The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

JordanEyeOfWorldAudioWhy I Read It: Participated in a read along.

Where I Got It: Own it.

Who I Recommend This To: Epic fantasy aficionados (with reservations, see chit chat below).

Narrators: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer

Publisher: MacMillan Audio (2004)

Length: 29 hours 32 minutes

Series: The Wheel of Time Book 1

If you haven’t heard of this series, then you might be living in a small hole in the ground. Not a nasty hole, but a comfy, hobbitish hole. Yes, I have already started with the jokes. But let me set that aside til a little later. Rand al’Thor and his friends Mat and Perrin live in Two Rivers, a small community of farmers and merchants. They are young and inexperienced in the greater ways of the world. But then Moiraine and her friend/guard Lan turn up asking questions about the history of the place. What follows are creatures out of tales and a chunk of Two Rivers is left burnt to the ground. Moiraine convinces the three young men they must away with her and Lan for not only their safety, but for the safety of the folks of Two Rivers. Soon they are joined by others on a quest to save the kingdom, if not the world, from the Dark One.  The Eye of the World launches the 14 book series that Robert Jordan started and Brandon Sanderson finished this past January (2013).

I read this book back in college when I was 18/19. I had forgotten nearly all of it in between then and now, roughly 1.5 decades. In order for me to review this honestly, I have to get the Tolkien aspect out in the open. I do remember feeling a bit cheated the first time around at how much Jordan took from Tolkien. Tolkien himself borrowed heavily from European myths and hence, much of the fantasy genre has borrowed from him in a typical trickle down effect. Still, the similarities between The Eye of the World and The Lord of the Rings are some of the closest I have found in the fantasy genre. With that acknowledgement, I still found myself getting attached to the main characters and wrapped up in their quest. And yes, grimacing a little every time some character mimicked an Ent line, or an altercation resembled hobbits vs. nazghul, or there was smoking of the leaf.

So all that aside, Rand, Mat, Perrin, and Egwene are all very real, young, and in way over their heads. Moiraine and Lan are mysteries that only unravel a little by the end of the book. Nynaeve, the Wisdom of Two Rivers, was one of my favorite characters – she tracks, rides, heals, and grumbles. I am capable of one of these skills, and I will let you guess which one. The world building was detailed and happened bit by bit, growing as the Two Rivers folks ventured further and further from their home. There were moments of humor or reflection mixed in with the action, making the pacing quite good for a lengthy first book to a lengthy series. Most of the tale is told through Rand’s eyes, which was adequate, but I often found myself wishing for more points of view, especially wanting to hear the inner thoughts of Moiraine.

Michael Kramer narrated like 90+% of the book, as we only had a few short blips of POV from the female characters (narrated by Kate Reading). Both did an excellent job, providing a variety of voices for the multitude of characters in this novel. I look forward to hearing their voices in the next book. This case, I think I found the audioversion more enjoyable than the print simply because I didn’t get hung up on the Tolkien-isms as we were moving right along to the next scene and I couldn’t physically linger over the similarities.

What I Liked: The world building provides depth to the entire world and in turn, each character; even the side characters had histories, etc; the ladies are equally as developed, flawed, and dangerous as the men; Bela the horse gets a spotlight throughout the tale.

What I Disliked: Lots of Tolkien similarities; the dream sequences were a little nebulous for me.

If you’d like a more detailed discussion, check out the Read Along posts. Also, we will be continuing along with Book 2, The Great Hunt (schedule HERE) if you would like to join us.

Part I          Part II

Part III       Part IV

Part V         Part VI

Part VII      Part VIII

Reminder: The Eye of the World Read Along

Streak is far more interested in mealtime than in my reading selection.

Streak is far more interested in mealtime than in my reading selection.

My confession to you, dear readers, is that I read Books 1, 2 and part of 3 of The Wheel of Time series a little over a decade ago. Back then, I was young, in college, in my first serious relationship, and easily distracted by shiny books, so I didn’t go on with the series.

In Book 1, having recently read The Lords of the Rings by Tolkien, I felt there was a little too much cribbing from the man in Robert Jordan’s The Eye of the World. Remember, these were my thoughts of a 19 year old. But my man was really into these books, so I read on. Yet life, and other distracting books, got in the way of enjoying this series and it fell by the wayside. By the way, my man is extra excited to have me reading this series and he has even offered to  listen along (audio versions) and I will occasionally include his remarks in my posts.

