Post #7: Accuracy of Predictions

Prompt: #7 Write about your predictions from Prompt #6. Were they correct? Why or why not?

Eternal Knight: (Chapters 19-Epilogue)

*spoiler alert*
There were a lot of plot twists in the last few chapters of the book that really surprised me and altered the entire storyline. I guessed at possible plot developments earlier -- like Earl Waltas' revenge and Prince Morin's ambition -- but the way the author wrote it made the story unpredictable right up the last page. I correctly predicted that Earl Waltas' frequent reappearances at Salador would develop into a larger conflict as he tried to take revenge on Hadde for ruining him. However, I didn't expect him to attack Hadde's maiden in waiting, Maret, in the way he did. Hadde killed Waltas, forcing her to leave Sal-Oras and ultimately swaying her to join Morin and Astor in search of the "Orb of Creation." I think the most shocking turn of events was introducing the character of Akinos as an old man. From the very first page of the novel, the word "akinos" had represented the greatest insult or term for evil. However, as Mr. Heppe convinces the reader by the end of the nearly 300-page book, in many cases, good and evil depend on which side you're looking from. Everyone expected Akinos to be a horrible, brutal monster like how most villains are portrayed. However, it is both tragic and infuriating that Akinos truly believed himself to be the savior of the world. He had good intentions at heart, but they were thwarted by the corruption and greed of other characters -- namely Prince Morin. I knew his character was overly ambitious and power-driven, but it surprised me how Morin turned out to be even worse than I expected. The rumors of him being a traitor and having challenged his brother for the throne years ago rings true by the end of the novel. The fact that Morin tricked Hadde into slaying Akinos and getting his own brother, Boradin, killed to clear his path to the throne and to the Orb, for his own gain, is sickening. What is really the saddest part of the novel is that Akinos did nothing purposely wrong or evil; he acted out of good intentions and was willing to sacrifice his life to save everyone -- something Morin the moron utilized and exploited. Like Mr. Heppe commented in his acknowledgements, the deeper message of Eternal Knight really seemed to be "bad guys see good guys when they look in the mirror."