#also: i am never allowed to make fun of popular romance fantasy novels and their problematic love interests ever again

[twoheadedoddity]

these are the books ever. why in the world did i ever wait so long to read them

was no one going to warn me about the pool scene 😭😭😭

[mermaidsirennikita]

how do you think 365 dni compares to movies like 50 shades and after?

Why thank you for asking--

I would say that there is a single similarity, which is that they do stem, if not directly, then tangentially from the general fanfiction-turned-romance novel tradition that has existed for a while but really took off after Twilight.  While you can point to Harry Potter inspiring YA fanfic-turned-novels like The Mortal Instruments, Twilight’s impact has really been a lot greater because I think it gave aspiring romance novelists a place to play.  And since romance is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) publishing categories in terms of $$$, it makes sense that publishers saw an opportunity to make money off of popular fanfic.  This is where 50 got popular, as we all know, and other romance novelists like Christina Lauren, to name a bestseller, cut their teeth on Twilight fanfic.

Then, that gave way to Wattpad and 1D, which is where After came in.  I’m not sure exactly where 365 drew from, but it’s definitely at the minimum taking from a lot of mafioso fanfic AUs.  And ultimately, fanfic, and in turn crystallized romance novels, are at their heart wish fulfillment scenarios.  In romance, that’s usually wish fulfillment not just for the characters you like (as with fanfic) but for yourself.  

I think that the biggest issues with After and 50, before we even get into the heroes, are the heroines?  Because there is nothing fun about Ana; Tessa in After is MILDLY better, especially in After We Collided wherein she has a bit more fun... but she still sucks.  Both Ana and Tessa are excessively passive and accepting of not only poor treatment, but frankly mediocre sex?  Lol.  I mean, 50 suffers a lot from Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson hating each other in a not good way, but After suffers from both a lack of chemistry and like... not even a sexual gimmick lol.  Am I really supposed to buy this 19 year old boy as a sexual dynamo?  Sure.  But I digress.  Ana and Tessa are quite dull, and I cannot find any way to relate to them.  

Laura?  Laura is FUCKING AMAZING.  She’s introduced to as us this Business Bitch, and sure, there’s nothing substantive there, but it makes a lot more sense to me than Ana being given a job by her boyfriend and then being treated like she earned it.  Laura comes off as older, more mature--you’re really given a reason to believe that she’s bored with life.  Her boyfriend sucks.  She’s sexually unsatisfied, but certainly takes matters into her own hands (I don’t think Ana or Tessa ever masturbated onscreen lol, which seems a bit?  Odd?  In “erotic dramas”).  And she’s FUNNY.  That’s one of the main reasons I love Laura.  She’s kinda ridiculous.  She wanders about in her sequin caftan, clearly hoping to get kidnapped (which really sets the tone for the movie.... if you were taking this seriously after that, I don’t know what’s wrong with you and your ability to have fun).  She takes control of her Beauty and the Beast inspired dinner with Massimo.  She gives him shit all the time, trots off the tarmac like she’s going to walk to Rome, jumps in a fountain just to give him shit.  In the final 50 Shades movie, Christian tells Ana that she’s topping from the bottom.  But you never see that.  I see it in Laura pressing Massimo’s buttons, in her scoffing at him whenever he tries to throw his weight around.  She’s never afraid of this guy for real, lol, and it’s very clear in her face.

She’s also a much more sexually engaged heroine.  There’s a lot of.........  Like, I won’t say that 365 is nearly as kinky as it could get, OBVIOUSLY lol.  But it’s definitely kinkier than the supposed kinkfest that is 50, just in terms of its dynamic.  And I love that Laura is allowed to be kinky, in particular.  She clearly enjoys sex that isn’t always incredibly tender; she enjoys watching Massimo get a blow job from another woman.  Both 50 Shades and After are remarkably straightforward and traditional in their depictions of what “healthy” sex looks like.

But of course, the point of 365 is not to depict a healthy and normal relationships lol.  It’s to fulfill a specific type of fantasy.  Sometimes, you kind of want to get kidnapped.  Not literally kidnapped, obviously.  But the idea of giving up control and having decisions made for you and being pampered by some rich hot guy who fucks you all over his boat is not bad.  And this is where 365 succeeds so well compared to 50 and After.  The latter two movies just have this constant stream of boring drama, inauthentic drama, just this guy and his bullshit problems that are, in both films might I add, CONNECTED TO HIS POOR MOTHER.  Whereas Massimo literally has to bend to Laura’s will and “become gentle for her”, while also maintaining his position as an archetype.  Honestly, aside from the general conceit and the ending, 365 is pretty much angst-free.  Laura goes on shopping trips.  Laura has great sex.  Laura eats and naps whenever she wants and has someone hang onto her every word and need and desire.

The thing is, too, lol--even when Laura does have some angst, she easily has a superior friend to any meager cardboard stand-in seen in 50 and After.  Olga is FUN!  They have a legitimate spa day montage after Laura has spent hours bitching about her stupid boyfriend.  Olga is also the only character who’s like, this shit is INSANE.  Olga is fabulous.

Finally, 365 is a movie focused on the female gaze to the nth degree, and we need more of that.  The camera worships Michele’s body; it zeroes in on his ass, his abs, his sexual pleasure.  Even when Laura is chained to the bed and wearing a spreader bar, she’s less naked than he is.  Compare this to 50 in particular, where we saw so little of Jamie and so much of Dakota, in a movie supposedly targeting people who are into men.

It’s just a FUN movie.  So much fun.  And that’s where After and 50 fail so hard, imo; they’re just kind of agonizing and the female protagonist really doesn’t even get cookies for her time in either of them.

[kinkymagnus]

I love you (no Romo though) also do you have omega Magnus ideas

flkgjdgkdjfg mood anon

hm... ok this will probably be messy but let’s get on some highlights

OK THIS GOT SUPER LONG HAHAHA

set up and worldbuilding my guys

ok so first of all i feel like i gotta talk about how this interacts with trans magnus. i promise i’ll get to the fun stuff afterwards!!

i know some people like to go more into like, the realistic dynamics of a/b/o (trans a/b/o people, as in, a trans alpha who was born an omega, or like, sexism that has to do with a/b/o and those different new stereotypes, as well as like “non traditional a/b/o dynamics” like alpha/alpha or omega/omega relationships, how this interacts with new different sexualities (being attracted to only alpha females? alphas and betas and all primary genders? etc.) and how it intersects with REAL transphobia and sexism and sexuality) and like.... i have two takes on this i guess:

one: while this is not inherently wrong i guess, it’s just. not what i get from a/b/o. for me a/b/o isn’t a complex worldbuilding set to play with necessarily, although i def am one to ask questions and overthink worldbuilding even in the stupidest of shit. but like, i come to a/b/o for fluff (nesting, fluffy heat sex, maybe scenting and/or “mates” if i’m feeling it), smut (knotting, heats/ruts, etc.), and MAYBE angst but that gets into dodgy territory sometimes. (i’m a slut for arranged marriage aus tho ngl dfgkldjfdg.) like. that specific set of tropes is combined perfectly in a/b/o, and it’d be hard to do that in a coherent au as this is already established and saying “au where alec has knots and magnus has heats” is weird. the only other au that gets close is very specifically like a werewolf au which has its own trappings, you know? it’s a specific coherent and established au and it’s hard to separate the tropes i like from the other stuff.

two: again, i don’t think it’s inherently bad. but i do think that a lot of people who do this are basically just reinventing real issues like transphobia, homophobia/queerphobia, and sexism... without actually dealing with those things or the characters they would involve. and i think that it often strays into yikes territory. so like. i don’t love it. (also it does have some yikes stuff people do like going really, really hard on the oppressed omega angle, or worse, reinforcing the gender roles of omega = submissive soft weak baby, alpha = strong dominant and scary man. or sometimes they establish other roles but either way like, all their characters fall into that. and i think sometimes it kind of works for this feeling like a guilty pleasure trash romance novel where it’s just uncomplicated fantasy of being taken care of, but like.... even then it just gets dodgy, you know? also it does tend to get INCREDIBLY rapey.)

i often used a/b/o for the things i mentioned, and before i started writing trans magnus smut, also ironically as a way to sort of write trans magnus in smut without actually doing it out of fear of backlash/lack of popularity. and while backlash hasn’t been much of a problem, my popularity has definitely gone down fics-wise. (i get much less in the stats area on ao3 now)

and cis omega magnus is in a way basically trans magnus but he has a penis and there’s knotting. like i said, in many ways, a/b/o is sort of a way to write porn with trans characters while keeping to cisnormativity. i, as a trans person, took advantage of that to get more comfortable with writing it, but a lot of cis people use it basically to just. do that. you know.

so how do i reconcile this with trans magnus?

basically i say “fuck you, he’s trans AND an omega, i want heats/ruts and knotting and nesting and shit” and then ignore it lmao

like ok he isn’t cis. he’s afab and gnc and all the shit i normally write, it’s just like. he also gets heats and his ass doesn’t get wet dlfkjgdfg (god it sounds So Unappealing when you say it like that. now that i allow myself to write smut with real trans characters i could never go back to a/b/o--although, like. some a/b/o aus actually do have male omegas have a pussy but that feels even more slimy in the sense of just. make them trans.) and like alec’s an alpha and so on you know.

