#mark blackthorn protection squad

[amchara]

i love the specific situation when i see you reblogging things and i immediately think it's tsc without looking at the context and then immediately spiral into a tornado of confusion and/or horror before the moment of clarity washes over me and i realize it's fate the winx saga

you have no idea how many times i've seen fairy-esque discussions on your blog or drama-adjacent things and I'm like "WHAT HAPPENED TO MARK AND KIERAN WHAT DID I MISS oh wait-"

Hahaha, I do feel a slight pang of guilt sometimes for TSC fans who followed and are still here. I mean- I am still into Shadowhunters! But I mix it up a lot more these days.

But more importantly- you made me spiral with your question of WHAT HAPPENED TO MARK AND KIERAN... that I had to think, what does happen to Mark, Kieran and the Blackthorns and Emma in a Fate universe context?

SO- buckle up, we're going fusion with Fate and The Shadowhunter Chronicles.

I'm going to stick mainly with The Dark Artifices characters for this but I do have to do a shout out to the fact that we do have some direct parallels but mainly TMI related.

Sky = Herondale with Jace's weaponry skill and daddy issues, James' gentlemanly behavior hiding a dark side, and Kit's jacket + sarcasm. That boy suffers beautifully, as all Herondales must.

And Bloom = Clary Fairchild, independent red-head discovers hidden world of magic and finds a close knit group of friends who help her save the world. Though the narrative punishes Bloom a lot more than Cassie ever did to Clary.

Therefore Bloom/Sky roughly equals Clary/Jace

Fate: The Winx Saga actually fits the mold of original flavour TSC quite well even if the other character archetypes don't exactly align with the Fate characters.

But... if we get to The Dark Artifices and the more morally grey Blackthorns and add in the Unseelie Court, this is where I had to stretch the imagination. Not because it can't be done but I had to shift a couple things to fit into the Fate context.

So, first of all- Emma is clearly a Specialist in this 'verse. Trains all day, weapons fan and a drive for revenge? Absolutely she'd be an awesome Specialist. Her background in Fate is that her parents were killed by Burned Ones - and they were also part of Rosalind's elite squad and so as a consequence she's brought up at Alfea by Silva, alongside Sky. She's Julian's Specialist partner.

Julian is a Mind Fairy. I considered all the other elements and nope, we've got to acknowledge he'd be a fucking powerful mind fairy, and he'd be a protege of Headmistress Farah Dowling. When Rosalind inevitably returns... she'd sense his power and there would definitely be attempst to push him to give in to the more manipulative side of his powers.

The Blackthorn's 'dark secret' in this 'verse is that Mark and Helen's mother was a Blood Witch, in a time when there wasn't as much division between fairies and Blood Witch.

We keep Julian's dark past in that he had to kill his own father when he was younger, who was possessed by a Blood Witch trying to get revenge for the Aster Dell massacre. In this battle, Julian protects his younger siblings but Mark is taken by some of his mother's relatives and goes off to live with the Blood Witches. Helen is a Specialist and has been banished by Queen Luna to the wilds of Eraklyon to check the Barrier (and her fairy partner Aline goes with her).

Anyway, when our story starts, Mark's just been returned to Solaria, through some backroom negotiations by General Bavani, and he's causing a stir at Alfea, as most people don't trust him due to his background. Oh, and he's an Air Fairy nominally but learnt it through Blood Witch practice, which makes his magic super erratic. He and Julian are trying to get back to their old bond but it's hard and there's the whole point of Julian trying not to admit he's in love with Emma because... okay, there's no parabatai issue but let's go with the idea that Mind Fairies can't be in relationships with their Specialist partners because if they get hurt/their partner gets hurt, it makes the magic go Kaboom or something, so it's Highly Frowned upon). But obviously Mark has no issues with this so we can keep the Emma-Mark-Julian triangle from the first book.

Kieran, as some kind of son of an important Blood Witch clan- maybe even still a Prince, shows up undercover (ala Beatrix's background), but in this 'verse, clearly Mark knows. So he's trying to out why Kieran is there without getting Kieran in trouble. So he and this other Specialist he's been getting close to- Cristina Rosales - are investigating and trying to figure out Kieran's ulterior motives. And of course, the OT3 still develops. 😌

Whew... going to stop here before I write a full-blown AU but thank you for spurring on this ridiculous fusion post. Hope you enjoyed and once you've watched the pilot, maybe even know some of the names I've been throwing around. 😀

[markblackthornprotectionsquad]

Facts: Mark Anthony Blackthorn deserves every ounce of happiness and joy that he was given at the end of QoAaD and I will fight anyone who says otherwise.

[drublaccthorn]

The fact that I knew that I wouldn’t think twice to trade my life with Livvy just so she and the Blackthorns (especially Ty) can get happiness they deserved

[aion-rsa]

Line of Duty Series 6 Episode 1 Questions & Theories

https://ift.tt/3s4cUyW

Warning: contains spoilers for Line of Duty series 6 episode 1

Line of Duty requires attentive viewing. Try to watch it while doing the ironing and it’ll be burnt shirt collars and confusion for you, son. Every sly look, slight frown and worried swallow by the characters needs to be absorbed by fans if we’re to construct our usual baroque theories week by week. (A bold, early suggestion: DCI Davidson is the first innocent copper AC-12 has ever investigated; she simply has the ability to see things happen in slow-motion, like a housefly, and is a keen collector of high-end door locks. Show of hands?)

You could keep a little notebook at hand in which to jot down and underline key info, or you could just come here every week after reading the episode review, and have your memory jogged to the relevant bits…

Acronym of the Week: CHIS

Pronounced to rhyme with ‘fizz’. Stands for: Covert Human Intelligence Source, or informant. 

Why did Kate leave AC-12?

She’s ambitious, for one, but the cracks started to show in series five. It was Kate and Steve who went to ACC Wise with several concerns relating to the gaffer’s conduct after he went rogue and impersonated ‘H’ in an unauthorised undercover op to recover the stolen Eastfield Depot goods. Kate’s the one who listed Ted’s potential offences to Wise, and voiced her suspicion that Hastings deliberately blew John Corbett’s cover with the OCG. When Gill Biggeloe told Ted that a complaint against him had been raised, he told her “My team will back me up, they always do.” “Not always,” replied Gill. The investigation into Hastings tainted AC-12, and in Kate’s words, she was sick of chasing bent coppers and wanted to go after real criminals.

