#Lunar Chronicles salt

[freddycartr]

"he tried to lift his chin, though it was difficult when cinder's glare was making him feel about as important as a grain of salt."

[sailor-brunette]

I am BEYOND sick and tired of "Not Like Other Girls (TM)" heroines in books. It's getting to the point where I'm afraid to read any book that has a heroine like this. The funny thing is...you'd think it'd be men writing these characters,but no. Most of these books are written by women. This is one reason why I love The Lunar Chronicles so much. I'm still reading the first book,Cinder. (On Chapter 19) But it's great because all the heroines are different and unique. We need more books like that. Anyway,just some thoughts. Sorry for ranting.

[salt-warrior]

I’m weeks late, but happy birthday, @cosmicnovaflare! Thanks for being my oldest and dearest tumblr friend. I hope you enjoy this fic, dedicated to you and all your ancientness<3

Wildest Dreams

Summary: Kai wakes up before Cinder, and she wonders what’s up with him. (WC: 1.3k)

Cinder awoke to the gentlest caress down her nose. In years past, a sensation of such a sort would have startled her—eyes open, body out of bed. But her head was filled with softest sleep, and she felt safe here, warm, as if all were right and good in the world.

She let out a soft hum, tilting her face upward as Kai’s fingers traced the curves of her cheeks, the line of her brow, the arch of her lips. She heard him laugh, a low sound so early in the morning. A smile claimed her face, and she opened her eyes to see Kai, propped up on one arm as he looked down upon her, hair clouding his eyes, the faintest blush decorating his cheeks.

“What are you doing awake so early?” Cinder asked, raising her chin to accept his kiss.

Kai rolled his eyes. “I can wake up before you.”

“You never do.”

“Now that’s just not true.”

Cinder propped herself up to look at him, eyes as level as they were mischievous. She poked him in the chest. “Name one time.”

“Oh, don’t you start.”

She laughed, then flopped back down on her pillow, pulling him toward her, his face pressing into the crook in her neck as he mumbled inaccurate words in his defense that only made Cinder laugh harder. Her fingers played with the ends of his hair, her spare arm creeping around him to hug him close.

“What?” Cinder asked when Kai mumbled something she couldn’t quite hear.

“I said I love hearing your laugh in the morning,” he said. “It’s the only thing that makes waking up worth it.”

Cinder felt her heart pinch, as it so often did where Kai was concerned. Once, she hadn’t been sure whether she was capable of love—whether she would ever have it in her life. Between Adri and Pearl and everyone else who regarded her as a monster because she was a cyborg, she hadn’t thought it possible that another person would want her. Would love her. Would be happy to wake up beside her in the morning. She didn’t think she would ever get over her own surprise. That she would get over how dearly she loved Kai.

Shifting, Kai pulled back, resting his face on her pillow, their faces only inches apart. The soft glow of the sun’s gentle haze bled through the window, shedding warmth and light on them both. Their hands, resting upon the bed’s cover, met and twined together. Kai brought the back of her hand up to his lips, then rested their joined fingers below his chin. She watched him all the while, until his eyes met hers, unmatched in understanding, and she wondered where she would be if not for him.

“Today’s our anniversary,” Kai said, voice quiet. “That’s why I woke before you. Although, let the record show that this is not the first time this has happened.”

Cinder blinked, her chest tightening. Her brain interface conjured the day’s date, and she shook her head, confused.

“Kai, our wedding was in—”

“I’m not talking about our wedding anniversary,” Kai cut in, rolling his eyes once again. Had her heart not been racing, Cinder would have told him—not for the first time—that if he continued to roll his eyes as much as he did, they might stay that way.

“Then what are you talking about?”

“The anniversary of the day we met. It’s been five years. Five years since I came to your booth in the marketplace. Little did I know I was about to meet the love of my life.”

Cinder scoffed. “If I remember correctly, you thought I was supposed to be an old man.”

“Once again, you were not what I was expecting,” Kai said dryly. “But if you had been an old man, I probably would have still fallen in love with you.”

“You were that desperate to get out of marrying Levana?”

“Definitely. But in your defense, I think you would make an attractive old man.”

“Gee, thanks,” Cinder said, struggling to maintain a straight face.

“But I’m glad you’re not an old man. To be clear,” Kai added. He blew a little puff of air at her face, scattering her bangs. She scowled at him. “I like you just the way you are.”

Cinder watched his face, that little piece inside of her that doubted herself—that piece that spoke in Adri and Pearl’s voices—waited for him to laugh. To say he didn’t mean it.

He did not laugh. Instead, he watched her intently, every action reassuring. His thumb rubbed the back of her hand. Her fingers squeezed his tighter.

“You’re my favorite part of every day,” Kai said, his voice completely sober. “I woke up this morning wondering where I would be if not for you. And I realized that I would likely be dead. My brain manipulated, my body and title used until Levana got what she wanted, before she killed me. A knife to the heart, the plague, my own hand turned enemy.” Cinder let go of his hand and pressed hers to his cheek, brushing hair and wetness from his eyes.

“I never thought I would have the opportunity to marry for love,” Kai continued. “I never thought I would be with someone that I even liked. In all my wildest dreams, I could have never imagined you. You saved me. You saved us all.”

“It’s not something I did alone.”

“But it’s something that no one else could have done,” Kai said. “Help or no help, no one could have stood in your place and united Earth and Luna. You did what both my father and I failed to do.”

