Shapeshifting

Use this forum to discuss the September Book of the Month "Apollo's Raven" by Linnea Tanner.
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holsam_87
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Re: Shapeshifting

Post by holsam_87 »

gali wrote: 01 Sep 2018, 13:15
CommMayo wrote: 01 Sep 2018, 11:00 Midway through the novel, we are introduced to Catrin's brother who can shapeshift into a wolf. Do you think this element of shapeshifting is properly tied into the story or does it detract from the overall novel? Does it support the aura of mysticism the author is trying to convey or does it make it too much like any other fantasy novel?
I thought it was well done and properly tied into the story. It added to the aura of mysticism.

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The one thing that didn't added up was the ability of Marrock to change others. It was a bit too much.
Agreed, especially after he killed those he changed. I hope that's explained more in Dagger's Destiny.
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Post by mariakavo88 »

I think they did a good job of adding it in. I think it came as a surprise, but it still fit in well to the story. As someone stated above Catrin was able to see through the eyes of the Raven from the very beginning and kind of at times believed she was transforming into the raven. so for Marrock to be able to transform into the wolf does not seem far off, especially since they are half siblings. I enjoyed reading that, it gave me a little surprise, while still being tastefully done.
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Post by Quinto »

The ancient Celtics believed in magic and witchcraft so this aspect of the narrative is very much in line with the premise the author explores in her story. So it definitely doesn't distract, but it's what we expect from the story.
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Post by Britty01 »

The ancient Celts or Iron Age people did believe in animals as spirit guides and so I imagine they created some elaborate myths at times.
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Post by Bon0 »

I think it presented an important detail in the book. I liked the mysticism the author tried to capture.
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Post by Bookcool123 »

The shapeshifting abilities of one of the characters are essential in the story since the synopsis of this book tells about uplifting a curse and the summoning of magic.
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Post by CommMayo »

Bookcool123 wrote: 19 Sep 2018, 12:01 The shapeshifting abilities of one of the characters are essential in the story since the synopsis of this book tells about uplifting a curse and the summoning of magic.
But don't you think that there are other ways to summon magic without including this element? Personally, I never saw a true need to introduce something so strange into the plot. I think it all could have been done without the wolf portion.
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Post by Bookcool123 »

Well, the author has a vast imagination. I'm sure the author has other ways in mind. Let us say it's her radical method of writing to gain the readers' attention as well as reaction.
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Post by Alexandre876 »

The shapes gifting gave the story a level of contrast which was very well balanced in my opinion.. kinda added a burst of excitement that made u eager to see what would happen next
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Post by KCWolf »

Mely918 wrote: 01 Sep 2018, 13:59 It seems to be well done to me. I've always interpreted wolves as mystical creatures, so the ability to shape shift into a wolf doesn't detract from my reading experience. Plus, this book does have some fantastical elements to it, so it's not too much of a stretch to have that ability in this book.
I completely agree. For me, the shapeshifting and mysticism go hand-in-hand.
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Post by Calypso Terrier »

I think that the shapeshifting made the novel more interesting. It added to the mystical element of the book and it did not take away from the storyline.
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Post by Linnea Tanner »

Shape-shifting will become a more important element to the plot in Book 2: Dagger's Destiny. Fantastical elements from Celtic mythology are woven into the historical backdrop which is intended to make the story more mythical.
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Post by haleygerstenberg »

gali wrote: 01 Sep 2018, 13:15
CommMayo wrote: 01 Sep 2018, 11:00 Midway through the novel, we are introduced to Catrin's brother who can shapeshift into a wolf. Do you think this element of shapeshifting is properly tied into the story or does it detract from the overall novel? Does it support the aura of mysticism the author is trying to convey or does it make it too much like any other fantasy novel?
I thought it was well done and properly tied into the story. It added to the aura of mysticism.

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The one thing that didn't added up was the ability of Marrock to change others. It was a bit too much.
Yeah... that is a weird thing to throw into any story, feels really out of place here.
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Post by Lucas Kalinic »

It makes the book to be a fantasy novel. However, I think it is properly done and makes sense in the novel. I would associate it with magical powers.
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Post by Jsovermyer »

I just started reading the book, but I like Catrin's ability to see through her raven's eyes. It reminds me of Game of Thrones where some of the characters can see through their wolves' eyes. Good story so far.
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