#Magnus Trilogy

[xboxissues]

New Xbox Games for August 19 to 23 2024

[madamevandeleur]

Why does posting for a new fandom feel like walking into a bar and having everyone just stare at you. Like I'm sorry I'm new here pls don't hurt me

[kusakichan15]

💕✨FEBRUARY COMMISSIONS ✨💕

= NSFW comm under cut =

[ About me ] [ Comm Sheet ] [ KoFi ] [ Redbubble ]

Yall chose to click here okay 0-0)☕

[wyrmwright]

My favorite eye guys from my favorite podcasts 👁️

[vibinginthedreamlands]

Making a list of Jo(h)ns:

John Doe - Malevolent Podcast

Jon Sims - The Magnus Archives/Protocol Podcast

John Watson - Sherlock & Co. Podcast

John - The Cellar Letters

John Peters, You Know, The Farmer? - Welcome to Night Vale Podcast

John Doe (Yes again) - Unordinary Webtoon/Comic

John McNamara - Starkid Hatchetfield Trilogy

John Doe (Yes, *Again* Again) - Patient 33 Podcast

John Smith - Doctor Who

John Locke - Lost

[just-illegal]

spoilers for the last case of aa3

[blueskyscribe]

In my opinion Season 3 is easily the worst season of Earthspark.

It's thematically incohesive (don't trust Decepticons, but also Prowl is a prick for not warming up to Megatron immediately), Optimus is unlikeable and bitchy, Thrash's only character trait is cowardice like he's Scooby Doo or something, no good resolution for Starscream, Breakdown and Bee's friendship is broken up because ?????, the Quintessons are impersonal, unengaging enemies compared to the Decepticons (who just jet into space, bye), and a lot of parts are just really boring. (The Fairmaestro episode and the movie night episode being the biggest offenders.)

There were scenes I liked in Season 3, moments I liked, and I liked Prowl. But overall this season was hit by Ultra Magnus' Cloak Syndrome.

You know how in Netflix's War for Cybertron series Ultra Magnus goes on his own to parlay with Megatron? And he's wearing a Mysterious Cloak? And you could tell the writers were biting their lips thinking about the epic moment when it was revealed to be Magnus? But it's undercut by the reality that Transformers have very distinct sizes, colors, and silhouettes, so it's complete unbelievable that even a single Decepticon would wonder whose giant shoulder stacks those were?

Yeah, that's how I feel about Season 3 Earthspark. And just Earthspark in general tbh. We don't get a natural story driven by who the characters are. The characters live in service to story beats, whether they make sense or not.

The writers were like "It would be dramatic if Breakdown chose the Decepticons over Bee. So let's have him do that." No setup, no instances or flashbacks of Shockwave or Soundwave saving Breakdown's life or bonding moments with other 'Cons or anything to show why Breakdown would pick them over Bumblebee, who he has risked his life for before.

The writers were like "It would be cool to have a scene where Optimus and Megatron reconcile! So we'll start off this season with Optimus being mad at Megatron." No reason for it; he's just mad so that later, like the Maltos, we can clap our hands when it gets resolved.

By contrast look at the Beast Wars episode "Gorilla Warfare".

BW Dinobot scoffs at Optimus Primal's gentle and curious nature as he studies a flower. Later when Primal gets infected with a "go apeshit" virus, Dinobot is like "Well I'm sorry for the guy but this strategically good, his anger will win us the war." But then Primal's blind rage nearly gets him killed and Dinobot realizes how much the Maximals depend on not just Optimus' strength, but his calm wisdom.

The episode ends with Dinobot sitting by Primal's bed, waiting for him to wake up so he can tell Primal he's glad he's back to normal, and Dinobot leaves the flower from the start of the episode by his bedside as an oblique apology. THAT was a conflict that made sense, that arose from the core of who the characters were, and that was resolved based on a character's growth. And it all happened in a half-hour!

Like some of these ideas in Earthspark WOULD work if they were fleshed out . . . I could imagine Breakdown having a bond with other Decepticons and really caring for them; sure, I can write my own fanfic. But if I'm watching a TV show and it's a Big Plot Point then it is the job of the writers to show me that, on the screen. I shouldn't have to be filling in their lack of storytelling with "uh maybe offscreen--" and "what if--".