i basically just ignore all the complex worldbuilding shit and trying to figure out how sexuality and gender and the various -phobias and -isms would be effected by the addition of secondary genders and their trappings, and just go “fuck you” under the guise of an a/b/o au

tl;dr, so i have a lot of complicated feelings on a/b/o and how it generally is something i do not trust people to write properly. but i also am a total slut of a lot of tropes that are sort of entrenched in a/b/o specifically. namely, heats/ruts, knotting, nesting/scenting, etc.

let’s get into the fun stuff.

magnus and heats :)

ok so heats are super like. vulnerable, you know? i’d think magnus would take heat suppressants (ah another plot convenience in this au) because he doesn’t want to spend his heat with someone he doesn’t trust. that’s not to say he’s never had a heat with someone, or even that it’s been all bad experiences, but it never clicked super well i think and like, it’s something that’s very hard for him. because there’s a lot of vulnerability and trust involved, and he loses control and could so easily get hurt

also possibility: while he can take suppressants to lessen how many times he gets a heat, taking them consistently for literally centuries sounds like it could fuck someone up. so. perhaps. magnus occasionally spends his heat with a trusted friend like meliorn (not someone who feels like Family and therefore would it feel incesty, but def someone who is a close friend) and while he still doesn’t love the feeling of being that vulnerable, and it can be uncomfortable--it’s not like he’s looking forward to it--but like... he definitely does trust meliorn (and possibly other non canon characters?) and it’s not like it’s disgusting and miserable. it’s not like, The Same, but it satisfies the biological side of it and sometimes it’s even like. fun, you know? it’s nice.

ngl i actually kind of like the idea of meliorn helping him with these heats and being like a trusted alpha he knows would never hurt him like that. that does mess with any angst you want to go with him not trusting alphas or not like, having good experiences with heats/ruts (like in “stuck in a rut”), but like, different aus different stories, and anyway you could probably work something in there about meliorn specifically being different and someone he trusts

this is on and off, he sometimes does have heats with whatever romantic partner he’s with, although it... doesn’t always end well. so he has a lot of bad experiences, but at least with meliorn he has a good experience to look to, as well.

also camille was a TERRIBLE alpha. i can 100 percent see her using his heat against him to hurt him (and being like oh baby dont you trust me? you cant go to this seelie for your heats, you cant cheat on me, and why are you taking suppressants, dont you trust me--?) as well as potentially her ruts (actually a) im not sure i want to go into the logistics of a female alpha--would she... have a penis? because i’m not making camille a trans woman nor am i touching those transmisgyonistic vibes with a ten foot pole. b) actually, maybe she’s a beta. she could use that against him, as well--being like she doesn’t understand why it’s such a big deal, you know? also i refuse to believe only an alpha can satiate a heat even tho it would work the best because like--fuck i’m overthinking the worldbuilding again this is EXACTLY what i wanted to avoid. fuck, never mind.)

but like...........when he gets it (namely with alec, because yes, i am a slut) with like someone he honestly is a viable “mate” or someone he trusts and like, has actual romantic feelings for, too...............it’s literally mindblowing. magnus had no fucking idea heats could feel this good. obviously he had fun with meliorn and felt safe even if he felt kind of awkward/uncomfortable (not bc of anything meliorn did but his own issues with being vulnerable) but like............... alec just fucking makes him melt???

like he felt safe before, he did know meliorn would never ever hurt him or take advantage of his heat, but now he feels so like... free and safe and open? it’s not just the normal vulnerability that comes with but the complete lack of discomfort, just feeling absolutely safe and like. not worried at all? again i want to emphasize it’s not that he felt unsafe before or that meliorn necessarily did something wrong, but bc of his own like. readiness to be vulnerable + while he does trust meliorn, it’s like. it hits different with a romantic partner (in this specific context!! this is not a romantic > platonic thing), if that makes sense.

an y wa  y THE POINT IS. magnus is like. Mind Blown. having sex with alec during his heat is like. amazing. alec is so intent on taking care of him and just worshiping his body (alec!! ravishing him!! pressing warm kisses all over his tits!!! big hands all over his body!! caressing him everywhere and giving him physical affection all over and just making him squirm and moan!!!!!!) and like. not only is he absolutely intent on taking care of magnus and making him feel good and making sure he’s comfortable, but like also it’s just??? really fun?? and alec gives him so much affection and so many kisses???

magnus is not the best conversation partner during heat because he is a little. busy. but it doesn’t stop alec from talking to him and helping him stay grounded and just like... treating him like a person? he hadn’t realized one of the reasons he was so comfortable with meliorn and now alec wasn’t just bc he knew them well and trusted them with this kind of thing, but because like. they treated him like he was present despite him being mostly non-verbal and incoherent beyond vague pleading. like, they always made sure he was comfortable and talked to him and didn’t just do what they wanted with him. it didn’t feel like he was a doll--getting satisfied and fucked hard, yes, but like. also sort of just being used. and not in the fun sexy pre-planned way, but like, in a way that just made him feel more distant and disconnected.

but alec very much doesn’t do that. he keeps talking (and there is a lot of praise! so much praise and gentle affection and teliing him how beautiful he is and how good he’s doing--and of course dirty talk wink wink) and even narrating what he’s doing/his intentions, you know, and not only his voice generally soothing but it’s just nice you know

and like again i would just like to go back to alec ravishing magnus’s tiddies with kisses and holding them in his Big Hands and massaging them and like kissing his nipples and just making him feel so good??? iconic. we stan.

and alec like. is the perfect mix of gentle and rough, you know? he knows when to pin magnus down and fuck him nice and hard and rough and get him squealing and begging, but he also knows when to be gentle--particularly at the beginning and when he’s coming down. not to mention even when he is fucking magnus hard there’s a lot of gentle touch accompanying it

also not to just be a slut but

Also It Feels Good Because Alec Has a Huge Cock

that’s not to say meliorn doesn’t or even that you need a big dick to pleasure someone well but like.

alec has a big cock.

and it feels. hhhhh. good

magnus when alec first slides into him in heat: [straight up just immediately goes incoherent and whining with pleasure and kinda just mewling and clawing weakly at his back or the sheets on either side of him]

and alec fucks him so well :) like they’re honestly both feeling so fucking good like just AAAAAAAAA im such a slut for alec taking care of magnus in heat

also. uhh. K N O T T I N G

alec sliding into him nice and slow to make sure hes ok and like hes loving it, alec fucks him, and when he’s about to knot him magnus is somewhere in the back of his mind expecting that usual queasy sort of anticipation like he does Want It but usually he does kind of feel a little discomfort and again just... apprehension. this is The Moment, and he’s really giving up control you know

but it. doesnt come (but magnus is about to AHAHA)

and he just wants.

like he honestly just really really wants this and it’s kind of a revelation how much he genuinely wants this

alec knots him and magnus is Losing His Mind it feels so fucking good he comes almost right away and he’s just right there again

hes so Full and everything about it feels amazing

and like after alec has like. made him come a dozen times squirting and came inside magnus’s cunt and kept him knotted full there’s just this moment where magnus is exhausted in the best way, lying on his back, legs spread, alec still knotted inside him, his cunt is full of cum and he’s panting and moaning a little and alec is just on top of him and it’s warm and amazing and he’s coming down from the high and he just feels.... incredibly relaxed actually

like he’s like wow have i ever been this melty and relaxed and floaty, like, ever?

the answer is no, not really.

alec is just gently stroking his hair, pressing soft close-mouthed kisses to his skin, and they just sort of cuddle for a bit while waiting for magnus to come down completely from his heat and for alec’s knot to go down and honestly just lying there entwined is really, really nice.

magnus is full and relaxed and he genuinely loves this feeling in a way he’s never experienced before

even when alec pulls out and magnus is pretty much back to himself completely again magnus is so exhausted he just sort of lies back and lets himself breathe and alec is like Pamper Mode Activate(TM) and magnus tries to be like its ok to relax i do like cuddling with you and i can clean up myself its ok and alecs like But I Want To Take Care Of You and like helps clean him up (just... magnus lets himself relax as alec gently uses a damp cloth to wipe away cum and slick you know? idk there’s just something intimate and sweet about the dom helping clean their sub up in the aftercare) and gets him water and a snack and then once they’re both tidied up pulls him into his arms and he strokes his hair and they just cuddle and it’s great :)

i wonder if magnus talks to meliorn about this either. hm

and from then on, alec is the one he goes to for heats. and alec, of course, becomes immortal, which means he can take care of magnus for the rest of their lives :’))

whether magnus would stay on suppressants is another matter because on one hand heats can be inconvenient and like he might still want to minimize them, but on the other hand Hnnnnnnggg Alec Feel Good. so i could see them going either way here.

also i mean................that’s not to say that meliorn would Never help magnus either..... two possibilities here: 1. for whatever reason magnus’s heat is coming and alec can’t be there. meliorn is happy to help. it’s good to have back up i guess lkjfgh fuck idk. but the real fun one....

