#raised antari au.

[bluecichlid]

Oh wow!!!, a Shades of Magic/Hunger Games AU is an incredible idea, and I love this so much!  Lila and Alucard in the Katness/Peta roles are perfect.

Reblogging just a small part of @ravencromwell amazing tags, because they gave me so many thoughts:

Kell being #mentored by former victor Maxim Maresh. ~steel prince~ who was suddenly in the awful position of guiding one of his sons through the games. #and none of the other mentors much like Max. esp Holl/Vor because a large part of his strategy is: raise your kill count by driving #through the white tributes early. they're stronger than Grey. But! when Holland was close at the end of his games. he worked some levers #behind the scenes. to fuck Osaron's week when he very. very much didn't want a Maktahn. and especially an Antari. to win. murmurred intel #about ~last-second~ changes etc. and well. Kell's Antari and whether he'll admit it or not. Holland wants him to win. so they're #grudgingly bringing Max food. watching for trouble/allocating his funds to make sure the kid doesn't die while he catches some sleep.

Maxim as a controversial former victor raises so many possibilities.  If he’d gotten on Osaron’s bad side by helping Holland, maybe he went too far and basically guaranteed Rhy a spot in the games.  And Maxim would protect him the only way he could – by adopting Kell and raising him for the express purpose of being Rhy’s personal career tribute. 

Tess as another of Barron’s Grey District foundlings.  Lila would claim to have no time for her, would never bleed for her – until the moment Tess is chosen and she volunteers, surprising everyone and herself most of all. 

Hastra as the doomed young tribute Kell tried to save in his games.  Beloc as the one Holland knew he couldn’t save.

Nadia Loreni as the rebel inventor whose hate for Osaron and Black London drives her to go too far. 

The Dane twins as gamemasters who are secretly rebels, but who are only with the rebellion so they can get rid of Osaron and take over everything in the end.

Holland being a career like Kell, but doing it by choice because he would do anything for his district.  Working with the Danes because he feels he has to. But if he is captured by Osaron, he will betray the rebels and all the other districts if it will keep his own district safe.

Shades of Magic: Hunger Games AU

(Technically a Catching Fire AU)

Lila Bard has always been a survivor. Scrappy and vicious and more durable than anyone else expected. So, once the initial bout of angry swearing is out of her system, she slumps back onto the couch. “They’re trying to kill us. We broke the rules and this is how they do it. One last spectacle for the districts.”

There was only ever supposed to be one victor, never two. They’d defied that with their pretend love story and holding knives to their own throats. Two victors, they had declared. You get two victors or none.

She had hoped this would be the end. One last performance, one last fight, and then finally return to Barron. Return to the Grey Districts.

Neither of them should be here, Alucard especially. Red District-born, only kicked down to her level because of political shenanigans.

“Not just us, Bard,” Alucard drawls. “Every victor. Take them out before they can be swayed by rebellion.”

She can, grudgingly, see the logic. Efficient and more entertaining for the masses. Before it had been children and barely adults in the arena, now it will be experienced killers from every district. “So we’re fucked.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Alucard fidgets with the coin in his hand. “On the bright side, you’ll get to see what the Red districts look like first.”

...

“No, no, this isn’t right,” Rhy insists. “You did your time, they can’t make you do this again!”

Kell doesn’t argue; they both know this is happening either way. Osaron wants the victors to fight and die in the Quarter Quells and that is what he will get.

It doesn’t matter that they belong to the highest family in Arnes, in the most successful Red District. It doesn’t matter that Rhy is treated as the beloved prince of his people. It hadn’t protected them when they were 14.

He volunteered in Rhy’s place back then, prepared to die for him. He can kill for him again.

“Maybe I won’t get picked,” Kell offers. “The Red Districts, Arnes especially, has produced dozens of victors. I like our odds.”

...

Holland is told of the plot before the others, one of the few benefits of being sponsored by the Danes; they know when to keep him in the loop. At least it gives him time to think up a plan.

“Nasi can’t go back to the arena,” Vortalis says as he moves an ost piece. “She was lucky last year; that won’t save her a second time.”

Vortalis had hunted down and killed half of the other tributes his year; Holland had managed to kill three; Nasi had spent most of the game hiding in the trees and killed one person.

She is still under her bed after hearing the news, refusing to speak or come out.

“Ojka has already agreed to volunteer in her place.” Holland knows he will hate this next part. “I will volunteer as well.”

“Holland-“

“You can’t fight the way you used to,” he interrupts, moving a piece. “I still can.”

Vor moves slower now, weakened by half-healed injuries and the passing decades. Holland can't sleep alone at night without having nightmares but violence comes easily to him now, both his sponsors and former mentor ensured that.

“Besides, you can sway our benefactors more if you’re working on the outside.”

They both know he isn’t speaking only of the Capitol’s elite. The whispers of rebellion have only grown louder over the years. This might be enough for something to change.

