#uilleam

[dreamconsumer]

Wallace rejects the English proposals. By James William Edmund Doyle.

[powerfought]

☀☀☀☀☀☀ (( Uilleam for Amala? Yes uvu ))

"you have impeccable taste, darling, but i'm not surprised." with a casual flip of dark locks, she proceeds to gesture along the contours of her body. "i make it quite easy, don't you think?"

@sunsctfcde

[zephyrbug]

Miriam, a druid of the stars🌌❤️⚜️ Another finished design commission! This time for @//sooshibox (on insta) of their lovely circle of stars druid tiefling Mim!! I got to play with a lot of elements and colors I don’t normally go for and it definitely ended up being one of my favorite designs i’ve made in a while! (also i’ve drawn a version of her with her colorful pet axebeak Uilleam that i’ll share eventually)✨ It’s finals time so commissions are gonna slow down a little bit but once everything is done i’ll be able to hop back into these at full force!

[anarchotolkienist]

i’m sorry! i did mean gaelic since i believe that’s what your recent text posts have been in , but thank you for what you shared!!

Yes. My listening in Gaelic is more specific than it is in Swedish, being mostly limited to traditional singing recorded from unaccompanied traditional singers. But there is a lot of it.

Some of my favourites that are accessible in professionally or semi-professional recordings I'll list here. When it comes to na h-òrain mhòra, my absolute favourite, nothing compares of course, Uilleam a' Mhiseanaraidh's (Uilleam MacMhathain) corpus, especially the album Gaelic bards and minstrels. I strongly recommend Thèid mi le m' dheòin (the first traditional ballad I ever learned to sing in any language) and Thriall ur bunadh gu Pharao (the tune is without compare) especially.

The other singer that should never be forgotten is Flòraidh Sheumais Mhurchaidh (Flòraidh NicNìll), whos recordings of waulking songs especially are famously gorgeous. My own favourite is Seathan Mac rìgh Èireann, but the most famous or storied version would be A' bhean eudach, a Gaelic version of the Twa Sisters (which I like especially because there are more than a hundred records of this same traditional ballad in Sweden).

Getting to less professional recordings of traditional unaccompanied songs that I love now, I really enjoy the version of Òran eile air Là Chùl Lodair that Calum recorded from an Eòsag, the version of the love song Bràigh Loch Iall recorded from Ceiteag Fhionnlaigh Aonghais Ruaidh, Òran an Ròin from the above mentioned Uilleam a' Mhiseanaraidh, Chì mi cleatrabhal bhuam, Òran Mhanitoba, the lullaby Dèan cadalan sàmhach, 'S mise nochd tha tinn le gràdh, and etc etc.

I'm going to step outside the realm of recordings accessible on Spotify now because I would not forget about my absolute most beloved Gaelic singer of all, Nan Eachainn Fhionnlaigh of Bhatarsaigh, who has recorded hundreds upon hundreds of songs, all drom memory (she was illiterate). Especially her versions of Fhir a' bhàta, and tàladh Chrìosd are ones I return to again and again.

Lastly, and worth of the most attention really is traditional Gaelic Psalm singing, which I adore almost universally and could listen to for hours. My congregation sings in this style, and I could cry at every service. It is to me the most beautiful music that exists. I will limit myself to linking one example per recording from the albums that I listen to. The recording I know the best, because I'm slowly in the process of learning to present it, is Salm 16, rainn 6-8, Kilmarnock, and Gaelic Psalm Singers and their two records Sailm 1&2 is the go-to. Besides them, there is also an early ethnographic recording of a small prayer meeting in Stornoway singing on the tune Coleshill - I haven't been able to identify which Psalm they are actually singing. This is the only traditional recording with a female presenter I've ever found (and as far as I can tell, the others in the room are also all women). Last but not least, this recording of Murchadh Dhòmhnaill leading a congregation in the Rubha was my first exposure to the tradition, several years ago, and I fell in love with it.

[sassenach77yle]

... yer family is all around ye, all the time, even when ye canna see us. Yer grandsire and grandmother, Uncle Willie, me, Aunt Claire. We're in the wood and the stone, and the sounds and smells of this place...

... tha obair agad. 'se an obair sin, a chaileag, gum fàs u làidir agas sona. Na diochuimhnich...

...have a role to play. Yer role, wee lass, is to grow. strong and happy. Ne'er forget...

... gu bheil do theaghlach timcheall ort, fad na tide, fiù 's nach bith sinn ri fhaicinn. Do sheanar 's do sheanmhair, mo bhràthair Uilleam, mi fhéin, Sorcha. Tha sinn san fhiodh, sa chloich agas ann an gach fuaim's fàileadh an àite seo...

Outlander 2×08 “The Fox’s Lair”

“You can pour out your heart to them without choosing your words, or holding anything back at all. And that’s a comfort to the soul. It’s the way we talk to them before they are born, you know.”

“Yes, I know.”

“A man has to wait until the child is born. And then they hold their bairn and feel all the thinks that might be and all the things that might never be. And weep, not knowing which ones will come to pass.”

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

A Poster from the Kyiv Book Fair, 2023.

* * * * *

Victoria Amelina was a Ukrainian novelist, poet and public intellectual. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of her country in 2022, she set aside most of her writing to document and research war crimes. Amelina understood the risks she ran with this work, both as a citizen who chose to stay in her country during war, and as a writer facing an invading army bent on destroying Ukrainian national identity. She moved her son to safety in Poland, but kept returning herself. When Kyiv came under bombardment in early summer she watched the explosions from her apartment and wrote: “The war is when you can no longer follow all news and cry about all neighbours who died instead of you a couple of miles away. Still, I want to not forget to learn the names.” She died on 1 July, aged 37, from injuries sustained in a Russian missile strike on a pizza restaurant in the eastern town of Kramatorsk. Two weeks before she died, she wrote about a painter, Polina Rayko, whose work had been largely obliterated in the floods unleashed by the collapse of the Kakhovka dam: “Art lives as long as the world sees it.” Below is Poem About a Crow, inspired by her work interviewing women who lived through Russian occupation. Translated by Uilleam Blacker.

