New Content Search on Risingshadow

We have updated Risingshadow's search and added a new [url=/advanced-search]Content Search[/url] feature.   The regular search still works as before and is ideal when you already know the name of the book, author, or series you're looking for. Content Search goes further by also searching through [b]book descriptions, author biographies, and series descriptions[/b]. This means you can search by themes, topics, characters, settings, or other keywords even if you don't already know the title of the book you're looking for.   Search results can be filtered into four categories: [b]All | Books | Authors | Series[/b]   Results are ordered by relevance, and when possible, the matching part of the description is shown directly in the search results. Content Search is still a new feature, and we'll continue improving it based on how it works in everyday use. If you notice anything unusual or have ideas for making the search better, please let us know in this discussion.

At the same time, we are revamping Risingshadow's old Quick Search. The update is still partly a work in progress, so the search box in the top-right corner does not currently show suggestions as soon as you start typing. The search itself works normally, however, and pressing Enter will take you to the new [url=/search]Search page[/url]. Search suggestions are already available on the Search page.   This update is about much more than just changing the appearance of the search. The search engine behind it has been rebuilt almost entirely from scratch. Instead of relying on the old search system, searches are now performed directly against Risingshadow's book database, with a new approach to evaluating the relevance of results. The new search is better at recognizing book titles, series and authors, while trying to place the most relevant matches first.   As a result, the new search should be able to find the right book, series or author more reliably than before, even when the search term does not exactly match the name stored in our database. Search results can also now be generated in real time from the latest information in the database.   Quick Search suggestions will be restored in the near future. Until then, you are welcome to try out the new search on the [url=/search]Search page[/url]. If you come across a search where the results seem incorrect, or an important book, series or author is missing, please let us know. Examples like these will help us fine-tune the new search engine. The appearance of the search will also continue to improve over the next few days :)