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T.H. Paul

Goodreads Author

Born

in Portland (ME), The United States

Website

http://www.thelegacychronicle.com

Twitter

LegacyChronicle

Genre

Fantasy, Fiction

Influences

Margaret Weiss, Tracy Hickman, J.R.R. Tolkien, Ursula K. Le Guin, Bria ...more

Member Since

August 2016

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T.H. (Trevor Howard) Paul is a private secondary school literature teacher at Hebron Academy in Hebron, Maine. T.H. has lived most of his life in Maine, though he did attend Wheaton College in Massachusetts and spent time living in Germany and the People’s Republic of China. T.H. started working on the Legacy Chronicle when he was a freshman in high school, tasked with writing a serial story by his freshman English teacher, Ross Markonish. That story blossomed into a lengthier book, a deepening mythology, and even spawned his own variation on popular tabletop role-playing games, which was dubbed Ascension by one of his good friends and players in Tianjin, PRC. T.H. lives on the campus of Hebron Academy with his wife, Molly, and their dog, Z ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

Who is your favorite fictional couple, and why?

T.H. Paul I think this might be one I have to fudge a little to answer. I really can't think of a traditional couple in the young (or old) lovers category we us…moreI think this might be one I have to fudge a little to answer. I really can't think of a traditional couple in the young (or old) lovers category we usually consider, but I do have characters that I would consider my favorite couples for a number of reasons whose status as couples makes them a bit less traditional. Why not have this as a top five list?

1) Raistlin and Caramon Majere from the Dragonlance series by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman

Raistlin and Caramon are twin brothers, and their relationship and its many complications are the deepest and most complex portions of the original trilogy and the follow up to it, Time of the Twins. I would argue that the second trilogy was the better of the two by a fair margin. The original Dragonlance trilogy was a hefty "save the world" story, one that greatly influenced The Legacy Chronicle's construction, whereas Time of the Twins was a much more zoomed in look at the two most compelling figures among the heroes of the first trilogy. By doing so, the books from Time of the Twins really make everyone written about in either series feel more alive than they did in the sprawling adventure of the original Dragonlance tales.

Raistlin, a terrifyingly powerful wizard, being the physically weak twin, struggles to come to terms with the physical superiority of Caramon, who is always trying to protect him. The fact that both love one another, even if they also hate the things the other does, makes them one of the most realistic portrayals of siblings I've ever encountered. Also, Time of the Twins has a heart-wrenching but well-earned ending. I highly recommend both series.

2) Mannie and "Mike" from Robert A. Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Mannie is a lunar, someone whose ancestors were shipped to the moon penal colony and couldn't return to earth after so much time spent in low gravity. Mike is a computer, the one that Mannie is responsible for repairing and maintaining. In the story, Mike gains sentience and begins to ask Mannie for jokes, leading to a growing relationship as Mike discovers his possible humanity.

I don't want to add any more, but it's a wonderful science fiction story that makes you rethink how we regard sentience and consciousness.

3) Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw from Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights

This might be the closest I get to a traditional "fictional couple" in the list. I have long said that Emily was the greatest writer in the Bronte sisterhood, and I have adored Wuthering Heights since I was in high school. It doesn't hurt to have the elements of the supernatural in the tale, being able to debate if Heathcliff himself is even human makes this as close to fantasy as many canonized classics get, but it works without that component as well.

The torment which both characters go through: Heathcliff for who he is (or is made to be) because of where he comes from and Catherine for how she must (or believes she must) behave because of where she too is from is what keeps them apart; even though Catherine admits if souls exist she must share one with Heathcliff. It's incredibly sad, then it drives far past sad into horrible as Heathcliff's vindictiveness leads to the near destruction of everything around him. It remains a great metaphor for destructive or "what if" relationships and is expertly written.

4) Wil Ohmsford and Amberle Elessedil from Terry Brooks's Elfstones of Shannara

Easily, at least in my opinion, the best of Brooks's Shannara series, Elfstones is a great epic fantasy on its own. The inclusion of Amberle and Wil is just an element that makes it that much better. Unlike a lot of other high fantasy that doesn't ever feel like it has stakes (or that they matter) this is one that definitely makes the threat feel real throughout.

The two are a perfect example of a couple that do not really make sense together, so of course they actually make perfect sense together. As their trials increase and the reliance on one another becomes tantamount to surviving, you as the reader get invested in them as a unit rather than as individuals. I remember genuinely being shaken up when I finished this book, one of the first times a fictional relationship really got to me.

