Favorite Fictional Character (25)

Meme sponsored and hosted by the creative mind of Ryan at Wordsmithonia.

As I mentioned on my last FFC there are some books that have more than one Favorite Fictional Character for me.  And I want to keep them separate for each character to be spotlighted.

Well, I have realized I like showcasing strong characters I see something of what I would like to have in me.  A strength to fight back and be strong for others.  And again I am going down that road...

The last FFC was of Terelle from The Last Stormlord, here.  Terelle was a favorite character for her ability and strength she possessed.  The next character is also from The Last Stormlord, although not a major major character - yet (I have a feeling she will make a lot more appearances in the future books).

Not only is this character another strong women, but I seemed to be able to relate to her on many levels - almost like she was me.  I remember feeling some of the feelings she had, and even still do.  Ryka is not the perfect beauty for all.  But she is very human and relatable to me.  Ryka has bad eyes and squints to see, even when she was young she would trip as she walked.  She works with ink, translating documents.  And she was always tall with long legs.  The other kids when she was younger use to taunt her with names and such.  I had many of these same troubles growing up.  Tall with long legs not yet appreciated, and the eye sight well... it still isn't any better but thank goodness for contacts. :)  And she is what the other girls always called plain.  I am the same way, minimal makeup for me.

Ryka is a strong character as well.  She is one of those female characters that will go into the fight and not be asked to help.  And on the flip side of the coin you can't tell her not to help, she will do as she wants.  She knows what she wants and what she can do.

But the funny thing is the one man she loves, who doesn't know so, is who she has to marry - and he loves her as well, but she doesn't know it.  They both have water abilities and it is hoped that they will produce a stormlord.  The great part about this relationship is Kaneth always gets tongue tied and sticks his foot in his mouth around Ryka.  She is always able to put him in his place, but what he wants to say comes out sooo wrong.  They seem to be complete opposites but they really are a great pair in this book.

Ryka and Kaneth start to have important positions in the book, and I am really looking forward to them coming back in the next... I hope.

Favorite Fictional Character (24)

Meme sponsored and thanks to the creative mind of Ryan at Wordsmithonia.

I have read many great books lately with great and strong characters.  Some books even have more than one FFC for me, but I will stick to one in the post and post another FFC later with the other character.

This week I am picking a character by the name of Terelle.  Terelle is one of the point of views you read from in the book Stormlord by Glenda Larke.  I'm not sure if this is her on the cover of book 2, Stormlord Rising - it could be her or one other character, at this point in the read.  Terelle lives in a world where water is limited and valued to the last drop.  People who have rights get a jar of water as scheduled, but those who own nothing and no rights have to work for money or privileges from others for water.  She is sold by her father to a snuggery.  A snuggery is a place of higher stature than the street women, but a place for men to go at the pleasure of a womens presence.  

Terelle, even as a child when the story starts, has a strong will.  She is determined to not live her life as a women of a Snuggery.  She needs to find a way to get out of the house before she blossoms, which could be any time.  Terelle has a desire to be a dancer and loves making up routines to music.  This area is one she ventures out to seek advice in.  She is goes out in search of the famous dancer who lives a few levels up from her.  Terelle manages to talk her way in to seeing the dancer who takes no visitors, according to the man servant at the door.  The dancer even starts to care for Terelle as she tells her story.  But, unfortunately the professional dancer doesn't feel Terelle will be able to make a living as a dancer, and as well she may have to do things she is not wanting to do to further her career.

Terelle blossoms into a young woman before she finds a way to leave the care of the Snuggery, since the price is high to pay off her debt of living there and helping in the kitchen - the price of water used.  So, Terelle runs away to the lower level to try to hide out.  Terelle finds a old man, or maybe he finds her... to take her on as an apprentice for his water paintings.  

In the end, Terelle realizes she has a strong power with water that she can use.  She finds a way to free herself from the hold her master has on her.  But in all she learns more of her family, more she never would have thought of, and that there is more for her to do in life which is very important.

This is only the first book of the series and I loved all the characters.  I feel Terelle is going to be a very vital piece of the puzzle in the water problems - even more than what she needs to do in regard to her family.  I think Shale and Terelle can accomplish a lot, together.


