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Post by Kypriotha on Jan 30, 2018 4:50:17 GMT 10
Does anyone have any predictions they want to make for Tempests & Slaughter? Or even The Numair Chronicles as a whole?
Make a prediction now and then check back later to see who was right!
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Post by devilinthedetails on Jan 30, 2018 8:35:40 GMT 10
Cool topic. I think the Numair Chronicles are interesting to try to predict because we know the board strokes of what happens thanks to the backstory about Numair, Ozorne, and Varice provided in the Immorts Quartet, so, in many ways it is a matter of filling in the details to explain how those major events ended up happening. In other words, we know the ending--the important stuff that happens--and we are more focused on discovering how and why those things happened. It sets up a unique structure. That being said I'll make some predictions for this book and future ones:
-I think it's pretty obvious we'll see Numair meet and develop a romantic relationship with Varice.
-Numair will meet and become friends with Ozone. I predict they will have a sort of "frenemy" vibe where they are best friends but also each other's greatest rivals when it comes to magic.
-We'll see (even if only off-screen) how cutthroat Carthaki politics can be. Possibly some relatives of Ozorne will be assassinated or poisoned, breeding Ozorne's paranoia. Ozore is paranoid but I believe we will discover some reasons and history behind that paranoia.
-Hazing is a big concept in some of Tammy's other series like Protector of the Small and Song of the Lioness, so I predict bullying being an issue that Numair might have to overcome. I'd be interested in seeing how bullying is dealt with outside the pages' wing in a culture that is academic rather than militaristic. There could be so intriguing differences in how it is handled. Maybe a teacher like Lindhall can be more openly supportive.
-Speaking of Lindhall, I predict we'll see him in a mentorship role, where I would guess he'll be rather mild in temperament as an instructor and captivated by his research. I would predict Numair becoming involved maybe as a kind of research assistant in some of Lindhall's work.
-I think we'll see Numair go through puberty (changing voice, etc) in a way that parallels how girls like Kel and Alanna do in their series.
-I predict that early on Numair might experience some difficulties adjusting to the differences between Carthaki and Tyran culture with regard to customs like slavery.
-I think we'll see Ozorne's growing jealousy for Numair as he resents Numair being the only mage more powerful than him at the university.
-I also predict that at some point Numair will commit an act of real treason (not just Ozorne being paranoid) but for a good motivation. This would echo decisions that Kel and Jon make in other series. Main characters committing a justified treason is a repeating theme, and the difference this time might be Numair is punished for it.
Those are my predictions right now. I look forward to seeing how right and wrong they are. I can't wait to read this book and discover more about characters like Numair, Varice, and Ozorne, and also to learn more about Carthak. I am just so excited.
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Post by mistrali on Jan 30, 2018 15:47:18 GMT 10
- Worldbuilding - a difference in the way magic was practiced in Numair’s time vs. Kel’s?
- I predict genius!Numair. Not entirely sure if this will translate to Stu!Numair (or Arram, rather) but hoping it won’t
- I wonder if Slaughter refers to the hyena that appears in EM. It seems clear either way that there will be a war, battles (of course). Maybe for control of Carthak? I’m quite hazy on how Ozorne acquires the throne. Or maybe confrol of other territories to assimilate into the Carthaki empire.
- Agreed with Devilinthedetails that there will likely be a love/hate, frenemy-type relationship between Numair and Ozorne. I do want slash, but I doubt it.
- I wonder about Ozorne’s magic v Numair’s. Definitely some competition there.
- I want to see the relationship between Varice and Ozorne as well.
