#the hellmouth convention

[madethisformyproject]

Harassment at Comic Book Conventions

Hi, my name is Jay,  I have this survey as a part of a research project and it is intended to gather information on the harassment of attendees at conventions and if harassment policies put in place are effective. Any and all responses will be kept anonymous.

Harassment at Comic Book Conventions

Thank you!

[weirdsatellites]

Dispatch #7792 from Zuma (L CLEARANCE) 1. Hellmouth of Snowmen 2. Dread Convention 3. Magic Waffle Bivouac

[ridley-darling]

I've been reading Dandelion by Alex Bledsoe and it's been great so far. You wanna feel compelled and really uncomfortable, it's a super interesting read. It was sold to me at a convention with the pitch of "Do you think Walmart is a hellmouth?" and I bought it lol.

[rhianna]

It is rather a pity that the Devil has vanished with Santa Claus and other delectable myths; the universe is more theatrical with a “personal devil” roaming at large, seeking whom he may devour. In the book of Job the Devil played the part of the return of the native, coming along in the best society in the cosmos to appear before the Presence. And when he was asked where he came from, he replied in a devilishly debonair manner, “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”

There are so many things in this world that seem to be the Devil’s handiwork, and there are so many people who look like the devil, that it seems as if he could not be extinct. His chief service to the universal scene was to keep virtue from becoming monotonous; to warn even saints that they must mind their step; to prove that eternal vigilance is the price of safety. The Enemy of Mankind never took a holiday. Homer might nod, but not he. In fact, on human120 holidays he was, if possible, unusually efficient. The idleness of man was the opportunity of Satan.

The principle of evil is so active, so tireless, so penetrating that the simplest way to account for it is to suppose that men and things receive constantly the personal attention of the Devil. Weeds, and not vegetables, grow naturally; illness, not health, is contagious; children and day-labourers are not instinctively industrious; champagne tastes better than cocoa.

Throughout the Middle Ages, although every one believed steadfastly in the reality of the Devil and that he was the most unscrupulous of all foes, there was a certain friendliness with him, born, I suppose, of daily intimacy. It was like the way in which hostile sentries will hobnob with one another, swap tobacco, etc., in the less tense moments of war. The Devil was always just around the corner and would be glad of an invitation to drop in.

Thus in the mediæval mystery plays, the forerunners of our modern theatres, the Devil was always the Clown. He supplied “comic relief” and was usually the most popular personage in the performance. He appeared in the conventional makeup, a horrible mask, horns, cloven hoofs and prehensile tail, with smoke issuing121 from mouth, ears and posterior. He did all kinds of acrobatic feats, and his appearance was greeted with shouts of joy. In front of that part of the stage representing Hellmouth he was sometimes accompanied with “damned souls,” persons wearing black tights with yellow stripes. On an examination at Yale I set the question, “Describe the costume of the characters in the mystery plays.” One of the students wrote: “The damned souls wore Princeton colours.”

[caesarslegion]

i've been using my art history studies for good and realizing that. i think the best way to describe hell on wheels is like, they convergent evolution'd italian futurism in the wasteland back when the golden age of raiding was still on. mostly because i constantly look for more like, justifications for their machine/car/vehicle fetishism [in the conventional sense] and marinetti's futurist manifesto is just. literally everything i want in them in a way

[there was a car accident marinetti had that inspired the whole movement]

[hellmouth also hates women]

live fast die young etc etc etc

[wickedlehane]

Faith and Natalie were quite a duo -- as girls they were both cast aside by society, beat to hell and back and abandoned by most who should have been protecting them from the horrors of the world. Now, they were a testament to determination, healing, and overcoming the odds.

Still, Faith was grateful for her slayer powers -- as much as they got her in trouble, they gave her a purpose too. Nat talked a lot about purpose, having lost and found hers over the years. But together, none of that really mattered. They accepted each other where they were in their journeys, which was refreshing given how often Faith found herself wondering whether she'd be forgiven for her past.

"Hard to say," Faith admitted. "Even if they were, they definitely weren't the first vamps in the new world -- there's plenty of old orders and prophecies that have been crawling around for centuries. There's no Hellmouth here specifically, but Louisiana definitely has supernatural energies all over."

It was a little bit of a cop-out, not having the answer to the story. There probably was some true record somewhere. "The Ursuline nuns protected them from onlookers, but if they were bloodsuckers then the nuns would have had plenty of holy water and crosses to keep safe with. Doesn't mean they weren't vampires in the end -- but you know, history looooves to blame the ladies."

She turned around to face Natalie, walking backwards a few steps before stopping and gesturing with a thumb over her shoulder towards the convent. "We could always take a little ghost tour of our own and check it out, if you're interested?"

Planning dates wasn't a skill in her sparse wheelhouse. Sure, she could suggest movie and dinner, the typical mundane shit that might work for some. But she was dating some supernatural ass kicking badass; what could one plan for someone like that? Thankfully she didn't have to plan as Faith always seemed to have an idea up her sleeve like tonight. Food was still involved ( as it always was with a slayer with an appetite like a football team of teenage boys ) and almost like out of the movies, they were going for an early evening stroll.

Sure it was cliche and she was chuckling a little in her head at it, but it was nice. The company was the cherry on top especially given that it was Faith, someone she thought she'd never see again. Yet they managed to wind up in one another's lives again and she was thankful for that, thankful she was still here to have a second chance. Most of all she was relieved to know the slayer was willing to give her another go and stood by her. Made everything she's gone through over the last twenty years worth it in the end, something she didn't think she'd ever find herself saying or thinking.

And it's something she thinks about often, how lucky she is, whenever she looks to Faith. Like right now, hands are in pockets of jeans as they walk, and she's listening to the brunette with a small hum to show she's listening. That warmth that spread throughout her body—started in her chest and travelled everywhere else—was present as it always was. Though she did find it mildly comical as she listened to the story, trying to figure out if it was real or not then again, as most things with the slayer, the stories were always true.

"Did they ever figure out if they were vamps or not?" she asked after a moment once the other finished the story. Though time and time again the stories panned out to be true or close to being true ( people loved to exaggerate and stretch the truth ) she still had that urge to question it. Not because she thought Faith was lying, but because she was curious to know more about it like now. "I mean they got a bunch of French chicks holed up in a convent, did anyone go check 'em out, wave a cross in front of their faces or splash holy water at them to see if they went all fangy?"

[wonderlesch]

June 2022 Can’t Miss Sci-Fi Events

New Blog Post Alert! June 2022 Can't Miss Sci-Fi Events shares the best comics, sci-fi fantasy and gaming events happening in June. Let's get nerdy!

