#sheep reviews

[sheepfics]

The Warden (Daniel M. Ford) The sword-and-sorcery romp that probably wasn’t supposed to be a comedy.

3.75 ⭐

Ok. So. This was sold to me by some shlub at [INSERT GIANT LOCAL BOOKSTORE] with the promise it has lesbianism and is Like The Locked Tomb. The book claims its Like Twin Peaks But With Wizards. This raises the important questions: Is This Like The Locked Tomb? Is this Twin Peaks But With Wizards? 

No. 

This is Northern Exposure if you replaced Dr. Fleischman with Aelis, a bisexual 22 year old workaholic Wizard. This has “pros”, and this has “cons”. Here’s the non-spoiler list that could help you decide if you might like this book.

“PROS”.

Cozy Sword-and-Sorcery adventure, heavy ttrpg pulls, but not serial-numbers-filled-off levels of referencing. Hearkens back to an older era of ‘cheap’ fantasy novels.

This 22 year old workaholic study-hard-party-harder Wizard girl sucks just the right amount.

Enough foreshadowing to indicate something is important, novel enough connections to spark interest in how things are important.

Great setup for interesting future adventures/world.

Solid and descriptive fight scenes.

“CONS”.

Necromancy in this book is not raising the dead, it just helps you be really good at practicing medicine. (see Northern Exposure Comparison)

Ignore the redhead elf on the new-edition cover, this is a book is only about the other girl. 

This is a Fantasy with hints of Romance, not a romance-fantasy or a romantasy.

Not as Meta/Intellectually Meaty as TLT.

Not as Ethereal/Supernatural as Twin Peaks.

Overall Non-spoiler Review: The Warden is a lighter-fare adventure fantasy read. Even if you only dabble in fantasy, you will find this to be a tasty little snack of a read. Chapters are short, pace is a bit odd at times but not overwhelmingly so. I finished this in about three days. 

Despite the book covering both a lot and very little time, The adventure pacing is acceptable. The time it takes for each fraction of the mystery to unfold makes reasonable sense. I find Aelis to be appropriately bitchy and hardworking, and I do really like that about her. I enjoy main characters that have strong enough personalities that they can definitively suck. I can see why people might not like Aelis, but I think her personality makes perfect sense with her origin and how she is told to relate and understand her job. She considers the feelings of others, but certainly doesn't need good bedside manner when her job is to exist outside, but in reach of, a specific community. Her affair with Maurenia is also appropriate in its intensity (or one’s perceived lack thereof). It feels like a very early-twenties-I'm-here-on-a-temp-gig affair. Tun is really fun and I like the mutual respect him and Aelis have for each other and how that is forged throughout the work.

If you can’t tolerate Aelis within about 5 chapters, I don’t think you’re going to like this book. This book might have two gals on the cover (depending on your edition) but its not about both of them. Its about Aelis. And if you aren’t even kinda rockin with her by the halfway point, its probably worth a DNF. It took finishing the book for me to go from “yeah she’s fine” to “ok yeah I wanna read more about her”. 

I am interested in seeing how the next book progresses. The mysteries of this book were enjoyable and (enjoyably!!!) predictable at parts. There was a good set-up of people/places/things where you could attach things that could be connected, and then be rewarded with how they were connected. 

If you want to read this book, I think you loose about 20-30% of the value of reading it if you get spoiled with the following review, so proceed below with that knowledge.

WITH SPOILERS/The Long Form Below.

I'm not covering main plotpoints here, I don't want this to devolve into a summary, because this is my first attempt at a book review and I know I am prone to such things. My notes on the overall plot are that: 1. This Is Very Much The First Book In A Series, 2. The Stakes Are Reasonable, At This Time, and 3. We're keeping MacGuffins to a minimum.

Ok, now the real review.

It took me until the end of this book to be fully convinced on Aelis, but now that I’ve put the book down (and waiting on my hold of the second book to come in) I can say more confidently that I like her. I don’t think I would be bothering to think particularly hard about her if I didn’t have that second book on route. The Warden is a book about Aelis. This series is a series about Aelis. Everyone and everything is tangential to her. I think that the OG cover (left) and the new cover (right) portray this book as two different books. 

