#seriously Nina was so cool and I loved the book

[justanotherfanaccount]

here we gooooo

shadow and bone s2e2 reaction

ok I know some people didn't like that they changed sturmhond's character but I kinda like it...it makes him more of a "privateer" *cough pirate cough*

also it makes sense that he didn't know the darkling and alina were working together since literally everybody else does...especially since they changed it to have the darkling not be on the ship

darklina scenes are very well done...the desire and the way the darkling is describing his past and his way of thinking

I love the genya darkling sceneeee...it shows that what the darkling is doing is affecting him physically

it almost seems like the darkling doesn't like his nichevo'ya which is a whole different side of the darkling we haven't seen

not the darkling saying thank you and then being creepy as hell

OMG PER HASKELL it's all coming together now...kind of

WYLAN TRYING TO LOOK TOUGH I LOVE HIM

omg not nina knowing everything

Matthias it'll be ok babe 🥺

I love sturmhond only learning mals name after he became valuable 🤭

Tolya and Tamar understanding how Alina felt on the outside of both Shu and Ravkan 🥺🥺

they definitely make Alina more of the "hero" type as well with her originally being the one to want to find the amplifier to tear down the fold

"there is a cost, always, to making difficult choices. The key is making sure that cost is not regret."

"trust is the other side of secrecy kaz, remember that" love them...and their secrets

Pekka never took kaz seriously until crooked kingdom so having him take him serious now is gonna change some things...I just wonder how

aww now we get sentimental sturmhond

Paddy is such a good sturmhond honestly they just casted extremely well because tolya, Tamar and wylan are all extraordinary 😭

ope...he still doesn't know mals name 🤭

"when people say impossible they mean improbable" love

morozovas journal?

confirmed

BAGHRA...well she's not blind...YET...but we'll see

I love this sea whip hunt...the music is so good

I think it's cool that they made it on an island and they were on their feet not on a boat

ahh the helnik flashbacks are so well placed

WYLANNN

his facial expressions 😭🥰

"have we met before?" this man 🙄

wylan looked SO DONE when jesper called him a total stranger 🤭🤭

jack understands wylan SO WELL like he's PERFECT

also wylan and jesper have such good chemistry even though it's still the stage where jesper "doesn't like" wylan...it's great!

no FUCK THAT if that creep ass bitch thinks he can't put inej back in the menagerie

how tf is he getting stabbed and fine with it???

there's that upped rating again (aka watching the madman pull the knives out of inej)

NOT JESPER REMEMBERING WYLAN ONCE HE'S LITERALLY ON TOP OF HIM STFU I LOVE HIM HE'S SUCH AN IDIOT

THE CHEMISTRY

God I love jesper he's so cool

(also don't mind me rewatching all the wylan scenes like 3 times)

I need scenes where kaz had all the shit planned the while time...cuz that was always the best parts in the book

(because when Nina showed up I thought that was gonna be Kaz's whole thing like "everything went to plan")

not jespers thumbs up while wylan was getting choked 🙄🤭

YES WYLAN

omgggg durast jesper GET IT

don't mess with nina she's a bad bitch

ope! here comes the black veil!

did jesper just slap wylans ass? 🧐

OPE THE MAL AMPLIFIER HINT

also him helping her stop summoning 🥺

"my alina" that's some bad bitch energy

[hopefulgardenshark]

Human eyes on angelic love or how the audience plays Emma

I have been struggling with the bit of talk Maggie and Nina gave to Crowley in Season 2. It sounded like a false tone in the series, and I could not help but repeat after Crowley, "Why are you telling me all this?" I think that Maggie and Nina can be read as an allegory of the (human) audience looking at two celestial beings in love and projecting, projecting, projecting…

In any case, I sat down and went through all 12 episodes to find common threads, the grains of Season 2 built in Season 1. At this point, I am trying to make sense of the relationship development to date. And I put some Jane Austen there, just a tiny bit :) And this entry is LOOOOONG...

The Established Problem

Aziraphale is the being of love, an expert on love in its all its forms, and he picks it up like radiation. Crowley is the being of reason, a purely Cartesian mind, unable to sense love at all, and he really sucks at being lonely.

Angel and demon cannot even be seen together; it is considered treason. The consequences for traitors are clear: the utter obliteration beyond the destruction of a body (Episode 3). The dark innuendo is sprinkled throughout Season 1, mainly through Crowley's mutterings. The actual destruction sequence in Season 1, Episode 6 underscores the seriousness of the Problem.

Courtship and early stage of love

On the human level, in Season 1, both angels are presented to us in a courting relationship that goes from distrust to trust to closeness. The trope used here is a classic frenemies-to-lovers trope mixed with a relationship-based-on-intense-experiences setup (You've Got Mail and Speed 1 mélange, sorry for 1990s referencing…).

Season 1 is focused on Aziraphale realizing his feelings towards Crowley and acting on them. We do see the closeness and mutual infatuation building throughout the ages to the reciprocal realization in 1941 (Episode 3). We see growing together and growing apart until the relationship is cemented in courtship. At that point, we already know Aziraphale can sense flashes of love (Episode 2). He was saved by someone who cared and trusted him with his life. The books cut it for him as a declaration of sorts. However, Crowley is not that sensitive and needs something more than an "it was very kind of you" to understand that his angel loved him back. So he got the Holy Water some three decades later. That was it for him, an act of caring love (because it was spooky and he enjoys spooky…?). And he was quick to jump on it, so we got "You go too fast for me, Crowley." If someone wants to go Jane Austen trope, this season is full of Pride and Prejudice “deeds of love” and “preparing the ground so I can court you” acts.

That brought us to the dating stage that coincided with Armageddon affair. The whole pheromone-padded-love right there in front of our eyes, sexy blowing off the paint included, dreams of escaping together, will-they-will-they-not-fights. We also learn that Crowley knows Aziraphale loves him (bandstand scene). And that Aziraphale is cool with Crowley's feelings for him, taking them matter-of-factly (pub scene). They speak about friendship, however, which introduces cognitive dissonance into the trope and our human minds. But they are angels, and we know from Season 2 that their understanding of romantic love is blurry at best.

The love's happy endings are mirrored in the other two couples from Season 1 on display, but we, humans, still do not see anything palpable. Why?

On the purely thematic level, the Established Problem is the leading cause. Their "no-side" moment after the failed Armageddon lasts a day at most. They are still considered important enough to get obliterated by their previous employers. When they manage to escape their fates, they must "lie low." There are no human markers of what we would like to see as human dating and human love: kissing (in the rain… uhm), "I love you's" and such. Still, the nightingale sings in the end, which should give us, humans, a strong hint that there is something afloat there.

Relationship make-it-or-break-it stage

In Season 2, we get the long-term couple-in-the-making story. We see Crowley and Aziraphale past the courtship, settling into their long-term relationship (with an intense Fawlty Towers or I Love Lucy vibe). We learn more about their dark secrets (like hedonistic and lying Azirphale or loneliness-wary and kind Crowley), which aligns with how human relationships develop. In this stage, partners have been interacting for a long time, and the first pink glasses of romantic love change into a more realistic overview. This is when people decide if they can live with the natural person in front of them or they cannot. And they also understand that long-term relationships entail melting a part of themselves into a WE.

The whole Season 2 is a meta-commentary on how our human understanding of love is flawed.

First, we can see our angelical power couple getting interested in human love, of all things. In Season 1, they were interested in various other areas of human life, but not romantic love. Of course, they are pulled into this by the circumstances and Aziraphale's penchant for love in all its forms (I mean, doesn't he know about Sodoma and Gomorrah stuff??? He does, and he disapproves). So we get an angelic look at our human emotions through Jane Austen and Richard Curtis movies. The angels meddle with the lives of two humans (Nina and Maggie) to get the love outcome using the means they think should work. They get called out for it.

We also see them getting closer to each other the way long-term partners get. So we see their individual lives melt into one. As is customary in human relationships, their reactions to this process are different: Aziraphale, feeling the radiation of reciprocated love, is entirely at ease (as in "our car," "our bookshop"). While Crowley acts confused, trying to keep his own individual self while being a part of a "group of two." (cf. "C: (…)the precious peaceful fragile existence that I have carved out for myself here. A: I thought we carved it out for ourselves."). Aziraphale is way ahead in getting to the nesting stage.

I need to make a caveat here about the "living in his car" business as it is related to Crowley's slow change from "my existence/my car" to "we/our" thinking. The whole S2 plays out within a maximum of one week. Shax brings Crowley his mail for the first time (because she has no idea what to do with it) in Episode 1. And then again at the end of the Season. Usually, this type of mail comes at the same time in the month, once per month, so we can safely assume that Crowley has been living in his car for less than a month, probably around two weeks at the show's beginning. Why doesn't he move to the bookshop? I dare to say that, on the face of it, it is still the Established Problem. There has not been any clear resolution to that Problem in any episode post-trials, so Crowley and Aziraphale are not 100 percent sure whether it is safe to be openly together. "We've spent our existence pretending that we aren't" refers to this simple truth. They do not pretend to EACH OTHER; they pretend to the outer world because they live in fear of repercussion. Of course, on the thematic level, staying put in his Bentley also plays nicely as a metaphor for Crowley still struggling to fall into the "we" mindset.

