“I need you to understand. You are mine. The doctor will not stop until my baby is growing inside you. I will no longer have any consideration for your pain, or discomfort, or frame of mind. You will be like a piece of furniture.”
This is exactly what Violet never wanted to be, discarded like a piece of furniture because she’s a person and she knows that she deserves better! And to prove her seriousness she slashes Annabelle’s throat, just like that. This moment right here shows Violet just how wrong this world is. Annabelle’s death is a major turning point for Violet and she never lets herself forget just how much is at stake. This whole scene is still so surreal for me. I didn’t think the duchess would get her hands bloody, she seemed more of a silent partner to violence, always telling someone else to do it. The person behind the order, not the one doing it. So this was shocking! And this happened in the first 10 pages… which definitely sets the tone for the whole book.
“I don’t get it,’ he says. ‘He’s just a companion. There are hundreds of them.’
‘And Annabelle was just a servant. And I’m just a surrogate,’ I snap.”
Damn Violet! I never expected Garnet’s reluctance to the cause. For some reason I thought he was completely on board with everything but here we see that it’s more a matter of mutual agreement, no strong allegiance to be found, but rather an act of convenience for himself. And so I absolutely love this quote because Violet definitely puts him in place. Strong and convincing! Here we see her grow into a voice of reason and I like her and this book so much for it!
“Weren’t you just telling me how important it is to be able to choose? How you chose to be with the companion, even when it was dangerous? How you helped Raven, at personal risk? Am I not allowed the same choice? Can I not have the same freedom you have? To choose what I want. Choice is freedom, Violet.”
This was such a great and pivotal point in Violet’s fight against the Jewel. Lily, a fellow surrogate shows her another side to this battle. She lets Violet know that it’s not everyone’s fight, that some want this, as unconventional and strange as it is. For Lily, she wants to give her house a child. And I feel like this was such a good thing to include because its real and genuine. Not everything is an ‘us versus them’ concept and Lily is that outlier and it’s important to see that it’s not all black and white. Very clever, Ewing!
“Do you understand how much I hate how I look, hate my face?’ he says bitterly. ‘Do you know how many times I’ve put a razor to my eye and thought about using it? But I always had Cinder to keep me sane. Cinder needed me. If I ruined my face, I would lose my position, and with it, the money for her medicine. I’ve seen it happen many times. Do you know what the suicide rate is for companions? No one does, because it’s not talked about. Because who cares, right? But I have known six boys who have taken their own lives--- and those are only the ones I’ve known personally. The ones who don’t kill themselves cut their bodies, but not in places you could see—usually behind the knees or between the toes. Or they dope themselves with opiates, until their addiction is noticeable and then they’re Marked and tossed out onto the streets. Some develop violent predilections for sex, abusing the House Girls or consorting with common prostitutes. And for every friend you make, you lose three, and it doesn’t matter how, and it doesn’t matter why, because there are always new boys being brought in, and you’re just one in a hundred, as disposable as the latest fashion trend. SO that’s how it was in the companion house.”
WOW. This speaks for itself. It’s incredible how much is behind these words and I think Ewing did an amazing job of showing just how wrong an assumption can be. This is deep and raw and full of a horrible truth that everyone wanted buried. This book shows so much more of Ash’s story and I loved reading every bit of it because it packed a powerful dose of reality for all those still living in denial. This book was definitely about Ash and hearing more of his story come to light, made me like him so much more!!
“But Lucien…I won’t have any more of this nonsense about what I do or don’t do with Ash. I didn’t escape one prison to be thrown into another. You need to trust that I can make the right decisions for myself. Because I can and will.”
I really liked Violet calling out Lucien because he was becoming overbearing and controlling. She put him in his place and that was needed, for her and him.
“I can’t spend the rest of my life with Coral. She’s got a collection of miniature tea sets. What kind of person collects something like that?”
Garnet’s reaction to Coral’s hobby and impending marriage is absolutely hilarious! It livened the plot significantly and provided the much needed comedic relief.
I also loved the idea of expanding the auguries into something more. Leaving that stupid mantra behind was such a good and practical thing to do! Violet literally has the power over life and death which she proved when she brought Raven back from her miscarriage! Such great things happened in this book, and I think I may have liked this one more than the first. Violet’s growth is amazing and when she comes up with a plan and executes it as a leader, there’s nothing but respect for her. Her refusal over a codename was a great idea also! Because she’s been known as Lot 197 and she will never settle for anything but her own name and that’s BEAUTIFUL!! It makes so much sense! And Ash’s struggle to help after his reputation was sullied was a real low point for him, so when he proposes the idea of recruiting and training the companions to their side was absolutely BRILLIANT! It made him even more attractive and it also drives his character to helping the cause when he thought all hope was lost. It was a great plot choice!
As sequels go, this one was pretty good. The Black Key marks the end of this trilogy, more on that in my next post!