#not to mention how much she loves nikolai and that IS entirely his element

[spellboundinks]

Happy STS! I’m not sure WHY I’m thinking about D&D, there’s absolutely no reason for it at all, but let’s say the kiddos from IL are in a campaign scenario -what are their classes, personas, and alignments?

Huh funny thing I’ve been thinking about dnd quite a lot this week too what a coincidence. This is like seven asks in one though omg!

First off, Nikolai would 100% be teaching these young adults how to play dnd in the library and he would def be the dm for them. He’d plan for weeks, draw up maps and props and ask Karma (the librarian) for her input.

Harmony: Lightfoot Halfling Ranger Lawful Good

I think Harmony would gravitate to the more human-like races and I think she’d find the Lightfoot Halfling to be a good choice. I think she’d enjoy their ability to go unnoticed and how they get along well with others. I think she would also choose the ranger class as a pretty fun and classic fantasy choice. I went for lawful good with her because I think she’d be most comfortable playing with that alignment.

Kirt: Half-Orc Sorcerer Chaotic Good

Kirt would gravitate to a character that’s fun and exciting and isn’t predictable. I think he’d find half-orcs to be really cool and the sorcerer class would allow him to play with a bunch of cool spells (not to mention sorcerer class has striking similarities to his own abilities and their origin). Chaotic good would allow him lots of room to push the character and the narrative in fun directions.

Ellody: Tiefling Rogue True Neutral

Any chance for Ellody to have the cool, mysterious, brooding character is an opportunity she’s going to take. I think she’d really enjoy playing a Tiefling Rogue and the true neutral alignment would allow her lots of freedom and opportunity in her actions.

Winic: Human Cleric or Wizard Lawful Neutral

Winic is not exactly one to play make believe so he’s going to go with something as close to reality as possible. Which means something pretty close to himself. None of the fantasy races are appealing to him so he’s sticking with human. As for class, he’s going to choose something that is thought highly of. He would find the cleric appealing for its service to a higher power, but I could also see him going for the wizard class because wizards are also scholars. Lawful neutral means a lot of rule following and he would be most comfortable with that. Guaranteed WInic reads the wrong edition handbook and argues with Nikolai the entire game about the rules.

Claron: Eladrin Elf Druid Chaotic Neutral

I think the elf race and druid class were made for Claron. Druids are very much magical like her, but even more specifically tied to nature and I think she’d really enjoy that. She’d have a lot of fun with a chaotic neutral alignment. I think she would choose the Eladrin subrace specifically because the Feywild realm would interest her.

Jasper: Air Genasi Bard Neutral Evil

Look, Jasper’s an air elemental. It seems the obvious choice, and Jasper would love to get inspiration for making use of the abilities in ways the game might never have thought of but he, as a practicing air elemental, would. Also I think he would get a kick out of the bard class and it suits his personality well. He would choose neutral evil not because he’s evil but because playing a snarky, monologuing bard would be right up his alley.

Anny: Water Genasi Fighter Neutral Good

Like Jasper, Anny would also gravitate to a Genasi because she herself is a water elemental. So she too can come up with creative ways to use the Genasi’s abilities to help the campaign. Anny has a fighting spirit so she would LOVE to be the big tough fighter in the group. And of course she’s going to fight for good.

Thank you for the ask Rachy!!!

[mermaidsirennikita]

February 2019 Book Roundup

February was the month that I decided to give the Shadow and Bone trilogy another shot.  And it was mediocre, as were most of the books I read this month.  The standout was probably Robinne Lee’s Harry Styles fanfic novel The Idea of You, but even that was a 3 star read.  Wish me luck next month!

