I just find it so interesting the personality differences between Luke and Martin. I know how we joke about Martin wanting to fight bears, but in reality? Martin just wanted to be a serious warrior. Like. He was barely two days old and he was crawling towards Luke’s sword. “I’m ready ma. Just give it here already. Gimme the sword.” Martin was born as a somber Irish Warrior Grandfather who is going to protect everyone and everything. He has a light hearted side but actually though (especially when he’s older), he just really kinda wants to respect everything. Like. If he ran into a bear he’d be like “oh my good sir, am I on your territory? whoops. hey let my party and I pass, we’ll bake you a shrew cake and Gonff will sing a song and happiness all around.” But Luke? Nope. That ain’t Luke. Luke is like a College Frat Boy Party hooked up with Kill Bill and now we have Vengeful Cranky Father Who Drank All The Whisky and Rum and Is Going in for Blood Next. Luke don’t give a fuck about you, he don’t give a fuck about your problems, he don’t give a fuck about your cooking, and he certainly don’t give a fuck about your feelings. He goes and rescues his crew and then screams bloody murder at them and tells them off. Martin would have given a stern lecture before breaking down and being like “Okay what can I do to make this better for you, here let me wrap you in a blanket”. Luke is like “Oh you want yer mama’s hugs and kisses? WELL TOO BAD SHE’S DEAD AND SO WERE YOU FOR A MOMENT THERE.”
Chill out, Luke. But still I love him and his emotional angst that caused Martin’s emotional angst.
But also. Sanya (we don’t speak about her enough.period. fix this, fandom) She had a tapestry of Martin in her purse (and I can’t remember if it was her father or Luke’s) wearing armor. So follow me on this logic here. For years I have thought that it was OUR Martin on the tapestry. But what if it wasn’t? What if it was Grandpapy Martin? Or perhaps someone had a vision of our Martin and did the thing, but it makes you wonder, doesn’t it? But keep this in mind here. Martin was named after Martin the Grandfather. Thus meaning that Martin the Grandfather is actually Martin the I. Our Martin is Martin the II. Matthias’s grandson, Mattimeo’s son, is therefore, in all actuality, is Martin the III. MARTIN THE III, PEOPLE.
And from my understanding, Martin the I was the REAL one who’d fight a bear.
Oh shit okay golden read LoL the hour has come it’s my time
I LOVE the stark differences between Martin in this book and Luke. It’s like. Pretty powerful. Because guess who he resembles more out of his two parents?? Despite his physical appearance, the way he talks, does he seem a lot like Luke?? NO. HE’S SAYNA. Denno (I think?) even points out his pretty Sayna eyes. He grew up to be HER, the one who would do whatever it took, throw themself in front of any foe with whatever weapon came to hand, to protect their loved one.
(Sidenote! Ihave a crucial headcanon that Sayna’s dad died when she was a baby so Martin I took her and Windred under his wing, which is why she has a picture of him and also why she named her son after him.)
BUT WAIT! Martin wasn’t always the way he is in LoL. In this book he is older, nearing the end of his warrior career, on the verge of seeing his dream fulfilled. Recall back to the way he was in MtW, after a horrific and gory childhood. Who did he resemble more then? LUKE. the whole “fuck u I’m coming through back off small bitch” attitude is SO PROMINENT. Who helped him through that? ROSE, who resembles Sayna’s bravery and self sacrifice.
Then we hit mossflower and the Luke Attitude is still so strong, it runs throughout the whole book (see: calling out Verdauga, crossing the river without a ferry, preparing the battle a giant fucking crab with no ragrets). Who helps him through that?? GONFF. the most carefree dude maybe in history, possibly the very opposite of Luke.
Then we meet Boar and he teaches Martin all the stuff he needs to know and fills the Empty Dad Hole in our boy’s heart and then what happens
SOMEBODY HAS TO SAIL AWAY, ABANDONING THE OTHER IN ORDER TO FULFILL A GREATER DESTINY. SOUND FAMILIAR?
oh shit I get so worked up
And so now Martin grows into himself, becomes his own person outside of his past or his future, and marches straight to his death in order to save the ones he loves, and that’s maybe the first Big Time we see Sayna in him.
And that part of him grows and grows. He shares his mother’s dream of a world without violence, of family and safety, and he brings it to fruition, and by the time he returns back to the north he’s almost unrecognizable from the young mouse he was in the first book.
IT’S JUST. SO. GOOD.
Update:
I’ve made it through slightly more than one page.
I’ve filled up almost three pages in my notebook with new vocabulary words to study.