All Comments on 'Westrons Pt. 32'

I enjoyed your story very much and was looking forward to Cook having to take hold of the Westerons armies and lead them as their planet was finally being targeted to settle. So they don't want to bomb it out and want to simply take it over as cheaply as possible so they have to face tiered resistance with Cook leading them until a time as he defeats or stalemates again against advanced equipped armies and then they realize because someone had done training with Cook who they are dealing with. Perhaps seeing him given leadership over this area while they occupy a different continent sort of thing.

Was sad to see it end, but not sure where else it could have gone.

Thanks for adding this chapter, it wrapped things up nicely. When reading the story, I seem to have missed Cook's decision not to introduce better technology in order to limit casualties.

An exceptional read.

Cheers

I just assumed that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were not their real names, but that Cook purposely used those as nicknames when reflecting on the story while telling it to the readers. It shows his lack of respect for them and their actions. It also minimizes their role in his life that he does not remember them by their names (which he might not believe were true).

One character that I often wondered about was Esyle. Of course she wasn't as big a part of the story as the military characters. Of course she recognized she was unique among his retinue. But I don't feel bad for her because I think you summed it up by calling her the Lady of Belere. She was a true homemaker, and that became her role, her contentment, and what she brought to a relationship with Cook. And yes, I believe she was a home-MAKER and not just a glorified housekeeper with benefits. I think she poured into Belere what she couldn't give Cook in terms of effort and attention and time. And to Westrons, every house should have a Lady; she'd fit into society just fine.

You also gave her a mothering heart. It would then be natural that she mother her step-son/nephew, Talley. Did Tonol & Limset come to live at Belere too? Mother hen would gather those chicks in too.

There was enough drama in the story without needing drama with this character too. She had a quieter character development from shy teen to gracious lady.

I think for the readers there was enough vocabulary change in getting used to a new world. New concepts like hemmer, new countries, new places, new customs. Besides, any slang Cook heard would have been in Westron or Penchen and the story was told in English so slang would have been translated for us anyway. He wouldn't have learned it in sleepread.

Actually though, since Penchens could fight for either side in any given year/war, it would make sense that they have the slang so that neither army would know what they were talking about.

I am wondering who the other Colonel is :)

First, Huge fan of your work, author, I think I've read all your stories. Also, I love how much Cook, Isa, Tallia, and Senau challenged my own preconceptions. While I initially disliked the development with Tallia, I came to really appreciate it.

That being said, It feels from your writing here that you misunderstand why I, and perhaps some of the other readers, initially disliked the relationship with Senau. It wasn't the relationship itself, but the fact that Tallia didn't talk with Cook before entering into it. Cook pre-Change (readers, this is important!) establishes what would be expected of a morally good human in an open relationship- he talks with Tallia and receives her permission before pursuing things with Isa. Turns out this was a facade on her part, but that's another discussion. When Tallia experiences the Change, she doesn't ask permission, but acceptance from Cook. Author, this is where I think people took offense; not in the relationship itself, but the fact she didn't talk with Cook beforehand. Now, readers, the important bit here is how *post-Change* Cook reacts to the situation with Tallia and Senau. Not "Westron-acclimated Cook," not "open-minded Cook," but "post-Change" Cook.Cook is our only human frame of reference for empathy regarding Changed individuals, and the Change is apparently so powerful that Cook immediately accepts how Tallia has handled the situation. This implies that, were Cook to do it again, he wouldn't even wait for Tallia's permission before embracing Isa as a Changed individual. This is reinforced by Cook and Isa's conversation with Tallia's mother at the end of the story- he would have been willing to abandon Tallia and Esyle if Isa asked it of him, a concept that we would find reprehensible in non-Changed individuals. The Change is apparently so powerful that it supersedes many of our concepts of morally good behavior.

Author, a marvelous story, and fantastic character development. Thank you for your hard work and for sharing this story with me and the many others who were frantically refreshing your story page multiple times a day hoping for a new chapter. I look forward to whatever you choose to write next. I wrote this in the hopes that it clarifies things for both you, author, and the readers still upset about Tallia. If I'm in the minority, and the majority of readers were upset about the relationship itself, then I'm 100% with you on your opinion, author.

