Welcome to bookchat where you can talk about anything...books, plays, essays, and books on tape. You don’t have to be reading a book to come in, sit down, and chat with us.
In books where action and plot are fast paced we find desperate characters in desperate situations. The author is encouraged to up the stakes for the characters so that their bad day gets worse and then even worse, yet. This makes me turn the pages fast to find out what happens next. I like this kind of book though I prefer the dead do not pile up too high, especially the named characters that I care about. As I have said before, when I spend many hours and a lot of energy living with the main characters, I really want them to survive their troubles however desperate.
Sometimes it is the villain who is desperate. He or she may think they are the hero and are in the right and their actions are important and must succeed. They believe their world view is the right one that must be forced on others no matter what it takes. The end justifies the means in their minds.
Speaking of desperate times, Jinx’s Fire by Sage Blackwood is coming out on March 24th. It is the third in a series of books for middle grades (8 - 12 years). The author is our Daily Kos friend Sensible Shoes. The series has been highly praised for a good reason. It is fun and scary to read. If we readers thought that Jinx and the Urwalders had troubles in the last two books, we now find that the situation has grown more desperate. At least three kings want to possess the land and destroy the trees. The safe paths are overgrown, fires are set, and the Bonemaster holds the lives of Jinx and his friends in his hand. If he dies, they die, yet he must be defeated or the Urwald will die.
You can’t get much more desperate than that. Jinx has to make desperate choices as he walks the paths of fire and ice. He is already guilty of turning a person into a tree. How much more guilt can he take and still do what has to be done? As the clearings and villages of the Urwalders are overrun by soldiers, Jinx uses his fading powers to bring the people of the clearings to safety in Simon’s home. Jinx tries not to think about how Simon would feel to find his kitchen overrun by people. How can the people unite and defeat the armies and win their homes back? It is difficult to understand the words in important books that might help Jinx fight back, and it is a trial to keep from being eaten by werewolves and trolls. In the meantime, he thinks that Simon's life force is fading and time is running out to save him.
Then there is this thing about holding meetings and letting people vote. That is brand new. Let trolls be on a council? Let witches vote? One thing that had better be in the new constitution is that people do not leave their children in the woods to perish as Jinx was left by his stepfather.
Once again, Jinx is juggling a lot of things all at once. Luckily, he has friends who are loyal and will help and he can still read their emotions in the colors around their heads. (Always my favorite part).
Jinx is desperate to learn many things. What do listeners in the forest do? How can he use his gift of fire? How can he stop himself from being tempted to misuse the deathforce? Do the means justify the ends? Can he keep his arm from being chewed off?
It is a lot to expect that one young wizard who still cannot make some kinds of magic work can solve such desperate problems.
Many thanks to Harper Collins for the review book they sent me and to SS for writing this lively series.
Jinx
Jinx’s Magic
Jinx’s Fire
Coming April 28th is the sixth book of the Fallen Blade series, Darkened Blade, by Kelly McCullough who is also a Daily Kos author.
Overview:
Aral Kingslayer has nothing to lose—and only justice to gain. Torn apart by the death of his goddess, he must avenge her in order to save himself from being lost forever....
It’s been nine long years since the death of his patron, Namara, and exalted assassin Aral Kingslayer desperately misses the thrill and glory of being a higher power of justice. Now he is haunted by the ghosts of the past—and by the ghost of the lost goddess herself.
When Namara calls upon Aral in a dream to seek justice for her death and the ruination of her temple, Aral must obtain the help of his fellow former Blades and his Shade familiar, Triss, to pursue the vengeance he knows Namara deserves. Even if it means attacking Heaven’s Son—and going against one of their own—in a bloody battle of epic proportions...
I won’t be able to read this book until April, but based on the last books, this gives me pause:
in a bloody battle of epic proportions...
Aral has had such awesome desperate situations in the other books that he is surely going to have more in this final chapter of his story. I don’t just worry about Aral, but I have to worry about his Shade, Triss, and Faran who is a faithful follower.
I am not sure what to say about the John Ringo series I have been reading. I am on the fourth book, now. The setting is the 41rst century when the world has been sent back to pre-industrial times. Our heroes and heroines are generally hugely outnumbered, but face danger with courage. The people are desperate for doctors which is interesting to consider. A lady and her daughter do their best to help and that is part of the story which is fascinating. Fighting for survival without doing lasting harm is an important premise of the books. The villains don’t mind harming people to turn them into mindless soldiers. The fear of being trapped in such a body is ever present to those fighting for the good of mankind. Most of the time the characters are facing desperate situations. It does keep me reading.
There Will Be Dragons
Emerald Sea
Against the Tide
East of the Sun, West of the Moon
A fascinating fantasy series that I am reading now is by
Daniel Abraham. The series is
The Dagger and the Coin. Which is more important to the world, soldiers or money? The desperate character who sets the premise for the series is the Apostate who has fled the temple of a spider goddess who is going to destroy the world. In the beginning of the second book, this man is saying goodbye to his friends, whom he counts as family, to pursue and try to stop the goddess.
I care about the main characters, even the villain who brings the priest of the spider goddess to the main city of the most important kingdom. The author helps me understand why he did it. The man does evil and yet I am sorry for him. I hope he will escape his sins.
Who could imagine being concerned for a bank? And yet, I am also drawn into the desperate circumstances of a young woman who is tasked with taking a bank’s books and gold and gems to safety from a city being overrun. The task is daunting and yet she has been well trained to play the bank’s game of loans, trade, and investment. Her life is at risk most of the time. Her hired body guard is a past hero who gives her his loyalty because she reminds him of his daughter who was killed.
Abraham is good at setting up a desperate scene and then solving the problem which only leads to another even more desperate scene. We care about the characters and hope they will win through. I highly recommend this series.
The Dragon's Path (April 7, 2011)
The King's Blood (May 22, 2012)
The Tyrant's Law (May 14, 2013)
The Widow's House (August 5, 2014)
The Spider's War (TBA)
Here is one of the desperate characters, Cithrin bel Sarcour.
The King’s Blood (pg. 11)
Cithrin bel Sarcour, voice of the Medean bank in Porte Oliva, stepped out of the bank’s office with her head high, her features composed, and rage burning in her breast…Snow haunted the shadows where the midday sun couldn’t reach. Cithrin’s breath plumed before her as if her heart were a furnace belching pale smoke, and she felt the bite of the air as a distant thing.
What are your favorite books with desperate times and characters?
A Tale of Two Cities comes to mind in this category.
Diaries of the Week:
Write On! Worldbuilding, or when you've got universes in your hands.
by terrypinder
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Cities Scale: Boston Living with Water
by gmoke
http://www.dailykos.com/...