#depending on how vampirism blends with the Hero's Spirit

[alasse-earfalas]

Linked Universe x Mercy Thompson crossover idea.

Somehow the Chain are dropped into the MT world and ambushed by a rogue werewolf pack or something. They're all (or at least several of them are) mauled badly enough to undergo the change.

Twi gets control of his wolf the fastest (since he's more acquainted with being a wolf), but for reasons nobody in the Chain quite understand, it's Sky's wolf who ends up as alpha. There's a ton of in-fighting at first because they all have the Spirit of the Hero, and thus a stupidly powerful instinct to protect. Given their own packs, every single one of them would be an alpha, no question.

They show up near the Tri-cities, and Adam of course finds out & gets involved because what is this entire pack of alpha-level wolves doing in my territory?, which would then lead to Bran getting involved for the same reason.

I think Hylians (and also Hylian Heroes, specifically) would probably be considered their own brand of preternatural creature. But then they go and add werewolf to the mix (accidentally) and you're left with some crazy powerful—and good—Hero wolves. Their wolves inherit some of their abilities (Four can shrink, Twi can change easily, Ruley can do magic, Wind can see ghosts, etc), so they end up being even more powerful (or at least more versatile) than vanilla werewolves.

Edit:

Okay no what makes this even more funny is the image of Adam showing up with his pack after scenting nine super-dominant wolves in the area, only to find a group of eight teenagers and their adopted dad (who isn't even their alpha somehow??), ranging in size from Exactly Average Height Time all the way down to ankle-biter Four.

And yet these pipsqueaks are all dominant enough to be alphas in their own right.

[criesblood]

; I’ve been working on some sub-verses and some AU verses for Mary, you can find them HERE ! Anyone is free to request them when you like a starter call or send me a meme, or plot with me! ooor honestly just toss them at me if you write me a starter! They include verses for Harry Potter, historical/legendary/epic settings, The Vampire Diaries/The Originals, The Hundred, Bates Motel, a college verse, The Following and a Heroes/Marvel/DC/etc verse. She is still Bloody Mary, the spirit, in all of them, but there are twists. I still want to have an OUAT verse, maybe a pirate verse and a few others, but these will come later.

The verses are under the cut for my own reference but if you wanna check them out you should go HERE because I have more pretty icons there and you should appreciate them haha!

v; slithering through mirrors (Hogwarts)

Mary Worthington was a 5th year Slytherin student at Hogwarts, but something had changed by the time 6th year started. Her friends and other students could tell something was off-- Mary was skipping a lot of classes and sometimes her eyes would spontaneously bleed. The professors didn’t acknowledge it or brushed it off, but they added a mysterious mirror to the Slytherin girls’ dormitory; they knew what happened. Mary kept it a secret from everybody else but the truth was she was dead now. Murdered during the summer between 5th and 6th year, her restless, vengeful spirit attached itself to a mirror. The magical energy surrounding Hogwarts helps her stay corporeal and out of the mirror (though she can still be summoned too), and the legend of Bloody Mary has yet to spread. Who killed her, how she died and the mythology behind the mirror, the summoning, the killing etc are exactly like in Mary’s main verse, but she is a born witch here; no demonic deals needed. Also note she is eternally sixteen in this verse, the only verse where she is underage.

v; the legend of the dead witch (historical) 

Not a fandom-specific verse but geared toward anything that as a mythological, legendary, epic, historical or fairytale vibe. Mary Worthington was a well known powerful witch, who traveled between kingdoms and used her abilities to help others, often staying in kingly courts or powerful covens. She gained her magic not through a demonic deal but through a deal with one of the Fae, a member of the Seelie Court (the fae’s identity is thread-dependent!), who favored Mary due to her open heart and closeness with nature. Her powers are mostly relating to working with the elements, healing, glamours and of course using herbs, but can wander into darker territories if necessary. Her fame granted her many admirers but not all were convinced; some feared and were threatened by anyone who possessed magic. It was one such man who wounded her with iron (a weakness inherited from her Fae patron) and murdered her while her magic was bound. He gouged out her eyes and she tried to write a blood spell on the mirror, but couldn’t finish it before succumbing to her injuries. Perhaps it was a combination of the Fae folk watching over her, her half-done ritual on the mirror and the anger and trauma of the murder that brought her back to life, as the vengeful ghost of Bloody Mary (the summoning/killing rules are the same as in her main verse!). But instead of fading into being thought of as a myth, she made sure everyone knew she was still around, murdering those that kept murderous secrets and even innocents if they didn’t summon her correctly. She maintained her presence on the courts and covens, still trying to use her powers for good whenever she could, and her fame only grew.

v; blood sacrifices (TVD/TO)

When a witch dies with vampire blood in her system, she loses her magic and ceases being a witch; everyone knows that. But what happens if a soul that is to become a restless, vengeful spirit has vampire blood inside her upon her death? Something weird, and Bloody Mary is proof of it. Her backstory in this verse is the same as her main verse, up until the murder and attempt to write the killer’s name on a mirror. She died and was brought back to life because of the vampire blood in her system, given to her by a friend who knew a killer was after her. Mary didn’t want to live like that, so she refused to feed and died again, peacefully. That should’ve been the end, but the anger and trauma of the murder and the injustice that the murderer was never caught brought her back as the vengeful spirit known as Bloody Mary, same as the main verse. The difference is, something of the vampiric blood still affected her: she grew fangs and could sustain herself by drinking blood. Unlike a vampire, she doesn’t need to feed (she is still a ghost, after all), but whenever she’s out of the mirror, in corporeal form, she can increase the length of time she’s free by consuming the vital life energy contained in blood. Hearing that Mystic Falls and New Orleans are hotbeds of supernatural activity, she traveled to those locations in search of something that could free her from mirrors and end the curse of the bloody Mary once and for all. [Please note that her strengths and weaknesses remain that of a ghost, not a vampire. Her eyes flash red and fangs grow when she feeds and that’s about all the vampiric you get from her!]

