I might add) to a beautiful looking old cathedral, and what they believe is the Temple. Except is the Temple supposed to have human skulls imbedded in them? Yeahh, didn't think so - but by the time they realize their mistake, it may be too late to run.

Possible Discussion Points:

- Mr. Doyle and the dreams
- Tom and his sudden self-deprication
- "You cannot cage things."
- Fee and her demand of silence
- Pippa's...new diet? And her accusations. Are they founded or unfounded? Or both?
- The girls in white
- the "Temple"
- Poppy Warriors!

As always, feel free to discuss anything else! Eek, almost done with RA!

Book: Rebel Angels
Chapters: 37, 38
Synopses: 37: After Mass, Gemma goes to the super-awesome gripe-party that is Felicity's to get ready for the Worthington's Ball that evening. Fee is grouchy and hateful because Mrs. Worthington is somewhere fussing over Little Polly, Gemma is grouchy and sad because she misses Kartik and wishes she hadn't said some things, and Ann's rare bout of giddiness is (surprise, surprise) cut short by the fact that she thinks she's too worthless to wear a pretty dress. Fee then has the brilliant idea to let out one of her own dresses to fit Ann - which seems more like an attack against her mother, for some reason. She sends another arrow towards her mother by also having her own neckline be lowered a bit, to scandalize. Gemma asks why Fee hates her mother so, to which she gets an answer...but not quite.

38: Oh, balls! Gemma is trapped into having her very first dance be with Percival, who's greatest talent is running his mouth even while he heaves around dances with Gemma, but then, thankfully, she is rescued by the ever-charming Simon Middleton - who, apart from being a rather cruel gossip and possibly having a thing for Felicity, is in possession of some less savory forms of entertainment. Although something good does come out of the experience - Gemma finally manages to have a vision of the Temple...too bad she's kind of high when she has it, although it miraculously wears off afterwards. Gemma then decides to tail after Fee, to see why Fee suddenly has such an ardent desire to put her little cousin Polly to bed - only to discover a most horrifying secret, and the real reason Fee wishes Polly had not come to live with the Worthingtons.

Possible Discussion Points:

- "You cannot go to her with anything that matters."
- "I wish Pip were here. She was always game."
- Simon Middleton, where the hell did you get absinthe?! Also, sketchy much?
- A High!Gemma, and a vision of the Temple.
- Felicity and Polly
- Felicity's secret, and why she wants Polly to lock her door.

And anything else you'd like!

Book: Rebel Angels
Chapters: 35, 36
Synopses: 35: It's Christmas Eve, and Gemma's father is missing - something which only Gemma seems to care about, at first. Hours later Kartik comes stumbling in with some terrible news - Mr. Doyle has been in Chin's Opium Den for two days. Gemma orders Kartik to take her there, and braves the horrifying conditions of the Den to get her father out. Drained, she vents her frustration and fear to Kartik, who is surprisingly gentle. Upon returning home, she tries to comfort a broken Tom, who feels as though everything he believes in has failed him.

36: Christmas morning is grey and quiet, and while everyone is still abed Gemma steals down to the stables to exchange gifts with Kartik. Only, well. They exchange much more than that (;)). After which Gemma manages to insult Kartik quite a bit, only to realize he is leaving...possibly for good.

Possible Discussion Points:

- Mr. Doyle and the Opium den
- Fate vs. Choice
- The Indian Opium addict
- Lady Whatsit and Lord Hoity-toity
- SQUEE! KISS NUMBER 2!
- "I don't even think of you as Indian."

Book: Rebel Angels
Chapters: 33, 34
Synopses: 33: Gemma sends an urgent letter to Miss Moore, and receives an equally urgent reply in which Miss Moore tells her to be careful around this Miss McCleethy while she makes inquiries of her own. At the Bethlem Christmas Ball, Gemma also receives a warning from a decidedly different place - creepy Mr. Snow tells her that the girls in white have a message - "don't trust her, she will lead you astray."

34: The Bethlem Royal players give a performance at the Ball, the pinnacle of which is a recitation...of sorts...from Nell Hawkins, who, in a coded message, gives Gemma directions to the Temple. Afterwards, while also being heavily sedated, Nell manages to give Gemma a glimpse into her mind, after which she implores Gemma to set her free.

