MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 2608 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) Tashir/Tylendal and Books of Three by "Layla Voll" 2) Re: Tashir/Tylendal and Books of Three by Matt Neimeyer ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 07:01:37 From: "Layla Voll" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Tashir/Tylendal and Books of Three Message-ID: I just finished reading "Magic's Promise," and couldn't help thinking that I missed something. Why do Vedric and Tashir look so much like Tylendal? I thought for a while that they were supposed to be related, and that the war in "Magic's Promise" was a continuation of the family feud that Tylendal was involved in, but the names are all wrong (ie, Tylendal Frelynne's feud is with Evan Leshara, and the families in magic's Promise are Mavelan and Linean). By the way -- I haven't read "Magic's Price" yet, so if the answer is a big plot point in the third book, just say so. Otherwise, I'll just assume it's normal nobility inbreeding. Also, a long time ago someone (Susan Hill, perhaps) said that they thought that the trilogies followed a pattern, with the first and last books being much better than the middle book. I totally agree, what with my limited sample: both "Arrows of the Queen" and "Magic's Pawn" are great books, and I often reread bits of them by randomly opening them and reading for a while. Part of it is that they both do a great job of introducing us to various characters and situations (the various workings of the Collegium and the wider school, for instance), so they have some great little vignettes, Talia's first class with Alberich and Vanyel's staged fight with Tylendal being some of my favorites. "Arrow's Flight" and "Magic's Promise" are good stories, but not ones I'll reread much: they're good books, they're fun plots on their own, they advance the character development of Talia and Vanyel, and they sow some plot seeds that will be harvested in the final book, but are not, by themselves, my favorites. "Arrow's Fall," on the other hand, I thought was a great book, and I assume from what people say that "Magic's Price" will also be. (I reread from "Arrow's Fall" quite a bit, but mainly the bits where Dirk is self-destructing, or the bit where he collapses at dinner, because I'm a masochist.) Layla _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 04:05:01 -0400 From: Matt Neimeyer To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Tashir/Tylendal and Books of Three Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.2.20010610035527.00a6fb80-+AT+-ambriel.youth-guard.org> >Why do Vedric and Tashir look so much like Tylendal? I thought for a while >that they were supposed to be related, and that the war in "Magic's Promise" >was a continuation of the family feud that Tylendal was involved in, but the >names are all wrong (ie, Tylendal Frelynne's feud is with Evan Leshara, and >the families in magic's Promise are Mavelan and Linean). I wondered about that... She seemed to make a big deal about it. Perhaps it was only meant to show how depressed Vanyel was? >Also, a long time ago someone (Susan Hill, perhaps) said that they thought >that the trilogies followed a pattern, with the first and last books being >much better than the middle book. I can see what you mean... I think that happens with a lot of authors though and not just ML. It's almost like setting everything is "fun", that winding everything up is also fun... but carrying the details through isn't nearly as much fun. Although I thought the Mage Wars trilogy was a decided exception to that. In that case, I thought the first book was the most exciting the second less so and the third, while fun didn't / doesn't really do anything for me. It almost seemed like the Silver Gyphon was there only to be the third book in the trilogy and perhaps to do "character development" on clan k'Leshya. Matt ------------------------------ End of MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 2608 **********************************