Author's Notes
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Chapters 27 - 35
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Chapter 27
So at some point, I realized there's probably no oxygen in Heaven. It's a completely separate plane of existence that's more spiritual than physical, which was originally just part of my way around having to feed everyone (especially Birch during his prolonged stay in Hell), and your continued survival and existence there can't depend on the traditional, basic needs of life. Basically, if you think of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the lowest (physiological) level is all taken care of by the nature of Heaven and made completely optional. (Sex is the only exception, and given the nature of the indigenous inhabitants, sex is essentially nonexistent.) Thus, without oxygen, there's obviously no physical need to breathe, which is what makes transport through the waters of Heaven possible by mortals. I'm sure I'll come up with other implications of this as time goes on, and I hope to God I don't try to fudge, ignore, or change any of the rules I've set forth in these first books. By the way, I've been informed this insertion/extraction technique is similar to something used by the armed forces called SPIE (Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction) - just, you know, entirely underwater instead of in the jungle or on a mountainside.
I mentioned in the commentary for Book2 that some scenes write themselves in my head when I listen to certain songs, and this assault on Arthryx's camp is one of them. From the time they're about to emerge from the river, the scene is conceptually scripted to the song "Planet Hell" by Nightwish (who unbeknownst to them are basically the soundtrack for this series). It's not a beat-for-beat choreography as some later scenes are, but thematically it was paced and happens in my head to that song.
It's actually an important personal step that Danner's transformation into his angelic form is stopped and reversed. He's almost as close to Caret as he is to the other paladin officers, and before Trebor's death, Danner would have lost control here and gone into a frenzy like he did before. Sure, he's interrupted and had the angels not showed up he probably would have gone through with it, but he's at least capable of not transforming now. This wouldn't have happened before.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
As mentioned above, I always try to stay cognizant of potentially violating or fudging the rules I set up for myself. Tons of t.v. series, books, and even some movies do this sort of thing, which is usually a quick way to piss off your fans. If you're reading this commentary, then I'm hoping you're a fan of this series, and I promise I'll do my best to never violate that trust. That said, I'm still trying to figure out the rules regarding the Groves and to ensure their existence in such a way that I'm not damaging my own integrity or that of these stories.
The combat scene between Uriel and Aesthma was put here just to setup the later confrontation. Theirs is the kind of animosity you have to see firsthand to properly utilize, it's not something that would really come across properly just by describing why they hate each other. It also gave me a chance to show Camael's continued devotion, despite his allegiance to Maya. Uriel is still his commander and has his loyalty, so long as it doesn't conflict with the twisted compulsion inflicted on him by Maya.
I mentioned in the commentary for Book2 that some scenes write themselves in my head when I listen to certain songs, and this assault on Arthryx's camp is one of them. From the time they're about to emerge from the river, the scene is conceptually scripted to the song "Planet Hell" by Nightwish (who unbeknownst to them are basically the soundtrack for this series). It's not a beat-for-beat choreography as some later scenes are, but thematically it was paced and happens in my head to that song.
It's actually an important personal step that Danner's transformation into his angelic form is stopped and reversed. He's almost as close to Caret as he is to the other paladin officers, and before Trebor's death, Danner would have lost control here and gone into a frenzy like he did before. Sure, he's interrupted and had the angels not showed up he probably would have gone through with it, but he's at least capable of not transforming now. This wouldn't have happened before.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
As mentioned above, I always try to stay cognizant of potentially violating or fudging the rules I set up for myself. Tons of t.v. series, books, and even some movies do this sort of thing, which is usually a quick way to piss off your fans. If you're reading this commentary, then I'm hoping you're a fan of this series, and I promise I'll do my best to never violate that trust. That said, I'm still trying to figure out the rules regarding the Groves and to ensure their existence in such a way that I'm not damaging my own integrity or that of these stories.
The combat scene between Uriel and Aesthma was put here just to setup the later confrontation. Theirs is the kind of animosity you have to see firsthand to properly utilize, it's not something that would really come across properly just by describing why they hate each other. It also gave me a chance to show Camael's continued devotion, despite his allegiance to Maya. Uriel is still his commander and has his loyalty, so long as it doesn't conflict with the twisted compulsion inflicted on him by Maya.
