Wednesday, August 27, 2014

TRICKSTER'S QUEEN BY TAMORA PIERCE


Prologue

 

The brown-skinned raka are preparing to fight the white-skinned luarin. Throughout the winter, the raka have been kidnapping tax collectors, destroying fields, bridges and food stores, and killing officials. This is reminiscent of Communist-led revolutions in Africa, although it seems, due to the presence of rice patties, the world in which this series is set is meant to be more of an Asian setting.

 

The gods of the Copper Isles are Mithros (a thinly vailed attempt to disguise the name of the ancient god of the mystery religions Mythrus) and the Great Mother Goddess, also present in all the ancient mystery religions and the pagan version of Christianity known as Catholicism.

 

1

 

Stormwings, metal birdlike creatures patrol Rajmuat Harbour. This could be suggestive of some transhumanist war machine. Stormwings live on human pain and fear, much like the children of the devil in real life.

 

When the citizens of this world die, they go to the Black God, similar to the god Hades of Greek mythology.

 

6

 

Darkings are tiny creatures that come from the Dragon (symbolic of Satan) and help out humans. Could this be an illusion to certain New Age philosophies that it’s all right to ask the devil to help you?

 

17

 

A character makes a remark about the Luarin being foolish for expecting gods to be rational and says they would be better to worship the trickster gods. Could this be saying that white people should worship the capricious and unreasonable Eastern gods rather than the God of the Bible.

 

19

 

The Stormwings prey upon children, much like the children of the devil.

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