#anyway leigh bardugo really did that

[taking-username-suggestions]

What I really respect about Season 2 of Shadow and Bone is that Alina has multiple strong women of all different walks to lean on, she asks THEM for advice, and there are multiple men who seem to be trustworthy so far—Leigh Bardugo didn't just make Mal the only guy to respect Alina fully, which is all too common. Alina has not only a love interest that respects her, but a male ally who does as well, and it's not romantic (even given the plot situation ya know)

It's just nice to see

[marnz]

reading the new Tana French novel via audiobook and just sort of like :/ :/ thinking about the tight, propulsive plotting of her earlier novels…I’m 20% in and while the plot did land quite early compared to like, the witch elm, I’m not getting that gorgeous eerie feeling I got from In the Woods or The Likeness. Ugh! I’m in such a reading slump for books rn and I can’t decide if it’s because I’m not vibing with anything I’m reading or if it’s because my brain has suddenly developed a preference for a physical book as obsessed to an ebook or audiobook. I did recently read A Country of Ghosts via my tried and true method of ‘multiple hours of uninterrupted reading time in the bath without my phone and with a print book’ so clearly it is possible but, to give you an example of how powerful my book slump has been, I got to like 85%-90% of The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo and was basically like “well. whatever.” and never finished it. That was fully a month ago :(

has anyone recently read anything that rocked their world? please advise.

[multifandomwhore-003]

Mouthful

Pairing: Ethan Landry x female! reader

Summary: After a very special encounter at Chad's party, Ethan decided to reach again

Genre(s): pre-smut (?), fluff

Warnings: cursing, mentions of a blow job

Taglist: @seriluvsya @h34rtsformilli @bella7866 , join here

A/N: I'm sorry for being a fucking tease, I just have no idea how to continue it

Gif credits to whom it belongs

𝙼𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚒𝚌 𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚗

REQUESTS CLOSED

THIS IS NOT FREE USE, YOU CANNOT USE MY WORK

Reblog if you like

"I- I told you, I don't do one-night stands," he desperately argued.

"I told you I did, and you still agreed," you tilted your head.

He sighed.

"Calm down baby girl-"

"Could you please stop calling me that?!" he whispered-yelled, looking around to make sure no one heard you.

"Why?" You were still looking through the bookstands.

"I don't like nicknames as it is, especially not that one,"

"Oh," you stopped, "I wasn't replacing your name with anything, Ethan, I'm just pointing out one of your many characteristics," you turned to him, eyes finally on him.

He readjusted his backpack nervously, avoiding the powerful gaze.

"What? You're seriously gonna stand here and straight-up lie to yourself and say you're not baby girl?"

He adorably blushed from the apple to his cheeks, to his ears, reaching all the way down to his neck, "That's-" he tried to snap out of it, "That's not the point,"

"You were the one who brought it up," you shrugged resuming your search, "Besides, you can barely call that a one-night stand,"

"What would you call it then?"

"A... consensual exchange of pleasure between two very stressed students,"

"That's a very long way of saying you-" he clenched his jaw.

"I... what? Sucked you off? You're right, although I gotta thank you for that, I'm so much better and mouthfuls now," you winked at him, "Great stamina by the way," you hit his shoulder.

"Listen," he placed himself in front of you, "I know you don't give a shit, but I do,"

You took a deep breath.

"It was a big deal to me,"

You couldn't help but slightly cringe, but gave him a chance anyway, he looked so desperate you almost felt bad for him, "I ask again, why?"

"Because," he cleared his throat, "It was the first time that's ever happened to me," he confessed, his tone barely above a whisper.

You were taken aback, "Bullshit!"

Someone from a few rows back let out a loud 'Shh'

He apologized before looking back at you with comical confusion, "What do you mean bullshit?"

"It means you're a fucking liar,"

"Why would I lie about that?"

"I- I-" you shook your head, "I don't know, but I just- I don't believe you,"

"I don't know whether to feel flattered or offended," he let out.

"There's just no damn way you're a virgin,"

"What-" he scratched his head, "What makes you say that?" he put his hand in his pockets while pursing his lips.

"Uh," you were still shocked, "Your- your face, for one," you gestured, "Puppy eyes, fleshy lips," you kept thinking, "For fucks sake, Ethan, you're a swimmer!" you kept moving your hands, "I've seen you in a fucking speedo, water dripping, you're a 6 foot something muscular eye candy!" you laughed in disbelief, "You're sweet, you're super freakishly smart, you've read, Jane Austen, Agatha Christi, and Leigh fucking Bardugo; sure, you're Starwars fan and you know way too much about Mike Flanagan, but come on! Anyone and I really mean, anyone would gladly overlook that," you tried to recover your breath, "So yeah, I'm sorry for not beliving you about being a virgin,"

He furrowed his brows, "When did you see me in my speedo?"

"That's the part you're focused on after I ranted about how great of a fucking catch you are?" You widened your eyes, "You're unbelievable, I meant that both as a good and a bad thing," you pushed him out of your way, "And to answer your question, I walked a friend who's on the female swim team to her practice yesterday, I'm not a fucking stalker for Christ's sake," you clarified, "And the rest of information you told me yourself,"

You referred to two nights ago when Chad threw his birthday party, he actually introduced the two of you that same night, he thought complaining about schoolwork was enough to make a good match.

You sat on top of one of the tables, "Look, I'm sorry for... seducing you if you will, and then leaving without a trace," you couldn't completely hide the fakness.

He looked down, "Thank you, for the apology and confidence boost,"

You chuckled, "I meant all of it,"

He nodded trying to hide his very strong flush.

You scanned the boy infront of you, a part of you didn't wish to see him after the 'incident' let alone talk to him, but if you had to be honest with yourself, you were more than glad to have him chasing you around campus all day trying to find even a speck of courage to walk up to you. There was a slight moment of excitment in your eyes, as you noticed he was struggling with himself wether to stay or not, he made his choice by resignating to place his bag on the table next to the one you chose, you knew what he was doing, trying to make it seem as he planned all along to work here and 'conincidentally' run into you. You made your choice as well, by getting up and snatching the notebook out of his hands.

