Prince of Wolves: Questions from the Author

[Vic Wertz]

Charles Evans 25 wrote:

And, for the record, I obtained Prince of Wolves from a local branch of the UK book-store chain 'Waterstones'. I had to order it in, but I hope it helps to raise line awareness with them... :)

It can't hurt! Thanks!

[Charles Evans 25]

Hmm. I have a couple of questions for the author:

Spoiler:

First, I've come across a minor unexplained point in the storyline pertaining to Jegarre's journal. As far as I can determine he writes in it (the one he's writing for the Pathfinder he's looking for) on a regular basis. I assume he does during his first few days at Willowmourn. Then the bad guys come along and wipe his memory... So what do they do about the stuff that Jegarre has already written in his journal during his stay at Willowmourn, and why doesn't Jegarre inspect the journal closely later for clues if he thinks he's been there already for several days but lost all memory of that time? I assume that if there were any pages ripped out of his journal, he'd notice that, and that even any magical erasing might conceivably leave clues or traces which Jegarre might notice... Was there some sort of hypnotic suggestion ongoing which meant he simply didn't see the pages he'd written during that time? (That journal of course is gone by the time that Jegarre finally shakes free of the memory suppressing influence, buried with the Pathfinder he was writing it for, so he can't exactly go back and take another look at it.)
Second, I assume that the agent of Norgorber who killed the Pathfinder ripped the pages out of her journal and took them back to headquarters as proof he or she had done the job... So, what sort of range is there on the 'steal book' spell Jegarre uses to retrieve the Pathfinder's journal? His intention is to retrieve just the contents of the book he knows is on the fire, but I presume that the pages ripped out by the agent of Norgorber are somewhere nearby, so they get transferred too, or are they???

[Charles Evans 25]

Further question/comment:

Spoiler:

I'm unclear as to where the contents of the Lacuna Codex have ended up by the end of the story? If I understand correctly it seems to be implied that Radovan has stolen them using a book, which he gives to Jegarre. Radovan seems to assume on pages 332-333 that Jegarre is going to give the book which Radovan has used (and which may contain the contents of the Lacuna Codex) over to Count Galdana, but I'm not clear if Jegarre does indeed do this?
As a further point is the implication that worshipers of Norgorber are so interested in the codex once it surfaces - and the apparently deliberate comparison between the book binding and the masks which they wear - supposed to hint that worshipers of Norgorber may have helped with the theft of the spells in the Lacuna Codex from the church of Urgathoa (ostensibly at the behest of the Whispering Tyrant) in the first place?

[nomadicc]

Dave Gross wrote:

1. Apart from Chapter Two, which is the best chapter to read to folks who haven't yet read the book? I'd like to read a different chapter and point folks to the Chapter Two available free at paizo.com.

Chapter 8: "Maybe you'd like a little devil in you." - priceless!

Dave Gross wrote:

2. Help me settle a bet: Are you a member of "Team Radovan" or "Team Jeggare"? More importantly, why?

Ultimately, I'm going to pull a Neil Spicer and dance around the subject verbosely while giving my answer. My initial response to the questions was *Team Jeggare* - I tend to prefer the Count's thinking way of solving problems, and the layers of mystery surrounding his long half-elven past make him the more intriguing of the two. There's definately a lot of backstory to plumb there. I like that he's a good soul at the core, although his cultural/class prejudices and often depressed brooding marr his shiny image.

At the same time, Radovan's crude point of view, grittiness and gallows humor invariably bring a smile to my face every time I read one of his chapters! Its not campy, and doesn't detract from the dark deeds at hand. Radovan more often gets the dirty end of the deeds, but his cunning and street smarts keep him on par with the Count.

The best part of the duo is that they contrast each other - they are more than the sum of their parts. Having both characters in play means you can attack their adventures from two levels. Varian can masterfully navigate the dangerous waters of noble intrigue, but would be hopeless with *the help* or in the streets. At the same time, Radovan cannot access the halls of power, but he can work the lower class end of town that Count Jeggare cannot.

I like that both characters are realistically flawed. Both are good natured, despite their vastly different upbringings. Neither are saintly, both are conflicted, they at times infuriate each other... all good stuff!

As individuals these guys would be near hopeless. Together, they survive and succeed, though probably neither is aware exactly how much they rely on the other.

Anyway... Team J, but sometimes Team R. I reserve the right to change my opinion! :)

Dave Gross wrote:

3. Which of the secondary characters would you most like to see again? Why? The "why" is the helpful part.

Easy - Nicola. I hope his comic book-esque "obscure death" (if you didn't see it, it didn't happen) indicates a future reappearance with an embarrasing/tragic story to explain his survival. :) He was kind of a jerk, but his petulence and gatekeeping of the boss kept Radovan on edge.

[Neil Spicer]

nomadicc wrote:

...I'm going to pull a Neil Spicer and dance around the subject verbosely while giving my answer.

Pull a what?!

[nomadicc]

Neil Spicer wrote:

Pull a what?!

Term used with all due love and respect, of course! :)

[Kajehase]

Neil Spicer wrote:

nomadicc wrote:

...I'm going to pull a Neil Spicer and dance around the subject verbosely while giving my answer.

Pull a what?!

If I were you I'd be more concerned about what part of you he was pulling.

[Mairkurion {tm}]

It seems like everywhere I go this evening, somebody's pulling a Neil Spicer.

[Neil Spicer]

::writes down a few names::

::starts sharpening some knives::

[Shifty]

WWNSD?

[GregWeb]

I just finished the novel today, so take this with a grain of salt.

1. I'd say chapter 7.

2. Team Jeggare, for his academia-leanings. Radovan needs to realize the joy of Pathfinder-ing!

3. I really enjoy the idea of the dog, it allows so many fun story options in my mind. Azra was a really interesting character that I would like to see more of. I feel like you wrote a really deep character but only gave us a tiny taste of her life.

[Dave Gross]

GregWeb wrote:

Azra was a really interesting character that I would like to see more of. I feel like you wrote a really deep character but only gave us a tiny taste of her life.

Thanks for the comment. I'm glad you liked Azra. You're right, there's a lot more to her story than I've yet written. A lot.