#save me good romantasy save me

[andorerso]

sissi i totally agree with you about the current state of romantasy books! i love a classic fantasy book, where romance is much more of a subplot. but sometimes i'm really craving a romance forward fantasy, but actually finding a good one nowadays is abysmal. i know it's partially a personal taste thing, but there is so much insta-love/attraction in romantasy books and i'm like where is the yearning! where is the pining! there's no build up of tension and it's such a bummer. and then also the plot is usually completely thrown out the window to focus on the romance. which i get romantasy is meant to be romance heavy, but i would like a little plot please 😭

no, honestly!! there is literally NO plot, it's just romance in a fantasy setting. except even romance books should have a plot, so it's just vibes and vague worldbuilding with some magical elements. that's it. everyone is super hot and extra badass and they're the most in love to ever be in love. YAWN

and it's a fucking shame because on paper, I should love romantasy. I like fantasy books, and I like it when they're romance-heavy (not the main or sole focus, but I don't mind if it's a large part of it) but the romance should be GOOD! ugh it makes me so mad/sad because I wanna like romantasy so bad!! I just can't 😔

(side note: if you have any romantasy books that are good, please let me know!! I'll gladly take some recs from anyone <3)

[leeldridgeauthor]

“I took the two ends and pulled them around her, twisting it the way I’d seen done.

“Is this too tight?” I asked when necessary. She always said no. It wrapped over her shoulders and around her middle, up between her breasts until I was satisfied. I then used the tie to her robe to bind her hands.

The ropes looked exquisite against her body. “How do you feel?” I asked.

“I’d always liked to be in control,” she said. “But allowing myself to let go with you makes me feel…free.”

I brought her lips to mine. “Good. I want to be that for you.”

I lifted her and brought her to the mirror I had in the corner. I turned her around, holding her hands above her head. “See how sexy you look?” I asked, needing her to see what I saw.

“I see how sexy you are,” she sassed.

I landed a hand on her aşş, and she yelped. “Seemed you needed a spanking.”

art by @cheesomancer

A Yulean Sisters Guide to Getting Married is a 𝓢𝓹𝓲𝓬𝔂, cozy, romantasy monster romance, available in Paperback, ebook, and KU!!

⚔️ fake engagement

⚔️ size difference

⚔️ swordplay as 𝐹𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓎

⚔️ 𝐵𝑜𝓃𝒹𝒶𝑔𝑒

⚔️ grumpy/grumpy

‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶ 𝐵𝓁𝓊𝓇𝒷︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

A fake engagement unites them…but is it enough to save them?


SORCHA

I’ve fought tooth and nail to enter the ranks of knighthood. I deserve to be there. But as a princess, the only place I’m allowed is the training yard.

That is until our enemy, Grand Clarak Zarios of Valcor, shows up with an opportunity to save the entire nation from someone in his court trying to dethrone him. It's just what I need to prove my worth.

The catch…I need to pretend to be his intended mate to do it. It begins to seem impossible, especially with new court rules to follow and a grumpy minotaur as a partner.

But this is my one chance, and I won’t let anything stand in my way.

ZARIOS

Everyday it feels as if all I’m doing is putting out fires. Between push back from my own people to traitors in my kingdom, it feels as though everyone is keen to see me fall.

It feels hopeless until I meet Sorcha Yulean, second in line for the throne. With her by my side, fake intended or not, I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

This is my last chance to save my kingdom, and my crown, nothing can get in the way.
Not even my budding feelings for the princess.

A Yulean Sister’s Guide to Getting Married is a fantasy monster romance between a stubborn princess who wishes to be a knight and a grumpy minotaur finding love in a fake arrangement. This book is a standalone and does not need to be read in order! This book is spicy, low-angst, with a well deserved HEA!

[hier--soir]

feb + mar + apr reads

norma jean baker of troy by anne carson [★★★★★]

"Sometimes I think language should cover its own eyes when it speaks."

"Is she human? Are you? Is she a beast out of control? There's so much danger. No human can become just a beast, you plunge beyond - beyond what? Remember Jack the Ripper? 'I'm down on whores and I shan't quit ripping them till I get buckled,' Jack wrote in a letter to the newspaper, September 18, 1888. He never did get buckled. Of course insane, his mind blooming with it, who could go down that rabbit-hole or unlock such a puzzle as Jack? - but still, the woman! the thing is! the woman has everything and you smile and you take some."

: ̗̀➛ an exploration of the lives and myths of marilyn monroe and helen of troy.

: ̗̀➛ anne carson is there anything you can't do? please email me back. please.

piglet by lottie hazell [★★★★]

"'I want to make some food,' she said. 'For both of us?' he asked. 'No, just for me.'"

: ̗̀➛ one woman, piglet, and the lead up to her wedding in the face of a big confession from her fiancé.

: ̗̀➛ this one slipped beneath my skin and writhed around the spot inside me where i've tucked away all of my food issues.

merciless gods by christos tsiolkas [★★]

"I'm scared that if I let go, not only the room, not only this city, but the whole world will go cold forever."

"Your false gods cannot save you. There is only one God, my God."

: ̗̀➛ short stories that bash you over the head with how awful things and people and places can be. i did not live for this one... particularly wasn't into the one where a guy jerked his dad who has alzheimers off.

foe by iain reid [★★]

"All day. Time keeps moving. I've always thought that was a good thing. Until recently. I'm not so sure now. Is it good? For time to go by fast?"

: ̗̀➛ they want to send junior to space and replace him with a robot that looks and acts and talks exactly like him so his wife has company in his absence.

: ̗̀➛ marriage and trust and complacency, and a guy called terrence who we get reminded over and over has long gorgeous hair.

: ̗̀➛ a little boring for my taste. i had an idea of where it was going pretty early on, and it took a while for me to be proven right. pretty disconcerting!

acts of desperation by megan nolan [★★★★]

"The need was a true and human part of me, but I could feel nothing else of myself to be true or human, and so the need seemed ungodly, an aberration."

: ̗̀➛ a book full of confession, desire, jealousy, violence, and power. messy messy messy!!!! readers procceed with caution.

: ̗̀➛ shout out to everyone who said i should read this - you were right, it is up my alley.

gone girl by gillian flynn [★★★★]

"My wife was no longer my wife but a razor-wire knot daring me to unloop her, and I was not up to the job with my thick, numb, nervous fingers. Country fingers. Flyover fingers untrained in the intricate, dangerous work of solving Amy. When I'd hold up the bloody stumps, she'd sigh and turn to her secret mental notebook on which she tallied all my deficiencies, forever noting disappointments, frailties, shortcomings."

: ̗̀➛ i have become a gillian flynn STAN this year, it's true. despite having seen the movie multiple times, i enjoyed reading this, and was delighted to find some differences in the texts [for better and for worse].