Poem About a Crow

In a barren springtime field Stands a woman dressed in black Crying her sisters’ names Like a bird in the empty sky She’ll cry them all out of herself

The one that flew away too soon The one that had begged to die The one that couldn’t stop death The one that has not stopped waiting

The one that has not stopped believing The one that still grieves in silence

She’ll cry them all into the ground As though sowing the field with pain

And from pain and the names of women Her new sisters will grow from the earth And again will sing joyfully of life

But what about her, the crow?

She will stay in this field forever Because only this cry of hers Holds all those swallows in the air

Do you hear how she calls Each one by her name?

[The Guardian]

[luxmaeastra]

Garrick looked to Sarai, Natalia, and Maeve and Merka, throwing the female down on the ground. He ignored Uilleam's look of fury and disgust.

He nodded at her, the manacles on her flickered as she sought to tear them off.

Merka's cycle of violence needed to stop. In his experience one final blow should do it. She was causing too much agitation. If she wasn't dealt with the Daglan could face another civil war. Especially if the people learned Uilleam he seemed to love the Changeling female.

"Kaden's mate. Do as you will with it."

Merka sneered, turning to look at him.

"How stupid do you think I am? He doesn't have a mate, why would he -"

"You sure?"

Garrick knelt before Juniper, her eyes glowed and she barred her teeth. He simply stared at her grabbing her neck and pulling the necklace from her.

Bryce glared, trying to push at the Valg gaurds holding her in place.

"You have the wrong female! She doesn't have a fucking mate! And it wouldn't be someone as deranged as this -"

He held the pendant up, he crushed the gemstone in his palm.

Juniper flinched, but she didn't speak - not to Merka, not to Bryce. She watched the gemstone turn to dust, the runes flared up her arms, his scent on her.

She lunged for Garrick, Athril holding her back. She twisted, trying to scratch at his face.

"You will pay! He will find you! You professed to save us! You promised peace and abandoned us! You -"

This was not how she wanted things to go, this was not the moves she had wanted to make, but they were running out or resources in this battle. Garrick and Athril had told them to let them handle it, that they knew of a way to get a step ahead of them all while ensuring at least some peace a little bit long.

The answer left a bitter taste in her mouth, but Sarai wasn’t about to speak out against the fold. She did not want to draw a target upon herself or those she cared for, no her home.

Her gaze lingered upon the red haired female who seemed to be struggling with the guards, who seemed concerned for her friend.

Natalia’s hand squeeze’s Sarai’s arm before he moved forwards. “Are you accepting what is being offered to you Merka?”

[female-malice]

Victoria Amelina was a Ukrainian novelist, poet and public intellectual. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of her country in 2022, she set aside most of her writing to document and research war crimes.

Amelina understood the risks she ran with this work, both as a citizen who chose to stay in her country during war, and as a writer facing an invading army bent on destroying Ukrainian national identity.

She moved her son to safety in Poland, but kept returning herself. When Kyiv came under bombardment in early summer she watched the explosions from her apartment and wrote: “The war is when you can no longer follow all news and cry about all neighbours who died instead of you a couple of miles away. Still, I want to not forget to learn the names.”

She died on 1 July, aged 37, from injuries sustained in a Russian missile strike on a pizza restaurant in the eastern town of Kramatorsk.

Two weeks before she died, she wrote about a painter, Polina Rayko, whose work had been largely obliterated in the floods unleashed by the collapse of the Kakhovka dam: “Art lives as long as the world sees it.”

Below is Poem About a Crow, inspired by her work interviewing women who lived through Russian occupation. Translated by Uilleam Blacker.

Poem About a Crow

In a barren springtime field

Stands a woman dressed in black

Crying her sisters’ names

Like a bird in the empty sky

She’ll cry them all out of herself

The one that flew away too soon

The one that had begged to die

The one that couldn’t stop death

The one that has not stopped waiting

The one that has not stopped believing

The one that still grieves in silence

She’ll cry them all into the ground

As though sowing the field with pain

And from pain and the names of women

Her new sisters will grow from the earth

And again will sing joyfully of life

But what about her, the crow?

She will stay in this field forever

Because only this cry of hers

Holds all those swallows in the air

Do you hear how she calls

Each one by her name?

[reading-by-the-sea]

"Vox" — Iryna Shuvalova (trans. Uilleam Blacker)

[gaisciochanams]

[ bullet ] sender takes a bullet for receiver (( Uilleam for Iris ovo ))

NON VERBAL ANGST PROMPTS || Receiving no longer

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. One second she had a gun pointed at her, the next she saw a man on the ground, clutching a wound on his shoulder. Iris immediately knelt down to help the man in question, shooting a fireball to knock back the thugs. As her fire burned, creating a sort of barrier, she tried to tear some of the fabric away from the man's wound, blood coating her fingers. Gods, there's a lot of it.

"You're going to be okay, sir. You hear me! You're going to be okay." Questions rang in her head. Why did he jump in to save her like that? The two have never met.

[the--highlanders]

“Were ye ever proud of me?” he asked softly. “In the war? I used tae wonder that, after I’d lost ye.” Moisture was beading at the tip of his nose, and he drew the back of his hand across it, snuffling away the tears that still refused to fall. “Sometimes it felt like the only thought I ever had, when I was pipin’ in your place. If ye were watchin’, and if ye were proud of me. I thought maybe you’d come back an’ tell me so.” A bitter smile curled itself over his mouth. “But ye never did, did ye?” One hand stretched out, tracing over the lettering on the gravestone. His head was still bowed too low to see them, but he knew the words by heart. Dòmhnall Uilleam MacCruimein. “Ye never came back. An’ ye never, ever told me ye were proud.”

