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haveamagicalday · 5 years ago

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My 2019 reads

My top ten reads can be found here

4 Stars

All the Bad Apples by Moria Fowley-Doyle

Deena’s family is cursed. Any “rotten apple” in the family is doomed for a a tragic end. When Deena’s sister Mandy goes in search of the cause of the curse, Deena and friends go after her. This book alternates with stories from the past and present dealing with strong feminist themes throughout.

House of Salt and Sorrow by Eria A. Craig

A darker more horror story retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses. Personally, I felt that connection to the original fairy tale was kinda weak and this could have been pitched as its own fairy tale. It was definitely creepy and kept you on your toes throughout.

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

Riley Sager is becoming one of my favorite thriller authors but this one was probably my least favorite of his 3 books so far. Don’t get me wrong, it was still really good but while the twist was good, I figured it out fairly early on. I kept waiting for another twist that would blow me away but it never happened. Still, this was fun to read and I still stand by the 4 star rating.

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

After Cinderella leaves with her prince, her stepsisters are left in shame. This story covers the stepsisters lives after happily ever after, and maybe they will get their happily ever after too. This book was sweet and creative. Isabelle, are evil stepsister, was a flawed character but still deeply likable. There was some magic and greek mythology woven in that really made this story stand out for me.

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen does it again in this heartfelt tale of a teenager trying to find her place in the world. Emma Saylor’s mother was an addict and now that she’s gone, Emma only has her stories to remember her by. So where does Emma’s life fit in to these stories and how does the story end?

Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

A non witch detective is called in to a high school for the magically gifted to solve a gruesome murder. This was a fun and unique read. It plays out like a typical mystery but the added element of a modern day world with mages and a magic boarding school made it it's own thing. I would actually love to read a series in this world as it was well built and intriguing. A big strength of this novel was I actually was interested in the main character's storyline as I was with the mystery. Sometimes with mysteries, the main character is just there to solve the mystery and nothing more. This was not the case for this book.

The Window by Amelia Brunskill

Jess’s twin sister is dead. She fell out their window one tragic night. But what was Anna doing sneaking out of their window? In this thrilling and emotional book, Jess discovers some of her twin’s secrets and sets out to learn what really happened that fateful night.

The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm by Christopher Paolini

A fun short read that brought me back to my middle school years. Eragon holds a special place in my heart and this was a welcome return to the world. It hints at more in the future and I'm excited to see were this story will continue to go. I will admit though that I preferred the in between chapters with Eragon than the short stories themselves. The Urgal story was probably the best but it seems like Paolini is setting up for another full sized novel in the series and it really had nothing to do with the story at all. Still, it was enjoyable!

The Dark Days Deceit by Alison Goodman

A satisfying ending to the Lady Helen trilogy. There was a twist about the main villain that I honestly would have hated in any other book but it worked so well in this one. I’m going to miss this fun series.

3.5 Stars

Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer

Echo North is a retelling of East of the Sun and West of the Moon. This one had its deviations but was more of straight retelling of the fairytale. There are two parts to this book. The first one is about 280 pages and the last part is the last 120 pages. I think I would have preferred if they were an equal length. The first part could have been shorter and the second part could have been longer. There was a lot of interesting content in the second part that I would have loved to explore more. Still, this was a lovely read and a good retelling of the popular fairytale

Here There Are Monsters by Amelinda Berube

Skye is our main character. A high school girl that moved to a new town and just wants to be normal, maybe even date her cute neighbor? What stands in her way is her 13 year old sister Dierdre. Deirdre is weird, she’s creepy and she refuses to grow up. And now she is missing. All in all, I thought this was a worthwhile and exciting read. While I was personally left a tad disappointed in the direction it took, I know there are a lot of others that will absolutely love it. And the strength of the first half and the themes it deals with, is enough for me to recommend it! Read my full review here.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Based on Russian mythology and lore. This is a perfect fairy tale to read on a cold winter night. The characters are well developed and the conflict is subtle. It's a slow build up but never felt boring at all.

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book! It was quick paced and kept you guessing. However, while I didn't think the ending was predictable, I did think it was a bit cliched. I was surprised by the twist but but it still felt cheesy. The rest of the book was really solid though. There were plenty of red herrings that kept you guessing and it was an enjoyable read with good characters. I liked that this one only had two main characters as opposed to One of Us Is Lying had the four but if I had to pick one though I would say One of Us Is Lying is the stronger book.

3 Stars

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

A retelling of the fairytale of the same name. It was such a sweet story! I thought that Ani/Isi's transformation and growth throughout the story was very well done. The romance was put on the back burner but I didn't mind. It was cute but a little rushed too. It was also very obvious who Geric really was but I don't think it was suppose to be this amazing twist or anything so I didn't mind. I liked the added elements that Hale put into the fairytale. Ani's wind talking ability was a great addition whereas in the fairy tale, she just talks to the wind and it’s never explained why. It stuck to the fairy tale very closely and I really enjoyed reading it.

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Chloe lives with her older sister Ruby, the girl everybody wants to be. But when a night of fun with Ruby goes wrong, Chloe is taken to live with her father, leaving Ruby behind. But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back and make things right for her. This was a strange book. I read it quickly because I wanted to know what was going on but the ending just left me more confused. I don't understand what the point of any of this was? However, the writing was beautiful and I loved the creepy and hazy atmosphere.

Teeth in the Mist by Dawn Kurtagich

This was pitched as a Faust retelling but I found little connection between it? I loved the Dead House by Kurtagich but her next book was a disappointment for me. While this one was better, I was still left wanting more. It’s strange that the story in the past is the main one, whereas the one in the present is done through transcribed video recordings and journal entries. Honestly, she probably could have done away with the story set in the present. I think many would like this book but it just wasn’t for me.

Twice Dead by Caitlin Seal

Naya lives in a world where necromancy is common, but the wraiths they come back are treated as second class citizens. When a solo trading mission goes wrong, Naya awakens to find herself the very thing she always found disgust in. Wholly creative with lots of twists, this was a strong debut novel.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

I read Bardugo’s series of short stories A Language of Thorns last year and absolutely loved it. I was...surprised this was written by the same person. It was a very basic YA novel with a love triangle and super special main character. I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more if I had read it as a younger teen.

Truly Devious/The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson

I went into this book expecting a lot of murder and creepy riddles left behind. That's not exactly what I got though. This book was just a tad bit too slowly paced. The murder doesn't happen until a little after the half way mark so the first half of the book felt unnecessary. I feel like 100 pages or so could have been chopped. What I really liked was the mystery behind the school that happened in the 1930s. For me that was the strongest part and I'm more interested in that than the modern day mystery. Which was sort of solved by the end anyway? I think there's more to it but if not it's rather underwhelming. Overall though, I enjoyed the book and the sequel was enjoyable too. Oh, and I need to set the record straight, there's a line in the sequel where someone mentions that the country bear jamboree doesn't have a movie based on it... but it does!!!

Hidden Pieces by Paula Stokes

Embry is the town hero for saving a homeless guy from a fire at an abandoned hotel late one night. But what would the town think if they knew she was the one who started the fire in the first place? Now Embry is receiving notes from someone who knows what she did. Now she must choose between letting the truth get out or given in to her mysterious tormentor’s demands. Hidden Pieces was a fairly solid mystery but it bordered on unrealistic at most times. Still, it was definitely a page turner.

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

This is one of those rare cases where I found that the movie was better than the book. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a good book but the movie fine tuned it a lot. The book was surprisingly long and the movie cut out some unnecessary stuff. I was surprised that there was two love interests in the book and I honestly preferred the one that was cut from the film. He was a much better fit for Willowdean and Bo in the book was much more of a jerk who was initially put off by being seen with Willowdean. The fight that Willowdean and her best friend have was much bigger and more dramatic and Ellen was actually pretty nasty throughout it. The movie definitely fleshed out these characters in a much softer light. The relationship with her mother was also much sweeter in the movie than in the book. It felt kind of emotionless and less inspirational here.

Pretty Dead Girls by Monica Murphy

Popular girls are turning up dead and our main character, Penelope, fears she may be next. I went into this expecting more serious take on Scream Queens. I read this back in September and I honestly don’t remember much other than the characters barely reacted to their classmates/friends deaths and the murderer was impossible to guess and was utterly lame. If the killer has to explain their motives with brand new information that was not found anywhere else in the book, it’s not a good twist.

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

This had a lot of potential and I know a lot of people have loved it but it fell flat for me in some places. The book is based on and sort of a sequel to the short story The White People. You definitely need to have read the short story first or this will make zero sense to you. Our main character, Mouse, spends much of the first third of the book cleaning out a hoarder’s house. It gets very tedious but picks up pace when the Twisted Ones are introduced. There are some good moments of tension but Mouse tends to ruin these moments attempting to be funny (which she’s not). The White People works best as a type of horror that is never truly explained but this book does just that. It’s at this point that the book lost me again. I think it’s mostly a matter of taste but I just wasn’t in to it.

Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake

I loved this series as a whole but I did not like the ending. Mostly because my least favorite characters ended up as the “winners”. That’s all I’ll say about that.

The Invited by Jennifer McMahon

Helen and Nate decide to leave their cozy life behind to build (literally build) their own little house in a small superstitious town. Problem is, the land they’ve bought is where Hattie Breckenridge a women accused and murdered for witchcraft, lived a hundred years ago. This reads more like a murder thriller that just happens to have ghosts in it than a true ghost story. There were some great twists but it was slow in some places. Like learning about all the ins and outs of what goes into constructing your own house from scratch. Helen and Nate also suffer some martial problems, brought on by the ghost, that just made me anxious and probably wasn’t necessary. I know it adds to the drama and suspense but ugh.

The Best Lies by Sarah Lyu

There’s a murder. There’s a mystery. But that’s not really what this book is about. Remy’s boyfriend is dead and her best friend Elise is the one who killed him. But it was self defense. Probably. The majority of the book takes place in flashbacks starting with Remy and Elise meeting and becoming friends. What starts as a normal friendship slowly turns into a toxic and emotionally abusive codependent relationship. Ultimately, that’s what the book is about. It’s honestly a fantastic portrayal. It’s toxic on both sides but you understand why they care about each other and stay friends. Not all toxic relationships end with a death though and perhaps this would have packed more of a punch had our main character came to some conclusions about her best friend in another way.

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw

Nora is a Walker and Walkers are witches. How do I know this? Because she mentions it every other page. For the most part this book was enjoyable but extremely predictable. I would still pick up the next book this author writes though.

2 Stars

The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin

A modern day retelling about Henry and his 6 wives but this time they are high schoolers. The story is narrated by Annie “Cleaves” Marek, Henry’s fourth wife girlfriend. I'm pretty much assuming everybody knows about Henry and his 6 wives at this point. So where the book really lost me was at the half way point where it turns into a murder mystery type book. If you know your history, you know who did the murder in this book. So the murder mystery angle doesn't work here, The characters don't know for sure, but we the readers do. It becomes somewhat tedious honestly. Our main character also sucked. Cleves was your typical quirky girl. She says witty things that really aren't witty. She claims to be a hardcore feminist but demonstrates this by kind scolding Henry when he says something sexist...and that's about it. This book was entertaining enough to keep me reading but I had my problems with it. Especially the second half. I think there are some people that will really like this spoofy tongue in check retelling but it just wasn't for me. You can read my full review here.

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Let me just start by saying that I don't get the hype for this book. It’s an interesting concept but this book just did not work for me. It's somehow not long enough but nothing really happens throughout. The girls were not very "wild" and I don't know what the point of any of this was. This book has been called "feminist horror" and I don't understand that at all. The tox didn't empower them in any way and there wasn't any feminist themes throughout. The gore/body horror was minimal and not very creepy or disgusting at all. Overall, this book was not for me.

The Missing Season by Gillian French

Our lead character moves to a small town where kids go missing every year. The adults find logical reasons for these disappearances but the children of the town believe it is a monster named The Mumbler taking them. Interesting concept that wasn't fully realized. Nothing happens in this book until the last 20 pages. there's no build up or clues that led up to the big twist in the end. When the climax finally happens, it's over within ten pages and then the book ends another ten pages later. Minor plot points lead to nothing and the mumbler was barely played up to make this book suspenseful.

The Babysitter’s Coven by Kate Williams

Adventures in babysitting meets Buffy. Sorta. I went into this super excited and was hoping for something akin to Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. I did not get that. This reads more like a middle school book and was overly cheesy. I think younger teens would enjoy but I wasn’t a fan.

How She Died, How I Lived by Mary Crockett

Kyle texted five girls one night. Only one responded and met up with him. He killed her that night. Our unnamed narrator was one of the girls who didn’t answer his text and now she’s dealing with the aftermath of knowing it could have been her. f this book had ended differently, I would have rated it higher. I had major issues with the romance. The narrator starts a relationship with the slain girl’s boyfriend and it was so insanely toxic though it was written to be romantic.

Rereads

Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen (5 stars)

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (5 Stars)

Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray (5 Stars)

Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins (5 Stars)

Heartless by Marissa Meyer (4 Stars)

The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (5 Stars)

The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente (5 Stars)

Short Stories

The White People by Arthur Machen (2 stars)

I like the story itself but the way it was written was horrendous and hard to follow. It was a huge rambling block of text.

Bridal Boot Camp by Meg Cabot (4 Stars)

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn (5 Stars)

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courtorderedcake · 5 years ago

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Roses : A CS retelling of ‘Tam Lin’

Hi, everyone! Thanks to @kmomof4 and the extremely talented @eastwesthomeisbest for their patience on this. As usual, thanks to @ultraluckycatnd who I would be lost without, the woman is a monster editing machine, and super beta. I live for my updates from her. Without further ado, here is my laaaaaaaaaaaate contribution to @cssns. You get TWO chapters for the price of one! WHOA!

