#from Everflame books!

[siderealxmelody]

Connections??

Origins of the ACOTAR courts? Like where their bloodlines come from? The "Great Houses" to their "vassal houses" kinda thing?

Lumnos, Realm of Light and Shadow A light which burns, while shadows bite Their eyes of blue haunt day and night - Night Bloodline

Fortos, Realm of Force and Valor With eyes and swords enrobed in red They’ll mend you whole or strike you dead - Adarlan Bloodline

Faunos, Realm of Beast and Brute Fur and feathers, beasts that crawl Their yellow eyes control them all - Autumn Bloodline

Arboros, Realm of Root and Thorn Eyes of moss bring nature’s scorn The prettiest flowers have poison thorns - Spring Bloodline

Ignios, Realm of Sand and Flame Flame in spirit, flame in sight The desert holds their fiery might - Terresan/Mala Bloodline

Umbros, Realm of Mind and Secret Irises black, with hearts to match A kiss, and soon your mind they’ll snatch - Doranelle Bloodline

Meros, Realm of Sea and Sky A gaze to match the vengeful seas In water deep, they’ll drown your pleas - Summer/Lunathion? Idk (Drakon, Achlys? Creon?)

Sophos, Realm of Thought and Spark The cunning spark of wisdom true Rose eyes will be the death of you - Day Bloodline

Montios, Realm of Stone and Ice Violet stone to match their gaze Beware their ice at end of days - Winter Bloodline

@starlsssankt

@luxmaeastra

@sankta-alina-s

[nickel156]

All my book girlies! 📚

I need spicy Romancy book series recommendations pleeeease! 🙏🏻

I'm dying over here with my indecisiveness.

I definitely prefer the fantasy to outweigh the smut. But I still want the smut 😅

Spark of the Everflame is on my list but it's apparently a super slow burn and I don't want to wait that long 😩

Help a girlie out please!!!

Xoxo

(Was going to listen to From Blood and Ash but the audiobook narrator is the same as acosf and her voice is so grating)

[books-and-strawberry-tea]

Why must I gravitate towards series...

(Part 1)

I was planning out my tbr for next year, and I thought I'd go through the series I wanted to finally tackle (they've been on my list for a while), and I discovered to my horror...90 books...90 books (94 including ) I will have to read to read all the series I want to read...fuck me. Alright, lemme show you the list:

The Binding Chronicles: 4 Books

What could be worse than an arranged marriage to a vampire prince? When Luna is sold into marriage to the Prince of Darkness, she thinks she knows what to expect. Arranged marriages happen all the time, right? Wrong. No one could have prepared her for the reality of being married to the vampire prince. Ever since the day he was Made, Sebastian has been living according to Queen Marguerite’s rules. After all, he’s only alive because of her. When she orders him to marry and Bind himself to Luna, a human hailing a neighboring kingdom, he has no choice. He agrees to the marriage but never expects to feel anything for Luna. When their Binding Ceremony goes awry, and they are magically Tethered, everything is thrown into upheaval. Unable to leave each other’s presence, they must learn to live with each other. Or die. Tethered is a slow-burn arranged marriage epic romantic fantasy and is filled with forced proximity, magical bindings, vampires, and world-building. Vampire, Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic

A 4th stand alone book released yesterday also.

Kindred's Curse: 3 Books + 1 to be released (TBR)

When old secrets catch fire, everything will burn. In a mortal world colonized by the gods and ruled over by the Descended, their cruel offspring, Diem Bellator yearns to escape the insular life of her poor village. Her mother’s sudden disappearance—and the discovery of a dangerous secret about her past—offer Diem an unexpected opportunity to enter the dark world of Descended royalty and unlock the web of mysteries her mother left behind. With the dying King’s handsome, mysterious heir watching her every move, and a ruthless mortal alliance recruiting her to join the growing civil war, Diem will have to navigate the unwritten rules of love, power, and politics in order to save her family—and all of mortalkind. Spark of the Everflame is the first book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers epic is perfect for lovers of magic, dragons, angst, and banter and will appeal to fans of books like A Court of Thorns and Roses, From Blood and Ash, Gild, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night. Dragons, Romance, Fantasy, Magic

Crown's of Nyaxia: 4 Books

Human or vampire, the rules of survival are the same: never trust, never yield, and always – always – guard your heart. The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself. But winning won’t be easy amongst the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival. Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her father’s crown… and her greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him. But there’s no room for compassion in the Kejari. War for the House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone – but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love. Vampires, Romance, Magic, Paranormal

Scapegracers: Book 3

Skulking near the bottom of West High’s social pyramid, Sideways Pike lurks under the bleachers doing magic tricks for Coke bottles. As a witch, lesbian, and lifelong outsider, she’s had a hard time making friends. But when the three most popular girls pay her $40 to cast a spell at their Halloween party, Sideways gets swept into a new clique. The unholy trinity are dangerous angels, sugar-coated rattlesnakes, and now–unbelievably–Sideways’ best friends. Together, the four bond to form a ferocious and powerful coven. They plan parties, cast curses on dudebros, try to find Sideways a girlfriend, and elude the fundamentalist witch hunters hellbent on stealing their magic. But for Sideways, the hardest part is the whole ‘having friends’ thing. Who knew that balancing human interaction with supernatural peril could be so complicated? Rich with the urgency of feral youth, The Scapegracers explores growing up and complex female friendship with all the rage of a teenage girl. It subverts the trope of competitive mean girls and instead portrays a mercilessly supportive clique of diverse and vivid characters. It is an atmospheric, voice-driven novel of the occult, and the first of a three-book series. Witches, Urban Fantasy, Lesbian, Paranormal

