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Fun Discussions of TKD! Please have TKD finished before entering. (SPOILERS)

Started by Laurna, December 18, 2014, 03:43:09 AM

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Shiral

That's true, Drakensis. The prospect of Kelson dying the way Brion had was too much for her to bear, so Jehana was willing to sacrifice a lifetime of what she'd been taught to believe in order to protect her only child.  And I will also give her credit for being willing to listen to Barrett and Father Nivard.  Maybe they were the teachers who came along when she was at last ready to listen. I liked her better for that.

Melissa
You can have a sound mind in a healthy body--Or you can be a nanonovelist!

DesertRose

I finally finished TKD today.

I agree with a lot of others about Alaric being a little unrealistically precocious.  Yes, he lives in a world where fourteen is the age of majority, and yes, he was forced by circumstances beyond his control to grow up fast even for that time and place, but he just seems to be awfully mature and talented for his age throughout the book.  Maybe it's just that he's never been a favorite character of mine.  I prefer the earlier-in-the-timeline stories of Camber and his descendants; my favorite character in the whole series is Rhys Thuryn with Dom Queron Kinevan being about tied for second with Dom Emrys (who must have a surname but I can't call it to mind right now, LOL).  I like Alaric better after Richenda enters his life; she humanizes him a good bit.

I did have to pause when I realized that Alaric was not yet twelve when he made his sexual debut; that's a bit young even in a world that considers a fourteen-year-old an adult.  To be a bit blunt, a lot of boys are not yet potent at that age, never mind playing games with maids of honor in hidden corners of summer royal residences.  :)

I also almost threw the book again when Kenneth died.  So abrupt, but life is like that sometimes.  (For those who don't recall my so saying, I threw Camber the Heretic across the room when I read Rhys' death: the only time in my life I've ever thrown a book.)

Jehana and Brion seem to have fallen head over heels without getting to know each other very well, although I think Jehana in her later years (after meeting John Nivard and Barrett de Laney) realizes what she threw away with her stupid anti-Deryni prejudice; she let truly ridiculous stuff poison her marriage.  And I think post-KKB, she owes Alaric a major apology for saving Brion AND Kelson at various points.

I'd like to have seen the look on Jehana's face when she realized that Brion intended putting Alaric's middle name into Kelson's name.  I bet THAT was an argument for the ages.

That all being said, I did enjoy the book, and I will pick up my own copy when it comes out in paperback.  (I have the rest of the CM trilogy in paperback, and I have this weird thing where all books in a trilogy must be the same type, i.e. hardback or paperback.)

I'm kind of surprised KK didn't cover Vera's death and I'd have liked to have seen more of Duncan's life too, not just where it touched Alaric's.  I understand that this trilogy focused on Alaric, but Duncan was an important person to Alaric for pretty much his whole life, and I'd have liked to have seen more of him.  I'd love to see his much-rumored ordination.  Maybe she just felt it was already long enough, LOL.

It would be nice to see a bridge book or series of short stories to tie up the loose ends between the end of TKD and the beginning of DR, though.
"If having a soul means being able to feel love, loyalty, and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans."

James Herriot (James Alfred "Alfie" Wight), when a human client asked him if animals have souls.  (I don't remember in which book the story originally appeared.)

Evie

I think the main reason we didn't see either Vera's death or Duncan's ordination was that both events took place several years after the events of this novel, which ended with Kelson's birth. As for seeing more of Duncan (which I certainly wouldn't have complained about!), KK's POV character is Alaric, which puts a fair bit of restriction as to what she can describe going on in Cassan when Alaric is elsewhere. Having lots of reports about what Duncan is doing back home would sound too contrived after the first one or two, yet there's no logical reason why Jared would have sent his second son off to Rhemuth for fostering. He would have had more reason to send his ducal heir, if he were going to send a son off to become more familiar with the royal court and family for a few years.
"In necessariis unitas, in non-necessariis libertas, in utrisque caritas."

--WARNING!!!--
I have a vocabulary in excess of 75,000 words, and I'm not afraid to use it!

Laurna

QuoteI finally finished TKD today.
;D Yeah DR!  ;D Glad to hear the reading is completed. I hope most everyone else on the forum has had a chance to get most way through it too.

I agree with much of what you say. What was funny is that when I first read the part about Alaric (at not yet 12) playing with the maids, my mind saw it as only "petting and kissing" and I thought 'Oh good, KK took out that provocative part.' But then after reading reviews, I had to go back and reread that bit and I realized 'Nope, it really is there,' I just didn't want to see That, so my mind skipped it.  I agree with you, 'Far too young'.

