#book review i guess?

[drifting-knightjar]

So I'm reading the A Court of Thorns and Roses books at the behest of my friend, I'm on the third one now.

They aren't terrible, there are things about them I like, but I would not really recommend them if you want a cohesive story, and definitely would've dnf'd by now if I was just reading them for me. I could write long painstaking reviews or takedowns, but I don't feel like it, so all I'll say is this:

WHY do people throw up so often in these books??? What is that about? istg every time anything even vaguely surprising or upsetting happens Feyre vomits all over the floor. It is so weird. It is starting to drive me a little insane.

[nedlittle]

it drives me bonkers the way people don't know how to read classic books in context anymore. i just read a review of the picture of dorian gray that said "it pains me that the homosexual subtext is just that, a subtext, rather than a fully explored part of the narrative." and now i fully want to put my head through a table. first of all, we are so lucky in the 21st century to have an entire category of books that are able to loudly and lovingly declare their queerness that we've become blind to the idea that queerness can exist in a different language than our contemporary mode of communication. second it IS a fully explored part of the narrative! dorian gray IS a textually queer story, even removed from the context of its writing. it's the story of toxic queer relationships and attraction and dangerous scandals and the intertwining of late 19th century "uranianism" and misogyny. second of all, i'm sorry that oscar wilde didn't include 15k words of graphic gay sex with ao3-style tags in his 1890 novel that was literally used to convict him of indecent behaviour. get well soon, i guess...

[crow-caller]

Text version here.

New video! Netflix copyright claims has finally released me from its purgatorial grasp, and I'm allowed to tell you about the Uglies film adaptation and how it functions compared to the book.

The short of it: The film is honestly very faithful to its source material. This is not a good thing, because Uglies is flawed (I like Uglies. It is.) However, every step made to change or 'improve' on its source actively makes it worse, especially regarding the overall themes.

[gamer-comix]

my new favorite kind of amazon review is people who bought manga but don't know what manga is

[ramblesanddragons]

I have thoughts about Nightmares and Sueños now that I've finished it.

Spoilers ahead

I have 3 main gripes about the book.

1. Where the hell is Felix? He's brought up a few times, and the wedding is a big deal, but he's not in the story. I feel like the wedding was then a forced thing that didn't need to be included at all if there was no plot point beyond Bruno's prediction of the rain.

2. The people who chase down Alma and Pedro's group are called conquistadors. Twice. They get called the correct thing the last time they're mentioned (Colombian soldiers), so I'm just like ????

3. Half the book is just people having bad vibes. There's nothing concrete to show a problem is happening since I guess cracks were off the table.

The thing is, this has some good bones in it! Like:

The bad guy is the kid of one of the soldiers killed by the magic popping off? Neat. The buy guy is going kind of insane because he's stuck in this magical valley that killed his father and will do anything to get out?

Amazing concept.

The execution though. Eh.

The main point is that Bruno decides to be himself and not pretend to be something he's not at the end. Great message. There's a lot of irony that's woven into the story in that we know he's going into the walls but at least he's staying true to himself.

Bruno is autistic in everything but name in this and it's great to see I think. It shows the damage masking can do. Great!

This would work even better as a Julieta and Agustin story since they get together by the end and are the only ones who have a braincell. Love them being badass and cool.

But it's so disjointed. The narrative repeats itself a lot like the author was trying to meet a word count. (The poison for Kuzco) There's a red herring character that I would have loved to have seen more of and how he interacted with Bruno. They drop some wild stuff about him at the end, and I feel like he dies for nothing beyond a Star Wars the mentor dies thing.

The magic is super vague. I'm fine with Bruno's power evolving and a sand dome doesn't work for a lot of scenes, that's fine but we barely get any Casita and because we can't mark the damage beyond the vibes are off it doesn't seem that much of a big deal.

Beyond Julieta and Gus having the brain cell the best part is Bruno's struggle. I wish there was a little more of the before and it didn't harp so on the wedding which, again, felt forced in.

Overall I'd recommend to a 10-12 year old no matter the gender since there's a little message for everyone in this. It's something a little beefier for them to get into that moves faster. I wish it felt more coherent and the good stuff was fleshed out more. 2.5 ish out of 5.

