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kyndaris · 3 years ago

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Let’s Talk About Books, Baby!

From the ashes of obscurity, books have seen a resurgence. My mother always wondered why I would ever want to be employed at a bookstore when the printed word seemed to be going the way of the dodo. But what was once considered a dying medium has seen new life bestowed upon it through the valiant efforts of BookTubers and even Booktok.

Yes, you read that right. Booktok! Forget about all the dancing teenagers trying to create the next new floss dance move. There are people on TikTok that actually provide book recommendations. Or riff on certain tropes. Heck, there’s even relatable WriterToks!

Yet, this all comes with a caveat. Most of the books that are seeing a huge boost from influencers are Young Adult fiction. There’s also some very questionable romance stories that are also seeing an endless amount of attention being showered on them. Not once, in all the time that I’ve watched compilations of BookTok videos, have there been any videos on series that are lesser-known.

Instead, Sarah J Maas dominates with her wing kink Fae universe. Leigh Bardugo has also reached peak prominence with many on the site, but some of that may be due to the Shadow and Bone adaption on Netflix (and after reading the books, I definitely prefer the Six of Crows duology). Then, of course, there are a litany of romance stories with half-naked men on the covers.

Unfortunately, Fifty Shades of Grey was not an anomaly.

Rather, smut is in. Scratch that. Smut has never left. Whether that be fanfiction on Wattpad (apparently people just love Mafia alternate universes or being kidnapped by boybands. Where have I seen this trope before? Ah yes, the manga Haou Airen by Mayu Shinjo. Actually, just any work from Mayu Shinjo in general. It’s as if the collective gutter mind has picked up on her works and started to remodel it somehow into what now populates sites such as Archive of Our Own and other places where fanfiction exists.

And when it comes to Sarah J Maas and the disaster that was A Court of Silver Flames (I really agree with many BookTubers that have negatively reviewed this work such as withcindy), it seems authors can also get away with having about nearly three fourths of an 800-page book just be about having angry sex in every corner of a fantasy realm.

But that is NOT why I decided to write this post.

While I believe I could pump out decent videos and become a regular of the Booktok community, I just want to shine some light on a burgeoning series in the fantasy section that deserves more love than it’s been getting. And that is the Rook and the Rose trilogy. From its gorgeous cover to the excellent world-building to the lovable characters!

Somehow, it’s still so niche that my local Dymocks didn’t even stock it! I had to go online just to get it in hand. Honestly, that’s on me and I probably should have just gone to Kinokuniya or Abbey’s with its hefty science fiction and fantasy section.

Written by Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms under the name M.A. Carrick, the Rook and the Rose series tells the story of Ren, a con artist, who has come to the city of Nadezra to trick her way into a noble house and secure a fortune for both herself and her fellow ex-street urchin: Tess. The way the authors craft the world and the lore behind it is immaculate, the focus on the characters and the slow plotting also make it a delicious read that had me become incredibly invested into its world.

Nadezra, though the setting for the story that is being meticulously plotted out, feels like a character in its own right. The history of the city is rich with promise and the Venetian-esque vibe that emanates from it (along with the masquerade masks that adorn the covers) makes the place feel alive even though it’s only something crafted from words and I’ve merely just pictured the actual buildings in my mind.

But although Ren is front and centre, there’s also Vargo, everyone’s favourite criminal mastermind with a heart of gold, and Grey Serrado, a stiff Captain of the Guard that has a huge chip on his shoulder. While there are plenty of other characters to wrap one’s head around, these three are the heart, soul and mind of the series as it currently is and I cannot wait to see what happens in the third and final book of the series that should be releasing sometime in early 2023.

Honestly, it’s a shame that this series hasn’t received the attention it deserves. For anyone that has fallen in love with the Locke Lamora series or who likes tropes of found family and dashing rogues trying to fight against a corrupt aristocracy, the Rook and the Rose series has it all.

Heck, even if you want to have a creature mascot, there is one in Alsius! Someone, draw a spider with socks on each of its legs! Please! If Doomslug from the Cytonic series can have merch, then so can an aristocrat trapped in the body of a spider!

And the way he bemoaned his lack of gloves had to be one of the funniest sentences I’d read in a long time.

Then of course there’s the things that BookTok could be capitalising on. Like the tarot card readings and the drawing of numinatria (which is basically geometric shapes)!

