#maybe i’m just insane over this duology

[littlerachelbee]

does anyone get divine rivals vibes from this album or

[broke-on-books]

Got tagged by @threephantomrey on a reading game thing, it got long so it's pasted under the cut.

1) How many books did you read this year?

So many omg!! I logged 34 books on Goodreads but I only started logging there at the end of February. I also read a shitton of comics that I didn’t log there because I didn’t want to skew certain statistics and use a different app to log that. (Going by my rough math using that, I’ve read 360 individual comic issues in 2023, not counting rereads). So like I read a lot.

2) Did you reread anything? What?

Sooo much stuff. I just finished a reread of N. K. Jemisin’s Great Cities Duology like two days ago, which I cannot recommend more. Also reread 17776 recently, as well as a childhood favorite (The Fall of the Readers series by Django Wexler) over the summer. When it comes to comics I’ve also done a ton of rereading, most notably Emerald Twilight (Green Lantern (1990) #48-50) like 5 times for the most rereads, but I’ve also reread other faves (in whole or part) such as Wonder Woman: Historia, Batgirl (2000), and I’m currently doing a Green Lanterns (2016) read which has me brain diseased because I am actually obsessed with them SO bad. And I reread poetry constantly so there’s that too.

3) What were your top five books of the year?

I’m skipping this one honestly. I started thinking about it and it hurt my brain. Some standouts I haven’t mentioned yet though include The Fifth Season by N K Jemisin, The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, The Last Speakers: The Quest to Save the World’s Most Endangered Languages by K. David Harrison, and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Also like everything Greg Rucka did on Wonder Woman in the aughts (including the Hikateia <3333)

4) Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

Probably Greg Rucka is a big one, Would maybe count James Baldwin here but that’s iffy because I decided to start reading some of his stuff because I loved a poem of his I had read before this year (among other things). I would also say I discovered A. S. King this year, but I don’t know if I’d say I LOVE her writing, rather that I find it incredibly entertaining because of how batshit fucking crazy it is. Like no one else is on her level when it comes to insanity honestly (and I say this as a comics fan)

5) What genre did you read the most of?

I mean superhero comics probably, but also I read a good amount of poetry (as always) and some fiction.

6) Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?

Sooooooo much! Because I like so many genres I’m always reading like 10+ books at a time, and still a lot of stuff I just don’t get to. Some things I wanted to read include some poetry books I own, specifically my Most Famous Poems of All Time anthology (I think that’s what it’s called?) and my best of Antonio Machado book (bilingual edition!). There’s also a bunch of specific poems that would fall under this category. Also meant to read the Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule (and the rest of the main High Republic series), but that didn’t happen. Also I wanted to read some 90s Flash but it’s soooo long and I couldn’t justify starting it while I’m in the middle of so many things.

7) What was your average Goodreads rating? Does it seem accurate?

My average rating was a 4.2 which is pretty high. I’d say it seems accurate for the books I finished, but when you consider all my DNFs and comics it would definitely be way lower, as I quit a bunch of books halfway through for being terrible this spring that aren’t reflected, and also I read some really shitty comics for my faves this fall. 

8) Did you meet any of your reading goals? Which ones?

No I didn’t meet them : ((((((((. I was pretty ambitious with the Goodreads goal (set for 100 books) so I’m not sad I didn’t meet that, but I was using those numbers to compete with my best friend on who could read the most, and I lost that (she had 43 to my 34) due to a slump in the early summer and another during the school year in the fall. For comics I recently hit 1000 issues read, so I’m happy about that mindset, and got my niche fave into my top 5 characters read so I’m pretty happy there. Still haven’t reached my goal of having Wonder Woman beat Batman for my top character yet, but that only emerged as an objective like a month ago so I’m not too upset. 

9) Did you get into any new genres?

I’d say so, yes! In recent years I’ve done a lot of expanding my taste of books into different genres, and this year I think I read a lot of memoirs, (both traditional and fictionalized) than I ever did before. For traditional I read Jennette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died and in terms of fictionalized, I read and enjoyed both Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Next year I want to read more of this genre, especially getting to Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which has been on my TBR for a while. 

10) What was your favorite new release of the year?

New release… um…. Let me check something real quick. How have I read nothing from this year what. Okay I’m just going to stick to comics for this one and say Spirit World by Alyssa Wong was SO GOOD. Honestly may buy the trade for that when it comes out in April like I was loving that series sm. (also Wong is my favorite comic author currently writing. Although they’re not doing anything I’m interested in in 2024 it looks like : ((((( )

11) What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

*blinks in classics fan* uhhh actually you know what. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner has been published for 231 slutty, slutty years and I only got around to it now. So that’s a shame. Also I read Huck Finn for the first time this year and that’s been culturally massive for centuries as well. Although the ending for that book was shit I really liked the rest. Tom Sawyer can actually die in a hole though I hate him SO much. 

12) Any books that disappointed you?

SO MANY YES. I had a really long dnf streak in late spring of this year, but one of the books I couldn’t finish was one of the most hyped up books I’ve read this year, that being All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Also I actually finished this one but I just hated Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard. Which like I’ve heard good things about this play and I had just finished Hamlet like a month or so before and just like. Idk it was bad I didn’t like it and thought it was super confusing. Maybe watching a stage production would make me like it more but like. It was not lit fam idk :/

13) What were your least favorite books of the year?

Those two for sure would be in there. Also just like the rest of my dnfs I guess. R & G was the only book I finished that I rated less than three stars on goodreads. OH WAIT COMICS. I read so many shitty comics oh my god. This could have gone in disappointments too but Green Lantern: Mosaic FUCKING SUCKED. Like jesus christ it was so bad I only made it three issues. It was such a disappointment too because it was a spinoff book from a really good arc imo (written by the worst human to ever draw air and write comics. Not an exaggeration) with cool ideas and characterization and then the actual book is like fucking. Horrific. Like he has the main character fucking graphically domestic abuse his girlfriend in front of her kid and then she forgives him and then she comforts him and it's just a hot mess of a book. Fucking awful. This summary doesn’t even begin to cover it. 

14) What books do you want to finish before the year is over?

I told myself I would finally finish Muerte Bajo el Sol, the Spanish translation of Agatha Christie’s Evil Under the Sun by the end of the year but I very much lied there so yeah. I’ve been reading that book for so long I just need it over.

15) Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year (Booker, Women’s Prize, National Book Award, Pulitzer, Hugo, etc.)? What did you think of them?

Oh yeah a ton. I like my books thematically crunchy so I generally search out award winners. I’ll be easy and say the Broken Earth Trilogy here, which I did love, although I think the first book was the strongest outside of the three. I won’t spoil but I was in the parking lot waiting to pick up my friend when I reached a certain point and I legit almost honked my horn in the senior parking lot. At dismissal. Also had a few great moments reading it where I realized that the author had read [insert classic here] as well and was drawing some inspiration for certain elements which I liked. 

16) What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

All the Light We Cannot See for sure. It just wasn’t it personally. 

17) Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

Maphead by Ken Jennings lmao. I was given a metric ton of Ken Jennings books for Christmas 2022 (because I’m a MAJOR trivia/quiz bowl nerd and he hosts Jeopardy) but this was my favorite, and I really did like it. (especially the quiz in the back haha)

18) How many books did you buy?

No comment. The username is the username for a reason. No but uhhh for real idk. I used the libraries pretty heavily this year, so when it comes to like my own money then just two comic trades I think. Maybe some more poetry. I get given/ask for a lot of books as gifts so that’s where most of mine comes from. I got 9 books for Christmas like last week haha.

19) Did you use your library?

Yee! I used 4 different library systems this year, (high school, local public, college, and college local public) so I definitely made the most of it. Currently I have three library cards as I just applied for a new one in my college town using my dorm address lol. Oh and I got a few books from an informal swap library set up in a bookshelf right outside my summer job so that too i suppose. 

20) What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?

I’ll use Spirit World here because it actually came out in 2023 haha. I think it both met and surpassed my expectations, as the reasons I started the book were all better or just as good as expected, but also there were so many other elements that I thought were soooo good too so yeah.

21) Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama?

Nah idc about any of that. I listen to my friend complain about how shitty some of the popular tiktok books she reads are so that should count for something ig. 

22) What’s the longest book you read?

The Fifth Season was 468 pages so that one. Shortest was Rime of the Ancient Mariner with 77 pages (although I think it was shorter tbh)

23) What’s the fastest time it took you to read a book?

According to Libby I think like an hour and a half for the Absolutely True Diary which is kind of crazy. (not counting the Rime here obviously) but generally it only takes me a couple hours for most books. Poetry collections and nonfiction are different though.

24) Did you DNF anything? Why?

SO MUCH. Why? Because it sucked. No but like I was trapped with my most accessible library from Jan - May this year being the one at my high school, which just had SO much YA and books for like. Middle schoolers. This was at a time where my tastes were maturing a lot and I really wanted serious books. So even recommendations I would get from the librarians for books during this time would fall flat just because they were too juvenile for what I was into. 

25) What reading goals do you have for next year?

To beat my best friend in books read. Also like to try not to slump too bad and just like. Read a good amount. Finish my one spanish book so I can start my other spanish book. Have Wonder Woman beat Batman in my comic book stats. Yeah. 

As for tagging uh idk im like really congested right now so like. people do whatever i dont want to have to htink of anybody to tag *thumbs up emoji*

[90stvshowgoth]

—BREAKING & ENTERING

—ch.1 —ch.2

summary: after dabi was seen leaving your apartment complex last week, the commission has sent a lesser known hero to help guard the building until new cameras are installed. however, no security measures in the world could keep dabi out.

w/c: 5064

tags: dubcon, cuckolding, creampie, voyeurism, humiliation, exhibitionism, arson

a/n: this is the final chapter to this little duology, and the reason why its so much shorter is because the first one was really supposed to stand on its own, but i got so many requests for a sequel i couldn’t help it. so i just took the kinks i didn’t get to use last time and pay off some setup and voila. however, just ‘cause this is the last chapter of this story doesn’t mean i’m not gonna write a fuck ton of other stuff for him. ily burn man. plus i’m working on a huge, multi-chapter fic for him while i post smaller one-shots >:) that being said, enjoy.

The impact Dabi left on your life was far bigger than you thought it would’ve been on the night you snuck him away from the law. As he was running from the cops someone saw him climb through your window, and a different person also saw him climb down the fire escape. With witnesses like that, the other tenants were downright furious.

You almost felt bad for the landlord, it wasn’t his fault you were insane enough to willingly let a villain come inside both you and your apartment.

Your landlord and the police department came up with a solution. The apartment complex would be installing new state-of-the-art locks on all fire-escape adjacent windows free of charge. This wasn’t exactly an issue with seeing Dabi again, since all you had to do was purposefully leave yours unlocked.

It would take two weeks to install all the cameras, but until then, a community-assigned hero would be stationed to guard the complex.

His name was Kao, a middle-ranked hero with bright orange hair and a winning smile framed with dimples. At first you thought he might’ve been one of the better heroes, waving you off to work and walking you there the other day, but recently he’d begun to creep you out. The friendly conversations about a tv show you both enjoyed began to turn into invasive questions about your love life.

A week of lingering glances and uncomfortable prying culminated that Friday as he had flat out asked you to dinner moments prior.

“C’mon, I just— I said that wrong, lemme try again,” He stuttered, keeping pace with you as you marched towards the building.

“No, Kao, look, you’re cool and all, but I’m really not looking to date anyone right now.” You huffed, striding into the doorway and towards the elevator. That might not’ve been the whole truth but you obviously couldn’t tell him that you had the hots for a terrorist.

He groaned, rubbing the back of his neck, “Well you just got off work, right? I remember which room you stay in, maybe I can swing by tonight?”

You whirled on him, your jaw slack in shock at the insensitivity of his words. The reminder that he knew where you lived sending a shiver down your spine, “Kao, this conversation is done. I don’t want you following me around anymore, hero,”

Deep down, your words sounded familiar. If they were raspier and said behind a thin veil of indifference, you might’ve realized that you were talking like Dabi.

“What is that supposed to mean? We’re the good guys!” You slammed your fist down on the close-door button, your mouth a thin line, daring Kao to make a move and stop the doors. He didn’t, and soon the reassuring pull of the elevator set your shaking body at ease.

‘Who does he think he is?’ You were bitter, rightfully so, you think.

You were so frustrated that you had difficulty inserting your keys into the lock, twisting it with a growl and throwing open the door, ready to collapse onto your pillow and vent to whoever was online about your heroic stalker.

When you noticed the scent of cigarettes in the air.

“Hey, doll,” Warmth surged through your chest at the sight of him, the villain’s feet kicked up onto the coffee table.

You were hanging your coat on the hook before moving beside him to the couch, “What took you so long?”

“Not happy to see me? You seem a lot bitchier than I remember,” The crude edge of his humor was a breath of fresh air compared to the stifling niceties of work, and you smiled for what felt like the first time that day.

Shaking your head, you toed out of your boots and made your way to the frayed couch, “I’ll tell you all about him,”

That got his attention, “Him?”

“A hero,” Dabi’s frown worsened, an accusatory look in his eyes, “before you ask, no, you idiot, I hate this guy, there’s not a chance I’d sleep with him.”

The tensity in his shoulders relaxed, bring the half-finished Newport to his lips as you continued, “Since you broke in last week all my neighbors lost their shit. They threatened to sue if my landlord didn’t assign a hero to watch the building for a bit. I thought he was cool, but I’ve just decided that he’s a total prick.”

He hummed, nodding understandingly, “Want me to kill him?”

You gaped, hitting him on the chest, “Wha—No, Dabi, what the hell?”

He just shrugged, the intensity of his words almost funny to you, and as you recounted the last twenty minutes the ashes of Dabi’s cigarette fell to the floor. The dying lights of the sun streamed through your window, the smoke oddly beautiful in the glow as he handed you the last hit of his cheap cigar.

“You know why heroes are like that?” You shook your head, enjoying the numbing calm of tobacco, “It’s cause they’re spoiled. They go their entire lives being praised for everything they do so they don’t know how to take no for a fuckin’ answer,”

Apparently your smoking buddy was feeling talkative, much to your delight. His words made you pause, remembering the relieved faces of your neighbors whenever they’d see the gaudy costume Kao wore as he strode by.

“Shit... guess you’re right,” You mumbled into his side, not minding the ever-present aroma of burnt skin and smoke that clung to Dabi’s coat.

He scoffed, “I’m always right, baby,” His words earning him a pinch on the arm.

“No, you ass, just about the hero stuff,” He grinned, the staples on his dimples taut against his skin as he pulled you closer, his breath hot against your ear.

“Careful, doll, you’re starting to sound like a villain,” The drop in your stomach sent heat down your skin, yet somehow you were still shivering under his predatory gaze.

You shook your head, trying to will away the red that dusted your cheeks, “No way, my quirk isn’t strong enough to be a villain,”

He raised his eyebrow expectantly, broadly gesturing for you to go on.

“Well...” God, why is this embarrassing? “I can give people headaches.”

You didn’t know if he would laugh at you or belittle you for your meaningless quirk, but he did neither.

“Think you could practice it more? Get better at it?” He was serious, staring at you and expecting an answer.

You looked away, unable to hold his gaze, “I mean, maybe? It’s not hard to do, I guess,”

Dabi smirked, pulling you onto his lap. It felt as if the week hadn’t happened at all and you were right back where you started, your face flushing at the memories of that night. He dragged you close, eyes dark as he whispered something into your ear...

“Think you could split someone’s head open with a migraine?”

Your gut wrenched, flinching at the gory idea and making you sit up in Dabi’s lap. The atmosphere in the room hadn’t changed, his stare as menacing as before.

That is, until he started to crack up. Louder than you’d ever heard before, his fit filled the apartment until he had to cup his stomach from laughing too hard; the wheeze in his rough throat echoing around the room as your blush spread all the way down your neck.

“Oh, you asshole!” If anything, your shove against his chest only made him more giddy. The panic-fueled adrenaline was still surging through your body, unwillingly making the wetness between your thighs spread, even as you tried to wrap your head around the fact that Dabi had been fucking with you.

Your legs shook as he held on to you for balance, his cackling dying down but the shit-eating grin never leaving his face, “You were so freaked out, huh?”

“Yeah, no shit!”

He hummed, running a hand through your hair and suddenly yanking you forward, basking in the sharp yelp it brought from you, “You’re cute when you’re scared,”

You’d missed the way his scabbed lips felt on yours more than you’d ever admit. There was something about him that left you breathless, eager and questioning your life choices. Groaning into his mouth before pulling back and laving your slick tongue along his disfigured lower lip, you rolled your aching heat against him to force a truly pornographic moan from his mouth.

“Oh, fuck—” One of his hands slid down your back, grabbing your ass through your jeans, “Fucking hell, you missed me that much?”

You nodded dumbly into his shoulder, pressing chaste kisses along the ragged skin as he slid his finger past the band of your jeans, cupping your dripping sex with wide eyes.

“Goddamn, s’no way you’re this wet for me already,” His eyes were scrutinizing, trying to figure out why you were hiding into his neck, “What’s got you so worked up, doll?”

You couldn’t come up with a good excuse in time, Dabi thinking back to how your thighs had tightened up when he asked if you could kill someone, your eyes were frightened back then, yes, but there was something else. Something you wouldn’t tell him.

When the realization hit him, it hit hard.

“Holy shit, you get off on being scared?” He couldn’t believe his luck, the embarrassed groan you buried into his shoulder confirming his suspicions.

Dabi ran a hand through his hair, a childish wonder over his features, “Aren’t I fuckin’ lucky?” He sneered, pulling you back til you were at eye-level again.

“I’m gonna try something, baby,” there was an edge to his voice as he settled one hand on the small of your back, pressing your tits against his chest as he held your bra strap back with the other.

“What are you… Dabi, what are you doing?” The scent of fire and burning fabric filled the air, the ends of your bralette smoking between his fingertips, embers turning to ash and sprinkling down the couch until it was flimsy enough for Dabi to rip free, teeth sinking into your neck as he held you still to keep your skin safe.

It was jarring and a bit terrifying to be restrained against someone like Dabi without knowing his intentions. But nothing in you could deny the blinding rush of pleasure it ripped down your spine.

“It’s all starting to make sense, doll-face, I guess I was right the first time,” His hands tossed the smoking bra into hallway, reaching between you and torturously pinching and pulling on the rosy blush of your tits, “you do have a thing for villains,”

“Can’t wait to fuck that tight pussy again, doll,” Without warning he shoved your torso forward, your body bouncing against the couch, his hands flying to the button of your jeans.