I read the one on the left, and when I got it off the hold shelf I checked my phone make sure it was the correct book. That alternative cover really indicates that this will be a different kinda book. The Aelis & Maurenia cover indicates that Maurenia is going to be Cool and Fight in this book- and she doesn’t. She shows up, brings in a plot device, sleeps with Aelis, and then dips for a while before U-hauling back up. This isn’t a book about the two of them. This is a book that focuses largely on Aelis and then has a lot of screentime for Tun, who’s in the background of the OG cover. I think the first cover is far more accurate to the vibe of this novel than the newer one, and would argue that the newer one is almost false-advertising.

So Where’s the Dykes? An Addressing of the Queer/Romantic Elements this book is sold on.

Aelis is Bisexual, if her pre-Lone Pine Wardendom casual polyamory is to be read face-value. I found it very funny that 1. She allegedly boned a dude named Humphrey on the reg and 2. She liked Miralla more than him and her boning Humphrey was potentially her trying to best Miralla. Great stuff. This does bring me to her Tension with Maurenia. As stated earlier, we don’t know shit about Maurenia, even at the end of the book. Aelis notes this, but is reasonably apprehensive about pursuing romance, although she does think about it. I hope there is drama about this in the next book, because Maurenia seems wayyyy more into this than Aelis is. This makes their relationship very interesting, in a way some other reviewer called ‘very masculine’ while claiming both characters had a lot of ‘masculine energy’ and thats not important here its just really fucking funny to me. I had to get that into this review. Holy shit it made me crack up laughing. I just think Aelis is, like me, too focused on the grind to be thinking toooo much about emotional satisfaction. I would make a “while you were having sex I was studying the blade” joke, but she was doing both, so. Even after the semi-tasteful fade-to-black sex scenes that happen (Good call, Mr. Ford.), Aelis is debating wether to take this seriously. She didn’t seem to be taking the previous ones seriously, or at least, not as serious romantic relationships. She’s not dating the people she’s fucking, she doesn’t have any previous heartbreaks that we know of. I think her focus on (previously, her education), and now, her job, makes all that stuff a little difficult. 

Her job, at present, focuses heavily on this pioneering town that’s mostly sheep, where everyone there is afraid of her because she was mainly educated as a necromancer. I don’t think we’ll be seeing much of the townspeople after this, for adventure calls!I wish I could expect more from/with them, but I don’t think I’m going to get that. Mostly because I can sense our inevitable adventuring party, which brings me to my footnote paragraph about Tun. 

Tun is a half-orc druid/woodsman/bear man. He’s really fun and I like him. He reveals just enough to be interesting, keeps enough secrets to keep me hooked, highlights when Aelis is being a bitch, and spurs her to make some tweaks. Coworkers-growing-to-respect-each-other sort of vibe. I liked it a lot. I like him being a werebear, the hints as to his well-educated past and orc-connected present, his I think his main thread being solved with very little intricate explanation from Aelis was a bit of a letdown, but I’m hopeful for book two. 

Maurenia must, certainly, be important for book two, because Necrobane only ever has had one cover design and its got her and Aelis on it. Aelis doesn’t know much about her, she says as much, I have no complex thoughts about her other than what I’ve already mentioned. Mostly that this book ain’t about Maurenia, its about The Warden.

The Warden, which is Aelis. She’s been shoved to Lone Pine in Bumfuck Nowhere to go serve as a government-sanctioned Wizard detective/helper/advisor. The motivations or details behind this system are hardly explored, and only expanded in the limits of the position. How Aelis can act in regards to financial issues, law enforcement, and other such things. Being a Warden is a 2-year tenure, and it is still unclear to me why exactly she wanted to be a Warden, other than proving that women can do it. That’s a fine motivation, but I wanted more substance on why she gives a shit about the things she does. She’s primarily a necromancer, but theres little time spent on why she wants to be a top necromancer or Wizard or Warden, other than just to flex. Towards the end of the book, she herself states that she doesn’t think like a Necromancer, she thinks like an Abjurer with the talents of a Necromancer. I am hoping she’s forced to explore necromancy more intensely as the series progress. I would like less school flashbacks and more details on how she’s tweaking her abilities and spells to suit her. The descriptions of her surgeries were very interesting though and followed solid logic and fantasy-adjusted practice. The way fight scenes flow with her were also very good! There are many good things about her. There are many bad things about her. The biggest thing about this book is that it’s all about her.

