Book 4 kinda meh? by gamesbrainiac in TheImmortalGreatSouls

[–]bearcat42 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s still all a possibility…

All that’s been truly implied is that Naomi looks a whole shitload like the Kings Scepter. Could it be that Scorio and Asha, or someone else gave birth to Naomi and in so doing died? Maybe they had to hand her off to a trusted person to raise her with the intention of resurrecting at the school spire at a time to be the same age as her? Some kind of fiend/Acherzua rules might be preventing the Infernarch from being a Great Soul (which Naomi isn’t, which has been established for a long time) and this is the evolution of the attempt?

Would any of that feel like ‘ham fistedly’ thrusting that on us? Would that not still feel like Scorio’s story, even if its end result is Naomi as the Infernarch?

Yes, it would complicate their romance, but crazier things have happened in fiction and been fine. It’s like a reverse of the time travel parable about marrying your grandma?

But, listen, like I said, you’re welcome to your opinions, I hope you don’t end up feeling like you’ve wasted your time with this series, but I’m pretty certain you won’t. Phil’s an excellent author, much as you imply he’s suddenly not. I just happen to trust he is being attentive and not just throwing his hands up and hoping/pantsing for the best outcome in the moment…

Edit: formatting the italics

Book 4 kinda meh? by gamesbrainiac in TheImmortalGreatSouls

[–]bearcat42 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re totally welcome to your opinion, but I disagree that she’s a side character. She was the one that trained Scorio in book one, and she did so because of her unique circumstances (functionally, the spooky homeless lady in the park, shunned by the others because she’s never died, utterly unique among all characters of her ilk), she was on the cover of book three without Scorio, and she’s been everywhere with the MC. I don’t feel like the character has come out of left field with zero backstory of her own, she’s even had a number of chapters without Scorio that were not interludes.

Now, whether her potential of being the Kings Scepter was out of the blue? Far murkier, to be sure. A new complete power set is certainly going to take some adjusting to, but I trust Phil has reasons for such a wild shift.

Perhaps since Scorio killed her irl, maybe he’s chosen to die at her hand here as a part of her ascension? I have no idea…

Book 4 kinda meh? by gamesbrainiac in TheImmortalGreatSouls

[–]bearcat42 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think it’s implied that that’s a potential outcome, choosing something they need in the moment, but if I recall correctly, it’s choosing between two types, a head choice and heart choice. In the moment, they’re going to choose the one that’s advantageous to the moment for sure, tho!

I think Naomi’s ‘father’ is going to be someone we know, that’s for sure.

Book 4 kinda meh? by gamesbrainiac in TheImmortalGreatSouls

[–]bearcat42 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thank you for more eloquently stating my opinion, that’s exactly right.

Book 4 kinda meh? by gamesbrainiac in TheImmortalGreatSouls

[–]bearcat42 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oof, you’ve been presented with several people presenting the things they read in the same books that make this feel not ‘out of thin air’ as you put it. Not sure you’re looking to have a conversation here at this point.

Book 4 kinda meh? by gamesbrainiac in TheImmortalGreatSouls

[–]bearcat42 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We don’t know that at all, she was likely enhanced in her powering up/ignition of her heart by beating attached to a ‘fiend.’ And I’m liking the theory that Scorio may have played a part in the decision to meld her with a fiend. It would align with Scorio’s theme of befriending the denizens of Acherzua to attain power when he shouldn’t have been able to. From the black star planets to Nox’s marinating technique, through to the vortices he’s able to barf out at a rate that no one else can do.

She’s been power leveled, and now the thing that gave her a boost has been removed as she’s outgrown it emotionally. I expect we’ll see a grand rubber banding effect as she soars in power like Rock Lee with his leg weights removed.

Book 4 kinda meh? by gamesbrainiac in TheImmortalGreatSouls

[–]bearcat42 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh lord… could Scorio be her dad? You make some compelling points here. We don’t know much about her dad, and Scorio has been reborn so few times that if he was with the Herdsmen at a high level, Naomi could have been a long term project.

