by Victoria Miera
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| http://www.epicaprima.com/gallery/fantasy/ |
As
much as I love the fantasy genre, it sometimes has a very interesting
way of making even the most incredible circumstances seem routine.
Mysterious magical powers, dragon-slaying, and generally momentous
quests to save all humanity can feel like played out, pumped-out
scripts, or
they can be as thrilling as they are meant to sound. At least for me,
the distinguishing factor is most often the depth of the characters
involved and the level of my own emotional connection with them. This
phenomenon accounts for one of the many reasons that the saga of
FitzChivaly Farseer (as penned by Robin Hobb) has held such an
immovable place in my heart since I first read Assassin’s
Apprentice,
the first novel in the now triple trilogy.
For
those unfamiliar with Fitz, his story has been told in seven books so
far, with two more still to come. Readers have seen him grow from a
small child to a man in his later middle years, and in that time cope
with the duties and expectations placed on him not only in such
infamous roles as royal bastard and assassin, but as a friend,
husband, and father as well. The sheer scope of time and content
covered in these books, as well as the amount of time it takes to
physically read them all offers the reader the rare opportunity to
experience themselves growing and learning alongside a fictional
character, developing an even deeper connection with them than they
might have otherwise. In this particular case, yes, there is almost
every element of a pulp-fantasy story (magic, dragons, and potential
world-ending galore), but they make for a compelling story because
you truly care about the characters and their fate.
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