#I am just saying that there's a good novel in the romance of an assassin-turned-entertainer and the strategist helping her seek revenge

[sinni-ok-sessi]

ohhh or maybe Gong Yu and her excruciating crush, god the scene where Mei Changsu visits Miaoyin Court and Yujin inadvertently reveals that she's laid on all this special treatment for him, and then she has to pretend to meet him for the first time while very clearly dying inside

another NiF rewatch, another minor character to grow unreasonably attached to. I think this time it might be Yan daifu

[accio-victuuri]

Hi can you provide the link to read manhuas you prefer?

Hello Anon! OMG Manhua/Manhwa Rec! Here we go! I’ve only been reading for 2-3 months (consistently), so this will be pretty limited. I will link to the legit sites. A google search will direct you to others.

Most of these are WIPs and some, sadly, are discontinued. I won’t add TGCF or MDZS here cause those are already a given. 👇🏼

• Body Electric by Dong Ye ( completed, supernatural, lots of trigger warnings and plotty )

Ba Song is the hotshot cop who’s been handed an open-and-shut case: the suicide of a young woman. Except… who commits suicide by stabbing their own body and strangling themself? There's only one man who can help him with this mystery — Bo Shan, the renowned forensic pathologist with a severe and cold personality. What's more, his body produces bioelectricity, allowing him to acutely sense bodily injury with his touch. There's an electric current between them, and each touch sizzles with energy

If you like crime dramas and stories where they solve mysterious cases then this is for you. The romance is subtle, and their relationship is not insta-love. strangers to colleagues to friends to lovers trope. This also discusses alot of issues the society has that will make you stop and think. Ba Song is really the honorable MC in here who always wants to help people and do good. While Bo Shan is the reluctant one but deep inside, he wants to make a difference too. I wish they would make a donghua or live action out of this.

• 30 year old by S-Monkey - ( ongoing, age difference, blind dates, slice of life)

Charlie Wei is a single and handsome executive. He’s also a closeted gay guy who’s been on way too many bad blind dates with women. Charlie’s still hung up on his ex-boyfriend James and is… gasp, 30! Charlie’s family thinks he’s straight and too old to be without a wife! During another bad blind date, Charlie meets the flirty Ethan, who both annoys and intrigues him. Can Charlie finally come out and find true love with Ethan or will he continue on his streak of bad blind dates?

The cover looks melodramatic but it’s really not. This is so funny! I read this because people were saying it reminded them of BoXiao. And yes, there are moments here that remind me of them, but it’s more like an AU of BoXiao. I stayed up late trying to get caught up in the chapters and you won’t realize it cause it’s just that good. I love seeing the older MC loosening up and being more of himself. and the younger one being more responsible in his career. They just become better versions of themselves because of each other. It’s so sweet!

• I ship me and my Rival - by Pepa ( ongoing, comedy, reads like a meta )

This follows the adventures of Wei Yanzi, a third-rate actor in the Chinese entertainment industry, stumbles onto a shipping fandom for himself and another actor (Gu Yiliang) while trying to escape from the flame wars and negativity. He's so taken with this group of fans who actually see him as a good guy instead of an enemy/rival of Gu Yiliang that he falls head-first into fandom and becomes actively involved in trying to provide shipping fuel and the fans' daily dose of fluff.

IF THERE IS ONE thing you will read here, let it be this. It is hilarious. If you are a CP fan you will relate so much and it’s a good time. It just shows how people who think are rivals can actually be really good friends in real life. What we see is not always what it seems. and people will interpret things based on their bias. The MC here is so dramatic! how his inner feelings/reactions were drawn will make you laugh.

• Path to You - by Sinran (completed, slice of life, age gap fluff and comedy )

When almost college dropout Jensen attempts to drink away his problems, unemployed Nathaniel suddenly pukes on him and ruins his night. As an apology, Nathaniel offers to help Jensen with his studies. Despite Jensen's difficulties in getting along with people, the two become friends and something deeper begins to grow between them

The story is so soft. If you want something with mild angst/misunderstandings— then pick this. I love the progression of their relationship and how they take care of each other. There are other themes showed here other than the romance.

• Red Candy - by Hanse (completed season one with a cliffhanger, explicit scenes, assassins )

Shihyeon, aka “Red Candy,” is a secret agent whose code name comes from bathing in the blood of his marks on dangerous missions. Shihyeon’s tasked with seducing and obtaining intel from Hajun, a hot college professor. Shihyeon can disarm enemies, but didn’t expect to be disarmed himself by Hajun’s own tight body. Now Shihyeon’s caught between loyalty to his spy agency and Hajun. Can Red Candy survive the incoming wave of enemies and still indulge in the sweet ecstasy of Hajun’s embrace?

THIS STRESSED ME OUT MAAAN. Wow. I loved this. That season one cliffhanger. It’s definitely up there as my favorite. If you think about it, the tropes are really not original. An assassin is sent to shadow a person and they develop a relationship. That simple. But NOOOOO! There are so many things going on. The Main mystery plot, Their relationship, their shared past plus you have other sketchy secondary characters. And did i mention explicit scenes? Lots of them. I want this two to have a happy ending!!!

• Lone Swan - by Chu Man (discontinued, cultivation, star crossed lovers)

After losing his memory, Yiqiu Shen, a disciple from the decent sect meets a very special man named Luofeng Yan, who is the leader of the evil Divine Wind Cult. When escaping and conflicting with Yan, Shen gradually finds his original self as well as his previous love back. Together they rip off the facade of the martial world and reveal the hidden true

I didn’t want to add a discontinued story here, with no novel as a source material but this one made an impact on me. so. yeah. THE ART. breathtaking. The plot = layered. There are times I don’t even know who is telling the truth. It had so much potential and i hope it will get picked up again at some point. People rec this to those who enjoyed TGCF and MDZS, and they are right. 👍🏼

• Dragon in Distress by Si Wang Wen Hua - ( ongoing, dragons, past life, lost power, fantasy )

This is a story about a little Eastern green dragon and a little Western black dragon playing together.

The synopsis is pretty simple if you look at it but this one is pretty interesting. and surprisingly funny. tinie AoAo is so cute! 🤍 the other MC has tsundere tendencies tho. Lots of lore and more truths to uncover as the story progresses. I’m not giving it enough justice with how i’m reccing it, but if you like dragons and fantasy — give this a go.

• Breaking through the clouds 2: Swallow the Sea - Huaishang (ongoing, based on a novel, crime, drama, cases)

Wu Yu, a newcomer of the Public Security Bureau, is gentle and frail. He doesn’t care about the difficulties posed by Bu ZhongHua, his strict boss, and only wants to stay in the background to be paid on time with enough for food. However, no one knows that this young man’s head is targeted by top drug traffickers for a large bounty or that this courageous young man has once slaughtered the dragon of the abyss. With a chain of interlocking cases, a series of troubles come one after another. Can the two people work together to survive through the difficulties?

Do you see a pattern with me? lol. I like crime themes. This one is the same and by the looks of it, the cases they solve will take longer to unravel. I haven’t read the novel it’s based on yet so i’m just going with how the manhua is progressing. I like it when Wu Yu turns full on action-mode and when ZH takes care of him. Plus it helps that they are both gorgeous. I’ll get back this with a proper link.

• Where the Wind Stays - by Yusa (completed season one, curses, demons, possession, timeskip, explicit scenes)

To break an ancient curse that plagues the royal bloodline, young Prince Tasara is destined to be sacrificed in death. Nara is enlisted as a palace servant to carry out the prince’s execution when the time comes. But he develops a soft spot for the cursed prince, and after committing an atrocious and unforgivable act against Tasara, Nara is desperate to right his wrongs. Soon, their lascivious relationship that had been kept under wraps tests his resolve. Will Nara be tempted away from his original mission? There’s no telling how far he would go to earn Tasara’s forgiveness.

This story broke my brain, in a good way. I don’t wanna say much cause it will spoil the story. It’s the type that you gave to see and suffer through yourself. I am excited for what happens in season II!!!

Honorable Mentions:

I’m placing these here cause I have only read a few chapters and tho I liked them, I wanna read more before reccing it in full. 👍🏼

• I accidentally saved the Jinghu’s enemy

• Global Examination

• Monster entertainment

• Demon Apartment

And that’s it! Hope enjoy Anon! 😊

[fortheloveoffanfic]

Love; Lost (pt.5)

John Wick x Reader (A/- I really wanted to see it through to where they actually met their baby, so now we have this.)

1  2  3  4

Warnings- Kidnapping, mentions of childbirth, gun violence. 

Six Months Later After they’d gotten engaged, John had completed his last job just weeks later, and in celebration, he and Y/n had gone down to city hall and tied the knot. It had been an extremely small and intimate affair with just a couple witnesses. Though it didn’t take away from the romance; Y/n had worn a simple white knee length dress that showed off her barely there bump and John had donned a smart suit, sans tie. Afterwards, they’d gone to dinner at one of their favorite places. Six months later, they were still basking in newlywed bliss, all while preparing for their new addition. 

“John?” Y/n called, slowly descending the stairs to the basement, where John worked most days. Ever since he’d left the assassin life behind, he’d taken on book binding full time, though it was largely as a cover and something to keep him occupied; his former lifestyle had left them more than financially secure. Though, restoring classics by commission still brought in a fair amount too. “John!” Y/n called, louder that time, she’d been calling out to him since opening the basement door, journeying up and down stairs was becoming a task, especially considering Y/n hadn’t seen her own feet in nearly two and a half months by then.

“Yeah?” John finally replied, standing from his chair when Y/n was finally a few feet off. Seeming to just realize himself, his eyes widened and he dropped his tools, careful to not make a mess, “Y/n, babe, what are you doing down here? The ink-”

“Isn’t good for me and neither is the heat,” Y/n cut him off rolling her eyes. It was a lecture she’d gotten several times. Even if he was no longer the big, scary Baba Yaga, John was still the man that loved his wife and child, who they’d not too long ago found was going to be a little girl, to pieces; overprotective and sometimes, more concerned than called for. “You know,” she teased, “I wouldn’t have to come down here if you’d answer me when I call you from up there,” with one hand, Y/n pointed up the stairs, while the other laid absently on her stomach.

“I’m sorry,” he frowned lightly, stepping closer to Y/n, planting a loving kiss to her forehead. One of his large hands rested next to Y/n’s on her bump, smiling lightly when he felt their daughter kick, “I was just so focused on work, and you know the walls down here are thicker. You could have texted me though.”

Y/n huffed, rolling her eyes again, “Texted you from upstairs? Yeah, I’m not doing that.”

Chuckling, John brushed some stray hair away from Y/n’s face, surveying her outfit for the first time; a cute, navy blue maternity dress that ended at her knees with little bow at the breast line and capped sleeves, paired what had recently become her favorite pair of shoes- and the only pair she could put on without his help. Not that John ever complained about doing it. He’d do anything for his two favorite girls. “You’re going somewhere?” He furrowed his brows; he didn’t want to say it, but the thought of her going out alone that late into the pregnancy worried him.

