Recently skimming earlier chapters and rereading Quatach-Ichl "fight" with Zorian, I had this feeling that we're going to see more of their interactions with each other. The lich does have quite a character, somehow similar to Xvim only more murderous, that could be fun to read.

Add Lady Zoltan who for now appeared once only to die in the battle and I'm quite certain that in the third act we will see the invasion from the inside. Maybe Zorian will infiltrate them or maybe he will simply do what the Red Robe did, if he's sure he's not around, though probably with a plan how to screw them on the day of the invasion anyway.

More so, I can see him revealing at least some information about the loop to Quatach-Ichl if something about it will prove to be dangerous to everyone. Getting an advice from a guy who is thousand years old could be more than just useful.

Though before that happens Zorian probably still needs to improve his magical skills to the point where the lich is not able to kill him on the spot.

 

As much as I like this story (and don't get me wrong, I love this story), I'm coming to the realization that the story as a whole is better if read start to finish all at once instead of chapter by chapter as they're released. When I first picked up MoL back when it was on, I believe, Chapter 44, I read it from start to finish pretty much in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed the concepts, the storyline, pretty much everything that's already been said here, but now that I've been reading chapters as they come out one by one the story doesn't hold the same charm that it did when I first started. The past few chapters have been mostly the same basic goal for Zorian, find out what the necromancer is doing by trying over and over again to raid his lair, and (as always) try to figure out the time loop situation. When read chapter by chapter, it gets repetitive sometimes and you can't see the overall storyline that the author's going for until he reaches it. I guess what I'm trying and failing to articulate is that when you can continue reading onward through similar repetitions of the same actions by Zorian during resets in order to figure out the ultimate end result and fallout of said actions, the story is more interesting and appealing. Otherwise it's... not boring per se since there's always interesting interactions and discoveries between each chapter, but less...amazing.

Or maybe it's just my problem.

 

Well, most stories work better when read from start to finish, not just this one. It's why novels are published as novels, and not newspaper serials in fashion of Heart of Darkness (and many others).

As for MoL, it is a subtle world-building, and is in general, more rewarding for close readers. It is easier to do a close reading when done all at once, otherwise the small details are forgotten.

 

If the author of Mother of Learning ever decides to publish his story (with accompanying illustrations of the main characters, the monsters, and the places visited - which is the only way I would buy it when I have it online), this is how I would break it down:


Chapters 1-11 (~Cliffhanger in the middle of 1st Arc): 73,690 words
Chapters 12-26 (From where we left off to End of 1st Arc): 110,489 words

Chapters 27-37 (End of Arc 1 to Deciding to Return to Cyoria): 76,203 words
Chapters 37-End of Arc 2? (Ch. 37-50 = 106,274 words so far): ?


I broke up that way to keep up the suspense. Also it seem books won't get published past a certain word count length:

Short-short stories are under 2,500 words.
Short stories can range from 2,500 to 7,500 words.
Novellettes are from 7,500 to 20,000 words.
Novellas are from 20,000 to 50,000 words.
Novels are from 70,000 to 90,000 words.

The Genre will affect the length of the story, too.

Young Adult novels tend to be shorter than novels and can be 50,000 to 80,000 words long.
Science Fiction and Fantasy novels tend to be longer and can be up to 125,000 words long.

 

I had been studying for several hours and my mind started to wonder..................and then before I knew it I was posting my random thoughts. These are just my random musings. But yeah, I'm fine with whatever. I just really wish that at some point in the future I could buy a physical book of this story complete with some of the fan made illustrations (there's just something about having in it my hands that makes it more enjoyable to me).

 

While I do not exactly frequent DLP, I do have an account here and I check up on this thread from time to time. It's just that I'm mostly a lurker.

As for publishing the story, I don't want to worry about that until the story is finished. Only then do I intend to research the issue and come up with something. Though yes, I've been thinking of simply breaking the story up along the existing three arcs. They seem like the most obvious separation points.

 

200k words for a book is definitely too long for publishers, at least for a debut novel, but if you self-publish, especially as an ebook, then simply keeping it divided by arcs is the best option.

Anyway, thanks for giving us a really enjoyable story. Reading a next chapter is always a highlight of a day when it's published.

 

I know this is kind of a stupid question and that there's probably a thread for this (which I can't find), but how do I give a 'Thumb Up' to a post? I'm sorry for being a noob...

 

You can't give a thumbs up because you're a noob. You'll unlock that feature when you gain DLP's "25 Posts!" achievement.

 

I see. Thanks for all of you help. Thank you senpai, for taking care of me (a noob) since I came here.

 

https://www.fictionpress.com/s/2961893/51/Mother-of-Learning Update. Plot advances but ends on a cliff hanger.

 

God damnit people. This is what happens when you taunt an author that their story isn't serial like enough. You get updates like this -throws hands up in exasperation-

 

Tech necromancy >_> <_<

Pretty cool chapter though. Some large-scale fights are interesting, though pretty generic.

 

Chapter felt like a very abrupt change of pace, and it seems kind of weird that he'd do what he did when he has so little time left to unravel the aranean matriach's memory package.

 

To be fair he didn't expect to get pulled into a full-scale assault on the mansion. He expected there to be an investigation that he could leverage to do his own research later. It blew up in his face rather spectacularly though, and the change of pace is actually a pretty welcome one.

 

It was good to see what Eldemar's like when it gets its shit together. All we've seen before now is their incompetence in the face of the Cyorian invasion.

 

To be fair we've only seen the initial hours, if we judged all wars that way we'd living in The Man in the High Castle.

 

Oh, I know. It's just that we see those initial hours on a nigh-infinite repeat.

Zorian has tried to work with the system in the past, but has more often found himself having to work around them instead. It's just good to see them all pointing their spell rods in the same direction for once.

 

Then again, Cyoria has several moles in high places to slow down and complicate any attempt to deal with the invasion. It also has cranium rats that can alert them to any threats and cultist to assassinate anyone that might get in their way.