April 2010: Paths of Exile by Carla Nayland

[boswellbaxter]

Please discuss this here.

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[parthianbow]

Paths of Exile has been transferred to my bedside table: a big move. Now I have 29 days to read it, and am greatly looking forward to it! :)

[Ludmilla]

Have started it, but have been distracted by other things of late... am enjoying what I've read so far, though.

Is it me, or is the font difficult to read? It seems the kerning has the words awfully crowded together. I'm more sensitive to this than I used to be.

[Kasthu]

Yes, the font is awfully tiny; and I think I have pretty good eyesight!

I absolutely loved this novel--took it with me on vacation and read it pretty much from cover to cover on a five-hour plane ride across the US. It's extremely well written and researched, and it begs for a sequel. I don't have my copy of the book with me right now, so I can't be a little more specific about what I loved about this book, but it's easily one of the best I've read this year.

[LoveHistory]

I'm in about chapter 5 I think, no mean feat given the fact that my kids are all on spring break.

Carla is a fellow Lulu and I was wondering if she self-published this before Questor picked it up, in which case the small font may have been an effort to reduce the page count, thereby making the printed book more affordable.

I'm already wishing it were longer. Jane Austen said something along the lines of "for my part when a book is well-written I always find it too short." That pretty much sums up my feelings so far.

I'm really liking Paths of Exile. Also pleased as pudding that a book I nominated actually won. :D

[EC2]

I really enjoyed this one. Very Sutcliffe-esque but still with a unique voice. I have both the Lulu copy (bought by me) and the Quastor one (a gift) but not to hand as I write. I don't remember having difficulty with the fonts, but I will have to look now!

[annis]

Posted by LoveHistory
Carla is a fellow Lulu and I was wondering if she self-published this before Questor picked it up, in which case the small font may have been an effort to reduce the page count, thereby making the printed book more affordable.

The format is reminiscent of several self-published novels I've read. Although the font is smalli-ish, it's nowhere near as bad as that in some older novels I've recently struggled through- a reminder of how much clearer modern books are in their appearance. I think it's not the print that's the issue, but the crowding of it- there is less space in the margins and between chapters than we're used to. I have a copy of Brian Sellars' "Whispering Bell", also published by Quaestor2000 and the format is the same.

I have to say though, that the format in no way detracted from Carla's story for me. I thought she did a brilliant job of recreating a totally believable 7th century world, and fitting in a heap of information without slowing down the narrative. The characters are very appealing and I love the humour which leavens the despair and violence. That dry, sardonic wit seems so characteristic of Saxon and Viking culture. Maybe you can't change your fate, but you can laugh in the face of it.

[Carla]

That dry, sardonic wit seems so characteristic of Saxon and Viking culture. Maybe you can't change your fate, but you can laugh in the face of it.

Exactly. That's one of the aspects that attracted me to the era in the first place. Some of the surviving Old English poetry is bleak, grieving for the loss of friends and comrades, but it's never self-pitying. And the Exeter Book Riddles show a lighter side - proof positive that the English love of the double entendre hasn't changed in a thousand years :-)

Paths of Exile was indeed on Lulu before Quaestor offered for the rights. The print and layout in the Quaestor edition is entirely Quaestor's decision, not a hangover from the Lulu version. I didn't try to squash the font in the Lulu edition at all, as there seemed to be no need. As Annis mentioned for The Whispering Bell, Quaestor have a standard layout which I think is determined by a page count limit. It isn't something I have control over, I'm afraid.

I'm around if anyone wants to ask questions. Hope you enjoy the read!