If you can’t get with Aelis, you will not like this book. There’s not much more I can expand this. I’m repeating myself from the non-spoiler section. If you ain’t rockin with her, you’re not gonna like this One Bit. I can live with that, because I think she’s super funny to read about. She’s an enjoyable type of mildly-pretentious intellectual. Other reviewers I have read have found her to be horribly insufferable for not Grasping The Call Of Adventure and being Mildly Rude To Peasants. I don’t care about that. I like that she’s very willing to do her job, but is understanding that a lot of it might be suckage. She wants to prove a point. She’s ambitious, and that's what makes you a good Wizard. At least, that’s what she tells us makes a good wizard. 

That brings me to my final note on the book’s content. I found Aelis’s isolation to be absolutely fascinating. She’s so goddamn lonely. Sure, there may be people around her, but as a Warden, she’s to serve as a Lighthouse, not a Tavern. She is not to become one of them. She’s there to be the voice of the Lyceum and the Crown upon a town that asked for her. Her choosing to ask for help from Tun is a big step for her, but also, Tun and Maurenia’s refusal to even offer company or further assistance to her when she goes off on her own, in winter, on undisclosed business? That solidified that this was an Aelis book. I expect the other books will also very much be Aelis books, but to a lesser degree. 

As mentioned earlier, I wouldn’t be thinking nearly the same amount of this book if I caught it when it had just come out. I think I would have read it, went “huh, neat”, and moved on. I think I may be giving this book more grace than I ought to, but that’s alright. I think if I could get into Aelis earlier, and I wasn’t sold a GTN-like with a Twin Peaks Twist, this would be a ⭐⭐⭐⭐ read.

I do think that grey goat that breaks into her tower is going to be the BBG though. (That’s only partially a joke.)

[zunshiner]

wooly be wildin

[whispangel]

"we need more mean women" YOU GUYS CAN'T EVEN HANDLE LANOLIN THE SHEEP

[fossette-promenade]

i was inspired to style this piece in a way they would have in 2009.

it always makes me feel cute to wear a full lolita coord ♡

[wheredidalltheusersgo]

Jjba: Furry is unbreakable /j

[ankle-beez]

[blindingliqhts]

is it bad that i just looked at a bunch of the lowest-rated TSC reviews on goodreads and i laughed at every single one

anyway goodnight

[halosoliloquy]

Get this, there was a second part to the wolf in sheep’s clothing that they didn’t tell us.

[exoticalmonde]

So Long, Adele... Was Only Pain and NO Whimsy

Once again, Dr. Eve is a little late to the party, but you must understand that even 11 days into the year, I am already a month and a half behind on everything I wish I could have been doing.

So instead of lamenting my unfinished fanfics and the cross-stitch that's been in box jail since the end of November, we're going on an adventure with Eyjafjalla.

Fair to say, that I didn't finish anything during the rerun last time. It was right after New Year's and let me tell you... I was not in the mood for that at all.

Naturally, we start off with an update on how RI-8 is doing right now.

This means we have the opportunity to look back into it from the POV of someone very opinionated about men and entirely blind to the women on the field.

A...

Ah--- W...Welcome maam. I've been waiting for

A while.

Welcome to the team of my light-hair-coloured women, ignore the Sarkaz sisters, and I hope you have a pleasant stay.

My fields were barren... Still are.

I'm pretty sure whatever I had was already wasted, but that's alright so far. Surely, there's nothing that could possibly mess up your future career as my favourite Instructor...

But why do I hear Kazimierz's music?

Right, it's because Flametail has also joined the team, in an attempt to rally that E1Max Texas that I've been trying to ignore for the last hm 3 years.

Also, HAPPY NEW YEAR from RI-8 and all of Yan, who are here to celebrate with me in a wild mix between 'enjoy this while you can before we all die' and 'RI has never seen such bliss, glad you're here' type of way.

