#The Conqueror's saga

[em-nikolaev]

The Duality of "Strong Female Character No. 2"

So, I'm re-reading the Conqueror's Saga by Kiersten White for what must be the thousandth time, and I keep comparing it (irrationally) to another series I'm re-reading, that being the shades of magic. The main line of connection I've been able to draw between them are the female characters featured within, both SOM and TCS have 'strong female characters' in a historical setting, but they are so very different in how they are written.

I'll confess, I don't like Lila Bard, she gets on my nerves, for the longest time I didn't really relise why, but now I have a thesis, so buckle in.

Lila is NOT a strong female character, she's manipulative, cruel, a bit misogynist, and selfish, which, on it's own would be fine, we love flawed characters in this household, but the problem is, it's never acknowledged in any real way during the series how her actions harm others, and even herself. Her views are validated and rewarded without consequence, I mean, there are moments when she feels some semblance of guilt, but it's never more than a fleeting thought, I'd like to make it clear, I understand why people like her, and that's completely fine, she's a strong woman with a knife and an absurd amount of confidence and that's awesome, but I can't help but feel that her presence in the SOM is bringing the series down, feel free to disagree, I'd love to be proven otherwise, but as it stands, I don't think the character of Lila Bard is a good one, especially in comparison to Lada, who is a similar character in a lot of ways, they are both forced to act more like men for safety and power, they are both strong willed and dangerous women, but the thing that I think raises And I Darken and subsequent books above and beyond in their writing is the way Lada interacts with other women, as well as how she reacts to the world and her own actions.

At first Lada and Lila are quite similar, Lada thinks of women as weak and powerless, likely due to how her mother abandoned her to a situation that ultimately resulted in both her and her brother's captivity (not a spoiler, it happens pretty early on, if you haven't read And I Darken I can't recommend it more, It's great) but as the story progresses her view is challenged, she meets many different women in a similar situation to her and she ends up seeing how femininity and their womanhood can be just as powerful as the control which she has found with blunt force and cruelty, but she finds that, for the very same reason those women were able to leverage their femininity, she was not able to, Lada is not beautiful, she is not "court smart", and she is not patient, these are faults which she understands, much in the way that the women around her understand that they too have faults in that they do not have the physical strength or strategy to fight numerous battles, all this to say, Lada is different than (some not even all) the women around her, that does not make her better or worse, just different, whereas with Lila, she's "not like other girls" because she's perceived as better, breaking even the very laws of the established universe to express that she is special.

I'm really interested in hearing anyone's thoughts if you've read either of these books, I would also like to say that I really enjoyed the Shades of Magic series aside from the grievances I stated above, and am not saying that I think V. E. Schwab is a bad writer,

With that I conclude my long winded essay, don't forget to drink water, eat food, and sleep!

[prettylittleproblem]

"On our wedding night," she said, "I will cut out your tongue and swallow it. Then both tongues that spoke our marriage vows will belong to me, and I will be wed only to myself. You will most likely choke to death on your own blood, which will be unfortunate, but I will be both husband and wife and therefore not a widow to be pitied."

- Lada Dracul, 'And I Darken' by Kiersten White

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: The Conqueror’s Saga

Author: Kiersten White

Series or standalone: series

Publication year: 2016

Genres: fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, romance, retelling, LGBT+

Blurb: No one expects a princess to be brutal, and Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother Radu were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move...for the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets. Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. When they meet Mehmed - the defiant and lonely son of the sultan - Radu feels that he’s made a true friend, and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion. But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against...and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

[coffeewithcutcaffeine]

Currently reading The Conqueror's Saga by Kiersten White and I kind of want to pour bleach in my eyes? Like it literally spits on Romanian history in every single way imaginable. I do not even want to go into details because I would probably write a dissertation about this.

Meanwhile, the Americans are going all tHiS mAsTeRpIeCe HaS cHaNgEd My LiFe in Goodreads' comment section.

[caffeinated-bibliophile]

Yeah, no, I think Bright We Burn is going to be a DNF at 88% 😒 I'm equally furious and so disappointed.

I approached this series with baggage and hesitation anyway because Vlad Dracula was basically a special interest for most of my childhood.

I had And I Darken on my shelf for I think more than 5 years before I convinced myself to just go for it. And then I flew through it, Now I Rise, and this much of Bright We Burn in 4 or 5 days.

But, early on, I had a sinking feeling about how this final book was going to end. So, I looked up spoilers when I hit a point that threatened to be the last straw, and my suspicions were correct.

I was already not enjoying this one, but hoped it was going to pull through after the halfway point. It has not. I think it's gotten worse, actually.

I think I should have just stopped after book 2 😩

Spoilers below

Also, starting either near the end of book 2 or early in this one, I've wanted to down Radu (and a few other characters) in a chamber pot that's been in alternating baking sun and rain drizzles and steaming humidity for 3 days.

