#Lockwood and Co. Story & Review

[clonerightsagenda]

She remains remarkably composed for the most part but Holly Munro is really going through it tbh. Imagine: you are 18 and your boss is a 15 year old. You have a minor crush on one of your coworkers who hates you because she sees you as a threat to her crush. (He is a boy. You are a lesbian.) The two of you have such a bad fight it destroys a building and then she quits and everyone, including your boss, thinks it's because of you. Then she comes back and you try to bury the hatchet while sharing a hotel room and she reveals she's been enacting a horsegirl movie with an undead graverobbing cultist and fondly reminisces over how he'd encourage her to kill you with various kitchen implements. Over the span of a year you blow up a research facility, rob a grave, fight a crime ring, and take a day trip to hell. You were hired to be an admin assistant.

(Joking tone aside, she's vague about why she left her last job beyond that her boss was "disgusting" and "didn't treat his employees well", but given that she was a young woman who'd just turned 18 working as a secretary for a powerful older man, I wouldn't be surprised if he was acting inappropriately, which would make it even more galling for Lucy to immediately get her hackles up. The last thing Holly wants is special attention from her male boss. I hope she enjoyed blowing up Rotwell's laboratory.)

[francesderwent]

the thing is. Wednesday is a pretty poorly constructed show

[vpwebtour]

Lockwood and Co. Cast

[lockwoodandconetflix]

mrjoecornish instagram update

LOCKWOOD & CO WAS A TRIUMPH! The show got stellar reviews, an incredible reception from both fans of the books and newcomers, it was number one across the world and a smash hit especially when it came to family viewing. Heartfelt thanks to everyone who worked so hard on the show, to all the beautiful passionate fans who took it to their hearts, and most of all to Jonathan Stroud, whose stories and characters will live forever.

[notcryingtoday]

REVIEW: The Magnus Archives (part one?)

I've just started it, to be honest, and I wanted to give my early reaction.

Summary (mainly from the Rusty Quill site): The Magnus Archives (TMA) is a horror fiction anthology podcast. The story revolves around Jonathan Sims, the new head archivist at the Magnus Institute, an "organisation dedicated to researching the esoteric and the weird", who's reviewing old supernatural statements from the archives so he can bring it up to date.

I've seen many people talking about it online so I decided to listen to it while I was out for a walk. First of all, I love the idea of fiction podcasts. I'm always in my room because my favorite activities, which is reading, playing videogames and drawing, are the kind of stuff that I won't do outisde naturally (it's always cold and raining where I'm from). So yeah, fiction podcasts are really cool and horror fiction podcasts kinda fit the raining and cold vibes.

I really like the vibes of Magnus Archives. The voice is really clear (english isn't my first language so this is really important to me), the music is unsettling but not in a way that makes it unbearable to listen to (you know horror musics that are basically chalks on board ugh I hate it), and I quite liked the sounds that makes the audio really sounds like it's from an old archives. However, I do think I will read transcriptions now because, as a "english isn't my first language" person, I feel like it's a lot for me after one or two episodes. This kinda sucks because it kinda defeats the purpose of fiction podcasts but it has honestly nothing to do with the actual podcast, just with my comprehension skills.

Since it's an anthology, the stories are changing between each episodes (but I think there's a bigger picture to it). I've listened to the first two, and they were both really cool (but I'm weak to horror anthology, it's one of my favorite thing ever), I especially liked the endings when the main character talks about the research they made on the statements.

The genre, that I call "corporate paranormal" which is basically having agencies/institutes to deal with paranormal stuff, is one of my favorite subgenres of horror (think Lockwood&Co!) so TMA kinda fits my vibe. I'm also a huge fan of Lovecraft and I think TMA could classify as lovecraftian horror.

[talleryn]

Hi! I saw that you mentioned Lockwood and Co in one of your atla reblogs, so I was curious - which of the two do you think was a better live action adaptation? And which did you simply enjoyed overall? Also, no need to add to it but furthermore, how does pjo compare? Thank you!

OMG HELLO HELLO yes so I’ve been an atla fan for years and also a pjo and Lockwood & co fan for years, so I was super excited about the new adaptations coming out. If I had to pick one, I’d say the Lockwood & co show was the best one for me, followed by pjo and then atla.

My reasoning is that the live action atla was good, but it didn’t quite have the same whimsy that the animated show did (and I am a lover of whimsy). I get they had to remix some of the stories for a live action though, and I really liked seeing some more mature themes coming through, especially with Azula, Iroh and Zuko. I feel like the writing and some of the dialogue was a little clunky, but I loved watching a show that was familiar to me but still had the ability to surprise me. I will say I feel like Katara wasn’t as well done as the animation, but they still have time to fix it.

Lockwood & co takes the cake however because of the amount of themes that carried across really well into the show. The books were so well written, and since I read them as an awkward teenage girl trying to navigate the big wide world they’re really special to me. The show captured that so well, the cast was amazing and had great chemistry, the fight scenes and effects were amazing, and you really felt like each and every character had realistic flaws! Nothing felt forced or clunky, it just ran so smoothly. So yeah, Lockwood & co is the best adaptation I’ve seen recently.

Percy Jackson is something I’ve seen mixed reviews about but personally I really liked it. I’ve been a fan of the books for so long that any adaptation is going to feel slightly weird for me because I’ve had so long to build my own picture in my head that a show just won’t feel the same. However, the cast was amazing and really hit the nail on the head with how they portrayed the characters. Charlie Bushnell as Luke was an AMAZING choice as well since he really made you sympathise with Luke.

Leah as Annabeth felt right as well, as a lot of Annabeth’s character is based around not being taken seriously because of appearances. In 2005, being a pretty blonde and not being taken seriously was something people were drawing attention to (bear in mind Legally Blonde came out in 2001. It was The Thing at the time to empower the blonde girls who had slipped under the radar). However this idea of not being taken seriously due to physical appearances is also a huge struggle to Black people and other people of colour. They are also a demographic who are largely overlooked in a lot of aspects of society. So having a Black actress play Annabeth translates across really well. Also Leah nailed the part of socially awkward 12 y/o girlboss nerd so I’m super happy about that as well.

There were a few things in Percy Jackson I felt could have been done differently, like how he seemingly knows everything about the monsters before the fight even starts, but on the whole I loved the show and I’m so excited for season two.

