/r/Fantasy Discussion Group discussion
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Theft of Swords
2014 Book Club Discussions
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January 2014: Theft of Swords - Author Q&A with Michael J. Sullivan
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Ah I had no idea about that piece of information regarding Robert Jordan and pipes. I definitely wouldn't call pipe collecting a sport. I think it could be classified as a hobby for some and an addiction for others. I'm not really an enthusiast...especially since I no longer smoke. At the time I was very poor so my "collection" was rather small and inexpensive - they were more function than form. But at the time, had I had the money to, I would have enjoyed building a nice collection.
So no egg on your face at all. It brought back fond memories.
I just wanted to thank the group for choosing Theft of Swords and I hope you enjoyed the reads. I was asked not to butt in on the other threads - and as promised I never even cracked the Author free zone. I did read the other threads and it looks as though the books were generally liked. Glad to hear that of course.For stragglers, I'll be popping into this thread from time to time to answer any other questions that come up.
Thanks for having me...and I'll see you around. Both here and over at /r/fantasy.
Thanks mike! For all you do for r/fantasy, all you do for your fans, and for writing such a great series.
Thank you Mike, I will be continuing reading the series through out the year.
Continuing to really enjoy the whole series. It seems to me that "Chronicles" allow for slightly more mature themes then "Revelations". Is that so?Also, it is very interesting how Gwen and Arista begin to discover their magical talents. Gandalf was thousands of years old and were not really sure whether he was human in the true sense. Now, of course, Harry Potter discovers that he has wizard blood as opposed to Muggle blood.
With Gwen, you get the sense that there is much training involved, but also that she is gifted with extreme insight.
And with Arista, it starts to become clear that she, though born from the same parents as her brother, has these abilities.
Am I missing something as to how this happens?
BTW, I listened to the audio at the beginning of "Crown Tower" and I definitely agree with you and your wife: continue to write these guys a little more. All the best!
@Joel - you are most welcome. I'm glad that enjoy both ;-)@Mark - Great to hear - I'd love to know your impressions. Post a review here on goodreads and I'll see it.
Michael wrote: "Continuing to really enjoy the whole series. It seems to me that "Chronicles" allow for slightly more mature themes then "Revelations". Is that so?There was no intentional move on my part for such...but I will say that since it is "back in time" both Royce and Hadrian are "more hardened" then the characters we see twelve years later. Royce in particular can be more violent and vicious as the edge in his personality (from events in his past life) is still quite sharp and he is still closed off and inaccessible.
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Michael wrote: "Also, it is very interesting how Gwen and Arista begin to discover their magical talents. Gandalf was thousands of years old and were not really sure whether he was human in the true sense. Now, of course, Harry Potter discovers that he has wizard blood as opposed to Muggle blood.
With Gwen, you get the sense that there is much training involved, but also that she is gifted with extreme insight.
And with Arista, it starts to become clear that she, though born from the same parents as her brother, has these abilities.
Am I missing something as to how this happens?
Gwen's magic of "the sight" is an inherited trait that is unique to Tenkin women. A mother "may" pass it on to their daughter but it doesn't always transfer. If you aren't "born to it" you can't learn it.
Arista practices "The Art" and this is a skill that can be learned. Just like music, some will be better at it than others - as some will have a degree of "natural" ability. But learning to channel the forces of nature is something that can and has been taught. The problem, is that at the time that Arista is living in the Art is pretty much a lost practice. Before the empire fell it was taught - and Esrahaddon who was imprisoned in Guitaria can and did put Arista's foot on the path.
Arcadius was allowed to start a class on "The Art." But he has never been taught about how to do it as someone like Esrahaddon so what he teaches relies more on "recipes" then learning how to "channel" energy. To follow the musical analogy further he "cheats" by showing students to "autotune" to make it seem like they are singing...but it's really not making "music" and therefore doesn't have much real power. Since Arista went to Guitra and studied under Mozart, metaphorically, she has a level of training above most in Elan.
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Michael wrote: BTW, I listened to the audio at the beginning of "Crown Tower" and I definitely agree with you and your wife: continue to write these guys a little more. All the best!"
Thanks for the input. The "official" determination will be made when I can start writing my next book after my current "work in progress." Originally I thought that would be April, but I recently completed book #2 and then realized I would need two more books to finish off that series. So not sure about next deadline.
Thanks for the questions!
I just finished the Heir of Novron, and all I have to say is WOW! I can tell you really planned the series in detail, because the way in which everything ties together is remarkable. The series may have started out as a single instrument playing pianissimo, but by the end, the entire orchestra was involved in the crescendo. Bravo Mr. Sullivan. Bravo.
Kyle wrote: "I just finished the Heir of Novron, and all I have to say is WOW! I can tell you really planned the series in detail, because the way in which everything ties together is remarkable. The series may have started out as a single instrument playing pianissimo, but by the end, the entire orchestra was involved in the crescendo. Bravo Mr. Sullivan. Bravo. "Thank you so much! That was indeed my intention and it is always good to hear that I accomplished what I set out to do.
Drop me an email at michael.sulivan.dc@gmail.com and I'll send you an afterword now that everything is "revealed."
Not that I'm aware of...but I would love to know one in real life. For many characters I can (usually after t..."
Both he and Arista of made me think of Stonewall Jackson. His soldiers asked him how he could be so serene when bullets were flying around him. He told them that his religion taught him to be as confident that God would cause him to live or die in the bedroom as he was in the battlefield! He said if we all lived that way we would all be brave.