Five years after his father's death, Jamie visits his grave.

[uighean]

Tag game to better know you

tagged by @ettelwenailinon <3333

what book are you currently reading?

I'm finally getting around to reading through all the riordanverse books (after dropping them when I was like, 10 & read on wikipedia that percy and annabeth kissed and I (unknowing baby lesbian) was like ew. romance. not reading that. which is hysterically funny to me now) & rn I am a couple chapters into the lost hero

also I'm technically still in the middle of an iliad reread (if you're seeing a greek myth theme then no you're not <3). and also teeechnically in the middle of war and peace but it's been ages since I read any.

what’s your favorite movie you saw in theaters this year?

haven't seen anything in cinemas this year but I am going to see barbie on sunday. I hope it's bonkers.

what do you usually wear?

see I'm living out of a suitcase rn and also mostly dressing in a work uniform (I am consistently wearing trousers for the first time in about 8 years. very cursed.) so outside of work clothes I'm kinda back to wearing dresses? which is ok. it's not giving me the bad gender vibes I was getting a couple months back. hopefully soon I'll be back to my fav combo of kilt + button-up shirt + waistcoat tho

how tall are you

uhh 5'3"ish I think? taller than @ettelwenailinon and that's the important thing >:)

what’s your star sign? do you share a birthday with a celebrity or a historical event?

pisces, & there's a bit of stuff that's happened on my birthday but I'm gonna go with the australian labor party defeating the liberals in 1983. love to see the liberals losing

do you go by your name or a nickname?

just my name! there are very very few people who I'll let shorten my name tbh. idk why I but don't tend to like it

did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child?

absolutely not! wanted to be a vet, ended up working in museums. all because of the blorbo brainrot.

are you in a relationship? if not, who is your crush if you have one?

I sure am in a relationship <333 @ettelwenailinon

what’s something you’re good at vs something you’re bad at?

oughfdk idk. pretty good at writing, pretty bad at drawing (would like to get better tho!!)

dogs or cats?

horses <3

but. cats. dogs are cute but I don't have the patience for them.

if  you draw/write, or create in any way, what’s your favorite  picture/favorite line/favorite etc. from something you created this  year?

oh man ig I'm going to do the unprecedented thing of linking to my ao3 from my main ghjkfd. non-dr who mutuals I am SO sorry <3

if you are not one of my dr who mutuals then you may not know (or you may have guessed from my vagueposting fdksjhgfd) that the stuff I love to write most is like,,, fic that's more about my historical interests than actual dr who HGKFDJ. & sure enough when I looked at what I'd done this year, all the stuff I liked best was historical fic. tossed up between a couple of them but I've got to give it to should i have bent, been reshaped

“Were ye ever proud of me?” he asked softly. “In the war? I used tae wonder that, after I’d lost ye.” Moisture was beading at the tip of his nose, and he drew the back of his hand across it, snuffling away the tears that still refused to fall. “Sometimes it felt like the only thought I ever had, when I was pipin’ in your place. If ye were watchin’, and if ye were proud of me. I thought maybe you’d come back an’ tell me so.” A bitter smile curled itself over his mouth. “But ye never did, did ye?” One hand stretched out, tracing over the lettering on the gravestone. His head was still bowed too low to see them, but he knew the words by heart. Dòmhnall Uilleam MacCruimein. “Ye never came back. An’ ye never, ever told me ye were proud.”

this was sooo much fun to write oh my god. it was mostly based around the title, bc as soon as I heard that song I was like. that's a jamie song. no I don't care it's from a video game and about a totally different character, it's about jamie's relationship with his father.

and I'm just so nuts about jamie's relationship with his family and his father in particular, the way it bounces off his queerness and relationship with his gender, etc etc etc. it's a very hyperspecific and niche fic but that's what gives me the most joy so <3

what is something that you’d like to create content for?

hmm idk!! nothing new, really. I'm very much wedded to two-era dr who in terms of writing. I'd like to make more holding achilles gifsets I think

what’s something you’re currently obsessed with?

life is really kicking my brain cell rn so not a whole lot but @ettelwenailinon talking about stuff to do with jacobitism/the '45 is driving me down the rabbithole again too & that is DEFINITELY coming out in the fic ideas I'm bouncing around ghfjkds

what’s something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this year?

the first thing that jumped into my mind was the sun and the star. not gonna explain that one I'm just gonna say that I could fix her but also it makes me want to kill

what’s a hidden talent of yours?

walk fast :^) powered by spite and homosexuality

are you religious?

nope! never have been. I guess I have a sort of spirituality in my world view but it's very. mild I suppose.

what’s something you wish to have at this moment?

an apartment......... finding somewhere to rent is hard :/

tagging @galacticlamps @vimbry @kiraistired @carrionthird @p0stscripter and whoever else I've forgotten/who wants to do it!! no pressure tho <3

[guilty-pleasure-reading]

Romance Dreamcast

Kresley Cole: Immortals After Dark Series (part 5)

Book 12. Shadow's Claim

Trehan Daciano, the Prince of Shadows, Prince of Dacia and King of Abaddon (vampire) & Bettina, Queen of Hearts, Queen of Abaddon (death demoness/ Sorceress)

Book 13. MacRieve

Uilleam "Will” MacRieve (Lykae, werewolf) & Chloe Todd (human/ succubus, cambion)

