Comments on the books

[a2history]

I first surfed over to this site from a link in the Northern Spy column in the new Call-A.P.P.L.E. magazine. Many different things going on there, I noted, and here is a link for a fiction book ... "The Peace". This is ... Irish Christian Sci-Fi? That's most unusual. Well, I'll try this sample that can be downloaded... And I was hooked. I've enjoyed stories of time-travel in the past, and alternate reality stories are similar (sometimes one derives out of another -- see "Back To The Future").

I found the story interesting because of the jumping between different points in time, and was looking forward to seeing how it all fit together. Little did I know that I would need to progress to "The Friends" and then "The Exiles" to get more of the story. The "Celtic knot" method of story telling involves telling different parts in different order than from start to finish.

Overall, I find the stories refreshing; adventure, and yet the characters depend on God (the Lord of Heaven) for their guidance, or they are in the process of learning how trustworthy He is, in spite of the evil that men do to each other.

I also enjoyed seeing the Professor and Nellie Hacker make an appearance, beginning in "The Friends", having traveled between Tirdia (our Earth) and Hibernia (the Irish-dominated Earth) and using their knowledge of computers and technology to help even the technologically advanced Hibernians in some circumstances.

I'm only a few chapters into "The Exiles", but find the story compelling, one that I want to keep reading, to see how things progress to the predicted Nexus in 2001.

Not exactly a review, but may think of more to add later.

Thanks for writing these stories!

[a2history]

Done reading book 3, and I liked it!

Question: Will we ever be seeing a "good" McCarthey or Haggerty or company? It would seem that NONE of them have a sensitivity to God in their hearts, and I would expect that SOMEONE in that family would be something other than nasty and genocidal.

More later; I'm now rereading from the start of Book 1, to catch whatever I missed the first time. One question that did come up for me - who is the "grey lord" who was manipulating Donal Tobin to depose King James IV? Is he a Metan? John Dominic? (I don't know how long Metans live!) James IV himself? (Suggested by a note in a lter chpater)

Also: At Glenmorgan, in 1977, Karen knows "Brian" - but we learn he is someone other than Brian M. Was he known to her under that name rather than his own?

Thanks again for an excellent series! Only problem is...WHEN DOES THE NEXT INSTALLMENT ARRIVE???

[rsutc]

Done reading book 3, and I liked it!

Question: Will we ever be seeing a "good" McCarthey or Haggerty or company? It would seem that NONE of them have a sensitivity to God in their hearts, and I would expect that SOMEONE in that family would be something other than nasty and genocidal.

More later; I'm now rereading from the start of Book 1, to catch whatever I missed the first time. One question that did come up for me - who is the "grey lord" who was manipulating Donal Tobin to depose King James IV? Is he a Metan? John Dominic? (I don't know how long Metans live!) James IV himself? (Suggested by a note in a lter chpater)


Also: At Glenmorgan, in 1977, Karen knows "Brian" - but we learn he is someone other than Brian M. Was he known to her under that name rather than his own?

Thanks again for an excellent series! Only problem is...WHEN DOES THE NEXT INSTALLMENT ARRIVE???

Actually, in book four there are two characters from the MacCarthy clan who join Mara's Friends of the Day.

Yes, certainly, as characters in a chapter near the end realize, he is the king.

Metans live about 250 years.

The Brian M. thing is complicated by the fact that it is a pseudonym for the Kilkarney sergeant, and there has been one for 400 years. Normally, as a very few cadets realize, it is the commander of the school in disguise. However, some kings have taken the role. Now in this case, Jack Sr. was commander before Jack Jr., so Karen has actually known two "Brians".


As for the next book, called "The General" at the moment, it is about 3/4 complete, but I doubt it will see the light of day before early 2004. Book five is less complete, but book six is written.

[a2history]

Thanks for your answers.

I am impressed by the amount of work necessary to create an alternate history, running for several hundred years. It is reminiscent of Tolkein's stories of the Elder Days (the First Age of Middle-Earth) that he had to create as a background before moving on to create a history of the Second and finally the Third Ages and the story of the Ring. Certainly this has the depth and breadth of that type of story.

