#jess e. owen

[chaoskirin]

Review of Song of the Summer King (The Summer King Chronicles #1) by Jess E. Owen.

Really loved this book. It's an interesting take on someone caught between two worlds, and even though the main character, Shard, has grown up to respect the king, Sverin, he's also different from most of the other gryfons in the pride.

When he was a kit, his home was invaded by the father of the king, and he was the only kit spared. This means he's much different than the others his age in both appearance and ability, and much of the story focuses on this nature.

He WANTS to be part of this kingdom. He WANTS to be useful to the king. But there's always an underlying discomfort in the way he's written, and I love that. The book is also not predictable on the surface; Shard fears exile and I was so sure he'd be exiled immediately, and the whole book would be about him finding himself and becoming independent and returning triumphant, but time and time again, I was pleasantly surprised by the direction this book takes.

Shard doesn't want to make anyone angry. He wants the whole world to get along, and his decisions often reflect this. He refuses to believe that he can't please everyone, and finds himself working both sides in order to stay in everyone's good graces. And it's just so well-written. In fact, I couldn't put it down… I read it in two days!

The characters are beautifully written, each with a unique voice and purpose. I especially love Catori, the wolf, who felt so soft-spoken in her dialogue but had an inner strength I really loved. Also, I really loved Ragna and hope to see more of her in future books.

I had a few issues with the book, but the story shines through them, so I can't even take off a star. First, the very beginning did almost make me put it down. I'm talking within the first few pages. The main character's name is just written over and over, and it gets soooo repetitive. There's also a few typos. I was also grated by a switch that flipped in Shard's head that made him seem jealous of his wingbrother, Kjorn. We never really saw their relationship, but it seemed pretty solid from the snippets at the beginning, and Kjorn was always loyal to him. So the resentment behind anyone calling them "wingbrothers" was confusing, and was the only predictable portent in the book: I knew they'd end up at odds.

Anyway, loved it. Can't wait to read the next!

[kvalenagle]

Kia by @nambroth =] Nambroth is an amazing gryphon artist, and they introduced me to @authorjessowen, who has become a friend. Nam does the covers for the Song of the Summer King series for Jess, and I'd argue that Skyfire is one of the very best gryphon covers of all time, up there with The White Gryphon. Fun fact: I found my old middle school binders, and many of them were decorated with art Nambroth drew for me or Glenn when we were all teenagers.

[geekysprinkler]

Current survivor rankings for me personally

1. Karla: smart gorgeous funny my og my love

2. Jesse: only person in the last 3 seasons to keep the fact he got an idol a SECRECT and he got it in a very funny way

3. Cody: quintessential survivor contestant and has the exact personality of 50% of people I work with

4. Cassidy: smart and a little snakey. Also very hot

5. Gabler: idk he just seems like a nice guy

6. Owen: nothing against him I liked him a lot in the beginning I just forgot about him for a minute just now. I like his hair.

7. Sami: seems fine just. Largely uninterested in him or his game. Very fun that he lied nonstop out of the gate though

[appledappledally]

Finally downloaded Sai 2, have some fanart!

Characters from The Summer King Chronicles by Jess E. Owen! Check em out, they're great books!

[eludin-realm]

Character Name Ideas (Male)

So I've been browsing through BehindTheName (great resource!) recently and have compiled several name lists. Here are some names, A-Z, that I like. NOTE: If you want to use any of these please verify sources, meanings etc, I just used BehindTheName to browse and find all of these. Under the cut:

A: Austin, Aiden, Adam, Alex, Angus, Anthony, Archie, Argo, Ari, Aric, Arno, Atlas, August, Aurelius, Alexei, Archer, Angelo, Adric, Acarius, Achilou, Alphard, Amelian, Archander B: Bodhi, Bastian, Baz, Beau, Beck, Buck, Basil, Benny, Bentley, Blake, Bowie, Brad, Brady, Brody, Brennan, Brent, Brett, Brycen C: Cab, Cal, Caden, Cáel, Caelan, Caleb, Cameron, Chase, Carlos, Cooper, Carter, Cas, Cash, Cassian, Castiel, Cedric, Cenric, Chance, Chandler, Chaz, Chad, Chester, Chet, Chip, Christian, Cillian, Claude, Cicero, Clint, Cody, Cory, Coy, Cole, Colt, Colton, Colin, Colorado, Colum, Conan, Conrad, Conway, Connor, Cornelius, Creed, Cyneric, Cynric, Cyrano, Cyril, Cyrus, Crestian, Ceric D: Dallas, Damien, Daniel, Darach, Dash, Dax, Dayton, Denver, Derek, Des, Desmond, Devin, Dewey, Dexter, Dietrich, Dion, Dmitri, Dominic, Dorian, Douglas, Draco, Drake, Drew, Dudley, Dustin, Dusty, Dylan, Danièu E: Eadric, Evan, Ethan, Easton, Eddie, Eddy, Einar, Eli, Eilas, Eiljah, Elliott, Elton, Emanuel, Emile, Emmett, Enzo, Erik, Evander, Everett, Ezio F: Faolán, Faron, Ferlin, Felix, Fenrir, Fergus, Finley, Finlay, Finn, Finnian, Finnegan, Flint, Flip, Flynn, Florian, Forrest, Fritz G: Gage, Gabe, Grady, Grant, Gray, Grayson, Gunnar, Gunther, Galahad H: Hale, Harley, Harper, Harvey, Harry, Huey, Hugh, Hunter, Huxley I: Ian, Ianto, Ike, Inigo, Isaac, Isaias, Ivan, Ísak J: Jack, Jacob, Jake, Jason, Jasper, Jax, Jay, Jensen, Jed, Jeremy, Jeremiah, Jesse, Jett, Jimmie, Jonas, Jonas, Jonathan, Jordan, Josh, Julien, Jovian, Jun, Justin, Joseph, Joni, K: Kaden, Kai, Kale, Kane, Kaz, Keane, Keaton, Keith, Kenji, Kenneth, Kent, Kevin, Kieran, Kip, Knox, Kris, Kristian, Kyle, Kay, Kristján, Kristófer L: Lamont, Lance, Landon, Lane, Lars, László, Laurent, Layton, Leander, Leif, Leo, Leonidas, Leopold, Levi, Lewis, Louie, Liam, Liberty, Lincoln, Linc, Linus, Lionel, Logan, Loki, Lucas, Lucian, Lucio, Lucky, Luke, Luther, Lyall, Lycus, Lykos, Lyle, Lyndon, Llewellyn, Landri, Laurian, Lionç M: Major, Manny, Manuel, Marcus, Mason, Matt, Matthew, Matthias, Maverick, Maxim, Memphis, Midas, Mikko, Miles, Mitch, Mordecai, Mordred, Morgan, Macari, Maïus, Maxenci, Micolau, Miro N: Nate, Nathan, Nathaniel, Niall, Nico, Niels, Nik, Noah, Nolan, Niilo, Nikander, Novak, O: Oakley, Octavian, Odin, Orlando, Orrick, Ǫrvar, Othello, Otis, Otto, Ovid, Owain, Owen, Øyvind, Ozzie, Ollie, Oliver, Onni P: Paisley, Palmer, Percival, Percy, Perry, Peyton, Phelan, Phineas, Phoenix, Piers, Pierce, Porter, Presley, Preston, Pacian Q: Quinn, Quincy, Quintin R: Ragnar, Raiden, Ren, Rain, Rainier, Ramos, Ramsey, Ransom, Raul, Ray, Roy, Reagan, Redd, Reese, Rhys, Rhett, Reginald, Remiel, Remy, Ridge, Ridley, Ripley, Rigby, Riggs, Riley, River, Robert, Rocky, Rokas, Roman, Ronan, Ronin, Romeo, Rory, Ross, Ruairí, Rufus, Rusty, Ryder, Ryker, Rylan, Riku, Roni S: Sammie, Sammy, Samuel, Samson, Sanford, Sawyer, Scout, Seán, Seth, Sebastian, Seymour, Shane, Shaun, Shawn, Sheldon, Shiloh, Shun, Sid, Sidney, Silas, Skip, Skipper, Skyler, Slade, Spencer, Spike, Stan, Stanford, Sterling, Stevie, Stijn, Suni, Sylvan, Sylvester T: Tab, Tad, Tanner, Tate, Tennessee, Tero, Terrance, Tevin, Thatcher, Tierno, Tino, Titus, Tobias, Tony, Torin, Trace, Trent, Trenton, Trev, Trevor, Trey, Troy, Tripp, Tristan, Tucker, Turner, Tyler, Ty, Teemu U: Ulric V: Valerius, Valor, Van, Vernon, Vespasian, Vic, Victor, Vico, Vince, Vinny, Vincent W: Wade, Walker, Wallis, Wally, Walt, Wardell, Warwick, Watson, Waylon, Wayne, Wes, Wesley, Weston, Whitley, Wilder, Wiley, William, Wolfe, Wolfgang, Woody, Wulfric, Wyatt, Wynn X: Xander, Xavier Z: Zachary, Zach, Zane, Zeb, Zebediah, Zed, Zeke, Zeph, Zaccai

[footprintsinthesxnd]

Young Love and Old Monday Characters

Josephine ‘Josie’ Wills

Josephine Wills was born in Ramsbury and grew up in Littlecote House. She studied Literature at Oxford university until the war began and her parents called her home where they were later evicted from Littlecote House by the government to use their house as regimental HQ for the 506 PIR. Josie never expected to fall for an American, especially not Easy Company’s Intelligence Officer, Lewis Nixon. But love is strange and when Lewis is sent overseas Josie will do anything in her power to follow him.

(Love triangle moodboard)

Captain Lewis ‘Nix’ Nixon

Lewis Nixon III was born and grew up in New York. He joined the 506 PIR in 1941 and was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, Easy Company. Lewis had always been a ladies man but trying to win over Josie’s heart proves to be more difficult but can his charming ways win over the girl from Ramsbury?

William ‘Will’ Frederick Beaumont

William Beaumont is a Lancaster Bomber pilot in the RAF. He grew up in Ramsbury and his family were very close to the Wills family. Both William and Josephine’s parents think they would make a good match and William is rather sweet on Josie but despite William’s charm and charisma Josie’s heart belongs to another. But in a world riddled with death and destruction who will come out on top.

