#robin hobb appreciation

[spending-life-pretending]

anyone looking for fantasy that is feminist but not girlboss-ified. anyone who has spent time debating whether tolkien and george r r martin are anti-women or not. anyone who is just desperate for a high fantasy world that doesn’t require you to overlook uncomfortable sexist tropes to enjoy. I am begging you to discover Robin Hobb.

[the-one-someone]

Pard and Civil

[izzenithal]

this is a robin hobb callout post

[realm-of-the-elderlings-stuff]

This is a Thick appreciation post.

I just want to point out that it's so rare to have an adult character with an intellectual disability that is neither:

An angel that can do no wrong

The comic relief

Thick is represented like an actual person, and that is so rare that I feel the need to make a post about it.

Thick has a personality, flaws, conflicts, a backstory, he has desires, social connections to the other characters. He has agency. Oh my god, he has agency! What he does and thinks actually has an impact on the plot.

And the books don't shy away from showing the difficulties that Down syndrome brings to him and the people around him. They show the prejudice and the infantilization.

But I think what's most important about his storyline is that, initially, he is included in the quest because of his great natural talent with the skill. It sounds like the same old story, that disabled people are allowed to exist only in the measure of how useful they are.

But the thing is... Thick barely ever uses the skill to help the other characters. His contribution to the quest in the end is not his great talent, it's him being a decent person, it's him giving his friendship to the other characters.

In the end, Thick is valued for his mere existence, not for his special talents, or the fact that he's a sweet angel that can do no wrong.

And I think that is so important.

[soloavengers]

Arisen & Pawn Info

Using @arisenreborn’s template, this was fun to fill out.

♛ THE ARISEN:

NAME: Sylvas AGE: 20 RACE: Human PRONOUNS: He/him ALIGNMENT: Chaotic good PREFERRED VOCATION: Mystic spearhand FAVORED GIFTS: Cloaks, curatives, anything interesting FAMILY: Deceased parents. (But Winterheart, really)

POSITIVE TRAITS: He’s helpful and kind, perhaps he has difficulty saying no when someone asks for help or a favor. It doesn’t mean he’s dependable, but he ALWAYS tries his very best. Ready to jump into the fray of any battle if someone needs a hand, like wandering pawns. He’s gentle, compassionate and easy to talk to. Very excitable, curious and energetic (would remind one of a Simple pawn). He’s friendly, in his own way.

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Overconfident and reckless, you’d often see him rushing into a fight by throwing himself in the middle of a group of enemies (much to Winnie’s dismay and careful planning). He doesn’t see the fault in himself when it comes to such flaws, even when he’s disheartened after a bad battle caused by these actions, while Winterheart gently scolds him. He can be too blunt and impulsive when interacting with people, breaking social norms despite how hard he tries not to. Easily distracted, too curious it gets him in awful situations. He’s awful at talking about his own feelings.

LIKES: Animals, adventuring, monster culling, heights, treasure, Winterheart’s paintings, forests and camping. The color green. Regentkin Sven.

DISLIKES: Rattlers. (& Disappointing others. The overwhelming uncertainty of what his future holds. The odd feeling he gets after defeating a drake. The empty feeling in his chest intensifies every day. Why?)

What was their life like before becoming Arisen?

His veteran father moved himself and little Syl out of their village in northern Vermund to a cottage in a forest nearby for a ranger job, after his mother’s death. He raised Sylvas and trained him in the use of melee weapons and archery, taught him hunting for sport and (after a certain age,) hunting monsters. He nursed a wolf pup with pale fur to health, she was their protector and Syl’s best friend growing up. He never allowed Syl to explore the forest without her. Monsters became more and more frequent as the dragon’s coming neared. He lost his father little over a year prior to becoming the Arisen, grief drove him away from the forest like it drove his father away from the village. He recovered his love for nature, exploring and battling monsters after losing his memories.

How do they handle being Arisen, and the responsibilities that come with it?

After remembering the events in Melve, he couldn’t deny it and grew quite interested in the Dragon and his connection to it (and the drakes). In a somewhat innocent way, he always longed to have some sort of connection to a beast, so he may be glorifying it. The responsibility, the charge… He doesn’t understand it, but suppose if he does what people he trusts want of him (to become Sovran), and leads the pawns well he’s doing alright. Surely this path will lead to getting his heart back. 