Like, I know Encanto is for kids, but kids don't need to be spoon-fed things you know. I wish this hadn't the vibes of something I could recommend to the age that Bruno and the triplets are. Encanto has more story baked into it, and I hope we get more. Just maybe handled better.

[the---hermit]

Remember when I said sleeping in a flower would fix me? Well totally unrelated my friend got me this super cute print for my brithday and I am gping to cry about it.

08|07|2024

Tis the day I turn one quarter of a century, and I will have to say, though I have always hated my birthday today I had a good time. I went out for lunch with my bestie and we spent some time together chatting like we didn't got a chance to do in a while. And then I got the rest of the afternoon to rest and continue my tma relistening (yes I am relistening it for the millionth time and I am loving it as usual). Tonight my brother and his girlfriend will come home to have dinner with us, which also makes me very happy, amd tomorrow I am also getting a haircut. I really need one, my hair has grown so much in the past couple of months. In the next few weeks I'll have some stuff to do, but the main goal is still getting my energies back and rest as much as I can. I also plan on texting my tattoo artist quite soon because I decided I'd like to get new ink after my holidays and I am very excited about it. I haven't got a new tattoo in four years and I cannot way to finally decorate my body some more!

[lorem-ipsum-2099]

I feel like it’s been long enough now but here are my unsolicited thoughts about Miguel O’Hara: Spider-Man 2099 Issue #1.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD

Tw: mentions of past abuse

Alright, I’ll get the bad stuff out of the way first.

Are we seriously trying to redeem Conchata?? You know, the same woman who verbally abused Miguel his entire life, the raging narcissist who killed people in order to escape back to Nueva York solely to fake her death in front of her two sons for sympathy???? HOWEVER, that’s not nearly as bad as how ready Miguel is to receive her???? Like huh????

(I know comparing the newest release to the first cancelled volume is not 100% valid BUT in this case it’s for comparing characterization)

And don’t even get me started about Conchata feeling bad about the horrible things she said to Miguel while zombified.

(Which is such a shame since this page is so pretty).

This seems like it’s gonna be a continuing plot line throughout this volume and I feel like it can go either way. Ideally (as awful as this sounds), Conchata responding negatively to Miguel failing to perform his responsibilities as Spider-Man would not only be most in character but would also allow Miguel a moment of growth. Giving an ab*ser a second chance is a noble but often misguided especially if it’s a parent. This could potentially be a moment of deeper commentary but based off Steve Orlando’s previous writing it’s hard to tell what direction the story will be taken.

Another thing that didn’t sit 100% right with me is some of the remaining Zeros to another planet?? (Especially when it’s heavily implied that Southey targeted disenfranchised non-white communities I may be reading too deep into it but still worth mentioning).

Although I will admit I enjoy the idea of the problem not being 100% solved immediately, sending the infected to another planet is kinda ridiculous even by comic book standards.

NOW the good stuff!!

The art direction was absolutely phenomenal! Each page is a piece of art and the colors are to die for!! And the fight scenes??? INCREDIBLE!! Especially Miguel’s one-on-on with The Zombie, their dialogue and action were incredible not to mention the gore level that is being established for this issue.

I also readily enjoyed the references to Carnage and The Hive throughout, makes me excited for their their reappearance. Honestly, the art and fight scenes are what saved this issue.

If I had to give a score I would say about 3.5/5, writing is questionable so far but I’m curious to see where it goes.

[howlsmovinglibrary]

You mentioned in the tags of a recent post what you’d change about Funny Story to make it a different book. Would you mind elaborating on what you meant by that? I’m curious!

hey anon, thank you for being a massive enabler bc this has in fact been my special topic for the last 48hrs.

I want to state off the bat that I still gave this book 4.75 stars. I really, really enjoyed it. That being said, I'd literally rewrite the entire thing to get it to 5.

Answer under the cut to avoid spoilers! (also shout out to @eldritchcow bc these ideas are not formed alone but through a series of ranting voice notes lmfao)

The premise of Funny Story is that two exes move in with each other after their partners run away together - the main character, Daphne, has her wedding cancelled as a result, and Miles, the love interest, also gets a pretty crap deal bc his girlfriend literally breaks up with him via A NOTE ON THE KITCHEN COUNTERTOP, before running off on holiday with another man (after they hook up AT HIS BACHELOR PARTY. DAPHNE AND MILES DESERVED TO DO VIOLENCE). Miles and Daphne move in together, a series of circumstances means that Daphne tells her ex they are now dating, and that Miles will be her plus to the NEW WEDDING that they have been INVITED TO.

