Saturday, May 25, 2024

Owlsight by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon

Owlsight (Owl Mage Trilogy, #2)

Overall, I enjoyed Owlsight. It was mostly a chill, slice of life kind of thing. We learned a lot more about Tayledras culture, got to see a wedding, and solved the looming “barbarian” problem. Speaking of… there’ll be a bit of a rant about that later. I was surprised and annoyed at the Valdemar/Tayledras side of things… but yeah. Owlsight was nice and chill.

Keisha is an introvert after my own heart. She does have a bit of “not like other girls” syndrome going on… though that could just be the neurodivergent-ness of her talking. She’s definitely that. Of course that partially turns out to be her Gift, but I’m pretty sure it’s not the entirety of her neurodivergent-ness. I like Keisha a lot.

Kind of love Keisha’s parents for pointing out to their boys that they need to learn how to take care of the house. Definitely would have liked it better if they’d been doing it from the start, but this was funnier. It’s a small thing, in the grander scheme of things, but I enjoyed it.

Finally get to see tervardi. I’d for some reason thought they used Mind Speech like the dyheli due to a lack of lips… but apparently not. Good to know.

The following paragraph is a slight spoiler. Recording for posterity: 57% in and I’m pretty dang sure Darian’s Healing Adept teacher is Firesong. Has not been revealed yet, but all signs point to him. — I was correct! It is very clear that Firesong has done some growing up since the Mage Storms. All for the better. I think I might like him better now, for all he’s not swanning around like a prat anymore.

I like that Darian’s able to give Val a realistic view of battle. Sounded like Val desperately needed a wake up call. I think anyone who reads this should take Darian’s explanation to heart, even if we’re far from the ages of swordplay being the main thrust of warfare.

Here’s that rant-y bit about the end. I find it really weird that the Valdemarans don’t try sending an envoy to the “barbarians.” They opt instead for a big show of intimidation. Seems a weird way to foster a peaceful relationship with someone. I understand the last time they encountered the “barbarians” was a bad time for all parties, but the Ghost Cat Clan are super visibly different than the last. *much sighing and head shaking* Coulda just talked to them but nooooooo. Like seriously, I’m surprised Eldan didn’t push that approach more. I also thought Kero was smarter than that. Like, come on, guys, just have Ghost Cat appoint a person to receive the language and start negotiating! Ugh!!

As the rant above implies, I was satisfied with the ending, just wish it had gone that was earlier. Other than that, I found Owlsight a pleasant read.

Favorite Lines

"People can try, but if you refuse to respond to their name for you, it's considered good manners not to persist. You know the proverb -- 'It isn't what you call me, it's what I answer to that counts.'" - Firefrost

"Someplace in the middle of nowhere -- very nice nowhere you have here, by the way. I love what you've done with the place." - Firesong

"It's when we stop feeling responsible for each other, for the people we know we can affect, that we become barbarians. " - Firesong

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