#also I wonder if the 'you need a necromancer' thing was just a plot convenience to get to emmrich or if lucanis knows a bit about it

[vaguely-concerned]

lucanis' weirdly matter of fact but not necessarily unfriendly casual bedside manner ("this -- will look weird") has enraptured me I must admit. like okAY doc dellamorte didn't expect to see you here but imma trust you on this one you seem to know what you're doing. I've seen people describe him as 'smooth' which like. folks I think he might not be particularly cool he's just weird in a way that emulates it until you look closer. it's the blunted affect doing the vibe version of putting cool shades on him but there's still just a tired strange little man who'd rather be sharpening his knives right now behind those shades

[ninjakitty15]

Chapter 5: A Basic Witch (Loki x OFC Pairing)

"So archery, huh? Let me guess, you were born in the wrong century."

Clint glanced back at me while flying Tony's "borrowed" flying thing I wasn't quite sure was a plane or jet. "You might actually be worse than Tony with those quips of yours."

"You love it really," I teased.

"Love is a strong word, I tolerate it...moreso with a raise."

I cackled. "They not paying you enough to put up with me? Gotta feed the kids somehow though, right? Have you thought about being a hooker, they're always hiring."

"Do you want him to shoot you?" asked Loki though he had a smirk on the entire time I was bugging Clint.

"I could keep talking but then I took an arrow to the knee," I jested. "Not quite the ring I was hoping for there."

"You know, I read about you people," Clint commented.

"What do you mean 'you people'?"

"Necromancers. Don't you normally require certain things to do what you do? Google images suggest you need a staff at the very least."

I snorted but also took out my new smartphone Tony was nice enough to give me and looked up what people thought necromancers looked like, allowing Loki to see what I see as well. "We also apparently only wear black attire and wear bone jewelry. Really? That's still a stereotype? Bone jewelry? Okay some voodoo practitioners might wear that for shock value but it doesn't have any real purpose and more important is super fucking tacky. We're already made of bones, why do we need more and why wear them on the outside if we need more, they're brittle as fuck, especially if they're old. This is where you got your info from, Clint?"

"Not exclusively," he tried to recover.

"So I'm expected to wear the least practical attire and accessories all time? You any idea how much I stick out looking like Skeletor's little sister here without wearing all black all time while dragging some long metal or wood staff like I'm Sarumon summoning orcs against Rohan. Sure I might blend in well enough at night in all black but the stealth is gone with all the bone jewelry rattling with each movement. Let's just throw some chains in there too, I'm sure they won't see me coming then. Seriously, who comes up with this bullshit? When you caught Loki, did you ask if he gave birth to a horse too?"

"You don't think I did?" Loki responded in amusement while snatching my phone and scrolling through all the depictions of what people thought I'd look like.

"From what I'm told, your adoptive father is too arrogant and vain to ride a horse you created."

"Clever girl. You are correct, that is a myth created to deface me more than they already have. Surprisingly he didn't ask me anything, too busy plotting my death after I got in his head."

"Someone's a sore loser," I mused under my breath so only Loki could hear me. "We there yet? And did you find any actual facts about 'my people' or just what the internet told you?"

"We're nearly there....and I'll let you know when I do," Clint muttered.

"We used to need instruments like a staff or something to be fair," I told Loki quietly. "But they are an eyesore for everyone and can easily get lost, stolen, or broken so we adapted and found another way to channel power. You need three things typically, well two now but at one point it was a staff to channel, a jewel to draw from and collect, and a blade to end it all."

"You don't have any of those though, do you? You were found with just what they told you to wear and what powers you had in you. They didn't..."

"You need to be a necromancer to even know what to do with those three let alone wield them for their intended purpose but no, never had a staff for obvious and previously listed reasons. My blade is kept hidden until I need it which thus far I haven't, as for the jewel...that's hidden elsewhere as well." I stopped at a fanart pic of a necromancer wearing all three items in an over the top armored black robe surrounded by bones. "Well that's just pretentious. Who goes around wearing everything they need to gain the upper hand out for all to see?"

"What about that one? I could see you wearing that," Loki purred, pointing to one necromancer woman wearing a cloak and more or less a black leather bikini while raising a skull above her.

"I bet you could, I wouldn't be caught living in that, nice try."

"Alright, we're here as requested, everyone out of my jet," Clint called back to us.

I opened my mouth to point out it was once again Tony's plane but Loki just held up a hand and shook his head, sometimes it was better to just roll with it. "You've damaged his ego enough, let him dream a little." The plane landed in a park that had been conveniently shut off from the public, probably Tony's doing and we hopped out. I took one long deep breath and smiled at scent of fresh salty sea air and a little bit more. Loki stepped out behind me, in his ironically all black suit in place of armor or leisure robes but he didn't seem to stick out in them, just rocked them like a death metal band, hardcore.

"You feel that?" I murmured under my breath so Clint wouldn't know what we were talking to.

"You're right, there is something otherworldly about this place, something strong but subtle."

"Alright you two, I'll be watching you but won't get in your way unless I have to, go and explore Salem," Clint informed us.

I grinned and lead Loki into the heart of witch city. I took him to all my favorite little shops, both the tourist traps and the legit ones where wiccan things are sold, to some of the museums, explained more of the city's history and how it became a safe haven for those with magic in their blood. Eventually we stopped by where the final resting place of the victims were, the memorial stones that often had fresh flowers resting on so they'd never be forgotten. It was empty beside myself, Loki, and the dead so I dropped to my knees then in front of the small stone gated graveyard, my hands digging into the ground to feel for any unrest and breathed out. Let those who linger rest easy and those with unrest tell me how I can help. My eyes shot open completely white as the unquiet spirits came forward. I could feel Loki watching me from where he stood some feet back but kept my attention to the unseen souls asking for peace. When I did all I could for them, my eyes faded back to their normal murky color and I slowly stood up and brushed myself off, signalling Loki to walk over and beside me.

"All of these people were innocent?" he asked me quietly.

"This wasn't about actual magic, this was about fear and power, this is what you get when you mix religion and politics, the innocent burn while the guilty rises."

"And now people celebrate here what their ancestors were accused of."

"I like to think of it as saying fuck you, we are the children of witches you didn't burn."

"Brilliant," he breathed out. "You're right, I do like this place already."

"Of course I'm right, I'm always right, the sooner you accept it, the happier we'll both be for it."

Loki chuckled but didn't disagree. "When did you find out about this place?"

"As a kid, everyone's taught about the Salem Witch Trials in school, we were then driven there for a field trip like this to see for ourselves. There's many places of magic in America, but this is my absolute favorite place ever. This is my home." I paused mid stroll, took a deep breath in, closed my eyes and opened my arms, welcoming the wonders of witch city.

"Do you hear a high pitched squealing noise?" murmured Loki while watching me embrace my inner witch.

