#no one can escape the grishaverse on tumblr

[i-can-read-to-him]

The Wesper Fic Club's Author Spotlight is a post series that aims to feature two to three fic authors a month, randomly selected from a pool of names put forth on our server. The authors are then asked to answer three interview questions, select up to five of their fics for us to feature, and finally, recommend three fics by others in the fandom.

(Note: Our spotlighted fics are not limited to Wesper, though they tend to be a central pairing in most of our authors' featured works.)

This week, we are putting a spotlight on Elias's writing!

Socials: @starwritebrekker (Tumblr) | starlightwrite (AO3) | starwritecos (TikTok) | wellelwrites (Instagram)

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Part One: Author Interview

Q: What’s your favourite fic you’ve written for this fandom?

A: Do Us Part! It’s my first time writing a modern AU and I’m loving the challenge of finding modern day equivalents to the Crows world.

Q: When did you first start writing? What keeps you going today?

A: I’ve been writing stories since elementary school, earliest I can remember is second grade (seven years old). What keeps me writing is how much writing feels like a release. I’m not very good at speaking what’s going on in my head (see: neurodivergent), and writing it out helps me comprehend my own thoughts more and it helps me communicate my thoughts much better. It is my favorite form of expression.

Q: Who is your favourite character? What do you love about them?

A: Kaz Brekker. This boy is the embodiment of a person in survival mode for most of their life and not truly understanding what it is to come out of it. The world has hardened him but inside him, despite his best efforts, there is still that hope. That heart.

Q: Have you had a chance to interact with the SAB cast? Tell us about your experience(s).

A: Amita liked the photo of my Dregs tattoo on instagram! I love her so much and I’m so glad she interacts with the fandom so much as well.

Q: If you could be friends with any character in the Grishaverse, who would it be?

A: Matthias and I both grew up with organized religion being the backbone of our perspective of the world, so I feel like he and I could get along well. I want to give all the crows a hug (an air hug for Kaz).

Q: What are some headcanons you have that you consider your personal canon?

A: Kaz Rietveld-Brekker is transmasc. Argue with the wall XD. (I am nonbinary transmasc I hold this headcanon so close to my heart).

Q: Are there any songs you strongly associate with a favourite character or ship?

A: Francesca by Hozier is Kanej coded.

Q: How do you feel about your fics being translated into other languages?

A: Go forth and translate (just give me credit please and thank youuuuu)!

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Part Two: Selected Works

Do Us Part

Teen | 4.1K | Kanej, Wesper, Helnik Modern AU, Mentioned Character Death, The dog lives In Progress

Part of the Wesper Fic Club Big Bang 2024! The Crows run a funeral home in the suburbs of a modern day Ketterdam. There’s death. There’s a dog. There’s healing. There’s still a dog.

No Funerals

Teen | 10.1K | Kanej, mentioned Wesper, mentioned Helnik Vampire AU, slowburn, Wesper Child, Alby Rollins is there In Progress

There’s a figure that haunts the Barrel at night since time immemorial, he exists in the shadows and watery reflections of the canals of Ketterdam. He was once the undisputed king of the city, and now? He runs a gang of misfits and swindles the merchant council, not even death can escape his cheating. 

Forever Not to Disappear

Teen | 20.5K | Kanej, Wesper Sickfic, slowburn, healing from trauma In Progress

Kaz Brekker is stuck in bed (it’s a bad illness day) and is forced to reflect and process his emotions.

Clouded Judgement

Teen | 441 words | Kanej, Wesper Stream of Consciousness, Wishful thinking, Reflective Kaz Brekker Completed

Post-Season Two finale of Shadow and Bone, Kaz is hoveled up in his room, and his mind never stops moving. Nor does his pen.

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Part Three: Author's Recs

I’m The Perfect Stranger Who Knows You Too Well by @remadora-black / actressforever14 (my sister Cassie!)

Teen | 54.9K | Kanej, Wesper, Helnik Jordie Rietveld Lives, Childhood Trauma, Major Illness In Progress

Cassie’s description: What if Jordie did not die of Firepox? What if, instead, when Kaz returned from the Barge, his brother was waiting for him. Firepox would leave them both forever changed, but how will the course of the rest of their lives go? What will happen to Jordie when he realizes his little brother is no longer the boy he knew before, and that he has been left with a shell of a boy with only one thing on his mind: vengeance?

What the Water Gave Me by 19burstraat (astardanced)

Teen | 23.9K | Kanej, Crows friendship Post Canon, Canon Divergence, Angst With A Happy Ending Completed

Kaz as a Tidemaker. Get into it. Kaz as a grisha is extremely my sh*t. 

You’re A Dog And I’m Your Man by limelacroix

Not Rated | 27.8K | Kanej, Wesper Kaz Brekker gets a dog, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Kaz Brekker gets a dog. That’s the whole thing.Also extremely my sh*t

The Unexpected Visitor by insignificant457

Mature 90.9K | Kanej Post-canon, Implied/referenced SA, Implied/referenced sex In Progress

Inej brings one Bastard of the Barrel to the caravans for a family wedding. Hijinks ensue.

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Please support our authors by commenting and leaving kudos on any stories of theirs you read and enjoy! Don't forget to also reblog this post and check back soon for our next author spotlight to come.

Interested in joining our server and getting to know our community? Feel free to request an invite via the @i-can-read-to-him ask box.

[rhiannons-bird]

So… Nikolai Lantsov…

Seems I found another irresistible charming blonde to obsess over 😌

[ofliterarynature]

TBR TAKEDOWN: Week 1 (June 2)

TLDR: I have too many unread books, and I’m asking tumblr to help me downsize. Pick one or none, we are keeping it simple and friendly! Book descriptions below the cut, see my pinned post for more info. Comments and questions welcome!

A collection of blue covers to start us off!

The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

Tbh I’ve kind of given up on Bardugo at this point, especially the grishaverse, but I like myths/folktales.

Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns.

Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price.

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times—bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.

When I’m Gone Look for Me in the East by Quan Barry

I really enjoyed the author’s first book! I admit I’m less drawn to this one based just on the description, but not uninterested. The most recent addition to my shelves this week.

From the acclaimed author of We Ride Upon Sticks comes a luminous novel that moves across a windswept Mongolia, as estranged twin brothers make a journey of duty, conflict, and renewed understanding.

Tasked with finding the reincarnation of a great lama—a spiritual teacher who may have been born anywhere in the vast Mongolian landscape—the young monk Chuluun sets out with his identical twin, Mun, who has rejected the monastic life they once shared. Their relationship will be tested on this journey through their homeland as each possesses the ability to hear the other’s thoughts.

Proving once again that she is a writer of immense range and imagination, Quan Barry carries us across a terrain as unforgiving as it is beautiful and culturally varied, from the western Altai mountains to the eerie starkness of the Gobi Desert to the ancient capital of Chinggis Khaan. As their country stretches before them, questions of faith—along with more earthly matters of love and brotherhood—haunt the twins.

Are our lives our own, or do we belong to something larger? When I’m Gone, Look for Me in the East is a stunningly far-flung examination of our individual struggle to retain our convictions and discover meaning in a fast-changing world, as well as a meditation on accepting what simply is.

The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

I don’t know? I’ve had these for so long. But it’s got sailing ships, pirates, and assassins, so…

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her. And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse -- with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.

[tirkdi]

My Grisha Fic Masterlist

A list of fan fiction I’ve written for the Grishaverse! Rating is “Teen” unless otherwise noted. All book characterizations, mostly darklina.

Multichapter Complete

A Hundred Lifetimes Ago (Alina/the Darkling) (rating: M) (99k words): This fic explores the answers to three questions: What happened to Aleksander and Baghra in those years between Demon in the Wood and The Grisha Trilogy? How might the Darkling and Alina have pushed and pulled and eventually shaped each other if he had reacted to events at the Spinning Wheel differently? And, most importantly: after everything that was done to them, and everything they did to each other, what would it take for our Grisha trilogy immortals to be happy — or at least, have the potential to be?

This is a story of familial love and loss, and other types of love, and anger, and fear. It’s a story about what it means to be alone — and what it means to be together.

The Shadow of War (Alina Starkov/the Darkling, 135k words): Alina’s project in her last year of university has caught Ambassador Morozova’s attention. He convinces her to move to Ravka to bring solar energy to the villages; her role turns out to be much larger than that. Modern day AU and occasional retelling. Nothing Small about this Science.

The Wind and the Darkness (Zoya Nazyalensky, The Darkling): A triptych of scenes with Zoya & the Darkling set before, during, and after Shadow & Bone. Includes rumors, amplifiers, broken ribs, and Alina’s escape, all in the context of two egos large enough that one wonders they can fit in the same room.

Multichapter Incomplete

Mastering the Cut (Alina/the Darkling) (3/4 chapters): Dr. Morozova is a surgical prodigy and master of the cut. Dr. Starkov has the luck and misfortune of becoming his intern. Half crack.

One-shots

A Family Affair (Alina Starkov/Malyen Oretsev & the Darkling): Alina and Mal attend his family reunion. The Morozovas are also there. Features the Darkling’s Terrible Innuendos™. (tumblr)

Three's A Crowd (Alina Starkov/Malyen Oretsev & the Darkling): Immediately post-KoS. Alina and Mal's quiet night in Keramzin is interrupted by a newly not-dead visitor. They never made a very good trio. More of the Darkling’s Terrible Innuendos™.

Once Again, and Always (Alina Starkov/the Darkling): A bird falls in the darkness and becomes a husband. The Sun Summoner and the Darkling have worn a groove in the universe, and they get up once more to play their parts and say their lines. Deathless AU. (tumblr)

Legal Matters (Zoya/Nikolai) (rating: M): AU in which Nikolai & Zoya are lawyers who casually hook up. Mostly an excuse for banter. (tumblr)

Naming a King (the Darkling): Aleksander meets Alexander. Half a century-ish before Shadow & Bone. (tumblr)

Ficlets

Canon-compliant Aleksander gets a goat * Mal & the Darkling do dinner * Nikolai + Genya in the bathroom * A young Darkling visits Fjerda 

Alina and the Darkling rule forever AU Salvation * Yahrzeit * Kittens * Pink * Honey * Blame * Do not. Tempt. Me. * Apologies to William Carlos Williams * Enemy

Other Ivan sides with Alina * Nikolina surprise * Alina as cryptographer * Zoya/Nikolai + honesty * Zoya/Nikolai + drinking * Zoya/Nikolai + bleeding * Alina/Darkling at the camera shop * The Sturmhond

[oakthcrn]

{ OAKTHCRN }

indie sel pri multi fandom multimuse of original characters. loved by jackie.  private / mutually exclusive. Baldur's Gate III , Grishaverse, Dragon Age, Tolkien, His Dark Materials, and more! 

With malice, beasts will show their fangs. They’re in for a surprise Bravely I will wield my weapon I made from fangs of those that died.

Jackie 30+ / she/her / est.  discord available to mutuals 

MUSES • MEME TAG • STARTER CALL • SPOTIFY PLAYLIST • PINTEREST • EDITS • FRIENDSHIP TAGS

exclusive with @korzion ( she is lark's mama. ) blogroll: @beznakosta

Guidelines under the cut!

