Üdv! Did you ever find yourself in a situation where you had no idea what was being said? Well, the brave people taking part in the What the Hungarian?! feature can experience exactly that. 5 qoutes, 5 guesses, 5 answers. How well would you do?

The rules:

• You get 5 passages in Hungarian from books you’ve read, and a couple of hints.
• You have to guess which book they are from. And for extra fun, try to guess what the qoute might be about!
• You can also ask 1 question regarding each passages which I’ll answer with “yes”, “no” or “I don’t know” – as I didn’t read each of the books.
• You can’t use a dictionary or a translator.
• And you just have to have fun!

Simple, isn’t it?

Our first victim volunteer is my good friend and fellow SPFBO judge, Nick T. Borrelli!

My love affair with Fantasy and Science-Fiction books began when I was just 13 years old. It was then that I checked a book out of the local public library called The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov. At the time I had no idea that it was the last book in a series, all I knew was that it completely changed my life and ignited a passion for reading that I couldn’t ever fully satiate. Thirty-odd years later I still have that passion, in fact, it has gotten even stronger. I’ve been a book review contributor for various SFF book review sites over the past two decades but I started my own blog “Out of This World SFF Reviews” exactly a year ago.  I currently make my home along the southern coast of New Jersey with my wonderfully amazing wife and our two daughters.

Nick: Did I get any of these correct or did I bomb horribly?

Well, my friend, let’s find out, shall we?

1.

Hol van a különbség szent és megszállott között? Elmélkedtem. Mikor lesz a csodából varázslat, a varázslatból boszorkányság? A tett természetéből fakad vagy a teremtő szemében számít annak? Az eset megtörténte után válik ténnyé, és ha igen, függ attól, ki mondja? A varázslat az én fejemben varázslat, de hát honnan tudhatnám. Ez filozófiai kérdés volt, gondolom, és ez nem a megfelelő idő volt filozofálni.

Hints: Book 1 of a series, traditionally published, male author, all titles have the same word in it

Nick: Okay so not ONE of these Hungarian words gives me any clue as to what book this might be, so I’m going to have to rely on your clue. It’s a good clue though and maybe I have a shot at getting this right.

Guess: ROSEWATER by Tade Thompson?

The correct answer: Priest of Bones by Peter McLean

The original quote:

Where is the difference between holy and possessed? I wondered. When does miracle become magic, magic become witchcraft? Is it in the nature of the deed itself, ot in the eye of the beholder? Is it decided in the telling after the fact, and if so does it depend on who does that telling? Magic was magic, to my mind, but then I wouldn’t know. That was a pholosophical question, I supposed, and this was no time for philosophy.

2.

Lord Archeon a király nyugati parancsnokaként szolgált és kormányozta ezeket az északnyugati határterületeket. Ő volt az, aki magához hívatta Bjornt. A hőstetteiről szóló történetek valóban messzi földre elterjedtek, ha egy ilyen nagyhatalmú úrhoz is eljutottak. A vadász megfogadta, hogy megtalálja azt a szörnyet, ha egyáltalán létezett. Sokkal valószínűbb, gondolta, hogy valami idióta törvényen kívülit talál felelősnek a történtekért. 

Hints: Book 1 of a series, self-published, male author, it was recently republished

Nick: I think I recognize that name (Lord Archeon) in the first sentence from the Black Library books, so I’m going to go with THE SUNDERING by Gav Thorpe. Could be totally wrong but the name is very similar to a Warhammer character’s name.

Guess: THE SUNDERING by Gav Thorpe

The correct answer: A Ritual of Bones by Lee C. Conley

The original qoute:

Lord Archeon served as the king’s warden of the west, and he ruled over these north western frontier territories. It was he who had summoned Bjorn. Word of his deeds had indeed spread far and wide, to catch the attention of such a powerful lord. The hunter had sworn to track down this beast, if it even existed. More likely, he thought, he would end up finding some foolish outlaws responsible.

3.

