Nathan over at Fantasy Review Barn is the mastermind of Tough Traveling. What’s Tough Traveling? Pretty much, it’s a weekly feature on Thursdays where we dig around to come up with examples of common tropes in fantasy, using Diana Wynne Jones’ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland as our inspiration and guide. Nathan has invited one and all to join in the fun, so feel free to come up with your own lists and add the link on Nathan’s weekly post, which will also contain (unleash) the next weeks theme. So let the fun begin …
This weeks theme? FLYING RIDES
Because honestly? Horses just got boring. (Thanks to author Anne Leonard for the suggestion).
I was tempted to include science fiction, because well, spaceships! But, I decided to limit myself to fantasy and see what I could come up with 🙂 But I did include steampunk, which, well might be kind of science fiction. But whatever, here’s my list!
Kettral from Emperor’s Blades by Brian Staveley
What kind of ride would you give a highly trained team of warriors? A kettral. This huge bird type creature can carry your team, travels fast, and can get to the most inhospitable territories. And added bonus? This thing can fight as well!
Flying Assassin Kite from Grace of Kings by Ken Liu
So, your on the ground in a crowded parade because the King is going by with all his protection. How could an assassin get in and out of here without an issue? Easy. Some type of flying kite that lets him just swoop right in, and then swoop back out. It’s not easy to chase someone airborne from the ground.
Dirigibles in Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger
Your typical floating dirigible, shuttling passengers from one destination to another. Complete with the obligatory goggles.
Hot Air balloon piloted by a stegosaurus from Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
OK, so a hot air balloon. Big deal you think. BUT…. This is a time traveling hot air balloon. Piloted by a stegosaurus! Beat that!
Dragons from, well all sorts of books
Seriously? I don’t think I need to elaborate here. They can be found in tons of genre books, and often with a passenger.
Nice call on Staveley and Ken Liu!
Michael Senft recently posted…YA Wednesday: “The Islands at the End of the World” by Austin Aslan
Thanks! Those were actually the first two I thought of for some reason. Dragons came later.
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Tough Traveling – Flying Rides
Great list. The assassin on a kite thing was a great call, sounds interesting.
Wendell recently posted…THE FIRST DRAGONEER by M.R. MATHIAS
It was very cool!
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Tough Traveling – Flying Rides
I think dragons are essential for this week’s topic. I have tried to limit myself…a little 🙂
jessicabookworm recently posted…Meme: Tough Traveling – Flying
nah … you can never have too many dragons 🙂
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Tough Traveling – Flying Rides
Dirigibles! Perfect choice. I feel like I really limited myself picking only animals this week…for some reason I didn’t even think of machines! Toothless is great, obviously. 🙂
Danya @ Fine Print recently posted…Tough Traveling: Flying Rides
machines came to mind quite quickly. I even toyed with putting The Three on my list (airplanes), but, well, decided to at least try a little bit harder.
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Tough Traveling – Flying Rides
The Kettral was my first pick, but that hot air balloon! I don’t even know Ha ha
How To Train Your Dragon is one of my favorite animated movies of all time 🙂
DJ (@MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape) recently posted…Book Collecting: Update #11
It’s hard to top a stegosaurus piloted hot air ballon 🙂 That time travels as well 🙂
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Tough Traveling – Flying Rides
Dirigibles! Great choice. I was thinking of Dorothy’s house for some strange reason and, like you, after I’d posted I came up with some others like the Weasley’s car!
Love your pics.
Lynn 😀
Lynn recently posted…Fly my pretties, fly!
Yep! I definitely thought up a few post-list making, but that is so preferable to not being able to think up any 🙂
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Backlist Burndown Review – My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland
Dirigibles are just so freaking cool! It’s a shame the whole exploding thing sort of ruined there reputation. I feel like they would be way more comfortable than an airplane. A giant fighting bird sounds pretty awesome as well!
Stephanie recently posted…TOUGH TRAVELING | Flying Rides
True, flights ending with the passengers and transport engulfed in a giant fireball kinda puts a damper on things. 🙂
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Backlist Burndown Review – My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland
I got the Kettrals as well, but I seriously thought I’d be the only one with the battle kites from The Grace of Kings this week. Great minds. (You’re not secretly a mind reader who can look inside people’s heads over great distances, are you?) 😛
Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum recently posted…Book Review: The Unremembered by Peter Orullian
Ha! Those were the first two that came to mind for me. Actually, the battle kites were first because they were just so coo/rememberable! 🙂
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Backlist Burndown Review – My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland
Honestly, I’d prefer Toothless to any of Daenerys’s dragons – I don’t really relish the idea of being eaten at any moment. And Toothless looks like a much more comfortable ride! 🙂
Kaja recently posted…Lying Out Loud By Kody Keplinger
OK, I guess you have a point 🙂 But I’m still partial to the Drogon because he can burn up your enemies on command 🙂
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Backlist Burndown Review – My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland