#120 The Sea Devil's Eye by Mel Odom (Threat Sea 4)
Read 3/4/21 to 5/4/21
Well, it's a day later and I'm still not sure whether it was a cracker or not, don't get me wrong it's another easy read and right in my ballpark because I'm going to be venturing into the deeps with my present campaign but...
Iakhovas turns out to be, well... his villainy gets less and less as the thing goes on- and everyone is against him in the end, and he's shot to pieces, blindsided by our man Jherek, and Pacys (the taleweaver) and then there's all the other good guys that are rooting for the home team. It doesn't help that Laaqueel is also getting the whisper now- it seems the gods are keen to make new worshippers, they're door-stepping folk- one-on-one. That's the hard sell.
So, lots of action- lots of this follows lots of that, but the odd thing here is we're in the climax and it's all a rolling maul only that doesn't work with the timeline. So, there's a fight at sea versus X and Y, and then we skip forward a month or so and then something equally action-orientated happens. But hang on, what did the crew get up to in their month away from the narrative- fix the boat, have a rest- re-stock, learn new spells etc.
But the climax can't cope with that- it's got to have zowie, and pace- so you can't just stop the action for a month for a re-fit et al, so you've got to let the reader know, but... not make a big deal about it.
Because if you think about it, well- that'd be much less of a climax.
How did the end of the book go- 1) Big scrap with pirates and sahuagin- it was absolutely to the wire, I nearly died a dozen times. Followed by 2) Short rest in insertnameofport, I had a massage, we had a trip out to see some of the local sights, the food was delightful- there was this little taverna etc. Then 3) see 1). Then 4) see 2). Not very climactic if everyone gets three tendays off between scraps. But, I'm labouring it.
The final fight is a doozy, although we have to wade through the politics of the deeps and then Pacys has got to montage a load more new info just to make his phat choon right. Odd.
Then, at last, the fight- the spectacle is great but... Iakhovas versus Jeherek, no contest- particularly as our young hero is front and centre (at, bloody, last) and has admitted/accepted the fact that he's here to save the day.
The love interest thing actually works in this one, it's done well enough to make it believable. Although I'm still waiting for the time we go the other way around- with a female lead, and the guy having to stop home to do the dishes, and fret and worry.
Last bit- Jherek, at bloody last, grows a pair- goes on a long mental journey and finally sees that all the baggage he's been carrying around, well- that's a way of looking at things, and if you change the way you look at things, then... you can put all that baggage down- just park it. Tell the truth, to yourself- to your special lady, just... stop being such a bloody moody bugger and shutting everyone else out.
It's all my fault!
I mean, I get it- but it isn't Jherek's fault, and by the end I'm just fed up with folk telling him this, which is a shame- because the finale Jherek is the best thing since sliced bread. Love it.
I think you could have fixed him earlier in the trilogy Mr Odom sir, made the threat as close to home in some other way, rather than turn the hero into what my Nan would describe as a bit of a "nellie".
Read- lots of good stuff yoinked for my campaign.
Stay safe and well.
Cheers goonalan
Read 3/4/21 to 5/4/21
Well, it's a day later and I'm still not sure whether it was a cracker or not, don't get me wrong it's another easy read and right in my ballpark because I'm going to be venturing into the deeps with my present campaign but...
Iakhovas turns out to be, well... his villainy gets less and less as the thing goes on- and everyone is against him in the end, and he's shot to pieces, blindsided by our man Jherek, and Pacys (the taleweaver) and then there's all the other good guys that are rooting for the home team. It doesn't help that Laaqueel is also getting the whisper now- it seems the gods are keen to make new worshippers, they're door-stepping folk- one-on-one. That's the hard sell.
So, lots of action- lots of this follows lots of that, but the odd thing here is we're in the climax and it's all a rolling maul only that doesn't work with the timeline. So, there's a fight at sea versus X and Y, and then we skip forward a month or so and then something equally action-orientated happens. But hang on, what did the crew get up to in their month away from the narrative- fix the boat, have a rest- re-stock, learn new spells etc.
But the climax can't cope with that- it's got to have zowie, and pace- so you can't just stop the action for a month for a re-fit et al, so you've got to let the reader know, but... not make a big deal about it.
Because if you think about it, well- that'd be much less of a climax.
How did the end of the book go- 1) Big scrap with pirates and sahuagin- it was absolutely to the wire, I nearly died a dozen times. Followed by 2) Short rest in insertnameofport, I had a massage, we had a trip out to see some of the local sights, the food was delightful- there was this little taverna etc. Then 3) see 1). Then 4) see 2). Not very climactic if everyone gets three tendays off between scraps. But, I'm labouring it.
The final fight is a doozy, although we have to wade through the politics of the deeps and then Pacys has got to montage a load more new info just to make his phat choon right. Odd.
Then, at last, the fight- the spectacle is great but... Iakhovas versus Jeherek, no contest- particularly as our young hero is front and centre (at, bloody, last) and has admitted/accepted the fact that he's here to save the day.
The love interest thing actually works in this one, it's done well enough to make it believable. Although I'm still waiting for the time we go the other way around- with a female lead, and the guy having to stop home to do the dishes, and fret and worry.
Last bit- Jherek, at bloody last, grows a pair- goes on a long mental journey and finally sees that all the baggage he's been carrying around, well- that's a way of looking at things, and if you change the way you look at things, then... you can put all that baggage down- just park it. Tell the truth, to yourself- to your special lady, just... stop being such a bloody moody bugger and shutting everyone else out.
It's all my fault!
I mean, I get it- but it isn't Jherek's fault, and by the end I'm just fed up with folk telling him this, which is a shame- because the finale Jherek is the best thing since sliced bread. Love it.
I think you could have fixed him earlier in the trilogy Mr Odom sir, made the threat as close to home in some other way, rather than turn the hero into what my Nan would describe as a bit of a "nellie".
Read- lots of good stuff yoinked for my campaign.
Stay safe and well.
Cheers goonalan