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We all have characters we love. Let’s spotlight these fantastic creations! Whether you want to be friends with them or you have a full-blown crush on them, you know you love them and want everyone else to love them too!
Most of you will probably post about how much you love each character, but this is a great place for the more creative ones among you to let go and have fun! Write a love letter to Captain Wentworth. Write yourself into a scene with Anne and Diana. Draw a picture of yourself in Jamie’s arms. The possibilities are endless.
Be sure to post the book’s title and author, and be very careful not to give away spoilers while talking about how much you love your characters.
Mr. Linky will be posted here on The Introverted Reader every Thursday.
It’s back to The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay this week. My post last Thursday was about Ammar ibn-Kharain. This week, I’m going to tell you about my other book love, Captain Rodrigo Belmonte.
Young men entering the army of Valleda will do anything to enter the service of Rodrigo Belmonte. Bribery in every conceivable form is sent Rodrigo’s way, but he only chooses those he thinks will add something to his world-famous band of soldiers. He’s a natural-born leader and his men would happily die for him. He remembers to thank them for their services, he takes care of them, he looks out for them, but he doesn’t hesitate to hand out discipline when it’s needed. He’s also just a fundamentally good man. This book is a fantasy, but it’s essentially a story of Moorish Spain. He has to operate under the nobility’s rules, but he doesn’t have to respect them or like them. He bends them as far as he possibly can, and breaks them when he feels it’s absolutely necessary. His respect for honest, hard-working farmers is limitless. He understands that the welfare of the country really rests on their stooped backs.
As he travels around, doing what needs to be done, temptation often comes his way. Sometimes that temptation is all but irresistible. He somehow resists and stays loyal to his wife Miranda, a minor but fantastic character in her own right. He trusts her to stay home and stay true to him and raise their children. If there’s any hint of trouble at home though, he drops what he’s doing and races back to his family.
The most-liked review of Lions on GoodReads starts off “No one does the bromance like Guy Gavriel Kay. His guys love each other, man, and they don’t even have to be drunk to admit it.” I had never thought about it until I read that, but she’s right. In this case, Rodrigo and Ammar are from countries that are uneasy allies, but they set all that aside and recognize each other as friends. Outwardly, they are very different, but inside they’re quite similar. Their friendship is a beautiful thing.
Don’t worry, I’ll find another book to talk about next week. I just couldn’t talk about one of these guys without the other. Although you might get me to gush about Miranda and Jehane from Lions at some point in the future. 😉
Who did you connect to this week? Leave a link in Mr. Linky or the comments. If you post on a day other than Thursday, please leave a comment so that I’ll know to come back and check out your post.
