#but moonlight is so well written?? with good characterization??and SUCH an interesting plot and mystery to it???

[cinnamon-bunni]

hey so ummmmm everyone go read Moonlight (every single night) by @heleentje right now. like, its a botw fic with timeloops, what more do i have to say

[terramythos]

TerraMythos' 2020 Reading Challenge - Books 15-18 of 26

Titles: The Murderbot Diaries -- All Systems Red (#1), Artificial Condition (#2), Rogue Protocol (#3), and Exit Strategy (#4) (2017-2018)

Author: Martha Wells 

Genre/Tags: Science Fiction, Cyberpunk (ish), Novella, Agender/Nonbinary Protagonist, Asexual Protagonist, First Person 

Rating: 9/10 (note: this is an average-- see under the cut for individual ratings) 

Date Began: 6/15/2020

Date Finished: 6/23/2020 

Murderbot is a SecUnit -- a humanoid security construct created to protect contracted clients in a corporate, spacefaring future. Following mysterious/murderous events in its past, Murderbot hacked the governor module controlling its actions. Now it prefers to watch media serials and half-ass the whole “protecting human clients” thing. 

This changes when it discovers someone is sabotaging its clients’ planetary mission, putting the team in grave danger. Even worse, these new clients start to treat it like a person, much to Murderbot’s discomfort. In the resulting fallout, Murderbot finds itself answering questions it’s avoided thus far -- who it is, and what it really wants. 

I’m doing something a little different and combining these four novellas into one review; they are too short and interconnected to review individually in my regular format. Under the cut, I’ll start with my overall impressions of the series, then a look at/rating of each individual story. 

Who knew being a heartless killing machine would present so many moral dilemmas. 

(Yes, that was sarcasm.) 

Overall Thoughts 

I really enjoyed this series! The strong point is without a doubt Wells’ excellent characterization of a distinctly non-human viewpoint character. Murderbot is a very interesting protagonist, and its constant snark and parenthetical asides are a joy to read. Much to its dismay, there’s also a lot of emotional punch entwined in Murderbot’s character arc and interactions. Murderbot may not be a human, but it’s definitely a person. 

It seems obvious to me that Murderbot is intended to be autism spectrum/ADHD coded. I’ve never encountered an unambiguously heroic protagonist that displays similar behaviors to my own, and it’s affirming to read. Difficulty with processing emotion? Hyperfixating on media to comfort itself? Issues with direct eye contact and touch? Truly a bot after my own heart. Honestly, I dreaded the point in the story where these are presented as weaknesses for Murderbot to overcome... and was overjoyed that it never happens. In fact, characters accommodate these aspects of Murderbot’s behavior/personality and respect its boundaries. This totally surprised and impressed me. 

Finally, I do really appreciate Wells’ approach to nonbinary characters. While it’s nice that we’re getting more representation, it can be very grating/telling if all nonbinary characters in popular media are nonhuman. Wells asks “why not both” and introduces a nonbinary human that uses neopronouns in Artificial Condition! I don’t use neopronouns myself, but I know plenty of people who do, and this is the first “mainstream” thing I’ve ever seen use them. 

I found this first arc in The Murderbot Diaries relatable, entertaining, approachable, and easy to read. I’m super excited to see where the series goes from here. 

All Systems Red (#1) -- 8/10 

It’s wrong to think of a construct as half bot, half human. It makes it sound like the halves are discrete, like the bot half should want to obey orders and do its job and the human half should want to protect itself and get the hell out of here. As opposed to the reality, which was that I was one whole confused entity, with no idea what I wanted to do. What I should do. What I needed to do. 

This is a good introduction to the premise. Murderbot's interactions with the human characters are a highlight throughout the series, but I think it’s especially true in this part. Wells does an excellent job, as many others have said, making a distinctly nonhuman perspective character sympathetic, interesting, and relatable. I like that the human characters treat Murderbot like a person/member of the team by default and generally respect its personal limits-- AND we didn't get some trite cliche about it-- AND that this throws Murderbot into an emotional crisis because it hasn't experienced this before.

If I have criticism here, it’s that the plot feels incidental; more a vehicle for certain character interactions than an involving story in and of itself. While the conflict and central antagonist do return in Exit Strategy, in this one they don’t feel especially relevant. The narrative thrust is more about Murderbot's personal development and denial/coming to terms with its attachment to the human characters, especially Dr. Mensah.

To be fair, it is weird to give this a numeric score because it feels like rating the first fourth of a full novel. So take this with a grain of salt. 

Artificial Condition (#2) -- 9/10

But there weren’t any depictions of SecUnits in books, either. I guess you can’t tell a story from the point of view of something that you don’t think has a point of view.  

Artificial Condition introduces another nonhuman character who is distinctly different from Murderbot, yet still fun and compelling: ART the research ship! Who’s moonlighting as a cargo transport. It's the ship on the cover, which I didn’t know going in, and this blew my mind for some reason. Anyway, the friendship between ART and Murderbot was really fun and genuine. I know ART shows up later, so I’m very excited for that; it adds a lot to the narrative. While I didn’t find the human cast as interesting as in All Systems Red, I do appreciate that there’s an actual nonbinary human character. 

The plot of Artificial Condition is still pretty secondary, but it does connect to Murderbot’s past, so I found it more engaging. In general, Murderbot gets a lot of interesting character development, and over time gains a lot of nuance. I think this is great, considering how complex and well-written it is from the start. There’s an excellent moment of delayed emotional payoff near the end when Murderbot helps a character after learning something earlier in the story. It’s hard to describe without spoilers, but I thought this was really cool. 

Rogue Protocol (#3) -- 9/10

Or Miki was a bot who had never been abused or lied to or treated with anything but indulgent kindness. It really thought its humans were its friends, because that’s how they treated it. 

I signaled Miki I would be withdrawing for one minute. I needed to have an emotion in private. 

Like Murderbot, I find myself missing ART, but we do get an alternate nonhuman character in Miki. Overall, Murderbot's character arc feels way more connected to the conflict and action in this story than the previous installments, which is nice. While this is presumably a throwaway cast based in the ending, I thought Miki and Don Abene's friendship was an interesting foil to what I assume is going to happen with Murderbot and Dr. Mensah.

While this trait has been present throughout, this installment makes it very clear that despite its protests, Murderbot genuinely does want to help and protect people of its own free will, even when doing so is not the quickest or most self-preserving choice. There are multiple points in this story (and the previous ones) where Murderbot could choose to save itself or abandon people in need. But it doesn’t; it just sighs and complains about having to protect stupid humans. I love Murderbot. 

Also, this is one of those works where the meaning of the title doesn't really hit until you finish it, and oof.

Exit Strategy (#4) -- 10/10

So the plan wasn’t a clusterfuck, it was just circling the clusterfuck target zone, getting ready to come in for a landing. 

This one just slaps from start to finish. We get the full post-development emotional payoff re: Murderbot’s complicated feelings about the humans from All Systems Red. The characterization, plot, humor, and action are all on-point and the best in the series.  

I don’t really have anything else to say except this is an awesome conclusion to the first arc, and definitely my favorite of the 4 stories. I’m excited to see where things go from here. 

[carmenlire]

Hi! I am pretty new to SH, and when I went to ao3 to find some malec fics I saw there were 19k fics there and I just... noped out. But then I came across one of your fics somewhere idr (prob tumblr) and I really really liked your writing style so I may or may not have spent my spring break reading all your fics... rip. I'm still way too intimidated by the sheer amount of fics on ao3 and since I really loved your writing, I was hoping you could maybe rec some, either fics or authors? Thanksss

holy shit, anon, I’ve written so much dkfgjhsdfkjg that must have been quite the undertaking for spring break lmao! I’m super happy to hear that you like my writing though, especially enough to read most/all of my fics! 

Okay, so. When I first started in this fandom, it was overwhelming too and that was in August of 2017 lol! I read a lot of fic rec masterlists on here and then once I went through those, I explored ao3 a little more, along with those authors that captured my interest. I don’t know what you’re interested in but I’ll just go ahead and list some of the fics I started with along with my favorite authors! Everyone on this list is a delight as a person and a writer and I hope you like them! 

