originally posted by Scott Richard Perry
Hello Janny, don't know if you remember I am the guy reading the series back to back, currently 3/4 of the way through Traitor's Knot right now and looking forward to Stormed Fortress. If you don't mind indulging my curiosity I have a couple of questions:
1) In one book, don't remember which Dakar had a prophetic vision where he saw Arithon draw a sword on a unicorn, is this something you plan on exploring in a later book?
2) In Curse of the Mistwraith it states something like 200 or 300 years of conflict between light and shadow, being as so far I've read through only, I calculate 37 years, how is this going to be possible?
3) In an earlier book Traithe revoked the hold Morriel had on Elaira's amethyst, does this suggest in reality Morriel/Seldie in actuality has little to no power over Elaira through the great waystone, such as turning an initiate witless for example?
4) Asandir excorcised Lysaer's right under the compact, other than now being unable to call upon fellowship intervention (unlikely in the first place), are there any other consequences that should be apparent? Perhaps I noted Lysaer's demeanor developed a more hardend edge after this event?
Now to address just a couple of points that aren't really criticism more observations:
1) Sometimes I find it difficult to comprehend the nuances of magic ritual in the series, I suppose this is the point in making magic a mysterious thing in the world?
2) I thought the grey cult and necromancy in general seamed to appear from nowhere in the story, the only hint of foreshadowing I could detect was where Sethvir was in the infirmary and spoke to the witch woman that carried a cursed wand. To be honest I thought it was going the way of a corrupt trade guild manipulating the light for their own ends as the main atongonists, especially where Mearn was clinging to the side of the keep in Avenor and overheard Koshlin. There again I suppose the point of a secretive cult is to stay secretive since they can hide behind their 'meat puppets'.
Thanks once again for these fabulous stories Janny, I can say beyond a shadow of doubt you are my favourite fantasy fiction author I have read to date.
Hi Scott Richard Perry - thanks for checking back in. I think you are still the only reader I've heard of, who is plunging through the series back to back, and I find that exciting in many ways.
You Asked - and where it will not spoil, I will do my best to answer.
Points 1 and 2 will definitely be answered as the series progresses.
Point 3 - Elaira's crystal is quartz, and Luhaine only reversed the Koriaithain's longevity bindings…replacing them with a Fellowship working. This means, Elaira's quartz is not involved with her lengthened life span, and no threat to that can happen if something befell her quartz. She will live, independently, of that crystal, a fact that the Prime is not aware of (presuming the original working to be still intact). This small intervention (which is explained at the time, as within bounds of Fellowship precepts) has nothing to do with her initiate's oath, which was sworn over a major focus crystal. The initiate's oaths do not invoke the personal crystals, but the master crystal itself.
Point 4 will also be apparent as the series progresses.
I appreciate your post!
The magic is very intricate, but not meant to be opaque - what is presented as surface mystery is usually explained deeper, later. This trend will continue.
Necromancy - they are indeed a very secretive cult, but they were mentioned as a major problem (if a background one) as early as Vol. I. The hints of foreshadowing are there, but quite intentionally subtle.
Have fun with the rest of the books!
originally posted by Lyssabits
I did a full re-read of the series just before Traitor's Knot came out. 
(I think, I can't really remember when I did it, just that I did one within the last 4 years coz I remember reading them at the lab.) I didn't do it again this time, but I did re-read Traitor's Knot before Stormed Fortress, since that was the only book I hadn't read more than once, it was the one I remembered the least. I think I did a full re-read just before Peril's Gate too but I had a lot more time on my hands then when I was a student. I've certainly read the whole series (less the last two books) at least 3 times. I've probably read Ships of Merior more often than that, but that is my favorite book in the series.