#house of the dragon review

[so-what-then]

House of the Dragon season 2 review

Highlights:

Better Aegon.

Criston becoming a decent character.

Giving Rhaena parts of Nettle’s subplot.

The idea of Daemon’s vision quest in theory.

Aemond trying to get shit done, what a king 👑

Lowlights:

Literally everything else.

Not a single redeeming female character. Not a single one.

Alicent is a punk bitch.

Rhaenyra is fucking stupid.

Why. Would you make Mysaria, the sneaky worm lady, a pacifist philanthropist?

Helaena reduced to pacifist spoiler machine when she could've been a confused oracle with her own arc.

Where 👏Are 👏The 👏Battles👏?

Nothing happens even when stuff is happening! No one's death means anything!

Dialogue sucked. How many more moody shots of characters staring into the middle distance and meditating on the unfairness of the world do we need?

“The innocents” MAN FUCK THE INNOCENTS THIS IS WAR.

They neutered and sidelined my boy Corlys! His subplot deserved more.

Daemon’s vision quest should have lasted 2 episodes tops.

Stop with the “sOnG oF ICe&fIRe” omg so stupid.

We don’t need forced queer rep from Rhaenyra and Mysaria of all people 🥴

The dragonseeds plot development happens in the most scooby doo way possible.

While giving Rhaena more to do is good in theory, having a dragon roam freely has consequences for the lore.

Honestly what the show chose to include and not include is baffling. Why drop Jace’s time in the North? Why not show Rhaena attempting to tame Seasmoke instead of referencing it in passing? Why include another shot of Alicent looking depressed? Why is Gwayne there if he doesn't do anything? Why show a Rhaenyra and Alicent sleepover multiple times??

In conclusion, hollywood feminism and stupidity ruined hotd. Don’t let the media gaslight you into thinking otherwise, this show is sexist as hell and butchers the source material.

[imperatorcaesaraugustus]

Jace, Mysaria, and the Dragonseeds: Disruptions to the Social Order

(this is one section of my House of the Dragon Season 2 Review)

One of the most significant storylines in season two of House of the Dragon is that of the Dragonseeds, lowborn descendants of Targaryens who find themselves thrust into an unexpected position of privilege and power for having claimed dragons. The Dragonseeds demonstrate an uncharacteristic level of social mobility for Westeros, embodying an inherent challenge to the status quo and the attitudes that uphold it. Around this issue, the characters of Jacaerys Velaryon and Mysaria come to represent opposing perspectives. Mysaria, a commoner who has managed to rise to a position of power and influence, sees them as a vital asset regardless of their origin, while Jace, a member of the nobility whose position is somewhat precarious, views them as an existential threat.

            Let us start with the Hull brothers, Alyn of Hull and Addam of Hull. We are introduced to Alyn first, a serious, stalwart, and dutiful man working in the Velaryon fleet. We are told that he is the one who saved Corlys from an incident that nearly cost him his life last season, and Corlys attempts to reward him for this, raising him up to command a ship in the fleet, though Alyn is very resistant to Corlys’ aid. His brother, Addam, is shown to be a more free-spirited person, but receives little screentime until he is confronted by the dragon Seasmoke. Alyn swears his loyalty to Rhaenyra without hesitation but is still heavily mistrusted by the members of Rhaenyra’s council. It is also at this point that I believe it is confirmed that Corlys is the father of Alyn and Addam, though I can’t be sure because I read Fire and Blood and thus knew from the jump what their lineage was. When the decision to find more Dragonseeds is made, Corlys goes to speak with Alyn, who decides not to make the attempt but rather to stay with the fleet. Alyn then chastises Corlys for the way he and his brother were ignored growing up, forced to live in poverty and work for everything they achieved because they were bastards, and to be honest if I just wrote out the text of that speech instead of writing this section of the review it would get most of my point across.

