*SPOILERS*
Whew, just finished the book this morning. What a great read, very good job David Gaider!
I noticed a very big upgrade in the quality of writing from The Calling to Asunder, specifically in the how the characters were written, heres what I think about the major characters:
Rhys - A great protagonist with a lot of mystery surrounding him, which is a great way to go about writing a central character. Rhys really comes alive not from his own doing, but from his relationships with the other characters. I found the parts of the book when Rhys was with Cole were some of the best in the entire book. His compassion for Cole really showed that he was just genuinely a good guy, willing to look past Cole's faults and help him regardless of knowing what Cole has done. When Rhys finds out what Cole is at the end of the book, it is one of the saddest parts of any book I have read.
I also really admired the relationship that grew between Rhys and Evangeline, I see their relationship as more than just them falling in love, but as proof that Templars and Mages do not have to be enemies.
Cole - My personal favorite character in the book. Everything about his character is just so well written, and I am having a difficult time thinking of a character that I truly felt more sorry for in the DA universe. One of the things that really brought him alive was the constant questioning about his true nature that Rhys recieved from everyone around him. Many people throughout the novel accuse Rhys of speaking to a demon or a spirit, and while the ending left that up to a bit of a mystery about what he truly is (spirit or demon, or something more?), the writing is done so well that I came away feeling like Cole was one of the most human characters in the novel. I could very easily seem him returning in a future DA game as a possible companion or even an antagonist now that he understands what he is.
Evangeline - My favorite Templar in Thedas! I'll admit I am largely pro-mage (but anti-Anders, his way of going about it is wrong), but Evangeline was able to make me believe that there are some Templars that truly want to protect mages rather than limit their freedom. She stresses that throughout the novel, and when she goes against the Seeker at the end specifically becuase of her morals, I was so happy. I thought that adding in that she was addicted to lyrium was a good touch, because it shows that the Templars also make sacrifices, not just the mages. At the end when she is brought back to life, I was very touched, from both Wynne's sacrifice, and because I think that Evangeline is in many ways a symbol of peace between mages and templars. Wynne realized this when Evangeline stopped her from using the corrupted staff, while at the same time still fighting to save the mages.
Wynne - Everybody already knows Wynne of course, she has grown as a character in this novel however. In DA:O, I liked her as a companion and used her (pretty much had to if you didn't play a mage lol), but I never felt that she was that interesting, rather just a very moral old woman. I like that in the novel her character is shaken up a bit by the fact that she is with her son. She comes across as the strong leader of the group throughout the novel, at least thats the impression I got, and her sacrifice at the end was very touching.
Adrian - Hard to describe, she is a very interesting character, but at the same time I felt like I disagreed with her on how she went about acheiving her goals. She reminded me a lot of Anders from DA2, very radical, guided by her emotions alone, extremely unpractical. Her conflict with Rhys and their past relationship was really well done, and it added another layer to the growing relationship between Rhys and Evangeline. Also, I was extremely dissapointed in her when I found out she killed Pharamound and framed Rhys for the murder, not because I think it's out of her character, but because she spends a large portion of the book telling Rhys that Cole is just a murderer and that Rhys shouldn't consort with him. Seems rather hypocritical, given her thoughts on that. A well written character nonetheless. I could easily see her as an antagonist in DA3, considering she was promoted to first enchanter.
Lord Seeker Lambert - Man did I hate this guy, and what more can you ask for in a villain? Needless to say, he played the villain role perfectly. And when I say this I mean that he came across as the kind of man who did terrible things, but only because he felt that it was the correct choice. He was not just an "evil for the sake of evil" kind of person, his background with the Tevinter circle was largely the cause for his black and white views of mages. In fact, some parts of the story gave hints that he was even caring about the mages, it's almost as if at the corner of his mind he knew what he was doing was wrong. The fight between him and Cole at the end was probobly the most intense moment in the book.
Some of the other notable others:
Leliana - a fan favorite, although her role was rather small in the book, still it was good to see what she has been up to since DA2.
Fiona - It was good to see her in this novel again, she was one of my favorite characters in The Calling, although I couldn't help but feel like her position as Grand Enchanter didn't fit her character from The Calling. However, a lot of years have passed and I'm perfectly willing to accept that she has just changed.
Divine Justinia - I am not sure how I feel about her just yet. Her want to understand the tranquil is admirable for a chantry member, but at the same time she seems to be almost Naive. I was able to see right from the get go that when Lord Seeker Lambert was laying out his demands for the conclave, that he was planning to push them into a "rebellion", somehow this seemed to have slipped by the Divine though. I don't really have enough info on her to judge her character I think, and I hope that DA3 extrapolates on her.
Shale - Was great to read about her again, the only thing that I wished they would have done was perhaps discover a way to turn her back into a dwarf. I suppose thats a story for another time though.
All in all, I loved this book!
Modifié par terdferguson123, 23 février 2012 - 10:17 .
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more importantly, pretty much everyone except the Origins companions would only think of the Warden as the Hero of Ferelden and not as Aedan Cousland or Lyna Mahariel or whatever his or her real name is. ![=]](https://lvlt.forum.bioware.com/public/style_emoticons/default/sideways.png)
