MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 2462 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) Relationships in ML books by "Tiffanie Gray" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2000 13:47:52 -0600 From: "Tiffanie Gray" To: Subject: Relationships in ML books Message-ID: <000d01c05975$53042480$7bd8193f-+AT+-pavilion> Heyla all, I have just finished reading the teaser at Baen for Beyond the World's End, and it got me thinking about relationships in Misty books. We have discussed the Child-Parent thing before, that it seems to be lacking in development in most cases. But the couple/marriage relationships are what I'd like to discuss here. In all her relationships where two people become an item, they lose their place in the storyline. They become cameo shots in the plot. The only exceptions I can think of at the moment, are when one of the partners dies (thus splitting the union), non-humans (like the gryphons) and Darkwind and Elspeth. In every other book, once the angst of them getting together is done, they have a typical Harlequin ending, where they are living (mostly) happily every after. They don't continue to develop and have adventures. Now, while this is somewhat plausible in real life, (no time for adventuring, when you are hauling an infant around), it need not be in a story. I think that while this is "realistic" it really is disappointing from a reader's point of view to just lose a favorite character because they got hitched. I think that Misty is stuck in a mindset that married people can't be as fun and adventurous as single people. Yet, she personally as a couple engages in many exciting ventures, such as rehabilitating raptors, working as a volunteer fireman, etc. So, is it that fans wouldn't want to read it? Does she consider it too cloying? Or?..... Opinions wanted. Wind to thy Wings, Dax the Eternal, Councilor of Mist, Goddess of Elves and Unicorns, Evangelist of Low Humor Knight of Fluff, Mistic Watcher of Continuity Home page: www.grayhaven.org Dax rule: "A Dax will recognize another Dax and will want to party with them." ------------------------------ End of MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 2462 **********************************