The chapters have been steadily getting longer which is a relief, anyways I just wanted to point a really good review I noticed on the chapter.

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Yikes, Alexandra. Just yikes. Threatening a little girl, terrifying her half to death, apologising, and then doing it again literally a few seconds later. This destructive cycle of hers is going to spin out of control one of these days. Not that Brian handled the situation any better, giving Alex a half-hearted scolding before promptly making out with her again. Talk about rewarding bad behaviour. Alex is also clearly starting to use sexuality as a means of control, silencing Brian's justified questions with a kiss and sending him on his way. And he doesn't have the spine and/or moral centre to stand up to her. Thoughtless teenage hormones are one thing, but this just has "bad" written all over it in red ink.

In addition, while I can understand that Livia's interruption would be annoying, there was really no need for Alex to be as mean as she was. Which is the whole point, like, this was established as one of her character flaws ages ago, but the way she belittled her sister's magical knowledge and abilities just reminds me of the way the Grimm sisters used to talk down to her. That's unfortunately how these kinds of toxic relationships work; they perpetuate themselves. And up to this point, pretty much everyone Alex has hurt has come back to her at some point, so she still hasn't really learnt her lesson. She knows on a rational level that she has an attitude problem and needs to treat the people around her better, but in the moment she always loses herself in her passion and later finds a way to justify her behaviour. And even if she genuinely regrets it, she just feels sorry for herself, apologises, and most people are quick to forgive her. God, what kind of wake-up call is it going to take for this girl?

Onto some more content-based things, TWO wands? That's special. Obviously I'm still rooting for the wandless method, but it's intriguing that she now has multiple tools to choose from. Both wands feel different, which hypothetically means that in the future, she could vary between methods and foci for casting, making her more adaptable. That is, if these wands weren't both incompatible and one of them wasn't of poor make. Still, the potential has been introduced.

Bringing the school to Alex is...certainly one way of solving the problem. It's probably the best option though, as any other school in the Confederation naturally won't have her. It once again speaks to Alexandra's innate arrogance that she seems slightly offended by the idea of attending a school for problem- and special needs children, but I imagine we'll get to meet some interesting new muggle-born characters this way. I love the idea of Livia "soiling" her bigoted ancestor's legacy with this school for muggle-borns, it's really starting to feel like you're setting up a theme here. Being a student at her sister's school will also likely give Alex the opportunity to go to New Amsterdam and represent the Pruett school in the Decathlon. Still, I'm not really expecting that we'll spend too much time at this new school. Big things are happening, and Alex is undoubtedly going to start itching to get into the action. Cue an unauthorised Floo, probably.

The idea of Alex driving terrifies me for some reason, but the last line really killed me. On the one hand, she's not wrong. The government 100% IS out to get her, her family, and anyone associated with them. But her falling back into this obsessive mindset in addition to the red flags from earlier in this chapter...oh my.

That person is totally right -though she isn't that far gone to be called toxic imo- and it was exactly what I was thinking reading this chapter. Alexandra is once again going to do a bunch of stupid things this book since it's obvious she hasn't changed and that's a bit tiring to read. If the last books end didn't teach her to be more cautious what will? Probably another disaster but hopefully the Ozarks and her friends will temper her a bit. Also can't wait for all the fun characters that will come to

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her sisters school, and maybe she'll have a decent teacher in terms of power, along with Livia obviously choosing one that'll be a fair teacher. Knowing Alex she'll probably pull a 'my Sister owns this school, and I'm more powerful then all of you' card on the other students. Hopefully she'll be humbled/and or go the way of Harry in OoTP and help teach as well.

Also, really looking forward to when she inevitably breaks up with her boyfriend. He deserves better lol, they'll probably break up after a while despite being in the same town.

The Ozark arc is going to be great hopefully, knowing now that most Charmbridge students will be at Ozark means she'll probably fight with some students there and also I'm wondering what Larry interaction will be like now.

 

Nice chapter. Julia and Alex have nice banter. Julia is a fun character too-- very feminine but very strong-willed, which is a rare combo of character traits.

 

And into the Ozarks we go! Might that be the World Away? I guess we non-US citizens do miss quite a few of the tropes associated to rural America, the Amish, etc., even with the limited (and likely dubious) notions we can grasp from some movies and novels.

 

I'm already loving the Ozarks, though hopefully there's at least a few kind characters to contrast with all the shady tradition stuff we've heard from Constance and Forbearance like their semi-engagement/Troublesome/Blood purity stuff.

I imagine that their grandmother whose a wand maker will be interesting and at least one or two of their older siblings.

 

Such a charming transition character with nice worldbuilding

 

Broom me out, Scotty.

 

For those who may enjoy them, Inverarity is adding a picture for every chapter to his LJ.

https://inverarity.livejournal.com/

Nope, not the bath scene, you'uns peezaltree backwards pedos.

 

Some of those images look terrible tbh, on par with starfoxes' renders.

 

Yes, the terrible ones are the ones I did myself.

As an artist, I'm a pretty good writer.

 

Eh, they are ok, warts and all. I, for one, like to check them out every chapter. They expand on some of the visual aspects of the world you are describing the way words can't do.

Anyhoo, caturchandra's illustration for chapter 11 is all kinds of awww.

Since you are monitoring the thread, I'll join the Thankful Regiment for sharing your story with us. It is a great ride, and I find remarkable that you made good on your word of pushing out a new book in the series, seven years later. That puts you ahead of GRRM, cheers! I seem to recall you mentioned some RL issues back then that got in the way of your writing, so I'm glad they got sorted out, or at least they left you enough time and energy to get the job done.

 

Good chapter, if a little info-dumpy.

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I like that we got a look at the history and goals of the Ozarkers - the complete separatism is actually pretty unsurprising but cool. Alexandra's role as Troublesome to be the one theoretically opening the way to the new world I'm not sure what to think of yet - but her reaction to the Grannies meddling is pretty justified and exactly how I thought that it would go.

Also, called it that she would get a wand from them.