            After the brothers of Hull, the Dragonseed we see the most of is Hugh, known in the book as Hugh the Hammer. We first meet Hugh petitioning before Aegon on behalf of the smiths of King’s Landing. He asks for a portion of the payment for the weapons and armor being made for the war to be paid in advance, as waiting for payment after the fact is placing them in a difficult financial position. To Hugh’s surprise, Aegon agrees to this demand, but it becomes clear later in the season that the institution of government never made good on these promises. Hugh serves as our primary perspective on the smallfolk of King’s Landing throughout the season. When Melys’ head is paraded through the city after Rook’s Rest, he is the one who voices the collective realization that dragons are not gods, but just meat. We see through his struggles to take care of a sick daughter the hardship that is imposed by the blockade on King’s Landing, and he is present for the start of the rioting that occurs when Rhaenyra sends food. When the sowing of the Dragonseeds occurs, we learn that he has a negative view of the Targaryens due to the treatment of his mother, Saera, but he goes to Dragonstone in the hopes of acquiring a better life.

            The next story I want to look at is that of Mysaria. Season one established her as the head of a network of operatives working towards the betterment of the conditions of the smallfolk, but her base of operations is burned by Larys. She is found in this season attempting to leave King’s Landing via ship, and her capture leads her back into Daemon’s control. He promises her freedom in exchange for her help in arranging the Blood and Cheese incident but leaves for Harrenhal before he can grant her that freedom. Rhaenyra, after some deliberation and to Mysaria’s surprise, makes good on Daemon’s promise, but Mysaria stays in her service. Mysaria becomes one of Rhaenyra’s most trusted advisors, the only one who does not doubt her ability, even developing into the beginnings of a possible sexual relationship towards the end of the season (though it only seems to be present in the one episode and is not touched upon again). In her position of power, Mysaria consistently voices the potential that lies with the smallfolk of King’s Landing, and her idea to send food to the city successfully causes the people to riot against the Greens.

            And now let us talk about Jace and about the sowing. In this season, Jace chafes against the position he is in, too important as Rhaenyra’s heir to contribute to the fighting. He desperately wishes to advance the cause, taking his own initiative to treat with House Frey in order to do so. It is from this same desire to contribute that he proposes the idea to Rhaenyra of searching outside of the Targaryen family for new dragonriders, notably wanting to find them from among the nobility of Westeros. When the attempt with Ser Darklyn fails and Addam of Hull turns up with a dragon instead, it is Mysaria who presents the idea that the lowborn descendants of Targaryens are, in fact, the best place to look. This upsets Jace greatly. He, being widely perceived as a bastard, is less secure in his position than most of those around him. Rhaenyra can afford to disrupt things somewhat in order to gain an advantage in the war, but Jace correctly identifies that his own legitimacy is further called into question when bastards are provably able to ride dragons. And his fears seem to be proven right after the sowing occurs. Addam and Hugh are respectful, but Ulf the White treats Jace as an equal, just a fellow dragonrider. And when Rhaenyra flies to Harrenhal, she brings Addam with her and leaves Jace behind.

            The reality, of course, is that Mysaria is right, and so is Jace. The smallfolk have power in numbers and they have the potential to be just as capable as the nobility. And because of this, the power the nobility has over them is fragile. The Targaryen claim rests foremost with their dragons, as that is the power through which they enforce their will. If the lowborn are capable of riding dragons, then what is there to separate Targaryens from commoners? Monarchs are just people, and dragons are just meat. This season does a good job of highlighting the arbitrariness and unfairness of the social order here. Alyn’s tirade against Corlys in which he highlights the way his life differed from that of Laenor simply because they had different mothers is the best example of this, though the effectiveness of Mysaria’s smallfolk-focused strategies also underlines this theme. There are some places where this falls short, however. For one, the scenes where Corlys is talking with Alyn prior to the final episode never seem to go anywhere. But more substantially, Jace’s position as a protagonist means that his concerns are given weight. We see Ulf as unduly rude, as an interloper who refuses to see Jace as his superior, when these themes should lead us to the conclusion that Jace is not, in fact, superior to Ulf in any inherent way. Both of them, and Addam and Hugh as well, are the descendants of Targaryens, and the only difference is that Jace was raised as though he were a trueborn son.

            This leads me into the final thing I want to discuss. The above has been an analysis based on what is in the season, but now I want to turn to something that wasn’t. If you want to stop reading here, feel free, it should be a more or less complete review without this next bit. For those of you who want to continue, however, it’s time to talk about Nettles (probable spoilers for Rhaena’s story next season).

