Song of the Mysteries by Janny Wurts: Live Reaction (Part II)
Part II of my live-tweeted readalong/reaction Twitter thread to the release of Song of the Mysteries by Janny Wurts.
As of 2025, I permanently moved over to Bluesky and effective from 17 January 2026, I have deleted all of my Twitter posts due to the changed terms of service.
Some of my most popular threads, such as this one, I have preserved on my website (with minor edits, for accessibility and ease of reading) for posterity.
I will be forever proud of the fact that Janny Wurts herself enjoyed my posting so much that she had this reaction:
If you missed it, you can find Part I here.
—Delilah.
Who’s ready for MORE Song of the Mysteries?
Meeeeeeeeeeee!
Follow along if you’re also reading; I wanna know YOUR thoughts.
If you’re not, well, follow along anyway and cackle as I get emotionally wrecked.
Then buy yourself a copy so you can experience the same. Let’s go!
I should probably be sleeping but I CAN’T I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS next in Song of the Mysteries because the last chapter left me on a HELL of a cliffhanger.
Here we go.
According to the table of contents, it’s only gonna be 12 pages.
I can get some sort of resolution in 12 pages to that cliffy right??
Page 180 / 22%: ahahahaha lol, niiiiiiiiiiiiiice.
…Twitter can’t understand “I’m reading an awesome book”, apparently 🤣
Page 183 / 22%: Sethvir finally figures out what Arithon’s up to and he’s like, oh man, it’s a doozy.
I’m serious, those are his literal words 😂😂😂
Page 184 / 22%: this is madness.
Arithon: this is me
Arithon: this is also me
Arithon: it’s all me
F7: *staring in the background*
This next part is the most epic description ever. I would looooooooooooove to see this illustrated in full colour.
Special edition when????
(11 massive books in special editions; gg to my bank account)
Still page 184 / 22%:
Page 191 / 23%: whew. That was some payoff. And this is a hell of a hook into the next chapter!
👀 👀 👀 👀 👀
Alright, this is as good as a stopping point as I’m gonna get. I desperately want to keep reading but I need to be writing words (and good ones too) tomorrow so it’s bed time for me.
Same time tomorrow to see what’s in store next. Good night!
Page 192 / 23%: I normally like to start with a non-spoiler (this kinda is, from a world building standpoint, but viewpoint character doing the thing is spoilery?) but I have to comment on this.
It SUCKS to be in this line of succession. Esp if you’re born at the wrong time.
Page 193 / 23%: that said, some leaders are wiser than others and I am rooting so hard for this right now. This character’s been through, like, six different living hells & I want to see them succeed so bad
Pls pls pls gimme this moment, it’ll be disastrous for everyone else:
Page 194 / 24: I will WEEP and be inconsolable if this happens.
(It won’t happen! How do I know? Because that would be the most anticlimactic thing ever and Janny Wurts doesn’t do anticlimactic.)
Page 196 / 24%: 👌👌👌👌👌
Page 197 / 24%: omg 😂 I, uh, this is both hilarious and terrible and I’m terrible for laughing at this.
Cannot find the right gif but remember that number where Max Bialystock goes around romancing little old ladies?
That, but imagine he’s discorporal & they’re living zombies.
(I’m sorry, I don’t make the rules about what weird associations my brain makes!)
Page 198 / 24%: I really regret not pressing the left button right now.
It’s gloves off.
SECRETS ARE BEING REVEALED.
This first one rings a bell and I feel like I should know it but I do not remember which book, it’s been so long.
Further down: thing number two is DEFINITELY covered in the most recent books; I know because I did reread books 9 and 10 last year, but this particular one has been floating around for a long, long time, from even further back in the series. I wanna say like, book 6 or 7?
Page 199 / 24%:
Kharadmon:
Oh K, buddy, I feel your pain.
Page 200 / 24%: prophecies kinda have a bad rep now. I get it. I’ve read my fair share of stories w/prophecies that fall apart when you squint at ‘em & feel completely arbitrary.
This one doesn’t because it’s got weight & substance & it’s inseparable from who the characters ARE.
And we’re gonna leave things here for the night, because I cannot possibly get through another 50 pages tonight AND still hit revision targets tomorrow.
It’s been suggested to me that it would’ve been more efficient to actually take two days off & binge it, book hangover be damned, to which I say, trying to binge a Janny Wurts book kinda goes like this:
(I can triumph, but I prooooooob should savour it a little piece at a time)
I am late with my Song of the Mysteries first read live tweeting tonight because I had a homework insurrection on my hands.