"Obviously you have fucking good hand-writing," you scoffed leafing through it, "And is that-" your eyes squinted, "Fountain pen?"

"Y-yeah," he aswered.

"Of course it is," you pulled out a chair to continue your observation in a more comfortably postition.

Ethan didn't know you that well, but he sure as hell wasn't going to try and take something from you, so he just proceeded to grab another set of things for another homework. You on the other hand, wasted no time in reaching the very end of the pages, where the good stuff was, the free space whre everyone draws terrible sketches, writes pending tasks or random thoughts in any way shape or form; and yet it seemed he didn't have anything, just purely white paper. You rolled your eyes, there had to be more to him, something to make him more interesting that the perfect and sweet guy you gave a blowie to, something that could justify why you wanted to fuck him so badly right now, the urge had to be justified with something else than the cutest nerd you'd ever seen, but he didn't seem to help you.

In a breef moment of boredom, you wondered about his intentions, more specifically why he wanted to talk to you in te first place, what would he win out of an apology or simply a glimpse of regret? Did he regret it? Maybe. Perhaps he didn't regret what happened (clearly not by the way he was moaning so loud you were sure the entire crowd heard him), perhaps he just regreted there was no chance it could happen again.

"Ethan," you said softly, eyes filled with intention, feline almost.

"What?" he turned to you.

"I know you're not here to make me feel bad," you reached the cover of his book and slowly closed it, purposely making your bodies closer, to which you heard his breath hitched, "Would you like to walk me back to my apartment?"

He gulped, "Aren't- aren't your roommates there?"

"On a friday night?" You asked rhetorically, "What a silly question for such a smart little brain,"

.

.

.

Lmk if I should do a part two, I just don't know how to continue it so if you have any ideas pls send them it would really help a lot

[aleksanderscult]

I don't understand how Leigh Bardugo could write something as bad as King of Scars and a trilogy as average and problematic in its messages as Grisha ?!

Knowing that she also wrote Six of Crows which was very good for me, limits most people to only knowing that about the Grishaverse (even if, if you take it in the context of the original trilogy, that makes the fate of the Grisha and of the Darkling even worse)... The Language of Thorns with some really cool stories, the Demon in The Wood (which makes you wonder even more why the Darkling is supposed to be the fucking bad guy in the original trilogy and die at the end ?!). Not forgetting recently The Ninth House which has 2 very good volumes and the beginning of The Familiar.

I have a hard time understanding how she can produce good things and such bad things.

I hear that not everyone is perfect, but for me the gap is still huge.

And the most paradoxical thing is that while she seems to gradually improve her way of writing, at no time does she acknowledge having made questionable choices in the writing of Grisha ?

Just see her attempt at moralizing backpedaling with the King of Scars duology...

TW!: Genocide

I don't think she knows or even cares about how genocide and prejudice in real life are not how she portrays them. And they definitely don't vanish by magical means. Clearly she put them in her story as a dramatic effect but she handled it with such unrealism and carelessness that makes you wonder what was the point of putting such issues in her book in the first place. She places such importance to the romance part (Mal × Alina, Kaz × Inej, Nina × Matthias) that the problems of her world take a third place in her books.

Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom weren't such flawed because the heroes there did some personal jobs and didn't have a humanitarian goal. Kaz, in particular, has made it clear that he doesn't give a fuck about the world, only about his pocket. So they were some pretty straightforward books and well-written enough that you cannot see the issues.

But in the trilogy we have this huge war going on while the protagonist wails about her love interest, kills her enemy at his weakest (so no flex of her powers against him) and other people vanish the Fold for her.

In the duology Bardugo wanted to get back to her own readers:

- "People dislike Zoya. Hmm... Let's make her Suli with a very sad background. Also let's make her the most important character among the heroes just for these haters to shut up. Because if they don't, they'll be racists and misogynists"

- "People love the Darkling. Hmm.... Let's remind those readers of mine what he has done by having Zoya conjure up every delulu thought about him. Also let's have Mal, Alina, Zoya, Nikolai and freaking Misha make him shut up and look stupid"

- "Ah shit they love Aleksander too much. Ok how about this. I'm gonna make the Starless Cult out of them to prove how blind they look"

- "People didn't like the R&R ending. Hmm.... Let's bring Alina back and have her say how happy and peaceful she feels with her current state"

- "People hate Mal. Hmm... Let's have him be likable and funny while thwarting Aleksander's comments like a pro. It's not like he isn't a hot-tempered guy or smth"

(and about bringing the Darkling back, this was lazy writing. Instead of making the heroes face new foes from the north and south, she recycled villains)

By the way, when the TV adaptation of S&B came out she said that she wanted to fix the diversity. Can you imagine that? Not book!Alina as a character, not the trilogy's ending (not protesting on that cruel scene on the show where the Crows gleefully kill the Grisha that stood with the Darkling) but the diversity. Season two's ending was the showrunner's idea as well as Mal's change of personality, not Bardugo's.

Anyway, she should stay on writing short stories. I really love the Language of Thorns and Demon in the Wood so why ruin your fictional world further?

[wingsdippedingold]

just discovered Leigh bardugo is Israeli-American and even if she isn’t pro-Zionism, with the entire storyline of the darkling being wrong (for his incredibly justified actions might i add as someone coming from a marginalised group who gained freedom through violent means) and not speaking up on the Palestinian genocide does not leave me with high hopes that certain internal *biases* did not slip through while write sab

Like oh my god, the minority group this guy is a part of has been persecuted for hundreds of years so he starts a violent uprising that wasn’t even that violent and the only people he killed were people actively trying to kill his community and novokibirsk (bear with me if that is wrong, I have not read the books in quite some time) but yeah. What the fuck Leigh? So people standing up against their oppressors to stop a genocide against the people is now a bad thing? I - can’t even with her bullshit

Anyway, if it wasn’t clear yet, this Tumblr User stands with The Darkling

I’ve already heard about some of the tone-deaf content in her series so I’ve never been interested in reading it, but this brings me back to the point that all books are political in some fashion, wether it’s actual policies or not. They all reflect the author’s views on something.