“Yeah,” Y/n shook her head absently, trying to remember if she’d mentioned it or not, “I have to pick up that custom blanket we ordered. And I also need to get some cleaning fluid for my camera. I’m sorry,” she pouted, “I must have forgotten to mention that.”

“It’s okay,” John smiled faintly, “But maybe you could take it easy and I’ll get that stuff for you?”

“What?” Y/n scoffed, dismissing him, “No, it won’t take too long, I’ll be back before lunch. And I’m already dressed.”

John sighed, rubbing his hands up and down Y/n’s arms, “Yeah, but don’t you want to get some rest?”

“I’ve gotten a lot of rest over the past week,” frowning, Y/n sighed heavily, “John, it's just a few hours, okay, let's not make a thing of it.”

“I’m not trying to make a thing of it,” it's not like he’d actively set out to upset her, “I just-”

“Want me to be safe and healthy,” Y/n made a sound in her throat that sounded much like an exasperated groan, “I know. But I’m going into the city for a couple hours. I doubt something bad is gonna happen. Look,” she bargained, “If you want, I can text you the entire time. You’ll know where I am, and that I’m okay.”

Something in the back of his head told John that he should plead with her to stay home, but he knew her and he knew that Y/n wouldn’t let it go without a fight. Besides, he was probably being paranoid anyway. “Fine,but not while you’re driving,” John nodded stiffly, kissing Y/n again, “I’m sorry, I was squeezing too tight, I just want you two to be okay.”

“I know,” Y/n cupped his cheek, “But we’re fine, and I promise, if we’re not, you’ll be the first to know.”

Letting his eyes slip closed, John bent to press his forehead to her, “Good. I’ll see you later?”

“Well obviously,” Y/n giggled, “I love you,” she kissed him one final time.

“I love you too,” when John pulled away, he crouched down, his hands on Y/n’s hips, “And I love you, my little princess,” he pressed a kiss to Y/n’s stomach, nuzzling it before he pulled away, letting her head back upstairs and off to town.

Four Hours Later John was knee deep in his work, his steady fingers carefully working the tools expertly, a reflection of his skill in the area. He was repairing a dislodged page from a first edition of a classic children’s novel. It was for a client who collected that sort of thing and since his ‘retirement’, John had worked on quite a few books for the elderly woman. Slowly, with optimum expertise, John reattached the page, sighing heavily when his phone started vibrating on the table. At first, he had every intention of ignoring it, though, quickly realized that it could be Y/n, snatching it up without any regard for the caller Id. “Hello?”

“Mr. Wick?” The voice wasn’t readily familiar and carried a thick Russian accent, “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Who is this?” John’s voice was gruff and low, disinterested in games, and definitely not interested in carrying a conversation with whoever was on the other anyway; the only Russians he knew were criminals.

The man chuckled, “Why, I’m offended, considering we were such good friends before you retired But don’t worry Mr. Wick, it will come to you soon enough,” when John didn’t respond, his mind already ticking; trying to figure out who the caller was. Whoever it was, greatly unsettled him. “You know John, when you came to me, saying that you needed help so you could get out, I thought that maybe, you were getting too old. Every dog has its day,” he chuckled again, and that was what jogged John’s memory. The man was Dimitri Sokolov, the leader of a mob that had broken away from Viggo’s about twenty years ago. Since their split, Viggo and Dmitri had been sworn enemies, so naturally, when John needed help to get out from under Viggo’s thumb, ready to start a normal life with Y/n, he’d gone to Dimitri, who was more than willing to knock his enemy down a few notches. It hadn’t been his best idea, John knew that, but he was desperate; he wanted to be done, for good, so he could fully commit himself to Y/n and their child. “But now I see,” Dimitri continued without John’s entertainment, “It was for a woman.”

Just then, John’s phone buzzed, and hurriedly, he pulled it away, opening a string of texts from an unknown number. They were all pictures of Y/n in real time, walking along the pavement in hand, shopping bags in hand, handbag on her shoulder and her favorite coat thrown over her pretty dress. “She’s beautiful, absolutely radiant,” Dimitri hummed, “I see why you wanted to leave for her, besides the obvious of course. The young lady stole Baba Yaga’s heart, didn’t she?”

“Whatever you want,” John’s jaw was clenched, book-binding forgotten and his complete attention focused to protecting Y/n, “I’m sure you can get it without bringing her into this.”

“Now,” Dimitri sighed, “If I didn’t do that, then I wouldn’t have any leverage, now would I? Besides, I worked so hard to find Y/n, the wife of the Boogeyman, mother of his child. Would be a shame if something happened to her, don’t you agree? And if you never met that baby, tragic.”

At the mention of Y/n, John’s breath caught in his throat; he couldn’t let something happen to her, John didn’t think he could live with it. A world without her, where he’d never met his daughter would kill him, if not physically, in every other way. “You wouldn’t,” John croaked, hoping Dimitri wouldn’t hear the crack in his voice. 

Chortling heartily, “How naive of you; thinking that killing a woman and her child is beneath me. Let me tell you something John; you owe me. That little family you’re trying to make with Y/n, I gave it to you, and I promise, if you aren’t willing to cooperate, I’ll have no problem taking it away. In fact,” another text came in, that time, the picture of Y/n was taken from a closer angle, “I could take her out right now if I wanted. Imagine that, having a pretty little wife and a baby on the way, and in just seconds, they're gone.”  

The gnarly thought made John’s stomach turn, and he stood from his workstation abruptly, breathing heavy, “What do you want?” 

“I’m sending you an address, I want everyone at it dead by five pm,” Dmitri paused and John knew it was to rile him up, “And if they’re not, then I hope you can make peace with knowing that your family died because of you,” he paused again, that time in anticipation of John’s response. Though, it never came, instead, John clenched his jaw, his fist enclosed at his side. Smacking his lips, Dmitri carried on, “In the meantime, I’ll be taking your lovely wife…..under my wing. Do we have an agreement Mr. Wick?” 

Instead of answering, John hung up, immediately pulled up Y/n’s number, there was no way he was giving Dmitri the opportunity to get to her. He didn’t know how much time he had, but he was going to try. She picked up on two rings, “Hey handsome.” 

“Hey baby,” John tried to maintain his composure, but just the sound of her voice was enough to sting his eyes. Y/n had no idea what was going on, how much danger she was in. He’d do anything, give everything to have had her stay home, where she’d be safe. Swallowing thickly, he cleared his throat, “Did you get everything?”

“Yeah. Oh John,” she giggled, “You should see the blanket, it’s the cutest and they embroidered it in white, at the corner, Baby A. Wick. And it’s so soft,” her tone was giddy and John wished that he could share her excitement, but all it did was make him sick to his stomach. That couldn’t be the last time they talked, “I can’t wait to bring her home in it,” Y/n sighed happily.

Sniffing, John nodded, “Me too baby.” Biting his lip, John had to stop himself from breaking down, throwing up, or both. 

“You okay honey? You sound funny, are you sick?” A new worry etched Y/n’s tone and John felt himself melting the way he usually did when she expressed her concern for him. Before Y/n, no one had ever cared for him the way she had, he never thought that he deserved it before she made him realize that he did. 

“No,” John cleared his throat again, “Y/n, love, I need you to do something for me, you need to do exactly as I say, please. I need you to go somewhere, it’s at the end of-” John was mere seconds away from directing Y/n to the Continental, where he knew for certain, no one would hurt her, when she gasped loudly, her breathing loud and unsteady through the speaker, “What? What’s going on?”

“John….” she breathed, her voice shaking, “I….” another gasp left her lips and John could hear her trying not to cry. In the background, John could hear someone else, a man urging Y/n to keep walking and play it cool, “I love you.” Before he could have a few seconds to return the words or even tell her what was going on, the line clicked dead.

“Y/n?” John nearly yelled, pulling the phone away. The call had been disconnected. He couldn’t believe it; he’d had a solid five minutes, just enough time to direct her to the hotel, and he hadn’t used it. Anything could happen to her, and it was because of him. In a frenzy, John tried to call her back, but it went straight to voicemail. Eventually, his efforts were interrupted by another text; a picture of Y/n buckled up in the front seat of a sedan, her hands bound at the wrists with cable ties and her face tear stained, the caption was simple, but effective; ‘try something like that again, and she’s gone.’ Tossing the phone to the table, John hastily swiped at his eyes, snarling viciously before pounding his fists on the surface. That wasn’t how it was supposed to go. John was retired, on the cusp of starting a family with the woman of his dreams. He should have been painting a nursery, not about to dig out his old gear. But he’d do it, to save her, he’d do anything.

“Come on,” the scruffy, shady-looking man tugged at Y/n’s arm, pulling her out of the unmarked car. His grip was tight, and even through the sleeves of her short trench, his nails seemed to dig into her skin. Y/n stumbled forward, struggling to keep up with the man, who’s name she didn’t know- apparently kidnappers didn’t particularly care for introductions. 

They walked along a dirt road, towards an old, dilapidated barn, miles away from the city. Y/n blinked away tears, desperately trying to push away her fear. “Why are you doing this?” She summed up the courage to ask. The closer they got to the barn, the worse it looked; white paint was flaking off in huge sections, exposing weather beaten wood, every nail holding the thing together, or at least the ones that Y/n could see, looked like a one way road to tetanus and whatever glass remained at the broken windows was stained with dust collected over the years.

Just as he shoved inside, her captor chuckled humorlessly, pushing Y/n towards the center of the barn, “You should ask your husband.”  Hastily, he pushed Y/n into a rickety chair jammed to an old post. The dingy cushions looked musty and uncomfortable and the frame was rusted and crooked. Upon being shoved into it, Y/n winced, her breath jumping when the man started tying one of her legs to the chair. Using the distraction, Y/n laced her fingers together, rearing back and swinging wildly, catching him at the side of his head. The assault knocked him off balance and the diamond on her wedding ring seemed to break his skin, though it didn’t take long for him to recover and it certainly wasn’t enough time for Y/n to get up and run. Without thinking twice, he slapped her, hard, “You fucking bitch!”

A choked sob escaped her lips, one of which was now split. Her cheek burned and hot tears didn’t do anything to cool it. “Look at me,” calloused fingers grabbed her chin. Y/n took her lower lip between her teeth and her chest heaved, racked with shaky sobs, “You really wanna make this harder than it has to be?” When Y/n didn’t answer, he yelled, “Answer me!”

Jumping, she cried a bit louder, “No.” Grumbling something about how she’d have to behave, the man resumed his former task, tying her ankles to the chair, leaving her legs slightly parted. When he was done, the man stood, pulling a chair up directly in front of her, just about five feet away, getting out his phone, dialing a number before putting it to his ear, “I got her. She was a little difficult,” he swept away blood from the cut that Y/n had given him, “He’s really got himself a spitfire,” Y/n felt the man’s eyes roam her body, travelling upwards from her bare legs, “Pretty though, he’s got good taste.” After a few grunts of understanding and exchanged words, he hung up, redirecting his attention to a whimpering Y/n.

“My husband’s gonna find us,” she croaked, Y/n’s tears had slowed by then, her faith in John the only thing pulling her through. John would find her, and he’d save her.

