Necromancer is up (in UK/EU). Spoiler thread discussion.
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No ppoilers for at least 3 days please.
ReplyDeleteDamn that is one long book. It seems like Necromancer is double what the other books are. It will take a while to go through.
ReplyDeleteAhh its not showing up as out yet for me.
ReplyDeleteGah! I keep hitting refresh hoping I'll get lucky and not wait until midnight...
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely loving it so far Terry. Been reading about 4 hours and only 14% of the way in
ReplyDeleteGalina & Pentandra in cahoots, had me punching the air in joy.
I guessed the seamage would be Rudeval's Dad, from a comment you made on facebook some time ago.
I've only picked up a few minor typos so far! Including Location 3267 (you refer to Sire Roncil of Northwood, as Sire Stancil), then refer to him as Sire Roncil later on in the chapter.
Can't wait to finish this book, so I can read it again Slower!!
Just got it! Woohoo 1122 pages! Thanks so much Terry for not listening to the advice you mentioned getting from other authors at a convention about shortening your books. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the depth and length of your books vs other authors. Can't wait to dive in!
ReplyDeleteI like the intro blurb, particularly pointy hat and the stones in the end ;)
ReplyDeleteYep, Work is not going so well today lol. Good thing for the Kindle PC version ;)
ReplyDeleteBwahahahahaha! Who remembers where we parked the mountain?
ReplyDeleteThank goodness, I've been dreaming about this day!!!
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't know how to review this book without spoiling so much the breadth of the story and amount that happens almost makes any normal comments almost quaint. I will say that the cover blurb I think covers almost 20% of the book there is 80% left afterwards anyone who doesn't have a block of time expect to cut down on sleep that was a wild ride.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Thomas. That means a lot to me.
DeleteI definitely expected the raid to more the culmination of the book not where it actually was, but the author's notes at the end helped explain that with he "arcs" planned.
DeleteThanks for 3 spoilers free days
ReplyDeleteLOL. Dude it says SPOILERS in the opening text. It is up to you to subscribe to the thread or not. Even so, you don't have to read the emails!
Delete@Terry, I'm just getting up to the wedding and I am loving every moment.
I finished the book 10 hours after the release when the rest of the world was sleeping. Lucky i am considerate otherwise everyone subscribed would wake up and know the plot of the book. I dont drop spoilers for a few days in consideration for others.
DeleteThe rest of the fans have done a great job so far.
Sorry but I think you are missing my point. If you had not posted right away fearing spoilers then you would not have been subscribed to the comments section. Hence you would not have been exposed to anyone's comments unless you then decided to.
DeleteAnyway I can care less. It is a Spoiler Thread - expect to see spoilers
I dont think you understand, i already finished the book long before you Loki so personally i dont really care. I just didnt want others to be spoiled because its obvious to everyone else that people would check this thread just to congratulate Terry
DeleteI am not gonna bring this up anymore. If you wanna be a asshole thats your choice.
On a side note the book is fantastic. Looking forward to 2019.
I've only gotten to chapter 18 so far. Having to work has screwed up the read. So far loving it!
ReplyDeleteWow took me much longer to read that I thought it would. Just finished the book and what an amazing ride. I loved it from cover to finish and am already desperate to know what happens next.
ReplyDeleteLoving the book so far, Terry, only about 30% of the way through and wishing I had more time to read it.
ReplyDeleteTrying to resist the urge to take a sick day from work just to be able to keep reading.
It's awesome. "Make sure Ishi keeps her boobs under control until I get there." Is my new favorite quote for the whole series. Very excellent work, up to the standards of Magelord.
ReplyDeleteAgreed his one may take the #1 spot in my fave list away from magelord.
DeleteAlright I think its time for some healthy speculation.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to note something from previous books that really only came to me as I was reading the new book and reflecting. We know that the various powers of the kingdom have been wary and concerned with the fact that the new mage-lords are hard to defeat in battle and now that the Censorate and their mages are depowered and displaced. In this it seems particularly politically astute of Min that his various conquests have mostly been in concert or ended up for the betterment of his normal allies in the area. It means that the courts and rulers can't deny the results of his conquests even taking into account unstoppable magic without then denying his normal allies their gains. It meant that while the other magelords might have been enriching themselves by being technically within the rules of the realm Min was doing it and tying it to some of the more powerful rulers in the area who are more than willing to be his advocates in any court that could arise. This is quite different then Dunsatllan and others who were quick to promote/payoff their own retainers but typically replaced many of the vassals in an area. I'm curious if that was planned or just something that occurred more from the authors world-building and the stories drive to have those characters as more than placeholders in the books.
