#Goredd

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Fantasy Books Bracket: Round 1

Book summaries below:

The Seraphina Duology (Seraphina, Shadow Scale) by Rachel Hartman

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high. Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life. Fantasy, young adult, secondary world, epic fantasy

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

You may think you know how the fairytale goes: a mermaid comes to shore and weds the prince. But what the fables forget is that mermaids have teeth. And now, her daughters have devoured the kingdom and burned it to ashes. On the run, the mermaid is joined by a mysterious plague doctor with a darkness of their own. Deep in the eerie, snow-crusted forest, the pair stumble upon a village of ageless children who thirst for blood, and the three 'saints' who control them. The mermaid and her doctor must embrace the cruellest parts of their true nature if they hope to survive. Horror, fantasy, retelling, adult, novella

[abookandacuppa]

Seraphina

This book was decent enough, but different from what I thought it would be. I think I expected more of a murder-mystery vibe based off of the summary, but it was mostly courtly politics. Which is interesting enough, I suppose, but not always my cup of tea. The story meandered slowly for the first half or so, but really gained momentum during the last third of it.

The themes were pretty good, with many of the characters trying to come to terms with the sins of their parents and how that means they need to go above and beyond to receive respect. The dragon lore was also pretty good, but I wish it was fleshed out s bit more. Same with the saints/deities of the world. It just seemed like saints were name-dropped at random, and honestly I sort of tuned out after awhile.

But overall the book is good. It isn't one I would reread, and I have no intense desire to continue the series, but it was a good experience. The main character is dry and witty, which made for some humorous moments. Her relationships with the people around her was probably my favorite parts of the story and was the saving grace for this book. I would recommend this book to the right sort of audience, but I don't think I am the right sort of audience.

All in all, I gave it 3/5

Summary under the cut:

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

[seekerreads]

july wrap up!

this was kind of a mid month ngl 😓 but on we go!

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Yona of the Dawn, Volume 2

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Mizuko Kusanagi

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕

𓆩♡𓆪 description: While on the run, Yona and Hak head to Hak’s hometown, where she attempts to heal her broken heart. However, she can’t rest there for long once she discovers that Su-won may soon become king! What will Yona choose to do in the wake of this news?

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: the pace is picking up! i've been told it only gets better so i'm ready for the journey!

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Mary Ventura and the Ninth Kingdom

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Sylvia Plath

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗

𓆩♡𓆪 description: Lips the colour of blood, the sun an unprecedented orange, train wheels that sound like 'guilt, and guilt, and guilt': these are just some of the things Mary Ventura begins to notice on her journey to the ninth kingdom.

'But what is the ninth kingdom?' she asks a kind-seeming lady in her carriage. 'It is the kingdom of the frozen will,' comes the reply. 'There is no going back.'

Sylvia Plath's strange, dark tale of independence over infanticide, written not long after she herself left home, grapples with mortality in motion.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: quite spooky and atmospheric, but not long enough to leave much of a lasting impression.

𓆩♡𓆪 title: The Fake Mate

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Lana Furguson

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕

𓆩♡𓆪 description: Mackenzie Carter has had some very bad dates lately. Model train experts, mansplainers, guys weirdly obsessed with her tail—she hasn’t had a successful date in months. Only a year out of residency, her grandmother’s obsession with Mackenzie finding the perfect mate to settle down with threatens to drive Mackenzie barking mad. Out of options, it feels like a small thing to tell her grandmother that she’s met someone. That is, until she blurts out the name of the first man she sees and the last man she would ever date: Noah Taylor, the big bad wolf of Denver General.

Noah Taylor, interventional cardiologist and all around grump, has spent his entire life hiding what he is. With outdated stigmas surrounding unmated alphas that have people wondering if they still howl at the moon, Noah has been careful to keep his designation under wraps. It’s worked for years, until an anonymous tip has everything coming to light. Noah is left with two options: come clean to the board and risk his career—or find himself a mate. The chatty, overly friendly ER doctor asking him to be her fake boyfriend on the same day he’s called to meet the board has to be kismet, right? Mackenzie will keep her grandmother off her back, and Nate will get a chance to prove he can continue to work without a real mate—a mutually beneficial business transaction, they both rationalize. But when the fake-mate act turns into a very real friends-with-benefits arrangement, lines start to blur, and they quickly realize love is a whole different kind of animal.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: entertaining, but nothing ground breaking. hetero omegaverse just might not be for me. (full review here)

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Yona of the Dawn, Volume 3

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Mizuho Kusanagi

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕

𓆩♡𓆪 description: Yona and Hak set out on a journey to find a priest who can see the future. After they get severely injured falling from a cliff, a boy named Yun and his guardian Ik-su nurse them back to health—and Ik-su happens to be a priest! When Yona tells him that she wishes to protect the lives of those who are precious to her, what path will Ik-su show her?