Chapter 28
I have some vague ideas of what I want to do with Bradley in the next series, so I wanted to introduce certain aspects of his character now (namely the shame he feels and how he views himself in relation to his father and brother). He's not a main character and never will be, but sometimes it's important to build up the lesser characters and see the world through their eyes so it and they both feel more fleshed out and real. This felt like a natural part of the identity of a second son to a great warrior whose older brother followed in their father's footsteps. He'd naturally want to do the same, and he'd naturally measure himself by his father and brother. Brad really is better than he gives himself credit for - his standards are a bit high, and chances are he'll never measure up to the impossible ideals in his head. Garet (and to a slightly lesser degree Garnet) isn't just his role model and father, he's Bradley's idol.
The ways the angels and demons came into existence were rather different and are touched on, though not explained outright in the main book. (Appendix E in the book and the corresponding section of this website have more information.) The angels were essentially created homogenous within predefined Choirs, but the demons were created more haphazardly and immediately set upon each other to gain control. Theirs was a more Darwinian approach than the angels' Utopian structure.
Most of the demon princes and lords are pulled from various mythologies and religious traditions in our world (where appropriate to Lokka and their relations to each other), and their descriptions and personas are influenced by those sources. Probably the most recognizable name of the princes is Beelzebub, who shows up in everything from Paradise Lost and Lord of the Flies to the Salem witch trials and even the Christian Gospel of Matthew. For variety's sake, there are a few of my own original names/personas thrown in there, such as Aesthma. The personas I wrote into them here ended up having wide-ranging impacts on the story as a whole. (One quick note - If you've kept up with my commentary, you've seen how much I like obscure jokes that are often literary in nature. "...mountainous Chernobog..." is one such joke. Chernabog - different spelling - is the demon portrayed in Disney's Fantasia rendition of Night on Bald Mountain. Ha ha, he he.)
This is one of the best chances you have to see inside Malith's perspective, and it deepens his persona a bit. He's not ignorant of the tenuous nature of his position, but he's incapable of acting in any manner beyond brash confidence. Anything less and the demons would (literally) eat him alive (before his death, anyway), and yet he knows he's only making his position that much more untenable should he fail in even the slightest degree.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Pay attention to the names of the living and the dead lords and princes. At least one you think is dead really isn't and will make an appearance in a future book in the Pandemonium War saga.
Malith's words and the slight ambiguity of his meaning are meant to throw you off and to feel like he's fallen for the trap laid out for him by Gerard and the "good guys". Unfortunately, aided by the "cunning of Nekushtan" Malith saw through the attempts to disguise Kaelus's mobile command center. If you miss a couple tiny details in Malith's words and actions here, it looks like he's falling for it.
"...where does healing come from, if not from God's power of good?" It's not God's power of good that causes healing, it's the good power of God. Since "good" exists independently of God, healing is still possible without God being a part of it. Remember back in Book1 how Trebor said he'd been able to heal even before he came to train as a paladin? It's the same reason why healing could happen before the Epiphany, when God became known to man in Lokka.
The ways the angels and demons came into existence were rather different and are touched on, though not explained outright in the main book. (Appendix E in the book and the corresponding section of this website have more information.) The angels were essentially created homogenous within predefined Choirs, but the demons were created more haphazardly and immediately set upon each other to gain control. Theirs was a more Darwinian approach than the angels' Utopian structure.
Most of the demon princes and lords are pulled from various mythologies and religious traditions in our world (where appropriate to Lokka and their relations to each other), and their descriptions and personas are influenced by those sources. Probably the most recognizable name of the princes is Beelzebub, who shows up in everything from Paradise Lost and Lord of the Flies to the Salem witch trials and even the Christian Gospel of Matthew. For variety's sake, there are a few of my own original names/personas thrown in there, such as Aesthma. The personas I wrote into them here ended up having wide-ranging impacts on the story as a whole. (One quick note - If you've kept up with my commentary, you've seen how much I like obscure jokes that are often literary in nature. "...mountainous Chernobog..." is one such joke. Chernabog - different spelling - is the demon portrayed in Disney's Fantasia rendition of Night on Bald Mountain. Ha ha, he he.)
