#but even though i felt like it needed another 50-100 pages of fleshing out there are some generally remarkable moments in here

[chadlesbianjasontodd]

Closely connected to the act of name signing was the act of writing poems on walls. As scholars have already pointed out, with beginnings traceable to the Six Dynasties, wall poems (tibishi) were already very widespread during the Tang. By Christopher Nugent's count, well over one thousand entries in the Complete Tang Poems had titles indicating that they began as inscriptions on some surface other than paper or scrolls. These surfaces included walls at places of gathering and transit, such as post stations, scenic sites, inns, and increasingly in the latter part of the Tang, Buddhist temples, which also served public roles for lay gatherings and performances. (100)

In one anecdote, a latecomer casts aspersions on a first writer's literary skills, comparing him to the general Xiang Yu (232-202 BCE), who was infamous for having learned just enough writing to manage his name: "Li Tang signed his name on a pavilion in Zhaoying County. When Wei Zhan [jinshi degree 865] saw it, he took a brush and dashed off a taunt: 'The rivers of Wei and Qin brighten the eyes, / but why is Xiren short on poetic spirit? / Perhaps he mastered only what Beauty Yu's husband could / learning to write just enough to put down his name.' " ... It would not be a stretch to imagine the sniggering of those who read this inscription in a frequented pavilion. (102)

For a degree seeker in Chang'an, these circuits of information and judgment received more discussion than the actual examination itself. Tang literati wrote copiously about activities such as name signing, public exposure, and triumph. It would not be an exaggeration to say that in ninth-century temples and popular recreation areas, the vertical spaces were teeming with verses that clamored for attention. (104)

selections on poetic graffiti from linda rui feng's city of marvel and transformation: chang'an and narratives of experience in tang dynasty china (university of hawaii press, 2015)

[popculturebuffet]

Carl Barks: Back to the Klondike Review: Blinkus of the Thinkus

Welcome one and all! If your a longtime reader of this blog, you know I love a good birthday celebration, having started with my first year reviewing animation last year with Donald’s and deciding to do Mickey and Scrooge’s later that year. But since I misseda  LOT of disney birthdays, and found several Non-disney birthdays and anniversaries I just gotta celebrate, this year i’m making it up and style and have a whole calender set up to tack these big milestones to the wall. So over the year expect tributes to the greats of disney, looney tunes, and mgm both behind and in front of the scenes, as well as to various shows I like. It’s gonna be a good time. 

So to start us off, it’s only fitting my first duck birthday since Scrooge, is for the love of his life and the stealer of his wallet, Glittering Goldie O Gilt! And I felt the best way to celebrate this storied day was to go back to her very FIRST apperance, one of earliest Scrooge headlined comics and a forever fan faviorite, Back to the Klondike!

But before we get into that, a little history on our gal in gold. Goldie was created for this story by comics god, the late great Carl Barks. Barks ended up just using her once, which is a shame but understandable as he probably only thought of her for that one adventure. While some characters like Gyro ended up being used again and again he probably just didn’t have any more stories in mind for her and figured Scrooge would return to her one day or he wouldn’t, but it wasn’t up to him.  Fans however loved the character, her feisty dynamic with scrooge, and the fact she brought out his good side, so naturally other writers would bring her back. In paticular Barks Superfan Don Rosa cemented her as the love of his life and wrote several more stories with her, fleshing out their backstory and saying that at least in his personal canon, Scrooge retired to spend his final years with her. And while his fanboy was clearly showing, and that can end nasitly just ask Dan “Hates Wally West because he’s not barry allen” DiDio, glad he’s gone.. Rosa’s work with goldie is an example of what happens when it’s done right. Less DiDio or Bendis and more Al Ewing. Using the continuity and what’s there to build on a character who deserved better.. to me that’s one of the BEST things you can do in comics and Rosa’s work is proof of that, ironing out the.. questionable elements we’ll get to and leaving the gold in.  So Rosa’s work combined with Ducktales not only adapting this story but bringing Goldie back a few times after that has elevated the character to a storied and permenat part of the duck canon, with her excellent heavily revamped Reboot counterpart currently carrying the torch with the help of the wonderful Allison Janey, perfect casting there. So with a legacy of gold behind her, let’s take a look at where it’s started and see if it still glitters after all these years under the cut. 

We begin our story at the Money Bin. Scrooge has been counting his money.. but has already forgotten, and forgot where he put the slip he wrote the number on and even forgets who Donald is when he shows up until Donald, while having some fun with him as Scrooge is trying to phone him while he’s right there. As for how he got into the most secure place in the bin.. the story actually answers that both worringly and hilariously: Scrooge left the door unlocked.  Naturally he’s not happy about this and Donald states the simple solution: Go see a doctor something’s CLEARLY very wrong, and the fact this could possibly be something like Demntia is VERY bad for someone who runs a zillion dollar company. Scrooge of course scoffs at “wasting his precious money” But Donald not only points out the obvious, that two bucks now saves him from having someone rob EVERYTHING, but Scrooge’s attempt to tie a string around his finger.. instead triggers a trap. And this entire sequence is decent with some good gags.. it’s just hampered a bit by making light of something that’s kinda bad. Not old people forgetting things.. but an old person with a disease as we find out forgetting things. Not helping is I laughed at first at the gags.. till I remembered a kind, old, friend of the family who had it and forgot me entirely by the end. So yeah, not the worst gags and the boxing glove and donald bits aren’t terrible, but it hurts now my brain’s made that connection. 

Our heroes head to the doctor’s office where Scrooge is diagnosed with... 

That.. might be the best name for a fictional illness i’ve ever heard in my life.. just inching out “Brain Cloud” and “Whale Cancer”. Still not the most SENSITIVE gag.. but it was the 50′s and mental issues weren’t given a lot of respect. IT’s why the above sequence and this whole part of the plot dosen’t scuttle things: It’s not the most repsectful.. but it wasn’t a time where these things were givne proper respect, treatment or knowledge, so barks wasn’t being an insentive douche on purpose, he just didn’t know. It dosen’t make it 100% okay btu it dosen’t wreck the story like say his blatant racist caractures in Voodoo Hoodoo. Seriously that’s.. not okay, and given he’s the kind of guy who researched locations he used, unlike with mental illness i expect BETTER of him than most men at the time. Still respect the guy, but it dosen’t mean i’ll overlook the fact he made some pretty bad mistakes. Same way while I love and miss Stan Lee I won’t ignore his blatant sexisim or racisim towards Chinese and Vitamise people. You CAN like a creator even if their work has some questionable and unjustifable elements, times do change and people do mamke mistakes when their young. It just depends on exactly WHAT they did or wrote that makes that distinctoin.  So on that bombshell, Scrooge is given medication after a needle gag. He needs to take his pills every 12 hours. It’s then he starts to remember something, mubling abotu skagway, goldie and dawson and telling Donald to get the boys, their going to Alaska! Once they get on the boat Scrooge explains: he remembered thanks to the medcince he left a stash of gold nuggets there from his prospecting days.. and part of why this story ended up being one of the single most important to Scrooge’s character. While it establishes some character traits, something I dind’t realize till wikipedia pointed it out, it also establishes Scrooge’s days as a prospector. While other things made him what he was and got him to that point as Don Rosa would later flesh out, it was his days in the yukon that, for better or worse defined who he is now and shaped him into the man he is today: Tough, fair, badass as all hell, mean as the devil and richer than god.  This time would be used a lot to set up stories, which made sense as it was the cleast and most agreed upon part of his past by all writers, and him at his abosltuely peak physically and mentally and the gold rush motif of the time perfectly fits someone defined by being rich. It’s also honestly nice that the Yukon is used, as Canada sometimes gets lost in the shuffle wise and hell until reading life and times I gneuinely had no idea what the Yukon was or where Calvin was headed when he and hobbes ran away from home. 

Scrooge also first mentions Goldie and while clearly remembering her fondly.. goes into a rant about her howing him a thousand dollars which has compounded to a billion the second the boys catch on he was sweet on her with Donald assuming he’s just not a good person. But this is really just setting up another vital part of his character and the other thing: his heart. Before he’d been show as a pretty heartless, greedy asshole. While the previous story, Only a Poor Old Man, had softened him up a bit, this is the first to show that beneath the pile of greed and mean lurks a decent human being. Just don’t tell anyone or he’ll throw his money at you.. then tell you to bring it back to him. It’s what makes the character who he is: he’s cruel, onrey and selfish.. but he CAN care when the chips are down and can do the right thing.. as we’ll see later. 

God I love the little poems Bill Watterson would put in the books. I didn’t as much as a kid, but god I do now. Anyways before our heroes can get going Yukon Ho, they stop in Skagway for suplies before heading out, Scrooge softing at taking a plane as “Soft” and him and the nephews hiking a week.. before running into the same flying service again, and finding out Scrooge OWNS it and forgot, because being scrooge he forgot to take his meds. Something I can relate to and i’m not proud of as staying on them is important to my well being. Seriously always take your meds. Unless their not working for you then talk with your doctor to get new ones. 

So we arrive in Dawson, as our heroes will have to walk rest of the day Scrooge takes the boys to the Black Jack Ballroom, which used to be a hot spot and was where he met Goldie for the first time. After another covering for his reminscing with greedy bollocks, he tells the boys the story.. one that was cut from the original printing despite introducing goldie and something the editors dind’t bother to tell carl till they berated him over trying to sneak a blackjack saloon and a kidnapping in there... and to them, or their long dead skeletons probably, I say. 

Yeah not wanting that in a kids story, while bollocks, tha’ts their perogative.. not having him send in replacement pages to keep story flow.. is dickish and underestimates kids intellegence as Don Rosa, while loving the story felt something was off till he saw the missing pages years later thanks to a fellow fan. So yeah kids, and adults, into the work noticed. Nice job. Again I can’t BLAME them for not wanting Scrooge to be a kidnapper as we’ll see and Don Rosa had to massage the hell out of that, but I can blame them for not caring enough to fix the obvious hole int he story. Though it’s now complete and unabriged and has been since the 80′s so there's that. 

So in a nutshell Scrooge came to town for a coffee, and while the bartender ignored him he didn’t once he plunked down his goose egg nugget, what made his fortune and one of Scrooge’s most treasured possessions. It’s here we meet Goldie. 

Yup.. just in case you thought her being a thief and greedy as hell was a new thing, and I kinda forgot how much, she dirves for the nugget, has Coffee with scrooge.. and drugs it, but makes the mistake of NOT clearing town, so Scrooge fights his way through the ballroom to her, gets the nugget back, forces her to sign the money for the iou he spent.. and then uh.. kindaps her to force her to work on his claim for 50 cents to try and teach her how to work honestly. 

