[Nimea]

Originally posted by Erfael

I think he lost them somewhere in "I-used-to-write-for-gaming-companies" Hell.


Still have not read it, but can't resist:

Talion is Stackpole's very first novel, so he says in an afterword (in my version of the book). So no writing for RPGs before that appart from adventures and sourcebooks maybe.

:confused:

[Shehzad]

That's correct: Talion was Stackpole's first book.

[FicusFan]

Originally posted by Erfael
That said, the flow got a lot better toward the end. There was a stretch for a few chapters in a row with no "challenge," and all of a sudden for that time it was an enjoyable read.

I did think that it was a little stretched to try and tie in young Nolan with old Nolan. There just didn't seem to be enough connections between their two stories until the very end. And then those ties seemed like he could have tied them in in a much more convincing way, and explored Talion society much more in the process.

All in all, I would have rather been reading something else. It had far too much of a DnD book feel for my tastes.

I am getting there and do find the later chapters of old Nolan to be less plastic. However he still seems to be the perfect ken-doll hero, and his seeming about face from vengeful rebel to awe-inspired subject of the (perfect - so far) enemy king is leaving a bad taste in my mouth. Not to mention the beautful princess and where that seems to be heading.

I liked the Lizard burrow and Wolf the horse. I am wondering if the leopard is going to grow up to become his faithful animal side-kick. :(

Its just all too perfect -- like a child's fairy tale.

In terms of the two stories intertwining. I actually didn't mind the young Nolan parts, but I found it jarring to pick up with the next chapter after an intervening chapter that had no relationship to it. I would lose the thread of old Nolan, and not really remember who young Nolan was (in terms of how far he had come on his journey to become an adult and a Talion) and where he was, and what was happening in relation to where he was in the last chapter.

I have never done D&D so I can't say it reminds me of that, but it is very cliched and programmed in places.

[Erfael]

Yes, I unerstand it was his first novel, but it looked to me from reading his bio that he had spent time writing fiction for game worlds or systems for a time before that. And it's the adventure/sourcebook feel that I think gets all over this particular novel.

Maybe something else that gets me a little with it is that I think this could be a REALLY good book, but instead it's only passable. Many of the decisions he makes are not really fleshed out. I feel that either Nolan is pretty shallow, or I'm just not being given a good look at his inner workings, which is fairly inexcusable for a first person book.

Many of his major decisions may be the right ones, but I was very seldom left with the feeling that I really know why it is that Nolan makes the decisions he does.

[FicusFan]

Ok I finally finished the book. The ending had more of a surprise than I expected, and the story-book romance was avoided, so that was good.

I am left though wondering about how the person at the end (who turned into the suprise bad-guy) was able to live as a justice and go through the SHAR ritual which was supposed to measure what you did against what you stood for the first time the skull took your measure. (not sure that is a good thing - it means you can't grow and change. Who wants to live their whole lives being held up to what a 17 or 18 year old thinks is imporant) Surely the skull would have noticed a problem, even if the person invovled didn't think of themselves badly - it would see what had happened and make the appropriate comparisons and decisions. Don't mean to be vague but I am trying not to give away spoilers.

I also am not really sure I understand the whole soul thing. I am not sure that I get what the problem was at the end, how it worked, and how the same souls that seemed to be a problem could then be used for healing.

I am glad the book is over, it wasn't the worst I have read, but it was a chore rather than enjoyable.

[Leiali]

Did noone else find some elements reminiscent of Star Wars? Like the fact that the way he could call his weapon to him and the way the master wizard spoke was something like Yoda?

Overall I would say that it was a very weak first novel as it concentrates too much on what he does rather than how he feels. I couldn't finish it though I was most of the way through because it just annoyed me that nothing seemed to be happening!!! The writing could be seen as a bit awkward as Nolan is a young man and reflects who he is, showing a sophisticated approach, but somehow I think not.

[alan empty]

Well the delay in my posting should give some clue to what I thought!

I was enjoying it to start with, but got bogged down about half way through. I was expecting some growing interaction between the 2 storylines (if you can call them that) but it never came. Which makes the device a bit of a waste of time to me. It would have been better handled as simple flashbacks.

I thought Stackpole's writing was OK and some of the concepts - e.g. Talions - were interesting. But the novel seemed a bit pointless. He didn't really take his ideas anywhere. I think I would probably read another book by him if he returned to this world - hoping that he'd improved as a writer and could do his concepts some 'justice'. Ouch.

And the Aelves (sp?) were just plain annoying. Why????!!!

[Nimea]

Finished it two days ago. Have not read the whole thread yet, first I want to post what my impression was.

I liked it. Maybe it was not the reinvention of fantasy writing, but it felt fresh and he had a lot of ideas with which he tried to breath live into his world.
I just felt good reading it and I already knew his style of alternating from past to present with each chapter (he did so in 'Once a hero' as well) - I actually like this very much.

While in 'Once a hero' I sometimes had to frown over the dialogue, that went on smoother in 'Talion'.
But maybe it was the German translation again, because I read both in German . . .

That reminds me: what are the names for the Talion weapons in English? In German they called them 'Süntklieber' (which I would translate with 'Sincleaver') and 'Rüegaer'. Just curious.

The episodes of his training with all the details of a Talion education was . . . mmh, cool. I like such organizations with special training and all - even so they can be problematic.

About the story. Was okay. It only was wrapped up too quickly. I felt a bit cheated there with the sudden explanation of all the stuff that Marana had done.

I probably will read the short story that is available at Micheal Stackpole's homepage (http://www.stormwolf.com/) soon. As this thread so I will know what was generally thought about it and if there are some points to discuss further.

And you know what: I would like to read another Talion novel. :)

For now, good bye!

[Shehzad]

Originally posted by Nimea
That reminds me: what are the names for the Talion weapons in English? In German they called them 'Süntklieber' (which I would translate with 'Sincleaver') and 'Rüegaer'. Just curious.


Tsincaat and Ryqril

[Nimea]

Thanks! :)