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: n/a

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Seraphina

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Rachel Hartman

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗

𓆩♡𓆪 description: Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: concept was neat, but overall i just wish this book did more. one big decision by the protag i thought was dumb and it soured the book for me. will not pick up the sequel. (full review here)

𓆩♡𓆪 title: The Broken Forest

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Megan Derr

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕

𓆩♡𓆪 description: When women and children begin to vanish, the people of Edge village summon a Huntress. Though she is long due for a break and exhausted from her previous assignment, Adamina accepts the assignment and heads for Edge. But when she arrives, the simple assignment she anticipated proves instead to be complicated—complicated enough she must consult with a witch. A beautiful, compelling witch that makes Adamina sharply aware of her own lonely life, and temps her to make it less lonely.

Assuming the forest doesn't kill them first.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: very short, very atmospheric, very queer! trans woman mc! would've loved for this to be longer! (full review here)

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Patricia Wants to Cuddle

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Samantha Allen

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕

𓆩♡𓆪 description: When the final four women in competition for an aloof, somewhat sleazy bachelor’s heart arrive on a mysterious island in the Pacific Northwest, they prepare themselves for another week of extreme sleep deprivation, invasive interviews, and, of course, the salacious drama eager viewers nationwide tune in to devour. Each woman came on The Catch for her own reasons—brand sponsorships, followers, and, yes, even love—and they’ve all got their eyes steadfastly trained on their respective prizes. Enter Patricia, a temperamental and woe¬fully misunderstood local living alone in the dark, verdant woods, and desperate for connection. Through twists as unexpected as they are wildly entertaining, the self-absorbed cast and jaded crew each make her acquaintance atop the island’s tallest and most desolate peak, finding themselves at the center of an action-packed thriller that is far from scripted—and only a few will make the final cut.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: interesting concept, but ultimately didn't do what I wanted it to do ://. (full review here)

𓆩♡𓆪 title: How To Bite Your Neighbor & Win A Wager

𓆩♡𓆪 author: D.N. Brynn

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌖

𓆩♡𓆪 description: Vincent Barnes has suffered four years as a vampire, and they’ve been the most miserable years of his pathetic life. Too poor for black market blood, he feeds from sleeping humans to survive. He tries to never intrude on the same prey twice, but after a single delicious taste of a long-lost childhood neighbor, he can’t help returning for seconds.

Wesley Garcia has been waking up with fang marks. Lucky for him, he needs a vampire—to use as bait. He’s certain Vitalis-Barron Pharmaceutical killed his mother, but to gain access to their covert research labs, he has to bring them a bloodsucker for their experiments. 

Step one, a dramatic offer: Stay, and you can bite me. 

Vincent leaps at the chance to gobble Wesley up.

Wes’s plan is perfect. He’ll befriend the vampire, then trick him into coming to the lab. No fighting, no fuss. But Vincent is more than Wesley has bargained for: sweet and shy, with intoxicating fangs that awaken new desires in Wes. As the two bond, Vincent believes he might have finally found someone worth putting his trust in... and Wes fears neither of them will survive the betrayal he has planned.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: very cute! love supernatural romances and love queer stories, and this overall did what it was meant to do! nothing too groundbreaking but i still had a good time!

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Yona of the Dawn, Volume 4

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Mizuho Kusanagi

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕

𓆩♡𓆪 description: While on a quest to find the Four Legendary Dragon Warriors, Yona and her friends meet Gija, the White Dragon. Gija uses his power to detect the other Dragons, but locating the Blue Dragon proves to be more difficult than expected, and the group runs into a string of disasters!

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: more new characters being introduced! i'm quite intrigued with the backstories so far. it'll be interesting to see what the author does with them!

𓆩♡𓆪 title: December Park

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Ronald Malfi

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌖

𓆩♡𓆪 description: In the quiet suburb of Harting Farms, the weekly crime blotter usually consists of graffiti or the occasional bout of mailbox baseball. But in the fall of 1993, children begin vanishing and one is found dead. Newspapers call him the Piper because he has come to take the children away. But there are darker names for him, too . . .

Vowing to stop the Piper's reign of terror, five boys take up the search. Their teenage pledge turns into a journey of self-discovery . . . and a journey into the darkness of their own hometown. On the twilit streets of Harting Farms, everyone is a suspect. And any of the boys might be the Piper's next victim.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: another very atmospheric read! overall enjoyed it but it was a bit too long imo and i didn't like some of the twists. (full review here)

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Schoolbooks & Sorcery: An Anthology of Inclusive YA Fantasy

𓆩♡𓆪 author: multi

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕

𓆩♡𓆪 description: In this enchanting collection of young adult tales, 20 authors explore the overlap of the mundane and the fantastical, with LGBTQ protagonists juggling the pressures of school and the wonder of magic in its many forms. From entrance tests to final exams, casting spells to breaking curses, these teens seek to claim their place in the world. In these pages, you'll find gay and lesbian, bisexual and asexual, trans and nonbinary characters, all experiencing sexy, strange, wicked, wonderful, romantic adventures. They deal with bad roommates and bullies, first loves and new friends, all while crafting and inhabiting their ideal identities. Featuring authors such as Seanan McGuire, Cheryl Rainfield, Cecilia Tan, E.C. Myers, Rajan Khanna, and many more. Step inside and experience Schoolbooks & Sorcery?