Yeahhhh as I said Don Rosa tried his best to fix this , and did so in his final story, which we’ll get to some day, revealing Goldie had a shot gun on her the whole time and was going along entirely to find out where Scrooge’s claim was. That.. actually makes more sense with the character and is far less horrifying and Scrooge finds this out fairly quick, so them forming an attraction out of this becomes 100% more plausable. So yeah good on Don Rosa for fixing the implications here. I may give out on him from time to time.. but he is a genuinely talented writer and did what a good comic book writer in an established continuity should do: update elements so they aren’t so... eugguuhhh after they become horrifingly outdated. And look YES she did do horrible shit to him.. but you still can’t kidnap someone over that. just put her in jail. What was any of that. 

Anyways Scrooge HAS been taking his medicine, and proves it by showing the boys his pills and the next day they head to Scrooge’s old claim.. only someone’s living there and using it, and his old cabin.. and a shot gun. Yeah so they aren’t getting through in the day what about the night.. well they get attacked by Blackjack, who turns out to be owned by the claim jumper.. and is also you know a bear> And Donald left his back in new quackmore so their outmatched. 

So outgunned and outplanned, if not outnumbered or outmanned, our heroes make a camp fire and whiel Donald again suggests the obvious, call the police.. Scrooge can’t. He didn’t pay taxes on the claim so he’s technically jumping his own claim and techincally she has a right to it. So techncially.. Scrooge is the bad guy here as he left the money here, didn’t pay his taxes and didn’t ever come back for it. Still beats trying to terrify your nephews or deny orphans a train because your an asshole buffet. 

So the next morning Scrooge dosen’t want to rush her because “We Daren’t Get Rough with an old woman”. Two things.. 1... think before you put images in my head scrooge.. brrrrrrrrr. I mean Goldie. is not in the best shape in thie story as you’ll see and neither are you. In the reboot sure you two kept up a lot better but here.

And it’s not even an old people thing. Ann Margret was still fine so fine by the time of Grumpy Old Men, not to get creepy jut to prove i’m not being ageist. For a still alive example Keith David is also still a smokeshow at the tender age of 64. So yeah, not an age thing just not these paticular old people. 

But they need a plan so the boy suggest luring the bear into a trap with honey. Donald and Scrooge build the cage while the boys.. find the jar of honey. 

Regardless since the boys won’t do it for what Scrooge pays and neither will donald Scrooge goes to lure the bear with the honey. Once that’s done, and Scrooge is being covered with honey and licked by a bear...

So while he washes that off, the boys come up with another plan: they run around back while Donald makes noise to draw Goldie’s fire, with that being Dewey’s plan to meet her since he’s figured this out already. But Goldie has a backup plan and when she figures out they disabled Blackjack unleashes mosquitos... ugh. Having been stung like hornets about 50 times in animal crossing I feel you boys. So while Scrooge and Donald run off naked... troy if you will. 

Thank you Troy, the boys confront Goldie who reveals her identity... and that she’s broke, her dance hall having failed with the rush and this claim being all she has.. and her suspecting scrooge woudl gladly take it. The boys vow not to tell scrooge.. but he’s on his way so they kinda have to and he primps to go visit and Donald starts to see through his BS about collecting the debt. Sure enough despite being taken aback by her putting on her old dress , he takes her for all she has and is.. genuinely suprised as she thought she’d have more and she’d actually changed since the old days, donating her profits to orphans from mining disasters. Scrooge.. is clearly rattled by this. Whiel it turns out to my shock he was clealry after the money, though givne who we’re dealing with I shoudln’t of been really, he still cares and still realizes he’s being kind of a dick. So he challengers her to a gold digging race, and if she wins the claim is hers and any gold she finds.. and naturally, while he seemingly puts her soemwhere where there isn’t she finds the claim and Scrooge bemoans not taking his pill.. but while the boys boo him for it, Goldie who fondly waves them off and Donald know better: Donald points out he counted the pills this morning.. and recently. SCrooge DID take one today... he’s just has his cane shoved firmly up his ass with pride so he coudln’t ADMIT he was wrong and instead simply staged that whole thing with the full knowledge Goldie would win. It, again, sets up one of his defniing traits; how he keeps people at arms length. How he’s just so proud and full of himself he can’t bear to admit anything resembling weakness.. but WILl find a way to do the right thing without that or forgoe it as a last resort. He may project being a stingy cretionus old man.. because he is.. but he’s got a heart as big as that nugget.. it’s just locked tight in it’s own bin... his body is complicated and weird that way Final Thoughts:

This story is a classic with a decent setup, great backstory for scrooge, and a great guest character and unquestionable impact on the character. However.. it does have it’s problem; As Don Rosa, who as i’ll remind you is both a huge barks fanboy and huge scoldie shipper, himself pointed out he wrote his final story, and had planned to for years ENTIRELY because this one never quite explains how Scrooge and Goldie went from old enmies to lovers.It did lead to one of his best stories and one of the first I read post life and times so, props to that. And of course as I pointed out some things have just.. not aged well, especially the kidnapping so their relationship kinda comes off like stockholm syndrom as a result of both of these. 

That being said.. warts and all.. it’s still a really damn good story and a good one to try if your intrested in barks work or where Goldie came from: it has adventure, some really good jokes and if you can get past the dated bits the plot is solid. And while it goes without saying i’ll say it anyway Barks art is goregous as always ESPECIALLY in the flashback sequence. Overall not the best AGED Scrooge story, though not the worst either see Voodoo Hoodoo, good god, but defintely a classic for a reason.  If you liked this review, follow me for more, and for more duck content as I still have more of the three cablleros to work through, another chapter of life and times coming up this week befor ewe break again for feburary, and some other fun stuff. Until the next rainbow, it’s been a pleasure. 

[walkwithheroes84]

Reading Romance

Updated June 28th, 2021

I read a lot of different types of books, but I’ve never been a romance person. After watching Bridgeton, I decided to give them a try. Here are my thoughts. 

Follow me on this journey. 

What I’ve Liked:

- They are really quick to get through. I’ve read some 350 page books in a day. 

- The plots can be crazy, which is also really fun. 

- A lot of the characters are fun and the dialogue can be witty. 

What I’ve Not Liked:

- I have an issue with a lot of the romances, as the men seem to sometimes force the women into uncomfortable situations. 

Now, let’s talk about what I’ve read:

Bridgerton: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn:  

- 2 out of 5 stars.

- I found this couple boring. 

- She raped her husband, so no. He shouldn’t have lied, but that’s not an excuse to rape.

Bridgerton: It’s in His Kiss by Julia Quinn:

- 4 out of 5 stars.

- I loved the couple. There was some problems with the male lead deciding to sleep with the female lead, so she’d have to marry him, as he is not his father’s true son. But I still liked their witty dialogue and the female lead was fun.

Bridgerton: When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn: 

-2 out of 5 stars

- It’s one of everyone’s favorite books in the series, but I found this couple to be so boring. I feel like she would have been just as happy with her first husband and for the life of me, I don’t get why the guy was so into her. She was boring.

Bridgerton: An Offer From A Gentleman by Julia Quinn:

- 4 out of 5 stars. 

- This book had insane energy. It was silly and fun. The man lead jumps out of a window, scales down a tree, and rushes to a cold lake because the female lead got him aroused and he was like: “Um, not now.” 

- I didn’t like that  Benedict was so dumb not to see that Sophie was the girl he had met three years earlier and I HATED that he kept telling her to be his mistress, even after she told him that wasn’t what she wanted for herself. 

- Though the end in the jail was pure insanity and I was here for it.

First Comes Scandal by Julia Quinn:

- 2 out of 5 stars.

- While dialogue was witty and the couple was cute, I felt this one dragged on for way too long. I thought it could have been at least 100 pages shorter. 

Love is Blind by Lynsay Sands:

-2 out of 5 stars.

- The plot and characters were just too simple. 

The Lost Duke of Wyndham (Two Dukes of Wyndham #1) by Julia Quinn:

-4 out of 5 stars.

- I clearly have a type with couples in Julia Quinn books: they need to be fun, bicker, and have a lot of chemistry. I LOVED Jack and Grace. I loved the charm, wit, and fun of this couple.

A Hunger Like No Other (Immortals After Dark #2) by Kresley Cole

- 2 out of 5 stars

-So...while I like the idea of the world and the overall story that seems to be forming - I COULD NOT get behind the male lead basically raping the female lead throughout the book. Mostly because he hated that she is a vampire (she's actually half) and once he learns she's not a full vampire, he's just like - "My bad. Love you." And she's cool with it?! - Also, what is going on with all the erection? Because the way I read it, this man was walking around with one for 90% of the novel. I don't know, that just strikes me as very uncomfortable and slightly embarrassing..? I don't know, I'm not a man.

No Rest For The Wicked (Immortals After Dark #3) by Kresley Cole

- 3 out of 5 stars

-Kaderin is cursed or blessed with being an emotionless killing machine. Until she meets Sebastian, a vampire who hates what he is. Confused, she runs and he follows. Kaderin spends most of the novel being a bad ass bitch and Sebastian spends most of the novel discovering that he likes the way she is. 

-He decides to help her and that he wants her to achieve her dream, even if it means not getting her.

-It was a fun and fast read and I ALMOST forgive Cole for the grossness of her last novel. 

Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night (Immortals After Dark #4) by Kresley Cole

-3 out of 5 stars

- I liked this one more that A Hunger Like No Other. Maybe because Mari was a little bit tougher and stronger than Emma. Or maybe because  Bowen seemed to have a better understand of boundaries. 

- They were a sweet and fun couple, who didn’t really shy away from their challenges. They actually discussed issues! 

- But, I have to take away a half point, because again with the whole werewolf NEEDING to claim his mate thing. With all the erections and sex every which way. It was about much for me, especially as a new romance reader. At times, I found myself thinking: “Please calm down.”

-Another thing I enjoyed was the discussions about “monsters” being people and wanting things “normal” people want. 

-But, I have to add this, and it’s really more about the series as a whole: each book is about 350-360 pages and there is a looming evil throughout, but it’s not truly faced until the last 50 pages are so. I’d like this world - which is being set up to be very interesting - to be fleshed out more.

Dark Needs at Night’s Edge (Immortals After Dark #5) by Kresley Cole

- 3.5 stars out of 5

-  I've now read 4 of them and have had ALOT of mixed feelings about this series. - We start with the hero, Conard: a vampire who hunts his own kind. When he drains people, he takes their memories - which has made him a bit. . .unstable. Interesting (as several have said) every male character within the story (some of whom have REALLY mistreated their wives at different times) discuss how Conard is dangerous and should be "put of his misery" and yet - he treats Néomi very well. He doesn't mistreat her and honestly tries to help her - even if it means they may not be together. - A vampire bounty hunter and a ballerina ghost somehow make a very sweet, angsty, and awesome little romance. It felt free of that "fated mate" stuff from the other novels. Yes, Conard believes that Néomi is his fated mate, but she's also dead. So, there is none of that "have to half you/will stalk you/alpha man" stuff that gets a bit old in the other novels of the series. I really enjoyed the fact that the couple didn't actually sleep together until page 200ish (out of 369). Which was actually nice, because it made me believe that they were a couple who had depth and actually loved each other because of more than being "fated mates". (Not knocking the other couples in the series, but I do sometimes feel that they actually fall for each other only toward the end of their novel.) -So over all, I liked this one. My favorite so far.