When did we first meet PS Farida Jatri?

In series four, which was set in early 2017, Jatri was a background player in Roz Huntley’s team at Polk Avenue investigating the murders of Leonie Collersdale and Baswinder Kaur, and the attempted abduction of Hana Reznikova, collectively known as Operation Trapdoor. In the three and a half years between then and when series six takes place in October 2020, Jatri (played by Anneika Rose) has been promoted to sergeant and reassigned to Hillside Station, working under DCI Joanne Davidson who was posted to ‘The Hill’ in October 2019, one month after Gail Vella’s murder.

Det. Supt. Ian Buckells looks familiar. Why?

Because he’s been in it since series one when he was the DI brought in to replace DCI Tony Gates as the Senior Investigating Officer on the Jackie Laverty disappearance case. (Gates was having an affair with Laverty, so had to be removed). It’s worth noting that Buckells (played by Nigel Boyle) was put in charge of that case by ACC Derek Hilton, whom we know to have been a bent copper who was blackmailed, and almost certainly murdered, by the OCG. 

After Tony Gates got the evidence required to arrest OCG leader Tommy Hunter, it was Buckells who allowed ‘The Caddy’ DS Cottan to chat with Hunter and advise him to request immunity and witness protection and go along with the terrorism story Gates had concocted to explain three OCG drug-related murders. 

Then in series four, ACC Hilton removed DCI Roz Huntley as SIO of Operation Trapdoor and replaced her with Buckells. Because DS Kat Fleming was undercover as part of Huntley’s team at the time, Buckells knew her real identity and would have been able to blow her cover, jeopardising AC-12’s operation. Does that make Buckells’ just ACC Hilton’s pawn, or is he a bent copper in his own right? He has climbed the ladder remarkably quickly.

Where have we seen Terry Boyle before?

Twice. Once in series one, when he was played by Elliott Rosen, and once in series five, played by the same actor as here, Tommy Jessop. Boyle is a young man with Down’s Syndrome who is a long time associate of the OCG. They bullied and exploited him, using the freezer in his flat to store the dismembered body of Jackie Laverty between series one and five. His flat is located opposite Kingsgate Printing Services, out of which the OCG ran a passport forgery operation using illegally trafficked workers. When AC-12 raided the shop, Boyle took photos of the police officers to show the OCG. That’s how Lisa McQueen was able to ID Steve Arnott as the police officer who followed PC Maneet Bindra’s instructions on how to make contact with the OCG. 

Read more

TV

Line of Duty Series 5 Recap: Framing Ted Hastings

By Louisa Mellor

TV

Line of Duty: Ranking Every Bent Copper By Level of Corruption, Mother of God!

By Louisa Mellor

Why is Steve buying all those pills?

He has a painkiller addiction, which started after he suffered a serious attack in series four, when a member of the OCG attacked him and pushed him down several flights of stairs. Steve’s pelvis was fractured and he was left temporarily using a wheelchair. 

In series five, Steve failed to perform sexually with on-again-off-again girlfriend DS Sam Railston from Major Violent Crime, perhaps as a result of his injuries, a side effect of the codeine he was taking, or a psychological barrier. That’s why, when propositioned by former fling ���Jolly’ Rogerson from Murder Squad, Steve turned her down. Time was, Steve ‘Shagger’ Arnott wouldn’t have turned down a hole in the ground, and made a habit of sleeping with co-workers and witnesses, hence Rogerson’s “You really have been working Anti-Corruption too long haven’t you?”

What’s going on with Kate’s private life?

After being hopeful that she and husband Mark were going to make a go of things again in series five when she’d stopped working undercover, the job made it too difficult for Kate to keep promises to Mark and son Josh. She repeatedly came home late and missed outings and bedtimes, which eventually proved too much for the marriage. In series six, she’s moved out of the family home and Mark seems to have primary custody of Josh.

Why did ACC Andrea Wise shut Ted out of that meeting?

As she tells him, Ted’s reputation hasn’t survived the events of series five (when he was framed by Gill Biggeloe as ‘H’, the mythologised bent copper running the OCG). Many people in the service think he should have resigned after that debacle, which would be mightily convenient for Wise and Police and Crime Commissioner Rohan Sindwhani, as AC-12 keep rooting out corrupt police staff, which doesn’t make for good PR. 

Is Gail Vella’s suspected killer Carl Banks any relation to Lee Banks?

No idea. It’s not impossible though. OCG member Lee Banks, if you remember, is currently serving at her majesty’s pleasure in Blackthorn Prison after being busted by Steve bribing PS Jane Cafferty in series five. Gangland executioner Carl Banks could well be a relation.

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Line of Duty continues on Sunday the 28th of March at 9pm on BBC One.

The post Line of Duty Series 6 Episode 1 Questions & Theories appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3sf3kJK

[purplebass]

Do you have theories about the family tree? Which parts are correct and which are not? And why change them? Hiding what?

Hi anon! 🌼

I’m one of those people who thinks the family three is 50% right. In my opinion, some parts were changed to hide information like maybe someone did something illegal? Like for example, Lucie doing necromancy. Or Grace too, since she’s also being possessed. Or even James. Or Thomas. I think that Jem, as a Silent Brother, was also in charge of these things, right? Of writing genealogical trees. If some of the characters happen to be exiled, have their marks stripped or turn into downworlders, it would make sense that Jem would want to preserve their name on the family tree despite they are not of part of the shadowhunters’ circle anymore. Or they did something for which they needed to disappear from the tree (like for example Thomas or Alastair or Matthew). Maybe they wanted a fresh start. Maybe they killed someone. 👀

Under the cut I’ve written what I think are the couples/characters who I think are correct or not correct.