Julian ‘Jules’ Owens

Julian was original born in Wales but he moved to Aldbourne with his parents when he was a teenager. He soon became fast friends with Josie and Jess and the three were inseparable. However, when Julian was a teenager his family moved to New England in the States but he often visited his friend during his summer breaks. Living in the States incidentally cause him to join the 101st Airborne and become a member of Easy Company so when his unit were stationed in Aldbourne Julian was reunited with his childhood friends and their adventures continue throughout the war.

Taglist: @georgieluz @iceman-kazansky @yeahcurrahhe-e @lieutenant-speirs @sharpshootershifty @liberteuniteegalite @msmercury84 @hbowardaily @doc-eugene-roe @blvestxr @merriell-allesandro-shelton @dustyjumpwjngs @theflyingfin @jump-wings @kafka-ohdear @kmc1989 @mads-weasley @liptonwashere

If you’d like to be added/ removed from this series taglist just let me know.

[queenclam]

Tempest got a slight redesign!

Every season she sheds her scales and changes color. Idea from Jess E Owen from her series Song of the Summer King.

[booklovershouse]

Oieeee, booklovers!

A intenção desse post era só sobre meus personagens favoritos de livros, maaaaas acabei decidindo colocar os personagens de outras coisas tbm - pq eu provavelmente ia fazer um TCC sobre o Sherlock e o Rodrigo 🤡👍🏻

🃏| Chapeleiro Maluco

Acho que não preciso nem dizer de onde ele é - já vi de tudo nessa vida mas espero que as pessoas ao menos saibam isso.

Bem, quando me refiro ao "Chapeleiro", não me refiro apenas ao Chapeleiro do live action de Alice, mas sim de TODAS as versões do Chapeleiro que já conheci - o Jeff de Once Upon a Time, o do livro da Alice e o Hatta de Sem Coração.

Sim, cada um tem uma personalidade diferente, mas eu tenho mais apego ao personagem em si do que a forma que ele é representado, dependendo do autor. Em resumo, gosto do Chapeleiro Maluco pq ele é...✨maluco✨ ~ explicação meio besta mas é isso mesmo.

🛷| Rudy Steiner - A Menina que Roubava Livros

Aqui também não me refiro a nenhum Rudy específico - gosto tanto do livro quanto do filme -, apesar de que no filme a gente consegue visualizar melhor a vibe de "menino atentado" que o nosso querido de cabelos cor de limão tem kkkk

Além de super persistente e ficar no pé da Liesel querendo um beijo, ele passou um bom tempo fissurado em corridas - tanto que até se pintou pra ficar igual ao Jesse Owens - e, é claro, foi o melhor amigo que uma garota como Liesel Meminger poderia ter.

Queria um Rudy Steiner na minha vida kkkkk

👒| Rosemary LeVeaux - Quando Chama o Coração

Eu sei. Todo mundo odiou ela quando chegou, inclusive eu. Mas depois a Rosemary foi conquistando a gente com seu jeitinho insistente e animado (demais) de ser. Sinceramente, depois da 4°/5° temporada, ela vem levando a série inteira nas costas.

A Rose é engraçada, dá bons conselhos, se mete onde não é chamada e faz a gente rir pra caramba. Ela é uma pessoa super simpática e forte ao mesmo tempo.

📰| Enola Holmes - Enola Holmes (🤡)

Nesse caso, eu me refiro a do filme, com toda certeza do mundo - odiei a Enola do livro, ela passa 90% do tempo dizendo que é a vergonha da família e não faz nada de muito incrível.

A Enola do filme é corajosa, inteligente, persistente e um pouquíssimo "sarcástica". Não é exatamente "sarcasmo", tá mais pra "senso de humor parecido com o do Sherlock", mas enfim, vocês entenderam o que eu quis dizer.

💕| Yuna - Omoi Omoware Furi Furare

Primeiramente, devo dizer que gosto muito da Yuna pq ela é a única personagem até hoje que me representa 99,9% - só não dá pra se parecer mais cmg pq temos gostos meio diferentes.

Ao msm tempo que é calada e uma romântica de carteirinha, a Yuna é muito criativa e luta pelo que acredita. Ela evoluiu muito desde o começo do filme/mangá pq mal conseguia olhar na cara das pessoas quando estavam falando com ela e depois passou a conversar com os outros normalmente.

🧪| Harrisson Wells - The Flash

Quando falo em Harrisson Wells, me refiro a todos os Wells até a 4ª temporada - q foi até onde assisti -, mas para ser sincera mesmo, desses três, meu preferido é o primeiro. Na real, a primeira temporada de The Flash é a melhor de todas, as cenas pós-créditos foram o auge do meu surto kkkk sinto saudade delas 🥲

O Dr. Wells é o básico né: um ✨ gênio ✨ Ele me passa uma vibe MUITO Sherlock, sério. O Harry é mais ou menos a mesma coisa, só que com um sarcasmo e falta de senso de humor adicionais - isso sem contar a parte "pai superprotetor". O H.R. é pra me representar assistindo The Flash kkkkkk só pode.