“Kai . . .”

He smiled at her. “I’m grateful, that’s all. And proud. And so unbelievably happy.”

“Me too,” Cinder said. “Five years ago, the best I could hope for was my own emancipation. To run off to Europe with Iko. I never could have imagined you, or our friends, or intergalactic peace. It just—sometimes I worry that I’m going to wake up and discover that it was all just a dream.”

Kai shifted his face beneath her hand to kiss her palm, his own hand circling her wrist. “It’s not a dream,” he whispered. “My imagination definitely couldn’t have conjured finding Princess Selene at the marketplace. Or you escaping prison with an American convict. Or me being kidnapped on my wedding day. Or anything else that happened. It’s too crazy.”

“You’re right,” Cinder laughed. She wondered why, five years later, Kai was thinking of the first time they’d met. Not once in any of the other years of them knowing one another had either of them brought it up. There were always more pressing anniversaries to consume the mind in the middle of August. Rikan’s death. Peony’s. But perhaps time was allowing them to move forward—not to forget, but to make room. Maybe time—space, everything—let the light shine through, gave them the eyes to see the good that had happened with the bad.

Cinder would never not miss Peony, just as she knew that Kai would never not miss his father. That grief and pain would always be a part of them, but so would all the joy and peace that they brought one another.

She leaned forward, pressing her lips to Kai’s. It was a sweet, slow kiss, tangled with five years of knowing and loving one another. Of making it through everything, of proceeding in the world together.

“I’d do it all again,” Kai said when they broke apart. “Just to be here now with you.”

Cinder kissed the tip of his nose, a smile playing on her lips. “Me too.”

[fairytale-poll]

LOSER'S BRACKET, ROUND 1B! MATCH 2 OUT OF 8!

Loser's Bracket Propaganda Under the Cut:

Linh Cinder:

[No Propaganda Submitted]

Mireleh:

As a cook. she's so correct and i love her for it

[beguilingcorpse]

top five book series?

okay this is REALLY TOUGH!!! i feel like (with one notable exception) i’ve really only read standalone books (or only the first book in a series) for the past couple of years so FORGIVE ME IN ADVANCE

5. i am admittedly Not Far in the murderbot series (just started the second one) BUT i’ve really loved what i’ve read so far and i’m STOKED for the tv adaptation. it’s such a fresh take on an android character while still feeling like robust classic sci-fi. love it. want more

4. the hunger games I AM NOT KIDDING!!! i reread the first one a bit ago and i want to reread the other ones soon but it is CRAZY how much they hold up. i really do think that as time goes on they’ll just keep getting increasingly regarded as earnest and important additions to the literary canon. for being Baby’s First Dystopia the worldbuilding, themes, characters, and allegories are all incredibly compelling and well-thought-through. i WILL be reading the haymitch prequel when it drops. suzanne has me SAT

3. ok take this with a grain of salt because maybe they do not hold up. but the lunar chronicles was one of the first book series i really truly fell in love with. i am aware that there are many problems with it (on a number of levels lol) but i stand by the fact that sci-fi fairy tale adaptations about cyborg princesses and girls with guns and evil moon hypnosis is a badass concept. unless the series is way worse than i remember it being when i was 14. in which case i take all of that back

2. i went through a series of unfortunate events renaissance recently when i watch the tv show for the first time and it made me remember how damn good the books were. genuinely funny and clever and macabre and silly and weird. more books should be a series of unfortunate events

1. looks at the name of my blog. looks back at you. looks back at the name of my blog. coughs

in conclusion: i need to read more book series written for adults. and i need to FINISH THEM

(ask me my top 5 of anything!)

[gingerale2017]

Recommend some good tlc blogs/writers?

MY ASKS WON’T POST ISTG

anyways, here are some (mostly) kaider writers :) @impossiblesuitcase @just2bubbly @salt-warrior @kaider-is-my-otp @kaiderforever @princessselene126

tlc fanfic writers 🫶 @moon-mirage @lovelunarchron @shellyseashell

crack accounts 💀 @deprivedmusicaljunkie @a-salting-the-world @incorrecttlcquotes @notjacinclay @yourfavshipsjacolf

FANARTISTS (they aren’t exclusively tlc but have drawn A LOT of tlc stuff so i put them here) just type in the lunar chronicles fanart in the search bar and a lot will pop up @eerna @shanlightyear @cassecorrea @captain-hooks @cosmicnovaflare @beebee-art @winterrhayle @minidoodles97 (ik ik there’s so much more and i’m not good with memory so mutuals please tag then in the notes 💕)

tlc blogs in general: basically the crack accs and the fanfic writers 😭 @slmkaider @rapunzelfromthemoon @ao3feed-thelunarchronicles @channary @cinderswrench @kaixiety @zephyr-thedragon @notcressdarnel @whimsicalxdragons

there are so many blogs out there and if you’re one of them that i haven’t mentioned, please tag yourself and tag others that you know :)

[impossiblesuitcase]

What do you think would happen if the Lunar Chronicles was “reversed”? (Kai is the mechanic, Cinder is the princess, and so on) Would scenes be tweaked? Characters removed? I’m just asking for your opinion :)

Well, the question is if Cinder was the Princess of Luna and Kai a mechanic on Luna or if she's somehow the Princess of the Eastern Commonwealth. For the former @salt-warrior wrote a fic of that scenario, except instead of a mechanic, Kai is a storyteller (much more in line with his character, he knows nothing about electronics 😂).

