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Jan. 23rd, 2019 01:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pearwaldorfIt has been a great while (seven years, if Goodreads is to be trusted) since I've read more than ten books a year. It is not a state of things I'm particularly happy with, but my ability to focus on things for an extended and continuous period of time has not been great.
When I actually do get to reading, it tends to be during travel. For whatever reason I find it easier to focus when I have lots and lots of slack time. But! I read a book this month! And it was amazing! I missed it a lot!
So I read the first book in Tamora Pierce's Numair series, Tempests and Slaughter. It's quite a departure from stuff she's written before, as it
As somebody who's lived with part of the story in the back of my head for literal decades, it's wistful watching Arram interact with Ozorne, and think about how things could have been different. It's nice to figure out some things about Arram/Numair (like where he learned to juggle), but it feels honestly tragic to see how power and influence change Ozorne. I think he would have been happy taking care of birds and plants or being a minor noble far out of the line of succession, but obviously that's not what happens.
I'm very pleased to see Varice gets an actual personality in this book, as opposed to just being Numair's ex. She's sharp, clever, and makes absolutely no apologies for using her magic for "frivolous" things like cooking and entertaining. Her social skills get Arram and Ozorne out of a couple situations, and I'm glad to see emotional intelligence put on par with skills that require intellect.
If you haven't read any of the other Tortall books, I think it will be just fine as the first part of a standalone trilogy, but for those of us who love the other books, especially the Immortals quartet, it's a delightful origin story for a well-loved character.
When I actually do get to reading, it tends to be during travel. For whatever reason I find it easier to focus when I have lots and lots of slack time. But! I read a book this month! And it was amazing! I missed it a lot!
So I read the first book in Tamora Pierce's Numair series, Tempests and Slaughter. It's quite a departure from stuff she's written before, as it
- has a male protagonist
- focuses on a time period we already know something about (unlike the Beka Cooper books)
As somebody who's lived with part of the story in the back of my head for literal decades, it's wistful watching Arram interact with Ozorne, and think about how things could have been different. It's nice to figure out some things about Arram/Numair (like where he learned to juggle), but it feels honestly tragic to see how power and influence change Ozorne. I think he would have been happy taking care of birds and plants or being a minor noble far out of the line of succession, but obviously that's not what happens.
I'm very pleased to see Varice gets an actual personality in this book, as opposed to just being Numair's ex. She's sharp, clever, and makes absolutely no apologies for using her magic for "frivolous" things like cooking and entertaining. Her social skills get Arram and Ozorne out of a couple situations, and I'm glad to see emotional intelligence put on par with skills that require intellect.
If you haven't read any of the other Tortall books, I think it will be just fine as the first part of a standalone trilogy, but for those of us who love the other books, especially the Immortals quartet, it's a delightful origin story for a well-loved character.
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Date: 2019-01-24 04:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-01-26 10:41 pm (UTC)