Read on Ao3 right here, darlings! Chapter 1/4 Chapter 2/4

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If there was one trope in fairytales that Emma hated, it was the lonely orphan who found parents and lived happily ever after in a beautiful castle. Her first problem with it was that while she hadn’t met any royalty, she doubted that most of them lost track of their children that often. Or, if they were separated, that a prince or princess would be placed in a crowded Boston orphanage. Her second problem was that there were only so many countries in the world, and even less with a missing monarch. Even diplomats and billionaires were few and far between in that category.

So, on a rainy April afternoon when she returned to her apartment, she did not expect to see a fresh faced courier waiting for her. Although she wasn’t old by any means at 28, the boy looked about 12 with his baby face as he asked her to sign for the letter. She gave a scribble, handed him a wadded bunch of bills from her bag, and stumbled inside to peel off her rain slicker. Throwing aside the envelope of what was probably more of her husband's accounts that she was now responsible for, Emma opted for a nap before work instead. It was until she landed a successful skip that night that she felt ready to tackle another batch of what remained from Neal's legacy.

Kicking off her heels, which were most likely ruined from the rain, she collapsed on her couch. With a wiggle, the skin tight red number was off and she basked in the freedom of being nude as she searched her floor for a clean t-shirt and a pair of lounge pants. Looking at the letter, she picked it up and placed it between her teeth, paused to put her hair in what she hoped would resemble a ponytail, and pulled to rip it open. Letting the envelope fall to the floor, she grabbed her thick rimmed glasses to read the small script.

Her roommate, Mary Margaret, came out of her room. “Emma? It’s 4 am, did you just get back?”

“Mmmmyar.” Emma replied, scanning the text. Her late husband's family crest and name, long discarded after his death, was printed on top of the document. She shuddered at the golden medallions adorning a darkened shield, and the scaled, lizard like, dragon that curling around it.

“Well… OK, but do you want some coffee? David's here and we're getting up early to -”

“Holy. Fucking. Grilled cheese and onion rings.” Emma breathed heavily, staring wide eyed in shock at the papers in front of her.

“What are you swearing on such sacred foods for?” Mary Margaret quirked an eyebrow in amused concern.

“I've just inherited an estate valued at £800,000.” Emma flicked her eyes up, mouth a thin line. “Neal's family's fortune, home and grounds apparently. Things I never even knew about.”

“Well.” Mary Margaret sipped her coffee, looking completely nonplussed even if Emma knew on the insides she was bursting - it was how she had earned her nickname Snow Queen after all. “That would do it.”

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The estate reading took place in Ireland through a crackling speaker box, Emma's eyes racing around the office the entire time. It was stunning, as were what seemed like all the buildings during her trip to gain the deed to her home. This office in particular was what Emma imagined when reading Peter Pan; a gentleman's study and den, complete with whiskey decanter and cigar box to her left as if she had gone back in time. The tall shelves were lined in books with gold leaf letters and rich leather bindings, the panels of dark wood mixed with verdant jade paint and damask almost making up for the unsettling stuffed deer heads.

Cringing, Emma turned back to the box. The voice on the other line was thickly accented with a rolling brogue which Graham assured her in his own was common, and had obviously been in a bad mood long enough for it to be a defining quality.

“Ye don't be wanting Carterhaugh, lass. T’place is cursed, hallow in the way tat echoes, not t’way of blessings.”

Her lawyer smirked, teeth white and extremely straight. Emma had liked Graham Grimm since she had met him, and this was insight into his character. Taste in wall decorations aside, he respected her agency enough to not let this man continue to try to stop the change in ownership. In her experience, lawyers were far too careless and rude. This man was funny, even when she teased him about his name and he had sighed, an eye roll so loud she could hear it through their original phone call.

(Yes, my name is Graham Grimm. Yes, they do sound alike. No, I am not involved with fairytales, unless you consider me a fairy Godmother of estate and divorce settlements. No, I am usually very happy. No, I cannot change into a black shaggy dog, can you please just tell me what the approximate appraisal value is?)

“My client will determine its worth.” His tone was calm and well practiced, even through his own clear lilt, but Emma could hear the edge there just under the surface. He had the heart of a forest hunter; not a threat until prey was too well ensnared in a carefully laid trap. This man on the phone, a Mr. Seáìnns’, had been fighting tooth and nail to keep her from her inheritance, throwing obstacle after obstacle in her way for months now.

At first it was as simple as he refused to understand that Emma wanted to know the family that had abandoned her husband, wanted to feel the last connections she had with him or any family she could, but it quickly devolved into more. Emma was subject to constant harassment by calls and letters, envelopes filled with shredded paper or scribbled notes she could not read, all from this crazy older man in the village that Carterhaugh laid in. This didn't do much more than annoy her, as well as the post office, customs, and the garbage disposal crew. It escalated to him crossing a line when he tried to prove she was not the proper heir, insinuating Neal was a bastard, and further when he tried to declare the estate a historical landmark.

Emma hadn't even seen the damn mansion or castle or whatever an estate was considered. It seemed to vary between every property she had compared what little information she had, the repeated ridiculous notion of having her own ballroom driving her and David giddy with excitement. Mary Margaret rolled her eyes, but David pulling her away to dance made a smile crack across her face. They'd discovered over beers that a ballroom didn't make a home a palace, a question neither David, her, or Mary Margaret had ever thought they'd be asking.

The sound of sputtering rage brought her back to the present.

“You bloody ridiculous ‘n hateful creatures! I know what you are doing, what you're playing at. You can try to find me, but I know your games, and I know this woman is either demon or worse! She'd kill ye before even looking, smile on ‘er face. Calling her client… Yer client doesn't know her ken folk have cursed me, an m’wife, and took -” The line crackled, an electronic whining mixed with metallic pops. A dial tone replaced the man's voice and Graham’s smile faded.

“Well. It seems like your new residence has eccentric neighbors, doesn't it?” Graham laughed, and Emma felt his hand slip into her own. She flinched, pulling away from him and he gave her a sad smile. “Sorry, I -”

“It's alright. I… I'm just not looking for anyone.” Rubbing her palms together to do something with her hands, she pushed away the feeling of wrong that came over her at someone's touch. “I don't think I'll be ready for some time.”

Graham nodded, gathering papers together from his desk. He waited a few long, drawn out, silent minutes before asking, “How long has it been since Mr. Gold's -”

Emma's tone was short, frustration defined in every syllable. “It could have happened yesterday, but it was 2 years ago. We got married fast, it was a blur. It's a difficult topic for me.”

“I'm so sorry I -”

“Can we please see the estate?” Pinching her brow as a migraine set in, Emma heard Graham clear his throat and stand.

“Absolutely. It's a few hours from here, if you'd like to get lunch and car pool -”

“I'll take my car. Lead the way.”

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Driving through the small town of Carterhold, Emma could see why locals may be wary of change. The town was a sleepy and picturesque village, stone homes with thatched or moss covered rooftops that stood sparsely around a small town center. From there, through the foggy clouds that swirled through a dense forest, trees climbed up the slope of a massive hill, emerald fingers that reached for the plains leading up to Carterhaugh’s imposing presence, and its perch on the cliffs over the sea. The wind shifted, and it was gone, swallowed again by mist, but Graham was already making the slow ascent up a winding road.

Emma heard a thud, jerking the steering wheel as someone barreled into her bug, broad shoulders and crazed eyes under matted hair barely visible through her wet windows.

“What the -”

The words had barely left her mouth when an unmistakable voice was yelling at her, rambling incoherently as he pounded on her door.

“Ye kinnit go to Carterhaugh! Ye kinnit have it ye bloody witch or fairy demoness! ‘Tis on Hallowed and protected ground, guarded, an ye haven't a clue what I will do to protect it from you, ye - ” The face of Mr. Seáìnns was lit by lightning, eyes blazing bright blue, thunder from his fists against the passenger door and the sky. Emma felt panic in her chest, heavy and leaden.

Slamming her foot on the accelerator, Emma let the bug lurch into its unused highest speeds as she flew up the road to Carterhaugh.

The driveway was curved elegantly behind an imposing metal and stone gate, mossy spheres capping the tall towering structure. The manor itself, even in its disuse, was stunning. A fountain stood before large wooden doors, framed by windows that traveled in neat rows up walls choked in ivy. Two wings on either side curved off from there, both facing the sea and woods, a domed roof on one side for a solarium, another for a ballroom. It was both imposing and impossibly inviting, a mystery that was decayed beyond unraveling.

And it was hers.

Graham helped her inside, the lights crackling in refusal to turn on in the storm as they stood in the atrium, dripping on the stone parquet.

“It's fine, I have a lighter,” Emma shrugged, pulling it out of her jacket pocket. “I always carry one. As a kid I was afraid of being alone in the dark. I somehow always seemed to end up there, either hiding or being forced somewhere, so it helped to make my own magic light to fight away shadows. Probably silly…”

“Not silly at all. It's a common fear based on instinct. Predators lurk in the dark, so your brain says that light is safe,” Graham said simply. “Smart to have it on you to start a fire too, or warm up in the wilderness.”

Emma's lips tightened as he continued on about the practicality of the lighter. She turned, expecting him to get the hint, but he followed her while continuing on about the merits of different wood to burn or oils to keep to sustain a good burn. Emma found herself wishing for a nice birch branch just to whack him with. As her annoyance peaked, the lights flickered on.

“Well. No candles I guess, but let's get you a fire started in the hearth, and then I'll be on my way.” Graham paused, and looked down, shuffling his shiny leather shoes. “Unless… I can stay if you like, until you get used to the place or have someone to stay with you, you know, because it's a big older house and -”

“I think I'll manage.” The words crept out more icily than she wanted, but he nodded with a sheepish wave of his hand.

“That's fine. Just call if you do find you need something. I'll get someone out here, and then be out myself in an hour or so. I don't want to see you get swallowed up by a house this big.” He smiled and Emma returned it genuinely, touched by his offer. If she didn't know how men dangled kindness in the face of women like her to get something in return, she would have taken him seriously. But Neal… Neal had ruined her.

The fire in the hearth was easy enough to start, even without special wood. Taking off her boots and coat, she gazed into the flame and planned out her course of action. Her sparse belongings were in the bug, and furniture would be delivered as soon as she took stock of what remained and measured for new pieces. Sighing and rubbing her temples, Emma rolled out her sleeping bag. She was asleep as soon as her eyes closed.

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In the morning, light flitting through the windows and the chill of the fire's death woke her up far earlier than her usual time. Wandering out to the bug, she dragged her luggage inside, pulling on extra socks and layering her sweaters. The effect was comical, but warm. Her stomach growled, but the kitchen was a quick - and musty - find. Sticking to pop tarts instead of whatever the swamp like gloop in the sink was, Emma set to work making a written game plan.

Calling contractors would wait until reasonable hours, but she mapped out who she would need while taking stock of furniture, books, tapestries, busts, and paintings. To her surprise, much of the home was in decent condition, and she easily found a bedroom suite that overlooked the sea cliffs from a secure balcony, a fireplace with stone carved boats in its inlay, an almost modern bathroom, and to her absolute delight, had a storybook fairytale four poster bed. The linens were almost new, the pillows fluffy , and it smelled of sea salt, leather, spice, and rum. If she didn't know how alone she was, the room would seem almost home to someone.

As normal waking hours approached, Emma went outside to survey the gardens and landscape. Most of the plants were dead around the house itself, but the gardens and connected solarium were wild and overrun with blooms. Down the hill, wildflowers in rainbow spectrum danced in the wind, their colors like an eruption of the Crayola crayons Emma had to share in school.

Something moved out of the corner of her eye, and a dark shape made its way around to the front of the manor. Emma grabbed a rusted shovel from a garden bed, and crept towards where the intruder had gone. She found the man looking curiously at her bug. He was tall, dark hair blowing in the wind, scratching his neck in confusion. In his hand was a hook.

“Don't touch my car and I won't have to hurt you, buddy!” Emma yelled, wielding the shovel in her hands like a baseball bat. The man turned, surprised.

Blue. The first thing that Emma noticed was how blue his eyes were; how clear and beautiful the blue she saw in those eyes reflected the color of the sky above. The eyes that currently were gazing at her in confusion.

“Who are you?” he asked, raising his hands above his shoulders, as if she were police. In his left hand was not a hook, but a three pronged garden trowel. Some impression she made, thinking about urban legends this late in life.

“Better question, Alex Trebek, is who the hell are you?” Emma snarled.

“I’m the, er, gardener, madam.” He waved the garden trowel in the direction of a nearby wheelbarrow. There was something off in the way he spoke, the accent strange to her. “Killian. Killian Jones.”

“Gardener?” Emma would had refused staff had she known they existed, and had made sure that she was for the most part alone. He shouldn't be here, especially not with her. Anger boiled over to cover her fear. “You’ve done a great job of things.” Gesturing at the dead plant life around the dilapidated manor, she watched his eyes narrow. “You’re truly magic with landscaping.” This comment brought a dark smile to his face that left her feeling like he was in on the punch line of a joke she hadn’t heard.

“Well, if you’d contact the ruddy owner and let him know to add to the budget for gardening...” The English accent was evident in his voice now, the clear definition between Irish and it what had been off to her ears as she watched his cheeks reddening. Emma gave him a wolfish grin.

“I think that can be arranged.” She gave him a curt nod, before pointing to herself, which he appraised with lips curled back. “Emma Swan. Official new ‘ruddy owner’ of Carterhaugh.”

-·=»‡«=·- 🌹🥀🌹🥀🌹 -·=»‡«=·-

The Gold family estate had beautiful gardens. At one time they even had cultivated a rare buttercup and rose hybrid, so they had been very particular on who tended their gardens. A quick call to Graham that took several minutes of cell phone aligning to make confirmed that Killian Jones actually was listed on a small ledger, his family name written on yellowing paper, noted as “horticultural help”.

