MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 129 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) Re: Firecats by "Jennifer S. Broekman" 2) Re: Just finished Magic's Price. by Selenay 3) Re: alt. books.ML by Saverte 4) Re: Just finished Magic's Price. by h-wilfehrt-+AT+-nwu.edu (Helen M. Wilfehrt) 5) Re: Just finished Magic's Price. by Mat Timmerman 6) Re: Just finished Magic's Price. by Mat Timmerman 7) Re: Firecats by Vivian Choh 8) Re: Firecats by "Angela M." 9) Re: Just finished Magic's Price. by "Jennifer S. Broekman" 10) Misty's Elves by "Jennifer S. Broekman" 11) Re: Just finished Magic's Price. by "Jennifer S. Broekman" 12) Re: Just finished Magic's Price. by steph-+AT+-escher.mbi.ucla.edu (Stephanie Wukovitz) 13) Re: Firecats by h-wilfehrt-+AT+-nwu.edu (Helen M. Wilfehrt) 14) Re: Firecats by steph-+AT+-escher.mbi.ucla.edu (Stephanie Wukovitz) 15) Re: Firecats by "Jennifer S. Broekman" 16) Re: Firecats by Vivian Choh 17) Re: MERCEDES-LACKEY digest 128 by Julie Vaux 18) Re: MERCEDES-LACKEY digest 127 by Eor 19) Re: Firecats by jc-+AT+-crosfield.co.uk (Jerry Cullingford) 20) Re: Firecats by wdjpej-+AT+-ix.netcom.com (William Jones ) 21) Re: Firecats by "Edward B. Adams" 22) Re: Firecats by "Aphrael" 23) Re: Just a little comment while reading Storm Rising... by "Aphrael" 24) Re: SPOILERS!! Storm Rising Musings by "Aphrael" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 16:12:43 -0400 From: "Jennifer S. Broekman" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Firecats Message-ID: <199509052012.QAA04548-+AT+-sparky.phast.umass.edu> Melanie Dymond Harper wrote: >Different artists, most likely. I think Jody Lee did the cover, and Larry >Dixon did the illustrations inside. >I prefer Larry's, on the whole; I think Altra's definitely longhaired rather >than shorthaired :) That's just because you're not allergic to cat hair. I like the one on the cover better, because you can't see Altra's markings in the inside picture. He could be a white persian from that picture... Does anyone else think Larry Dixon's Natoli doesn't look geeky enough? -jenneke I *am* family. How could I not have family values? Only Boys Accepting Feminism Get Kissed Meaningfully -- Geoff Marcy The only unnatural sexual act is that which you cannot perform. -Alfred Kinsey broekman-+AT+-sparky.phast.umass.edu | http://www-astro.phast.umass.edu/gs/jenn.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 21:21:45 +0100 From: Selenay To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Just finished Magic's Price. Message-ID: <9509051621.aa08729-+AT+-buffnet1.buffnet.net> > >Misery and woe! I just last night finished the reading of Magic's Price >(LHM), and now I am sad for the finishing and the ending both. >The finishing of the book means I can't keep reading until I find >another book, and the ending of the book is sad in itself *sob* > >Anyway, what should I read now? Does any particular book stand out >as being a continuation from LHM? (I've only read a few ML books so >far, and I've been avoiding spoilers.) > >----------------------------------------------------------------------- >Craig George E-mail cmgeo1-+AT+-ccds.cc.monash.edu.au >http://www.cc.monash.edu.au/ccst4/rdt2110/cmgeo1/WWW/index.html >--------------------------------------------------------------------- > I recommend that you read Arrows of the Queen, Arrows Flight and Arrows Fall. Just as much misery as The Last herald Mage but you'll finish with a greater sense of satisfaction. Peace to all Selenay ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------- I made the choice to become a Herald, and if I knew I was going to die tomorrow, I still wouldn't choose otherwise. -Talia (Arrows of the Queen) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 15:42:50 -0400 (EDT) From: Saverte To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: alt. books.ML Message-ID: On Tue, 5 Sep 1995 AnneS3832-+AT+-aol.com wrote: > Hi Everyone- > <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>. What Anne said Scott ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 05 Sep 1995 17:50:12 -0500 From: h-wilfehrt-+AT+-nwu.edu (Helen M. Wilfehrt) To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Just finished Magic's Price. Message-ID: <199509052245.AA245341138-+AT+-casbah.acns.nwu.edu> >On Tue, 5 Sep 1995, Jennifer S. Broekman wrote: > >> Ina Faye-Lund wrote: >> >> I beg to differ. The novelization of Vanyel's story that shows up in >> >> the beginning of _Arrows_ is so far off that it doesn't do more than >> >> wet the appetite. And following someone who's completely confused >> >> Stefen's existence and his tie to Vanyel are mentioned, but another >> Herald (female) is also mentioned as Vanyel's helper, and Vanyel's >> character is just a bit, ah, different. Given that the story in >> _Arrows_ is a (known) novelization and given what I know of real >> novelizations and their tendency to pick a couple facts at random and >> add as