Автор на дуологията е световнонеизвестният A. D. Adams, който, както всички wannabe аматьори смята, че слагайки първите си две имена като инциали, автоматично получава титлата autheur.
Не разбирам откъде идва тоя тренд. Дори световнонеизвестният Робърт Дохърти, автор единствено на едноименната поредица "Зона 51" (моята първа книжна НФ!), е избегнал този глупав кич.Но да говорим за самата книга. Първата. Понеже втората е... нещо като задължителна притурка, която се чете само за closure. Въх.
The Dragon Healer of Tone е нетипичен роман що се отнася до сюжета. Историята е комбинация от прословутото "the chosen one/coming of age" клише и романс. Има, както загатва заглавието, намесени и дракони. А самият романс е между човек и дракон. (Сега вече разбирате как вниманието ми бе грабнато.) Други интересни аспекти са, че действието се развива в много мъгляв, неуточнен bronze age-like сетинг, подобно на Землемориите на ле Гуин, който на моменти направо изглежда трайбалистки със своята... самобитност, а голяма част от сюжетните случки се получават почти като в приказките. (Дошла принцесата, срещнала принца, завела го в подводния си дворец, там той получил голямо пророчество... и така нататък)
Главните герои са Тера и Фиена, макар че фокусът през цялото време е върху Тера (макар и да има multiple POVs). Тера е момче, което е родено с магическата способност да лекува - нещо, което никога не е можел мъж да прави в тоя свят. Още от съвсем малък по стечение на
Оттук насетне сюжетът, до последните 30-50 страници, обръща внимание изцяло на животa на Тера и Фиена: тяхното общо израстване, развитието на техните чувства един към друг и прерастването им в пламенна интимност и разни общи приключения от ежедневието им. И така цели... 20+ години. Мда.
Сюжетът обхваща много време. Което мисля, че е възможно само благодарение на "уникалния" стил на автора. (За това - по-долу.)Книгата за мен беше като манна небесна. Историята е приятна, лека, топла и нежна - slice of life приключенията на Тера и Фиена ме накараха да изпитам същото удоволствие, каквото имах когато гледах Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. Огромен принос за това има и факта, че с напредването на историята Тера се разкрива като все по-хуманистичен персонаж - непонасящ насилието, всеотдаен, уважащ всеки живот, миролюбив и непринудено естествен. А Фиена... тя си е квинтенсециален дракон ("специалното" ѝ е, че израства като най-големият дракон в света
) и същевременно е също толкова чувствена и пламенна (ха!) колкото Тера. Най-готиното е как романтиката е разгърната изцяло в рамките на отношенията, а... "физикалните подробности" са намесени едва чак към края.
Spoiler
Пък като Тера и Фиена се научават да си променят формите, купонът вече настава с пълна сила. И за тях, и за мен като читател.
(Тоест, може би втората съставка за успешното разписване на подобен образ е не да пращатe героя да мачка всичко наред, а всичко наред да се смачква у него, ако си е наумило да го зачеркне.
)*(мъжкият еквалент на Mary Sue)
Изобщо, книгата ме изкефи дотоколкова, че спокойно си я пожелавам като лична житейска история в някой бъдещ живот. Една достойна ваканция за когато реша, че ми стига странстването из безкрайната спирала на Вечността.
Недостатъци:
- Само един, ама за сметка на това какъв. И това е авторовият стил. Вместо да пиша стена от текст, ще дам директно една глава за пример (те като цяло са къси). Невизуално ориентираните читатели, дръжте се:
Иии... сега разбирате как сюжетът успява да обхване над две десетилетия в 300-350 страници. Същевременно, тази книга се чете САМО ако историята ви кефи толкова, че да преглътнете тотално проваленото изпълнение. A. D. Adams просто толкова си може.Chapter 26 - Exploring the World
(To the Young the World is always interesting and new.)
346 set of seasons since the coming of the Averons
Fienna wanted to explore. She was now stronger than ever, and the world seemed so big and mysterious. Every sun-rising Terra and Fienna would find new things. This sun-rising was no exception. They were flying along the coast and decided to stop on the beach to sun themselves. After a while, they noticed spouts of water far off shore.
This was new, and they decided to go look, so Terra mounted Fienna, and they took off. When they got to the spot in the ocean, they could see large forms below the waves. Every few moments one would come to the surface and blow water out of a small hole in the top of its head.
They looked liked swimmers but were larger than Fienna or her mother. There seemed to be fifteen or so of them from small to very large. Fienna and Terra decided to go to their cove and talk to Setilan their sea nymph friend. They landed and waited. Within a short time, a small head popped out of the water, and then the figure waved to them.