Oh, can’t forget the FASHION!

Alyc Helms might not be Tess in real life but she’s definitely an eye for describing clothing and I wish I had that talent when it comes to describing what my characters are wearing. Given my current ineptitude (I can’t even tell the difference between a cross stitch and other forms of embroidery), it’s a wonder how I manage to clothe my various fictional characters at all. One of these days I ought to sit down and just research the different types of doublets, jerkins, cuirass and other such attire.

The world is also ripe for an adaption, as was requested in an interview with the authors with Kia Carrington-Russel, an Australian author.

It is a shame that many influencers have yet to read or signal boost this criminally underrated series. How is it that books such as House of Sky and Breath have become so popular that they now feature in the local Big W and not a fantastic fantasy series that tells such a bewitching tale in a fully realised world?

I can’t say for sure if I have any reach when it comes to my blog posts, but I hope that someone out there will draw a spider with gloves/ socks and it suddenly becomes viral. Because that is what the Rook and the Rose deserves!

That or a streaming deal. Just think of how beautiful the world would look with just the right vision behind it? Certainly, we’ve seen Bridgerton bring back Regency and Shadow and Bone dabble with an actually intriguing young adult fantasy series. Now let’s see that Netflix budget (or Amazon/ Binge/ Stan/ whatever other big streaming services there are) try to put it on a burgeoning IP that has so much promise! And don’t cancel it until the second season!

#books #booktok #rook and the rose #the mask of mirrors #the liar's knot #m.a. carrick

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sasorikigai · 5 years ago

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The Dichotomy of the World; its Tremulous Creation and the Solemn Warmth

The world was loved; for stardust created it, with its feats legendary and everlasting. Peace was achieved through decades of understanding and working towards it even when compacts were made, dotted and signed in blood in violent, desperate times in the Earthrealm. The world may look and act as if it had been a know-it-all prig full of conceit, but there always had been embedded truth. For even in desperation, there’s defiance. Numerous compounds may rise and fall, yet every resurgence and reformed redemption beautiful; new and carefully cultivated in the Shirai Ryu and Lin Kuei grounds.

The rocky ruins of one would birth something grandeur after, as the humanity would throw itself around with both reckless abandon and serenity mixed with chaos. And life wants Hanzo and Kuai to be on a constant move, regardless of how tired they were. They would broadcast unknown words that fill and swell their heads with colorbars; a high-pitched noise of the cacophonous world and the absence of it as it fades to black. The unreal murmurings of the world has always ensorcelled them as it serves as their profound compounds.

There were scars inside them that couldn’t be seen by bare eyes, and they themselves cannot feel it unless they excavate themselves . The society has made them almost painless, emotionless and selfless. There are people ebbing and flowing like the tides of the unceasing ocean, but still, they would feel the hollowness, with sharp edges and obfusticating smoke, their beings burning like a cold burn; with intent, incinerating like a funeral pyre. Not causing a devastating collision, but nevertheless, potent enough to leave them permanent impressions.

Such perfect juxtaposition is what rules their respective, yet shared universe, as does their extensive life, even in a slaughterhouse of the humanity marred by personal and grandeur scope of battles and war, disease, catastrophic disasters and et cetera, the ghost town of countless hearts tainted with blood sonnets of hopelessness and defeat would vaporize in rhymes of morning and night songs, as their profound admiration towards the wretched world and the garnered respect as the protectors of the Earthrealm would grond them in conviction. That such profound hope and valiant determination would shatter the desolation of the monochromatic life.

#✗ obsessive cathartic (headcanon)#✗ the ineffable testimony of spawned hellfire (scorpion)#✗ bone-deep chill of despair (sub-zero)#✗ again and always (scorpion x sub-zero)#(reminds me of the mkx ending where both fight against the evil forces)

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camille-marshall-blog · 7 years ago

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Challenge #4.5

Alternately Titled: Like a Dream That You Can’t Quite Place

a/n: Hello hi heyo everyone! This is the long overdue part of the christmas ball I’ve been meaning to write but I’ve been too busy/overworked to do. Thankfully, I found time to write this little side fic for the past few days thanks to some extended deadlines from my teachers. This kinda picks up from where Challenge 4 left off- and the events are kinda in a flashback. ANYWAY, thank you @nathaniel-schreave for the RP, this was really a fun RP to do! (Also, yes another Hamilton-inspired title because I am hamiltrash). Hope you guys enjoy this one!!! (3793-ish words)

I crack one of my eyes open, but another wave of pain hits me, followed by a simultaneous wave of nausea. The floor beneath me sways as I swing my feet to the side of my bed. Aside from the dryness of my tongue, I’m starting to indicate the resurgence of the bitter taste of me wanting to throw up.

