Help Me!!! Please!!!

[razor4466]

I love that I got to start a new "thread"...

Now on to my question.

I need to remember which book I read years ago about swords and sorcery that had an old gray haired lady storyteller that was only in maybe 2 sentences but one was,

Lessa woke, cold......

Can anyone help me?

I have lived the world of Pern since I found the series in 1978. Along with Narnia, these are the 2 worlds that have enchanted and entranced me like no other. I can't read any of the books in either series without tearing up and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

[mawra]

Sorry I can't help you.

[Almaron]

Well, "Lessa woke, cold" is the opening line of Dragonflight, IIRC, but I don't know about any of the other things you've mentioned. Perhaps you've got two books mixed up?

[razor4466]

Thank you for responding.
I know the books almost line for line. The book I'm talking about is by another author and I've found the title before on a site with Ms. McCaffrey attached to it but I've forgotten it. The book is about dragons and basically a true fantasy book. The main character enters a town and comes across a storyteller who looks remarkably like Ms.M. They speak as she starts a story that begins with the first line as he and his companions walk away. I just found this message board and figured that with some of the posts I have read here that if anyone would know, it would be someone here.

[Hans]

I don't believe someone would start a story with the sentence "Lessa woke cold". That particualr opening sentence has been around for quite a long time in a very famous and high standard book and it would be pretty rude to use it.

I suppose it would be possible in fanfiction or maybe a persiflage piece.

[razor4466]

I'm sorry. Maybe I'm just not explaining correctly. The character I'm referring to is only in the book I read for a couple sentences. The main character hears the storyteller begin her "story" only as he walks away and the only words he hears are "Lessa woke, cold" as he walks away. I'm certain that it was done with permission and as I stated, the storyteller bore a remarkable resemblance to Ms.M.

[Anareth]

I can see what you mean (the character, IN story, overheard a storyteller, who was a gray-haired woman, telling a story to someone that began "Lessa woke, cold") and it sounds like someone slipped a cameo by Anne into a story. A totally legit thing, in a more classically high-fantasy book (and an Easter egg for Anne fans.)

Which certainly should be something someone on here would know...probably something that one of Anne's author friends wrote?

[razor4466]

Exactly!!! Thank you for your understanding!! If I recall correctly, the "storyteller" was telling her story to a group of children as the main character walked away.

[Kat]

Could it be one of Elizabeth Kerner's? They have dragons,she was friends with Anne. Is there any other puzzle pieces you can give us? After all there's a multitude of stories with dragons.

[Hans]

Kat, nope, because if that was the case I would know it

OK, razor, that last post makes things clearer.

An internet search revealed this reference I don't know about:

Does anyone else remember the cameo appearance she made in a book called The Dragon Lord? Can't remember the author.

I think author Joanne Bertin is meant. Maybe that's the cameo you're looking for?

Or maybe you are looking for R.A. MacAvoy's book?:

When at last I lay my battered books in front of her [Anne] I said that I’d just read The Book of Kells by R.A. MacAvoy and was that really Anne McCaffrey who made a cameo appearance?
“Why, of course it was,” she replied with a big smile; the kind of smile that could tame a dragon or take you time traveling. Then she related a cute anecdote about driving around Ireland in a mini and taking photos of road signs in the original Gaelic and sending those photos to Miss MacAvoy’s editor as proof that she hadn’t misspelled those names in the manuscript. What editor would dare Anglicize words after a slap on the hand by Anne McCaffrey?

[Hans]

Think I found it (using google books). I think it's indeed in the book titled Dragon Lord but it's a book by Peter Morewood, not Joanna Bertin.

Google finds the text on page 235 of that book

...took no further shape as she sat down and composed herself with a toss of her silvery head and a sweet storyteller's smile. One after another they named favourite tales: classics, rarities, her own work. Aiyyan pushed the strange young officer and his most unhanalthMke interests right to the back of her mind. But not out of it entirely; he was far too interesting a potential story- character for that. Then she drew breath, nodded at her audience, and began: 'Lessa woke, cold ...'

Super short synopsis of that book:
The wizard Gemmel and Dewan, master strategist and captain of King Rynert's guard, journey into the heart of the Drusalan Empire to rescue Aldric Talvalin, after he is betrayed and abandoned by Rynert.

