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Alaundo
Head Moderator
United Kingdom
5695 Posts |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
 Posted - 04 Jun 2007 : 15:53:31
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I wished this story was longer. :(
But it was good to see what has happened to Liriel and company. Sigh, just wish there was more about how they got where they are, how she found the deity that she found, why they choose to go to Impiltur, etc. |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
Edited by - Kuje on 04 Jun 2007 15:59:32 |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jun 2007 : 18:19:09
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quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
I wished this story was longer. :(
But it was good to see what has happened to Liriel and company. Sigh, just wish there was more about how they got where they are, how she found the deity that she found, why they choose to go to Impiltur, etc.
I hear you, but covering ten years of adventures would have required a lot more than a longer short story. 
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jun 2007 : 21:29:29
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
I wished this story was longer. :(
But it was good to see what has happened to Liriel and company. Sigh, just wish there was more about how they got where they are, how she found the deity that she found, why they choose to go to Impiltur, etc.
I hear you, but covering ten years of adventures would have required a lot more than a longer short story.
Oh, no doubt but just made me want to know MORE! :) |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jun 2007 : 22:34:01
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| More would have been nice, I agree, but I think the length of the tale suits the purposes of the story. It was neat to find out that Liriel had become a cleric of Mystra (among other things). |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jun 2007 : 00:56:01
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
I wished this story was longer. :(
But it was good to see what has happened to Liriel and company. Sigh, just wish there was more about how they got where they are, how she found the deity that she found, why they choose to go to Impiltur, etc.
I hear you, but covering ten years of adventures would have required a lot more than a longer short story.
Elaine, did Impiltur feature heavily in this tale, or just at the conclusion itself?
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jun 2007 : 01:05:35
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Elaine, did Impiltur feature heavily in this tale, or just at the conclusion itself?
The tale takes place in and outside a tavern in Impiltur, plus there was a bit of other lore about the three characters and what they are doing in Impiltur. |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jun 2007 : 04:01:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
It was neat to find out that Liriel had become a cleric of Mystra (among other things).
I kind of expected it. Liriel had always struck me as someone well-suited to being a cleric, and her love of magic made Mystra an obvious choice. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jun 2007 : 02:34:25
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
It was neat to find out that Liriel had become a cleric of Mystra (among other things).
I kind of expected it. Liriel had always struck me as someone well-suited to being a cleric, and her love of magic made Mystra an obvious choice.
You're right, the choice fits her perfectly, I just expected her to continue being a layperson. :) Of course, the story itself explains one of the main things that drove her to be a cleric (and I thought it was a good plot point, at that). |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jun 2007 : 20:29:43
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Hi, folks.
I'm dropping in to ask a favor of those who've read the anthology. Please take a moment to stop by Amazon.com and post a review. At present, there is only one review on this site. It's a four-star review, but the tone is exceedingly negative.
Reader reviews can have an impact. While I don't particularly mind negative reviews--they come with the territory--it would be helpful to balance such viewpoints. Certainly, when the only review is a negative one, the book's presentation suffers. There's one comment on the review, from someone who noted that after reading the review, they planned to move the anthology further down their reading list.
Thanks for your time.
ec |
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Uzzy
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
618 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jun 2007 : 20:40:28
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Ack. That Amazon review is pretty bad. Time for Team Candlekeep to assemble, I think.
As for this short story, I loved it. First one I flicked to in the collection, and I wasn't let down. Like Kuje, my only complaint with it was that it wasn't longer (although I think that could only be satisfied by a new trilogy!). I did like the imaginative way of Liriel getting out of the fight, and the poignant reasoning behind her becoming a cleric, along with her coming to the realisation that perhaps it wasn't right to ressurect Fyodor. Lovely little story.
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jun 2007 : 20:52:21
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Thanks, Uzzy. Glad to hear you liked the story.
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jun 2007 : 05:20:17
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::sigh:: When I don't post much on forums, I tend to forget the central rule of online interaction: Everything you post will probably be misunderstood, misquoted, and/or posted out of context. And predictably enough, it would seem that some people have read and misunderstood my post, above, regarding a negative review on Amazon.com. I hope the following, which I posted in the discussion following Winterfox's review, will make my intent clearer.