The Bone Season: 7 Books + 2 TBR

The year is 2059. For two centuries, the Republic of Scion has led an oppressive campaign against unnaturalness in Europe. In London, Paige Mahoney holds a high rank in the criminal underworld. The right hand of the ruthless White Binder, Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare and formidable kind of clairvoyant. Under Scion law, she commits treason simply by breathing. When Paige is arrested for murder, she meets the mysterious founders of Scion, who have designs on her uncommon abilities. If she is to survive and escape, Paige must use every skill at her disposal – and put her trust in someone who ought to be her enemy. Fantasy, Dystopia, Adult, Romance, Paranormal

The War of Lost Hearts: 3 Books + 0.5 Novella

A former slave fighting for justice. A reclusive warrior who no longer believes it exists. And a dark magic that will entangle their fates. Ripped from a forgotten homeland as a child, Tisaanah learned how to survive with nothing but a sharp wit and a touch of magic. But the night she tries to buy her freedom, she barely escapes with her life. Desperate to save the best friend she left behind, Tisaanah journeys to the Orders, the most powerful organizations of magic Wielders in the world. But to join their ranks, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius Farlione, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder who despises the Orders. The Orders’ intentions are cryptic, and Tisaanah must prove herself under the threat of looming war. But even more dangerous are her growing feelings for Maxantarius. The bloody past he wants to forget may be the key to her future… or the downfall of them both. But Tisaanah will stop at nothing to save those she abandoned. Even if it means gambling in the Orders’ deadly games. Even if it means sacrificing her heart. Even if it means wielding death itself. Fae, Romance, Fantasy, High Fantasy

The Roots of Chaos: 2 Books (2 books sure but man are they HUGE)

A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens. The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction – but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic. Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel. Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep. Dragons, Fantasy, Adult, Lesbian

Zodiac Academy: 14 Books

You have been selected to attend Zodiac Academy, where your star sign defines your destiny. If you're one of the Fae, elemental magic is in your blood. And apparently it's in ours. As twins born in the month of Gemini, we're a rare breed even in this academy of supernatural a-holes. Changelings were outlawed hundreds of years ago but I guess our birth parents didn't get the memo. Which means we're totally unprepared for the ruthless world of Fae. Air. Fire. Water. Earth. No one has ever harnessed all four of them, until we arrived. And it hasn't made us any friends so far. As the rarest Elementals ever known, we're already a threat to the four celestial heirs; the popular, vindictive bullies who happen to be some of the hottest guys we've ever seen. It doesn't help that they're the most dangerous beasts in the Academy. And probably on earth too. Our fates are intertwined, but they want us gone. They've only got until the lunar eclipse to force us out and they'll stop at nothing to succeed. We never knew we had a birthright to live up to but now that we do, we intend to claim our throne. We can't expect any help from the faculty when it comes to defending ourselves. So if the dragon shifters want some target practice, the werewolves want someone to hunt or the vampires fancy a snack then we have to be ready. But we've been looking after each other for a long time and fighting back is in our blood. Today's horoscope: totally screwed.

The Shadows Between Us: 2 Books

Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power: 1) Woo the Shadow King. 2) Marry him. 3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself. No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it. But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen? Magic, High Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

The Locked Tomb: 3 Books + 1 TBR

The Emperor needs necromancers. The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman. Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit. Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service. Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die. Of course, some things are better left dead. Science, Fiction, Adult, Lesbian

Empire of the Vampire: 2 Books

From holy cup comes holy light; The faithful hand sets world aright. And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight, Mere man shall end this endless night. It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Now, only a few tiny sparks of light endure in a sea of darkness. Gabriel de León is a silversaint: a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending realm and church from the creatures of the night. But even the Silver Order could not stem the tide once daylight failed us, and now, only Gabriel remains. Imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the last silversaint is forced to tell his story. A story of legendary battles and forbidden love, of faith lost and friendships won, of the Wars of the Blood and the Forever King and the quest for humanity’s last remaining hope: The Holy Grail. Vampires, High Fantasy, Adult, Dark Fantasy

This is Part 1: Click here for Part 2

Click here for the Wrap Up

[l3ominor]

candyfloss?

Candyfloss is a thing me and one of my writer friends co-author! It's essentially a crossover between both our books, where her character(Teresa) and my character (Noctis) end up meeting and falling in love! Most of it is fluff and feels and cuteness as they help each other out and are generally just adorable together. It's written like a roleplay, and takes place in one of my personal worlds.

Here's a bit of one of the scenes we wrote! Word count is 835

Noctis: I set my backpack down on the floor with a muffled thump, running a hand through my hair before flopping down on Teresa’s bed. “Whoomph… sparks, it’s been a day, hasn’t it?” I say to the air, running my hands down my face. I am gonna be sore tomorrow… but that’s what I get for spending most of the day trying to wrestle a machine into functioning. I sit up slightly, grinning a little at Teresa. “How’ve you been?” I can finally ask that, now that we’ve got Milo and Laelynn distracted and leaving us alone. Not gonna lie, I love hanging out with them, but I don’t have as much energy for that today. I mostly just wanna hang out with my favorite person.

Teresa: I grin back. His smile is infectious. I grab my book, coming to sit down on the bed beside him. “Oh, you know. Surviving. How are you doing?”

Noctis: I laugh a little, nodding. I definitely get that. “I’m doing pretty good. Spent most of today working on projects and all. I’m making some good progress on my hover stuff. I can actually get off the ground with it now. But I still have a lot of work to do on the stabilization so… I may have crashed a few times,” I rub my shoulder a little. It is a bit bruised from being landed on so many times, but it’ll be gone by tomorrow, so it’s nothing to worry about.