Personally, I think this - two exes move in, fake date, develop feelings - is such a juicy set up for a novel, that it could carry the whole plot. But at about the halfway mark, a bunch of other stuff - family drama, friendship drama - is bought in for the third act conflict. The exes and all their drama fades to the background, and its no longer about this Very Juicy Set Up, which I think is a shame. I think that the premise could've carried the entire plot and that there was no need to bring in additional conflict... except that Emily Henry is known for adding conflicts outside of romance to her novels (creating well-rounded, 'feminist' characters - I'm not being mean, that is just the perception of it and what she is known for) and that this is thus more brand appropriate. By the same logic, it is 'less feminist' of me to argue that the book should've been more about the romance.

But it should've been more about the romance.

If I rewrote/re-edited this book, I would do the following.

Make Daphne and Miles be messier people. These two characters behave like FUCKING SAINTS, while their exes are awfully and affably evil. I've had multiple friends say that Daphne should've hit Peter (her ex) with a car. I don't necessarily think that would've been the way, but I think she should've made much more spiteful decisions. I think Henry is very concerned in stressing that these are Two Very Goody and Utterly Blameless main characters, but I think they should've gotten a little spite as a treat, actually.

And the spite they should've gotten as a treat is - fucking each other.

As is the way with romance books, there are certain 'acceptable thresholds' for smut/romance scenes. So I get it, I really do. But Daphne and Miles only bang once it's a healthy decision... and I'll be honest, it would've been sexier if they had had sex in an unhealthy place. (for the people who've read the book: kiss at the drunk night out with Gil, sex at the truck or before the truck, then Sex With Real Feelings at the point where they actually have sex)

If they had had sex out of spite/petty revenge first, then the entire plot of the book could've been around 'catching feelings' and this would still have been a totally valid character arc. I would've liked to have seen more questionable decisions that are still somewhat about the exes - more of the 'are we doing this for them or for ourselves?' conflict which is microdosed at the midway point - and then feelings developing, and then making the 'no I actually really like you so we can't do this for the wrong reasons anymore' be the final sex scene before the third act conflict

Two things would be vastly improved by this change: 1. a weird scene where Miles sees Daphne in her former wedding dress, and they really should've fucked? but they don't? because that would be the tiniest bit weird??? (like, slightly weird and messy, in such the smallest way, but I think it was sanitised down for that reason) 2. the fact that their exes break up and call-off their wedding off screen. Have them break up at the rehearsal dinner that Miles/Daphne are attending, actually. Then you have your third act conflict.

The third act conflict of Funny Story is insane, convoluted, and unrelated to the story, IMO. Is it still well written? YES. Emily Henry, you will always be famous. But my favourite parts of it were 1. both Miles and Daphne get caught in their exes' orbit as they break up, and this causes them both to doubt their relationship (shout out to Miles having such low self esteem that he automatically thinks they're back together, I understand you king) 2. Daphne fucks up a promise she made to a friend (but bc she's not allowed to be a bad person - see the first point - it's for totally understandable reasons), leading her to wonder if she's just become part of another couple, where she's swapped one man and his house for another man, and his house. I personally think that these VERY MINOR FOOTNOTES in what is ACTUALLY the third act conflict... are a third act conflict in and of themselves. And... if we go back to what I said about Emily Henry being known for Feminism™, the second part of that is a totally valid trope/feminist critique to dig into in depth that would, if given time to breathe, be 'on brand'.

In this book, Miles drives 2hrs to try and get Daphne's shitty dad to come back to her. Where is this energy, for Peter? I think, Miles should've punched Peter, as a treat. And Petra should've had more scenes, so that she actually had a personality beyond 'being hot'.

I think we should've had a messy wedding scene. Daphne and Miles are each others plus ones, but they never get to attend bc the wedding is called off. But that wedding?!!! or that rehearsal dinner?!!! IS THAT NOT THE STUFF THAT THIRD AT CONFLICTS DREAM OF???

