#when the first review was like “pronouns are confusing. four stars”

[fellamarsh]

The first non-they/them-pronouns-are-confusing review for Hierarchy of the Unseen is here and. Hhhhhh it makes me so happy

Legit tearing up at "All my stars and more"

If you're out there, Vermont, thank you so much for reading our book, and for leaving such a kind review. I'm so so glad you enjoyed it.

[ravenwriter16]

Creative Minds Think Alike

Episode One---Episode Two---Episode Three---Episode Four---Episode Five (Here)---Episode Six

Featuring the Amazing: @lets-zofifi-stuff

Reminder! If the Content Creator doesn't approve of how I represent them, or their AUs/OCs then I will edit my work or DELETE it.

It not my intention to mock or belittle anyone's work. This series is supposed to showcase amazing creators! Also, heads up, the creator I've featured in this episode goes by she/them. This is my first time writing with pronouns like this so I'M SORRY IF I MESSED UP OR IF IT'S CONFUSING!!!

I do not beta read! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!! ENJOY!

The tower’s marble walls reflect the candle light. Casting the surroundings in a soft glow. The smell of fresh lily flowers and fresh water tickles my nose. I was currently standing on a floating stone slab with a golden rune of some kind. The slab transporting me to the top with ease. I mumble to myself while reviewing my notes. I lift one page up and moving it behind the others.

I stop, looking to the side. My left wing was tracing the wall of the tower, assuring me that it was there. The right wing is folded close to my back. The feathers bristle at the smallest puff of air from some cold draft.

“Troll attacks are at an all time high…I need to double patrol shifts for the Defenders. And this time I should tell them to arrest first ask questions later…”

I snap my fingers and a pen appears out of thing air, it hovers over my notepad, scribbling more notes down. I hum and bite my lip, “Okay, I also need to check in with…No I can’t.” I groan, “They’re on sabbatical.”

The slab stops and buzzes underneath me. I yelp and jump off it and onto the awaiting platform. I huff and drag a hand through my hair, brushing down the downy feathers that puffed up when I was startled. I roll my eyes, placing a hand on my hip while I stare down at the slab.

“Rude.”

It glows pink and shakes a bit, chuckling in its own way. It zooms down the tower and I watch it leave with an annoyed expression.

I sigh and snap my fingers again. The pen disappearing and the notepad flying to my satchel. I turn around and face the dual wooden doors.

This was a sight to behold and again this castle leaves me speechless.

The door was a dark wood and smooth to perfection. It arched towards the top, giving it an ancient kind of vibe. Carved into the wood were a plethora of moonflowers, balloon flowers, and carnations. Taking up most of the doors were beautiful and intricate cravings of cherry blossom trees. Along the bottom of the door were ferns of various kinds. All encrusted in gold.

I smile and brush my fingers over some of the carvings. They felt like the real thing, regardless of their shinny coat of metal. Though they did feel cold to the touch. I watch as I pluck a petal of a cherry blossom petal from the door.

I hold it in my palm, taking in its beauty before it dissolves into sand. The grains slip between my gloved fingers. I hum, using my magic to clean up after myself before raising my fist to knock on the door.

I hear the muffled sound of someone shouting, “Be right there!”

The loud clanking of metal locks unlocking follow shortly after, as well as some more muffled shouts. The doors are then pulled open by the creator I came to see.

I give a small bow, a hand over my chest, “Lets-Zofifi-Stuff. How are you this fine morning?”

The human rolls their blue eyes, blowing some strands of their light brown hair out of their eyes. She puts a hand on their hip while the other keeps a hold on the door, “Busy, but I make do.”

She turns around and gestures with their hand, “Come in. Come in.”

Their purple cloak swishes with each step she takes, the glittering yellow stars moving across the fabric like it. Their wizard hat is of the same material, stars and all. But it had a softly glowing crescent moon stitched into the side. Red ribbons keep their cloak from falling their shoulders and the small bell hanging from said ribbons chimes with each step she takes.

I follow in after them, closing the doors behind me out of courtesy. Turning around I take in the room. As with all castle rooms, the inside was bigger than the outside would have you believe. It was still a tower, but the width was wider and the height of the ceiling was increased as well.

The walls were lined with bookshelves and the books themselves ranged from new to old, small to OH MY GOODNESS THIS BOOK IS HUGE!

…not joking. That is a size in this world…anyways.

Vines wrap around the shelves and small little patches of leaves and flowers were growing out of the wood. The wooden planks underfoot were in the same state. While trekking further into the room, I could hear the distinct sound of water flowing.

Stacks of books start coming into my line of sight as well. Along with stacks of papers and scrolls. Must be what is keeping Zofifi busy…

I gasp at the sight of a great willow tree, standing tall in the middle of the room. It’s trunk thick and sturdy and its branches extended to the corners of the room. Giving the courtesy for people, without the ability to fly, the path to reach the higher shelves.

From a hollowed knot on the trunk of the tree, a waterfall flows down. I follow the stream of water down the small…well streams! They were like veins along the floor, helping maintain live on all the plants in the room.

At the base of the tree was a lectern, holding up a book. The cover was purple with golden highlights. Zofifi steps up to the book, waving their hand over it. The book opens, pages fluttering as they rapidly turn.

She hums before snapping their fingers. The parchment stops moving and on the open pages were two sketches with elegant writing beneath them. “There you are!”

She blows on the pages then turns to face me. “I need to go fetch my key to the vault. I’ll only be a minute!”

I nod my head, “No hurry!”

She smiles, taking a step to the side. The air lifts them up and takes them up the length of the tower. I watch them until she leaves my line of sight. A large thump startles me and I face the book once more, wing out spread and ready to fight.

In front of me was a large golden construct. Leather sandals that had dried (What I hope was) mud encase his feet. An apron of thick leather strips covesr his waist, the length stopping at his right before his knees.

I crane my neck up to better view his form. The metal making up his form was of golden with small glowing veins of the bronze that were itched into the metal like tattoos. Around his face-plate were sharp and magnificent rays.

“Hello?”

I flinch, my eyes darting to meet pure white eyes. The being moves, taking a step closer. He looks down at me as if I was the strangest thing he’s ever seen. “Who are you?”

 I blink, before shaking my shoulders and bowing before, what I would assume is, a Sun variant. “I am Ravenwriter. The Archivist.”

Sun nods his head, a look of realization dawning over him. “Oh! Zofifi has told me about you! Are you here to view the Vault?”

“That’s right!” I smile, crossing my arms, “Are you by chance the gladiator Sun?”

Sun puffs out his chest, hands on his hips, “That’s me!”

“How are things going in your world?” I ask, walking closer to the tree to sit in one of the seats the branches made up.

Sun beams, “Great! Before I was summoned, I was being rescued by my light—*Ahem* by Y/n! Hahahaha…”

I chuckle, “It’s alright Sun. I’m not one to judge—,”

“Oh Good!” Sun quickly walks over and sits next to me, “Because my light is so sweet! You know they gave me their oil lamp? They didn’t want me to be alone in the dark! They even used their robe to clean my metal!”

