#me reading Eragon: HOLD UP

[tategaminu]

The Inheritance Cycle 🤝 The Dragon Prince

[nexus-nebulae]

ok but the fact that we've been reading AND FINISHING multiple books recently....... the world is healing

[relto]

"ohh i will finish the vocab real quick so i can read" wrong. i will do all the vocab (not quick) and then not read.

[gailynovelry]

My introduction was Dragonlance and Drizzt Do'Urden, because those were the most interesting stories in my dad's bookcase.

[where-dreamers-go]

Man. You know what. I just really need more dad Eragon. What about him being in in the middle of training the riders with like this infant strapped to his chest. No one can concentrate. Baby starts crying. This calls for CUDDLES

“Training Baby”

(A/N: The sudden urge to draw the image that’s in my mind… I doodled in the margins. Hi! Eragon with an infant is pretty cute. Even if I think of it attempting to be the Lee Shang in Disney’s Mulan before the song. lol Warnings: none. Word Count: 423 words)

Clear skies and temperate weather led the leader of the Dragon Riders to hold training outdoors. Some fresh air was good, healthy.

Eragon knew that he, himself, could not be inside the fortress forever. Nor could he be outside and away from his little one for too long. A personal choice and a necessity.

He was needed almost everywhere.

“Now remember,” Eragon paced slowly in front of the other Riders, “even without a traditional weapon, you can attack or defend yourself with the aid of magic. The more complicated or difficult the spell, the more of your energy will be used. Be mindful of yourself.”

Before him, the Riders were silent. Gazes watching his every move.

A small, insistent whine pierced his ears.

Eragon lightly patted the bundle of fabrics strapped to his torso. He was awarded with quiet from his infant. His companion for the day.

Remaining indoors had not been a possibility.

Eragon cleared his throat and continued. “Even a blade of grass could aid a Rider as a weapon given the speed or sharpness. There may come moments where you must—”

“Ahh.” His baby spoke up.

“—think quickly—”

“Wahh ahh.”

“—and be creative—”

“Aaa!”

Eragon cringed as his baby’s cries continuously struck his sensitive ears.

He raised his voice to the Riders as they gawked at the infant. “Be creative with your words. Carefully. Take a rest period.” Eragon dismissed them as he turned his full attention to his baby.

“WAAH!”

“Easy, my little one.” Eragon patted them gently as he walked into the shade of a tree. “What’s the matter?”

The infant grabbed at his shirt as they cried.

“Was I boring you? Too loud?” He ran his fingers over their head as their cries subsided. “I was teaching. It’s my responsibility.”

They babbled, looking up at him.

“I can’ play all day.”

“Ah.”

“I know,” Eragon wrapped his arms around the precious bundle, “it’s silly, but it’s true.”

“Uhhoo.”

He chuckled.

What a responsible, silly, and magical life Eragon lived. So full of possibilities. Knowledge that could progress them along and love that could surprise him.

“Ah.”

“What?”

“Ahhoo.”

Eragon kissed the top of their head and earned a delighted giggle in return. “Is that what you want?” He kissed the infant’s forehead. “I see you smiling.”

“Wah Ahaha!”

“I knew it.”

Eragon, grinning widely, peppered his dear infant with affection and silly voices. It was necessary. Perhaps not to some, but why would he possibly care about that when his little one was filled with abundant joy?

~~~

(If you love my writings and want to support me, I have a Ko-Fi where you can buy me a coffee. I would be eternally grateful.

Best wishes and happy reading.)

~~~~~

DreamerDragon Tags: 

Inheritance Cycle Tags: @shewhobreathesfire @

**Let me know if you would like to be tagged in insert readers, either through replies, ask, or message.**

[tired-fandom-ndn]

Speaking of whump, I was reading Inheritance and I want to share a few quick passages that were a pleasant surprise and that make me want to hurt Eragon very badly.

