Kevin's Watch

The Last Dark Released - Oct. 15, 2013
Started Reading Part 1, Chapter 1 - Oct. 15, 2013
Finished Part 1, Chapter 3 - Nov. 25, 2013

Slow and steady wins the race!

-jay

I still haven't opened one Christmas present from last year...

I'm still wearing my birthday suit...
(plus some other overclothes)

I am 79% through AATE... so my copy of TLD is still unopened

Hey Jay, you're really getting this one read fast!

Slow and steady...just finished another chapter -

Finished Part 1, Chapter 4 - Dec. 31, 2013

A slow month I guess, haha.

As a side note:

The death of turiya by Clyme and Branl is probably now my favorite scene in the Last Chronicles.

-jay

[mod edit to remove spoiler tags]

much gobbeting

Somewhere between Part 1, Chapter 8 and 9 - Feb. 27, 2014

I forgot where I was because all of a sudden I started reading faster because it got awesome again finally. Classic scenes with Stave making a good case for Most Bad-ass Covenant Character of All Time.

-jay

[mod edit to remove spoiler tags]

you're doing better than me jay, I've not got past what has gone before!!! LOL!!!!

I started it yesterday. Just finished.

--A

Avatar wrote:I started it yesterday. Just finished.

--A

Showoffing basterd!



Ok, I just finished a "speed read" (relative to my reading) since I was on a long trip and completed all of Part 1.

Best Part:

"Can you finally stop calling me 'Covenant'?"

The whole wedding thing was a little cliched, but entertaining and well timed.

Although wasn't that a line in the X-files between Mulder and Scully?

Although I'm not sure of a lot of things that happened at the end of Part 1...not sure where this story is going.

Least Favorite Parts:

No big cliffhanger at the end of Part 1???

And more importantly:

IS THIS ALL WE'RE GOING TO GET ABOUT THE REDEMPTION OF THE HARUCHAI??? I hope not...otherwise...HUGE LETDOWN!

-jay

[mod edit to remove spoiler tags]

...uuuhhhmmm...your posting here, with the mention of..." not sure where this story is going"...to me,,the whole of your communication has a subtle request for ..help..or ,,a hint of warm or cold in response to your spoilers...? yes?

If not, and you want to do it solo, then don't read this post any further. Stop HERE.


If you are reading these words then I assume you might want a little help with the..uncertain where this story is going...
Consider,,re-reading the Brinn scene when he visits TC. You mite re-evaluate Brinns words. He sees the Haruchai as beyond redemption, too far gone to change. So. what Branl and Clyme decided on..the pact they made..one of them died..killed by the other..Redemption??..Since when does more violence and death redeem previous violence and death?

What I am suggesting here is..the slow parts you ..speed read thru...don't do that. Just a suggestion..unless you know you will be back for a second read. There are set ups for a whole different way to see things in the slow parts.. There is purpose in the slow parts. A whole different way to perceive whats going has roots in the slow parts.

I can't spoil for you..and I won't. But the author wrote the slow parts and the Story is just as much if not more,,in the slow parts as in the high action segments. Nothing wrong with taking your time.

kevinswatch wrote:

Avatar wrote:I started it yesterday. Just finished.

--A

Showoffing basterd!

I can't help it.

--A

I've put together a dynamic progress meter for Jay's read. The snail will move along the line as Jay makes progress. Watch it for a while, and you'll see it move!


Enjoy!

Finished Part 2, Chapter 4 - May 19, 2014

Really starting to slog along now...

Huge battle with skurg and sandgorgons started cool but ended with total let down.

REALLY, FIRE LIONS???

Bah!

-jay

haaa...I just realized how fire and lions are alliterative..another two word alliteration in that chapter..The other being...Only Branl.. Did you catch all the alliteration of that chapter? The whole battle with the scurj and sand gorgons..its all done in alliteration..So..if you missed that..that means you were totally into the struggle of the battle..a high wire act indeed since alone as they were, the group could not win against such numerous foes. .yet they did..
..Seems odd,, that when TC said " Nom" to save his arse way back when, that was cool and okay..but praying for the Fire Lions..some how became deus ex machina..

sob SRD literally saves the group with alliteration..fire lions....LMAO!!!

"SRD literally saves the group with alliteration"... seriously? This is getting ever more bizarre.

With the greatest of respect, "fire" and "lions" have no real alliteration. What I think you mean to point out is that there's a very minimal vocalic internal assonance between the two words, in that they share a long "i". However, given that there are only 5 vowels in the English language - or an absolute maximum of 20 modulated vowel phonemes, even if one is to go by the yardstick of the most anal of linguists - this simple word pair is hardly a matter of any noteworthiness.

As to "only Branl", yes there's a paired consonant group internal alliteration, but I'm extremely doubtful as to SRD coming up with Branl's name some time back in 2004 with the planned foreknowledge that he was going to use a quite deliberate and allegedly significant alliteration some nine years later. Plus of course, "only" is hardly an unusual word, with not too many apposite synonyms. Morover, I'm sure if SRD had written "solely Branl" instead, then there'd be positive literary orgasms going on over the usage of a triple "L".

Now, that's not to negate the notion that novelistic narrative never knowingly necessitates alliteration. Sure, SRD uses this simplistic device occasionally, but sparingly. Good thing too, or else the book would be nothing more than an irritatingly stilted and artificial construct, hammered kicking and screaming into an ill-fitting mould.

What repeatedly boggles my mind is the sight of an absolute and unwavering determination by some to see things that so often simply aren't there for any other reason than random chance. Just goes to show that if one compulsively and eternally looks for the non-existent, one's bound to become convinced that one's found it on numerous occasions.

So, Emperor's new clothes, I'm afraid. Holy crap - there are four "e"s in that three word phrase! What are the chances? Huh? HUH???!!!

mmmMMMmm..sandgorgon and scurj kebob over the alliterative embers of fire lion...yummy.

Uh, no.

Even Fire Lions cannot char Skurj to the point of being appetizing. As for Sandgorgon, it is possible, but I suspect that either a Zarathustra low-and-slow smoking or a Menolly brat-style grill and beer-bath soak would work better.