Post: Reply | Quote

Hey guys, this thread is for all of you who have had the delightful pleasure of reading Fiona's new book "Royal Exile".  So if you have any comments, want to postulate theories, review, gush praise (yes please) or whatever. Here's the place.  Please be warned this thread may have spoilers for those who don't want to spoil the read to come, please don't read on! (until you've finished).

 

Firstly from me, I really enjoyed the read.  I got a little tired through the Percheron trilogy, it just seemed a little of the same old same old.  This one just felt fresher to me, even though Percheron was so culturally different the plot line just seemed didn't grab me as strongly as it should of.  Whilst this one still does touch on things we tend to find in fiona's books, a jester/special person of sorts, disappearing children....(who reappear?), nice rogue, nasty deaths lots of twisty plots... it's going in a different direction.

 

Characters: Where to start, I really liked the supporting plot lines and how they enterweave.  Genrie and Freath, Kirin and Clovis, i really felt that they're been established as characters firmly in my mind.  Valya needs shooting... or at least a wake up call.  Our main hero's... Gav and Leo are cute and fun. I like them before they run into Lily, Lily is an annoying young woman.  I like how King Brennus, whilst dead... still is such a strong driving force in the background.  When you find out that he's talked to Sergius I was just like.... 'wow.... how deep does this guys secrets go.'

I'm not quite sure what Piven will lead too... I think Aegis, i think strongly that one of the siblings will be it. 

I actually like Leothar, he's just... awesome.  I like villian's like this, he's so twisty and tricksy but so very very clever.  I like how Vyk is a spy.

 

I was hoping for a little snippit about Corbel, but i can wait.  I think the book ended in the right place... not to cliff hanger, but enough to make you fidget in anticipation for The tyrants blood.

Am i the only one that thinks that the sister isn't going to be nice and sweet and good?  

 

One thing i don't understand is... does the gift only carry through the female line?  If  so ... why did Cormoron have it.  I was going to be silly and try and think about the genetics of it then realised i was taking it WAY to far. 

 

Loved it Fiona!  I can see why the cannibal scene lingered in your head for so long, and demanded to be written.  The lead up to it is great.

 

-------

I'm sorry if i'm scary.

Post: Reply | Quote

I just closed the last page of Royal Exile, and I have to say - wow! I have to admit I wasn't as gripped by Percheron as I was by Trinity and Myrren's Gift. I actually got a signed copy of Emissery from a Brisbane bookstore but never ended up reading it. But Royal Exile I bought two days ago, and started yesterday and finished today. I love all of the characters - Loethar is a great bad guy, If I forget about him eating people. I actually had to skip the part where he ate Brennus. I have to agree with previous poster that Lily is annoying. I don't mind the character so much as all the male's falling in love with her. I absolutely adore the two De Vis twins, can't wait to read more about Corbel in book two (hopefully) and the sister. I'm guessing that she was taken to another sort of plane and is going to age quickly, much like Lauryn, Gidyon and -forgetting the last one! Argh. I also found a couple of other plot points predictable - mainly the sister being alive and Freath being good. Was sad when Genrie died, she was definately an awesome character. I find it very odd Kirin can coerce people when they are talking about the Valisar Enchantment doing the same thing. Can't wait to hear more about Kirin. I think it would have been better if Kirin had been a girl, then he and Clovis could have gotten together. Also Leo acted very mature for a twelve year old, but I am just guessing this is because of his kingship. But other than these small complaints, it was a very fun ride and I haven't enjoyed a book like that in a long time.

Post: Reply | Quote

Bought it yesterday, finished it this morning and all I can really say is wow. It has the FM flair like the other series but has a something extra which I think was fun and refreshing. I have to admit it took me longer to get into it at the beginning, however this soon cleared and I must admit that this book had the best heroes so far in any of your books (in my opinion). Leo reminded me a little of Boaz from Percheron, whilst Gav quickly became my favourite character apart from Clovis (...which i must say sounds similar to a name I know ) Loved Genrie as well .