many fallacies as they feel they need, I didn't find that >> _Arrows_ spoiled _LHM_ in any way. If anything, the first time I read >> _LHM_, I was eager to see which of the 'facts' in that novelization >> were actually true and which were the imagination of the writer. >> >This was a thread on a.b.ml not too long ago. There was an opinion >there that we (the readers) are seeing into Talia's head as she imagines >_herself_ in the story and as part of the action. So the female >character may or may not have been part of the novelization. I know that >I used to sometimes fantasize along a storyline with myself as a >character, especially at Talia's age, and when the main character was the >PERFECT MALE HERO (at least as portrayed).... > >I don't feel that that section of Arrows can be considered a spoiler, >especially with all the clues to the ending that are sprinkled >throughout the LMH trilogy itself. It does offer an interesting insight >into exactly WHAT the "common" folk of Valdemar know of their history. > >Just my 0.02 worth! > >Cecile > > > I always considered that that portrayal of Vanyel's tale in Arrows was probably how it got passed down in both Stefen's songs and the general novels. Remember, Vanyel's "preferences" were only barely tolerated among the Heralds let alone among the general population. The addition of the female character thereby downplays Stefen's relationship to Vanyel as well as overcoming the other complication of how Stefen got down to the output - ie. that Companions allowed other people to ride them without their own Herald. Thereby maintaining a certain semblance of how Heralds and Companions are envisoned by the general public. Helen h-wilfehrt-+AT+-nwu.edu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 05 Sep 1995 18:47:56 -0400 (EDT) From: Mat Timmerman To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Just finished Magic's Price. Message-ID: <01HUXDTJFKGO9NBU5Q-+AT+-vaxc.hofstra.edu> > From: "Kristin A. Ruhle" > > And the SERRAted Edge books, and the Elves in LA books, both series of > > which are in the same version of the real world as the Di Tregarde > > books. (Tannim mentions meeting Di at one point in _Chrome Circle_.) > > > uh huh. There are passing references to the LA elves (Elfhame > Sun-Descending) in _Born to Run_ I think... Also, in _Summoned to Tourney_, Eric mentions that Kory told him and Beth about some East Coast elves, who were into racing, but that they (Eric & Beth), had had no contact with them. You can tell that this book was written after the SERRAted Edge books began, b/c Kory starts mentioning the Unseleigh Court, tho he didn't in _Knight of Ghosts and Shadows_. Actually, I've been wondering - why did Kory need Eric to help him? Why didn't he just call in Elfhames Misthold, Fairgrove, and Outremer? Mat T. - who wishes he had remembered to change to Subject line to something even remotely related to what he just typed :) -- Mat Timmerman mtimmerman1-+AT+-vaxc.hofstra.edu mtimme47-+AT+-magic.hofstra.edu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 05 Sep 1995 18:53:01 -0400 (EDT) From: Mat Timmerman To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Just finished Magic's Price. Message-ID: <01HUXE68CMNI9NBU5Q-+AT+-vaxc.hofstra.edu> > From: "Cecile S. Ueltschey" > > On Tue, 5 Sep 1995, Jennifer S. Broekman wrote: > > Stefen's existence and his tie to Vanyel are mentioned, but another > > Herald (female) is also mentioned as Vanyel's helper, and Vanyel's > > character is just a bit, ah, different. Given that the story in > > _Arrows_ is a (known) novelization and given what I know of real > > novelizations and their tendency to pick a couple facts at random and > > add as many fallacies as they feel they need, I didn't find that > > _Arrows_ spoiled _LHM_ in any way. If anything, the first time I read > > _LHM_, I was eager to see which of the 'facts' in that novelization > > were actually true and which were the imagination of the writer. > > > This was a thread on a.b.ml not too long ago. There was an opinion > there that we (the readers) are seeing into Talia's head as she imagines > _herself_ in the story and as part of the action. So the female > character may or may not have been part of the novelization. I know that > I used to sometimes fantasize along a storyline with myself as a > character, especially at Talia's age, and when the main character was the > PERFECT MALE HERO (at least as portrayed).... > Hmm. That's funny. I never thought of that character as anything _but_ Talia imagining herself into the story. Didn't that scene mention that she was daydreaming, not reading, anyway? It's too bad that I can only fit so many books on my shelf here at school. sigh. :) Mat T. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 18:11:08 -0400 (EDT) From: Vivian Choh To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Firecats Message-ID: On Tue, 5 Sep 1995, Jerry Cullingford wrote: > At a guess, probably because they're done by different artists, who didn't > see each others work ahead of time :-). If the book actually gives a good > description, then there's less of an excuse, but it may be asking a lot of > an artist to run through the whole book again to check if they don't > remember where a particular description is - although it is *very* nice > to see a cover where everything's just right :-). I thought that artist actually DO read the books they are to paint/draw (whatever, I'm not an artist!). I don't know where I got that idea; maybe from a Michael Whelen book/compilation? Does anybody know for sure (either way)? Vivian Choh bi189-+AT+-torfree.net v.choh-+AT+-utoronto.ca "I am all that I claim to be. I simply have not claimed all that I am." - M. Lackey, "Oathbreakers" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 21:39:27 -0400 (EDT) From: "Angela M." To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Firecats Message-ID: On Wed, 6 Sep 1995, Vivian Choh wrote: > I thought that artist actually DO read the books they are to paint/draw > (whatever, I'm not an artist!). I don't know where I got that idea; > maybe from a Michael Whelen book/compilation? > > Does anybody know for sure (either way)? Michael Whelan usually does read the books he's painting covers for, but I think he's the exception to the rule. (The man is a GOD :) I think that many of the lesser names just get a brief summary or a couple chapters to go on. I must admit that I've been a little disappointed in Jody Lee's covers. While I enjoy them for their artistic value (They LOOK good), they really don't hold much water with what's being described on the inside. Her Elspeth from the mage winds books looks 16 rather than 26, and her cover of "By the Sword" didn't make Kerowyn strong enough. Ah well, just my POV. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Angela M. Murray |"If I had a $1,000,000 I'd buy you Nazareth College of Rochester, NY |a monkey, haven't you always wanted Art Education * (ammurray-+AT+-orion.naz.edu)|a monkey?" -Barenaked Ladies *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ___ ___ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 21:59:59 -0400 From: "Jennifer S. Broekman" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Just finished Magic's Price. Message-ID: <199509060159.VAA04775-+AT+-sparky.phast.umass.edu> Cecile S. Ueltschey wrote: >it. He also has picked up a few of the Sword and Sorceress anthologies >(NO WE DO NOT HAVE III!, he didn't start those until IV!! grrrrrr), and >in the latest one (XII or XIII) there is a Tarma & Kethry story >(co-authored with Lisa Waters, I think) titled "A Dragon in Distress" >that is a cute little story . Well, start haunting used book stores until you *find* III! And I and II, too.:-) (I and II both have Shanna stories.) I don't remember who the other author is, but it's a followup on the story about the chatterbox princess who got the 'gift' of having a jewel or flower drop from her lips every time she spoke. -jenneke I *am* family. How could I not have family values? Only Boys Accepting Feminism Get Kissed Meaningfully -- Geoff Marcy The only unnatural sexual act is that which you cannot perform. -Alfred Kinsey broekman-+AT+-sparky.phast.umass.edu | http://www-astro.phast.umass.edu/gs/jenn.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 22:05:11 -0400 From: "Jennifer S. Broekman" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Misty's Elves Message-ID: <199509060205.WAA04779-+AT+-sparky.phast.umass.edu> Mat Timmerman wrote: >Actually, I've been wondering - why did Kory need Eric to help him? >Why didn't he just call in Elfhames Misthold, Fairgrove, and Outremer? I think the in-story rationale is that elves are really insular. Fairgrove and Outremer have little contact with the West Coast elves at the best of times, and Misthold seems to have been under the impression that SunDescending was a lost cause by the time Eric wok Kory out of Dreaming. That and Kory is a really poor mage for a High Court elf, and he may not have been able to contact anyone outside LA. Remember that their initial contact in SanFran is through Beth's SCA friends, not through the elves... >Mat T. - who wishes he had remembered to change to Subject line to something >even remotely related to what he just typed :) -jenneke, who just did:-) I *am* family. How could I not have family values? Only Boys Accepting Feminism Get Kissed Meaningfully -- Geoff Marcy The only unnatural sexual act is that which you cannot perform. -Alfred Kinsey broekman-+AT+-sparky.phast.umass.edu | http://www-astro.phast.umass.edu/gs/jenn.