Almost sure unions:

Jordelia: I want to believe that James and Cordelia do end up together but not without any problems. I believe they’d have to “earn” their happy ending. But there’s also the “Layla and Majnun” ghost hanging over them. Their story seems to be loosely based on that, and in that book the two protagonists don’t end up together. What may reassure that their part of the tree is real is that I also think Jordelia’s story is bade on Scheherazade and Shahryar’s story in 1001 nights, and that story has a happy ending. Plus, we have to consider that unless Will and Tessa have another son or daughter before the ending of TLH (which could be possible because Tessa is the only one of the older girls who could get pregnant at her age), James is the only living Herondale to carry on the family name. We know that Will is Jace’s direct ancestor, so now the question is whether James has children or not like the tree says. We aren’t also sure about his survival, even though he is in the CP2 epilogue. That could also be wrong. 

Blackdale: This is also another couple which needs careful thinking. Because we don’t know if Jesse will be revived, and in his ghostly state he can’t surely continue the family line like the tree states even if Lucie decides to stay with him despite he will outlive her since he’s a ghost (thus paralleling her parents as well). I can’t remember where it says that the modern Blackthorns descend from Lucie and Jesse, and while their colors (I’m talking about hair and eyes) match Blackdale, we can’t really be sure, especially if Lucie also turns into a ghost. This is one of my theories: Lucie’s power actually not just involves her being able to call ghosts, but also turning into a spirit herself like James can turn into a shadow. Even in this case, if Blackdale aren’t the ancestors of the modern Blackthorns, who could it be? So it’s possible that this means that Jesse is revived and at the end of TLH they start their family line. Unless a new Blackthorn appears out of the blue. I don’t really want to think Lucie and Jesse concluding the series as a ghostly couple. 

Grace and Christopher: Many people seem to hate this couple, but it does have potential. In my opinion, unless one of them dies by the end, they don’t look bad. I am saying “unless they die” because Grace and Christopher seem to be the characters the author seems to target in her books. Grace is a means to an end for Tatiana and Belial, and Christopher has been used by the author as the character who saves everyone. I hope this doesn’t mean that he would have to be sacrificed for the sake of the other characters. Protect Christopher Lightwood squad, period.

Now on to the characters who do not appear on the three: Thomas, Alastair, Matthew, Ariadne, Anna. They only appear but their family lines are “cut”, so we don’t know what happened to them. I believe Ariadne is ignored on purpose :| because I don’t think she was in the plans when CP2 was published. 

As for the others, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t there because they are dead, even if the tree says that Alastair and Thomas for example seem to die young. Maybe they’re just removed from the tree because they didn’t have any children (because I highly doubt Thomas or Alastair would ever marry anyone just for show like Charles is doing for eg). I also think Anna falls in this category. I don’t think she would marry anyone for show. They could also have left the shadowhunters life. This is also a big possibility. 

As for Matthew, I’ve also said in the past that he is the one most likely to become a downworlder and live the Dorian Grey life to the fullest. Maybe we even encountered him in TMI or TDA or in one of the Bane Chronicles novellas! Who knows. After all, we still have Charles as the possible ancestor of the modern Fairchilds. He is the one who seems to want to live a lie and marry a person for show rather than for love. It was normal for the time to marry a woman/man if you were gay, because it was a crime to be gay. Charles may be the only gay character who may act like this in order to protect himself and his image. But still, even if Charles turns out to embrace his sexuality and decides not to marry for show, Matthew could still have children. Maybe only if he doesn’t become a downworlder. The other possibility for him is to have his marks stripped, but this is also a theory I have for Lucie (she has her marks stripped because she tries to revive Jesse). In either case, their children could still carry the line despite not being shadowhunters anymore. 

[alecisagayicon]

Is there already a Mark Blackthorn protection squad?? If not I need to make one bc I love him,,,

[marcythewerewolf]

Blackthorns for the family meme!

Which sibling is most likely to cheat when doing chores

Tie between the twins. Livvy hates chores with a burning passion and Tiberius is very good at figuring out complicated schemes to get out of them. 

Which sibling sleeps through their alarm until it wakes up the rest of the house

Livvy and Mark. They’re too beautiful to wake up. 

Which sibling is the best at making up cover stories when there’s trouble

Julian lies through his teeth twenty four seven but Dru is getting better by the day. 

Which sibling threatens to rat the other(s) out to the parental figures

When they were little kids Helen was a big tattletale in the tradition of put upon older siblings who know the only way to enforce order when their authority runs out is to call mom and dad. Dru and Tavvy both go through moderately bratty phases of telling to Julian, but never quite match Helen’s narc history.

Which sibling compromises about what to watch on netflix

Julian is the great peacemaker as well as a brutal negotiator but never gets to watch the shows he wants unless it’s just him and Emma. Figuring out a way to balance Tavvy’s desire to watch Teen Titans Go, Ty and Dru’s interest in true crime documentaries, and Livia’s favorite indie romance movies comes firstWhich sibling always responds last to text messages from the fam

Which sibling keeps forgetting their keys/wallet/coat/homework/etc

You’d think Mark but Helen, especially since she started living alone on the edge of the earth where things like keys don’t matter. She likes to say she leaves her brain with Aline. Without her wife she’d be steleless and probably not wearing socks. There’s a strong scatterbrained gene in the Blackthorn line. 

Which sibling invents elaborate make-believe games and forces the other(s) to play along

Ty and Dru shared a complicated play pretend world when they were younger, one even Livvy was never fully in on. The core premise involved Dru as a princess and Ty as her loyal magician and scientist, but at various points there were democratic overthrows of the government, natural disasters, and the Industrial Revolution. Sometimes Tavvy was a baby dragon. 

Which sibling always tries to cheer the other(s) up if they’re sad

Tavvy, absolutely, he’s a sweet kid who grew up in a crisis where all he could do was be helpful, but also Livvy when she notices. She protects her family in every way, even emotionally. Together they’re the aggressively helpful squad. 

Which sibling would rather be alone in their room instead of socializing with people

Ty can be shy sometimes but enjoys people on his own terms. Dru is much more antisocial for a spell during her awkward adolescent phase, and spends a lot of time locked up in her room reading old editions of gothic novels and wearing PJs all day. No one can stop her, it’s not like anyone else in her family has their act together more. 

