Imps of Goldstone Wood discussion
Read-Through
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Starflower Read-Through 2015
Yay! I know I dropped out of the Moonblood read-along, but I'm going to try really hard to keep up with this one. :)
YES! Now I can't wait till the 1st... :D
*runs to grab my copy of Starflower* I'm ready!
I just finished it, so that way I'll be able to keep up no matter what. Definitely worthy of reading twice!I just want to also express that I am honored to be inspired by you *mostly ladies*! As a minister, I read a lot of Bible and systematic theology and things that have been written by men. But God is the God of all mankind and there is a feminine side of things. (I think you all know what I mean). I'm very thankful for this series and opportunity for interaction because it opens my heart to new understanding for God and the work of the Holy Spirit through creative culture. I trust Anne's direction, Though I'm sure she would admit that she also has feet of clay.
Thank you, Michael. I enjoy your comments as well. They often bring depth I had not noticed in the story to light.So, the first five chapters. Reading it over will certainly be interesting. I am already noticing things I would not have thought so important earlier. For one, the girl, Starflower, looks away from the golden light (Hound) when she takes a drink from the horrible river. I'm curious about what would happen if she did not do so. Where would The Hound have taken her?
Also, I noticed anew Bebo's prophecy about the one who loves the most succeeding. Eanrin and Glomar thought it was one of them. Ha!
And Gleamdren. I like her no more now than I did before. She is so very vain and petty. Some of it has to do with her circumstances, but my goodness she is awful.
Eanrin is pretty selfish and vain, too, of course, but with him, we can see the changes that occurred after he became a Knight of Farthestshore in the other books in the series. Gleamdren, however, does not seem any better after 1600 years. We are missing some of the story, however.
What did you all think? Don't the glimpses into Starflower's life draw you in, especially the first time you read it?
The juxtaposition of starflower's tribal situation and the royal court was hard to wrap my mind around at first. Gleamdren makes me think of the Princess and the Pea with her vanity combined with a Jane Austen ballroom dance. Yes, I think I'll notice these glimpses more the 2nd time around. This book is LOADED with foreshadowing-- not only within the story itself, but then, who knows what Anne is doing for the 1500 years you just alluded to.
Michael said: Gleamdren makes me think of the Princess and the Pea with her vanity combined with a Jane Austen ballroom dance.Hehe! Agreed!
I don't have much to add to the discussion for these chapters, but I love the contrast between Eanrin and Glomar. The glib, charming poet, and the gruff, shy guard who takes five minutes to come with the retort "I'd like to off you!" Glomar is very relatable character, and I find myself liking him more and more with every re-read. I hope we see more of him in later books!
Micheal, I just want to echo Emily in response to your other comment: Thank you and I enjoy your comments too, and they often bring out new depth I hadn't seen.Michael wrote: "Gleamdren makes me think of the Princess and the Pea with her vanity combined with a Jane Austen ballroom dance. "
Totally... Heehee.
Like Emily said, Glemdren IS awful and vain, but somehow I don't hate her. I've found that (with the exception of the Dragon and his sister) I relate/feel sorry for ALL of the characters, Glemdren included.
(And then of course there's the one I just LOVE, which is probably more then half the cast.)
This round I wondered about what would happen if Starflower had followed the Hound, too!
Eanrin is such a mess at the beginning here, but I still love him, especially since I know what he'll become. But even after becoming a Knight, he's still got some of that catish vanity. ;)
This isn't even a story note, but I noticed it and thought it was so cool: when it described Glemdren's room it mentioned a mirror made of water. Isn't that cool?
Ghosty: YES I hope there will be more of Glomar in the future!
Also, now that I've read Dragonwitch, I understand the Flame at Night's story... Which now adds layers and layers to my understanding of "Starflower".
(We might need to make sure we differentiate between Starflower the girl and Starflower the book so this doesn't get too confusing. :P )
Michael: The ball reminded me of a stereotypical ballroom setting with the men arguing over the lady and the many words spoken through expressions. Definitely like Jane Austen's works.Stargazer: Yes, I noticed the water mirror too. I wondered how the creators made it work, since it sounds like it was hanging from the wall. I also wondered about the Dragonwitch's aversion to it. I wondered if she had a reflection at all, if she saw through her beautifying enchantment, or if the reflection of the enchantment disgusted her in some way.