As for the latter, @healing-winston-pratt has done a reverse AU for the whole crew, here and here.

The Princess Selene plot is so integral to the core of the Lunar Chronicles that to switch it would make it practically an entirely different story, so you can't really guess the changes without having to map out a whole new story.

[aardvark-123]

~The Silver-Heart Chronicles Part 7: Friends Come and Go, Sometimes where they Actually Intended~

Many days had passed in Dawnstar. After helping the local sea captain Leif Wayfinder with his shipment of finely-cut void salts, Adelaisa finally had her partner for importing horker meat. Yngvar had another reason to resent Adelaisa, who'd spent the whole trip calling him Lydia and giving him furniture to carry.

"Oh, good morning, Yngvar. Have you seen my friend Lydia? I could have sworn she was waiting somewhere around here," Adelaisa did brazenly enquire.

"Stuhn's blowhole... Yes, actually, I think she burrowed under the sand for a nap. You'll see her boots poking out somewhere along the beach," said Yngvar. "Anyway, Adelaisa, I'm heading out today. It's clear that the caravan won't be back for another fifty years, so I've decided to head to Whiterun and seek my fortune there."

Adelaisa's face fell. "Oh. I'm going to miss you, you know, Yngvar. You've been a good assistant, and an even better friend. Not to mention pretend husband."

"Y-yes, well, let's leave that whole business behind us." Yngvar cleared his throat. "So-"

"Wait, did you say the caravan?" Adelaisa cut in. "They just came into town this morning! That's why I wanted Lydia, so I can get her fitted for Lunar Guard armour-"

Yngvar wasn't listening, not even to point out that they didn't have that mod. He was running up to the south gate to hand over Kharjo's amulet.

Ahkari the merchant captain looked up at the sound of his approach. "Ah, would you be looking for a bargain, friend? Once these ones have finished setting up camp, perhaps... Perhaps..." She watched him run past her and huffed angrily. "Perhaps you will bite me, you lovelorn schoolboy."

His heart pounding, not just from the running, Yngvar approached the handsome Kharjo. "Um... Adelaisa and I- Well, mostly I, we went and found your Amulet of the Moon. So, um, here you go!"

Kharjo gasped. "There it is. Ah, home..." he sighed. "If you ever need the skills of a Khajiit warrior by your side, I would be honored to travel with you."

Yngvar dropped the bouquet of purple mountain flowers he'd been saving. "Wh-what?!"

"I've suspected for a while now that there could be more to life than guarding a merchant caravan," Kharjo went on. "Perhaps a travelling sword for hire could have more fun... Although, as I am sure you can see, I am more of a mace for hire."

Yngvar smiled like an idiot. "W-well, you know what, your mace is more than welcome by my side! In fact, I was just planning a trip to Whiterun. It's a neutral hold, you see. Which is important due to reasons. S-so, how about it?"

Kharjo said he was happy to visit Whiterun; in fact, he knew a shortcut through the mountains. So off they went.

It was a long hike south towards the tundra, through snowy pine forests into damp, grassy pine forests, past giants' camps and herds of mammoths, fighting an average of three wolves per mile. With his steel armour and shield, Kharjo might as well have been a boulder, unbreakable unless you were a bear or a sabre cat. And they only fought a couple of those every ten miles.

Yngvar wondered what Whiterun would be like. Although it was Skyrim's busiest city- the capital which wasn't technically the capital, a bit like Sydney or Glasgow- he had never been there before. The jarl maintained a stubborn neutrality in the civil war. If that meant an ex-Stormcloak could settle down there without having to throw his lot in with the Empire, so much the better.

The tundra grew greener and yellower as they descended from the north. On and on they hiked, staying in villages and farmsteads overnight. For me, playing the game, it only took five minutes, but for Yngvar and Kharjo it was a long trek through a vast country.

On the fourth day, Yngvar's concentration started to waver. I won't say it was definitely because of how shapely Kharjo's behind looked in his armour, but Yngvar definitely failed to notice the great city on the hill disappearing behind them. And on the fifth day, Kharjo declared that they had arrived.

"See?" Kharjo smiled as they crossed the bridge into Riverwood. "Was that a shortcut, or was that a shortcut? Whiterun awaits us, my friend!"

"Er," said Yngvar, a large blue drop of sweat rolling down the back of his head. "This doesn't seem like the agricultural heartland of Skyrim. This seems like a village."

"Well, Whiterun is..." Kharjo laughed nervously. "There is probably more city hidden among the trees. You'll see."

They headed into the village. It was beautiful and breezy among the wooden houses, with a few people out working or wandering the cobbled streets. Yngvar made a beeline for the first person who looked like she knew what she was doing and began asking questions.

"Riverwood Trader, you say?" Yngvar said calmly. "Would this place, by any chance, be called Riverwood? And not, in fact, Whiterun?"

Gerdur burst out laughing. "Well, it certainly isn't Solitude! That's right, boys, you've found your way to Riverwood. Whiterun's a few miles north of here."

"I see." Yngvar turned around and gave Kharjo a pained smile. "That hill we walked past, Kharjo, with the city on top of it. That beautiful, bustling city on a hill at the heart of the plains, surrounded by farms and villages. You don't suppose that might have been Whiterun, do you?"