I laugh as he sighs dreamily. “They sound very sweet.”

“THEY ARE!”

I laugh harder at that and Sun joins me. Then a sharp whistle grabs my attention. I look up to see the lunar assassin. He must have been watching us the entire time by hiding up in the tree. He slinks down, making a show as he gracefully lands on his feet.

“Hello Moon.”

“Archivist~.” Moon gives a small bow, “Come to pay us a visit?”

“Yep. Your creator has graciously allowed me some time in vault. I also got to meet your brother Sun.”

Moon gives a raspy chuckle, “Then while you wait, are you up for some sparing practice?”

“Oh, ho, ho.” I chuckle, shaking my head. “I’m not falling for that again. Last time I spared with you, I couldn’t fly for weeks…”

Moon shrugs, inspecting his fingers, “Should’ve been faster…”

“Shoulda, woulda, coulda, Moon…” I chuckle. “I hope you both haven’t been giving Zofifi any trouble.”

Sun gasps and shakes his head, “No, no, no NEVER! We’ve been VERY helpful to our Starfire! Isn’t that right Moon?”

“Yes~.” Moon pulls out a dagger, twirling it, “We’ve both been having a blast scaring away...UNWANTED guests~.”

I nod my head, “Thank you both for defending them. I’m sorry you have to deal with this at all. Once I get my answers from the records in the vault, I should be able to boost up defensives.”

They both nod, “We understand.”

I smile at them, “Please keep up the fantastic work.”

“You guys getting along?” Zofifi hovers down, a staff in hand. The staff was made of Sakura wood, golden veins swirling down to the bronze plated tip. On top of the staff was a white glowing crystal with five points sticking out.

Sun smiles, rays shaking slightly in his joy.

Zofifi nods their head, snapping their fingers as she remembers something. “Could you two go check on your Y/n, please? I haven’t heard from them in a while and I’m starting to get worried. Oh! And could you both pick up some baked goods from Chica’s place? I’m in a snacking mood.”

Sun perks up and even Moon smiles a bit. They get up and head back to the book, fading into nothing the closer they get. They images appearing on the pages as drawings. I watch in wonder.

Zofifi lands in front of me, pulling out a bronze key from their pocket. “Found it! Left it near the azalea bushes. I really should trim around here. It’s starting to get annoying finding random objects out of the blue. Anyway���Are you still up to go to the vault?”

“Yes.”

“Good!” She gestures for me to follow them.

She zooms up into the branches of the tree. The leaves obscuring them. I spread my wings and spread my feet out a bit. After taking some deep breaths, I beat my wings. I follow after here, trying to avoid hitting stray branches

I reach the small hidden balcony, setting down right next to Zofifi.

The doors in front of me were imposing. Unlike the rest of the room, these giant, rusty metal doors were anything but warm and inviting. They were daunting and ominous. It felt like the grim reaper was breathing down my neck.

“Now!” Zofifi turns and faces me, “Before we continue, I need to give my whole ‘Record Keeper Spiel’. Protocol, you know?”

I nod my head, turning to face them, “oka—,” I freeze.

My face pales and my wings start flapping nervously.  She was holding their staff out towards me. The star-shaped stone was brightly glowing and hovering above it, made from pure light was a…

“Is…is that a Glock?” I ask nervously, taking a step back.

She just smiles, “I stand before you as this Castle’s Vault Keeper. I protect precious Records, all ancient and new.”

Their Auora ripples though me. The feeling of vines wrapping around my limbs and squeeze me takes over. I look down at my feet but find no vines in sight. I felt as though my heart was beating a mile a minute and there was nothing I could do to calm it down.

“I am giving you special access into the vault. Under my supervision, you will review the records you were sent to look over. If you dare to destroy these precious documents, or attempt to steal anything, I will not hesitate to terminate you. Do you understand?”

I’m quick to nod my head.

The Glock gets absorbed back into the star-shaped gem. Zofifi beams, tossing me the key.

I scramble to catch it, clutching it close to my chest. My wings tremble and I swallow my nerves. Their Auroa lets up and I feel my heart begin to calm down.

“I-I…” I point to the doors, “I’m going to—,”

“Yeah you go on right ahead!” She nods their head, walking towards the edge of the balcony, “Just tell me when your done! Can’t let you walk out with anything.”

“R-right…”

Zofifi waves as they step off and float back down to the ground. I take a few deep breaths and head towards the vault doors.  

“Why do I keep forgetting that these Creators aren’t just normal people…” I mumble to myself, inserting the key into the lock. “Every time…Every time…”

The doors unlock and loudly creak open. I roll my shoulders and walk into the vault. “It’s not even funny anymore…Maybe I should reread the Archivist Manual…”

“HAVE FUN!” Zofifi’s voice calls out. “I’LL CHCEK ON YOU IN A BIT! OH! That reminds me! I have to dust the shelves and double check on the reports before I send them in. And I need to pay a visit to some of my Aus…”

“Wait, Wha—,” I whip around only for the doors to close behind me. I blink before laughing out loud, the sound echoing around the chamber. I turn around, feeling better and a lot calmer.

I roll up my sleeves, “Guess I should get started!”

***

That's Episode Five! Thank you so much @lets-zofifi-stuff for letting me feature you and your gladiator boys! It's one of my favorite fics! If you guys haven't checked it out, it's on AO3 and it's called 'Death Games and Robots'! You can find the link on their pinned post on their blog!

You will not be disappointed!

Signing off for now! Have a wonderful rest of your day or night!

[garrettauthor]

CW: homophobia, transphobia

I could use some help.

I try not to go and read my own reviews. This is a good policy for any author.

BUT I do all my own marketing. Sometimes that means I go read them to see what people like, so I can market towards that.

Today I got a nasty surprise. While I wasn’t looking, some reviewer calling themself “Alf” appears to have made it their mission to trash my books in their reviews. 

They’re a homophobe and transphobe and that’s literally their entire problem with the books. They complain about the presence of gay characters, and then they complain about “gender confusion” and pronouns that are non gender specific.

And then of course there’s the accusation of “pushing an agenda.” 

Because you know, simply including a type of person that actually exists in the real world, is an “AGYENDYAAA” if that person isn’t straight, white, and cis (and preferably male).

They copy-pasted the exact same text in the reviews of four of my books. Here’s what they said (again, homophobia and transphobia content warning):

“I have read almost all of these books from this author. Each one of the books has had homosexuality figure prominently in the story lines, but they have gotten progressively more pronounced. The latest book I was reading has fully embraced the gender confusion and the inclusion of pronouns that are non gender specific has simply made the sections of the story including that character unwieldy and unreadable, trying to determine what they are referring to when he says" They went with them to their room" makes less sense when you know its referring to a single person. Whatever. The stories are pushing an agenda I don't want to be a part of in the books I read. So, no.”

They also titled one of the reviews, “They are great if you are gay.”

So ... thanks, I guess?