“—Didn’t have time to take you right last time, didn’t get to taste you,” his words made you whimper in his grasp, keeping your legs somewhat raised as tugged down the tight denim.

You fully expected him to take you rough like before, make you choke on his cock before having his fill, but as he tugged off your black panties he crawled down the trembling body beneath him, slowly moving over your ribs, your stomach, and finally your drooling cunt.

He never broke eye contact with you as he pulled your thighs closer, keeping them spread wide as the hot fan of his breath on your pussy sent a thrill through your neglected nerves.

“I want you to scream my name,” It was an order, not a request. The unhinged tremor in his hands was unsettling, an unspoken threat hanging in the air.

Dabi’s tongue immediately found your clit, mouth wrapping around the glistening bead and sucking all at once, the moan it drew from your lips unholy. He moaned at the taste, hiking up your hips onto his shoulders.

“Christ, you’re sweet, doll, like fuckin’ candy...” He muttered in disbelief, more to himself that to you, licking a wide stripe along your drenched lips, diving into you deep enough to have your limbs spasming around him.

On instinct your hand flew to your mouth to muffle the sharp cry that the villain drew. He didn’t warn you before bringing his hand up high and slapping it into the bare skin of your thigh, a scream echoing through the living room. Distantly, you wondered if your neighbors could hear...

“Don’t you dare hide a single sound from me, slut, or this ends now,” his ultimatum was scary but the insult felt heavy in a way you’d never felt before, and you nodded without a second thought, breathlessly bunching one hand into the arm of the couch above you and the other into the ashy black of his hair.

You nodded down to him, silently saying to continue; the villain fixed on watching as your chest swelled in time with your breathing, a rush of blood going to the heat of his cock.

His pace was hungry, nipping at your thighs whenever he thought you were too comfortable, spinning circles into your clit with his tongue and chuckling at the noises it brought, “You gonna cum, princess?” You could only respond with a scream of his name, the plea music to his ears, but he needed you to be louder if he was to get what he wanted.

“Louder,” Dabi called your name like a prayer, moaning into your cunt as you practically suffocated him between your thighs, “Fuck—Louder, baby, scream it,”

“Dabi!!” Your orgasm was hot against his tongue and he drank in every last drop of your climax until you were wrenching away his greedy mouth, your pussy swollen and red from his care.

Just as you started to compose yourself, a frantic banging sounded on the door. Someone from the hallway was slamming down their fist, screaming your name.

“Hey! Did you just say Dabi?! Are you okay in there?” It was Kao.

Horror clawed away any kind of afterglow as you cupped your hand to your mouth, leaning up on your elbow and whispering, “What do I say?”

Dabi’s voice was just low enough to hide behind the pounding of Kao’s fists, “Do you trust me?”

Before you could answer the hero behind the wall called your name again.

“If you don’t answer me in five seconds I’m breaking this door down!”

Your gaze flickered from the front door to the villain that was wiping your slick from his chin.

“Yes,”

Dabi grinned, grabbing your wrists and holding you against his shirt, one hand wrapped painfully around your tits and the other erupting with blue fire in his palm.

“Come and get her, hero!” You made a confused squeal, thrashing around in his grasp, eyes wide and afraid as Dabi shushed into your ear, trying to calm you down.

‘Like hell if you’d calm down, he’d practically just signed your death sentence!’ you heaved against the fugitive, trying to shake yourself free to no avail.

All you could do was squeeze your eyes shut and imagine you were somewhere else as door was jolted in its hinges, the doorknob falling with a distant clang, and before you could beg Dabi to stop whatever stupid game he was playing, Kao ran into the room, eyes furrowed and fists raised as the door squeaked on the loose hinges behind him, blissfully unaware.

“Where are y—“ Kao’s voice paused mid-sentence, you flinched in Dabi’s hold, the heat of the redhead’s stare washing over you, naked and wet, making you tilt your head down, trying to hide yourself from the world.

“Isn’t she cute, hero?” Dabi rasped against you, the heat of his fire illuminated against the sweaty sheen of your trembling body. Kao didn’t know what to do, flustered and struggling to hide the tent in his latex costume.

You knew fighting back against the villain was pointless, falling limp in the strength of his arms as he chuckled into your neck, looking over at the bump in his pants, “You were right, babe, I think he likes you,”

“Get your filthy hands off of her!” Kao screamed, diving towards the couch with his fist raised back.

Dabi simply grinned, carefully hovering his flame ever closer to your now bare tits, you couldn’t help but scream at the proximity, and whatever plan Kao had in his mind died before his fist could make impact.

His novocaine laced voice spoke calmly beside your ear, “Any closer and she’s dead,” The hot rush down your legs wasn’t due to his flames, as one hand took to rubbing your sensitive sex, the sounds it elicited from you unintentional and mortifying under the presence of Kao in the room.

“What... what do you want, you bastard?” Dabi laughed at that one, tweaking your clit between his fingers and conducting the most beautiful notes from your pillowy lips.

“I think It’s pretty obvious what I want, don’t you think?” Your name on his lips sent you keening against him despite the inferno roaring inches away from your skin. He couldn’t move without Dabi’s flames hovering ever closer to your heaving chest, and to Kao, you were very clearly about to die. Although you didn’t believe Dabi would hurt you, he had asked you to trust him before he got Kao’s attention, after all, the line between foreplay and conflagration was becoming blurry.

Kao backed up into the half wall that separated the living room from the kitchen, barely making an effort to try and hide his erection anymore, “I’ll send you to fucking Tartarus for this, Dabi.”

“Oooo, scary,” His unlit hand trailed down your jawline, tilting you to his side until he could slide his tongue into your open lips, humming into your mouth, “What do you think, doll?

“Dabi, please... wait,“ The strength in your voice wasn’t as heated as before, and even you had to admit it sounded half-assed.

Kao’s quirk must be no good for long range because all he could do was stand there, trying to avert his eyes from your drooling cunt in favor of glaring daggers at the coy villain pulling soft mewls from your lips, “I swear... I’ll see you rot in prison for this. You’ll be fucking executed, you rapist—“

“—woah, woah, that stings, hero. Doll, is that really what I’m doin’?” You groaned, not exactly answering because you couldn’t hear the question, your eyes still shut tight in embarrassment.

The growl in his voice sent another soaking rush towards your pussy, as his hand grabbed you jaw, pulling you up, “Look at me,” Your eyes widened at the sight of Dabi so close to you, his chest warm against your back, the aches of your last orgasm fading into something new.

“Tell me to stop, princess, your call,” Time stood still as Dabi kissed a soft pathway along your neck, weirdly gentle as he listened for your response, his clothed hard-on pressed firmly against your ass.

Too flustered to speak, you merely wrenched your arm free from his grasp, carding you hand through his hair and pulling him to your desperate lips. You could feel him tug into a smirk against you as your hips eagerly ground themselves on him despite the audience.

Kao choked on his own spit, stepping backwards, but stopped when Dabi aimed his ignited hand towards the hero who was having difficulty piecing together your actions in his head. “What,” His voice cracked when he called out your name, “are you...?”

Dabi pulled away, a feral glint in the blue hidden beneath his hair as he licked a disgustingly wet stripe along your cheek, chest rumbling behind you as you squirmed at the gross feeling, “I’m still gonna need you to beg, sweetheart.”

Your dignity was hanging by a thread, hinging on whether or not you followed his lead, but the insane buzz your anxiety had stirred up under Kao’s confused stare and Dabi’s aching cock was impossible to ignore. He rut himself into the dripping curve of your ass, his jeans soaked with your slick as you found the courage to speak.

“Fuh...” Carefully, Dabi pressed a loving kiss to your temple, his stare fixated on Kao’s as you strung the syllables together, “Fuck me, Dabi,”

The hero couldn’t believe his ears. She’d turned him down countless times despite his pursuits, yet she was somehow fine with this? Kao briefly thought that perhaps his crush was a villain this whole time, but that couldn’t make sense with her weak quirk.

You felt Dabi twitch beneath you, the shameless way you showed yourself off was as humiliating as it was hot, and he laughed in lightheaded disbelief against the back of your neck, taking your ass in one hand and slipping the other down his pants, tugging off the painful metal zipper until his boxers were pulled down just enough for his cock to finally be met with the soft warmth of your cunt.

“As the lady commands,” Dabi grinned, reaching around your waist to take his pierced dick in his hand, rubbing and tapping his swollen head deliberately against your clit, pre-cum drenching your pussy as you felt boneless in his arms.

“Ah-! St..S-top tea-sing, Dabi!” You babbled, squirming to try and find an escape from his grasp or maybe trying to force him inside you, but all your struggling did was make him harder. But before you could beg, you froze at the sight of Kao a few feet away, his legs bending into a sprinter’s pose. He was going to run?

Dabi was having none of it, a controlled jet of flame grazing Kao’s knee, scalding the skin beneath the latex. The hero cried out into the bite of his fist, collapsing into the wall a few feet away.

“Nah, hero. You’re not leaving just yet,” The villain rearranged you on his lap, “See, the thought of you jerking off to my girl? It kinda pisses me off, actually,”

The color in Kao’s face drained as he had no choice but to sit and watch as Dabi slowly sunk you down on top of him, one hand drawing soft circles into your stomach as you reveled in the feeling of his piercings hot against every part of you.

“Though, I’m wondering, what did you think about, huh?” Kao sputtered, unable to form words just like you, formless noises falling from your lips.

His scarred hands grasped at the flesh of your thighs, raising you up only to shove you back onto his cock, the flames that still extended to threaten Kao suddenly flared up in time with his thrusts, the weight of him felt so much deeper at this angle and it was hard to breathe, let alone speak.

“I... nothing! I didn’t—“ Another whip of fire cut through the room from Dabi’s fingertips, a cast of blue leaving bubbling skin in its wake, pain flashing across Kao’s face.

“Fuckin’ liar,” You yelped as Dabi shoved you down, moaning into your ear as you squeezed against him, sobbing his name into his chest as he picked up a steady pace in your guts.

Kao cried out, stuttering and gripping along the inflamed line of skin, “I-I thought— thought about her... fuck— I just wanted her to suck me off, alright? There, I said it! Are you happy now?”

He must’ve realized the mistake in his words as soon as he said them, squeezing your eyes shut but having no choice but to smell the stench of burning flesh and hear the sound of muffled screaming as it filled your apartment, “Can’t blame you though, her mouth is God,”

Your hands scrambled for balance against Dabi as the screaming of his victim made him downright feral, filling your tight heat so well it had you crying.

“Damn, you’re soaked for me, doll, I just knew you were a kinky fuck deep down. You’re a slutty little girl for me, aren’t ya?”

As much as it hurt to admit it, he was right. He was painfully right, and you told him so. The unhinged, unstoppable force that was Dabi ignited a passion in you that’d never been fed before. He was torturing the hero you hated all while taking your cunt in deep, harsh thrusts, the metal imbedded into his cock and his chest behind you were blisteringly hot against your skin.

“Tell him, baby,” His question fell on deaf ears, your tongue lolling from your mouth a bit at the pleasure.

It caught you off guard when he drew his hand back and slapped you across the cheek, a blistering red handprint in its wake, saying your name so softly, turning off his quirk to run his hands through your hair, he whispered, “Tell that fucking hero who you belong to,”

The world tipped over as Dabi gripped your shoulders, pushing you onto the wooden coffee table so your ass stuck in the air. In an instant he was on you again, pounding into your cunt with a glazed fervor, your words downright biblical in his ears.

“On-ly... Dabi ca—Ngh, Only Dabi can fuck me this good,” You forced the words from your throat, thankful for the table serving as an impartial shoulder to cry on as Dabi lined himself up with your cunt.

“More, princess,” The snap of his hips had you drooling onto the table, catching sight of Kao’s slumped body in the corner as Dabi’s breath sounded much louder than before.

“Fuck, baby—” You cried, craning your neck back to look at him. Sweat glistened at the crown of his dark hair, steam shading his breath as he took you hard, “Your cock is— shit its so deep in me,”

Your nerves were spent from exhaustion as he railed you, being more vocal than before as he choked at the feeling of your walls tightening around him, his fingernails digging future bruises into your hip dips, “Wanna feel you cum in me, want you to fill me up— Dabi, wanna make you feel good,”

“Fuck, doll, I can’t...” He ground his teeth together, making you squeal as he mounted you from behind, spreading your legs out wide so you had no way to hide yourself, “Gonna fuck’n cum-gonna cum in you- fuck, fuck, fuck—!“

You both hit your highs at the same time, Dabi accidentally digging your face into the wood as he held you as tightly to him as possible, his cum running hot due to his quirk as he pumped you full, that broken cry of yours like music to his ears, humping you a few times to ride out his climax.

You felt warm and safe, Dabi’s weight a comfortable blanket even with your shivering skin pressed naked into the coffee table. However, the quietly groaning hero in the corner made you quickly come back down to earth.

“Dabi... did you kill him?” Your voice was small beneath him, but he just shrugged.

“Nah, not yet, don’t worry,” He kissed your neck one more time, his thumb rubbing circles into your indented stomach, pulling you off the table and back into his arms.

He pulled out of you and grinned at the sight of his release spilling down your thighs, “Damn...” he whispered, taking in the sight with a satisfied whistle, “C’mon Doll, forget about him.”

You were grateful he carried you bridal style to your bedroom, your legs gelatin at this point, and as he laid you down to rest he grabbed one of your discarded shirts that hadn’t made it to the hamper and wiped down the remains of sex from your twitching cunt before leaving the cum-stained top ignored on the ground.

“You doing good, baby? Didn’t go too hard, did I?” His concern was diminished somewhat by the grin on his face, satisfied with the mumbling, love-drunk form he’d reduced you to.

Shaking your head, you burrowed into the warm blankets, peeking your eyes out from beyond the covers in a way that even Dabi couldn’t deny was pretty cute, “No, just... what are you gonna do with Kao?”

His face was unreadable as he leaned closer, “Do you really want to know?”

Truth be told, no, you didn’t, you were just a civilian, far removed from the complex fight between heroes and villains. You were only in this situation because you’d grown to care about Dabi. In some small, sarcastic way, he’d wormed his way into your life, and he hadn’t hurt you so far, only going as close as possible to bring you over the edge again and again.

“No...”

“Good answer,” he stood up, tucking himself back into his jeans as he went back into the living room. You heard a muffled thud and what sounded like Dabi cursing before he reappeared in your bedroom, Kao’s unconscious body slung over his shoulder. For such a wiry guy, Dabi was pretty strong. Moving to the open window he basically threw Kao’s body onto the outside metal grating, his lungs uneven after carrying him.

Just as he swung his leg onto the windowsill you shot up in your bed, hand outstretched, “Wait!”

He turned back to look at you, genuinely confused as to what you could want.

“Kiss me before you go?”

He froze, then grinned, scoffing at the innocent gesture you gave so openly to a murderer like him. There had to be something wrong with his little villain-in-training to make her okay with it, just like him. Dabi ignored that thought for another day, striding forward and finally giving you the goodbye kiss you’d been denied last time, his tongue trying to map out every detail in case he could ever forget before pulling away with a warm softness to his ocean eyes.

“I think I might be starting to like you, Doll,” A feint rush of color fell on his unmarred skin and you’re sure your heart stopped beating for a good three seconds.

His words were a worn record being played over and over in your head long after he crawled down your fire escape, the teasing, sated haze in his voice hidden beneath a rasp of smoke. You weren’t sure how much he meant what he said, but you’re sure that the first thing you said in return was exactly what he wanted to hear; at least judging from the boyish smile that lit up his face when you said it.

“Come back soon, okay?”

“Okay,”

@effmigentlywithachainsaw @touyasfatcock @thicchaikyuuboys @awritersometimes @chey-the-simp

[all-drarry-to-me]

Queer book recommendations 📚

Okay, so I received this super nice ask, kindly requesting another list of book recommendations, but when I finally got around to answering it, Tumblr (being the hellsite that it is) ate the ask. Emi, I hope you know how thrilled I was to see that in my inbox — not only have you read some of my favorite books based on my recommendation, but you liked them enough to ask for more! I’m happy to put together another list, and please feel free to message me at any time to talk about books!

Without further ado (and in no particular order), here’s part two of some of my favorite queer books:

1. All for the Game trilogy by Nora Sakavic: I could talk about this series for ages. Listen, I know it’s problematic: they’re not the most well-written books, the plot is insane and there’s a whole host of trigger warnings that go with the series. It focuses on college athletes, who come together through Exy, a made-up sport that the mafia is involved in. Somehow, despite all of that, I managed to fall in love with the series quite quickly. It’s like nothing I’ve ever read before, and the characters — even with their numerous flaws — really drew me in. The found family trope is so well executed (I couldn’t help but root for the Foxes throughout the series), then I absolutely love the way they handle consent. Of the core characters, there’s two who are gay and one who’s definitely on the ace spectrum, though it’s not outright stated in the book. And while I said they’re not the most well-written series, which I do stand by, there’s also a handful of BEAUTIFUL lines from the books.

2. “Running with Lions” by Julien Winters: This is the only other sports-themed book on the list, I promise! Some of my love for this book likely stems from my own years running around the soccer field —��this takes place at a summer training camp, but that’s definitely not the only reason it’s on this list. I’m a big fan of enemies to lovers, and while this is more ex-friends to lovers, there’s definitely some animosity to be worked through when Emir unexpectedly shows up at the soccer camp. I love the way he and Sebastian bond, and the way their friendship evolves before becoming a more romantic relationship. There’s some standard coming-of-age vibes within the book, but the plot and the characters are interesting enough to help set it apart from others in the genre.

3. “Orlando: A Biography” by Virginia Woolf: This one is a little different than the others on the list, but I wouldn’t recommend it any less. I feel a little in love with Virginia Woolf over the past year and, of her books that I’ve read, this one really stands out. It’s from the 1920s and features a main character who lives for 300+ years — and who’s trans (Orlando is born male, then wakes up one day as female). With the way time works and the plot itself, it’s a bit strange, but I found it captivating, and the whole thing is a love letter to Vita Sackville-West, another writer with whom Woolf was in a relationship with. (Don’t get me started on their relationship — there’s a book of love letters between the two of them that’s achingly beautiful, but the book is hard to find.)

4. “Upside Down” by N. R. Walker: This is trope-y and wonderful and I would highly recommend. It has issues with pacing, but it made me genuinely happy as I was reading it. I finished it in a day, maybe two, because I couldn’t put it down — and I have two of the author’s other books in my Barnes & Noble cart as I’m typing this. In “Upside Down,” both of the main characters are ace; one is sure of his identity and the other is just starting to figure it out, and they work to navigate that together. It’s sweet and a quick read if you’re looking for something fairly fluffy.

