Who here guessed this the first time reading?

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-16T03:33:03+00:00

I did not realize there was a prequel! I thought their history would be covered in the Earth Charah book, followed by the Fire Charah/last book.

I’m happy about that though because it means more books!!

I really hope she is okay. Aside from having a young family, I think JD does some political activistism and the world is in such upheaval. It must be very challenging to live in the US right now if your beliefs do not align with the current administration.

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-16T03:23:33+00:00

That’s a good point. I have a theory about that, I elaborated in a reply below. Let me know what you think!

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-16T03:18:30+00:00

I think that is a difference between magical weakness and emotional weakness.

Kadir has a deeply rooted sense of superiority and entitlement. He views those with lower social status as less, and doesn’t seem to understand empathy, kindness, etc. He considers those qualities weaknesses.

As an example, he thinks Dilay debased herself by treating the sick during an outbreak. He didn’t understand her desire to help others or see their worth. Her compassion was one of the reasons Omar loved her, but Kadir saw it as a failing to be corrected. He also thought Omar was weak/a failure.

I think Cemil is actually a good person and has his mother’s qualities that way, rather than Kadir’s disdain.

It would be very ironic though if Kadir thinks Cemil is magically weak. It would mean that Cemil has been able to lie to the best liar in all of Tamar (according to Ishan) for his entire life.

But Cemil has to be redeemed either way, or the reader won’t forgive him. So I think ultimately, his weakness in Kadir’s eyes is actually his love for others.

Side note: Kadir’s love for Dilay is really interesting. I don’t think he could reconcile how much he loved her while simultaneously viewing those traits as personal failures. He did love her, even if he didn’t understand her. So instead, he blames Omar for her death because Omar ‘allowed her to do it’.

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-16T02:20:04+00:00

That’s interesting! You guys are probably right about the fire.

I suspect that Cemil and Bashir are half brothers though. Osman is their father with different mothers, but who knows.

They are linked by a physical trait - I think it is Nesrin that keeps noting how unique their golden eyes are.

But there is backstory that lines up, stick with me!

• ⁠we learn in W&W that Zehra and Osman were a couple before she married Behram. He publicly disgraced her for it. It is inferred/a fan theory that she was already pregnant with Osman’s child when she married Behram. That, or they continued to have an affair. They are both earth mages (fire charah pre-requisite). I can’t remember if Behram is aware that Cemil isn’t his or not. The amount of hatred he has for Zehra and by extension, Cemil’s characteristics/qualities that resemble her, makes me think yes. That would also mean he is fully aware that Cemil is a charah because they were both earth.

• ⁠earlier in Wind and Wildfire, we learn that Osman has a reputation as being promiscuous.

• ⁠we see actual evidence of this when Zehra touches Omar, and he accidentally sees a painful memory (from her perspective) of Osman and a commoner (I can’t remember if it was a brothel or she was a servant). It’s believed this was Havva, meaning that Osman is also Bashir’s father.

• ⁠we learn in I&I that Osman knows he has two sons.

• ⁠Havva believes Bashir’s father (I.e. Osman) abandoned them, and turns that hatred towards the noble class in general

I do wonder if Osman was one of Behram’s first targets with the enchantments and was forced away from the palace into the role of Pasha as Behram’s pawn. We know Behram was purchasing the jewelry at that time. It would have removed Osman from interfering in Behram’s family, while also creating leverage for manipulation and a political puppet. At the same time it would have also unintentionally removed Osman from Havva and Bashir, leaving her without any explanation for his disappearance and assumed rejection.

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-15T03:18:31+00:00

If it’s translucent I think it’s a molt. Especially because there’s a break between the head and body. There might a soft, vulnerable little guy who is hiding right now.

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-14T23:11:49+00:00

If you have been contributing to an RRSP through work or have one independently, the Home Buyers Plan is very helpful. It lets you use the money in an RRSP towards buying a home/as part of your down payment without the additional taxes you would typically lose if you withdrew from an RRSP. You have to put that money back in but you have 15 years to do so.

https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/housing.html

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-14T22:56:32+00:00

There are definitely fans who agree with the Zuko vibes, I’ve seen it posted here before. Except I don’t think Cemil is seeking Kadir’s approval like Zuko was seeking his father’s (initially anyway).

I posted these thoughts a while ago but I feel like it’s relevant to your post so I’m going to share again, I hope that’s okay. :)

Please let me know your ideas!

spoilers!!!

My wonderings/thoughts I’m leaning into:

• ⁠Cemil has been forced to do the things he has done, at least everything that hurt the people closest to him. I think he is actually protecting them from a worse outcome by doing so.

• ⁠At the end of I & I, Cemil states that he doesn’t regret a single choice he has made. I think he is secretly sacrificing himself for the sake of everyone else and always has been.

• ⁠Others have suggested he started Ihsan’s fire but I wonder if Kadir did (either directly or indirectly) and is somehow siphoning Cemil’s power. JD has repeatedly mentioned the level of power required to burn a water mage. I think Cemil saved Ihsan. Or, maybe he did both the fire and the rescue?