Dark Desires After Dusk (Immortals After Dark #5) by Kresley Cole

-3 out of 5 stars. 

- I liked the main couple just fine - both as a couple and as individuals. 

- But, I’m reading these books one after the other - usually one or even two a day - and the formula used for each book is becoming very clear: Male lead finds his fated soul mate and either denies it or goes after her. Female lead is uninterested, but can’t help be drawn to this new guy. The fight or have misunderstandings. They have sex - it’s usual oral. They have more miscommunication. The “big bad” - whose been mention throughout the novel- appears in the last 50-or-so pages. The couple defeat the “big bad”. They get married. It’s getting a bit old - even if I like the characters.

The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons #2) by Julia Quinn

-4 out of 5 stars.

- Loved the couple and their humor. A fun and quick read. I think I read it in 3 hours?

Kiss of a Demon King (Immortals After Dark #6) by Kresley Cole

-2 out of 5 stars.

-While I liked the leads as individuals, I found their relationship to be a bit too toxic for my tastes. 

Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks

-3 out of 5 stars

-A light and fluffy read. Our ML was respectful and our FL was sweet. Just a cute morning read. Nothing overly special, but honestly far sweeter than a lot of the romances I’ve read in the last month and a half. I may forget it in a month, but I enjoyed it while I read it. 

Untouchable (Immortals After Dark #7) by Kresley Cole

-4 out of 5 stars

-A very interesting read. Who knew you could be creative with ice? I have to admit, I really enjoy the Wroth brothers and their ladies. These men have respect and, unlike some other MLs in this series, they seem to be more willing to let their Brides take the lead. 

Demon from the Dark (Immortals After Dark #9) by Kresley Cole

-4 out of 5 stars

-This book just worked for me. Carrow was an amazing heroine and  Malcom was a sweetheart. Add in little Ruby and you have one amazing family.

Dreams of a Dark Warrior (Immortals After Dark #10) by Kresley Cole

-4 out of 5 stars

- Regin the Radiant is doomed to relieve her tragic love affair with the berserker Aidan the Fierce. They will meet, fall in love, she will kiss him, and he will die within 24 hours. So far, they have relived this tragic fate 4 times, and this time Regin is determined to NOT let that happen. The problem? Nix gets involved and Regin is captured by The Order - a group of humans bent on killing all Lore creatures. And one of their leaders just so happens to be Declan Chase aka Aidan.

- I loved a lot about this book, such as the way all the stories are really starting to come together and blend into one another. I also loved Regin here - she doesn't break or bend and she understands that Declan isn't a woobie in need of saving (like so many of the other women in this series) - she  knows that he has been through something terrible, but she doesn't excuse his actions.  It isn't until Declan shows he's trying to change that Regin accepts him.

- A really fun read and maybe my second or third favorite in the series.

Lothaire (Immortals After Dark #11) by Kresley Cole

-4 out of 5 stars

- I have very mixed feelings on this book.

- I loved Ellie - she was intelligent, forward thinking, and strong. She planned her death, twice. She understood Lothaire would come for her and made sure her family was hidden. She decided to seduce a ages old vampire in order to save herself. She often played him like a fiddle. 

-But, Lothaire was a complete jerk for 85% of the novel. I get it, he's damaged and he's old and mentally unstable, blah blah blah. To be honest, he didn't make up for his misdeeds - even if he did promise to take Ellie's kid brother Trick-or-Treating. (That was weird, too. Don't make a villain/anti-hero a sudden sugary sweet brother-in-law.) 

-And, how could he not see that Ellie was his Bride?! He was physically and mentally attracted to her. With the other one, they didn't seem to have anything in common, expect: we like killing.

-So while I adored the female lead and I liked certain scenes, the book felt off to me.

MacRieve (Immortals After Dark #13) by Kresley Cole

-3.5 out of 4 stars

-While I liked some aspects of the book, MacRieve was so horrible to Chloe. I understand he has past trauma and is in major need of therapy. (Like most of the men in this series.) But, he treats Chloe horribly and while Chloe has a bit of spunkiness, she is also just way too forgiving and nice.

-I also have to take away from  half a point because it ends on a cliffhanger that may never be resolved!

A Rogue By Any Other Name (The Rules of Scoundrels #1) by Sarah MacLean 

- 4 out of 5 stars.

-This is apparently a  Hades and Persephone retelling? I can see that. 

- I really enjoyed  Penelope, who really just wanted a nice life, but that wasn’t to be. She just had a little too much “darkness” in her and she wouldn’t be happy with anyone but Bourne. Bourne could be a jerk, but his feelings for Penelope was great. 

- The side characters who will be getting their own novels? Very excited to see them. I think this was my first Sarah MacLean and it was one I really enjoyed. 

Ghost (Boston Underworld #3) by A. Zavarelli

- 3 out of 5 stars.

- I read these out of order, so there were people in this that I want to learn more about. 

- This was my first mafia romance and, I believe, was my darkest book yet. 

-Talia and Alexei were two very damaged people, who were still damaged together. They didn’t magically become well because of their feelings for one another. They may have healed a bit, but they were still working toward betterment at the end of the novel, and I like the realism of that. 

- I read this novel in two days, and despite the darkness of the novel, I really enjoyed it. The writing style was enjoyable and I like the way characters from several different novels came into and out of the story. It’s very clear that A. Zavarelli is working on her own little universe, and I always like when authors do that. 

Filthy Rich (Five Points' Mob Collection #2) by Serena Akeroyd

- 4 out of 5 stars. 

- Again, read this in a couple of days. 

- And again, I really enjoyed that Serena Akeroyd is making her own little universe and dropping hints about future stories. 

-Inessa was an interesting character, because while sheltered and innocent, the girl was just waiting to let her inner “darker” sexuality out. I liked her a lot - she could be very innocent and sweet, but also very catty and straight forward. 

- Eoghan and Inessa, despite of the large age gap, fit one another so well. They were one another’s missing pieces and they just really fit together. 

The Sweetest Oblivion (Made #1) by Danielle Lori

-4 out of 5 stars.

-The chemistry between Elena and Nico was really great. 

-I enjoyed Elena’s POV - she was attracted to Nico, but she also hated herself a bit for it. Not just because he was supposed to marry her sister (don’t worry, sister is in love with someone else), but also because of her own past. 

- Nico was a little harder to read, because we didn’t get as much of his POV.

- Knowing that this is yet another mob series that follows several characters - who are slowly introduced in each book - makes me really excited to meet and read about more characters. 

Bound by Honor (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles #1) by Cora Reilly

- 4 out of 5 stars.

-Aria may be too good and too pure for this world. Luca’s love for her was very sweet. Aria x Luca fan.

- Enjoyable and fast pace. 

-I enjoyed the way characters from future novels in the series appeared/made cameos throughout the novel. 

-The main couple had a bit too much miscommunication, but they were young and dumb, so I forgive it.

Bound By Duty (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles #2) by Cora Reilly

-3.5 out of 5 stars.

-I loved Val. Especially at the start of the novel when her main problem was: “I’m over 20. This is my second marriage. I’m still a virgin. I’ll be damned if I don’t have sex.”

-Dante on the other hand - he took the “Ice King” trope a bit too far. Did he truly love Valentina or was it more about protecting his children and being fond of Val? I’m sorry to sad I didn’t feel like he loved Val as much (or even in the same way) as he loved his first wife. 

Bound by Hatred (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles #3) by Cora Reilly

-3 out of 5 stars (maybe closer to a 2.5/2.8)

- I know that Matteo and Gianna are a lot of people’s favorites, but their bickering and Slap-Kiss dynamic got a bit old. I also found Gianna really annoying in Bound by Honor, and that didn’t change here.

Bound by Temptation (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles #4) by Cora Reilly

- 4 out of 5 stars

- Maybe the most romantic couple? I mean, if a man is willing to start a mob war for you...come on.

Bound by Vengeance (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles #5) by Cora Reilly

- 4 out of 5 stars.

- Maybe Growl/Ryan and Cara are a little unbalance and maybe their relationship is dark and twisted, but it works. Again, get yourself a man who is willing to start a mob war for you. 

Twisted Loyalties (The Camorra Chronicles #1) by Cora Reilly

-3 out of 5 stars. 

- Like Bound by Vengeance, Twisted Loyalties was a way of tying the two series together. But, I didn’t like this one all that much -

- Fabiano’s obsession with Leona (and it felt like an obsession) actually made me fear for her. Leona was “pure” and safe and reminded him of his sisters with her loyalty toward her mother. So, of course Fabiano would want to be with her. But, it was clear Leona wanted a different path for her life - especially at the start of the book. 

-I’m not convinced of Fabiano’s development in this book. He still felt emotionless at the end, and I’m not sure if his love for Leona was actually love or an obsession and a need to have someone like his sisters in his life. 

- Leona's innocence and naivety were fine, but she annoyed me at times. She wanted to run and I kind of wish she had made it out of Vegas. Maybe then I’d see the so-called love Fabiano had for her. 

- I have to mention the Falcone brothers. We have been hearing so much about how terrible their family is. Here we saw them from Leona and Fabiano’s POVs, and they were just as crazy as promised. Nino, no emotions? Interesting. Remo, a true psychotic. Savio, he’s a child, so his “adult” situations made me uncomfortable. Protect Adamo!

Twisted Emotions (The Camorra Chronicles, #2) by Cora Reilly

-4.5 out of 5 stars

- Nino and Kiara were really cute. Maybe the sweetest couple I’ve read by Cora Reilly. I didn’t care for his cheating, though I get why he did it. I just didn’t like it/find it was needed. And, I wanted/needed more chapters from his POV, because it felt like Nino fell in love too quickly. I want to read their next book.

-Nino is supposed to be "emotionless”, having “turned off” his emotions due to childhood trauma. (This was told to me 1000x in the novel, btw). BUT he tries so hard to be sweet and considerate of Kiara. He buys her a piano! He understands her past trauma and tries (in his own way) of being respectful and protective toward her - even standing up to Remo! He follows Kiara’s lead and it’s actually very sweet.

