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External
Since: Oct 31, 2006
Posts: 39
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(Msg. 1) Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2007 1:57 pm
Post subject: Phoenix Unchained. Anybody Else Read It?
Archived from groups: alt>books>m-lackey (more info?)
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Set 1000 years after When Darkness Falls, once again much is forgotten by
Men. When Tiercel discovers that he has the High Magic, he sets off with his
friend Harrier to find a teacher. Along the way they meet Fauns, Centaurs,
Goblins, Dragons, Elves and ...... deep blue eyes, beautiful, Oh no it's a
Unicorn!
A little slow to start, but gripping stuff. |
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m_thomas[numBksInLastHrld
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External
Since: Oct 03, 2007
Posts: 260
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(Msg. 2) Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:41 pm
Post subject: Re: Phoenix Unchained. Anybody Else Read It? - spoiler warning [Login to view extended thread Info.]
Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
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My only non-spoiler comment: I found the novel dedication intriguing. Not
the usual person to dedicate a novel to, especially these days.
Barry Ruck wrote:
<spoiler space>
<spoiler space>
> Set 1000 years after When Darkness Falls, once again much is forgotten by
> Men. When Tiercel discovers that he has the High Magic, he sets off with his
> friend Harrier to find a teacher. Along the way they meet Fauns, Centaurs,
> Goblins, Dragons, Elves and ...... deep blue eyes, beautiful, Oh no it's a
> Unicorn!
>
> A little slow to start, but gripping stuff.
Tsk, tsk, Beldin. Big blue eyes only shows up on the last page -- spoilers
to mention her arrival. :>
(Pink hooves? Oh, dear. I'm envisioning really big bottles of nailpolish.
Hoof-polish?)
I finally got around to read it, and consequently reading your newsgroup
posting. Enjoyable.
Weird that its enjoyable, in a way, because the novel is mostly set-up for
future novels. The first book in the previous trilogy had the dramatic
trip to back of beyond, with stand-off against a Demon on a clifftop.
(Cliff? Spire? Something tall. Been a while since I read it.) So there
was a traditional climax, triumph, return home story-arc to it.
Phoenix Unchained didn't quite have that arc. More a big launching of
story lines. Even so, I enjoyed it, and I don't always enjoy novels that
are all set-up. Enjoyable characters, and dodges neatly away from some of
the usual fantasy cliches. ("my parents were mean to me!" being the cliche
most obviously avoided.)
I think ML's novels in combination with Mallory are some of her best
story-telling. I read in an essay of hers, somewhere, that she likes the
Epic Drama, clash of nations, armies moving across the world stories and
dislikes the fact that that kind of story telling is not her strong suit.
She's tried to write stories like that, a few times (Velgarth novels,
mostly) as a lone author, and they haven't been, IMHO, her best work. But
Mallory seems to add to the writing team the plotting (??) skills that make
the Epic Clash of Nations type stories work, and work well.
I haven't read any Mallory novels of him alone, so I don't know how he
writes as a lone author. Anyone else know?
--
Megan
Journeyperson Dancing Barbarian
Keeper o' the FAQ: http://home.earthlink.net/~m_thomas3/abml/ |
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External
Since: Jun 30, 2003
Posts: 263
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(Msg. 3) Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:32 pm
Post subject: Re: Phoenix Unchained. Anybody Else Read It? - spoiler warning [Login to view extended thread Info.]
Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
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m_thomas[numBksInLastHrldMage] wrote:
>
> My only non-spoiler comment: I found the novel dedication intriguing.
> Not the usual person to dedicate a novel to, especially these days.
This sent me to dig out the book to read the dedication (Just as well,
since it needs to go back to the library this week.) Interesting.
>
> Barry Ruck wrote:
>
>
>
> <spoiler space>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> <spoiler space>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>> Set 1000 years after When Darkness Falls, once again much is forgotten by
>> Men. When Tiercel discovers that he has the High Magic, he sets off
>> with his
>> friend Harrier to find a teacher. Along the way they meet Fauns,
>> Centaurs,
>> Goblins, Dragons, Elves and ...... deep blue eyes, beautiful, Oh no
>> it's a
>> Unicorn!
