TOUGH TRAVELING | Forbidden Love

Tough Traveling is a fun meme that aims to tour all the tropes big and small, abhorred and loved that are littered across the fantasy landscape. It was conceived of and is hosted by Nathan at Fantasy Review Barn and here's how it's explained on the blog: 

Each Thursday, our copy of ‘The Tough Guide to Fantasyland’ in hand, we shall tour the mystical countryside looking for adventure and fun (and tropes) from all over fantasy.

This week's trope is Forbidden Love:

Even in Fantasyland parents are not always happy with their children’s choice of partners.

This topic totally rocks my socks so I'm sad that I couldn't really find many examples amongst my reading.  I am looking forward to other people's lists because I'll either a) kick myself for all the books I spaced ('cause that's fun) or b) add a bunch of new books to my TBR.  Probably both. Just like every week.

• Penryn and Raffe from the Penryn and the End of Days series by Susan Ee

This one is literally forbidden love - like forbidden by the big kahuna himself.  If Penryn (human) and Raffe (angel) get together they will create horrible monsters called Nephilim.  Not to mention that the angels in this book are almost universally great big jerks. 

• Seraphina and Kiggs from the Seraphina series by Rachel Hartman

Seraphina and Kiggs are kept apart out of loyalty to a friend.  Kiggs is engaged, in a royal arrangement, to his cousin Princess Glisselda.  Seraphina is Glisselda's music teacher and becomes her good friend.  Seraphina and Kiggs fall in love with each other but they don't want to hurt Glisselda.  In the end they resolve the problem by entering into a polyamorous sort of relationship which was pretty refreshing to see in a YA novel.  

• Marco and Celia from The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Marco and Celia are meant to be engaged in a battle of magic that must end in one of them dying.  So it's kind of inconvenient when they fall in love.

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• Yeine and Nahadoth from The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

Nahadoth is a God of darkness and is pretty darn dangerous and all around probably bad news.  Yeine knows she shouldn't have the hots for him but she totally does. 

Source/Credit

• Clary and Jace in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

They briefly think they are brother and sister and incest is icky.  Spoiler Alert: they are not so it's all fine.  

• Ladyhawke (1984)

So I know this is a movie and not a book but I love it and it includes the ultimate example of forbidden love.  Navarre and Isabeau are in love but they have been cursed so that Navarre is a wolf at night while Isabeau is human and Isabeau is a hawk during the day when Navarre is human.  There's a few seconds at dawn and dusk where they are both human and it's heartbreaking and so sad. *sniff*  Matthew Broderick is reluctantly in the middle of it all.  I'm pretty sure I have not seen this movie since the 1980s so it may not be as good as I think it is BUT I'm going to stick with my belief that it is awesome.

So what are some of your examples of forbidden love in fantasyland?!  If you'd like to see other folks' picks, head on over to Fantasy Review Barn. 

TOUGH TRAVELING | New Beginnings

 

Tough Traveling is a fun meme that aims to tour all the tropes big and small, abhorred and loved that are littered across the fantasy landscape. It was conceived of and is hosted by Nathan at Fantasy Review Barn and here's how it's explained on the blog: 

Each Thursday, our copy of ‘The Tough Guide to Fantasyland’ in hand, we shall tour the mystical countryside looking for adventure and fun (and tropes) from all over fantasy.

This week's trope is New Beginnings:

A new leaf, a new life, a complete change of pace for a character in fantasyland is how most stories start.  Bad people get a second chance, farm kids leave the farm, or a soldier gets a new post.  From there adventure awaits!

Who wouldn't like the opportunity to get a new lease on life?  Sure there are likely some blissfully happy and contented folks in the world (ugh!) but they don't seem to be very numerous Fantasyland.  Here's the numerous folks who have benefited from a new beginning. Some successful...some not.