🎥| Cisco Ramon - The Flash

Uma das maiores coisas que amo no Cisco - e que me fez colocar esse emoji - é a forma como ele solta referências a filmes/séries do nada kkkkkk

O Cisco é totalmente sunshine, aquele personagem que você se apega mesmo, tem vontade de guardar num potinho e sabe que se ele morrer, você morre junto. Ele é engraçado, inteligente e um "super frieeeeend" - qm pegou, pegou, qm não pegou, já era.

🔍| Sally Allison - Os Mistérios de Aurora Teagarden

Eu amo esses filmes e amo a Aurora, mas a Sally é minha personagem preferida depois do Martin. Além de ser uma repórter curiosa, é aquela pessoa que tá no meio da confusão só pq a amiga chamou.

Infelizmente, não tem muito o que falar sobre ela, já que é uma saga de filmes e, como personagem secundária, ela não tem um grande desenvolvimento.

💐| E vc? Quais são seus personagens preferidos?

Bjs e boas leituras <33

[wanderingmind867]

My Voting Record (US Democratic Primaries: 1844-2024):

1844 Democratic Primaries: Martin Van Buren

1848 Democratic Primaries: George Dallas

1852 Democratic Primaries: William O. Butler

1856 Democratic Primaries: N/A (No candidate sounds very good)

1860 Democratic Primaries: N/A (No candidate sounds good)

1864 Democratic Primaries: N/A (No candidate sounds very good).

1868 Democratic Primaries: James E. English

1872 Democratic Primaries: N/A (Democrats supported the Liberal Republicans that year. Their primary is in my Third party primaries notes).

1876 Democratic Primaries: Samuel Tilden

1880 Democratic Primaries: N/A (None of the candidates sound very good, honestly).

1884 Democratic Primaries: Grover Cleveland

1888 Democratic Primaries: Grover Cleveland

1892 Democratic Primaries: Horace Boies

1896 democratic Primaries (Top Four):

1. William Jennings Bryan

2. Richard P. Bland

3. Horace Boies

4. Henry Teller

1900 Democratic Primaries: William Jennings Bryan

1904 Democratic Primaries (Top Two):

1. Alton B. Parker

2. Nelson A. Miles

1908 Democratic Primaries: William Jennings Bryan

1912 Democratic Primaries: Judson Harmon

1916 Democratic Primaries: N/A (although I like Woodrow Wilson's fashion sense, he's also a rascist eugenicist. I can't support him).

1920 Democratic Primaries (Top Two):

1. Thomas R. Marshall

2. Al Smith

1924 Democratic Primaries (Top Three):

1. Al Smith

2. Robert L. Owen

3. Oscar Underwood (mostly just because he hated the KKK)

1928 Democratic Primaries: Al Smith

1932 Democratic Primaries: Al Smith

1936 Democratic Primaries: Upton Sinclair (my protest vote against Roosevelt from the left. How I wish Huey Long could have ran that year…)

1940 Democratic Primaries: Franklin D. Roosevelt

1944 Democratic Primaries: Franklin D. Roosevelt

1948 Democratic Primaries: Harry Truman (although I wish Henry Wallace was one of the candidates).

1952 Democratic Primaries (Top Two Candidates):

1. G. Mennen Williams

2. Estes Kefauver

1956 Democratic Primaries: Estes Kefauver

1960 Democratic Primaries: Wayne Morse

1964 Democratic Primaries: Lyndon B. Johnson

1968 Democratic Primaries: Eugene McCarthy

1972 Democratic Primaries (Top Five Candidates):

1. George McGovern

2. Shirley Chisholm

3. Hubert Humphrey

4. Patsy Mink

5. Terry Sanford

1976 Democratic Primaries (Top Three Candidates):

1: Frank Church

2: Mo Udall

3: Fred Harris

1980 Democratic Primaries: Jimmy Carter (my beliefs might be closer to Ted Kennedy, but I hate the Kennedy Clan. Except Eunice. Eunice is fine).

1984 Democratic Primaries (My Top Three Candidates):

1. Jesse Jackson

2. George McGovern

3. Walter Mondale

1988 Democratic Primaries (my top two candidates):

1. Jesse Jackson

2. Paul Simon

1992 Democratic Primaries: Tom Harkin

1996 Democratic Primaries: Nobody (I hate Bill Clinton)

2000 Democratic Primaries: Bill Bradley

2004 Democratic Primaries (Top Three Candidates):

1. Dennis Kucinich

2. Carol Moseley Braun

3. A tie between Al Sharpton and Howard Dean

2008 Democratic Primaries: John Edwards

2012 Democratic Primaries: Barack Obama

2016 Democratic Primaries: Bernie Sanders (I'd have taken Martin O'Malley too though)

2020 Democratic Primaries (Top Four Candidates):

1. Bernie Sanders

2. Elizabeth Warren

3. Tom Steyer

4. Marianne Williamson (She is definitely weird and new agey, but Wikipedia's summary of her policies don't sound too bad)

2024 Democratic Primaries: Marianne Williamson (I don't expect her to win at all, but I appreciate the challenge to Biden from the left. Remind him the progressive wing is still alive. Also, screw RFK Jr. I hate all the Kennedys. Except Eunice. She made the special Olympics; she can stay.)

