The 2018 (First Ever!) Sequel Solstice: A Midsummer Night's Game!

That was a pretty good one, IIRC, it was set on a world of continent-sized trees. The series had four post-apocalyptic fantasy worlds based on the classic elements, and lots of creatures and concepts slightly tweaked from their Dragonlance series. It was an amazing series to read as a kid, I'm not sure how it holds up as an adult.

That's part of the reason I haven't gone back. It was a mystifying experience as a teenager, and I wonder how well it will hold up to my memory of it, hazy as that memory is.

The maps were really, really sweet tho.

shortstorymachinist said:

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!

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Thanks for the kind words, I do hope to, eventually at least, flush out a full plot for the MC.

Death Gate Cycle you say?

*uses The Google*

Weis and Hickman The Dragonlance Authors. A compliment to be compared to them, even if I haven't read any of their works since middle/high school.

*adds Death Gate Cycle to TBR*

Must read more storiez.

I've not had much time to read recently (just a couple more so far) and am off to this tomorrow morning:

http://www.frightfest.co.uk/

Hopefully life slows down a bit once I'm back!

I ran into internet trouble and couldn't stay online for long that last week so I still need to crack on and still read one or two of the more lengthier works. But I'm getting there.

Fractured Light by Tazlima

Another brave author that found a way to fit all three of the prompts together, as well as someone who who came up with the irresistible premise of post-apocalyptic elves. I felt the constant since of wanting to read on, to discover what unexpected and surprising thing is going to happen next, which is the best feeling in fantasy. I enjoyed the constant mood of ruin and desolation, balanced against a sense of whimsicality and entertaining, lively characters.

Rating: One Mouse Turd (in the best way possible!)

Kjbartolotta said:

Fracture Light by Tazlima

Another brave author that found a way to fit all three of the prompts together, as well as someone who who came up with the irresistible premise of post-apocalyptic elves. I felt the constant since of wanting to read on, to discover what unexpected and surprising thing is going to happen next, which is the best feeling in fantasy. I enjoyed the constant mood of ruin and desolation, balanced against a sense of whimsicality and entertaining, lively characters.

Rating: One Mouse Turd (in the best way possible!)

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Awww! This may be the only time in my life I'm tickled pink to hear my work is a piece of crap! (For those who haven't gotten around to reading the story, it makes sense in context).

Now that I think about it, this is technically my first-ever review. Imma print it out and keep it! Thank you so much for the kind words!

LOL, glad my phony rating system didn't go over the line on that one! I could have also given it 'One Bilbo', but that mouse turd was a very important story element! But it really is a fabulous story, for some reason I pictured it as a little Dark Crystal or similar fantasy movies from the Eighties (y'know, back when kids movies were good for once). A little bit sweet and magical, but then also dark and atmospheric with lots of oddity, humor, and texture holding it all together.

While most of us who wrote from the king's prison prompt promptly focused on getting our characters out of there, The Passenger is Here turned the other way and went deeper into the prison. And deeper. And deeper. And then at some point you look around and realize the prison is not a building, that all the details, all the familiar yet depressing humanness in this desolate and alien landscape is just a veneer over something much more unsettling, and that this story isn't about what you thought it was. But mostly it's about a planet where humans don't belong, despite trying their very hardest. Highly recommend.

Rating (cause how is Kevin gonna get one if Kevin does the ratings): One Zoo, Presumably Full of Rabbits

The rabbits were, like, a metaphor or something.

Guh, I really wanna rewrite this now, along with the *other* prospective novel SS:AMNG spawned. Well, the other six.

Kjbartolotta said:

The rabbits were, like, a metaphor or something.

Guh, I really wanna rewrite this now, along with the *other* prospective novel SS:AMNG spawned. Well, the other six.

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The first time rabbits were mentioned I was like, "Errrrr? That's an odd metaphor, but I guess it kinda works." And then they kept happening, and I was like, "Ohhh. This is brilliant. They have no terrestrial animals but rabbits. And that makes so much sense." And from then on I laughed whenever rabbits cropped up again because it's SO goofy to me and SO normal to them and that pleases me.

