Question regarding Vanguard (please keep spoiler-free)

[RonG]

I've yet to receive book 3, but I've already heard that book 4 is in development by Ward and Dilmore.

From what I gathered, the book is yet unnamed and in an early stage (planned for a 2009 release?). Does this mean that book 3 concludes the main plotline? I find it hard to imagine otherwise, as the next book should have been already in a more "advanced" stage.

Can anyone shed some light on this without spoiling the plot?

thanks in advance

 

[Smiley]

I don't know what Wardilmore have planned for the next book, but Reap the Whirlwind resolves some storylines, creates some new ones, and leaves others dangling.

Put another way, the third book is a very satisfying read, but it is not a series finale.

 

[Dayton Ward]

What the lovable dinosaur said. There's still plenty of story yet for the Vanguard gang.

Well, some of them, anyway. Maybe.

 

[Christopher]

RonG said:
From what I gathered, the book is yet unnamed and in an early stage (planned for a 2009 release?). Does this mean that book 3 concludes the main plotline? I find it hard to imagine otherwise, as the next book should have been already in a more "advanced" stage.

Not at all. The saga is nowhere near concluding. But it's not like every last detail of the "main plotline" was worked out in advance. That would've been way too restrictive to the writers. Rather, it's a loose framework setting down various key events and ideas that are meant to happen along the way but leaves a great deal of flexibility for the writers to fill in the details and decide how and when those key events happen, as well as thinking up new twists and elaborations on the basic ideas. Indeed, the books already published have strayed substantially from the originally outlined plan, still telling the same key story points but in a different way and with different timing than the plan suggested, and with a lot of new ideas and improvements added along the way.

 

[Julio Angel Ortiz]

I found that the third book nicely concludes the "opening stage" of the Vanguard story, and while not tying everything up, leaves the series plenty of breathing room to move in some different directions with upcoming novels (how's that for vague?).

I can't wait for Book 4. I loved Summon the Thunder (okay, I've loved the entire series) and am glad to see Ward and Dilmore writing the next installment.

 

[RonG]

thanks for the replies, guys

I'm now awaiting Reap the Whirlwind even more...

 

[David Mack]

I would say that Reap the Whirlwind is neither the end of the Vanguard saga nor the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

 

[Christopher]

Actually it's about 47 percent of the way to the left of the middle of the hypotenuse, following the great circle seven radiolubes south by down-east....

 

[Turtletrekker]

David Mack said:
I would say that Reap the Whirlwind is neither the end of the Vanguard saga nor the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

I realize that I spend waaaaaay too much time here by the fact that this makes perfect sense...

 

[BrotherBenny]

Turtletrekker said:

David Mack said:
I would say that Reap the Whirlwind is neither the end of the Vanguard saga nor the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

I realize that I spend waaaaaay too much time here by the fact that this makes perfect sense...

Nah, just too much time reading The Knife's posts.

 

[Julio Angel Ortiz]

Xeris-mas said:

Turtletrekker said:

David Mack said:
I would say that Reap the Whirlwind is neither the end of the Vanguard saga nor the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

I realize that I spend waaaaaay too much time here by the fact that this makes perfect sense...

Nah, just too much time reading The Knife's posts.

With D-Mack's 1849+ posts, do you blame him?

 

[JD]

I know the authors hate it when people use this analogy, but it's kind of like one of the season finales of shows like Lost or Heroes, it ties some of the main plot threads, but adds new ones and tangles up others.

 

[captcalhoun]

am i the only one that got it was a paraphrase of Winston Churchill?

 

[Trent Roman]

Oh, was it? I thought it referred to Imzadi.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[David Mack]

captcalhoun said:
am i the only one that got it was a paraphrase of Winston Churchill?

And the gold star goes to captcalhoun. Well played, sir!

 

[captcalhoun]

can i trade my star for a choclate-chip cookie? or do i need it to advacne to a higher level of lit-fan-ness?

 

[Anubis]

I just reread Harbinger this week and it's just as good as I remembered. I'll be starting Summon the Thunder tonight.

 

[Kevin Dilmore]

^ That ought to be good for putting ya right to sleep.

Bubba D.

 

[Anubis]

Zing!

 

[Elemental]

David Mack said:

captcalhoun said:
am i the only one that got it was a paraphrase of Winston Churchill?

And the gold star goes to captcalhoun. Well played, sir!

I noticed that too, but only because I read it in a Star Trek tribute video, lol.

I've gotta say...

Spoiler: Reap the Whirlwind

the scene in RTW where the Shedai begin attacking the colonists as Vanguard watches and Reyes sees his ex-wife killed was an awesomely powerful, moving, and vivid scene I felt like I was watching myself.

I'm lucky if I can get that feeling once in about every 5 books I read so I just wanted you to take that as a compliment!