5. Iron Breakers trilogy by Zaya Feli: If you take the plot from Captive Prince and mix it with the writing of All for the Game, that’s a close approximation of Iron Breakers. The main character is hard to like at times (he has a lot of growing up to do) and the plot isn’t groundbreaking — there’s a lot of similarities to Captive Prince — but there’s also a lot of positives the series has going for it. The world building is really interesting, the love interest is wonderful and the series has some compelling twists. The first book is free through Nook and I bought the second two immediately after finishing it, then could not put those down until I was done!

6. “Olivia” by Dorothy Strachey: There’s not enough wlw romance on here, which is one of the reasons I wanted to add “Olivia.” It’s another one that’s slightly different than the others on the list; it was originally published in the 1940s and is loosely based on the author’s own life, telling the story of a girl who goes to finishing school and falls in love with her teacher. It’s the story of first love, and forbidden love at that.

7. “Cemetery Boys” by Aiden Thomas: This book absolutely worth a read — Yadriel is trans, and is trying to prove to his family that he’s a “real” man by summoning a ghost to help solve his cousin’s murder. Instead, he summons Julien, then proceeds to fall for the ghost while trying to help Julien figure out how he died. Thomas creates such an interesting world within the book and the three main characters (Yadriel, Julien and Yadriel’s cousin/best friend Maritza) are so much fun together.

8. “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli: Look, I think most people have heard of, if not read, this book but I’d be remiss if I didn’t include it on my list. It was actually recommended to me last time I made a queer rec list and it didn’t disappoint. In some ways, it’s a relatively standard coming out novel, but it has some really interesting differences. The way in which Simon is forced to come out makes the plot unique, and I love how supportive Simon’s family is — there are so many books where the character comes out and is subsequently kicked out, and it was nice to see a different take (I may have cried a little at that point, but that’s neither here nor there). If you haven’t read it, I’d definitely recommend.

9. Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo: This is like, “Ocean’s Eleven,” but with teenagers. I liked the first book slightly better than the second, but they’re both great — they focus on a group of six planning an elaborate heist, with Kaz as the leader of their little gang. Each character is really well-developed, and both the plot and the world-building are first class. There’s a mlm romance on the side, so this one’s a bit more subtly queer than some of the other recs, but they’re still great books.

10. “The House in the Cerulean Sea” by T.J. Klune: This book is wonderful in so many ways. It’s focused on Linus Baker, who’s sent on a classified mission to a magical orphanage, where six “dangerous” children live with their caretaker, Arthur Parnassus. The characters — all of them, big and small — are compelling and interesting; they’re well-thought out and unique, which I think is a huge strength of Klune’s, visible in this book and the others I’ve read by him. Linus and Arthur are a bit older (in their 40s) and I love the way that contributes to their relationship and their character development, then the plot is somewhat simple, but the characters and the world are compelling enough that you don’t need any major twists or turns.

Next on my to-read list is “The Mercies” by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, which I’m absolutely psyched about, and I’m counting down the days until “One Last Stop” by Casey McQuiston is released.

(You asked if I've read anything by Seanan McGuire — I haven't; any recs for what to start with?)

Please let me know if you ever want more recs and I’ll be happy to throw some titles out there, and I'd love to know what you think if you end up reading any of these!

[youremyonlyhope]

Thoughts on the Six of Crows Duology

Maybe it’s because this took place over a much shorter timespan than Shadow and Bone, but I feel like I could pinpoint all the plot points and the timelines of Shadow and Bone better than I can for Six of Crows. When I made my post about SaB, it was easier to remember the order that everything happened. I think that because SoC has multiple chapters covering the same period time from different characters’ perspectives along with lots of flashbacks thrown in, that it’s causing the order of events to be a jumble in my mind.

But anyway, Six of Crows was a dramatic and fun (well... not fun..) heist novel, while Crooked Kingdom made it its personal mission to destroy me emotionally. I loved every second of it but I don’t know when I’ll properly recover.

Obvious spoilers for Six of Crows trilogy, but also the Grishaverse in general. (Most of this was written at the end of June but not posted until now)

So I guess I’ll start with Six of Crows. Maybe I’ll do a paragraph for each part... I’ll probably give up on that pretty quickly but we’ll see.

I love that the series has Inej’s POV be the first of the Crows that we get and then she also gets to be the last POV of the Crows too. If I hadn’t seen season 1 of Shadow and Bone first, I’m not sure how I’d have reacted to Kaz’s ruthlessness or the world of Ketterdam in general. I also knew that the Kanej relationship would be insane amounts of pining and the pain of requited-but-thought-to-be-unrequited love, so I was sort of shocked that in one of the first chapters Kaz changes clothes with Inej in the room and she ponders “Am I the only one he lets get this close?” And he says in that same chapter “my darling Inej, treasure of my heart...” I was like, I know he’s probably teasing but oh my god... we’re just going right into it. Leigh’s teasing us already. I knew then it would be torture. Moving on. Matthais killing a wolf hurt my soul and I wasn’t even aware that the wolves were THAT sacred to Fjerdans. And I guess maybe I shouldn’t have watched the show first since Matthais trying to choke Nina did not shock me.

I give up on this one paragraph per part thing already.

Something I did not expect was Jesper sort of having a crush on Kaz too. Did I just not notice that in the show or did they decide to leave that out? I guess I shouldn’t be shocked but still, reading about Jesper’s little tiny thoughts of jealousy was interesting. Inez’s thoughts of how much she hated that her heart’s arrow seemed to aim for Kaz when nothing can ever come of it hurt me. AHHH and idiot Kaz saying “I always come back for my investments” to Inej when he’s carrying her just.. this idiot. Did he ever even say “I’m sorry” at some point in the books? I can’t remember, it’s a blur of emotions. Kaz, sweetheart, you’re CARRYING Inej, you can barely stand having someone touch your sleeve and you’re CARRYING her. How could Inej even question that he cared about her more than just being another investment if he carried her to safety? How could you question it if he feels comfortable enough to undress around you? The boy’s dumb, listen to his actions not the stupid words he says.

It’s funny, while double checking how many more Grisha books remained as I walked to my bookstore a few days ago to pick up Nikolai’s books, I saw on Leigh’s website that she has another book called The Ninth House. And it said “While the books of the Grishaverse can be safely explored by readers of any age, Ninth House is darker, more graphic, and intended for adults.”

...

Ok Leigh. Tell me in what world would the scene where Kaz stabs and pulls out the eye of Oomen then throws him overboard be considered a scene that can be “safely explored by readers of any age”?? That was a lot. I wasn’t expecting that level of personal violence this early. I was just as horrified as Wylan and Matthais were when they witnessed it.

Anyway. Nina wishing for one more day of Healer training back in the Little Palace hurt. Looking back through the book just now I laughed at Nina saying to Jesper, of all people, “Do you know how to find a Grisha who doesn’t want to be found?” I have so many thoughts about Jesper that I will have to save for later. And Matthais’ “I might have loved you too.” felt like a stab to my heart. Honestly I know I said earlier that Crooked Kingdom ruined me, but I guess SoC did too and I just forgot about it all until just now because Crooked Kingdom turned it up to another level.

The friendships they all have. I almost wish they never needed to leave that boat. Nina and Inej were adorable when Nina sang for her. Jasper and Inej bonding over questioning why they still follow (and love) Kaz while also knowing neither of them ever want to stop was amazing. Throw in Kaz thinking “Because I’ve been looking for an excuse to talk to you for two days” about Inej and it’s just a recipe for making Hope emotional.

People had told me the Nina and Matthais scenes of SaB season 1 were pulled straight from Six of Crow’s flashbacks, and they were not lying. A few differences here and there but it’s pretty accurate. I think the show’s pacing for those scenes was off though, sometimes it felt rushed and other times it felt too drawn out (especially since I had no clue how these two would fit into everything because I hadn’t read the books yet). Reading the scenes made me appreciate what they’d been through much more. And I do like how the show adapted the reason that Nina turned Matthais in as a slaver.

Slowly having Kaz and Jordie’s backstory unfold was traumatizing. I had wondered what made him so touch averse, and now I get it. What Kaz went through was terrible. I could barely read the words because it was so painful. Inej being so understanding while not knowing everything that happened, just knowing that Kaz needs her to not judge him for fainting or recoiling from touch, was beautiful.

The reveal that Jesper was a Grisha was sort of spoiled for me because 1) in the show one of the Heartrenders said “What are you? You’re a-” to him so that was a big hint. And 2) a YouTube comment I saw confirmed that that line referenced that he was Grisha. This is a trend, YouTube comments have spoiled me multiple times over the last 2 months. You’d think I’d learn, but nope, I just got spoiled for Rule of Wolves not even an hour ago because of a YouTube comment. I thought I was finally safe to watch SoC videos since I wouldn’t be spoiled. I forgot that people can discuss the other books too. Anyway, Jesper being a Fabrikator is a dream come true since that’d be my ideal Grisha power. Even though I knew it was coming, I still was sort of surprised by the way it was revealed, so I’m sure that it came as a shock to readers who avoid spoilers, unlike me.

The entire heist in the Ice Court caused me constant anxiety. How in the world could everything go so wrong in so many different ways and still work out? I felt like every single page there was some new blindside and yet the Crows (but mostly Kaz) managed to figure out a way out of it. I really didn’t think that it’d start to go wrong as early as it did with literally the first very first steps of the plan failing. Nina and Kaz searching the cells and getting caught, Inej finding out that the chimney was hot and ended up melting her shoes (I was so especially mad about the shoes being ruined). I was very surprised that Kaz was as reckless as he was to detour and find Rollins. It felt out of character, but proved how deep his hatred is if he nearly risked the entire reward just to make sure that he still has the chance to get revenge on Rollins later.

Nina and Inej pretending to be with the Menagerie was insane. Inej’s internal freak out when Heleen recognized her made me feel so scared for her, but I was 20 times more scared for Nina with Brum. Those few moments where I thought Matthais really had betrayed the Crows and sold them out to Brum made me so mad. I knew deep down it had to be a bluff to get Brum out of the way, but I was still scared it was real. God, I felt so much relief when Matthais let her out, they found Kuwei, and Kaz got them all out through the Sacred Ash.

The stealing and driving of the tank was borderline ridiculous, but I was just happy to be along for the ride. Nina using the parem though... and the pain she went through afterwards while in withdrawal. God that hurt me. I couldn’t even be remotely happy at Kaz admitting he wants Inej because I was so worried about Nina. I literally was like “Kaz shut up about your feelings, Nina’s body is literally falling apart in the other room.”

I should have seen it coming that the Van Eck deal was too good to be true, and yet I was still blindsided by the attack and the kidnapping of Inej. And then going straight into a chapter narrated by Pekka Rollins was like whiplash, but I just went with it. I didn’t really realize how strange it was to get Pekka’s POV, but I didn’t care because I saw all the remaining pages and wanted to see how they’d save Inej. Then that chapter ended and on the next page I read the words “I have a degenerative condition...” I was confused by the sudden use of first person, and realized I was at the Acknowledgements, which meant the book was done.

I looked from the last page, back to the acknowledgements, and back to the last page, then I literally said “WHAT” out loud as it hit me that the book had ended with the worst cliffhanger I think I’ve ever experienced. I legitimately tossed the book to the floor after I came to terms with the fact that book was done. I was so mad.

Onto Crooked Kingdom! Boy did I not know what I was in for. I thought I did. I knew Chapter 40 was coming but instead I got an entire book of emotional destruction.

First of all, I love maps. So I was very glad to get a detailed map of Ketterdam with streets! And actual places! I probably stared at it and studied it for 5 minutes straight before even reading the book. The more detailed a map is, the happier I am. This map made me very happy.

The biggest takeaway of the first section of Crooked Kingdom is that Inej still believes that Kaz only cares for her as an investment. Breaks my heart. But also, Kaz traumatizing a little girl in the first few chapters makes you wonder if he even deserves Inej (he does, but wow is he ruthless. He didn’t kill the kid at least I guess). 

Colm. I have thoughts about Colm. He’s such a loving father. I will say more later when it’s more relevant. I loved that the rest of the Crows came to Jesper’s defense to create a lie for his dad, and that Colm adopted all of the kids. I can’t even read the word Colm without wanting to sob so I’ll stop with him for now.

I don’t know how I feel about us, as the readers, being left out of pieces of the plan. I’m not sure if this is something I love or hate about the way that Leigh writes the Crows novels. It’s fun for plot twists and usually does make sense when it’s from the POV of a character that Kaz purposefully leaves out of part of a plan, but that doesn’t always end up being the case. The Alys kidnapping was a complete blindside to me. Matthais sharing the chocolates he bought for Nina with Alys was sweet though, that he wants Nina to eat again so much that he’s ok with it just being sweets. I feel so bad that Nina can’t even eat that.

The Goedmedbridge plan with all the fake Mister Crimsons was an actual stroke of genius, if only the Shu didn’t come out of nowhere. Once again, everything going wrong yet the Crows finding their way out of it somehow. While Six of Crows felt like everything was going to plan until it wasn’t and then they were able to get back on track in a different way, Crooked Kingdom felt like constant blockages and blindsides and conflicts that came out of nowhere. The story and the plan and the plot changed so many times that it felt like I was on a roller coaster getting whiplash.

I’m scanning Part 3 and honestly, this feels like it all happened 5 minutes ago not like it was in the first half of the book. But oh my god, the line after Kaz and Inej stakeout the Van Eck house. “I would come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we’d fight our way out together – knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that’s what we do. We never stop fighting.” Inej, my girl, how in the world do you think this boy doesn’t care about you? Oh my god... oh my god... I’d die if someone said something like that to me. Kaz, sweetheart, love, sometimes you say the stupidest things, but then other times you say the most violently romantic things I’ve ever heard.

And then Matthais saying Nina looked “Enchanting” in the Fjerdan clothing? This was just chapter after chapter of me squealing. And honestly, once again, meeting Zoya in the tavern feels like it happened in Part 5 not Part 3. I read this book so quickly that I really can’t remember the order of events until now that I’m scanning it.

I’m really glad that we got more of Wylan’s backstory and got to meet his mom. I wish he could have been better prepared for that, but there was no way. Hearing about Matthais’ wolf Trassel was the perfect thing to start breaking my heart. I said this last time with Hershaw and Oncat, I’m more sad when a pet is left behind by their dead/missing owner than when the pet themselves die. I nearly sobbed when Matthais thought about how Trassel must have been abandoned by the other Druseklle when he disappeared. 

Matthais, Jesper, and Kuwei half-theorizing an antidote for parem was amazing. Also I love that Matthais is the one who kind of guesses that Jesper’s restlessness is the effect from him not using his power regularly. Matthais, you really had a knack for understanding the Grisha.

Ok. Here we go. Jesper’s backstory. When I found out that Jesper was half Kaelish and half Zemeni, I was beyond overjoyed. I am half Black half Irish, with the same parentage as Jesper, so that representation made me happy. I didn’t expect to shed tears though when we finally got his backstory and to get to know his parents a little. The love that his mom and dad had for each other was absolutely beautiful. The fact that Aditi died while trying to save a little girl hurt me so much. Jesper wondered if he had been older and more trained would he have saved her, but honestly, he probably would have just put the poison in himself and died instead. Colm saying “She was a queen, Jes. She was our queen” tore out my heart. The way that Jesper and Colm had to look after each other after that. Jesper trying to cook and burning the food but Colm still eating every bit. Them just having to try to be ok after losing her, and Jesper knowing he wasn’t meant for this life on the farm. All of it continued to tear my heart straight out of my chest and stomp on it.

Guys I’m legitimately tearing up all over again. I had to fight to not be a mess reading it the first time and I still shed some tears over it. This is why I can’t even type Colm’s name without letting out a sob. He loves his son and his wife so much. He always wanted what was best and was constantly worried for them because they’re Grisha. They’re Zowa. I couldn’t handle Jesper’s backstory. And every single interaction Colm and Jesper had after I read what they went through, I’d let out a sob or even shed a tear. I loved their relationship and the love they have for each other so much.

Everything going wrong in a billion different ways at once honestly made me go “Come on not AGAIN.” Dunyasha coming out of nowhere, Pekka Rollins sabotaging Kaz, the other Lions ambushing the Black Veil. It was honestly a miracle that they all got out of it. I was especially, ESPECIALLY, proud of Matthais coaching Kuwei and Jesper on how to use their powers to get them out of the situation. This boy went from killing Grisha, to helping lead them. This character development is amazing. And he’s still internally fighting the part of him that says “Unnatural” and is making the choice to ignore the hate that was trained into him. I love him.

Nina’s zombies though. At first I was like “Oh haha she can control bones, that’s fun” when she blew up the tavern windows, but that turned morbid, literally morbid, very quickly. Animating corpses. I mean. It’s a great power to have honestly. Disgusting and horrifying, but very useful. 

“What do you think my forgiveness looks like, Jordie?” “Who the hell is Jordie?” When I say I gasped and my jaw dropped at that part... Literally, I couldn’t move past that line for at least 30 seconds. I just stared at the page and reread those two lines over and over again because I could not believe Kaz really slipped up like that. But also, oh my god, the implications of how much Kaz cares about Jesper if he’s mixing him up subconsciously with his brother, the brother who literally is the reason he has fought to become the feared gang leader he is and to bring down Rollins. He called Jesper Jordie. I still cannot believe it. And the way Kaz’s face looked frightened... I’m so excited to see this scene in the TV show.

Ok, home stretch.

Jesper and Colm finally clearing the air was yet another scene that made me shed tears over these two. The way that we found out that Colm didn’t want Jesper to go to be trained but gave him the choice anyway, and that Jesper didn’t go because he didn’t want to leave his father behind. God, my heart would have just broken if he’d left Colm behind. Oh no I’m going to start crying again. “His heart hurt. His head hurt. Guilt and love and resentment were all tangled up inside him, and every time he tried to unravel the knot in his gut, it got worse.” I felt that. I hate that after all of that, the conversation didn’t even get to get to end on good terms. Colm still doesn’t want him to use his power because of what happened to his mother, and Jasper says “I’m dying anyway, Da. I’m just doing it slow.” and it absolutely destroyed me. It’s like they put my heart back in my chest, only to rip it out again and shred it this time.

And then of course that led to Jesper kissing Kuwei instead of Wylan, which brings up some messy dubious consent stuff. I thought it was a little out of nowhere, but then I remembered the Kuwei did complain earlier “Why do you keep looking at him? I look just like him. You can look at me.” At that time, that complaint seemed strange, but it made sense when this kiss happened that Kuwei liked Jesper too.