            Nettles is a character in Fire and Blood, the book from which House of the Dragon is derived. Nettles was one of the characters who showed up for the sowing of the dragonseeds, but the book suggests that she was not actually the descendant of Targaryens. For one thing, she is described as having brown skin, black hair, and brown eyes (the Velaryons in the books have pale skin, as do all people of Valyrian descent). This doesn’t fully preclude the possibility of her being a dragonseed, but when combined with the way in which she claimed her dragon, it seems likely she was not. Targaryens seem to have some sort of magical bond with the dragons they ride. Each person can only ever ride one dragon, each dragon only has one rider at a time, and the way a dragon and rider choose one another is somewhat mysterious. Nettles, however, used a different method. The dragon she went after was Sheepstealer, a wild dragon whose preferred food was sheep. Nettles would bring the dragon sheep until it was full enough to be docile, at which point she mounted it, a method much closer to taming an animal than the mysterious mystical connection that comes with being a Targaryen.

            Dragons are, among other things, an allegory for power. The Targaryens can ride dragons because of their blood. It is through their lineage and their racial purity that they claim the right to rule. In this way, they are emblematic of the feudal monarchy over which they preside. Nettles has none of these things. She is lowborn and dark-skinned, and yet through her ingenuity she claims a dragon anyway. Unlike the other dragonseeds, she defies the common knowledge that only those born from a certain lineage are able to ride dragons and – in the allegory – able to rule. Rhaena, who seems to be taking Nettles’ storyline in the show, does not fulfill this thematic role. She is, unquestionably, a member of the royal family. She views herself as being of lesser worth because she has not claimed a dragon, but there is not much evidence of others holding that opinion. She believes she was sent off to the Vale because she was unimportant, and it is true that she could not contribute to the fighting, but the tasks of keeping safe Rhaenyra’s children and working to maintain a critical alliance are not the trivial things Rhaena thinks of them as. Rather than being the most disadvantaged of all the characters and claiming a dragon anyway, Rhaena is more secure in her position than even Jace and her lack of a dragon has become an issue of self-worth more than anything. Self-worth is important, but I find it to be a very disappointing substitute for Nettles breaking the illusion that enshrines the nobility’s monopoly on governance.

[margarita-life]

Daemon & Rhaenyra | I CAN'T TRUST YOU (HOTD 2X02)

"...But now I have seen that your heart belongs only to you. ..."

#houseofthedragon #rhaenyratargaryen #daemontargaryen #daemyra #houseofthedragonseason2

[mesillusionssousecstasy]

House of the Dragon 2x01 : Review

First of all, sorry to deliver this review a bit late (one day after and not the same day) than two years ago. I have a full time job and unfortunately, I cannot wake up in the middle of the night (5am) than sleep even less.

Anyway. Here's my review.

It's seems that this season will be less exciting (not the same) than season one has we already know the outcome / the end.

The introduction with the embroidery is very nice, but I think I prefer the introduction with the blood during season one. But the embroidery is incredible.

Also, the landscapes, especially the one from the first scene, are incredible too.

I don't think I would have opened with the north, knowing that the scene was so short and we couldn't even have a glance of Winterfall. It seems that Jacaerys was only there for a day.

At least, it's confirmed that Dragons cannot cross the wall!

Sorry, but I love Prince Daemon. I really don't think that he is a bad characters, yes he has many flaws, but I really think he is driven by blood, dragon and honour.

What happened to Corlys Velaryon? Where was he injured? Also it seems that this dagger is important.

I love the way Helaena plays. But I would have thought that they would give us a hint between her and Aemond.

WTF Alicent! You are a fucking hypocrite. Both of them, her and Ser Criston Cole. Doing the same thing as they blamed Rhaenyra for doing it. Parallel with season one and Sir Cole's white cloak. Rhaenyra brings down the white cloak as Alicent brings up the white cloak.

The edit and the camera corners are incredible. Everything is in the detail.

Is Aegon crazy (scene at the grand conseil)? No, I think he is just stupid and too much spoiled.

I don't believe and I can't imagine Rhaenyra has the type of a crying lady. I see her as a strong woman, not a weak one.

There was one correct thing coming from Aegon's mouth! The most important scene for this episode : "Our victory depends on the efforts of the smallfolk."

Larys Strong is still plotting (nothing knew here).

Otto is still a cautious and smart man.

I like the return of the White Worm. And no, Daemon is not using her as a lover on the side.

Erryk said something very truth to Daemon during their conversation: "Arryk and I were named to the Kingsguard at just 8 and 10. And we swore the same oath: to defend the whole of the royal family. So what were we to do when they turned against one another?

