#hp reviews

[360degreesasthecrowflies]

It's annoying enough that Harry can't make a decision without Ron and Hermione sitting on his shoulders giving either extreme on the matter. What makes it worse is that on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is too impulsive and 10 is too overthought, Harry's decisions are always around a 3, so Ron gets pushed all the way to a 1 and Hermione has to stay close to 5 to balance it out. What that means is that Hermione ends up always being right. This isn't how you play your know-it-all supporting character--like Donatello or Lisa Simpson, she's supposed to frequently miss the forest for the trees to illustrate that her counterpart (in this case Ron) is occasionally closer to the mark. So the trio is completely unbalanced, with the id being constantly useless and the superego being constantly correct. (Maybe this is why Harry/Hermione shippers are so damn puritan.)

via this contemporary review of Deathly Hallows, 2007; credit jim-smith.livejournal.com

[mrsriddles-blog]

Reads of the Week: Mar 31-Apr 6

*indicates smut

green font represents multiple characters (poly, rh, etc.)

A/N: So sorry this is late! Let me know if there is any errors, the links don’t work or aren’t taking you to the right place or if the @ is wrong! I tried to check it, but I’ve been really busy with school.

Thigh-ly Adored* by @thatdammchickennugget

Reading Between The Lines by @thatdammchickennugget

Butterbeer And Comfort by @thatdammchickennugget

The Stages of Grief by @obsessedwithceleste

Lost Cause by @thatdammchickennugget

Vacation by @mattsturnioloswifey

Overbearing by @amsznn

Motive* by @recklessmatt

Five Love Languages by @thugpugs4lrh

Rather Be With You by @amsznn

three is not a crowd* by @junovrsmp4

Rated R | pt.1 by @6ix9inewiturmom

Rated R | pt.2* by @6ix9inewiturmom

Cramps by @sturniolo-fall-enthusiast

Complicated by @incendiobrock

Voice by @hollandsangel

dad!matt x mom!reader by @stvrniclo

daydream by @chrissturnsgirlll222

Treat you like a lady* by @letstrip-teamblue

Rumors by @sugrhigh

Cool Spider* by @gamermattsgf

Well, I Read Somewhere* by @rizzsturniolo

Bonfire* by @evie-sturns

three is not a crowd* by @junovrsmp4

Bench Press* by @evieolo

[lilbeanz]

Wow... I really can't believe it's already 2023! What a year. What a crazy, crazy year it's been! 2022 was a fantastic year for me and I'll tell you why:

January- I was going through the motions, still just working on my ocs and my college coursework, pottering around aimlessly...

And then, February!

I began really *Pottering* about. That fateful Valentine's day really kicked things off... As it turned out, some people really liked my stuff. Especially my artistic take on a certain pointy nosed pureblood wizard.

In fact y'all liked it so much I carried on right through March and April too...

Started the Number Twelve series, carried on with the shenanigans, had fun answering asks...

Dipped out for a bit...

Came back full force in June just in time for Pride month!

And carried on all through July and August:

Then in September something very very special happened. I joined the drarry discord server- fell in love with it- made friends with some amazing people, even participated in Sudsfest!

I started writing my first fic in October.

By November I was ready to start publishing JoDT chapters weekly.

Wrapped the first book up by December, and participated in the owl post gift exchange.

I just can't really begin to describe how happy I am. It's been an incredible, fantastically magical year for me. I'm so grateful for this fandom, for all of you. Just... Thank you so much ❤️

Let's make 2023 just as magical✨️

[riverwriter]

Fanfic Rants (This one is not HP specific)

I posted my writing online.

I did that. I have to own that.

I knew from the beginning that I was opening myself up to criticism, which is why I waited years to post anything.

I never thought anybody would care enough to troll me.

I downplayed in my mind what some of my fellow authors were experiencing.

I was wrong.

However, mine is a wonderful problem, in its own way. I have enough people paying attention to me, that there is also a small subset that seems to only read to find fault.

I know I’m yelling into the void because those of you that truly care are kind, and even when you have a criticism you are willing to engage me and help me improve and I love, love, LOVE that. So please don’t stop.

Those of you who are just looking to be mean. I know there’s nothing I can do. But venting helps.

Okay.

This shouldn’t be a rant. It should just be a thank you to the so many amazing people I’ve been privileged to be in contact with over the last several years.

(I just realized that sounded like a goodbye. It’s not at all. I simply wanted to get a few things off my chest and send out some grateful vibes.)