Setilan always liked it when her friends Fienna and Terra were on the beach. She had a chance to play with others not of her kind. It was boring to always be hunting for food and learning the ways and history of her people. She was expected to be a great queen and had many things to learn. She wasn’t sure how, but she always seemed to know when Terra and Fienna were in the cove. She would usually be able to get away from her lessons and join them. This sun-rising she was learning the history of the great sea wars. It was a time when the sea nymphs were divided. Two kings fought a great war, and one finally destroyed the other. The victor took control of all the sea nymphs and became their king. He was Sectic, her great, great-grandfather. Setilan much preferred to play with her two new friends than learn this boring history. This sun-rising she swam toward them in expectation of a full sun-rising of play. As she approached the shore, she had to change her fins into legs. She knew this was the one bit of magic that all sea nymphs could perform, but she disliked it. It wasn’t really painful just not very pleasant. As she concentrated, a greenish glow formed around her rear fins, and they slowly transformed into legs and webbed feet.
After the change was completed, she stood up and walked out of the water.
“Setilan, we’re glad you could come. We have a question?” Terra said.
“I’ll try to answer if I can.”
“Well, we saw these huge swimmers blowing water from their heads far off shore. Do you know what they are?”
“Oh, you must mean the Musicas. They’re the biggest things in the sea. They’re harmless; they eat small plants that float in the water. They play off the shore this time of the year. I often ride them. They tell me of the far distance places they go to every year. This one place is mostly frozen water and very cold. They say the world is beautiful, and all should be happy to be alive. They will be here for another moon rising.
They are a little sad this time. One of the small ones, just born last year was hurt on their way here. He is dying. They have no way to help him.”
“If they can get him close to shore, I’ll try to heal him.”
“Give me a little while, and I’ll see.”
With that Setilan ran back into the sea to search for the Musicas.
Fienna was frowning at Terra.
“You shouldn’t always try to help everything that is hurt. You don’t know if you can heal that thing.”
“I know, but I like to heal things; it seems to be part of me. I was once stopped from doing it, and I didn’t like it.”
“Who stopped you from healing? I don’t remember ever actually stopping you.”
“It wasn’t you; it was my mother I think. I, I can’t quite remember.”
“Well, just be little less giving in the future. I worry about you. I don’t want anything to ever happen to you. I don’t think I could stand that.”
Terra walked over to Fienna and hugged her leg. They both felt an odd feeling swirl through their bodies. It couldn’t be put into words.
No, no words could describe what they felt.
Soon Setilan returned riding on a very large Musica followed by at least one hundred more with their blowing spouts of water. Setilan jumped off and swam to shore. She said the hurt one was by a large female, just behind the one she had been riding on. Fienna waded into the water with Terra on her back. She followed Setilan to the spot were the small one was swimming slowly and with obvious difficulty. Terra could see a large gash on its side. It was not healing, and this creature would soon be gone without help. Terra let go of Fienna and swam to the little Musica. The mother eyed him with suspicion but what other choice did she have. Terra touched the little creature and was immediately hit with a wave of great pain. His hands started to glow orange, which slowly spread over the creature’s body. As they all watched in amazement, the gash started to close, the bones came back into position, the muscles came together, and finally the skin closed over the great wound. He was healed. Just as before. The Musicas were beyond joy. They began to make a sound that was very beautiful. It passed from one Musica to the next until it was almost overwhelming.
Terra was now much stronger and was not bothered by healing the Musica. The Musicas gave him the name “The Dragon Healer” mainly because of the way the great dragon protected him, and he had healed their little one.
Terra had another set of friends in the world now, powerful friends who lived their lives with love and in peace with all things. They sang in their songs of their friendship for Terra and that they would give him what they could whenever he needed it.
Искам да споделя също така следното: това е първата книга, в която виждам употреба и описание на dropkick - и то в tribalistic bronze age setting, no less!
(Подчертал съм изречението за по-голяма видимост. Другото е контекст.)
После...As they reached the place to leave the road, Terra heard some noise behind them. As he turned, he saw a long straight stick flying at them.