The villian! I fell in love with him... is that a bad thing??? haha though all through it I kept thinking... I know these names, they such as Brennus as well, they sort of reminded me of names in The Quickening. I was also happy to see mention of the previous series... I have read all of FM's books and my favourite series has been Percheron, there was something about that series that grabbed me (or maybe it was because it was the first FM series I had read).

I can't wait to see where this series leads. But I must make another complaint. Make them longer!!!!!!!!!! haha I'd love to spend more time in these beautiful worlds you've created. Other than that, you're still my number one fanasy author

Post: Reply | Quote

Thank you all! It is truly, truly terrifying to release a new book - but especially a new series - and then live through the pause until comments start to flow. I've been distracted for days thinking about people picking up the book from shelves, taking hit home with a sense of anticipation and then.....aaagggghhh So huge and sincere thanks for feeling as upbeat about Valisar as I do. I think you're all absolutely correct. You are reflecting my own feeling about this story - there's some intangible freshness to the tale; a sort of new zing that I can't put my finger on but I feel it very strongly and it's giving me great impetus. I'm not going to analyse it because I like the mysterious tingle of it but I sense it has something to do with moving away to write a children's novel and then two crime novels and then returning to adult fantasy. And for the record, I adore Loethar. He's so ruthless he frightens me but there's real depth to this man and I find his mystery addictive. I don't know where this is headed but book 2 is half written and one of the storylines has really taken me by surprise. Who'd have thought!!!!! Do you have to read it so fast by the way! Fx

Post: Reply | Quote

Yes, Fiona, I'm afraid we do! I don't know about the others here but I just got so swept up in the story I just had to keep reading. Loethar fascinates me especially. I saw all these little hints that there was much more to his campaign than simply a desire to be emperor, and I'm keen to find out what it is that really drives him. Anyway, loved the book.

Post: Reply | Quote

I don't think i've experienced a better villian than Loethar in a very long time.  Melisande from Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series as close.  I think what makes villain's truely enthralling are not the acts of evil they commit but there logic behind it, to be honest i dont' think that Loethar is in a way evil.  He just looks at the world in a different way to us and the fact that every single one of us so far thinks he's so gosh darn awesome is a testament to the fact that maybe... for him this is the only right course of action.

 

I think he has the magnetism of Hugh Laurie in House. 

 

 

-------

I'm sorry if i'm scary.

Post: Reply | Quote

yep wow

-------

Anita Blake rocks

Post: Reply | Quote

Oh My God! I feel so terrible... I didnt no Royal Exile was out! I only found out by accident! Ahhh nooooooooo... I ALWAYS keep up with your stuff Fiona... I was COUNTING DOWN FOR THIS! But ... I dont no what happened - its like my memeroy got wiped or something. Grr im so annoyed now. I gotta run out and buy this. When did it come out?! Ahhh Im so mad at myself!

And no i didnt read anyone's comments in this thread... I no its titled spoilers

Forgive me for falling behind Fiona! Im always first in to get your books! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

I blame Univeristy... its my first year and it seems to be taking over my mind... stressful lol

Sorry guys i lost it a bit there

Post: Reply | Quote

.....and breathe. Take it easy, Loza. I think Year 12 is the sucky year. Enjoy uni and continue to put it first over my books....although I really do hope Exile pleases you. Thank you for wanting it so much x

Post: Reply | Quote

Yep, year 12 is the sucky year.

 

I just got so sick at how much pressure there was, how people just seemed fake and how a stupid number is meant to determine the rest of your life!

 

-------

I'm sorry if i'm scary.

Post: Reply | Quote

Good news - I got it! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!! I shall not panic anymore haha. Once I finish reading I will let you  no my exact opinion

Yeah Fiona and Melayna your right... year 12 is the sucky year. But its so sad when its over... well social wise it is anyway haha. Uni is way better... its just hard to get used to how laidback it is. Well my course is pretty laidback anyway.