Vortalis gives a grim smile then, gripping his hand. “Then we’d best start on figuring out the competition.”

[somedayking-a]

@oflegendaries because u can’t talk abt That Scene re: raised antari au with me and not expect me to do smth with it

white london smells of blood, kell told him once.  metallic.  like the corrupted sort of lightning astrid used to summon, like violence, like the air before a storm.  grey london smells of smoke and dust, red london overpoweringly of flowers, and black london of something else - magic, decay, something he can’t quite recall.  

stepping from nowhere into the silver wood, holland doesn’t so much smell as feel it.  some say this is where magic took its final stand, where it went to die, where it shall one day return.  holland had come here often as a child, then as a young man ( still young, but so tired, perhaps the loss of magic but also bone-deep weariness, the weight of surviving ) to think, to bleed.  

it feels like the faintest breath of fresh air, a pale imitation of life he might have imagined were it not so achingly familiar.  fleeting, but he feels it.  home.

lila drops his arm, but kell doesn’t move away until holland does, slower than he’d like.  they’d gone through the portal from red to white linked together, arm to arm, but the fatigue from the climb lingers and it’s hard to ignore that he was holding on as much to keep his footing as for anything else.

it doesn’t matter.

all traces of osaron’s magic are gone.  the blue sky is so faded as to be almost white, the silver trees a muted shade of grey.  once upon a time, the river had flashed briefly red with antari blood, years ago, when holland saw something jn the offering and had the freedom to make it.  his world is dying.  that’s not alright, but there’s no fight in the acknowledging.  he’s dying, too.  fading into a faded world, a starving world that he gave everything to, once.  there’s nothing left to give, but still he breathes in, imagines a streak of real blue across the sky.

“thank you, kell.”  eyes catch briefly on too-red hair, a sparkling blue eye, colours once again out of place in holland’s london.  and on his other side, a shadow, but somehow lighter than the ones cast over the stained alleys and castle courtyard.  “delilah.”  ( lila catches on his tongue, but the time for that has passed. )

the words are a dismissal, and holland knows neither of them miss it, but though they move away, they don’t leave.  as she turns away, lila’s looking around with faint curiosity, and holland knows what she’s picturing ; remembers a child cross-legged in the gardens of vor’s castle, listening with rapt attention to the story of a silver forest and a someday king.  

this is where magic made its final stand.

this is where magic came to die.

i think you’re a romantic, one of those fools waiting for the someday king.

the time for the king has passed, or maybe it hasn’t come yet.  all holland ever wanted was to see his world flourish, to make it flourish, but both eyes shine emerald green and there’s nothing left to give except the breath in his lungs ( less and less, now ), the fading beat of his heart.  he’s tried.  he’s fought.  he’s tired.  a more idealistic self ( as far as idealism ever existed in white london ) knelt here once, offered blood to the river, envisioned a world coming back to life.

he leans back against a tree, sinks to the ground, closes his eyes.

the king is coming.  

the voice sounds like alox’s, like talya’s, like vor’s.  it doesn’t sound like lila’s, but hers are the steps between the trees, not the tread of ghosts years passed.  knowing he will never open his eyes, he imagines that when he does, the world will be in soft colour, with magic in the air.  leaves falling, gentle breeze, water running bright and clear.  imagines it until the footsteps fade and the voices mingle into something more feeling than thought.

the king is coming.

( at last, the world breathes in. )

[sakusqs]

on.

characters: akaashi keiji, sakusa kiyoomi

genre: fantasy, a darker shade of magic!au

tw: blood

first chapter snippet of the bokuaka magic!au i’ve been itching to write for the last couple of months. why i’m posting it up is because i’m just really curious if people are interested in this type of au. the fantasy world i’m basing this on is from v.e. schwab’s a darker shade of magic. i instantly fell in love with the concept and i hope you do too, dear readers. i know i said it’s bokuaka but for now, please enjoy some sakuaka friendship 💕

The old man turned to stone in a single heartbeat.

Akaashi Keiji drew his hand away—still bleeding from the self-inflicted cut on his palm—and stared down at the man’s statue with not much remorse. The man was lying down on his wooden cot, blanket pulled to his waist and his hands held up in defense. He wore an expression caught between surprise and rage as he gazed up at Keiji with eyes that spoke of hurt, betrayal. Keiji supposed he should feel more rueful or sympathetic, but he didn’t; that was worrying.

“Kiyoomi,” Keiji called out, turning around. “This man better have done a terrible crime, or I would’ve taken his life for nothing.”

But there was no one there to reply to his remark. He was sure the prince had been standing behind him moments before, silently observing, but Keiji now stood alone in the small, dark bedroom. He sighed, his lips curving downward in annoyance—it was one thing to do Kiyoomi’s job for him, but to be left alone without warning while he did them was below the belt. Keiji made to turn on his heels but paused to look back down to the statue.