Teresa: “With you on it? I thought there was supposed to be standards for that type of thing, you know, testing.” I nudge his arm gently, settling back against the end of the bed. “I could heal you, probably. If it’s bugging you. I haven’t used much magic today since training hasn’t started yet…” I trail off, giving him time to respond.

Noctis: “oh yeah, there’s standards and all, and I was following them, so I didn’t get banged up too bad. Just the standard testing scrapes and bumps. But yea, how else would I test it to see if it worked? And you don’t have to worry about healing it or anything. I mean, unless you want to, I won’t stop you… but yeah it’s not too bad.” I smile a little, shrugging slightly. It really isn’t too bad but also… I kinda like it when she heals me. It feels nice and also kinda… shows that she cares.

Teresa: I reach out, taking his hand in mine. “I wouldn’t know. Unmanned tests? Drone flights? Remote control? I’m not good at the techy stuff.” I breathe out for a moment, focusing on his hand as I try to focus the everflame.

Noctis: I nod a little in thought, holding her hand. “Yeah… yeah I could do those. But then I wouldn’t really get a good feel for how it worked. Machines and computers can tell you a lot, but experience is the best teacher. At least in my opinion.”

Teresa: It’s really hard to concentrate when he’s holding my hand, or at least, find the right emotions. Warm ones are easy, when there’s casual embarrassment burning away at the tips of my ears, or surprise, or just that burbling hope and happiness melting in my chest. The cool ones are a problem, though. “If you say so.” I lean over kissing the side of his cheek before pulling away, hardly taking my attention off his hand. It’s easier to focus on when it’s a problem I’m still trying to solve. “Maybe not if it’s getting you thrown into a wall, but I believe you if you say it’s all according to plan. And I trust you to be safe.” … Most of the time. The everflame sparks in my fingers, just a drop. He was right that it wasn’t too bad, but still… it’s nice to heal him, and it’s got to be nice not to have bruises everywhere. I let it spread, dismissing it when there isn’t anything left to heal. “There,” I say, looking up. And- he’s staring at me. I look away automatically, a blush rising to my cheeks. “What?”

Noctis: I can’t stop myself from grinning a little. “Just… you’re amazing.” I say, a little breathlessly. I gently kiss the back of her hand, then smile up at her again. “Thank you,” Sparks, fire can’t even begin to describe the feeling in my chest. Gosh, I love her so much. How did I manage to get this lucky? To be with her. Her. she could have chosen anyone in the world, and she chose to say yes to me.

Teresa: My blush deepens. I can’t look at him. I pull away nudging him slightly. If I end up closer at the same time, well. There’s nothing I can do about that. There’s nothing I can say to that. “You’re a dork. Thank you.”

Noctis: I laugh, giving her hand a squeeze before reaching up to poke her in the side. “Love you,”

[fiveflatcutie]

2024 Reads

Here’s everything I read throughout the year along with my ratings and some of my favorite quotes from them. Feel free to also send me your recommendations! 📚

Reading tally: 43 books

Books I read:

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (3.5/5)

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (3.75/5)

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas (4/5)

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas (4.5/5)

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas (5/5)

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas (4.75/5)

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas (6/5)

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (3/5)

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas (4.25/5)

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas (4.5/5)

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas (4/5)

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas (4.5/5)

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas (5/5)

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas (5/5)

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas (4.5/5)

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston (4.25/5)

Book Lovers by Emily Henry (4.5/5)

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross (4/5)

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (4.5/5)

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (4.75/5)

The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent (4.75/5)

The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent (4.5/5)

Love Redesigned by Lauren Asher (4.75/5)

Bride by Ali Hazelwood (3.5/5)

When The Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker (6/5)

Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren (4/5)

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong (4/5)

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong (4.5/5)

The Poppy War by RF Kuang (5/5)

What The River Knows by Isabel Ibanez (4/5)

A Fate Inked In Blood by Danielle L. Jensen (4.75/5)

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata (3.75/5)

House of Beating Wings by Olivia Wildenstein (3.75/5)

House of Pounding Hearts by Olivia Wildenstein (4/5)

House of Striking Oaths by Olivia Wildenstein (4.25/5)

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston (4.75/5)

Flame and Sparrow by S.M. Gaither (5/5)

The Way I Hate Him by Meghan Quinn (3/5)

Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole (4.5/5)

Glow of the Everflame by Penn Cole (4.75/5)

Heat of the Everflame by Penn Cole (5/5)

Happy Place by Emily Henry (4.5/5)

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren (4.75/5)

[moplayspoke]

I’m finally done with this book. I’m FREEEE. Never again. SPOILERY mini-review inbound for These Hollow Vows. 2.5/5⭐️

Ok not only did this take me FOREVER to finish because of how dragged out certain moments were, but when I finally finished all I could think was, what was the point? I honestly should have DNF’d this.

I had so many things that annoyed me throughout this. The FMC is one of the most naive and infuriating characters I have ever read to the point where I was almost in disbelief (winner goes to FMC from Spark of the Everflame).

I felt like there was a lot of focus on this mini moments with Finn and co and “Sebastian” but other areas lacked development/world building.

Also the fact that the FMC refuses to call her boytoy by his real name? Let’s add that to the list.

Her having feelings for Finn but treating him the worst even though boytoy straight up “cheated” on her in front of her. Add that to the list.

And did we really need to know that Finn was formerly in love with some girl named Isabella? No. Sorry. Let the past stay in the past just like the exes unless they are relevant to the plot.

And since everyone supposedly loved Oberon I am seriously side-eying some of the relationships in here. Oberon was the literal shadow daddy. Add that to the list.

Also the FMC making THAT decision in the end? Who didn’t see Princess Dumbass following her namesake?

Yeah, no. I’m done. Not for me. I’m out. PEACE.

