The Vineart War discussion thread

[lagilman]

Should anyone care to indulge, this is where discussion of any of the books individually, or the trilogy as a whole, will occur. Questions, squees, comments, complaints (keep it polite, please).

This will be a spoiler-heavy zone: You Have Been Warned.



[I have turned off the usual log-in requirements, but anyone who posts as anonymous (without signing their name to the end of their post) may get ignored, since we have no idea who is talking. That's fair, yes?]

Comments

[mt-yvr.livejournal.com]

I meant to come here earlier but I was filming stuff this morning. So this is the first chance I got to get here.

(looks around)

Are the cookies for us or...? Hmm? What? Oh. Review.

I loved it. I hate you for ending the series this way. In that lovehatelove way that one does when one is enjoying a series/trilogy... and it ends.

I liked that certain aspects of the series stuck out with reviewers. I'm saddened they didn't see the opportunity that the discussion presented. Specifically I saw a lot of people complaining about the slavery aspect of the world.

Considering the number of genre books that treat it as a stat in the makeup of a character "five foot nine, bald, was a slave, likes chocolate"? That you moved it front and center of things, made it something you can't just gloss over? I quite enjoyed that. Slavery is not fun or pleasant. Why people think the idea of writing a fantasy with that in it would make you feel good is beyond me.

I'm glad it got people thinking about it and having opinions on it. But that's me.

I loved the magic system. I wish I drank wine. (sad face) It'd kill me if I did, but I almost want to try some. ;)

In all I hope you write more in that world, it's interesting and has a lot of area to play in. (coughcough) Caul magics come to mind (coughcough)

I loved it. Think you did great. Solid series, solid read.

[signeh.livejournal.com]

Amazon delivered it yesterday; I'm about a third of the way through, and loving it!

[lagilman]

yeah - there was a number of readers who were offended that I created a culture where slavery was such a matter-of-fact aspect, and people who felt I should have made a bigger deal of it, if I was going to use it at all... and some people who said I 'dropped' it from the books entirely, after the first, ignoring the fact that Jrzy's slave status was the basis of everything he did or thought (and that his friends had no idea what he was trying to fight through).

It's hard to be a hero - or a leader - when you've been taught to stay out of trouble, keep your head down, and just do what's known to be safe.....

[my kindle stuff (from livejournal.com)]

Interesting that someone would object to the slavery aspect when it was integral to the story. It's like someone complaining about a pantheon of gods instead of the christian idea of deity. ...weird...

I was also feeling wine envy so I had a glass in homage. Although I am embarrassed to say I know NOTHING about wine.

I know the series has ended, but you wouldn't get any complaints to me about any stories in that world. IMO, the system of magic is too unique, original and just plain awesome to never revisit.

..just sayin...

[lagilman]

It doesn't look as though there will be any more books in that world, but don't give up all hope yet.... :-)


The complaints were not that they objected to slavery (although some did) but that they didn't like the way it was handled (either I should have portrayed it as a bad thing, or that I should have shown Jerzy et all being more scarred by their time as slaves).

It's a delicate topic, and one I knew was going to push buttons. Ironically, nobody's made a comment about what happened to the vine-mage's slaves...