Speaking of being oblivious…

It’s time for another entry of:

Hasera and Lark Review

The Errant Apprentice

Lark:
Alright. Let me just start by saying I’m probably going to lose my temper on this one. This story follows an altruistic dimwit named Terry Lingal who thinks that being a hero means doing the right thing all the time. This goody-two-shoes lives in on a plane that looks a lot like those ‘modern’ planes, but monsters from across the various planes show up and apparently aren’t supposed to be there.

So Mr. Does-the-right things is on his way to become a Knight, which I guess is a form of Champion where he’s from and he goes about, righting wrongs, slaying monsters and doing pretty much what the Champions of old would do.

Along the way, he runs into a mage called Delores. They’re also joined by whatever a troubadour is named John… I think… Or maybe it’s Elton… Could be hyphenated, like John-Elton or something. They got weird names over there.

I’m pretty sure most of the story is being told by the Elton-John guy. The jist of it is: the three team up and become the equivalent of a Champion and Guardian pair with a singing minstrel who pays for everything – though with more involved about the money and less about the whole ‘essence binding’ thing. Wouldn’t mind the minstrel thing, at least then I wouldn’t need to go and have to give a testimony each time a job goes wrong.

Honestly, I’d prefer if it was just a split of rounds, rather than having to constantly have to the other person’s essence be pulled into the Strife. That sensation never really leave you and I’m surprised more people haven’t died to it.

There’s a thing between Delores and Terry, but Mr. Chastity is too much of a pinhead to realize that he’s got a ready and willing, powerful and gorgeous woman that would do unspeakable things to him if he’d just get off his high horse and accept that sometimes the rules are made by some very twisted individuals. It’s not like she’d force herself on him or anything – that wouldn’t work with a powerful woman. Only the crazies force themselves onto others. Trust me.

The art’s good. It’s got a style that grows on you and you can see the creator is honing his talent throughout the story. The story has been going on for over ten years and it’s a timeless classic as far as setup goes. Truth be told, Terry gets a heapful of reality throughout the story, thus slowly tarnishing his ‘knight in shining armour’ motif and making him start to question everything he ever believed.

Like they say: If you ever see a knight in shining armour, don’t trust him. It means he’s new.

So, I’d recommend people who like episodic adventures that lead to a ‘save the world’ type scenario to take a look at this one. It’s cute, got a good structure, likable characters – even if one of them is so green about being a hero, and overall, it was well worth the read. From what I can tell, it’s getting close to its climax, so now would be a good time to pick it up.

Hasera:
After having read this story, I’m starting to wonder if perhaps the Chronicles of Lark were lifted from tales of individuals like Terry. Mainly because I’ve met the so-called Hero Lark and he’s almost the exact opposite of what the books depict him. Terry is good, does the right thing and doesn’t expect a reward – just like all the stories of Lark that I’ve read.

Well, almost. There’s a lot less… uh… extra-curricular activities in The Errant Apprentice when compared to something like A Lark in the Night.

The Errant Apprentice takes place on a world that has delvers, dragons, and what they call Orcs, but resemble savages a lot. All they’re really missing are those weird necklaces of fingers they like to wear. Creeps me out – I swear some of them still wiggle.

Right, so, Terry Lingal goes on a heroic journey to join what is essentially The Order of his world. Along the way he meets the awesome Delores and gains the assistance of a troubadour named Elton. The three of them have grand adventures that begin to start unveiling some seriously important stuff about their world and how things work over there.

Terry and Delores are an adorable couple. I know I kept reading just to see how long it would take the thick-headed Knight to admit that he had a thing for her. Not going to spoil if her ever does, but it’s well worth the read.

For what it’s worth, I’d trade my Champion in for Terry. There would be less collateral damage, more rounds to go around and at least Terry is smart enough to use a sword when fighting giant monsters and not his bare hands.

The art style is cute. It definitely adds the the humour of the comic and while it is a little rough sketched in the beginning, it’s interesting to see it grow into its. Delores looks better and better with each page that comes out and her temper and demeanor is something that I can wholly understand.

The story itself is worth your time. The growth of Terry, Delores and Elton is an exceptional journey and the reveal to see who and/or what Terry and Delores are is an excellent twist. I just hope it ends like those same Lark stories I’ve read. Well, okay, I hope it ends mostly like one of those stories – less The Lark going on to his next job and more ‘Terry and Delores hook-up and no one dies’ kind of thing.