I also wanted to pose the question to my fellow readers that I think I see foreshadowing of. Let me build this up if I can though. We know from Spellmonger's yule that Alya even in the depths of her affliction has been drawn to and seemed to resonate with the Snowflake. We also see that despite being part of the Snowstone spell and despite various small seeming magics around her Min said "I tend too discount your vomit", Alya has tended to be discounted as someone with her own raijira. When the Handmaiden, Alya, and the Snowflake were in concert we know that the various ennegrams involved were worked upon. We also know that similar to the Snowstone Alya seemed to be able to channel large almost mythical amounts of spell-power without noticeably being effected. After this the Handmaiden while still being part of the Magicene and around Minanlan seemed to have a quantum connection to the Snowflake that remains.
These are knowns from the book here is where I start to speculate. I think the connection between the Snowflake and the centerpoint/Magicene was there all along but bringing the Handmaiden in direct observation especially when it could use Insight to explore its connection allowed it a bit more control. Given that we know of one connection I have to wonder if Alya might have a connection to the Snowflake and Celestial Mother that has been acted upon by the handmaiden. I think that in effect Minanlan is not wed so much to Alya anymore as to a conglomeration of the Celestial Mother with Alya's memories and some personality and that the Celestial Mother thinks that Min is a new seventh being THE HUSBAND.
In chapter sixty-six when Min is able to truly talk with Alya for the first time before the event that "restores" her looking back there is any number of odd phrasings. They could simply be a women without her memories but it also can be taken as her knowing and responding from a very different perspective. She knows he is special, and visits her all the time and then is told he is her husband and the father to her children. If my wild fancy is true those two statements if reinforced and held by the Celestial Mother mean any number of things when the Sea Folk start getting involved.
I agree with your speculation but I think I would tweak the original premise for the connection with Alya. In either late Highmagi or early in Enchanter they are studying the snowflake in the other world and notice that it is not only drawing energy from there but also has "feelers" out touching everyone there and beyond. And going from Spellmonger when Min contacts pentandra in other world we get information on how thoughts are not really concealed when "speaking" with someone. I think the snowflake does not need the "conversation" connection to read thoughts, and through Min adopted Alya as the choice "Avatar" which is why the snowflake warned min when it sensed Alya and family in danger during Enchanter's magi conclave.
DeleteJust to add food for thought on this in regards to Alya. Lilastian said that the Handmaiden was using Minalan as some kind of guide in restoring Alya to health. Now while we suspect Alya might have either some powerful recessive raijira or might be an undiagnosed sport will the handmaiden be able to distinguish this. This is both the handmaiden and celestial mothers first contact with humanity. If the use Min as a base to fix Alya are they going to rebuild who with a full measure of raijira?
DeleteIts bittersweet but I think you are one the right path. Penny warned Minalan about something among those lines too... (that his bid to resore Alyas mind wont work as he intended)
DeleteI thin Alya and Minalin will be the new Mother and Father of the world with the power to lock up the formless once they are released back into the world. Alya will definitely be the new Mother. Not sure about Min, though I think they will both become immortal.
DeleteI agree with this, it would explain the 'fear and excitement' that Alya showed after speaking to the Kasari nun in Journeymage. Also why she wan't afraid to face Isily. She knew what was going to happen, maybe not HOW but she knew about her own transformation?
DeleteOne of the other big questions comes to mind when the Forsaken come into play. We are aware now that this will be a more or less complete group of educated and abandoned settlers. We also know that they will be without magic since they won't have been part of a magisphere environment. I am curious just what agreement they think they have with the various races on Callidore. I will assume that the Exploration Service coming to a world with a civilization would have some kind of contract that would give them legal authority in there settlement. I'm more than curious about the particulars involved in that if the Vundle had their own emissary if it covered treason between Humans and involvement of the enshadowed and just if it is still in effect with the Vundle or not. After all the Landspeakers are still around and that is more than any of the Alon ever achieved. It could be quite the legal battle once they come back into the scene.
ReplyDeleteThe Forsaken's unusuall composition and the role the Censorate played in it through history are particularly interesting. We know from the Grandmaster short story that the Censorate while being enshrined by the King was originally a collection of magi from the area of Merwine that already existed. And they pushed hard to make themselves the sole hand that regulated magic. We always knew that something happened that lost our technology and the sinking of Perwin obviously played a role. But we now have the fact that some of the first mages who had control of their magic (which we have been told was taught by the Alka Alyon) staged a coup detat. They not only overturned the normal government but took it upon themselves to essentially freeze the uplift towards technology and send the starship away. You have to wonder if those were people working in concert of the Enshadowed.
These paint a history that tells me the Censorate might have been born out of those wizards that knew the truth. This also could have been why they wanted to control magic they knew how powerful it could be and wanted a monopoly. It might be that the Censorate always wanted to not "protect" the common people from magic but all magic that could bring humanity's history into the light.