• Harry Dresden in Cold Days (Book #14) by Jim Butcher

Harry gets a new lease on life. Like literally.  He spends an entire book dead (Ghost Story), as a ghost, and is brought back to life at the end of that book to start life anew in Cold Days.  On top of that he has a new role, that represents a significant departure from his old life so it's like a double new beginning.

• Logen Ninefingers in The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie

At the beginning of this series, Logen Ninefingers aka "The Bloody Nine", is trying to turn over a new leaf.  He's been a very violent enforcer for a very bad King and he's decided he'd like to put that behind him and be a better person.  It's hard not to root for him and his new beginning is really going very well until....

• Rossamund in The Monster Blood Tattoo series by D.M. Cornish

Rossamund is just twelve years old but he goes through a number of  new beginnings during this trilogy.  First he leaves the orphanage/school where he was raised to start life as a Lamplighter.  When he finds himself in deep trouble and danger there, he is taken on by Europe, a famous monster hunter, as her factotum.  This is a fantastic and imaginative middle-grade series, with a Dickensian feel except with monsters and monster hunters and things.

• This guy from a series about a boy wizard by J.K. Rowling

Severus Snape!  Snape was a death eater when Voldemort was around but he's seen the light thanks to his love of a good woman and is trying fight for the right side these days though it can sometimes be hard to tell that he's turned over a new leaf. 

• Abigail Rook in Jackaby by William Ritter

Abigail is brought up in a proper Victorian home but the problem is she has no desire to live a proper Victorian life.  After running off and trying her hand, unsuccessfully, at paleontology she ends up in the town of New Fiddleham looking for a job.  She ends up taking a job as an assistant investigator to R.F. Jackaby who can see the supernatural world and investigates problems that arise from the monsters.  This is one of my favorite reads of 2015!

• Agatha and Sophie The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Sophie and Agatha are whisked away from their village to a school where they will leave real life behind and learn to be characters in a fairy tale.

• The Locke Family in The Locke and Key series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

The Locke family move to Keyhouse after the father of the family is murdered in the hopes of putting the tragedy behind them.  Their new beginning, in this ancestral home with lots of secrets, does NOT go well.

• Myfanwy Thomas The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

My favorite book to bring up:0).  Because it's awesome.  Myfanwy must begin anew after an assassination attempt completely wipes her memory.  And she has to do it without letting anyone else know that this has happened.

• Kvothe from The Kingkiller Series by Patrick Rothfuss

When we meet Kvothe, he's just a simple barkeep in a small out of the way village.  We quickly learn that he has lived a much more eventful life but we don't yet know what has led him to a new beginning in this small town.


So I'm going to stop there because otherwise I think I could continue listing characters until 2016.  This appears to be a VERY popular trope which is understandable since putting people in a new situation or role that they are unfamiliar and uncomfortable with  = instant drama.  Go check out the lists of fellow travelers over at Fantasy Review Barn.   

TOUGH TRAVELING | Flying Rides

 

Tough Traveling is a fun meme that aims to tour all the tropes big and small, abhorred and loved that are littered across the fantasy landscape. It was conceived of and is hosted by Nathan at Fantasy Review Barn and here's how it's explained on the blog: 

Each Thursday, our copy of ‘The Tough Guide to Fantasyland’ in hand, we shall tour the mystical countryside looking for adventure and fun (and tropes) from all over fantasy.

This week's trope is Flying Mounts Rides:

 Because honestly?  Horses just got boring.  (Thanks to author Anne Leonard for the suggestion).

All week I've been thinking the topic was "Flying Mounts" which implies living creature and I've been wracking my brain to come up with flying critters you can ride that I haven't already gushed about.  Flying Rides though?  That's totally different right?  Inanimate objects become fair game! At least that's my read on things and I'm going with it.  

• The Flying Machines from The Abhorsen Series by Garth Nix

These are glider-like planes that can be flown by magic and they are sort of alive and sentient.  They can be made to go faster by whistling up a wind. They're great little rides for the Abhorsen and company to get around as long as they stay in The Old Kingdom but they don't really work if you cross over the wall into unmagical Ancelstierre.