I should have never drank last night.

I try to shake off the buzzing in my head, gripping the side of my bed when another splitting headache washes over me thanks to the sudden movement. This time, I try to stand to grab a glass of water on one of the coffee tables and I slowly take steps over to pitcher of water to soothe the dryness of my throat. I’ve never been this hungover in a long time- sure, I’ve drank every once in a while with the Bullets… but god damn it- this had to be one of the worst.

Something catches my eye as I take small sips from the glass, a small package sitting on the top of my desk. I’m not sure if I see it right in the haze of my vision. After shutting my eyes for a good five seconds, my vision’s a little clearer. I take a step to my desk to inspect the package and a small note beside it, setting the glass of water on my desk as I take a seat at the desk, scanning the note.

Your maids will probably help you but take these when you wake up, you’ll feel a lot better. Also Merry Christmas -Nate

I had sent my maids away an hour ago (well.. kinda yelled and threw a pillow at one of them), irritated by their disturbance of my much needed sleep. I closed the note and saw the aspirins sitting on top of my desk and mentally thanked God for Nate, that boy was a godsend.

I take one, rubbing my temples trying to soothe the ache. It’s been like this since earlier this morning, the pounding in my head continuously torturing me- with the addition of some annoying voice in my dreams that narrated the events last night. That was one weird dream.

My eyes set themselves on the package on the desk, and I remember it from last night… I remember Nate holding it in his hands last night… I remember last night…

~flash back, insert Satisfied-like rewind sequence~ rewind rewind rewind

“Well, Natalie, the numbers are in.” I declare, catching Nate at the right moment where he was alone.

He flashes a smirk as his eyes looks around the room, “So... who won?”

I hated to admit to defeat, so I pinch the bridge of my nose in annoyance. “You did... technically.”

“Technically...?” he asks, expectant of an explanation.

“It's a tie… er… technically,” I shrug, hating have to admit the technicalities of my loss. “Six girls are sober, another seven are getting tipsy or drunk off their asses... one girl... I haven't seen around. That makes it 7-7 for both of us.”

7 girls had to get drunk for him to win, and my encounter of Fleur and the spiked punch had tipped the scales in Nate’s favor.

“But I admit defeat, Natalie.”

As the words come out of my mouth, Nate’s face breaks out into a huge smile. “I knew I was going to win. I think it would be best if you started to drink now.”

“I can't believe that I'm willingly getting drunk tonight,” I scoff at Nate’s directness, while simultaneously taking a flute of champagne from a passing waiter’s tray. “Do you know the last time I got drunk?”

“Nope, but tonight you are, drink up.” Nate shakes his head, still grinning with pride over his win. I hate how much I didn’t hate him for his gloating smile.

“I was 17 and at a graduation party,” I shook my head as I took my first sip of champagne. “I didn't see that keg coming…”

“Ah one of those parties.”

I shudder at the memory of that party, still arguably one of the worst hangovers I had ever had, but one of my favorite memories… a right of passage for any teenager… something that made me have a sense of normalcy.

“Yeah, one of those parties,” a laugh escapes my lips, “So Natalie, no plans on drinking tonight?”

“Nope, I don’t like alcohol and I was definitely staying sober to help you.” Nate replies, and his words catch me off guard. Staying sober to help you. Now was not the time to start getting attached.

“Why? Worried that I might be a hazard when drunk?” I quickly evade his eye contact for a while, taking another drink from the glass. I was going to need something stronger soon.

“One drunky can’t help another drunky as well as a sober. Also my mother would be disappointed in me if I got drunk at a ball, especially one that was for me.”

“Always the gentleman,” I muse, thinking about how that tendency seemed so ingrained in his personality. He was just so nice. “I wish there were more people like you.”

Nate looks confused as the words fall off my lips, “What do you mean ‘more people like me’...?”

