Marie Brennan's Blog, page 191
January 11, 2013
How to Fix iTunes
Several people were interested in this, so I figured a new post was better than replying in several places.
I believe what I did was this:
1) Click on the little dark/light rectangle in the top left -- the one with a down arrow next to it, that does nothing to tell you what it's for. (Design failure #1: I'm clicking semi-randomly on things to find out what they are.)
2) In that menu, tell it to show me the menu bar.
3) Now I have a "File/Edit/View/etc" bar. Thank god. But there's something else I have to do before that can become useful.
4) Click over to Songs in that top ribbon -- not the menu bar I just brought in.
5) This allows me to deal with the "Column Browser" sub-menu under "View," which was inactive when I was still on the default Artist tab. I think it defaulted to showing me the column browser (which is what I wanted), but if not, you can turn it on here.
6) Now you have your genres/artists/albums listings up above, with the songs below, like it used to be (at least for me). But where the hell are my playlists and such, that used to be on the left???
7) Again under "View," click "Show Sidebar."
8) If you want, you can also click "Show Status Bar," which gives you back the bottom edge of the window, where it lists stats.
That got me back all the navigational tools I was accustomed to using. I basically will never click on that top ribbon again, the one with "Songs/Artists/Albums/etc," as any tab other than "Songs" is Ye Newe Terrible View.
Also, the "shuffle" button now operates more like on an iPod: it's up by the top of a playlist name, and you click on it to start the music playing in a shuffled fashion. If, once it's started, you want to turn off shuffling, that's in the window where it shows time, etc.
Hopefully that's useful to people.
I believe what I did was this:
1) Click on the little dark/light rectangle in the top left -- the one with a down arrow next to it, that does nothing to tell you what it's for. (Design failure #1: I'm clicking semi-randomly on things to find out what they are.)
2) In that menu, tell it to show me the menu bar.
3) Now I have a "File/Edit/View/etc" bar. Thank god. But there's something else I have to do before that can become useful.
4) Click over to Songs in that top ribbon -- not the menu bar I just brought in.
5) This allows me to deal with the "Column Browser" sub-menu under "View," which was inactive when I was still on the default Artist tab. I think it defaulted to showing me the column browser (which is what I wanted), but if not, you can turn it on here.
6) Now you have your genres/artists/albums listings up above, with the songs below, like it used to be (at least for me). But where the hell are my playlists and such, that used to be on the left???
7) Again under "View," click "Show Sidebar."
8) If you want, you can also click "Show Status Bar," which gives you back the bottom edge of the window, where it lists stats.
That got me back all the navigational tools I was accustomed to using. I basically will never click on that top ribbon again, the one with "Songs/Artists/Albums/etc," as any tab other than "Songs" is Ye Newe Terrible View.
Also, the "shuffle" button now operates more like on an iPod: it's up by the top of a playlist name, and you click on it to start the music playing in a shuffled fashion. If, once it's started, you want to turn off shuffling, that's in the window where it shows time, etc.
Hopefully that's useful to people.
January 10, 2013
Dear Apple
I understand wanting to make improvements to your program. But when I install a new version of iTunes and it defaults to a different layout that is HORRIBLE and NOTHING LIKE WHAT I HAD BEFORE, and I have to hunt around to 1) find what to click on to get a toolbar and 2) experiment in that toolbar to get back the navigational framework I had before? That is not an improvement. That is me staring in horror at what you've inflicted on me and praying to high heaven I can get it back to what it used to be. (Which I could. Thank god.)
Don't do that to me again.
Don't do that to me again.
a fundraiser for Jay Lake
For those of you not aware, Jay Lake -- author, blogger, and all-round excellent guy -- was diagnosed with cancer back in 2008, and at every step of the way, the dice have turned up snake eyes for him. Now he's approaching a dead end in treatment, where there won't be anything new for his doctors to try, that hasn't already failed.
There is, however, the possibility of whole genome sequencing, which would potentially allow them to tailor his chemo regimen to his cancer much more specifically. This is, of course expensive -- but in the time it's taken me to put up this post, the campaign to raise the money has passed the $20K goal already. Given the financial burdens on Jay (despite good employment and good insurance), overshooting isn't a bad thing. So consider sparing a few bucks, if you can.
This entry was also posted at http://swan-tower.dreamwidth.org/570729.html. Comment here or there.
There is, however, the possibility of whole genome sequencing, which would potentially allow them to tailor his chemo regimen to his cancer much more specifically. This is, of course expensive -- but in the time it's taken me to put up this post, the campaign to raise the money has passed the $20K goal already. Given the financial burdens on Jay (despite good employment and good insurance), overshooting isn't a bad thing. So consider sparing a few bucks, if you can.
This entry was also posted at http://swan-tower.dreamwidth.org/570729.html. Comment here or there.
January 9, 2013
A Memory of Light Liveblog, Part 2
Today I continue reading A Memory of Light, and subjecting you all to my stream-of-consciousness reactions as I go. (Where by "all" I mean "those of you who click on the cut tag," which is probably not a lot, since at this point 95% of my audience probably falls into two groups: those who don't care, and those who do care but haven't read the book yet themselves and don't want spoilers.)
First part is here, for those few who care and have read the book/don't mind spoilers.
Duel with Moridin. First stage of the boss fight! (Of course it has to be multiple stages.)
Sigh, Agelmar. Right from the first mistake, I was wondering.
Perrin and Gaul have now been Healed by Lanfear. The world gets weirder and weirder . . . .
Dude, there's something wrong about the idea that Perrin went to the edge of the Bore and looked in before Rand got there. And are you really safe peering into the Dark One's hidey-hole from Tel'aran'rhiod? (Apparently.)
Faceoff between Egwene and Fortuona! The whole "your information network sucks, if you don't know I was damane" thing is kind of funny. As is Mat stepping between them: the "throw you the pair of you over my knee" line sounds like a misstep, until Egwene realizes Mat's deliberately trying to attract her anger, at which point you realize that was kind of a brave thing for him to do. I'm not sure what I think of the agreement Egwene and Tuon reach, but -- eh, it's progress? Sort of? If Egwene can get Tuon to keep her word about releasing unwilling damane, which is kind of dubious right now.
My thoughts on Davram Bashere. "Oh, for fuck's sake, not another Darkfriend." <beat> "Wait a sec. Oh man, Graendal." Seriously, girl don't need no pretty face to KILL THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS. That's actually kind of diabolical.
Downside to Graendal's diabolical plan: we really are wading through hundreds of pages of battles to see her interference play out.
Okay, Min gets to be more than a clerk. Good. Follow-up: Min gets to be Tuon's . . . Truthspeaker? This isn't going to end well.
At this point, I'm just antsy for everybody to notice that their commanders are trying to get them killed, so we can move on to whatever happens next.
"By the Light, he had a book to finish before he went!" Loial, I think I love you.
Heheheh. This book appears to have a running theme of "exhibitionist Mat." Sex in the garden, stripped to his smallclothes by his tailor, shirtless in the command tent . . . I don't mind so much here the motif of "Mat thinks X, demonstrates not-X" when it's him not being "bashful." Preferable to "I'm totally rational and innocent!" or "I don't ogle women!"
At least Agelmar, unlike Bashere, gets to have a moment of "what the HELL somebody get me out of here before I do more damage." Lan grabbing the sword is a nice touch.
Spitting a piece of his fingernail in some guy's direction makes the guy low Blood? Wow. Seanchan is messed up. (Maybe we saw that before, and I just don't remember.)
"Has he punished you for that?" "Yes [...] He returned me to life." Man, I'm finding Moridin weirdly sympathetic. Talk about major depressive disorder.
Yay, Black Tower! And Logain as the whatever they're going to call their Amyrlin? (I'm betting it won't be "M'Hael," not anymore.) And awwww, Androl and his lava. But dude, I am really starting to get tired of battles . . . yeah, I know, it's the Last Battle. But it's the personal moments I dig, more than "and another million Trollocs die."
Yay wolves, and yay Ituralde fighting against the urge to fuck everyone over. He's the only one we really get pov on for this situation (apart from a brief bit with Gareth, before the truth has become obvious), so he comes off looking the best. And Gareth at least gets an Agelmar moment of "holy shit, somebody stop me."
Which of course sets up Mat to command everything, because he's immune to Graendal. Egwene, please start noticing that Mat really is qualified for this: not just a good tactician, but the best general you've got.
White Tower/Seanchan detente: talking through a gateway. Well, whatever it takes.
Go Min, inadvertently doing the Truthspeaker thing of "you just try torturing me and see where it gets you."
Aaaaand back to Merrilor we go, for what I presume will be the actual Last Battle (at least on the army side of things).
K, how long is this Slayer thing going to go on? And for that matter, what's happened to Perrin?
Oops. Going to the Blight: not what you want to do.
Rand is facing the Dark One! 584 pages into the book! I'm not actually faulting Sanderson or Jordan for that; I'm just amused.
Not sure what happened with Berisha and being killed and all that. I'm just hoping it isn't Random Darkfriend #912, as I'm really tired of that.
Bela really has turned into a running joke. Killing her would be like killing the dog in an action movie: you just don't do that. (Unless you're really, really mean.)
. . . sigh. Please tell me there's something else going on with Vanin and Harnan, and they're not just Random Darkfriends #912 and #913. Also, please tell me Faile doesn't have a fake Horn now -- or if she does, it's because they actually stole it to take it to Mat somehow, though I have no idea how that would work.
Oh, man, the thing with Alanna is kind of diabolical. And I guess now I know why there was never a moment in the story where somebody made her unbond Rand: we need somebody for this who isn't Elayne, Aviendha, or Min.
THE LAST BATTLE. Chapter 37. Page 617. Here we go (still, and at last).
Holy mother of god this chapter is 190 pages long I'm not making that up. Um. I guess this really is the Last Battle. Like, all of it, armies and Rand and the Dark One and everything.
Props to Mat for figuring out and coping with the spy thing; I just wish he could have something go right for him. (Yeah, yeah, I know: Last Battle. Utter doom. It will get worse before it gets better, I'm sure.)
K, at least Logain was smart enough to unbond Toveine. Otherwise him killing her would be pretty stupid.
Gawyn. Sigh.
