Richard's Animorphs Forum

Animorphs Section => Animorphs Forum Classic => Group Re-Reads => Topic started by: RYTX on February 04, 2012, 08:51:05 PM

Title: Group Re-read 2.0 The Andalite Chronicles
Post by: RYTX on February 04, 2012, 08:51:05 PM
Synopsis
He was a hero among his people. The bane of his enemies. But Prince Elfangor-Shrinal-Shamtul is about to die. This is the story of how Elfangor came, and returned, to Earth. The story of the Animorphs begins with him...

Questions
   1. For most of the series Elfangor is regarded as a hero, and is one of the greatest heroes in Andalite society. What do you think about the young Elfangor and his ambitions? This adventure rapidly reshapes his desires; what did you think of his journey, retreat from and return to the war? He reveals that he lands in the construction site in search of the Time Matrix, what do you think he intended to do with it this time?

   2. Elfangor is Tobias's daddy. Thoughts?

   3. We get a look at Alloran's character, and some of his role on the Hork-Bajir war in addition to Esplin. What do you think of these characters, and this early look at what will one day be Visser Three? Elfangor declares the Yeerk his personal enemy in this book-what are your thoughts on his involvement with the creation of the Abomination and their private war?

   4. What do you think of Loren and Chapman in this book? What do you think of these two as the first human representatives of the galactic conflict, and Chapman alerting the Yeerks about Earth?

   5. How do feel about Arbron and his fate? Did you ever expect to see him again? How about the rebel Taxxons and the fight they waged against the Yeerks?

   6. They are never deeply expanded upon, but the Skirt Na Occur in multiple places throughout history in the series. What do you think this species and their influence in this book and beyond?

   7. What do you think of Elfangor leaving behind a final record? Do you think it was ever discovered in the Aniverse by any race? What do you think the reaction would be to the truths it contains?

   8. This is the first of the Chronicles; how do these stories enhance the main series? How well do they expand the history of the Aniverse and stake of the war? What other figures should have been featured in or given a "Chronicles" type book?

   9. What would you do with the Time Matrix had you been in Elfangor's place as an aristh? He decides not to try and rectify his mistakes with it. Was this a wise choice? What circumstances warrant using it? Who, in the Animorphs setting and the real world, could be trusted with it's keeping, or how would you hide it away?

   10. Anything else?

Answer, ignore and submit your own questions and comments as you please; but remember to vote!

Next week: #14 The Unknown

Title: Re: Group Re-read 2.0 The Andalite Chronicles
Post by: Ember Nickel on February 04, 2012, 10:27:47 PM
I've reread this one so many times I probably don't have any good first reactions or thoughts anymore but I love it very much. <3

And about the hirac delest! It probably made its way to the Andalite homeworld, I guess--I know there's some fic of this but there should be more, bleepit. I guess it didn't arrive until after the Earth war was ended which probably made it less shocking than it would otherwise have been.
Title: Re: Group Re-read 2.0 The Andalite Chronicles
Post by: Noelle on February 07, 2012, 01:08:41 AM
1. Saving for later

2. I'm sad they didn't do more with this throughout the Animorphs series.  At least they should have showed him revealing the fact that he was Elfangor's son to Ax, maybe Rachel.  I really think this was a missed opportunity.

3. I was never really that interested in Visser Three as a character, but Alloran was a favorite of mine.  I think he really emphasized/represented the darker side of war, essentially what goes on behind closed doors, and what happens to the war weary. It might be a bit of a stretch, but I think the conflict between Alloran and Elfangor emphasized a clash between the idealistic, propaganda view of war and the darker reality.  And when Elfangor chose to obey Alloran's wisdom and tried to remain blind to what needed to be done, he ended up creating the abomination.  I think this was a real turning point for Elfangor's character, the realization that if he wanted to play the game he was going to have to get his hands dirty, and ultimately he didn't want that and he ran.

4. I think Loren reacted roughly like any cool-minded person was.  I had a hard time understanding Chapman's character, I don't know what would make a person stupid enough to think that they could negotiate with any more advanced species and end up more powerful for it.  I don't know why he would have thought handing over planet earth for the off chance that some race might like him was a good idea, but it sets up an interesting parallel for the main series with Chapman being one of the hosts of one of the main villains.

5. This definitely makes the top ten for saddest moments in the whole series.  It was really gut wrenching for one of the most upbeat, young characters to be stuck with that fate.  I definitely didn't expect to see him again for the rest of the series.

6. I think the species is quirky, but ultimately they seemed just kind of a plot device to make things go from point A to point B.  Nothing wrong with that, it was a creative touch and added flavor to the idea of inter-species relations.

7. I'm really disappointed that his hirac delest was never addressed anywhere else in the Animorphs series.  I mean, even the TV show had it.  I really don't know how/if any creature discovered it.  It seemed implied that he was recording it to his ship, but his ship was blown up, so it's easy to reason it was destroyed.  I think if it was ever discovered it would have definite cultural implications for the Andalite species, though it would not surprise me if the military would want to keep it kind of under wraps in order to enforce the status quo.  It seems like a lot of Elfangor's more out-of-step actions were kept hush hush in order to give him a perfected image for the rest of the military.