He snatched it from the air as it was about to hit his chest. He saw ten men spread across the road with that fool Wistack behind them. Terra now stood facing them with Faray slightly behind him, and he was holding the stick in his hand. He looked at the stick and saw it had a metal tip like the knife that the fool had. He flung the thing toward the ground. It hit with an explosive force, and as the dust cleared, only a hand’s width length of the shafts protruded from the ground. Suddenly, a small man began to run toward them and then leaped into the air with his feet plunging straight at Terra’s chest. Terra’s arm moved with an unseen speed. His hand was now stretched out, and an orange rope of light extended from his palm to the man in the air. The rope encircled the man’s body, and he was held in mid air three or four paces from them. Terra flicked his hand, and the man was thrown across the road hitting a tree about the diameter of a man’s thigh. As his body struck the trunk, a hideous sound of breaking bones could be heard. It was as if dried twigs were being crushed but much more excruciating. The tree bent back as the body impacted it and then snapped back to its normal position throwing the man’s broken body back into the center of the road. You could barely hear death moans coming from his tortured soul. Faray was frightened beyond description and put her hand on her brother shoulder; her fear melted away like frozen dew in the sun. She felt a power surging through his body so great that it nearly knocked her to the ground, but she managed to stay on her feet and somehow kept her hand in place. From the corner of her eye, she saw another man raise a large metal ax, but before he could throw it, a cat leaped from the dense green forest knocking the man to the ground. Before Terra could raise his voice to Suti, the man’s throat was torn out, and he lay dying with his blood running onto the road. Terra called Suti and with blood dripping from her fangs she loped over to him and sat down stroking her head against his leg and purring like a contented pet. Faray saw an arrow flying right at them, but before she could warn Terra, a bolt of white lightning from a single overhead cloud pierced the air striking it.
The arrow exploded into splinters. The remaining men began to back up all with the fear of death in their eyes. Then from overhead, the leaves of the trees began to rustle, and a shadow fell across them. She saw the men turn to run in fear, but before they could take a step, a wall of flame appeared in front of them boiling in its intensity. The heat was beyond Faray’s ability to feel. The fire rolled down the road dissipating some distance away. The sight that befell her next was beyond description. Eleven sets of charred bones lay before her. The ones furthest away, Wistack was obviously trying to escape the fate he brought upon himself and the others. The road itself was melted, and the foliage facing it burnt black.
Стигаме до втората книга, The Dragon Savior of Tone. В нея, сюжетът един вид стига до своя "логичен край" предвид постановките, които са представени в първата част. (По мое мнение немалко от тях са съчинени в движение - и си им личи.) Втората част прилича много повече на класическо високо фентъзи - или поне се опитва да го докара като такова на тон и атмосфера.
Уви, паралелно с изменящите се амбиции на автора угасна до голяма степен и моят ентусиазъм. Фокусът тук е върху премахването на "голямото зло" от света - удобно персонифицирано (както би презряла ле Гуин) - и върху подготовката на героите за този подвиг. Интеракциите между Тера и Фиена са все така с доста "екранно време", но някак си нещо липсва в заряда им. Също така, предвид спецификите на вече изграденият mythos дотук, епични битки и широки панорами просто няма - защото противоречът на логиката на персонажите и света (слава Богу, авторът е решил да се съобрази с тях, а не с личното си желание). Вместо години, сюжетът във втората част се разгръща само в рамките на няколко месеца - което кара тотално строшеният стил да изпъкне още по-...изпъкващо. (:
И при все недостатъците си, прочетох втората част бързо и с интерес - най-вече заради Тера и Фиена. (По подобен начин изчетох навремето и поредицата за Темерер - към Книга пета вече бях тотално загубил интерес към цялостният сюжет - даже ме вбесяваше с идиотизма си** - но жадно попивах всяка една интеракция и реплика между Темерер и Лорънс.) Беше ми ценна и цялостната мотивация на Тера да съхрани колкото се може повече живот и да извърши само онези мрачни дела, които не подлежат на друг подход. (Мне, авторът изобщо не е дълбал на философско ниво.) Съответно, щях да смятам книгата за заслужаваща си притурка към първата част. Обаче... обаче на самият край A. D. Adams успява да катастрофира в повествованието - особено с подбора на думите си. Тера, веднъж като успява да спаси света (макар сам да признава, че не го е направил еднолично), бива обявен за върховен лидер на всички народи - и той не само приема, ами и веднага започва да се държи като benevolent dictator.
Ужас... супер кофти завършек на иначе една прекрасна история. Обяснявам си го единствено като невъзможност на автора да излезе от синдрома на Месията (в която принципно американците масово са забили) и че смята изказаното от Тера за "справедливо".(Което може би е. Ама само за... обикновени хора. За онези, които реално са дълбали по темите на съществуванието, Тера изглежда в тези последни мигове като бъдещият Саурон.)
Spoiler
The old land nymph wizard stood and faced Terra. “I have been chosen to speak for the leaders. We have been discussing the very issue you have brought to us. We feel there is only one that can lead us into the future, and that is you. You alone can command the respect and love of all those on Tone, you must be our leader.”