A factual correction to my post: the review was a three-star rating, not a four-star.
******************
Sorry about the confusion on the star rating, Winterfox. Because of a problem with my new home network, I can't see any graphics on some websites, including Amazon. In fact, I can't see ANY stars. Or any cover art, or buttons, or graphics. (In fact, I'm posting this for the second time, because I can't see the "post" buttoms and I have to stab around randomly until something happens.) When I first read Winterfox's post, there were four helpful votes. I remembered that number and brain-blipped it into the wrong context when I posted on Candlekeep. Sleep deprivation strikes again.
Aure, I don't think I derided this review. I referred to it as a negative review, which is merely a statement, not a criticism. And in the Candlekeep post, which Winterfox has reposted in her comment above, I was careful to note that I don't mind negative reviews. A single negative review is not a matter for concern; what I was concerned about was the fact that there was a SINGLE review, and that a negative one. And yes, a single review of any sort is going to carry more weight than several reviews with a variety of opinions. The post quoted above was made to a Forgotten Realms book club forum, in a thread where people were discussing these stories. This is not the first time I've invited readers to comment on this book, and I generally encourage people to post their opinions--positive, negative, and indifferent.
The thing is, negative reviews can be helpful to the reader and sometimes, to the writer as well. For example, if I were to review the latest Anita Blake book by observing, "This story has more plot and less sex than recent books," some readers would consider this a positive, some a negative. Likewise, Winterfox's comment about one story--that it was nowhere near as dark as a game she plays that includes "regurgitated god fetuses"--may very well be considered by some readers to be a mark in that story's favor. Just as books are perceived differently according to a reader's tastes, interests, and sensibilities, so also are reviews perceived differently. I think most writers who've been around for a while understand this. There has been quite a bit of discussion on various writer blogs (J.A. Konrath is a notable example) about the importance and value of reviews--of any sort. Lots of reviews create buzz. I don't see the problem with asking people who are ALREADY posting about the stories to take the time to post opinions on Amazon.
Finally, I mentioned "Tribute" in the comment above because it is a new story in the collection, and since people frequently make decisions on whether or not to read a mostly-reprint collection or anthology based upon the amount of new material, I thought it worth mentioning again.
Now, here's hoping I can find the Post button again.... |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6666 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2007 : 10:24:04
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
::sigh:: When I don't post much on forums, I tend to forget the central rule of online interaction: Everything you post will probably be misunderstood, misquoted, and/or posted out of context. And predictably enough, it would seem that some people have read and misunderstood my post, above, regarding a negative review on Amazon.com. I hope the following, which I posted in the discussion following Winterfox's review, will make my intent clearer.
A factual correction to my post: the review was a three-star rating, not a four-star.
Don't feel disheartened, Elaine. The internet is indeed a poor communication tool. I don't know what Winterfox sought to prove by quoting your post here on the Amazon site, but then again Winterfox and I have rarely understood each other on the rare occasions we have interacted electronically. Wouldn't it have been easier to just say "my review said three stars, not four"?
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2007 : 14:12:11
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Don't feel disheartened, Elaine. The internet is indeed a poor communication tool.
It is, yes, but on the other hand it's terrific. The loss of non-verbal cues makes misunderstanding more likely, of course, and there's a lot of people out there whose default mode is to assume the worse of everyone.
I'm not disheartened by this incident, which is a very minor thing, but my attitude toward online communication goes through phases. Sometimes when I read J.A. Konrath's blog, I feel as if I should be doing a lot more online promotion. This is the guy who visited over 500 bookstores over the summer. The man is a promotional machine. But I'm much more introverted than Mr. Konrath, and a lot of things he can do quite comfortably (and shamelessly) I could never pull off. There is no way in hell I could do a four-hour book signing by greeting everyone who comes into the story with, "Hi! Do you like mystery novels? And would you like to meet a semi-famous author?" He has the personality and chutzpah to pull this off, but that approach is not for everyone. Same goes for online.