I . . . really don't know what's up with Pevara and Androl and the link/bond/whatever mess, but I suspect that it's an interesting twist on the whole gender thing this series has going.
Every time somebody refers to Galad as "Damodred," I briefly mistake it for "Demandred."
Mat's speech about card gambling to Elayne keeps coming through in George Clooney From Ocean's 11 Voice. "Been practicing that speech?" "A little. Did I rush it?"
Where the hell is Alivia?
Rand vs. the Dark One, Round One. Sure, try to shred/squish (squishred?) him. That isn't nearly interesting enough to work. Round Two, Dark One AU: that's at least more interesting, though as always (e.g. the Town) I have trouble believing that world could keep limping along enough for people to even stay alive. I mean, what the hell do they eat? Maybe the Dark One is micromanaging it all.
Rand vs. the Dark One, Round Three. RAFO to see what's behind this door!
Gawyn, I hoped you would at least succeed at taking out Demandred, and thereby accomplish something badass. But nope. The most we can say for it is that you kept him convinced that Rand is at Merrilor, and not off at Shayol Ghul.
Hah! Through the Town, back to Merrilor. (Assuming it works.) Okay, that explains how the Horn will get back to Mat. I agree with Mandevwin, though: I don't buy Vanin and Harnan being Darkfriends. Possibly this is wishful thinking on my part.
Perrin is totally not going to sleep through the (rest of the) Last Battle. But I guess he's out of commission for now.
Leather and trees. Pevara and Androl are in danger of becoming adorable. (It helps that Pevara actually has a sense of humour.)
Noooooo, Rhuarc! I'd be happier if you were dead. Maybe somebody can fix your brain after Graendal dies? Speaking of which, somebody kill Graendal already.
. . . come to think of it, where the hell is Moghedien? I am going to laugh my ass off if she just crawls into some hole and waits for it all to be over.
Back to Round Three. I actually really like the way this fight is being played out, using possible Patterns as their weapons. My husband did something similar once in an RPG; makes me wonder if Rand's solution will be the same as his. (There are also some complicated cosmological questions buried in here, but I'll leave those for an actual post.)
Gawyn, you fuckhead. You really didn't think this through. Silviana is right; you are going to totally screw over Egwene and a bunch of other people if you die.
Poor Birgitte. I hold onto the hope that when the Horn sounds, she'll get back Gaidal and her memories and everything else.
I guess I can cheer Galad for gender equality?
K, Logain, whatever. Report back when you've done something awesome.
. . . my god. Siuan.
Who the hell is Shendla? The text avoids giving us any kind of markers for her; is she Sharan? Aiel? Moghedien in disguise? (Moghedien is apparently not totally off the radar, though we haven't seen her.) Demandred vs. M'Hael, yawn, selfish stupid villains. Go away.
Enjoy your cameo appearance, Juilin. I didn't expect to see you in this book at all.
Wow. Gawyn, too. You know how this series cruised along without ever being willing to really kill any of the good guys? Either that's changed, or Rand's going to rewrite the Pattern at the end to give everybody their HEA.
(And there goes Egwene. Fuck you, Gawyn, and your useless death.)
Halfway through the Last Battle.
Is Callendor going to be relevant any time soon? And what about Nynaeve and Moiraine getting to do anything?
Okay, Round Whatever of the Rand/Dark One fight, and this one is more interesting. The obvious dystopia was too obvious; removing people's consciences is much more clever. But I'm not sure how "a world without Shadow" is actually going to go . . . .
Cannon fodder from Caemlyn. Well, I can't blame them. If a Trolloc trips over your corpse on his way to attack a soldier, that's still a useful service.
Yeah, it must be weird for Galad, finding out that Rand's his brother. I really had forgotten that only a small number of people know what Tigraine did. But hey, it's touching that brothers seem to be the one point on which Galad is human.
Nynaeve and her herbs. It's useful, and a thumb in the eye of all those Yellows, but I'm really hoping for something more interesting from her before the end. Her and Moiraine both.
Perrin, you're totally going to be the King of Saldaea before this is done.
Teslyn! Okay, so Leigh Butler was just flat-out wrong when she thought a bunch of characters were being dismissed from the narrative last book.
Aw, for a moment I thought Egwene would bond Perrin, and that's how they would both get back into the battle. But a) Faile would shiv her and b) Perrin's still asleep, so go Leilwin, I guess.
. . . son of a bitch. Seriously? Did Galad just go down, with Demandred still standing? The Forsaken are like ninja; they get more badass the fewer of them there are.
Androl, the Swiss Army knife. Seriously, there appears to be nothing this guy can't do. Now he's a pickpocket!
Demandred may have claimed that the Trollocs weren't limitless, but I don't see much sign of it here.
Galad is not dead yet? Well, I'm not putting any money on him surviving. Not when he's bleeding out in the middle of Demandred's command post.
Yeah, I suspected the "world without Shadow" wouldn't work very well. Rand's meeting with Elayne didn't fully sell the realization of "omg I did something horrible," but that's okay, because I was halfway there already. His world may be nicer, but it's true that he did the equivalent of Turning everybody, taking away their free will. Theodicy: it's a bitch.
I guess we've been in Olver's point of view so we can see him stab somebody in the kidneys.
How did Leane get away from Demandred and the Sharans, anyway?
BELAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Is illogically awesome.
Vanin and Harnan are not Darkfriends. Unfortunately, Aravine is. Sigh. And now I'm annoyed that Faile has passed the Horn to Olver; I was enjoying the notion that she, the former Hunter of the Horn, would be the one to bring it to Mat.
Logain, please kill Demandred. At this point I don't even care if you have a moment of "I'M KING OF THE WORLD!" afterwards; I just want him dead already. We're less than fifty pages from the end of the battle; it's time for some actual progress.
Egwene nuking Taim would count as progress.
Ila and Raen! Morgase, passing briefly through the background! Everybody is going to get a cameo before this is done. Also, meditations upon the Way of the Leaf. Thank you, Raen, for pointing out that the Tinkers survive because other people are willing to fight. Thank you, Ila, for noticing that the mercenaries with you are actually just cowards.
Bela is dead. Shit just got real.
Aaaaand Logain fails, too. Who will take out Demandred? Egwene fails to take out Taim. For the love of little fishes, somebody needs to achieve something, here.
Add Hurin to the cameo tally.
Awww, Annoura rescued Galad! But not his arm. And at the cost of her own channeling ability. Shit, man. Somebody at least notice his amulet and make use of it, so we get something other than pretty people out of this touching moment.
"Rand wept." I saw what you did there, Sanderson. (Or Jordan. I know parts of this book are his work; I just don't know how much.)
There goes Bashere, Deira, Hurin, Jori Congar, Enaila, Karldin . . . it's open season on the minor characters, now.
Can I hope for Taim and Demandred to wipe each other out? No, no I cannot.
Oh shit Mellar. With a medallion. AND CUTTING OFF BIRGITTE'S HEAD. If she has not been returned to the Horn, I am going to be so pissed.
Aiaiaiaeeeeeeeeeee, Darkfriend C-section. DOES NOT WANT. <flaily hands>
Rand, you can't trust the Dark One to keep a promise. But that's okay; you refused it anyway.
Min speaks truth to power. Also throws knives at spies.
Where is Padan Fain? (And Alivia. And Moghedien.) I'm beginning to suspect the denoument will not begin right after this chapter.
Warders as straight-up human shields. Man, their loyalty, though I wish they could do more.
Oh, god. Balefire dominoes. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
. . . the Flame of Tar Valon? I think Egwene just pulled that out of her ass, but whatever. Taim's toast. It's about time for something to go right.
. . .
I said it was time for something to go right. Not for Egwene to holy-nuke herself in the midst of the Sharans.
God damn it.
Moving on. Sharan channelers: kaput. Berelain: has the medallion. Mat: has Rand's banner. Lan: GO FUCKING KILL DEMANDRED PLEASE.
(Sorry, caps-lock key. You can rest when this book is dead.)
"The fall of the last king of the Malkieri. He would need to include it in his book." <smishes Loial>
Lan has the medallion! He may actually do this! Two Rivers archers clearing the way! Stay on target!!!!
Let go. Is this going to end the way I thought, briefly, that it might?
I've only time for one last lesson. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. Not that I didn't expect Lan to go out like this, but still. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
The Last Battle (the chapter) is done. The Last Battle itself is not.
Okay. Not actually what I thought with the "let go" thing, but still good. Because yes: this is not just about the Chosen Hero. And that's important.
Tai'shar Malkier.
. . . wait, now Rand is speaking in all caps.
LAN IS NOT DEAD
BIRGITTE IS BAAAAAAAAAAAACK
AHAHAHAHA MAT ISN'T ACTUALLY BOUND TO THE HORN ANYMORE
BUT NOAL IS
. . . I'm speaking in all caps, too.
(I'm still not that interested in Noal, and faintly annoyed that Olver's the one who blew the Horn. But whatevs.)
Kill Graendal. Somebody. Please. We're running out of book, here.
Mat, you are a goddamned genius. Hinderstap into the fray! . . . twice! Nothing like soldiers who will just keep coming back.
(We are so not going to get any denouement. Seventy pages to go. Stuff yet to be dealt with: Graendal, maybe Moghedien, Moridin, the seals, Slayer, the Dark One.)
Ah, there you are, Moghedien. So you were the freckled girl, aka the spy. Well, that makes sense. Much good may it do you, when you take cannonballs to the face from a cavern via gateway. <chortle> And they're even using gateways to ventilate the place!
And there's Alivia, though not her prophecied moment, yet.
Under this sign, he shall conquer. Nice touch with the clouds.
Mou. Aviendha just torched Rhuarc.
Alviarin! I shouldn't be happy to see her, but what can I say: she is competent. Was competent. Nice trick, Androl, with the stedding and all. You really do win the title of Most Amazingly Competent Character to Show Up at the End of the Series. (The wiki tells me he first got mentioned in the prologue of Winter's Heart, but he wasn't what you'd call important until recently.) I guess Alviarin isn't actually dead, though. Go, Ogier pacifism: it's more competent than the Tinker sort.
. . . wherever Aviendha just went, I'm not sure her legs went with her.
Logain, it's time to stop sucking.
Heh. Mat is not a Hero of the Horn, but should be. And he's sending Hawkwing to talk to Tuon! Maybe that will fix the damane thing. In the meantime, Mat, for crying out loud -- go help Rand.