Hello and welcome to June 2022 Can’t Miss Sci-Fi Events. This travel destination guide is sharing out of this world Sci-Fi happenings in June 2022. Let’s explore the Hellmouth Convention held in Los Angeles. YetiCon held in Ontario. And so much more. June is filled with amazing can’t miss events. Read on to discover a new sci-if favorite and start your getaway planning. The Hellmouth Convention…

[septembersghost]

istg man every time you make another bates motel post i get dangerously closer to watching it 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

*cackling in delight* my real reactions:

i've written like three novel-length responses to asks about this show recently lol, but i could easily write more. it's so weird and it probably shouldn't work. it's camp and melodrama, it's horror, it's romance! the main characters exist in a prestige psychological drama, and yet the entire hellmouth of a town around them is mired in some kind of nutty b-movie crime procedural much of the time. it is unmoored in time, because it's set in our modern age but filled with vintage touches in fashion, music (the music is so good!!!), and aesthetics. it is deeply, achingly about love as a force of destruction and calamity, all different forms of it, and also it's the only thing that matters, it kills us and it saves us. sometimes the house feels like it's a living entity and oppressively dragging people into its evil, its window eyes watching everything as it unfolds and consuming its inhabitants and visitors alike. you can never escape your fate, no matter how hard you fight, but that doesn't erase the courage of fighting altogether. you can and will withstand everything, and only the dearest person in the world can ever knock you down. it is incomprehensibly unhinged. it can be brutally realistic and yet it often uses dream imagery. it pays cinematic homage to hitchcock (more than just psycho) and also turns those conventions on their head. it needs a dozen different trigger warnings, but its study of the harm of abuse and the pervasive damage of misogyny and utter failings of systems meant to protect the vulnerable is necessary to tell it. it is so tragic it will dig a hole into your heart. i am convinced that taking it in this year mixed with the final season of bcs has altered my brain chemistry in some indefinable sense.

i probably can't say more about norma than what i said here, but...what a gift of a character. the performance vera gave is so tremendous and deranged and beautiful. it almost feels like she shouldn't exist, because storytelling doesn't often give that much breadth to women, where they're allowed to be messy and terrible and frantic and scarred and angry and controlling and prone to emotional outbursts, and also cunning and capable and brave and loving and warm. she is tremendous and she convinces everyone to adore her, including the viewer. you desperately wish she could be saved from every circumstance, even the ones she perpetuates herself, but she's doomed. she's the most vibrantly alive character, yet she's a ghost from her first line. i am so sad about her. she drives me insane and she makes me want to give her the biggest hug in the world. she should be allowed to commit any murder she wants. she should be given a home filled with light and laughter, but she gets a refrigerated basement in a broken display of reverence. i love her so much. women of all-time.

[richincolor]

January Releases

And we're back! As usual, there weren't many new releases in December, but January is a completely different story. Here are titles that have been released already and will be released before the end of the month.

Week of January 4th

African Town by Irene Latham and Charles Waters G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

In 1860, long after the United States outlawed the importation of enslaved laborers, 110 men, women and children from Benin and Nigeria were captured and brought to Mobile, Alabama aboard a ship called Clotilda. Their journey includes the savage Middle Passage and being hidden in the swamplands along the Alabama River before being secretly parceled out to various plantations, where they made desperate attempts to maintain both their culture and also fit into the place of captivity to which they’d been delivered. At the end of the Civil War, the survivors created a community for themselves they called African Town, which still exists to this day. Told in 14 distinct voices, including that of the ship that brought them to the American shores and the founder of African Town, this powerfully affecting historical novel-in-verse recreates a pivotal moment in US and world history, the impacts of which we still feel today. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

The Chosen One by Echo Brown Ottaviano

There are many watchers and they are always white. That’s the first thing Echo notices as she settles into Dartmouth College. Despite graduating high school in Cleveland as valedictorian, Echo immediately struggles to keep up in demanding classes. Dartmouth made many promises it couldn’t keep. The campus is not a rainbow-colored utopia where education lifts every voice. Nor is it a paradise of ideas, an incubator of inclusivity, or even an exciting dating scene. But it might be a portal to different dimensions of time and space—only accessible if Echo accepts her calling as a Chosen One and takes charge of her future by healing her past. This remarkable challenge demands vulnerability, humility, and the conviction to ask for help without sacrificing self-worth.

In mesmerizing personal narrative and magical realism, Echo Brown confronts mental illness, grief, racism, love, friendship, ambition, self-worth, and belonging as they steer the fates of first-generation college students on Dartmouth’s campus. The Chosen One is an unforgettable coming-of-age story that bravely unpacks the double-edged college transition—as both catalyst for old wounds and a fresh start. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

In Every Generation by Kendare Blake Disney-Hyperion

A new Slayer for a new generation…

Frankie Rosenberg is passionate about the environment, a sophomore at New Sunnydale High School, and the daughter of the most powerful witch in Sunnydale history. Her mom, Willow, is slowly teaching her magic on the condition that she use it to better the world. But Frankie’s happily quiet life is upended when new girl Hailey shows up with news that the annual Slayer convention has been the target of an attack, and all the Slayers—including Buffy, Faith, and Hailey’s older sister Vi—might be dead. That means it’s time for this generation’s Slayer to be born.

But being the first ever Slayer-Witch means learning how to wield a stake while trying to control her budding powers. With the help of Hailey, a werewolf named Jake, and a hot but nerdy sage demon, Frankie must become the Slayer, prevent the Hellmouth from opening again, and find out what happened to her Aunt Buffy, before she’s next.

Get ready for a whole new story within the world of Buffy! — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

The Ivory Key (The Ivory Key Duology #1) by Akshaya Raman Clarion Books

Vira is desperate to get out of her mother’s shadow and establish her legacy as a revered queen of Ashoka. But with the country’s only quarry running out of magic–a precious resource that has kept Ashoka safe from conflict–she can barely protect her citizens from the looming threat of war. And if her enemies discover this, they’ll stop at nothing to seize the last of the magic.

Vira’s only hope is to find a mysterious object of legend: the Ivory Key, rumored to unlock a new source of magic. But in order to infiltrate enemy territory and retrieve it, she must reunite with her siblings, torn apart by the different paths their lives have taken. Each of them has something to gain from finding the Ivory Key–and even more to lose if they fail. Ronak plans to sell it to the highest bidder in exchange for escape from his impending political marriage. Kaleb, falsely accused of assassinating the former maharani needs it to clear his name. And Riya, a runaway who cut all family ties, wants the Key to prove her loyalty to the rebels who want to strip the nobility of its power.