“I don't know how I missed this, it's like it just appeared here Miss Swan,” Graham had groaned, yawning into his end of the line. Static cracked through her cell phone speakers as fog rolled over the driveway. “But yes, he is explicitly listed as coming with the property.”

“Great. And you're sure I can't fire him without penalty?”

“No, I'm sorry. This is written in a ridiculously old way, as if they're counting him as property. He can resign, but even then -” There were several moments of garbled reply that was incomprehensible. Emma huffed, kicking rocks and pacing until she caught a better signal, and Graham's voice snapped back on the line. “-Look into it more as I do some digging. You're out of luck. Do you want me to come stay? I'm happy to while you wait for another friend -”

“No, no, it’s fine. He’s not creepy, he just seems…” Chewing her lip thoughtfully, she struggled for words. “He seems, lonely. Just sort of desperate and excited for company, which I thought I could avoid by being out here. I just wanted to be alone, or at the very least I guess with someone I didn't worry about… Well. I just don't do yokels or men, and he seems a pinch of both.”

Dead air hung on the other line, followed by a faint, eerie whispering.

“Graham?”

The sound of a low laugh, as quiet as blown leaves over cold pavement sounded over the line, and Emma dropped her phone with a start.

“Are you alright?” came the sudden voice from behind her, and she whirled on her heel.

"I'd be fine if you made noise when you walked, buddy, and if I could get some damn reception out here." Emma huffed, and the grounds keeper seemed to decide against saying anything, quickly snapping his mouth shut. "Do you know a better place to get service?"

In the fog and chill breeze of the gravel drive, Emma suddenly felt a deep sense of foreboding and unease. The shadow of Carterhaugh loomed, as if reaching for her, Killian already swallowed by the scrawled shape in the morning sun. He seemed uneasy as well, even unnerved. Emma watched as his jaw muscles worked as if he quite literally chewed on her words before speaking.

"I could set up a tea service, if you'd like, but I'm afraid you'll find neither a service or reception out here. Nothing but chill." He made a gesture for her to follow him, which she did with a wry smile. He thought he had a sense of humor. Wonderful.

As he prepared tea from a silver set in one of the many kitchen cabinets, they made attempts at conversation. Killian was also a caretaker for the property, and he asked her how she came about ownership as they sat at the large oak dining table together. The furniture was remarkably well preserved in the majority of the main rooms, much to her delight.

The sunshine through moth eaten curtains had dust motes swirling in the air as her face fell, and she swallowed the bile that rose before she uttered her tight words.

“My husband passed away.” Killian had winced at that.

“I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure he was -”

“I don't… I don't discuss Neal.” She closed her eyes tightly, taking deep breaths, feeling her skin flame. Even after what felt like an eternity, Neal's shadow still darkened her day. She sipped her tea, trying to cool herself, even with the scalding liquid.

He hadn't asked any more on the subject, only asking about changes to what affected his work. Emma found it comforting; if he was to stay, at least he would leave well enough alone.

“I'd like to stay here, if you don't mind. I have a master suite facing the sea on the third level of the east wing, and I know there'll be nothing in town for rent,” he stated. Emma chewed her lip in thought, mapping out his room in relation to her own. The answer struck her, and she groaned with a scrunched face of annoyance.

“Do you get up early? Probably don't keep a fire lit?” she grumbled, and he looked at her with eyes narrowed.

“Yes, I'm up as early as possible, and I find I enjoy the chilled sea air. Why?”

“And I bet you have a dove gray comforter.” Emma sighed, head falling into her palm with a wry laugh. “Because of course, just of course -”

“I do, aye -” He blinked and his brows shot up. “Were you..? Did you sleep in my room?”

“Well, no, but I didn't know it was -”

“I mean, it's fine. I'll choose another, I guess -”

“No. No need to be ridiculous. I… You probably know where the next best preserved bed is?” she asked, and his eyes lit up.

“Well yes, but you'd be in the same wing, is that alright?”

Emma hesitated, and then nodded. “With you up so early I doubt we'd see much of each other. And I'll be busy inside as you work outside.”

He made a non-committal noise, and stood with a stretch. Emma inhaled sharply; he was well toned and very good looking, but the thought of anyone’s hands on her after Neal had…

Her stomach churned.

“Follow me, then,” he said, offering his hand. Emma could feel her lungs tightening. Her expression must have frozen on her face too, because his eyes widened and he lowered his hand. “Or we could do this later, if you -”

Emma stood, and shook her head. “Just got a bit dizzy. Lead the way.”

They made no conversation as he led her up the staircase to the third level, the other suite he mentioned on the far end of the hall whereas his was at the beginning. The large door was imposing but carved with floral inlay, the stain perfectly applied to add to its richness. Both sides were flanked by stained glass in the same twisted vine and flower designs.

“I almost chose this room. It was for the lady of this house at one time, and should serve you better than me.” Killian produced a key with the same designs swirled around the brass, unlocking it to reveal a sun warmed sitting area the color of blushing peonies. An ornate vanity sat in one corner, while a matching bureau and canopy bed sat before a balcony, from which the sea and his own room visible. Stained glass curved around the doors to what she assumed were the closet and bathroom, and more carved wood and glass made up a truly spectacular fireplace. If Killian’s room was big, this room was truly gigantic.

Emma was at a loss, the furniture was all beautifully intact except for the bed’s canopy curtains and linens. Beyond that, the fabrics and rugs showed no large evidence of wear, the patterns still bright and soft underfoot. She poked her head in the closet and found it relatively large, possibly a maid's room or changing salon at one time, then turned the handle of the bathroom while Killian watched from the entrance.

The huge claw foot soaking tub and gold veined marble under her feet could not prepare her for the large stained glass framed window that captured the sea, as if she was sailing away in the tub itself. A double sink, open shower, and large mirror completed the space in luxury. It was exquisite, and left Emma aching for a bubble bath.

“I'll move your things, if you -”

“No,” she whispered, still in awe, before clearing her throat. “No, that's alright. I'll move everything. I… I don't like people touching my things.”

“At least allow me to give you my spare set of bedding, love, and -”

“I am not your love, alright?” she snapped, and his eyes widened. She took in a steadying breath, chewing her lip to rid herself of the sourness she wanted to throw at him. He seemed mollified, scratching behind his ear.

“I'm sorry, I -”

“No. I'm sorry. It's been… I have… I don't do people very well.”

“Well, I'll get you the linens and be out of your way, then.” There was resignation in his tone, but Emma could only hug herself as she let her armor build back up around her.

“Perfect. Thank you.” Her tone was clipped, but she didn't expect the annoyed response, huffed under his breath as he pulled blankets and pillows from a hall closet.

“As you wish, Princess.”

Emma's tone was colder than ice, her words spoken in frigid staccato. “Excuse me? I must have misheard you.”

“I wasn't expecting the new owner to be all business, is what I said. These corridors are old. If you aren’t careful, these halls will try to trick you. You’ll get used to them, though.” Killian deposited the mountain of linen on her bed, and spread out the fitted sheet.

“I don't think halls,” she snatched the pillows from the bed, pulling the sheet roughly on the other side, “are capable of trickery. Only people. People are difficult, they need to be watched. You have to keep your eyes on them or they'll do who knows what.” Pulling roughly on the sheet again, she glared with narrowing eyes at Killian, his own eyes glowering under dark lashes. “Especially people who say things under their breath like a petulant, scorned, self absorbed, preening -”

“Well, I would despair if ‘People’ took their eyes off of me. Some might say this attention is in the beholder’s benefit, and I'd say so as well. I'm quite dashing, or so I've heard.” Gripping the comforter tightly, he laid it out and smoothed it down while returning her glare. “So, I suppose we are well matched, since you are an icy, insufferable, stubborn, spoiled -” Reaching for a pillow, his hand grazed her own, and Emma yelped in surprise.

Her breathing quickened as she stared at her skin, Killian’s insults and attempted arguments drowned out by an increasing electrical whine mixed with her heartbeat thumping. Stumbling away into the bathroom, she turned on the tap, desperately washing her skin where they had touched in the rust colored water, scouring the place their skin had met with her nails instead of the absent soap.

Killian’s hand found her shoulder and Emma flew at him, pushing him away as she screamed profanities. He stumbled backwards into the tub, watching in fear at her transformation, her rubbed raw hand bleeding as she renewed her focus on the new area he'd touched. Without soap it was pointless, hot water her only real advantage, pouring the scalding water onto her skin. She mumbled to herself, trying to focus against the onset panic.

Emma's thoughts were burning away elsewhere, the fires she could not escape when Neal had locked her away; smoke, embers and ash acrid in both the air and her lungs.

It took what felt like hours for her to come back to herself, her fingernails bloody and skin blistered from the heat. The gentle chime of the clock in the room indicated it had only been ten minutes to her relief. It was the worst attack she had in ages, the first time in so long she hadn't been able to control herself. The first time in so, so, long that she had fallen back into the flame of those memories, of that pain.

A soft voice whispered gently to her, taking her off guard, and she looked up to see Killian slowly extricating himself from the bathtub. He raised his hands in supplication, kneeling several feet away from her. She choked out a strangled noise and he shook his head.

“It's alright, it's OK, lo - er…” He gave a sheepish look, thinking for a moment. He smiled in a sad sort of way after a moment, before continuing, “It's alright. Just tell me how I can help. Maybe a glass of water?” Emma nodded slowly. “Alright, I'll fetch you a bottle.”

At his retreat, Emma let her herself take stock of what had happened, falling back into her times under clinical observation. Mary Margaret had been a stone faced angel, taking in her pain and working a life around it, going as far as releasing care notes when she felt Emma was ready. She had met David, Emma's adoptive brother that way, resulting in a very happy marriage.

“Patient refuses to accept human contact, even using high concentration chemical cleaning agents on skin.”

“Patient has no history of obsessive or compulsory behavior, but violence and destruction of property are noted in their state welfare file.”

“Attempts at getting patient to explain what happened on the night of the incident to victims causes patient to become increasingly distressed when her husband is mentioned. Questions regarding other victims or the causes of death are met with silence. Patient claims no memory of her actions.”

“Patient indicates possibility of further witnesses or victims at scene - hallucinations caused by trauma or psychosis?”

“Repeated attempts at questioning or explaining patient's obsessive actions or fear of touch are met with hostility, while questioning in regards to matrimonial life is indicative of abuse. Patient advocate (M. M.) recommends home based care, with patient's brother.”

“Patient continues to allow touch in sparing amounts among family, friends, and in situations where they are prepared. Therapy with preferred Doctor is continuing as part of a deferred sentence. Patient advocate (M. M.) states that large improvement has been made outside of care facilities. Recommending end of observational treatment.”

Killian placed the water next to her, as the feeling of oxygen in her lungs weighed her down.

“Thanks.” Emma croaked, voice raspy. Killian sat down in front of her, legs crossed as he watched her drink with shaking hands.

Scratching behind his ear, he looked sideways across the floor, picking at a chipped piece of tile. “It was nothing. I'm sorry that -”

“Don't be. I just have a thing about touch.” Emma stood briskly, ice back in her unsteady tone at glacial levels. “You couldn't have known, and since you are going to be scarcely around it won't be an issue, as we discussed earlier.”

Killian snorted, and stood as well, rocking on his heels. “I was going to say that I'm sorry it took so long, and I brought you some… other items.” His face changed, haughty to solemn, watching her hands tremble as she shoved them in her pockets. “You're right, we won't be seeing each other often. If you need help with something, or finding your way around the estate, leave me a note under my door. If I need garden supplies, I'll leave a note in the kitchen.”

He turned, walking towards the bedroom door. After a moment Emma followed tentatively, walking towards the door behind him in silence. She shot a glance at the bed, noticing the bandages, a tube of some ointment, a key ring, and a few pink roses. She stopped in the small salon, watching Killian open her door and give her a strained smile.

“I'm sorry for touching you, as well.” Emma made a sound of protest, ready to tell him again that he was blameless, but he persisted. “While I couldn't have known, my presence here has never been… convenient. I had hoped that had changed with the new owner. Good day, Miss Swan.”

“Wait -” He looked as surprised as she felt, the words racing past her lips, blurted at the last second. “What is your cell phone number? It'd be easier to get a hold of you that way, if I should need you. Not to say that I will…” Killian stared at her in abrupt confusion, his brows knitting.

“I don't have a phone. The manor has one, should you need to use it.” There was something off in his tone, but her own cell phone had fought every attempt at service on the property, so this shouldn't have been too much of a surprise. The manor phone, she could work with that.

“What's the number?” Emma pulled her phone from her pocket, the screen lighting up. Killian looked amazed in her peripheral, which didn't surprise her. The town was practically medieval, and this phone was the newest of its brand. Emma scarcely knew how to use it.

“You have to set it up later, if you want communication by wire. Your device there -”

“It's an Android, I let the kid at the store set it up for me. If you want me to get you one, I can the next time I go to the city. They have a walkie talkie app that I think might work with a wifi connection once I have that set up.” Killian nodded, looking at her blankly. “Have you ever had Wi-Fi in the house before?”

Killian hesitated, his jaw ticking as he bit into his lip in thought. “I wouldn't know, love. I'm afraid that we’re a bit behind the rest of the world here, I don't believe we know what year it is most of the time.”

Emma laughed lightly, and relaxed a little bit more. “Most of us are trying to forget that it's 2019, so I suppose that's fair. I just enjoy Netflix and the occasional game of Words with Friends too much to go without internet.” Killian looked down at his feet, his face unreadable for a moment, fists balled. When he looked back at her and relaxed, Emma caught a glimpse of pure sadness, a mirror of her own pain, before it was carefully pushed behind walls of his own.