[gccdstories]

So I needed to put down a place where I listed all the "knowledge" that I have regarding certain fandoms/muses that I have on this blog. Considering some of the ones I write have multiple forms of media and/or are things currently still in progress, there are sometimes things I haven't yet become aware of.

Example: I have only seen the SHOW forms of GRRM's material. Not the books. Another example is that I have not read the latest JLA book, the conclusion of the Flesh & Fire series yet.

I will update this as things change, etc. But rather than constantly updating places in the rules or whatever, here's a handy "list".

MAASVERSE

Have read the following:

Throne of Glass series in entirety

A Court of Thorns & Roses series in entirety

Crescent City series in entirety

Posted: 09/02/2024

GRISHAVERSE

Have read & seen the following:

Shadow & Bone Netflix series in entirety

Shadow & Bone trilogy in entirety

Six of Crows duology in entirety

King of Scars duology in entirety

Posted: 09/02/2024

EMPYREAN SERIES

Have read the following:

Fourth Wing

Iron Flame

[ All three Xaden POV released bonus chapters (FW ch9, ch16, ch27) ]

Posted: 09/23/2024

WIZARDING WORLD

Have read & seen the following:

Harry Potter series (books 1-7)

Harry Potter films (movies 1-8)

Fantastic Beasts films (movies 1-3)

Posted: 09/02/2024

FROM BLOOD & ASH / FLESH & FIRE WORLD (JLA)

Have read the following:

From Blood & Ash (fbaa book 1)

A Kingdom of Flesh & Fire (fbaa book 2)

The Crown of Gilded Bones (fbaa book 3)

The War of Two Queens (fbaa book 4)

A Soul of Ash & Blood (fbaa book 5)

A Shadow in the Ember (f&f book 1)

A Light in the Flame (f&f book 2)

A Fire in the Flesh (f&f book 3)

Fall of Ruin & Wrath (awakening book 1)

Posted: 09/02/2024

GAME OF THRONES / HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

Have seen the following:

Game of Thrones series (seasons 1-8)

House of the Dragon series (seasons 1-2)

Posted: 09/02/2024

MISC. LITERATURE / TV

Have read / seen the following:

The Hurricane Wars (Thea Guanzon)

Lauren Roberts books (Powerless / Powerful / Reckless)

Carissa Broadbent's Crowns of Nyaxia books (The Serpent & the Wings of Night / The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King / Six Scorched Roses / Slaying the Vampire Conqueror)

Lisette Marshall's Fae Isles books (Court of Blood & Bindings / Lord of Gold & Glory)

Amber V. Nicole's Gods & Monsters books (The Book of Azrael / The Throne of Broken Gods / The Dawn of the Cursed Queen)

Penn Cole's Kindred's Curse books (Spark of the Everflame / Glow of the Everflame / Heat of the Everflame )

Callie Hart's Fae & Alchemy books (Quicksilver)

Scarlett St. Clair's Adrian x Isolde books (King of Battle & Blood / Queen of Myth & Monsters)

Posted: 10/22/2024

MEDIA CURRENTLY IN PROCESS

The following:

Nothing that has any bearing on the muse list (right now at least)

Posted: 10/22/2024

[thecatwars]

Books that I read in May 2024

Ahh, I'm a little late with my May recap. I've been posting book content on TikTok and have been busy trying to finish writing my Master's thesis. As always, my brief reviews contain no spoilers, except in my review of Spark of the Everflame I do mention a spoiler in the form of a trope.

2024 Reading Masterpost

Let's be friends on GoodReads

The Frost Queen's Blade: This book exceed my expectations. I tend to keep enemies to lovers expectations low and this one was fairly well done. Considering that this book was a romantasy book, the world building was fairly well-done. The one thing that I noticed and many others have said about the book is that the twists and turns are fairly predictable, but I felt like its predictability did not distract me from enjoying the story. This is part of a duology, but the second book has not yet been released. I plan on reading the sequel. Overall, I would recommend this book if you are looking for romantasy enemies to lovers. This is a book that I read on Kindle Unlimited and I'm not sure if I plan on owning it. I gave this book a 4/5.

Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole: This book also exceed my expectations, granted I wasn't quite sure what to expect of this book because I came into reading it totally blind. This book is set in a world where there are two types of species, the Descended and mortals. The Descended are a species of people born from the coupling of immortal beings that are no longer in this world and humans. From this kind of union, the Descended have powers and are stronger than mortals. As such, the Descended rule the realm and do not mingle with mortals as to not dilute their powers. The FMC is a mortal living in this realm and her story is that of coming to terms with who she is and trying to figure out where she belongs in this world. The thing that I really liked a lot about this book is that it's a real slow burn and the story is pretty good. The FMC can be a bit grating, but that didn't ruin my reading experience. This is a book that I read on Kindle Unlimited and I plan on owning it. I gave this book a 5/5.

Glow of the Everflame by Penn Cole: This book picks up right where book one left off. As I mentioned previously, I found the FMC to be a little grating, and in the beginning of this book this is explained and from there I was able to enjoy this series more. The slow burn in this book continues and I love it. I also enjoy how the FMC grows and develops as her circumstances changes and she is forced to face the fact that things are not as black and white as she would like them to be. Like the first book, this one ends on a cliffhanger and I was eager to dive into the third book. This is a book that I read on Kindle Unlimited and I plan on owning it. I gave this book a 5/5.

Heat of the Everflame by Penn Cole: Out of the three books that are currently published in this series (there will be 4 total), this one was my least favorite. This book had a lot go on in it and it's not that I didn't like what happened in this book, it's just here is a lot that goes on in the story and there isn’t much room for pause. The FMC is constantly moving around from place to place and as the story continues, more problems arise. The FMC has now accepted that the world is not as divided as she once thought it was, but now she is having to face the price that must be paid to win the war. Don't get me wrong, I still like this book, it was just a lot. This is a book that I read on Kindle Unlimited and I plan on owning it. I gave this book a 4/5.

