Elizabeth Moon - Deed of Paksenarrion

[GOLLUM]

Yes, Gollum, but I hope they're more interesting than 'What's your favourite book'! I have often heard that price is rarely a factor when someone is choosing a book. You are either rare, or have just disproved the theory! However, I'm with you on waiting for paperback rather than buying the hardback ... most of the time. There have been occasional authors that have grabbed me enough that I've not been able to wait for the paperback.

Your point about waiting for the entire series, or at least a substantial part of it, to be released is an interesting one as well. I don't know about others, but I will buy the first, read it, then re-read it just before the next one comes out. I will often then re-read the first two before the third comes out. Am I the odd one out here?

Hi Mark!

Yes I have often been described as a rare bird...

You're not alone with people who like to reread books BUT I never like to reread a book more than once. To me it's like wasting my time when I've already read the book in the first place... I like to savour the memory of the book in my mind rather than completely revisting it . Having said that I do skim or review over previous books in a series when forced to e.g. Jordan's WOT .... In that case I may spend 2-3 hrs skimming over a 500 page book not read for over 12 months just to refresh the memory before reading the next book or two in the series.

Hence why I appreciate those authors who provide a summary of "what's gone before..." with each new book, it's great when you have that in a long series....

 

[Mark Robson]

Gollum, it seems we have very different habits in our reading. I don't know how others feel, but I have always found recaps mildly annoying. I particularly dislike it when authors go over old ground at the beginning of a sequel so that the reader can 'get back into the story'. Rowling was particularly irritating in this regard with books two and three of the Potter series, but I note that she has gone away from this now (good on you, JK!). There are others who are just as guilty, but I'm not into mud slinging.

I have a few favourites that I have re-read many times. I suppose it is comfort reading. A story with which I am familiar and I know that I'm going to enjoy reading again - generally with a feel good ending, as I only tend to re-read when I'm in need of a pick-me-up, or for the purposes of refreshing myself before reading a new book in a series.

Interestingly, Jordan's WOT is one that I haven't re-read, basically because so little of import happens in each book that I can generally remember any major events, so have little need to recap.

 

[nemogbr]

I remember distinctly that the title "Sheepfarmer's daughter" was the reason for picking up the book.

Maybe I was thinking of a sort of "Princess Bride" type of thing, but it is a good book.

This ended up leading me to "Legacy of Gird"

AS for the part about discussing covers and titles? I picked up David Weber's "Here be Dragons" with the sexy elf on the cover, but have only recently bought the book.

Picking it up and buying are different things.

 

[Mark Robson]

I remember distinctly that the title "Sheepfarmer's daughter" was the reason for picking up the book.

Maybe I was thinking of a sort of "Princess Bride" type of thing, but it is a good book.

This ended up leading me to "Legacy of Gird"

AS for the part about discussing covers and titles? I picked up David Weber's "Here be Dragons" with the sexy elf on the cover, but have only recently bought the book.

Picking it up and buying are different things.

Now that really IS a good point! Picking up and buying are indeed very different things. However, how will you ever get people to buy your books if they won't even pick them up? Surely having a title, or cover art that entice a reader to pick up the book is the first stage of being led to buy.

I picked up Sabriel at least a dozen times before I bought it. I thought the cover art was stunning and the title ambiguous enough that I wanted to know what it was about. Although I didn't rush up to the counter and buy it the first time, the book had already 'got its claws into me'. The cover haunted me until eventually I bought it.

It's good that Elizabeth's title enticed you to read 'Sheepfarmer's Daughter' and I take your point about 'The Princess Bride', but if ever there was a story more different, then this would be it. Therefore, did you consider you had been duped into buying it?

As a general question - has anyone ever bought a book and found the title misleading to the point that the book was nothing like the story you were expecting?

