So Stark has to fight himself to get into the Otherworld, which seems pretty obvious to me, but apparently the concept is lost on him.
The two Warriors circled each other warily. “What the fuck are you talking about? You’re me. So if I get in there, how can you die?”
I’m getting a little tired of how actually stupid Stark is. Other-Stark explains to Stupid-Stark that he’s the “not-so-nice” part of Stark. Then they fight each other for a hot minute before Stark gets inconveniently awoken by Aphrodite. She hastily tells him that he has to get Heath to leave in order to get Zoey to come back to her body, and then Stark immediately goes back to the Otherworld. I question whether these books were actually planned or just hastily written as ideas popped into the author’s head.
Stark continues fighting himself, and Other-Stark continues hurling insults at Stupid-Stark, until Stupid-Stark figures out that what he really has to do is to insult himself.
“Yeah, well, that’s one of your problems; you’re too damn arrogant. [. . .] No, it’s not that you’re too damn arrogant. It’s me. I’m arrogant. [. . .] I’m selfish, too.”
Don’t forget stupid.
“That’s how I killed my mentor. I was too selfish to let anyone beat me at anything.”
Don’t be silly Stark. As we’ve learned from these books, murdering another person in cold blood is just a natural part of life. Everybody does it. The majority of the main characters have done it at one point or another. It’s totally normal and not at all alarming.
They fight for a while longer like this, and then Stupid-Stark finally wins, and Other-Stark impales himself on Stupid-Stark’s sword for… some reason.
In the raw intimacy of the moment the Other exhaled, so close to him that Stark breathed in the last of the Other’s sweet breath.
So Other-Stark is dies…
“I’ll see you again, Warrior, sooner than you think.”
Just kidding he’s actually still talking…
Without thought, without emotion, he used the arc of a crescent moon to deal the killing blow, crashing the blade sickeningly into the Other, slicing him cleanly from skull to crotch.
Okay, now he’s dead for real this time…
Stark feels bad about killing himself, but comes to terms with it when he realizes that a true Guardian “didn’t deny brutality; he wielded it with honor.” Because sometimes… most of the time… violence is the answer.
Stark enters the Otherworld determined to find Zoey. But then he changes his mind and decides he actually needs to find Heath, but then a minute later decides that if he finds Zoey he will find Heath, so actually he’s going to find Zoey. It’s really high-quality reading material.
He hated to admit it – it broke his heart to admit it – but Zoey loved Heath, maybe even more than she loved him.
But really, truly, deep down inside, the person Zoey always loved the most… is Zoey.
Then Stark says “For a Guardian, honor is stronger than love.” and a shiny quest path appears leading him straight to Zoey.
Blogging House of Night 
I love how at most three minutes are stretched up to a whole book by the Casts. That’s a talent, too.
Am glad that you’re back at it again by the way!
These books are written like a kid playing make-believe
I love your recaps. I hope they aren’t to soul sucking.