The whole show is focused on love-blind Crowley naming his feelings in human terms (love, that is) and moving into the "we" stage. He is cued by Aziraphale, who is now bolder and less afraid of the consequences than he was in Season 1. Crowley was a Nothing-To-Lose lover in Season 1; now it is Aziraphale literally caressing him into an "us" (no episode passes without our angel touching his demon) and even getting him to dance. On this: Aziraphale is love-clever enough to dance and recreate the pattern of human love to experience it in a human way while giving us, humans, a lot of very needed cues. Crowley is human-love dumb, not an "expert." Btw this is how I read Aziraphale expression in the scene with Muriel, when he clearly thinks, "Are you really? Because I cannot tell…"

Nina makes Crowley aware that he looks like half of a human romantic partnership. Hearing that, he is so delightfully confused: it can be soul searching confusion (OK, right, love, and what should I do about it?) or alarm-bell confusion (OK, right, so we are in danger). And then she utters the key message of the show: "Other people's love lives always seem so much more straightforward than our own."

Nina and Maggie tell Crowley that he and Aziraphale don't talk to each other about being in love, assuming they should. This is a pure Emma-like storyline: Emma gave love advice eagerly while projecting her own expectations/issues/fears/beliefs/needs onto others. Nina and Maggie misread what is happening with our angelic couple because if the guys don't kiss and hold hands in the open, AND they don't live together (ouch), they are not an item in human understanding. They assume our angels have communication problems and should be declaring love for each other right on the spot. They know nothing of the Established Problem; they know nothing about 6000 years of ever-mastered communication skills that included numerous con acts for two (starting with Job and finishing with Antichrist) and soul-reading (I don't even like you – You do!), nor 50 years of courtship (roughly). They assume the right to interfere with angels' love life coming with naïve and intruding advice, the same way the angels had assumed that right in the first place. A perfect mirror.

When Crowley is conveniently nudged to act human in love, he goes for it with his usual fiery conviction. He just learnt that it is not the rain nor a dance after all, but… talking? OK, let's show Aziraphale these new skills! He starts his so-called confession in the spirit of "Let's get it done with and go to Ritz like humans in love and then maybe somewhere else not as humans." But he gets interrupted, and all spirals out of control (btw I do not share the Rejection trauma anymore, but I will post later why). But there is one crucial change in circumstances: the Established Problem is no longer valid (cf. Gabriel and Belzeebub). The fear is gone, at least in all appearances.

Angels don't understand human love, and humans do not understand angelic love. One lesson from Season 2 is that love can be different for everyone and that we should not apply our lenses and our understanding of love to any relationship. Dancing can be fruitless for some angels, and talking can be disastrous for some demons… I wonder now what way of expressing love finally works for angels. Jane Austen’s Persuasion themes start where Emma’s themes ends, in Episode 6, to be continued in Season 3. I hope so.

[thefandomtraveler]

Everything I liked about Shadow and Bone season 2 (warning: much comments about the crows + fangirling about the cast):

SPOILERS FOR SEASON 2!!!

- first off all the new characters are amazing, I'm in love with Nikolai, still not over how perfect Jack is as Wylan, and Tolya and Tamar were so god damn cool I can't

- also everyone looked so good

- loved the whole part where they were in Bhez Ju (and the story about Sankta Neyar)

- Freddy Carter I bow down to you that performance was amazing, seriously I couldn't picture a better kaz

- also Daisy was so good too, like I was crying everytime she was on screen

- and basically everyone else, I'm so amazed by this whole cast, they really all brought these characters to life

- while wesper pining is like one of my favourite things in the books, i still really enjoyed what they did in the show

- just Wylan looking at Jesper like he is the only person that matters

- Jesper's reaction to Wylan playing piano had me smiling like an idiot

- AND THE KISS i gasped so loud... i was giggling and kicking my feet in the air and had to replay the scene

- also kanej was everything this season, we got so many scenes from the books and more (really glad they didn't kiss, though... netflix really had me worried at some points that it would happen)

- Nina Zenik was amazing the whole time, just her comments and looks whenever Kaz was being an idiot

- helnik had me in chokehold

- Kaz' reaction at wesper kissing was so funny (also not him cockblocking them in the morning, a really Kaz thing to do + Jesper's "No!" had me rolling)

- "I kinda like your face." just let me die here and now

- Tolya talking about poetry and him helping wesper

- Jesper realizing he HAS met Wylan before, only when he was LAYING ON TOP OF HIM... in the middle of a FIGHT

- Wylan talking about butterflies while everyone is dying, please he just wanted to tell Jesper they are so cute

- Jesper meeting his mother again I CRIED

- just Kaz' whole backstory, already hung on every page when I read it, my emotions were all over the place seeing it on screen

- Kaz talking to Pekka Rollins, just that whole performance deserves an Oscar thank you

- literally every fight scene

- first meeting of Nikolai and Kaz/Jesper (and Kaz figuring Nikolai out SO FAST and him side eyeing Jesper)

- Jesper calling Kaz his brother... this show wants me dead

- Nina and Inej friendship

- Jesper in a Kilt for like half of the season

- Nikolai revealing who he really is had me on the floor, i love that man so much (also Alina punching him in the face for keeping it a secret lol)

- Alina being a badass queen. That's it.

- felt so bad for Mal this season, my man was really going through it damn

- Ben Barnes' performance as the darkling was so good, but we already knew that

- Genya and David had my heart... I was already emotional every time they were on screen together but when Genya found the ruby and the scetch of the ring I was bawling my eyes out

- everytime Genya and Alina hugged

- Tamar and Nadia just being happy lesbians in the background, good for them (wish we would have seen more of them)

- just every Tolya and Tamar interaction (especially the hug when Tolya came back), also wished we could have seen more them

- Jesper hugging Inej and twirling her around (they are best friends i love them so much)

- the whole sequence of Alina and Mal at the end destroying the fold

- Matthias seeing the wolves and feeding them + the scene at the end where he doesn't fight against them and they stand next to him instead

- the difference between Nina telling everyone Matthias is the love of her life and him being in hellgate, having the worst time of his life, because he hates her but also really doesn't

- Inej killing the shadow monsters with the sword (what a queen)

- Zoya just being herself

- "And how will you have me?", that whole scene had me holding my breath....

- "I will have you without your armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I won't have you at all." screaming into my pillow

- Jesper shouting "That's my man!" when Wylan threw the bomb at the shadow monsters (+ him saying that they don't have to put a label on it just after realizing what he said)

- Jesper trying to figure out how to get things right with Wylan (and failing rip)

- Wylan and Jesper standing in the background holding eachother after they talk and make things right

- Wylan trying to hide the fact that he is the son of one of the richest man in Ketterdam

- and him trying to convince Kaz that it isn't Alby's fault, who his father is because Wylan knows how that feels

- Genya looking for David's heartbeat

- David telling Genya she does not need to be fixed

- Baghra casually breaking out of her prison, because really, what did Kirigan thought? Leaving her and Genya without a supervisor and assuming she would sit still in her cage... really wasn't his smartest move

- "Someday, someone is going to sweep you off your feet so hard, you won't know what hit you." / "I could fix him." I can't WAIT for Zoyalai (if we ever get another season)

- Jordie and little Kaz 🥺

- Nina getting waffles and Kaz giving her a look of pure confusion

- also their whole interaction at the tea shop

- Inej not being able to leave Kaz after him panicking

- Wylan telling the others he wants to know the plan too and then crossing his arms (i'm sorry babes all you do is looking adorable we need to work on that one)

- "You guard against pain. You guard against joy. But when you allow yourself to be blindsided by love... two hearts make a universe" her whole speech had me in tears

- Neyar and Jesper's talk about his powers and that he has a lot to catch up to

- over all him slowly accepting who he is and not wanting to hide anything (including Wylan)

- Wesper healthy communication is all I needed actually, they mean so much to me you don't understand

- Wylan and Jesper breaking into that landhouse and pretending to want to fix the piano

- Nina getting the information about the office so easily and Kaz being impressed (i love her)

- Wylan looking away whenever he smiles

- "What you did back there, made you a Crow" and "When was the last time you ate"... Kaz Brekker you aren't beating those dad crow allegations

- the moment when you think Nina actually betrayed Kaz but then realise it was the plan all along because obviously, it's Kaz Brekker

- Tolya and Nina bonding over food (mood)

- Wylan being so offended when Jepser calls him a total stranger (i'd be too tbf)

- "Are you worried about me Jesper Fahey?"

- the scene of Baghra and Kirigan where she sacrifices herself (I really like that this scene shows that there is still something human about the Darkling)

- "My demolitions expert." / "Expert? I mean, yes, expert." Never change Wylan

- Nikolai and Dominik bromance

- Tolya and Tamar knowing the other is there and alive by their necklaces

- Jesper embracing his grisha powers

- Inej and Zoya fighting together is something I didn't know I needed

- the five of crows joke

- the parallel of Matthias seeing Nina in the beginning of the season and ignoring her vs both of them screaming eachother's names while being dragged away at the end

- Mal and Nikolai just getting along and trusting eachother

- the teasers about Jurda Parem, the ice-court heist and Sankta Lizabeta

[blog-of-reaction]

Watching Locke and Key. I’m currently on episode 5 these are my thoughts.