But who even cares about Jesper and Wylan and Kuwei having some sort of love triangle, when the bathroom scene is coming up for Inej and Kaz. I don’t mean to push Jesper and Wylan’s relationship woes to the side, but oh my god. I swear, I was holding my breath while reading this bathroom scene. I felt like I was personally interrupting their moment every second that I was reading it, but also I needed to keep reading to see what would happen. Every touch was as nerve-wracking for me as it was for Kaz (ok maybe not, but still). And after all of that, after Kaz tells her the horrible things he did to the people who were in on Rollins’ plot that killed Jordie, she still sees the good in him. I cannot handle these two. Oh my god. These two are on a completely different level of pining. “If you ever cared about me at all, don’t follow.” Poor Inej, having to go from that intimate moment to watching Kaz be beaten and somehow win a fight with 20 people.

Sturmhond showing up made my life. The moment I read the words “fox-faced man” my whole body perked up. I was like “Hope. Don’t get too excited. Yes it’s probably him, but don’t get excited.” but when Kaz recognized him I actually squealed at the confirmation. Nikolai owns my heart. And so does Jesper now. So the little bit of dialogue those two shared made me actually kick my feet with joy. “Take me with you.” Honestly, these two together for a period of time longer than 1 minute would probably make the world explode. But oh, what I’d give for a Jesper and Nikolai buddy comedy...

When Leigh let us believe that everything was going wrong in the plan (Wylan telling Van Eck everything, the fake Council of Tides crashing the auction, Inez saying Kuwei has to die) only for us to find out that it was all really a part of the plan was just plain cruel. I was so upset. I guess it’s fitting, after all the things that really went wrong for them, they had to take a little bit more. But this is one of the few times that we the reader are completely left out of the plan, and it’s not just because we’re following the POV of someone who was left out of whatever specific part of the plan didn’t involve them. This time all the characters knew, but Leigh didn’t tell the reader. 

The way that Van Eck’s story and lies all just fell apart bit by bit was beautiful, though. Masterful. Kaz pretending to take Rollins’ son was almost cruel, but he was lying, so it’s ok. I was going to be horrified if he really did it though, but I was also thinking “When would he have had time to do all that anyway?”

Chapter 38. I had been spoiled before even starting the books that Matthais would die. And I had seen a YouTube comment that said “I can’t wait to see Nina and Matthais’ actors do Chapter 40.” I assumed his death happens in Chapter 40. So when I started Chapter 38, I assumed this would be the last time I’d read a chapter in Matthais’ POV. I was wrong of course.

But Matthais’ death gave me nearly the same feelings that Owen Harper’s first death in Torchwood did. It came out of nowhere, right when you think everything is solved and all that’s left to do is go home. Our beloved character talks calmly to the person with the gun, relates to them, tells them they’re more reasonable than to shoot, and then gets shot point blank anyway out of nowhere. “You don’t want to hurt me. I know. I was like you once.” is what Matthais said. “We’re both rational men, scientists. I know you don’t want to shoot her.” is what Owen said as he protected Martha. The main difference is that I wasn’t spoiled for Owen’s death, so it really blindsided me, but he also got revived shortly after. I was spoiled for Matthais’ death right down to the chapter it happens in, but his death was finite. 

And then I think we’re about to lose Kuwei, but Zoya’s able to save him. Matthais shows up, gives us a little hope that he might be ok (but I knew he wouldn’t), and dies in Nina’s arms. Nina attempting to resurrect him ALSO gave me Owen vibes, right down to the black eyes, but that resurrection didn’t stick. God. If I had known Matthais’ death would be so similar to Owen’s... no, I don’t know what I’d do. I can’t tell if I’d have been better off knowing how much it would remind me of Owen ahead of time. Maybe it’s better I didn’t know of the similarities since that made the death worse, despite me knowing it was coming.

Chapter 40 still being in Matthais’ POV, right when I had come to terms ahead of time that Chapter 38 would be the last time I read his narration, came as a real shock. He’s with the wolves in heaven. Ahhhhh. Help. The friends not even knowing how he died makes it even worse.

“We were all supposed to make it.” That’s when I started to let tears fall. I’d really been fighting it. I was like “Hope. You knew this was coming when you started this series. You are fine. You’re fine.” and then Wylan says that and I’m like “I’m not remotely fine.” And Colm telling them to say their goodbyes, and Colm being himself and making me cry with every other line he said anyway, just made more tears fall as they walked up and said goodbye.

I’m glad Nina got Matthais’ share of the money. It breaks my heart that she now has to go and bury him. I’m excited to see what she does in King of Scars or Rule of Wolves (or both, I know she’s in at least one of them) since she’ll hopefully keep up Matthais’ dream of helping the Fjerdans accept Grisha. I was beyond proud of Jesper to be like “I shouldn’t hold that much money right now” and Kaz saying “That’s the right move, Jes” in approval. And of course, Colm and Jesper saying goodbye did nothing but make me cry MORE.

And here we go. The chapter that made me actually cry. Before this, it was just shedding tears and choking a sob or two. Inej’s final chapter made me actually sob and cry so hard that I could barely read the pages through the tears. Kaz really bought her a boat and named it after her. “I don’t know what to say.” “Say you’ll return.” just tear my heart out please.

But what really got the waterworks going was Kaz having Nikolai find Inej’s parents for her. God. The last time a book made me happy cry was The Color Purple, and it was a similar situation. Celie’s sister Nettie returns to her, and I had to fight not to cry when I finished that book while on the train. When I saw the musical version on broadway a few months later, I sobbed so hard with happiness that I cried through the finale, through the curtain call, and kept crying as I walked up the aisle and out the theater. I couldn’t handle how happy I was.

Inej being reuinited with her parents was Celie and Nettie all over again. Now that is some HIGH praise. The Color Purple is one of my favorite books. I cannot give any higher praise to Crooked Kingdom than to compare Inej’s reunion to Celie’s. 

And Kaz being a little concerned that he’d overstepped by doing it, then Inej insisting he come to meet them too was adorable. “Is my tie straight?” And her mom’s shock at finally seeing her daughter again, oh my god. I read this in bed last night at 3am. When that chapter finished, I put the book on my chest and just lied there and sobbed for a full minute. I couldn’t stop right away like I managed to do for the other cries. This cry had to come out and it had to take at least a little bit of time to run its course.

Of course, I’m glad that Inej got to ensure that Rollins never returns to Ketterdam, and I get that having Pekka have the last chapter is a parallel to Six of Crows, but I almost wish the book had just ended when Inej found her family.

I am at 4600 words and still not done, but it’s 2am so I’ll add more thoughts tomorrow evening.

...

That was all from late June. Fast forward almost a month, I’m finally adding to this post.

Something I was worried about when I first started reading Six of Crows was that there was colorism when casting Jesper. Reading that he was described as dark skinned and then looking at Kit Young, I felt a little bit... iffy about it. Because I know, as a mixed person, we get a lot of privilege in Hollywood and are often the only Black people in tv-shows and movies. We benefit from colorism, especially when it comes to mixed women, since light to medium skinned Black actors are often cast instead of dark skinned actors. I spent most of Six of Crows worried that they’d taken the Zemeni character of Jesper, who also happens to be the only Black character, and casted him with a mixed actor. I could tell while reading the book that Kit had played Jesper perfectly, which made me feel a little better, but I still had a bit of discomfort. I was worried it was Rue in the Hunger Games all over again.

However, once it’s hinted that Jesper’s father has some Kaelish heritage, and then we later meet Colm and he’s fully Kaelish with light skin and red hair, I felt much better. I actually felt overjoyed because Jesper was mixed exactly like me. I was relieved that casting Jesper with a mixed actor was not colorism, but a requirement for his character in order to be accurate. I was so relieved and also now I fiercely clung to Jesper as another example of representation for me. On that note, maybe they could have casted him with a darker skinned mixed actor, someone like Alfred Enoch for example, just to give dark skinned mixed people some more representation since Jesper is described as dark and Kit’s skintone is medium. But then again, Kit was definitely the perfect choice since he completely captured Jesper’s character and he said he really identified with Jesper’s mixed heritage being like his own. Basically, I’m very happy that Jesper is a mixed character played by a mixed race actor, and not another example of pure colorism in Hollywood (though that’s still a major issue). I really can’t even complain. I love Jesper and I love Kit’s portrayal.

Honestly, the casting in general for the show was really perfect. I might be biased since I saw the show first, but reading the book I was shocked at how perfectly cast they all were.

I am concerned though about Wylan. He is going to be very hard to cast. Or more accurately, Kuwei’s actor will be tough to cast and will have a very difficult job portraying 2 characters at once. And then I guess whoever gets cast as normal Wylan will have to just deal with barely appearing in Crooked Kingdom. Also, as for Wylan changing race to be disguised as Kuwei... I had some mixed feelings about it at first. I really was like “Leigh... what are you doing with this... be careful...” But then Wylan’s narrative showed him being unsure how to navigate the world looking like he’s Shu, having people come up to him speaking a language he doesn’t speak, and being treated differently because he looks foreign to them, especially since the Shu who were in Ketterdam didn’t have the best intentions. I appreciated that. I like that it opened Wylan’s eyes a bit more because he’d been so sheltered his whole life. Even after living in the Barrel and joining the Crows, there were still things he needed to be exposed to, like racism. So I’m glad the story went in that direction with his tailored face. I’m honestly more excited to see who is cast as Kuwei than who is cast as Wylan because Kuwei’s actor is going to have the more interesting performance. 

I REALLY enjoyed the Six of Crows duology. I sped through the two books in about 3 weeks (I think I read Crooked Kingdom in probably only a week). Honestly, I’m not speeding through King of Scars that same way. It’s a combination of my work life being very chaotic for the last few weeks, and me being so devastated that Nikolai’s back to having the shadow monster that I almost don’t want to read on. I was beyond devastated when that happened in Ruin and Rising, I thought he’d never be ok again, then I was relieved when it went away. Now that it’s back... I’m just incredibly sad every second that I read this book. I’m nearly halfway through the book though, after the same amount of time it took me to read both Crows books, so we’ll see where it goes.

But I could not put the Crows books down while I read them if you paid me. Literally. I read during every single lunch break at work and was probably a few minutes late coming back because I’d want to finish the page. I stayed up late reading and reading and reading the books. I read on the ferry, I read in the car, I read during times that I’d usually spend watching TV shows or movies. These books were amazing. They destroyed me emotionally, in both happy and sad ways. I can’t get over them. I can’t wait to see them brought to life in the show.

[ragnaofazure]

Characters that were, or never were.

((Hello! This is a list of characters I have actually played on or off the site (like Discord), wanted to or considered quite strongly but never followed suit to do so or whatever.))

((It will all be under read more; this is a long post! If you are interested? Have fun discovering who was in any corner of my repertoire! The list should not be that extensive! I will reblog it if I added anyone new I could recall and forgot to initially should that happen. These are mostly in some form of chronological order with added notes about what their place is with me and more.))

Yu Narukami - (Persona 4)  

Additional note: (Have to biasedly put him first at the top and say how he was my true first muse here, lasted literal years. All my experience comes from him and his blog. He reached nearly 1k followers between both regular and not safe blogs, my true labor of love lost to me deciding to deactivate the blog. Some know me from him originally! You all know who you are!))

Sal (or “Syake”/”Syake-san”) - (Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea)

Additional note: (My first attempt at a second character and his blog did kinda work for a while, getting a lot of interactions during the original Funamusea craze back in the day. First time playing a truly well evil character and learned lots. His blog eventually died down and faded, but it was an experience I haven’t forgotten.)

Nepgear - (Hyperdimension Neptunia)

Additional note: (A standalone blog attempt again, flopped hard due to how the fandom seemed to have it’s problems on the RP side as well as my own personal reservations (met some couple of awesome people there still around me today though!). One of the most ways to trash a character by a series that had a bit of an identity crisis in the writing department as the years went on. Still not over how hard they literally screwed this good girl over. Every single time.)

Iku Nagae - (Touhou Project)

Additional note: (Part of an incredibly failed multimuse project (that Nepgear was the face of and part of as well for that matter after her blog flopped) and she never got to really experience light of day. I had only the idea of how I wished to portray the character and I still do, but at the same time, I have no idea if it would have earned me the most interactions, admittedly. All due to how passive she is.)

Varus - (League of Legends)

Additional note: (Me having a thing for characters with tragic stories of loss? Are doomed as if fittingly to pay for their sins and as a cost for the tools to live and revenge? He spoke to me way before Ragna. I knew how I wanted to write him, give him flair given his character, which other Champions I wished for him to interact with soon... I had a much clearer idea. But ultimately, also part of the doomed multimuse blog that never took off.)

Goomy - (Pokémon)

Additional note: (No gijinka, only small, sticky bby that I debatably would never allow to evolve and, of course, could talk. Best Dragon type line to ever exist don’t even @ me okay. It’s just... cute. The anime really made it stick out and I loved it. I always also have loved essentially weaker characters and creatures a lot, thus... It resonated with me greatly and idea of how I was going to go about him (yes, had decided on male for it). Again, multimuse failed, so he went away with it.)

Karol Capel - (Tales of Vesperia)

Additional note: (Weak that could be truly strong when overcoming his fears, and that resonated with me given how I consider myself a coward in real life. I also have a thing also for playing characters everyone finds annoying to make them look better when they should not be as disliked too. And once more, multimuse, gone with it, never found a place to remotely discover if I would have also wanted to play him at large either too.)

Elphelt Valentine - (Guilty Gear)

Additional note: (I don’t need to say anything, most of you knew her enough! Blog flopped hard and I couldn’t find the activity I desired. Why I played her? Just... bubbly sweet girl that didn’t want to act on her capability to be deadly as a Gear and only wished for happiness, I liked all that sugar with that depth I tried to give her. As of recent times, Tumblr locked me out and I could not log back in. I sort of took it as a message as to why I maybe shouldn’t try with secondary blogs to a big degree.)

The Masochistic Admiral/Commander/Master(?)/Doctor(?) - (Kantai Collection-Azur Lane (Maybe even Fate and Arknights???) )

Additional note: (So this is a nameless original Admiral/Commander character by the artist known as “Yamamoto Arifred” (look up on danbooru tags under Kantai Collection alongside). I absolutely fell in love with this guy. How I wish it was possible to play him further then I did, I revisit the art work every so often and every day I recall why I liked him so, so much. He’s just beyond amusing, wacky, outright insane and nonsensical in many good shapes and forms. But he only wants one thing: All under him to succeed and become the best they can be under his very questionable yet effective command. I could go on and on but this is already long enough. Standalone blog, flopped due to lack of activity.)

Thief (”Touzoku”) Arthur - (Million Arthur series)

Additional note: (Super unknown series, super unknown plot, I only met all the characters via the available and uncared for fighting game... And her backstory plus design gave me so many ideas I wanted to play around with as a thief wielding a goddamn Excalibur. Of the first characters I said I wanted to play on impulse alone, but who would have cared? Where could she have fit? It was the bigger discouraging thoughts. I have some icons still... But as always, the hesitation from impulse in itself.)

Hassan of the Serenity - (Fate Prototype/Fragments - Grand Order)

Additional note: (Best Assassin, best girl, only Servant that has brought me to tears in this extensive series, for the love of anything holy let her be happy I swear to God, everything about her cuts me so deep, I can’t deal with it every time I think about it ...I’m calm. But really. She touched me so, so deep. I was normally indifferent for so many years about Fate until I stumbled upon the Prototype duology, and subsequently, the Fragments side. After learning her origins and more, her wishes... I can’t state it enough. I am passionate about this girl. She deserves the world. And I would have loved to give her the best if I got to write her.)

Peri - (Fire Emblem Fates - Heroes)

Additional note: (What everyone sees as an annoying, questionable character and way more, I see as yet another pick for me with great potential to try and develop to be liked more by many, for she is not completely disposeable. I had ideas and wanted to take her further while still having her not lose the tendencies she has, because that would be breaking and disregarding character, but sadly, Peri never as much as left my constant thoughts then trying to privately sample around for myself, would have loved to, though. Very.)

Sigurd - (Fate Grand Order)

Additional note: (Amazing design, amazing voice... Literal definition of: “Do it for her”, loves his partner despite their fate... Incredibly underrated man. He is simply the best and I was interested in finding footing to play him, as he deserves to be noticed more for just being... Simply amazing. There is not much more to say than that, he is cool and that is final. Don’t even fight me on these cold, hard facts.)

[redisriding]

King of Scars - Review

I have just finished reading King of Scars and let me tell you, I have some THOUGHTS™

I don’t want to spoil anyone though, so read below the fold at your own discretion…

(Also contains spoilers of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy and the Six of Crows Duology, but it is unlikely that one has not read those books but has read King of Scars).

Nb. I word vomited this onto the page so apologies for any typos/misspellings/incomplete trains of thought!

Okay so, let me start by stating my position in respect of the other Grisha Verse books. I enjoyed the Shadow and Bone Trilogy. I really liked the first one, thought the second one did nothing but elongate the story, but found the third one redeeming. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the two main characters/love interest as I found both Alina and Mal annoying in parts, but I have to remind myself that I am in my mid-20s reading YA books so maybe I can’t be too critical of the behaviour of teenagers(?!). I am however a sucker for when the female lead chooses the good boy they grew up with over the mysterious creepy stranger, so yeah I shipped them. What made this trilogy for me was the amazingly vivid universe that was created – the Grisha Verse – and the absolute romp of supporting characters. So, not wanting to leave the world behind just yet I read the Six of Crows duology and I LOVED THESE BOOKS. Not only did we get to delve deeper into the Grisha Verse, but the storyline is fantastic, the characters are brilliantly painted, and the dialogue is some of the most witty, most wonderful dialogue I have ever read (Jesper anyone?). Plus, the Nina x Matthias dynamic is my absolute favourite romance trope!!! With honourable mentions to Kaz and Inej of course.

Going into King of Scars I was hopeful for a thrilling adventure across the Grisha Verse I have come to know so well, with some excellent characters and cracking banter.

 Was that what I found?

 In short, no.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate this book. It was an enjoyable read. However, I do think the King of Scars is Leigh Bardugo’s weakest work. Now, I don’t know whether she was writing under pressure from her publishers, fans etc., if there was something going on in her life perhaps to throw her off her game, or if the King of Scars was genuinely the direction she wanted to take this series/story/universe. The characterisation was good as always, I enjoyed learning more about Nikolai and Zoya’s respective backstories, and yeah, I ship them hard, but there wasn’t as much witty banter as I had hoped. Particularly from a character like Nikolai who gave so much in previous books. Sure, the argument can be made that this book is about him battling his own demons, so fair enough if he was somewhat off his game. I think however this book fell down in two key ways, (1) the universe and (2) the story itself.

