In the urban fantasy novel Nevermore, Rob Thurman creates a new monster by turning a common mammal into something more sinister.
Weasels
The term weasel “includes 17 species of ferrets and polecats as well as the mink and the ermine” (Anderson). I have always thought they were kind of cute.
Image by Steve Hillebrand, Public Domain
Physical Appearance
Weasels are “small carnivores with very elongated slender bodies….small flattened heads, long flexible necks, and short limbs” (Anderson). Even the largest of those in the weasel family are only “30-35cm (12-14 inches) long” (excluding the tail) (Anderson). Thurman’s weasels are similar in that they are slender, clawed, have “wedge-shaped” heads, and their movement seems “supple and boneless as weasels” (Thurman). However, Thurman makes the weasels monstrous in size (“six feet long”) and in appearance with the notable lack of fur, eyes, mouth, [and] teeth.
Fighting Style
Despite their diminutive size, weasels can (and do) prey on larger animals (such as rabbits and chickens) (Anderson). Thurman’s weasels don’t prey on mundane mammals, but they do target humans. However, as the fictitious weasels are six feet long, it could be argued that they do not face the same size disadvantage as real-life weasels. Another notable difference in fighting style is that weasels “generally hunt alone” (Anderson), while Thurman’s weasels hunt in packs.
Fantasy Twist
Thurman adds several fantastical elements to the weasels. When physically harmed, they don’t “sho[w] any sig[n] of pain,” and they have the ability to regrow their heads. They don’t make any type of weasel sounds, but they do laugh. Additionally, they can only be hurt by direct light (including artificial light sources).
Role and Motivation
In Nevermore, the weasels are the minions (or pets) of the primary antagonist. They have no real motivation other than to attack the protagonists.
Now what?
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Sources
- Anderson, Mic. “Weasel.” Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/animal/weasel
- Hillebrand, Steve. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. [Photograph] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Weasel_short_tailed_mammal_mustela_erminea.jpg
- Thurman, Rob. Nevermore. ROC, 2015. https://bookshop.org/a/84371/9780451464071
