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William Routhier's avatar

Hi Hilary I just read the first chapter, Enlo Cakes, and enjoyed it. You've set up a rich environment for the reader go through (I hate the term world-building, it sounds so sci-fi, like there's going to be giant architecture and elaborate tech cities, but here it's a minimalist, spare, clean environment, like pre-colonial Japan, and it's realized and very vivid. I liked the bit at the beginning of the King getting four reports, not knowing which was of his son. That's Borgesian to me, I'm a Borges fan. You've got labyrinths too. You've set up very strongly the prince in his sheltered life, a touch of Shakyamuni there, his stern tutor and this comical beginning, the maid as a possible love interest - all of which points to, like Chekov's gun, him escaping from it. Anyway, a great read! I could never write something with as much measure and clarity, I tend to write first person and go into the narrator's thoughts. I'm looking forward to reading more.

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Hilary Layne's avatar

Thank you very much! Your comments are very interesting to me as I am also a Borges fan and now I'm wondering how much he's influenced how I like to tell stories. I wasn't even thinking about him when I put together the labyrinth in the center of the Little Palace, and yet there it is... Thank you for reading, and for taking the time to comment! I hope you continue to enjoy it.

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William Routhier's avatar

Well, we all like labyrinths...

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Darryl's avatar

I have been looking forward to reading your work after watching your YT videos. I finally got a chance today and I like the style as well as the characters so I will be reading more. I would like to binge through this interesting tale but do to time constraints I will instead treat it like Enlo Cakes and savor each morsel. I quite like how you have set the stage with a very relaxed atmosphere yet the underlying threat of assassination creating the need for subterfuge. I can tell I am going to enjoy the character interactions as much as the main plot. I have a hard time finding authors I enjoy these days so I am glad your videos led me here.

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Hilary Layne's avatar

Hello, I'm glad you found me! And I'm glad you're enjoying my novel. I am enjoying writing it. I look forward to the journey to the end and I hope you can continue to enjoy it, too. I have the same difficulty finding authors. One hope I had when I started publishing this book was that I could be the reliable source of stories for others that I had always hoped to find myself. Thank you again!

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