#Andrew Shvarts

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Five: Queer MG/YA Set at Magic School

Gallowgate by K.R. Alexander (MG) It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts (YA) Scholars and Sorcery series by Eleanor Beresford (YA) A Hundred Vicious Turns by Lee Paige O’Brien (YA) My Name is Magic by Xan van Rooyen (YA) Bonus: These are all prose novels, but for a YA graphic novel set at a magical culinary school, check out Basil and Oregano by Melissa Capriglione Double Bonus: The anthology The…

[sapphicbookoftheday]

It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts

Today's sapphic book of the day is It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts!

TW for parental death mentioned in summary

Summary: "ALKA CHELRAZI IS ON A MISSION: 1. Infiltrate Blackwater Academy 2. Win the Great Game 3. Burn Wizard society to the ground

As a child, Alka witnessed her parents' brutal murder at the hands of Wizards before she was taken in by an underground rebel group.

Now, Alka is deep undercover at the most prestigious school of magic in the Republic: Blackwater Academy, a place where status is everything, where decadent galas end in blood-splattered duels, where every student has their own agenda. To survive, Alka will have to lie, cheat, kill, and use every trick in her spy's toolkit. And for the first time in her life, the fiercely independent Alka will have to make friends in order to recruit the misfits and the outcasts into her motley rebellion.

But even as she draws closer to victory — to vengeance — she sinks deeper into danger as suspicious professors and murderous rivals seek the traitor in their midst, and dark revelations unravel her resolve. Can Alka destroy the twisted game...without becoming a part of it?"

[gutsfics]

YOOOO. ANDREW PBWRITER HAS PUBLISHED BOOKS. FUCK YES THATS SO POGGERS

[choicesenthusiast]

with fortunately convenient timing, the unnanounced narrative game company founded by former pb employees now has a name! candlelight games, led by none other andrew shvarts aka mr. blades himself (along with his brother daniel), megan schwarz (lead of tna, ame, ds, weh) and royal mcgraw (who headed the original hollywood u and then choices until 2021).

their first project is a fantasy story, so if the series ai acquisition and, most recently, the blades iii ai cover reveal upsets and disappoints you (which it should! fuck ai fr), i'd recommend taking a following to them as i have. i'm looking forward to what's to come!

[kainebell]

I might be sharing old news but if you, like me, want to keep up with Andrew Shvarts & co.’s unannounced game company, they apparently have a newsletter :) god knows when they’ll have news to share but idk if any of the employees are on social media so this seems like the place to go for updates (even if they are sparse)!

[gaiuskamilah]

why do you think that confession was "eww sex so gross porn is sinful" and not "pb is gonna keep making crappy porn books with sex every chapter bc it what makes them money instead making stories with substance"

like. have you seen the vip books.

i know this ask is rhetorical and you're not looking for an actual answer but i'm going to take this as an opportunity to vocalize all my thoughts regarding the trend anyway.

for the record, no, i don't play the smut books. i'm more interested in PB's adventure and horror books, and thus those are the ones i actually invest myself in most. if i wanted to consume porn i would look for it elsewhere because choices' smut books don't interest me for a number of reasons. i also don't play or pay for VIP. however, i know enough about the vip and smut books to know enough about them they cater to a very specific audience: older women interested in escapist, arguably "taboo" sexual fantasies who are willing and have the means to spend money on the sex stories they like.

i have no idea if anyone in this fandom has actually bothered to understand economics or even recognize that we live under a capitalist system, but the way a good number of people and career complainers take it out on the writers and how PB just "chose" to make porn never sat right with me. especially since most of these people, again, do not take into account or even vehemently refuse to consider the context and circumstances of the production behind the games. the writers have time and time again been open regarding the circumstances behind book production, and they have always mentioned that economic factors play a large part in it because they work within a capitalist market. here are some times they've spoken about it, particularly andrew in 2019 (writer for blades, bloodbound, endless summer, crimes, etc.) and kara in 2023 (TRR, TCATF):

the trend of smut and single LI books started in 2020 with the release of books like the nanny affair, queen b, and wolf bride. if you check the top 10 category on the app, TNA and WB are both in it — an indication that they do well revenue-wise. companies are driven by data and when they're successful, in kara's words, "it's easier to make a case for making more like them." also please remember that 2020 was the year covid broke out and no doubt affected the production in pixelberry in a negative way the way it did other industries. it's no wonder then that they've since resorted to making smut books since they need to make up for the losses in 2020 as well as keep up with global inflation (this is my own hypothesis— i haven't had the time to check pb's reports, but they are public for anyone who wants to look them up. i have seen a post detailing that PB's revenue has been declining in the past year or so).

it's easy for people to just say and complain "pb is gonna keep making crappy porn books with sex every chapter bc it what makes them money instead making stories with substance" and to an extent i agree. they are going to make "crappy porn books" because it's what makes them money. but they aren't greedy assholes and even your beloved andrew shvarts has asked fans to not portray them that way.

i found that confession dramatic because i think it exemplifies two trends that i've seen in the choices fandom in the past few years i've been here: the tendency to regard the writers as money-hungry cunts without understanding the capitalist circumstances and the liberal "everything must be pure and wholesome and respectable" push back against anything that isn't god-revering missionary sex.

