SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Chapters Read: 7-12

Well, these chapters are full of action and intrigue.

Re-reading this series, has just been incredible. I truly cannot put it into words. Over time I've repeated these same points, but I can't help it. I'm just writing my exact thoughts, not really trying to be fancy, or polished or anything. I'm just honestly so amazed.

I'm a super fan, it is what it is. I may be overly enthusiastic but, oh well.

I was really scared of being disappointed during this re-read, I was worried that the story would be stale or not as good as I remembered, or that being older now, I'd find the series silly or something.

But no, this completely holds up. I'm so glad that it does, it's actually refreshing and inspiring. It makes me feel safe.

Books are so clever. They're actually magical. Life changes, time passes, life is up and down and unpredictable and rough a lot. But books remain, the stories are exactly the same. The words are iron, immovable. They don't get edited, they don't betray, they don't become something else. I think this is why physical books are super valuable as well. When I re-read these in 50 years, it will be the exact same! This is a feature of books that is unmatched!

Reading 'The Lake of Souls' is so utterly amazing. Fantastic, undefinable feelings flood through me. It's nostalgia, sure, but it's way more than that. It's remembering the past, appreciating the moment, and giving new feelings going forward.

I don't think there's another form of entertainment that can match this. Like, maybe it's because I read this many years ago, and all the time that's passed has gifted me this undefinable feeling.

People say music can give similar feelings, relistening to your favorite song. But I don't think that compares to this. Re-reading your favorite book after many years is like listening to an old song again times 10,000.

I feel like scientists should look into what books can sort of do to one's mind in that regard. I remember learning once that when you read a book, your brain can sort of feel like it actually experienced the events themselves or something like this. All I know is, books can produce the most joy, and give the most one-of-a-kind feelings ever. I think I'll have more to say on this at the end of the series.

Darren and Harkat's quest is exciting and fascinating. They've had to defeat a panther, they've had to get past alligators, snakes, and a giant toad. Evanna comes and helps and that's another aspect I totally forgot about.

When Darren and Harkat discover the panther's teeth that have letters on them, it's pretty entertaining that they don't figure out KURDA SMAHLT and simply noticed HARKAT MULDS. I noticed later how Harkat discovers the tooth with the letter K was hollow, that seems to be a more obvious indicator that K is supposed to be the first letter! Since I know all this, it seems obvious they should have noticed or thought more about the clues but, I understand it could have easily slipped their mind. I wonder how their journey would have changed had they figured out KURDA SMAHLT. I imagine they'd still have to complete the journey, but who knows for sure.

Evanna coming along to help, was mildly random, but she did save the two from the gators and toad. I guess beyond that, her presence in their journey is simply to be a bit of a boost and like a small break.

Evanna drops a ton of wisdom as well, and she's sort of a morale boost. She's so mysterious. But also, knowing that this journey takes place in the future, it makes me wonder if she was literally waiting, hundreds, likely thousands, or however many years, for the two to arrive. Pretty insane to think about.

I mean, this whole book taking place in the future makes all the events so eerie and interesting. Of course, the fact that this installment is far different from any other installment in the series, makes it so thought provoking as well. No vampires, no humans, no infrastructure, no war, nothing.

Evanna leaves the two of them on the edge of a massive sea, perhaps an ocean even, and it's apparently overcast and mildly rainy. I feel like there's some symbolic meaning there. Most quests have these types of sections. I suppose the sea can symbolize the unknown, vast mysteriousness of life. Not knowing what's on the other side of a new journey is always intimidating.

But yeah, this book does such an awesome job at conveying wisdom swiftly and cleverly. I mean the series is so well rounded, and just the context of this journey, after nine books, is just ridiculously fascinating. It feels like a wickedly deep interlude or something. A pre-ending to the series even. It's so beautiful.

I am going through a lot in life, a lot of changes. This only amplifies the beauty of the book for me.

Crazy.