“Oh I’m counting on it,” he offered her a toothy grin, filled with nothing but malice, “He’d be a fool thinking we’re gonna let him leave this place alive. See, the big, bad Baba Yaga is going to be so focused on saving his pretty little lady, that he won’t even see us coming and then…” he made a shooting motion with his fingers, “Out he goes.”

‘We’re’? There were more of them?

When a pressure tightened her back, Y/n shifted uncomfortably, passing it off as the faulty chair and all the adrenaline coursing through her. “John’s smarter than that,” Y/n was unwilling to think that John would be so easily distracted; he’d been in the business for twenty odd years, she couldn’t be the person that got him killed. He couldn’t leave her like that, leave them like that. Now more fearful than before, Y/n swallowed thickly, gripping her stomach, feeling her baby kick fretfully, no doubt aware of her mother’s distress. Her breathing grew heavier, though she tried to hide it, her jaw clenching when another wave of pain shot up her spine reaching to her front. As hard as she tried, a small, pained gasp left her lips and she shifted again. As quickly as it came though, the pain was gone. “He’s not gonna fall for a stupid trick.”

“I admire your faith in him,” the man stood, approaching her slowly, and Y/n cowered in her seat. When he reached her, the man brushed some hair out of her face, crouching down in front of her, gently caressing her stomach. His touch was nauseating and it made her blood crawl, “You think you’d ever get remarried if something happened to him?” The question sounded absent and unconcerned, and with his free hand, he twisted a lock of her hair in his finger, “I could probably be a good daddy.”

Y/n spat in his face, “Go to hell you son of a bitch.” Maybe she couldn’t fight him, or run away, but she certainly wasn’t prepared to be a complacent participant.

Enraged; nostrils flared and eyes wide, he grabbed the front of Y/n’s dress, causing her to cry out in fright, “Listen you little bitch, I haven’t killed you yet, but don’t for a fucking second think that I’m not above putting a bullet in your head, I don’t care who your husband is,” he shoved her back and Y/n hit the back of her head on the post, not hard enough to knock her out but hard enough for it to blur her vision and send shocks through out her body. Her breathing grew heavy and her sobs resumed, just as the man let her dress go, grumbling as he walked towards the door, fishing a wrinkled pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. 

John got into his car, his hands and the white shirt on the inside of his suit stained with splatters of blood. Without giving it a second thought, he dropped the last gun he’d used in the space between the driver and passenger seats. Hurriedly, he used his bloodied fingers to send the pictures he’d taken as proof that the job was done. It hadn’t been as hard as he anticipated, there were about ten people in the warehouse, the headquarters for a drug operation. John didn’t know what Dimirti’s beef with them was, not that he cared. All he wanted was to get his wife and child home safely.

After sending the pictures, John got his Mustang started, brashly pulling down the sun visor, his shoulders slumping when he saw a polaroid of him and Y/n, held back by the black elastic strap. It was the first picture she’d taken with the camera he’d gotten her; they were sitting on the sofa at home and she was kissing his cheek, so much had changed since then. Directly beneath that was one he’d recently added; an ultrasound print, one from the day they’d found out that they were having a girl. It had been one of the best days of his life, right up there with the day he met Y/n, the day she agreed to come home and their wedding day.

Then it hit John. Like a bullet to the chest.

His best days were all because of Y/n.

Trying to shake off his despair, John swallowed tightly, holding the steering wheel in a death grip, pulling out onto the lonely street, speeding into the traffic on the main road. Expertly, John navigated the streets, narrowly avoiding other cars, almost causing an accident when a text came through. Swiping the phone up from his lap, he opened it, barely keeping his eyes on the road, it was a shared location along with the words, ‘Well done, hope you can drive fast, we’re getting impatient.’ When a picture of Y/n, with her lip split and her cheek looking sore and red, John jerked the wheel, his heart rate speeding up faster than he thought was possible. 

Thankfully, he had considerable knowledge on the address on where Y/n was being kept and didn’t need to closely follow the directions. John’s foot was heavy on the gas as he pulled onto the freeway, intent on the shabby barn just outside the city. 

At some point, Y/n had fallen asleep, though a sharp pain had her gasping as she awoke abruptly. It was worse than what she’d felt earlier; sharp and persistent, and the throbbing of her head only seemed to make things worse. Groaning, she shifted restlessly, waiting until it was over before she looked around. Still in the barn, still tied to the chair.

Y/n had no idea how much time had passed, but she did know that it was enough time for her muscles to start feeling stiff, her mouth was dry too and she was exhausted beyond compare. All Y/n wanted was to get back to John, safe in their home. With a reinvigorated desire to escape, Y/n started wiggling her wrists, trying to wean them out of the cable ties, wincing when the plastic cut into her skin instead of coming loose.

“What the hell are you doing?” Her captor’s voice billowed as he slammed the creaky door behind him, approaching Y/n slowly, knowing full and well that she wasn’t much of a threat.

After a yelp of surprise and a defeated sigh, Y/n stopped; she’d already been knocked around enough. She didn’t answer, opting to shift her gaze to the floor a few feet in front of her. “So this is Mrs. Y/n Wick,” upon hearing the new voice, her head snapped up. Next to the man was another, much older and better dressed in a suit with bowler and scarf, “Pleasure to meet you,” he grinned cheekily. His Russian accent was thick, and Y/n didn’t have the slightest clue on who he was, but she didn’t know that he wasn’t anyone good, “I’m Dimitri, and I heard Boris here didn’t introduce himself. Boris, apologize to the young lady.”

Snorting his short laugh, Boris apologized halfheartedly, “Sorry princess.”

Y/n cringed at the nickname, opting to stay silent. The closer Dimirti got, the more she tried to recoil into the chair, “No need to be scared, it’ll all be over soon,” his grip on her chin was far gentler than Boris’ had been, but it still made her fearful, “Shame you have to die before you meet your baby.” Y/n swallowed tightly, quiet tears warm on her cheeks, “You know, I met your John not too long ago, we’re good friends.”

“You kill friends?” Y/n managed meekly.

Dimitri chuckled, “Only if they want to kill me first. I’m not a fool, and I know that after this little stunt, that’s exactly what he’s going to do. And I can’t let that happen,” he smiled coldly. When he let her face go, Dimitri turned on his heel, walking away as if he hadn’t just given her the most frightening news of her life.

Y/n breathed heavily, mostly from fright, though, when the cushion beneath her, along with the skirt of her dress, her underwear and the inside of her thighs felt instantly warm and wet, she gasped loudly. Neither Boris nor Dimirti paid her any mind though, and all Y/n could do was hope John showed up in time so their baby wouldn’t be born in the same room as murderers.

It felt like ages since her water had broken and the time between the sharp, intensifying pains were becoming shorter. Y/n had tried to count the minutes herself, but had lost track well over three times. It was hard to think with everything going on; Dimitri and Boris were conspiring quietly, her head still hurt a little and she was torn between hiding her situation and just letting things happen. 

Upon she heard a ruckus outside, Y/n didn’t think she’d ever be so relieved by gunshots. Her only hope was that John was the one firing them. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before she found out; John was barreling through the door, fighting off a burly man, shooting him in the head before shoving him away. At the sight of him, Boris aimed a gun and Dimiti came up to her again, grabbing Y/n by the hair and putting a gun to her head, “Easy John,” he drew his attention.

“We had a deal. Kill everyone by five and you let her go, those were your words,” John’s baritone was low and husky and carried a coldness that Y/n had never heard in it. He looked far different than Y/n was used to too, sure, she had seen him in his work suits but that evening there was a hardness in his dark eyes and a determination in his gait. He was different, and it scared her. 

“We did,” Dimirti sucked his teeth dramatically, “But you should know better than to trust me John. Fight if you want, but you aren’t leaving this place, and neither is she.”

Y/n’s breaths hitched, her lips quivered and her hands remained at the base of her stomach, trying to focus on not crying out in pain, all while hoping that the night wasn’t ending with a bullet in her head. 

“Let her go,” John warned, “She’s not…” there was a crack in his exterior, Y/n could easily hear it and it made her head snap up. His eyes had softened too as he instantly returned to the man she knew and loved, pleading with Dimitri, to just let her go, “She’s not a part of this.”

“Well, she’s married to you, so I’d say she is,” the metal of the gun felt eerily cool against her skin and Y/n could feel Dimitri’s fingers digging into her scalp, “You know, if we kill you first, you don’t have to watch.”

The world seemed to stop for a moment after that, though, when things moved again, it was in slow motion. John ducked, evading a bullet from Boris, his expert aim sending one between Dimitri’s eyes before he could pull the trigger on her. Everything after that, was a blur to Y/n; a violet exchange between John and Boris, shots ringing through and strained grunts. Everything up until John was in front of her, using a knife to burst her restraints. 

That time, Y/n hadn’t realized she was crying, not until John was brushing messy hair out of her face and she was shoving him away, the stress of the day and all the hormones sending her into a frenzy, “You promised!” She punched him in the shoulder, “You said you were out! What the fuck is this?”

“I know,” John tried to calm her, grabbing Y/n’s wrists to stop her from hitting him again, “I know, I was- I am. But I owed him a favor and he said if I didn’t do it, he’d kill you,” John sighed heavily, letting her wrists go to wipe tears away, “I’m sorry baby, I am so sorry.”

“You’re sorry? Your bullshit almost got us killed! Our baby could have been born in a fucking barn and you’re sorry? How could you?” Her yells were interrupted by loud sobs, but when another contraction snuck up on her, Y/n instinctively grabbed his hand, crying out in pain for the first time.

When it was over, John still held onto one of Y/n’s hands, lacing the other in her hair so they were nose to nose, “I know you’re mad at me, and you have every right to hate me, but right now, you need to hate me at the hospital, okay?”

It took a minute, but Y/n eventually nodded, “Okay,” she let John help her up, leading her towards his car parked outside, en route to the nearest hospital.

It had taken nearly twenty hours, filled with tears and swear words. Y/n had spent half of it trying to push John away, too mad to admit that all she wanted was to have him at her side, but in the end, she’d accepted his comfort, submitting to the little moments where he’d rub her back or sweep sweaty hair from her face. John was patient too, taking her outbursts in stride and never wincing once when Y/n held his hand in a death grip. He’d stayed at her side beyond the night, whispering words of encouragement and placing loving kisses on her forehead when she allowed it.

When their daughter entered the world, greeting the room with loud cries, the doctor offered John a pair of scissors to cut the cord, and he readily jumped at the offer. Afterwards, she was cleaned up a bit, swaddled in a blanket and placed on a groggy Y/n’s chest by the time the placenta was delivered. “Oh,” Y/n sighed tearily, “She’s so beautiful.”

“Yeah,” John smiled through his own tears, “She is.” With one arm around Y/n’s shoulders, John gently slid his thumb along their baby’s cheek, in awe of the life that he’d get to watch grow. A baby, their baby, “She’s so perfect.”

Smiling, Y/n turned to John, nearly melting at how pure he looked. Despite the cuts and bruises on his face, he was still strikingly handsome and his gaze held the same joy that everyone expected from a new father, “Hold her,” Y/n encouraged, guiding their daughter into John’s arms. 

