Tag: News/Misc Page 21 of 26

Percy Weasley from the—

Weeks ago, when I started making notes for this series, I literally wrote that as a joke to myself, and had to keep it.

But seriously…

Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter of Three Firs from The Deed of Paksenarrion

I was kind of bullied into reading this series in college, but there were a couple of guys in my dorm who would just not stop talking about it, even though I was on a little break from fantasy after ODing on it the year before. I’m so glad I caved to peer pressure. Paks is the daughter of a sheepherder who runs away from home so she doesn’t get married off and goes in search of glory in battle. She learns that it’s not like the stories yet struggles on and goes on to be the legend she dramed about. Her series is in my personal Fantasy pantheon, and it’s almost only because of this paladin who saved the kingdom.

Quinn Colson from the Quinn Colson series

Quinn Colson is one of my favorite lawmen–former Army Ranger who became the Sherriff of his hometown. He, his friends, deputies, an ex-deputy, and a couple of feds have now waged a decade-long campaign to clean up Tibbehah County, Mississippi from all sorts of crime and corruption. He’s got grit, a quiet humor, a sense of honor that seems out of place in his world (and ours).

Jack Reacher from The Jack Reacher series

(yeah, I could’ve used a pic from one of the movies, but I just refuse)

So, what can I say about Lee Child’s modern knight errant? Former Army MP who decided to walk around the country he spent his entire life serving, but spent almost no time in. So, now he just walks the earth, you know, like Caine in Kung Fu. Just walking from town to town, meeting people, getting in adventures. Whoops, I think I confused Jules Winnfield and Reacher–easy mistake. Anyway, he walks into town, stumbles onto some sort of criminal activity, usually one that’s hurting a woman (but sometimes a man), and does what he can (which is a lot) to stop it and mete out a little justice. It’s the same basic story, time after time after time, but somehow tales of Reacher are horribly addictive. Just something about this coffee addict walking around with just the clothes on his back.

(which, incidentally, is the name of a great album full of songs about Reacher.)

Spenser from the Spenser series

Um, what can I possibly say about Spenser at this point? I’ve been writing monthly pieces about his first appearances this year, and am having a hard time thinking I can say anything new. So I’ll adapt something I wrote earlier this year: He’s a former professional boxer (not that good, but he did get his nose broken by someone who was very good); a Korean War vet; a former Massachusetts State Trooper, assigned to the DA’s office in a County that fluctuates depending on Robert B. Parker’s memory; and now a Private Investigator. He’s very literate, he likes to cook, he drinks a lot, thinks he’s funnier than anyone else does (except the readers of the novels)—which brings him a lot of grief. Honor’s very important to him and it will influence the way he deals with clients, victims, criminals and everyone else along the way. He’s very much a latter-day knight.

I’ll just borrow this bit from Looking for Rachel Wallace

“What is it you want to know?”

“Why you engage in things that are violent and dangerous.”

I sipped half a glass of beer. I took another bite of veal. “Well,” I said, “the violence is a kind of side-eiffect, I think. I have always wanted to live life on my own terms. And I have always tried to do what I can do. I am good at certain kinds of things; I have tried to go in that direction.”

“The answer doesn’t satisfy me,” Rachel said.

“It doesn’t have to. It satisfies me.”

“What he won’t say,” Susan said, “and what he may not even admit to himself is that he’d like to be Sir Gawain. He was born five hundred years too late. If you understand that, you understand most of what you are asking.”

“Six hundred years,” I said.

and maybe add in this bit from God Save the Child:

Healy said, ‘Didn’t you used to work for the Suffolk County DA once?”

I said, “Yes.”

“Didn’t they fire you for hotdogging?”

“I like to call it inner-directed behavior,” I said.

“I’ll bet you do.” Healy said.

Huh, I went from not knowing what to say to saying too much. Spenser has that affect me.

Toby Daye from the October Daye series

October Daye is the daughter of Amandine (daughter of Oberon) and a human, she’s half-Dochas Sidhe/half-human changeling. She’s a hero of the Realm, the Knight of Lost Words and a former countess. When we meet her, she’s a non-practicing P.I. recovering from spending fourteen years as a fish in a pond in a San Francisco park. But she starts getting involved with the Fae again, and things start happening. She’s toppled kingdoms, killed a Firstborn Fae, and has generally saved the day on a regular basis. She does it with a grim determination, a smart mouth, and an attitude that makes her more enemies than fans or friends. But when there’s trouble afoot, you want no one else at your back.

and…

Turtle Wexler from The Westing Game

Maybe it’s just because I read a book a week or so ago that I compared to The Westing Game, or maybe it’s because of the news of the new adaptation (that promises to be fairly faithful) in the works–but I can’t stop thinking about Turtle (sorry, Mrs. Wexler, Tabitha-Ruth). So I’m bending my own little rule and naming her here, too. Turtle is smart, clever, with a mouth that gets her into trouble, a little impulse control, and a nasty shin kick. There’s a real sense that me reading about Turtle (and wishing I could meet someone like her) in elementary school that paved the way for…well, Spenser, and Toby, for starters. Also Mercy Thompson, Lizzy Spellman, Archie Goodwin, and a few more that have made the lists in this series. For a thirteen-year-old girl to outsmart an apartment building full of adults to win control of Sam Westing’s company–and to do it in a believable and stylistic fashion–made me a fan for life.