Does that ring a bell maybe?

The snippet I printed above (by asking for two quotes from the book I was able to get a few lines) does display all you asked, doesn't it?

[razor4466]

I don't recall the book as it was a number of years ago but that is what I remember Hans. Thank you so much!!!!!

[Kat]

Well in my defense Hans I haven't read Elizabeth's books in a while,I own them of course.
Currently I just finished the Hobbit and because they are using information from all the appendices,including the Simarillion(that's how it's going to be three (so far) movies) I've plans to re read those. It's been years and years.

I've read the Bertin not the other... ahh too many books not enough time.

[Hans]

Razor, you're welcome.

Oh Kat, no need to defend yourself at all, my dear. My, quite the project rereading all that 'difficult to read' Tolkien stuff. It's what got me 'unhooked' The Silmarillion and later stuff just couldn't capture me as the Lord of the Rings did.

[Kat]

Originally Posted by Hans

Razor, you're welcome.

Oh Kat, no need to defend yourself at all, my dear. My, quite the project rereading all that 'difficult to read' Tolkien stuff. It's what got me 'unhooked' The Silmarillion and later stuff just couldn't capture me as the Lord of the Rings did.

I know..like I said it's been years and years..as like maybe high school. I remember slogging through the Simarillion.
And I DO have a beloved husband whose favourite books and movies are LoTR and who remembers everything so I might just rely on him

[Eriflor]

The Silmarillion was made up of all the background information Tolkien wrote down to explain the events in LotR. I don't know if he ever planned to publish it, or just kept it by him to maintain consistency in the main story. His son published it after reworking the notes into story form, but I didn't find it very readable.

[Golden Talisath]

Originally Posted by Kat

And I DO have a beloved husband whose favourite books and movies are LoTR and who remembers everything so I might just rely on him

I'm trying to find the time for rereading LoTR too. I reread Hobbit two months back just because of the film, but haven't read LoTR since primery school and I don't remember most of it, but like Kat have a brother who's a die - hard fan of Tolkien's work and knows it almost to the letter. We were talking about The Hobbit the other day and the things they added, and he remembered the exact dates of birth and death of some of the characters! I was like ooo-key (as I can't remember the dates of birth of the members of my closest family of I don't have them writen down).
As for Tolkien's work, I haven't read anything except the LoTR trilogy and Hobbit. Again, finding time for it.

[P'ter]

Tolkein also wrote some short stories. 'Farmer Giles of Ham' is one and 'Leaf by Niggle' is another. I've got both those in one volume (first edition)

[Joz]

Originally Posted by Hans

Think I found it (using google books). I think it's indeed in the book titled Dragon Lord but it's a book by Peter Morewood, not Joanna Bertin.

I'm a bit late in the coversation but I would agree that Dragon Lord is indeed the book that's being asked about. I am very fond of those books and while I haven't read them recently I've certainly read them enough times to recognise the context. There is even a sketch in the novel of the grey-haired storyteller that I think most people here would recognise instantly...

[Hans]

Could you photograph/scan and post that sketch, Joz?

[Joz]

Lets hope this works...haven't done this for a while...


From Peter Morwood's The Dragon Lord.

Yes! Hope it isn't too big.

That's Aldric Talvalin, the main character, on the left. And the lady on the right is the storyteller Aiyyan ker'Trahan

[Hans]

It's axacctly right, Joz, perfect! Thank you VERY much!
The likeness is indeed very much there :-)

Any idea who the artist is?

[Joz]

The author himself, of course! See his initials on the left boot of the storyteller?

[Hans]

Aha! Yes, now I do

[Anareth]

Down to the dragon necklace!

[GinnyStar]

Nice image, I tried the Hobbit but didn't get very far, and I haven't read Lord of the Rings, the storytell dose remind me of Anne, and for some reason the other remind of a dragonrider which one I don't know.

[Cheryl]

Fantastic sketch, thanks for posting it!

[Golden Talisath]

My God, the picture is perfect!

[semantre]

I love the various dragon details (necklace, belt-buckle, sleeves) on the storyteller. ^.^ The Dragonlady, indeed.