Ego posting - ignore at will
May. 10th, 2010 05:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
desperanceI really shouldn't do this, but I'm gonna.
I had the edit-letter for Daniel Fox's HIDDEN CITIES on Friday, just before I went off to Oxford. Paused to read it, nearly missed my train...
It begins:
I am utterly delighted with HIDDEN CITIES. You've done an elegant balancing act here, keeping all these motives and betrayals in the air, executed with your customary grace and presence. I am especially thrilled with the directions you've decided to take your heroes (and villains)--[spoiler #1]'s character arc was of course impressive, but no less wonderful to read were the secret moments of [spoiler #2], the brilliance and unexpected power of [spoiler #3], the complicated loves of [spoiler #4], and [spoiler #5], whom you managed to make me love and care for despite a series' worth of [zir] antagonism. Your stories are woven expertly; what remains, therefore, is to tuck the loose threads in neatly at the ends.
Whereupon follow seven pages of closely-typed notes, which is why I nearly missed my train.
I did like that first paragraph, at least, even if it is naive of me to fall for the sweetener with the bitter yet to follow.
I have redacted names, obviously, so that those of you who've read DRAGON IN CHAINS and JADE MAN'S SKIN can play along, guessing who goes where. Some will be easier than others, I think.
I had the edit-letter for Daniel Fox's HIDDEN CITIES on Friday, just before I went off to Oxford. Paused to read it, nearly missed my train...
It begins:
I am utterly delighted with HIDDEN CITIES. You've done an elegant balancing act here, keeping all these motives and betrayals in the air, executed with your customary grace and presence. I am especially thrilled with the directions you've decided to take your heroes (and villains)--[spoiler #1]'s character arc was of course impressive, but no less wonderful to read were the secret moments of [spoiler #2], the brilliance and unexpected power of [spoiler #3], the complicated loves of [spoiler #4], and [spoiler #5], whom you managed to make me love and care for despite a series' worth of [zir] antagonism. Your stories are woven expertly; what remains, therefore, is to tuck the loose threads in neatly at the ends.
Whereupon follow seven pages of closely-typed notes, which is why I nearly missed my train.
I did like that first paragraph, at least, even if it is naive of me to fall for the sweetener with the bitter yet to follow.
I have redacted names, obviously, so that those of you who've read DRAGON IN CHAINS and JADE MAN'S SKIN can play along, guessing who goes where. Some will be easier than others, I think.