Smiling softly, Killian laughed. “I have no idea what a Netflix is, but you are the Mistress of the estate. I encourage you to do as you wish. If you would like me to have a…” He hesitated again, as if searching for something. “A, er, shell phone, I will gladly oblige if you provide it and give me instruction.”

Emma snorted, and found herself genuinely laughing as Killian’s cheeks turned red. “You're actually funny. Alright. I'll try to get you a ‘shell phone’, old man.” Killian’s eyes darkened, his smile turning almost sour. “Between the two of us, we'll bring some life back into this place.”

He nodded, that same pensive look on his face, almost hidden by his smile. “Yes. Well, taming the estate is not going to be an easy task. I'll help you where I can, should you need me. Good day.” He closed the door slowly, and Emma listened as his footfalls fell away.

Climbing into her bed, the mattress surprisingly plush under her, she bandaged her hand slowly. The roses he'd laid next to the first aid were beautiful, their strong aromatic scent filling the air already. Picking up one of the roses delicately, she sniffed, the full scent absolutely breathtaking. The throbbing of her skin faded, and all at once Emma felt herself relax. She felt invigorated, but her muscles were loose, and she happily moved her things into her room, making sure to place the roses in a porcelain vase.

The rest of the day was spent taking pictures and taking full stock of every room in the large estate. It was exhausting and by the time darkness settled Emma had barely scratched the surface of the repairs needed. Neal had left a large sum of money for her, but this was a giant and expensive endeavor. Back in her room, she started a fire in the hearth and tugged on a robe over her pajamas. Opening the door to the balcony and stepping out onto the cold stone, she stared at the waves.

Never, never in her wildest dreams did she believe that this could be her life. In the moment it was overwhelming, the only silver lining in the thunder cloud that was her marriage to Neal. A true story of a love turned into something poisoned, a once healthy plant that grew into twisted vines, strangling everything in its path.

His hands tight around her neck, the air in her lungs not enough, she wasn't enough. The other women being led somewhere by the red haired woman with green nails, Ari's and Tam's bracelets heavy on her wrist even as she starts to feel herself go slack. The pressure is too much, black spots dotting the air, and somewhere close, another man hooting like some primate - Brown eyes meet hers, and for a moment he falters, fingers loosening.

Emma kicks, kicks with all her strength, and when he crashes backwards she screams, screams like her chest is ripping apart just to resonate this noise, this wail of everything he lied about. It is a trick of light, a symptom of lack of oxygen, a freak occurrence spurred by the old home and poor insulation, bad wiring and mice chewed exposed cables.

Neal looks at her and sighs as Emma can hear the red haired woman and her underling shriek.

“Thank you,” Neal whispers, reaching for her, but Emma's banshee wail is not over and her mouth is a perfect ‘O’ as the rafters shake, tears stinging her eyes. A Swan song, she thinks, the end of her sanity and her life, the feeling of this cry flowing through her like breathing with every inch of her body. Her skin burns too, but not like theirs.

He makes it to her on stumbling steps, a vision from a nightmare, her scream unending even as she stares at him in horror. His touch is like a branding iron, his embrace like raw flesh dipped in salt. Neal touches her face as he burns away, ashes to ashes, his hand becoming embers and dust. This is hell fire, and Emma can't stop her scream long enough to beg for this to end. His lips are against her ear and his last words echo as he falls away, falls to her feet, the building crumbling around them. Her scream ends when the ceiling piece hits her skull, and the world too, finally falls into blissful, silent, cool darkness.

Far off there are sirens, and she can feel the burning when her body is lifted, but for now, Emma prefers the darkness even as Neal's last words occasionally echo through the stillness.

“I'm so sorry, Ems."

Emma came back to herself soaking wet, the rain that threatened from the horizon now in full force. It pelted her, cold, salt rain, pulled from the waves and forced from the sky. She was crying, sobbing in silence, but no one is here to see the rain wash away her tears.

#Courtorderedcake #2019 #September 12th 2019 #Roses #captain swan fic #CSSNS #captain swan fanfiction #Captain Swan Au #cs ff #cs ff au #Tam lin #Fairy Tale retelling #Eastwesthomeisbest

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sparkleywonderful · 6 years ago

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The Prince of Ice: Ch.24.4

Part 24.4 of The Prince of Ice series, a retelling of Heir of Fire from Rowan’s point of view.

The Prince of Ice Parts [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ] [ 11 ] [ 12 ] [ 13 ] [ 14 ] [ 14.5 ] [ 15 ] [ 16 ] [ 17 ] [ 18 ] [ 19 ] [ 20 ] [ 21 ] [ 22 ] [ 23 ] [ 24.1 ] [ 24.2 ] [ 24.3 ] [ 24.4 ] [ 24.5 ] [ 24.6 ] [ 24.7 ] [ AO3 ]

A/N: I have been dying to write this chapter, just dying. It was so much fun to write and I always felt that this exclusive belonged in the book. Although we all filled in the gaps, it is the first time you truly see the friendship that is growing between Rowan and Aelin. For tumblr, I will be braking this apart into seven sections for your viewing pleasure.

Gratitude goes to @bookofademigod and @themaasofwar for posting the target exclusive. Without this I would have never been able to write this very important POV.

- - - - - - -

Months before Aelin reclaimed her identity as the long-lost Queen of Terrasen, she still called herself Celaena Sardothien - and was trained to wield her rekindled magic by a Fae Prince in a mountain fortress of Wendlyn… Despite their rough beginning, Aelin and Rowan have finally formed a solid friendship, based on mutual respect, trust, and more than a bit of banter. But just when their bond begins to shift into something neither of them quite anticipates - something far deeper - the fortress of Mistward receives a visit from three Fae nobles. And one of them claims some very, very personal ties to Rowan himself. Read on for an exclusive deleted scene from Heir of Fire, in which Aelin gets her first glimpse of the Fae nobility of Doranelle, and a bit more of Rowan’s history is revealed to her … with fiery consequences.

- - - - - - -

He paced his rooms after Remelle left. The raging anger refusing to diminish. He shifted in the hope that a flight would clear the emotions coursing through him. Not surprising he perched outside the kitchen, ensuring that Remelle did not find her blood scattered throughout the kitchen.

Aelin did indeed go to the kitchen, where she helped Emrys prepare the meal. Luca was there, prattling away, but the chatter stopped mid-sentence. He had no idea how she could stand his constant prattling.

Essar was standing at the foot of the stairs, smiling faintly.

“Dinner won’t be ready for another twenty minutes,” Aelin said, wiping her hands on a dishcloth before approaching the lady. Luca was practically gaping at the small beauty, but Essar gave him a polite smile and he immediately found himself interested in whatever he was doing with a hint of a blush. “I can show you to the dining hall, if you’d like to wait there.”

“Oh, no. Benson’s in there already, and he … I think I’d have more fun in here.”

“It can be chaotic and loud and messy in here—”

“I know how a kitchen operates,” Essar said. “Just tell me what work needs to be done, and I’ll do it.”

Aelin looked to Emrys, who bowed and introduced himself and Luca—whose blush went beet red at the attention. Aelin stood chopping vegetables beside the Essar. He should fly away, but a small part of him was curious with what Essar would see in Aelin. Her gift of fire was nothing compared to Aelin’s, her true gift he was coming to realize was reading people.

Aelin broke the silence,“So, you’re just … travelling around?”

“Maeve gave us a task, which I’m not supposed to talk about, but yes—it involved us travelling for a bit. We’re on our way back to Doranelle though—thank the Bright Lady.”

Aelin raised a brow. ‘Mala?”

Essar lifted a hand, and flames danced on her fingertips. “Not much of a gift, but it kept us warm on the road at least.”

He watched as Aelin swallowed. He knew that she’d never met another fire-wielder. “Is it hard—to master the fire?”

He was not surprised that Aelin continued to hide her gift. It was then that he realized there was a secondary reason for Maeve sending Esaar on this task.

Essar shrugged. “I was very young when my training began, and I’ve had about two centuries to master what little power I have. Aside from a few burns and blisters, I’ve never really been able to do much harm, or impress anyone, really. Remelle’s got the more interesting gift—her magic lends itself toward mastering any language she hears, no matter how briefly. It’s why Maeve likes to send her around to places. And Benson’s got a knack for becoming invisible whenever he wants to, which …” Essar winced.

“Makes him a good listener,” Aelin finished finished for her.

Essar responded wanting to move from talking of the others,“You must have impressive gifts if Prince Rowan is training you.”

“I—”

“Those vegetables done?” Emrys asked, he was once again reminded how astute the demi-Fae male was.

Essar said casually, “I can’t imagine Rowan is as easy teacher.”

“You could say that.”

“But they’re all like that—Rowan and his companions who serve the queen.”

“You know them?”

Essar blushed. “I was involved with Lorcan, their leader, for a time. But—his lifestyle and mine are very different.”

“And what is Lorcan like?”

“A demi-Fae, like you.”

Aelin masked her surprise. Essar went on, “He has had to prove himself every single day, every hour, since he was born. Even though his power isn’t challenged—by anyone other than Rowan that is—he … Lorcan is not an easy male to be around. Some days, I’m surprised he has friends.”

“And Rowan is his friend?”

Essar gave Aelin an amused smile. “In a way. They frighten even us, you know. Especially when they’re together. When Rowan and Lorcan are together in a room … Let’s just say that they sometimes do not leave that room intact by the time they depart. Or the city for that matter.”

True, Essar had even seen that there was little friendship between him and Lorcan, more of a common goal and the ability to destroy anything that stood in their way or Maeve’s way. Though the destruction came from different places and needs within each of them.

“And yet Maeve lets them work together?”

“She would be a fool to let either of them go—which is why she bound them to her with the blood oath. They’ve levelled cities for her before.”

“Actually levelled cities?”

Essar nodded gravely. “And yet Remelle thinks she can control Rowan—wants to possess him.”

“She’s an idiot.”

“Indeed. But power is power, and since Remelle can’t look past Lorcan’s mixed bloodline, Rowan is her only other option.”

“Would—would their children also belong to Maeve, the way Rowan does?”

Essar cocked her head. “I don’t know. None of his companions have sired offspring, so there’s no way of telling what Maeve would do.”

He could see Aelin’s shudder, “You don’t seem to speak as reverently as the others do about her.”

“Not all Fae are her willing slaves, you know. And part of—part of why my relationship with Lorcan fell apart was due to that. He is blood-sworn to her, and no matter how I cared for him, I am most certainly not. Nor will I ever swear such an oath.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you are training with the most dangerous pure-blooded Fae male in the world, and yet he treats you as an equal. He presented you as his equal.”

He did not realize he had done such an innate action in front of the nobles. Even he was just realizing and coming to terms with the fact that Aelin was his equal and if given the chance he knew that she would surpass him. He had to remember to mask himself, that action was dangerous both for Aelin and himself.

“I think Rowan just didn’t feel like dealing with Remelle alone.”

“Probably. But he’s also dealt with her on his own plenty. And since Rowan’s not one to show off a new companion just to spite an old lover …”

“I’m not sure I follow what you’re getting at.”

“I find it all very interesting.”

“I think you’re reading a bit into it.”

But Essar only gave her a soft smile. “I’m sure I am.”

He had been fighting for weeks this connection between them. The likelihood that they were Carranam. As he flew off, it unsettled him a bit that Essar could see the bond that they were beginning to form. Such a bond was dangerous not only because he was blood sworn to Maeve, but a bond like this could destroy him or the princess. A bond that Essar felt she needed to warn Aelin of.

#The Prince of Ice #Prince of Ice #rowan whitethorn #rowan pov #heir of fire #aelin ashryver galathynius #sparkleywonderful

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jooniens · 2 years ago

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September 2022 Wrap-up

Oh, look who is on schedule for posting something.

Hello reader babes!

I dub September "The month that June did not read a lot". Don't get me wrong I am super proud of what I read.

You may have noticed that I made some changes to my August 2022 Wrap-up and that was because that is because some of the books I read on there were actually completed in September (The first week of September blended together with August in my brain). I am including those original reviews here so you are still able to see my thoughts and opinions on them.

This month I read a total of 4 books. I was just shy of my goal for September but I am proud that I was able to finish a rather large book this month. The other books I have read this month kind of fell short of my expectations although I did have one five star read.

*Spoilers will be indicated by asterisks around the book title*

*City of Glass by Cassandra Clare*

This was all in all a very good conclusion to the end of the series. It was action packed and kept me wanting to read. However, I have a massive issue with this book and that While I adore this series, the world and the characters, who the hell let Cassandra Clare publish this. I get that late in the book (like way later) we learn that Clary and Jace aren't siblings but while they still believe that they are siblings both actively say "aha who cares lets bonk anyways" and it is gross and not okay, especially for a YA novel. I get that it's far too late to change now and Cassandra Clare has been kind of infamous for her incest kink(? gross) but I still hate it. To be honest, I only read the Mortal Instruments so that I could read the Infernal Devices which I'm told is far superior.

2/5 Stars

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

As y'all now, I read A Good Girls Guide to Murder and absolutely loved it. I was excited to pick this up when I finally was able to (seriously this book was sold out everywhere!) I have to say I was a little disappointed with this book. It just didn't grip me like the first one did and the investigation seemed to fall flat. I liked the ending and it was still fun to be in this world with these characters. I'm not sure if I will continue with the series unless the last book involves a plot line from this book.