Alright I will go away now and read! No more ranting

xx

Post: Reply | Quote

Ok sorry to double post but I have now finished it and decided to comment. Soo... I FREAKIN LOVED IT! *claps really loudly* BRAVO FIONA! Im really excited about this series!

I agree with a lot of things people have said ... and I was so thinking the same thing with the sister growing up faster due to a time difference in another world etc like Trinity. I think you wrote that LadyLauryn.

Ok so fav characters... I always have a thing for the smaller ones. I think the one who stands out in my mind... ok theres two. Kirin and Corbel. We got so little of Corb! After reading the starts I new we wouldnt hear from him for the rest of the novel... but I was still hoping! And Kirin... weirdly enough he sort of reminds me of our old friend Tor (trinity of course!)... not exactly sure why but in my head I just was reminded of Tor. Obviously not the womanising ways hahahah kidding.

Loathar - definately the most intriguing villian you've given us yet Fiona. And his mother - she would drive me up the wall! But I kind of like her... in a badass kind of way. Valya on the other hand... yeah I definately dont like her!

And I also thought about Piven being the aegis... sorry I forgot who wrote that in their post! But I wasn;t to sure... is it too obvious to be him. But then again maybe we are supposed to think that then BAM it is him!

Im getting hyper. Basically I say 10 out of 10!!! CAnt wait for book 2... the wait is going to be hard!

Post: Reply | Quote

Phew, glad you had so much fun with it after the dash to get it and the furious reading. Thank you Loza....really generous and has made my day to read your post. I feel luck to have such wonderful readers and as to the speculation.....you may be right....you may be wrong. Fx

Post: Reply | Quote

Good evening all!

So, I bought the book the day it came out, dragging my (then) boyfriend, newly returned from overseas (who loved the signed book, by the way Fi. Thanks again so much for doing that for me.) to the bookstore and trying to contain my excitement when I saw the sexy red cover. He laughed at me, finding it somehow entertaining that I was so excited over a book. Maybe I didn't convert him entirely to you, Fiona. Anyway, much to my chagrin, it's taken me a good two weeks to read 'Royal Exile' - which is very unlike me. It's a consequence of being so busy with new jobs and football season and the like. So, between reading it on train trips and then finding myself able to sleep in but not able to sleep, I knocked off the rest of the novel in one hit. Which made me feel better - a straight shot of Fiona McIntosh, after all, is good for the brain.

I do have to admit, it did take me a little longer than usual to get into it. Generally I'm hooked from the word go. But there were a lot of names and places being thrown at me and they were kinda similar and I was tired, so I found it a little hard to keep up. Once I was out of the prologue, however, that's when things started to get really good. I'm in love with Gav - I want to marry him. There's one in every trilogy for me - Saxon, Wyl, Lazar (sometimes Boaz too) and now Gav. Was shattered by his stupidity and that Lily rejected him - I mean COME ON! He's a de Vis, he's GORGEOUS and he's stupidly attracted to you. How could you NOT WANT THAT? Seriously, if I was in the story, I'd waste very little time in whisking my hero-man away to keep all to myself until the protaginist needs him again. Then insist I tag along, just to create some drama when I get kidnapped by the villian to be used as leverage. Then because I am, of course, one of those wonderful strong bull-headed women that Fiona loves to write into her stories, I manage to escape as my hero-man comes to rescue me. Sound good Fi? You've got my permission to use me as a character, I just want thanks in the acknowledgements.