1. Hi, My name is JACKIE and my pronouns are She / Her. I am 30+ and work full time. I work full time and so my presence on the dash may vary. Discord is available on request.

MINORS. DO NOT INTERACT. IF YOU ARE A MINOR, I WILL SOFT/BLOCK YOU. I WILL NOT INTERACT WITH ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 20.

2. My muses are original character, and will be headcanon based with media influences. She is multi fandom, multi verse. All my graphics and headcanons belong to me. Do not steal them.

3. I do write smut, however, I only write it with people I’ve interacted with for a while and my smut goes under Read More on tumblr or it will be on discord in private. Anything of a sexual nature will be tagged

“ cw nsfw “ or nsft or tw nsft

4. I am more than happy to have asks be turned into threads. All I ask is to move the ask to a text post. I will not rp directly from the ask. It’s just too clunky looking for me. Do not reblog/like threads you are not involved with. Personals, do not interact. If you do, you will be blocked on sight.

5. Please do not bring drama or politics to me. This is a place for me to escape from the real world. if i’m doing something actively harmful please tell me. Shoot me a message.

6. Lark is a private, mutual exclusive blog. This means I will only interact with muses that I follow. I am considered low activity and may not post everyday.

I AM NOT A REBLOG SOURCE. DON'T REBLOG THINGS FROM ME.

Moving forward, if you reblog something from me that isn't our thread or something I have made for you specifically, I will block you. I've had enough being used as an edit / meme source. It really messes up my activity. I have it stated in my rules, and it is continuously being ignored.

Please do not reblog memes / edit sets from me if there is a source you can reblog from. The only exception to this rule is when there is no source or the source is deactivated, other than that, you will be blocked. Please respect this rule, I'm getting tired of having to repeat myself.

7. I am oc friendly and encourage ocs to interact, however, there must be a bio page for your oc. Please don’t take it personally if I don’t connect with your oc. Not everyone is going to have chemistry.

8. I will tag triggers and squeaks. If you have a specific one, please message me so I can appropriate tags. The only thing that I don’t like seeing is furry nsfw and images of excessive gore.

9. I don’t do drama. Don’t drag me into it. I don’t care about it. I will make my own choice of who I rp with. That being said, if you are racist/homophoic/misogynist -- other words if you’re a cunt, I will not tolerate you and block you. Be nice to each other, it’s not a hard concept. Do not bring drama to me. I will not engage.

10. I am not consistent with my activity so please do not pester me for replies. I don’t mind a gentle nudge every once in a while, because let’s face it, I get easily distracted or I forget. Ims and Discord are strictly for mutuals only.

11. There may be shipping on this blog. I only ship with chemistry .Eden is bisexual.

12. If I follow you, it means that I can see us potentially writing together. If after a week and you have not followed me, no worries. I will unfollow. I like to keep my dash clean for my own mental health. I will not follow you / block you if you use Amber Heard as a face claim. Also, this blog is anti JKR.

13. All I ask if you unfollow me is that you softblock me, so I am not following you. If you block me, please block me on all my blogs so I don’t accidentally interact with you.

[knightsofthedas]

{ KNIGHTSOFTHEDAS } SEMI - HIATUS

indie sel pri multi fandom DRAGON AGE MULTIMUSE loved by jackie.  private / mutually exclusive. Baldur's Gate III , Grishaverse, Dragon Age, Tolkien, His Dark Materials, and more! 

Jackie 30+ / she/her / est.  discord available to mutuals 

BIO • MEME TAG • STARTER CALL • PINTEREST • EDITS

blogroll: @oakthcrn @dionadaiir @heraldsbow

Guidelines under the cut!

1. Hi, My name is JACKIE and my pronouns are She / Her. I am 30+ and work full time. I work full time and so my presence on the dash may vary. Discord is available on request.

MINORS. DO NOT INTERACT. IF YOU ARE A MINOR, I WILL SOFT/BLOCK YOU. I WILL NOT INTERACT WITH ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 20.

2. My muses is an will be headcanon based with media influences. he is multi fandom, multi verse. All my graphics and headcanons belong to me. Do not steal them.

3. I do write smut, however, I only write it with people I’ve interacted with for a while and my smut goes under Read More on tumblr or it will be on discord in private. Anything of a sexual nature will be tagged

“ cw nsfw “ or nsft or tw nsft

4. I am more than happy to have asks be turned into threads. All I ask is to move the ask to a text post. I will not rp directly from the ask. It’s just too clunky looking for me. Do not reblog/like threads you are not involved with. Personals, do not interact. If you do, you will be blocked on sight.

5. Please do not bring drama or politics to me. This is a place for me to escape from the real world. if i’m doing something actively harmful please tell me. Shoot me a message.

6. Merrick is a private, mutual exclusive blog. This means I will only interact with muses that I follow. I am considered low activity and may not post everyday.

I AM NOT A REBLOG SOURCE. DON'T REBLOG THINGS FROM ME.

Moving forward, if you reblog something from me that isn't our thread or something I have made for you specifically, I will block you. I've had enough being used as an edit / meme source. It really messes up my activity. I have it stated in my rules, and it is continuously being ignored.

Please do not reblog memes / edit sets from me if there is a source you can reblog from. The only exception to this rule is when there is no source or the source is deactivated, other than that, you will be blocked. Please respect this rule, I'm getting tired of having to repeat myself.

7. I am oc friendly and encourage ocs to interact, however, there must be a bio page for your oc. Please don’t take it personally if I don’t connect with your oc. Not everyone is going to have chemistry.

8. I will tag triggers and squeaks. If you have a specific one, please message me so I can appropriate tags. The only thing that I don’t like seeing is furry nsfw and images of excessive gore.

9. I don’t do drama. Don’t drag me into it. I don’t care about it. I will make my own choice of who I rp with. That being said, if you are racist/homophoic/misogynist -- other words if you’re a cunt, I will not tolerate you and block you. Be nice to each other, it’s not a hard concept. Do not bring drama to me. I will not engage.

10. I am not consistent with my activity so please do not pester me for replies. I don’t mind a gentle nudge every once in a while, because let’s face it, I get easily distracted or I forget. Ims and Discord are strictly for mutuals only.

11. There may be shipping on this blog. I only ship with chemistry .Eden is bisexual.

12. If I follow you, it means that I can see us potentially writing together. If after a week and you have not followed me, no worries. I will unfollow. I like to keep my dash clean for my own mental health. I will not follow you / block you if you use Amber Heard as a face claim. Also, this blog is anti JKR.

13. All I ask if you unfollow me is that you softblock me, so I am not following you. If you block me, please block me on all my blogs so I don’t accidentally interact with you.

[junie-bugg]

The Heartrender - Chapter One: Ashes

Hey everyone! Here’s my latest Enemies to Lovers Everlark fic. It’s a fantasy AU inspired by Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology, more specifically Nina Zenik and Matthias Helvar. You don’t need to have read Six of Crows to understand this story since I took ideas from Bardugo’s world and then made it my own. It doesn’t take place in the Grishaverse but is heavily influenced by it. I came up with countries, parts of a new language, and backstories for my witch!Katniss and witch-hunter!Peeta. 

All four chapters have been written and I plan on uploading every Friday:)

You can read here on Tumblr or here on AO3.

Rating: Explicit

Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Sexual Content

Relationship: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark

Tags: Enemies to Lovers, witch!Katniss, witch-hunter!Peeta, AU - Shipwrecked, AU - Fantasy, Sexual Tension, Explicit Sexual Content, Furs and Fires, Angst and Fluff and Smut, sexually experienced Katniss, virgin Peeta, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, Loss of Virginity, Laughter During Sex, Blood and Injury, Imprisonment, Peeta has some prejudices to work out, Peeta also has an accent, Inspired by Six of Crows

Summary: 

He hated her. He hated her for what she was: an abomination, a demon sent to tear at the fabric of the natural world. He hated her for making him want to laugh. He hated her for being so brazen and sensuous and everything the women of his country were never allowed to be. But mostly he hated her because he realized he didn’t hate her. Not even a little bit.

After a shipwreck has left an abducted witch and a member of the ominous Order bent on wiping out her kind stranded on the icy shores of an uninhabited land, the two must work together to survive or face tearing each other apart in the process.

Chapters: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

Chapter One: Ashes

Peeta had imagined his death many times. A slit throat or an ax in the chest. Perhaps run through with a sword and thrown from a cliff. A warrior’s death, a man’s death, as was expected of him in his service to Sjorkden. Never did he think he’d pass bloodlessly and without a foe to fight. Yet here he was.

Drowning.

The frigid water wrapped around his body like a salt casing, water-logging his shoes and pulling at the cloth of his uniform. He imagined clammy hands latching onto his limbs, dragging him down, down, down. In the harrowing moments before he ran out of air, he watched dreamy streams of moonlight filter towards the black bottoming out of oblivion that was the ocean floor. Below him gaped miles and miles of seawater, and he would be lost to it.

He prepared himself for what was to come, slowly counting down the seconds to when he would snort salt water into his lungs and end it. No use in prolonging the inevitable, though his dreams lay like air pockets in his stomach, lifting him to hope there was still time for him to change things. To achieve something with the life he would have had if not for this stroke of bad luck.

Water pressed at his lips like an unwelcome guest. He was truly out of air now and the suffocating vacuum in his chest was enough to burst him apart from the inside out. The tips of his fingers began to tingle painfully, oxygen deprivation or the effects of cold, he couldn’t tell.

His last thoughts before he lost consciousness were of the countdown to drowning himself.

Three… two…

And then nothing.

X

Peeta awoke to an embrace. Thin arms twined about his ribcage, hoisting him above the frothy crests of waves.

His people believed in Gratka, the valley of heaven, the holy place of worshippers, warriors, and the most pious of women. A divine world spun from light and cloud, flowing with rivers of honey wine and heavy with the scent of eternal orchards. Peeta was not sure if he had been worthy of Gratka, but surely the chasms of hell would have been hotter than this.

He jerked his head about, trying to get his bearings back. His lips dripped with saltwater and his lungs burned with every ragged inhale.

He and his companion were bobbing on the frigid waves. The sky wheeling above was full of black, ominous storm clouds and the ship, The Bloody Rose, was on fire.

He hadn’t meant to, but he must have let out a cry because suddenly the arms tightened around him and a pair of lips pressed against his ear.

“You can’t save them. Just help me swim.” Then a strangled grunt and a: “Gods, you’re heavy. What do they feed you? Horses?” The words were choked, spoken in the voice of someone who had swallowed too much seawater and was struggling against the current. She spoke in Krellian, a sharp language of hissing consonants and hard breaks, only punctuated by the occasional swooping vowel. He twisted to face her, his lip curling in disgust when he saw those flashing silver eyes.

The witch.

How had she gotten out of her cell?

Her eyes bulged in panic as he kicked away, ripping himself from the circle of her arms.

“No!” she screamed as she grabbed at him, but without her there to buoy him, his head quickly slipped beneath the waves once more. His arms felt sluggish and he realized with a paralyzing rush of cold that she had been keeping his blood warm with her magic.

