Lost Lore Readalong! discussion

As before, spoilers are welcome, feel free to post your thoughts on the tale after 5th Feb if you come to the Readalong late, feel free to ask any questions :)

Steve:

I haven't had an opportunity yet to read your novels, so I'm wondering if you could give us an idea how this tale fits into your epic. I'd also be interested to hear about your process for choosing this short for the anthology.

Mike wrote: "Steve:

I haven't had an opportunity yet to read your novels, so I'm wondering if you could give us an idea how this tale fits into your epic. I'd also be interested to hear about your process for ..."

For sure, Mike!

So, Sightless tells the story of Maro of the Emerald Road. Maro is a prominent character we meed in Landkist 2: The Emerald Blade. He's a bit of a mysterious figure, and readers really latched onto him as being a compelling, dangerous, sorta good/sorta neutral force unto himself.

His origins are largely hinted at in that novel, as the core Saga is not about him. I found myself just as curious as many readers as to his origins, and what exactly made the somewhat cold, unerring warrior we meet beneath the trees of Center. This story is meant to not only shed light on him, but also to add another wrinkle to the varied ways in which the Sages (the prime antagonizing, crisis-inducing force in the Landkist Saga) have changed the world, and not always in ways readers might expect.

I wanted to go with this character and this setting because most of the Landkist writing to this point has dealt with the heroes of the Valley -- the Embers, Rockbled and the Faey. I wanted to try hitting one of the other lands, and seeing what defines a hero in a place as violent and unforgiving as the Emerald Road.

(I've constructed the story in such a way that I think it will prove illuminating for people who have read Landkist 2, but will provide welcome background for new readers as well, and might compel them to read the core Saga.)

I'm just dropping in to say how much I enjoyed Steve's story (I had the pleasure of beta reading this bad boy while the anthology was still being put together). Brega Cohr was one of the most intriguing characters from The Emerald Blade, and it was nice to see more of him here, even though he isn't the main protagonist.

I'm a fan of the Landkist novels and feel like they've been improving with each instalment, but it wasn't until I read Steve's short fiction (both this story, and another of his titled 'First Keeper') that I was truly blown away. This bloke has some serious craft; his novels are great, and short stories are definitely his forte too. Keep them coming, Steve!

So I just finished this and I really enjoyed it. I have read The Landkist Saga books and this was a great addition to give more background on Maro and Brega. I really enjoyed the setting of this story, as it was kept to just the required area and I think the Sightless tree is one of the more interesting constructs I have read recently. I enjoyed more background on Maro and can see how he became what he is in Book 2. I also thought the focus on the hero without powers was very nice. Landkist so far has focused mostly on heroes with powers, but this focus on Maro shows how harsh the world is to all those who inhabit it and that someone without Landkist power can have a huge contribution to history. Like Laura, I am a fan of the Landkist novels and I really enjoyed seeing more of Brega before the Emerald Blade. Like Maro it gives some insight into his actions in the Emerald Blade, though Brega was much less mysterious in his motivations.

Question for Steve - How long before the events in The Emerald Blade does this story take place?

Megan wrote: "So I just finished this and I really enjoyed it. I have read The Landkist Saga books and this was a great addition to give more background on Maro and Brega. I really enjoyed the setting of this st..."

Thanks Laura and Megan!

As for timeline, I don't have it exact, but Maro and Brega are implied to be roughly 12-13 or so here, which would place the story about 10-15 years prior to the events of The Emerald Blade. They're in their mid-late 20s in the core Saga.

I'm joining in to say this story was a great introduction to the world of The Landkist Saga. Steven's books have been steadily climbing up Mount TBR, and this has definitely hoisted them to the summit. I really want to know more and Maro and Brega after this!

I just finished and already want to know more about this worlds and its characters. Really intriguing story. Manages to convey some powerful messages.

Question for Steven: Do you recommend reading the First Keeper before Valley of Embers?

Being a fan of the Landkist Saga, I was looking forward to this one. While I enjoyed it, as I have all the Landkist tales so far, I have to admit it's probably my least favorite of the bunch.

It was nice to get more depth for Maro and I especially enjoyed getting more time with Brega, however briefly, but it just didn't draw me in quite as much as Valley of Embers, The Emerald Blade and First Keeper did. It was still an interesting and well told story, though.

Question for Mr. Kelliher: I don't recall Maro being quite so indifferent/outright hostile towards the Willows in the Emerald Blade. Safe to say his time spent protecting/alongside them softened his views a bit? Or am I simply not remembering how he acted towards them well enough?

Samir wrote: "I just finished and already want to know more about this worlds and its characters. Really intriguing story. Manages to convey some powerful messages.

Question for Steven: Do you recommend readin..."

It's certainly not necessary to read First Keeper before Embers, but it certainly sets the table nicely. :)

Bryan wrote: "Being a fan of the Landkist Saga, I was looking forward to this one. While I enjoyed it, as I have all the Landkist tales so far, I have to admit it's probably my least favorite of the bunch.