Now, with the upcoming read along, I am thoroughly looking forward to enjoying this series with a group of people. In truth, as a Brandon Sanderson fan, I really, really want to see what he did with Jordan’s world and how he ended the series. Yes, I have heard how good this series is, how many serious-beyond-belief fans there are of Jordan’s works. But what I know is how good Sanderson’s works are. If Sanderson picked up the torch after Jordan’s death, there has got to be something really good about this series for him to build on. Or so is my hope.

I hope you’ll be joining us. Below is the schedule for posting, and also the sign up form. Don’t forget to check out On Starships and Dragonwings, my awesome cohost for this insanity. And you can always take the more casual approach by simply following our reading exploits and commenting here and there.

Chapters   Date of Post (Sundays)
Proglogue-7 post on December 16th
8-14 post on December 30th
15-20 post on January 6th
21-27 post on January 13th
28-33 post on January 20th
34-40 post on January 27th
41-47 post on February 3rd
48-END post on February 10th

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

Pico is way heavier than this epic fantasy.

Why I Read It: The first 2 books in the series were incredible, so I had to see how it would end.

Where I Got It: Own it.

Who I Recommend This To: Dark, epic, fantasy freaks would love this series.

Publisher: Tor Fantasy (2009)

Length: 748 pages

Series: Book 3 Mistborn

This whole series has been amazing and I got into it thanks to a group read of Mistborn: The Final Empire hosted by Stainless Steel Droppings. The Hero of Ages starts some months, perhaps a year after The Well of Ascension ends. The world is slowly being covered in ash, the days are getting shorter, and the mists are becoming unwelcome lingering day guests. The whole tone of the end of this trilogy is dark throughout.

Vin and Elend are trying to hold the Empire together, trying to protect and save as many people for as long as possible as they can. Elend’s new powers, while strong, are not refined, having only had so many months of practice and not years. Uneasy alliances coupled with the dark chaotic power Ruin makes life difficult for Elend and Vin.

So much of what the readers learned in the first two books comes to a crazy, galloping, bloody, transcendent ending in this book. It takes clues and heroes from all the races to save the world, but can they do it? Honestly, I was biting my nails until the end, hoping they could pull it off. The giant blue, fighting Koloss hold a piece of the knowledge; the Kandra have one huge action (and gift) to give the world; the Terrismen hold the world’s knowledge in metal; and the Inquisitors will play a decisive role.

What I Liked: Very satisfying end to the trilogy; the main characters continue to grow and change; heroes everywhere in so many ways; the dark is dark and Brandon Sanderson doesn’t pull any punches; Sanderson has deleted scenes for this series on his website.

What I Disliked: I think Vin is suppose to be like 5 foot tall – damn she makes Elend look short on the cover!

As part of Stainless Steel Droppings’ R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril event, I am going to count this book as Dark Fantasy. This event is still going strong until the end of October, so feel free to hop over there and join the fun.

Legion by Brandon Sanderson

Why I Read It: Because I have been a Sanderson fan since I read The Way of Kings.

Where I Got It: Audible.com

Who Would I Recommend This To: If you haven’t tried Sanderson before, this is a great novella to get you started.

Narrator: Oliver Wyman

Publisher: Audible Frontiers (2012)

Length: 2 hours 8 minutes

I had the pleasure of hearing Brandon Sanderson read a part of this novella life at Bubonicon earlier this year. This story is currently free on Audible.com and I believe that will hold true until the end of 2012.

Stephen Leeds, something of a detective, has a legion of personae and they all live together in one mansion. No one else can see or hear his manifestations, but they are quite real to him. JC is a Navy Seal personality, fully equipped with weapons expertise and hand-to-hand combat skills. Leeds also has a psychologist and a historian, among many others. Leeds and his legion take on mysteries that intrigue him. In this novella, he receives a series of intriguing photos that simply could not be – impromptu shots of historical figures before the invention of photography.

I’m not going to say too much here about the plot, because you need to read or listen to this yourself. The 2+ hours spent on this book was worth my time, and I will probably do it again within the year. I am used to Sanderson’s marathon-length novels, enjoying each one I have delved into. So I was curious to see how he would craft a much shorter piece of fiction.  This tale put to bed any concerns I may have had; the balance of humor, action, plot and character development was well done. I really hope Sanderson makes this into a series or a full-length novel.