2. as magnus has more heats, they may or may not have a little Fun with it. perhaps roleplay (whether this be like “oh..... oh no..... im a poor little maid and i’ve gone into heat.....Looks Like My Boss Will Have To Fuck Me” or like even pretending the heat isn’t part of it and he’s Just That Slutty and we love to see it, etc. obviously they alec is sure not to push it too far, he teases magnus but probably a lot less than he normally would bc he’s so sensitive and needy and eager-to-please, but like.... they sure do have some fucking fun with this.

and also. i mean.

threesomes. y’all knew i was going here.

look idk how i got so far on the magnus/meliorn (as close friends and fuckbuddies not romantically) train but HERE WE ARE.

magnus getting absolutely wrecked by two alphas and LOVING it is not something he ever thought would happen, particularly while he was in heat, but it’s happening and he absolutely loves it.

also there are other fun possible scenarios like in “goldenrod” where alec doesn’t know that magnus is an omega and Shenanigans Ensue or whatever like just....both fluffy and angsty possibilities.

i’m a total slut for friends to lovers “oh no magnus is in heat :( but alec can help him through it, gently and lovingly, just completely as a friend :)” which can get into dubcon territory but if you fuck with it it’s doable. and i’m just a slut for pining pre-relationship heat sex.

even like in an au, alec playing the role meliorn did in the previous bullet points but blended with how i discussed their first heat together so like... helping his best friend through his heats, showing him a really good time, making sure he’s comfortable and magnus is just like wow i’ve never felt this good and safe during a heat before :) guess it’s because we’re friends and definitely no other reasons :)

i’m not sure how to word this right but i feel like there’s a potential angst here of like a mundane au of some sort wherein magnus has only had a few relationships with alphas and none of them great so when alec is helping him through his heat he assumes it’s different (as in, alec is so gentle and caring and treating him like this, and he feels safe) because they’re friends and it’s a different dynamic, and that being treated Badly is just like, the normal way alphas treat their mates. or something. look. let me have my whump ok

but the point is alec sets him straight obviously

but like anyway i just like.........i adore friends to lovers malec and heat sex it’s got so much fluffy potential with magnus just feeling Utterly Safe (and pining angst) and alec is both a) incredibly turned on/helplessly in love with him so he’s loving every second (even tho Pining Angst) and b) just in awe that magnus trusts him that much??? (also sad he’s SURPRISED at being treated gently flgkhfjghgh)

malec and ruts

ok as i explored in “stuck in a rut” i think it makes sense that magnus would not feel incredibly secure during ruts. it’s not something he would have sought out with say, meliorn, although he would have been willing to do that meliorn has other partners more than willing to help him with that and actually love it while magnus is. very wary of it.

like a heat, it leaves him feeling very out of control and it seems kind of scary--but it’s almost worst, because rather than feeling needy and helpless (which is a good thing when with a trusted partner but not so much when he’s less sure, or when they take advantage of that) it’s like. he’s cornered totally sober with a similarly out of control alpha, except with more Dominance(TM) and potential aggression you know?

so maybe he’s had some very bad experiences before. and i doubt it’s been literally all terrible, but i think he would likely avoid relationships with alphas, so he wouldn’t have a lot of experiences to draw from overall anyway

but like okay let’s get to the fun stuff

i’ve been over the angst of magnus not being sure how this is gonna go but wanting to Tough It Out with “stuck in a rut” although it’s probably a bit exaggerated for fun angst purposes but idk aaaaa

but anyway the point is here. alec gets his first rut with magnus and like, he probably hasn’t been with anyone during a rut (suppressants?) so this is wild for both of them

but even Feral(TM) alec’s entire goal is just taking care of magnus

i mean obviously there’s an element of like wanting to get his own satisfaction and all but it’s just like..... mutual pleasure you know??? like he wants to fuck magnus nice and hard and make him feel good and magnus is just a mewling mess in his arms letting alec take control and ravish him and they are both having a great time actually

but like ok let’s just. move away for a moment from angst

just................... alec fucking magnus nice and hard and rough, pinning him down and “”making“” him take it, and there isn’t really much teasing because he’s too busy wanting to fuck magnus and fill him up :) 

but like it’s also fluffy bc even all needy and desperate alec still takes the time to make sure he’s ready and prepared and wet and into this before fucking him, makes sure he’s comfortable and checks in on him and if magnus safeworded or told him to stop you know he absolutely would, without hesitation, even if it literally hurt to do. which is basic decency obviously but the like.... the just trust and care there? the fact that even in a literal fucking rut when he’s supposed to be out of control he’d force himself to stop if magnus needed or wanted him to is just.... comforting and good and i love it 

and magnus is like hm i have never felt this safe when with an alpha in rut before! time to examine this trauma later.

nesting (ft. scenting)

AAAAAAAAAAAA

i love the concept of nesting so much it’s so fluffy and sweet and dkgjfklgjg 

you build a pillow/blanket/clothing nest that smells like the people u love and u feel safe in 

and then you get ravished in it sometimes

iconic.

like magnus just piling a fuck ton of soft things (ranging from blankets/pillows to just like spare sheets and shit like that) and stealing alec’s clothes to put in there and curling up in the middle of it feeling safe and in heaven tbh 

especially once they key component of the nest arrives: alec

*magnus yoinking alec into the nest and immediately curling up against him like a particularly insistent cat* 

alec is just like This Is Precious and wraps his arms around him and strokes his hair and magnus is purring (purring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we Will discuss this later) 

and it’s just nice and somft??

fluffy cuddles?

i feel like nesting would be a particular urge either during or near heats so im just imagining pre heat magnus being like *suddenly stands up* I Must Gather Soft Things (Meaning Pillows, Blankets, And Alec) 

and he just makes a nest, all aesthetically pleasing and arranged nicely, maybe a candle nearby with a nice scent that kind of helps, and just..... curling up in alecs arms all content

and alec ADORES this like the first several times magnus was scared of coming off as clingy so he suppressed nesting instincts let alone cuddly needy clingy instincts but alec was sort of like hey baby it’s ok if you just don’t want to but do u need to nest? 

and also he just made a point of being more touchy/affectionate when his heat was coming up/dying down and he watched carefully to make sure it didn’t magnus uncomfortable but he melted into it even more than usual

so like just....alec cuddling the fuck out of magnus in his nest and it’s warm and safe and smells like home????

scenting i feel is kind of weird and i feel weird being like “mm he smells good” or whatever but like also it can be so cute when done right you know lkgjdgfg like omg just...... Alec Smells Like Home

their scents kinda mix and both of them have the others’ lingering on them and people can tell they’re super close 

and just.....................again..........alec like scenting him, marking him as his in a sort of gentle soft way? and like, burying his nose in his neck and nuzzling him and he smells so nice and good??? 

especially if you’re going with true mates think their mates’ scent is just the best thing ever flgjlkjlfkgjfgh

but anyway ok

back to nesting

and specifically, because i am a whore, to S E X

magnus feeling absolutely safe there and it smells like home and alec’s holding him and it’s so--

hey so i know i said i was going to do sex,

but hold on a sec

ANGST

magnus has nested before. but generally not with romantic partners. 

not sure if familal nesting is a thing--i feel like it’s possible, but given a general association with heat (i mean one could either feel the urge to or simply enjoy nesting outside of Heat Time(TM) but like) it feels a little weird

so let’s go with it’s more romantic except for maybe like really young kids or something idk 

but anyway moving on from that

magnus has nested before

but almost always alone

and an empty nest is just not the same?? it’s still warm/safe but like... it feels empty and sad too. especially if he DOES have a romantic partner they just don’t want to nest with him--saying he’s clingy, or it’s time consuming/boring to just sit there, or whatever else. 

camille was particularly guilty of this, he had to basically hide his nest and cram it in a closet or something (the enclosed space was actually kind of nice but it was too cramped for his liking and it felt even more empty and sad than usual)

and then he would just be there alone in his small empty nest and it was still reassuring but it was just......not the same 

also he didn’t have anything to ground him so he got all fidgety (adhd magnus? adhd magnus.) and like it was a lot less comforting than normal you know 

but with alec OH BOY

not only does he feel all warm and grounded in alec’s arms like he can relax and doze off and feel good and alec is stroking his hair and it’s just. nice

but like also 

BACK TO SEX

alec making sweet love to magnus in their nest and it’s just like wow this is the most safe place possible

it’s not even heat sex they’re just having fun and magnus is like this is my dream come true

and then obviously there is also heat sex

it is the most mindblowing thing either of them have ever experienced

also i feel like while it’s not an instinct thing to build nests for ruts, they still do it because they’re soft and it helps them relax anyway

PURRING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PURRING

ok i absolutely love the a/b/o headcanon i’ve seen before where like, omegas purr only when feeling completely safe? particularly around alphas?

so like. 

magnus doesn’t purr that often.

