originally posted by Shuvra Ray
I've just been reading through the extract again carefully. It is quite clear that a significant period of time has passed since SF as Selidie is described as being aged. Whilst the text mentions the use of dark power to keep her looking young, this surely refers to Koriani longevity training and not to Morriel's possession of Selidie which plays no part in keeping Selidie looking young.
Also I agree that the use of the word demise is very specific. This suggests that the fellowship has fallen in some way. Troubling thought:frowning_face:
originally posted by Hunter
The specific passage is "Perfect with youth, though she was in fact aged, her vitality served by dark spellcraft…" which to me suggests that Selidie's body has undergone Koriani forced longevity training. However her hands have not yet healed. Which is perhaps not incorrect.
Healing her hands requires regeneration aligned with the original spirit of the flesh - which is the poor Selidie, incarcerated in her own flesh, whereas the Koriani longevity is enforced longevity. Given those tenants from necromancy, the concept of a foreign entity ruling the flesh with unnatural longevity is perfectly acceptable.
originally posted by Gary
First time poster…
I have to say that I don't think Janny has given ANYTHING away in the snippet above!
What "mutual promise"?
This phrase suggests the Koriani and the F7 agreeing to work in accord on something. The Koriani have no interest in Major Balance or the Paravians or the rule by the royal lines. There driving interests seem to be in power and in human kind - probably in that order. The F7 have no interest in power, other than the correct application of it in line with tLoMB and only to the degree necessary. Seems to leave the only possible area of cooperation with human beings. (Unless, of course, I'm obviously missing something!)
They could both agree that continuance of human life on Athera would be a worthy target for cooperation. However, since it doesn't appear that all the Koriani are going to be deported to some other planet, at least some humans are remaining.
I'm intrigued by the idea presented somewhere above that the F7 meddling with the royal lines may have crossed some important line. Lysaer had no way to defend himself from possession because his line was not allowed the freedom to question anything related to his sense of justice. The F7 essentially robbed the royal lines of freedeom of choice in a fundamental and important way.
Could this be what the F7 did that has put them in this position of trouble? If so, what took the Koriani so long to figure it out? And where, when and how did they figure it out?
I look forward to hearing everyone's enlightened insights on these ideas!
By the way, Janny, LOVE the work!
Hi Gary - welcome here! 
originally posted by Julie
I wonder if Daliana is the "the game" Seldie thinks she cornered.
originally posted by Brad
Hi Noobie Poster here! First off, WHAT AN AMAZING SERIES!!! I just found it last year and am totally hooked!
Secondly, Janny, Help Im stuck in Canada, and can't get SF anywhere!!! 
Thirdly, I think that the Koriani are in a world of trouble with their Prime enacting very evil and unbalanced magics depriving autonomy to individuals. are they going to come to the status of necromancers? No longer held or protected by the compact?..Is this reckoning going to turn on its heel and become the demise of the Koriani?
Brad - welcome here - Thanks for making my day.
In recognition of your plea for help - the series WILL be available in Canada by April 09, in total. This will include Stormed Fortress and the unrelated standalone fantasy, To Ride Hell's Chasm. Details on how this will happen are forthcoming, soon as the agreed deal is committed to paper.
If you don't want the wait, several choices:
Stormed Fortress, first printing, is still in stock (somebody who e mailed me, asking, cross-checked yesterday) at Galaxy Bookshop in Australia, and they will ship anywhere in the world.
The next edition will come out in paperback (mass market sized) Nov 03, 08 in the UK/Australia/NZ.
Speculate away…! There are clues, extant, already…
originally posted by Clansman
Brad: first, take a deep breath. And another. That's it. Relax.
SF is available, if you wish to purchase it from the UK, Australia, or New Zealand. This being said, the publisher is sold out of the trade paperback, but you might be able to scrounge it from amazon.co.uk or some other Brit online shop. Any helping hints from our friends 'cross the Pond would be appreciated.
Secondly, the whole series is being published again in North America (look at the DragonCon thread) next April, including a mass market edition of SF. The next book, Initiate's Trial, will be out next (evil grin!!)– soon. And "stuck in Canada"? Come on! Have you no national pride man, or are you a hapless Leafs' fan?
Thirdly, good speculation. Morriel/Selidie has got to have her comeuppance (I mean really have her comeuppance this time). Demise of part of the Koriani, one hopes (I call 'em the Twisted Sisters).
originally posted by Clansman
Darn e-mail didn't get through in time! And I missed the five-minute limit.
Wrong about SF in NA next April (I got carried away), Janny? When will SF be out over here, or did I mess up?
