Yes, yes, I know. Just when things were getting interesting with Vessa and Patty, it’s time to switch away. So typical! If you’d like a quick reminder of what Scavina has been up to, her plot thread started on p. 225. And if “Rautani” leaves you scratching your heads, try back here in Chapter Six and reading on a couple of pages.
However… Miesti! *dramatic music sting*
Speaking of multiple weaving plotlines, I picked up Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings last week. I requested it from my local library, and it finally arrived. I had no idea what a brick of book that is! 1000 pages. Although I’ve read my fair share of epic fantasies in my time, it’s been a while since I tackled one so big. I groaned in despair when I saw it, wondering if I could possibly finish it before my three week library time limit was up.
In the first fifty pages, I grumbled about how often the author changed tack to new characters and new plot threads. Not to mention jumps in time! I had a hard time keeping track. But pretty shortly I discovered that I was thoroughly hooked and thanks to an understanding husband and a quiet rainy weekend I plowed through the book in three days. Good grief!
You see, my friends had been squee-ing about Sanderson’s newest novel, one I had assumed was a sequel to this book (which I’d known had been out for some time). That’s why I borrowed The Way of Kings from the library in the first place. As it turns out, though… it’s not. There is no second book yet. Argh.
Meanwhile, my husband is finally tackling the set of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time books we’ve had on our shelf for some time. Myself, I have not read them. Why? Well, Robert Jordan first came to my attention when I was working at Bakka, Toronto’s sci-fi bookstore, and I couldn’t count the number of people who came in or just called up, desperate for news of the next book in the series. I think this was around the time of the 4th book. They were all so distraught! And the news that we got from the publisher– and from Jordan himself, who came for a signing at one point– was the series was not going to end anytime soon. I then promised myself that despite how much everyone told me how much they loved his books, I wouldn’t read them until the series was finished. That was 1993. And it’s still not finished!!
Jordan passed away a few years ago, and Brandon Sanderson took on the challenge of finishing the series. Which means he’s currently in the middle of writing three different epic fantasy series. No wonder the sequel to The Way of Kings isn’t out yet. How can one man hold all that worldbuilding in his head??
Next up on my reading pile is Jasper Fforde’s The Last Dragonslayer. Coincidentally, he’s also got another series going that I’m hoping he’ll get around to soon.
(Whoa. Didn’t intend to go on for so long about books. Well, you know how it is. 
Over to you, now– what have you all been reading?)
Ah ha ha! I was wondering when you’d get to the Miesti.
Aw, give poor Brandon a chance, Tara! From all I’ve heard, A Memory of Light could be out as early as next summer or fall—plenty of time to read the first 13 books. Hope David gets hooked!
You plowed through The Way of Kings in three days? Neither my mom or I have read it yet, though it still sits on the bookshelf… the thing looks bigger than the last two WoT books—a real brick! and I’ve heard it has enough magic systems to sink a ship. Is that true?
It’s possible I was exaggerating– it might have been four days.
But it is huge, especially in hardcover, and a makes a great argument in favour of ebooks– it’s so much easier to hold a nice light Kindle than that beast of a book! If I am too impatient to wait for the library copy of the sequel, when it shows up, I may purchase an e-copy.
The problem wasn’t that there were so many different magic systems– I think it all came down to one, used different ways– but trying to figure out the history of his world by pulling out the various bit and pieces hinted at throughout the story was certainly a challenge. I guess that’s what kept me so enthralled with his Mistborn series, too– the desire to unlock the mystery of what the heck happened to make the world that way.
We (myself, the spouse and the 12-year-old daughter) have read The Last Dragonslayer and it is in the tradition of Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next and Nursery Crimes series – funny and addicting. We’ve burned through his series and my wife keeps trying to get his new books from the UK as soon as they come out.
Over the holiday weekend I finished The Dragons of Babel by Michael Swanwick. Best fantasy novel I’ve read in years, and it’s of reasonable length and tells a complete story, too.
Now working on Elizabeth Bear’s Grail, the concluding volume of her Jacob’s Ladder generation ship trilogy. Quite fun.
Just curious: Is Jax Augustus still alive and well by this time? Is he still part of (presumably) TerSA?
Good question!
I did leave that somewhat ambiguous, and that was on purpose. But I guess it’s safe to say that yes, he’s still alive and (presumably) well. 
Huh, that name does sound a bit like the other aliens mentioned so far….
As for me I’ve been reading a few things but really pumped to be finally reading Mastiff by Tamora Pierce, it’s always so weird to have started a series in high school and not have it finish until I’m well into college.
First panel is very nicely handled.
That first panel is really great. Its the power of thought, illustrated.
I’d rather write than read.
Mike M and glennnnn, thanks! I’m glad to hear that because I wasn’t sure if it was going to work smoothly or trip readers up.
It does on both counts. Strange because I thought they were suddenly in some holographic projection room, then taken with the contextual explanations we get to see their imaginations… the realization is very cool and effective.