Interesting relationship between Daemon and Rhaenyra? Can they feel each other? Can they communicate with each another? I never saw them connecting the way they did in this episode. There was love definitively.

The camera's way of shooting is incredible.

I don't think that this Rhaenyra is very realistic.

I didn't know that Daemon found a way to get inside King's Landing.

Daemon Targaryen is such an interesting character.

I laughed when Ser Cole was talking about himself, instead of Rhaenyra.

There was something Foreshadowing when Otto talked to Aemond.

The scenery is incredible too.

I love the way it's filmed.

It was incredible for Blood and Cheese to pass in front of Aegon without him and his friends knowing.

There was something very out of place with the statue of King Viserys.

Poor dog!

Is the symbol of rats important? What does it mean?

Foreshadowing regarding the drawing on the wall!!! I really hope it wasn't for Daenerys. It was clearly a dragon burning King's Landing. What wasn't we seen this during season one?

Blood and cheese was very well done, even if I preferred the version in the book.

Helaena doesn't have three children? I thought it was between the big and the small one. Also why the Queen is alone?

And it was even worse when Helaena caught her mother in the act. Nevertheless, I thought that she would take refuge at Aemond's side.

I liked the last scene of the show (meaning) : Alicent's face.

Finally, Daemon truly loves Rhaenyra. There is not question there / about it. There is definitively something there. He did what he did because his wife, his Queen demanded of him. It seems that they are connected in some way.

Good night.

[thequeenofsastiel]

I genuinely enjoyed the season finale. Rhaenyra's attitude towards war made me like her a lot more. And the fight scene(if you could call it that) between Arrax and Vhagar was very well done. I liked the demonstration of Vhagar's size and strength. I also liked that Rhaenys decided to stand by Rhaenyra.

Looking forward to season 2!

[lyrasky]

【ハウス・オブ・ザ・ドラゴン】シーズン2第4話ネタバレあらすじ 解説『偽りの末路』感想 House Of The Dragon2-4

【ハウス・オブ・ザ・ドラゴン】シーズン2第4話ネタバレ あらすじ解説『偽りの末路』感想 House Of The Dragon2-4 #HouseOfTheDragon #ハウスオブザドラゴン #EmmaDArcy #Targaryen #MattSmith #RhysIfans #SteveToussaint #EveBest #GameOfThrones #ゲームオブスローンズ #dragon #PaddyConsidine #FabienFrankel #GrahamMcTavish #ElliottTittensor #LukeTittensor #JeffersonHall #TomGlynnCarney #OliviaCooke #EwanMitchell

  可哀想に、可哀想に ww。 今回の悲惨な終わり方に「自業自得とはこのことだ」と納得。こうなることは初めからわかりきったことだった。にしても、こんなに早く終わりが来てくれるなんて。嬉しい〜！！きっと第4話を見た人の全員が喜んだと思うっ。 ただこの物語はターガリエン家をはじめとするドラゴンの血筋や関連の人間たちの滅亡のストーリー。だからこれから先、まだまだ色々な事件が起きるのです。壮大なストーリーと言われていますし、本家までまだ200年以上あるからね。 だから話が複雑。その上「キャラクターが多くて、おまけに名前が激似ときているから話がわからなくなるー！」とイライラしてるそこのあなた！安心してください！ 大丈夫ですよ、Lyraのこのブログを読めば丸わかり！一緒に【ハウス・オブ・ドラゴン】の世界を楽しみましょう。 Continue reading…

[thankyouriez]

House Of The Dragon Season 2 Episode 4 Recap... And Yes, Lots Of Dragons!

[emynarnen]

Harrenhal on Airbnb (and its most recent review)

[rickyvalero]

House of the Dragon Episode 10 “The Black Queen” and Series Review

House of the Dragon Episode 10 “The Black Queen” and Series Review

It has been a long journey to the finale. In a surprising turn of events, this episode was somehow leaked online during the week prior. It was difficult to avoid spoilers, but from the gist of Twitter, it seemed to have some fans rather frustrated. Rhaenyra finally receives the news from Princess Rhaenys that Viserys is dead and the Greens have crowned Aegon king in front of the people of King’s…

[amesmonde]

House of the Dragon (2022-) Review

House of the Dragon (2022-) Review

Set about 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, the era of House of the Dragon follows the trials and tribulations of the House Targaryen during the period of a tenuous peace.Thankfully the American fantasy drama House of the Dragon is more of the Game of Thrones same. The writing, directing, and cast performances are notable. Although the fantasy elements are off the bat, it by default…

[fandom]

Much to discuss.