: ̗̀➛ nick dunne, big fan of the lie of omission, mama's boy whose mama is dead, i'd like to introduce you to couples therapy.

dead beautiful and life eternal by yvonne woon [reread] [★★★]

: ̗̀➛ the first two books in a paranormal romance trilogy. these kinda bang guys, i can't lie. 15-year-old me was onto something when she decided to keep these instead of donating them. however, they DO have some of the worst book covers i've ever seen, sorry yvonne.

fourth wing by rebecca yarros [★★★]

: ̗̀➛ a romantasy book that has dragons, smut, and twists that you'll see coming from a mile away. pretty fun. recced to me by one man in person and a thousand women on tik tok.

: ̗̀➛ no one who has the thought 'double standards for the win' is using 'whomever' in a casual sentence with the guy she's having sex with.

: ̗̀➛ good enemies to lovers should have actual murder attempts. but maybe that's jusT MY OPINION.

my book rating system is as follows:

★ = i felt pure contempt the entire time

★★ = yeah it's a book

★★★ = i liked it!

★★★★ = good fucking book, damn

★★★★★ = blew my dick clean off and i'll throw a tantrum if everyone i know doesn't also read it and love it

[pagesandpothos]

Hidden Gems of 2024

I read a lot of new releases in 2024 and many of those are really great books that have been getting a lot of well-deserved attention. There are a few however that I think deserve some more hype.

Here are a few underrated gems that I think deserve even more readers and much more praise. All of these are LGBTQIA+ and most are romantasy since that is what I enjoyed the most this year.

Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy: As I've said many times, this is my favorite book of the year. If you love fantasy, queer slow burns, spells gone wrong, or the forced proximity trope then this is a must-read. There's no release date yet for book #2 but I'm hopeful we'll get a date soon! I can't wait to continue Leo and Grimm's story!

Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland: Alexandra Rowland is an author that most fans of queer books love, so this might be less of a "hidden gem" than some of the others on this list, but I'm still including it because I think it deserves even more attention. This is truly the funniest book I have ever read. I don't think I have ever had so much fun reading a book!

Shoestring Theory by Mariana Costa: This was one of the biggest surprises of the year for me. This is an excellent queer romantasy that has complex characters and relationships with an exciting time-travel plot. If you love complicated enemies-to-lovers stories, you should check this one out.

This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher: is a sweet and funny cozy romantasy about a group of heroes who once saved their realm. Now, they're on a second mission after a decade of estrangement. This is a silly and fun time with two second-chance romances (one is sapphic). There's a great friendship storyline as well.

All The Hidden Paths by Foz Meadows: is a followup to the popular queer romantasy, A Strange and Stubborn Endurance. This is just as good as the first book with an exciting political plot, great development for Vel/Cae, and good new characters.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell: A delightful and dark fairytale that somehow manages to be both gruesome and feel like a cozy fantasy at the same time. There's a sapphic monster romance with an asexual human woman that is incredibly sweet.

The Crack at the Heart of Everything by Fiona Fenn: Is a terrific redemption story about two men who fought for the villain's side in a devastating war. Orpheus and Fenrir have an amazing rivals-to-lovers story that starts as a little comic relief and grows into something truly heartfelt. The world-building feels like a cool blend of high-fantasy, post-apocalyptic, Dystopia, and even horror. This is a unique and adventurous addition to the queer romantasy genre.

Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis: A historical mystery that focuses on two sisters with references to Charles Perrault's The Fairies. It's about the two siblings' complicated dynamic and how every story has two sides. There's also a Sapphic love story involving one of the sisters.

The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin: A dark and queer fantasy based on Jewish mythology. The last half of this book is so riveting and shocking. I truly had no idea what would be happening next.

Key Lime Sky by Al Hess: is a sci-fi romance about a non-binary character who witnesses an alien invasion. The main character is memorable and the plot is delightfully weird and fun. The romance is fantastic, with a seriously charming and funny meet-cute.

[wetcatspellcaster]

I saw you respond that you a very much not an SJM fan 😅 fair enough but I did want to ask what books/series you did like or would recommend that are of a fantasy/romantasy vibe!

lmfao, i am destined to become known for my parasocial enmity with the wingspan lady on this hellsite.

I don't read stuff with the same vibe as SJM all that often anymore. I used to read a lot of paranormal romance but the heteronormativity of SJM clones was upsetting me, so I've turned more towards the romance genre or just straight up fanfic these days.

So these recommendations might not be the perfect overlap but-!

Books with Fey Romances that are good

Holly Black, for all your fey needs. Tithe is the OG (and if you like sad men with white hair, have I got a blorbo for you!) but The Cruel Prince is her most popular series, that most people have read. The Darkest Part of the Forest is also an amazing standalone novel with a bit more creepiness than the other two. Not very explicit sex.

Olivia Atwater's Half A Soul and Ten Thousand Stitches are regency romance novels with fey associations, the first book is about a girl under a fairy curse and the second is about a fairy himbo trying his best at being a fairy godmother. No sex, that I can remember.

Heather Fawcett's Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies. I've talked about this book a lot. If you like my fanfic, you will like this book, because this book was written for Me specifically. Not very explicit sex.

The Falconer series by Elizabeth May. This is the closest in this list to what SJM writes, only this is. um. better. Much sex, but also just... 'what if we started an apocalypse together, and the guilt meant I was scared to touch you, but we've got nothing else to live for now so why shouldn't I just do it?'

Fantasy Books with Good Romance

T Kingfisher's Swordheart and Nettle & Bone - both standalone novels. Swordheart is just Howl x Sophie dynamics, if Howl was a martial class, and also. A sword. Some sexiness.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik (if we count the love interests as both the hot sexy wizard man AND the protagonist's gal pal). Some sexiness.

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. If you like your immortal/mortal romances, this is a pretty stellar read tbh. Some sexiness.

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan. This is such a fun book just generally but the slowburn of a 7 year high school romance sent me a little feral actually. Some sexiness.

Daevabad trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty. Now, this one is a little bit evil bc its an epic fantasy trilogy that is quite dense, and the romance is amazing but it takes a WHILE. *I* can write an evil slowburn, but there is nothing more evil than what happened in these books bc everyone is so fucking repressed. Alternatively, The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by the same author, which cut to the chase a lot quicker, romance-wise.

Fantasy Books that are 😌😌 sexy 😌😌

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman. This is my favourite paranormal romance I've read in recent years, and they don't even have sex but I'm putting it here because um. they did. to me. That's what happens when you write a regency romance where if a woman takes of a man's coat they have 37 horny thoughts about it in real time. Imagine if Darcy and Elizabeth for P&P were also fighting demons at the same time as falling in love (not metaphorically. literal demons.)

Mating the Huntress by Talia Hibbert. Talia Hibbert's books in general fucking slap but I wish she'd written more paranormal romance than just this ONE story bc um. This was. um. Good.✌️

A Marvellous Light and A Restless Truth by Freya Marske. Freya Marske is also a popular fanfic author, and it shows with the way she writes sex.