Book 14. Dark Skye

Thronos Talos, King of the Vrekeners (vrekener) & Melanthe “Lanthe”, Queen of Persuasion, Queen of the Vrekeners (Sorceress)

Supporting Characters

Raum, Grand Duke of the Deathly Ones (death demon)

Morgana, Queen of All Sorceri (Sorceress)

Salem (phantom, currently sylph)

Madadh, the Mad Dog (Lykae, werewolf)

Belee (witch)

Rónan (Lykae, werewolf)

Benneit “Ben” (Lykae, werewolf)

Gisela (succubus)

Nieve (succubus)

Nereus, God of the oceans

Jasen (vrekener)

[mermaidsirennikita]

November 2022 Book Recommendations

This month, I finished IAD in the beginning (and started with a book that I personally think is a true, game-changing romance classic) and started Christmas books in the end. I also read a great villain anthology (I... love villain heroes) and got into some truly exciting ARCs, going into 2023. And I read my first full length Ruby Dixon! I did work and I loved it.

Lothaire by Kresley Cole. Lothaire, the Enemy of Old, is on the brink of having the revenge he's sought for thousands of years. All he needs to do is claim his Bride, and he'll have his thrones. The only problem? His Bride, demonic former goddess Saroya the Soul Eater, has possessed the body of backwoods country girl Ellie Peirce; and Ellie is too strong-willed to simply let Saroya use her body for mayhem. Ellie is new to the world of the Lore, and she should be afraid of Lothaire... but she has a strong will to live, and she senses a desire within him that Saroya isn't satisfying. With Lothaire seeking a way to cast Ellie's soul from her body and Ellie seeking to seduce her freedom from him, the two begin a game that neither is fully prepared to win.

Obviously, this is a truly classic romance by now, and perhaps the? Definitive? Villain romance? Lothaire is evil, and the point of this book is not whether or not he can be good. He never will be, not 100%. The point is whether or not you'll buy his romance with Ellie, and uh--reader, I bought it. He hates that she's "low", mortal and poor. And she's not impressed with his cruelty and erratic behavior. They're both master manipulators, and he doesn't see her coming at all. It's kind of the perfect, inspired match between two incredibly opposite and similar characters. I cannot imagine the pressure Kresley felt to nail this after building Lothaire up as a definitive villain of her series... but fuck, it paid off. It's hot and twisted and incredibly compelling and... achingly romantic, somehow. The vows! The orgasms! The bloodplay! The betrayals! These two sick puppies just might make it.

Shadow's Claim by Kresley Cole. Bettina, future queen of the death demons, is being offered up as a prize in a tournament--whoever wins gets not only her hand in marriage, but the kingdom. The issue? Bettina has been carrying a torch for her best friend, Caspion, for years--and Cas seems reluctant to take their relationship to the next level. More complicated? Trehan Daciano, the vampiric master assassin sent to kill Cas for a transgression discovers that Bettina is his fated Bride--sending both men into the tournament, where either one could die. While initially desperate for Cas to win, the more Bettina gets to know Trehan, the more she's torn about what she wants for her future, and how devastated she would be if either man died.

This one seems to have a controversial reputation in the IAD fandom because of... Bettina, basically. And she is a different heroine for Kresley, for sure. She's a Princess Classic, essentially, except for the fact that she likes to make weapons for fun. And she does really hold back on Trehan because she wants to have this epic romance with Cas so badly, even though it's clear that their love is totally platonic. Was she a bit problematic? I guess, but I liked her because of it. And Trehan is HOT. A cold assassin who can kill anyone, is desperately holding himself back from ravishing the heroine, and offers a bag of decapitated heads as a present? Sign me the fuck up. Also, Lothaire is here, being an absolute nutjob. We love to see it.

MacRieve by Kresley Cole. Uilleam MacRieve is unable to control his inner beast and unable to have even vaguely normal intimate, or hell, sexual relationships due to the trauma of his past, a childhood tragedy that decimated his family. But just as he's on the verge of suicide, he finds his mate, Chloe Webb--the daughter of the man who tortured MacRieve and reawakened his dormant demons. That, they can get past--Chloe and MacRieve's connection is immediate, and it seems that he can bring himself out of the darkness for her. Yet at the worst possible moment, Chloe's own true (unknown to her) nature as a succubus--the same creature that victimized MacRieve as a child--is revealed, throwing their relationship into chaos.

This one was ROUGH to read, in the best possible way. It's beautifully done, it's just, for me, the most intensely sad IAD book. Basically, massive content warnings for childhood sexual abuse all over the place. MacRieve was groomed and raped by a succubus from the ages of 9 to 13, and the discovery led to the deaths of both of his parents and his unborn sister--and of course, he blames himself. He can only perform through his beast because his human side literally can't handle that kind of intimacy, and the revelation of Chloe's species throws him into chaos--and he treats her horribly as a result. You always get why he acts the way he does, but it's never justified. However, the slow healing for both of them, the way they make it through to each other, really worked for me and was just gorgeously emotional. And did lead to one of the funniest scenes in the series, to be frank. Also, the entire concept of succubus culture and dick flu was just... too.... good............ The matchup of a succubus, who by nature needs semen to like... live, and a werewolf, who by nature must give his mate what she needs to live and provide for her at all times... Kresley Cole's brain, man.

The Long Game by Rachel Reid. The direct sequel to Heated Rivalry. This one picks up with Shane and Ilya in a serious, committed relationship, if one that they must keep secret. Ilya left his successful team for a much shittier one to be closer to Shane--and he's feeling the professional effects, while still not actually being able to live with Shane full time. Though Ilya wants to be open about their relationship, Shane remains hesitant--putting a strain on their connection, and threatening their future.