99% Mine by Sally Thorne.  2/5.  Darcy has long been in love with Tom Valeska, her childhood friend.  Unfortunately, Tom is equally close--if not closer--to Darcy’s twin brother, Jamie.  Between her estrangement from Jamie, Tom’s engagement to another woman, and their unsaid fears of what getting together would mean for the trio as a whole, Tom and Darcy have never made it happen.  But now that Tom is the contractor for the renovation project on Darcy’s grandmother’s house, they’ll have a whole summer together--without Jamie.  And Darcy may just be able to make Tom entirely hers.  I HATE giving this two stars.  I loved Thorne’s debut, The Hating Game--and this should have been just as good.  The fact is that Darcy kind of ruined it.  I love an aggressive heroine, but she was... over the top.  Fake.  I didn’t get her damage, to be frank.  And Darcy’s forwardness towards Tom, if you could call it that, not only seemed disingenuous--it also would have read VERY differently if their genders were flipped.  Within seconds of finding out that she has a chance with Tom, Darcy is aggressive with him to the point of being outright pushy.  It’s desperate at best and borderline predatory at worst.  Never mind the issues later on, regarding the fact that these adults never acted like adults.  There were some cute scenes and Thorne knows how to write sexual tension, but that couldn’t overcome the book’s problems.  Still--I eagerly await her next novel.  This could just be one misfire.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.  3/5.  In the world of the Grisha (where the titular magic users are in a class above their powerless counterparts) Alina is a mapmaker.  Traveling alongside the Ravkan army, she is attempting to chart the Shadow Fold, which splits the country in two and harbors horrible monsters.  When an attempt to cross the Fold goes wrong, Alina unleashes a power that she never knew she had.  This leads to her catching the attention of the Darkling, a grisha and arguably the most powerful man in the kingdom.  Alina’s newly discovered power could save Ravka--but as she enters in the royal court, she realizes that there’s much more to the dealings of Ravka than what meets the eye.  I read this about six-ish years ago and gave it two stars.  I’m giving it one more because I do think I was a stick in the mud about some things back in the day, and this is a fun book.  However, you can really, REALLY tell that Bardugo has grown.  I kind of wish that she’d been able to write the Darkling-Alina dynamic in a post Kaz Brekker world, with a lot more nuance and a lot, LOT less Mal, who feels like that obligatory childhood friend love interest in the kind of triangle that was expected when this book came out in 2012.  (Speaking of: this book came out in 2012, and rip-offs are VERY much still actively being published, so’s interested.)  There’s so much cool shit in the Grisha universe.  But though I’m more okay with Alina than I was in 2012, I still find her to be kind of dull in comparison to the other leads I’ve seen Bardugo produce since.  But hey, the Darkling is indeed hot.  So there’s that.

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo.  3/5.  The sequel to Shadow and Bone has much of the same issues as the first book--but I’d still say it’s more fun.  Why?  We aren’t pretending that the Darkling is convincingly non-suspicious, for one thing.  For another, we get Nikolai!  Everyone talked about Nikolai.  He lived up to expectations, and I look forward to Bardugo writing about him again.  I’m honestly not sure if she’s grown so much, as I really like the world of Ravka, just as I liked the world of Ketterdam in the much better “Six of Crows”.  Maybe the issue is the characters?  Because Alina and Mal really are so boring.  Hey, though--the Darkling is still great. I tend to wonder what Bardugo would have done with him in a post-Reylo world.

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo.  3/5.  I don’t think I really cared about this series enough to be as mad as people were when this book came out.  Or maybe I just was bracing myself for total disappointment--and there were things I liked about the ending?  Alina remains kinda lame.  Mal remains a bit annoying.  Love Nikolai and the Darkling.  Wish that this premise was handled in a more adult way.  The end.  I’m still excited about the Netflix deal--I loved Six of Crows and frankly, in different hands and under a different lens I can see myself loving this series much more.