Only then did [Eragon] realize that something was crammed into his mouth, stretching his jaw painfully wide, and that he was hanging by his wrists from a chain mounted in the ceiling. He tried to move and found that his ankles were shackled and secured to a metal loop in the floor. As he twisted in place, he saw Arya next to him, trussed and suspended in the same manner. Like him, she was gagged with a ball of cloth in her mouth and a rag tied around her head to hold it in place. [. . .] He and Arya stared each other for a moment, then a stir of motion drew Eragon's eye upward and he saw lines of blood running down her forearms from where the manacles around her wrists had scraped away the skin. Rage engulfed him. He grabbed the chain above him and yanked on it as hard as he could. The links held, but he refused to give up. In a frenzy of anger, he pulled on it again and again, without regard for the harm he was causing himself. At last he stopped and hung limply while hot blood dripped from his wrists onto the back of his neck and shoulders. [. . .] He scream into his gag as every nerve in his body seared with pain. [. . .] Despite the agony in his wrists, he resumed pulling on the chain, convinced that if he just kept at it long enough, he could work it loose from the ceiling. He tried twisting it, thinking it would be easier to break that way, but the fetters around his ankles kept him from turning very far to either side. The sores on his wrists eventually forced him to stop. They burned like fire, and he was afraid he might end up cutting into muscle if he continued. [. . .] He gazed upward again and pulled on the chain that held him, using as much of his strength as he dared. The sores on his wrists again tore open, and they sprinkled him with drops of blood. In front of them, the leftmost egg began to rock back and forth ever so slightly, and from it came a faint tapping, like the rapping of a tiny hammer. A profound sense of horror suffused Eragon. Of all the ways he could imagine dying, being eaten alive by a Ra'zac was by far the worst. He yanked on the chain with renewed determination, biting his gag to help him withstand the agony in his arms. The resulting pain caused his vision to flicker. Next to him, Arya thrashed and twisted as well, both of them fighting in deadly silence to free themselves. And still, the tap-tap-tapping continued on the blue-black shell. It's no use, Eragon realized. The chain would not give. As soon as he accepted that fact, it became obvious that it would be impossible to avoid being hurt far worse than he already was. The only question was whether his injuries would be forced upon him or whether they would be of his own choosing. If nothing else, I have to save Arya. He studied the iron bands around his wrists. If I can break my thumbs, I might be able to pull my hands out. Then at least I could fight. Maybe I could grab a piece of the Ra'zac's shell and use it as a knife. With something to cut, he could free his legs as well, though the thought was so terrifying, he ignored it for the time being. All I would have to do is crawl out of the circle of stones. He would be able to use magic then, and he could stop the pain and the bleeding. What he was considering would only take a few minutes, but he knew they would be the longest minutes of his life. He drew in a deep breath in preparation. Left hand first. Before he could start, Arya screamed. He spun toward her and uttered a wordless exclamation as he saw the mangled fingers of her right hand. Her skin was pushed up like a glove toward her nails, and the white of bone showed amid crimson muscle. Arya sagged and appeared to lose consciousness for a moment; then she recovered and pulled on her arm once more. Eragon cried out with her as he hand slid through the metal cuff, tearing off skin and flash. Her arm fell to her side, hiding the hand from his sight, though he could see the blood splattering on the floor by her feet.

[pricegouge]

Thank you for the tag @mikichko ! Ive been a bad little reader this past year so bear with my boring answers lmao

1) last book I read

The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji

2) a book I recommend

God Bless You Mr. Rosewater by Vonnegut goes under praised I think

3) a book I couldn't put down

Whispers in the Snow by Darcy Coates. It's not actually very good, and the sequels are even worse, but it was a page turner!

4) a book Ive read twice or more

Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis. Its been a hot minute so maybe it doesn't hold up, but I always found the prose quite funny and I liked the way in contrasted the pretty bleak subject

5) a book on my tbr

@400badrequest just recommended Sunshine by Robin McKinley, so that!

6) a book I've put down

Into the Woods by Tana French. This fucking book has sat on my shelf for literally a decade and the premise is convincing enough that every few years I try picking it up again but I just CANNOT get into it

7) a favorite book from childhood

Was a MASSIVE fan of the Eragon series by Christopher Paolini. So much so that even as a grown ass adult I kinda wanna re-read them so I can finally get that fourth book under my belt

8) a book I would give to a friend

A very few specific friends but, Between Men by Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick

9) a fiction book I own

Cities in Flight by James Blish

10) a non fiction book I own

Movements in Art Since 1945 by Edward Lance Smith

11) what I am currently reading

Nothing cause I've been awful lately but the last book I bought was You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce so perhaps that in a few days

12) what I am planning on reading next

Maybe the Leviathan Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld, seeing as it comes so highly recommend by prev

13) my shelfie

I don't have a proper book shelf because my reading area is too cramped, so have some pics of the area I like to call the used book store cause it's all just kinda hanging around (featuring an overgrown dog in need of a haircut)

I'll tag req cause I already did and I want more suggestions :) and @stellewriites @duskier @dozeydaisy @dwarvenales

No pressure and sorry if there are any repeats!