Normally I don’t even care about a bad review, even if the person is being bigoted or otherwise crappy. But this case is worse for two reasons:

This person then seems to have gotten a bunch of others to go and upvote their reviews. This means the one-star review is the FIRST thing new readers will see.

These reviews violate Amazon policy. As you can see from the above, they literally aren’t even reviews of the book. They’re reviews about me as an author, and about “my books” as a whole, which is against Amazon’s rules.

Also, I’m pretty sure Amazon prohibits reviews that are discriminatory against protected classes, though I admit I couldn’t find that in their review policy.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t even like having to make money through Amazon. But unfortunately, unless you’re a megastar, you have to use their platform to survive at all. 

So these reviews, aside from being against Amazon’s own rules, hit my bottom line and endanger my ability to keep writing.

How to help:

There’s one thing you could do that would take about thirty seconds and be a HUGE help.

You can report this person’s reviews, which, again, violate Amazon’s own rules.

Amazon doesn’t ask you why. You don’t even have to select a multiple-choice answer. You literally just click “Report abuse.” If Amazon gets enough alerts, they investigate, and they’ll find that these reviews violate their policies.

It’s literally twelve clicks on your computer or phone screen.

So if you’ve got ten seconds, here’s the Amazon pages where he left his reviews:

Blood Lust

Stone Heart

Nightblade Epic Volume One

Nightblade Epic Volume Two

Academy Journals Volume One

Literally just click the “Report abuse” link and you’re done.

I really, seriously appreciate it. 

And hey: if you want to buy books NOT THROUGH AMAZON, I sell print copies directly on my website.

Here’s an endorsement of them:

“They are great if you are gay.” — Alf, 2019

Reblogging this post is also immensely appreciated.

[weirdmarioenemies]

IT’S TIME TO TALK ABOUT BUGSNAX

Do you know about Bugsnax? You gotta know about Bugsnax! Everyone’s talkin’ ‘bout Bugsnax! The game that baffled viewers of the PS5 reveal, leading to many sarcastic jokes about it being “game of the year”, and leading so many to convince themselves and others that it MUST be secretly a horror game.

And that’s BOGUS! Even kind of rude, if you ask me. Isn’t it sad how so many simply cannot accept that something so unabashedly silly, so proudly whimsical, can exist without a twist? That the core concept, that the developers put so much passion into, isn’t seen as “enough”, and that it apparently must be a sort of cover-up? I sure think it is. It’s basically the new “were they on DRUGS when they made this”!

Of course, when I saw the reveal of Bugsnax, I knew the truth. That this was like a game tailor-made for me specifically. A creature-collecting game where EVERY single creature is not just food with googly eyes (which, by the way, puts EVERY Bugsnak on my Best Ever Characters List), but EVERY single one is based on some sort of invertebrate! Not a SINGLE collectable creature here that I dislike, or even not like that much!

And as we learned more, the passion only grew! Even the regular characters are funny creatures... there are mysteries to be uncovered... there’s a boatload of LGBT+ representation, even! There’s a non-binary character who’s just as prominent as everyone else, who everyone else effortlessly uses the correct pronouns for! 

At this point, I’ve not only become a quite prominent member of the Bugsnax fandom across the wiki and official Discord server, but I’ve now finally played Bugsnax, and it is my favorite piece of media ever. I am not exaggerating. Please, if you get the chance, play Bugsnax (by Young Horses Games, creators of Octodad, by the way!). I could go on for so long. But this is not a game review, it’s a creature review! And this is not just a Funky Friday. It’s Flavor Friday this week!

So I’m going to be talkin’ ‘bout a bunch of Bugsnax! Both some of the most major ones, as well as some of my top favorites. Each Snak’s name will be a link to a video of all their lovely voice clips! I will not be talking about any plot details, but some Bugsnax discussed will be ones not “officially” revealed at the time of the game’s release, so keep that in mind if it may concerns you!

STRABBY

We will start with Strabby, the first Bugsnak ever seen, as well as, without a doubt, the mascot! And I think it’s perfect for the role. It’s simple, it’s iconic, it’s cute, it’s silly, and I would probably say this about any Bugsnak if it were the mascot, but Strabby is the one with an official plush, so here we are!

Strabby is based on a ladybug, and maybe it doesn’t resemble one THAT much, but I still think it makes sense, as a red little “bug” with seeds resembling spots in a way, and being conventionally charismatic overall.

Also, say hello to Sprout! This baby Strabby in a ball is entrusted to the player to take on their adventure, and can be directed with a laser pointer to access small areas, and help catch other Bugsnax!

BUNGER

Strabby may be the mascot, but Bunger is, without a doubt, the breakout star! All Bugsnax are silly, but Bunger is absolutely goofy. This fast food rhino beetle runs around without a care in the world, saying “bungerbungerbunger”, and gleefully knocking any other creature it sees into next Tuesday. They also knock away any traps in their path, but their recklessness and love for ketchup is key to capturing them!

CINNASNAIL

Strabby and Bunger may be the only ones with dancing gifs (for now), but now we enter my FAVORITES! Starting with Cinnasnail, who is absolutely perfect in every way, and of course my number one favorite. A cinnamon roll snail is even a creature concept I’ve come up with and drawn myself over four years ago, and seeing Bugsnax have the same idea for my favorite creature was really magical! Of all the Bugsnax, Cinnasnail not only has my favorite “bug” basis, but maybe also my favorite snack basis. I do not eat cinnamon rolls very often at all, but they are so splendid. As a snail, it is of course rather easy to catch, but it tends to be JUST out of reach... you will need some way to retrieve the trap before it escapes!

FRYDER

Fryder may be cute like all the others, but it’s also really dang cool! I really love the visual of the ketchup cup being the main body, but also like a sort of obscuring hat. Fryder is based specifically on orb-weaving spiders, and unfortunately its ketchup webs did not make it into the final game, but it still behaves uniquely in that it lurks on cave ceilings until tempted with ketchup to come down!

DR SODIE

Dr Sodie is one of many Sodies throughout the game, all delightful and based on specific canned drinks, but Dr Sodie in particular is my favorite, thanks to its name, implying this Sodie has a medical license. At this point, you may be questioning how this is a snack at all, but Bugsnax are only KINDA bug and KINDA snack! This is 100% edible and 100% Bugsnak, baby! Sodie’s anatomy fascinated me even before I played the game, and hearing it SING made it for sure one of my top favorites! It is also one of the ones I was most confused on the bug basis for, until finding out that Sodies are shrimp! I think they have some of the most interesting behaviors, too. They swim happily around, but unlike most Bugsnax, they HATE sauce of all kind, and spray water to wash it all away! How inconvenient... or is it?

CRAPPLE

a CRAB! a CRABAPPLE! Delightful! It’s a bit hard to see here but yes, it does have eyestalks. Crapple is important to me on a personal level, you see. Every day, I eat an apple with peanut butter for breakfast. And Crapple’s favorite sauce is peanut butter! You can even cover Crapple itself with peanut butter! I can make peanut butter apple IN this game! As if it wasn’t perfect enough. Also wonderful is that Crapple is a curious creature and likes to pick things up and bring them back to its lair!

