#albin academy book

[wearesorcerer]

Top 5 sorcerer basckstories!!

I'm choosing to interpret "backstories" literally instead of mechanically (PF bloodlines, 5e origins), 'cuz there are quite a lot that aren't covered that way. As such...

#5: Lab Accident

Sugar. Spice. And Everything Nice. These were the ingredients chosen to create the perfect little girl. But Professor Utonium accidentally unloaded added an extra ingredient to the concoction: a can of whoop-ass Chemical X. Thus, the Powerpuff Girls were born! Using their ultra super powers, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup have dedicated their lives to fighting crime and the forces of evil!

It could be a chemical (modern science)/alchemical concoction, a laser, some sort of cosmic energy, lightning, or whatever; you weren't meant to be exposed to it, but you were. As a result, you have powers.

Bear in mind that while this is a comic book cliche (emphasis on cliche: I hate that the MCU decided to emphasize the Science Origin for all heroes [even Thor] prior to Doctor Strange), but it works well in D&D because no one uses it. Sorcerers have a hard time distinguishing themselves from Wizards because Wizards were already about throwing fireballs, lightning bolts, and magic missiles before Sorcerers were distinguished from them (and pigeonholed into doing the exact same thing). Embrace that by flipping the tables: instead of having a magical talent that got you inducted into a prestigious academy for wizardry, be some sort of academic who in the course of their studies inadvertently gained godlike power.

#4: Psychological Problem

In Matilda, the eponymous protagonist develops telekinesis because she's supremely intellectually gifted and under-challenged by her course work -- her brain has to do something with the extra power. (We all wish we were Matilda.) Matilda doesn't have a diagnosable disorder underlying her powers (at least, from this explanation; there's a lot to that book), but boredom from lack of stimulation still constitutes a psychological problem. (Plenty of characters with powers have psychological issues, as well.)

#3: Touched by Vorlons

You don't have to enter into a relationship with a magical being (i.e., be a Cleric or Warlock) to be affected by one and gain powers. H.P. Lovecraft's Great Old Ones were prone to have their thoughts and dreams invade those of mere mortals (largely unintentionally), which could have all sorts of warping potential. People who claim to have been abducted by aliens (or faeries) sometimes also claim to have developed latent clairvoyant (or similar) abilities.

This is essentially the same thing as #5 except that it roots you into the Weird part of the world instead of having some academic pursuit make you adjacent to it. As with Warlocks, Clerics, and Sorcerers with an inheritance backstory, this gives the DM grounds for possible encounters and you room to question your relationship with the world beyond mortal society.

#2: Lab Rat

Your powers weren't accidental at all; you were created to be what you are. Are you a monster? A god? Something else entirely?

Rei Ayanami. Sephiroth. Mewtwo. Other albinism-coded psychics. Eleven. That one artificial god in the Fool's Gold campaign. You get the idea. Floating in a giant tube of liquid. Frankensteinian hubris. A test subject who only wants love but is never treated as a person. Revenge. Explosions. Psychokinetic freakouts.

I love this trope. Lovelovelovelovelove.

#1: Fluke of (Super)Nature

You just have powers. You don't know how. They developed at some point in your life. Maybe you have control over them, maybe you don't. Maybe they're tied to your more volatile emotions, maybe they require a special trance-like state, maybe they burst forth during puberty, maybe maybe maybe.

This may seem to be boring, but it does force you to flesh out how your spells affected your development. Are they tied to your emotional volatility? Do you have full control of them? Did they brand you a freak, a celebrity, or a prodigy in some area? Do you love them or resent them? Do your powers make you feel special, different, or just you?

[serataino]

Bookshelf: Just Like That (Albin Academy Book 1) by Cole McCade

Bookshelf: Just Like That (Albin Academy Book 1) by Cole McCade

From the publisher: Summer Hemlock never meant to come back to Omen, Massachusetts… But with his mother in need of help, Summer has no choice but to return to his hometown, take up a teaching residency at the elite Albin Academy—and work directly under the man who made his teenage years miserable. Professor Fox Iseya. Forbidding, aloof, commanding: psychology instructor Iseya is a cipher…

[lovevalley45]

#fictober22 day fourteen

“Yes. No. I don’t know.”

fandom: naddpod (campaign 3)

word count: 617

To say Sol was nervous was an understatement. It wasn’t everyday a Mothership official came and plucked an orphan out of the abandoned water park to give them a chance at Launchpad Academy. He was nervous, excited, overwhelmed, and frankly, a little baffled about why he caught their attention.

The campus was a lot larger than he’d imagined it to be. He’d found a map, thank goodness, but by the time he got to the room he’d been assigned he was feeling frazzled. Why he was in the school for the enchanters instead of the knights’ - well, that was a mystery. But every mage who he’d asked had pointed him here. Maybe they didn’t have room?

Sol followed the room numbers until he stumbled upon his dorm. At least, what he thought was his dorm.

When he unlocked the dorm, it wasn’t empty. An elven man, somewhere around his age, was sitting at the desk. As the door opened, he turned around to face him. “Oh. You must be my new roommate,” he said, a slight smile on his face.

“Yes. No. I don’t know.” Sol checked the room assignment again, then peered at the plate on the door. “They didn’t tell me I’d have a roommate.”

He supposed it couldn’t be the worst thing in the world to have a roommate. It hadn’t been that long since he’d been whisked away to take entrance exams and see if he was qualified to eventually become a synth knight. Yet, he already missed the kids back at the waterpark, especially the smaller ones who looked up to him like an older brother. To know he’d at least have one guaranteed friend coming in would be nice.

His new roommate pushed away from the desk and came up to him, still in the doorway. He was taller than him, though that wasn’t the hardest thing to accomplish. The elf was bespectacled, dressed in the school-issued robes for the mages that attended classes. But behind his lenses were a pair of sparkling green eyes. “Yes, Alexandrite told me it was a late enrollment and I was one of the only people with an open bed.” He held out his hand. “I’m Albin Penbrook. And you must be Solum Bufo.”

Sol took Albin’s hand in both of his, giving it a firm shake. If he was put off by his slightly mucousy fingers, Albin didn’t show it. “You can just call me Sol.”

“Sol,” he repeated, withdrawing his hand. “It’s wonderful to meet you.”

It might have been because it was such a new situation, but he was starting to feel starstruck. “Is everyone here so nice?”

“No,” Albin said. “This school is full of pricks. Especially the psionics school.”

“Oh.” There went that brief moment of starstruckness.

He gestured to the pack on Sol’s back. “Feel free to make yourself comfortable.”

“There’s not much here.” He set his bag on the bed he presumed was his, made perfectly with standard issue sheets. “I live - well, I guess now I used to live at the waterpark.”

This time, it was Albin’s time to say, “Oh.”

“It’s cool,” Sol said as he unloaded most of his backpack - an old knitting book he’d found, the clothes he’d scrounged up over the years, the knight uniform that Launchpad Academy had issued him. But he kept the metal plate tucked into its safe pocket. “I’m gonna miss it and my friends there, but Launchpad - it’s a great chance to do some good.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Albin said, giving him a smile. “I think we’re going to have a great time together.”

Sol bounced on the soles of his feet, flashing a perfect bullywug grin. “Me too.”

[fortheloveoflizards]

Introduction to the Shitshow

First of all quick shout out to @validwofjobs for their outstanding headcanons and other assorted content and for semi-unwittingly giving me the confidence boost to share my stuff. Yeah, it’s their fault I’m here to ruin you guys’ fandom. If you like spicy hot takes go read their stuff!