5) Estraven and Genly Ai from Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness

Full disclosure: this is always in contention as my favorite book. Again, this is also not a traditional "couple" as there's never any clearly romantic relationship in this book between anyone. Part of that is due to what this story is about, which is a science fiction novel following an ambassador to a planet where gender among the humanoids there is a fluid concept. Essentially, the inhabitants assume male or female genders once a month and mate with those they are attracted to. Anyone can fall in love with anyone, creating some fascinating cultural dynamics.

For Genly Ai, the ambassador, this situation presents real challenges. He is there to coordinate the inclusion of the planet, colloquially called Winter, with what is essentially his galactic "United Nations." The process is impaired by political intrigue, but complicated by the way in which he is seen as an outsider. Estraven, one of the natives who wants to work with Genly, becomes a key piece in a complex and challenging political puzzle.

The story eventually leads to a great adventure across a treacherous landscape, just Genly and Estraven alone, and it walks the fine line of sexual tension and genuine care with such expertise the book makes me cry every time I read it. The masterful way in which it presents two characters not as man, woman, or something in between, but as simply human is what makes it so touching. I can't recommend this book strongly enough, just be ready to have the themes and ideas in it keep you up at night, pondering.

Like I said, this is not a comprehensive list of couples in fiction, just five that really stand out to me and I thought of when first considering the query. Sorry for the delayed response, I've been a bit ill the past few days!
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What are you currently working on?

T.H. Paul At the moment, I'm finishing the first phase of The Legacy Chronicle, Book 2. That means wrapping up the first 1/3 to 2/5 of the full book before shif…moreAt the moment, I'm finishing the first phase of The Legacy Chronicle, Book 2. That means wrapping up the first 1/3 to 2/5 of the full book before shifting gears and changing locations for the next phase.

Beyond that, I'm hosting some tabletop game adventures set in the world of Teth-tenir. It's been a good creative outlet for some wilder ideas I have.(less)

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Combine Editions
T.H. Paul’s books

Average rating: 4.1 · 40 ratings · 5 reviews · 4 distinct works

	The Sword (The Legacy Chronicle #1) by T.H. Paul (Goodreads Author), Sarah Fensore (Illustrator), Wes Covey (Editor) 4.06 avg rating — 36 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Shield (The Legacy Chronicle #2) by T.H. Paul (Goodreads Author), Sarah Fensore (Illustrator), Shane Thurston (Editor) 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	No Monsters by T.H. Paul (Goodreads Author), Burke Sabatini (Illustrator) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Legacy Chronicle: The Steed by T.H. Paul (Goodreads Author), Sarah Fensore (Illustrator), Shane Thurston (Editor) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

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T.H. Paul's Blog

Penny Arcade and PAX East 2018

This will, in many ways, be the most fulfilling post I get to make to this page. It certainly will be the one I look at most fondly as of the writing, and possibly will remain so years from now. I was given an incredible opportunity to attend PAX East this past weekend (4/5-4/8) and meet some of the people who I have long considered friends and crucial parts of my life, even though I’d never actua Read more of this blog post »

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Published on April 10, 2018 13:04

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Series by T.H. Paul

The Legacy Chronicle (2 books)
by

T.H. Paul (Goodreads Author),

Sarah Fensore (Illustrator),

Shane Thurston (Editor)

4.08 avg rating — 39 ratings

T.H. is Currently Reading

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The Shield (The Legacy Chronicle #2)

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Apr 07, 2020 05:12AM

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The Man Who Smiled (Wallander #4)

by Henning Mankell

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Aug 31, 2019 10:44PM

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Firewall (Wallander #8)

by Henning Mankell

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Aug 26, 2019 01:48PM

T.H.’s Quotes

“Never believe that anti-Semites are completely unaware of the absurdity of their replies. They know that their remarks are frivolous, open to challenge. But they are amusing themselves, for it is their adversary who is obliged to use words responsibly, since he believes in words. The anti-Semites have the right to play. They even like to play with discourse for, by giving ridiculous reasons, they discredit the seriousness of their interlocutors. They delight in acting in bad faith, since they seek not to persuade by sound argument but to intimidate and disconcert. If you press them too closely, they will abruptly fall silent, loftily indicating by some phrase that the time for argument is past.”
― Jean-Paul Sartre

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