[2stepadmiral]

Imagine how confused Steve Rogers would be by youth slang in this day and age. Like, I’m hung up on the idea of Kate saying “No cap,” in the middle of one of Clint’s stories, and Steve getting confused and all like, “no cap? But I’m right here?”

[shambelle97]

LOKI SERIES - TEASER POSTER / SEASON 2 (2023)

Art by: “ Marveldsign”

[guardianjameslight]

Not saying its bad to see RDJ back but I think they should've stick with Kangs. I mean all that build up in Loki and Ant-Man for nothing. It's very inconsequential. Besides Doom deserves proper introduction, not as a replacement.

[wesleysniperking]

Usopp and Conqueror’s Haki | part 1 (TL;DR)

Read this if have you any doubts. True Usopp fans only.

This is probably one of my MOST favorite topics to just think about and mull over. For the past couple of days, I’ve just been spouting streams of consciousness it seems, but I’m really wanting to showcase what there is to like and truly appreciate about Usopp.

So, this whole discussion on him having Conqueror’s haki just gets my neurons goin’ baby. Meaning it makes me really happy and theoretical and the like.

As long as I’ve been in this fandom I’ve come across all these theories and speculations surrounding Usopp. And guess what? They never stop. And they don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. The Final Saga is here and OP fans are getting anxious and bold. Behind all the scrutiny and petty hate, the real question everyone is asking is, “What will Usopp do next?”

Anywho, every time the convo gets to Conqueror’s haki Usopp gets name-dropped. I never entertained what people would consider bullsh*t. But every time I’d look into Usopp theories and speculation, Conqueror’s Haki was at the forefront. But then when I started frequenting websites such as Worstgen, Reddit, YouTube, etc. Conqueror’s haki kept being brought up and Usopp was in that same sentence. Even the haters with all their doubts think Usopp shows the most potential when compared to other characters people speculate on (no shade to them at all, whatsoever). So, after that sh*t started being shoved in my face, I decided to look into all these theories and speculation arising when it came to Usopp and Conqueror’s Haki, AND despite being skeptical and straddling the fence, I mean, the guy has potential.

First, I’m just gonna say this, when people start talking about how he’s gonna use it and when he’s gonna use it, they come up with all these scenarios that got me thinking they are cooking up something quite tasty.

Like, a multitude of a multi-page thesis.

One scenario that stands out to me is that there will be a moment where Usopp finds himself amid battle and unfortunately he once (again) gets the overpowered baddie whom the monster trio can’t defeat. So per usual, Usopp runs, hides, lies, makes a few seemingly tactless shots with Kabuto, and grovels (maybe), and then he starts getting beaten to a pulp. Like he starts getting the sh*t beat out of him. Then the baddie leaves him or more clearly the baddie starts walking off while giving a diatribe about Usopp being a worthless piece of sh*t and deadweight, throwing Usopp’s insecurities back into his face. So, Usopp gets back up and tries again (bleeding and tired), and some way and somehow (due to desperation and sheer will) he unleashes conqueror’s haki and it’s game over for the big baddie. But it depends if the true fight gets started then (Usopp’s Kabuto raised and ready) or the baddie just ends up on the ground, stomped. The end. This also clarifies that when people imagine Usopp with Conqueror's Haki, this isn't something he's trained for; so it's very sloppy and new to him. He won't know he's used it. It's a one-time, big moment thing, and then whatever else happens from there we run with.

But let’s get back to the ground. That’s daydream-ville. I gotta come back to earth. Needless to say, there are some supposed and still growing/adding conqueror’s haki traits that are/include:

The ability to force their will onto others/a strong will

This one is very complex, somewhat, when it comes to Usopp. But it’s also where it’s the most interesting. From the jump, the Going Merry crosses my mind. Ship developed a Klabautermann because of Usopp’s wholehearted care. That was one of the MAJOR (if not only) reasons why she came to save the Straw Hats during the buster call. So, he was basically the captain of the GOING MERRY (not the SHs, he lets Luffy have that with no qualms—and never did have any).

Then let’s not forget Usopp’s iconic speech when Luffy needed to get his a** up and finish Lucci off. Many people claim that—when discussing how far the crew could’ve gone without Usopp—this is where the deal-breaker comes in. If Usopp hadn’t been there to give Luffy that speech, Luffy would’ve been cat food.

Then there’s Usopp lies coming true. Call it a coincidence or irrelevant, there is indeed proof. If you’re an Usopp fan, you know you know.

Heck, he’s even lied about having conqueror’s two times (was it two or three?), and everyone knows that his lies come true. Even haters (to a point) or non-fans actually can consider this. Like, bro lies about having conqueror’s haki two times and it’s bound to come true.

continue here

Usopp fan club (feel free to join)

[mister-faltine]

Unpopular opinion. #1

Dormammu is the one who should be the Main Villain in "The Multiverse Saga".