I really do have a lot to say about Bugsnax. But I think this is a good point to stop at for now, given the length of the post! There will be a part 2 in the future, and this one will probably be soon!

[charliejrogers]

Under the Skin (2014) - Review

For a lot of science fiction movies, I find myself enjoying the ideas of the film more than I think I actually enjoyed the film. It’s what I’ll refer to as the Annihilation-syndrome, named after the 2018 movie that I found to be an absolute bore while also being an exceedingly intellectually stimulating discussion about the nature of cancer, mutation, and biology in general. The film I am reviewing now, 2014’s Under the Skin, honestly is nowhere near as unenjoyable as Annihilation, but I mention the film because I think much of this review will focus on the really interesting ideas this movie brought up which might make you think I thought this is a masterpiece. It’s not. It’s good, very good even, but not as good as its theme and ideas.

A lot of my restrained enthusiasm has to do with the fact that the film is purposefully cryptic and full of esoteric imagery. While there are spoken parts, I don’t think much would be lost if we couldn’t hear what was being said. That is to say, the dialogue doesn’t do much to make sense of what we are seeing displayed on screen.In fact, there are large sections of characters interacting without any dialogue, yet everything is understood.

To its credit, what we are seeing is largely very beautiful from a cinematography point of view. Much of the film takes place in the city of Edinbugh, Scotland and it captures well the urban grit of the city and how our protganoist fits well within that urban environment. The way the red lights of Edinburgh’s traffic lighst cast a foreboding, menacing band over the protagonist’s eyes as she drives about town on the hunt for men to ensnare in her trap shows that this dangerous character is right at home in the anonymity of the city.

The protagonist is played by Scarlett Johansson, who spends most of the film alternating between being the pinnacle of seduction in the eyes of the heterosexual male gaze and being a lifeless void. That’s because Johansson plays an alien (I think) or at the very least a humanoid being who seems to have the sole purpose of finding lonely men, taking them back to her lair, and trapping them in a sunken-place-like void where ultimately everything but their skin is extracted from them. I’ll henceforth refer to this character simply as “the humanoid” with she/her pronouns for clarity. We never learn the humanoid’s motivations, but we know that she’s not acting alone. She’s supported in her ventures by a (presumably) humanoid motorcycle gang who also double as agents who will clean up her messes.

At the beginning of the film, the humanoid appears to have no free will or consciousness. When she comes across her first dead body, she is more interested with the ant crawling along the body than the woman who used to inhabit that body. She simply steals that woman’s clothes, and begins acting out what seems like a pre-designed course for finding and trapping men. As soon as she has completed an interaction with a human, all of the emotion drains straight out of her face. Johansson’s face takes on a scary lifelessness on par with Billy Skarsgård’s Pennywise the clown from the It movies. There’s a scene where the humanoid, in the process of attracting a new victim, stumbles across an infant that has been abandoned at the beach and is screaming out. Perhaps the director is toying with audiences’ biases that the humanoid, appearing as she does as a human woman, will “naturally” want to reach out and save this baby. That she doesn’t seems to signal to the highest degree that this “woman” is no woman at all, but a cold, merciless something else.

Yet, somehow, by the end of this movie, I found all my sympathies lying entirely with this decidedly inhuman killing machine who makes her living preying on people just like me. This is because something happens that changes the humanoid about midway through the movie. Up to that point, it would be easy to classify the film as a feminist revenge fantasy, where men’s penchant for objectifying women and their aggressive desire to “conquer” women is met with a dish that is served so very coldly. It’s oddly satisfying to watch men who will blindly get into a car with a complete stranger and follow her into a creepy house just because they want to fuck her, end up being exposed as little more than skin around a bag of meat.

But then the humanoid comes across a man whose face deviates greatly from the norm due to some unnamed medical condition. It very much resembles the face of the protagonist from The Elephant Man. He is out an a walk at night to the grocery store. The humanoid doesn’t see him like the rest of the world does. She doesn’t understand how insensitive her genuine question about why he shops at night might be to him. In a darkly ironic sense, she’s the first person in his life to truly see him as a man and not a hideous monster. He has none of the arrogant sexual bravado like the humanoid’s prior victims. He’s sexually innocent, a virgin. When she offers to take him back to her place, he doesn’t take pride in any successful conquest. We see that he’s pinching himself just to prove that he’s not dreaming. It’s a heartbreaking sequence. Whereas we may have been on board, at least symbolically, with the humanoid’s cool takedown of the patriarchy, this particular abduction flips the script. Our sympathies lie more with the man than the “woman.”

Why he doesn’t succumb to the same fate as the other men is not clear. Notably, he’s the first we’ve seen that isn’t fully erect despite the humanoid ardent attempts at seduction. Secondly, he’s like the first to take some stock of the fact that he’s been lured into some black void from another dimension. He obviously finds Johansson attractive, but it’s almost like he is more amazed by what is happening, his penis “disarmed” so to speak, compared to those who came before him who were “armed” to conquer. And in lacking their sexual aggression, he was deemed to have a “lighter”, purer heart, preventing him from sinking into the deep of her trap.

This seems to change the humanoid. It’s as if she questions her whole purpose in life up to that point. Maybe all those men who had come before were as gentle as sweet as this one. Or maybe she yearns to be more than a monster.

Previously we had seen the humanoid stare at women from her car in much the same she looked at men, yet we never see her take women as a victim. It’s more like she was curious by these creatures, like she didn’t know they would be there. She shows the same curiosity towards her own body. She stares at it, hugs her curves. Just after her encounter with the man with the dysmorphic face, she looks long at her face in the mirror and then at a fly stuck to a window. It’s as if she’s looking at how she looks to others (humanoid) compared to what she really is (more like a bug, an alien). As the film goes on, it’s almost as if she’s trying to convince herself the skin is not a farce, that it’s really her, that she’s real, and that there’s nothing else under the skin. There’s an ironic beauty in the dysmorphic man wanting to be seen for what’s on the inside where she wants to be seen for her outside.

We subsequently see the humanoid undergo something of a coming-of-age as she flees into the more rural surroundings of the bogs of Scotland, presumably to avoid her motorcycle-driving allies who don’t want her to veer off course. The camera work in this part of the film highlights her as a stranger in this strange land, with her hot pink sweater standing in stark contrast to the drab Scottish milieu. And truly from the rocky/pebbly beach below the impossibly high bluffs at the ocean to the Mars-like desert shrubbery of the bogs, Scotland has never made Earth look so alien. Yet it’s in this foreign land, far from the trappings of the dirty city that the humanoid experiences the pleasure of being a human, or more specifically being a woman. For a few days she is even one man’s princess, and I think it confuses her so much that she enjoys it.

The genius of this film is the way it makes you forget that the humanoid isn’t actually human. In the latter half of the movie we celebrate her cautious steps towards humanity. There is a love scene that is among the most intimate I’ve seen filmed. Yet, we also fear for her and feel sorry for her when her fantasy comes crashing down and it is revealed to her and to us that her initial approach to men proves was much more appropriate.

