Week Nine Chapters 1-2: Aftermath

[Deyavi]

Welcome, my friends, to the first discussion week of The Monarch Papers Volume II: Cosmos and Time! In the aftermath of the Cagliostro’s traumatic final performance, Marty is left to struggle his way out from under it all and rejoin the fight. There are so many things we do not yet know, but it feels like we are lurking on the edge of something… big. Thank you for joining me in this exploration, discussion, and fangirl session we call Ackerly Green Book Club.

This week we will announce our second super secret special random giveaway winner! All that’s needed to put your name in is your participation in at least one of these past weeks of AG book club. I’m looking forward to announcing the winner on this year’s St. Itsuki’s Day!

1. As we open Cosmos and Time, Marty is clearly suffering the traumatic effects of both the horrors he witnessed at the performance and Lauren’s disappearance. In what way do you think Marty’s own issues either worsened these effects, or enabled him to persevere through them and move forward?

2. The Low according to Martin is a “loosely connected network of secret organizations” looking for the Lost Collection and other proof of something existing outside our world. What sets these organizations apart from the Mountaineers—in other words, why are the Mountaineers not considered part of The Low?

3. The entry from the 1889 journal details the experiences of a man who has found himself in a new, wondrous, and magiqal land. In what way does the writer’s experience mirror Marty’s, and in what ways do they differ?

As always, Mountaineers, if you can pick out any themes or Easter Eggs from this week, please feel free to share! Your original thoughts, related ideas, or favorite lines from the book are always welcome in our discussion. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to @ me or another Guild Leader for guidance.

CREATIVE PROMPT: The theme of the chapter selection this week is “Aftermath.” Using this theme for inspiration, please share with us your own written/visual/auditory creation.

[Augustus_Octavian]

@Deyavi

2. The Low according to Martin is a “loosely connected network of secret organizations” looking for the Lost Collection and other proof of something existing outside our world. What sets these organizations apart from the Mountaineers—in other words, why are the Mountaineers not considered part of The Low?

I think the current iteration of Mountaineers could never be part of The Low because of our/their openness. What we will see in coming chapters is layer upon layer of secrecy - password protected websites with need-to-know access levels, loose threads of connections between disparate groups all lumped under the banner of “The Low.” Where, instead, the Mountaineers are publishing the Guide online, keeping the forum open to whomever wants to join, etc. We even see this echoed in the current story line, with SpiritSeer being kicked out of The Low for contacting us - it’s a recurring theme when it comes to this obscure confederation of what appear to be differing agendas. This is another difference - the Mountaineers have a very clear mission and we’re not afraid to tell people what it is. This makes The Low more in-line with Monarch’s Mountain or even Kemetic Solutions than it would the Mountaineers.