-Kiara is one of the strongest female leads in this series. Yes, she was scared of men - especially Remo - but that is understandable considering what she lived through. She needed to be protected and I liked that she was able to heal, but she wasn’t completely healed in the end - she still had a ways to go. And, her friendship with Adamo was the cutest thing. They were so sweet with one another! And honestly, despite his ‘I don’t like you or what you’ve done to Nino’ attitude - Remo and Kiara are headed toward brother/sister territory. 

Twisted Pride (The Camorra Chronicles, #3) by Cora Reilly

-4 out of 5 stars

-So...Remo is in major need of intense therapy. Like, years of intense therapy and I’m not 100% convinced that Serafina didn’t suffer from Stockholm Syndrome. But, as Serafina muses - she and Remo have a twisted love for one another. It’s clearly not 100% healthy, but it works for them. Serafina is allowed to be herself with him and Remo pulls back (a bit) from his destructive behaviors with her. 

-Remo...who knew he could be such a family man? Like, you could tell, when he started to fall for Serafina. He slowly started to try and be a bit of a better person. That scene where they got married? And it was just his brothers, Kiara, Fabiano, and the babies - and Remo said it was fine, because it was just the people that matter? Sweet. 

-Serafina stood up for herself and didn’t let Remo phase her (well, not as much as he wanted to) and I loved that. She was strong, self-assured, and she wanted more out of life than what the Outfit was willing to give her. 

-Speaking of the Outfit - um, why did they not believe Serafina when she stated - several times - that what they think happened with Remo wasn’t actually what happened? Why did her father and brother treat two BABIES like trash? And they tortured Adamo - a fifteen year old child!

Twisted Bonds (The Camorra Chronicles, #4) by Cora Reilly

-4 out of 5 stars

- I was disappointed to see that 60% of this novel was just Twisted Pride from Nino and Kiara’s POV.

- I feel like this one was not as well written as the past novels in the series. I saw a lot of typos and things didn’t always flow well. That said - I really do love Nino and Kiara. 

Twisted Hearts (The Camorra Chronicles #5) by Cora Reilly

-2 out of 5 stars

-So, Savio loses all his character development in this novel and Gemma deserves better. 

Devil in Winter (Wallflowers #3) by Lisa Kleypas

- 4 out of 5 stars

- I loved Evie and  Sebastian. I am reading this out of order, so while I knew  Sebastian was the villain of the last book - he was so perfect with Evie here. Is it cliche that the “bad boy” has spent his whole life waiting for the sweet and strong girl - yes. But, did I love it? Also yes.

The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever (Bevelstoke #1) by Julia Quinn

-4 out of 5 stars

- Very sweet and fun friends to lovers romance. 

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover (The Rules of Scoundrels #2) by Sarah MacLean

- 4 out of 5 stars

-I know people had issues with Pippa, but I sort of always assummed she was on the spectrim. Cross was really fun - especially when he became so annoyed with Pippa, because she was different and just lived her life. 

To Seduce a Sinner (Legend of the Four Soldiers #2) by Elizabeth Hoyt

-2.5 out of 5 stars

-While I enjoyed the writing style, I couldn’t totally love the couple. Japer falls for Melisande, because she’s proper and “not like other girls” or something.Melisande has loved Jasper for 6+ years, but refuses to admit it - even after she marries him and it’s clear he wants a real marriage. Eh.  

-I’ll read more from the author, but I didn’t enjoy this one. 

The King's Spinster Bride (Aspect and Anchor #0.5) by Ruby Dixon

-2 out of 5 stars.

-While the world building was well done, there weren’t any issues between the couple.  He really loved her- he worked his way up to becoming First Warrior for her.  She loved him, but was nervous because she was “old”. (She’a 33 and he’s 24). There was also some worry about marriage stuff, but over all, it was just a little read that was neither terrible nor memorable. 

Neon Gods (Dark Olympus #1) by Katee Robert

-3 out of 5 stars

-While I enjoyed the main characters, the world building was poorly done. i did like a lot of the supporting characters and hope they get their own books. 

Brutal Prince (Brutal Birthright #1) by Sophie Lark

-2 out of 5 stars (DNF’ed at 40%)

-People have been telling me to read Sophie Lark since March, so I picked this up on audio book. The writing is fairly good (though there are some issues with the mafia aspects), but it was the characters that made me DNF this novel.

-First: you have Aida’s family (she’s 20 and her brothers are all older (I think?) and they all decide to crash the party of a family they hate. Why? They are grown people! Aida causes a fire in the house and steals a pocket watch. And...the two families decide they should get married. Again, why...? Just pay for the damage. Since one of the sons was injured: agree to something for that. 

-Second: Aida is 20. She’s also VERY immature. She plays tricks on Callum. (She actually eats a strawberry before kissing him - he’s very allegic to them). She curses and talks about how she’s a “tomboy” and how she hates the family she marries into. She’s a fairly horrible, immature, and bratty young womn. I just couldn’t root for her.

-Third: Callum is 30. He’s 30 and acts like a horny teenager. I listen to the male narrtator discuss sex and p*s*y over and over again. While Aida is verbally and physically harmful toward Callum, Callum is physically and emotionally abusive toward Aida. 

-Fourth: Two toxic, immature people do not a rootable couple make. I couldn’t stand these two people and was annoyed the whole time I listened to the audio. 

-Fifth: I think I would like to read more from the auhor,but this novel REALLY wasn’t for me. 

Bad Guy by Ruby Dixon

-1 out of 5 stars

-This should have been half its size. There was noreal development between characters. Eh.

The Bully (Kingmakers #3) by Sophie Lark

- 4 out of 5 stars

-I read this one first, because so many people said it was the best of the series. I hadn’t like Brutal Prince at all, but I loved this one. 

-Seeing the development of Dean and Cat was fun. Was Dean actually really childish for a 20+ (I’m guessing he’s 20-21), but I got it. 

-Cat was great. I understand a lot of people found her “boring” in book 2, but it’s very clear that she was just waiting for someone or something to let her out of her shell. 

-I’m really looking forward to book 4, as that was set up nicely. 

Stolen Heir (Brutal Birthright #2) by Sophie Lark

-3 out of 5 stars

-While I liked Nessa a lot - I wasn’t totally sold on the romance.

Deviant King (Royal Elite #1) by Rina Kent

-3 out of 5 stars.

-While I find Aiden toxic, I cannot deny the chemistry between Aiden and Elsa. I don’t like that she gave in to him so quickly - especially as he had made her life horrible for the last three years - but I can forgive it, as this is a “bully” romance. 

-The mystery is interesting, as are the hints of future stories with other characters. 

-And, where are the adults!?

Steel Princess (Royal Elite #2) by Rina Kent

-3 out of 5 stars

-Now that Aiden has a POV, we can see that he is connected to Elsa’s past. I like that aspect, as well as Aiden trying to win Elsa over.

-And her dead dad is alive?!

-Also, I love Knox.

Twisted Kingdom (Royal Elite #3) by Rina Kent

-2 out of 5 stars.

-While I enjoyed the way the mystery was wrapped up, I’m not totally in love with it. It closed what happenedto both Aiden and Elsa, but it left a few doors opened and really doesn’t paint their fathers in the best lights. 

Black Knight (Royal Elite #4) by Rina Kent

-3 out of 5 stars.

-Getting into Kim’s head (and seeing the emotional and mental abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother) made me so sad. 

- What was worse is that she was basically abandoned for EIGHT years and bullied by said ex-friends during that time because of a misunderstanding. Yes, they were eleven, but why couldn’t Xander have confronted his dad or Kim’s dad or someone during that time? Why did he have to be horrible to her at every turn? And let others do the same? And, why was he still hanging out with Kir -? I understand that he was looking out for Kim and Kir and that he still loved her (and that this is geared more toward readers in their late teens/early 20s), but - come on!

-Kim forgave Xander way too easily (a trend in this series), and I was a bit uncomfortable with the fact that right after the big secret was out, Xander decided that he wasn’t “holding back” anymore and that he would be with Kim. Like - shouldn’t you go to therapy? 

-I liked the characters and some of their interactions (and those building hints for the rest of the series), but I ended the book truly believing all these characters need massive amounts of therapy. 

Vicious Prince (Royal Elite #5) by Rina Kent

-2 out of 5 stars.

-Gone is the carefree Ronan of past stories. Here is the “fake smile” Ronan that has carefully been hidden for the last ten years.

-Teal’s master plan of revenge is what drives her, but only for about 20% of the novel. What was interesting was what we were told: she likes men at least 15 years older than her and she enjoys (or believes she would enjoy) some very kinky stuff. 

-(Side note: I’m sorry, but - the 17/18 year olds have access to the records of their parents’ sex club? Where are the adults? Yes, it’s explained that the club only takes members who are 18+, but no.)

-Despite protests that he hates her, Ronan falls for Teal, like 20% into the book? And after having sex once - she loves him back? I know this is a series LIGHT on character development, but...what? Yesterday I could barely stand you and today I want us to be together for ever? 

-And, we get another childhood tramua story, which played out WAY too fast and was wrapped up WAY to easily. 

-I liked Ronan during the other books and Teal could have been really complex, but we got what we got.

[yoursummerfrost]

absolutely interested in your thoughts on longform plot beats if you want to share!

*shows up three weeks late with Starbucks*

So, the first thing about writing longfics is that I try pretty hard in general to not pressure myself into writing something of a certain length. And actually as pretty much all my friends ever can attest to, I tend to underestimate how long something is gonna be xD and I find this is actually helpful, because stories are wonderful at any length and trying to force them to be shorter or longer than they want to be can easily lead to feeling frustrated and discouraged. So, I would recommend practicing some affirmation and acceptance when possible. Specifically, practice telling yourself that your story has value at whatever length it ends up being and that your story will be the length it needs to be in order to get told.

That being said, I think there are probably two main areas that contribute to ending up with a completed longfic. The first is developing the plot itself and the second is developing the motivation and practice to physically complete the writing itself. The rest of the post will be under the cut :)

Plotting

Certain plots will lend themselves to longer or shorter stories. It also depends on your genre, of course. While almost all my fics include romance, I tend to focus the most on the character study aspect when I plot something out. I try to ask myself, "what does this character need in order to grow? how do I want them to change by the end of the story?"

Usually, that growth will be driven by their relationship with at least one other person. Let's take Geralt as an example. Geralt's growth is usually centered around learning to put more trust in others and allow himself to experience his own emotions and desires more fully, because his previous experiences have taught him that trust is dangerous and his emotions will only cause him more pain. 

So, when I flesh out a plot, I'm largely looking for examples of how to demonstrate where Geralt is on that journey. I want to put together a collection of scenes that will subtly demonstrate these kinds of changes. In an early scene, Geralt is resistant to Jaskier's blatant affection. In a later scene, he accepts it begrudgingly--but only when it's offered to him first. By the end of the fic, he permits himself to ask. And I want all of these things to be "shown" more than they're "told."

