Prospero Burns Reread

[Grimtooth]

Once again I was reading Prospero Burns and something stood out to me. On page 403, starting with the page break we have Kasper saying the following,

 

"The hearth-fire still burns brightly. There is still meat on your plate and mjod in your lanx, an I still have more of this account to tell.

 

So then, on Prospero, many great years ago, we fought against the Traitor Fifteenth."

 

This is Kasper retelling the account of Prospero and gives us a reference of, "many great years ago." Now there was some speculation as to exactly what happens to Kasper when he is to be placed into stasis, but here it seems that we have some insight to his continued role as a skjald.

 

He gives no reference to any other events after Prospero, which leads me to believe that he was indeed placed in stasis, however with the time reference it appears that Kasper is pulled from stasis from time to time to tell the saga of the Burning of Prospero, akin to Bjorn being awoken every century to hold court over the Great Feast to retell the ancient sagas. We know that Russ felt that the accounts must be shared with future generations, as per their conversation, but the ending with Kasper running off into the woods was a little ambigous.

 

Thoughts?

[Marmande]

I'm re-reading it again and the foreshadowing of Kasper being called a disaster is great.

[Kierdale]

Also currently re-reading it.

I'll be interested to see how I view things after completing it again.

 

Either way, well spotted Brother Ramses!

[MaveriK]

It's such a great book, it gives the wolves so much more character and depth. Sad how many people and wolf players hate on it.

[MonSTeR]

It's such a great book, it gives the wolves so much more character and depth. Sad how many people and wolf players hate on it.

 

If it truly was that great, would so many people and wolf players hate on it?

 

I thought it was interesting, and in places not at all what I'd imagined the Space Wolves would be about. In the same way as Star Wars Episode I could have been sooooooo much better than it was if only they'd changed things like the characters and the story...

[Durfast Spiritwolf]

Also currently re-reading it.

I'll be interested to see how I view things after completing it again.

 

Either way, well spotted Brother Ramses!

 

Yes, it quite clear about how Russ intends Kasper to be used in the future later on in the book - right at the end.

 

Regards,

[Lord Ragnarok]

It's such a great book, it gives the wolves so much more character and depth. Sad how many people and wolf players hate on it.

 

If it truly was that great, would so many people and wolf players hate on it?

 

I thought it was interesting, and in places not at all what I'd imagined the Space Wolves would be about. In the same way as Star Wars Episode I could have been sooooooo much better than it was if only they'd changed things like the characters and the story...

 

Nobody started loving wolves based on the descriptions in the book, it's to be expected that when it does not meet expectations, folks dislike it.

 

I'm in the minority with the above sentiment and love the book!

 

 

I do recommend re-reading. I've read or listened to it about 4 times and I seem to always find some know revelation for myself.

[Marshal Rohr]

It is funny that the book makes the wolves to be badass through and through but players hate it because it doesn't fit with their preconceptions. Most of which make the chapter a joke and Abnett gave them a true character.

[WGXH]

...t players hate it because it doesn't fit with their preconceptions. Most of which make the chapter a joke and Abnett gave them a true character.

 

It's almost as if people want the chapter to be an intergalactic pub crawl. I don't buy the entire jolly space viking vibe, it's almost dangerously close to Astartes-as-Orks.

[Marshal Rohr]

My thought exactly.

[Lord Ragnarok]

OK, let's get back on the topic. (Me included).

[Grimtooth]

I have literally lost count how many times I have read this book along with A Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns. All three actually sit on my nightstand and I can pick up any of the three and pick up where I last put it down. There are plenty of things in each that become more and more clear as you reread them to see what the authors were trying to convey.

 

One thing that stands out regarding Kasper that makes me wonder about skjalds in general. Kasper can only reference his account and that which he witnessed. If the Battle of Prospero needs to be retold, they pull him out of the freezer to tell it. However, of other skajlds? They are useful for set time periods within the history of the 6th and then placed in stasis to preserve that period. Makes me wonder if there will be another instance of Kasper in the role of skjald as the board has now been played and it matters little that he is a "broken" piece.

[Emperor's Scourge]

I think it was more to do with the fact that the tale of Prospero was better told in The Thousand Sons. Not to mention that McNeill managed to do so without a human cypher that was merely an empty plot device along with a daemon Macguffin at the end.

 

The actual SWs material, what little there was, was fine. Pretty superficial imo, but fine none the less.

 

I mean, when an author comes right out and tells his readers that he did not like writing this book and that it was very difficult for him...that does not scream "best work of his career."

 

Read Horus Rising, Know No Fear, and Prospero Burns. Prospero Burns has the weakest and most meandering plot. I hope that had a lot to do with the strange decision to split one story into two and then REALLY only having one of the novels cover the actual event.

 

I'm sure it's much easier to write away honest criticism of what many say is a downright poorly written novel as "not a kegger in space so those idiots didn't like it."

 

If that helps you guys sleep at night then it's all good. Enjoy your novel. I thought Battle for the Fang was much better. At least Chris Wraight can write a battle sequence without it sounding like someone reciting their grocery list. That's a common criticism I have of Abnett. He attempts to craft a "big picture" scene of battle, but it comes off as dull and meaningless. I have no emotional connection to Snori (he whom has never been mentioned to date) getting bisected. That's not drama. It's a failing attempt at crafting visceral prose.

 

Then there was the whole subtext with the main character that no one else seems to notice...namely that the main character was a historian turned scribe/writer named after a man that was thought to have died of Epilepsy.

[Simo429]

I thought was Brother Ramses was saying was fairly explicit in the book.

 

When I first read the book I wrote a scathing review on it, it wasn't down to the growls or to the change in Vikings in space but really becuase it lacked Space Wolves in action. Its not a fantastic action epic on the scale of Know no Fear. However I have enjoyed it more when I went back and read it again. Still not a patch on Battle of the Fang for me.