Kevin's Watch

With ROTE, SRD faced an uphill battle. He was publishing the "Last Chronicles" 21 years after publishing WGW. Many of his fans had gone to pasture (er, grew up), and some of them forgot about him.

He needed to bring those guys back, and also attract new readers. I think it goes without saying that this is what Putnam expects from him.

He did a good job in ROTE. The What Has Gone Before section was very well done, and he also did a good job weaving in bits of the last six books so that new readers wouldn't feel entirely lost.

But with Fatal Revenant - if the first two chapters are any indication, I think he stands to lose some readers. His prose is choppy, his scenes aren't really scenes and are told more like summation, and Esmer lectures Linden for some 12 pages in Chapter 2.

A tried and true Covenant geek like all of us probably love the info we get from Esmer. It's new, or at least a new take. But I think that the new readers will be lost, and will be likely to set the book aside. These two chapters just aren't compelling.

She's surrounded by Waynhim and ur-Viles, but we get only the barest hint of their physical presence. This is fantasy - the author needs to provide more than tiny hints.

Of course I'll buy the book (it's pre-ordered) and I'm not saying that these two chapters have thrown me off - not a chance. I'm just saying that I'm concerned.

There are reasons for everything. Keep the faith!

Strange burgs...I felt the exact opposite.

First, I doubt that a new would read FR without first reading Runes. And Runes certainly gives enough information that makes what we learn from Esmer in CH2 clearly understandable.

Chapter is Fantasy where some one just rambles on telling us everything we're missing are fairly common...and normally neccessary. 'The Council of Elrond' in LOTR (Which BTW I read partially because of your persuasion) is one of those...everyone has their turn so tell everyone else what is going on the world.
This chapter (In FR) I like even better...mostly because Esmer, though he sounds like a know-it-all, really isn't. Oh he might be able to travel through time, and know everything about everything else...but he's tainted himself...he's only going to tell LInden half-truths, witholding information that he doesn't think she'l need...or doesn't want her to know...
And I think that, that was pretty obvious reading that chapter, as they go back and talking about the duality of his nature.

Don't worry Burgs, this story may be different from the rest of the Chrons, but then again, so was RUnes...and You and I were two of the biggest deffenders of that one.

Three of SRD's readers are member of this site, and they all seem to feel that FR is going to be the Shiznit...so if nothing else..trust them!!

I agree with Drew - I found the first 2 chapters to be completely engaging. In fact, I'm actually a little disappointed now that I read them early - I may have cheated myself of the full effect that the book would offer.

I guess I'm the lone voice of dissent then!

But seriously, I was turned off within the first few paragraphs of the first chapter.

Maybe it will feel differently with the book in my hand. I certainly hope so. Waited 24 GD years for this book!

Chapter 2 of FR remined me of chapter 2 of WGW (forget the name and am in a motel in Minneapolis so don't have it to hand). There too we got some answers, or rather half-answers, from a not very willing Findail, who cleverly avoided the main question (What about Vain? in WGW). Then Linden dropped a bombshell demand on TC ("Defeat the Clave and put out the Banefire") much as Esmer drops the Earthblood demand on Linden here.

Well, you're not the only one. Of course, my voice of dissent goes back to Runes of the Earth.

So far, the first couple of chapters *seem* like they're kind of getting interesting. But they still feel like they're missing something.

Also, like, I believe it was Malik, was saying in the other thread, I love Esmer, but he seems way too much like a plot device. Personally, I think it's pretty cheap how SRD is using him: letting him appear out of thin air at a moments notice, always at those *key* moments, and always giving Linden just enough information.

Yeah yeah, you say to keep waiting, Romeo, but how long are you going to be telling us that? Heh.

Anyway, fear not. I'll wait until I read the entire book before I pass any sort of judgement.-jay

There was always "plot devises" in the other books too.

Mhoram...Foamfollower...Amok...Bannor...Findail

And Esmer isn't the only one thus far...we've gleaned a fair amount of info from Anele, Stave and Martiir

I persoanlly like the fact that Esemer just gave Linden a bunch of what seems to be useless information...deffinatly not what she asked for...but you don't know if you should trust all of it, some of it, or none of it.

drew wrote: Mhoram...Foamfollower...Amok...Bannor...Findail

I don't think that these guys were plot devices. All of them were fully realized characters who participated in the events of the story they were involved in. I would say, though, that Anele feels more like a plot device than a fully realized character.

