Recent Re-Reading

[davidgillon]

It's surprising that sometimes the reason you had quibbles about a book the first time around is the reason you like it more the second time around.

The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison

Teenage Maia is stunned when woken in the middle of the night to find out his father and half-brothers are dead in an airship accident and he is now Emperor of the elven lands. But as the despised fourth child, product of an unwanted fourth, political marriage, and mixed race at that, he has spent his life in internal exile and has not received the necessary education to rule. Maia isn't ready for the elven court, but neither are the elven court ready for Maia. 

I love this, I think the writing is gorgeous, but first time around I thought the neologisms were overdone. This time around it was the mention of chamomile tea, not isvret or ochor, that I found jarring.

The Witness for the Dead, Katherine Addison

Thara Celehar, cleric of Ulis, the god of death, wants little from life except to be left alone with his role as Witness vel ama, Witness for the dead in the city of Amalo. But witnessing for the dead, being able to recall their last thoughts for family, religious or legal purposes, inevitably leads to complications when your newest dead body has vivid memories of being pushed into the canal and hit over the head. But this isn't Thara's first investigation, being the Witness vel ama who solved the murder of Maia's father and brothers gives him the tools to pursue his religious duty, a duty he's already once destroyed his own happiness over.

Thara's a particularly dour kind of hero, a man who has allowed himself to be defined and delimited by his often stated I follow my calling, but all the more compelling for it.

The Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison

An unfortunate series of events leads to Thara finding himself Witnessing for a dead dragon haunting a mine, the site of a historic massacre of the last of the local dragon population. The problem being that doing so will put him at odds with powerful noble families, at a time of political uncertainty centred on the nobility. But Thara remains a man defined by I follow my calling. The first time around I was annoyed that Thara doesn't get an entirely happy ending, but this time I think I've come to accept that the mixed outcome is perhaps for the best, even if somewhat unfair on everyone. Thara really isn't the kind of person who gets entirely happy endings, and he definitely isn't the sort to presume he deserves one.

(I still haven't read The Grief of Stones, the second Thara story)

Comments

[sovay]

Thara's a particularly dour kind of hero, a man who has allowed himself to be defined and delimited by his often stated I follow my calling, but all the more compelling for it.

I predictably loved Thara when he was a minor character in The Goblin Emperor, was delighted when he spun off into The Witness for the Dead, continued to enjoy his adventures in The Grief of Stones, and have heard mixed things about The Tomb of Dragons from literally everyone I know who has read it with the result that I have not yet gotten around to it. I have also not read The Orb of Cairado, but it's because getting hold of that one is the problem. My plan is to hope it ends up in one of Monette's collections.

[davidgillon]

I actually hadn't heard of The Orb of Cairado, so that one goes on the list.

[davidgillon]

I actually hadn't heard of The Orb of Cairado, so that one goes straight on the list.

[sovay]

I actually hadn't heard of The Orb of Cairado, so that one goes straight on the list.

As you will likeliest get to it sooner than me, I look forward to your thoughts!