or he didn’t but then he fell in love with alec “his arms feel like home and safety and love” lightwood

it is not uncommon to see him cuddled in alec’s arms purring contently

or like in his nest leaning into alec’s side or head resting on his chest, PURRING

also i have this fic somewhere but au wherein alec doesn’t know magnus is an omega yet and then finds out because magnus dozed off on his chest and BEGAN. PURRING. BECAUSE HE FEELS SO FUCKING SAFE AND TRUSTS ALEC SO MUCH. 

even if he hadn’t told alec about being an omega yet for whatever reason

anyway just alec stroking magnus’s hair while he purrs away and its adorable and also soothing for both of them so they fall asleep like that 

magnus’s purring is like a soothing thing for alec big time its good sensory time and also just generally nice so its easy for him to conk out with magnus warm in his arms and purring loudly 

it’s very nice 

and also he loves that magnus feels that safe with him

MATES

this one will be short but like 

basically the whole mates for life thing is cute

and it can just kinda be like soulmate aus

which are all vaguely problematic but just really cute/fun to have and not think about too hard 

so them being mates is just cute idk man i like it 

ok that’s it for now (i’m gonna add more in a separate reblog for reasons but that’s only on one topic, you’ll see--i think i’ll do that tomorrow bc im very tired rn) that’s the omega magnus manifesto (some parts not included) 

[bookedbookshelf]

Revisiting Harry Potter After 12 Years: The Great, the Good, and the Bad

Some Background on Harry Potter and I...

When I was a child, I practically breathed Harry Potter. The books were everything to me. I used to connect every conversation around me to HP in every way that I could (to the great annoyance of my entire family.) But I didn’t care that I could see their indifference or that my older sister used to make fun of me for reading it. I didn’t care that I had annoyed her so much with the topic that she began to call it “Harry Pothead.” Harry Potter was my thing as a kid- a fixation I never quite got rid of, even as an adult. To this day, nothing can get me into a passionate debate the way that a Harry Potter-based conversation can. I watch the movies at least once a year with my nephews.

I read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone for the first time when I was in the third grade. I had trouble reading chapter-books and writing during this time. Looking back on it, it makes a lot of sense that I was probably suffering from some kind of learning disability. If it was ever diagnosed, I’m not sure, but I had been going to a special reading and writing program twice a week since grade one. The purpose of putting me in this program was to try and keep pace with the other students around me who were beginning to read and write with a speed that I just could not match.

Even now, I remember how much it embarrassed me. I hated feeling stupid and like I lacked something the other students had. And so, when my teacher announced to my class that he would be reading Harry Potter to us during Story Time, I asked my father to purchase the book for me, so I could read along. It was a huge decision that I still remember the exact moment that I made it. That decision was the foundation for my love of reading. Reading Harry Potter, and struggling to keep up with my teacher, but doing it regardless, cemented my love for the books. It was the first chapter book I ever read cover to cover. When I put that book down, I no longer felt stupid. I felt accomplished.   

The number of times I reread the first three books are countless. I can confidently say I have read every Harry Potter book, except the last, more than four times. I have only read Death Hallows twice, once when first released in 2007 and again last month.

So, why did I wait so long to reread these books I so desperately loved and endlessly talked about?

I think I was afraid that I’d reread them and find faults and flaws that would make me become sad. I didn’t want to find a reason to distance myself from these books, I wanted them to remain this untouched relic of my childhood that turned me into an avid reader. I know so many people have the same story of learning to love reading because of Harry Potter. For me, it turned something I hated, dreaded, and pretended to do, into something I actively sought. Harry Potter changed everything about my childhood education and is probably a massive reason why I want to be an author today. I owe so much to these seven magical books about a boy who lived in a cupboard.

So...why, after all this time, did I change my mind? Why did I reread all of the books?

That sister who called it “Harry Pothead” finally decided to read them and when she told me that she was on the fourth, I was suddenly inspired to pick up my books and reread them too. And so I did, one after the other, cover to cover, first until last.

So...has anything changed? Is this series still a nostalgic favourite that cannot be touched by criticism for me?

Nope, but I still love them!

The Review: 4.5/5

Let’s start with the fact that this review is not spoiler free, as it has been...12 years since the last HP book came out. I feel that is a plentiful grace period and if you haven’t read it by now, I doubt you care much about spoilers. Even so, please take into consideration that this entire review is spoiler- heavy. 

Harry Potter perfectly captures a few things through the entire series: the pain of isolation, the importance of friendship, and the fear of failure.

But Harry Potter also lacks sorely in some areas and we’ll touch on that. While I will not be going book by book, because I was a dummy who didn’t consider doing this when I began to reread them, I will break down some of the major themes and what the series lacks or did poorly. Having flaws doesn’t make Harry Potter bad. Despite everything, these books are still like a 4.5/5, with just some nitpicky flaws from my perspective.

So let’s get started with what Harry Potter did well, in my opinion.

What I Liked...

Isolation and Character-Building:

All of the books captured Harry’s isolation perfectly. Through every novel, you wish that he still had his family and he didn’t have to fulfill an insane destiny that was thrust upon him the moment Voldemort saw him as a threat. As I am older, I understand Mrs. Weasley so. much. more. I understand why she worried about Harry so much, he was indeed just a boy.

As the novels go on, every loss that Harry suffers feels like a sucker-punch to the stomach, because you know Harry started out with so little and it feels like he is losing things for shock value. For good or bad, I can say that these books know how to tug at your heart and make you invested in the main character, as well as the side characters. One of the things that Harry Potter does best is its large cast of interesting and sympathetic characters. You even pity Voldemort’s origins and how he was created despite him being a monster of a man.

Magical World Building:

All of the books capture the wonder and magic of the Harry Potter universe with effortless beauty. There was pure genius in ensuring that Harry grew up like a muggle because it allowed us as readers to experience Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, and all of the other magical places in the books, as Harry did. It allowed us to learn about magic as he did and it created a sense of being there beside Harry, learning as he did.

Never once does it feel like laws of the world are being peddled off just to catch the reader up to speed. This is something Rowling does amazingly and something I am so in awe of even to this day. Harry going to Hogwarts during his first year felt like we went with him and I’ll never forget how thrilling it was to read as a child.

Blending Other Genres into a Fantasy Series:

As the books go on, little mysteries are written here and there are truly very well executed. Especially in the Goblet of Fire, which always felt like a hybrid mystery/fantasy novel to me, as we’re trying to discover who put Harry’s name in the Goblet. Furthermore, as the books mature, so do the characters. Through book five, six, and seven, there is an aspect of romance, as Harry has fallen in and out of crushes a couple different times. I love that Rowling blends other book genres into the story very well.

Relationship Building:

As the books go on, the relationships between characters develop. Many people think Ron/Hermione was terrible, but I disagree. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Ron coming to realise he felt strongly for her and Hermione grappling with her gender identity and feeling invisible to both Harry and Ron as a female. I thought the Ron and Hermione love was actually well thought out and developed over several books, despite popular opinions.

Complex Characters:

Harry Potter has an array of complex characters, ranging from Dumbledore to Lupin, James, Sirius, and Snape. While there are characters that I despise with a bitter passion despite them being fan favourites (ahem, Snape,) I can still recognise that many of the villainous characters in HP are written BRILLIANTLY. I love me some problematic and interesting characters who keep you guessing (ahem, also Snape.) Brilliant writing, through and through.

Conclusion:

Overall, the story throughout the books is gripping and takes you through each page with absolute ease. The pacing of these books never lacked for me or dragged- the story was thoroughly gripping and entertaining, cover to cover.

But there are some things that could be better.

What I Didn’t Like...

What the Hell is Going on with the Magic System???:

Harry Potter is littered with magical inconsistencies and perhaps the MOST glaring is the Fidelius Charm. Let’s talk about Secret Keepers. Okay, we talked about it, they’re flipping stupid. I cannot express how much frustration these things have caused me over the years.

WHY DIDN’T JAMES JUST BE HIS OWN SECRET KEEPER IF THAT WAS POSSIBLE...EH, BILL WEASLEY? EH?

I feel like the Fidelius Charm has the most crippling plot holes and ret-cons out of all of the spells inside of the HP world. Why is this a problem? Well, it is only a huge freaking catalyst in the entire story: using the Fidelius Charm with the wrong people is what caused Lily and James Potter to die. I feel that more attention should be paid to the way a spell can and cannot work in the book, or else everything falls apart. Yes, we could say that James’ flaw was wanting to trust and believe in his friends, and so he didn’t make himself the secret keeper….but that is freaking dumb. The life of his wife and child were on the line, no one would spare any possible measure of safety, not even James Flipping Potter.

Let’s move onto the god.damned.trace. THE TRACE. I hate the trace mostly because of its glaring inconsistencies. It is the worse case of plot-convenience-holes throughout the series. Let’s talk about how Voldemort murdered his father and his grandparents without the Ministry even blinking an eye, as this did not happen in a wizard's house, unlike him attacking his Uncle. Because the exact way the trace works has never been specified in book canon, it leaves glaring plot holes everywhere. While I do not hate the concept of the trace, I definitely hate the execution.