What are their thoughts on Pawns in general?

Syl grew up with Very little human contact outside of his father, making him shy and awkward when people visit. However he knew pawns, as there were times his father hired sellsword pawns to help with monster hunting. He found them easier to interact with than humans for some reason. Later, it’s the presence of his pawns that helped him come out of his shell. As they're less like the pawns he knew growing up and more like humans, that are still oddly easier to talk to. He’d always tell them he’s lucky to have them, and tends to rehire pawns he likes quite a lot.

What's their relationship like with their main Pawn?

He loves Winterheart, she’s become his family like Winterheart the wolf was. He’d often grumble and say she isn’t “a fun sort” for caring about silly things like strategy and planning, but he realizes that her strictness keeps him alive. He cares for her beyond words. A partner like her is what he needs to keep going, to put it simply. He tries his best to take her input before a fight despite that comment, and her opinion before a decision, and tries harder to keep to it. 

Do they have any interest in being Sovran? What are their opinions on the politics of the world in general?

Not at first, but early enough into the journey he remembered how he felt like he lost his life even before the Dragon, and he grew to accept that his path as the Arisen will lead to a new life as Sovran. He grew to understand that it’s a necessity and not simply a privilege he didn’t ask for, as well as feeling himself grow more and more responsible. Captain Brant and Sven’s help gives him a lot of confidence, and there’s little he wouldn’t do to make them proud. During his travels he began writing a journal to keep track of things he plans to take action against or in favor of as Sovran. He tries his best to understand the politics of the world, and he has gathered many historical books (though reading them is another matter.) So, suppose he does have interest, if only for the sake of Vermund and having something to live for. And, well… he can’t be worse than a false Sovran puppet of a tyrant, can he?

Who are their love interest(s) and/or closest friends?

His closest friend is his loyal pawn. He got better at making friends by way of helping, and when a couple of his new friendships seemed to develop into something more, he’d feel he isn’t good enough. Yet, oddly he didn’t feel that way with Sven, perhaps because he cannot be with him even if he wanted to. His feelings are known and returned, but it’s no more than little visits to the castle for quiet talks. Sven might have gone to his dwelling once or twice, as the rumor goes.

What drew them to their preferred vocation? Do they have history with it? 

His father trained him with regular spears, along with swords and bows. So before meeting Sigurd he preferred to be a fighter or an archer. Then learning the skills of a mystic spearhand he found, is a thrill. It’s the amount of magic he’s comfortable using, and it’s a weapon he was already a little familiar with. And despite Sigurd being a mystery, he feels kinship with the man and wishes to make him proud.

Do they have any hobbies? Any way of relaxing between all that monster-slaying and traveling?

Monster slaying and travel is his joy, but yes, he likes carving wood. He gifts them to friends and hired pawns, often a carving of their favorite animal or monster. He enjoys collecting little things that catch his eyes, and experimenting with ingredients more than necessary.

♟︎ THE PAWN:

NAME: Winterheart AGE: ??? RACE: Half-elf PRONOUNS: She/her ALIGNMENT: Neutral good PREFERRED VOCATION: Warrior FAVORED GIFTS: Flowers, swords, paint, and anything Syl gives her. INCLINATION: Calm.

POSITIVE TRAITS: She’s caring and gentle, she seems to always know the best thing to do or say when someone (especially her Arisen) is struggling in almost any situation. She’s observant and quick to act in battles, would rather she didn’t have to have to be, if only all their battles were carefully planned.

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Passive aggressive when in a bad mood. Overprotective of Sylvas even outside of battles, her opinion of a person would change entirely if they as much as made him frown, no matter the context. Too quiet (according to Syl). Too careful (also according to Syl). Overexerts herself often in fights, be it in defense of the Arisen and their companions or as she tries to take most foes down so they wouldn’t have to. 

LIKES: Her Gryphic Victory greatsword, beautiful sights, Vernworth, children, days spent in towns and villages, well planned battles. The lightest pink color. Ser Ulrika.

DISLIKES: Bandits. Syl’s inability to learn not to rush headfirst into battle. The emptiness of her past. Plans getting ignored, strategies overlooked. Raspberries. Rainy weather.

What was their life like prior to being summoned by their Arisen?

