Donaldson's Fatal Revenant Read Ch. 2

[danlo]

Like every year here's my disclaimer: It takes me a few days to process a new SRD read--hoping to do the retelling any justice-so expect it this weekend--but don't get your hopes up for too much right now.

I'm home because I forgot my cellphone--and I think I need a stiff drink. I don't know why, but Donaldson always makes me nervous in person-guess it comes from twentyseven years of being obsessed with his stuff.
Need to get back to hear Walter Jon Williams and attend the panel Stephen is on.

I, actually want to hit the bar so bad right now that I considered not posting anything, but:

Spoiler

He read the first half of Chapter 2: Difficult Answers-which involves Linden and Marthir traveling to the upland plateau and Glimmermere. Beautifully restored to past splendor by Sunder and Hollian's weilding of the Staff of Law. Linden is looking for some intense personal and physical answers as Covenant has denied to see her.

You will see a very intense confrontation between Esmer (and his multitude of fresh (new/old) Ur-viles and Waynhym) and the 'battle weary' Urvile and Waynhym at the end. They appear out of nowhere pointing nasty wedges at Esmer, and his hosts, as if he has committed a violation of time, or something.

We do go back to the Second Chronicles, of course, and their is discussion of the Sunbane, Kaysern of Gyre-the imperfect alloy of the white gold--and the powers it can weild in the Land--the venom Foul burned from Covenant and of what, extactly, that may have caused him to become.

Another hot nude scene of a woman in the intense lake-Westrons, hyacinth, mimosas, pinetrees everywhere. The Ramen's loyalty to any route LA may take as: The Raynhyn's homage to Linden vs their rearing to Covenant--are we starting to talk about taking sides?

Well I don't know where to stick this anymore so I'm going to spoiler everything for now--and head out. I hope you got something from this brief, nonsensical, tease...

[Cail]

Way cool Danlo!

[jwaneeta]

*squee* I love hints and previews. Thanks, Danlo!

[vasinian]

There's a thread in the last chronicles thread with regards to the synopsis of the book as posted on Amazon.co.uk - I won't post it here as it does give a fair bit away, but if you want a look, wander on over...


In fact, on refelection - as Seareach has suggested....

MASSIVE spoilers would be far more appropriate!!!

[Seareach]

There's a thread in the last chronicles thread with regards to the synopsis of the book as posted on Amazon.co.uk - I won't post it here as it does give a fair bit away, but if you want a look, wander on over...

As a follow up on this: Vasinian has "spoilered" the information that he has provided off amazon.co.uk BUT, honestly, I would "think twice" before reading it! I'm am honestly VERY surprised by the content!

[Kil Tyme]

I started to read that "spoiler" thinking I'd forget by the time FR came out, but I soon stopped reading not wanting to tempt fate that my normally forgetfull mind would remember nonetheless.

[Loredoctor]

*shrug* I read it.

[jwaneeta]

YES! That's my kinda spoiler! I'd totally missed that one.

Thanks, all!

[A Gunslinger]

Hey Danlo, can you verify Vasinian's spoiler a real or hoax? (Insert inappropriate Jon Benet Ramsey Joke here).

[danlo]

Thanks vasinian--you know this is my fourth attempt at trying to decode a Donaldson read. These things are terribly difficult for me to do as I don't know shorthand and won't insult the author by taping him. I, actually, decided to try to "be more open to the read" (listening to it from the heart) this time, but it didn't work. I ended up have four pages of notes instead of the one that I planned and I can barely figure out how I'll decipher those.

The fricking chapter was so damm detailed and explained and analyzed so much;

Spoiler

White Gold from TC's (becoming an alloy in the Sunbane, Foul burning off venom, what are it's finate powers in the Land, is it so imperfect it can totally transform the Land?), Mhoram's (You are the white gold), Linden's (why can't it work with the Staff of Law, or if it can why shouldn't I use it?) POV and Kaseryn's deductions and that's just one item pondered. And this is just one item within 12 pages or so!

Huge description of upland plateau--cattle herds and crops to the north of the new forest, feeding Revelstone--, Glimermere--being there with TC, did TC love her or not (all the back and forth interplay remembered), what it's powers initially did to LA in giving her the will to love--and why with all these counterweighed aspects of love that after 10 years she would take Jeramiah over TC, if it came to that. How had it healed her, what did she need to be healed now. More on Stave's ouster from the Masters, Anele-Anele's assured amazement in seeing his parents transform the Land, Kevin's Dirt running down LA's healthsense and still staining beauty even here. The physical effect of Caesure.

