Author Topic: Dragonsteel  (Read 59442 times)

Spriggan

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Re: Dragonsteel
« Reply #15 on: February 13, 2007, 08:52:27 PM »
Where is the link to download them ALL?  (the ones planned for non-published careers?)

=)

No, because his wife needs something to live off of once EUOL dies and what's better then "recently discovered" manuscripts that were "lost" or no-one previously "knew about".
Screw it, I'm buying crayons and paper. I can imagineer my own adventures! Wheeee!

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Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: Dragonsteel
« Reply #16 on: February 13, 2007, 10:29:53 PM »
Besides, if you've read the early versions that he cannibalizes for later books, there's major spoiler danger. For example, there's a big surprise in book 2 of Mistborn that's lifted straight from the original Mistborn Prime book that will have much greater impact if you've never read the original--though of course he makes it even better this time around. Also, having read the earlier versions can create potential confusion when you expect certain things to work the same way or suspect a certain plot point to eventually turn up, and things turn out radically different.
« Last Edit: February 13, 2007, 10:31:48 PM by Ookla The Mok »
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Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: Dragonsteel
« Reply #17 on: February 15, 2007, 05:32:44 AM »
I read the chapters last night, and quite enjoy them.

Hoid's name sounds too similar to Elantris' Hoed, and the word Jesk sounds too similar to Elantris' Jesker. How attached are you to them?

The way you introduce the characters makes them immediately interesting. I like Theus' ruthlessness. His relationship with Jend is an unusual one that I look forward to seeing more of. The bit about Hoid being unable to break a promise is a nice touch.

Midius is hard to judge at first; it seems he is following Hoid's last wish mostly out of respect and because he doesn't know what else to do with his life, not because he really believes in what he's doing. I don't know where he's coming from or where he's going, though his magic is nifty. He should be the main character, because of the title, so I assume he will become more sympathetic as time goes on. I liked his interaction with Kail. Kail seems a very complex character as well.

Yunmi is immediately likable. Strong, self-assured, crafty, good-humored. Is she too perfect?

Not sure about the purpose of the Eddau. I assume you have some reason for adding yet another nonhuman race to this universe (if the others remain at all).

I like the way you introduce the trune rings, and the skullmoss. There is an immediate, pressing conflict there--man vs. nature, adding to whatever political machinations Rens is up to.

It's a complex, multifaceted start to the plot, with interesting conflicts on at least four levels, some of which I expect will be satisfactorily resolved within this one book, but at least one of which I expect to take much longer. Good hook as far as I'm concerned.

If the first chapter is meant to be a prologue, it doesn't really hint at the epic nature of the series, but is on a much more personal level. The skullmoss is mentioned of course, but it doesn't seem important at the time. Of course, it's easier to introduce the intensity of the personal conflict, and it does work well to introduce that.
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firstRainbowRose

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Re: Dragonsteel
« Reply #18 on: February 15, 2007, 06:13:21 AM »
If I may, I'd like to read them (now that I've figured out that you aren't doing a "DragonLance" type thing where it's a gigantic series written by a whole bunches of people and unless you've read the others you don't get what's going on...)  I don't know if the fact that I haven't read the others would be a bad or good thing though...

Anywho, I'm reading the one we can access, and would really, really love to know what's going to happen next, if I may.
"The custom of royalty in referring to oneself is to naturally employ the royal 'we'. We are very happy, we are very sad, we are bored and suffer from ennui. For a royal prince there's no such word as 'me', It's always 'we'. So rightfully I should be two or three, don't you agree?"

Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: Dragonsteel
« Reply #19 on: February 15, 2007, 06:38:51 AM »
There is no more, yet, since he's doing the MB3 rewrite now. ;) (Or at least that's what he's supPOSED to be doing...)
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EUOL

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Re: Dragonsteel
« Reply #20 on: February 15, 2007, 07:10:25 AM »
Yes, I have begun the MB3 rewrite, so no more Dragonsteel for a time yet.  When there is, I’ll likely not be posting it on-line, since it will be a LONG time before this one sees bookshelves.   

Rainbow--you DON'T have to have read the other Dragonsteel to understand this.  The other Dragonsteel will never be published.  Some of the plots and characters in it, however, will eventually become book three of this series.  Not because I’m doing a “Dragonlance” type thing, but because when I sat down to work on this project, I realized that I’d rather start back in time a few hundred years.  In other words, I’m writing the prequels first, if that’s possible.   

Ookla, you have a very good point on Jesk/Hoid.  I should probably change jesk.  It's a left-over from Dragonsteel Prime, but right now it's kind of a distraction.  Perhaps I should simply name the storytellers all 'Lightweavers?'  Even those who can't use the magic?  I may have to work on Midius.  He's supposed to be the growth character here, and so I want room for him to progress, but I have to be careful not to make him unsympathetic at the beginning. 