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee.  3/5.  Thirty-nine-year-old Solene is covering for her ex-husband when she takes their preteen daughter, Isabelle, to an August Moon concert.  August Moon is the hottest boy band in the world, and Isabelle is smitten with the boys.  What Solene doesn’t expect is her instant connection with one of the boys, twenty-year-old Hayes, during a meet and greet.  What follows begins as a fling, but slowly develops into a real relationship as Hayes and Solene fall for each other.  But can they overcome the age difference between them--not to mention the darker aspects of Hayes’s fame?  This is, most definitely, a One Direction fanfiction turned into a novel.  Hayes is Harry Styles, no doubt about it.  There are the rumors about his sexuality, the crazy fans, the little catch phrases.  But it’s deeper than most self-insert fanfic novels.  I debated the rating on this one--the ending is abrupt, but bolder than I would have expected.  The relationship is treated somewhat realistically, as unbelievable as that seems (to be honest, Harry Styles having a fling with a woman twice his age isn’t really so out of the question).  But there were elements that just made me question Lee’s understanding of the issues surrounding relationships with such big age gaps.  And while she seemed willing to depict the problems surrounding boy bands, the way she dealt with them was... not always the best.  Still--a more nuanced romance that I expected.

The Chef’s Secret by Crystal King.  2/5.  In late sixteenth century Rome, Bartolomeo Scappi is a legendary chef, serving as the pope’s personal cook.  When he dies, he wills everything to his nephew, Giovanni--who also receives Bartolomeo’s secret journal. The journal reveals a long-hidden relationship between Bartolomeo and an unknown woman, leading Giovanni on a quest to uncover his uncle’s past.  I really liked King’s Feast of Sorrow, another piece of historical fiction by way of crime and cooking.  So why did this one suck so much?  I’m really not sure.  I do care more about Renaissance Italy than Ancient Rome--so maybe that biased me against it.  But I also just think that every “twist” was predictable, every beat hollow.  I still liked reading about the food, but this just wasn’t good.  Furthermore, there’s a creepy thread to Bartolomeo’s relationship with his lost love that I really couldn’t get over.  This was trying hard for an Immortal Beloved vibe, but it was a swing and a miss.

[literary-princess]

Thoughts on King of Scars

I don’t think the final sentence of a book has ever made me gag so audibly as King of Scars did.

Thanks, Leigh.

(Spoilers below).

I was SO ON BOARD with Zoya in this book. I fell in love with her character. The only two notes I took were from her POV:

“Why do they love him?” On page 249, which is the most agreeable sentence in this whole damn universe, both referring to the story characters and the fan base.

And page 478, on which I just wrote “yes, burn the motherfucker”.

In case my feelings aren’t clear - I fucking hate the Darkling. With every fiber of my being. I hate him more than Dolores Umbridge. I hate him more than any other fictional villain I’ve ever read.

So. This is a duology. And of course I’ll read the next one, only so I can watch Zoya snap his neck.

I got so optimistic thinking this universe would continue on without this unbearable character, but I guess if I want to escape him I’m going to have to just stick to Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom.

Which will also help my sanity because the Nina Zenik in those books was far more likable than the Nina Zenik I just read 500 pages about in King of Scars.

She spent the first half of it crying over the man who is essentially the Frollo to her Esmeralda. (Lucky for me Matthias was my least favorite character from Six of Crows, so I get to spend a whole 250-ish more pages hearing about him here instead of just enjoying the satisfaction of having him gone, yaaaaay) And then she immediately start making googly eyes at this new girl, Hanne. Because that’s how you realistically mourn someone you loved (but really shouldn’t have) apparently. It’s only been like a month, girl, slow down. Oh and of course she’s conveniently Jarl Brum’s daughter. Of course she is.

I’m also just annoyingly attached to Wylan Van Eck and took great offense to the fact that he’s the only Crow not mentioned at all in this book. Everyone else, even Kuwei, got at least a name drop if not a few dedicated references, but nothing about Wylan at all. Just a tiny little complaint.

I am very much enjoying the romance building with Zoya and Nikolai. It’s very Kaz and Inej-esque but without all the frustration I felt from the characters’ own stubbornness. Their reluctance is a lot more relatable to me, probably partly because we’ve known them a bit longer. But maybe that’s just me.