Its possible but I'm more inclined to think that the enshadowed masterminded the downfall of civilised humanity with confederates like Micreithel on the council. Some combination of jealousy and arrogance. If humanity had to rely on sorcery rather than technology in a fight the Alka Alon would have a better chance of defeating them but if humanity could just firebomb and glass the section of the continent they were fighting with from the air the Alka would have been in big trouble - especially as humanity now had magic as well.
DeleteThe reason I say this is if you suddenly had magic it would be cool but would you really want to start going without all the conveniences that modern technology provides?
the book clearly states that the guys on the ship build a superbomb or threatened to bomb the planet with astroids. Thats why they were sent away. It seems likely that humanitys issues started with the first magi while the techno guys wanted to keep control (the book also mentions the land issue, the guys on the ground didnt want more settlers (with pently of room left)).
DeleteThe first archmagi most likely ended this issue (with ironite and does anybody really think he just found that?)
I agree it looks more and more like some faction including the enshadowed masterminded alot of events they led to the fall of Perwyn. Think of it this way. Faced with a new culture with a strange and scary kind of power how would you go about subverting them. You couldn't just have a master-stroke is would have to be an involved plan.
DeleteSo what do you do. Well first you create a fifth column to keep your hands clean and empower them somehow - in this case I would guess a mix of Irionite, Blue Magic and a bunch of talk about how their leaders are leading there people the wrong way. Then once your fifth coloumn siezes power you ensure they become more dependant on the source of power you control - magic - and less of their own unique power. Then you arrange for the original source of that unique power to be sent away along with anyone who might be able to remove your rebels from power.
Let things stew and then suddenly you arrange a crisis that destroys the remaining foundations of the unique power on calidore - i.e. Arrange for Perwyn to sink by manipulating your pawns among the humans. 100 years later and the society is completely dependant on the power that you are now masters of and have lost both the knowledge and ability to access their own unique powers.
Inquiring minds want to know when plushy of Lord Fuzzypaws will be available for purchase?
ReplyDeletehas any one noticed that the people that was left on the ship is the right number for expeditionary army core. i found it odd that the rebel went to all the work to stop 40000 people when more than 460000 (and they would have had children born then population would be closer 1 million ) had already landed that such a small number would not be able to change much if they where ordernery colonists. it would make more scene is if the people left on the ship were a group for solder near the end of there service and the experts to build all there equipment. the rebel and the alka alyon would wanted to stop the such a group from getting involved . the reason i think that they where still on the ship is that the government in the planet did not trust in the alka alyon and wanted to have a group with the training and the exp that they bort with then from earth if the alka alyon turn on them.
ReplyDeleteI'd say it would have to be a mix. I'm sure there are soldiers but I'd say the majority are civilians. Remember how small a minority soldiers - both current and retired - are as part of our population in any western nation now - between .3 - 1% on average. That's a very small number. Now for a colony I expect it would be higher but from Lilastiens comments we know that this was meant to be a civilian colony on Caledore - not a military base so its likely that the security forces that remain on the ship are likely a minority as when it first arrived they would have been among the first to disembark and secure the colony.
DeleteVery astute observations. I'll tell you this: the strongest colonial military presence before the Inundation was on Novaminos, an island in the archepalego. That unit was largely involved in coast guard activities, and was descended from elements of the Greek Navy.
Deletepart of my thinking was if you are sending are large colonization ship out is that you do not know what is on the planit that you are mite find a planit that is very hostile to live people think Triassic period it mite be good to have some people who are good with big guns. at this time there is about 10 million service men and women on the planit it would not be hard to find 10 - 20 thousand who are near retirement. when you find a world that is no threat them keep the service men on the ship to the end just to be save at not let you next door neighbor think that you are peaceful.
DeleteWas Novaminos maybe what is Vore now? Since that duchy has been downplayed so much. Methinks that may mean there is something there after all?
DeleteDo people think that the Forsaken or new colonists will be immune to magic? The reason I ask is that the dragons and meteorites seem to imply that items alien to Callidore can't be effected by the general magic of Alon or humani. The first humans also seemed to discount the magic of the Alon originally. This seem to imply that almost similar to radiation there is tipping point that allows the magic field effect of Callidore to manipulate and be manipulated by people and objects. It was implied that the Smoky the bear statue that was retrieved by the Kasari was immune to magic does this mean that any inorganic material outside of Callidore's crust is almost always magically immune. Or just as snowstone lowers resistance to magic for various materials do foreign materials simply have a nearly complete magical resistance.
ReplyDeleteI suspect they might need to experiment on the Tekka that remain. This would also explain Dragons immunity to magic if they come from a world with no Magosphere.
