1. Shame they never can work together. V3 is not near the height of his incompetence yet, which validates V1's hate for him, if not her accusations. Whereas V3 is actually right: she's a traitor, at least a saboteur, though it's probably not good for PR to leave your superior to die.
2. Much more frightening than being, I imagine. Animals get mean, so being willing to go head to head with them is a combination of big credits, and detestable insanity. V3 must be subduing these things: Dracon fire or a Skrit Na zoo. Probably killing or just short of death for some: don't know how else to acquire something with flaming skin.
3. Much like the horses (really weak to have these two back to back) I don't think it's really more acceptable than taking sentients, but I imagine it would be more practical. They'd resist you individually, not get in arms when they see what happens to their kin: Smarter move, lots of untapped potential in series.
4. Way too cold, way too focused, one of the portrayals I hate most in the series. I don't know a lot about sharks, but there's a lot to know beyond eating, I can say that. But the good: my god picture that: 15 ft of underwater power. Perception unlike anything a human has ever known. Yeah, I can still see being a shark as a very reassuring experience, if only in contrast to the pitiable vessel man is forced to inhabit .
5. This was a very human view of Marco. Laughing at life is great, but there are times when you can't, and it really shows with him how jacked up he is by his mom. The scene at the pool did that real well. I respect that he won't seek pity, but the lengths he takes to avoid it, I still disagree with. Big kudos though, on handling the face to face. Better men would have faltered in that situation-he keeps himself together in a crunch, but I can't be sure that's not more of an uncontrollable reflex as jester than development as a savvy fighter.
6. Right to the jib: I probably would have sat this one out. Don't know if I'd trust myself to keep it together, and it's a mission that can't be jeopardized. However, if I had gone along...mission has to come first. And after that, living with myself would not be pleasant for a very long time.
7. I forgive them not looking for humans, I figure they overlook messy midmorphs doing chaotic fights. As said before, luck is very powerful if you can do it right. But I can't forgive this. A psychic Yeerk couldn't explain it to someone? No. You have to add in the subplot of another Leeran, and that one died, but that's really a stretch from how it's written. For shame writers. For shame.
8.
9. "Do you believe in hope.... Me, I believe in Jake." Made me laugh.
1. Last time I said that the books were still hope first: this book makes the change, imo. Intimate and dark circumstances, with an ambiguous fate about Marco's only hope. Suddenly this isn't about keeping hope, it's about doing terrible things, and letting horrible things happen and surviving to do them again. Suddenly optimistic endings are a lot less common, and more bittersweet. Change has come