Esmer's linage: (the power of) Kastanessen, arrogant Elohim, crazy merewives, Cail's features and stoicism-talk of the Haruchai. Not to mention some very important discussion of how Esmer travels back and forth in time and retaining continuity. Being at the Waynhym cave before he was born--how do caesures psyhically effect Linden-Linden's mistakes in caesure and responsibility for bringing the Demondim though-shame, etc...Marthir's words of caution--the Ramen's stance in all of this-how he voted against Esmer's acceptance--the danger Esmer presents-the new Appointed prophesy to the north.

Jeramiah and Covenant both changed in some quintessential manner--both being closed to Marthir-held by the Masters (or the other way around?)

You see it goes on and on---so I may very well be almost burned out on trying to do this.

Oct 2007 is a good educated guess--and in cases like these British publishers usually release the work first. But then again it could come out much earlier.

Here's what (paraphased) SRD said last night about the publishers and the release date:
He just sent in the second draft. With Runes his editor in the US had a good working relationship with the UK side. He said the US editor was extremely fast, read the second draft in two days and had revisions back to him in six weeks. That editor is now gone so what he's essentially doing is sending copies to two different editors and may get two completely different editings and visions of where to next. And this may take months to be returned to him.

page count: he said he cut 120 pages from the first draft and that the page count now stands at 1088. Given the months and the task of integrating what both editors want Oct. '07 seems a reasonable estimate.

[dlbpharmd]

Thanks, Danlo!

[Phantasm]

I just can't help reading the spoilers

[danlo]

I just talked to SRD about the Amazon UK synopsis (at the booksigning)--and he said he did write it, a ways back, but it was never intended for publication--so he's not very happy about it at all. He said,"If they had asked me to do that (write the public version), I'd have done it totally differently."


Off to drink wine and hear George R. R. Martin read

[drew]

From the different reads that have been posted here during the past year (Mousglove's synopsis of ch1 Danlo's of chapter 6 and chapter 2) all I can say, it's gunna be one hell of a book!

I mean, it looks like it's going to go off on some crazy tangents-I can't wait!!!

[jwaneeta]

I just can't help reading the spoilers

I can't help it either. I'm a happy happy spoiler ho. I don't care how acurate they are! Spoilers make me happy now and happy later -- they double my pleasure and double my fun. SPOIL ME ROTTEN, I say.

[vasinian]

I just talked to SRD about the Amazon UK synopsis (at the booksigning)--and he said he did write it, a ways back, but it was never intended for publication--so he's not very happy about it at all. He said,"If they had asked me to do that, I'd have written it totally differently."

Ah - thanks for this Danlo - I did submit a GI question about this but you've answered it for me! Many thanks!

[jwaneeta]

I just talked to SRD about the Amazon UK synopsis (at the booksigning)--and he said he did write it, a ways back, but it was never intended for publication--so he's not very happy about it at all. He said,"If they had asked me to do that (write the public version), I'd have written it totally differently."

I'm going to take that to mean it gives too much away and is therefore an even more trustworthy spoiler. Yummy yum yum.

[A Gunslinger]

Thankls for the infor Danlo. Spoliers schmoilers. SRD's work is always so chock-full of detail and subtledty that quick descriptions are not truly spoliers!

[Tulizar]

Another hot nude scene of a woman in the intense lake-Westrons, hyacinth, mimosas, pinetrees everywhere.

Go on...




.

[aliantha]

Thanks for the infor Danlo. Spoilers schmoilers. SRD's work is always so chock-full of detail and subtlety that quick descriptions are not truly spoilers!

That's kind of where I'm at, too, when it comes to SRD spoilers. The book is 1088 pages long, fer cryin' out loud, and he's only given us peeks at the first two chapters -- so that's, what, 20 or 30 pages? Okay, and he's given us chapter 6, which, IIRC, made almost zero sense to me. I'm thinkin' the man still has some surprises up his sleeve.

Spoiler

I'm actually having some fun thinking about Linden putting the krill where Covenant found it in the first place.

Thanks, Danlo!