Song of the Abyss by Emma Hamm: The much anticipated sequel to Whispers of the Deep set in a world of merpeople and humans did not disappoint. The thing that I appreciate a lot about this book is that despite the fact that this book is a romantic fantasy, the author is able to create a story about two people (in this case a merman and a human woman) that are working to overcome challenges. In the case of the FMC, she is working to stand up against her father, literally and figuratively, and the MMC is coping with a loss that has left him disabled. Together, the FMC and MMC overcome their obstacles, and especially the MMC learns to see himself in a new light. This is a book that I read on Kindle Unlimited and I plan on owning it. I gave this book a 5/5.

Life and Death by Stephanie Meyer: One thing that I wished I did before reading this book, was to read Twilight so that I could compare this story-line with it. I had low expectations coming into this book, especially since I didn’t like Midnight Sun, and interestingly enough, this book was not as bad as I thought it would be. The author did pretty good with gender-swapping the characters. I do wish that the overall story played out differently, but I understand that wasn’t the intent of this book. I read this book on Libby and do not plan on owning it. I gave this book a 2/5.

Circe by Madeline Miller: I read this book on a whim, while waiting for code to finish running and I can say that this is a book that I will not soon forget. From the first few chapters, it was clear to see that Circe would be unlike any book that I have read this year. I knew that I would be finishing this book with the utmost rapt. When I read this book, I truly feel as though I am reading a story. Circe has so much to it, the yearning to be seen, to belong, to love, and the heartache that comes with these desires. This book now belongs among the short list of books that got me to cry. Circe is a beautiful story and I would highly recommend reading it. This is a book that I read on Kindle Unlimited and plan on owning it. I gave this book a 5/5.

Dream by the Shadows by Logan Karlie: I did not finish this book. I really wanted to finish it and I took a break for a while from reading it in hopes that maybe it was just a mood thing, but I gave up at 44% through the book. I don’t know that I can say this book is bad, but I can say that it didn’t do it for me. The best way to sum up this book for me is that some things, and yet nothing happens. None of the characters interested me, nor their stories. This is a book that I read on Kindle Unlimited and do not plan on owning. I gave this book a 1/5.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett: Like its predecessor, this book was a fun and cozy read with Emily Wilde. The world that Heather Fawcett has created continues to be enchanting and I can’t get enough of it. My favorite parts of this book was seeing side-characters from the first book and the cute romance between the two main characters. Overall, a great read and would highly recommend it if you like historical fiction and faeries. I own this book. I gave this book a 5/5.

[pega-chan]

so! i read the tiger burning bright previews and since Alex is in Jakarta there i've decided, as an indonesian, to analyze it for kicks

for context i am not a jakarta kid by any means so i can't tell you much about the supernatural vibes of the city much (most superstitious folks are usually village elders tbh) but i do live in the greater jakarta area so i know just enough hhh

nothing much, i just appreciate all the food stalls. martabak my beloved

language nerd time! a kutukan does mean 'curse'. apparently you guys call it a sumpa? that's a one letter difference from the malay/indonesian word sumpah, which ALSO means 'curse' (though for us it's a verb)—in indonesian, sumpah is means 'curse', as in the synonym for 'swear'. in malay, sumpahan (the noun derived from sumpah) means an actual 'curse'. that's my language trivia of the day 😂 we love lingual similarities

i haven't heard of an everflame in our folklore so perhaps it's a made-up thing in the story, but what i do know is that the Banaspati are a race of fiery ghosts/spirits originating from Java. that's geographically accurate at least, since Jakarta is on Java island. the Banaspati can appear either in a humanoid form, a ball of fire, or a fire tornado. sort of like Santelmo's cousin. they terrorize and attack locals just for the fun of it, or to suck their blood. in addition to being made of fire they're also vampires lmao

the Banaspati can be enslaved too, usually to put a curse on someone. there are three types of Banaspati:

Banaspati Geni (fire): Banaspati who draws power from air/wind. they feed off human fear to increase their power and suck enough oxygen to create huge fires.

Banaspati Tanah Liat (earth): these usually hang out in forests and jump on humans to suck their blood. they can't touch someone with direct contact to the earth, so if you wanna be immune to Banaspati tanah liat you gotta walk barefoot

Banaspati Air (water): will target people in bodies of water. suck their blood first then leave them to drown

i can't be sure which one Farah (the Banaspati shown here) is, but probably Banaspati Geni.

Ahools are Javanese bat-like cryptids, described as having a 12-feet wingspan, a body the size of a toddler, the head of a monkey and the face of a human. they reside in caves on mountainous rainforests and are nocturnal

dunno why these ahools would like to kidnap humans, since they eat fish, but Farah's right, they aren't soul eaters.

also i am LIVING for ITC SNBDJDBD

okay ITC might be labelled a mall, but it's more of a department store if you ask me. it's all retail, and different floors have different services. staples are fashion stores, jewellers, a salon maybe, gadget sellers and gadget repair shops, and there's always a food court with food stalls scattered around. we do have actual malls though, ITC is a popular chain of department stores throughout the country. i love this depiction in Trese, it looks just like the one in my city. they really are all just cookie cutter 😂😂

side note, pencuri means 'thief'. wonder why he's called that

aww there's an indonesian phrase in there. terima kasih banyak means 'thank you very much'. also, 'Joko'? did Tan and Baldisimo name the kid after our president (Joko Widodo)? JDJHD

perhaps they just mispelled it, but i'm gonna assume 'Gwendala' is Gundala, a superhero character in the Bumilangit superhero comic universe. Bumilangit is a local comic book company most known for introducing the first superhero characters in the Indonesian comic industry, and they've produced movies based on their comics as well in a series called the BCU (Bumilangit Cinematic Universe). if you ask me they're trying too hard to imitate Marvel and DC and they should stop

anyway Gundala is this guy (left is the comics version, right is the live-action movie version):

scientist who gained powers to control lightning and also superspeed. arguably the most famous local superhero comic character.

