Kevin's Watch

Well, at least FR was actually more of a return to form, much more in the style of the originals and a really enjoying read, could hardly put it down. I thought the previous one was to be honest, a huge disappointment, in content, writing style, editing and everything. Am now a lot more hopeful about the next two!

Anyway,

when Roger & Jeremiah get Linden down underground crawling etc to go to the earthblood, if their *preferred* option was for them to drink it first, why did they make such a fuss of Linden to keep catching them up and discover the earthblood? Unless they wanted her to drink it first (unlikely as they mentioned it as their backup option only), why didn't they just leave her when she was scrabbling about on her knees on wet rocks and just go in and get it?

These guys are about causing despair, for one.
They don't know she wants to drink. They want to see her squirm when THEY drink. So ...

Perhaps they wanted her close just to enjoy her reaction once they commanded the worm to wake up or what ever they were going to command. Sort of like the bad guy talking about how they are going to kill them when eventually the good guy kills the bad guy. Bad guys never learn to just do it already.

They were also afraid that the Elohim would stop them if Linden wasn't with them.

SGuilfoyle1966 wrote:These guys are about causing despair, for one.
They don't know she wants to drink. They want to see her squirm when THEY drink. So ...

a bit like the baddies in James Bond like to reveal their plans before leaving just enough of a chance for Bond to escape? It's a little bit silly isn't it. Go on, admit it, just a little

This ties into my belief that Esmer's advice to Linden (you must be the first...) was a betrayal. It was Roger's design (therefore Foul's and probably Kastenessen's) to have Linden drink first so she would suffer despair. He didn't expect her to put up the fight she did afterwards, but I do NOT think that he ever was going to drink himself. As the Mahdoubt said later, it would have been too much of a risk to himself. And his attitude the entire time was to get Linden to trust him enough to follow him, but inject enough doubt that she'd Command just what she did - the truth.

Now, there's hope in paradox and contradiction. I think that Foul's best chance to escape is also the Earth's best chance for survival. I have come to believe that the waking of the Worm may not have been the desired choice to defeat Foul (because of the extreme risk involved), but it might be the best way.

I also think that I have the answer to Wildwood's question - his geas. Anyone interested can PM me - I'm infinately excited about it, but I don't want to post it. I don't know why - it just seems too "right" to not be correct (even though the more "right" something has felt in the past, the farther it has been from the reality of where the story was going). If it IS right, then it's a mega spoiler - even though I don't know (and can't even begin to imagine) how it would actually be implemented or played-out in the end.

You mean Wildwood's question about the fate of the trees? I'd like to hear what you think.

Does anybody else have the feeling that we may see another Forestal before this series is over? (Remember Anele's words, everybody?)

Of Caerroil Wildwood's question to Linden. It is this (pg. 294, FR): It is this. How may life endure in the Land, if the Forestals fail and perish, as they must, and daught remains to ward its most vulnerable treasures? We were formed to stand as guardians in the Creator's stead. Must it transpire that beauty and truth shall pass utterly when we are gone?

I notice that SRD's original title for book 3 is in this statement. So it seems to me that sherlock may have something about us seeing another Forestal (maybe Mahrtiir??? ).

Gotta PM Romeo about his theory...

earthbrah wrote: I notice that SRD's original title for book 3 is in this statement.

Yet another reason why the title for Covenant 9 should not have been changed.

Agreed, dlb. At the same time, I understand why it was changed, and sort of support the decision. If the new title will indeed grab the attention of non-Donaldson fans drawing them to the book; and if this draws them to the other books, which just boosts sales, then I'm for it.

Wow, that's a lot of IFs!

earthbrah wrote:Agreed, dlb. At the same time, I understand why it was changed, and sort of support the decision. If the new title will indeed grab the attention of non-Donaldson fans drawing them to the book; and if this draws them to the other books, which just boosts sales, then I'm for it.

Wow, that's a lot of IFs!

All of this remains to be seen. We still don't know how well the cover picture of Gandalf boosted the sales of FR (if at all.)

It's a NYTimes bestseller, or was last time I checked. Did Runes ever reach this status?

Yes. ROTE debuted at #18 on the NY Times list.

Ok, thanks. (How was I not aware of that???)

earthbrah wrote:Ok, thanks. (How was I not aware of that???)

Well, it was 3 years ago.

Reading the Forestal of Garroting Deep's words again reminds me of something from my ongoing constant reread of the second chronicles: He 'died' happy. Atleast we know that. That's a comfort to me, for some reason.

sherlock_525 wrote:Does anybody else have the feeling that we may see another Forestal before this series is over? (Remember Anele's words, everybody?)

I don't remember this one... what'd he say?

earthbrah wrote:Of Caerroil Wildwood's question to Linden. It is this (pg. 294, FR): It is this. How may life endure in the Land, if the Forestals fail and perish, as they must, and daught remains to ward its most vulnerable treasures? We were formed to stand as guardians in the Creator's stead. Must it transpire that beauty and truth shall pass utterly when we are gone?

I notice that SRD's original title for book 3 is in this statement.

That makes me wonder if CW asked Kevin the same question...

dlbpharmd wrote: Yet another reason why the title for Covenant 9 should not have been changed.

But the new title relates to this directly. I've been talking about this in my Runes and Staff thread (though we're getting off-topic). I think CW's question is the most important thing of this series. I think I'll edit my thread title.

sherlock_525 wrote:Does anybody else have the feeling that we may see another Forestal before this series is over? (Remember Anele's words, everybody?)

I don't know what words you mean, but there's a lot of evidence in Runes that Anele might become some sort of super-forestal-type-person. All you need to do is wonder if Caer Caveral, realizing that he was the Last, might not have planted a seed in the unborn person whom he resurrected.