I had the absolute pleasure of reading chapters 19 and 20 together because I wanted a gourmet feast. We truly have been fed!
I also had the heightened enjoyment of listening to this specific playlist during chapter 20. It frightfully enhanced the battle, especially after Suriin's added flair.
The depiction of Firestar's PTSD is one of my favorites of the entire series I think. I come from a family that's been intertwined with its respective countries militaries and more often than not, struggle with triggers, including loud noises (especially fireworks) or extreme temperatures or even phantom smells like Firestar's dealing with. Seeing it depicted in media makes my heart melt in a good way; it really adds to Firestar's character depth, makes the story feel more grounded and real, and just makes me adore the thought both of you have put into the series and its characters. Thank you, again, for breathing life into the once silly cat series that a lot of us have grown up with!
p.s. I sure do hope we get some Leopardstar-Firestar bonding, I think now that they've both got some fun baggage, they'll get to squabble like siblings for some kind of normalcy/healing. You've made me fall in love with Leopardstar's character with her character arc over the past few books.
p.s.s. Firestar feeling ice in his veins? I think canon!Scourge really did rub off on him. The parallels and subtle nods to canon's words/actions are immaculate.
This ask brings me great joy. I myself have not dealt with PTSD, only being familiar with it through family members whose lives I can't compare with, so I was a bit worried about portraying Firestar's throughout this book. I hope I managed to do it right, especially in this second half.