Once I'd gotten my head around the characters and become familar with them, the only problem I really had was with figuring out the geography. There were a few more place names than I was used to and I kept flicking back to the map to see exactly where we were. And again there were the names of the city-state and then the castle, which I found sometimes confusing but eventually figured out. Otherwise, I loved it. The book sort of zoomed toward the ending as it usually does and I got wrapped and twisted up in the story. I always try not to get too in love with characters - besides the obvious main ones - in Fi's books cause they generally get killed - I learned the hard way in Myrren's Gift when I started bawling near the start of the book. Likewise in Goddess, in about the middle. So I avoided getting too attached to Genrie, although she did kinda ailenate me when she kissed Freath cause it seemed kinda random and fast. But I mostly felt for Gav when she was killed.

I agree about the daughter - I figured out she wasn't murdered pretty early on, although the corpse did throw me a little. And an alternate dimension where the sister lives is probable - potentially with Corb? It does make me wonder if the identity of the girl that Corb killed thinking it was the Princess is at all important. Maybe not. I suppose Brennus had to do the whole thing properly to convince Corb of what was happening. Maybe that's how he reconciles himself with everything. I think Corb has the potential to end up being a really dark character in the end.

I'm still not sure about Loethar. I'm reserving my judgement on the man. He seems a little bipolar, really. Capable of ordering hideous slaughter and feasting on corpses, but also soft enough to be sympathetic to Piven and in love with Vyk. I don't really like Valya, I hate that she's using Loethar for her own means. And he knows that she's doing it, but he still lets her. That's kinda interesting too. He doesn't seem to be that in love with her, but I suppose in the end that she is going to be able to support his empire. Although from all accounts, Droste doesn't really have much of an army and if Loethar came knocking at the door, the King would probably open it himself and hand Loethar the keys. So that makes me wonder about him too.

I think Leo and Lily will end up together. She's not good enough for Gav - hell, she made him race off and get attacked by the barbarians, losing his memory and breaking his feet (which I hope causes him very little damage Fiona, I like my boys whole, thank you very much). And I think that Kilt has figured out that she's going to end up being too much hassle for him. Dunno where she'll end up, but surely at some stage it'll be in front of Loethar.

That's all I have to ramble about today. I also want to say thanks to Fi yet again (I know I say it a lot, haha), but mostly because a line Loethar said inspired me to write ten pages of a new story on the day I finished reading it. So thanks Fi. I'll send you chocolate soon.

xx

Post: Reply | Quote

Hi Kiki Sorry you sound so tired. But I can sympathise - I fell asleep this evening as the family was talking to me! I don't think I've had an early night once this year....no kidding. Anyway, I'm glad Exile delivered and my apologies I made it complicated. You know I don't do that deliberately. It just happens sometimes that there's a lot of characters or a lot of place names. Hmmm, those De Vis brothers have certainly won hearts. What is it with me and Loethar then? Actually I do love Gav and now that Corb has re-emerged in book 2 (ah, little secret slipped out there), I think he's going to be very interesting. I haven't got to know him yet and neither has the reader. We've only really just glimpsed him so briefly but very soon I'll focus on him....I think! I never know. But as there's only about 44,000 words to go I'd better hurry up and get to him. right now I'm juggling so many storylines. People seem to have paired off! How dare they. I don't mean romantically either but suddenly I've got at least five pairs of characters roaming around the empire and getting into bother. Valya's horrid. You have my permission to hate her. Well, back to it. I got no writing done during the day so I'm having to make up for it tonight. No rest for the wicked. Fx

Post: Reply | Quote

Haven't read it yet, conveniently ignored the spoiler warnings and am hoping to catch up with it during the (sort of) holidays.  Having knee surgery will add to my reading time dramatically. yay! (for reading, not surgery. surgery sucks)

 

Mel

Post: Reply | Quote

WOOHOO more Corb in book 2!!

 

That was the best slip ever Fiona 

Post: Reply | Quote

WOOHOO more Corb in book 2!!

 

That was the best slip ever Fiona 

Post: Reply | Quote

That's okay, pairs are fun. It happened to great effect in The Quickening, after all. Many twists and turns when all the pairs crashed back together again.

When's the next one out, Fi?

Post: Reply | Quote

September 2009 (wincing and ducking!)