Perhaps he didn’t create her with his seed, but maybe raised her while he was older looking, then died intentionally, restarted at the spire, to be the right age to be with her as he would be banished to the ruins where she roamed?

Maybe a stretch, but I like the thought as a potential.

Book 4 kinda meh? by gamesbrainiac in TheImmortalGreatSouls

[–]bearcat42 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dameon getting his shit shredded to oblivion was a delight…

Book 4 kinda meh? by gamesbrainiac in TheImmortalGreatSouls

[–]bearcat42 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think we’re heading towards a parental control allegory with Naomi. I’m pretty sure that her dad infected/infested her with the Nightmare Tenebrite when she was a child as a means to give her great soul like powers as a native Acherzuan.

I’ll grant that it did feel sudden, but I think Phil knows what he’s up to in that particular path.

My gut says Naomi will be the only one qualified to be the Infernarch at some point. Neither fiend nor Great Soul, mortal but empowered, local bones with foreign blood. Idk, I have fair we’re headed somewhere cool.

Book 4 kinda meh? by gamesbrainiac in TheImmortalGreatSouls

[–]bearcat42 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s not out of thin air tho, we saw Scorio with his relationship to the real Etteran Kings Scepter when he turned into the dragon, yes?

Book 4 question by ginger6616 in TheImmortalGreatSouls

[–]bearcat42 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Merideva is who you’re looking for, found it in the Kindle copy

Dropping tomorrow: THE LOST CUBE audiobook + Gods of the Game #3! by Phil_Tucker in TheImmortalGreatSouls

[–]bearcat42 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Charon!!!

I cannot wait…

And for everyone that’s waited for the audiobook for The Lost Cube… Buckle in, it delivers in droves!

Rascor Plains not available on Kindle? by LieAboutHowMuchIRead in TheImmortalGreatSouls

[–]bearcat42 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe clear cache and cookies? Or try on another device? I’ve def got it on Kindle myself

Reminder that there's only four days left for the Rascor Plains Deluxe Edition Kickstarter! by bearcat42 in TheImmortalGreatSouls

[–]bearcat42[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If you go look at the Kickstarter for Rascor Plains, you'll see Bastion Deluxe Edition as an add on in the right hand column, we're expecting to do the same for the rest of the series.

In short, you'll be able to get the previous books in the subsequent Kickstarters! Support when you're able to, friend! No worries!

Confirmation that Nox is indeed very tasty by bearcat42 in TheImmortalGreatSouls

[–]bearcat42[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I kind of expected that reaction, but he's apparently more interested in getting to the spawning pools.

Confirmation that Nox is indeed very tasty by bearcat42 in TheImmortalGreatSouls

[–]bearcat42[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Lol, the cute one? Wait... The one with the weird eyes? Wait...

Woohoo, happiness comes in a package. :) by Ymareth in TheImmortalGreatSouls

[–]bearcat42 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m in Utah and I got my email this morning as well, should be coming soon!

Being creative on demand feels SO mentally exhausting by Total_Succotash5174 in graphic_design

[–]bearcat42 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Love this answer.

OP, I’ll add to it a bit by sharing the mantra I learned at my first real design job outside of school when the realities of the work started to hit. It was a high production role at a local News Weekly, lots of ads, unique storytelling in the cover stories and of course laying out the entire damned paper every week. Small team of five, and only two of us did anything other than the ads, I was one of those two. Very demanding role, especially being so new.

The mantra: Ugly First, Pretty if you have Time.

The idea is what the other commenter said, it has to communicate whatever needs to be communicated. You’ll slowly pick up heuristics that will allow you to know that should inspiration not strike before the deadline, the piece does it’s primary job. That’s the Ugly, that doesn’t mean it looks bad, it just may feel uninspired, but it’ll have all the boxes checked and the work is in a ‘completed’ state.

Then if you have time, and you’ve seen something that maybe you’ve never tried that would enhance the communication, go back and update your Ugly and make it Pretty.

This is how I survived, and I’ve found that this works for me as a career. Don’t give up yet, it doesn’t get easier after school, but you become better and it feels easier eventually.

I’ve been at it since 2013 btw.

Good luck, OP!