[rewritingcanon]

guess whos doing their uni assignment on the cursed child

[allaboutlov3]

Since I'm still procrastinating "Choices" (okay, actually I'm still healing from the severe heartbreak it caused) I read „Quite like us“ and "blue and yellow skies" by @alarainai and „salmon_says“. For those of you who need and love (somewhat fluffy) Jegulus AUs these might be it.

Quite like us (67k): The story is placed in the real world, like without magic at all. James is a physiotherapist and Regulus studies to become a veterinarian. They make contact via a text message from James that was meant to be send to Sirius. They don't know who the other person is but start a conversation nonetheless. It may sound a little odd at first but I really liked how different it was. Especially since the first part is almost exclusively written as text messages. But yeah - check it out. It’s a really nice short fanfiction! Also it hit a little too close to home when some teen angst was discussed. But I sirius-ly loved how they chose to deal with it and "solve" the issues. Know your worth you lovely people!

Blue and Yellow Skies (142k): Okay this one is an AU where Regulus and James are both professional Quidditch players. It's rivals-to-lovers and was executed perfectly (imho). They managed to capture James and Regulus so well. While Regulus has some a lot unresolved feelings, James is just..well he's James. He's utterly, idiotically and irrevocably in love with Regulus. So you bet it's an utter mess when they find themselves in a fake relationship with the press and public constantly in their faces. This story deals with some sirius issues as well. I think the bottom line is that it's okay to set boundaries because you can't fix another person. It's not your job and you shouldn't let them run around hurting you. There comes a point where you have to choose yourself in order to survive. But then, there is always two sides. And it's okay to take some time to heal and ask for forgiveness. Also Rosekiller is a definite plus for this work of art!

Anyways, thank you for these wonderful stories! If you have more recs please send them to me. I love reading and writing about them! :)♥

[transman-badass]

Okay y'all, I need your input!

I want to take my lifelong Cthulhu Mythos special interest to the next level. I want to expand my own horizons and introduce people to what I find. So, I want to start reviewing Cthulhu Mythos stuff. Mostly books, since that's my wheelhouse but also anything else I can get my hands on, especially more obscure stuff. I've got a lot of ideas, including stuff for my Kofi, a cartoon persona, maybe even YouTube or podcast stuff later on?

I'm gonna do this for a year to see how it goes. Give it a good solid try because the time is gonna pass anyway and I'd rather be full of knowledge than regrets. But first... I gotta decide where to put it.

Please, if you're interested, reblog this! I want to have some idea of what I'm getting into with a theoretical audience 😅.

[nuninho2000]

My favourite Weasley twins moment and it's not even in the books

[dufferpuffer]

so the statute of secrecy is fucked, right...? like since 2010ish, boom of smart phones and tablets and internet usage (thats when it happened right...? I've been on the internet since 2001 coz my dads a tech nerd, I can't remember.... I just remember planking being big)

Already it's lax in different countries - but there is no way even in England the Ministry can police every family BBQ where someone records a vine or tiktok of their cousin doing magic. No fucking way.

It was an open secret before with the families of half-bloods/muggleborns, and now its just fucking open.

[360degreesasthecrowflies]

This is what I find so infuriating about Rowling. Her characters are all in theory quite interesting. The actual description of Voldemort is a fantastic, interesting character. He's an orphan, corrupted by power he didn't understand, and ultimately driven by a horrible fear of death, unable to understand human affection he isolates himself from the world and that ultimately leads to his downfall. In practice, though, he's just Stock Dark Lord Number Five. Even though he is obsessed with immortality, and utterly terrified of dying, he treats his Horcruxes with blithe disregard. Even though he is supposedly incapable of trusting anybody he works with legions of incompetent minions and actually does trust them with important tasks, usually to his detriment. All the mistakes Voldemort makes which Rowling pretends are his "arrogance" or "cruelty" or whatever are actually just plot necessitated stupidity.