They must work together to survive the treacherous journey. But with each sibling harboring secrets and their own agendas, the very thing that brought them together could tear apart their family–and their world–for good. –Cover image and summary via Goodreads

The Kindred by Alechia Dow Inkyard Press

To save a galactic kingdom from revolution, Kindred mind-pairings were created to ensure each and every person would be seen and heard, no matter how rich or poor…

Joy Abara knows her place. A commoner from the lowly planet Hali, she lives a simple life—apart from the notoriety that being Kindred to the nobility’s most infamous playboy brings. Duke Felix Hamdi has a plan. He will exasperate his noble family to the point that they agree to let him choose his own future and finally meet his Kindred face-to-face.

Then the royal family is assassinated, putting Felix next in line for the throne… and accused of the murders. Someone will stop at nothing until he’s dead, which means they’ll target Joy, too. Meeting in person for the first time as they steal a spacecraft and flee amid chaos might not be ideal… and neither is crash-landing on the strange backward planet called Earth. But hiding might just be the perfect way to discover the true strength of the Kindred bond and expose a scandal —and a love— that may decide the future of a galaxy. -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

One True Loves by Elise Bryant Balzer + Bray

Lenore Bennett has always been a force. A star artist and style icon at her high school, she’s a master in the subtle art of not giving a . . . well, you know what. But now that graduation is here, she’s a little less sure.

She’s heading to NYU in the fall with a scarlet U (for “undeclared”) written across her chest. Her parents always remind her that Black kids don’t have the luxury of figuring it out as they go—they have to be 110 percent prepared. But it’s a lot of pressure to be her ancestors’ wildest dreams when Lenore’s not even sure what her dreams are yet.

When her family embarks on a post-graduation Mediterranean cruise, her friend Tessa is sure Lenore’s in for a whirlwind romance. But Lenore knows that doesn’t happen in real life. At least not to girls like her.

Then she meets Alex Lee. After their parents bond over the Cupid Shuffle, she ends up stuck with him for the remainder of the cruise. He’s a hopeless romantic and a golden boy with a ten-year plan. In short, he’s irritating as hell.

But as they get to know each other during the picturesque stops across Europe, he may be able to help her find something else she’s been looking for, even if she doesn’t want to admit it to herself: love. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Salaam, with Love by Sara Sharaf Beg Underlined

Being crammed into a house in Queens with her cousins is not how Dua envisions her trip to New York City. But here she is, spending the holy month of Ramadan with extended family she hasn’t seen in years.

Dua struggles to find her place in the conservative household and to connect with her aloof, engaged-to-be-married cousin, Mahnoor. And as if fasting the whole day wasn’t tiring enough, she must battle her hormones whenever she sees Hassan, the cute drummer in a Muslim band who has a habit of showing up at her most awkward moments.

After just a month, Dua is surprised to find that she’s learning a lot more than she bargained for about her faith, relationships, her place in the world—and cute drummers. . . .  -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Serendipity: Ten Romantic Tropes Transformed edited by Marissa Meyer Feiwel Friends

The secret admirer. The fake relationship. The matchmaker.

From stories of first love, unrequited love, love that surprises, love that’s been there all along, ten of the brightest and award-winning authors writing YA have taken on some of your favorite romantic tropes, embracing them and turning them on their heads. Readers will swoon for this collection of stories that celebrate love at its most humorous, inclusive, heart-expanding, and serendipitous.

Contributors include Elise Bryant, Elizabeth Eulberg, Leah Johnson, Anna-Marie McLemore, Marissa Meyer, Sandhya Menon, Julie Murphy, Caleb Roehrig, Sarah Winifred Searle, and Abigail Hing Wen. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Spin Me Right Round by David Valdes Bloomsbury YA

All Luis Gonzalez wants is to go to prom with his boyfriend, something his “progressive” school still doesn’t allow. Not after what happened with Chaz Wilson. But that was ages ago, when Luis’s parents were in high school; it would never happen today, right? He’s determined to find a way to give his LGBTQ friends the respect they deserve (while also not risking his chance to be prom king, just saying…).

When a hit on the head knocks him back in time to 1985 and he meets the doomed young Chaz himself, Luis concocts a new plan-he’s going to give this guy his first real kiss. Though it turns out a conservative school in the ’80s isn’t the safest place to be a gay kid. Especially with homophobes running the campus, including Gordo (aka Luis’s estranged father). Luis is in over his head, trying not to make things worse-and hoping he makes it back to present day at all.

In a story that’s fresh, intersectional, and wickedly funny, David Valdes introduces a big-mouthed, big-hearted queer character that readers won’t soon forget. –Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Symbiosis by Nic Stone Scholastic Inc

The royal palace of Wakanda is one of, if not the most, secure facilities on this planet—or any other. So the anxiety Shuri feels when she’s jolted out of sleep by the queen mother with the news that someone attempted to break into the palace—and succeeded—is significant. And as quickly as they broke in, they vanished.

The search for this interloper, a mysterious “symbiote” with superhuman speed and strength, will lead Shuri to the Jabari Lands, a remote, unforgiving part of the country she has never seen. And what she discovers will be more shocking than she could have imagined . . . — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Week of January 11th

Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds artwork by Jason Griffin Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

Jason Reynolds and his best bud, Jason Griffin had a mind-meld. And they decided to tackle it, in one fell swoop, in about ten sentences, and 300 pages of art, this piece, this contemplation-manifesto-fierce-vulnerable-gorgeous-terrifying-WhatIsWrongWithHumans-hope-filled-hopeful-searing-Eye-Poppingly-Illustrated-tender-heartbreaking-how-The-HECK-did-They-Come-UP-with-This project about oxygen. And all of the symbolism attached to that word, especially NOW.

And so for anyone who didn’t really know what it means to not be able to breathe, REALLY breathe, for generations, now you know. And those who already do, you’ll be nodding yep yep, that is exactly how it is. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Ashes of Gold (Wings of Ebony #2) by J. Elle S&S/Denene Millner

Rue has no memory of how she ended up locked in a basement prison without her magic or her allies. But she’s a girl from the East Row. And girls from the East Row don’t give up. Girls from the East Row pick themselves back up when they fall. Girls from the East Row break themselves out.

But reuniting with her friends is only half the battle. When she finds them again, Rue makes a vow: she will find a way to return the magic that the Chancellor has stolen from her father’s people. Yet even on Yiyo Peak, Rue is a misfit—with half a foot back in Houston and half a heart that is human as well as god, she’s not sure she’s the right person to lead the fight to reclaim a glorious past.