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: very well-rounded anthology! each of the worlds were unique and dealt with different issues with enough diversity to impress for such a specific sub-genre to be writing from! (full review here)

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Romeo And/Or Juliet, A Chooseable-Path Adventure

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Ryan North

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕

𓆩♡𓆪 description: In this choose-your-own-path version of Romeo and Juliet, you choose where the story goes every time you read What if Romeo never met Juliet? What if Juliet got really buff instead of moping around the castle all day? What if they teamed up to take over Verona with robot suits? Whatever your adventure, you're guaranteed to find lots of romance, lots of epic fight scenes, and plenty of questionable decision-making by very emotional teens.

All of the endings--there are over a hundred--feature beautiful illustrations by some of the greatest artists working today, including New York Times bestsellers Kate Beaton, Noelle Stevenson, Randall Munroe, and Jon Klassen.

Packed with exciting choices, fun puzzles, secret surprises, terrible puns, and more than a billion possible storylines, Romeo and/or Juliet offers a new experience every time you read it. You can choose to play as Romeo or Juliet (obviously) but you can also play as both of them, or as Juliet's nurse, or, if you're good, you can even unlock a fourth playable character That's right. We figured out how to have unlockable characters in books. Choose well, and you may even get to write the world's most awkward choose-your-own sex scene.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: i mostly just picked this up for fun lol. it was very cute.

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Vampires of Eden: Oliver

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Karla Nikole

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌖

𓆩♡𓆪 description: Welcome to Eden. A vampire aristocracy weighted down by the iron shackles of rigid and sometimes cruel customs. Eden exists as all vampires once were—motivated by power, wealth, influence and sexual desire. 

Oliver James Blakeley is a young purebred vampire raised in Eden. Although, he sincerely wishes that were not the case. He is isolated. Lonely. And his every move is controlled by his manipulative father, who has also saddled him with an arranged marriage. 

Oliver yearns to be free. To live as a liberated vampire in the twenty-first century. He knows that his dream is outlandish given his circumstance. But when he encounters a suave, progressive and much older vampire during the preparation for his wedding, the trajectory of Oliver’s life shifts, and nothing will ever be the same.  

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: i didn't like this one as much as nikole's other works, but still a good time! gay vampires are always fun. (full review here)

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Giant Days, Volume 1

𓆩♡𓆪 author: John Allison, Whitney Cogar with Lissa Treiman

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗

𓆩♡𓆪 description: Susan, Esther, and Daisy started at university three weeks ago and became fast friends. Now, away from home for the first time, all three want to reinvent themselves. But in the face of hand-wringing boys, "personal experimentation," influenza, mystery-mold, nu-chauvinism, and the willful, unwanted intrusion of "academia," they may be lucky just to make it to spring alive. Going off to university is always a time of change and growth, but for Esther, Susan, and Daisy, things are about to get a little weird. 

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: INCREDIBLY british.

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Green Rider

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Kristen Britain

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌘

𓆩♡𓆪 description: On her long journey home from school after a fight that will surely lead to her expulsion, Karigan G'ladheon ponders her uncertain future. As she trudges through the immense Green Cloak forest, her thoughts are interrupted by the clattering of hooves, as a galloping horse bursts from the woods. 

The rider is slumped over his mount's neck, impaled by two black-shafted arrows. As the young man lies dying on the road, he tells Karigan he is a Green Rider, one of the legendary messengers of the king of Sacoridia. 

Before he dies, he begs Karigan to deliver the "life and death" message he bears to King Zachary. When she reluctantly he agrees, he makes her swear on his sword to complete his mission, whispering with his dying breath, Beware the shadow man.... 

Taking on the golden-winged horse brooch that is the symbol of the Green Riders, Karigan is swept into a world of deadly danger and complex magic, her life forever changed. Compelled by forces she cannot understand, Karigan is accompanied by the silent specter of the fallen messenger and hounded by dark beings bent on seeing that the message, and its reluctant carrier, never reach their destination.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: good start to the series! some things went unexplained or waved away but i suppose that's to be expected from the first book in a series. i will be continuing to book 2! (full review here)

ending stats:

books read: 15

pages read: 4,742

average rating: 3.67

yearly goal: 116/150

(divider credit: @drinkthesky)

[imagine-lilareads]

TESS OF THE ROAD, SPOILERS!!

[falliblefabrial]

Ok can we talk about Tess of the Road for just like one second

I fell in love with seraphina because of the cover art. And then I fell in love again because of the book. I loved every about it. I loved the characters and the world and the storytelling and the languages and the magic and the species and the way dragons were supposed to be emotionless but maybe it was just that some people show emotions differently, and that those who didn’t conform were suppressed

Maybe it was the dragons. I really REALLY liked dragons

That was in 9th or 10th grade, and when shadow scale came out I read it, and I really liked it, and it had a lot of the same stuff as seraphina had.

