Hillary has been smuggling out babies for years.  Bryan is one of them.
I think the being a Nocturnal and being a King is a matter of choice.  Nurture over Nature.
Bryan was raised in a loving family and he grew up to be a cop.  Bryan was horrified and fascinated by the dreams. More horrified and ergo, not evil.
Rex was raised by a woman who resented his existance and showed him nothing but dislike. Rex CHOSE to be a creep.  He wanted to be evil. We are what we make ourselves.  Rex didn't have to go the path he chose but he chose it.
Rex wanted to be a gangster.
Bryan fought gangsters.
The choices made due to who each was raised to be.
Secretary General, Evil League of Evil

If you packed buckshot with silver dust, would it coat the pellets, could someone breathe in the dust?  Let's get to the range people!

Secretary General, Evil League of Evil

Scott I'm a new Junkie and I just finished episode 39. Loved the book. No suggestions on how to shorten it at this time. I do have a question though. I'm an artist and I want to draw one of the Nocturnals. Who would you like to seen drawn?

Paintmonkey 

I suggested that if L. RonHubbard can write 1050 pages about giant space aliens attacking earth, Scott should be able to publish Nocturnal. It's way more original in my opinion. Our FDO should hook up with the Scientology publisher to get this baby published! ^_^

Anywho...Scott, if you are looking for stuff to trim out, I would cut the part where they kill the old geneticist guy (can't remember his name).  I don't think it added much to the story, just seemed like an attempt to rack up body counts. Which is good, but not crutial to the plot.

Just my thoughts. Love your work!

I got the impression that the Kings were supose to have additional powers/abilities (more than what the normal Nocturals had), but was kind of confused because I don't remember Scott specifying what made them unique. Why would a huge wrecking machine (like Sly, for example) want to follow a weakling kid. In a dog-eat-dog world they live in, it didn't make sense to me.

I might have missed something along the way.

Incredible work on Nocturnal!  Doesn't quite unseat the rookie for me but its jockeying with ancestor for second.

 As far as things to change/omit here it goes:

1. I'm deffinitely in the camp to move Aggie and some of the nocturnal culture stuff to the second book.  Maybe Mr. Bizznass can give some of the bits just to get any needed points across.

2. Make Bryan (sp?) more of a badass.  I mean he takes a LOT of punishment sure, but thats mostly what he does, get the crap kicked outa him by the Nocturnals.  What happened to all his "ninja-ish" skills?  I got that he is supposed to be WAY out classed by the notcturnals, but at the same time it felt like he was getting a bit too beat up.

3. This is going to sound odd coming from a junkie, but maybe tone the language down just a bit.  I think you were going for that "gangster movie" kind of vibe with it, but to me it just came out over the top.

One thing to me though that shouldnt be changed is the scene where pierre kills Zou's husband.  Its brilliant.  I honestly expected Rex to tell him to let the guy go after Zou agreed.  Just a threat at that point.  But going through with it anyway just seemed truely evil.

Move some of the culture to the second book. The longer you keep the mystery going, the more suspense you can build. Personally, I saw the backstabbing coming. Come on ... symbolism people. How many times was "snakeface" used? The ultimate deceiver. Utterly brilliant. BMB should have more of a role. He's the one who would use the net to get intel. Also, it would be neat to tie in Coast To Coast AM. Even though only people in the US might get that reference, the show deals with mysteries, science, unexplained shit, the acult etc.

Move much of Mommy to the second book. My theory is that she can think, but age has it's price. Plus, she has to play second fiddle. Now she is just the factory. It will be interesting when the *new* savior has to go for her in the end. (Truly the end ... no since I seem to remember you wanting to use NY as a setting.) I'd suggest Hillary somehow meeting The Ninja. Forced to on the one hand, thank her, and on the other, end her life. Make him watch the walk for himself. (I could almost see it as an under cover scheme. Someone plays the bum to get into the tunnels to get the process going etc.)

A common theme that exists is the struggle for power. Amy VS. Robertson. (The latter thinking the former dead.) If that can be kicked up a notch ...

Highlight Bry-Bry's father a bit more. One would think that he knows more than just taking the orphoned kids. One would assume that he might even have knowledge of the Saviors ... (hoping his son becomes one ... instant motive for guiding The Ninja toward the police force).