I always get attached to awkward fumbling side characters that need protecting so of course Isaak was on my radar but then the ending happened so. Yeah.

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like the universe is getting more and more fantastical. SOC kind of shied away from the magical creatures and fantasy elements a bit but they’re back in full force and it’s almost like reading an extended universe story. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about shape shifting dragons and things like that when I’ve had the idea of the Grisha universe being a little more mundane and factual this entire time. Perhaps it’ll grow on me.

I had a lot of negatives to point out here, but I feel like other reviews have all focused very much on the positives that I already agree with, and I’m not much of a “rave review” kind of gal, but I will say it was enough for me to excitedly anticipate the next book and hope (and pray and cry and beg a little) that all the negatives I’m feeling right now will be resolved.

[justanotherdumpingground]

Chapter Reviews: April 1-5, 2019

Desire & Decorum Chapter 15:

Ugh! I hate seeing my MC being forced to wear the dress Duke Richards gave her and having to pay diamonds to get the Edgewater one. And what's with the option to have intimate moments with the other love interests? I'd stick with Hamid any day.

Crap! I didn't pick Edmund to walk down the aisle with me. Well, at least Bartholomew Chambers is good enough.

About time Viscount Westonly's mishearing comes in handy. Dragging him closer to the altar is a good way to delay the wedding vows further, though I'm sore at Hamid not objecting to the wedding.

At long last I get to reject Duke Richards during the wedding day itself. And it was a pleasant surprise to see Dominique and the queen stopping the wedding. About time the story goes somewhere. Now time for the showdown.

Across the Void Chapter 16:

The Jura general is one callous b***h. I swear, Pax needs to ditch the Jura, who comes across as moronic as the Vanguard. Just look at my precious Atlas sustaining major damage. At least the passangers are still cheerful, even though most of them except Lyra and Barlow are worthless.

Anyway, my MC and Sol got to prepare the Equinox for Barlow, and the scene is okay, though Sol's mention of his home planet just makes me think he could've been a great character while not hogging the spotlight. He's wasted potential, like the other love interests.

High School Story: Class Act Chapter 8:

I'm sick of the presidential election story sidelining my MC and Skye. Not to mention the twin's so immature for thinking it's serious business. Even their pro-sports platform is ridiculous because it's already the most supported program.

Super sad that I have to pay diamonds ro see my old MC and his friends. If I ever replay this book, I better pick that option. I heard it's also a good moment to see him and Aiden together.

As for the winter festival, I think there will be unnecessary drama, which has become the same old, same old.

Passport to Romance Chapter 4:

Honestly, Elliot's behaving like a manchild for playing around Marie Antoinette's bed. That guy shouldn't be on the MC's vlog. But then again, the MC is such a dimwit for getting basic history facts wrong. At least there's Sumire to provide insightful takes on Versailles.

Ahmed's change in demeanor isn't endearing me to him. His disdain for such opulence because it reminds him of the common man's plight is starting to make him act like a stereotypical social justice warrior. It would've made sense if he was raised rather poor, but he mentioned being in his family's home videos a lot, so probably not.

Anyway, I feel bad for Marisa having to deal with her boyfriend not seeing her again. Honestly, she better ditch him soon, just like Lily Spencer ditched Melanie early on.

America's Most Eligible Chapter 12:

Omar warning my MC to stay away from Jen just because he thought they're romantically involved doesn't make sense in this playthrough. Sure I like Jen, and my MC regards her as his friend, but not once did they do anything romantic. I mean, I roleplay my MC as gay, so...

I like how stylish Adam, Derek, Mackenzie, and Jen look in winter clothing. It's a pity the MC is never provided any. At least most of the activity is done indoors.

I'm starting to think Vince is getting the Ivy treatment. The narrative encourages me to hate him by giving me premium options to sabotage his food. It reminds me of the premium options to make the skit scene with Ivy look dramatic.