But then last week I saw this gorgeous cover.

Then I saw the author, and was intrigued. And I picked it up. And then I read it All. It was really good. The characters were compelling and so completely different from what I’m used to, and the languages were cool, and the myths were amazing. But the book had so much more to it than that.

I texted this to my friends tonight

The reasons I was up till two reading:

This series has: a three person loving main relationship, a gender non conforming main character, a main character with ptsd, dragons, gay people accepted by society, a character that chooses to continue on every day, dragons that turn into people, a sex worker teaching a really important lesson on self acceptance, a woman as the boss of a road fixing crew, magic talking devices, a disabled character who is not portrayed as broken, gender neutral pronouns, giant magic snakes, mighty fine redemption arcs, and a character that grows as the book does.

Everyone go read these books.

[incorrect-seraphina]

Guntard: Can I play some music?

Carriage driver: Sure.

Guntard, pulling out an oud: Do you like VeggieTales?

[this-is-lit]

Tess of the Road

by Rachel Hartman

In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons can be whomever they choose. Tess is none of these things. Tess is. . . different. She speaks out of turn, has wild ideas, and can’t seem to keep out of trouble. Then Tess goes too far. What she’s done is so disgraceful, she can’t even allow herself to think of it. Unfortunately, the past cannot be ignored. So Tess’s family decide the only path for her is a nunnery. But on the day she is to join the nuns, Tess chooses a different path for herself. She cuts her hair, pulls on her boots, and sets out on a journey. She’s not running away, she’s running towards something. What that something is, she doesn’t know. Tess just knows that the open road is a map to somewhere else–a life where she might belong.

Tess of the Road is a companion book to Hartman’s Seraphina series—which you should absolute go read!—but you don’t need to have read those 2 books in order to enjoy Tess.

While Tess of the Road bears a lot of similarities between it and Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, Hartman herself has said that she read Hardy’s book 30yrs ago and had no intention for her book to be a contemporary retelling of Hardy’s tragic story.

First off, while there is love in this story, it’s not a love story. The main conflict is Tess’s journey to find herself and realizing along the way that she can’t do so without first working through her past trauma.

Like most successful characters, it’s easy at times to empathize with Tess even when she’s unlikable and working against her own best interests. Hartman makes great use of the fantastic worldbuilding she’s done in Seraphina without expecting any new readers to jump into the deep end.

Even the side characters in Tess’s story are multifaceted, and there are many surprises when one of them shows a different face than what you were expecting. There are antagonists whose actions become understandable, if not acceptable, and even some of the “good” characters show an ugly side when pushed.

I would heartily recommend this book if you’re looking for an enagaing read with strong characters and an woman protagonist who is all too human.

[just0nemorepage]

Seraphina || Rachel Hartman || Seraphina #1 || 467 pages -------------------------------------------------------- Top 3 Genres: Fantasy / Young Adult / Dragons

Synopsis: Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

Publication Date: July 2012. / Average Rating: 3.97. / Number of Ratings: 70,670~.

[krelboom]

Name: Toby Domzalski

Age: 16

Species: Half Ityasaar and Half Human

Ityasaar parent: Father

Ityasaar parent’s Dragon parent: Father

Nickname in Claire’s garden: Ghostie

Ityasaar mark: Dull gold scales on his knees

Country of Origin: Goredd

Occupation or Parental Occupation: Toby is a blacksmith’s apprentice and his Nana worked on a farm

Additional facts: Collects stones

Due to only being half Ityasaar, he doesn’t fully show up in Claire’s Garden. His firm flickers like a ghost, hence his nickname.

[brownichu27]

Mary Shelley, Frankenstein 

Durante el lluvioso verano de 1816, cuatro de los escritores ingleses más talentosos de su tiempo se dieron cita en Villa Diodati. La mansión a orillas del lago Ginebra fue el escenario en que Lord Byron, John Polidori, Percy Bysshe Shelley y Mary Shelley se retaron a escribir una historia de terror. Aquel juego llevó a la autora londinense a crear Frankenstein, una de las grandes cimas del horror gótico y una brillante reflexión sobre la ética científica. La novela narra el intento de un joven estudiante de medicina de crear vida artificial y las terribles consecuencias de su experimento.

¿Dónde encontrarla? Casa del Libro

¿Qué opinan Seliria? Una de las obras predecesoras de la ciencia ficción actual y, para mucha gente, la primera novela de ciencia ficción tal y como la entendemos hoy en día. También podéis leer mi reseña al respecto. 

Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway  

Novela en la que se inspiró la película «Las horas», protagonizada por Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore y Nicole Kidman, “La señora Dalloway” relata un día en la vida de una mujer de la clase alta londinense desde el punto de vista de una conciencia que experimenta con plena intensidad cada instante vivido, en el que se mezclan sentimientos, pensamientos y emociones y se condensan el pasado, el entorno y el presente.

