[Books] Well there you go.
Now that I have my brain back, I can say a little more about The Prodigal Mage, but I'm not in full review mode yet.
Mostly, it's just that now I've finished it, and The Reluctant Mage isn't out yet, I've moved on back to Robin D. Owens' The Summoning books, with the third one, Protector of the Flight.
And immediately, the difference is noticeable. The difference between a great writer and a... mediocre writer.
Don't get me wrong, The Summoning is an entertaining series. If it wasn't, I wouldn't still be reading them, and I certainly wouldn't have been confuddled and annoyed to find out that, for some unknown reason, the fourth book (Keepers of the Flame) seems to be out of print or something, but none of the others are, even the first one. And there are five total. Weird.
Point being, they're entertaining enough that I want to read them all. But none of them have, at any point, left me a shocked, shuddering pile of BUHGUHSFLKSHFSGLBN. None of them have had me near tears for practically the entire book for many different reasons. None of them have me wishing very hard for one character to have the chance to redeem himself because he was such a sweet kid and his father ruined him with arrogance and hatred. I am not nearly as invested in the characters, their plight, and what they're going to do about it as I am with Rafel in The Prodigal Mage.
Part of it is the level of plot-weaving. The Summoning is fairly formulaic. In each book, a woman from our world who's lost all reason to be here is summoned to an alternate, magical world where not only does she have great power, she's given a new purpose in the fight of Lladrana against the encroaching Dark that's also in line with her own goals, and she'll inevitably find someone to fall in love with (and so far, even though homosexuality isn't a stigmatized thing in Lladrana, they've all be straight), and even though she will have the choice to leave Lladrana when her purpose is fulfilled, the reader never really doubts she'll choose to stay. Language barriers are coveniently dealt with through intimate bonding and/or magical potions. The Dark is an ambiguous other across the magical border that sends monsters across to harass the Llandranans (who are not really Asians who speak not really French). There's never any real danger to the woman or their chosen companions. Other people will die, but death or near-death will never touch the main characters or anyone they really care about. Or if it does, it's reversable. No one really grows or changes, or if they do, it's an instant change brought on by magic or instant love. There's absolutely nothing truly unique or challenging in these books. Entertaining, yes. Unique, no.
Miller, on the other hand, has carefully and lovingly crafted characters who do grow, and do change, through maturity or pain or just plain weariness. Asher, who was the main protagonist in The Innocent Mage and The Awakened Mage ... well, the "Innocent" part only means he's innocent of what he really is... Asher is not innocent in the other meaning by any means. He's a good man, but he's a fisherman by birth, and brash and loud and blunt, and he has absolutely no plans on being anyone's savior. He barrels his way through other people without much care for their high-falutin' rules or even their feelings. And oh gods, the things he goes through, and the things he does for the sake of his homeland, even not wanting to, even though all he wants is to make enough money to go home and buy his own fishing fleet. And his son, Rafel, the protagonist of The Prodigal Mage, is cut from the same cloth, though he has his own dreams that have nothing to do with his father's.
The evil in these books isn't some ambiguous, nameless thing that just flings monsters at the people. It's real, he has a name, and he is old and cunning and powerful. Worse, he's patient.
The worst part of all, though, is a spoiler. ^_^ Which I am not going to tell.
Best of all, while there is a big bad villain, there are also protagonists and antagonists. People who are good and fair, and people who are basically good with some faults, people who think they're good and in the right but are prejudiced little bastards, and people who are arrogant and would stomp all over everyone if allowed and who plan to change things so they can, but who are still frightened and horrified when confronted with real evil.
It's hard to talk about all the things I would like to without spoilers. Sigh.
But I feel the characters in Miller's books. I care about them, I care what's going to happen to them and their friends, and when bad things happen (because no one is safe) I just want to cuddle them.
(Oh, and redeemed!Draco Harry Potter fans, The Prodigal Mage has a character just perfect for you. Arlin Garrick. Poor kid. Sweet, sweet kid, but his dad's an ass. So later, when he and Rafe are twenty years old, Arlin's a prick and you just want to smack the shit out of him, but still cuddle him because you know why he's an asshole and wish you could undo it.)
Basically, all of this struck me last night as I switched from Miller to Owens and noticed the difference, and this is the result of that simmering. Because I am determined to not be an Owens. I will be a Miller. I'm not there yet, but I can be, and I will be. I will not be mediocre, I will be great, damn it.