When a betrayal sends her into a tailspin, Rue must decide who to trust and how to be the leader that her people deserve…because if she doesn’t, it isn’t just Yiyo that will be destroyed—it will be Rue herself. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan Harper Voyager

Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.

Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor’s son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.

To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

The Monarchs (The Ravens, #2) by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige Clarion Books

The sorority girls at Kappa Rho Nu—the Ravens—are determined to restore balance to the world. After destroying an ancient talisman and barely saving their sorority in the process, they’ll go to any lengths to keep their secret as Westerly’s most powerful coven of witches.

Scarlett Winter, a legacy Raven, has finally gotten what she’s always wanted: the Kappa Rho Nu presidency. After the disaster that killed the sorority’s last president, Scarlett is determined that no sister will fall under the sway of wicked magic ever again. But the powers of the presidency have their own pitfalls—and Scarlett has big shoes to fill.

Vivi Devereaux, a freshman, finally knows what it feels like to belong. For the first time ever, she’s got it all: her Kappa Rho Nu sisters and a sweet (and hot) boyfriend. When Scarlett assigns Vivi the coveted role of social chair, Vivi is determined to live up to her Big’s expectations—even if that means dabbling in a new form of magic.

Unbeknownst to the Ravens, new rivals and ancient evils lurk on Westerly’s campus. With Kappa Rho Nu’s future on their shoulders and their pasts still haunting them, will Scarlett and Vivi be able to save their sisterhood once again? — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Vinyl Moon by Mahogany L. Browne Crown Books for Young Readers

When Darius told Angel he loved her, she believed him. But five weeks after the incident, Angel finds herself in Brooklyn, far from her family, from him, and from the California life she has known.

Angel feels out of sync with her new neighborhood. At school, she can’t shake the feeling everyone knows what happened–and how it was her fault. The only place that makes sense is Ms. G’s class. There, Angel’s classmates share their own stories of pain, joy, and fortitude. And as Angel becomes immersed in her revolutionary literature course, the words from novels like The Bluest Eye and Push speak to her and begin to heal the wounds of her past.

This stunning novel weaves together prose, poems, and vignettes to tell the story of Angel, a young woman whose past was shaped by domestic violence but whose love of language and music and the gift of community grant her the chance to find herself again. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Week of January 18th

Akata Woman (The Nsibidi Scripts #3) by Nnedi Okorafor Penguin Random House

From the moment Sunny Nwazue discovered she had magic flowing in her blood, she sought to understand and control her powers. Throughout her adventures in Akata Witch and Akata Warrior, she had to navigate the balance between nearly everything in her life–America and Nigeria, the “normal” world and the one infused with juju, human and spirit, good daughter and powerful Leopard Person.

Now, those hard lessons and abilities are put to the test in a quest so dangerous and fantastical, it would be madness to go…but deadly not to. With the help of her friends, Sunny embarks on a mission to find a precious object hidden deep in a magical realm. Defeating the guardians of the prize will take more from Sunny than she has to give, and triumph will mean she will be forever changed. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Freedom! The Story of the Black Panther Party by Jetta Grace Martin, Joshua Bloom, and Waldo E. Martin Jr. Levine Querido

There is a saying: knowledge is power. The secret is this. Knowledge, applied at the right time and place, is more than power. It’s magic.

That’s what the Black Panther Party did. They called up this magic and launched a revolution.

In the beginning, it was a story like any other. It could have been yours and it could have been mine. But once it got going, it became more than any one person could have imagined.

This is the story of Huey and Bobby. Eldridge and Kathleen. Elaine and Fred and Ericka.

The committed party members. Their supporters and allies. The Free Breakfast Program and the Ten Point Program. It’s about Black nationalism, Black radicalism, about Black people in America.

From the authors of the acclaimed book, Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party, and introducing new talent Jetta Grace Martin, comes the story of the Panthers for younger readers—meticulously researched, thrillingly told, and filled with incredible photographs throughout. Freedom! The Story of the Black Panther Party. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Shattered Midnight (The Mirror #2) by Dhonielle Clayton Disney-Hyperion

The Mirror: Shattered Midnight is the second novel in the innovative four-book fairy-tale series written by Julie C. Dao, Dhonielle Clayton, J.C. Cervantes, and L. L. McKinney, following one family over several generations, and the curse that plagues it.

Zora Broussard has arrived in New Orleans with not much more than a bag of clothes, a beautiful voice, and a pair of enchanted red shoes. Running from a tragic accident caused by her magic, Zora wants nothing more than to blend in, as well as to avoid her overbearing aunt and mean-spirited cousins. Music becomes Zora’s only means of escape, yet she wonders if she should give it all up to remove the powers that make her a target, especially as a Black woman in the South.

But when Zora gets the chance to perform in a prominent jazz club, she meets a sweet white pianist named Phillip with magic of his own, including a strange mirror that foretells their future together. Falling into a forbidden love, Zora and Phillip must keep their relationship a secret. And soon the two discover the complicated connection between their respective families, a connection that could lead to catastrophe for them both. In the era of segregation and speakeasies, Zora must change her destiny and fight for the one she loves . . . or risk losing everything. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Week of January 25th

Augusta Savage: The Shape of a Sculptor’s Life by Marilyn Nelson Christy Ottaviano Books

Augusta Savage was arguably the most influential American artist of the 1930s. A gifted sculptor, Savage was commissioned to create a portrait bust of W.E.B. Du Bois for the New York Public Library. She flourished during the Harlem Renaissance, and became a teacher to an entire generation of African American artists, including Jacob Lawrence, and would go on to be nationally recognized as one of the featured artists at the 1939 World’s Fair. She was the first-ever recorded Black gallerist. After being denied an artists’ fellowship abroad on the basis of race, Augusta Savage worked to advance equal rights in the arts. And yet popular history has forgotten her name. Deftly written and brimming with photographs of Savage’s stunning sculpture, this is an important portrait of an exceptional artists who, despite the limitations she faced, was compelled to forge a life through art and creativity. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Loveboat Reunion (Loveboat, Taipei #2) by Abigail Hing Wen HarperTeen

Sophie Ha and Xavier Yeh have what some would call a tumultuous past.

It’s a classic tale of girl-meets-boy, boy-meets-other-girl, heart-gets-broken, revenge-is-plotted, everything-blows-up. Spectacularly.

At least they’re friends now. They’ve left the drama behind them back in Taipei—at their summer program, Loveboat—forever.

