The first book in David Farland’s epic fantasy series of the same name: the Runelords. David Farland has been inspiring me immensely as of late with his daily kick in the pants newsletter. If you haven’t already subscribed, please do so. He is extremely wise and knowledgeable about the world and craft of writing.
So yes, I am that guy who “bought in” to his free material and then purchased one of his books. But at least I’m not that guy who subscribes to his free material but never reads his books.
What I’m thinking so far about the book? It’s amazing. His prose is very solid and impressive, his characters are intriguing from the start. And most of all, he has already made his world more “real” than so many through the sights and sounds of the background in the opening two chapters. People are going to work, guards are on duty, merchants are trading, harvest season, celebration, etc etc. So many fantasy authors forget that there’s normal, non-heroic (NPC) people in their worlds, doing non-heroic things that keep the world functioning.
I’m pretty sure that things should progress just as delightfully too; I’ll keep you updated.
With that, I’ll leave you with a little wonderful quote:
He’d learned that princes, highwaymen, merchants, and beggars all wore their expressions and stances as if part of some agreed-upon costume, and so Gaborn had mastered the art of putting on any costume at will. He could take command of a roomful of young men simply by standing with head high, cause a merchant to lower his prices with a balking smile. Concealed by nothing more than a fine travelling cloak, Gaborn learned to lower his eyes in a busy marketplace and play the pauper, slinking through the crowd so that those who saw him did not recognize a prince, but wondered, Ah, where did that begger boy steal such a nice cloak?
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