Ser Not Appearing

*holds out hand*

I don't know if it's the right look but take Nick Cage from Con Air and give him as giant moustache ... I can dig it. Whoever they pick needs to have a really good subtle sarcasm and smirking comedic flair.

At least for me, Cosca's casting and portrayal trumps almost anyone else. I hope they nail that part. Love me some Nicomo Cosca.

With obvious acknowledgement that the actual author knows far better than I and he'd make the right call ... I don't think cutting Shenkt (mentioned earlier) would be ideal. Of course, my own opinion on that is more tied to how he relates to the wider powers that be more than this specific story ... and that's perhaps a good place to cut for a movie trying to cover many things in 2 hrs ... but, assuming this is a hoped for first foray into the wider world, I'd want that link preserved and the seeds of the story of those powers planted formerly in the movie's narrative.

She certainly seems an appropriate casting, though a bit of a pink.

I've mentioned before that I have been reading through (and listening to) the Harry Potter series with my 9 yr old. The series really transitions and picks up somewhere in book 4 and we're well into book 5 now. Anyway, I'm mentioning it because this is the book where the Ministry of Magic goes into denial about Voldemort returning and they install a teacher at Hogwarts, who starts banning topics, adjusting teaching methods and overall insisting on an alternate reality (all while demonizing Harry Potter) ... and parents who consume their wizarding news from certain outlets are guiled into following along ... meanwhile the students at school are forced to walk the line between the risks that actually exist and the risks they're allowed to acknowledge. ... and I'll be damned if there aren't significant parallels to recent history of the far right taking over school boards (in the US) to deny a pandemic, to ban teaching of actual American history and to demonize and oppress specific segments of the school population. We're reading along and the familiarity is just absolutely jumping off the page. Anyway, just my opinion based on my experiences. Hopefully not too political.

Gonna need to read again in more detail. Very interesting.

I both sympathize and don't sympathize with whatever challenges he's got going on. It's worthy of my regard and can take on faces that we don't and can't understand... and it's never truly comparable to anyone else's path - even through similar troubles. But I also think it's somewhat beside the point. I've always been of the opinion that releasing part of a series is an implied social contract with readers. Some writers break that contract and readers can fuss over it but don't have a whole lot of options other than moving on. Pat has bent that implied social contract to a reasonable breaking point, not just with delays but with somewhat flippant answers ... regardless of the cause. I'm mixed on it all for him, obviously. I often contrast what with GRRM. For myself, I've partially moved on from GRRM. I won't simply buy whatever he comes out with at this point. It'll really have to pique my interest. He's allowed to get distracted with whatever he wants but he's taken it so far and so long and he's got another book after this one (if he ever finishes this one) that I'm just ... I don't know what to call it. I'm not truly angry. I'm certainly disappointed and frustrated. I'm not fully ambivalent but I also can't honestly say that I think I'm ever going to get what I want, which is a finished series (certainly not in a time frame that's close enough to fruition to feel real), so I just don't have the same attachment. When a main line novel comes out, I'll be in. Everything else? I don't know. Pat? We just need the one more book so it feels more real and my engagement stays a bit closer, even though I suspect that he's overall working less than GRRM. Getting a deeper look at Bast is intriguing enough to me, plus I admit there's probably some foolish part of me that thinks a writing prompt that does well could help his situation and maybe it renders and eventual third book more likely. It's a small part of me, but I acknowledge that it exists because I've had the thought. His charities, however? He's broken trust on that and it's a pretty dark promise to break, in my opinion. In no way shape or form would I ever be willing to participate in that. If he released this book only as a charity thing, I'd never read it. Somewhat odd that I'd rather pay him and his publisher than a charity but that's the reality. I allow some flexibility for the author writing books ... but not for a misbehaving charity, even if it's functionally the same person. tldr: Jamal (me) has mixed feelings and doesn't really know what to think. But he has thoughts and they're a jumble. Look at the monkey spit words!

Interesting. So ... basically it's a writing prompt that can also make money.

Finished Foundryside. There's some redeeming stuff here in the world-building but there's a lot I didn't think was of great quality (or at least so divergent from a style I appreciate that I don't see the quality) in the writing. I'm uncertain if I will continue the series. If I do, it's mainly just to read something with a friend.

I'll buy this one.

Finished the fourth book of Harry Potter with the 10 yr old. We've been reading through then and discussing the stereotypes and problematic language but also the fun and the adventure. Book 4 really picks up the story.

The Lightning Tree is nothing like Slow Regard, from what I recall. Slow Regard was odd because it's from the perspective of an odd person. It's more fascinating than is it a fun read. It's basically just a character exploration of someone who's partly cracked. The Lightning Tree is also a character exploration but a vastly different character so a vastly different result. Bast is devious and not even human so his perspective betrays that. It was a more fun read but less interesting to me. I think Bast and Auri as important characters speaks for itself. But the fact that these are the two who got side project novellas to explore the characters takes that importance to another level. I have long thought that Slow Regard is a clear sign that he wanted to weave her in significantly moving forward but couldn't even write her in a way that felt correct, so he wrote a story that explores how she perceives the world and how she relates with Kvothe. It was concrete enough and good enough that he released it but I don't suspect releasing it was necessarily the original goal. From the same perspective, rewriting The Lightning Tree is interesting because it suggests to me that he needed to explore Bast more or found (through rewrites of main novel) that Bast isn't quite the same guy he thought at the time The Lightning Tree was written. That's a spark of intrigue I appreciate. I'm honestly super intrigued to see who he presents Bast as in the rewrite. What's his relationship with Kvothe and the mortal world and what might that mean about where Doors will go? All that said, I've been known to be wrong.

Kind of a bummer but also interesting. Whatever gets him back in the saddle.

I have. It's pretty fascinating and great, imo. Totally different mannerisms and thought processes.