I also find the flipping back and forth in time to be interesting, as I am presented with more pieces of the puzzle of events between 1941 and 2001, and what happens with characters that we meet later (or earlier, as the case may be).

Sorry, but a couple more questions:

Is James Dennison, who interviewed Seamus to come and work Security for him in New Tara really James IV? (If so, that would make Arthur a direct descendant of the King).

Re: Brian M*** (BTW, can you tell me phonetically HOW to pronouce that last name? I can't quite wrap my head around that one) - So if Jack and Jack Sr. both taught under the name at Kilkarney, why did they present themslves to Karen as Brian? Did she simply not understand well enough to know them as a Deavroux? (sorry if I mispelled that name)

Sally & Lucy are taller than most women - do they have any origin outside of Tirdia? They also seem exceedingly adaptable to various training methods for combat, both on Tirdia and on Hibernia, much as the royal descendants seem to be.

Finally, when will the details of the Nexus of 2001 be revealed? In Book 4, 5 or 6?

Thanks for a compelling story and history!

[rsutc]

Thanks for your answers.

I am impressed by the amount of work necessary to create an alternate history, running for several hundred years. It is reminiscent of Tolkein's stories of the Elder Days (the First Age of Middle-Earth) that he had to create as a background before moving on to create a history of the Second and finally the Third Ages and the story of the Ring. Certainly this has the depth and breadth of that type of story.

Much of the history is available on the Arjay site by clicking on the timestream, then Hibernia. A timeline and a travel guide are there.

I also find the flipping back and forth in time to be interesting, as I am presented with more pieces of the puzzle of events between 1941 and 2001, and what happens with characters that we meet later (or earlier, as the case may be).

Sorry, but a couple more questions:

Is James Dennison, who interviewed Seamus to come and work Security for him in New Tara really James IV? (If so, that would make Arthur a direct descendant of the King).

Well.... I ain't sayin. The King is one of the cousins.

Re: Brian M*** (BTW, can you tell me phonetically HOW to pronouce that last name? I can't quite wrap my head around that one) - So if Jack and Jack Sr. both taught under the name at Kilkarney, why did they present themslves to Karen as Brian? Did she simply not understand well enough to know them as a Deavroux? (sorry if I mispelled that name)

mak'-ill-hargh-ee
Karen was very simple. Much of the time she didn't know more than enough to function in the moment.

Sally & Lucy are taller than most women - do they have any origin outside of Tirdia? They also seem exceedingly adaptable to various training methods for combat, both on Tirdia and on Hibernia, much as the royal descendants seem to be.

No, no such origin. They are anomolies on Tirdia and fit in well on Hibernia.

Finally, when will the details of the Nexus of 2001 be revealed? In Book 4, 5 or 6?

In the latter two of these.

Thanks for a compelling story and history!

[a2history]

I checked out the Timestream on the web site, but this link:

http://www.arjay.ca/Fiction/Ortho/index.htm

is not working at this time.

[rsutc]

I checked out the Timestream on the web site, but this link:

http://www.arjay.ca/Fiction/Ortho/index.htm

is not working at this time.

Thanks very much. I accidentally removed the wrong directory. All fixed and in place now.

Rick

[rsutc]

For those following this thread, you might want to see

http://arjaybb.com/viewtopic.php?p=196#196

for a note on the early draft of volume 4.

Rick

[Archibald McIlhargey]

I just was curious what the inspiration was for the using the name McIlhargey. As far as Irish names go we are one of the smallest families in total number of individuals with that surname.
Other than some exposure from the National Hockey League it is not a name most have ever even seen.

[rsutc]

I just was curious what the inspiration was for the using the name McIlhargey. As far as Irish names go we are one of the smallest families in total number of individuals with that surname.
Other than some exposure from the National Hockey League it is not a name most have ever even seen.

A very interesting question. When the series was in conception, I did substantial research on Irish clans and the old alliances. Thus the names associated with the Maccarthy clan for instance are ones that in general were so associated on Tirdia as well. Royal names were almost all at one time royal names on Tirdia too. For Brian I wanted a name tha conveyed a little mystery, and was not too closely associated with any of the well-known "power" names. So I picked a fairly obscure sept name, but I have to admit that I did little specific research on this name otherwise.

Rick