What do I mean in respect of not liking the “universe” as conceptualised in King of Scars? This might sound a little strange, but in the Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology the “magic” that the Grisha possess appears very “real” (if magic can indeed be real). There are rules about how Grisha power works and thus seems plausible to me. I feel like King of Scars departed from this. I don’t mean the Zoya/Dragon story line. I actually quite enjoyed the exploration of “but aren’t we all things” and the blurring of the lines between different Grisha powers. I think that will make an interesting development in the story. What is less clear in how magic works in the Grisha Verse is (1) the demon that possesses Nikolai (but sure I can get on board with it for the purpose of the story and to be quite honest I don’t REALLY care about a lot of the minute details about the world’s in fantasy books operate), and (2) the whole mid-section of the book where Nikolai and Zoya are sucked into this Twilight Zone/Alice in Wonderland alternative dimension that emerges in the fold. This is where the book lost me. I didn’t totally understand what was going on, and I think the writing fell down here. It was like even Leigh Bardugo didn’t have a clear idea as to what was happening. Trying to make sense of it was a bit like trying to look through fog. Dragons, bees, three-headed bears, a big rock that became a palace, thorns??? I was totally baffled by it all. Where they in the fold or the Unsea? How did they just suddenly disappear? Where did that pilgrimage camp go? Was any of that real or just an illusion to trap Nikolai and Zoya there? Even at the end I’m unsure as to how much Yuri knew, how much he was leading them knowing what was going to happen or was he just a hapless buffoon that got caught up in the whole thing? How exactly did Zoya defeat the bee witch queen? What happened with Nikolai and his demon? Is it is half defeated? Is the demon the Darkling himself rather than a residue of the Darkling’s monster? Does that mean that the Darkling lives half within Nikolai and half within Yuri? Maybe some of this is deliberately vague and will be cleared up in the next book, but I honestly think that a lot of it has to do with the writing because there are parts that are perfectly clear and I do understand what is happening, for example when Zoya slays the dragon. Perhaps this was because I had read the previous books and I understood what it meant to kill a creature to create an amplifier, but equally, I believe that Leigh Bardugo wrote this section clearer because she had written the previous books!

Essentially, I felt that I had a good grasp of the Grisha Verse but this whole section is too off the wall for it to be believable to me and just doesn’t feel like it “fits” with the universe that had been created/developed in the other books.

The second thing I dislike is the story. Yes, see previous thoughts above in respect of the whole mid-section of the book, but this whole story was just angling to bring the Darkling back? Nah, I don’t like it. Not because the Darkling is a baddie and the thought of him being back can only mean bad things, but because I think its lazy writing. There is already so much conflict, or potential for conflict, in these books with Nikolai becoming King and trying to save Ravka that there was no need for the Darkling to return. For one, I think it undermines everything that happened in the Shadow and Bone series for him to return and presumably be defeated in the next book?. Mal sacrificed himself for Alina to destroy him, only for her to lose her power afterwards. It doesn’t seem right that he went on “living” in this alternative universe. The whole body swap thing was just bizarre, and again, lazy writing. I’m not a fan of people suddenly appearing back from the dead as a trope anyway, but this was particularly sloppily done. (Yes, I know Mal came back from the dead too but there was some explanation as to have him having two souls/lives inside him and as I say I was an Alana/Mal shipper so I was prepared to overlook it). I just felt that the Alina/Mal/Darkling storyline was wrapped up so nicely at the end of the Shadow and Bone trilogy that is doesn’t seem right to bring the Darkling back as the villain in a Nikolai/Zoya story. The final line in the Shadow and Bone series about Alina and Mal living a normal life if a life with love could ever be such a thing absolutely destroyed me (I wept for the evening after reading that – it’s my catnip), but that story felt complete. I don’t see how the Darkling can come back within at least Alina being involved again, and she doesn’t have her powers anymore which were the only things that defeated the Darkling. I think what my uneasiness boils down to is, presumably Nikolai and Zoya are going to defeat him in the next book, but no matter how comprehensively they do so, I’m never going to believe that he is actually dead, or that death in the Grisha Verse really exists. That at any time, anyone, not matter how long they have been dead for could just reappear with some absolutely insane story of how they managed to remain living even though they were totally, utterly, completely, without a doubt dead. 

I think the crux of my disappointment with King of Scars can be summed up as follows:-

Will I be reading the sequel?

Yeah...probably.

Will I be thinking about what is happening to these characters every day until that book is released?

No.

[deluxedolans]

So I’ve read and reread all of your writing and it’s so so good! I was curious if you had any recommendations to tide us over?

OMG first of all, thanks for reading my stuff, I’m so glad you like it! That’s so nice! Second of all, thank you so much for sending this…that is so thoughtful of you that you literally sent me an ask to tell me that you like my writing and you want hear my fave fics! 

bruuuuuuh I hope u ready because I got a BUNCH:

Grayson Dolan:

Shared Covers – by @heathendolan Paige is first of all such an incredible writer that will have you feeling emotions you didn’t even know existed. second of all, this is a fic about y/n and gray not knowing they love each other and it HITS ME RIGHT IN THE HEART EVERY TIME.

Juke Jam – by @heathendolan Sorry, I’m Paige’s #1 stan, and this is about gray falling in love with a hockey player and struggling to express his emotions & I love love love IT.

Webcam Duology (Webcam Girl, Part 1) (Webcam Boy, Part 2) – by @rockstardolan Luna is the queen of smut, THERE IS SAID IT IT’S OUT THERE. And this plot is so sweet and believable and realistic and so many more things! It’s about Y/N the shyest girl in Grayson’s grade helps him to release his sexual fantasies over the internet. 

Cool With You – by @rockstardolan The queen of smut strikes again with gray taking you on a date and it’s so cute and just so…grayson.

Let It Go – by @ethxndolan Y/N and grayson break up, but are they really over each other??? You’ll feel all of these feelings and be on a roller coaster ride of EMOTIONS. The dialogue is excellent and the characterization of both boys is so realistic. 

No Excuses Series – by @dolantreehisser I binged this in maybe an hour and a half, it’s something that I come back to time and time again because it’s SO GOOD. Y/N and Grayson have a lowkey secret relationship and that’s all I’m saying!!! (I linked Rae’s masterlist, because all her stuff is good, but it’s easiest to access the series that way.

Ethan Dolan:

Lemon Boy – by @heathendolan Like I said…I’m Paige’s #1 stan. High school Ethan and Y/N crushing from afar. Her ability to characterize both of the twins is insane. This story will always be one of my favorite.

Forget Me Nots – by @heathendolan Ethan and Y/N go through some stuff that I literally can’t say without giving the story away. Please read this if you haven’t (to anyone reading this ask)

Roxanne – by @dildolans This girl has the best fic ideas. I stan Arielle, EMPRESS OF BOMB FIC 

In the Shadows – by @dolandrabbles ANOTHER SMUT QUEEN. Ethan watches Gray and his gf from his closet. This literally had me shooooketh.

Pomegranates – by @wordsonearth SHE IS INCREDIBLE. I just discovered her and I fucking love her writing (her Gray fic Electric Blue is so awesome as well) Soft!Ethan goes on a ski trip with Y/N.

Lab Partners – by @charmingdolans She SNAPPED on this. I love her blog and keep checking back to see if she wrote more stuff! You’re lab partners with Ethan and there’s a lot of sexual tension.

No one asked for this many recommendations but I had to include all of them (and these were just the ones at the top of my head rn, I have so many more!!! I love sharing my fic recs so hmu if you ever need some! Thank you for asking, you sweet, sweet anon

[libralita]

January Wrap Up | 2019

This month I tried to read as many books as I possibly could because I’m starting my second semester of college and I know that I will not have time. I also really want to try and beat last year’s record of 150 books so I want to stay ahead of how many books I was reading last year. I really succeeded. I read a total of eighteen books which is amazing! A lot of those books were really great as well.

The first book I read of 2019 was Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce:

This book started out a little rocky. I didn’t really like how fast we went through Arram’s schooling. Especially because it didn’t feel like the trio really grew that much until the end. But as Arram started to change and start to discover who he is then the story got a lot better. I really liked seeing Arram healing, it really felt like he was in his element and how passionately he works. I wish we got to see more of Varice, I still don’t really understand what a kitchen witch is. Ozorne was interesting but I also feel like I want to see more of him. I don’t know whether I’ll continue on with this series.

Next I read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami:

While I enjoyed this book, it wasn’t as good as 1Q84. The most interesting part of this book was the flashbacks to Manchuria and Boris the man skinner. It was horrifying and interesting. Toru wasn’t ask interesting as the other characters in 1Q84 and this book felt a little bit more pointless. However it was still interesting and the ending really saved it. I gave this four out of five stars.

Next I read The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz:

I really loved Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe so I decided to read his other books. This book started out a bit rocky. I always get a little annoyed when authors throw in a bit of Spanish to make sure you know your Mexican characters are Mexican. The “No bueno” thing was really annoying. Every book that tries to be feminist, ends up being sexist. However, when the completely heartbreaking stuff started to kick in, I started to really enjoy this book. My favorite character was Fito Fresquez. He had such a tragic story and his sadness felt so real. While I had issues with this book in the beginning it turned out to be a pretty good book. I gave this book five out of five stars.

Then I went back to Haruki Murakami with Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage:

This book was so good and has the protentional to be one of the best of the year. I related so much to Tsukuru because if I had a group of close friends and they suddenly decided to cut my out of their group, I would have no idea what to do. I also really liked Haida and am sad that there was no closer on what happened to him. What happed to Shiro is crazy and I would never forgive the friends for what she did. I’m sad that we didn’t get to see if Sara accepted Tsukuru but I think she did so there. I gave this book five out of five stars.

Next I randomly picked up The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt:

This was an interesting book. It reminded me of Name of the Wind and that’s not a bad thing. It has beautiful writing and Theo reminds me a lot of Kvothe he has a serious passion, is border lined obsessed with a girl, and has a tragic backstory with his parents. I think the only thing that I didn’t like was that time jump was a little jarring, I wish that it had been more led in. But I really enjoyed this story. It was just…beautiful. I gave it five out of five stars.

I finally finished Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy with The Last Command:

This book was so amazing. Leia had her twins, Jaina and Jacen, and I cannot wait to see more about them. The ending is what really made this book great. There was a Luke clone which was such a good twist. Then in order for Mara to be free of the Emperor’s control she kills Luuke Skywalker. Very clever. Then Luke gives Mara his lightsaber. That’s so sweet. Such a great ending to this trilogy. Five out of five stars and one of the best of the years.

I continued on with Silver Spoon with Volume 4 by Hiromu Arakawa:

I really enjoyed this volume! It’s nice to come back to this lighthearted series. I really like seeing more of Hachiken’s family, especially his father. I can’t wait to see more flashbacks of his middle school mental breakdown…does that make me a bad person? Any way, five out of five stars. Fun time.

Next for my YA Literature class I had to read the Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater:

So I don’t really like the way Stiefvater writes. She usually has really great writing, semi-interesting premises but BORING characters. And this was no different. So borrinnggggggggg! I had to read this book for my YA Literature class and oh my god I was so uninterested in this book. The characters were so dull, I didn’t even bothering learning the side characters name. I didn’t care about the romance. I didn’t care about the world. I was so uninterested in this book. The premise was kind of interesting but it doesn’t save this nothing of a book. I gave this book one out of five stars.

Next I picked up The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman:

This was an incredibly sad story to read, like all Holocaust stories. The only problem I had with this is that the present day storyline too up a little too much time. I care more about what happened during the Holocaust then Vladek’s marriage problems. But it was still a great story. Five out of five stars.

Then I read An Echo of Things to Come by James Islington:

I would say that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed the first one. I wish we could have seen more of Caeden, Davian, Wirr, Kara, and Asha together. At points they would see one another but I really want to see them all interacting. But again Islington is really great at doing dark twists. I think Caeden is my favorite character. Everything with his wife and the shapeshifter. But then at the end of the book when Caeden had killed older Davian. That is so insane! Such a good book. I gave this book five out five stars.

I was in the mood for super sad contemporary after reading Aristotle & Dante and the author’s other books so I bought They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera:

I didn’t like this book as much as More Happy Than Not. I think it’s because I didn’t really care that much about Mateo and Rufus’s relationship. I teared up a little bit when Mateo died and the ending was pretty good. However, I think the premise of two people falling in love on their final day is really cool, I just think that it wasn’t as powerful. It would be a three star but the ending bumped it up for a four.

Next I picked Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton

Alright take this review with a grain of salt because I absolutely adore these types of stories. I’ve always had a soft spot for ballet school dramas. I use to love Dance Moms, Bunheads, and this one Australian show that I can find no matter how much I google it. Point being I love ballet stories and I love the dramaz. This book was full of drama. So much romance and backstabbing…or foot stabbing. I gave this book five out of five stars.

After really loving the Goldfinch by Donna Tartt I decided to pick up The Secret History:

This book slightly missed the mark for me. It was still good, I gave it four out of five stars because I really enjoyed the transition from the friendship between the group of Greek students to then killing Bunny and the aftermath. However, I think after a while when the students are starting the spiral out of control, I stopped caring. Especially Charles, I did not like his transformation. It was very annoying and he was a character that I really liked. So, I’m sad that it missed the mark but it was still a good book.

Next the final book that I had to read for my YA Literature class was Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson:

I’m not much of a poetry person so I that probably hindered my enjoyment of this book. It was an interesting story about a black girl growing up during the Civil Rights movement in America. It was interesting to see the different places throughout America and her family life. There were a few really great poems, most of them got the point across. I gave this book four out of five stars.

I then continued with the Tiny Pretty Things Duology with Shiny Broken Pieces by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton:

So I liked this book a little less than I did the first one. This duology is really a guilty pleasure series. I just love it for the drama. I actually think this book handled it’s finale a bit better than a lot of other contemporary books do. I think the one problem I had with it was Cassie and her over the top villainy. Like she is perfectly fine with people potentially dying. I felt like Eleanor got the short end of the stick. She was hospitalized twice in this book for the shit that Gigi and Cassie did. Poor girl. And Cassie does have a good case against Bette because Bette was horrible. So her handling made me not like this book as much. But I felt like the ending really made this book work enough to give it five out of five stars.

Next I read Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami:

I didn’t really like this book that much. Mostly because I didn’t understand what was going on. Maybe I’ll reread it at some point but right now I could not tell you what the point of this book was. I think I enjoy Murakami’s more realistic stories then he’s completely off the wall stories. That said, he had the beautiful writing, interesting characters, and the world ended so I gave it three out of five stars.

Because I’ve become somewhat obsessed with Japanese literature I picked up Go by Kazuki Kaneshiro:

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a lot of current American YA books, I guess the angst-y teen really is universal. It was a very short book but it covered a lot of stuff about national prejudice between people. It was less than 200 pages but it didn’t feel rushed. It didn’t waste time and gave a really satisfying story about a romance. I highly recommend this book. I gave it five out of five stars.

Finally, I read the Blade of the Immortal Omnibus Vol. 1 by Hiroaki Samura:

It took me a while to get into this book, mostly because it was hard to remember all the characters and who was who. At one point I thought Machi and Rin were the same person. It was also hard to tell what was flashbacks and what was happening in that moment. But after I got into the story and figured out who was who then I really started to enjoy it. It’s a really interesting story about revenge and I really like the dynamic between Rin and the immortal warrior. I really liked this book and I think I’ll continue on with the story. I gave this book five out of five stars.

Those are all the books I read this month and hopefully next month I can read at least a few books!

[danielsemperes]

what are your favorite books and favorite movie adaptations? :D

this is the kind of message i’ve been waiting for tbh so the rest of it is under the cut because i’m sure it’ll be quite long. thanks love 💖

first of all… choosing my favourite books is extremely hard because i’ve read over 900 of them in my entire life and at least half of them was outstanding. so i’ll just choose this small top 10 out of my favourite books in no particular order because otherwise i’d take ages to write down them all.

the shadow of the wind by carlos ruiz zafón is my all time favourite book, i’ll never get tired of rereading it. this story is so heartbreaking i cry every single time when i’m reading it lmao even tho i obviously know what happens. there’s this extremely tragic romance (i’m not a big fan of them but this book takes care of it in such a good way!), beautiful language, a lot of amazing quotes and the characters in this book are so complex i’m speechless! this entire series is really good and i can’t wait for the 4th book to come out this fall (at least that’s when it’ll be published in poland).

i love a lot of polish classics as well as some russian ones but i’m going to count them as one i hope you don’t mind 💖 my favourites are: pan tadeusz by adam mickiewicz, ferdydurke by witold gombrowicz, lalka by bolesław prus, the master and margarita by mikhail bulgakov and crime and punishment by fyodor dostoyevsky. a lot of people in poland hates them because they talk about them in school (and i kinda get that, it’s really easy to hate something when you’re forced to read it, watch it etc.) but honestly those are one of my ultimate faves.

a little life by hanya yanagihara is a book i was reading for over 3 months just because i didn’t want to simply fly through it. i’d heard some really great things about this book and when i finally decided to read it i was blown away!! this gorgeous thing broke my heart, i had the biggest book hangover in ages after reading it.

the witcher by andrzej sapkowski is problably one of the first fantasy series i’ve read and i immediately fell in love with it. even tho the author himself is an ass his books are amazing with great, colorful characters and a lot of wonderful action. i know probably a lot of you know the game but i’d honestly suggest to give those books a try especially since they’re going to make a tv show on netflix based on this series (i hope it’s going to be amazing, those books are very special to me and i they’ll ruin this show i stg!!). ps read this if you’re into slavic mythology

the secret garden is a book that’s very close to my heart, every time i’m reading it i’m never disappointed by how easily this book makes me feel safe, warm and content. i actually want to reread it right now but i don’t have my own copy ugh.

angels and demons by dan brown or rather his entire series about robert langdon (i still have one more book to read). LISTEN!!! those books are amazing, i do realize that the plot in them is super repetitive but that’s what makes them most interesting for me, if you’re interested in art, architecture and things like this you should give them a try. there’s also this really nice mistery going on, sometimes a little bit of magial realism is showing up (or maybe i’m imagining things idk lmao) and there’s so much action that i can’t simply put this book down until i’m done with it.

more happy than not by adam silvera this book had me Shook, it. is. so. Good. ok i don’t even know what to say, the twist in this novel fucked me up, i didn’t see it coming and at the end this book gets super sad which kinda made my heart ache (and by kinda i mean a lot obviously!! ending of this book is like bittersweet with a lot of sadness and i’m not good at dealing with those kind of stuff)

all for the game trilogy by nora sakavic ummm listen i know that Logic sucks in those books, we all can agree on that but still they’re so amazing i can’t even tell you just how much i’m invested in those wonderful characters, i know they do Questionable things and i’m definitely not ignoring that but i still love almost all of them with my whole heart (except riko he can choke i hate this prick). this whole story is super fun and quick to read, so if you’re looking for something entertaining you should give it a try!! those books are pretty brutal tho so just be aware of that in case you’re not comfortable with reading about things like torture and other nasty stuff.

unwind by neal shusterman and i mean the first book in this duology because i still haven’t picked up the second one (it’s in my tbr pile so maybe i’ll read it this month idk). this is the best ya dystopia i’ve read in my entire life and there’s this one Scene that fucked me up for life, i’ve read this book over 4 years ago and i still keep thinking about that one Moment, that one chapter that literally changed me somehow. idk it’s just incredible.

solaris and eden by stanisław lem those are the only two books of this author i’ve read so far and i’ve never been so ashamed of myself before. like this is my favourite sci fi author and i can’t believe i still haven’t read an other of his work this is insane. his books are extraordinary, they’re super smart, they made you think, you have to focus a lot when you’re reading them because of the language (i’ve read them in polish so idk how it looks with english translation) and those small details that make the plot of those books super complex and it’s AMAZING.

i was thinking about adding trc series here but i’m only halfway through it so that’d be cheating lmao besides idk if the rest of it is good even tho the first two books were amazing)

okay that’s it. the thing with movie adaptations is a little bit more complicated because i’m not a big fan of them but there are a few i really like so i’ll make it quick.

lord of the rings

harry potter (the books are better obv but i’m still really in love with the movies)

the hobbit 

the perks of being a wallflower

the green mile

and i can’t think of anything else sorry but i’m sure there’s more

[boyfriem-moved]

A thing on the Voltron fandom

I didn’t realize how bad the Voltron fandom was until I joined other ones. Voltron was my first major fandom, and for a year as I graduated my old anime and warrior cats fandoms and started looking for new ones, Voltron was all I had. I thought the amount of discourse it had was normal. I thought fans of most things were mean to each other over every little thing. It wasn’t until I was able to compare it to my other fandoms that I realized just how horrible it was.