[dlrconlicense]

Louise Brealey On Starring In BBC Three’s Upcoming Comedy Such Brave Girls

Such Brave Girls will arrive on BBC iPlayer on 22 November

By Olivia Emily | 3 days ago

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Louise Brealey is perhaps best known for her witty portrayal of lovelorn morgue technician Molly Hooper in Sherlock – but we’re loving her recent comedy work even more. She’ll next be seen in the BBC‘s hotly anticipated comedy Such Brave Girls, coming later this month. Written by Kate Sadler, Louise plays Deb, the matriarch of a dysfunctional family, trying and failing to keep her kamikaze daughters from disaster. We sat down with Louise to hear all about it.

Interview: Louise Brealey

© Leo Staar

Hi Louise, how’s life going at the moment?

Hello! It’s been a busy summer – my new film has been doing the festival circuit so there have been a lot of planes, trains and automobiles.

You’re about to star in BBC’s new series Such Brave Girls – can you give us an elevator pitch for the show?

Two messed-up twenty-something (real-life) sisters [Kat Sadler and Lizzie Davidson] and their total car crash of a mother attempt to navigate their way out of disaster and into love.

You play Deb – can you describe her?

Deb is amazing. She’s a shockingly bad mum who has completely messed up her two Gen Z daughters. I think of her as one of those vending machines at railway stations and swimming pools where you can get a Twix, but all that’s on her shelves is Tough Love.

What was it like playing her?

A terrifying hoot – she has a lot of lines.

How did you get into character/prepare for the role?

I based Deb on a little girl I used to know. You could see every emotion on her face. Guile, rage, confusion, fear. When she was cross, she scowled. When she was delighted, she beamed.

I used my real accent: Northamptonshire. It has softened over the years, so I sound a lot posher now, but it’s how my family speak and I’ve never had the chance to work using it.

Any funny stories from rehearsals or filming?

The scenes requiring our amazing intimacy coordinator, Elle McAlpine, were hysterically funny and genuinely not at all awkward. Poor Paul Bazely who plays Dev may have experienced some chafing.

What is the cast dynamic? Who was your favourite person to work with?

We are like a little family when we are filming. I feel very protective of Kat and Lizzie. And Paul is a wonderful human being and a phenomenal actor.

Are you still in touch with any of your co-stars?

Yes, we message all the time.

Josie (KAT SADLER), Deb (LOUISE BREALEY), Billie (LIZZIE DAVIDSON) in Such Brave Girls. © BBC/Various Artists Limited/James Stack

You’re perhaps best known for your role as Molly in Sherlock. What is that like to look back on?

Bittersweet because I don’t feel we finished it, and we have lost Una Stubbs. But it was incredible to be a part of what was really a phenomenon. It couldn’t happen now with streaming.

Any special memories from the show?

Too many. Having a candle in an egg custard tart (my favourite) on my birthday in Benedict’s trailer… Laughing and laughing with darling Una and Rupert Graves, who is a dreamboat.

You’ve also starred in the likes of Lockwood & Co, Brian and Charles and Back recently. But what has been your favourite project to date?

I loved working on Clique for the BBC a few years back. I got to play a hard-ass Queen Bee university lecturer in power suits who was afraid of no one, and then to completely fall apart. In an Edinburgh accent.

I loved Lockwood & Co. How does it feel for the show to be cancelled after just one series?

I felt so bad for the young cast, the crew, the fans and everyone whose livelihoods depended on the show coming back. It got such fantastic reviews and great viewing figures. I feel like the hoop it had to jump through for the streamer was just too impossibly small.

Any roles in the pipeline that you’re excited about? (If you’re allowed to tell us!)

I’m the lead in a lesbian chicken factory musical film called Chuck Chuck Baby.

Who has been your favourite actor to work with in the past?

This is much too hard. There have been so many that I admired, and some I now call dear friends. But my buddy Jeff Rawle I’ve worked with three times now, and we are trying to make it a fourth.

Which co-star did you learn the most from?

Antonia Pemberton, who played Nanny in Peter Hall’s Uncle Vanya when I was Sonya. She told me not to keep tomatoes in the fridge.

What’s your dream role?

I’m desperate to get back on stage. I’ve been doing film and television for the past seven years, but theatre is my heart and my home.

What’s a genre you’d like to do more of?

I’d like a good horror. I can’t watch them because I’m a scaredy-cat, but I’d love to be in one.

© Leo Staar

Do you get to spend much time at home?

Not enough. I’ve been gadding about.

Do you live in the town or the country? Which do you prefer?

I’ve lived in London since I left university. I live on a hill next to an oak tree, so it feels like we are in the branches. I can never leave London because I’d miss the culture stuff, but I am a woodland creature.

What’s your interior design style?

A mish-mash of old things I’ve found in auctions. Too many books.

How do you find balance in your personal and work lives?

I don’t.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

An astronaut.

If you could give advice to your 15-year-old self, what would it be?

Don’t sleep with that guy’s flatmate when you are 21.

How can we all live a little bit better?

Choose love.

Anything fun in the pipeline – professionally or personally?

I’m going to run away to a southern European city for January and February to write.

Quick Fire

I’m currently watching… Only Murders in the Building

What I’m reading… We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

The last thing I watched (and loved) was… Silo. I love Rebecca Ferguson.

What I’m most looking forward to seeing… The Motive and the Cue with Mark Gatiss in the West End because I was away for its National Theatre run.

Favourite film of all time… Don’t Look Now

Favourite song of all time… ‘Disco 2000’ by Pulp

Band/singer I always have on repeat… Leonard Cohen

My ultimate cultural recommendation… Join all the museums and galleries

Cultural guilty pleasure… Overcooked 2. It’s computer game where you run around and try to make kebabs.

What’s next for me is… Walking my dog in Beckenham Place Park – it’s south London’s secret mini Hampstead Heath.