[Ludmilla]

SPOILER QUESTION AHEAD:
I guess my burning question is whether Severa is really dead? Unless I missed a clue, in my hurry to read the 2nd half of the book to find out the answer, it seems pretty clear that she expired in the fire, but I liked her character so I want to hope that a little deus ex machina might be involved in resurrecting her. In fact, I'm now reading the 2nd half over, more slowly, because I think I missed some things skimming to the end to find out the answer. However, looking up Eadwine's history tells me that his first wife was the daughter of a Mercian King and his 2nd wife was the sister of Eadbald of Kent, so I guess Severa's death could serve as an important part of Eadwine's struggle and character growth in these early years of exile. I thought having Eadwine pose as a bard was a nice way integrating some of the poetry and legends people of that time would be familiar with. My only quibble with the narrative is that I felt I was being taught a little too much how people thought and lived at the time instead of being able to make those natural connections for myself. A minor quibble only...

LoveHistory, I can relate to trying to read with constant interruptions from kids. Mine often interrupt me with their squabbles, and it makes my head nearly explode trying to shift from thinking about what's happening in my book to playing referee.

[Carla]

I don't think it would be fair for me to answer the spoiler question directly in a public forum, because it is a spoiler, not least for a story that hasn't yet been told. Readers can draw their own conclusions from the information in the book. Maybe other people on the thread who've finished the book would like to say what they think the answer is? I'm quite curious to know what conclusions people come to....

I'm impressed that you went to the effort of looking up Eadwine's history! If you've got as far as the historical note you'll see that my rule is never to change a solid fact, when there is one, and I take Bede as the primary source if there's a conflict. I always go back to check what Bede actually says, rather than what later sources say he says - not always the same thing. Bede's History is available full-text online in modern English translation (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/bede-book2.html) if anyone wants to look it up.

[MLE]

I am loving this book! When I first opened it and my eye fell on blocks of text that spanned half a page and that teeny-tiny font, I thought, "Oh, oh, going to be hard to turn off the internal editor on this one!"
But within 20 pages I was caught up in the characters and the story. Now I am to page 100 (in a normal format, that would be page 200, I think --Carla, what is the wordcount that Quaestor managed to cram into this paucity of pages?) and quite engrossed.

[Carla]

It's a bit over 129,000 words including the historical note and the glossary of place names. Probably somewhere between 126,000 or 127,000 for the text itself.

[MLE]

It's a bit over 129,000 words including the historical note and the glossary of place names. Probably somewhere between 126,000 or 127,000 for the text itself.

Yikes! and they got that into 215 pages? I have a set-up template for lightningsource's 6"x9" done to straight-up industry averages, 10-point font (Georgia, easy on the eyes for such a wide column)at 14-point spacing, standard 1" margins that don't run into the center of the page where you can hardly read them, and a couple spare pages in front and back for necessary data and acknowledgments. 129 K words is 305 pages. In a more standard 5.5" x 8" paperback format, it would be almost 400 pages.

I know it costs less to do it with fewer pages, but I think Quaestor would be well-advised to expand their page count. Doing it their way is cheaper per book, but when the book layout loses readers you lose word-of-mouth, which in the case of Exile would sell quite a few books. That's being penny-wise and pound foolish.

I like the characters, which is keeping me turning the pages. Some unexpected point-of-view switches in mid-scene, though.

[Ludmilla]

Posted by LoveHistory
I have to say though, that the format in no way detracted from Carla's story for me. I thought she did a brilliant job of recreating a totally believable 7th century world, and fitting in a heap of information without slowing down the narrative. The characters are very appealing and I love the humour which leavens the despair and violence. That dry, sardonic wit seems so characteristic of Saxon and Viking culture. Maybe you can't change your fate, but you can laugh in the face of it.

I don't think the format detracts from reading, but it did slow down the reading experience. 20 to 30 pages a day was about all my eyes could digest. That's not necessarily a bad thing, either.

Re the bawdiness, I think the scene with Fulla's wife is a good example of that. Must confess to laughing out loud at that one.

[MLE]

I just finished this and I loved it! Your writing voice is dry, witty, and engaging.

Okay, Carla, I'm on for the sequel. When is it coming out?

[Carla]

Ludmilla - I'm pleased it made you laugh! I like that scene too, even though it's only a minor incident.

