Anything Cinda Williams Chima Related

Han: okay

10 minutes later…

Raisa: where’s Micah?

Han: outside

Raisa: why?!

*SPOILER ALERT

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So he is dead. You know who he is.

I can objectively and artistically see the need for his death, but I just can’t wrap my head (really, my heart) around it. 

Objectively, Han is such a strong, cunning, resourceful character that if he was alive then he’d take some or a lot of the action away from Ash. Raisa is all that too, however, she does not have the freedom to move around that her husband had. She has a duty to her queendom to stay and rule and help her people. So yeah, Han had to die and Raisa didn’t. Han’s death was also a major inciting incident for his son, sooo… yea…

I know that I should be happy that Raisa and Han got twenty-five years together, but something is stopping me. Maybe it’s that I didn’t get to read about those years. Mostly, I just can’t stop think about the end. Shel Silverstein wrote a poem that said: “There are no happy endings. Endings are the saddest part, so just give me a happy middle and a very happy start.” It is a wonderful saying, but I am a greedy person and I just wanted them to be happy forever and ever. I wanted Han and Raisa to avoid any of the tragedy of Alger and Hanalea. What is stuck in my mind is that Raisa and Han were at war throughout the entirety of their marriage and, while that didn’t tear them apart, I’m sure it was stressful and painful for them. And it seemed like Han was often away, making and carrying out war strategies. They were a powerful couple with many duties that were sure to have kept them apart at times. They could handle it, but I can’t. (sorry, this is kind of just me whining.)

And then to add to their (and my) misery, their eldest daughter is killed off in the last six months of their marriage. Grieving is something people have to do on their own. The support of family and friends is very important in times of grief, but, ultimately, it is a person’s own strength of character and their own decisions that keep them going. So, really, who knows what was happening in their relationship at this point? Obviously, they still loved each other, but what has happening behind the scenes?

And while I can’t wrap my head around Han’s death, I can’t image Raisa’s pain either. She is so incredibly strong. Her eldest daughter and her husband are killed and her son disappears for four years - that sounds unbearable. And yet, still, she rules to the best of her abilities. 

I just can’t accept a death like that. He deserved better.

I eagerly await reading about her reunion with her son. 

The story centers around Princess Raisa ana'Marianna and her fight to reclaim the crown to her kingdom after the wizards in her court plot to steal it from her. Raisa is a WoC, plus an eventual warrior queen and general kickass character. Also, p. much everyone’s in love with her, because she is that awesome.

And then there’s this asshole, Hanson Alister. Your standard sarcastic street thief with a heart of gold. He will ruin your life.

Fire Dancer is Han’s BFF and one of several other PoC main/secondary characters, including Raisa’s father, grandmother, and the various elders of the clans. The clans play a huge part in the plot and get lots of page time. 

Micah Bayar is like the Draco Malfoy of the series, but like only if Draco was constantly trying to get Harry to marry him through magical trickery and court politics?? You will love to hate him and every single one of the Bayars, those assholes.

Diversity in all levels of the cast! From our leads, to the secondary and third level characters. We’ve got ladies as warriors and wizards, lesbians (who don’t die!), plenty of PoCs. It rocks. 

WHO LOVES FORBIDDEN ROMANCE?? Because this series has it! The main ship is a slow build, which I fucking love. Like, slow in that Han and Raisa have only one big interaction in the first book and then don’t meet again until much later in the second book. Add on mistaken identities and everything becomes a heartbreaking mess in the third book. (Until then, there’s plenty of side ships to keep you entertained.)

The world building is excellent. Lots of court intrigue and politics in play between the Fells and other countries, as well as the different social groups in the Fells. Someone is always plotting something awful (usually the Bayars because they SUCK.)

All of the books are at least 500 pages (the fourth is 598!), so there’s plenty to read. The first book is a little slow because it’s set up, but there is never a dull moment in the last two books so GOOD LUCK PUTTING THEM DOWN. (Unless you need to walk away in frustration because of MICAH FUCKING BAYAR and his asshole dad.) 

Character development everywhere! Even for Micah, who is less of dick by book four. 

Evan: Teamwork?

Hadley: Partnership?

Sasha: Help?

Finn: Cohesion?

Julianna: Harmony?

Brody: A general sense of what we’re doing?