Thar' She Blows!

• The Glass Elevator from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

This is the coolest elevator ever imagined.  It's zips around in every direction and can take you to any room in the chocolate factory.  But the best part is that when you press this one particular button it flies up out of the factory and glides out over the town.

• Howl's Moving Castle from ...well... Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

In Miyazaki's film the castle actually lumbers along on legs (a little like Baba Yaga's cottage) but Jones has said that when writing she envisioned it as gliding over the the ground, kind of flying.  So that's what I'm going with because the castle is just too cool not to include!

• Airships from Every Steampunk Fantasy Ever Written

I'll single out Changeless by Gail Carriger because I love this series and an airship plays a large role in this particular book.  Airships are awesome and part of the reason I read Steampunk quite frankly. There so...piratical. Too bad they have the tendency to explode in real life so they've never "taken off."  Hee.  See what I did there?:)  Some other books on my read list that feature airships:  Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton, The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook, The Greyfriar by Clay Griffith.

Riding a flying broom probably feels a little like this.

• Nimbus 2000 and the Firebolt in Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Can I just say that I really want a flying broom.  I mean, balancing on the thing sounds tricky and it can't be that comfy to sit on but it still sounds like a thrilling way to fly.

Well I think that's all the thrilling rides I can think of for the moment.  How about you?  Ever dreamt of flying through the air on a XXXX?  For more lists of flying rides check out the lists of the other tough travelers at Fantasy Review Barn. 

Tough Traveling - Middle Aged Heroes

 

Tough Traveling is a fun meme that aims to tour all the tropes big and small, abhorred and loved that are littered across the fantasy landscape. It was conceived of and is hosted by Nathan at Fantasy Review Barn and here's how it's explained on the blog: 

Each Thursday, our copy of ‘The Tough Guide to Fantasyland’ in hand, we shall tour the mystical countryside looking for adventure and fun (and tropes) from all over fantasy.

This week's trope is Middle Aged Heroes:

This hero stuff is usually a young person’s game.  And, occasionally, a grizzled old veteran can get involved.  It is a true rarity for someone to join the good fight for Fantasyland living in that in between ground.

I really like this topic because...well... as I get older I find myself appreciating, even gravitating towards, a more mature hero or heroine.  And the definition of hero I'm using is a protagonist who does heroic things whether those things be the traditional slay the dragon type deeds or something more subtle.  After all with age, supposedly, comes wisdom so a hero shouldn't have to use his/her fists or swords.

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Harry Dresden from The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
Harry didn't start the series as a middle-aged hero but I think he's probably getting at least close these days.  It doesn't seemed to have slowed him down probably because he's a Wizard and they have much longer life spans so really he's still a young pup but that's semantics.  I think.  

Ista and Cazaril from the Chalion Series by Lois McMaster Bujold
Lois McMaster Bujold is really fantastic at creating atypical heroes.  Cazaril is in his mid-thirties so not quite middle aged but he has served as a galley slave and it has aged him beyond his years.  Despite his desire to hide from life, he ends up saving the kingdom of Chalion in The Curse of Chalion from...you guessed it...a curse on the royal family.  Ista is the Queen Mother of Chalion and is thought to be mad but that doesn't stop her from having quite the adventure in Paladin of Souls.   Both of these books are really excellent if you have not yet read them!

Aral Vorkosigan in the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster BujoldSo what did I say about Lois McMaster Bujold?  She's awesome.  Especially with the atypical heroes. Aral is Miles' father and only gets to really be the hero of one (or maybe two?) books and quite frankly he's outshone by his wife Cordelia who is a good bit younger than he.  He is a very interesting character however.  I would have liked to include Cordelia Vorkosigan but she is a bit younger when she gets center stage (maybe young 30s) BUT and I am very very, very, very, very, very, very excited and happy about this, the scuttlebutt is that the next Vorkosigan book will be focused on Cordelia!!!  And yes this is the second list this series has been on this week!

