The council meets, another suspect is revealed

[altivo]

Getting to the climax soon, I hope. A whole lot of fine characters here, but there's always a bad apple somewhere. Current word count 44,392.

Chapter 17, and Chapter 18.

Comments

[heavens-steed.livejournal.com]

Incredible! Good job, Tivo, I'm sure you'll make the quota :) Wow, I've never come even close to writing something that long.

I haven't read your story at all yet because I would rather wait until it's finished. The only point in reading rough drafts is to give input, advice, and constructive criticism. But I doubt there is anything that you could gain from me.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks, but it's just grinding discipline much of the time.

If you're at all curious, go ahead and read. I will continue to post until the storyline is complete, however long it goes. (I'm sure now that it will exceed the 50K words.) However, once it's complete, I'm only going to leave it online for a week or two because I think this one has potential for publication somewhere. I'm interested in hearing how readers react to the characters and the storyline, and I certainly don't think there would be anything wrong with your reactions or opinions.

[goldenstallion.livejournal.com]

Dear Rider.

I eagerly read each new chapter, although our internet provider was broken for four days. Caught up this morning and, as confusing as this is trying to track the many characters and figure out what is happening, it keeps drawing me in. Which means a good story, I suppose.

As I said at MFF, in this story the furrys seem so natural they are simply accepted as real, although my interest in furry might make it closer and easier to accept and understand than an 'outsider' might find it.

This is also an adult story, meaning a kid would have difficulty, perhaps, figuring out what is happening with who, but I might be wrong about that.

Good story.

Imperator

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Aww, thanks. Yeah, it's starting to get complicated, but we're done introducing characters and foreshadowing. I promise a couple of surprises yet in the plot action, though.

You're right that the story and characters are probably well beyond the usual 12 or 14 year old, where last year's book went right for that audience. This one takes a more mature reader to appreciate it, and probably one who is accustomed to mystery or suspense stories. I started with an idea for three characters, Fennec, Argos, and Hammel, the situation of the kidnapping, and part of the desired outcome, which of course hasn't yet been revealed. In fact, I wasn't sure myself at first who had taken Argos or why. Now I know the whole twisted thing, and the terrible part is, I find it believable. It's a tale for our modern world of cowardly terrorists and self-possessed politicians.

Honestly, I don't know right now whether to be pleased that I could dream this up or outright horrified that my innocent trust has been destroyed. It's not a Beatrix Potter tale, that's for sure.