The sound of Blue

[Jon Cook]

Since I don't have my materials yet, I figure I'd follow the trend, and share a bit of the myth behind my design. There's more to it, but that's all I've got time for right now. If you know the source, please don't spoil it yet.

"I would tell you three things: the first is a lie, the second, a truth, and the third I cannot say falls one way or the other.
There is a certain inn on the King's road owned by a man named Kote. This much, unknown to his patrons, is a lie.
He was not always an innkeeper. This much must surely be true, if only when he was a child.
When he was not yet an innkeeper, a myth took everything he loved, cherished and deared. Save one small token, and sadness the size of a mountain. Being a stranger here, I cannot say for certain off there is truth to be had there.
But, if you would sit and hear a while, and perhaps spare a copper or two for a bit of cider, I'll share the story I've heard. True or no, you can tell for yourself. Either one or in the middle, I merit it's worth the price of a drink for a blind beggar, eh?"

Edited January 18, 2018 by Jon Cook

[Jon Cook]

"Once there was a boy with ruddy hair and fair eyes (so I'm told). The boy had a mother who sang, and a father who played. Between them, they lived everywhere and nowhere with a few others, and sang, and played, and boyed. Sometimes, under the auspices of their lord protector, they were paid to do the same. The boy had all the love his boy heart could hold, and more knowing than his growing mind could contain. All was well.
In this well and good, they traveled, and the father heard. The old men telling stories. The young men humming axe falls. The children chanting out the rhythm of their ropes.
Behind them all, fractures of a story. A sliver to the east, and a fragment to the north. He gathered them all in a pile in secret, to puzzle them out while no one was watching."

[Brian Dougherty]

Keep the story going

I don't know the source, but the author sounds like they share genes with both Tolkien and Douglas Adams 

[Jonathan Silas]

Keep this up and you'll earn your talent pipes....  you don't happen to know what lie behind the the doors of stone.... do you?

[Jon Cook]

I'd wear them proudly, sir.

I had an inkling once, but it's been many years and more miles since then.

. . .And Master Elodin refused to teach me regarding stone. He said I was too hot headed.

[B. Norris]

So...  Gonna have a go at forging Folly?

[Dan Bourlotos]

I am loving these Kingkiller references

[Jon Cook]

21 hours ago, B. Norris said:

So...  Gonna have a go at forging Folly?

That one deserves really special steel. If I ever get good enough to tackle wootz, I'll consider it.

This blade is going to be. . .well, it'll make more sense when I get the rest of the background written. 

[Jon Cook]

By twos and threes the pieces clicked together.
A melody both hard and sweet so no one could forget.
Three verses to bear each ancient name and all the terror of their stories.
A title in two parts. A Fairy Tale: The Chandrian.
Click.
Click.
Click.

When it was done, and polished, and done again, he played it first, as was only fitting, for for that motley group of ramblers he named family.

Calluses as thick as time drew soft trembling from the strings, barely louder than the crackling fire. Little by little, the melody grew to fill the camp, bouncing off the cracks and folds and back again to be met by a baritone sleek and hard as thunder.

He spoke them all in turn. Their rank, their deeds, their hidden names. Each forgotten one boomed out into the night.
Pop.
Crack.
Pop.
The last note of the last line, holding the last name fell back, ceding the circle to the fire again. And for a moment, the fire held sway.
Pop.
Pop.
Snap.

Three towns over they must have heard the whistling cheers and celebration. But the father, full of the thing he had made, heard only the quiet smile of the mother.

[Jon Cook]

"If you want a happy tale, we stop at this moment. I take my drink, you take your story, and we both end the night none the worse for it.

But, if you insist on the whole mountain, I'll share. Just know that you were warned, chronicler."

[Jonathan Silas]

 Your being one hell of a tease with all of this...  I am feeling a bit like Bast impatient and full of curiosity.....

[Jon Cook]

1 hour ago, Jonathan Silas said:

 Your being one hell of a tease with all of this...  I am feeling a bit like Bast impatient and full of curiosity.....

I bought book two the month the hardcover came out. . .

[Jonathan Silas]

26 minutes ago, Jon Cook said:

I bought book two the month the hardcover came out. . .

I came late to the party, after all the books were out, read both in two weeks then went looking for the third....... that's when I found out that Pat takes a decade in between book releases LOL ......  so now I amuse myself with the audio books.... 

 I can't remember if you said in the past but have you been through "The Wheel of Time"  series by Robert Jordan?  By far my favorite series of all time. 

[Alan Longmire]

Yeah, he's my favorite fantasy writer as well as the freakin' slowest.    

I can wait for quality, much as it annoys me.  Do read "The Slow Regard of SilentThings," it will give you a temporary fix.

[Jon Cook]

3 hours ago, Jonathan Silas said:

I came late to the party, after all the books were out, read both in two weeks then went looking for the third....... that's when I found out that Pat takes a decade in between book releases LOL ......  so now I amuse myself with the audio books.... 

 I can't remember if you said in the past but have you been through "The Wheel of Time"  series by Robert Jordan?  By far my favorite series of all time. 

I had time to leisurely read the first one about four times before I got the second. Anymore I check once a year or so for updates.

I'm mostly a hard sci-fi guy, so I've been reluctant to pick up the Wheel of Time.

27 minutes ago, Alan Longmire said:

Yeah, he's my favorite fantasy writer as well as the freakin' slowest.    