Harry and Ginny? Are We Serious?:

While I did praise Rowling for her relationship developing, Harry being into Ginny felt very very very sudden and out of nowhere. Harry never considered Ginny romantically until the 6th book, fine, but his romantic interest came out of...no where? One day in the common room he noticed she smells like the flowers he smelled in Slughorn’s love potion...okie dokie. 

While we can say this is because Harry had to spend that summer playing Quidditch with her, Ron, and Hermione at the Burrow, to have these feelings come upon him. I say bull-crap. We know Rowling put years into the development of Ron and Hermione, building it up through multiple books. As a result, Harry and Ginny felt cheap, last minute, and insincere. I wouldn’t have minded the couple, if she put more time making it believable.

What the Hell Happened to Lupin in the 7th Book?:

Lupin turning into a full-on edgelord in the seventh book felt like such a cop-out to the type of character we had seen thus far. And yes, we can explain it as Harry seeing Lupin as an adult to admire and not really like a person with complicated feelings and emotions. But wanting to ditch Tonks to go on an adventure? Sorry, can’t relate. Lupin’s sudden character change felt cheap and like there was nothing leading up to the sudden change. Even the tension beforehand did not seem grand enough for this.

Let’s Talk About Deaths:

The undeniably worst thing for me about Harry Potter is how poorly Rowling writes deaths. They are just...horrible. She leaves so little detail in the actual death happening, it’s always one or two sentences max that vaguely outline someone’s death. And I am sure she does this to give you a snap sense of someone suddenly dying, but it feels unbelievably cheap and poorly thought out. Furthermore, I truly believe no one but Dumbledore needed to die throughout the last few books to advance the plot, and yet we’re hit with death after death that lent nothing to the plot.

Sirius dying felt rushed and unnecessary. What plot did his death further lend, what did it spur into action? You may say Harry needed to have everything taken from him to truly be okay with learning his fate in the last book, but I say no. I think it was just another thing written in to remind the audience of how alone Harry is and it felt lacklustre and poorly executed. I don’t hate that Sirius died, but I hate when he did. I felt killing him so early and for no reason was outrightly silly.

The biggest problem is it did not lend to the effect that Rowling intended- it did not make me feel hollow inside for Harry. It didn’t make me cry when it happened. It doesn’t hit in an impactful way at all. It just felt like Sirius died to a series of clumsy mistakes (largely due to his own actions,) but still clumsy nonetheless. Of course, characters can be killed suddenly and hard-hitting for . However, when reading through the books, it felt like Sirius’ death didn’t actually have such a far-reaching impact as it should have had. He felt discarded of in a very poorly managed way. It was as if Rowling made up a list of “people to kill” because she thought her story wouldn’t be real enough without death.

Similarly, Tonks and Lupin feel very much the same. Their deaths are more justifiable, as they are casualties of a battle, but the problem was they happened off page. You have no connection to how it happened or why, they’re just dead, in a room full of other bodies. Many argue this is impactful because it is the cost of war, but I argue differently. I argue that just seeing them dead in the Great Hall takes all of the impact out of their deaths. I feel practically all of the deaths throughout the Battle of Hogwarts were handled this way and it wasn’t as gripping as I’d like it to be. I loved Tonks and Lupin as characters, but it just felt like a shrug of the shoulders, because it was given so little time of contemplation.

Snape, on the other hand, was written very well. We saw how it happened, we saw that he knew it was about to go down. We saw his last breaths and the painful way that he died. The entire scene is very emotionally gripping, unlike the way the other deaths are handled throughout the ending quarter of Deathly Hallows.

To me, it just felt more effort was put in some deaths over others, leaving a majority of them to feel cheap, poorly planned, and poorly executed.

So, is Harry Potter Worth Reading? Even As an Adult?  

Yes, Harry Potter, books 1-7, are thoroughly worth reading. They’re enjoyable, gripping, suspenseful in places, and truly magical. While there are some flaws, such as a lack of representation and a faulty magic system, the books hold up incredibly well and there is a reason they have endured this long as a childhood favourite. Think about it, the craze of other series such as Twilight, the Hunger Games, Divergent, and so on have all died out, but Harry Potter remains strong and relevant to this day. You can find Harry Potter merchandise easily in physical stores around the world. The truth is that Harry Potter endures so well because it is a coming of age story about so much more than magic.

Harry Potter flawlessly blends many relatable themes together, such as friendship, loyalty, uncertainty, loneliness, anger, and hope in the face of adversity together into a story of fantastically written characters and settings. Backpedaled by a good plot, interesting characters, and a bit of magic, alongside Rowling’s easy to read writing style, I have no doubts that Harry Potter will continue to endure for generations to come.

My sister, the one who teased me, is 32 now. She read through every book this year as well and upon finishing it, she told me that she wished there was more. A common feeling among anyone who has read all of the books cover to cover.

[ririthedevil]

@ander-redsgomarching

Okay so I thought this best to post as a singular post! I personally don't watch much fantasy and romance, but I can recommend you things I have watched which go along with those genres as sub-genres! (skip to the bottom for a less detailed list).  I think you’d like Sword Arts Online - romance and fantasy! It’s very popular and set within a virtual reality gaming realm called SAO, which is just a normal avatar medieval-esque game where they can fight, earn objects and coins, and be whatever they want etc! One day however the owner of the game decides to create the ultimate challenge after the beta tests and the official release of the game. The characters get stuck within it due to this challenge and if they die within the game they die in real life - and if anything irl tries to take their VR headsets off they can die too! To survive the game, they have to win it by reaching the top level and defeating the bosses as they go. (Don’t wanna give more than that away but give it a check)! It’s on Netflix I think!

Also I have to super recommend a new anime I just finished called Erased! It’s a crime one. It’s about a guy who randomly can set back time to a point in his life where something went wrong in the future but he can fix it (i.e. a truck driver almost hits a child after he has a heart attack while driving and the main character goes back and stops it from happening). One day however he gets set back by over a decade and is back in school (he turns the same age physically as he was back then but has the same mind of a 29 year old) and has the chance to stop the murder of children from his school. It’s like 12 episodes long and is super great!

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is another favourite of mine - it’s fantasy and action (about 64 episodes long too). Also on Netflix! It’s within a world of a science called Alchemy, where you can create things on the principles of equal exchange. Yet there are taboo subjects such as you can’t bring back people from the dead. It’s about two brothers who try to get their mother back who passed away but because they never followed the rules one brother loses his arm and leg and the other his entire body except for his spirit which his older brother puts inside of a metal armour (which can walk and talk). So the overarching plot is that they try to find a way to get the younger brothers body back and become a part of the military to get access to materials which could help them discover a way. HOWEVER this is just one of the many motivates of the whole show, which is based in a time parallel almost to that of World War 2 (where there is a military state, war and a genocide). I want to explain so much more but don’t want to give anything away! It’s sometimes funny, sometimes heart breaking but super breath taking! No Game No Life I have just started watching, and is about two siblings who are well known within the gaming world for being undefeated. They see the real world in lousy terms and something of a game until they get a weird email challenging them to a match and once they accept they get taken into this fantasy world. The world however is one where conflicts (from small arguments to the fate of countries) are made not through war but through high stake games, and each person in the game has to contribute a wager equal to that of other players. 

Zero No Tsukaima

is

action, fantasy and romance

- it was also one of the very first anime I ever watched and has three seasons (though honestly i just recommend the first two). It’s a class based anime almost, where elite Nobles within high class academies perform magic and within a certain year can summon a ‘familiar’ which they can train to do whatever they want (mostly fight in this case and protect them). The main girl of this anime, called Louise (nicknamed Louise the Zero because she’s super bad at magic) summons however not a usual beast but instead a human boy Saito who she basically makes somewhat a save as she perceives him to be lesser than that of other familiars. Over time however with each others encouragements, Louise gets better at magic and Saito becomes a wonderful fighter. I think I sold this one a bit poorly because honestly I can’t remember a lot of it as it’s been like 6 years if not more since I last watched it! But I always think of this anime when I think romance! 

Clannad also is a true romance and a true heart breaker, centred on the love story of two individuals since they met in school and the problems and lovely moments they have experienced along the way. It’s incredibly bitter sweet and made me cry on multiple occasions! 

Someone recommend Fate Stay Night to be once which goes along the fantasy, romance genre and is meant to be a bit bittersweet. I think though more recently I am going on to more action packed anime shows and off of romance. So I found the first few episodes a bit more talkative thus got a bit bored. However it is one a lot of people recommend so maybe it’s just not my cup of tea but could be urs! 