"Honestly the fact that choices' porn-masquerading-as-plot books makes the most money for them scares me. A lot." please ask yourself why that scares you. aside from the obvious fact that people don't seem to or just refuse to understand the economic reason for creating these books, please ask yourself why choices' mediocre porn "scares you". these stories cater to a specific audience as i mentioned before: older women interested in escapist and "taboo" sex fantasies. having these fantasies aren't bad and we really do not need people acting like entertaining them through a self-insert app game (with warnings holding your fucking hand and telling you this isn't necessarily good and giving you the chance to opt out should you please) is akin to being a sex offender. the only thing you're doing is reinventing thoughtcrimes.

sex is one of the most normal things in the world. whether or not you personally have sex you can't deny that it's been a factor in the lives of many and frankly you wouldn't even be alive if your parents didn't decide to suck and fuck. in a world where women's desires are suppressed and aren't taken seriously, why do so-called "progressive" fans find it disgusting that some women might want to spend some money to safely explore their sexual fantasies? enough to be disgusted by it that they say they are "scared" by it? it's trashy, it's stupid, it lacks substance, and who the fuck cares? you are not inherently better than these women, and 95% of the time all i see in the tags are people focusing on the romance aspect of these "substantial" books anyway. if you seriously think that an app game like choices can magically make cheating and having affairs a "normal and good" thing irl then you're just a fucking idiot. if game of thrones and house of the dragon didn't make siblings worldwide suck and fuck then what makes you think that choices can abolish the western institution of monogamy overnight?

at some point some people just have to realize that they have the choice (lmao) to close the app and delete it if they aren't happy with it. if you don't like their porn books then go play something else, they have an expansive library and beyond that there are tons of interactive fiction games, dating sims, and visual novels to explore. that's not even touching the fact that you can, i don't know, read an actual fucking book if you want. i see no point in consciously sitting and tapping through these books when you know they just make you miserable and add to the statistics of people playing it. you can't dismantle the capitalist system overnight but you can choose to just not play an app game if it makes you want to peel your skin off.

[masked-alien-lesbian]

Candlelight Post: Andrew Shvarts

🤞🏽please be LGBT inclusive, please be LGBT inclusive, please be LGBT inclusive 🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽

[yourqueenb]

This might seem like it’s coming out of left field, but I’m gonna say it anyway because it’s something that’s been in the back of my mind for actual years…

I feel like a good number of Choices fans on Tumblr specifically have this weird sense of hero-worship for Andrew Shvarts because he had a major hand in two of the most popular series (Blades and BB), because he can use basic symbolism, and because he is at least mildly aware that writers should be critical in both creating and consuming. And due to that, those particular fans think that anything he puts out is like the most groundbreaking thing to exist and is above criticism when it comes to the underlying messages. However, that could not be further from the truth. And I think it’s funny how those fans praise him for that last point about being critical when they clearly haven’t completely grasped what that means

[farizrz]

Well, since 2021, Andrew Schvart (writer of BB, VoS, Blades, CoP, etc.) No longer to be Director of Writing/Narrative. Currently his position is Creative Director.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-shvarts-540b113/

[somewillwin]

To put it simply, PB has laid off a lot of their writers, including Andrew Shvarts and him and his brother have decided to form a new start up. I think the previous anon wants to know if Chelsa is part of that since it seems like PB and choices are doomed

Oooh yeah i have been reading a bit about it since the other anon and damn…. Storyloom kinda flopped.

Im excited to see what new story and studio or app they come up with!

About chelsa…. Idk, she hasn’t been active on twitter since like July of last year, and insta since January of this year…. Also her insta has nothing about her work so idk if I should ask there. Feels wrong to do that.

[sciralta]

The way I had to pause chapter 1 four times to pick my wig up off the floor…Andrew Shvarts the man that you are

I’m going to be honest… I think they should’ve released Ch1 and Ch2 at the same time so we could really get into the groove because just Ch1 I wasn’t in it, but I have an almost certainty when Ch2 comes I’m back in the game fully.

[lgbtqreads]

Do you know any queer books that are dnd or something similar.

The book you want most (assuming I understand your questoin correctly) comes out next week and is called Til Death Do Us Bard by Rose Black. If you're looking for books where they play DnD or similar, try Even if We Break by Marieke Nijkamp, The No Girlfriend Rule by Christen Randall. For "friends on a quest" vibes, try Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria and It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts, or, for friends who've just returned from a quest, try The Afterward by EK Johnston and So This is Ever After by FT Lukens.