Don't kill yourself, Aviendha!!!
Good advice from Master Luhhan. What makes sense for a normal day, not so much on the Last Day.
Thom and his pile of bodies. Heh. He's right, though, about body language. It's hard to fake.
WTF? Who or what is Shaisam? We had Fain's icon on this chapter. This is totally Fain, isn't it. Yes, it's Fain. <sigh> Well, his whole "I need a place I can embed myself in" certainly lends itself to the Dark One 2.0 theory I had a while back. (RAFO.)
Well, at least we're getting an attempt to make Luc and Isam relevant to the whole Slayer thing. So far, so unconvincing, but okay.
Mat, please kill Fain.
Forty pages to go. <pant pant pant> Dragon symbol on the next chapter; title is "To Awaken." In the Aiel sense? Might be . . . .
Good move, Alanna. And good-bye.
Oh, ouch. I knew that connection between Moridin and Rand was going to be a problem.
Slayer. Dead. Finally.
WOLVES OF THE HORN!!!!!!! Ahem.
Perrin's hammer proves its use, killinating Darkhounds.
OH FUCK. MAT.
Aviendha, detonating the gate on Graendal. Awesome, except I don't know if she'll live through it. (Three-women prophecies don't necessarily refer to Rand's lovers . . .)
FUCK YOU, FAIN, MAT IS IMMUNE! And you die exactly as you should.
Thank you, Perrin, for finally putting something ahead of your wife.
And THAT is why Callendor was relevant. Wow, that's complicated -- but okay, using the Dark One's own power to avoid the taint. And the consequences of that will be . . . ? Depends on what Rand just did, I guess. RAFO. (With twenty-five pages to go, and the seals still unbroken.)
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Graendal is Compelled! (Tell her to Heal you, Aviendha.)
Which makes me think -- where did Lanfear go, anyway?
So Logain is the one who breaks the seals. The Amyrlin was the Watcher of the Seals, and Egwene is gone; does this mean Logain will be the Amyrlin of a new, joined Tower? (We may never find out, with so little book left.)
Hey, there's Lanfear. And all set to stab people in the back! With, apparently, some kind of Compulsion on Perrin, too. Oh, ick. Well, you were supposed to be devious. But you're in Tel'aran'rhiod, and that means Perrin can just think himself out of it -- and then snap your neck.
It's actually kind of a sad moment for Perrin. But good for him.
Yeah, like I told you, Rand: he wouldn't have kept his promise. So you make his prison anew, as many readers predicted you would have to. And seal yourself and Moridin away? Perhaps. You've been talking in all caps; only two other entities in this series do that.
No, you made it out. With somebody who . . . is Moridin? Or not? The text isn't being clear.
Snerk. Moghedien's still alive. I can't say I get any satisfaction out of her being collared, though. (Fucking Seanchan.)
Okay, what do the three women know that nobody else does? Has Rand swapped into Moridin's body or something?
Yeah, Faile isn't dead. I figured.
And yes: Rand swapped into Moridin's body. (With a Dragon's Fang saa in his eye. Hah!) I don't really get how Alivia is relevant to this, though, unless "helping Rand die" means "helping Rand convince everybody he's dead." Which I guess it could -- except that all she's done is leave clothes and money for him? That's a little disappointing.
Uh, wow. So he can't channel anymore . . . but he can change reality. Between that and the brief appearance by Nakomi . . . he may not be the Creator now, but I think he is the Creator's avatar in the world. Or something. (I want fic where Nakomi was the one who sealed the Dark One away, last time.)
And --
-- that's it. I have finished reading The Wheel of Time. Stay tuned for more thoughts eventually, I guess; I'll certainly do an analysis post, which will probably fold in the reactions you didn't get in these play-by-play entries. And then one to talk about what I've learned from this project.
But the series itself is done.
This entry was also posted at http://swan-tower.dreamwidth.org/570384.html. Comment here or there.
First part is here, for those few who care and have read the book/don't mind spoilers.
Duel with Moridin. First stage of the boss fight! (Of course it has to be multiple stages.)
Sigh, Agelmar. Right from the first mistake, I was wondering.
Perrin and Gaul have now been Healed by Lanfear. The world gets weirder and weirder . . . .
Dude, there's something wrong about the idea that Perrin went to the edge of the Bore and looked in before Rand got there. And are you really safe peering into the Dark One's hidey-hole from Tel'aran'rhiod? (Apparently.)
Faceoff between Egwene and Fortuona! The whole "your information network sucks, if you don't know I was damane" thing is kind of funny. As is Mat stepping between them: the "throw you the pair of you over my knee" line sounds like a misstep, until Egwene realizes Mat's deliberately trying to attract her anger, at which point you realize that was kind of a brave thing for him to do. I'm not sure what I think of the agreement Egwene and Tuon reach, but -- eh, it's progress? Sort of? If Egwene can get Tuon to keep her word about releasing unwilling damane, which is kind of dubious right now.
My thoughts on Davram Bashere. "Oh, for fuck's sake, not another Darkfriend." <beat> "Wait a sec. Oh man, Graendal." Seriously, girl don't need no pretty face to KILL THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS. That's actually kind of diabolical.
Downside to Graendal's diabolical plan: we really are wading through hundreds of pages of battles to see her interference play out.
Okay, Min gets to be more than a clerk. Good. Follow-up: Min gets to be Tuon's . . . Truthspeaker? This isn't going to end well.
At this point, I'm just antsy for everybody to notice that their commanders are trying to get them killed, so we can move on to whatever happens next.
"By the Light, he had a book to finish before he went!" Loial, I think I love you.
Heheheh. This book appears to have a running theme of "exhibitionist Mat." Sex in the garden, stripped to his smallclothes by his tailor, shirtless in the command tent . . . I don't mind so much here the motif of "Mat thinks X, demonstrates not-X" when it's him not being "bashful." Preferable to "I'm totally rational and innocent!" or "I don't ogle women!"
At least Agelmar, unlike Bashere, gets to have a moment of "what the HELL somebody get me out of here before I do more damage." Lan grabbing the sword is a nice touch.
Spitting a piece of his fingernail in some guy's direction makes the guy low Blood? Wow. Seanchan is messed up. (Maybe we saw that before, and I just don't remember.)
"Has he punished you for that?" "Yes [...] He returned me to life." Man, I'm finding Moridin weirdly sympathetic. Talk about major depressive disorder.
Yay, Black Tower! And Logain as the whatever they're going to call their Amyrlin? (I'm betting it won't be "M'Hael," not anymore.) And awwww, Androl and his lava. But dude, I am really starting to get tired of battles . . . yeah, I know, it's the Last Battle. But it's the personal moments I dig, more than "and another million Trollocs die."
Yay wolves, and yay Ituralde fighting against the urge to fuck everyone over. He's the only one we really get pov on for this situation (apart from a brief bit with Gareth, before the truth has become obvious), so he comes off looking the best. And Gareth at least gets an Agelmar moment of "holy shit, somebody stop me."
Which of course sets up Mat to command everything, because he's immune to Graendal. Egwene, please start noticing that Mat really is qualified for this: not just a good tactician, but the best general you've got.
White Tower/Seanchan detente: talking through a gateway. Well, whatever it takes.
Go Min, inadvertently doing the Truthspeaker thing of "you just try torturing me and see where it gets you."
Aaaaand back to Merrilor we go, for what I presume will be the actual Last Battle (at least on the army side of things).
K, how long is this Slayer thing going to go on? And for that matter, what's happened to Perrin?
Oops. Going to the Blight: not what you want to do.
Rand is facing the Dark One! 584 pages into the book! I'm not actually faulting Sanderson or Jordan for that; I'm just amused.
Not sure what happened with Berisha and being killed and all that. I'm just hoping it isn't Random Darkfriend #912, as I'm really tired of that.
Bela really has turned into a running joke. Killing her would be like killing the dog in an action movie: you just don't do that. (Unless you're really, really mean.)
. . . sigh. Please tell me there's something else going on with Vanin and Harnan, and they're not just Random Darkfriends #912 and #913. Also, please tell me Faile doesn't have a fake Horn now -- or if she does, it's because they actually stole it to take it to Mat somehow, though I have no idea how that would work.
Oh, man, the thing with Alanna is kind of diabolical. And I guess now I know why there was never a moment in the story where somebody made her unbond Rand: we need somebody for this who isn't Elayne, Aviendha, or Min.
THE LAST BATTLE. Chapter 37. Page 617. Here we go (still, and at last).
Holy mother of god this chapter is 190 pages long I'm not making that up. Um. I guess this really is the Last Battle. Like, all of it, armies and Rand and the Dark One and everything.
Props to Mat for figuring out and coping with the spy thing; I just wish he could have something go right for him. (Yeah, yeah, I know: Last Battle. Utter doom. It will get worse before it gets better, I'm sure.)
K, at least Logain was smart enough to unbond Toveine. Otherwise him killing her would be pretty stupid.
Gawyn. Sigh.
I . . . really don't know what's up with Pevara and Androl and the link/bond/whatever mess, but I suspect that it's an interesting twist on the whole gender thing this series has going.
Every time somebody refers to Galad as "Damodred," I briefly mistake it for "Demandred."
Mat's speech about card gambling to Elayne keeps coming through in George Clooney From Ocean's 11 Voice. "Been practicing that speech?" "A little. Did I rush it?"
Where the hell is Alivia?
Rand vs. the Dark One, Round One. Sure, try to shred/squish (squishred?) him. That isn't nearly interesting enough to work. Round Two, Dark One AU: that's at least more interesting, though as always (e.g. the Town) I have trouble believing that world could keep limping along enough for people to even stay alive. I mean, what the hell do they eat? Maybe the Dark One is micromanaging it all.
Rand vs. the Dark One, Round Three. RAFO to see what's behind this door!
Gawyn, I hoped you would at least succeed at taking out Demandred, and thereby accomplish something badass. But nope. The most we can say for it is that you kept him convinced that Rand is at Merrilor, and not off at Shayol Ghul.
Hah! Through the Town, back to Merrilor. (Assuming it works.) Okay, that explains how the Horn will get back to Mat. I agree with Mandevwin, though: I don't buy Vanin and Harnan being Darkfriends. Possibly this is wishful thinking on my part.