(This is going to be probably a lot of me rambling variants of read this!! but I’m gonna put a short summary so you know what the story is actually about. I will most likely oversimplify the fic lmao but check out those links for the full synopsis!)

Over 100k

Fall Without Wings by @notcrypticbutcoy (WIP) This was the first fic I ever read in this fandom and it topped every masterlist when I started– for good reason. At the time, it was around 180k? and I read it in one day/sitting. The writing is impeccable, plot to die for, and the way the author builds the characters in this story is just engrossing as hell. This is god tier lmao!

One Line Summary: Canon divergent AU where shadowhunters have wings, Magnus is actively on the Clave’s shit list, and Malec’s relationship is the best sort of slowburn.

One Easy Answer by @maleccrazedauthor This is the first of a two part series and holy. shit. I was enthralled from the first sentence. Apparently, I have a thing for canon divergent AUs and I read this a year and a half ago but still remember gasping at a certain point, hanging on the edge of my seat as I waited to see what the characters would do. I love this canon divergent AU– it’s written so beautifully. (Note: The series itself is over 100k. This particular fic is around 36k)

One Line Summary: Magnus and Alec are leaders of their people and have to learn how to make things work when a marriage of convenience is their only option.

Anything You Say by @milominderbindered Admittedly, I’ve only read the first 80k? of this because I started it like over a year ago and it was a wip at the time but I remember being Super Into It and desperate to see where the story was going. Now that it’s finished, I’d totally recommend it!

One Line Summary: Detective Alec and Forensic Expert Magnus. Honestly, need I say more lmao.

Deeper than the Truth by @insiemes This was one of the first fics I read– probably within the first week of entering the fandom. It’s a wonderful story and a classic for a reason. And that ending:’)

One Line Summary: Alec is a famous author who uses a pen name and Magnus is a fashion designer in love with Gideon’s books.

60k-80k

The Haunting of Lightwood Hall by @bonibaru There are tragically few historical Malec fics in ao3 and this is a gem! The plot is interesting and the love story is super well done. And that ending! I loved it so much.

One Line Summary: Magnus Bane, a psychic, is invited to the Lightwood estate when a murder mystery implicated the heir, Alec Lightwood.

42 North, 71 West by @lecrit Okay so, admittedly, I haven’t read this yet but it’s because I don’t read wips and this just concluded like, last week lol. However, lecrit is a brilliant author and I’ve read several of her fics before and loved all of them! You really can’t go wrong with this author and I would encourage you to read anything/everything in her ao3!

One Line Summary: Politics!Alec and Actor!Magnus in one AU? Sign me up!

The Strength of (Un)Broken Bonds by Blue This is the first of a three part series and I love it so, so much! This is a little grittier though not angsty. The plot is tightly woven, the characterization spot on, and it’s an excellent exploration of the parabatai bond done right. Wildly creative and I everytime I reread this, I’m just in awe at this author’s skill!

One Line Summary: Post 2b, shadowhunters realize just how intrinsically their biology is tied to demon energy and Alec has to deal with a fritzing parabatai bond.

Addicted to You by AlxSteele I’m not a huge fan of fuck buddy AUs but this author is prolific in the shadowfam so I took a chance and I’m so glad I did! This was a realistic portrayal of this AU without being needlessly angsty. Everything was just right and I was so ready to see Magnus and Alec get their shit together!

One Line Summary: Magnus and Alec lead busy lives and neither one has time for a relationship– only what starts out as a string of one night stands leads both to catch feelings big time.

A Fighting Chance by HeartsDesire456 This is a classic for me. I read most of this in one sitting and was almost late for work! But it was totally worth it. I love the build up and the world that this author created. Really, one of the best malec fics I’ve ever read and I love it so, so much! I would recommend anything else by this author, especially Hard Choices, though that fic is considerably heavier though no less well done.

One Line Summary: Alec owns an MMA gym next to Magnus’s dance studio. What starts out as a noise complaint quickly changes Magnus and Alec’s life irrevocably.

We Break That Way by ifallonblackdays_fics and valfromrome I’ve read this several times and it’s a fic of substance. I love fluff but this is a really excellently plotted story that does a fantastic job of showing both Magnus and Alec as the leaders they are. It’s darker but realistic for the shadowhunters universe and I love how amazingly well these authors created a story that picks up after 2x18 in an excellent canon divergent AU where Magnus and Alec didn’t reconnect at that Hunter’s Moon party?

One Line Summary: Not all shadowhunters are happy that Alec’s trying to build relationships with the downworld– what happens when a group of extremists go after the Head of the New York Institute in a bid to return to the old way?

40k-60k

The Lonely Heart Hotline by @unrestrainedlyexcessive Anon. Listen. I am putting Fatale here because this is her latest completed fic and it’s 40k but I would heavily encourage you to read every single piece of writing by this author. I have read all of her fics at least twice and I love them to death. She does such an amazing job of portraying real life, even when her AU is fantastical. I’m partial to her Ave Atque Vale series, which was the first fic I read by her, and her Home series but as I was scrolling through her ao3 profile, I just kept remembering all her stories and how amazing they are. Seriously. I can’t stress enough about how much i love this author’s writing!!

One Line Summary: Alec’s a law student who moonlights as a phone sex operator and Magnus calls him one night, only to talk about music and his questionable phone professionalism.

Love is a Gamble by la_muerta This is another author that I adore and I’ve read all of her fics! This is a western historical AU that I read last spring and simply loved! I’d also recommend her series The Universe is Conspiring Against Us!

One Line Summary: Sheriff Alec Lightwood is busy enough keeping Nephilim Falls from descending into chaos but when Magnus Bane opens a gambling house in town, Alec’s has more on his mind than his townspeople.

20k-40k

Give Me the Pain (Then Take It Away) by LadyOxymoron This is a beautifully well-done story of Alec and Magnus exploring BDSM, particularly Alec’s submission. But it’s so much more that. It’s about their relationship and Alec learning to take better care of himself and overall, I was stunned at this fic. I would really recommend anyone read this for something that pulls the heartstrings while still being hot as hell.

One Line Summary:  After a near death experience and throwaway line from Magnus, Alec finds out that he can let himself fall, as long as Magnus is there to catch him.

Appassionato by chonideno This is a classic in the shadowfam. A wonderful story of malec falling in love before properly meeting. The vibe is so ethereal and full of feeling. Really lovely story.

One Line Summary: Alec plays the piano and one day, a request slips under his door– what follows is months of Alec playing for a stranger, both of them falling one note at a time.

Pillow Talk by lacheses This was one of the first fics I read and it’s a really beautiful story that takes place during season one. It’s gentle and really does a fantastic job of building Magnus and Alec’s relationship, both of them so cautious and invested so quickly after meeting.

One Line Summary: Alec Lightwood falls in love, one nap at a time.

Good Our Whole Lives by @beatperfume This fic ruined me. I was invested from the first word and read it in one sitting. The emotions are enough to put you in a stranglehold and while I was wildly unsure based on the synopsis/AU (hooker AU) I gave it a chance and I am so glad I did. I remember reading it and just feeling so much. Wonderful, 10/10. I would rec anything by this author (she really is very creative!) but particularly and I will be your shade.

One Line Summary: When Magnus catches Alec, a shadowhunter, hustling his club the two of them reach an agreement.

Three’s a Crowd by GoldenDaydreams I’ve read this a few times and I love it to death. Super lighthearted and funny, it’s a fun story about Alec and Magnus trying to have sex and Jace being a perpetually pain in the ass cockblock lmao.

One Line Summary: The story where Jace keeps interrupting Alec and Magnus’s ‘alone time,’ and they’re both super fed up.

Sympathy for a Prince by @ketzwrites This was a hella fun story about Magnus as a literal prince of hell and Alec, a no-nonsense detective just trying to do his job. Ketz has written several fics I’d recommend but this might just be my favorite!

One Line Summary: When Magnus, prince of hell, comes top side he doesn’t expect to meet Homicide Detective Alec and become his partner, so to speak.