Watch

Louise Brealey stars in Such Brave Girls, on BBC iPlayer from 22 November. bbc.co.uk

[itsthenovelteafactor]

TV Shows Roundup: Jan - June

AKA every show I watched in the first half of 2024. I’ve been wanted to keep better track of my own viewing habits and thought it’d be fun to keep a running list with mini reviews. might do a tier list at the end of the year if I end up having enough. Curious what y’all have been watching/if you have any recommendations!

about 12 shows here which sounds like a lot but in my defense, there are a lot with one one season (currently!! we are manifesting some renewals here)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians (season one):

Full transparency: I was not watching this show. 12 year old me who was obsessed with Percy Jackson, knew who her godly parent would be, and acted out sword fights with her siblings, was watching this show. She has no complaints. School Spirits (season one):

As soon as I heard the premise of this show I was on board, but it ended up delivering even more than I expected. The mystery was interesting and I felt like I received information at the exact right pace, the ghosts made a very charming undead-breakfast club and the characters in general were very compelling. Whoever put that Phoebe Bridgers song at the end of episode 1 deserves and Emmy and I’m not kidding. Loki (season 2):

I’ve fallen out with the MCU as a whole, but this show brought me back for season 2. I appreciate how it stands on its own as a series with its own characters, worldbuilding, and story that doesn’t require I watch 15 movies and 2 shows to comprehend. This season leaned into the wacky scifi time trace shenanigans in a way that reminded me of Doctor Who at times. The ending made me unexpectedly emotional. The Bastard Son and the Devil Himself (season 1):

Okay, I liked the first couple episodes of this but once the main trio of Nathan, Annalise, and Gabriel were together it was *electric*. I loved how gorey and dark it wasn’t afraid to get and the characters played off each other so well. I’m devastated we won’t get to see more of these guys because despite the fast pacing of the show, you really grow to love these characters. Lockwood and Co (season one, rewatch):

Just as good the second time! Truly a masterfully done show; the worldbuilding, mysteries, and aesthetic are top notch but what sells it are the characters and their relationships to each other. There really is something incredibly comforting about this show for me, I keep coming back to Portland Row and the people who live there. The fact that we did not get to see later books in the series adapted is a tragedy.

Fleabag (seasons one and two):

This is just smartly done comedy with characters whose dysfunction manages to feel a little too familiar. I loved the shades of the stage play peeking through - there is a theatrical feel to the show overall that I love - and despite its cynicism, this show has a beating heart that occasionally hits you across the face. Basically everything they say about this one is true.

Doom Patrol (seasons three and four):

I will admit, season three (minus the DVDA) episode, felt very slow to me, but season four was an excellent return to form. It’s strange, bordering on absurdist, and flits between comedy and horror at a dizzying speed. This show is an underrated gem and truly one of a kind.

Cracow Monsters (season one):

This show is beautiful; its color scheme, setting, and camera work are immersive and feel like wandering down rainy cobblestoned streets. The story took a while to pick up, but the horror elements were very well done. I wish we’d spent a bit more time with the other students, as they all seemed like interesting characters in their own right. I loved the mythology, and folkloric inspiration.

The Artful Dodger (season one):

It’s a period drama, it’s a medical show, it’s a heist, it’s inspired by Charles Dickens. This show is utterly delightful and thoroughly engrossing. I suspected I would enjoy it from the concept alone, but there is just something completely charming about it start to finish I could not get out of my head.

Dead Boy Detectives (season one):

So…this show took over my brain. The world here is populated by dynamic and fascinating characters and the case of the week format allows for the chance to see them shine in different situations. It somehow balances the absurd, the macabre, and the heartfelt and once it finds its footing does not let up. It’s smart, eccentric, and basically candy for the kind of person who loves over analyzing the actions of fictional characters (me).

Hannibal (season 3):

Had to wait for this to come back on Amazon to finish and it did not disappoint. First half of the season was slower, but I really enjoyed the gothic castle sections. Second half was Red Dragon, which was really cool with these versions of the characters. A wholly satisfying (and appropriately morbid) conclusion to the series.

Andor (season 1)

People have been telling me to watch this and that I’d love it since it came out and they were all correct. There was so much more thought and care put into the depiction of life under an oppressive government and I expected and even if I wasn’t a Star Wars fan, the story is gripping and beautifully shot on its own. Because I *am* a Star Wars fan, it’s even better.

[maarigolds]

If I wanted to feel less worried about a renewal what facts are looking good for Lockwood and Co? Things in their favor?

Ok look I'm definitely the wrong person to ask this to because I'm usually a staunch pessimist but-

There are a few things that do give me hope*:

*and when I say a few I actually mean here's 1k word essay bc I'm slowly going crazy. You're welcome.

The numbers are not fantastic, but they're not bad either. I feel like we keep on saying that we need more views (and we do. we always do.) but the situation is really not that terrible. We're somewhere in the middle, actually. The show is not super popular online, so it feels like people didn't watch it, but they did, they're just not talking about online as much as I wish they would. Also, as we've already said many times, there are quite a few netflix shows that have a similar budget to l&co that have been renewed for a second season despite having lower views (locke&key, winx, warrior nun).

The show is British. I know that this might sound weird as a reason why it should be renewed, but hear me out: the show is definitely targeted towards brits and all the press they did was in the uk. That's the main audience netflix is interested in, and the show has done pretty damn good over there. The numbers are lower in other countries because netflix didn't fucking promote the show anywhere else- but that's a story for another day.

Joe Cornish is planning to only do 3 seasons. The story is already there, it fits neatly into a three seasons run, and netflix knows this. It's not like Joe is setting up a high budget show that, if people like, could take 7 seasons and 12 years to make (like sense8 was, for example). Plans have been made already to make three seasons, and that means that, when netflix greenlit the first season, they already knew how much the whole thing would cost. it's a much safer bet for them. It was the same thing for Locke&key, and they got the three seasons they wanted.

The pandemic is pretty much over (it's really not, but as far as netflix is concerned it is). Netflix has cancelled a shitload of stuff lately, we know this, much more than other streaming platforms did. However, one of the reasons why that happened, was the pandemic. All production was stopped and that meant that either shows couldn't physically be made, or that it took so long for them to come back that people had lost interest. Luckily that's not the case anymore, so maybe the number of cancelled shows will go down in the next year.

The production is shared with Joe Cornish's company, complete fiction. That always helps. Also its called complete fiction so fucKING COMPLETE THE SHOW YOU COWARDS

The reviews are good. Not that it matters all that much with netflix, but surely it's a positive.

I really really want it so bad. Please.