Kharjo looked at his feet. "It may well have been," he admitted. "To tell you the truth, I thought we were venturing too far south, but you never said a word."

"I was preoccupied," admitted Yngvar. "Er, what was that about a break-in?"

Yngvar and the chagrined Kharjo made for the Riverwood Trader, where they found a man berating the tar out of a put-upon young woman.

"Come on, Lucan, be reasonable-" the woman began.

"No! No! A thousand times no!" Lucan cut in. "What nonsense is this?! My sister, who knows nothing of the world, wants to go thief-chasing without so much as a dwarven armoured mudcrab for company?! Stendarr's teeth, they'll eat you for breakfast!"

"Well, what's your plan, then? Come on, let's hear it!"

"Camilla, just shut up! For once in your life, listen to me!" barked Lucan. "Listen! Just... Please. You don't know what they'd do to you."

Standing in the doorway, Yngvar looked over at Kharjo. "This is..." He bit his lip. "Do you think she's all right?"

"I cannot say," whispered Kharjo. "Brothers and sisters can be like fire and water, but usually underneath it there is love."

Lucan jumped when he heard their voices. "Oh, a-a customer! Sorry you had to see that," he said sheepishly. "Can I help you?"

Yngvar looked at Kharjo. Kharjo looked at Yngvar.

"Well," said Yngvar, "can we help you?"

It turned out some bandits had helped themselves to one of Lucan's favourite ornaments and stashed it away in Bleak Falls Barrow, an ancient ruin in the hills above Riverwood. Camilla offered to show them the way, and Yngvar and Kharjo accepted before Lucan could say anything.

They followed Camilla to the bridge at the edge of town, where she stopped. "My brother's going to blow his top if I take you any further," she said bitterly. "It's just up that slope, right at the tower and left at the cliff. Have fun... And tell me what it's like up there."

With a sigh, Camilla turned and slunk back into the village, her head hanging a little lower with every slow step.

"Kharjo... This isn't right." Yngvar's eyes were burning with anger. "The man's treating his sister like a precious little pet snow fox."

Kharjo nodded. "I cannot stand to see injustice reign in small towns. Let's get her out of there. Come on!"

They ran back into the village, past a startled Camilla, and Yngvar kicked down the door to the Riverwood Trader.

Lucan dropped his sales book. "Wh-what are you doing?!" he gasped. "Guards! Guards, help-"

The words died in Lucan's throat when Yngvar's cold, sharp sword pressed against it. (Please ignore the claw and the fact that it's tomorrow, I had to take these pictures out of order for various reasons.)

"Camilla's coming with us," Yngvar growled. "She deserves an adventure, not the life you've been forcing upon her. For Mara's sake, she isn't a child, she's at least..." Yngvar's brow furrowed. "Twenty-ish, I think."

"Oh, gods... You're madmen!" whimpered Lucan. "Please, wh-whatever you want to do to her, do it to me instead! I couldn't bear it if... If..."

"Er, what?" Yngvar loosened his grip a little. "No, we don't want to hurt Camilla, we want to free her! You were treating her dreadfully."

"I was protecting her!" sobbed Lucan. "From people like you! Gods damn it, Camilla isn't meant to be a warrior, she's only fought mudcrabs and the occasional wolf... You can't do this to her!"

"Well, we- we aren't doing anything to her! Right, Kharjo?" Yngvar said weakly. "Tell him!"

"Lucan, your sister will be fine," Kharjo said firmly. "But if she wishes to accompany us to Bleak Falls Barrow, she will. This is not your decision to make. Are we clear?"

"Go to Oblivion!" Lucan grabbed a broom from behind the counter and started whapping Yngvar on the head. "Get out of my shop! Out! Out! Out, out, out! Get out!"

Yngvar stumbled out of the Riverwood Trader. Kharjo bowled into him seconds later, squashing him flat on the cobbles. They lay there in a daze for several seconds.

Kharjo stood up with a groan and offered Yngvar a gauntleted hand. Yngvar took it and rose unsteadily to his feet.

"That didn't go well at all," Yngvar said quietly. "Kharjo, do you think we..."

"...Did the right thing?" Kharjo finished the question. "I do not know. If we have somehow made things worse for Camilla..."

"Made things worse? Are you joking?!" a voice cried out. "You held a sword to his throat. I wish I'd thought of doing that before!"

Kharjo and Yngvar turned around and gasped. It was Camilla, standing on top of the world, and Frodnar running into my picture before I could stop him.

"Camilla!" cried Yngvar. "Sorry, we might have ticked off your brother even more..."

"Oh, he's had it coming for years." Camilla laughed a little, then sighed. "I think I forgot how to stand up to him for a while. He could be very determined."

"Am I to assume, by the armour you are wearing, you wish to come with us?" asked Kharjo.

Camilla nodded, practically vibrating with glee. "This time, I'll show you all the way inside Bleak Falls Barrow, then all the way back with my brother's golden claw. Come on, let's go!"

They went.

"What's he doing over there?" Yngvar peered through the gloom at a man wrapped in what looked like fifty layers of cobwebs. "It doesn't look comfortable. I'd prefer to sleep on the ground, personally."

"Um, fellows?" Camilla said nervously. "Don't look now, but..."

"This is different," said Camilla, admiring the wall carvings of the old Nordic gods. "We must be right under the mountain by now!"

