Santa, you are amazing! ♥ I finished this story in two sittings on Friday and Saturday, and loved every minute of it. =D
Enviable technique highlight: Your ability to translate sensation and emotion into concrete imagery is exquisite. Writing prowess alert! :)
A few of my favorite lines:
"There was something about her, like the gleam of a knife blade under a bright sky."
"And that," Carson said, his voice quiet and calm, as though none of them had felt the chill anger of a Warlord Prince like a blast of winter wind in the late spring sunlight.
"Then Sheppard growled and the pout was knocked from his face like a wineglass from a table."
Brilliant pacing and world-building. You weaved the politics and power struggles into the narrative in such a balanced way; those elements don't feel heavy-handed or overwhelming. Love the chess scene (women playing chess *g* = "like shoving your mind through a sieve"), the instant chemistry between John and Teyla, and assertive Carson. "The sudden sting of cold feminine displeasure" = hehehe. ;] Better believe it!
I love when John stepped back to avoid alarming Teyla. Awww. I really like your nuanced characterization of John in this, "open and hungry," but attentive. "Charming and politic, but a fighter." He's a very complex character: fiery temper and loyalty. You nailed it.
And of course, Teyla is BEYOND awesome. The way she handles herself around people who distrust her (including piggish men), how she's cautious but not broken, how she's so ridiculously functional despite the traumas in her life, and how unguarded she is in the bookstore (squee for novels!). Not to mention how she saved everyone from the Wraith attack and got Lady Melia through the Twisted Kingdom safely. SO kickbutt, not a damsel in distress, ever. Love, love Teyla.
In two words, the story is epic and awesome (!). Secret brownie points for: a dancing scene (awww), and describing John as "lean." (Why I'm a sucker for that adjective and John, I do not know. I just know that I am! :p)
This story was delightful and lovingly crafted, and I'll be first in line to read the Warlord Prince and Black Widow's next adventure. :) Thanks again, Santa! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! <333
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2011-12-27 04:47 am (UTC)Enviable technique highlight: Your ability to translate sensation and emotion into concrete imagery is exquisite. Writing prowess alert! :)
A few of my favorite lines:
Brilliant pacing and world-building. You weaved the politics and power struggles into the narrative in such a balanced way; those elements don't feel heavy-handed or overwhelming. Love the chess scene (women playing chess *g* = "like shoving your mind through a sieve"), the instant chemistry between John and Teyla, and assertive Carson. "The sudden sting of cold feminine displeasure" = hehehe. ;] Better believe it!
I love when John stepped back to avoid alarming Teyla. Awww. I really like your nuanced characterization of John in this, "open and hungry," but attentive. "Charming and politic, but a fighter." He's a very complex character: fiery temper and loyalty. You nailed it.
And of course, Teyla is BEYOND awesome. The way she handles herself around people who distrust her (including piggish men), how she's cautious but not broken, how she's so ridiculously functional despite the traumas in her life, and how unguarded she is in the bookstore (squee for novels!). Not to mention how she saved everyone from the Wraith attack and got Lady Melia through the Twisted Kingdom safely. SO kickbutt, not a damsel in distress, ever. Love, love Teyla.
In two words, the story is epic and awesome (!). Secret brownie points for: a dancing scene (awww), and describing John as "lean." (Why I'm a sucker for that adjective and John, I do not know. I just know that I am! :p)
This story was delightful and lovingly crafted, and I'll be first in line to read the Warlord Prince and Black Widow's next adventure. :) Thanks again, Santa! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! <333