This is a slow film that rewards patience, but ultimately it doesn’t do much to excite. There are abstract sequences of light and color accompanied by discordant sounds of chanting that seem straight out of the Jupiter sequence from 2001: A Space Odyssey. These do little more than confuse, and sometimes bore. And even if the lack of excitement is deliberate (perhaps intended to deconstruct female seduction) that doesn’t make it anymore enjoyable. Still, it is a beautifully shot picture that provides a stunning condemnation of our male dominated society. It would manage to make even the most bitter-hearted viewer feel sympathy for a humanoid who just a half-hour ago was on a cold-blooded murder streak. Still, even if it doesn’t introduce any hard-hitting questions about humanity like the best sci-fi, in the end it revels in a different dominant theme of sci-fi: no matter the monster man meets, man is always the ultimate monster.

 *** (Three out of four stars)

[astralbooks]

A Dark and Hollow Star - Ashley Shuttleworth

Read: 10/03/2021 - 14/03/2021

Rating: 3/5

Rep: gay main character, bi main character, lesbian main character, questioning (later to be revealed as pansexual) main character, achillean relationship, sapphic relationship, genderfluid side character, minor character who uses neopronouns

CW: arson, blood/gore, body horror, death of a child, depression, disownment, divorce, drug use/addiction, grief, human trafficking, poverty, psychopathy, stalking, suicide (past, off-page), suicide ideation, toxic relationship/manipulation, trauma/PTSD, violence, gun violence, fantasy bigotry/othering, harry potter references

I liked all four of the main characters! We spend slightly more time with the girls, Arlo and Nausicaä, than we do with the boys, so we get to know them a bit better, and I really enjoyed both of their perspectives. 

Nausicaä is a former fury who hides her grief and truly atrocious mental health behind a veneer of not caring about the world around her, and Arlo is a half fae half human princess who’s mostly just trying to get through the day and decide whether or not she wants to go to university. I liked how they grew closer to each other after their initial mistrust, and gradually came to realise that they make a very good team. The boys, Vehan and Aurelian, get a little less focus, but I ended up loving them both just as much as I did the girls, if not more! Their relationship is more complicated than the girls’ is, and it’s something that I’d definitely be interested in seeing how it develops going forwards in the series.

There’s a lot of infodumping in this book. A lot of the description of the world could’ve been cut or reduced without losing anything of importance. Shuttleworth has built up a large and intricate world, and it’s understandable that they’d want to go into detail painting that picture, but much of it wasn’t necessary and made the book harder to get through. This kinda contributed to me feeling confused for pretty much the whole time I was reading. There was a Lot, and on top of that a lot of it wasn’t all that clear, which just compounded the issue. There was also so much description being thrown at me that I ended up missing what was actually happening, and I’m still not entirely sure how Arlo and Nausicaä ended up so involved with everything that was happening.

Honestly I think this book suffers from being the first in a series. More time gets dedicated to introducing characters and concepts and the world than gets dedicated to the actual story, but the flipside of this is that hopefully later books in this series won’t do that. One of my favourite series of all time does exactly this. The first book on its own is pretty meh, but when the whole series is viewed as one continuous thing it works really well! This book has got me curious enough to be willing to continue it, and hopefully this will follow that pattern.

Also, I got really excited when a minor character using xe/xem/xis pronouns popped up! I think this is the first book I’ve ever read that has a character that uses pronouns other than he/she/they/it, and it made me really really happy!

I would recommend this book to those who like urban fantasy, faeries, and all queer casts! But I’d maybe suggest holding off until more of the series is out first, as this book feels more like the necessary evil for being able to enjoy those than it feels like its own thing.

I received an e-arc through Netgalley in return for an honest review

[elliepassmore]