[modern-inheritance]

Modern Inheritance: Shotglass (Short) (Eldest)

(Rough, not reread, quick word vomit when the idea came to me.)

Set in the extended timeline where there's a few days between Ajihad's funeral and leaving for Ellesmera. Eragon and Saphira are still grappling with the loss of Murtagh, so Brom and Arya take the duo to the Varden's traveling bar run by an old friend of the elf's. Since Arya is technically off duty, she decides to indulge a bit and order a bit of alcohol, leading to the reinstatement of a very old rule.

~~~~~

“Is this really necessary in front of Eragon and Saphira?” 

“You know the rules.” Brom chided. He gestured with a crooked finger, eyes crinkled at the edges and stern. 

Arya stifled the aggravated sigh that was rapidly building in her throat. She hadn’t had to suffer this song and dance for a long while, even by her standards. Glen and Fäolin hadn’t particularly cared, they trusted her judgment and knew she had a firm grasp on her limitations. 

But Brom? She honestly thought he was just showing off at this point.

Though, whether it was showing off her deference to him– a deference not of fear or respect for the chain of command but built off their years of work together and her true respect of his opinion, mind you– in front of Eragon and Saphira, or him showing off the tricks and casual abilities of his wild child former ward, Arya hadn’t decided yet. 

Still. He had asked nicely. Even if she wasn’t on duty, she’d do as he asked. Ridiculous as it was. 

The elf crouched slightly and allowed the old Rider to delicately place the shotglass atop her head. 

Eragon watched, dark eyes filled with their usual curiosity. Flickers of thought passed through the air, images, sights, sounds, before he perked up with a cracked grin that split his face like joyous lightning. 

“Drunk elf detector.” He giggled to himself and spun around on the squeaky stool Coop had cleaned off just for him. From outside, her bulk too much for the bar just barely holding together at the seams, the raking cough of draconic chuckling rattled the dusty windows panes. Saphira’s snout peeked in through the doorway, taking in the sight with her own eyes before another ruk-ruk chorus filled her throat. 

Brom stepped back to check his handiwork. “And an effective one at that. The second that glass falls, she's cut off for the night.”

“You think you’re so funny, don’t you?” Arya mumbled, slipping into her usual seat. The shotglass balanced on her head didn't wobble in the slightest. Coop already had her usual waiting, the former Combat Engineer having disappeared off to the back to prepare for the night’s usual rabble. “You realize you’re going dry tonight?”

A sour expression colored Brom’s face. “Don’t remind me, girl.”

Gentle, a tug pulled at the thread she left open in her mental defenses. Arya allowed her former mentor in, taking a sip of her drink as Eragon began chattering about the tavern in his hometown. 

‘It’s worth it.’ The old man rumbled in her mind, soft and affectionate in a way she so rarely heard from him. He couldn’t hide it here, not completely. She could almost read him like a book after so long, and he had stopped trying to keep her from his true feelings when they spoke this way. ‘Worth it to see him smile again.’

‘I’ll drink to that, old man.’

[max-imumbooks]

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

I've already read Uprooted by Naomi Novik, so I was relatively confident that I would enjoy this book. And I did! Dragons in Napoleonic Europe is definitely right up my alley, and the fact that Temeraire (the dragon) can talk and develops a personality is even more so.

The plot is pretty straightforward: a British warship takes a French ship that has a dragon egg in its hold. They seize the egg as a spoil of war, it hatches, and one of the navy officers ends up becoming its rider. They train for battle, the climactic battle ends in victory, we're golden.

The real strength is in the characters. Unfortunately, it's mostly dudes. Even though an entire breed of dragons accept only women as their riders, we meet only three female riders/riders-to-be. And two are related. And none of them pass the Bechdel test.

It also doesn't help that the narrator of the audiobook was a guy whose female voice was just breathy and overall vapid-sounding. Even though none of the women riders were actually vapid. I just needed to see them more and get to know them better. Is that so much to ask?

One of the subplots was learning more about Temeraire's breed. He's identified as an "Oriental" breed fairly early on, but not much is known about his abilities, so we all mostly find out about them when they manifest in real time. Which is cool! I liked it.

I can't say much for the plot. As I said, it's pretty basic. But that said, I do think that it serves a good foundation for what I believe is already a series. I'm just late to the party. I'm actually pretty disappointed in myself for how late I am. I mean-- dragonriders are 100% my thing! So maybe I can also hope that the lady riders are featured more heavily in later books.

Overall-- I enjoyed this a lot. There's a line that made me laugh out loud, so thank you Temeraire! If you like Pern, Eragon, or How to Train Your Dragon, it's hard to go wrong with Temeraire. He's an absolute gem!

Rating: 4 stars

[bardkin]

being a ridden dragon & not yet knowing what that entails

inspired by @who-is-page's post here! i decided fuck it !! i wanna write (more) about the draconic aspects of myself, timidness be damned.

as a quick preface, i am a psychological 'kin! i hold loose beliefs in multiverse & a form of reincarnation, but i don't know for sure if / don't think those things apply to me specifically.

o()xxx[{:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::>

i've known i'm a dragon for a while, now. i go somewhat in-depth about it here in this entry about adopting/trying out the term folcintera for myself, but i didn't really touch on one of the newer revelations i had about it:

i'm the dragon in a rider-dragon pair.

as for how i know this, it just feels Correct. (far as i'm aware,) i don't have any past or concurrent life memories, or know who/what my rider is or was. this is a noema that i cannot explain further, as of yet. I Just Know this aspect is fact.

i mentioned [in my linked entry] that my first up close exposure to dragons was the Eragon series, which is what cemented my idea of what "dragon" was to me. ever since that series, i've been aggressively hyperfixated on dragon-rider stories; the kind of hyperfixation that waxes and wanes, but when it hits, it Hits like a Truck.

i don't think i'm from any one specific source, such as How to Train Your Dragon, Dragonriders of Pern, or Eragon. none of those really feel like places i've lived or belonged in. my specific brand of dragonity is wildly different from any dragons you'd see in the listed settings/stories, so i am not any dragon you'll see in those stories — but i also am.

moreso, i feel a connection to the dynamic between rider and dragon; the trappings don't truly matter, in the end. i am the archetypal dragon-with-a-rider, and see myself in almost any dragon-rider setting. i am a Ridden Dragon, and that will mean something different to everyone who interacts with dragon-rider lore — including myself. i am both folcinteric and an archetrope, in this regard.

before i awakened, and thought about dragon-rider stories, i thought i was simply wanting to live in a world where i could share a bond like that & go on adventures... and while that's still true, since i'm an escapist storyteller, there's a key difference between then and now.

i thought i had to relate to and imagine myself as the rider — and that never felt completely right.

now that i'm aware of and better exploring my draconic side, this aspect has come to light. and i have No idea what it could mean for me.

as stated, i don't know who my rider was/is or could be. i don't know what our dynamic was like, if our bond is of magical origin or through mutual trust. though, that might have something to do with me being archetypal, here. my rider could be anyone; our bond origin could be of any type, so long as it serves the purpose of the archetype.

dragon riding means different things to different people. sometimes it's about taming a wild beast, akin to horseback riding. other times it's a magical bond. and other times still, it's about trust and friendship.

i still don't know what my personal mythos is, or if i have one at all. maybe it is just that dynamic, nebulous and without a tether. or maybe it's just not uncovered quite yet.

i don't know how common being a ridden dragon is, be it in fictherian/fictionkin dragon spaces, or more general dragonkind spaces, because i haven't seen it talked about much. possibly because i'm just not looking in the right places, but, *shrug*!

i have no idea if this post will inspire any other dragons with riders (or maybe even dragon riders!) to write about their experiences. but, never know unless i post, so ;]

thanks for reading!

[4th-make-quail]

☕ dragons

OOOOGH NONNY, YOU'VE UNLOCKED MY SECRET LOVE!!!!! i've been a dragon girlie since i was VERY young and found my first Anne McCaffrey Pern book in a charity shop! i was so obsessed with Pern, post Sonic and Redwall it (and dragons in general) was my biggest special interest! one of my prized possessions was the Dragonlover's Guide to Pern (a not very lore-accurate book but a beautiful one nonetheless) and i used to draw dragons all the time from it!

i had dragon art on my walls, postcards and prints and pics i drew myself; i have a shit ton of dragon figures - especially Myth and Magics which are very 80s-90s now, but i love them so much still (my fave is possibly the Firstborn because it's a wizard holding up a TINY BABY NEW HATCHED DRAGON!!!!), and then i have another beautiful fave which i think is a Tudor Mint Age of Dragons, but i'm not quite sure cos it's hard to track down info on them, but either way he's green and elegant and beautiful!!

you couldn't go into a british new age shop when i was growing up without there being a fantastic array of fantasy dragon figures, but i was always very fussy with them because so many are just tacky and poorly painted, and a bit ugly lmao. but anyway yes, dragons!!!! in fact that retro sff art i rbed the other day with the dragon in space gave me SO many feelings!!! LOOK AT HIM!!! SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!! HE'S GOT A JETPACK!!!!

anyway so ofc Spyro is one of my fave games (evident from my reblogs lol) and i just love dragons in any and all forms really! i love the Pernese style where they telepathically communicate, and the Temeraire style with riding them into war, and the dnd style with all the beautiful colours??? idk i just love them slgh'fgf one of my permanent rings was a lil dragon curled around but i had to take it off for my carpal tunnel op and now i can't get it back on again 😭😭😭 i keep meaning to go get it made larger actually, i need to remember to do this!!

