ninjaboy wrote:I really liked this book.
Oh - except for the 'sucker' line. That was terrible.
But yeah I just finished it yesterday.. And think I will start re-reading it today.. There is just so much that has happened it's hard to take it all in.
I'm also now re-reading all the way back from ROTE, not so much to take it all in, but to see if I can be less ambivalent in my opinions on AATE and the Last Chrons as a whole (or to put it better, as a whole so far
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ninjaboy wrote:Stave is a fantastic character, and has been since he recounted his experiences at the Horserite to the assembled masters in Revelstone. Liand was a great character and his loss was a huge blow.
Agreed re Stave - he's more than just another Haruchai, now that his ostracism from the Masters has brought out a whole extra side to his character - he's now got Haruchai strengths *and* emotional strengths as well, as Earthbrah earlier said. He's effectively become "de-Borged" in that he's lost the security/impersonality of the Collective, but in doing so has discovered the profundity of his previously subjugated humanity. And somewhat agreed re Liand, though I was actually most interested in both Esmer and Anele (and to a lesser extent, Joan as well) - SRD writes conflicted characters so well that I felt a little cheated at their utterly abrupt exits. To me, the issues presented by all three dramatis personae felt... ended but not satisfactorily resolved is probably the best way of putting it.
ninjaboy wrote:And I am kinda glad the company parted... Pahni and Bhapa to Revelstone... Linden, Stave, Jeremiah and their Rahnyn to the showdown with Infelice.. TC and the Humbled with the Feroce then the confrontation with Joan. I find myself pondering what may befall the Giants and Mahrtiir while seperated from everyone else.
Yes me too, because I've got a barely-formed impression that maybe just maybe SRD is almost careless with (or possibly even overwhelmed by) his characters when he's got too many on stage at once. Maybe this is why he's terminated so many so suddenly. Now that he's split those who are left - which is something he's done many times in the past throughout all the Chrons - maybe he'll be able to give them a more in-depth treatment, solely because they're now separated. It's almost a film directorial thing - have twenty people in shot and as a director you're less bothered what happens to one or two - it's the overall impression that you're looking to manage. However, have only three or four under the narrative spotlight in a tight focus and you're much more liable to pay a great deal more attention to stage managing them.