"Yes, and I can't entirely see why, given that we already have your brother's claw," said Yngvar heavily. He rotated the heavy gold ornament in his hands, peering closely at its three sharp points and the symbols carved into its curving palm. "Actually, do you see that door, with the circles and the little animal pieces? I have a radical idea."

"All this for one piece of bric-a-brac! What's wrong with people?!" Yngvar sighed as he fought a climactic duel against the Draugr Scourge Overlord, his sword clashing mightily against her ancient frosted blade as they vied desperately for an advantage.

"Want a hand? Hold her steady for a moment!" Camilla was sneaking behind the draugr with her war axe at the ready. "Stay still... Stay still, and... THERE!"

At that precise moment, Yngvar cut the draugr clean in half. Camilla's war axe impacted on his leather helmet, knocking him out cold.

"Kyne's leg hair, what a day!" groaned Yngvar, staggering out of the tradesmen's entrance at the back of Bleak Falls Barrow. "I'm glad you haven't invested any perk points into power attacks yet, Camilla, otherwise I'd have been a... Goner?"

Barely visible in the gloom of night, a frost dragon glared down at him. "Hello," she smiled. "You three look edible."

Yngvar breathed a deep, heartfelt sigh. "Why don't we sleep in the cave?"

[redezlyn]

Hai! Welcome to my blog, I’m honestly not sure what I’ll post here but as Oscar Wilde said ‘To define, is too limit.’

A warning to misogynists, sexists, racists, homophobes, transphobes etc (basically people who shame people for their appearance, beliefs, sexuality and gender) that they are not welcome here! Any comments that are hateful, disrespectful and/or rude will be reported and the commentator blocked. Thank you! :)

Books/Tv-Series/Films/Manga/Anime/Fandoms in general that I love (and will prob re-read/watch as much as humanly possible) :

AGGGTM; Grishaverse (Six of crows duology, Shadow and Bone trilogy, king of scars duology); One of us is lying trilogy + series, Two can keep a secret, Nothing more to tell (basically the whole Karen.M.McManus universe); MCU; DCU; Marvel comics; DC comics; Sandman universe (including dead boy detectives); Starwars; Avatar The last air bender (animated series) + The legend of Korra; The series of unfortunate events (both book and series); Trollhunters tales of Arcadia + 3below + Wizards tales of Arcadia; Gilmore girls; Lucifer; How to train your dragon; The hunger games; Divergent (book series); The maze runners; Legend trilogy; The folk of Air universe; ACOTAR; One piece, SpyxFamily; Jurassic universe (park, world etc); RiordanVerse (Percy Jackson,HoO,ToA, Magnus Chase, etc); Wizarding world (Harry potter, Fantastic beasts and where to find them etc); Renegades trilogy (Marissa Meyer); Lunar chronicles; Guilded Duology (Marissa Meyer); Twilight (book series); The Big Bang theory; Young Sheldon; The owl house; Shatter me series; Fallen series; Damsel; Stranger Things; Nimona; Dune; Brooklyn 99; Psych; Batfamily lore; The inheritance games; Five survive; Lockwood and co; The Witcher (book series); Shameless; Get even; Fourth wing; The 5th wave trilogy; Hercule Piorot; Enola Holmes; Sherlock Holmes; Lotr and the hobbit; Twisted series (Anna huang); Arcane; Knives out; Grownups; 10 things I hate about you; Uncharted; Indiana Jones; Full house; Pitch Perfect; Pirates of the Caribbean; Sherlock; Wednesday; Criminal minds; Spider-Man into the spider verse (ik I mentioned marvel but I HAVE TO MENTION!!); Deadpool (same previous excuse); Star Trek; Agatha Christie’s series; (I’m going to stop here until others come to mind)

Artists who have songs I adore:

Olivia Rodrigo; Conan Gray; Girl in Red; Cavetown; Alec Benjamin; Hozier; Boywithuke; YUNGBLUD; Skrillex; Billie Eilish; Melanie Martinez; DNCE; Shawn Mendes; Fugeee; Frank Ocean; Vance Joy; Alessia Cara; Declan McKenna (mainly bcs of his song Brazil); Current Joys; AURORA; Neoni; AVIVA; Grandson; Cults; Sub Urban; Birdy; Black Eyed Peas; Bob Marley; Gracie Abrams; Lorde; Mad Tsai; Måneskin; Red hot chilli peppers; Hasley; Ruelle; Run-DMC; Salt-N-Pepa; The Rolling Stones; Florence + the Machine; OutKast; Imagine dragons; Cigarettes after sex; The doors; The Clash; Fleetwood Mac; Cream; Arctic monkeys; The xx; The Lumineers; Em Beihold; Dominic Fike; Tom Odell; Onerepublic; Coldplay; Tracy Chapman; Mitski; Flight of the chonchords; Gorillaz; Cage the Elephant; Childish Gambino; Queen; Queens of the Stone Age; Plan B; Creedence Clearwater Revival; Nirvana; Black Sabbath; Guns’n’roses; AC/DC; Iron maiden; Jimi Hendrix; Michael Jackson; John Newman; Radiohead; Kasabian; Labrinth; The Police; The last dinner party; The Who; LINKIN PARK; Pink Floyd; The White Stripes; Muse; Beastie boys; Amy Winehouse; ABBA; Tenacious D; Ed Sheeran; Adele; Selena Gomez; Sia; Taylor swift; Eminem; Missy Elliot; Doja Cat; Elton John; Harry Styles; Metallica; Milli Vanilli; The Neighbourhood; Rage Against The Machine; Of monsters and men; Paramore; Marina and the Diamonds; Phantogram; Steve lacy; ThxsoMuch; Sofi Tucker; Indila; Sabrina Carpenter;