TLDR - I think Funny Story should've had more sex, and been more about the romance premise and the kind of fucked up, messy choices and weird feelings that premise engendered. I think the third act should've been connected to pre-existing conflicts, instead of creating new ones. I think Miles and Daphne could've had a little revenge, as a treat. They should've allowed to be sexy and weird about it.

[getoutofbednelly]

one of the first fics I read after my rediscovery of fanfiction and buying a used kindle to make the experience ✨luxurious✨ was and this, your living kiss by opal_bullets (I believe their tumblr is @asecretvice) . I knew I wanted to give this story a cover right away. the scenery and emotional depth in this story is so rich I really adore it.

fic review and disclaimer note under the cut

fic review: my goodness, this fic is heart achingly beautiful. as a grad student, in the trenches of acedemia, the scenes had me romanticizing the dark acedemic aesthetic again. and as a seattle transplant they had me deeply craving the east coast. what hit the hardest though, was the parental relationship explorations which were almost too close for comfort and pulled at some heart strings that I didn’t realize were there. I always thought of myself as a cas girl, but this fic made me realize just how deeply I identify with dean winchester (almost painfully so). Especially in the chapter John Winchester’s Waltz (couple highlights that hit hard are pictured). I’ve seen myself in dean in other fics in ways I don’t think I would have had I not read this one. I hope the author understands what a beautifully intimate story they crafted and how glad I am that they put it into words and shared it with us 🥲🫠

disclaimer note: I’m sharing this on tumblr because I’m aching for the fandom community, but I should say explicitly that this was not designed in communication with the fic author. I do not take any credit for the fic (credit to the story goes to the author and characters to the cw). I am simply posting because I want to fangirl in our happy fandom bubble. hopefully some of you enjoy it. if opal_bullets comes across this I especially hope they enjoy it, but if for any reason you (opal_bullets) don’t want to be associated with this cover, please contact me and I will take this down.

some notes on the cover design will be in a reblog since we are all our own worst critics and its long af.

[jakeperalta]

I'm sorry to this author who is probably just trying very hard to promote something they worked hard on but my god nothing has ever made me want to read a book less than this advert

[blottyink]

[the-wine-dark-sea]

I just finally finished reading Murtagh and it might sound weird, but I love how much this book is about trauma. I love that it explores the ways in which the events of their lives are affecting both Murtagh and Thorn.

For example, I did not go into this novel expecting to read about a dragon having a truly disastrous panic attack, but I'm glad that it went there. And in a more positive way, I like how Murtagh interacts with children throughout the story; the way he wants to keep children from suffering as he did shows his empathy and sense of justice.

And I love that while their history shapes them, it ultimately does not define them. Murtagh's renaming of his sword is such a great symbol for that and it made me quite emotional.

But while they're more than what they were made to do in the past, it's also great that those things are still acknowledged as their actions and that Murtagh feels accountable for them. He isn't simply portrayed as some poor, misunderstood character, he's shown to actually have some darkness inside him, to be ruthless at times and to have a certain penchant for violence with the way a fight can make him feel. All that feels like a good continuation from the rest of the series.

But also, oh my god, he went through so much. The flashbacks to his past were so heartbreaking to read, especially when there was nothing to balance them out in the present. The Nal Gorgoth part got so bleak, but it didn't feel pointless or gratuitous. It was just hard to see his struggle for autonomy, both physical and mental, repeat after he thought all that was behind him.

And I like that in the end, his survival is a group effort. His inability to ask for help is such a big theme throughout the book, I like how it's kind of his fatal flaw in relation to the plot and that he eventually overcomes it. (And that Thorn overcomes his own biggest established issue at the same time. And I relate to the idea of conquering your fear for others when you couldn't do so for yourself.) I'm always a sucker for a good character arc and I loved this one.

On another note, I kept enjoying the Lovecraftian feel of it all. Christopher Paolini sure loves his world building, and this really gave me the feeling of some deep hidden lore, waiting to be explored yet probably never fully revealed or understood.

So yeah I loved the book and am excited for more, whenever we might get that.