This is one of the best chances you have to see inside Malith's perspective, and it deepens his persona a bit. He's not ignorant of the tenuous nature of his position, but he's incapable of acting in any manner beyond brash confidence. Anything less and the demons would (literally) eat him alive (before his death, anyway), and yet he knows he's only making his position that much more untenable should he fail in even the slightest degree.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Pay attention to the names of the living and the dead lords and princes. At least one you think is dead really isn't and will make an appearance in a future book in the Pandemonium War saga.
Malith's words and the slight ambiguity of his meaning are meant to throw you off and to feel like he's fallen for the trap laid out for him by Gerard and the "good guys". Unfortunately, aided by the "cunning of Nekushtan" Malith saw through the attempts to disguise Kaelus's mobile command center. If you miss a couple tiny details in Malith's words and actions here, it looks like he's falling for it.
"...where does healing come from, if not from God's power of good?" It's not God's power of good that causes healing, it's the good power of God. Since "good" exists independently of God, healing is still possible without God being a part of it. Remember back in Book1 how Trebor said he'd been able to heal even before he came to train as a paladin? It's the same reason why healing could happen before the Epiphany, when God became known to man in Lokka.
Chapter 29
Right on the heels of the last scene, we come to an important philosophical development that actually ties back to the conversation with Trames and Perklet, if you go backwards and read it again. I try not to beat the proverbial dead horse about the situation with the Voice (only when Birch is blind, he rarely remembers that they've ever spoken before, that it's actually Satan, etc), but since the conversations with the Voice happen so infrequently I usually try to include some brief mention as a reminder.
The concept of the Nephilim was one I came up with independently from any research I'd done at the time, and I don't remember where I first came across the term. It might have been in Diablo 2 (the expansion pack) or I could have stumbled across it while researching apocryphal religious texts. For certain, they are detailed in the Book of Enoch, the eventual research of which offered several ideas for me to play with in this book and into the next several books. For those unfamiliar with such works, Samyaza was the leader of the Watchers (aka - the Grigori) who led his angels to earth to have sex with human women and created a race of half-breeds called Nephilim. A major reason for The Flood was to wipe these "giants" off the face of the Earth. (Oddly enough, it seems the recent movie Noah apparently drew heavy inspiration from Gnostic related texts rather than Biblical, which caused a lot of upset and confusion in some viewers.) I won't go much more into it than that here, since that would lead to spoilers that I'm not ready to give away just yet.
"...we will hold here..." Okay, I'll admit, there's an awful lot of Captain Picard from Star Trek: First Contact in this scene, specifically the bit where Lily confronts him about giving up the Enterprise to the Borg. I honestly can't say that scene wasn't in my head as I wrote this scene, but I didn't do it consciously. I probably watched too much STNG as a kid (no really, it was on late at night and I shouldn't have been up watching it as much as I did, but hey, it was a fantastic excuse to stay up late), so you'll have to forgive me if it creeps in every now and then. Come to think of it, the last time there was a direct STNG scene comparison, Birch was in the role of Picard there, too. It wasn't until I just wrote this commentary that I realized the similarities in their characters. Birch could do worse than be influenced by Picard.
Perklet pretty much hits it on the head when he questions if Birch's outburst is related to the demon inside him. Despite his intense self-control, Birch hasn't yet come to grips with the amplification and intensification that comes with having an immortal āyus bound to a human soul.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Actually there are two key concepts that come up in the conversation with the Voice. The first is the separation from God from the moral concept of "good". Just as important, for the future especially, is that Satan and God are bound by their natures and therefore limited. Remember this idea in future books - it will come back again.
I believe I've pointed out somewhere in earlier commentary (possibly an earlier book) to keep an eye on who can heal who and when - and if I haven't, then hey, you should keep an eye on who can heal who and when. Check Perklet's state of mind here when he's attempting to heal Birch, and compare it to later on when he IS able to heal Birch. This contrast pretty much sums up all the problems most people have with healing, especially when there's an outlier or change in someone's ability.