¿Dónde encontrarla? Editorial Alianza

¿Qué opinan Seliria? Una de las novelas que inauguró el Modernismo de una de las autoras más importantes de la historia de la literatura.

Seanan McGuire, Cada corazón, un umbral  

Deslizándose entre las sombras bajo la cama, o a través de un armario, o por madrigueras de conejos… los niños siempre han sabido acceder a mundos mágicos. Pero ¿qué ocurre cuando regresan y no consiguen adaptarse y no son aceptados por sus familias? Eleanor West tiene un internado que acoge a estos niños que quieren volver a su mundo de fantasía. Pero con la llegada de Nancy algo cambia en el internado y pronto tendrán que enfrentarse a una tragedia por sí mismos.

¿Dónde encontrarla? Alianza Editorial

¿Qué opinan Seliria? Una novela corta donde se mezcla la magia con el suspense de una historia de asesinatos y de búsqueda de la identidad.

Rachel Hartman, Tess del camino 

En el reino de Goredd, de las mujeres se espera que sean damas; de los hombres, que las custodien; y de los dragones… En fin, de ellos no se espera nada bueno. Tess no encaja en ninguna de esas tres categorías. Ella es… diferente. Ni siquiera intenta parecer respetable, a diferencia de su hermanastra Seraphina. Un día llega demasiado lejos: lo que hace mancha tanto su reputación que su familia decide enviarla a un convento.

Pero Tess escoge otra senda: se corta el pelo, se disfraza de hombre y emprende un viaje por las fascinantes Tierras del Sur, donde descubrirá que no es posible huir de un sitio sin avanzar al mismo tiempo hacia otro lugar.

¿Dónde encontrarla? Nocturna Ediciones

¿Qué opinan Seliria? Una historia en un mundo de fantasía y el viaje de una muchacha para encontrarse a sí misma.

  #UnAñoDeAutoras: Iria y Selene nos recomiendan sus autoras favoritas Mary Shelley, Frankenstein  Durante el lluvioso verano de 1816, cuatro de los escritores ingleses más talentosos de su tiempo se dieron cita en Villa Diodati.

[jamiesshelves]

Book: Shadow Scale Series: Seraphina (Book 2) Author: Rachel Hartman Pages: 602 Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5) Favorite Quote: “Sometimes everyone does their best and things still go wrong.”   Recommendation: If you like dragons, beautiful writing, excellent world building and lore

Synopsis:

The kingdom of Goredd: a world where humans and dragons share life with an uneasy balance, and those few who are both human and dragon must hide the truth. Seraphina is one of these, part girl, part dragon, who is reluctantly drawn into the politics of her world. When war breaks out between the dragons and humans, she must travel the lands to find those like herself—for she has an inexplicable connection to all of them, and together they will be able to fight the dragons in powerful, magical ways. As Seraphina gathers this motley crew, she is pursued by humans who want to stop her. But the most terrifying is another half dragon, who can creep into people’s minds and take them over. Until now, Seraphina has kept her mind safe from intruders, but that also means she’s held back her own gift. It is time to make a choice: Cling to the safety of her old life, or embrace a powerful new destiny?

My Opinion:

An underwhelming sequel and conclusion

The writing was still absolutely stunning

It lacked the wonderful relationships that I really loved in the first book

The first half and second half felt disconnected. I wish they were each fleshed out and made into separate books

I still would love to read the new book that takes place in this world

Full Review | My Reviews | Bookstagram | Ko-Fi

[mybookishlife2]

▪️◽️Self-Care◽️▪️ QOTD: what do you do for self-care? Do you give yourself a break from life? What’s a book cover you really like? Sometimes you just have to not do anything. I forgot what that was like until this past weekend and it was sooooo nice. I kinda just laid there for a while. Life has been so hectic. 😂 Y’all I tried doing a sweater book photo but it was not working out for the life of me, if you have tips, please let me know!!! These are some items I love for self care. I love nicely scented lotion for my hands. Candles when I’m wanting to just chill in my room and listen to music. Reading of course is another self care as a mini getaway. 😂 Thank you @theworld.in.words for gifting me this!!! I really want to get to it in 2022. It sounds like such a great book. ◽️Synopsis◽️ Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high. Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life. ▪️Tags▪️ #seraphina #rachelhartman #yafantasy #dragons #magic #yaromance #bookishphoto #bookishflatlay #bookishcandle #bathandbodyworkslotion #bookstagrammer https://www.instagram.com/p/CXjiDgBrMEJ/?utm_medium=tumblr

[starship-library]

Title: Tess of the Road

Author: Rachel Hartman

The Story: In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons get to be whomever they want. Tess, stubbornly, is a troublemaker. You can’t make a scene at your sister’s wedding and break a relative’s nose with one punch (no matter how pompous he is) and not suffer the consequences. As her family plans to send her to a nunnery, Tess yanks on her boots and sets out on a journey across the Southlands, alone and pretending to be a boy. Where Tess is headed is a mystery, even to her. So when she runs into an old friend, it’s a stroke of luck. This friend is a quigutl—a subspecies of dragon—who gives her both a purpose and protection on the road. But Tess is guarding a troubling secret. Her tumultuous past is a heavy burden to carry, and the memories she’s tried to forget threaten to expose her to the world in more ways than one. (x)

The Representation: Tess’s childhood was physically and emotionally abusive. Pathka’s gender (and quigutl gender generally) does not align with human concepts of gender. There are several queer characters in the supporting and minor cast. There are several supporting and minor disabled characters. A character struggles with alcoholism.