Perrin is totally not going to sleep through the (rest of the) Last Battle. But I guess he's out of commission for now.
Leather and trees. Pevara and Androl are in danger of becoming adorable. (It helps that Pevara actually has a sense of humour.)
Noooooo, Rhuarc! I'd be happier if you were dead. Maybe somebody can fix your brain after Graendal dies? Speaking of which, somebody kill Graendal already.
. . . come to think of it, where the hell is Moghedien? I am going to laugh my ass off if she just crawls into some hole and waits for it all to be over.
Back to Round Three. I actually really like the way this fight is being played out, using possible Patterns as their weapons. My husband did something similar once in an RPG; makes me wonder if Rand's solution will be the same as his. (There are also some complicated cosmological questions buried in here, but I'll leave those for an actual post.)
Gawyn, you fuckhead. You really didn't think this through. Silviana is right; you are going to totally screw over Egwene and a bunch of other people if you die.
Poor Birgitte. I hold onto the hope that when the Horn sounds, she'll get back Gaidal and her memories and everything else.
I guess I can cheer Galad for gender equality?
K, Logain, whatever. Report back when you've done something awesome.
. . . my god. Siuan.
Who the hell is Shendla? The text avoids giving us any kind of markers for her; is she Sharan? Aiel? Moghedien in disguise? (Moghedien is apparently not totally off the radar, though we haven't seen her.) Demandred vs. M'Hael, yawn, selfish stupid villains. Go away.
Enjoy your cameo appearance, Juilin. I didn't expect to see you in this book at all.
Wow. Gawyn, too. You know how this series cruised along without ever being willing to really kill any of the good guys? Either that's changed, or Rand's going to rewrite the Pattern at the end to give everybody their HEA.
(And there goes Egwene. Fuck you, Gawyn, and your useless death.)
Halfway through the Last Battle.
Is Callendor going to be relevant any time soon? And what about Nynaeve and Moiraine getting to do anything?
Okay, Round Whatever of the Rand/Dark One fight, and this one is more interesting. The obvious dystopia was too obvious; removing people's consciences is much more clever. But I'm not sure how "a world without Shadow" is actually going to go . . . .
Cannon fodder from Caemlyn. Well, I can't blame them. If a Trolloc trips over your corpse on his way to attack a soldier, that's still a useful service.
Yeah, it must be weird for Galad, finding out that Rand's his brother. I really had forgotten that only a small number of people know what Tigraine did. But hey, it's touching that brothers seem to be the one point on which Galad is human.
Nynaeve and her herbs. It's useful, and a thumb in the eye of all those Yellows, but I'm really hoping for something more interesting from her before the end. Her and Moiraine both.
Perrin, you're totally going to be the King of Saldaea before this is done.
Teslyn! Okay, so Leigh Butler was just flat-out wrong when she thought a bunch of characters were being dismissed from the narrative last book.
Aw, for a moment I thought Egwene would bond Perrin, and that's how they would both get back into the battle. But a) Faile would shiv her and b) Perrin's still asleep, so go Leilwin, I guess.
. . . son of a bitch. Seriously? Did Galad just go down, with Demandred still standing? The Forsaken are like ninja; they get more badass the fewer of them there are.
Androl, the Swiss Army knife. Seriously, there appears to be nothing this guy can't do. Now he's a pickpocket!
Demandred may have claimed that the Trollocs weren't limitless, but I don't see much sign of it here.
Galad is not dead yet? Well, I'm not putting any money on him surviving. Not when he's bleeding out in the middle of Demandred's command post.
Yeah, I suspected the "world without Shadow" wouldn't work very well. Rand's meeting with Elayne didn't fully sell the realization of "omg I did something horrible," but that's okay, because I was halfway there already. His world may be nicer, but it's true that he did the equivalent of Turning everybody, taking away their free will. Theodicy: it's a bitch.
I guess we've been in Olver's point of view so we can see him stab somebody in the kidneys.
How did Leane get away from Demandred and the Sharans, anyway?
BELAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Is illogically awesome.
Vanin and Harnan are not Darkfriends. Unfortunately, Aravine is. Sigh. And now I'm annoyed that Faile has passed the Horn to Olver; I was enjoying the notion that she, the former Hunter of the Horn, would be the one to bring it to Mat.
Logain, please kill Demandred. At this point I don't even care if you have a moment of "I'M KING OF THE WORLD!" afterwards; I just want him dead already. We're less than fifty pages from the end of the battle; it's time for some actual progress.
Egwene nuking Taim would count as progress.
Ila and Raen! Morgase, passing briefly through the background! Everybody is going to get a cameo before this is done. Also, meditations upon the Way of the Leaf. Thank you, Raen, for pointing out that the Tinkers survive because other people are willing to fight. Thank you, Ila, for noticing that the mercenaries with you are actually just cowards.
Bela is dead. Shit just got real.
Aaaaand Logain fails, too. Who will take out Demandred? Egwene fails to take out Taim. For the love of little fishes, somebody needs to achieve something, here.
Add Hurin to the cameo tally.
Awww, Annoura rescued Galad! But not his arm. And at the cost of her own channeling ability. Shit, man. Somebody at least notice his amulet and make use of it, so we get something other than pretty people out of this touching moment.
"Rand wept." I saw what you did there, Sanderson. (Or Jordan. I know parts of this book are his work; I just don't know how much.)
There goes Bashere, Deira, Hurin, Jori Congar, Enaila, Karldin . . . it's open season on the minor characters, now.
Can I hope for Taim and Demandred to wipe each other out? No, no I cannot.
Oh shit Mellar. With a medallion. AND CUTTING OFF BIRGITTE'S HEAD. If she has not been returned to the Horn, I am going to be so pissed.
Aiaiaiaeeeeeeeeeee, Darkfriend C-section. DOES NOT WANT. <flaily hands>
Rand, you can't trust the Dark One to keep a promise. But that's okay; you refused it anyway.
Min speaks truth to power. Also throws knives at spies.
Where is Padan Fain? (And Alivia. And Moghedien.) I'm beginning to suspect the denoument will not begin right after this chapter.
Warders as straight-up human shields. Man, their loyalty, though I wish they could do more.
Oh, god. Balefire dominoes. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
. . . the Flame of Tar Valon? I think Egwene just pulled that out of her ass, but whatever. Taim's toast. It's about time for something to go right.
. . .
I said it was time for something to go right. Not for Egwene to holy-nuke herself in the midst of the Sharans.
God damn it.
Moving on. Sharan channelers: kaput. Berelain: has the medallion. Mat: has Rand's banner. Lan: GO FUCKING KILL DEMANDRED PLEASE.
(Sorry, caps-lock key. You can rest when this book is dead.)
"The fall of the last king of the Malkieri. He would need to include it in his book." <smishes Loial>
Lan has the medallion! He may actually do this! Two Rivers archers clearing the way! Stay on target!!!!
Let go. Is this going to end the way I thought, briefly, that it might?
I've only time for one last lesson. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. Not that I didn't expect Lan to go out like this, but still. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
The Last Battle (the chapter) is done. The Last Battle itself is not.
Okay. Not actually what I thought with the "let go" thing, but still good. Because yes: this is not just about the Chosen Hero. And that's important.
Tai'shar Malkier.
. . . wait, now Rand is speaking in all caps.
LAN IS NOT DEAD
BIRGITTE IS BAAAAAAAAAAAACK
AHAHAHAHA MAT ISN'T ACTUALLY BOUND TO THE HORN ANYMORE
BUT NOAL IS
. . . I'm speaking in all caps, too.
(I'm still not that interested in Noal, and faintly annoyed that Olver's the one who blew the Horn. But whatevs.)
Kill Graendal. Somebody. Please. We're running out of book, here.
Mat, you are a goddamned genius. Hinderstap into the fray! . . . twice! Nothing like soldiers who will just keep coming back.
(We are so not going to get any denouement. Seventy pages to go. Stuff yet to be dealt with: Graendal, maybe Moghedien, Moridin, the seals, Slayer, the Dark One.)
Ah, there you are, Moghedien. So you were the freckled girl, aka the spy. Well, that makes sense. Much good may it do you, when you take cannonballs to the face from a cavern via gateway. <chortle> And they're even using gateways to ventilate the place!
And there's Alivia, though not her prophecied moment, yet.
Under this sign, he shall conquer. Nice touch with the clouds.
Mou. Aviendha just torched Rhuarc.
Alviarin! I shouldn't be happy to see her, but what can I say: she is competent. Was competent. Nice trick, Androl, with the stedding and all. You really do win the title of Most Amazingly Competent Character to Show Up at the End of the Series. (The wiki tells me he first got mentioned in the prologue of Winter's Heart, but he wasn't what you'd call important until recently.) I guess Alviarin isn't actually dead, though. Go, Ogier pacifism: it's more competent than the Tinker sort.
. . . wherever Aviendha just went, I'm not sure her legs went with her.
Logain, it's time to stop sucking.
Heh. Mat is not a Hero of the Horn, but should be. And he's sending Hawkwing to talk to Tuon! Maybe that will fix the damane thing. In the meantime, Mat, for crying out loud -- go help Rand.
Don't kill yourself, Aviendha!!!
Good advice from Master Luhhan. What makes sense for a normal day, not so much on the Last Day.
Thom and his pile of bodies. Heh. He's right, though, about body language. It's hard to fake.
WTF? Who or what is Shaisam? We had Fain's icon on this chapter. This is totally Fain, isn't it. Yes, it's Fain. <sigh> Well, his whole "I need a place I can embed myself in" certainly lends itself to the Dark One 2.0 theory I had a while back. (RAFO.)
Well, at least we're getting an attempt to make Luc and Isam relevant to the whole Slayer thing. So far, so unconvincing, but okay.
Mat, please kill Fain.
Forty pages to go. <pant pant pant> Dragon symbol on the next chapter; title is "To Awaken." In the Aiel sense? Might be . . . .
Good move, Alanna. And good-bye.
Oh, ouch. I knew that connection between Moridin and Rand was going to be a problem.
Slayer. Dead. Finally.
WOLVES OF THE HORN!!!!!!! Ahem.
Perrin's hammer proves its use, killinating Darkhounds.
OH FUCK. MAT.