MLE - thank you, and I'm delighted you enjoyed it! I'm working on the next novel, though I haven't got a publication date yet. As soon as there's a release date I'll announce it. In the meantime, if you like my writing style you might also enjoy my other novel Ingeld's Daughter. It has no connection with Exile, except that I wrote both so they share a style. Full details on my website (http://www.carlanayland.org/ingeld/index.htm); if you like reading e-books you can download the e-book for free there (follow the links), or the paperback can be ordered online from Lulu (http://www.lulu.com/content/277039).

The writing tone is partly me (since it's shared with Ingeld's Daughter) and partly, as Annis mentioned, derived from the Norse sagas and Beowulf, which have a wonderful terse understated wit. Something of the same style of humour can still be found in Northern England, which I rather suspect reflects the region's strong Norse heritage.

The idea of having Eadwine pretend to be a bard comes indirectly from Bede, who says that he "...wandered as an unknown fugitive...." (translations vary slightly), which suggested to me the possibility of intrigue and disguise. There aren't that many plausible disguises for a young warrior at the time (Bede tells a story of a warrior who tried to disguise himself as a peasant and was detected almost instantly), and bard was one of the few that I thought would work. As Ludmilla says, it also offers an opportunity to mention some of the surviving stories. He has to keep one step ahead of Aethelferth, though, which I imagine took some doing, so there's a new disguise in the next novel :-)

[LoveHistory]

Having finished the book I'm ready to chime in on Severa's fate. I think she's gone. The only way I can see her not being deceased is if she removed a certain item to leave as proof of her demise so that she would be able to start over somewhere else. Which is possible, but not all that likely in my mind.

Sequel? Sign me up! What's the title?

[Carla]

Having finished the book I'm ready to chime in on Severa's fate. I think she's gone. The only way I can see her not being deceased is if she removed a certain item to leave as proof of her demise so that she would be able to start over somewhere else. Which is possible, but not all that likely in my mind.

You're right that the 'certain item' is a key part of the answer.

Sequel? Sign me up! What's the title?

Current working title is either Scorpion Seal or Black Widow. Don't put too much weight on those, though! I don't usually get the title settled until right at the last minute.

By the way, my blog post this week is the historical background for Severa's medical and surgical skills if anyone wants to know where they came from (http://carlanayland.blogspot.com/2010/04/early-medieval-surgical-knowledge.html).

[annis]

Thanks for the link, Carla, and the information about techniques Severa might have been familiar with. Of course she had access to Roman knowledge through her grandfather. THe Roman medicus had plenty of experience (and guinea pigs!) when it came to dealing with illnesses and battle trauma injuries. Roman army surgeons also spent time in many different parts of the world, including the East, and no doubt picked up all sorts of techniques along the way. I remember that Junior Surgeon Justinian in Rosemary Sutcliff's "Silver Branch" had been posted to Britain from Beersheba, which was in modern-day Israel.

Ruth Downie's "Medicus" books are great fun and also give an interesting picture of the life of a Roman army surgeon.

[Carla]

Mary Stewart's Merlin travels to the Near and Middle East and works as a surgeon for a while, if I remember rightly, though I think that was in a private capacity rather than an official post. It's connected with his discovery of the sword of Magnus Maximus, so it must be in the second book The Hollow Hills (haven't got mine on hand to check). Falco has a predictably low opinion of army surgeons in The Silver Pigs, not unreasonably since one nearly chops his leg off for a mistaken diagnosis :-) For once I disagree with Falco (or he was unlucky); if Celsus's textbook is anything to go by, you could probably do a lot worse than an army surgeon if you needed medical help.

[annis]

I'm hoping that Severa makes a miraculous reappearance, but I don't know--. Actually, one of my favourite characters is the awful Aethelind. She's not quite the ditzy blonde airhead you first see her as, but ruthlessly pragmatic. I love the scene where she makes the best of being captured by the enemy and decides her captor Hereward will do perfectly well as a protector. The way she treats his warriors like naughty little boys and chivvies them into cleaning up and sitting down for the civilized meal with which she intends to impress their leader is priceless.

