Part 1: Prologue to Chapter 9

[JMack]

This is the thread to discuss part 1 of The Stone Road.
We'll "officially" begin this during June, but t folks can start whenever they want. 

[SJBudd]

Oh phew though I'd spent too long procrastinating on the internet and missed the whole thing!

[JMack]

Oh phew though I'd spent too long procrastinating on the internet and missed the whole thing!

Caught you looking! 

[Eli_Freysson]

I just want to pop in and say that I read the prologue and the first three chapters at a café today. I have some quibbles, but there's also potential. I will reserve judgement for now.

[tebakutis]

I read the first chapters back at the beginning of May and was intrigued, but stopped myself to go along with the book club. So I look forward to picking it up again in June (I'm a fast reader :p)

[G_R_Matthews]

And I am already nervous looking in here.

I can certainly look back to my 2012/13 self and think, I reckon I could better now... but also acknowledge that it needed to be written and at the time was the best I could do.

When it first came out in paperback, I re-read the book and thought, 'you know what, this isn't half-bad!' My hope is that you think the same, enjoy the story and the world.

That's my hope

[Eli_Freysson]

And I am already nervous looking in here.

I can certainly look back to my 2012/13 self and think, I reckon I could better now... but also acknowledge that it needed to be written and at the time was the best I could do.

Believe me @G_R_Matthews, I completely understand the feeling. Or rather feelings.

The next step in my saga of translating The Silent War into English is to tackle the first book I ever wrote, which is also by far the longest one. It's a daunting task I'm hesitant to take on, and I'm dreading my personal feelings on it. But you gotta start somewhere.

[Kitvaria Sarene]

I just want to pop in and say that I read the prologue and the first three chapters at a café today. I have some quibbles, but there's also potential. I will reserve judgement for now.

I must say that prologue in my eyes is the worst part of the whole series...
I'm quite intrigued about how I'll feel about it in my reread with the book club

[G_R_Matthews]

Yeah... that prologue. Looking back now... it could have been done differently. If I knew then what I know now

[JMack]

I just want to pop in and say that I read the prologue and the first three chapters at a café today. I have some quibbles, but there's also potential. I will reserve judgement for now.

I must say that prologue in my eyes is the worst part of the whole series...
I'm quite intrigued about how I'll feel about it in my reread with the book club

Hi, @Sarene, I have to agree that the prologue didn't do it for me. It just felt way over the top. BUT, I sort of set it right aside (as I think you must have) as I read into the book proper.

I've been enjoying. I read the first 9 about two weeks ago, and then set things aside so I'd be reading more along the timeline of this club.

Here is how I've responded so far:

> Prologue - meh (sorry)
> Huang: The most interesting character so far; certainly the most relatable. You ca ntell he's headed for some tough decisions.
> Zhou: Not quite sure what his long term arc will be. He's a mix of irritating and OK. Not much to like about him, yet. In fact, I started out thinking he'd be a good guy; changed my mind to "idiot" when he was so disrespectful to his master; and then turned it around again as he schleps along as a road builder in Ch 9.
> The Cattle: It feels very fable-like, doesn't it? Almost like a story out of Greek myth. Of course it has to be an actual illusion, or maybe just a scam.
> The Stone Road: So my theory is that

Spoiler for Hiden:

Yaart is using the cattle a Trojan horse. They get the Wubeians to build them the road that will allow their army to march in by surprise. I guess we'll see.

What interests me is where Geoff is going with all this. I don;t have any real sense for the broader story arc or the world canvas of this. But that's what makes reading more  - fun!

[Kitvaria Sarene]

Almost exactly the same for me the first time around.
Though I changed mind about who's the good and who's the bad guys every few chapters.
I didn't even guess were the characters would end up when the series is completed, that is one of the things I like most about these books. It is also the reason why I want to take part in the read along, to see what feels differently to me now I know them all! I like finding all whose little things you don't notice the first time around.

Oh and GR - in my opinion as a reader 95% of all prologues I've ever read would have been better, if they just weren't there. Usually it is either just ingo dump, or confuses the reader with foreshadowing, that doesn't make any sense yet.

[ScarletBea]

Though I changed mind about who's the good and who's the bad guy every few chapters.

I did this too hehe
And anyway, a question: is there *really* a bad guy and a good guy? Really?

I'm not going to re-read properly, but I will browse through the book again and give my thoughts. This wasn't it, not yet

[G_R_Matthews]

Oh and GR - in my opinion as a reader 95% of all prologues I've ever read would have been better, if they just weren't there. Usually it is either just info dump, or confuses the reader with foreshadowing, that doesn't make any sense yet.

As Rod Stewart once sang, "I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger."

[G_R_Matthews]

Hi, @Sarene, I have to agree that the prologue didn't do it for me. It just felt way over the top. BUT, I sort of set it right aside (as I think you must have) as I read into the book proper.

I've been enjoying. I read the first 9 about two weeks ago, and then set things aside so I'd be reading more along the timeline of this club.

Here is how I've responded so far:

> Prologue - meh (sorry)
> Huang: The most interesting character so far; certainly the most relatable. You ca ntell he's headed for some tough decisions.
> Zhou: Not quite sure what his long term arc will be. He's a mix of irritating and OK. Not much to like about him, yet. In fact, I started out thinking he'd be a good guy; changed my mind to "idiot" when he was so disrespectful to his master; and then turned it around again as he schleps along as a road builder in Ch 9.
> The Cattle: It feels very fable-like, doesn't it? Almost like a story out of Greek myth. Of course it has to be an actual illusion, or maybe just a scam.

What interests me is where Geoff is going with all this. I don;t have any real sense for the broader story arc or the world canvas of this. But that's what makes reading more  - fun!

I've added spoilers to my comments, purely because, though there are no real spoilers, I don't want you stumble over the comments and writing decisions until you're sure your ready Hope you don't mind.

Spoiler for Hiden:

Haung was written to be an almost everyman, someone you could relate to. He begins as nothing and grows. I hope.

Zhou was written to be obnoxious, pompous, a man that has everything and wants more. Denied his rightful greatness. When change comes though... like thunder

The Stone Road actually comes from Chinese fable, a real one (if that's not an oxymoron). The Cattle and Road all come from that.

[eclipse]

I've just read chapter one I really liked the commander making Haung nervous with his questions with Haung sword.

Would the commander have killed Haung if He hadn't accepted to be a Jiin-Wei?

The Commander was watching him with calculating eyes and a firm hand on the dagger