I hope you’ll manage to pay attention to it and find it a fun experience to do! ^-^

That’s right, that’s right, I remember! You like them to be conversational–which is certainly true of Tanaqui, so your theory holds true in this case. I forgot! I was going to pay attention to that! #makesnote

I suppose ‘contrived’ is a way of putting it, yes. I love being close to the characters, but most of the first person narratives I encounter manages to push me away from them. Third person limited allows me to get just as close to a character, if not closer.

Here are some of my thoughts on it. You’ve read them ages ago, though. ^-^

Most all first person narratives I’ve read fail to deliver that sense of inclusion. It just reads like third person that’s been edited to resemble first person.

First person narratives can be some of the most powerful, immersive, beautiful, amazing povs that ever could be writ and, well, most first person narratives I’ve read take one look at what they could be and run screaming in the other direction. It’s such a shame, especially when a first person story has promise.

It’s not that I don’t/can’t enjoy first person narratives – I can and I do – but… for me the fact that a book is written in first person isn’t an automagical way to get close to a character. I used to think that maybe that lack of a desire for closeness was my issue with the pov, but it’s not. It actually tends to put up a barrier and keep me from connecting to the narrator.

One day I’ll have figured out all my dos and don’ts for first person… ^-^

It’s the way the story gets told, through the weaving. I thought that was beautifully done.

I don’t, I don’t. I only used too. I remember not liking it so much, but this reread I found it to be the best of the four, by a pretty solid margin. I never warmed to Robin, but I felt really fond of all the other siblings.

It’s why I’m always excited when she writes sequels: they focus on different characters to the originals, so we get to see those people in their lives, and we get to see the original characters from a new angle. Fun!

Yes, try them again, but be prepared to be disappointed in The Crown of Dalemark. I was a little crushed at how anticlimactic I found it, and how mean Hildy became. It took me a little while to get ahold of it, so I was anticipating it enormously, and then I felt let down when I did read it.

I want to say it was Moril. But it wasn’t because it was a proper battle, it was because he rearranged all the land with his cwidder after the horse got shot. So I didn’t mind it. I think I would probably throw up after a battle myself.

I haven’t read enough Ursula K. Le Guin to speak to that, but from the one book of hers I have read, I can see the similarity.