He struggled to break the surface, coughing up a mouthful of seawater and thrashing about as he tried to find her once more in the dark. “Witch?” he sputtered, ashamed of the sharp edge of fear in his voice. They reached out for one another, barely holding on by their fingertips as a wave crashed overhead, but then it passed and they were righted once more. He didn’t try to get away this time, afraid of his dipping heart rate and the hazy rush of dizziness that quickly abated with her touch. He didn’t feel warm, but the numb ache in his limbs lessened. He pulled her to his chest, locking her body within his arms like a vice.

“We can make it to shore, but I need you to kick. I can’t swim and keep both our hearts beating.”

He blinked the water from his stinging eyes, already exhausted.

She pressed the back of her head into his shoulder in frustration. “Jųlaik, ” she begged.

Please.

He grunted in reply and then started swimming. In return, she kept their hearts beating despite the cold. They weren’t sure which way the shore was. For all they knew, Peeta could be bringing them further out to sea, but with every passing minute the blazing ship they’d escaped from grew smaller and smaller until it collapsed in on itself, a charred heap dipping below the waves.

Not only had Peeta’s brothers in arms been on that ship, but Peeta’s future had been on that ship. Seventeen witches, four of which he had captured and that he could claim, all dead, except for one.

In his service as a witcher, he had brought forty-six witches to court and he had witnessed them all, his bounties, burn at the stake. The sweet stink of smoke and the way that charred flesh falls away from bone were all too familiar. This was his country’s way. This was justice. Four more would have won him his freedom, his manhood, his honor. Four more witches and he would have held the world in his palm like a flowering bud ready for plucking. All the blood and sweat and sleepless nights spent scouring the wastelands of countries far from home would have been worth it.

Hours passed. The storm clouds released their last torrents of icy rain and then cleared to reveal a bright purple smattering of stars above, carving their ancient celestial paths across the sky. The only sounds were his labored breathing and the sloshing of waves. Peeta’s legs felt as if they were going to fall off, both burning from the physical exertion and freezing in the arctic water. His nerves didn’t know what sensation to succumb to, retreating into numbness. He felt as if he were kicking around two logs.

The witch hadn’t spoken since the ship disappeared, but Peeta could tell by the way she was gritting her teeth that it was taking everything in her to keep them from freezing to death. He almost laughed at the irony of the situation. The witch and the witch hunter. Not a pair destined for groundbreaking teamwork.

So why had she saved him?

Dawn peeked over the horizon, pulling it’s smoldering pinks and oranges upwards until the stars faded and the moon was just a paling ghost of its nighttime brilliance.

“There,” the witch whispered through chattering teeth, her voice weak with exhaustion. Peeta turned his head to see what she had gestured to.

A coastline with tall cliffs crusted in ice and snow, and there at the shore, a black stretch of beach. Peeta swam on against the surf, the waves pushing them back out as if the ocean wasn’t quite ready to let them go. Finally, Peeta touched bottom and they crawled to land, collapsing on the sand with water lapping at their ankles. The two were heaving and freezing and giddy with the fact that they were alive, against all odds they had survived, though the silent celebration didn’t last long. The air was bitter and their wet skin puckered beneath its needle-sharp caress. They needed to find shelter, and fast, or the witch’s magic wouldn’t be enough to keep them alive.

Movement was hard. Peeta’s body felt as stiff as a piece of plywood and each attempt to stand left him trembling under his own weight. He looked back at the witch lying prone in the sand. Her hair was a tangled mess and clung to her face in dark, wet clumps. He almost thought she wouldn’t make it, that she’d just stay collapsed and never get up again. But she managed to rise onto her hands and knees, and then slowly to her feet.

They didn’t talk as they climbed a narrow pass up the cliffside. The rock was black and smooth, flowing magma that had cooled, dotted here and there with the greenish-brown blooms of lichen. Perhaps the land had once been volcanic, but that must have been a very long time ago.

As they reached the top of the cliffside, they found themselves marooned in a land of winter. Sharp white mountains jutted up in the misty distance and the foothills that spread out before them were dotted with boulders and stretches of snow and the shrubby, paling vegetation that hinted at a short growing season. It was a harsh land where only the most adaptable species could survive, and Peeta knew if they didn’t find a cave or some sort of outcropping to huddle in soon, they’d be done for.

Luckily, they stumbled across a cluster of circular lodges at the top of the cliff. The witch, shuddering so violently Peeta almost thought she could be seizing, disappeared past the thick curtain that acted as a door, shuddered one final time, and then collapsed onto a pile of discarded furs.

Peeta limped inside and scanned the den. It had been constructed and then abandoned by a whaling expedition, which were common this far north, though whaling was only done in the spring. The walls were layers of tanned animal skin and were held up by thin ashwood beams running from floor to curved ceiling. They looked like the bones of a rib cage bleached chalk-white in the sun. A thick column stood sentinel at the structure’s center so the roof wouldn’t sag and beneath it lay a small fire pit with a few half charred logs. The lodge was designed to house upwards of fifteen people, whalers with thick cloaks and packs full of food and supplies, but now just sheltered two shivering, salt-crusted water rats with nothing. The whole place smelled of wet fur and welcomed Peeta with open, shadowy arms.

“We should start a fire,” Peeta croaked, his throat ravaged by salt and exertion. He nudged the witch with the toe of his boot when she didn’t respond. “Are you dead?” A part of him wanted her to be. He hated owing her for his life, a debt he knew he would have to repay before this horrible nightmare was over. But if the swim had killed her, he wouldn’t have felt a shred of guilt.

As he circled around he saw that she was in fact very alive. Her eyes were propped open, wide and glassy, as if she didn’t have eyelids, shot through with red where there should have been white. She was chanting he realized. Praying perhaps.

It scared him.

“Hey!” He kicked her shoulder and the witch’s eyes cleared as if they were rising above a cloud line. “Stop that, it’s freaking me out.”

She glared up at him. “Never disrupt me again.”

“Why?" he sneered. "So you can curse me? Blind me or make me impotent? Cast a horrible death upon me and all my descendants?” Witches were known for curses. Pregnant women whose unborn babes had offered strong kicks days before, born bright blue and as limp as dead worms. Men cursed to wander the forests until they clawed out their own eyes and died of blood loss. Children swallowed up by thick mountain mists, never to be seen again. Death. Woe. Suffering. All at the hands of a wretched few.

“I have not cursed you. Your allegiance to a false god has done that.”

“And yet, we’re in the same predicament. Seems your gods have doomed you as well.”

This struck a nerve. Perhaps the same thought had been pressing on her mind. She narrowed her eyes, bunching her fists in the fur she lay atop of. “If I had the strength I would burn that blackened heart of yours right out of your chest.”

“Should I be worried about tomorrow then?”

“Very.” She rose to face him, hatred pouring forth from her eyes and twining about her head like a poisonous snake baring its fangs. He met it with a hardened look of his own.

“I’m still waiting on a ��thank you’ for dragging you out of the ocean,” he said.

“And I’m waiting on a ‘thank you’ for keeping your tiny heart from shriveling up. Trust me, it was no easy task.”

He smiled coldly. “My, you have a big mouth for someone so small.”

“And you have a big head for someone with such little brains.”

He almost laughed, but they had been through a lot and Peeta was tired of arguing. He crossed to the fire pit and ignored the eyes boring into the back of his head.

“What? No response?” she goaded bitterly, but Peeta didn’t rise to her bait, focusing instead on starting a fire. After scraping two jagged rocks together, there was a spark. Thankfully the kindling was dry and after a few harsh blows and a prayer, Peeta was successful. The fire was delicious, like a tiny heart slowly beating life back into his frozen fingers.

He realized that this was the first time in weeks that he and the witch hadn’t been separated by iron bars.

As if in response to the shameful flush of heat that had radiated through his body at the thought, he heard a muffled sound, like a bird’s wings rubbing together, and turned his head.

The witch’s dress was off, her body bared to him. Her small, rounded breasts and jutting hips shone like caramel in the soft light.

Peeta’s cheeks flamed, afraid that he had been caught staring. “What are you doing?” he sputtered as he moved to shield his eyes.

She turned to pick her dress up off the floor and shot a look over her shoulder. Her very bare shoulder. “You don’t seriously think I’m going to spend the night in a wet dress, do you?”

“But you’re naked!” He winced at how petulant he sounded, how very much like a child he still was in some ways.  

She rolled her eyes at him, but he was too focused on avoiding the very sight of her that he didn’t notice. “You’ll get naked too if you have any sense. No use in wearing wet clothes when you can let them dry.”

“You’re perverted.”

“I’m being practical.” She twisted the seawater out of her dress and then snapped the damp fabric at his back. “Now strip.”

X

He had to admit, shucking off his wet uniform and wrapping his body in a pelt had made him feel much better, though he was careful to cover the flesh between his legs when he did.

“Aw, you’re blushing,” she laughed. The sound set Peeta’s nerves on edge. The witch lounged near the fire pit on a nest of pelts she had constructed, wrapped in a glossy black fur that reflected threads of reddish-gold in the firelight. As she sat, the weak glow of the flames cast her features into warm relief, deepening the shadows under her cheekbones and darkening her lashes. Her salt tangled hair was as ebony black as a night sky with no stars and her skin was flawless, the color of water beaten clay beds.

“Come here,” she beckoned.

Instead, Peeta took a step back. “I do not take orders from witches. Even naked ones.”

“It’s like you don’t want to survive the night,” she scoffed. “See this?” Her furs shifted as she reached out a hand, allowing a dark sliver of her inner thigh to catch the light.

Peeta tried not to stare.

She pointed a finger towards the dwindling fire. “We barely have any wood left, and when the fire dies while we’re sleeping, the only thing keeping us warm will be each other. Now get over here. I don’t plan on freezing to death when I have a big lump of muscle to keep me toasty.”

She made a good point, but still, Peeta hesitated. What if this was just a trick? A lure to get him close enough so she could pounce and gouge his eyes out. Or maybe she’d wait to finish him off when he fell asleep, his beating heart ripped from his chest while he cradled her against him.

In the end, he decided there was little chance of them surviving out here with no food and only three measly logs to keep a fire going. If he was going to die, he’d rather die warm. Besides, having his heart ripped from his chest would be over faster than starvation.

He moved towards the nest, and only after he had discarded his pelt and shimmied under hers did she speak.

“Closer, lieutenant,” she urged in a singsong voice.

He growled in response.

“Seriously, you’re acting like a blushing schoolboy.”

“I do not wish to lay with a witch.”

“This is not laying. This is surviving. If you had any experience pleasuring a woman you’d know the difference.”

Peeta’s body stiffened behind her.

“Oh, don’t tell me you’re embarrassed by it,” she chuckled meanly. “I thought the whole point of your pious Order was that you prided yourselves on being virgins. That and murderers.”

He ignored the word murderers. Only a witch would consider what the Order did murder. Everyone else considered it justice. Shearing the rot riddled branches off the tree that was the human race. Magic was a disease, nobody should have that kind of power over another. It was unnatural and the world was better off absent of her kind, but he didn’t expect her to understand.

Monsters were always blind to their own evils.

So instead he addressed her derisive use of virgin. “We marry only when we’ve proven ourselves worthy to the Order.”

“Shouldn’t you only have to prove yourself to your wife?”

What a silly notion, Peeta thought. “A man does not have to prove himself to a woman. He has responsibility over her. Nothing more.”

