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El Viaje de Tivo, el Arriesgado
Chronicles Jigsaw Puzzle - 6/24
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2. Ask the author
Manuel wrote: "Fonch wrote: "How could the cult of the nomads of the steppes degenerate and turn the Lord of Light into a lord of the hunt who demands human sacrifices?"Why not? Didn't the same happen in our wo..."
It reminds me a bit of the Calormenes when they turned Aslan into Tash. I guess that will be the inspiration? But they are usually idolatrous cults, not deviations from the true faith. After all, for many Fathers of the Church, idolatrous cults are usually demonic cults. Not a deviation from the true faith. Thus, the only human sacrifice that is consummated in the Bible in honor of the Eternal is that of Jephthah's daughter to punish him for having doubted and for having sworn in vain.
The mysterious old man of the cave has one of the pieces of the Magic Jigsaw as the author has revealed. Why did you make the decision not to attack Tivo, Larsin, and Elavel? Anyway, I don't know if it was commented in the first book that the old man feared them and another question, but why not give them a false location of a piece so that they do not find it or send them to the area where they run the risk of dying? This is what I would have done in the old man's place if I had wanted to avoid a physical confrontation in which he would have to lose, as seems to be the case here. And yet another question: Why didn't the old man go and get the second piece he already knew? Wouldn't having two make him doubly powerful? I apologize to the author if the questions are a bit ridiculous.
What was the author's inspiration to create the friendly Toral?
Is the Duva stone not an influence of the black stone of the Kaaba revered by Muslims in Mecca?
What civilizations inspired the author to create Klir? The black stone reminds me of the Arabs, the eagle of Rome and the Pictish mountains and the attire of Toral of this people who settled in Scotland.
Does the author think it possible, as the characters in the novel claim, that Duva achieved his purpose and gave the wedding dowry, in this case the piece of the Magic Jigsaw, and, in this way, obtained Laurin's hand? And, in the hypothetical case that he succeeded (something doubtful) why did he not return to his kingdom?
I know this is another stupid question, but, by chance, will the author know nothing about that mysterious sect that tried to enthrone an impostor presumed descendant of King Lupro to come to power? Did he take into account the enthronement of the false Demetrius in this case?
Mod
Lewis based Calormenes on Muslims; my nomads are based in our historical nomads in central Asia. Many of them (but not all) ended up as Muslims, but many were there millennia before Mohammed.
Don't try to find the origin of everything in the Narnia Chronicles. When I said I was influenced by them, I meant about the general idea. Apart from Christ being in both Chronicles, there is no correspondence between nations and characters among the two series. Mine is mostly based in world history, not in books.
Mod
I don't think giving them a false lead would have been a good solution. They would have found nothing, and perhaps would have come back, suspecting him of duplicity. Sending them to the other end of the continent had the advantage -for him- that they could be killed on the way and never come back.
The fact that Elvor -in the second book- got that suspicion and acted on it, is a good confirmation of what I say. The old man in the cavern had got two generations to be better prepared, as in fact he was.
Mod
1. Toral was needed as a guide to lead them to Klír. He is not based on anybody in the real world or on my previous readings, just on my imagination.
2. Duva's Ball is a piece of the Magic Jigsaw Puzzle with no relation to the Kaaba.
3. Klír is just a country at the other end of the continent. It is not based on any country in this world.
4. Duva's destiny is lost in the mist of the past. When I wrote the books I didn't try to find a solution to everything.
5. No relation at all to False Demetrius.
I'll say it again: Don't try to find a reason for everything, apart from my imagination. I was not writing an allegory, in the proper sense of this word.
Manuel wrote: "Fonch wrote: "The mysterious old man of the cave has one of the pieces of the Magic Jigsaw as the author has revealed. Why did you make the decision not to attack Tivo, Larsin, and Elavel?..."I d..."
It is true that for the plot it would have been a problem but, although I forgot many things from my first reading, I think, knowing what he does in the second part, that it would have been more likely that the character would have acted as I pointed out. Although perhaps I am overestimating the evil of the character, this may be due to my anthropological pessimism, which the author already knows is a facet of my character.
As for looking for a reason for everything, it's a problem of being a pre-Cartesian scholastic rationalist :-). Let's console myself, I have not yet managed to make a Freudian interpretation of the books as the nefarious critics of past times would have done ;-).