I didn't get a chance to reply as I was suddenly knocked several feet to the side and off my own feet by a pair of boobs with arms attached them engulfing me. "You're alive!" a familiar voice cried in joy.

"Not for much longer if you keep that up," I grumbled, stumbling back onto my feet and straightening up to meet a more familiar face. I was then hugged again and then roughly shaken around almost angrily. "Not everything you love is a fucking cocktail, stop shaking me!"

"Where the hell have you been, woman? We all thought you were killed off or burnt yourself out like the ones that went missing! You left without warning, no calls, no texts, not even a damned email I would've accepted, not a damned thing!" the tall Louisianan woman shaking me around exclaimed.

"Would you believe I was away on business?"

"Your business is here, try again."

"Attacked by ninjas?"

"This ain't feudal Japan."

"Chuck Norris with a bbgun?"

She just glared at me with her hands on her hips tapping a foot impatiently.

"Hydra got me midflight back home."

"Fo realz? How'd they know?"

"Someone had to have tipped them off, I used my aliases the entire time, kept low profile, all that jazz."

She had to sigh and drop the frown in acceptance and squeezed me hard again. "It has been soooo boring without you causing trouble around here, are you back for good?"

I picked up the frown she dropped and shook my head sadly. "Day trip, didn't get out of Hydra on my own, out of the fire and into the frying pan."

"By who?"

I glance back at Loki who was closely watching the two of us, not sure if she was friend or foe to him and the team. "Avengers plus one."

"So that's why it's been boring, you took all the fun with you and didn't think to share, as always."

"Bitch I ain't your source of entertainment, get your own damn rescue team."

"Sharing is caring."

"Do you see the care on my face?"

"I missed your face, can you believe that? I got addicted to IZombie just so I could see someone that looked like you."

"Not the first show I got you hooked on, I regret nothing there."

"Your face though..." she now turned her attention to the god watching from the sidelines. "You're not from around these parts, are you?"

"Where I'm from has been completely destroyed," he replied stiffly.

"Didn't you try to take New York City ages back?"

Before Loki could defend himself, I decided to step in. "Let she who is without a body count, cast the first stone."

"What? I'm not judging, I don't like NYC either but you are the same guy right? God of mischief and alien invasions?"

"I might be," Loki spoke up. "And who are you that seems to know Nell so well."

"I'm her best friend, Zari."

Something clicked in my head about what she said moment earlier then and before more introductions were made, I spoke up. "Hold up, they burnt out?"

Zari blinked and recalled what I brought up and arched an eyebrow. "When they were found they were shells and around their remains was all dead, that has to be it, they burnt out like overrused acid leaking batteries."

"All of the missing?" I murmured.

"All except you...what are you thinking?"

"My zombie senses are tingling. This doesn't feel like a coincidence, that's doesn't feel like an accident either. How many of us are left?"

"A fourth of what we started as."

"We're becoming an endangered species."

"You always wanted to be a tiger as a kid, now you got something in common with them besides a body count."

I scowled or attempted to, I did love tigers after all. "Hunted to near extinction wasn't what I had in mind."

She snickered and glanced at the amused god before returning her attention back to me. "So here for today at least, you show him all the cool places I hope."

I pretended to look offended and held a hand to my chest. "It's like you don't know me at all."

"Either way, there's a few places you missed that I'm sure you'd love to see," she nudged me with a wicked look in her eyes and I instantly knew what she meant.

"By all means, lead the way."

She took us to a small cafe she worked at that actually had a hidden passage way underneath the kitchen and leading to the Hawthorne Hotel, away from Clint's prying eyes for once so we all settled down in a nice suite permanently reserved under Zari's name. There we caught up and explained stuff to Loki we trusted him but not the Avengers with...for reasons. Zari was actually more a witch or voodoo priestess, not as powerful or naturally gifted as a necromancer but still pretty damn dangerous with her own form of death magic.

"Barton probably called in the cavalry in our absence," Loki muttered. "We should return to the open before the Avengers ruin the day again."

"We probably should, would hate for them to ruin my happy place. We should go somewhere public and totally open so they look like idiots before they yell at us though," I suggested.

"That can be arranged easy enough, well done. Zari, it has been a pleasure."

"Look after her, Loki. And Nell...don't let the bastards get you down," she reminded me.

I grinned. "Nevah." I took Loki's outstretched hand once more and green mist swirled around us before we popped up by a bench looking out at the sea by the Waterfront Hotel. I smiled again and didn't let go of his hand, I could feel the ocean then, feel the sun, the sea, everything that drew me to it before I died. "Some day," I murmured.

Loki gave my hand a squeeze and didn't let go as well but kissed the top of it. "I'll make sure of it. Here they come."

Right on cue, Clint followed by Nat and slightly annoyed Steve jogged over to us, all looking different shades of unhappy. We both turned and looked at them innocently while Clint breathed a sign of relief, Nat just rolled her eyes at us, but of course the do-gooder Steve looked like a father about to reprimand his child for sneaking out the window after being grounded.

"You know, while we were hunting you down, I gotta say, this place has its charms," Nat noted.

"Of course it does, can't be a witch without some," I informed her. "Who here likes seafood?"

Steve opened his mouth most likely to lecture me on staying in sight but bless Clint for thinking with his stomach after a long boring day of watching me and Loki frolic around town. His hand shot up almost as fast as his arrows shoot forward so I led the little team to the Oyster Bar by the Waterfront. "Ah food, my second favorite four letter F word."

Eventually it was time to return to homebase as the gang led us back to the jet and I found myself surprisingly worn out from the day of fun, leaning against Loki on the ride back. I found myself too tired to walk out myself when we landed and Loki immediately scooped me up and carried me out of the jet and into the main building himself. My eyes got heavier each second but somehow I could still hear what was going on.

"Clint tells me he lost sight of you two for a bit, you care to explain that?" Tony was demanding.

"Do I care to? Not really since you asked. He got distracted by one of the local performing street witches most likely, did you know theres one going around in full witch garb on rollerblades? Very amusing to say the least," Loki replied smoothly.

"Oh I'm aware Salem is full of weirdoes."

"Which is exactly why you weren't invited, you boring old fart," I muttered, burying my head against Loki's chest to try and drown out their voices only for Loki to laugh against me.

"Don't you take that tone with me, young lady," mused Tony. "I'll have you know I've been voted the world's most interesting man many times."

"And Trump's been voted for president, votes here don't mean shit so you're bragging rights right now are kinda in the crapper."

"Go back to sleep."

I turned to face him in Loki's arms just to stick my tongue out but curled back into Loki after. "Have a good night, don't let the zombies bite."

[vorthosjay]

Let’s Talk About Hour of Devastation

It’s finally here: Hour of Devastation by Ken Troop. This story has a lot of baggage to work through, being the pivotal moment that shifts the Gatewatch from their ‘Phase 1′ to ‘Phase 2′. If you’ve ever wondered if Wizards realized the problems inherent in the Gatewatch, this story should settle all doubt.