“Almost forgot,” he muttered lowly before placing his bleeding palm on the man’s arm. “As Steno.”

Break.

The statue cracked into thousands of shards once the command rolled of his tongue; the rocks falling onto the cot and some rolling to the floor with a thud. Without a second glance, Keiji turned around and stalked towards the open door from where he had come.

The man lived in a simple cottage sitting between the the edge of the city and Silver Wood. From the quick scout they had done right before the task, the small residence only had one floor divided into three rooms—bedroom, study, and living space. He entered the latter now, the room bare save for an unlit fireplace on one wall and a worn-down settee situated in front of it, but no Sakusa Kiyoomi on sight. He doubted that his friend would venture out into the cold winter night, and so, that only left one place to look.

“Your Highness,” Keiji raised his voice, his feet already striding towards the open door on the other side of the room. “Bold of you to pry on a dead man’s belongings.”

“To be fair,” a muffled voice finally spoke up from inside the study. “He wasn’t dead just yet when I went inside.”

Keiji stopped by the wooden door and raised a brow at the young prince standing over a desk with papers in hand. Sakusa Kiyoomi raised his head at his appearance, his raven curls shifting out of his eyes to reveal not only the dark brown of his left eye, but the solid black of his right. A black that ran to the edges and swallowed both the white and the iris. It was a mark that struck fear to anyone who spots it. It was a mark of power. It was a mark of a blood magician—of an Antari.

It was a mark that blemished Keiji’s left eye.

[somedayking]

inspired by @venomoustigress‘ post for @titanslayer‘s questions: ROYALTY AU !

where’s holland from?    born and raised in london, makt.  there used to be a vosijk family estate, but it’s fallen into disrepair & they can’t afford the upkeep.  holland and alox spent time there in their childhood, but the main family home is in london, and by the time they’re adults, it hasn’t been regularly used for years.

what’s the world like?    just the same as canon london, EXCEPT that... 01.  instead of being separate worlds, the londons are in neighbouring countries.  so there’s makt, roughly where scandinavia would be; england and its territories; and arnes, geographically around northern europe.  02.  the magic is still there.  nothing’s decaying.  the country is, however, rather poor as a whole due to a war england and arnes were also involved in, which left makt significantly worse off and struggling ever since.  the fact that arnes went on to flourish while largely leaving makt to fend for itself is a big part of why their relations aren’t good, and holland takes it quite personally.

royalty?  nobility?  what’s the backstory?    he’s minor nobility by birth, but later prince and then king of makt.  the royalty / nobility thing works like a mix of canon white london and hereditary monarchy.  there is a royal family and a collection of nobility by default, but the throne is challenged often.  technically, anyone could win it, royal or noble or not, but since other nobility have generally more wealth n resources, they tend to be the ones who win.  they’ll then pass the throne down to their children and them to their children until someone fights them for it again ... which is usually too soon for them to get very far in passing it on.  it’s basically still a case of may the strongest magician win, it’s just that the nobility have had the advantage for so long that the whole fight basically happens between them rather than everyone.  backstory for how minor nobility became the maktahn royal family from dscord under the cut!

what’s their view on werewolves?    a HUGE power advantage for those who have one in the family or in their employ.  i imagine it’s a bit like being antari:  sure, you could probably take a lot of people in a fight and they should technically be scared of you, but everyone wants to use that for their own gain and there’s probably a 24/7 target on your back.  it’s still white london, what can i say,

can jason be his friend?    considering the age difference, they’d probably only meet when holland’s either prince or king, and while he isn’t v interested in making friends by then, he doesn’t want to make an enemy out of him, either.  in fact, when he’s prince of makt under alox’s kingship, holland’s the one to eventually try and repair communication / general relations w other countries  ( something he was very opposed to at first, but as time’s gone on, he’s not too proud to realise it’s the best thing for makt, and alox...... is.  plus he can save weeks of travelling by just as tascen-ing over to another country so he’s really the best one for it. )  so he actually really wants to be on good terms w jason, for political security at least.

BUT LIBBY, HOW DID THEY BECOME ROYALTY?  read on !

[sp4c3-0ddity]

so i dunno if anyone’s read A Darker Shade of Magic, but for some reason I have decided to AU it, Voltron style:

somehow Keith is both Kell and Lila, but since we can’t have it both ways he gets to be Lila, hard-bitten, knife-happy Gray Londoner Lila

which means Shiro is Kell, an orphan raised by the royal family of Red London

(so sheith is in effect, basically)

I suppose Allura is Rhy, for obvious reasons, which makes her the princess of Red London

(awkwardly this also means she’s the least magical one but)

I’m iffy on Lance being Alucard - the privateer and Allura/Rhy’s ex - because like i’m taking away the queer romance in the books...

...but i guess i’m replacing it with another?? *shrugs*

(which means allurance is a thing too)

(which also means Shiro doesn’t like Lance at all because he perceives him as breaking Allura’s heart, and we can’t have that)

(See, this is partly why Keith should be Kell...)