3/5 Stars

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

I finally did it. I read my first "Adult" fantasy novel and by was I glad that it was this one. My first thought for this is "Wow can Brandon Sanderson world build." His histories, politics, characters, geography, all of it sucked me in and I could imagine myself in this world. At times it felt like I was a scribe just recording everything going on and I loved every bit of it. This book was slow, don't get me wrong but with a 1,000 page book, what do you expect. That isn't to say that things didn't happen. From start to finish I was intrigued with how things were happening and what was going on. I loved the switching perspectives although, towards the beginning I was far more interested in Shallan's story than I was Kaladin. Speaking of Kaladin, he is my new book boyfriend. I love that man with my whole heart. In one of my reading updates on Goodreads (follow me on Goodreads) I said that Kaladin reminded me a lot of Kelsier from the Mistborn series and I think that is why I love him so very much. This book was intense and I loved every bit of it.

5/5 Stars

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

While I *technically* finished this on Oct. 1, I am counting it here because a majority of it (88%) was read in the month of September and it was finished in the early morning hours (2:27 AM to be exact) of October 1st. I didn't know a lot about this book going into it. I was fresh off of my Furyborn YA fantasy reading kick when I picked this up from my local Barnes and Noble and the premise was interesting. Going into this I did not know that it was a retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses fairytale and honestly that gave this book a huge boost for me. That being said, this book was certainly interesting and don't get me wrong it was good and I'm glad that YA is allowing darker fantasies onto the scene but this book just wasn't all that for me. The romance felt thrown in and unnecessary, the characters didn't feel fully flushed out and I didn't feel like the plot was super cohesive.

3/5 Stars

I'm disappointed I didn't read more higher rating books but The Way of Kings really over shadowed my other reads for this month and to me, that is okay. Hopefully October will be a spooky month for some great reads. October TBR will be coming later this week.

Much Love,

June <3

#books #books to read #bookblr #bookreviewer #reader #libraries #currentlyreading #book review #book recommendations #books and literature #the way of kings

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archiveacademics · 5 years ago

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Spotlight: Some retellings

Guys, I have a confession to make. I read...a lot.

Like, so much. Just...books, everywhere, all the time.

So it’s safe to say I’ve read a lot of retellings in my day and after last week’s discussion about what I deemed “literary fanfic” I’d like to share some of those wonderful retellings with you. For the sake of not making this blog post a mile long, I’m sticking solely to fairy tale retellings and even then, there’s a lot of them. Many of them are YA, but don’t let that distract you, these are well written and well loved books.

Series Retellings

I’d like to start off with a series called “Once Upon a Time is Timeless Once Again” put out by Simon and Schuster. It’s a wonderful set of books written by a few different authors covering a number of different fairy tales. There’s a Sleeping Beauty who defies her fate and goes on an adventure, a Cinderella who grows pumpkins on her mother’s grave, the Frog Prince set during WWII, and other retellings of tales you might not know as well like Shahrazad from the 1001 Nights and story of The Magic Flute.

What I love about these books is the creativity that goes into the retellings. I guess that’s kind of what I love about all retellings, but it’s hard to pinpoint just one thing over the course of so many books, so I’ll leave my praise a bit generic.

Next is The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker. First in a series of books about an adventurous, clumsy, magic using princess who breaks all the rules her mother sets about what it means to be a princess. This book came before the Disney movie, but has a similar beginning: Princess kisses frog and turns into a frog herself. From there, it takes a very different turn from the movie. The two hapless frogs journey from the swamp back to the castle and along the way make lots of new friends, including a dragon and a talking bat. It’s cute and fun and there’s numerous sequels, though they’re not really retellings themselves, just continued adventures.

The Wide-Awake Princess by E. D. Baker, however, does continue its fairy tale retelling theme through the rest of the series. The main character is Sleeping Beauty’s younger sister, on whom magic does not work. When her sister is pricked by a spindle it’s up to Annie to gather together a bunch of princes and bring them to her sister, in the hopes that one is her sister’s true love. Each successive book sees Annie taking on adventures in the realm of fairy tales from Snow White to Rose Red.

Jessica Day George has written many wonderful books, including Princess of the Midnight Ball, a retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses. There are three books in the series about the twelve daughters of a widowed king who fight against the goblins and witches that want to destroy their happiness and take over their world.

If you’re a fan of Ella Enchanted (which I’ll get to later) then you know that Gail Carson Levine is a talented author. She also wrote a series of short books called The Princess Tales and they are simply delightful. From a fairy who gives a blessing that turns into a curse and vice versa, to a girl so obsessed with parsley she eats it until her teeth turn green, the characters in the Princess Tales are not what you expect out of a fairy tale, and yet they are just what they need to be. (My personal favorite is Cinderellis and the Glass Hill.)

Last but by no means least there’s The Lunar Chronicles, begun by the Cinderella retelling, Cinder. The Lunar Chronicles are a futuristic sci-fi masterpiece that bring us a cyborg Cinderella, freedom fighter Red Riding Hood, computer hacker Rapunzel, and alien princess Snow White. I honestly cannot recommend this series enough, it is so well done and quite fun to read.

Cinderella retellings

Ella Enchanted might have been one of the first times I ever read a book and realized it was a retelling of a fairy tale. I was absolutely delighted and perhaps a bit obsessed. But this book still holds a special place in my heart and if you’ve never read I insist you must (even if you’ve seen the movie because, well, there’s just no comparison!)

Do you like choose your own adventure stories? Do you like fairy tales? Then boy howdy are you going to love Maureen McGowan. Cinderella: Ninja Warrior is the choose your own adventure you never knew you needed in your life! It does exactly what it says on the tin, and it is so much fun to go through all the different options and see what happens.

And finally, if you want a little bit more LGBT in your life, I’d suggest Ash by Malinda Lo. It’s a beautiful tale and well worth a read.

Sleeping Beauty retellings

If you want a more modern retelling, A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn is great. Sleeping Beauty wakes up alright, right into the modern era. It’s told, at least partially, from the point of view of the hapless teen who managed to kiss her awake, only to end up having to take care of her and teach her the modern world.

Princess of Thorns, by Stacey Jay is based more on the original Italian version of Sleeping Beauty than the one you might be used to. There’s an Ogre and twin children, and lots of adventures.

Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert is a great coming of age story about a princess struggling to find her place when everything she’s known is suddenly ripped away.

Adult retellings

So all of these books are YA, but I wanted to include a few more adult retellings.

Enchantment by Orson Scott Card is a fascinating retelling of Sleeping Beauty that span continents and centuries. There’s time travel and Russia and Baba Yaga and a bear...I could go on and on about the delights of this book.

The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines is the first book of series that, according to Goodreads is apparently just called “Princess”? Either way, its a great mish-mash of different fairy tales and wonderful adventures. When Prince Charming goes missing, who better to find him than his beloved Cinderella?

And finally we’ve got the 500 Kingdoms series by Mercedes Lackey, one of my all time favorites. The first book is called The Fairy Godmother and tells the story of a Cinderella whose prince was too young. Magic has a way of forcing things to go it’s way, though, so who better to take the poor girl in as her apprentice than her very own fairy godmother?

And with that, I’ll stop throwing books at you.

So...that was just a really long list of books that I think are cool. I could list so many more. I really just adore fairy tale retellings. But this could have been a list of mythology retellings as well...

Speaking of which...I’ve actually written a couple retellings myself. It feels a bit self-important to link to them here, but...

Witches and Wolves

Cassandra

One is a fairy tale retelling, and one a mythology retelling, based on the Trojan War.

You get bonus points if you can tell me which fairy tale the other story is based on.

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ladyherenya · 7 years ago

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Books read in October

This month included a short children’s novel, two novellas, a short story collection I’d already read some of, another short story collection I only read some of, and a novel I abandoned. Which may mean less reading than this looks like. On the other hand, I read at least two of these books twice...

I’ve asterisked my favourites.

(My longer reviews and ratings are on LibraryThing. And also my Dreamwidth blog.)

Notebooks of a Middle-School Princess: Royal Crush by Meg Cabot: The third in the series. I like Olivia and enjoy seeing Mia’s family through someone else’s eyes, but have little patience for Olivia’s middle-school social dramas… which leads me to conclude that I am not the right audience for this book.

Penric and Desdemona, novellas in the World of the Five Gods by Lois McMaster Bujold (narrated by Grover Gardner):

* Penric’s Mission: My favourite of these. Penric arrives in Cedonia with a message for General Arisaydia, but before he can deliver it, he is arrested and thrown into a bottle dungeon. Meanwhile Arisaydia has been also arrested, albeit under rather different conditions to Pen, and Nikys, his widowed sister, tries to rescue him. This is a gripping, high-stakes adventure with excellent character dynamics. I was initially surprised by how much time has passed since Penric and the Shaman, but then really liked how this story fills in some of the gaps.

Mira’s Last Dance: follows directly on from Penric’s Mission but is rather different in tone and setting. Penric and his companions try to escape Cedonia and Pen assumes an unusual - and unexpected - cover identity.I’d become fond of Desdemona, but this is a reminder that she's a conglomerate of personalities and her relationship with Pen is not simple. I found this a little confronting - which may be the point, since one of the characters shared my reaction. The shortest of the Penric novellas, this feels like a TV episode. The immediate problems are resolved but I want to know what happens next!

* The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson: In the summer of 1914, medical-student Hugh and his cousin Daniel became caught up in their aunt Agatha’s latest project: appointing a woman as the Latin teacher at the local school. Then war is declared, interrupting the tea parties but not all the small-town politics. This is a tightly-focused exploration of social politics, prejudice and and consequences of breaking with convention. The story pulled me in and then broke my heart. I fell in love with the characters, especially Agatha and Beatrice, with their passions for change, for education, for helping others, and their very human limitations.

Mary Russell’s War and other stories of suspense by Laurie R. King: A collection of short stories about Russell and Holmes. I had already read two of these (“Beekeeping for Beginners” and “The Marriage of Mary Russell”). Out of others, my favourites were “Mary Russell’s War”, which contains the diary Russell keeps during the first year of WWI up until her meeting with Holmes; “Mrs Hudson’s Case”, a story about a case Holmes doesn’t solve in 1918; and “Stately Holmes”, which takes place after the most recent Mary Russell novel, about Russell and Holmes spending Christmas at Justice Hall.

First & Then by Emma Mills: A story about high school, (American) football, rereading Jane Austen, embracing change and making new friends. As Devon enters her senior year, she’s uninspired about writing college applications, unimpressed about having to do PE with a bunch of freshmen, uncertain about having her 14 year old cousin Foster come to stay, and holding onto unrequited feelings for her best friend. This is a hopeful, deftly handled story. I really enjoyed this.

Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Breslaw: I breezed through this and enjoyed Scarlett's snarky narration. But in hindsight, although I liked some of its ideas and the subplot about her eccentric elderly neighbour, the way everything came together is rather unsatisfying. As was the way it handles fanfiction. Scarlett, mourning the cancellation of her favourite TV show, populates her next fanfiction with fictionalised versions of her classmates, sort of like a 21st Harriet the Spy… and thoughtlessly uses people's full names. Aarghhhhh! At least try to be subtle? Basically, I wanted this to be a cross between Fangirl and Miss Buncle's Book, and it is not.

Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E. K. Johston: A loose retelling of Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale. Hermione Winters, co-captain of her small-town high school cheerleading team, is drugged and raped at summer cheer camp. For a book about a traumatic event and its aftermath, this is realistically hopeful. Hermione's family, friends and teachers are (with some exceptions) incredibly supportive. Given that there are many darker stories about coping with trauma, it was refreshing to read something which suggests that lacking support isn't inevitable. My favourite part was Hermione's long-standing friendship with her co-captain, Polly. I also really liked how the title fitted the story.

Jackaby by William Ritter: When Abigail Rook arrives in New England in the winter of 1892 the only job she can find is as an assistant to Jackaby, a private detective whose speciality is “unexplained phenomena”. Soon after, she is following along to the scene of a murder. This is a solid historical urban fantasy murder mystery, interesting and unexpected. And although I enjoyed it, it was very easy to put down. I suspect it would have grabbed me more if Abigail had grown more as a character throughout the story, or if the stakes had felt higher for her personally.

* The Girl of Ink & Stars (US title: The Cartographer’s Daughter) by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (narrated by Victoria Fox): Isabella’s father is a mapmaker, but since the governor closed the ports, he has been stuck on the island of Joya. After Isabella argues with Lupe, her best friend and the governor’s sheltered daughter, Lupe disappears into the island’s Forgotten Territories. Isabella, with her father’s star charts and her mother’s map, has to lead the search party to find her. But the island has bigger problems... The atmospheric mystery of the first part was stronger than the fast-paced action of the second part but it continues to be a gorgeously written, poignant coming-of-age story about friendship and legends.

London Celebrities by Lucy Parker: These contemporary romances contained two of my favourite things in stories: “a strong sense of place” and “references to other stories”. They also reminded me that I like stories about the theatre.

Act Like It: Lainie’s male co-stars are talented actors, but she has a low opinion of them as people. When Richard’s public image threatens to affect ticket sales, Lainie is asked to be seen with him in public, generating positive publicity through rumours they’re together. This is a lot of fun and hooked me from the opening paragraph. I enjoyed the very British vibe and vocab, and the banter. I like that Lainie calls Richard out about his behaviour and that he listens. I like how their relationship develops, and how it is based around being able to be honest with each other and support each other.

Pretty Face: More romance-y than I’d personally prefer, but this bothered me less than it would in a different book. It’s an interesting look at the impact of media attention. The dialogue is very funny. I like Luc and Lily's hesitation, their awareness of the personal and professional quagmire of pursuing a relationship, their ability to be honest with each other and how much they care about each other's emotional wellbeing. And this just includes a lot of things I really like! Like references to Ngaio Marsh's mysteries, references to other stories and a brief detour to an Oxford library…

A Pocket Full of Murder by R.J. Anderson (narrated by Janine Cooper-Marshall): A mystery about politics, power, poverty and religious prejudice set in a city powered by magic spells. In the Breck household there isn't enough money to buy meat, let alone much-needed new shoes for 12 year old Isaveth and her sisters. But when their father is accused of murder, circumstances become even more desperate. Isaveth takes inspiration from her favourite heroine and sets out to prove his innocence, with the help of her new friend, an eccentric street boy. I enjoyed this, and became steadily more engrossed as the story progressed.

