The Lions of Al-Rassan

[bedlamsbard]

So I finished reading Guy Gavriel Kay's The Lions of Al-Rassan today -- I'd originally bought it a year and change ago and read the first few chapters before getting distracted and putting it aside -- and, well. I wasn't actually all that impressed. Except for a few things. (This is clearly the reason why I'm now writing Narnia Golden Age assassination attempt fic. I KNOW; it was supposed to be the Prince Caspian assassination-execution fic.)

I mean, it should have been perfect! Everyone knows how I feel about doomed tragedy. (Er. You know what I mean.) James and Sirius! Anakin and Obi-Wan! PETER AND NARNIA, for God's sake! (Oh, yes, you were wondering my literary (ha) type? That was it. Doomed relationships where the two are parted forever without any chance of reconciliation! I guess Peter and Narnia is a step forward because they're both still alive, and, um, that thing where they're not both human. Or even sentient. Ahem. Also, for some reason, Narnia is the one fandom where I hesitate to write AUs; for HP and SW, I have disputed the "doomed" part of the plot numerous times. Yes, including that thing I promised I would finish this year. Wait. That was also doomed, except with the whole "Anakin is alive and not evil" thing going on. But I digress.) And yet...and yet.

It just all seemed forced, somehow. And...there wasn't enough development. Of anything. (Possibly George R.R. Martin broke me. At least, I felt that this should of been of at least A Game of Thrones length (or A Song of Ice and Fire, period), and it was not. So it felt forced and rushed, and also, I was confused. And, um, I didn't really like Guy Gavriel Kay's style of writing. (If the gods are good, I will be able to turn a phrase as well as Dennis Lehane and plot like George R.R. Martin and S.M. Stirling and write characters as well as Diana Gabaldon when I grow up. And look at the world with the same sense of whimsy as Diana Wynne Jones and Robin McKinley, and write adventure that grabs as well as Edgar Rice Burroughs. But now I really digress.)

I mean, I didn't hate the book, I was just disappointed, because it came very highly recommended. There were definitely things I liked -- favorite character was Rodrigo Belmonte, and I'm very fond of his entire family. Jehane bet Ishak was all right as far as plucky female characters go (I rather prefer Miranda Belmonte d'Alveda and Queen Ines, though), and Ammar ibn Khairan was....well, I'm not entirely sure what to think. He was...too perfect. Too blithe. And his professed loyalty, on which the tragedy hinged, seemed, at least to me, to come out of nowhere. Maybe it was just because I had trouble reading too closely -- I'm serious about GGK's style -- but it seemed like a lot of things came out of nowhere. Other characters I liked included Alvar de Pellino (except for the epilogue, what the hell?) and Husari ibn Musa. I'm sorry, but forget the rest of the characters, I would read an entire book about Husari ibn Musa and Rodrigo Belmonte's company and the rest of the characters be damned. I suppose I should correct myself; my favorite major character was Rodrigo and my favorite secondary character was Husari. Favorite scene: Carnival, hands down. (Y'all will see this in the currently in progress Narnia fic.) As for the rest, well...plot? Not developed enough for me. I mean, I know it's based on historical events or some such thing, but that's no excuse. That's even less of an excuse.

Also, me being a freak? I feel kind of bad for not liking it, as if I'd let various people down in some way. I KNOW. I AM A CRAZY PERSON.

Other books I have read/reread lately (this is code for, if you want me to talk about them, ask):

Dies the Fire, S.M. Stirling (reread)
The Protector's War, S.M. Stirling (reread)
A Meeting at Corvallis, S.M. Stirling (reread)
The Sunrise Lands, S.M. Stirling
Conrad's Fate, Diana Wynne Jones
The Pinhoe Egg, Diana Wynne Jones
The Lives of Christopher Chant, Diana Wynne Jones (reread)
Charmed Life, Diana Wynne Jones (reread)
Witch Week, Diana Wynne Jones (reread) (and you wondered where all the Narnia/Chrestomanci talk was coming from. Oh, I'm so tempted to write Peter/Christopher)
Dogsbody, Diana Wynne Jones (reread)
Dark Lord of Derkholm, Diana Wynne Jones (reread)
Year of the Griffin, Diana Wynne Jones (reread)
City of Bones, Cassandra Clare
City of Ashes, Cassandra Clare
Empire of Ivory, Naomi Novik
The Terror, Dan Simmons (reread)
Apocalypse 2012, Lawrence Joseph

I suppose I should start on the next highly recommended book I've had for the past year and haven't read, China Mieville's Perdido Street Station. (This came recommended by my AP English teacher, so, uh, I should probably read it.)

Comments

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

I read the first book. I like myself too much to try and torture my brain into submission by reading the second. I have read fanfic better than Twilight. I have read A LOT of fic better than Twilight. It's not even the vampire thing, it's everything. I've got a post on it somewhere back...