“You're one of those people who…” I try to explain what I thought about him, waving my hand in the air looking for something that brought justice to the way he acted. He wasn’t just nice, or charming, or polite. Nate was more than just those things, and the more I lingered around him… I was starting to realize how decent his soul was and …. how the champagne was starting to get to my head, damn this stuff didn’t even taste that good.

“… who kinda makes the world a little more decent.” Eh, not my best description.

Nate’s usually pale complexion flushes slightly, “Oh, thank you.”

“Don't go blushing on me, Schreave.” I laugh at his reaction while finally drinking the last few drops of champagne in my flute.

“I’m not.” he mumbles as he looks down to his shoes.

I smirk at his continuous fluster, it never made sense how he never seemed accustomed to listening compliments. Come on, Golden Boy, show a little more confidence.

“I know what you’re doing.”

“And that would be...?”

Nate looks up and laughs, “you’re getting drunk.”

“I would have never figured that out!” I gasp as I hold the empty glass of champagne up.

“Just drink up.” Nate laughs,

“Easy for you to say,” I set my champagne glass on a table and grab another drink from another passing waiter. I sniff it quickly and identify it as whiskey, great a strong drink.“You don't have to worry about embarrassing yourself in front of everyone,” I add before taking a sip then coughing up, surprised with how horrible this drink tasted in general.

“Okay, that was stronger than I thought it was going to be.”

“I’ll drink one drink, just for you so you won’t feel lonely,” Nate offers as he picks out the same drink from another waiter before I could warn him, proceeding to drink it and cringe.

“Ew it’s just so gross.”

His face in reaction to the whiskey was nothing short of hilarious, making me laugh louder than I usually do.

“It's whiskey,” I explain, cringing as I take another drink of the putrid drink. “This stuff is way too popular in Midston.”

“It’s gross that’s what it is.”

This time, I try not to shudder as I try to finish the glass, “Agreed.”

He impressively drinks the remainder of his whiskey in one go, still making a disgusted face. “Uck I just got that over with. I’m not doing that again.”

“Yeah, definitely not drinking that crap again. But that was a very... valiant effort.” There’s a warm buzzing feeling that started to move from my ears to the rest of my body, and I’m starting to suspect that the alcohol was starting to work. Damn it, did I have to be that much of a lightweight?

Nate rolls his eyes jokingly, “Thanks... one more and you’ll be set.” Excuse you Natalie, I get to decide when I’ll be set… but he was right judging from how warm I was feeling.

“Let’s hope so,” I agree begrudgingly as I found my next drink- a glass of red wine. “This, I could handle better.”

“You finish that up but I got to go really quick, stay here.” Nate says before making a quick dash away from me, leaving me alone with my glass of wine. What was he in such a hurry to do?

“Oooookay…” Nevertheless, I nod as I watch him go. Maybe he didn’t have the time to babysit me as I drank. The thought of someone babysitting me was even more absurd. In fact, why was I even doing this?

I take drink from the wine, enjoying the next wave of bitterness that floods my tastebuds. I needed to question my actions for these past few days, how dangerously close I was to being attached to everyone in this palace-most especially Nate. I knew how invaluable I was among the remaining girls here. I wasn’t meant to mean much here, I was one in fifteen- replaceable. Just like the hundreds of soldiers and pilots I’ve worked with, my worth as an individual was not significant. Wanting to live my life with these people was just setting myself for heartbreak.

But why had so much changed… why did I suddenly start wanting to stay with these people, despite all the warnings I’ve told myself in the past? You can always just leave.

Another drink.

Because for the first time in a long time, there was someone who looked at me like there was something worth looking at.

The realization makes me want to finish the wine, detesting the weakness of my spirit. How cruel must the universe be to send me somewhere I could never stay? To send me someone I could never have?

I lose track of time as I drink until I see my reflection against one of the mirrors in the ballroom, seeing my flushed expression. The same time I do, I turn to the sound of running behind me and I see Nate standing in front of me again.

“That was… a while.” Okay, I was lying, I wasn’t actually sure how long he was gone.

“It wasn’t that long, do you want to go to bed now?” Nate asks.

I shake my head,”No, don't worry, I'm fine.” I then begin to feel the floor sway underneath my feet, and I lean against the wall for support.

“Nope you’re coming with me... “ Nate rolls his eyes playfully, as he held his hand out for me to hold. “Come on.”

