This blogging prompt is hosted by the Goodreads Top 5 Wednesday group
Today’s T5W prompt is Fitness and Training Regimens
In fantasy/adventure type fiction, some of the characters have lethal skills and would probably be elite athletes. So, how did they learn their skills and how much effort went into it? These are characters that I would like to see their fitness/training routines.
1. al’Lan Mandragoran from Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time Series
Lan is the absolute best fighter that I know. He is older, perhaps 40ish years old, but still in peak physical shape and ready to take down any monster that comes at him. He wields his sword with deadly efficiency and stalks prey on silent feet. He can resist mental handicaps and instead finds his center within himself, floating in an emotionless void. Cold. Calculating. If I could gain just one-onehundredth of this man’s skill, I would be unstoppable in my world now!
2. Iwan Hafgan from Michael Sliter’s Pandemonium Rising series
Links to my 5 star reviews of Solace Lost (#1) and Wisdom Lost (#2)
Born from a warrior humanoid race, this Wasmer fights like a fiend. He too can find his center (called the hedwichen), and is able to gain emotionless clarity during a battle. His reflexes are so quick that he is able to deflect arrows from penetrating his body, and his mind is so strong that even after being in solitary confinement for who knows how long; after being tortured by his own people for trying to save them; after losing all hope in freedom, he is still able to fight with deadly accuracy. I would love to see the training regimen that he puts his body through each day.
3. Bannen from Honor Raconteur’s Familiar and the Mage series
Links to my reviews of The Human Familiar (#1) and The Void Mage (#2)
In the first book of this series, Bannen is a teenager from a warrior culture, dropped onto a different continent unexpectedly when a teleportation spell supposedly “goes wrong.” And yet, this kid is able to not only keep his wits and humor about him through it all, but he is also able to help his mage fight! He keeps her safe, fighting alongside magic, even though he has zero experience. I want to know his regimen so that I can develop his flexibility and adaptability, both physically and mentally!
4. Jaime Lannister from George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series
Kingslayer. Jaime Lannister is supposedly one of the best swordsmen in the Seven Kingdoms. At least, he is in the beginning of the series. Although I cannot speak to his morality nor decision-making, I would love to see what he does to keep himself always ready to fight. If he can defeat most any mortal enemy in this series, then I could be unstoppable in my own world.
5. Aragorn from JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series
Admittedly, I may be a bit biased for this one. I’ve had a HUGE crush on Aragorn ever since I saw The Fellowship of the Ring when the movie came out in 2001. It turned into a full blow love interest after I read the series years later. He is my bae and I would do anything for Aragorn/Strider. Not only is he beautiful both inside and out, but he is also an amazing fighter. He isn’t afraid to throw himself against Sauron’s inhuman forces and protect those he cares about. And you know what? He tends to win.
The Book Dragon 