Long ago Winterheart was formed by an Arisen that didn’t live long enough for them to be well connected, she hardly remembers them. She wandered the rift and has done her duties in different worlds, often for humans as a sellsword. She was summoned for Sylvas for her similarity to the wolf his father had adopted, whose detachment to a pack was akin to her detachment to her Arisen. As well as her calm yet overprotective personality. In short, her past was a stretch of longing for what she finally has. 

What is their opinion on the Arisen? How do they view their relationship?

She’s very fond of Syl, she thinks the world of him, for all his flaws. Winnie thinks that as long as he has her, he will make it (really, there are no doubts anymore… only fear. Lots of fear.) It took her a while to accept that she was summoned, chosen again, and longer to believe that it might just last. At first she was bitter when she saw how reckless her Arisen is, believing this long awaited gift will be taken from her because he’s young and fearless, then she realized it doesn’t have to be that way if she protects him well. She helps him stay alive and he helps her feel alive, that’s how she views it.

Is there anything about the Arisen they find troublesome? Be it a small quirk or bad habit? (Or are they obviously flawless?)

Uhh. 

What is their specialization and is there any story behind how they cultivated that skill set? 

Chirurgeon. It was simply learned, and she’s glad of it. It’s what Syl needs most, even outside of battles (is it so hard to estimate a fall, or how hot the water is?) It’s a comfort for her to be specialized in healing, there were times where Sylvas didn’t notice he was poisoned!

Do they have any thoughts on the politics of the world and their place in it as a Pawn - or how Pawns are treated? 

It does put her down at times, and she would like to see anyone who’s wrongfully controlling pawns Dead. But she’s in the world to do her duty, politics don’t matter next to it. She’s however pleased her Arisen is doing something about it, and she’s there to help when she can.

Does their journey with the Arisen change them in any significant way and how? 

It got her out of the shell losing her former Arisen and wandering had shoved her in. She’s a lot more confident in her abilities and place, and in Sylvas as well. Winterheart is aware of more… integral changes, and while they make her feel alive, she instead feels dreadful when she notices Syl changing. But it’s the way of the Arisen and Pawn relationship, it’s out of her hands. She tries to remind him of who he is and what he loves most when it looks like his mind and soul is elsewhere.

Is there a reason they chose their preferred vocation? 

It was the vocation she used during her travels before Sylvas summoned her as an archer. In a distant past she was a mage, though she doesn’t remember having had enough time to perfect her skills as a mage. She misses being a warrior whenever she isn’t.

Do they have any hobbies or preferred past-times?

She likes painting scenery! Often while camping, she loses sleep just to stay up painting their surroundings on paper. When traveling with other Arisen, she likes for them to keep a painting. However if their world is so different, she would take one for Syl.

[inebubble]

“Give me a face you could love.”

[owlbelly]

moodboard → Etta (The Liveship Traders Trilogy / Realm of the Elderlings / Robin Hobb)

[mistninja]

Next year i should reread ASOAIF i think this time i would get it

[redgoldsparks]

March Reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut.

Delicious in Dungeon vol 4 by Ryoko Kui

I'm reading these books so fast I can barely remember which parts of the plot happened in which volume but know that I am still having a great time!

Delicious in Dungeon vol 5 by Ryoko Kui

Oh, this story has taken a darker turn, and also just introduced a whole bunch more characters. Will I be able to keep track of them all? I hope so!

Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb, read by Anne Flosnik 

Unfortunately, this is definitely the weakest Robin Hobb book I've read so far. I was expecting to like it less than the glorious, 5-star previous trilogy, but I actually think I'm going to skip the rest of the Rain Wild Chronicles and read summaries online to get to the next Fitz books. This book follows five main POV characters. This works fairly well for the first half, when the characters are all in different physical locations. However once all of the characters meet up, we start getting the same scene from multiple different POVs, which feels extremely repetitive. Also, almost EVERY SCENE includes a flashback, often a lengthy flashback, sometimes to something that happened only the previous day and could have been told as present-moment action. This writing choice baffled me. It's something I can't remember struggling with in any of Hobb's previous books, but by the end it was driving me up a wall. The book also moved very slowly; the stakes feel lower, and the character far less emotionally true than in the two Fitz trilogies. Disappointing, but I will keep moving forward towards the next part of the series I want to read.