Kinsey is not a good person and I don’t k ow if it’s somehow because of the lack of fear or what. What I do know is that she seemingly has no moral compass. And Scot Cavendish is to good for her. Unless he he can make her better, then maybe.

Tyler is giving Scott-I’m-the-oldest-and-I-need-to-protect-my-family-and-I-have-daddy-issues-Summers vibes. I feel for him. Also, way to go with the anger issues pal. It sucks, I know. So far the worst thing he’s done by far in my book (after lying and saying he slept with that one girl) is the whole I’m going to throw books into my mind to learn stuff to impress Jackie thing. I mean, I do think it would be cool to just have knowledge. Like, that sounds great. But the whole thing (and the subsequent scene) was very painful and iffy.

Bode. Poor Bode. If I were at that age I’d probably just think it’s cool and love and angst and lowkey emotional whump. But no. I’m 21 and all I see is a kid who first had his dad murdered and didn’t know if he would make it out alive that is being terrorized by an evil….person. Whatever she is. If she is an even a she. It seems like she could be part Lucas? Or maybe absorbed some of Lucas? At least that’s the impression I got when Ellie visited the well house. Anyway, yeah, Bode. He felt like he was alone in the key situation. And even though he technically wasn’t he still felt all the responsibility and still had his life and the lives of his family threatened by something unknown that already tried to kill his mom once. And while Tyler finally understands the full gravity of the situation due to the whole fire incident Kinsey seemingly doesn’t care. Or rather, she’s not aware. When she got rid of her fear the next episode very much felt like the “Accepting Anxiety” Sanders Sides video she has yet to realize that maybe it was a bad decision. And the fact that she doesn’t have fear anymore definitely plays a factor in that. But shouldn’t she at least realize it’s dangerous? Shouldn’t she know logically that she should be a bit scared? So yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out. I asked my sibling if Kinsey has morals and they said yes but only a little bit. I don’t know if my sibling was watched past season 1 but if they have then that doesn’t bode all that well. But I’m hoping that the Kinsey storyline is done well. I’ll just have to wait and see.

But yeah, back to Bode. The poor kid brought a hammer to school. And he’s drawing out maps and possibly battle plans for when Echo comes back. (It would be kinda cool if when Sam Lesser shows up something Bode planned or set up takes care of the situation even though he didnt know it was Sam Lesser who was going to attack.

And there’s Duncan. I can’t not mention Duncan. The fact that Aaron Ashmpre is in this show is part of the reason I decided to watch it in the first place. Anyway, Duncan not knowing about the keys and stuff, not really knowing what Bode is talking about was sad but expected. I think he’s going to unlock a memory or something about the Key House and then go “Oh shit”. I mean, there’s a reason Rendell left. There’s a reason practically everyone in Rendell’s group of old friends is dead. There’s a reason Duncan hates that house almost as much as his brother did. So yeah, it’ll be interesting. And when Bode told Duncan that it’s not his fault he doesn’t remember and it’s okay and hugged him. Oof. There is so much on poor Bode’s shoulder and he is terrified. I mean, he brought a hammer to school and I can understand exactly why that was actually a good idea. Poor kid. Seriously, Bode is a child and out of everyone in the show he is one of the ones with the most common sense.

Also Ellie. I don’t know all of what’s going on with her but I like her and the actress does a really good job.

Nina. So obviously some part of her was left back in the mirror place. I hope she gets it back and figures it out. Her own subtle investigation and all that is great. I need to go otherwise I’d talk about her more but yeah I like that well the kids are trying to handle the keys she doesn’t know about them and is looking into the Omega symbol and Rendell’s past and it both the same type of thing as the kids deal with but also something completely different.

Also, quick shoutout to the English teacher. I don’t remember his name because every time I see him in my head he is Rufus from supernatural. And there’s already a Rufus on the show. So yeah, I’ll have to work harder on remembering his name is not actually Rufus. I was very confused when Bode mentioned him b cause Bode shouldn’t even know who he is. I had to like, pause for a second and rewind. On one hand I feel like an idiot. On the other hand it’s Rufus from supernatural and he seems happy.

[paracosmicat]

I have so many writers I want to tag in this that I’m going to do it along with my favorite fic from each of them

@ninadove

You are the coolest person with the best ideas! I love how our brainrot fuels each other! And the ideas you have come up with on your own are also insanely good and insanely thought out!! You are so purposeful with each word and metaphor and it’s incredible!! You’re also such a fun person and I think you have the best taste ever!! I have more fun talking to you than like anyone and I also love how down you are to go along with whatever ride I’m dragging you along for next. Your Felix has my entire heart and I want to wrap him in the warmest blanket and give him tea (but he might not want it from me, so I’ll stick to doing that with Adrien)

I really actually cannot thank you enough. I don’t think I’ve even mentioned this (but it might have been obvious) but I met you during a really hard year and talking to you about anything and everything has helped me more than you could ever know. People like you are really rare and I think you are one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met and I hope I have a lot more years of screaming at each other about our favorite cousins!! Our favorite bees!! Our favorite dragon and bird couple!! Our favorite angsty lesbians (pick one, I could be talking about 100 people right now) and so on and so forth. Our little roleplay server has been a safe haven for me so thank you!!! 💞

All that being said, this was insanely hard to choose but if I had to pick a favorite it has to be this one. This is one of my favorite concepts and it’s super sweet and UGH you did so good on it!!!

La nuit, tous les chats sont gris

@asukiess

NAME TWIN!!! 💞💞💞 You’re literally the coolest and I’m super glad I reached out because omg you are just as fun to talk to as you are to stalk on tumblr. I have literally always thought you were so cool but guess who was 100% correct. I had so much fun talking to you about this last night so this is no surprise but this is my favorite one of yours

SERIOUSLY the way you wrote Loveybug’s grandiose personality and the SYMBOLISM I yelled to you about the symbolism but I seriously cannot express enough how beautiful it was through and through!!!

a rose by any other name

@trishacollins

YOU ARE INSANELY QUICK AND INSANELY TALENTED I HAVE NO IDEA HOW YOU DO THAT but also as a friend you are so sweet and funny and energetic and interesting!! I love hearing about your babies ;-; and I think you are really amazing!! I seriously am so glad that I made that post about sentibug that united us and I can’t get enough of the insane kwami lore you come up with because I am also an enjoyer of kwami lore!! 💞

Although… the very first fic of yours that I binged was this one because Nina recommended it to me and it was SO good and interesting and CUTE and I loved the way you characterized Felix!!

Found

@wackus-bonkus-maximus

YOU ARE THE SWEETEST PERSON IVE EVER MET!!! You are insanely talented and funny and also super super super kind!! You’re so good at writing like you literally wrote a BOOK for a fan fiction that had me on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE time and you’re also a prophet!!! You understand the characters so well and you know how to utilize them!! I also think your original ideas are very good and creative and I can’t wait to see them!! That being said, my favorite of yours has to be:

borealis green

@bittersweetresilience

Omg…Sunny….listen…..

UM IDK HOW TO PICK NO ONE ELSE GOT TWO ANSWERS BUT I WANT TO DO TWO ANSWERS???

Okay first as a friend like you are very funny and supportive of whatever random ideas I throw at you and you have sooo much energy it is hard not to match which is so much fun!! You’ve also,,, seriously helped me with some very real things and that is something that I literally cannot thank you enough for?? ALSO YOUR TAGS oh my god your TAGS I think I fell in love with the way you wrote tags because they were so specific and focused on the little details and sooo SOOO much of them it AMAZES ME you are not only super SUPER talented but you ALSO are so kind to other creatives and that’s the best quality 💞 also exactly what I said to Nina about metaphors applies here too!! You are so good at words!!

And okay I can’t pick out two so I’m just going to say one more shout out to your Emilie…. That terrifying woman omg you cracked my brain open when you wrote her but no no THIS is my favorite which also shouldn’t be a surprise given my yelling

oh, no, not again

Do u ever read a friend’s fic and it’s like holy shit how do you consider me qualified to talk to you?

[countessofravenclaw]

So, this will not be surprising coming from me, and I will tbh be happy if you even come up with 2-3 reasons. But, it's just fun nonetheless to see what you can say about them. So!

Franletta and Jam :)

But then I also wanna give you something that's more easy for you, so I will give you Gastina and Diecesca too <3

I see what you did here Sara... I totally deserve this after the ask I sent you. I will do my best.

Franletta

They care about each other so much

the cheek kisses

Really good duets

Girls before guys

How they support each other

I mean best friends to lovers

Jam

Rodar mi Vida... and how they are obsessed with that song. Seriously, they sing it like 4 times during S1 and that's just the opens

I don't really ship either of them with their canon love interests

They are each other's hype girls

They share one brain cell

They are absolutely chaotic and annoying but the same amount and together

Gastina

Unexpected, but still very good buildup

Healthy couple

Good communication skills, even in an argument

Even when he was angry at her, Gastón never managed to say anything bad about her and continuously said how he loved her

Never had the "how was so wrong about her/him" phase during a break-up

Nina always dropping her books

Never once fell out of love

the PINING!!!!