I really thought the book was two books and the first half could have easily ended with Kenneth's death. I didn't throw the book, but I sure did cry.  In the second half I wanted more, more of Brion and Alaric and even more of Nigel and Alaric. As King, Royal squire, and Royal page, I could see where the three of them could have gotten into a bit of mischief. I also would have liked more of Duncan and Alaric, too. True, Evie, it's Alaric's point of view, but Jared could have sent Duncan to Rhemuth for at least one season just to keep Alaric company. Although, that might have been more than Llion could handle, so perhaps it is best that didn't happen.  Darn! ;D


QuoteI'd like to have seen the look on Jehana's face when she realized that Brion intended putting Alaric's middle name into Kelson's name.  I bet THAT was an argument for the ages.

Oh my! I had not thought of that! Oh my! :o

QuoteIt would be nice to see a bridge book or series of short stories to tie up the loose ends between the end of TKD and the beginning of DR, though.
I would love to see a series of short stories to tie the two books together. Wouldn't that be great. Nothing too formal, just a story from KK now and then about this or that to peak our appetites. We could revitalize the Deryni Archives with them. ;D
May your horses have wings and fly!

revanne

Quote from: DesertRose on January 15, 2015, 09:09:29 PM

  I'd love to see his much-rumored ordination. 

Thanks DR - haven't been able to think of anything else today, and even though I work in the Church and am allowed to think about ordination and such in work time I don't think medieval AU ones count as work  ;)
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
(Psalm 46 v1)

Jerusha

I have wondered several times if Alaric would have seemed more realistic if the story had been told from Llion's point of view, especially after Kenneth's death.  Alaric would not have needed to be quite so "adult" to tell the story properly.  Much as I like Morgan, I'm not sure I would have made it through a book told realistically from a 9 to 12 year old's POV.  ;D And as in ItKS and CM, you could have had a bit more of what was going on in the world than just what Alaric was directly experiencing.  I would have loved to see the trip to Torenth to retrieve Xenia's body, rather than waiting for the return with Alaric. 

From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggity beasties and things that go bump in the night...good Lord deliver us!

 -- Old English Litany

DesertRose

Quote from: Evie on January 15, 2015, 11:38:43 PM
I think the main reason we didn't see either Vera's death or Duncan's ordination was that both events took place several years after the events of this novel, which ended with Kelson's birth. As for seeing more of Duncan (which I certainly wouldn't have complained about!), KK's POV character is Alaric, which puts a fair bit of restriction as to what she can describe going on in Cassan when Alaric is elsewhere. Having lots of reports about what Duncan is doing back home would sound too contrived after the first one or two, yet there's no logical reason why Jared would have sent his second son off to Rhemuth for fostering. He would have had more reason to send his ducal heir, if he were going to send a son off to become more familiar with the royal court and family for a few years.

This is true.  I think she could have cut some of the training scenes and extended the length of the timeline a bit, and that would probably have allowed for a little more variety.  I mean, Kelson's birth is a fairly logical cutoff date for the end of the book, but what the heck happened in the intervening fourteen years between Kelson being born and Brion being killed?
"If having a soul means being able to feel love, loyalty, and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans."

James Herriot (James Alfred "Alfie" Wight), when a human client asked him if animals have souls.  (I don't remember in which book the story originally appeared.)

DesertRose

Quote from: Jerusha on January 16, 2015, 08:08:33 AM
I have wondered several times if Alaric would have seemed more realistic if the story had been told from Llion's point of view, especially after Kenneth's death.  Alaric would not have needed to be quite so "adult" to tell the story properly.  Much as I like Morgan, I'm not sure I would have made it through a book told realistically from a 9 to 12 year old's POV.  ;D And as in ItKS and CM, you could have had a bit more of what was going on in the world than just what Alaric was directly experiencing.  I would have loved to see the trip to Torenth to retrieve Xenia's body, rather than waiting for the return with Alaric.

That's an interesting thought, Jerusha, to have Llion as the POV character, and you're right, we could have gotten more things in with Llion's POV than with Alaric's.
"If having a soul means being able to feel love, loyalty, and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans."

