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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What protects the Northern Border from trouble?

2. What happens to Elspeth?

3. What insures that there is always at least one person the Monarch can trust?

4. What do Kris and Talia need to be careful to do?

5. What happens after the formal investiture is complete?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Talia see when she wakes in the middle of the night?

2. Describe the teasing Talia receives about her possible romantic involvements.

3. What does Kyril teach Talia?

4. What do Heralds do?

5. What ceremony do the villagers want the Heralds to witness and how does it proceed?

6. What demonstrates the egalitarian nature of the Heralds?

7. What concerns Talia about Elspeth?

8. How does Kris explain his relationship with Dirk and what he hopes Dirk will find?

9. How does Talia's gift cause a little tension between Talia and Kris?

10. What occupies Talia in the three weeks before investiture?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the following:

1. What is a plot? What are the most important elements of a plot and their definition? Do all novels have a plot? Why or why not?

2. Write a brief synopsis of the plot of Arrow's Flight, identifying where the various elements of the plot occur (Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution or denouement). Do you find it difficult to identify the plot? Why or why not? What about the various elements of the plot?

3. Identify the major sub-plots and their elements (They may not contain every element of a major plot). Do the sub-plots add to the main plot? Why or why not. Are the sub-plots interesting in and of themselves? Why or why not.

Essay Topic 2

In most fiction, readers would like all the loose ends to be neatly "tied up." Discuss the following:

1. Do you think Arrow's Flight is successful as a fantasy novel? Why or why not.

2. What about this book would motivate you to read another of Mercedes Lackey's Herald and Companion series? What would discourage you from doing so?

3. Were all the "loose ends" satisfactorily settled for you? Why or why not.

4. Do you think that a reader expects that not all loose ends are tied up in a book in a series, unless it's the last book?

Essay Topic 3

Oftentimes, a book is more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think Arrow's Flight is? Explain your response.

(see the answer keys)

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