[teddypoi-qd]

just finished tell me i'm worthless and i cannot coherently put my thoughts together about it but. fucking hell. it's horror that is born from horror. it's paranormal born from what we've come to accept as normal. it's a book that chewed itself up and vomited itself back up. it's sick and angry and hatefilled and pushes so hard to get the clot out of its chest and onto the page. it's hard to call it "good", because the accepted value of "good" has been turned into something that would discount how viscerally upsetting and graphic and horrible this book was, but for a value of "good" as a marker of quality? an acknowledgement that this book achieved its goal? it's very fucking good.

if you're reading this before you read the book, go into it with your eyes open to the fact that it is a very heavy book, and its given CWs will deliver in explicit, awful, vile, skincrawling detail. if something on there will upset you, this is not the book you need to read for exposure therapy.

but fuck if it doesn't show despair how it feels.

writing wise, i think some of the form fell flat, but i think, overall, it's fucking brilliant.

[deeplyridiculouslyinlove]

Ranking Wheel of Time Characters and their Narrative Arcs

I've been thinking about a post like this since probably book 8, so here we go. My ranking of the arcs of the major characters in the Wheel of Time book series, and separately my ranking of those actual characters (because they are not the same!!)

Arcs:

Nynaeve

I could say a literally never-ending amount of things about my darling Nynaeve. I think she has the most internal development of any character in the series, which makes her feel especially human to me. Getting to watch her learn that her anger is rooted in fear and a lack of control and to confront that was so powerful and it felt very real. Watching her grow from hating Moiraine to standing beside Moiraine at the end with Rand made me so emotional. And speaking of Rand, it was so nice to have one of the original Emonds Fielders with him in the later books to witness his descent--I think it added depth and believability both to her character and her position having cared for the younger ones when they were kids, and also really helped humanize Rand. While I tend to think Nynaeve's relationship with Lan is really random since they barely speak to each other when they fall over their skis in love with one another (apparently), by the end of the books I'd accepted it and it also made me emotional when she went behind Lan's back to find all the other Malkieris to ride into battle with him. I just feel really proud of Nynaeve and want the world for her and I'm glad that she was given a real growth arc the series.

2. Mat

So I grew from thinking Mat was a bit annoying and childish, to finding him fine as a character but listening to his chapters at 1.6 speed because I didn't care about carousing at inns or random bands of fighters, to having his chapters be my favorite. And I think that's because Mat really evolves throughout the series in a way that still feels very believable and true to the same person/character. He's is written so well as a character learning lessons while staying true to the core of who he was in the first book. I felt a lot of pride for Mat when he rescued Moiraine, and although I saw some chatter by folks on the internet that they'd be fine if the Daughter of the Nine Moons thing doesn't happen in the show, I actually really liked his relationship with Tuon because it was one of the few relationships we saw actually build and develop slowly. Despite being a fated relationship, they also spend time together and develop a rapport. It was a fated marriage not fated love, and I thought that worked much better than the fated loves of Rand’s polycule. I also liked that Mat and Tuan's relationship had some ambiguity until the end; although they clearly cared for one another, we never saw them come to really understand one another, which felt authentic to the situation they were in. Mat is also one of the very few men in these books who actually recognizes that there are things he doesn't know and doesn't need to be involved in, and I appreciate that from a male character in what ultimately remains a pretty patriarchal world despite RJ's structural changes to society (I can back up this statement about patriarchy, but that is a whole separate post). I think this is likely at least in part because Mat doesn't engage with the Power, which is the part of the books that most upholds patriarchal stereotypes and values. Now I'm rambling about Mat more than his arc, but I think he both has a lot of depth and grows internally in significant ways and I really appreciate it!

3. Aviendha

I love Aviendha as a character, and I think her arc is another really good example of slow internal growth. We see get to see her go from Maiden to Wise One to the person who discovers the new message hidden in Rhuidian and what that means for her entire people. We see her struggle with what it means to have left the Waste and what she feels is right for the future. And all of this without that many point-of-view chapters compared to other characters! Aviendha's relationship with Rand also feels the most authentic to me of any of his three women. We actually get to see their dynamic build and see them spending time together, it’s not just like “oh I’m fated to love him!” They also spend time apart and Aviendha doesn't spend that time pining over him, but rather focused on her own goals and the bigger picture. From the narrative, I get why they like each other and also why they are a good match for each other. I don't love her getting injured in the way she does at the Last Battle because I'm not really sure what purpose it serves (I guess it's the ultimate sacrifice for an Aiel to not be able to walk or fight?), but if my biggest qualm with her arc is only at the very end, I'll still rank it quite high.

