Heh, yeah, I kinda figured, but still entertaining. I had the same issue, and had to kill a lot of people very quickly before my story went over 15k.
The 2018 (First Ever!) Sequel Solstice: A Midsummer Night's Game!
- Thread starter J. A. Rama
- Start date
Heh, yeah, I kinda figured, but still entertaining. I had the same issue, and had to kill a lot of people very quickly before my story went over 15k.
Raakael's Basilisk by Albedo
*Injects story in vein*
Yeah, I'm an Albedo fan, this one definitely brought the darkness, surrealism, originality, and philosophical heft that I crave. The story's darkness is cut with a perceptible humor, especially near the end as Raakael turns out not to be as absolutely in control as he perceives. A bit of Iain Banks, a bit of M John Harrison, and totally original and weird. I'm kinda jealous now, if I'm gonna keep participating in contests feature The Vulture, I'll have to up my game.
Rating: Seven Hundred Sixty Seven
*Injects story in vein*
Yeah, I'm an Albedo fan, this one definitely brought the darkness, surrealism, originality, and philosophical heft that I crave. The story's darkness is cut with a perceptible humor, especially near the end as Raakael turns out not to be as absolutely in control as he perceives. A bit of Iain Banks, a bit of M John Harrison, and totally original and weird. I'm kinda jealous now, if I'm gonna keep participating in contests feature The Vulture, I'll have to up my game.
Rating: Seven Hundred Sixty Seven
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*is compared to favourite author*
*just about dies*
Thanks for the kind reviews, you lot.
I'm often afflicted with the little voice that tells me what I write is utterly barmy nonsense. Hearing that it's coherent enough to even review means a lot to me in terms of motivation. I swear, though, next time I'm writing light and fluffy. LIGHT AND FLUFFY. I have so much lightness and fluffiness to give the world!
*just about dies*
Thanks for the kind reviews, you lot.
I'm often afflicted with the little voice that tells me what I write is utterly barmy nonsense. Hearing that it's coherent enough to even review means a lot to me in terms of motivation. I swear, though, next time I'm writing light and fluffy. LIGHT AND FLUFFY. I have so much lightness and fluffiness to give the world!
Thank you! The heist genre was an ambitious choice and I wasn't sure I could pull it of. But once I had the idea to go a little Ocean's Eleven, it was very hard not go for it. I had great fun with fitting the three prompts together and then turning them on their head a little and I'm glad it worked.
And then I look at your avatar and think 'Suuuure. trying to lull people in a false sense of security, eh?"
I still have an unfinished piece somewhere about a murderous unicorn that got ensnared unintentionally and now wants revenge on anything it can sink its horn in. Oh yes, all light and fluffy, them unicorns.
Sure you are. I think I might be the only one of the lot of us that got anywhere near light and fluffy. (light and fluffy is my stock in trade)
I still have an unfinished piece somewhere about a murderous unicorn that got ensnared unintentionally and now wants revenge on anything it can sink its horn in. Oh yes, all light and fluffy, them unicorns.
I've read more stories about unicorns being nasty, evil creatures than I have about them being light and fluffy. *G* That long pointy horn on their forehead isn't there for decoration, you know. And for the record - I would totally read that story, FF!
I mean, any animal that can win a fight against a dragon 100% of the time is no joke.
Exactly!
Your new avvie....
(how does your gorgeous dog feel about being replaced?)
I swear, I am capable of it. Like, it will probably still contain a statutory minimum of disembowellings, but it will be much lighter in tone. You can only wallow in unrelenting misery so long without a breather.
*sigh* I haven’t had time to do any reading I hope to get to it this week though!
With all of the reviews everything sounds spectacular, let alone the tempting excerpts from everyone! Just gonna dive in and read straight through!
I hope to get to it this week though! With all of the reviews everything sounds spectacular, let alone the tempting excerpts from everyone! Just gonna dive in and read straight through!
Hah, and here I was thinking I was being original, having mostly read the other sort of unicorn-stories.
Might dust if off one of these days now that the soltice swaps have energised me a little, I stopped writing it back then because it was turning darker than the sort of stuff I wanted to write, but after this last swap, I think I can probably take it now.
Just a bump to the thread to let everyone who's stories I haven't gotten to yet, that I haven't forgotten, just life stuff has gotten the better of me and I promise to get to them somewhat soon.
I probably just need a few more gallons of the Lord's good stuff
I probably just need a few more gallons of the Lord's good stuff
*sigh* I haven’t had time to do any reading
With all of the reviews everything sounds spectacular, let alone the tempting excerpts from everyone! Just gonna dive in and read straight through!