It’s fun. We certainly get better insight into Nicol Bolas than any time in the last ten years, but if you were looking for resolution to any lingering plot threads, they’re not here. And that’s kind of disappointing.

This is a LONG one, people, so settle in.

Hour of Devastation by Simon Dominic

Either he would have deaths, screams, and blood, or he would, perhaps, have something better.

Okay, so the first thing we have to get out of the way is that we don’t have resolutions to those lingering Bolas threads between Alara and Amonkhet. On that front, this story is very unsatisfying.

This is the first of the new mysteries that we’ll be tracking going forward. Why does Bolas want the Gatewatch broken and in the wild? I have enough faith in the post-Origins team setting up for the long term that I think there’s something planned there... but will it be satisfying when it pays off?

They fancied themselves The Gatewatch. As though for some bizarre reason there were gates scattered throughout the Multiverse. That deserved watching.

And here is the beginning of Bolas disassembling everything about the Gatewatch. Bolas is exposing those obvious flaws in the Gatewatch.

Why does Bolas want heroes out in the wild? What possible reason could it serve?

The heroes, Nicol Bolas thought. Bless them, each and every one.

I didn’t know Nicol Bolas was from the south.

No matter. There were others, if need be.

Who? The Takewatch, maybe :D

His roar echoed the cries of countless other predators throughout the eons, predators who have no more need to be silent. Over the long years, Nicol Bolas knew it served him poorly to be too much the dragon. But it was no fun to be the dragon too little.

This is so relatable.

Oh, they probably had a plan. A plan, charitably, could consist of kill the dragon. Or, you burn it, you zombie it, you elemental it, you illusion it, you block it. These were all, given enough leeway, plans. And plans of similar competence had served them well enough in their recent escapades. Nicol Bolas could appreciate efficiency. Why bother being smart when the Multiverse so conveniently conspired to keep your idiocy alive?

This story is more or less Bolas reading directly from the storyline forums.

He wondered how much it would crush their spirits if he applauded. Metaphorically, of course. His talons did not clap together well.

Look, for all that I wished we’d have learned some whys in this story, Bolas is great. He chews exactly how much scenery I would expect him to. He is both witty and terrifying.

More than several, ideally, but unless you are a brilliant elder dragon archmage planeswalker, several would suffice.

That’s a heck of a creature type.

They were children of a civilized and gelded age, these planeswalkers, this Gatewatch. They had no idea of the dangers lying in wait, ready to kill them . . . or worse. Their lack of actual power had somehow protected them from all the ways they could have died.

Catch that he says gelded, not gilded? I missed it the first time and it was John Dale Beety on twitter that made me notice it.

He’s referring to the relative safety of the post-Mending era. How things have seemed to be calm because evil god-like planeswalkers aren’t being constantly created (or evil just-a-guy planeswalkers).

Nothing about this day had gone as planned.

The irony of this comment, multiplied by all the Gatewatch members who’ve expressed it, is great when juxtaposed with what Bolas thinks of their planning.

We hit him with everything we've got. He will fall, Gideon thought back at him. 

No, this is a bad idea and I’ve been telling you for a while Gideon is a terrible leader and just keeps doing dumb things that will get people killed.

Jace had never encountered a mind so impenetrable, except for . . . the merest moment of a memory surfaced of a mind as smooth and dazzling as a wall of crystal. But even as the thought entered his mind, it erased itself, and he could not remember where he had seen such a thing—or even what kind of thing it was.

What . . . Jace shook off the sudden fugue that had overtaken him. It hadn't seemed to come from Bolas, but rather from inside himself. What was I thinking about? But he could not recall. Bolas's mind still loomed in front of him, closed and locked, as he futilely sought purchase.

Here’s our Jace story hook. Before Jace’s mind is wiped, we get a hint that his old memories are still there. This is clearly a reference to Alhammarett

He did not move to attack them, merely continuing to fling a helpless Gideon against the wall.

Look, the idea that all Bolas had to do against Gideon was keep flinging him against a wall with his tail is amazing. His over-reliance on his aura has always been a mistake. Where is Gideon’s hieromancy? Why wasn’t he summoning magic chains to bind Bolas?

Without conscious thought, he began planeswalking away blindly, not knowing or caring where. He had to avoid that darkness.

He felt himself being pulled across the Blind Eternities as the wave of darkness struck, and then he knew nothing at all.

Okay, so as we enter Ixalan, Jace is playing the part of the amensiac castaway. Will this lead to an alliance with Vraska?

Find out Monday on my first look at Ixalan!

"That was your mind expert, I believe? Do you have a spare? I can wait, or I promise not to listen if you shout at each other."

I thought Nicol Bolas was an Elder Dragon not a Troll.

Nicol Bolas lingered on each word, his voice rumbling through the open plaza, punctuated only by the continued thwaps as he bounced Gideon off the wall.

I giggled every time. I might be evil.

You have never been such a fool as to think you can win this battle, Liliana, whispered the Raven Man.

Raven Man with the sage advice. I don’t want to comment to much about the Raven Man piece here. I don’t believe Nicol Bolas is the Raven Man, but how the Raven Man views Bolas is interesting.

You alone amongst them know what true power can be again.

Can be... again? What does that mean? Might Bolas actually be looking to undo the Mending, as I’ve speculated in the past?

The dragon continued in his smooth voice. "Do you know, Liliana, how to use the Chain Veil so that it doesn't rupture your skin or drain you of life? Do you know how to make the spirits of the Onakke serve you as their master instead of seeking the destruction of your soul and body? I do, Liliana. I do."

He lies! screamed the Onakke in her head. Interloper! We will crush him!

You know he speaks truth, Liliana. He can help you. The Raven Man.

In case you were wondering, the Raven Man and the Onakke are clearly not on the same side.

That each of you has lived so long is merely a function of how useful you can be to me.

This is also what I’ve been saying for a while.

Nicol Bolas looked down at the planeswalkers and smiled. "And then there were three. I didn't want to annoy your dear departed necromancer, but between us, I admit I know a fair bit of necromancy. Do you have an opening in your Gatewatch? Is there some type of application process?" 

IS there some kind of an application process?

Why is it that a 30,000 year old Elder Dragon has to be the one to suggest? Do the Gatewatch have bylaws? Honestly, I’m as surprised as Bolas that they’ve lasted this long.

Her fire was blinding white, coruscating rivers of flame that lashed the dragon. Bolas's eyes narrowed, and he was forced backward for the first time in the fight, letting Gideon drop to the ground as the dragon retreated.

Blinding white fire, eh? And all of a sudden, Bolas needed to avoid her flames?

Remember when I said it would be cool if Chandra learns to cast the Purifying Fire, like she learned to cast Ghostflame? Both could have served her well here, and I think that might be something we see in the future.