In other words, while I have it in my back of my mind that a scene's primary purpose is to move us along that journey, the actual scene doesn't necessarily say that on the page. Instead, I write the following three scenes: 1) Geralt claiming he wants Jaskier to go away but making him a drink anyway, 2) Geralt picking up the phone when Jaskier calls him at 3 am, and 3) Geralt calling Jaskier when Geralt can't sleep. 

This can quickly become compounded if you want multiple character arcs in a story. Sticking with the Geraskier example, I probably also want some character growth for Jaskier (or at least some exploration of his refusal to change, because he's a bastard like that). So I'm also trying to add in scenes that will show off that for him. When possible I want my scenes to multitask for me, but sometimes you really need a scene to do one specific thing and that's okay.

When plotting longfic, I really do find it useful to outline. I can sometimes get away without it, but being able to look at this progression planned out in front of me has definitely been super helpful. I use question marks and sarcasm liberally in my outlines. They're also really helpful for answering the "what next?" question because you can stare at gaps in the path and try to figure out what fits there. I also daydream about my fics pretty much constantly, so I’m informally outlining in my head before it ever gets to the page. 

Motivation and Execution

Honestly, the biggest motivating factor for me is having someone I trust who will read the damn thing even before it's finished. It's really lovely to have someone who will occasionally say nice things and offer encouragement, if not also provide some beta as you go. It also helps me stay engaged with the story instead of being distracted by a shiny new idea. Posting as a chaptered WIP can kind of substitute for this, but it doesn't really do it for me in the same way tbh.

So if possible, I do really recommend asking a buddy to read chunks as you go :) it can be scary at first, because it's unedited!! What if they don't like it? What if you totally change something halfway through and ruin the experience for them? That's why it's good to find someone you vibe with to do it, and who doesn't mind living in WIP land with you. But knowing there's someone specific waiting to read more of my writing is incredibly motivating for me. It's a tangible and immediate kind of reinforcement that kudos and comments on a WIP don't really replace. 

(Kudos and comments are wonderful. It's just a different kind of satisfaction.)

Another important aspect is finding time and energy to write, which isn't always easy. About a year ago, I actually started writing on Google docs on my phone in between meetings/classes at school and it was a total game changer. Getting in fifty or a hundred words a few times throughout the day really adds up! Obviously this doesn't work for everyone depending on your resources and general life situation. I'm very lucky that I work in a field that allows me that down time.

No matter how your time is spent day-to-day, I do find setting attainable goals for when you're able to write to be helpful. Learning what's attainable takes a little bit of trial and error as well as self-reflection. Generally speaking, I like to write every day and I try to write at least 1k each day. On average, that's attainable for me personally.* When I'm feeling blah and like the words aren't happening, I gently nudge myself by saying, "Just try to get to 1k. If you're still not feeling it after that, you can stop." I almost always get to 1k, because I was kind and encouraging to myself and knew that 1k was realistic even though I wasn't ~in the zone.

That just happens to be my number. Remember that all progress is progress, and the goal is to feel rewarded and accomplished by meeting the goal. If you think your attainable goal is 50 words, that's fantastic! You'll write 50 more words than you would've if you felt too discouraged to try at all. Writing stamina is also a thing, and you might find that after a while 50 becomes 100 becomes 200. 

It honestly really helps that writing is usually fun for me! I see a lot of posts on Tumblr about how writing is terrible and we all secretly hate it and I do find the humor in them, because I do have those moments. But deep down, most of the time? I'm writing something that I find fun. I'm writing an idea I care about and makes me smile (or laugh evilly, depending on the angst levels) and I hope other people will find fun too.

In all things, I believe honoring negative emotions and thoughts is important. Acknowledging that it can be frustrating to write, that you're tired of your WIP or feel stuck, etc, is helpful so you can address it. At the same time, I think a big factor that contributes to how often I, a massively neurodivergent pal who has 73382 ideas at any given time, am able to so often finish longfics is that I have worked really hard to focus on the positives too. Things that I am enjoying writing or the fun scene that's coming up if I finish the one that's annoying me. 

*I've been feeling super uninspired for the past two weeks or so and have written way less than average in that time. I'm working on a fic I objectively really care about and it's still like pulling teeth! So I’ve knocked my goal down to 200 words a day. And that's okay. Clearly my brain and the rest of me need a break. I wanna normalize that, too.

[readwithmichelle]

Books I Read in May

For the month of May, which was my first real month back to reading books for my own pleasure and not for classes, I read 4 books. Not a lot, I know, but I’m kind of a variable reader - sometimes I devour books in a matter of days, and others it takes me a few weeks. I suppose it depends on how much a book gripped me.  Anyway, for the month of May I read Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, both by Leigh Bardugo, as well as Among the Hollow by Roman Ankenbrandt, and American Pharoah by Joe Drape. 

Six of Crows was my first foray into Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse. I first heard of the book when I worked at a bookstore, and one of the assistant managers mentioned it as one of her very favorite books she had ever read. I frequently saw the duology when I was straightening shelves or recommending books to teenage readers. When it finally came time for me to leave the store for my next job, I ended up grabbing Six of Crows and buying it with the intention of reading it. I even managed to start it, but then I decided to go back to school, and all pleasure reading went out the window.  It would be another 2 YEARS before I picked Six of Crows back up. Initially I tried out the audiobook - which wasn’t bad but not really my cup, and then I bought it as an eBook as a bundle with it’s sequel. Once I dug in, I couldn’t stop. I devoured Six of Crows in the matter of about a week. I adored the writing - if there is one thing Leigh Bardugo is good at, it’s dialogue and the careful art of showing and not telling. It took me almost 100 pages to understand what the Grisha were and what the deal with this new fantasy world was, but despite that it very much reads as a standalone that does not need the presence of the Grisaverse trilogy behind it.  The story is mildly predictable, but the plot isn’t really what drives the story - it’s the characters. The internal motivations of Kaz, Inej, Wylan, Jesper, Nina, and Matthias are the cornerstone of this story, and they’re what make it a truly enjoyable read - not necessarily the story itself. I imagine, if you wanted a definition of a character driven story, this would be it. The characters - in particular Kaz and Inej gripped me pretty much immediately, and I was completely invested in them and what they had gone through. It also totally emotionally compromised me.  Rating: 5/5 Stars The same could be said of Crooked Kingdom, though this one felt a little bit less cohesive than Six of Crows, which had a clear goal. Crooked Kingdom has the Crows being pit against just about everyone in Kerch, and with everyone looking for a piece of them, the story felt a little all over the place for it. That said, we got more of that sweet, sweet character backstory and development, and I will not deny that I was completely incapacitated by Kaz and Inej’s moments together. I felt pleased to have continued with these characters, and it was a real page turner - I had intended to give myself a few days before starting Crooked Kingdom after finishing Six of Crows, but I HAD to know what happened next so I started it pretty much within an hour of finishing the first book.  When it comes to THAT scene, it was a bit more emotionally upsetting than I anticipated. The character involved was not one of my favorites, and I found them kind of problematic as a character. That didn’t stop me from tearing up. I feel, perhaps unlike many other fans of this book that it was a “justified” moment. I will go further into detail at another time about this specific scene with spoilers, but not in this recap.  Ultimately the story felt extremely satisfying. I was glad to see where it ended, and was so incensed about not getting to continue with certain characters that I pretty much threw my Kindle away from me in a fit of frustration. I desperately want to know where these characters end up, so if Leigh Bardugo could come out with a third book and make it a trilogy, I would be forever in her debt.  Rating: 5/5 Stars After that whirlwind I ended up deciding to read Among the Hollow by Roman Ankenbrandt. This is a debut work, and apparently didn’t really make a big splash when it was released. It has less than 50 reviews between Goodreads and Amazon where it was self-published. This one was a surprise for me. The reviews for it are exceptionally high, so I hoped that perhaps it would be a fun one - and it was. But it also was extremely refreshing. The setting is inspired by Ancient Byzantium - a setting that is exceptionally uncommon in my experience, and it features my very favorite kind of magic to use in stories - necromancy. If you know me, you know that I’m absolutely crazy about Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom Series. They’re some of my very favorite novels, so this was a no brainer for me. The interpretation of Necromancy ended up being the surprise. The magic system of how it works is very soft, but is present just enough that I do not feel as though I don’t understand it.  When it comes to the characters, our main cast is that of Sevila, and Aurel. Aurel is a spirit that contracts with Sevila to get their body back, and from there it’s a whirlwind. Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of this story is that Aurel desperately wants to do good things, but people are so scared of them as a spirit that they cannot. Sevila, who has the capability, has no desire to do good things, and the conflict between Aurel and Sevila over that is interesting. Of the two of them, however, Sevila is probably my favorite character - she is barely likable, and is a strong morally grey main character. Also, I love that she’s an unabashed lesbian who does not pretend to be something she is not. The book races towards it’s end very quickly, and my biggest gripe about the whole book is that it feels too short. At 299 pages on the eBook edition it is on the shorter end of books I have read. Perhaps I am greedy, and merely wanted to spend more time with the characters in that setting, but I strongly felt that some scenes could use some fleshing out, or new scenes could have been added between Sevila and Aurel. Ultimately, it is a very good debut book, and I hope this author publishes more in the future. At the end of the book there very much feels like there is more story to tell, more adventures to be had.  Rating: 5/5 Stars The final book I read for the month was American Pharoah by Joe Drape. This is a biography about the 2015 Triple Crown winning horse. A little background information if you will - I am an avid horse racing fan. I watch it regularly (have it set to record on Hulu!), and have watched the Triple Crown races every year since I was around 8 years old. I have had my heart broken by horse racing more times than I’ve been in relationships.  My relationship with the sport is still contentious at times. I don’t care for most of the breeding practices, and I don’t like that people with money throw it around to get essentially a commodity, not an animal. The Thoroughbred breed has suffered for it.  So when it came to reading this book, I was a little apprehensive - it claims to be an untold story. The story of American Pharoah is quite well known among horse racing fans - so what could be untold? Ultimately, it was the stories of his connections, and his early training years that were untold, I suppose.  The owners of American Pharoah, Zayat Stables - especially Ahmed Zayat don’t come out of this book looking particularly good. In fact he looks like a billionare with too much money to throw around and a “get rich quick” scheme to boot. Bob Baffert, legendary trainer as he is, is given a softer approach, but not by much. The book makes sure to mention his previous to 2015 doping scandals and the time he got scammed by a guy. This is compounded by hindsight too; Bob Baffert’s second Triple Crown Winner - Justify (2018 winner) - was revealed to have been doped (intentionally or not is irrelevant) in the race before the Kentucky Derby, and the scandal rocked the horse racing world quite heavily - it even ended up on the New York Times.  As the book says, there are very few saints in the Horse Racing industry.  On top of examining the human connections to this once in a life time horse, the book also examines the effect that the rich and elite have had on the industry - everything from purchasing habits to breeding trends - the most damning part of the book is how it details the pervading millionaire view of race horses as personal ATMs, how they don’t even know the names of the people who care for their horses, and worst perhaps of all, their desires have shaped the breed itself. Horses used to be raced upwards of 20 times in their lifetimes, and their conformation - or the way they are built - reflected their stamina and strength. Today’s Thoroughbreds barely race more than 10 times in their entire career, and much has been published examining the fragility of the breed in the wake of Eight Belles and Barbaro’s very public breakdowns on the track.  Even Seth Hancock - perhaps one of the most well known names in horse racing - has said “I don’t breed them like I used to” and that is because people want fast horses, not strong horses. This book drives that point home multiple times.  Ultimately, the book itself is a fast read, and enjoyable to boot, though it spends an uncomfortable amount of time giving the lurid details of Thoroughbred horse breeding. My biggest gripes with it is that it has a few grammatical errors and I found the passage about Bob Baffert being scammed a tad unnecessary.  Rating: 4/5 Stars For the Month of June I intend to finish a few books I started in May - The Graves are Walking by John Kelly, Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, and Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. I also intend to (if I can get through the depressing but enlightening account of the Irish Potato Famine) read If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio, The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith, The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo, and The Last Temptations of Iago Wick by Jennifer Rainey. 