Some of the homework has been completed so I am taking it as a win & therefore am gonna reward myself with at least part of a chapter even though it’s 10:30 pm & I should be sleeping right now if I want to be up and writing at 5:30 tomorrow morning.
Caffeine will fix it right??
With that in mind, I’m jumping straight back in. Here we go!
![Kindle screenshot. Text reads:
Winter - Late Spring 5927
[chapter icon]
VI. Sleight and Riposte](https://www.delilahwaan.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/songotm_react_0035-1024x993.jpg)
Page 203 / 25%: Finally!!! I’ve been waiting for this plot line to kick off!
Page 204 / 25%: it’s such a joy to see how far Dakar has come since we first met him in book 1.
Page 206 / 25%: I think this might be my favourite curse so far, it’s very specific to the setting.
Page 209 / 25%:
Page 211 / 26%: ohhh ohhhhhhh, this confrontation is gonna be so good
Page 212 / 26%: I love it when Lysaer gets mad and then serves…
(Also very clever of you, Nails, hats off)
Page 213 / 26%: this! This is the conflict I find so utterly compelling about Lysaer.
Unfortunately for him, this is not gonna be something he can control. Things he set in motion have gone too far.
Page 220 / 27%: he’s onto you, Nails.
Page 222 / 27%: sorry Dace; there’s nothing you can do.
Gonna have to leave it here for the night or I will be completely useless tomorrow!
Right ok we’re getting SERIOUS with the Song of the Mysteries first read because everybody is reading faster than me and I cannot live with missing out 😭 also I hit a writing goal today so I’m telling myself this is a reward
Page 223 / 27%: Sethvir is in full grumpy old wizard mode 😂
Page 224 / 27%: whatchu gonna do when you got an urgent potentially world ending crisis?
Call Asandir and interrupt his brekkie date with Traithe.
Traithe is so bummed, it’s kinda sweet.
Asandir, that’s unfair. You do have TWO near immortal princes cursed to eternal enmity running around, you know.
Sethvir is bringing the grumpy.
Me, I’m sitting here going, this situation is totally your fault to begin with. You guys did this.
Like the F7 assembled here are acting like this is none of their fault and Lysaer is just a dum dum and it’s like uh no?
Page 226 / 27%: …well THAT’S ominous.
Page 227 / 27%: I really wanna see one of the YouTuber luthiers make a real lyranthe. Hey @TwoSetViolin , if you happen to wanna do a video on making real life versions of fantasy instruments and playing them, this would be a really awesome one: https://wiki.paravia.com/wiki/Lyranthe
Page 228 / 28%:
Page 233 / 28%: oh my god I can’t watch.
Page 234 / 28%: oh my god Arithon NOOOOOOOOOO you have picked some wild ass fights in the past but THIS ONE???????
Further down: OMFG TARENS now is really not the time to raise that issue
(It is actually the right time but oh my god this is just body blow after body blow with a few savage kicks in the groin thrown in for good measure)
I’ve turned the page to the next chapter I see this:
I immediately go check the chapter titles again because if there’s a THIRD repudiation, I don’t think my heart will be able to take it
There is not.
But…
Page 239 / 29%: somebody’s finally calling the F7 on their BS and it’s fantastic
Page 240 / 29%: oh HO, I did not remember this. 👀👀👀👀👀👀
Page 244 / 30%: 😭😭😭😭😭
Page 248 / 30%:
Lirenda, right now:
Page 249 / 30%: 😱😱😱😱😱
Arithon went through with it. Of course he did. Oh god, what’s going to happen now???
Like one para down: OMGGGGGGGGG?!!?!?!!?!!?!?!!?
IS WHAT I THINK IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN HAPPENING OH MY GOD I’M GONNA LOSE IT
AGH THE CHAPTER ENDS HERE?!?!!?!!?!
Fffffffffffffffffffff
OH HOLY SHIT IT HAPPENED IT HAPPENED IT HAPPENED I HAVE BEEN WAITING LIKE TWENTY YEARS TO READ ABOUT THIS MOMENT FUUUUUUUCKKKKKK YEEEEESSSSSSSS
Guys. We’re only 30% of the way through.
What.
The.
Fuck.
Most other authors would’ve saved that moment for the final hurrah.
We’re not anywhere close to that.
What is still in store???
Goddddd I want to inject this book into my brain right now. Be back tomorrow for more.