Kelsier from Mistborn by Brandon SandersonSo I really didn't love this book but it keeps finding its way onto these lists, lol.  Kelsier is perhaps a secondary character but he is also the hero and puppetmaster of Mistborn.  And he ain't young.

See!  He has gray in his beard!

Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
So Aragorn is apparently 87 which is prime of life for his race which is particularly long-lived (what is up with the long-lived folks in fantasy, one would think we mortals have fantasies about living longer lives...) so that confuses matters but I've always thought of him as being in his early to mid forties.  Regardless, he's no spring chicken though he can still swing a sword with the best of them.  I'm even going to be all cocky and predict that I'm not the only one who thinks of him as middle-aged and that he will be the most popular pick on the lists this week!

Shara from City of Stairs by Robert Bennet Jackson
This is a bit of a gamble because I don't really remember if we even know how old Shara is.  However, my impression of her was mid to late 30s, so a little shy of middle age but close enough.  The practical, sardonic and authoritative approach to all crises speaks to her experience and more mature place in life.  Plus she drinks a ton of tea.

Odysseus from The Odyssey by Homer
Odysseus may not be middle aged when he starts his adventures but he certainly is by the time he ends them and returns home 20 years later.  I always picture him as a more mature hero...perhaps THE iconic mature hero.

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That's it for me this week.  Yay for middle age?  Check out the other awesome lists produced by the whole crew of tough travelers over at Fantasy Review Barn.

TOUGH TRAVELING | Extreme Climates

 

Tough Traveling is a fun meme that aims to tour all the tropes big and small, abhorred and loved that are littered across the fantasy landscape. It was conceived of and is hosted by Nathan at Fantasy Review Barn and here's how it's explained on the blog: 

Each Thursday, our copy of ‘The Tough Guide to Fantasyland’ in hand, we shall tour the mystical countryside looking for adventure and fun (and tropes) from all over fantasy.

This week's trope is Extreme Climates:

 Perhaps the handsome prince lives in a castle surrounded by green countryside and sunny days.  The rest of the land is forced to deal with freezing cold, searing heat, and every other extreme climate mother nature can throw at you.

Most of my Extreme Climates are not really Mother Natures fault but the work of magic. Here's a few books that popped in my head that feature some crazy weather phenomena

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"It's she that makes it always winter. Always winter, and never Christmas; think of that!"

1) The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

This was the most immediate book to come to mind.  The extreme climate in this case is not natural but is being manipulated by the White Witch.  During the book a dramatic thaw (and the appearance of St. Nick) signals the weakening of her power.

“The screen went black before I was out of the airlock. Turns out the “L” in “LCD” stands for “Liquid.” I guess it either froze or boiled off. Maybe I’ll post a consumer review. “Brought product to surface of Mars. It stopped working. 0/10.”

2) The Martian by Andy Weir

An immediate cheat by swerving into Science Fiction but where is the climate more extreme than the planet Mars?

3) Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

I don't know if it really counts as climate but the whole atmosphere of Luthadel is impregnated with ash and mist, thanks to the evil magical doings of The Lord Ruler.  I never understood how exactly everyone stayed alive and had food and stuff.

4) Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews

The setting for Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series is Atlanta but it's an Atlanta that is ravaged by alternating periods of magic and technology.  Because of this there are all kinds of weird phenomena.  If I remember correctly there is one street in the city that is always covered with snow - unusual for Atlanta not to mention the highly localized nature of the weather.