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Emily: It did sound like the mirror was on the wall, but things work strangely in Faerie so even though I don't know how, I think it totally works. Yeah, I don't know what it would have shown, but anyway of it I just don't think she wants to look at herself.Hannah: I really want to hear your fan geek stuff so TRY TO FIND TIME. ;) Yes Glemdren and the Dragonwitch have the best(or should I say worst?) confrontations! And yes, THAT EANRIN!!! *shakes head*
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The opening. Me, oh my. Those chilling first paragraphs! "Once upon a time..." "Now it burned..." Nooooooooo! My poor Etalpalli! I love Etalpalli more than any other of the faerie realms and I mourn, mourn, MOURN those beautiful people! *curls up in dark corner and cries*
Then of course we come to Eanrin and Lady Gleamdren. I remember my mouth just twisted in disgust at their silly flirting my first time through, lol! Man, does that little canary get on my nerves!
It's very interesting that the Dragonwitch here is colorless. I've always imagined that she was rather translucent when she was a Faerie, but then turned to shadowy white ash when she burned. Just an image in my mind... :)
"I want you to kidnap me." What. What. I just couldn't believe it reading first time through. Gleamdren is a clever little thing, but she's very, very ignorant.
Yatol and Eztli. The ONLY time we get to hear the Black Dogs names. They're very Etalpallian names! So I will bring up the point again that they are half Etalpallian and actually the heirs to Etalpalli...if it is at all possible to bring Etalpalli back from destruction...(maybe some help from certain released beings in Book 6)... *hint, hint, Anne Elisabeth* ;)
I'm really appreciating the comments now. I feel much more oriented this time through. I still need some help however with the worlds.Etalpalli is in the fairy world, right?
Three worlds?
as to the Dragonwitch being colorless, that's really interesting, because there's a rainbow around God's throne.
This is me favorite book in the series! Gleamdren is a cotton-headed ninnymuggins. And Eanrin, through all his vanity and pride, still manages to be hilarious and loveable. Glomar...The poor guy. Hannah: I soooo want the Black dogs to be redeemed some day! Their story makes me so sad.
Michael wrote: "I'm really appreciating the comments now. I feel much more oriented this time through. I still need some help however with the worlds.Etalpalli is in the fairy world, right?
Three worlds?"
Etalpalli is a fairy demnise. There are a lot of them
Okay, what about the tribal world were Starflower comes from? Is that purely mortal?
Well, Imraldera (or Starflower) hails from a mortal world, but at this point in history, there was a lot of Faerie influence there.
Ok, so as history goes on, the mortal world will lose the faerie influence?
@Hannah: You got my feels on Etalpalli down PERFECTLY. *curls up and cries in a dark corner with you*. I'd never thought about which realm is my favorite but now that I think about it, it's totally Etalpalli! Maybe Stengl will write a story about Etalpalli that happens long before the Dragonwitch burned it... That would be awesome. BECAUSE THOSE WINGED PEOPLE!! I want a story about them! (One that's not tragic.)The Black Dogs are the heirs... That's wow. Maybe the one that sort of was willing to be petted by Starflower will get redeemed and be king of Etalpalli! (...The Black Dogs are boys right? I always assumed, but did it ever say...? Huh. I have no idea now.)
And yes, "I want you to kidnap me"... That gets me every time. What is WRONG with that canary? Yikes.
@Micheal: Yes, three worlds: the mortal world (called "Near World"), the Between (Also know as the Wood), and Faerie (called the "Far World) in which there are tons and tons of totally different realms. :) And, as far as I know, yes, the faerie influence is gone after "Dragonwhich".
Glomar and Eanrin's conversations are the BEST. They just hate each other and it's so hilarious. I guess cats and badgers don't get along.
I feel so smart now that I know what Bebo's prediction about "only true love saving Glemdren" really means.