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 22:13:04 -0400 From: "Jennifer S. Broekman" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Just finished Magic's Price. Message-ID: <199509060213.WAA04788-+AT+-sparky.phast.umass.edu> Mat Timmerman wrote: >Hmm. That's funny. I never thought of that character as anything _but_ >Talia imagining herself into the story. Didn't that scene mention that >she was daydreaming, not reading, anyway? It's too bad that I can only fit >so many books on my shelf here at school. sigh. :) Actually, it says quite clearly that she was reading. That's what makes her so unusual for a Holderkin girl in the first page. Granted, it says also that she was "lost in the daydream her tale had conjured for her," but I can get similarly lost in a book without adding extra characters to represent myself. I tend to think that the female Herald was added by the novelist, for the purposes of having a narrator, balancing the men (since it was written outside the only-men-do-interesting-things culture of the Holderkin), and providing a more easily understandable way for the Guard post to be warned than having *Vanyel*'s Companion take *Stefen*. Remember that it would have been written for an audience that knows about the Herald-Companion bond and that doesn't expect Companions to talk to anyone besides their Herald, much less leave their Herald in peril to carry someone else to relative safety. -jenneke I *am* family. How could I not have family values? Only Boys Accepting Feminism Get Kissed Meaningfully -- Geoff Marcy The only unnatural sexual act is that which you cannot perform. -Alfred Kinsey broekman-+AT+-sparky.phast.umass.edu | http://www-astro.phast.umass.edu/gs/jenn.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Sep 95 19:41:09 -0700 From: steph-+AT+-escher.mbi.ucla.edu (Stephanie Wukovitz) To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Just finished Magic's Price. Message-ID: <9509060241.AA29180-+AT+-escher.mbi.ucla.edu> Just to point out (again--someone else did it the first time): It is very strongly implied in the beginning of AotQ that Talia is having a *daydream* about what she is reading, and that she is putting *herself* into the story, helping Vanyel out, NOT that the story she is reading has a female character assisting Vanyel. Also, it is implied that this version of the tale mentions Stefan as Vanyel's lover (the word "lifemate" is used, and also when Talia meets Ylsa and Ylsa tells her of her and Keren's lifebond, Talia asks if it's like that of Vanyel and Stefen). Funny, though: In Talia's two daydreams (that one and the one she has of being a herald right before meeting Rolan) she imagines herself as having *female* Companions, and in reality she gets a male one :-) Of course the reason she wouldn't imagine a male Companion for herself is pretty obvious... -Stephanie ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 05 Sep 1995 22:11:04 -0500 From: h-wilfehrt-+AT+-nwu.edu (Helen M. Wilfehrt) To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Firecats Message-ID: <199509060306.AA235306789-+AT+-casbah.acns.nwu.edu> >On Tue, 5 Sep 1995, Jerry Cullingford wrote: > >> At a guess, probably because they're done by different artists, who didn't >> see each others work ahead of time :-). If the book actually gives a good >> description, then there's less of an excuse, but it may be asking a lot of >> an artist to run through the whole book again to check if they don't >> remember where a particular description is - although it is *very* nice >> to see a cover where everything's just right :-). > >I thought that artist actually DO read the books they are to paint/draw >(whatever, I'm not an artist!). I don't know where I got that idea; >maybe from a Michael Whelen book/compilation? > >Does anybody know for sure (either way)? > >Vivian Choh bi189-+AT+-torfree.net v.choh-+AT+-utoronto.ca >"I am all that I claim to be. I simply have not claimed all that I am." > - M. Lackey, "Oathbreakers" > > > It probably depends upon the individual book - whether it is expected to be big and needs a good cover for publicity or else it just needs a cover. The author may or may not be able to give input as to the cover, again depending upon their prominence. The artist may be given a summary or description of the desired scene, but I doubt that all artists always read the books which they are hired to do covers for. There are several books which have covers which only barely represent the contents of the book - for example on the cover of one of the Crystal Singer books (AM McCaffrey) they have a sled which Killa is leaning against holding a crystal, now that sled can no way be the sled that they describe in the book. There are more particular extreme examples, but I can't remember which right now. Most of this also applies to the blurbs given as summaries of the story line - I remember my sister, when she was still a Communications/Publishing major and in a publishing course, telling me of assignments where they were told to write those cover flap summaries and publicity snips solely based upon a summary that they were given without reading the books. Helen h-wilfehrt-+AT+-nwu.edu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Sep 95 20:05:45 -0700 From: steph-+AT+-escher.mbi.ucla.edu (Stephanie