So y'all are discussing it, and then some. Ncuti Gatwa wraps up his first season on Doctor Who in style, naturally, as House of the Dragon gets underway with its second. Fans are sending best wishes as Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 263 is delayed while creator Gege Akutami recovers from illness. And, just as bears poop in woods, we celebrate the many Cats of Tumblr. This is Tumblr’s Week in Review.

Dungeon Meshi

House of the Dragon

Artists on Tumblr

Interview With The Vampire

Doctor Who

Palestine

Laios Touden | Dungeon Meshi

Helluva Boss

Marcille Donato | Dungeon Meshi

Falin Touden | Dungeon Meshi

Jujutsu Kaisen

Bridgerton

Cats of Tumblr

Batman

Pride Month

Polin | Penelope Featherington & Colin Bridgerton, Bridgerton

Izutsumi | Dungeon Meshi

Hazbin Hotel

Senshi | Dungeon Meshi

Ace Attorney

[feminist-cult-following]

saw a reviewer describe episode 5 as alicent “learning that patriarchy exists” and I have to laugh because alicent has always been just as aware of the patriarchy as any other woman on this show, if not more. she has been shackled by it her whole life. her understanding of the patriarchal society in which she lives is a key component of her character. I swear people watch this show with their eyes closed

[imperatorcaesaraugustus]

Rhaenyra and Alicent: A Struggle for Agency

(this is one section of my House of the Dragon Season 2 Review)

I have saved for last the two main characters of this story, and the theme they share is also present throughout all the others I have discussed. But for Alicent and Rhaenyra in particular, the issue of agency, especially but not exclusively the way it is limited by their femininity, is paramount.

            Rhaenyra begins the season lost in grief over the death of her son Lucerys while her supporters struggle to act without her. When she does return, Daemon acts without her knowledge to send assassins into the Red Keep, killing Aegon’s son Jahaerys rather than Aemond, and when confronted about this he flies off to Harrenhal. Rhaenyra tries to prevent the escalation into a full war, much to the chagrin of her council, and even goes so far as to sneak into King’s Landing to speak with Alicent in the hopes of brokering peace, but it cannot happen. Even after committing to the path of war, Rhaenyra is still questioned by those around her who do not view her as capable of military leadership, but when she goes to confront Daemon he puts his strength behind hers.

            Alicent starts the season in a position of relative power, something that slowly erodes as time goes on. When Aegon dismisses Otto as hand in favor of Ser Criston Cole, Alicent looses one of her few allies on the small council, and her cautious advice is increasingly not heeded as the council becomes ever more eager for war. When she attempts to bring Aegon to heel, telling him to do what his advisors instruct, he sets out in an attempt to regain his own agency, leaving him horribly burned and placing the much stronger-willed Aemond in charge. Alicent argues that she should be made regent, citing her years of experience ruling on behalf of Viserys, but is dismissed in no small part because she is a woman. After a conversation with her brother about her youngest son, Daeron, and a trip into the Kingswood, Alicent goes to Rhaenyra in a final attempt to salvage what she can, offering to surrender the city in exchange for the lives of her children, but Rhaenyra is now the one who resists, calling for Aegon’s death.

            The struggles these two characters have with their agency can roughly be broken down into three parts: their agency in the face of misogyny, their agency in the face of duty, and their agency in the face of war. Regarding misogyny, Rhaenyra and Alicent follow opposing arcs in this season. Rhaenyra begins the season largely absent from rule, leaving first to find Luke’s body and then to speak with Alicent in King’s Landing. In her absence, the members of her council flounder, debating the extent to which they should take the war into their own hands. Daemon especially tries to claim authority for himself and leaves for Harrenhal once Rhaenyra has returned. She is constantly questioned regarding her ability to rule, but gradually solidifies power, culminating in Daemon swearing his loyalty to her at the end of the season. Alicent, meanwhile, has a significant amount of influence at the start and has that influence eroded over time. There is an aspect of her voice being discarded because she is hesitant to head into war, but it is also made clear that her status as a woman is also a significant factor. This is both due to the inherent misogyny of Westeros and to the implications of having a woman in a position in power would have regarding Aegon’s claim over Rhaenyra.