Dan Hemmens, owner of a now-defunct blog featuring some HP articles. Quoted via the comments section to this post by elanor-x

[pandorasboxofhorrors]

Today’s theme are the writings of Clark Ashton Smith, a Lovecraftian writer who added to Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos. Clark Ashton Smith wrote many short stories and I have read them all. He is a fun and creative writer and not particularly dark or nasty. All of his short stories have been reissued in the last twenty years in nice volumes, but the question is where to start. Hyberborea is an excellent starting point for reading this author, a book of short stories from his Lovecraftian mythos. The best first story to read by Clark Ashton Smith is The Seven Geases, about a hunting party that descends into problems. Below are helpful links:

Hyperborea pdf:

The Seven Geases html:

The Seven Geases YouTube reading:

Hyperborea Goodreads review:

[mirireads]

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐝𝐞 • 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

general info

author: Misdemeanor1331 fandom: harry potter pairing: draco malfoy/hermione granger chapters: 10 (technically 9) rated: M/E potential triggers: death, violence, sex

𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐈 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐃: 𝐲𝐞𝐬

While ferrying a message for the Order of the Phoenix, Hermione Granger is caught by jaded Death Eater, Draco Malfoy. Unlikely and unwilling allies, the pair begin a cross-country journey where their survival depends on learning when to stand strong against the elements’ fury, and when it’s acceptable to erode.

so, yes, i would absolutely, no questions asked, recommend Time and Tide. but this fic is not my typical dramione fic rec whatsoever. at 10 chapters and under 30k words, it is pretty short, so there's no slowburn there. their relationship builds pretty quickly, but not abruptly. hermione being a selkie is one of the biggest story points in this fic, which i loved. i don't feel like i see many creature!hermione fics, honestly. the most notable feature of this fic, though, is just the writing itself. i mean, it's beautiful. you can absolutely tell the author is a seasoned and talented writer. for a short fic, the characterization is great and the entire time i was practically screaming, "PLEASE WORK OUT PLEASE GET SAFE PLEASE BE HAPPY" at my kindle.

also, for the record, there are two endings to this fic. one is HEA, but one is not. both contain smut. i read both because of course i did. the non-HEA version felt a little rushed and...underbaked? i don't love criticizing the work that amazing fic authors do for free, but it is worth noting. if you are going to read one ending, i highly suggest the HEA one, not just for your own mental health, but also for the story. the HEA one isn't even totally HEA, so the edginess is still present!

[omgkatsudonplease]

Lord Harry Potter and the Whispers of Lady Polixenes, a fic by @omgkatsudonplease with banner art by the lovely @the-colourful-witch

Suddenly, there was a shout from the Hufflepuff table. “Look!” exclaimed Hannah Abbott, pointing at the enchanted ceiling. “It’s snowing!”  Harry looked up, and was nearly hit in the face by a piece of parchment. He grabbed it to see that it was titled Lady Polixenes’ Hogwarts Secrets, Issue 7.  All around them, leaflets of parchment were falling out of the rafters. Students were brushing leaflets off of their food, slipping on loose sheets, flinging them at one another. A sleeping Neville Longbottom over at the Gryffindor table was quickly covered in a mountain of parchment. Up at the High Table, Dumbledore was watching the mayhem with great amusement, while Umbridge had gone rather purple-faced trying to destroy all of the falling parchment without setting the rest of the Great Hall on fire.  “STOP IT!” she bellowed, as some of the first-years started to jump around, plucking papers out of the air. “Do not read these! These leaflets are illicit publications, and I forbid you to read them!”  No one, however, seemed to be listening to her. Professor Liu, who had finally deigned to start taking meals in the Great Hall again, was openly reading a leaflet in the seat right next to Umbridge. Professor McGonagall and Severina were both surreptitiously tucking their own copies into the folds of their robes. Students from all four houses were also sneaking copies of the leaflets, though some of their peers—especially at the Slytherin table—were trying to help Umbridge destroy the rest.  “Detentions!” howled Umbridge. “Detention to anyone caught with a copy of this pernicious Lady Polixenes!” Election Year has hit New Avalon, and everything is changing. This year, Lord Harry of the Honourable and Most Ancient House of Potter must navigate the chessboard of Pureblood society, whilst dealing with the appointment of a despotic High Inquisitor to Hogwarts, internal strife amongst previously-unshakeable friend groups, and his own confusing teenage feelings. Part Five of Heirs of Avalon, a Pureblood Culture deconstruction.

Read here on AO3!

[gambit-blogs]

Roman Empire

If SPN comes back I need them to reunite.

[ilovecoralineandotherbooks]

The world can burn for all I care if you are not in it.

CDLynn - perfectly in pieces

[chocfrog-enjoyer]

~ Fanfic Recommendation ~

My second fic rec ^^

"An American Auror, a British Magizoologist and A Parisian Sewer Monster" by Gnimmish

An absolutely adorable little One-shot set after the Fantastic Beasts first movie.

The pairing is Newtina and it's just so sweet