Delicious in Dungeon vol 6 by Ryoko Kui

Damn, a lot of characters get murdered in this volume! Good thing almost everyone who dies in the dungeon can be revived. Also, very excited to finally meet the cat ninja I've been seeing fan art of since before I even started the series :3

Delicious in Dungeon vol 7 by Ryoko Kui

I am still completely caught up in this series. I love the glimpse of Senshi's past revealed in this volume, and the lore of the dungeon that is still being revealed. There was a line in here about how the dungeon leaves you alone if you don't ask much of it, but that if you have strong desires it throws even more obstacles into your way. Our heroes have such big goals right now, but they're marching ahead regardless!

School Trip by Jerry Craft 

A satisfying new installment in the New Kid series from funny, talented, charming Jerry Craft! I appreciated how this volume started to complicate some of the students who had been left a bit one-dimensional in previous books. Several people stood up to and called out a bully; new friendships were built; and Jordan Banks left Paris even more inspired than ever to follow his dreams of becoming an artist. This series has a lot of jokes, but also a lot of heart!

A Frog in Fall (and Later On) by Linnea Sterte 

Minor frog is less than a year old, and is dismayed when winter begins to steal all of the light and warmth from his world. Instead of bunking down safely with his mentor to wait for spring, he sets out on a journey with two vagabond toads passing by on a quest to make it all the way to the tropics. They tramp through the Japanese countryside, encountering tree spirits, new friends, dangers, and views the likes of which minor frog had never even imagined. This is a gorgeous book; every page worth pouring over, an economy of line and detail building a beautiful and mysterious world of talking animals and miniature packaged foods. Made me want to draw.

Dark Rise by CS Pacat read by Christian Coulson 

In 1820s London, orphaned Will tries to earn enough as a dockworker to survive- and evade the killers pursuing him. Violet dresses in her half-brother's clothes and sneaks onto a ship in the Thames to watch a man be branded with his master's mark. Katherine excitedly anticipates her engagement to one of London's richest and most mysterious lords; his gallantry nearly makes up for the fact that he's twice her age. And in the bowels of one of that lord's ships, James tortures a man for information. All of these characters are 16 or 17 years old, but all of them are tangled in an ancient conflict between the Light and the Dark which stretches back into an age of magic before history. This is CS Pacat's YA fantasy debut, and it contains a lot of tropes very familiar to both YA and high fantasy- there are shades of both Tolkien and Rowling in this. Its fast-paced and action-packed, but especially in the first third of the story, the characters all felt fairly thin. None of them have quirks, hobbies, career hopes, relationships outside of immediate family, school, or work; or much more than a brief sketch of past. It took until the mid-way point for what I consider Pacat's major strengths as a writer to emerge: intense, homoerotic interpersonal sparring between characters operating under major power imbalances. Every scene in which the seductive, manipulative, powerful evil gay faced off against the good boy chosen one crackled with energy. Unfortunately, there were only four of these scenes in the whole book. It ends on a cliff-hanger, because of course it does, with a tempting set up for book two; but that doesn't entirely excuse the fact that the first 50% felt like set up. I will definitely keep reading, but long-time Pacat fans should take note that this is toned down version of what I expected based on Captive Prince.

Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls (re-read before event)

What an accomplishment! I savored every page of Feeding Ghosts, absolutely floored by the labor and courage that went into the writing of this book. The inking is gorgeous, the history is clear, digestible, and devastating. This book threads the line between honesty and compassion in a way that I appreciate so much in any memoir, but especially one dealing with family. Hulls lays out the story of three generations of women starting with her grandmother, Sun Yi, a Shanghai journalist who faced intense persecution during the rise of Communism in China, who penned a popular and scandalous memoir and then suffered a mental breakdown. This left her only daughter, Rose, a student at an elite boarding school with no parental figures and no other family to lean on. Eventually Rose earned a scholarship to an American university and in the end moved her mother into her California home. Sun Yi haunted that home during the author's own childhood. The unexamined trauma and codependency of Sun Yi and Rose drove the author to the extreme edges of the Earth, seeking freedom from their ghosts. But in the end, she stopped running from her family history and turned, instead, to face it. Shelve this book with Maus, Fun Home, Persepolis and The Best We Could Do. Re-read it for a second time and got even more out of it on a second pass.

Delicious in Dungeon vol 8 by Ryoko Kui

Laios and company realize that their encounter with changling mushroom rings had more consequences than they'd realized- its the body swap episode! This visual humor is contrasted against increasing dangers from both above and below, as nastier monsters and political machinations begin to close in on our heroic adventuring party. I'm now over halfway through this series and almost feel like I should start reading it more slowly to savor it, but I'll probably just keep devouring it instead.