[mmmessuniverse-blog]

Sep 2019 book

This month’s read was ‘Flesh and Blood’ by Patricia Cornwell. 

WARNING: potential spoilers

I picked this book up from the library, keen to get into my first forensic thriller novel.  Years ago when I wasted much more time in front of the TV, I was a huge sucker for shows like CSI, NCIS, Bones, Criminal Minds, and The Mentalist all throughout school, so I felt this was a safe and enjoyable genre.  The reviews on the back assured me that this writer was the absolute best at what she does and is well informed with current forensic pathology equipment and techniques, so I plunged in with no doubt that I would be entertained. 

The first chapter set the scene of a brilliant and overqualified medical examiner with a finger in every military pie, married to a stoic, handsome, and overall perfect sounding FBI agent. I was quickly becoming disappointed by how idyllic  their life sounded, even though this was likely the intention of the author to create a stark contrast to the disasters revealed soon after. The main character even had time to reflect on their bedroom activities over breakfast and consider whether to head back to bed for some not-sleeping. 

Nobody does this. Mornings are for harried people dragging themselves out of bed, rushing through or skipping breakfasts, plus or minus the ritual of making their face presentable to co-workers. I felt that alluding to sex so early on in the game/book was meant to lure a certain demographic in. I suddenly felt like I was supposed to be a 40 year old woman with kids who is trying to find spice in her life by way of books and might dabble in 50 Shades due to its popularity, and I don’t want to be that person.

Added to this nonsense was the main character’s niece, who was described as a beautiful, skinny, genius level hacker who does whatever the hell she wants, flies helicopters (a fact flaunted within the first chapter alone), drives expensive cars, and is impossibly rich. There was some attempt to balance this out with her personality flaws and social issues but you can’t just throw these extremes together and hope that the end result is somewhere within the vicinity of neutral.

I also found the chapter divisions went something like this:

Chapter 4

Chump A muttered scathingly about this week’s memo mandating Crocs in the workplace. Chump B offered, ‘At least I don’t have to think about what to wear now. I save so much time in the mornings!’

Chapter 5

‘And aren’t they just so comfortable? I’ll admit I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing them outside of work, although their new catalogue has some designs that can pass as ‘normal’ shoes.’

...and the entire book was disjointed in this fashion. It didn’t go so far as to split a sentence in two, but it definitely divided a thought process or a related sentence to the point that it felt like someone just said, ‘Ugh it’s been 50 pages, it’s probably time for a new chapter’.

This book was written like a movie. I could picture someone writing the storyboard and putting in a panel as they thought, ‘Cliffhanger goes ... here.’ I also realised a crucial error in my book selection when the antagonist’s name was finally revealed, and that was I had entered the world of Dr Whatever at book #20/23 (not the actual numbers) of the series. At first I thought it was an intentional move by the author not to spend 2 pages describing the background of every new character encountered to help with maintaining the flow of the story. In all likelihood, these pages detailing her policeman sidekick’s life history and all of her co-workers quirks had been scribbled in the very first book of the series. I had a quick scan of the synopses of the other books online, and found that our protagonist had an affair with her now-husband. Juicy and not-so-perfect. It even made Dr Scandalous a little more likeable, up until the point that she compared herself to a co-worker currently engaged not-so-subtly in an affair, giving herself a pat on the back for being discrete about her own affair. 

Another thing that crime shows will do to me is increase my jumpiness and illogical thoughts x 100. I was up to a relatively action packed and suspenseful part of the book the protagonist and her partner approached a house as the next step in their investigation, but things were ‘off’. Front door was slightly ajar, a vehicle belonging to another officer was present but the officer himself was nowhere in sight and unable to be contacted. I was getting the tinglies, when... 

BAM!!! My hoosband (henceforth referred to as DH) bursts through our front door and I hit the roof with a heartrate of 200bpm. When I was much younger, this (illogical) fear extended to unwillingness to go to the bathroom or into the kitchen where it was dark. Were there lights? Sure. But I would have go into the semi-dark area first to switch it on. Even then the silence would be eerie and I’d hightail it outta there ASAP. 

In summary, I was glad I had the experience of reading a novel of this genre so that I could learn not to do it again anytime soon. Sometimes you just need to eat enough deliciously oily chips to make yourself feel sick so that you won’t do it again for a LONG time. I guess TV shows and novels like this feel they have to fill a drama quota to avoid becoming a forensic pathology documentary and remain appealing to the masses, but over many years I’ve increasingly found that I can do without this. This probably explains why all the aforementioned TV shows started to wear on me, and why this book didn’t really hit the spot either. Onto the next book! Huzzah.

[kyuu-rereads-umineko]

Ep6, Chapter 2 (Part 2)

In which Battler gets a rude awakening, and Ange and Ikuko drop anvils on our heads.

When we last left off, Battler was making a beeline towards... Um, Meta-Kuwadorian, I guess? To meet with Beato.

hoooo god. Kumasawa is there, and greets him with, “Welcome, Master. Beatrice-sama is waiting for you. This way, please...”

The narrative is pretty obviously set up to parallel Battler/Beato with Kinzo/Kuwa-Beato, I’m aware of that, but oh god is Kumasawa’s greeting loaded as hell in hindsight.

“This place was a villa set aside for Beatrice’s use. It was a sacred site for her only, built so that she could spend her days without being affected by the outside world.”

Battler reflects on how glad he is that Beato was revived and “everything’s okay,” and I’m actually starting to feel a bit nauseous here good lord

“The dining hall [...] existed so that they could enjoy some black tea while discussing the truth, now that he had finally reached all of it.” As much as the Kinzo parallel throughout this scene is making me sick, the prospect of Beato and Battler talking things over once he figures things out is an appealing one.

oh goooooooooooood. Battler asks how Beato’s doing (and if she’s the “same as usual,” critically), and Kumasawa replies, “Oh yes, she is in very high spirits now. She has been waiting for you all this time, Master.” She doesn’t actually say anything to suggest Beato’s different somehow...

I think I need to adjust my thinking here a bit. On a logical level, I was fully aware of how Genji, Kumasawa, and Nanjo had a hand in Kinzo’s treatment of Kuwa-Beato (and how much of a role they played in Yasu’s downward spiral), but on an emotional level, I don’t think it really sank in until now, assuming this is indicative of how they responded to the situation in the real world as well.

I don’t know why this is making me feel so strongly now of all times, given that I’ve been well aware for a long time that everyone on the island had their own part to play in bringing about the tragedy, but... Eugh. I’ll be damned if Kumasawa’s behaviour here isn’t leaving a horrid taste in my mouth for whatever reason.

Anyways. Battler enters the dining hall, to find Beato... who bows to him. uh oh

She thanks him for “giving me this form,” and Battler, being Battler, breaks down into tears. okay who am i kidding i 100% teared up the first time i read this scene because i was relieved to see she was back

Poor Battler’s so caught up in his own emotions he doesn’t even realize at first that Beato’s demure behaviour isn’t an act she’s putting on...

He apologizes to her, and she replies that he has nothing to apologize for, calling him “Father” in the process. The music fades out almost immediately. hoo boy

“Beatrice was born for your sake, Father.” In hindsight, the way Ep6 handles this concept - that Beato exists “for Battler” - is something I feel very meh about. Thinking back on it in general, I suppose Ep6 is probably one of my least favourite episodes of the bunch - Erika feels like she’s overstayed her welcome (barring her death at the end, that scene was amazing and no not just because she died), the attempt at making her sympathetic falls flat on its face, the whole Greek Chorus thing with Featherine and Ange is kinda... weird (I do enjoy it, but something about it feels very strange, even beyond the whole meta in your meta in your meta shenanigans), Ep7 goes on to handle the question of “who does Beato exist for, if anyone,” much more gracefully than this (It’s still interesting to see the different halfs of Beato playing off each other, and I think it’s an important clue as to the nature of Beato as we know her and as a facet of Yasu, but it just doesn’t really feel... “right,” to me?), and to top it off, it goes on and on. I felt like Ep5 was stretching it with just the first twilight plus Hideyoshi as far as murders went, but Ep6 doesn’t even get past the first twilight. I mean, sure, a lot of the plot’s taking place in the Meta-World now, but still - seeing as Battler spends like 60% of the episode in a coma, it doesn’t really work for me. 

BOY I’M GETTING SIDETRACKED A LOT HUH

Anyways! Battler asks Beato to stop being so polite and to talk how she normally does, and she’s completely clueless... Battler changes the topic to the food on the table, she replies that she wanted to prepare a “modest reward” for him completing the 6th game, and... Kumasawa interjects, still without explaining the situation to Battler. Sh-she does actually know what’s going on here, what Battler was expecting, right...?

Battler confronts her, and she gets flustered. Beato, meanwhile, gets ready to pop open a bottle of champagne, saying, “In the hopes that you will prove victorious over your longtime rival, Furudo Erika...” and Battler promptly loses it, scattering things everywhere. “Who... are you...?”

Oooh. I’d forgotten that when Beato replies, she uses “watashi” instead of “warawa”. Not that it doesn’t make sense, or that it’s a surprise, but it’s interesting in hindsight, given that the use of “watashi” in Ep4′s Tea Party was one of the biggest clues in the first half of the series to Yasu’s existence.

