City of Fire (City Trilogy (Mass Market)) (38 page)

4.
How would you define Tumarg? How is Scirye’s decision to punish the dragon, Badik, Tumarg? Compare this decision to Bayang’s struggle with her relationship to Leech and her hatred of Badik. Find other examples of Tumarg and similarly honorable choices and actions throughout the novel.

5.
As the group arrives on Treasure Island, what events make Scirye suspect that all of her companions harbor secrets? What secret identity is held by the peddler woman? How does Pele lift the veil from everyone’s secrets? How does this change the relationship between Scirye, Bayang, Leech, and Koko?

6.
Compare and contrast the carpet on which the friends begin their journey with the “wing” that they board at the close of the novel. How do images of flight enrich the story and its themes? What other magical and nonmagical vehicles play important roles in the novel?

7.
Pele calls Koko “bad-bad” and, later, “maybe-maybe.” What is she saying about his character by using these terms? Have you ever encountered a “maybe-maybe” individual in your own life? Did you give this person a chance to prove himself or herself to be a friend? Does thinking of an individual’s potential to be a friend as “maybe-maybe” seem like a good idea? Why or why not?

8.
At the close of
chapter 2
, Kles refers to the Kushan goddess as “mighty Nanaia, loving Nanaia, deadly Nanaia.” What other characters’ names from the novel do you think could be substituted for “Nanaia” and for what reasons?

9.
How did Roland create the island of Houlani and what does this reveal about his character? What does Roland steal from Pele? Why does Roland want the Kushan ring? What do you think is the greatest conflict within the novel?

10.
What happens when Bayang and Badik finally meet? How does their confrontation mirror the larger battle between Roland and the others? How is the destructive battle in Roland’s mansion reflected in the elements?

11.
Are Scirye’s, Bayang’s, and Leech’s reasons for continuing their pursuit of Roland and Badik at the end of the novel the same as their reasons for beginning the journey? What has changed for and between these individuals? If you could give Scirye, Bayang, or another character one piece of advice as the novel ends, what would you tell them and why?

12.
In
chapter 28
, Pele tells Scirye, “I know who I am…. That’s my power…. If you don’t know who you are, you’re really nothing.” What does she mean? Cite examples to show how this is a central idea of the novel.

13.
In the alternate San Francisco and Hawaii of the novel, realistic Treasure Island is countered by the imaginary Houlani, and characters from Hawaiian and Norse mythology are joined by creatures with names from the author’s imagination. What other contrasts between real and alternate stand out as you read the story? How does this mixture of real and imagined impact your understanding of the novel and its themes?

14.
Is
City of Fire
best described as a story about honor, friendship, or understanding one’s own identity? Explain your answer.

15.
At the end of
City of Fire
, with Scirye’s encouragement, Bayang and Leech agree to friendship despite generations of history as enemies. How long should a person, group, or nation seek retribution for past wrongs? Are there places in our own lives, and world, where Bayang and Leech’s model of friendship might be worth considering?