She looked so tiny in John’s embrace, and to him, she felt much smaller than he'd ever expected. A wave of protectiveness washed through him, and even if it was there before, John’s need to protect her and Y/n was renewed with vigor. A day like the one gone by was never going to happen again, if it were up to him, they’d never feel pain, never hurt or shed a tear that wasn’t brought on by joy. No harm would ever come to his family. “I’m so sorry,” he eventually offered, glancing at Y/n.

“I don’t want to think about that right now,” or ever again. Everything she’d ever wanted was in that hospital room, and Y/n knew that John had made a mistake, but he had done it to be with her and as long as it never happened again, she could work on putting it behind her, there was no way she could even think of living without him anyway. That was the kind of love she had for him, the kind that longed for her to forgive him, despite the deed. “I just want us to be a family,” her eyes brimmed with tears, her smile faltering.

“Me too,” John leaned to kiss her, the gesture filled with love and adoration, their foreheads staying pressed together until their daughter gurgled in John’s arms.

He shifted, still half-sitting next to Y/n on the bed, though with the baby held between them, Y/n’s hand, still hooked up to an I.V cupping her head. They were cooing over her quietly when a nurse walked in with a clipboard, “Have we decided on a name yet?”

John and Y/n exchanged a knowing look; they had decided on a name months ago, one that meant ‘bright light’, which is what their baby had been. The light that had guided them back to each other, the light that had helped them persevere through the worst just over one day before, “We have,” Y/n nodded, “Aileen Wick.”

As Y/n gave the name to the nurse, John kissed her forehead, his lips lingering there as he nuzzled her hair. In that moment, he didn’t think that he’d ever felt more at peace and content; five years ago, he would have never thought that he could be so happy, that he could have the things he did then, a wife, a child; a family of his own.

*******

Tagging- @harrisongslimited​ @cynic-spirit​

[eternityunicorn]

The Exhibition: Part Two +18

Author: eternityunicorn 

Genre: Romance/Drama/AU

Pairing: Elijah Mikealson x OC

Warnings: Smut, pure unadulterated smut! (*Smut chapters marked +18)

Summary: Eternity vanished. She went out one morning and never came home. Elijah is beside himself with worry as the day passes by without sign of her. Thinking the worst, he goes out in search of his lady, only to find her inside a seedy club in the bowels of New Orleans’ underworld, where she is apparently working a mission. However, it’s not just any unsavory club, but sex club where an exhibition is taking place. Wait! Is that? Is that his wife on stage?! Just what is going on here?

NOTE: OC and original elements are from my up and coming novel series!

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Still holding his wife against the wall, Elijah gazed at the squirming immortal with a slightly evil gleam. “Perhaps there is a way to deal with these fools you seek,” he told her, “and make up for your little secret escapades - as well as to clear up a few things that I still want answers to.”

Eternity swallowed thickly, lust swirling in her eyes as she gazed up at him beneath her lashes, “Just what did you have in mind?”

The Original stepped away from her fluidly, releasing her from his hold. “Oh, I have a most deliciously lecherous plan in mind, Sweetheart. If you consent to it, of course.” He held out his hand to her and waited to see if she’d take it. 

She didn’t hesitate, much to his pleasure. She went to him willingly, placing her hand in his and letting him lead her out onto the floor, where they momentarily took in the heated sights of others playing sexual games together for the amusement of the audience gathered.

Knowing what he needed to execute his plan, Elijah leaned over and murmured to Eternity, asking her where the person in charge of this event was located. He needed the stage cleared. He wanted the show he had planned to be a special event, featuring just the two of them. He wanted all focus upon them without others to steal the spotlight.

She understood and guided him over to a young female vampire, whom sat on a velvet couch with two bodyguards dressed in black. The manager was beautiful with olive skin and bright green eyes that shone through the shadows perfectly. She dressed in bright red that showed off all  her curves and sat back with an air of authority.

Furthermore, it seemed that this attractive woman and Elijah’s wife were friends or at least amicable. The woman was quickly on her feet with a friendly smile upon her ruby lips.

“E!” The lady of the house greeted, her voice slightly accented. Then she noticed Elijah and immediately tensed. “I heard that an Original was visiting my club tonight,” she said, as she looked him over with mild interest and subtle hostility, “but I didn’t know it was you, Mr. Mikaelson. I had expected Klaus or Kol, as they seem more the type, but not the uptight Elijah. I didn’t think exhibitions were your scene. You are full of surprises, it would seem.”

“Indeed,” replied Elijah with a tight smile. 

The lady turned back to Eternity, “So, my queen, what do you require of me now?”

The ethereal beauty smiled politely, if not a little sheepishly, “Actually Madame Michelle, it is my husband has a request.”

Madame Michelle looked from his wife to Elijah in surprise. “This is your husband, you were telling me about? Full of surprises indeed! What may I do for you then, Mr. Mikaelson?”

He had been mildly taken aback by the Madame’s words. So, Eternity had spoken to this exotic woman about him before. He was somewhat curious as to know what had been said, though not enough to derail from his task at hand by inquiring about it. It didn’t matter anyway.

“I wanted to request that you clear the stage, Madame Michelle, was it?” He said politely. “I have some business to attend to with my darling wife and as a result, require the space.”

Again, the lady of the house was surprised. This time by his request. “Well, well, not only are you an unusual observer, but now you wish to participate too?” Madame Michelle replied. “Oh, I think I might have a heart attack or at least I would if I wasn’t, you know, already dead! Sure, sure, Mr. Mikaelson! You can have the stage! I just hope you and your lovely wife put on a good show for us! These people do pay a good sum of money just to be here.”

Elijah smirked, “I honestly think it will be the best you’ve ever seen, Madame.”

Madame Michelle smiled and laughed joyously, in an almost sleazy sort of way. Then she snapped her fingers and one of her men moved to clear the stage of the other participants, giving Elijah exactly what he wanted.

Once it was clear, and all the equipment had been replaced with new items that were identical to what had been there before, along with the furniture, the Madame gave them leave to take the stage. 

The Original went ahead of his bride a bit and before he turned around dramatically, holding his hand out to her as he had previously. He waited for her to take it, but didn’t have to wait long, before she was putting her hand back into his and letting him lead her to the stage. Her heart raced in her chest all the while, Elijah could hear it pounding away in excitement and perhaps a little fear.

They climbed up the short set of stairs and took to standing in front of a curious and silent crowd. Elijah, of course, took the lead here too, as this was his show. He was going to ensure that everyone knew just whom was in charge, but none more so than his more powerful lady. 

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” he greeted the audience with a hand casually in his pants pocket as he moved around the stage, “I know that I need no introduction. You all know who I am and I’m sure you are all familiar with my wife. I believe her nickname here is ‘Queen E’, but for this presentation, we shall be referring her to her true name - Eternity.”

The audience murmured amongst themselves, all of them wondering just what was going on. Some looked on with wonder, others with curiosity, and others still with fear. 

“You might be wondering why I, of all people, am up here tonight,” Elijah continued. “Well, this night, I am here to correct my rebellious little wife’s recent behavior. You see, my wife has some dangerous opposition trying to assassinate her right now and she made a promise to me, that if she were to leave our home, she would take someone with her or at the very least, tell someone that she was leaving. My wife did neither of these things and disappeared for almost a whole day, leaving me to panic and worry for her well being, unknown to me that she was here the entire time.”

Intrigued, the people gathered moved in closer, depraved excitement replacing their confusion and fear. 

“Then there is the refusal to answer my questions and copping an attitude, after getting caught breaking her promise to me,” he openly shared, turning to eye Eternity pointedly, before turning back to the crowd. “Finding out that she’s actually been coming here for weeks without my consent or knowledge is another great offense that is in need of correction. Her defiance knows no bounds, let me say.” He chuckled darkly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his lady squirm and shift uncomfortably. Elijah only found her discomfort amusing.  

“Therefore, tonight, I am going to make an example of her,” he said to the audience in conclusion, “teach her a lesson, and correct this challenge of my authority, as her husband, in a public display, a public punishment that will surely leave a lasting impression on my willful bride. So, please enjoy the show.”

There was a whispering amongst the crowd, but everyone seem intrigued by Elijah’s proposed entertainment. Some even moved to the edge of their chairs to get a closer view in their anticipation of what was to come. 

Ignoring them all, the Original turned to Eternity, whom had been waiting quietly for whatever he had planned to happen. He grinned at her wickedly, before nodding toward her revealing outfit and commanding, “Clothes. Off. Please.”

At first, his bride only stared at him, a flicker of defiance there in her sapphire eyes. He gave her a dark, warning look in response to it. It seemed to have been enough to banish her stubborn refusal to comply. 

Slowly, Eternity undid the stays of the corset top she wore and let it fall from her body to the stage floor. Then she shimmied out of the tight leather shorts, leaving her naked, save for the fishnets that allowed everyone to see her natural beauty anyway. She pealed those off too and tossed everything off to the side, allowing herself to be openly nude before the crowd, before him in such a public place.

The ethereal beauty glowed under the low lighting and it was breathtaking. Elijah took a moment to admire her, thankful that her hair was already up in a messy pile on top of her head as it couldn’t act as a curtain to hide her body. She was on full display for the room of strangers now.

“Come here, Sweetheart,” Elijah beckoned Eternity to him. 

She went to him without question and once she reached his side, he fisted her hair in his hand and pulled her head back roughly. He gazed at her for a moment, before devouring her mouth with his in a show of possession. His tongue swept into the warm cavern, tasting her hungrily. It was brief, before he pulled away with a knowing grin, smelling the sweet scent of her arousal permeating the air already. 

He released her completely, moving around her while she stood on display for the audience until he stood behind her. “Do not turn around, Sweetheart,” he instructed her, as he lifted a hand and deftly removed the tie from around his neck, while undoing the first couple of buttons on his collar as well. “You will remain facing these lovely people, letting them view your glorious beauty that belongs only to me.”

Then Elijah brought the silky scrap of cloth around to cover her eyes in a makeshift blindfold. He tied it behind her head securely, so that it would not fall. “Can you feel their eyes upon you, my lovely wife?” He whispered by Eternity’s ear. “Can you feel the heat of each lustful gaze as they take in your perfection.”

The immortal queen shivered and moaned quietly in response, but said nothing.

Chuckling softly, he guided his bride by the arm over to the black padded table with two tiers that allowed the submissive partner to kneel over it. There were cuffs dangling from both, allowing the dominant to tie their partner down in such a way that would leave them helpless and unable to do anything, but take whatever the dominant wanted to do to them.

Perfect.

Elijah carefully moved Eternity into position. He helped her kneel on the lower tier and then guided her forward with a firm hand on her back, so that her upper half leaned over the top tier on her forearms. Once she was where he wanted her, he set to work securing her ankles to the cuffs on either side of the lower half of the table and then he secured her wrists into the cuffs on either side of the top half. 

Soon, his lady was spread out quite nicely with her submissive position and her being effectively at his mercy. She wouldn’t dare to make a move against him now and she’d certainly be wise to watch her tongue too. He had all the control, all the power.

