Currently re-reading Brian Lumley's original "Necroscope" series, for me the ONLY vampires that matter! I reread them regularly!

Before that I read Patrick Rothfuss "The Name of the Wind" which I did enjoy but is no classic.

 

Can't seem to get into Stan Nicholls' "Orcs" or Tad Williams' "Shadowmarch" - are they worth the effort?

 

"Shadowmarch" is good, but by no means Williams' best. If you're already a fan you'll want to read it, but if you're just starting to read Williams' you'd be much better off starting with his "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" series, or reading his "Otherland" series which, I believe and is certainly my feeling, is considered his best series to date. "Shadowmarch" ends up playing it a bit safe and conventional, which is sad because his other fantasy series "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" broke from a lot of conventions of it's day. But my recommendation, if you haven't read Williams' before and you want to see him at his best, is go buy "City of Golden Shadow." If you're not hooked by the end of the Prologue, you should just move on to another author. But I can practically guarantee you you'll want to keep reading.

Ta for that I might give "City of Golden Shadow." a shot then many years ago I did read "The Dragonbone chair" and liked it a lot but never got around to the otherws due to college. Thats why I thought I would like Tad's stuff.

Currently re-reading Brian Lumley's original "Necroscope" series, for me the ONLY vampires that matter! I reread them regularly!

Before that I read Patrick Rothfuss "The Name of the Wind" which I did enjoy but is no classic.

Can't seem to get into Stan Nicholls' "Orcs" or Tad Williams' "Shadowmarch" - are they worth the effort?

The Smiths "Hatful of Hollow"

But my favourite as always is "Kneel and swear to the Lord Dragon, or you will be knelt", good 'ol Taim!

 

Good ol Moridin!!!

If I was Mat, I'd take bets on that...but I'm not! The fence may be uncomfortable but...I have no clue but if they blow off the "so-called Aiel" thing casually I'll be upset as I was with the Asmodean glossary one.

"Duty is heavy than a mountian, Death lighter than a feather" is probably best, its from a Japanese proverb, isn't it?

But my favourite as always is "Kneel and swear to the Lord Dragon, or you will be knelt", good 'ol Taim!

Where is Min? is she the one taking the photo?

LMAO Classic!

Ah excellent explanation, makes the most sense, the soul lingers for a set time but balefire "speeds up" that time so to speak. Ok, case closed for me, cheers mate!

I should think it fairly straight forward. If the DO has such and such seconds to grab a soul after death, and the BF stream burns back less than that amount of time, a quick DO might still manage the grab. No?

That's what I would think too but how can the DO pick up a soul from a thread that ends (after balefire) BEFORE death? Makes more sense that he couldn't get them at all to me but maybe they do linger longer with less balefire.

Most interesting is an earlier one from RJ, in the Questions of the Week. He indicated that a very small amount of balefire wouldn't prevent the Dark One from grabbing the soul.

Ah! Interesting, I had forgotten about those fish bites, now I remember all the wondering they had caused at the time! So, getting killed in Tel'aran'rhiod is the same as getting killed in the Wolf Dream (poor Hopper!) as in it's the "final" death of a soul?

And the DO's time limit is longer than I thought, but I don't get how the amount could make a difference - it erases a certain amount of the victims actions, the amount depending on how much is used but it starts at death then runs backwards over the victims life. Hmmmm, if like in Lumley's "Necroscope" books (which I loved) everyone has a "lifeline" that runs straight for your lifetime in this cycle and balefire kills you at point 199 and burns your line back to point 180 all actions between point 199 and point 180 and their consequences cease to exist the Do can't get the soul because the point of death "199" no longer exists in the pattern anymore? That was my way of thinking of it but if only a small amount is used will the point of death still not be burned from the pattern? Or is there still some echo/scream/unravelling thread that can still be salvaged before fading forever?

Another question on Balefire - It is my understanding that the DO has a limited amount of time to "grab" a soul for recycling ie. in a new body before it is lost to him. This does not mean the soul is "destroyed", cast into the void etc. just that they will/might be recycled by the pattern/creator again instead of by him and as such the soul will have no memories of its past life/lives. So Rahvin and the rest may be reborn but with a chance to choose the course of their lives again as opposed to "forever damned" in traditional christian thinking. RJ said something like this about Sammael, didn't he (I know that wasn't balefire but for some reason Mashadar excluded him)? And the DO's only problem with balefire is that he loses the opportunity to "grab" his favourites. Is this right or am I off track somewhere?