Promote your favorite Sutcliff book(s)!

[isis]

We're going to post the Sutcliff Swap rules and schedule, and open for sign-ups, Real Soon Now! But while you're waiting, why not squee about your favorite Sutcliff book in the comments here? This is your chance to remind others of that book they'd almost forgotten they'd loved, and inspire them to request or offer fanfiction or fanart for it. And if a book you haven't read sounds good to you, you can read it this summer and enjoy the fanworks created for it - and maybe you'll want to request it for Yuletide or Yuletart, or for next year's Sutcliff Swap. (Because this is going to be so much fun we will want to do it again!)

We're doing this on Dreamwidth only, so that we can use comment subject lines to identify the books we're talking about. If you don't have a Dreamwidth login, you can use OpenID or comment anonymously. ETA: anonymous commenting is now enabled! OpenID works too, which will email you comment replies. Please join in and promote your favorite Sutcliff books (this post has a list of all the books), and start thinking about what you might want to request and offer for the Sutcliff Swap!

Also, if you are intrigued by the descriptions of books you haven't read yet, you should be sure to join, not just watch, the community (at either site) so you can see locked posts. *cough*

Comments

Warrior Scarlet

[espresso_addict]

I won't claim Warrior Scarlet is my favourite, but I think it deserves more love than it gets. It has, I think, the earliest setting of any of Sutcliff's novels, in the Bronze Age, in a small settlement on the South Downs. While it tackles her theme of outsiders, it's gentler than some of her novels, aimed at a younger readership, and with a much less bleak feel. And it's a really short novel, 232 pages in my edition.

The hero, Drem, has a withered arm, and the story tells of his struggles to gain acceptance among the men of his tribe as he grows from childhood to manhood. He has a mentor, Talore the Hunter, who lost his sword hand in a raid; a blood brother, Vortrix, son of the chieftain; a couple of very different elderly men who influence his life in different ways; and a half-wolf hound. There's a cunning new king, a hint of times changing with the coming of iron, conflict between races and bags of Bronze Age religion.

Drem's story is quite well explored, but I'd be really keen to see more on the adults, in particular the enigmatic Talore.

Re: Warrior Scarlet

[tryfanstone]

Loved this book so, so much - the number of times I borrowed it from the library was absolutely ridiculous. And Talore! - I'd forgotten, but isn't there a lovely piece of description when he's just looking at the fire?

... thank you for mentioning, apart from wishing I could go back and change sign-up right now...

(PS. Sun's out up here. You might be lucky.)

Re: Warrior Scarlet

[espresso_addict]

It's really gorgeous. I haven't reread it in ages and it made me weep buckets. And now I'm going to have to read it again to find the Talore looking into the fire description! I'm interested in what happened between Talore and Morvidd to make Talore defy him over Whitethroat. And there's that sidelong exchange between Talore and Cathlan at the king-making too. So much space for fanfic!

Re: Warrior Scarlet

[isis]

If you want to change your signup, send me email, isiscolo@gmail.com. You did fill only 3 of your 4 slots.

Re: Warrior Scarlet

[tryfanstone]

Isis, I'm really sorry about the late reply - parental visit. And I'm really grateful for the offer, thought about it hard, and decided not. But really do appreciate the thought - thanks!