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Tanyth Fairport books
Apr. 26th, 2023 09:03 amAfter reading most of Nathan Lowell's SF series, I decided to try his fantsy one.
The Tanyth Fairport books are a trilogy. I've finished the first (Ravenwood), and just started on the second.
Tanyth is a older woman who has been wandering about on her own for a couple of decades. She wanders from teacher to teacher to learn about herbs and healing.
I like the way Lowell shows and tells about the world of the books.
A good example is in the first chapter of the book, she's walking alongside a road and sees a man in an oxcart approaching. We get shown what she does, and told what she's thinking as she does it.
I picked up several things in the process. Things that I hadn't considered about being a "lone traveler" in the world. And that I'll likely use if I ever write one of my story ideas that has one.
First off, she is understandably worried about the possibility of being attacked or robbed. But we she her thoughts and actions and thus learn how she has (mostly) avoided problems in her travels.
The key is looking harmless and worthless. To be more specific "mostly harmless" and "not worth the trouble of attacking".
She's wearing mens clothes, has her hair up under her hat, etc. So she doesn't look like a threat. Nor does she look like a woman. She does have a stout oak staff to aid her walking.
But she isn't otherwise visibly armed, and she only has a small pack and bedroll. Not worth robbing. and looking like a man, not worth raping either.
BTW, we do see a fair bit of the concerns she and other women have regarding strange men. Not getting hit over the head with it, but it's just *there*.
We also see (later) a group of would-be bandits who used to run a protection racket in a city before they were "encouraged" to leave.
We also learn why that is a really *dumb* idea to try on a small hamlet. As in, they don't have money to extort (which these wastes of space have great trouble grasping)
the bits about gathering herbs and wild food are nicely done as well. Again, it's there, you aren't hit over the head with it, and it is realistic. A lot of writers have done *far* worse.
Definitely recommended.
The Tanyth Fairport books are a trilogy. I've finished the first (Ravenwood), and just started on the second.
Tanyth is a older woman who has been wandering about on her own for a couple of decades. She wanders from teacher to teacher to learn about herbs and healing.
I like the way Lowell shows and tells about the world of the books.
A good example is in the first chapter of the book, she's walking alongside a road and sees a man in an oxcart approaching. We get shown what she does, and told what she's thinking as she does it.
I picked up several things in the process. Things that I hadn't considered about being a "lone traveler" in the world. And that I'll likely use if I ever write one of my story ideas that has one.
First off, she is understandably worried about the possibility of being attacked or robbed. But we she her thoughts and actions and thus learn how she has (mostly) avoided problems in her travels.
The key is looking harmless and worthless. To be more specific "mostly harmless" and "not worth the trouble of attacking".
She's wearing mens clothes, has her hair up under her hat, etc. So she doesn't look like a threat. Nor does she look like a woman. She does have a stout oak staff to aid her walking.
But she isn't otherwise visibly armed, and she only has a small pack and bedroll. Not worth robbing. and looking like a man, not worth raping either.
BTW, we do see a fair bit of the concerns she and other women have regarding strange men. Not getting hit over the head with it, but it's just *there*.
We also see (later) a group of would-be bandits who used to run a protection racket in a city before they were "encouraged" to leave.
We also learn why that is a really *dumb* idea to try on a small hamlet. As in, they don't have money to extort (which these wastes of space have great trouble grasping)
the bits about gathering herbs and wild food are nicely done as well. Again, it's there, you aren't hit over the head with it, and it is realistic. A lot of writers have done *far* worse.
Definitely recommended.
