#mad kestrel

[peterrsthomas]

Book Review: Mad Kestrel

I am a real sucker for a pirate novel. Throw some magic in there, and you’ve got me. One of my favourite books of all time is On Stranger Tides; one of my favourite movies is Pirates of the Caribbean. I’m not sure if this means my bar is set very high (I’ve read a lot of books about pirates) or very low (I’ll enjoy almost any book that has pirates in).

Mad Kestrel, by Misty Massey, I thought was a very enjoyable read. Again, I’m late to the party—the book was released in 2008. But I’ve only just found it in my local charity shop. Sue me. It’s a thrilling adventure with a compelling female lead. There are some wonderful action sequences and pulse-raising swordplay. And, of course, some sailing through rough waters (literally and figuratively), and intriguingly handsome—but also infuriatingly charming—men.

We follow Kestrel, a quartermaster aboard the Wolfsbane, as she attempts to rescue her captured mentor, Artemus Binns. Along the way she meets Phillip McAvery, a smooth-talking rogue who we don’t know whether or not to trust, and we are accompanied by a loyal, hard-working crew… or are we? Throughout, we are trailed by bounty hunters and a mysterious magical order, whose ceaseless pursuit keeps Kestrel constantly on her toes.

The magic system is probably the weakest part of the book. It’s used to drive the threat more than anything—the protagonist, a special kind of magic wielder, is afraid to use her magic lest she is found by magic hunters. So, we don’t really get to see how it works until the end. And, in the end, it seems almost anything is possible with magic. Because we haven’t really been exposed to it much throughout the book, it means the payoff isn’t all that great. Oh well: Less magic means more room for swords and swashbuckling! And the sword fights and action sequences are superb.

One thing though: I was disappointed with the author’s choice for the ending…

SPOILER ALERT!

The protagonist, Kestrel, is presented with a choice to take her mentor’s place as privateer for the king, or to go about her merry way as a pirate. We’ve had a whole book building up this character as a strong, independent woman who is fighting to prove her place as a leader of men; but in the end, she chooses to be under the thumb of the king. We’re told she negotiated better terms, and women are now allowed to sail on ships in the kingdom (yay!), but it feels a little flat after all that’s happened. I’d have liked for her to stick it to her (male) mentor and the king, and go off pirating into the sunset. But I can understand why the author went the other way… it certainly feels neater, and ties everything up.

Despite some flaws, this is an enjoyable read, with thrilling adventure and strong characters. I’ll add it to the list of books I’ll recommend to anyone who dares ask me pirate stories!

[just-a-casual-reader]

I swear, if I ever meet a man who doesn’t see me as a bed warmer, I might marry him on the spot.

[spookykestrel]

Clearing my room except I'm just moving all the misc things on my floor to the giant misc items moving box

[girderednerve]

i am so mad in my heart all the time!

[finnified]

“‘s that all you got, golden boy?” finn slurred with a triumphant smile as he twisted his fingers tighter into inigo’s collar. the kestrel looked at him with an unamused expression despite the dark bruise blooming over his nose. the waves crashed unrelentingly against the pier behind them, showering finn’s back in salt spray.

“y’know, back when i was a ke-“ finn’s next drunken speech was cut off as inigo yanked his head forward and knocked the kite backward, catching it off guard. it lost its grip on the kestrel’s shirt-front and went tottering backwards, footing lost. “y’know, finneas, you talk a big game for someone who cant even see a surprise attack coming- finneas?” inigo managed to sound victorious for only a moment before his opponent’s peril became obvious- finn was barely balanced on the edge of the pier, still reeling from inigo’s sudden burst into his chest. “hey, finn- finn-!” the kestrel lurched forward as the kite lost its balance and fell back, but neither was quick enough to mitigate each other’s motion.

finn hit the water with an unceremonious flwoom, immediately choking in a breath of bitter salt water. the feeling was enough to shock its system-

-but suddenly it was 11, not 20-something, and its head was being held under the surf by a pair of pale, gloved hands. finn kicked and coughed as the tide crashed into his face again, the leering and giggling above its head almost drowned out by the sound of the water rushing around its ears.