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming. This author is the one who went briefly viral bc she accidentally has a book cover with Astarion on it lmao. This book was the first in that series, and unfortunately it wasn't for me (dragon shifter porn, I did *not* know going in) but the sex was really, really well-written, if that's something you could be into.

[itmeblog]

WE ARE LIVE!

You can currently find The Unusual Courtship of Pax the Faerie on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and on my ko-fi! (In both EPUB and PDF)

And now I get to talk about it!

TL:DR This is how I wrote a novella with

Genderqueer faerie

A human who fae find attractive but not for the reasons you'd think

A couple that is endgame and a couple that is very much not not endgame based on two very different relationships with our titular character.

A deep and surprisingly thoughtful search for oneself and soul

A lot of religious references, just so many references

BDSM vibes

You can enjoy the madness with me. Below. Because this is not what I set out to write. I had intended to follow the standard romantasy script and determine if I wrote something that appealed to major markets if I'd manage to snag myself an agent. This is not what happened.

I wrote this book because I became fascinated by ACOTAR. It is imperative that I make it very, very clear, at the point that I started thinking about Pax, I had never read nor picked up anything written by Sarah J Maas. This story will make no sense if I did. I was only vaguely aware of her existence. I had heard some withCindy rants and then decided to get an overview from someone who genuinely enjoyed the book.

I went into this knowing it was a story about big, sexy, well-endowed men and a girl with perhaps too little fire power between her ears. It is also the book that I consider ground zero of the maleness ("he felt very male"? Girl what does this mean??) epidemic.

And I had questions.

If the fae are beautiful, sexy, and promiscuous then why have fated mates? Why make them stop being promiscuous? Wasn't that some of the fun?

If sex does not have the same weight in their society (presumably) then why is it saved only for romantic partners?

In a world where everyone can shapeshift why so much misogyny? If there is misogyny why do people not shapeshift or dress to pass as male in order to gain some modicum of protection?

Wouldn't it have had to develop in a completely different fashion than we're used too?

Why are the gendernorms so human?

Why would a faerie be interested (romantically and aesthetically) in a human?

So. Many. Straight. Faeries.

Why make the love interest the exception to the cruel nature of the fae when you can just make the human so much worse?

Angels???? ANGELS?????!!

NOTE: At this point I still had not picked up the book.

ALSO PROBABLY IMPORTANT: I am very aro.

Here's what I knew:

Horny

Faeries

Religion??

These are the rules I stuck to. So, while developing Pax, he was meant to be pretentious and very deeply wrong in her understanding of religion and the passages he quotes. I called a friend (from an old school Italian Catholic family, very old school) for some direction.

I explained the premise and she went, "no, you're not looking for passages, you're looking for the Ecstasy of St. Teresa"

This, my friend, is where things got out of hand.

This is the Ecstasy of St. Teresa

Considered one of the most risque statues of the Baroque period. Inspired by this

"I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the iron's point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it. The soul is satisfied now with nothing less than God. The pain is not bodily, but spiritual; though the body has its share in it. It is a caressing of love so sweet which now takes place between the soul and God, that I pray God of His goodness to make him experience it who may think that I am lying" - St. Teresa of Avila

Needless to say I became obsessed, which is great because St Teresa of Avila was a fascinating woman who sat in Spain, a mecca of Abrahamic religions, during the Spanish Inquisition (there's a lot of overlap in beliefs here). And she wrote a lot.

NOTE: Very important, I had intended to write this as a sexy l'il romp with a slightly toxic pairing, k? Like Pax's infatuation was 110% meant to be a little tongue in cheek. I wanted this to be marketable, I wanted to maybe get published. Yeah? I went wrong immediately when I decided Pax would be genderfluid but shut up. It's fine. We're here, everything is queer, we are rapidly sinking into a mire of 500 year old esoteric religious subtext. You with me? Cool.

I read several dissertations on sensuality in religion as well as many many things about the unintentional yet constant eroticization of pain (it happens so much omg, I cannot look at crucifixes the same anymore). And the break down of St. Teresa of Avila's 7 mansions of the Interior Castle (which I've also read), which explains in detail how to find god within oneself. Some of these papers were 100s of pages long. The pile of research I did for this was honestly bigger than the phone books of my youth.

As I said, this got deeply out of hand.

It also became the foundation for Pax's personality and the lens through which he experiences the world. Note: the woman Pax falls in love with is very much not God, she is also very much not safe.

So now I have this very raunchy book about faeries, religion, and sex, and finally FINALLY only after I finished, did I attempt to read ACOTAR.

And I fucking overshot.

I overshot so, so, so far.

I was aiming for Mars and I've ended up on Pluto. When all you hear about a book is how explicit it is and how it's the fairy porn book you assume it's more than 2 scenes.

You assume a lot of things about those scenes and the responsiveness of the heroine. Tamlin if that was the best you've ever had... what pray tell was the point of making you fae?? Are none of your lovers responsive or could it be you're a pleasure dom? Please, little fae man who has wild spring orgies, speak to me. What is your story?

So now I have a novella with

Genderqueer faeries

A queer love interest

A human who fae find attractive but not for the reasons you'd think

A couple that is endgame and a couple that is very much not not endgame based on two very different relationships with our titular character.

Way too much sex

A deep and surprisingly thoughtful search for oneself and soul

A lot of religious references, just so many references

BDSM vibes

[astridhoff03]

I also watched the Mermaid Magic, the new series from the guy who produced winx club, because I was curious…

And man this show rocks. It’s funny, emotional and has a beautiful message about not polluting the ocean and the environment in general. It shows that Rainbow and Iginio Straffi still got it if Nickelodeon doesn’t ruin their plans.

First to the characters: Merlinda is such a lovely protagonist, how she deals with the loss of her mother, trying to save her father and her kingdom, working together with her friends is just wonderful. She’s a dutiful, driven by loss and love Crownprincess, who be a great Queen one day. She has some great character moments, better than Bloom. My favorite scene is definitely when the whale mother is drowning and Merlinda reminds of the loss of her own mother. This moment and scene montage is for so many reasons one of the best moments in the entire series.

First I thought I wouldn’t like Nerissa and Sasha, especially Sasha because I thought she would annoy me. But she and Nerissa were actually kinda fun to watch. Sasha is so funny and also very nice and smart, how she uses her social media skills to fight the Kraken. Nerissa is the complete opposite, she’s serious and feisty but also selfless. I think she has a softer side to her or she’s just a baddie. So were Tyler and Celia. And we also have a Diaspro in this show lol. Also can we agree that Alex is the hottest guy in the show, Tyler is cute but Alex is Romantasy Material. Seriously he looks like a combination between Xaden and Rhysand. He reminds me a lot of these two. Orca is also a really cool mentor. I really enjoy his teacher-student relationship with Merlinda. He is a really lovable character. His ultimate test for Merlinda was phenomenal, testing her empathy, powers and strength at the same time. Also that he is her uncle really took me by surprise, I wouldn’t have seen this coming.