Ok without further ado, here’s a rundown on the kind of content this blog will include:

The Butterfly Effect

This is an alternate universe story in which the canon Wings of Fire character, Hvitur of the Icewings, survives but still loses the Skywing egg he had been tasked to retrieve for the Prophecy. This causes a divergence from canon and includes original characters by yours truly and headcanons about dragon culture and canon character relations. Changes to the canon story include:

Hvitur of the Icewings escapes Burn and her soldiers but loses the Skywing egg

Hvitur’s mate, Summit(a Skywing original character), as well as Hvitur, joins the guardians in raising the Prophecy Dragonets under the mountain

Three other dragonets are born under the mountain to Summit and Hvitur and join them on their quest

The guardians do not conspire to murder Glory following Morrowseer’s visit and instead attempt to snuggles the dragonets out of the mountains to a different hideaway

Keep in mind that I’ve listed only the major changes to the main Wings of Fire storyline, and that there are countless other unmentioned changes to canon character personalities, motivations and individual story arcs in this au. The listed changes are simply the most notable. Additionally, please keep in mind that this au is only for fun and not intended to offend or exclude any person. I am sharing this for your enjoyment as much as mine.

Original characters included in this au are:

Summit of the Skywings

Starling of the Icewings and Skywings

Swallow of the Icewings and Skywings

Signet of the Icewings and Skywings

The Missing Link

This is an alternate universe story following up The Butterfly Effect in which entirely original characters of yours truly embark on a quest to return animus magic to the Mudwing tribe. This occurs after the events of the second arc of the canon Wings of Fire series(books six through ten) and includes original characters by yours truly and headcanons about dragon culture and canon character relations. Major story events include:

The start of a new year at Jade Mountain Academy and the introduction of six new Winglets

The subsequent meeting of main original characters Tumbleweed, Honeydew, Briar, Wayfinder, Hurricane, Dreamcatcher and Freyr

Horrible things start happening to the Seawing students at the school; including the Seawing princess, Anemone

It is revealed that a Mudwing student, Gator, has been using animus magic to commit the aforementioned crimes, however his sibs(including Briar) do not believe it, as the Mudwings lost their animi more than a hundred years ago thanks to a curse put on them by the Seawings during a war over territory

The Sapphire Winglet( Briar and co.) set out to prove Gator’s innocence and to figure out who set him up (the canon character Moonwatcher assists them although she mostly stays out of it)

The reveal of the true instigator behind the attacks on the Seawing students becomes the catalyst for the Sapphire Winglet’s quest to break the Mudwing animus curse

Keep in mind that these are original characters that to my knowledge have no connection to any persons outside of this au. Additionally, please keep in mind that this au is only for fun and not intended to offend or exclude any person. I am sharing this for your enjoyment as much as mine.

Original characters included in this story are:

Briar of the Mudwings

Tumbleweed of the Sandwings

Wayfinder of the Seawings and Nightwings

Honeydew of the Rainwings

Hurricane of the Skywings

Dreamcatcher of the Nightwings

Freyr of the Icewings

Navigator of the Seawings and Nightwings

Gator of the Mudwings

Seashell/Princess Abalone of the Seawings

Prince Mollusc of the Seawings

Witchhazel of the Rainwings

Winterbloom of the Rainwings

Scarlet Prelude

This is a story detailing my headcanons about Ex-Queen Scarlet’s mother, sisters and rise to power. It includes my theories about Skywing mutations(firescales, albinism, etc), general Pyrrhian history and the approximately 500+ undocumented (or in the very least unknown) years between Darkstalker’s time and present day Pyrrhia. Notable events are:

Queen Tornado’s birth and early childhood

The war between the Mudwings and Seawings and the Mudwing curse

Queen Garnet’s death and Tornado’s rise to the throne

Queen Tornado’s various projects involving Skywing culture and government over the course of her 200 year reign as well as her decision to mate for life with Scorch of the Skywings

The birth of Queen Tornado’s dragonets over the course of 27 years(the youngest being Scarlet)

Queen Tornado’s death and Scarlet’s rise to power

The death of Scarlet’s sisters

Keep in mind that this story is purely wishful thinking and that I make no claim to the canon character, Ex-Queen Scarlet, I just wanted to take a closer look at her character. Additionally, this is just for fun and not intended to exclude or offend anyone. I am sharing this for your enjoyment as much as mine.

Original characters included in this story are:

Queen Garnet of the Skywings

Queen Tornado of the Skywings

King Scorch of the Skywings

Prince Windbreaker of the Skywings

Princess Whirlwind of the Skywings

Princess Rosella of the Skywings

Princess Wedgetail of the Skywings

Queen Muskrat of the Mudwings

Princess Hemlock of the Mudwings

Prince Root of the Mudwings

Prince Coolabah of the Mudwings

Princess Primrose of the Mudwings

Princess Nardoo of the Mudwings

Queen Tidepool of the Seawings

King Maelstrom of the Seawings

Prince Mollusc of the Seawings

Princess Abalone of the Seawings

Queen Blizzard of the Icewings

Queen Downpour of the Rainwings

Honeysuckle of the Rainwings

My Original Characters

I honestly have so many more OCs it’s kind of insane and I would be so stoked if someone asked me to rant not that I won’t be anyway so I’ll be sure to tag them as separate OCs rather than as part of the previously mentioned stories

General Pyrrhian Dragon Headcanons

Basically all my theories about biology, mutations, culture, history and government. Although like I mentioned earlier if you wanna see some REAL spicy stuff go look at @validwofjobs I’m not kidding if you take nothing else from this blog I’ll be happyyyy

General Generic Dragon Headcanons

Honestly I’m a huge dragon nerd all round. In the off chance that anyone wants my opinions or theories about other dragons in media, books or just regular good ol’ lizards I’m happy to oblige as I love info dumping.

Reblogged Art and Submissions

I’ll reblog just about anything dragon related and feel free to submit art, writing or Headcanons of your own because that’s what this here blog is for!

Alright folks I think that’s about it! I won’t just be waiting around for requests as I do need somewhere to put my shit, but come at me regardless, bitches!

[quietya]

31 Days of quietYA: Books for Fans of Time Travel

If time travel is your thing, then I’ve got some good news for you - there’s a lot of it in YA. Some of these aren’t actually/strictly time travel, but you’ll get the gist. 

Loop by Karen Akins

At a school where Quantum Paradox 101 is a required course and history field trips are literal, sixteen year-old time traveler Bree Bennis excels…at screwing up. After Bree botches a solo midterm to the 21st century by accidentally taking a boy hostage (a teensy snafu), she stands to lose her scholarship. But when Bree sneaks back to talk the kid into keeping his yap shut, she doesn't go back far enough. The boy, Finn, now three years older and hot as a solar flare, is convinced he's in love with Bree, or rather, a future version of her that doesn't think he's a complete pain in the arse. To make matters worse, she inadvertently transports him back to the 23rd century with her. Once home, Bree discovers that a recent rash of accidents at her school are anything but accidental. Someone is attacking time travelers. As Bree and her temporal tagalong uncover seemingly unconnected clues—a broken bracelet, a missing data file, the art heist of the millennium—that lead to the person responsible, she alone has the knowledge to piece the puzzle together. Knowledge only one other person has. Her future self. But when those closest to her become the next victims, Bree realizes the attacker is willing to do anything to stop her. In the past, present, or future.

Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Incapable. Awkward. Artless. That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: She wants to fail. Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen to work the looms is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to manipulate the very fabric of reality. But if controlling what people eat, where they live, and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested. Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and used her hidden talent for a moment. Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her dad’s jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape. Because tonight, they’ll come for her.

