The Talisman book club questions

The reading plan

Meeting 1: Chapters 1 to 9

1. What would make you trust someone who had just attacked you?
2. What does sharing food achieve when the companions still disagree about their beliefs?
3. How might an attack test friendship differently from a debate about faith and honor?
4. How might the hidden chapel shape the meaning of Kenneth's unexpected encounter with Edith?
5. How does Richard's dependence on nursing affect your view of his angry complaints?

Meeting 2: Chapters 10 to 19

6. What does disagreement over how far to go reveal about the strength of Conrade and the Grand Master's alliance?
7. Does Richard's use of force address the dispute over rank, or risk deepening it?
8. How much blame belongs to Kenneth for leaving his post when a lady's token draws him away?
9. How should the women's scheme affect your judgment of Kenneth's responsibility for the disaster at his post?
10. What does Kenneth's refusal to escape suggest about what honor requires of him?

Meeting 3: Chapters 20 to 28

11. How much trust should the Nubian's rescue earn for his offer to identify the person responsible for the stolen banner?
12. How do Kenneth's refusal to escape and acceptance of a sleeping draught shape your view of his trust in the physician?
13. How much weight should Roswal's attack carry when it turns a ceremony into an accusation?
14. What possible motives could explain Kenneth's silence before Edith when Richard has offered him a chance to recover honor?
15. Is Richard justified in seeking peace through Edith's wedding when she resists the plan?

Themes to talk about

Tips for the host

1. Open each meeting with one question everyone can answer, then go deeper.
2. Anyone who fell behind can catch up with the 15-minute summary.