[book--brackets]

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (2005)

When Fat Charlie's dad named something, it stuck. Like calling Fat Charlie "Fat Charlie." Even now, 20 years later, Charlie Nancy can't shake that name, one of the many embarrassing "gifts" his father bestowed-before he dropped dead on a karaoke stage and ruined Fat Charlie's life. Because Mr. Nancy left Fat Charlie things. Things like the tall, good-look-ing stranger who appears on Charlie's doorstep, who appears to be the brother he never knew. A brother as different from Charlie as night is from day, a brother who's going to show Charlie how to lighten up and have a lit-the fun. And all of a sudden, things start getting very interesting for Fat Charlie. Exciting, scary, and deeply funny, Anansi Boys is a kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth, a wild adventure, as Neil Gaiman shows us where gods come from, and how to survive your family.

Gemma Doyle by Libba Bray (2003-2007)

It's 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma's reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she's been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence's most powerful girls—and their foray into the spiritual world—lead to?

Babel: An Arcane History by R. F. Kuang (2022)

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he'll enroll in Oxford University's prestigious Royal Institute of Translation — also known as Babel. Babel is the world's center of translation and, more importantly, of silver-working: the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation through enchanted silver bars, to magical effect. Silver-working has made the British Empire unparalleled in power, and Babel's research in foreign languages ​​serves the Empire's quest to colonize everything it encounters.

Oxford, the city of dreaming spires, is a fairytale for Robin; a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge serves power, and for Robin, a Chinese boy raised in Britain, serving Babel inevitably means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to sabotaging the silver-working that supports imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide: Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence? What is he willing to sacrifice to bring Babel down?

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan (2015-2017)

Magnus Chase has seen his share of trouble. Ever since that terrible night two years ago when his mother told him to run, he has lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, staying one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, Magnus learns that someone else is trying to track him down—his uncle Randolph, a man his mother had always warned him about. When Magnus tries to outmaneuver his uncle, he falls right into his clutches. Randolph starts rambling about Norse history and Magnus's birthright: a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

The more Randolph talks, the more puzzle pieces fall into place. Stories about the gods of Asgard, wolves, and Doomsday bubble up from Magnus's memory. But he doesn't have time to consider it all before a fire giant attacks the city, forcing him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents. . . .

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die.

Abhorsen by Garth Nix (1995-2016)

Sent to a boarding school in Ancelstierre as a young child, Sabriel has had little experience with the random power of Free Magic or the Dead who refuse to stay dead in the Old Kingdom. But during her final semester, her father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, and Sabriel knows she must enter the Old Kingdom to find him. She soon finds companions in Mogget, a cat whose aloof manner barely conceals its malevolent spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage long imprisoned by magic, now free in body but still trapped by painful memories.

As the three travel deep into the Old Kingdom, threats mount on all sides. And every step brings them closer to a battle that will pit them against the true forces of life and death--and bring Sabriel face-to-face with her own destiny.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (2019)

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues--a bee, a key, and a sword--that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library, hidden far below the surface of the earth. 

What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians--it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also those who are intent on its destruction. 

Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly-soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose--in both the mysterious book and in his own life.

The Roots of Chaos by Samantha Shannon (2019-2023) The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction--but assassins are getting closer to her door. 

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic. 

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel. 

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.

The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden (2017-2019)

Winter lasts most of the year at the edge of the Russian wilderness, and in the long nights, Vasilisa and her siblings love to gather by the fire to listen to their nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, Vasya loves the story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon. Wise Russians fear him, for he claims unwary souls, and they honor the spirits that protect their homes from evil.

Then Vasya’s widowed father brings home a new wife from Moscow. Fiercely devout, Vasya’s stepmother forbids her family from honoring their household spirits, but Vasya fears what this may bring. And indeed, misfortune begins to stalk the village.

But Vasya’s stepmother only grows harsher, determined to remake the village to her liking and to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for marriage or a convent. As the village’s defenses weaken and evil from the forest creeps nearer, Vasilisa must call upon dangerous gifts she has long concealed—to protect her family from a threat sprung to life from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (2003)

As the only surviving mouse of the litter, Despereaux was always considered the loser, the runt, so naturally, he falls in love with a princess named Pea. The story also tells of a mouse called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness but wishes for light, and Miggery Sow, a serving girl who wants one wish. They set off on a journey that will end them up in a terrible dungeon, a wonderful castle, and of course, with each other.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (2022-2024)

Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv the orc barbarian cashes out of the warrior’s life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen.

However, her dreams of a fresh start pulling shots instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners and a different kind of resolve.