“come on, freak! we all know you’re not human- breath the water for us!”

the catcall was succeeded by more jeers and sardonic laughter as he was caught with his mouth open by another wave of water. the next time its eyes opened, a cruel, pale face hovered above its own, set with dark blue eyes that stared down at it, stormy with disgust and judgement.

finn tried to conjure some kind of retort, but all that would come out of his mouth was a deluge of choked-up seawater. the boy above him spit in its face before removing his pristinely-gloved hands from its shoulders, allowing it to sit up with a start, but only for a moment before it was immediately pushed back under, the salt water stinging its throat-

finn was yanked out of the memory by the sound of a person-sized splash in the water somewhere next to him, and he twisted around confusedly to catch a glimpse of emerald-dark scales flashing around him.

it wasn’t aware of losing consciousness, but it must’ve, because when it was next aware of its surroundings it was leaning against a barrel on the pier, coughing up its bodyweight in seawater.

two worried faces floated in his vision- joanna in the front, her hair out of it’s typical braided fashion and plastered to her face in a hundred little strands, and inigo behind her, looking conflictingly both annoyed and concerned. the kite’s brain took far too long to process the situation, but it immediately stumbled to its feet when it did.

“finn, what happened, why weren’t you trying to swim to the surface-“ it pushed past joanna as she started speaking nervously, glancing around at the signage in the square to make out the way back to the kite base. “finn-“ he whipped around, mouth half open and ready to say something cruel and dismissive to the concerned nightingale, but the sight of her waterlogged dress and fearful expression made the words wither on his teeth. he settled for giving her a look that he hoped conveyed some fraction of his meaning- really, he was going for “thank you for saving my life, sorry, i’m not mad at you”, but by the look on her face it doubted its sentiment got across. it turned again, setting off for the kite base, and didn’t look back after joanna continued to call his name. —

so, dizzy said one thing about jo having to pull finn out of the harbor and my brain immediately said “ah yes, it’s free angst real estate.” @pacificwaternymph hi dizzy! sorry about this one >:3

both inigo and joanna are lovely characters of dizzy’s creation. finn and his bully are by me :]

[birb--birb]

on the plus side, I found something new. On the downside something new found me uggh

[mcpostinghours]

I'm bored at work, have some pet name head canons for one piece, specifically my favorites

Shanks: uses them often, more than his partner's own name. Defaults to 'princess' or 'sweetheart' regardless of gender. "My treasure" is a corny one he's also fond of.

Mihawk: Whatever nickname he's chosen for you mostly. Like how he calls Zoro "rabbit", he'll use like "little mouse" or "kestrel" or something similar. That or your name, which he considers more intimate than any pet name.

Crocodile: Also uses "princess" regardless of gender. If he's really REALLY in deep he'll use "my love." Like Mihawk however, he mostly just uses your name.

Buggy: "Sweetie", "honey", "darling" if he's REALLY desperate. Will absolutely lay the pet names on THICK if he feels like you're going to be mad at him. Mostly uses the classics as listed above.

Kaku: Like I said in a previous post he probably uses "sweetheart" or "honey", or filly if you're a girl. He also almost exclusively uses pet names when he's dating someone. He'll use "pretty girl/boy" if he's feeling zesty.

Lucci: "My dear", "my darling", "my sweet", basically anything that labels you as his. He likes the sound of it, but he also just does it naturally.

Beckman: Ok I haven't seen too much of him yet, but I just know he calls his partner "darlin'" with a bit of a drawl.

[sylibane]

AUtober Day 11: Animal-Based

Prompt from @autober

Alan Wake/Control daemon AU. I spent way too long on this. Details under the cut:

Alan - great horned owl. Just used his canon animal motif.

Odin and Tor - raven and goat respectively. Based on their mythological namesakes, with Odin having raven servants and Thor's chariot pulled by goats, and I felt an aggressive, grumpy goat really fit Tor.

Alice - Eurasian skylark. Larks are associated with the dawn, love, and beauty. (I was stuck on Alice the most and also considered snowy owl and hummingbird for her before settling on lark.)

Jesse - American kestrel. Thought a small but predatory bird fit her vibe, especially with the orange and blue color scheme.

Darling - burrowing owl. I thought it really fit his dorky mad scientist vibe and also wanted him to have an owl to parallel Alan's.

Trench - German Shepherd. Wanted something that would seem businesslike and intimidating and also for both him and Casey to have canine daemons.

Casey - husky for the real one and wolf for the fictional/Dark Place one. Again thought a big working dog fit the vibe, while Alan probably gave the fake Casey a wolf instead to seem cooler. Plus there's already some wolf imagery tied with the Dark Place.

Saga - deer. Again just went for her canon animal motif.