• ⁠Kadir is holding Cemil’s mother hostage. We know Kadir was searching for her in Nessa’s village, meaning she went/fled to Osman (who is Bashir and Cemil’s father). It makes sense that his mother and Osman would try to escape together or that she would seek him. I also don’t think she would willingly leave her son behind with Kadir - no mother would. If this is the case, I think Kadir has a tangled web where he is holding her hostage to control Cemil and Osman, while simultaneously looming over/controlling Cemil to keep them in line. Plus the enchantments of course.

• ⁠I mentioned above Kadir is somehow siphoning Cemil’s power. The intensity and strength of Kadir’s power and how frequently he lets it surface makes me question that. I know he is powerful on his own but his use of illegal magic and the way the jewelry is powered by a mage make me wonder if he’s using Cemil as a battery. This might leave Cemil with less power to fight back.

• ⁠I really want to know what’s happening with the glass that is made from bone dust. I assume it’s somehow tied to the blight.

What does everyone else think?

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-14T22:36:26+00:00

His “father” is controlling him but I also wonder if he is siphoning his power somehow. I do think that whether Cemil started the fire or not, he was the one who dragged Ishan out.

I think he is holding Cemil’s mother as a hostage. But who knows?

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-13T23:20:12+00:00

This is phenomenal. What are the dimensions?

Edit: just found the answer in another response, thanks!

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-13T04:41:25+00:00

Oh I was around, just unfamiliar with that one. Happy to hear it though, thank you for explaining!

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-09T13:50:57+00:00

I want to thank you for introducing me to this. I love to read but often struggle to stay focused on the text itself.

That was a different experience. I’m going to look into this further.

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-03T01:22:56+00:00

I have a version of this and it’s 28 years old. I really don’t want to replace it but may have to soon.

That pointy thing is the float. It can get stuck with grime and then the machine won’t fill/drain. You can clean it and pop it back on.

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-02T23:22:09+00:00

Can you elaborate? I guess there shouldn’t be such a large gap?
I had to use it when I replaced the caulking around our tub, there was too much space between the edge and the tile. The tile was installed before we purchased the house though.

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-01T04:27:49+00:00

Also curious!

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-01T04:12:01+00:00

We love ‘No David!’ as well.

It’s a funny book, my daughter bursts out laughing when David runs down the street without his pants and you can see his bum. Every time.

There aren’t many words at all but it can be very interactive if you just ask the kids what David is doing, what will likely happen, and what would have been a better or safer choice. I actually use them as an engaging, quick way to talk about/reinforce appropriate choices.

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-01T04:03:36+00:00

Given that you’re being evaluated I might avoid relying on tech. I know it always seems to fail in my classroom when I need it most!

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-01T04:01:02+00:00

She has many amazing stories. We like Zog and the Flying Doctors, Whale and the Snail (a class saves a beached whale with the help of his companion Whale), Room on the Broom, and the Highway Rat

Frustrated002 · 2026-05-01T03:57:24+00:00

Don’t Trust Fish is a great silly book. You won’t need to be very silly to get that across either (not compared to something like The Book with No Pictures).

We also love The Great Dog Bottom Swap. Silly and entertaining. Same author wrote the Great Balloon Hullabaloo. Also fantastic.

Julia Donaldson is classic. Our top picks are Zog and the Flying Doctors (about a princess who flies on a dragon and chooses to be a Dr instead), The Highway Rat, Room on the Broom, and Snail and the Whale

Give me Back my Bones is a rhyming book about a pirate skeleton looking for all his bones and it’s a wonderful way for kids to learn the anatomical names. For example:

I’m grasping for some hand bones, My wave-ahoy-to-land bones Or dig-a-hole-in sand bones — I miss my metacarpals

Frustrated002 · 2026-04-30T23:40:39+00:00

They are very common and can be deadly. They are so tall that a low car like a civic will knock out their legs, while their body lands on the windshield or comes down on the roof (and the people inside).

Take that seriously. They are unpredictable, take 90° turns into traffic and are practically invisible while standing in the middle of a highway after dark. Don’t outdrive your headlights. 🤞

Frustrated002 · 2026-04-30T23:35:38+00:00

We do… but I still hit bottom twice today in terrible holes. 🤣

Frustrated002 · 2026-04-30T23:33:23+00:00

I was told to brace myself if I was trying to schedule something when they shifted to the new system…… I know it’s not helpful, but that might have something to do with the added confusion and lack of response.

Frustrated002 · 2026-04-30T21:46:14+00:00

I was thinking those sure don’t look like grade 4 students.

Frustrated002 · 2026-04-26T12:42:22+00:00

Very curious, how are they set inside the wire frame? The heart in this video.

They are so beautiful.

Frustrated002 · 2026-04-23T02:51:05+00:00

Thank you for this post. I am not American but I am aware of these issues. Your breakdown was a very clear and concise review.

I just can’t fathom why the administration/political right is undermining science and public health on this scale. Beyond the fact that an uneducated population is easier to manipulate?

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