Wukovitz) To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Firecats Message-ID: <9509060305.AA29221-+AT+-escher.mbi.ucla.edu> Hmmmmm, as far as cover art for the Winds series goes: Some people keep claiming that Elspeth looks 14 or so on those covers and only looks "right" on the inside. My opinion of the interior art is that most of it (until near the end of Winds of Fury) is pretty terrible, all of the humans pretty much look the same. As for the covers (which I *like*, dammit!), well, I vaguely resemble whoever the female is supposed to be and hmmmmm I'm about to turn 27 in threeish weeks. Well, after looking once again at the covers, most like the depiction on Winds of Fate. I have known a 45-year-old woman who I always thought was in her early 20s until she happened to mention her age. And I see a lot of sun-worshippers (former, perhaps?) here in LA in their mid to late 20s who look more like 40. People sometimes peg me for a teenager (and boy do I appreciate it now :-) Age is not always apparent. If I had a beef with the Winds covers, it would be that Elspeth's face isn't quite as angular as she describes it, except perhaps on Fate (again). If I sound obsessed with age at the moment, well, my fiance is turning 30 3 days after my birthday, and boy is he complaining about it :-) Of course the above (not my fiance's birthday, but just about everything else) is just *my* opinion... -Stephanie :-) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 23:25:41 -0400 From: "Jennifer S. Broekman" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Firecats Message-ID: <199509060325.XAA04804-+AT+-sparky.phast.umass.edu> Angela M. wrote: >I must admit that I've been a little disappointed in Jody Lee's covers. >While I enjoy them for their artistic value (They LOOK good), they really >don't hold much water with what's being described on the inside. Her >Elspeth from the mage winds books looks 16 rather than 26, and her cover >of "By the Sword" didn't make Kerowyn strong enough. Ah well, just my POV. I gave up on them when I noticed that the Companions' bridles have *bits*... (But I like the Firecat.:-)) -jenneke I *am* family. How could I not have family values? Only Boys Accepting Feminism Get Kissed Meaningfully -- Geoff Marcy The only unnatural sexual act is that which you cannot perform. -Alfred Kinsey broekman-+AT+-sparky.phast.umass.edu | http://www-astro.phast.umass.edu/gs/jenn.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 23:17:41 -0400 (EDT) From: Vivian Choh To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Firecats Message-ID: On Wed, 6 Sep 1995, Angela M. wrote (regarding artists for book covers): > I think > that many of the lesser names just get a brief summary or a couple > chapters to go on. Is this because the writer does not make the material available, or because artists don't like to spend the time reading the writer's work? Vivian Choh bi189-+AT+-torfree.net v.choh-+AT+-utoronto.ca "I am all that I claim to be. I simply have not claimed all that I am." - M. Lackey, "Oathbreakers" ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 14:02:12 +1000 (EST) From: Julie Vaux To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: MERCEDES-LACKEY digest 128 Message-ID: <199509060402.OAA15790-+AT+-metz.une.edu.au> Two Comments on Free Speech and Firecat Illos. Free speech and neo-nazis on the net. Sgih o.k. so i's legal but if its NOT a violation it is at least an abuse - YES an ABUSE of free speech. Apart from the fact it violated net "courtesy" these people were posting propaganda - LIES ... yes note that word LIES ... they were not simply discussing or defending themselves as a minority . sigh there must be some way we can have "responsible" free speech on the net without this kind of insult to sentiency (the neo-nazi web site) existing however briefly? When does tolerance become folly??? and Liberality dangerous? We dont let people walk around handing up poisoned candies ??? ... and judging from the ones/few I've met your "average" neo-pagan/wicca follower believes more decently and compassionately than your neo-nazi/racist ... i mean behaves oops ...actually come to think of it one could also argue neo-pagan beliefs ... some of them ... are more compassionate than those of neo-nazis??? sigh when I'm irritated my typo rate of error increases sigh gate gate paragate parasamsgate bodhi svaha plus st. patrick's shield Grr let's move on to a more pleasant subject . Why is Jody's Firecat different to Larry's ??? Usually Jody's cover apintings are quite close to the description of the characters in the books . I have long suspected that either Jody gets a copy of a final draft or sends sketches to Mercedes for her approval. I think that possibly either Jody and Marcedes and Larry didnt get a chance to coordinate the artwork until it was too close to the deadline for either to redo the cover or the internal illo of Altra or maybe they saw the sketches differed but decided