Sunday 5 April 2015

Shalee lhaih 2015: shiaghtin 14

Go here for English version. Note, this is rewritten from scratch, not a direct translation.

30oo Mayrnt-5oo Averil

Jerrey kiarroo shiaghtin jeig ny Shalee Lhaih. Shoh ny lhiah mee yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie:

The Wizard's Dilemma (Diane Duane)

Gollrish ny hym-lioaryn elley, shoh skeeal trome-chooishagh fansee baljagh, bentyn rish druiaghtys lieh-sheanseagh as crampyssyn bea aeglee. Ta Duane soilshaghey magh cooishyn aigney dy mie. Ta'n skeeal soit er arganeyn ta ommidjagh tra ta lane fys ayd orroo, agh so-hoiggal çheusthie. T'ad troggal beggan er veggan er taghyrtyn so-chredjal: focklaght gyn thort, gyn freggyrt da çhaghteraghtyn, as reddyn elley t'ou uss cur dty scansh hene orroo. Chammah's shen, ta'n druiaghtys hene anaasoil; s'baghtal eh dy vel eie fondagh ec Duane er ny ta druiaghtee jannoo car y traa.

Shegin dou gra, voir eh orrym dy vel cooid smoo y skeeal bentyn rish kanghyr. Hoshiaght, t'eh er ny yannoo hannah reesht as reeshtagh; shen cooish chagh tra t'ad son ard-haghyrtys. Cre'n fa nagh vel peiagh erbee loayrt er, oh, aacheoid? Ta stroos as doilleeid dy liooar da cagh ta dellal rish lheid ny çhingyssyn beayn... Agh red elley, cha nel mee shirrey y lheid ayns fansee baljagh. Ta'n genre soit er cormaghey. Ta lught-thie as bea persoonagh gientyn drama persoonagh; studeyrys, reih staartaghyn, arganeyn marish caarjyn as y lught-thie. Ta druiaghtys gientyn contoyrtyssyn as gaue. S'mie lhiam y strughtoor shen. Dy beign shirrey sheer-angst mychione mooinjer çhing, ta shen ry-lhaih boayl erbee dy jarroo.

Chammah's shen, va taghyrt "s'cummey lhiam uss" ny ghaa ayn. Myr sampleyr, hooar karractyer by vie lhiam eh baase er teaym hene, choud's noddym toiggal eh; as ny s'messey, er lhiam nagh vel yn taghyrt jannoo keayll, er nonney beagh cagh marroo. Dy noddagh y Noid Mooar marroo sleih gyn boirey, cra'n fa nagh jinnagh? Va blass crout ghraney er er lhiam, son eiyrtys ennaghtagh ynrican. S'treih lhiam gra nagh mie lhiam y straih shoh wheesh as by vie lhiam eh.

Fockle s'jerree

Lhaih mee 1 lioar, va 120 aym yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie, myr shen ta 119 faagit dou nish. Er lhiam dy vel mee laanaghey beggan er veggan...


English version

30th March - 5th April

The end of week fourteen of the Reading Project. Here's what I've read this week:

The Wizard's Dilemma (Diane Duane)

In a similar vein to the previous books in the series: a fairly serious take on urban fantasy, with rather scientific wizardly problems to deal with, as well as the demands of life as a teenager. Duane did a good job of articulating the psychological side: misunderstandings that seem silly and obvious from the outside, yet are built on understandable and reasonable steps. The wizarding is also interesting, as Duane has obviously thought hard about what it is her wizards actually do.

On the downside, I could have done without the cancer plotline. One, because it's ubiquitous and boring. Two, because it's so dramatic. Why is it never serious diabetes, or crippling arthritis? Chronic diseases provide plenty of stress and difficult decisions for the family, and are underexplored. But three, it's not what I want from my YA fantasy. The whole point of balancing family and magic is that family is a source of personal drama while magic provides the adventure, and I'm fine with that. I'm not really looking for pages of angsting over sick relatives, because I can get that anywhere, frankly.

Oh, I was also unhappy about a couple of what felt like "screw you" moments, like one character I quite liked being wiped out on a whim. It doesn't entirely make sense to me that the metaphysics works that way (everyone would be dead if it's that easy), and it also just felt like a cheap shot for emotional impact. My enjoyment of this series is definitely declining, sadly.

Afterword

I read 1 book, I had 120 last week, so 119 are left over. Just coming out of the cold-exhausted-busy valley now, I hope...

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