| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Alaundo |
Posted - 01 Jul 2006 : 23:51:13
Well met
This is a Book Club thread for Blackstaff(Book 1 of The Wizards series), by Steven Schend. Please discuss the prologue and chapters 1 - 9 herein.
Steven Schend will be here to answer any questions and respond to comments  |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Dennis |
Posted - 12 Jan 2011 : 18:53:41
quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
Tsarra is an interesting character, and it seems fairly apparent that she is going to be nearly as much of a main character as Khelben.
I disagree. While this book is one of my favorites, it shows some characters that are so under-developed they become uninteresting. |
| Marc |
Posted - 06 Nov 2006 : 18:38:37
I finally got the book, currently I'm on pg. 64, the tressym is so funny, I like the description of elven tavern, the history of making the magical belt and Waterdeep, it's again my favourite city (along with Myth Nantar) |
| Dhomal |
Posted - 05 Oct 2006 : 04:48:15
quote:
Glad you're enjoying the book; do stop in and tell us what worked and what didn't work for you, as I'm a novice author who needs all the help he can get to write better.
And was your DoF the one I jokingly signed in honor of Purlokanthis, the Royal Familiar of King Haedrak? 
SES
Hello-
I hang my head in shame. :)
Sometimes - the proliferation of abreviations is astounding. It was Not DoF that I had you sign, but rather the actual book I'm reading! Sometimes I think I get far less rest than I should!
And no - that was not the inscription. YOu simply wrote:
"Glad you could escape the Halls of Candlekeep to meet at GenCon!"
Ahem. Alaundo - keep in mind - *I* did not write that! 
Dhomal |
| Steven Schend |
Posted - 05 Oct 2006 : 04:32:26
quote:
Originally posted by Dhomal
Hello-
I just managed to start this book - and have made my way through Chapter 9 - so here I am!
I agree with basically everyting that has been stated about the book. Its a great piece of writing, though I will say that at the beginning - I did think to myslef that there were too many people runnig around - and my trying to keep them all straight. However - I kept going, re-reading when necessary - and got past that. It seems now - we will probably only have to deal with a couple of characters at a time - which makes things easier!
I particularly liked the comment that was made praising her group of fast-thinking apprentices for using the floating disc and some salt against the Nishruu! I always like things like that - and it fit so well.
I will also admit that I am SURE that I am missing Many of the references made to other events/places etc in the book. I hope sincerely that if someone Does compile a list of such references - that it is keyed at least by chapter - so that I could do a re-read with that nearby!
I'm looking forward very much to reading the next chunk - and then coming back here to read the comments on it!
I feel like I am very lucky to have met you briefly at GenCon 06 to have you sign DoF! And already - I can say - I'm looking forward to both more novels, as well as supplements!
Well Done!
Dhomal
Glad you're enjoying the book; do stop in and tell us what worked and what didn't work for you, as I'm a novice author who needs all the help he can get to write better.
And was your DoF the one I jokingly signed in honor of Purlokanthis, the Royal Familiar of King Haedrak?
SES |
| Dhomal |
Posted - 05 Oct 2006 : 02:15:32
Hello-
I just managed to start this book - and have made my way through Chapter 9 - so here I am!
I agree with basically everyting that has been stated about the book. Its a great piece of writing, though I will say that at the beginning - I did think to myslef that there were too many people runnig around - and my trying to keep them all straight. However - I kept going, re-reading when necessary - and got past that. It seems now - we will probably only have to deal with a couple of characters at a time - which makes things easier!
I particularly liked the comment that was made praising her group of fast-thinking apprentices for using the floating disc and some salt against the Nishruu! I always like things like that - and it fit so well.
I will also admit that I am SURE that I am missing Many of the references made to other events/places etc in the book. I hope sincerely that if someone Does compile a list of such references - that it is keyed at least by chapter - so that I could do a re-read with that nearby!
I'm looking forward very much to reading the next chunk - and then coming back here to read the comments on it!
I feel like I am very lucky to have met you briefly at GenCon 06 to have you sign DoF! And already - I can say - I'm looking forward to both more novels, as well as supplements!
Well Done!
Dhomal
|
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 02 Aug 2006 : 01:21:20
quote:
Originally posted by Steven Schend
Query from the author--Did anyone catch the reappearance of the little elf girl from the prologue in the final ritual? Or did I softpedal that too much because I hate writing that needs to explain everything ad nauseum to its readers?
I caught that one too. Again, I do pay attention. |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 02 Aug 2006 : 01:19:38
quote:
Originally posted by Lameth
quote:
The best view of Waterdeep i've read yet! Perfect!