I’ve always found it obvious to tell an authors stance especially in modern romantasy literature and… they’re usually not good😭😭 people who say that it’s fiction clearly don’t understand how fiction is created, it doesn’t come from nothing

Not to mentioned she’s friends with SJM

I have noticed tho that a lot of authors actually *do* like rebellion and the oppressed standing up to their oppressors- of course that’s under the caveat that the oppressed fit their standard of who actually deserve freedom.

They’ll often write their characters who would be privileged in the real world (typically young, white, cis, straight, etc. aka a reflection of them) having that kind of oppression and struggle. But when it comes to people who are actual minorities it doesn’t really matter, I’m too lazy to actually write a post on how they treat white vs poc insurrection but I’ll find one post that does it really well

Also send me an ask or something so I can follow you because I think we’d have similar views!!

[pensandsneakers]

Most of the time I’m inclined to see Kaz’s ugly violent reputation as just an act he puts on, that reputation being a necessity in the violent society he lives in, but there’s one thing Kaz has done that I can’t really excuse, and it fills me with so much dread every time I think about it.

The most chilling thing that Kaz ever does for me is during the bathroom scene when he says “You want to know what Pekka did to me? How about I tell you what I did when I found the woman who pretended to be his wife, the girl who pretended to be his daughter?” It honestly makes me sick to think about what Kaz did to Saskia. Apparently Leigh Bardugo had originally written an explanation of Saskia’s fate into a draft of the bathroom scene, but Leigh eventually cut it, saying “It was just too much. There’s a reason things get cut.”

Which honestly I understand, because how are we supposed to move forward in Kanej’s relationship if after they’ve shared this intimate moment, Inej learns about the violence Kaz inflicted on an innocent girl?

Saskia was just a girl doing a job she had to do. Maybe she was a talented actress, maybe she had dreams of being a performer someday. Probably her family was connected to the Dime Lions and she had no other choice but to work for Pekka, or she had people who depended on her for the money she could bring in for this job. She was just a pawn in a scheme larger than her, and Kaz, a random man, killed her anyway.

It’s better that we never see the falling out of Inej finding out about what Kaz has done, because if she knew what happened, I’m not sure if Inej would ever be able to forgive him.

[asexualbookbird]

BEHOLD! BOOKS I READ IN 2023!

A handful of rereads, a lot of new favorites, and I put a huge dent in my physical unread piles! I'm pretty happy with my reading year to be honest!

BEST OF 2023

Nettle and Bone by T Kingfisher - If I haven't talked about it enough please read this. An absolute DELIGHTFUL start to the year, which is odd to say of a book about abusive spouses and dead sisters. Like. I wanted to reread it right after finishing it, and will probably reread it this coming year, I loved it so much

The Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee - also heart wrenching but listen, there are BIRDS! Giant birds!!!! A strange pick me up during a bad time, but it WORKED!

To Shape A Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose - Oh what a marvelous read, a delightful adventure, I look forward to book two!

Provenance by Ann Leckie - don't hate me, but I think I might enjoy this more than the Imperial Radch trilogy. It's really what I wanted from A Memory Called Empire, and it was so much fun to see the Radchaai from a different perspective!

The Liar's Knot by MA Carrick - DEROSSI VARGO, MY BELOVED! But also, this has such rich worldbuilding. Every time there's a Pattern reading in a scene, the authors did their own reading in real life and put the results in the book. They came up with multiple calendars for the world. And it never feels overwhelming, everything is integrated so naturally! Ren heists an entire family for her and her sister. A lovely brick of a book :)

Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire - I think this might be my favorite Wayward Children book so far, I'm glad these books are bite sized because I want to read them over and over <3

The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie - WHAT A FUNKY LITTLE BOOK!

WORST OF 2023

Black Wings Beating by Alex London - birds would not fucking do that. Why are we following the most insufferable of the characters. Why is everything about him, even the parts about his sister. Blegh.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo - this canNOT be the same book tumblr couldn't stop talking about for months. I know I shouldn't judge a book by its sequel, but I know about the glowing demon dick. Come on. Also, like, the whole book was building up to rescuing someone and then THEY NEVER DID! wtf lol

Tress and the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson - Snooze. Yawn. Snore. One of the most boring books I've read. I was right to avoid Mr Sandwich and his books.

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus - I feel bad because someone hyped this a lot and was excited about it, and so I was excited about it, but it read like it was written specifically for a movie in mind. It's just Daddy Issues™️in the ocean.

This does not include rereads, of which Name of the Wind was one. Yes, I still loved that one. Still fun, still weird that it never felt long despite being a BRICK. Proof I don't hate long books because they're long, I hate long books that don't have to be long. Which is why the Dishonorable mention goes to Priory of the Orange Tree lol Get edited, beloathed.

Anyway! Onwards to 2024! :)

[snowangeldotmp3]

last + current + next read tag

tagged by the beloveds @figthefruitfaeth & @judasofsuburbia <3 thank u sm for the tag 💓💓💓

last read: Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell. studies about the language used in cults, and how common it is in our everyday lives, whether we realize it or not. she coins a term called "thought terminating cliche" and explains how language is our most powerful tool. absolutely fascinating read btw.

current read: a few right now!!

Carrie by Stephen King. watched the movie like a week ago and the wonderful @lionydoorin convinced me to get the book :3 and its so good so far !