Second the villains: they were creepy as fuck and I love them. They have really good designs and motivations. Even if it’s revenge, revenge can be some sinister motivation.

Third the world: I love the whole design of Mertropia it’s like a Venice for Mermaids. I just wish we would explore more seas, there’s so much to learn about the oceans of our planet. But maybe in next seasons. I would love to see the girls interact with different species of the ocean, there is so much potential. And I would love to see more of the complex ecosystem of the ocean, the task every single ocean creature has in their ecosystem and they should introduce sharks as harmless and these are also just animals who want to life their life.

Also this show would be perfect for the Sirenix song from Winx Club. It would perfectly fit the ocean theme and how the merfolk is bound to it.

[disappearinginq]

Once a great while back you’d given outline of plot /character details for your original stories. I didn’t find it but I don’t know for sure if it was tagged/what it was tagged. Do you happen to remember the post or feel like giving an update on your original work?

There are in fact, four of them, which I largely refer to by the main characters in them. And despite the fact that they sound like romantic pairs, they are not.

There's Tally and Lir - set in a fantasy Ireland (I have not picked a name), Tally is one of the travellers and she and her family are essentially a traveling circus (leaning into family history here). This one I basically decided to flip a lot of tropes or things we see in popular fantasy/romantasy. Like Tally and Lir are not romantically involved. At all. People don't even comment on it. Lir is an amnesiac she fishes out of the river one morning, and her family basically rolls with it, assuming he's a deserter from the army. It also borrows heavily from Celtic and Irish mythology, and like how I write fanfic, I skip all over the place when writing this and I am discovering this is a really bad way to do it. So I'm trying work on linear story writing for it.

Sweeping vague overview: Tally tries to keep Lir out of the hands of the army, and the more time she spends with him, she suspects that he's not just a deserter, because the military is really scorching the earth trying to locate him.

Samson and Delilah - Yes, that's really their names. Delilah was the name of a beloved contraband pet rat I had in college and I just liked the name, and Samson gets his name because he refuses to tell her his real one for like 90% of the story. This one was based off a thought I had on the nature of redemption, and if I could make a truly unlikable character someone you could like by the end, even if you could understand where she was coming from. This has gone through a fair amount of revising - I got 30k words in, reread it as a whole, and realized nothing fucking happened. So I had to create some stakes, a ticking clock, motivation for one half of these characters, etc. And then there wound up being some serious world building going on that I did not expect, but I think it helps the story considerably.

Sweeping vague overview: a girl makes a pact with a demon to get revenge for herself and her murdered family, and the demon realizes that she might actually be the worse of the two of them. The redemptive power of friendship and platonic unconditional love saves the day.

Lucian and Ben: This one is steampunk Batman. And no, I will not be elaborating.

Nate and Rue - space western, which requires an ungodly amount of world building, to the point I've decided that this is Firefly territory, not Star Trek/Wars, because I am not coming up with alien species, languages, or cultures. Transportation is an unforseen nuisance. This is also one that started off as a 100% slapstick parody story. And then I decided that Rue and Nate really deserved some actual attention and effort, because they're a lot of fun. These two are 100% (again, platonic) soul mates to the point of codepency thanks to a shared childhood trauma. However, they're wildly different people - which I mostly decided on because I got really irritated at the idea that people kept trying to pedal to me that you can only be friends (or even speak to someone) who agrees 100% with you on 100% of things. And these two? Do not. One is a space pirate reject from the equivalent of Star Fleet Academy, and the other one is a science officer in said Star Fleet knockoff (really, it's the American military complex, and I decided that the basis of it was 'What if Star Fleet wasn't the good guys?'). This is another requiring a lot of logistics that my friends have been obnoxiously helpful with and solve like 2 years of my problems in one simple question and I love them for it while I scream into the void WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT WAS THIS EASY THE WHOLE FUCKING TIME?!

Sweeping vague overview: that shared childhood trauma is not so much a thing of the past as both of them wished it was, and they have to work together again to stop the Bad Guy who seems to be gaining popularity and making other people question if he's Really That Bad? (yes, he is, he so fucking is)

Anyway. The vague original fic updates that I really should be working on, but fanfic is soooo alluring and beckons to me.

[little-peril-stories]

LPS: Blog (Re)Intro

Little Peril Stories | Kate | adult | she/her

✨ linktree | website | ko-fi | ao3 | oc/wip extras ✨

✨ I post writing/publishing updates every Wednesday and Sunday here. ✨

The Queen of Lies (ongoing): AU for The Prince of Thieves—sheltered, rich sad girl meets snarky criminal; chaos ensues; whumpy, Victorian forbidden love vibes with a side helping of angst and girl power

The Court of Rogues (work in progress): sequel to The Prince of Thieves; in the works but it will be a while before details come out

The Prince of Thieves (complete): guy and gal get arrested and tormented by super cool, totally normal constable while pals on the outside freak out and make bad decisions; fun 1800s prison vibes with a side helping of angst and chosen family

Blood Garnet (side WIP, low priority): girl gets lost in magic woods and gets chased by her hapless cousin and a grump hunter; awkward magic man tries to help; supernatural(ish) romantasy vibes with a side helping of angst and betrayal

Man of Letters (UNRESOLVED; part of Whumptober 2023): awkward scholar boi tries to save the girl he falls in love with and gets way more than he bargained for; light romantasy paired with heavy emo vibes, with a side of helping of angst and torture

Fen and Freddie (complete): gal gets kidnapped, dopey cinnamon roll with hopeless crush tries to rescue her and fails; vague superhero sci-fi vibes with a side helping of angst and pining

The Curiosity Collector (complete): sweet non-confrontational magic boy gets kidnapped and needs rescuing by bf and sis; witchy, autumnal vibes with a side helping of angst and falling in love

This is a whumpblr/writeblr space! Sometimes I’ll post/reblog writerly posts, memes, etc., but a lot of the posts/RBs will be about whump. I post original writing and reblog the work of others that I enjoy, gifs, tropes, prompts, and other such things.

I love comments and feedback on my writing and welcome them with open arms.

A note on age: I know I can’t actually stop you from accessing this blog, but I do not wish to interact with people under 18. It’s not personal, I’m sure you’re great, but it has everything to do with my job IRL. Please respect this boundary and come back on your 18th birthday.

Check out: My Most Common Tropes

My favourite elements of whump have to do with power dynamics, intimidation, dread, and angst. I love captivity-with-a-cause: kidnapping for ransom or as leverage over someone else, prison (in fantasy or historical settings, less so for modern settings though it’s not a hard rule), and the like. Fantasy presents so many creative versions of this trope, so I do love me some fantasy whump! It also gives lots of opportunity for dungeons, shackles, and other fun implements like that. Gratuitous tying or chaining up is always delightful to see. Pining, desperately trying to protect a loved one (…and failing), and self-sacrifice are other big tropes I love, so expect to see lots of those!

