#the world of the white rat

[freckles-and-books]

Currently reading: I can never stay away from Kingfisher for long.

[thesaintofsteel]

new swordheart cover design if you can hear me 😭😭🙏🙏🙏 please

[heyitsrink]

I finished Paladin's Faith last night. Here's some highlights.

[reviewsthatburn]

The main reason I didn't enjoy Spellbound by Allie Therin is that the more the characters learned about each other, the more it felt like they were ignoring red flags in order to make it all work (for more details, refer to the review linked above). I prefer books where, as the characters learn more they find out that either they're more compatible than they thought, or at least that what seemed like insurmountable issues can be substantially erased or mitigated in a durable and mutually supportive way.

Please enjoy this non-exhaustive list of books and series I've enjoyed where it originally seems like it won't work and then it does as the characters learn more about each other. Most of these are fantasy and/or romance.

Authors who frequently write this kind of story:

Most things Seanan McGuire writes, if there's a relationship it tends to be this style.

October Daye

InCryptid

T. Kingfisher's World of the White Rat books

Clockwork Boys / The Wonder Engine

Swordheart

Paladin's Grace / Paladin's Strength / Paladin's Hope

Most of what Ilona Andrews writes:

Kate Daniels and associated books

The Edge books

Stand-alone books:

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

The Lights of Prague by Nicole Jarvis

The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa

Bone Weaver by Aden Polodoros

Curses by Lish McBride

The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk

Peter Darling by S.A. (Austin) Chant

A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell (stand-alone story in a shared universe)

Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell (stand-alone story in a shared universe)

Ongoing series:

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows

Completed series:

The Celestial Kingdom Duology by Sue Lynn Tan

Daughter of the Moon Goddess

Heart of the Sun Warrior

Witchmark by C.L. Polk (Book 1 of The Kingston Cycle trilogy)

[thedrownedlibrary]

In case y'all haven't noticed, I am in fact rereading the Saint of Steel books by T. Kingfisher.

But in audiobook this time, because Chirp had the first 3 on sale for like, the price of one, and I am having an Audiobook Moment right now. Also the narrator is really good.

[cat-appreciator]

My mostly aroace ass finds this really romantic though? Just being able to spend time with someone, both doing your own thing, being companionable … it feels affectionate and intimate to me at least.

peak romance

[remarcely]

Something was itching me about Kipperlilly as a character for a while that I couldn't place down but I just got it.

There is so much of a connection between her storyline and the radicalization a white suburban kid can have to something like white supremacy that it's not even that deep, it's surface level.

Think about it:

She has a strong hatred for a minority kid in her school because he's got great grades and is viewed as a hero

She's envious of the hardships he's gone through and starts hating her family for being so 'normal' (a lot of white people can feel angry about their identity and what they think is a lack of a culture because they 'don't feel oppressed enough' to justify their own feelings of unfairness)

She takes all that anger and infects the people around her, hurting them and 'radicalizing' a few others

Is so insistent that this random kid had an unfair start because of his family situation that she wants to permanently change the bylaws in her school so he's put at a crazy disadvantage, just so she feels like she has an upper hand (think of racist people being mad that there's more POC going to college and crying that they're only getting in because they're a minority, ignoring the real work those students put it despite the disadvantages they might have faced)

She doesn't do any self introspection, doesn't decide to put more effort into her grades or personal relations, she takes that hatred and lets it poison her from the inside out. She rants about fairness when she doesn't put the work in and chooses to despise the people that do, just because they're not as miserable as her.

Her guidance counselor doesn't know how to combat that anger because he doesn't agree with her politics, a creepy adult in her life recognizes her hate and takes advantage of it to stir up the flames, we don't even see her parents but it's safe to say they're not exactly involved or watching her.

I don't know, I'm just annoyed because I keep seeing people say 'if you hate Kipperlilly that's just misogyny' as if she is not a genuinely hate-able character.

You can hate a woman for being evil, you're allowed.

And on the whole 'redemption' thing, sure that's entirely possible but let's face it. You cannot force someone to change, that's not how redeeming yourself works, you have to want it. Kipperlilly has no desire to change because she believes she is right. What use is it to her to abandon a worldview that suits desires her so well?

There was no way that could have been covered in an epilogue well enough to justify it and do you really think all the people that had their lives ruined and were literally murdered (Lucy, Oisin, Ivy, Ruben, Mary Ann, Buddy, etc.) would be bending over backwards to check on their killer?