So, we let each reader imagine what happened to good old King Duva?
A question about Pta How did you come up with the name of the character? Does it have any special origin? I know the importance of Pta, but at first, although Elvor is very impetuous, I was inclined in this case to his opinion. Apart from being a family, Nozal does not give any explanation as to why he takes a child on such a dangerous mission, even though like his grandfather he is skeptical about the existence of the old man?
Another question How is it that Galar lives so long because of magic, or how the ring of power is why she has one of The Magic Jigsaw in her possession?
Is that weapon that Nozal has inspired by a specific firearm such as a musket, or an arquebus?
Mod
Yes, possessing one piece of the magic puzzle prolongs the life of the possessor. This is confirmed in the fourth and fifth books in the series.
Mod
No, it's not inspired by a particular firearm, it's just a firearm. It means that civilization has advanced in those two generations. This happens again in the fourth and fifth books.
Mod
It just came to me when the character first appeared.
Manuel wrote: "Fonch wrote: "A question about Pta How did you come up with the name of the character? Does it have any special origin? "It just came to me when the character first appeared."
Interesting.
How did you come up with the nice idea of introducing dwarves in "The Mystery of the Black Lake" due to the predilection that the author feels for C.S. Lewis andJ.R.R. Tolkien?
Mod
A cavern is the proper dwelling for dwarves, right?
Manuel wrote: "Fonch wrote: "Another question How is it that Galar lives so long because of magic, or how the ring of power is why she has one of The Magic Jigsaw in her possession?"Yes, possessing one piece of..."
Since we are talking about the fourth book, the image or metaphor that the author uses to represent evil is very interesting, but I will talk about that topic when the fifth book begins. Does the idea of putting Pta and what a child be from come from the Chronicles of Narnia, novels like those by George MacDonald, Edith Nesbit, or authors like Orson Scott Card?
Mod
No, it's my own idea. As I've said before, don't try to find a reason for everything in my books because of my readings. They may have influenced me, but I have my own imagination.
Manuel wrote: "Fonch wrote: "How did you come up with the nice idea of introducing dwarves in "The Mystery of the Black Lake" "A cavern is the proper dwelling for dwarves, right?"
It is certainly the propitious environment in which they usually find themselves in caves and in mountains. As a worshipper of RPGs and, because of my fascination with Germanic mythology (I don't know what I told the author, but when I studied History 24 years ago in my last year I had to decide whether to take Medieval Germanic Course, or Germanic Mythology due to my friendly rivalry with a classmate I chose Medieval Germanic Course and, years later I attended those classes as a listener), as well as because of the affection that my friend Kunniotani has for them. If I wrote a fantasy story in the style of The Lord of the Rings, Dungeons and Dragons or, the Pathfinder universe, there would always be a dwarf. I also really like the vision they give in the anime and the manga of the dwarves in stories closer to RPGs. PD. We could also add the "The Neverending Story" that the author knows I like a lot :-). Michael Endeincludes for example Gnomes. For me Michael Ende is a very outstanding disciple of the Inklings. PD II. My fascination with the Baldur's Gateseries of games from the D&D universe is also well known, I loved those video games. Especially Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of AmnBaldur's Gate: Official Strategy Guide
Manuel wrote: "Fonch wrote: "Does the idea of Pta, a child, come from the Chronicles of Narnia, novels like those by George MacDonald, Edith Nesbit, or authors like Orson Scott Card?"No, it's my own idea. As I'..."
I'll keep that in mind for further questions :-).
In the third book there are a lot of islands that are not visited by the crew members of the Silver Swan. My question is, did the queen of Ithin Elavel discover them? Were they for decoration? Or, the most interesting hypothesis: Were they thinking about another book that could not be written due to editorial issues?
In the fourth book I observe that there is a large isthmus that connects the northern part with the ice field. Did it always exist, or is it a product of a cooling of temperatures, or of the peculiar orogenesis of Magic Jigsaw?
Have you ever thought about exploring the southern ice field?
Mod
The maps show that world as it is, not as it was known at a given time. Many things in the maps were discovered after what happens in the books, by people who are not mentioned.
Mod
The isthmus was always there. In the map in the first book it can be seen partially. Orogenesis is a very slow process that takes millions of years.
Mod
No.
