... Still Lost in Westeros (#5 Songs of Ice & Fire, Continued)

The fifth book in the Song of Ice and Fire was recently released.  As soon as was possible, I downloaded the 1100 page novel on my Nook.   I have a new hero: Daenerys Targaryen.  Dany, as she is called by those who love her most, is an honest young lady who, although life has handed her nothing but trying times, has grabbed life by the dragon wings with all of her will.  She comes from a family known for marrying off siblings and for having tendencies to insanity.  When she was a child, all of her family, except one brother were murdered by the "Usurper," a man named Robert Baratheon who, soon after, named himself King of Westeros. 

Some things you'll need to know about Dany's family: House Targaryen's coat of arms is a dragon, their words are "Fire and Blood," and they ruled Westeros for nearly 300 years.

Dany finds herself traveling all over the world when her brother sells her to a tribe of Dothraki people who treat her like a queen.  Her surviving brother is murdered (Finally. Sorry, he was a terrible person.), her husband is murdered, her unborn son is murdered, and Dany finds herself alone again.   Alone, that is, except for her three newborn dragons.  She manages to find some old friends, and some new enemies, on her travels, and decides to make her way back to Westeros to claim her rightful seat as queen.

At the end of "Dance of Dragons" Dany has yet to make her way to claim her seat.  Instead, she has traveled from land to land releasing slaves on the Bay of Slavers from their servitude.  She chose to help hundreds of people, rather than take what was her own.   At the end of the novel, she is maybe seventeen years old.   Her character is interesting and conflicted, yet mysterious and caring.  Every thing she does is for her "children" - the slaves she has worked so hard to free.

I understand that another book will eventually be released.  I hope it's soon.  My poor friend Dany is (don't read further if you aren't caught up...) stuck in a desert and, potentially, being kidnapped by an old friend.  My hope is that this hero - a true hero in the sense of the word - who gives up all of her own needs for those of people she doesn't even know, can rule the realm and that everyone else (ahem, Cersi) gets what he or she deserves.

Just for Fun: "The Magicians" by Lev Grossman

The Magicians was recommended to me by a friend of a friend who is a friend of the author (got that?).   It is about a young man, Quentin, who lives a dreary life as a teenager feeling miserable for himself.  He is in love with a friend who is in love with their other friend, and dreads having to go to an interview for college admissions.   When he finally gets around to this interview, he finds the interviewer dead on the floor.  A beautiful EMT is there - she'll be back later, don't you worry - and he finds the last of a series of books he read as a child.   Fillory, the land in which this series of books takes place, is the Quentin's Holy Grail.  He dreams of leaving his mundane life and becoming King of Fillory.  In his search for Fillory, Quentin finds himself attending a magic school, turns into a goose, and has all of his wishes come true (kind of).

The Magicians takes us through a Harry Potter type experience.  Quentin is a young man living in a magical world that those around him don't know exists.   Unlike Harry, though, Quentin is not a likeable hero.  He is one of those guys who you just want to scream at and say "You ungrateful idiot! Learn to be thankful!" He is condescending to his friends, rude to his parents, and makes some really unforgivable mistakes. 

This book was written as a series of books in one:  It really should have been written as a series of short stories, instead of a novel.  There were too many threads started at the beginning of the book that were tied up at various points throughout.  Each ending of a thread felt as though it were the end of a book.  I would prefer a collection of short stories to one novel with multiple endings.

Grossman's language and ability to describe are provoking.  There were several passages I read a few times over in order to absorb them better.  The vocabulary he used, some of which Grossman made up, was very interesting. 

#29: Interview with a Vampire, Anne Rice

When I was a little, little girl I often watched vampire shows and movies on television with my mom.  This was, of course, in addition to our ghost and alien favorites.   I was a sci-fi nerd in training, if you will.  We watched many episodes of Dark Shadows and you could definitely find us on the couch on weeknights watching Mulder and Scully crush some alien bad guys on the X-Files.   We were quite excited, then, when the movie Interview with a Vampire came out in 1994.  I was about 10, mind you, and I could not tell you to this day if I ever saw more than a moment or two - blood, gore, and sex are often associated with vampires and this movie did not lack those.  Toss in a little 90s hunkage (Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise anyone?) and 10 year-old Robyn was probably in a bit over her head.