The Purifying Fire cover art by Michael Komarck

"Chandra Nalaar. You had so many useful characteristics. Powerful. Emotionally unstable. Easy to manipulate. Refreshingly predictable unpredictability. I really wanted to make this work." Bolas's voice boomed through the empty air. I am not easy to manipulate, she thought, her anger revving up. Her flames lit up the night sky.

Is... is Bolas complaining about Millennials, here?

I mean, I totally feel his point. ADHD caricature Chandra is frequently disappointing, but still. Wag a walking stick at her, too, Bolas.

Wow, that's a lot of pain.

Look, I have some problems with Chandra’s immature characterization sometimes, but at least this girl keeps it real.

She had thought her destiny to be different on this world, had thought her time in Kefnet's temple opened up possibilities previously unimagined . . . but no. Kefnet and the other gods lay dead in the streets, their threads cut short, their uses unexplored.

GDI Ken Troop. Now that he knows we know to hunt for meaning in his articles, he’s throwing red herrings into the mix.

Nissa had never questioned the purpose of the Gatewatch before. There was always an immediate need, wrongs to be righted, evil to be overcome. And it had worked. For so long it had worked. Until now. Until a dragon of immense power and intellect had shown the errors of coming in unprepared and underpowered.

Perhaps there was a better way.

Such musings occupied her as she fought to regain control of the land. If she were to have any chance in this fight, it would be through the earth.

I’m curious to see where Nissa goes with this. I think we’ll be seeing her explore that tentative connection with Emrakul more as time goes on.

All of Gideon's invulnerability had proven little worth against an opponent with the size and strength and mass of the dragon.

OK. Nicol Bolas is big... but Gideon went toe-to-toe with this.

Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger by Michael Komarck

"Gideon Jura, you are very bad at analyzing reality. I have fought against thousands of generals, thousands of tacticians and strategists and battle masterminds. You might be the worst. Let me help you. Ignoring obvious reality is a fatal flaw in our line of work. By all means, I understand the importance of . . .aspirations, but being able to accurately assess the facts in front of you is an essential skill in the trade."

Thank you, Bolas. It’s funny, Bolas is giving each member of the Gatewatch exactly what they need to hear. Is this narrative convenience, the author dissembling this for us, the reader? Or is Bolas purposefully trying to turn them into more useful tools?

"I could kill you, Gideon, anytime I want. But I suspect you would not mind dying, the way you play so carelessly with your life. And the lives of others." Gideon thrashed his head back and forth, desperate to escape. 

Gideon was shocked to realize that a part of him yearned to stay. To no more feel the guilt of losing Drasus, Olexo, all his Irregulars. All the people he had seen die on Zendikar. He didn't want any more death on his hands. He could just . . . let go.

GIDEON WANTS TO DIE. @sarpadianempiresvol-viii​ has been calling this for a long while now, and I agree. It’s nice to see it confirmed.

He willed his body through the Blind Eternities, the hole the dragon left in his shoulder only the most visible of his wounds.

Looks like Gideon still has his arm, folks.

"No, master, I did not doubt. I was . . . delayed. You defeated them as quickly as you predicted." He glanced around the plaza, looking for bodies of planeswalkers that weren't there. "I can seek to find where—"

"No. It does not matter. This was better than blood."

Tezzeret looked at him quizzically, but knew he would offer no more explanation.

"Master, I should update you on . . ."

Okay, a few things. What delayed Tezzeret? Or is he just lying (probably). What does he need to update Bolas on?

Why is this better than blood? I’m legitimately kind of tired of vague Bolas plot set-ups. After around ten years later, the old Bolas fatigue is setting in again.

"Later. Go and tell Ral Zarek to come to me. His progress is too slow."

Okay, what the hell. Is Project Lightning Bug actually Nicol Bolas’s deal? Is it some other project? Was this actually planned? I’ve got to go back and re-read a whole lot of Ral stories to see if this secondary master was ever hinted at.

Homing Lightning by Slawomir Maniak

[theonyxpath]

This little fellow pictured above is Sabian Sphynx von Angora, one of the iconic characters in Monarchies of Mau. He’s a necromancer, because, as Eddy Webb says: “Cats like to play with dead things.”

Sabian is featured prominently on the Monarchies of Mau Kickstarter page, helping to explain just what Monarchies of Mau is and why backing it is a good idea. He must be pretty persuasive, as the MoM KS funded last Tuesday in just a minute under an hour and has been rolling along happily since then.

And besides being something like “The Three Musketeers meets Planet of the Apes, but with cats”, Monarchies of Mau is also a completely standalone game. You don’t need Pugmire to play it, although having both books does mean you have the rules for mixed cat and dog groups. Mass hysteria!

    New art for Beckett’s Jyhad Diary by Michael Gaydos

    Like I mentioned last week, our Operations Manager, Mighty Matt McElroy, traveled to World of Darkness: Berlin a couple of weeks ago and had a fantastic time connecting with the gang from the new White Wolf, as well as the convention crew, attendees, and fellow licensees of the WW intellectual properties.

That’s right: fellow licensees. Which was absolutely great for us here at Onyx Path, because Mighty Matt got the chance to hobnob, trade stories, and talk with them about the potential projects we could do together that they approached him about. (Hopefully a tenth of the discussed projects actually happen, because even that much would be some amazing opportunities for Onyx Path).

But that whole set-up of licensees visiting each other at a WW convention might sound strange to a bunch of you. Particularly if you are used to a White Wolf that makes most of what you are interested in, with a couple of licenses for things that aren’t tabletop RPGs.

In fact, I wonder if some of the upset that has occurred with each of the new WW‘s announcements is not partly because folks aren’t used to how they are moving forward.

Yes, the new White Wolf is working on Vampire 5th Edition, and revealed staff (Hi, Ken!) and some planned formats, as well as doing some very, very, early playtesting. But rather than being the start an ongoing game line that they create, they are looking at V5 as the hub of a many, many licenses. Onyx Path will be in that line-up, creating new tabletop RPGs, but so will other folks, and with the creation of WW‘s community content plans as talked about at the con, maybe some of those creators will be you.

And then, outside of tabletop RPGs, will be licenses to other media. There’s really no limit here as they move through the expected like bringing back VTES or working with our friends at By Night Studios on LARPing, and then into computer games, other sorts of games, and even TV and movies.

What the new White Wolf is doing is more what, let’s say, is done with Star Wars, with a central core “property” and lots and lots of licenses to media that can feature that property. So when you see a new project announced, it is very likely a new project and a new licensing partner, and if that project doesn’t float your boat, just give WW time and you’ll see another launched that will fit your interests better.

      Mage20 Book of Shadows illustration by Andrew Trabbold

    Or as another example, you might see a licensed board game with art pulled from the illustrations we commissioned for one of our books. The new WW can give that art to another licensee, because even though we commissioned it originally, the art ultimately belongs to WW and they can use it as they think best.

