Martyn Stanley's Blog - Posts Tagged "free-thinker"
The Deathsworn Arc Divides Opinion
I was a little saddened today after having received a fairly cutting review of both of my Deathsworn Arc books currently available.
A 'Michelle' reviewed book 1 here:-
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And book 2 here:-
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Her review of book 1 reads as follows:-
"As conventional as fantasy gets but not unenjoyable. The tropes are familiar but not grating. There is a thing or two that is unique enough and the relationships feel surprisingly candid. Not sorry I spent the time to read it but won't be memorable."
I can't really complain about this. The points of interest in book 1 are:-
1. Brael's 'Truth'
2. Vashni and Korhan's interactions
3. The Heartstones
Yes, there's a bit of moral philosophy, some world-building and some explanation of magic and 'whispering'. I don't really see any of these things as strikingly unique but that wasn't my intention. I really wanted to establish the characters as a group of strangers thrown together, getting to know each other as the quest unfolds. I also wanted to establish the characters as having a pragmatic approach to life and morality - though from different angles.
I suppose, I could say this review is indicative of how I see 'The Deathsworn Arc' I see 'The Last Dragon Slayer' as the tip of the iceberg, just bobbing visibly above the water. The meat of the thing is still largely in my head and somewhat hidden. It's only really in books 2, 3 and 4 that you start to peer beneath the waves and see the shape of the thing.
This brings me to Michelle's review of book 2:-
"Misery. Layers and layers of misery. The team moves from one horror to another all the while losing their religion. I hated this book and am sorry to have spent the time to read it."
This is pretty cutting, I can't feel too bad about this though, because this is precisely what I was aiming for in book 2. It's a dark book, there's a great deal more danger and peril in 'The Verkreath Horror'. The loss of faith is important. It's made more poignant by the horrors the companions face in the warren. Despite the groups losses in book 1, they emerged triumphant and perhaps feeling a little invincible. They are not, they are all extraordinary warriors, but they are vulnerable. I needed to portray this in book 2, to increase the impact of 'The Truth' Michelle hated it, but it's a book which is supposed to be a rocky ride. I suppose I'm even trying to evoke some sympathy for the companions in the reader. They don't have a great time. Even at the end, the future looks grimmer than it would otherwise have, given the revelation of 'The Truth'.
I hate to say it but Michelle has understood the book fully and has captured the spirit of the book very well. It's powerful, it's a strong book - but it's not a fluffy fairies, happy land tale.
So where does the story go in book 3? Do things get better for the companions?
Maybe, maybe a bit. None of them easily comes to term with 'The Truth' they perhaps don't entirely believe it. When they eventually make it to Cormaroth, they have a new companion, who reinforces their belief in the 'The Truth'. The religious establishment in Cormaroth - the Isharian church will obviously NOT like 'The Truth' and will seek to suppress it. Korhan and Vashni's relationship will develop, Vashni's, Votrex's, and Saul's pasts will be explained more thoroughly. A theme which begins to come into play is the theme of religious oppression and the evil that men will do in the name of religion.
So how does this stand? Who is not going to like the series? If you are a devout, fundamentalist Christian or Jihadist, Extremist Muslim, or Scientologist or Hard-line Jew, you are not going to enjoy Deathsworn Arc. I am being honest here, I didn't write the books to offend you, but I didn't write them for your enjoyment. I write them for free-thinkers, skeptics, agnostics, people with an interest in theology as a phenomenon, rather than as a fact and a way of life.
Torea is NOT our world. Yes, the Isharian Church, the Savti, Orion, Avanti, Lucian the Deceiver and the dwarfish god Etheron have their parallels in our world. Yes the people of Torea would like to take their seat in Kirkfell after death, and fear Avanti and the spectres of the abyss. But Torea is Torea and Earth is Earth. I am interested in religion, but I'm atheist, I'm atheist through and through. If I was shown convincing, repeatable, observable and measurable evidence that there was a god, I might choose to believe. As a rational person I find the web of religions and gods throughout human history to be perplexing - how can any person decide their religion is the true one religion? And all the others are made up?
Why would a supreme being capable of creating reality itself, be really interested in how a bunch of hair-less, semi-aquatic apes on one tiny planet, in one tiny solar system, of one tiny galaxy in possibly a multitude of universes spend their time?
