MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 2605 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) Re: Ack! The list is dead by "Layla Voll" 2) Re: Ack! The list is dead by Rena Bouchard 3) Re: Ack! The list is dead by "Layla Voll" 4) Live Chat with Mercedes Lackey on June 8th! by ChatArial ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 06 Jun 2001 06:34:15 From: "Layla Voll" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Ack! The list is dead Message-ID: First off, non-spoilery stuff: In "Magic's Pawn": "Mardic," Jaysen said slowly, "are you saying that Yfandes *Chose* Vanyel? The only full-grown Companion in the Field that hasn't Chosen -- the Companion that hasn't Chosen for over ten years -- and *now* she's Chosen *Vanyel*?" I think that's where the ten years comes in with Yfandes. Given what Talia tells Elspeth in Arrow's Fall (that Companions don't Choose until they're at least ten), Yfandes is probably over twenty years old when she Chooses Vanyel. Huh. I suppose that means that most of the Companions are probably approximately the same age as their Heralds -- Choosing kids in their early teens when they are themselves in their early or mid-teens. Roxane Nolan asks: >Someone was talking about Jays the other day, who did he end up with? Savil >ended up with Kerowyn...perfect choice. Jaysen Chooses Daren in the same battle that Savil Chooses Kerowyn. And now: Pam writes: >Spoiler space for Serpent's Shadow >x >x >x >x >x >x >x >x >x >x >x >x >x >x >I just reread the Serpent's Shadow, and Mercy makes reference to Marie >Corelli. Does anyone know who this is? I assume she was a woman writer who >thought a woman's place was in the home -- but I consider myself reasonably >well-educated (three degrees), and have never heard of her. I looked her up after I read that: "After her first book, A Romance of Two Worlds, was published in 1886, she became the best selling author in England, and the favorite of Queen Victoria, who ordered a collection of all Marie's books. Despite the savage attacks of critics, her books often broke sales records." From: http://landow.stg.brown.edu/victorian/authors/corelli/intro.html I think "the favorite of Queen Victoria" pretty much sums her writing up. But I felt the same way -- hadn't heard of her before, and I like to pretend I have a decent education. And, speaking of historical references, I know that earlier some people brought up nitpicky inaccuracies that annoyed them. Mine was having Peter quote Noel Coward ("mad dogs and Englishmen") several decades too early. Not a crucial plot point, of course, but jarring enough to momentarily throw me out of the book. >Finally, an earlier writer said the book was based on Snow White. Frankly, >other than the poisoned apple, I can't see much resemblance. Does anyone >else? I didn't until the very end, where Our Heroine is poisoned by an apple sold to her by a evil female relative posing as an elderly peddlar, lies comatose while her seven guardians and her "prince" go after the evil witch, until she is at last brought back to life and awakened by the kiss of her beloved. Like I said, I didn't see it at all until the very end, where I thought it was laid on a little thick. This is starting to sound like I didn't like the book, when I did, very much! I liked the gods/animals, I liked the whole set up of Eastern and Western magic, and I loved these characters, especially the Peters (both of them) and O'Reilly and Maya. It looks like this will be part of a three-book cycle. If the front of the book is to be believed, "Serpent's Shadow" is first, to be followed by "Phoenix and Ashes" and "The Gates of Sleep." Layla _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2001 07:33:09 -0400 (EDT) From: Rena Bouchard To: Subject: Re: Ack! The list is dead Message-ID: Heyla everyone... I have decided to delurk (briefly!) for a short post. Sorry about the brevity, but I have not had much to add lately. Layla said about Serpent's shadow > > This is starting to sound like I didn't like the book, when I did, very > much! I liked the gods/animals, I liked the whole set up of Eastern and > Western magic, and I loved these characters, especially the Peters (both of > them) and O'Reilly and Maya. It looks like this will be part of a > three-book cycle. If the front of the book is to be believed, "Serpent's > Shadow" is