This one was so good! Such a satisfying followup and (I assume) conclusion for one of my favorite romance couples of all time. Ilya's mental health, his isolation as an immigrant, and his trauma over his mother's suicide (and attempts to cover up all of the above through charm and natural wit) is examined at length in this one, and I loved seeing that picked apart. I also loved seeing a relationship wherein two people love each other deeply but still have to do active work to be better partners for each other. It isn't magically there. We also see Ilya getting brought into the fold of Shane's family, the two of them really creating this identity together... It was so natural and great, and the sex remained VERY HOT. (Trophy room sex... please.) The one complaint I'd have is that I think the book could've explored Shane's internalized homophobia a bit more, and the effect this would have on the ending of the novel. That was a big theme in Heated Rivalry, so I can see why Rachel Reid pulled up on it a bit here, but it did feel a bit too easy.

Dark Skye by Kresley Cole. Melanthe the sorceress finds a childhood best friend in vrekener Thronos, who recognizes her as his mate. But after a betrayal that leaves Lanthe on the run and Thronos with permanent injuries, she's terrified and he's enraged. He's spent five centuries tracking her since then--and once he has her, he doesn't plan to ever let her go.

I am open about my love of "childhood friends who fell out and now there's beef but they also love each other". This is that. This is also a deeply.... wild... book. Thronos is basically a demon-angel-thing, and he's very religious, and he comes from a deeply conservative culture, and he wants revenge on Lanthe, and he wants to fuck the shit out of Lanthe. All of these things are true. Lanthe is a pleasure-seeking sorceress who's never ashamed of her sexuality, and never apologizes to Thronos for fucking other people before him; and he does slut shame her a bit for it at first. A lot of the book really is about Thronous having to accept himself for what he actually is, both internally and externally, and what he wants (kinky sex with Lanthe). It's definitely different from many other IAD books, but you know what? I had fun with it. I liked Thronos and Lanthe's weird sex through a sheet thing. I thought it was funny.

Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole. The Morior have come to fuck up the lives of all the IAD monsters, and first up is Rune Darklight--Rune the Insatiable. A 7,000 year old dark fey assassin known for using sex to get information--but don't kiss him, ladies, because his bodily fluids are in fact poisonous--Rune is thrown off course by Josie, a vampire (or is she?) who seems immune to his venomous blood. In fact, she seems to like it a lot. And he likes her drinking his blood a lot. Rune is sure that Josie is more than she seems--and holding back secrets. But as the two partner up together to save Rune's brother from a murderous valkyrie, he quickly discovers that the real risk Josie poses is in her irresistible appeal to him.

This one was so good. The Morior arc is interesting to me, if not my favorite--but Rune and Josie have been my favorite part of it. Rune is, to put it kindly, a total moron. He's a dangerous assassin who's a master at sexual torture and specializes in edging... But fails to see that Josie LOVES his edging. And I love that about him. I am a sucker for a super powerful man who's bowled over by a random girl, and this book is that. Josie is a really different kind of heroine for this series--illiterate, grew up on the streets, doesn't really know fuck all about the Lore. But she is... wild, and she knows that Rune is the one for her pretty quickly. And it makes for a truly delightful reading experience. Josie blithely confident that Rune will realize he loves her, Rune being totally in love with Josie and completely in denial about it. I love it.

Shadow's Seduction by Kresley Cole. Cas the demon was humiliated by the outcome of the tournament for his friend Bettina's hand--and even before then, completely thrown off by an unexpected night with his new friend, the vampire prince Mirceo. So he does what anyone would do and goes to a separate dimension where time moves differently to become more of a badass. But when Cas returns, Mirceo quickly realizes--they're meant to be together. He just has to convince Cas.

This novella was the first queer IAD book, and I do think it shows some datedness in terms of its treatment of sexuality (Mirceo has fucked a million people, but because he's never bottomed Cas sees him as like... a virgin on some level). But I also really can't speak to the accuracy or inaccuracy there on a personal level, and I'll be honest, I loved Cas and Mirceo together. Cas comes from a conservative culture and struggles with internalized homophobia and recognizing his own bisexuality. Mirceo is a hedonist who seems incapable of actually committing, even if he really wants to convince Cas that he can. I had a lot of fun with this one, and I kind of wish it had been a full-length book.

Wicked Abyss by Kresley Cole. Centuries ago, the demon prince Abyssian was betrayed by his fated mate, a fey princess. Now she's been reincarnated, and sent to the hell plane where Abyssian now rules--and is becoming more monstrous-looking every day. Sian's initial plan is to keep Lila as his captive and punish her for the sins of her past life. But fate may have other plans...

A Beauty and the Beast retelling, straightup, and I wasn't mad at it. This one has everything--curses, past life transgressions, secrets, a heroine who thinks her way out of the problem, and Nix moving her chess pieces in the background, all the time. I won't say that I loved Sian quite as much as I loved Lila, but I did love that when he came the entire hell plane reacted. That was great.

A Wicked Game by Kate Bateman. Read my full review here!

Munro by Kresley Cole. Munro MacRieve has one chance to go back in time and save his fated mate, the human Kereny. Except Kereny is a total stranger to him, and the only way to truly save her is to transform her into an immortal. Problematic, both because the transformation is extremely hazardous and Kereny turns out to be a monster hunter.

The first IAD book published in 5 years (and the most recently released, which means I'm out of books for now) this one is just. Really fun. Does it go as hard as some of my favorites? No. Is the last 20% INCREDIBLY FAST? Yes. But I just had a good time. Munro is such a fucking werewolf dude, even if he tries to be The Rational One between himself and MacRieve. Ren is a fun, defiant, snarky heroine, and I really enjoyed the path her transformation ultimately took. This one is just a fucking romp, and isn't connected a ton to the major arc, which I think was nice--but the ending! The cliffhanger! I fucking knew that fucker was alive but to have him come back like... almost twenty books after his death was mentioned... SOMEBODY GET MY BOY HEATH!!!!! NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Never Cross A Highlander by Lisa Rayne. Read my full review here!

