en-US Thu, 15 Jan 2026 09:51:39 -0800 60 144 41 https://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Comment299986695 Thu, 15 Jan 2026 09:51:39 -0800 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/23792967-the-kitchen-hierarchy K. made a comment on Sheever's Journal, Diary of a Poison Master:

As with many cultures, Mearans view women as inferior to men. Sheever was raised to view the genders as equal in value, but to fit into the kitchens, he has to adopt, or pretend to adopt, the accepted customs of the people around him. ]]> Comment299986389 Thu, 15 Jan 2026 09:46:50 -0800 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/23775954-the-branding-effection K. made a comment on Sheever's Journal, Diary of a Poison Master:

There is no quick answer to this. During the Cyntic War, followers of the god Eshra united the four lowland states (Verdina, Meara, Somer and Drayfed) against the mountainous state of Uttebedt. They captured Evald, Uttebedt's capital city, but were unable to advance further. The Cyntic Treaty solidified a stalemate that has lasted for 5 centuries. Brands on Eshra priests (and on their Utte equals/foes, memsen) are not the same as mere brands on skin. They allow the branded to tap into and wield various degrees of spiritual power. Eshra priests retain control of the lowland states through a combination of fear and convenience, but they have no interest in the beliefs of ordinary people, nor of the lords. Sheever's mother was a memsa and he became a novice in the Order of Memsen, thus he knows, or assumes he knows, more about the Eshra Church than the people around him in the kitchens. ]]> Comment299763605 Sat, 10 Jan 2026 13:45:39 -0800 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/23721130-sheever-s-secrets K. made a comment on Sheever's Journal, Diary of a Poison Master:

For Sheever, writing in the journal is akin to scratching an itch. The act itself reminds him that he is more than a simple cook. But he doesn't want to delve into painful memories or reveal secrets from his past. When he begins the journal, he opts to blather about things of no consequence, describing where he is and the people around him. Eventually deeper topics emerge, some of which scorch him so badly he reverts to harmless blather again. He is a man at war with his past, both hating and missing it, and hoping for salvation. ]]> CommunityAnswer29309802 Thu, 25 Dec 2025 07:48:18 -0800 CommunityAnswer29309765 Wed, 24 Dec 2025 10:26:01 -0800 Review7789621638 Thu, 31 Jul 2025 18:42:38 -0700 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7789621638 K. gave 5 stars to Animal Farm (Kindle Edition) by George Orwell
]]> Review7331304101 Mon, 17 Feb 2025 18:29:56 -0800 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7331304101 K. gave 3 stars to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Kindle Edition) by Philip K. Dick
]]> Review6304484838 Sun, 16 Jun 2024 03:28:49 -0700 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6304484838 K. gave 5 stars to Ghosts of Winter: A young woman encounters the Third Reich (Paperback) by Antoinette Dietkus
bookshelves: to-read
]]> Review6304489674 Thu, 29 Feb 2024 09:33:28 -0800 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6304489674 K. gave 5 stars to Don't Tell the Wind (Paperback) by Antoinette Dietkus
]]> ReadStatus7646814656 Thu, 29 Feb 2024 09:30:55 -0800 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6304484838 K. wants to read Ghosts of Winter: A young woman encounters the Third Reich by Antoinette Dietkus
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