v; space pocket mirror (The 100)

Mary Worthington was 21 when she lived on the Ark. There was a little girl she cared for like she was her own sister, and the girl got sick. Instead of a demonic deal for witchy powers like on her main verse, in this verse Mary’s solution was much more mundane. She stole antibiotics and saved the girl, but she got caught. Arrested, and floated. Her mother watched, and cried, clutching a pocket mirror Mary had given her as a way to remain close to her family in the afterlife. The last thing Mary saw as she drifted into space was this blinding light that hurt her eyes, and then she was dead. And then she was back--- kind of, thanks to the anger over her death sentence being unfair, and seeing her mother’s grief. Mary’s spirit was stuck inside the mirror now, bloody tears coming from her eyes, the only way to free her was with a surge of energy...which she didn’t know about. When The 100 were sent down to Earth, someone took the mirror too, unknowingly bringing Bloody Mary along for the ride and separating her from her family again. The violence freed her from her prison (the mirror/summoning rules are the same as her main verse) and a girl that lived her whole life in space has to learn to adapt to living on a nearly empty Earth, among nature and enemies.

v; the eyes are the windows to the soul (The Following)

I’ve yet to come across any muses from TF, but a girl can hope (this verse works well with any police investigation type of universe, anyway!) With Mary’s canon death involving her eyes being gouged out, and Joe Carroll’s canon MO being exactly that, the verse kind of wrote itself. Mary was a modern day witch, pursuing an English degree at Winslow University, Virginia, right around the time the Virginia Campus Murders started . Nobody suspected the rather well-liked (and Edgar Allan Poe obsessed, thus equating beauty with death) literature professor, Joe Carroll, of being a serial killer. Unfortunately for Mary, she fit his victim profile to a T, and he killed her. Drawing her last breaths, she wrote the letter J on a mirror, attempting to write the name of the killer, but she died before finishing. Several other female students would still be murdered before FBI agent Ryan Hardy apprehended Joe. The traumatic death and the anger at the injustice kept Mary’s spirit trapped in mirrors, and from that point on everything is the same as her main verse, with one addition: when the cult of Joe emerged she did her best to work with the police to find them, but only very few people within the task force knew one of Joe’s victims had returned as a ghost.

v; peering through a broken mirror (Bates Motel)

A sub-verse that is part of her main verse, started as a thing between me and ofwrittenschemes’ Norman but open to anyone that wants to interact within this setting! Everything is the same as the main verse up until two girls who are staying at the Bates Motel decide to play the Bloody Mary game, summoning Mary who has no choice but to kill them. Just as the now-corporeal ghost stepped out of the mirror, motel manager Norman came into the room and Mary had to quickly pretend that she was a victim too, the only survivor of a paranormal attack. Little does she know that Norman is hiding something too. Now Mary is staying in White Pine Bay, a small town with a history of crime, conspiracies and mob wars, and the pair have some crimes to cover up, some crimes to try and solve, and they have to decide whether to trust each other with their secrets or not. At least until Mary’s time is up and she’s swept back into the mirror.

v; haunted sorority house (college)

Also a sub-verse that is part of her main verse, meaning everything is the same up until she is summoned by some college boys playing the Bloody Mary game. They die, the energy lets her loose on campus, where curiosity and a desire to live a normal life make her decide to stay and blend in, pretending to be a student with an undeclared major. She even manages to rush a sorority, all while keeping her ghostly identity a secret from most.

v; vengeful vigilante (Heroes/DC/Marvel)

Also a sub-verse that is part of her main verse, meaning everything is the same up until the rise of superheroes and supervillains. The wave of vigilante crime fighting resonates with Mary, who decides to put her supernatural skills to good use whenever she’s out of the mirror and learns how to physically fight too. She finds those guilty of murder and gets them arrested or, sometimes, killed. Whenever she’s out crime fighting she wears black, ties her hair up and often times she’s crying blood; Mary doesn’t bother with a mask because she can’t be caught or found anyway--- she lives in mirrors and is a spirit that died centuries ago. She goes by Blood Tears, but many people refer to her as Bloody Mary because she ‘reminds them of the urban legend’, not realizing she is, in fact, the urban legend. They usually assume she’s some kind of metahuman/evo/mutant that can travel through mirrors and/or control blood. She’s not a hero, she’s an antihero who is not above murder and petty crimes if they help her stop other killers.

[dailycharacteroption]

Pact Wizard (Wizard Archetype; Haunted Heroes)

Sharing the same themes as its namesake yesterday, today’s version of the pact wizard does indeed also draw upon otherworldly influence to gain great power, but instead of being focuses on conjuration and specific species of outsider, today we’re looking at a wizard that instead invites powerful patrons, many of which are similar to those bonded with witches, not only for knowledge but even letting them manifest partially through them.

Such a drastically different pact takes a toll on their minds and bodies, but whether such power is worth it depends on the wizard.

With a powerful spirit manifesting through them, these wizards are truly never alone, calling upon them for aid, but also enjoying (or perhaps putting up with) their company, though how talkative their patron is may vary quite a lot.