DeleteIt could also be what happened to Perwyn. It keeps getting implied that the Alka had a part in that. I am sure they did not like an island covered in magic resistant tech sitting right off their shores.
Deletethe dragons are not immune to magic (how control them otherwise?) but any matter from space seems immune. Thinking among this line any being from a world without magosphere is immune, BUT as they eat and breath the matter from the planet with magoshpere they become part of this world. So once you start eating the food you grew on this would you change. The second to third generation of colonists would eat 99% food from this new world and once some line has been passed the raijira "wakes". (lets remember that the groblin raijira also awoke after they rebelled - this would STRONGLY hint that the Alka kidnapped them from some other world as slaves work for them. Just think about it, the Alka had magic all along, only the groblins raijira woke after they were thousands of years on this alien world (I think nobody believes the crap about all alka being the same and splitting up for geographic reasons)
DeleteTo continue this train of thought, I would think that those people living in Sevendor will start to have bodies that have lower resistance to magic because everything they eat will have some snowstone in it's makeup. What happens when the calcium in your bones has the properties of snowstone?
DeleteI don't think the humans will be immune to magic. In this book they mention an early battle between humans with tekka and Alka with magic and the humans lost badly. After that they showed more respect to Alka.
DeleteYes but what form did the magic take. In context the talk was about Plasma weapons and Lilastien was saying that that is what her people used on humans. Remember that magic thrown at the dragon does have some impact but actually casting a spell directly on the dragon is more difficult. I.E. Firing a magic spell causes the spell to disapate but indirectly using magic to launch a boulder of hot lead at the dragon has the normal effect. Humans are just more fragile.
DeleteAlso we don't know if the human's in this story were original colonists or were among the first generations born on Calidore.
I am having a small problem with the location of the mountain the vundal took. With both the description of the snowstone effect and the maps provided during Enchanter the only places the snowstone even remotely made it outside the vale was on the western side of the vale and one of the 2 provinces over there was taken by the estacie order in knights magi. But Hosander by all maps is on the other side of Brestal vale from the keep which is way too far for the snow stone to have made it there to effect unless here was an outlier vein that was created that way. But if so the new view from the keep would be obstructed by Matens Helm and the hills between the 2 vales. And if it is the estates next to the estacie order on the west side which is more plausible by the radius of effect they would have also had to build the road to the new bridge through the Westwood or some strange path that breaks off from the "Sashtalia" gate going along the ridge and then across the new lake. I am just not sure.
ReplyDeleteYeah I noticed the same issue a while back when I asked about how Sir Ryff could have had a deposit in his domain. I asked Terry and he said that not all the snowstone deposits are in the original sphere - the spell refracted somehow in spots leading to odd spots that appeared outside of the main spells area on effect around the castle. From what I gather from the new book the one in the mountain that seperated Hosendar from Sevendor was a big one. Terry also mentioned that all the maps so far are fairly rough so maybe once we see the new ones released in will make more sense.
DeleteThanks
DeleteI read most of the series while the book 10 was being proofed and there was a comment in High Mage that has some bearing now that we know a little more about Necromancy and Vibrant Energy. When Min was talking to the Alon that wanted to buy his son it was stated that the Snowstone/Way Stones throbbed with the life-force. Does this mean that the Snowstone Effect which born from natal magic is tied to vibrant/life energy? If this is the case then does that create a theory for why the pocket stone's strip it from ennegrams since it is refills/enhances what makes the stones special in the first place. This also could imply that many of the special stones would not work or be inimical to the various undead in the series. It could also mean that by its very nature certain stones might well be Kryptonite for the undead.
ReplyDeleteGiven the effect on the Magishpere of Callidore it also poses a theory for its formation. It was implied that the magisphere is a product of the coral beds that are raised/grown in the seas. It is also implied that only healthy coral which is still alive and growing is viable for the Sea Folk. If both of these are true that it seems the magical potential of Callidore as a whole seems to be tied to life magic/green magic. It also implies that by its very nature Necromancy might have some inherent disadvantages when dealing with the Callidore magic system. Any Thoughts from fellow readers
The other thing we don't know is how strong the Magisphere is in the five duchies area. Onranion and Lilastien have implied that the formless' battle with the vundel made weak spots. If the coral grows badly in the areas around the five duchies doesn't it imply that this is one of the weak spots where magic is at its least strength?
DeleteAlso rather than Magisphere weak spots could it be just increased magical resistance in the five duchies - which would explain why snowstone could be so important to preserving/saving Calidore if the wounds on Calidore were still festering and those wounds are basically areas of how magic resistance?