The concept of the Nephilim was one I came up with independently from any research I'd done at the time, and I don't remember where I first came across the term. It might have been in Diablo 2 (the expansion pack) or I could have stumbled across it while researching apocryphal religious texts. For certain, they are detailed in the Book of Enoch, the eventual research of which offered several ideas for me to play with in this book and into the next several books. For those unfamiliar with such works, Samyaza was the leader of the Watchers (aka - the Grigori) who led his angels to earth to have sex with human women and created a race of half-breeds called Nephilim. A major reason for The Flood was to wipe these "giants" off the face of the Earth. (Oddly enough, it seems the recent movie Noah apparently drew heavy inspiration from Gnostic related texts rather than Biblical, which caused a lot of upset and confusion in some viewers.) I won't go much more into it than that here, since that would lead to spoilers that I'm not ready to give away just yet.
"...we will hold here..." Okay, I'll admit, there's an awful lot of Captain Picard from Star Trek: First Contact in this scene, specifically the bit where Lily confronts him about giving up the Enterprise to the Borg. I honestly can't say that scene wasn't in my head as I wrote this scene, but I didn't do it consciously. I probably watched too much STNG as a kid (no really, it was on late at night and I shouldn't have been up watching it as much as I did, but hey, it was a fantastic excuse to stay up late), so you'll have to forgive me if it creeps in every now and then. Come to think of it, the last time there was a direct STNG scene comparison, Birch was in the role of Picard there, too. It wasn't until I just wrote this commentary that I realized the similarities in their characters. Birch could do worse than be influenced by Picard.
Perklet pretty much hits it on the head when he questions if Birch's outburst is related to the demon inside him. Despite his intense self-control, Birch hasn't yet come to grips with the amplification and intensification that comes with having an immortal āyus bound to a human soul.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Actually there are two key concepts that come up in the conversation with the Voice. The first is the separation from God from the moral concept of "good". Just as important, for the future especially, is that Satan and God are bound by their natures and therefore limited. Remember this idea in future books - it will come back again.
I believe I've pointed out somewhere in earlier commentary (possibly an earlier book) to keep an eye on who can heal who and when - and if I haven't, then hey, you should keep an eye on who can heal who and when. Check Perklet's state of mind here when he's attempting to heal Birch, and compare it to later on when he IS able to heal Birch. This contrast pretty much sums up all the problems most people have with healing, especially when there's an outlier or change in someone's ability.
Chapter 30
So it occurs to me that only an idiot would (in the calm, rational peace of mind that's the norm during battle) think Shadow Company ran into the tents to, what, cower away? So sitting here reading and analyzing the scene, my WTF Meter just tripped off, but looking at it from within the scene, it still works because of the irrationality and single-mindedness that sets in during combat, combined with the omnipresent fog of war.
"...more than half a thousand [tentacles]..." To be exact, the flying creature that attacks during the main confrontation here has six hundred sixty six tentacles.
The revelation Birch and Kaelus reach here has been a long time building, even in small ways that only tangentially touch on this topic and may not be fully explained in these books. Many religions throughout the ages have included an originating, amoral and disinterested force that has little to do with what someone from the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition would call "God". Some of the elements I use are borrowed from Gnosticism, others from more spiritual traditions, but they all blend nicely into this concept of something so utterly eternal and beyond relating to, the only way to understand it is not to try. It is pure existence, outside of time and form. As a philosophical construct, it's fascinating, but as a theological one, it's frustrating and ultimately useless. There is no intent to discern, no will to follow - there is no relationship, not even an eternally distant one. Gases comprising a star eight billion light years away have more in common with a cricket on our planet than anything in existence possibly could to the Absolute.
Okay, enough with the philosophy. Let's kill some stuff.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
"Even the denarae were overwhelmingly represented in Heaven compared to the other demi-human races." Combined that with the philosophical section right before it in the chapter, specifically that souls go where they believe they should go, and you start to see the reason for the demographics in Heaven.
"...more than half a thousand [tentacles]..." To be exact, the flying creature that attacks during the main confrontation here has six hundred sixty six tentacles.
