Kevin's Watch

tonyz wrote: Pacing problems (and how many times do you have to discuss your options over and over and over again...)

When the decision you make is of world shattering proportions, I don't think you can discuss your options too much. They're making important decisions, you don't just flip a coin.

Also suffered from a split climax (and that was all you can do with the Joan resolution? Come on.)

What else could be done? Also, there is a split in the story, so one would kinda expect more than one "climax", as it were... one for each storyline.... than the one for the entire book...

Some good stuff, but mostly my reaction was "enh, I waited how long for this?"

Don't know, but I waited three years for it, and it was awesome

I'm glad I found this thread, Orlion. The first couple of threads I read after finishing AATE were all pretty much bagging on it. It really ruined my buzz after being so enthusiastic while I was reading it.

Yes, there are criticisms to be made, as in absolutely anything. But I'm glad to find others whose overall experience of the book was fantastic.

I agree with the people singing Stave's praises. He is simply awesome, my favourite character from the Last Chrons, and my favourite Haruchai ever. To be the most important Haruchai ever, though, wouldn't he have to top Brinn beating Kenausten Ardenol?

Cambo wrote:

To be the most important Haruchai ever, though, wouldn't he have to top Brinn beating Kenausten Ardenol?

He may have already done so. The Haruchai do not grieve, it is not part of who they are. But Stave showed emotions when Galt died. He expressed his grief. Though this act is not a display of the physical strength that the Haruchai are so loyal to, it does show a growth on the part of Stave beyond what his kin have heretofore allowed.

To me, that is strength...of a kind the Haruchai have never known before...

earthbrah wrote:Cambo wrote:

To be the most important Haruchai ever, though, wouldn't he have to top Brinn beating Kenausten Ardenol?

He may have already done so. The Haruchai do not grieve, it is not part of who they are. But Stave showed emotions when Galt died. He expressed his grief. Though this act is not a display of the physical strength that the Haruchai are so loyal to, it does show a growth on the part of Stave beyond what his kin have heretofore allowed.

To me, that is strength...of a kind the Haruchai have never known before...

Good post!

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.

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.

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..

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 )

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.

I agree that Stave is a good character. Esmer was cool, but honestly he started to become pure plot device. Now that I see how he had nothing more to him, I'm glad he's gone. Liand was annoyingly bland, but just started getting interesting right before he was offed. Pahni was never interesting until Liand died. I didn't start (vaguely) liking Marhtiir until this book. He said some pretty cool things this time around. Actually, he said some things I'd like to say to these characters.

Is there actually a character named, "Bhapa?" I couldn't tell. What did he do, again?