IN HER NAME - SPOILERS

[Michael R. Hicks]

For those who may have already read the book and want to discuss spoilers, please post here!

[EyeMc]

I noticed Warren Zevon...(AHHHOOOOOOOoooooo! Werewolves of London AHHHOOOOOOOoooooo!)and other familiar names that escape me at the moment... Also the old Kreelan Armorer that uses very Yoda like syntax...nice Easter Eggs!  Like I said on the other thread, Great Book! 

Jim

[Michael R. Hicks]

I noticed Warren Zevon...(AHHHOOOOOOOoooooo! Werewolves of London AHHHOOOOOOOoooooo!)and other familiar names that escape me at the moment... Also the old Kreelan Armorer that uses very Yoda like syntax...nice Easter Eggs!  Like I said on the other thread, Great Book! 

Jim

LOL! You know, you're the first person who's ever commented on any of those things! I didn't put them in there intentionally, but when I read back over the first draft some of them popped right out. 

[Michael R. Hicks]

Okay, if anybody's interested maybe we'll try for a chat on Thursday 2/5/09 at 9pm EST. I'll bring some coffee laced with chocolate...

P.S. I'll cross-post this to some of the other threads as an FYI, following Robin's lead!

[EyeMc]

It just occurred to me that the Kreelans aren't into this for the "Conquest".  They are literally on an "all hands" search for the final resting place of the first Empress! All these other pesky races just happen to be in the way... and an unassuming human just happens to find her and accidentally "wake her up".

[Michael R. Hicks]

It just occurred to me that the Kreelans aren't into this for the "Conquest".  They are literally on an "all hands" search for the final resting place of the first Empress! All these other pesky races just happen to be in the way... and an unassuming human just happens to find her and accidentally "wake her up".

Correct!! If they'd come just to conquer, humanity would have been wiped out in very short order. While it doesn't really come out in this book (but will in the next prequel, if I can ever get time to write it) is the true extent of how advanced the Kreelans really are. The only glimmer that really shows through, I think, is the Tarikh-Da, the warship that Tesh-Dar takes to Hallmark: that one ship could literally have destroyed half the human fleet, but that wouldn't have been any challenge. And even if they didn't, the Empire was - at least compared to the Confederation - almost unimaginably huge.

The reason the war lasted as long as it did was also that the Kreelans live to perfect their craft, whatever it is that they happen to do. And the warriors, of course, fight, with their honor based on personal combat (ritual or otherwise). And since humans turned out to be such good opponents, they didn't want to simply wipe them out; besides, there would have been no challenge (and, to them, no honor) in doing that. So, after first contact (in the prequel), they chose to "dumb down" the technology they used to the humans' level, just as they had when they encountered previous sentient races, and where necessary they use their superior technology to strip the humans of theirs to bring things back down to a "personal level."

But yes, their underlying quest for the last hundred thousand years has been to find the First Empress and bring Her home...

[Michael R. Hicks]

Do you think that her taking a lock of Reza's hair is connected to Reza cutting off the hair of the woman who attacked Esah-Zhurah?

Well, taking a lock of hair off of the front (the bangs) was traditionally a type of honored memento, rather than a trophy, per se (you'll see this happen once more in the next reading section).

Cutting the hair anywhere else - the braids - was the worst possible punishment for a Kreelan, worse than death. While he knew it was a type of punishment from the education Esah-Zhurah had given him, Reza had no way of truly realizing at the time he fought the warrior over Esah-Zhurah (in chapter 6) how horrible a punishment it truly was, because he had no idea at that point of the very real physical and spiritual connection there (that he would come to understand all too well at the end of Book Two). I think he cut her hair more as vengeance for the humans the warrior had killed, whose ears hung from a cord at her waist. Ew...

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

Well, taking a lock of hair off of the front (the bangs) was traditionally a type of honored memento, rather than a trophy, per se (you'll see this happen once more in the next reading section).

Cutting the hair anywhere else - the braids - was the worst possible punishment for a Kreelan, worse than death. While he knew it was a type of punishment from the education Esah-Zhurah had given him, Reza had no way of truly realizing at the time he fought the warrior over Esah-Zhurah (in chapter 6) how horrible a punishment it truly was, because he had no idea at that point of the very real physical and spiritual connection there (that he would come to understand all too well at the end of Book Two). I think he cut her hair more as vengeance for the humans the warrior had killed, whose ears hung from a cord at her waist. Ew...