Hold Onto Me (Cause I’m a Little Unsteady by MagnificentlyMagic One of my biggest pet peeves with the show is that scene in 1x09 where Jace betrays Alec and then it’s never spoken of again. This is a great fic that takes that scene and runs wild with it.

One Line Summary: His parabatai rune was burning, not with death, or injury, but with betrayal.

10k-20k

Yours is the Light by @theonetruenorth This author is an autoread for me and I love a good abo fic. This is so beautiful and I really, really love this. It spins the trope on its head while still in the shadowhunters verse and delivers a really satisfying love story for Alec and Magnus! I would really, really recommend literally everything they’ve written though!

One Line Summary: It wasn’t exactly a secret that out of all three secondary genders, it was the alphas who were the strongest, the most aggressive, the most territorial– It was also completely wrong.

Inimitable by Bumblebeesknees. I adore anything by this author but this. Wow. The plot is super creative as Alec and Magnus get sent back to Victorian London and Alec has to do something both of them would rather he didn’t. It explores a murky area that has the potential to ruin both of them and the writing is perfect. I don’t want to ruin anything but you gotta read this. I read it when it was first posted then scrolled back up to the top and immediately devoured it a second time. I’d recommend anything and everything by this author.

One Line Summary: Stuck in London in 1882 without Magnus’ magic, the way back to New York in the 21st century requires securing a charmed amulet from the Magnus who lives in that time.

It’s a Kind of Magicby @thealmostrhetoricalquestion I love every single fic by this author and would highly suggest you read everything by her but this one has a special place in my heart. It’s light and sweet and a wonderful AU!!!

One Line Summary: Magnus and Alec live on the same floor and are highkey into each other– the only thing is that Magnus is a witch and Alec’s a mundane.

1k-10k

You Only Live Twice by partnerincrime I love this story so much!! It’s a fun little Simon POV on Alec as a gardening billionaire recluse and Magnus as a CEO of the shadow world’s largest department store. It’s hilarious and I lose my shit every time I read it!

One Line Summary: In which Simon Lewis becomes an entrepreneur, and, through a series of highly improbable events, fails upwardly toward success.

Lonely Starbucks Lovers by partnerincrime is also a hoot and I love this author so much!! It’s the quintessential coffeeshop AU.

PWP

The Way I Feel for You by @theonetruenorth Goddamn, this is a masterpiece. I’ve read this several time and like I said earlier, anything by this author is guaranteed to be amazing.

Shadows. Shovels. Joy. by oncethrown While this isn’t strictly a pwp, it’s about the parabatai bond and Jace’s POV on Alec having sex. Heartwarming and super well written! another example of how the parabatai bond could be well done.

In Plain Sight by redorchid. Holy shit, I love this to death and it’s actually the first in a series called membership, about Magnus and Alec’s exploration into exhibitionism.

hit me like a ray of sun, burning through my darkest night by liamandzayn I’ve read all of her malec fics at least twice and I just think she writes great sex lol. Definitely recommend!

With Bones Unbuttoned by @ohfreckle No smut list would be complete without ohfreckle. She’s an autoread author for me and I think I’ve yelled about this particular fic literally every chance I get. Goddamn, the sex is hot as hell and the emotions that pour through are enough to make my own heart ache. No one does it better and I wish everyone would read this and die with me.

Lionheart by Bumblebeesknees Both this one and the one above are 2x18 makeup sex fics but they’re both very different. I also love this one immensely and this author, as I’ve mentioned above, is amazing. 

Series

Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things by @my-nameless-bliss This series ruined me. I can’t stress enough how much I love this series. It’s beautiful written, the emotion gut wrenching, and it’s a wonderful exploration of Alec’s masculinity and what that even means. It really made me think and reevaluate my own life and I am awed by this author’s talent and everyone needs to read this. There’s also ALDNT extras which is a multichaptered work set in this universe.

We Built a Dynasty Like Nothing Ever Made by Madalena. This was a canon divergent AU set after 2x17 that does a great job of exploring shadow world tensions and Alec as a Leader and Head of the Institute. Creative and stunning and wonderfully plotted, I’ve read this series several times and love it so much!!

The Boundless Saga by sarcasticfluentry and teumessian This is a canon divergent AU that starts in season one and it’s a classic for the shadowfam in my opinion. I particularly love Parts 4 (which could go in the pwp section) and 7, which I think it’s an excellent exploration of shadowhunter tradition and expectation.

Authors

@laughingmagnus Serendi has been an autoread author for ages, since the beginning, really. Her writing is wonderful and she really hits emotions in a way that’s enviable. Her Maryse centered fics are superb.

@gingergenower I’ve been yelling about Kat’s writing since I discovered her last winter. I started with goddamn right (you should be scared of me) and I’ve read all of her fics multiple times. You really can’t go wrong with her!

@thattrainssailed Monica’s writing style is very distinctive and literary. She writes Malec like they’re set in stone entities, powerful and always in control, even if everything else is a chaotic mess.

@bytheangell Elle can write fluff or angst depending on her mood and she does a wonderful job with whatever strikes her fancy. She has a >100k fic called Support System that I’ve heard really great things about, even if I haven’t had a chance to read it yet.

@royaltybane Lydia is an OG in the shadowfam for good reason! Her writing is fluid and suitably full of feeling. You really can’t go wrong with anything by her!

Ohprongs is a wonderful author and I’ve read all of their stuff on ao3. I’d highly recommend them for shorter pieces.

This is by no means an exhaustive list! I’ve quite literally read thousands of Malec fics since I joined the fandom in summer 2017. These are the most memorable to me, however, and the ones that I’ve returned to time and time again. Any author I mentioned would be worth going through their backlist. I often just picked my favorite fic of theirs. 

If there’s something that you’re into– a trope, a general tone– you can always come back and I’ll do my best to answer your questions and give you recs! I hope that this helps and isn’t too overwhelming– I tried to organize this masterlist by word count and then misc categories. Thank you so much for thinking highly enough of my writing to ask me this and I’m sorry it took a little while to compile this fic rec list! Happy Reading!!

[plounce]

do you have any molly or widomauk fic recs? You have good characterization taste & I miss him and need to recover from seeing caleb/nott/molly as a relationship tag

well after that gutpunch of a closing line, here are my offerings:

… under a cut because there are a LOT. rifled through my bookmarks and subscriptions for this. hope you like these! my ultimate personal faves are bolded. newer additions are starred.

massive widomauk indulgence (oneshots & completed fics)

take your kid gloves off - oh this is SUCH a fave!! teacher au. really good mature emotions… still has the pining that makes fic great but it doesn’t feel soap opera-y as some do. read this please.

my only sunshine - soulmate au! i can be very picky about soulmate aus but this one really agreed with me. follows canon where it can. this was great!! very tender and sweet and hurts at the right parts and is so good at the right parts

twisters chasing storms - written in the week between ep 25 and ep 26. beau centric with side wm. the remaining members of the m9 have to deal with doing what they must to get them back. kind of dark but just like. oof. i reread this a bunch. really good character work in this. (violence warning)

Caleb, huddled on the cart over Molly’s books, says what Beau has been thinking all along: “Jester and Fjord and Yasha were not terrible. This—” and he gestures around at all of them, “—is a terrible combination.”

“That’s slander,” says Molly. “I’m a good person. And—you know, you’re—you’re not all great, sure, but you do good things. I like you.”

The rest of them look at him.

