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![[Review] Riders Of The Mind - Wilderhom 1](http://d.furaffinity.net/art/laurenrivers/stories/1488278723/1411446187.thumbnail.laurenrivers_ridersofthemind.pdf.gif "Click to change the View")
From the back jacket
Jayson's mind was capable of spanning the universe, but would he and Riena ever get off Wilderhom? The planet of the despised Phurs was not a place to advance his career as a Telepathic Out Of Body (T.O.O.B.) Rider - especially since his director in the Intelligence Gathering Service no longer trusted him.
But now, Mr. Kohlaf is giving Jayson a final chance. He will send the Rider on one more TOOB mission - one that will take him to the dark abode of Korrak, an Elder of Wilderhom's most powerful Phur Clan: The Canids. If Jayson does well on this assignment, perhaps things will change.
But the mission doesn't go as planned.
No. It doesn't go well at all....
My Thoughts so far –
While I admit to a slight amount of trepidation at the similar sounding word Phurs, an obvious reference to furs as a subgenre, I’ve heard this author recommended. The author certainly is not the first to make a word phonetically sounding like another, while not a positive for me it isn’t a deal breaker either. The back presents what seems like a good story in the making. A protagonist and supporting character, a situation that’ll require some thought to get out of, and stakes to overcome. As expected, things don’t go well, but to what degree, we’ll see.
Overall: Riders of the Mind is the journey of two characters heading towards a shared future, though they are not aware of it at the time. Both have little comprehension of the world outside of their little spheres of awareness, doing what they see as their duty because there are few options for people in their situations. Alternating between two different points of view, the story is allowed more freedom from not being locked to a single narrator, and uses it to great advantage, exploring the world in greater detail as a result.
A true science fiction story and a well-written furry tale, both humans and Phurs are integrated into a functional society. While the story does make use of the conventional humans versus Phurs backdrop, it avoids focusing too heavily on the topic, more using it as a springboard to explain the motivations of the various characters.
Well suited for readers that prefer more general audience fare, this is a story in which the romantic interactions feel natural, or unnatural as the case may be, and the unusual situation the main characters fine themselves in provides a unique avenue for the formation of their relationship that goes deeper than casual friendship.
While the plot is somewhat of a stretch, it does not push it so far that one cannot believe the scenario that is presented. The complex characters carry the story forward well. As the first installment in a trilogy, it is likely that things will only get more interesting from here.
Book Written by
Cirrel
Purchase it here!
http://www.amazon.com/Riders-Mind-W.....rs+of+the+mind
Jayson's mind was capable of spanning the universe, but would he and Riena ever get off Wilderhom? The planet of the despised Phurs was not a place to advance his career as a Telepathic Out Of Body (T.O.O.B.) Rider - especially since his director in the Intelligence Gathering Service no longer trusted him.
But now, Mr. Kohlaf is giving Jayson a final chance. He will send the Rider on one more TOOB mission - one that will take him to the dark abode of Korrak, an Elder of Wilderhom's most powerful Phur Clan: The Canids. If Jayson does well on this assignment, perhaps things will change.
But the mission doesn't go as planned.
No. It doesn't go well at all....
My Thoughts so far –
While I admit to a slight amount of trepidation at the similar sounding word Phurs, an obvious reference to furs as a subgenre, I’ve heard this author recommended. The author certainly is not the first to make a word phonetically sounding like another, while not a positive for me it isn’t a deal breaker either. The back presents what seems like a good story in the making. A protagonist and supporting character, a situation that’ll require some thought to get out of, and stakes to overcome. As expected, things don’t go well, but to what degree, we’ll see.
Overall: Riders of the Mind is the journey of two characters heading towards a shared future, though they are not aware of it at the time. Both have little comprehension of the world outside of their little spheres of awareness, doing what they see as their duty because there are few options for people in their situations. Alternating between two different points of view, the story is allowed more freedom from not being locked to a single narrator, and uses it to great advantage, exploring the world in greater detail as a result.
A true science fiction story and a well-written furry tale, both humans and Phurs are integrated into a functional society. While the story does make use of the conventional humans versus Phurs backdrop, it avoids focusing too heavily on the topic, more using it as a springboard to explain the motivations of the various characters.
Well suited for readers that prefer more general audience fare, this is a story in which the romantic interactions feel natural, or unnatural as the case may be, and the unusual situation the main characters fine themselves in provides a unique avenue for the formation of their relationship that goes deeper than casual friendship.
While the plot is somewhat of a stretch, it does not push it so far that one cannot believe the scenario that is presented. The complex characters carry the story forward well. As the first installment in a trilogy, it is likely that things will only get more interesting from here.