Things I enjoy doing in my spare time: Gaming; Reading; learning + playing guitar; listening to music; going out with friends; hiking; binge watching/reading fandoms; sports (football and volleyball are my favourite); writing fics or stories; photography; sketching, drawing and researching art (that intrigues me); chess; board and card games; archery; playing and hanging out with animals (my dogs specifically); learning about situations and subject + their topics; debating and discussing topics that interest me to learn and share knowledge of them;

[fairymoshpit]

Ok!

To clarify, I'm not a bot! I pinky promise!

Just another blog of mine dedicated more specifically to books. I haven't really read much since high school, but I got back into it because I'm going to the starfall ball in August 2025, and in order to properly design my dress I needed to read the book to get a feel for the vibes.

Needless to say, I instantly fell in love with and became obsessed with acotar.

A few books/series I've read and enjoyed in the past include:

The Lunar Chronicles

The Selection

Six of Crows

Percy Jackson (I read up until the third book in toa. Iykyk)

The Hunger Games

Harry Potter (fuck jkr. But I love the universe she created :/ )

An Enchantment of Ravens

A House of Salt and Sorrows

The Sisters Grimm

The Wide Awake Princess

The Chronicles of Narnia

A Sorcery of Thorns

Anne of Green Gables

There are so many books and series that I've enjoyed over the years, but these are some that I frequently think about and revisit, or they helped shape my taste for what I read.

The past few years I've mostly been reading fanfic, but A Court of Thorns and Roses really scratched a bone deep itch that I wasn't aware I had. So I'm back on my bookish bullshit

[two-sapphics-reading]

introducing liv!

Hey hey! I'm Liv, half of the dynamic duo that makes up two-sapphics-reading. I'm a theatre, history, and dnd-loving gal who uses fantasy and artistic expression as a way to enjoy reality more! I love to listen to Ethel Cain, K-pop girl groups TWICE & Red Velvet, Lorde, Phoebe Bridgers, and Taylor Swift. The pink bow is my symbol, so when you see reviews marked with it, know it's me behind the keyboard 🎀

While you know what our blog generally wants to do, I thought it would be nice if you knew a little about me as a reader! So, without further ado:

Favorite Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, and YA

Favorite Books: Date & Time by Phil Kaye, Indecent by Paula Vogel, Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardguo, and The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

What I Love to Re-Read (besides my favorites!): Bubble World by Carol Snow, The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer, and Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Favorite Themes & Tropes: Ball scenes, femme friendships, friends to lovers, found family, high fantasy, mutual pining, queer characters & love stories, strong yet flawed femme MCs, unique & well-utilized magic systems, and witty dialogue

What Gives Me the "Reading Ick:" Any portrayal of bigotry (homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism, xenophobia, etc.) that is excused, femme MCs losing their powers, love interests that feel forced or are just plain mean, muddled worldbuilding, "perfect" MCs, rushed pacing, and sacrifice/death for the sake of shock value rather than to serve the plot

Last Book I Read: Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales (a gift from Kate!)

Currently Reading:

A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin

Babel by R.F. Kuang

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, narrated by Will Patton

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

That's it! Right now, I'm flying through A Magic Steeped in Poison and am finishing up The Raven Boys (I think I'm about 15 audio tracks away from finishing?), so reviews for them will pop up soon. For now, bye!

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

(As noted elsewhere, this icon is from @hellosunnycore's TOON ME! Piccrew; thank you for your hard work!)

[seaside-and-starry-eyes]

It's been seven years since the final book of The Lunar Chronicles, but after finally talking myself into a series reread I really need to get this book rant off of my chest... Salt warning!

WHY DID WOLF HAVE TO HAVE ALL HIS WORST FEARS COME TO PASS?? Why was it necessary for him to go through such *permanent* physical/mental trauma, pain, and be forced to forever live out his life-long nightmare of being *forced* to complete the wolf-soldier-hybrid operation?? (He didn't even choose to go out and fight in the confrontation that led to his capture. Cinder chose for him. 🥲)

What does this "twist" add to the series? What part of the plot made it necessary in order to make things work? I don't understand why this is a thing. Was this the compromise for not killing off one of the many main characters? I mean, Wolf literally recognizes and switches back to the "good guys" as soon as he sees them. UGH. All the other characters get to walk away fairly (long term) unscathed, but not Wolf. This twist almost ruined the whole series for me the first time I read it in 2015 and time hasn't made it make sense...

Wolf and Scarlet are literally the punching bags/fall guys of the Lunar Chronicles. (I'm sure everyone feels this way about their favorite LC characters, but these are mine, so I'm Salty.)

I've been salty about this for 7 years. Is it just me? 🙈

[salt-warrior]

A Whole Lot of Wanting

Summary: Kai is unsure of how to propose to Cinder, so he enlists Torin’s help. (WC: 1.4k)

Kai paced his study, muttering to himself as he did so, moving his hands as if he were having an actual conversation with an actual person.