“How romantic.”

“Do not mock me, slum scum.”

“I think I like ‘witch’ better,” she quipped. She was infuriatingly quick-witted and Peeta seethed in silence, unsure that he could contend with such a sharp tongue.

“Whatever,” she said after the silence grew too long. “Just know that there’s nothing to worry about. Even if I wanted to, I would never defile my body with the likes of you.”

“That’s reassuring,” he muttered.

Despite her declaration, the witch drew nearer. The goose flesh of her back felt clammy against his chest, but soon their body heat melded and all he felt was radiating warmth prickling against the chill that had settled into his bones.

“Why did you save me?” he asked lowly, unable to quiet his racing thoughts. A part of him wanted to keep her talking so he wouldn’t have to close his eyes and picture Yasser’s bloated body lost at sea.

“Because you’re a human being,” she murmured, her voice saturated with drowsiness. “And because I knew if you survived I’d have someone to cuddle with at night.” Suddenly, and with a rustle of fur, she turned to face him. He scooted back. “Relax, lieutenant. This isn’t where I have my way with you. I just prefer to sleep with my back to the fire.”

“Are you always so lewd?” he asked, the disapproval in his voice as clear as a church bell ringing across a courtyard.

“If you knew me you’d know the answer to that is yes.”

“I do not wish to know you, witch.”

“Good. You don’t deserve to.”

With these terse versions of “good night” exchanged, they settled against one another, though Peeta was careful to avoid the brush of her breasts. She smelled of sea and sweat and the musk of fur, but something sweet lay underneath all that. Lavender milk. A chamomile bath. Medicinal salves. Jasmine blossoms suspended in freshwater. Long tumbles downhill.

The smells soothed him, until he remembered she’d been locked in the brig for a month and shouldn’t smell anything but horrible. A spell then. He was surprised. He thought all Krellian magic was blood rituals and sacrifices, not a spell in place of perfume.

Despite himself, his eyelids grew heavy. The last thing he remembered before falling asleep was of slinging an arm around her waist.

[xnchxntmxnt]

Slowly figuring out wtf tumblr is, whatever

You know most of this stuff and I’m tired so...

1: Meg, according to you

2: girl she/her probably until I decide to stop procrastinating shit

3: 🤷‍♀️

4: ew I don’t like this one. To describe myself- snarky, stubborn, hopefully nice and funny. Hobbies- not enough. Piano, fencing, reading, letting you talk me into stuff like this. Idk. For the partner stuff just be fun to hang out with and don’t be an asshole

5: I really like alt fashion

6: mostly blues but ik you say bronze and I like those too

7: no clue it changes too much and I’m indecisive. Maybe this side of paradise again rn

8: halsey, Hozier, ATL. I also listen to acoustic versions of things a lot

MBTI: INTP

favorite show: NCIS Sherlock or mha Cz that’s what I’m watching rn. Can I say shadow and bone?

Favorite books/series: grishaverse, Shadowhunters, davinci code

Yay I’m done. Enjoy

So I did a lot of thinking on this...

You lucked out my dear

I’m gonna match you up with....

𝐵𝑜𝑘𝑢𝑡𝑜 𝐾𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑜

𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑀𝑒𝑡

Okay so

He’s not the smartest

People like to portray him as a complete idiot

I think he’s very emotionally intelligent

But that does not translate to book smarts at all

And finally akaashi (AGAAAASHI aka his best friend) convinced him to go to tutoring

And you being the responsible smart bby you are

Got paired with him to work for the day

And this dude couldn’t stop staring at you

You started trying to explain calculus to him and he just

👁 👄 👁

Staring

And flat out said “okay i...did not hear a word, can you explain that again?” because he wanted to hear you talk more

But eventually he broke himself of that and started getting really excited

Because!! He could do his homework!!

You did half of it with him and he went home and did the rest of it and it made. sense.

Ur magic, he’s sure

So he got ahold of his friend Akaashi and asked if he could try to find your Instagram or something

Which he did because he’s good like that

And bokuto messages you which basically looks like:

HEY HEY HEY MEGGY SO GUESS WHAT what I GOT ALL MY HOMEWORK good for you!! congrats, bokuto! THANK YOU I KNOW IM AWESOME BUT ALSO YOURE AWESOME THANK YOU FOR THE HELP anytime! HEY WHATS YOUR FAVORITE SNACK [snack here], why? ILL SEE YOU TMRW

you get to the room for tutoring the next day and there’s a thing of your favorite snacks with a little paper next to it

“Hey hey hey! Bokuto again! This part you don’t have to respond to if I totally got the wrong vibe, but I figured there’s no harm in asking. I wanted to repay you for all the help the other day, so I got you a snack for today...and y’know, maybe a date this weekend? Saturday night, dinner and a movie? I’ve got tickets for that new horror flick or we can go see something else if that’s not your style!. Have an amazing day, Meggy! -Kou”

With a little winky face at the end and a heart

Needless to say you went to that date, it’s bokuto, how could you resist

𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝐼𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑠

Alright when I say you lucked out

You LUCKED OUT with this man

He is

He’s so cute

And is such a good boyfriend

Like he’s naturally a very touchy person but if you’re not feeling it that day? No problem. He’ll do whatever you’re comfortable with

But if that means cuddling with you

Good luck getting him off of you

This man is 6’1” and 172lbs (via Fandom Wiki) of muscle and he’s

He’s such a cuddly baby you will not escape

He also loves having his hair played with so after a long day expect him to lay his head on your stomach/lap and demand that you play with his hair (but like gently)

King of pet/nicknames

Baby

Darling

Sweetheart

Love of my life

Beautiful

Sunshine

Expect a bunch of text and in that order too lol

He started calling you Meggy day one and he introduces you to his friends as “this is my Meggy but only I get to call them that”

He’s also king of compliments and randomly throws in new ones to see if you like it

Don’t worry about offending him, he just wants to know if you like being called cute, pretty, adorable, gorgeous, beautiful, etc.

So if you don’t like it tell him and he won’t do it anymore

But he’s still gonna find ways to compliment you

TW body insecurity you can skip this part

But bokuto is very tall and I have this image in my brain that like

He just naturally can’t get abs as easily as some of his friends and he’s insecure about that because he’s like rock solid muscle everywhere

But he’s got a little pudge and he doesn’t like it

So there’s that and stretch marks and all sorts of stuff

And there are some days he’s really upset about it and sometimes he’ll come to you and ask if you still think he’s handsome despite all that

And you just nod and kiss him and reassure him like you do every time

Not out of obligation, though—you just know what to do (after a little while) to work with him and make him happy again

Tbh give him tummy kisses he’ll be in love with you forever

Or if not just hold him close and tell him he’s handsome and cute and everything he wants to be but feels like he’s not

TW END

I’m gonna make you mad at me quick but I’ll keep this short

If/when you ever decide to process some things and decide you want to use more/different pronouns or something

He’s 100% here for you

He doesn’t care what you identify as (well he does that’s not the point though)

He just wants you to be you

The MOMENT you tell him any new name/pronouns/aNYTHING like that

He starts talking to himself in his room talking about you with the new thing

Changes your contact picture

Everything

Asks if it’s okay if he can tell Akaashi or kuroo so he can call one of them and talk to them about you for a while to make sure he gets it right

He loves you. Be yourself with him. That’s all he wants

And I’m always gonna be here for you too <3

Good morning and good night texts

He’s naturally an early riser so expect him to text you at like 5:30-6:00AM in order to say good morning

If it’s the weekend maybe closer to 8:30 but always before nine

And on Shabbat? Spams your phone and calls you when he knows you’re coming back soon

Just so he can say hi

And says “hiiiii” with this stupid lovesick voice and then goes on to ramble about how much he missed you and now he’s glad you’re back !!!!

I forget how old your youngest sister is but like these two? Best friends. Seriously. He’s so good with kids. The other one (yes I know their names I’m just being Internet safe lol but I know their names I swear) would probably love him too because how can you not he’s so cute

Overall he’s just a sweet amazing guy with a lot of energy and when he loves someone? He loves with his whole heart. He really does. And that means you

He’s also eye candy but that’s besides the point

You got a hot bf 😂

𝑀𝑒𝑔𝑘𝑢𝑡𝑜 𝐷𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝐼𝑑𝑒𝑎

Study dates

Convince me otherwise

U cant

Anyway

This man is so bad at studying but you have to give him positive reinforcement to keep him going

Which means kisses

And cuddles

And snacks

He eats all ur snacks but he always buys you random stuff so its okay

But there are some times where its a really really long day and he’s frustrated because he doesn’t understand and feels stupid

God i think he’d almost start crying bc this man actually acknowledges he has emotions

But he’d look up at you with the biggest puppy eyes ever and a little tear falls from his eyes and he starts apologizing

“I’m sorry I don’t get it--I don’t know why because it sounds so easy but I just--”

And it is now when you take this 6’1” absolute baby and pull him in and he curls up basically in your lap and lays his head on your shoulder until he feels better

Listen to him

Tell him it's okay

Play with his hair (because he loves it a lot)

And remind him you love him. Because he’s trying his best and he loves you enough to be this raw and vulnerable with you

𝑍𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑐 𝐼𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

Taurus is known to be observant and strong people and Virgos are practical and loyal. Putting these two signs together can be a perfect match for the two of you as long as the both of you can get over a potential fear of being hurt. Because really, neither of you would intentionally hurt each other anyway.

𝐸𝑑𝑖𝑡!

𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡

Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People (this is off of vibes alone i swear)

Take It Easy - Surfaces

Talk Too Much - COIN

Follow You - Imagine Dragons

Gimme Love - Joji

𝑅𝑢𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑈𝑝

Oikawa Tooru, Shimizu Kiyoko

[theastrophilearchitect]

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

Writing journey #4.

15/05/2021 07.22 My break has officially been over for five days, and i have done some writing, but it’s been incredibly inconsistent, so I decided to start this blog post over. Bay Tree has been archived, and though FSB isn’t done, I’ve realised I need to take a step back. It’s why writers leave weeks at a time between drafts--so when they return, they’re in a different mindset, and can improve their work.

For this same reason, I need to take a step back before I finish my outline. My thought process is becoming monotonous, which means I’m losing my excitement. When you start a project, you have the idea in your head as perfect, and when those ‘vibes’ become tangible, it is less exciting. That’s unavoidable. But I just need to take a step back, so when I return, I have fresh ideas, and the plot becomes more exciting to me.

So today, I’m going to start brainstorming a new idea I had, which I don’t have an alias for yet, and I have an idea to essentially bind every project I have together, but not in Grishaverse- or Shadowhunters-style where you need to read ten books just to read the one you want. Just a nod to anyone who does read multiple, like when Aelin falls through worlds and sees Rhys and Feyre for a split second.

So. Let’s brainstorm.

My plan, I think, is to alternate weekly. This week, I’ll work on the new one, next week I’ll do FSB. I could just take this new idea and apply it to FSB, except I just don’t see how that would work. I have different worlds in mind, and this new one is a fantasy where FSB is sci-fi(/fantasy. It’s kinda both).