The Countess by Sophie Jordan. ARC; review to come closer to publication.

Villain I'd Like to F... An anthology collection of novellas by Eva Leigh, Nicola Davidson, Adrian Herrera, Joanna Shupe, and Sierra Simone. The assignment? Historical romances about VILLAINS. Fucking delightful, varied, and super sexy. Let's break 'em down below (in brackets).

[Lady Viper and The Bastard by Eva Leigh. A romantic take on Dangerous Liaisons sees Lady Violet "Viper" Hampton and Ian "the Bastard" Molyneaux, two of the most feared figures in 1700s high society England, reluctantly team up despite their distrust of each other. Their mission? To break up a young couple in love by seducing each party separately. I fucking LOVED this. It's my favorite thing Eva Leigh has ever written. We see two fearsome, snarky, kinda horrible people, both in their forties and well aware of the world's caprice, engage in deceit and seduction while actually... falling in love with each other. Violet is a dream of a heroine, sharp-tongued and confident and determined to not catch feelings... While--let's be real--for all that Ian is a slutty, slutty man with a wicked sense of amorality (he is partially into this seduction game because he fucked the girl's mom and wants to fuck the daughter in turn because that would be funny), he's actually smitten by Violet from pretty early on. The feelings are intense and the sex scenes are FABULOUS. There is in fact a scene where they role play as a virginal Violet and her dancing master, and while that shit isn't gonna be for the more... cautious readers, it was certainly for me. I would kill for Eva Leigh to write more about these types of sardonic, gleefully wicked characters. She does it so well.

Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson. Twenty-year-old widowed duchess Estelle is set to be a servant for her in-laws when local club owner Blake Evans comes to call for the massive debt the new duke owes. Estelle's brother-in-law offers her as Blake's mistress in exchange for the debt being cancelled, but Blake gives her the choice--seven nights as his mistress, and the debt will be cancelled and Estelle will be given her widow's portion. Estelle agrees--in part because she wants the independence that comes with her inheritance and ruination, and in part because she's just too intrigued by Blake to pass up the opportunity. For seven nights only, she'll be his Stella, and his to do with as he pleases. This one was great, also my favorite thing I've read of Nicola Davidson thus far. It has everything--supportive friends with a dash of torture (something Stella has a fabulous reaction to), a lot of good girl-ing, domination, exhibitionism, and sex toys. Frankly, the whole "mistress of a villain" gig thing seems pretty sweet. There's also an age gap (Blake is 35 to Stella's 20) and the sex is ridiculously hot. I was a little ambivalent about one occurrence in the epilogue, but it really wasn't enough to truly taint the story for me. It was just fun and good and had a great climax (technically... several).

The Gangster's Prize by Joanna Shupe. When Isabelle's upstanding politician father goes missing, she's certain the culprit is Billy Baxter, leader of the Hell's Kitchen Gang. But when the demure Isabelle surprises Billy with a confrontation, he claims innocence--and promises to help her find her father... for a price. This one felt a bit different for Joanna Shupe at first, largely in that it's first person, alternating between Billy and Isabelle's perspectives. It took some getting used to, but ultimately the story had the hallmarks of what I love about Joanna Shupe: a dominant hero, a woman who throws him for a loop, and hot hot conflict. Also great fucking. That too. There is one particular moment in this novella that had even me raising my eyebrows, which is hard to pull off. And just when I thought she'd pull a punch--nope. Billy is pretty bad (and so good).

The Bootlegger's Bounty by Adriana Herrera. Rosalia dreams of singing in a New York nightclub--but the only way to get that is to ally with Camden McCullough, a notorious rum runner. The dangerous Cam is overwhelming enough--but throw in crew member Enzo, and Rosalia is very quickly in over her head. Or is she? This one is for the mmf lovers out there, especially if you're looking for a historical novella with a different setting (1920! High seas!). Cam, Rosalia, and Enzo have chemistry to spare. This one does tend towards the eroticism a bit more than the plot, but that's not a bad thing at all. The bond between Cam, Enzo, and Rosalia seems natural and fun and compelling--and yes, everyone does fall in love with everyone here.

The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone. Tate is the youngest abbess of Far Hope Abbey--ever. And she's set to protect the abbey with her life, offering herself up to the marauding Norman invader The Wolf. But The Wolf is not what they seem--in fact, they're a stunning woman, Adelais, who decides she could forego pillaging the abbey... if Tate offers herself up in exchange. You can't really go wrong with a sapphic medieval villainess romance. Adelais and Tate are both pretty hardcore in their own ways, and if you aren't familiar with Sierra Simone's work, this one might go in directions that surprise you. It's certainly hot--there is one particular scene with the hilt of a knife that's.... perfection--but I also enjoyed the contrast of Tate and Adelais and their respective strengths and forms of power. Fabulous.]

The Wrong Marquess by Vivienne Lorret. Elodie Parrish has always been set to marry her best friend George--not by any official agreement, but by an understanding that began when they were children and Ellie fell head over heels for him. But she's twenty-five now, and George is dragging his feet. So while she initially dislikes Brandon, the older brother of her new friend, the upside of their charged encounters could be that George might take the hint and make it official... But Brandon, if initially puzzled and annoyed by the confusing Ellie, might just want to keep her.

