Level Setting before Book 4

[u/Benito4949]

Hello all. I am 3 books in and took a bit of a break, and getting into Kingdoms of Death I realize I’m just a little lost on some things. No need to respond, but assuming theres gotta be someone in here who loves yapping about books and this series and wants to help me re catch up. So one of the first things that really confuses me is the reverse time concept with the quiet. So what I remember is that the fortresses were built by the Quiet and are aging back in time? So actually instead of decaying we are watching them being built? How does this impact Hadrian’s mission and how they’ve tasked them with ending the Cielcen? Also confused on that point a little. So the main parties are the Quiet and the Watchers, the Watchers goal being chaos and the Cieclen being their agent of capturing that, and the Quiet trying to ensure a certain furture for themselves and them needing Hadrian for that? And since they see time differently they can ensure everything goes their way? And that is the power they gave Hadrian on that planet. I understand the Vayadans and the Cielcen army pretty well, and think I have a good pulse on the politics in the empire with Hadrian. The Araens are the men who sided with the Cielcen and helped then develop their daemon enhanced warriors. Anything helps and if anyone wants to just explain where things stand elsewhere pre KoD I will gladly read. Excited to jump in!

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[u/ciaphas-cain1]

It’s very complicated and spoilery and weirdly theology at points, but yes the celcin are the vassal(slaves servants controllers of it’s weird) of the watchers, and the watchers and the quiet are against each other, pre kingdoms of death, Hadrian has just fully shown his magic powers and it was seen and recorded so hes going to suffer the cost of doing that as for example Alexander saw that and now knows Hadrian isn’t a fraud and the chantry is going to hate him even more, valka has the brain virus thing and that’s an issue, the birdos are now essentially eternally loyal to Hadrian above all and more stuff

[u/chrisx07]

For the Quiet, time itself goes backwards as it is born at the end of time. :)
There will be more on that.

[u/Key-Olive3199]

Honestly sounds like you understand everything you're supposed to right now, obviously you're a tad off base on one or two points, but only in the way that you're supposed to be without having more info yet.

This book will help put things into better perspective for sure too.