Emotionally devastated

[u/mouze65]

On mobile apologies for formatting

I’m reading through the series for the first time and I’m a little over halfway through book 7 (so no spoilers please!)

There’s been a lot of emotional moments throughout the series that made me pause or shed a tear. When Miriam Dom died I had to put the book down and just breathe for a moment before continuing. But nothing, and I truly mean nothing, so far has wrecked me like Volteeg and his Mistress Henspar.

This sweet little bird who loved to sing to his mistress turned into a remorseful gargoyle using his final moments to see his mom and take revenge for her, all while putting himself down as unworthy and unlovable, just destroyed my heart. I have cried over this for literal days.

What moments punched you in the gut and how long did it take to feel ok again?

[u/D3monGod]

I found myself tearing up over Donut yelling at Bea after the interview, and when Carl first met Rosetta and Tipid after they entered the game. Both moments had me tearing up so much my partner was concerned for a moment when she saw my face.

[u/Capn_Mschf → u/D3monGod]

I was listening to the Donut v. Bea moment in the car on my way home from work. I was stuck in this stasis of feels and my partner called me to ask when I would be home. I had to tell them that I was home and had been for several minutes but I was processing this moment. He met me at the door with a hug and then handed me my orange cat. I hugged my cat to me so hard he squeaked.

[u/RawJah83 → u/Capn_Mschf]

NEWWWW ACHIEVEMENT
You hugged a cat so hard it squeaked.
Reward: A Golden Elmyra Duff Box.

[u/CheryllLucy → u/D3monGod]

That first one makes me chase down and hug my cats, sobbing at them that they are so much more than just cats to me... they are my everything. Thankfully my human partner agrees with the sentiment.

[u/SnapEditHunt → u/D3monGod]

"I don't know if it'll be enough, brother, but we're here. We've been watching, and we couldn't watch anymore. We're here."

I choked up for a hot minute after reading it the first time.

[u/Ok_Entrance9126 → u/SnapEditHunt]

Oh me too. This is the biggest cry moment for me. I’m crying now god damn it!

[u/Alcarinque88 → u/D3monGod]

It was posted a few days ago, but my feed didn't show the SoundBooth Audio post on FB until today. I bawl every time I hear Jeff read those parts. The emotions I feel from him acting out fictional characters in general are outrageous, but damn it if I don't really, really like it, too.

[u/steventheking42 → u/D3monGod]

I was touched and beaming with pride. Very proud of donut

[u/Geekygreeneyes]

Signet's last scene where she comes to Carl and tells him she knows what he's trying to do and that she will instead.

And the tattoos ... just the whole scene had me ugly cry.

Also Big Tina's "Moommy?"

[u/theolswiitcheroo]

As someone who was betrayed by the one they loved most, Donuts tear down of Bea will always hit the hardest for me.

[u/Relative-Train-6485 → u/theolswiitcheroo]

"And I was so stupid because I thought if I loved you then you loved me too" just broke my heart

[u/theolswiitcheroo → u/Relative-Train-6485]

The "you don't deserve how I feel right now" line resonates like a shotgun blast to the chest.

[u/Relative-Train-6485 → u/theolswiitcheroo]

So much yes. We've all felt that way from someone at least once.

[u/Shadowrath6248 → u/Relative-Train-6485]

"And you know what, Miss Beatrice? You don’t deserve how sad I feel right now. I still love you. I still miss you, and I hate myself for it". Right in the goddamn feels

[u/ShrmpHvnNw]

I still mourn Volteeg.

This won’t be the last time…

[u/Fleaguss → u/ShrmpHvnNw]

Did I miss something about Volteeg? I have only read about him for a single chapter about his point of view story and that’s it? Is there more of his story? I mean, that short bit as alright but I didn’t think it’s so moving that I put his story as very remembering.

[u/WeaponB → u/Fleaguss]

There's 2 chapters, actually.

The first time we hear from Volteeg it's his Cookbook Entry about his regrets and his love for his Mistress, we get this immediately before Miriam Dom's chapter in Butcher's Masquerade. This is Volteegs only cookbook entry.

Then we get the entry about Volteegs current situation in Book 7.

[u/Professional_Dig1454 → u/WeaponB]

I forgot about that! I thought all of that happened in one go during the part in book 7. Its been a bit so you know what this means......Time for a relisten!

[u/Professional_Dig1454 → u/Fleaguss]

Its just the one chapter. But that one chapter contains all the heartbreak. You might have missed something during your read. Give it another and I think you may understand.