As for characters, I love it when they are as far as you can get from perfect, pure, and innocent—when they’re good enough people, but whose flawed or maybe even problematic decisions lead them into trouble. Always, always, I want my characters to have a hand in their own fates. Pure-hearted victims of the narrative who simply fall into a whumpy situation are cute and fun, but not what I tend to write.

A few odds and ends I’m such a sucker for, so you’ll probably find them in my writing:

Sibling relationships

Allusions to songs, books, folklore, and musicals

Nature and weather helping to set the scene (oh my goodness, how many times can I work snow into one story?)

If romance, either slow burn or instant attraction

…with a sprinkling of “huh, I don’t understand what I’m feeling, wtf is going on??”

‘In the nick of time’ rescues

Painfully awkward moments

Fluff and comfort, but only once they’ve really earned it

Almost kisses

Hard choices

Happy endings

You probably won’t find much gore or explicit noncon here, but there might be some elements of those in my stories or in reblogs. I don’t write BBU or pet whump.

My original “whumpy things I like” post can be found here.

Anyway, thanks for reading! 💕 Happy whumping!

[aggro-my-beloved]

Rach’s Reading Wrapped: December 2024

to encourage me and my followers to read more (knowledge is power!) i will be logging all the books i’ve read through the duration of each month, giving my honest reviews, tagging some moots, etc. consider this a test run, and let me know if this should become a regular thing? im curious to know y’all’s thoughts of some of these so if you’ve read them interact with me and let me know!

“Landline” by Rainbow Rowell

free pdf / free audiobook

synopsis: fifteen years ago, on christmas day, georgie mccool’s boyfriend drove halfway across the country to propose to her. this christmas, he’s headed in the other direction. should Georgie follow him? should she call him and beg him to come back? something very strange happens every time she picks up the phone…

published: july 3rd, 2014

genre: contemporary romance

rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

review: not one of my favorites from rainbow. for half of the story i was convinced i’d been duped into another tired love triangle. i was pleasantly surprised to find though, that the overarching themes of romance weren’t pointing to the common message of falling in love with the right person, but rather falling back into love even when you thought you did wrong or messed up. is it worth re-reading? i’d say no. nonetheless, it will tug at your heartstrings and make you yearn for the domestic turmoil to find resolve.

moot i think should read this: @no-see-um-incorrect

“The Spellshop” by Sarah Beth Durst

free pdf

synopsis: this was a good place with kind people who care about each other. there was a unicorn in the woods, mermaids in the coves, and the best raspberries she’d ever tasted. and there was larran…

published: july 9th, 2024

genre: romantasy

rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

review: for all my cottagecore bitches, this is the coziest read of the year! it’s the perfect balance of fantasy, comedy, and pure fluff. durst does an exquisite job of world building and constructing chemistry between characters. she mentioned in her acknowledgments something along the lines of writing a book that’s like drinking hot chocolate, and she succeeded! :)

moot i think should read this: @infinitelovewiithoutfulfilmentt

“They Both Die at the End”

by Adam Silvera

free pdf / free audiobook

synopsis: on september 5th, a little after midnight, death-cast calls mateo torrez and rufus emeterio to deliver some bad news: they’re going to die in less than twenty-four hours. mateo and rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their end day. the good news is there’s an app for tat. it’s called last friend, and through it, rufus and mateo meet up for one final epic adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

published: september 5th, 2017

genre: young adult, LGBTQ+ drama

rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

review: “paper towns” vibes, right away (maybe a bit more depressing). perhaps its the kickass drugs i’m prescribed but i didn’t cry as much as i thought i would. all in all, a great read highlighting the modern day’s technological downfalls, and a love story between man and life that will make you want to live the adventure yourself.

moot i think should read this: @moronkyne

“Under Loch & Key” by Lana Ferguson

free pdf

synopsis: keyanna "key" mackay is used to secrets. raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it's only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he'd always refused to speak of. with just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father's life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, key has no idea what she'll find in scotland. but repeating her father's mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman--who thinks she's an idiot--is definitely the last thing she expects. lachlan greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore--a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he's been taught not to trust. he's looking for answers as well, and key's presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. it's even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. things he shouldn't care about, and someone he definitely doesn't find wildly attractive. when their secrets collide, it becomes clear that lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after--and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they'll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.

published: december 3rd, 2024

genre: small-town paranormal romance

rating: ★★★★☆ (3.5/5)

review: i’ve discovered i’m not a smut heavy reader, and after introducing the first sexually explicit chapter, the author seemed to include even more smut-heavy scenes after every other major plot point, as though to be a palate cleanser of sorts? **for those wondering, this does include monster romance** if not for the more domestic scenes and humorous dialogue, i would probably rate it lower, but the central plot of the book is very well introduced and the character chemistry is off the charts! (it’s also worth noting that the enemies to lovers hinted in the synopsis doesn’t last more than a few chapters…)

moot i think should read: @ashertickler

“Will Grayson, Will Grayson”

by John Green & David Levithian

free pdf / free audiobook

synopsis: one cold night, in the most unlikely corner of chicago, two strangers cross paths. two teens with the same name, running in two very different circles, suddenly find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, culminating in heroic turns-of-heart and the most epic musical to ever grace the high school stage.

published: april 6th, 2010

genre: young adult, social issues

rating: ★★★☆☆ (2.5/3)

review: if i were still a part of either author’s target audience i may have been more influenced by this piece of writing. the last book I read of john green’s was “turtles all the way down” when i was still in high school, which i find remarkably written. this in comparison was, eh. maybe if i had a little more teenage angst running through me (perhaps a lack of the aforementioned kickass meds) this would speak to me on a deeper level. it’s easy to tell this book is very much “from its time” when you’re reading it. i do appreciate the shoutout to neutral milk hotel, though, that made me fangirl just a smidge. for younger readers looking for a coming of age, easy-read with LGBTQ+ and mental health representation, this is right up your alley! the description of the musical playing out did get a few laughs from me, and the overall theme i took from this is that friendship always wins.

moot i think should read: idk tag yourself ? nobody is coming to mind!

[thedrunkenreadersreviews]

An end-of-the-year confession...

Let's pop some champagne as we await the New Year.

Now, as the title demonstrates, I do have a confession to make, or rather, an opinion. My main focus is on male main characters (mmc) but I'll start with my short gripe on female main characters (fmc).

*Sip, sip*

I want more fmcs like Evangeline Fox from the Broken Heart trilogy. Or Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle. The book, not the movie.

I want more fmcs whose main goal is to find love. I want to read about a girl who loves pink and dresses, who is pinning over a boy, who sees the good in people even when most others don't. I want a girl who is not strong with a sword but strong in love. I want a girl who can save the world with love, not war, like Evangeline Fox. I want a girl who takes pride in doing what many deem to be typical feminine tasks like cooking, cleaning, and sewing. Some of the best moments in Howl's Moving Castle are the concoctions Sophie sews together. I want girls who find liberation in these typical feminine tasks like Sophie did; who enjoy them.