Now fall is here, and it’s time to focus on what really matters. Sophie is determined to be the best student Dartmouth’s ever had. Forget finding the right guy to make her dreams come true—Sophie is going to make her future happen for herself. Xavier, on the other hand, just wants to stay under his overbearing father’s radar, collect his trust fund when he turns eighteen, and concentrate on what makes him happy, for the first time ever.

But the world doesn’t seem to want Sophie and Xavier to succeed. Sophie’s computer science professor thinks her first major project is too feminine. Xavier’s father gives him an ultimatum: finish high school or be cut off from his inheritance.

Then Sophie and Xavier find themselves on a wild, nonstop Loveboat reunion, hatching a joint plan to take control of their futures. Can they succeed together . . . or are they destined to combust? — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Mister Miracle: The Great Escape by Varian Johnson illustrated by Daniel Isles DC Comics

Scott Free is a student at the Goodness Academy, on the planet Apokolips, ruled by Lord Darkseid. Sounds pretty cool, right? Wrong. Scott Free wants nothing more than to leave Apokolips for planet Earth; the only problem is that no one has ever left Apokolips of their own free will…or alive.

Scott Free has a plan, a foolproof plan, a plan that his found family depends on for their own freedom. But that plan never involved falling in love with the head of the Female Furies, Big Barda-the one person tasked with ensuring he never escapes.

From the Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author of The Parker Inheritance, Varian Johnson, and afrofuturist artist Daniel Isles (DirtyRobot) comes the story of an escape plan that will take a miracle to pull off. Lucky for Scott, everyone calls him MISTER MIRACLE! Okay, fine, no one calls him that…yet. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Overground Railroad (The Young Adult Adaptation): The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America by Candacy A. Taylor Amulet Books

A young reader’s edition of Candacy Taylor’s acclaimed book about the history of the Green Book, the guide for Black travelers

Overground Railroad chronicles the history of the Green Book, which was published from 1936 to 1966 and was the “Black travel guide to America.” For years, it was dangerous for African Americans to travel in the United States. Because of segregation, Black travelers couldn’t eat, sleep, or even get gas at most white-owned businesses.

The Green Book listed hotels, restaurants, department stores, gas stations, recreational destinations, and other businesses that were safe for Black travelers. It was a resourceful and innovative solution to a horrific problem. It took courage to be listed in the Green Book, and the stories from those who took a stand against racial segregation are recorded and celebrated.

This young reader’s edition of Candacy Taylor’s critically acclaimed adult book Overground Railroad includes her own photographs of Green Book sites, as well as archival photographs and interviews with people who owned and used these facilities. The book also includes an author’s note, endnotes, bibliography, timeline, and index. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

The Red Palace by June Hur Feiwel & Friends

Joseon (Korea), 1758. There are few options available to illegitimate daughters in the capital city, but through hard work and study, eighteen-year-old Hyeon has earned a position as a palace nurse. All she wants is to keep her head down, do a good job, and perhaps finally win her estranged father’s approval.

But Hyeon is suddenly thrust into the dark and dangerous world of court politics when someone murders four women in a single night, and the prime suspect is Hyeon’s closest friend and mentor. Determined to prove her beloved teacher’s innocence, Hyeon launches her own secret investigation.

In her hunt for the truth, she encounters Eojin, a young police inspector also searching for the killer. When evidence begins to point to the Crown Prince himself as the murderer, Hyeon and Eojin must work together to search the darkest corners of the palace to uncover the deadly secrets behind the bloodshed. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

[synnthamonsugar]

eris + oath?

Before Eris Morn laid the scattered remains of one of her finest works, though others might mistake the assortment of ruined materials for trash. Moth-chewed linen repurposed from a threadbare skirt, a messy patchwork of roughly stitched hiveskin leather, a bayonet and charm forged from once-ascendant iron. The memory of crafting each part lived vividly in Eris' mind bringing with it a strange pang of nostalgia. How clear the stakes had been when she assembled it from the Guardian's spoils aboard the Dreadnaught.

This was no longer the case — Savathûn had made sure of that. But as the Witch Queen's tactics had evolved, so too had Eris' response. She might have cut off Eris' last easy means of ending her when she stole the Light, but Eris had pivoted. If the hag could not be killed by conventional means, she would pursue the extraordinary.

Stripped clean of adornment, The Touch of Malice looked skeletal, unfinished or barely started. Suspended in the hollow at the center of its stock, rings inside rings determinedly spinning around a squirming ball of concentrated darkness. Oryx's essence constantly tested the bounds of its prison; he remained an explorer even in death.

With steady hands, she freed the gyroscope from its suspension inside the housing. The band vibrated violently in her grip as she tugged it loose, but required little effort otherwise. It maintained enough momentum that it jerked out of her hands and fell to the table with a heavy thud, wheeling about in small circles until it got caught on a pile of tools.

Sweat gathered on her brow as she wedged the outer ring inside the jaws of a bolt cutter, forced it still, and leveraged her entire upper body weight on the handle. Eris winced when the band cracked in two; at both the snapped-bone ugliness of the sound and what its destruction symbolized. Once, this weapon had been a testament to her triumph over Oryx. A reminder of his final humiliating end. Destroying it was both a figurative and literal undoing of that defeat. The necessity of it did not assuage the ache of sadness that settled in her chest.

Several cuts later, the rune-inscribed rings were in pieces, and Oryx's essence freed. Eris found herself both repulsed and filled with pity at the sight of it, him, pulsating hideously on the workbench. Eris tried to reconcile the paradox of it: that she could barely stand to look at what remained of Oryx, but would invite him to be her strength and vice-versa. She wanted him out of her sight forever, yet also needed to join his will to hers for the plan to work. This binding would not be hard — on the contrary, it would be effortless. Oryx had been twinned to the architects of his demise and rightful inheritors to his Throne since the day he died, but the pact had, wisely, not been entered into by any of the conspirators.

Until now. It was the only way she could topple Savathûn.

She felt the tenuous touch of Oryx against her mind. What had once been a scream was reduced even below a whisper to a hint of personality and presence. It was too early for this. She needed to work fast.

Her ahamkara bone shard was no Riven, but she had still managed to use it to carve a small scrap of throne world. A method perfected with Mara in happier days, though she hadn't realized they were happy at the time. Her breath quickened and unpleasant heat built in her as she thought about the Awoken Queen's conspiracy to free Savathûn of her Worm, in so removing the Witch's weakest point and the only piece of collateral they held against her. Eris had not experienced such a sense of burning, all-consuming betrayal since her abandonment in the Hellmouth. She tried to shove down the anger; it would be useful one day, but not now.