            The struggle in the face of duty is also experienced in opposing ways by the two characters. Rhaenyra is often absent from her throne in the start of the season, either due to grief or because she is trying to reach a peaceful resolution with Alicent. The Black faction struggles early on from a lack of clear leadership. But once Rhaenyra has concluded that there is no means of avoiding war, she takes on her duties with grim determination. Alicent, meanwhile, has been defined by her sense of duty since season one, but as she is pushed further and further away from having any real power, she reaches a breaking point. Alicent travels out of King’s Landing, free from her responsibilities, and eventually comes to Rhaenyra. She is willing to give up her responsibilities to her family and her faction, to surrender the city in order to bring everything to an end.

            The two meetings Alicent and Rhaenyra have this season are the clearest illustration of the two characters’ struggles against the seeming inevitability of war. First is Rhaenyra’s meeting with Alicent in the Great Sept. Rhaenyra holds onto some hope that war can be averted and believes Alicent to be the one most likely to prevent it. But too much blood has been spilled. Jahaerys has been murdered, and Alicent cannot let that go. Nor does either side wish to renounce their claim. Rhaenyra attempts to explain to Alicent her misunderstanding with regards to Viserys’ dying statements, but as Alicent correctly says in a later episode, Viserys’ intentions no longer matter. Things are already set in motion.

            The second meeting, where Alicent comes to Rhaenyra at Dragonstone, highlights the way these characters have been inverted. It is now Alicent who wishes to stop the war, offering to surrender King’s Landing when Aemond leaves in exchange for her other children’s lives. But things have gone too far now for Rhaenyra to let that be. Aegon must be killed as a traitor, or her reign will forever be questioned, Alicent’s actions of trying to put her son on the throne leading to the very thing she warned him about in order to convince him to take power. In a final plea, Alicent asks Rhaenyra to run away with her, but Rhaenyra refuses. Although Alicent has come around to the idea of breaking free, Rhaenyra is now bound by duty.

            Regarding these two stories and their themes, I have mixed feelings. Outside of their two shared scenes, I think the Alicent story worked relatively well. I was not personally a fan of her scenes with Criston Cole, but I think they fit thematically with her pushing against the limits society has placed upon her, and the rest of her story I found very compelling. It very much is a story of her own decisions coming back to bite her until she has a moment of crisis, seeing the futility of it all and finding some agency in breaking from the system. Rhaenyra's story was less strong in comparison, but I would not go so far as to describe it as weak, and Emma D’Arcy’s performance was very good this season.

            The two meetings between these characters were a mixed bag. The mere fact of them meeting like this is, as many have pointed out, nonsensical bordering on absurd. I don’t want to overly emphasize plot holes or the idea of a story needing to make complete logical sense all the time, but when it gets to where the suspension of disbelief is stretched to its breaking point these sort of things do become a genuine problem. On top of that, I am not a fan more generally of the first scene where they meet in the sept. A significant portion of the scene is a discussion of the misunderstanding over the prophecy, and the prophecy is one of my least favorite plot elements from this show, so overall this scene did not really work for me. The scene in the final episode where Alicent visits Rhaenyra on Dragonstone is just as ridiculous in its setup but the scene itself was good enough to mostly justify that in my eyes. The way their conversation highlights the changes each of their characters has undergone is very good, the acting is excellent, and overall I do find it compelling.

            Since this section of the review discussed the ways Rhaenyra and Alicent have worked to stop the oncoming war, ultimately failing to do so, I wanted to take a moment and discuss how the season ended. Standing on the cliff edge of war, knowing that it’s coming but not seeing it happen just yet, has some thematic weight to it, but it still leaves much to be desired. I am aware of the circumstances which led to this being the case. The season was cut from ten episodes to eight, and the writers’ strike prevented the series from being rewritten to account for this, so what we received is what would have been episodes one through eight of a ten episode season. Be that as it may, I think it is still important to look at the show as it exists, and as it exists I don’t think it quite works as an ending, although I would not go so far as to say the ending was bad. Just a bit anticlimactic.