PS: I made one of these for the Republican Primaries too. I might post that later.

[comixqueen]

New page! Check it out here:

[chaoskirin]

Shadow Sun ARC Review

I was able to get an ARC of the book Shadow Sun, which is the second book in the Dragon Star Saga. My review follows...

I am a critical reviewer. I believe I look at books fairly, rate them fairly, and review them fairly. It's NOT rare for me to give a five-star review on something, but it IS rare to wish I could give a book more than five stars.

Shadow Sun is a book about friendship and loss. Of love and complexity. And it's one of the best books I've ever read about those things. Honestly, that would be all I'd need to say about this book besides an encouragement for everyone to read this immediately and without delay. Seriously, don't just buy this book and add it to your TBR. Buy it and read it now, because I guarantee it's everything you're looking for in a story.

I don't want to discuss the story itself with this review, but tell you why, exactly, you should read this book. And I'm going to start with the dragons.

Yes, this book is about gryfons, which are written beautifully, and have so many deep layers and cultures that I love getting the chance to explore. They are fully fleshed out and wonderful in their own right, which makes the other species added alongside them--whether to support or as main characters--all the more appealing. The dragons in this world are so delightfully tragic and joyful at the same time. I love reading about them while also being unable to help mourning for them. How cool is it to have a whole species whose lifespan is only a year? Ren, the main character in Shadow Sun and the book before it, will live through fifty generations of dragons in her lifetime, which is just incredible to me. And while dragons do inherit pieces of those who came before them, each individual has such a small window of life on the planet.

Every moment of their life is filled with so much meaning.

I am absolutely obsessed with the implications of this, and my interest of the dragon, Suijen, had a huge payoff in this very story. And Suijen's love of Ren, and her love of him, was so beautiful and touching that it made me miss the days of friendship and camaraderie in fantasy books. There is a huge vacuum where tales of friendship should fit within the genre, and this book filled it to overflowing.

This is also true in the relationship between Ren and the king's son, Tyrilar. Tyrilar really looks up to Ren, and she's ecstatic that he appreciates her work and wants to help. Tyrilar's guardian, Eyvindr, still sees him as a youngster who needs protecting, but with Tyrilar being in his teens (relatively speaking) he's really big on striking out on his own and discovering himself. He feels capable and wants to be trusted, which comes into play in a huge way. It's nice to see characters proving their worth and actually having others recognize them for it!

Shadow Sun is also not afraid of COMPLEX relationships, such as the one between Ren and Tove. Not going to say too much about that, but I am interested to see how that develops, if it does at all.

Along the line of complex relationships, though, there's one trope in this book that I LOVE. It's always been one of my favorites, because it speaks to the challenges of friendship and the very idea that no one person can be right all the time. It's summed up in this quote:

"It was a difficult time," Catori murmured. "But that is the riddle of the Summer King, of the Silver Wind. he had to go against his own friends, his family, his pride, to follow what he believed was right. That is far more difficult than going against someone you view as an enemy."

I just love that sort of theming in stories, because it really his difficult. And then, of course, it gets into the question of what's right, and what you might damage by doing what you feel is right--even if it means going against your friends. There's always a huge tempation to support whatever your friends say or do, because arguing with them may very well cost you friendships. I have seen so many people agree with their friends just because it's expected of them, when true friendships sometimes mean telling your friends they're wrong.

Another thing I love about this book (and all books in this series and the one before it) is that there are no good guys and bad guys. As with life, most people have a reason for doing what they do. We as people can look at those things and agree or disagree with them. We can find them personally good or evil. But Shadow Sun leaves that up to the reader to decide, while presenting nuance that leaves room for thought. Ren and Embra are mostly "good" as far as readers might be concerned, but they do bad things. Embra especially is guilty of lying (for what she believes is a good reason) and Ren is complicit in that lie because she is afraid of losing the respect and friendship she has with Embra.

This is a difference from moral greyness, in which characters are neither good nor bad but somewhere between. Ren is undoubtedly the hero in this book. It's just that she doesn't have the straight paragonship that a lot of fantasy authors will assign to their characters. She is allowed to make mistakes, and is more interesting for it.

There are also a couple antagonist characters that are not conventionally evil, nor do they do particularly evil things. Kajsa is absolutely an antagonist to Embra's leadership, but she is also terribly rebuffed by Embra to the point where she feels outcast, which leads her to doing things she might not have done otherwise. It's amazing to have POV chapters with Kajsa, to experience her thoughts and what she's personally going through, and how she really does care for those around her and wants to do her best by them. She's sort of a heartbreaking antagonist, with very complex reasons for doing what she does.

There is also the character, Oslar, who isn't evil at all, and may still eventually prove himself. But he is annoying, and does do dangerous and somewhat reprehensible things, and is clearly attempting to live off his name and relationships alone. He is the cousin of a king and expects to coast on that title. This is directly opposite to Embra, the daughter and heir of a king, who probably does more than she should, and doesn't do enough to keep herself safe.