Which sibling is most likely to finish the snack food/leftovers before anybody else can have some

Mark gets into the habit of eating like his food will be stolen from him after he gets out of the Wild Hunt. It was rough in there, and now he can shove five breakfast bars into his mouth at once. It’s absolutely horrifying to watch. 

[caramelomachiato-blog]

The Shadowhunter chronicles faves (spoilers for lord of shadows)

Okay but I'd protect: Kieran, Mark, Christina, Ty, Kit, Livvy (;-;), Dru, Tavvy, Helen, Aline, Diana, Jem, Tessa, Will (;-;), Alec, Magnus, Max and Rafe, Raphael (;-;), Simon, Izzy, Maia, Max (;-;), Jules, Alec, Kieran, Ty, Livvy, Alec, Magnus, Kieran, Raphael, Ty, Livvy, Dru, Diana, *repeat* with my life I love them so much I love Kit and relate to him on a spiritual level. I love his relationship with the twins (especially Ty if ya know what I mean ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ) and his frustration with Shadowhunters (he's expressing the viewers words tbh). I love his understanding and need to protect Ty. It's great to see someone doing the right thing for my baby bee boy. I love Dru so much being a middle child is hard, especially when you're 'too young' for literally everything and people forced your younger sibling on you. Also she's beautiful and her talks of insecurities about shape and weight really hit it home for me and I'm sure lots of other. I literally cried when Jules said "You're our heart baby girl. You're the heart of the family." Tavvy is the cutest bean and needs protecting. That's all that needs to be said. Also if anyone hurts him I'll find you. I loved Diana a lot from the beginning. My attachment to the Blackthorns meant that anyone who was nice to them by association caught my interest and deserved attention. But I liked her character, especially when she essentially told Zara to shut the fuck up ngl. Her coming out story was a cherry on the cake tbh I wasn't expecting it and I cried over her story (also her sister ;-;). I love Diana's design too. She's overall a great Character. I love Helen and Aline so much. Their relationship, dedication, meeting, everything about them alone and in a pair is just so great. Also I'm high-key gay for both of them. But Aline dedication to her wife made me cry I'm-- I'm just in love with them ok? Okay but Tessa Jem Will Tho yass I love them I haven't even finished their series (I've read lord of shadows but I'm only on clockwork angel aka the first one ;-;). I live their dynamic. Tessa's just beautiful and great and smart and badass af. Jem is precious I love him. Will is so great I actually prefer his herondaleness to Jace's. I love their interaction. And their Camille and Magnus interaction were the goodest of good shits™ 👌. Do I really need an explanation for Max and Rafe tbh. Like Tavvy they're both adorable and amazing. Also Max is blue (I love the fact he's blue). If anyone ever hurts or bullies them I'm coming for that person. Simon and Izzy. Well what can i say, Izzy is hot and Simon is chill (mah man). He's honestly such a geek ("tell me a bedtime story" "k *plot of starwars*"). He should meet Kit tbh. I love Izzy in book and the TV show (and not just because Emeraude Toubia is impossibly attractive). I live her character. I love Simon's character. 'Nough said. Max, well, uh we don't talk about that. F U C K Y O U S E B A S T I A N M O R G E N S T E R N ! ! ! I loved Max so much, though, I wish I could have protected him personally. He was so cute and loved reading and felt like no one noticed or listened to him or borderline ignored. (That sounds familiar call out post to my toxic friends and family). He's a 13 year old boy you should be ashamed! Tbh I loved Maia since I first read about her in the books. She was so strong and badass and pretty and great. Also that one time where izzy says if she was attracted to girls she'd tap that ass. Also when she killed that asshole I was like yasssss queen slay!!! Rip Kyle tho I miss him. She pretty great in the TV series too, W E A RE N O T T A L K IN G A B O U T T H E C L O S E T S C E N E I R E P E AT N O T!! Jules, Jules, Jules... he's a fucking amazing brother lets start with that. He's had to essentially, apart from Emma and Diana look after his siblings, the institute and everything else singlehandedly. He's always there for them. He's also an artist ! That's great I love artist characters idk. Can we also talk about his way with words dang dang diggity dang dang dang he can talk anyone into seeing to his POV or believing his words. He a great boi. He just needs (some milk, sorry it's 2 am) a permanent vacation with Emma in an AU where parabatai bonds won't make you crazy if you be fucking yo parabatai. So he can fuck Emma, essentially is what I'm, ever so subtly, getting at it. Christina Rosales is beautiful and deserves the world and to stab Zara Fucking Dearborn through the heart. Ok I love her but I love Kieran more so she better not hurt my boi Kier. Also I'm down for some KierArkTina anytime as long as they spend some (a great amount) time to sort out their issues and love each other properly. Mark is great tbh (but again I love Kieran more so don't hurt him mah boi). Like I love his personality and character and appearance and speech patterns they're like the perfect blend between nephilim and faerie and I love that. I love him, that coat scene tho and the kitchen scene and the many scenes where he talks to inanimate objects. Also the make out scenes got diggity damn kierark. Also talking about kierark ppl be like Kieran was so bad to mark yeah but mark was bad to Kieran too. I'm not excusing mah boi here or mark but yeah they both not angels (hahaha). Tbh I loved Raphael so much (also saphael). He was so great I loved this lil asshole so much I cried when he died so much. S E BA S T I A N F U C K IN G M O R G E R N S T E RN !! ! Also ! Ace! representation ! Is ! Important ! I'm! Happy! But yeah Rip this babe. I loved Ty and Livvy ever since I first read them in the books, I was super excited for an autistic character and related to Livvy as my little brother is also autistic. (Livvy deserved better tbh). They're just so great and cute, I love them. We don't deserve them tbh. I love ty, I'm sorry, Sherlock so much and his twin sister (Euros lol don't shoot me) is an inspiration. Livvy is so protective and I love her. Ty is just so protective and I love him. I love them both so much. Kieran, mah boi, my sass ball, my salty bitch, my faerie boi, my king's son, my slayer, my great handsome beautiful amazing boi. Okay I don't even know why I love him so much I just do. He's misunderstood and before yall bitch at me like oh that poor special snowflake he Hurting he misunderstood poor bean do he need a tiny violin to play sad music for him where's thE P R O O F OF T H I S BI T C H ! !! Yall can read up on this subject on other post about it I've reblogged. O K A Y he did some bad things he regrets and wished he could rewind and stop. Um. So has almost every other fricking character in this book series apart from really young kids don't just blame my baby gods guys. Magnus is just the best, if you hate him you're wrong doesn't matter who you are or what ever. You're wrong. He's a great great bf, fiancée, future husband, father, future uncle, babysitter, cat sitter, lover, friend, Warlock, person and soul. I love him I'd give up all my soul and body for him. I worship him, I love his design, speech patterns, personality, methods, over all character and just everything. If I wasn't attracted to female only I'd high-key be crushing on Magnus Bane. Bi the way (see what I did there) he great don't ever hurt. Also he slays. And Harry Shum Jr. does a great job portraying him in the series, he great. Drop everything because you've come to the last of the superior squad (Ty, Livvy, Kieran, Magnus and Alec) Buckle the fuck up guys it's time to go for a spin in the Mystery mobile (or w/e the fuck it's called). Ah Alec, my biggest fave rivalled only by Ty my other biggest fave, he's so handsome brave and amazing. Malec is like supreme OTP (with Kitty and Kierark of course) I live for their dynamic both in the book and on the screen in the TV show. I love Alec as he's incredibly relatable, beautiful, great with kids, a great leader, a great bf/financée/lover/husband, a great person. I love him. If i could if adopt him as my son. I'm screaming he's just so good. Also he hecka attractive for a guy if i was a guy 10/10 would bed and we'd this handsome boi. Also the way he roasted Zara Dearborn, she was more like deadborn back then. (Also when Kieran joined in I cried tears of joy). When are we gonna talk about his alleged bondage kink btw? Hmu with fic and Fanart with this if you have it. In conclusion I love them all very much! Special mentions to: Gwyn, Arthur, Malcolm (idk why), Annabel (kinda i guess), Jaime (Un petit peu), Nene, Nerissa and Aodaon (?) (he cute).