That frog-prince that kissed Starflower was totally Gervais from Heartless. I wonder how he got gotten by ChuMana... She scares me. I wonder if we'll ever see her again in other books.
I just LOVE all the "conversations" between Starflower and Eanrin. He just talks and talks and talks, while she signs a few things and he ignores her, and it's just great. :D
Thank you, yes that clarifies it, Stargazer.And I totally agree with you about the conversations! They are a riot! It's definitely a huge strength that Anne Elizabeth has to be able to pull that kind of dialogue out of our everyday life and put it into a fictional world. I think of how many times I've been that way with my wife! LOL!
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Michael: There's a page up on the Wikia that explains the history of Southlands!
http://goldstonewood.wikia.com/wiki/S...
And also there is an article on the Etalpallians. http://goldstonewood.wikia.com/wiki/E...
Oh yes, Hannah! Yes! Yes! And your pictures are worth 1000 words. This is so needed to help people understand where they are in these books.
When I read Lord of the Rings, one of the first things I did was look at the map. It gave me an idea of where I was headed.
I wonder if your wiki could gradually be included in the prologues of the books (as needed--- not giving it all away up front, but gradually drawing the person further in their understanding).
Good Work!!
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Yes Hannah! Your art is lovely as usual! I was wondering if I wanted to contribute to Rignaprava's realm how would I do that?
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You would go to Locations, then scroll down to Far World, and click "Edit." Once there, highlight Ragniparva's Realm, and click on the link button at the top of the Wikia. It will give you the option to "Open" a new page for that subject.
I need to look at those wikis... And, yes Micheal, pictures are worth a thousand words, but I think Hannah W.'s are worth two thousand. ;)I haven't finished this week's section of Starflower, but my internet has been HORRIBLE so I'm grabbing some time at the library to say a few things...
The part where Eanrin names Imraldera is just the BEST. (And he said he always liked the name Una. ;D) I love his lines, and her thoughts and hand motions! And when she picked him up and then he was a cat--perfect! And they stopped at the Haven!!!
And he went into Etalpalli for HER! I'm just glowing... ^_^ And then they land he looks like a rat, and says probably my favorite line of his ever: "My coat is ruined. My life is over." ... I laugh so hard every time I read that...
Also, that River is scary.
Half-way off-topic, but I just re-read The Magician's Nephew, and it occurred to me that Etalpalli is similar to Charn: A Queen of a sort of world destroys all her people, it's kind of red, it's empty... I just thought it was interesting.
Oh yes, I totally agree about the comparison with CS Lewis and Charn. It seems to me like a city of ancient ruins is an excellent plot device-- it totally draws you in and makes you curious about "what happened here?"The ruins are from times past, which adds depth to the tale. The fact that there is eventually a deep dungeon just makes it even deeper--- and the tall tower, and the waterfalls. It's great for imagination.
The river is scary! Every time I think of it, I think of the Niagara River headed for Niagara Falls along with dragons of the deep.
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Well, I can't remember exactly what I said, but...
Thank you, Stargazer, that is a high honor!
I can't believe the read-along is this far in the book already? Wow. And yeah, now that you mention it, Charn and Etalpalli are very alike! :)
Oh yes. And Talenextu. I just kind of love him to death and beyond.
I'm going to hop in here. :)When I first started reading Starflower (this is my 3rd reread), I had convinced myself (before actually reading it) that the first female Eanrin would meet was going to be Starflower. Because, of course, she had to be.
So I was laughing hysterically when the girl whom I thought was Starflower choked him.
I laughed even harder when I kept reading and read how they really met. It was even better. ;)
And Eanrin, throughout the whole thing...just...Eanrin. XD
"Lady Gleamdrene Gormlaith, fairest maiden to walk the merry halls of Rudiobus Mountain. I intend to spend my life regaling her ears with verses to her honor and splendor."
The girl blinked at him. Then she raised her hands and signed, "Poor lady."
Etalpalli. Talenextu. *sigh*
"What an animal your demesne has become." :(
Question: Why did Eanrin yell "Etalpalli!" when he was going down the falls? Did he have to in order to finish "unlocking" the gate, or was it just a gut reaction to yell it?
