The Queen of Bedlam

I'm definitely hooked on this series.

In both this novel and Speaks the Nightbird, McCammon does an amazing job of interweaving plots that could be causal and/or related but aren’t always. So, I found myself frequently wondering how “this” plot point connects to “this other” sub plot, and the answer in both novels is “they don’t necessarily connect.” I like this because I think it is how real investigation works whether they are criminal or personal. We find ourselves seeking connections to find answers and inevitably we have to be open to the idea that two things that look on the surface like they are connected aren’t necessarily connected. Sometimes our search for knowledge leads us down rabbit holes that provide answers to questions we didn’t know to ask.

I really enjoyed the introduction of several of the new characters, but if I struggled with anything in particular regarding The Queen of Bedlam, it is the sheer volume of characters and names. I’m bad with names in real life, so fiction with lots of characters always gives me pause. I think it’s one of the reasons I struggled so much with The Lord of the Rings series. I was a bit taken aback at the epilogue of this novel when Matthew is playing chess. I was taken out of the story trying to remember who the character he is playing against is. I’m still not sure exactly how he was introduced in this novel, but I know he is a tailor and he appears in future novels. :)

I’ll take a break to read a couple of other books, but I’ll be back to read move of Corbitte’s adventures very soon.