Future Shock by Elizabeth Briggs

Elena Martinez has street smarts, the ability for perfect recall, and a deadline: if she doesn’t find a job before she turns eighteen, she’ll be homeless. But then she gets an unexpected offer from Aether Corporation, the powerful Los Angeles tech giant. Along with four other recruits—Adam, Chris, Trent, and Zoe—Elena is being sent on a secret mission to bring back data from the future. All they have to do is get Aether the information they need, and the five of them will be set for life. It’s an offer Elena can’t refuse. But something goes wrong when the time travelers arrive in the future. And they are forced to break the only rule they were given—not to look into their own fates. Now they have twenty-four hours to get back to the present and find a way to stop a seemingly inevitable future—and a murder—from happening. But changing the timeline has deadly consequences too. Who can Elena trust as she fights to save her life?

The Wood by Chelsea Bobulski

When Winter’s dad goes missing during his nightly patrol of the wood, it falls to her to patrol the time portals and protect the travelers who slip through them. Winter can't help but think there's more to her dad's disappearance than she's being told. She soon finds a young man traveling in the wood named Henry who knows more than he should. He believes if they can work together to find his missing parents, they could discover the truth about Winter’s dad. The wood is poisoned, changing into something sinister—torturing travelers lost in it. Winter must put her trust in Henry in order to find the truth and those they’ve lost.

Cold Summer by Gwen Cole

Kale Jackson has spent years trying to control his time-traveling ability but hasn’t had much luck. One day he lives in 1945, fighting in the war as a sharpshooter and helplessly watching soldiers—friends—die. Then the next day, he’s back in the present, where WWII has bled into his modern life in the form of PTSD, straining his relationship with his father and the few friends he has left. Every day it becomes harder to hide his battle wounds, both physical and mental, from the past. When the ex-girl-next-door, Harper, moves back to town, thoughts of what could be if only he had a normal life begin to haunt him. Harper reminds him of the person he was before the PTSD, which helps anchor him to the present. With practice, maybe Kale could remain in the present permanently and never step foot on a battlefield again. Maybe he can have the normal life he craves. But then Harper finds Kale’s name in a historical article—and he’s listed as a casualty of the war. Kale knows now that he must learn to control his time-traveling ability to save himself and his chance at a life with Harper. Otherwise, he’ll be killed in a time where he doesn’t belong by a bullet that was never meant for him.

Until We Meet Again by Renee Collins

Cassandra craves drama and adventure, so the last thing she wants is to spend her summer marooned with her mother and stepfather in a snooty Massachusetts shore town. But when a dreamy stranger shows up on their private beach claiming it's his own—and that the year is 1925—she is swept into a mystery a hundred years in the making. As she searches for answers in the present, Cassandra discovers a truth that puts their growing love—and Lawrence's life—into jeopardy. Desperate to save him, Cassandra must find a way to change history…or risk losing Lawrence forever.

Tempest by Julie Cross

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he's in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it's not like the movies — nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there's no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors — it's just harmless fun. That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he's stuck in 2007 and can't get back to the future. Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities. But it's not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these "Enemies of Time" will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him. Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he's willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

Traveler by L.E. DeLano

Jessa has spent her life dreaming of other worlds and writing down stories more interesting than her own, until the day her favorite character, Finn, suddenly shows up and invites her out for coffee. After the requisite nervous breakdown, Jessa learns that she and Finn are Travelers, born with the ability to slide through reflections and dreams into alternate realities. But it’s not all steampunk pirates and fantasy lifestyles—Jessa is dying over and over again, in every reality, and Finn is determined that this time, he’s going to stop it…This Jessa is going to live.

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

Talia fell under a spell...Jack broke the curse. I was told to beware the accursed spindle, but it was so enchanting, so hypnotic... I was looking for a little adventure the day I ditched my tour group. But finding a comatose town, with a hot-looking chick asleep in it, was so not what I had in mind. I awakened in the same place but in another time—to a stranger's soft kiss. I couldn't help kissing her. Sometimes you just have to kiss someone. I didn't know this would happen. Now I am in dire trouble because my father, the king, says I have brought ruin upon our country. I have no choice but to run away with this commoner! Now I'm stuck with a bratty princess and a trunk full of her jewels...The good news: My parents will freak! Think you have dating issues? Try locking lips with a snoozing stunner who turns out to be 316 years old. Can a kiss transcend all—even time?

Invictus by Ryan Graudin

Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time-traveling Recorder from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in Rome in 95 AD, Far's birth defies the laws of nature. Exploring history himself is all he's ever wanted, and after failing his final time-traveling exam, Far takes a position commanding a ship with a crew of his friends as part of a black market operation to steal valuables from the past. But during a heist on the sinking Titanic, Far meets a mysterious girl who always seems to be one step ahead of him. Armed with knowledge that will bring Far's very existence into question, she will lead Far and his team on a race through time to discover a frightening truth: History is not as steady as it seems.

The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood

Gottie H. Oppenheimer is losing time. Literally. When the fabric of the universe around her seaside town begins to fray, she's hurtled through wormholes to her past: To last summer, when her grandfather Grey died. To the afternoon she fell in love with Jason, who wouldn't even hold her hand at the funeral. To the day her best friend Thomas moved away and left her behind with a scar on her hand and a black hole in her memory. Although Grey is still gone, Jason and Thomas are back, and Gottie's past, present, and future are about to collide—and someone's heart is about to be broken.

The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

Nix has spent her entire life aboard her father’s ship, sailing across the centuries, across the world, across myth and imagination. As long as her father has a map for it, he can sail to any time, any place, real or imagined: nineteenth-century China, the land from One Thousand and One Nights, a mythic version of Africa. Along the way they have found crewmates and friends, and even a disarming thief who could come to mean much more to Nix. But the end to it all looms closer every day. Her father is obsessed with obtaining the one map, 1868 Honolulu, that could take him back to his lost love, Nix’s mother. Even though getting it—and going there—could erase Nix’s very existence. For the first time, Nix is entering unknown waters. She could find herself, find her family, find her own fantastical ability, her own epic love. Or she could disappear.

The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry

Natalie’s last summer in her small Kentucky hometown is off to a magical start…until she starts seeing the “wrong things.” At first, they’re just momentary glimpses—her front door is red instead of its usual green, there’s a pre-school where the garden store should be. But then her whole town disappears for hours, fading away into rolling hills and grazing buffalo, and Nat knows something isn’t right. That’s when she gets a visit from the kind but mysterious apparition she calls “Grandmother,” who tells her: “You have three months to save him.” The next night, under the stadium lights of the high school football field, she meets a beautiful boy named Beau, and it’s as if time just stops and nothing exists. Nothing, except Natalie and Beau.

Proof of Forever by Lexa Hillyer

Before: It was the perfect summer of first kisses, skinny-dipping, and bonfires by the lake. Joy, Tali, Luce, and Zoe knew their final summer at Camp Okahatchee would come to an end, but they swore they’d stay friends. After: Now, two years later, their bond has faded along with those memories. Then: That is, until the fateful flash of a photo booth camera transports the four of them back in time, to the summer they were fifteen—the summer everything changed. Now: The girls must recreate the past in order to return to the present. As they live through their second-chance summer, the mystery behind their lost friendship unravels, and a dark secret threatens to tear the girls apart all over again. Always: Summers end. But this one will change them forever.

Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard

Fifteen-year-old Callie buys a pair of real Prada pumps to impress the cool crowd on a school trip to London. Goodbye, Callie the clumsy geek-girl, hello popularity! But before she knows what’s hit her, Callie wobbles, trips, conks her head...and wakes up in the year 1815!