*Sip, sip*

And I want more male main characters in young/new adult in general but more mmcs like Cardan. I am so sick of the Rhysands and Xadiens and Kais and Dark whateverthefucks from Lightlark that are just copies and pastes of the same character over and over and over again. Some shadow-daddy with a massive dick who gets under the girl's skin and gives her a cringy nickname. Who is a warrior and several thousand (hundreds) years old and has slept with so many women that it is astounding how he does not have an STD (since condoms are not a thing in these books). The number one thing I disliked about Cardan was the promiscuity but damn at least Holly Black made it somewhat important to the plot and character development. But Cardan is one year older than Jude and still otherworldly! And he is not some big, muscular, warrior, shadow-daddy---he's a moody noodle. A MOODY NOODLE! (Another pet peeve is the fanart of him with a six/eight pack, like no, Jude is bigger than him in the muscle department.) I want my noodles!

*Sip, sip*

Male characters are critiqued so disgustingly in these romance/romantasy books that as an Asexual I really roll my eyes to the point that they nearly get stuck to the top of my head.

Masters of Death literally opens with Fox banging a client after she came to him to have a seance with her recently departed husband. Like, what?

The Selection series (as ass as it may be) gave me hope with Maxon. And then I read the script for the (thank the stars above!) canceled Selection TV series that was going to have Maxon's first scene be him banging some random maid in his bedroom. Like, WHAT?! He was a virgin in the books and was nervous about talking to girls. He hadn't even kissed anyone until America Singer! Even Mafi pissed me off with what she did with Warner when he and Juliette broke up for that short while. Like, seriously? He is utterly, devastatingly in love with this girl but you know, gotta stick it somewhere. 🤷 Emily Wilde's trilogy. I love it! But why does the mmc have to be such a hungry-for-sex creature and flaunt it in the fmc's face?! It adds absolutely nothing to his character, their relationship, or the plot!

*Sip, sip*

Am I supposed to have this information just so that I know they're good in bed or so heavily desired? It takes one sentence: "A string of broken hearts trailed behind them." BAM! That tells me everything I need to know. And even if so, why does their being good in bed matter? Is their status diminished if they are not? Why does the mmc have to have a slew of bodies in the past of their sheets in order to qualify for being an attractive companion while the fmc needs to be portrayed as having less history if not no history altogether? And this is not a male author issue. All of the examples I provided are books written by women. I really don't give a damn about their sexual history unless it is intrinsic to their character development, the plot, and/or their relationship with another character.

*Sip, sip*

I think Margaret Rogerson did this perfectly with Nathaniel. He is actively pushing girls away by trying to ruin his reputation and coming across as some evil sorcerer. Here are just some of the best quotes by Master Thorn regarding romance and his romantic life:

"'I've been hard at work trying to ruin my reputation for years. Perhaps after this, influential families will stop trying to catapult their unwed daughters over my garden fence. Which actually did happen once. I had to fend her off with a trowel.'"

"'Scrivener, I know I cut a devilishly handsome figure lying here on the floor all covered in blood----which I hear some girls find quite appealing, strangely enough, and if you're one of them I'm not going to judge---but please stop crying. It's only a flesh wound. I'll be back to fighting evil any moment now.'"

"Nathaniel nodded. 'If you can believe it, I used to fancy him. Then he went and grew that mustache. Or he murdered a gerbil and attached it to his face. For the life of me, I can't tell which.' ... 'I like girls too, Scrivener.” Amusement danced in Nathaniel’s eyes. “I like both. If you’re going to fantasize about my love life, I insist you do so accurately.'" (It should be noted that his bisexuality is never mentioned again, and I appreciate it so much as it normalizes it and that is what I want!)

"' [Silas] What is this, master - the third time I've broken you out of a jail cell?' Nathaniel coughed. 'Minor misunderstandings, on both previous occasions,' he assured Elisabeth. (….) [Silas] spoke mildly, his lashes shading his eyes. 'At least you're wearing clothes this time, master.' ... 'I'll have you know,' Nathaniel said, 'that that was an accident, and the public certainly didn't mind. One woman even sent me flowers.' To Elisabeth, he added, 'Don't worry. She was forty years old, and her name was Mildred.'"

On top of that, Rogerson does not go into heavy detail about his past. He does not flaunt to Elisabeth about how many partners he had in the past or how great a lover he is. It is summed up so nicely in those quotes which is pretty much all you get about Nathaniel's love life.

*Sip, sip*

Exuse me while I go reread A Sorcery of Thorns.

*Sip, sip*

But yeah. Shout out to V.E. Schwab who not all their mmcs are sex addicts, Laini Taylor, Shelby Mahurin (even though I didn't like Serpent & Dove I appreciated how Ried didn't have 100 random, faceless girls in his history), and ... and ... oh, shit, I think that's it.

If y'all have any more recommendations for these types of characters, let me know.

Cheers to a new year! And hopefully a better one for books.

*Sip, sip*

[shigariope]

I'm a Writer. What's up?

I totally forgot I even had this until I got tagged today! I should try to use this thing. Let me do an intro post:

I write Huskerdust rom com smut mostly. I have two main AUs

Someone You Can Bet On: Inspired by Celestialalpacaron's Husk Overlord AU, though it's very much its own monster at this point. I liked the ring idea, the casino, and the winning Angel idea. Took those and made it a marriage of convenience with Angel taking control and making a deal with Husk to save him from Val. It's a slow burn rom com with themes of masking, trauma(cPTSD is the main one here), healthy relationships with proper communication, and blood lust violence/murder. Drugs/alcohol are purely mental dependency/addiction not physical in Hell in this AU, so don't be expecting those themes at all. https://archiveofourown.org/works/54446458/chapters/137927506 My other is P0rn(can I say that word here?) Reviewer Husk where Angel is sent to trade his body to get better reviews from Husker the porn critic. Instead, Husk says he can make the porn better and begins to teach Angel how. It's also a rom com and it's my no angst AU. Read it for a good smutty time, with laughs and romance. I'll be consolidating them into one in a couple months and editing them up(not deleting the old ones), but for now they're in a series with each kink tagged (most installments have a specific kink highlighted like bondage, sex toys, tummy bulge, exhibitionism etc) https://archiveofourown.org/series/4061233

So yeah, that's me! I will be releasing OC material in the future as that's my main goal. But for now, enjoy the fanfics and maybe eventually stay for the romantasy novels. I have 3 social media platforms I dabble in to talk about my work, post updates, and talk to my readers, but Twitter is my main go to. So if you're looking for me: https://x.com/poziepie (I post updates, silly memes for my AU, polls to ask my readers what they'd like out of certain things, and this is where the vast majority of the fanart wonderful artists have made for me is. Still regret not making a new one so it was shigariope but here we are!) https://bsky.app/profile/shigariope.bsky.social (I try to mirror my main posts from Twitter here but there aren't any polls so boooooooo) https://www.instagram.com/shigariope/profilecard/?igsh=bGdvd2R1bjQ3bXpj (I rarely use this, just do my weekly updates and follow some artists on here!)