there was a time where i would read, watch and play anything with dragons in (don't ask me how long i spent playing Drakan: the Ancient's Gate, an objectively fucking terrible ps2 game LOL, or Dragon Rage, another objectively terrible ps2 game), but these days i'm really out of the loop as to what's out there, and there doesn't seem to be as much dragon fantasy these days anyway??? if anyone has any recs send them my way (just not Eragon)!!!

[brave-symphonia]

Felt like making another post on this. So far, the books on my list to read are the following:

The Hunger Games trilogy and Songbirds and Snakes Lord of the Rings The Locked Tomb series Howl's Moving Castle

Also, considering rereading the Septimus Heap series from my childhood.

I'm a bit worried it won't hold up, but it's one of the only non-manga complete book series on my bookshelf. I feel like I have to know.

I also have Eragon, The Cruel Prince, and Best Served Cold available to me. All books that either my sister or one of my friends said they'd lend me.

[snowsays]

when I think I might be exagerating my stance of reading mainly in english and avoiding spanish translations, I find stuff like the spanish Inheritance translation completely mixing up Saphira and Arya and making a pretty straight-forward scene, confusing af

how do you go from

"A breath of wind tugged at his hair as Arya sped past him. She ran up a pile of barrels and jumped, and her leap carried her high into the air, higher than any elf could jump without assistance. Reaching out, she grabbed hold of Thorn’s tail and hung dangling from it like an ornament."

to (and im going to translate it back to english so yall actually understand)

"When Saphira passed over his head, a gust of wind tugged at his hair. The dragon climbed up a bunch of barrels and jumped, rising in the air higher than an elf could. She reached out with her paw and got hold of Thorn's tail, hanging from it like she was an ornament."

so of course imagine my confusion when I get to the end of the next paragraph, where the narration is talking about Eragon only wanting to "catch Thorn before something terrible happened to Nasuada or Arya". I was like "why Arya tho? When did she get on the dragon too? Did I miss that bc I have been distracted?" but no! I actually had the english version open in my computer bc I wanted to check something, so I looked for the scene there and of course it makes sense there!

It just makes me so frustrated

this is your job!! Be ffr!!

[where-dreamers-go]

Well, dang, now I want their reaction to chubby!reader's advances! Your writing is just too good! (I hope you don't mind the Eragon spam on my part tho. If you feel like it's too much lmk)

(A/N: Hi there. It’s all good. If I’m overwhelmed I’ll make sure to say something. Promise. :) Here, we have the same two silly Riders! I had to think on this one a bit more. My writing for this is so silly and ridiculous. Warnings: suggestive comments and obliviousness. Word Count: 465 words)

Murtagh lounged on his side reading a book at the end of the bed. Relaxation time after a busy week. A treat to see. Some times watching your love in the middle of a calm activity was more attractive than him practicing with a sword. It gave you ample time to appreciate him being himself. No need for preparing for something out of his control, out of the home you two made. A safe place.

Safe, homey places meant domestic and intimate activities were possible.

You were keen on having some with your doting Murtagh. If he was willing.

“A good read?” You smoothed your hands up his back and settled them at his shoulders.

“The beginning was fast paced, but…it slowed.” Murtagh answered and flipped to the next page. “More information for later.”

“Do you like it?” You leaned down to kiss the back of his neck. Your thumbs worked into his muscles.

“The book or your attention, love? Both have a similar answer, but one I like much more.”

“Both, then.” You decided. “Can I ask which you prefer?”

Chuckling, Murtagh tapped a finger onto the book as your hands ran down his lean figure. “We’re headed towards dangerous territory…”

“Oh?” Your hands stopped at his hips. “Not up for adventure?”

“I thought you wanted me to have a quiet night in?” Murtagh smirked over his shoulder.

“Cheeky.”

Eragon balanced on one foot, keeping hold of his position a little longer than expected. Sweat dripped from his hairline. Even a Dragon Rider enhanced by dragon’s magic had difficulty preforming the Rimgar.

“Looking good, love.” You called from the shade of a tree.

He wobbled slightly.

“Especially at this angle.” You snickered into your wrist and continued watching as Eragon concentrated to his best abilities.

There was much enjoyment to be had. Starting to tease Eragon was definitely included for yourself. But there could always be more.

Thankfully, no one else was around.

“Eragon?”

He grunted.

“You have a cute butt, did you know?”

“Yes,” he huffed as he teetered from side to side, “you’ve told me…before.”

“Small, but cute.”

“Why’s—WHOA!”

Covering your mouth, you witnessed the Dragon Rider fall to the ground.

Eragon rolled over onto his side to face you. “I must ask… Why were you staring at my rear?”

You gave him a flirtatious wink.

His face reddened even more than it had from the Rimgar.

“The rest of you is handsome too,” you added. “Shame you’re wearing clot—.”

Eragon quickly said your name in a warning tone.

“What?”

“Someone could hear you.”

“Not if we go back to your room,” you suggested. “No one can hear us there.”

“I do need your company for a proper bath.” Eragon reasoned with mischief in his eyes.

“Don’t you always?”