I can wait for quality, much as it annoys me.  Do read "The Slow Regard of SilentThings," it will give you a temporary fix.

That's what I keep telling myself. It'll be better than half life 3 when it's finished. 

I almost bought it when the trade paperback came out, but after "Edro, damn it" tore a hole in my chest, I needed time to recover.

Edited January 28, 2018 by Jon Cook

[Jonathan Silas]

2 hours ago, Jon Cook said:

 

I'm mostly a hard sci-fi guy, so I've been reluctant to pick up the Wheel of Time.

  The Wheel of Time is fantasy in the same way that Starship troopers is "Just" science fiction... In the same way that Heinlein can make moral and social connections in a story about killing Skinnies on another planet ... Jordan makes connections to the differences between men and women ( in a fun way), discusses honor and duty, Stoic principles, the lure of power, how societies expectations both chain and free us......  there's some heavy thought provoking sections in between the sword and sorcery bits. 

  I can honestly say that one character in particular had a huge impact on little 16 year old me, Lan a big old Stoic warrior gave some advice to a character that the one true measure of a man was that you took whatever came on your feet, not on your knees....  6 years later I was involved in some really bad fighting in Sadr City Baghdad and I really do credit that mentality with getting me through it, mentally and physically.

 If you decide to read it pm me your address and the first books on me. I've probably bought 20 different people the first book over the years and to the best of my knowledge only one didn't continue on with the series.

[Jonathan Silas]

2 hours ago, Alan Longmire said:

Yeah, he's my favorite fantasy writer as well as the freakin' slowest.    

I can wait for quality, much as it annoys me.  Do read "The Slow Regard of SilentThings," it will give you a temporary fix.

 I'm waiting on my audible credits, I want to pick that one up on audio book to go with the others.

[Jon Cook]

@Jonathan Silas There's a big ol' conversation to be had here, for sure. I'd contend that Starship Troopers exemplifies golden age science fiction. In broad strokes.

Do you know Alastair Reynolds? If not,  maybe we can do a BITH on the side.

[Jonathan Silas]

14 minutes ago, Jon Cook said:

@Jonathan Silas There's a big ol' conversation to be had here, for sure. I'd contend that Starship Troopers exemplifies golden age science fiction. In broad strokes.

Do you know Alastair Reynolds? If not,  maybe we can do a BITH on the side.

I am not familiar with that author,  sci-fi isn't my go to genre, (but I am ALWAYS open to great authors no matter the field). Rather than continue to clog up your KITH shoot me a pm and we can correspond more on the BITH. 

[Jeremy Blohm]

On 1/28/2018 at 10:30 AM, Jon Cook said:

I bought book two the month the hardcover came out. . .

 

On 1/28/2018 at 5:12 PM, Jonathan Silas said:

The Wheel of Time is fantasy in the same way that Starship troopers is "Just" science fiction... In the same way that Heinlein can make moral and social connections in a story about killing Skinnies on another planet ... Jordan makes connections to the differences between men and women ( in a fun way), discusses honor and duty, Stoic principles, the lure of power, how societies expectations both chain and free us......  there's some heavy thought provoking sections in between the sword and sorcery bits. 

  I can honestly say that one character in particular had a huge impact on little 16 year old me, Lan a big old Stoic warrior gave some advice to a character that the one true measure of a man was that you took whatever came on your feet, not on your knees....  6 years later I was involved in some really bad fighting in Sadr City Baghdad and I really do credit that mentality with getting me through it, mentally and physically.

 If you decide to read it pm me your address and the first books on me. I've probably bought 20 different people the first book over the years and to the best of my knowledge only one didn't continue on with the series.

After all this talk about the wheel of time I found this at Wal-Mart. Now I need to find the eye of the world and begin my venture into the wheel of time. I'm super excited. After all this talk I have to get on board.

[Gerhard Gerber]

On 1/29/2018 at 12:12 AM, Jonathan Silas said:

  The Wheel of Time is fantasy in the same way that Starship troopers is "Just" science fiction... In the same way that Heinlein can make moral and social connections in a story about killing Skinnies on another planet ... Jordan makes connections to the differences between men and women ( in a fun way), discusses honor and duty, Stoic principles, the lure of power, how societies expectations both chain and free us......  there's some heavy thought provoking sections in between the sword and sorcery bits. 

 

Heinlein ruined my life.

I figured his books are how the world is supposed to work, bad news for an introvert wishing the world was Time Enough For Love, while it's actually War of the Sexes 

 

Will have to look into these books.......

[Jonathan Silas]

11 hours ago, Jeremy Blohm said:

 

After all this talk about the wheel of time I found this at Wal-Mart. Now I need to find the eye of the world and begin my venture into the wheel of time. I'm super excited. After all this talk I have to get on board.

Don't even read the back cover of that book!  Huge spoilers. Start at eye of the world. Good chance your local library has a copy!

[Jeremy Blohm]

1 hour ago, Jonathan Silas said:

Don't even read the back cover of that book!  Huge spoilers. Start at eye of the world. Good chance your local library has a copy!

I was going to read the prologue but decided I had better not. I am going to head to the library and see if they have it.

[Jeremy Blohm]

Then again I might just order it so I can start gathering the collection.

[Jonathan Silas]

Read the prologue, after book 2. You will get much more out of it.  I've gone through the entire book series 4-5 times and another 4-5 times on audio book and I STILL catch things that were foreshadow 2 or 3 books ahead.