[navree]

aegon looking at other people while doing king stuff most of the time

aegon looking at his son even while doing king stuff

(seriously give tgc all his laurels because it is insanely hard to capture "love" as a concrete emotion on someone's face because of how interior and varied it is as a feeling but there's no other way to interpret how aegon looks at jaehaerys other than with so much love)

[nonbinarylesbianherb]

S2 episode 6 has now reached 6.3 rating due to review bombing.

I really hope the writers and actors aren't deterred by this and keep showing us more queer action in the show

[ladyloveandjustice]

My Favorite Books I Read in 2023

I read a ton of good novels last year- 36 in all (and uh, 78 manga/graphic novels, but we'll examine that in another post). Here's a link to my Goodreads year in books (the manga is at the beginning, the novels start with Siren Queen) and my storygraph wrap up.  

I reread a ton of Discworld this year, and it's as spectacular as ever. But what about new reads?

Well, here are my favorite books I read in 2023!

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

This is an autobiographical memoir about the abusive relationship the author went through with her ex-girlfriend. It's absolutely gut-wrenching, and at times, achingly beautiful. Machado uses the house she shared with her girlfriend, which she calls the "dream house", as a back drop. It's a place she always wanted and also a place she became trapped in, Machado's language is beautiful as she explores the relationship from different lenses-- The Dream House as Lesbian Cult Classic, the Dream House as Noir, the Dream House as Creature Feature, the Dream House as Stoner Comedy....All facets of the relationship are explored in a way that grips you by the throat and makes you remember everyone who ever tried to suffocate you-- but it also explores the hard work of moving on, of picking up the pieces, of living and embracing tenderness along with hardship.

I especially related to Machado's struggle to talk about abuse between queer lovers because of her fears of giving homophobes more ammunition...and when she says "we deserve to have our wrongdoing represented as much as our heroism, because when we refuse wrongdoing as a possibility for a group of people, we refuse their humanity", I felt that deeply.

This wasn't just one of my favorite books this year, it goes on the list of all-time favorite books. I wish I had this kind of writing style. I'll be returning to this again and again.

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao

A middle-grade novel about a Chinese-American teen who feels a bit alienated from his heritage, which becomes a bit of an issue once he finds out the First Emperor of China has possessed his A.R. Gaming Headset. Now he needs to close a portal to the underworld with the help of other kids possessed by emporers.

This was a whole lot of fun, and often quite poignant. I was unsure if I could really enjoy middle-grade books as an adult, and this absolutely proves I can. There's a lot of really interesting Chinese history blended with action-packed fantasy, and exploration of the complicated feelings a kid can have about their own heritage . The dynamic between Zachary and Qin Shi Huang was so entertaining with the Emperor being villainous, heroic, charismatic, detestable-- and Zachary realizing how his complicated feelings about him mirror his relationship with his culture at large. There was also a lot of fun with other historical figures, and Xiran's take on Wu Zetian is a joy. (Also, if you like Yu-Gi-Oh!, you'll probably like this, since Xiran says it was one of their influences).

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Rose is young woman who's raised in a fundamentalist Christian household, and she's a devout, obedient daughter. But some weird things are happening. She's seeing a terrifying demon everywhere, insects are coming out of her mouth....and she's possibly having feelings about other girls. What's going on?

Yes, this is by the Chuck Tingle who makes all those Tinglers. But THIS one... will make you tingle with fear! It's a great horror novel! It's skin-crawlingly creepy at times, but also does a great job digging into how fundamentalist dogma harms queer people, and the hypocrisy of such beliefs. The conversion camp aspect is handled tastefully, and overall it was a great spooky read that's also ultimately very affirming, cathartic, and hopeful.

Qualia the Purple by Hisamitsu Ueo

You might go into this thinking it's just a quirky yuri light novel about a schoolgirl and her crush who sees everyone around her as robots (like literally, when she looks at someone she sees a robot instead of a human). But it quickly becomes surreal queer psychological horror steeped in absolutely wild applications of quantum mechanics and thought-provoking time travel.  Some of the quantum mechanics  exposition dumps were a bit much but I deeply enjoyed having my mind cracked open by this book. 

It's one of the most interesting takes of time loop stories I've seen. But it definitely covers a lot of rough subject matter, including a relationship with a serious age gap and extremely messed up relationships, so be cautious if you have triggers.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

This book follows Miri, whose wife goes missing on a deep-sea submarine mission for six months. Miri thought her wife dead, but she miraculously returns one day...but her wife has changed. She's like a stranger. She may have bought the horrors of the sea home with her.