[bookishreviewsblog]

Cassandra Clare: Queen of Air and Darkness (The Dark Artifices #3) | Lara

Dark secrets and forbidden love threaten the very survival of the Shadowhunters in Cassandra Clare’s Queen of Air and Darkness, the final novel in the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling The Dark Artifices trilogy. What if damnation is the price of true love? Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the blight that is destroying the race of warlocks. Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined. Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love.

It came. Finally. After all that waiting and panicking I endured for this book, I can't believe I have finally read it. For me, this was the most anticipated book of this year and I am so glad my 2018 is going to end with reading this book. I've been following Cassandra Clare's work for years and I am huuge fan of her work. I was in love with Shadow World since I read the copy of City of Bones, I got for my twelfth birthday. Words can't describe how much I love her stories and characters she created. Reading this book made me extremely happy for so many reasons and I cannot be grateful enough that she keeps writing new stuff for me to fangirl over.

This book was enormously long, I think over 900 pages. I read the Kingdom of Ash in November and I am going to take a break with long-ass books and read some fluffy teen fiction for the rest of the year. But, despite its length, this book was really amazing, intriguing and entertaining from first to the last page. This book was never boring. No, for one moment I didn't think "God, I wish this scene would finally be over"; whether it was some action scene, battle, revelation, Clave meeting, romantic moment or even simple interaction between characters Cassie kept me chained to my kindle. It was nearly impossible to stop reading (seriously I read this in Tokyo metro, which is practically impossible).

There was a lot of action, parallel plots, problematics, storylines, and characters that filled this story. From the beginning of the Dark Artifices series, there was more than one villain: it is a long way back when we all thought Blackthorn's only problem was Malcolm raising his lost love. Now there is Unseelie King wanting to destroy all Shadowhunters sided with Annabel, who killed Livvy and Robert and cause a great havoc in Allicante. Then there is the inside, political threat of Cohort who want to bring back old ideals and hate for all who are not Shadowhunters. After (and during) Lord of Shadows so many new problematics made a way that I was seriously concerned how will it all turn out. But all I can say Cassie did a most wonderful job developing all those plots and problematics individually and in parallel and finally bringing it all together in one big finale.

I always loved how she represented political life of Shadowhunters and work of the Clave. Like, nothing is ideal and there are always new problems, new people with questionable agendas, but the point is to change for better, no matter how small the change is.

Cassandra Clare's writing style always was and will be one of my favorite things of all time. I adore her rich descriptions with a touch of purple prose, her love stories, and characters. Most of all dialogues and interactions make me burst out laughing whether I want it or not.

She has created an impressive spectrum of characters through all these books and all of them are equally special, unique and wonderful. One of the biggest perks of reading this book is POVs. There is just so many of them, but it doesn't seem too much at all. I wanted to read, with all my heart, I wanted to see this story from the perspective of each character, whether old or new. She combined all (surviving) characters in this one story that changes everything. Of course, TDA squad has the main word and it can be easily read without knowledge of other series, but for us hardcore fans it was soo inspiring.

*this part is going to be mostly about characters and spoilers will be clearly marked for those who haven't read to skip, but if you don't want my review to change your perspective of characters and their development through the book, I suggest you skip it*

I am going to do some analysis of characters because I really feel like it, so let's start with my otp Jemma: one of my favorite couples of all times. I love Jemma from the bottom of my heart and they are really so adorable. Cassie always does a great job with love stories, but this one is especially dear to me. Just how they are there for each other since they were children and how they complete each other uwu

“I still love Emma more than I ever thought was possible. I love her more every day, and more every time I try to stop. I love her like I’m being ripped in half. And I want to cut the throats of everyone in the Cohort.”

Emma is my favorite character from the Dark Artifices and one of my all-time favorites. I always, always come to adore badass fearless girls who fight for those they love. My favorite scenes were usually those that included Emma fighting (*plot spoiler* when she confronted Zara, god that was the best thing ever).