“Okay, that was weak,” he admits.

any clever ideas? - molly and caleb make out in the evening nip in order to dissuade cree from talking with molly. it is SO GOOD and just. rules. it hits those trope buttons perfectly. i LOVE this one 

strictly ballroom - UNDERCOVER AT A FANCY DRESS BALL… DANCING… PINING… JEALOUSY… this is SUCH an indulgent fave and i just enjoy it so much. this is a FUN read. THIS is what i enjoy fic for

discover us safely destroyed - an interesting character study from the zadash arc

our early days - pre relationship. figuring each other out and being tender and protective. taking care of each other. (violence warning)

the crossroads - caleb falls in battle and has a conversation in limbo (without knowing he’s in limbo). very bittersweet and so like… OOF

hopscotch - a lot of the m9 body swap. good character stuff. the differences in molly and caleb’s brains in terms of memory capabilities is… ouch! ouch!! it’s really good. “you’re my friends. i trust you.”

let’s dance - this one is an older one one, and cute! dancing!

comfort walks softly on little cat feet - h/c. an older one, and very sweet.

strange light - a good coda to the cali ep, which was hard to find. measured characterizations with some molly details i adore - his love of theatrics, and keeping copies of lucien’s wanted posters that he’s torn down and using them for kindling.

a street cat named frumpkin - a cute little modern au with side wm! hooray for kitties.

familiar comfort - frumpkin pov. implied wm. really super excellent. i LOVE frumpkin pov stuff

until you set your old heart free - modern with magic… established relationship… molly gets rezzed and returns home… ohhhhhhhh. oh my heart 

take me back into your arms - molly gets rezzed! tam lin setup! hell yeah! power of love babey!!

kiss me once, kiss me twice - a series for kiss prompts!! so sweet. this one has some really heartwarming modern au installments that i just adore

something new for me and you - this one recently wrapped up! a good multichapter, probably the peak modern urban au in the tag. very detailed and has some very good themes about like… feeling love and feeling deserving of relationships and having to grapple with being bond to the people you’re close to. ALSO has background claysol which you KNOW i’m a BIG SUCKER for. very charming!

*indelible - modern au! tattoo parlor stuff, which can be very hit or miss for me, but this was such a sweet, lovely au with a lot of like. recovery stuff in it? for both of them. very nice.

*meet me in the woods - OOF this has such such delicious piiiining… yearning! molly Noticing caleb’s hands and the two of them slowly growing closer. it was such a sweet read and i enjoyed the whole thing like a soft blanket.

*boats and birds - i love this! such a great snapshot of molly (swinging from the ropes on the ball eater, and being a bit reckless & unlucky in his circus tricks - that’s my bitch!), and such a lovely, telling interaction between him and caleb. i loved that “did you just tell a joke? well, it was a good one” bit, and i love fics that revisit it with a bit more future tenderness. this is the line that won me completely over to this fic:

Because Molly is an idiot and likes to pretend that he has a chance of breaking through the ten layers of trauma Caleb wears like a second skin to find the person underneath and convince him he’s worth something, he takes a minute to appreciate the view.

*matryoshka - immediate fixit after molly’s death, which rules. molly’s ghost gets to carpool in caleb’s body before they rez him. i think this scenario was written enjoyably but with appropriate weight as well, which could be very hard to find. pre-relationship, which i always enjoy - i love me some people meandering towards feelings. it also has some very interesting lucien theory tidbits sprinkled in, which i enjoy.

*cat magnet - molly gets turned into a cat for a hot minute and cuddles up to caleb. short and fun and not weird (thank goodness).

*devil’s tongue - i’m always a bit bashful/hesitant about reccing explicit stuff, but this one has such excellent and caring characterization that i feel correct in putting it on this list. the best explicit ship fics always have an element of knowing that the characters aren’t losing their personalities once they get in bed, and this one has both characters as like. people. the d/s stuff does not overwhelm the characters or the fic and is very light - you see that these are real people in an equal relationship trying to help each other feel good (and i’m a judgmental bastard about fic, so you can take my word on this). AND it has some linguistic stuff about infernal as the actual plot, which i can be a sucker for.

*a thin line - molly gets injured, caleb sews him up, they dance around a conversation before actually Talking About Stuff and becoming closer. excellently written h/c. this is an early wdmk fic, but actually writes the characters pretty well in hindsight! op rules. it’s interesting to see what the author manages to get right, and the backstory elements they made up are still engaging and consistent for the molly & caleb they have written.

*heartfrost - molly lives au, taking place around ep 72. molly is resistant to fire, so he’s vulnerable to cold. he has a bad time with that, and with grieving for yasha as well. caleb takes care of him. this was just sweet h/c whump, and reading molly getting his feelings validated by caleb was *kisses fingers* very good.

*limerence - caleb accidentally casts a spell that makes everyone who sees him fall in love with him - except the party lesbians and… molly, for some reason. isn’t it strange that a love spell doesn’t alter molly’s behavior towards caleb??? synopsis aside - i really enjoy how this fic took the fact that molly canonically wouldn’t pursue caleb because he sees caleb isn’t in a good place to have that; molly’s respect for consent with regards to relationships shines through here and agh i love him. also, i am beau in this fic.

**VWOOP! (every time a bell rings, a tiefling gets their wings) - a really interesting take on the soulmate au involving true name stuff (the author has some notes at the end about “true names” which made me :) about the concept in terms of identity and meaning, so dw about deadname snarls yk). wings! soulmates! friends with benefits that accidentally evolve into feelings!

**the fool, reversed - i’m a hack who loves to see molly slotted into present canon just for fun. this one has him being abducted with yasha by obann, and in dealing with the trauma afterward accidentally discovering his incorporeality bloodhunter powers. good stuff.

**the skin beneath the facade - this one is so self indulgent and i love it. fake dating at a fancy party! kissing! POISON! A CAT! fun fun fun read.

WIPs that i am subscribed to and really enjoy, and are good reads already: 

the prophet of tortham - LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS ONE… god i just love it. molly scrambling to be the best scammer he can and rolling miracuously well, while trying to solve a mystery! very perceptive caleb and perfectly slow burn widomauk. it’s an au where molly pretends to be an actual fortuneteller to a lord that the rest of the m9 work for. i’ve been adoring this one so far, such a great molly.

there’s a ghost in my lungs - vague future canon! the m9 finds molly again, but the empire put a bunch of stuff in his head and the gang seeks to cure him, all while getting tangled up in a town plot and festivals. very good widomauk pining. side note: the “winter soldier au” tag has nothing to do with marvel at all besides the basic premise of what’s up with molly, but for the vast majority of the fic he is himself (changed somewhat after what he’s gone through, but his wonderful self). i’ve been keeping up with this one for a long time and i’ve been loving it.

Caleb blinks, as if coming out of a Frumpkin trance. Beau knows better, though, she’s seen him staring at Molly like Molly’s a lighthouse in the dark, and he’s a man paddling desperately back to shore.

we circle by night - a far-flung-future caleb travels back in time and accidentally averts molly’s death! and there’s a splintered timeline. slow burn widomauk starts kindling but caleb’s dealing with uh… pretending he’s not an older and higher-level wizard inside a canon age caleb body. VERY good. love it.

fractured moonlight on the sea - molly is a selkie and doesn’t know it!! i looooooove this so far and can’t wait for more, this is such good like… pining for stuff you don’t know, romantically and sealwise.

map to alexandria - modern music au! very good writing of like. human emotions. very good relationship themes. this is my good buddy mauve @phantomsteed‘s fave fic!

the gay and wondrous life of caleb widogast - this is a modern with magic childhood friends road trip au! it is also fjollygast, and i really enjoyed it. extremely good and well-written pining and relationship drama, that luckily has been resolved. from what i’ve detectived, it seems like it’s been put on permanent hiatus after canon has diverged a lot from what the author was working from. but it stopped at a very good point and is a fave. extremely delicious pining.

wilderswans’ 30 day nsfw challenge - this is such a great series with a lot of character work and like… stuff about intimacy and it’s really good and tender! early relationship. really sweet and well-written!

**the names that make us - soulmate au! with twists and turns. starts out as bren/lucien and will become caleb/molly. looking forward to it.

molly focused:

true north - molly and yasha relationship stuff… i love them. platonic soulmates. a grand adventure!

visions in lightning, voices in thunder - yasha and molly again, but this time more of a snapshot. implied wm and by. yasha’s aasimarness interacts with ukatoa’s dreams in a nasty and cool way. this one has a line that alwaaaaaays gets me right in the gut

“I’d keep an eye on him, if I were you. There’s still some sharp edges to him.”

Molly chuckled. “I’m well acquainted with sharp edges.”

