I suppose they could argue that Axis might refuse to listen to them if they simply told him it was a bad idea, but that's a bad reason and they should have tried it first THEN arranged to fake Faraday's death.

What's bugging me about the motive being assigned to Gorgrael is that there's more compelling, equally unsympathetic motives to give him! He be the sort of envious person who wants to destroy the good things of those he envies, he could want to conquer and terraform them to better suit the needs of his adoptive people, or he could be somewhat delusional and think pushing the permafrost line southward would be a net benefit for all concerned.

Okay, so if the only way for that ward to have any power is if someone else gives it power during a critical developmental period... How did the first person to do this figure it out? I'm going to have to assume this is an erroneous belief, which would be fine in a better book.

I dare say Axis has a right to know what his father is! He's a grown man, he did ask, and furthermore they don't have the authority to make that decision for him.

... I would find that ending line more heartfelt if I didn't suspect Axis wishes he was there to, ah, comfort the bereaved mother.