and that's all i got, hope this was an interesting read :D

[zhonglimain]

for those interested in new units!

as the next character banner draws near, i compiled a list of some things to consider if you’d like to get zhongli (or other characters in general) and add them to your team! note that this is subject to change, and is mainly as a reminder of sorts for others:

mora. memes aside, it takes roughly one point three million mora to level up a character level eighty. depending on your world level, it may be less, but with weapon enhancements, talent ascensions, and the like, it adds up quickly. be mindful of how much mora you will need for your new unit.

prioritize which unit you want to ascend. if you choose multiple characters at once, you may spread yourself too thin in terms of resources.

ascension materials. some characters have overlap when it comes to sharing materials to ascend (for instance, fischl and diluc both use small lamp grass for ascension, while klee and childe both need freedom talent books for their skills). similarly, units of a specific element typically require farming elite or weekly bosses, so be sure to manage your resin and time wisely for the drops. the higher the level of the unit, the higher the amount of materials!

examples of elite ascension materials for units are: basalt pillar (geo / hypostasis), cleansed heart (hydro / oceanid), lightning prisms (electro / hypostasis), everflame seeds (pyro / regisvine) etc.

resin. it enables you the ability collect rewards from domains, bosses, and certain events. you will need to manage your resin for specific ascension material drops. it costs sixty for weekly bosses (dvalin “stormterror”, andrius “wolf”, tartaglia “childe”), forty for elite bosses (hypostases, regisvines) and events (crucible, unreconciled stars) and twenty for domains and leylines. 

using fragile resin is a case by case basis. it allows you to add sixty resin to your current original resin (the resin you naturally obtain that works as “stamina” for some gacha games) and allows you to collect more rewards, but is incredibly rare to obtain outside of the shop and specific events. it is highly recommended to save your fragile resin until you reach adventure rank forty-five for domain farming, though again, it is ultimately your decision.

condensed resin focuses as a way to double rewards in domains and ley lines (but not events) and are limited up to three per player. useful for when you won’t have time to play genshin, so you can use your resin another time.

talent books. collecting rewards from specific domains will allow you to get talent materials needed to enhance a character’s ability. you want to make sure your unit is able to survive on their own and able to provide for your team, so be sure to upgrade them!

level up materials. to level a character up to a certain level, you’ll need adventurer’s handbooks or hero’s wit, the latter being rarer and more expensive to use. they are only obtainable via events, certain quests, blue ley lines, or the shop. you want to make sure your unit can fight alongside your party at a decent level!

weapon upgrades. while it’s great to increase their talents, if they don’t have a proper weapon to capitalize their damage, they’ll be lacking. explore with your characters to see which characters can use which weapon effectively and to your liking. some weapons are only obtainable by gacha, but the craftable weapons are not to be dismissed, either! be sure to enhance them when you’re able and to swap for better weapons as you receive better ones.

examples of weapons that could work on certain characters: bennett with lion’s roar, xiangling with crescent pike, fischl with compound bow, tartaglia with rust, razor with prototype animus, xinqiu with sacrifical sword, noelle with whiteblind, diluc with wolf’s gravestone, etc.

artifacts. obtained from domains, chests, and various areas of the land, artifacts greatly determine how much or little your unit is fairing in certain areas. farming good artifacts can be a lengthy process considering the rolls are entirely rng, but the end result will be satisfying if you have the pieces you need for a particular unit.

four star artifacts are just as valuable as five star artifacts, so don’t get rid of them immediately just because they aren’t a five star! rng is not friendly in domains, and it’s likely you may be farming for awhile to get that specific five piece artifact you’d like. guaranteed five star artifact drops aren’t until adventure rank forty-five (the level ninety domains), but this does not mean you will receive the specific piece you want.

certain units excel in physical damage, whereas others elemental. it all depends on how you build a certain character, your team synergy (elemental resonance / mastery damage) and if you want them as a main dps, support dps, or healer. 

examples of artifacts that could work on certain units: two or four piece crimson witch (klee / xiangling / diluc), two or four piece archaic petra (ningguang / zhongli), two or four piece noblesse oblige (mona, bennett / tartaglia), two piece thundering fury (fischl / keqing / beidou), two or four piece viridiscent venerer (sucrose / venti), two or four piece gladiator’s finale (razor / mc.)

constellations. unless you are a dolphin, whale, leviathan, or just incredibly lucky, it is unlikely that you will have a max constellation of a character, especially of a five star character. regardless, units have constellations (dupe pulls) that can enhance their abilities. the more constellations a character has, the stronger they tend to be.

that being said, a c6 (constellation six) four star unit will do more than a c0 five star given the circumstances. constellations are easiest to obtain on rate up banners, but aren’t the be all end all.

team synergy. how well do you think your new unit will be on a team? will there be elemental resonance? do you plan on having them help with elemental reaction procs? damage? how exactly would they contribute? these are some questions that are dependent on your playstyle and what you want in a particular team.

time management. it will take awhile to invest in a character. never feel as though you need to rush. play the game at your own pace!

i am by no means an expert and never want to appear as though i’m the source of all genshin information. there are so many different ways to play this game, so have fun of your own accord! 

these are just some pointers based on my personal experience / seeing others, and i want to share some to my fellow genshin fans!

