*cheeky grin*

STARR! Where’s chapter 28????

So, I came to a conclusion in this chapter. Libby and I were talking about writing on the phone and I told her how Taerith is like some legend being passed on through the reaches of time. When I read it, I almost feel like I’m sitting in a huddle by a cozy fire listening to some elderly version of Taerith tell the tale with the firelight reflected in his eyes. It’s so cool how you do that. And it’s this distance, this feeling like I’m being told a story that already happened as apposed to being transported into the story and seeing what happens as something that is going to happen and not something that has already taken place, that is what creates a strange phenomenon. I’m going to be statisified with the ending. If Taerith and Mirian end up together I will be satisified. If Taerith and Mirian part ways forever, I will be satisified. If Isaak remains in Braedoch, or dies by the hand of Borden, or returns to his home and becomes a king someday, I will be satisified. If Borden, in his last breath, changes heart somehow, I will be satisified. If he doesn’t, I will be satisified, though in that regard I must admit that only my artistic sense will be satisfied. My emotional sense will be spitting mad at you, so in that area I must concede there is an exception, though I’ll still be satisified artistically so it’s not a complete exception. And the same goes for Lilia–if she’d have lived, I’d have been satisified, but she died, and I’m satisified. It’s amazing how you’ve given yourself the freedom to choose to make so many twists and turns, and still arrange for the reader to be satisified with them! Sheesh, I’m jealous!

Lol, I think I’m competeing with Emily for the longest comment by now, but speaking of Emily–I’m not finished. I agree with her in a way about the vision thing. It was kind of… confusing? And because it was so confusing, it did kind of make me fade out a bit. At the same time, I think it is kind of a cool… metaphor-ish-symbolic-something… and fits into the story. I kind of have the sense you were rushing as you wrote it, though.

As for Aiden himself, I’m guessing since you posted this Charissa already approved it, but I was kind of wondering that Aiden was still so hardened that close to the end. If anything, I think he’d be going kind of emotionally crazy by that time from the battle going on in his heart instead of still remaining hardened and bitter, but that’s all up to Charissa.

Okay, I’m finished dissecting Taerith. :-P But that is one of this story’s charms, it wants to be dissected, it has so many layers. It should be read in a book group. Hey, I guess we are the book group, hehe.

Love ya.

Welllllll…I think all in all, it’s a good chapter. The portrayal of Aiden is okay. I am not 100% sure you got him right, but it’s passable for now. I think one thing to clarify with Kristy is: how bitter, how full of anger is Aiden going to be at this point? I know it’s hard getting a hold of her, but you need to run it by her. Just because if he’s already tried to kill Duard, he may have found his forgiveness, his relief already by this point. I’m not sure on that point. He might, as you portrayed, still be full of anger and bitterness. But just make sure that he hasn’t already found some sort of peace yet. (Though it seems logical that he WOULDN’T have found any peace yet, not until Duard is dead.)

Off that note, Mirian is GREAT here! I can’t wait for the confrontation between her and Borden. You are going to post it tomorrow, right? I wanna see what happens there! I’ve been anticipating that for forever. :-) Isaak is great; Zhenya and the unicorn are a nice addition too.

As for Borden’s vision or whatever, it seemed a little unclear to me. Was it an appiration? a figment of his imagination? Those sections, I confess, sorta lost my attention and interest. They came across as sorta…um…abstract, I guess. Yeah. That might just be me though. Just thought you might want to know my first impressions of it.

Whew, this is getting long! (Well, you asked for a whopper of a comment, you got it!! *grin*) I hope some of it helps you. I am definitely looking forward to the two next chapters!!!! :-D