Oliver Wyman was a good pick for narrator for this tale. This was my first time to enjoy his voice, and I wouldn’t turn down another book narrated by him. I especially enjoyed his portrayal of JC.

What I Liked: The interaction between Leeds various personalities were often quite humorous; the quandary at the heart of this tale was a great man to contemplate.

What I Disliked: The ending was a little predictable.

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

Why I Read It: Started the series as part of a read along over at Stainless Steel Droppings.

Where I Got It: Own it.

Who I Recommend This To: If you’re into epic fantasy, this series is a must.

Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates (2008)

Length: 796 pages

Series: Mistborn Book 2

Vin kicks even more ass!

This sequel picks up a year after Book 1, Mistborn: The Final Empire. Elend is king, but can he hold his crown with his even-handedness and high ideals? The Assembly he created to help rule Luthadel is constantly arguing. Meanwhile, multiple armies are marching to take Luthadel by force. Vin is Elend’s love, and his body guard. Many, many people would love to see Elend dead. Vin’s companions in the mist are quite an eclectic lot: assassins, her helpful kandra, some sort of mist creature, and another Mistborn with mysterious intentions.

With Kelsier gone, his remaining crew try to stay true to Vin in their own way – strengthening Luthadel’s defenses, intrigue, spying, and even returning to a besieged city. Sazed had wandered far in pursuit of his dream of teaching the Skaa about the world’s lost religions. However, he finds few willing, let along enthusiastic, students. Instead, he comes across tales of mist mysteriously appearing during the day and killing people. Kelsier’s brother Marsh appears on the scene and leads Sazed to an abandoned Steel Inquisitor tower, where they find few answers and only more questions. Sazed is convinced he must return to Luthdel, despite the imminent danger the city is in.

I believe this book was even better than Book 1. Book 1 set up several of the main characters and the world. In this addition to the series, Brandon Sanderson explores more of the world. For instance, we learn about Koloss society, Mistborn and Feruchemist abilities, and the complicated kandra. We also get more info on the legend of the Hero of Ages. This book was full of action, friendship, betrayal, hard choices, and a little bit of kissing.

What I Liked: The relationship between Elend and Vin was more real; kandra in a dog suit; Vin in everything she does; Zane as a crazy counterpoint to Vin; Elend’s growth in character; Sazed and Tindwyl.

What I Disliked: I found the sudden relationship between Breeze and Allrianne to be a bit forced plot wise.

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

Chupacabra and Warbreaker

Why I Read It: Read along hosted by Once Upon A Time

Where I Got It: Own it.

Who I Recommend This To: Those into epic fantasy.

Publisher: Tor Fantasy (2010)

Length: 688 pages

This book was a play on plot twists. Brandon Sanderson has entertained me quite well once again. Siri and Vivenna are sisters, Princesses of Idris, a high mountain, sober town. Vivenna has known all her life that she was betrothed to the God King of Hallandren, a bustling city steeped in color and vice. However, the King of Idris cannot bear to send his eldest, and favorite, daughter. Siri is sent in her staid, much to the shock of all, including the untrained and ill-mannered Siri.

Vasher and his thought-projecting sentient sword Nightblood have a quest of their own, which no one is quite sure about for a good chunk of the book. (I loved guessing on his intentions). Denth and Tonk Fah are dark-humored mercenaries who meet Vivenna shortly after she makes her secret way to Hallandren to rescue her sister. Siri, in the mean time, has been learning to enjoy succulent fish dishes and wear fancy, flashy, sexy gowns. She befriends one of the pantheon of the Court, Lightsong. He has some of the best lines of the book, constantly irritating and making the other gods and royalty laugh. A good chunk of the pantheon and their priests are for war with Idris, which is seen as a rogue city defying the rightful rule of The God King. Oh, and they have some very lucrative mountain passes used for trading with other nations. Just in case you need a monetary reason to go to war.