CODE GEASS is my pride and joy and I cannot recommend it enough - it is action and mecha with hints of romance throughout it though its never over exaggerated! It’s my absolute all time favourite anime about a highly intelligent 17 year old boy named Lelouch who is Britannian ex-Prince who is in hiding and his sister Nunnaly (who is blind and cannot walk) and one day wants to take on the throne to stop the injustices he sees in the world. The world itself is based on a time of intense colonialism (yet is set in the future, funnily enough 2017 is the year) where Britannians rule a third of the world and Japan becomes instead a country called Area 11 under their rule and it’s people are called Elevens who are seen as lesser beings. This is just one injustice Lelouch wants to wipe away and one day when he is about to be killed by a soldier after trying to save a woman he is given a power called Geass which allows him to command an individual to do whatever he says (but he cannot use it more than once on the same person)! Using this power and by leading a rebel force which is trying to take back Japan, he uses his power and amazing intellectual gifts to take on Britannia's elite- all within his disguise of a mask and cloak in which he calls himself Zero. Throughout the time you find interlinkages of plots with both much hated and much loved characters, and find yourself questioning who the real villains and heroes are all the time! I CAN’T EVEN WITH THIS ANIME IT’S SO AMAZING AND SO FAR 50 EPISODES LONG UGH! It’s sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes mind boggling and absolutely brilliant. It takes on political notions and racism, while still balancing out with light hearted episodes which make you realise these characters are just kids at the end of the day! 

I’ll stop here not because I feel like it’s too much info now and maybe I should have just created a list and have u find what u think looks best just by name at first glance. 

Other animes are:

Howl’s Moving Castle - fantasy, romance movie (cute af)

Wolf Children - another romance and fantasy of a young lady who falls in love with a man who can turn into a wolf and they end up having two children together who can also turn into wolves. Bittersweet but it’s love story for both the couple and between that of a family, as well as a coming of age story too! 

Kaze no Stigma - this is incomplete though because the person who wrote the novels it is based on passed away before he could finish 

Cowboy Bebop - action and crime and is AMAZING AF OMG 

Kill La Kill - action but beyond weird but in a super satisfying ‘i can’t keep my eyes off of this and need to know what happens’ kind of way. The plot twist in it made me go bonkers! 

Ouran High School Host Club - a comedy and romance which is also an absolute classic for those starting anime 

Soul Eater - also super fab and another classic - action and fantasy based within a school in the United States where humans can transform into weapons and have friends who can wield them. It’s a super fun anime where you easily fall in love with all the characters. 

Yuri on Ice! - romance between two male figure skaters, with one who is world famous and a champions who becomes a coach and another who has lost his confidence after losing in a World Championship and wants to find inspiration again. 12 episodes and just another anime you call in love with every character.

Boku No Hero Academia - still ongoing within a world where like 80% of people in the world have super powers (called Quirks) and a rare 20% do not. The main character is one of these poor individuals, despite desperately wanting to become hero like his idol All Might. One fateful meeting however comes about when meeting his hero for the first time, who sees potential within him as someone with a brave and honest heart. Therefore he entrusts him with the ability of One for All, where one has incredible strength and speed which in turn allows him to go study to become a hero at the Hero Academy.  Yet there are troubles ahead, with the Villain League coming out of the realm hoping to destroy such heroes and students of the Academy being trusted to deal with the events to come. 

Your Name - a time travelling, mind swapping romance movie which is OUT OF THIS WORLD STUNNING OH MY GOSH! The animation is crisp and the plot line exceedingly good which makes you almost weep! About a girl and boy who switch bodies and go on a quest to find one another to change back. They communicate by leaving notes to one another - either on notepads or on their phones. It’s a bit complicated to explain the time travelling aspect throughout it but YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. 

OKAY NOW I’LL STOP OR I’LL COMBUST from wanting to rewatch all of these. 

[parchment-and-petrichor]

This was kind of everything I want in a novel. I may be extremely biased, considering I too have written a time travel series about family blood feuds, but I’m still absolutely here for it all the same. This is my first Alexandra Bracken novel (she’s far better known for her insanely popular The Darkest Minds series) and I somehow imagined a far simpler writing style on par with most YA fantasy series out there. I am, however, delighted to find my assumptions were wrong, and in fact, Bracken weaves together a complex, beautifully written story crossing the boundaries of time.

There were so many things going into this novel that had me absolutely grinning ear to ear giddy. Etta (who has a great, original name vintage flavoured name, which I loved) is an incredibly smart, driven female protagonist. She’s an insanely affluent violinist training to play with the greats. She’s so focused, with her eyes honed right in on the prize, that it all almost works to her detriment. This is something I definitely think is lacking in YA female protagonists lately. So often, they’re drifting and don’t know what they want at the start of the story, and often don’t figure it out until the end of the series. But here, Bracken gives us a different take. Etta knows who she is, what she wants, and how to get it, and Bracken throws her in the deep end of the complete opposite of what she expects. Etta effectively loses the one part of her life she can depend on in being thrown back in time. I gotta say, although I’m upset that the likelihood of Etta’s returning to her life as a sharply-motivated violinist is pretty slim given how her arc progresses, I’m loving this inversion of the YA female stereotype. Etta has to learn to let go and be less of a control freak in her own life and I like that.

There is nothing that makes me more excited in a book than surprise Victorian settings. As with any time travel plot, Etta and Nicholas to a certain amount of bouncing around from one era to the next. Shockingly enough, for a time travel writer, I might not have a good sense of what a typical time travel story is like, but I can’t say I’ve ever read one that uses the jumping from one era to the next so liberally and so effectively. A lot of the time travel novels I’ve read have stuck to a single era, but this one has a very clear goal propelling them through the different time periods. Bracken’s very meticulous about her every choice she makes and no time jump feels out of place or superfluous to the plot. Etta and Nicholas stay as long as they need to in every era, no more, no less. Although this may not be your usual quick YA read, the plot is tight and gets on without any unnecessary waffling.

That being said, I am a little disappointed that we couldn’t linger and properly savour each era. Bracken’s so hyperfocused on Etta’s task at hand, she never gives the reader an opportunity to explore each new setting. In the span of the novel, we see World War 2 London, 19th Century France, 16th century Damascus, and yet it’s a very insular perspective on each era. One that doesn’t fully embody the atmosphere of each place and time. The tight rules of time travel in Bracken’s world seems to work against her in this way. Because Etta and the other time jumpers aren’t allowed to interact with themselves from different timelines, or really interact with big world events, there’s no opportunity to do any fun name drops to give that real sense of place.

 Refusing to let her characters interact with the world around them, Bracken effectively strips all meaning of time and place. Both Nicholas and Etta struggle with their sense of belonging. Etta, a modern girl being thrown into the past, and Nicholas, a 19th century boy punished to never jump through time again. The pair of them are essentially blank slates, ones who could redefine that sense of belonging; that sense of home, not applying it to a specific place or time, but in with each other.

Very rarely do time travel romances do the whole “their love defies time and place” without being cheesy and melodramatic, but Passenger definitely succeeds without being overwrought. The romance, when it starts picking up steam, doesn’t overpower Etta’s original mission. She’s determined to find the astrolabe to save her kidnapped mother and Nicholas is 100% there to support her through it. (A trope I’ve also been known to use on a pretty regular basis). That mission is first and foremost a priority and Bracken doesn’t diminish its importance in favour of the central romance, while still making Etta and Nicholas’ romance a sweeping one. And I respect that!

 I will say, I read this book on and off within a series of about four months, while getting distracted by other books. I feel like had I read it within a week, I would be far more in love with it than I was. I was fully on board for it in a big way within the first 150 pages, and I think my enthusiasm diminished the longer I left it sitting on my bedside table. So if you like some fantasy, like some history, like some romance, all tied together in a heftier-than-usual YA package, this is that novel. Just expect to really take some time to savour it because I think this is definitely one of those books you have to spend quality time with.

[willreadforbooze]

Hello!

Here’s our weekly wrap up from the WRFB crew =)

Sam’s Update:

I got a lot of reading done this week. I was in the Poconos for a friend’s birthday and it was super chill, then I made sure to dedicate some reading time since I have 5 (yes FIVE) more books to read to finish up my NEWTs.

What Sam finished this week:

NEWTs E-level Transfiguration: Age of Legend by Michael J Sullivan: This is the 4th installment of this series. This wasn’t my favorite of his books, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t exceptional. I love all of this man’s books. So much.

NEWTs O-level Transfiguration: Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian: this is the sequel to Ash Princess. I think this one was ok, but not nearly as good as the first. Suffered from 2nd-book syndrome I think.

NEWTs A-level Ancient Runes: All Systems Red by Martha Wells: This was a re-read for me since I had basically forgotten the plot. I knew I loved Murderbot but not what had happened. I’m pretty happy with my reread (also switched this out from Radical Candor because that one was too long for this readathon)

NEWTs A-level Arithmancy: Fireborne by Rosaria Munda: Picked up this ARC at ALA and damn it was a good choice. Great debut, great story. Full review to come.

NEWTs E-level Charms: Illegal by Eoin Colfer: A graphic novel about a boy from Ghana trying to get to Europe for a better life. This was heartbreaking to see the boy go across the desert, across the sea, and all its horrors. Flew through this.