The Black Coast review

4/5 stars Recommended for people who like: high fantasy, multiple POVs, dragons, intricate plots I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review TW: some homophobia I really enjoyed the world of Black Coast and the clear world-building effort that had been put into it. Each of the different places and peoples/cultures were unique without being unrealistic. The religions and histories were well thought out, and even the language(s) had their own backgrounds. Some of the cultural practices seem strange, and indeed they do cause tension between the Tjakorshi and Naridans, and I found the manner of identification (referring to oneself as 'your son,' this warrior,' etc.) to be a bit unwieldy at first, I got used to it and barely noticed it the more the book went on. Each part of the book is prefaced by a short 'scholarly' passage describing some aspect of the world's languages, cultures, or creatures. While I'm sure these are meant to be helpful and give background/foreshadowing info, the only one I actually read all the way through was the very first one, which described the meanings of the six gender pronouns used by one of the book's languages. That one actually was helpful, since two of the POVs utilize that language and it's helpful for remembering how people are referring to one another. I really liked the two main plots in the book: one of the Tjakorshi settling in Blackcreek and the other of the Naridan royal family attempting to assassinate the Splinter family. I generally liked following the characters of each plot and learning about the people, places, and politics, however I think each plot would've been better served getting its own book. While there are obvious implications for how the Splinter assassination can impact the Tjakorshi-Naridan settlement, there are less clear implications for the reverse. Further, the two plots and sets of characters do not actually come together in this book and I think they could've been served better each having their own book, then coming together in a later one (as I assume will happen), especially since the POVs got somewhat unwieldy. In terms of the POVs, there's about four major ones, with another handful of minor ones bringing the total up to, I think, 7 POVs. Now, four main POVs isn't bad and I've read a number of books with this number of narrating characters. The problem arises when we begin adding the others into the mix and giving them a handful of chapters here and there, and then it gets very complicated keeping track of who's who and where. I can understand adding some additional POVs for moments that will have a later impact but for which none of the main characters are present, though I think I'd prefer if it was 3rd limited rather than 1st, but that was not the case here. We started out with our main four...then we add Rikkut, then Evram, then Zhaana, and while these characters have important roles to play I question whether those roles, perhaps with the exception of Rikkut, really required their own chapters. Evram and Zhanna probably could've been given one or two chapters to fill in some gaps, but I didn't need to know past the bare details of what Evram was up to or that Zhanna was bored in the palace (especially since it didn't tell us anything new about her character or relationships). So, due to the confusion I had for the first 30% of the book due to POVs, I had to knock down the score slightly. In terms of characters, there's a pretty hefty cast, but Brooks does a good job giving each their own personalities and feels, so it didn't really ever feel like I was reading a Daimon chapter when I was reading Tila or Saana, or like Jeya had the same voice as the others. The side characters were also distinguished well, though I'm really only going to hit on these main four characters since, again, the cast is pretty large. Tila is an interesting character to read. She's the first POV we're exposed to in the book and, at first, I really did not like her. However, as the book went on and she went on her own plot adventure I began to like her more. Tila is part of Plot B, which centers around the Naridan royalty (aka Tila and her brother, Natan) deciding to assassinate the Splinter family, who claimed to have more of a right to the throne and as a result needed to flee to another country. She's not really a good person but she's certainly good at what she does and has decent reasoning behind why she does what she does (not that I agree, but I can certainly see how she got to where she did). It's obvious she cares for her brother, whom I would've liked to see more of, and is loyal to her family and country. Something I thought Brooks did cleverly was to switch around the 'masked vigilante' character by having the princess be the one who was masked the the vigilante wall around bare faced. Tila definitely walks a tricky line and I'm curious to see how that will play out for her. Daimon is, I think, the next narrator and is less likeable. He's fine in his first chapter, but later on he does and says stuff that makes me feel apathetic toward him...but at the same time I didn't want him to die, so maybe I don't totally dislike him, but still. He certainly has a lot of weight on his shoulders trying to make the Tjakorshi-Naridan melding work, which is Plot A, but I also feel like if he maybe didn't still have the mindset that they were no-nothing savages that it might go a bit better, especially at first. I understand that he can't change everyone's minds, but I do think Daimon has a responsibility to correct people when they say in front of him, and especially in front of any Tjakorshi, that the Tjakorshi are uncivilized or savages. Like, it's not that hard and would go a long way toward reinforcing the idea that that kind of behavior is unacceptable. I think one of my problems with him is that he's so stuffy for most of the book. Anyway, he definitely has his flaws but there are times when I do like him and enjoy reading his POV, especially when he's around his brother. Saana is the Tjakorshi chief who brought her people across the ocean to flee from The Golden. She's already done a lot of hard work by the time the book opens and hopes everything will work out but also isn't totally confident it will. I liked Saana better than Daimon and I think she might be one of my favorite characters in the book. She lets things roll off her fairly easy and is pretty determined to make things work. Saana also, admittedly, has some negative thoughts and words about how the Naridans live, but I also feel like she's more willing to give, perhaps because she knows they don't have any other option other than to play nice. One thing I really didn't like about her was the homophobia, which I have many thoughts about and will get into below. Overall I like most of Saana's character and empathize with the struggles she faces trying to get everyone to work together when the Naridans and Tjakorshi of the town end up at odds with one another again and again, but I'm not a fan of the homophobia aspect, even if she has vowed to change that. Jeya is the last main narrator and is my other favorite character in the book. She is a thief living in Adaba and happens to steal from (and is promptly caught) a very rich person whose identity is kept 'secret' for most of the book but whose identity is also, at the same time, totally obvious. Anyway, she has an interesting way of looking at the world and I enjoyed reading through her eyes. I almost feel like she's a younger character, but her mysterious friend is referenced as an adult by someone else and she has a younger friend herself, so I assume she's at least majority age, if not older. I could actually probably stand to read a whole book about Jeya's adventures, screw the other plotlines, and hope things turn out well for her considering the mess she's inadvertently walked into. And super quick, since it is relevant, Rikkut works for The Golden, a draug that is attempting to do...something...with the world. I'm not quite sure what. He's terrifying enough that he slaughters towns and sent Saana and her people running across the ocean, but he also claims he's trying to save people. Right. I'm not entirely sure what he's actually doing, but I doubt it's good. Rikkut is an unpleasant character. Definitely my least favorite narrator, and I kept hoping throughout the book that he'd die. But he does make a good character for seeing what the villains are up to. Now, back to the homophobia. Narida is LGB friendly (idk about T it doesn't really come up) and Tjakorsha is not. Several characters explain it as a need for survival (one that oh-so-coincidentally got caught up in their god), but that doesn't make it any better and there's a couple of scenes where that really comes to a head. I especially don't like how it comes up the first time: a gay man gets drunk and kisses another man without consent. Like, this couldn't've come up literally any other way?! Two guys taking care of their kid or the scene later in the book, perhaps? The trope of the predatory gay plays so heavily into homophobic narratives and into the history of LGB representation that it feels very icky here, particularly since it was the first encounter with an openly gay character in the book. So, while the homophobia is addressed (Daimon actually handles this fantastically and is willing to go to bat for LGB Naridans and Tjakorshi) and there's is a proposed attempt to start overcoming it, I did not like it and knocked the score down. Overall I enjoyed the book, though Plot A had somewhat of a deus ex machina ending, in my opinion. The Narida-Tjakorsha settlement is the heftier plot in this book and as such we get to know more characters from that plot than from Plot B. I liked Tavi, Zhanna, and Darel, who all come from Plot A, but really only liked Galem and Natan as side characters from Plot B.

[eggheadsguidetorunning]

Top Ten Films I saw in @)!&

10.) Last Jedi/It

                I enjoyed Last Jedi, I think half of you will agree with that statement and another half will not where as the rest will not have even read this. But I did enjoy Last Jedi the use of space battles were awesome, the fight seen with Luke amazing, Lelia surviving in space weird. And that is the kind of problem with this Star Wars movie there are many great scenes but then there is something just off, something that doesn’t work at all. In the end this has just enough great moments to keep me loving it and interested in the next Star Wars, which I was probably already invested in.

                Considering another movie It was a enjoyable movie. It, that being the pronoun not the title although I guess it could still be the title I mean it works both ways NO focus Matt, had some great moments of friendship and development of strikingly relatable characters. At the same time there were for almost every two great moments some moments that were simply off. Like really, why did you decide to give a chain and a wife beater to the abusive dad after he decides to chase his daughter I mean at this point we already no he is bad news and is that also supposed to show that anyone who wears a chain and wife beater is suspicious for being abusive? I mean it is really nitpicking but that one net pick left me confused, I don’t know why it just did, for the rest of the movie which is still enjoyable. And since that is more of a personal scene that isn't right for the rest how about that rock throwing scene wasn't that odd?

In the end both these movies present a similar problem they are both here for nostalgic appeal and while being good enjoyable movies are weighed down by the few poor decisions they make. And if you don’t like a tie the bad news is that Star Wars wins the war of nostalgia for me because I still have memorized the sequence for the battle of yavin IV.

 9.) Captain Underpants

This movie confused me when I first saw it but the good kind of confusion. I was in awe of the fact that this movie, of all the Hollywood movies that were adapted from comics or books, this one this one for some reason decided to follow its source material precisely. Even with what it added seemed like something that could easily be added to and make sense in the source material. Like I could totally see George and Harold doing a parody of Handles Messiah when they found out a villain had a funny name. But this still led me to a question why Captain Underpants? As much as I enjoyed this movie why did this get a proper adaptation? I thought maybe I was reaching when I watched a critic I like talking about this movie and halfway through he stopped talking about Captain Underpants and started talking about the cartoons he drew as a kid. I having no artistic talent and barely even being able to write well, you are probably already tired of all the gramma mistakes I have made through this piece you probably also hate my jokes, didn’t write or make any comics as a kid but I did read many of the comics my friends and siblings wrote. That is when I realized the movie perfectly shows that feeling and care of being young and doodling stories in your notes and I put it here for that, also it is funny movie.