With a whispered incantation a portal to the ascendant plane opened. Quickly, she dropped Oryx's essence through, and the twinkling void closed with a popping sound and the whiff of ozone. The throne world that served as an incubator for Oryx's soul was tiny, but she would grow its bounds with the slaughter of the Lucent Brood; their Light would serve as succulent nourishment for the insatiable maw of the Sword Logic.

Even as she schemed to bring Oryx back, she did not regret, for even a moment, her hand in killing him. His death had been both necessary and satisfying, even if her joy had been short-lived, her closure undone by the dreadful realization of the power vacuum they'd opened and the cataclysm by which it would be filled. They had been forced to trade the devil they knew for one beyond comprehension.

She slumped into the seat at her workbench, staring dismally at the shattered pieces of her rifle. Unseen, Oryx began to slowly recoup. She wondered how many of Savathûn's children would die on her blade before he regained his lost strength.

She closed her eyes. Thought about what, and whom, this was for, tried to let that center her. One she would stand before Savathûn. One day, she would end this all . . .

When you do, you will not be alone, came the feather-light suggestion of a reply in her mind.

[buffythecomicslayer]

In Every Generation (1/3)

Publication date: January 4, 2022

Frankie Rosenberg is passionate about the environment, a sophomore at New Sunnydale High School, and the daughter of the most powerful witch in Sunnydale history. Her mom, Willow, is slowly teaching her magic on the condition that she use it to better the world. But Frankie’s happily quiet life is upended when new girl Hailey shows up with news that the annual Slayer convention has been the target of an attack, and all the Slayers — including Buffy, Faith, and Hailey’s older sister Vi — might be dead. That means it’s time for this generation’s Slayer to be born.

But being the first ever Slayer-Witch means learning how to wield a stake while trying to control her budding powers. With the help of Hailey, a werewolf named Jake, and a hot but nerdy sage demon, Frankie must become the Slayer, prevent the Hellmouth from opening again, and find out what happened to her Aunt Buffy, before she’s next.

Get ready for a whole new story within the world of Buffy!

Author: Kendare Blake; publisher: Disney Hyperion.

[crappy-homestuck-confessions]

Headcanon Anon with the kids' favorite conventions!

John-DragonCon Rose-BookCon Dave-DragonCon Jade-DragonCon Terezi-DragonCon Kanaya-The Hellmouth Convention Tavros-Comiket Karkat-Boston Comic Con Sollux-PAX Feferi-DragonCon Eridan-Blizzcon Nepeta-Watauga County Furry Convention Equius-Watauga County Furry Convention Meenah-TED Conference (Breaks in to tell everyone in attendance that she is doing all of their moms. With a 45-minute Prezi presentation. Every year.) Vriska-San Diego Comic Con Jane-New York Comic Con Jake-San Diego Comic Con Roxy-DragonCon Dirk-E3 Aradia-Dashcon Gamzee-Probably doesn't count but...The Gathering of the Juggalos Damara-The Everything To Do With Sex Show Rufioh-AnimeExpo

.

[deliahscrush2003]

Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Face Claim: Denise Richards.

Fic Series: Ao3

Fic Playlist: Dead Girls Walking.

Story Board: Dead Girls Walking.

Pinterest Board: Dead Girls Walking.

Headcannons: 1 | 2 |

Concept Art: 1 | 2 |

Moodboard: 1 |

FULL NAME: Farren Waverly Emerson.

NICKNAMES: N/A

GENDER: Female.

DOB: November 9th, 1978.

STAR SIGN: Scorpio.

AGE: 18 (death).

AFFILIATION:

The Slayer bloodline (formerly).

The Watcher Council (formerly).

The Slayer Organization (formerly)

The Scoobies (currently)

OCCUPATION:

Vampire Slayer (formerly).

Mercanary and Assassin (formerly).

Babysitter for the Scoobies (currently).

SEXUALITY: Bisexual.

NATIONALITY: American.

SPECIES: Vampire / Slayer

LOCATION: Sunnydale, Southern California. United State of America.

MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral.

MBTI: INTJ - Architect.

BACKGROUND: (tw: references to child abuse)

BEFORE THE CALLING (NOVEMBER 1977 - MAY 1993).

Farren Emerson was born on November 9th, 1977 to unknown parents in New York City. Shortly after she was born, she was identified as a Potential and taken into the custody of the Watcher stationed in New York, Peter Doyle.

From an early age, Doyle instilled her with a fearful loyalty to the Watchers, raising her with their ethics, beliefs and values. Before she could even walk, Farren was strictly trained with the expectation that she would become the next Slayer. This loyalty was enforced with brutality and ruthlessness that extended from the age of five to the age of ten, before developing into an even more sinister torment.

From age ten onwards, she was met with constant physical abuse until she was a perfect killing machine, her failures punished with nightly tortures that left her fearfully desperate to correct her performances in battle. She was sent on hunts in the darkest parts of New York by the time she mastered the stake and was actively protecting the city's Hellmouth by the age of twelve.

In 1990, Farren killed her first vampire when she was just thirteen, despite possessing none of the enhanced abilities given to Slayers when they were Called. It was due to her own resourcefulness that she managed to get through the ordeal alive, yet injured. It was also because of this feat that it was decided she would not have to go through the Cruciamentum.

FARREN THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (MAY 1993 - MAY 1996)

In 1993, Farren was Called and became the Slayer at the age of sixteen. Despite her strength, she did not actively fight back against the abuse by her Watcher out of fear of retaliation by the Watcher Council. To her knowledge, the Council did not have an interest in her wellbeing other than her upkeeping the duty to protect the active Hellmouth in New York City.

Unbeknownst to Doyle or the Council, she befriended other teenagers in the neighbourhood where she lived in the Bronx. Due to the street smart and the survival skills she learned as a Potential, she was left unbothered by the rougher crowds and adapted well to street life.

At the age of seventeen, her rebellious explorations grew more daring to escapades when Doyle was still in the city. That year, she snuck into the local high school to attend a science lesson, snuck into a club, was involved in a police chase with her friends, had her first kiss and went to her first high school party where she had her first drink of alcohol for the first time before proceeding to vomit it up.

When Doyle found out about her stunts, he disciplined her until she couldn't move before leaving her in a pool of her own filth for a Watcher Convention abroad.

From then on, Farren was the picture of a perfect Slayer and for her obedience, her punishments were lessened in their extremes and she was given rewards in the forms of nice clothes, new weapons and dinners at nicer restaurants.

