My Most Captivating Character of the Month for July comes from Cameron Johnston’s First Mage on the Moon. I liked the all the protagonists of the book, but the one that kept my focus throughout was Ella Pickering. I posted about the book a couple of days ago.
Ella is a skymage with a decent amount of power, and even more skill. Earlier in the war, she was a pilot flying supplies until her aircraft had a mechanical failure. She actually managed to land with minimal damage, and would likely have been hailed as a wonder but for one small detail. She crash-landed on top of the personal (and fancy) conveyance of a powerful Duke (or some other titled and privileged type). Sadly, she was paralyzed in the accident. She’s had to take on massive debt to a passably (but not technically) legal lender to pay for her medical care and her third-hand wheelchair. To pay back her debts, she’s working double-shifts in a munitions factory, where she imbues small weapons with a little bit of her magic to increase their potency. That is, of course, until the accident I described in my post about the book, and she ends up encouraging the engineer to carry on with his project–and offers some advice with the design from her personal experience. And you’ll have to read the book for more about that.
So why did I pick her?
She could’ve given up. She could’ve wallowed in pity and maybe gone off to some quiet town away from the war and just existed doing some menial work. But no, she buckles down–gets herself some work and does what she can to payback her debts. She’s clearly a hard worker, surviving on scraps, just to do something useful. She’d obviously love to be flying again, but that’s not happening–if only because of the location of her crash landing. But she doesn’t let that or her injuries determine the direction of her life. When she finds a chance for something else, she moves on it–and all but forces herself into a position to have an active role (and turns that to her advantage, too).
She’s a kind person who is nice to be around–they aren’t close, but she’s befriended someone who lives in the same lousy flophouse as her. She’s been hoping to meet one of her eventual team because of her reputation for brilliance and singing voice–and leaps at the chance when circumstances bring her to consult. The two become friends, and that friendship is one of the bright points in some pretty dark times. Also, there’s her drive, her conviction that their team needs to make something positive in the midst of all the destruction they’re surrounded by, and that many have aided by working in the production of weapons.
And, this isn’t really about her per se, but about the way her being in a wheelchair is depicted in the book. So this isn’t really about her–it’s about the world around her. But we really wouldn’t have gotten to see it without Ella. Here’s the deal with her in her wheelchair–no one cares. Maybe (probably) because there are so many war wounded around, but no one really makes a big deal out of it. In fact, it’s so taken for granted that it’s chapters after they get to know each other before the engineer actually gives the wheel chair any attention–and in minutes finds a handful of ways to improve it. And then adds to that list when he actually does the work. Which helps her life tremendously. Obviously, when it comes to walking up ladders or going on an expedition somewhere to retrieve parts from the original accident–she’s out. But everyone just accepts it, doesn’t make a big deal out of it and moves on. Yes, she receives a little sympathy from friends for it–but this
So whether it’s the way she keeps going despite the challenges in her life/career, her fun personality, or the way the world is reflected around her in the novel…she’s captivating.
What character would you name for last month?
Amber Benson’s The Witches of Echo Park series, shows a coven of well-established witches bring a new member into their number. Then there’s warfare with people trying to manipulate the group. This is the series that jumped to mind when I saw the prompt.