Okay, updates are done. It was a slow descent into madness this time, nothing too fancy-schmancy.

Here's how So Long, Adele went for me.

---

EyjaBerry is THE best medic so far in my experience. She's not just a single target Wandering Medic like the rest of the Berries, her skills just make healing trivial the way W'Alter manages to make dealing damage feel trivial.

Her S1M3? Unlimited and covers 2 people at the same time.

S2M3? Become an AOE Shining, but better for all I know, because I don't have her. Would I have pulled for her now? Absolutely, she is doing a much better job protecting my allies from the enemy than anybody else could.

I'm sorry Lumen, despite Dr. Pinkie's constant confusion between the words, being a Wanderer and a Therapist are two different things and you specialize in the things you do.

S3M3? Don'tDieInator3000, global.

---

Last time I saw Sw'Alter actually being used was during the Icebreaker Event and it was because Dr. Pinkie had the ingenious idea to use her bottles to charge the machines. For any players out there, you know what I am talking about.

After ages of playing this game, I finally realized that some peaceable objects like that charge the SP machines just like that.

She looks good though. Merchant. With Lee and Mr. Nothing, I don't need another DP-leech for the job. I'm comparing her to Lee, so Sw'Alter seems to have less health, but better damage in the base stages. Her abilities have a funky range.

S1M3 - Medic defenders all over the place with 1 block.

S2M3 - A typical Trapmaster ability

S3M3 - An unlimited duration skill, with a knockback that

---

If there were characters who were thrown in a black hole never to be seen again, it's Conviction and Poncirus. From what I know about the story, she only shows up at the end too.

We've been talking with the other Doctors about how recently the characters who are featured on the banner alongside the 6 star are completely irrelevant story-wise.

None of the new Babel characters were ever shown up. They weren't even FROM Babel.

These gripes aside,

Compared to Texas, exact same S1 with the same 12 DP, wait time and everything on M3. However, what I just found out was that her second skill actually looks pretty good. She's with better health, less attack and better defence on the Max levels. Defensive Pioneer Vanguards have served me better than offensive ones.

---

Bryophyta is in a weird spot because he's an Instructor in a world where only 5 in total exist. Which isn't a few, but it's not a lot either.

Pallas is the best by a margin because of Bryo's 5-star debuff (and he's a shop-erator), but since he's Dr. Lundi claimed, I have to say something nice about him or the sniper on the roof next door is going to get me.

I feel like all of them would benefit from the INS-Y Module, being able to be deployed on a ranged tile extends their versatility better since their whole gimmick is 'Don't Block for Damage'.

His S1M3 is a delight to see. The second the words 'Next attack' show up on screen I feel power. Nothing to write home about though.

But what about his S2M3----

Oh. Stuns self. Okay. I didn't need him anyway.

---

That was all for the operators. Now to the event itself.

Did I read anything out of this event's story? I did not. Would I let Pinkie explain everything to me? They did. Did I love the trailer and the music? You bet. Did I hate the event? Entirely.

You see, while I do like this 'being forced to think' situation during events, especially for EX or S stages because I understand that the enjoyment of the game is as much gimmick and working with what you have, as it is... a strategy game.

However, Dr. Eve being Eve, I end up thinking myself into a corner. The operators I level up aren't always the ones that I need.

Very rarely in fact.

Look at my wife's list. Look at my husband's list! Not a single person can handle 3 enemies at once unless they are a defender. Nobody does enough damage the way I needed them to.

I guided Dr. Kryo through SL-S-5 and some of the earlier challenges and he was adamant that he didn't want a W'Alter guide. I respect that, we're all quirky and he didn't get a W'Alter during her run. It worked out well for him.

I knew he struggled for the CM on SL-S-4 because we were in call during the time and I was crying about SL-S-3 CM, thinking 4 and 5 would be worse.

Mind you, this man thinks when he levels up (most of) his characters though. Mudrock Max, Ines, Kal'tsit, Blaze, Hoshi. He got Mlynar, he has Logos, EyjaBerry.

The last time we struggled so much was during Stultifera. A LONG time ago, because back then - me nor Dr. Kryo had Lappland.

I didn't even try to think too hard about the levels at first. EX-1 to 8 were absolutely fine, S-1 and 2, even 3 were great. I managed S-5 in three tries or something with Kryo guiding me since it was late and I didn't feel like thinking.

I spent an entire afternoon on SL-S-4 CM.

Watched every single video guide. Nothing worked.

I couldn't manage to put down bottles for Lundi's Ex'Alter in the top blue exit.

DP not enough at any point.

Why are these bottles taking so long???

My Mudrock wasn't strong enough when I needed W'Alter. She was also not lvl90 or S3M3.

Instead of Mudrock, why not use Penance, she's mean to handle more enemies, right? Wrong. Gets eaten alive by the sheep. You're starting to understand who was being problematic.

My Kal'tsit isn't lvl90 and only S3M1, which was not enough.

Also don't have the modules for Mudrock, nor for Kal.

My allies kept dying on the bottom side. Hoshiguma was useless, using Nian for her innate skill was perfect.

They kept leaking past the 15/20 enemy count. Bam, put Shu behind Nian.

I figured out that the leakage mainly happened topside. I need someone who could do a lot of damage to a lot of people in a line since the magician goats are being a bother.

Hoederer S2M3 but his second phase for the +1 block count. He's too slow, that's not S3, what was I even thinking???

I don't have Ines and Silverash/Puzzle doesn't work the way she does.

I don't have Ascalon. I don't have Reed Alter. I don't have Mlynar.

Logos instead of Eyjafjalla does wonders for my mental health though.

Freaking Kazdelian Bubbling Hotpot, why are my Ling's dragons so easily perishable, she's lvl60 with the module.

Fiddled with this video for a little bit, but my ability to look with one eye in one direction and use the other for the other direction really made things unfortunate when I had to manage Pinecone's skill and also block the oncoming enemies.

If that doesn't work out, fine.

This one should work. I'm just going to borrow a Sk'Alter.

Blaze dies.

Ah, I don't have Nightingale, so I thought putting perfumer there would work. Let's switch it up, Perfumer goes in Ptilopsis' place.

Blaze doesn't die. She leaks instead.

Alright, then I will add someone to help with the enemies. Uh.

Tries again. Mission Failed.

Tries again. Mission Failed.

Tries again. Mission Failed.

Tries again. Mission Failed.

Sanity is still 133 from how much I've been wasting my time

Tries again. Perfects the bottom side strat, so I need to pay attention to my Blaze.

Mission Failed.

Oh, come on.

I'm starting to get angry, because the problem isn't anything else, BUT Blaze.

Civilight Eterna S2, borrow a Nightingale from Dr. Kryo.

Tries again. Mission Failed.

Tries again. Mission Failed.

Alright. I give up. I can't do this anymore. I'm gone. I'm done. I just won't get the complete medal set.

Goes to bed.

Wakes up.

...

...

...

New day, New me. Let's get Arknightsing.

Okay, that previous run should've worked fine. Let's go back and see what I was doing to figure out what to tweak.

Wanqing in front of bottom blue box.

Nian is in the corner. Soda box in front of her.

Myrtle below her to optimize DP.

Exusiai when I have 30 DP, so I can immediately plop Perfumer.

Box blows up a bit late because of the DP drawback with Exusiai and Perfumer, drop Bagpipe to break the box on the top blue exit because the skateboard sheep will be coming soon.

Earn back that 13 DP.

Logos under Perfumer, remove Myrtle after skill.

Blaze > Sk'Alter > Ptilopsis.

Remove Wanqing, put down Shu.

Discrepancy happens for Blaze again.

Wait a minute...

I don't want to look at this event ever again in my LIFE.

SO LONG, Adele.

[isagrimorie]

Fandom asks: 10, 11, 12, 18, 19

For Fandom Year in Review ask:

10. Biggest fandom disappointment of the year

Ooh. The tough questions... well, I'm still disappointed that Star Trek Legacy isn't still a thing.

I think I wasn't as impressed with the new season of Only Murders in the Building (I'm not into actors playing themselves. And season 4 had a lot of them).