[isknight]

Hello bookish people!

The weekend is finally here! I have been busy a lot this week with studies, editing and a lot of research.

I did finish my last book and now I am going to try and catch up on my kindle bookstash!

Currently I started reading Everflame by Dylan Lee Peters.

The cover is gorgeous!

Now I am going to dive into this while listening to ACOMAF on audible (sadly no progress with that since last week I have been so busy)

Synopsis :

The world is old and full of lies, but also full of truth, and here between the earth and sky the questions fall to you.

  Long ago, when the earth was young, four ancient beings created human to be the bastion of the earth and its creatures, but when the Great Tyrant came and chased the Ancients away, the world was transformed into a place of fear and isolation. Over time, humans lost their connection with a world they had been created to protect, they forgot the ways of their ancient creators, and accepted the Tyrant’s lies as truths from the mouth of a god.

  Now, deep in the forests that surround Gray Mountain, two bears find a small child that is abandoned and left for dead. The bears name him Evercloud, raise him as a member of their kingdom, and teach the boy of the Ancients, all underneath the light of the Everflame, the flame that burns atop Gray Mountain as a monument to the integrity and spirit of the bears.

  As Evercloud grows, rumors reach the bear kingdom of the Ancients’ return, and now the young man must leave his home to find them and help save the world he holds dear.

  Will Evercloud lose himself in the darkness of the Great Tyrant’s lies, or will he have the courage to judge his own heart, the strength to master the darkness, and the faith to follow his purpose until it burns within his heart like the Everflame?

.

.

.

QOTD : What are your plans this weekend?

[indigodice]

HOPEFULLY THE SHORT ADVENTURE ISN’T ALREADY OVER

I meant to write about what happened two days ago two days ago, but I was some combination of tired and lonely and not willing to let the day end as it was. Great work me. Now my experience of DND is colored with having to be an adult the next day and go to work. And like the child of yesteryear I still have trouble managing that. But I’m here now and maybe that’s what matters. Speaking of which I was supposed to have two writeups, one about Heart of Crown and one about my Custom Draft project. But maybe because so much time has passed neither will happen.

ONWARDS

I’m playing the Crypt of the Everflame module with two friends from yesteryear and two people who aren’t quite friends yet. The characters are Delilah Dunfort, Yot, Bernard “Bean” Dipp, and Mogui. I’m already regretting choosing “Mogui”, it was an attempt to have a character with a meaningful ethnic background, but there’s wasn’t really room for me to put that forward in a way that wasn’t weird, so now I have a weird name that is a cultural reference to the band Mogwei and the character Mowgli from The Jungle Book, which I haven’t read or watched.

Mostly Yot and Bean Dipp bounce off of each other since they’re friends away from keyboard. Yot I believe is in his twenties and is some kind of cleric. Bean Dipp is a miser with a comedic obsession with a disease I’ve already forgotten. Delilah is a rich kid with more excitement than sense.

Individually we’d been confronted by the Mayor starting Mogui and ending with Delillah. We met as per the Mayor’s instructions, and I created my own narrative which was mostly ignored. One of Lord Grey’s packbeasts followed me because of some miscommunication. So we have a weird mostly inanimate bipedal packbeast traveling with us. We traveled for a day and were waylaid by illusory orcs. We traveled some more and camped, the night ended and we were attacked by wolves. We made our way to a lake and found the corpse of a bandit. We buried him in a shallow grave since we didn’t have tools. Then we found ourselves at a steep hillside, and made our way down in various ways. Delilah slid down part of the way, got hurt, then all of us made our way down carefully.

What I’ve learned is there’s a kind of action tax. If you try to do anything that isn’t just words, you’re followed up by a check of some kind which is an unintentional attempt to say “no” to that action. So either it’s the culture the GM and his friends bring to the table, but they add in their own kind of narrative exposition through their dialogue. Which is fine, more than fine, it’s likely positive for the culture of the table. Which leads me to wondering if the kinds of things I enjoy are just not going to be present. Or if I’m looking in the wrong places. That was a bit of a tangent and maybe on the negative side but I have a lot of trust in Sepiadice as the GM. It would be a stretch to say he’s never let me down, but if there’s ever a time going past a session one is viable, it would be now. Anyways, DND has historically had that kind of action-tax, or maybe it’s just always existed in my experience, but it’s limiting if it encroaches too much on actions-as-roleplaying. Delilah’s character has expressed herself the most in a combat situation. At the start of the fight, her instinct, not reaction, was to climb into a tree and try to take out the orc with a Javelin. The rest of us stood our ground. And Mogui has been the least expressive inside and outside of combat. Maybe it would be good for me to learn to have banter in-character. I’m sure I’ll figure something out.

I had an opportunity to express how I wanted Mogui to fight. Delilah climbed a tree and fired potshots from her shortbow. I should have described Mogui as covering his hand with his cloak and drawing and using a wand. Even if it’s not memorable I’d have been happy to at least express something as simple as that. It was in my head, it just never came out as words, and it’s still bugging me how simple it should have been.

[tothedevilsshowclosed]

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑺𝑯𝑬𝑬𝑻

repost,  don’t reblog !

𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬 !

FULL NAME.      Marcus Lopez Arguello

MEANING.     Marcus :: dedicated to mars / to harvest / soft / manly (two different searches, four different results. can someone help me with what marcus means?? ) Lopez :: son of lope Arguello :: well wooded

NICKNAME.       rat - lmao not just him but still

GENDER.         male

HEIGHT.   5′9

AGE.  17

ZODIAC.         n/a

SPOKEN LANGUAGES. english / spanish

𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 !

HAIR COLOR.       brown.

EYE COLOR.       brown.