The first new fandom I joined was for Six of Crows (which is a wonderful duology that you should all read by the way), and entering it was like a jarring reality. Not just because it was a normal fandom, but because it was so nice. And I don’t just mean in comparison to Voltron either. The Six of Crows fandom is notoriously full of some of the most kind and polite people on the internet. It’s a small community of artists and memelords with three canon ships for the six main characters and very little to argue about. When they do argue, even that is respectful. The closest thing I’ve ever seen to discourse in the fandom is a short disagreement that panned out like a Voltron discourse post but a lot shorter. And that’s it. And I’ve been in this fandom for almost a year.

    After immersing myself in that for a few months, with my only contact with Voltron being whatever came up on my dash, I decided to go back over to Voltron for a little while. Season two was due to come out soon, and I wanted all my attention on Voltron when it was released. Season two happened, I pulled an all-nighter watching it, I mourned the lack of Klance moments, I got maybe too excited when Keith said Shiro was like a brother to him, I screamed during the galra Keith reveal. It wasn’t the best thing I had ever seen, but I enjoyed it. Maybe that’s just because Keith is one of my favorite characters, and I was glad he had gotten so much attention, but whatever my reasons were, I liked the season. I rewatched the last few minutes of the last episode in mute fascination, did a quick shitpost doodle of Keith, and went to bed.

    The discourse started the second I woke up the next morning. Lance and Hunk hadn’t gotten enough screen time, the writers were spoiling Keith, Kallura was going to become canon and we were all gonna die, and a thousand other little things that I hadn’t even noticed.

    It was like the fandom couldn’t stand to enjoy themselves for even a second. There was even discourse over the Pidge bathroom scene, which was a fun bit of comedy that people were using as a jumping off point to explain why everyone else was wrong about Pidge’s gender. It was insane.

    The biggest argument was that the amount of screentime Keith had gotten was largely disproportional to the rest of the characters, Lance and Hunk specifically. And yes, it was, I’m not going to argue with that, but people don’t seem to realize that you can’t develop all five paladins plus Allura at once. It was be a horrifying mess. Season two was Keith’s character arc, and from the amount of screen time he got in the trailer, it looks like season three might be Lance’s. Whoever gets the next season, it doesn’t matter, because there’s going to be four more (if I remember correctly, it might be six), and there’s time to develop everyone else. Even now, we’re still talking about it, and it’s ridiculous! There’s so many more seasons left for them to get the screentime they deserve, so just let it go.

    But the worst thing about the Voltron fandom is, dare I say it, the ship discourse. I, personally, ship klance, but I’ll try not to let it affect my judgement.

    Before we get into the different types of shippers, I would just like to say that of the klance shippers, I like to think I’m one of the better ones. I stay in my corner of the fandom, I make a mean spirited shalladin joke every once in awhile, occasionally I reblog some discourse, but mostly I keep to myself. The perfect thing to do would respect people's differences and ship what I want while letting other people do the same without issue, but I doubt there’s any klance shipper who’s that great of a person. The problem, I think, isn’t that I express my distaste for shalladin shippers, because they do the same to us, it’s that in the Six of Crows fandom, for example, what I’m doing would make me rude and unlikeable, which in the Voltron fandom, my opinions seem relatively tame.

    The thing about klance shippers is that even the best of us are mean. We just are, and we are in a way that none of the other shippers (besides maybe Sheith) seem to be. We think we’re better than everyone else. We believe that the other ships are so much more massively flawed than ours that ours is the only one that could ever happen. I’m not going to pretend I don’t do this. We write long rants that no one wants to read and spout the same anti-shalladin drivel over and over again as if anyone is listening. We’re the biggest ship in the fandom, and we know it. We bash ships shamelessly with little regard for the people actually doing the shipping and how our words could affect them. We are not nice people.

    A subsection of Klance shippers, and the worst kinds, are the ones who ship Shallura and Klance. Most Klance shippers shipped Shallura, and their biggest argument against Shalladin was that you’re shipping Shiro, an adult, with the paladins, who are teenagers. Once it was revealed that Allura was a teenager by Altean standards, most Shallura shippers apologized and dropped the ship, but some of them kept going. It proves that they never actually had an issue with the pedophilia aspect of Shalladin, they just wanted an easy way to say they were right and everyone else was wrong. They have no moral code, they just go with whatever will support their ship.  

    Shalladin shippers, specifically Sheith, aren’t much better. I don’t think they’re quite as mean as Klance shippers (though they could be, I haven’t spent as much time on that side of tumblr so I’m not sure), but they have their own problems, the biggest one being that they refuse to admit that they’re shipping an adult with teenagers. I’m sure a lot of them will stop reading at this, and probably call me a “biased Klance person” or something along those lines. But I’m not just saying that, there’s video evidence of the writers saying that Shiro is an adult and the paladins are teenagers nearly word for word, and if anyone challenges me I’m fully prepared to find that video and shove it in their face.

    And then there’s all the other ships. Shklance is a horrifying mistake that I won’t get into (I don’t think Klance or Sheith shippers like it, and if we can agree on something, you know it’s probably not a good idea), and despite the hate we give them, Kallura shippers are actually pretty nice (from what I’ve seen, at least, I don’t see much Kallura stuff on my dash and I’ve never dared to search for it). That goes for most of the minor ships, actually. Klunk and Hance shippers have never given anyone a single issue, and the other ships are so tiny that they couldn’t give anyone problems if they tried.

    There’s no real conclusion to this. There’s no way to tell everyone to be nicer, nothing I can say that will make you change. Every ship has faults, some of them more than others, but in the end we should all respect each other. Keith, Lance, and Shiro seem to be the most “important” of the paladins, and we’ve been promised LGBT representation, which means some combination of them will most likely become canon eventually. We gain nothing by arguing with each other, so the best thing to do is wait it out and see who’s right.

    The voltron fandom is an awful place. They argue constantly, blame the writers for every little thing, and I’ve never seen anyone accept that some people will think differently than them and just let the little things go. It’s a horrible place to be. I could keep going, but I’ve reached the three page mark on google docs, and I think if I talk anymore about this, I’ll die of stress. Just… be nicer to people, for the sake of every new fan who has no idea what they’re getting into. It’s a shame that we’ve ruined such a great show with our endless arguing.

[theastrophilearchitect]

Recent reads #2.

Hello! ‘Tis the day after the first one of these was posted, but I already have another book to talk about. So, here’s ten books I read recently.

1. Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab (Cassidy Blake #3)

This is book three in Schwab’s Cassidy Blake series, a middle grade series focused on a twelve-year-old girl who recently had a near-death experience, and, ever since, has been able to see ghosts. More than that, her parents have started filming a TV show about haunted places, and Cassidy has to learn to navigate the Veil beyond the world of the living while trying to fend off malevolent spirits.

Book one takes Cassidy to Edinburgh, book two to Paris, and this brings us to New Orleans. It’s just a short, easy read, without complicated subplots or hundreds of pages of build-up. It’s not one of those books where you have to reread the series to understand the sequel, because it gives you a recap, and it’s just great. Great for someone of middle grade age, and great for a reader who just loves Victoria Schwab.

Rating: 4 stars.

2. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (The Kingkiller Chronicles #1)

This book is absolutely enormous, and reads like the longest prequel ever written, despite the fact it’s the first book in a series.

I listened to the audio version of the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicles, and I don’t even know how to blurb it. I liked it, but not enough for a 28-hour audiobook. I liked it, but not enough to listen to its 42-hour sequel. I want more from such a long book.

This book has insanely high ratings and is so raved about, so I gave it until about halfway through before I realised it probably wasn’t going to pick up. But, I’d already invested so many hours in it, I had to get that one extra for my Goodreads goal, which I now realise makes no sense considering it took me an entire month to get to the end of this, in which I can usually read four or five.

It didn’t feel like it followed a typical story structure, and it felt less like a series of plot lines weaved together than a domino effect, which feels to me very much like a prequel. It was well written, with interesting characters and an interesting world, but I expect more from a book so long.

Rating: 3 stars.

3. Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo (Nikolai Duology #2)

Oh. My. LORD.

This is the second book in the Nikolai Duology in Bardugo’s Grishaverse, and I can barely breathe (speaking of which, Shadow and Bone, out now, on Netflix). Book one, King of Scars, was enjoyable, but not especially exciting, especially as the successor to Crooked Kingdom, speaking of which: I was unaware there was going to be a fourth Six of Crows book. As I was reading this one’s denouement, it definitely felt like Bardugo was setting up at least one more book in this world, another heist, starring my beloved, Kaz Brekker. Nina Zenik, the Crows’ resident Heartrender (ish) has had a perspective throughout this series, but the other Crows (bar Matthias, for obvious reasons) were also in it, and I was trying to figure out the relevance, but I suppose it’s for the next Crows book.

ANYWAY. This was so much more exciting than book one, though there were certain things that felt irrelevant aside from as the set-up of the next book, but it was so entertaining, and I liked how it wrapped up--a note though: I don’t see how Nina could be involved in the next Crows book, but we’ll see.

I just barely even know what to say, except that King of Scars was relatively standard, but this blew it out of the water (not quite Six of Crows level, but I just love the grey morality of that duology).

Also: yay for trans rep.

Rating: 4.75 stars.

4. Scythe by Neal Shusterman (Arc of a Scythe #1)

I read this a couple years ago, got bored, and finished it as an audiobook. It was pretty standard, but then the last book in the trilogy, The Toll, came out, and I realised just how big this series is, so I wanted to give it another shot.

Scythe is set in a utopian future, in which death has been eliminated and immortality has been reached. The population still increases, but the AI that governs Earth can provide for it. However, people still have to die eventually. Citra and Rowan are taken on as apprentice scythes, the Reapers of the world, the only sources left of death. But one scythe has never had multiple apprentices before, so it is decided only one of them will be ordained, and when they are, they will have to glean the other.

I’m so glad i reread this. Initially, I felt very similarly to how I did the first time round: the characters were flat and unlikeable, and there was too much telling. However, this bothered me less over time, the characters became more interesting, more likeable, and oh my lord the ending. Rowan really reminds me of Julian Blackthorn, except i actually like Rowan. But not Julian. Screw Julian.

I would still argue this book is a little overrated, but this time, I’ll definitely be moving onto the sequel.

Rating: 3.9 stars.

5. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Oh, my Lord. This book is so hyped up, and I wasn’t expecting it to be nearly as good as it was. I didn’t particularly enjoy Monique’s part of the story, but I was so invested in Evelyn’s story, I listened to the whole thing in two days.

This is told in the form of a journalism interview, in which an unknown journalist is invited by Evelyn Hugo, aged Hollywood starlet, to write her biography, to be published upon her death. Evelyn tells the story of having to ignore her heritage and go through seven husbands just to be with the love of her life against the odds of the film industry, and you can’t even imagine how good this book is.

I so rarely cry at books--have never ugly-cried unless it brought up something in my real life--and I have never, ever cried at a standalone, yet here we are.

I don’t want to say anything else, because only an hour into the audiobook, I googled fan art and spoiled myself. So don’t do that, just read.

Rating: 4.9 stars.

6. Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare (The Last Hours #1)

My Lord. Honestly, I tried to pick up The Red Scrolls of Magic before this, and though I love Malec, I found I just didn’t care. Also, the font in my copy is different to in every other Shadowhunters book I own, which sucks.

As for Chain of Gold: this is book one in Clare’s fifth Shadowhunters series, set in 1903 and following the children of The Infernal Devices characters as demons begin to appear again in London after a period of silence.

This is absolutely the more hyped of the recent Shadowhunters books, and starting this, I really thought I was going to give up. It’s 590 pages and I’d already read thirteen books in this world (now fourteen), and it reads so much more like a period romance than it does a fantasy book. I didn’t think I’d care, but then I hit the 300 page mark, picked up motivation, and finished it in two days. I don’t think I enjoyed this as much as The Dark Artifices (though I can’t comment on The Infernal Devices, because I read the trilogy two years ago) but it was excellent.

It took me a while to learn who was who, who was related to who (it took me at least 400 pages to figure out whether Thomas or Christopher was the son of Gideon or Gabriel, though I somehow never forgot Anna was Gabriel’s daughter), and all I could think was that Shadowhunters must be incredibly inbred.

TID/TDA spoiler: I knew Tessa was with Will before Jem, but it was still weird seeing her with him, she and Jem having been together throughout TDA.

By page 100, I already wanted James and Cordelia to be together, but part of me was also shipping her with Matthew. Part of me still is, and his conversation with Lucie (I think) at the end my god. Ouch. 

The social norms in this seemed a lot more prevalent and old-fashioned than in TID, but that may just be because I don’t remember TID so well, or because there were just more people about in this one.

This book is 590 pages long, but the climax was done with by page 510. Falling action/denouement is my least favourite part of a book--I know they have to set up the sequel, but I hate it, because it barely feels like it’s building to anything. And eighty pages. 

I remember when Chain of Iron came out, everyone was complaining about Alastair, so I was really expecting him to be evil, but he wasn’t. At least not by the end of this.

I hate Grace so damn much, but this did manage to keep me interested in the world of Shadowhunters. This is probably the most beautiful Shadowhunters cover (sans maybe its sequel) but the spine looks weird on my bookshelf--it doesn’t match the TID or TMI ones, where they form an image, and it doesn’t match the TDA ones.

Rating: 4.4 stars.

7. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

I read Circe a couple years ago, and enjoyed it, but I was just waiting for it to end. Circe was good, but The Song of Achilles was so much more human.

People talk about how sad this book is, and I see why, but it didn’t do it for me. Like I said for Evelyn Hugo, I don’t cry often at books, especially audiobooks, but Evelyn proved it was possible, and this is meant to be such a sad book.

That said, Achilles and Patroclus’s relationship was so cute, and so very, very gay, as you’d expect. 

Anyway, this is essentially a retelling of the life of Achilles, Ancient Greek demigod, told through the eyes of his mortal lover, Patroclus, throughout his training with Chiron, legendary centaur, and into the Trojan War.

I listened to this in a couple days, because it’s not that long, and, needless to say, I can’t wait for Miller’s next novel.

Rating: 4.5 stars.

8. Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman (Arc of a Scythe #2)

Oh. My. God. Scythe was good. It was incredibly well-written, but it was fairly standard enjoyment-wise. This one, on the other hand... I don’t have words. Mostly I’m still just reeling from the ending.

A couple comments: this book’s protagonist was very much Citra, where book one was more balanced between her and Rowan, and this is basically a sci-fi The Raven Boys. Maggie Stiefvater and Shusterman have very similar writing styles, and I love it.

I really don’t want to say too much--I was unsure where the series would go in this book, and it’s very clear where it’s going next, and I can’t wait to get to it. (Though I am reading the next Last Hours book first.)

Rating: 4.66 stars.

9. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green (The Carls #1)

I feel like I open every summary with ‘oh my god’, but here’s the thing: I’ve been having such a good reading year, and I also just don’t finish books I don’t enjoy. I DNF them, I don’t rate them, and I leave them be.

I started following Hank Green on TikTok last year, then I started watching vlogbrothers on YouTube, and figured I ought to read their books, see what their writing’s like. I haven’t got to one of John’s books yet, but I did get to this. This and its sequel are Hank Green’s only original novels (though I’m sure there’ll be more) and I’m so, so glad I read this. (I’m also so glad I enjoyed it, because I would hate to watch today’s vlogbrothers video having hated this)

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing takes place as April May (yes, that’s her name. It’s weirdly adorable) and her friend come across an enormous statue in New York City, and, assuming it’s some art installation, they make a video about it. Then they find out their video blew up as sixty-four of these statues appeared in cities across Earth out of nowhere.

That’s it. That’s all you need to know. Go read it.

The audiobook was excellent, and I think it was a really great format for this story. The last chapter is from somebody else’s perspective, and we’re treated to the beautiful voice of Hank Green.

Rating: 4.8 stars.

10. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

I think it’s becoming clear I get through a lot more audiobooks than I do physical ones, which is partly because I just have more time for them, and partly because the books I listen to are generally shorter than the ones I read. Also, I’ve been reading a bit of manga recently, which I don’t want to talk about until I finish the series (but I will. I may even write a whole post about it).

Turtles All the Way Down follows Aza Holmes as she and her best friend investigate the disappearance of a billionaire whose son she used to know, but the story isn’t about that. It’s about Aza’s anxiety, and it’s a really beautiful insight.

I’ve struggled with anxiety myself, but never to an extent like Aza, which I believe is based on John Green’s experiences. Books like this are so important for representation, so people suffering similarly don’t feel like they’re going crazy.

