Nolyn: Book 1 of the Rise and Fall Trilogy discussion

What do you think after reading this chapter?

Super happy to see named characters I already liked survived the battle, even with the loss of 2/3 of the team and a new respect for the talent of the Seventh that survival indicates against overwhelming numbers. Good succinct introduction to those talents and the bonds of the group. Loved the fear of snakes that make these unbeatable warriors still "human". Great descriptive details of the setting. Having trouble wrapping my head around the name for goblins that makes me picture gazelle... delicate, fleet footed animals that are easy prey, which seems like the opposite of goblins. Maybe I'm pronouncing ghazel wrong in my head, or maybe I'll get used to it. Petty detail and not distracting from a great story so far. Just a side comment;)

As an addendum to that last post... after having just completed the Licanius trilogy and needing to shorten half the creature and place names in my head so I could move on with the story (and not unlike other fantasy books I've read), I do appreciate that your character, creature, and place names are pronounceable! So ghazel is no biggie, just an honest side note;)

I was. so relieved that the First and Second Spears survived! And Wily Plot! (That gave me the giggles when I read it.)

Also (and last comment, I swear!), absolutely loved the paragraph on age, wisdom, and personality. Beautifully written and worth quoting. Went in my list of book quotes:)

I love the way Nolyn’s backstory is beginning to unfold in this chapter. Each new fact about his past simultaneously answers old questions — things I’ve wondered about while waiting to read this book— while also raising tons of new questions to keep me curious and engaged.

I also found it intriguing that Nolyn essentially “served time” at the salt mine.

On the surface, not a lot is happening in this chapter, but it's a great character exposition. I can't claim, that I can distinguish all surviving members of the Seventh already, but there are quite a few I could name right now. Let's see, how many I manage without looking it up (and I'm terrible at names)
- Nolyn
- Amicus
- the Second Spear
- the polished Knight
- the young one, who is surprised to be picked to find the way
- the one with the spear through the cheeks

Not bad for a pretty short chapter. And I'm the kind of reader who could tell Pippin and Merry apart until well into the Return of the King. ;-)

So although we do not yet know tons of facts about these people, we have a pretty good idea what they are like.

What I also liked a lot (and what I like about all of Michael's books) is the kind of humor even in ordinary situations. Because that's how people are. They will make sarcastic comment here and there or make fun of a comrade even in a stressful situation. In so many books, the heroes are always dead serious, which makes them so much less human.

Careful Nolyn I too am starting to like you....he has some quotable conversations in this chapter

Liked the way characters got introduced bit by bit.

The quote about age is great, made it directly into my favorite book quotes!

I loved the clash of swords in the jungle and Amicus’ response that Nolyn might have hurt him. The snake is great. The banter.

I cringed at Nolan’s sensitivity to being seen as an elf and noble..

I love how the survivors of the Seventh Sikaria squadron are coming back together here, and it's becoming quite clear that they are a really special group (if that somehow wasn't already clear by the very fact that some of them survived the goblin attack at all...)
And I love how Nolyn is quickly becoming "one of the boys" :)

Sarah wrote: "Super happy to see named characters I already liked survived the battle, even with the loss of 2/3 of the team and a new respect for the talent of the Seventh that survival indicates against overwh..."
I am pretty sure that "ghazel" should be pronounced not like "gazelle" (that would indeed feel not very appropriate), but rather with an aspirated hard "G" sound (they have such aspirated consonant sounds in many Asian languages in India, Bhutan, Korea, etc.; also in the Icelandic langauge... I'm guessing - the Celtic languages too).
You just make a sort of throaty "snoring" sound, together with the "g", while pronoucing it; like... a throaty deep "h" sound (like the Dutch "g"), combined with the normal "g" sound :)

Christomir... I usually listen to the audible book while driving, then read at home, so Tim Gerard Reynolds pronounces the character and place names for me. I had forgotten there was a Ghazel Sea in Riyria, because it's been so long since I read/listened to it. After all the Easter Eggs in this, I've been thinking I need to do a reread! (Plus, just got my Kickstarter add-ons today with the whole Riyria set, so it's a good excuse!)

Sarah wrote: "Christomir... I usually listen to the audible book while driving, then read at home, so Tim Gerard Reynolds pronounces the character and place names for me. I had forgotten there was a Ghazel Sea i..."
Indeed, the word Ghazel has been mentioned many times in the Riyria books. In fact, I just did a search on my Kindle, and it says it was mentioned 123 times in "Heir of Novron", 98 times in "Rise of Empire", and even 11 times in "Theft of Swords" (plus a few times - a single digit number - in some of the Chronicles books). Do you remember, or if you don't, but you still have the audio book for "Heir of Novron", could you please check and tell me how Tim pronounces the word - is it something close to what my theory is (in my comment above), or does he say it exactly like the word "gazelle"? Thanks in advance. :)

Yup! He pronounces it “gazelle” like the animal.

Alison wrote: "Yup! He pronounces it “gazelle” like the animal."

Well, that's a bit disappointing...LOL