5) Greek Mythology 

Mount Olympus, where the Gods and Goddesses live. is paradise and certainly has a different climate than the world of the humans. It is said to be shrouded or hidden in clouds. "...blessed with mild climate, and surrounded by Uranus, the heaven. It never rained on Mount Olympus nor was it ever windy, only some clouds were appearing from time to time to isolate the god's kingdom from the outside world and bless the world with water.(source)"

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That's all I have this week.  Please go check out what the other travelers have come up with as there are always great ideas for your next good read! Fantasy Review Barn Tough Traveling

Tough Traveling - Fathers

 

Tough Traveling is a fun meme that aims to tour all the tropes big and small, abhorred and loved that are littered across the fantasy landscape. It was conceived of and is hosted by Nathan at Fantasy Review Barn and here's how it's explained on the blog: 

Each Thursday, our copy of ‘The Tough Guide to Fantasyland’ in hand, we shall tour the mystical countryside looking for adventure and fun (and tropes) from all over fantasy.

This week's trope is Fathers:

Comes in two types in fantasyland.  Either a semi-mystical figure proving impossible to live up to or the overbearing type who doesn’t understand why his daughter doesn’t accept the traditional princess role.  He may be tough to get along with but usually does think he has his kids interests in mind. 

I like dads.  I like fantasy fiction.  Let's investigate where the two overlap.

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- King Neptune from The Little Mermaid 

This is an odd one to start with I know because I am specifically referring to Ariel's dad in The Little Mermaid film not in the heartbreaking Hans Christian Andersen source material.  King Neptune is like the epitome of the "overbearing type" described above.  The thing is even as a teenager, when I LOVED this movie, I really felt for Neptune.  He loves his daughter and just wants to keep her from being hurt.  He gives himself up to the sea witch to save his daughter and ultimately learns to accept Ariel for who she is.  * sniff, sniff *  I'm such a sap.  

- Roland from The Kate Daniel's series by Ilona Andrews

Kate's dad is a REAL piece of work.  He is kind of like the dad mentioned above who is impossible to live up to but in this case that's probably a good thing.  This whole series (at least up through book 5 which is the last one I've read) is about Kate working up to confronting her father and taking his evil ass down. 

source

- Terciel from the Abhorsen Series by Garth Nix

SPOILER ALERT!  Terciel got around which led to him to being the father of not one but TWO Abhorsens one of which is also a remembrancer.  He leaves quite the legacy and while he and Sabriel spend much of her childhood apart, they have a really touching, if complicated relationship. Book one in the series is all about Sabriel trying to find and save her father. 

- Bigby Wolf from Fables Series by Bill Willingham

Since I featured Snow during the Mothers topic, I thought I should also feature my favorite incarnation of the Big Bad Wolf.  It can't be easy being dad to 7 part wolf/part human kids who can fly one of which is invisible.  As a bonus, Bigby has a complicated and not terribly friendly relationship with his own father, The North Wind. It's all surprisingly adorable and touching.

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That does it for my visit with the father's of fantasyland.  There are many more but these are some of my favorites.  For more touring, check out everyone else's list over on Fantasy Review Barn!

Tough Traveling - It's a Hard Knock Life

Tough Traveling is a fun meme that aims to tour all the tropes big and small, abhorred and loved that are littered across the fantasy landscape. It was conceived of and is hosted by Nathan at Fantasy Review Barn and here's how it's explained on the blog: 

Each Thursday, our copy of ‘The Tough Guide to Fantasyland’ in hand, we shall tour the mystical countryside looking for adventure and fun (and tropes) from all over fantasy.

This week's trope is Orphans:

No one in Fantasyland amounts to anything if they still have both parents.  Rule number one.  Thanks to Stephanie for the suggestion (and let us all be surprised together that it isn’t in the Tough Guide).

So I expected to be drowning in orphans when making this list, and I was able to come up with several pretty quickly but it wasn't quite as all encompassing a trope as I was imagining.  It goes without saying that the first orphan on the list has to be a very famous wizard named Harry who fights dark forces....