Soulmates

Fell in love with each other twice

The relationship was established through emotional connection a and shared interests

The PDA and physical affection

Gastón can't keep his hands to himself while she is around

Different personalities that complement each other

They bring out the best in each other

Gastón considered Nina to be part of his future

Mature, passionate and serious relationship

She was the best thing that ever happened to him: S2E23~ "Truth is, you're the best thing that ever happened to me." / S2E47~ "Nina has been the best thing in my life."

Short break up in DCLA standards (it was only 24 episodes. Leonetta could never)

Needed outside forces to stay apart

Matteo is the biggest shipper

Absolutely endgame, screw S3, they got back together at Oxford... it is canon

Going a little bit into the headcanon territory: Gastón provided Nina the stable and whole family she never had

The amount of "I love you"s. (the sad thing about this is that Te Amo was forbidden in SL apparently)

Always found their way back to each other

Gastón brought Nina out of her shell, but he also could be himself with her and drop that "popular cool guy persona"

The matching outfits

Just the scene at the lockers in S2E2

"Nina y Felicity, Chica en mi suenos"

The names in the sand and the blue ribbons

They were absolutely miserable apart

Same intelligence level

The absolutely made up story about the airplane and cake after the extreme singers. He just told her that to make her smile.

The small ear thing in S2E9

The way he always puts her hair behind her ear

They speak in the manner only their heart can hear. (Yes, I stole this from Bridgerton)

The red roses

I could go on forever, but this covers most of it

Diecesca

They bring the chaos

hidden relationship (even if the reason was stupid)

the hiding was funny

Diego recognized Fran under the Fausta wig

How absolutely everyone found out by accident

The validation (Story time: I saw S3 first time in 2016. I never cared for Marco and Fran. When Diego and Fran got lost in the woods at the start of S3, I was like "huh? I like this dynamic... they are cute. Will they be a thing?" Note, I did not know that Marco was leaving. And I kept shipping them, thinking that they would never happen.)

Fran and Gregorio's relationship

they just were super cute

Fran had dreams about Diego

The whole fiasco with Andres and Fausta

The whole lost in Caiz plot (where did they sleep? Why didn't either of them have a credit card?)

the kisses

The one episode lasting break-up Diego never took seriously

They sound extremely good together

I like Se Qui Soy okay... I don't get the hate it gets. Anyways, it was clearly about Fran

They actually had a healthy and normal relationship. So normal the writer had to bring the hiding into the mix to make it meet the DCLA standards

Okay, I guess that is it. I could come up with 1000 more for Gastina, but I don't have unlimited amounts of time. But seriously, where did Diego and Fran sleep during S3 finale? They didn't have money.

[anarmel]

six of crows gang my beloved

what is fanart without me complaining about a thing i like

as a person who read SoC duology a long time ago, my SoC only related thoughts

-did they make Jesper gay and not bi?do not support that decision. that scene in a stable was kinda unnecessary (but i’m not a big fan of those kinda scenes in general) and felt like they just wanted something gay in this season and sort of a nod that they didn’t forget Jesper’s attraction to men but in process of that forgot that he’s bi. i think he should’ve had flirtatious interactions with everyone(he flirty).especially that we know that his main love interest is a man and his light crush on Kaz he should’ve flirted with a woman in this season. and i know that bi people are not obligated to date several people of all gender spectrum to know or like affirm that they’re bi but that’s in real life and SaB is a piece of media that communicates through visuals and limited dialogue and not a book where you have access to mention it in characters thoughts soo....yeah....not invisible bi representation where?and Nina is taken with her romance with Matthias already

-Nina(my beloved) and Matthias...yeah that’s the start of their story

-i liked “more soft” Kaz he felt less like an archetype of a character that he is(a traumatised bad boy who doesn’t care for anything or anyone but will eventually be “fixed” by love for a girl). book version of him works because we have his inner thoughts and machinations if he was on screen like he was in a book it just wouldn’t work as well he needs to emote and show a little bit of feelings that he experiences to work in a given medium and to not be a brick character on screen

-and Inej, my girl, my beloved . i don’t think she would sass tante Heleen while still being under a contract. i don’t understand why they took out her having panic attacks near the menagerie, and she refused Jesper’s backup(girlboss of her to do that but not being alone in that place is beneficial for mental stability !buddy system!). maybe because she is in that situation where she is still under indenture and she didn’t feel real relief and still is to take her first breath as a free person so she doesn’t feel constant fear of being robed of her freedom by the same place again? idk maaan...maybe i’m wrong but that’s jus how i feel. she is the strongest character in the series but that doesn’t mean she should be “strong” in every situation she is still a human who was treated so terribly by so many people and the menagerie represents it. ooof. in a book her strengths and weaknesses were established so well. i appreciated her fangirling for Alina though and that they didn’t brake her character in that way.her beliefs are still intact and she is apprehensive about kidnapping a saint. nice. love her

as a viewer of Shadow and Bone content without a book base but with basic knowledge of the universe and characters:

-(speaking as a slavic person in predominantly slavic society) didn’t like Zoya’s racist comment towards Alina like at all. like she is asian herself different part bur still. and i felt like her problem with Alina wasn’t race related then why throw that in? if my rival was poc i wouldn’t throw a slur at them and go a racist rout because that will not who i am(and i’m not that lazy at insulting/j) and it’s not even a part of my problem with them, i would go for something more personal and connected to the root of the problem to be a full bitter bitch. like Zoya feels useless and like she’s being replaced (right?) she could’ve commented how useless Alina is, how she can’t be strong by herself without help of darkling to reflect her own insecurities on Alina? why drag race into that problem? why? i know they had asian writers working on the script and in my opinion they did a good job at war era racist propaganda and how it ostracised Alina in society but making Zoya on a personal level a racist was kinda dumb. she’s a bitch but not a bigot

-i’m afraid of saying my thoughts on darkling/alina/mal situation because that part of the fandom really scares me. and that was not really my interest in this show

-not enough Genya(i really like her character)

as a person who was born in russia and will die in russia(not by choice) my russia related thoughts:

(i know that it’s only inspired and not based on imperial russia but i wanna nitpick and bitch about things)

-for imperial russia not lavish enough(yeah budget and stuff but it’s true) those bitches only knew how to burn gold on luxuries and wars

-Alina’s last name is Starkov. so in russian usually last names that end in -ov/-ova -ev/-eva are gendered her version is “male”. i don’t care for gendered stuff but in russian every word is that way. as a gender abolitionist i don’t care as a russian speaker kinda not right but eh. i(nb) go by my -ova last name because it flows with my name better like Alina Starkova i kinda like how it has an A at the beginning and on the end. Alina Starkov is still a cool name because fuck grammatically correct things

-i don’t understand why they decided to call uniforms kefta and not kaftan, kefta sounds more like kofta(casual shirt) and kaftan is a real thing and a nicer word in my opinion(and isn’t kefta a dish? but then again we have a dish named “herring under a fur coat”)

-do not understand the name of an episode “otkazat’sya” it means “to refuse” as in like a verb, kinda weird, “otkaz”(refusal) would suit more as a name because it’s a noun and less confusing and a cooler looking word. it just doesn’t work in russian and was kinda jarring to see it. and didn’t they call a food taster an “otkazat’sya” like huh??? he would be just a low ranked “pridvornyy”(courtier) or a “sluga”(servant) or if you want a fancier word it would be “mundschenk”(world of german origin used in imperial russia under Peter the First) but they were only for vine and drink tasting

-there is like three words in russian and pronunciation is funny. o to pronounce ц like ц and not like ts. there is no need to be soft

-and it’s so funny that magic users called Grisha it’s just a slavic name Grigori in short form. imagine a world where magic users are all called like Josh in all seriousness

-(did they have at least one russian speaking person to consult on language usage or pronunciations?they merged two books together couldn’t they change some words to more correct ones?)

-so mad that they killed of my main man Ivan he was THE russian representation of that show. such a single minded serious bitch. i connected to him so much (i love me some unimportant background characters) and that goth bitch(darkling) lives on. i only can be satisfied if one of those shadow monsters is Ivan(i only jest...unless?....)

general:

-found family is top tier, love triangles are in hell(not fun kind) but that’s my general hiccup with this franchise (it has so much potential but choses to focus heavily on romance, like romance is good and great and all that but friendship is magic)

-in conclusion i really liked the story as a separate being and it’s one of the better book to screen adaptations i’ve seen but it’s not without flaws

-i’m always critical of things that i love. it’s my passion to scrutinise and see flaws. i am but a miserable being

🖤only my personal opinions and feelings,hope you enjoyed my art despite my tirades🖤

[haljathefangirlcat]

#seriously Nina was so cool and I loved the book #a strong female protagonist who teached us to love magic and science?? #and an actually scary villain who killed cats to use their hearts and animate his robots?? #and it was set in VENICE and they tralled around the world learning new cultures

I can't relate with all these people whining about how Harry Potter was their childhood sorry I'm Italian my childhood was Nina 😌

[aseriesofvariousevents]

The Clique Series

I decided to re-read the Clique books on a total whim this summer just for something easy to do during my lunch break at work. Lo and behold, after a whopping 20 books (including the summer collection) I can now say I finished every book in the Clique series for the second time in my life. I read them all for the first time in eighth grade along with some of my friends and, at that time, I thought Massie’s comebacks were some of the funniest things ever said. Reading them now, I realized there were so many jokes I never quite picked up on the first time around. Is the series great? No, but I definitely don’t regret the reread. 