[darthjess-book-reviews]

REVIEW: The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

Summary (Provided by Goodreads)

The heart is a battlefield.

All Talasyn has ever known is the Hurricane Wars. Growing up an orphan in a nation under siege by the ruthless Night Emperor, Talasyn has found her family among the soldiers who fight for freedom. But she is hiding a deadly secret: light magic courses through her veins, a blazing power believed to have been wiped out years ago that can cut through the Night Empire's shadows. 

Prince Alaric, the emperor's only son and heir, has been forged into a weapon by his father. Tasked with obliterating any threats to the Night Empire's rule with the strength of his armies and mighty Shadow magic, Alaric has never been bested. That is until he sees Talasyn burning brightly on the battlefield with the magic that killed his grandfather, turned his father into a monster, and ignited the Hurricane Wars. In a clash of light and dark, their powers merge and create a force the likes of which has never been seen. 

Talasyn and Alaric both know this war can only end with them. But a greater threat is coming, and the strange new magic they can create together could be the only way to overcome it. Thrust into an uneasy alliance, they will confront the secrets at the heart of the war and find, in each other, a searing passion--one that could save their world...or destroy it. 

An exquisite fantasy brimming with unforgettable characters, sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance, and richly drawn worlds, The Hurricane Wars marks the breathtaking debut of an extraordinary new writer.

My Review: 3/5 Stars

I really enjoyed reading this book, and going into it knowing it was romantasy (romance first, then fantasy) really helped me enjoy it more. I loved the relationship between Talasyn and Alaric, and how their relationship grows. I also love the whole enemies to lovers vibe, and the writing was overall wonderful! The world building was also great.

However, this book definitely could've been 4 stars for me, but there are three reasons why it wasn't.

First, the entire first third of the book was kind of boring. If it weren't for my best friend telling me that it gets really good, I probably would've stopped reading it.

Second, I did not care AT ALL about the Sardovians. The main character struggles with her feelings for Alaric, the Night Emperor, because of her loyalties to the Sardovians, and I felt like I was SUPPOSED to care about them, but I didn't one bit. The Night Empire could've killed them all and I wouldn't have minded, in fact I would've honestly preferred that. The author built up no emotional connection to these people even though she focused on Talasyn's time with them for the first 3rd of the book.

Finally, some of the dialogue felt off. Like Talasyn and Alaric would be having some kind of petty banter, and I LOVE petty banter, but then Talasyn would cut it off with a "shut up" or something and it came off as rude and sort of out of character for the specific scenario. I think some of the dialogue was stilted, and also some of the interactions between Talasyn and Alaric could've been written better.

It did make it harder for me knowing that originally, this book was a Star Wars fanfic of enemies to lovers between Rey and Kylo Ren, and if you don’t know me then I’ll tell you right now that I am not a fan of Rey as a character at all. So I think I may have been biased toward the main character Talasyn, knowing she was originally “supposed” to be Rey.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read the next one! I hope the author improves the things I mentioned, but even if she doesn't, I'm still excited for book 2 of the Hurricane Wars.

[fightingmonsterswithwords]

I’m rattling and gnawing the bars of my enclosure right now don’t tease me with more lucifer without showing me😭😭 i need him so bad. I shed a tear of joy at the way you wrote him in Cursed and Divine, like i can’t explain it you wrote him with this air of sensuality and mystery that makes u wanna know everything about him, the way you write him makes me wanna play captain save-a-hoe and fix everything about his life. I love Alastor but not as much as i love Lucifer when he popped up in the story he got pushed from my mind. sorry for the rambles you’re just a good author 😩

I'm gonna cry for real 😭💖 thank you so much!!

I was honestly very nervous about how the chapter turned out (and I still need to edit it a little bit), especially Luci. He was going to be quite more distrustful, among other things, because things between them are supposed to be slow (I don't see him realistically jumping into a new relationship out of the blue and he doesn't have much love for sinners)... but I guess I wanted to have a nice cozy scene for once. God knows Reader deserves it and both of them needed it - just as much as I needed to have Lucifer there already because I'm too impatient, hahah.

Their dynamic is intended to be very different to all the one going on with Alastor. I still have to figure a lot of stuff out, though. And once they're all in the same place is going to be a proper mess.

As for the other project, like I said it's completely different story (I would say, catered especifically to some of my interests, lmao) and I'm not sure if it would have a great reception, but I haven't succeeded in banishing the plot bunny out of my mind and I'm oficially writing it now, so... we'll see.

Some info: it's an AU with an alternate timeline to that of the show or at least happens at a different time, it takes place almost entirely on Earth, the genre would be something like dark romantasy with gothic vibes (??) in a big oppressive manor and a slightly fucked-up family with an interest in the occult. I would say it's going to be quite angsty simply because neither Lucifer nor the main character are going to have a great time, just a head's up, but I have some really beautiful scenes in mind as well and even an ending planned already. I don't even know, I'm just vibing 🤓

[wicked-witch-for-hire]

Book recommendations for Galemancers

Happy belated Thanksgiving!

This is a thinly veiled attempt to recommend some personal favourites of mine. They are all fantasy novels with the occasional romance woven into it, but they do not belong in the romantasy genre (but if you have a great romantasy rec, or any other recs, please share it).

I have concentrated on newer releases but there will be a list of honorary mentions for all the classics at the end.

I.

- Gale is perfect, and I want exactly that!

Naomi Novik - Uprooted

“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”

This is a delightful standalone fantasy based on mostly Polish fairy tales. Our heroine, Agnieska has been plucked from her home by their village's feudal lord to serve him for 10 years. Said lord also happens to be a prickly, impatient wizard who begins to teach Agnieska magic after he discovers to both of their dismay that she is talented.

I don't want to spoil the plot for you, but let's just say that there is an Evil Wood, a handsome prince who wants to save his long lost mother, and nothing will happen as you would expect to happen. It is imaginative, enchanting, engrossing and even funny.

II.

- I like Gale, but I wished to have adventures with Tara!

H.G. Parry - The Magician’s Daughter

“In every fairy tale ever told, it's a bad idea to tangle with a magician's daughter."Nobody, not Hutch, not Rowan, not even herself, had ever referred to her in those terms before. And yet hearing it made her relationship with Rowan so clear and so bright that it hurt. She still didn't know who he was, or why he had done so many of the things he had done. But she knew who he had raised her to be. If he wasn't her father, then she at least was his daughter.”

Have you been wondering if a wizard can be a good father? While an aloof wizard might not be the best choice to adopt a shipwrecked little girl at first glance, Rowan and his intelligent, loyal and kindhearted familiar Hutchington together are more than enough. (You have heard me right, Tumblr! :-P) Thus Biddy grows up on Hy-Brasil an enchanted little island not far from the coast of Ireland.

