pddb at demesne.com writes: > On Fri, Mar 21, 2003 at 11:17:43PM -0600, Beth Friedman > wrote: >> In our previous episode at 10:05 PM 3/21/03, >> Gaertk at aol.com wrote: >> >>> BTW, I got the impression while reading the [Liavek] >>> books that the authors believed the series would end at >>> book four and so they tied up most of their plot threads, >>> forcing them to scramble to write something for book 5. >>> And as a result, book 5 had lots of characters acting out >>> of character for most of the stories (except Mr. Brust's, >>> of course). >> >> That doesn't match my memory of the actual events. > > Nor mine. > > Volume 5 was the last chance to follow the less evident > implications of one's previous writing. I might agree with > that as a characterization. > > We did know 5 was the last, and part of some people's idea > was to leave things open-ended enough for people who wanted > to write novels. There was also some idea of picking up > some considerable time in the future. But the scrambling, > if there was any, happened in 5, not in 4. Hmm, I'm not sure we're understanding each other. (Or maybe I need to reread the books.) My opinion is that the series should have stopped at book 4. At that point, everything that needed wrapping up was. Then book 5 tried to add on, and it seemed that the authors tried to surprise the readers, and in so doing, damaged their characters. _Liavek: Festival Week_ spoilers: S P O I L E R S [I'm picking on Pamela solely because she responded; I've a much bigger gripe with Shetterly's story.] I just can't imagine Dialos killing himself like this. This is his idea of acting responsibly? Yes, he's making a point, but look at the cost, especially to Nerissa. --KG