“I'm not that drunk, but,” I sigh realizing that it was best for me to stop drinking. “Fine.”

I take his hand as I shot a glare at him, why did he have to be riiiiiiight.

Nate laughs, “ I won.”

There’s that confidence I was looking for a while ago.

“Yeah yeah,” I wave him off, “You don't have to worry about me stumbling by the way, I changed out of my heels about an hour and a half ago…”

“So where did they go?” he raises an eyebrow curiously.

“My maids brought one of my flats and got my shoes, see?” I explain, lifting my dress a little just enough for Nate to see my shoes.

“No one's noticed a thing.” I laugh. It was such a smart move to switch shoes, I was so smart.

“How genius of you.” Nate comments with an amused expression on his face.

“Gotta be prepared for anything…” I tap my temple for effect, just like that new meme I once saw online.

He rolls his eyes with a laugh, “Lets go.”

“Okaaaaay,” I say as I allowed him to drag me away from the party.

“So other than getting drunk, how was the ball?” Nate asks as we made it to the hallway.

“Better than I expected honestly. You were right, it felt like just a small group of people.” I answer, affirming what Nate had told me last night during my birthday.

“I talked to the queen for a while, before I got to meet one of my childhood heroes.” I just had to share that with him, about her majesty and the general. Meeting the two of them were one of the highlights of the night.

“Who was your childhood hero?”

“General Delilah Arnolds, she was the first woman to receive the Medal of Honor from your dad.” I smile, I’ve rewatched her award ceremony more times than I could count.

“Oh yes, she’s very kind. What about my mother what did you think of her?” Nate continues to ask.

“At first I thought about how gorgeous she was, she looked stunning in her gown, but when I talked to her..” I take a moment to pause for some dramatic flare- meeting Queen Aubrey was surreal. “Wow, I have nothing but respect for her.”

He smiles as I try to describe meeting the queen, “Sounds like my mom.”

“She makes it all look so easy, I swear.” I say as the two of us start walking up the stairs and I’m trying not to trip over my dress.

“She does, she really does. I love her.”

“I'm sure you do,” I smile at him, admiring how obviously cared for his mother.

We make it to the top of the stairs, and my legs are starting to feel even more wobbly than before.

“Which room is yours?” Nate asks me as we stand in the main hallway.

“I'm in the America Hall,” I point him to the right direction… at least I think it was the right hall… my visions was starting to get a little blurry, “Uh… Room number 2.” Wait… wouldn’t he remember which room was mine? We were just there last night.

“Thanks,” he says as he continues to guide me to my room- and I feel him putting my arm over his shoulder to help hold me up. Damn, he must be strong… of course he’s strong… it’s not like I didn’t catch him lifting weights in the gym. But yes, he probably was strong.

Nate helps open my door as we both walk into my room. He proceeds to help bring me close to my bed for me to sit down. “Here go lie on the bed.”

“Thanks Nate,” How noble for him to really make an effort to take care of me, he was like some knight in shining armor… wait.. knight… Nate…

“I just realized something…” I laugh at the most amazing joke that popped into my mind.

“What?” Nate asks as I watch him disappear into my closet.

“Nate in shining armor... You're a Nate in shining armor.” I laugh. That boy was such a godsend, he didn’t have to get me my pajamas, but he was. Bless him. God bless the Illean monarchy.

““Thanks,” I hear him laugh as he comes out of my closet with a shirt and some pajamas. Nate walks up to the bed with furrowed brows, what’s gotten him so worried?

“Umm…I’m going to have to trust you to go the bathroom and change.” he tells me, and despite my intoxicated state I kinda realize what’s gotten him into such a twist. He may have considered the thought that I needed to change from my dress.

“Awe don't worry, I think I can change myself,” I stand to meet him half way, still feeling my legs wobble as I try to kick my shoes off- but I could still manage as I take my clothes from him.

“Thanks.” I say as I walk into the bathroom and start taking off my jewelry and setting them on the bathroom counter. I reach behind me to try and unzip myself out of the dress, struggling in getting the zipper down. A thought of asking Nate to help me out pops into my head, which practically was … okay? But I decide against it… because… that would have been awkward… and stupid… Yes, very very stupid. You may be kinda drunk Marshall, but you are not a stupid drunk, Marshall.