Thanks, Mike.  It becomes more and more obvious that Tesh Dar senses something in Reza. 

Book Two?  What are you doing hanging out here.  Get writing. 

[Michael R. Hicks]

Thanks, Mike.  It becomes more and more obvious that Tesh Dar senses something in Reza. 

Book Two?  What are you doing hanging out here.  Get writing. 

LOL! No worries - In Her Name is actually a trilogy. Book Two starts with chapter 17.

And you're right - Tesh-Dar does sense something in him. You'll find out in not too long...

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

Forgot we had this spoiler thread.  Before I burst ...

I just knew it was Tesh Dar with Shara Kahn.  (sniffle) 

Enya.  Somehow I thought since she activated Keel Tath's heart, she would have more of a hand (so to speak) in saving Esah Zhurah.  I understand why it had to be Reza alone, but I thought Enya might be able to penetrate the blue curtain. 

I tried to write a review on Amazon, but I was too emotional when I finished the book.  What a blockbuster ending.  As soon as I can write coherently, I will definitely post five stars. 

Thanks, Mike. 

[Michael R. Hicks]

Forgot we had this spoiler thread.  Before I burst ...

I just knew it was Tesh Dar with Shara Kahn.  (sniffle) 

Enya.  Somehow I thought since she activated Keel Tath's heart, she would have more of a hand (so to speak) in saving Esah Zhurah.  I understand why it had to be Reza alone, but I thought Enya might be able to penetrate the blue curtain. 

Enya just happened to have drawn the lottery ticket and be the first one to touch the crystal heart. We don't have the full Prophecy to draw on (maybe in another book?), but presumably if someone - anyone - was able to reach the crystal, it was "time" for the show to really start!

But yes, Reza held the full responsibility for the redemption, as it were. A rather weighty burden, to say the least!

This also touches on another point (and one also brought up when Reza tells Nicole that the star's death was actually something they had anticipated): how much is truly destiny, and how much do we actually control? Or is that control simply an illusion?

I tried to write a review on Amazon, but I was too emotional when I finished the book.  What a blockbuster ending.  As soon as I can write coherently, I will definitely post five stars. 

Thanks, Mike. 

Gertie, that's so sweet - that earns a big and sincere "Awwwww!"

Now if Peter Jackson would just come knocking to make the movie trilogy!

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

Enya just happened to have drawn the lottery ticket and be the first one to touch the crystal heart. We don't have the full Prophecy to draw on (maybe in another book?), but presumably if someone - anyone - was able to reach the crystal, it was "time" for the show to really start!

Okay, I see that.  If you put it in another book, think about if Eustus had touched it instead of Enya.  Would a man's touch have worked? 

But yes, Reza held the full responsibility for the redemption, as it were. A rather weighty burden, to say the least!

That part with the water?  I knew that had to be significant, but I couldn't figure out how you were going to handle that.  Inspired. 

Reza's struggle to reach Esah Zhurah was reminiscent of her struggle after she took the flogging for him. 

This also touches on another point (and one also brought up when Reza tells Nicole that the star's death was actually something they had anticipated): how much is truly destiny, and how much do we actually control? Or is that control simply an illusion?

The death of the star had to be destiny.  Considering the extraordinary powers contained within the Empress, they would have known it was coming, although the means might not have been known.  The control comes in when they make the decision to stay with their world and let destiny take it's course.  They could have exercised free will and left their homeworld, but that was not The Way. 

[Michael R. Hicks]

Okay, I see that.  If you put it in another book, think about if Eustus had touched it instead of Enya.  Would a man's touch have worked? 

I think yes...

That part with the water?  I knew that had to be significant, but I couldn't figure out how you were going to handle that.  Inspired. 

Again, I have no idea how I came up with the water bit. It seems like different priests/priestesses had differing powers, or perhaps specialized in some over others...

Reza's struggle to reach Esah Zhurah was reminiscent of her struggle after she took the flogging for him. 

Ow!!

The death of the star had to be destiny.  Considering the extraordinary powers contained within the Empress, they would have known it was coming, although the means might not have been known.  The control comes in when they make the decision to stay with their world and let destiny take it's course.  They could have exercised free will and left their homeworld, but that was not The Way. 

Yes, I think that makes sense. They needed the power provided by the sun to make the final transition, but wouldn't have known - certainly not when the prophecy was given - how it would actually come to pass...