Book Club discussion

***Disclaimer*** I don't have a huge frame of reference for this genre, so I'm going to compare everything to Game of Thrones, the TV show, because I haven't read the books.

When I think of Yarvi, I can't help but think of Tyrion Lannister. The parallels being that they are both the least favoured sons (due to deformity) of the powerful family patriarch. While Tyrion makes the best of things as much as he can, Yarvi seems to have dedicated his whole life to pouting about his station and destiny in life. He thinks/knows that everyone is smirking at him and making his life miserable, but doesn't do anything about it, unlike our true hero Tyrion, he is incapable of defending himself against such pettiness.

Though the specifics aren't identical both Yarvi and Tyrion are forced to flee their homelands due to the death of their patriarch resulting in a loss of their station and influence.

Tyrion makes the best of the situation. Though he may be motivated by boredom, he chooses to embark on the dangerous quest to act as an adviser to a potential queen who has been known as the "breaker of chains." (neutral good)

But Yarvi isn't on some quest to take back the throne, or to kill his uncle for any particularly good reason other than it's his birthright/vengeance (neutral evil?).

All that is to say, I didn't really like the protagonist of the book. Assuming Isruin becomes a major enemy later in the series, how is her position any different than Yarvi's? They are just trying to avenge their murdered parents.

Other than that book was alright, the pacing was good, and I wanted to keep reading for the most part. It was kind of funny how the author would put in lines like "they had to dig in the snow like their lives depended on it. It did." which I thought was a cheap trick that made it feel like a kids book. Or maybe that's what it is.