With the completion of this book, I can officially say I have re-read every single book of the Clique. This was kind of a cute prequel to the origins of the PC. Parts of it were a little inconsistent with the series, but it was still fun to read.

Favorite Quote: Gawd, if only there was some kind of list that told girls what was in and what was out....

This book is a little bit horrible and immensely problematic in its discussion of wealth, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t fun. The Clique series was a staple of my 8th grade year and I vividly remember my friends and I racing to the library before class to get the next book. Are pretty much all of the characters truly terrible people? Absolutely, but it’s silly and they do grow as people (on very rare occasions). This book is not meant to be taken too seriously, and, overall, it remains as iconic as it was way back when. Also, Massie’s burns will never fail to entertain.

Favorite Quote: Even the cool girls have embarrassing parents.

I'm kind of hooked on this series now. This book was equally as trashy as the first one, but there were some pretty wholesome moments between Claire and Todd, and Massie and Claire. The drama in this one was a lot more stressful to read than the first, and overall, the book was pretty bad but so very addictive. A surprisingly large amount of stuff happened in this book so there was truly never a dull moment. Would I recommend this book? No, but I kind of love it.

Favorite Quote: Friends are like clothes—they can’t be in forever. 

This book was so dramatic for no reason and I loved it. Alicia and Massie's feud was so stupid and honestly didn't make a ton of sense over the course of the story, but it was really entertaining watching them walk in circles around apologizing to each other. Claire was kind of annoying, but that's kind of her whole thing. The whole Teen Vogue photoshoot for middle school girls is so entirely ridiculous, but it made for an entertaining story (especially with Faux-livia). The story was a little bit all over the place, but it was a super quick read.

Favorite Quote: The second I think about breathing, I can’t breathe anymore. And then I would die. 

I'm a little ashamed and a little proud that this is the fourth Clique book I've finished in three days. Nina's character was totally insane and definitely added some spice to the story, but she was so very annoying, so I really felt for Massie, Claire, and Alicia. The boy drama in this one was kind of ridiculous, but entertaining nonetheless. Todd is a nightmare now omg and the mocktail subplot was honestly my favorite part. It lowkey left on a cliffhanger though, so I'm so ready to see what happens between Cam and Claire next.

Favorite Quote: Virgins! Virgins! Virgins!

I think I might be moderately addicted to these Clique books. Each one gets more and more outlandish but it's so fun to read. Olivia had some good lines in this one, and Massie and Claire were both the best and worst parts of the book and had some of the more problematic takes. Dylan's mom with the geometry teacher was entertaining, and the ending was a little loco and kind of confusing. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Favorite Quote: It wasn’t Gawd after all. It was Olivia Ryan, one of His biggest mistakes.

It seems very on-brand that my 100th book of the year on Goodreads would be a Clique book. The premise of this story was totally unbelievable, after all, who would hire Claire as an actor out of the blue? But, believability aside, the Hollywood atmosphere was a nice change of pace from the environment of OCD. There was still the usual drama, both between the girls and with their respective middle school "boyfriends", but it was still cute. As per usual, there were a few problematic lines in the book, but considering the fact that the book is about truly some of the worst people to exist, that's to be expected.

Favorite Quote: Was she the only “real” person on the planet? The only one who played by the rules? The only one who believed in honesty and truth? Maybe it would have been better if she had been born evil. At least then duplicitous behavior wouldn’t come as such a shock. 

I don't know why, but I just couldn't get into this one. I may be a little burnt-out from the sheer amount of Clique books I've been reading, but mainly the plot in this one was just kind of dull. It could've been really exciting and I remembered thinking the twist with the kiss was funny when I was 12, but the whole storyline about Claire potentially leaving was just boring and detracted from the story as a whole. Everyone just kind of sucked in this book overall. Hopefully the next book picks up again.

Favorite Quote: What good is a shoe if it doesn’t have a sole?

There was too much stressful boy drama in this book. ESP should be illegal and Chris perpetually annoyed me. Just overall I felt like this book was reaching for something but never quite made it there. There were still some funny moments, though, so not the worst book ever by any means.

Favorite Quote: Had her seemingly sensitive crush always been such a guy’s guy?

This was a very solid start to the NPC's eighth-grade year. The book was pretty short, and, even though Alicia being on the outs with the PC isn't anything new, it was still done in a fun and much less self-involved way. The boy-fast was pretty entertaining, but I did miss reading Kristen's and Dylan's POVs after finishing the summer collection. The trailers brought me back to my elementary school days during which I was also relegated to a trailer for most of the year, and it felt like a very public-school twist on this private-school story.

Favorite Quote: Not exactly the best environment for kids with special needs. Not that the students in the main building seemed to care. 

I’m only giving it a 4 for Dylan and Kristen who are objectively the superior members of the clique. Massie has become more and more insufferable as the series has progressed and this whole book was stressful. Still iconic though.

Favorite Quote: Her mom had warned her about boys who were too perfect: They were not to be trusted. And until this minor grammatical infraction, his picture had been on all twelve pages of the “too perfect” calendar. 

This made me stressed the entire time. Alicia is so annoying and the whole plot was kind of just stupid. Some parts were fun, but it didn’t quite hit the mark.

Favorite Quote: Life goes on, and you have to, too.

Ok, I know the point of these books is that they’re full of crazy middle school drama but I am getting so sick of it. I forgot how stressful these books can be. Literally why can’t they all just get along?

Favorite Quote: It’s up to us to save the males.

I’m so glad I’m almost done with this series. Kristen and Dylan are honestly the only tolerable characters, and this book was yet another Massie and Claire show. The amount of friend break-ups and reconciliations they’ve had deserves an award.

Favorite Quote: If he’d rather play Wii, hasta la vista, baybeeeeeee.

Lisi Harrison truly popped off with this book. It was nice to get chapters from all of the characters for the last book, and it was honestly pretty heart-warming (to the extent that a Clique book can be heart-warming). The letter at the beginning of the book I think spoke volumes to why the series was created and I felt like you really got to see how much all of the characters had matured over the past 14(+) books. The clique books aren't works of art by any means, but they're really fun books to read and I have zero regrets re-reading all of them as an adult.

Favorite Quote: Embrace those differences. You will learn to be proud of what sets you apart.

The Clique books will remain and iconic relic of the time period they were written in probably forever. No other series has such creative and genuinely funny titles, while still managing to both poke fun at the ridiculousness of the characters, while still reminding the reader that they are in fact middle schoolers and go through some of the same embarrassments everyone else dealt with in real life. Lisi Harrison created a truly one-of-a-kind and totally crazy series that had middle schoolers in an absolute chokehold for years. They’re not fine art by any means, but not every series has to be. The Clique series knew that they were kind of goofy and satirical books, and never strayed. If you read these when you were younger, I would definitely recommend picking them up again. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Books in Series: Charmed and Dangerous; The Clique; Best Friends for Never; Revenge of the Wannabes; Invasion of the Boy Snatchers; The Pretty Committee Strikes Back; Dial L for Loser; It’s Not Easy Being Mean; Sealed with a Diss; Bratfest at Tiffany’s; P.S. I Loathe You; Boys “R” Us; These Boots Are Made for Stalking; My Little Phony; A Tale of Two Pretties

Author: Lisi Harrison

[raahosh]

My One Shots and Fanfics.

Here are my Imagines organized, easier to find for you and for me. Welcome to my head, a place where you're not going to want to be for long but in a tiny piece of time it's cool sometimes. You'll find here the craziest ideas that came from the back of my mind or the other people ones.

I hope you guys enjoy and if you want to request something I finally got to put everything open so feel free to give me some ideas of what or who to write, your idea is very welcome and I'd appreciate a lot. You can use the ask button in somewhere of my account or dm me with your idea if you feel better.

Here are some of the books that I've read and people that I may write about because I know their personalities and stuff. I'll be upgrading since I'm going to read more.

— A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Rhysand, Cassian, Azriel, Mor, Feyre, Nesta and Elain.

— Throne of Glass.

Dorian, Chaol and Celaena.

— The Selection.

Just Maxon, I'm sorry.

— Six of Crows.

Kaz Brekker, Matthias Helvar, Nina Zenik, Inej Ghafa.

I'm planning to read Shatter me and Divergent this month and The Cruel Prince maybe next or the other but I'm not really sure, there's a lot of books in my TBR.