Logistically, I felt the "interview" part of this novel was a waste.  Louis's story was interesting and Rice told the story from his point of view.  When reading the sections where Louis spends time with the student interviewing him, I found myself wishing to skip up to the next section.  It was unnecessary.

Needless to say, as an adult reading Anne Rice's novel I was mature enough to understand the confusion Louis felt in a very different way than I did if I did happen to see the movie as a lass - Did he love humans?  Did he want to destroy them?  Why was he always questioning who he was?  What was the deal with Claudia?  She was a child but he loved her... or did he?  I felt drawn to his confusion, his ordeal.  Anyone of us, even those of us who are not vampires, can find ourselves lost in situations we never imagined ourselves in.  How did I get here... ? we might think... Do I deserve such pain, such suffering?  Louis was a character I will not soon forget - like an old friend who stops calling me for coffee dates because he is in a great deal of pain.

While lost in the Shire, I found Westeros. (#5: A Song of Ice & Fire, George R.R. Martin)

A friend and I went out for sushi on Cinco de Mayo.  While wandering around Beverly after a glass of Saki, we discussed "The Fellowship of the Ring," as she, too, was reading the Lord of the Rings series.  I let her know I was lost in the Shire.   I can not venture past the realm of Tom Bombadil in the Old Forest.  For those of you who are not familiar, I am on page 182/1348... in the first book of a three book series.   I would love to say it is because he and his beautiful lady friend, Goldberry, entice me and I dread leaving their company.  Alas, this is not the case.  Each time I pick up my Nook and attempt a page or two, I find myself day dreaming about another fantasy world I have spent much time in as of late:  Westeros.

I have two friends at my office who are as nerdy (maybe more so...) as I am.  They both recommended the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin.   Although at least one of these four novels is over 900 pages,  I have caught up in just about two months.  I am about to start the forth, and the fifth is due out on July 12.

George R.R. Martin, where have you been all my life?  For the sake of not spoiling the new HBO series for those of you who are not readers, I will refrain from sharing details.  I will, though, mention that the poetic prose of this novel is incredible. The imagery, the details, the love I feel for many of the characters - and hatred for others - are so intense.

When I began this escapade through the top 100 fantasy books ever written, this is what I expected.   Wolves that might be men, children that might have green tongues because they might eat frogs, boys that might be crows, families full of deceit, kings who can't rule, knights who are not knightly, battles that may or may not have been won by 'the good guy'.

I promise that one day I will find my way back to the Shire and follow Frodo on his journey, but until then, I'll be in Westeros.  Come find me if you can.

#1: Lord Of the Rings Trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien

Well:  I cheated.  I have moved up to number one.  I decided that since I am in grad school working my butt off to become the most amazing animal advocate out there... that in my downtime, I am going to read the best fantasy books ever!

So, here I am: reading one of the most incredible fantasy books ever written.  J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  Interestingly enough, I downloaded a copy of the Triology on my special Christmas Nook that my husband bought for me (because he's amazing... who knows me better?  Reading is awesome... and reading without destroying trees is even more awesome!!). 

As I'm reading the first book in the Trilogy, "The Fellowship of the Ring," I can't help but remember the movie version that came out when I was in high school.  I remember watching the movies and loving them... beautiful characterization, beautiful setting, and a great rendition of the novel.  When I was a little girl, I was obsessed with "The Hobbit" (more on that later... when I re-read that novel!) and I tried very hard in middle school to try to read the Fellowship:  I was rather unsuccessful, to be honest.  The reading was difficult and not as "unserious" as I wished.  I do remember the book, though... it was an old copy... maybe from the 1970s... with the cover was an off white color... and the font was green.  My friends who are graphic designers would probably be happy to know that I recognize it as some sort of a bold Roman font with fancy-smancy details... The novel itself?  Unfortunately, not very rememberable to the 12 year old me!

I will absolutely comment more on the Fellowship later...  Frodo's journey away from the Shire reminds me of the journey of all of our lives.  We are safe.  We have homes. We have our loved ones.  Then, we move on to a scary, dark unknown world...