I’ve actually owned a tote bag for this book for a couple years--I got a free one from the bookstore when it came out, and I’m so glad I can now say I actually liked the book on my tote bag.

Rating: 4 stars.

And that wraps up this Recent Reads.

[asfeedin]

Friday Finds & Reader Recommendations – 05-01-2020

HAPPY FRIDAY and… It’s MAY!!!!! Today’s Friday Finds today provides is another batch of awesome sounding books to choose from  and book news to squee about!!!

NEWS!!! So much awesome news!!!

1.) Twilight author, Stephenie Meyer HAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT SOON & maybe it’s about our long awaited “Midnight Sun”? OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!! I remember when I was so obsessed with this series (it’s what re-started my love of CONSTANT reading and… my blog!!) And I read what was available of this (loved it so hard) and felt like CRYING when I realized it wasn’t coming out. AND NOW…. it is?!!??!!!!!! P.S. Here’s a blast from my blog past about this: When I first read Twilight… a look into the start of my book obsession (and THIS blog).

OMG IT’S TRUE!!!!!  When you click on “Midnight Sun” on my blog post reading order (that linked to what Stephenie Meyer had up on her website for it) it NOW goes to a countdown!!!!! *thud*

2.) Jewel E Ann news (“Fortuity” Transcend book #3!!) <— OMG YOU GUYS!!!! I THINK this is book #3 in the Transcend duet (coming out in June!!!) YES IT IS & I want to say THANK YOU to the author for this!!!!!!!! OMG OMG OMG I LOVED THAT DUET like crazy!!!!!!!! Now it’s a trilogy? Our book crew lost our minds over this duet!! And I 5-starred both books!!! P.S. Book #3 “Fortuity”, is going live JUNE 1st 2020 (so do NOT read #3’s synopsis until you’ve read #1 & #2. <—Trust me on this). !!!! So this is now… a trilogy. P.P.S. Book Review – Transcend – 5 stars & Book Review – Epoch (The Transcend Duet Book 2) – 5 stars

3.) M. Robinson “El Diablo” #2!!! <— DARK READ ALERT + BREAKING NEWS UPDATE!! Guess what has just been announced?? Book #2 is up for preorder my friends!!! And each one can be read as a standalone.  P.S. Many in our crew went CRAZY for book #1!!

Samatha: I’m so excited for this!!!! My heart is exploding with happiness!! 

TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE FOUND FOR THE WEEKEND  !!

And…

Artful Lies (The Hunt Legacy Duology Book 1) by Jodi Ellen Malpas <— LIVE!! JODI ELLEN MALPAS ALERT!! “...When aspiring antiques dealer Eleanor Cole is handed the chance of a lifetime to work for the Hunt Corporation, the renowned antiques dealers, she doesn’t think twice. Only to discover she’ll be working up close and personal with the notorious and insanely irresistible Becker Hunt. He is a man famous for getting what he wants, and Becker wants Eleanor. But as Becker pulls her deeper into his world, she discovers there’s more to him than meets the eye...”

The King and the Quirky by Heather Siegel

#RedTeam Attack: A techno thriller (Darknet series Book 2) by SJ Grey

Truth Game: Ocean Bay #3 by Chloe Walsh

Socially Distanced: A Quarantine Novella by Shay Savage <— LIVE!! QUARANTINE RECENT RELEASE!! “…Locked away in an isolation facility in Atlanta, Sean exists but doesn’t really live in his silent, bleak environment. When Kendra moves into the quarantine pod next door, Sean finds meaning in his life again. Separated by a wall, they can only communicate across a balcony, and she helps him find some creative ways to relieve the tension and monotony. Together, they’ll find a new normal...”

Immortal Divorce Court Volume 1: My Ex-Wife Said Go to Hell by Kirk Zurosky

Three Blind Dates by Meghan Quinn <— COMEDY ROMANCE!! Laurie LOVED IT!

Laurie: I just finished Three Blind Dates by Meghan Quinn. Lots of flirty texting with the perfect touch of comedy.

Insta Lovers: A Collection of Steamy Novellas by J.L. Beck & C. Hallman <— LIVE!! FIVE STEAMY INSTA-LOVE NOVELLAS!!! “…If instalove is your jam, then welcome to the party. Five steamy-novellas that will melt your panties and your heart.  Each book contains an alpha hero, a heart-warming heroine and a happily ever after that will leave you deeply satisfied...”

J.L. Beck: Insta Lovers by J.L. Beck and C. Hallman …We would love to do a $25 amazon gift card.

Maryse: YAY!!! So here it is everyone!! They are sponsoring today’s newsletter and celebrating with a giveaway, so don’t forget to check out this latest release and to leave a comment on the giveaway post. It’s open to INTERNATIONAL! ➔ J.L. Beck & C. Hallman’s “Insta Lovers” is LIVE and they’re giving away a $25 gift card!

Becky: I am also obsessed with Alyson Santos. I’m reading Falling North right now. …Love those angsty rocker books.

Kathy: Samantha Christy has a new book out today and it is the start of a rock star series. It is called Reckless Obsession. I loved her Perfect Game Series which was about baseball.

The Devil: A Paranormal Vampire Romance Novel (Devil Series Book 4) by Raven Steele

Dance For Me: Club Avalon Book 1 by Kay Elle Parker

Almost Never by Melissa Toppen <— LIVE!! UNREQUITED LOVE ALERT!! “…Alec didn’t notice me. At least not in the way that I wanted him to. He noticed my best friend instead. I stood by and watched their relationship blossom. An outsider looking in, wishing things were different.  Torn between my loyalty to my best friend and the boy who had unknowingly stolen my heart. Weighted by feelings I could never express out loud, I wrote them all down. Every thought. Every feeling. I poured them all into a letter. A letter he was never meant to read…”

After Sundown by Linda Howard <— Kathy is enjoying this one!!

Kathy: I’m reading Linda Howard’s After Sundown and enjoying it so far. I have never read any of her books. It is about a catastrophic solar storm that takes down the power grid. Fitting right now as the town has to survive with limited resources.

Maryse: Oooooh I love books and movies about stuff like that. Not that I ever want to live that… (but this books always fascinated me). And yes right now, it’s fitting.

Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan <— RECLUSIVE HERO ALERT!! OMG ONE OF MY 5-STAR FAVORITES IS SUPER-BARGAIN priced right now!!!  THIS IS A MUST READ!!

Diana: Ahhh, one of my many favs.

Heather: One of my favorites! I always recommend this one when I’m asked for a book recommendation

Nancy: I loved this book & another I found through your recommendation.

Niki: Read this book already and it was darn good

My Midnight Moonlight Valentine (Vampire’s Romance) by J.J. McAvoy <— LIVE!! J.J. McAVOY ALERT!! VAMPIRE THINKS SHE’S HIS SOULMATE… “…Druella Monroe is a vampire, but she hasn’t been one for long. Ever since her rebirth a year ago, she’s done her best to live a quiet, peaceful life as an art conservator and restorationist at The National Gallery of Art. All she wants is to blend in with the humans. However that all gets thrown out the window one night while hunting in Great Falls Park, where Druella comes across a naked vampire with no memory of how he got there, or the last century for that matter. All he seems to be sure of is that she is his soulmate…and he won’t leave without her…”

Zack (Carolina Cold Fury Hockey #3) by Sawyer Bennett <— HOCKEY STAR ROMANCE & one of Mony’s favorites!

Mony: One of my favourites is part to this series. Zack (Cold Fury Hockey #3) by Sawyer Bennett was fantastic. 5-star read…one of my top sport romances.

Harvest of Sighs (Thornchapel Book 3) by Sierra Simone <— LIVE!! SIERRA SIMONE ALERT!! “…Delphine Dansey carries her heart on the outside of her body; she’s looking for love and chasing dreams. She’s spoiled and selfish, the kind of beautiful that’s made for money and fame. But somehow she’s ended up in my keeping: a pretty submissive I can’t seem to resist, a lover who obsesses and tempts me. I thought I’d locked my heart away a long time ago, along with all my other weaknesses. But some doors won’t stay closed, no matter how hard I fight to keep them shut. She unravels me, just like our friends are unraveling…”

So That Got Weird by Amelia Kingston <— BACK ON THE LIST ’cause Shara loved it too!

Shara: Just finished “So that got weird” by Amelia Kingston. She’s a new author to me and I really enjoyed the book! Completely recommend.

The Host by Stephanie Meyer <— WE LOVE THIS ONE SO MUCH so when the big news was hinted at for Stephenie Meyer, many were hoping it might be for more of this! Not that it NEEDS a sequel (it reads well as a standalone but… we loved it so much, how could we not want more?)

Meredith: Don’t get me wrong because I loved Twilight but I would much rather have a sequel to The Host. The first time I read it it, I closed the book, hugged it to my chest and tried to figure out what to do next….which was to immediately start rereading it.  I still get the same feeling every time I read it now, I 100% don’t want it to be over.

Taylor: Meredith, I was literally here to say this. I WANT A HOST SEQUEL

Bonnie: Meredith, by far her best book. There’s so much potential there, even if the sequel was a totally different group in the same universe.

Maryse: OMG I CRIED AND CRIED during the Host. One of my favorite books ever!!!!!!! I even had to stop in the middle – watched a funny movie – and when I picked it back up, I immediately started sobbing again.

Erin: Meredith, saaaame. The Host was great.

Viola: I agree. …I would rather have more of the Host. I have read that book too many times to count. Just love it.

Meredith: Viola, I’ve read it so many times, I own the hardcover (which I actually bought after borrowing it from a friend for my first 2 read through a and needed my own copy), the paperback (which had the extra scene) AND the kindle (because I wanted to read it and didn’t have either physical version on hand).

Viola: Meredith, yep brilliant.

Heather: I love The Twilight Saga but I have yet to read The Host.

Meredith: Heather, OMG GO READ IT!!!! You will not be sorry. Maryse linked her review up above and it’s spot on. It does start slow but it’s like a slow burn love story. Takes a minute to get there but once you are it’s perfection. I remember I had raved about to both my sisters and when they were reading it they both texted being like when does this pick up. I told both to just keep going and when they got to the end they understood why I loved it so much. I promise you won’t be disappointed!!

Jessica: Meredith, yes! I was thinking this as I read the post! I need a Host sequel!!

AUDIOBOOK LVERS!

Not a member of Audible yet? Get a free 30 day audible trial (which includes 1 free audiobook + 2 audible originals)

AND! Audiobook Matchmaker!! <— Find out which of YOUR Kindle books are available as audiobooks at a BARGAIN-PRICE! This is how it works. Click on that link & Amazon will show you all of your Kindle books that are also available as an audiobook at a seriously discounted price. This way, you can switch back and forth, seamlessly between your ebooks and your audiobooks. VERY COOL!

➔➔ Audible now has an “Escape” package membership (30 day free trial) – used to be called the “Romance” package <— this one is SO cool, and worth it (unlimited listening for all of the audiobooks in the program, and there are tons – kind of like Kindle Unlimited)!!

and…

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier <— PSYCH-THRILLER & SHIRLEY LOVED IT!!

Shirley: Little Secrets was ABSOLUTELY AWESOME! Highly recommend on audio…the narrator was terrific. SO many twists and turns, I could never guess what was going to happen next! This will definitely be one of my fav’s for 2020! Maryse, you have to read/listen to this. 5++++ stars!

PREORDERS (going live soon!!! )

  ➔➔➔  Get Maryse’s Book Blog updates delivered by email (you’ll get one daily email that will have each post from that day consolidated on it).

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Tags: 05012020, Finds, Friday, Reader, RECOMMENDATIONS

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[michaelpatrickhicks]

2017 Year In Writing Review

2017. Jesus, this fucking year. What a mess. It felt about fifteen times longer than it actually was, thanks to the constant barrage of Trump and having to regularly and routinely call our lawmakers to plead with them not to kill us or destroy our Internet or ruin our finances. Sometimes it worked, other times it didn't. And then Patreon recently tried to fuck over both creators and supporters in new and exciting ways, and just before Christmas because fuck you, that's why, ho ho ho!, sparking a massive outcry that prompted them to thankfully reverse course and keep the status quo. Things seem to have stabilized with Patreon, and now that they are back in my good graces if you would like to check out what I have to offer over there and maybe lend your support, click here! I'll be releasing an exclusive short story available only on Patreon for $1 this weekend, so sign up now.

Mostly 2017 has just been exhausting, with a significant ramp up with so many different things competing for our attention, time, and money. I spent an awful lot of this past year feeling like I was not accomplishing as much as I should, particularly as our second child came at the end of October and threw all my plans into a tailspin. I had goals for this year. So many goals! And a lot of them fell by the wayside. I definitely was not as productive as I should have been, and was certainly not as productive as I had wanted to be. Mentally, this took a pretty big toll on me, and I've been struggling to correct course and try to get more done. 

In February, I began writing a trilogy of historical horror novellas, each of them about 30,000 words each. I was able to motor through the first one fairly well, and the second installment proved to be a bit of a challenge. But this third book? Holy shit, this third book has been like pulling teeth out of a kicking and screaming baby covered in olive oil. I've had to fight for every word. And it's not just all because of the story itself. A lot of it is because of my own personal time deficits, along with learning how to cope with various life stressors. 

I spent a lot of 2017 feeling tense. My wife and I brought our second child into the world, which is awesome, and he's a terrific little baby. Granted, I could do without the perpetual exhaustion from sleep deprivation as the little one wakes up with poopy diapers and an empty belly. And then there's the overly large fear factor of having an insane man as my president, one who is constantly on Twitter stirring up shit and actively trying to provoke wars when he's not actively trying to turn Americans against one another and dismantle our government from the inside, or proving to the whole fucking world over and over again what a fucking incompetent and crazy moron he is, and nominating ghost hunters who write pro-KKK blogs to lifetime federal judicial appointments. Months before my son was born, Neo-Nazis started marching openly, hate crimes rose to serious levels, and Trump was babbling about launching nuclear missiles and insulting our allies. Thankfully as we work our way through the holidays, he's mired his craziness to merely ranting about how climate change can't possibly be real because it's cold outside in New York in December, and attacking the United States Postal Service. Really. I can't help but feel this is maybe a bit of a stressful period in history to bring a brand new baby into the world. My stress levels have been super high, and I was pretty high strung and anxious for the bulk of this year. The antidepressant I had been on for the last few years just wasn't cutting it anymore, and my doctor and I decided to go with a stronger medication. It's helped some, but I'm still feeling the effects of this fucking year.

Even though I didn't accomplish as much as I had wanted to, I somehow still got some shit done. While there's been a whole lot of a bad stuff to measure 2017 by, there's also been some good stuff, and it's important not to forget that! Both professionally and personally, there are a few things I am immensely proud of, and I'd be remiss not to (finally) highlight those!

Over the last few years I'd been fortunate enough to have been invited to contribute to a few anthologies, which meant I had a backlog of a handful of short stories to publish. Toward the end of April, I published Preservation: A DRMR Short Story, and Black Site in May. Last month, I released the last of this bunch with The Marque, which means any outstanding old material I had in the trunk is now out in the world.

In August, I released my novel, Mass Hysteria, in print, ebook, and audiobook (wonderfully narrated by Joe Hempel!). I knew going in that this release would likely have a pretty small audience, given its splatterpunk horror genre, and its taboo story elements. While horror is typically known for its sometimes ruthless confrontations of societal issues, there are still certain taboo subjects, such as the murder of animals and children, both of which feature prominently in Mass Hysteria. (I got to speak about taboos in horror during my first-ever appearance as a panelist at the Howell Comic Con with the Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers in October, which was super cool.) 

I was absolutely delighted, and more than a little surprised, to see Mass Hysteria make a couple Best of the Year lists from a few bloggers. Cedar Hollow Horror Reviews selected Mass Hysteria as one of 2017's best, and Brian's Book Blog named it one of the year's best post-apocalyptic audiobooks. I'm happy to report that many of those who have taken a risk on this particular novel have enjoyed it, which certainly makes me happy. Those who have taken the time to write reviews for the book on Amazon, Goodreads, and Audible have been overwhelmingly kind and generous, which is also gratifying. This novel was a bit of a risk for me (or it at least felt risky to me), and it's nice to see there's been some rewards to go with it.

Mass Hysteria has also been nominated for Best Horror Novel of 2017 in the 20th Annual Preditors & Editors™ Readers' Poll. If you dug Mass Hysteria, please take a moment to vote in the P&E Poll.

I've also been thrilled to see Revolver getting a fair bit of attention this year, as well. I suppose it's appropriate given the state of the US at the moment that this particular dystopian, anti-fascist story would be gaining some traction again, two years after it's original publication in the No Way Home anthology. Reviewer Adrian Shotbolt gave Revolver an honorable mention in his Best Of picks over at Grim Reader Reviews (and check out his original review here). And Author Kyle Warner (Rakasa, Death's Good Intentions) named Revolver one of his Favorite Reads of 2017, placing my story alongside Stephen King and Kealan Patrick Burke, two of my own personal favorite authors. High honors, indeed! 

2017 still has a couple days left in it, as does the Smashwords End of Year sale, but the plug will be pulled on both soon! If you're looking for some steeply discounted or free reads of mine, head over to Smashwords. You can get short stories, like Revolver, for free, or check out the DRMR duology of Convergence and Emergence for $1 each. Even recent titles, like Mass Hysteria, are marked down to give you the most risk-free reads of the year. Check it out!

Hopefully once 2017's life support shuts down, we can burn its corpse and salt its ashes before tossing it to the wind. Hopefully 2018 will treat all of us better. In the meantime, I'm going to keep plugging away at Historical Horror Novella #3 and focus on my plans for next year. I've got some pretty big plans for 2018 and into 2019, and I'll be talking about those soon over on Patreon. 

See you next year!

Carried to Earth in a freak meteor shower, an alien virus has infected the animals. Pets and wildlife have turned rabid, attacking without warning. Dogs and cats terrorize their owners, while deer and wolves from the neighboring woods hunt in packs, stalking and killing their human prey without mercy.

As the town comes under siege, Lauren searches for her boyfriend, while her policeman father fights to restore some semblance of order against a threat unlike anything he has seen before. The Natural Order has been upended completely, and nowhere is safe.

Soon, the city will find itself in the grips of... Mass Hysteria!

Out Now!

[living-the-fastlife]

Another year has come and gone and what better way to wrap up the year than with this End of Year Survey, created by Jamie @ Perpetual Page Turner. 

Number of books I read:

Number of rereads: Sadly I only managed to fit in one reread, A Darker Shade of Magic.

Genre I read the most from: Contemporary (a surprise since Fantasy has always been my most read genre in years past)

1. BEST BOOK I READ IN 2016:

Top 3 A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo The Hard Count by Ginger Scott. 