16/05/2021 07.07 I really wish I was a pantser. Even though I haven’t got to the editing stage, my favourite part of writing is implementing new ideas and making changes, but I’m just not a pantser. I need to know where each part is going. Instead, I have to sit here, brainstorming, for days, to figure everything out.

18/05/2021 07.06 I did a lot of work on the 16th, but I was busy yesterday, and didn’t get any writing done, because, when I was free, I was just reading. So, I’ve decided I’m going to at least write before I leave the house, which gives me about 45 minutes this morning. 

23/05/2021 18.30 Based on the fact it has been five days, I think you can tell how good I’ve been about keeping writing. The problem is that I don’t actually have much past a concept for my new project, so I’m trying to figure out how, precisely, I could merge the two projects. FSB is interesting, but doesn’t have a huge amount of depth, which adding the characters from the new project would absolutely do, while the new project is lacking plot, which FSB (at least the first book I’ve planned) does. So, I’m going to start a new Scrivener project, and consider how I can merge the two concepts while implementing both plots.

Is it too much? I have only two main characters in FSB, but five in the newer one, which gives me seven main characters, divided into three groups. And do I want to write a book with so many separate storylines? I know readers (myself included) always end up favouring one storyline over another, getting annoyed when certain POVs come up. I don’t know what to do.

I could keep the new project, but implement FSB? Hold up. New Project (NP) has two protagonists who could undergo a similar development to the protagonists of FSB... I had a plan for the male protagonist of FSB, his arc, which wouldn’t work for NP’s male protagonist, but would work perfectly for its female protagonist...

Tumblr’s glitching. It wouldn’t let me reblog a post earlier, and now it won’t let me save this draft. Please, no.

Okay, so I had to copy what I’d written for today, disconnect and reconnect to the Wi-Fi, then wait for my drafts to load to paste it. Going great!

21.00 So I didn’t get a huge amount done, because I caught up doing ~evening things~, but I at least have a plan going forward, which is an accomplishment

30/05/2021 09.29 I’ve spent the last couple weeks doing everything I can to avoid writing, but i now have an insane amount of free time, so I have no excuse. I want to use this time in a productive way, and, for me, that means writing.

03/06/2021 10.31 I swear to god, I’ve had ‘writing’ on my to-do list every single day, except not doing it is probably my own fault, because it’s been so far down on the list. Also, I’m doing a buddy read, but am also unfortunately descending into a reading slump, so even reading 50 pages takes me about 90 minutes--they’re not even long pages.

I actually went back onto my old Wattpad account earlier, where I found a load of old, unfinished stuff, but none of it was as bad as I thought it would be, and the ideas weren’t bad. I just really have no idea what it is I’m writing right now, and I hate trying to figure it out.

11.30 There are so many Ss in the word ‘assassin’ this is not okay.

This is actually going so well. I have two storylines in my head, a complex cast of characters, and I’m so looking forward to plotting this.

04/06/2021 08.04 Look at me, two days in a row. Anyways, I’m thinking I ought to name these characters ASAP, because it’ll be easier to shape them to their names than it will be to find a name which fits them once they’ve been shaped.

14.41 Here’s what I’m realising: I like to pants plots, but I can’t do that while I’m actually drafting, so I think my plan is actually to bullet point everything that happens, then revise that, then start drafting, so the story is basically set in the first draft.

I’ve actually gone through a lot of stuff--I have workable plot material!

17.16 So, me being me, I’ve semi-outlined (I say semi-, it’s more like a tenth) a trilogy, meaning I have ideas for three books following this storyline, and it... makes sense. It’s the kind of story where I can follow multiple arcs, a few at a time, instead of several overarching ones, or maybe it’s just that I’m letting myself.

07/06/2021 16.44 I don’t have a damn clue what I’ve spent the day doing. I haven’t done anything in a couple days because it was the weekend and I was busy, but I’m back now. The thing is, I haven’t spent the day reading, watching, drawing, or doing anything, really--it’s escaped me. But, at the very least, I’ve relaxed, so who cares?

I’m not applying story structure to the ideas I’m having quite yet--rather, I’m just developing them to see how they bloom on their own, then I’ll fit it in; it just seems like a more natural and effective way to develop.

Yeah, no. It’s too late in the day for this. I have zero motivation.

08/06/2021 09.49 Maybe I’ll accomplish something today; who knows? Certainly not me.

I’m now applying the 3-act structure, but I’m realising I have way too many details worked out for this--switching to more acts.

22.20 Why am I doing this to myself? I wish I could say I’m not entirely sure, but it’s because I can’t sleep, because this project, and my character Lihan, are the only things I can think about, so here I am. I don’t want to be a night writer, but que sera sera (I wish I could type accents on an English keyboard).

23.22 I accomplished more in the last hour on this project than I have in the last four days.

09/06/2021 - 1,115 words 09.29 I really hope I don’t prove today that night-writing is my sweet spot--I don’t want it to be. Can the world just let me have a functional sleep schedule??

Anyways, so, as I’ve mentioned before, I use Scrivener, which enables me to sort which documents are part of the manuscript from the ones that aren’t. I’ve been working outside of the manuscript, but I think I’m going to move them into it--I have a plan I believe will be more effective for my own drafting. I think I very much need the events to be set in stone before I begin writing in actual prose, so how can I do that? Especially when I also enjoy pantsing, but not in prose?

Here’s the plan: I plot out the main events, then bullet point everything in very high detail, similar to what many people call a zero draft, in which they draft a book in short form. I’ll sort the bullet points into chapters (but not scenes, because as I discovered with Bay Tree, I find scene-blocking makes the narrative less natural), leave it alone a while, then revise, so I can have my plot more-or-less set in stone before I work on prose.

As a result, I’m going to shift my plotting into the manuscript section, because it is, essentially, an early draft, and also I want a word count as a progress metre.

13/06/2021 - 1,611 words 8.18 Alas, I have been busy the last few days, but I’m here now.

9.20 The amount of secrets and who-knows-what in this story is genuinely absurd, but I’m sure I’ll clean it up eventually.

14.01 A few days ago, I came across a post about balancing large casts, which is exactly what I have, and the first thing it mentioned was the two-trait rule, in which every character has two traits completely unique to them, to help both reader and writer differentiate. Which I’m now going to implement.

14.42 I have these two characters, and I know exactly what I want their dynamic to be, except I can’t decide who should be which part of it.

I have made my decision. It probably works better now, but it does alter their roles, so I need to fix that.

I literally swapped them round solely because I decided one was taller than the other and thought it would be more interesting if the short one was the sadist. Why do I make my own life so difficult?

14/06/2021 - 1,574 words 11.08 I didn’t make an enormous amount of progress yesterday, but I did make some, and made notes of ideas for relationship arcs last night, so I count that a victory (forced optimism--surprisingly effective). I’m currently just working through bullet-pointing book one, while making notes of events I want in the rest of the series (I’m projecting three books, and telling myself I will finish them). I’m currently fiddling with one of my storylines to see how I can mould it to FSB’s and OH MY GOODNESS I JUST HAD A GREAT IDEA must take notes, one moment pleaseeee.

Okay, so I have four bullet points for relationship arcs and an idea to adjust one of the storylines--I’d say I have six main characters, two of whom are really the protagonists, two of which are my favourites, and the other two are fun, but in need of development. They’re split into a group of four and a pair, and I’m definitely more into the storyline of the four, mostly because the four contains my two favourites, and it’s more developed than that of the pair.

I’ve been keeping a list of things to add: motivations, loose plot threads, plot points I want to include--I really need to re-organise it.

On another note, I am so glad I named the characters as early as I did. I’m debating having two of the characters swap names, but I don’t think I will, because I will absolutely mix them up, and one of them is part of the perfect ship name.

My mouse isn’t working. I changed the batteries, but it’s not working, so now I get the joy of trying to figure out if the batteries I put in are just old or if the mouse no longer works, which would suck.

Yes, I’m going to describe this. Mostly because when I changed the batteries the first time, it took a minute to stop working, and this will waste a minute. So, first set of batteries, which we’ll call set 1, don’t work. I don’t know if it’s both or just one, but if it’s one, I don’t want to throw away both. I take out set 1, I put in set 2. Set 2 works perfectly. So it’s not the mouse. Now I take out battery 2B, and replace it with 1A, so I have 1A and 2A in here. I know 2A works, but I’m not sure about 1A, but the mouse works, so 1A is fine. Let’s replace 1A with 1B.

Yep. 1B is the problem child. 1A works fine, but 1B doesn’t. Lovely. Crisis averted. It would’ve really sucked it I had to get a new mouse. And back to writing!

12.13 I’m bouncing between documents as I organise, which means my word count is actually decreasing, so I feel like I’m making significantly less progress than I am.

I just realised my two protagonists are cousins. I’ve had it in my head that one’s father was the brother of the other’s father, but somehow I didn’t realise that makes them cousins.

I’m about to delete a list because I’ve reformatted it--my word count is currently at 1,958, but is really about to drop.

AND NOW WE’RE AT 1,572. My session word count is -32. Minus thirty-two. I hate it here, but it’s fine, because we’re ~developing~.

15/06/2021 - 2,113 words 09.39 It’s not even technically summer yet, but it’s too hot, and I hate it here. All the windows are open, so everything’s cool, there’s a nice breeze, and lots of light, but the birds are so loud, and I have to keep all the doors closed because the open windows send them swaying and slamming. You know when you close a door when all the windows are open and it slams? Yep. Not into it. 

I feel like every day I try a new way to organise my plotting. I’m unsure as to whether that’s helping me or holding me back, because it forces me to review what I have, which usually sparks new ideas, but I’m not convinced I’ll ever get to the end as long as I keep doing this.

21/06/2021 13.40 I spent the latter half of last week with zero motivation, then I was busy at the weekend, but I’m here now. I’ve been trying to make myself write basically all day--I have a plan, and a list of things I’ve come up with the last few days, but I just couldn’t make myself do it. I’m not in a good mood, but maybe this will help.

I have, however, just reminded myself that I need to prepare this week’s post, because I sincerely doubt either this or my ongoing Recent reads will be ready for Friday. Actually, if I do quite a bit of writing this week, this post might be, but I’m not willing to bet on it.

And oh, crap, now I just want to write a blog post.

No. No I don’t. I started looking at the list of ideas I had, and now I’m just not feeling it. I’m pretty sure when I open my document for this project I’ll lose all motivation too, but it’s worth a shot.

There’s a specific relationship in an anime I recently watched that I want to pull apart--there’s this ship, and the author of the manga has called the two characters ‘soulmates’. There’s just this huge amount of tension between the two, and I want to re-watch the show because I love it, but also so I can take notes to figure out what was so effective about it.

13.53 I’ve been doing this for 13 minutes, but I do think I need to leave this project/outline alone for a bit, give it an opportunity to ruminate, to evolve. In truth, I may not even come back to it until I’ve re-watched the anime I was talking about so I can tear that ship to pieces.

17.33 So I just learned brainstorming is apparently significantly easier on paper. Hm. I’ve just worked out so damn much, stuff I’ve been struggling with.

18.00 I have successfully tied up so many plot threads, simply by working with pen and paper. This is revolutionary. (I know, not really, but it is for me, someone adamant about working with a keyboard and monitor)

22/06/2021 09.42 Seriously, why did I never try actually working on paper before? Something about holding a pen to paper and scribbling and drawing a mindmap--it just works. I’ve been obstinate about avoiding working on paper because I hate physically writing, yet here we are.