ANYWAY Pidge is Holland, the antari from White London, and everything for her is p a i n

(i swear i like pidge-angst - pangst?? - way too much)

and yeah I’m not sure what to do with either Hunk or Coran, at least specifically wrt characters that correspond to them in the books

Hunk is probably Lance’s fellow privateer, and Coran is...random royal adviser.

(and yes, Alfor dies)

[intcashes]

❛ I wanna know — I wanna know the exact story of what you did to him. ❜ raised antari au lila @ astrid bye

         Nails click against the side of her throne, the smile on her blood red lips is predatory. She rises with all the grace of a queen, head held high and posture perfect, but there is not a moment she underestimates the Antari girl before her. Astrid Dane is no foolish woman. But she is still queen and the alliance is not yet broken and this is a game. A fun game because how many words will it take to see this girl squirm?

        Her brother is off playing with another of his toys, but his guards stand ready and blank around the room. Astrid slowly takes a step towards Lila, her heeled boots tapping against the bones of her enemies. ( White London, white for the bones, white for the bleached power, white for emptiness. )

       “ Let’s see… first we killed his precious Winter King. “ She ticks the death off on her finger. “ And then Athos had his fun, Antari heal so quickly, don’t you know? His screams rang through the palace for so many days, endless amusement for my brother. “ She draws another step closer. “ Yes, then the seal. “ Astrid gestures to the guards, it does not take a genius to figure out the guard’s blank expressions and the way she can will them with a word. Besides, this girl is far from stupid, that much she knows.

      “ He had the privilege of… eradicating the vermin from our castle. A new staff was necessary. “ Another step and a viper’s smile. “ He’s been quite the fun toy since then. You’ll have to ask my brother how long it took for him to break, I only remember the hate in his eyes when I made him do my bidding. “ A pause and she steps around Lila slowly, circling the other girl, moving in for the kill. “ He’s quite talented at so many acts and those strong arms. I would let you take a turn, but I’m not one for sharing. Is that enough or would you prefer a more vivid description, smoke girl? “

[missbookiverse]

SHADES OF MAGIC von V.E. SCHWAB goodreads

1: A Darker Shade of Magic (dt. Vier Farben der Magie, VÖ: 27.04.17) 2: A Gathering of Shadows 3: A Conjuring of Light

Fantasy, (New) Adult Kell is one of the last travelers – magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes connected by one magical city. There's Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic [...]. Red London, where life and magic are revered – and where Kell was raised alongside Rhy Maresh, the roguish heir to a flourishing empire. White London – a place where people fight to control magic and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London. But no one speaks of that now.

Lesezeitraum Juni 2016 – März 2017, also recht dicht hintereinander.

Reihenfolge Chronologisch (aber der erste Teil funktioniert ganz gut als Standalone).

Stärken ✧ Zehn Säcke Charisma bitte! Es ist unglaublich wie viele coole Figuren V.E. Schwab für diese Trilogie aus der Feder geschüttelt hat. Kell ist mysteriös und ein bisschen mürrisch. Sein Adoptivbruder Rhy dagegen viel offener, kämpft aber mit seiner bevorstehenden Position als König. Den Gegenpol bildet die barsche Lila, die so bleibt wie sie ist und nicht plötzlich ihre feminine Seite entdeckt, um attraktiv zu werden. Ihre Art macht sie zu einem enorm skrupellosen Charakter, der es manchmal bis ins Unsympathische treibt. Schiffskapitän Alucard holt sie charmant auf den Boden der Tatsachen zurück und selbst Bösewicht Holland gewinnt nach und nach an Tiefe und Sympathie.

✧ Liebevolle Beziehungen Sei es brüderlicher, romantischer oder freundschaftlicher Art. Es ging mir sehr ans Herz wie die Figuren füreinander empfinden, sich gegenseitig verletzen (ohne künstliches Drama) und den Rücken stärken. All das bekommt man durch Taten und amüsante Sticheleien gezeigt und muss sich nicht an beweisfreien Behauptungen die Augen ausrollen.

✧ London hoch 3 (4?) Ich fand das Worldbuilding um die parallelen Londons einfach cool. Genau wie das auf Elementen basierende Magiesystem, die geheimnisvollen Antari, die Beschreibungen ihrer Fähigkeiten und die Satzfetzen, die man aus den Sprachen der verschiedenen Welten mitbekommt.

✧ Nix Friede, Freude... Ich verrate natürlich nicht den Schluss, aber ich fand das Finale sehr gelungen. Es schmeckt bittersüß und nicht so kitschig-klebrig wie viele andere Enden, die sich nicht trauen realistische Verluste einzuarbeiten.

