#Tempests and Slaughter

[moderatelyprosperouspeasant]

I'm listening to Tempests and Slaughter right now and I have thoughts to share, the latest thought being that chapter 17 is SO Mastiff! The uncovering of a working of nasty, wasteful, booby trapped magic that's damaging the ecosystem it was placed in...honestly, once I noticed that similarity, I couldn't help but see something of Tunstall in the way that Sebo continued to take every chance to teach Arram by asking him questions where others might simply tell him the answer. Then it got even crazier: "Arram swore to himself. Rain meant his master's arthritis had burdened her for hours--it always came on when the skies were still clear. She had said nothing, had made no sign that she was in pain. 'You should have told me you were hurting.' " No wonder she was insanely grumpy the entire chapter. How many times did that happen to Tunstall throughout Mastiff, and Beka was considerate of him in the way that Arram was of Sebo? Both instances even have to do with rainstorms that bad nasty mages were meddling with.

I'm quite sure Tamora noticed or even did it on purpose, because in the very next chapter, Okot recommends Farmer's book Strange Things In My Stew to Varice.

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Ok, I was relistening to the Emperor Mage audiobook the other day, and holy cow can we talk about Varice Kingsford for a second. Our girl is immensely consistent from Tempests and Slaughter to Emperor Mage that all she wants is to use her gift to make things pretty and use that to smooth diplomatic paths, and there are the seeds of her being...I don't even know how to describe it properly, under Ozorne's power? Ozorne's lackey? In Ozorne's corner? But when it came to the part in Emperor Mage where Daine is wrecking the palace and runs into Varice, the absolute soul-baring honesty of responding to "Did you betray Numair to Ozorne?" with "No, but I might have if I'd been specifically asked to" just hits so hard.

Varice just wanted to plan parties and play house, and literally none of the men in her life accepted that. They kept pushing and pushing and so she ended up in Ozorne's court, watching one childhood friend murder their mutual childhood friend and her lover. That situation will never not be hideously messed up, but the tragedy is how clearly Varice can see the dynamics in her own relationships.

Just let the kitchen witch do kitchen witchy things that make her happy!!!

[malkaleh]

I am going to go lay down and sob now. (Also I think that third highlight remains true - genuinely it’s just the person doing harm is Ozorne and he cannot see it).

[commodoreshock]

Do you think Arram and co will ever hear gossip about this prodigy hotshot ginger with a bad attitude who just obtained Mastery at the City of the Gods absurdly young?

[dr-dendritic-trees]

There are 2 wolves within me and one wants to write an emotionally meaningful scene about reunions in drastically changed circumstances, and the other just basically wants to share all the facts I found in the bearded vulture husbandry manual.

[pennyplainknits]

Hate when a book you've waited ages to read is only so-so. I'm normally a big Tamora Pierce fan but Tempests and Slaughter was so underwhelming. Anyone else read it and feel the same?

Spoilery reaction under the cut

I think one of my chief issues was that it just felt like a derivative rehash of some of her better novels? He's gifted a magical pet by a god like Alanna, he's learning wild magic like Daine, he chats with gods like Aly and Alanna. He's marked by fate like Kel. We've seen it all before and done better.

It is very very slow and while it takes place over a stretch of about 5 years when he's 11-15ish I never feel like we get to the bottom of who Numair (then Arram) is, it's all very surface level. It's supposed to be about the relationship between Arram, Ozorne, and Varice, that we are supposed to see the fracturing of as a great tragedy. But I don't feel like we ever get to KNOW them.

Like (to me) in The Emperor Mage it's very cl

in The Emperor Mage it's very clear Ozorne was in love with Arram and sees his leaving Carthak (and him, and Varice) as a deep personal betrayal but also as a heartbreak. It READS like a bad breakup between the three of them, but I don't think this book really lays the ground for that at all.

We're repeatedly told they are close in this book, and close with Varice, but it doesn't seem real, somehow. The relationships are sketched out, and Numair's almost literal last page getting together with Varice feels like an afterthought, and the girls he dates before that merit maybe one or two lines at most.

I think we're supposed to know that there's some kind of political machinations happening in the background because Ozorne starts out 7th in line for the throne and ends up 2nd in line, and it's implied there some kind of plotting involving his mum and Chioké, which the insistence that Ozorne learn fire magic and battle magic, and the implication that Chioké killed one of the other mages. Ozorne also gets given a spelled potion early on to 'calm' his magic, that Arram notes is odd and not allowed and...I think that's a dropped thread? It's never picked back up. And the Ozorne has Varice make 'calming' potions and perfumes for his mum? That also doesn't seem to really go anywhere?

I know its the first in a three-part series but given that this was published in 2019 and there's not even a pub date for the next one I'm not holding out much hope I get many answers any time soon

[favoritefandomsfavoritefandom]

I have now read 3.5 Tamora Pierce books (Tempest and Slaughter, Sandry's book, and Tris's book), and am convinced I have discovered a micro genre. These books, the Temeraire novels, and the Seraphina novels and Tess of the Road all feel similar to me. I have no idea how to describe the similarities.

