#I’m just obsessed with any dynamic of them idk why the autism I imagine

[notnights]

This is just me asking for ribbun thoughts

May I have them?

[neithoftheveil]

Hello...if you don't mind me asking, can I ask your top 5 (or top 3) favorite characters, each from MDZS, TGCF, and SVSSS? And why you loved them all? Also, your top 5 (or top 3) favorite moments from each novel? Sorry if you've answered this question before....Thanks....

Top characters for TGCF:

1. Mu Qing

-We might as well be the same person (kidding! …or am I?) Haha—I know what it’s like to have a criminal family, to grow up poor, to be relied upon to support your parents. We’re both hyper-independent. Victim complex. A dash of arrogance. Schadenfreude. You name it. He’s a complicated bug—not always a good person—very human. He’s my darling.

2. Xie Lian

-I love dynamic characters—characters who contradict themselves—characters who undergo immense change. Xie Lian is highly intelligent, but his blind spots can be huge. I also love his hyperfixations and goblin rants. And in general, he’s just pitiable (like when all the gods ignore him in the communication array). I want to wrap him in a blanket, but I also love watching him be a badass. He contains multitudes.

3. Hua Cheng

-Who doesn’t love his devotion? I love the parts of himself he hides away, too: his self-worth issues and his insecurities about his appearance. Something I love about MXTX overall: 99% of MXTX characters can be read as on the asexual spectrum. The books, extras excluded, are pretty devoid of sexual content. Characters aren’t described through a sexual lens. There isn’t a bunch of sleeping around. Having sex is never really on anyone’s mind. Idk—Hua Cheng is just one of the biggest examples of that? He’s the boss of a whole city, the scourge of the heavens, and also a massive virgin—and that doesn’t diminish his worth in any way. He’s not a weirdo for it, you know? People not having sex doesn’t make them a spectacle.

Bonus: Quan Yizhen

-Autism buddy. Enough said.

Top moments for TGCF:

1. 100 swords scene

-I’m just obsessed with it. It never fails to have an emotional impact on me, no matter how often I read it.

2. Confession in Cave of 10,000 Gods

-It’s so sweet. Hua Cheng’s fear. The vulnerability. How Xie Lian doesn’t say I love you or give a speech. He just hugs him. These two are great at communication, of being on the same general wavelength. They match each other’s freak. Also—I don’t imagine either of them have had a hug in eight centuries.

3. You said you would never leave me

-I don’t cry over television very often, and I can count the number of times I’ve cried over a book or piece of fanfiction on one hand. This scene, though. The whole speech. Tears. As soon as Xie Lian said, Won’t you stay? Weeping. Xie Lian doesn’t have a lot of moments that he lets himself be desperate—that he bears this raw side of himself. To literally be begging—to admit how much he wants companionship, how much he loves Hua Cheng. Ugh. Makes me cry every time I reread it.

Top characters for MDZS:

1. Jin Guangyao

-He’s similar to Mu Qing. Disadvantaged background. Pragmatic. Calculating. The ends justify the means. I liked him the moment I saw him. He’s a very tragic character overall.

2. Xue Yang

-He’s a gremlin. Objectively terrible. But I really love the way he self-sabotages. He would rather destroy what he wants than admit he wants it. He’d rather be hated than be vulnerable. I get that.

3. Wei Wuxian

-Similar reasoning to Xie Lian. Smart, tragic, overall a good person everyone gossips about and turns into a bad person. He’s also just very bouncy. Very fun. I love his energy, the way he interacts with kids, how he can be very serious and unserious and sometimes he mixes those two things (like quoting a Wen to a Wen to defend others in the cave). He’s a goofball, but he’s very deep and feels things deeply.

Top moments for MDZS:

1. Jiang Cheng crying after Lotus Pier is attacked

-This moment in the donghua specifically makes me sob like a child. I love when scenes hurt my feelings. They usually end up being my favorite.

2. Wei Wuxian jumping from the tree and being caught

-Just terribly, terribly sweet. I love the moments before and after too. It’s so soft. It makes my heart happy.

3. The confession

-Laughed my ass off.