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- Harry Dresden from the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

What?  Were you expecting another Harry perhaps?  Harry's mother was genuinely magical while his father was a performing magician.  By the age of 6 though, Harry loses both parents and guardianship is given to his very shady uncle.  As a teenager, Harry actually kills his uncle with magic (in self defense) thus earning him the eternal mistrust of the White Council and making him an outsider.  For his part, Harry unsurprisingly displays quite a profound amount of disrespect for authority.



- Lirael from the Abhorsen series by Garth Nix

Lirael doesn't know who her father is but her mother was a daughter of the Clayr, a magical race of women who have the ability of foresight.  Except Lirael. Despite living amongst the Clayr she can not see the future and that lack of ability and the fact that she was abandoned and then orphaned by her mother gives her quite the complex and makes her very lonely.  Thankfully she is able to construct a best friend, in the form of a dog, using her powerful magic.  As one does. She is of course sent on a quest and as part of that quest learns more about her parentage and family.

 - Alina and Mal from the Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo

Alina and Mal grow up as orphans and become best friends.  In fact, their connection turns out to be much deeper and their parentage is a major plot point of the last book in the series.  Their status as orphans really shape Mal and Alina and their experiences and ultimately their future.

- Kvothe from The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss

Kvothe is another obvious choice for this list because we actually "meet" his parents before they are killed and their death is a major motivator in Kvothe's life and quest.

- Rossamund from the Monster Blood Tattoo Series by D.M. Cornish

Rossamund is delivered anonymously as a baby to a nautically themed orphanage.  At the tender age of twelve the orphans are sent out to earn their way and learn a trade.  Rossamund is recruited to become part of the Lamplighter corps but many adventures and mishaps and strange happenings get in the way.  His parentage is a major plot point for this series.

- Emily Edwards from the Veneficas Americana series by M.K. Hobson

Emily's mother dies shortly after giving birth to her daughter in a lonely town in pioneer era California.  Emily is raised by the old man healer for the small community and is an accomplished hedge witch when a magical stone becomes embedded in her hand.  She must travel cross country to New York with a snotty professionally trained wizard to see if the stone can be removed and her parentage ends up becoming a very important issue.  Well actually the mystery of her parentage may become more of an issue in book two but it plays a major role in the story somewhere along the line.

- The whole Gentleman Bastards gang in the Gentleman Bastards series by Scott Lynch

It's a whole glorious gang of devious, thieving orphans.  They become each other's family and it's pretty awesome.  Not at all like the gang of thieving orphans working for Fagan in Oliver Twist.  Of course a bunch of the Gentleman Bastards do die horrible deaths.....
 
- Diana Bishop from The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness

So up to this point I've listed books I love and this last one I'm afraid is a good example of how I hate when the character's status as an orphan is used.  I really didn't like this book, so sorry to those of you who did, but I found Diana to be a too perfect character who was given a "tragic" childhood in order to make her "relatable".  The problem is, though losing her parents is very tragic, she is taken in by her loving aunts and raised in a magical house in a charming small town in New England.  Basically I didn't find her status as an orphan really provided any layers to Diana's character but I know I'm in the minority on this one:).

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These are all books I've read in the last 8-10 years or so and I probably could have included a few more like that other famous wizard named Harry but I thought this was a good representative sample.  See who everybody else include over at the Fantasy Review Barn. 

P.S. Sorry for the lack of pretty pictures.  Time is a little short this week so everything's spare and ugly.

Tough Traveling - Disguises

Tough Traveling is a fun meme that aims to tour all the tropes big and small, abhorred and loved that are littered across the fantasy landscape. It was conceived of and is hosted by Nathan at Fantasy Review Barn and here's how it's explained on the blog: 

Each Thursday, our copy of ‘The Tough Guide to Fantasyland’ in hand, we shall tour the mystical countryside looking for adventure and fun (and tropes) from all over fantasy.

This week's trope is Disguises:

Hiding in plain site?  Put on a disguise.  Often used to sneak into the evil lair.  For best results brain a guard and steal his; no one is tracking these things.