~~~

(If you love my writings and want to support me, I have a Ko-Fi where you can buy me a coffee. I would be eternally grateful.

Best wishes and happy reading.)

~~~~~

DreamerDragon Tags: 

Inheritance Cycle Tags: @shewhobreathesfire @emburbaguette

**Let me know if you would like to be tagged in insert readers, either through replies, ask, or message.**

[sideshrimp]

Booktok is ruining books?

I am currently rereading the Inheritance Cycle so I can pick up the 5th book, and it's kinda crazy to remember this was written by a 15-year-old? The revelation is extra startling because I read fourth wing a few months ago-they have pretty similar premises: dragon riders, telepathic connection, special powers, evil empire, etc. Obviously, they are aiming for completely different crowds but if someone would have advertised Fourth Wing as for fans of the inheritance cycle and acotar I wouldn't bat an eye. The common premise got me thinking a lot about what I didn't like about Fourth Wing, and I'm very struck by how much better constructed the story is in Eragon. The world-building makes more sense, the character's voice is more distinct and overall the plot has an actual arc and the pacing is much better!

(Granted I'm not acting like Eragon is peak literature, it's derivative and trope-ridden and has a classic hero's journey that we've seen a thousand times. However, as a middle-grade novel it works well as an introduction to fantasy and throughout the series finds ways to differentiate itself. Moreover, it is just a better-polished work)

There is also this other conversation about the declining quality of books since this Bloomsberg article came out: TikTok Is Turning the Publishing World Into Fast Fashion & to say its sparked a lot of conversation would be an understatement, but much of the article focuses on the release of Iron Flame (Fourth Wings much-anticipated sequel) in particular, and I can't say I agree 100% with it.

1. The title is obviously meant to catch your attention but now that I keep seeing people repeat it I just want to clarify that the biggest critique of fast fashion is that it is unsustainable, promotes overconsumption, and relies on cheap and unethical labor practices, so like no I don't think comparing publishing to that is 100% warranted instead the issue is mostly surrounding lack of quality, misprints, and the fact that many books read like unedited first drafts.

2. The article spends so much time focusing on Yarro's appropriation of Scottish Gaelic, and the obvious lack of research that went into it, and while yeah I agree its poorly researched. I also don't think this is some new phenomenon like authors leach off other cultures all the time for aesthetic purposes, especially from the middle east and people don't really seem to care then soooo....

What I do think can be gleamed from Yarro's success and the strategy used by her publisher Red Tower is that TikTok is definitely having an effect on publishing, relying a lot more on hype through influencer marketing and special editions than the actual craft and quality of the writing, so it makes sense they would blow more of their budget on marketing, sprayed edges, and extra arcs than spend the time or money on editors or sensitivity readers. Furthermore, it is difficult to do either of those things when you are fighting an algorithm that only spotlights a book for a good 2 weeks or so before it moves on to something else. It's no surprise then that publishers like Red Tower would crack this formula through their special editions, influencer marketing, and forced scarcity, and its also no surprise that once the FOMO wore off and the hype bubble popped people realized the writing was actually kind of shit.

In terms of overconsumption, TikTok is always going to promote it. You need to post on the site almost every day for the algorithm to work for you and bc it relies heavily on videos rather than photos you need to own a lot more to make decent content. In general its bad, but unlike clothing that goes out of style and is tossed in the bin, people do tend to hold on to their books, and large personal libraries do predate Tiktok. I highly recommend you support your local libraries whenever you can!

