Sep. 18th, 2006

kistha: (Bleeding)
So, if you haven't read all of "Small Gods/Raven's Light" the beta read that [livejournal.com profile] dthon sent out don't peek behind the cut.

I just finished the final technical read so that it can go out ASAP. It's changed, mostly bigger sign posts so that less mythical/religiously inclined people will catch the series of interlocking principals that make the book make sense. In this way, I'm kind of a hardship as an Alpha reader - I'm pretty familiar with a large swath of religions and very comfortable in the mythic environment. And overly good at following obscure sign posts.

It definitely makes the mark of a mythic book, since no two people said the same thing about it; and all took different things home about it. I am however just a bit saddened, since it has lost (IMO) some of the 'muddy-blurred edges-rolling down the river" kind of feel. The first time I read it, it had almost a hallucinatory sort of feeling, like you'd just been dropped down the rabbit hole, and it's figure it out or drown in all the lost meanings and baggage of myths and faith.

I find it interesting that those who have read the book and the ending, no one else (so far) has mentioned crying at the end. So, I decided, I'm going put what made me cry, so perhaps people can understand why I did cry, and why it hit me so, so hard.

Here be the Sorrows' Spoilers )

Anyway you dice it - the books works, but I think I liked the swirling hallucination flavor a bit better - but the end still doesn't pull any punches for me and I think that it will be more accessible for the typical American audience. Which is what you want if you want to sell a book.

Just remember, it's not your concern, and we must be neat.

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