"Biddy loves her strange little home, despite being unable to use magic herself, but lately spends her time yearning to explore the outside world and meet actual humans (rabbits being notoriously poor conversationalists, after all, and magicians being, well, erratic at the best of times). After Rowan runs into a spot of trouble, inadvertently dragging Biddy into a magical mess almost a century in the making, her wish to explore is granted, but Biddy quickly learns that the outside world is not at all like the storybooks she grew up reading." (Lightspeed magazine)

This is a nice, meandering fairytale of a found family, coming of age and beautiful worldbuilding. It is full of magic, peril and adventure. I was very grateful to experience losing myself in book like a young girl again.

III.

- I love Gale, but I have respecced him... (how dare you! you heathen!) But I still like brooding heroes I need to save from themselves...

Alix E. Harrow - Starling House

"The gates of Starling House don’t look like much from a distance—just a dense tangle of metal half-eaten by rust and ivy, held shut by a padlock so large it almost feels rude—but up close you can make out individual shapes: clawed feet and legs with too many joints, scaled backs and mouths full of teeth, heads with empty holes for eyes. I’ve heard people call them devils or, more damningly, modern art, but they remind me of the Beasts in The Underland, which is a nice way of saying they’re unsettling as all hell.

I can still see the shine of the window through the gate. I step closer, weaving my fingers between the open jaws and curling tails, staring up at that light and wishing, childishly, that it was shining for me. Like a porch light left on to welcome me home after a long day.

I have no home, no porch light. But I have what I need, and it’s enough.

It’s just that, sometimes, God help me, I want more.

I’m so close to the gate now that my breath pearls against the cold metal. I know I should let go—the dark is deepening and Jasper needs dinner and my feet are numb with cold—but I keep standing, staring, haunted by a hunger I can’t even properly name.

It occurs to me that I was right: dreams are just like stray cats. If you don’t feed them they get lean and clever and sharp-clawed, and come for the jugular when you least expect it."

One part Southern Gothic, one part dark fairy tale and also intensely romantic story of two acidic, stubborn people battling monsters and each other.

"We meet Opal, a young woman who’s stuck in the tiny town of Eden, scraping a living so she can get her bright younger brother into a better school. Eden is nowhere, notable only for its connection to the author E. Starling, who wrote a single cult-hit children’s book, then disappeared nearly a century before. The house she lived in, Starling House, still stands, but it and its keepers have long had a mysterious air about them. So when Opal starts dreaming about the house, she wonders what it means. Then, the mysterious resident of the house, Arthur, hires her to clean the place for far more money than her old job, Opal can’t resist. But the house holds secrets—and danger—that she couldn’t possibly have imagined." Link

List of Honorary mentions

Ursula K. Le Guin - A Wizard of Earthsea (1st book of the The Earthsea Cycle)

Diana Wynne Jones - Howl’s Moving Castle

Thanks to @mavka-world

If you want even more:

Charlie N. Holmberg - The Paper Magician (1st book of the The Paper Magician trilogy)

- this is a YA fantasy, some parts of it reminded me of Anne of Green Gables (mostly because it is set in Edwardian times), and there is a bit of an anime flavour to it. All 3 books together is a pleasant albeit a bit formulaic story of girl named Ceony Twill who becomes the apprentice of a famed paper magician, falls in love with him, and of course has to save him :-) It is the perfect book to read if you are in a turkey coma!

Jim Butcher - Dresden Files

- while Butcher has problems writing non-stereotyped female characters (especially in the earliest books) I can forgive some of these tropes in a noire urban fantasy, where our hero happens to be a wizard working as a private investigator. Don't read them, but listen to them because the audio books are narrated by James Marsters (Spike from Buffy) and they are so damned good...

[orphicpoieses]

Writing Log

August 3, 2023

WIP: Project Rosary

Phase: Active Writing

Percentage: ~ 50%

Hello and welcome back to a new writing log.

I am slowly coming near the halfway mark in my Project Rosary Part 1. Even though life is stressful right now (exam season started in Germany two weeks ago), I am fairly consistent in writing every morning before studying.

Creating stories in these times is crucial for me. I immediately feel stressed, when I cannot write (especially if people tell me to not write during the exam phase!). It is like my little escape from everyday work.

But to be honest with you, I am currently a bit unmotivated. Not only because stuff currently happens within my family, but also because everything seems to be quite exhausting. So, what’s been new these days, is that I am trying to get anything down. A new Tumblr post, stuff for my project, new stuff… All of that.

Some of you have already seen that I came up with a new kinda fantasy story, that has no particular meaning, whatsoever.

It doesn’t have a name, beside the codename for Tumblr, so I can tag it: Project Unnamed. It is probably the shittiest story I have ever written. Not only because it is mainly pure Romantasy, which I normally don’t write, but also the fact, that I am writing some elven romance thing while complaining about how many elven or fae romance is out there? It’s kinda ironic.

To give you a little insight in the quick story (including some fancy banners I made for this):

It is about a somehow royal girl (I haven’t decided on that just yet), who lives in a world where magic is banned and seen as a wicked thing. One day, she gets in danger in the nearby woods, where a mysterious man saves her. Fascinated by his ethereal presence, she decides to find him again (which obviously works), where she finds out that he is able to control magic. He seems to come and go like a spirit and so she calls him the white spirit, also because he doesn’t tell her anything about him, besides the facts, that are obvious to her. She gets him to teach her about magic and soon enough, she finds out, that she can use the forbidden force too. They kinda have a secret relationship going on (with probably many red flags - I don’t know if he is a good or a bad guy). The drama comes from the secret relationship and when people find out about the elf in the forest.

I already know that this is going to be bad. I have no intention on publishing it. Maybe one day on Wattpad or as snippets here on Tumblr, but this is probably the most cliché Romantasy story you can come across. Even though I kinda like the characters…

But this is never going to any publisher in this world. It’s to bad for that.

If you are lucky enough to grasp an update on this story in form of a writing log, you are probably blessed. Project Unnamed is not even considered an active WIP.

But back to the original project, of which I am very proud of.

Project Rosary is still right before the half-time of the book, but I only have to finish the current scene and I am done. I like the pace in which things are falling together. Also, because I have the time to come up with solutions to plot holes in the storyline.

Now, as I am slowly coming to the end of one book of the series, I ask myself more, if I should wait until all seven books are done and then publish the first one. If people read the current book first, they will be (a little bit) spoilered for the rest. But if I publish the rest first, they get spoilered for the current book. It’s a bit of a challenge here, since everything connects to each other.

Luckily, I have until the final draft is done, to decide wether or not I publish now or later.

And that sums up, what’s new.

I hope, you enjoyed reading this writing log and if so, please consider to share it and subscribe to my Tag List, so that you get notified when I post.

See you soon and bye bye 💕

From the tag list: @ladyazulina

Other: @writeblrsupport