Yes, and you cut yourself on them all the time, Yasha thought to herself. If he cuts you, will you bleed for him?

also if you haven’t… you should read my high school au oneshot where beau and molly are siblings ;) if you want some numbers to back my self promotion it is the 9th highest kudos’d wm fic on ao3 atm… AND it’s a oneshot. blue gatorade rights

OH and as an edit: here’s my more serious in tone wdmk fic, canticle. it is very good and self indulgent. molly character study and repressed pining. ep 25/6 divergent au, as one does. inspired by twisters chasing storms, recced above.

[shyanlibrary]

My boyfriend just broke up with me, could you recommend some fanfics to cheer me up? Thanks!

I’m very sorry, sweetheart. Here’s a fluff and comedy list (no angst):

And Longer If I Can by poetdameron

Summary: After Shane makes an "odd" question, Ryan can't stop thinking about the possible implications of it, obsession over the one conclusion most likely to (not) be: Shane is breaking up with him sometime soon.

Rated: T

Commentary: I wrote this one, so here’s a comment in it: “Oh my god!! I’m crying this was so intense and so sweet! That was the cutest [SPOILER] I’ve ever heard of and I loved how you really managed to build up the suspense so eventhough the audience knows it would be something like a proposal it was still tense and interesting leading up to it. Love your fics!”

under the stars by sincerelyleah

Summary: “I promised myself I would never fall in love with you. But it was four am, and we were laughing way too hard. I felt happy for the first time in a long time, and I knew I was screwed.”

Rated: G

Commentary: A sweet something you will be glad to have read once you are done. I loved it, it’s so sweet and warm, it makes me truly happy.

don’t you (forget about me) by ghostwheeze

Summary: Shane and Ryan are in love. There’s a proposal.

Rated: G

Commentary: Like I said before, I’m a sucker for proposals and this fic is just— it has a twist to it that is gonna make you scream. I love it.

Just The Thought Of His Touch (My Mind Explodes) by poetdameron

Summary: Ryan has the perfect height for forehead kisses, so what else can Shane do but kiss him?

Or, five times Shane kissed Ryan's forehead and one time Ryan kissed him first.

Rated: T

Commentary: I wrote this one, so here is a comment on it: “This is so sweet! I was smiling the whole time with how cute they are and aaaah, the idea of Shane kissing Ryan's forehead is so warm and soft, it makes me all sappy and jelly. The last part is so cute, too. Ryan worried for Shane and making him promise to be not die! SO CUTE! I'm gonna read your other fanfic now!”

if we’re gonna do this, we gotta do it now by floatingonthelehigh

Summary: “How did you convince me to come here again?”

“My irresistible charm, of course.”

Ryan’s mouth settles into a hard line. He’s not wrong.

(Shane gets Ryan to come to an old abandoned house with him. One of them, and you’ll never guess who, gets more than a little freaked out. Featuring: pure terror! confessions of love! and a somewhat-terrifying framed photograph of a woman!)

Rated: T

Commentary: Pure, sweet, loving fluff. Ryan gets a little angry at Shane but he deserves it, but at the end everything is right. I love this fic.

you want a piece of my heart (you better start from the start) by doctorkaitlyn

Summary: No Summary (Shyan College AU stories)

Rated: E

Commentary: Such a sweet AU. I’m not big on College Aus, but this one won my heart with how charming and original it is. I love the first fanfic, and the other two are just as lovely and warm. 

mystery item by rycan_toucan

Summary: ” – okay. remember last week when you, jen, steven and i went drinking and i had, like, eight and a half shots of whiskey?“

“i specifically remember the half, yes.”

“impressive. anyway, i ended up not passing out when i got home and did some high quality online shopping, instead.”***

ryan bought a thing, they both find it extremely funny and have a good time.

Rated: T

Commentary: The boys are so silly and happy in this little thing, oh my God, I’m smiling as I remember this fic.

 the proposal(s) by ghostwheeze

Summary: Two times Shane and Ryan pretended to propose and one time it was real.

Rated: G

Commentary: I tagged this as “chicken soup for the soul” because that’s what it is. It’s so cute and fluffy. I love it.

gayer than expected by juniperprose

Summary: Ryan sees Shane in his new glasses, and realizes that he may be less straight than he originally thought.

Rated: G

Commentary: NFNFINEIFRO, this one is so funny. I mean, just look at the title. Also, juniperProse is one of the best authors out there, you are gonna love this one.

i would like that by crimsonflowerz

Summary: The third person who knew Ryan was trans was the ghost that haunted his apartment.

Rated: T

Commentary: This one fanfic is the sweetest thing I’ve read and I love my boys so much in it. Ryan is precious and wonderful, and so damn relatable, while Shane is just– amazingly sweet and protective. Honestly, the way the author wrote them has me crying still and I’ve read this wonder a million times by now.

the lube fic by inkstainsonmyhands

Summary: Someone sends Ryan a 55-gallon drum of lube, and Shane finds a good use for it.

Rated: Not rated (M, I think)

Commentary: Like I have said before, Joey is the best and he always gives us the best content. This one is hot and funny. Also, it’s in his oneshots anthology, Between a Crucifix and the Hollywood Sign. This fic is so much fun… and has daddy kink, though.

por favor, sweetheart by carrieonfighting

Summary: Two dorks raise a baby and don’t even realise they’re doing it together until it’s too late

Alternatively, Ryan Bergara is Trying His Best Thanks

Rated: T

Commentary: This adorable fic made me so happy when I first read it, I want everyone to feel the same way. Boy, this is perfect. I really like this author’s narrative and POVs, this is strong writing at its best, and I really hope you enjoy it.

unsolved by areneecz

Summary: The fluff-fueled antics of Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej.

Rated: M (but not really, is like T)

Commentary: OH THIS ONE. It’s so good, so pure, so cute. Shane calls Ryan “sweetheart” and I just fucking MELTED.

seasonal affective (but you affect me more) by cactsu

Summary: Shane finds and calls a stranger’s number during a drunken night of looking through a phone book. Definitely an odd decision to make on his part, but it’s probably the best decision he’s ever made.Maybe this Christmas won’t suck so much after all.

Rated: G

Chapters: 4/6

Commentary: One of the most charming and wonderfully written AUs I’ve read in this fandom, with amazing characterization and dialogues. Shane’s POV is wonderful and the dialogue just perfect. I love this fic.

things you said in the moonlight. by idkspookystuff

Summary:  Ryan invites Shane to spend the night, only he hasn’t told his boyfriend he’s transgender yet.orryan’s trans, he gets his period, and shane loves him despite everything.

Rated: T

Commentary: Such a sweet little fanfic that I love with all my heart. Trans Ryan AU, he and Shane had just started to date and everything is cute.

perfect by skepticseptic

Summary: They knew there was something going on between them. It was only a matter of time before one of them made a move.

Rated: G

Commentary: PURE, BEAUTIFUL, SOFT, FLUFF. You are going to die happy reading this one, I mean– it’s so beautiful and also based on one of my favorite songs in the world.

what’s the point of this again? by touchinghearts

Summary: When Ryan invites Shane back for a holiday week to meet his family during a big reunion, it doesn’t even occur to Shane that it could be a big deal.

Rated: T

Commentary: One of my favorite fanfics in the entire fandom. It’s heartwarming and portrays the best of all worlds Ryan’s multiple cultures have. It also has the wonder of having them in one of the best ways I have seen their relationship writen with one of the best endings overall. It’s a really sweet fic, everyone should read it.

keep you like an oath by spoopyy

Summary: "I’m in love with you,” Ryan says, desperate.

“No, you’re in love with the views.”

Rated: Not rated. (I’d say T)

Commentary: I’m all for fake dating and this fic is the only one that has actually explore this sort of AU in the fandom. It’s a lot of fun to read and Shane’s feelings are so intense, when Ryan has the realization that he has feelings for Shane is just– so good. All of it is amazing. This author, man. I’m so sad they aren’t posting anymore because their fics are some of the best in the whole fandom.