Another Lewis comparison:
When Flame at Night is telling how she consumed heroes, nations, etc.
Totally reminded me of when Aslan was telling Jill (from The Silver Chair) that, of course he ate little girls; he also ate boys, men and women, kings and queens, etc.
Except, you know, Flame at Night did an evil version of that... :)
I've been to Niagara Falls. I always thought of Cozemaloti as being a much farther drop because, you know, it's fantasy. But big water falls are all some what similar I suppose.I love Talenextu too!! I wish we'd seen more of him in Dragonwitch. *sniff*
Merenwen: YES that bit where she says "Poor lady."!!! I love that so much! :D I've always wondered about Eanrin yelling "Etalpalli", too, and those are the same two reasons I could think of.
Also, when Glomar and Eanrin are talking about Imraldera it's just the best. They don't know much about humans and it's hilarious. "I think she's broken."
*giggles hysterically*
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Am I the only one who thinks Eanrin resembles the personality of Tony Stark (Iron Man) only with more integrity?
Ahh... but can Tony sing old ballads??
I laughed so hard at what you two said about Eanrin and Tony. :D :D That's hilarious. He is a tiny bit like him though. (I also recently realized Eanrin reminds me a little of Howl from Howl's Moving Castle... :D )@Hannah W.: Okay, now I know! Yeah, I should have remembered that names have power. Thanks!
*sniffs* Sun Eagle is so much cooler this time around. I love him so much!!!!
*sniffs too...* yes, when you see what he has to deal with, you begin to realize that he does pretty good job of making difficult decisions. It's the sign of true character when somebody can deal with evil circustnaces, yet with a minimum of loss.
Actually, I'm really impressed with Glomar running around on a hurt foot-- I've had this situation my own life, and it's incredibly painful. I'm really beginning to like him too. He's humble, except when it comes to chiding with THE CAT, because he wouldn't dance with the lady and was very respectful in many circumstances. He seems to be loyal to crown and kingdom.
Oh dear, I'm really quite behind on this discussion aren't I? How time flies! Well, I guess now is as good a time as any to do some catching up, so here comes some rambling:I really like Starflower on the whole because it's fun to go back in time and see the history behind two of my favorite characters. Eanrin <3 and Imraldera <3. I also find the Dragonwitch fascinating as a tragic character.
In the earlier chapters, I really enjoyed seeing more of Rudiobus. First of all, EANRIN LIVES THERE and it just generally seems like a lovely place to be. I think it may be one of my favorite faerie worlds and I just adore Queen Bebo and King Iubdan. Then there's Glomar who, while he's certainly very badger-like, I like for the most part. While I can't say that I "like" Gleamdrene, I can say that I enjoyed how she annoyed even the Dragonwitch with her egotistical tendencies.
I also love the idea of what Etalpalli used to be, although, knowing what it used to be makes me even more sad that it got destroyed. :(
A really quick run down of some other things that I liked/found interesting: Pretty much all of Eanrin's interactions with anyone and everyone, especially with Glomar and/or Imradera...That river. Who knew a river could be so possessive and creepy?... Poor Imraldera, she really had a rough start in life... That thing Eanrin said about "Una" being one of his favorite names. Nice bit of foreshadowing there!... I think Gleamdrene mentions something about Rogan too at some point, doesn't she? I'm not sure if I missed it or if we haven't gotten to it yet, but I'm sure it's there somewhere. I know we didn't see a whole lot of Rogan in Heartless, but I liked what we did see. Poor guy...anyway...The Black Dogs. *sniff* Poor little neglected things. :( All they need is some love. They may be part faerie/wolf-skinchanger but they're still children underneath. It just makes me sad that they were so rejected by pretty much everyone except Imradera. I wonder if there will ever be any redemption for them? /end ramble
Well, that at least caught me up to the reading we're discussing this week. I'll try to come back and ramble some more later! :)
Michael wrote: "Actually, I'm really impressed with Glomar running around on a hurt foot-- I've had this situation my own life, and it's incredibly painful. I'm really beginning to like him too. He's humble, exc..."Yeah that must have been really hard... Poor Golmar. And while being chased by the Black Dogs of all things! Most impressive!