In this tale, BioChroma plays a large role. The more Breaths a person has, the more objects a person can animate and command. This includes dead bodies, and hence Hallandren has an army of Lifeless – soldiers who do not need sleep, rest, food, or water. They feel no pain. Shudder. Yeah, Idris is in trouble. While Siri and Vivenna work in their separate ways to head off this war, Lightsong begins snooping around after a mysterious death of servant occurs at Mercystar’s palace. Vasher and Denth continue to circle each other, alternately aggravating and avoiding one another.

What I Liked: The BioChroma rules for this world; the dark humor of Denth and Tonk Fah; the God King’s secret; Lightsong’s banter with the curvaceous Blushweaver; Nightblood has some of the best lines; the lifeless squirrel!

What I Disliked: The first time reading it, it took me some time to grasp the rules of BioChroma.

Warbreaker Read Along Part IV

Heldig in one of her better moods.

Ha! What an interesting section of the book (Cpts. 35-49). Everything has changed, been turned upside down, and twisted inside out. I hope you all have enjoyed the revelations as much as I.

Make sure to check out Once Upon A Time, our hosts, to see what they make of these questions.

 

1) So, pretty much everything has been flipped up on its head in this section. Which particular revelation was the greatest shock to you and how has it impacted your view of the book as a whole?
The first time I read this book, the brutality of Denth and Tonk Fah really threw me. I had bought into their quirky, brusque mercenary personas and didn’t look past them. So when it was revealed that they were working for someone else and willing to torture Parlin to death, plus the dead animals, I was wickedly surprised. Did that scene remind anyone else of the scene at the end of The Village where they discover the remnants of several animals under the floor boards of the mentally handicapped kid? Spooky.
Of course, Sanderson can’t leave it at that. He followed one twisted plot point up with another through these chapters. I love how Vivenna has had to question everything and how Lightsong is becoming useful.
2) Vasher is perhaps one of those things who we’ve had flipped over on us. Turns out he may have once been a scholar, even! Vasher and Vivenna have quite the conversation about Awakening and Returned and skate across the topic of ‘Type 4’ Awakened Objects, which the story implies to be objects like Nightblood. Vasher is completely unwilling to discuss it any further – any guesses as to why?
I think Vasher was experimenting and made a big, bloody, animated mistake by bringing the sword Nightblood to life. He now serves out a penance by being it’s protector. At least Nightblood has a better, if darker, sense of humor than Vasher.
3) Siri’s conversation with Treledees perhaps indicated that for all the disregard he shows for Siri, that he may in fact still care for the God King. If true, does this clash with their idea of simply holding onto the Divine Breath until the return of another, or how could you see it being reconciled?
I don’t like or trust Treledees. I am not inclined to say he devoutly believes in the God King. Perhaps he believes in his own sanctity as protector of those mighty Breaths. That would click better with his inflated sense of self-worth and bullying attitude.
4) We’re so far through the book now, and the War has yet to come. Do you (still?) see it as inevitable, or do you think that it may yet be headed off?
Since this is a reread for me, I will say that the first time I read this book, at this point, I was still unsure whether or not there would be war. But the title seems built for a war breaker. So I had to wonder if this was going to be a story about heading off a war, or a story about several people trying to break up a war and failing. I was routing for Lightsong, Vivenna, Susebron, Siri, and Vasher at this point.
Other Tidbits:
Allmother actually seemed to be doing something for those who petitioned her. Why don’t more of the gods do this? You would think that some of them, like Lightsong, would find some satisfaction in this.
That squirrel is my hero. I need one. Where can I find ichor-alcohol to animate one? I already am pretty decent with needle and thread.
Vivenna + sword = [pick an injury]
Siri needs a bumpersitkcer: Good food leads to sex. Always. Be prepared.

 

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Heldig and Mistborn: The Final Empire

Why I Read It: Participated in a read along over at My Awful Reviews.

Where I Got It: Own it.

Who I Recommend This To: Epic fantasy junkies!

Publisher: Tor Fantasy (2007)

Length: 672 pages

Series: Mistborn Book 1

Vin kicks ass.

It needed to be said up front.

This is another wonderful Brandon Sanderson world; it’s ashy and grey, there are Steel Inquisitors with metal protruding from their eye sockets, Allomancers rule the night with their ability to manipulate metal objects, and mistwraiths roam the lands between cities always hungry. Much of this story is seen through Vin’s eyes; she is a street thief and an Allomancer (though she doesn’t know that last to begin with). Kelsier runs a group of skilled individuals who want to overthrow the empire and he takes Vin under his wing. He has a suspicion that Vin is somewhat like himself – a Mistborn. Mistborns can manipulate all kinds of metal, whereas most Allomancers can only work with a pair of metals. And Kelsier could definitely use another Mistborn to help him with his plans.