Possible Discussion Points:

- Mr. Snow's warning
- Nell's message, and her major foreshadowing.

And anything else! We're going to do two tomorrow and Tuesday as well, to catch up to where we should be. Happy reading =).

Book: Rebel Angels
Chapter(s): 31, 32
Synopses: 31: Following Asha's advice, the girls go through a strange, dark place where the magic paint provided by Asha renders them invisible to dark spirits...except for Pippa. This incident convinces Gemma that Pip is no longer the girl she once knew and that Pippa must cross over. Now if only she could convince Felicity, too. The girls return, with Gemma holding all of their magic inside her - though it does come in handy, as she manages to fend off the ever-insufferable Cecily, as well as reforming a cheating, lying bastard of a husband (excuse my french).

32: Gemma spends the day sneezing and sniffling in bed, listening to wild stories from her father - and trying to push away the idea that he may not be exactly as she remembered. With her tea comes along a very interesting letter, sent by St. Victoria's headmistress, telling of a certain Claire McCleethy who was very popular with the girls, Nell Hawkins in particular. She left, said the letter, to teach at a boarding school in London...where the headmistress is her sister? Is that true or not? Either way, the girls decide they can no longer trust their headmistress.

Possible Discussion Points (be sure to indicate if you're going to use spoilers):

- Pippa and Fee
- Gemma and her Father
- Claire McCleethy...and Mrs Nightwing??

And anything else!

Book: Rebel Angels
Chapter(s): 29, 30
Synopses: 29: Welcome to the Opera! Where the only real singing is between the ladies. Gemma dazzles not only her father and brother, but Kartik as well with her beautiful new Opera dress and hair in a bun, and Lady Denby spills the dirt on Mrs. Worthington and her Parisian lover. Gemma tells Fee and Ann about the compass theory, and of course Fee decides they must try it right away. They manage to slip away (despite Cecily Temple) from the packed crowd, and join hands to see the door of light.

30: Pippa is there waiting, and is delighted to hear of their time at the Opera (and of the delectable Simon Middleton). Gemma fills her in on the compass theory, and Pippa joyfully agrees to help. Gemma holds the necklace up and success! The necklace does in fact show a faint, glowing pathway. Excited and giddy, the girls follow the path into the Cave of Sighs, where they meet the mysterious head of the Untouchables, Asha, who offers them advice, and strange dreams, before they leave the realms and return to the Opera.

Possible Discussion Points:

- Opera Gossip
- Ann is still self-mutilating ("It stings less.")
- Gemma and Kartik moment! XD.
- Asha (which in Hindi means Hope, be tee dubbs) and the Untouchables
- the Cave of Sighs (and the erotic carvings)
- Gemma's dream (WOW foreshadowing much?)

And anything else!

Hi All!

Because my life exploded this past week, we'll be discussing two chapters today and two tomorrow, to make up for lost time. Sorry guys! I'm trying, I really am.

--

Book: Rebel Angels
Chapters: 27, 28
Synopses: 27: Lady Denby and her son pay a surprise visit, during the course of which Gemma and her grandmother are invited to the Opera house for The Mikado. Aftewards, a euphoric Gemma is pulled into another vision of the girls in white - one which gives her more answers than ever before.

28: Gemma has her morning visit with Nell Hawkins - where she is incredibly freaked out by the lovely Mrs Sommers. Afterwards, Kartik takes a shaken Gemma to a less-than-ladylike place, where they find that Gemma crescent necklace may be a compass, and Kartik shares his secret hiding place with her. Afterwards they are intercepted by the ever-lovely Scarface of the Rakshana (whose real name is Fowlson, apparently), who remind Kartik (and Gemma) of the task that lies ahead. Once returned home, Gemma gets some surprising honesty from her grandmother, and a surprising gift from Simon Middleton.

Possible Discussion Points:

- The story of Nell Hawkins and Miss McCleethy
- The necklace
- Kartik's secret hiding place
- "He loves you more than Tom, you know."
- "Gems for our Gemma."

And anything else!