This one was really, really lovely. Just the right amount of humor, just the right amount of drama, with plenty of sexual tension (that does indeed get satisfied). It's also a pretty searing indictment of many unsatisfactory friends to lovers plots, even if it doesn't intend to be. George is a prick. Ellie is darling, a ball of anxiety (her fear of death was quite relatable) and desperation for love. Brandon is... fucking hot, and also just like. Desperate to get into her panties, in a way that was quite charming (there is a scene where she leaves a bowl of ice cream unfinished and he grabs it and finishes it because he wants to taste what she was tasting... man fucking down...). Brandon's initial prickliness and distrust of Ellie (he has a tragic past, obviously) giving way to besotted obsession was charming as fuck, and the contrast of his adoration against George's dogged determination to lead her on was just classic romcom excellence. And the ending--as well as the introduction of a certain future hero--did make me want to go and re-read How to Steal A Scoundrel's Heart, which is itself a fabulous read that follows this one in the Mating Habits of Scoundrels series. Just... so good.

Of Visions and Secrets by Kathryn Ann Kingsley. Emma Mather's brother has gone missing, and the only person who seems to have any clue as to what happened is his former professor, Raphael Saltonstall. The issue? Rafe knows a lot about the dark, occult societies Elliot got himself tangled up in--the only problem? Rafe may be more connected to the darker side of them than Elliot realized, and Emma may not care about that nearly as much as she should.

This is an unusual turn for me in romance--the first book in a trilogy that is truly connected, versus featuring standalones with different couples and smaller connections. The Tenebris trilogy reads as one big story versus three separate books, to be honest, and I blazed through it. Kingsley is a self-professed villain lover, but these books are definitely a romance; you just have to wait until the end of the final book to get the promised HEA. And like... Rafe isn't especially heroic. But for all that the world and the magic and horror is incredibly compelling--think 1920s, but with cults and eldritch abominations--the centerpiece is still the romance. Or rather, romances as book two reveals. Rafe and Emma's connection is both entertaining--he's a stern murderous professor with the voices of legion monsters in his head, she's a reckless adventuress who hurtles into trouble and gets turned on by fear--and kind of tragic? Like, he just wants to love her and frankly fuck her the fuck up? But so do the monsters within him? When the dam breaks with this guy, it BREAKS. Frankly, I blame a conservative society. I think that if Rafe had been introduced to BDSM and allowed to explore his dom side, countless lives would've been saved.

Of Flesh and Bone by Kathryn Ann Kingsley. The direct continuation of the above book--but I will add a couple of things. The secondary romance of the series (which is really pretty prominent, hot sex and all) is introduced in this book, and it is great. A sexy nightclub singer/cult leader and the hot battle priest who falls in love with her! I will also add a TW because that nightclub singer is a trans woman, and this book, as well as the third, feature a subplot in which a bigoted villain attempts to essentially undo her (magically-powered) transition--it is not super graphic, it does not last long, it does fail, and he does suffer. The main characters all affirm her and she does have a HEA with her hero, but just a heads up. Other notes: Rafe's shadow tentacles (or, as I have seen them called, his Consentacles) join the party in full in this one, and honestly? The fact that SHADOW AND BONE had the potential for shadow tentacles that can fill every orifice while also allowing the tentacle-user to utilize his fingers and dick... and did not do that.... A wasted opportunity. All hail the shadow tentacles.

Of Grave and Glory by Kathryn Ann Kingsley. The conclusion of the Tenebris trilogy--angsty, wacky, gave me all the "NOT WITHOUT YOU" shit I could ever want. You know??? How it is??? When you monster boyfriend shows up to take you into his horrifying grasp and murder everyone standing in his way??? The only thing I could've used is one more sex scene, but the one we got was like... admittedly... three different kinds of sex at once, so. Fair. Rafe and those shadow tentacles, man.

Bound to the Battle God by Ruby Dixon. Faith is a simple girl working for an insurance company, when she follows the voices she hears from the empty apartment down the hall and ends up in another world. Her only way out seems to be pledging herself as the mortal Anchor to Aron, a god who's meant to learn a lesson. The God of Battle, Aron has been split into four different selves, or Aspects--Apathy, Hedonism, Deceit, and Arrogance. Faith has ended up with the Arrogance part, and boy does she know it. Her life is now tied to his; the only way to kill Aron is to kill her. The problem? Only one Aspect can live and be restored to full godliness, and the other three are out to kill Faith in order to eliminate "her" Aron. And as Aron and Faith travel to destroy his other Aspects, she finds herself not only caring about saving her own life, but keeping the rather annoying, if completely hot, god alive.

This was my first Ruby Dixon, and I was. Sold. Listen, Ruby's style is very chatty and real and it's going to be for you or it isn't--it totally worked for me (though, I'm not sure when this book was written, but some slang used was... less than ideal). The world building in this book is actually kind of insane, too. I loved the mythology of the Aspects and Anchors, Aron's backstory, the worship--it all rang true. There is definitely some leaning into the "fetching slave girl" stuff in this one... less so with Faith, and more with another character, though I wouldn't say that any sexual assault occurs as said character is a willing concubine who wishes to serve the gods. Very religious. But that aside, the romance in this is actually pretty fucking excellent. It's a long book, and while an Incident makes Faith and Aron's mutual attraction very clear, it takes both of them a while to come to terms with their feelings and really start up together. By the time the book ended, I was so invested in their relationship. And if I haven't sold this book enough, there is a scene where he gets so turned on by her eating a piece of fruit that he sits her down in a chair and starts going down on her while demanding that she continues to eat the fruit. It was a great choice.

Never Seduce a Duke by Vivienne Lorret. Review to come closer to the release date, but trust and believe that I love it.

How the Dukes Stole Christmas. An anthology with Christmas-themed (duh) stories by Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, and Joanna Shupe. Comments on each in brackets!