Another amazing and my favorite male character – Julian. I just want to give a huge shoutout to this perfect boy who raised five children, took care of his sick uncle and led the whole Institute by himself. He always tended to be anti-hero(ish), but that's what I loved so much about him, that he was willing to do anything to protect his family. He is considered ruthless and cold, while he is just protective of his siblings, who have suffered a lot. Many people were confident he was going to go all anti-hero, even villain, (and he almost did, khm we know why), but I kind of knew he wouldn't. *spoiler* It was believed he will try to break all parabatai bonds, that he was that selfish, but in the end, he knew that was wrong, and he stopped Emma because he knew she was going to regret doing that. (*end of the spoiler*)

After those two comes my new otp for TWP, Kit and Ty of course. I couldn't really see all the hype about Kitty before, but after QoAaD, I am probably the most hardcore Kitty shipper ever. I mean they are perfect, ADORABLE. ! Just the way they interact, work together and solve problems makes it clear they are made for each other. It was clear Ty was having an awful time coping with Livvy's death and Kit was always there for him. Not to mention Kit is one of the most hilarious characters ever (sometimes he beat Jace, Will even).

“Funerals are always so sad,” said a woman who had introduced herself as Irina Cartwright, staring at Julian with a deep pitying stare. When he didn’t respond, she shifted her gaze to Kit. “Don’t you think?”

“I wouldn’t know,” said Kit. “My father was eaten by demons.”

The boy gave Kit a considering look that seemed to say you look familiar. Several people had done the same. Kit guessed it was because he looked like Jace, if Jace had suffered a sudden and unexpected height, muscle, and overall hotness reduction.

I mean just reading his perspective made me laugh sometimes. *spoiler* Anyway, that moment at the lake when Ty did the spell and Kit said he loved him!!! I was so so so happy. So, of course, their separation at the end of the book almost killed me, because that means 3 years without any of them and they will barely be in contact since Ty will be at Scholomance and Kit is at Jem and Tessa's… TDA just ended and I am already desperate for TWP, it's going to be a long way.

I liked Cristina's and Mark's characters a lot, too. Cristina-Emma friendship is one of the most amazing things in these books, and if it weren't for the curse, they should have been parabatai. I rooted for Cristina and Mark to get together, but Cassie decided to go for polygamous relationship between Kieran, Mark and Cristina. As much as I love her representation and diversity (she is kind of a queen when it comes to that), I hated Kierarktina. For starters I never liked Kieran, sure he had his redemption and became quite more likable, but I always found him kind of bland and annoying. Then, I can literally see no chemistry between Cristina and Kieran. Kieran and Mark, sure, they had a lot going on in the past. Cristina and Mark had fireworks going between them, but Kieran and Cristina? Nope, I felt nothing. I really didn't like three of them together and, to be honest, I felt really uncomfortable reading Kierarktina scenes.

Those were characters I wanted to point out or say something about. I love rest of them as much, especially those who were important in other series. Their appearances, interactions and contribution to the plot warmed my heart (*spoiler* especially Livia's Army when all of them worked together).

*From this point there will be spoilers and they won't be marked because I am going to comment on ending and some parts of the plot*

I am going to refer to some parts of the book and problematics that were solved one way or another.

First: Thule. I didn't see this coming, so there was no particular theory of mine about this, but a trip to Thule took a good third of this book. I wasn't entirely satisfied with it and couldn't say I actually liked it. It brought an interesting perspective on what would have happened if Clary hadn't won The Battle of the Burren, but aside from that, it wasn't of much significance. Sure, they brought back the mortal sword, but they didn't figure out anything with the curse or how to defeat the Unseelie King. I don't like concepts of parallel universes and such, so that is the reason I feel kind of bitter about that part (if it is like that, there are infinite universes and versions of characters and all could go in any direction, so what is the point anyway…). So maybe I am wrong and it was really important (it will be important for TWP for sure), but I did not like that part.

Then comes the big problem that stretches through all three books –the parabatai curse. I was eager to know how are things going play out with the curse for Julian and Emma, Cassie created an amazing plotline and mystery about the origin of parabatai. My theory was that Cortana was going to break the curse somehow, but that wasn't the case. Not even close, actually. I liked how were the effects of the curse shown and how Emma and Julian suffered not only mental but also physical changes. Yet I didn't find myself entirely happy about how things turned out. I didn't expect Julian and Emma to turn into half-giant angels in the middle of the battle and then just ? stop being parabatai?. That part is still a little bit foggy, like all that with the True Nephilim and what that has to do with parabatai. It was cool and I can't say I hate how things turned out, but I expected something a bit darker or something.

Second thing, how things got resolved with Faerie. Honestly, I expected Faeries to be of more importance in the end. The Unseelie King died in the middle of the book and his half-drunk son inherited him, so the only actual threat that was left was the Cohort. I was surprised that Ash was the weapon that caused the blight they were talking about and that was one big and quite an important point to the plot. In the end, Kieran inherited the throne of the Unseelie Court, which wasn't a big surprise and I think there ends the rivalry between Shadowhunters and the Unseelie Court. About Seelie… well, Queen fell suspiciously quiet in the second half of the book and I have this feeling she isn't done yet (which leaves another thing for The Wicked Powers).

Now I'm skipping to final battle because I have been dying to say something about that. I always enjoyed reading Clare's battle scenes, because all of them felt so inspiring and epic. One of the best scenes I have ever read is fighting between Julian, Emma and Riders of Mannan when Emma killed Fal. It was one, the last thing this book needed – an amazing battle, with all characters working together. Let's just not forget Dru, who has become one of my favorites through this book and Kit (Heir with powers!!! I already see TWP is going to be awesome). The outcome was pleasant, but not unexpectable. I knew Blackthorns and squad are going to win, but I was (pleasantly) surprised with the lack of death. After Lord of Shadows, I expected this to be a massacre, but it was less brutal. I'm not sure if I could take any of them dying.

