Assassin's Apprentice; R. Hobb

Written by Robin Hobb and published by Bantam in 1995, Assassin's Apprentice is the first book in the Farseer Trilogy. This particular volume seems to me to be a classic coming of age tale, but I'm unsure exactly where the other two books will go. I have a theory or two, but no definite ideas. I've not read any of Ms. Hobb's works before; I wrote her name down on a little post-it & then forgot about it. Found the post-it a few weeks ago and took the name to the library- and here we are!

Fitzchivalry Farseer is the illegitimate son of the soon to be former heir to the throne of the Six Duchies. Prince Chivalry is forced to abdicate due to his supposed infraction (before he married his wife- aptly named Patience). The Farseer family doesn't abandon the nameless child, but neither do they name him or properly care for him either. Fitz takes his name because it directly alludes to his birth (the name Fitz is given/taken by illegitimate children) and it's better than being called Bastard all the time. For many years Fitz is left to molder in the stables with the dogs and miscellaneous animals. Not fully recognized or cared for as a young child ought to be. Yet he surmises many of the circumstances surrounding his birth due to deliberate cruelty and the unthinking comments made by elders who ignore the children in their midst.

Over the course of his 'tween and early teen years Fitz is surreptitiously taken under King Shrewd's wing and educated and better cared for. He is also apprenticed to the King's chief poisoner, a mysterious man named Chade. By degrees and painful lessons Fitz learns a measure of his proper station in the King's household. He learns who his enemies are. However, the price Fitz pays for his tenuous position in King Shrewd's household is very high. Will it be worth it in the end? Can he pay the price demanded of him? And what of the awful sea raiders and their damaged prisoners? Will King Shrewd and Prince Verity defeat them? And what noxious substance is Prince Regal addicted to?

I was a little surprised at the Puritan-like giving of trait names to characters (Prudence, Patience, Verity, Charity, etc) but I was immediately absorbed into Fitz's tale. Far too late did I try to unravel the complicated political intrigues surrounding him. The tale is primarily told about Fitz, and being a child for much of it, the political aspects were casually hidden in the background while the reader roots for Fitz as he struggles with yet another facet of castle life. The clues were all there, but I ignored much of them until farther into the story- when I realized I really ought to have paid more attention! Definitely recommended. I've borrowed the next book in the trilogy already.

Fortune's Fool; Mercedes Lackey

This author seems to walk the line between fantasy and romance without falling into either category. Fortune's Fool is the third 500 Kingdoms novel I've read, only one of which really seemed romantic (the first one), if that makes any sense. Now that I know what to expect from her, I'm ok with the hybrid style. I'd never read Ms.Lackey's work before the first 500 Kingdoms title, I was disappointed in the second and now that I'm done with the third I feel like I'm on an even keel as far as Ms. Lackey's style and take on the Luna books.

Ekaterina is the seventh daughter of the Sea King's 14 children. As some of you may know, seventh children often have a special fate. Katya is precocious and observant and easily transitions from sea to land. Seeing this, her father makes her his spy. While in Nippon (equivalent to feudal Japan) on a mission, Katya receives a magic origami bird from a Japanese spirit as a gift for her help. Later, on another mission for her father, the bird will be a major player in Katya's efforts.

The hero is Sasha ______, can't remember his surname, but he's the seventh son of the King of Led Belarus. Not only that, Sasha is a Songweaver. Among other duties he roams his father's kingdom singing carefully crafted yet easily remembered singable songs praising the kingdom's positive qualities & traits & other songs that chase off any would be magical predators. These songs help shape the paths the Tradition will take in Led Belarus, thus ensuring the continuing Led Belarus' prosperity. Sasha is definitely what the romance community would call a beta hero- quiet & unassuming & intelligent, but more than capable of catching & holding what he wants.

Sasha & Katya meet at the seaside in a remote part of his father's kingdom. Each is alone & feels isolated for different reasons, but they strike up a friendship & eventually become lovers. The Tradition, around which each person in the 500 Kingdoms must work, has a couple of set storylines Sasha & Katya will be pushed to follow unless they can work out a way around it (the Tradition seems to be composed of known fairytale types; certain storylines have one or two or several possible endings depending on the characters involved). Will Sasha & Katya manage to thwart what the Tradition has in store for them? What happens when a new magical being, foreign to this area, moves in & takes over some other being's castle?

This is one of the few romances where the hero & heroine are both virgins. Not only that, the first time they have intercourse is true to actual experience. That is to say: fumbling, short, painful and unfulfilling for the female. Unlike most first time sex scenes in romances where the hero manages to get the heroine to be multi orgasmic from the start. A tiny bit of realism is always welcome, IMO. The visuals in the first few chapters reminded me very strongly of the Disney movie The Little Mermaid, but fortunately that washed away as I read along. Characters from previous 500 Kingdoms novels appreared: Sergei the ugly little horse and Gina and Adamant the pair of dragons. What else? Baba Yaga appears, as does the katschei from the Firebird Suite (among other places). There is a passing nod to Brian Jacques' series of books about forest animals.

