Book 21: Tobias

[Faerie Larka]

What if, in book 21, Tobias had died?  We know that David killed a red tail, but what if it had actually been Tobias?  What do you think would have happened with the series?

[agentAK]

I would have cried. A lot. More than I did before it was relealed that it was some random red-tail. I think Rachel would have actually killed David.

[AniDragon]

Seeing as Tobias is one of my favourite characters, it surprises me that my first thought upon reading your question was:

"Well, then Ax would take over the 'ending with 3' books, and the character rotation cycle would go a lot more smoothly..."

[Faerie Larka]

Lol.  It would make the rotation easier.  And I agree that David would probably be dead.

[Essam 293]

A better way to look at the question: how mad would you have been if Tobias had actually been written off the series in that way? Every one of the main characters (Elfangor, Rachel, etc) got a proper send off. If a main character like Tobias had been quickly killed off in the background without any sort of focus towards his actual death, then I think fans would've been more pissed off than the fact that he had actually died, lol.

[agentAK]

Oh, I would have been livid. When I thought he had dies, I had to put the book down for a few hours. I kept thinking, "Nooo! He has to liiiiive! He and Rachel have to be together in the end!"

Which of course turned out to be dramatic irony, as Rachel is then killed. Sigh.

It would have been the kind of death that left readers waiting for him to spring back to life. In any sci-fi or fantasy series, you can tell who's going to 'die', and who's going to be dead. If a main or supporting character dies in a serious, sad way and the characters grieve, they're dead. If the death seems meaningless, isn't shown or is rushed, chances are, give them a few days and they'll be back. That's what Tobias' death would have been. All of us saying ''Oh, he isn't really dead'' or ''He'll be back because of the Ellimist/Alien tech/Sario Rip/Whatever.''

[Chad32]

I agree with Agent. The way it was done made me believe he wasn't really dead. If she had actually killed him off like that, it would have been really weird. It also would make Rachel's death less surprising.

[Faerie Larka]

Yeah.  When I first read it, I was like "Oh, no way is he dead."  And he wasn't, which is good.  I think the books would definitely have suffered if Tobias had been taken out.

[Estelore]

Mercy....

This was the first book in the series that I ever read. The second was #23... which he narrates.

When I read it, the death seemed... almost more realistic. It was like they were saying,
"This IS a WAR. People DIE. People that you love, people that you know...they die, and nobody else really gives a sh**. It doesn't really hit the headlines, now, does it, kiddies? Why should it, then, in a SECRET war? Get over the bird-boy, tyke, or it will just keep on hurting. Stop being shocked when bad things happen to good people."

If it had had a full-page monologue from Jake about the details... I don't know if I'd have believed it so thoroughly. Then, when I read 23 with no in-between?
 
Well, I had to figure that one out for awhile. *chuckle*
However, that ability to shock me... it is what made me STAY in love with the series enough to keep reading.

[JFalcon]

I don't know what would have happened if he'd actually died, the series would have felt a lot more serious at least, but I think I'd have been really disappointed.

I mean Elfangor's son even though he didn't know it at the time, savior of the free Hork-Bajir, only known Red Tail to destroy a Truck Ship, given the morphing power again by the Ellimist, and he dies off screen to some rookie with serious personal issues? It would have had a realistic quality to it that I might not have apreciated as a kid, for an important character to die an unimportant death though.

However I thought at the time, just given the story invested in Tobias, he couldn't have actually died. If he had it would have been really tragic, but the series is good enough that I'd have kept right on reading anyway.

[AniDragon]

See, if I recall right, the cover to book 23 had already been released when book 21 came out, and I'd already SEEN the cover. So... that kinda spoiled it for me right there.

[goom]

i didn't think it was tobias, i figured it must have been a mistake.
if tobias died because of david... i'd be pretty ticked off. not a proper death.