[graywinter]

Hi,

Just finished Gardens of the Moon last night and I can't be happier I decided to pick up this book at the advice of a few friends. Such a great start to a promising series. I just love the way Erikson reveals just enough to keep you going and makes you actually think and reason while reading, it's a welcome change of pace. One of the things that still bugs me is that I'm not quite sure what an Adept is.

At first, I thought it might just refer to someone who could access a Warren, but Tayschrenn seemed surprised to learn Tattersail was an adept when she was able to use the Deck of Dragons so effectively. OK, so maybe it's a person who has an uncanny ability with the Deck. But later, there is some hint that Murillio may be an adept due to his profiency at dueling. There were other instances at well that led me to believe that it might just be someone with an uncanny ability at *something*, but this doesn't really explain it as it seems to be more than just being really good at something. Are they guided by a God, have some sort of latent magical ability, etc. So I'm left wondering what exactly is an adept? If it's something to be revealed later, we can just leave it at that.

The other question I had was if a Talent is the same as an Adept. Towards the end of Gardens, Lorn asks Fiddler if he is a Talent when they play their game of cards using the Deck of Dragons, and even though it is a game the reading seemed to ring true, which seems to link Talent with the same kind of ability Tattersail had with the deck that clued Tayschrenn into the fact she was an adept.

Anyway, a fantastic read and I'm really glad I had the foresight to pick up Deadhouse Gates when I bought Gardens so I don't have to brave the snowstorm to get to a bookstore on my way home from work

Graywinter

This post has been edited by graywinter: 28 October 2009 - 06:48 PM

[Hetan]

Good Questions!

Welcome to the Forum

Adept: as you say, referenced in relation to a Reader of the Deck of Dragons and a Fencer...Short answer: after Gardens of the Moon, the term loses all meaning- Gardens was written 8 years before Deadhouse Gates, giving rise to 'GotMisms' - ie., things that seem correct, useful and/or important in Gardens of the Moon but are afterwards abandoned, forgotten or directly contradicted in later books That being said, an Adept seems to be someone supremely skilled in a particular field of study, whether it be Fencing, reading the Deck of Dragons or perhaps even Gardening.

Talent: I take this to mean a natural Talent, ie., someone naturally 'adept' at something that normally requires study. Fiddler is a natural Talent with the Deck and Divination in general - his 'bad feelings' for example.

[graywinter]

Ah excellent, that makes sense. I had no idea that books 1 and 2 were written that far apart, I'll keep that in mind as I'm reading Deadhouse Gates. Thanks for the reply!

[Prexton.Vice]

Oh this info has been heplful though I haven't finished it yet

[Silencer]

And have fun when you get around to reading some of Ian Cameron Esslemonts' works - Night of Knives/Return of the Crimson Guard - when the word 'Talent' replaces the words 'Mage', and other terms. It's a quite jarring change, for me at least.

Glad to see more people getting into the series!

[Johnny Phoenix]

When did Fiddler and Lorn use the Deck together? Sorry but so many things happen in these books it's hard to remember them all.

[Silencer]

Can't be certain, but I think it's in the random shack-bar that the BB's were using as a base. And I don't think Fiddler was doing a reading. It's been a while since I read GotM in its entirety...might be time for a refresher.

[beru]

he does a game witch ends whit Lorn owing all of them a months pay...


the game is played with the deck of dragons

[Bauchelain the Evil]

And as Lorn sees that all the winning cards appear she underrstands that Fiddler really has a talent and chastise him for playing with the Deck.

[Johnny Phoenix]

Ah yes I remember now, thank you.

[DarkFox]

I always thought an Adept was someone who had ability with seeing the future or knowing something is wrong. anyone who uses a deck of dragons is really a seer with just something for their senses to focus on. Kruppe, in GotM reveals that there are many ways of divination but he needs none of them. I think that Fiddlers gut feelings, while no doubt a natural sense of events around him, are close to Murilio's. except Fiddler has it stronger. When Murilio is first called an adept it's after he heard a noise and managed to turn around with his weapons an inch away from killing rallick, literally. and Turban Orr is supposed to be a really good duellist but not an adept. Actually, it seems to me an adept is someone with an great sixth sense. in fiddler though, i have no doubt a talent is an adept.