Just finished reading the Hidden Stars. (a few spoilers)

[Lonesome_Road]

After working my way through David Gemmell's (R.I.P)works I was on the look out for a new book. I spotted the Hidden Stars at a local store and was taken by the cover. It was a great piece of work. So on impulse I bought it.

I just thought id come and write about how much I enjoyed it. I thought the story was excellent and some of the set pieces (such as the sea dragon fight) were well written (though im more used to a bloodier narrative in combat scenes).

I was a bit sad / let down at the end when Jago bought the farm. Id grown quite attatched to the two men-at-arms and apart from looking forward to seeing them grow as the story continued in other books I felt he was given quite a poor exit. He'd gone all that way just to be beaten down and have his neck snapped. Never mind!

Overall it was a cracking tale and cant wait to see where it goes. Keep it up!

R.I.P Jago

[Teresa Edgerton]

Thank you. I'm very glad you enjoyed it.

As for Jago, I felt badly about his untimely exit, too. Except that it seemed to me that it only made sense for someone to die at that point, and he was expendable in terms of the plot. The life of a spear-carrier is too often a short and nasty one!

But at least I've spared him all the trudging and long hours in the saddle and wading through bog and mire -- not to mention all the general bashing around and abuse -- that the others have still to endure.

Actually, quite a few people die violently in the book, I just don't describe it in gruesome detail. From what I understand, real battles of hand-to-hand combat are mostly about weariness and confusion, and concentrating so intensely on staying alive that everything else tends to fade into the background. So that's what I concentrate on, too. (At least that's my contention, and I'm sticking to it.)

[Lonesome_Road]

I do see what you mean. I was seeing that fight from the point of the girl (wont even try to spell her name) and I guess in all the chaos and general confusion she was struggling to focus on much but getting to her feet and surviving. Still it was a shame.

Cant wait for the second book.