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John Bunting posted this update:

I have uploaded the Proof cover of the US edition of KtA to my site

Select the US Proof Button, then select the KtA thumbnail for a larger image

The Final cover can be seen here

Select the US Editions Buttons, then select the KtA thumbnail for a larger image

The books ISBN is 0-380-97707-9 and the Expected release date 9 November

Ray posted this message to the list about Bobby's final resting place:

Ya. It won't get mentioned, probably, in forthcoming books, because there's probably no scene where it would make sense to, but he did get him and bring him home. Big funeral in Krondor with his ashes spread at sea.

I've added several new sites to the Link Page. The first, Legends of Krondor, is a general site. Secondly, The Midkemian Fantasy Webring is a new ring. The last site has a biography of Ray and some book reviews.

Ray posted this very interesting bit about Arutha:

Arutha (the Prince) has no fear of personal failure, i.e. 'being good enough.' If he has a character flaw, it's a vanity, what middle management types call 'the error of preciousness,' the certainty that he's irreplaceable.
It comes from being very, very good when you're very, very young. He's learned a thing or two by the time we reach the Krondor series, which is why he's willing to delegate to James.
His only fear of failure is involved with not getting the job done, and that's not fear so much as concern that something might prevent him; he never for a moment doubts his own ability. His own wisdom, time to time, but never his ability.

Arutha Jamison lived in the shadow of two great men all his life, and as a result he took little pleasures in his own talents and worried about what he saw as lacks in comparison to his father and his namesake.

Further along in the post he discusses the conDion's values:

All three of Borric's sons were concerned with duty, not wealth and power.

Someone earlier in the thread alluded to the Kennedys. Despite their well publicized foibles, the fact is two of the brothers were war heroes, Joe dying in combat as a bomber pilot, and JFK's well reported rescue of his crew despite his own wounds on PT 109 during World War II. And despite wealth, most Kennedys are raised with an almost 'nobless oblige' a requirement to give service to the nation. Those that don't go into politics often work quietly for charity or educational foundations and institutions.

In a sense, that's much like the line of conDoins before the twins. They don't think in terms of personal wealth and power, but in terms of duty to the nation.

'Duty' if often overlooked in today's society, possibly because of our growing cynicism duringKorea and Viet Nam.
So in short (aren't you glad I finally got around to that?) The answer is 'those characters were driven by duty. Not honor, not greed, not a lust for glory, but rather to do the best they could by the people to whom they were responsible.

Sorry for the last week's silence. Moving in to UNC was a hassle :) But I'm here now and this is the new location of the site. Hopefully it will be stable :)

Ray posted this about the setting of the Jimmy the Hand Tales of the Riftwar story:

Remember in Magician, when Arutha is rescuing Anita from Jocko Radburn? He throws Jimmy his sword when he sees the boy trapped on the docks? We start about an hour later. So, basically, we're going to tell the '1st' Jimmy the Hand solo adventure story. We haven't decided yet, but I think the title will be Tales of the Riftwar: Jimmy the Hand.