Holy catfish.. it’s a snarky sidekick!
7 January 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Fantasy Review Barn, Snarky Sidekicks, Tough Travelling
This week over at the Fantasy Review Barn we will be travelling once again through the tropes of fantasy looking at:
SNARKY SIDEKICKS:
Why is everyone so serious all the time? Perhaps they need a friend that is there with a quick bit of wit to liven the day; even if the day is looking to quickly turn to blood. (Not actually found in the Tough Guide).
Well, I thought I had a few – but, to be honest, I think I’ve maybe cheated, just a tad….
Lord Ermenwyr from – The Anvil of the World by Kage Baker. I love Lord Ermenwyr, I’m not sure whether he qualifies as a sidekick but I just don’t care because he’s so good – and, i think he does qualify really!
Tyrion – Game of Thrones by GRRMartin – I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tyrion on lots of lists – so sarcastic! I actually love this character.
Jean Tannen – I just don’t think of him as a sidekick as he’s fairly fundamental BUT I can’t resist giving him a mention and really Locke is the main character so I’m saying that Jean is Robin to Locke’s Batman!! The Gentleman Bastards by Scott Lynch
Bob – from Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files – defo a sidekick character – yes!!
The Marquis of Carabas from Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere – is this a cheat? He’s defo not the main character?? Not sure. He’s a great character though. I think this one counts.
Lord Akeldama is Alexia’s foppish eccentric vampire friend from the Parasol Protectorate novels by Gail Carriger
Can I also just say Suzume (MLBrennan’s Generation V) and Wydrin (Jen Williams Copper Promise) – both are massive cheats because they’re not sidekicks – but OMG these two have given me plenty of laughs in my recent reading so they get a mention just for the ‘snark’. I’m calling it quits before I make myself blush with all the cheating!
That’s it for me!
Tough Travel: Holidays
1 January 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Fantasy Review Barn, Holidays, Tough Travelling
Every Thursday we go tough travelling through the tropes of fantasy with Nathan at the Fantasy Review Barn
This week’s topic is HOLIDAYS (and yes, I struggled with this one)
Never too late to celebrate … holidays! Because fantasy festivals and feasts are always fun. Thanks to Wendy for the suggestion! And feel free to blame her if this proves to be as hard as it sounds.
The Lies of Locke Lamora – at the end of the story there is a celebration or feast which involves all the major nobility assembling in one tower, cannot remember and name and as I’ve tidied my bookshelves up I can’t find the book! Result!!
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman – don’t know if this counts as a holiday but once a year the living and the dead come together in the cemetery and dance together – the Danse Macabre (I think this is on the eve of Halloween?)
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith – in which Cassandra each year performs a ceremony (rites) on Midsummers Eve – involving a fire, herbs and a picnic – again, very loose but….
Sorry folks – I was less than useless at this one – I really tried but clearly the festive season has turned my brain into mush (and that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!)
One book to rule them all!!
25 December 2014
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Fantasy Review Barn, Kings, Tough Travelling
Every Thursday Nathan from the Fantasy Review Barn invites us to go tough travelling through the tropes of fantasy. This week the topic is KINGS:
KINGS come in four kinds: Puppet Kings, Bad Kings, Good Kings (rare), and Long Lost Kings
So, let’s face it – there are no shortages of Kings in epic fantasy. To narrow it down I’ve tried to get an example of each from the same book. Yes, Lord of the Rings! It had to be done!!
Puppet king – Theoden – King of the Mark or King of Rohan – endured a brief spell as a puppet with Grima Wormtongue seemingly having the majority of sway in the kingdom. Of course Grima operated under instructions from Saruman.
Bad king – The Witch King of Angmar. Leader of the Nazgul, formally a king of men, one of the nine kings given a ring of power by Sauron and eventually became corrupted by it’s power.
Good king – Elrond King of the Elves – the elves are a singular bunch of characters and quite single minded but I’m putting Elrond as a good King because he fought in the last alliance of elves and men that originally destroyed Sauron and he tried to convince Isildur to destroy the Ring.
Lost king – Aragorn or Strider – starts the story as a ranger but concludes the story as king. Heir of Isildur.
‘Oh the posh posh travelling life, the travelling life for me…’
17 December 2014
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Fantasy Review Barn, Tough Travelling, Travelling Folk
Every week at the Fantasy Review Barn we go a travelling through the tropes of fantasy. This is a whole bunch of fun and I love seeing what everyone comes up with! This week the topic for discussion is Travelling Folk:
TRAVELLING FOLK are quite common. They are of two kinds: Land travellers and River travellers.
These people are merry, colourfully dressed, dishonest, and knowledgeable…they will cheat you, cure your wounds, and hustle you off to the cart of their oldest lady who will tell you something about the future you need to know.
- Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Dracula has a whole bunch of travelling people, they’re tough no nonsense, characters.
- Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials – this has a group of nomadic people who go from place to place upon barges on the water.
- Joanna Harris, Chocolat – similarly – travelling people who use barges, sell things and mend things.
- Mark Lawrence’s Prince of Fools – okay, not sure if this counts but there are a group of performers in Prince of Fools and I’m also fairly certain that amongst their group is a fortune teller?? Tah Dah!
- Smiler’s Fair by Rebecca Levene – the name gives it away. This is basically a huge travelling carnival where any pleasure or vice can be sought. Basically this world doesn’t lend itself to any structure that stays still for too long (unless its based on rock that is) – otherwise nasty critters come from out of the earth!
- Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere – i could be wrong with this one but it has a floating market that is in a different spot all the time. I’m kind of assuming they’re may be travellers but that could be wrong.
- Neil Gaiman’s Stardust – again – well, there’s a fair. There’s also a witch who travels around in a caravan!!
- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss – travelling entertainers!
That’s it for me – I’m sure I should be able to get LoTR and Harry Potter in there somewhere but my mind is a blank! So everything normal over here then.
Death is only the beginning!
3 December 2014
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Fantasy Review Barn, High Priests, Tough Travelling
Every week a whole bunch of us go trekking through the tropes of fantasy with Nathan over at the Fantasy Review Barn as part of Tough Travelling. This week the topic for discussion is HIGH PRIESTS
HIGH PRIEST is nearly always evil, either on his own account or on behalf of the dark lord.
Well – I’ve had a melt down this week! I’ve left it too late and then couldn’t think of any high priests – I thought of a couple of high priestesses and a movie high priest so I’ve gone with these. Basically, I did worse than ever! I’ll go and sit in the naughty corner for a week and hopefully come up with something better for next week’s topic!
Riftwar Saga by Raymond Feist – Silverthorn – has a high priestess character who brings two characters back from the dead in order to interrogate them.
Priests and Priestesses of Naamah from Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey – not really baddies though!
Catarina from Teresa Frohock’s Miserere – High Priestess to the Fallen Angel – defo a baddie.
Imhotep – film character – definitely a high priest and not a very nice man!
Books and travelling with Lynn 