Most, however, consider this path to power to be even more risky than others. After all, the caster must not only find a spirit willing to bond with them, but also trust (or be desperate enough) to let them in. When it is successful, however, it is a terrifyingly powerful combination.

 Thanks to the mental ally in their head, these mages can memorize their spells in record time.

Additionally, their patron grants them additional spell knowledge for their book similar to those granted to witches, and they can even spontaneously convert other prepared spells into these patron spells, with the exception of the spell slots granted by their school.

Over time, however, the presence of the patron spirit within and around their bodies begins to take its toll, but not without added benefits. They develop a harmful affliction that slowly begins to manifest natural or supernatural workarounds, similar to an oracle, though developing much slower. They also gain the ability to call upon their patron to bolster their spells and their bodies and minds, later blending their own intellect into the exchange. They also can add metamagical power to spells more efficiently, reducing the required power increase. The most powerful, however, are able to bolster themselves so much with their patron that particularly impressive demonstrations of guile automatically succeed.

A wizard archetype that prepares spells faster, can reroll various casting-related rolls, and even get more use out of metamagic by reducint spell slot level increase, all in exchange for taking an oracle curse that progresses much more slowly, never gaining the full benefits? This archetype is the very picture of dangerous pacts and rewards. You’ll be great at various wizarding things, but have difficulties due to the curse, which can range from limited mobility to difficulty speaking and any other oracle curse out there. Carefully consider how the choice of curse and patron will affect your build, and try to have fun with it!

 Given how the art for this archetype looks, and the nature of their abilities, the patron of these wizards seems more “present” than most witches, almost like the spirits of shamans. With that in mind, one could flavor the patron as being an invisible presence that often acts as the guiding hand and conduit for the wizard’s spells, such as manifesting a floating eye for a divination spell, aiding their gestures when gathering and casting a fireball, or perhaps reaching out and grabbing things as a conduit for a telekinetic spell, and so on. Such wizards might almost resemble spiritualists. That being said, others might be flavored as the patron merely being a voice in their head, whispering the secrets of magic.

As one might expect, knowledgeable folk often have mixed feelings about these practitioners, as those biased against witchcraft might view such magic as wicked, while others might merely be unnerved by the intimate relationship they have with a voice no one else can hear.

  Sacrificing most of her vision, Ekri Valenhorp sought sight of a different sort, making a pact with The Unlidded Eye, a cosmic being that promises power over prophecy and divination. Even when performing more mundane forms of divination, she proves to be an uncanny master of prognostication, but many religious groups suspect the truth behind her oracular power.

 As an Ajibachana dhampir, many suspect Gempern of being able to steal bodies like their vetala ancestors. While still cautious of zealous vampire hunters, they revel in that misconception, and claim that, with the help of their “soul” which they claim is too big to fit in their own body, they can bend even magically resistant targets to their will with their enchantments and possession. They don’t bother mentioning that this oversized soul is actually their patron.

 Sellin the farm boy was perfectly ordinary, though his intelligence was wasted on farm work. However, one day, the ovinnik house spirit that guarded the barn came before him, claiming that someone wanted to speak with him in the woods. Endlessly curious, the lad followed, and discovered something he will not speak of, returning with a book of magic and the skill to cast from it.

[tokupedia]

Linkara’s Kamen Rider Fourze review

@atopfourthwall

REVIEW KITAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Hello, Channel Awesome fans! I am one of the many western representatives of this little fandom Mr. Lovhaug is about to encounter in the comments section of the video you see before you.

Now the first thought that some annoyed fans of his unfamiliar with KR might ask is…”Why this? This isn’t a comic!”

Ah, but a comic book creator is responsible for its inception, or in this case a manga creator: Shotaro Ishinomori. He was known for creating a lot of superheroes in Japan among other things. Plus, Kamen Rider has been adapted into superhero manga stories like Kamen Rider Spirits or Futo Detectives and its original incarnation’s main character was a manga drawing concept first before becoming a TV star.

And for those disappointed that Secret Origins Month was cut short, well this counts as an origin of a super hero, just one you are not familiar with. So ..you get three origins to heroes this year instead of four *shrugs* Plus, Lewis deserves a break and a honeymoon after all that non-stop work. :)

0:33-0:34: “Known for having an insect-like look” Hmm… fair enough. The core trait of a Kamen Rider is that they have detailed and round compounded eyes on the mask. (most of the time, some play with that aesthetic or drop it altogether). The original 15 Riders were themed after different insects and this bug theme carried over on and off again until Double. (OOO briefly brought it back with the Gatakiriba Combo). The producers, costume designers and staff also decided to play around with various costume themes aside from bugs like Oni, Japanese folklore with trains, a Vampire with a stylized pumpkin head, chimeras, wizards, video game genres ..and cars. This season’s hero as of late 2017, is organic things like animals fused with inorganic objects! (A Hawk mixed with a Gatling gun for example).

If one were to ask me personally about what the draw is, it is the slightly heavier focus on characters than fluff and a balancing stance on being as over the top and crazy as possible or having dramatic and quiet moments that invest you in what is going on….also crazy-awesome weapons and karate cyborgs and/or men in belt activated power suits who can stop/destroy evil by kicking and punching them really hard!  And bikes! Cannot forget the cool motorbikes!

Fun fact, the original Kamen Rider’s actor also played Segata Sanshiro!

0:57-1:02: “Patreon sponsors will get a KR: Dragon Knight review if they donate enough $$” Given the pattern I’ve seen so far based on this and the preceding Gokaiger review, odds are you are more likely to encounter/collide into a request for either another toku series from 2011-2012-2013 or an anniversary event of media like Gokaiger vs. Gavan or Ultraman Mebius. Am I the only one noticing that he has done anniversary seasons of different franchises and both are from 2011?