[Meet Me in Mayfair by Tessa Dare. Louisa Ward is on the hunt for a wealthy husband in order to keep her family from being evicted by the new Duke of Thorndale. But--shock of shocks--the man she meets at the ball is actually Thorndale himself, and the two set out on an evening stroll that could be exactly what she and her family need... This one was very sweet. Very tame. I mean, I know it's Christmas, but... I liked it as a short story, for sure, but this one might not have been quite my speed.

The Duke of Christmas Present by Sarah MacLean. This one is a basically "what if Scrooge's fiancee who left him came back 12 years later, and both of them were super hot", and I was GOOD WITH IT. It's very charming and second chance, and there is sexual tension aplenty between Eben (yes), and Jacqueline, aka Jack. And yes, that tension does pay off, in a very Christmasy way. I had a great time with this, and it was both sweet and angsty in a way that MacLean masters.

Heiress Alone by Sophie Jordan. This Home Alone retelling sees a young woman end up left on her own over Christmas by her family--with a Scottish duke. And guess what? He's very gruff, and she plans on becoming a nun! This one was so much fun, with plenty of sexual tension and insane happenings. I think that Sophie has a great talent for creating a fast-paced book, and that was perfectly suited for a novella. It had a very snowed in vibe, and yes, there are horny cookies in this one. I love a horny cookie moment.

Christmas in Central Park by Joanna Shupe. This one was probably my favorite of the bunch--the heroine runs an advice column as a married domestic goddess, except she is not married or a domestic goddess. When the brusque newspaper-owning boss guy (who hasn't met her before) asks her to put on a big dinner for the board, she has to fake having a husband, a home, and staff in time for Christmas. But the whole fake husband thing might be a problem, because her boss wants to dick her down HARD.]

[luxmaeastra]

Aphaeleon curled around her, licking softly at her neck. He huffed, steam bellowing forward as Lanthys stepped into the room.

His gold eyes taking in the room before looking to them. He was surprised to see them in their animal forms - did it aid in procreation? Was it a defense mechanism or a safety tactic?

He turned to the doorway, ignoring as Aphaeleon rose his head slightly, growling low. The walls shook with the force of it.

Lanthys dragged a prisoner forward tossing the chained Daglan into the room.

"Enjoy."

The shackles flared as the soldier stared at the changeling and then glared at Lanthys.

"And you all said Uilleam would not be as cruel as his father! How are you any better?"

Lanthys paused at the doorway, hand on the doorknob.

"I never said those words, others may have - but I never did. I will do anything to secure the peaceful world I wa promised - even be the monster."

Lanthys shut the door, locking the Daglan in with the changelings.

Aphaeleon eyed the soldier, pressing closer around Amren.

Should I kill him for you love?

Their peace was disturbed, the presence of the solider within the room caused her head to lift. Her eyes fixed upon the male, the scared and shaking male. Another gift from their prison warden, another meal that they were being given. She barely moved from where she laid, she didn’t move from Apheoleon as she kept herself lower than him.

The exchange was odd to witness, but it did not bide any bearing in what the outcome was. They needed to eat, they needed food, and this was what they were being provided. Amren shifted when she felt him pressing closer, her head lifted and nuzzled under his chin.

Please, make it quick. I do hate to hear them whine.

[gccdstories]

//haha finally something for Bryce! For Maeve and Nat as well! Merka lost her sister and went feral?? Killing all these criminals and feeding on Innocents to gather power 👀//

Garrick looked to Sarai, Natalia, and Maeve and Merka, throwing the female down on the ground. He ignored Uilleam's look of fury and disgust.

He nodded at her, the manacles on her flickered as she sought to tear them off.

Merka's cycle of violence needed to stop. In his experience one final blow should do it. She was causing too much agitation. If she wasn't dealt with the Daglan could face another civil war. Especially if the people learned Uilleam he seemed to love the Changeling female.

"Kaden's mate. Do as you will with it."

Merka sneered, turning to look at him.

"How stupid do you think I am? He doesn't have a mate, why would he -"

"You sure?"

Garrick knelt before Juniper, her eyes glowed and she barred her teeth. He simply stared at her grabbing her neck and pulling the necklace from her.

Bryce glared, trying to push at the Valg gaurds holding her in place.

"You have the wrong female! She doesn't have a fucking mate! And it wouldn't be someone as deranged as this -"

He held the pendant up, he crushed the gemstone in his palm.

Juniper flinched, but she didn't speak - not to Merka, not to Bryce. She watched the gemstone turn to dust, the runes flared up her arms, his scent on her.

She lunged for Garrick, Athril holding her back. She twisted, trying to scratch at his face.

"You will pay! He will find you! You professed to save us! You promised peace and abandoned us! You -"

Perhaps Natalia should have been shocked. Surprised. Perhaps she should have felt something strongly enough when Garrick came in with the female.

As it was, she barely felt her power stir. Like the exhaustion she felt outweighed even the anger, even the rage that she would need to control and unleash the darkness.

Maeve just stood there as well, though the flick of emotion across her face (a brief smirk) was more than Natalia could manage to experience. Could summon to feel. Maeve's arms crossed, the fire flickering in her eyes as she raised an eyebrow at Garrick.

❝ And what exactly is your goal here, Garrick? ❞ Maeve purred, motioning back to Merka. ❝ You think any of this will stop? That it can be so simple as to end it-- ❞

Natalia shook her head and stepped forward, dark gaze piercing at Maeve as if she wanted to shut the female up herself.

❝ She's a feisty little thing, that's true. Obviously Kaden has a type. ❞ She shrugged, like she couldn't care whatsoever about any of it. Like the entire situation didn't just exhaust her but was too far below her to care about. A glance over at the guards that held Bryce, Natalia waving her hand dismissively.

❝ Oh you don't have to break her arms. She's not going anywhere, are you? ❞ she addressed the last part to Bryce, the question clearly not offering any other answer but one.

@siderealxmelody