Ok I'm done cause I have to go to class in like 15 minutes so yeah

Keep streaming the show in the background. Tell everyone about it (but don't be obnoxious cause that never works). Make art and videos and gifs and fanfics and analysis and anything you feel like doing. Because every little thing helps 💙🖤🧡

[therubyreader]

My Review of Lockwood and Co. [Netflix]

See a full list of my book reviews here

*Disclaimer: there will be spoilers later on in the review*

Review Word Count, non-spoiler: 871 Review Word Count Total: 1,517

Trigger warning for the contents of this show: death, violence, creepy ghost faces, mild horror, very brief gun violence (let me know if I missed any)

I know, this isn't a book, technically. While I am usually a book/book review blog I have come with my first ever tv show review that's based on a book series so close enough. Now I know what you're saying, "Val, why don't you just read the books, it'll fit your concept" but quite frankly I don't want to. This isn't meant to be a diss towards the author, I'm sure the books are great, but it's just because the ven diagram of books I like to read and movies/shows I like to watch mostly overlaps save for a few things like ghost stories. I honestly don't know why I can't read ghost books but I can watch ghost shows and movies, for the most part because I am a wimp so it can't be too scary. But I have heard multiple people say that it's the most accurate book to screen adaptation ever so I will trust those people and we'll count this towards my book review list.

Anyways, about the show. Lockwood and Co. takes place in an alternate reality London where ghosts are real and they pose a threat to the city at large, because if you get touched by one you die. In this reality the only people who can see ghosts are gifted children, they posses some combination of either ghost sight, touch, or hearing, but usually one more so than the others, and they are able to use these gifts to track down and contain these ghosts. As they age their gifts start to fade so the entire ghost containment industry is staffed by child soldiers.

Now we get to our main character, Lucy Carlyle who is a listener, and after a ghost hunting adventure gone wrong, leading to the death of some of her friends, she leaves her small town in northern England for London hoping to create a fresh start for herself there. After unsuccessfully trying to join a prestigious London agency she manages to find Lockwood and Co. (roll credits) a ghost hunting agency run by two teenage boys, Anthony Lockwood, the one who's name is on the door, and his best friend George Karim. Lucy joins up with them and together they hunt down ghosts and solve the mysteries that take place over the course of the first two books in the series.

I do have so much to say about this show but for the sake of your eyes I'll try to keep it short, key word try. Overall I loved it, this show has a good mix of action, mystery, comedy, and even a slow burn romance (which I will get to in more detail in the spoiler part of the review). If you can stomach the aforementioned content warnings then I recommend the show to you. It honestly has something for everyone, and if you're not super into plot (which I don't know why you wouldn't be) the characters do really carry a lot of the story. Their internal battles and struggles propel the story forward just as much as the actual ghost hunting. You can see these characters really learn and grow over the course of the show, and they make mistakes and have real problems that most people can relate to. There is also a found family trope which I absolutely love, because who isn't a sucker for found family, and there's even a point where Lucy calls them her family which I thought was cute and sweet.

Something that I don't think this show gets enough credit for is the lighting. Now I'm not an expert on cinematography, I literally took one film class in college and it's been two years since that happened so I'm just winging it here, but the lighting of the show is great. I know its been a common theme for a lot of media recently to be horribly lit, like everything is super dark for no reason, but this show, despite most of the action taking place at night, was well lit, you could see what was happening. I hope the editors of the show win multiple awards for that and also the rest of the editing. The ghosts, for the most part, don't look super cheesy and weird. Sure the first one is kind of cartoony but the rest of the series has ghosts that look pretty creepy and you can understand the fear the characters feel. There are also different types of ghosts that all look different despite all being ghosts and the editors do a great job of making them all look unique and scary but also ghostly.

I am really really really hoping Netflix renews the show for a second season and beyond because it was just so good. I honestly binged it in one day and I'm rewatching it right now with my brother because I need him to experience it. It's honestly at the point where I keep checking google at least once a day to see if it's been renewed. If it isn't I'll actually cry for real. But yes, I recommend this show to quite literally everyone, please watch it, I need another season especially after the cliffhanger ending.

Spoilers Below!!!

You all know I have to talk about it: Locklyle. Listen, I am a sucker for a good slow burn but on the other hand I am extremely inpatient so I want it to happen now. According to my research (because I'm a fucking nerd) Lockwood and Lucy don't get together in the books which is upsetting, apparently it's only implied at the very end of the last book which is kind of rude tbh. It looks like the writers are playing into the fact that they like each other so I hope it becomes cannon in the show because if all that build up is for nothing I will cry.

My favorite part of the whole Locklyle thing is when on two separate occasions Lockwood was confronted with how him and Lucy look at each other by two separate people. And they're right, the way they look at each other is adorable (hey God, I know you're tired of me, but hear me out). Also the way that they would just casually hold hands? Like if you blinked you would miss it, that's just how casual and cute they were and I ate it up.

The previously mentioned research was me trying to find out what exactly the necklace that Lockwood gave Lucy was. Which, side note, was super cute and the fact that Lucy just kept it on for the rest of season if I'm remembering correctly. But, going back to the research, I was trying to figure out what the necklace actually was, like I can't make out what the shape of it is, which book readers please tell me what it's supposed to be I don't care if you spoil the plot for me. I did come across an article that mentioned the necklace but also that Lucy and Lockwood don't end up dating in the books which is why I was talking about that earlier, and I swear to everything holy the show writers better not do that to me.

On to my main dude George, aka probably my favorite character. With the exception of him being mesmerized by the mirror and making dumb choices because of it, he was a solid dude. My favorite part is definitely when they're in the graveyard and he's just talking shit about all of the kids on night watch and when one of them hears him he just tells her to "go write a poem about it" and I was losing my mind, it was so funny.

I feel like George is so underrated, every time I look into the Lockwood and Co. tag on here there are just posts about either Locklyle or Lockwood x reader fan fiction but nothing for my main dude George. This isn't to say I read the fan fics, I haven't read any since I was in my teens (once again, being old on main) but also because the characters are technically teenagers, even though the actors that portray them are my age, reading fan fic about kids as a grown adult feels icky. Also this isn't me trying to discredit any of the authors, I'm in support of you all, it's just not my thing. But can we please have more George related content, he is so good and pure, and also I have a newfound crush on Ali Hadji-Heshmati that needs to be fueled.