Kvothe from the The Kingkiller Chronicles

My name is Kvothe, pronounced nearly the same as “quothe.” Names are important as they tell you a great deal about a person. I’ve had more names than anyone has a right to. The Adem call me Maedre. Which, depending on how it’s spoken, can mean The Flame, The Thunder, or The Broken Tree…My first mentor called me E’lir because I was clever and I knew it. My first real lover called me Dulator because she liked the sound of it. I have been called Shadicar, Lightfinger, and Six-String. I have been called Kvothe the Bloodless, Kvothe the Arcane, and Kvothe Kingkiller. I have earned those names. Bought and paid for them.

But I was brought up as Kvothe. My father once told me it meant “to know.”

I have, of course, been called many other things. Most of them uncouth, although very few were unearned.

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me.

I love The Name of the Wind, our first introduction to Kvothe and his world, I’ve bought copies just have on hand to give away. I was let down, somewhat, by The Wise Man’s Fear but man…there’s something about Kvothe. Even if we never get The Doors of Stone (as seems increasingly likely)—I’m just glad to have met him.

The Luidaeg from the October Daye` series

The Sea Witch. One of those monsters that Fae parents warn their children about to get them to behave. The First of the Firstborn. She’s simply a delicious character, from the first book in the series, she’s been probably my favorite. She can be counted on to be creepy, comic relief, terrifying, and disturbing at any point (frequently the same moment). One day, she is going to kill Toby, in the meantime, she’s her most powerful ally. She’s brought me to the verge of tears three times (so far). I’m not sure what exactly to say about her, really, words can’t sum her up.

Mercy Thompson from The Mercy Thompson series

Mercedes “Mercy” Athena Thompson. Volkswagon Mechanic. Coyote skinwalker. Wife of the Alpha of the Columbia Basin Pack of werewolves. Trouble magnet. Mercy is (as she’ll tell you herself) one of the weekest supernatural beings around, but she finds herself in the middle of all sorts of trouble—from the Fae (all sorts), werewolves, vampires, witches, miniature zombie goats, and others—and somehow, she always manages to come out on top. Sometimes it’s because of a powerufl ally or friend (or family member), frequently it’s because she’s quick enough and clever enough to outsmart whatever/whoever she’s up against. As the daughter of Coyote, she’s an agent of chaos—and man, oh, man, can she bring it.

Nina Hill from The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

There’s something about Nina Hill that just speaks to me. It was practically love at first sentence. Nina Hill is a reader — books are how she defines herself, the prism through which she sees and interacts with the world. She has a job (bookseller), a cat, a small home with a lot of shelves, a trivia team, book club, a place she exercises, a visualization corner, a fantastic planner and a love of coffee and quality office products. Her life is pretty regimented, but everything is just how she likes it. She also is introverted, prone to anxiety, and averse to change. Nina’s smart with a great memory, a penchant for honesty, and highly-developed sense of who she is.

Oberon from The Iron Druid Chronicles and Oberon’s Meaty Mysteries

Clearly, he’s a favorite—I have a stuffed toy of him. Atticus O’Sullivan’s Irish Wolfhound. After being bound to Atticus, the two can communicate telepathically. Oberon has a taste for TV and movies, he loves chasing squirrels and eating sausages (and has a thing for French Poodles). Either in his own novellas or in the novels about Atticus he’s a constant source of laughs and is the real heart of the Iron Druid</b books.

Fiona Griffiths from the Fiona Griffiths series

When we meet her, Fi is most junior detective on the South Wales Major Crimes unit. And she’s very aware of it—she’s very aware of a lot. She had some…very serious medical issues as a young person (I’ll let her tell you about it), and she’s really not totally over it. She keeps most of her problems to herself, her colleagues and supervisors know that her brain doesn’t work like most people’s do. It’s Fi’s unique perspective and her drive to be accepted by other detectives that provide the push for her to get to the bottom of the murder case in her first book, Talking to the Dead.

Archie Goodwin from the Nero Wolfe series

I do an annual tribute to Archie on October 23rd, so I’ll keep this short. Archie is the narrator of the Nero Wolfe mysteries. He’s Wolfe’s assistant, his legman, his majordomo. A decent P.I. in his own right, Archie’s major task is to be the reclusive genius’s conduit to the world outside. He’s got a quick wit, a pretty good punch, a strong typing speed, and a fantastic memory. I’ve been reading Archie since I was in junior high, and I can’t imagine that I won’t be reading him on my deathbed.