they liked both versions so much they'ld leave them as they are. The description in the book is a bit vague about Altra's fur length. Maybe he molts in summer???like a tiger ??? Sigh I think both versions of Altra look great ! Maybe mercedes could just add a line in the third book saying Altra sheds in summer or ...ah! here's a solution either the cat on the cover or the one inside is how Altra appears to people without mage sight or when he's casting an illusion that he's a normal sized cat? Everyone who doesnot know about Altra thinks he's a pet of some exotic foreign breed belonging to one of the ambassadors ??? well its a possible solution ..."evil thought" pity we couldnt get Altra to pop over from Velgarth and persuade Irina Rimland and Ernest Zundel to see the error of their ways ... has anyone noticed how neo and older nazis seem to prefer large "butch" breeds of dogs ? Pause never dachshunds ... maybe we could embarass them to taking daschies to right wing marches and the dachsies might have the good taste to snub them or even better attack them ... think on it on prime time news huge fat arrogant right wing macho morons filmed unable to fend off "sausage" dogs! nyah that would be cruelty to animals they might give the dachshunds blood poisoning ... Julie Vaux crossing her fingers and hopefully she hasnt ... wince ... accidentally started a "burning" thread on free speech" WHAT do YOU think the Valdemaran govt/Heralds would do to people who tried to incite riots/ hatred of other minorities? Is "there is NO ONE TRUE WAY" a written law or not ? Is this taught in schools? in Valdemar? bye for now ... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 16:19:55 -0500 (EST) From: Eor To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: MERCEDES-LACKEY digest 127 Message-ID: <199509052120.QAA04081-+AT+-expert.cc.purdue.edu> >>> Delurks from the shadows... I would recommend either Vows&Honor or Arrows after LHM, both actually, but it doesn't much matter which first, as long as you read both before reading By the Sword, Winds, and Storm. The Gryphon books, of which I've only read the Black, can be read at any time, because it takes place so long before the rest of the Velgarth books. I believe the third installment was to be Silver. I'm just over halfway thru Storm Warning, as poor college students can't afford to get hardback, and I just got enough cash to treat myself to a new ML book. The only bad thing with having read almost all of her books is that when I finish SW, I won't have much to read until SR comes out in paperback (cept for re-reading, which I've been doing over the summer). Anyway, welcome, to newcomers and returnees alike. Now back to Forestry. -- ~~> Honestly now. . .Either you stand for something or get knocked down for nothing. Sister don't ache too soon. I thought it was understood, By everyone in this room. Who'd ever come up short or even a race. Safety's just danger. . .Out of place. --Harry Connick, jr. ashkevrn-+AT+-expert.cc.purdue.edu Kristin Santina Moran ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 08:32:36 +0000 (GMT) From: jc-+AT+-crosfield.co.uk (Jerry Cullingford) To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Firecats Message-ID: <9509060832.AA24956-+AT+-crosfield.co.uk> > > I thought that artist actually DO read the books they are to paint/draw > (whatever, I'm not an artist!). I don't know where I got that idea; > maybe from a Michael Whelen book/compilation? I'm not sure - I was assuming the same thing :-), but unless the artist has a very good memory, they may just read through the book, pick a good scene, and reread that bit - if some decriptions were elsewhere, then *even if they reread the scene they're drawing* then they might get some of the details wrong. I guess it depends how fast they read, and how long they have to do things, too. -- _|_ / | Jerry Cullingford jc-+AT+-crosfield.co.uk (Work) \_|_ jc-+AT+-selune.demon.co.uk (Home) \__/ Hemel Hempstead, UK jerry-+AT+-shell.portal.com (alternate) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 03:22:15 -0700 From: wdjpej-+AT+-ix.netcom.com (William Jones ) To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Firecats Message-ID: <199509061022.DAA16036-+AT+-ix9.ix.netcom.com> >Different artists, most likely. I think Jody Lee did the cover, and Larry >Dixon did the illustrations inside. > >I prefer Larry's, on the whole; I think Altra's definitely longhaired rather >than shorthaired :) > >Mel. > That brings to mind another question... Why is Misty still letting Jody Lee do her covers. Don't get me wrong, she did a miraculous job with Vanyel on the LHM covers and is pretty decent on most of the others (Though her Elspeth needs a whole lot of work IMO). I just figured that with Larry doing her illistrations, she would also get him to do her covers. Besides, husbands work for free :-) Zhai'hellava - Shadow-Lover Owl's song on whispered shores Where the silvered sea dies Along