Arts made by Anthony Francisco and Kevin Maguire.

Warning: English is not my main language, I'm sorry if there are some errors in the text.

_______________________________________________

If Marvel is really going to try to replace Kang as the main villain in the saga, then Dormammu is one of the best options at the moment.

Dormammu is already a multiversal threat in the MCU and has been here since 2016 trying to get revenge against Stephen (The "Anchor" of the MCU, according to Kevin Feige).

Dormammu and Stephen have a long rivalry in the comics, not to mention that the two are very similar in certain aspects, such as their ego, ignorance and pride.

Stephen Strange's greatest love is, literally, the niece of his greatest enemy. Imagine the potential that this could be used to develop their rivalry and even explore what Clea's relationship with Dormammu is like in the MCU. Let you know, I'm a fan of the idea of ​​Dormammu and Clea having a "Father and Daughter" relationship in the MCU, I think it would be an interesting dynamic and would make Dormammu become a more complex antagonist.

Nothing against Doctor Doom replacing Kang in the MCU, because he is one of the best villains in Marvel and is the most likely option to happen. However, my fear is that they will have to introduce him in the middle of the saga and perhaps his introduction will be too rushed, negatively affecting the character's adaptation. Galactus has the same problem.

Dormammu is an easier villain to write in the MCU because he has always been portrayed as a villain who is "Evil for the sake of being Evil." There's no problem with him being like this in the MCU, because that would save Marvel a huge headache if they used Kang or Doctor Doom. Furthermore, there is a way to make simple villains work in the MCU, the High Evolutionary is an example. Villains can be pure evil and still care about certain people, this could be put into Dormammu and explore that side of him a little.

If Marvel wants so badly to adapt "Secret Wars" into the MCU, then there are two possibilities for doing so: They could leave out 2015's Secret Wars and focus on the first Secret Wars (Beyonder), but replace the Beyonder with Dormammu. The other option is to try to adapt the comic "Defenders (2005)", because in that comic, Dormammu managed to use the power of Eternity to recreate the Multiverse in his image. These two options could save 2015's Secret Wars and be adapted in the future with Doctor Doom.

The first Doctor Strange film established that the Dark Dimension is "Beyond Time". This could be used as an excuse for Dormammu to not be affected by Kang's (or the Council of Kangs') manipulations. Furthermore, this would give Dormammu an advantage in eliminating these threats and taking their place as the Main Villain.

_______________________________________________

Well, that was my opinion on who should replace Kang in the MCU. I know this will never happen, because Marvel doesn't realize the potential they are losing by leaving the Faltines aside. I know it's still possible for them to just replace Kang's actor with another actor, but I wanted to base my post on the possibility of the character being completely replaced, because it's more interesting.

[no-shower-thoughts-head-empty]

Okay I know this doesn't fit the content of my blog but whatever Why are people upset that RDJ is going to be playing Dr. Doom? Honestly I think that's so cool, the hero who sacrificed himself to save the universe in the previous saga is suddenly the villain now!

Sure I don't think they should've just thrown out whatever they had planned for Kang; yes, his actor did some horrible things but they could've easily recast him because multiverse. The way they decided to go with it is still very cool though and I don't understand any of the issues.

[musclesandhammering]

This close 🤏 to writing a big ass meta explaining the entire mcu multiverse cause there are some ppl that simply Did Not get it

[frogs-and-oscar-brainrot]

People: Cassie Lang should date Peter Parker in MCU.

Me, knowing she dated teen Kang in the comics: You guys have no idea how to have fun.

[firelance2361]

All Of History Is My Weapon

With the news that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is no more, here’s a follow-up piece I did for what was hoping to have seen if they continued the Kang Storyline.

{Basically I was hoping for a Secret-Invasion-esque storyline with The Council of Kangs replacing the Sacred Timeline’s heroes with their own more dangerous versions, sowing distrust among the Avengers before invading and conquering the universe}

I know it’s a long shot, but it probably would have been cool. And before I forget, here’s the lineup for the Kang Collective seen here.

Peter Parker/Timespinner

Sue Storm/Kang the Conqueror

Tony Stark/Iron Prince

Kamala Khan/Kamala Kang

Nathaniel Richards/Kang the Conqueror

Peter Quill/Star-Kang

Nebula/Kang-Nebula

Nathaniel Richards/Kid Immortus

Janet Van Dyne/Worldkiller Wasp

Let me know what you guys think and I hope you like it!

[lokiusly]

can’t believe Loki s2 was a variant of monster’s inc.

[thena0315]

It’s all coming together...

Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings (2021)

Ms. Marvel (2022)

Ant Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2023)