The Original felt quite puissant, more so than any other time he ever played dominant to Eternity’s submissive. There was something about her being bound the way she was that had him feeling as if he had conquered her, this great goddess from beyond the stars. Combine that with the knowledge that there were others bearing witness to his conquest made his cock harden almost painfully so. He felt electrified, excited like no other, as he ran a gentle hand over Eternity’s back and then over her backside.

She squirmed at his soft touch and whined, unable to do anything else.

He sniggered at her responsive reaction, as he walked around her slowly, admiring her at all angles. He especially enjoyed the way she strained to hear his movements, as her eyesight had been taken from her by the blindfold. She wanted to know where he was and what he was up to, but Elijah was a master of stealth, among other things, and he could ensure she heard nothing from him.

Once he was done admiring his beautiful wife, Elijah came to stand in front of her. He reached and caressed her face and then leaned in to kiss her lips sweetly. As he pulled away, he murmured, “Are you ready?”

Eternity nodded, more eagerly than she had intended, he was sure. 

“What was that, Sweetheart? I didn’t quite get that,” Elijah said pointedly, wanting her to verbalize. 

She didn’t answer him the way he wanted, refusing to do so, despite his prompting. Instead, she clamped up again in an act of defiance. She did so on purpose, he knew, as part of her typical playful resistance to his authority. Normally, he’d find it amusing. However, right here and now, in front of all these people, she was to be his submissive, obedient in every way. Therefore, there wasn’t room for leniency. She needed to be taught a lesson quickly.

“Very well,” he told Eternity. “I wasn’t going to, but I believe I shall take Niklaus’s words to heart and beat your ass into submission, as it seems you have chosen to continue to be willful.”

Once more did she whine and squirm. He swore he could smell her arousal spike with just his words. It was beautifully intoxicating.

Elijah moved silently away from her, moving over to a rack of equipment that had been set up for them to use. There were various types of whips and restraints and gags dangling from the metal structure. The Original knew exactly what he was looking for, as this wasn’t the first time he had participated in an exhibition of this nature. Though not many knew that, not even his siblings. It had been his little secret, but until now. 

He chose to keep things simple, picking up a standard riding crop and returning to his waiting lady. He came to stand in front of her again to run the end of the crop over her cheek. As he did this he spoke to her, “Now, Sweetheart, this is how this is going to go. I will ask you a question and you will answer me truthfully. If you refuse me or try to lie, I’ll take it out on your hide - one strike for each refusal, two for every lie, three for every smart or abusive remark that might come out of your pretty little mouth. Every truth, every act of obedience will be rewarded. Do you understand?”

Again, Eternity nodded, but did not verbalize. 

Growling, Elijah moved around the table and came to stand in position behind her, off to the side a bit. He raised the crop in his hand and let it fall upon her bare backside with a resounding crack without warning. He listened to her cry out in surprise and jerk forward away from the pain he inflicted.

“I asked you a question. I expect an answer,” he told her calmly. “Do you understand?”

“Yes, Elijah, yes,” she moaned in response, giving him what he sought.

He grinned a little, running his hand over the abused flesh tenderly, “Good girl.”

Eternity sighed and pushed back into his touch.

Then the Original moved his hand away and asked, “Tell me, Sweetheart, just how did you manage to escape the compound for weeks without detection?”

“I told you, I’d rather not say,” she responded defiantly.

“Why won’t you tell me?” 

“Because I choose not to.”

Elijah rolled his eyes and sighed, “Clearly. Well, you know the penalty. One strike for your refusal to answer and three for your smart mouth.”

Eternity snickered, “Oh, I answered, just not in the way you wanted.”

“Another three.”

He raised the crop again and let it fall onto her backside harshly in rapid succession, for a total of  seven strikes. Her cries were loud as they echoed around the room. Their captive audience oohed and awed at the display before them, taking delight in the show Elijah and his lady put on for them. Of course, both participants on stage ignored them all, too caught up in their game already to care about the crowd.

“Would you like me to keep going, Sweetheart? Or will you answer me?” Elijah asked his wife.

At first, he thought his wife was going to defy him yet again and was prepared to strike her once more for yet another refusal, but then she surprised him when she answered, “It was strategy. I had to wait for the perfect opportunities to slip away, to come here. It was as simple as that. No tricks, no slight of hand, simple observation and patient waiting for the right moments to leave without detection or notice.”

“Sometimes perhaps,” he replied, “but you’re only telling a half truth. Your omitting, and as you know, that is the same as lying. Two strikes.”

Elijah struck her backside again, twice this time, just as he said. He enjoyed watching her jerk away with every stroke and the way her skin would turn red where he hit, but only for a moment as her hearing factor kicked in and repaired the reddened flesh back to perfection. 

“Tell me what your omitting,” he murmured.

Eternity refused to answer, so he struck her again.

“Speak, Sweetheart.”

Once she recovered, she still refused.

“You are willful,” he growled, and let the crop fall onto her backside once more.

Eternity’s body jerked and writhed with ever hit. The scent of her arousal only grew as she moaned in pain pleasure, enjoying his striking her. Her backside pushed back as if in invitation, as if she were silently begging him to do it again or perhaps to finally take her, to fuck her in front of all these people, of whom she couldn’t see.

It was gloriously erotic and Elijah could feel his own arousal heighten as a result of her reactions to his discipline of her. If he hadn’t been a master of control, he might have given in, he might have let his impulse to answer the call of her body to his. However, he wasn’t so weak willed and knew how to deny his impulse, to have patience. 

Soon, he promised himself, soon.

“Fine! I might have had to get creative a time or two, particularly with you,” his lady confessed, panting from exertion. “You talk of me being willful, Well, sometimes you are overbearingly protective, especially as of late with this current threat against me. You often refuse to let me out of your sight as a result. Therefore, I might have lied a few times, telling you I was meeting with my cousin Veren or one of my councilmen, so that you wouldn’t worry about me being away. To make you think I was being protected, safe. In reality, I was coming here, alone.”

Elijah was astonished, to say the least. “You’ve been using the Lady Veren and your council as an excuse to leave the compound unaccompanied, but why?” He asked her, curiously. “Surely, you could have simply told me what was going on, let me help you. Why didn’t you? Why go through all this trouble?”

“Because I wanted to do this alone,” she answered him without need for correction. “I didn’t want you to see it again.”

“See what again, Sweetheart?” 

“To potentially see me on death’s door again,” Eternity spoke softly, hanging her head. “The look of sheer terror on your face, the worry, the anguish. I hated seeing it and I never want to see it again. So, I did what I did to protect you, to keep you away, and keep me from feeling reservations, in case those enemies tried to come after me here, while I was on my mission. I cannot afford hesitation or distraction.”

Elijah found himself moved by her confession. She had gone to such great lengths, just to keep him from having to witness her being severely injured again, to watch her struggle against her enemies, to be brought to the brink, nearly dead. She had been trying to spare him that. 

Still, Eternity had lied to him, deceived him, and worried him to death with these shenanigans. Though her reasons could be considered noble, he supposed, he could not overlook her deceptions. He did value honesty above all things. She should have been upfront with him, she should have simply told him what she wanted, even if he had objected and denied her. She shouldn’t have done what she did.

“I appreciate what you were attempting to do, Sweetheart,” Elijah told her softly, as he ran the end of the crop down her back and then let it descend between her legs. He watched as he collected the dripping essence of her arousal on the end of it, then pressed the crop to her intimately.

 She moaned slightly and squirmed at the light caress. “Please, Elijah.”

Her plea and the very sound of his name on her lips almost broke him. He wanted her. Of course he did. To have her on display, vulnerable and at his mercy, was incredibly maddening. Sure, he had the upmost control over himself, but the sight of Eternity and the scent of her ever growing arousal was nearly too much to handle.

Yet, somehow, someway, Elijah maintained his perfect control, knowing that with patience would come the most satisfying reward - for both of them.

“Not yet. You know that I highly value honesty,” the Original said. “You should have told me. I am your husband and you should be open to tell me everything. I might be overprotective at times, but you are mine to protect. It does not matter if you’re stronger or more capable of looking after yourself. You are my wife and  I will do as I see fit to ensure your safety. You showed a great lack of faith in me and a great lack of respect of my wishes in this. I can’t say I am not disappointed.”

“I’m sorry, Elijah,” murmured Eternity. 

He sighed disappointedly, “I know.”

To Be Continued....

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Tag List: @elejah-wonderland @dendrite-lover @inmylifeilovedthemall @elejahforever @xanderling @hawaiianohana15 @missnmikealson @phoenix-potter-bailey @lolelijahishot @x-memi12 @iamaquarius2 @echosnowflake666 @scarlettsky0998 @zillahvathek @elijahandkollover @mikaelsonwetdreams @elizamonet @freshsuitcasewinnereagle @loulouisa @fandom-princess-forevermore @esclisa

[lanx-reads]

DNF Review: Throne of Glass

Final Rating: */***** or 2/10

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her ... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead ... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Throne of Glass isn’t the worst book I’ve ever read, but it certainly was one of the most infuriating, which is why I was only able to read about 50% of it.

Since I didn’t finish it, I am only going to review the issues and things I disliked within the first half I read of it. 

I also wanna note that I did read spoilers for the ending to confirm some thoughts I had and will be touching upon those. 

Since this is my first DNF Review, I am gonna discuss why I picked up this book in the first place, the writing style (which is something that, for the most part, doesn’t really change from beginning to end), the premise (rather than the plot since I didn’t finish the book), the things I liked about the book, what I disliked about this book, and finally why I put it down. 

Why I Picked Throne of Glass Up

So. A year or two ago I wanted to get back into reading. Due to a lot of issues and things in my personal life, I completely stopped reading for pleasure during my Sophomore year of high school, which meant I had stopped reading for... about 4 years? Which made me really upset as I had always been an avid reader! And since I was getting really passionate about writing, I figured I should get back into reading.

So I made a post on tumblr asking what YA books people recommended. I had been reading YA when I stopped reading (well... a mix of YA and MG, but mainly YA) so I figured that’d be the best place to start. 

Numerous people recommended me different things, but one anon recced Throne of Glass to me. It was a fantasy (a genre I mentioned liking in my post) and they told me that though they hadn’t read it themselves, they had a friend who adored the series and that it was really popular so it was probably pretty good. 

The. Really popular bit made me nervous, but nevertheless, I went onto Amazon. Bless me, actually, because I decided I’d try and read the little promo Amazon gives you before buying it.

I DNF’d it after half a page. I had never DNF’d a book so fast and so hard. The first time, what made me DNF this book was Celaena complaining about her looks while being in a prison. Like... girl...... priorities.... 

Months later, I started seeing people talking about this book a little as I got back into reading. Getting curious, I read some reviews, both bad and good, and decided to give this book another shot.

It was as bad as I thought it would be, if not worse. 

The Premise (What was this?)

Honestly, I still don’t really know what I read. What even is Throne of Glass? What is life, in fact? What is the universe? I don’t know, but I feel like I’d figure out the latter two questions before I figured out the first. 

