Too Young to Save the World: Ages in Fantasy

Tags

ages in fantasy, despicable me, epic fantasy, historical fantasy, maturity, writing

I am an old maid by Roman standards. Nineteen and not even a suitor? What a tragedy. This realization struck me not so long ago and led me to consider ages in books (because everything leads back to books with me).

Lots of people seem prone to criticizing ages in fantasy. They say “he/she’s not old enough for that kind of responsibility/maturity/what have you.” It makes sense in our modern context, especially after hanging out in a high school cafeteria or even a college lounge for more than an hour, but it’s just that—context.

30 is the new 15.

People all the way until the last century didn’t live as long as we did. Most of them were dead by the time they hit forty or younger. That means twenty was about middle aged and you had best get to work building empires and fighting battles and making babies before then or the human race was going to go extinct.

When kids rule the world.

Queen Victoria was eighteen when the throne passed to her. The infamous Battle of Crecy provided Edward the Black Prince the chance to lead men and win his spurs at sixteen. Joan of Arc handed the English their backsides and saved her country even though she never reached twenty. Before he got to double digits, a certain Austrian boy was already hashing out melodies on his violin and Isabella the She-Wolf showed remarkable political maneuvering when she was just twelve—enough to get favorites of the king banished.

With this in mind, I see no reason a fantasy character can’t command armies or take a crown or become the most powerful mage their respective world has seen when they just hit mid-teens. When a writer wants to explore certain themes, audiences might cringe and be uncomfortable if the character is what they consider too young, but that does not mean someone younger couldn’t have the same reactions and experiences.

Just to clarify…

I don’t think it has to do with when a person was born, I think it has to do with how they were brought up. (Heck, crazy little me was able to raise a baby donkey by myself at eight. Yes, he survived and lives to bother me to this day.) When children have people around them who expect them to be a grown ups by a certain time, overall they tend to meet those cultural norms. Therefore, I see no reason that epic fantasy heroes/heroines can’t keep on being teenagers.

Because we tend to have much different standards in the Western World today doesn’t mean younger people couldn’t be capable of the grand and glorious deeds that are often attributed to them in fantasy. It depends on the person and it depends on what kind of setting they come from. So long as a writer sets it up properly, I see no reason a character can’t have a whole series in adventures before they’re out of their high school years.

Review: Knight Assassin by Rima Jean @RimaJean

Tags

entangled teen, fantasy, historical fantasy, knight assassin, rima jean, ya, young adult

Seventeen-year-old Zayn has special powers she cannot control—powers that others fear and covet. Powers that cause the Templar Knights to burn Zayn’s mother at the stake for witchcraft. When a mysterious stranger tempts Zayn to become the first female member of the heretical Assassins, the chance to seek her revenge lures her in. She trains to harness her supernatural strength and agility, and then enters the King of Jerusalem’s court in disguise with the assignment to assassinate Guy de Molay, her mother’s condemner. But once there, she discovers Earic Goodwin, the childhood friend who still holds her heart, among the knights—and his ocean-blue eyes don’t miss a thing. Will vengeance be worth the life of the one love she has left?

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

5 out of 5 stars
When the main character gets raped within the first three chapters, you know you’re in for a grueling, gut-wrenching ride. There was a moment where I wondered what I’d gotten myself into, but putting this book down was never an option—I’ve been hopelessly hooked since I saw the cover reveal on a friend’s blog and I downloaded it the same week it came out.

The plot:
There were lots of parts where I put down my Kindle and paced, chewing a hole in my cheek and trying to stave off a panic attack as I worried at what would happen next. At around the 90% mark I started to panic because this appears to be a standalone and things were far, far from where I wanted them to be. As for mechanics, this book was a concise, compact read that flowed smoothly and I really can’t think of anything I’d like to add to the plot.

I very much found the author’s exploration of the post-Crusade Holy Lands to be interesting. With jinn and magical cults thrown in, there’s a bit of historical reshaping, but I still thought the historical influences to be one of the main draw points for the story.

The characters:
Normally, virago characters get on my nerves very easily, but Zayn didn’t. She has so much emotional baggage and turmoil and struggles and her victories are never guaranteed, but in spite of everything she’s been through she still has a heart—you’d have to be a soulless robot not to love her.

I’ve been fantasizing about making a delivery to a Mord’Sith dungeon again. This time I would be dropping off Guy de Molay. I just…he…ugh. I’m getting angry just thinking about him. There’s a persona to bring out your inner psychopath.

I really wish Earic had gotten more time on page. He was a sweet, brave love interest and a welcome deviation from the bad boy archetypes that have been going around like a virus lately. (The scene where he turns up kind of reminded me of Ivanhoe, on a random note.)

This appears to be a standalone, but…I’m sure there could still be more to this story. The twist at the end about Earic’s friend back in England had me going “OOOOooooh” and crossing my fingers, wishing the author would write more books.

Knight Assassin is not a fluffy read, it is not a bubbly read. It will punch you right in the feels and rip you apart like a blender. But I highly, highly recommend it to anyone who loves dark fantasy, historical fantasy, or assassins. Well done, Ms. Jean, and I really, really want that sequel.

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