"I love you...I want to be with you...always..." His brow furrowed at the last part. He wanted to tell Cinder how he felt—how much he loved and adored her—but he didn't want his proposal to be cliché.

He was the Emperor of the Eastern Commonwealth. He'd written speech after speech after speech since the time he could talk. He knew how to use words. He knew how to express himself. But for some reason, whenever Kai tried to think of how he would ask Cinder to marry him, the words just didn't sound right.

A knock sounded at his door. Kai flinched, then moved to open it, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

"Thank the stars," Kai said when he saw Torin. "I need your help."

"Your Majesty." Torin nodded his head.

Kai moved aside and ushered Torin into the room.

Despite the lateness of the hour, Torin looked as impeccable and stately as he always did, with his graying hair and pressed suit. Even his posture was perfect, his hands folded in front of him and shoulders squared back. Kai felt like a wreck by comparison—his shoes long since discarded, tie loosened and suit jacket gone. Not to mention the state of his hair and the quite possibly crazed look in his eyes.

"What is it that you need assistance with?" Torin asked, polite as ever, even after all they had been through. For years during Kai's childhood, he'd tried to crack the man's cool facade but had long since decided that it was an impossible feat. It was just the way Torin was.

Kai motionted for him to sit in the cushioned chair in front of his desk. In turn, Kai perched himself on the edge of his desk, unable to bring himself to sit in a seat.

For weeks, Kai had been looking forward to Scarlet and Wolf's wedding—to seeing Cinder. It had been nearly a year since he'd seen her in person, though they made sure to comm one another regularly. But it wasn't the same. He wanted to be close to her. He wanted to look at her face, and not through a screen. He wanted and he wanted and he wanted.

When Wolf had asked if the Rampion crew would hold an early surprise wedding for the couple, Kai had been excited not only for Scarlet and Wolf and the privacy they deserved, but for the time it would allow for him to spend with Cinder. They would be there for days, and without the media. He hadn't been allowed time with Cinder like that since his kidnapping.

And as Kai daydreamed of all this time they would have together, he began to think of the future—the good future—where they would never have to be apart again.

It was then that he had decided to ask Cinder to marry him.

"I...I need help," Kai said. "I didn't know who else to go to."

"What's the matter?" Torin asked, his features tightening with worry. "Is something wrong, Your Majesty?"

Kai shook his head. "No." He chuckled. "No, absolutely not. Everything is...well, everything is good. It's just that—I just..."

Torin inclined his head, brow furrowed.

Kai knitted his fingers together behind his head and took a deep breath. Releasing it, Kai said, "I'm going to ask Cinder to marry me."

Silence followed Kai's proclamation. Torin leaned back in his chair, his face taking on a contemplative look. He folded his arms over his chest and examined Kai. For a moment, Kai was worried that Torin was disappointed—that he didn't approve of Kai's choice in a partner.

Then he saw the way Torin's eyes were glistening, and realized that it was not disappointment on Torin's face, but a trembling sort of delight—pride. He was proud of Kai.

"The only problem is," Kai continued, "that I don't know how to do it. And I'm scared of messing it up. What if I botch it so bad that she doesn't want to marry me? Or even worse, what if she just straight up doesn't want to marry me?"

"Slow down," Torin said, raising a hand to stop Kai's torrent of questions. "First of all, I have perfect faith that when the time comes for you to ask her, the right words will come to you. Second, I've seen the way Ambassador Linh-Blackburn interacts with you, and while I am no expert on women—or people, for that matter—I think it is plain to everyone with functioning eyes that she is in love with you."

Kai let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "I know that she loves me," he said, sincere. "But what if, I don't know, marriage is just too much right now? She only dissolved the Lunar monarchy six weeks ago. She's still an ambassador, but what if she wants a break from being royalty?"

"Those are all exceptionally valuable concerns," Torin remarked. "I'm glad to see that you're putting as much thought into this as you are, but I am incapable of answering any of your questions. There's only one person who can give you definitive answers."

Pressing a hand to his forehead, Kai sighed. "I know. I just thought..." Kai shook his head. "I just needed to get it all out. I've had these questions circling in my head for the past week, and I needed someone to listen to me." He looked at Torin. "Thank you."

"It is my honor and pleasure, Your Majesty."

They smiled at one another. And for a moment, Kai felt the way he always had after having a conversation with his father—like everything would be okay.

"Was there anything else you needed help with?" Torin asked, moving to the edge of his seat.

Kai sucked in his lips and nodded, dropping his gaze. "I don't know how to ask," he said, almost sheepishly.

"Ah." Torin smiled an uncharacteristically amused little smile. "Do you have any ideas?"

"I want to tell her how I feel," Kai said. He tucked a foot beneath his knee. "But all that I can come up with are the sappy, unoriginal clichés for love. I want it to be..."

"Special?" Torin supplied.

"Exactly," Kai said, scratching behind his ear. "I want it to feel as important as it is and not like I'm reciting from a how-to-propose manual. I want it to feel right."

Torin nodded, steepling his fingers together. Kai watched, transfixed by the action. It was something he'd often seen his father do. The thought made his heart hurt.

"Well," Torin said, "I think the only way for it to feel right is for you to not plan it—to let it be organic and from the heart. I know it's not your style to be unprepared, but I don't think that's what this is. You are prepared. You're ready. And when the time comes to propose, the words will find you."