So. The premise, or basic story idea of ToG is basically... Cinderella... mixed with Assassin’s Creed... mixed with the Hunger Games.... I dunno about anyone else but when people describe a piece of media to me as a mix of two or more random-ass things, I start getting nervous.

But honestly I have no idea how else to describe Throne of Glass. I couldn’t tell what this book wanted to be! And that was really what fucked me up. It wanted to be a big epic fantasy. It wanted to be a mystery. It wanted to be about girls in pretty dresses kissing pretty boys and having to choose between them. It wanted a princess aesthetic but with a character that has to be nasty to be an assassin. ToG, to me, is a long book of wants that didn’t deliver. 

But said that, nothing was as poorly thought out as the plot. The plot is what confused me most, ground me to a halt, and said, “wait, what?”

Okay, the plot is basically Celaena joining this competition to win her freedom to become the king’s champion. Only issue is... a king’s champion is a real thing. And is something for mainly knights if I recall.

Back in the olden days of yore, when kings needed to fight against one another, or if someone wanted to challenge the king to a duel, they would have a champion to fight in their stead. If you’re a king, you don’t wanna fight your own duels, that’d be nuts! What if you died?! Then what would happen to your kingdom? That’s what a champion was for. 

The champion is basically chosen/hired by the king. The thing is, what Celaena is... describing is well. Not a champion. Not really. I mean... I guess it’s kinda champion-like? It’s really vague in the book and it boils down to “you do dirty work for the king” so basically a hitman?

Thing is... the king is a king... why doesn’t he just hire an assassin? One who hasn’t been caught (looking at you, Celaena!). I mean, in the long run, that would be a lot cheaper than hosting a giant competition with a bunch of criminals who aren’t loyal to you, who will turn on you at any moment, and can’t be trusted? I mean, just ‘cause he has them swear to be loyal to him don’t mean jack shit, c’mon. 

The entire plot of this novel falls directly apart as soon as you know what a king’s champion is! And honestly, the fix to this would be so easy. You could still have the competition, but instead make it between knights or wannabe knights or something. Have Celaena be a knight instead. She acts like it anyways; being all brash all the time and desiring the center of attention 24/7. Or if you really want her to be an assassin, fix her fugly personality and have her be an assassin pretending to be a knight.

And the king being “”crazy”” isn’t an excuse. Using crazy as an excuse is... one kinda insulting and gross and two, lazy. It means nothing and is a cop out at this point. Also, he did nothing in this book to seem crazy to me, really. He’s an asshole and abuses his kid but... besides that he’s basically nothing. He’s an evil king. He doesn’t even have an actual name. That’s how bland he is. There was no thought put into him at all. And again, this too could have had an easy fix. Rather than saying he’s crazy to excuse his nonsensical actions, all that had to be said was: he and his court want entertainment. That’s it. That would have given the competition the perfect excuse to exist in the first place. Sure, it’s not the most interesting of reasons or anything, but it’s better than the book being completely silent of why there’s a competition in the first place. Why does a king need a competition? Why between criminals who will stab him in the back? It’s never explained and it’s dumb. 

God. There are SO many ways where ToG could’ve been better. Just. Better in general. There is so much lost potential here with the plot, which is where half my frustrations come from. 

So. The premise falls apart after thinking about it for over .2 seconds. The second part of the actual plot of the novel (well, at least what’s described on the back of the book, not what I actually got) is a mystery. But... this mystery is really cliche. Someone taking out the competition. Wow. Never seen that before. 

Also, I did spoil myself the ending to see if my guess of who it was was correct and welp. Winner winner, chicken dinner! It was indeed Cain. As soon as he swaggered on stage, and the narration hated him, and Celaena hated AND was a lil racist towards him, I knew it was him. His detailed magic ring and the fact he kept getting bigger apparently every time we saw him also clued us in. There was less foreshadowing in this book and more “beating you over the head with a Cain.”

Also, none of the other members of the competition really got... anything? Most were unnamed or Celaena dismissed them right away. Why even have these characters in the book if they aren’t even gonna be named? I get it’s a big cast, but still. Hunger Games was able to do the bare minimum of this, I mean at least all the tributes had names. Big casts are hard to write, so why not shrink it down a little? It won’t affect the story, in any case. 

So instead of a cool mystery and badass competition, the premise of the competition fell apart, was mainly summarized and not seen from what I read, and in general the tasks were boring. No real fighting, nothing with a lot of tension or excitement. Just boredom. The mystery wasn’t even lukewarm. It was ice cold. I don’t even really know what the pages were filled up with... random bantering that told us nothing more about the characters than we already did. Celaena not knowing what guy to choose. Her wearing pretty dresses. Her reading and playing the piano. Her shittalking about girls with this other chick. Just. the most random stuff. It was fluff. Which is fine. I like fluff! I like pretty dresses and romance and all that!! But not in a book that promised me a MURDER MYSTERY and ACTION. 

Maybe the action would’ve picked up if I kept reading. But something tells me... not so much. If excitement doesn’t happen before the rough halfway point of your book, something is wrong. At least, to me it is. 

The Writing

A lot of people thought the writing was pretty it seemed. Numerous negative reviews praised the writing. I admit, there were some pretty quotes in there. But most of it was clunky and reminded me of Eragon (not good) or just. Laundry list. I can’t pull up the quote right now, I don’t have the book, but I remember when the library was shown to us, the narration just listed everything inside in a sentence with commas. The same was done in the king’s chamber besides a little extra detail on the fireplace. None of the descriptions of the settings were any good.... and neither were the pretty dresses! It was just “this dress is cut bad” “the fabric is ugly and feels bad” and such. What was the fabric made out of? What cut was the dress? There were so many little things like this that bothered me throughout the writing. 

Lots of filler paragraphs that led to nothing were everywhere too. Sentences that danced around world building were common too. Again, don’t have the book, but at one point Chaol and Celaena were discussing books they liked and instead of name dropping some titles, giving us an idea of what sort of books these two like to read, it was just “Chaol listed some titles to Celaena. Celaena nodded approvingly” or something like that. Lazy. Boring. Pointless. Filler. 

There was so much filler writing in this. And so much... passive writing. Especially when Celaena was traveling to the castle and beyond. “Celaena felt” was used so often that I nearly started counting how many sentences began with that. Sometimes, yes, telling is alright. But SHOW us how she feels! Don’t tell us she finds the castle breathtaking but daunting or whatever! Show us! What’s her expression look like? Her body language? What is she thinking?  The moment she saw the castle was supposed to be powerful and tense but it wasn’t because the writing was passive when it shouldn’t have been. Passive writing isn’t the worst thing ever, but where the writing would’ve benefited from being active, it was passive instead, which also made the book a kinda bland read on a technical level. The writing stayed the same throughout. Sentence length wasn’t played around with much, sentence type didn’t change much. The only stand-out pieces were mainly dialogue.  

I like active writing. I like an active writing style. Throne of Glass was passive. And you know what? I get it. I write in third person too. It’s hard.

But writing is hard. Publishing is even harder. This is a published book and I expected better, especially with how popular it is. 

And yes, this is a debut novel. I kept telling myself that when I was reading this. But... I’ve read better debuts. I’ve read better fanfictions online. This is a New York Times best seller and a favorite of many. It should’ve been better.

The (little) Things I Liked

Gonna bullet point all this, hope none of you guys mind~

Celaena being feminine and proud of it. Haven’t really read a character like this yet and as someone who is writing several proud feminine characters, it was nice to see

Chaol. Just him in general. Best character and I loved him. 

SOME of the banter was pretty fun.

That one scene with Celaena working out in her room was A Good TM

Some of the one-liner descriptions were pretty good and I enjoyed them. 

I actually liked some of the traveling bits in the beginning. I thought it would skip straight to the castle but we got to savor a little in the journey there. It was nice (tho it went on too long and got annoying and boring to read)

The (many) Things I Disliked

A longer bullet point list, hope you all are ready! I’ll try and go in a somewhat chronological order

The plot made no fucking sense

Dorian. The only Dorian in my heart is Dorian Pavus and also he was so one-note that I almost cried. 

The world building? The little world building that was like. Actually present was so bland... it read like Typical Fantasy. Listen. If I wanted Typical Fantasy I’d go play one of the many re-releases of Skyrim, okay?? 

Celaena was just unlikeable and her entire character was contradictory. She acted more like a mercenary for hire or a thug than an assassin. Assassins wouldn’t wanna be in the center of attention, people!

Also Celaena acted really dumb in parts and it made me cringe. 

Chaol as the captain of the guard made no sense. He’s too young!

In fact, Celaena as the best assassin made no sense. She is also too young. Also, if she got captured and is KNOWN, she is hardly the best. The point of being an assassin is...... being unknown... c’mon..... 

The tests. The back of the book made them sound really cool but they were just? Running around a track? Some softcore parkour? The archery contest actually made sense I guess but it would’ve been cooler if they were hitting like. Actual moving targets rather than just. Bulls-eyes. 

Also most the tests were just kinda brushed over? At least The Hunger Games was....  well most the book took place DURING the Hunger Games so like. 

The king had no fucking name what the shit who doesn’t name their fucking VILLAIN?!

Cain. Like. He was so stereotypical. I looked up to see if he would end up as the villain at the end and I was right, how disappointing. Also, naming your villain Cain is like.... idk... literally is there a single protagonist named Cain? Genuine question 

The girl hate. Like, I get that girls are people and not all girls are gonna get along or anything but like. There were throwaway lines that just made me roll my eyes and scrunch up my nose.

THE FUCKING GLASS CASTLE MADE ME SO MAD OH MY GOD WHY WAS IT THERE. And if the castle looks the exact same on the inside in the glass part as the stone part, what’s the point then? How is this nation, which is at war, have a glass castle? That thing is gonna shatter. How did they make it? Why did the king make it? The most we get is the implication is that he’s crazy but that’s.... gross for one and two, lazy. You know what would’ve been cool tho? If the king was just a zealot who worshipped his human gods to the point where he wanted them to always see his victories and be able to see him wherever he went, so he created the glass portions of the castle so he could be seen by his gods the entire time. I thought of that idea in the span of 10 seconds. Sigh. 

AND I AM STILL ON THE GLASS CASTLE SHIT listen. If this was a whimsical fantasy and everyone went with it, I wouldn’t have SUCH a huge problem with it, tho it would still be kinda dumb (mattering on context...) but legit. Having your characters point it out doesn’t make them look smart, it makes the author look silly. “It’s a dumb idea, I know it’s a dumb idea, but I am going to write it anyways. For The Aesthetic” listen. We’re past the age of aestheticism. Let’s get our heads outta the 1800s, k?

Honestly there were descriptions but I couldn’t ever get a good image on what was going on, which is weird. All the descriptions were for like. More finer details? But the overall look of the entire world was just blank in my mind. I dunno how else to explain it.

So. Much. Filler. Celaena! Get outta your room and let us explore some! I can sit alone in my room myself irl, I don’t wanna read some chick do the same!

Same with the book shit. Like we could’ve gotten some amazing world building just based on the books Celaena read but whatever that was brushed over too??