 

[GOLLUM]

Gollum, it seems we have very different habits in our reading. I don't know how others feel, but I have always found recaps mildly annoying. I particularly dislike it when authors go over old ground at the beginning of a sequel so that the reader can 'get back into the story'. Rowling was particularly irritating in this regard with books two and three of the Potter series, but I note that she has gone away from this now (good on you, JK!). There are others who are just as guilty, but I'm not into mud slinging.

Not sure if I made it clear here Mark. What I meant was literally a section at the start of the book called "What Came Before" of 5-6 pgs that summarises previous key events in the story arc. Then you have say a prologue, followed by Chapter 1. I don't like recaps being heavily laboured at the start of Chapter 1 onwards in any book... Having this short summary at the start is good because those who wish to skip it can do so, others can read the summary before starting the book proper. The best of both worlds as it were..

 

[GOLLUM]

As a general question - has anyone ever bought a book and found the title misleading to the point that the book was nothing like the story you were expecting?

Can't say I have. Some movies have probably done this to me but no books I can think of, sure there's some though LOL!..

 

[Mark Robson]

I seem to remember that Anne McCaffrey used to recap at the start of her Pern books - or at least did in the versions that I have! However, I noticed that the RRP on my copy of Dragonsong was £1.00 the other day, (The White Dragon was a whole £1.50!) so I'm guessing I bought it a long time ago! I'll be honest though, I rarely used to read this section.

 

[GOLLUM]

I seem to remember that Anne McCaffrey used to recap at the start of her Pern books - or at least did in the versions that I have! However, I noticed that the RRP on my copy of Dragonsong was £1.00 the other day, (The White Dragon was a whole £1.50!) so I'm guessing I bought it a long time ago! I'll be honest though, I rarely used to read this section.

From memory I think you're right Mark. One of the resident McAffrey gurus like Rosemary will probably be able to clarify...

 

[Mark Robson]

I'm glad to hear you've made your spines especially pretty (now you sound like a cactus ), just shows that you are forward thinking when it comes to marketing your work. I'm guessing that self-publishing has done this to you - you've been forced to think about all aspects of self-promotion in order to get your stuff noticed. Which reminds me, I just read about another self-publishing success story. The author wrote a book and after several big pub. house rejections, published it himself, sold over 1000 copies and caught the eye of Warner books. Now his book is being published by them and he has a deal for others. Reminded me of you .

Sorry, Dwndrgn - didn't intend to ignore your post. I guess I've always been a cactus at heart - upstanding, but a bit on the prickly side!

I wish that I had been forward thinking about design from the beginning. This has been a matter of learning from my mistakes, sadly.

Great to hear of another success story from a self publisher. More power to his pen hand, I say. It's a shame that it's such a rare thing given how many try, but then it's also not that surprising. So many (I include myself here) go into it with no clue of what they are doing, so make silly mistakes.

 

[Ökuþórr]

Getting this ancient thread back on the topic of Paks. I have just read The Deed of Paksenarrion Omnibus and I loved it. I'm pleased to know that there are two books set before Paks' time charting the life of Gird, and that there are 3 books set after the events of Deed, with 2 more on the way.

 

[Vertigo]

I haven't read the Gird books yet. But out of the others I thought the first book outshone them. The following books just somehow didn't seem to have that gritty feel that Deed had. I did still enjoy them but, for me at least, they somehow didn't live up to the promise of the first one.

 

[Ökuþórr]

I have ordered the Gird books, they'll be here some time next week. Looking forward to them. Not sure how it'll be without Paks in them, but I'm interested in how this whole Gird thing got started. I'd like more books about Paks in the future.

 

[Heather Myst]

It might of been that I had heard very good reviews on Deed of Paksenarrion why it was such a disappointment to me. The writing was okay but the story was so slow that it was a chore for me to even finish the book.
I agree with you about the Sheepfarmers Daughter comment. If I had not heard positive things about the book I would of passed on that title for sure. As we can see in this thread many people really like this book but for me I found it way over rated.