And I thought this would say someone about "The City of Splendors".
Actually, to be honest that novel probably takes the cake for me, as far as "views of Waterdeep" go.  But Blackstaff excells in its own right. |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 02 Aug 2006 : 01:18:46
quote:
Originally posted by Steven Schend
Now here's an author wondering about how to better setup suspense--did that flashback tip my hand too soon re: the villain of the piece, or were you left guessing until he was identified on page 213/Chapter 23?
Steven
I figured out who the villain was long before that, thanks to the flashback scene. I do pay attention while I read.
Not saying you tipped your hand too soon or anything, though. I didn't consider the villain to be a major part of the book, anyway. He certainly didn't feel like more than a plot device to me, as well as an interesting way of showing that some of Khelben's apprentices come back to bite him in the you-know-what. |
| Lameth |
Posted - 01 Aug 2006 : 19:22:52
quote:
The best view of Waterdeep i've read yet! Perfect!
And I thought this would say someone about "The City of Splendors".
|
| Bakra |
Posted - 01 Aug 2006 : 18:30:42
quote:
Originally posted by Steven Schend
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Rad
Just finished this section of the book... loving it!!
The way Steven is depicting Waterdeep is the best i've read! The naming of locations and establishments is perfect and really makes the city come to life. I like all the little additions too, like the nobles racing wagons through the streets etc.
I'm only looking that good by standing on the shoulders of giants like Ed & Elaine.
quote:
The end of one particular chapter made me smile too when Tsarra and Khelben were walking along and Tsarra said "what's the rush, she's not going to die before we get there, is she?" and Khelben responded "doubtful, she's been bead for seven score years" 
I liked how Raegar (love this character) saw the new disguised patrons arrive in the tavern. hehehe. No fooling this guy.
Brrrrrr! eerie when Raegar went to pick up the sword from the "tar" and the hands came up to seize it, an eye appearing on the back of the hand too! Made me shiver.
Also regarding disguises, the scene was good too when Tsarra and Khelben were walking down the street and arguing through the Kiira.
I really enjoyed the flashback too when Khelben went to visit Syndra in her tower. Very tense and atmospheric when he was approaching the tower and first saw Rakesk. Nice fight too!
Now here's an author wondering about how to better setup suspense--did that flashback tip my hand too soon re: the villain of the piece, or were you left guessing until he was identified on page 213/Chapter 23?
Steven
I have no problem saying it, I deduced who the villian was before Chapter 23. The flashback did give it away for me but I was really happy to see that I was correct. |
| Steven Schend |
Posted - 01 Aug 2006 : 18:22:14
quote:
Originally posted by hammer of Moradin
quote:
Originally posted by Steven Schend
Query from the author--Did anyone catch the reappearance of the little elf girl from the prologue in the final ritual? Or did I softpedal that too much because I hate writing that needs to explain everything ad nauseum to its readers?
Steven
PS: Her first name is used in both Prologue and Chapter 35.
With the introduction she gets in the beginning, being related to Arun's son, I knew she would return. I didn't think about her again, though, since many, many wizards and characters appear in this tome. In the final chapters, I tried to look up as many names as I could, to see who they were, and a few sounded familiar. I did not equate the elf child with any of the names of the wizards from the ritual, however. Nice touch, just hard to spot. Maybe an exchanged greeting, quick hug, or some other nicety could have been used. Or, did I miss that also?
Planned but no room for execution for Khelben to embrace an elderly elf woman and call her little sister. <shrug> |
| hammer of Moradin |
Posted - 01 Aug 2006 : 16:30:50
quote:
Originally posted by Steven Schend
Query from the author--Did anyone catch the reappearance of the little elf girl from the prologue in the final ritual? Or did I softpedal that too much because I hate writing that needs to explain everything ad nauseum to its readers?
Steven
PS: Her first name is used in both Prologue and Chapter 35.
With the introduction she gets in the beginning, being related to Arun's son, I knew she would return. I didn't think about her again, though, since many, many wizards and characters appear in this tome. In the final chapters, I tried to look up as many names as I could, to see who they were, and a few sounded familiar. I did not equate the elf child with any of the names of the wizards from the ritual, however. Nice touch, just hard to spot. Maybe an exchanged greeting, quick hug, or some other nicety could have been used. Or, did I miss that also? |
| Conlon |
Posted - 01 Aug 2006 : 02:37:31
Perhaps it was because I was voraciously reading onwards, eager to find out what in the name of the Abyss was going to happen next, but I didn't catch it. Perhaps on a re-read I'll pick out more of the subtleties in this truly gripping tome! |
| Steven Schend |
Posted - 31 Jul 2006 : 13:40:19
Query from the author--Did anyone catch the reappearance of the little elf girl from the prologue in the final ritual? Or did I softpedal that too much because I hate writing that needs to explain everything ad nauseum to its readers?