At any rate, when she repeats that she was “born for Battler’s sake,” he snaps and shouts at Genji (in another layer of meta? man i don’t even know anymore) to explain what’s going on. When Genji informs him that she truly is Beato, he states that she’s “totally wrong, a fake.” O-ouch...

It’s quite easy to read Battler’s denial here as similar to Kinzo’s (likely) reaction to Kuwa-Beato in the real world... which, granted, is the point, but still!

Again, for some reason (maybe her closeness to Yasu while she was a servant? shruuug), Kumasawa’s responses to Battler rub me the wrong way a lot more than Genji’s do, saying that Beato “was only born a short while ago” and that it’d “be cruel to expect her to act as she once did so soon.”

“The old Beatrice-sama had lived for a thousand years... This Beatrice-sama, on the other hand, was only born a short while ago...! If she appears to be a different person, well, that just can’t be helped...!”

Battler asks if that means he has to wait a thousand years for her to become the same Beato we all know and love, and Kumasawa says that someone’s personality is determined by more than just their birth. Cut to Ange and Tohya!

“Even if you had two of the exact same person, they could change enormously depending on their upbringing.” dot dot dot

“Even though they might be the same human to start with, their upbringing could change them so much they effectively become two different people.” dot dot dot

Ooh, I’d forgotten that this line is dropped so earlier - Tohya/Ikuko makes a comment about how the term “person” relates to “personalities,” and Ange thinks, “If a personality is what makes a person a person in our eyes, you could probably say that a second personality represents a different person entirely, even if it inhabits the same flesh body.”

In hindsight, this line is something else I feel kinda lukewarm about. I mean, it’s a pretty obvious “HEY READERS ARE YOU LISTENING,” thing, but good grief is it ever beating you over the head with the whole “SHANNON AND KANON ARE THE SAME PERSON” thing. Not very subtle at all, really...

“...It seems you’re quite a skilled reader... For most of my readers, it would be necessary to spend several hundred pages to explain how a single person can become different people depending on their upbringing and time.” LOL

And Ange fires back with, “Don’t underestimate your readers. We aren’t just reading. We read... and we think.” I wonder if we’re seeing a bit of Ryukishi’s internal frustration surfacing here?

That’s not a jab at him, for the record. Given Umineko’s underlying theme of making an effort to think about other people and understand them, I’d be frustrated to have readers dismissing it as impossible or what-have-you as well.

“If I make a hundred people read it, only 90 people will actually be able to. However, only 50 will actually understand what it means. And not even 20 will actually think beyond that... And all I ask is that they think it over a bit.” Hmm. Interesting echo on Yasu’s desires, huh... That even if a thousand people should read her tale, as long as just one person understands, that’s all she wants...

Ange observes that Ikuko’s forgery has the same “scent” as the message bottles, which is likely why the Witch Hunters became so interested in her to begin with. Well, that makes sense, given that her forgeries were written by someone who was actually there!

“...Why does her tale have the same scent as Beatrice’s, I wonder...? Is it because... she actually has reached the truth, as she claims? Does this mean that anyone who knows the truth could create an endless number of message bottles? Is that what the catbox world is like...?”

With Ange’s determination to find “a hint of the truth from within this story” so she can bring an end to the catbox, we cut back to Battler... showing the 6th game to a Beato piece.

After having a very one-sided conversation, he snaps again. Poor guy...

“You created many kinds of furniture, as well as several tales in the past... When I saw that, I was sure... you were having a great time doing it, but that’s wrong. You were... unbelievably lonely.” Oh, Yasu...

Battler acknowledges that chick!Beato is alive, and the Beatrice he knew as she was a thousand years ago, but the fact that she looks identical to Beato is what causes him grief. While there’s no doubt that Battler’s arc in Ep6 is very deliberately mirroring Kinzo’s arc with Bice’s death and Kuwadorian Beatrice, I feel like there’s a critical difference starting to surface here - where Kinzo was unable to emotionally accept that Kuwa-Beato was actually his daughter, until after it was too late for him to try atoning for his sins (whether or not he actually could is up for debate, but), Battler eventually does, at least outwardly. Even when chick!Beato regains her memories, he still seems to accept that the Beato he knew is gone, as shown in the funeral at the start of Ep7.

I suppose whether or not that’s a good thing, given that he still treats chick!Beato exactly the same as the old Beato come Ep8, is up in the air, but...

[aion-rsa]

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2016: #25 – #11

Each year, CBR takes a thoughtful look at the comic book industry’s abundance of offerings and poll the passionate, thoughtful and always-opinionated CBR staff for their rankings of the top comics of the year. Every publisher putting out new comics material in English, regardless of genre or format, is fair game; each individual list is then factored in (all thanks to the power of mathematics and the magic of spreadsheets) to determine the overall Top 100 that will be unveiled on CBR over the course of this week.

2016 was another big year for the Top 100, once again with more than 40 contributors to the list and more than 200 comics nominated. That’s resulted in a typically diverse and sometimes unpredictable field: world-famous superheroes alongside creator-owned works; major publishers sharing space with indie favorites. Of course, even with 100 spots, no list can be an exhaustive collection of every noteworthy piece of work in a year, but the end result of the CBR Top 100 is a wide selection of eclectic comics and graphic novels worthy of attention.

RELATED: CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2016: #50 – #26

On Monday, we started unveiling the list with entries No. 100 to 76, things kept going on Tuesday with 75 -> 51“>No. 75 to 51 and Wednesday with No. 50 to 26. The countdown continues today as we get into the final quarter with No. 25 to 11, and check back later today for the Top 10!

Start perusing the list below, and if you feel so moved, take to Twitter and (politely) discuss your thoughts using the hashtag #CBRTop100. While you’re here, feel free revisit our Top 100 lists from previous years:

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2015

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2014

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2013

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2012

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2011

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2010

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2009

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2008

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2016: 100 -> 76 | 75 -> 51 | 50 -> 26 | 25 -> 11 | 10 -> 1

25. Rosalie Lightning

Written & Illustrated by Tom Hart

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

“Rosalie Lightning” is easily the most difficult book of 2016, in terms of subject material. The true life story about how cartoonists Tom Hart and Leela Corman’s daughter Rosalie Lightning unexpectedly died shortly before her second birthday, this exploration of grief, community and the struggle to survive both financially and emotionally is gripping. Hart’s repeated image of the two people adrift on a raft is striking, more so once he himself explains what he realized it meant, and his use of negative space on the page will send chills down your spine.

— CBR Staff Writer Greg McElhatton

Tom Hart’s new book is heartbreaking, and at time almost too painful to read. The book is about the death of his daughter, every parent’s worst nightmare, and details the efforts of him and his wife to survive a find a way through it.

— CBR Staff Writer Alex Dueben

24. Spider-Woman

Written by Dennis Hopeless

Art by Javier Rodriguez, Veronica Fish, Joëlle Jones, Tigh Walker

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Dennis Hopeless took an improbable set-up — Spider-Woman has a baby — and made it work. While similar plot lines have concluded in “it was all a dream” style or ended up sidelining the hero, Hopeless’ series proved there’s a third option. Spider-Woman stayed active and kept kicking ass, all while being a new mother. The series also gave artist Javier Rodriguez room to make his mark and become the talked about talent he was always meant to be. Every issue saw Rodriguez push page layouts in the same forward fashion that Hopeless pushed past tropes.

— CBR Editor Brett White

Post-“Secret Wars,” “Spider-Woman” has done the truly unexpected: it has shifted from from Jessica Drew as curmudgeonly detective to Jessica Drew, working mom. Hopeless and crew have done a truly amazing job of making Jess and her experiences as a new mom feel real, while keeping the superheroing/detective work interesting. It’s a truly impressive balancing act.

— CBR Contributing Writer Charles Paul Hoffman

23. The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye

Written & Illustrated by Sonny Liew

Publisher: Pantheon Books

Liew explores the history of Singapore in the second half of the 20th century through the biography of a (fictional) comics creator. The book is almost like a documentary, with interviews with the creator intercut with authentic-looking comics and scrapbook pages. It’s a gripping read and a stylistic tour de force.

— CBR Staff Writer Brigid Alverson

It takes a lot for me to compare someone in comics to my favorite cartoonist Seth, let alone link their work to my favorite book of his (“It’s A Good Life If You Don’t Weaken”), but with “The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye,” Sonny Liew has finally delivered a worthy successor. It’s not just that this graphic novel stakes out similar “actual comics history via the story of an imaginary comics artist” territory. “The Art of” sees Liew mastering a variety of cartooning styles, all of which both delight the eye and draw the reader deeper and deeper in to the book’s human story. Add in fascinating layers of Singapore history, and this book is one we’ll be unpacking and learning from for years to come.

— CBR Staff Writer Kiel Phegley

22. The Fix

Written by Nick Spencer

Art by Steve Lieber

Publisher: Image Comics

As crime comics continued to proliferate, none were more audacious, engaging and flat-out funny as collaborators Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber’s (previously of “The Superior Foes of Spider-Man”) deliriously dark take on corruption, greed and sociopathic relationships set against the sunny streets of Los Angeles.

— CBR Staff Writer Scott Huver

After an excellent run on “Superior Foes of Spider-Man,” Spencer and Lieber cemented themselves as one of the premier creative partnerships in comics with “The Fix.” Fleshed out by Ryan Hill’s realistic color palate, the duo crafted a thrilling crime yarn filled hilarious moments that can sit alongside the legendary works of Elmore Leonard and Quentin Tarantino.

— CBR Contributing Writer Tim Webber

21. Omega Men

Written by Tom King

Art by Barnaby Bagenda

Publisher: DC Comics

Though the marquee DC Comics property isn’t even mentioned in the title, King and Bagenda’s “Omega Men” is the greatest Green Lantern story ever told, by such a wide margin there isn’t a meaningful No. 2. An Iraq War parable set in space, the series sees Kyle Rayner kidnapped by a group of terrorists-slash-rebels fighting an oppressive galactic regime. But as Kyle tries to sort out the good guys from the bad, he learns that it’s impossible to save everyone, and that heroic actions do not always have heroic ends.

— CBR Staff Writer Shaun Manning

Tom King and Barnaby Bagenda’s “The Omega Men” came to a triumphant conclusion in 2016, making its temporary stay of execution (to allow King and Bagenda to wrap up their 12-part story) that much more impressive. With its mixture of superhero, science-fiction, political and war genres, there’s a little something for everyone to enjoy, and Bagenda’s storytelling using a 9-panel grid is top-notch. Unflinching in its approach (and body count), “The Omega Men” collected edition needs to be on your bookshelf.