Top characters for SVSSS:

I have only read SVSSS once and it was over a year ago. It’s a very funny series, but it’s not my favorite, so I don’t have any moments that stick out in my brain.

1. Zhuzhi-lang

-I just wanted to hug him like, all the time.

2. Liu Qingge

-He’s a dope with two brain cells. One is reserved for fighting. The other is for having a painful crush on Shen Qingqiu. I love him. He’s straightforward. Not always in a good way, either. He’s interesting.

3. Shen Jiu

-I love the bad apples, okay? Shen Jiu is… He doesn’t care if people think he’s a bad person, and he is a bad person in many respects. In general, I have a soft spot for characters with a complication relationship with vulnerability. Shen Jiu is a sore loser and a perfectionist—he’s scared and angry and jealous and possessive. He’s just so prickly. He’s fascinating. I don’t know. I want to crack his head open like a walnut and see how his brain works.

[booksneedcaffeinetoo]

BOOK REVIEW: The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi My rating: 5 of 5 stars

He taught him how to eat and how to hunger for things out of reach and how to steal without ever looking like you lack for something.

So Roshani originally said she wanted to write a book that was essentially National Treasure but with hotter people and all of the glamorous catastrophes of The Mummy.

THE GILDED WOLVES has the puzzle solving of National Treasure with the charming characters of The Mummy but this book is something else entirely.

I fucking adored it.

So what's this book about?

Basically, everyone is obsessed with rings.

Just kidding. Sort of.

Really it's a book about a group of teens who are on the hunt for artifacts and steal them. It's a ragtag team of misfits who already have an established group dynamic (which is rare in these types of group-themed adventure books) which was cool. They all have known each other for at least a year (besides Hypnos, buts he's special, okay), so the working dynamic, preferences, etc. are established. Some have know each other for many years. Any ways, I loved that aspect. But yeah, basically they steal stuff, do magic, solve puzzles, do treasure hunts, commit heists, investigate conspiracies, bake a lot of pastries, feed a tarantula, and try to win back one dude's title.

I have no idea ow to even shelve this book because it is historical fiction but also has magic but they call it science but it is hidden from society (sort of). Whatever the hell it is, it works.

Also this book has IMAGES. SO COOL. Mostly nerdy. But very cool.

So we are blessed with 4 main POVs:

Séverin:

My boy steals back objects that the rich stole from others?!? He finds treasure?! Damn. He really is a sexy, more charming Nicholas Cage. Also, the dude has purple eyes. What's not to love?! He steals stuff. Sometimes because it use to be his. Sometimes to give it back to its rightful owner, sometimes just for the thrill of it.

Acquiring was what he called his particular hobby. It sounded … aristocratic. Wholesome, even.

But also this:

“I don’t want to be their equal. I don’t want them to look us in the eye. I want them to look away, to blink harshly, as if they’ve stared at the sun itself. I don’t want them standing across from us. I want them kneeling.”

He's my favorite character of the book. I just want my boy to be happy.

Laila:

She can read the objects around her. I know that particular skill has a fancy name, I can't remember it. Regardless of what it is called, she does it. And it is cool AF. Also, my girl can BAKE. I'm jealous. I burn everything. Or someone manage to make cookies both burnt and underdone. Clearly Laila is a wizard.

Being loud in one life allowed her to be quiet in others.

My girl has a secret. Trust me, it's not what you're thinking. Also she's the total mom of the friend group. I love her.

Enrique:

What a nerd. A funny, attractive, bisexual nerd.

Enrique had always imagined what it would feel like to be a hero. This was not how he imagined it.

His relationship with Zofia and his banter with Hypnos gives me life. I love my nerdy boys.

Zofia:

A math wizard, loves fire and sugar cookies. I think she's written to be on the autism spectrum. I love my math geek.

When it came to socializing, Zofia had difficulty knowing the right moves. But fighting was different. It was all patterns, anticipation of the movement of muscle. That she could do.

Also, she's super smart and loves to set things on fire. Heh heh. I really like this chick.