Honestly a lot of reading ToG was like reading a textbook where words go through my eyes and their meaning seeps from my ears and I find myself 20 pages in but no idea how I got there and don’t remember a single word of what I read. 

The writing style for the fighting. When you write fight scenes or tense scenes, you want your writing to become choppier usually and sharp. It changes the mood and tone of the scene. The author just used the same flowing prose she had for the rest of the book, which was kinda dull. 

I wish we had seen the murders. I mean, the book is in third person and does switch POV at times! I wanna read some good blood, guts, n gore!

L O V E  T R I A N G L E  O F  H E L L 

I thought Celaena was supposed to be sickly?? But like after a few chapters in the book that’s like, forgotten, besides her throwing up after running? Why only after running? Why doesn’t she worry about this or her health much? Seriously her physiology makes no sense. 

Celaena’s mental health is also questionable. She’s completely fine after being tortured for a year and in a death camp and only has bad nightmares every once in a while?? That ain’t how PTSD works. Seriously what was going on in her head? What was the author trying to portray? You don’t do this shit half-assed. Either throw yourself into the research or go the Harry Potter route. 

There is one character who is fat and he is ofc, a terrible person (I am talking about Dorian’s younger brother, ofc. Sigh. And yikes)

Celaena sometimes talked and acted like she was younger than what she actually was?? I think being childish was supposed to be part of her personality but it doesn’t mesh with her being an assassin. Unless she was doing it on purpose as an act. But she obv wasn’t so......

Yulemas. Honestly, I put the book down around when it was mentioned. It’s a dumb name and I can imagine what sort of celebration it is. 

The timing and pacing of this book is weird. The king needs to learn what an itinerary is. I think it’d help him out. 

 Why I Put Throne of Glass Down

Mainly for two reasons: one I had just bought some books at the library and wanted to read those instead. I just wanted to read a good book again. The second reason is just as simple: I was incredibly bored. 

There was just so much filler for me. Characters talking about random stuff, walking around, trying to figure out a mystery I figured out as soon as the first murder actually happened. It was all so boring to me. 

And then... Celaena started suspecting Nehemia. Her only friend in the castle.

I dunno why that did it in for me. I think it’s because I didn’t wanna sit through at the very least 50 pages of one of the poorest red herrings I have ever stumbled across. I can (somewhat) deal with a book that promised me action and gave me bad romance with pretty girls and boys. I’ll complain a lot, give it a bad rating most likely, but I can finish books like those. What I can’t deal with is a clear waste of my fucking time. At that point, I was already 99.99% sure Cain was the bad guy. I was already tired of Celaena in general since she is such an unpleasant character for me to read. I did not wanna sit through a plot point that just insulted my intelligence and made the book all the more longer than it has to be. I have no idea how someone can make a book this bland and boring so long. I honestly cannot understand how I got pretty much 50% of the way in, and feel like I have moved nowhere when it comes to the characters and the plot. I don’t know how I could be pretty much halfway through this book and feel like not a SINGLE action scene has happened. (Yes, I know there have been actions scenes, but I didn’t like them or the way they were written. They weren’t exciting for me.)

All this realization just kinda came crashing down on me with Celaena suspecting Nehemia. And I was quite done with all of it.

Maybe the book would’ve picked up. Maybe the entire premise, story, characters, and writing style could’ve changed in a single page flip. But I seriously doubt that. 

I’m tired of wasting my time with books I am not enjoying. If I’m gonna read a bad book, I at the very least want it to be entertaining.

And Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas wasn’t even that. 

[heartslogos]

send the morning [96]

"If you were a small child,” Evelyn whispers as they survey the wreckage of Sahrnia - the brutalized houses, the gray and bleak shrunken and withered borders of it, and the furious red banners and growths that have sprung up in place of homes and houses - “Where would you hide in a place like this to get away?”

“Depends,” Maxwell replies, “What am I getting away from?”

“Templars and soldiers,” Mahanon answers instantly.

“Village elders,” Herah says, “People who would put me to work.”

“Venatori,” Sera says, “Obviously. And probably wild animals. I mean, look at this place, I’d think it was free pickings too if I were, I dunno, a bear or something.”

“Somewhere I couldn’t be seen, but where I would also maybe be close enough to come back if I got scared,” Kaaras says.

Evelyn gestures for Harding to take their scouts and spread out. This place isn’t Venatori anymore. It’s Inquisition.

And based on the reports Harding had, it’s going to be a literal up-mountain struggle to purge this land of all Venatori influence.

This has been going on for far, far too long.

Ellana is a silent ghost that brushes against Evelyn’s elbow before she goes to explore the ruins of what was once perhaps a house, or a place of assembly.

Maxwell and Sera go with her to start moving debris.

It looks like people sort of…worked around the destruction, wherever it was. She doesn’t blame them.

What resources or power would they have to rebuild?

There are children missing. Children that no one’s looked for because there hasn’t been the time, the energy, the resources.

Mahanon touches the elbow his sister touched moments ago, “A word.”

Evelyn follows him to a more secluded area, away from the others as they disperse to try and gather information and do something to help this village.

“We cannot overlook the possibility that these children are not missing,” Mahanon says softly, turning them away from the buildings, shielding their faces and mouths. The warm air of his breath rises in soft puffs.

“What do you mean? Taken? By Venatori?”

“Possibly,” Mahanon says, lowering his head, “But not my meaning. There is a possibility that these children were…made to disappear.”

“Mahanon, I don’t follow. Be clear, please.”

“I don’t think these children ran away from home, or were taken, or what have you,” Mahanon says. “At least, I don’t think that’s entirely the case. Some might have. Some. Not all. These people are starving on limited resources and no idea of when help or hope would come. They live off of Venatori aide, and I doubt that the Venatori were generous enough to supply them with enough for their entire population.”

“Not their entire population,” Evelyn says, “They took half the people here to work, or otherwise be some sort of…experiment or sacrifice.”

“Evelyn,” Mahanon says slowly.

“What? What am I missing?”

“Sometimes,” Mahanon says, like he’s talking to his sister when she’s on the edge, or like when he’s dealing with some scared and volatile animal, “When people have too many mouths to feed…they send the children away. And it is not always with the intent of survival.”

It takes Evelyn a few blank moments of lookin into Mahanon’s eyes for it to come together and she pushes him, furious.

Her voice is a cracking hiss when she responds, “They did not send their own children out to die in the woods. Why would you say that?”

“Because I’ve seen it happen before. Because these people were desperate enough to bend to the Venatori for aide. Because I don’t think the Venatori would take children for labor, and none of our mage allies have sensed any dark magic that would mean large amounts of blood magic. Because we cannot presume that the people of Sahrnia are going to point us in the direction we need to go immediately when we have no foothold in the region. We don’t know anything about this situation,” Mahanon says, “Just…be wary.”

-

“You bought Pentaghast a book,” Mahanon says, following Maxwell like a very disturbing and menacing shadow as they walk through the streets of Val Royeaux. Maxwell doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to put the two concepts together: Mahanon, Dalish assassin and top agent of the NIghtengale, and Val Royeaux, seat of the Chantry’s power full of pretty streets lined with orange trees and gold and also on the edges the smell and decay of several thousand elves packed into a very small area like pickles. It’s mind boggling and neither concept belongs within several thousand thoughts of each other, but here they are.

“I bought my cousin a book.”

“No, you bought Pentaghast a book,” Mahanon says, “You said it was for Evelyn but based on the way you were so very thorough about checking the quality there is no doubt you meant it for Pengathast. If it was truly for Evelyn you wouldn’t have gone through so many to decide. Perhaps two or three, not two or three dozen. I never realized there was such a volume of readily available books in the genre. And yet, Dorian and Kaaras can barely scrape together one single book on reptile anatomy.”

“It’s a very nice book. There is no shortage of romances because that is what the people of Orlais and silk and satin and such fantasy thrive upon. Also, it is a marvelous escape from reality for those who are not going to go out and seek their fortunes with blade or bow, I should think,” Maxwell says. No point in trying to lie to the man who digs falsehoods out of people’s skin for a wage. “I think she might like it.”

“Does it have bodices?” Mahanon asks after a beat.

Maxwell’s eyebrows raise up as he turns to look at Mahanon. “Pardon?”

“Bodices,” Mahanon repeats, utterly dry, “Dorian often comments on the amount of bodices being ripped open in her books. He doesn’t seem to particularly find it entertaining, but he continues to read them nonetheless.”

“This particular one does not have any bodices being ripped, from what I can tell. I admit to have only lightly browsed through a few pages. But I recognize the name of the author. I’ve sent Evelyn about three or four novels from the same fellow and I have read larger portions of those. Also, an entire collection of poems. The poems, I admit, were much better than the prose.”

“As you say,” Mahanon says, “I, myself, wouldn’t know.”

“No, I don’t imagine you would.”

It is not meant to be insulting and Mahanon doesn’t seem to take offense, so Maxwell considers the conversation settled.

“Rutherford might,” Mahanon says as they’re passing through into the less gilded parts of Val Royeaux, where the ominous shadow Mahanon presents would be more prudent towards helping Maxwell watch his back.

“The good Commander might what?”

“Know if it is good prose. He has a rather extensive collection of books. Some of the titles and authors I recognized from the selection you and the shop keeper were discussing.”

“Cullen Stanton Rutherford, former possible Knight Commander of the Templars, Commander of the Inquisition has romance novels and poetry?” Maxwell turns around and throws his arm around Mahanon’s shoulder, reeling him in, “Oh Mahanon, you can’t just leave it there. Please do expand upon this at length.”

[sahibookworm]

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish that now has a new home at That Artsy Reader Girl.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE !!!!! It’s a new year and new beginning and I hope all of us will have a great reading and blogging year. And finally it’s time for the toughest post for any reader – listing down favorite books. And it becomes even tougher for someone like me because I have to choose between the almost 300 books that I read in 2018.

So, I have come up with a slightly different take on this topic. I am going to list down my favorite reads of each month of 2018 – and this way, I don’t have to restrict myself to just 10 favorites. Now let’s get started…..

JANUARY

My beginning of the year wasn’t very good and I hardly read anything this month. But my favorite book was Maybe Someday – a beautiful emotional love story which kept me weeping for days.

FEBRUARY

Thankfully, February turned out to be better. I discovered the New Adult genre with the wonderful college romance The Deal. I also decided to finally read Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda (once I saw the movie trailer) and it was the cutest book ever. And then I discovered the very adorable OTP Monty and Percy in the hilarious adventure The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue.

MARCH

I was in a huge reading slump in this month, but I also discovered the amazing best friends-to-lovers romance in Him, which quickly became one of my all time favorites. Another book that cemented my unlikely love for hockey romances was Power Play.

APRIL

I’m not sure how much I would have loved Change of Hart if I had actually read it, but I listened to the audiobook and it’s narrated by my most favorite narrator ever Jacob Morgan and I utterly completely fell in love.

MAY

The month that I discovered Nisha Sharma and wow it was such fun. My So-Called Bollywood Life was the first book that I felt really represented a very intrinsic part of me (my eternal love for Hindi movies) and it’s so entertaining that I was smiling all the way through.