Schwächen ✧ Hat jemand den Plot gesehen? All die kreative Energie der Autorin floß wohl in die Charaktere. Die Handlung ist meist geradlinig und ehrlich gesagt viel zu mau für so dicke Bücher. Man hätte entweder viel mehr raffen können (gerade im letzten Band gibt es viel zu viele unnütze Kapitel, die eh alle nur wenige Seiten lang sind und der ständige Perspektivwechsel hat mich immer wieder aus dem Lesefluss geworfen) oder, was mir viel lieber gewesen wäre, noch mehr an der Handlung feilen sollen. Der Bösewicht im letzten Teil ist so stinklangweilig. Obwohl er eine ganze Stadt problemlos terrorisiert, habe ich von dieser Bedrohung nur wenig gespürt. Wie wäre es mit unerwarteten Wendungen oder komplizierten Verstrickungen gewesen?

✧ Und wo liegt das eigentlich? Es gibt keine Landkarte! Die Story und die Gestaltung der Bücher schreien nach einer und ich wollte bei jeder Erwähnung einer fernen Stadt direkt nachgucken, wo die ist, aber Pustekuchen, nur leere Seiten vorne und hinten.

Lieblingsband Band 1! Obwohl es da viel zu wenig von Rhy gibt und Alucard noch gar nicht auftaucht, aber den fand ich von der Handlung und vom Tempo her wesentlich stimmiger als den Rest.

Lieblingsfigur Oaah, nee, das ist wie Lieblingsschokoladensorte auswählen... ääähm. Kell? Ich denke Kell. Lila ist mir im späteren Verlauf zu gnadenlos, Alucard glänzt mir ein wenig zu sehr, Hollands Backstory war eher einschläfernd (ich wünsche mir so sehr er hätte einen cooleren Hintergrund bekommen) und Rhy... hach, Rhy sitzt quasi auf Kells Schoß auf der Siegertreppe ;)

Mehr oder weniger? Den Figuren zu liebe will ich “mehr” sagen, aber ehrlich gesagt, hätte weniger hier besser funktioniert. Nicht ein ganzes Buch weniger, aber so 150-200 Seiten pro Band? Oder mehr Plot, siehe Schwächen.

Offene Fragen? Was ist denn nun mit Kells Vergangenheit? Ich mag wie die Autorin diese Frage beantwortet, aber es ist auch nicht allzu befriedigend. Wenn ihr die Trilogie gelesen habt, was sind eure Theorien?

Empfehlenswerte Leseaccessoires Ein wendbarer Mantel (vorzugsweise in Rot und Schwarz) und euer schärfstes Messer.

[thebibliophagist]

   Goodreads   Amazon

A Conjuring of Light was one of my most anticipated books of 2017. I adored both A Darker Shade of Magic and A Gathering of Shadows, so to say that my expectations were high for A Conjuring of Light would be an understatement. I love this world. I love these characters. This book, though? Don't shoot me, but I didn't love it.

I mean, obviously. I'm the kind of person that can power through a 600-page book in a couple nights. This book, at 624 pages, took me nearly two months. And yes, I suppose a big part of that was my library copy expiring while I was moving and then having to wait for eight people to read it before I could have it back, but still. Had I really wanted to finish it that badly, I would have either a) driven to the library to pick up a paper copy, b) driven to Barnes & Noble to buy my own paper copy, or c) just bought the ebook for myself from Amazon. And since I did none of those three things, it's pretty clear that I didn't really care that much about waiting.

It's not that the writing's bad. Because it's not. But the book is too long. A hundred pages of fighting and bleeding could have been cut out without really affecting the plot. Like, I get it. Antari bleed. It's their thing. But how many times can I read about these characters being tortured before I just start rolling my eyes? And how many times can I read about someone pulling out their dagger to kill someone else before I start skimming? The body count in this book is insane.

Plotwise, the first half of this book is pretty slow. That's the part that I really slogged through. I read the last 50% over a couple hours on Memorial Weekend, but getting there was sure a hassle. There are some things that were kind of confusing, like Maxim's whole plan to stop Osaron, but I think that Schwab meant for them to be that way. (I hope?) But, speaking of Maxim and his plan, why couldn't all of these characters talk to each other like grown-ups and share their plans? Maybe fewer people could have died.

Spoilers ahead, because I don't think I can fully articulate my feelings about this book in a spoiler-free review.

I loved Lila in the previous books. She took a little while to grow on me because she was just so reckless, but once she did, she was firmly implanted in my heart. Until this book. What, Lila gets a little magic and suddenly she thinks she's unstoppable? She becomes even more reckless and cocky and, honestly, stupid. I just wanted to take her aside and say to her, "Lila. You just found out you have magic and you don't even know how to use it yet. Maybe calm down." I was constantly frustrated with her actions and how all the other characters would repeatedly come to her rescue without calling her out on what she'd done wrong.

