this post was submitted on 12 May 2026
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Finished! It was good, but I still feel like "The Wit" is a loose end. It makes the world feel disjointed that no one south of Chalced is mentioned using that magic. It's never explained where it comes from, I feel like that aspect of the books could be more polished. Maybe she is planning on more Bee books?
I think there's some good answers here.
My own take on it was that the Six Duchies were the focus of most of the books, and given the taboo nature of the wit, the characters there may just have not known about it elsewhere as it wasn't something to be studied and discussed. That said, it does seem that both the skill and the wit came from the Elderlings and are two sides of the same coin.
It's been a couple of years since I read the series again and I'm kinda hazy on some details though! I mostly just remember how satisfyingly the series concluded despite it being incredibly bittersweet (I clearly remember wondering WTF to do with myself next after finishing xD).
I did enjoy the link, but I feel like that link just further proves my point. There wouldn't be a bunch of wild fan theories about it if it were more polished. I feel like it wasn't something meant to be left a mystery, but it is. There are so many other mysteries to ponder at the end of the book. For example, will the new elderlings turn into Others? How is Skill worked into magic? What is dragon Nighteyes goal and when does he turn back into stone?