“Nocturne” by Sharon Shinn in Angels of Darkness: I've no plans of reading Shinn’s Samaria series but I like her short stories, so I borrowed this to read the Samaria story “Nocturne”. Moriah, a school cook, discovers a blinded angel is secretly living in the headmistress’s tower. As she pesters the angel out of his despondency, her own secrets are revealed. I enjoyed Moriah’s curiosity and her feistiness, and I liked how this is a story about learning to deal with disability. Also, flying! I flicked through the other stories in this anthology and confirmed that I'm not interested in any of them.

All The Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater: Unusual and seems highly original. I like the characters introduced in the first chapter. I appreciate the writing style - well, I appreciate a lot of the sentences. But I didn’t appreciate the narrative’s tendency to go off on tangents, particularly about minor characters who I don’t yet care about. I got to page 100 (out of 311) and thought Why am I reading this when I could be reading an Angela Thirkell novel? Unless I’m suddenly beset by curiosity about how this ends, I’m not going to give it another go.

Northbridge Rectory (1941) by Angela Thirkell: This is Thirkell at her strongest, even if the wartime setting doesn’t lend itself to the same blithe humour of her earlier novels. It has a strong sense of place and atmosphere, nuanced characterisation, surprising developments, and in spite of ostensibly being plotless, is tightly focused. The story revolves around the Northbridge Rectory, particularly the rector’s wife, Mrs Villars, but it is also about Mrs Turner and her nieces, and Miss Pemberton and her lodger. I enjoyed Mrs Villar’s observations, appreciated her self-aware commentary on her mixed reactions to being idolised by a young officer, and kept bookmarking quotes I liked.

#Herenya reviews books #Angela Thirkell #Meg Cabot #Lois McMaster Bujold #the World of the Five Gods #Maggie Stiefvater #Sharon Shinn #R.J. Anderson #Kiran Millwood Hargrave #Emma Mills #E. K. Johston #Laurie R. King #Mary Russell #Helen Simonson #Lucy Parker

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theladyragnell · 7 years ago

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Books I’ve Read So Far This Year

Hey, tumblr! It’s halfway through the year now (how???) and I was looking through my book list and thinking that I have read so many good books this year, so I thought I would just throw my book list as it stands under a cut, with brief notes on the books in case anyone is interested! Or wants to talk about how awesome they are. Or even wants to recommend me some based on what I’ve read!

Or just tell me what you’ve been reading, if you do not want to deal with, um. A 90-item annotated list.

It’s possible that I read too much.

The Voynich Manuscript, ed. Raymond Clemens (very nice scans of the whole thing, with some mildly interesting essays attached)

Sorcerer to the Crown, Zen Cho (starred, super delightful worldbuilding and banter and characters)

Sunshine, Robin McKinley (reread, I love everything of McKinley’s but had forgotten so much of this one!)

Longitude, Dava Sobel (engrossing little nonfic about the hunt for a way to tell longitude at sea and the man who invented sea clocks)

The Secret Ingredient of Wishes, Susan Bishop Crispell (magical realism, suffered some from the fact that I had expectations of how the plot would go but still solid)

Piano Tide, Kathleen Dean Moore (not nearly enough pianos, more eco-activism than expected)

The Sun Is Also A Star, Nicola Yoon (YA romance, made me cry, just absolutely gorgeous)

Scandal Takes the Stage, Eva Leigh (solid Regency romance about a lady playwright)

Temptations of a Wallflower, Eva Leigh (significantly less solid Regency romance, I did not find it a satisfactory end to the series)

Everything, Everything, Nicola Yoon (YA romance again, I did not like it nearly so well as The Sun Is Also)

The Nonesuch, Georgette Heyer (extremely delightful, good banter and good tropes)

Four Weddings and Sixpence, Julia Quinn & Elizabeth Boyle & Laura Lee Guhrke & Stefanie Sloane (Quinn’s was delightful, the others were more mediocre but not bad for all that)

The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield (delightfully gothic, an engrossing winter read)

Jackaby, William Ritter (historical fantasy mystery, quite fun)

Crazy for You, Jennifer Crusie (reread, does not age well)

Enthusiasm, Polly Shulman (reread, YA romance, ages ADORABLY)

The Autumnlands Vol. 1: Tooth and Claw, Kurt Busiek & Benjamin Dewey (graphic novel, super fascinating worldbuilding)

Deathless, Catherynne Valente (I continue to want to write like her when I grow up)

Rat Queens Vol. 1: Sass and Sorcery, Kurtis J. Wiebe & Roc Upchurch (graphic novel, lady adventurers, I was not as captured as I wanted to be)

Accidentally on Purpose, Jill Shalvis (contemporary romance, nothing special but an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon)

Lumberjanes Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy, Noelle Stevenson & Grace Ellis & Brooke Allen and others, who even knows how to credit graphic novels (graphic novel, super adorable and delightful)

The Girls at the Kingfisher Club, Genevieve Valentine (only a retelling of my favorite fairytale in the world, gorgeous and evocative and all the sisters are characters without crowding the narrative)

The Unfortunate Importance of Beauty, Amanda Filipacchi (fascinating magical realism)

Speak Easy, Catherynne Valente (novella, another 20s-esque 12 Dancing Princesses adaptation but VERY different from the former, full of Valente’s trademark gorgeous language)

The Countess Conspiracy, Courney Milan (Regency romance, starred, I really love this whole series but this one hit me hard for some reason)

The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir, Jennifer Ryan (WWII England, not enough choir and again not quite what the book jacket made me expect, but a worthy read nonetheless)

Plain Kate, Erin Bow (gorgeous dark late-J/early-YA fairy tale)

The Suffragette Scandal, Courtney Milan (another starred Regency romance by Milan, as I said the whole series is glorious)

Every Heart a Doorway, Seanan McGuire (novella, starred, YA, wow this concept had me enthralled, the story in general did)

Saga Vol. 1, Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (graphic novel, starred, absolutely gorgeous)

The Grand Sophy, Georgette Heyer (not my favorite Heyer, alas, though it had some amazing moments)

Bet Me, Jennifer Crusie (reread, romance, my favorite Crusie and continues to be so)

The Best of All Possible Worlds, Karen Lord (starred, sci fi romance (ish?) with very good worldbuilding--think LeGuin)

Thorn, Intisar Khanani (reread, Goose Girl retelling, continues to be beautiful)

Gawain and Ragnell, Ruth Nestvold (novella, read for obvious reasons, was not terribly impressed)

Protector of the Small: First Test, Tamora Pierce (reread, obviously, I was in a Kel mood)

A Company of Swans, Eva Ibbotson (reread, continues to be one of my favorite romances in this world)

Talk Sweetly to Me, Courtney Milan (novella, starred, just as delightful as the rest of the series but I’d somehow constructed a completely different plot for it in my head really vividly? So I was surprised when it was not that)

Norse Mythology, Neil Gaiman (solid retellings)

Protector of the Small: Page, Tamora Pierce (reread again)

Behind the Throne, KB Waters (super intriguing political sci fi, definitely looking into the rest of the series)

In This Grave Hour, Jacqueline Winspear (mystery, part of a series, it’s good but don’t start with it)

The Great American Whatever, Tim Federle (YA, great voice but hard to read)

Protector of the Small: Squire, Tamora Pierce (rereading again, my favorite of the series)

Protector of the Small: Lady Knight, Tamora Pierce (to finish the reread off)

Someone to Hold, Mary Balogh (Regency romance, starred, I hadn’t loved the first in this new series, but the second one got me in the gut, I cried)

Kids of Appetite, David Arnold (YA, I wanted to like it more than I did)

Trickster’s Choice, Tamora Pierce (look, I was in the mood)

Trickster’s Queen, Tamora Pierce (ditto)

Spinning Starlight, RC Lewis (starred, YA sci-fi Six Swans retelling, definitely wonderful)

The Chemist, Stephenie Meyer (I am not ashamed, but she didn’t grab my id like her earlier books did. It was just a romantic thriller)

Dear Data, Giorgia Lupi & Stefanie Posavec (nonfic, data imaging and epistolary all in one! Picture-heavy, super cool to page through)

The Invisible Library, Genevieve Cogman (starred, a delightful fantasy romp featuring, as the title suggests, a library; definitely going to seek out the rest of the series)

Best Friends Forever, Jennifer Weiner (ugh)

The Ordinary Princess, MM Kaye (reread, one of my favorite lifetime books)

The Moon-Spinners, Mary Stewart (a nice quiet thriller, if that makes sense; made me want to go back to Crete)

How to Win Over Your Arch-Nemesis (in Three Easy Steps), Jennifer Wardell (novella, fun little read)

The Wedding Journey, Carla Kelly (romance, remarkably good for how old-fashioned it was)

The Nameless City, Faith Erin Hicks (graphic novel, starred, great world and once again I plan to seek out the rest of the series)

War for the Oaks, Emma Bull (reread of a favorite)

The Convenient Marriage, Georgette Heyer (a reread though I hadn’t realized it when I got the book; not my favorite of hers)

Saga Vol. 2, Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (graphic novel, starred, continues a really beautiful series)

The Terracotta Bride, Zen Cho (short novella, fascinating worldbuilding, starred)

Wanted, a Gentleman, KJ Charles (starred, Regency m/m romance, I thought from the copy I’d love it, thought from the first few pages I’d hate it, and ended up really enjoying it, so make of that what you will)

The Hanging Tree, Ben Aaronovitch (starred, fantasy mystery, start at the start of the series it is SO GOOD)

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Power, Ryan North & Erica Henderson (graphic novel, starred, SO CHARMING)

The Morning Gift, Eva Ibbotson (reread, I don’t reread this one nearly enough because I love it deeply)

A Closed and Common Orbit, Becky Chambers (starred, not specifically designed to exploit everything I love like Small Angry Planet but still a truly incredible feat of character and world and relationship building)

The Star-Touched Queen, Roshani Chokshi (rich and lovely, with a fairy tale atmosphere)

The Course of Honour, Avoliot (IT COUNTS OKAY, obviously starred and obviously amazing)

A Crown of Wishes, Roshani Chokshi (companion novel to the above, I like it better than the first one even if once again my expectations brought me up short)

The Flight of the Iguana, David Quammen (reread, nonfiction, essays about nature and also a section about immigrants and sanctuary groups that felt all too timely)

The Just City, Jo Walton (read when Plato’s Republic pisses you off or when you just like thinking about Greek philosophy)

Newt’s Emerald, Garth Nix (starred, a magical romantic Regency romp, simply delightful)

The Last Days of Magic, Mark Tompkins (I wanted this book to be very different than it was; it felt like a several-hundred-page prologue with the main action relegated to prologue and epilogue)

A Hero at the End of the World, Erin Claiborne (I liked it? The writing was sharp, anyway; the characters weren’t my cup of tea)

What We See When We Read, Peter Mendelund (nonfiction, pretentious but interesting)

The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales, collected by Fanz Xaver von Schonwerth, edited by Erika Eichenseer, and translated by Maria Tatar (starred, there are some really good ones in here)

The Book of Trees, Manuel Lima (nonfic, about the way we visualize data, another good one to leaf (pun entirely intended) through)

The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick (alternate history, I was very intrigued and also very uncomfortale)

Frederica, Georgette Heyer (starred, one of my favorite Heyers to date)

Good Morning, Midnight, Lily Brooks-Dalton (sci fi apocalyptic kind of, more of a survival story a la The Martian, once again suffered heavily from what I wanted it to be)

The Card Catalog, The Library of Congress (another fun one to leaf through)

Dreadnought, April Daniels (superhero fiction, trans heroine, really good but really hard)

American Luthier: Carleen Hutchins ~ The Art and Science of the Violin, Quincy Whitney (nonfic, starred, maybe my favorite book of the year so far, if you are at all interested in historical ladies, the intersection of science and music, or biographies, this is really really amazing)

The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband, Julia Quinn (her trademark wonderful characters, but I don’t much care for the trope)

The Piano Shop on the Left Bank, Thad Carhart (nonfic, had its moments but sometimes I got annoyed with it)

Note by Note, Tricia Tunstall (nonfic, about piano lessons, I found it deeply annoying unfortunately)

Madensky Square, Eva Ibbotson (this is technically a reread but I’d remembered so little and it mattered to me so much; starred)

Shadow and Bone, Leigh Bardugo (beginning of the Grisha Trilogy, the rest of which is sitting on my TBR shelf! As is Six of Crows, which I expect to be more relevant to my interests)

So, that is a huge amount of books, anyone who made it through all that is truly heroic, but if you have read some and have thoughts, come discuss them! Or just tell me what you’ve been reading lately that you love.

#shut up nell #hopefully at least someone will find this list entertaining or useful

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maddielivesinbooks · 5 years ago

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Friday

9:30 AM: Good morning and welcome to my last spooky reading blog. This weekend, I have three major reading goals.

Start and finish Spell on Wheels, which shouldn’t be hard since it’s only a graphic novel.

Finish His Hideous Heart. I started this last weekend and got a good chunk of the way through during the week. I don’t think this will be hard either

Start and finish These Witches Don’t Burn. This is my most ambitious goal, and I really do not see it happening. Maybe I should have more faith in myself.

I also have a ton of reading to do for my women’s history class, and my roommate and I want to marathon the Scream movies. So we’ll see how much reading I actually get done.