first, to be followed by "Phoenix and Ashes" and "The Gates of > Sleep." I think this could be a list of books written, not a list of a forthcoming trilogy. Phoenix and Ashes (if memory serves) is set in the Bardic Choices world - about the Duke and Lady Phenyx Asher after they meet and marry in the book about Raven. (sorry about the book titles - this was long ago and far away - as are the books!) Have wonderful sunny weather and DQ hot fudge sheep to all. Rena ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 Jun 2001 22:15:03 From: "Layla Voll" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Ack! The list is dead Message-ID: Rena Bouchard writes: >Heyla everyone... >I have decided to delurk (briefly!) for a short post. Sorry about the >brevity, but I have not had much to add lately. >Layla said about Serpent's shadow > > > > .... It looks like this will be part of a > > three-book cycle. If the front of the book is to be believed, >"Serpent's > > Shadow" is first, to be followed by "Phoenix and Ashes" and "The Gates >of > > Sleep." > >I think this could be a list of books written, not a list of a forthcoming >trilogy. Phoenix and Ashes (if memory serves) is set in the Bardic >Choices world - about the Duke and Lady Phenyx Asher after they meet and >marry in the book about Raven. (sorry about the book titles - this was >long ago and far away - as are the books!) I don't think so -- "Phoenix and Ashes" and "The Gates of Sleep" both have asterisks next to them saying "Forthcoming from DAW Books." The front also lists "To Catch a Thief" and "Knight's Gambit" with asterisks, and I *know* neither of those are out. Also, the Bardic Choices books are published by Baen Books, while "Serpent's Shadow" is published by Daw, and publishers rarely list books by the author if they're published by a different company. Which is a pity, but there it is. Finally, I was guessing that "Phoenix and Ashes" and "The Gates of Sleep" are connected to "Serpent's Shadow" because of the way they're grouped on the page: each series lists the books in order, and then there's a larger space between series. "Phoenix and Ashes" and "The Gates of Sleep" are directly below "Serpent's Shadow," with the same amount of space as you get between "Arrows of the Queen" and "Arrow's Flight." But -- it's all speculation based on that one page. I have no idea if anything has ever been definitively said about whether this is supposed to be a series or not. Layla _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 Jun 2001 19:37:28 -0400 From: ChatArial To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Live Chat with Mercedes Lackey on June 8th! Message-ID: <3B1EBEB8.5D08-+AT+-uscom.com> Excite Chat special auditorium event -- Fri., June 8, 2001 10-11pm ET - Chat LIVE with bestselling fantasy/SF author MERCEDES LACKEY! Best known for her "Valdemar" fantasy series, Mercedes Lackey is one of the field's most prolific writers, with her bestselling new BRIGHTLY BURNING novel released in paperback from DAW Books in June 2001, and a new series with Rosemary Edghill currently from Baen Books (BEYOND WORLD'S END, first in the series, January 2001). FREE signed book giveaway at the event! Author-signed copies of Mercedes' books, (rare bound galleys of BRIGHTLY BURNING, hardcovers of THE SERPENTS SHADOW and BEYOND WORLD'S END), will be given to 5 randomly picked question-askers at the chat event. To attend the event, go to http://talk.excite.com and click on either "Download Now!" or "Chat Lite!" Attendees of the auditorium event can enter either straight through a fast-loading Java applet (at talk.excite.com -- choose "Chat Lite!"), or can download the full chat software ahead of time at: http://www.excite.com/communities/chat/download After download and installation, you should then start the "Excite Chat" application from your desktop. Sofware is available on both Mac and PC platforms. Read sample chapters of Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Edghill's BEYOND WORLD'S MWFA here: http://www.baen.com/chapters/W200010/0671319558.htm?blurb Information on other special events at Excite can be found at -- http://www.excite.com/communities/chat/events/special_events Hope to see you at the event! :-) ------------------------------ End of MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 2605 **********************************