[hgeeky]

My year in books 2024 - book series

Over the year I managed to read 140 books (including audiobooks), not including the 4 I started and still have on the go, and 3 that I started and abandoned.

I read quite a few series, here are some thoughts on those (spoiler free). I'll probably follow up with another post or two for other fiction and non-fiction.

Rivers of London by Ben Aaranovitch

I've now read all 9 of the main novels (although I read the first two in 2023), plus Tales from the Folly and What Abigail Did That Summer, all as audiobooks.

Kobna Hollbrook-Smith is an incredible narrator

I absolutely adore the blend of magic, folklore and police bureaucracy. The acronyms and procedure are set out in a way that feels so true to life - with all the quirks that come with how these things translate into practice. And it makes the magic somehow more believable. Plus the characters are so often charming.

I'm looking forward to working my way through the novellas and graphic novels while I wait for the next instalment.

The Aubreyad/Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian

I managed all 20 of the completed novels, my first complete circumnavigation (at some point I'll try to get my hands on the unfinished 21st book)

This is very much thanks to @elodieunderglass posting about it here, which encouraged me to seek out the audiobooks (my library has the Ric Jerrom ones)

I had attempted Master & Commander once, many years ago, because a lot of my family like the books. My grandfather especially liked them, and I wish I had known him better (he died in 2000). But I couldn't cope with the naval jargon at the time and gave up.

I did enjoy the film, and I've enjoyed Hornblower on TV and the Sharpe books, so I do generally enjoy that sort of thing and the audiobooks turned out to be perfect for me.

Ric Jerrom does a wonderful job with the characters and I could let a lot of the naval jargon wash over me (occasionally I did look things up to try to get a better handle on things).

Jack and Stephen are now my blorbos for sure.

And I absoutely love how much O'Brian managed to fit into these books - the natural history, the mores of the time, even the politics, as well as the action, adventure and romance.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

I find these books rather moving, as well as fun

The combination works wonderfully for perking me up, helping me embrace life and find the joy in it, and that's always worth something

In fact it's remarkably impressive

The blend of characters is wonderful, the range of perspectives and personalities really helps me look at the world afresh, and not take things for granted so much.

Jackson Brodie by Kate Atkinson

I read the first one in 2023, and 2-5 in 2024

I've long adored Kate Atkinson's books, and I've read at least two of the Jackson Brodie books before (1 and 4) but thought I'd give the whole series a go

Perhaps not entirely as successful as some of her other books, I did still enjoy them all. I think Big Sky (number 5) was my favourite.

Phryne Fisher by Kerry Greenwood

I really enjoyed the TV adaptation a few years ago so I thought I'd give the audiobooks a go when I saw that my library has them

They are light and easy-going, with grate narration by Stephanie Daniel

I read the first one last year, and got through 2-8 this year. I particularly enjoyed 3 (Muder on the Ballarat Train), 4 (Death at Victoria Dock), 5 (The Green Mil Murder) and 8 (Urn Burial). I didn't mind a bit that I could remember some of the plots from the TV show.

The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir

I gave Gideon the Ninth a go after seeing a lot of posts about it on here, and finding I could get it through Audible plus (which I get occasionally when I can get a discount)

It was an absolute headfuck of a fever dream for most of it and I loved it

Eventually I used some credits to get Harrow and Nona and loved them too. Harrow was also a headfuck but I think I'd got slightly more into the swing of things for Nona.

I went back to relisten to Gideon to see what I made of it, after having more context and it was good in a different way. I enjoyed having more things make sense and I appreciated many of the characters a lot more.

The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein

When I found out my library had the audiobooks read by Andy Serkis, I thought it would be rude not to borrow them

I enjoyed The Hobbit the most.

I found Return of the King a bit of a slog. It all felt too ponderous when it was focused on humans, elves or dwarves, but fortunately the hobbits, ents and orcs gave it a lot more life and helped get me through.

Edit: Oops I forgot The World of the White Rat!

World of the White Rat - T Kingfisher

I didn't start at the beginning and I've not read everything

I gave the books a go thanks to Audible Plus and now I'm in love with them

Swordheart is my favourite, I've now listened to it twice

I've also covered the first 3 Saint of Steel books and have number 4 ready and waiting

I've also listened to quite a few other T Kingfisher books which aren't in the same world (or at least, not obviously) and loved those too - more on those in a separate post (if I manage it)

[polyamorousmisanthrope]

Oh, It Hit Me

When @tkingfisher is talking about how pretty the Dreaming God paladins are, THIS is the kind of person she's talking about...