>>
>> A little slow to start, but gripping stuff.
>
> Tsk, tsk, Beldin. Big blue eyes only shows up on the last page --
> spoilers to mention her arrival. :>
>
> (Pink hooves? Oh, dear. I'm envisioning really big bottles of
> nailpolish. Hoof-polish?)
*giggles* I can't wait to see how much of a pain in the neck this
unicorn is!
>
> I finally got around to read it, and consequently reading your newsgroup
> posting. Enjoyable.
Oh, I read it a couple weeks ago, and forgot about the post until you
posted. *blush*
>
> Weird that its enjoyable, in a way, because the novel is mostly set-up
> for future novels. The first book in the previous trilogy had the
> dramatic trip to back of beyond, with stand-off against a Demon on a
> clifftop. (Cliff? Spire? Something tall. Been a while since I read
> it.) So there was a traditional climax, triumph, return home story-arc
> to it.
>
> Phoenix Unchained didn't quite have that arc. More a big launching of
> story lines. Even so, I enjoyed it, and I don't always enjoy novels
> that are all set-up. Enjoyable characters, and dodges neatly away from
> some of the usual fantasy cliches. ("my parents were mean to me!" being
> the cliche most obviously avoided.)
>
> I think ML's novels in combination with Mallory are some of her best
> story-telling. I read in an essay of hers, somewhere, that she likes
> the Epic Drama, clash of nations, armies moving across the world stories
> and dislikes the fact that that kind of story telling is not her strong
> suit. She's tried to write stories like that, a few times (Velgarth
> novels, mostly) as a lone author, and they haven't been, IMHO, her best
> work. But Mallory seems to add to the writing team the plotting (??)
> skills that make the Epic Clash of Nations type stories work, and work
> well.
Yes, I definitely thinks he adds to her. My only real complaint is that
this is the first time where it's really ended on a cliffhanger. Okay,
maybe not literally a cliffhanger, but I expect a little more of a
conclusion at the end of her books. It's the one thing I've always
appreciated about her series. This time around, I have to really WAIT,
and I hate that. Oh well, at least she's like clockwork, and I know the
next one will be out come fall.
>
> I haven't read any Mallory novels of him alone, so I don't know how he
> writes as a lone author. Anyone else know?
>
No, but I get the impression he's the epic battle type. Which balances
her out, because she hates battle scenes. Oh, and she also hates long
books, which is why the endings seem so rushed, when she's writing by
herself.
Kat >> Stay informed about: Phoenix Unchained. Anybody Else Read It? |
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m_thomas[numBksInLastHrld
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External
Since: Oct 03, 2007
Posts: 260
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(Msg. 4) Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 7:40 pm
Post subject: Re: Phoenix Unchained. Anybody Else Read It? - spoiler warning [Login to view extended thread Info.]
Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
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Kat Hein wrote:
> m_thomas[numBksInLastHrldMage] wrote:
>
>>
>> My only non-spoiler comment: I found the novel dedication intriguing.
>> Not the usual person to dedicate a novel to, especially these days.
>
>
>
> This sent me to dig out the book to read the dedication (Just as well,
> since it needs to go back to the library this week.) Interesting.
>
>>
>> Barry Ruck wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> <spoiler space>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> <spoiler space>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> Set 1000 years after When Darkness Falls, once again much is
>>> forgotten by Men. When Tiercel discovers that he has the High Magic,
>>> he sets off with his friend Harrier to find a teacher. Along the way
>>> they meet Fauns, Centaurs, Goblins, Dragons, Elves and ...... deep
>>> blue eyes, beautiful, Oh no it's a Unicorn!
>>>
>>> A little slow to start, but gripping stuff.