She stumbles about until she meets the kind-hearted Emily, who takes Callie in, mistaking her for a long-lost friend. Sparks soon fly between Callie and Emily’s cousin, Alex, the maddeningly handsome - though totally arrogant - Duke of Harksbury. Too bad he seems to have something sinister up his ruffled sleeve...

From face-planting off velvet piano benches and hiding behind claw-foot couches to streaking through the estate halls wearing nothing but an itchy blanket, Callie’s curiosity about Alex creates all kinds of trouble.

But the grandfather clock is ticking on her 19th Century shenanigans. Can Callie save Emily from a dire engagement, win a kiss from Alex, and prove to herself that she’s more than just a loud-mouth klutz before her time there is up?

The Edge of Forever by Melissa E. Hurst

In 2013, sixteen-year-old Alora is having blackouts. Each time she wakes up in a different place with no idea how she got there. The one thing she is certain of? Someone is following her. In 2146, seventeen-year-old Bridger is one of a small number of people born with the ability to travel to the past. While on a routine school time trip, he sees the last person he expected—his dead father. The strangest part is that, according to the Department of Temporal Affairs, his father was never assigned to be in that time. Bridger’s even more stunned when he learns that his by-the-book father was there to break the most important rule of time travel—to prevent someone’s murder. And that someone is named Alora. Determined to discover why his father wanted to help a “ghost,” Bridger illegally shifts to 2013 and, along with Alora, races to solve the mystery surrounding her past and her connection to his father before the DTA finds him. If he can stop Alora’s death without altering the timeline, maybe he can save his father too.

The Next Together by Laura James

Katherine and Matthew are destined to be born again and again, century after century. Each time, their presence changes history for the better, and each time, they fall hopelessly in love, only to be tragically separated. Spanning the Crimean War, the Siege of Carlisle and the near-future of 2019 and 2039 they find themselves sacrificing their lives to save the world. But why do they keep coming back? What else must they achieve before they can be left to live and love in peace? Maybe the next together will be different...

Return Once More by Trisha Leigh

Years have passed since refugees from a ruined earth took to space, eventually settling a new system of planets. Science has not only made the leaps necessary to allow time travel, but the process engineered a strange side effect—predicting your one true love. Sixteen-year-old Kaia Vespasian is an apprentice to the Historians—a group charged with using time travel to document the triumphs and failures of the past—and she can’t resist a peek at her long-dead soul mate in Ancient Egypt. Before she knows it, she’s broken every rule in the book, and the consequences of getting caught could destroy more than just her new romance. But when Kaia notices a fellow classmate snooping around in a time where he doesn’t belong, she suspects he has a secret of his own—and the conspiracy she uncovers could threaten the entire universe. If her experience has taught her anything, to changing history means facing the consequences. The Historians trained her to observe and record the past, but Kaia never guessed she might have to protect it— in a race across time to save her only chance at a future.

The Girl with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke

Ever since she arrived in Germany on a school trip, Ellie Baum has felt the weight of history on her. After all, she’s the first one in her family to return since her grandfather’s miraculous escape from a death camp, and in Berlin, pieces of the past—World War II, the Cold War—are still visible decades later. One day, visiting the Berlin Wall Memorial, she sees a stray balloon floating across the park, and she wanders away from the crowd to follow it. One moment she’s reaching out to grab it—the next, she’s yanked back through time to when the wall is still standing. It is 1988, and Ellie is in East Berlin. Nobody knows how she got there, not even the members of the underground guild—the Runners and the Schöpfers—who use balloons and magic to help people escape over the wall. Now as a stranger in an oppressive regime, Ellie must hide from the police with the help of Kai, a Runner struggling with his own uneasy relationship with the powerful Balloonmakers and his growing feelings for Ellie. Together they search for the truth behind Ellie’s mysterious time travel, and when they uncover a plot to alter history with dark magic, she must risk everything—including her only way home—to stop the deadly plans.

The Spy with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke

Siblings Ilse and Wolf hide a deep secret in their blood: with it, they can work magic. And the government just found out.Blackmailed into service during World War II, Ilse lends her magic to America’s newest weapon, the atom bomb, while Wolf goes behind enemy lines to sabotage Germany’s nuclear program. It’s a dangerous mission, but if Hitler were to create the bomb first, the results would be catastrophic. When Wolf’s plane is shot down, his entire mission is thrown into jeopardy. Wolf needs Ilse’s help to develop the magic that will keep him alive, but with a spy afoot in Ilse’s laboratory, the letters she sends to Wolf begin to look treasonous. Can Ilse prove her loyalty—and find a way to help her brother—before their time runs out?

Kissing Shakespeare by Pamela Mingle

Miranda has Shakespeare in her blood: she hopes one day to become a Shakespearean actor like her famous parents. At least, she does until her disastrous performance in her school's staging of The Taming of the Shrew. Humiliated, Miranda skips the opening-night party. All she wants to do is hide. Fellow cast member, Stephen Langford, has other plans for Miranda. When he steps out of the backstage shadows and asks if she'd like to meet Shakespeare, Miranda thinks he's a total nutcase. But before she can object, Stephen whisks her back to 16th century England—the world Stephen's really from. He wants Miranda to use her acting talents and modern-day charms on the young Will Shakespeare. Without her help, Stephen claims, the world will lost its greatest playwright. Miranda isn't convinced she's the girl for the job. Why would Shakespeare care about her? And just who is this infuriating time traveler, Stephen Langford? Reluctantly, she agrees to help, knowing that it's her only chance of getting back to the present and her "real" life. What Miranda doesn't bargain for is finding true love . . . with no acting required.

Timeless by Alexandra Monir

When tragedy strikes Michele Windsor's family, she is forced to move from Los Angeles to New York City to live with the wealthy, aristocratic grandparents she has never met. In their historic Fifth Avenue mansion, filled with a century's worth of family secrets, Michele discovers the biggest family secret of all - an ancestor's diary that, amazingly, has the power to send her back in time to 1910, the year it was written. There, at a glamorous high-society masquerade ball, Michele meets the young man with striking blue eyes who has haunted her dreams all her life. And she finds herself falling for him, and into an otherworldly romance. Soon Michele is leading a double life, struggling to balance her contemporary high school world with her escapes into the past. But when she stumbles upon a terrible discovery, she is propelled on a race through history to save the boy she loves - and to complete a quest that will determine their fate.

Now That You’re Here by Amy Nichols

In a parallel universe, the classic bad boy falls for the class science geek. One minute Danny was running from the cops, and the next, he jolted awake in an unfamiliar body - his own, but different. Somehow, he's crossed into a parallel universe. Now his friends are his enemies, his parents are long dead, and studious Eevee is not the mysterious femme fatale he once kissed back home. Then again, this Eevee - a girl who'd rather land an internship at NASA than a date to the prom--may be his only hope of getting home. Eevee tells herself she's only helping him in the name of quantum physics, but there's something undeniably fascinating about this boy from another dimension... a boy who makes her question who she is, and who she might be in another place and time.