Isn't it 'fun' when RL gets in the way? Hope you get some time for reading soon.
Hah, and here I was thinking I was being original, having mostly read the other sort of unicorn-stories.
*g* I think unicorns being nasty, vicious creatures is far more interesting. I read one story where the unicorns were partnered with mages, and the unicorns were renown for having filthy minds and a very bawdy sense of humour. *g* (the story was actually m/m romance, but the unicorns were great!)
I have not managed to get any story reading done for a couple of weeks now. I was meant to be working on a fanfic and my 'epic' fantasy story, but then a quasi-historical idea jumped up and grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go, so I've spent the last week or so researching, so I have a basic idea of what really happened... and can figure out what will change for my story. Sometimes I think my muse has a very malicious sense of humour. I don't DO historicals. The last time I tried, I got too overwhelmed with the facts and trying to find out exactly how things worked. *sigh*
Just a bump to the thread to let everyone who's stories I haven't gotten to yet, that I haven't forgotten, just life stuff has gotten the better of me and I promise to get to them somewhat soon.
I probably just need a few more gallons of the Lord's good stuff
Right. So close to getting them all reviewed, gotta get back to it.
I'm finally back on track with no distractions until the next Sisyphus. Don't get bogged down in research Jay, its the tool of the devil (or at least the Writer's Devil).
Same here. I WILL be sending a note to everyone once I've read your stories, I promise! Hopefully I'll get the chance over the next few days.
I had to travel to NY, was in a place with no internet for over a week but I'm back now! I've read about half the stories and I'm going to slowly trickle in the reviews. You guys are so talented.
The Passenger is Here by Kevin Bartolotta was full of deep writing and world building. Plus dangerous jazz music. The plot is layered, so while at first you think you know who the big bad is, you soon realize that we are fighting an immortal myth, not an actual villain. It's surreal, which adds to the oddity, which really pulls the reader in deeply. At times the main character isn't sure who he is. The characters go through so many changes, and there's a lingering question of if they're the savior or the devil. It almost seems that every character is the prisoner, yet none are at all. Regardless, The Passenger is Here is a wonderfully written story.
You guys are so talented. The Passenger is Here by Kevin Bartolotta was full of deep writing and world building. Plus dangerous jazz music. The plot is layered, so while at first you think you know who the big bad is, you soon realize that we are fighting an immortal myth, not an actual villain. It's surreal, which adds to the oddity, which really pulls the reader in deeply. At times the main character isn't sure who he is. The characters go through so many changes, and there's a lingering question of if they're the savior or the devil. It almost seems that every character is the prisoner, yet none are at all. Regardless, The Passenger is Here is a wonderfully written story.
Heh, I think that's what I was going for. But thank you Blinkk (yay!). One of these days I'm going to go back and rewrite it, a few more drafts can't hurt. Thing that scares me, besides the fact that it was a bit of a depressing story, is the fact that it's just screaming to be a full novel. So it's gotta get in line.
omg I feel you. I read certain passages and I was just thinking, "If Kev had more time, I bet this part would've been expanded. I can just feel it." There were so many layers happening. If you do expand it, I would love to read the next part you come up with.
Oh God no, I just came up with a ton of ideas to expand it last night and had to cram them down as hard as possible. Why brain, why?
But I wish I would have spent more time on the human sacrifice scene, which is a common issue with all my writing.
I'm still alive and kicking! Just couldn't get to any reading for a while, but I'm back now with a hot take on justobuddies' King's Prison: It's good folks. As justobuddies has said, it's not quite finished, but that doesn't mean it's not fascinating. It's a great framework for a lot of cool WTH moments and stories within a story. My favorite is the people who've been alive for centuries in a labyrinthine prison--it reminded me of a book I read from the Deathgate Cycle when I was in high school. I was dragged in and enjoying all the little, horrifying details when I noticed I was at the end of the scroll bar. I want more!
Did someone just mention Deathgate in this thread?
*Goes on nostalgia trip so hard he come out of it a fundamentally different person*
Zifnab is an anagram of Fizban.
(BTW, which book were you thinking of? The third or the fifth one?)
Uh oh. I've misled you. As an oblivious lad of fifteen, I was looking for fantasy books in the school library one day when I stumbled across a book called Elven Star. It checked all the genre boxes, so I read it, never bothering to look at anything but the title and cover image. One of the upsides to having terrible reading comprehension at the time is I had no idea I was reading a sequel. Or maybe that says something about how much fantasy books ask their readers to accept at face value. Either way, I've only read the second book, and one of the few things I remember is people scrounging around in a labyrinth, something about trees, and swords made of wood.
I've always meant to go back and read the entire series from book one, but I've never gotten around to it.