James Herriot (James Alfred "Alfie" Wight), when a human client asked him if animals have souls.  (I don't remember in which book the story originally appeared.)

revanne

I guess that's a bit of a problem with a fill-in story. As it is we're left wondering what happened to Llion so that he doesn't appear in DR - that would be even worse if he was POV character. Although I totally agree that it would have made for a better story and I could have done without some of the training routines.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
(Psalm 46 v1)

drakensis

Quote from: DesertRose on January 15, 2015, 09:09:29 PMThat all being said, I did enjoy the book, and I will pick up my own copy when it comes out in paperback.  (I have the rest of the CM trilogy in paperback, and I have this weird thing where all books in a trilogy must be the same type, i.e. hardback or paperback.)
I'm just the same. The publishing industry's shift away from pocket-size paperbacks to larger formats wreaks havoc on my shelves as it is without mixing in hardbacks (except where I buy a whole series in hardback).

Goscamber

What bothered me most was the excess of ceremonies for pages, squires, and knights.  They were described nearly identically.  Something KK's editor should have noticed and reined her in on.

Evie

LOL! Yeah, those scenes get a little repetitive,  although personally I was happy to see them since now I've got enough costuming detail to sew canonically accurate mini-Deryni squire and page livery. I was too busy bookmarking those pages to mind the repetition in the ceremonies!  ;D
"In necessariis unitas, in non-necessariis libertas, in utrisque caritas."

--WARNING!!!--
I have a vocabulary in excess of 75,000 words, and I'm not afraid to use it!

Laurna

I'm of the same mind as you Evie. I enjoyed all the ceremonies and never once thought them repetitive. Maybe it's the difference between male and female readers, or the fact that you and I  just love clothing, with the telling of where and how it was worn. Sorry guys.
I really loved the Tralian winter castle and how that ceremony played out.  And Se scolding Alaric for his brash attempt to read Wencit. Yep, that could have been some serious trouble without Se.
I also really enjoyed all the visits to Morgan hall and Lendour to meet family. Even though we had not meet them in the books written 30 years ago, we now know they are there, so that should open up another outlet of support for ALaric's children and his family. Even though Alaric appears to have chosen to stay clear of them in his young adult years, likely to protect them from persecution by being associated with him. ( Some new characters for Fan fic authors to play with? oops guess I should not suggest that here.  ;D)

There is very little in the book I would not recommend. My only complaint is that, in my mind, there are several missing scenes. I think your suggestion, Jerusha, of having a second POV from Llion would have really made a difference. Beta readers! Wouldn't we all love to be Beta readers. ;D
May your horses have wings and fly!

bronwynevaine

Quote from: drakensis on January 17, 2015, 11:24:09 AM
Quote from: DesertRose on January 15, 2015, 09:09:29 PMThat all being said, I did enjoy the book, and I will pick up my own copy when it comes out in paperback.  (I have the rest of the CM trilogy in paperback, and I have this weird thing where all books in a trilogy must be the same type, i.e. hardback or paperback.)

I'm just the same. The publishing industry's shift away from pocket-size paperbacks to larger formats wreaks havoc on my shelves as it is without mixing in hardbacks (except where I buy a whole series in hardback).

Me, too. So I bought TKD as an ebook to read on my phone  :)
I don't just march to the beat of a different drummer...I dance to a beat no one else can hear :)

Raksha the Demon

Some great posts here!

I loved the relationships sketched out in this book between Kenneth and Alaric, and Llion and Alaric. 

I would have liked to see more brotherly bonding between the growing Alaric and Brion before they fought the Marluk together.

I'd have liked to see a scene where young Queen Jehana confronted Alaric directly about his being a Deryni, instead of her anti-Deryni prejudices just being rehashed.

And more of Se Trelawny.  I wish KK would just give him his own book; or more than one book; he is such a great character; like a medieval Deryni James Bond (or very much younger version of Gandalf the Grey, popping in when he's least expected and saving the day or at least doing cool things).  He could meet up with the almost-as-mysterious Azim (they have a Michaeline connection) and have adventures.  The Camberian Council and the Torenthi secret intelligence agency (you know they've got to have one, probably more than one) will have a bidding war over Se's services, so there will have to be some kind of face-off between Se and Wencit of Torenth.  I don't want him dying off quietly between TKD and Deryni Rising.  We need more of Se saving the day!

Which brings us to the question of the day, as others have mentioned - what happened to the young Alaric's effective Morgan family support network, i.e. Llion, Alaric's three aunts and various cousins?  It's hard to believe that they all would have died before the events of Deryni Rising...

As a trilogy, I would say that the three Childe Morgan novels are weaker in plot and pacing compared to the first trilogy, the Camber and Heirs of Camber books, and the King Kelson trilogy (which is really the best trilogy of all, in my opinion).  But Childe Morgan is a lovely, leisurely gapfiller in Deryni history; and made me fall in love with Kenneth Morgan.

((Edited KK's initials.  Only two K's, please!  :o   ;D  --Evie))