Unsolved Coffee Crimes by NightWinds

Summary: Ryan works at Unsolved Coffee Crimes, a café that specializes in not only coffee, but also crime solving!

Rated: G

Commentary: Beautiful piece right here! It has such a fun and cute concept in it, one of the best plots, and it escaltes quickly. Shane is just wonderful in this, I loved him with all my heart and just– this fic is really beautiful.

the supernatural’s not out to get you by kathakoito

Summary: Shane is cthulhu. Ryan’s a skeptic.

Rated: G

Commentary: Listen, I bookmarked this fic at AO3 as “WHEN TENTACLES ARE CUTE” and that’s all you need to know about it. This is one of my favorite fics in the fandom.

i think i’m still turning out by the_tenerife_sea

Summary: Shane is starting to think Ryan is using him for his baby, considering how much he’s already talked her up to all of their coworkers and friends.

____

Or the one where Shane is a new parent, and Ryan is always there for him (and his daughter, of course).

Rated: T

Commentary: This is actually part of a series, a good one if you may. It’s fluffy and it shows the good and bad of having a child, especially when one is not prepared. I’m not all that okay with the way Sara was writen, but it’s part of the story to some degree. Other than that, the truth is that it’s well writen and it’s sweet.

the holiday by anotherlostblogger

Summary: Up-and-coming LA producer Ryan Bergara and NY Times food columnist Steven Lim are both unlucky in love and eager to get away from their hometowns for Christmas. When they do a house-swap for the holiday season they might find more than they had initially expected.

HOO BOY everyone strap yo'selves in and get ready for the 2006 romcom mashup of your life.

Rated: M

Chapters: 11/12

Commentary: The Holiday is one of my favorite movies in the world, and this fic is based on it. A literal romcom! With two of my favorite ships! (shyan and standrew)! I need you to read this asap and be free of sadness, this is one of the cutest most warmest fics out there.

Like Sugar by poetdameron

Summary: Sunday mornings were never interesting, so Shane was totally not expecting a half naked guy sleeping on his couch, changing his every day just by existing.

Rated: T

Commentary: I wrote this one, from a comment on it: “This is adorable, they're so smitten and dorky and awkward when they realize they really want to go for it, and Ryan using the sugar excuse to finally move things along cracked me up. What goofs

something a demon would say by east (westage)

Summary: Ryan wants to prove that Shane is a demon, and/or an alien, and Shane just wants to ask Ryan out on a date.

“The jig is up, Shane Madej! I know what you really are!”

Rated: G

Commentary: This fic has one of my favorite endings of all time. It’s fun and funny, and characterization is wonderful. Also, Shane has a not-so-secret crush on Ryan and it’s adorable.

Do You Take This Man by touchinghearts

Summary: Ryan’s new favourite nickname for Shane is ‘husband’.

Rated: G

Commentary: Beautiful fic! A small piece with the purest, most wonderful fluff. Ideal for when shit is going down and you just need to smile a little. Also, great narrative and dialogues.

conflict of interest by spoopyy

Summary: Shane is a high school science teacher who really hates his job. He bumps into a passionate, but lonely history teacher named Ryan, who just might make teaching worth it.

Rated: Not rated.

Commentary: In this AU, Ryan and Shane are both teachers, and is the literal best thing in the world. A complete feel better fic, chicken soup for the soul, that doesn’t fall in the category of fluffy and simple. No, it’s so much more. It’s beautiful. It explores an actual relationship between adults and how two people fall in love as they get to know the other better.

fresh eyes by inkstainsonmyhands

Summary: Soulmate au where when you reach 18 you stop aging until you meet your soulmate? After a few years of being roommates (they were roommates through college and then just moved in together afterwards) shane and Ryan realize they’ve been slowly aging together (Bonus points if one of them realizes first and has to bring it up to the other person)

Rated: T

Commentary: This soulmate AU is such a cute little thing, I love it. It’s like a bunch of wonderful tropes in one well written and perfect fic.

mausoleum by ghostwheeze

Summary: How about…. Ryan and Shane are stuck in a room for some reason (Maybe the doorknob broke off…?) And Ryan is absolutely terrified. The sexual tension has been high between the two for a while and so Shane decides… fuck it, and does something to distract Ryan ;)

Rated: T

Commentary: This fic has something… something that makes me love it, and I’m sure you are gonna love it, too. It’s so good and hot, even if they are just— not doing... you know what, and yeeeeet. I love it.

maybe, kinda by babbyspanch

Summary: Ryan is having a tough day. Okay, tough week. Alright it’s been a tough few months but he’s got it handled okay? He’s handed over the editing of Unsolved to a team and now… well he’s still distracted, but he’s trying.

But, Shane just makes it really hard to focus.

Rated: G

Commentary: Such a sweet fic, man. I love the fluff in this… and the pining!

not-so spooky stuff by boysandghouls (blindedbythetomlinsun)

Summary: There’s a guy here. Shane has no clue if he works here or not, but, like, oh my god.

He’s scared. Of the animatronics.

“Now’s not a good time,” the guy snaps, but it’s hard to take him seriously when he flinches every time the motion-sensitive robots start to move.

“Just leave the corner,” Shane suggests, still chuckling at the sight.

“I don’t know how!” the man protests, yelping as one of the robots brushes against his shoulder. He immediately makes a beeline for Shane, staying at his side.

“What do you mean, you don’t know how?” Shane parrots incredulously.

or: Shane and Ryan accidentally get locked inside a Spirit Halloween after-hours.

Rated: G

Commentary: Shane’s POV in this fic is wonderful, It may be my favorite in thew hole fandom. He is so damn funny, and it melts so well with the story, it’s incredible. The dialogues here are great, too, especially because the characterization is very loyal to their actual voices. The plot is original and just fun. You gotta read it.

me and you by saturninemartial

Summary: “Have you ever thought about getting married?”“That’s a loaded question if I ever heard one.”“Never mind, forget I said anything.”

Rated: M

Chapters: 2/2

Commentary: The start of a series I’m very interested in. This lovely fic has all I love in my fluff: love, cuteness, marriage proposals and sweet lovemaking.

and i’m puffing my chest, getting red in the face by pissedofsandwich

Summary: “Zack’s going to be there?“ Shane asks, masking his… whatever it is he’s feeling in his chest, with nonchalance.

Ryan blinks. “Yes?”

Well, never mind dancing with the fucking sun. He’s Icarus, wings melted and falling face-first into the asphalt.

Or: Shane is definitely not at all jealous of how close Zack and Ryan are getting during the making of Sports Conspiracies. Except that he is.

Rated: T

Commentary: One of my favorite fanfics that also has jealous!Shane and one of the most funniest climax ever. All their co-workers are damn angels, you gotta read this, it’s incredible. Also, kudos to poor Zack having the rage of a jealous Shane Alexander Madej with a cup of coffee in his hands.

Thursday: Turquoise Taupe by shaniacbergara

Summary: Shane Madej’s hometown is…well, a little bit different than most. He and Ryan take a trip there.

Rated: G

Commentary: One of my favorite fics in the fandom. It has an original idea and it’s the first with this crossover that inspired a lot of fun things during the week it was posted. And as for the story, I really like the way Shane and Ryan’s relationship is writen, and how important it is to Shane that Ryan knows where he is from, and his family. The end of this fic is one of my favorites. Enjoy!

breathe out so i can breathe you in by trxshmxuth

Summary: They’ve been tiptoeing around each other for months now, walking on ice so thin that Ryan can practically see the sexual tension swirling and raging underneath. Ryan’s almost afraid that when the ice finally cracks, he’s not going to be able to resurface again.

On their next Unsolved investigation, the ice breaks.

Rated: M

Commentary: Another kinda cute smut fic that I love. I can’t say much because it’s short os you gotta read it, I’m just gonna say– it’s nice. Also, arousal from fear is something… that happens. I love it.

kiss me like you mean it by rocketshiptospace

Summary: “Hi,” Tall man says, taking in the sight in front of him. “I’m sorry, I heard banging and yelling and I just, are you okay?”

