#but it's written by the same person who write mlc

[madamadragon]

The photo behind: badass boss

Him: a cutie potato

[booksandwords]

Fence: Striking Distance by Sarah Rees Brennan

Read time: 3 Days Rating: 4/5 (but it’s complicated)

The quote: Hooking up made Aiden think of fencing, sometimes. The sheer physicality of it, the smooth skilled movements flowing and arching to a victorious end. Knowing your opponents moves, weaknesses, what would get to them. Scoring all the points you could. And, in the end, turning away. — Aiden Kane

2nd quote: Arrêt — Aiden Kane Let me explain it means stop, it's used in fencing. It's one word and in that one word my heart broke for Aiden look what can I say he owns me right now.

Because of what Fence: Striking Distance is, the extension of a world created in another medium and with a pre-existing fanbase, rating and reviewing it is quite difficult. I am aware of and really like C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad's Fence series and this does well to extend that. Developing backstories and voices for characters other than Nicholas and building on his. It is worth noting that Johanna the Mad did the cover art and the art on the end pages, C.S. Pacat was heavily consulted in the writing. It could also easily be read as a standalone, knowing the comics is not a pre-requisite it just means you know who is who and a bit about their environment, but all that is contextually explained anyway (like the shower curtain). There is no straight introduction to any character, the closest is a single paragraph by Coach.  All that said the primary Fence series focuses its time on Nicholas, he is our eyes, this gives us much more on the others in the fencing team with not only Nicholas but Seiji, Aiden and Harvard all as point of view characters. The plot is simple enough, Coach Williams wants the boys to do team-building work, except Harvard who she wants to enjoy himself away from the team. Chaos ensues. Think the height of fake dating au's for Harvard and Aiden, Seiji trying to defend his roommate despite not having all the information, Nicholas being his clueless self (with daddy issues) and Eugene well Eugene is a pwn in the game but who knew he was such a gossip and a social butterfly. Harvard and Aiden's chemistry is written so well it is off the charts, as is only right.

I'm not entirely sure where this is going to fit in along the main continuity. It was released at about the same time as Volume 4 but is definitely set after, the results of the MLC bouts are noted by Coach early on. It appears to be after the conversation between Aiden and Harvard at the end of Volume 4 where it was made clear to anyone that there is more than friendship there. Aiden's gift is picking a fencers weakness, Aiden and Harvard are each others at the end of the day. What I'm unsure of at this point is where Striking Distance will fit in relation to Volume 5 (which is a long time of release as I write this).

The thing that Sarah Rees Brennan does best in this is the development of the characters outside how Nicholas (and to a degree Bobby) sees them. I do wish we'd seen more of Bobby, I want to know more of his story. Aiden Kane gets all three of my quotes for this review, I think the book is heavily about Aiden and how he is not what he appears. He learnt all his flirtatious, always leave before they do attitudes from his string of stepmothers. His use of names when he forgets someones (willfully or not) says a lot, it's just another way Aiden is shown not to be a simple as he appears. At a time when his dates name is Bruce, he playfully starts calling him the name of every male Avenger character because it annoys someone else. Honestly Aiden most of this book breaking my heart, not something I would have expected from the character we have seen to date in the comics. There is only one person in the world he cannot say no to or hurt in any way, Harvard. Harvard is innately good. His friendship with Aiden is a testament to his loyalty. Family is everything but he is blind to his emotions to a degree. Coach is right he spends all his time taking care of other people and not enough taking care of himself. Seiji is codded oddly for me. Before the endgame, I would have put it down to a minor racial stereotype, but after that, I went back to another reading. His coding is almost minorly autistic rather than simply unsocialised among young people. He can't read emotion and is a pure fact all the time, even showing emotion isn't easy for him. He's an interesting contrast to the others, he's quite intimidating. Nicholas also as no social awareness but it turns out he raised himself more or less. This book and the characterisation decisions made show them as essentially two sides of a coin, as Pacat has been alluding to through Coach in the comics. Nicholas hides a tremendous amount of insecurity under a perfect armour, Jesse is one of the few who can get through it.

Some details that I need to mention.

Harvard Paw, Aiden's bear, is quite possibly the cutest thing I've read in a book in years. The origins behind it and what it means to both Aiden and Harvard almost broke me.

Jesse's tone and arrogance were on point. The phrase "bright as ice" used to describe his tone is fantastic.

That watch... just what kind of monstrosity?

One of Aiden and Harvard's favourite films to watch together is The Princess Bride. Of course, it is. Just yes.

Rosina is possibly one of the books biggest yet most insignificant at the same time surprises. We do love a resilient woman.

Essentially this book isn't just a book for the fans. Anyone with an interest in the blurb could pick it up and read it with enjoy it. Will fans enjoy it more? Quite likely, we know the world, have an attachment to the characters already. And the characters, world and situation have transferred quite nicely. But the plot is not dependant on your knowledge of any of the Fence comics, everything you need to know from the importance of the Coste's to basic fencing terms are included. I would say it's a 3.5 for non-fans, 4.5 for fans. But Sarah Rees Brenann needs to be praised for creating a book that could be read by both. On the back cover of the edition I'm reviewing it's introduced as the first book in a new series, I hope that series comes to fruition there is certainly plenty in that conclusion for it. (while not being a cliff hanger if it is the only book)

[supernovaecastaway]

For the fanfic writers ask, 2, 7, 12, 17, 22, 27 (random) ❤️❤️❤️

:DDDDDD

2- My most recent fic like, that I updated? Or idea that I came up with? Or ones that I’m currently working on? Imma go with that one. So I’m currently working on Kingdom and ITTB, as y’all have figured lol And if you compared it with my very first fic, I don’t think you guys would even realize they were written by the same person. So I think I’ve come HELLA far. Leaps and bounds. Not that I’d ever say I was embarrassed by where my writing starting, it definitely is a whole new monster now and I constantly thank the writing gods for the improvement every time I sit down to work on Kingdom and ITTB.

7- The fic I most want to continue.... I mean, obvs the two I’m working on lol but also I kinda left my old readership hanging BIG TIME on a sequel and they didn’t really deserve that. It’s just some people ruined it for everyone and I lost the drive to complete it. I was actually just thinking the other week about finishing it-- since it had only had like 3 or 4 chapters left-- just for my own peace of mind. But it has been like 4 years and I’m not really sure I could hop back into that universe lol (It was called Lovebirds. It was cute lol)

12- Nope! I have never written any fic and never published it because I literally do not have it in my to do so lol I have jumped into projects earlier than intended based solely on the fact that I couldn’t keep it to myself and save it for when I wanted to post it. I feel I’d probably fair better if I could show a bit of restraint buuuuuuut I can’t. Oops.

17- Most overrated fic.... hm.... maybe not so much overrated cuz I really liked it, but I was shocked by the response MLC got. Not that it wasn’t deserving, and I love everything I write, or I wouldn’t write it. I guess I was just shocked people would like it so much lol

22- Lol yes, I received a notification from an artist that is amazing and I love everything they’ve ever drawn and I FREAKED cuz like omg?! And like eeeeeeveryone knows who this artist is so I was so excited and flattered. Then it ended up being a comment that wasn’t quite so happy I’d tagged it with the ship when the ship didn’t technically end up together. So yeeeeeah. Still awesome they read it though lol 

27- Def would write single fandom for the rest of forever cuz I don’t do cross overs lol Don’t write them and really don’t ever read them. Aside from Unholyverse in the MCR fandom cuz THAT SHIT WAS WILD. I’ll always be a slut for MCR x FOB XD