Kell is one of those characters that I adored from the first page of the first book. He was such a wonderful person, so focused on doing the right thing and protecting his family and keeping all of the worlds safe that he rarely took the time to do anything for himself. What a good guy. It's a shame that he's relegated to Lila's boring love interest in this book. Honestly, one of the things I appreciated most about the rest of this series was the lack of emphasis on romance. Sure, Lila and Kell had some serious sexual tension (and don't get me wrong, I loved it!) but the focus was on the magic. On the action. In this book, it seemed like the focus shifted more toward their feelings for each other, which was awkward and out of place considering the bigger conflicts that were brewing.

And now let's get to some characters that will stick with me. You know, I've read reviews before where people have said that certain characters are like their children. That they want to adopt them and keep them safe. I had not one, not two, but three of those characters in this book. I finally get it. I'm not sure that I've ever been as affected by a character as I was in this book.

The first is Luc. I was kind of indifferent to him in the previous books. As this book started, I was mad at him for breaking Rhy's heart. I didn't really feel anything when we watched his sister die. (I know, I'm an awful person.) But slowly, as the book progressed, he found his way into my heart. As he stayed behind to give the three Antari a fighting chance, I begged the universe to let Luc live. (Mostly because I didn't want Rhy to lose anyone else, but still.) And then, as he showed Rhy the memory of his brother's reaction to their relationship, I lost it. I have a guest room, Luc. Please move in so I can keep you safe from homophobic brothers.

Second, Rhy. I've always had a soft spot for him, but I feel like his character grew so much in this book. He's not just a flirty, tortured soul anymore. He is such a good person, and he tried so hard to do what was right for his people. This young man had to watch both his mother and father die horrible deaths in this book. Although he knew it would happen at some point, he suddenly found himself king at the worst possible time -- amid a war with the very personification of evil. And despite mourning his parents, he stepped up and faced that evil head on. What a guy. You and Luc can both live in my guest room.

I don't really recall my reaction to Holland in the first two books. Vague dislike, I guess. But, my goodness, now I'm not sure whether I want to marry this guy or bring him home and shield him from everything negative ever. This guy is my shining star. The light of my life. My only reason for slogging through this beast of a book. Like, let me love you, Holland. You deserve the world and more for so many reasons.

Talk about a complex character. Holland didn't have too much depth to him at the beginning of the series, but my goodness, Schwab makes up for that here. Did Holland do evil things? Yes. Did he murder scores of innocent people? Yes. But in this book, we get the reason why, and it just absolutely tore my heart to shreds.

So, basically, nobody has ever loved this guy. And everybody -- literally, everybody -- that he's ever loved, or even so much as cared about, has tried to murder him for their own gain. He was a small child the first time someone tried to murder him, and I just can't. Let me love you. Let me keep you safe.

When Holland's life finally starts looking up, the king that kept him (relatively) safe is brutally murdered and Holland is bound to some evil twins who force him to kill the entire castle staff. He literally cannot resist. And then they force him to kill even more people, basically just for fun. Every morning, he counts his dead. Break my heart a little more, why don't you.

He's briefly freed from the Athos twins and then bound by some evil, power hungry demon god. He's forced to do more things that he doesn't want to do. When he's finally free of the evil demon god's hold, he's arrested and held captive by Maxim for trying to overthrow the crown or whatever. Like, okay, it wasn't his fault. He was actually possessed. He's never had free will in his entire adult life and you literally cannot hold his actions against him.

Despite all of this, despite Kell and Lila and the entire Maresh family and the whole kingdom of Arnes openly despising him, he still volunteers to help overthrow evil demon god Osaron. He goes so far as to save Lila's life as she's bleeding out in the street due to her own stupidity (!) even though she constantly belittled him, made snide comments to and about him, and had a generally awful attitude toward him. (I can't honestly say that I would have done the same in his position.) In saving the world from Osaron, Holland's magic is stolen. He's empty. And then he just like... leans over and dies. I mean. What.

Why would you make me care about a character so much only to kill him off? Can I get an AU where Holland Vosijk lives and is happy and safe and appreciated? Where he can make his own decisions and be free from the crushing guilt he feels for things he did that he had absolutely no control over? This kid saved the world and he died a despised criminal. The worst thing is that I knew Holland was going to die because I saw a spoiler. (Tag your spoilers, please.) I think that's a big reason that I put off finishing this book.

I saw a review that talked about how the whole book suffers because of Holland. And at first, I was really upset by that, because, to me, Holland was the best part of this book. And then I realized. I literally did not care at all about our main characters because I was so focused on Holland. Nothing Kell or Lila did could possibly hold a candle to Holland, the boy who had already lost everything, who was already despised by the entirety of Red London, who still tried his hardest, gave up his magic and his life to save them.

(As a side note, I actually really love the name Holland... Like I might name one of my hypothetical future children Holland. Imagine that conversation. "Mom, where did my name come from?" "Oh, honey, just a mistreated former villain from a book I only rated three stars.")