Aviendha, detonating the gate on Graendal. Awesome, except I don't know if she'll live through it. (Three-women prophecies don't necessarily refer to Rand's lovers . . .)
FUCK YOU, FAIN, MAT IS IMMUNE! And you die exactly as you should.
Thank you, Perrin, for finally putting something ahead of your wife.
And THAT is why Callendor was relevant. Wow, that's complicated -- but okay, using the Dark One's own power to avoid the taint. And the consequences of that will be . . . ? Depends on what Rand just did, I guess. RAFO. (With twenty-five pages to go, and the seals still unbroken.)
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Graendal is Compelled! (Tell her to Heal you, Aviendha.)
Which makes me think -- where did Lanfear go, anyway?
So Logain is the one who breaks the seals. The Amyrlin was the Watcher of the Seals, and Egwene is gone; does this mean Logain will be the Amyrlin of a new, joined Tower? (We may never find out, with so little book left.)
Hey, there's Lanfear. And all set to stab people in the back! With, apparently, some kind of Compulsion on Perrin, too. Oh, ick. Well, you were supposed to be devious. But you're in Tel'aran'rhiod, and that means Perrin can just think himself out of it -- and then snap your neck.
It's actually kind of a sad moment for Perrin. But good for him.
Yeah, like I told you, Rand: he wouldn't have kept his promise. So you make his prison anew, as many readers predicted you would have to. And seal yourself and Moridin away? Perhaps. You've been talking in all caps; only two other entities in this series do that.
No, you made it out. With somebody who . . . is Moridin? Or not? The text isn't being clear.
Snerk. Moghedien's still alive. I can't say I get any satisfaction out of her being collared, though. (Fucking Seanchan.)
Okay, what do the three women know that nobody else does? Has Rand swapped into Moridin's body or something?
Yeah, Faile isn't dead. I figured.
And yes: Rand swapped into Moridin's body. (With a Dragon's Fang saa in his eye. Hah!) I don't really get how Alivia is relevant to this, though, unless "helping Rand die" means "helping Rand convince everybody he's dead." Which I guess it could -- except that all she's done is leave clothes and money for him? That's a little disappointing.
Uh, wow. So he can't channel anymore . . . but he can change reality. Between that and the brief appearance by Nakomi . . . he may not be the Creator now, but I think he is the Creator's avatar in the world. Or something. (I want fic where Nakomi was the one who sealed the Dark One away, last time.)
And --
-- that's it. I have finished reading The Wheel of Time. Stay tuned for more thoughts eventually, I guess; I'll certainly do an analysis post, which will probably fold in the reactions you didn't get in these play-by-play entries. And then one to talk about what I've learned from this project.
But the series itself is done.
This entry was also posted at http://swan-tower.dreamwidth.org/570384.html. Comment here or there.
to whet your appetite some more
It's probably mean of me to tease you guys with tidbits from the second book when the first one isn't even out yet . . . but I have to share. Tonight's writing featured a location based on this:
Yeah.
(I saw that image back in November, I think, and instantaneously chucked out something I had half-planned for the novel, because CLEARLY I needed to use this instead. And writing these scenes? Is awesome.)
This entry was also posted at http://swan-tower.dreamwidth.org/570142.html. Comment here or there.
Yeah.
(I saw that image back in November, I think, and instantaneously chucked out something I had half-planned for the novel, because CLEARLY I needed to use this instead. And writing these scenes? Is awesome.)
This entry was also posted at http://swan-tower.dreamwidth.org/570142.html. Comment here or there.
January 8, 2013
oh, why not
Herewith my liveblog of reading A Memory of Light. (Which may replace the "reactions post" in its entirety; we'll see.)
Holy shit. This book is, like, real. And in my hands. I'm not sure I believe it.
Opening quote: I see what you did there, ripping off Revelations.
Huh -- no glossary. Anybody who doesn't know names and terms by now can SUCK IT.
Squishy metal! And flint-knapping . . . with slate. Which you mostly don't knap, actually; you grind it. But hey, archaeologist fist-bump to Bayrd, even though I'm not sure why his grandfather taught him to make stone tools.
Bye, Talmanes. You might survive this, but I doubt it.
A part of me is annoyed that Isam/Luc/Slayer is still alive, because I'm so tired of the "not really dead" thing with villains in this series. The other part of me is hoping this means his strand of the plot will seem less pointless. Read and find out, I guess.
Leilwin: maybe we're going to try to resolve the damane thing after all? RAFO. Making herself da'covale, though -- that's creepy.
I am probably more amused than I should be by Taim being made a new Forsaken. Him showing up does, of course, put paid to the last die-hard insistence by some fans that he really is Demandred, but for some reason making him Chosen just makes that even more pointed. Ditto with making Graendal ugly; I like Moghedien's hypotheticals regarding that.
K, at least Talmanes is going to get a CMoA or two before he goes out. (His ramblings as his mind starts to go are pretty funny, too.) And a reverse Helm's Deep!
Never mind! Talmanes: not actually dead. (Nynaeve: still awesome.)
Go, Androl and Pevara, go! If I have to put up with kudzu plots like the one that gave rise to Pevara's entire corner of this series, at least it's nice to get someone like her, i.e. a non-stupid Red. Mind you, the entire linking/bonding mishegas is kind of a clusterfuck (remember how Verin or somebody compared what Alanna did to rape? Does that mean Pevara and Androl just raped each other?), but it has the two of them working together in ways that may turn out to be really satisfying.
Two other things that please me about Pevara: the fact that she admits, in her own head, that sitting quietly is her way of hiding the fact that she's scared shitless, and the moment where she body-checks Leems to distract him so she can shield him. Yay for being creative enough to use multiple tactics.
Poor Rand cannot get laid now without the Maidens shouting it for everybody to hear. But hey, acknowledged polyamory for the hero -- that isn't exactly a common thing in fantasy, so it's still interesting to see here.
Telepathy for Androl and Pevara. It's a nifty idea; let's see what use gets made of it. (Since I doubt they're both going down in their raid, even if it has ended with "rocks fall, RAFO who dies."
My fic has been jossed: turning somebody to the dark side takes a while, and longer with they're strong-willed. Oh well!
Gawyn is better (thank god), Roedran is an ass (and not Demandred), and I feel like there's an inconsistency here. Earlier Egwene was admitting the seals needed to be broken, just not at the beginning of the fight. Then she gets into the meeting with Rand and it's all "screw you and your seal-breaking idea." Which, sure, sets up Moiraine to do her thing, but I don't think it fits with what went before. Better if those thoughts had been delayed until after Moiraine convinced Rand to give Egwene the seals.
As for Rand's entire plan: I'm glad it isn't perfect, that other people do in fact get an opportunity to improve it (go Aviendha!), but man, it's kind of a fine line to walk in a book, trying to engineer a HEA on a worldwide scale. Like the kind of thing a college poli-sci major would dream up on his third beer, y'know?
(The clerks, however, are kind of adorable. I want fanfic for them now, writing up world peace and freaking out because their handwriting is messy.)
Seriously, Rand? Are you really going to let the Seanchan cruise along with their fascist slave state, just because "strong leadership" is good for the countries they invaded? <headdesk>
Lan's on his fifth standard-bearer. It's little details like that which make the story more touching. That, and "We've already moved the mountain, Lan. Let's budge this feather and be through with it."
And then the Rohirrim Malkieri and friends get more friends! I gotta admit, that's kind of an awesome image. :-D (I think Lan's mental recitation of the Malkieri oath during the charge probably owes something to Pippin's song during Faramir's charge against Osgiliath in the film of Return of the King -- but that's okay; if you're going to steal, steal from something good.)
Lan himself is better here, too. He doesn't come across as petulant the way he did during his ride to Tarwin's Gap.
I have to admit, college poli-sci major moment apart, it's kind of satisfying watching people divide themselves up to go be competent at stuff. The captains, and Perrin making a good point about using Faile to guard the Horn.
(So Mat is in Ebou Dar, huh? That should be interesting, when I get to it. RAFO! Though it's kind of surreal, knowing that I'll get to it in this book. No more wondering what will be deferred until the next one!)
With Traveling being used left, right, and center, it's actually getting a bit confusing, figuring out where everybody is. I thought at first that the timeline was tangled, that Rand's visit to Elayne happened before the previous bit where she went to set Caemlyn on fire. I don't think so, though. Everybody's just ricocheting all over the map.
Nice effort by Sanderson to provide a rationale for why Rand loves Elayne. He did it with Aviendha, too, though it was less obvious there. I'm betting we'll see a third iteration with Min pretty soon? But given how little effort Jordan put into justifying any of his romances, I appreciate the attempt here.
Hah! I was wondering about setting gateways in midair. For a different purpose than scouting, but this works, too. Yay for thinking creatively, again.
I am weirdly amused by all the women swearing. :-) I think because it shows a human side to them that Jordan all too often failed at . . . and because it was funny to see Elayne make Uno spit-take.
Rand's meeting with Mierin is interesting. I was sort of rooting for her to actually turn, but the point he makes about why she can't is reasonably convincing.
Okay, Perrin does not appear to have believed Slayer was dead. I guess that was just me, then. But somebody needs to explain to him that "the bad guys do this horrible thing, ergo I need to do it, too" is not good logic.
Go, Green Ajah! You kinda sucked when the White Tower was attacked, so I'm glad you're kicking ass now. (Though I also hope I'm not going to have to wade through four hundred more pages of Risk. Big battles are cool, but they also get old.)
Bornhald: shitty timing, dude. But maybe Sanderson just felt that needed to come out before the end. Or maybe Perrin will be the one to kill Fain? SOMEBODY needs to.
Gaul: "Turns out I'm tired." Heh. Reminds me of Rand's line earlier, though, echoing what Aviendha said in TFoH about the Aiel being his dream, and vanishing when he "wakes" from this life. I forgot to say it then, but that was a really touching moment, too.
"This isn't evil, it's just incredibly stupid."
There is probably Perrin/Gaul slash out there somewhere. (Or at least their buddy adventure into Tel'aran'rhiod makes it seem inevitable.) Also, surprise Lanfear! "The one who caused my imprisonment" -- I'm actually not sure who that is. Moridin? Demandred? Which imprisonment are we talking about, anyway?