1:03-1:25 GAH! MASKED RIDER! *DEMONIC HISS* Yeah, some KR fans can agree this was a horrible mistake as Saban tried too hard to force Kamen Rider into a Power Rangers mold…which doesn’t work because there are tropes and elements that separate the two that cannot be removed to fit that format. Also the fact that KR was absent from TV for most of the ‘90s aside from clipshow specials and a 12 minute crossover with Ultraman in one said special. Using clips from the darker Shin Kamen Rider movie and the two movies directed by Keita Amemiya was just a hodgepodge mess when blended with Black RX.

1:26-1:28: Ah, Dragon Knight! A good series adaptation screwed over by 4Kids execs for those wondering why it was cancelled despite winning an Emmy.

1:43-1:53: Even Linkara dislikes Ferbus, the Jar-Jar of our fandom.

1:55-2:36: Four-Zay. It has to do with Japanese pronunciation of the “e” sound. Don’t feel bad about the complaints though, we are getting drama right now here about the correct pronunciation of the current secondary hero Kamen Rider Cross-Z. It is just one of the pitfalls of being fans or observers.

The reason for the space theme was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of man’s first flight into space, hence the astronaut motif of Fourze’s costume!

4:10-17: It’s a Space Station. Though it would be easier to identify as such if Sir Alec Guinness was present. 

4:35-37: It is a kind of male cowlick pompadour, he is reflecting the style of a high school Yanki in popular Japanese fiction. But, unlike them, he isn’t a jerk. Also, I really like saying pompadour. Pompadour, pompadour! Pooom-paa-douuur!

4:50-58: “Better to be an idiot than a tool” I want that phrase on an arts and craftsy bathroom sign that you get at a flea market to hang on my wall.

4:59-5:30: I can accept you not liking the visuals and critiquing the opening but sorta liking it, that’s fine. But... this is our jam, so let’s crank it! Ladies and gents of the uninitiated to Kamen Rider, for your possible audio pleasure I give you...SWITCH ON! by Anna Tsuchiya! Woooooooo!

5:36-42: Don’t tempt fate man. Toei is a vicious beast when it comes to Kamen Rider related materials on the interwebs, ask Des or anyone in the toku community. Also since you mentioned the complaints about subbing: *Queen music* Another one gripes the subs, another one gripes the subs, and another logs on and another logs on. Another one gripes the subs! Hey, he’s trying to do a review, but another one gripes the subs!

... Sorry.  Also, fans, be thankful he took time out of his busy (and now married) life to even do this. He could have ignored the request to do a Rider series and gave you nothing...just sayin’.

5:43-50: heheheh....Setup.

6:19-29: aaaand pay off of a man surprised by a burger toy being in a show when he was only being sarcastic about one being there. This burger thing actually has some possible explanation behind it. See Kamen Rider had changed TV sponsors in the start of the 2010s. One of those new sponsors? The American fast food giant, McDonald’s. Yeah, as part of a deal with the toy company Bandai and TV Asahi, the mighty Golden Arches could sell Happy Meal Toys (or Happy Set toys as they are known in Japan) of Kamen Rider characters and promote Bandai’s Ganbaride and later Ganbarizing arcade game by handing out special collectible trading cards in the kids meal. The Foodroids, as the assorted mini bots are called, are all coincidentally based on McDonald’s food products like McNuggets, burgers, a milkshake, french fires and the Japan exclusive McHotDog Classic. Still, not as cool as the McMegazord or a Mr. T Holographic Trading Card.

6:45-48: “Always follow the nice one talking about friendship and stuff, that person will become an all powerful god or something.” Wait....is that a Madoka reference? Hehehehe...should I tell him?

7:16-22: Well, the idea is that Gen wants to be a good friend to everyone by reaching out to people and trying to help them, even if they won’t admit that they have problems. He’s just that nice of a guy. And...it works. There is an excellent article that the now defunct Comics Alliance did a while back on Fourze that explains it better.

7:41-55: Amanogawa High School (shortened to AGHS by some fans) is a Japanese education structured school but has an American high school aesthetic, especially with social cliques and the environment reflecting one. 

(Minus the budget cuts and selfish parents and politicians refusing to pay more taxes to further improve learning and engage in creative activities, increase a teacher’s pay or failing to maintain the building and spending all the special education and tutoring money on a new football stadium)

8:01-05: That is the power of Koichi Sakamoto at work. Yes, THAT Koichi Sakamoto.

8:28-30: Powder-izer? Sounds like an Avon product, what is this... Powder-izer you speak of, stranger of our ways? I kid, I kid. I know that one’s going in the New year’s bloopers. Go easy on him folks, to err is human.

9:10-13: Yuki is useful at times and is a good friend, it depends on who’s writing the episodes how the characters act. Sometimes a Rider series can have up to four writers working on it, hence why some shows suffer in quality while others are more consistent.

9:53-10:00: “It’s a Bomb!” Ha!

10:24-26 Saw that coming a mile away...and still a good reference joke.

10:27-30: Fourze’s suit design is loosely based on another creation done by Shotaro Ishinomori, Skyzel from the Space Ironmen Kyodyne show of the mid 1970s. Fans of Lucky Star already know of that series thanks to the humorous karaoke of Konata singing the opening theme song. It took a bit of getting used to when fans first saw the suit, but most of us grew to love it!

13:07-17: That is Tomoko Nozama, a precious little cinnamon roll who is a geeky goth that is into the occult and urban legends. She will be an important thing later, but that comes past the point where he stops.