What Sam’s reading now:

NEWTs E-level Ancient Runes: Nottingham by Nathan Makaryk: Another ALA ARC grab, but am listening on audio since it came out on Aug 6th. In this story, Robin Hood follows King Richard on his crusade and it’s Maid Marian who is steals from the rich to give to the poor. Only just started but I am excite.

NEWTs O-level Charms: The Future of Another Timeline by Annalie Newitz: Considering I’m only a chapter in, I will save the summary and my thoughts until next week.

Ginny’s Update:

I hope you’ve had a great week and are ready to jump in to Monday proper. I have a massage lined up for tonight so regardless of how the actual day goes, I know I’m gonna have a great afternoon!

Currently Reading:

Normal People by Sally Rooney: I’ve heard such good things about this book and it finally came up from the library! It follows two teens, one popular/one not, as they start dating away from the public eye. I think it’s going to swap when they go to college but I haven’t gotten there yet. The characters are realistic and can be oblivious in the way I’ve always felt a little bit oblivious, so I’m enjoying it so far. 

Stormrise by Julian Boehme: I literally just started reading this so I’m like 20 pages in and don’t have much to say yes. Except apparently this is going to be Mulan but with dragons!!!!! I’ve been playing a lot of Skyrim recently so I AM HERE FOR DRAGONS!

Just Finished:

Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh: Yeah this is a series where I’m constantly either going to be reading one of the books, or will at least have it on hold at the library. This follows one of the secondary characters is the first book, and includes an F-psy who can forecast the future. There’s a lot of him trying to get her acclimated to physical contact which was not necessarily my jam. A little too much, i know better than her, which, ugh. Regardless, still a fun story and gets a 3.5/5

Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer: I wrote a review. I have strong opinions. Book club for this is Wednesday… … … 

Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins: This will surprise no one but I follow a bunch of romance novelists on twitter. They are delightful and have definitely influenced my reading list. I’ve heard about this author forever and I’m disappointed it took me this long to finally read one of her books. Eddy is a badass and is slowly working her way towards California with both good and bad luck. Rhine is a former slave who is light skinned enough to pass as white and has decided to do so. They meet and there’s instant chemistry. Except Eddy shuts that shit down, she knows what happens between a mixed race couple after the civil war…. It’s delightful. 4/5

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow: I love a good portal novel and whoo boy. I’m definitely writing a review of this one because I would like to honor January’s love and honor of writing and the power of the written word.

Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire: This is the sequel to Discount Armageddon which I read last week. The worlds that she builds are SO GREAT! Quick summary. Verity has been warned by her quasi-boyfriend that the Covenant are coming to New York for a purge. Obviously this is worriesome. Review forthcoming.

The Attack by Yasmina Khadra: In my head I’m singing “One of these things is not like the other.” This was a look at what happens in a country that has dealt with constant low level terrorism. The main character’s wife is a suicide bomber in an attack that kills a number of people. He decides he needs to figure out what happened and where he went wrong. The search is interesting, but I found the ending to be a little bit abrupt. While that makes sense in the narrative arc of the book, I still found myself disappointed that there wasn’t some sort of ending that allows Amin to choose a side and make a directional shift. 3/5

Minda’s Update:

Oof. Still doing NEWTs, but it’s slow going.

What Minda is reading now:

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow – Moving along, but it’s moving slowly.

Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente – Expected to pick this up last week, but didn’t. This week it is!

Linz’s Update:

Oh god I felt so ready for DragonCon and now I feel woefully underprepared. I literally went into my calendar and blocked next Saturday off to finish work.

What Linz read:

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern: YOU GUYSSSSSSSSSS. UGH. EVERYTHING.

The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Asad: Middle East/central Asia-inspired debut fantasy, with djinn and lots of food and some great characters. (It was a solid debut and honestly I preferred it to City of Brass).

The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchinson: So, a bunch of girls were kidnapped by a rich crazy guy, who makes them live in a hidden garden and tattoos butterfly wings on their backs.They get rescued (THIS IS LITERALLY IN THE GOODREADS DESCRIPTION NOT A SPOILER), and the FBI tries to pick apart what happened with a cagey survivor. You def already knew what happened so it lost some of the potential tension, and the survivor isn’t really that mysterious, just has a drama-heavy backstory. It was fine?

After by Anna Todd: NOPE. Review forthcoming.

What Linz is currently reading:

I actually had to take a little reading break to get stuff done, but I *did* just get Samantha Shannon’s The Priory of the Orange Tree from the library, so likely starting that today, or my ARC of The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Until next time, we remain forever drunkenly yours,

Sam, Melinda, Linz, and Ginny

Weekly Wrap-Up: August 11-18, 2019 Hello! Here's our weekly wrap up from the WRFB crew =) Sam's Update: I got a lot of reading done this week.

[authorjanellesamara-blog]

Upcoming events: Summer of 2018

There's a lot of fun to be had when you gather a bunch of authors together. This year, I'm doubling my fun by attending two different author's conferences. The first is just around the bend and I couldn't be more excited. As a member of the International Thriller Writers, I'll be attending my third consecutive year at ThrillerFest in NYC, from July 10th to the 14th. The second will be in my hometown of Kansas City, Missouri--Show Me Your Books KC, September 7th and 8th.

ThrillerFest XIII

This year, I'll be on a panel again. COUSINS, PARTNERS OR ENEMIES? Developing Character Connections. My Panel Master will be Jenny Milchman, who I've already heard from about the panel. Also on the panel is J.D. Horn, Terrence McCauley, Dani Pettrey, Taylor Stevens, and Wendy Walker. I'm so excited. I'm already friends with a few of them on Facebook, so I'm sure we'll all have a good time. Character relationships can be complicated and for character driven novels like mine, they are essential. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. You should come by and check it out if you're attending ThrillerFest this year. We'll be in the Carnegie/Alvin room on Saturday, July 14th from 1:00 to 1:50. 

Since I'm on a panel, I'll also be sitting for a book signing that same day. I'll be in the Uris/Juilliard room from 2:50 to 3:20 to sign my books, along with all of the other authors from afternoon sessions. The full schedule for ThrillerFest can be found here. 

I also plan to attempt to write about each aspect of ThrillerFest like I did last year, only better. We'll see how that turns out, since I'd also planned to write about my first year there and that never happened. 

Did I mention that we're moving between ThrillerFest and Show Me Your Books? Yeah. So I'll get home from New York, unpack, then start packing the whole apartment. I guess that'll make it easier to hide all of the books I'll be coming home with that he told me not to buy. "They're so heavy," he says every time I bring home a new load of books. Wah, wah. I'm the one who moves all the boxes, anyway, since I don't want to hear him whine about it. lol

Show Me Your Books KC 2018

This is going to be the first time this event is held. No one is entirely sure of everything we're doing, but it's not here yet and the finer details of events are still being hashed out. I'll tell you what I know, though, of the basic structure.

VIP tickets were $75 bucks a pop, and they are no longer for sale. A limited number of VIP tickets will be available at the door, but they aren't guaranteed. Registration is all day Friday, September 7th. That's when people pick up their lanyards for event admittance as well as their swag bags. Bags will contain a variety of items, including a book or two by random authors in attendance. My contribution to the bags will be some awesome pens I got from Vistaprint that have a stylus tip on them. I use mine on my phone all the time. 

Friday night's event is beer, BBQ, and desserts. The dessert tables will be sponsored by authors who have their books on display. I'm not sponsoring anything since I didn't get my shit together fast enough. 

Saturday morning is breakfast with the authors. Again, each table is sponsored and people can request to sit with a certain author. The authors will also have a swag bag for each person at their table. 

After breakfast is the big signing event. All sixty authors have an hour after breakfast to set up their tables and be ready to sit there for four hours. From 11 to 3, hundreds of people will wander through the room, buying books, getting them signed, taking pictures, and snagging freebies from authors of various genres. The coolest part of the signing is that most of it will be open to the public. From noon to three, anyone can just walk in, buy some books, and meet authors. Want to go? Here's the website. The whole weekend will be held at the Downtown Marriot here in Kansas City, MO. 

My freebies during the signing will include phone pop-ups with my book cover on them, my stylus pens with my website on them, refrigerator magnets, bookmarks, and charms for the charm bracelets that will be in every VIP bag. I may have a few other things, like some edible treats, depending on how crunched for time I am in the last few days before the event.

All sorts of authors will be there. Children's authors, steamy romance novelists, sci-fi/fantasy, mystery, and more. No industry models are allowed, but each author is permitted an assistant. My stylist will be my assistant because she's going to have one hell of a time getting me ready and keeping me presentable throughout the day. (Saturday, I'll see three costume changes and two hairstyles.) 

Saturday night will be the 1920's themed ball. I've already got my dress. I only have one pair of shoes tall enough to wear with it. Now I just have to learn how to walk in them without breaking an ankle. 

There has been talk of there being "author outings" Friday afternoon, but nothing has been set in stone yet.

Some of the authors and attendees have admitted to calling it Show Me Your Boobs KC because they're going primarily for romance books. We expect there will be a number of risqué freebies laying out on tables. I've never been to a con for romance, but apparently penis suckers are quite popular. 