Easier for men to Turn women, and vice versa. Well, I guess that makes sense, given the Healing thing. I wonder if we'll get a direct view of how it works? But my money's on this getting disrupted before they succeed at Turning Logain, so I doubt it.
No, seriously, we have a Perrin/Lanfear team-up here, and it's kind of hilarious. If she's telling the truth, I guess it's a nice pairing with Moridin: both of them are just totally sick of their situations, but see very different routes out of them.
"I'm running short on eyes these days." Sanderson still keeps misstepping with Mat (hammering us with hypocrisy every page, flirting with outright misogyny), but sometimes he gets it right.
Okay, missteps with Mat aside, my problems with Tuon and her fascist slave society aside . . . I really do kind of love the scene with them in the garden. "That's the most loving gesture I think a man could receive from a woman" -- it's actually a relationship model I can get behind. Tuon assumed, without even thinking, that Mat's knife was for someone else, and she was right. You know what that is? Trust. Given how rarely men and women show that to one another in this series, it's kind of awesome.
Forgot to mention that Androl continues with the creativity theme. I'm going to pretend, though, that it worked because he's got that Talent for gateways, and not because nobody at the Black Tower ever thought of using them in that fashion.
Erith! In battle! Alongside Loial! The marriage politics of the Ogier may be all kinds of messed up, but kudos to them for equality in battle tactics. (Also, Trollocs picking on somebody their own size. Heh.)
AHAHAHAHAHA. Sanderson may misstep, but the conversation between Mat and Rand is hilarious. "Are you really trying to get into a bragging contest with the Dragon Reborn? [...] Besides, I cleansed saidin. I win."
Aaaand then we go from that to Rand giving his stamp of approval to Tuon's fascist slave state. I am not happy about this.
Gawyn, stop being a fuckhead.
Baldhere! Openly gay! Well, in that "open secret" kind of way. Prior to this our only reference (I think) was a passing allusion in New Spring, so hey, look, actual male homosexuality in Randland.
So that's what Taim was doing. (I wondered what he meant about "keys.") Uh, that is not so good, methinks.
HOLY SHIT SHARANS
Seriously, I did not think they were ever going to show up in the story. But apparently that's where Demandred was. I feel like I should have called that, but honestly, I don't think it ever occurred to me. (I wonder if we'll have a cameo appearance from the Land of the Madmen before we're done?)
Now Lanfear is trying to hit on Perrin. What is it with him and rapacious women who can't have Rand?
Credit where credit is due: Gawyn is at least making good use of that ring. Doesn't mean I approve of him hiding it and generally being an asshole for the last couple of books, of course.
I thought channeling that close to Shayol Ghul was dangerous? Maybe it's only true in the mountain, and not in Thakan'dar.
<singing> We're off to see the Dark One, the Terrible Dark One of Doom . . . </singing>
FUCK YOU AND YOUR "I DON'T HAVE TO HONOR ANY TREATY I'VE SIGNED" BULLSHIT, FORTUONA.
Rodel Ituralde appears to have PTSD. I can't say I blame him.
And that concludes our live-blogging for the evening. I'm 450 pages in, out of 909; I would keep reading, but I have a book of my own to write. Tune in tomorrow for the thrilling continuation and possibly conclusion of this read!
This entry was also posted at http://swan-tower.dreamwidth.org/569895.html. Comment here or there.
Holy shit. This book is, like, real. And in my hands. I'm not sure I believe it.
Opening quote: I see what you did there, ripping off Revelations.
Huh -- no glossary. Anybody who doesn't know names and terms by now can SUCK IT.
Squishy metal! And flint-knapping . . . with slate. Which you mostly don't knap, actually; you grind it. But hey, archaeologist fist-bump to Bayrd, even though I'm not sure why his grandfather taught him to make stone tools.
Bye, Talmanes. You might survive this, but I doubt it.
A part of me is annoyed that Isam/Luc/Slayer is still alive, because I'm so tired of the "not really dead" thing with villains in this series. The other part of me is hoping this means his strand of the plot will seem less pointless. Read and find out, I guess.
Leilwin: maybe we're going to try to resolve the damane thing after all? RAFO. Making herself da'covale, though -- that's creepy.
I am probably more amused than I should be by Taim being made a new Forsaken. Him showing up does, of course, put paid to the last die-hard insistence by some fans that he really is Demandred, but for some reason making him Chosen just makes that even more pointed. Ditto with making Graendal ugly; I like Moghedien's hypotheticals regarding that.
K, at least Talmanes is going to get a CMoA or two before he goes out. (His ramblings as his mind starts to go are pretty funny, too.) And a reverse Helm's Deep!
Never mind! Talmanes: not actually dead. (Nynaeve: still awesome.)
Go, Androl and Pevara, go! If I have to put up with kudzu plots like the one that gave rise to Pevara's entire corner of this series, at least it's nice to get someone like her, i.e. a non-stupid Red. Mind you, the entire linking/bonding mishegas is kind of a clusterfuck (remember how Verin or somebody compared what Alanna did to rape? Does that mean Pevara and Androl just raped each other?), but it has the two of them working together in ways that may turn out to be really satisfying.
Two other things that please me about Pevara: the fact that she admits, in her own head, that sitting quietly is her way of hiding the fact that she's scared shitless, and the moment where she body-checks Leems to distract him so she can shield him. Yay for being creative enough to use multiple tactics.
Poor Rand cannot get laid now without the Maidens shouting it for everybody to hear. But hey, acknowledged polyamory for the hero -- that isn't exactly a common thing in fantasy, so it's still interesting to see here.
Telepathy for Androl and Pevara. It's a nifty idea; let's see what use gets made of it. (Since I doubt they're both going down in their raid, even if it has ended with "rocks fall, RAFO who dies."
My fic has been jossed: turning somebody to the dark side takes a while, and longer with they're strong-willed. Oh well!
Gawyn is better (thank god), Roedran is an ass (and not Demandred), and I feel like there's an inconsistency here. Earlier Egwene was admitting the seals needed to be broken, just not at the beginning of the fight. Then she gets into the meeting with Rand and it's all "screw you and your seal-breaking idea." Which, sure, sets up Moiraine to do her thing, but I don't think it fits with what went before. Better if those thoughts had been delayed until after Moiraine convinced Rand to give Egwene the seals.
As for Rand's entire plan: I'm glad it isn't perfect, that other people do in fact get an opportunity to improve it (go Aviendha!), but man, it's kind of a fine line to walk in a book, trying to engineer a HEA on a worldwide scale. Like the kind of thing a college poli-sci major would dream up on his third beer, y'know?
(The clerks, however, are kind of adorable. I want fanfic for them now, writing up world peace and freaking out because their handwriting is messy.)
Seriously, Rand? Are you really going to let the Seanchan cruise along with their fascist slave state, just because "strong leadership" is good for the countries they invaded? <headdesk>
Lan's on his fifth standard-bearer. It's little details like that which make the story more touching. That, and "We've already moved the mountain, Lan. Let's budge this feather and be through with it."
And then the Rohirrim Malkieri and friends get more friends! I gotta admit, that's kind of an awesome image. :-D (I think Lan's mental recitation of the Malkieri oath during the charge probably owes something to Pippin's song during Faramir's charge against Osgiliath in the film of Return of the King -- but that's okay; if you're going to steal, steal from something good.)
Lan himself is better here, too. He doesn't come across as petulant the way he did during his ride to Tarwin's Gap.
I have to admit, college poli-sci major moment apart, it's kind of satisfying watching people divide themselves up to go be competent at stuff. The captains, and Perrin making a good point about using Faile to guard the Horn.
(So Mat is in Ebou Dar, huh? That should be interesting, when I get to it. RAFO! Though it's kind of surreal, knowing that I'll get to it in this book. No more wondering what will be deferred until the next one!)
With Traveling being used left, right, and center, it's actually getting a bit confusing, figuring out where everybody is. I thought at first that the timeline was tangled, that Rand's visit to Elayne happened before the previous bit where she went to set Caemlyn on fire. I don't think so, though. Everybody's just ricocheting all over the map.
Nice effort by Sanderson to provide a rationale for why Rand loves Elayne. He did it with Aviendha, too, though it was less obvious there. I'm betting we'll see a third iteration with Min pretty soon? But given how little effort Jordan put into justifying any of his romances, I appreciate the attempt here.
Hah! I was wondering about setting gateways in midair. For a different purpose than scouting, but this works, too. Yay for thinking creatively, again.
I am weirdly amused by all the women swearing. :-) I think because it shows a human side to them that Jordan all too often failed at . . . and because it was funny to see Elayne make Uno spit-take.
Rand's meeting with Mierin is interesting. I was sort of rooting for her to actually turn, but the point he makes about why she can't is reasonably convincing.
Okay, Perrin does not appear to have believed Slayer was dead. I guess that was just me, then. But somebody needs to explain to him that "the bad guys do this horrible thing, ergo I need to do it, too" is not good logic.
Go, Green Ajah! You kinda sucked when the White Tower was attacked, so I'm glad you're kicking ass now. (Though I also hope I'm not going to have to wade through four hundred more pages of Risk. Big battles are cool, but they also get old.)
Bornhald: shitty timing, dude. But maybe Sanderson just felt that needed to come out before the end. Or maybe Perrin will be the one to kill Fain? SOMEBODY needs to.
Gaul: "Turns out I'm tired." Heh. Reminds me of Rand's line earlier, though, echoing what Aviendha said in TFoH about the Aiel being his dream, and vanishing when he "wakes" from this life. I forgot to say it then, but that was a really touching moment, too.
"This isn't evil, it's just incredibly stupid."
There is probably Perrin/Gaul slash out there somewhere. (Or at least their buddy adventure into Tel'aran'rhiod makes it seem inevitable.) Also, surprise Lanfear! "The one who caused my imprisonment" -- I'm actually not sure who that is. Moridin? Demandred? Which imprisonment are we talking about, anyway?
Easier for men to Turn women, and vice versa. Well, I guess that makes sense, given the Healing thing. I wonder if we'll get a direct view of how it works? But my money's on this getting disrupted before they succeed at Turning Logain, so I doubt it.
No, seriously, we have a Perrin/Lanfear team-up here, and it's kind of hilarious. If she's telling the truth, I guess it's a nice pairing with Moridin: both of them are just totally sick of their situations, but see very different routes out of them.
