[JohnH]

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[Rob B]

The heroes knew they had a treacherous quest ahead of them. Luckily they had the calm seas as their first minor obstacle to tackle. After a week of easy sailing, FitzFlagg reached the shores and headed towards the foreboding forest.

How's that?

[Loaba]

Uhm, well, why else would you read about sea pirates then?

I think a pirate story would be very dull if you didn’t have storms, and ship-to-ship fighting action as well. I mean c’mon, that’s the whole bloody point. Nobody wants to read about an uneventful journey, that’s completely boring.

When you read any type of fantasy you want some kind of action, you want adversity. If your Pirate-Captain isn’t cursing his men and fighting torrential gales on a heaving deck you might as well put the book down.

Loaba

[JohnH]

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[Mithfânion]

Loaba

I don't think that's entirely the point. I agree with John in that there does seem to be a lot of that sudden storm/breaking mast stuff. The voyage in and of itself, when beautifully described, can be very rewarding. Mind you I have no problems with them encountering raiders. It's just that everyone seems to be so big on the natural element. The only thing that's left to figure out is when it will hit.

But then I'm not big on nautical Fantasy anyway so I'm biased.

[Waylander]

I would venture, that it is the Description of the subject matter, rather than the subject matter itself that Can cause indifference to the nautical "passages" (no pun intended), in Fantasy books.

Further more I agree with you JohnH, I cringe at some of the descriptions of sea voyages in Fantasy books, but this is probably because I have spent countless hours on the heaving deck of a ship in a storm and no Author, (either in fantasy or in any other genre), I have read, has yet captured the terrifying beauty or awe inspiring power of a full blown gale at sea.

After 20 years man and boy at sea, and with all the modern safety/navigational aids, it still frightens/humbles me.

I can only begin to Imagine, with my experience, what it would be like to sail under canvas in storm conditions. If you throw in the primitive ships that tend to be described in the fantasy genre. I really can't blame fantasy authors for their tendency to return to well known clichés, (cringing aside).
Therefore I tend to concentrate on the story as a whole rather than the accuracy of the nautical parts. E.g. I loved Stephen Donaldson’s Books but could probably prove using Stability equations that his Giant Ships would capsize on launching.

[JohnH]

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[estranghero]

Well, JohnH, I admit that the storm passages are trite in nautical fantasy stories. However, Kearney does make sure that the storm is an integral element, a part of the story rather than just an add on to the whole plot.

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****SPOILER ALERT*****
(though does anyone really stop reading once they see this?)
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If not for the storm, the 2nd ship wouldn't have been separated and wrecked on the reefs, and Kearney would have a harder time killing people off in the expedition. Though I suppose it's also because he wants to give the impression that the trip itself to an unknown continent was very dangerous so that when they reach land, they would be glad to pitch camp until....

Besides that, the storm was also just a part of the overall story, i.e. the closed-ship murder mystery. I thought that was done very well. Considering the fact that everyone is packed cheek-and-jowl in those ships, who could find time and space to murder a fellow crew-member?

[This message has been edited by estranghero (edited March 19, 2002).]

[Mithfânion]

(though does anyone really stop reading once they see this?

An excellent question. My answer would be "NO".
Well, I certainly don't, unless I'm reading that series at that particular time.