Book Hoarders Anonymous

There was a "taters" reference near the end, in case you're wondering.

The author cheerfully notes at the back that she always likes to find out where other authors get their ideas for their fantasies. Then she lists hers. It's the one she omitted that I raise an eyebrow about.

So we go through the book on a quest (there's that word again) with a group of companions, including a cook who fights with a frying pan. Hmmm… The influences were a bit less…covert in this one, things like both cooks repeatedly using the phrase "and no mistake". Then there's the kid near the beginning that the H mock battles with - Frode. It was still not quite obvious enough to irritate me though.

So the H/h are attracted immediately, and they don't fight it really. Rather, one of his fellow "Norsk" and one of her companions, especially her companion, constantly throw up roadblocks. The quest becomes a bit…convoluted…as the H gets sidetracked into going to the land the "bad guy" came from, to discover his people were originally escaped slaves from there. And then there's the ending which almost reminds me of a battle between Vader and Luke - there's still good in you… At least the bad guy was way too old to pull off the "I am your father" bit. It was kinda funny though how the not-bad guy reacted when the dragonfly promised him she was going to come back for him - after she was reborn (she was his former lover)