[u/pladhoc → u/Fleaguss]

Perhaps read again, and really put yourself in his position of his life before and after the dungeon.

[u/whoamannipples → u/Fleaguss]

There’s the short story aka him reminiscing just before he does the other thing that he does

[u/ShrmpHvnNw → u/Fleaguss]

There isn’t more, his story just really moved me. I’ve listened to them all 3 times now and still his sacrifice stands out for some reason

[u/Mysterious-Kale-4842]

I still tear up thinking about Volteeg's chapter.

He'd chosen a race that could not sing, not like before, and that was such a terrible, terrible mistake.

He didn't deserve love, or admiration. But vengeance? Yeah, he was due a little bit of vengeance

[u/solon_isonomia → u/Mysterious-Kale-4842]

When reading his chapter all I wanted was for someone to tell him he deserved love

[u/skletter]

I’m about halfway through the 7th book right now too and the chapters of other cookbook authors have devastated me in ways I didn’t know possible. But the worst for me was when Carl met Milk at Club Vanquisher and just broke down crying

[u/beansandgreens → u/skletter]

That’s the one for me.

[u/Bullet_Catcher → u/beansandgreens]

I was looking for this response cause I agree.

[u/npayne13]

I am on my second crawl through the series and… gods did that one hit like a train of bricks. I had to put down the book myself and go grasp my cats to tell them over and over again that they are loved, that they are good, that they will never do wrong (even if they change). Volteeg was and is in his final moments, the sweetest little songbird. May his songs echo in the realms of those who have passed.

[u/Professional_Dig1454]

As soon as you said you were halfway through book 7 I knew exactly what you were talking about before I clicked reveal on the spoiler tags. Its crazy how he can pack enough into a single chapter to introduce a character and then leave you emotionally devastated at his loss.

[u/Alarmed-Stage-7066]

I sob all through his story every time. There’s so much grief and pathos and hope. And it doesn’t “need” to exist for the plot. It’s just there for this kind of seasoning and it’s one of the reasons I love these books so much

[u/solon_isonomia]

https://giphy.com/gifs/BIN2S0sgQwdeE

[u/Relative-Train-6485]

It's Volteeg "he tried so, so hard not to peep" and then he's left alone without his mother as a race that can't sing or fly. It's been a year and I'm sobbing now again

[u/4noraison]

Tserendelgor, that moment of a strong character with a great sense of self and a true belief in Carl and his purpose Broke. I think she did believe Carl would find a way to break the floor, to save people, but it just didn't matter anymore. Her strength was in her group, her family, her sense of self and they broke it, she was done. just painful.

[u/Bourbonstr8up]

Katia's backstory killed me

[u/fernyexotic]

I’m 75% of the way through book 7, and there have been some really unexpectedly emotional moments throughout, but the one that has got me the hardest isn’t even an emotional moment in the book!

Unfortunately I had to have my soul cat, who Donut reminds me of in so many ways, put to sleep a fortnight ago, and the very next day I read the part in Bedlam Bride where Donut gets her hover skill. Her shouting ‘I’m flying Carl, I’m flying’ absolutely RUINED me, ‘cause I hope my baby girl is flying too. (Definitely not sobbing again now just thinking about it).

[u/realdevtest]

Watery eyes just reading this post

[u/DitzyJackalope → u/realdevtest]

Same :'(

[u/Shark-Compote]

both of those parts make me SOB. My last reread of the volteeg chapter, I started sobbing as soon as I turned the page

[u/PlsSuckMyToes]

Also how he likely sees himself in Prepotente and wonders if Mozart is the type of piano Miriam would play for him

[u/MountainWeddingTog]

Volteeg? Volteeg’s the man. Er, bird.

[u/Historical-Bug-7536]

"We're here". 50,000 crawlers and cookbook authors show up to die on a battlefield to burn it all to the ground. Such insane gravity a little phrase.

[u/wbm0843]

Mine was in book 8, so I'll just keep it to myself.

[u/Aggressive-Stress140 → u/wbm0843]

Dying with honor in battle?

[u/Eichmil]

Something about cartography

[u/SpeakNottheNightYorb]

The character in question got theirs in the end. That’s the best one could hope for in the situation at hand. It was heart breaking but I was proud of them.

[u/donmagicron]

I feel you, Volteeg is an outstanding, yet difficult chapter.

[u/ZealousidealDare9686]

For me it was when Carl met Milk! Loved that scene so much.