Without going into the details of the story--because you should all experience that for yourself--it looks like the Dragon Star saga is going into even more of the world's lore, where it comes to mystical forces that govern nature. The first series (the Summer King Chronicles) did go into a lot of this, but as expected, there's even more to explore. I am looking forward to learning more about these forces, and I'm earnestly hoping for many more novels in this world to explore it all!

There was one point around 30% in where I had a "holy crap!!!" moment, where I realized what might have been going on before it was explicitly stated in the book, and the payoff of that was really enjoyable. I really love when books set something up for readers to discover, and then DON'T do a weird twist where none of the foreshadowing mattered. Foreshadowing needs to matter, and it really does in Shadow Sun.

I also want to point out that I sat down with the intent to read this in pieces so I could more adequately formulate a review, especially since this is for an ARC. In fact, I planned to spend exactly an hour at midnight reading it so I could go to sleep and wake up at a reasonable time for work the next morning.

However, 1:00 am passed, and I said "just a little more." Then it was 2am. Then 3, 4, and 5. Finally, at 6:30, with 91% of the book completed, I had to give up on the notion that I could put it down. So I finished it, then got up and got ready for work without having slept at all.

It's very rare that a book does that to me. Usually I can tell myself that it's time to put it down and get some sleep, but the pacing is so perfect that there's ALWAYS a part where I "just have to know what happens next." 

Anyway, there are so many wonderful moments in this book, and so many wonderful characters that I know anyone who picks it up will love it as much as I did.

[kvalenagle]

Don't tell Kjorn or Zeph.

Not many people know this, but Shard and Younce hang out together on weekends and watch movies.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

A man who was three years old when his father – an American intelligence – sent him a letter on a vanquished Adolf Hitler’s stationery has declared himself disgusted by US extremist groups who still admire the former Nazi ruler.

“Those people have no idea – the history and foulness of that,” Dennis Helms, the son of the late Richard Helms, the CIA director from 1966 to 1973, said of the presence of neo-Nazis and antisemitism in the US. “There can be nothing that’s worse … I can’t say enough bad about that.”

Helms’s remarks came in an interview with the Guardian as the US prepared to observe Tuesday’s 79th anniversary of D-day, when Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy to help liberate north-west Europe from Nazi Germany’s control.

The military campaign started by that invasion culminated in Germany’s surrender on 8 May 1945, a little more than a week after the suicide of Hitler, who oversaw the murders of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust, among other atrocities.

“The man who might have written on this card once controlled Europe – three short years ago when you were born,” Richard Helms’s letter to Dennis read. “Today he is dead, his memory despised, his country in ruins.”

The letter went on to describe how thousands of people died as a result of their efforts to put a stop to Hitler, who “had a thirst for power, a low opinion of man … and a fear of intellectual honesty”.

“The price for ridding society of bad is always high,” Richard Helms’s letter added in closing. “Love, Daddy.”

Dennis later learned that his father had apparently actually interviewed Hitler while covering the 1936 Olympics in Berlin as a reporter during a previous career. According to his son, Richard was always proud to have personally seen Black American runner Jesse Owens win the 200-yard dash at those games, frustrating Hitler’s dreams of a competition dominated by white athletes.

Now 80, Dennis later provided his father’s V-E Day letter to the CIA, the successor of the OSS, which Richard led during the presidencies of Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. The CIA displays it in its private museum alongside other artifacts provided by Richard Helms’s family, including a dinner plate from Hitler’s chancellery that he acquired during a trip to Berlin in September 1945.

The letter which Richard – who later also served as the US ambassador to Iran – wrote Dennis has been publicized before. A picture of its contents went viral on social media on the most recent V-E Day anniversary.

However, just two days before that, a man clad in extremist insignia and having a history of praising Nazis online shot eight people to death at a mall in Texas. And late last year, Joe Biden had the occasion to release a statement saying “the Holocaust happened” and “Hitler was a demonic figure” after Kanye West, who has changed his name to Ye, earned a suspension from Twitter by speaking approvingly of the Nazi ruler and publishing an image of a swastika blended with a star of David.

[claudiosuenaga]

Os 20 anos de Taken

Por Cláudio Tsuyoshi Suenaga

Em 2 dezembro de 2002, o canal Sci-Fi (renomeado para SyFy em 2009) estreava Taken, uma minissérie de 877 minutos divididos em dez episódios, produzida por Spielberg e roteirizada por Leslie Bohem.

Mega-produção de US$ 120 milhões, o que a tornava a minissérie mais cara da história, Taken levou o Sci-Fi Channel à liderança na TV a cabo norte-americana pela primeira vez desde seu surgimento, além de ganhar o Emmy.

Se Arquivo X em seu episódio piloto faz uma referência direta a Spielberg, uma influência inicial que se diluiria, Spielberg admitiu abertamente ter se inspirado em Arquivo X para fazer Taken, fechando um círculo de influências.