This book was wicked fun from beginning to the end. The premise of a small rebel group wanting to overthrow the ruling regime probably seems simple, maybe even overused. However, it gets complicatedly good quick. Each character has a backstory, some of which we learn throughout the tale. Each has his and her own reasons for following Kelsier on his mad quest. The bad guys are not fumbling idiots either, but rather skilled, deadly, and mysterious. A side romance adds a few complications to the master plan, but played well for the reader.

What I Liked: The cloaks; the intrigue, on many levels; Sanderson creates rules for his world and sticks with them; Hoid; there were several twists I did not see coming.

What I Disliked: The initial romance was a little sudden, but I eventually settled into it.

Warbreaker Read Along Part III

It is very hard to get hyper Tanuki to pose for a pic. Bribery was used.

What a crazy week! So much happened in this week’s readings; even though it is a re-read for me, I am greatly enjoying the book and found it a little hard to stop.

This week’s reading included Chapters 24-34. Schedule over HERE.

Thanks once again to Once Upon A Time for keeping us all organized and Amanda over at Ramblings for this week’s questions.

The Questions:

1. Lightsong is beginning to remember his past, or at least, what he thinks is his past. Why do you think this knowledge is coming to him now, after five years as a Returned?

I think his subconscious is preparing him for big things. He has to believe in himself for what is to come. Once upon a time he did something heroic and bold and he needs that piece of himself again. It’s been buried all these years, waiting for the right moment to strike, like a hidden panther.

Or perhaps his servants will run out of grapes and he will have to peel them himself.

2. In this section, Vivenna has learned a lot about herself, and not necessarily to her liking. How do you think the new knowledge will change her going forward?

I think it was healthy for her to admit she was a hypocrite. Learning that ‘your people’ are gangsters and prostitutes and feel that they are better off in the slums of Hallendren rather than the empty slopes of Idris must have stung a bit. In some ways, Vivenna became a much more interesting person in this week’s reading- having to confront what she would do in a moment of terror. Perhaps now she will vary her daily dress a bit.

3. From the beginning of the book, both the Idrians and Lightsong have been telling us that the Returned aren’t Gods, and that the Hallendren religion is untrue. Now, though, we’ve had a few other different perspectives: Jewels’ vehement faith in the God King, the God King’s own belief in his divinity, and finally, Hoid’s collection of historical stories. Given the new information, have your ideas about religion in this book changed? How do you view it now?

Most importantly, it was very good to see Hoid again. He turns up here and there in other Sanderson books.

Religion is an organized group of people who believe roughly the same thing. Hallendren definitely has it’s religion – with some of the Returned subscribing to it and others not. I really love how Sanderson weaves together all this religious turmoil into the story line. I think Lightsong is deeply disturbed by the religion surrounding him, because he does not believe himself worthy of such adoration and dedication, not to mention the breaths he must take from children each month.

Susebron has known nothing else. Siri is the first person he has had contact with that has been honest to his face about not believing in his divinity. While the priests that surround him use religion as a tool to maintain power, they have always reinforced his belief in his divinity.

The only way I can think to relate to this is by looking at my mundane life and imagining someone telling me, very seriously, that I am divine. Huh? You must be a little nuts. Go put the harp away. No, we don’t need choir music. OK, leave the candles if you must, I wanted to read anyway.

4. Denth says, “Every man is a hero in his own story.” What do you make of this, especially given Denth and Vasher’s apparent rivalry, and Vivenna and Siri’s different perspectives of life in Hallendren and the Gods’ court?

Siri is making the best of an impossible situation. She wasn’t trained for this position, she was ordered to it last minute, and when she gets there, it is not as advertised. I think she is doing remarkably well. It is a good thing she is flexible.

Vivenna started off as pretty inflexible and it was her stubbornness and idea of ‘Right’ that got her this far. But this week, we saw a lot of her believes challenged. I am expecting this to lead to personal growth on her part.