Honestly I could keep talking for ages about this show, and I honestly might especially since I'm rewatching it and looking to see if I can pick up on any new details that I missed, so I guess be making more posts about the show as time goes on. But if there were any scenes in the show that you want me to talk about, drop an ask, I'm down to scream and fan girl about it for the rest of forever.

Tag list: @batteredbooks @chibi-chellist

[radarsteddybear]

Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @rose-of-pollux. Thank you!

(I tag everyone and anyone who wants to do this!)

How many works do you have on AO3? 74

What's your total AO3 word count? 222,374 words

What fandoms do you write for? A lotta DuckTales (2017), a good deal of Hogan's Heroes, some Singin' in the Rain, and a smattering of other stuff. Though I'm not really writing DuckTales anymore (nor am I writing the smattering of other stuff).

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Ducktober 2017 (DuckTales 2017)

Numb (DuckTales 2017)

An Old Letter (DuckTales 2017)

A Phone Call and a Visit (DuckTales 2017)

It All Fades to Black (Encanto)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I try to reply to comments left on AO3. Since you have to respond to reviews on ff.net via PM, I find it a lot harder to keep track of which I've responded to and which I haven't, so I usually don't anymore.

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Most of my angst comes with a happy ending, and on top of that, I don't have the greatest perspective of how angsty my angst is, but I'm going to go with Exchange (Scrooge has to pay a price to get Lena back from Magica).

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Jeez, I don't know. Most of them have happy endings. The two that come to mind are:

Things My Heart Used to Know (Louie has discovered who he is and not only found his family but also put it back together again)

Ashes (Cosmo gets to live out his happily-ever-after with the two loves of his life, Don Lockwood and Kathy Seldon)

Do you get hate on fics? Not quite hate, but I have gotten complete non sequiturs, people who don't seem to understand that I like to write scenes over full stories, and a couple of arguments over my chosen characterization of a character in one specific story (which I stand by).

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? I've never written any, though that doesn't stop me from thinking about them. Lately I've been thinking about Captain Carter visiting the 4077th.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of.

Have you ever had a fic translated? No.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? The closest I've ever come to co-writing a fic was when @eggs-arent-real wrote me a one-shot and I wrote her a sequel. We didn't post it, though.

What's your all-time favorite ship? Probably Cosmo/Don/Kathy from Singin' in the Rain. I'm also partial to Stucky and Aziraphale/Crowley.

What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? Good question. I've not given up on any of these, mind you, but my Darkwing Duck plot bunnies may fall into this category; it's just that I have to rewatch a significant portion of the show to pull them off, and I have no idea when that's going to happen.

What are your writing strengths? Back in high school, I was told by multiple people that I was really good with imagery. I also tend to like my dialogue, and I've had a lot of practice writing whump and hurt/comfort scenes, so I'd like to think I'm pretty good at those, too.

What are your writing weaknesses? Coming up with full plots (as opposed to random, out-of-context scenes). And also endings. And getting characters from point A to point B without any/much dialogue.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? If that's how a character speaks, then that's how a character speaks. Personally, I try to avoid it unless it's a canon piece of the character and/or it's plot relevant. I think I've only done it for Panchito and Jose of the Three Caballeros. And also Mark Beaks, who canonically peppers his speech with Spanish when talking to Fenton because he is awful.

First fandom you wrote for? Liberty's Kids. There's a good chance I still have it, too, though I'll never post it (I never finished it, anyway).

The first fandom I wrote for and posted was Iron Man: Armored Adventures, which is also the only fic I've ever deleted off the internet.

Favorite fic you've ever written? I've gotta go with these two:

Things My Heart Used to Know

“We’ll meet up in Duckburg,” he heard Scrooge say. “I’ve got a Bin there, and…” Another explosion, the biggest one yet, shook the Bin, and large chunks of plaster fell around them. “We have to go,” Donald said. Scrooge turned to Louie and pressed something small and solid and round into his hand. “Guard it well,” he told him before disappearing into the smoke. Or, Louie gives a new meaning to the nickname “Captain Lost.”

Ashes

Cosmo drinks his sorrows away after Kathy discovers that he and Don are more than just friends.

[wanderingwolpertinger]

finished Six of Crows yesterday (yes I skipped shadow and bone entirely the opening exposition was annoying me buuuut I'll go back later. Blame my friend she said I should start with SoC) and I haven't started Crooked Kingdom (no spoilers please!) however I wanted to dump my thoughts for a bit (I probably ended up being overly critical so if this is your fav series maybe scroll by lol)

-the characters were the highlight of the story for me, super well executed banter. Tie between Kaz and Matthias for fav POV. (Kaz's backstory was especially well done, the way it influenced his actions throughout SoC was very natural)

-worldbuilding/lore was pretty easy to follow even though I did not read S&B or watch the show. magic system is pretty cool, excited to see it fleshed out in S&B

-not sure how I feel about how ship-happy this series is (maybe the author was trying to outrun ship war potential idk). possibly makes more sense when viewed as a series? (will have to update my opinion later) but overall having every main pov character paired off somewhat sappily by the end of book one was ehhh? I'm not opposed to romantic subplots but I felt they may have held too much influence in the main plot here.

-hrrmmm love me some GrimDark (not) (ok not when it's not done very impactfully imo) (mmmm let's not explore the ethics of casually taking lives for more than 0.5 seconds) (yes it's a fantasy book but still) (particularly Jesper's pov was ... odd) (he seemed to have issues with his actions but also didn't?) (maybe it will make more sense upon reread)

-Standard Heist Plot (no notes) (yes to explosives)

-ok back to the crit. one of the reviews in the front of my copy compared SoC to ASOIAF (haven't read it but I know enough to verify) and like yes actually it really did feel somewhat like aggressively PG-13 Game of Thrones. (I dunno this is more of a personal gripe with authors feeling the need to inject the sexual exploitation of women into their fantasy novels in order to be more Realistic) (especially when it's minors) (bleh)

-idk a lot of the side worldbuilding choices felt like something an edgy 14 year old would choose because they were Dark ™️

-however props for character design, the appearance/physicality of each of the Crows was wonderfully distinct

-not in loooove with the ending. It sets up book two nicely yes but kinda gave me KOTLC cliffhanger flashbacks

-sort of feels like this book is a sanitized adult fantasy novel with de-aged protagonists (could be being unfair here) and a YA plot

-no actually the number of times Nina's breasts are mentioned is absurdly high, the heck was up with that

-so Matthias being a ex-witch hunter = bad (duh) cause he was going to send Grisha to their deaths. Ok makes sense. Now tell me why Kaz/Inej/Jesper killing somewhat indiscriminately is not really addressed in moral terms beyond "necessary"? (Actually ignore this one for now I would need to do a reread before I have full thoughts on this) (But there will be thoughts)

-overall, I had a good time reading this book. Yeah I had problems with it but some of that could honestly stem from the fact that I am not 15 anymore and have different taste in books. (ok ok also I am actively comparing this with Lockwood and Co and I feel that series took equally dark topics but explored them much more maturely) (and honestly also Mistborn. That series also had dark worldbuilding but didn't linger on what it didn't have to?)