And finally, the political outcome aka Cohort plot. As I said before I love how Cassie develops political life of Shadowhunters, as a forever changing constant that needs to be updated and fought for constantly. It had all led to the point where Horace became the Inquisitor and turned whole Council against Downworlders. After ending of Lord of Shadows, where I thought nothing could go wrong with that final plan, I was kind of anxious about Livvy's Army, but it all turned out well. Except for the Exile. When Cassie said Shadow World is going to change forever I didn't expect anything near this. I am eager to see how Clave works without Idris and I feel like this is going to be a major plotline in The Wicked Powers.

The ending of the Dark Artifices was pretty important to me and I had really high expectations for this book. Probably too high. I was hyped all year about it, so when it finally came, I expected it to be this epic book where I wouldn't be able to breathe and everything would surprise me. Which is totally unrealistic, I know, but that sense of disappointment disappeared after thinking through it and seeing how amazing this book actually was. So, all these negative comments are just small critiques or something that bugged me a bit, but all in all, I loved this book. This is probably the longest review I have ever written, so I think it is time to finish.

Cassandra Clare will remain one of my all-time favorite authors and I will never stop being so excited about her books. Can't wait for The Red Scrolls of Magic and then Chain of Gold!

Some other notes that I can’t fit in my review but have to share:

· I hate Zara more than anything I have ever hated

Zara always chose the same chair in the Inquisitor’s office. Manuel suspected it was because she liked to sit beneath the portrait of herself, so that people would be forced to gaze at two Zaras, and not just one.

· Some Kitty fluff

He made a face that was probably supposed to be scornful but was actually just cute.

“Yes, you can,” Kit whispered. “You can. You think this will make your family stronger, but it will destroy them if you bring her back. You think you can’t survive without Livvy, but you can. We will go through it together.” Kit’s face was cold; he realized he was crying. “I love you, Ty. I love you.”

Ty’s face went blank with surprise. Kit plowed on, regardless, hardly knowing what he was saying.

“She’s gone, Ty. She’s gone forever. You have to get through this. Your family will help you. I will help you. But not if you do this. Not if you do this, Ty.”

· Jemma fluff of course

So who am I to you, then?” he asked, dropping his hand.

“You are the person I have to protect until my Julian comes back to live inside you again,” she said. “I don’t want this. I want the Julian I love. You might be in the cage, Jules, but as long as you are like this, I am in the cage with you.”

· Ragnor Fell is one of the most amazing characters that ever existed

· Jem calling Emma little sister uwu

[markblackthornprotectionsquad]

I only wanted to say something: I am here to defend Mark Anthony Blackthorn and the Blackthorn's family until my last breath

[angelavengedinspo-blog]

“You weren’t?” Traffic sped up; the car lurched forward. Julian struck the wheel with the heel of his palm. “Look, none of this is my business. Forget it. Forget I asked about Jace and Clary, or Simon and Isabelle—” “You didn’t ask about Simon and Isabelle.”   “I didn’t?” The side of his mouth quirked up. “Isabelle was my first crush, you know.” “Of course I know.” She threw the cap of her water bottle at him. “It was so obvious! You were staring at her at the party after Aline and Helen’s wedding.” He ducked the bottle cap. “I was not.” 

-------------

“Magnus checked it out with a spell,” Clary said. “There was nothing there but some wreckage, so we Portaled here.” “From my sister’s engagement party, to be precise,” said Jace. “There was an open bar.” “Oh!” A look of happiness flitted across Emma’s face. “Isabelle’s marrying Simon?” As far as Julian was concerned, no girl had ever been born who could compare to Emma, but when Clary smiled, she was very pretty. Her whole face lit up. It was something she and Emma had in common, actually. “Yeah,” Clary said. “He’s really happy.” “Mazel tov to them,” said Jace, leaning against the banister rail. “Anyway, we were at the party, and Magnus got this alert about necromantic magic near the L.A. Institute, and he tried to reach Malcolm, but no luck. So we snuck out, just the four of us. Which is a big loss to the party if you ask me, because I was going to give a toast and it was going to be glorious. Simon would never be able to show his face in public again.” “Not really the point of an engagement toast, Jace,” Clary said. She was looking worriedly at Diego—he was awfully pale. “Four of you?” Emma looked around the room. “Is Alec here?” Magnus opened his mouth to answer, but at that moment the doors of the Sanctuary burst open, and a tall, stocky man with dark hair emerged: Robert Lightwood, the current Inquisitor, second in command to the Consul of Idris, and in charge of investigating Shadowhunters who had broken the Law. 

....

The Inquisitor strode toward him. He was a little older than the Robert Lightwood Julian remembered, his hair more liberally streaked with gray. But the look in his dark blue eyes was the same: hard and cold. “What’s going on here?” he demanded. “There was a flare of necromantic magic traced to this Institute several hours ago and your uncle claims to know nothing about it. More troubling, he refused to tell us where you disappeared to.” He spun around, his eyes raking their group—and landing on Mark. “Mark Blackthorn?” “I already said that,” said Clary. Julian had the feeling she wasn’t overly fond of her prospective father-in-law—if he was that. He realized he didn’t know if Jace and Clary had plans to get married. “Yes,” Mark said. He was standing upright as if facing a firing squad. He met Robert Lightwood’s eyes, and Julian saw the Inquisitor flinch at the sight of Wild Hunt eyes in a Shadowhunter’s face. They were an accusation against the Clave, those eyes. They said, You abandoned me. You did not protect me. I was alone.

“I have come back,” Mark said. “The Wild Hunt would never have released you,” said the Inquisitor. “You were far too valuable to them. And faeries don’t give back what they take.” “Robert—” Magnus began. “Tell me I’m wrong,” Robert Lightwood said. “Magnus? Anyone?” Magnus was silent, his unhappiness evident. Jace’s gold eyes were unreadable. Dru made a frightened, stifled sound. Clary whirled on Robert. “It’s not fair to interrogate them,” she said. “They’re just kids.” “Don’t you think I remember the trouble you and Jace got into when you were ‘just kids’?” “He has a point.” Jace smiled at Julian and Emma, and the smile was like gold melted over steel. You could see how the softness was a disguise, and how what lay under it had won Jace the title of best Shadowhunter of his generation. “We didn’t use any necromancy,” said Julian. “We didn’t need to. The thing about faeries—they’re always willing to make a deal.” 