SKIN TONE.        olive 

BODY TYPE. slender.

ACCENT.         american

VOICE.        .............just a voice??

DOMINANT HAND.         right.

POSTURE.         slightly slouched, relaxed

SCARS.        all over his body, mostly on his back, and one across his left eye ( from his time in the boys home)

TATTOOS.      n/a

MOST NOTICEABLE FEATURE(S).      uhmmm idk the scar over his eye ??? it’s noticeable. it’s there. 

𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 !

PLACE OF BIRTH.        Nicaragua

HOMETOWN.         the streets of san francisco? lmao

BIRTH WEIGHT.         7 lbs 8 ounces

BIRTH HEIGHT.         17 inches.

MANNER OF BIRTH.         natural.

FIRST WORDS.         he doesn’t know. 

SIBLINGS.         none

PARENTS.   mom and dad ( both deceased )

PARENT INVOLVEMENT.   they left nicaragua when he was five to raise him the states. they were good parents, very involved until their untimely death which marcus witnessed

𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 !

OCCUPATION.         assassin ? sorta ? - also wokrs at a comic book store

CURRENT RESIDENCE. King's Dominion Atelier of the Deadly Arts in san francisco

CLOSE FRIENDS.        a few members of his class, can master lin be a friend? idk im putting it there now

RELATIONSHIP STATUS.          single. ( now because....wow )

FINANCIAL STATUS.        lmao what financial status...he was eating from the trash before the school

DRIVER’S LICENSE. no.

CRIMINAL RECORD.  yes. wanted for murder and arson ---its a long story ok?? ok

VICES.   drugs, alcohol, cigarettes

𝐬𝐞𝐱 & 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 !

SEXUAL ORIENTATION.         heterosexual.

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION.         heteroromantic.

PREFERRED EMOTIONAL ROLE.       submissive       |         dominant       |       switch.

PREFERRED SEXUAL ROLE.       submissive       |       dominant       |       switch.

LIBIDO.        

TURN ON’S.  independence, dependence, smarter than him lmao this isn’t hard here

TURN OFF’S.     insensitivity 

LOVE LANGUAGE.  lmao are you serious? he doesn’t know anything about it. he makes it up as he goes and doesn’t get very far. 

RELATIONSHIP TENDENCIES.    he can be both distant or a little clingy at the same time, a bit irresponsible. the best thing he did as a bf was draw a unicorn

𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 !

CHARACTER’S THEME SONG.      too young to die - agent orange

HOBBIES TO PASS TIME. art. music. drugs. getting into arguments with anything that will talk

MENTAL ILLNESSES.     ptsd

PHYSICAL ILLNESSES.         none.

LEFT OR RIGHT BRAINED.        right.

PHOBIAS.  dying. being stick in an entirely hopeless situation. being alone

SELF CONFIDENCE LEVEL.    low.

VULNERABILITIES.      drugs, memories

STOLEN FROM: @anditsxsorrows

TAGGING :: @inprometheanfire / @everflaming / @astormofagirl / @shcsallrightnow -- everyone else out there lmao

[badasshybridqueen]

‘ i just know that he likes you. i can tell by the way he looks at you. ’ - everflaming

Hayley rolls her eyes. “That’s doubtful. I think we’ve been through a little too much for him to start liking me now.” She tells her friend as she piles up some of Hope’s school books so they aren’t lying around. Teenagers - allergic to putting their shit away. “I’m sure you’re misreading the looks. He’s just glad I’m alive again - that’s all.”

@everflaming​│Some meme from here │No Longer Accepting

[anditsxsorrows-archive]

NAME:  fish BIRTHDAY:  dec 21st ZODIAC:   sag HEIGHT:   5′3′’ SEXUAL ORIENTATION:   heterosexual - and/or golden ribbons lol FAVORITE COLOR:   black/red FAVORITE BOOK:  the witching hour - anne rice FAVORITE ARTIST/BANDS: linkin park, 30stm, p!atd, IAMX LAST MOVIE I WATCHED:  idk ? but I’m currently watching reign HOGWARTS HOUSE:  idk tbh lol RANDOM FACT:  i REALLY love making gifs WHEN DID YOU CREATE THIS BLOG:  december some 3 yaers ago? DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER BLOGS: YES my multi @ofimaginarybeings my Rebekah @everflaming and my personal @fishkreizler WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO GET A TUMBLR:  because I liked the tag syste tbh and then i applied to a gv after being appraoched for one of my fanfics yes WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR URL: because of one of my favorite quotes from klaus back in TO 1x10

TAGGED BY:   the amaze @bourbonandheels TAGGING: @amongthcwreck @discordandrhyme @badasshybridqueen @predictableisnotbad @nicedreamloser @hcpefell @nottobecrossed

[moplayspoke]

Spark of the Everflame review

Going to give this 3.75 stars.

Started good. Was very easy to follow and had a very interesting premise. I actually enjoyed the story and the world but had issues with other things.

The love story is lacking… there was no real tension or build up. They barely spent any time together to have any real tension. It started at almost a slow burn pace and then suddenly… fireworks. Ugh.

My biggest gripe was with the FMC. It’s fine to be rebellious, spirited, brave etc… but it’s idiotic to try to act out and speak out all the damn time and put so much more at risk than getting a few spiteful words in. It’s both reckless and stupid. I found myself losing respect for FMC over the course of the book and growing increasingly irritated. She may be “brave” but she is pathetically naive and moronic. The fact that plot armor kept saving her from her dumb decisions irritated me further. The few times she was reprimanded for her idiocy she clearly never learned from it.

There are flawed characters who grow and then there are invincible characters who carry flaws like a badge of honor and never seem to learn from them or improve. Plot armor saved her more times than I would have liked.