Shalidar

[Aerin]

Well, when are finally forced to make a decision on that, please consider the poor fans who tend to go on weeks of depression when a character dies. I'm the first to put myself there. Black Magician's ending had me crying for hours.

You sound like someone who might have played, or might like playing Myst. Putting it simply, it's an adventure series set in a world where certain people have the skills to write books, which, when finished, are links into worlds. They say all possible worlds are out there, and these books are merely links.

[Coolhand]

I've always found that the mark of a good bad guy is when I secretly end up cheering for them. Oh yes, most of me wants to see them brought to justice and their schemes foiled, but if there's a tiny little perverse bit of me that kinda hopes the evil dude wins and is a little sad when they bite the inevitable dust, then that bad guy really sticks in my mind. So congratulations Mark, because that evil little bit of my soul did give a cackle when Shalidar got away at the end of Imperial Spy!

The great thing about the way you've written him is that he comes across as a competent bad guy who actually knows what he's doing and is genuinely the best at what he does. So often, writers create bad guys who are actually rather simple to overcome, or easily outwitted, but this assassin comes across as being very skilful, very clever and therefore genuinely dangerous. The fact that he outwits Femke (who also comes across as smart and skilled in tradecraft) and kills Danar adds to his sense of menace very well.

Nice one Mark!

[Mark Robson]

Thanks, Coolhand, and welcome to Chronicles. I trust you are finding your way around the boards OK? I've come to regard Shalidar with a lot of respect. When I'm writing his sections I find his sinister personality a fascinating viewpoint to explore, so I'm glad that he comes across well. I've recently finished the second draft of Imperial Assassin, and once again Shalidar was a lot of fun as a character in this novel. I've not really explored his background much in either book, but I'm tempted to do so in the third. My only worry is that if I did so, I might destroy some of the mystery of his character.

Aerin, I have played Myst, but I was not particularly skilled at it. Part of Myst is comprehending the surroundings, and I found trying to get into the mindset of the creator of the setting difficult. I've never really been a big computer gamer, though, so maybe I just didn't give it enough time.

[Coolhand]

Plus, you just gotta love a guy who'll snap a dude's neck, and then get angry with his victim for being overweight and leaving a corpse that's difficult to drag around!

I'm probably just sick but I found that bit of the prolouge very funny!

[danny]

Shalidar is a pretty cool character insn't he?

[Sparker]

Going back to the threat of killing off characters. I think it's excellent that no-one is safe. Mark, you've proved again and again that you are more than prepared to shock the reader (not just by killing characters) and so I think the unpredictability is very refreshing in your books. Not that you need any advice but something I'm now a victim to... (although obviously I'm nowhere near to being published) ... don't EVER play a game of pool where the power to kill off a character goes to the winner! I lost, and now my cousin can remove any one of my people at any point he chooses! D'oh!

[I, Brian]

Shalidar is a good character.

What's more, you're right, Sparker - he could easily hurt someone close again.

[Mark Robson]

Originally Posted by Sparker

Going back to the threat of killing off characters. I think it's excellent that no-one is safe. Mark, you've proved again and again that you are more than prepared to shock the reader (not just by killing characters) and so I think the unpredictability is very refreshing in your books. Not that you need any advice but something I'm now a victim to... (although obviously I'm nowhere near to being published) ... don't EVER play a game of pool where the power to kill off a character goes to the winner! I lost, and now my cousin can remove any one of my people at any point he chooses! D'oh!

Ah, but I think the moral there is - never play a game of pool with high stakes unless you KNOW you're going to win. I suggest on that basis that you do not play me! I used to be an accomplished amateur snooker player (my best break was 123) so pool is an easy game with pockets that are the size of buckets.

I'm hoping that the next book will show you that my twists and turns are only just getting going.

[charles]

i havent been here for ages, mostly due to the beging of gchse work (grrrrrrrr) but i have just finsished imperail spy and i looking forward to the rest, of all the characters i really do like shalidar, its amazing how you can control people withput them knowing it (it really works!)

[blinky]

Even though i do really enjoy reading about the characters in Imperial Spy (particularly Femke..shes rawks!) i do spend most of the time wondering about Calvyn and the rest of the gang from the Darkweaver Legacy books...I'm affraid Mr Robson has made his characters far too endearing and easy to attach yourself to!

[Mark Robson]

Originally Posted by blinky

Even though i do really enjoy reading about the characters in Imperial Spy (particularly Femke..shes rawks!) i do spend most of the time wondering about Calvyn and the rest of the gang from the Darkweaver Legacy books...I'm affraid Mr Robson has made his characters far too endearing and easy to attach yourself to!

Then you'll be pleased that Calvyn will make a substantial appearance in the last book of the trilogy.

Another character from The Darkweaver Legacy will make an appearance in book 2 - Imperial Assassin, though it might not be one that you would expect.

[blinky]

brilliant Any plans in the pipeline to go back to the characters in the previous books or do you find yourself wanting to move away from that?

[Mark Robson]

Originally Posted by blinky

brilliant Any plans in the pipeline to go back to the characters in the previous books or do you find yourself wanting to move away from that?

To be honest I'd like to move away from Thrandor and Shandar for a bit. I don't want to get stale, and I'd like to think I'll return in a few years time and write some great fresh stories with those characters.

I'm very close to a deal now for another series set in an entirely new world. I hope to be able to announce news very soon on that front.

[Red Phoenix]

november is such a long time away...
Clavyn Plays a substantial part in the last book you say... have you already written it, Mark?

[Mark Robson]

Originally Posted by Red Phoenix

november is such a long time away...
Clavyn Plays a substantial part in the last book you say... have you already written it, Mark?

I've written about a third of it, Red. Calvyn is about to arrive, along with one of the Grand Magicians from the Academy in Terilla. It will be interesting to see how he gets on ... I haven't actually decided how he's going to solve the problems he will face in Shandrim yet. I have ideas, but I want to see how he reacts with the characters there before I make the final decision. (I'm not working blind. It's just that there's more than one way to pickle this particular fish.)