Why I Loved It: This is my favourite book I’ve read in 2018 so far, and it’s a contender for my list of favourite books of all time. It’s a story about so many things – the harm done by rape culture, misogyny and rigid gender roles, the power of being free to make your own choices, the importance of networks of support, understanding and mentorship, coming to terms with trauma, figuring out who you are and what you’re doing with your life.

I absolutely adored Tess – she’s complicated and difficult and struggling, punished for her curiosity and for failing to fit neatly into her assigned social place, but with a core of innate kindness even while she reacts to her pain by lashing out, hurting herself and others. Parts of this book made me viscerally angry on her behalf, and other parts made me cry for her (and sometimes both at once). Her journey to understand her self and her place in the world is at the heart of the novel, paralleling her physical journey across the Southlands, a landscape that comes to vivid life as she explores it.

I loved the complexity of Tess’s relationships with her twin Jeanne and her older half-sister Seraphina, and the ways they evolved over the course of the book. I loved the many and varied characters she encountered on her travels, particularly the women she met who showed her paths that she hadn’t known existed. I loved everything this book had to say about the different ways women deal with life in a patriarchal society.

Tess’s relationship with Pathka, her quigutl best friend, is fascinating. While ostensibly on the same quest, they’re coming from/heading to very different places personally. I enjoyed that the book didn’t shy away from exploring the contrasts between the ways their cultures perceived the world, and the fact that they sometimes failed to understand each other’s perspectives in spite of their deep bond. I loved the exploration of quigutl culture generally, particularly the fascinating Qootla language, which has vocabulary to explore concepts that are difficult to articulate in English.

The book also contains some lovely easter eggs for fans of Seraphina/Shadow Scale, Hartman’s earlier story in the same setting, as we get to see interesting glimpses into the characters’ futures.

This is in many ways a painful book to read, but it balances its crushing lows with moments of pure joy and revelation. I could not have loved it more. Highly recommended.

Content notes under the cut.

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Content Notes: The book extensively explores rape culture and misogyny, as well as physical and emotional abuse of children by their parents. A character describes her experience of being raped. The story touches on suicide and suicidal thoughts, self-harm and the death of a baby after a premature birth. The story depicts but does not endorse mockery of a minor character based on their ambiguous gender presentation.

[artdamnitreads]

Tess of the Road

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman was and was not what I was expecting. I haven’t read the Seraphina books in a little while so I completely forgot about her younger siblings - one of which is the main character of this book. Basically this is a coming of age story with a healthy dash of adventures along the way but not necessarily a MAIN adventure to be had (if that made sense) 

From Goodreads:

In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons can be whomever they choose. Tess is none of these things. Tess is. . . different. She speaks out of turn, has wild ideas, and can't seem to keep out of trouble. Then Tess goes too far. What she's done is so disgraceful, she can't even allow herself to think of it. Unfortunately, the past cannot be ignored. So Tess's family decide the only path for her is a nunnery.

What I liked:

I really liked Tess’ character - she was snarky, flawed, and a survivor (more on that later)

I appreciated all of the other characters that she interacted with - they all did seem to have something of a personality instead of just being in the story for the sake of being in the story

It was nice seeing Seraphina herself through someone else’s eyes - it gives her a little bit more depth as a character as well. 

What I didn’t like:

There is no way that Tess would be able to just cut her hair, throw on some pants and then all of a sudden be a boy - she had 2 years of being a lady in waiting, 16 years of being a girl - and since everything in this world is black and white BOY or GIRL - i found it hard that ANYONE would believe for a second that she wasn’t a girl. 

Spoiler Below The Break!

So this story is pretty much marketed as a “coming of age” story for a girl who just didn’t fit into the rigid mold that society wanted her to fit in. But if you look closely - this is really the story of a survivor. Tess was raped - had a child who then died - and then was constantly shamed and blamed for it. But we only find this out in bits and pieces and you don’t actually realize that she was raped until close to the end of the book. I think Hartman did an excellent job though of subtly showing the signs of her trauma - the guilt, the lashing out, the alcoholism, the basic “OMG this main character is kind of a jerk until 1/2 way through the book” - and then showing how Tess overcomes that in her own way on her own time with little nudges of help along The Road (as she refers to it). By the end of the book Tess is almost completely healed of her past traumas and ready for the next stage of her life. 