8.) Wonder Woman

This movie is awesome even with the beard helmet I love its use of Christiania to help get across the story of Greek mythology to a wider audience. I love the characteristics of Wonder Woman doing everything to help and the badass fighting scenes I love that the people without super powers help and make a difference. I don’t know what else to say without out spoiling it if you haven’t seen it see it this is the movie that will hopefully lead to more blockbusters with female heroes. Jeeze, it’s almost like if you make the movie more about the hero instead of the gender of the hero then it becomes a better movie who would have thunk it. Talking to you 1990s.

7.) Murder on Orient Express

The thing is these are turning into reviews and the general thought for this top ten should be: DUDE!!! you need to see these movies! And should say only that letting you go in cold I bring that up because putting a mystery on your list is not a good thing because there isn’t much for me to talk about because I don’t want to spoil anything. That being said I can say the portrayal Hercule Pirot is amazing the character is interesting in a manner I haven’t seen in a while. No not Sherlock Holmes interesting his own kind of interesting, I really hope we see more of him in the future.

6.) Disaster Artist

You’re tearing me apart James Franco. I mean this movie is still great despite the character of the actor playing a person with questionable character. In fairness this is a movie that needs to be seen in honor of not the room or tommy but because of Greg Sestero. This guy puts up with so much shit and forgives so much he needs to be a role model. Man he is such a good person just for putting up with this, go see this movie.

5.) Coco

Coco is a story about family and the necessity of letting family be free of family. It is about tradition and about not letting traditions being tie one down and most importantly is about forgiveness. It is a complex use of more contradicting themes that I am not smart enough to notice, but it still feels lacking. I think what weights it down to only number five on this list is that it seems too Disney it seems like the villain is too evil the ending is too happy, even for Pixar which had a string of bitter sweet endings. Of course the sweet ending makes sense I guess since that same problem hit Zootopia last year. In the end many won't care about that as Coco is still a stellar movie and the way it uses Hispanic culture is mesmerizing. 

4.) The Shape of Water

This movie is great. Like it is great fun I can't think of a award chasing movie that is as much fun as this one is. Everything happens in this movie EVERYTHING. Here's a slight list of things that happen in this movie, still trying to keep spoilers to a minimum so bare with the brevity, this movie is a comedy, an intrigue plot movie, a romance, a realism movie, a fantasy, a freaking musical, and a scam artist movie Ocean Eleven style. When I think of this movie I can only think of how fun it is which is why I want this movie to be the movie that wins gold for sucking Hollywoods cock if anything has to win it. I know Post will win but I want this one to.

3.) Guardians of the Galaxy 2

Maybe this should be four but naaahh, with more time to develop and grow the characters we loved from the first Guardians Guardians 2 is able to push  and to develop these characters as well as develop  and add more characters too develop. Plus I’m a complete and total sucker for a movie that provides a awesome soundtrack and then uses that soundtrack. I love this space rock opera I want more.

2.) Detroit

Leaving fun town next stop depression valley. Honestly the only real reason Detroit isn’t number one is because I didn’t see it in theaters I saw it on dvd, speaking of it’s the only reason John Wick 2 isn’t on this list. But Detroit is a horror movie I want to watch again and again because this is the type of movie that keeps me up at night staring at the ceiling hating myself and the world around me. It makes me use my mind to try and justify a world were this could even happen. Secondly this movie forces me to think from a perspective that I literally can never understand and offers a true piece of understanding with it. This is a movie that I can say changed me, maybe only a little, maybe a lot but it did change me.

2b.) Logan

I know I’m cheating but a lot of good movies came out this year so I’m going to cheat just this year. Don’t get confused this is 2b and is under Detroit its more like 3a I guess but still I maybe shouldn’t have put Logan on here because I almost forgot about it. But almost forgetting about it has more to do with it coming out so early in the year. It would be wrong to leave out an adult a truly adult version of wolverine and in many extent the X-men as a whole. This movie is fantastic in everything it does and I want more way more movies in the future to follow its example. We can have more smart adult super hero movies.

1.)Baby Driver

Like I said earlier I’m a sucker for a good soundtrack paired with great action. I can’t remember the last time I saw a movie and left with an adrenaline rush. The idea of making a movie in which one can only hear what the main character hears is extraordinary and someone else must have thought of it and I got to see that whatever it is even if it is bad. This movie is hype this movie is exhilarating this movie is insane. Let me put it this way in the first 6 min if the movie decided to end after this I would have seen everything I needed to see and this movie kept going from there delivering more than that. Baby this is a SWEEET movie!

[bentchcreates]

Start Here, Stories of First Encounters 

Let me just say this right off the bat, I’m giving this 6 of 5 Stars! First of all, the editors and my co-authors deserve the 5.5 of 5 Stars. This is my favorite book this year, cheesy for me to say, but it is! I’m giving a half star more for my own story because I’m very proud of this, okay? :P I’ll talk more about that on a separate blog post, haha.

To begin, I want to thank the editors (and our PM, Hi Mina!) for coming up with this anthology. The intros by Ron and Brij, in itself, were already strong messages to those who are looking for contemporary romance that represents Filipinos of this time, LGBTQIAP or not. It perfectly put out the reasons behind the conception of this anthology, as well as the hope that this sparks a flame towards more Queer Romance and Queer HEA in Philippine Literature.

1. In the Moonlight by Agay Llanera

This was a sweet start to set the tone for the rest of the stories. It’s an awesome sequel to my other favorite, Another Word For Happy. And like what I said in my review for AWFH last year, Caleb seems to have been made after my own heart.

I wish I was exaggerating, but the indecision, the awkward reaction to ‘the kiss’, the hyperawareness to the smallest of things, IT ME! When I was Caleb’s age, at least. LOL. And I’m sure a lot of gay people (maybe not even gay people, everyone, really) will find it relatable one way or another.

What Caleb is better than me, though, is his courage towards the end of the story. He did something I never would’ve been able to do. And I hope when others read this, they’d be inspired to be braver, too.

2. Come Full Circle by Bobbi Moran

I love me some slow burn romance and huhu, the slow burn in this one killed me (in a good way!).

This short felt quite episodic as the characters are shown through different stages of them finding themselves – and eventually, love – but that slow progression allowed me to really root for them to be together at the end.

I found the attention to detail fascinating (especially the architectural ones when Alana and Marion went on a holiday) but what I loved most about this is the accuracy of tiptoeing in a relationship when one is still unsure where the other one stands. I mean, relationships are already complicated without the whole guessing-and-hoping-the-other-one-plays-on-the-same-team narrative, but add in sexual confusion (and tension!) and you’re in for a wild, but nonetheless more interesting, ride. This story tied to a full circle satisfyingly.

3. Gorgeous by Motsie Dapul

This is probably my first F/enby romance and it certainly lived up to its title. This might also be the first fiction story I’ve read using the singular they/them pronoun and while it took me about a minute to re calibrate my [faulty] sense of grammar, it wasn’t jarring and it told Jays and the MC (I’m not 100% sure she was named, I need to reread the story, stat!)more genuinely for me.