4. Egwene

When I started reading the books and talking to friends about the gender dynamics in them and the female characters, so many of them mentioned how Egwene gets one of the best arcs in the series. And while I don't disagree with that (I have her ranked in the top 5 still!), I think the fact that Egwene is not a ta'veren in the series really hurts her arc in the later books. Once she's Amyrlin, and particularly once she goes back to the tower as Amyrlin, I feel like she starts to get plot armor that detracts from her actual development. All she has to do is talk and people are completely swayed to her side in a way that I think sort of stunts her internal growth. I loved her time with the Wise Ones in the Waste and with the Aiel and I think it really showcased her eagerness and dedication in a way I related to, and it made her growth in Tel'aran'rhiod and becoming the Amyrlin feel really deserved. Her ending was tragic and powerful and somehow it both doesn't feel like what she deserved but also feels like it lives up to Egwene and I feel really conflicted about it!! I'm was very meh on the Gawyn stuff, since I don't think it really added anything and he's a bit of a downer of a character--honestly, Egwene is the character in the books I most wish had just not had to have a romantic relationship. That said, unlike a lot of other relationships in the seires, we at least see Egwene's feelings for Gawyn develop over time in the dream world so it wasn't as frustrating for me as some other characters' romantic arcs.

5. Rand

For me Rand's and Egwene's arcs are really really close in terms of how much I like them, but I think there are things missing in the execution of Rand's arc that make it a bit lower for me--had it been done slightly better (from my perspective) I think it would have edged out Egwene. I really *want* to empathize with Rand starting around book 11 when his PTSD and the weight of everything else he’s carrying really starts to impact him. But because he spent the first five books whining about how everyone is trying to use him as a puppet (and particularly suspecting literally any woman with power before he had been given any reason to do so), his later arc doesn’t lead well into him then being someone you’re supposed to empathize with in my opinion. Particularly because his whole arc in the later books is about love and compassion, but I don't feel like we get that from him in the early books? I find it very confusing. I think for that progression to work we really needed a part of his arc where trusting and/or showing compassion to someone leads to serious harm, then he turns hard, and then he remembers the need for compassion. Maybe I’ve just forgotten it but I really can’t think of anything at all like that first step in the books? He distrusts the people who eventually hurt him? And things generally work out for him, even though he’s struggling internally? Anyway, this rating is higher than it otherwise would be because of how much I *want* it to work because having a chosen one who so clearly struggles with the weight that destiny places on him is interesting and the madness angle is also interesting to me. Oh also, I think Rand should have actually died at the end and that not doing so makes his arc more boring, sorryyyyy.

6. Faile

Faile is another character I really wanted more for. I hated the weird dynamics in her relationship with Perrin, but I could have liked them together without the physical abuse and if the power dynamics had felt more consensual and didn't have this whole element of her expecting Perrin to behave towards her in a way that he clearly didn't want to. Her being the lady to his lord was cute! I also liked Faile's progression from being a Hunter of the Horn to guarding the horn at the end. I like how self suffiicient she was and how she was able to find a way to combine what she was born for/raised for and what her parents wanted for her (being a noblewoman) with what she wanted (adventure and love).

7. Perrin

I have very few real issues with Perrin's arc and I’m sure other people liked it a lot. My ranking it relatively low is much more that it bored me and I left the series unsure of what it was trying to say than it being a bad arc or doing Perrin a disservice. I hated Perrin's relationship with Faile, and I hated that I hated it because (as discussed above) I think it had a lot of potential. Like Mat, I appreciated that Perrin did not think he needed to be involved in everything nor that he was always right, and I found his growth from boy to man quite believable and that it took place over the course of the books in a way that was well-constructed. I found the whole question of hammer vs axe and his contemplation of the Way of the Leaf to be really interesting! But I'm not sure I fully grasped the resolution of that debate and what the entire focus on it in the narrative was trying to say. And I feel the same about his struggle with the wolf side of him. Is the point just that violence is sometimes needed? And/or that it eats us up from inside? (But also that we have to accept that?)

