#raven stratagem

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Adult SFF Books Bracket: Round 4

Book summaries and submitted endorsements below:

Imperial Radch series (Ancillary Justice, Ancillary Sword, Ancillary Mercy, Provenance, Translation State, and other stories) by Ann Leckie

Endorsement from submitter: "Breq/Justice of Toren is a ship AI and doesn't have a gender. The Radchaai language only has one pronoun for people, so (almost) everyone in the empire is she/her, to the point that they're infamous for failing to correctly guess which pronoun to use with outsiders."

On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

Once, she was the Justice of Toren - a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.

Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.

Science fiction, space opera, far future, series, adult

The Machineries of Empire series (Ninefox Gambit, Raven Stratagem, Revenant Gun, and other stories) by Yoon Ha Lee

To win an impossible war Captain Kel Cheris must awaken an ancient weapon and a despised traitor general.

Captain Kel Cheris of the hexarchate is disgraced for using unconventional methods in a battle against heretics. Kel Command gives her the opportunity to redeem herself by retaking the Fortress of Scattered Needles, a star fortress that has recently been captured by heretics. Cheris’s career isn’t the only thing at stake. If the fortress falls, the hexarchate itself might be next.

Cheris’s best hope is to ally with the undead tactician Shuos Jedao. The good news is that Jedao has never lost a battle, and he may be the only one who can figure out how to successfully besiege the fortress.

The bad news is that Jedao went mad in his first life and massacred two armies, one of them his own. As the siege wears on, Cheris must decide how far she can trust Jedao–because she might be his next victim.

Science fiction, fantasy, science fantasy, space opera, military science fiction, series, adult

[the-one-and-only-overlass]

'we need evil fucked up gays!' shut your fucking mouth y'all couldn't handle fcuking catra what makes you think you'll be able to handle shuos mikodez and shuos jedao and nirai kujen

[agardenandlibrary]

Got to the part in Raven Stratagem where Khiruev asks who's been doing math for Jedao and he goes "I'd rather keep that a secret for now" and I went "THAT'S MY GIIIIRRRLLLL"

[syeniites]

Shuos Zehun: I will never name a cat after the Immolation Fox

[one book later]

Shuos Zehun: everyone meet my newest kitten Jedao :))

[azurevoltage]

Bonus:

I just think they're neat!

[ritavonbees]

shuos jedao fanmix go

[foxintheglass]

Main account is DreamsAtDusk. FoxIntheGlass is my sideblog for Machineries of Empire meta (and more! More...something!)

Want to chat about MoE? Feel free to drop me an ask, tag me in a post, etc.

The meta links below are currently to posts on my main; will get things updated over time. Fics are on AO3.

FANWORKS

Recursion Instinct How many times has Jedao learned that Kujen cannot be trusted? Written for Trick or Treat Exchange 2021.

The Lie Is the Game In the wake of a shocking betrayal that rocked the heptarchate and high calendar alike, Shuos Jedao confronts a long-awaited reunion and the weight of necessary lies.Yeren/Jedao/Ruo. Written for MachinExchange 2021.

A Moth Beats Its Wings With the mystery of the Revenant's disappearance at the Battle of Tereberg still unsolved, Cheris has been asked to investigate...with Jedao Two in tow. But another discovery proves to be waiting even closer to home.Written for Yuletide 2020.

META

Ninefox Gambit Reread (DreamsAtDusk Posts) Chapter by chapter thoughts on Ninefox Gambit. Has been on hold on and off, currently resumed. Will update this note when it’s done.

Hellspin Fortress and Ties that Bind Jedao 2 thinking he misses Kujen as a thread back to the experience of trauma and manipulation.

On Sartorial Choices  Cheris wore a festive lavender dress at one point in Raven Stratagem. But how about the fact that it ties back to Jedao and his mother in a way?

[sock-to-the-third]

Raven Stratagem

By Yoon Ha Lee

Awesome book. There’s a ton of spoilers if I were to talk about it but let’s leave it at this.

Lots more secrets to uncover about jedao

Mikodez has ton of cool moments + development of his inner circle

Zehun uses they/them pronouns which I somehow didn’t notice

Brezan and Khiruev have awesome character arca

More servitor parts

Honestly, I like how much characters other than Jedao got arca. Also just the overall development of the world and how the hexarchs operate in this delightfully monsterous way.

I’m not usually the type to reread anything but I hope to come back to Raven Stratagem.

