Michael’s Comments (group member since May 01, 2022)

Michael’s comments from the Farilane: Book 2 of the Rise and Fall Trilogy group.

Hey Hal, I can help you out -- for those who haven't read Heir of Novron - spoilers ahead!

(view spoiler)[Throughout the Riyria Revelations, there is mention of a god named Kile, who it is said to have raped his daughter (which isn't true, by the way). Anyway if he can prove to her that he's changed (that he isn't the selfish and manipulative jerk that she believes him to be) he must walk the world of Elan as a man. Each time she approves of his actions, she will give him a white feather. And if he fills an entire bag with these feathers, she will forgive him.

Okay, that's all fine and good, but Revelations is mainly a story of redemption relating to Royce - who has a lot to atone for. We learn that when he is imprisoned in the salt mines he is given a dagger (Alverstone) by a fellow prisoner there. At the very end of the book, we discover that Nimbus (the assistant to Modina) is the same person who gave Royce the dagger, which proves that Nimbus and Kile are one and the same. As the two part ways, a single feather falls from the sky and Nimbus takes it and walks away. This is his daughter (Muriel) saying - Good job, Dad. I approve of the work you did.

So, in Farilane when Malcolm - who is also the same person as Nimbus and Kile, sacrificed the love of his life in order to try to "fix what he broke" - she approved and bestowed a feather. But he wouldn't pick it up - because the last thing he wants is to be rewarded for killing who he loved the most - so he ignores the feather. So Muriel bestows another, and still he ignores it. She then sends a blizzard of feathers as if to say, "Cmon old man, stop being stubborn and take your reward - I recognize how hard this was for you - especially since ....Spoiler for Legends of the First Empire (view spoiler)[ keeping her from their true love is the actual "wrong" that was done to her (hide spoiler)]. So it makes the whole scene just that much more impactful. As the whole Father trying to win over the daughter is spread not only in Farilane but in Riyria and Legends as well. (hide spoiler)]

Does that help?

Of course it matters what you think. But, being the creator of the world, I'm going to follow my own path and hope people like the route I take ;-).

As for the blood - the horn only cares that you have at least one drop of Fhrey blood.

As to who rules next...well when you can see into the future you also see certain important points in time and what has to happen to keep the timeline you are working on to stay on track - and at this PARTICULAR point - the train stays on the rails IF Farilane's brother inherits the throne. That being the case - the horn really isn't a problem. The issue is how do we make sure that Nordyan takes the throne.

J. Griff wrote: "Michael wrote: "If you keep writing them both of us will keep reading."

Deal! Esrahaddon is written and the work on Drumindor is going well. We'll do our best to keep the stories coming.

Thanks!

Ted wrote: "This was my first re-read since the beta, and I listened to it on audible so it was extra impactful hearing Robin's voice discuss the ending."

Hey, thanks for being a beta tester! I know it's a lot of work. Robin has a pretty sophisticated system for that program, but it has worked well. It's funny because "the feathers" are actually talked about in THIS book, but, yeah, for people who have read some of the other books (in particular Age of Empyre or Heir of Novron) they'll understand the depth of their importance and so people who have read those books get be impacted more.

@Sherry - I'll take "poignant and beautiful" anytime! I'm glad you enjoyed Farilane.

@Bev - ;-)

Except that there is no "oldest" twin - By definition, they are exactly the same age -- (in the case of identical twins that come into being when the cells split). Which one exits the womb first doesn't mean anything.

Now, if they were fraternal (two beings each conceived separately) then it wouldn't be a problem because there would be a true "first" -- although no one would know who was first before a challenger blew the horn - which leads to it's own interesting dilemma in which case a challenger won't know until after they blow the horn who they are actually challenging ;-)

Ruth wrote: "This is definitely one of my favourite chapters (if not the favourite) chapter in the book. I reread it multiple times. I really appreciate the part where Kile is talking about the potential future..."

I'm glad you liked it! This book's ending is very controversial - but I felt strongly that it was the "right way" to go. The good news is that for both those who love it (and those who hate it) the emotions are strong. So much better than a "meh" ending ;-)

Beverly wrote: "I am glad you changed the scene from the beta version to "show" how Kile (Malcom) took Farilane's life rather than leaving it to the reader's imagination. Some things need to be told. You did it be..."

Thanks! To be honest, what I was really doing there is fulfilling Robin's (and the beta reader's) request for a kiss. Doing so had the added benefit of making it 100% certainty that she didn't somehow escape her fate.

I'm thrilled to announce that Farilane has been the #1 Epic Fantasy Bestseller since it's release - thank you all for your amazing support

J. Griff wrote: "I’m Griff. I’m ashamed to admit I put off reading Riyria & Legends of the First Empire for too long, but once I read them I was mad for waiting putting them off."

Hey - that's great to hear. Not that it took so long but that you finally found the books - I'm so glad you found them worth your time.

William wrote: "Excited to start listening to Fairilane today with TJR’s audio dropping"

You are in for a real treat! Tim is always great, but with Farilane he really knocked it out of the park!

Beverly wrote: "Hi, Michael. I'm late.
I hope all is well with you and Robin. ♥"

Thanks! We just got back from a vacation - white-water rafting down the Colorado river. There was no Internet or cell service so it was good to unplug and just take in the amazing scenery.

This was one of Robin's favorite chapters. It's so good to have the book "officially released." Now we just have to get the printed copies "out there."

Ryan Patrick wrote: "Ah. I didn't realize that one of the contestants had to be the heir of the previous ruler. I think I see better how the horn works now. Thanks."

You are welcome.

There will be a book club reading of Farilane this Saturday from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM (EST). We will be recording it, and we'll post the video after the fact. Once the "physical book" is printed and distributed, another one will be scheduled, so you can join the second if you miss the first one. I'm not sure about it's date and time but it will be about 3 weeks after people receive their books.

For those who can't attend - you can post questions that you want to be answered in this thread and we'll make sure they are covered.

Here are the details:

Topic: Farilane Book Club Discussion
Time: May 21, 2022 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

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Thanks! I'm particularly proud of it.

The short answer is that its inventor made it for elves who generally have "few children" and never "twins" -- it wasn't until human blood was introduced that having two children at once was an issue.

When it was made, there was a provision for only one heir and one challenger. But a "twin" is literally a single entity that split into two - so given that - who plays the part of the "heir"? It doesn't know. As such it's easy for the "contract" to break which defeats the whole purpose of the horn.

I'm sure many people did. If I can break a few hearts before lunch, I sleep better at night ;-)

Welcome all!