Compelling Characters

[devilinthedetails]

What characters did you find particularly compelling or which were your favorite characters in T&S? What fascinated you about those characters? How or why did you connect with them?

My favorite character was Varice. I appreciated the fact that she was a bit more of traditional female character who wielded power in a more feminine way than we often see in Tammy's books. I also just loved how smart and socially deft she was. She also resonated with me because she had a tendency to make excuses for Ozorne's problematic behavior and tried to act as if his insanities were normal. Since my own mother is an alcoholic (suffice to say, of my three siblings, two have felt so wronged by her that they've had to cut her out of their lives), I can relate to that need to "walk on eggshells" and attempt to rationalize what is sometimes craziness and sometimes abusive behavior.

I also felt connected to Arram. He was very into his studies and made friends with difficulty but valued them once he forged those friendships. I was a lot like that when I was younger, so that aspect of Arram's character resonated with my personal experiences in school.

How about you?

[Rachy]

I really liked all of Numair’s teachers. They felt very Emelan like, but I’m concerned that they may all come to horrible ends - particularly Sebo.

[devilinthedetails]

Mar 18, 2018 10:19:37 GMT 10 Rachy said:

I really liked all of Numair’s teachers. They felt very Emelan like, but I’m concerned that they may all come to horrible ends - particularly Sebo.

I think Numair's teachers were very well portrayed now that you mention it. Each one had their own unique characters and contribute to Numair's growth in some way. A thing I really love about all of Tammy's books is how well-developed the teachers are and how complex the relationships between mentors and their students can be.

[aki]

I really connected with Arram a lot. His shyness and his curiosity were endearing. His inability to connect with others his own age also reminded me a lot of myself in elementary school. I also have a weak spot for characters who are very concerned with the welfare of others. A lot of protagonists care about family/friends/the common man, but I felt it more strongly in Arram than I have in a while and just how much the deaths of even complete strangers affected him really said something about his character.

Also it was really cute when he thought he was a plant for a moment. Maybe that's just me being silly though.

[devilinthedetails]

Mar 29, 2018 2:03:46 GMT 10 aki said:

I really connected with Arram a lot. His shyness and his curiosity were endearing. His inability to connect with others his own age also reminded me a lot of myself in elementary school. I also have a weak spot for characters who are very concerned with the welfare of others. A lot of protagonists care about family/friends/the common man, but I felt it more strongly in Arram than I have in a while and just how much the deaths of even complete strangers affected him really said something about his character.

Also it was really cute when he thought he was a plant for a moment. Maybe that's just me being silly though.

In elementary school, I preferred to read a book instead of playing games with other kids so I can relate to you and Arram in that regard.

You're right that Arram's concern for the welfare of others did shine through and feel very real. I wonder if part of it is that he doesn't come from a noble background (his family are well-off business people but they aren't so rich that Arram doesn't have to think about money, for instance) so perhaps the experiences of everyday people resonate with him more because of his background.

I did like how Arram was impacted by the deaths of complete strangers. I could connect with that since I imagine that in a similar situation, I would also be effected by the deaths of strangers.