Monsters Left Saving, Chapter 27 to 31

The story has shifted perspectives from Marlowe and the new talents to the days and detailed flashbacks of when Jacob committed his “crimes” at the manor, as most of the residents call it. Many things that were kept secret or partially revealed, like Marlowe’s kidnapping as a baby, Jacob’s offering of the souls of two child talents to the drughr and the identity of Walter Laster before he became an undead litch were finally opened up to me. This was a very satisfying read and knowing how all these segmented storylines fit together. I also got to view sides of characters that had not been illustrated before, which painted a more fuller picture of them, especially of Jacob and Dr. Berghast. I love when stories have monsters that are scary by their nature and features and also other monsters that are human with a darkness bleeding within them. There are many dark creatures in Marlowe and his little talent friends’ world that they have to defend themselves and the ones they love from, but I like to think what makes them a monster is unique to their character and their absolute needs that are fulfilled by dark deeds. Jacob Marber became monstrous when overpowered by the drughr and his need for bringing his brother’s soul back from the orsine. The drughr is a terrifying monster who shapeshifts from a shadowy and ghostly figure of a woman into its true nature of a grim and sharply fanged beast that feeds on child talents to make itself stronger. They are in need of Marlowe and I believe it is because he is was born in the dead world and that by feeding on him and his gift, it will break the drughr free from the hold of the orsine and to walk freely among the living. Dr Berghast is a talent himself, a haelan like Charlie. He has studied talents all his life and has travelled to many places during his field work and has tracked lost talents to give them a home. Though his soul and spirit has darkened with the loss of his family and loved ones, as he has naturally outlived them from being a haelan. The doctor is tired, he is sad and all he wants is to leave the living world and join the dead. He needs Marlowe and his special talent to help him with this. All of these characters are monsters, two of them of man and the other of the unnatural. They are all supernatural in their own ways, but it is the loss, absence or slipping of their humanity that is telling of their monstrous side. Jacob lost his humanity when he fell on his knees to the drughr and the drughr is absent of humanity, for they are a ghost trying to get back into the living world by feeding on children. Dr Berghast is slipping into the darkness from his grief and agony and is determined to get what he needs by any means, even by sending in child talents into the orsine to map its world for him. I believe there is still some humanity left saving in Jacob, as I have learned that the night he kidnapped Marlowe, he was never planning to give him to the drughr, he wanted to save the baby from Cairndale and the doctor and from being all used up for his gift like Jacob felt he was. He was going to abandon the drughr and be free with Marlowe. I think there will be a showdown with all the child talents, Jacob, the drughr and Doctor Berghast. The monsters will be fighting each other and the children will be all wrapped up in it, putting the darkness away and saving the monsters that can still be saved.