8. Elayne

I want to do my best to separate Elayne from her arc, since I personally don't love her character for reasons purely of personal preference. I think the reasons her arc specifically is lower for me is that I feel like we don't get to see her growing into being a queen, since one of her primary character traits is that she is already so royal when they all meet her. I think the decision to have her win her crown in Caemlyn with a battle where they just snuck up behind the other forces was a weak one -- why couldn't they have defeated these people before if it was that easy? I also don't love that she gets no time to like learn how to be a queen before she is more focused on becoming a mother. The whole pregnancy arc doesn't sit quite right with me. She sleeps with Rand literally once and it's basically just to get pregnant? But this just builds off of what I dislike about how she just decides she's in love with Rand one day because she is fated to be. Give me the scene where they bond over war strategy and thinking like rulers like six books earlier instead of in the last book! It also seems like there's no reason she and Aviendha couldn't have become friends before realizing they both liked Rand instead of because they are forced into proximity by that fact, and I also feel like she and Rand should have spent actual time together before falling for each other--to my mind the way her part of the polycule goes down weakens Elayne's relationships with both Aviendha and Rand, which otherwise could have been interesting.

9. Moiraine

I have far too much to say about my baby Moiraine. I'm including New Spring in these arcs, and reading that made me want to reread the whole series in a new light. I love her. I love her I love her I love her. And to me New Spring makes her arc in the main series both more powerful and more tragic. Seeing in New Spring just how determined she is and also how much self-doubt she carries and how much her Aes Sedai serenity of the later books is disguising inner turmoil is so rewarding. I wish we had gotten to see so so much more of it. I know that she has to be mysterious to our main characters, but I don't think she has to be mysterious to the readers, particularly once we are more than a few books into a fourteen book series. To that end, I know why she had to go away (she is the Merlin character after all!), but I wish she had come back a few book sooner and we could have seen literally any interiority about reckoning with her time in the Tower of Ghenjei. The Moiraine in New Spring would have been going CRAZY both leading up to knowing she had to go through that archway and while stuck in the tower--even if she was being tortured, which she also would have withstood for a while. The fact that she couldn't take action that it was such a passive way of supporting Rand and his mission would have killed her, but also she would have been so very resolute, and I wish we could have seen that more. Instead, she just like shows up right before the last battle, speaks her piece, goes to help Rand (presumably thinking she's going to die??), and we see none of it from her POV! She never sees Siuan again and because we can't see into her mind that's just like...chill?? And obviously I hate the book pairing her with Thom, particularly her *offering to give up her abilities* for him. I see what it adds for his character arc, but what does it add for hers? Plus there is literally no reason to remove her powers and give her that powerful ter'angreal instead. That's just RJ's obsession with disempowering women and I despise it.

10. Siuan

Oh Siuan. My other baby Siuan. I'm only ranking her arc this high because I think it had a lot of potential to be telling an interesting story, but I think her ending was so horrible I can barely think about it. There was so much potential here to be telling a story about how you can have power and influence and be important even if you are less powerful and that the strength to manipulate and steamroll people is not the only way to make a difference, but I feel like this would have been a much more interesting message if she was the only (or one of the few) powerful women to get knocked down like this rather than it happening to literally every woman with power at the beginning of the series in one way or another. I particularly hated that with Siuan they did this knocking her down a peg in a way that made her younger and pretty for an old man (when she was only like 40 in the first place I might add!)--and she also started acting younger in a way that felt strange. I liked her teaching Egwene, but why couldn't she have some of the teacher vibes Moiraine did? And the way she dies with no one noticing or caring and it making basically no difference to the plot is so horrible. And, I'm sorry, it's not what the character deserved. Nor was it in line with the message I thought her arc was trying to send about the ability to have an impact no matter how unpowerful in traditional ways. And it happens because she doesn't stay with a man?!?! No one even knows she mattered after she was deposed and it’s all so unfair.

11. Lan

I feel like Lan doesn't really grow that much as a character since he spends the entire series basically just expecting to die in various ways at different times. Even with New Spring I don't feel like we get a good sense of what his character is meant to be doing besides impacting other characters in the series. I am not against his relationship with Nynaeve, but I don't think the books flesh it out very well. And I'm still mad he ends the series mad at Moiraine--where is their New Spring dynamic of him vibing with her even when he's annoyed with her? Obviously his leading the Malkieri into the blight really hit me in the feels and was a great culmination of his plight, however, which is why I still think the arc deserves an honorable mention.