Stories I've already written.

ㅤㅤㅤA Court of Thorns and Roses.

Headcannon with the Bat Boys.

How they're in bed.

Cassian One Shots

Training day.

Mornings.

Mor One Shots.

Preparing to meet the Inner Circle.

Azriel One Shots.

After mission sex (18+)

Rhysand One Shots.

Relationship with Tamlin's daughter.

ㅤㅤㅤSix of Crows

Kaz Brekker One Shots

Bruised.

Seriously injured.

Kaz’s first kiss.

ㅤㅤㅤThrone of Glass.

Chaol Westfall One Shots.

I love you.

I'm trying to improve my reading list so that I can make more Imagines about other people. Thank you guys so much for the attention, I hope you have a great day and that you achieve anything you want. See you, bye.

[serpenteve]

king of scars rant 💅🏽

cw: spoilers for king of scars

Honestly, I hated this book.

The Lore

I definitely hated how this book pretty much retconned the original trilogy and made it all but pointless. So Alina had to lose her powers because there are comic limits to Grisha power but Zoya can turn into a fucking dragon and become the avatar now?

The Shadow Fold had to be destroyed because it made Ravka weak but now it's open season on Ravka without the Fold holding their enemies back and every other week, there's some new assassination attempt from Shu Han or an open declaration of war from Fjerda or blackmailing debt-collectors from Kerch? How is Ravka still functioning, honestly?

Nikolai

I'm sorry, Nikolai, but this book actually made me low-key hate you. Like, the narrative wants so badly to prove me to me that he isn't like other imperialist monarchs! He....remembers people's names and fights alongside them!!!

Another character in this book (Isaak) spends the majority of his narrative idolizing Nikolai and trying to be like him and talking about how amazing he was to his family and then when he dies........Nikolai barely even gives a fuck? I got the sense this friendship was entirely one-sided.

Also, why is this marketed as a Nikolai duology and named after him when he's barely the main character and has to share the narration with 3 other characters---one of which is literally occupying the same locations as him? 🤨

Zoya

Oof, where to even begin with this one.

Listen, I would have been 100% on board with this book being entirely focused on Zoya. She's the real protagonist in my opinion so the fact that had to share the narrative with 3 other people (including one person who doesn't even influence the main plot and another who gets discarded by the end) was really bringing down the potential of her story.

Because there wasn't enough room for her character development, everything about her arc is completely rushed. Like, she can fire-bend and bee-bend in the span of 3 hours? WELL OKAY THEN. Oh, she can just turn into a fucking dragon now because she opened some random ass door in her mind? WELL OKAY THEN.

I hate hate hate it when female characters get accused of being Mary Sues but there's something to be said when we're jumping heads and everyone is just like "Wow, Zoya is so pretty, Zoya is so badass, Zoya is so cool" while not really having any real consequences for her flaw. Like, we all know Zoya can be bitchy and mean (and we love that about her 😌) but....she pretty much gets away it with and doesn't face any backlash for it. Add this to the fact that she becomes the Grisha avatar with very little training on her part and voila. The entire world of the Grishaverse bends its rules and reality around her in typical Sue fashion.

Nina

Girl, what was even the point of your story? I kept waiting and waiting and waiting, stupidly assuming that her story would somehow merge with the main one but it never came.

We learn that things are still shit for Grisha. The Shu are kidnapping them and making them into crazy supersoldiers and Fjerda are getting them addicted to some parem variant to create their own Grisha slave army from birth?

Why on earth would being a Grisha at the Little Palace be a choice in this world? It's either you become a soldier in the Second Army or....you get a fate worse than death. Wouldn't the atrocities committed against Grisha radicalize most Grisha anyway? Like, sign me the fuck up, I want to kick some ass against people trying to literally experiment on me???

Nina's necromancer powers were pretty badass though, not gonna lie 🙌🏽

Isaak

Isaak was honestly the best part of this whole dumpster book and then he gets killed for no reason. And Nikolai doesn't even give a fuck?

Why introduce this new character if we're just going to use and discard him? I kept wondering why we were getting palace updates from a new character instead of just using Genya or Tamar's perspective.

Also, the whole thing with princess Ehri was a bit racist to me? Like we have a Chinese-coded character being a deceptive backstabber (or front-stabber in this case lol) and nearly dies while giving off some serious dragon lady vibes. I get the sense she did die in the original draft and some editor was probably like "Hmm, well maybe we shouldn't have another dead POC" so she survives. At least she didn't speak in broken English like Botkin 🤷🏽‍♀️

The (Anti) Climax

This was easily the most anti-climactic ending to a Grishaverse book I've read. It's a shame because it has all the elements that could have made it badass? Like we've got saints with god-like powers but Zoya easily defeats Elizaveta by suddenly unlocking fire-bending, bee-bending, and transforming into a fucking dragon. I just can't take it seriously.

Elizaveta herself was too easily distracted as a villain. What the hell even happens to the saints when they die in this place? Do all their miracles that affect the rest of the world just disappear? Who knows. The book ends with Fjerda declaring war and a failed assassination attempt by a Shu Han princess.

Yuri & the Darkling

And finally this brings me whatever mess is going on with Yuri and the Darkling. I get the sense Leigh was super pissed with Darkling stans and created this weird strawman with Yuri's character. Honestly, I thought he was kinda funny because I'm sure even without real-world fans simping for the Darkling, there would certainly be people in the Grishaverse who would gravitate towards the Darkling and see him as a savior of sorts, especially with the world's Grisha being arguably worse after his death and the destruction of the Fold.

What bothered me was the bizarre preachiness of the other characters. Like Yuri literally only exists so that Zoya and Nikolai can take turns being like "Actually, Yuri aka Darklina stan placeholder, the Darkling was the VILLAIN of the series and you were just too stupid to see it, etc"

...Like, girl, we know he's the villain 🤦🏽‍♀️ If we're going to create a character just to preach to Darkling stans, then why does the entire plot revolve around trying to bring him back into the story? It's like Leigh has a weird love-hate relationship with the Darkling. She hates him and she hates his fan club but she still needs him because otherwise there's no magical plot conflict.

Fridge Logic

If there is no limit to Grisha power and you can just take however much you want from the heart at the making of the world, why the hell did Alina get punished for the amplifier nonsense in the original trilogy?

If the saint's powers are limited to the edges of the Fold, how are they able to manipulate stuff outside of it?

Juris claims when you properly possess an amplifier, you become a living amplifier in return. So is how the Darkling and Baghra became living amplifiers? Or is that just still some unexplained merzost nonsense from Illya Morozova?

What the hell even considered merzost now with all this retcon?

If the Darkling can possess Yuri and magically transform his features to be his own, then why did he need his own body?

And if he can change people's features by possessing them, why did Nikolai get to keep his?

Why did the obisbaya ritual fail in the first place?

Prose

The only positive is that the prose is like a million times better than the original trilogy, but considering how terrible the original is, I suppose that's not really saying much.

[livvyofthelake]

@coldasyou i would literally never be mean to wylan in a list that matthias is also on. priorities fr… anyway i’ve been sitting with my opinions on the book for like a month and i’ve had. SO much time with the show so i’ve literally changed my mind about everything twenty times by now seriously… anyway

inej my lovely girl forever and ever number one…. people say that the show ignored her backstory but i do not think that’s true because literally everything i read in the book was something that i had already inferred from the show… ok she didn’t get flashbacks like kaz or a dream of her mother like jesper but like. her story is implied if you missed it that’s literally on you!!! smart people got it!! anyway she’s sooo cool and beautiful and kind and awesome and lovable….

jesper… i’ve had quite the journey with this guy but ultimately he’s SO (redacted character) that i had to ignore the blatant Written To Be Liked On A Popular Netflix Show syndrome he suffers from. leigh wrote him like that too it’s like she was writing that book knowing that someday people would need a character to make charli xcx fancams for. and i love him dearly. but NOT in that way. it’s complex…

kaz. this guy. i don’t want to be mean. he’s not nearly as cool as some people think he’s actually very lame and loserish. but he’s also my dear friend :)

huge move. wylan. he’s so irritating and largely people like him for no reason because he has virtually nothing going on outside of being gay and he looks like a little mouse or frog and i genuinely cannot stand his status as being so widely beloved in fandom. that being said. i’ve come to love that little mouse a lot…. he’s a little guy!! he is not properly prepared for this heist but the guy assembling the team just likes him a lot!! (kaz would literally never admit that though) he is a mediocre scientist and he can’t read!! and he lovesssss kind of cuntily flirting with jesper!! anything that annoyed me about him in the book i forgave because he was 16 and then everything that annoyed me in the show i forgave because that actor has some insanely bitchy facial expressions that had me losing my mind… i can never read crooked kingdom though because i’ve heard things and i don’t want to see them happen. like peace and love to leigh but she is such an idiot about stuff

nina. maybe if she were less Girl With A Republican Boyfriend Who Swears He’s Different i would like her more. i like her a lot actually if i didn’t hate matthias so much i’d’ve ranked her above wylan. unfortunately i just can’t forgive girls who have shit boyfriends. like dump him oh my goddddddd. you know. like i get it i understand i feel sympathy for them but they are so insufferable to be around when it’s all Me And Jakey!! loved her so much in season two though due to matthias was not there!!!! idk why i said that in pasts tense as if i’m not still on season 2 episode 7. well.

matthias. leigh is not a good enough writer to pull this character off i’m sorry. glad to hear she killed him though. epitome of knowing you made a flop character who could only be tolerable if he didn’t make it to the end. the actor who plays him in the show seems like a chill dude though i hope he gets to be in media that is good playing a character i like someday <3

someone ask me to rank something i need to make a list

[thrillridesz]

This is completely unnecessary and completely dumb but as an avid fan of six of crows, I’m going to assign a crow + shadow and bone character to my moots today for no particular reason other than the fact I feel like it. (if you haven’t already read Leigh Bardugo’s six of crows duology, what are you doing. I haven’t yet read S&B so I’ll base it completely off the Netflix show.)