I appreciate your comments. No rude language, no insults. You explained your opinion in detail - thank you for that, as well.

If you like, you could click on my home page, and contact me directly - I would be happy to discuss these plot points with you.

AspernEssling

wish you gave some hints what the letter cook sent had in it and her reaction to it.

and an somewhat ending did cook live longer than his wives/companies? and other humans you said early on that they were other humans on the planter but different city's/kingdoms (you gave the feel that he got sent to the lesser of the kingdoms) kind of wished you had cook travel and kill those two guys (spooks/spies/undercover military) who dumped him on the shore or they traveled to him after hearing of him and he "talked" to them in the basement and then killed them (took their spots on the next ship back home) and took the next ship out of the planet and him crying/writing letters of goodbye to his friends and family and tips to stay on the winning side of the war.

cook could suggest also some kind of bill/law of equals/rights for the other three species living on the planet and had two of join and kindly force/had to the third to join them.

the military he was part of said they meet other species but so far none more advanced in SPACE so they are some sort of treaty or rights they have inside of the human space/planets they co-settled/trading on(with other aliens), so he should have some sort of idea of what bills/laws/treaties species can make/creat to be fair and all want to join. couldn't you have just males/two cuffed to a wall and a half female with a hemmer female go inside a basement to get with child/pregnant much easier cook could suggest for his female children dont want them to have sex with their half brothers.

from a guy who reads a lot of fiction space fiction and isekai fiction.

First, thank-you for this story. It is definitely in my top 10 of series here on Lit for a number of reasons, even without considering the sci-fi military angle. That said, I now must find new sources for that particular fix. I suspect I am not the only one, so I wish to share a source I found which I believe readers here will appreciate: search for "montemayor" on Youtube. His angle is animated maps of famous battles. I recommend his reconstruction of the Battle of Midway (part 1 of 2 : we are all waiting for part 2) and also Pearl Harbor. Thank-you again. I am looking forward to your next series with interest.

Some of these commenters seem to think you should have written a different story . Or that it should never end . Sequels are always a possibility . But the authors of these incredible stories owe us nothing . The gift of his or her words are plenty . I thank you/them . Am eternally GR8ful .

This one was the second to last of your stories for me, only Hvak now left to read. I get a bit anxious, because I've come to like your writing style and your imagination so much.

See, I felt young again with this one, almost like my first years into SF, nearly 60 years ago. I've never been the greatest fan of Le Guin's works, but I remember the kemmer. Yes, that was a very interesting idea to look into again, and you absolutely nailed it. Even more so with adding the Change. Impressive.

While I've always been interested in history of everyday life, culture, labour, and political economy, this was not the case with military history. You changed that, at least to a degree.

I somehow waited for the two human agents to come back and mess with Cook again. Them accompanying Cook all the way to his new destination, and all the mystery about them on the spaceship, seemed to set the stage for a larger role in the story overall. But in the end I was glad you ended the storyline the way you did. There's certainly room for a sequel, but I can see that you usually don't do that.

Well, thanks again for giving us readers so many hours of fun reading and entertainment!

I found this story after it was finished, and was hooked from the first chapter. I binge read the entire thing over the course of two or three days and loved every bit of it, except for the ending.

You yourself state that many readers expected Kanitz, Tallia, or Avette to be "the main squeeze, and I myself was no different. That most certainly influenced my opinion of the ending.

While I understand Avette's resolution, I dislike it because I feel that it sort of ruins my memories of what they had at Tonol.

I understand why Cook & Kanitz split - a lack of trust will ruin a relationship. The resolution to their relationship dissatisfies me because it was earlier foreshadowed that she would die, perhaps killed by one of her own machinations backfiring. I feel that it was a wasted opportunity, and that them simply splitting was lukewarm compared to what I was anticipating.

