User blog comment:SaynaSLuke/A Spell Cast/@comment-2142396-20150729132856

Finished chapter 5, and first of all, I want to complement you for the idea and work you put in there! While TWB and FWC followed plots of ‘Martin the Warrior’ and ‘Mossflower’ pretty close, and TPF was a follow-up, but this is a whole new story with very little of the original left. That being said, I never actually liked canon Veil… *hides from Veil fans* ‘The Outcast’ always seemed Sunflash’s story for me, not his. I’m quite neutral about your ‘version’ of Veil so far, but I like his companions.

I love Aubretia! She reminds me… of me, actually, back when I was wearing glasses and read a lot of encyclopedia. Then I had my eyesight laser-corrected and switched to fiction. :D Btw, I’ve seen you saying that you think Sayna to be too perfect as a character, and I can say that it’s not so. Both Sayna and Fripple are imperfect in their own way, Sayna often being too emotionally-detached and Fripple being too hot-headed. I like that Ivan uses mace and chain as his weapon, it’s used as primary villains’ weapon too often. ;) I like Esther and Star, and Catkin is a wonder! I love how she is always cheerful and happy. But Mayberry… It’s so sad that she is the one to fall under Xzanthia’s spell… and Xzanthia didn’t even have to put a lot of effort into it!

Speaking of Xzanthia, she is sure a villain you love to hate! It’s amazing how such small and young creature can be so manipulative and hateful. And she is certainly amusing when she is angry at Swartt and Nightshade for treating her like a child…. while stomping her feet and throwing a tantrum like she is five. *sigh* Xzanthia, that’s not what you do if you want to be taken seriously.

So, Wolfbane really stains everything red in your version? Because I always thought that detail being the Redwallers’ trick. Veil’s arrest and trial were intense! But I can’t really blame Martin and the others – the evidence against Veil was solid, ‘He would never do that’ doesn’t count as a proof, and you should never exclude the possibility of the criminal simply not being smart enough to use gloves. Poor Martin, though, forever blaming himself for all the troubles his family goes through… :(

And you completely re-imagined Southsward! As I understand, Southsward is not a region, but a city in your story, or is it the name of both the region and the city? And you introduced Jerbilrats! Seems like your Southswar is further to the south than book’s Southsward. ;) Now I really wonder how Lilly got from a poor prisoner to the Rabbitqueen (I guess that would be the title? ;) ). Cedric is so amusing. :D And I sense a story behind his collarbone scar…

And I loved seeing our old friends like Kinta and Byron. Even though we’ve seen little of Skadu so far, I like her. (Do I sense a ship? ;) :D ) Oh, Bluefen… *facepalm* You really learned nothing. Do you remember what your desire for revenge led to the last time? Get Esmund, Byron and everyone else you can get your paws on and run!

I do miss the rest of our Dibbuns – Luke, Roseanna, Ash… But I guess we can still see them in the course of plotline involving Redwall.