Stephen Deas and his dragons!

[Stephan]

Has any of you read Stephen Deas' dragon novels? I've reviewed two of them (The Adamantine Palace and The King of the Crags) and a third is forthcoming.

I love them, each more passionately than the last, and I'm wondering if that's my personal brutal-dragon-nerdism, or if any of you loved the books as much as I did?

[Michelle]

It's not just you, I also love those books. I think the dragons are especially well written. Many dragons in fantasy novels seem to act just like humans in a scaly body but Stephen's dragons feel very much like their own highly intelligent species. They consider the human race much like we consider all other species. Useful or food. Or maybe useful slightly amusing food. Overall Snow = awesome. If I had to be eaten by a giant fire breathing monster I would want it to be her.

Also, I reviewed 'The Adamantine Palace' on my relatively new book review blog and sent it to Stephen and he was nice enough to put it in his review list. Yep, I'll definitely be reading all of his dragon series.

[Stephan]

I'm glad I'm not the only one! I was fearing it was just my geek-ism.

I love Snow, and I'd gladly be eaten by her as well. Well, if I had to choose deaths, anyway. I'd rather not be eaten by anyone. Do you have a link to your review? I'd love to read it.

[Michelle]

Yeah, not being eaten is also good.
Here's my review http://vilutheril.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/book-review-the-adamantine-palace-by-stephen-deas/

[Stephan]

If that's your review, I had already read it! I loved your polls on the covers, btw! There's a bit of discussion about those same covers here.

[Michelle]

All the covers from Memory of Flames are pretty good but I think I like the UK one best. That may just be because that's what I'm used to though.However, I don't think the pictures available online do them justice especially since the borders and writing are metallic. Doesn't seem to show up very well.
They really catch your eye on the shelf though

[Michelle]

Also, who is your favourite human character in this series? Most are hardly upstanding citizens but who did you like the most? I found my sympathies switching quite frequently and being torn between various factions. Somehow I think this is exactly what Stephen intended when he wrote this book.

[Stephan]

Yeah, definitely, and I loved that about the books, too! There was only really one unswaying character, and that was Kemir. He was also my favorite throughout the series, though I often liked other characters more... Just never one particular character for a long time. I guess Kemir's average likability is just higher.

[Silence]

Is wondering what everyone thinks became of the alchemist Bellepheros in book one.

[Stephan]

First of all, let me just say: Awesome nick!!

And as for Bellepheros...

I think he either was kidnapped by or fled to the Taiytakei.

[Michelle]

I agree.

I think the Taiytakei definitely had something to do with it. I'm not completely convinced he's still alive though.

[Stephan]

I'm really hoping to see more of the Taiytakei in The Black Mausoleum. They must be the single most intriguing people in fantasy ever. So... what *did* happen to him, Silence?

[Michelle]

Haha! For some reason I think Silence knows the answer.

I'd also like to see more of the Taiytakei and their awesome inventions.

I also wanted to say I really want one of those little mechanical spy dragons. However, I had trouble wording it without it sounding kind of suspect.

[Stephan]

There’s Karatos, the alchemist sentenced to death for being what she is. There’s Siff in the next cell. His death sentence is for killing four soldiers with his bare hands even though he has no memory of how he did it. There’s Skjorl, the Adamantine Man whose job it is to watch over them.

Thing is, though, Siff knows something. He knows something that might just change the fate of the world and right now, any change at all is looking like a good thing. So Kataros has to get him out, so he can show her what he’s found, and never mind that he’s likely going to stab her in the back the first chance he gets. To get him out, she needs Skjorl, even if the Adamantine Man would rather stab himself than help someone like Siff, and that’s only the start of what he’d do to her, given the chance.

And then there’s the dragon. The dragon doesn’t hate any of them. It’s a dragon. It simply wants to eat them.

The Black Mausoleum. Someone’s going to die.

Can't wait for it to come!

[Silence]

Ah, for the answers to that you'll have to wait for Dragon Queen (the next in the series after The Black Mausoleum, against which I am currently banging my head), featuring several characters you've seen before, some you haven't, and yes, Silence. You can expect it to be significantly longer than any of the Memory of Flames books (but not A Dance With Dragons long), reveal a great deal about the Taiytakei, and show glimpses of several other parts of the world besides.

Also, to have read the Thief-Taker's Apprentice series will be an advantage...

[Stephan]

I'm actually in the process of reading The Thief-Taker's Apprentice. I'm not far enough that I even realized this is the same world, though.

So, question: have amazingly, extremely fast do you write? Because you seem to release like three books a year. That's not a complaint, btw. I would gladly read thirty books a year.

[Michelle]

I just got a copy of the Thief-Taker's Apprentice the other day from work!
Maybe Silence/Stephen is like me Stephan. He increases productivity by by eliminating sleep from his schedule.
Is that true Silence? Or do you just have super writing powers?

[Silence]

It's two, not three, and it's not like they're 1000 pages

[Stephan]

Well, write three then! Still, though, I think I'd prefer two 300-page books a year over one thousand-page book every two years. Or five years, if you're unlucky in your fandom.