Mas enquanto Arquivo X o tempo todo punha em dúvida a existência dos extraterrestres e enredava os agentes Mulder e Scully numa teia de conspirações governamentais, Taken não deixava margem a dúvidas e mostrava os extraterrestres sem rodeios, centrando o enredo na vida cotidiana e nos problemas mundanos de três famílias tipicamente americanas profundamente afetadas por contatos e abduções alienígenas num período que abrangia mais de cinco décadas, a partir do famoso Incidente de Roswell, em julho de 1947, no Novo México.

A saga começa durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial, quando o avião do piloto Russell Keys (Steve Burton) é abatido em combate e aquelas estranhas luzes chamadas de foo fighters salvam sua vida.

Daí em diante ele passará a vida toda atormentado pelo pesadelo da abdução, tentando evitar e resistir ao máximo, sem sucesso, ser capturado seguidamente pelos ETs, pesadelo e resistência que acompanharão seu filho Jesse Keys (Desmond Harrington) e seu neto Charlie (Adam Kaufman).

O capitão do Exército Owen Crawford (Joel Gretsch), por sua vez, participa do resgate do disco voador e dos seres que caíram em Roswell e fica obcecado em recolher provas que atestem que uma invasão iminente está a caminho.

Daí em diante ele passará a vida toda sacrificando as pessoas à sua volta, inclusive sua família, para manter seu poder e não deixar escapar nenhuma informação importante sobre os OVNIs. Ele guarda em sua casa, sem que ninguém saiba, um pedaço da nave, o qual legará como uma espécie de herança maldita ao seu filho Eric (Andy Powers) e à sua neta Mary Crawford (Heather Donahue), que ficarão igualmente obcecados e tenderão a repetir os mesmos erros que cometeu.

Já a sonhadora e fogosa dona de casa texana Sally Clarke (Catherine Dent), infeliz no casamento, tem uma aventura amorosa com o misterioso forasteiro John (Eric Close, o John Loengard da série Dark Skies).

O que ela não sabe é que o homem na verdade é um extraterrestre sobrevivente da nave acidentada em Roswell. Grávida de John, Sally é abandonada pelo marido, dando à luz o híbrido Jakob (Anton Yelchin), que carrega em seu DNA uma parte alienígena. Tom Clarke (Ryan Hurst), o filho mais velho de Sally, se tornará um ufólogo cético que mais tarde se converterá em um crente vigilante das ações secretas do governo.

Os destinos das famílias Clarke, Keys e Crawford se entrecruzarão em meio às manipulações e interesses dos extraterrestres, dos cientistas e dos militares.

A ação culmina com o nascimento de Allie Keys, vivida pela menina prodígio Dakota Fanning (1994-), em seu melhor e mais encantador papel, e que mais tarde voltaria a trabalhar com Spielberg em Guerra dos Mundos.

Metade humana, metade extraterrestre, Allie é o resultado final de um experimento que levou mais três gerações para dar certo, e que guarda a “chave” do futuro desses seres e da humanidade. Ela também faz, em off, a narração — cheia de filosofia e poesia — de seu diário em todos os episódios.

O governo norte-americano está interessado em seus poderes paranormais na guerra contra os alienígenas e, ao mesmo tempo, os ETs querem levar Allie para o seu planeta.

Allie perfaz um interessante jogo de palavras em inglês, evocando o termo “allied” (aliado, unido, associado, coligado, parente, aparentado e afim) e ao mesmo tempo remetendo a “alien” (alienígena, estrangeiro, estranho, forasteiro, oposto, contrário, hostil, divergente, discrepante e de natureza diferente), bem como à menina Alice do livro Alice no País das Maravilhas [Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865)], escrita pelo matemático britânico Lewis Carroll (1832–1898).

Com extrema competência e sensibilidade, em primorosas e quase que impecáveis reconstituições de épocas, Taken abordou os fatos recorrentes da ufologia — embora de modo nem sempre fiel, como quando por exemplo mostra os círculos nos campos de trigo no início dos anos 70 e a febre pela Área 51 no início dos anos 80, sendo que ambos datam somente do final dos anos 80 –, com referências diretas a muitos casos verdadeiros.

Para quem não estava familiarizado com a ufologia, no entanto, as abduções, os implantes, as experiências com híbridos e a política de acobertamento devem ter parecido indistinguíveis da ficção.

De qualquer forma, Taken ofereceu sua resposta a duas perguntas-chave que há tempos os ufólogos vinham fazendo: o que os ETs realmente querem de nós e o que estão planejando?

Jacques Vallée confidenciou que quando conheceu Spielberg, argumentou com ele se não seria mais interessante se o Fenômeno OVNI fosse apresentado como algo real, físico, mas não extraterrestre. Spielberg respondeu que ele (Vallée) até tinha razão, mas que não era isso que o público esperava, “e eu quero dar para as pessoas algo que esteja próximo daquilo que elas esperam.”

Quem assistiu a série se lembra do final emocionante, que deixou os espectadores em lágrimas e maravilhados, bem como com uma promessa esperançosa, a promessa de uma filha para sua mãe e seu pai de voltar um dia. Será que Spielberg um dia retomará essa série para fazer cumprir tal promessa?

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, February 24th

XANDER: So you just went home? BUFFY: What was I supposed to do? Say to Owen, 'Sorry I was late, I was sitting in a cemetery with the librarian waiting for a vampire to rise so I could prevent an evil prophecy from coming to pass?' XANDER: Or flat tire?