If that wasn’t a good enough reason against the notion, I hear Nate shout from the other side of the door.“Hey, I’m going to quick run out, I’ll be back in like 3 minutes.”

“Alright!” I yell back as I hear the sound of my door open and close.

Thank you universe for telling me no, but fuck you for leaving me alone to get out of this dress. After a few attempts of reaching behind me, I finally manage to get the zipper down and everything else seems to be smooth sailing from there. I slip into my pajamas and grab a few make up wipes to clean my face from all that make up my maids had placed on me a few hours ago. I find a hanger for my dress and hang it on a hook on the wall.

Just as I was finished with brushing my teeth, I hear the sound of someone entering my room again.

I step out of my bathroom, and see Nate holding a wrapped box in his hands which makes me blink in confusion.

“I thought you gave me a gift already...?” Nate had already given me a gift last night… the leggings. I thought that was both for my birthday and Christmas. I mean… that how it was like before with my parents, a downside of being born near Christmas Day.

“I did... just go lay down and open this in the morning.” Nate gestures to my bed and I notice his breathing was off, he was slightly out breath.

“Wait just a minute,” I walk up to Nate, he looked disheveled- his dark curls looking unforgivably messier than usual.

“Fix your hair, it's looking a little messy,” I lift my hand wanting to reach up to fix it for him, but I stop myself- thinking about how I may be overstepping both of our boundaries.

Nate gives me an amused look, “Would you like to fix my hair?” He chuckles.

“Would you trust me?” I snort, raising an eyebrow at him.

“It can’t look worse than it probably does right now.”

“You just need to,” I raise my hand and push his hair up. His face was getting covered by his hair, and he looked way better if his face wasn’t obscured by the little twists. “keep that little twirl out of your face so much.”

I try to adjust his hair a little more, making sure his hair wasn’t in his eyes and twisting a piece of hair just right to get it to the way it was like when I first saw him in the beginning of the ball. “There.”

Nate just stands there as I step back, chuckling. “Thanks, now you go to bed, okay?”

“I will,” I nod turning and walking to my bed. “Congrats on winning the bet, and thanks for looking out for me tonight, Natalie.”

I reach my bed and pull the cover away as I started tucking myself in.

He lets out a breath, “It’s what I was planning on. I’m going to quick finish something up then I’ll be on my way.”

“Alright, take care of yourself while you're off rescuing more damsels in distress, okay?” I tell him as I lay my head down on my pillow.

“Okay…” Nate laughs.

Before I close my eyes and drift off into sleep, I catch Nate writing something down on my desk and leaving the gift there.

“Goodnight Michelle.”

~insert flashforward to the present, ala Satisfied Style~

I remember last night, and the dream that followed and ended where I was about to tell Nate about the bet. The memory felt like a dream still though… like a dream I couldn’t quite place. But I remembered last night as I take the wrapped gift in my hands and inspect it.

The wrapping looks good, maybe Natalie’s gift wrapping skills have improved overnight.

I quickly start tearing into the wrapping paper, revealing a black box that I had to open. Inside it was a set of pins that made me snort. I took the airplane pins into my hand, laughing at how thoughtful they were, and the silver bullet pin… how appropriate for a Silver Bullet like myself.

I set the box down when another wave of pain and nausea hits me, and I grip both sides of my head- willing the pain away.

Sure I may have regretted drinking last night, but everything else…

well… I don’t regret anything else.

#side fics #ch marshall #marshall fic #writings #nate tag #christmas ball #selectionoc #((THE HAIR FIXING THING KILLED ME TBH))

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smashpages · 1 month ago

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A new villain plagues Gilad in ‘Eternal Warrior: Resurgence’ #1 [Exclusive Preview]

The one-shot tie-in to ‘Resurgence of the Valiant Universe’ introduces an ages-old enemy of the Eternal Warrior.