I quickly wanted to tell y’all that I finished House of Salt and Sorrow by Erin A. Craig last night, and really enjoyed it. It’s a spooky retelling of The 12 Dancing Princesses, which was a story I always loved as a little girl. This version has more murder and ghosts. I gave it four stars on Goodreads. It was so creepy and the imagery was lovely. I also love a good sibling dynamic and that was very prevalent in this book. The mystery was really compelling, and I was dying to know what was coming next. This is an unpopular opinion, but I really liked the romance and thought it was a great way to escape all the creepiness and mourning of the story. I took away a star because I hated the oldest sister, Camille. She was sort of a b-word, but she kind of grew on me. Only a little. Also the last few chapters hurt my head, and I don’t know if it was in a good way.

10:30 AM: I have taken my morning walk and gotten breakfast. I’m now getting ready for the day. My roommate, Christa, and I are going out for pizza and then heading to this huge Salvation Army in a nearby town. I’m hoping there’s some good books there.

3:00 PM: Unfortunately, the book selection was sort of weak. They did have several copies of various Twilight saga books, which I always like to see, but I do own all of them. Luckily, I did find a very nice sweater and very nice shirt that my hero, Jack Dylan Grazer, also owns. I’ve been jealous of the shirt since I saw it, and now I can wear it all the time.

Anyway, I made Christa take pics of me in my new (old) clothes, so here you go.

8:00 PM: I finally start Spell On Wheels while my laundry is going. I love it a whole lot. Queer lady witches is my favorite genre. The art is so cute, and the book is just spooky enough, without scaring me or grossing me out. Also, there is a hot goatman. I love goatman, and I think you should all Google him if you are not familiar with his work.

9:00 PM: After my laundry is done, and Christa and I have a dance party to bad Christmas songs, we turn on Glee. I love Glee but also hate it. Sam is my favorite character, because my type is an idiot with a heart of gold who also has ginormous lips.

12:00 AM: We watched so much Glee. So much. Happy Saturday.

Saturday

8:00 AM: Despite my late night watching Glee, I still wake up at a reasonable time. There’s no reason to, since no where on campus is open yet. I spend my morning reading fanfiction (yes its Reddie, yes I’m still not over that, no I don’t want to stop).

10:00 AM: I pack my backpack with my laptop and the reading I have to do for women’s history. I also grab Spell On Wheels and His Hideous Heart, but I’m not sure I’m going to get any reading done. At least not the kind anyone wants to hear about.

I guess I’ll talk about His Hideous Heart real quick. I’m not finished yet, but I am enjoying it. I think some people were saying it might not be for someone like me, who is unfamiliar with Poe’s work. I mean, I know Annabel Lee but that’s only because I stan Matthew Gray Gubler and Cassandra Clare’s The Dark Artifices (I know, please forgive me for stanning her work). That being said, this has been fun. It’s like I’m just reading some spooky stories. It also helps that I have a friend who is president of my school’s lit society and is willing to tell me the plot of several Poe stories instead of doing homework (love you long time Hannah).

2:00 PM: I finished lots of homework at Starbucks and I’ve now returned to my room to finish Spell on Wheels, which I’ve been embarrassingly calling Spells on Wheels. Oops!

The good news is, I really like this book. It’s super fun. I finish it up, and give it 4.5/5 Stars. Is there going to be another volume? Any continuation whatsoever?! The ending was sort of open.

3:00 PM: I read two stories from His Hideous Heart but I’m not really feeling it so I put it down and read fanfiction instead.

4:30 PM: I tear into a bag of gummy bears and we start our Scream marathon. I don’t know why I thought I could handle this. It’s icky and sad and making me like David Arquette. Around the time a girl dies via garage door, I realize we are not going to be watching more than this movie.

I appreciate Scream for what it is, but also recognize it is not for me. My roomie and I have a dance party to bad Christmas music instead.

10:00 PM: After Scream, I go see a play on campus. I’m glad I did, because I feel like I’ve been doing a whole lot of nothing lately. After the play, I go back to my room and watch Good Mythical Morning, which is what I watch when I need a pick me up. I also read some fanfiction (shocker) before I go to sleep.

Sunday

10:00 AM: I wake up later than expected, and realize it’s pouring out. I planned on going to the library but the torrential rain completely ruins that plan. Instead I pop open my shitty umbrella and take the short walk to Starbucks where I chug down a mocha and slap post it notes in spots in my women’s history books. I also write seven pages of my screenplay that I do not feel great about.

12:00 PM: When I leave Starbucks it’s raining harder than before. I feel like I’m walking through a swamp or something. I decide once I get back to my room to not leave until the rain stops. Instead, I hang up my soaking wet clothes and do some yoga while listening to bad Christmas music.

2:00 PM: After yoga and a shower, I finally sit down to do some reading. My goal is to finish His Hideous Heart. I have about 75 pages left and I know I can speed through them. I’m also thinking I’ll maybe start These Witches Don’t Burn, if I have the motivation.

3:00 PM: Reader, I do not have the motivation. I finish His Hideous Heart, which means I’m going to give every story a star rating, just for you.

She Rode a Horse of Fire (based on Metzengerstein) by Kendare Blake: ⅗ ☆

Its Carnival (based on The Cask of Amontillado by Tiffany D. Jackson : 3.5/5 ☆

Night-Tide (based on Annabel Lee) by Tessa Gratton: 4.5/5 ☆

The Glittering Death (based on The Pit and the Pendulum) by Caleb Roehrig : 2.5/5 ☆

A Drop of Stolen Ink (based on The Purloined Letter) by Emily Llyod-Jones : ⅘ ☆

Happy Days, Sweetheart (based on The Tell-Tale Heart) by Stephanie Keun : ⅗ ☆

The Raven (Remix) by amanda lovelace : 2.5/5 ☆

Changeling (based on Hop-Frog) by Marieke Nijkamp : ⅘ ☆

The Oval Filter (based on The Oval Portrait by Lamar Giles: ⅗ ☆

Red (based on The Masque of the Red Death) by Hillary Monahan: 2.5/5 ☆

Lygia (based on Ligeia) by Dahlia Adler: ⅘ ☆

The Fall of the Bank of Usher (based on The Fall of the House of Usher) by Fran Wilde: ⅘ ☆

The Murders in Rue Apartelle, Boracay (based on The Murders in the Rue Morgue) by Rin Chupeco: 5/5 ☆

So there’s all that! I really do not feel like reading, so I color and watch Youtube instead. Thrilling, I know.

8:30 PM: I finally, finally start These Witches Don’t Burn! It’s probably the last thing I’ll read before the end of these blogs, and I definitely won’t finish, so let’s just end this now.

I’ve read nine books this month, so far. You’ve heard my thoughts on most of them, so I’m just going to tell you my favorite and least favorite. My favorite was absolutely Lock Every Door by Riley Sagar. I have never gasped so loudly in my life. This book had me clutching my pearls. I also really loved The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner. I guess my least favorite was The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett, which hurts to say. I don’t want to say His Hideous Heart because I am unfamiliar with Poe, and also because my feelings on each story are wildly different. Anyway,I still gave The Lady Rogue a 3.5/5! It’s just that compared to everything else I read, it wasn’t very memorable. That being said, I still recommend all of Jenn Bennett’s young adult contemporary novels. And I recommend almost all the spooky books I read this October! It’s been a great month.

Thanks for reading! Follow and share and like! Stay tuned for something similar to this in December! Follow me other places too!

Twitter

Instagram

Goodreads

Boo! Bitch Blogs #4 (a.k.a The Finale) Friday 9:30 AM: Good morning and welcome to my last spooky reading blog. This weekend, I have three major reading goals.

#books #halloween #humor #lifestyle

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cynthiajayusa · 6 years ago

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Q&A: Dancer Marcelo Gomes Talks ‘Sleeping Beauty Dreams’

The world premiere of Sleeping Beauty Dreams, a contemporary art exploration of the age-old fable brought to life by Magic Reality Group, will debut this week at the Adrienne Arsht Center during Miami Art Week. The EDM-influenced performance explores one of the most iconic stories ever told, Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty,” and will showcase the first-ever fusion of live contemporary ballet dance with Real Time Avatars projected on-stage.

A story never told before – Sleeping Beauty Dreams is an unprecedented fusion of contemporary dance with state-of-the-art, Real-Time Avatar projection and electronic music for a multi-dimensional scenic experience. This emerging technology allows the constantly transforming avatars of Sleeping Beauty Dreams to seamlessly replicate the dancers’ movements live, adding a whole new dimension to the world of live performance.

The legend of Sleeping Beauty has been retold by masters since the 14th century, but no one has explored what the princess was dreaming while she slept for 100 years.

International prima ballerina, Diana Vishneva, performs as Princess Aurora and Marcelo Gomes as Prince Peter – creating the greatest duo for retelling the classic tale then and now. The ballet artists are brought together in a fusion of dance, music, art, and revolutionary avatar projection displayed with a technology and in a format never seen on stage before. Artists joining Vishneva and Gomes include digital designer Tobias Gremmler, who works with Bjork, and costume designer Bart Hess, who works with Lady Gaga, choreographer Edward Clug, light artist Laurent Fort, music by famed EDM pioneers, NOISIA/Thijs de Vlieger, whose music is featured on Hollywood blockbusters and works with some of the world’s biggest artists including Skrillex and deadmau5.

WATCH:

youtube

It was a pleasure to sit down with Marcelo for this exclusive Hotspots interview:

At what age did you start dancing?

At the age of 5 years old.

When did ballet become your love?

Ballet was my love from the very beginning, I used to watch VHS tapes of Nureyev, Misha, Julio Bocca and Bujones, and I wanted to be like them. I couldn’t wait to go in the studios and try the things they were doing. Little did I know that it would take many years of practice and devotion.

You were promoted to Principle dancer at the age of 22, how did that feel?

It felt amazing. I knew I always wanted to dance but never thought at such a level. I was always just happy to step onto the stage as a reindeer or as Albrecht. As principal dancer the responsibilities changes and the work never stops, but it was an honor to step into dream roles and follow the footsteps of many amazing role models before me.

You are also a choreographer; is that something you see yourself continuing to do as you get older?

I hope so. I love working with dancers and creating something in the studio. I love teaching as well. Since I’m still dancing it’s a fine balance choreographing and keeping my body in shape, but I do love the whole process of putting a work onto the stage, it’s a different thrill!!! Dancers can inspire you in a way that your own steps become even more beautiful. That transformation and journey is great to experience.

You have traveled all over the world. Do you have a favorite city or venue to perform in?

I love dancing in Brazil, in my home town of Manaus at the Teatro Amazonas. It always feels like I’m dancing for my family, which I know I am!

When not dancing, what do you do for fun?

I love to cook for my husband, Nicholas, and just be at home listening to music.

You went to school here in Boca Raton, are you excited to be back in Florida?

Yes, I am. I’m also spending some time with Sarasota ballet as a guest for three different programs this year and next, so if you are in Florida and want to see me dance, there will be plenty of opportunities. I also feel like the sun helps anyone to be in a better mood.

Tell me about Sleeping Beauty Dreams and why our readers should come see it?

This is a brand-new take at sleeping beauty, actually not even the story, but what she was dreaming about for 100 years. The collaboration between brand new music, costumes, choreography and real time avatar is very new for me and an exciting way to explore this topic. Audiences also will be able to see Diana Vishneva in a brand-new way and I applaud her for pushing the boundaries not only in dance but involving so many different art forms put together.

Discover an interpretation of what happened during the princess’ 100-year slumber in Miami at the Adrienne Arsht Center on December 7th and 8th at 8 pm. For tickets, go to ArshtCenter.org.

For more information, go to: sbdart.com.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2018/12/05/qa-dancer-marcelo-gomes-talks-sleeping-beauty-dreams/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazin.blogspot.com/2018/12/q-dancer-marcelo-gomes-talks-sleeping.html

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hotspotsmagazine · 6 years ago

Text

Q&A: Dancer Marcelo Gomes Talks ‘Sleeping Beauty Dreams’

The legend of Sleeping Beauty has been retold by masters since the 14th century, but no one has explored what the princess was dreaming while she slept for 100 years.

WATCH:

youtube

It was a pleasure to sit down with Marcelo for this exclusive Hotspots interview:

At what age did you start dancing?

At the age of 5 years old.

When did ballet become your love?

You were promoted to Principle dancer at the age of 22, how did that feel?

You are also a choreographer; is that something you see yourself continuing to do as you get older?

You have traveled all over the world. Do you have a favorite city or venue to perform in?

I love dancing in Brazil, in my home town of Manaus at the Teatro Amazonas. It always feels like I’m dancing for my family, which I know I am!

When not dancing, what do you do for fun?

I love to cook for my husband, Nicholas, and just be at home listening to music.

You went to school here in Boca Raton, are you excited to be back in Florida?

Tell me about Sleeping Beauty Dreams and why our readers should come see it?

Discover an interpretation of what happened during the princess’ 100-year slumber in Miami at the Adrienne Arsht Center on December 7th and 8th at 8 pm. For tickets, go to ArshtCenter.org.

For more information, go to: sbdart.com.

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2018/12/05/qa-dancer-marcelo-gomes-talks-sleeping-beauty-dreams/

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courtorderedcake · 6 years ago

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Roses (A CS AU)

My late contribution to @csmarchmadness.

I haven't been able to or feeling up to writing lately, and struggled to push this through before I began having health difficulties. It is only with the support of @shireness-says, @ultraluckycatnd, and @doodlelolly0910 that even this is done, and I have the utmost gratitude.

Cat has practically rewritten it to not only make sense, but to read beautifully, and she has been unknowingly the shining light in many a dark day.