I can't rationalize it, anyway I look at it, creationism in any religion makes no sense at all. If you are creationist, I invite you give 'The Deathsworn Arc' a miss, because you won't enjoy it.
A 'Michelle' reviewed book 1 here:-
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And book 2 here:-
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Her review of book 1 reads as follows:-
"As conventional as fantasy gets but not unenjoyable. The tropes are familiar but not grating. There is a thing or two that is unique enough and the relationships feel surprisingly candid. Not sorry I spent the time to read it but won't be memorable."
I can't really complain about this. The points of interest in book 1 are:-
1. Brael's 'Truth'
2. Vashni and Korhan's interactions
3. The Heartstones
Yes, there's a bit of moral philosophy, some world-building and some explanation of magic and 'whispering'. I don't really see any of these things as strikingly unique but that wasn't my intention. I really wanted to establish the characters as a group of strangers thrown together, getting to know each other as the quest unfolds. I also wanted to establish the characters as having a pragmatic approach to life and morality - though from different angles.
I suppose, I could say this review is indicative of how I see 'The Deathsworn Arc' I see 'The Last Dragon Slayer' as the tip of the iceberg, just bobbing visibly above the water. The meat of the thing is still largely in my head and somewhat hidden. It's only really in books 2, 3 and 4 that you start to peer beneath the waves and see the shape of the thing.
This brings me to Michelle's review of book 2:-
"Misery. Layers and layers of misery. The team moves from one horror to another all the while losing their religion. I hated this book and am sorry to have spent the time to read it."
This is pretty cutting, I can't feel too bad about this though, because this is precisely what I was aiming for in book 2. It's a dark book, there's a great deal more danger and peril in 'The Verkreath Horror'. The loss of faith is important. It's made more poignant by the horrors the companions face in the warren. Despite the groups losses in book 1, they emerged triumphant and perhaps feeling a little invincible. They are not, they are all extraordinary warriors, but they are vulnerable. I needed to portray this in book 2, to increase the impact of 'The Truth' Michelle hated it, but it's a book which is supposed to be a rocky ride. I suppose I'm even trying to evoke some sympathy for the companions in the reader. They don't have a great time. Even at the end, the future looks grimmer than it would otherwise have, given the revelation of 'The Truth'.
I hate to say it but Michelle has understood the book fully and has captured the spirit of the book very well. It's powerful, it's a strong book - but it's not a fluffy fairies, happy land tale.
So where does the story go in book 3? Do things get better for the companions?
Maybe, maybe a bit. None of them easily comes to term with 'The Truth' they perhaps don't entirely believe it. When they eventually make it to Cormaroth, they have a new companion, who reinforces their belief in the 'The Truth'. The religious establishment in Cormaroth - the Isharian church will obviously NOT like 'The Truth' and will seek to suppress it. Korhan and Vashni's relationship will develop, Vashni's, Votrex's, and Saul's pasts will be explained more thoroughly. A theme which begins to come into play is the theme of religious oppression and the evil that men will do in the name of religion.
So how does this stand? Who is not going to like the series? If you are a devout, fundamentalist Christian or Jihadist, Extremist Muslim, or Scientologist or Hard-line Jew, you are not going to enjoy Deathsworn Arc. I am being honest here, I didn't write the books to offend you, but I didn't write them for your enjoyment. I write them for free-thinkers, skeptics, agnostics, people with an interest in theology as a phenomenon, rather than as a fact and a way of life.
Torea is NOT our world. Yes, the Isharian Church, the Savti, Orion, Avanti, Lucian the Deceiver and the dwarfish god Etheron have their parallels in our world. Yes the people of Torea would like to take their seat in Kirkfell after death, and fear Avanti and the spectres of the abyss. But Torea is Torea and Earth is Earth. I am interested in religion, but I'm atheist, I'm atheist through and through. If I was shown convincing, repeatable, observable and measurable evidence that there was a god, I might choose to believe. As a rational person I find the web of religions and gods throughout human history to be perplexing - how can any person decide their religion is the true one religion? And all the others are made up?
Why would a supreme being capable of creating reality itself, be really interested in how a bunch of hair-less, semi-aquatic apes on one tiny planet, in one tiny solar system, of one tiny galaxy in possibly a multitude of universes spend their time?
I can't rationalize it, anyway I look at it, creationism in any religion makes no sense at all. If you are creationist, I invite you give 'The Deathsworn Arc' a miss, because you won't enjoy it.