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. i was actually supposed to read this in high school when i took APUSH and never did. 😅 it's a very compelling read so far. and the audiobook is surprisingly really good too.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman. also watched the movie first courtesy of zoey and the bbs movie and wanted to read the book too! it's not very big and i've been taking my time with it rather than rushing through it, it's the first neil gaiman book i've ever read and GOD it's making me upset that i'd never picked up a book of his before

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King, Bilquis Evely, and Matheus Lopes. this is a comic and a re-read but listen to me. Listen. even if you don't like superheroes or don't really care for comics, i think this is still a must read. it's an 8 issue mini-series but it is genuinely one of the best stories about hope and trying to do the right thing and revenge that i have ever read. also the art is gorgeous.

next read: also a few! mostly Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. never read it and i'm very excited!! i don't know anything about it. so. that's very exciting. probably Harrow the Ninth bc i have a hold on the audiobook at my library (it's been a while since i read gideon, so i'll probably need to re-read that one too...) and i'll probaby try to finish The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, i stopped bc i got Very bored very quickly BUT I MUST PUSH THROUGH!!! anyways! yeah <3

no pressure tags as always <3

@gothbat99 @gideoncharov @cheatghost @kkpwnall @fastcardotmp3 @fragilecapric0rnn @lionydoorin @fishwear @yournowheregirl @silvereyedsankta @verymuchablog42 @netflixnormalthings @el-fandom-birb @laurienotteddy @freezeveganpolice @eskawrites & anyone else who wants to!! <3

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

Don't Go Blindly Into the Dark

Summary:

To hide that he can't read, Jan Van Eck has been forcing his son to pretend he's blind since he was eight years old. Wylan is now attending Ketterdam University, and meeting Jesper Fahey may very well be about to change his life. But is he safe to tell Jesper the truth? And what will Jesper say if he does?

Jesper is struggling to weigh up his life in the Barrel and his life at the University of Ketterdam, and there's a good chance that his growing debt is about to make the decision for him. He hasn't attended class consecutively for months, but maybe that will change when his newest project includes partnering up with Wylan Van Eck. But can he really leave the Barrel behind him? And how long can he keep up the pretence of who he thinks Wylan wants him to be?

Content warnings for this chapter: threats, implied violence, ptsd references, gambling addiction

AO3 link: Don't Go Blindly Into the Dark - Chapter 2 - She_posts_nerdy_stuff - Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo [Archive of Our Own]

@justalunaticfangirl

Chapter 2 - Inej

“I’m going to kill him,” Kaz snarled, throwing open the door to his room at the Slat.

He marched inside, cane clacking loudly against the wooden floor.

“No you’re not,” said Inej, far more calmly.

She watched Kaz as she walked in behind him, studying every movement and trying to decide what kind of anger had its talons stuck in him tonight. She was not afraid of Kaz, or at least she didn’t think she was, but it was a practice she didn’t doubt would stick with her forever, to determine what kinds of anger different people suffered from, and what each one might convince them they should do. Kaz didn’t have any intentions of hurting anyone. Not tonight. Kaz got quiet when he was that kind of angry, and this was definitely not quiet.

“Careful Wraith,” he glared at her as he nodded for her to close the door, “Don’t add yourself to my hitlist,”

Inej raised an eyebrow. She didn’t need to point out the obvious but she did so anyway:

“And how long will you keep running on your currency of secrets, without someone to collect them for you?”

She pushed the door shut, and counted every breath she took until she’d crossed the room and opened the window. Kaz’s eyes followed her but she didn’t much care; every time he told her to close a door she always opened a window, and neither of them ever mentioned it. 

“He hasn’t come back tonight,” said Kaz, pulling off his gloves, “Do you know where he is?”

Inej watched Kaz’s pale hands appear from beneath the black leather of his gloves. She didn’t know why he wore the gloves, though for every theory and rumour flying around the Barrel there was a far less gruesome or fantastical rebuttal by the simple fact that she could see his hands in front of her now: pale, trickster hands, with long slender fingers and soft-looking skin. Like he was specifically crafted for card tricks, for picking locks, for cracking safes. She could see no affliction or deformity he may be hiding. She’d heard plenty of toughs in the Barrel call them theatre - they were performative, they were part of the image Dirtyhands wanted to sell you for his profit. And that was a convincing argument - everything Kaz did was for some kind of profit - but of course it was the tales of blood and demons that prevailed, and even Inej was unconvinced that they were for appearance alone. 

“No,” she lied.

Kaz watched her for a moment, then turned his attention to the water basin and began to wash his hands. 

“And when should I expect him to return?”

Inej folded her arms, leaning back against the window frame.

“Of all people, Kaz, you should know it’s useless to try guessing at Jesper Fahey’s schedule,”

Kaz seethed, but said nothing. Inej thought of Jesper at the university this morning, slinking unhappily away from the office. She’d tailed him when she saw him run out of the Slat suspiciously early in a suspiciously beige outfit, though she’d been planning on telling him to make himself scarce anyway after the mess that was last night. She hadn’t listened to his meeting in the dean’s office - she’d been tempted, but she didn’t know the layout of the university buildings and she trusted Jesper enough to tell her the truth of why he was here. Once he was outside Inej had followed Jesper back to what she assumed must be a dorm building - clearly she needed to come back and teach herself the layout of the campus - and when he didn’t return after a while she began to head back into the Barrel. She steered to the south of the University District and moved along the edge of the Financial District, hopping lithely over the rooftops, to come up East Stave so she was almost immediately met by the Slat. Would Kaz be home? Probably not. She slipped along the next few rooftops and crossed the canal to approach the Crow Club. Kaz was predictably still in his office, where she’d left him hours ago after she dragged Jesper home to the Slat. 

“What happened?” he’d asked as soon as she slipped through the window.

“It’s handled,” she said smoothly.

“Not what I asked,”

Inej had sighed, hand drifting to feel her knives. Their names murmured their way through her mind; Lizabeta, Vladimir, Anastasia, Petyr, Marya, Sankta Alina. 

