Teres

Like I said before, being Tree Friend will in fact just bring her misery and suffering.

SCSF: That naturally makes all this quite cruel.

Which doesn't happen because Azhure and Axis are more important. No, really.

I thought Azhure eventually took over the Avar? And yes, she has been involved with the Avar, but she truly does not have to take over everything!

A world-weary abuse survivor?

Or someone who has given up on attempting any resistance to her fate?

This series is really bad at making it clear enough just where certain locations actually are, such as the Maze. Is it floating in the air? Underground? Parallel universe? No freaking clue.

Hmmm, I thought it was beneath Grail Lake at first, and then... ah yes, I see it finally comes up out of Grail Lake! (Chapter 64 of Pilgrim, "The Doorways", for reference.)

How few is too few? How many Banes do they actually needs? The worldbuilding in this thing is such a complete failure on so many levels.

Certainly, and Douglass's insistence on "mystery" only makes it worse.

Glowing red eyes. I still can't believe Sara Douglass (real name Sara Warneke, and I actually can tell you why she went with a pen name) seriously went there. I mean it's just so cheesy.

I thought the Gryphon will eventually have those too? (And, since you offer, why did she go with that penname?)

Poor Timmy is basically this trilogy's Murtagh, but with one key difference: the moment he starts serving Gorge he just turns 100% pure over the top cartoonish evil and never gets any chance for redemption. And, Eragon-like, Axis makes no attempt to help him. Nobody does.

Yep, that would track. And he unfortunately does not have a partner who cares for him either...

And again, why is Gorge only trying to reel in this ONE GUY? Why doesn't he do this with anyone else?

A very good question, indeed.

And Gorge never acts like this again. On their next encounter he's acting like a fussy housewife trying to impress his guest and convince Timmy that he's a reasonable sort and very sophisticated. It's downright embarrassing.

That is just silly! She really was not good at tone!

If the - groan - Dark Man made the dreams happen maybe that's why Gorge doesn't recruit anyone else in the same way. Darky only wants there to be one cliché Traitor In The Ranks. Of course this just brings up the question of why Gorge doesn't press him to do it again. But then Gorge is an easily manipulated idiot, so there's that.

There is also the question of why he did not use dreams to manipulate Axis, Rivkah, Azhure etc. instead of going there in person.

What "duties" would these be, exactly?

I have no idea whatsoever. He has done his manipulation already, after all.

They really should be much more careful, since they cannot afford to have any of them die!

Another great spork!

Why, thank you!