The revelation Birch and Kaelus reach here has been a long time building, even in small ways that only tangentially touch on this topic and may not be fully explained in these books. Many religions throughout the ages have included an originating, amoral and disinterested force that has little to do with what someone from the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition would call "God". Some of the elements I use are borrowed from Gnosticism, others from more spiritual traditions, but they all blend nicely into this concept of something so utterly eternal and beyond relating to, the only way to understand it is not to try. It is pure existence, outside of time and form. As a philosophical construct, it's fascinating, but as a theological one, it's frustrating and ultimately useless. There is no intent to discern, no will to follow - there is no relationship, not even an eternally distant one. Gases comprising a star eight billion light years away have more in common with a cricket on our planet than anything in existence possibly could to the Absolute.
Okay, enough with the philosophy. Let's kill some stuff.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
"Even the denarae were overwhelmingly represented in Heaven compared to the other demi-human races." Combined that with the philosophical section right before it in the chapter, specifically that souls go where they believe they should go, and you start to see the reason for the demographics in Heaven.
Chapter 31
The initial phase of the fight scene between Uriel and Aesthma always plays in my head with a very anime feel for some reason. The end result of the fight was something that just sort of happened, and I was glad to see Garet get the send-off he deserved. I knew he wasn't going to survive this book, but I didn't know this was going to be his scene until I got here and was looking for someone's perspective to view Uriel's duel. He was originally just going to provide an external view before I jumped back and finished it somehow (with Uriel the victor), but before I knew it, Garet jumped off his dakkan and completely rewrote the scene, and most definitely for the better. His story arc and his interactions with his family have always been some of my favorite parts of these books, and I'm going to miss those in future books.
The battle around Kaelus is one of my favorites of the entire series. It's scripted almost perfectly, scene-for-sound to Nightwish's Ghost Love Score (the sound and feel of it - ignore the actual lyrics), which remains one of my favorites from that band. The power Kaelus exhibits is not only the culmination of the scenes witnessed in Book2 and the conversation from the previous chapter, it sets up an action and an ability that will have lasting consequences far beyond this book.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
No spoilers. Just a fun scene.
The battle around Kaelus is one of my favorites of the entire series. It's scripted almost perfectly, scene-for-sound to Nightwish's Ghost Love Score (the sound and feel of it - ignore the actual lyrics), which remains one of my favorites from that band. The power Kaelus exhibits is not only the culmination of the scenes witnessed in Book2 and the conversation from the previous chapter, it sets up an action and an ability that will have lasting consequences far beyond this book.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
No spoilers. Just a fun scene.
Interlude
I really like the conversation between Nuse and James. You can tell they've become close friends, and yet don't have a terribly long history together. Probably my favorite line was just Nuse asking James about remarrying. There's something intensely personal and touching about such a simple question.
Maybe I get too attached to certain characters, but Garet and Garnet's scene here still makes me choke up a little bit every time I read it. Everything about it screams Garet's character. His thoughts are about his family and memories with his wife, watching his children. It's a final handing off of everything from father to son, the child who truly is a continuation of the best of his father. It's a validation of his faith and his chosen life, even in light of the sacrifices (and the ultimate sacrifice) he paid.
The confrontation between Uriel and Camael was one of the alternatives I had for the cover of this book. My thought was the sight of Camael kneeling, waiting for Uriel, and given how well the actual cover art turned out, I'm a little sorry it's the ONLY one of the ideas I gave them that I'll get to see properly made up.
There are several small details in the scene, but one that bears pointing out is the use of the word veil ("...the veil was lifted from my mind..."). It's a deliberate word choice based on the meaning of the word "maya" in Hinduism. There are multiple variations, but specifically the use of the word as the veil of illusion that separates people from the truth of a thing. Maya is not false, but it's not the truth of reality. Maya's character was written and established, but I didn't have a name for her yet, until I came across it while chasing down the rabbit-hole that is Wikipedia. The more I read about the term, the more it fit her character and persona perfectly.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Okay, so the "halo" thing is a cheap joke. You should be used to those by now.
I had Camael's fate planned out long before this, and it was actually harder for me to think of alternative judgments and making sure they were plausible and the end-result I wanted would make sense. The fruits of it, of course, won't be seen for some time to come. That said, I hope there are no hints here about Camael's decision, since it's intended to be completely ambiguous.