"I'm running short on eyes these days." Sanderson still keeps misstepping with Mat (hammering us with hypocrisy every page, flirting with outright misogyny), but sometimes he gets it right.
Okay, missteps with Mat aside, my problems with Tuon and her fascist slave society aside . . . I really do kind of love the scene with them in the garden. "That's the most loving gesture I think a man could receive from a woman" -- it's actually a relationship model I can get behind. Tuon assumed, without even thinking, that Mat's knife was for someone else, and she was right. You know what that is? Trust. Given how rarely men and women show that to one another in this series, it's kind of awesome.
Forgot to mention that Androl continues with the creativity theme. I'm going to pretend, though, that it worked because he's got that Talent for gateways, and not because nobody at the Black Tower ever thought of using them in that fashion.
Erith! In battle! Alongside Loial! The marriage politics of the Ogier may be all kinds of messed up, but kudos to them for equality in battle tactics. (Also, Trollocs picking on somebody their own size. Heh.)
AHAHAHAHAHA. Sanderson may misstep, but the conversation between Mat and Rand is hilarious. "Are you really trying to get into a bragging contest with the Dragon Reborn? [...] Besides, I cleansed saidin. I win."
Aaaand then we go from that to Rand giving his stamp of approval to Tuon's fascist slave state. I am not happy about this.
Gawyn, stop being a fuckhead.
Baldhere! Openly gay! Well, in that "open secret" kind of way. Prior to this our only reference (I think) was a passing allusion in New Spring, so hey, look, actual male homosexuality in Randland.
So that's what Taim was doing. (I wondered what he meant about "keys.") Uh, that is not so good, methinks.
HOLY SHIT SHARANS
Seriously, I did not think they were ever going to show up in the story. But apparently that's where Demandred was. I feel like I should have called that, but honestly, I don't think it ever occurred to me. (I wonder if we'll have a cameo appearance from the Land of the Madmen before we're done?)
Now Lanfear is trying to hit on Perrin. What is it with him and rapacious women who can't have Rand?
Credit where credit is due: Gawyn is at least making good use of that ring. Doesn't mean I approve of him hiding it and generally being an asshole for the last couple of books, of course.
I thought channeling that close to Shayol Ghul was dangerous? Maybe it's only true in the mountain, and not in Thakan'dar.
<singing> We're off to see the Dark One, the Terrible Dark One of Doom . . . </singing>
FUCK YOU AND YOUR "I DON'T HAVE TO HONOR ANY TREATY I'VE SIGNED" BULLSHIT, FORTUONA.
Rodel Ituralde appears to have PTSD. I can't say I blame him.
And that concludes our live-blogging for the evening. I'm 450 pages in, out of 909; I would keep reading, but I have a book of my own to write. Tune in tomorrow for the thrilling continuation and possibly conclusion of this read!
This entry was also posted at http://swan-tower.dreamwidth.org/569895.html. Comment here or there.
Revisiting the Wheel of Time: "The Strike at Shayol Ghul"
As soon as I'm fed and dressed, I'll be wandering down to the bookstore to pick up A Memory of Light, whereupon I will finish what I started in the summer of 1995: the story of the Wheel of Time.
It will take me a few days to read and post about the book, but to mark the occasion itself, I figured I would step back and talk briefly about "The Strike at Shayol Ghul".
The introduction given on that page makes it clear why Jordan wrote it, but I suspect there are also reasons. The Breaking, or rather the lead-up to it, has been almost entirely forgotten by the people of the "modern" day; it would be difficult to bring that information in plausibly. (About the best you could manage would be for Rand, post-epiphany, to infodump on everybody, out of his memories from that time.) Given that Jordan had presumably worked out the details for his own use, I can understand wanting to share them.
It might go further than that, though. Pure speculation on my part, but the widely-known version of events speaks only of Lews Therin Telamon and the Hundred Companions -- all of whom are men. But Randland in the Age of Legends was supposed to have been a world where men and women, especially among the Aes Sedai, worked together to do great things. So where are the women in that story? "The Strike at Shayol Ghul" answers that question by introducing Latra Posae Decume (who many readers have speculated is reincarnated in Egwene) and her role in the sa'angreal plan. Of course, that's a little problematic, since it's easy to read Latra Posae as being the one to blame for everything going wrong. But the historian does specifically call that out in a footnote: we don't know whether the original mixed-circle plan would have worked, or if it would have made things even worse. Maybe Latra Posae's refusal saved the world from complete destruction.
Has that question been answered today? We'll see. I suspect the conclusion to the series won't involve a rehash of the plan with the seals, but rather something different. And now, if you'll pardon me, I'm off to pick up my book!
This entry was also posted at http://swan-tower.dreamwidth.org/569620.html. Comment here or there.
It will take me a few days to read and post about the book, but to mark the occasion itself, I figured I would step back and talk briefly about "The Strike at Shayol Ghul".
The introduction given on that page makes it clear why Jordan wrote it, but I suspect there are also reasons. The Breaking, or rather the lead-up to it, has been almost entirely forgotten by the people of the "modern" day; it would be difficult to bring that information in plausibly. (About the best you could manage would be for Rand, post-epiphany, to infodump on everybody, out of his memories from that time.) Given that Jordan had presumably worked out the details for his own use, I can understand wanting to share them.
It might go further than that, though. Pure speculation on my part, but the widely-known version of events speaks only of Lews Therin Telamon and the Hundred Companions -- all of whom are men. But Randland in the Age of Legends was supposed to have been a world where men and women, especially among the Aes Sedai, worked together to do great things. So where are the women in that story? "The Strike at Shayol Ghul" answers that question by introducing Latra Posae Decume (who many readers have speculated is reincarnated in Egwene) and her role in the sa'angreal plan. Of course, that's a little problematic, since it's easy to read Latra Posae as being the one to blame for everything going wrong. But the historian does specifically call that out in a footnote: we don't know whether the original mixed-circle plan would have worked, or if it would have made things even worse. Maybe Latra Posae's refusal saved the world from complete destruction.
Has that question been answered today? We'll see. I suspect the conclusion to the series won't involve a rehash of the plan with the seals, but rather something different. And now, if you'll pardon me, I'm off to pick up my book!
This entry was also posted at http://swan-tower.dreamwidth.org/569620.html. Comment here or there.
January 4, 2013
Books read, December 2012
I've been scarce around here, I know; that will likely continue through January, owing to promotion for A Natural History of Dragons + crunch time on the sequel. (Alternatively, working on those things will drive me stir-crazy, and I'll start posting here every two hours. We'll see.)
The Tempering of Men, Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette. RARRRRRR GERMANIC FANTASY. Which is exactly why I picked it up; I needed a dose of RARRRRRR GERMANIC FANTASY to get me in the right headspace for a project I was working on. This is the second of the Iskryne series, and it is extremely middle book-y, spending part of its time on aftermath of the first book and then the rest on setup for the third book. But it was interesting to see more of the world, and to get outside perspectives on Isolfr and what he did in the first book.
How We’d Talk If the English Had Won in 1066, D. Cowley. Not the sort of thing one reads cover to cover, and in fact I did not. But I read through enough of it to count it, if only because I wanted to talk about this here. It's a primer on writing in Anglish, i.e. English with only Germanic-derived words (you may notice a connection between this and the book above). Cowley has some good ideas . . . but unfortunately, he also has a tin ear. Not only does he slap "-ly" and "-ness" onto adjectives willy-nilly in his quest to make them adverbs and nouns, he fails to notice when that isn't even necessary. We have the word "careful;" do we need "carefulness" for a noun? No, we do not, because we already have the word "care." And while those are not quite the same thing, Cowley seems to be unaware of the existence of "care" at all, slapping in "carefulness" where the other would be better. Gahhhhhhhh.
So, um. If you are trying to write a story in Anglish, this may be of use to you, but you may also wish to look for something better.
The Jews of Poland in Tale and Legend. Another "local folklore" book picked up in Poland, written by the same guy as the last one. As with the other, it's interesting but not amazing.
The Dot and the Line, Norman Juster. The author, of course, is better known for The Phantom Tollboth; this one might be called "Juster Writes Flatland." It isn't quite the same thing as that book, of course, but it's a very similar kind of thing. It is the story of a straight line hopelessly in love with a dot, and what he does to try and win her attention.
The Daughter of Time, Josephine Tey. I don't remember why this ended up on my wishlist, but. Um. You know how I was sick over Christmas? I stayed up late to finish this book. Even though it amounts to the story of a detective laid up in a hospital thinking about a mystery hundreds of years old. Tey's analysis of Richard III and the Princes in the Tower may be suspect -- among other things, the starting point of "this portrait of Richard doesn't look like a villain; ergo I don't think he's guilty" is extremely dubious -- but her characterization and dialogue is just fabulous.
Moonshifted, Cassie Alexander. Second of the Edie Spence books. I continue to love the way these are deeply embedded in Actual Nurse Work, rather than vaguely handwaving or ignoring the heroine's job the way so much recent urban fantasy does. I also continue to be stressed by how Edie's life careens from one near-disaster to another, but that's the genre for you.
And finally, a metric ton of Yuletide fic. I'll have a recs post for that eventually, but it's taking a while. Suffice it to say that there is a lot of really good material in the collection.
This entry was also posted at http://swan-tower.dreamwidth.org/569371.html. Comment here or there.
The Tempering of Men, Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette. RARRRRRR GERMANIC FANTASY. Which is exactly why I picked it up; I needed a dose of RARRRRRR GERMANIC FANTASY to get me in the right headspace for a project I was working on. This is the second of the Iskryne series, and it is extremely middle book-y, spending part of its time on aftermath of the first book and then the rest on setup for the third book. But it was interesting to see more of the world, and to get outside perspectives on Isolfr and what he did in the first book.
How We’d Talk If the English Had Won in 1066, D. Cowley. Not the sort of thing one reads cover to cover, and in fact I did not. But I read through enough of it to count it, if only because I wanted to talk about this here. It's a primer on writing in Anglish, i.e. English with only Germanic-derived words (you may notice a connection between this and the book above). Cowley has some good ideas . . . but unfortunately, he also has a tin ear. Not only does he slap "-ly" and "-ness" onto adjectives willy-nilly in his quest to make them adverbs and nouns, he fails to notice when that isn't even necessary. We have the word "careful;" do we need "carefulness" for a noun? No, we do not, because we already have the word "care." And while those are not quite the same thing, Cowley seems to be unaware of the existence of "care" at all, slapping in "carefulness" where the other would be better. Gahhhhhhhh.