Michael wrote: "*sniffs too...* yes, when you see what he has to deal with, you begin to realize that he does pretty good job of making difficult decisions. It's the sign of true character when somebody can deal ..."
I actually just realized that people really don't get killed off much at all in these books, maybe that's why I love them so much. (At least so far as I've read. Someone who's read further will probably pop up and hand me a mile long list, but I hope not) Because when it comes down to it, only Rogan, Mousehead, Starflower (Lionheart's mother) and Sun Eagle die. And when you think about it Sun Eagle isn't really dead he's just lost for eternity and turns into a wraith. And well, technically Una, Lionheart, and (view spoiler) all die but "come back". So I guess when it comes down to it only Rogan, Mousehead, and Starflower really die.
@E.F.B: Loved your rambles! Because "EANRIN LIVES THERE" is reason enough to love any place. XD But yeah, Rudiobus is awesome! :D Yes, she mentioned Rogan! Poor guy. :( I guess he's another one of the Rudiobus people to fall in love with Glemdren. That river! I know! So scary and possessive! Yikes! I really really really hope the Black Dogs get redeemed! At least the nicer on anyway. Totally come back and ramble more later! :D
So sorry I haven't posted in a while! Been busy with family, packing, and the like.Anyway, Sun Eagle is awesome. He seemed to treat everyone with respect, even the women whom he had a right to treat poorly. It makes me wonder what he did the first time he heard women speak. I mean, he certainly did not bat an eye when he spoke to Daylily in Shadow Hand. I do hope there will be more of a future for him, but that might not happen.
The scenes with Eanrin trying to wake Starflower up were priceless! I can't get enough of them. I had to do a dramatic monologue for a speech meet a couple years ago and I chose that section. It was a little hard trying to cut out all the things that wouldn't make sense to someone who didn't know the series and to make it short enough, but I still memorized quite a section of that.
And, the conversations between the characters are amazing, I agree!
@Stargazer: No mile long list of dead people, no. There are a few people who die, but not so many to make it annoying or overly tragic. I'm more frustrated with the people who don't get a happily ever after in the romance department. We have yet to see Rosie and Lionheart or Eanrin and Imraldra get together. Not to mention people like Anahid and Dairmid.
The scenes with Eanrin trying to wake Starflower up were priceless!Yes, these scenes remind me of times when you're trying to rescue someone spiritually. They will otherwise sink down the proverbial river that leads to the certain death in a black place of destruction.
But they don't necessarily want to be rescued! They are just trying to figure out if they can trust you.
You, meanwhile, were too busy to really get involved with this person in the first place and this is cramping your style. You are tempted to be like the Pharisee or the Levite who just leave the Samaritan on the side of the road half dead, only in this case you pretty much know that the waterfalls will finish the job.
Reluctantly, you sacrifice your own expediency feeling the tug at your heart.
But years later, when you look back on it, you realize that rescuing this person ended up being necessary for your own safe passage.
Wow. I had not thought about it that way, but it seems true. I wish I could say I was never a Pharisee or a Levite in that matter.
Stargazer wrote: "Because when it comes down to it, only Rogan, Mousehead, Starflower (Lionheart's mother) and Sun Eagle die. And when you think about it Sun Eagle isn't really dead he's just lost for eternity and turns into a wraith..."I agree, I don't think Sun Eagle actually died, so much as he just suddenly became incorporeal and it's up in the air as to whether or not he can ever become...un-incoporeal again. But since I'm not sure if you've read Shadow Hand yet or not, I won't say much more about it than that because I don't want to spoil it for you. :)
Emily wrote: "Anyway, Sun Eagle is awesome. He seemed to treat everyone with respect, even the women whom he had a right to treat poorly. It makes me wonder what he did the first time he heard women speak. I mean, he certainly did not bat an eye when he spoke to Daylily in Shadow Hand. I do hope there will be more of a future for him, but that might not happen...