Esmer is participating in the story, but I have to agree with Jay. Right now he is behaving more like a plot device than a fully realized character who seamlessly blends in with the rest of the story.

I do believe (or perhaps, rather, a fervent desire?) that Esmer's (though not Anele's) feeling like a plot device away go away as the story unfolds.

Part of why I liked ROTE had to do with what I saw SRD do with The Gap Series. The Real Story didn't feel like much, but as soon as we hit Forbidden Knowledge, he revealed a remarkably complex story (and universe).

So far, the first two chapters of Fatal Revenant have been filled with "talking heads". Zero action. No scenes - just summation. There seems to be something missing from this. In the first trilogy, when a so-called talking head would reveal the history of the Land, I was mesmerized. I'm not mesmerized now, and I don't think it has anything to do with being 25 years older.

But this is only the first two chapters, and as I hinted at above, SRD has shown more than an ounce of ability at taking something that we don't expect much from and blown us away. I'm crossing my fingers here.

By the way - and this is very interesting - my spell check doesn't recognize the word "revenant" and suggests the word "covenant" as a replacement.

Yeah, I have faith that Esmer will get better, more interesting, and become a more complete character as the story goes on. He just seems too cool for anything otherwise.

Although, I agree about Anele too. He also seems too plot devicy. And in general, Anele either just bored me or annoyed me in Runes.

I believe that other people have said this earlier in other posts, but I really do think that what the Last Chronicles desperately needs is a Lord Mhoram, a Foamfollower, or a Pitchwife. One incredibly awesome character to give the Chronicles some life. I just haven't felt that from anyone so far.

But again, I do have faith in SRD. I have to. Heh.-jay

Giants.. you just can't have the Third Chronicles without Giants..

Without them.. it's like eating a peanut and marshmellow swandwitch. .. I prefer Jam or jelly.

This may not be due to being 25 years older but certainly 25 years wiser and more analytical. Of course Amok was a plot device, what else could he be? Bannor, Mhoram and Foamfollower were not plot devices because these 3 didn't have any more information about the fate of the Land than Covenant - they weren't in "in the know" like Amok and Esmer.

There is a great deal to be said about Esmer - he's the son of Cail, so there's his Haruchai heritage; he's also part Elohim. He's bound to both Kasty and Linden, and serving both.

If there is any problem with the first 2 chapters, it's that again we're dealing with Linden's constant whining.

dlbpharmd wrote:If there is any problem with the first 2 chapters, it's that again we're dealing with Linden's constant whining.

Is she whining? Really? Why is it I'm the only one who never thinks she's whining!!

I think I could read a whole book that was just comprised of various TC characters telling history stories from The Land, and I would be pleased as punch

JemCheeta wrote:I think I could read a whole book that was just comprised of various TC characters telling history stories from The Land, and I would be pleased as punch

I could too, JC!

dlbpharmd wrote:

JemCheeta wrote:I think I could read a whole book that was just comprised of various TC characters telling history stories from The Land, and I would be pleased as punch

I could too, JC!

Seareach wrote:

dlbpharmd wrote:If there is any problem with the first 2 chapters, it's that again we're dealing with Linden's constant whining.

Is she whining? Really? Why is it I'm the only one who never thinks she's whining!!

She's a female Thomas Covenant. I keep on saying this. As a mysoginist, and someone who likes Dr. Avery, I am suprised time and again at the vehemence and vitriol of the anti-Linden camp.

Don't be surprised, we've plenty more where that came from.

dlbpharmd wrote:Don't be surprised, we've plenty more where that came from.

I am become Linden, Destroyer of Lands...

Yeah, I sorta agree with Burgs about the first 2 chapters...they're just not grabbing me. Some quality of the writing seems less intense. I'm happy to wait and see, but there's gonna have to be some improvement.

Hell, I'd prefer histories of the Land from different characters. The history has always been a major factor for me, the scope of the reality. Right now we seem to be marking time for stuff to start happening.

--A