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Re: My thoughts. (i.e. <insert generic subject here>) Jacob Send a noteboard - 06/11/2009 08:56:55 PM
It did have excellent worldbuilding, and showed the reader the world without a huge info-dump. Scholes never had to resort to a five page long reflection by Neb to give us the history of the world. I liked that a lot, the fact that we had to learn as we go along, but we did learn, we didn't stay confused the whole book long.


This was certainly one of the primary strengths of the novel, which kept it compelling and interesting even when the plot developments where somewhat expected. The book has something of a table setter feel to it... a primer into the world and the primary characters before the story really gets started. From reading the second novel, I stand firm in that assessment.

It was interesting to see the technology of the Androfrancines alongside "magick", though most of the magick did seem very science-based. The powders and potions could simply have been discovered by chemists and passed down as "magick". Some things were more mystical, like the Seven Cacophonic Deaths of the evil wizard (X'Hum Y'zir something). The metal men and other mechanicals were interesting, and it was cool to see droids alongside medieval kings and armies.


The magic was more of a physical element to it, like a apothecary/alchemist... but that was almost more specifically the Earth Magic that the Androfrancines permitted to be used and studied.

Isaak was a good character, it was really easy to forget he was a robot. This doesn't seem to be the case with the other metal men, they do seem to be machines and little more. It may actually excuse the actions of some of the characters throughout the book. Rudolfo was very careful to be polite at all times to Isaak, and even named him Isaak, which turns out to be a very personal gesture. But other characters like Oriv/Resolute treated Isaak like a second class citizen, like property and nothing more. At first this made him and others look like arrogant jerks, but after seeing the rest of the mechanicals, maybe it's because they have always behaved like property and it's not arrogance. It will be interesting to see if the other mechanicals grow in any way, or if they always stay machines. Them treating Isaak like their leader was interesting, I was expecting him to be an outcast. But an outcast is a human thing, not a robot thing.


I really enjoyed Isaak as a character as well. I guess we shouldn't be surprised by that, as the series is called The Psalms of Isaak. He is something of the pivot point of the story. Scholes did a great job making him both alien and very human... always compelling.

You get to see more of the mechanicals in CANTICLE, but not in the ways you were expecting... unless you read the little prologue included at the end of the paperback copy of the book. :P

Anyways, the rest of the world kind of fell into their place alongside countless other fantasy works. House Li Tam and the Androfrancines were the Bene Gesserit, the Aes Sedai of the world. The Androfrancines had the power and the technology, and House Li Tam was the power behind the throne, pulling strings and guiding the world. I did like the scene between Rudolfo and Vlad Li Tam towards the end, when Vlad was burning the Li Tam private library and leaving the Named Lands.


That scene, as well the scene between the old Pope and Li Tam was rather well done if short.

Neb was the young boy who will become the savior of the world, while the Marsh Folk were the mysterious savages who turn out to be much more. It will be interesting to see where this storyline goes though.


Man, you need to read CANTICLE. :P

And is it a given that this is all in the far future? That we are the Old World, that the Age of Laughing Madness and Churning Wastes are a result of Nukes or chemical agents? At times it hinted that they had come to a new world, but whether that means another planet or another continent is debatable. The Moon Wizard was hinted at, and it will be interesting to see if that plays a bigger part in the story.


As far as I can piece together, the Churning Wastes and the Age of Laughing Madness was the result of the magical apocalypse caused by the Death Choirs singing the 7 Cacophonic Deaths after P'Andro Whym killed the Wizard kings. Whym was trying to bring back the age of Science from before the previous cataclysm... that age is called the Age of the Younger Gods, and I think it correlates with our today or a similar civilization and technology. The mechanicals and some of the other technology was originally generated during that age, recovered by Rufello during the Science renaissance, and recovered by the Androfrancines.

The moon seems to have been inhabited, it is referred to as green and blue and there being a tower on it. There is a whole lot more of this in Canticle.

So yeah, I liked the book. I'll be recommending it to others, and following the story. How many books are expected in the series?


5 books in total, with two out. Scholes is finished with the 3rd, with an expected publication early next year. I've talked to him a couple times, and he's very confident that all 5 will be published and available by late winter/early spring of 2011, a year and some months from now.