I don't know if I'll finish this, or the two other pieces in this anthology besides what I'm finally finished with for @cssns, but if I decide to let it die I will post everything I have as continued notes on here and eventually Ao3.

I believe that with these and the last few stragglers in my WIP folder, I am done with the Fandom and giving up writing in general, and thank the organizers of CSMM for the amazing experience.

-·=»‡«=·- 🌹🥀🌹🥀🌹 -·=»‡«=·-

Roses, A CS retelling of Tam Lin

By Courtorderedcake and ultraluckycatnd.

Rated M - - - - chapters 1/??

Her roommate, Mary Margaret, came out of her room. “Emma? It’s 4 am, did you just get back?”

“Mmmmyar.” Emma replied, scanning the text. Her husband's family crest and name, long discarded after his death, was printed on top of the document. She shuddered at the golden medallions adorning a darkened shield, and the scaled, lizard like, dragon that curling around it.

“Well… OK, but do you want some coffee? David's here and we're getting up early to -”

“Holy. Fucking. Grilled cheese and onion rings.” Emma breathed heavily, staring wide eyed in shock at the papers in front of her.

“What are you swearing on such sacred foods for?” Mary Margaret quirked an eyebrow in amused concern.

“I've just inherited an estate valued at £800,000.” Emma flicked her eyes up, mouth a thin line. “Neal's family's fortune, home and grounds apparently. Things I never even knew about.”

“Well.” Mary Margaret sipped her coffee, looking completely nonplussed even if Emma knew on the inside she was bursting - it was how she had earned her nickname Snow Queen after all. “That would do it.”

-·=»‡«=·- 🌹🥀🌹🥀🌹 -·=»‡«=·-

The estate reading took place in Scotland through a crackling speaker box, Emma's eyes racing around the office the entire time. It was stunning, as were what seemed like all the buildings during her trip to gain the deed to her home. This office in particular was what Emma imagined when reading Peter Pan; a gentleman's study and den, complete with whiskey decanter and cigar box to her left as if she had gone back in time. The tall shelves were lined in books with gold leaf letters and rich leather bindings, the panels of dark wood mixed with verdant jade paint and damask almost making up for the unsettling stuffed deer heads.

“Ye don't be wanting Carterhaugh, lass. T’place is cursed, hallow in the way tat echoes, not t’way of blessings.”

Her lawyer smirked, teeth white and extremely straight. Emma had liked Graham since she had met him, and this was insight into his character. Taste in wall decorations aside, he respected her agency enough to not let this man continue to try to stop the change in ownership. In her experience, lawyers were far too careless and rude.

At first it was as simple as he refused to understand that Emma wanted to know the family that had abandoned her husband, wanted to feel the last connections she had with him or any family she could, but it quickly devolved into more. Emma was subject to constant harassment by calls and letters, envelopes filled with shredded paper or scribbled notes she could not read, all from this this crazy older man in the village that Carterhaugh laid in. This didn't do much more than annoy her, as well as the post office, customs, and the garbage disposal crew. It escalated to him crossing a line when he tried to prove she was not the proper heir, insinuating Neal was a bastard, and further when he tried to declare the estate a historical landmark.

The sound of sputtering rage brought her back to the present.

Graham nodded, gathering papers together from his desk. He waited a few long, drawn out, silent minutes before asking, “How long has it been since Mr. Gold's -”

Emma's tone was short, frustration defined in every syllable. “It could have happened yesterday, but it was 2 years ago. We got married fast, it was a blur. It's a difficult topic for me.”

“I'm so sorry I -”

“Can we please see the estate?” Pinching her brow as a migraine set in, Emma heard Graham clear his throat and stand.

“Absolutely. It's a few hours from here, if you'd like to get lunch and car pool -”

“I'll take my car. Lead the way.”

-·=»‡«=·- 🌹🥀🌹🥀🌹 -·=»‡«=·-

Emma heard a thud, jerking the steering wheel as someone barreled into her bug, broad shoulders and crazed eyes under matted hair barely visible through her wet windows.

“What the -”

The words had barely left her mouth when an unmistakable voice was yelling at her, rambling incoherently as he pounded on her door.

“Ye kinnit go to Carterhaugh! Ye kinnit have it ye bloody witch or fairy demoness! ‘Tis on Hallowed and protected ground, guarded, an ye haven't a clue what I will do to protect it from you, ye - ” The face of Mr. Seáìnns was lit by lightning, thunder from his fists against the passenger door and the sky. Emma felt panic in her chest, heavy and leaden.

Slamming her foot on the accelerator, Emma let the bug lurch into its unused highest speeds as she flew up the road to Carterhaugh.

And it was hers.

Graham helped her inside, the lights crackling in refusal to turn on in the storm as they stood in the atrium, dripping on the stone parquet.

“I think I'll manage.” The words crept out more icily than she wanted, but he nodded with a sheepish wave of his hand.

-·=»‡«=·- 🌹🥀🌹🥀🌹 -·=»‡«=·-

“Don't touch my car and I won't have to hurt you, buddy!” Emma yelled, wielding the shovel in her hands like a baseball bat. The man turned, surprised.

“Better question, Alex Trebek, is who the hell are you?” Emma snarled.

“Well, if you’d contact the ruddy owner and let him know to add to the budget for gardening...” The Irish accent was evident in his voice now, the clear definition between Scottish and it what had been off to her ears as she watched his cheeks reddening. Emma gave him a wolfish grin.

“I think that can be arranged.” She extended a hand towards him which he appraised with lips curled back. “Emma Swan. Official new ‘ruddy owner’ of Carterhaugh.”

-·=»‡«=·- 🌹🥀🌹🥀🌹 -·=»‡«=·-

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sparkleywonderful · 7 years ago

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The Princess of Secrets [Ch.18]

A special thanks to @rowan-buzzard-whitethorn a.k.a @loopymoony for the inspiration of the very last line.

Part 18 of The Prince of Ice series, a retelling of Heir of Fire from Rowan’s point of view.

Parts [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ] [ 11 ] [ 12 ] [ 13 ] [ 14 ] [ 14.5 ] [ 15 ] [ 16 ] [ 17 ] [ 18 ]

AO3

A/N: I am officially half way there of my planned 36 chapters. I burned bacon because I was so enthralled in writing this chapter. To me this is the turning point. The tattoo apprentice and the princess of secrets (c38.p335)

- - - - - - -

He winced in pain, that last tap was a little deeper than necessary.

If someone had told him three days ago that Aelin would be in his room he would have laughed. If they had told him that they would not be trying to kill each other, he would have thought that person senile. If they had told him that he would feel lighter and calmed by her scent he would have walked them to the healing compound. But here he was sitting at his work table, talking with Aelin.

She had burned away a piece of his tattoo, the final piece that told the world he would feel his shame until his last breath. He did not want to think what that meant, that she had burned it away. The girl that had stirred feelings other than grief and shame, in him for the first time in over two hundred years.

“Tell me about how you learned to tattoo.”

“No.” He was too busy self reflecting to have a sharing moment.

“If you don’t answer my questions, I might very well make a mistake, and…”

He held back his laugh. The look in her eyes said she might have caught his slip.

“Did you learn from someone? Master and apprentice and all that?”

He gave her a rather incredulous look.

“Yes, master and apprentice and all that. In the war camps, we had a commander who used to tattoo the number of enemies he’d killed on his flesh—sometimes he’d write the whole story of a battle. All the young soldiers were enamored of it, and I convinced him to teach me.”

“With that legendary charm of yours, I suppose.”

He could not help but smile, even if it was just a half of one.

“Just fill in the spots where I—” He hissed through the pain.

“Good. That’s the right depth.”

With the rhythm of her tapping, he return to his introspective thoughts.

“Tell me about your family.”

He did not want to, his endless family that had somehow even now not given up on him. That level of love did not settle well within him, he had lost the right to be loved.

Maybe we could find the way back together

She needed this, her family was dead, what was left were distant cousins.

“Tell me about yours and I’ll tell you about mine,” he said through gritted teeth.

He waited for her response, her agreement to his terms. If they were going to do this together than they would have to bare their entire souls and the scars that ran beneath the surface.

“Fine. Are your parents alive?”

“My parents were very old when they conceived me. I was their only child in the millennia they’d been mated. They faded into the Afterworld before I reached my second decade.”

He could not remember if she had siblings.

“You had no siblings.”

She did not look at him as she began to speak, “My mother, thanks to her Fae heritage, had a difficult time with the pregnancy. She stopped breathing during labor. They said it was my father’s will that kept her tethered to this world. I don’t know if she even could have conceived again after that. So, no siblings. But—”

He waited, letting her decide if she wanted to continue that statement.

“But I had a cousin. He was five years older than me, and we fought and loved each other like siblings.”

She set down the needle and mallet and flex her fingers. He could tell that she hurt.

“I don’t know what happened, but they started saying his name—as a skilled general in the king’s army.”

He had heard of the general, the winds whispered back to Maeve of the general’s fame. The Wolf of the North also known as Ardarlan’s whore was her cousin. He should have known.

“I think facing my cousin after everything would be the worst of it—worse than facing the king.”

He watched as her grief threatened to overwhelm her.

“Keep working,”

Two children broken along with a kingdom. One became an assassin, while the other a general for his enemy. For the first time he had wondered what drove them.

“Do you think, your cousin would kill you or help you? An army like his could change the tide of any war.”

His army was said to be ruthless, though he had known that, now he could connect the stars. Revenge is what fed the Wolf of the North.

“I don’t know what he would think of me, or where his loyalties lie. And I’d rather not know. Ever.”

He hoped that one day Aelin would know that her cousin’s loyalty had never faded.

“Do you have cousins?”

He almost laughed, “Too many. Mora’s line was always the most widespread, and my meddlesome, gossiping cousins make my visits to Doranelle … irksome. You’d probably get along with my cousins, especially with the snooping.”

He could not help but picture Sellene and Aelin scheming together.

“You’re one to talk, Prince. I’ve never been asked so many questions in my life.”

He bared his teeth, though he didn’t mean it. He glanced at his wrist, for the first time he did not want to lament on the meaning. The burns had healed, but there was a slight scarring that would never fade. He would always know that at some level she had burned away a little piece of his shame.

“Hurry up, Princess. I want to go to bed at some point before dawn.”

She used her free hand to make a particularly vulgar gesture, and before he thought about it he caught her hand within his own. Like her gesture, her small hands were not that of a queen.

“That is not very queenly.”

“Then it’s good I’m not a queen, isn’t it?”

Everything in his being told him to not let go of her hand. Together.

She feared being a queen and it was not something he understood.

“You have sworn to free your friend’s kingdom and save the world—but will not even consider your own lands. What scares you about seizing your birthright? The king? Facing what remains of your court?”

He stared into her blue eyes rimmed in the most beautiful gold.

“Give me one good reason why you won’t take back your throne. One good reason, and I’ll keep my mouth shut about it.”

She weighed him, understood the question was not meant to be cruel, but sincere. He wanted, no needed to understand why.

“Because if I free Eyllwe and destroy the king as Celaena, I can go anywhere after that. The crown … my crown is just another set of shackles.”

Shackles?

He quietly said, “What do you mean, another set of shackles?”

He loosened his grip to reveal the two thin bands of scars that wrapped around her wrist. His mouth tightened, she had been shackled. In some point within her ten years, she had been shackled.

She yanked her wrist back hard enough that he let go. He looked at her, waiting for an explanation.

“Nothing, Arobynn, my master, liked to use them for training every now and then.”

He knew she was lying, there was a deeper hurt buried within her. A truth she was not ready to share. He would give her the time and space she needed. He held back a shudder of Arobynn being her master. A young queen of a mighty kingdom turned to an assassin.

“Why did you stay with Arobynn?”

“I knew I wanted two things: First, to disappear from the world and from my enemies, but … ah.”

He wanted to recapture that hand he held.

“I wanted to hide from myself, mostly. I convinced myself I should disappear, because the second thing I wanted, even then, was to be able to someday … hurt people the way I had been hurt. And it turned out that I was very, very good at it.

“If he had tossed me away, I would either have died or wound up with the rebels. If I had grown up with them, I probably would have been found by the king and slaughtered. Or I would have grown up so hateful that I would have been killing Adarlanian soldiers from a young age.”

She surprised him, the girl that wanted to become a healer changed to a person who wanted to hurt. Somehow she had bottled that desire for vengeance away.

“You thought I was just going to spread my whole history at your feet the moment I met you? I’m sure you have even more stories than I do, so stop looking so surprised. Maybe we should just go back to beating each other into a pulp.”

There was no way he was turning back now. Together, they would fight through the darkness together. He would train her to become a warrior. He may not be able to fight with her, but he would give her every tool to protect herself when he could not. They would do this together.

“Oh, not a chance, Princess. You can tell me what you want, when you want, but there’s no going back now.”

“I’m sure your other friends just adore having you around.”

A feral smile, and he grabbed her by the chin—not hard enough to hurt, but to get her to look at him.

“First thing, we’re not friends. I’m still training you, and that means you’re still under my command.”

Lies. He watched the flicker of hurt. He leaned in closer, hoping she would understand.

“Second—whatever we are, whatever this is? I’m still figuring it out, too. So if I’m going to give you the space you deserve to sort yourself out, then you can damn well give it to me.”

She studied him for a moment, the ice danced in his veins.

“Deal.”

As he removed his hand, he knew that whatever this was, he didn't want to let her go.

Parts [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ] [ 11 ] [ 12 ] [ 13 ] [ 14 ] [ 14.5 ] [ 15 ] [ 16 ] [ 17 ] [ 18 ] [ 19 ] [ 20 ]

#rowaelin #rowan whitethorn #rowan whitethorn pov #hof #heir of fire #throne of glass #the prince of ice #prince of ice #sparkleywonderful

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