Oh. Dune Prophecy! I wanted to like it because it's Dune-- unfortunately, after the first episode... the things that bothered me in the first episode just magnified.

And it had me thinking: this got a second season meanwhile The Acolyte was cancelled?

11. Biggest squee moments of the year

Uh, this whole first episode? These moments and everything afterwards!

12. Favorite main character of the year

Answered here. But, it is... Agatha Harkness :D

18. Fandom that you never expected to get into

Answered here. It's Agatha All Along.

19. Fandom that made an unexpected comeback

Honestly? I didn't expect Criminal Minds grabbing me by the throat on the first half of 2024!

[sheepfics]

Kings of the Wyld (Nicholas Eames): 🫵 RUSH FAN SPOTTED.

4.5⭐

Hey. You. Yeah, You. 

Do you like Fantasy? Have you even vaguely heard about the concept of famous classic rock bands? Do you want a fun, fast read?

Do you like

DILFS?

Is the idea of Just Some Guy, an Emotionally Broken Father, a Gay Wizard, a Rogue-Turned-King-Turned-Alcoholic, and A Rejected Fate Series Berserker all adventuring in one group really funny? I got the book for you!

Kings of the Wyld is an easy-reader fantasy adventure romp that, despite clocking in at around 415 pages, is fast, fun, and funny.

From the get go, this book has the makings of a good time. Adventuring groups being treated like rock bands? An incredible idea. Old men who used to be one of the best adventuring group-rock-bands getting together for a farewell tour? An even better one. If you find this premise enjoyable in the slightest, this book has the quality to deliver on it. It rides the knife's edge of humor, action, and genuine emotion. 

What’s this book about? The cover blurb was actually quite accurate for this book. After some 20 years retired, Saga, one of the most famous bands in the modern time, is rallied back together to save their frontman Golden Gabe’s daughter from a nigh-unbreakable siege. Like, that's what happens. That's the book. Sure, they gotta deal with their old booker, some ex-wives, a very much alive wife who's trying to kill one of them, and also a super evil dude with bunny ears, but that’s the jist of it, really. However, this blurb would have you believe that the famous Golden Gabe is our narrator. That is not true. We view this story through the eyes of someone much more interesting: Clay Cooper.

Clay Cooper was made in a lab for me to be a fan of him, I love grimy little dudes who are Just Some Guy. His signature weapon is a giant shield and his nickname from his youth is Slowhand because he kept getting his ass beat during fights. He’s our narrator, our entrypoint into the world, and also the keystone of the band itself. He’s funny, just observational enough you can pickup whats going on, but also just lame enough to ignore things that aren’t his business. He’s great. No notes. 

Something to note about this book before you pick it up: I gave it a 4.5⭐ instead of a 5 because it definitely raises some plot themes/threads/beats before dropping them, however, I would state that those plot threads aren’t super important to the main focus of this story, which is 5 old dudes grappling with getting old and growing apart and the emotions around that. Additionally, there are some instances of mildly tasteless/outdated/not PC humor. I’m used to that so I can handwave it, but others may not be able to. 

I was likely not this book’s exact target audience, being a young adult woman who has no nostalgia for the great rock bands of our times, but I was familiar enough with things. Through my casual knowledge (and a couple live Iron Maiden shows) I was able to pick up on just enough easter eggs to be proud of myself.Some of the jokes and references are probably enhanced by more extensive knowledge, but most of the comedy is good enough to stand on its own. Having knowledge of music history is not required at all to enjoy this story. If you are any kind of fantasy enjoyer who's sick of reading about plucky young teens doing coming-of-age nonsense, you'll probably like this book. If you have any more knowledge of rock music than I, you'll probably like it more. 

I am debating picking up the sequel, the main perspective not being Rose is a bit strange to me, and I will agree with many reviewers that Clay Cooper was absolutely integral to the way this book is delivered to you as a reader. Maybe I'll revisit reading the sequel after I've checked a few more things off my list, but for now, this is solid to me as a stand-alone novel. 

There are no spoiler-packed contents for this book I wish to emphasize heavily, but if you have questions about anything, please free to DM me.