Deletethe unique mix of energy creating the snow stone was life magic from birth, divine magic and the witchsphere added huge amounts of "normal" energy. That itself tells us that the snowstone and the gems are infused with life energy. Going by this we should consider that magic resistance is relative because some types of magic are blocked (like necromatic energy during an orgy). This would also explain why Kobals minions roam the land of scars, the place is overfeed with necromantic energy
Deletebest line ever:
ReplyDelete“Yes, but he faces a human mage with great power and no idea what he’s doing,” I boasted. “That has sunk islands, before. Entire civilizations.”
Heh. Thanks.
DeleteThought a on selling to the vundal. In an attempt to forestall the sale of snowstone why doesn't min see if he could sell the otherworld stone from Green Flower. Though it does not lower etheric resistance by merely being closer otherworld it makes energies easier to come by.
ReplyDeleteThe Vundel aren't interested in Blue Stone. Korbal, on the other hand . . .
DeleteI wondered if there might be 'special' crystals hidden in the walls of Salaisus. Maybe the Karshak should sing the blue stone.
DeleteI still say that Isily will be of GREAT interest to Korbal. Especially if he likes the blue stuff lol. She is basically just like those blank bodies down in Korbal's lab.
DeleteYeah Min really needs to start exploring the properties of Bluestone. The think that interests me is that if Snowstone is tied to Vibrant life energy what is blue stone linked to. That sounds like a screw up somehow because with its resonance with necromancy that implies necromantic energy came into play when blue stone was created.
DeleteWhat happened the the crystal with the human pattern Min got from the ghost rock?
ReplyDeleteIt's in his sock drawer. He'll remember it, eventually.
DeleteFirst, enjoyed quite a lot. Aside the delivery SNAFU, that is.
ReplyDeleteSome notes:
The Snowstone sales for Vundel will get interesting. Even if Minalan has to sell larger chunks of Sevendor, the question is what he'll ask as payment? Raising Perwyn back to surface or even salvaging it's infrastructure?
Also, an interesting point: Snowstone is based on transformed Silicon atoms and Bluestone is based on transformed Calcium atoms. What other elements in "lesser table of elements" could be transformed and what kind of effects would they have? Something for the Bouleiterion to ponder late at evening while smoking in front of fireplace and sipping wine. Likewise, what results could one get by processing snowstone (or bluestone) into pure Silicon or Calcium?
If Alya has magical potential and the Handmaiden is using Minalan as a model, it would logically follow that the Handmaiden will see Alya's lack of Rajira as "damage to be corrected". I'd give it better than even odds that Alya will end up with a high-grade Rajira...
I'm also pretty certain, given the public knowledge at least among the Magi, that as Irionite is crystallized Kellisarth sap there are already several clandestine human alchemical research projects to reverse-engineer the process. Although someone noted that the process of creating Irionite takes a century in specific conditions, someone in Sevendor Bouleiterion and/or Stench Guild would simply see that as a challenge ("Any possibility that we could manipulate the passage of time itself inside a Hoxter pocket?") Success in that little project would be rather destabilizing in political sense...
Any knowledge about the immortality-seeking cult in pre-Conquest Wenshar or magical attempts at human life extension in general? Human life in Callidore is generally nasty, short and brutish, but it would be interesting to see if there were some results.
(eg. "The Wenshari meditations. A Somewhat obscure regimen of diet, health exercises and meditations practiced by some mages to retard physical aging. Not very popular as the regimen is rather involved and only slows the physiological aging by 30-40%, but I wonder what results we could now get with Irionite? Also, the Necromantic Sacrifice, quite rightfully suppressed by both Magocracy and Censorate: Turn your physiological clock back a year or two with the power of human sacrifice...")
many a island sunk cause idiots didnt heed the obvious warnings >.>
DeleteJust had a though when reading this. Lord Aeretas said irionite takes a century to make but what part of the process takes so long. Using advanced tekka is it possible to make artificial irionite? Something for Min to ponder when he brings the forgotten back.
DeleteJust finished the book. Now I need to reread to settle everything in place. I would request novellas concerning the wizards that were sparsly mentioned. Alurra, ron, tyn, pen,ruddy, dara. The birth of the triplets ect. The story was great. But I'd like to know how the different apprentices are doing in there training. Dont forget Gareth and Fes
ReplyDeleteYou have given these characters appeal don't leave them hanging. They would make great side stories. But wow! Great story!!! This book just widened the story. Oh my Gods, you have enough to write until you're a hundred and ten. Thanks.
What happened to Noutha? After the raid we hear nothing about her.
ReplyDeleteNoutha will accompany her father to the Royal Court, for a few months, before she takes assignment elsewhere. She dislikes politics in general, and seeks action. Her exposure to the Royal Court does nothing to improve her disposition. Nor is she particularly liked by either Grendine or the Family, considering her association with both Korbal and Minalan.