With amazing supporting characters like:

Tristan:

Dude has a scary spider. When Roshani said on TwitterTristan is a gardener extraordinaire & also that little brother who says "LOOK WHAT I FOUND" and thrusts a bunch of writhing insects in your face while cooing at them. She wasn't kidding...

Tristan barged into the room, his hands outstretched. “Look! I thought Goliath was dying, but he’s fine. He just molted!” Enrique screamed. Laila scuttled backward on her chaise. Zofia leaned forward, inspecting the enormous tarantula in Tristan’s hands.

He loves plants and bugs and is an adorable child. The baby of the fam.

Hypnos:

Technically has a POV. But it's only one, so does that really count? Idk. My boy is funny. Charming. Not above blackmail.

"You’ll like working with me, I promise! I’m fabulous at parties, have excellent taste in menswear, et cetera, et cetera."

He's mostly drunk, very funny, and I love my gay fave.

What else do I love about this book?!?

The b a n t e r.

Exhibit A:

“Still waiting on my thanks, you know,” huffed Enrique. “It took me ages to research and assemble that.” “It would have taken less time if you didn’t antagonize Zofia.” “It’s inevitable. If I breathe, your engineer is prepared to launch warships.” “Then hold your breath.”

Exhibit B:

“You’re doing it again,” said Enrique. “What?” “That whole nefarious-whilst-looking-into-the-distance thing. What are you hiding, Séverin?” “Nothing.” “You and your secrets.” “Secrets keep my hair lustrous,” said Séverin, running his hand through his curls.

Exhibit C:

Enrique scowled as he held apart the bear’s jaws. “Remember when you said, ‘This will be fun’?” “Can this wait?” Séverin grunted through clenched teeth. “I suppose.”

Exhibit D:

Enrique being a total nerd geeking out about an artifact

“No need to seduce the thing,” cut in Séverin. “I’m appreciating it.” “You’re fondling it.” Enrique rolled his eyes. “It’s an authentic piece of history and should be savored.” “You might at least buy it dinner first,” said Séverin.

Exhibit E:

“Must you creep up on us like that? I didn’t even hear you come into the room!” “It’s part of my aesthetic.”

Exhibit F:

“What is taking that security guard so long?” Enrique grumbled. “He was supposed to be out by eight o’clock. It’s nearly nine.” “Maybe he doesn’t have a clock.” He stared at her. “Are you finally making a joke?” “I’m pointing out a gap in your observation.”

Exhibit G:

Zofia sat up straight, held his gaze, then did what she’d seen Laila do many times when she looked at Séverin—lift one corner of her mouth ever so slightly, but tilt her head down at the same time … wait, now she couldn’t see anything, oh, and Laila would sometimes lift up one shoulder— “What on earth are you doing?” “I am imitating patterns of flirtation.” “Wait. You’re flirting. With … me?” Zofia frowned. Why would he think that? She just said she was imitating the general strategy of others. “Maybe I have the methodology wrong. I also saw women do this. Better?” She relaxed her body. Then pretended there was something on her upper lip and licked it off with a slow swipe of her tongue. Enrique blinked rapidly then shook his head. Shaking one’s head meant no. Zofia shrugged and waved her hand. “I’ll practice later.” “You … don’t need much,” said Enrique, his voice pitched lower than usual. He wasn’t looking at her. She must have been terrible.

Honestly, the dialogue in this book is great. And the sexual tension between Laila and Séverin has me dead. I've never wanted two characters to be end game so badly before.

Also, shout out to Roshani for mixing the good and the bad parts of history. She mentions it in her Author's Note too, but this book doesn't shy away from our less savory parts of history.

Basically this book is amazing and deserves ALL THE STARS.

I am thirsting for the sequel.

Content Warnings:

violence, anti-Jewish remarks/bullying (towards main character, includes hate crime), mention of suicide (part two intro + chapter 38), slavery, colonization, child abuse, racism, murder, mentions of house fire that ended in death, torture, self-harm (mentioned earlier in book, shown briefly chapter 26), people zoo (because racism), drugging person without their consent, implied rape (via "sex" with slaves which result in children)

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