the wake of a running moon, Moontide and magic rise. -Sean Russell World Without End ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 08:16:27 -0400 (EDT) From: "Edward B. Adams" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Firecats Message-ID: On Wed, 6 Sep 1995, William Jones wrote: > > That brings to mind another question... Why is Misty still letting > Jody Lee do her covers. Don't get me wrong, she did a miraculous job > with Vanyel on the LHM covers and is pretty decent on most of the > others (Though her Elspeth needs a whole lot of work IMO). I just > figured that with Larry doing her illistrations, she would also get him > to do her covers. Besides, husbands work for free :-) > I can think of a couple of reasons. First off, Larry is probably swamped with other work. I seem to remember a mention in the Firebird catelog that his schedule is just a tad hectic. Second, I've only ever seen pen drawings by him: maybe he doesn't have enough experience with paint to do cover art. Finally, I seem to remember hearing somewhere that Misty and Jody Lee are friends socially. As long as we are discussing the cover artwork: the covers for TLHM are incredibly good, except for one minor fact. In Magic's Price, Van should have pure WHITE hair, not black. >From what I understand, most cover artists don't have an opportunity to read the book before they do the art. Keep in mind that most publishing houses don't leave a lot of time between the author's final deadline and when the book goes into production, so they are usually handed a synopsis and a description of some major characters. SOme artists, like Michael Whelan do have enough pull to get their hands on a copy of the manuscript, but not many. This info was taken from an interview with Kelly Freas several years back in Analog. Of course, I may be completely misremembering Finally, does anyone else object to Darrel K. Sweet's cover for The Fire Rose? Artistically, it is one of the best that he has done, but the picture is of a man with a wolf's head and HUMAN hands, which completely blows away one of the principal parts of the plot Oh well, I'm rambling now when I really should be working, so any other thoughts/comments?. Zhai'helleva Ned > Ned Adams AKA S.Baldric If this is a trial of my abilities, the gods have no sense of proportion sbaldric-+AT+-roanoke.infi.net (Darkwind k'Sheyna) (703) 890-0212 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 08:20:40 EST From: "Aphrael" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk, lbelzer-+AT+-sbu.edu, Subject: Re: Firecats Message-ID: >That brings to mind another question... Why is Misty still letting >Jody Lee do her covers. Don't get me wrong, she did a miraculous job >with Vanyel on the LHM covers and is pretty decent on most of the >others (Though her Elspeth needs a whole lot of work IMO). I just >figured that with Larry doing her illistrations, she would also get him >to do her covers. Besides, husbands work for free :-) Now, I may be wrong, but isn't Larry Dixon color blind? That would make doing cover paintings (which are in color) kind of difficult. Lyn /> Lynore M. Belzer /< 716/379-3034 lbelzer-+AT+-sbu.edu *}XXXXX(*):::<=======================- \< St. Bonaventure University \> Lyn/Aphrael/Sephrenia (IRC) I am an idealist. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way. -Carl Sandburg ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 08:24:19 EST From: "Aphrael" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Just a little comment while reading Storm Rising... Message-ID: This has since turned into a spoiler, folks.... >Subject: Re: Just a little comment while reading Storm Rising... >In a message dated 95-09-01 15:34:30 EDT, you write: > >>WHAT DOES THIS IDIOT THINK HE'S DOING?!?!? >> >>There, I don't think that'll give anything away....:) >> >>Lyn > >What idiot? Are you talking about the vane and pretty one? > >Matt J > Yeah, that one. :) Hmmm. I wonder what the Valdemaran version of prozac would be? /> Lynore M. Belzer /< 716/379-3034 lbelzer-+AT+-sbu.edu *}XXXXX(*):::<=======================- \< St. Bonaventure University \> Lyn/Aphrael/Sephrenia (IRC) I am an idealist. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way. -Carl Sandburg ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 09:23:52 EST From: "Aphrael" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: SPOILERS!! Storm Rising Musings Message-ID: >> SPOILERS DISCUSSED BELOW! :) >> >> I finally got the chance to finish "Storm Rising", and have a couple >> comments and a few questions - >> If Firesong was acting like such an idiot because of physical changes in his >> brain caused by the Storms (due to him being a Healing Adept), are those >> changes reversible or is he stuck with them? I think he's stuck with them. I think the mage storms induced some kind of chemical/hormonal imbalance in his brain. As I said in the other spoiler, wonder what the Valdemaran version of prozac is? :) >> Did