Stolen Time by Danielle Rollins (coming February 5, 2019)

Seattle, 1913 // Dorothy is trapped. Forced into an engagement to a wealthy man just so she and her mother can live comfortably for the rest of their days, she’ll do anything to escape. Including sneaking away from her wedding and bolting into the woods to disappear. New Seattle, 2077 // Ash is on a mission. Rescue the professor—his mentor who figured out the secret to time travel—so together they can put things right in their devastated city. But searching for one man means endless jumps through time with no guarantee of success. When Dorothy collides with Ash, she sees it as her chance to start fresh—she’ll stow away in his plane and begin a new life wherever they land. Then she wakes up in a future that’s been ripped apart by earthquakes and floods; where vicious gangs rule the submerged city streets and a small group of intrepid travelers from across time are fighting against the odds to return things to normal. What Dorothy doesn’t know is that she could hold the key to unraveling the past—and her arrival may spell Ash’s ultimate destruction.

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett has the unique ability to travel through time and space, which brings him into Anna’s life, and with him a new world of adventure and possibility. As their relationship deepens, the two face the reality that time may knock Bennett back to where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate, what consequences they can bear in order to stay together, and whether their love can stand the test of time.

Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor

When fragile, sixteen-year-old Hope Walton loses her mom to an earthquake overseas, her secluded world crumbles. Agreeing to spend the summer in Scotland, Hope discovers that her mother was more than a brilliant academic, but also a member of a secret society of time travelers. Trapped in the twelfth century in the age of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Hope has seventy-two hours to rescue her mother and get back to their own time. Along the way, her path collides with that of a mysterious boy who could be vital to her mission . . . or the key to Hope’s undoing.

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Em is locked in a bare, cold cell with no comforts. Finn is in the cell next door. The Doctor is keeping them there until they tell him what he wants to know. Trouble is, what he wants to know hasn't happened yet. Em and Finn have a shared past, but no future unless they can find a way out. The present is torture - being kept apart, overhearing each other's anguish as the Doctor relentlessly seeks answers. There's no way back from here, to what they used to be, the world they used to know. Then Em finds a note in her cell which changes everything. It's from her future self and contains some simple but very clear instructions. Em must travel back in time to avert a tragedy that's about to unfold. Worse, she has to pursue and kill the boy she loves to change the future.

Summer of Yesterday by Gaby Triana

Summer officially sucks. Thanks to a stupid seizure she had a few months earlier, Haley’s stuck going on vacation with her dad and his new family to Disney’s Fort Wilderness instead of enjoying the last session of summer camp back home with her friends. Fort Wilderness holds lots of childhood memories for her father, but surely nothing for Haley. But then a new seizure triggers something she’s never before experienced—time travel—and she ends up in River Country, the campground’s long-abandoned water park, during its heyday. The year? 1982. And there—with its amusing fashion, “oldies” music, and primitive technology—she runs into familiar faces: teenage Dad and Mom before they’d even met. Somehow, Haley must find her way back to the twenty-first century before her present-day parents anguish over her disappearance, a difficult feat now that she’s met Jason, one of the park’s summer residents and employees, who takes the strangely dressed stowaway under his wing. Seizures aside, Haley’s used to controlling her life, and she has no idea how to deal with this dilemma. How can she be falling for a boy whose future she can’t share?

Steel by Carrie Vaughn

A mysterious broken sword transports a modern teen through time to the deck of a pirate ship. Stranded in the past, and surrounded by strangers, she is forced to sign on as crew. But a pirate's life is bloody and brief, and as she learns about the dark magic that brought her there, she forms a desperate scheme to get home—one that risks everything in a duel to the death with a villainous pirate captain!

Wildwing by Emily Whitman

When Addy is swept back in time, she couldn't be happier to leave her miserable life behind. Now she's mistaken for Lady Matilda, the pampered ward of the king. If Addy can play her part, she'll have glorious gowns, jewels, and something she's always longed for the respect and admiration of others. But then she meets Will, the falconer's son with sky blue eyes, who unsettles all her plans.

From shipwrecks to castle dungeons, from betrothals to hidden conspiracies, Addy finds herself in a world where she's not the only one with a dangerous secret. When she discovers the truth, Addy must take matters into her own hands. The stakes? Her chance at true love . . . and the life she's meant to live.

[horrorsbf]

so yes rabbit exists in the silence of the lambs universe but is.. slightly different

he’s already a published author by the time he’s working on his book of cannibalism cases throughout the modern era, but he’s not a big, known name

slightly older as well

clarice is one of his friends from his research for his other books, they ran into each other at the academy and hit it off

he absolutely has a big ol crush on hannibal but nothing really ends up from that due to different situations leading to it

officially albinic in this universe. it’s not just an au.

[lmdurand]

Book Review: Just Like This by Cole McCade + Book Excerpt

Today, I'm reviewing Just Like This written by Cole McCade. This second installment is a beautiful (LGBTQ+) adult romance. Check out my review and start reading today! Available Now. #justlikethis #colemccade #carinapress #lgbtromance #bookexcerpt

A few months days ago, I posted a review of Just Like That, the first book in the Albin Academy series. Today, I’m back reviewing Just Like This written by Cole McCade. The second installment is a beautiful and heartwarming (LGBTQ+) adult romance. The book was released on Tuesday and published by Carina Press.

Check out my review below. Also, a little excerpt for you inside :). Thank you…

[santyloves]

REVIEW: Just Like This [Albin Academy, #2] by Cole McCade

REVIEW: Just Like This [Albin Academy, #2] by Cole McCade

 One thing I’ve come to expect whenever I pick up a Cole McCade book is great storytelling and impeccable writing and this was more of the same. I’m always blown away by how he weaves his tales and how he uses the english language to tell you exactly how his characters are feeling and exactly how the situation unravels within his stories. That is what I particularly love about this author and…

[curetapwater]

@funnyfany since I'm reblogging your ask I thought I'd tag you in case you're still interested.

It took a lot of courage to post these, but here's some middle school art of what eventually became Power of Rock. Please bear in mind that I was dealing with some serious repressed lesbianism that tended to come out in the way I drew female characters. (It was bad)

A demon princess named Marie (named after the Skullgirls character) who I eventually retooled into Persephone. The one on the left I drew age 12, the right about 13 or 14.

Angsty Rainbow Dash. She was like. Kidnapped by demons as a child and became part demon and they're like. Hunting her down and want her to be a demon princess and here's her as a demon princess but she doesn't want to be a demon princess!!!! Left drawn age 12-13, right drawn age 14 (?) You can see the beginnings of Sky from a visual standpoint, especially the hair. But otherwise she and Sky have like nothing in common lol. In terms of characterization and backstory Sky is a completely separate character.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash! I liked the idea that instead of growing pony ears they instead have headphones with fake pony ears on them. This eventually evolved into the headsets the Power of Rock characters wear! You can see the eyes take a lot of inspiration from mlp while the way I drew bodies was partially the fault of those "how to draw anime" books and partially the fault of Monster High. You can see the beginnings of what would eventually become Star and Sky's magical girl outfits here! I must've been about 13 here. In fact I think I was 13 when I drew the rest of these.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash in their everyday outfits. Twilight is holding her favorite spellbook, the Deus Ex Machina (I thought I was funny). Dash wears crosses to protect herself from the demons that hunt her. She always wears that big choker because it covers the demon bites on her neck and keeps her latent demon side in check.

From when I finally learned how to draw ponies. Also the first art of them after I decided they were too different from Twilight and Dash to continue going by those names. So I turned them into original characters. Originally I didn't think of Sky as having albinism, I just thought rainbow colors on a pale background looked cool. I don't quite remember when I decided she specifically had albinism.

Here they are in their school uniforms! The Academy didn't exist yet (I thought up of most of Power of Rock's final story in the latter half of high school). Here they still went to a normal high school where they happened to battle demonic entities.