[thats-a-lot-of-cortisol]

I've been chewing on what fears the bg3 characters would be because I do that with almost every piece of media I like now.

Gale is the Beholding (hubris, pursuit of knowledge above all else, his ex can literally see everything he does in/with the Weave). You could make an argument for Desolation b/c of the orb but I think that's secondary. Wyll is the Hunt imo, but the Desolation works for him too- I think his situation is similar to that Hunter we meet whose name I'm forgetting, whose inciting incident has to do with the Dark. I thought the same thing about Karlach but I think she's Desolation instead of Hunt, both aesthetically and because she was actively betrayed and is, you know, dying. Shadowheart is the Dark. Halsin could honestly be the Lonely: he's pretty isolated from the people around him emotionally. An island unto himself etc etc. Lae'zel is the End imo. You'd think she'd be Hunt but End fits into Vlaakith's whole deal (victim of the End, avatar of the Hunt?). Astarion could be either the Buried (since that covers abuse as well, he was literally kept underground/out of the sunlight, etc etc) or the Hunt. I'm a bit undecided there. I don't know enough about Minthara to make a call on her and I don't want to just say Web because of Lolth. Slaughter, maybe? Since that fear covers war. Jaheira and Minsc are Hunt too, I think (there's a lot of Hunt but that comes with the territory when you're adventuring).

Gortash is Web and you cannot convince me otherwise. I think Orin is Slaughter but, honestly, Durge seems more associated with the Extinction to me because of Bhaal's end goal. The Desolation and the Lonely tag-teamed Ketheric's ass but he's an avatar of the End. Dame Aylin is an avatar of the Hunt, victim of the Dark, and Isobel is an avatar of the End a la the main End avatar we see (Oliver? I really need to re-listen...)

There's obviously a lot of overlap and bleed because there always is. I've been wanting to make art based off of this but it's not happening anytime soon so I figured I'd shout about it into the void a bit lol

[kingedmundsroyalmurder]

“I met him once, you know,” Numair says, and Thom freezes. “Duke Roger, I mean.” “When?” Thom demands. Roger had left Carthak nearly twenty years ago, after Alanna saved King Jonathan from the Sweating Sickness. Numair had gone to Carthak young, yes, but surely not so young as that. “Right after I arrived,” Numair says. “I suppose he heard about the youngest student ever admitted to the University and wanted to see for himself what I was made of.” He shrugs, far too casual for a man admitting to having met the most dangerous sorcerer in the world as a child. “It was only the one meeting, so apparently he wasn’t impressed.” For a moment, Thom is caught between two competing emotions: relief, that Roger left Numair alone and a deeply nonsensical anger, that Roger dismissed Numair so quickly.

And bam, I am broadsided by an entirely new AU idea. For the love of God, brain, slow down with the AUs.

But imagine Roger showing up with bby!Arram in tow and Arram growing up and slowly realizing that his teacher/adopted dad might not be on the up and up. And then everything goes to hell when Alanna kills Roger and then everything somehow gets even worse when Thom brings him back.

[genesisrhapsodyoffire]

@thrakaboom WHY ARE WE READING THE SAME BOOK ALSO PLS MESSAGE ME ON DISCORD TO DISCUSS TAMORA PIERCE IM BEGGING U

If you see this you’re legally obligated to reblog and tag with the book you’re currently reading

[darkmoonkestrel]

daily kestrel 83/84:

apparently there's a trend now that I forget to post when I go to Matt's. oh well, it was a lazy morning yesterday, we slept in and I was awake but Peyton and Paige woke up when we got a call from our realtor. they initially accepted our offer but didn't want to pay the realtor's commission, so after some haggling, we got it all worked out and are under contract for the Tuscan grandmother house. Paige and I went to get Bojangles and Starbucks, and we lazed around the house until I had to start getting ready to head up to Matt's

of course there was traffic in Atlanta, and I stopped at Bucees, so I didn't get there until after 6, but it was fine. we hung out, I met his new dog, I played Stardew, Matt made a dinner with way too much chicken bullion that we were able to tone down with the addition of some plain rice, Peggy screamed from the craft room until I brought her out to sit with me, and then suddenly it was almost midnight. I dragged the good twin bed mattress into the craft room where Peggy was and fell asleep

Matt went with me to Peggy's vet appointment this morning, which I was extremely grateful for. he also took me to Waffle House to eat after. I know that the decision we made is for the best and it's what everyone else agrees with too, and I was going to say that it feels bad and I regret it but I don't. if we had infinite money we would get the 10k of radiation to buy her a couple more years with no question, or even if there was a chance that we could get it all totally gone, but it's simply not doable. I'd rather enjoy the time we have with her than bankrupt ourselves for an extra year of borrowed time and potential radiation side effects