“It’s fine,” she said, “I got him back to the Slat, he’ll-”

“I’m not asking if Jesper’s okay, Inej, I’m asking if my business is going to survive the shit storm he brought into it,”

Inej pursed her lips.

Now Kaz was shaking the water off his hands, grabbing a towel from the side as he stepped towards Inej. His dark eyes were stone, but most of his annoyance seemed to be fading. Possibly. It was difficult to tell with Kaz.

“I have a job for you and Nina. Starting next week,”

“Next week?” 

That was pretty short notice for the kind of thing she reckoned Kaz was planning when he got that glint in his eye. He nodded.

“I’ll give you details as we go, but for now I need you both to talk to Specht so he can forge some papers for you. You’re enrolling at Ketterdam University,”

Inej frowned. Something was telling her this wasn’t going to end well.

And did Kaz know that Jesper was a student? Probably, Kaz tended to know most things, but if Inej hadn’t known then maybe Kaz didn’t either. He must have other methods of getting his information beyond her, or he would’ve been struggling before he brought her in. Inej knew she had improved business, there was no point in being humble about it, she was damn good at her job, but the Dregs could hardly have been described as struggling beforehand. 

“Why?”

“Just do your job, Inej,” said Kaz pulling his gloves back on, “Specht’s downstairs, Nina should be here in an hour,”

Inej watched him for a moment longer, then turned and left the room to slip silently away. She didn’t go to find Specht immediately - Nina wouldn’t be early, because Feliks would never let her leave early, and Inej hadn’t had any time to herself between hauling Jesper back, reporting to Kaz, and being on shift all day. She sat cross-legged on her bed, watching night begin to fall behind her window. It was too loud for her to get any sleep - of course it was, this was the Barrel after all - but she didn’t trust that she’d wake up within an hour anyway, so she kept herself upright and fought the need to close her eyes. It was easy when she distracted herself with concern over whatever Kaz’s latest scheme might be. The last time he’d been this vague about a job it ended with Inej clinging to the ceiling above a bunch of merchers for almost three hours, with nowhere to escape to and nothing but a prayer that none of them would look up. 

The city had reached darkness by the time Nina arrived, clearly having rushed as she changed out of the kefta she never wore outside the White Rose because her hair was frizzy where she’d pulled her jumper on - if Nina Zenik had enough time to fix her hair, her hair would be fixed. Inej was just coming downstairs and Nina waved her across the room, smiling, her cheeks pinked by the cold.

“What does he want from us this time?” she asked, in a tone that could probably pass for reasonably cheerful, as they struggled their way through the shouting crowds.

Inej considered whether or not Kaz would want anyone else to know about the job yet, but he hadn’t told her to keep it quiet and if anyone wanted to overhear them this would be where they’d struggle.

“We’re going to university, apparently,” she said, “but of course we don’t know what for. How was your day?”

“Long. I don’t think Feliks understands the concept of tiring - it’s always using Grisha power is supposed to be energising and never you’re a human being and working for fifteen hours straight is exhausting, maybe you should take a break. You?”

Inej glanced up at the ceiling, as though Kaz could hear her from the floors above.

“Similar,”

“Well, when you’re a demon that doesn't sleep perhaps it’s difficult to remember that other people need to,”

Inej smiled, shaking her head.

“Students then,” Nina mused, “We robbing a professor? Lifting a rare book from the library, perhaps?” 

“You know as much as I do,” Inej sighed, “All he said was he wants us to get the papers together tonight, and that we’re starting next week. I didn’t realise you could enrol this late in the year,”

Nina snorted.

“As long as you're paying, I don’t think they care,””

There was a brief pause, before Nina turned to Inej.

“Wait, Kaz is paying right? I cannot afford this,”

Inej shrugged.

“I assumed it was going on our tabs,”

*

“He’s what?” Jesper stared at Inej, halting in the middle of the corridor.

“Keep moving. And you heard me: Kaz is sending me and Nina to the university, I don’t know why. Specht forged papers that say we’re transferring from a school in Ravka,”

“I hate to point out the obvious, Inej, but how are you meant to study here if you don’t read Kerch?”

“I’m learning,” she said, defensively, “But anyway, I sincerely doubt Kaz’s intentions are anywhere near an interest in me furthering my education. Look, I can’t stay long - I didn’t tell him where you were but don’t think he won’t figure it out if I keep coming to see you,”

Jesper sighed.

“He’s really that pissed off at me?”

“Don’t you-?” Inej paused, studying him for a brief moment, “Oh, Saints, Jes, you really don’t remember the other night at all, do you?”

Jesper’s shoulders twitched as he averted his gaze, fidgeting with one of his rings - gold, or golden at least, with a green glass gem set at its centre. There was a long silence, before he said quietly:

“I went to class this morning,”

“How was it?”

“I wrote two lines of notes and then drew a butterfly,”

“Productive,”

“Well, it is a pretty cute butterfly,”

They were almost outside. Inej watched the rush of students crossing the courtyard opening up beyond the stone archway ahead of them, then looked slowly back to Jesper.

“I’m supposed to be on shift at the Crow Club tonight,” he said, “Should I-?”

“Don’t skip it,” Inej told him, “Just come back here afterwards. And…”

What was the point in telling him not to? It was not Inej’s job to drive herself insane over trying to fix people who would only ignore her. She had too many of her own problems to deal with. But she didn’t want to see Jesper fall any further out of reach.