So, yeah. Clearly, I'm bitter about Holland, but there were so many unnecessary deaths in this book. Why did Hastra have to die? He was just deciding that he wanted to grow flowers and be a happy, serene priest and then he's just run through with a sword? Why? And Lenos, Mr. "I Have A Bad Feeling," whose bad feelings you are always supposed to trust isn't trusted and then he dies. And so many other people die. And maybe if everybody had just paid attention when Lenos said something was off, maybe he and Hastra would still be alive. But no, the body count apparently needed to be raised, so we lost two more great characters.

But Kell and Lila are fine. They're sailing off into the sunset. It just hurts a little bit when Kell does magic. Ask me if I care. I'll trade Kell's magic for Holland's life any day.

(Another side note: Instead of that cheesy scene at the end where Kell and Lila quite literally sail off into the sunset happily ever after, I would have taken the actual backstory of Kell's life. Where did he come from? Who are his parents? What does KL stand for? I really wanted some resolution there, and no, taking the information and then burning because his adoptive family is more important is not a resolution.)

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading what is surely the longest book review I’ve ever written. It’s over 2,000 words, which could easily pass for a respectable college essay. I’m just very passionate about this world and these characters.

This is a book that has been adored by thousands of people, so please don’t take my criticisms as a reason not to read it. If you’ve read the first two books in the series, definitely get out there and grab this book. You might be mad when you finish reading it, but you certainly won’t regret finding out what happens to all of these characters in the end.

Final rating: ★★★☆☆

#mmdreading: a book that’s more than 600 pages

[somedayking-a]

fig. 1: delilah?  no

fig. 2: why me

fig. 3: i’m gonna do it i’m gonna call vortalis and tell him i’m quitting i don’t get paid enough for this

diplomatic visits between londons: or “this small child keeps making herself my problem and i don’t know what to do about it”, a memoir / @oflegendaries

[somedayking-a]

some raised antari au for @oflegendaries bc i luv 2 suffer

it happens quickly, the way it always does.  one day, there’s vortalis and holland ; the next, there’s astrid and athos dane.  and holland.  they don’t kill him, which would strike holland as a stupid move if he wasn’t bound and chained and utterly unable to call on the magic that has always been there ever since alox held a knife to his throat and holland shattered him in stone across the floor.  this magic is mine, he’d said.  it’s still his, still there, but it doesn’t come when he reaches for it, bound somewhere in the dark.  in london, those seeking power kill to take it, but the danes are clever.  they are good, holland learns, at taking power and keeping it, holding it close, hovering somewhere between dead and alive.  those standing in their way, they kill ; but the strongest power, the biggest threats, those they string up and dangle at arm’s length.  

there are two ways holland’s power stops being a threat: they kill him, or they control his magic themselves.  there’s only so much power you can take from a dead man, bleeding him dry until you’re left with a corpse icing over in the palace courtyard.  but a man in chains, brimming with potential he’s unable to use, bound to obey another’s word - that man still has limits but the danes know how to hold the balance, keeping him alive and taking everything by force.

so between one visit and another, grey london to red to white, holland stops being a knight and instead becomes a slave.  it’s a subtle change, from a distance.  not many have ever been close enough to see it.  astrid and athos delight in it.  london goes on as it always has, spilling blood for blood and power that will never be enough.  somewhere in the middle of it all, the grey london antari ascends the palace steps.  

“come,” says athos, voice smooth as silk, turning holland’s stomach. “show our visitor in.”

he does.

surely lila can see the difference, must know it the second she sets eyes on him.  small girl, young, too clever and perceptive by half ; holland wonders if the king would have sent her had he known vortalis no longer sits on the throne, known who he was sending lila to.  the magic-less crown covets its antari like a prize, and its communications with red london and his.  holland doesn’t think they would be so eager to throw it away.  

but george iii can’t know yet, because holland hasn’t set foot in lila’s london in months, communication almost to a standstill.  if that had worried lila before, she doesn’t show it.  she doesn’t show worry now, if she feels it, but waits until she reaches the top of the steps before saying “you look like hell.”  

she’s not expecting to see him.  it’s been years since holland and vortalis gave up on trying to escort the foreign ambassador where she’s supposed to go.  lila has, since her first visit, developed a habit of appearing unannounced and unseen, something holland suspects initially had more to do with not knowing where one spot in her own london led to in his than a show of independence -- but that, too.  astrid and athos won’t take kindly to it.  they don’t take kindly to anything, but anything beyond their control is taken there by force, inexperienced antari child or not.  i don’t trust things, astrid sometimes tells him, unless they belong to me.  better lila should be escorted as a visitor than masquerading as an equal.

