Rise of a Merchant Prince

Ok, I just finished RoMP. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I like the fact
that it was mostly based in Krodor and dealt primarily with Roo's rise to
power. While I felt it relied a bit more on chance (the locust plague) it
was great to see Roo in action, taking advantage of a one up opportunity. I
thought the characters behavior was more or less believable in that he gave
his family all their material needs and yet was very distant emotionally.
It was great to see Martin, I presume, one last time. The only problem I
had was right at the end when Duke James could not spare a ship to go after
Calis's group. I understand he is marshalling for an impending war, but
Calis has proven he usually comes out of these situations and with new
information. Also, what is up with Sylvia and her dad? That last exchange
where she's just wandering around naked in front of him was just weird. Ok,
fine she's a cold hearted tool, but her dad?
--
Joker

"...God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me."
Gen. 21:6

~misfit~ wrote:
> Joker wrote:
>> Ok, I just finished RoMP. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I like the
>> fact that it was mostly based in Krodor and dealt primarily with
>> Roo's rise to power. While I felt it relied a bit more on chance
>> (the locust plague) it was great to see Roo in action, taking
>> advantage of a one up opportunity. I thought the characters behavior
>> was more or less believable in that he gave his family all their
>> material needs and yet was very distant emotionally. It was great to
>> see Martin, I presume, one last time. The only problem I had was
>> right at the end when Duke James could not spare a ship to go after
>> Calis's group. I understand he is marshalling for an impending war,
>> but Calis has proven he usually comes out of these situations and
>> with new information. Also, what is up with Sylvia and her dad? That last
>> exchange where she's just wandering around naked in front
>> of him was just weird. Ok, fine she's a cold hearted tool, but her
>> dad?
>
> She was a cold-hearted tool *of* her dad. How do you think she got that way?
> You have to read between the lines. That part came as no surprise to me as
> I'd already worked out the dynamic in that relationship.
>
> As for Roo's business benefiting from chance for it's initial boost, that
> happens a lot in the real world too, both ways. Some business' get lucky and
> have a meteoric rise, some get unlucky and crash, most just struggle on,
> building or declining slowly. Also, some people make their own luck. I know,
> I once lived in that world (business) myself. A joke from that era, from
> business school: (Q) What's the easiest way to own your own small business?
> (A) Start off with a large business and *wait*. You have to read between the
> lines on that one too. Roo didn't "wait", he got out there and found
> oportunities.
>
> As you said, "Calis has proven he usually comes out of these situations and
> with new information". The operative words being "comes out". It's not
> always necessary to look after someone who can look after thems-elf. <g>
>
> Sorry, perhaps I'm pre-empting Ray, although, IME, it doesn't pay to ask too
> much from an author about his work. Reading is a two-way thing, the author
> gives you 90% of the story but it's up to the reader to add that last 10%,
> (YMMV, those are just arbitrary figures off the top of my head, some readers
> add more than 10%) to use their imagination and intelligence, to interpret
> the written word into mental images. That's why it is a far superior medium
> to TV or film. They are both completely passive and require little more than
> having the viewer stay awake. With TV/film I usually play "guess the ending"
> as my mind is otherwise 80% free, (I dislike not using my mind) taking only
> 20% (max, with really complicated plots. If a film/TV programme doesn't
> require 15%+ of my processing power I stop watching it.... unless I'm
> hung-over, something that's increasingly rare these days. Good wine/scotch
> is usually expensive) to process input. I get the endings/plot twists right
> to such an extent and with such accuracy often enough that a friend swears
> that I'm psychic. (I am a little but that's another story). To me, movies
> and TV are fine for when you're tired, emotionally or physically (or hung
> over) or with company and want simple, on a plate storylines. They will
> never take the place of a good book for someone with an active and
> imaginative mind.
>
> TTFN,

You've put too much thought into this.

-- Tom