“Do you all agree with this request?” Terra asked.
“Yes,” they all shouted.
“I thought you might ask this, but understand, you may not like what I will do. Once you do this, you cannot change your minds. The dragons and the trees will not allow my removal from the leadership of Tone. So, I ask one final time, do you wish this?”
“Yes,” was once again shouted by all.
“So be it,” Terra said as he looked over them.
“What will you have us do?” Naron asked the new leader of Tone.
“First, I know of the traditional lands that each of you controlled before the fighting. Naron brought me ancient drawings of our world as it once was. You shall all have those lands once again. I will not interfere with how you and your kind control your lands except for one thing. The trees will not be harmed. I have talked to them and they have agreed to allow large growing areas. They will leave enough space to grow several times the amount of food your populations need,” Terra said as he looked about and saw nods of approval from all.
“The dwarfs' lands and the mountain will belong to me. No one will enter there without my permission. It will be left alone; no one will live within its boarders. Too much death has come from that land. It needs to heal itself.” Terra stood and walked around looking at each leader.
“This world has seen too much fighting. To prevent future fighting, all the leaders will come to a meeting each season. I have asked Rammy to set up a permanent location near the coast. We will discuss any problems or disputes and if no agreement can be reached, I will resolve the problem. My decisions will be final.
“In the case any fighting does break out, the dragons will settle the fight by killing all those involved. They will not determine who is in the right or who is in the wrong. They will simply kill. The dragons have agreed to act as my representatives. They will patrol the borders for me and will act in my name. I will not permit fighting for any reason. Fighting will result in the death of those involved. Attacking a dragon will also be as if you attacked me. I hope you can imagine what I will do if attacked.” They all looked concerned, but they understood the need of this.
“Rammy has said she is willing to be my representative and will visit each land several times each season. She will be accompanied by at least ten dragons. Treat her and them as you would treat me. She will report back to me on any problems I must deal with. She will also create a group of individuals to represent me in each of your lands. If you have a major problem, I will help you. Simply make a request to my representative. Don’t hesitate to ask for help, but remember I expect you to deal with your own problems as much as possible. Treat your populations fairly and with respect for I promise you, if you do not, you will answer to me.
“Naron, we must expand your tunnels so humans can move to their old lands. We also must move as many different types of beasts from the coastal valleys to the central lands as possible. The dark one destroyed all life within his reach. We must help life to return to where only death once resided. The dragons will help as much as possible,” Terra told the human leader.
“We will begin working on the tunnels immediately. I will come up with plans to trap and move beasts through the tunnels. I will need Rammy to help,” Naron replied.
“You may have her, she can coordinate the help from the dragons. It will take many sets of seasons to return to the central lands. The dragons and I will help. Even though the trees have returned, it will take many lifetimes for Tone to recover.
“The plans I have given you are only the start. Many details need to be worked out. I expect all of you to assist in this planning. To that end, I wish you to go back to your homes and consider how to slowly return to your traditional lands. We will start small and slow. You will need to coordinate with me and the others here. In thirty sun-risings, I will send dragons to collect you and your advisers to meet with me. We will discuss much, please expect to stay seven sun-risings.
“I am tired and need time to rest. This is your world not just mine. You and all those that live upon Tone need to help. Every living creature on Tone is depending on all of us to make the correct decisions for our world. Please keep this in mind as you tell those you lead of our victories and our losses.
“We will all leave here at first light. You all have much to do and much to consider. This world is finally at peace, and I need all of you to help me keep it so.” With that, the meeting ended and they all went back to their fighters to explain Terra's plans and rules. The fighters did not simply support what Terra had in mind, but they celebrated his leadership of the world of Tone.
Финална ми оценка е, че тази дуология ми е много близка до сърцето, с някои уговорки (и щипка headcanon to combat the existential horror). Обаче предвид техническото изпълнение, имам чувството, че сякаш е писана само за мен. В това отношение авторът може да се счита за напълно реализиран Творец - успял е да докосне по една душа до степен, че да я промени завинаги.
Spoiler
**А това вбесяване по адрес на Naomi Novik бе една от причините (и то тази, която даде "горивото"), която доведе до написването на The Celestial Way. Кой каза, че revenge writing-а няма плодородна почва?
(Мда, TCW е и един колосален Take That! срещу всички драскачи на песимистична литература, освен всичко друго.
)
(Мда, TCW е и един колосален Take That! срещу всички драскачи на песимистична литература, освен всичко друго.
)
. Just let me know what address I should mail it to.