Ms. Lackey's 500 Kingdom novels may not appeal to romance readers expecting a clear depiction of the developing relationship. I approached this book from a fantasy POV & found it highly satisfying. It is set up as a quest fantasy/adventure romance. Published this year by Luna.

Miscellaneous

Bumper stickers seen recently:

Republicans for Voldemort

Frodo lost, Bush has the ring

Honor the dead, Heal the Wounded, Stop the War


My local library has NO Tanya Huff and only half of the Assassin and Ship series for Robin Hobb. Sucks. The budget is being cut yet again & I'm betting requesting said titles won't accomplish much. And they only have the first season for Bertie & Jeeves on DVD. *pout*

Am sowly winding my way through Mercedes Lackey's new 500 Kingdoms book, Fortune's Fool. So far so good, but I'm not in much of a reading mood this week so it's been slow on my account.


Hope everyone has a good weekend & better weather!

2 Young Adult Reads

Hannah's Garden by Midori Snyder

Cassieopeia Brittman has parented her mother Anne for most of her childhood, which was spent wandering the U.S. barely one step above homelessness. Finally Cassie and Anne have settled into a small university city south of Anne's (and Cassie's) birthplace, a small farm. After promising Cassie she'd spend her student years single and unattached, Anne brings Gunnar the Swedish Viking filmmaker home one morning. Poppie Brittman (Anne's father), a reclusive and eccentric (Aren't they always?) but extrememly talented painter is in ICU in the local communtiy hopsital. Anne and Cassie must drop everything to return to the small rural community Anne fled when Cassie was very small. All is not what it seems, though. Who is Melvin Steiger, really? Why does everyone in town like him when it is immediately obvious he's not helped Poppie around the property as he ought to have? Who is the mysterious fiddler who rescues Cassie more than once and how could he possibly be in a photo of Cassie's grandparents when Poppie was a babe?

This novel reminds me strongly of Solstice Wood by Patricia McKillip (my thoughts on Ms. McKillip's book in the title link). Less intense & less layered perhaps, but they both resonate. Excellent book. Plan to hunt up Ms. Snyder's other works at the library. Published by Viking in 2002.



Monsoon Summer by Mitali Perkins

A detailed, finely nuanced coming of age tale set in India and California. The Gardner family, most often of Berkeley CA has arranged to spend the summer in India doing various charity projects in the orphanage that raised Sarah Gardner to age 4. Sarah's daughter Jasmine is unhappy about the change of summer scenery, primarily because she's fallen in love with her best friend and business partner Steve Morales- who is being preyed upon by practically every girl that matters at their local school. Jazz would prefer to spend the summer at home & keep Steve safe. Of course, being 15, actually getting up the courage to tell him how she feels is impossible. India is wonderful and scary and interesting and overwhelming all at once. Each member of Jazz's family is compelled to change and grow before the end of summer and the long long flight to CA.

MS really kindled a desire to learn how to make yummy authentic Indian curries, made me reflect on the beautiful Indian women in our area- their saris and gold jewellry & how very feminine they look. Jazz suffers from many of the typical female pychological issues: low self esteem, poor body image, emotional honesty, etc, but what really touched me is Ms. Perkins' portrayal of a girl trying to wall herself into a protective cocoon and the country that helps her gain inner strength and courage.

Definitely planning to look up other works by Ms. Perkins. This title like others she's written are aimed at young adult readers.

Wildwood Dancing

Wildwood Dancing was written by Juliet Marillier and published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2007. Link to the publisher page for this book is in the title above. This is an amalgamation of Eastern European fairytales set in Romania during the nineteenth century. I know I've forgotten one or two tales Ms. Mariller refers to, but the ones I recognized while reading WD are: 12 Dancing Princesses, the Frog Prince and Baba Yaga. Like other works in Ms. Mariller's backlist, WD features strong young women on the cusp of adulthood. WD is a young adult fantasy.

Five sisters: Tatiana, Jenica, Paula, Iulia and Stela live in a derelict castle in the Romanian countryside with their widower father and a few elderly servants. Their father is seriously ill with what appears to be a lung infection and must spend the winter at the seaside. Leaving the girls alone at the castle with only their uncle and an older male cousin to turn to for help should they need it. As soon as father leaves odd and sinister events happen. The uncle is killed in an hunting accident (but was it really?), leaving the girls at the mercy of their cousin-a greedy, deliberately intimidating older teen who belittles and bullies his cousins. Their father is out of touch- deliberately perhaps?

Like the best traditional fairytales, before they were judged "too violent" and subsequently rewritten, Wildwood Dancing is full of menace and threats. Yet it also lovingly depicts a close and loving family who care for each other and those they are responsible for. Will Tati and Jena make peace over Sorrow? Will their cousin spoil it all? Who killed the dwarf and the young lady down in the village? Why doesn't their father reply to Jena's letters? Who fixed the fence? Will Jena and Gogu figure it all out before it's too late??