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and Leuyen Pham

High school senior Val grew up knowing her family was unlucky in love; for generations, relationships in her family have ended in heartbreak. Her childhood love of Valentines Day ends with a shocking family revelation and what feels like the beginning of a curse. Then her Vietnamese grandmother sweeps her off to a Lunar New Year celebration in downtown Oakland and a pair of cute lion dancer boys catch her eye. Could one of them break the spell on her heart? This story offers a classic and satisfying rom-com, with Val torn between an outgoing, rich, but flaky boy and a broody, shy, loyal one. The story takes several kdrama style twists and includes ghosts, saints, red envelopes, confessions, fights, reunions, tears, and kisses. For a comic, its wordy; the pages are dense with small panels and thick with dialogue, but also illustrated with such warm, humor, and realism. I really liked that the story included as much of Val's relationship with her family and best friend as romance. And the lion dancing scenes practically leap off the page with color and energy!

Witch Hat Atelier vol 10 by Kamome Shirahama

This series remains as visually stunning as ever but I'm struggling with how every single book expands the cast. There are so many characters now that I don't care about that much, and have trouble remembering from volume to volume. I wish the story line would stick more closely to Coco, her classmates, and their main mentors!

Delicious in Dungeon vol 9 by Ryoko Kui

Oh the stories are all converging! The savior at the bottom of the dungeon is probably a demon! Ituzumi saves the day! I am still having a great time reading this series.

A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson read by Abby Craden 

A short, very queer, very poly retelling of Dracula focusing on his coven of enthralled lovers. I liked the way the book breezed through history, as the dysfunctional little family moved from one major European city to the next, with snatched moments of glittering joy interwoven with violence and plague. The story is fairly simple, and has a happier ending than I expected, or honestly think the characters deserved.

City of Dragons by Robin Hobb

I DNFed the previous book in this series and just read a summary online before skipping ahead to this one. I think that was a very good choice for me. This third one was more engaging and a bit more action packed, with some cool discoveries about the city of Kelsingra and the nature of Elderlings. But the Rain Wild Chronicles as a whole do not stand up to the quality of the Farseer books. There are so many POV characters that a few of them get only two or three scenes in this whole book. I don't feel that I deeply know any of these characters; while at the same time watching Hobb pair them off at an extraordinary rate- in the last book five sets of characters got together and in this book an additional two couples are developing feelings for each other. Between this and a kidnapping, a birth, a murder, and a lot of blackmail, this series feels like a soap opera.

Delicious in Dungeon vol 10 by Ryoko Kui

Almost two TPKs in this volume, yikes!

Delicious in Dungeon vol 11 by Ryoko Kui

You know shit's getting serious when the character who has been the series main villain up until now is partially devoured by a different, worse villain. Exciting changes coming to this dungeon under it's new lord and master!

Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle

When Becca gets invited to sit with the popular girl clique at her new high school, she's thrilled. But the friendship turns bloody and complicated when she learns that her new friends are actually werewolves who need to kill and feed on a human once a month. If she joins them, Becca will gain superhuman strength and a pack; she'll never have to fear a male predator again, because she will be a predator herself. I loved the queer rep and the twist on werewolf lore; I wish it had been a little longer and more developed. Give me multi-page transformations sequences!

Delicious in Dungeon vol 12 by Ryoko Kui

I love seeing all these plot lines come together! Building towards a wild climax.

Delicious in Dungeon vol 13 by Ryoko Kui

I went out and *bought* vol 13 of this series because my library didn't have it yet, that's how hooked I am. And now I have to wait until JULY for the final volume! (But also, thank goodness I didn't get into this series any sooner or I'd have a much longer wait).