Steven
PS: Her first name is used in both Prologue and Chapter 35. |
| Steven Schend |
Posted - 31 Jul 2006 : 13:38:17
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Rad
Just finished this section of the book... loving it!!
The way Steven is depicting Waterdeep is the best i've read! The naming of locations and establishments is perfect and really makes the city come to life. I like all the little additions too, like the nobles racing wagons through the streets etc.
I'm only looking that good by standing on the shoulders of giants like Ed & Elaine.
quote:
The end of one particular chapter made me smile too when Tsarra and Khelben were walking along and Tsarra said "what's the rush, she's not going to die before we get there, is she?" and Khelben responded "doubtful, she's been bead for seven score years"
I liked how Raegar (love this character) saw the new disguised patrons arrive in the tavern. hehehe. No fooling this guy.
Brrrrrr! eerie when Raegar went to pick up the sword from the "tar" and the hands came up to seize it, an eye appearing on the back of the hand too! Made me shiver.
Also regarding disguises, the scene was good too when Tsarra and Khelben were walking down the street and arguing through the Kiira.
I really enjoyed the flashback too when Khelben went to visit Syndra in her tower. Very tense and atmospheric when he was approaching the tower and first saw Rakesk. Nice fight too!
Now here's an author wondering about how to better setup suspense--did that flashback tip my hand too soon re: the villain of the piece, or were you left guessing until he was identified on page 213/Chapter 23?
Steven |
| Lord Rad |
Posted - 27 Jul 2006 : 10:32:10
quote:
Originally posted by Crust
I like Raegar's character in that he's a classic rogue in a sense, but he's not a "shadowy death dealer" like Riven or Entreri. He seems rather clueless, but in a way that creates affection in the reader, I think. He's a bit of a bumbling rogue, but a very skilled bumbling rogue.
I agree. Raegar is turning out to be one of my favorite characters in this book. He's really fun to read and as you said above, has a different feel to him than Cale and Riven (who are outstanding characters!)
quote:
Another thing I really enjoy is the play with the familiars. Very nice touch (and something that I haven't seen recently in the FR novels I've been reading).
Yeah, I think this adds a very nice touch to the book. I love Nameless, he's great
quote:
Lastly, the grand tour of Waterdeep is incredible.
The best view of Waterdeep i've read yet! Perfect! |
| Lord Rad |
Posted - 27 Jul 2006 : 10:28:45
Just finished this section of the book... loving it!!
The way Steven is depicting Waterdeep is the best i've read! The naming of locations and establishments is perfect and really makes the city come to life. I like all the little additions too, like the nobles racing wagons through the streets etc.
The end of one particular chapter made me smile too when Tsarra and Khelben were walking along and Tsarra said "what's the rush, she's not going to die before we get there, is she?" and Khelben responded "doubtful, she's been bead for seven score years"
I liked how Raegar (love this character) saw the new disguised patrons arrive in the tavern. hehehe. No fooling this guy.
Brrrrrr! eerie when Raegar went to pick up the sword from the "tar" and the hands came up to seize it, an eye appearing on the back of the hand too! Made me shiver.
Also regarding disguises, the scene was good too when Tsarra and Khelben were walking down the street and arguing through the Kiira.
I really enjoyed the flashback too when Khelben went to visit Syndra in her tower. Very tense and atmospheric when he was approaching the tower and first saw Rakesk. Nice fight too! |
| Reefy |
Posted - 27 Jul 2006 : 02:48:17
You're quite welcome to my cat for a while. As lovely as she is, it's just me and her currently while my family are away and she's the most attention seeking cat I've ever met at the best of times. Currently I'm struggling to type as she insists on lying on the keyboard. |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 27 Jul 2006 : 01:12:37
quote:
Originally posted by Steven Schend
Yup. Miss my two cats terribly, but they've a good home with Jeff Grubb and Kate Novak since I had to leave them in Washington when I moved. But yeah, a lot of Nameless' attitude came from having cats for a few years...
Steven
Hah, I knew it! Sorry to hear you miss your cats. I'd suggest you adopt more (I wouldn't want to be "catless" for long, myself), but you likely have enough on your plate right now. |
| Steven Schend |
Posted - 26 Jul 2006 : 07:02:24
quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Steve, I have to ask:
Are you a cat-lover? I've gotten the impression you are, by the way you write Nameless. I think the tressyms are quite cute, by the way.
