Beyond Reality discussion

Here's a discussion thread for people who have read the entire Dragaeran series and would like to discuss it in more detail.

I'm sure this is clear already, but just to be absolutely clear: this topic will contain spoilers for the SERIES. Unless you've read much more than just Jhereg, you should probably not read further...

I've read 'em all except Tiassa, because I don't buy hardcovers (anyone know when it's going to be out in paperback?). So I'd love it if anyone who is going to post spoilers for Tiassa could use a spoiler tag if you would.

So here's a question for anyone else who's read them - which is your favorite? Mine is Issola...I loved the digressions on what it means to be polite. I also loved learning more about Lady Teldra, (view spoiler)[and her death (sort of?) was one of the more emotional moments in the series for me (hide spoiler)].

And does anyone else really want Brust to come over and cook them dinner? Good lord, it's clear the man loves food. Is it Dzur when each chapter opens with the description of a menu item from Valabar's?

I, too, have read them all but Tiassa. I believe that comes out in April in paperback.

I love how different each book is and while a few of them missed the mark for me, overall I am hard pressed to find another series as rich and varied.

For people who have read most of the series, this website is a real treasure trove of information about the intricacies of the world and the structure of the books etc.:

http://www.speakeasy.org/~mamandel/Cr...

E.g. here it explains how the quotes that start each chapter of Jhereg correspond to Houses in the Cycle, in their order of appearance in the Cycle. What a neat touch!

http://www.speakeasy.org/~mamandel/Cr...

Stefan wrote: "For people who have read most of the series, this website is a real treasure trove of information about the intricacies of the world and the structure of the books etc.:

http://www.speakeasy.org/~..."

Cool.

I started re-reading through the series (currently stalled at Orca because other reading demands my attention), and I think that the most interesting thing is to re-read the series with the knowledge that (view spoiler)[Sethra is Kiera (hide spoiler)] (and, I suppose, vice versa).

No kidding, Sid. That revelation put my brain in a knot and a half. I still have trouble dealing with it when I pick up the earlier books. It's also funny how Vlad deals with it in later books.

That was something I never saw coming, Sid. I wasn't sure how I liked that revelation. I'll have to see. I still haven't started on Jhereg again. I guess I'll go do it now.

Very cool - thanks for sharing!

Snail in Danger (Sid) wrote: "I started re-reading through the series (currently stalled at Orca because other reading demands my attention), and I think that the most interesting thing is to re-read the series wi..."

Ha! As soon as I finished reading Orca, I immediately turned around and re-read the series - and it completely held up. It made me wonder if Brust had planned that from the beginning, or if it was just one of those things that happened in the course of writing.

That was a question I was planning on asking in the Q&A thread - how much was planned from the beginning. If you want to also, though, feel free to save me the typing. ;)

I finished Jhereg and decided to re-read the rest of the series. I'm now almost done with Teckla. I don't like Teckla as much as I do the rest of the books, I can't really pin down why, but I just don't.

It's probably the most depressing/emotionally difficult book of the series. I felt the other day like these are intellectual books - in the sense that people have problems, and feelings, and even problems that engage their feelings, but they mostly think about their problems, even the emotional ones.

Here's a question that probably belongs in the Whole Series thread, but just in case: "A Dream of Passion" is a Vlad story, but given its contradictions with "Issola", should we assume that it's just what the title calls it - a dream?

Oh, and here's one that's Jhereg-specific: Are you going to get more into Vlad-as-Dolivar/soul-relation to Aliera? Please note that I'm not trying to pressure you - I've been enjoying these books enormously since the early '90s, and damn, there are few storytellers I trust as much as you.

Colin, two things:

1 - this is the discussion thread. I don't think Steven is monitoring this. You may want to repost this to the "questions for the author thread" - I'd suggest putting it in the one for the whole series. Good question about Dolivar - it's one I was considering asking him myself.

2. Where can I find that story you mentioned? I don't think I've ever heard of it.

That's what I get for clicking on the email digest. My apologies. I'll copy it over there.

You can find the story here: http://mindstalk.net/brust/dream.html