Let's see how many Sneaky McSneakersons are running around disguised in fantasyland.


- Ron and Harry in Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
With the help of the Polyjuice potion, Ron and Harry disguise themselves as Crabb and Goyle in order to ferret out Malfoy's secrets.  Hermione was supposed to go as well but she runs into a...complication and turns into a cat instead of Millicent.

- Alanna from the first two books of Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce

Alanna passes herself off as a himself for the duration of her training to be a knight.   Pretty impressive since it lasts for years and she finishes her training as the top knight in her cohort.

- Rossamund from the Monster Blood Tattoo Series by D.M. Cornish

This is an interesting one and I kind of don't want to reveal how Rossamund is in disguise as it is one of the biggest questions of this three book series.  Which is an awesome series by the way.  It's middle-grade and has an elaborately developed Dickensian world where humans and monsters are at war though the situation is nowhere near so black and white. 

- Ani and her Lady's Maid in The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

If you are familiar with The Goose Girl fairy tale at all you will know that it is about an evil Lady's Maid who usurps her mistress' place by disguising herself as a princess.  It forces the Princess to pass herself off as the goose girl while she figures out how to expose the imposter.

- Locke Lamora in the The Gentleman Bastards series by Scott Lynch

Is it bad to use The Gentleman Bastards series in every list?  I don't have a clear memory of the particulars but I know in the first book Locke disguises himself as a wealthy merchant in order to swindle some rich noble folk.  And he probably disguised himself several more times than that in the pursuit of crime because that's the kind of sneaky fellow he is, but my memory is too poor to detail more specifics.

- Wesley from The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Calling his Dread Pirate Roberts personae a disguise might be stretching it but it does hide his identity from Buttercup for a while and I just really like writing Dread Pirate Roberts.

- Some dragons (like Uncle Alma) in Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Undoubtedly Hartman has some cool made up word to describe dragons who have folded themselves into human form but don't mark themselves to announce the fact as they are supposed to but I, as aforementioned, have a horrible memory.  A dragon masquerading as a human is virtually indistinguishable except that they generally have a more abrupt and less emotional manner than most humans. 

That's it for me!  Go check out other's lists on Fantasy Review Barn!

Tough Traveling - The Weasel

Tough Traveling is a fun meme that aims to tour all the tropes big and small, abhorred and loved that are littered across the fantasy landscape. It was conceived of and is hosted by Nathan at Fantasy Review Barn and here's how it's explained on the blog: 

Each Thursday, our copy of ‘The Tough Guide to Fantasyland’ in hand, we shall tour the mystical countryside looking for adventure and fun (and tropes) from all over fantasy.

This week's trope is Weasels:

Weasels are usually very useful, obtaining information from unlikely sources and the like. For that matter they may be fun to be around. But can they ever really be trusted? Usually about as far as they can be thrown, but one never knows.

The definition I had in my head as I thought about the fictional characters that might fit this topic was someone who was very useful, but who had a distinct lack of moral fortitude.  I'm not sure they are always negative characters, in fact I thought of a couple characters that I think fit this description who are pretty awesome.  This is good because I really like weasels... you know these guys:

Photograph by Marko K. Some rights reserved.  (view image details)

....and I don't like to have such negative connotations attached to their name:0).

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- Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin- Varys "The Spider" and Petyr Baelish

Not surprisingly dual entries from the GoT series came immediately to mind and quite frankly I'm surprised it was only two characters - I'm sure there are many more.   Varys and Petyr are the most obvious - both have proved VERY useful to the throne and have found it easy to switch allegiances and stay afloat in a violent and ever-shifting political game.  It would be a big mistake to trust either of them.  I'm guessing they will show up on a lot of lists.

- The Grisha Series by Leigh Bardugo - The Apparat

A religious weasel! You'd be hard pressed to know where his beliefs and loyalty lie.  He has power and can be a useful ally but his loyalty leaves a lot to be desired.