[LoveHistory]

Aethelind is almost a medieval Sharpay Evans.

[annis]

Lol! I had to look that one up, LoveHistory - I must be the only person in the world who's never seen High School Musical :)

[Carla]

Lol! I had to look that one up, LoveHistory - I must be the only person in the world who's never seen High School Musical :)

No, there are at least two of us. I had to look it up too :-) If Aethelind, or any other character, engages a reader's attention enough to remind them of someone else, I'm very pleased and I take it as a compliment (though Aethelind might be less than flattered at the comparison...).
Yes, Aethelind is manipulative and very good at getting her own way, especially where men are concerned. In her defence, I'll say that her safety and maybe even her survival depend on her ability to manouevre Hereward into doing what she wants. Rhonwen, who wasn't lucky enough to get the same opportunity, has a much worse time after the battle. Aethelind is busy using every means at her disposal to make sure she lands on her feet - Annis's description 'ruthlessly pragmatic' is a good one.

[Vanessa]

I've just finished this and I very much enjoyed it. I found it a fascinating and absorbing read. I also found it interesting as I live near where a lot of it is set, so I've been trying to picture as I've been reading where the characters are as they go on their journey! I live within Calcacaster in a small hamlet just south of Eboracum, although I originally come from Loidis.:D

I'm not sure what to think about Severa. It would be nice to think that she will make a reappearance in a sequel, just so Eadwine has a little bit of happiness in his life which I think he deserves! But there was a scream, wasn't there? So, I don't know what to think.

There is obviously a lot more story to tell with regards to Eadwine, so will look forward to the sequel!

Thanks, Carla, I think you did a great job.

[Carla]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Vanessa! Calcacaster and Eboracum have changed a lot since Eadwine's day, though he'd probably recognise the route of the Roman road, the Multangular Tower and that column from the Roman principia that now stands in front of York Minster (he would have known it in situ, if I'm correct in my surmise that the principia was still standing and in use).

If you ever get up to the North York Moors, the cliff path between Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay is much as I describe in the novel, and I could even direct you to the exact location of the headland and ravine where I set the scene of the fight with Beortred :-) It's a beautiful walk on a fine day, highly recommended.

[Vanessa]

I love Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay. We often visit for a day or two. I also have lovely memories of holidays there as a child. Last time we were there we went for a walk up to Whitby Abbey at midnight and that was quite spooky, even though there's a youth hostel next door to it! I haven't walked the cliff path but will look out for it next time we go. We usually end up walking on the beach between Sandsend and Whitby as it's one of the only beaches you can walk dogs - well, at least in winter time!

Yes, I'm sure both Taddy and York have changed a lot. Mind you, one of the big brewery owners who owns most of Tad will not change anything! He's one of those people who will buy a converted barn and then change it back to a barn. LOL. So really Taddy hasn't moved on a lot! There are quite a few references to Calcaria - Calcaria Chemist, Calcaria Vets, etc. York, however, is a beautiful city.

[Carla]

Whitby Abbey at midnight must have been very atmospheric! Was there a full moon to cast eerie shadows among the gaunt ruins, just to complete the picture?

Sandsend is a lovely beach. I didn't realise it was one of the few where you could walk dogs.

York owes quite a bit of its beauty to Calcaria/Tadcaster, if I remember rightly - wasn't it the source for most of the Roman and medieval limestone used to build the city, including the Minster?

[Vanessa]

I can't remember if there was a full moon, but I remember it being very dark! Some chap whizzed by on a scooter (the non-motorised variety - it was the sort where you have to push with your foot), which we thought was very funny and a novel way to go home from the pub!

It wasn't actually Sandsend but between Sandsend and Whitby. It's all one beach really but it's the bit inbetween. There's a path you can walk down to the beach from the road which is quite wiggly and hilly, sort of near the golf club. I don't think you can walk on actual Sandsend beach with a dog.

I don't know about the limestone but you're most likely right. There is a quarry. It has three breweries, though, which is a lot of breweries for a small market town!