In the spring of 1996, Farren met her end when patrolling the Woodlawn Cemetery, having confronted a rather cunning vampire by the name of Sam Lawson, who Farren had been hunting after a recent slew of suspicious murders in Queens.

While a strong Slayer in her own right, Farren was still recovering from her Watcher's punishment from the previous night and was unable to keep up with a vampire strengthened from a recent feed.

Despite the blood loss and her mortal injury, Farren stayed standing until she was physically forced to the ground. Seeing no other end than his charge's death, Doyle quickly abandoned her to her fate.

However, before she died, Lawson fed her some of his blood, mordidly curious what would happen to a Slayer when she was turned. He left her in the cemetery and departed New York City with the silent promise that if she survived the sun and they crossed paths again, he would have to kill her.

Doyle returned to the cemetery and seeing her dead, buried her in a shallow grave that nobody would think to check. He also left her with plans to leave for England the next day.

FARREN THE VAMPIRE: FIRST YEARS (MAY 1996 - 2004)

When Farren rose the next night, she was overcome with the same bloodlust every fledging awakened with, as well as the last memories of her Watcher walking away from her.

Driven by a hunger like she had never known and rage she had never let herself feel before, Farren returned to the apartment she shared with Doyle and lured him out into the street, pretending to be injured.

When Doyle left the safety of their home to put her out of her misery, Farren attacked him and slaughtered him, tearing his head off his shoulders before draining the blood from his decapitated body. •

When her bloodlust was sated and the haze in her mind cleared, she sat amongst the bloody entrails of the only person she had ever known as family and wept until neighbours began to grow suspicious of the commotion.

Angry that she had been abandoned by her Watcher, the Council and her own Sire, she sought to get revenge on them all.

She generally spent the next eight years travelling, bounty hunting, keeping up with other Slayers and the underground demon community. She continued to hunt vampires and demons, specifically ones that targeted children and teenage girls. She had a particular bloodlust for vampires of the Master's Bloodline, which she found herself to be a part of.

She was based in Europe before 2004. From 2010 onward, she was based mostly in New York City. She also spent the majority of the next eight years attempting to track down her Sire to get her revenge on him for turning her instead of letting her die.

THE FALL OF LOS ANGELES (2004 - 2010)

She eventually tracked him down to Los Angeles in 2004 but found that he was killed by his sire, Angel, a few months prior to her arrival.

Days before the Fall of Los Angeles, Farren met Spike at his poetry reading and had confronted him about Lawson, to which Spike told her that Angel had killed him when Lawson went after his team.

Farren disappeared following the Fall but reappeared months later when she saved Spike from being killed. She sheltered with Angel's war camp, beat Angel to the ground and almost killed him when Buffy arrived.

Initially hostile to one another, they both eventually gained each other's trust after saving one another multiple times during the four years they were stuck in the Hell Dimension.

One such time was when they had been separated from the rest of the army when a high-class demon tried to "collect" Slayers to become part of his harem. Together, Buffy and Farren slayed the demon and reunited with the rest of the army.

In 2010, Willow found a way out of the Hell Dimension and had to hold the entry open to allow their army to escape.

The Scoobies and Angel's team brought them time to escape by instigating what would be known as the Last Battle for LA where many of their loved ones died or were captured before escaping.

Farren was one of the first to escape through the doorway, leaving her allies behind even though there was still chance to save people.

That was the last time that Buffy and Farren saw each other before their meeting in New York City, 2020 where Farren had made herself home as a high-class and respected vampire.

-

FAMILY:

Unnamed Mother.

Unnamed Father.

Peter Doyle (guardian and Watcher).

FRIENDS:

Buffy Summers.

William "Spike" Pratt.

Willow Rosenberg.

Xander Harris.

FRENEMY:

Angel.

Faith Lehane.

ENEMIES:

Peter Doyle.

The Watcher's Council.

Sam Lawson.

The Order of Aurelius.

LOVE INTEREST: Sam Lawson.

-

FUN FACTS: N/A

[ [ IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT FARREN EMERSON, DON’T BE AFRAID TO DROP AN ASKS IN THE INBOX ] ]

[weirdsatellites]

Dispatch #242 from NROL-129 (UNCLASSIFIED) 1. Hellmouth of Unstable Tractors 2. Staircase of Salmon 3. Sky Convention

[rrrick]

Monday, August 24

9:00 pm The Creatures From Beyond the Mist scream the national anthem.

9:05 pm Morgon, Devourer of Children, discusses his proposal to drastically decrease education spending.

9:20 pm Marjorie Taylor Greene, QAnon congressional candidate, explains why COVID-19 can’t be transmitted through the air because there is no such thing as “air.”

9:40 pm Scott Baio triggers libs from his hot tub.

10:20 pm Silicon Valley CEO Peter Thiel shares a PowerPoint about how minimum-wage workers can balance their budgets by scavenging for edible weeds and building traps to catch small rodents.

10:40 pm Keynote speech: Axulythor, Sorcerer of Darkness, on the importance of restricting women’s access to reproductive healthcare.

Tuesday, August 25

9:00 pm The Creatures From Beyond the Mist howl “God Bless America.”

9:05 pm Grog, Harvester of Souls, details how the GOP is the real big-tent party.

9:20 pm Round table discussion on the 13th Amendment with Sean Hannity, Stephen Miller, David Duke, and the exhumed corpse of Strom Thurmond.

9:40 pm Pangoloth, Guardian of the Cave of Doom, lays out his plan to privatize the US postal system.

10:00 pm Ben Shapiro recites the lyrics to “Thong Song.”

10:10 pm Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. release a million spiders into a nursing home.

10:20 pm The roll call of state delegates commences with each delegate taking the traditional blood-oath at the foot of the Altar of Reagan.

10:40 pm First Lady Melania Trump reads her speech titled, “Going High Is the Only Thing That Works, Because When We Go Low — When We Use Those Same Tactics of Degrading and Dehumanizing Others — We Just Become Part of the Ugly Noise That’s Drowning Out Everything Else. We Degrade Ourselves. We Degrade the Very Causes for Which We Fight.”

Wednesday, August 26

9:00 pm The Creatures From Beyond the Mist and Lee Greenwood bellow “God Bless the USA.”

9:05 pm The NRA’s Wayne LaPierre shares his vision to keep schools safe by arming all teachers with bazookas.

9:20 pm Rozhar, minor demon, on the virtues of the invisible hand — the unseen but powerful force that drags corrupted souls to the netherworld.

9:40 pm Laura Loomer chains herself to a mail truck.

10:00 pm The Sirens of the Haunted Lagoon discuss why limiting showerhead water pressure is a slippery slope towards communism.