#eternal warrior #eternal warrior: resurgence #resurgence of the valiant universe #comics #comic books #fred van lente #alvaro papagiani #exequiel fernandez roel #alien books #valiant universe #valiant comics

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evilhorse · 4 months ago

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X-O Manowar Invictus #2

#x-o manowar: invictus #x-o manowar #aric #german peralta #valiant comics #alien books #comics #2020s comics #road to resurgence of the valiant universe

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graphicpolicy · 1 month ago

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Preview: Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #2 (of 4)

Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #2 preview. Dr. Silk's utopian vision shatters reality with Master Darque's dark magic, unleashing global chaos #comics #comicbooks

#agustin alessio #aj ampadu #alien books #comic books #Comics #ezequiel inverni #fred van lente #guillermo fajardo #julio azamor #lautaro ftuli #ludwig olimba #nico di mattia #resurgence of the valiant universe #sebastian cabrol #valiant entertainment

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berniesrevolution · 7 years ago

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JACOBIN MAGAZINE

The recent debates about Medicare for All in the United States reflects a number of positive developments. For one, the campaign for truly universal health care has gained serious momentum for the first time since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) passed in 2012. At that time, despite valiant efforts to insert a single-payer proposal, most politicians and activists stayed loyal to President Obama’s public-private partnership strategy.

Before the ACA, Michael Moore’s 2007 documentary Sicko — which focused on the victims of the for-profit health insurance industry rather than on the United States’ exclusion of fifty million people from health care coverage — provided a serious boost to activist organizing for Medicare for All.

The only other time in the last forty years that Medicare for All took center stage was in 1992, after Bill Clinton made universal health care a frontline campaign promise. Hillary Clinton’s subsequent task force buried that possibility after handing out shovels to the health insurance industry.

It therefore seems fitting that her historic failure of a presidential campaign has paved the way for this much-needed resurgence in the movement for universal health care. A coalition of single-payer activists groups — including National Nurses United (NNU), New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA, of which I am a member), Amalgamated Transit Union, United Electrical workers, and a number of smaller unions and locals grouped together as the Labor Campaign For Single Payer Healthcare, Physicians for a National Health Program, and Healthcare-NOW — are stepping up the fight for health justice.

In January, this network of Medicare-for-All supporting organizations settled on a new strategy. Instead of reacting to Trump, the groups decided to go on the offensive. We agreed that, while the ACA lacks public support and perpetuates an unequal system, Trump’s health care proposals will be much worse. In this context, Medicare for All will gain popularity on the local, state, and national level. The guiding idea — validated by Bernie Sanders’s campaign and Hillary Clinton’s defeat — was that you can’t fight the Right from center.

So far, this strategy has been vindicated. In the face of various iterations of Trumpcare, angry voters confronted their representatives at fiery town hall meetings. Medicare-for-All initiatives in California and New York came within one or two votes of reaching their governors’ desks. As is often the case, overt and covert Democratic Party obstruction killed these bills, but the legislation garnered more support — both from politicians and voters — than ever before. Indeed, a recent poll shows that 62 percent of Americans now believe that the government should make sure that everyone has health care coverage.

This means that while Trump, McConnell, and Ryan are trying dismantle as much of the federal government’s responsibility for health care coverage as they can, almost two-thirds of the population wants the exact opposite. And many of them know that the status quo of Obamacare is not going to get us there.

Changing the Political Landscape

The Medicare-for-All movement is engaged in a number of strategic debates right now. Should we puruse a state-based legislative strategy or a national one? How much of our collective resources should we devote to political lobbying and electoral campaigns versus broader political organizing? How do we organize the millions of health care victims? How do we build Medicare-for-All committees in communities and workplaces?

But the question receiving the most attention, especially among the growing socialist movement, is whether we should hold a national march. Jacobin has published multiplearguments on either side of the debate, and the authors have brought important considerations to light.

I’d like to offer my perspective as an organized socialist, a pediatric emergency room nurse in a public hospital who has built several successful (and many failed) workplace campaigns, an active participant in the Medicare-for-All movement, and an elected leader of the NYSNA. I believe that a national march can push us further toward our goal, but only if a coalition of unions, socialist organizations, and other social forces combine efforts to build a large, unified mobilization.

First off, our movements need to build power to win. Their side has money, our side has collective action. All progressive movements must figure out how to use this power in the face of obstacles.

A national march would play a positive role in this process. We shouldn’t overstate the effects of Washington, DC, days of action. Some produce little discernable change, and not all are worth the time and energy required to plan them. But they can transform the people who participate in them, advancing a number of critical ideological and organizational processes.

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#politics #the left #progressive #progressive movement #Healthcare #universal healthcare #medicare for all #single payer #bernie sanders #congress #jacobin #jacobin magazine

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