It’s Song of the Mysteries time!!!
I desperately need to know what’s going to happen next.
![Kindle screenshot. Text reads:
[chapter icon]
VII. Reverberations](https://www.delilahwaan.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/songotm_react_0045-1024x958.jpg)
Page 255 / 31%: yeah I’m with Elaira here. As someone who’s often been the person who gets pressured into doing things they don’t want to do because it’s good for others, I’m GLAD for Arithon.
There’s always a line. And he just got pushed to his. Good on him.
Hahahaha lol Verrain inadvertently dropping intel the F7 doesn’t want Arithon to know is possible in front of Elaira is 👌
Page 257 / 31%: oh WOW yeah it’s one thing to know from the promise made in book 1 this is going to happen and quite another to actually READ ABOUT IT HAPPENING.
I was not prepared for this return.
How is this even going to work?!
Or more accurately, how are they gonna get on?
Page 261 / 31%: “not good” is the answer but I don’t think anyone expected differently. This is some next level culture shock
Page 266 / 32%: Tarens really did not deserve to be put in this position
Page 271 / 33%: this is neither here nor there but I kind of want to see Lysaer’s household accounts. Like where is all the money to pay for this coming from?
Surely not just compulsory acquisition? I don’t think his conscience would allow that.
272 / 33%: why do I have this terrible sense of foreboding about this?
Page 277 / 33%: oh no, no no no no no that is a terrible move, do not do it Lysaer
(He’s gonna, for sure)
Page 282 / 34%: uh Lirenda? Are you conscious of the irony here?
😶😶😶😶😶
Page 283 / 34%: that would’ve been an interesting direction to explore.
Alas, I don’t know that I could envision it. It seems so completely opposed to who Elaira is.
Page 287 / 35%:
When Janny Wurts wants the plot to move, it MOVES
Page 290 / 35%:
‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
Oh that makes so much sense!!!
Oh this is going to be so epic.
I wish I didn’t have to sleep so I can keep reading but alas, I gotta go past out. Same time tomorrow for more!
Alrighty, tonight’s gonna be a short one because I’m waking up suuuuuuper early to chat to two awesome SPFBO authors which means I gotta go sleep soon.
But there’s no way I’m going to sleep before getting my Song of the Mysteries fix!
![Kindle screenshot. Text reads:
Early Autumn - Late Autumn 5928
[chapter icon]
VIII. Trespass](https://www.delilahwaan.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/songotm_react_0047-1024x921.jpg)
Page 292 / 35%: oh this is so damned cool!
Beautiful, beautiful description happening here by the way.
God I love this so much.
Page 293 / 35%: 😂😂😂 okay that was not how I expected that reunion to go but ahaha it’s so apropos
Page 294 / 35%: I’ve sorely missed these two being together. When they’re stuck with each other, we always get zingers like this:
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
OMG and then Kharadmon shows up THAT instant?
Poor Dakar 😂
Page 296 / 35%: I’d never pitch these books to a new reader as a barrel of laughs but it is easy to forget how much humour is sprinkled throughout.
Usually I just talk about how emotionally gutted they leave me but wherever I reread I’m always struck by how much I laugh too.
Page 296 / 36: 👀
😬
🤨
Well that’s ominous…
Page 297 / 36%: oh clever! That’s a good disguise.
…this isn’t gonna end well.
Page 299 / 36%: ARITHON IS GOING WHERE?!?!!?!!!?!!?!
This’ll teach me not to read with a map handy.
Which I wouldn’t be, because I’d be reading in dead tree form if only books didn’t apparently take an extra 3-6 months to get released in Australia 😭
Page 301 / 36%: yeah, skipping this excursion was a very good idea, Dakar.
Page 302 / 36%: this is how I’m picturing Asandir right now
Arithon:
Asandir:
Arithon:
Me:
Page 303 / 36%: OMG
😨😰😅😂🤣
Page 305 / 37%: I don’t know about Elaira but I am!
Page 306 / 36%: OMG Asandir you did WHAT?
That is a deviously low blow
Also Kharadmon had to be in on this
Page 309 / 37%: nice one, Elaira.
I find it very sus that you’re not getting an answer here
That’s it for tonight! Thank goodness the stopping point is a bearable one and not one of those wild page turners that make it impossible to stop.
Delilah Waan has always been an unapologetic binge reader and wishes she could just inhale the entirety of Song of the Mysteries in one go.
Follow @delilahwaan.bsky.social for more of her thoughts on books and publishing.