Book: Rebel Angels
Chapters: 25, 26
Synopses: 25: Over sandwiches Ann, Fee and Gemma discuss Miss McCleethy and read from the book they bought. They learn that (obviously) the Realms do exist, and that lunatics, addicts, the poor, the starving and so forth are particularly susceptible to the evil spirits of the realms. They also learn that apart from secret symbols, women of the Order would use anagrams to hide their identities from all but their sisters - which Nan Washbrad, Malificent Oddity Ralingworth, and Dog Mealy Em try right away, of course. They also try Miss McCleethy's, and get a far more chilling name - They Call Me Circe. They immediately return to the Realms, where they try to find the Temple, but with no luck (although Pippa manages to get a particularly...lovely present from her creepy ex-boyfriend knight in shining armor). Defeated and slightly disgusted, the other three return to their world, where they become invisible, save a man from suicide, and where Fee enchants Little Polly's doll.

26: Miss Moore takes the girls to the gallery, as promised, where they discuss at length a beautiful painting of two angels locked in a fierce and deadly battle. Gemma wonders why it looks so desperate and faintly erotic at the same time, while Fee wonders if people are inherently evil, and Ann wonders why Lucifer had to fight at all, when he was already so blessed. Miss Moore wonders if evil exists, or if there is just power, and those too weak to seek it (ok, I swear I was not trying to quote HP but it happened, lol). They also run into Ann's ghastly cousins at the museum, much to Ann's horror and Gemma and Fee's disgust. Afterwards, they tell Miss Moore more "stories" of what goes on in the Realms, and also of what they have discovered of Miss McCleethy. Finally, Ann tries an anagram of Miss Hester Moore, which, unfortunately, does not quite work.

Possible Discussion Points:

- Miss McCleethy's anagram. Were you surprised?
- Little Polly and Fee
- Pippa and the goats head

- Now would be a good time to discuss the excerpt from Paradise Lost in the beginning of the book. Why do you think Libba Bray used an excerpt talking about the serpent, and the fall of the Rebel Angels, all the way to a short passage at the end from Lucifer's point of view? (at least as far as I remember that part is from Lucifer's pov...?)

- Also, Gemma's nickname from the Gorgon is "most High", which is the name used for God in the excerpt. What do you make of that?

- Fee, Ann, Gemma and Miss Moore's reactions to the painting.

LoL sorry, went a little overboard there. Anyhoo, anything else is open for discussion too of course!

Book: Rebel Angels
Chapter: 24
Synopsis: The girls brave the Underground (dun dun dun) and the tram to follow Miss McCleethy, whose final stop is Bethlem - where Nell Hawkins is staying. Alarmed, Gemma has more questions than ever about this teacher of hers. Does she know Nell Hawkins? If so, how? And why is she visiting her now??

Possible Discussion Points:

- The Underground and the girls' reactions to it
- Miss McCleethy and Nell Hawkins (?)


And as always, anything else you'd like!

Mod's Post: If anyone is interested in co-moding with me, that would be so greatly appreciated! Please let me know!

Book: Rebel Angels
Chapter: 23
Synopsis: Gemma meets Fee and Ann for Christmas shopping, though what she really wants to do is tell them all about her meeting with Nell Hawkins. Luckily, Fee manages to bribe their chaperone Franny to leave them by themselves, and as they shop Gemma fills them in on all that happened with Nell. Along the way she suddenly notices The Golden Dawn, the bookshop who's name Miss McCleethy kept in her room. The girls decide to go in and see if they can find any info about the Order, but with no luck. As they stare dolefully at the Myths section, They suddenly hear a very familiar voice enter the shop - that of Miss McCleethy, who, it seems, has ordered a very special book. As soon as Miss McCleethy leaves Gemma artfully asks for a copy of the book Miss McCleethy bought, called A History Of Secret Societies, by Wilhelmina Wyatt. After a short tussle about who's going to read it first, they decide to read it together, but suddenly Ann spots Miss McCleethy, who Fee immediately wants to follow. After a brief hesitation, Gemma agrees, and the three set off after their teacher.

Possible Discussion Points

- Franny
- A History of Secret Societies
- Miss McCleethy
- Ann, who is too afraid to even wish
- Fee's resentment of her mother

And anything else! Also, would anyone be interested in co-moding this community with me?