Depiction of Zvaelar from James Islington’s Licanius Trilogy.

rereading licanius, and i don't think i will ever be able to get over the prologue. obviously it stands out as an excellent introduction on your first read - it sets the tone for the rest of the series, and generates a lot of intrigue and angst in only three pages - but the pain hidden between every line comes through so clearly when you already know how the series ends. 'this time, i go where aarkein devaed cannot follow', as well as being subtle foreshadowing, is absolutely agonising when you know the extent of tal's regrets, and the pain only increases with his reaction to the mention of 'davian'. he knew what that man would mean to him, and he believed that he had already killed him. but he forces himself to enter the unknown so that he can finally make it right.

there is so much regret in three pages, and it gives you such a good insight into caeden's character and thought process that you can only really appreciate with hindsight. not to mention the way that book three ends with the very death that shammaeloth references at the beginning of book one. you restart the trilogy where it ends. i may cry

can't sleep and was rereading and uhh i'm horrible at names, okay. i usually have to double check everything with islington's guide.

so i only realised now that darecians used to live in the shining lands. the same shining lands that alaris used to be the king of. (and then abandoned, and then wasn't welcome to anymore? and we have that darecian fairy tale about him that isn't really positive either.)

so my question is, did aarkein devaed destroy the descendants of alaris' kingdom

(i feel like islington would've made it more obvious if it was supposed to be a Thing. like we don't know almost anything about cyr but we know he came from the city of Silence and then helped destroy it. but it's still interesting to consider)

Caeden's evil clone: *points at Caeden* Shoot him. He's the clone.

Davian: *shoots clone* The real Caeden would never pass up a chance to die

read licanius see smartmouth atlas girl and guy who thinks he can outrun his own identity

i'm literally the #1 zvaelar enjoyer. weird hell dimension with awful body horror monsters that makes some of the coolest description of magic locking mechanisms occur ever. and then gassandrid!

Finished Book 2 of Licanius and no one warned me I would get my feelings hurt >:(

yeah

More and more I wish Earthsea had got the adaptation it deserved. An adaptation that loved and valued the incredible power of these books. An adaptation that captured the heart of Earthsea, it's gentle, stern atmosphere, it's passion and it's fire. And most importantly, an adaptation NOT JUST FULL OF WHITE PEOPLE. It's insulting.

Nowadays, fantasy adaptations are so key to bringing a fanbase and attention to older works. So this is my plea - read them! They're such incredible works of fiction, with POC mains and queer characters. If you're a fan of LOTR or WOT this is your jam. If you like Brandon Sanderson or James Islington, give it a go.

If they've passed you by, or you've never got round to reading them, this is your sign.

READ EARTHSEA

So there’s been a pattern with some of the stuff I’ve read

The Licanius Trilogy was sooo good (I'm still crying, i need a moment 😭😭😭)

Best books I've read this year... I need to have them on my bookshelf.

Resist

Diago/Vis

Inspired by The Will of the Many by James Islington

the 'wet and pathetic little guy' treatment is sometimes the only viable alternative to in-depth character analysis.

caeden | tal'kamar is so very normal about his identity

this is probably an incomplete collection of quotes. he's so messed up. i love him.

“And my name is Caeden now. I’ve changed. The man I was before is gone.” Meldier shook his head. “No. Here, your name will always be Devaed,” he said quietly, bitterness in his tone. Caeden grimaced at that, glancing away.

(An Echo of Things to Come, chapter 15)

“Why do you never refer to me as Devaed?” he asked quietly. Garadis cocked his head to the side. “Because that is not who you are—and it never was. It is the name you chose in order to instill fear in us, the name you chose because you wanted to pretend that your sins were not yours to own. But when we speak of you, Tal’kamar, we speak of you—for better or worse. Whether destroyer or savior, we will never let you hide behind another name.”

(An Echo of Things to Come, chapter 40)

“You need…” Asha trailed off with a humorless laugh. “Of course you do.” She looked him in the eye. “The thing is, Tal’kamar, I’m not sure that I want anything to do with you.” Caeden flinched. “Tal’kamar,” he repeated, shaking his head. “That’s not my name now.” Asha’s lip curled. “How about Aarkein Devaed?”

(The Light of All That Falls, chapter 15)

Davian shook his head bemusedly and focused back on the man, who had paused a few steps away and was examining him dazedly. “You’re Aarkein Devaed.” The man blanched. “Tal. Just… Tal, please,” he said with a wave of his hand.

(The Light of All That Falls, chapter 26)

“Your choices, Tal. Always your choices. Influences don’t get blame or credit.” Caeden grinned suddenly, the conversation evidently straying into territory familiar to both men. Then he stopped, putting a hand on Davian’s shoulder to halt him as well. “Caeden,” he said firmly, taking a deep breath. “Caeden has always been the best version of me. Tal… Tal died in there.” Davian gave him a lopsided smile, clapping him gently on the back. “Caeden.”

(The Light of All That Falls, chapter 48)

Happy Licanius thought – before he left, Caeden told Niha to go to Andarra and find Asha once the ilshara fell. So when she does, she’s going to see Davian too. The boy she befriended in a prison world and thought she’d never see again, only to find out he’s her son right before he’s taken away on path she knows will lead to meeting her in Zvaelar before ultimately being killed by Tal’kamar.

It’s gonna be a nice reunion.

taeris sarr tom foss moments