Some doodles of pony!Star (her name was Midnight at the time) that I still quite like. She was a bit meaner, a bit more rough around the edges than Star is. I still really like a lot of these expressions tbh. I also remember some more doodles of pony!Sky but I can't seem to find them, which is too bad because there was one of her in profile crying black tears (because sad demon pony TM) that I really liked.

My turn to subject you to The Mortifying Ordeal Of Being Known:

In both art and writing, you seem to have taken inspiration from Monster High, Bratz, Equestria Girls, Barbie and probably some other stuff in that realm that I can't recall because I wasn't in that sphere growing up, plus the more obvious Magical Girl inspiration. In fact, I feel like every character in Power of Rock is a bit of a homage to each one of these, both separately and in general. I don't know enough about any of it to pinpoint with precision, though.

but I'll take a wild guess and say your favourite EqG movie is Rainbow Rocks, followed by the Legend of Everfree.

You're spot on, especially about Rainbow Rocks! In fact, Power of Rock arose from an mlp fanfic I'd been kicking around since I was 11 years old! Now, as I talk about this, please bear in mind I've been developing this story since middle school so things get kinda wacky.. Star started out as Twilight and Sky started out as Rainbow Dash. The rest of the characters have nothing to do with mlp, unless you count Crescent being partially inspired by a friend I had in middle school with whom we bonded over our shared mlp hyperfixation. I see how one could interpret her as Pinkie Pie though.

Rainbow Rocks in particular was a gigantic inspiration! I fixated really really hard on it when it came out, partially because I had a major crush on all of the Dazzlings plus human!Rainbow Dash and partially because that's when I was getting really into rock music. I'd listen to music and always imagine my in-name-only fanfic versions of The Rainbooms playing the songs and casting spells with their instruments. I was so enchanted by the concept and at that point had realized that the thing I'd created was so far removed from mlp that I scrapped the mlp angle entirely and zeroed in on the rock band element.

Star originally arose as me realizing that Twilight had an incredibly privileged upbringing and thinking that it'd be funny if she acted like a spoiled brat that was full of herself. By the time she became Star, I'd fleshed her out way more and softened her up to be less arrogant and more confident in an endearing way. Aesthetically, she takes the most from the influences you brought up, especially Bratz and Barbie!

Sky is a subject I'm gonna have to tiptoe around because the only thing that ever stayed consistent about her is also a spoiler. But although the logic behind how Rainbow Dash became Sky seems pretty straightforward, I promise you the story is wild and insane and omg I'm honestly shocked that I was able to make Sky into a good character 'cause... omg I don't even know where to start haha. To give a taste of what she was like when her name was Rainbow Dash, I'll say she got infused with demon blood as a child and it ~haunted~ her afterwards and she was ~sooo angsty~ about it. And then I removed all demon stuff from the story along with pony stuff and decided to tone things down by making her a vampire instead (because vampires are cool, something Monster High convinced me of!). But with the demon stuff also left her ~tragic backstory~ that I'd based her entire character around and after losing that I realized I was left with nothing that made her interesting. Then I listened to Escape From the City from SA2 and thought, "hey, Sonic is a cool and endearing character, what if I inserted a little of his rebellious spirit into Sky?" And then her current backstory sprouted from that point and shaped her further into a far more distinct character that I love writing for. She's naturally the most Monster High inspired character in terms of aesthetics but I also drew from punk and pastel goth fashion for her.

The rest of the main characters are heavily retooled transplants from a scrapped WIP of mine, complete with visual redesigns inspired by all the influences you listed!

I tend to consume a lot of children's media like the ones you brought up, plus kidcoms like Hannah Montana and iCarly, and I wouldn't be surprised if that influenced my writing style, especially dialogue.

The stories I could TELL about how Power of Rock came to be, my goodness! And the art... oh god the art........ I drew some bomb outfits from when they were still the Humane Six but my anatomy was AWFUL so I'm unsure if they'll ever see the light of day.

You're right about Rainbow Rocks being my fave EG movie, in fact it may be one of my favorite mlp things period because of what it's led to in my life! Shine Like Rainbows is enough to move me to tears. My second fave is actually the first one, for nostalgia reasons. Legend of Everfree I only watched once but I should give it another look!

[surejaya]

Crewel (Crewel World, #1)

Crewel (Crewel World, #1) by Gennifer Albin

Incapable. Awkward. Artless. That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: She wants to fail. Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen to work the looms is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to manipulate the very fabric of reality. But if controlling what people eat, where they live, and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested. Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and used her hidden talent for a moment. Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her dad’s jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape. Because tonight, they’ll come for her.

Download : Crewel (Crewel World, #1) Crewel (Crewel World, #1) More Book at: Zaqist Book

[abarilone]

Mama's Book Review: "Claude: The True Story of a White Alligator" by Emma Bland Smith, illustrated by Jennifer Potter

Mama’s Book Review: “Claude: The True Story of a White Alligator” by Emma Bland Smith, illustrated by Jennifer Potter

Logan and I recently read “Claude: The True Story of a White Alligator.” We learned about albinism in nature and Claude’s life at the California Academy of Sciences. Click here for more information about Claude.

BOOK DETAILS // CLAUDE: THE TRUE STORY OF A WHITE ALLIGATOR by Emma Bland Smith, illustrated by Jennifer Potter // Published: August 4, 2020 // Hardcover, 32 pages // Little Bigfoot

AN…

[twochicksobsessed]

Just Like That (Albin Academy Book 1) by Cole McCade: Release Day Review

Just Like That (Albin Academy Book 1) by Cole McCade: #ReleaseDay #BookReview #2stars #lgbt #gay #mmromance #agegap #contemporary

Summer Hemlock never meant to come back to Omen, Massachusetts…

But with his mother in need of help, Summer has no choice but to return to his hometown, take up a teaching residency at the elite Albin Academy—and work directly under the man who made his teenage years miserable.

Professor Fox Iseya.

Forbidding, aloof, commanding: psychology instructor Iseya is a cipher who’s always fascinated and…

[sublimegentlemanalpaca]

Protagonists and their cohort and stuff...

As mentioned before, the FoE academies teach for Five Years. 26 in a year separa into Cohorts of 13 (Smaller class sizes?). With the exception of Dom Daniel which only accepts 13 students for a year(possibly the same for either Leeds and Kidd Academy or Tomoko Academy). Protagonists for this thing will be entering their first year blah blah...for a variety of reasons.

Perdita Alunni: Still figuring her out, but basically got on the FoE's radar when it was noticed she has skill in Making. figuring out her whole thing still.

Rei Arashi: Practically raised within the FoE, Rei Arashi is the adopted daughter of Preternatural Intelligencer Tomomi Arashi. Rei has natural Albinism (unlike most other white haired characters whose hair is white for different reasons), can see and communicate with Ghosts. Plays an instrument of some sort (still figuring that out). Came along with variou trick Umbrellas given to them by their mother. Has occasionally interacted with Faeries (due to Tomomi occasionally leaving Rei in the care of Rosemary Goodfellow) and from those interactions picked up a habit of not writing their name consistently. Though there are 5 writings she regularly uses and three favorites. The Second oldest in the Cohort (mid to late 20s ish). Knows Aled and Acrasia.

Acrasia Pendragon: Ninth child of Queen Gloriana and her consort Arthur Pendragon. Joining the FoE with recommendation from her aunt, former Headmistress of Archimag Academy Morgan Le Fay. Has Mist grey Mothlike Wings. Has a Wand that's a silver branch, a Faerie Pistol, and a Book gifted to her on her naming day that's full of how to make potions and stuff. Loves turning people into animals and back for fun.