ETA: This is a textbook case of why it's good to trust the author.

Heh, the rabbit thing happened when I wanted a character to call something 'bullshit', but then realized how wasteful cattle would be on a colony world. Ended up being one of my favorite worldbuilding elements.

The King's Gambit by Jaymz Connelly

The first thing you'll notice is the way Jay's makes us of the classic Ascension mapping technique, which utilizes various textures and noise to create realistic topography and coastlines without too much hassle. The style takes practice, but Jay has done a good job to master it and the shape of the continents are particularly well-detailed. Like any good map-maker, Jay realizes that the trick is in the stylistic details; font, overlays, careful use of colors. A good eye goes a long way, and as this map indicates, is far more important than obsessive levels of detail...

Sorry, wrong forum. I thought I was on Cartographer's Guild for a second.

Heh, who doesn't love Jay's stories? For all her sweetest and positivity, let us not overlook the endless zaniness, snark, and attitude that infuses them. King's Gambit was a joy for this reason, a bit of romance, a bit of intrigue, with vivid characters that come alive easily and effortlessly have their own personalities and motives, no one ever feels bland or underdeveloped, even if they flit in and out for only a few paragraphs (Weirdly, I particularly liked Vince). Of course, the MC was the standout, I've always felt that one of the secrets of writing good humor (especially in 1[SUP]st[/SUP] person) is to always give the main character a comeback, be it witty or not-so-witty. Jeret is this kind of character, good-hearted and likable but an adroit sassmaster. And, like many of Jay's stories, things wrap up neatly not because everything is 'solved' through adventure and conflict, but rather through courage to stand up for who you, honesty, and communication, with the corrolary being that disagreement and miscommunication is a part of this, and frequently very funny.

I love it! She makes it look so easy, and all of them are filled with the kind of fun and joy in the process that inspires me!

Rating: Zero acts of torture, oppression, or horror, which really make me wonder if she got the memo about what kind of contest this was...

Kev... Thank you for such an awesome review!

And I'm so glad you liked the map too. (funnily enough, I picked up some tips for making this map on the Cartographer's Guild *g*) I love making maps when my characters are on the move. It helps me keep track when I'm writing, and I think it's a good visual aid for the reader later.

I come from a family of smart-asses, so it's a LOT of fun to write the snark, but I never think it's as funny as everyone else does so it's good to hear that it works and it's funny. (I have a soft spot for Vince too. I'd love to write his story about how he came to be working for Pettar, but when I asked him he just grinned at me and said nothing. He's the strong, silent type)

As for your rating... no one told me! *g* But... doesn't the fact that Jeret was tossed into jail without explanation, and the fact that Cretin was more than willing to scrub him with a wire brush and dump a pail of water over his head to wake him up count as torture? Oh, fine then. I don't know that I could actually do torture, oppression, or horror. My bestie calls me the quintessential GHFG (glass half full girl).

Also, I'd like to mention (because I can't remember if I admitted this before or not) that I have only written first person once before in the thirteen years I've been writing. Jeren would not be denied, though. He started to natter at me the minute I saw the prompt.

Guess we're not getting a second annual Solstice Sequel?

Justobuddies said:

Guess we're not getting a second annual Solstice Sequel?

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Was curious about this myself. Of course, it was a lot of work last year for the Jays, and in my current odium I dunno if I'd be participating. But it was a thing of glory.

A thing of glory, yes. Indeed.

I'd love to see a second installment because it was so much fun, but I can understand if the Jays don't feel up to it. It's a lot of work.

I'd love to help out if it means getting a Sequel Soltice, but not without say-so of the Jays.

Friendly Frog said:

A thing of glory, yes. Indeed.

I'd love to see a second installment because it was so much fun, but I can understand if the Jays don't feel up to it. It's a lot of work.

I'd love to help out if it means getting a Sequel Soltice, but not without say-so of the Jays.

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Heh, they put in the hard work, but I don't think they'd be mad if someone else took it over. Jay Ay is usually only here for Sisyphus and haven't seen Jaymz in a while, think she's having computer trouble.

I'd be down to help and maybe write something, we shall see.