Yup. Miss my two cats terribly, but they've a good home with Jeff Grubb and Kate Novak since I had to leave them in Washington when I moved. But yeah, a lot of Nameless' attitude came from having cats for a few years...
Steven |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 26 Jul 2006 : 01:10:29
Steve, I have to ask:
Are you a cat-lover? I've gotten the impression you are, by the way you write Nameless. I think the tressyms are quite cute, by the way. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 25 Jul 2006 : 17:18:37
quote:
Originally posted by Steven Schend
Who'll admit to cribbing a tiny bit of Elfquest for his tressym-speak
The preservers? That's where I acquired the word "nastybad," which I often use as an noun, referring to monsters. |
| Steven Schend |
Posted - 25 Jul 2006 : 14:33:31
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Rad
I've really taken to Nameless (the Tressym) too and quite liked how she(?) speaks in melded together words). It was quite amusing when she was talking of Tsarra's welfare when she regained conciousness and then finished with wanting to be scratched around her ears
Thanks for the comments and I'm glad you're enjoying it. I really liked hearing which little bits worked for you.
Nameless, by the way, is a tomtressym (aka tomcat). He's all male, as you'll note a few chapters down the road.
Steven
Who'll admit to cribbing a tiny bit of Elfquest for his tressym-speak |
| Lord Rad |
Posted - 25 Jul 2006 : 12:08:35
Other favorite element of mind then comes into play in chapter 1 with the elves hunting. Shame the distraction had made the arrow miss the deer though
I liked how Lynx spoke (written in italics to show it to be in elvish), and was told to speak in common and not be rude
I chuckled when Tarik started moaning about dressing the deer and then Tsarra called him "my haughty little Tethrian"
Nice little cut to Waterdeep to introduce a stealthy Raegar. All adding to the flavor of the story.
I was really happy for Blackstaff Tower to feature so soon too and it was great to read of all the teleport words to get to the different levels. Definately some lore to keep note of
I've really taken to Nameless (the Tressym) too and quite liked how she(?) speaks in melded together words). It was quite amusing when she was talking of Tsarra's welfare when she regained conciousness and then finished with wanting to be scratched around her ears
Speaking of this situation, the attack on Blackstaff tower was great, as was the fight with the nishruu!! I loved how it showed the chaos in the chamber and Tsarra looking down to the street to see Raegar, and then the next section switched to Raegar's point of view. Excellent way of writing. I saw this in Bloodwalk too and think it's a good touch.
The dream sequence was well done too and I found the "kiira" to be very interesting when Khelben was explaining it.
Great book!
|
| Lord Rad |
Posted - 25 Jul 2006 : 12:01:01
Great start to the book. I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far (up to chapter 5).
The prologue was a perfect start and had loads of flavor. I'm a fan of the phaerimm so this was just right for me. I liked how the elven girls dialog was purely in elvish too.
The scene with the black globe and destruction was great and then how Mystra's voice came in was well done.
|
| Beezy |
Posted - 24 Jul 2006 : 05:16:48
I totally agree with you Rinonalyrna. If it was not for the interaction between the two and the apprentice viewing Khelbens past for us to see I don't think the book would have worked out as great as it did. |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 23 Jul 2006 : 21:52:28
quote:
Originally posted by darkcrow
I have never read any novels as Blackstaff being the main character...
I would say he is a main character here, but not the protagonist. If Khelben wasn't forced to work with his apprentice, I'm not sure this book would "work" as well as it does. |
| darkcrow |
Posted - 23 Jul 2006 : 07:14:50
I really enjoy this book so far. I was a little worryed though because Blackstaff is a very major character and anything less than a trilogy will have that feeling of a rushed ending. But so far Schend's style is great so I feel confident. I have never read any novels as Blackstaff being the main character, only a little taste here and there. So this is a great opportunity. Being a Chosen of Mystra, he is exactly what I expected him to be like. He's almost as arrogant, impatient, burdened, and stuffy as Elminster. I think Blackstaff being forced to work side by side with one of his apprentices makes a great story roller. I hope I can finish this and Bloodwalk before Greenwood's book comes out. |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 23 Jul 2006 : 05:50:53
quote:
Originally posted by Mazrim_Taim
Well, we have a ton of novels about a character like Drizzt, and I think Khelben is way more interesting that him. Drizzt has been an angsty teenager since he turned 60.
Yeah, but there are still other characters to explore. |
| Mazrim_Taim |
Posted - 23 Jul 2006 : 05:32:00
Well, we have a ton of novels about a character like Drizzt, and I think Khelben is way more interesting than him. Drizzt has been an angsty teenager since he turned 60. |