Manuel wrote: "Fonch wrote: "In the third book there are a lot of islands that are not visited by the crew members of the Silver Swan. My question is, did the queen of Ithin Elavel discover them? Were they for de..."Will we never know the exploits or the adventures of those cosmographers, or anonymous explorers? truth?
Manuel wrote: "Fonch wrote: "In the fourth book I observe that there is a large isthmus that connects the northern part with the ice field. Did it always exist, or is it a product of a cooling of temperatures, or..."It seemed a bit far-fetched to me about the orogenesis, but since I didn't know if the isthmus was recent, or had always existed, I had to ask.
Mod
The reader can use his (or her) imagination there :-)
Manuel wrote: "Fonch wrote: "Will we never know the exploits or the adventures of those cosmographers, or anonymous explorers? "The reader can use his (or her) imagination there :-)"
How did C.S. Lewis advise his readers and admirers in the Chronicles of Narnia :-)?
How did you come up with the idea of bringing in a village similar to the Eskimos, and creating a character like Noya?
The creation of the Marjan seemed extraordinary to me, and brilliant. How did you come up with its creation and what meaning does it have? The author told me this when I read his saga for the first time, but it would be good if he also shared this reflection with the readers of this saga, if he wishes.
Mod
In the far North and the ice-field, a people similar to the Eskimos was required. As to Noya, what can I say? The creation of all my characters was required by the plot, that's all I can say about it.
Manuel wrote: "Fonch wrote: "How did you come up with the idea of bringing in a village similar to the Eskimos, and creating a character like Noya?"In the far North and the ice-field, a people similar to the Es..."
As I said in Along the way I really liked that change of scenery and the cosmopolitan touch of the fourth book :-).
Mod
As in my sci-fi novel (The History of the Earth-9 Colony, which we read sometime ago in the club, the marhan represents evil. It's even clearer in the sci-fi novel.
The marhan grows when evil is performed. When it is vanquished (by Kial's or by Noya's sacrifice) it becomes very small. But it does not die, for evil will stay with us till the end of the world.
I'm going to say a blasphemy Professor, and I ask you a thousand apologies, but your novel reminded me of a horror movie with Lovecraftian overtones, and I liked it even more than when I read it for the first time and, I'm going to raise the note on Goodreads. PD. I don't like horror movies and, Lovecraft, but like Sherlock Holmes I like what the folk genius does with them. Whether it's movies, movies, comics, or video games.I knew that Noya was a Christic character. When I finished the pentalogy I will talk about my favorite characters.
How did you come up with the character of Maius' boastful magician?
One last question I have a theory and, let's see if you can confirm it, although I think the text does it when it says that to get the piece it is necessary to sacrifice it first. But I have a feeling that if Tivo had sacrificed Elavel to obtain the piece, I think it would not have helped him to save Princess Aquamarine.
Mod
This is the character influenced by Ursula LeGuin's first novel of EarthSea.
Mod
Yes, Tivo says it in the last chapter of book 2: To win a piece of the puzzle, you have to lose it."
Or in other words: see Matthew 16:26
It was that i suspected it.
Did Elavel and Amber have any role in the recovery of the antepenultimate and penultimate piece of the Magic Jigsaw?
The author told me about it when I read this saga for the first time. However, I would like you to tell the other users who can see this discussion of your pentalogy on Goodreads. Which novelist or saga inspired you to be inspired by the wonderful second part of "Kial's return"The Lost Continent ? The last question: Is the last piece of Magic Jigsaw an alter ego of the author himself?
Mod
No.
Mod
As I said in comment #9 in this thread, I was influenced by Walter Miller Jr.'s A Canticle for Leibowitz and inspired by the Apocalypse (Revelation).
Fonch wrote: "Is the last piece of Magic Jigsaw an alter ego of the author himself?"
No. When I wrote the book, I was 40. That character is an old man. At that point in my age, I was not identifying myself with an old man :-)
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Books mentioned in this topic
A Canticle for Leibowitz (other topics)The Lost Continent (other topics)
The History of the Earth-9 Colony (other topics)
Baldur's Gate: Official Strategy Guide (other topics)
The Lord of the Rings (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Michael Ende (other topics)George MacDonald (other topics)
Orson Scott Card (other topics)
C.S. Lewis (other topics)
J.R.R. Tolkien (other topics)
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Why not? Didn't the same happen in our world?