Thanks, Hannah, for hosting me here and helping me celebrate the (almost) one year book birthday for Songkeeper! It is the second book in the Songkeeper Chronicles, which tells the story of a girl who can hear the song that created the world. If this is your first encounter with the blog tour, we are continuing a series of alphabet posts looking at the world and characters and magical creatures of the Songkeeper Chronicles (follow the tour at gillianbronteadams.com and find a list of all the stops at #exploreleira tour). And we have an awesome giveaway that you can enter below!
Today, we’re looking at the letter …
P is for Paddy
Everybody needs a friend, right? And of course, every hero needs a sidekick. When I first wrote Paddy into the story, it was as a comedic friend and sidekick pal for Ky. (Read more about Ky here.) Someone to cast a bit of humor and light into the otherwise grim situation ruling the cobblestoned streets of Kerby: abandoned kids left to fend for themselves while the Khelari soldiers wreak havoc on their town.
Although he doesn’t get a ton of page time, Paddy fills that role well in Orphan’s Song.
As a member of the Underground (a band of street kids from Kerby), Paddy was left to the streets when his parents were taken by the Khelari. He has been a part of the Underground since the beginning, and is a full-fledged “runner” with an assigned little brother named Syd. Long-limbed with freckles and a mop of red hair, Paddy isn’t the sort that blends easily into a crowd. So he has to work particularly hard to stay out of sight when he’s apple-bobbing in the market or nicking coins from pockets near the city gate.
Paddy and Ky are the best of pals. Paddy always has Ky’s back when it comes to Dizzier’s bullying or Cade’s often overzealous leadership. He may not be the one to jump in with fists flying or to seek a direct confrontation, but sometimes a quiet word is enough. And Paddy can always be found afterward when Ky needs to jokingly complain about the newest form of injustice plaguing the Underground.
Lucky for Ky, Paddy also serves as the voice of caution in his ear whenever his big mouth threatens to land him in trouble with Cade. Of course … even with warning, Ky isn’t the type to be easily swayed from standing up for what he thinks is right. So, Paddy always has his work cut out for him.
But he does his best to keep Ky in line.
Paddy chuckled softly. “You’re such a fool, y’ know that, Ky?”
– Orphan’s Song
Again ..
“Uh oh,” Paddy said about a mouthful of bread. “Trouble’s comin’ and it’s staring straight at you.”
– Orphan’s Song
And again …
Hands grasped his arms and pulled him to his feet. Through bleary eyes, he made out Paddy’s concerned face peering at him. “Whew, laddy-boyo! You’re insane, did you know that?”
– Orphan’s Song
Honestly, it’s practically a full time job.
Paddy clucked his tongue, but it was a kind sort of clucking. The ragging of a friend. Ky hadn’t realized how much he’d missed it. “You’re a fool, you know that, Ky?”
“’Course I know it. Doesn’t stop you from reminding me.”
– Songkeeper
In Songkeeper, (slight spoiler alert) we get to see more of Paddy as a person. Have you ever been away from a friend for a period of time, and then got back together only to realize that your friend had grown and changed just as much as you had? It can be disorienting, at first, because although we give ourselves freedom to change, we can be loath to allow others to do the same.
We find comfort and security in expecting the places and people that we care about to remain the same.
But when Ky returns to the Underground in Songkeeper, the Paddy he discovers is very different from the cheerful, jesting chum that he left behind. The new Paddy has experienced as many difficulties as Ky has, and has been forced to grow into new responsibilities. He is stronger, more confident, and far surer of himself than Ky remembers.
And he stands now at Cade’s right hand, instead of at Ky’s side.
“Do you think we’ve been sittin’ around twiddlin’ our thumbs waiting for the great Ky to come back and tell us all what to do?” He shoved past Ky, pushing him against the wall, and strode down the passage. “It’s like I don’t know you at all.”
– Songkeeper
Adjusting to the new Paddy is a bit of a challenge for Ky, but through challenge, friendships grow and are strengthened, and somewhere along the way, sidekicks become less like sidekicks and more like partners.
Ky grinned. “Now who’s never defied Cade?”
“I know.” A crease formed between his eyes. “I feel such a rebel.”
– Songkeeper
Who are some of your favorite friend pairs in books or movies?
Check out the links below for a place to purchase the books.
And before you leave, don’t forget to enter the giveaway! One lucky winner will take home a copy of Orphan’s Song, Songkeeper, and a gorgeous handmade mug. Two lucky winners will take home copies of Songkeeper! Enter through the Rafflecopter below and be sure to visit www.gillianbronteadams.com to continue following the blog tour. You can earn new entries for each post that you visit along the way. Winners will be announced after April 15th.
Bio: GILLIAN BRONTE ADAMS is a sword-wielding, horse-riding, coffee-loving speculative fiction author from the great state of Texas. During the day, she manages the equestrian program at a youth camp. But at night, she kicks off her boots and spurs, pulls out her trusty laptop, and transforms into a novelist. She is the author of Orphan’s Song, Songkeeper, and Out of Darkness Rising. Visit Gillian online at her blog, Twitter, or Facebook page.
Songkeeper Blur
b: War ravages Leira and the Song has fallen silent.
b: War ravages Leira and the Song has fallen silent.
Freed from the hold of a slave ship, Birdie, the young Songkeeper, and Ky, a street-wise thief, emerge to a world at war. Hordes of dark soldiers march across Leira, shadowed by whispers of plague and massacres, prompting Ky to return to his besieged home city in hopes of leading his fellow runners to safety.
Desperate to end the fighting, Birdie embarks on a dangerous mission into the heart of the Takhran’s fortress. Legend speaks of a mythical spring buried within and the Songkeeper who will one day unleash it to achieve victory. Everyone believes Birdie is the one, but the elusive nature of the Song and rumors of other gifted individuals lead her to doubt her role. Unleashing the spring could defeat the Takhran once and for all, but can she truly be the Songkeeper when the Song no longer answers her call?
8 comments:
I enjoyed this post- Paddy's an interesting character, for sure.
Favorite friend pairs . . . I don't know. There's too many to choose from!
"Adjusting to the new Paddy is a bit of a challenge for Ky, but through challenge, friendships grow and are strengthened, and somewhere along the way, sidekicks become less like sidekicks and more like partners." I love that- it's making the character like a real person, rather than having him just fill a certain role.
I liked the change in Paddy, even if it was a bit jarring at first. I appreciate how you developed Paddy and his personality, instead of leaving him a static sidekick. Most people don't do that. It makes you feel comfortable when people stay the same, but real life and real people aren't like that.
And Ky really does need someone to hold him back at times - or at least try :)
As for favorite friend pairs, Tirian and Jewel from The Last Battle are the first that comes to mind. Another would be Daniel and Goliath from The Bronze Bow.
Or Marcus and Esca from the Eagle of the Ninth!
Paddy was a heaps good character, am I right? (This series had a full cast of heaps good characters though. xP) Really interesting to read about.
I've sadly never gotten around to reading the songkeeper series... :(
I would very much like to though, they look quite good :)
This series sounds pretty cool! I'll have to check it out more. And my favorite friend pairs... hmm. I have to say I like Legolas and Gimli, Finrod and Beren, Turin and Beleg (even though that, shall we say, didn't end well...) from Tolkien, and Harry and Jack from the Blue Sword
Paddy sounds like an interesting character. I'm excited to read more about him.
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