I considered changing Maya's name to Mara after her fall (Mara is a demon and the embodiment of unwholesome impulses in Buddhism), but that was mainly at a time when several of the main angel characters had multiple names and nicknames they went by. That got too confusing and was eventually scratched, which made the change in her name unnecessary and potentially confusing.
Camael's moment of realization almost exactly parallels the one Uriel previously detailed regarding Alanna's death, and the fact that Uriel condemns Camael to his chosen fate is actually a sign of the lingering injustice of Heaven's system of governing itself. Camael's fate will drive Uriel to seek change in the future.
Maybe I get too attached to certain characters, but Garet and Garnet's scene here still makes me choke up a little bit every time I read it. Everything about it screams Garet's character. His thoughts are about his family and memories with his wife, watching his children. It's a final handing off of everything from father to son, the child who truly is a continuation of the best of his father. It's a validation of his faith and his chosen life, even in light of the sacrifices (and the ultimate sacrifice) he paid.
The confrontation between Uriel and Camael was one of the alternatives I had for the cover of this book. My thought was the sight of Camael kneeling, waiting for Uriel, and given how well the actual cover art turned out, I'm a little sorry it's the ONLY one of the ideas I gave them that I'll get to see properly made up.
There are several small details in the scene, but one that bears pointing out is the use of the word veil ("...the veil was lifted from my mind..."). It's a deliberate word choice based on the meaning of the word "maya" in Hinduism. There are multiple variations, but specifically the use of the word as the veil of illusion that separates people from the truth of a thing. Maya is not false, but it's not the truth of reality. Maya's character was written and established, but I didn't have a name for her yet, until I came across it while chasing down the rabbit-hole that is Wikipedia. The more I read about the term, the more it fit her character and persona perfectly.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Okay, so the "halo" thing is a cheap joke. You should be used to those by now.
I had Camael's fate planned out long before this, and it was actually harder for me to think of alternative judgments and making sure they were plausible and the end-result I wanted would make sense. The fruits of it, of course, won't be seen for some time to come. That said, I hope there are no hints here about Camael's decision, since it's intended to be completely ambiguous.
I considered changing Maya's name to Mara after her fall (Mara is a demon and the embodiment of unwholesome impulses in Buddhism), but that was mainly at a time when several of the main angel characters had multiple names and nicknames they went by. That got too confusing and was eventually scratched, which made the change in her name unnecessary and potentially confusing.
Camael's moment of realization almost exactly parallels the one Uriel previously detailed regarding Alanna's death, and the fact that Uriel condemns Camael to his chosen fate is actually a sign of the lingering injustice of Heaven's system of governing itself. Camael's fate will drive Uriel to seek change in the future.
Chapter 32
This is one of my favorite scenes between Birch and the Voice, because it has a lot to say about topics that are tangential, yet oddly central to the series. Birch's faith is perhaps THE defining trait of his character, not just in God (although that is obviously foremost) but in his friends and family, in Moreen, even in their love together. Some of the ideas in it were inspired by A Chosen Faith, an introductory book for Unitarian Universalism. I wrote quite a bit of the Voice's half of the conversation over a year before I wrote the rest of the scene.
("...if in truth it exists...") This minor point is a reminder that everything the Voice says is not necessarily to be trusted. His explanation certainly makes sense, as far as it goes, but neither it nor anything else he says should ever be taken at face value. He is ALWAYS working toward his own end and leading others to think, believe, and act in a certain way in furtherance of his goals. Where truth serves best, it may be used. Where a lie serves best, or even better a blending of the two... Well, you get the point.
("Vanity was ever one of my favorite sins.") A brief nod to The Devil's Advocate.
Perklet's realization about healing shows quite clearly the issues with healing that have come up in the past - it's all a question of love. While there's an issue of natural talent and ability, all of the discrepancies with healing (even going back to Birch's first attempt to heal in Book1) come back to this point and the nature of love between the person healing and the person being healed, even if they're the same person. Birch's inability to accept and love the demon that is now part of him (and Kaelus's presence before that) has hampered his ability to heal and grown worse with time. Perklet's healing here is a sign of what's truly possible.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
"Why does a father have a son?" This question will come back to Birch and form a foundation for his story arc in books to come.
Meresin will make an appearance in future books - in fact, he has a pivotal role to play, all stemming from Perklet's healing of him here.
I actually came back to this scene shortly before getting the book ready for publication and added the simple mention that Azazel once tortured Birch extensively. Such a small change, but it will have a significant impact in the future and it needed to be here to set that stage.
("...if in truth it exists...") This minor point is a reminder that everything the Voice says is not necessarily to be trusted. His explanation certainly makes sense, as far as it goes, but neither it nor anything else he says should ever be taken at face value. He is ALWAYS working toward his own end and leading others to think, believe, and act in a certain way in furtherance of his goals. Where truth serves best, it may be used. Where a lie serves best, or even better a blending of the two... Well, you get the point.
("Vanity was ever one of my favorite sins.") A brief nod to The Devil's Advocate.
Perklet's realization about healing shows quite clearly the issues with healing that have come up in the past - it's all a question of love. While there's an issue of natural talent and ability, all of the discrepancies with healing (even going back to Birch's first attempt to heal in Book1) come back to this point and the nature of love between the person healing and the person being healed, even if they're the same person. Birch's inability to accept and love the demon that is now part of him (and Kaelus's presence before that) has hampered his ability to heal and grown worse with time. Perklet's healing here is a sign of what's truly possible.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
"Why does a father have a son?" This question will come back to Birch and form a foundation for his story arc in books to come.
Meresin will make an appearance in future books - in fact, he has a pivotal role to play, all stemming from Perklet's healing of him here.
I actually came back to this scene shortly before getting the book ready for publication and added the simple mention that Azazel once tortured Birch extensively. Such a small change, but it will have a significant impact in the future and it needed to be here to set that stage.
Chapter 33
Gerard's joke works better if you say it out loud. I'm just saying, is all.
I'm rather proud of Halo Company, actually. It's what happens when I set the rules and then wonder how to play with them. HALOs are actual parachute jumps used by the armed forces, in case you're not familiar with the idea. I'd never even conceived of using paladins and their cloaks like this until I got to this book, and it just seemed like something so natural that they could do with it. Just out-of-the-box enough that no one had really tried it before, but not so much that it feels out of place. I think it occurred to me while listening to Nightwish's Dark Chest of Wonders (which is incidentally what the scene is scripted to), starting with them lifting off and carrying all the way through routing the demons at the camp (excluding the joke scene, of course).
I don't think Foriel is based on any existing angel or idea. I wrote his scene originally as a stepping stone for Mikal leading him to a scene you'll come to in a few chapters between him and Garet, which in turn sets up a final moment between him and Uriel. That eventual moment came too quickly, though, with insufficient buildup, so I started writing this one. Foriel found his way into existence thanks to an idea that won't bear out until sometime in the next trilogy, I think, so expect to see him again in future books. He started, though, as a beginning point for the question he asks Mikal, "Why do they [pray]?" As Maya pointed out in her last communication with Mikal, angels once stood in the presence of God Himself, and they knew His will as an immediate sense. In our world angels are described as praising God, often unceasingly, and carrying out His will. But I can't think of a single instance where an angel is described as praying to God, and it got me wondering what they think of people's prayers. Do they laugh at some of the absurd things we ask for? Do they cry at the heartfelt poignancy of some, or scoff at the selfish brazenness of others? Do they even understand why we do it? Do we, for that matter?
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Azazel's revelation in the Grove of Corruption evokes the final moments of Birch's final memories of the Voice, harking all the way back to Book1 and the revisit in Book2. There's a connection between the two of them that won't be explored for several books. This is part of the same thing I mentioned above in the last chapter's spoiler section.
I'm rather proud of Halo Company, actually. It's what happens when I set the rules and then wonder how to play with them. HALOs are actual parachute jumps used by the armed forces, in case you're not familiar with the idea. I'd never even conceived of using paladins and their cloaks like this until I got to this book, and it just seemed like something so natural that they could do with it. Just out-of-the-box enough that no one had really tried it before, but not so much that it feels out of place. I think it occurred to me while listening to Nightwish's Dark Chest of Wonders (which is incidentally what the scene is scripted to), starting with them lifting off and carrying all the way through routing the demons at the camp (excluding the joke scene, of course).
