Rereading The Rifter by Ginn Hale

[florianschild]

My latest literary infatuation has been The Rifter series by Ginn Hale. I'm on my first reread right now. I tend to be a clueless reader, so rereading helps me clarify and understand a lot of things that I missed the first time around. In the case of this series, I was so excited about the plot that I read it REALLY FAST so I probably missed a lot.

Some questions that I'm trying to answer or explore as I go through my reread:

• How many times has Kahlil gone back and forth through the Great Gate? Certain relevations would make it seem like he's only done it twice (his first time arriving in Nayeshi and then coming back after rescuing Rousma), but if that's the case then how does he know about the convent burning? And why does he say things like:

  "It was the air; he always noticed it when he came through the gateway." [The Shattered Gates, Ch. 4]

  as if he goes through it fairly often?


• How old was Ravishan when he came to Rathal'pesha?


• Is Dayyid any relation to Ravishan? When John is training with the ushiri he says they look alike.


• Why does Kahlil stop thinking of himself as Ravishan? He even thinks of himself as Kahlil in his narration, so it seems to have become a central part of his identity. Was it something he did intentionally?


• Where are Ravishan's bones? Where did Ravishan die? This really confused me while I was reading, because Jath'ibaye tells Kyle that Ravishan died in Rathal'pesha, but I think they're in Umbhra'ibaye when he dies because John just rescued Laurie from the nuns.


• How to you kill the Rifter? This process still seems unclear to me. You need to use a Rifter bone to kill them? Is this a chicken/egg dilemma? What part exactly does the Yasi'halaun play in the ritual? Jath'ibaye bears Kyle's wound from the Yasi'halaun but he seems fine, so...?