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Post by shyviolet on Aug 18, 2010 3:24:46 GMT -5
I reckon enough of you should have finished reading by now.
So then, the Manes! What did all of you think of the Mane-related subplot/whole plot? Personally I'd been hoping for more information about them since the first book, and I'm already a big fan of the whole monster-wasn't-a-monster-after-all plot. I hesitate to call it a twist because it's so widespread that it's rarely surprising, but I was hoping it would turn up in this case.
I think my favourite part was right at the beginning, where Jez finds the room full of dead Manes and realises they've died of loneliness. I liked it because it was the first really big sign that they have individual personalities as well as a shared consciousness.
(Those of you who have read some of Chris' older work might remember creatures in Broken Sky who functioned in a similar way.)
So, what did you all think? A good direction to take the story? A bit of a cliche? Unexpected? All of the above? Shy wishes to know your thoughts.
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Post by Maliris on Aug 23, 2010 5:50:57 GMT -5
Gwah, sorry. I was at the gamescom the last week so I couldn't write any reply. :[ I must admit that the Manes grew on me over the course of book 2. I really like Jez a lot and was getting kinda frantic that she wouldn't come back because the whole thing with being part of a community like the Mane's must be quite inviting and Jez might get tempted. It was a very emotional scene when Jez and Yet Not Jez told Frey that she had chosen them over the Manes. Also, I thought it was good to make the Manes daemons. It was more believable because the reader already knows that daemons are a part of the world so it wasn't so far fetched. At least, that's what I think... That the Manes weren't as evil as it was described in book 1 was kinda nice. I mean, they aren't really nice but you know... not just black and white. I look forward to learning more about those Awakeners and how they apply daemonism... It should also be mentioned that the idea of frequencies and thralling daemons to objects is really a cool thing. Not to mention echo chambers... creepy things. :thumbs up:
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Post by shyviolet on Aug 23, 2010 11:18:55 GMT -5
Yeah, I really like that the daemons seem to exist in a world made of sound, not matter. I often think hearing is a neglected sense, so sound-based stuff is really cool.
I liked the way the Manes welcomed her, you know, the 'Sister. Comrade. Beloved.' thing. I found that contrasted well with how they appeared from the outside, it's a really gentle set of words. I agree that it seemed more believable that they were daemons (or rather, one daemon), it's always nice when an author doesn't have to keep introducing new pieces of mythology. I also liked the acknowledgement that she would die if the daemon was removed. I thought Jez's struggle with being part Mane was one of the most interesting parts of the first book, so I was pleased that it couldn't just be removed and the whole sub-plot ended in one go.
I'm also excited to learn more about the Awakeners. I must admit, I do like swashbuckling adventure, but I'm such a sucker for a well built world that my favourite parts are always the big mysteries. In this case, the Manes, Daemonism and the Awakeners.
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Post by Maliris on Aug 24, 2010 15:11:13 GMT -5
I liked that undertone of accepting who you are or what you did. In that it was really a Crake and Jez-book, wasn't it? I wonder whether we will see more of those Manes...? The whole daemon-plot isn't over yet. At least where Crake and the Awakeners are concerned. I approve of course, because that's what I am interested in. And more plot for Malvery would be cool. I like the guy. When Jez spoke for the Manes, she said that they had forgotten how to understand humans and vica versa. I thought that was an interesting aspect. Also logical; if you have one shared mind who'd need to talk? Something that Harkins would like... And... now that I think about it. The crew of the Ketty Jay will never have to fear the Manes anymore. That's something. xD
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Post by Flight on Aug 24, 2010 17:19:26 GMT -5
The whole daemon plot was really good, if not new (though what is, eh). And I agree, it's definitely turning Frey, Crake and Jez into the main characters. Which isn't bad, of course.
There was lots of new stuff from the first book. The manes developed into a whole new race and Crake turned into a destructive alcoholic. Not that it wasn't expected on some level but it jarred me a little, since with Crake at least it was very sudden. Made me think, how come he wasn't like that in the first book? Even a little?
But yeah, I did like how everything (awakeners, manes,) linked together. That was one of my favourite parts.
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Post by shyviolet on Aug 25, 2010 4:45:30 GMT -5
Yeah, I liked how the deeper into it the books go, the more connected that three big mysteries of Daemonism, Awakeners and Manes become.
I think that Crake's character seemed to change suddenly because of the time-skip from the first book. It's something like a year later isn't it? So we don't get to see how he gets into alcoholism, just the effects. I did like it as a piece of character development, but I agree it seemed a bit abrupt.
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