- The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer - Captain Carswell Thorne 

This guy is one lovable weasel.  He's one of my examples of a weasel who is actually pretty awesome.  He doesn't mean anyone any true harm but he is mostly focused on himself and getting what will make Carswell happy.    

- The Rook by Daniel O'Malley - Rook Gestalt 

I take any chance I can to bring up this fun urban fantasy novel.  Rook Gestalt is one mind with four bodies all of which are a little shifty.  Because of it's unique nature Gestalt is very hard to read and keep track of, a fact which Myfanwy, the fellow Rook in the Chequy intelligence agency discovers.

- The Gentleman Bastards Series by Scott Lynch - Locke Lamora

Don't hit me!  This is one of the likeable weasels but I propose that Locke is a weaselly character.  He's small dangerous and wicked smart.  He is also none too concerned with the laws and rules of whatever society he is blending into.  

- Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey - The Head of IT 

For the Sci-Fi entry into this list I pick the head of IT of Silo 17 (or whatever its called - I think it was 17?) because I guffawed out loud when I learned that that Head of IT was EEEVIL.  Because of course.  (No offense to all the very lovely IT professionals out there - unfortunately at my current job the IT section is the bane of my existence - completely unhelpful and in fact disruptive).  The head of IT is privy to "the secret" and while he is crucial to the running of the Silo he is also doing a lot of morally questionable things on the side.

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That's my list for the week!  Head on over to Fantasy Review Barn and check out if your favorite weasel has been duly recognized!

Tough Traveling - Dear Old Mums

Tough Traveling is a fun meme that aims to tour all the tropes big and small, abhorred and loved that are littered across the fantasy landscape. It was conceived of and is hosted by Nathan at Fantasy Review Barn and here's how it's explained on the blog: 

Each Thursday, our copy of ‘The Tough Guide to Fantasyland’ in hand, we shall tour the mystical countryside looking for adventure and fun (and tropes) from all over fantasy.

This week's trope is Moms:

Everyone has a mother. Including people in fantasyland. Just in time to be slightly early for Mother’s Day.

The odd thing is most of the fantasy I've read seems to have a remarkable dearth of mothers!  It's like the authors needed to give their main characters some kind of challenging past to overcome and asked themselves - "What's the worst thing that can happen to a child?  I know!  Losing their mother."  And of course it's true, so it automatically sparks sympathy.  That is all to say that this was a surprisingly difficult list to make, at least for me. 

- Mrs. Weasley from Harry Potter

Lord how I love her and you know she's a mom extraordinaire to be able to handle the Weasley clan.

- Nina Locke from the Locke and Key Graphic Novel Series by Joe Hill

This series leans more towards horror than fantasy but oh well because it's fantastic and I'm going to use it anyway.  The series starts with the brutal and frightening murder of the Locke of Nina's husband right in front of her.  During the part of the series I've read thus (1-4) far she is trying to hold it together and be a mother to her three children but she is not succeeding very well and spends much of her time drinking.  It's a difficult and tragic situation and she is written very well. 

- Snow White in the Fables series by Bill Willingham

Being married to the Big Bad Wolf means that (poor) Snow had a litter of seven children, all of which have wolfy and windy (grandpa is the north wind) tendencies making them quite the handful.  One of them is even invisible.  Later in the series horrible things start happening to them, as well, making Snow's job so much harder.

- Virginia Doyle in the Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray

Virginia is the main character Gemma's mother and it is her death and the legacy it leaves behind that really drives the action of this trilogy.  She is an invisible presence throughout the books.

- Cordelia Vorkosigan in the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold

Not only is she a terrific mother to Miles but she is all around a very kick ass lady!  In fact, I'd love another Vorkosigan series book focused on her.

Since this is a list meant to honor mother's day I will only vaguely allude to the evil stepmothers that show up in many fairy tales:0).

I'm  very curious to see what other mothers show up on the lists this week!