"
I sort of think that what Sun Eagle did the first time he heard women speak would probably depend on (view spoiler) Because, in Starflower, like you said, we see a Sun Eagle who treats everyone with respect and kindness. But in Shadow Hand, (view spoiler) But if he was still the way he is when we see him in Starflower when he first heard a woman speak, somehow, I think he would have been surprised, but then I think he would have been okay with it. That's just my impression, anyway. :)
Emily wrote: "The scenes with Eanrin trying to wake Starflower up were priceless! I can't get enough of them. I had to do a dramatic monologue for a speech meet a couple years ago and I chose that section..."
Yes, I love those scenes too! The part where he made the frog prince kiss her had me laughing out loud! And, wow, I bet doing those scenes for a dramatic monologue must have been so much fun! :D
Re not having a long list of dead people: Yes, I am very glad that Tales of Goldstone Wood isn't like Tolkien's Silmarillion, where, if you like a character it's pretty much guaranteed that you'll see them die. (*sigh* I love ya, Tolkien, but why'd you have to do that to me?) :(
Re not getting happily ever afters in the romance department: I know, right? While I'm sure we'll see a conclusion to those couples' stories eventually, I have gotten a little frustrated that they aren't together yet. This was especially the case when I was reading Shadow Hand, and (view spoiler) I kept wanting to yell at him and say, "DUDE! When all of this is over, just go propose to her, already!" :P But, in all reality, Anne Elisabeth is so good at writing satisfying endings to all of her stories, I'm sure however she decides to conclude these couples' stories will be well worth the wait.
Michael wrote: "The scenes with Eanrin trying to wake Starflower up were priceless!
Yes, these scenes remind me of times when you're trying to rescue someone spiritually. They will otherwise sink down the prover..."
That is a fascinating insight, Michael! I hadn't thought about it that way before, but I think you're right and I agree completely. Thank you for sharing!
Micheal: Interesting. I think it's cool how you find comparisons like that. Very thought provoking. The romance... Yeah. Maddening, but I think E.F.B is right: Stengl can really do endings (perfectly proven in Dragonwitch) so I think it will work out, or end in a way that is satisfying. (Though not Anahid and Dairmid... We can morn over them together. *sniffs*)
Emily wrote: "No mile long list of dead people, no. There are a few people who die, but not so many to make it annoying or overly tragic."
YAY no mile long list and not overly tragic! No wonder Stengl has become my favorite living and still writing author!! :D
E.F.B. wrote: "(*sigh* I love ya, Tolkien, but why'd you have to do that to me?) :("
I loved how you put that. Exactly. All those characters...
Related to that, I think Goldstone Wood and Middle-Earth books are similar in that they're really quite sad, but it's . . . beautiful sad, so it doesn't feel as sad as most other books. It's a sad I can live with, compared to a sad that just wants to try and crush me. Not sure if that made sense. :)
*makes self not open the Shadow Hand spoilers because hopefully I'll get it next month* BUT SUN EAGLE'S IN IT??? I think I heard that once... He's so cool! (And it was the Beast who snapped the rope right? Grr!) And Starflower heard him calling out there for awhile while she tried to sleep. And then . . . it stopped. *sobs* Why was that? Does anyone know why it stopped?
We are keeping the general schedule we did for Moonblood. If you did not participate in that one, it means we will read approximately 5 chapters (50 pages) every week and chat about it every Saturday, at our own times, until it is finished. Here is the schedule:
-August 1: Prologue - Part 1 Chapter 4. pages 7-56.
-Aug 8: Part 1 Chap 5-10. pp 57-109.
-Aug 15: Part 1 Chap 11-16. pp 110-165.
-Aug 22: Part 1 Chap 17 - Part 2 Chap 3. pp 166-211.
-Aug 29: Part 2 Chap 4-8. pp 212-257.
-Sep 5: Part 2 Chap 9 - Part 3 Chap 3. pp 258-302.
-Sep 12: Part 3 Chap 4-8. pp 303-348.
I'm sorry for not posting this sooner. I have had a really busy two weeks, most of which was out of the reach of WiFi. If you need more time to finish the first section, which needs to be done at the end of the week, please tell me and we can postpone the first chat day until August 8.
As always, have fun!