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Post by devilinthedetails on Jan 30, 2018 23:12:03 GMT 10
- Worldbuilding - a difference in the way magic was practiced in Numair’s time vs. Kel’s? - I predict genius!Numair. Not entirely sure if this will translate to Stu!Numair (or Arram, rather) but hoping it won’t - I wonder if Slaughter refers to the hyena that appears in EM. It seems clear either way that there will be a war, battles (of course). Maybe for control of Carthak? I’m quite hazy on how Ozorne acquires the throne. Or maybe confrol of other territories to assimilate into the Carthaki empire. - Agreed with Devilinthedetails that there will likely be a love/hate, frenemy-type relationship between Numair and Ozorne. I do want slash, but I doubt it. - I wonder about Ozorne’s magic v Numair’s. Definitely some competition there. - I want to see the relationship between Varice and Ozorne as well. You bring up a lot of interesting points to consider in this post. With regard to worldbuilding, in the Tortall books, I always felt like magic was portrayed a little bit differently in each of the series (Song of the Lioness, Immortals, Protector of the Small, and Daughter of the Lioness) maybe as knowledge of magic evolves and attitudes toward it change and also due to the fact that Kel is the only Tortall protaganist not to have magic of some sort though she obviously has Gifted friends. The Numair books could be a kind of bridge between the Song of the Lioness and Immortals attitudes and knowledge of magic. That would be neat to see. It also might be the most in-depth traditional university approach to training magic that we'll see because while Daine's training was pretty extensive, it was also rather unconventional. I definitely think you are right to predict a genius Numair. One way that Numair could be prevented from edging into Stu territory is to show the physical toll that magic takes from him (many mages seem prone to exhaustion, headaches, hunger, etc, when they work strong magic) and also to maybe emphasize the limits of his power. I remember Duke Baird pointing out to Neal when Numair moves the boulders to Haven that Numair, for instance, can't use magic to light candles because his Gift is so trained to big feats of magic whereas healers were taught to wield their magic in smaller ways. I thought that made a lot of sense. It would be cool to explore the price Numair pays to be great at the big magical skills--maybe surrendering the smaller but no less important sort of magic that a healer like Baird or Neal could work. I'm not sure if Tammy will take the story in that direction, but I would find it fascinating if she did. That is a really cool connection between the hyena and the Slaughter title. I'd love to see the Graveyard Hag again, and seeing Carthak engage in conquest or how the politics play out that make Ozorne emperor would make a riveting read. Based on the interactions between Ozorne and Numair and what they say about each other in the Immortals quartet, I find it hard to imagine them having anything other than a love-hate, frenemy type of relationship. I think the avenue for slash is there, too, if Tammy wants to take it. I'm not sure she will, since there is also the relationship to Varice to explore, but if she did make a slash relationship between Ozorne and Numair, I'd enjoy reading about it. |
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Post by Rachy on Jan 31, 2018 6:17:19 GMT 10
I need to give it some more thought, but I’m leaning towards predicting a love triangle aspect to the Ozorne/Numair/Varice, mainly because in EM I didn’t get her impression that Varice had been at uni with them in the way this seems to be portraying? Like Numair’s girlfriend who also went to university vs three mages linked together?
I realised my main looking forward to point is Lindhall Reed, so I look forward to seeing his and Numair’s friendship development. Not looking forward to the rat pet after he horde of rats at the end of EM.
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Post by devilinthedetails on Jan 31, 2018 9:53:16 GMT 10
I need to give it some more thought, but I’m leaning towards predicting a love triangle aspect to the Ozorne/Numair/Varice, mainly because in EM I didn’t get her impression that Varice had been at uni with them in the way this seems to be portraying? Like Numair’s girlfriend who also went to university vs three mages linked together? I realised my main looking forward to point is Lindhall Reed, so I look forward to seeing his and Numair’s friendship development. Not looking forward to the rat pet after he horde of rats at the end of EM. A love triangle aspect between Ozorne, Numair, and Varice would provide an exciting dynamic for the story and a source of conflict. It might also explain some of the jealousy and tension between Numair and Ozorne in Emperor Mage if they once were competing for the attentions and affection of the same woman. I could see Ozorne becoming very possessive of anyone trying to take what he sees as his. I am also looking forward to seeing Lindhall Reed and how he interacts with Numair. |
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Maybe once we'd have seen it during Smackdown!