[im-sorry-what-ii]

Tag Games: People I’d like to get to know better

tyy for the tag @adevotedreader <33

Last song: Soul to Squeeze - Red Hot Chilli Peppers which im listening to rn

Favorite color: olive green my beloved

Last book: im about halfway through a reread of Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

Last movie: ...i forgor

Last TV show: Doctor Who, specifically 12's seasons

Sweet/spicy/savory: listen i gotta appreciate a lil something sweet

Relationship status: Singleee

Last thing I looked up: beef rendang recipe bc i was hungryyy

Current obsession: having a MASSIVE green day phase rn. someone help. also im on a painting $.50 vinyls from the op shop spree which has been very entertaining

Looking forward to: SUMMERRRR and freedom from examsss but thats already happening so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ also christmas

no pressure tags for anyone interested: @randomtacoscry @pollyna @blazingstar29 @fluffypotatey @stopthatfool

[brbarou]

I appreciate your Robin Hobb fanart sm (and your art in general- the way you do lines makes me GO INSANE and the warmth of the colours makes me endlessly happy) this fandom is so small when it comes to fanart

thank youu so much for the kind words 😭😭 i actually feel like i've been finding a lot of awesome rote fanart here on tumblr :]] but maybe i've just gotten used to smaller fandoms haha

[lunamond]

Ok, I finished Murtagh, and I have so many thoughts. Most of them are still pretty incoherent, so this is going to be very rambley.

But most importantly, I absolutely loved this book. Just being back in Alagaësia is wonderful, and getting a more on the ground look at what life looks like in the villages and cities, especially after Galbatorix' rule has ended, was fantastic.

Murtagh and Thorn are absolutely heartbreaking as protagonists, I always have had a weakness for sad, moopy traumatised characters, so I immediately was on board with their story.

The ending had me super emotional. This book really reignited my love for the dragons in these books. Thorn is my child now, and if Paolini doesn't give him everything he deserves in future books, I swear I will kill myself so I can haunt his ass.

Also, I really appreciate the crumbs of Nasuada we got at the end. That last chapter had me giggling and kicking my feet. I love me some good pining and slow burn. I hope we will see more of this in future books.

What really surprised me (in a good way) is how much the plot and pacing of this book felt very Robin Hobb -esque.

I don't know if anybody else has gotten that vibe, but just the way the story meandered a lot through the beginning, and we got a lot of these small mundane moments and little side quests really made me think of specifically the Tawney man trilogy. Especially with the second half in the village really reminding me of Fool's fate and Bachel just giving major Palewoman energy.

I mean, she is literally a prophet who is using some creepy magic to control people and is influencing a lot of larger events from the shadows, tries to get the male mc to join her as her puppet ruler, etc

[bardnuts]

Same new Robin Hobb reader. I guess the warning questions was vaguely joking, but I appreciate the detail you put into your answer. For some other questions, do you have a favorite trilogy in the realm of the elderlings and why, and do you have a fav character?

Also, is the series ongoing or is Robin Hobb done writing in this world?

OOP lol I took it very seriously ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ

My favorite character is the Fool. Bar none. And the Fool isn't just my favorite Robin Hobb character, he's my favorite character in anything, ever, regardless of media.

He effectively becomes a deuteragonist but I won't say any more than that.

My favorite trilogy out of them all is The Tawny Man trilogy, which may be the only time I've ever actually thrown a book at a wall.

And Robin Hobb finished the series back in, I want to say 2018! But you don't need to worry about running out of material any time soon because you have four trilogies and a quartet to get through, and all of them are doorstops.

Also if I can offer one piece of advice: do NOT skip the Liveship Traders trilogy. You'll want to, because you'll want to get back to Fitz's POV as fast as possible once you finish the first trilogy, but stick it out. Trust me. Tawny Man might be my favorite, but Liveship Traders might be some of the best-written and most unique fantasy I've ever read, and if you skip it/read out of order, you won't have context for certain things that happen in Tawny Man.

Also also it seems like I have several people following me who've recently started reading these books, so if you're one of them: BLACKLIST THE TAG #rotespoilers

I post spoilers sometimes and this series shines brightest when you're going in blind. I'll make sure to tag diligently.

[smalltownfae]

Any recommendations for authors with a beautiful writing style that will make me feel emotional? I mean something like Robin Hobb (or even Juliet Marillier and Patricia A. McKillip). Some classic literature also have it because they used to be very dramatic with their feelings. That's what I want.

I appreciate some quotes as examples just so I can check if it's the kind of writing I am looking for.