10:30 pm Vice President Mike Pence.

10:31 pm Ted Nugent kills a moose.

10:40 pm Jon Voight starts a brush fire.

10:50 pm Clint Eastwood makes love to a lamp.

10:55 pm Ivanka Trump eats six cans of Goya black beans.

Thursday, August 27

9:00 pm The Creatures From Beyond the Mist shriek “Turkey In the Straw.”

9:05 pm Zorcrax the Unstoppable, destroyer of worlds, and ruler of the Land of Shadow, shares how he and his legion of death-knights are ridding cities and towns across America of violent crime by ridding them of people.

9:20 pm Roger Stone gets a lower back tattoo of President Trump.

9:30 pm The Gremlins From the Bog of Despair discuss how tax subsidies are helping swamp things like them harvest the bog’s toxic sludge in order to meet America’s growing energy needs.

9:45 pm James Woods yells at his cat.

9:55 pm Judge Jeanine Pirro yells at her maid.

10:05 pm Rudy Giuliani yells at a parking meter.

10:20 pm The My Pillow Guy snorts 5000mg of hydroxychloroquine.

10:30 pm Jared Kushner live-streams himself evicting residents of a low-income housing development.

10:40 pm President Donald Trump accepts nomination while walking down a ramp and drinking a glass of water.

10:55 pm The Hellmouth finally opens and consumes us all.

[hollymbryan]

Blog Tour + #Review: IN EVERY GENERATION by Kendare Blake (w/ #giveaway)!

Welcome to my stop on the Rockstar Book Tours blog tour for In Every Generation by Kendare Blake! I’ve got all the details, my review, and a giveaway below, so let’s go!

About the Book

title: In Every Generation author: Kendare Blake publisher: Disney-Hyperion release date: 4 January 2022

A new Slayer for a new generation... Frankie Rosenberg is passionate about the environment, a sophomore at New Sunnydale High School, and the daughter of the most powerful witch in Sunnydale history. Her mom, Willow, is slowly teaching her magic on the condition that she use it to better the world. But Frankie’s happily quiet life is upended when new girl Hailey shows up with news that the annual Slayer convention has been the target of an attack, and all the Slayers—including Buffy, Faith, and Hailey’s older sister Vi—might be dead. That means it’s time for this generation’s Slayer to be born. But being the first ever Slayer-Witch means learning how to wield a stake while trying to control her budding powers. With the help of Hailey, a werewolf named Jake, and a hot but nerdy sage demon, Frankie must become the Slayer, prevent the Hellmouth from opening again, and find out what happened to her Aunt Buffy, before she’s next. Get ready for a whole new story within the world of Buffy! The first in an all-new series by New York Times best-selling author Kendare Blake continues the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer featuring the next generation of Scoobies and Slayers who must defeat a powerful new evil.

Add to Goodreads: In Every Generation Purchase the Book: Amazon | Kindle | Audible | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | TBD | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Kendare Blake is the New York Times bestselling author of several novels and short stories. Her work is sort of dark, always violent, and features passages describing food from when she writes while hungry. She was born in July in Seoul, South Korea, but doesn’t speak a lick of Korean, as she was packed off at a very early age to her adoptive parents in the United States. That might be just an excuse, though, as she is pretty bad at learning foreign languages. She lives and writes in Gig Harbor, Washington, with her husband, their cat son Tyrion Cattister, red Doberman dog son Obi-Dog Kenobi, rottie mix dog daughter Agent Scully, and naked Sphynx cat son Armpit McGee.

Connect with Kendare: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

My 3.5-Star Review

I am that perhaps rare person who has never seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- which often shocks folks my age, since I am firmly in Gen X and graduated college the year it came out. I think at that time I just wasn’t watching too much TV (except The X-Files, which we never missed). Now, ask me about mid-to-late 90s *music*, and I’m your gal! But yeah, I never got into Buffy. Now, I *did* see the original BTVS movie, but I was like 18 or 19 when we watched that in college, so...I don’t remember a ton from that anyway!

So why, you might ask, did I want to read and review In Every Generation? Well, first, it’s Kendare Blake! And second, I was interested to see if the book would resonate with someone who’d never seen the show. I know enough to know who the major players were -- mostly from watching the actors on later shows/movies and friends saying “Hey, it’s Willow!” (How I Met Your Mother and American Pie) or “Ooh, it’s Angel!” (Bones - though I didn’t last long with that show) -- but that’s about it. However, it turns out everything you really need to know to enjoy this new generation’s exploits is contained within this book. I have no doubt that a true Buffy fan may have background knowledge that would add to the richness of their reading experience, or that they may get some inside baseball stuff that I missed, but overall I’d say you can absolutely read this book even if you know nothing of the original Buffyverse. 

Ms. Blake did a perfect job, in my opinion, of explaining things from the past with just enough information to understand yet without getting bogged down in everything that happened over the course of 7 seasons of the show. This is really about introducing a new generation within the Buffyverse, while also featuring original characters to help them learn the ropes. I assume this is just the first of many books to come, whether written by Ms. Blake or by other YA authors. I kind of love the idea that everything old is new again, and that the kids of the original crew are taking over! (And, let’s be honest, it’s really just pretty brilliant marketing.) Anyway, I never felt lost while reading, and basically I just had a blast the whole time I was reading. This is one of those books that are a bit like candy for the brain, if that makes sense -- not gonna change my life, just a whole ton of fun. I especially enjoyed the snark, sarcasm, and humor, which I seem to remember friends who watched it telling me is what the show was like, too. I look forward to following along on the no-doubt-forthcoming next adventure of the new generation of New Sunnydale -- and in the meantime, maybe we'll finally break out the 7-season DVD set we inherited from my father-in-law when he passed (yes, he was cooler than me when it came to Buffy!)!

Rating: 3.5 stakes! (aka stars)

**Disclosure: I received a finished copy of this book from the publisher for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.

About the Giveaway

Three (3) lucky winners will each receive a finished copy of In Every Generation by Kendare Blake! This one is US only and ends 4 February 2022. Enter via the Rafflecopter below, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Tour

This tour is happening the whole month of January! Here is the schedule for this week of the tour so you can follow along. 

Week Four:

1/16/2022 - @thebookishfoxwitch - Review 1/17/2022 - My Fictional Oasis - Review 1/18/2022 - Eli to the nth - Review 1/19/2022 - Book-Keeping - Review     **you are here! 1/20/2022 - The Book Review Crew - Review 1/21/2022 - Lexijava - Review 1/22/2022 - Always Me - Review