~~Never Kill A Boy On The First Date~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Weekly Drabbles #89 — Her Happy Day by veronyxk84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Blood Under Our Nails by SomeKindOfADeviant (Spike/Drusilla, E)

i'm like you, right? by bodytoflame (Cordelia & Indira Nunnally, G)

I miss you, I'm sorry by FanFreak611 (Cordelia & Sarah Chase, Cordelia & Spike, T)

A quick detour by Bl4ckHunter (The Trio, Sonic X / Sonic the Hedgehog crossover, T)

A bunch of flowers for Valentine's Day by MissKitty28 (Buffy/Spike, T)

want, take, have by softestbutch (Buffy/Faith, T)

What the Drabble? Chapter 89 by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, R)

Lovers' Universe by Harlow Turner (Buffy/Spike/Riley, R)

[Chaptered Fiction]

The Sunnydale Party, Chapter 2 by Cynder2013 (Scoobies, DIE comic crossover, M)

Xander the Teenage Witch: Something Wicked, Chapter 10 by v_o_x (Xander/Larry, T)

surrender your power, Chapter 11 by paperwasp (Buffy/Faith, E)

Raven, Chapter 4 by sparrow2000 (Xander & Spike, G)

Worth Fighting For, Chapter 60 by melodys_muse (Buffy/Angel, T)

Greatest Love Story Postlude, Chapter 5 by FalseGinger (Angel/Spike, M)

With Sprinkles, Chapters 1-32 by dogbertcarroll, Narsil (Xander, Naruto crossover, M)

Amara Time, Chapter 20 by Joan963z (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Afterburn, Chapter 16 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

With Sprinkles, Chapter 32 by dogbertcarroll (Xander, Naruto crossover, FR15)

Love Lives Here, Chapter 27 by Passion4Spike (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

The Day After, Chapter 3 by Maldorana (Buffy/Spike, G)

Resurrection, Chapter 1 by Lady Emma (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: Angel’s tattoo by ghostrabbit87 (worksafe)

Artwork: Angel by Pink Person (worksafe)

Video: Buffy and Angel CROSSOVERS (part 3) - Season 6/Season 3 + COMIC ISSUE "Reunion" dub! by Love Bites

Fanvid: AtS S4/BtVS S7 | I Don't Have to See You Right Now by genericaces

Fanvid: Willow & Oz and Spike & Buffy-At Your Worst (Secret Valentine 2024) by lbchatterbox

Fanvid: Buffyverse | All I Need by Jess Wilson

Fanvid: Darla/Buffy | Running Up That Hill by Light

Fanvid: Buffy & Spike - Catch That Glory (Season 07) by MayEditvids

Fanvid: Buffy & Spike - All About Us by MayEditvids

Fanvid: Buffy vs Faith - Bad Blood by juliaroxs241

Fanvid: Buffy and Angel - 2 Become 1 by juliaroxs241

Fanvid: Spike Buffy Riley - Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' by juliaroxs241 (creator also posted several other vids)

Vidlet: honestly every slayer fits this song [labour by Paris Paloma] by Demi sadler (Buffy)

Vidlet: buffy by Demi sadler

[Reviews & Recaps]

Video: Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 1 Review by George Alexander

Video: Once More With Feeling-Slayer Sunday by Jane Talks Buffy

[Fandom Discussions]

I was heartbroken when I heard the news that there will not be a Slayers: A Buffyverse Story Season 2 AmberAddict

For all Buffy the Vampire Slayer did wrong, it did found family right by ammyamarant

the mortal danger is not the issue with [Jenny] by mimsycohen

xander being the one that angel uses for bait by mimsycohen

Do you skip episodes? What's your criteria? continued by vampmogs

Whose side are you on? [Empty Places] continued by multiple posters

Slayers: A Buffyverse Story' Has Been Canceled continued by multiple posters

Rewatch thoughts and questions continued by multiple posters

Sid in puppet show by The Whirlwind

They totally should’ve kept this in! by hthbellhop76

Buffy and faith bodyswitch by AresEli

I had this idea for a Buffy Alternate reality that spawns after The Wish by TheFrostWolf7

Buffy's claims about Harmony in Real Me by Tuxedo_Mark

Something I Noticed In the Finale by contact-stupiditis

Which pathetic insignificant mortal did The Great Glorificus hate the most? Buffy or Willow? by mbene913

Neat bit of continuity between 'Earshot' and 'The Gift' by mbene913

Favorite episode by WasteSteak7194

Going to high school in Sunnydale by Desperate-Fan-3671

Do you have an episode (or episodes) that means something different for you now than it was 10-20 years ago? by SorceryStorm

What do you think is the 'Buffiest' episode? by maycontaincake

What piece of advice would you offer to your least favorite character? by PristineSituation498

Can we talk about how real Buffy was for showing how it took her 3 episodes to get over Parker? by redditwatcher11

Video: Slayers' Audible Drama: Mixed News for Buffy Fans on Spike, Dru & the Buffyverse Ahead! by Examining Kubrick Craven Halloween

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