Dang, Heath and Slater giving me the cold shoulder is a reminder that I eliminated them. The irony is that Slater's still close with me. At least there's Bianca to vouch for me, and Ronan and Yvette seem to be fine with me.

Open Heart Chapter 8:

When Ethan told me to keep Naveen being Patient X a secret, I chose to keep it a promise, even when the MC's friends are asking him. Look, I know not everyone likes him, but I have to respect his privacy. Not to mention that I felt bad for him when he said he felt powerless when it comes to his seeming inability to treat Naveen, especially since he already lost Dolores.

I'm starting to respect Elijah more for his desire to save lives after a doctor saved his. I feel bad for him struggling with chronic spinal cord damage and his family's subsequent bankruptcy after paying for a surgery that saved his life. Even more so when he felt guilty for his family's ordeal even though it was never his fault to begin with. What ultimately made him earn my respect, however, was that decision to become a doctor alone after feeling inspired by the doctor who saved his.

So, the bachelorette party my MC and Bryce attended has three recycled models. Honestly, I understand that PB needs to save time, resources, and effort, but choosing already prominent characters like Scarlett Emerson? That's just bizarre. Still less bizarre compared to Nikolai Petrov's model reused in RoD even though his model, particularly the octopus tattoo, plays an integral role in VoS's story.

Ride or Die Chapter 12:

Toby should just quit the Mercy Park Crew and start a new life. Maybe a career in car painting. After all, it's an honest job.

Colt has gone the deep end, hasn't he? I never fully trusted him in the beginning, and seeing him proceeding with his job just proves his ruthlessness, even when it comes to the MC. To think of it, he's shaping to be like Icarus, who flew too close to the sun that the wax on his fake wings melted, causing him to fall to his death in the sea. I guess he'll perform an extremely risky move that it will be his downfall, all because of his pride.

So... Jason is part of the Brotherhood after all. Well, I guess you could call me foolish for underestimating the theory that he's a member of the Brotherhood and cooperating with him. After all, he's shady, and the reveal's predictable. The Brotherhood informant Foley being part of his task force is no surprise because of his character model. What kinda shocked me, however, was that Jason's entire task force are members of the Brotherhood, and the ending depends on whether MC sent info to Jason or not. Nevertheless, I find all od them except Jason rather bland because I only know that they could be worse than the Mercy Park Crew without being shown why.

After seeing people saying that Jason killed Foley, and they and their MC got trapped in the vault by the MPC, I gotta say that I'm impressed choices do matter. One thing I noticed is that consistently helping Jason (which is what I did) has him freeing Foley instead of killing him, restraining him, and telling him that MC saved their lives.

At this point, I'm going to say that as much as I hate this story for its clichés, overt focus on Logan, bland protagonist, and the predictable reveal on Jason, I begrudgingly concede that there are some parts I like. Among them are Colt and Teppei's characterization and this chapter's outcome depending on player choices.

The Elementalists Chapter 4:

The premium scene where Beckett experiments on the elements got me intrigued on how elements work in the story. I feel like it's about time I learn about the combos of the elements leading to a "higher" one (e.g. water + air = wood). Nevertheless, it would've been much better if this is free, as it reveals a bit about the plot and setting.

Man, Aster is someone who needs a big hug after her dad calls her out for mingling with humans. Seeing her and her species reeling from the outcome of the Wand Wars got me thinking this will lead to an important story arc that needs a satisfying conclusion. After all, the sour relations between humans and wood nymphs is a good way to show the gray elements in the setting. I also wasted no time cheering her up by helping her at her shop.

After the appearance of the caped lady who called herself the Blood Source, that got me even more excited on how the elements came into being. Seeing that blood is at the top of the pyramid, I think the lady is the first one created, followed by sun and moon, then wood and metal, and finally the other four, including Kane.

Speaking of Kane, as much as I like him, his behavior in this chapter is a somber reminder of the danger he poses. I like his playfulness and friendly demeanor towards the MC, but him suffocating the school staff shows his disregard for life.