anybody find it odd that Talia got annoyed, and actually told the people >> who annoyed her that she was annoyed? ("I hope this is more important than >> what I was doing.") Or has she, too, been "brain damaged" by the storms >> (like Firesong was - and she *is* a healer of sorts)? Oh good! I'm not the only one who thought she was being uncharacteristically bad tempered. I think it was just a literary device to throw some obstacles in the "children's" (Karal, An'desha, & Natoli's) path. In the same way, I'm not sure, as a ruler, Solaris would have exploded the way that she did at Karal. But in order to keep things from getting to easy for Karal, and thus weakening plot, character, and theme all in one swipe, he's got to have these problems. And for Karal, the full and *hostile* attention of the Son of the Sun is definately a problem! I don't think Talia was "brain damaged" by the storms because while Firesong is a *magical* Healer, Talia's Gift is mind-magic. However, being around a disturbed person such as Firesong would probably put her on edge. Now there's a thought. Talia's an empath. Why couldn't she sense that Firesong was on the brink of maddness? >> If the counter-storm they caused at the end of SR caused things dating from >> Urtho's time to disappear, I wonder whether the same thing happened in all >> areas reached by the storms or just in the vicinity or the remains of >> Urtho's Tower. Did anything up around Evendim disappear? Did all the >> weapons stored in the Tower disappear? Did the TOWER disappear? Big >> question - where did they go? (I guess we get to wait for the next book on >> this one, huh :) ) I don't think the tower disappeared, because it was physical. But I think maybe the particular weapon they chose to set off was designed to destroy magical stuff (if you'll pardon the technical terms :) Like you said, we'll have to wait for Storm Breaking to find out about Evendim, but I'd guess that all that stuff was destroyed when Skan set off his little present from Urtho at the end of the Mage Wars. >> leads me to believe that they aren't all necessarily reincarnated Heralds. >> ("...Companions were the same as Karsite Firecats - particularly wise humans >> who had opted for rebirth in this rather odd form, the better to guide and >> advise those who held great power in their lands.") Now we have been >> introduced to an unpartnered femal Companion by the name of Idry. Could >> Idry be Idra (Daren's grandfather's sister) reincarnated? I had the same idea. I think you're right. There *could* be perfectly good souls hanging around, that, in life, just didn't have the opportunity to be Chosen. It's a very good theory, I don't think we should be looking for "repeat performances" every time we turn around, though. >> >Hmm. interesting theory...if you're a spirit perhaps you have a larger >view of things and could opt to be reincarnated in a land you weren't >born in. I think it might be harder to be a Companion (other then Grove >born) if you hadn't been a Herald first. This is also true, since devotion to Valdemar itself is one of the things instilled in a Herald, largely, I think, by his Companion. Let's see here, what else, what else? Oh, yes, An'desha and Firesong. I was kind of glad to see a relationship not work out in a Lackey work. I think she was edging towards a "once they got together, everything was all right" rut. It was kind of refreshing to see that not only could things not work out, but that Firesong and An'desha could and did continue to work together without hating each others' guts. Not every relationship works out, she'chorne or otherwise, and I'm glad that this holds true in Velgarth. It makes the ones that *do* work out all the more valuable. And as for there being few happy she'chorne couples, Van and Stef and Van and 'Lendel were happy while they had time. And don't forget Moondance and Starwind, Kerowyn's lieutenant (can't remember her name, sorry) and Relli, Keren and Ylsa (again, while they had time), and Keren and Sherrill. I know a lot of these *ended* tragically, but those involved in the relationships made the most of the time that they had. Oh, just to put in my 2 cents, I see Altra as an overgrown, red- marked siamese, short hair. :) Does anybody like the way Misty "translates" when a character is speaking a "forign" language? I thought Kerowyn's Karsite in Storm Warning was a hoot, and Solaris' Hardornen...well, I thought it almost took away from the intensity of the encounter, but it did add a touch of reality. Well, I guess that's enough for now. Talk to y'all later. Lyn /> Lynore M. Belzer /< 716/379-3034 lbelzer-+AT+-sbu.edu *}XXXXX(*):::<=======================- \< St. Bonaventure University \> Lyn/Aphrael/Sephrenia (IRC) I am an idealist. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way. -Carl Sandburg ------------------------------ End of MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 129 *********************************