“Just be careful, Jes,”

“Of course, love,” he winked at her, “Careful’s my middle name,”

[grishaverse-chaos]

Zoya for the ask game <3 (I'd love to hear your opinions on my favorite character)

omg tysm for the ask! (and to anon who also suggested zoya, sorry it took me so long to get round to it 😭)

why I like them: honestly she's just so fucking iconic, but I love how she's amazing and badass while not being one-dimensional! like she has flaws and she has trauma and insecurities and none of that takes away from her positive traits!!

why I don't: idk I feel like she has some ideas that I would disagree with - I haven't re-read the books in a while but I always got the vibe that she's pretty pro-military and particularly in favour of the second army. and like I get it! fun light-hearted fantasy books are not obligated to deconstruct entire social systems! but if I met her irl I think we'd argue about it lmao

favourite episode/scene: I love the scene in s2 where she agrees to ally with alina! I think it's really sweet and shows her character development

favourite season/movie: in terms of the books, I think she's best in the kos duology - as fun and iconic as she is in the s&b trilogy I think the backstory and development she gets in the later books really enhances her character

favourite line: oh this is so niche but “none of this had been fated; none of it foretold. there had been no prophecies of a demon king or a dragon queen, a one-eyed tailor, heartrender twins. they were just the people who had shown up and managed to survive. but maybe that was the trick of it: to survive, to dare to stay alive, to forge your own hope when all hope had run out. for the survivors then, zoya whispered to herself as the people before her knelt and chanted her name. and for the lost.”

I love the theme of fate/destiny vs free will in the grishaverse and this is honestly one of my all-time favourite quotes - I'm actually considering having part of it as my yearbook quote!

favourite outfit: ooooh I love her outfit for the shu han heist in s2 (although obviously, honourable mention to the blue ribbon™ just for being iconic)

otp: see my answer is different for fanon and canon. in canon I adore zoyalina, in fanfic I love zoyalai!

brotp: zoya and genya are literally the BEST friendship duo ever (although I also low-key ship them romantically). zoya and nina are not necessarily a good friendship but I love analysing their dynamic so they get an honourable mention anyway. oh and her cousin lada, the girl liliyana adopts - we barely see them interact but I think they would have had such a cute dynamic!!

headcanon: she's a cat person. this is actually true and accurate bc I say so. she 100% owns cats post-canon

unpopular opinion: she shouldn't have become queen at the end of row. as iconic as it is, I can't help but think that it would backfire politically, it'd have negative consequences for her relationship with nikolai, and it kind of sets back both characters' development. this feels too harsh but idk 😭😭 might write a longer post about it at some point

a wish: for her and nikolai to fix the issues in their relationship. bc yes, I think in canon they have Issues™ but this is a fixable problem! she just needs to stop putting him up on a pedestal!!

an oh-god-please-don't-ever-happen: imagine if she actually did become darkling 2.0 lmao. it'd never happen bc I think leigh bardugo would never do that, but it would be absolutely awful

5 words to best describe them: complex, iconic, motivated, forceful, lonely

my nickname for them: idk sometimes I call her z/zee in my head (and project this fact onto other characters who I think would do the same)

give me a character and I will answer...

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

So what you are saying is ninth house has a MC that's a little like Alina? If that's true then I'm definitely buying it because I want to see Alina or a character like Alina done justice at least ONCE in a book! I've also heard so many people say the li in this book is similar to darkling. I remember the whole glowing 🍆 thing and LB's old tweets about darkling having it resurfaced it was crazy lmao

Leigh Bardugo said what about the Darkling’s what??????? I had not heard of that. Um. Alright.

Anyway yeah I think both Alex Stern and Darlington are very reminiscent of Alina and the Darkling. Like… just look at the names lol she did not really try to differentiate. Biggest difference in Darlington is that he’s like a young adult and decidedly not several centuries old so it’s actually a pretty interesting look at a version of the ship where he isn’t The Worst. And yeah Alex just really rings true as an Alina 2.0 with a more fleshed out backstory.

Ninth House is adult and marketed as horror though, so look up some TWs and be prepared for much darker content.

[benoitblanc]

Okay sleepover questions.

Tell me about 5 of your tumblr crushes and why they’re so amazing to you.

Also, what kind of books do you like to read? Romance? Mystery? And do you have a book you love recommending to people?

to be completely honest i don't really understand the concept of a tumblr crush BUT if this is an opportunity to brag about how amazing my friends are i will happily oblige! i will endeavor to limit myself to only 5 people, and for those of you reading this whom i did NOT mention my sincere apologies and please know that i love you anyway. i am going to list them below a cut and put my book recs first just so this post isn't fifty miles long lol.

let's talk books! i will read just about anything i can get my hands on, but my favorite genres are urban fantasy, mystery, and historical. i don't read a lot of contemporary books that are only romance with nothing else, but i love jane austen and shakespeare. i also ADORE genre-melding, eg the seven deaths of evelyn hardcastle by stuart turton, which is a sci-fi 1920s murder mystery.

my top 7 favorite books of all time- i originally was going to do five but realized i also would recommend 6 and 7 to literally everyone i know- which i would absolutely recommend to everyone, are:

the book thief by markus zusak (historical; coming-of-age of a german girl during wwii as her foster family hides a jewish man in their basement. this book should make you SOB)

the sweetness at the bottom of the pie by alan bradley (historical mystery; 11-year-old aspiring chemist solves murders in 1950s england)

murder on the orient express by agatha christie (historical mystery; a passenger is found dead on a snow-trapped train. basic premise but i am not exaggerating when i say that this book reinvented the murder mystery genre)

six of crows by leigh bardugo (high fantasy heist; six teenagers are recruited to break a chemist out of prison in order to stop- or maybe start- a magical war)

if we were villains by ml rio (mystery; a shakespeare student at a performing arts conservatory is found dead and his classmates try to decide if they want his killer to be caught)

code name verity by elizabeth wein (historical; a spy and a pilot during wwii are sent on a mission that only one returns from. holy SHIT this book is plot-twisty)

good omens by neil gaiman and terry pratchett (urban fantasy; an angel and a demon team up to stop the 11yo antichrist from starting armaggedon)

sleepover asks!!!

(read on for me gushing about my friends!)

@tellthemhowihope NINA MY SCIENCE SISTER MY RECENT OVERGRAD LIGHT OF MY LIFE!!! nina is one of the sweetest funniest and most brilliant people i know (she is a scientist!!!) and it always makes my day to exchange doctor who memes, cute animal pictures, and souffle recipes with her. throwback to the time she cut off a foot of her hair on impulse and one of our mutual mutuals thought she cut off her foot... the good old days...

