Friday, March 28, 2008

Renegade's Magic

I am currently reading Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb. Robin Hobb is one of my favorite writters. She more than anyone else can make me empathize with her Characters. Often her Characters go though tremendous hardship but are completely believable as unique human beings.

This book is the third book is her Soldier Son series. Shamans Crossing and Forest Mage being book 1 and book 2. In this book Nevarre is surrenders completely to the "Speck" magic. Nevarre has a divided soul part Ghernian part Speck. I am only halfway thru this book and right now Nevarre's Speck half has total control. The Ghernian part sitting as another consciousness in the back of his mind.

This series has been Robin Hobb's biggist deviation from the standard Fantasy Setting. There is quite a bit of similarity between Ghernia and America when the great plains were being settled. Ghernia is landlocked and the King has been pushing his road through the countryside trying to get to the ocean on the other side of the mountains. The plains were concoured by soldier's of Nevarre's Fathers Age. In fact, the success of the counquest of the plains catapults many soldiers into being "New Nobles". Which is the case of Nevarre's family.

But, when the road leaves the plains it runs strait into a forest and the domain of the Speck people. The Speck's ancestor trees lie directly in the path of the Ghernian Kings Road and thus the two people are brought into conflict.

The Speck magic seizes Nevarre to stop the Ghernian King's road and with Nevarre's Speck self in charge terrible magic will be unleashed.

The other reason I like this book is the way Robin Hobb presents the Speck Great One's. All Speck magicians are increadibly fat. Apparently that is how they store their magical energy. They also have feeders who fatten them up so they are more and more powerful.

The reason I thought this was intersting is that in a thin obsessed culture it was intrigueing to see fatness and obesity portrayed in a neutral or positive manner. It make you think that even though you think X is best some folks like Y.

That's all.

:)

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