narniaexchange | (Reply)

From:

Wow! I love how you've woven the documents and the narrative sections together to tell the story from several angles at once. I really like the feel of modern Narnia, where humans casually mingle with fauns and minotaurs and Talking Beasts, but there is still a distinction drawn that the noble is a Telmarine nobleman. I like Beloscuida and her love of libraries and her involuntary assessment of the historical origin of the royal guards' uniforms. I love the hints that the Telmarines left their old country because it was conquered by Calormen, and the way they don't even realize that Narnia is inhabited for a while, because they are only looking for other humans. I like that the pre-Caspian X era of the Telmarine kings is one of those touchy subjects you just Don't Talk About, and because of that, all the nuance of those years has been written over by error-riddled morality tales. I love Caspian I's concern for his people, how he wants to do right by both them and the Narnians (once he realizes that there are Narnians), and his memory of the river god in Telmar that gives him a frame of reference for relating to Byzia.

In short, this is beautiful and messy and, despite past tragedies, hopeful. Thank you for writing and sharing it!