[squishy-lombax]

Book reviews from my book club

I host a book club that has unfortunately been lacking in active members. If you're interested in joining, please let me know. We are based on Discord. Warning: I've very passionate about the book club and will get on your case if I don't hear from you regularly. If any of the books listed here that we've read previously interest you, our book club may too! 18+ only. I have relatives in the book club, so I'll kick you if you're being weird. Books are in order of how much I enjoyed them! Disclaimer: These, of course, are just my opinions based on my tastes. (formatted for PC, not app)

Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Unlike a lot of other high-fantasy books, this one isn't so overly complicated you can still enjoy it. The characters are all very realistic and lovable! This book dealt with a few very heavy topics, however, none of the situations presented were black and white. Especially with a character named Eril-Fane; he was handled so well in my opinion. Even the so-called villain of the story I was able to sympathize with and couldn't decide if I wanted her redeemed or dead. The the description doesn't do the book justice but I can't say much without spoilers. It's a LOT more interesting than it sounds, I promise!

Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book has incredible writing, world-building, characters, and interactions. It felt like something that could actually happen (or may be happening right now depending on who you ask). This book has wonderful descriptions and I went through the whole book confidant in how the alien looked in my mind. Any confusion didn't feel frustrating, like in a "I'm just a dumb human" type of way. The main character felt very relatable, and the author wasn't afraid to make her humanly-gross at times. Which I appreciate. I also appreciate the huge emphasis on understanding, communication, and consent present in this book. Things that feel like they should be common in most relationship based stories, but unfortunately, are not.

Lockwood and Co. The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The characters were relatable and funny, and the environments were described excellently! I was invested in the story from chapter one and remained invested to the very end! I especially loved the descriptions of the ghosts and how they were handled. Just the right amount of terror and mystery surrounds them. In general, I usually hate first-person books; but this one strangely did not bother me. Truly a talented writer! I don't know how this book is considered a children's book, though, because even adult-me found myself sitting on the edge of my seat with the sheer thrill and terror this book invoked!

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book is based on Norse mythology and it did a wonderful job at explaining this crazy and cooky mythos as coherently as possible. I think if you're interested in Norse mythology (or are a kid learning history) this book is a must-read. The whole story read like a spirited DnD campaign. It was funny, it was camp, and it was lively! I actually laughed out loud a couple times during this book, or had to bury my face envisioning certain scenarios. Representation is abundant with the main character being pan-sexual, the leading lady is Muslim, the first side character is a man that is a fashion designer, and the other is a disabled character (deaf and uses ASL). None of these characters fall into the terrible cliché of the "third wheel, dumb, friend" and all representation featured feels organic and natural.

Waking the Merrow by Heather Rigney ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I worried this would end up just being a trashy romance. I'm so happy to say it was not! It had enough sexy elements to remind you that we're dealing with sirens but it was far above fanfiction equality. I enjoyed the main character because there is something refreshing about having a character be so fundamentally flawed and yet you can still tell she is a good person and doing her best. All the characters were arguably unlikable and yet I liked all of them! I find it far more impressive to write a character in this way. The merrow themselves had great descriptions of their appearance and savagery. Yet they also appear to have a depth and complexity hinted throughout that I'm sure is fully explored in the later books.

Silver Spoon by Hiromu Arakawa ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This manga was extremely cute and down to earth. All the characters felt real and alive, going through struggles that may be very personal to the reader. I also learned quite a bit about farming. I was invested in the relationship between Yuugo and Aki and couldn't wait for them to just hold hands. I also enjoyed the realistic take on the relationship with Yuugo and his father. There is no big forgiveness moment and them continuing to have a strained relationship is something that sometimes happens. The characters and morals I feel can connect to many people. Although, this style of story isn't for everyone.

The Guardians: Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King by William Joyce & Laura Geringer ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I was introduced to this series through the movie, Rise of the Guardians. Although this book is a very simple read, I still really enjoy it. It's filled with so much imagination, heart, and gorgeous illustrations. Plus I always love a reinterpretation of childhood characters. I can actually picture myself reading my future kids these books at bedtime!

The Naked Don't Fear The Water by Matthieu Aikins ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I struggle to write reviews for things based on actual events. I enjoyed this book, which surprised me because books that recount actual events have a terrible habit of being boring to me. However, I rather enjoyed the way Matthieu wrote. It was just the right amount of storytelling while also staying focused on the actual events transpiring. This book does a wonderful job of educating its readers while keeping them engaged in a story.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō by Hitoshi Ashinano ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A lovely and relaxing read that does a wonderful job at romanticizing the little things in life. I can definitely see Studio Ghibli making a movie based off this story; they would do a fantastic job with this concept! I especially loved Alpha! (she's autistic and you can't change my mind!) I'm very surprised that this manga is in the Seinen genre because it feels more like it was written for cottage-core lesbians then adult men. One issue is that this story introduced a lot of interesting world-building lore that I was super excited to learn more about. However, sadly, it doesn't dive into any of these concepts more; they are simply brought up and rarely mentioned again.

Room by Emma Donoghue ⭐⭐⭐ The book is very interesting and covers topics I like. However, there is a surprising amount of nothing happening. The five-year-old point of view was hard to get used it, then was okay, but became grating again as the story dragged on. However, after the second half I wasn't sure what the goal of the plot was anymore. The story kind of drags with basic day-to-day things, and having it be from a five-year-old's point of view was no longer interesting to me. I feel like it would have been better if the point of views changed at the half way point to the mother's.