Book Written by
CirrelPurchase it here!
http://www.amazon.com/Riders-Mind-W.....rs+of+the+mind
Category Story / Miscellaneous
Species Housecat
Size 91 x 120px
File Size 32.8 kB
Listed in Folders
All three are a very good read. Pay attention to that prologue, it didn't make sense to me till nearly the end of the third book, then you suddenly realize that the author had the whole arc plotted out nicely, the whole time. It really was a great read, and I'm one of the ones who had to wait for new instalments. I feel at least a slight bit jealous of those who can just read the whole thing through now, with no waiting =^.^=
Thank you so much for the review. It's always good to hear how the story one writes plays out in the mind of the reader, for isn't the story in the reader's mind the final product? Without a reader, a book is just a bunch of words taking up space (or bytes). It's the reader that turns it into something real.
I actually did do a lot of planning and research for these books, but then, I find that part of writing very enjoyable. (I even like editing.) Not only did I have the plot to think about, but there were so many other things to work on. Rules were needed for how VICs operate. Canids needed to limit their use of infinitive verbs, gerund verbs, helper verbs and articles. (Makes for a more powerful speech pattern.) New "Quotation" punctuation/italics were invented, since there were several different ways for characters to 'talk' to the reader. "Voiced speech", "internal thinking processes", [regular telepathy], [long distance telepathy], **Link-Mate telepathy**, and so forth. A surname scheme for the Para-human Recombinants based on maternal linage and clan name had to be created. As much real science as possible was used, but the speculative stuff had to be imagined, such as, what do the different PHuR types look like? What does the event horizon of a VIC portal look like? What's its shape? Circular or spherical?
The main thing is that despite its size and the complexity of the mechanics of the story, it was fun to write. And the imagination part? I'll quote a scientist here named Albert Einstein.
"Imagination is everything. It's the preview of life's coming attractions."
Always liked that quote.
I actually did do a lot of planning and research for these books, but then, I find that part of writing very enjoyable. (I even like editing.) Not only did I have the plot to think about, but there were so many other things to work on. Rules were needed for how VICs operate. Canids needed to limit their use of infinitive verbs, gerund verbs, helper verbs and articles. (Makes for a more powerful speech pattern.) New "Quotation" punctuation/italics were invented, since there were several different ways for characters to 'talk' to the reader. "Voiced speech", "internal thinking processes", [regular telepathy], [long distance telepathy], **Link-Mate telepathy**, and so forth. A surname scheme for the Para-human Recombinants based on maternal linage and clan name had to be created. As much real science as possible was used, but the speculative stuff had to be imagined, such as, what do the different PHuR types look like? What does the event horizon of a VIC portal look like? What's its shape? Circular or spherical?
The main thing is that despite its size and the complexity of the mechanics of the story, it was fun to write. And the imagination part? I'll quote a scientist here named Albert Einstein.
"Imagination is everything. It's the preview of life's coming attractions."
Always liked that quote.
It started out as a single book that grew into three, so yes, most of the basic plot line was thought out. However, characters have this tendency to go off on their own sometimes. Lenti, from the second book for instance, was supposed to die, but it seems she had other ideas. Thus a single becomes a trilogy. A bunch of subplots from the single got tossed, and others filled their place. Book one was completely re-written so that it was only a two POV story. Jayson and Kemsa. It was originally a multiple POV story. The number of POVs will expand in the next two books, but then the plot is getting more complex. All in all, it took me four years to write the trilogy, but then, it was my first novel length effort.
Having read the whole trilogy myself a number of years ago, I found the story very engaging and memorable. Kemsa and Jayson are still two of my favorite characters from furry literature. I admit that the story began to feel a bit more surreal in the 2nd and especially 3rd books; however, that did not deter my enjoyment of the story.
During the latest MFM, I went ahead and paid Cirrel for signed copies of all three books.
During the latest MFM, I went ahead and paid Cirrel for signed copies of all three books.
I remember you describing it to me in the car when you'd moved to the area, and it was pretty good, I remembered you mentioning how the Phurs couldn't talk and things of that nature, things generally glossed over in most cases. I enjoyed it, though I'd have to read the second and third books when I have the time.
I think I really connected with Kemsa the most, her and Mika were probably my favorites. I had hoped for a little more out of Kohlaf, but that's just my expectations. With luck, book two will do what the second installment should always do, expand the universe. ;)
I think I really connected with Kemsa the most, her and Mika were probably my favorites. I had hoped for a little more out of Kohlaf, but that's just my expectations. With luck, book two will do what the second installment should always do, expand the universe. ;)
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