Zeb Larson reviews The Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw #5…
The conspirators make their move, but the Champion has a few surprises for them. Note title change.
All the conspirators are making their moves in this issue, but none of them realize that they’ve already been outmaneuvered. This is a good set-up for the finale issue, because the book gives us just enough of an idea as to how the story will play out, but the fallout from the action is still unknown. I will be discussing some spoilers ahead, so read on at your own discretion.
Learoyd takes his few loyal companions on a dangerous mission to retrieve bat guano for what is most likely a bomb, though none of his companions realize this fact. Sandorst makes his move to arrest Gharta and her companion, though his attempt to harm Learoyd with magic is largely unsuccessful. Goodfoot convinces the buffalo tribes to ambush Learoyd in a parley, which will give her a chance to escape with the magic and gold she’s found. Learoyd seems to have figured out everybody’s angles, however, and is engineering a confrontation that will catch everybody off-balance.
Given the guano and what we know the Champion’s been making, we can expect that next issue is going to end rather explosively (I couldn’t resist). Even though Learoyd seems to have a plan for dealing with the buffalo tribes though, whatever’s left of this fragile society is going to be torn apart. Given that Sandorst effectively moved the other animals into a trap, his legitimacy will likely crumble if he isn’t killed first. I’m rooting for Goodfoot to make it out just because she’s a likable rogue.
I also like that the book is really Learoyd through Dunstan’s eyes, and Dunstan’s narration is one of the more interesting elements of the story. Heroism is something that others perceive in a person, and it can be hard to make the hero of a fantasy story properly come to life if the story is told from their perspective. According to Aristotle, one of the elements of a hero is that his actions transcend the morals of the people around him, in the sense that he does not allow himself to be constrained by the beliefs of other people. Learoyd is exactly that kind of hero, consistently refusing to meet the expectations of Sandorst, Gharta, or anybody else around him. Dunstan can only muse on what it is that’s motivating Learoyd, as even we aren’t privy to his inner-thoughts.
Next issue is the finale of this arc, and it seems that there are a number of different ways that this can go. Will Learoyd be able to ward off the buffalo tribes, or will there be a pitched battle? Will Goodfoot make it out of all this alive? And will the survivors get a message off to the other cities, or will they be stuck on the ground? So many questions, and only another few weeks to the next issue.
Zeb Larson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONsp_bmDYXc&feature=player_embedded&list=PL18yMRIfoszFLSgML6ddazw180SXMvMz5
Originally published March 27, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