25/06/2021 11.09 I’m really not managing much reading at the moment--since I started reading manga, my attention span has just gone down the drain. I’m currently reading Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater, and I don’t think it helped that I had to stop less than a third of the way in to do a buddy read, but I just don’t have much motivation to read it, though I do so want to. I haven’t been listening much to audiobooks lately either, because when I’d usually listen--when I’m getting dressed, waking up, going to bed etc.--I just want to listen to music, because I also recently fell down the well of k-pop, and the group whose discography I’m getting to know at the moment is BTS. Basic, but they’re the fifth group I’m doing, and they have so many songs. Which would happen after eight years, but still.

I want to read so, so badly, but I just don’t feel like reading Mister Impossible. But I do want to finish it before reading anything else. I think I’ll finish my current audiobook, then if I’m still feeling stagnated in Mister Impossible, I’ll switch to the audiobook of that, then just take a break from reading until I’m ready to actually read. 

But this post is for writing, not reading. I did write on the 23rd, but I just didn’t update this post. The 24th I was busy, but my wall is now covered in post-it notes of world-building, characters, gods, plot points, and a whole load of other stuff.

Also, I had an idea for a book title this morning--not for this one, just in general--and when I went to add it to my list, I found a title that would so suit this project. I don’t want to say it, but let’s just say this project will be called ItLotG--or not. That’s a hideous combination of letters. I promise it is actually a good title.

11.52 I’m having another crisis over these two characters. I’m thinking it would make more sense to have L’s betrayal ‘arc’ initiated before the catalyst, or rather have it be the catalyst, except the problem there is that they’re not in the city they need to be in to receive that offer.

UNLESS,,,, what if this point happens just while they’re in the capital.... I’ve got it. 

17.16 I’ve been taking notes this whole time of everything I want to happen in books 2 and 3, and I have so much now i think they’ll be so much easier to plot than this one.

The downside of working mostly on paper is that my plans on Scrivener have been refined to one document, which is now only 878 words.

Right now, there’s a glaring hole between the midpoint and the ending, but my climax is one of those where the climax itself is a very small part of a bigger event, so if I figure out what I want to happen in this big event which is essentially the whole of the third act, I should be able to fill in the rest of Act Two with the setup for that.

So I’m leaving it there for both today and this post. In the last month or so, I decided to start over and mash two projects together, which created a whole new storyline I love, and now I’m mostly done with the first outline. I want to treat outlines as more than just preparation for drafts, because I find notes so much easier to edit than actual prose, and I hate writing without a clear idea of where I’m going. 

I think I’m going to call these ‘runs’--an outline is a run through, a draft a run through, so I’m nearly done with my first run, and I’m very proud of that, so go, go write the idea you have, drink some water, take a nap if you need one, eat if you haven’t eaten in a few hours, and I’ll be back with another writing update innnnnnn probably august, honestly.

Go write that idea!

[astrarche-x]

The Poppy War: thoughts

Context: I saw this book heavily recommended on tumblr and even though I didn't research it (to avoid spoilers), it looked like something for me. I also realized recently that I haven't read a modern high fantasy in a while, so when my friend told me "hey, I've read this book and need someone to rant about it with", I was like "sure can I borrow it?". It is worth noting that my friend's tone was rather disapproving and we mostly share our taste in books, but still, I approached The Poppy War with a very favourable mindset.

Which didn't last very long.

Fortunately, after some time the book got better, so: disapproval first, praise later.

- the first part, aka Rin's time in academia, was so predictable and cliche I went through it purely out of malice (to be able to roast it). It was fitting every cliche you can find in a books set at school and bore me to death.

- Jiang: aaaa. This is coming from my personal experiences, but I've had a hard time with my "cool but weird" teacher lately and I just can't get past this trope without being angry at writers who do not acknowledge how toxic it usually is. (tho in Jiang's case it was more or less ok) Also the reveal of his backstory was very predictable.

- Rin: i couldn't bear how "edgy" she was. I started to like her when the actual war begun and she turned from "i'm not like others lol" to "i'm so scared, i want to be safe. also what is sleep". (also because she has been a chaotic mess the whole time and the war actually made it more believable). I had issues with her character though - for example she comes to the academia when she's like 15/16 and even though a lot happens to her over the course of the action, i had a feeling she hasn't actually matured. Did she develop? In terms of abilities, knowledge, rage etc - yes. But I didn't think she was more mature at the end and it really bothered me (as i was still picturing as a 15-year-old and had to constantly remind myself that she's an adult now).

- self-harm: uuh handled in a weird way? It's obvious that Rin's self-harming to cope with stress in academia is not healthy and the context shows that the heroine is under immense pressure which has a bad effect on her, but the narrative seems to present self-harm as a necessity to manage life and never really condemns it - not only explicitly, but any negative consequences of it are also absent.

- this book (and Grishaverse) would be more enjoyable if I hadn't taken that basic Russian course. I cringed every time I read Kitay's name (and it appears quite often...). Literally why name your character China? It's such a bad idea...

- I don't know if the original edition has trigger warnings, but oh boy, i kinda wish Polish one had them too. Not that they would actually stop me from reading this, but I started this book with intent to get some nice escapism with a tad of intellectual challenge and I wasn't quite prepared for what I got. I saw a post that talked about how in fantasy or sci-fi wars are a thing that just happens and serve more as a plot device, but are not treated as like an actual tragedy and how this isn't the case for The Poppy War. I think this is a very good point and I very much agree with this but I wish this book was marketed in a more accurate way (with mention of the genocides) than "cool protagonist goes from poor orphan to badass" (almost literal description from the back cover).

- on genocides: the Golyn Niis part was so hard to read. It totally gave me flashbacks to the time when we talked about Shoah in Polish lessons in high school and I had to read like 4 short stories by Tadeusz Borowski about Auschwitz, one novella by Zofia Nałkowska about investigating Nazi crimes and one book about the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising by Hanna Krall & Marek Edelman* (and it was all in the span of like 1-1,5 month) - all of which were written by survivors of said events, so it was an extremely difficult and emotionally exhausting read. Parts of The Poppy War had the same effect on me, so it shows the author really did her research and is to be appreciated, although while I would like to know what happens plot-wise in the next parts of the trilogy, I think it would be too emotionally draining for me to read.

- Having said all this, I found the Speer genocide theme really interesting. The legends and propaganda surrounding it, its impact on both country politics and Altan's (and Rin's) personal stories... Also I really liked how Rin's perception and understanding of it changed. Plus it served really well as a backstory - its effect on the whole plot was huge and manifesting in unexpected places but without the feeling of being hammered into reader's head.

- Altan: that guy. He was an interesting character, but a very unlikeable one. He was such an asshole... (And yeah obvs still trauma and all that but he really was one). Also I found it confusing that at the end of the book Rin was like "omg his power is so strong because he's fueled by revenge!"... duuh? It was obvious since her convo with Jiang about lore students?

- But generally Rin's relation to Altan was for me one of the strong points of this book. I'd say that Rin's emotions regarding him were very realistically written - admiration, longing for approval, the feeling of similarity, anger, frustration about his expectations, the need to rise to the challenge he posed, to be his equal... And then the shock as he fell from the pedestal she constructed; the understanding, the pity and the sadness. I loved how complicated that was and that we as readers got to see that Rin's Altan and the actual Altan were two different persons, even though the narrative is close to Rin's POV.

- Chaghan: he was my fave character. This is, again, personal, but works of fiction work 200% better for me if the characters are well-written - which The Poppy War rather lacked: few characters were interesting and even less were likeable. Chaghan was both - maybe he didn't have a big arc and was rather a secondary character, but he was intriguing, had that close bond with Altan (I ship them) and also was the most competent person in the cike (Quara was the second one). He was very straightforward and had that no-bullshit attitude, but unlike Rin, Altan etc., what he said and his actions actually made sense. So every time he had to went away from the main character I was devastated...

- What I really enjoyed about this book was the parts about shamanism. I'm not an expert about what goes on in modern fantasy, but I have a feeling that a character of a shaman often appears in a very exoticised way (wonder why is that /s), whereas in this book it was treated seriously and was a basis for a great magic system. 9/10 very original take, highly recommend.

* books mentioned: "Medaliony" by Zofia Nałkowska, "Zdążyć przed panem Bogiem" (eng: Shielding the flame) by Hanna Krall & Marek Edelman, Pożegnanie z Marią by Tadeusz Borowski

[ivory-in-rapture]

Coming back to Grishaverse: on disappointments, bad faith, and growing up

I came across Shadow and Bone way back in the day, about 5 or 6 months before the release date. Back then, there was this website called "Shelfari" and I used to hang out there all the time, I wasn't on tumblr then. I came across this gorgeous cover and then I read the summary and I was HOOKED. I waited for months for the book to come out and so I could read it and when I did? Well, it really was exactly how I had imagined it. I loved the book. I loved the world. To this day, it's one of the only books in the world that makes me go feral.

Flash forward a few years later, the trilogy ended. I remember I cried a LOT when reading Ruin and Rising. It was just the perfect ending for me. But then... I started to see the reactions from everyone around me and they seemed to hate it? I wrote a small piece on why the ending was great and then I got locked out of my tumblr for a good couple of months. When I came back, everyone was very much hating the book and Mal and the ending and...I just unfollowed everyone and moved on. But Alina never left me. She's one of my most favorite YA protagonists and her story and journey one that is so close to my heart.

For years, I saw the fandom in my periphery and it was always a negative cloud of resentment. Everyone seemed to hate the books. When the Six of Crows duology came out, the new readers seemed to look at the trilogy with such condescension and distaste.

I hadn't touched the books in years. I was afraid to go back. I was afraid that if I read them again, I would somehow find that everyone else was right and that I had fundamentally misunderstood the story.

Because the story I had read, was about how power is not all that can save you and protect you from harm. Love can do that too. And it's enough to live a normal life. You don't need to be on top of the world. It's okay to live a small life and touch other people's lives in small positive ways. I thought it was a story about a girl and a boy being just that; a girl and a boy.

I was afraid that if I went back, I would find all this ugly fault with their humble lives. That I would get seduced to the dark side. So I avoided it.

Instead, I thought, "one day I would want to be a part of the group of people who will get to adapt these books and I want to tell the story of Alina and Mal, the way I saw it. The way I think they deserve it."

The news that the book was being adapted hit hard. I was terrified because if my interpretation was in fact wrong, now there was going to be a physical, visual, and undeniable evidence of just how wrong I was. So I drew in closer. I blocked keywords, I avoided all news, I stayed in my dark little corner, stressing.

I would still get the news because of course, I follow Leigh. The news would hype me up and I'd go to the tag and become a wilted flower again and leave.

I remember Leigh Bardugo said in an interview that if she could go back and rewrite the series, there were certain things she would change.

This was an ice bucket over my head. I was horrified. I thought, "Oh no, I was wrong! Even she wants to change it." I thought, "that's it! Darkling was supposed to be loved all along! I had it all wrong." and my fear built up. I kept thinking they would obviously change it all for the show. They're going to write Mal out. I lost my chance to tell this story as I saw it and now it's in other people's hands and they will definitely agree with all these masses who all think the exact opposite of what I do.