Authors I have on the list to try already: Dorothy Dunnet, Mary Renault, Hilary Mantel, Sharon Kay Penman, Carolina de Robertis

Some examples of what I am looking for:

"The knowledge that he had left me with no intent ever to return had come over me in tiny droplets of realization spread over the years. And each droplet of comprehension brought its own small measure of hurt...He had wished me well in finding my own fate to follow, and I never doubted his sincerity. But it had taken me years to accept that his absence in my life was a deliberate finality, an act he had chosen, a thing completed even as some part of my soul still dangled, waiting for his return." (Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb)

"I did not want to think about people. I wanted the trees, the scents and colors, the shifting shadows of the wood, which spoke a language I understood. I wished I could simply disappear in it, live like a bird or a fox through the winter, and leave the things I had glimpsed to resolve themselves without me." (Winter Rose by Patricia A. McKillip)

"Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off - then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can." (Moby Dick by Herman Melville)

[voidlingduck]

Reading Ramblings - Assassin's Apprentice

I just finished reading Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb, and enjoyed myself immensely!

I haven't read for pleasure in a while, and have honestly been struggling to get through books lately, so it's a real delight to make it through one like this. It was quite a dense book too so it was no easy feat! That being said, once I got into the thick of it, it was a rather gripping tale that kept me invested for long stretches of time.

As a writer myself, this book has inspired me greatly, and there are a few things in particular that impressed me with how it was constructed. Some of my discussions may contain minor spoilers, be warned!

Worldbuilding

I was blown away by how rich Hobb's worldbuilding was, it was very well crafted and researched. We get a look into the everyday life of someone living in the world, as well as glimpses at the politics that underpin the Kingdom, and it all delivered in a very engaging and immersive way through the perspective of Fitz. I also found the framing device of Fitz's attempts to write an account of the Six Duchies history a very compelling way to deliver exposition that wove itself in to the narrative proper, it was always interesting to see how the information provided at the opening of the chapter informed the events that were to follow.

Narration

There is an interesting sense of reflexivity in the narration, afforded by the first person perspective and the framing device of Fitz's attempts to write a recount of his life and the history of the Six Duchies. I found the story gave me a real appreciation of first person narration, and reading this book has definitley influenced me towards trying out first person for my dragon riders story. Whether that decision will stick remains to be seen, but it is definitley interesting to observe the effect that this novel has already had on my approach to writing. I also really enjoyed how throughout the story we came to see the unreliability inherent to the first person narration, as Fitz discovers that the way he initially interpreted events was incorrect. We are led along this journey of discovery along with Fitz, and this allows us to really connect with him as a character.

Characterisation

Characterisation was another thing that this novel handled excellently, I felt every character was distinct and well-realised. As I reflect on how this was achieved, I think that a lot of it ties to the relationships they have with Fitz, and the way that they engage with him, filtered through his perspective, informs a lot of our understanding about them. I really enjoy this very relational approach to characterisation, and I think it was done very effectively. What most impressed me was the way that Chivalry was so strongly characterised, and his presence felt, despite his physical absence - perhaps even because of it. I think there's a real skill to be able to haunt the story with a character, and it's something I want to learn how to do myself.

This story was incredibly inspiring to me, and a great way to get me back into reading again - particularly reading fantasy. I am very excited to read more in this world, though since I do not yet possess the second book, my next read will probably be something quite different. I am still deciding what that shall be, but stay tuned! If I have thoughts I will definitley be sharing them here.

[poisindonottouch]

Queer books: Realm of the Elderlings, by Robin Hobbs

Did I think I could keep up blogging daily when I was on a family vacation? No. Was my queue queued up to cover the time? Also no. 

ANYWAY... For day 17, I present Robin Hobb’s expansive Realm of the Elderlings. 

So, these five series cover a lot. Like, a lot. For the most excruciating queer longing you’ve ever read in your life, check out any of the books with Fitz and the Fool. Those are the Farseer Trilogy, The Tawny Man Trilogy, and the Fitz & the Fool Trilogy. Seriously, this whole thing is an 18 book epic of yearning and devotion. 

Uh, spoilers? 

But for a queer love story that is a lot less painful, I’d like t o highlight the Rain Wild Chronicle books. These four books follow a band of hatchling dragons who are all deformed and flightless and their keepers as they make their way up a river to find a place to live. There are a few romantic subplots going on in the book, but Sedric and Carson are the best. Sedric is a bit of an ass, to start off, but once he realizes his employer and lover Hest is an absolute shit, he redeems himself nicely. There’s a lot going on in these books, and the love stories aren’t the main plot, but I appreciate the inclusion of queer characters into my epic fantasy, and maybe you do too.