8. Most of the Chronicles (Visser being the exception) were my favorite books in the series.  I think they definitely enhanced the series and gave different perspectives on the war, making the story itself more three-dimensional.  Personally, I would have liked to see the Crayak get his own chronicle. 

9. If I had the time Matrix, I would have went back and tried to fix things, unmake the abomination (by listening the Alloran), I probably also would have tried to save Arbron.  This may not be a popular opinion, but I think it was a selfish choice to not try to go back and fix everything, and I can't think of any reason why it would be wise not to try to go back and fix it.  Worst case scenario (and there's was no way he would have known this anyway) the Ellimist would have just set the timeline 'right.'  Honestly, I really don't know what 'warrants' using it.  I would say the easily fixed mistakes that had huge implications would make using it justified, but that is really up for debate.  I can easily see a valid argument stating there's no reason to use the Time Matrix ever. 

As for who could be trusted with it,  as much as I hate to admit it, I would probably say the only person who it could be trusted with is Cassie.  I think all of her moral squeamishness would keep her from using it, and also she was the only person who never lost anything in the war.  She didn't really have the temptation of going back to fix or save family members.  If I had to hide it, I don't know that's a tough one.  Maybe I'd drop it down into a volcano.  Seems like no one would find it there for a loooooooong while.  And it they are powerful enough to get it from a volcano than they can have it, lol.

10. My favorite book(s) of the series.  Also the first ones I read.
Title: Re: Group Re-read 2.0 The Andalite Chronicles
Post by: RYTX on December 24, 2012, 01:25:32 AM
   1. I don't mind his youthful ambitions, who doesn't want a little bit of glory. I don't mind that disaster piles on disaster, and he really isn't able to deal with it. It, ironically I guess, humanizes him, and the adds complexity to the whole conflict, and he has a very realistic response. The only thing I can think of him hunting the TM for is to use it, which I would think he'd realize is probably a bad idea. I'd do the same, but after all he went through with it, suddenly coming back to it means either: he hasn't learned a thing, or he has, and has a viable plan, but that's never revealed.

   2. Maybe it was a surprise the first time I read it, but I don't think it was much of one. Right now it's fine, little more than emotional consequence, but later they do stuff with it I don't like

   3. I like both of these characters here. I don't think Alloran's crazy, just pissed off-at his enemies, at his superiors. Probably not much at himself. This was his most interesting in my opinion. Esplin too: cruel but not foolishly sadistic yet.  Elfangor's personal enemy-that he made: Awesome. Classic. However I picture this story as the start of their war, not the height-something that unfortunately we never see.

   4. Loren bears some striking similarities to Rachel imo, and the reverence to blond and blue eyed does not go unnoticed. Chapman was riveting, if a conniving s.o.b. Again, that it's this pissant teen that unleashes hell on his planet, and ultimately himself is brilliant story telling. I don't know if Loren portrays the best of human, but Chapman does an exceptional job of showing the face of human greed to the rest of the universe.

   5. Poor guy. Never figured Taxxon's lived long enough for him to be in the main series, so that was a shock. The rebel Taxxons here are the one and only time the Taxxons are interesting, and I'm amazed they would rush to death like that. But a major premise of the series is Free or Dead, being enslaved to your belly can't be much better than being enslaved by Yeerks.

   6. Love. The. Skrit. Na. Older than the Ellimist, on almost every world, universally considered worthless, and yet as obvious enough in this book, leave monumental ripples in their wake. Of all the things never explained in the series, this seems to be the only one done deliberately, and I love it. Expertly done.

   7. I doubt it was discovered, and think all in all having it left was, more of a comfort than a consequence. By the time the war was won, it would have boosted his fame all the more. A god is a god, but one who ascends to it something more. During the war, may have bummed a few people out. Can't help but think Ax would be a little annoyed about not being told all this in advance.
   8. I like the Chronicles mostly. A theme I've mentioned before makes them a bit repetitive, but they do expand the series nicely by addressing the big names, and linking them to one another.What I  mind about this book is that we never really see why he was a hero to his people, a scourge to the Yeerks. Most of this book is a secret from these groups, but the level of fame the books imply suggest he did a lot more publicly than just blast fighters, but what, we never know. That happens with the others too, and that I find disappointing

   9. Him giving up the TM was the right thing. I would never do it. You have to at least try to clean up your mess, to make things better. You have the power of time, how can you just let things be as they are? Even if I fail, even if I make it worse I'd have to try. Still, there's no one in any universe I'd trust with such power. I'd go for toss into volcano or ocean (once I'm done with it) Bury is too easy to stumble across, need to at least make sure there's some serious effort to find it.
Title: Re: Group Re-read 2.0 The Andalite Chronicles
Post by: Tim Bruening on July 17, 2015, 12:28:57 AM
If I had the time Matrix, I would use it to warn Seerow not to give technology to the Yeerks in the first place!  I would also undo the 9/11 attacks.