So pretty...

[krakenartificer]

OMG the textiles thing. I think this is the only fantasy series I’ve seen that even comes close to acknowledging how essential fiber arts are to civilization, and how many damned spinners it takes to keep an army clothed. Also Stephen’s comment about how soldiers always love new socks. Also Stephen’s comment about how you could absolutely kill someone with a DPN to the eye, although you wouldn’t of course because you’d have to rethread the needle after. The fact that it leads to “I am a sock knitter person. Who knits. Mostly socks” is just icing 😍

The diversity! The woman who doesn’t want children, and that works out because her soulmate is like the only man in the world who can guarantee she won’t get pregnant. Multiple plus-sized protagonists who are plus-sized in different ways (plus-but-otherwise-nondescript; curvy as hell; just larger than everyone around her). Gay couple who are just as adorable and stupid as the straight couples! Lesbians and trans men and enbies who aren’t a dramatic queer sob story but just exist in the world because that’s how the world works!

Gnoles! I love everything about gnoles in every way. I love the way their language is so much more specific, with gestures and scents, that it ends up coming across as vague to humans (a gnole knows how to fix this, but I’m not telling you which gnole). I love the way they look down on humans the way humans look down on them. I love the way their gender works. I love each of them individually: Brindle forcibly adopting an ox, Earstripe trying so hard to be a good cop and also a good person, Skull-of-Ice exchanging exhausted-doctor stories with Piper even though they don’t speak a single language in common. Gnoles!

The White Rat! Just… fixing problems. Just finding ways to make the world better and doing it. Thoughts and prayers AND action and change. Finding ways to make problems solve each other (“prostitutes as court scribes?” “Well, if there’s one profession that’s good at remembering names, faces, and respective deviant acts…”)! Recognizing that everyone is an individual and just accepting that this person is good at guard duty and this one is good for intelligence-gathering and this one is good for doggie daycare and the Temple needs all of those to function so no one has to be different than they are, they only have to be willing to help.

Just a lil rant about my newest beloved fantasy author

Something I love so, so much about T Kingfisher's (@tkingfisher) work is how she portrays the mundane as something so beautiful and wonderful. The majority of her protagonists are all quite regular people, with regular lives, regular hobbies, and regular bodies. And how despite that, all her characters are so interesting, so lovable, and so deeply and utterly human.

Its amazing seeing a series where multiple female romantic leads are plus sized, and there is a mix of both body positivity and body neutrality. Because like yeah, they are gorgeous. But also, at the end of the day bodies are just bodies. A bit in Paladin's Faith got me thinking about this, where the male lead asks about the female lead's stretchmarks, and its very much treated as just a normal thing that she has as a woman, not detracting from her beauty, not adding to it. They just are.

And don't get me started about how nearly all of her male romantic leads, who are for the most part, big, strong, sword-wielding paladins, have knowledge of some form of textile craft, and how it doesn't detract from their masculinity at all. And instead it is something that would actually be very useful for a soldier to know.

Tldr if anybody else is obsessed with T Kingfisher's work as much as I am please let me know so that my long suffering reading friend can have a break from it.

[palabarian]

World of the White Rat (collapses and dies) (full image undercut)

[thesaintofsteel]

who here has read swordheart

[sweeter0da]

Saw MIW tonight… TOOK THIS PICTURE AT BARRICADE

I took so many photos I could share with y’all if you want 🫵😧

[reviewsthatburn]

PALADIN'S HOPE features Galen, one of the paladins of the (now dead) Saint of Steel. He appears in the first two books in the series but now gets a story of his own. The main story is entirely new, as Earstripe the guard-gnole requests that Galen and the lich-doctor, Piper, help him find out the cause of several mysterious and violent deaths (which are both introduced and resolved). Very late in the book I figured out that this wraps up some things left hanging from other White Rat books, not just the first two Saint of Steel books (though it does that as well). The epilogue, in particular, exists to show the state of Galen and Piper's relationship some time after the main story, and to continue the underlying thread of the death of the Saint of Steel. It leaves the book on a bit of a cliffhanger, but one related to the general course of the series and not to the central plot of the book. 

[vanweezer]

ma'am your dog i mean husband needs a leash | x

[tam--lin]

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