@wespers aka tuser weepers... jamie is one of my oldest mutuals and i am so so grateful she's in my life! she has the market cornered on beautiful pale gifsets, is my go-to for book recs, has excellent opinions on just about everything, and actually gets around to consume all the content i bully her into consuming (see: knives out, hadestown, the book thief...). ily jamie you're not beating the theatre kid allegations any time soon. i am also planning to think of something else to bully you into reading/watching/listening to shortly. what about into the woods have you listened to into the woods before. or little shop of horrors. i think you'd vibe with both of them.

@gracelcdomas is another very old and dear friend and is my murdoch mysteries and knives out buddy for LIFE. milo is one of the most upbeat people i know, and i love chatting to them about just about anything. also am ETERNALLY grateful that they will always send me an ask if i rb an ask game. get yourself friends who will enable you to rant about yourself for fun online.

@jewish-mulder- hi anna! a relatively more recent mutual of mine but one who can always be counted on to have the most correct x-files opinions, and is also a very talented screenwriter! i hope my incoherent x-files liveblog as i watch the show for the first time brings them joy, because i always love reading their little replies to my comments.

and last but certainly not least @anakinskyiwalker, who might actually be my very first mutual? ashlyn has always been such a constant and kind presence in my fandom experience and i adore her to bits.

(other people i love and cherish who deserve shoutouts: @iloveuspiderman @eohwyyn @heroeddiemunson @laowen @faithinthefuturedeluxe @angela-bassetts @danielsousa @billhaders @elliewillaims @karmas @trashcora and @clayfaced SAM WHEN WILL YOU RETURN FROM THE WAR I MISS YOU)

[willothewispwisteriadawn]

This is my last point on the Bennington podcast (hopefully).

Who else has read Stephen King’s memoir? It’s one of my favorite books in existence (even if I don’t agree on every single bit of advice). Anyway, like half that book is on the parts of his real life he lifted for his novels. He directly discusses the 3 people he knew who inspired Carrie and her mom. And I felt like I was rereading It at parts of his memoir. He talks about how he didn’t like college creative writing because everyone is artsy fartsy and fake-profound while he just wanted to hear good stories. And his whole experience with his class was used almost exactly for Bill Denbrough’s— who is is a horror writer!— college experience. He describes his favorite old movie theater which is SO similar to the movie theater scene in It, and his thoughts on it were the kids’ thoughts. And it just goes on and on.

Why can Stephen King write an acclaimed memoir on how his fiction collides with reality, without people treating him as interchangeable with Bill or acting like he’s a fraud for not designing Carrie from scratch. Nobody treats Bill as literally Stephen King even though he’s clearly lifted from his own experience. And it’s framed so weirdly when Tartt does the same stuff with Richard?

There are more examples. Leigh Bardugo wrote Ninth House as someone who went to Yale AND was in a society (Wolf’s Head). Bardugo has said she absolutely loved Yale and has great memories from there, but did feel like there’s a level of privilege and immorality in academia circles that she wanted to comment on.

“Reading ‘Ninth House,’ people might think I have some kind of bone to pick with Yale,” Bardugo said. “And I suppose I do. I have a bone to pick with all institutions that embody a particular kind of privilege. But I also loved my experience at Yale. And I hope that comes through … there’s a reason we long for these hallowed halls and these ivy-covered walls.”

Like ultimately it seems to me like Ninth House and The Secret History tackle dark academia similarly because each the author is open about liking her area of study and her college experience, but also open about how things can easily go too far in these closed-off academic environments.

Not to lose my point. In a way, I just feel like Tartt’s lack of a public presence and commentary on her work has been used against her uncharitably. And I’m really genuinely interested in if someone can tell me the difference between her and King/Bardugo. Why is King seen as cool for using his hometown and his issues with college writing courses to form Bill who shares King’s own opinions? Why is it interesting that Bardugo put a real secret society that she was actually in into her book? But then it seems like a huge shock and betrayal that Tartt may have been looking around her own Greek class for minor inspirations? Is it the negative framing? Because, again, King wrecked his unnamed creative writing teachers. Bardugo’s book openly states that it’s absurd that Wolf’s Head views themselves as champions of civil rights when they were the last society to accept women. Please, someone tell me the difference.

[aleksanderscult]

what I feel the thing about blade boy is many people were willing to forgive him in the first book. I was one of those people too. I thought,' oh he's probably come back from a traumatic experience, he doesn't mean what he sat, right?' Although I still thought that mal beig mad that alina was happy was suspicious.

Then too boy, the second book. People argue that 'oh he's like the same age as alina, we can't hold a teenager to impossibly high standards!' and I'm just like yeah, that's true. But Leigh just portrays this as a normal couples quarrel which ends up in a perfectly happy marriage (not a dysfunctional relationship which realistically would not work out).

oh oh and then comes his hypocrisy. Remember that scene at teh banya? Directly after he kissed zoya? Alina offers him that she will give up her power and run away with him (idk if she was serious or not) but mal says,' has it wver occurred to you that you're meant to be a queen and I'm meant to be nobody?' And then when alina snaps out of her stupor and stands her ground, saying the old alina ain't coming back, he just whines' I want her back?' WHY DOESNT HE PICK A SIDE?

And then ' has it ever occurred to you that I may not follow?' moment. See, if person A really does love person B, A will do whatever they can to make person B happy??? Is that not common sense? If you love a person and it's in both your better interest to let them go? You let them go? I mean, this dude literally said 'idgaf if you danced naked on the roof of the little palace with the darkling'and he is pulling this crap?

Anyways thanks for coming to my yapfest. All in all, I have many other points about blade boy that are just suspicious. I was honestly hopi g that alina remain teh leader of the second army and/or marry Nikolai and use her power to better ravka and the grisha. But we can't have that. Stay safe, take care of yourself!