[pumpkabitch]

Something about how Magnus is a soldier who carries a mighty sword, Taako is a poet whose weapon is his word, and Merle is a ruler whose brow is laid in thorn and smeared with oil like David's boy

[weirdosnailz]

This is an appreciation post for my fav bookshelf in my room!! I have a few more, but this one is definitely the best looking/most organised ♡＼(￣▽￣)／��

Starting from the top I have:

J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, Crimes of Grindelwald - the original screenplay, Quidditch Through the Ages, Tales of Beedle the Bard, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them + the first two books from all 4 special House editions

Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, Trials of Apollo, the Sun and the Star, Kane Chronicles, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard + most of the companion books regarding the Riordanverse

Jennifer Cervantes’ Storm Runner

Samantha Shannon’s Priory of the Orange Tree & A Day of Fallen Night

R. F. Kuang’s Poppy War

2/3 books from James Islington’s Licanius Trilogy

Brandon Mull’s Five Kingdoms, The Candy Shop War, Fablehaven, Dragonwatch + the 1st Beyonders book

Holly Black’s The Folk of the Air main books, The Modern Faerie Tales Trilogy, Book of Night, Curse Workers

Paulina Hendel’s Żniwiarz (eng. reaper)

Veronica Roth’s Divergent

Naomi Novik’s Scholomance

+ Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods & Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes

(yes I keep the toa and magnus chase box set thingies on a separate shelf, I just like looking at all the books and I still wanted to display the beautiful artwork on the boxes)

[frozenaltarss]

I caught up to June, yay! This challenge is actually really good for me because of art block funk and because I never actually drew these dragons! Super fun. :)

[Spyro Challenge!]

[sexybread-png]

have you ever drawn the fifth house?? I love them sm

no but i have now! (also, im seeing a pattern here, i might end up drawing all the houses from my inbox asks alone)

i hope these do them justice, ive not seen much fanart of them

[askvectorprime]

We heard of several significant exploits regarding the return of the titanmasters - namely, a siege on Cybertron and of chaos reigning on Velocitron. Can you tell us anything about the missions Arcee and Grotusque went on to acquire Ultra Magnus and Scorponok?

Dear Adventurous Asker,

When last we spoke, I told you of four legendary Titan Masters, two of whom were involved in the conflicts you mention. The other two you speak of, however, were well-guarded secrets indeed.

While these events were taking place, Arcee and her Titan Master partner Leinad took a ship with Cloudraker to the planet Caminus, in search of the Titan Master fabled to confer the ultimate intelligence boost. Relations with the colony world had been strained following the theft of space bridge codes by Galvatron’s infiltration cell, so they were forced to carry out the mission undercover. Scanning from the air, Cloudraker was able to track the Titan Master to one of Caminus’ universities. To gather information, Arcee ended up posing as a student, joining a sorority. It turned out that there was an urban myth amongst the student body: supposedly, a bot known as the Headmaster roamed the building after dark. He would punish lazy students for engaging in plagiarism or cheating in exams, but would sometimes reward a hard-working student by giving them a flash of inspiration, if he came across them staying up all night to meet a challenging deadline.

In her inexperience as a spy, Arcee struggled with the stress of feeling like an imposter, and came close to abandoning the ruse—but the students welcomed her warmly, and Leinad was able to convince her to persevere. Never in Arcee’s life had she been surrounded by so many other female Transformers, and she was surprised at how much of an impact this had on her. They attended classes together during working hours, searching the basements and closets during free periods for any sign of the Headmaster. She came to learn that many of her classmates had their own issues with feelings of inadequacy, whether in their academic ability, or in struggling to find an Amica Endura, or in having the wrong alt-mode.

They tried a number of schemes to flush out the Headmaster: designing fiendish puzzles which he wouldn’t be able to resist solving; deliberately putting off revision in order to allow for desperate last-minute cramming; Velocity even offered to try sneaking notes into one of her medical exams. In the end, they were truly stumped—but as Arcee looked at her friends, racking their brain modules to try and help her, she had a sudden realization: what if the Headmaster had never existed, and the urban legend was just a product of the imposter syndrome endemic amongst the students, a way for them to offload onto someone else the credit for their own achievements and breakthroughs? They didn’t need a legendary Titan Master to pass their final examinations—each and every one of them was smart and talented enough to succeed!

At that point, Proxima shrieked and pointed at the ceiling. A tiny robot was hiding in the roof, having just given Arcee her supernatural flash of insight! Everyone scrambled after him, chasing him through the halls, thrilled that all their hard work was about to pay off.