13:28-47: No surprise, this show is about the younger Millennials and the Japanese writers actually do research on subjects beforehand in some cases. Unlike the luddite schlock kings of tinseltown, who think com-pew-tors are magic boxes or write them as such thinking the audience is stupid.

14:05-08: *Driver.

14:24-30: Well, if that didn’t shock you, I know a scene in a little show called ToQger that will make you yearn for the days of seeing a bike go into space. Or a Shinkenger V-Cinema or even...Amazons.

14:40-46: Ah, legacy. The original plan for this series was that the kids would investigate the Kamen Riders and their legends and gain the powers of past Riders in switch form...which was turned down by execs due to Decade doing something like that a few years back. The idea in some ways was salvaged in expanded non-canon materials, Legend Rider toys and the Ganbaride game. Since Linkara went a bit fast on that shot, the Riders you see before you in the footage are Kamen Rider 1 (the first Rider if the number didn’t give that away), Super-1 (Rider #9 from 1980 and also astronaut themed like Fourze, only mixed with a hornet), Black RX (Evolved form of Kamen Rider Black from the late ‘80s) and Kuuga (first Kamen Rider of the new millennium) and a scanned newspaper photo clipping of Futo Tower’s destruction by the evil Kamen Rider Eternal from the Kamen Rider Double summer movie. (great film, check it out after you watch a bit of Double!)

14:50-53: Behold, the most Redbubbliest logo in our fandom!

16:40-44: *spits drink and laughs* Does....does he know what KR Ghost is? Even if he doesn’t, that is too surreal, given Ghost’s poor reception among some fans after a certain point punctuating the joke.

16:50-56: Well, Japanese Superheroes don’t really always go for the secret identity thing. It is admirable that they are willing to risk their own privacy and lives just to save someone. They don’t do the dumb thing some comic book heroes do where they have to choose between their secrecy or saving a life, they just suit up and go right to it! Plus, with such a large community of heroes with them or the confidence they can defeat their foes, risk of death is minimal in most cases unless a “defeat flag” is triggered.

18:30-34: Miu grows as a character, she does become a little nicer and realizes the value of true friends later.

19:05-08: Shun is a jerk at first, but there is a good reason for that involving his life at home.

Yeah, the fourth episode is a bit weak.

Happy you like Gentaro!

21:40-22:04: Well, it depends on the suit and Mr. Seiji Takaiwa’s direction by the film crew. Some fights are fastpaced, some slowly build and others fizzle out with a beatdown or curbstomp. I’d argue that it is more Gentaro being new to fighting in-suit as he later learns things like kick boxing, gets better at using his Astroswitches and mixing his fighting style with the use of his jetpack. Koichi Sakamoto did a good job on the out of suit fight action and the battles got more intense in the movies due to a higher budget.

All in all, a fun time for everyone! Now I did see the comments of those who were curious about where to start with Kamen Rider and I’ll answer with the usuals that most recommend: Black, Amazon, Kuuga, Den-O, Double, the original 1971 show, OOO, Ex-Aid, Drive and Gaim. 

Before leaving this post, I have something to personally say to Mr. Lovhaug and the KR fandom will agree this is a good choice…

That quote from Mr. Belt is useful when somebody ties the knot!

Count up your sins and make amends. Believe in hope and your friends. Let the desires of a bright tomorrow, overcome every sorrow, and may you love each other ‘til Diend!

May your love for Viga always be in top gear and your lives together burn bright!

The Kamen Rider Fans of the USA, UK, etc.

Thank you for your time Lewis and giving our heroes a moment in the spotlight! We are grateful! 

A. Fox

[stacks-reviews]

New Releases 9/26/17

Happy New Release Day!

In Books --An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson “Isobel is a portrait artist with some of her best customers being the sinister fair folk who crave mortal craft. Until the day Isobel paints the portrait of the royal autumn prince Rook. In his eyes she paints mortal sorrow making him appear weak. Rook spirits her away to stand trail for this crime in the autumnlands. They are stopped along the way by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the influence of the Alder King, and countless monsters. Depending on each other to survive, Isobel and Rook start to fall in love. An even greater crime to the fair folk. The only way they might survive this new crime is for Isobel to drink from the Green Well that will transform her into a fair one. But at the cost of giving up her craft. Isobel can sacrifice her art or arm herself with paint and canvas against the fairy court. Because for the first time in all of their millennia, her art has the power to make them feel.”

I’m really interested in this book for a few reasons. The main thing being that Isobel won’t have to give up a big part of herself in order to save herself and Rook. Reading this description, her skills with her painting implies that it is a power. She might already have some fairy blood in her family’s history. Even if she is a regular human, her paintings could still be powerful and affect the fairies in a way they don’t expect.

It sounds like a good blend of adventure and art. I hope we get to read about Isobel creating a picture in more than just the beginning and the end. I want to see her art performed throughout or it might downplay it’s importance there at the end and what it means to her and who she is.

--Frau Faust Volume 1 by Kore Yamazaki “A century after a scholar made a deal with a devil in exchange for eternal life, the story of Faust has passed into legend. But the real Faust is not a stuffy professional man, but a woman, still on the run with her homunculus servant. When the magnetic, bespectacled woman passes through a provincial town, she adds a young orphan named Marion, looking for an escape, to her group. The next stop: A  church basement, where a disembodied demon’s arm lies sealed away, and an officer of the Inquisition named Lorenzo waits to spring a trap for the blasphemer...”