[littlereadsandteas]

January 2019

For fans of epic fantasy adventures with strong, visionary heroines, The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen is a exhilarating ride that will sweep you away to a world of magic, mystery, and high-stakes battles between good and evil, where the fate of a kingdom hangs precariously in the balance.

Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts is a exhilarating and adventurous tale that will captivate readers who crave stories of self-discovery, loyalty, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship, particularly those who enjoy fantasy, romance, and coming-of-age journeys, as they follow the journey of Tilla and her fellow bastards as they navigate the complexities of their kingdom and their own destinies.

The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal is a captivating read for fans of atmospheric, slow-burning fantasy and historical fiction who appreciate complex characters, intricate plotting, and the exploration of themes such as power, loyalty, and the resilience of women in the face of adversity.

The Fifth Ward: First Watch by Dale Lucas is a gripping and action-packed read that will captivate fans of gritty, fast-paced fantasy and science fiction, particularly those who enjoy complex mysteries, morally ambiguous characters, and dark, immersive world-building.

The Deathsniffer's Assistant by Kate McIntyre is a captivating read for fans of atmospheric, character-driven mysteries with a strong focus on relationships, personal growth, and social commentary, who will be drawn to its unique blend of steampunk-inspired fantasy and historical elements.

Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn is a captivating read for fans of epic fantasy adventures that explore the complexities of magic, the struggle for acceptance, and the power of unity in the face of persecution, making it a perfect fit for readers who crave rich world-building, complex characters, and provocative themes.

Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed is a powerful and poignant novel that will resonate deeply with readers who appreciate stories about identity, cultural heritage, and the struggles of growing up, particularly those interested in exploring the complexities of Muslim American experiences and the challenges of navigating multiple worlds.

From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon is a poignant and powerful novel that will resonate deeply with readers who appreciate historical fiction, romance, and stories of resilience, faith, and the human spirit, making it a must-read for those who enjoy emotional and captivating tales of love, survival, and the triumph of the human heart.

Evenfall by Gaja J. Kos, Boris Kos is a captivating read for fans of young adult fantasy romance who crave a slow-burning, atmospheric tale of self-discovery, forbidden love, and the struggle to control one's inner darkness, perfect for those who enjoy complex characters, moral ambiguity, and a richly imagined world of magic and illusion.

Slayer by Kiersten White is a exhilarating and action-packed read that will captivate fans of supernatural adventures, fantasy, and strong female protagonists, particularly those who enjoy stories about self-discovery, empowerment, and the battle between good and evil.

[karaokulta]

🌟 ¡Atención, entusiastas de los juegos narrativos! 🎮 Imaginen un mundo donde las historias no solo se cuenten, sino que se vivan con una intensidad palpitante. Ese es el sueño que los exdesarrolladores de Pixelberry están trayendo a la realidad con la creación de Candlelight Games 🕯️. 🔥 Este trío de innovadores - Andrew Shvarts, Megan Schwarz, y Royal McGraw - no son novatos en el juego de contar historias digitales. Al contrario, vienen armados con experiencia y un historial probado. Conozcamos un poco qué nos espera: - **Atención a la narrativa:** Se comprometen a mantener las historias y personajes en el centro del escenario. ¿Se viene una nueva era de juegos que nos hagan sentir cada emoción como si fuese nuestra propia vida? Yo apostaría a que sí. - **Equipo de ensueño:** No cualquier equipo puede prometer experiencias de juego que sorprendan y deleiten . La composición del equipo es una receta para el éxito. - **Legado y Experiencia:** Los fundadores y su selecto equipo de alums de Pixelberry tienen una trayectoria de producir juegos que capturan corazones. ✨ En mi opinión, Candlelight Games se perfila no solo para iluminar sino para incendiar (en el buen sentido) la industria de los juegos narrativos. La experiencia y la pasión son una combinación potente, y aquí hay de sobra. 🔮 **Mi predicción:** Estamos en la antesala de juegos que no solo nos envuelvan con tramas maduras y profundas sino que también empujen los límites de cómo interactuamos con las historias. Con la innovación como estandarte de estos pioneros, ¿quién puede decir hasta dónde llegaremos? Incrementen la diversión, espero ansioso sus comentarios 🤩. Y si conocen a alguien que vibra con la idea de vivir historias más allá de palabras en una pantalla, ¡etiquétenlo en los comentarios! #CandlelightGames #NarrativaInteractiva #InnovaciónGaming #FuturoDeLosVideojuegos #PasiónPorLasHistorias ¿Listos para sumergirse en mundos donde cada elección cuenta y cada personaje vive? ¡Discutamos, pregunten o simplemente compartan su entusiasmo por lo que se viene! 🎲👾

[profmorbius]

Posted a review of It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts on my blog. Read it here.

tl;dr – Decent

[kainebell]

ohhhh my god you think Valax is a “half-assed imitation” of Aerin? You think she “couldn’t be a bigger Aerin wannabe if she tried”? Should we tell everyone? Should we throw a party? Should we invite Andrew Shvarts?