!NO SPOILERS! (So rest assured)

+ also consider this a love letter to y’all.

[My moots as SoC crows + Shadow and Bone characters]

Kaz Brekker - @timextoxhajima

Resourceful, ingenious and cunning - these are all words that describe Ketterdam’s infamous ‘Dirtyhands’. Having single-handedly led the Crow Club to its esteemed, notorious status in the Barrel in a matter of a few short years, this man is shrewd and nothing can get past him. Determined in everything he does and well-prepared for any obstacles that stand in his way, Kaz Brekker is a crook to be well-respected, valued and feared. 

Just like Kaz, I think Dana is a very clever person and I’ve never really seen her break a sweat over anything even when under intense pressure. She’s strong and very dedicated to everything she does which is super admirable. I feel like both Kaz and Dana give me the vibes that if they’re around, everything will be fine because they are able to handle anything thrown in their way.

Inej Ghafa - @sunqnyu

Inej, for a wraith, is probably one of the characters with the strongest moral compass I’ve ever seen in a book about a heist. She is kind, sensitive and merciful. When she’s after something she really wants, she doesn’t hold back and charges ahead (and she's great at what she does) but will never hurt others on her way there. Inej is a crow that cares about the people around her, especially the ones she loves, sometimes putting their own needs above her own. 

To me, Bella and Inej have a lot in common when it comes to their kind personalities and ability to see the good in everyone. They don’t treat people differently and are never mean to others. They may be soft hearted at times but can also be some of the most headstrong, competent people. Sometimes, I read SoC again and think of the similarities between Bella and Inej. It's uncanny.

Jesper Fahey - @yangyanghater

The best way to describe Jesper, the sharpshooter would be that of a volatile, crackling firecracker. Restless, full of chaotic energy and teasing, this man has a silver tongue and can quite literally chat his way either into trouble or out of. He lives on adrenaline rushes and when you talk to Jesper, you never know what you’re going to get. Laughter would be a good bet.

Cal and Jesper should just be twins at this point. Seriously, when it came to Jesper, I was just immediately like ‘Ok, Cal. No doubt about it.’ They both radiate such chaotic energy, I HAD TO. The sarcasm that they both have are one of a kind and I think talking to Cal would be very much like talking to Jesper. You always feel excited or intrigued. 

Nina Zenik - @moonsunwoojoong

A Grisha heartrender, Nina does more than practice the small sciences and is able to quite literally charm others just by being herself! She is confident, witty and very strong at heart. Never one to care about what others have to say about her, she expresses herself freely and openly. Her flirtatious wiles endear to everyone and she is truly a people’s person. Loyal to a fault, Nina never leaves her own people in a rut.

Amber and Nina... God, they would make an amazing pair. I feel like they would both sort of ‘get’ each other? Like they would both understand each other because of how similar their views are. Amber gives me very confident, segcy vibes just like Nina does and like Nina, Amber’s loyalty and softness for her ‘own people’ (like friends, family) is super endearing. 

Matthias Helvar - @berrysungie

Matthias was my favourite character in the SoC duology when I was first reading it, and he still is. Courageous and protective of those he loves, this Drüskelle will stop at nothing to defend those he considers dear to his heart from any danger out there even if it meant putting himself in harm’s way. He is a fighter, noble and though frigid and misunderstood at times, he only truly loosens up around his loved ones and will never, ever betray his allegiances.

Daisy and Matthias are both FIGHTERS. They never give up without a fight and firmly stand by their beliefs but are also very open to new opinions and are in no way, close-minded. They both strike me as very noble people and not gonna lie, sometimes I’m intimidated by Daisy as I am when I read about Matthias sometimes. It’s like they’re both so cool and I’m a potato.

Alina Starkov - @nyuwings​

Alina is upright, inquisitive and brave. We’re talking about a girl who chooses to face almost imminent death for the sake of a close friend. She may be naive at first but she learns quickly and she learns well. When she puts her heart into something, she excels at it. At the end of the day, no matter what happens, her loyalties are firm and she knows her rights from her wrongs. Willing to learn from her mistakes, that’s what makes the Sun Summoner so great compared to the other Grishas who are largely blinded by their own egos.

Elle always gave me main character vibes, I swear. Especially when we’re talking about main characters like Alina Starkov. When I talk to her, I sometimes feel like she has this untouchable, special aura? Like I want to tell her everything and I trust her. Like Alina, she's got a good head on her shoulders and I’m not sure honestly... Could it be the ‘Chosen One’ vibes?

Wylan Van Eck - @lsangyeons

Another gravely misunderstood character. Wylan is first seen as timid, afraid and constantly underestimated. Yet, what hides beneath this facade is an intelligent, tenacious soul. He is polite, considerate and full of good mannerisms despite being a part of the Dregs which honestly should have taken all of that from him but somehow they didn’t. Very kind and friendly, one should not take this sweet persona as something to be picked on because this man can quite literally blow your minds.

Yu and Wylan are to me both very overlooked. Not enough people appreciate them and it sucks because they deserve SO MUCH. They are the people that everyone takes for granted. They do not choose to make themselves known or try to take the spotlight away from their friends, but rather choose to support them from the back. They are talented but often don’t realise that they are. Very, very admirable.

Malyen Oretsev - @hhjs

Malyen to me is a very hotheaded, bold and valiant character. He never backs down from a fight and stand firm for what he believes to be right and doesn't care if there’s a thousand men going against him. This is what makes him so appealing. He does what he want when he wants and has a very strong sense of what is right and wrong.

I feel like Amal and Mal have a lot in common such that they are both very daring and firm people. They don’t let their opinions get swayed by anyone - what is right is right. They are unafraid to stand up to injustice and voice their opinions. Both exude a lot of confidence and somehow they just seem like people you like or look up to.

Genya Safin - @experimentalwrites

Genya is very much like a mentor. Her personality is gentle, encouraging and sweet. As a Grisha tailor, most of her job is focused on helping people and helpful she is. She is caring towards everyone and never discriminates. Good-natured and wise, she is the perfect definition of what a great role model should act and be like. 

Like Genya, Nabi exudes mentor like vibes to me. Around her, I feel like I can talk about my problems and seek sound advice from her. She doesn’t judge and can be depended upon. Her friendship is one I treasure a lot and her caring nature is what makes her so extremely attractive and amazing.

Zoya Nazyalensky - @sly-merlin

Zoya is what comes to mind when I think of a strong, independent woman whose leadership qualities far surpass that of others. Although prickly towards those she considers her enemies, she is very kind and forgiving towards the people she cares for. Even in great pressure, she is able to think clearly and exercise logical thinking. Her mere presence comforts those around her.

Simmi was the first person I thought of when I was thinking of Zoya. Competent, strategic and giving to her friends. They both have boss lady/queen vibes and though both may seem intimidating, are actually very sweet people. They have a hard exterior but a very soft, endearing interior. Precious beans, seriously.

[sendme-2hell]

Ranking the books I read in April

aka just ranting about the books I read in april pls ignore me

1. The Space Between Worlds - Micaiah Johnson 

I cannot believe this book wasn’t nominated for a Hugo! I like the Hugo list (of the books I’ve read) but cmon. This book is like if you combined the social commentary in The City We Became and the queerness of Harrow the Ninth. Seriously this book had everything I wanted: parallel universes, great character development, social commentary, woc sapphic slow burn, satisfying ending. Also I feel like the title is paying homage to W. E. Dubois which is cool. “Between me and the other world, there is ever an unasked question: How does it feel to be a problem?” Like there is just this very cool idea of talking about other worlds as in literally other universes but also different worlds due to social and racial hierarchies. 

2. Plain Bad Heroines - Emily m. Danforth 

Horror, Hollywood, boarding school, everyone is gay, the narrator talks directly to the reader and it is hilarious, copious footnotes, have I mentioned how many sapphics there are? It’s hard to keep track. Plus polyamory. I just really loved this book and I felt it all came together in a way that was worth it. 

3. Steel Crow Saga - Paul Krueger 

This godamn book. I loved this book so much. I was so ready to yell about it on tumblr and tell people to read it. But apparently the author is someone who has harassed a lot of women so...uh...yeah. Nevermind I guess.