“Miesti” How do you say that … Is it “My-Sty”, “Misty”, “Me-es-tai” – something else entirely?
Kev, it’s “Mee-stee”
Funny, I always thought it as “Me-eh-stee”…
The real question here is one nobody is asking: why doesn’t everyone on this planet have Vanguarthe’s awesome swirly bits?
I think the swirls are on his face for the same reason they’re on his uniform. I guess it means he’s the head of these people. (Didn’t Chakotay of STVOY also have them? The difference is of course that nobody in the Maquis was actually working for him…)
Why doesn’t anybody else have tattoos like those, or tattoos at all? Maybe he had a misspent youth, or lived next door to a tattoo shop? I sort of agree with AmbiValent that it must be symbol of rank, but too early to do anything but guess.
As we are in alt-New Zealand, it may be relevant that, in Maori culture, the more important the person, the more fancy the tattoo. Only the big chiefs and best warriors had full-face tattoos. With no anaesthetic and stone age tools, having the tattoo applied was painful, so it also showed the bravery of the wearer.
I actually got to go to a Brandon Sanderson signing in Houston recently. If you had been told that his latest book (The Alloy of Law) was a sequel, then you were told right, its just a sequel to his Mistborn Saga.
According to Brandon, he’s planning to start Book 2 of the Stormlight Archive after AMoL is finished. He had a working title for it, “The Book of Endless Pages”, but that was quickly scrapped when it was pointed out how much fuel that would give the reviewers…
Also, if you haven’t read the original Mistborn trilogy, you should. It’s the reason Jordan’s wife/editor picked him to write the last book(s) of WoT, and is definitely worth the read (which is shorter than TWoK).
What I’m reading „now“? Well, first I’m trying to keep up with the Perry Rhodan series (I’m about thirty issues behind at the moment). Then „Das Obsidianherz“ (The Obsidian Heart) by Ju Honisch, a German author (filkers could have heard of her), a kind of steam horror story. Also a roleplaying supplement for one of my Dark Eye character’s homeland. And an epic fantasy story a friend of mine
is writing. And not to forget several other webcomics …
Btw., I am quite curious about those aliens …
Interesting. Wait, what are the people living in the subway called again? I’m sure there is a name, but don’t have the energy to find it.
As for reading materials, I am currently working my way through Treasure Island for the first time. And liking it more than I thought I would. Why was I never informed it was this good. Also, textbooks. Blech.
The subway people are called Orehu.
I remember feeling the same way about Great Expectations, when I first read it in High School. “What? You mean this is actually good??”
“Treasure Island” would make a terrific webcomic by itself, (or using the characters, “Tales of the Admiral Benbough” about the further adventures of young Jim ‘Awkins…) Its in the Public Domain now. No copyrights to worry about. Still, out of respect to Robert Louis Stevenson, I’d pick the second option.
And Dickens was one of those early pioneers in the ‘illustrated story’ publishing in serial-form with pictures in newspapers.
“Great Expectations”- another huge and great story!
I like the development of the story so far. Quite frankly the suspense is infuriating at times, but well worth the wait.
Tara, I just stumbled into your universe here yesterday and was hooked right away. LOVE this strip — the story and character development. I’m especially fond of the egalitarian, pro-feminist future you depict. I confess I’m not a big fan of manga-style art (I realize this is just me, but there’s too much mental association with — and I’ll probably get in trouble for going here — what seems to be a penchant among japanime artists to depict female characters as a kind of child porn — all too often looking like 12 y.o. girls with huge boobs, etc. — like the *cough* stupid ad that’s running alongside your strip *cough*). However (now that I got that off my chest), I hasten to add that I think you are a fabulous artist, oozing with talent. I wish I had such a gift. Anyway, thank you for putting your talent and lovely imagination out here for the rest of us to enjoy! Looking forward to where the story goes from here…
Thank you, Rich!
I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying the story.
Manga does unfortunately have a bad rep, and I freely admit some of it is earned. (To be fair, though, American superhero artists have an equally bad rep for their own particular exaggerations!) I don’t even know if my art style is very manga-ish anymore, though my roots certainly lie there.
I’m glad you gave Galaxion a shot, despite your usual preferences!
Glad you didn’t take offense to my rather rude intro (and I hope I didn’t scare off your advertisers; sorry!). Good point about artistic exaggerations. IMO, there’s usually no real need to exaggerate — a healthy human body is pretty attractive/amazing just the way it is, in all its varieties.
So… Does this make the Rautani… The Miesti Boys?
Sorry, sorry! Couldn’t resist! *Runs away before he’s groaned off the stage*
P.S. You’ve got a nice story here Tara! I’ve been reading it for a while, though I only check every couple months, so that I’ll have several pages to read at once. But, from your comments on holding off on the Wheel of Time, you definitely understand that!
And there it is, finally the name I am now very familiar with!