JUNE

Finally the month where I read a lot of wonderful and diverse books, definitely propelled by my intention to participate in Marvel-A-Thon and also it was Pride month. The Nowhere Girls is the Feminist YA that everyone needs to read and it was such a profound book. Autoboyography was a beautiful love story which quickly made Christina Lauren one of my favorite authors duo of the year. Radio Silence made me so nostalgic and the amazing depiction of friendship in it is like nothing I’ve ever read. And finally I discovered another favorite OTP of all time, Damianos and Laurent in the excellently written Captive Prince trilogy.

JULY

I accidentally discovered Lily Morton the previous month and wow her books are so hilarious. But Risk Taker was funny as well as emotional and I sobbed a lottttt. Finally, I got around to reading an Emma Mills book and First and Then was a beautiful and heartwarming story of family and love and friendship. And I never thought I would read a polyamorous love story, but Robbie was a revelation and it’s quickly become a beloved series that I completed this year.

AUGUST

Another marvelous reading month where I discovered more of my all time favorite books. A Charm of Finches has to be on the top five books I’ve read in my lifetime – it’s that gut wrenching and thought provoking and beautiful. A Thousand Beginnings and Endings was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it lived up to all my expectations and it was another one of those reads that filled me up with sheer joy. I knew even before I started Foundryside that it was going to be a unique experience, and I’m so glad it was. Robert Jackson Bennett’s world building is really something I look forward to so much.

SEPTEMBER

Another month where I was in a kind of a slump, but I accidentally found a new favorite genre while browsing Kindle Unlimited – Romantic Suspense. And The Executive Office series – with a great mix of action, love and political intrigue – was an excellent foray into the genre. This was also the year I started reading graphic novels and I couldn’t not read C. S. Pacat’s Fence, which is beautifully diverse and has many wonderful friendships. And I finally picked up Nevernight and I can officially say that I love female assassins.

OCTOBER

A great reading month where I got to read the new series starter in one of my favorite universes, Dance of Thieves; finally stayed up a whole day and night to read the ending of my obsession, Kingdom of Ash; and found a new favorite Indian author who retold my most beloved story in the world Mahabharata in A Spark of White Fire.

NOVEMBER

Another graphic novel / hockey romance which is also the cutest ever was Check, Please!. Mackenzi Lee’s sequel The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy was as adorable as the first, and Lily Morton’s latest Oz brought lots of smiles and laughter and introduced me to my newest fictional crush.

DECEMBER

I never thought December would top any of the previous months, but I am so thankful that I was surprised by one great read after another throughout the month. It started off with an excellent satisfactory conclusion to The Dark Artifices in Queen of Air and Darkness. I thought I knew what I was expecting when I picked up Why the Devil stalks Death, but wow it was one cliffhanger after another and what a thrilling ride. I also decided to tackle the remaining books of Matthew Reilly on my TBR and reading The Four Legendary Kingdoms and The Three Secret Cities only proved why I have loved this series for almost a decade. On the merry day of Christmas, I thought I was being contrary when I picked up A People’s Future of the United States – it was terrifying and thought provoking and something that will haunt me for a long time.

Have you read and loved any of the books on my list? What are some of your top reads of 2018? Do share your thoughts or drop me the links for your posts!!!!

TTT: Favorite Reads of 2018 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish that now has a new home at…

[modernwomen-blog1]

Margaret Atwood is famous for her books like The Circle Game, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Cat/s Eye, The blind Assassin, and Oryx and Crake. She is a Canadian born in Ottawa, Canada on November 18, 1939. She showed a passion for writing at an early age when she stayed in Quebec. She graduated in 1961 pursuing her undergraduate studies at Victoria College at the University of Toronto. She published Penelopiad in 2005. She released a sci-fi/fantasy genre called In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination. She also published graphic novels like Angel Catbird and Angel Catbird: To Castle Catula.  Some of her novels like Surfacing, The Blind Assassin, and The Robber Bride have all received screen adaptations. Also, her book called The Handmaid’s Tale was performed as an opera and turned into a film in 1990. Atwood currently lives in Toronto with her husband Graeme Gibson and her two daughters.

A Low Art

{Excerpt from the Penelopaid)

Summary:

A low art is all about Penelope who died for waiting Odysseus. In this story Penelope have many regrets about what happen to her life. In the story Penelope is already dead and she is in the Hades full of regrets, all of the people that went to Hades have sack, that sack full of gossip. She is just a woman who wants a happy ending, even though at first she knew about how tricky Odysseus is.Penelope is tired of listening to false gossips about her, but she still managed to wait Odysseus.

Unfamiliar Words:

1.    Factoid- a briefly stated and usually trivial fact

Ex: It was an interesting factoid, buts he didn't let it influence her decision.

2.       Edifying- instructive or informative in a way that improves the mind or character

Ex: For her,  It was an edifying experience

3.    Jeering- to speak or cry out with derision or mockery

Ex:  Angry voices wove in and out of the crowd's jeering and the ringing of her ears.

4.    Fumbling- to grope for or handle something clumsily or aimlessly

Ex:  After fumbling in her pocket, she found a golden earring.

5.       Unscrupulousness- not having moral integrity

Ex: She is unscrupulousness in doing things in her surroundings.

6.       Preposterous- contrary to nature, reason, or common sense :absurd

Ex: She is being preposterous in making decisions.

7.    Minstrel- one of a class of medieval musical entertainers; especially :a singer of verses to the accompaniment of a harp

The minstrels are playing a melodic tune.

8.       Eminent- exhibiting eminence especially in standing above others in some quality or position :prominent

Ex. They are eminent in showing their capabilities.

9.       Plausible- superficially fair, reasonable, or valuable but often specious

Ex. She has a plausible reason for acting the way she did.

10.   Compulsion- an act of compelling; tried to get them to cooperate without using compulsion.

Ex. He is known to be compulsive in doing his duties.

Guide Questiongs:

1.       Why does Penelope consider storytelling “a low art”?

Because she thinks that she people would have laughed is she tells a tale. But she doesn’t care about public opinion now. Those are only the people’s opinions and it can never affect her identity as long as she continues her life with her husband.

2.       How does Penelope’s portrayal differ from the traditional portrayal of Odysseus? What do you think of Odysseus?

Penelope is different from the traditional Odysseus as Penelope is a woman who is a woman who stays at home with so many suitors but stays faithful and loyal to  her husband while Odysseus can travel to any places and a hero for others. We think Odysseus is a man who is faithful to his wife as he also shows that he treats Penelope well and he smart to pass so many obstacles.

3.       Based on Penelope’s perspective, how is she different from how the epic portrays her? What do you think of Penelope’s character in the preceding story?

From the epic, she stays faithful to her husband even during his absence because of the Trojan War. We think Penelope’s character is strong and smart. She proves to others that she can stand on her own, she doesn’t care of others opinions as she stays faithful to her husband.

4.       What does she have to say about the “official version” of what happened? Why does she point this out?

Penelope mentioned about her being blinded by her husband. She thinks she improved something to herself as feels that others followed her characteristic on how to be a faithful wife. She points this out as she knows that other women are following her for the sake of her husband.

5.       Why does she call herself “a stick to beat other women with”? Do you agree with her? Why or why not?

She calls herself “a stick to beat other women with” as she shows a characteristic that is being a faithful wife to her husband. She doesn’t want other women to be like her because she pretends that she did not know something about her husband that is him being tricky. As she wants to have a happy ending so she stays faithful and ignores the being tricky side of her husband. I agree with her as shown in the story that at the beginning she describes her husband like being plausible and such and then she admits that she did not want to lose her husband that she sang to his praises, she did not contradict and etc.

6.       Why does Penelope say that the “sound like an owl” when she tries to warn other women?

She sounds like an owl as she felt that other women do not want to obey her as she mentioned that she wants to scream for other women to not follow her on pretending things are positive or okay for her husband.

7.       How much of ancient history do you think is fact and how much on gossip or exaggeration?

We think that some like being a faithful wife and willing to do everything for her husband is a fact as we all know that when a wife really loves her husband, she wants happy ending, she wants to take care of him, and she wants to do what is the best for him and so on. Also, it is normal to a wife to be possessive for her husband but so we think that it is an exaggeration when she mentioned that wanted to scream for other women not to be like her because it is impossible for a person to control other people’s lives.

8.       Do you think a story is colored by the biases of the storyteller? Support your answer.

Yes, we think that author is the one who controls her characters or what she wanted to do with her characters. The author tells the perspective of Penelope views about her life with Odysseus so its results to being bias and with it, the characters and situations made by the author completes the story.

9.       Do you think history is colored by the biases of the historian? Support your answer.

Yes. All humans have biases. History is colored by the biases of the historian in such many ways like their decisions in the government, all the wars and fightings and it give a greater impact to us in the present and for the future.

10.   Does this story change the way you look at literature and history? Why or why not?

The story change the way  our perspective on literature and history as we thought we knew that men before were focused on victory and women for their past time. But Odysseus changes the way we look at both literature and history because he shows that he faithful to Penelope despite with all the obstacles.

Individual Reflection:

Harley’s

I’m fond of stories about Greek mythologies. I love that the excerpt is all about Penelope’s perspective about her husband as for us to know what her thoughts about her husband. I read a lot of stories about romance so I am not surprised with all Penelope’s thoughts about her husband’s flaws and she is willing to accept it to prove that she wants to have a happy ending with him. I learned from the story that a person would really want to do everything for their loved ones especially their partners. They are willing to risk everything. Truthfully, love is the most powerful thing in the world. It makes a person to be martyr for the sake of having a perfect relationship with someone he/she loved. Even though love has negative effects, there is no greater than the positive effects of it such as being happy, being satisfied with life and many more.

Joyce’s

As a woman, after reading the “a low-art” an excerpt from the novel “Penelopiad”. The main focus here is the view of the wife of Odysseuy, Penelope. If you are the kind of person that will easily believed someone’s story. Odysseus must have played a trick on Penelope that is why, she waited for so long, for she wants to have a happy ending .  Many people believed his version of events, even Penelope. After several days, Penelope realized that people are talking behind her back, making false sotries, gossiping behind her back, they were making fun of Penelope, they were laughing behind her back, they don’t even have conscience if what would the person feel. Now, it’s Penelope’s turn to do the revenge. She called it  “low art” because it’s a kind of an art, but it’s for the people who have low class. It’s gossiping, ow.a revised story-telling, it is some kind of reality we are facing right ni . In our generation, gossiping are often done in everywhere we go at school, at house, neighbors, malls, etc. Through the use of internet, texts or by the word of mouth. It can destruct people especially mentally it can cause depression to a person if it is just a simple news but for the person it means a lot t her. I’ve experience this and it was not a good experience. But as a mature person, I did not stoop down to their level instead I keep motivating myself to be a better person than them, and I would really let them know that I can do better than them.

“Cleverness is a quality a man likes to have in his wife as long as she is some distance away from him. Up close, he'll take kindness any day of the week, if there's nothing more alluring to be had.” ― Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad