Tough Travel through fantasy..
19 June 2014 
Each Thursday the Fantasy Review Barn takes us travelling through fantasy tropes. This week’s instalment looks at:
‘MENTOR. A tour official who will be at your service until halfway through the tour, when you will unexpectedly lose him‘
Well, I confess that I so wanted to throw Dumbledore and Gandalf into the mix here but as I seem to have either Harry Potter and LoTR virtually EVERY week I’m leaving them out!
Delauney – mentor to Phedre
Kushiel’s Dart is the first in Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Legacy Series. Based in Terre D’Ange, a nation founded by a rebel Angel called Elua, and his companions. An unusual concept where the inhabitants are the descendents of fallen angels. Kushiel’s Dart follows the story of Phedre whose beauty is marred by a red mote in one of her eyes. She is sold into the House of Night where a wealthy benefactor recognises her for what she truly is. An assignette – one of the only ones borne for many years – marking her as somebody who likes both pain and pleasure and turning her into one of the most sought after courtesans. Her mentor Delauney however has more ambitious plans for Phedre than simply pleasing the nobles whilst between the sheets!
Chains – and the Gentlemen Bastards
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. Chains is a great character. He teaches his little band the art of subtlety, how to blend in with a crowd, how to spot a mark, how to speak multiple languages, cook, read and fight with their weapon of choice. His charges are experts in the art of disguise and deception. They play the long game and entertain with their snarky humour and bad language!
Jasnah and Shallan 
Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. Jasnah is sister to the Alethi King. She is a great scholar and also something of a renegede – refusing to believe in religion and preferring cold hard facts. Shallan becomes Jasnah’s apprentice after hatching a plot to actually steal from her but her plans don’t go according to plan. The two of them share a lot in common and Jasnah begins to train Shallan in more than the ways of a scholar.
Kelsier and Vin
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. Vin starts off the series as one of the lowliest members of a street gang who is recruited by the underground movement gathering force to overthrow the Lord Ruler. Kelsier is something of a legend. One of the Skaa who has escaped from prison and discovered his mistborn powers. He undertakes to train Vin in the use of her own magical abilities in order to persuade her to join the movement.
Abenthy and Kvothe
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Kvothe is the young son of a couple who travel as part of a performing troupe. During the course of their travels they are joined by a scholar named Abenthy who befriends the young boy and once he discovers his mental abilities teaches Kvothe in the ways of science and ‘sympathy’. This is to be the inspiration for Kvothe wanting to join the University (well that and his desire to gain access to the archives and learn more about the monsters who killed his parents!)
Granny Weatherwax and Tiffany
The Tiffany Aching series of books from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. Granny Weatherwax is the ‘first’ witch amongst all the other witches and whilst Tiffany is trained and lives with other witches during the series I would say that Granny Weatherwax is the most inspiratiional.
Books and travelling with Lynn 
I actually forgot about Jasnah 😮
How could you !!!! Haha – you can’t put everyone down after all.
Lynn 😀
You get a huge hug for including Granny, my favorite character in fantasy literature. Leaving Chains of my own list is a crime, oops.
I want to read Carey’s series. I borrowed the book from a friend years ago, but it is a big paperback and looks uncomfortable to hold.
I love Granny – in fact I thought the whole Tiffany series was brilliant. The Wee Free Men just made me laugh out loud – plus, isn’t Pratchett writing another from the Tiffany series (I’m sure he is??) Kushiel’s Dart is a big book – although it’s not as bad to read in paperback as, say, Blood Song – gave myself a wrist strain holding that book open! Kindle – it’s the only way to read these chunksters.
Lynn 😀
Drats I totally forgot about Mistborn! Great looking list. I want to read all the others, working through WoK now.
Are you liking it? I thought WoK and Words of Radiance were brilliant.
Lynn 😀
Of course I am!! – I was first listening on audio then decided that while it was magnificent narration I just couldn’t soak it in that way.
I actually haven’t used audio at all – I simply can’t do it – my attention wanders. Way of Kings is brilliant. I must confess that I love Kaladin and Syl – that must be my favourite duo in fantasy EVER.
Lynn 😀
I have been doing audio off and on since my teens especially after I did my first road trip by myself at age 18 – I was hooked because it allowed me to focus on the road and stay awake. I’m like narcoleptic behind the wheel or something!
I have read all the books on your list this week. And they are all favorites too! though I have forgotten much of The Name of the Wind. I would add Brent Weeks’s Shadow trilogy to this – nothing like assassins training assassins!
I’ve still got to read Black Prism – it’s so huge though – I bought it in hardback and I’m going to struggle to even fit it into my bad let alone carry it around! You should take part in this – it doesn’t matter when you post – you have a week, and you’d have loads of examples (whereas I seem to come up with the same old ones!). Plus, it’s good fun AND next week is MINIONS!!
Lynn 😀
From your list I’ve only read The Lies of Locke Lamora but I like the sound of your other choices too.
Hah, I didn’t know you’d read the Lies – can you send me your link? Did you like it? I love Jean from that series.. Don’t just judge it from the first book though. The second is better and then the third….
I’m afraid I don’t keep posts after a year or so although I think I might have read it before I started my blog anyway. I really think I need to re-read before trying the rest of the series.
I know what you mean – loads of books came before my blog – I wish that I did have a record of my thoughts on some of those books some times!
Lynn:D
Oh I am bashing my head against the wall right now. How can I forget Delauney. DELAUNEY!!!! Pretty much the most awesome mentor to the most awesome character, like, EVER. He really should have been on my list, no one deserves it more! I can’t believe I didn’t think of it.
And, i’ve only read the 1st – so I have so much goodness to look forward to!!
Lynn 😀
Great choices! I see two of my own on here (Chains and Ben). And Kelsier and Jasnah! Should have thought of them 🙂
I so want to think of some other books – but, my brain keeps coming up with the most recent. Even when I look through my books – sometimes I have a little lightbulb switch on but mostly I go back to what I’ve just read! So bad. Kind of looking forward to minions – it just makes me have a chuckle thinking about it!