{"id":4395,"date":"2017-12-11T05:00:38","date_gmt":"2017-12-11T13:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/?p=4395"},"modified":"2017-12-10T13:07:09","modified_gmt":"2017-12-10T21:07:09","slug":"mark-reads-the-last-hero-part-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/2017\/12\/mark-reads-the-last-hero-part-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Reads ‘The Last Hero’: Part 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the fifth part of The Last Hero<\/i>, the Silver Horde continues their climb, while Rincewind prepares for a fall. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to read Discworld<\/i>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trigger Warning: For discussion of acrophobia.<\/b><\/p>\n

I used to have a much more difficult time with heights than I currently do. Growing up, I found bridges terrifying. Cliffsides? I think the fuck not. Canyons, mountains, passes, airplanes? Why are humans so arrogant?<\/i> Over time, I faced some of those fears, and roller coasters in particular provided me a safe means to get over the majority of my acrophobia. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s only triggered in specific instances, the main two being the edge of a cliff or the edge of a tall building. (Unless it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got some sort of device or construction that blocks you from falling off of it.)<\/p>\n

I bring this up because I wanted to comment on that stunning illustration from Kidby that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the view from part of the way up Cori Celesti. The perspective of it is dizzying, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s incredible to me that a drawing can achieve this kind of response from me. But the illustrations thus far have been a much needed visual, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m so glad that they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re here to help me through The Last Hero<\/i>. The image of Leonard\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s ship! OH MY GOD, IT\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S A BIRD CARRYING A SALMON. Which\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 holy shit, why is he like this.<\/p>\n

Well, regardless of how wacky his ideas might be, in execution, they really do<\/i> tend to work. That doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t exactly negate the tension built up in this section of the book. Up until the Kite launches, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s still just an idea. Sure, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a physical ship that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s being constructed, but that doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t comfort me (or Rincewind, for that matter) when it comes to it actually<\/i> plunging off the Rim. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s such a creepy thought, isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t it? It didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help that it was described as a fall without hitting anything at the end because THAT DOESN\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T SOUND GREAT. IT ACTUALLY SOUNDS MORTIFYING.<\/p>\n

Here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the thing, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all. This is the Discworld<\/i> series. Almost nothing goes as planned, so I suspect that this trip \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcround the Disc is not going to be as simple as Ponder or Leonard described it. Plus, Rincewind is aboard the Kite, which instantly means something will Go Astray within the first five minutes. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just how this world works!<\/p>\n

The gods are probably amused by all of this anyway<\/i>. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no rush to stop the Silver Hoarde, who are given opportunities to turn back, and yet they press on! That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not surprising, though, because\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 well, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the Hoarde. When have they ever given up? When have they ever turned back? It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not in their nature. As I discussed before, this journey has a special meaning to them, too. This is it! It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s their last hurrah! No vertical climb (I LITERALLY COULD NOT DO THIS, I THINK I WOULD EXPIRE FROM STRESS) is going to discourage them!<\/p>\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/352dFRRicOs<\/p>\n

Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n

– My YA contemporary debut, ANGER IS A GIFT<\/a>, is now available for pre-order!\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>If you’d like to stay up-to-date on all announcements regarding my books, sign up for my newsletter<\/a>! DO IT.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"