I've been thinking about this issue quite a bit recently, mostly in connection with the upcoming Songs & Swords book and the Lilith anthology. I'm more than a little worried about the nine-year gap between books in the S&S series. A lot of readers move on, and new readers will find some of the previous books very difficult to get. They'll all still in print, but bookstores don't tend to keep a lot of backlist on hand, and some of the titles are in very short supply. I don't know whether or not WotC plans to reissue the back titles, or at least print more copies of the old editions. I hope they do, but just in case I'm trying to make this book as stand-alone as it's possible for a series-ending book to be. But still, I'm worried that this book is coming out about eight years too late, and so I'm thinking about ways to increase visibility. Once I turn in the manuscript, I'm going to pitch an idea for an online series: "The Moonblade Chronicles," a series of linked short stories that will depict a pivotal event in the life of each elf who wielded Arilyn's hereditary sword, and the power that resulted.
With the Lilith anthology, online promotion will be its only form of visibility. Popcorn Press is a teeny little niche publisher, and the book will be sold as an e-book and a POD trade paperback. Figuring out ways to connect with people who, for a rather wide variety of reasons, are interested in the Lilith mythology is definitely an online promotion project.
As much as I frequently dislike online communication, I'm also fascinated by it. After I stopped teaching and before I started writing, I was working for management consultants and going to school for an MBA. The psychology and the technology of marketing still interests me, in a love/hate fashion. I don't suppose this will change any time soon. Since writers need to be involved in the marketing of their books, it's an issue that will be with me for as long as I keep publishing. |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2007 : 23:20:09
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Elaine, I just wanted to say "thank you" for this story. I've loved Liriel since I first read about her, and finding out what is going on with her is wonderful. Liriel as a cleric of Mystra makes perfect sense, and I loved the interplay between all of the elven women. Impiltur is a really interesting place (I'm thinking George might know something about that . . . ), and having them end up there is great.
I don't want to babble on or anything, I just really liked this "bookend," and as Kuje said, it made me really want more, but made me happy for what I got. Thanks again. |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 10 Aug 2007 : 00:00:30
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quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
Liriel as a cleric of Mystra makes perfect sense...
And was, at the same time, a pleasant surprise. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 10 Aug 2007 : 11:21:38
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quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
Liriel as a cleric of Mystra makes perfect sense...
And was, at the same time, a pleasant surprise.
Oh, I agree. It wasn't so much that I saw it coming, but that when I read it, it clicked. |
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Fantasysage
Acolyte
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jul 2010 : 18:33:35
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Dear Ms. Cunningham,
You are gracious in the extreme to be catering to the feelings of what sounds to be a petulant, hyper-critical, nitpicking reader. I read Winterfox's review on amazon, and "negative" is the kindest word (nasty seems more appropriate) that could be used. Are we really quibbling about three stars to four? How did Winterfox find the comparison between the two scenes where wounds are being treated? I think most of us only notice such details when we reread tales that we love. The tone of the amazon interview conjures images to me of a spiteful thirteen year old hunched Elaine's open works on his/her bed with a red pen hunting for mistakes and just hoping beyond all hope to find one. It sounds to me like Winterfox only read the book in order to criticize it, not critique. Frankly, that saddens me.
I have read all of Ms. Cunningham's Forgotten Realms works; some I enjoyed thoroughly, some I enjoyed less, but I think this has to do with my purpose for reading. I adore the Forgotten Realms, but when I read books set in that world, I'm not looking to make a comparison to Paradise Lost. Writing in a shared world has its drawbacks and advantages, as all the FR writers will tell you, and there's no questions that writing in a world based on a role-playing game diminishes the artistic possibilities of the FR novels as well.
Now, I am not one who will ever claim that FR fantasy or fantasy novels in general can't compete with other great works of literature. In fact, I champion the point of view. I'll throw Robert Jordan's [u]Wheel of Time up against Moby Dick any day of the week. I have similar words of praise for works like Evermeet and Homeland, which are great examples of world-building and tug at the heart strings with their poignancy. That said, when I curl up at night with an FR novel, it's like coming back to an old friend. I read them and reread them, enjoying them for the exciting stories, the D&D battle quality, and the characters based on a game and genre that I love.
I gobbled up the Lady Penitent series that just came out, I devoured Starlight and Shadows when it was published, and I think I've read Homeland over ten times. These books are old friends of mine and numerous others. The FR authors weave tales that delight and nourish our imagination. Let's appreciate them for what they are, shall we?
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Best of the Realms 3: Answered Prayers