DeleteI enjoy the banter between her and Tyndal. The annoyance she and Hance had at everyone else during the raid for all talking.
DeleteThe one thing I have been having trouble with since rereading the books from the beginning is the Mind to Mind communication. Originally when Penny came up with the system it was using the links that all their stones had to one another because they came from the same stone originally.
ReplyDeleteThat worked all the way up to when the Alka started giving Min their stones that had no connection to the stones they had been using. Min's Witch Sphere was okay since it was made from 2-3 of the captured stones. As soon as the that went away and he had to switch to an Alkan stone, how was he able to still communicate with the network of captured stones?
You're right, I never went into that because it wasn't terribly interesting for the story. But essentially once the Emissaries and Onranion got more involved, they were able to help Pentandra adapt the Alka Alon version of the spell to all bearers of irionite. It takes that much power to manage the link . . . unless one is a sport Talent with that power.
DeleteThat is good to know, I always thought it was Pentandra and of the thaumatologists adapted the gurvan spell.
DeleteThanks! That had really been bothering me for a bit.
DeleteI had come up with a theory that maybe it was the Cleansing property of Min's stone. maybe he was putting all the new stones in contact with his and it forged the link that way lol. Your way sounds easier ;)
So just want to say first loved the book.
ReplyDeleteSpoilers (down below).
My favourite plot lines in the book so far has to be Dara potential matchs (ser fes, one of baron Arathanial son or gearth though the latter is unlikely since Ishi herself would have to get involved to memd/build bridges)
One thing I do hope is explored in the next books is how much grearth is nearly immune to ishi's influence because if he can become like that depending on circumstances, what other spheres can one become more resistant too ?.
What I am curious about is what are the two others dukes thinking about what recently happened in the kingdom. (Dragons attacks,heir's diying, oh and war with Korbal since he killed quite a few importent people) because the only thing we get in this book is that ex-censors are trying to get war started against Min's barony. And what the ex-censors are doing in those two dukes because if enough magical shenanigans happen in their lands I'm hoping/guessing they are going to try to find out what's going on by either asking the arcane orders or spying likely both.
When will the next be out ? Because where you left it got excited for the next book. ( especially if Min does bring down the surviving humans with their tech from Horizon plus the cultural shock alone is getting me hyped for the future implication of bring them down (plus explaining the gods are going to be fun especially ishi amd herus).
(Though just realised one of the cadet novels could easily be from the POV of one of the young human from Horizon)
I also would like to know what the deal is with the other 2 duchies. It seems Vore is a joke to everyone but Merwyn was the seat of power for the Magocrisy after Perwyn sank. From the story of Checkered Past, there is already things afoot that can lead to more fighting strength for Min
DeleteAs far as Gareth I think Ish I is already working on that one with the kasari sky rider Mattie(?) Because ishi smirked that he "was only just in her influence still" and we get from one of the last conversations with Dara that Nattie might have a crush on Gareth.
DeleteI saw that ray of hope.. love too ^^
DeleteIshi is off to the west lands. Min needs to follow in the next year with Briga to replicate the snowstone spell. The area is not heavily populated. Exchange the coral for several help against Korbal. Since the snowstone is helping the coral reefs grow which adds to the magosphere will create more wizards, power, and off course more conflict.
ReplyDeleteAnother thought, if the handmaiden is treating both min and alya maybe a long life expectancy will come with.
Next, a reread. I miss so much the first time through. Excellent story! So much going on in this book. Rest recoup and do what you enjoy. I'm sure outlining the next 10 books will lead to a few short stories offered in 2018. It will just be too tempting and of course your fans would love a taste or two of life on Calladore.
Thanks Terry
I want to know where he is going to get a pregnant woman to go along with his Snowstone experiments!
DeleteI am wondering if Ishi is working on getting the Warmages married and helping keep up a lusty life to create heirs with strong talents coming...I am sure that somewhere in there Min will learn to recreate the snowstone affect...also wasn't there something in one of the other books about him making the Anvil proof against undead?? I can see a lot happening with him out there:
Deleteaeries with sky riders
magical weapons moving forward at great speed,
better war constructs
more powerful weapons -
Magical weapons for non-talented warriors
More Transgenics for other helpful animals
to name a few.
Really interested in seeing how the Anvil develops...but looks like that is out in 2019. :(
the seer told Penny that they would find a way to keep the undead away from the anvil - permanently ^.^
DeleteIf the Handmaiden is repairing Alya it seems entirely plausible that she will get pregnant again. I suppose the whole thing depends on how important Min and Alya's biology was to the spell.