CANTICLE is so much better than Lamentation. It has some actual surprises and twists to it. The writing is better, as is the characterization. So, if you liked it, you'll really enjoy CANTICLE. Just, don't rush out and buy it if you haven't already. You've been entered into the drawing to win it for free. I will announce the winners early next week. ;)
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Lamentation by Ken Scholes the Discussion Thread - 06/11/2009 04:57:27 PM 923 Views
The setting/created world of the Psalms of Isaak. - 06/11/2009 06:43:57 PM 649 Views
Reminded me of WoT... - 06/11/2009 09:41:44 PM 656 Views
There are some definite similarities. - 07/11/2009 07:57:38 PM 591 Views
Same here, at least as far as the world creation goes. - 12/11/2009 05:18:27 PM 593 Views
Can't believe I never noticed that... - 13/11/2009 05:04:27 AM 632 Views
Complete with salty sayings, even! - 13/11/2009 04:05:45 PM 575 Views
At least it wasn't as heavy-handed in LAMENTATION. - 13/11/2009 08:42:36 PM 600 Views
But Siuan's fish talk is fun! - 13/11/2009 10:22:23 PM 622 Views
As in most cases with Jordan... - 16/11/2009 05:02:21 PM 654 Views
He did not... - 16/11/2009 10:21:15 PM 667 Views
Yes, he most certainly did. - 17/11/2009 02:20:28 PM 685 Views
What? - 18/11/2009 07:58:21 AM 674 Views
Re: The setting/created world of the Psalms of Isaak. - 07/11/2009 05:07:08 AM 642 Views
Well, if it isn't.. - 07/11/2009 07:54:36 PM 597 Views
/Setting: codes and ciphers - 10/11/2009 12:19:27 AM 622 Views
That did bug me a bit... - 10/11/2009 01:31:04 AM 663 Views
I certainly liked the idea... - 10/11/2009 05:22:00 PM 589 Views
Glad to know I wasn't the only way who noticed this - 12/11/2009 01:40:53 AM 560 Views
Nonverbal languages - 12/11/2009 05:28:38 PM 667 Views
Re: Nonverbal languages - 13/11/2009 05:09:25 PM 545 Views
It does require... - 13/11/2009 08:51:46 PM 564 Views
Magic System... or is there one? - 06/11/2009 07:07:20 PM 708 Views
My thoughts. (i.e. <insert generic subject here>) - 06/11/2009 07:38:26 PM 776 Views
Re: My thoughts. (i.e. <insert generic subject here>) - 06/11/2009 08:56:55 PM 869 Views
Re: My thoughts. (i.e. <insert generic subject here>) - 07/11/2009 01:28:51 AM 839 Views
Themes... - 06/11/2009 09:00:23 PM 714 Views
Loss of innocents... - 07/11/2009 05:15:40 AM 721 Views
Absolutely. - 10/11/2009 07:39:29 PM 589 Views
Re: Themes... - 07/11/2009 04:34:12 PM 694 Views
I think... - 07/11/2009 07:52:12 PM 622 Views
Re: I think... - 08/11/2009 12:42:05 AM 587 Views
I purchased this as an afterthought. - 07/11/2009 04:00:42 PM 674 Views
Characters... - 08/11/2009 02:30:30 AM 663 Views
Isaak, or "he who laughs". - 08/11/2009 02:54:44 AM 755 Views
Indeed. - 10/11/2009 05:31:55 PM 535 Views
I hope we never do get a POV from him. - 10/11/2009 09:10:49 PM 614 Views
Me too. - 11/11/2009 02:20:04 PM 604 Views
That's funny... - 11/11/2009 06:04:13 PM 591 Views
Personally I can't wait to see how Neb developes... *NM* - 10/11/2009 12:05:05 AM 324 Views
Yes, - 10/11/2009 05:27:04 PM 628 Views
Re: Yes, - 10/11/2009 08:01:14 PM 785 Views
Well... hold out. - 10/11/2009 08:23:39 PM 576 Views
- 11/11/2009 01:22:07 AM 633 Views
Winters & Neb - 11/11/2009 04:56:35 PM 622 Views
Being, deep down, a romantic at heart... - 12/11/2009 05:31:54 PM 774 Views
I like it too. - 12/11/2009 07:52:05 PM 614 Views
Climactic events and the let down... - 11/11/2009 06:56:33 AM 631 Views
In such a way, the book is a Lament. - 11/11/2009 02:18:17 PM 643 Views
Should you ever conduct an interview with Scholes, would you ask him... - 12/11/2009 05:51:52 PM 593 Views
That's a great question. - 12/11/2009 07:38:13 PM 596 Views

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