— CBR Staff Writer Greg McElhatton

20. Faith

Written by Jody Houser

Art by Francis Portela, Marguerite Sauvage, Pere Perez, Meghan Hetrick, Colleen Doran

Publisher: Valiant Entertainment

The world doesn’t deserve Faith (or Zephyr), but I sure am glad we’ve got her. Other than “Saga,” I can’t think of another series where I’ve felt this emotionally connected to the main character. Beyond being an utter delight, “Faith” is also right on time, asking questions about heroism and morality that seem ever more important.

— CBR Staff Writer Allison Shoemaker

Why did it take so long to have a truly awesome plus-size superhero? Better yet, her physical appearance never becomes a major plot point. “Faith” is the best of fandom and Internet culture in one package.

— CBR Contributing Writer Beth Bartlett

19. The Legend of Wonder Woman

Written by Renae De Liz

Art by Renae De Liz, Ray Dillon

Publisher: DC Comics

With stunningly beautiful art and a character-focused take on Wonder Woman’s origins in World War II, “The Legend of Wonder Woman” is perfect for fans old and new, young and old. I dare you not to fall in love with Etta Candy, who steals the show whenever she’s on the page.

— CBR Contributing Writer Charles Paul Hoffman

This all-ages take on the mythos of Diana was breathtaking. The art, the story, the addition to Wonder Woman’s legacy was much needed and catered to everyone in the best way. Seriously gorgeous book.

— CBR Contributing Writer Leia Calderon

18. Mockingbird

Written by Chelsea Cain

Art by Kate Niemczyk, Ibrahim Moustafa

Publisher: Marvel Comics

S.H.I.E.L.D. is a huge, world-spanning, sometimes evil, vaguely threatening world organization, but what’s their health plan like? Chelsea Cain and Kate Niemczyk’s “Mockingbird” gets into the daily life of a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who has to be constantly prodded with needles and answer annoying questions in between bouts of international espionage. And those bouts of international espionage are exceptional. “Mockingbird” takes many of the tropes and conventions of James Bond and deepens them. Bobbi Morse has a more interesting internal life and relationship set than almost any Bond ever did, and she breaks out of sex dungeons and submarines with the best of them.

— CBR Staff Writer Joe Streckert

“Mockingbird” was one of the funniest books I’ve read this year. I loved the one-shot that Marvel released in 2015 for S.H.I.E.L.D.’s 50th anniversary and this whole series echoes that book’s tone. Chelsea Cain has written a book that humanizes a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to the point that she is extremely relatable. She has a boyfriend — superspy Lance Hunter — she loves Corgis, and she hates doctor’s office check-ups. Bobbi was given a humorous side that was so refreshing to read every week. The title character’s “Ask Me About My Feminist Agenda” shirt is easily the best cover of the year and will live on though cosplayers for years to come.

— CBR Staff Writer Lauren Gallaway

17. Huck

Written by Mark Millar

Art by Rafael Albuquerque

Publisher: Image Comics

Mark Millar’s known for his obtuse and violent stories but no matter what, “Huck,” for me, will always wash the obscenities away. It’s filled with endearment and all the warm, fuzzy sentiment that you’d want your childhood depiction of Superman to be. In an era where even the most earnest of heroes are wrapped in some sort of subterfuge or self-serving plan, Millar designs someone that’s plain lovable. Rafael Albuquerque’s art helps build the innocent aura of the title character and more so, combines with succinct and heartfelt writing on Millar’s behalf, to wrap a story about love, family and one special person’s desire to make the world a better place. We need more heroes like Huck and more stories like this. Cannot wait for the sequel.

— CBR Contributing Writer Renaldo Matadeen

Millar is usually known for his bombastic style, but with this story, he and artist Rafael Albuquerque lay out a simple yet elegant tale of an everyday hero who just wants to help others. Imagine if Clark Kent decided never to leave Smallville, and you’ll get a sense of what I mean.

— CBR Contributing Writer George A. Tramountanas

16. Black Panther

Written by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Art by Brian Stelfreeze, Chris Sprouse

Publisher: Marvel Comics

The more “Black Panther” incorporates familiar elements of the broader Marvel Universe into its monthly adventures, the more Ta-Nehisi Coates seems at home, and having fun in this title. We’re all lucky for that, because when he’s at his best no one is better than Coates at translating sophisticated ideas into piercing and insightful narrative. After a great deal of Wakandan world-building, we are learning more about T’Challa’s place in it, and how he plans to both tackle his adversaries and lead his people. In this story, those issues are inextricably linked, and failure on one front assures failure on the other. How can an elite inspire the downtrodden? How does a superhero politick? This story’s richness of possibilities still stand to rival the riches of Wakanda’s vibranium stores.

— CBR Staff Writer Brendan McGuirk

Coates’ genius here was to apply a healthy modern skepticism to T’Challa’s kingship; Marvel’s genius was to hire Brian Stelfreeze. T’Challa is called on to act kinglier than ever in a Wakanda that looks modern, strong and alive — the democrat’s dream, and the monarch’s fear.

— CBR Staff Writer Marykate Jasper

15. Descender

Written by Jeff Lemire

Art by Dustin Nguyen

Publisher: Image Comics

Jeff Lemire is so good at telling big, high concept stories and this sci-fi epic is one of his best. While the world-building, which has been masterfully explored by Dustin Nguyen, is right there with “The Incal” by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Mœbius, it’s the punch to the stomach that Lemire delivers nearly issue that leaves readers hungry for their next serving of “Descender.”

— CBR Staff Writer Jeffrey Renaud

As someone who’s been on both a cyberpunk and space opera kick lately, this series really connected with me by pairing Jeff Lemire’s smart dialogue and ideas with Dustin Nguyen’s watercolor-esque visuals and cool robots.

— CBR Staff Writer Paul Semel

14. Batman

Written by Tom King

Art by David Finsh, Mikel Janin, Ivan Reis, Riley Rossmo, Mitch Gerads

Publisher: DC Comics

Writer Tom King faced the unenviable task of following up superstar Scott Snyder’s enormously popular five-year run on the title, but confidently taking the blank slate that Snyder had left him, King wasted no time in quickly making the character his own, even adding a couple of his own creations. Ranging from high-octane thrills to subtle emotional undertones, King has indeed become the new king of the Batman franchise, helming the flagship title that has set the bar for the other titles — and on a bi-weekly schedule, no less. King’s approach to the character has been more traditional than Snyder’s, but that’s not to say it’s the same old Batman; rather, it’s been a remarkably fresh return to basics that’s anything but basic.

— CBR Staff Writer Jim Johnson

2016 saw “Batman” go from Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo to Tom King, David Finch and Mikel Janin. It was as if Elvis had to cut his concert short and brought in Bruce Springsteen to pick up the slack. Snyder and Capullo succeeded at balancing the more outsize elements of the Batman mythos against the relatively-realistic tone the series has long sought. King and Finch’s “I Am Gotham” shifted focus slightly, going for the tension between Batman as superhero and as tortured urban avenger. Likewise, King and Janin’s current “I Am Suicide” is (so far) a meditation on Batman’s desires and his abilities, as he tries to mitigate Gotham Girl’s tragedy. In short, all year “Batman” has seen its creative teams consistently at the top of their games, changing focus effortlessly in midstream with no drop in quality.

— CBR Staff Writer Tom Bondurant

13. The Flintstones

Written by Mark Russell

Art by Steve Pugh

Publisher: DC Comics

If you expected to find the sharpest comic book satire of 2016 in a “Flintstones” comic book then, well, you have oddly impressive precognitive abilities, because that’s exactly what writer Mark Russell and artists Steve Pugh and Chris Chuckry are delivering month after month in this adult-oriented version of the Flintstones. There are some awfully heady ideas being discussed in nearly every issue, and yet they are handled with enough grace and a strong dose of humor that the comic never reads as preachy. It’s just strong, sharp satire.

— CBR Staff Writer Brian Cronin

The smart political commentary no one expected, the new iteration of Hanna-Barbara’s “The Flintstones” is a thematic sequel to writer Mark Russell’s run on the criminally underappreciated “Prez.” The modern stone age family are decidedly more modern, as Russell and artist Steve Pugh explore issues of class, race and ethnicity, religion, technology, consumerism, and plenty more. Oh: and it’s hilarious. A yabba-dabba-doo time, if you will.

— CBR Staff Writer Shaun Manning

12. The Mighty Thor

Written by Jason Aaron

Art by Russell Dauterman, Steve Epting, Rafa Garrés

Publisher: Marvel Comics

This book is just straight-up gorgeous. Russell Dauterman and Matt Wilson make Asgard look its most fantastical and magical in decades. Plus, Jason Aaron just gets Thor, and I was delighted to see him flip from the hyper masculinity of “Thor: God of Thunder” to the high fantasy of “The Mighty Thor.”

— CBR Staff Writer Marykate Jasper

The saga of Jane Foster as Thor has been my favorite Marvel Comic since its inception. The entire creative team has taken what some considered a gimmick and turned it into a Marvel headliner.

— CBR Contributing Writer Tim Adams

11. Patience

Written & Illustrated by Daniel Clowes

Publisher: Fantagraphics Books

The latest original comic by acclaimed cartoonist Daniel Clowes, is another worthy installment in the creator’s impressive library of work. One of Clowes’ greatest attributes is how seamlessly his pop-art style can blend science fiction, surrealism and banal human drama without parts feeling incongruent or out of place. In his world, time travel is just as taxing on the mind as a horrible domestic situation or an abusive lover. Many of the same themes explored by older stories are present here, especially the frailty of hypermasculinity and people’s inability to escape themselves. Perhaps because Clowes is no longer an angry young artist, there’s slightly less rancor or despair in Patience when handling these themes now. Despite the “reveal” of the murder mystery being somewhat lackluster and one or two plot points being a bit questionable, fans of Clowes will still find plenty to love in this work, including a novelty for the creator; a happy ending.

— CBR Contributing Writer Sean Fischer

While Clowes was at the forefront of the sadsack realism (I mean it as a compliment!) that helped usher in the age of the graphic novel during its late ’90s/early ’00s cultural explosion, with “Patience” the artist fully defines what inventive literary comics can do in the here and now. While there are countless volumes of comics published these days crowing about how the trappings of genre entertainment can be remade in a literary mold, most of them are bullshit. “Patience” shows up every DOA nostalgia fantasy and then some by contorting the tropes of time travel fiction into a kaleidoscopic work of magical realism. But it’s not just the intensity of the visuals or the unexpected turns of the plot that impress. Like all Clowes’ work, “Patience” explores unseen dimensions of human loneliness in a way few other art forms can accomplish.

— CBR Staff Writer Kiel Phegley

A mind-bending little trip — definitely one of the most personal and harrowing takes on time travel, “Can you change the past?” narratives.

— CBR Staff Writer Michael C Lorah

Check back later today for the Top 10 of CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2016!

The post CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2016: #25 – #11 appeared first on CBR.com.

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