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman ⭐⭐⭐ (I read the book before watching the TV show) I found the book rather interesting in concept and I enjoyed the characters. Unfortunately, I personally have struggles with reading and thus the way this book is worded made it difficult for me. I felt there were far too many main characters to get invested in anyone, and just a general lot of nothing happening in the story. It always seemed like something was gonna happen, and thus kept my attention but it never really did, and thus left me feeling disappointed. There were plenty of funny moments but unfortunately, they just didn't make me laugh out loud at all. If you're going to read this book, do so as an audio book!

Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas ⭐⭐ This book was a disappointment. I loved the darker atmosphere with the murder mystery going on. I also loved the fluffy romance between Peter and Wendy. However, unfortunately, Wendy was dull as a protagonist, spending almost the whole book having things happen to her, rather than doing things herself. I do have a serious Anxiety Disorder but unfortunately, being anxious and sad all the time doesn't make for a very interesting character. The pacing was PAINFULLY slow! The direction I thought the book was going in was WAY more interesting than what actually ended up happening. Not to mention the characters didn't discover anything themselves, instead always having it explained to them in exposition dumps. It's a bad fanfiction quality book.

[suometar]

Sean Lockwood is apparently 'amiably caddish'. I love these kinds of characters ngl.

Also, Joe will be jitterbugging? I can't wait to see that.

Variety crushes all my hopes for a good film though...

The performers in “Finally Dawn” are its weakest feature: big and broad, prone to pantomime, clashing with whatever it is their colleagues are doing. In the great Italian tradition of Pasolini et al., actors seem to have been cast for their faces more than their capacity to become someone new, and in the case of the English-speaking ones, give cringey line readings. Lily James has been dolled up to look like a glamorous Hollywood celebrity, but she conveys nothing of that imperious hauteur the greats (and even the second-rates) of that era projected, thereby failing to convince as either an A-list star or a pharaoh. The character might have been inspired by any number of real-life legends — my money’s on redhead Rita Hayworth, who dressed similarly in the abandoned, Rome-based “The Story of Joseph and His Brethren.” Her co-star, Joe Keery, plays an American named Sean Lockwood with all the gravitas of a Disney Channel star. At times, the acting in here is downright painful (though Willem Dafoe breathes impish life into his bilingual role, while the others stick to their native tongues).

And Hollywood Reporter seems to be as disappointed at them film as the rest, using big names in the title of the article but not mentioning them but in passing. Which probably says a lot about the film.

2 hrs 20 mins sounds long as is but if it is anywhere close to what the reviewers say, it's going to be very long 140 minutes just to see Joe. Though not that it would be the first time I spend time I'm never getting back just to see someone on the screen...

PS. I'm a huge film buff and I do have my hopes up that it's not going to be as crushing disappointment as the review suggest. These kinds of films are an acquired taste. It's good to remember that these reviews are just the views of the few people who've seen the film. They're not the ultimate truth but they do usually tell something about the film, especially when the three biggest mediums in the industry seem to agree a lot.

[tm-trx]

currents.13 /2023

selections from my week in media [26 march - 2 april 2023]

[listening]

Inspiration & Knock on My Door / Onew - More Japanese releases to add to my playlist.

Limitless / ATEEZ - One of the first kpop albums I bought was their Japanese album. I had no idea who they were then I just loved the album. So it was a great surprise when this song dropped. I keep going back to it.

[reading]

Dinosaur Sanctuary vol 1-2 - I have a stack of comics thiiiiiis big that has been sitting unread for way too long. Seven Seas released vol 2 this month so I decided to start with dinosaurs. It’s so fun and I will be continuing with the series.

[watching]

Chains of Heart - I’m thinking so much about this show that I started making myself a timeline trying to keep the plot straight. After episode 7, the details are becoming more clear and I have theories. We also got some more beautiful flashback scenes. Each week, it just becomes more and more painfully clear how much Din is putting Ken through by not telling him he’s alive. Whether he is beholden to some entity that is keeping him quiet or whether he’s made the decision himself, it’s going to take a long time for Ken to trust him again. (This is assuming that Din is actually alive, whether he is Peter or is giving Peter his orders. But I’m pretty sure Peter is Din.)

K-pop Generation - Watched episode 7 (choreographer focused) and really enjoyed it. It was fascinating to hear and see the choreographers interviewed discuss their work and how the kpop system works from their perspective. Hoshi was a nice bonus.

Lockwood & Co - I went back and finished the second half. It got slightly better and I think I figured out why the show wasn’t as enjoyable as I expected. The soundtrack is extremely emo and low contrast. None of the songs enhanced the scenes they highlighted, and in general, brought the emotional tone and color of the show down quite a lot.

Our Dating Sim - I loved it. It had such a satisfying ending. That said, I would definitely watch another season or two of this team making video games and being cute. More detailed review here.

A Shoulder to Cry On - Overall, I liked this series, but it should have ended with episode 6. The epilogue was cute and it was nice to see them all couple-y but it was really unclear to me what their relationship status was. And since that was the whole point of the previous episode it felt odd not being sure. More detailed review here.

Unintentional Love Story, ep 5-6 - Eavesdropping never turns out well. Wonyoung learned that lesson this week. And we got a Ghost moment! I didn’t think they’d actually do it, but they did. And then the episode ended with a dead fish kiss, which considering how much chemistry the actors have it took me by surprise how bad that kiss was.

previous Currents posts

[treesap-blogs]

Happy Saturday! Here’s a review of “The Outlaws Scarlett And Browne” by Jonathan Shroud!

Hello, Tumblrians! Whilst we may not be nearing our 20th Tumblr Review yet (although the combined superpowers of my depression and my ADHD may get us alarmingly close to that goal in a short period of time if I don’t exercise restraint and stick with the 3 books per week thing), it is a special occasion nonetheless! This marks my 13th review! I don’t know if any of you guys know this, but 13 is my favorite number!!! (I like the supernatural/superstitious connotations with it. Mysterious!) (and partially out of spite, I like to think of it as lucky. Not that we’ll need that for this review, anyhow.)