I'm sure I'll think of more once I listen to the entire 40 ep Opus again during the time I write up the review.

Be careful about moving much of the culture stuff to a second book. I like a little backstory and motivation myself.

I think it's what made Earthcore so good. We had a good idea what the Rocktopi motivation was.

It's my primary problem with Infected. Not enough Triangle motivation and backstory for me.

Nocurnal is just about right I think in that department. We know some but certainly not all

of their story.

Nocturnal is my favorite of the Sigler smack...

What I think would be cool is to not kill Robin when you did... Let Brian and Robin get together & adopt the kid Aggie saved.  Brian raises him as a savior, then Robin gets the axe, and the two "ninjas" go on a nocturnal killing spree...

Split the book in two at the hospital... Make that a more climatic fight where Brian saves the savior and then learns of his destiny.

I would also like to see some "prequel" stories.  ie where the nocturnals came from and more savior vs. 1st born fights... Erickson was a bad ass and I would like to hear more of him smoking some monsters.

Thanks Scott.

I think maybe the novel should be cut either just before or just after the Mommy revelation; I agree that seeing more of Savior vs Firstborn would be cool, which wold make their final showdown even more personal.

 Maybe more explanation into how Bryan saved Pookie and the legendary duo Brookie was born :P

But great effort Scott, definitely up there in your top fiction works so far 

 Be forwarned I am an Ancestor fan. So I am bias to that book.

1.) Because of the length of the book, splitting it would be the best way to keep the most material. Two or three books wild be a could compremise for those who cannot sit down and read large novels like that. Keeping in mind that each book could be an individual story on its own. A stand alone complex if you will. I will agree ending the first book around the time Robin H. dies would be a good idea. I like the taxadirmists Ancestor reference. I like the Stone M. character. How he was "helping", Robin H. see through her mistakes and forcing her to confront her drug habit. I like his experience with Geneata*ms* and this could be a subplot for book two and or three. Just because Stone and his briefcase was erased from exisitience. Does not mean he did not E-MAIL or FAX compies of his and Robin's work to an off site local. The latest Black Berries and the like transmitt info in REAL TIME. If Mason was serious about Nobell Prize stuff, he would have thought of this for the beneift of himself, his apprentiance*ms*, and the safety of Homo-sapiens world wide.

2. The test for Noctrunals could be a hook for the final book. Magnus P. from Geneata*ms* could be use as a test sample. Hell, he cuold have been a Nocutrnal and never new it. He did hold off an Ancestor with his bare hands while wounded. Who else in the Siglerverse could be a Nocturnal?

3.Who says the Savior group has not had scientists working with them in the past? The Saviors have been around for at least 100 years. As far as we know, the founder of Geneata*ms* could have worked with the Savior group. He could have/ his father could have, gotten one hell fo a loan from them to start his company. Hell, he could have been laundrying money for them from for the Jessup family. The ones from the WahWah mountain range?

4.Hillary mention Mary's Children had cell's all over America. Is that just the USA or all of North America? Or all over the world? If so would they not have a larger finacial base? Would the cell be detected by cluster of Missing Persons, on the map? Or would they be in direct competition with Snips? In the long run Brian the Ninja K. would learn a lot from the Snips'. Agin would they be in competition for area, habitate, and secretie?

5.The FDO has the final say. We may be his Junkies and fans, but its his work.

 Thank u for tolerating this rant from Irishman From Ohio.

The Irishman from Ohio

hey i just want to say this book was awesome. i cant wait for the next one. i did have some questions but as i was reading the other posts u answered them so i dont have anything right now. cant wait till 12/30/08

bye

Forst I loved this book. and second, what happened to Aggie? I understand that he is book 2 material, but still just a little morewould have been good. Maybe some more biznass but I'm biased to that character.

G-Man

Are that you singing???

I will play the whole thing again and certainly buy the book. That Mommy is one slug of a whore that would hate to run in to.

A.K.A. O.D.B. The Old Dirty Bastard

G-Man, You been sneeking into the eggnog again? :)

“[No matter where you go, there you are] - And Sigler knows exactly where there is! ”

You've never heard the word forst?????  You've probably never heard morewould either!!!!  You've got to get out more!!!!

"Well. I'll tell you what. You gonna kick it with me. Or I'm gonna kick you out. What you think of that?" Sister Mary Clarence