The method to my madness

If you've ever met me, you know I'm a little out there. I can be ostentatious and outspoken if you find me after a few drinks and my tongue has been loosened. I have blue and purple hair. My septum--the space between my nostrils--is pierced twice. I have gauged ears and huge wings tattooed across my back. But, aside from the hair, I can look normal. I can take out my piercings and wear a shirt that covers my back. I don't see the fun in that, though. So, I am who I am. I'm out there and people who want to tell me to be someone or something that I'm not can go fuck a tree. I hope they get splinters.

I am a walking conversation piece. Strangers seem to feel compelled to talk to me. I take full advantage of that when I'm at cons. I wear my purple or blue or mint green lipstick. I employ bright colors so that I stand out more, whereas I usually wear dark hues when I'm not doing "author stuff." This year, I'm even making a move toward showing off my wings a bit more.

You see, my novels are about an angel. I wear an angel wing pendant, earrings, and even my nose ring has angel wings. My jeans have wings embroidered on the ass. Why not show off my back, too? Last year, at ThrillerFest, I wore one shirt that showed my wings and I got considerably more people talking to me about them than on other days. I gave out a lot of cards that day. This year, I'm doing it again. I've bought a number of new shirts that all show off my awesome tattoos. 

You see, I can't approach people myself because I have severe social anxiety. Oh, you've met me and you never would have guessed? I know. I'm good at hiding it. I don't have panic attacks anymore. I don't stand in the corner, waiting for someone to talk to me. I hold my head high and I cruise the room by myself. People stop me. They pull me into their group or stop their own walk-through to engage me in one-on-one conversation. It's how I make new friends.

I don't start shit; I finish it. I'm not an instigator. Not for fights, not for romance, not for friendships, not for anything. The only things I start is my shift at work and dinner. Ok, that's not entirely true. I start my makeup. I start my car. I start a new story. I start moving when I wake up. But you get my point. When it comes to interactions with other humans, I don't start shit. When I start shit, I feel like a shmuck. I have and do occasionally force myself to initiate a conversation, but I usually feel like an idiot when I do. Which is mostly why I have to settle for letting others approach me. 

In a way, I have to be a conversation piece. If people didn't approach me, I'd never make any new friends. It helps that after they do start talking to me, they realize that I'm funny, sassy, honest, helpful, and good-natured. If I was a sullen weirdo lurking in the corner, talking about dragons and witches like they were real instead of fantasy for a novel, people wouldn't go home, add me on Facebook, and buy my books. 

So, if you see me, say hi. Otherwise, I might just walk on by. 

[lovelyparanormalbooks]

Review: The Vulture In Fall by Bekah Clark (Interview + Giveaway)

The Vulture In Fall (Rise of the Hawk #4) Goodreads Summary: "You must rise...rise to the challenges set before you." With the threat of violence all around, Maevan must finally meet her destiny. But can she do it alone? Her family is making their way to the Summer Palace, but they face dangers of their own. Trelaren takes his first steps to conquer Aemonsha and he's the most powerful enemy Maevan will ever face. Granada and Sol must defend the Frozen Fortress. Granada worries that she may not be up to the task. Meanwhile, Kolton faces challenges of his own. Coran worries over his wife as Meirei faces the dangers ahead while pregnant with their first child. Can they survive the pursuers which threaten their lives? Grave danger and romance await in the fourth and final installment of the Rise of the Hawk series. Rating: 4 Stars Review: Korla and Renna must journey back to the Palace, but many dangers await them on their travels. Maevan discovers a place of knowledge and honours the ways of their ancestors. Trelaren much be stopped but it will be much easier said than done as many complications pile onto the already busy road. "In their shared grief, their hearts stitched together more firmly than ever before." Aemonsha has suffered many losses, lots of characters are still recovering, left with empty holes in their chests. Relationships must be redefined and for some, trust is an issue. They mend and break together, keeping their united front even when it gets hard. Divide ad conquer is an important strategy to use even when it means letting loved ones go in order for them to play their part. "He needed her like air and if she died, he'd never forgive himself." We all want to protect loved ones, and there are many such examples in this book. What I like about this is how in each case, there is the common theme of looking after each other, but the way it is executed varies, keeping the aunthenticity and allowing Bekah Clark to use the same emotions more than once without making it repetitive. With The Vulture In Fall done, this quartet has come to a close. As the series goes on more depth and emotion is added, slowly but steadily building to everything from the world to the characters. The writing is eloquent and character relationships stem from genuine thoughts. For all fans of fantasy and adventure with that hint of romance, this series is a great fit. Interview with Bekah Clark 1. Why did you decide to become a writer? I've always had these stories roaming inside my head, but never was confident enough to write anything.  After my father's unexpected and rather tragic death, I threw myself into writing as a coping mechanism.  Now, I just write because I really have to.  My mind just keeps coming up with stories and I just keep writing them down.  Sometimes it can be hard, but mostly I am in love with writing. 2. How do you name fictional places? I am big into making up names for people and places.  I like to toss ideas of words around.  Even though I don't come up with an entire language, I kinda have a feel for what their language would be like.  Once a few names are made, I start to add to the idea how the names relate to each other as well.  For instance, Koren, Korla, and Coran.  Variations of this name, male and female, are popular among the Three Houses in the world of the Rise of the Hawk series.  Just like for our world variations of say Mary, Marie, Maria, etc can be popular.  In The Hawk In Winter, I started out with Cardea as the name of the first place and the Frozen Fortress before I even started writing. 3. Which of the characters in The Rise of The Hawk series is your favourite? This is a tough question.   Maevan is the star, after all, this is mostly her story.  Raikar is also a favorite of mine and I might be a little in love with him LOL.  I guess Korla is my favorite.  Loyalty, grace, and love surround a very powerful girl.  Of the three sisters, she's the most beautiful, but that isn't what makes her special.  She seems cool on the outside, but her love and her emotions run deep.  Part of this can be seen in her fighting style.  Maevan is very fluid and graceful in a battle, but when I see Korla fight, it's brutal and carries the weight of her deep need to defend her family and her people. 4. What is your favourite book genre and why? I have three favorite genres.  Fantasy, paranormal romance, and sci-fi.  I only write in two of them.  I love fantasy because I love world creation and I find that to be at it's finest.  Sci-fi is a genre I got into when I was very young, although I don't read it as much as I did when I was younger.  As for paranormal romance, I love the slight mystery about it.  I love a human waking up to find the world around them is not what they knew. 5. You're stranded on an island and can only have five things. What would you bring? My phone with a solar charger and earbuds so I can listen to music and look at my family photos and I could write a few ideas or stories on it.  Can that count as one?  A knife, for survival purposes.  Duct tape, for survival purposes.  A large box of sunscreen since I burn like crazy.  A hammock so I don't have to sleep on the ground.  (I am not good at this game lol) 6. For you, what is the most enjoyable aspect of writing? Coming up with the main character and world building are my two favorite parts of writing.   I spend a lot of time virtually daydreaming while arranging and re-arranging ideas in my head until it clicks and I find that a lot of fun.  Once I have those things, everything else just flows through me.  I have a book that I write in ideas for future books.  Sometimes when I'm writing in that book, I'm grinning like a fool.

7. Do you believe in karma, and why? No, I don't.  I do, however, believe that a positive or negative attitude can affect how your life unfolds.  If you can remain positive, even through the dark times, you'll always be able to find a glimmer of happiness.  If you focus on the negative, you'll only see the bad things and the good things that come along will get forgotten far too easily.

8. Music or tv shows? This is hard.  Sometimes music, sometimes tv.  A lot of times when I'm writing, I'll have a movie in the background that I've watched so many times, I know it by heart.  When my brain needs a reboot from writing, I'll lean back and watch the movie.  Because I've seen it so many times, I can just slip right into watching in.  When my mind is ready to write, I don't feel like I have to keep watching to the end.  While I'm writing, I get to listen to the soundtrack and my mind tunes the dialog out. 9. A piece of writing advice for aspiring writers? Don't let anything hold you back.  I let life hold me back far too long and it took a tragedy to do something I always wanted to do but never did because of lack of faith in myself.  Write for your own enjoyment.  Write the stories YOU want to read about.  Everything else is just gravy.

10. What do you think got you to where you are today in terms of your writing? Compared to my first couple of books, my writing has changed a bit.  I think just continuing to write helps you to develop.  Finding out that people have enjoyed my books have also helped.  It gave me a desire to share my work more.  Writing the first Stone Sisters novel was an experiment to see if I could write paranormal romance.  The Healer and the Warrior was also an experiment to see if I could write a standard romance novel.  I like challenging myself that way and I think it has helped me become more rounded as a writer.  Just completing the Rise of the Hawk series was also an accomplishment.  For a while, I wondered if I was capable of finishing a series.  Now that I know I can, it has me working hard to finish The Stone Sisters series. Purchase Location: ~I received a copy from the author and willingly reviewed it~ Edition: Paperback Buy the book: Amazon Recommended for: Fans of fantasy and romance. a Rafflecopter giveaway