Unfortunately for them, Megatron had decided to take a more direct approach. He carpet-bombed the university, taking them completely by surprise thanks to his new camouflage and the radiation-dampening powers of his latest Titan Master partner, Kiloton. As Arcee scrambled to pull her classmates from the rubble, Megatron scooped up the Headmaster and placed him on his shoulders. His new face shifted to a smirk of triumph… then, to a snarl of disgust. For his plans of universal domination to come to fruition, he needed raw power—this new Titan Master, however, gave him nothing but a head full of trivia and factoids! With the Headmaster being of no use to him, he ripped his new head off and prepared to obliterate it, to prevent any Autobot from using the knowledge to their benefit.

Thankfully, the students had backup: Iron Apex, a massive suit of experimental drone armor piloted by Optimus Prime’s former Titan Master partner, the product of an entire semester’s work on a group project. Unprepared, Megatron was no match for the artificial warrior, and chose to retreat rather than prolong the fight.

The Headmaster thanked the students for protecting him, and offered to give one of them the ultimate intelligence boost to help pass their final exam. As Arcee had been on the brink of failing her classes, they all looked to her… and at last, she decided to come clean, explaining that she wasn’t a student, but rather a Cybertronian spy. To her surprise, it turned out they’d known all along, having worked it out almost immediately! She asked the Headmaster to accompany her back to Cybertron, to lend his knowledge to Optimus Prime, in the hopes that it would let the Autobot leader think of a way to end their war. Reluctantly, he agreed. Meanwhile, with Iron Apex having passed his first real test with flying colors, he too decided it was time to join the fight on Cybertron. Though Arcee’s new friends were sorry to see her go, they promised she’d always be welcome to return to her studies in the future.

As Cloudraker took them out of atmosphere, Arcee remarked to the Headmaster that he reminded her of a close friend of hers: Ultra Magnus. He was taken aback. Long ago, during Magnus’ days as a galactic peacekeeper, he’d met the Autobot by chance. Ultra Magnus left a strong impression on the Titan Master, and he decided he too wanted to become an agent for truth and justice in the world. Forced as he was to live in secrecy, the Headmaster admitted that he felt like a fraud, only meddling with students, not evildoers, and failing to accomplish any real good. He was just one tiny ‘bot, playing the role of Ultra Magnus, and trying his best to be worthy of the name. Arcee promised that, once all was said and done, she would set up a meeting between him and Ultra Magnus—as she knew they’d have more in common than he thought.

Now then, I still have yet to tell you about the last of these ultimate Titan Masters. I beg your patience—tomorrow, I will finish my recounting of events!

[shwoooops]

elias bouchard and emperor palpatine would either be evil besties or absolutely hate each other change my mind

[notgreengardens]

Annihilation, Reclamation & Consummation

Disco Elysium (2019) by ZA/UM Studio | The Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer | Flower Frenzy by Valerie Hegarty | Annihilation (2018), dir. Alex Garland | The Magnus Archives Episode 32: Hive by Jonathan Sims | Woman in White by Valerie Hegarty

[pocchi-poket]

Today I'm thinking about what I consider to be my "epic ya lit misunderstandings", which are a series of misconceptions I formed in my head when I was just starting to read ya books and saw a lot of posts on socials about series like Shadowhunters, Percy Jackson, The Grisha Trilogy, etc... before I had actually read the series and had any context. My favourites are:

I somehow mixed up Magnus Bane (Shadowhunters), Magnus Chase (Percy Jackson Universe) and Frank Zhang (also PJU) and thought this "Magnus" was an asian demigod who was a know it all and who became Percy's rival (yes, this one is kind of problematic for a series of reasons but forgive me, I was 14 and I didn't know any better)

For some reason I imagined that all the Shadowhunters' scenes I read were set in a cave (no idea why)

After I knew who Magnus Bane actually was but before I got that far in TMI, I thought Sebastian was a gay shadowhunter that got into a love triangle with Magnus and Alec (which... which was actually kind of a foreshadowing since in the Malec trilogy the real Sebastian's cousin (Leon?) does flirt with Alec...)

I read that in The Grisha Trilogy there was a lesbian couple and I was convinced that it was Zoya and Genya. I read Six of Crows first and their small cameo in the second book convinced me even more of this.

And my personal favourite:

I thought The Raven Boys was a "spy school" kind of story where Aglionby was a school that trained its students to become secret agents who dealt with paranormal cases and Ronan (this was due to someone posting that in TRC TV show Ronan should be played by Stiefvater herself with a fake beard) was the head principal-like figure who was like "Raven Boys, I have a new mission for you"