Onyx Path is one of these licensing partners, and one of many for V5 and the new iteration of World of Darkness. With the idea of the new WW as a hub with lots of spokes, we don’t get to choose, and often no knowledge of, other licensees until their projects are announced, because they are another spoke over or even on the other side of the hub from us.

Mighty Matt tells me that the WW crew took great pains to talk up in glowing terms our Beckett’s Jyhad Diary project (that we have worked on with them) as a gateway, or even bridge, from Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition to V5. Which was great to hear, and the compliments were very appreciated!

      Beast: Building A Legend illustration by Andrew Trabbold

      They also talked up, Martin in particular, the idea that Chronicles of Darkness is pretty much going to continue as Onyx Path‘s exclusive playground. They didn’t mention it, as far as I’ve heard, but we are also rolling full steam ahead with Exalted 3rd.

Mighty Matt also took along a hefty box full of our brochures which was scarfed up in a single day, so hopefully a bunch of our community that never even realized all the game lines we are working on now can see the full range of all that Onyx is doing!

So, all in all a very good event for us, and for the WoD community as a whole!

      Thousand Years of Night art by Sam Araya

      Meanwhile, here at home. Rollickin’ Rose and I talked to Dapper Dave Brookshaw about his outline for Deviant last week, and went over our notes. Dave is making some changes and we’ll be presenting that to WW, and then he’ll finally be able to hire writers. Meanwhile, he is dedicated to getting caught up on Mage2 releases. Dapper Dave has had a bunch of challenges thrown at him this last year or so, but things are looking good moving forward, and we’re glad we could work with him on that.

Similarly, Rollickin’ Rose has been working with our Exalted 3rd team in order to get the new devs acclimated to our procedures, and our monthly projects folks working hand-in-hand with the devs so there’s a consistency of vision as well as teamwork. We’ll be putting the next installments of our monthly EX3 releases on sale this Wednesday, and to tide you over, here’s some of the art as a teaser!

  BLURBS!

  KICKSTARTER!

We went live with the Monarchies of Mau Kickstarter last Tuesday and funded in 59 minutes – just under an hour! We’ve already shot past Stretch Goals for an exclusive t-shirt, an Intro adventure, and the first three Mau stories in a fiction anthology, with plenty more to come! If you get a chance, here’s the link: http://ift.tt/2rmHhAG

  ON SALE!

ON AMAZON:

We’re delighted to announce the opening of our ebook store on Amazon! You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle. Our initial selection includes these fiction anthologies: Vampire: the Masquerade‘s Endless Ages, Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition‘s Rites of Renown: When Will You Rage 2, Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition‘s Truth Beyond Paradox, Chronicles of Darkness‘ God Machine Chronicle, Mummy: The Curse‘s Curse of the Blue Nile, and Beast: The Primordial‘s The Primordial Feast!

And this week, we’re releasing another six fiction books: Songs of Sun and Moon (W20), Poison Tree (W20), Of Predators & Prey (V20), Fallen World Anthology (Mage), Idigam Anthology (WtF2), Strix Anthology (VtR2)!

        Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Here’s the link to the press release we put out about how Onyx Path is now selling through Indie Press Revolution: http://ift.tt/1ZlTT6z

You can now order wave 2 of our Deluxe and Prestige print overrun books, including Deluxe Mage 20th Anniversary, and Deluxe V20 Dark Ages!

        Starting this Wednesday on DTRPG, the EX3 Tomb of Dreams Jumpstart PDF/PoD jumps up for sale!

Plus, we’ll be releasing the next sections of Adversaries of the Righteous and the first section of Hundred Devils Night Parade this week as well!

    Sailing out of the dark, the V20 Dark Ages Companion Advance PDF is now on sale on DriveThruRPG.com! http://ift.tt/2pX42dq

Travel the long roads and deep seas in search of power and experience danger, or tackle the wilderness to hunt monsters and face death. Settlements large and small dot the black expanse with the promise of sanctuary, life, and community. These bastions of civilization present cold comfort, when playing host to vampire warlords and sadistic Cainite faiths. Whether led by a Prince, a coordinated belief, or hounded by monsters from without and within — no domain is truly the same as another.

Dark Ages Companion includes:

• Domains scattered across the world, from small fiefdoms to massive cities. Bath, Bjarkarey, Constantinople, Rome, Mogadishu, and Mangaluru each receive coverage.

• Apocrypha including plot hooks, new Paths, and mysteries to explore in your games.

• A how-to guide on building a domain within your chronicle, including events and servants necessary to make a domain as functional or dysfunctional as you wish.

• A study on warfare in the Dark Ages period, so combat in your chronicles can gain authenticity and lethality.

        Bill Bridge’s new W20 novel, The Song of Unmaking, is on sale in PDF/ePub/PoD versions on DriveThruRPG.com: http://ift.tt/2qXQH9f and in ebook form on Amazon: http://ift.tt/2qpQM2V !

The fabric of reality is cracking. Fissures appear in thin air, glowing with balefire. Something is scratching on the other side, pressing, beginning to break through….

The Wyrm’s corruption finds its way into the hearts of humans and Garou alike. Even an ultra-rational techno-cratic scientist can fall sway to its lies. Channeling his hate and resentment through the most sophisticated machine ever created, Basil Czajka has turned a tool designed to peer deep into the heart of the quantum universe into a nursery for the hatching of a horror — a creature whose birth cry is destined to unmake Gaia’s Song of Creation.

The only ones standing in his way are One-Song, a broken-down old Theurge, and Lord Albrecht, whose heed-less anger might be the very weapon the enemy needs to crack the egg and free the Unmaker.

    The Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras Companion has arrived in PDF and PoD physical book versions at DriveThruRPG.com! http://ift.tt/2pygIL7

The Dark Eras Companion presents eleven new Eras for the Chronicles of Darkness. Stretching from Ancient Rome and Egypt through the Black Death, the Thirty Years War, the Reconstruction, and the Russian Revolution, the Companion showcases even more of the secret history of this eldritch world. Included in each era are “snapshots” of the various supernatural creatures, including vampires, changelings, mummies, and demons. Also included are lists of inspirational media to help you put these Eras in context for your troupe.

Open the Dark Eras Companion and take another look back in time.

    V20 Lore of the Bloodlines awaits in PDF and physical book PoD versions on DriveThruRPG.com!

http://ift.tt/2pj8UuA

Lore of the Bloodlines is a single volume (created via Kickstarter) that revisits some of the bloodlines in Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition, providing story hooks, character concepts, history, and bloodline-specific rules. The secrets of the Baali, Daughters of Cacophony, Gargoyles, Harbingers of Skulls, Kiasyd, Salubri, Samedi, and True Brujah are now yours.

Lore of the Bloodlines includes:

• The history, lore, and nightly practices of nine bloodlines, told from the perspective of the Kindred themselves.

• New combo Disciplines, powers, Merits, Flaws, and other rules specific to each bloodline.