Honestly, I think there is so much more to be said about the pressure Booktok puts on people to read more and how this leads people to skim or avoid more challenging books, and the rise in anti-intellectualism but I think I have rambled enough.

[fallhound]

hi @charlottan, book tag game :3

Favorite books: It is so so hard for me to pick favourites. uhhhhhh... Night Watch by Pratchett, and honestly I could put a lot of Pratchett's books on here. but I won't. Wiedźmin Sapkowskiego, a lot of polish romanticism, satire, and war nonfiction; Sienkiewicz, Mickiewicz, Krasicki, Białoszewski, Borowski. A lot of Brandon Sanderson books; mistborn came to mind first

Favorite authors: a lot were mentioned above. Pratchett is probably the highest up there.

Favorite genres: fantasy, post-apocalyptic (or what I like to call: post post-apocalyptic) and historic nonfiction. Yuri.

Book(s) you’re currently reading: Sideways in time by Murray Leinster, After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz, Macbeth by Shakespeare (plays count, shut up)

Books on your to read list: waaah too many to mention. I still have like 8 ones I've picked up from various used bookstores, my library holds currently are for The Terror by Dan Simmons, Hamlet (particularly choice audiobook), & The city and the city by China Miéville.

Books you loved as a child: Felix, Net i Nika Rafała Kosika, Animorphs by Katherine Applegate, Eragon by Christopher Paolini, Strrraszna Historia (various authors)

Preferred book length: with how I get INTO a book and refuse to put it down until it's over; I wanna say like. 100-150k words??? I dunno tho, I also like small books I can devour in one day, and I also like Project Books.

Books you couldn’t finish: I generally don't bother to remember things that I didn't enjoy or at least disliked in an interesting way. The most recent book I didn't finish was a 2 dollar used bookstore pickup Falling off the map: some lonely places of the world by Pico Iyer. the premise was amazing but then it just ended up being a bunch of British privileged takes on people the author clearly deemed as lesser. HOW IS ICELAND OR CUBA "FORGOTTEN"???? I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE TINY TOWNS, ACTUALLY INTERESTING THINGS, NOT WHOLE FUCKING CULTURES YOU FUC-

Fiction or nonfiction: as a Writer I lean fiction 95%, and as such read a lot of it and learn from a lot of it, but also as someone who was always interested in history of People's, not armies, I've read a lot of nonfiction; journals and such. Both are great, recently I've been on a larger nonfiction kick tho

Buy, borrow from library, or read online: I'm sadly also a buycel, I love physical books. However, I'm also huge on audiobooks, and used to use my kindle a lot. In reality my sortof. division would be: buy from used bookstores, borrow audiobooks from your local libraries, steal ebooks and put them onto a cracked eReader as last resort.

Author you’ve read the most of, but DON’T recommend: I dunno! I mean, hm. I don't know how the Witcher translations are, translating from a nice and juicy language into English is lossy as hell so those version gotta be mid and I would not recommend anyone learn Polish unless you have a damn good reason.

Favorite book character: Can I put a cop on here? cause first character I thought of was Vimes from Pratchett's city watch. He's complicated and a bastard. honestly, a lot of Pratchett's characters. Angua, Carrot, Vetinari even.

If you at some point stopped reading but then started again, what book/books got you into reading again: Gideon the ninth :) I used to read 2-4 books a week as a child, then depression hit, then immigration, money and space and house insecurity, and I stopped until pretty recently :) now I'm back babey

Tagging ANYONE in this, if you do do this, please tag me :)