12. Thom

Thom's arc is basically just from hating Aes Sedai to marrying Moiraine, and getting continually paired with weirdly young women. I guess he learns to overcome prejudice based on his nephew's death? I do like the role he plays with Rand and Mat and their respective character development as they grow up from the Two Rivers to adventurers, but I'm not sure that's really his arc or development. But for that I'm giving him a higher ranking than his Moiraine arc alone deserves.

13. Tuan

I don't think think Tuan gets that much of an arc. While she becomes Empress, she doesn't seem to grow or change her mind on things during the series, and mostly she puts aside things she doesn't like very much with intentions of dealing with them later. BUT I like how her and Mat challenge each other and engage with each other, and I think the internal growth is somewhat implied or is something that would have happened if we had had more time with her. I wish the entire Seanchan plot was more resolved at series end, but that's not specific to Tuan.

14. Loial

This may be controversial, but I don't like Loial's arc very much! I don't think he needed to get married! I'm glad he seems happy about it in the end, but it feels unnecessary. I loved him adventuring and writing his book and being sort of childlike in a really endearing way, but everything with his mom and with Erith took him out of the story for a long time and seemed to be sending the message that ultimately everyone wants to settle down. Let him explore and write his book and be a late bloomer! Idk.

15. Min

I am ranking Min even below the characters that only have a fraction of an arc because I loved Min so much in the earlier books and I hate the way the series treated her subsequently. When we first meet her she is determined to be fully herself, despite a talent that makes her stand out and a personality inclined against confrontation. She's brave and interesting! I hated watching her become more ladylike for Rand, and for a while essentially being absolutely nothing more than a lover and comfort for Rand. I really wish we had had more lingering payoff for the many books that Min was reading and trying to parse out what the prophecies meant, but it felt like Cadsuane was basically like "yes I agree" and then...it was no longer about Min having figured it out?

And just for fun, here would be my list of these same characters from ones I like most to ones I like least (although I like them all tbh!!)

Characters:

Moiraine (main trilogy + new spring)

Nynaeve

Egwene

Moiraine (main trilogy only)

Aviendha

Mat

Siuan (main trilogy AND main trilogy + new spring)

Loial

Rand

Lan (main trilogy + new spring)

Perrin

Lan (main trilogy only)

Faile

Elayne

Tuan

Thom

[aroaessidhe]

adult romance books with demisexual characters be like "I haven't really felt attraction but i know i WANT TO" "yeah I've vaguely heard about asexuality but never looked into it more it's all so confusing and doesn't feel right" *conflates complex feelings about romance and sex into just asexuality* "you don't have to choose labels labels are so confusing and complicated (but you will choose a label related to which genders you're attracted to)" "i know it's okay to be single and not want relationships but I want that and I feel like my life is bad and missing something because of it" *obligatory queer best friend speech telling them it's okay if they don't want sex or romance or both but the MC doesn't internalise that at all* "i don't like labels i guess demi is technically what I might be we'll put the word on the page but I just don't want to label it"

okay!!! we get it!!!

[sillygoofyqueer]

Today, I read a book.

It was one that my mother had been pestering me to read for a while now, telling me that it wasn't like anything she had ever read before - not with adoration or embellishment, my mother isn't that kind of person. She stated it as fact. I didn't believe her, because that is quite the statement to make to your child who has read many-a books. But, I was at my grandma's and at a loss for what to do because my laptop simply wasn't calling to me, so I brought it out of my bag, where it had stayed over the past couple of weeks. I finished it only fifteen or so minutes ago, not having put the book down aside for eating. I understand what my mother meant, now. I don't think I'll be able to sleep until I blurt all of my thoughts about this book somewhere. So, here I am. Imploring you to read the book, and if not - just to listen to me talk about it. I truly do plead that you read this book, because I am highly certain that I am not fully here as I write this, stuck in a world between fantasy and reality as I contemplate everything and nothing. I do not think I will be able to sleep tonight. Not well, anyway. I completely skip out of a lot of things, but I need to talk about it or I might never sleep the same again (this is not me being dramatic, I swear). This book is just how my mother described it: hard to describe, and entirely something else. Do read this book. I'm telling you, you will not regret it. If you won't? Then allow me to tell you about Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. (In the reblog, because it's too big otherwise)