“where’s vortalis?” she asks, brusque and too perceptive still.

holland inclines his head. “dead.”

dead with twin sadists on the throne, which holland is wise enough not to say out loud.  the king and queen have made a point of being in the hall together, whether to intimidate or merely from horrible curiosity at this familiar magic from another world, he isn’t sure.  so young, he can almost hear astrid’s whisper on the air, though she hasn’t spoken.  unmarked.  untested.  and athos, their voices like an eddy in holland’s mind: i wonder how far she bends before she breaks.  

pushing the thoughts from his mind, the white london antari takes his place in the shadows.  

trains his eyes on the far wall, not on the exchange taking place in the middle of the room.  holland’s awfully good at disappearing, for as long as the danes will allow.  lila can find him, though.  she’s had months of practice, sharp gaze to rival his own.  her eyes keep flicking to him even as the king is talking, as the queen toys idly with an empty glass.

the light dances wickedly off the surface, and despite his best efforts, holland sees it, like he’s supposed to.  no, he thinks, not tonight, letting none of it show on his face.  eyes on the wall, eyes on the wall, eyes on the wall--

“come here.”

the wave of athos’ hand is lazy, but the command is undeniable.  good at hiding for as long as the king will let him.  holland walks forwards, silent footsteps that could have marked a predator, but the predators sit upon the throne.  in the danes’ london, shadows and silence only ever mark prey.

“holland,” athos begins, turning his head only slightly.  if holland had less practice with masks, keeping fear and pain and weakness at bay, he would shiver.  the king rarely addresses him by name ; the fact that it’s for lila’s benefit escapes nobody. “kneel.”

that’s when he knows, for certain, that astrid and athos saw her looking.  he didn’t expect them not to.  people only make the mistake of taking their gaze from the king and queen once.  they’re good at finding power, holding it close, twisting it, and athos has just found where to point the knife.  he is about to make a display of it.  

it’s entertainment and a show of power.  which antari they’re trying to impress this on, holland isn’t sure.  it serves for them both.

holland kneels.

he doesn’t cry out when athos takes a fistful of dark hair and yanks back, forcing his eyes to the ceiling.  astrid presses a knife into his hand, and he doesn’t push her away.  every nerve in his body is singing danger, every muscle tensed to flee from being so close.  he won’t flee, of course.  he’ll do exactly as he’s told.

no-one suffers as beautifully as you.

don’t stop don’t think don’t fight don’t resist just do--

he raises the edge of cool metal to his throat ( athos’ voice never raising to a shout, doesn’t have to, holland is bound to obey a whisper if it pleases ) and draws blood.  it’s not deep - athos isn’t trying to kill him, isn’t even trying to leave a scar, and that should be worse because it means he’s in no hurry.  a hundred ways to make holland suffer before the sun sets and he’s only beginning.

“give me the knife,” says astrid, and as he holds it out, his eyes drop just enough to catch lila.  paler than she was a moment ago, hands balled into fists, she takes one step forward and then another.  holland can’t say anything, isn’t stupid enough for that, but he can feel the danes watching her ( astrid running a finger along the flat of the blade, bringing blood to her lips like paint ), wanting her to try.  

he meets her eyes, narrowing his own just enough to say don’t.  for a minute, he thinks she will anyway.  it’s a look she’s seen from him a hundred times before, with less at stake, one she’s dismissed as many times as followed.  but she pauses, and athos lets go of his hair, pushing him forward, and by the time holland’s righted himself, lila still hasn’t moved.  she’s staring at the king and queen as if imagining how their bones would look as finely-carved pieces of jewellery, and surely they can see, but she hasn’t moved.  

astrid only gives her a cool look. “you know your way home.”

run along there.  

“i rather want to play with that one,” she says, when lila is gone. “shall we have her back, brother?”

“another time,” says athos, and his eyes drift, properly now, to holland. “as for you--”

( they see.  

they saw.

it’s the first time athos reapplies the curse, in the event you feel your loyalties wavering, and it hurts as badly as the first time all those months ago, as deeply as it will every time for the next seven years.  

i will kill you one day, holland thinks, and keeps his face as blank as he knows how through the bone-deep terror and the pain.  i will have you suffer. )

the next time lila comes back, holland doesn’t meet her eyes, watches somewhere a careful amount behind her. “athos or astrid?”

“astrid,” lila says, lips twisting into something grim. “i hope you’ll tell the king i haven’t forgotten him.”

the words sound too much like a warning, like a challenge - it’s another seven years before holland will see it met.

[somedayking-a]

and to the left, you’ll hear the sound of my own heart breaking,

and to the right, the entirety of white london coming back to life at once.

[somedayking-a]

📱for lila + any au you’d like!!

i.  i’m sorry.

ii.  i wanted you to be safe from them.

iii.  i didn’t have a choice.  ( but you have no right to judge me for that, you don’t know. )

iv.  you have every right to hate me.  

+ v. “  ön vejr tök,  ”    the story goes …    “  there is a king, with magic stronger than any magician who lived before.  strong enough to breathe life back into the world, and restore magic to its dying heart…  ”  /  @oflegendaries

FOUR THINGS MY MUSE DIDN’T SAY, ONE THEY DID