-🎀 annon

Every time a person rants in my askbox is a blessed day for me. Because those facts are always delicious.

Leigh Bardugo tried so hard to make fans understand that Darklina is toxic but turns a blind eye where Malina is concerned.

True love is when you accept the other the way they are. You don't want to change them, you love everything about them. And here we have Mal who crawls away from Alina's Grisha side like it's a parasite or something. Like it's not her entire being and soul.

And that quote you mentioned "I don't care if you danced naked on the roof with him" is kinda rich coming from the man who was losing his shit every time Aleksander was in Alina's range.

That hypocritical jerk did much to Alina and he got away with that. He never apologized and even when he did, he phrased it in a way as if it was Alina's fault for acting that way against her.

That asshole is the most egomaniac character in the Grishaverse (yes even more than the Darkling. At least the Darkling could think about somebody else too.)

[dark-honeyed-dreams]

An Eccentric Bibliophile's (Yet Incomplete) Guide to Dark Academia Reading, Because Who Needs Sunlight Anyway?

Lo and behold, the inevitable moment has arrived. You find yourself engrossed in Donna Tartt's 'The Secret History' for the umpteenth occasion (it never loses its luster, does it?), and you've diligently explored the whole dark academia canon. Or have you really? I've made this post to collect the lesser-known tomes (because, you see, I'm well-acquainted with the exquisite agony of the quest). So, without further ado, let the revelry commence! Disclaimer: the current version of the list has the links that lead to Goodreads. Also, the current version of the list seriously lacks books written by non-white authors. I hope that we'll collectively gain a cultural momentum and make this list better in this sense. I, personally, would love a recommendation!

Dark Academia Canon

Photo by Giammarco Boscaro on Unsplash

The volumes that are often bestowed with the dubious honor of canonical status, or, simply put, the ones that are most recommended dark academia reads.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

Babel by R.F. Kuang

Bunny by Mona Awad

The Atlas by Olivie Blake

Alex Stern series by Leigh Bardugo

Lesser-Known Dark Academia Titles

Photo by Jez Timms on Unsplash

Intellect reigns supreme, arts and philosophy hold us captive, and we can't forget our undying affection for those delightfully lifeless languages. Oh, and let's not overlook the timeless charm of tweed. Simply put, less known but not less great titles that have all the canonical elements of dark academia. I've also added a few words about those that I love most.

The Flanders Panel by Arturo Perez-Reverte: a 15th-century painting has the key to a Renaissance murder, and the question Quis Necavit Equitem is answered by a modern-day art expert

Cornish Trilogy by Robertson Davies: a defrocked monk, some scholars of a university lovingly called "Spook" and a girl named Maria Magdalena Theotoky try to find out what to do with the vast estate of the recently deceased millionaire and art collector Francis Cornish

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas: a selective admission process gets Ines in an experimental liberal arts school called Catherine House. The alumni of this school became, at their own time, prize-winning authors, artists, inventors, Supreme Court justices and even presidents. But how exactly did that happen?

The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason

A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee: no such thing as witchcraft exists in the world. That's probably not the case for Felicity, who is still trying to find out who killed five Dalloway students (supposedly, witches). Enter Ellis Haley, a young prodigy and a literary darling, who writes books about murders by re-enacting said murders...

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Hex by Rebecca Dinerstein Knight

These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever

Ghosts of Harvard by Francesca Serritella

The Cloisters by Katy Hays

In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Dark Academia Vibes

Photo by Darran Shen on Unsplash

These books might as well be the quintessential dark academia reads, but the only element that isn't bedecked in romanticism is higher education itself. Murders continue to unfold in the most peculiar manner, occult knowledge flourishes, and suddenly, the folks with a smidge of Latin under their belts are the life of the scholarly soirée. Simply put, a book that a dark academic might read and love if they are not that fond of remembering their own school days.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

The Magus by John Fowles

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco

The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson

All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness

All's Well by Mona Awad

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez

Hare House by Sally Hinchcliffe

Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters

The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters

The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Metropolitan Stories by Christine Coulson

Piranesi by Susanne Clarke

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanne Clarke

The Laundry Files series by Charles Stross

Alchemical Journeys series by Seanan McGuire

The Cadfael Chronicles by Ellis Peters

Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French

Please, by all means, feel at liberty to append additional entries to the inventory - or, simply put, feel free to add to this list.

[laplumedemaureen]

Book Review : The Cruel Prince - Holly Black

You're only reading this series now ?!

Well... yes. I'm late. I know. Lmao. Better late than never.

Anyway, I heard a loooot about this series before reading it. Praise comparing it to Leigh Bardugo, Cassandra Clare and Sarah J Maas -> aka, all my favorite authors. So I was very confident picking up this book. I expected it to become my new favorite, my latest obsession.

It was not the case. Hear me out, I did like it. But not as much as I expected to. Allow me to explain. The novel is divided in two parts, Book 1 and Book 2. Book 1 lasts for more than half the actual thing. It's all about lore, worldbuilding, getting to know the characters etc. And I just... couldn't get lost in this world. I suppose little folk and faeries aren't necessarily for me. It was nice-ish, but just too much description and lore at once for my taste.

And the whole plot is basically low-stakes teenage drama and I just couldn't find myself caring about what would happen next. You can definitely tell there's underlying politics and scheming about to come. You can feel it has a lot of potential but... it's just not fully developed. So I was a bit disappointed.

BUT THEN.

You get to the end of Book 1. AND. HERE. IT. IS. There's politics, there's intrigue, there's plot, drama and tension all at once, and it finally starts to feel like the stakes are higher than ever and we're about to get real action and find out what this OC is capable of.

And Book 2 is just awesome. I really liked it and read it super quickly. I do want to read the next book and I did enjoy this one, I just wished the first part was shorter and the second longer.

What about you ? Have you read this series ?