Mi vagyunk a holtak kik szolgálják mind ki él.
Mi vagyunk a holtak kik küzdenek.
Mi vagyunk a holtak kik őrzik a holnapot.
Mi vagyunk a holtak kik védik a földet, az uralkodót, a klánt.

Mi vagyunk a holtak kik a fényben állnak.
Mi vagyunk a holtak kik szembenéznek az éjjel.
Mi vagyunk a holtak kiket a gonosz fél.
Mi vagyunk a _ és mi vagyunk a holtak.

Mi vagyunk a holtak.
Mi vagyunk a holtak.
Mi vagyunk a holtak.
Mi vagyunk a holtak.

Mi vagyunk a _ és mi vagyunk a holtak.

Hints: Book 1 of a series, traditionally published, male author, makes awesome character art

Nick: Wow, lots of vagyunk and holtak to digest here (whatever that means).  Unfortunately, nothing in the Hungarian translation tips me off in any way so again I’m going to have to go with your clue. The fact that the author also makes awesome character art definitely narrows down the field a bit. I’m going to go with

Guess: SENLIN ASCENDS by Josiah Bancroft?

The correct answer: We are the Dead by Mike Shackle

The original qoute:

We are the dead who serve all who live.
We are the dead who fight.
We are the dead who guard tomorrow.
We are the dead who protect our land, our monarch, our clan.

We are the dead who stand in the light.
We are the dead who face the night.
We are the dead whom evil fears.
We are the Shulka and we are the dead.

We are the dead.
We are the dead.
We are the dead.
We are the dead.

We are Shulka and we are the dead.

4.

Egy fiú volt a kriptában és nem volt halott. _ megragadta az ajtófélfát, megermedve a látványától, ahogy guggolt és magában motyogott. Nem egy kalandor, aki fosztogatni jött, vagy egy segéd aki a holtakat jött zavarni, hanem egy fiú – göndör hajú, szépia bőrű és sokkolóan, hipnotikusan élő.

Hints: Book 1 of a series, self-published, female author, SPFBO5 participant

Nick: Zero clue on this one.  It’s all Greek to me (or in this case Hungarian). Purely taking a wild stab here – BLOOD OF HEIRS by Alicia Wanstall-Burke?

Guess: BLOOD OF HEIRS by Alicia Wanstall-Burke?

The correct answer: Books and Bone by Victoria Corva

The original qoute:

There was a boy in the crypt, and he wasn’t dead. Ree gripped the doorframe, transfixed by the sight of him as he crouched and muttered to himself. Not an adventurer, come to plunder, or an acolyte seeking to disturb the dead, but a boy – curly haired, sepia skinned, and shockingly, hypnotically alive.

5.

A király és a királynő lenéztek a Virág Kapuról, arcvonásaik érzelmektől mentesek ahogy Királyokvára ünnepelt alattuk az utcán. _ a kövezett út mellett állt, amelyet Lándzsának is neveztek (a fegyvert és vértet áruló kereskedők miatt, és mert nyíl egyenesen futott a Belsőtől a Külső Falig).

Hints: Book 1 of a series, self-published, male author, has stunning covers

Nick: If this experience has taught me anything, it’s that I really suck at trying to figure out Hungarian words.  So again, all I can really do is rely on your clue and this could be a number of different authors, since many self-pubs have stunning covers.  So I’ll pick one of them and…

Guess: VULTURES by Luke Tarzian

The correct answer: Kingshold by D. P. Woolliscroft

The original qoute:

The king and queen looked down Floral Gate, their features bereft of emotion as the people of Kingshold celebrated in the street before them. Mareth stood at the side of the cobbled road known as the Lance (both for its arms and armor merchants and  that it stretched in a dead straight line from the Inner to the Outer Wall).

Results: 0/5

Don’t worry Nick, you’ll do better next time, and you were close with some!

If you’d like to be friends with Nick, I can recommend following him on social media:

• Link
• Twitter
• Goodreads

If you’d like to try yourself at this feature, please fill out this form to let me know: https://forms.gle/nDp1jdZ658An9JDr6

Check out how the other did in this feature on my What the Hungarian?! page!