Matt and I coped with some dark humor, including discussions of homemade radiation, levitating frogs (and potentially cat and humans) with a magnetic field, and hats. after taking Kiper on another walk and watching him joyfully roll around in the leaves, it was time to head home. Matt said he's largely winging it but from what I can see he's doing really good at dog training, it's been less than a week a Kiper is doing great at the "car" command to come when there's a car - I also hope that he does accidentally get trained to the "unfuck yourself" command to get unwrapped from his own leash

it was a subdued night tonight, I think we were all a bit raw emotionally. we watched more Below Deck to see the mess of other people's lives to feel better about our own, and got the home inspection scheduled for tomorrow (although why the company has sent me over a dozen automated communications about it in the last few hours I will never understand). I did warn Matt that if it fails inspection and we can't get the house, I will have a full on mental breakdown, and he said he can come mental breakdown babysit us if worst comes to worst

I played a bit more Stardew (finished the community center Winter 16 of year 1) and Peyton read us another two chapters, and now it's just shy of 10pm and time for bed. I didn't shower tonight, I don't have clean work clothes for tomorrow, but I think work will understand why I'll be showing up slightly greasy haired and in a sweatshirt when they ask about house and cat updates tomorrow. and we have a week and a half at this point to be out of the house!! it's fine I'm fine

[moderatelyprosperouspeasant]

I completed my Tortall book collection!! :D

I’m not really picky about book condition, so these are all used (I got all but three of them on Ebay) and many of them have library markings on/in them etc. The only thing I’m really peeved about is the sticker damage on the Trickster spines, since that’s the only part that’s really visible when they’re shelved. (Dear used book sellers, if you could please place stickers in less conspicuous places and stop placing them on pAPER SURFACES I would hold so much more peace in my heart.)

I had mentally prepared myself for the poster that’s advertised with Tempests and Slaughter to have been removed by a previous owner, but to my shock and delight it’s STILL IN THERE??? I never knew what the poster was, now that I know what it says I will surely be displaying it above these books :) ideally it will be displayed alongside the map that I’ve been meaning to get from Dual Wield Studio!

Other than getting my favorite editions of the whole series, I ended up getting extra copies of The First Adventure and In the Hand of the Goddess because I found copies of the gorgeous 2002 edition for really cheap! The other two books are more rare and expensive on Ebay, perhaps I’ll invest in copies one day, or get lucky. I’m super super pleased with these, other than some glue residue on one cover, they so far appear to be in GORGEOUS condition. The pages are so crisp and beautiful and AHHH I just think this artwork suits the series so well! I’m also super fond of small books, but these are hardcovers so they are in far better condition than the paperbacks I got. I also saw Immortals copies that matched these, they are beautiful but generally expensive.

There are other beautiful editions that I would love to invest in just to have them, though my apartment is tiny and I do not need more belongings lol…now that I’ve collected all of these, though, I should really prioritize reading the Circle of Magic series. I’ve been too attached to Tortall to think of exploring a different world of hers, but Tamora is my idol so I’ve really gotta buck up and immerse myself in that world.

[checkoutmybookshelf]

I appreciate that Tempests and Slaughter spends so much time deconstructing the prejudices and classism that are inherent to higher education power structures, because this is just startlingly accurate to universities gatekeeping knowledge and ways of knowing.

[malkaleh]

I am taking an invitation to talk about my Numair and Onua and Numair and Jon friendship feelings and like OBVIOUSLY. Thank you @naurielrochnur

Numair and Onua are both fleeing abusive relationships you will not be changing my mind. They may in fact, recognise that in each other. (“Who gave you bruises?” Onua asks early on, when they’ve just met each other and Numair doesn’t start at it because, because it matters that she knows. “A man who I loved” he says and it’s true - he had loved Ozorne and Varice and then Ozorne had wanted to wrap him in chains and take him to bed)

They help each other with the nightmares and the flashbacks (listen post the beginning of Wild Magic Numair absolutely had renewed nightmares he was in a dungeon and being sent back to Ozorne (I don’t believe Ozorne was going to kill him, I think Ozorne wanted him back in his bed).

Jon has the shadow of a powerful charming mage who nearly killed him and killed so many people he loved. Jon absolutely has nightmares about Roger (I have some feelings about Roger and his creepiness towards Jon but that’s more like vibes in my brain).

Arram/Numair is thee most powerful mage ever but also he juggles. And gets distracted by a Cool Theory. Will patiently heal animals and is wonderful with small children (Jon finds him in the Dancing Dove one day, surrounded by small children he is entertaining and something in him settles and he thinks ‘roger would never’)

Numair has powerful mage ruler trauma. But Jon is not Ozorne - once he hears Gary or Raoul or Alanna calling Jon out on something and…he admits he was wrong and they are still friends! And that, that starts the trust journey!

Thayet is actually the final piece, for both Jon and Numair. Thayet and Roald and Kally.

[uncontinuous]

Question: would a TMA Slaughter coded avatar Tav be just a Warlock Bardbarian or technically would they also have some levels in Monk?

[dr-dendritic-trees]

Vaguely entertaining the idea of a Swords & Fire / Tempests & Slaughter crossover that is just Amalia Cornaro and Kathe telling Ozorne's whole family exactly how much, and in what dimension they suck.

But probably going to write my original AU.