DeletePlus, maybe in a short story you can give some interaction with the people at Vanador. Penney, Gareth, Allura, Arborn, tyn, Ron etc. Why did Penney give birth in the hedge witch cot? Oh my God's Terry there is so much more to delve into during the period Necromancer takes place! You did that on purpose! By Briga's hot cakes and griddle you keep us salivating.
ReplyDeleteA point on the mass of stone. A 3000 tons of basalt would take up a volume of 11x11x11 yards3 (10.3x10.3x103 m3). A volume of a small mountain as described as a quarter of a mile at the base (~400 m) and if assumed to be only about 100 yards (91 m) high would have a mass of about 13 million tons.
ReplyDeletethe mountain was hollow!
DeleteMaybe mountain was an exageration - could have been a hill. Or maybe they just took a slice of the mountain. I agree however that point needs clarification I had been calculating the thing myself.
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ReplyDeleteMe not MA
DeleteI always took that part of book 1 to mean that Min was descended from the some of the first Archmages. Since they retired to where his mother was from.
Deleteor the son of a baker was the son of a baker ^^ (dont get me wrong, but this would only matter if Min has to be some descendant in order to bring the forsaken back or to open some vault. I say this because Min is a normal guy, talented but normal and his dedication to humanity made him THE Spellmonger. Azar and the others follow him because of that and he felt betrayed by the Arolin because he had to wonder if he really is so dedicated)
DeleteI was thinking about this a few days ago. It WOULD make a difference if the first line of Archmages used Blood Coral in their toys. We saw the effectiveness of the stuff when Rardine proved her bloodline with her mother. I would think that the early Magocrisy made use of it as well. I have been thinking about the early tales Min recounted of the Archmage and some kind of sentient staff. That would be a good thing to recover!
Deletethey dont need to recover it, its been in some palace in Vore since the Magiocrazy fell ^- (the palace of the arch magi I think, but not sure about that)
DeleteIts been mentioned early on in regards to the order of the secret tower (the staff of the arch magi thats been created by the first arch magi and the last guy to use it was the last arch magi that tried to use it to creat defender of the empire (a sentinent sword or something)
Yeah, I think they said it is in the tower that is all that remains of Perwyn since it was on the top of the mountain there. Obviously sans Ironite. I wonder if it was a hybrid? maybe part tech and part magic.
Deleteguess we will pick up on this at least a few books later? (I dont see the forsaking coming into play while the Spellmonger is in exile, but lets not assume anything yet)
DeleteConsidering how the Nemavorti proved that normal yellow knot corral is very "unloyal" I would expect more magi to start using blood coral. I would be requesting a mound of the stuff the next time that landspeaker comes calling.
DeleteDon't forget Min was not paid in just gold & silver for his first Mountain. It got kinda brushed over with the panic over the hole in the ground and the cash, but there were a large amount of glass spheres that contained . . .stuff. lol. I would bet Min already has a good supply of Blood Coral now!
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DeleteYeah I saw that he got a mix of stuff in corals as payment. However if they are going to have to start putting the stuff in everything that they make I'd say they will use it all up very quickly.
DeleteStill Digesting this wonderful book!
ReplyDeleteDoes any one else think that Min may have made a miscalculation in showing off the wonders of Sevendor to Count Moron ehem I mean Moran?
It was so early in the book when Ruderal warns us that he is super evil and truly hates Sevendor. By the end he had appeared many times and always seemed so reasonable and on Min's side. I wonder though why someone so important would make a trip in person to Sevendor anyway. Especially in a time when the Mirror Message Arrays are in such wide spread use.
Pretty sure that the exile was set up so that either the Prince or the Count (more likely) wants to take Sevendor for themselves. If not to live in then to own the valuable resources at least.
I think if that's the case someone has bitten off more than they can chew. Someone has no idea the power arcane or political the high magi can wield.
DeleteI figured though he said he railed against any form of punishment Count Moran was the instigator of the exile so he can either take control or destroy seven for more easily.
DeleteBut it's only for 3 years and then he has to deal with Min...I am sure that Sire Cei will keep things status quo. Plus with the ways, do we really think that Min is going to follow those rules???
DeleteI know, right?
DeleteCei is the one I am worried about! Sure he is the unmovable object ready for an unstoppable force, but his honor being as it is, I doubt they would come at him from the front.
DeleteI don't know...a National Hero, an extremely well respected knight, multiple Liege's...it will be hard for them to do too much to him. I am not sure about all the rules that affect a domain whose lord was exiled, but if they don't fear Min and Respect Cei...they are in for some really big surprises. Plus Banamor has all but promised to do the dirty work that needs to be done for Min, there's a slowly awakening Snow Flake in the basement that is watching things, the Tera Alon have an expressway to Sevendor now ... I pity the fool that try's to take advantage of Min being gone. It will be interesting to see what they try and what happens to them when they do....can't wait for 2019. Please oh Please Terry, can it be Jan 1, 2019?? A nice New Year's Present to your loyal fans??
