Reread Vale Aida's The Magpie Ballads (completed at two books) which are kind of sort of like the Lymond Chronicles in as many ways as they're uh not like the Lymond Chronicles. There are two story threads, one involving Savonn, the actor turned soldier and his enemies-turned-lovers-turned-enemies turned 'it's complicated' with a(n un)healthy dose of 'the only one allowed to kill you is me' relationship while also sort of trying to fight a war and avenge his father's death (as you do), the one other involving Shandei and her quest to avenge her father's death while also having a cute romance with Savonn's childhood friend (f) and trying not to get killed. (People's fathers are, clearly, very much Not Safe in this universe.)
My copy of Lies Sleeping arrived, so I decided to reread the whole series. I'm halfway The Hanging Tree by now, which I'd only read once before, so this feels like a good decision.
I also picked up a copy of Harlock: Space Pirate, an animated movie about a space pirate who turns out to be more of a rebel slash resistance fighter, really? I enjoyed it, though, even if the 'yes, I saved your life even though I know you're a spy' scene came a bit out of the blue. (The audience knows the character in question is a spy, but at no point is it shown that the characters involved in this conversation know this, nor that the spy (who responds to having their life saved by asking 'why?') is aware their cover has been blown. I wanted a big dramattic reveal, or some angst where the spy is all 'but he saved my life! but he's a bad guy! but!'. Alas. On the other hand, 'if you want to kill me at any later time, I will let you' also hit a bunch of my buttons, so.
My copy of Lies Sleeping arrived, so I decided to reread the whole series. I'm halfway The Hanging Tree by now, which I'd only read once before, so this feels like a good decision.
I also picked up a copy of Harlock: Space Pirate, an animated movie about a space pirate who turns out to be more of a rebel slash resistance fighter, really? I enjoyed it, though, even if the 'yes, I saved your life even though I know you're a spy' scene came a bit out of the blue. (The audience knows the character in question is a spy, but at no point is it shown that the characters involved in this conversation know this, nor that the spy (who responds to having their life saved by asking 'why?') is aware their cover has been blown. I wanted a big dramattic reveal, or some angst where the spy is all 'but he saved my life! but he's a bad guy! but!'. Alas. On the other hand, 'if you want to kill me at any later time, I will let you' also hit a bunch of my buttons, so.