[andreai04]

“Despair like that, about total reality, is self-perpetuating."

The silence of the world could not rein back its greed. Not any longer. Not when it had virtually won.

Empathy, evidently, existed only within the human community, whereas intelligence to some degree could be found throughout every phylum and order including the arachnida. For one thing, the empathic faculty probably required an unimpaired group instinct; a solitary organism, such as a spider, would have no use for it; in fact it would tend to abort a spider's ability to survive. It would make him conscious of the desire to live on the part of his prey.

Because, ultimately, the empathic gift blurred the boundaries between hunter and victim, between the successful and the defeated.

He thought, too, about his need for a real animal; within him an actual hatred once more manifested itself toward his electric sheep, which he had to tend, had to care about, as if it lived. The tyranny of an object, he thought. It doesn't know I exist. Like the androids, it had no ability to appreciate the existence of another.

Empathy toward an artificial construct? he asked himself. Something that only pretends to be alive?

“But when you get that depressed you don't care. Apathy, because you've lost a sense of worth. It doesn't matter whether you feel better, because if you have no worth—"

The old man said, "You will be required to do wrong no matter where you go. It is the basic condition of life, to be required to violate your own identity. At some time, every creature which lives must do so. It is the ultimate shadow, the defeat of creation; this is the curse at work, the curse that feeds on all life. Everywhere in the universe.”

[inkyxsmiles]

Minecraft Movie

Okay, I shouldn't be judging teasers, but I swear to gosh...WHY. I just- don't understand what I'm looking at here- literally so different from what I expected it to be...First of all- E V E R Y T H I N G IS WRONG WITH THE SHEEP, EVERYTHING! AND WHY DO THEY HAVE SO MANY THINGS WITH FUR, WHY DOES THE CREEPER..HAVE FUR! ID PREFER THEM STICKING REAL LIFE GRASS TO THAT CREEPER. I GET IT- BUT I ALSO REALLY DONT. I NEED THIS TEASER TO ELABORATE. ALSO WHO IS SAYING "STEP RIGHT THIS WAY!" L I K E ...I JUST DONT GET IT..PLEASE HELP THIS THING.

[hatefulbread]

black sheep by rachel harrison

3/5 stars... for now.

i don't have many strong feelings about this one. it was fine, it was pleasant enough to finish. it wasn't special. it didn't make my mind race or slow down, in fact, i forgot i was listening to it many times and would have to rewind.

i've been knitting nonstop this last week, so i decided to indulge in an audiobook while my hands were busy. i'm not anti-audiobook, but i'm not exactly pro either. with my auditory processing disorder, i can find it hard to fully digest what's been read to me, and the voice itself makes it more difficult because depending, there are just some voices that make my skin crawl. idk how to explain why, they just do.

the characters didn't feel very dimensional at all, and i often found myself angry with how little growth they all had, if any. there were handfuls upon handfuls of plot holes, especially in the end when we reach our 'resolution'. our main character, vesper, is constantly vowing not to do something.... and then immediately does it. it was annoying.

the one thing i did like was how harrison introduced the religion as satanism. for a little while, you hear vesper describe her upbringing as "extremely religious", and the way she describes traditions/beliefs makes you think of devout catholicism and evangelism. if you read this blind and didn't read the synopsis, you would spit out your drink at the drop of "satanists" after the first few chapters. it was a nice parallel on how extreme religion (aka, a cult) is terrible whether it's a christian one or a satanist one. that was clever.

[sheep-review]

the sheep from warriors ( ravenpaw's path )

5/5 🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑

WHAT A DISTINGUISHED GENTLE SHEEP!! Very delightfully coloured and soft. Would put my hand in the fleece and it would be soft and warm <3

[lushuponatime]

Shaun The Sheep Bath Bomb from Lush

The Shaun the Sheep X Lush collaboration is finally out! In partnership with Aardman, Lush have created six fresh, fully vegan products – each of them a tribute to Shaun the Sheep and the charming characters from his world.Today I am reviewing the Shaun The Sheep Bath Bomb, I was lucky enough to receive one in a PR box from Lush.The Shaun the Sheep bath bomb is based on the main character and…