It w..."

The implication here is that he's essentially been bonded to the Willows through shared sin, violence and the protection of his homeland and people. He doesn't like them when he's a kid because they're somewhat alien, and their elders (those who use their power too much) become the monstrosities he sees in the Sightless tree.

Maro is something of a tragic figure in that he was raised in war and built for it. He takes the burden, and in so doing, he finds that he can accept the Willows aloof and cold demeanors more once he's done a bit of killing himself. That's not a good thing, and isn't meant to be.

I found the fight under the roots quite well done. I have not read the Landkist novels but as a short story I thought the character of Maro very illuminating. A young boy without ties or friendship will make for a taciturn mysterious character in adulthood.

I thought the world that was portrayed at the beginning had a lot of problems. Were the willows, trees? I had to work very hard to try to get the picture that was being painted. And who were the crows? Also, what was the purpose of Brega communing with the tree?

The scenes in the story reminded me so much of the Star Wars second episode where Luke goes into the cave to face himself. A great concept but very much more so with others in there with him and a vastness that was a bit magical. Did that scene in Star Wars inspire this one?

Steven wrote: "The implication here is that he's essentially been bonded to the Willows through shared sin, violence and the protection of his homeland and people..."

Thanks for the answer. Looking back, I do see what you mean. He was/is very much a fairly detached weapon, though he did seem to open up a bit with the Landkist. Still, he remains stuck in the middle of a war set in motion well before he came to be. A tragic figure, indeed.

Brega's much the same, I feel, just on a different side of the same coin. So much hatred instilled in him through the battles and wars and events beyond his control.

Sorry I'm late. I just loved this story! I had already read the first book, Valley of Embers. I was a bit confused as to who Maro was, but since reading the comments, I have to move on to book 2 soon! I love Steven's writing and story telling, and it was no different when it came to this short.

Thanks for the response to Bryan about Maro. I think I can better see how Maro becomes what he is in Book 2 and resolves some of his issues with the Willows. Also, it gives a lot more insight into Brega's hatred and kind of vengeance.

I can see Sandy and Fee's points about being a bit confused. I did not realize while I was reading the short story that I just already knew what Willows and Raiths were. I knew what powers to be afraid of and watch for. I am not sure if this made the story more enjoyable for me or not as I just love the writing style. Also for those of you who liked the first 2 Landkist books, I thought the third was the best so far.

Sandy wrote: "I found the fight under the roots quite well done. I have not read the Landkist novels but as a short story I thought the character of Maro very illuminating. A young boy without ties or friendship..."

Totally get the confusion. The terminology is explained in the core Saga. I basically let the reader try to figure it out in the context of the short, which is meant to be a bit of a fever dream.

I mention the Willows having eyes, standing around, etc., which implies that they're people. Same with the Raiths. Exactly what they are and who they are isn't important to the story. You learn that in Landkist.

I stick to close limited POV, so I'm not one for info dumping. I know some find that frustrating.

As for the SW scene, I'm actually not a fan of the OG trilogy at all. I know. It's a grave sin. So that scene wasn't in my mind.

I struggled through this one. Although it was well-written, I felt completely lost the whole time, and ended up with nothing but questions and confusion. I haven't read the Landkist books, and I think that may have made a big difference in my enjoyment of the story as well as understanding what was going on.

This felt like an epic novel story. Which is good because it had that window into a big interesting world feel to it, but was also bad because I felt like a lot was lost on me not knowing anything about the world. I do have the Valley of Embers on my reader and this did spark my interest in finally getting around to reading it.

I had read the first book in the Landkist Saga (Valley of Embers) before reading the short story, so I think I had a little advantage in being at least used to some of the backstory of the world (Sages at least). I haven't read book 2 yet though, which seems to tie in more closely with this short story.

I liked the story and I thought the protagonist's POV was fairly compelling, but as a few other commenters already said, I felt pretty lost as to what role/what exactly the Willows/Raiths/Sightless played. I guess it doesn't matter for the main focus of the short story but they are mentioned enough that I was left feeling slightly puzzled on those fronts.

Kathryn wrote: "I had read the first book in the Landkist Saga (Valley of Embers) before reading the short story, so I think I had a little advantage in being at least used to some of the backstory of the world (S..."

Definitely understand the confusion. This one pulls most of its lore/references from Book 2. The point is the characters' emotional journey, with that terminology serving as background, but hopefully it makes you curious enough to check out the Book.

Steve! I'm annoyed because I've lost my highlights from this story - wanted to point out some of my favourite passages, but alas...

This was my first dip into the Landkist world, and I dug it - damn, you've got a rich setting going on here :) As many above have already mentioned, the fight scenes were a particular highlight. Can tell your expertise has been put to good use - gripping stuff.