James Barclay

Max Power · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 467 Location: United Kingdom

If you type "Army of the Fantastic" into Amazon it should bring up a book of short stories, one of which is James'. Some of the others aren't bad, but I think James' is the best in the book. It's not expensive, and worth a punt.
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If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

Lizzy · Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 9:55 am Post subject:

It's not actually Raven Squiz, it's a short story about Auum and the Tai.

Tis very good Very Happy

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Listen to Lizzy, she's always right! as said by Jovial

Lionhart

Hi Guys

WOW Barclay.. you took my heart and kicked it, mushed it, minced it then gave it back... You killed them all!! Dina, Pavel but WHY WHY WHY did you kill Mirron!!! WHY!!!! (I'm not going to lie - hating on you a little bit right now... ) I know i should of expected it but i clung to hope..

Thank you for killing Felice... and THANKYOU!!!! for not killing Paul... you would have destroyed me...

But i loved it!! well done James, well done - i salute you!

One question: maybe i am a weirdo and imagining things but did paul and mirron feel for each other the way lovers do? did anyone else get that vibe? tell me now if i'm on a weird tangent..

Max Power · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 467 Location: United Kingdom

Hi Lionhart, welcome to the forum!

I agree that Paul and Mirron had the deepest relationship in the book, and I think they would have done anything for each other, but not sure about your lovers' analogy. I think there are parallels between Hirad and Ilkar's relationship in the Raven series in terms of depth and complexity, but I didn't get the intimate feel you allude to.
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If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

Lionhart · Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 4:43 am Post subject:

Hi Max Power Smile

Thanks for the welcome Smile

I agree they did have the deepest relationship in the book..

My thoughts were that they were both so involved in there responsibilities that they knew there was no time for love...

but maybe i was just being hopeful! Wink

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And she shouted lest the one she really loved should not hear her...

Alia · Joined: 17 Sep 2007 Posts: 246

If I may risk sounding a bit scholarly - for me the love between Mirron and Paul was not eros, the love that two lovers share, but rather agape - the deepest love between two friends who would gladly die to save the other. And also a bit of parent-child relationship, especially in the first novel, where Paul becomes a kind of surrogate father to the Ascendents, and especially Mirron.

TheJovialGnome · Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 295 Location: Boston

Scholarly or not I think you've summed up the situation very nicely indeed! Laughing

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"Constant Vigilance!"

Lizzy · Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 7:19 pm Post subject:

Hello Lionhart and welcome Very Happy

The way I read the books I saw Jhered and Mirron's relationship as much more father/daughter.

At the end of CotN, when Mirron rescues Paul, he gets a bit confused underwater, but it's only a moment. For the rest of the time it's totally a father/daughter type of love.
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Listen to Lizzy, she's always right! as said by Jovial

Lionhart · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:20 am Post subject:

Definite agape.. i saw that completely.. there were just some words and looks that got me guessing..

thanks for your thoughts guys Smile

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And she shouted lest the one she really loved should not hear her...

James · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:15 pm Post subject:

Welcome Lionhart.

Mirron and Paul Jhered's relationship was written a little ambiguously in COTN and deliberately so. Actually, I wasn't sure exactly which way it would go myself to begin with. Indeed in the early drafting, there was no relationship at all.

Lizzy sums it up well. As usual. Jhered is the father Mirron never had and can never know. Mirron is the daughter Jhered didn't think he ever wanted. It makes their relationship very complex and I considered that there might well be fleeting attraction between them but that they had deeper drivers for their emotions than lust.

For me it was the most satisfying relationship in the series because much of it was unspoken yet it was critical to the emotional force of SFTD in particular.

Mirron died to save her son, it is as simple as that. The ultimate sacrifice made without pause or doubt. And it gave her revenge on Gorian too before she died.
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'A human with a hand outstretched in friendship carries the fangs of a taipan in his palm.' A TaiGethen saying.

GentlemanLoser · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 2 Location: United Kingdom

Suffered another bleary eyed day at work today, stayed up far too late last night to finish Shout. Smile

Lizzy · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 8:38 pm Post subject:

Welcome GentlemanLoser Smile

I get bleary eyed days from late night reading too!
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Listen to Lizzy, she's always right! as said by Jovial