[wings-of-fire-confessions]

The amount of Kestrel haters here is funny, if anything. Like oh no you're mad that a fictional dragon is violent and unpleasant? Then you're also closing an eye to how abusive other dragon parents are. Get a life lol, I think she could have gotten a fun character development arc, because that's why characters are imperfect - to give room for change, regret, and evolution.

Yall act like other DoD caretakers were any better. They also allowed and partaked in abuse. But that doesn't mean they deserved death.

,

[resident-wof-expert]

Webs: Why are you all not cleaning the cave?!

Clay: Because I found a bunch of needles under Kestrel's chair, and I wasn't sure how to dispose of them.

Webs: You know you're supposed to put them in the bio-hazard bin!

Clay: Yeah, but the last time I did that, Kestrel got mad at me.

Webs: Clay-

Clay: She called it "fatherless behavior" and then threw me through a wall.

Webs: CLAY-

Clay: It hurt. Partially because her comment hit close to home. But mostly because walls are hard.

[searchingforserendipity25]

The Eagle's Share

Tw: hunting and animal sacrifice.

Inspired by the incredible Fingon&Eagles relationship in Not In Vain by @polutrope!

-

In Barad Eithel celebrations were held in the middle of every bitter winter, a proud chasing away of the bitter frost Fingolfin's people so loathed.

There were dances, sparring games, and great hunts. Lalwen lead a masking ritual, a time of portents and heady magics; Fingolfin-king poured the mead and the wine, and passed to every cupped palm their due bold of miruvor he had brewed all summer, to each were given their due words of praise and courage.

He spoke and shone as once he had amidst the spluttering fires, a small animal in the Darkening calling to himself a hard, a pack to weather the long night within greater warmth.

Well-loved he was, Fingolfin of the Noldor; to him none were truer than the eldest of his sons, whose bowl was ever poured last, that it should be known the king favoured not his own blood unduly.

But Fingon went by himself, on the darkest nights before the lengthening of the days: and did not return until he had slain a great elk-of-the-woods, or a mad-eyed bear mother, and left the upon the highest peak for the eagles and falcons and ravens to feast upon.

Afterwards he joined the feasting, singing and harping as he went, at that hour when a grey light started to gleam dully to the East; and the music changed, the drums quickened into lighter reels, treacherous leaping staff-on-staff dances. He wore ribbons of goldcloth embroidered with copper in his hair, and about his neck necklaces with eagle feathers - long and sleek and just as golden.

The Great Eagles came not among the Eldar then, but to involve themselves in rare and dire matters; but some of them begot lesser creatures among their wild kin, and it was from such a strain that Fingon raised, and tended, and trained many a generation of bold hunting kestrels, amber-eyed falcons - even some rare grave and little-tamed eagles.

In the back of his aiming hand he inked an eagle, wings spread and proud. It had been the way of mourning in the Ice, when one died, and the body could not be buried; Fingolfin's grave never was seen by Fingolfin's heir.

Still the blood-price must be paid. Fingon went, and brought down his greatest beast yet, a woollen mammoth thick enough to feed a company for the march.

He left it to the wise birds of the realm. The blood gleamed red and slick on the snow, the viscera steaming enough to make his mouth water. As ever he gave them his thanks, begged their pity, praised the glory of their free flight, their hungering defiance, even as Morgoth made foul and weak so much of the land and the land's beasts.

Alone under the judging stars he wept, as he had not yet; a great grief was on him, and a will for revenge. Above all he denied Morgoth's design, that would wipe clean the skies and the earth, till all creatures were his servants, and no honor or memory of good deeds remained alive.

The birds came to feed. They fought among themselves at times, as was their way; yet they were solemn in their devouring, determined as they bit the meat out of the bone and bared it.

Their many eyes were in the night of nights a light of their own, ancient; and their cawing and their calling was insistent, even after all had fed - insistent for blood and vengeance, fierce and fierce enough to tear the silence in many halves. It made the white hills and the high firs tremble with urgency; Fingon's voice too rose, at last, and joined their defiance.

In the dark before a slow dawn rose, he started making ready for war.

The feasting changed with Fingolfin's end, ever less a celebration, more the smothering thrill that gathered, storm-like, in the hearts of the Eldar before a battle. His vassals came more often and from further, to deepen their counsels of war under the guise of a common visit, the trading of winter-gifts made anew into a deep renewal of vows.

Through great gates they went, marveling at the strength and beauty of the fortifications of the Noldor, and in the king's great chamber they bent over his left hand in greeting, that Fingon might clasp their necks and touch their cheeks in welcome.