• Revisions and updates of more classic Vampire: The Masquerade material to V20.

      Night Horrors: Conquering Heroes for Beast: the Primordial, PoD and PDF versions is now on sale on DTRPG.com!

http://ift.tt/2j7p7lO

This book includes: 

An in-depth look at how Heroes hunt and what makes a Hero, with eleven new Heroes to drop into any chronicle.

A brief look at why Beasts may antagonize one another, with seven new Beasts to drop into any chronicle.

Rules for Insatiables, ancient creatures born of the Primordial Dream intent on hunting down Beasts to fill a hunger without end, featuring six examples ready to use in any chronicle.

    From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Beneath the Skin (Demon and Skinchangers 1486-1502 Aztec Empire). Ahuitzotl sits on the throne at the height of the Aztec Empire, overseeing his sorcerer-priests’ sacrifices and the endless flower wars his jaguar and eagle warriors carry out in his name to keep the altars well-supplied with victims. The gears of the Aztec Empire turn smoothly and inexorably, but not everything is what it pretends to be. Skinchangers take the shapes of animals to run the wilds or bring down human prey, the Unchained cobble together identities from stolen lives, and stranger things still lurk in the deserts and jungles beyond the walls of Tenochtitlan.

On sale in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2p79i1O

  From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Into the Cold (Demon: the Descent 1961 Berlin). East Germany erects a wall against its Western counterpart, turning West Berlin into an island within its own country. As the Cold War heats up, demons find themselves the targets of increasing human scrutiny, and begin to realize that the God-Machine’s plans didn’t end with the War.

On sale now in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2p70sBl

      CONVENTIONS!

Discussing GenCon plans. August 17th – 20th, Indianapolis. Every chance the booth will actually be 20? x 30? this year that we’ll be sharing with friends. We’re looking at new displays this year, like a back drop and magazine racks for the brochure(s).

In November, we’ll be at Game Hole Con in Madison, WI. More news as we have it, and here’s their website: http://ift.tt/RIm6qP

Monica Valentinelli will be on four panels, including “Why is Casual Still a Dirty Word in Gaming?” at WisCon http://wiscon.net/ this Thursday through Monday! Stop by and say hi!

    And now, the new project status updates!

    DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM ROLLICKING ROSE (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Trinity Continuum: Aeon Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

M20 Gods and Monsters (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

C20 Novel (Jackie Cassada) (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)

DtD Night Horrors: Enemy Action (Demon: the Descent)

The Realm (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Dragon-Blooded (Exalted 3rd Edition)

  Redlines

Kithbook Boggans (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

  Second Draft

V20 Dark Ages Jumpstart (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)

GtS Geist 2e core (Geist: the Sin-Eaters Second Edition)

Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

Scion: Origins (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion: Hero (Scion 2nd Edition)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

  Development

Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

SL Ring of Spiragos (Pathfinder – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Ring of Spiragos (5e – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition, featuring the Huntsmen Chronicle (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)

BtP Beast Player’s Guide (Beast: the Primordial)

M20 Cookbook (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

VtR Half-Damned (Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition)

Pugmire Pan’s Guide for New Pioneers (Pugmire)

  WW Manuscript Approval:

Book of Freeholds (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

    Editing:

Wraith: the Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition

Arms of the Chosen (Exalted 3rd Edition)

  Post-Editing Development:

      Indexing:

      ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

Beckett’s Jyhad Diary 

W20 Pentex Employee Indoctrination Handbook – AD’d

Cavaliers of Mars

Wraith 20

W20Changing Ways

Ex3 Monthly Stuff

Storypath Brochure

VDA Jumpstart

Scion Origins

C20 Jumpstart

Ring of Spiragos 

Ex 3 Arms of the Chosen – Sorting through the artnotes and getting them out this week.

  Marketing Stuff

  In Layout

M20 Art Book – In progress…

Prince’s Gambit

Gen Con Stuff

Proofing

CtL Huntsmen Chronicle Anthology

M20 Book of Secrets – 2nd Proof.

VTR: Thousand Years of Night

  At Press

Beckett Screen – Shipped to shipper.

Dark Eras: To the Strongest – PoD proof on the way.

EX3 Tomb of Dreams Jumpstart – Going on sale on DTRPG.com this week.

C20 Anthology – PoD proof on the way.

C20 – McF getting errata together.

Pugmire – At Press… looking at cover corrections Monday.

Pugmire Screen – At Press

Pugmire Cards & Dice – At Press… looking at proofs of those this week.

Wise and the Wicked PF & 5e – At Press

Dark Eras: The Wolf & Raven– PoD proof on the way.

Dark Eras: Three Kingdoms of Darkness – PoD proof on the way.

Dagger of Spiragos (5e) – Out to backers.

Dagger of Spiragos (PF) – Out to backers.

V20 Dark Ages Companion – Advance PDF is out, gathering errata.

BtP Building a Legend – Going out to backers this week.

      TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: Memorial Day Weekend is coming this week, and that means the start of Summer! Also, my oldest finishes medical school and she’s officially a doctor this weekend. Very proud Dad, here!

[bookishbloggerreviews]

The Bone Witch --An Honest Review

[Warning: I give an honest review that focuses not only on plot but on writing and character as well. As this is an opinion, you can take it as seriously as you want, but understand that my goal is to review, not shame or praise the author.]

Let’s talk witches! 

So I read The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco because I’ve been hearing plenty of good things about it and I am certainly not disappointed. Am I wowed and astounded? No, but I definitely was not disappointed. 

The description is a little vague so let me give you a better, home-spun version: Our main girl, Tea, is a necromancer or a “Bone Witch”, and the people of her country are very superstitious towards Bone Witches and basically treat them like they’re the spawn of the devil. After Tea finds out she’s a Bone Witch, she gains a mentor and friend, travels hundreds of miles and becomes an apprentice Asha, which is sort of like a Geisha (Geisha typically entertained men with poetry, music, dance, knowledge, etc. They were NOT your average prostitute) and is on her way to become a Bone Witch when crap hits the fan and everything goes downhill. That’s the jist of the story and while a lot more happens between all those plot points, that’s what probably should’ve been on the inside cover instead of what they put. 

Now would I say that I was blown away with this story? 

No. I actually found the first half and the second half of the book to be differently paced with the first half dragging on a bit too long and the second half to be a grip-you-tight, let’s-marathon-this-ending, conclusion, which is something that I assume other readers struggled with as well. After that I found the writing to be repetitive but I should probably explain what I mean when I say that. 

The story is structured like this: 

-Insert current events

-Insert past events

-Insert current events

-Insert past events

And so on and so forth. 

I often found that the current events confused me about the past events and that the past events confused me about the current events, and overall, I feel like that due to a spoiler at the end of the book, a lot of how the story will arch and what major character dies was all ruined for me. And when I say that it was at the end of the book, I don’t mean that I read between the lines and was like: FORESHADOWING!!!! OHNDOJGNW NOWOWOOW! It was more like: *hits upside the head with pan of future* 

So the book, quite literally, spoiled it. 