Kail will be getting viewpoints.  Yunmi's next chapter really needs to be in this set, as I mentioned, to round her out as a character.  However, I'm VERY glad to hear that you like it so far, Ookla, since you're one of the original Dragonsteel proponents.  Know that I intend book one to be focused in, to be personal on the characters, with the later books expanding further and further in scope.  I liked how this worked in Mistborn, and want to see if I can do it over a longer period. 

As for the name Hoid...well, I don't want to say too much.  There's something going on there, however.

In worldbuilding this, I  realized that I missed a big opportunity in Dragonsteel Prime by not dealing with fainlife all that much.  It was a powerful world element that got mostly ignored.  By writing a book here, where I can slam a city in to the middle of the fain assault--before people learned really how to keep the alien landscape back--I think I’ll be able to focus more on the setting. 

One thing that always bothered me about Dragonsteel Prime is that it felt rather generic for me.  I like more distinctive settings, with more distinctive magics.  Yet, Dragonsteel Prime had a fairly standard fantasy world (though one set in the bronze age) with magic that didn’t really get used all that much in the first book.  The idea here is to add the Aether magic in, which is a ‘day-to-day’ magic, and to enhance the originality of the setting by using fainlife more.  Microkenisis, Realmatic Theory, Cognitive Ripples and Tzai Blows, and all of that will STILL be part of this world.  I’ve simply folded the Aethers in as well, and hopefully I can make it all feel cohesive.   
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dawncawley

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Re: Dragonsteel
« Reply #21 on: February 15, 2007, 08:00:20 AM »
I have sent you a message with my thoughts on the chapters you allowed us to see. Thanks again I really enjoyed it. My notes are a bit more flushed out than that though ;)

firstRainbowRose

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Re: Dragonsteel
« Reply #22 on: February 16, 2007, 03:47:50 AM »
Yeah!  I mean, I'd probibly read it either way, but knowing that it's not something that I have to start trying to understand now makes things a little bit easier.  :D  Me liked the first bit, and I really hope you'll post the second part before too long... of course, finish MB3 first... since I need to get those too.
"The custom of royalty in referring to oneself is to naturally employ the royal 'we'. We are very happy, we are very sad, we are bored and suffer from ennui. For a royal prince there's no such word as 'me', It's always 'we'. So rightfully I should be two or three, don't you agree?"

MsFish

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Re: Dragonsteel
« Reply #23 on: February 16, 2007, 05:30:40 AM »
Two things, mostly off topic. 

1)  In the next book, Alcatraz goes against the Knights of Crystallia?!?  I want to read *that* book.  I think you should write it right now.  Especially since that would further distract you from your revision.

2) I am glad Dragonsteel will not be on the front of the book, because Tage tells me there aren't really any dragons.  If I picked up a book called Dragonsteel and then realized there weren't really any dragons (in the classical sense) I would feel extremely cheated and never read it just because of my anger.
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Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: Dragonsteel
« Reply #24 on: February 17, 2007, 02:16:51 AM »
There was one dragon in the original book, of whom Brandon added more appearances in the later drafts. He was almost completely exciseable from the plot of that book (at least, in a simple, non-spoiler explanation), though he was clearly important to the universe as a whole and the series' overall arc.
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U-Boat

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Re: Dragonsteel
« Reply #25 on: February 18, 2007, 08:16:06 AM »
That means if I can count, you have 3 series you wish to publish- Alcatraz, Mistborn and dragonsteel, along with the standalone Warbreaker and Elantris?
Mistborn to be atrilogy, Dragonsteel to be a 6 book series, and Alcatraz to be?

Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: Dragonsteel
« Reply #26 on: February 18, 2007, 08:49:26 AM »
He said before that he wanted Alcatraz to be six books, but only four are contracted. And earlier in this thread he said that Warbreaker will be followed up by Nightblood, making two books total in that series.

And then there's the sequel to Elantris that he will write someday. And there are other whisperings on the wind, of course. Brandon is full of ideas. There's that Dark One book that was mentioned on his website as being in prewriting a while ago...I don't know what happened to that, since it's not in the big list.

Of the others in the list, I would expect White Sand to eventually see the light of day in some form, and also Way of Kings should get a rewrite eventually.
All Saiyuki fans should check out Dazzle! Emotionally wrenching action-adventure and quirky humor! (At least read chapter 6 and tell me if you're not hooked.) Volume 10 out now!

half breed gypsy

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Re: Dragonsteel
« Reply #27 on: February 18, 2007, 09:20:03 PM »
Is it possible that Nightblood might be a sequel to Warbreaker?

MsFish

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Re: Dragonsteel
« Reply #28 on: February 18, 2007, 09:28:51 PM »
Did you read the post above?  That's what he just said.
Hold fast to dreams, for when dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.  Hold fast to dreams, for when dreams go, life is a barren field frozen with snow.  -Langston Hughes

Pink Bunkadoo

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Re: Dragonsteel
« Reply #29 on: February 19, 2007, 12:41:52 AM »
Quote
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