>>
>> Tsk, tsk, Beldin. Big blue eyes only shows up on the last page --
>> spoilers to mention her arrival. :>
>>
>> (Pink hooves? Oh, dear. I'm envisioning really big bottles of
>> nailpolish. Hoof-polish?)
>
> *giggles* I can't wait to see how much of a pain in the neck this
> unicorn is!
Even with only a couple pages to introduce herself, she does seem fairly
perky about the fight against the Endarkened, doesn't she? Perky, period.
>> I finally got around to read it, and consequently reading your
>> newsgroup posting. Enjoyable.
>
> Oh, I read it a couple weeks ago, and forgot about the post until you
> posted. *blush*
I've been leaving it marked unread, in my newsreader. So it isn't my
fabulous memory. ;>
>> Weird that its enjoyable, in a way, because the novel is mostly set-up
>> for future novels. The first book in the previous trilogy had the
>> dramatic trip to back of beyond, with stand-off against a Demon on a
>> clifftop. (Cliff? Spire? Something tall. Been a while since I read
>> it.) So there was a traditional climax, triumph, return home
>> story-arc to it.
<snip>
>> I think ML's novels in combination with Mallory are some of her best
>> story-telling. I read in an essay of hers, somewhere, that she likes
>> the Epic Drama, clash of nations, armies moving across the world
>> stories and dislikes the fact that that kind of story telling is not
>> her strong suit. She's tried to write stories like that, a few times
>> (Velgarth novels, mostly) as a lone author, and they haven't been,
>> IMHO, her best work. But Mallory seems to add to the writing team the
>> plotting (??) skills that make the Epic Clash of Nations type stories
>> work, and work well.
>
> Yes, I definitely thinks he adds to her. My only real complaint is that
> this is the first time where it's really ended on a cliffhanger. Okay,
> maybe not literally a cliffhanger, but I expect a little more of a
> conclusion at the end of her books. It's the one thing I've always
> appreciated about her series. This time around, I have to really WAIT,
> and I hate that. Oh well, at least she's like clockwork, and I know the
> next one will be out come fall.
Fall... that long... fall... darn it...
I tried to get Amazon.com to cough up a publication date for the next book,
and had no luck.
Yes, ML does usually give a nice conclusion. That's why I called this
novel mostly a set-up novel -- it was missing the story climax & conclusion
pair that I expect from ML. Not necessarily a bad choice on their part,
depending on how they choose to develop the story. Just not the usual choice.
And a choice only authors with established readerships are allowed to make,
I think. The publishers already know that if they publish a second book
people will buy it, so they don't force a more traditional story arc. I
wonder how ML&JM would have chosen to run the story arc of the first
trilogy, if they'd had the established-as-a-pair readership they now do?
>> I haven't read any Mallory novels of him alone, so I don't know how he
>> writes as a lone author. Anyone else know?
> No, but I get the impression he's the epic battle type. Which balances
> her out, because she hates battle scenes. Oh, and she also hates long
> books, which is why the endings seem so rushed, when she's writing by
> herself.
Ah, is that it? I appreciate that, about ML. That her novels don't run on
and on and on. I started reading all the Elizabeth George novels, a while
ago. Read four or five, and they are good, but... they do run on and on.
Haven't worked up the energy to start another one.
Though I wouldn't mind if ML occasionally extended her endings just a hair. :>
--
Megan
Journeyperson Dancing Barbarian
Keeper o' the FAQ: http://home.earthlink.net/~m_thomas3/abml/ >> Stay informed about: Phoenix Unchained. Anybody Else Read It? |
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External
Since: Sep 24, 2006
Posts: 5
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(Msg. 5) Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 11:04 am
Post subject: Re: Phoenix Unchained. Anybody Else Read It? - spoiler warning [Login to view extended thread Info.]
Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
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m_thomas[numBksInLastHrld
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Since: Oct 03, 2007
Posts: 260
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(Msg. 6) Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:54 pm
Post subject: Re: Phoenix Unchained. Anybody Else Read It? - spoiler warning [Login to view extended thread Info.]
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