Anyhow! Time for my personal favorite section, presumably your least favorite: 💫Book Backstory Time💫, the segment in which I explain how I encountered a book, a la Blob Of Text On A Recipe Before The Actual Recipe! I found out about it from Mellowkotto’s stories on Instagram, particularly when they talked about the bank robbery scene at the beginning. For some reason that was enough to sell it to me(which is so funny, because they just talked about liking Scarlett), and I ended up talking about the book to my mom because I’d put it on my notes app TBR. Didn’t catch onto why she asked at least twice or thrice for the title despite her only reading nonfiction books, but she messaged my mildly rich grandfather who gets my brother and I annual Christmas gifts, and swear I remember I opened up a December 2021 Christmas present to find it inside! (Goodreads lists a different release date for that?! Maybe it’s just the UK version or something, I live in the U.S. and it probably was put out at a different time. Plus, my copy has a different cover than the one I put under my “Read” folder/shelf.) I read the first fifty or so pages that night by the light of a Skittles-scented candle, and got to 100 or so by the end of winter before being a little burnt out and stopping. That was before I had a consistent reading schedule, though! Once I got one in 2022, I read a bit further until I forgot about it in my reading queue that was full of library books(literally the only reason I read fast haha), until I basically cleared that up this year and finished it! So it has technically taken me over a year to read this book. Lovely.

The Outlaws Scarlett And Browne is the first in a trilogy(only 2 books are out at the moment), following young adult crook Scarlett McCain. She’s on the run after committing a bank heist(which is slightly unusual for her because the stakes brought on by being chased by the law after just robbing a small bank are weirdly high?), and whilst doing so she encounters a boy around her age named Albert Browne. How did he end up the only remaining person in a bus that got completely totaled? Scarlett doesn’t know. But he tags along, and whilst they flee from the law through the woods, it seems like Albert’s hiding a lot of things from her. Is he a threat? Is he as he seems? What even is he hiding that makes officials so eager to catch him, and why is he wanted? Again, Scarlett doesn’t know. But she’s about to find out when they hesitantly form an alliance of sorts that develops into a friendship.

To be honest, I knew nothing about Jonathan Stroud until I picked up this book. Lockwood & Co., while not being his debut series, was by far his most popular (and no longer has a niche audience now that the Netflix series is out), and that’s kind of all I knew about? Ghost stuff and teens. And before that there was a different series that flipped magical realm morals on their head, and got him in the public eye(Barthemius, was it called? Some distinctly European fantasy name like that). So that set a lot of peoples’ expectations for this book very high, and many believed it didn’t deliver on that because it wasn’t as strong or original as some of his other works. I can’t comment on it that much, as I have no other works of his I can go off of, but I do think the overall world just doesn’t stick out for me.

Firstly! The plot, while interesting, didn’t really have anything I was all too surprised by. It felt like other things I’d find in other novels: a heavy reliance on “biological perfection” and the extreme lengths went to preserve that(albeit they were barely shown for this book, only mentioned frequently and remaining a looming threat), futuristic European setting (divided England was an interesting concept though, and London being split up into the islands for the refugees to inhabit), guy with secret dangerous powers that are probably enough for the FMC to worry about if their motives are unclear. (Here though, Maroon’s dynamic—the ship name for Albert and Scarlett, get it because scarlet and brown(e) make maroon—is left up to interpretation as to whether it’s strictly platonic, or a romantic thing, something worth nothing because that last bit is usually something an FMC is drawn to in a romantic subplot.) It was also simultaneously the first and not the first fantasy dystopia-ish novel I’ve read?! (I started it a year before The Belles, but finished it afterwards.)

With that said, though, there was one welcome change of pace I enjoyed: the lack of gender stereotypes with our main characters? While Scarlett faces some sexism during the book, her femininity isn’t used as a way to paint her out to be “less than”, nor is she automatically reduced to a “Not Like Other Girls” archetype by putting other women down for being “too girly”(something that might happen, with an action heroine written by a straight male author). Albert was also one of my favorites!! He’s unashamedly that person who posts about “haters being jealous of his childlike wonder”(please don’t take this literally it’s a meme reference, social media does not exist in TOSAB lmao), but then he..sometimes kills people too lmao?!?! Morally reprehensible ones, granted, but he’s still doing it with his volatile abilities and it does get suspicious the sheer number of foes trying to track him down(which is due to his abilities, he can make things go ka-bloom if he gets too scared, and he can also read minds without the tiring emotional outtake). I loved his duality as it was humorous at times, and that he was written to be more like a young adult than a stereotypically “guyish” or “manly” deuteragonist. 

(Shoutout to Joe though, for trusting Albert with Ettie because he’s good with kids, even though he has abilities that could accidentally kill her, and not trusting Scarlett with her because she’s not good with kids even though she’s just some powerless person who’d have to put physical effort into harming Ettie lmao. Saw a reader point out the irony in that, though it was funny in hindsight.)

Him and Scarlett were solid protagonists, too! It took a bit for Scarlett to warm up to Albert, but by the end of the book they cared a lot about each other, and it was sweet to see that both in how glad they were the other person was still alive, and how Albert took a page out of Scarlett’s book and was inspired to stand up against Dr Calloway(the scientist who’d been abusing him for years). (Heck, the two even decided to briefly take care of their companion’s granddaughter together! The moment in that sketchy building where they’re trying to calm down Ettie and lead her back to the boat so she doesn’t get eaten by monsters is my favorite part.) They also had distinctive personalities, which contrasted in a way that made their dynamic interesting. Their banter was interesting! (I giggled a few times but Scarlett definitely went a bit too far in some of her insults before she warmed up to Albert, like..girlie was out of left field once in the book particularly, and I think people who’ve read it will know when💀)

Anyways. Conclusion is, I thought this book was okay. Had I not been brought here by a pre-established Shroudverse fan, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much! About 1/3rd through, I relied on the guidance of My Chemical Romance’s music in order to give me motivation to reach the halfway point. Perhaps Shroud’s other books are stronger in themes and plot, but at least the characters stuck. (I’ll give that to him, he can write MC dynamics well.)

Book rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. (This rating’s a versatile one, I’ve realized? Some 3 star books are mediocre, others are enjoyable but lack a few things to make them amazing.)

~Paz, signing off!

(Book content/trigger warnings: Some instances of physical/emotional abuse,  frequent mentions of ableism and slavery(the latter is not racial and isn’t described on page), general violence like guns and a bit of blood, sexism/misogyny.)