[avinrydarchive]

Continuo

Author: AvinRyd Fandom: Seraphina Duology Rating: G Pairing: Seraphina/Glisselda Side Pairings: Seraphina/Lucian Kiggs, Lars/Viridius Word Count: ~1900

con·tin·u·o

/kənˈtinyəˌwō/ noun noun: continuo; plural noun: continuos; noun: basso continuo; plural noun: basso continuos

(in baroque music) an accompanying part that includes a bass line and harmonies, typically played on a keyboard instrument and with other instruments such as cello or bass viol.

Read on AO3: link

Without Seraphina, Castle Orison seemed to lose a dimension. Queen Glisselda couldn’t quite put her finger on what, exactly, was the difference, but something was off. She considered asking her dear fiancee and cousin, but Lucian would no doubt pull it into philosophical metaphors and probably quote scripture, because that’s what Lucian did. She didn’t have the patience for that, not today. No, maybe to put in terms more similar to the Second Court Composer herself? The object of such contemplation?

It was, Glisselda decided, like there was an instrument missing in the ensemble that was the castle; or more accurately, the ensemble that was her life. With Phina gone, there was no continuo to hers and Lucian’s duet. Dutifully, they played their parts, melodies intertwining with intervals and movements perfectly synchronized, but without the harmony beneath, it all seemed thin and paltry.

Some days, when she could get away from politics and propriety and war, she would sit at her harpsichord and dither. Seraphina had never taught her the finer points of the continuo part. She’d reasoned, when would Glisselda be called upon to play in an ensemble that required it? The numbers beneath a flute solo meant nothing to the young queen, but with a discerning ear and a book she may have stolen from her erstwhile music teacher’s rooms, she tried. Similarly, she tried to fill the void scarcely a month had made apparent. She made little progress in either arena.

One mid-afternoon, in a fit of frustration at both draconic ideas of ruling and musical rules of harmony, Glisselda swept herself off towards Viridius’s suite. The festival of St. Ida, with its celebrations within Castle Orison and without, was fast approaching; Viridius would be up to his eyeballs in preparations, she knew, but perhaps Lars could find some time in his schedule to indulge a Queen’s fancies. Holding queries about progress of the war machines before her like a shield, Glisselda inquired Lars’s location and tried not to scurry out of the gout-plagued composer’s presence after. A Queen does not “scurry,” she told herself. At best, she “hastens,” even when fleeing the presence of her grouchy ex-music teacher.

As Viridius had snapped, Glisselda found Lars atop the castle’s eastern wall. It did take a moment to find him, considering he was ten feet in the air straddling a support of his latest—what had he called it? Trebuchet?—and it took a moment longer for Glisselda to snag his attention.

“Lars!” she called above a sudden rush of wind, “Lars! I wondered if I might-” another gust caught at her voluminous cloud of skirts and buffeted her back a step. “-might have a word with you!”

With a grace no one ever expected from the large Samsamese man, Lars swung down from his creation to land nimbly at Glisselda’s feet. He sank into a low bow, giving full courtesy in the style of his homeland. “Your Mejesty, your presence is an honor,” he greeted in heavily-accented Goreddi, “how mey I help you?”

“I came to assess your progress on these-” she gestured at the construction behind him, “-war machines you’ve been building. Can you give me an appraisal?”

Lars seemed to light up from the inside. Eagerly, he extended an arm to usher the Queen along the castle battlements. Two points of gold made their way down the line of machines, Lars explaining the mathematics of his improved pyria sling, Glisselda casting a critical eye on wooden elements of construction; Lars extrapolating on saar-provided methods of fireproofing even the driest wood, Glisselda cataloguing the names of said dragons to reach out to in a more formal capacity later. Eventually, they reached the northeastern tower, where the castle walls fell away and opened to the city of Lavondaville proper.

“I hev actually been meaning to speak to Your Mejesty about the city’s defences,” Lars said, moving to climb the tower stairs, “If I mey, it is easier to show this from above.”

Glisselda nodded her assent and together they ascended to the tower’s top. The wind had died down considerably, to Glisselda’s great relief; she no longer had to cling to the battlements for fear of blowing away. The city sprawled beneath them, visibly teeming with life even from this distance. Open-air markets milled with shoppers, people scurried in little lines along streets like ants, Quighole seemed to pulse with the movements of too-crowded saar going about their business. The sheer enormity of what they were going to war to defend built pressure behind Glisselda’s breast, and apparently had affected Lars in some way as well, for he said,

“In an addition to our castle defences, I am meaning to ask about setting some sort of protection at the north border of the city. If the fighting comes south and the Old Ard cannot be stoppedt by our Loyalists, thet will be the first to be hit. So many homes mey be destroyed, so...” He trailed off.

Glisselda was quiet a long moment, then, “Yes, that seems wise. What do you have in mind?”