"You really think so?"

Torin nodded, a kind smile on his face. Then he stood and clapped Kai on the shoulder. "Your parents would be very proud of the man and emperor you have become. You have solved the problems that they could not, and stayed true to yourself all the while. You have been the change they wanted to see in the world and so much more. They would be so excited for you now, and thrilled to see your choice in empress. I know that you and Ambassador Linh-Blackburn will be exactly what the Commonwealth needs."

Kai swallowed hard, fighting against the sudden swell of tears. "Thank you," he said, then pulled Torin into a tight embrace. "Thank you for everything. All the long hours. All the filling in for me. All the guidance and frustrating conversations. Thank you for being one of the few constants in my life."

"It has been an honor," Torin said, his own voice sounding tight. He patted Kai's back then pulled away, resuming his professional stance. "Is there anything else I can help you with this evening?"

"No." Kai shook his head, swiping at his eyes as he did so.

"Well then," Torin said, opening the door, "I guess all that's left for me to say is: Good luck."

Tag List: @healing-winston-pratt @kaixiety @fishbook123 @gingerale2017 @just2bubbly @shellyseashell @wassupnye @impossiblesuitcase @winterrhayle @hayleblackburn @sadolescence @grxceful-ly @spherical-empirical @kurlyfrasier @fangirlforever0704 @cinderswrench @cindersassasin @slmkaider @zephyr-thedragon @lani-sleeps @the-jewel-of-ketterdam @the-wee-woo-royal @kaider-is-my-otp @coracal @only-lonely-stars (Let me know if you want to be added or removed<3)

[fairytale-poll]

LOSER'S BRACKET INFORMATION

Welcome to the Loser's Bracket!

Now that all of the nominations have been collected and counted, I was able to create the list of matches for Round 1. If you do not see a character that has lost that you think belonged here, then I am sorry to say that means they were not nominated. Unlike the main tournament, where I seeded the bracket, the bracket for the Loser's Bracket was randomly generated to avoid redoing matches from the main tournament.

There will be a total of 32 participants and 16 polls in Round 1, which will be divided into two sets (16 participants and 8 polls for Round 1A and 1B each). Unlike the main tournament, every poll will last only a day instead of a full week. This is so the Loser's Bracket will go quickly and finish around the time the finals of the main tournament come out. Only 16 participants will win and make it through to the Losers Bracket Round 2. The losers will stay where they were banished in the Shadow Realm after losing in the main tournament, while the rest are a step closer to escaping the Shadow Realm and reaching the salvation of light.

ROUND 1A (Will be posted at 12 PM on Tuesday, January the 16th)

Hello Kitty as Cinderella (Hello Kitty no Cinderella) vs. Fairy Tail - Rella (Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG)

Elle Wittimer (Geekerella by Ashley Poston) vs. Cinderella (Once Upon a Crime)

Cinderella (Girl Genius Fairytale Theater Break: Cinderella) vs. Ashlynn Ella (Ever After High)

Vasilisa the Beautiful (Russian/Eastern European Fairytale Variant) vs. Ella of Frell (Ella Enchanted 2004)

Cinderella/Aschenputtel/Cendrillon (German/General European Variant) vs. Mary Santiago (Another Cinderella Story)

Cinderellis (Cinderellis and the Glass Hill by Gail Carson Levine) vs. Rhodophis (Greek Fairytale Variant)

Ye Xian (Chinese Fairytale Variant) vs. Cinderella (Dimension 20: Neverafter)

Elegant "Ella" Herringbone Coach (Disenchanted: The Trials of Cinderella by Megan Morrison) vs. Hoshizora Miyuki / "Cure Happy" as Cinderella (Smile PreCure / Glitter Force)

ROUND 1B (Will be posted at 12 PM on Wednesday, January the 17th)

Cinderella (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella 1997) vs. Cinderella (Disney's Cinderella Animated)

Linh Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer) vs. Mireleh (The Way Meat Loves Salt by Nina Jaffe/Louise August)

Ella (Disney's Cinderella Live-Action) vs. Vasilisa "Vasya" Petrovna (The Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden)

Bronwyn Murdoch (The Prince Who Loved Me by Karen Hawkins) vs. Mia Basile (Cinderella the Cat)

Cinderella / Prinzessin (Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monster & TCG) vs. Cinderella (Into the Woods)

Ella Brown (Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix) vs. Popelka (Three Wishes for Cinderella)

Hatsune Miku as Cinderella (Various Songs) vs. Touya Kinomoto as Cinderella (Cardcaptor Sakura)

Eun Ha Won (Cinderella with Four Knights) vs. Sam Montgomery (A Cinderella Story)

[wolflett-is-my-otp]

Maybe it’s just bc I haven’t read them in a while, but I don’t like the lack of trauma and processing Scarlet showed over her grandmother.

Something like that seriously fucks you up, and besides maybe one breakdown I didn’t see any evidence that she ever thought about her granny again.

I know everything is kinda rushed and deadlines and all that jazz but it just occurred to me the other day

Another thing is that all the guys are taller and older than the girls, like where’s my short little angry dude (talking ‘bout you, Jacin) and his tall gf? (We’re not talking about the lack of queer representation here just yet, that’s a whole other discussion) Cresswell’s age difference kinda grosses me out, like… naw.

[giantdogcloud]

Why are book characters so fucking stupid