2. BOOK I WAS EXCITED ABOUT AND THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO LOVE MORE BUT DIDN’T

Riders wasn’t a pure disappointment but I did expect more. The book served as a nice introduction to the world and I’m hoping it’s sequel can elaborate on some aspects. 

3. MOST SURPRISING (IN A GOOD OR BAD WAY) BOOK I READ

The Weight of Feathers. I knew it was a Romeo and Juliet inspired magical realism tale but I wasn’t expecting it to be so beautiful. The writing was captivating, the characters were fascinating and the book really explored the beauty in the simplicity. 

4. BOOK I PUSHED THE MOST PEOPLE TO READ (AND THEY DID)

I’ll Meet You There is the one book that I will always push onto people and I am happy to see that some people have picked up this beauty of a book. 

5. BEST SERIES I STARTED IN 2016? BEST SEQUEL OF 2016? BEST SERIES ENDER OF 2016?

Best Series Started: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff Best Sequel: A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab Best Series Ender: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

6. FAVOURITE NEW AUTHOR I DISCOVERED IN 2016

Sarina Bowen. I completely devoured her True North series. Great characters that I could easily realate to, swoony romances and a great exploration of multitude of themes e.g. drug addiction.

7. BEST BOOK FROM A GENRE I DON’T TYPICALLY READ/WAS OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE

This was the year for Sports Contemporary books. I’m not one to read a lot of New Adult books but the little corner I’ve discovered in Sports contemporary novels has provided some of the funniest and addictive books I’ve ever read. I’m definitely a fan of this genre. 

8. MOST ACTION-PACKED/THRILLING/UNPUTDOWNABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR

Crooked Kingdom. Can I just use this book for every question? This book was so worth all of the sleep I sacrificed. Filled with an intricate plot, unpredictable plot twists and incredibly character insights, Crooked Kingdom was hands down the most addictive book I read in 2016. 

9. BOOK I READ IN 2016 THAT I’M MOST LIKELY TO REREAD NEXT YEAR

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin. While I’m still heartbroken over the events of it’s sequel, Wolf by Wolf was another addictive read. I love the cross continental setting and the underlying themes of identity and fascinating characters were an added bonus. 

10. FAVOURITE COVER OF A BOOK I READ IN 2016

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Nevernight. I loved the book and the cover, red sprayed edges and just the entire design of the book is beautiful. The maps are my favourite part though.

11. MOST MEMORABLE CHARACTER OF 2016

The Bastard of the Barrel aka Dirtyhands aka Kaz Brekker. What can I say that hasn’t already been said about this man. He is ruthless, greedy and has a penchant for violence and chaos. However, he’s also a man full of grief and complex layers and would crawl to the edge of the earth to get his Wraith back. Every single character in this series were an absolute delight to read about. 

12. MOST BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN BOOK READ IN 2016

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta. It doesn’t have a flowery prose or anything fancy. Most wouldn’t name this book as their most beautifully written but the simplicity of the book is what makes it so effective in portraying the affects of depression on a family. 

13. MOST THOUGHT-PROVOKING/LIFE-CHANGING BOOK OF 2016

I wouldn’t call it a life changing book but Salt to the Sea definitely had a huge impact on me. To think that this maritime tragedy has gone overlooked when an estimate of 9000 lives were claimed by the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff is unbelievable. It definitely sheds a light on such a monumental event and further highlights the horrors of war.

14. BOOK I CAN’T BELIEVE I WAITED UNTIL 2016 TO FINALLY READ

Half a King by Joe Abercrombie. This is my kind of fantasy. The plot follow the typical fantasy trajectory but its the characters that makes this book so incredible. This is the ultimate underdog story and the representation of women is phenomenal.

15. FAVOURITE PASSAGE/QUOTE FROM A BOOK I READ IN 2016

“Maybe there were people who lived those lives. Maybe this girl was one of them. But what about the rest of us? What about the nobodies and the nothings, the invisible girls? We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary. That was how you survived when you weren’t chosen, when there was no royal blood in your veins. When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway.” – Crooked Kingdom, Leigh Bardugo

16. SHORTEST AND LONGEST BOOK I READ IN 2016

17. BOOK THAT SHOCKED ME THE MOST

Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin. I should have seen this coming but it doesn’t mean I wanted it to happen. This event was shocking and gut-wrenching and I’m still so bitter about it. That moment hurt!

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (I WILL GO DOWN WITH THIS SHIP!)

Shazi x Khalid, The Wrath and the Dawn duology. This is my kind of romance. The swoon levels were off the charts in this series. Why? Because of the respect shown between Shazi and Khalid. They are equals in every possible way and the maturity of their relationship was incredible.

19. FAVOURITE NON-ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP OF THE YEAR

Kate and August, This Savage Song. A most unlikely friendship but one that definitely kept me on the edge. These two were on the run for most of the book and along the way they both learn to embrace parts of themselves they’ve tried to deny for so long. 

20. FAVOURITE BOOK I READ IN 2016 FROM AN AUTHOR I’VE READ PREVIOUSLY

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson. My go-to contemporary author. Her books always deliver and as always the delicate balance between the friendship, romantic and family dynamics were greatly established.

21. BEST BOOK I READ IN 2016 THAT I READ BASED SOLELY ON A RECOMMENDATION

Air Awakens by Elise Kova. I love the cover but at the time it wasn’t enough to sway me. Then I read all the glowing reviews for the series and had to check the book out.

22. NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH FROM A BOOK I READ IN 2016

Garrett Graham, The Deal. This man, oh how he makes me swoon. I didn’t really like him at first but as his friendship with Hannah developed and blossomed into a beautiful romance he also managed to steal my heart in the process. He’s an incredibly supportive friend and boyfriend and I would snatch him up in a heartbeat. 

23. BEST 2016 DEBUT THAT I READ

A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet. Again, I didn’t know what to expect from this book but I loved the incorporation of Greek mythology and the camaraderie between Griffin, Cat and the rest of the company was hilarious.

24. BEST WORLDBUILDING/MOST VIVID SETTING I READ THIS YEAR

Nevernight. Despite my qualms with the footnotes, I must admit they did ultimate help clarify some things about the world. Do I remember every detail, no, but I did finish the book with a clear understanding of the type of world this book is set in.

25. BOOK THAT PUT A SMILE ON MY FACE/WAS THE MOST FUN TO READ

The Deal by Elle Kennedy. Hilarious, addictive and swoony. The banter between the guys and Hannah was on point and there were plenty of laugh out loud moments in this book. 

26. BOOK THAT MADE ME CRY OR NEARLY CRY IN 2016

Crooked Kingdom is the only book that succeeded in making me cry this year. I won;t spoil the moment but it was soul-crushing and happened at the moment I dared to hope that everyone was out in the clear. 

27. HIDDEN GEM OF THE YEAR

Rites of Passage by Joy. N. Hensely. I would not be able to survive a military academy. I was exhausted after 5 minutes. The intensity levels are taken to new heights in this book and I definitely appreciated Sam’s determination to prove to everyone that she belonged.

28. BOOK THAT CRUSHED YOUR SOUL

Blood For Blood: See no. 17.

29. MOST UNIQUE BOOK THAT I READ IN 2016

Something  Real by Heather Demetrios. Reality TV is not something I follow but this book did an excellent job at exploring the dark side to this world and how manipulative and damaging it can be for someone so young to have her identity carved out by the producers of the show.

30. BOOK THAT MADE ME THE MOST MAD

Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry: I loved this book but Breanna’s parents drove me absolutely insane. The way they treated her was horrible and I hate how they thought that years of neglect could be pushed aside the moment she finds happiness in someone they disapprove of.

1. FAVOURITE BOOK BLOG I DISCOVERED IN 2016

I don’t know if I discovered them in 2016 but some of my favourite blogs are Nick and Nereyda @ Nick and Nereyda’s Infinite Booklist, Aimal @ Bookshelves and Paperbacks, Richard @ The Humpo Show, Deanna @ A Novel Glimpse. These are just a few of the amazing blogs I’ve come across and I’m hoping to up my blog hopping game in 2017 cause I have been slacking as of late.

2. FAVOURITE REVIEW THAT I WROTE IN 2016

I have two; the first one is my review of The Hard Count by Ginger Scott. The second is my review for Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys 

3. BEST DISCUSSION/NON-REVIEW POST I HAD ON MY BLOG

I’ve not done many discussion posts but I was quite proud of my post on the ways to beating a reading slump

4. BEST EVENT THAT I PARTICIPATED IN

Again I’ve not participated in many of these because events like the twitter chats and such take place at 2am UK time. Time zones suck. On top of that when it comes to book signings, the closest one to home would be a good 2 hour drive away.

5. BEST MOMENT OF BOOKISH/BLOGGING LIFE 

My one year blogiversary. I gave myself a hefty pat on the back for reaching that milestone. 

6. MOST CHALLENGING THING ABOUT BLOGGING OR MY READING LIFE THIS YEAR

Keeping up with comments and blog hopping. I’ve been slacking on that front as of late and it is something I plan on improving on this year.

7. MOST POPULAR POST THIS YEAR ON MY BLOG

My most popular blog post was the Bloggers to Follow Top Ten Tuesday topic. My most popular review was A Gathering of Shadows

8. POST I WISH GOT A LITTLE MORE LOVE

My TV Talk for Mr. Robot and my review for The Hard Count.

9. BEST BOOKISH DISCOVERY

Bookstagram. I might not be the most active user but I love all the bookstagram accounts that have popped up over the year or so.

10. DID I COMPLETE ANY READING CHALLENGES OR GOALS THAT I HAD SET FOR YOURSELF?

1. ONE BOOK I DIDN’T GET TO IN 2016 BUT WILL BE MY #1 PRIORITY READ IN 2017

Where do I even begin. There are a lot of books I failed to read in 2016 and plan on reading in 2017. These include; The Winner’s Trilogy, Gemina and Outrun the Moon.

2. BOOK I AM MOST ANTICIPATING FOR 2017 (NON-DEBUT)

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

3. 2017 DEBUT I AM MOST ANTICIPATING

Wait for Me by Caroline Leech

4. SERIES ENDING/A SEQUEL I AM MOST ANTICIPATING IN 2017

A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

5. ONE THING I HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH OR DO IN MY READING/BLOGGING LIFE IN 2017

Comment/blog hop more. Write more discussion posts. I’m also considering writing some TV/Film reviews but I’m not sure if anyone would be interested in that. 

6. A 2017 RELEASE I’VE ALREADY READ AND RECOMMEND TO EVERYONE

Sad news. I’ve not read a single books since the first week of December. I hate this slump.

That was my reading year. How was your 2016 reading year?

      2016 End of Year Survey Another year has come and gone and what better way to wrap up the year than with this End of Year Survey, created by Jamie…

[cromulentbookreview]

Definitely Not Chocolate Wine

Because life in late 19th century Paris was basically just Another Period but real.

To my fellow non-French speakers out there: vin de coca does NOT mean “chocolate wine.” It really doesn’t.

And by that, I mean: Sensational, sequel to Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok!

Paris! June, 1889! The same year as The Gilded Wolves! The year of the Exposition Universelle! It’s almost time for the 100th anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille! The Eiffel Tower makes it’s grand debut! Vincent Van Gogh paints The Starry Night! The Wall Street Journal is established! Seattle, in spite of the incessant rain, somehow manages to catch fire! Bustles are slowly on their way out, but weighty ornaments added to dresses is super in! Ribbons! Flounces! Lace! Bows! All that, plus corsets laced far tighter than they should be and no air conditioning! Sounds great! 

Anyway: it’s been two years since the events of Spectacle, and our heroine Nathalie is now 18. Things are going pretty great: she no longer has to hide her identity writing her morgue column for Le Petit Journal, she has a steady boyfriend in her fellow insightful, Jules, and she’s even found a workaround for the memory loss caused by her visions: she keeps extremely detailed journals, keeping a record of everything she does in case she forgets later. With the support of her family and friends, Nathalie might just be able to pull of this whole “insightful who witnesses the deaths of murder victims from the perspective of the killer for some reason then reports those visions to the police but suffers memory loss as a side-effect” gig work. 

Just so long as she ignores all the lingering looks she gives to her friend, the morgue’s police liaison Christophe. And her lingering guilt over the death of her friend Agnès at the hands of the Dark Artist serial killer. And her institutionalized aunt’s deteriorating mental health.

But besides all of that, Nathalie’s life is going pretty well. She’s 18 at the height of Belle Époque, routinely attending the Exposition Universelle with her boyfriend and her best friends. Life is good!

Until Nathalie and her friends stumble upon a severed head among the sculptures of the Galerie Rapp. Then, to make things worse, a spectator jostles the pillar on which the head is sitting, knocking it over. The head falls and, without thinking, Nathalie puts out her hands to catch it.

Much more than una catastrofia con una pelota de beisbol.

Anyway, this causes Nathalie to have a vision, and, faster than you can say “cocaine wine,” the whole of Paris is gripped by the both the spectacle (first book title drop!) of the Exposition, and the rampage of a new serial killer who dumps his victims on Exposition grounds. The killer is soon dubbed Le Rasoir by the press, as they behead their victims with a guillotine. 

Fun fact: the last time France used the guillotine to execute someone was in 1977. That seems far too recent to me, but, I mean, I guess it works...?

So far as sequels go, Sensational gives us more of Nathalie’s story without being bogged down with exposition and questions. We get to jump into the action right away, but there are plenty of callbacks in case you may have forgotten a detail or two from Spectacle. My favorite part, of both Spectacle and Sensational is all the detail we get about what life is like in 19th century Paris. Paris is a fascinating place in general, but Paris during the late 1880s, early 1890s? During the era of the Third French Republic, Belle Époque and the birth of Cabaret? If time machines were a thing, I would definitely go and party in late 19th century Paris - hang around Montmantre, get wasted at Le Chat Noir...

Speaking of which: one of the things I will freely admit is that I don’t speak French. Like, at all. I know a few words here and there, but Deutsch ist immer noch eine wunderschöne Sprache. So, in Spectacle there’s a scene where Nathalie is hanging out with her friends Simone and Louis along with her boyfriend, Jules, at Simone’s apartment. Simone has managed to get her hands on a bottle of vin de coca. Now, for some reason, I immediately thought “oooh, chocolate wine!” 

Yeah, vin de coca is not chocolate wine. That much became obvious as the scene progressed, and I felt like a total moron. 

Vin de coca is wine with cocaine in it. 

Because in the 19th century, that was just fine. I mean, just watch The Knick if you want to see just how much late-19th and early-20th century medicine relied on cocaine. (Seriously, watch The Knick - I’m still pissed that show got cancelled). 

Still, whenever I see the word “coca” I think chocolate. Because chocolate is great. Even though I know a “pain au chocolat” literally translates to “chocolate bread” and coca refers to any of the four plants in the family Erythroxylaceae, but mostly Erythroxylum coca, which is where cocaine comes from. It’s where the “coca” in “coca cola” comes from. Seriously, how did I miss that?

Speaking of pain au chocolat: fun fact, the Japanese word for bread, pan (パン) is a word they lifted from the Portuguese after the Portuguese went to Japan in the 16th century. Pan means bread in Spanish, in Portuguese it’s Pão (I guess the Japanese had a hard time with the tilde and went with the Spanish version instead) and it’s barely a step away from the French word Pain and the Italian Pane.

Meanwhile, in Germany, we say Brot because the Romance languages are insane and we want nothing to do with them. Hurray for the Germanics! In Dutch, it’s brood, in Danish it’s brød, in Swedish it’s bröd, Norwegian? Brød (you’d think it’d be the Swedes to copy the Danes since they’re literally right next to each other but...nope). Icelandic? Brauð. English = bread! And in Afrikaans, Dutch’s weird, long-distance cousin? Brood. Yiddish? ברויט (broyt). Even the Welsh went with “bara” for bread. 

And in Finland, bread is called leipä, because Finnish is it’s own special brand of insanity. Same with Hungarian (kenyér = bread).

Damn, I’m kind of hungry. Maybe I should go and get some bread. Mmm. Gluten.

Anyway, my point being before I got off onto a bread tangent, the word “coca” instead of “cacao” or “chocolat” should’ve been a pretty big clue that what Nathalie and her friends were enjoying was NOT chocolate wine. Also the fact that they started to get really high while drinking it should’ve been a tip-off. 

Also, there’s a scene in season 1 of The Terror where the Goodest Sir, Harry D.S. Goodsir, offers the increasingly frantic Mr. Collins wine of coca as a treatment for his lead-poisoning-and-ice-diving-vision-induced crazies. Wine of coca is mostly, wait for it: 

How that would’ve helped a man going absolutely insane, I have no idea. I mean, wouldn’t cocaine wine make him more agitated? I don’t know, don’t ask me how 19th century medicine worked. Frankly, it’s a miracle anyone lived past the age of thirty back in those days. 

This whole tangent was an excuse for me to include some glorious gifs of the world’s Goodest Sir and King of all the Sideburns, Goodsir:

Watch season 1 of The Terror. Seriously, it’s amazing. How have you not watched it yet? Also, watch season 2 while you’re at it, both will hit you right in the feels but in different ways.

Anyway - the whole time I was reading Sensational, I was laboring under the delusion that this series would be a trilogy - I kept looking everywhere for the setup for book three, and finished the book fully believing that there would be another book.

Then I learned that this series was to be a duology. Not a trilogy. And that Sensational was to be the end of the story. Honestly? I was disappointed. I kind of wish I had looked that up going in, rather than blithely assuming that all YA serieses end up trilogies (or quartets. Or just, you know, never end at all). 

So while this book does give our characters a nice ending, there are still so many unanswered questions that could very well be answered by a third book. We never did find out what exactly caused Nathalie two-days worth of memory loss that made up the cliffhanger at the end of the first book. Like, what about all the other people who were affected by Dr. Henard’s magical mystery blood transfusions? How many people out there who, like Nathalie, inherited powers from their parents who took part in the experiment? Acgh, there’s just so much out there that can’t be covered in two books! Bah. That and I just need more YA mysteries set in late 19th century Paris. More, I says!

RECOMMENDED FOR: Fans of YA Historical Fantasy Fiction, 19th century Paris, murder mysteries, and badass girl journalist protagonists.

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone familiar with the term hemolysis, anyone thinking that this was going to be a three-book thing, Lillian and Beatrice Bellacourt.

RATING: 4/5

RELEASE DATE: February 11, 2020.

TERROR RATING:

KNICK RATING:

ANOTHER PERIOD RATING: 

PARIS RATING:

ANTICIPATION LEVEL FOR THIRD BOOK THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN: Makalu.