Apparently prepared for this question—had he planned on seeking audience with her soon?—he produced a parchment, neatly rolled and tied with twine, and unfurled it. Drawn on it in charcoal was a detailed sketch of Lavondaville’s northern perimeter and the lands just beyond. Small ‘x’s and circles were placed where trebuchets and ballistae might be placed, and Lars lowered the parchment to point out the locations more exactly. He’d obviously put a great deal of thought into this plan and it touched Glisselda more than she could say. Goredd was not his home, after all. That seemed insensitive to say, though, so aloud she said,

“I approve of the idea, certainly. Tomorrow, I will call together Lucian and our other defence councilors to discuss the logistics and such for the project.” At Lars’s move to hand her the parchment, she stopped him, “You will, of course, be present to explain your plan in full and be party to all of the preparations.”

He looked ready to protest, but then seemed to remember exactly who she was and bowed. No words passed his lips and Glisselda didn’t press. Lars was, as she understood it, often a man of few words even in his native tongue. In companionable silence then, they watched the city below breathe. Faintly, cathedral bells tolling the hour reached their ears and two pairs of pale eyes fixed on the spires of St. Gobnait’s. Lars’s megaharmonium lived in that church, Glisselda knew, but her most musical memory of that place was of Seraphina and her flute sending off Uncle Rufus in a fashion more beautiful and intimate than the princess had believed possible.

Still caught up in that vein of thought, she asked, “Lars, how long have you known Seraphina?”

“Thet depends,” he replied, “I only met her, in person, just before midwinter. But she has been in my mindt, her music I’m meaning, for many years.” He seemed to listen to the wind for a moment, then continued, “Do you know her well, Mejesty?”

When Glisselda laughed, the sound wasn’t quite merry. “I don’t know. I’ve known her not even a month more than you, by your first criteria. And please, Glisselda is fine.” Despite their height and the dizziness it caused, she closed her eyes to better encapsulate the feelings she wanted to put into words. “You say her music has always been in your head, due to some quirk of your ityasaari connection? Regardless. Has she always played with such a...captivating quality? Like you can’t bear to stop listening, like it might break you to try?”

With her eyes closed, Glisselda didn’t see the understanding, almost fond expression that overtook Lars’s face. She heard the softness, though, when he replied simply, “Yes, always.”

The spring chill began to creep its way into her bones. Still, it was peaceful up here and she was loath to return to being Queen Glisselda once more. Perhaps sensing her resolution starting to form, Lars spoke as if to continue her first line of questioning. “And how long hev you been lov- Neyt, in Gorshya it would be: how long hev you been in love with her?”

Air turned to ice in her lungs even as heat trickled from the back of her neck into her face and down her spine. A stunningly dissonant sensation she had no ability to process because Lars had just- He’d said-

“H-how did you know?” she choked out, “Does everyone know?” Am I so obvious with my heart that any can see? Her hands clutched the stone of the battlements once more, needing balance for an entirely different reason now. Violet-blue eyes were open now, wide and horrified, staring up at the piper next to her, almost pleading.

He met her gaze with a gentle serenity that was perfectly matched to the soft grey of his own eyes. Mouth still curved in that soft expression, he turned to stare out at the city once more, bracing strong arms on the stone before them to lean just the slightest bit forward, as if he might fly.

“People look a certain way when they want somethingk, or someone, they think they cannot hev.” he said, the wind stealing much of the sound and leaving Glisselda straining to catch his words. “I used to see thet look every time I looked in a mirror. I saw it in Viridius’s eyes for weeks before we began speaking of what our hearts were truly feeling.”

He left the examples there, possibly out of respect for her feelings, but she knew what would come next; they’d both seen that look on the face of Prince Lucian Kiggs before Seraphina’s departure. Between that fact and the shock of her secret being so brought to light, a light she herself hadn’t dared face yet, Glisselda hadn’t the words to reply. In his turn, Lars didn’t press for one. After a moment—a minute, an hour?—her overwhelmed fog was broken by the warmth of his hand atop her own.

“In my country,” he began, turning so his words were aimed toward her once more, “Saint Dann is condemned as a heretic. When I came to Goredd, I found readingk his untainted scriptures to be a comfort. Another comfort was in finding friends who feldt the same.” The pressure on her hand increased, then disappeared. He turned to leave, but said over his shoulder,

“Even as you are my Queen, I like to be thinking we are friends as well, Glisselda.”

And he was gone. The spring wind still brought a chill, but from her hand and heart warmth began to spread. She stared at the trapdoor he’d disappeared through, then at the castle proper where politics and propriety and war awaited. From the square below, a troubadour plied the city with his songs, and in a flurry of dazed irritation Glisselda realized she’d never asked Lars about how to read a continuo part.

She’d just have to seek him out and ask later. That’s what friends did, right? Feeling suddenly lighter, she made her way down the tower stairs and across the walls, slowly replacing layers of “Queen” as she went. Later, when Goredd could spare her for a few minutes, she would remove the layers once more and confront that newly-shed light, but for now she was Queen Glisselda of Goredd and she had a part to play; and even without the full realization beneath, play she would.