“No. Yes. Maybe,” Ryan says, slowly standing back up on two legs again. “My door won’t open.” He eventually ads, when him and Tall man have just stared at each other for a few seconds.

“That’s unfortunate,” Tall man says, smiling at him. He has a really nice smile. “But it happens. It’s an old building, you know. Doors get stuck sometime. Here, let me try,” He steps past Ryan, and places his hand on the door handle. The door swings open like it’s nothing.

or, Ryan’s apartment building plays matchmaker

Rated: G

Commentary: I second this rec. This is such a wonderful AU, so sweet and fluffy, and interesting with this idea that the building they live in is, in fact, kind of alive. And ships them. Yes, a building is all of us. And man– just the situations they are put through, it’s all so good. Incredibly sweet. The ending is wonderful, I love it.

a short history of almost something by cooliohoolio

Summary: "I think I’ll wait another year.“

Shane’s in love with Ryan, and will get around to telling him. One of these days.

Rated: Not Rated (G)

Commentary: This fic is… so damn cute. All of it. The scenes with them out in the grass, looking at the stars, are wonderful. It’s really a cute thing to read for when you are in a bad moment.

~ On tumblr only:

shyan dressed up as skysolo for halloween by @ghostwheeze - Commentary: This whole fic is cute and funny as hell. Also, Steven’s costume is everything.

trans ryan wants a baby by @faequill​ - Commentary: THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE FICS IN THE WORLD. I love it so much, it’s wonderful.

shane has a question for ryan by @en-sam-malas- Commentary: Oh my God, this is one of the cutest things I’ve ever read! It made me all giggly and red. 

[livingwithashipname-blog]

Ermanda’s Inner Sanctum: Into the Badlands “Chapter XVI: Wolf’s Breath, Dragon Fire”

This post is not an easy one because of the ending, so I will start with the easier stuff.  Overall, the season 2 finale was solid.  Some long-standing motives were revealed.  We saw loyalty and obligation constantly interchange.  We saw more of the Badlands, learned more about the other barons, and caught a glimpse outside the wall through Sunny and Bajie’s captivity and escape.  The fight scenes were spectacular, as always.  Have I mentioned that these weapons, but mainly the swords, are truly works of art?!  They really are!  Even though this finale didn’t answer a lot of questions, the unanswered ones have an opportunity to be resolved in a 16-episode season 3.  

Azra & the Abbotts: Past, Present, & Future

The Widow 

As seen since season 1, The Widow's ultimate plan was attached to the Azra book.  She wanted what she once lost in order to defeat her enemies.  Her reputation as a ruthless killer to create a free society where men and women are equals was a constant hurdle to overcome, but there was nobility in that plight because it was formed from personal experience.  However, her strategy clearly revealed that saving women and offering freedom from the oppressive construct of the Badlands was a secondary goal.  Once she unapologetically made decisions that were contrary with her message to her followers, it tainted her character in their eyes to the point that she lost the trust of those in her inner circle.  But don't get it twisted.  She still has power in this game, but she will eventually reap the consequences of these decisions.  Those she wants most in her life are aware and making moves to protect their own personal interests from exploitation. 

M.K.

M.K. feels free of the burden his power created.  He doesn't want it back.  This is understandable given that his gift has been used as a pawn by everyone he has encountered while he sought answers about Azra and his mother.  Yes, even Sunny used him at one point (back in season 1).  Though he’s convinced his mother is dead, he is still in the dark about how Azra ties to the Abbotts, his "gift," and The Master.  The course of events suggest that M.K. lost his power by means of the operation he saw in the compound, but this is not entirely clear.  Therefore, I still consider the cause unknown.  Furthermore, he has made a deal with The Widow that could end in his death or enslavement if he doesn't win.  It will be interesting to see how his story unfolds next season since we didn’t get much progression on this story in the finale.  

Bajie  

Let's just point out one thing that has been apparent since Bajie and Sunny met: Bajie knows a lot more than he leads everyone to believe.  He is also a lot more noble than his actions suggest.  The reason he hasn't been written off by Sunny, M.K., and others after some sketchy moves is because of his uncanny ability to show up at the right moment to save the day.  However, one must hold tight to the skeptic hat with this guy!  He swipes the Azra compass, acts oblivious when asked to interpret the Widow's book, surrenders/sells Sunny to captors by revealing his identity as a clipper, and travels to this obscure location on Sunny's bike, leaving him, Veil, and Henry behind.  Good intentions are present, but one is always left wondering who is to benefit at the end of day.  I am happy that we are returning to the intrigue of the Azra plot through Bajie.  It’s becoming obvious that the first things we learn about Azra, or whatever/whomever Bajie summoned, will start with him, not M.K. or The Widow.  I want to see more of his nobility contrast with questionable decisions.  It makes things very interesting and fits the overall message in the show!  

Quinn & Lydia  

Lydia

I can see why Quinn loved to keep Lydia close despite his obsession with Veil and Henry.  She is a formidable woman who can defend herself when necessary.  But she has been on this roller coaster ride with Quinn for a long time.  She has made some terrible decisions to survive - all being a caveat of a victim of abuse and oppression.  She tried religious redemption, but that got tossed to the side when Quinn returned and murdered their son, Ryder.  Though she came back to Quinn and got trapped in his clutches once again, she fought to take him down in his own compound.  It didn't work, but Sunny's arrival gave her the chance to create her own path.  Where will she go?  What is her next move?  

Quinn

Quinn was such an intriguing villain!  His quest for unquestioned power and a royal family made him a force in the Badlands.  Everyone knows it's "kill or be killed" more with Quinn than anyone else in this world.  But at the end of the day, he was an abuser and master manipulator.  His untimely end was coming by Sunny's hand - a man he tried to emulate in a very twisted way.  That time came.  And I am not gonna lie and say that I am sad and gonna miss him.  It's quite the opposite... BOY BYE!!!  He had his moment.  But he had to take a final sacrifice with him because he's like a cat with nine lives!  I will say that I will miss Marton Csokas and his mastery of villainy!  He portrays it so well!  

And now this brings me to the part of the episode that I absolutely hated from a writing perspective...

A Moonlight Family Reunion: Sunny, Veil, & Henry  

Veil dies.  It's not shocking if you take foreshadowing in seasons 1 & 2 into account.  Veil’s eventual death became apparent this season when Waldo's advice to Sunny about focus and the tribulations of the clipper/regent life came up again during his chat with Tilda about her new role.  I also figured that Moon's prophecy would eventually come full circle since Sunny's use of his sword after battle serves as a symbolic reminder of familial sacrifice and identity struggles.  While I am sad that Veil is gone, I am upset with the setup that leads to her death!

First, Sunny was destined to return and duel with Quinn one more time to save his family.  Considering what happened last time, he should have made sure Quinn was dead by slitting his jugular for good measure.  When I watched Sunny run to Veil and Henry and drop his sword to the ground instead of returning it to his holster, I sensed something provocative was coming.  I wasn't convinced that Quinn was finally dead.  I took Sunny's eagerness to finally depart with his family distracted him from ensuring Quinn was dead into consideration, but it doesn't fit with his characterization for these two seasons.  He is not a dumb clipper!  Or else he would have been dead already.  He is super focused in battle and doesn't make silly mistakes.  Therefore, I have a hard time believing that he could be so careless.  

Second, Veil is a brilliant doctor and inventor.  How can I believe that she doesn't have better precision with the choice to stab herself to clip Quinn simultaneously?!  It's really hard for me to grasp this when other characters have worse injuries from battle and survive.  If Veil HAD to die in order to fulfill that prophecy, I would have preferred her succumbing to a bad injury in the battle crossfire (i.e., an unfortunate casualty), which would have been just as emotionally riveting without insult to Sunny or Veil's characterization.  But alas, that move was taken with Bajie to create the mystery in the final scene so...  Another avenue could have been to give the family the win and let them walk off to create the life they've desired since season 1 but insert some type of latent PTSD element - a battle of intent vs. reality - that could be seen as a flip of Sunny's dream when he was hit with the fingers of five poisons.  I think the latter would fit with the message in the show that the Badlands always leaves a mark no matter how badly one wants or tries to change.  