 I do want to say it is the most accurate depicition of a Sherlock Holmes superfan that I have ever seen in media. 

4. The Tiger’s Daughter - K. Arsenault Rivera

What if we went on a long trip on horseback and we were both lesbian warriors...jk unless…

Yeah so I loved this book so much. A lot of it is about navigating familial responsibility, fighting literal and metaphorical demons, fighting the patriarchy, fighting your anger, fighting tigers, etc...and yet I kept thinking to myself “this is the most romantic book I have ever read” and honestly I am gonna stick by that. It also has the “you think me a monster so I will become one” trope which is great. It is set in an Asian-based fantasy world and I did read a goodreads review that said it was as accurate to the countries it draws inspiration from as Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse is to the Russian and Scandinavian cultures it takes from. So that’s not great. 

5. Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo

Speaking of! A few months ago I tried to read Shadow and Bone in preparation for the tv show and I could not finish it. The writing was...bad. Anyway I really liked Six of Crows and even though, yeah it’s tropey (I’m looking at you, Helnik backstory), there’s a reason those tropes work. Plus you cannot go wrong with a heist. About halfway through I did realize that there are six mcs and three couples so its kinda just like a giant triple date, which really changed how I read the whole story.

I’m very glad I did read it before seeing the tv show because I was able to be appropriately excited for the Crows and catch the Wylan reference and everything, but I also got to see the Alina stuff without having to read about it. 

6. Crooked  Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo 

I think I somehow liked this even more than Six of Crows, but for narrative simplicity I’ll put it after. I really like it when you put people in an impossible situation and see how they figure it out. Especially if they get out in a clever and reasonably possible way that ties together many different plot threads and has a few good fake-outs. This did all of that, and also developed every character in a way I found satisfying (except [redacted] *cry emoji*). 

Kaz pulls a Baru Cormorant with some money stuff and now I wonder if they would be friends. 

I read this after watching the show which was good because I knew who Zoya and Genya were but bad because there is a point where Nina is like “here is how shadow and bone ends.” She’s just talking to Mattias and casually spoiling everything for me. So there goes my dreams of living spoiler free until the end of the show. 

7. The Miseducation of Cameron Post - Emily m Danforth

My expectations for this book were....very different than it turned out, and I’m glad for it. After reading Plain Bad Heroines I shouldn’t have been surprised at how well written it is. I really appreciated how nuanced it is. It doesn’t spell out its ideas or themes and therefore lets you really sit with them. I would rank it higher but I don’t really enjoy reading about high school. 

8. Foundryside - Robert Jackson Bennett

I love a good found family, especially if at the beginning of the book they are on opposing sides. Enemies to friends = best trope! Also it’s sapphic that’s always good. But the best part of this book was the worldbuilding which was so cool. 

9. Malice - Heather Walter

Remember what I was saying about “you think me a monster so I will become one”? This book is the definition of that trope. Women becoming unhinged after being treated like shit, we love to see it! Especially if it’s gay. I do have to say, authors who write duologies where the first book ends on a cliffhanger, I see what you’re doing but yes, I will be preordering the next book. 

10. Fugitive Telemetry - Martha Wells

I don’t have much to say because Murderbot is so consistently excellent.  uh why is it so cathartic when xenophobes disrespect Murderbot and it’s humans step in and shut that shit down. Gets me every single time. 

11. Queen of Coins and Whispers - Helen Corcoran 

This book was like half romance half politics and unfortunately I did not find the politics that interesting or well written. But the romance was A+. It reminded me of Priory of the Orange Tree a LOT. Though significantly less dragons and I’m taking many points off for that. 

12. The First Sister - Linden A. Lewis

I wanted to like this book a little more than I did. There was just maybe too much body horror for me. Interesting characters and world though. There was  a location named Cytherea that they mentioned a lot and it was very distracting. I guess I still have tlt brainrot. 

13. Shorefall - Robert Jackson Bennett 

I think this book was well plotted out but it didn’t quite have my attention like Foundryside did. Also yet another book where a woman’s girlfriend ends up in her head. This time no one had to die so that’s nice. TM and SD take notes! 

14. The Deathless Girls - Kiran Milwood Hargrave 

Ok I LOVED the Mercies by KMH so I was a little disappointed in this Dracula retelling. It got interesting in the last 50 pages, but unfortunately that is not enough for me.

proud of myself for not reading a single straight book this April 

[amourology]

Okay I love that!! That is so good! I definitely love that she has history with the Darkling but left his horrible ass back in Ravka (I think the Darkling is an interesting character, but I absolutely hate him). I also love that she would of course meet Jesper first after he got into trouble, it’s very accurate! Nina is amazing and so I’m glad they were friends prior to the crows as well.

I think it works pretty well with the story and the actual books. I think it could fit similarly with the show as well! All of this is amazing! Thank you for sharing it! Like I said I love your fics and love how you create and write them. It’s always so beautifully written and so I love to hear any and all ideas you have!

Interior design sounds so cool and interesting! I like to think I did well (in the sims) with designing the inside but I’m sure others wouldn’t agree lol 😂. I also loved to personalize the sims rooms based on what I wanted/thought their personality and story was.

I’ve never made it far with making a giant family tree through different generations. I was recently trying to do that, but then had to make space on my computer so will most likely have to start over when I get everything figured out. I hope you get to do it though and have a long family line! I always thought it was cool to do that too but never actually did it 😂

What packs of the sims do you have? Other than the interior designer pack, which one do you enjoy the most?

Hope you have an amazing day!

-🗝

🗝 anon you’re honestly one of the sweetest peope i’ve had in my inbox, like seriously, no one has made me smile as much and make me feel appreciated as much as you have <3

as for the packs i—i may have too many and i’m not proud to say i wasted a big chunk of money on them 💀 ok so i have:

expansion packs

get to work, get together, get famous, city living, island living, cats & dogs, seasons & discover university

game packs

interior design (obvi lmao), parenthood, outdoor retreat & dine out

accessory packs

laundry day & movie hangout

IN MY DEFENSE THO | i’ve been playing the game since it came out in 2014 🧍🏽‍♀️

[semper-legens]

128. The Bookweaver’s Daughter, by Malavika Kannan

Owned: No, library Page count: 2467 My summary: Raya Khandari is the Bookweaver’s daughter - one of a long line of mages who wield power through words. They live in secret, disguised as peasants, under the tyrannical anti-magic regime of Jahan Zakir. But Zakir is looking for her, and it won’t be long before she is found... My rating: 3/5   My commentary:

Into the world of YA, and on paper, this book is 100% my thing. I love fantasy, I love stories of plucky young women with the power to save the world, I love everything this story is or should be. But...when I started writing this up, I was seriously considering giving it a 2.5, my rating usually reserved for books I found bland or boring. That’s not fair, and I’m going to go into the reasons why it’s not fair under the cut, but my in-a-nutshell review of this book is basically this - so much potential, but could have used a lot more time to develop it.

Our main character is Raya, the Bookweaver’s daughter and heir to a legacy of power and magic. She’s joined by Nina, her friend from her life as a peasant, and a rotating cast of rebels and outcasts on her path to realising her powers and bringing down the tyrannical Zakir. She’s a good character, with a lot of personality and a solid arc, going from struggling to keep her head above water to a realistically traumatised kid trapped in a deadly court to coming into her own as the Bookweaver.

I did, however, feel like a lot of these points and beats were rushed - much of this book could have done with more time to slow down, develop characters and emotions, and establish a new status quo before the next Big Thing happened. In an early example, Raya and Nina get picked up by a rebel group, who we barely spend any time with before they’re overrun and the rebels are scattered or captured. It really could have done with a lot more time with them, getting to know them, establishing Raya and Nina learning from them or otherwise getting close to them before the bad guys swept in. And this was consistent through the book - the pace was ridiculously fast, with barely any breathing space.

The world of this book is interesting, with a lot of background lore alluded to but never exposited, leaving the impression of a deeper universe without bogging the narrative down. It’s based heavily on Indian culture, too, which is cool to see in YA. There’s clearly a lot of thought and creativity and passion put into it, that much is so obvious just from reading. Still, I did encounter some things that raised an eyebrow. Raya’s vocabulary is very much that of a modern American teenager, as are some of the other characters - like a character using ‘take two’ in a world that presumably doesn’t have films. It’s nothing that couldn’t have been solved with a discerning editorial eye, but it kept sticking out to me as I read.

And here’s the reason I’m not being way more harsh on this book. The author is mentioned in the back as being eighteen years old. With that in mind, I can totally see the reasons why this book and story is the way that it is - with a few more years of maturity, practise, and experience, this book could have been so much more polished, and something that I unequivocally loved. Something in the vein of Children of Blood and Bone, you know? And that’s not to say that Kannan’s achievements at being a published novellist at 18 isn’t damn impressive - I’m 25, I haven’t published anything - but I really feel like this book needed more time in the proverbial oven. It’s underdone as-is, but I’d be really interested to see what kind of work Kannan’s producing in a few years, when she has more time to hone the passion and talent she obviously has.

Next up, back to Animorphs, as we’re going to...Atlantis?