Harry Dresden from The Dresden Files

What can I possibly say about Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden?

Maybe I’ll let him sum things up. In the Chicago Yellow Pages (back when they were a thing), you could find this listing:

HARRY DRESDEN — WIZARD
Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations.
Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates.
No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties or Other Entertainment

That pretty much says it all. He’s Chicago’s only Professional Wizard, a sometimes Police Consultant, a Warden of the White Council, the Winter Knight, and incurable smart-ass.

I love this guy.

Izzy Spellman from The Spellman Files

Izzy is the daughter of two P.I.s and joining the family business as a way to delay maturation. She drinks too much, she has a very spotty relationship record. Has a nose for trouble—and is a good investigator, when she puts in a little effort. Her family spends as much time investigating each other as they do whatever case they’re working. She’s funny, she’s quirky, she has a tendency to use a lot of footnotes in her narration. She’s as funny as Stephanie Plum at her best, as good an investigator as Kinsey Millhone (if not better), and an ability to find herself in trouble as often as Dennis Mitchell.

(Borrowing from Lisa Lutz’s website) “Izzy’s cynical—okay, wise—enough to realize that a primrose-covered cottage with a white picket fence is not in her future. That’s okay with her. Ever the jaded P.I., she catalogs her ex-boyfriends with calculated brevity, reducing her romantic misjudgments to curt summaries of name, age, occupation, hobbies, duration, and last words. No sooner has she met a new man that she begins composing his exit profile.”

Jupiter Jones from The Three Investigators series.

The Three Investigators series solidified my obsession with Detective Fiction, one that readers here know has not let up one bit. The First Investigator gave hope to chubby, bookish kids everywhere—the HQ he set up underneath the discarded bits and pieces in his Aunt and Uncle’s junkyard was a dream hangout, his inventiveness was something to be jealous of, and his nose for a mystery was something we all aspired to. I don’t know how many times I read every novel in that series I could find (more than was good for me), but watching Jupiter (and Pete and Bob) get into and out of trouble (mostly because of Jupiter’s intellect) was one of my favorite things in childhood.

Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird

(and, technically, the other book that probably should never have seen the light of day, we’ll just ignore that)

Atticus’ fight for justice for all, his parenting style, the lessons he imparted to his children, the basic decency he showed to everyone…in short, his character. No one human can probably be as good as he’s depicted. But Lee did it in such a way that we all believe he could’ve been, and we all want to try to be that kind of person ourselves.

Harry Bosch from The Harry Bosch series

Everybody counts or nobody counts. This motto has driven the law enforcement career (and retirement) of this orphaned son of a murdered prostitute, who turned his grief and trauma into a crusade for justice for everyone, not just the powerful and rich. There are more than twenty novels in his own series, plus appearances in novels of two spin-off series–plus one of the best TV series that Amazon has yet produced. His drive, his focus, his crusade has captured the imagination of a legion of fans, and it shows no signs of slowing down.

Chet “The Jet” from the Chet and Bernie Mysteries

Chet flunked out of the training to be a police dog on the last day (a cat was involved), and that was the best thing that could’ve happened to him. He’s now the partner of Bernie Little, a private investigator in Phoenix. Bernie and Chet may not be the most successful team out there (Bernie’s not good with money), but they are known for their integrity, their persistence, and their successes in closing cases. Chet loves little more than chasing down a perp and wrapping his teeth around their ankle (Slim Jims, a scratch behind the ears, a game of fetch, or Bernie’s smell would be challenges for that). I became a fan of Chet’s within a couple of chapters of his debut and my appreciation for him continues to grow.

Dobby the House Elf from the Harry Potter series

Dobby…the poor slave of the Malfoys, freed by Harry Potter at the end of The Chamber of Secrets. Who doesn’t cheer a little every time they read or hear, “Dobby has no master. Dobby is a free elf!”? He’s constantly causing trouble as he tries to help/save Harry. His death is one of the hardest to read in the series, the connection that so many readers make with him over the course of the series demonstrates Rowling’s skill with characters. He doesn’t have fabulous powers, he doesn’t have a giant role to play in the series. But here’s there frequently, doing the little things and being stalwart, brave, and loyal.

Eustace Scrubb from The Chronicles of Narnia

When we first meet Eustace he’s such a worthless twit, it seems even Lewis has little use or patience for him. His whiny attitude, demanding to see the British consulate in Narnia, (and what’s up with calling his parents by their names?), etc. And don’t get me started with the way he treats Reepicheep! But then comes the night in the dragon’s cave and the singular best depiction of sanctification in fiction (with the possible exception of Bunyan). Then he grows, he develops, and over the next book and a half becomes one of the great heroes of Narnia. Eustace is my favorite Son of Adam in the series and I still enjoy thinking of him decades after first meeting him.