But even with those drawbacks I still had a fun time reading this book and a lot of that comes from the imagery and the setting that we got to picture our characters in. This book, although set in a fantasy land, gave off waves of realism by introducing multiple cultures, politics, etc. So it was still a fascinating read. 

Overall, I gave this book a 7/10. 

If you follow or read my reviews, you’ll know that I jump into a book with a 5/10 expectation. I genuinely expect the book to be basically decent and will only raise or lower the score if I believe it deserves it. 

Now if you want a more indepth review, feel free to keep reading. But from this point on, everything will either be spoilers or be laced with spoilers, so be warned!

[SPOILERS!]

So let’s talk about the good before the bad.

First, the symbolism. 

I like the creatures that are chosen for the Hua and the colors that are given to each of the characters as the story progresses. 

First, we have our main character, who through the majority of this book, wears nothing but neutral colors and gentle flowers, or butterflies. However, when compared to her future self, she wears dark colors with dragons woven into it. A comparsion which is even more interesting as they consider the dragon to be a Daeva, or a monster, and she is wearing it WHILE she is banished and WHILE she is considered a monster. So the foreshadowing in the clothing and the symbolism is excellent.

I also like analyzing Tea’s mentor, Mykkie (her nickname because I always suck at spelling the real one). Mykkie wears dark and light colors and waves and when we first see her in the book she’s somewhat scary and serious, much like waves of a stormy sea, crashing up against jagged rocks. But later in the book she becomes so calm and bright and happy, but she’s still the sea, only calm and peaceful and glowing. So I think that the sea was an excellent choice for her character. 

And I could go on and on about all the symbolism that each character had but the end point is: wonderful, low-key symbolism that I feel like needs more value than it’s getting. 

As for the world, everything about it is somehow delightful. Even for all the worst things that happen in this book, I still found myself smiling. It’s been so long since I’ve read a book about a magical world that wasn’t modernized or futurized beyond recognition and it was good to just immerse myself in some atmospheric content. (Especially after reading Gilded.) 

This story was also thoroughly thought out. Often times you read a fantastic book series that suffers from the second book syndrome (Maze Runner, Michael Vey, etc.) which is: “I had a very good idea but I didn’t think I’d get this far and now I need to write another book and during this book one of the major characters seems to conveniently disappear or the majority of this book is filler information while I get to the next major plot points in the series”, which usually happens in the second book. However, I don’t think this series will be suffering from that anytime soon, as the author already has so much of the series planned out that they can write from both past and present views. 

Now onto the negatives. 

Let me just address the elephant in the room:

The author has already killed Kalen just when I was starting to warm up to him and just when I deemed that I liked him enough to be the love interest and before anything of importance has happened; he’s already dead. 

I just sat there staring at the page for a good two minutes trying to lead myself to acceptance. I mean, he’s in love with a necromancer and technically he can become undead but still. STILL. 

If anything I’m just more upset that I get to spend the rest of the series patiently waiting for something to come and kill him and practically babying the character. 

That’s the thing about those kinds of revelations in books: once you do them, you can’t take them back and they all surprises are out the window. Which I believe was a poor decision for this book and this series really would have benefited from having such an angsty blow. And it still can happen, but it just won’t be the same. 

And again, with the pacing and in terms of the plot. A fourth of the book was spent with our character not even in training to be an Asha, but rather a servant girl. Something that wouldn’t have been as bad if they hadn��t concluded the ending so quickly. Literally, the moment they discover who the spy is is like seven pages long. Seven pages in a 400-page book. 

And the dragon. 

And her trial to be an Asha.

And, and, and. 

Perhaps another revision would have been good in the end but regardless of what it could or could not benefit from, in the end, I gave it a 7/10. 

The pacing and the formatting hindered a lot of what the storytelling could’ve been and I don’t think that it was as graceful as it could’ve been but regardless, the symbolism, the atmosphere, the characters and the setting all make-up for what they lack and in the end, I found myself genuinely happy to read this book. 

If you liked what I had to say, please comment or follow for more. I am hoping to expand my book reviews in new directions such as discussions on new releases and hopes for them, old books that are still worth the read, strange books that deserve to be read once before you die, and more. So if you’re interested, hit that follow button, but until then, Bookish Blogger out!

[laughinglistener]

Girl Power & Talking Animals: The Sequel We Didn't Know We Needed

Again, not the American cover on the audiobook I listened to, but LOOK HOW AWESOME THIS IS.

Lirael

(Old Kingdom, Book Two) By Garth Nix

Format: Audio Book Narrator: The infamous Tim Curry again Length: 14 hours & 45 minutes Genres: Fiction, Young-adult, Fantasy, Adventure, Magic Take a Peek:  Audible  |  Overdrive  |  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Goodreads

Rating: 4 Stars

The saga continues! I had some serious doubts going into this sequel since the beginning of Sabriel was such a freaking bore. But once again, the promise of Mogget and Tim Curry made me take the dive and I’m happy I did. So far this Old Kingdom series hasn’t been pulse-racingly thrilling, but it’s a fun adventure with talking animals. That’s all I really need.

THE REHASH

*For some reason, this summary is super long. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Feel free to skip my rantings and head straight to the review on the bottom. I promise not to be offended.*

The prologue opens with a mysterious man named Hedge carrying the bells of an Abhorsen, instantly making the reader question where in the Old Kingdom timeline this is taking place. Last we heard, Sabriel—the new Abhorsen—was definitely female. Is this far in the future, or far in the past? He begins speaking with another powerful sorceress named Chlorr and it becomes obvious that they are followers of Kerrigor, the evil-being Sabriel defeated in the first novel. Hedge makes Chlorr his new servant and apparently these two goons are the new evil dream team.

This book is broken up into four parts, the first taking place 14 years after the ending of Sabriel. We see a girl named Lirael, who’s turning 14 and hates birthdays. They’re just a reminder of everything she doesn’t have. She’s a member of the Clayr, a group of mostly women infamous for their ability to see into the future, and Lirael has waited her whole life to get the Sight without success. Plus, her whole aesthetic is the complete opposite of a normal Clayr who are tan skinned with blonde hair, while Lirael is pale and dark featured. Now she is alone, her father’s identity a mystery and her mother long gone, with only an abrasive aunt as family. She is an outcast in every way—no easy thing for a 14 year-old—and goes to great lengths to push people away so she can’t get hurt.