...

“Come into the room, Arthur,” said Robert. “Please do not give me the impression you’re hiding in the Sanctuary.” “When you use that voice, I want to hide in the Sanctuary,” said Magnus. He had begun wandering around the room, picking up objects and setting them down. His actions appeared idle, but Julian knew better. Magnus did little without premeditation. Neither did Jace. Jace was sitting on the lowest step of the stairs, his sharp gaze unwavering. Julian felt the weight of it, like pressure against his chest. He cleared his throat. “My younger brothers and sisters have nothing to do with this,” he said. “And Tavvy is exhausted. He was almost killed tonight.” “What?” Clary said, alarm darkening her green eyes. “How did that happen?” “I’ll explain,” Julian said. “Just let them go.” Robert hesitated for a moment before nodding curtly. “They can leave.” Relief washed through Julian as Ty, Livvy, and Dru headed up the steps, Livvy still carrying Octavian against her shoulder. At the top, Ty paused for a moment and looked down. He was looking at Mark, and the expression on his face was fearful. “It is the disease of tyranny to trust no friends, Inquisitor,” said Anselm Nightshade. “Aeschylus.” “I did not come here, from my daughter’s engagement party, for a classics lesson,” said Robert. “Nor is this Downworlder business. Please wait for us in the Sanctuary, Anselm.”  Arthur passed his glass to Anselm, who raised it ironically but went, seeming relieved to get away from the demarcation line where hallowed ground began. The moment he was gone, Robert rounded on Arthur. “What do you know about all this, Blackthorn?” “A convoy came to us from Faerie,” said Arthur. “They offered to return Mark to his family, and in exchange, we would help them discover who was killing faeries in Los Angeles.” “And you said nothing of this to the Clave?” said Robert. “Despite knowing you were breaking the Law, the Cold Peace—” “I wanted my nephew back,” said Arthur. “Wouldn’t you have done the same, for your family?” “You’re a Shadowhunter,” said Robert. “If you must choose between your family and the Law, you choose the Law!” “Lex malla, lex nulla,” said Arthur. “You know our family motto.” “He did the right thing.” For once there was no humor in Jace’s voice. “I would have done the same. Any of us would.” Robert looked exasperated. “And did you discover it? Who was killing faeries?” “We discovered it tonight,” said Julian. “It was Malcolm Fade.”  Magnus stiffened, his cat eyes flashing. “Malcolm?” He executed a quick about-face and marched toward Julian. “And why do you think it was a warlock? Because we know magic? Is all dark magic to be blamed on us, then?” “Because he said he did it,” said Julian. Clary’s mouth fell open. Jace remained seated, face unreadable as a cat’s. Robert’s expression darkened. “Arthur. You’re the head of the Institute. Talk. Or are you going to leave that to your nephew?” “There are things,” Julian said, “things we didn’t tell Arthur. Things he doesn’t know.” Arthur put his hand to his head, as if it pained him. “If I’ve been deceived,” he said, “then let Julian explain it.” Robert’s hard gaze swept over their group and fastened on Diego. “Centurion,” he said. “Step forward.” Julian tensed. Diego. He hadn’t factored him in, but Diego was a Centurion, and as such, sworn to tell the truth to the Clave. Of course Robert would want to talk to Diego instead of him. He knew there was no real reason for Robert to want to talk to him at all. He didn’t run the Institute. Arthur did. Never mind that he’d been answering Robert’s letters for years and recognized Robert’s way of doing things better than anyone else here; never mind that in official correspondence, at least, they knew each other well. He was just a teenage boy. “Yes, Inquisitor?” Diego said. “Speak to us of Malcolm Fade.” “Malcolm isn’t who you think,” Diego said. “He has been responsible for countless deaths. He was responsible for the deaths of Emma’s parents.” Robert shook his dark head. “How is that possible? The Carstairs were murdered by Sebastian Morgenstern.” At the sound of Sebastian’s name, Clary went pale. She looked immediately over at Jace, who matched her glance—a look woven through with years of shared history. “No,” Clary said. “They weren’t. Sebastian was a murderer, but Emma has never believed that he was responsible for her parents’ deaths, and neither have Jace or I.” She turned to look at Emma. “You were right,” she said. “I always thought you would be proved right someday. But I’m sorry it was Malcolm. He was your friend.” “And mine,” said Magnus, his voice strained. Clary moved toward him, placing her hand on his arm.  “He was also the High Warlock,” said Robert. “How did this happen? What do you mean he’d been murdering people?” “A series of killings in Los Angeles,” said Diego. “He was convincing mundanes to commit murder and then harvesting their bodies for parts he could use in necromancy.”

[wolf-on-the-tardis]

10 characters tag

I was tagged by @analcoholic-grantaire (grazie ancora ahah <3) to pick my ten favourite characters from 10 different fandoms and tag 10 people Harry Potter - Remus Lupin (my son) (also Hermione and Luna and Sirius) Doctor Who - Amy Pond (god I do miss her) Shadowhunters - William Owen perfecthumanbeing Herlondale (also Mark and Ty Blackthorn) Game of Thrones - Sansa Stark (my child) and Jaime Lannister The Raven Cycle - Ronan Lynch Throne of Glass - Chaol Westfall (proud member of the #protection squad) and Dorian Havilliard (he's perfect) (also Manon Blackbeak) Supernatural - Castiel (because I can't choose between my Winchester boys) Les Misérables - Don't ask me to pick one of my children, please! I love them all equally! ...Okay, Combeferre. The Hobbit/LotR - Thorin (okay this is mostly the movies' fault, bc he's a bit of an ass in the book) Merlin - Morgana ONE character for each fandom, suuuure. I tag @consulting-lawyer-boyfriends @mysmoldarkfictionalsons @a-fucking-velociraptor @grantairelibere @littlebirdfromnaboo @paris-to-my-rivergron @taireable @smilingteaologist. Have fun!

[markblackthornprotectionsquad]

[markblackthornprotectionsquad]

how do people not love Mark Blackthorn???