Aled of Faerie: Son to Queen Titania and her consort Oberon. Has Antlers, Moth Wings of Blue and purple. A Trouble maker at heart, young Aled has three magical gifts. A Living Shadow, a Selfswinging Sword of Thunderbolt Iron, and what the FoE recognizes to be a 'Hide and Seek Ring'. On good terms and supportive to his cousin Acrasia. He or she might have a crush on Rei. Was recommended by Inteligencer Rosemary Goodfellow.

Rubedo Kleinmann: Seemingly a son to One of the Kleinmann family. Rubedo is short and somewhat frail. Reccomended by multiple Kleinmann Eldritchicians. Breaking with Tradition of the Kleinmann family by not attending Dreadrock University and joining the FoE at the earliest chance. Youngest of his cohort at...17? Or something.

Omer Adams: A Half Giant, both good with animals, baked goods, and mechanically minded. Omer 'ran away'(given full support by everyone there) from the circus his Family (Mom(the Giant Gerlinde) Dad (Cain) elder brother Abel and sister Eve) works for 'Mr. E Fantastic Phantasmagoria'. only one against him joining the FoE was Mr. E (or his 'Uncle Algernon'himself and that was mostly petty annoyance). limited Shapeshifting and illusion based magic.

Casandra Sibyl Read: A Cambion (half demon child) With some shapeshifting and Prophetic Abilities. Cassandra's demonic heritage shows up in horns, a tail, and purple skin (basically a Tiefling?) and Eyes that are like full moons yet not blind? Ward to 'Astrophel O Mancy' owner and proprieter of Mancy's Emporium for Fortunes, Herbs, Games and more. Joined the FoE after a particular game night with Mancy and her coworkers. one Co Worker insisting Cassandra join the FoE, another saying she should go to Dreadrock...Cassandra ultimately deciding to join the FoE. With both a recommendation from her former Eldritchician Coworker, and another from Mancy himself. Was given several gifts on leaving. a bag of Dice for gaming. A Tarot Deck Hand made by Mr. Mancy (he doesn't hold with Tarot, but Cassandra enjoys doing readings among other methods of Divination), a Telescope(for stargazing) and reminding Cassandra to keep up on her Violin Practice. And a silver ring with some writing on it. accompanying Cassandra is an Owl that always accompanied Mancy. Stolas. tumblr is dumb so I guess I need a second part for the rest of their cohort.

[liberalcom-blog]

The Fraternitas Saturni: History, Doctrine, and Rituals of the Magical Order of the Brotherhood of Saturn

https://liber-al.com/?p=28356&wpwautoposter=1567247002 Stephen E. Flowers Inner Traditions Bear and Company, USA, 2018. Paperback. Revised and Expanded edition. 224 pages. Brand New. The most influential magical group in Germany during the 20th century, the Fraternitas Saturni or Brotherhood of Saturn, is still the most active and important magical society in Germany today. But from its formal beginnings in 1926 in Weimar Berlin until around 1970 it was almost totally secret. Most of what is known about the Order in the English-speaking world is fragmentary and focuses exclusively on the sensational sex-magic practices and Luciferian tendencies of this magical lodge. Presenting the most in-depth work in English on the Fraternitas Saturni, Stephen Flowers examines the history of the Order from the mid-1920s to the late 1960s when the Order was fundamentally reformed. He details their path of initiation, secret doctrines, ritual practices and magical formulae and offers biographies of the Order’s most prominent members, including founder Gregor A. Gregorius, Karl Spiesberger (Frater Eratus), Albin Grau (Master Pacitius) and Franz Saettler (Dr. Musallam). Exploring the Brotherhood’s guiding principles, he shows that at the heart of Saturnian ideology is the idea of Saturn-Gnosis: the interplay of opposing forces in the universe leading to the realisation of the individual self as a god-like entity. He examines the Order’s teachings on cosmology, the Kabbalah, the Saturnian Sacraments, electrical magic, sexo-cosmology, sex-magic rites and sexual mysticism – the Yoga of the Dark Light – and transcribes many of their actual rituals and practices, including the highly controversial Gradus Pentalphae, in such detail that readers will be able to undertake their own experiential work. Explaining the meanings of all 33 grades of the Order, the author, also, looks at the infamous Freemasonic Order of the Golden Centurium, the cult of Adonism, the links between Thelema and the Fraternitas Saturni and the rare teachings of Master Pacitius (Albin Grau), the visual genius behind the film Nosferatu. He, also, includes rare reports by Aleister Crowley concerning his interaction with some of the forerunners to the Order and letters from the Order’s founder, Gregor A. Gregorius, to the “Great Beast.” · Explores the history of the Order from its founding the late 1960s · Transcribes many rituals and practices in such detail that readers will be able to undertake their own experiential work · Examines the Order’s teachings on cosmology, the Kabbalah, the Saturnian Sacraments, electrical magic and sexual mysticism – the Yoga of the Dark Light · Includes biographies of prominent members, including founder Gregor A. Gregorius, Karl Spiesberger (Frater Eratus) and Albin Grau (Master Pacitius) “The Western esoteric tradition, from which this book’s subject emerges, has now gained acceptance as a branch of the Western canon worthy of scholarly inquiry and as a discipline deserving of its seat in the academy. Flowers casts light on one of the 20th century’s most secretive, intriguing (and misunderstood) occult orders, the Fraternitas Saturni. This is a fascinating and highly readable study of the Order’s tantric, astrosophical, and Nietzchean doctrines; their Gnostic sexual cosmologies and practices; their quasi-masonic structure; the Order’s enigmatic and innovative figures such as FS Grand Master Gregor A. Gregorius; and the influence of Aleister Crowley, Thelema, and the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) on the Brotherhood.” (Stephen J. King (Shiva X°), Grand Master, Ordo Templi Orientis) “Germany’s contribution to the Western magical tradition reaches back, in modern form, to the medieval Grail myths, the founding of the original Rosicrucian Order and its many later derivatives, the quasi-masonic operations of the Bavarian Illuminati, Germany’s legendary influence on the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and, of course, its role in the founding and early development of the Ordo Templi Orientis. The Fraternitas Saturni Order is heir to all of these, and Stephen Flowers, Ph.D., has devoted decades to expanding and deepening the research that led to his first groundbreaking book on the Order. This fourth revised and enlarged edition may at last represent the completion of that herculean task as it more deeply explores and communicates the Order’s mysteries to a yet wider audience. Critically, Flowers elucidates at length on the primary characteristic that makes the Fraternitas Saturni so unique–its dual emphasis on social lodge work and group ritual, balanced by its curriculum of disciplined individual practices that must be accomplished in silence by each member.” (James Wasserman, author of The Mystery Traditions) “Stephen Flowers lets the cat out of the bag on the subject of the Fraternitas Saturni and takes us into the richly Faustian world of Germanic occultism from which the order emerged, created out of a heady brew of Freemasonry, astrology, Golden Dawn magic, Crowley’s Thelema, and much more. With its detailed descriptions of the order’s rituals and practices, this book is an eye-opener with a vengeance.” (Christopher McIntosh, Ph.D., author of Eliphas Lévi and the French Occult Revival) Stephen E. Flowers, Ph.D., received his doctorate in Germanic languages and medieval studies from the University of Texas at Austin and studied the history of occultism at the University of Göttingen, Germany. The author of more than 24 books, including Lords of the Left-Hand Path and Original Magic, he lives near Smithville, Texas.