From the author of The Ancient Magus’ Bride (only one more month until the anime premieres on Crunchyroll. I saw the first three episodes at the theater and it is beautiful) comes her new series Frau Faust. I am very excited for this because I adore Yamazaki’s work on AMB and I can’t wait to see more work by her.

--M.F.K. Book 1 by Nilah Magruder “A fantastic adventure following the story of Abbie, a deaf girl with a mysterious power, who is traveling across a vast desert to scatter her mother’s ashes. In a world of sleeping gods, a broken government, and a fragile peace held in the hands of the corrupt, one youth must find the strength to stand up against evil and save humanity. This story is not about that youth. It’s about Abbie, who just wants to get to the mountain range called the Potter’s Spine and scatter her mother’s ashes. But the way is filled with sandstorms, wild beasts, and rogues that wield inhuman powers and prey on poor desert dwellers. When one of these rogues threatens the town where Abbie takes refuge, she must choose between running, or unleashing her own hidden power to meet danger head-on. Journeys are hard on the social recluses of the world.”I really like the cover to this graphic novel. A young girl leads a giant bird (big enough to ride on) as they walk across a desert. I like the art style it was done in, which was the reason it caught my eye. The last line of the summary might be my favorite thing about it. I’m curious to see how she’ll fair as she crosses the desert.

--Princess Jellyfish Volume 6 by Akiko Higashimura “In order to save Amamizukan, the girls decide to put up an exhibition of their work. When the JellyFish dresses catch the eye of Asia’s greatest fashion influencer, Kai, it’s not only the dresses that the mogul wants - it’s the designer herself. Tsukimi and the gang are about to get the massive break they need, but at what price...? Afraid that he may lose Tsukimi, Kuranosuke must come to terms with what his true purpose for starting JellyFish once was. Meanwhile, Shu learns of the heartbreaking history of Kuranosuke’s mother, while Chieko’s mother makes a discovery that seals the fate of Amamizukan...”

I have fallen behind on this series by a few volumes but I aim to catch up. At some point anyway. I am glad to see that we’ll learn the mystery surrounding Kuranosuke’s mother and hopefully it’ll lead one step closer to Shu and Kuranosuke’s understanding each other. And to maybe being more brotherly toward each other. As of the last volume I read, that wasn’t going so well. 

In Movies --Dance with Devils “Ritsuka Tachibana goes from a normal life to wrapped up in a demon’s game. After she is summoned to meet the mysterious boys of the student council, her life changes forever. Between dangerous hooded figures, demons, and vampires, a dark family past could lead to her doom!”

It’s a musical. A. Musical. An anime. Musical. Musical! 

I watched this a few years back when it started streaming on Funimation. Story wise, it was pretty standard. It felt like I was watching a visual novel. Which that isn’t a bad thing. But I watched each week for the songs. There was one song per episode. The last episode or two might have had two each, I don’t remember for sure. I laughed every time because it would come out of nowhere. 

I’d just watch it for the songs. I will be picking it up sometime because I liked it enough and I want to know what the dub is like. According to a friend, she thought the songs would be dubbed as well but I’m not sure. I never found a clip to confirm it and the episodes of the dub that are up on YouTube don’t have the songs in English. Though it is always a bit possible that they put the dubbed songs up on their paid membership and left it off YouTube.

--The Guardians (Zashchitniki) “During the Cold War, an organization called "Patriot" created a super-hero squad, which includes members of multiple soviet republics. For years, the heroes had to hide their identities, but in hard times they must show themselves again.”

This one is cheating a bit. It actually came out on 9/5/17. I only came across it by chance when I went to buy Wonder Woman last week. It’s the Russian superhero movie that people were talking about a bit a little while ago. It doesn’t have the greatest ratings but I don’t care. It looks pretty impressive. The story might end up not being the greatest but I still really want to try it out.

--Joker Game “Surpassing rigorous physical and mental training, eight Japanese men live as spies in the years before World War II. Whether they’re caught in clever mysterious or enduring torture, blowing their cover is not an option, and murder and suicide are out of the question. Inspired by real events in history, this is a recollection of their endeavors.”

I haven’t seen much of this series, about two episodes, but I do recall it being fairly popular during its season. I would like to continue it but I haven’t had the time. 

--Kaiba “A boy with no name awakens with a hole through his chest, a strange marking on his belly, and no memories. The one link to his past is a locket containing a picture of a girl whose name he does not know. Within moments he meets Popo, who unlike the memoryless boy has a purpose. Through Popo, the boy learns that where he is a body without memory, in this world there are many who are only memories with no body. The rich harvest the choice bodies, leaving only the dregs for those down below. And yet even though he has no memories, there are many who seem to want his life. How does he fit into this world where not even memories might be real?”

At first I thought this series was fairly old based off the art style but it was actually made in 2008. I did find a trailer to it and it looks amazing and strange and beautiful. 

--Mune: Guardian of the Moon “When a faun named Mune becomes the Guardian of the Moon, little did he had unprepared experience with the Moon and an accident that could put both the Moon and the Sun in danger, including a corrupt titan named Necross who wants the Sun for himself and placing the balance of night and day in great peril. Now with the help of a wax-child named Glim and the warrior, Sohone who also became the Sun Guardian, they go out on an exciting journey to get the Sun back and restore the Moon to their rightful place in the sky.”

I love the animation in this. It looks incredible. 

--Transformers: The Last Knight I didn’t see this while it was in theaters. I don’t even remember if I saw the last one. I don’t remember hearing great about it. But I bet that someone is looking forward to this so mention it I will. And/or even if you just want to finish your collection.

