Songkeeper Chronicles discussion

And a thread for Carhartan, the enigmatic villain of Orphan's Song! O_O I have many feels regarding this character... I wonder if I'm alone? He's a great villain but also... something more... somehow...

I'm just going to copy my spoiler-tagged things about him from my Orphan's Song review (please excuse the all-caps; it was a very emotional time when I wrote that. ;) *cough): (view spoiler)[BUT REALLY THE REASON THIS SPOILER TAG THING FOR EXPLODING FEELS IS EVEN HERE IS BECAUSE CARHARTAN. CARHARTAN. HE'S, LIKE, THE VILLAIN, RIGHT? BUT BUT BUT! BUT I CARED ABOUT HIM. I FELT FOR HIM. EVEN THOUGH HE WAS BAD I STILL LIKED HIM AND OCCASIONALLY HE HAD A MOMENT OF BEING DECENT AND HE USED TO BE BROTHERLY FRIENDS WITH AMOS BUT WAS A TRAITOR AND IT'S HEARTBREAKING AND HURTS BUT BUT JUST. ALKDSJ. I CAN'T. I HAVE TOO MANY FEELS REGARDING HIM. BECAUSE OF HIM BEING DEAD AND ALL. BECAUSE I WANTED HIM TO DIE BUT I DIDN'T WANT HIM TO DIE. BECAUSE I HATED HIM BUT LOVED HIM. I WAS SORRY FOR HIM BUT HE TOTALLY DESERVED TO DIE BECAUSE HE WAS HORRIBLE BUT I STILL LIKED HIM. ALMOST. SOME. I THINK. I CAN'T EVEN WORD BECAUSE MY FEELS ARE SO OBLITERATED AND CONFUZZLED. CARHARTANNNNNNNNN. WUT. Just. Alsdkjfklj. I'm going to sit here rocking in a corner and try to recover myself. Because I don't even know if I loved or hated him, or if it was awesome or tragic that he was killed. What did this author DO to me? O_O (hide spoiler)]

Anyways Carhartan. *nods*

I have no idea how I feel about Carhartan . . . he is a great villain, and I'm curious about his past, but I didn't exactly have your feels over him.

Sarah Taleweaver wrote: "I have no idea how I feel about Carhartan . . . he is a great villain, and I'm curious about his past, but I didn't exactly have your feels over him."

Okay, I'm probably alone. XD But YES, I'm curious too! o.o We need, like, a whole backstory prequel thing! *nodnod*

Deborah wrote: "Okay, I'm probably alone. XD But YES, I'm curious too! o.o We need, like, a whole backstory prequel thing! *nodnod* "

I'm just one person, though. Others might agree with you. But yes, a prequel-backstory thing would be cool!

It could be all about Amos. >:D (view spoiler)[(As Hawkness!!! :D :D :D) (hide spoiler)]

Deborah wrote: "It could be all about Amos. >:D [spoilers removed]"

That would be awesome. :D

Sarah Taleweaver wrote: "That would be awesome. :D"

I second that!

Yes some more of his back story would be cool, or as you have said a prequel, another whole book please.

Jane wrote: "Sarah Taleweaver wrote: "That would be awesome. :D"
I second that!"

I fourth that!

Deborah, I think I understand what you mean about Carhartan. I have a thing for villains who are broken, but I always want to redeem them. Except, when some villains are unusually horrible to my characters I just want them to die. Sooo yes...feels. ;)

Hannah wrote: "Deborah, I think I understand what you mean about Carhartan. I have a thing for villains who are broken, but I always want to redeem them. Except, when some villains are unusually horrible to my ch..."

Yay! Thank you! XD

No way I can agree and Carhartan!he was a good enough villain, and I do sometimes want villans redeemed, but the man was way past gone. He was evil, and did not have a regard for life or anything else good.

Yes... I do doubt one like him could be redeemed.... he was horrible....

Clare wrote: "Yes... I do doubt one like him could be redeemed.... he was horrible...."

Very!

Well, part of the point is that ANYONE can be redeemed--that's what grace is about--but I totally agree he was horrible, and a very villainous villain. I just found his backstory really sad and intriguing. :)

Deborah wrote: "Well, part of the point is that ANYONE can be redeemed--that's what grace is about--but I totally agree he was horrible, and a very villainous villain. I just found his backstory really sad and int..."

He made the choices he did, and his heart was still dark, he was very far from redemption.

I know he wasn't redeemed, I'm just saying he COULD have been, if he'd made different choices. :) I agree he was very evil and dark, yes.

Deborah wrote: "I know he wasn't redeemed, I'm just saying he COULD have been, if he'd made different choices. :) I agree he was very evil and dark, yes."

Oh, definitely, I wasn't saying he couldn't have been just that the place he was at he was definitely nowhere near it. He despised good and true things and loved evil things.

I felt kinda bad for Carhartan myself. :( One of my favorite writing tips that I ever happened upon was to give your villains something that you like - whether it's a character trait or a quirk or just something that they have or do. It wasn't much, but I gave Carhartan a gray horse (odd how it's usually the good guys on a white horse) and a pipe which reminded me of Ranger Aragorn. (And I'm a big fan of Ranger Aragorn.) And that was what helped make Carhartan a REAL character to me, and not just an evil villain.

Gillian wrote: "I felt kinda bad for Carhartan myself. :( One of my favorite writing tips that I ever happened upon was to give your villains something that you like - whether it's a character trait or a quirk or ..."

Ooh, how interesting! Thanks for that tidbit, Gillian! :) I could somehow tell he was real to you, so that makes a lot of sense. Anyways he gave me ALL OF THE FEELINGS so. I guess you could say he's real to me too. They all are. ;)