When King of Scars came out and there was this cult around the Darkling, my heart calmed down a bit. It seemed like such a tongue-in-cheek way for Bardugo to depict the clout around the character. I got very excited again. But it didn't last long because if I had the ability to misunderstand the books before, then I could misunderstand them now too.

So it was with this horrible fear that I waited for the show's release. I knew I was going to watch it because how could I not, but I was sure I would be disappointed.

Then I saw Leigh Bardugo's post. How she explained about her own venture into the dark and how the book was her way out and ... suddenly it all clicked.

You see, I was just 17 when Shadow and bone came out. I don't think I even knew what an abusive relationship was. It was a while before people started talking about the negative depictions of romance in YA. No one really talked about it before then and what do you know when you're seventeen, anyway? Nothing. Really.

I remember when I read the book, I stepped into the world of Grisha and the small palace, right along with Alina. I was just as mesmerized and amazed by the people and the world. I fell for the Darkling right along with her. I thought the infamous kiss scene was amazing. And then the reveal came and it was really an icy dip for me. I felt so tricked and stupid. I thought Leigh Bardugo was genius to have that in her story. I thought it was just the most brilliant thing to create such a charismatic courtship and then reveal such a disgusting, horrifying underbelly to it. I thought her villain was something I had never seen before. I loved to hate him. I loved that I could escape him along with Alina and find Mal. I loved those last chapters of them together.

I was too young and inexperienced to know that the book showed how abuse works.

And you see, I never went back to those books as an adult! I was too scared to look at it all again. I just trusted those feelings that the words stirred in me all the way back then and I never questioned any of it. And from the outside, I only saw people who saw it very differently. So I didn't trust me, anymore.

Then when I read that post by Leigh Bardugo, it suddenly clicked! I wasn't wrong! It was all there! It was supposed to be like that...

To say that the show depicting all of that so unambiguously, to show the Darkling like the creep he was, to show Mal and Alina like the kids they were, was cathartic won't cut it...it was all so heartbreaking.

I had felt so alone in the way I read those stories. Even though I loved this series, I never really got to talk about it, all these years.

I think I've found my way back to my light. I'm going to reread the books this year, I think.

I'm really excited to meet them all again. A reintroduction. It's been so long and I really miss them.

[loki-the-trikster-god]

lovely...friend...*dies* ur so nice ahhhh

asdfhjk in case u couldn’t tell, it’s clyde hehe

oh right caliban is the one that always lived on the island right? that makes more sense nowwwwwww. that... would be so cool to see. i’m looking forward to potentially seeing ur performance even more now (no pressure seriously i’m sure it’ll be amazing)

haha i like it when ppl are nerds with me i’m so sick of being the only nerd (other than one of my friends whose even more of a theatre nerd than i am, i’d introduce u but she doesn’t have a tumblr unfortunately, u guys would really get along)

haha sleep is overrated anyways. yes i love the fantastic beasts movies. apparently the fandom doesn’t really like them that much idk why newt is like the biggest cinnamon roll of all time and i love him so much

i also googled jude law and... let’s say ur attraction is definitely justified

special...clyde...thing...*melts into a puddle* honestly i love that so much.

i definitely feel the warmth, i love nicknames sadly my actual name is drastically unoriginal so nobody really nicknames me.

haha good hospitals bad although i’ve never really been in one since my sister was born (like nine years ago so i don’t remember that). haha yeah i rock climb (but i literally struggle with doing a push up soooo) and my mom says i’m good at swimming but i don’t drown so i guess i’m decent at it lol.

hehe hopefully u get better amigo :)

ooh yay i would love to read ur writing

i write too, but it’s not that good and i am very unmotivated so i have a lot of unfinished projects hehe.

i will become a famous author someday... someday

sigh

YES i love letters tbh it’s like a little piece of someone you can re read and it’ll have the same energy each time.

i’m glad u like it, i love loki he’s like one of my favourite marvel characters ever. and totally there with u on the tom hiddleston gender envy thing. he’s pretty

yeahhhhhh i’ve gotten crap for being clingy. thankfully i don’t like people enough to be clingy with people that wouldn’t like it. my friends find it endearing thankfully :)

ahhhhh yeah. only seven people in the play? cool. did you know the percy jackson musical had like only 10 people (or less) in the original cast? there were a lot of multiple roles, and extreme voice flexibility it’s so cool

not to mention it’s freaking hilarious

ah not liking infinity war and endgame is understandable, it’s a lot of action. i liked infinity war even though it made me cry (twice). it was rather intense tbh. not as intense as civil war though. i kept defending bucky throughout that, which irritated my dad a lot. endgame was good, aside from the fact that the ruined everyone’s hair! the hair is sometime i’m always sensitive about for some reason idk why. it just bothers me. probably why i relate to keefe so much. nice movie choices. i like... idk they are all pretty good tbh. i like doctor strange, but mostly because he’s benedict cumberbatch and sherlock is my favourite ever.

haha ur not thattttt judgy i think just very vocal about ur opinions unlike most people.

gasp i’m glad my ramble shelf is so pretty. sometimes i refer to my brain as a black hole, nothing can escape it except for u know the most useful information that i might actually need to use sigh. but seashells are so pretty yay.

friendly neighborhood dumpster fire lol. we laugh but it’s an accurate description of tumblr. like have u seen the grishaverse fandom? and their horse clown freddy carter it’s hilarious but also makes me concerned about all of our mental states.

neighbour is one of those weird words hehe

cursing? doesn’t really bother me. u do u amigo.

now for the question: do you like musicals? or just plays? or both?

thank you friend, i really enjoy talking to u :)

until next time friend :)

also side note: ur bio said u were a demiboy right, he/they pronouns? so i guess u could be a...

non-BOY-nary

i know i’m hilarious, right

it’s not that funny it’s actually like so bad but i made myself laugh randomly when i thought of this sooooo plz don’t hate me hehe

Morning, Clyde!! Always a pleasure :)

Yeah, caliban’s the one who’s mother is a witch and stays on the island. He’s actually a really sad character cause he has to stay on the island alone, and he doesn’t get forgiven and everyone’s just abusive towards him but he’s not allowed to do anything about it. It’s very intense to act, and it’s especially weird if your costars aren’t giving you much *glares at prospero* (I hate that actor rip.) anyways. You’ll see for yourself, anyhow, because if I get a chance I’ll post the full show. It should be done mid-May?

But yeah my god I’m SUCH a nerd and people that talk in-depth about their interests to me are absolutely just 🥰🥰. Aww I wish I could meet ur friend maybe some day I’ll be able to!

The fantastic beast movies are actually so good!! They’re really creative and they’re a part of thst world that the original books didn’t have at all, which is fascinating. Newt is adorable all the girls kick ass, it’s just Hecking good.

*siiigh* jude law,,,,,,

Aww everyone deserves nicknames!!!!! Special little personal nicknames my beloved,,,, they’re literally the purest form of friendship in my humble opinion 😌

Fun fact: I am incapable of swimming. I cannot put my head underwater. I’ve never been able to and I don’t think I ever will. I love the ocean but I hate pools, because there’s nothing to do if you are a coward like me and can’t swim lmao.

Rock climbing is crazy fun though, I went with my friends on a big trip two years ago and got to feel strong for a bit lmaooo

Oh god I can Never finish a wip. I don’t tend to stress over it, since the more I do the less I write, but mannnn,,,,, anyways I’ll find something I want you to read and send it soon!

You WILL be a famous author, and I will be like I KNOW HIM!!!!! And be so proud :)

Loki is immensely relatable. Cause problems on purpose king. I cannot wait to pirate watch the new loki show!!!!!!!!

I find you endearing, I think you’re super sweet!!!!

That’s very cool,,,, I’ve heard a lot of good things abt the Percy Jackson musical I’ll have to get on watching it lol

God I had SUCH a Sherlock phase it was my LIFE. It’s still a phenomenal show no matter what people say (yes the vibes are v different from the original but they’re different stories and that’s ok)

And I also liked doctor strange and Spider-Man homecoming. I knew I had forgotten some when I was making the list last time.

As for infinity war and endgame, once again it’s a personal taste thing. I’m very particular about how I like a story’s plot, so it bothered me that infinity war was essentially three hours of the first third of a movie. Don’t get me wrong, I cried, and then got irritated when I criticized it and all my friends went awww ur just mad that it got u like no that isn’t it I just wish I felt like my crying was justified. Like it was this really weird feeling cause for the character moments I was all in and then the action was kinda boring and because I can’t focus to save my life I was sorta snapping in and out and it made me ucomfy. But anyways. Good moments in both movies. I also just wasnt like,,,, a huge marvel fan before I watched them and you kind of need to be in love with the story to watch *that* much of it.

It’s true I’m Very loud about my Ideas™️ and I am glad it doesn’t bother you. :))))))

That’s so relatable I can never remember anything it’s so annoying. I’m trying really hard it just goes scHWOOP and it’s gone. Rip me. That being said, if I ever forget something abt u and say smthn dumb, please don’t think it’s for lack of attention. I’m listening and trying brain just doesn’t like me.

I do,,,,, not know what the grishaverse is. I don’t know most of the main tumblr things, which is honestly how I survive tbh. It sounds ridiculous, though. I also never watched supernatural, although I know a lot of the basic stuff abt it.

Neighbor is weird and I also just can’t spell. Neighbour? It looks cooler that way but I know it’s wrong. If I didn’t have autocorrect on I’d be unintelligible lmaooo.

Also I’m glad my cursing doesn’t bother you. I use it mostly for humor but frankly, nothing captures the energy that “bitch.” Does.

I like musicals a lot, I had a very large musical phase and now I have every musical ever memorized lol. I like plays but only good plays, so a lot of them are too boring for me. I was forced to read Our Town and Three Sisters and I just about lost it. As you know I’m obsessed with shakespeare and I like comedies a lot. But yes musicals are also a big vibe. Get me going on Andrew Lloyd Webber, I dare you. /j

NON-BOY-NARY!!!! I’m changing my bio. This is important.

Oh, friend, you made me laugh.

Until next time, bro!

[analeoftwocities]

Book Read: Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo @lbardugo

Beer Paired: Bound By Time, Enchantment Under the Sea, and Viridi Rex by Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company 

What We Love Abut the Book 

This trilogy was has been waiting on my TBR list for a long time. It’s the type of series that is right up my alley, and sometimes those books sit on my shelf the longest. I say that because, especially Leigh Bardugo’s books are so highly praised that I’m afraid they won’t live up to my expectations. So, by sitting on my shelf they can stay highly praised and highly anticipated. (I learned this when I read the Hunger Games Series and was thoroughly disappointed…sorry!)

But, I bit the bullet. I couldn’t let The Grisha Trilogy stare at me from my shelf any longer. So, down the rabbit hole I jumped, and I was not disappointed. I really enjoy these books. I won’t say they are my favorite series or even that they are flawless, but I did love being able to jump into a world and follow it through all three books.