[thefineprintblog]

Ten full-length novels, ten heroines at the right hand of destiny…

Whether you’re slaying vampires or holding your own alongside superheroes, one of the best things about heroines is that they show us how strong, cunning, and magical they can be.

This box set contains TEN complete novels, all gripping and intriguing stories with women rocking rebellions, handing out justice, battling shadow gods, and bending the wills of kings.

Contributing authors include: Seattle Times bestselling author Raven Oak, Amazon bestselling authors Alesha Escobar, Devorah Fox, Christa Yelich-Koth, NIEA finalist HM Jones, the fantastic sci-fi/fantasy mavens HM Clarke, Sara C. Roethle, HB Lyne, JC Cassels, and Kylie Qullinan.

These science fiction and fantasy tales will take you on a thrilling journey.

House of Diviners (The Diviners #1)

Kelsey Jackson Diviner is a shaman–a walker between worlds, a healer and protector.

But when she witnesses a gruesome attack on one of her own, she must become a hunter and track down the monster responsible for disturbing the delicate balance between the human and spirit worlds.

In trying to navigate her day job as a therapist and help pain-in-the-ass ghosts cross over by night, Kelsey draws the attention of a clandestine paranormal society and a mysterious man who calls himself the black dagger god.

Set in modern-day Los Angeles, this urban fantasy unleashes a blend of magic and thrills.

Bitter Ashes

Madeline knew her life was strange, and not just because she could sense the emotions of others. Having people die by your hand on two separate occasions can make a girl question her very existence. Still, she never thought she’d wake up in a world straight out of Norse myth. A world where corpses reanimate all on their own . . . and she’s supposed to be their executioner.

The Redoubt

Voted one of 50 Self-Published Books Worth Reading 2016. Having bested beast, man, and even his own failings, King Bewilliam has restored his embattled kingdom, yet finds his life lacking. When a crippling famine threatens the Chalklands’ very survival, his vassals propose to seek aid from a distant monarch, unaware that the plan will reunite their king with a woman from his past: the Empress Alexandra, a formidable ruler in her own right. The expedition proves perilous and the king calls on his sole female knight, Dame Deidre, to face off against a murderous mob rabid with hunger. As treacherous as the journey is, the greater challenge comes when the king confronts a powerful woman whose love he spurned.

Muse (Tales of Silver Downs #1)

Brigit is supposed to become a wise woman but she longs for something more exciting. Diarmuid is a bard who accidentally brings his imaginary muse to life, only to discover that she isn’t the woman he thought she would be. Together they need to find a way to destroy the muse — if they survive the journey to find her.

Amaskan’s Blood (Book I of the Boahim Trilogy)

Adelei, one of the feared Amaskans, is sent into the hands of the Order’s worst enemy—her father. She tumbles dagger-first into the Boahim Senate’s political schemes and finds that magic is very much alive and well in the Little Dozen Kingdoms. They say the truth depends on which side of the sword one stands, but they never said what to do when all the swords are pointing at you.

The Enclave (The Verge: Book 1)

Katherine Kirk lived only for vengeance. Vengeance against the man who destroyed her home, her family and her life. Sent on a babysitting mission to Junter 3, RAN officer Katherine Kirk, finds herself quickly embroiled in the politics between the New Holland Government and the Val Myran refugees claiming asylum. After an Alliance attack, Kirk and her team hunt the enemy down and discover that they have finally found the lair of the man they have been searching for…

And the captive who has been waiting patiently for rescue.

“What would you do to the man who destroyed every important person in your life?”

Sovran’s Pawn (The Black Wing Chronicles Book 1)

Convicted traitor Bo Barron will do whatever it takes to purchase her father’s freedom from his kidnappers, even assume the guise of a Kiara Joy Babe at a high-stakes gambling tournament. When a handsome stranger steals a kiss, everything Bo thought she knew about her assignment turns upside down. If she wants to save her father and keep herself alive, she’s going to have to figure out how to survive the game she didn’t realize she was playing.

Ghosts of Winter (Echoes of the Past series)

Deep within the city of Caerton, shape shifters hide in the guise of humans, secretly fighting to protect them from the unimaginable demons that threaten their world.

Caerton’s newest shifter, Stalker, faces an uncertain future; as her pack struggles to cope with their devastating loss, dark forces begin to mass in the shadows. Tensions with the Witches continue to threaten the north, while the young shifters desperately strive to determine which of the city’s elders they can trust.

As an ancient and deadly evil emerges from beneath the city, Stalker and her new pack face a frantic race against the changing face of the moon. Can their demonic enemy be defeated? Heroes will rise in this, the second thrilling instalment of the Echoes of the Past series, where creatures from our darkest nightmares stalk our world…

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Universal Link : https://books2read.com/destinynovels

Alesha Escobar

House of Diviners (The Diviners #1)

Alesha Escobar writes fantasy to support her chocolate habit. She enjoys reading everything from Tolkien and Dante, to the Dresden Files and Hellblazer comics.

She resides in California with her partner-in-crime, Luis Escobar, a 20-year art veteran on The Simpsons television show. Alesha is the author of the bestselling Gray Tower Trilogy, an action-packed supernatural spy thriller set in an alternate 1940’s. The Tower’s Alchemist, the first book of the trilogy, is now being adapted to screenplay.