(If you would like to read my review of Stormlord by Glenda Larke, click here.)  Book 2, Stormlord Rising is due out August 1, 2010.

Book Review: The Last Stormlord

The Last Stormlord

By:  Glenda Larke

Publisher:  Orbit

Publish Date:  March 1, 2010 (first published 2009)

Genre:  Fantasy

Format:  Paperback, 608 pages

Series:  First book of the Watergivers series

Recommendation:  Yes.  There is a unique take of water in a "magic" view and a great world that draws you in to see what the characters will be driven to do to survive.

Book Synopsis:
SHALE is the lowest of the low - an outcast from a poor village in the heart of the desert.  In the desert, water is life and currency, and Shale has none.  But he has a secret.  It's the one thing that keeps him alive and may save all the cities of the Quartern in the days to come.  If it doesn't get him killed first...

TERELLE is a slave fleeing a life as a courtesan.  She finds shelter in the home of an elderly painter, but as she learns the strange and powerful secrets of his art she fears she may have traded a life of servitude for something far more perilous...

THE STORMLORD is dying in his tower and there is no one, by accident or design, to take his place.  He brings the rain from the distant seas to his people.  Without a Stormlord, the cities of the Quartern will wither and die.

Their civilization is at the brink of disaster.  If Shale and Terelle can find a way to save themselves, they may just save them all.  Water is life and the wells are running dry...

First Sentence:
It was the last night of her childhood.

My Review and Summary:
This book is set in a world where rain doesn't come regularly and water is a very precious item.  Rains are scheduled by the Cloudmaster, or Stormlords.  Water has to be separated from the sea, as a pure water vapor, then the cloud is moved up toward the moutain ranges so the water runs down toward all the cities again or to the regions to get the water.  The water is released as rain and stored in cisterns to be rationed out.  However, you learn there are many people who don't have water rights and have to buy the water, one way or another.  We start with Terelle in a snuggery with her sister, where their fathers sold them to.  Terelle is twelve and has no desire to be paid to sleep with different men every night.  Then we meet Shale a Gibber who's father named him Shale because he felt he was as useless as a heap of shale.  We take a journey through the lives of these two characters, along with others, as they grow up and learn who they are.

In the first 100 pages I felt I meet all the important characters through the writing of different view points; Terelle, Shale, and from some of the rainlords too.  I enjoyed reading these different views because I got to see the world and learn about the world from different happenings and sides.  I also got to see what the characters where thinking when they meet, then when they separated again.

The world ended up being a great attraction for me in this book.  There are different cultures and beliefs of religion.  Along with these different cultures you see there is a "magic" here, that centers around water - water sensitives.  These are people who can sense and even manipulate water.  There are different levels of ability and there are different types of manipulation.  One is to make the storms or sense water, another is to manipulate paint through water - which can also affect the future.  I think my favorite at the moment is the waterpainters.   Although, how Shale learns to use his water sense is amazing too.

In those first 100 pages not only did I get to see the world at different views and the separation created between all the people, but also the problems that exist in the world now.  The shortness in Stormlords and available pure water.  I did have one question which kept nagging at me as I read with the characters mentioning there use to be random rains and now they had to have a Stormlord to keep water coming for the people, and the land being rather dry.  What was so wrong with random rains, if it had supplied plenty of water and to have lots more vegetation growing? You do find out later in the book some history about the random rains and why the stormlords are needed.

Glenda Larke has created a great world here with different cultures and characters, from Reduners, Albasters, Gibbers, and Scarpens - and we can't forget the Watergivers.  Glenda has supplied us with a map and she makes great use of her whole world.

I felt as if I watched these characters grow up over the span of about six or seven years in this world and even adjust to the world for who they are.  I got to know them and the world together.

After reading this book, I started to think on how careful the charcters where with their water and how sparingly they used it.  Made me think about how we take advantage of always having it.

I am really looking forward to book 2, Stormlord Rising.  I am attached to these characters and this world and just have to know how it all works out for them.

If you would like to stop by Glenda Larkes blog, click here, there is also tabs for to look into other books and such.




I won this book on Twitter from Orbit Books.

This book qualifies for Speculated Fiction Challenge at Book Chick City.