After an abysmal birthday morning, Lirael spends most of chapter two listing all the benefits of suicide and plotting how to do it. In the end she settles for jumping off a cliff. You know, casual. The Clayr’s home is already set in the mountains and they have a paper plane hanger that would be perfect to throw one’s self from, so Lirael sets off. She arrives after a long hike and immediately hides, waiting for the guards to get lost to make her final move. As she waits, a paper plane comes gliding in and we finally see Sabriel and King Touchstone. They’ve come to visit the Clayr hoping for a vision that could help their current quest. Hedge is purposely causing problems as a distraction, though they don’t know this yet—only see the effects of his actions. The older Clayr deny having any related visions, and the now married couple set off again, but not before Sabriel spots Lirael hiding in the snow. Once the two are gone, the older Clayr demand to know what Lirael is doing and she breaks down. Without giving away her plan for suicide, she admits how miserable she’s been and how worried she is about not gaining the Sight yet. For some reason, the Clayr women are shocked and ask if it would help to have a job to take her mind off things. Um, duh. Lirael is overjoyed and accepts a position in the library, making you wonder why no one offered this to the poor thing earlier.

Contrastingly, fast forward four years and Prince Sameth is busy being a wholesome, trouble-free teen playing cricket with his cricket team. On the way home from a game, they belatedly realize that the driver has been going the wrong way and leading them straight into a trap. There’s a whole lot of zombies coming and Sam demonstrates his prowess as a leader, which is important because you’ll want to slap him in the coming chapters. Recognizing that the undead are being controlled by another necromancer, Sam decides to go into death to find them. On the other side, he sees Hedge who immediately tries to cast a control spell. It’s obvious that this entire plot was a grand scheme to get to Sam specifically and he just manages to thwart Hedge with some pretty kick ass moves. Sam goes back to reality barely making it out alive, with Hedge following close behind, determined to get control of the prince. For an awful moment it appears that Hedge succeeds, embedding something evil in his opponent’s heart, but we learn that he mistakenly hit Sam’s friend Nicholas instead. Nick is now unknowingly the host of an awful spirit that the creepy Hedge is trying to please. It’s all very Harry Potter, Professor Quirrell-esque.

via GIPHY

The cricket team narrowly escapes and they all go home, unaware that the danger has just begun.

While Sam recovers from the attack physically, he still suffers from post-traumatic stress and has become paralyzingly afraid of death (the place, not death death)—not too convenient for the Abhorsen-in-waiting. For a long while we follow Sam while he mopes about the castle, wondering how to tell his mother he doesn’t wish to be the next Abhorsen. We also see him get bossed around by his insensitive older sister Ellimere, which is apparently suppose to show us that she’ll be a great Queen someday. Just as the two royal siblings get word from their parents that things in the kingdom have gone from bad to worse, Sam receives a letter from Nick saying he’s coming to visit. This would be good news, but Nick didn’t want to bother Sam to come pick him up, so he decided to hire a random guide instead. It’s so obvious this “guide” is Hedge that even Sam sees how sketchy the situation is and decides to sneak out of the castle to go save his friend.

The now 18 year-old Lirael, on the other hand, is having a grand time working at the library by day and exploring it’s hidden rooms at night. She’s very gifted with charter magic and uses it to sneak around after hours. During one of these excursions she accidentally unleashes a freaky praying mantis monster and in the chaos, finds a little dog figurine. Once she manages to get away safely, she casts a spell to bring the dog figurine to life and OH MY GOD THERE’S A TALKING DOG NOW. Sassy Tim Curry dog is just as amazing as sassy Tim Curry cat and ALL MY DREAMS HAVE COME TRUE. Together they team up to defeat the scary praying mantis and explore the library in more depth, eventually finding the secrets of Lirael’s past hidden in one of the old rooms. The elder women of the Clayr help her find some answers and confess they’ve seen Lirael in a vision helping a sick young man.

They send her on a quest to find him, where she sails—quite literally—into Prince Sameth and they discover they’re looking for the same person. Both Lirael and Sam join forces to save Nick and *crosses fingers* defeat Hedge. In the end, we’re left on a cliffy and have to read book three to find out what happens.

THE GOOD

My main gurl Lirael is awesome and I really loved the parts told from her perspective. Even when she was having a major pity-party at the beginning, on the verge of throwing herself off a cliff, she was still relatable. What person hasn’t felt like an outcast at some point during their life? Plus, the Clayr seemed so oblivious to her plight that it really made me feel for Lirael. Once she gets the job in the library, though, she becomes a magical bad ass and it was amazing to watch her grow as a character.

Plus, let’s not forget Lirael’s bff, the TALKING DOG. Mogget the cat really saved me during the first novel and the Disreputable Dog (I’m calling her DD for short—that name is way too long.) saved me during this one. It’s kind of poetic. I’m really hoping this is a theme that runs throughout the series and we’ll just get more and more talking animals. Talking dragon. Talking horse. Talking bird. Talking fish. The possibilities are endless. When Mogget and DD finally met and bantered together towards the end it made the whole book for me.

I also think Garth Nix did a good job in the way he arranged the plot, and it really made everything more exciting. The way he switches perspectives between the two characters is great, and it helped build a lot of excitement for when Sam and Lirael finally meet. At the end of Sabriel, there was a time crunch and a sense of urgency that this book was lacking since it cuts off before the main confrontation. Breaking it up into different parts and characters was a good way to compensate for that.

And I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. Tim Curry makes this audiobook worth listening to. He has the best voice and does an amazing job acting out the story. I have already mentally added “animal voices” to the list of reason why I love Tim Curry so much.

THE UGLY

By the end, Sam is not my favorite person. It’s odd because I started off really loving him after that whole cricket team battle, but my opinion just got progressively worse and worse as the story went on. When he goes into death to hunt for Hedge, some horrible things happen and it’s completely understandable that this would freak him out. I never blamed him for the post-traumatic stress, and even felt for the guy when he went back home and had to deal with his awful sister without any help from his parents. After a while though, his whining starts to get old and by the end I wanted to kick him. My new literary best friend Lirael is making plans to go save Nick, and Sam says he wants to stay back and let her go without him. What?!? Are you kidding me right now? After everything you’ve been through and the countless times she’s saved your sorry butt, you’re just going to let Lirael rescue Nicholas (who’s your friend to begin with, by the way) alone? UGH. GTFO. I think part of the problem is that the book cuts off and we only see half of Sam’s character transformation, but that doesn’t make it any less infuriating.

Plus, I can’t lie, parts of this book were a little boring for me. Particularly Sam’s sections that depict him depressingly roaming about the castle and dancing terribly as a bird. I loved Lirael so much that I found myself anxiously awaiting her parts and not paying too much attention to his. It was nowhere near as dull as the first one, but still a little on the subdued side nonetheless.

FINAL WORD

This was really fun to listen to and definitely a better overall book than the first one. How often does that happen? If you liked the ending of Sabriel and loved the characters, this is definitely worth reading. All of the good ones come back and I really enjoyed seeing the story continue. On to the third!

And again, do yourself a solid and LISTEN TO THE AUDIOBOOK.

Girl Power & Talking Animals: The Sequel We Didn’t Know We Needed was originally published on Laughing Listener