[sentrava]

Ten Things You Didn’t Know about Swedish Artist Hilma af Klint

Swedish abstract artist Hilma af Klint combined abstraction with spiritualism to create a unique artistic style that pre-dates other abstract modernist painters such as Wassily Kandinsky. Util recently, she had largely been ignored as one of the original abstract artists in favor of her male counterparts, but a recent retrospective at the Guggeheim in New York City has brought her incredbible, colorful work back into the spotlight.

The Guggeheim’s show runs until April 23rd 2019. Even if you missed it, the interest in her work shows no signs of abating.

Find out about Swedish abstract artist Hilma af Klint and see some of our favorite Himla af Klint paintings:

She was a mystic; spiritualism deeply informed her art. Klint’s interest in spiritualism began at the age of 18 when her young sister died. She became a student of Theosophy and the Anthroposophical Society, visiting the latter’s headquarters in Switzerland on many occasions throughout the 1920s. Her isolation from the rest of the modernist art movement allowed her spiritualism to truly be the defining driver of her work.

  Hilma af Klint, Group I, No. 7, 1919 Foto: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

    She financially supported herself with conventional painting of portraits and landscapes. Though Hilma af Klint actively sought to distance her work from her classical training (more on that below), she gained enough recognition in Sweden to make a living as an artist.

  Hilma af Klint, Group IX, No. 16 & 17, 1915 Foto: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

    Hilma af Klint was a founder and member of “The Five,” (Den Fem) a group of women artists who were interested in spirutalism and regularly conducted séances. They believed that they received messages from spirits they called “High Masters” and recorded these transmissions in a shared book. Though rumors persist that Hilma af Klint was an isolated or lonely person, that wasn’t the case; The Five were an important part of her social and artistic development. The myth of isolation is not an uncommon one to be attached to unconventional, and particularly artistic, women; see Emily Dickinson as another example.  

Hilma af Klint, Group V, No. 19, 1908 Foto- Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

    She’s inspired lots of pop culture moments, but only recently has been recognized on a larger scale. Films and music that has been borne from Hilma af Klint’s body of work include Personal Shopper starring Kristen Stewart (highly recommend!) and the album Modern Kosmology by British singer Jane Weaver.

  Hilma af Klint, Left: Titel saknas, 1924, Right: Vid betraktandet av blommor och träd, 1922 Foto: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

    She kept much of her work private until 20 years after her death, believing that the world was not yet ready for them (she was right!). Leaving everything to her nephew, she instructed him not to even open the boxes until the prescribed time had passed. The paintings were finally revealed in the late 1960s. It wasn’t until they were presented by art historian Åke Fant in 1984, then shown in an exhibition in Los Angeles in 1986, that Klint began to gain international recognition.

  Hilma Af Klint, Group VI, No. 1 Evolutionen, 1908. Oil on Canvas. Photo: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

    In 1970, her entire collection was offered to the Moderna Museet as a gift. The museum declined! In a true “I told you so” moment, Hilma af Klint’s prophecy that the world (perhaps more speficially, the art establishment) wasn’t ready for her paintings was proven true when, a mere 26 years after her death, and only six years after her collection was finally released by her estate, Stockholm’s Moderna Museet decided against taking her body of work. What could they have been thinking?

      One of her dreams was to build a spiral-shaped temple where she could display her work. Unfortunately this never came to be. In a poetic twist, the spiral staircase of the Guggenheim, where a major retrospective of her work took place in 2018-2019, served as a kind of proxy.

  Hilma af Klint, The Swan, No.1, Group IX, 1915

    Hilma was a classically trained fine artist, having studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of Stockholm. She studied drawing, portraiture, and landscape painting. Though she earned money this way, she actively sought to unlearn the classical techniques she had acquired, instead developing a technique called “automatic drawing” in which she drew without allowing her consciousness to lead the process. This technique would later be used in the surrealist movement, including Dadaism. As she practiced automatic drawing more and more, she began to create her now iconic abstract pieces; she painted her first abstract series at age 44.

  Hilma af Klint, Group X, No. 2 and No. 3, 1915 Foto- Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

    There is now a dedicated Hilma af Klint room at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm showing a collection of her work, despite the museum having turned down the gift her entire collection (still shocked by this!). In early 2018, the Hilma af Klint Foundation, which oversees her legacy, signed a deal with the museum that will keep this small collection at Moderna Museet in perpetuity.

  Hilma af Klint, Group V, No. 7, 1920 Foto: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

    Snøhetta, the Norwegian architecture firm, is currently building an exhibition centre dedicated to Klint just south of Stockholm, in a town called Järna. We hope it assists in continuing to showcase Klint’s legacy and influence in abstract art.

    Ten Things You Didn’t Know about Swedish Artist Hilma af Klint published first on https://medium.com/@OCEANDREAMCHARTERS

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

The Music of Love

by Minerva Spencer writing as S.M. LaViolette

The Academy of Love #1

 Twisted tale with two unusual characters finding that together they might have a better life than apart. This book had a LOT going on in it with an albino male lead that has managed to thrive, make quite a bit of money, and live well in a rather solitary existence. He “knows” that his affliction will keep him apart. He has made a life for himself without expecting more. Portia Stefano is on her way to be Eustace “Stacy” Harrington’s music instructor hoping he will hire her instead of the man he thinks will be arriving. She has secrets of her own but is a brilliant musician and pianist.

 This is a steamy story with two passionate characters coming together early on and then often. There are unscrupulous characters, twists and turns, misunderstandings, fights followed by silences, making up after the fights, some very unscrupulous characters including blackmailers and murderers. This is not the most believable historical romance I have ever read but it was a fun way to spend the day. I was happy that the baddies were unveiled and dealt with and that there was a happily ever after for Stacy and Portia.

 Did I enjoy this book? It was okay

Would I read more in this series? I think so

 Thank you to Booksprout and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

 3-4 Stars

  BLURB

 Finding out that her husband was a bigamist didn’t devastate Portia Stefani; she held her head high when she forced him out of her life. But losing her beloved music school as a result of the traitorous bastard's gambling debts almost destroyed her. The only way she’ll be able to make ends meet is to accept a lucrative tutoring position in remote Cornwall. What Portia hasn't anticipated is the life-altering impact that her mesmerizing new employer has on her. Stacy Harrington learned the hard way to keep people at a distance. Playing the piano is the only thing that makes his solitary life enjoyable these days, and he’ll be damned if he allows his albinism to keep him from everything he loves. Bringing a private music tutor into his home is disruptive, but it’s the only solution. Unfortunately, nothing could have prepared him for the overwhelming attraction he feels toward his fiery new employee. It’s not long before a shared passion for music develops into something infinitely deeper. But when ghosts from the past—along with some very dark secrets—emerge to threaten everything they’ve built, can Stacy and Portia continue to make beautiful music together? Or will their happily ever after end on a painful, discordant note?

   AUTHOR BIO

 Who is S.M. LaViolette? S.M. (that’s short for Shantal Marie) writes super spicy historical romance and historical erotic romance. S.M. likes to write about heroes and heroines who don't fit the mold--that means heroes who aren't always dukes and heroines who aren't always virgins. People have described S.M.'s style as dark, angsty, and dryly witty. S.M. also writes historical romance under the pen name Minerva Spencer, and historical mystery under S.M. Goodwin. S.M. has been a criminal prosecutor, college history teacher, B&B operator, dock worker, ice cream manufacturer, reader for the blind, motel maid, and bounty hunter. Okay, so the part about being a bounty hunter is a lie. S.M. does, however, know how to hypnotize a Dungeness crab, sew her own Regency Era clothing, knit a frog hat, juggle, rebuild a 1959 American Rambler, and gain control of Asia (and hold on to it) in the game of RISK.

 Website: https://www.minervaspencer.com