DeleteOne thing I see is though we never see Cei moving things in the back ground doesn't mean he does not. Look at how many times he has read a political situation and put Min down the right path with a word of advice. I think Cei is a lot craftier than we see from Min's POV.
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DeleteAnother interesting thing is that as Count Palatine doesn't Min have the ability to declare war again other nations on his own now - does this mean that given an excuse he could attack Tavard as the Count of the Magelaw?
DeleteNoticed with shadow mage but did not think about until Lord Aratas mentioned that the water used to be clean enough to drink, but what happens to all the peasants and cities that rely on the Poros for water with all the filth in the lake. It was mentioned at the end of Highmage about the flooding and goblin corpses but the filth should not have stopped since the lake is still filthy.
ReplyDeleteAlso where is Korbal getting all the "filth" to keep the lake polluted with how much fresh water keeps flowing through it would be hard to maintain the filthy state in the local area.
lots of dead corpses still around decaying probably helps a lot in that department. It's not like he likes keeping many "live" people around.
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Deleteover 90.000 groblins died in that lake, so the eco system seems fucked to the moon (give or take a few siegeworms and trolls)
DeleteFollowed by a huge wave that helped flood the low lands which would have dragged a good majority down river.
Deletewe dont know how much water was pushed out of the lake (the lake-level has risen, remember?). But you are right, lots of corpses must have flown down river but even 1000 (1/90) corpses would poisen any stagnant water without ridiculous high salt levels.
DeleteTrue, still curious how the poisoned river source affects the Poros down river.
Deletehttps://i.imgur.com/cYmXc.jpg
Deletethats the idea in my head ^-
(I just SEE some noble idiot believing that crap)
Yep love that comic
DeleteWe need a good map to be sure but they have said the area north of the poras is depopulated and hasn't recovered in the two years since they took over the city so their are probably not to many people counting on it.
DeleteI don't remember reading that, looks like another reread poor me. ;p
DeleteWhich book was that in?
Keep in mind that this isn't stagnant water its an active waterway. My point being that to permanently poison the water downstream would possible require more corpses than that if there is water constantly flowing through the waterways. Also how long would it take for the bodies to rot / be consumed? We know alot of fish died but did the laid eggs all die too and how far did the ecological damage extend?
Delete“All life is an unforeseen consequence,” boy will the nobility be pissed when forsaken return.
ReplyDeletejust take the forsaken POV: We have nobility now?
DeleteI know it may be trivial, but it stuck with me and I reread the section where Dranus was leaving to try to see if I missed something - and still apparently may have missed it. What was the "grand gift" mentioned that Minalin to Dranus early in the book? Did the conversation count as that visit?
ReplyDelete"When the retainer in question is making the jump from Baronial Court Wizard to Count and member of the peerage, the occasion merits a grand gift and an extended personal visit."
Wow! And Wow! I’ve read it twice so far, and Wow! There is a lot of information there. I will probably want to read it again after I take a break. But Wow! Thank you Terry, truly enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteOverall, enjoyed the book as much as the rest.
ReplyDeleteNot sure I like the journey into Spelljammer territory...
We shall see.
Trust me. I know what I'm doing.
Deletelol, Spelljammer was great!
DeleteHey,Terry i really like the book any chance at a early Christmas present.
ReplyDeleteYour books just inspire thoughts for more books. How about a short story about Tarek at Greenflowerand his investigation there? More information about the other world. I know you are working on other projects but maybe that could be on your list for a minor work. Rereading Necromancer, I'm finding stuff that didn't register as significant the first and second reading.
ReplyDeleteJust out of curiosity has the Spellmonger series inspired any Fan Fiction?
DeleteI just reread necromancer and i am wondering what could the handmaiden be actually doing to Min and Alya. Is she making them more like the tera alon or some other powerful race that the sea folk had encountered. Either way i assume that magic is going to become mor natural for min an Alya is going to become some sort of mage. Maybe an avatar for the celestial mother since Alya is essentially the mother of sevendor. This would balance out Min nicely whos on the way becoming a sort of demigod.
ReplyDeleteSecondly there are two dragons. I speculate that each will be work the lord and lady of sevendor.
Anyway just my 2 cents.
Has anyone else noticed that all the chapter break pictures of the "Sevendor Snowflake" only has six points? I guess being that this book has a lot less if the INSANE amounts of editing errors that almost make these books unreadable, I can let it pass. Lol
ReplyDelete