‘Wait till they get a load of me!’
19 November 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: The Fantasy Review Barn, Tough Travelling, Tricksters
This week, over at the Fantasy Review Barn, Nathan is taking us travelling once again through the tropes of fantasy. This week the topic for discussion is:
TRICKSTERS
A great prank is always amusing. Many an adventure start with a well placed trick. They are even more amusing when performed by those with god like powers.
- Gods: Loki – I guess this is the most obvious choice but it’s also the first that sprung to mind. The Gospel of Loki by Joanne Harris
- Fae: Puck – Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream ‘Now, when thou wakest, with thine own fool’s eyes peep.’
- Animal: Coyote: thinking of two series for this one, Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson books and Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid Chronicles.
- Vampire: Greyfriar from the Vampire Empire books by Clay and Susan Griffiths. Greyfriar disguises himself as a human!
- Magician: The Weasley twins from Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Pair of pranksters.
- Human: again, two for this one: Locke Lamora from Lynch’s Gentlemen Bastard series and the Dread Pirate Roberts from The Princess Bride by William Goldman. Pirates – you just can’t trust ’em.
- Shape Shifters: Kitsume called Suzume – from M L Brennan’s Generation V – Suzume is actually a fox who can shift into a human form. She has a great sense of humour and is always pulling tricks!
I leave you with a little rhyme from a fairytale character trickster:
“Tomorrow I brew, today I bake,
And then the child away I’ll take;
For little deems my royal dame
That Rumpelstiltzkin is my name!”
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I only know the Wisley twins, the Joker and off course, Rumpelstiltzkin. The latter can never refuse a good deal, like the devil, I guess.
Everybody knows Rumplestilizkin don’t they? He is a very slippery sucker indeed!
Lynn 😀
Beware, the trickster comes in many forms! Locke is definitely my favourite choice!
Yeah, Locke, and then of course that obviously makes me think of Jean (le sigh!)
Lynn 😀
Suzume! Enough said… 🙂
I know – right!
Loki came to mind right away when I thought about tricksters. Who I didn’t think of was Suzume! But of course, how could I have forgotten? She’s perfect.
Suzeume just popped into my head at the very last minute and yet actually I think her and Loki are the two perfect choices! Sad times that there will be no more touch travels 😦
Lynn 😀
Loki is an obvious choice but he is the archetypal trickster, I also have Puck, Fred and George Weasley, and Rumpelstiltskin on my list. I love your Dread Pirate Roberts choice; I adore The Princess Bride film 🙂
Yeah, he’s obvious but also perfect. I love Puck as well for this one. The Princess Bride is one of my favourite films – I just never get tired of it – that and Labyrinthe.
Lynn 😀
I love Labyrinth too! These two films pretty much sum up my childhood 🙂
Me too!