Wyvern Posted March 13, 2006 Report Posted March 13, 2006 Zadown, I've been a bit slow in responding to this one, but I read through "Solitude" today and thoroughly enjoyed it. :-) I think the title of the story is very fitting given the mood and tone that you set throughout the piece, as it felt sadder and more internal than the other Dreamer stories I've read. The series of lonely scenes that you set throughout the story are all masterfully written, with sombre details and pacing that really add to the mood. The scene where Jankiize denies the Dreamer entrance and the scene where the Dreamer realizes that Êzkhael is starting to lose his devotion worked particularly well for me, and the story played out like a series of snapshots of the loneliness that the Dreamer's harsh attitude has brought him. I also loved the uses of sense-oriented details in this, especially with the veil of rain and the clanging of the hammer. This story struck me as a bit more fragmented than other Dreamer stories, almost like tying together some loose ends between stories and showing a more emotional side of the Dreamer. There were one or two points where I felt like the narrative voice slipped a bit between a third person narrator from the Dreamer's perspective (which constitutes 99% of it) and a more omniscent third person narrator. The line "Êzkhael Khâ got no further in whatever he had been about to say, got no second step closer" in the fourth post would be an example of this, as it struck me as a bit more omniscent and direct to the reader. Also, Melyme's response to the Dreamer's one-sided offer seemed a bit flat to me given the hideous embarassment that he faces, though his choice to accept it is certainly realistic and plays out well. Excellent stuff, as always. :-) I'm still catching up!
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