I'm toying with Bildungsroman.

Your book (which I stayed up way too late reading), plus the conversation made me think of something. Aslan sending them home seems like kind of a fail, since everything fell apart when they left. But the other possibility that occurred to me is that they misunderstood their task. They were not just supposed to create a golden age. They were supposed to create a golden age and also permanent institutions that would last when they were gone. When they failed to do this, Aslan sent them home because at least they could leave a golden memory that people could rally around. Does not fit the whole "Aslan does not give you tasks too hard for you" thing, but not my faith, so some of the stories I see there won't be Christian or at least not Lewis's brand of Christianity.

They were supposed to create a golden age and also permanent institutions that would last when they were gone. When they failed to do this, Aslan sent them home because at least they could leave a golden memory that people could rally around.

Well, it's actually hard to know whether they succeeded or failed, because the next time the narrative picks up, it's 1300 years later. They might well have succeeded for, say, 500 years or something.

According to the one timeline Lewis developed (here), the Telmarines didn't invade for another 900 years. But we don't know what happened in that interim: perhaps Narnia was at peace, and the institutions the Pevensies established kept it so.

As a god, Aslan appears to be one of limited power, but if the Pevensies entirely failed in their task, I assume he would have told them so, and he never says that. And in the end, he rewards them (sort of), so one must assume they succeeded.

Anyway, I hope you liked the novel! Longest single story I've ever written.

I definitely liked the novel. I would not have given up sleep to finish one I did not like. Your point about the chronology is a good one. Oh and I did think of a great title, but maybe not for your sequel. "Queens and Vagabonds" . The Pevensies seemed to always be setting off on quests and adventures which made them vagabonds as well as royalty. But the problem is that "Kings and Queens and Vagabonds" does not have the same ring, nor does "Royals and Vagabonds" nor "The Royal Vagabonds".

But the problem is that "Kings and Queens and Vagabonds" does not have the same ring

I don't know, I kind of like that. It has a good cadence.

I really like Kings and Queens and Vagabonds!

Heh, Gar, I like that title too. I'll have to think if it works for this story--although I would note that I have just sent Lucy off on an undercover mission into the Western Wild. At age 11. So Kings and Queens and Vagabonds may well be appropriate!

And I'm always glad to hear that people liked it.

Anyway, Hmmm.

I just read the most astonishing AU fic in bandom. It's incredibly gruesome in some parts, but the characterization is amazing. It's based off a real-life crime ( the 2003 German cannibal who said his victim had agreed to be killed and eaten ), and I never would have thought a fic using that as the premise would work, but it did.

Obviously, it's not a story I would recommend to everyone, but I found it fascinating and well-written.

Huh. I just opened that, read the warnings and backed the hell out. Clearly I should give it a shot. It wasn't the warnings so much as the idea that it would be done poorly or weirdly.

Here's the link on lj [link]