So, um. If you are trying to write a story in Anglish, this may be of use to you, but you may also wish to look for something better.
The Jews of Poland in Tale and Legend. Another "local folklore" book picked up in Poland, written by the same guy as the last one. As with the other, it's interesting but not amazing.
The Dot and the Line, Norman Juster. The author, of course, is better known for The Phantom Tollboth; this one might be called "Juster Writes Flatland." It isn't quite the same thing as that book, of course, but it's a very similar kind of thing. It is the story of a straight line hopelessly in love with a dot, and what he does to try and win her attention.
The Daughter of Time, Josephine Tey. I don't remember why this ended up on my wishlist, but. Um. You know how I was sick over Christmas? I stayed up late to finish this book. Even though it amounts to the story of a detective laid up in a hospital thinking about a mystery hundreds of years old. Tey's analysis of Richard III and the Princes in the Tower may be suspect -- among other things, the starting point of "this portrait of Richard doesn't look like a villain; ergo I don't think he's guilty" is extremely dubious -- but her characterization and dialogue is just fabulous.
Moonshifted, Cassie Alexander. Second of the Edie Spence books. I continue to love the way these are deeply embedded in Actual Nurse Work, rather than vaguely handwaving or ignoring the heroine's job the way so much recent urban fantasy does. I also continue to be stressed by how Edie's life careens from one near-disaster to another, but that's the genre for you.
And finally, a metric ton of Yuletide fic. I'll have a recs post for that eventually, but it's taking a while. Suffice it to say that there is a lot of really good material in the collection.
This entry was also posted at http://swan-tower.dreamwidth.org/569371.html. Comment here or there.
test post
Due to LJ's ongoing problems, I'm working on finally implementing my plans for a locally-hosted Wordpress blog (which would then crosspost to LJ). Until I get that up and running, though, I've created a DW account, largely because it offered a convenient way to import (read: back up) all my content from LJ. This is the obligatory test post to see if crossposting is working as it should.
This entry was also posted at http://swan-tower.dreamwidth.org/569195.html. Comment here or there.
This entry was also posted at http://swan-tower.dreamwidth.org/569195.html. Comment here or there.
January 1, 2013
Yuletide reveals
A Happy New Year to all. I spent mine with my brother and sister-in-law, just having a quiet evening, which was about my speed this year. I hope yours was pleasant and enjoyable, too.
Since authors on the Yuletide stories have been revealed now, herewith the list of what I wrote:
"A Thousand Paths in a Single Step" (Wheel of Time) --
findabair
, I actually did write one of the WoT stories. :-) I figured, if I was ever going to do it, this was the year, while everything is still fresh in my mind. My recipient's request was for Aviendha, Rand, Mat, and Nynaeve, and while the phrasing of the request implied I didn't have to include all four, I was determined to do so. This is therefore the story of several alternate futures Aviendha saw while passing through the ter'angreal in Rhuidean during The Shadow Rising, in her first test as a Wise One apprentice.
"Unlikely" (Sky High) -- the first of two pinch hits I picked up. His senior year at Sky High, Warren Peace has been nominated as Most Likely to Go Evil. Layla takes offense at this, and takes steps to keep him from winning.
"No Harm Ever Came From Digging Up the Past" (The Bone Key/The Mummy) -- a second pinch hit, when I usually only take one per year, but this one doesn't really count: I had written the entire story as a treat before the recipient went out on the pinch-hit list. She wanted, in a pie-in-the-sky kind of way, a crossover between Claudia Coburn from "The Venebretti Necklace" and Evy Carnahan from The Mummy, being awesome lady archaeologists together. HOW COULD I NOT WRITE THIS?
"An Abecedary of Tragic Ends, Explicated for the Reader" (Gashlycrumb Tinies) -- my big hit for this year (though not as big as the Tough Guide to Yuletide last year). Yuletide mechanics meant that only four of the Gashlycrumb Tinies could be requested in fic, but that doesn't mean you can only write four; I wrote a drabble (100-word story) for each of the twenty-six, explaining how they died that way. It's morbid, but people seem to have enjoyed it. :-)
"It ends in a small white room" (Pushing Daisies) -- a dark AU inspired by a quote from the show, when Ned, the piemaker who raises people from the dead, says: “Ever since I was a kid, I’d have this dream where somebody would find out what I could do. It starts off with lots of ice cream and balloons and ends in a small white room where little bits are cut out of me until there's nothing left to cut.” It didn't end up as dark as I originally planned (since that would have squicked the recipient), but it's still a weird, and fun-to-write hybrid, between the show's candy-colored cheerfulness and some kind of sick stuff.
"Stories Untold" (Reservoir Dogs) -- the first treat I wrote, before assignments had even gone out, because I was browsing people's letters. One request made me decide to watch Reservoir Dogs again, and then my brain popped out a fic about Freddy Newandyke's preparations for going undercover.
"Impossible Things" (Willow) -- another treat that basically just fell out of my head by accident. Sorsha's musings on why she fell in love with Madmartigan, aka me trying to make the script make sense. :-)
"Echoes of the Wolf" (Brotherhood of the Wolf) -- final full-length treat, brought about by me liking any excuse to watch this movie. ;-) Mani and Fronsac in the early days of their relationship, in the New World.
And then, four "stocking stuffer" flash fics:
"Dying Old" (Classic Greece and Rome History & Literature RPF) -- Mithridates, experimenting with poison.
"If Your Hands Are Cold, and the Fiddle Is Old" (Devil Went Down to Georgia) -- did you know there's a sequel song, "The Devil Came Back to Georgia"? I didn't, not until this year. The fic is Johnny preparing for a second confrontation.
"The Wrong Side" (The Sandbaggers) -- Willie Caine, dealing with changes post-S3.
"Can You Hear Me Now?" (Aliens) -- Vasquez and Hudson buddy antics, pre-movie.
Ooof. So, my joke this year was that I had written more fic the second year of Yuletide than I did for the first, which of course made my brain want to keep up that pattern, so the way to deal with it was to write SO MUCH this year that I wouldn't try to top it in the future. I think I've achieved that. Most of these were very quick to write, but even so, that's a lot to make my brain cough up at once. I'm very pleased with how they turned out, though!
Since authors on the Yuletide stories have been revealed now, herewith the list of what I wrote:
"A Thousand Paths in a Single Step" (Wheel of Time) --
findabair
, I actually did write one of the WoT stories. :-) I figured, if I was ever going to do it, this was the year, while everything is still fresh in my mind. My recipient's request was for Aviendha, Rand, Mat, and Nynaeve, and while the phrasing of the request implied I didn't have to include all four, I was determined to do so. This is therefore the story of several alternate futures Aviendha saw while passing through the ter'angreal in Rhuidean during The Shadow Rising, in her first test as a Wise One apprentice."Unlikely" (Sky High) -- the first of two pinch hits I picked up. His senior year at Sky High, Warren Peace has been nominated as Most Likely to Go Evil. Layla takes offense at this, and takes steps to keep him from winning.
"No Harm Ever Came From Digging Up the Past" (The Bone Key/The Mummy) -- a second pinch hit, when I usually only take one per year, but this one doesn't really count: I had written the entire story as a treat before the recipient went out on the pinch-hit list. She wanted, in a pie-in-the-sky kind of way, a crossover between Claudia Coburn from "The Venebretti Necklace" and Evy Carnahan from The Mummy, being awesome lady archaeologists together. HOW COULD I NOT WRITE THIS?
"An Abecedary of Tragic Ends, Explicated for the Reader" (Gashlycrumb Tinies) -- my big hit for this year (though not as big as the Tough Guide to Yuletide last year). Yuletide mechanics meant that only four of the Gashlycrumb Tinies could be requested in fic, but that doesn't mean you can only write four; I wrote a drabble (100-word story) for each of the twenty-six, explaining how they died that way. It's morbid, but people seem to have enjoyed it. :-)
"It ends in a small white room" (Pushing Daisies) -- a dark AU inspired by a quote from the show, when Ned, the piemaker who raises people from the dead, says: “Ever since I was a kid, I’d have this dream where somebody would find out what I could do. It starts off with lots of ice cream and balloons and ends in a small white room where little bits are cut out of me until there's nothing left to cut.” It didn't end up as dark as I originally planned (since that would have squicked the recipient), but it's still a weird, and fun-to-write hybrid, between the show's candy-colored cheerfulness and some kind of sick stuff.
"Stories Untold" (Reservoir Dogs) -- the first treat I wrote, before assignments had even gone out, because I was browsing people's letters. One request made me decide to watch Reservoir Dogs again, and then my brain popped out a fic about Freddy Newandyke's preparations for going undercover.
"Impossible Things" (Willow) -- another treat that basically just fell out of my head by accident. Sorsha's musings on why she fell in love with Madmartigan, aka me trying to make the script make sense. :-)
"Echoes of the Wolf" (Brotherhood of the Wolf) -- final full-length treat, brought about by me liking any excuse to watch this movie. ;-) Mani and Fronsac in the early days of their relationship, in the New World.
And then, four "stocking stuffer" flash fics:
"Dying Old" (Classic Greece and Rome History & Literature RPF) -- Mithridates, experimenting with poison.
"If Your Hands Are Cold, and the Fiddle Is Old" (Devil Went Down to Georgia) -- did you know there's a sequel song, "The Devil Came Back to Georgia"? I didn't, not until this year. The fic is Johnny preparing for a second confrontation.
"The Wrong Side" (The Sandbaggers) -- Willie Caine, dealing with changes post-S3.
"Can You Hear Me Now?" (Aliens) -- Vasquez and Hudson buddy antics, pre-movie.
Ooof. So, my joke this year was that I had written more fic the second year of Yuletide than I did for the first, which of course made my brain want to keep up that pattern, so the way to deal with it was to write SO MUCH this year that I wouldn't try to top it in the future. I think I've achieved that. Most of these were very quick to write, but even so, that's a lot to make my brain cough up at once. I'm very pleased with how they turned out, though!