Mostly, it's just that now I've finished it, and The Reluctant Mage isn't out yet, I've moved on back to Robin D. Owens' The Summoning books, with the third one, Protector of the Flight.
And immediately, the difference is noticeable. The difference between a great writer and a... mediocre writer.
Don't get me wrong, The Summoning is an entertaining series. If it wasn't, I wouldn't still be reading them, and I certainly wouldn't have been confuddled and annoyed to find out that, for some unknown reason, the fourth book (Keepers of the Flame) seems to be out of print or something, but none of the others are, even the first one. And there are five total. Weird.
Point being, they're entertaining enough that I want to read them all. But none of them have, at any point, left me a shocked, shuddering pile of BUHGUHSFLKSHFSGLBN. None of them have had me near tears for practically the entire book for many different reasons. None of them have me wishing very hard for one character to have the chance to redeem himself because he was such a sweet kid and his father ruined him with arrogance and hatred. I am not nearly as invested in the characters, their plight, and what they're going to do about it as I am with Rafel in The Prodigal Mage.
Part of it is the level of plot-weaving. The Summoning is fairly formulaic. In each book, a woman from our world who's lost all reason to be here is summoned to an alternate, magical world where not only does she have great power, she's given a new purpose in the fight of Lladrana against the encroaching Dark that's also in line with her own goals, and she'll inevitably find someone to fall in love with (and so far, even though homosexuality isn't a stigmatized thing in Lladrana, they've all be straight), and even though she will have the choice to leave Lladrana when her purpose is fulfilled, the reader never really doubts she'll choose to stay. Language barriers are coveniently dealt with through intimate bonding and/or magical potions. The Dark is an ambiguous other across the magical border that sends monsters across to harass the Llandranans (who are not really Asians who speak not really French). There's never any real danger to the woman or their chosen companions. Other people will die, but death or near-death will never touch the main characters or anyone they really care about. Or if it does, it's reversable. No one really grows or changes, or if they do, it's an instant change brought on by magic or instant love. There's absolutely nothing truly unique or challenging in these books. Entertaining, yes. Unique, no.
Miller, on the other hand, has carefully and lovingly crafted characters who do grow, and do change, through maturity or pain or just plain weariness. Asher, who was the main protagonist in The Innocent Mage and The Awakened Mage ... well, the "Innocent" part only means he's innocent of what he really is... Asher is not innocent in the other meaning by any means. He's a good man, but he's a fisherman by birth, and brash and loud and blunt, and he has absolutely no plans on being anyone's savior. He barrels his way through other people without much care for their high-falutin' rules or even their feelings. And oh gods, the things he goes through, and the things he does for the sake of his homeland, even not wanting to, even though all he wants is to make enough money to go home and buy his own fishing fleet. And his son, Rafel, the protagonist of The Prodigal Mage, is cut from the same cloth, though he has his own dreams that have nothing to do with his father's.
The evil in these books isn't some ambiguous, nameless thing that just flings monsters at the people. It's real, he has a name, and he is old and cunning and powerful. Worse, he's patient.
The worst part of all, though, is a spoiler. ^_^ Which I am not going to tell.
Best of all, while there is a big bad villain, there are also protagonists and antagonists. People who are good and fair, and people who are basically good with some faults, people who think they're good and in the right but are prejudiced little bastards, and people who are arrogant and would stomp all over everyone if allowed and who plan to change things so they can, but who are still frightened and horrified when confronted with real evil.
It's hard to talk about all the things I would like to without spoilers. Sigh.
But I feel the characters in Miller's books. I care about them, I care what's going to happen to them and their friends, and when bad things happen (because no one is safe) I just want to cuddle them.
(Oh, and redeemed!Draco Harry Potter fans, The Prodigal Mage has a character just perfect for you. Arlin Garrick. Poor kid. Sweet, sweet kid, but his dad's an ass. So later, when he and Rafe are twenty years old, Arlin's a prick and you just want to smack the shit out of him, but still cuddle him because you know why he's an asshole and wish you could undo it.)
Basically, all of this struck me last night as I switched from Miller to Owens and noticed the difference, and this is the result of that simmering. Because I am determined to not be an Owens. I will be a Miller. I'm not there yet, but I can be, and I will be. I will not be mediocre, I will be great, damn it.