I don't think Foriel is based on any existing angel or idea. I wrote his scene originally as a stepping stone for Mikal leading him to a scene you'll come to in a few chapters between him and Garet, which in turn sets up a final moment between him and Uriel. That eventual moment came too quickly, though, with insufficient buildup, so I started writing this one. Foriel found his way into existence thanks to an idea that won't bear out until sometime in the next trilogy, I think, so expect to see him again in future books. He started, though, as a beginning point for the question he asks Mikal, "Why do they [pray]?" As Maya pointed out in her last communication with Mikal, angels once stood in the presence of God Himself, and they knew His will as an immediate sense. In our world angels are described as praising God, often unceasingly, and carrying out His will. But I can't think of a single instance where an angel is described as praying to God, and it got me wondering what they think of people's prayers. Do they laugh at some of the absurd things we ask for? Do they cry at the heartfelt poignancy of some, or scoff at the selfish brazenness of others? Do they even understand why we do it? Do we, for that matter?
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Azazel's revelation in the Grove of Corruption evokes the final moments of Birch's final memories of the Voice, harking all the way back to Book1 and the revisit in Book2. There's a connection between the two of them that won't be explored for several books. This is part of the same thing I mentioned above in the last chapter's spoiler section.
Chapter 34
Danner really is finally growing up, and part of that is putting Trebor's death behind him. He will always blame himself, and rightly so, but he's ceased castigating himself for his failure and come to terms with the fact that he has to learn from that failure, or else it is meaningless. Victor Frankl wrote in Man's Search for Meaning that "The salvation of man is through love and in love" - and as we know, that was Trebor's defining virtue. Danner's salvation lay in accepting the love and forgiveness of his friend.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
No spoilers. It's a pretty straight-forward chapter.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
No spoilers. It's a pretty straight-forward chapter.
Chapter 35
The demons are always interesting to write, since their perspectives are necessarily completely alien. They do not view time, life, needs, wants, feelings, thoughts, or literally ANYTHING the same way that mortals do. (I should note that angels are similarly limited, though not to the same extent nor does it manifest as obviously.) Most of the demon lords and princes you see and the stronger angels have significant differences in their attitudes, just like you'd expect in any regular person in a story - the lesser immortals have more generic personalities, as befits their lower status and power.
As always, Malith's precarious situation only grows worse for him. In order to maintain control, he must use (and abuse) his power and show himself merciless and willing to destroy all who oppose him. Every action on that path, however, removes another strand from the ever-thinning rope that holds him over the chasm of his doom.
Well, no one ever accused Hoil of being stupid. He pretty much nails every observation he makes in this scene, and it was nice to find a use for him beyond driving the story about his wife and Uriel's involvement.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
One quick note about Hoil's comment about his sister, who "died when she was still just a little girl". This is a good indication that she died too young to understand where her soul was "supposed" to go (based on good and evil), so she rejoined the Absolute by default. Children and the un-indoctrinated usually just skip the immortal planes altogether. People in Heaven generally assume their loved one is in the opposite plane of existence, or else they're too wrapped up in being dead (suppressed in Heaven, tormented in Hell) to notice.
As always, Malith's precarious situation only grows worse for him. In order to maintain control, he must use (and abuse) his power and show himself merciless and willing to destroy all who oppose him. Every action on that path, however, removes another strand from the ever-thinning rope that holds him over the chasm of his doom.
Well, no one ever accused Hoil of being stupid. He pretty much nails every observation he makes in this scene, and it was nice to find a use for him beyond driving the story about his wife and Uriel's involvement.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
One quick note about Hoil's comment about his sister, who "died when she was still just a little girl". This is a good indication that she died too young to understand where her soul was "supposed" to go (based on good and evil), so she rejoined the Absolute by default. Children and the un-indoctrinated usually just skip the immortal planes altogether. People in Heaven generally assume their loved one is in the opposite plane of existence, or else they're too wrapped up in being dead (suppressed in Heaven, tormented in Hell) to notice.
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Chapters 27 - 35
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