Prev: Ninefox Gambit

Sequel: Revenant Gun

[intertexts]

WAIT have you also read machineries of empire? literally thought to myself it would be so up your alley <3

YESSSS i have!!!!!!!!! 🤝🤝🤝 read phoenix extravagant first which got me hooked on yoon ha lee during last summer (my summer of queer military & mecha sf lol) & haven't looked back.. i still need to read revenant gun (much like i still need to read ancillary mercy LMAO) but it's so good.... literally series of all time!!!!!!

[planet4546b]

need to be less SLEEPY so i can read more BARU CORMORANT

[phagodyke]

homemade thai curry and true detective finale... maybe it is possible to have a good wednesday

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Fantasy Books Bracket: Round 2

Book summaries below:

The Trials of Apollo (The Hidden Oracle, The Dark Prophecy, The Burning Maze, The Tyrant's Tomb, The Tower of Nero) by Rick Riordan

How do you punish an immortal? By making him human. After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour. But Apollo has many enemies—gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go… an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood. Fantasy, mythology, middle grade, adventure, urban fantasy, series

The Machineries of Empire series (Ninefox Gambit, Raven Stratagem, Revenant Gun, and other stories) by Yoon Ha Lee

To win an impossible war Captain Kel Cheris must awaken an ancient weapon and a despised traitor general. Captain Kel Cheris of the hexarchate is disgraced for using unconventional methods in a battle against heretics. Kel Command gives her the opportunity to redeem herself by retaking the Fortress of Scattered Needles, a star fortress that has recently been captured by heretics. Cheris’s career isn’t the only thing at stake. If the fortress falls, the hexarchate itself might be next. Cheris’s best hope is to ally with the undead tactician Shuos Jedao. The good news is that Jedao has never lost a battle, and he may be the only one who can figure out how to successfully besiege the fortress. The bad news is that Jedao went mad in his first life and massacred two armies, one of them his own. As the siege wears on, Cheris must decide how far she can trust Jedao–because she might be his next victim. Science fiction, fantasy, science fantasy, space opera, military science fiction, series, adult

[the-ghost-of-jason-todd]

I WANT CHERIS BACK SO BAD

[menacingpolkamusic]

Me, every second of Harrow the Ninth: so where's Gideon? is Gideon coming back, or...?

[starcurtain]

Ratiorine Fics I Want to Read

1) Modern AU: When Veritas Ratio discovers a beautiful businessman poised to jump from the roof of his apartment building, he does something he's never done half as seriously before: makes a bet. One month--in just one month, he will find this "Aventurine" a reason to keep living. The terms: 30 days, anything goes, whatever it takes to make some kind of meaning out of a miserable existence. If Ratio loses, a brilliant-eyed gambler will disappear from the world forever. If Aventurine loses... well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. (Of course, neither of them anticipated that Ratio would end up becoming Aventurine's reason to live--but there's something to be said for non-zero-sum games.)

2) "I'm real sorry to bother you, mister, but I think I'm lost?" Aventurine is pretty sure he's dreaming. Pretty sure he's been pulled back to the hellscape known as Penacony. Pretty sure the Lady Emanator might need to come back and take another swing at him, to burn out the last hold of the Harmony for real this time. Because those are the only logical explanations for why Aventurine is currently locking eyes with his own younger self, standing very confused in the middle of his trussed up Pier Point condo, far from the Family's shadow. (Or: That one where a blessing from Gaiathra temporarily sends the young Kakavasha out of harm's way--straight into the care of his future self. Aventurine isn't the ideal person to care for a child, but hells if he's going to let his younger self experience anything less than the safest and most wonderful weeks of his short, miserable life. The only real problem is, well, how is he possibly going to explain this to Ratio?)

3) A super soft, small fic of Ratio reflecting on all the ways his life has changed since Aventurine came into it--there's noise in his apartment now, and a photo on his desk in the office; there's troublesome snacks to pet sit and someone keeps sneaking inappropriate jokes into his lecture transcripts. There's a sounding board to test his lesson topics on, and a peacock on his cellphone lock screen because he's developed a newfound fondness for the color. There's a go-between nowadays when the ravenous investors come sniffing after the results of his research, and unlabeled packages containing exotic bath salts from star systems even Ratio has never heard of... But most beloved of all: the sense of soundness and symmetry, of something unexpected settling perfectly into his hold, at last.