This is a gripping exploration of grief and loss combined with a delicious, slow horror that creeps under your skin. There's excellent Lovecraftian and body horror elements to the novel, but it works very effectively as a metaphor for a loved one going through trauma, and a relationship starting to crumble because everything seems different. A moment that really stuck out to me is when Miri copes with her wife's disappearance by frequenting an online community where women roleplay as wives with husbands missing in space. The way the online drama of the community interacted with her grief was  both funny and heartbreaking. 

This is another example of a book that makes me deeply jealous with its lyrical writing, and another one for the ever-lengthening all time favorites list.

Otherside Picnic Volume 8: Accomplices No More by Iori Miyazawa

The latest entry in a series about two girls exploring an alternate dimension full of creepypasta monsters, while also falling in love with each other. See my other reviews here and here.

This volume has the payoff to a lot of careful character work and relationship building, and it was completely satisfying. In fact, it was...show-stopping. Spectacular.  Incredible. I loved the exploration of how love, sex, and romance are so different for different people and it's impossible to put it in neat boxes. The frank and messy conversation our leads have about their relationship was perfect and so was that absolutely  bonkers, wonderful finale. This is another one for the all times favorite list, and I loved it so much I wrote a extremely long review/recap here. 

Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality by Eliot Schrefer

This was a well-researched, well-crafted, easy to read book that explores queerness (mainly homosexuality, bisexuality, trans and genderfluid expressions in animals, and even the question of if and how animals can related to gender) in the animal kingdom. Though it's definitely aimed at teens, I learned a lot from it (who knew female bonobos were such life goals) and it presented its information in a fun way. It included some interesting examinations of how proof of homosexuality and bisexuality in animals was historically suppressed and filtered through homophobic assumptions. If you want to learn a little animal science in an accessible format, definitely check this out.

Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin

The story follows Mia, a woman in her 20's living with her vampire mother. Her whole life revolves around not drawing suspicion towards her Mom. She also has to make sure to feed her Mom some of her blood every night--lest her mother fall back in with her abusive boyfriend and start hunting humans.  But when Mia meets a cute girl, she starts to dream of living her own life...

It was a really interesting use of vampirism as a metaphor for both living with a parent struggling with addiction and having an abusive parent. It's just a well-told, heartwrenching tale that got deep into the character's mindsets. I thought the ending was bit abrupt and rushed, but it did make more sense once I realized this was the first in a duology. It's a fascinating take on vampires, and I'm interested in seeing more.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

This novel follows a middle-aged Muslim female pirate living around the Arabian Peninsula. She's supposed to be in retirement, but wouldn't you know it, she's lured in for one last job! I she rescues a kidnapped girl,  she'll have all the riches she needs to set her family up for life. So Amina begins her adventure of fighting demons and monsters and ex-husbands. But the job might not be all it seems.

This novel is full of all the entertaining swashbuckling action and shenanigans that any pirate story should have. It's a rollicking good time, and feeds my craving for middle aged women going on quests and kicking ass. Amina's journey is a fun, wild ride full of dynamic characters and interesting mythology!

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Juniper is friends with a successful Chinese-American author, Athena Liu, and has always been deeply jealous of her. When Athena dies in front of her, Juniper decides to steal her manuscript rooted in Chinese history and claim it as her own. But plagiarism might catch up with her...

This is a strong example of a book I thought was really well-done, but one I'm probably never going to read again. The way it depicted Twitter drama is just too accurate and I got anxiety. It did such a good job putting you in Juniper's awful shoes so you can feel the pressure close in along with her. The book's commentary on the insidious racism of the publishing industry was effective, and it made a horrible character's journey fascinating to follow. I was so intrigued yet anxious I had to force myself to finish the last few pages.

Bonus read:

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldtree

A very cute novel about an orc named Viv who decides to retire from the violent life of a bounty hunter and run a coffee shop instead. She ends up getting a lot of assistance from a succubus named Tandri...and my, is that a slow-burn coffee shop romance brewing? This book reminds me a lot of various cozy slice-of-life anime, and it's nice to be getting more of that feeling in book form. I wish there was a little more specific to the fantasy world rather than making it a coffee shop that line up 1 to 1 to a modern day shop, but it was definitely a sweet read.