But Maedhros of Himring alone kneeled at his feet and kissed the tattoo through the king's hawking gloves, his own cleaved right arm pressed against his heart.

So it was in Barad Eithel, that valiant realm, before the walls were broken, when the wild wings of Beleriand were revered.

[spoiledblogif]

How would the ROs react to someone asking them if the MC was seeing anybody because they were interested? (Crushing and dating stage)

R: Would really want to tell them yes and scare them off but probably wouldn't.

Z: Would definitely feel jealous, but would be honest.

Kestrel: Would probably lie and not feel bad about it until MC found out and got mad at them. Even then, probably wouldn't feel THAT bad lol

[incorporeal-entity]

I want to talk about Kestrel because yeah she is an awful dragon but that's just surface level talk. Now I want to make it clear here I am not defending her actions as they are reprehensible I am just analyzing her character. I genuinely believe that the reason why she is so abusive and horrible is because she lost her dragonets. Scarlet made her kill one of her dragonets just to escape with one so she chose the weakest one with no fire (sky) only for Scarlet to try and take her other dragonet Peril. Kestrel tried to escape with her but because of Peril's firescales she is too hot to escape with and Kestrel had to leave her behind with Scarlet.

It's why she treats the DoD so horribly instead of raising her own dragonets she stuck raising these dragons from different tribes she has no relation to. The DoD will never be able to live up to Kestrels expectations not just because they aren't skywings but because they aren't her dragonets all Kestrel could care less about well being as long as they can fulfill the prophecy. I also think the reason why Kestrel treats Glory the worst is because she was the replacement for the busted skywing egg. That skywing egg would have hatched a skywing that would have served as a replacement for her lost dragonets but instead of getting a skywing they get a rainwing.

It's why she hates Glory the most of all that skywing eggs was basically her last chance to be a normal parent to a skywing but it hit squashed. Replaced by a stupid and lazy rainwing among stupid and weak dragonets she has to raise for the prophecy. She so desperately wants to raise her kids or at the very least a skywing that the DoD and especially Glory will never live up to her expectations of raising her own dragonets. No matter what they do no matter how hard the DoD will try they will never be good enough for Kestrel because what Kestrel wants is her own dragonets (I also wouldn't be surprised that her having a skywing supremacy mindset also lead to her mistreatment of the DoD). It's why when she figures out when Peril is still alive her tone changes she isn't as harsh to her as she is to the DoD just because Peril is actually hers.

This is where her mistakes come into play where her own actions come back to haunt her. Because the DoD will hate her because of all the abuse she has caused them but since Peril is close with Clay and the rest of the DoD if Peril ever figured out how Kestrel treated them she would hate Kestrel too. Why would she like Kestrel who abused the DoD ever since they were children especially since Peril was also an abusive victim with Scarlet how could she ever trust Kestrel knowing she would basically just be another Scarlet in the way she treats her. Same thing with Sky to.

I know a lot of people get mad at the idea of a Kestrel "redemption arc" if she lived and yeah I get it because the way some people paint is that the DoD and everyone she abused forgives her which is very icky. The way it would realistically go is that the DoD and her children would hate her guts they wouldn't want anything to do with her. Nothing she does will ever be able make up for the abuse she has caused and she wouldn't be able to repair her image amongst the DoD or Peril and Sky and they will never like or love her back. In the off chance she somehow managed to make new friends (very unlikely but not completely off the table dragons are notoriously shit parents) she would have to live the rest of her life knowing that her own children hate her and want nothing to do with her. She will die alone and with no one by her side and if you ask me that's a more deserving punishment, living your life knowing your actions ruined everything and dying alone instead of dying before you can see the consequences of your actions and understanding how your horrible actions were your own downfall.

[spookykestrel]

Ordered a pocket knife today for work but got a super girly one with butterflies which at first I felt sad about bc I was giving into stereotypes or whateve about femininity and then stopped caring bc how cool is a pocket knife with butterflies on it ????

[girderednerve]

YES YES I HAVE COMPLETED ALL OF MY COURSEWORK I AM DONE I AM DONE

[bogcreacher]

Moon n hawk aren’t marked as mates because this is pre-comic. Hence why they’re still -paws and not [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]. 

Also I’m retconning Half-face’s name somewhat, because Kestrel is what he should be labelled as outside the comic and I’m mad I haven’t done that sooner.