4) Bodyswap AU: Ratio and Aventurine end up on a mission that goes wrong in every sense of the word (aeons, it's always aeons). They're separated with probably half the known universe between them, stranded on unrecorded planets without credits or technology, and--most bizarrely have all--have definitely swapped bodies. Cool. Cool. What the fuck. Aventurine is honestly tempted to say he might be coming out ahead in this whole drama--he's ripped and tall now--until he discovers that in Ratio's body, he doesn't have his luck. Meanwhile, Ratio is discovering just how much harder life is for Signonians, and coming to truly appreciate how strong of a person Aventurine really is. Somehow, they've got to make it back from half way across the universe, accomplish their mission, and get their own bodies back. Please?

5) A collection of complaint logs very important internal IPC records:

Complaints received on the dangerous behavior of new Stoneheart "Aventurine of Stratagems"

Complaints received on the hostile work environment created by Intelligentsia Guild Consultant Dr. Veritas Ratio

Request for transfer

Request for transfer

Request for transfer

Proposal (Joking) to assign Stoneheart Aventurine to joint mission with Intelligentsia Guild Consultant Dr. V. R.

Request for transfer

Request for transfer

Proposal (No Longer Joking) to assign Stoneheart Aventurine to joint mission with IG Consultant Dr. V. R.

Joint Mission Report, Status: Complete, three days before projected date, Casualties: 0, Complaints: 0

Note from Clerk #157B to Clerk #162S, on digital post-it: "Are you seeing this shit?"

Mission Report, Status: Complete, two days behind schedule, Complaints: 1 - "Please don't subject me to the drivel of untrained imbeciles again. If you're going to send someone from outside the Technology Department, at least provide a competent strategist. The same one from last time, preferably."

Mission Report, Status: Complete, Casualties: 1, Complaints: 1 - "Just send Ratio next time, okay?"

Joint Mission Report, Status: Complete

Complaint received on the questionable conduct of Stoneheart Aventurine: "Why did my boss send me to buy bath bombs? Who are these for?"

Joint Mission Report, Status: Complete

Complaint received on the biased behavior of IG Consultant Dr. V. R.: "Why does boss get called 'dear gambler' while the rest of us are 'fool'?"

Penacony Joint Mission Report, Status: Complete

Notice of Hiatus from Intelligentsia Guild Activities and Sabbatical from Lecturing, Reason Given: None

Request for Paid Leave, to: Diamond, cc: Jade, bcc: Topaz, Reason Given: Elopement 💖

6) Maybe it's not a sensitive thing to ask. Maybe some stories are better left in the past. But Veritas Ratio has never been able to curb his desire to know--nor his desire to right the wrongs the world with that knowledge. Laid bare, pale against the lip of the tub, with nothing but the rippling of the bathwater to accompany him, Aventurine tells the story of each of his scars. Some marks cannot be washed away. But some--with time, with touch--can heal.

[thefirstknife]

Failsafe is so sad/mad at us for negligence!

And armor lore kinda confirms the nice personality is just her politeness filter.

She's allowed! I love her unconditionally!!!! She's SO funny.

Fave thing so far:

She cooked Osiris with this.

First lore tab is up on Ishtar! Fave parts:

A communications dish on what was once the starboard side of the Exodus Black creaked into position, reflecting a hazy patch of light down onto the Vandals as it locked into place—a devious stratagem that would increase the ambient temperature by as much as 3 degrees Celsius over the next 20 minutes. "Burn and die," Failsafe hissed quietly, while the Vandals did no such thing.

Help me?

And the filter thing:

Failsafe opened the communication ravenously, and it was only with moderate disappointment that she realized it was a text-free request: Ada-1 was seeking access to the Exodus Black's old shader archive.

And then:

Failsafe initiated a response. "Hey," she dictated. "Yeah, if you want to help Guardians play dress-up, you can have some of my old stuff." Her filter happily translated Failsafe's thoughts into a form it calculated was more acceptable to the recipient. "Bonjour, Ada-unit!" the filter typed cheerfully. "Your dedication to Guardian aesthetics is quite commendable! Your request has been approved! ^_^" As Failsafe reviewed the polished words, her processer made a dissatisfied grinding noise. She overrode the protocols and manually deleted the carets and underscore, then the exclamation points, then the patronizing greeting. She paused, deleted the rest of the message, and instead approved Ada's request without comment.

The .... "^_^" Absolutely losing it.

And finally:

The Vandals were doubtless going after another piece of plating. "Procreate!" Failsafe heard herself say brightly, and she realized she was still powering her protocol banks.

LET FAILSAFE SAY FUCK!!!!!!!

I'm having a normal time with Echoes so far.