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2eRNqmt

Get free stories and books from Alesha: http://bit.ly/FMMReads

Sara C Roethle

Bitter Ashes

Sara C Roethle is an author and part-time unicorn. She resides in the Land of Enchantment, as far from humans as possible. Sara is the author of the Bitter Ashes Series, the Xoe Meyers Series, the Tree of Ages Series, and the Thief’s Apprentice Series.

http://saracroethle.com/

Devorah Fox

The Redoubt

“What if?” Those two words all too easily send Devorah Fox spinning into flights of fancy. Best-selling author of The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam epic historical fantasy series including “The Redoubt,” voted one of 50 Self-Published Books Worth Reading 2016, and ”The Lost King,” awarded the All Authors Certificate of Excellence. She also wrote the historical thriller “Detour,” co-authored the contemporary thriller, “Naked Came the Sharks,” with Jed Donellie, contributed to “Masters of Time: a SciFi/Fantasy Time Travel Anthology,” and “Magic Unveiled: An Anthology,” and has several Mystery Mini Short Reads to her name. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she now lives in The Barefoot Palace on the Texas Gulf Coast with rescued tabby cats ��� and a dragon named Inky. Visit the “Dee-Scoveries” blog at http://devorahfox.com.

blog: http://devorahfox.com/

amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Devorah-Fox/…

Kylie Quillinan

Muse (Tales of Silver Downs #1)

Kylie lives in Brisbane, Australia, with her pack of one husband, two dogs, and a cat. She spent most of her childhood wandering in fictional worlds but it was many years before she made the connection between her own made-up worlds and the written word. She will read almost anything but prefers a fantastical element, including magic, time travel and monsters.

She is the author of the Tales of Silver Downs historical fantasy series and her 2017 releases include the paranormal fantasy, Speak To Me, and a fantasy series set in ancient Egypt. Her other interests include canine nutrition, playing the piano badly, zombies and organic gardening. She blames the disheveled state of her house on her dogs but she really just hates to clean.

Sign up for her mailing list at kyliequillinan.com to receive alerts for new releases, advanced reader copies, and other goodies. SWAN — the epilogue to the Tales of Silver Downs series — will be available exclusively to her mailing list subscribers.

Website: http://kyliequillinan.com/

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Kylie-Quilli…

Raven Oak

Amaskan’s Blood (Book I of the Boahim Trilogy)

Bestselling science fiction & fantasy author Raven Oak is best known for Amaskan’s Blood (Epic Awards 2016 Finalist), Class-M Exile, and the collection Joy to the Worlds: Mysterious Speculative Fiction for the Holidays (Foreword Reviews 2016 Book of the Year Finalist). She spent most of her K-12 education doodling stories and 500 page monstrosities that are forever locked away in a filing cabinet.

When she’s not writing, she’s getting her game on with tabletop games, indulging in cartography, or staring at the ocean. She lives in the Seattle area with her husband, and their three kitties who enjoy lounging across the keyboard when writing deadlines approach.

Website: http://www.ravenoak.net/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Raven-Oak/e/…

H.M. Clarke

The Enclave (The Verge: Book 1)

In the past, H M Clarke has been a Console Operator, an ICT Project Manager, Public Servant, Paper Shuffler and an Accountant (the last being the most exciting.) She attended Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia, where she studied for a Bachelor of Science (Chem), and also picked up a Diploma in Project Management while working for the South Australian Department of Justice. In her spare time, she likes to lay on the couch and watch TV, garden, draw, read, and tell ALL her family what wonderful human beings they are. She keeps threatening to go out and get a real job (Cheesecake Test Taster sounds good) and intends to retire somewhere warm and dry – like the middle of the Simpson Desert. For the time being however, she lives in Ohio and dreams about being warm…

Author Site: http://www.hmclarkeauthor.com/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/H.M.-Clarke/…

JC Cassels

Sovran’s Pawn (The Black Wing Chronicles Book 1)

In an alternate universe JC Cassels is a space pirate. In this reality, she quenches her thirst for swashbuckling adventure by writing space opera. When not writing in her haunted hospital, JC lives with her husband, three children, five dogs, twenty chickens and a horse in a century-old house in a tiny rural community, and enjoys spending her free time sewing, camping, and heckling theoretical physicists on the Science Channel.

Author Site: http://jccassels.com/

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2dQMU2S

H. B. Lyne

Ghosts of Winter (Echoes of the Past series)

H.B. Lyne lives in Yorkshire with her two children and two cats. When not juggling family commitments, she writes dark urban fantasy novels, purging her imagination of its demons. Inspired by the King of Horror himself, Holly aspires to be at least half as prolific and successful and promises to limit herself to only one tome of The Stand-like proportions in her career. Other idols include J.K. Rowling, Joss Whedon and Robert Kirkman, and she will often be spotted wearing Harry Potter, Firefly or The Walking Dead apparel.

Author Site: http://hblyne.com/

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00NVQC…

Alesha Escobar

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2eRNqmt

Get free stories and books from Alesha: http://bit.ly/FMMReads

Sara C. Roethle

http://saracroethle.com/

Devorah Fox

blog: http://devorahfox.com/

amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Devorah-Fox/…

Kylie Quillinan

Website: http://kyliequillinan.com/

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Kylie-Quilli…

Raven Oak

Website: http://www.ravenoak.net/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Raven-Oak/e/…

HM Clarke

Author Site: http://www.hclarkeauthor.com/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/H.M.-Clarke/…

JC Cassels

Author Site: http://jccassels.com/

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2dQMU2S

HB Lyne

Author Site: http://hblyne.com/

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00NVQC…

Daughters of Destiny Release Blitz Ten full-length novels, ten heroines at the right hand of destiny… Whether you're slaying vampires or holding your own alongside superheroes, one of the best things about heroines is that they show us how strong, cunning, and magical they can be.