There is something so wonderful about a fantasy series that opens a new world to you and engulfs you in it. I love when I am able to binge read a series and totally immerse myself in the world and atmosphere of the book. And, that is exactly what happened in The Grisha Trilogy. It was a lovely escape into an awesome world. It was not a perfect series. The plot has holes, the characters are interesting but somewhat predictable, and the story itself is very troupe-like in the fantasy genre. However, even with all this Leigh Bardugo has created one of those marvelous universes that wraps you up like a cozy blanket on a cold day.

I don’t think these books stand among the fantasy greats like Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Lord of the Rings, and the Shades of Magic Trilogy , but it is only a step down from those. Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising are great reads. The series is easy to read, engaging, unique, and thoughtful. Although they may not the best, The Grisha Trilogy is totally worth the read. Not every book should sit amongst the greats, because then, what makes them great? But, this trilogy by Leigh Bardugo has certainly earned its place on our shelf!

Quick side note: I wasn’t aware before that Bardugo’s other books (Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, and Language of Thorns) are connected or continue in the same world! Any many readers speak highest of the Six of Crows duology, so I am now super excited to continue reading within the Grishaverse.

Anyway, what I loved the most about these books was the setting. Leigh Bardugo has taken the familiar fantasy story and set it in a world inspired by 1800 Tsarist Russian instead of the usual medieval (or really anytime) Western Europe. This was so refreshing and interesting. I’ll admit I LOVE, I repeat, I LOVE Russian folklore and fairytales. Anything based in that world, immediately has my heart. But, Bardugo was also able to make it her own, and use the 1800 Russia to inform her world, her story, and her characters. I though she was so successful and effective! This aspect of the trilogy was glorious.

Another aspect of the books that I thought was really interesting were the conflicts that Bardugo wrote in. Of course, there’s the usual love triangle story, the story of the ordinary becoming extraordinary, there are quests and fellowships, but there is also class and race conflicts, and even religion plays a role in this book. Bardugo is able to layer many dynamic aspects into the plot, which only makes her books more interesting. On the other hand, I didn’t find her characters to be so dynamic. Most were pretty average, and although relatable, not super interesting. However a few did stand out – Nikolai (Bardugo is writing a book about him as well – King of Scars) and Baghra. Both of these characters felt dynamic and unique beyond the normal.

Like I said before, I really enjoyed this series. It was everything I want in a fantasy series – an amazing world, an interesting, fantastic story, and characters that are easy to fall in love with. And, for those of you not so fond of fantasy, don’t fret! This is not a series about dragons and elves and elves and magic spells (although there is nothing wrong with that). It is a political fantasy about power and social division, about good intentions gone wrong, and what it means to do the right thing. It is the story a meek, overlooked girl, who finds within herself the power to change her war-torn world, for the good or the bad. If you haven’t already read this, check it out! The Grisha Trilogy is an easy-to-read, enjoyable romp in a marvelous fantasy world. Enjoy!

What We Love About the Beer 

Okay, first of all, these beers by Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company are awesome. We have been saving them for a long time, looking for the perfect book to pair each of them with, and when we read Leigh Bardugo’s trilogy Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising, was the perfect opportunity. They fit so perfectly because both are out-of-this world, inventive, a worth a try.

The art alone on these beer works perfectly with The Grisha Trilogy. The artwork on these cans is something straight out of a fairytale with a little something sinister, just like within the Girshaverse. The art evokes Alina, the main character of the series, and her struggle with her new place in the world. Her whole life changes and she must come to understand a new relationship with time and power. It also connects to the quests she goes on to master her power. She ventures into frozen forests, onto a cursed ocean, and a waterfall made of fire. And finally, the artwork used in Viridi Rex reminds us of the dark, evil creatures called Volcra that live with in The Fold, and were created by an immoral mutation of science and magic.

Beyond their outward image, these beers were also an awesome pair for the books based on the beer itself. Bound By Time is Edmund’s Oast’s take on a classic IPA, and it is an absolute success. It is full to the brim with awesome, fruity, hop-flavor. Just like Shadow and Bone, this beer is an awesome start. Enchantment Under the Sea is another awesome IPA, but it takes it to another level. It has an amazing mango and pineapple flavor, and a nice creamy, lactose texture. Although it has a delicious complexity, it also has a great light feel. It’s a totally special, and will hopelessly hook you, just like Siege and Storm. Finally, Viridi Rex, like Ruin and Rising, was so good; I had to go out get another one. It is a great dry hopped double IPA that brings a refreshing warmness to your soul. It is well balanced, has tons of lacing, and the perfect mouth-feel for this style. The coloration is an amazing deep gold (like Alina’s kefta?!) with vibrant papaya and orange. This beer is so good, you can’t have just one!

These beers prove that South Carolina and Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company know what they are doing, just like Leigh Bardugo! These three beers and this Trilogy are awesome. They are the reason we love beer and books. They are enjoyable, thoughtful, masterful, and so darn good! No, neither are the next holy grail of books or beer, but boy are they worth a try! So, check them out! We certainly will keep reading Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse books, and can’t wait to try more Edmund’s Oast beers… once we can get our hands on them, or even better, visit the brewery! Enjoy!

THANKS AS ALWAYS FOR STOPPING BY, FELLOW BOOKWORM AND BEER LOVER! THIS WAS A SUPER FUN PAIRING FOR US TO WRITE, DID YOU ENJOY IT? HAVE YOU READ ANY OF LEIGH BARDUGO’S BOOK’S? DRANK ANY OF EDMUND’S OAST BREWING COMPANY’S BEERS? WANT TO TRY THIS PARING? WE CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR WHAT YOU THINK! REMEMBER TO SUBSCRIBE HERE, AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM, TUMBLR, AND FACEBOOK! HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!                        

                           CHEERS, ALEXANDRA & CHRIS

[leah-jeffries]

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! Founded through The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten is about showcasing a list of some of our favorite things. For July 25, 2017, we’ll talk about our Top Ten YA Fantasies. 

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo I remember SoC being one of the biggest anticipated releases the year that it came out. And it lived up to all the hype that was created around it. Leigh Bardugo practically destroyed me with her amazing Grishaverse that has turned into its own empire and how can you not support a band of misfits, all incredibly unique, banded together by the seduction of kruge and the greater good of their greed? I mean, granted they all had really tragic pasts and all of my problematic faves deserved happiness. They are so unique and Leigh Bardugo is no stranger to having her female characters outnumbered by the boys, but tower over them in terms of their own prowess and heroism (can it be called heroism?). 

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir I have no idea how to form into words my love for AEITA. I remember reading it and not really having it sink in until it did and then I fell madly in love. Maybe it was because I was in love with Elias. Or maybe because of the slow burn that was about to happen between Elias and Laia. I could have survived on a story completely Laia's own, but having the core three and the antagonists, the Nightbringer and the Commandant just gave me so much to look forward to in the rest of the Ember Quartet. I think for a debut from Sabaa Tahir, she shattered the expectations of the young adult and fantasy genres. 

The Young Elites by Marie Lu TYE was the first series I read from Marie Lu. I don't know I never really got into her LEGEND series, but I just didn't and I don't know if I can go back and read anything before TYE. Her writing is wonderfully dark and calculated in the way that Adelina is in the books. How can anyone not be interested in a story where the main character who is usually the good guy, the antihero? Adelina is definitely a harrowing villain in her own right, but when you get past the superficial villainy, how can you not appreciate and resonate with her beyond the exterior? She has so many complexities and I loved the ending for her - it was so perfect and unimaginably like anything else.

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh SOLD ME WHEN IT WAS MARKETING AS A MULAN-RETELLING. Now, it's not really a Mulan-retelling, but it definitely nods to the best Disney movie in all the land. I feel like it did have a sense of magical realism to it and I loved how the fantasy elements didn't overwhelm the story. Those elements made for such a good story, but having Mariko be the main thing to pull it all together was kind of awesome. Give me a cross-dressing heroine any day and totally give me scenes of needing to distract handsome boys with kisses. I go for that all the way. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas I was really struggling to put down ACOMAF instead of ACOTAR because I am such a fangirl for ACOMAF and Rhysand. Hah. But I just decided to stick to the first books rather than just go about being confused and conflicted. Sarah J. Maas has a knack for destroying my expectations in men. But what makes the ACOTAR series so great is the beauty in her writing when it comes to both the worlds she builds and the romances that bud with steam and magic. I am always captivated by how she words things and how she can immerse her readers in a fey/human world without completely forcing one or the other to disintegrate. I know that Maas is not everyone's cup of tea, but I love her leaves. :D 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo I'm pretty sure it was this series that got me hooked into fantasy. I think that if if she had written some wild contemporary, I would have fallen in love with that and gotten myself insanely hooked into that genre first. It took me a long time to get into contemporary since I was/am wild about fantasy stories. I certainly loved reading about Alina's journey to discovering herself as an ordinary girl, a legendary Sun Summoner, and then an ordinary girl once more. I think a lot of readers expect the glory of that sort of character to stick with the Sun Summoner, but I found that Alina's character was far more developed and explored because of her connecting to ordinary. 

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab I have a real sweet soft spot for books that are able to transport me beyond its pages. And I am such a fan of Schwab's work in all of her writings, but ADSOM has a special place in my heart. It is so imaginative and nuanced - people always talk about how worlds would be different through different dimensions and Schwab just takes it to that level where I am completely immersed in the four Londons and the characters that exist in them. I think Kell is the most excellent character to bridge through those settings and provide such strong characterization when it comes to the overall plot. There is just so much awesome magical realism that it's making me rather happy to think about while I write this.

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting THE PLEDGE was one of the earliest works of fantasy that I remember reading. When I first started blogging on Tumblr, I made a bunch of edits for it because I really liked the idea behind the world that Derting built. Having something so universal as language as the base of what surrounds THE PLEDGE's conflict is what really drew me in (besides the romance, haha). For using something so basic, it's something that really carries weight in the book and ties together the characters of the book. Plus, I love a historical setting with some magical elements attached. 

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard I'm so angry with the RED QUEEN series because there's still so many unanswered questions and STILL ONE MORE BOOK TO GO. On one layer, there's the age old story about feuding high and low classes. On another layer, you've got these cool X-Men-esque abilities forcing the separation of classes even farther. And then you whip out Mare who's both low and got powers - so where does that leave you? RED QUEEN! Behind this really cool historical setting fantasy, there's a crazy awesome heroine who is a heroine that many can aspire to. And then there's Maven and Cal who just devastate so much - not just because they're princes and handsome, but because their relationships and sorrow just WOUND ME. You should pick up this book if you want your soul ripped in two and then crushed. 

Caraval by Stephanie Garber TALK ABOUT TRANSPORTING. CARAVAL just came out this year and already it's become one of my favorite fantasy reads of all time. You've got Scarlett writing to the legendary...Legend about wanting to bring her sister, Tella, to the also legendary Caraval where everything is claimed to be just a big elaborate performance. But upon arriving at Caraval, led by a mysterious and handsome sailor, Scarlett realizes that there is more to Caraval than just illusions and tricks. This story made me feel like magic really exists - that despite the skepticism surrounding it that it is something that takes me out of a reality that sometimes I want to escape (much like Scarlett/Tella and their father). And beyond the fantasy and magic, there's definitely some meaningful exploration of relationships between lovers and family. This story is just wildly creative and imaginative.