Overall, the nature of Veil's death possessed no honor in my opinion.  It was a dramatized means to complete the foreshadowing.  Ava died protecting M.K. with more honor than Veil sacrificing herself to save Henry.  As one of the purest characters in the story, she was a glimmer of hope amongst many others whose lives are a lot more complicated whether by choice or circumstance.  And now that light has been snuffed out.  We barely had a chance to see Veil exist separately from Sunny's story or Quinn's.  Her relationship with Sunny in season 1 had to remain under wraps.  She and Henry were victims of abuse caught between Quinn and The Widow's alliance all throughout season 2.  She had her faults while making moves to survive and escape Quinn's compound.  But for a show where diversity is celebrated, it's hard to see the only black female series regular written out of the story via death without any true victory held for longer than 2 minutes.  It adds to a Hollywood pattern that is seen FAR TOO OFTEN!  

Now a fan suggested on Twitter (and probably by more fans on other sites) that the power of the Abbotts or whatever Azra possesses could bring Veil back to life.  I like the idea, but I am skeptical of it for several reasons.  The season finale provided closure in some stories, but not a lot.  Plus, we don't know if Azra is technological, mystical, or both and how it ties with The Master and the Abbotts.  Until these elements are fully realized in the story, I don't see what literary advantage is found in Veil's revival without some type of catch like the redemption stone in the Harry Potter series.  Despite all of this, Daniel Wu (Sunny) has confirmed that both Quinn and Veil are dead.  There are no plans to bring either one of them back, especially Quinn. 

Lingering Questions  

What is Azra? Is it a technological hub or some type of mystical city?  

How did The Widow, M.K., and Bajie completely lose their powers?  It's not entirely clear and I think that we have to learn more about Azra and secrets of the Abbott compound to get this answer and understand it.  

Is there more to Waldo's backstory?  How does it fit to where he is a known traitor but respected and feared despite his disability?  What's the appeal in him being a baron?  

What is Tilda's path now that she is free and running with Odessa trying to figure out a way to save M.K. from The Widow?  

Where is Jade?  

Is the conclave the only time we learn more about the other barons (whether they are dead or alive) and their lands in the show?  

What's The Widow's new game plan?

[grrrenadine]

MONTHLY MEDIA: January 2017

Hi everyone! This year I’ve decided to take a page out of illustrator Andrew Kolb’s book and compile monthly lists of what I read & watch in order to keep better track of my media consumption.

For those of you who have no interest in this: everything will be under a readmore, and you can blacklist the “mk monthly media” tag and never see this content on your dashboard again.

Let’s see whether I can keep this going for the entire year!

……….FILM……….

La La Land (2016)

Sure, it’s overhyped and, on a meta level, irritating in its unfounded insistence on its underdog status. However, it’s also genuinely charming and joyous, refreshingly lacking in irony, and concerned with the relatable theme of career anxiety. I was pretty much spellbound by the lush visuals and the camerawork, especially in the film’s opening scene (a traffic jam that transforms into a major song-and-dance number). And yeah, some of the music’s good, too.

Arrival (2016)

A movie that starts out a thriller but ends a melodrama, with most of its elements derivative of a number of (better) books and movies in the sci-fi genre. Thankfully, Amy Adams is really good, and the human / alien interaction has a real sense of wonder to it. Also, as far as I know, this is the only Hollywood blockbuster based on the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis (yay?..).

Moonlight (2016)

A tender, lyrical movie about escaping vicious cycles and, um, finding love in a hopeless place. As a meditation on black masculinity and vulnerability, the film’s excellent; as a character study, less so, since the protagonist is so quiet as to remain a cipher personality-wise. Still, the great supporting performances (e.g. Mahershala Ali as a wise drug dealer father figure) and the touching ending make up for the all the instances of broad plot strokes.

Gattaca (1997)

The premise and the science behind it have aged well, but shoddy execution turns what could have been a pretty great movie into a morality tale — replete with endlessly dull voiceover narration, an overbearing score, and wooden lead performances. The most nuanced thing about this movie is Jude Law’s suicidal athlete character and his partnership / friendship with the protagonist (feat. homoerotic undertones!) I really hope someone talented recognizes the remake potential of this film and breathes new life into the plot.

Cafe Society (2016)

Woody Allen’s latest movie offering is meatless and breezy, and only notable for two things: the brief but funny subplot about the protagonist’s brother converting to Christianity, and Kristen Stewart being exceptionally lovely. 

Bad Santa (2003) & Bad Santa 2 (2016)

The first Bad Santa movie is as good as its sequel is bad: it’s engaging and subversive, and Billy Bob Thornton plays his part with all the pathos required of a much more serious role, lending soul to an otherwise regular black comedy. Bad Santa 2, however, is vulgar for vulgarity’s sake, all subtlety and ambiguity thrown to the wolves. P.S. Special thanks to both films for showing that autistic kids don’t necessarily have to be cute or precocious.

Fright Night (2011)

A super fun take on the vampire genre: the little touches of realism (leather pants are itchy! guys don’t actually want to have sex all the time!), the nice bits of characterization (a capable female sidekick! an alpha male construction worker vampire who watches bad TV!) and great acting from everyone involved add up to something I can see myself rewatching down the road. Oh, and good luck getting the bluegrass “99 Problems” unstuck from your head.

……….TV……….

Sherlock (series 4)

This was bad; the writing team’s forays into imitations of Skyfall (ep. 1) and The Silence of the Lambs (ep. 3) are vastly inferior to the films they’re aping and (in my opinion) betray a lack of original ideas. I think it’s pretty telling that the single good episode of the season (the tense, nightmarish “The Lying Detective”) is the only one based on a Sherlock Holmes story. I’ve heard that this was the last season of the show, and if that’s the case, well, so long.

Yuri!!! On Ice (episodes 7-12)

Sports anime aren’t my thing, but this one was sweet and uncomplicated, and, unexpectedly, it got most of the details about Russia right. I also really enjoyed the voice acting (...not the animation, though).

The Legend of Korra (seasons 2, 3)

LoK lacks the streamlined road-trip narrative of its predecessor, which is both a blessing and a curse. The plot moves in mysterious ways (good), but is often disjointed and rife with pacing issues and ass pulls (bad). Still, Korra is a nicely conflicted protagonist, the relationships between the show’s women are compelling, and I love the “Roaring Twenties” steampunk setting.

The best episode of the seasons is the two-parter “Beginnings”, which charts the, uh, beginnings of the Avatar cycle and can be viewed as a standalone installment. It’s beautifully animated, with the introduction to the Spirit World recalling the works of Hayao Miyazaki. I wish season 3 took more time exploring (spoiler!) the merging of the spirit and physical worlds, but alas.

(Speaking of season 3: its finale is a thrilling, scary ride, and it’s made me super excited for the show’s final season).

Black Mirror (“Men Against Fire”, “Hated in the Nation”)

Among the six season 3 offerings, I’d rank these episodes — a war film and a police procedural, both with very obvious plot twists — at no. 3 and 4, respectively. “Men Against Fire” gives additional depth to an overused metaphor, whereas the overlong “Hated in the Nation” rehashes the theme of anonymous justice (by now a staple of Black Mirror). 

……….BOOKS……….

Murder Must Advertise (1933; Dorothy L. Sayers)

I’m a pretty big fan of the mystery novel, and my go-to author of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction is Dorothy L. Sayers — a less convoluted but wittier Agatha Christie. Her Lord Peter Wimsey books are fairly well-written, and their protagonist, at his best, reminds me of a Bertie Wooster with brains. (At worst, he’s an insufferable Marty Stu).

He falls on the “worst” end of scale in this particular novel, which sees him take up a job as a copywriter at an ad agency in order to solve the mysterious death of one of its employees. The mystery itself takes a backseat to the goings-on at the office, i.e. the squabbles, intrigues and work problems that plague its staff. It’s a lot like Mad Men, but without all the relationship stuff. 

Since I myself work in marketing, I found a lot of the observations hilarious and relatable — no small feat for a book that’s older than my grandparents.