Galaxy. A bookstore I have always wanted to visit (especially when a certain person gets an advance copy of one of Janny's books!)
originally posted by Zorana Lewis
Amazon.co.uk is great…kind of, though me and they had a disagreement a while back. The only problem is the postage is extortionate. The PB edition is currently £9.99 (some special offer on). You then go into international deliveries and the postage to Canada adds up to £6.98 minimum. So that equals to about…$32…ish…, in Canadian dollars. You then also have the possibility of being asked for customs duty (though from experience they don't tend to get nasty over one book *g*) Though all that said, $30-$32 is a bit much to pay for a book if you ask me.
It's even worse if you go to Waterstones. They charge £7.98 for surface mail or £32 for overseas delivery courier. £32!!! *dies* That IS ridiculous.
Anyhoo, point is is; unless you want to pay a fortune, I'd try Galaxy in Australia as Janny has recommended, or wait until it's released on your side of the Pond; but I -wouldn't- buy it from the UK unless you've got money to burn.
originally posted by Clansman
Please ignore my last post. My reading comprehension apparently is malfunctioning at the moment.
ZL: $30.00 is about the going rate for a hardcover in Canada. It is also the going rate for a nice lunch with your wife. That's what I paid for SF, and it was worth every damn penny!!! Gods, what a book!
Brad, do what you can to get your hands on it. You won't regret it, especially since your drifting around in spoiler threads. Get out before it's too late, man, if you know what's good for you. Come on back when you have read the book. You can still go to the other, non-spoiler topics, but don't risk your read of SF to us insensitive boobs.
originally posted by Zorana Lewis
Yeah, but $30 for a PB? I just wouldn't pay for the delivery to be honest, but then again, I found SF easily so I didn't have the problems Brad and others have had. I just think paying almost the same for postage that you're paying for the book itself is a tad bit wrong but *shrugs* that is just my opinion.
All the series books, Stormed Fortress included, will be available in North America - US and Canada - come April of 09. They should be priced in line for the local marketplace. When listings appear, I will try to announce this - if anyone sees them beforehand, yell, and I will verify if they are accurate.
Stormed Fortress's (small sized) paperback release will precede this, as planned: HarperCollins London's planned sale date is November 3rd. Play.com has a preorder page for this title - but it's (apparently) mis-listed as "Alliance of Light" - a shopper reported to me privately that if you click on that, you will see the proper cover for Stormed Fortress.
Recall that the price reflects the Large sized, trade paperback - I don't know if any other venues have stock left - the edition was underprinted, and has been sold out at the publisher's since April, this year…if you will google search the TITLE, you will see many venues that advertise the book online, for sale - shipping rates are what they are…at one point, Blackwells online ran a special on shipping - I don't know if they have any more books - they were one of the LAST venues to "restock" their shelves before the publisher sold out their warehouse.
I know (here, anyway) shipping rates have SOARED, since the price of fuel has risen so drastically - a horror for everyone, not least for the manufacturers, moving goods here to there. It's a bother. Every time I mail a book, now, I get sticker shock, the price has gone up at the post office.
Part of the pricing problem, now, is the lack of supply. NUMBERS will help remedy that shortfall next time round. Bookshops who ran short, and who are still getting inquiries for this title will remember, next round, and may think it worth an increase on their pre-order numbers - which in turn ups the press run, and the cascade is on, making availability slide into place.
I have to concentrate on writing the very best book I can - - - - - - since happy new readers are the ticket to get the books more widely distributed.
originally posted by Lisa
I know Galaxy Australia ships to Canada for $21 AUD and if memory serves the book is around $30. A bit pricey but it is quite a large book.
originally posted by Aria
If your willing to wait until the New Year, but don't want to wait for the US/Canada release I could buy the small size paperback for you and then ship it over to wherever you are in Canada. I'm currently studying in Ottawa for the year but I go home at Christmas. I don't know how much it would cost to post though…
It all comes down to how long you want to wait.
originally posted by Brad
Ok, Thank you all for your help with this issue. Clansman, Shame on you for your lack of trust in my Canadian Pride! Of COURSE im Proud to be Canadian, However the one drawback to that heritige at this time is having to wait for Janny's wonderful writtings.
Zorana, Shame on you for saying any price is too great for getting one of Janny's Books into your hands!
Janny, thank you so much for your prompt reply and your assistance in finding someone somewhere who will ship me one of your wonderful books without delay. You are a dear as well as a wonderful writer!
Now enough about me being Way over here in Wonderful Canada! On with the intruige of the thread! Cheers
originally posted by Stephen Brattan
Hi, am new here, but thought I would just throw a spanner in the works.
Why are we all assuming that the 'initiate' is female? Janny quite often refers to the Adepts and to Arithon as initiate masters etc.
What's to say that the initiate isn't a man? Kevor, for example?
Hi Stephen - warm welcome here! Chuck away all you want, with those spanners. 
Probably I'll have a bigger one airborne, already…
originally posted by Matthew
Hm if the fellowship owed a debt to the sisterhood why didn't they call that in to get back their missing Great Waystone years ago?
Matthew - have you read Stormed Fortress?