Denth and Vasher. this is a a re-read for me, so I won’t say too much. So far, we have spent very little time inside eithers’ head. We’ve heard more chat from Denth and how he has taken pains to protect Vivenna. On Vasher’s side, we have seen a lot of threatening postures, a few deaths/injuries, and several occasions where he goes out of his way not to kill. So far, they are both suspicious to me.

Other Tidbits:

Hoid’s storytelling performance with the various thing she pulled out of his pockets was very cool.

Hopefinder and Blushweaver: That was a very entertaining conversation, with all the back and forth.

Do you think Clod has any of his personality left? It was pretty amazing how the Lifeless retained such mobility and fighting skill.

Sooner or later, Siri will have to explain to Susebron exactly why she bounces on the bed, making moaning noises. I find it entertaining how she is in the awkward position of sooner or later explaining the mechanics of reproduction.

Warbreaker Read Along I

Warbreaker Read Along II

Warbreaker Read Along Part II

Thanks to the folks over at Once Upon a Time for running this read along. Make sure to check out their site and see what they think about the book so far.

Since this is a reread for me, I will be answering most of these questions sideways because I already know how the story plays out. This week’s section covered Chpts. 13-23. See the schedule over HERE.

The Questions:

1) We’ve seen more of Vasher and Nightblood in action and heard perhaps quite a different perspective from the mercenaries. Any thoughts on what Vasher and Nightblood’s nature or motivations may ultimately be?
Vasher and Nightblood are an interesting duo – each highly deadly in his/it’s own right and one self-restrained and one physically restrained. I am highly amused by Nightblood, in a guilty kind of twisted way. I don’t think Nightblood is a particularly good being. During my first read through, I still wasn’t too sure about these two and their motivations. I thought Vasher was harsh and probably up to no good – he killed a man in the first week’s reading, made threatening eyes at Vivenna this week. But them he goes and leaves people alive that he doesn’t have to.
2) How about the mercenaries themselves? Denth seems to be spectacularly dangerous; more than we may have suspected. Then there is Tonk Fah and the recently introduced Jewels. Are they playing it level with Vivenna, do you think?
Yes. I think they are creepy and morbid by turns, but they are mercenaries and have been hired to do a job. Denth especially appears to be taking the Princess under his wing a little and giving her some much needed advice. I like them because of their dark humor though I do miss Tonk Fah’s bird.  Jewels is the first Drab we really get to see and that only a little. She seems to have no regard for Vivenna and that might just be her nature to everyone, or perhaps she doesn’t care for royalty. She does seem to coddle her Lifeless and I can remember during my first read through thinking perhaps it was because she was socially inept with the living.
3) We – and Siri – were let in on (some of) the secrets surrounding the God King as well, and what has been done to him to keep him in check. Or at least, we’ve seen Siri’s thoughts on why it was done. Do you think she was right? What consequences do you perhaps see arising from her teaching the Godking?
I think she will be teaching him more than reading skills….. OK, highschool humor aside I think some shit will be going down as a result of increasing the God King’s comprehensive skills. The cutesy-wutesy side of me, admittedly very small, also finds this very endearing – the God King asking for help from his wife on something that reveals so much about himself.
4) Blushweaver seems to be working toward some end goal we’re not yet privy to, but we know she is after anyone with Lifeless commands. Any ideas what/who/where her target may be once control of the Lifeless is gained?
Well, I don’t think she is looking to set of a Lifeless harem for herself or a night cabaret with male Lifeless on stage. She says that she just wants to prepare for the worst case, but that is all she is presenting. She seems to get a high out of manipulating people; I hope Lightsong keeps vexing her.
Other Tidbits:
While the scenes with the Lifeless squirrel running amok were not described, I can still picture them, and they make me snort-laugh.
What do you think Vasher was doing in Mercystar’s palace anyway? Who is his informant? I remember being tortured by these questions my first read through.
Scoot knew Lightsong in his past life and believes in his goodness and divinity. That is very telling.
Vivenna has still got a stick up her rear about some things, doesn’t she? I am glad that started to waver in this section, probably due to discovering her father’s notes to the now-dead Lemex.
What do you think Susebron thinks of Siri’s new nightly performance? If he can’t read, then does he know about procreation at all? Do you think he mimics the gestures and bouncing back in his own room, trying to puzzle it out?
Lightsong, the Super Sleuth!