Now that you've explained it, I can understand Tallia's resolution. That most certainly does not mean that I have to like it. I hated it. To me, Tallia's continued presence led me to consider her the "main squeeze," so seeing her and Cook split hurt. I thought that the relationship that they had was stronger. That their relationship wouldnot be challenged by psychic, Viagra producing, shapeshifting hermaphrodites that can alter their bodies to match their partners ideals. Clearly, I was wrong.

Enjoyment of a plot twist comes when it allows the reader to look back after the fact and "connect the dots," so to speak. It casts previous events in a New light forthe reader to reexamine. Foreshadowing must occur for a plot twist to be effective. Furthermore, the details of the foreshadowing must be present in the readers mind when the plot twist occurs - the previous events must click into place, there needs to be an, "aha," moment. With Tallia's plot twist, there was no, "aha," moment because the foreshadowing was the last thing on my mind. I most certainly was not thinking about his Tallia was relishing in her #1 status when Cook was preparing to fight another war. Timing the foreshadowing better possibly could have made me more ambivalent about the twist, as opposed to downright hating it.

The lack of recognition for Cook's achievements at the end, as well as the resolutions to his relationships with Avette, Kanitz, & Tallia, ensured that the ending left me feeling depressed, rather than happy; bitter, not bittersweet; disappointed, as opposed to wanting more.

Still though, the fact that I bothered or cared to write all this out means that you did a pretty good job with the story overall. I just feel that the ending was a letdown in comparison to everything else.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I'm not much of a history nut but I enjoyed the little lessons throughout. I am forever thankful that Isa with have at least another change. I hope that it was even longer or somehow never ended. I guess that is the romantic in me. I always thought Kanitz was going to be murdered. Playing politics have killed more people then wars in my opinion. Playing politics has led to wars. I knew they were doomed as a couple when she told him not to trust her because a great romantic relationship can't survive without trust. When Tallia hid her jealously I knew there was very very little chance of reviving a romantic relationship with Cook. I figured then it would mainly only be physical like when she went into hemmer and since Senau was completely devoted to her she would turn to Cook because the still love each other but not in love anymore but that would be a dicey outcome at best because she would have the same devotion.

I loved how you did like a piecemeal goodbye to the main characters. However I dislike and feel you left one out. However that could make way for an epilogue or possible another series. Venova. You never said what happened to her. Here's what I think happened. She found out a while after Cook left that she was pregnant and turns out to be twins. Male and Female. She tells them of their father and they follow in his footsteps joining the AFOTA. There they meet Karpov. He had advance his career and when he found out they were cook's children he let them know he never forgot their dad and what he did to help him. He also let them know they he finally got enough influence to be able to get an actual investigation into what happened to him because the "mistake had been discovered when he tried to find Cook to inform him of the children. The higher ups of course didn't want a media storm AGAIN because of him and agreed to interview the crew of the Halygon. They got very little details but learned Cook was dropped off as ordered and were surprised to learn that the program had been decommissioned. Its suggested to ask Rosen and Guild, the guides, and its revealed they were killed very shortly after returning in a barfight that's remained unsolved. So its decided that an exploratory trip would be conducted under the guise of checking up on the place seeing as it had been decommissioned almost 40 years prior and to see what progress had been made since a generation had passed. The twins find out about it and sneak aboard the ship. After over a month into the voyage the Twins are finally found by Long who fondly remembers their father and takes pity on them and puts them in stasis and secretly awakes them throughout the trip. After they land the secret is out and so the crew has no other choice but to let them tag along. At arriving at the port and start asking if anyone knows a Poly named Cook. They are brought before a fishing boat captain by the name of Limset who asks "I've sent a message ahead to let him know your here and asking for him, but if I may know, what do you want with my father?"

My idea of a rough outline for CH1 of a new series while tying up some loose ends...

A most excellent read, thanks.

I really liked how the story ended. Everyone got their happy endings. I kept expecting something terrible to happen, like Cook wins the war and then logs out of his sim, and none of the story was real. I'm glad you didn't go that route. Also, I got a strong Enders Game vibe from the first few chapters.