It is also somewhat a variation of the enemies to lovers trope which is always interesting. I’m happy to note that there is grovel. :) 

I think what I want to focus more about this story is how something that happened years ago, something that seemed small and irrelevant to you, might mean a whole different world to another person. And simple things like words said haplessly, or actions that weren’t well thought of in our youth, could still impact us as adults no matter how much we’ve changed in the time in between.

This story tells and awesome story of discovering one’s self, discovery of love, and acceptance of the MC’s past, present and future with Them. :)

4. Shipping Included by Danice Sison

Can this be any cuter?? <3 <3 <3

I will admit that I didn’t get all the KPop references but I know those who are knowledgeable (and obsessed) with oppas will appreciate and enjoy this.

Done in alternating POVs between the protagonists, David and Kiko, the story’s strength lay on the well-rounded characterization of the heroes, as well as the kids who made their meetcute extra cute! There is a glimpse of what it must be like to be a Filipino KPop fan while also focusing the spotlight on those who don’t share the dedication but support their loved one’s hobbies nonetheless.

The Kuya and Tito may not be in their girls’ fandoms but Kpopocalypse gave them (all of us, really) a different reason to swoon and make fingerhearts at each other.  

5. Delubyo by Barbie Barbieto

This is beautifully written.

This was the first work from the author that I’ve read and I loved it so much, it made me seek out her other work. Haha. The style and flow of words are smooth and easygoing, it hooked me up real quick.

Add to that is Pebbles’ odd four-month relationship rule which I thought was mean at first, but actually makes so much sense and is understandable from someone who’s constantly afraid to put her heart on the line. Still, I don’t tolerate it. (I loved this so much, I’m super invested and I want to have a talk with Pebbles bec huhu, the poor ex-girlfriends! LOL)

I love the progression of her feelings towards Gabrielle, told brilliantly somewhere in the middle of the story – after that awesome beginning! It made the ending such a relief and a source of immense kilig!

6. The Other Story by H. Bentham

*sly grin emoji*

7. Blooms and Hues by Ella Banta

I loved the softness of the themes in this short story, reminiscent of Gay YA fiction I used to devour in college (from foreign authors like Brian Sloan, Alex Sanchez, John Hall, etc.) and the short films I still find on YouTube from time to time.

It is a lovely addition to this anthology, despite not being heavy on the romance like the other stories, especially since being queer in this country, love, relationships - and matters of the heart in general - are less likely to be this soft and dreamy. (At least during my time as an actual young adult. IDK, maybe kids these days are allowed this gay tenderness we weren’t given access to. It wasn’t even such a long time ago, I mean…anyway, that’s not what this review is all about. I got distracted. lol)

The artistic MC and LI are adorable. And flowers! I’m never not in love with stories where flowers come into play.

8. Another First by Yeyet Soriano

I admit that I felt scared to continue with this once it was established that Jess, the MC, is in a long term relationship at the beginning of the story. I dislike scenes with messy break-ups due to cheating, but I soldiered on and was greatly relieved that this didn’t go that way.

I liked that the characters acted like the adults that they are and that this did not turn into a rehash of popular love-triangle telenovela plots. I especially loved the part where things had to settle down and fall into place for all characters (Jess, Lili and even Matt) separately at first – on a personal level – before the romance could be resolved. It showed a healthy depiction of self-discovery and acceptance a little bit later in life.

9. Luck from the Skies by Katt Briones

This one I’ve actually read before the book came out and ugh, rereading it second, third and fourth time did not make it less wonderful! The characters have supporting roles from Katt’s other book, Chasing Mr. Prefect, but the timeline here is before that book’s time.

I liked the fictional artista/modeling angles and the progression of friendship between Chan and Asher towards a romantic ship (#ChaSher5everr!!!). The rainy weather theme is also very Filipino and how it plays in the advancement of the plot is just brilliant! And kilig! So kilig!

Sab is defineitely a scene stealer (I love bestfriends!) but since the romance was so strong in the first place, she didn’t overshadow my boys. LOL.

Also, prepare to crave bulalo!  

10. Lemon Drop Friday by Brigitte Bautista.

“Here goes [Brij] again, making a mess [with my heart]”

When I was reading the review copy and got to this point in the book, I stopped for a full day before I started this story. Part of me knew I would breeze through it and I didn’t want the book to end just yet. And I was right.

Brij did it again! Made me fall in love with her mastery of words and then made me cry because this was so good and so satisfying.

I was highlighting passages throughout the book (for review notes) but with this one, I couldn’t even stop to highlight words, I just wanted to fully immerse in that universe and feel the love, and the fear of rejection, and the ultimate HEA where these messy girls finally, finally got together!

I have a favorite quote (aside from the mis-quote above. Lol)

“If she looked at me a tad longer, she would figure it out.”

Argh! MY HEART! I loved Tala’s POV so much! It’s quirky and funny and honest and SO relatable. I’m done talking about this because I WILL SPOIL IT FOR EVERYONE so please get the book and read it! :P

To end, again I want to thank everyone who worked (and continue to work hard to promote) this book! I cannot fully express into words how important this is to me, as well as to others who might need these stories in their lives (whether they know it or not). I hold this dear this not because it is among the first queer books from #romanceclass, but more because all were written with wonderful skill and heart. Each story offers something unique for the reader who might be reading queer for the first time as well as someone looking for themselves in the written page,

We yearned so much to be represented well. We craved for stories we can connect to on a deeply personal level. We waited for our happy endings, in fiction at the very least.. This is definitely the beginning of us getting all that. And more.

Blurb:

There’s a first time for everything. Gatecrashing a KPop concert with an oppa in a business suit. Taking shelter from the storm with the girl you’ve been meaning to shake off. That kiss that blurs the line between friendship and something more. A one-night stand (or, is it?) with your best friend from across the hallway.

Dive into these 10 stories of first encounters – unapologetically queer, happy endings required, with a smattering of that signature #romanceclass kilig. Whether you’re recalling your own firsts or out there looking for one, there’s a story in here for you.

So, go on.

Turn the page.

Start here.

Edited by Ronald S. Lim and Brigitte Bautista. Featuring short stories by Agay Llanera, H. Bentham, Ella Banta, Danice Sison, Yeyet Soriano, Barbie Barbieto, Katt Briones, Bobbi Moran, Motzie Dapul, and Brigitte Bautista. This anthology contains M/M, F/F, F/NB romance stories with happy endings. Some stories have a high heat level.

Release Date: January 27, 2018

Book Cover Design: Dani Hernandez

Additional Photography: Alexandra Urrea & Chachic Fernandez

Buy Links:

Pre-order Start Here on Amazon: bit.ly/rcStartHere Order Start Here on paperback (PH only): bit.ly/StartHere-PrintPH

Add Start Here on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37880247-start-here

Author links:

Katt Briones: @kttbri (Twitter& IG)

Ella Banta:  @gabbie_ellaine (Twitter) , @ellamaepot (IG),  gabrielluna.wordpress.com (blog) , https:// www.facebook.com/ ellabantawriting/ (FB)

Agay Llanera:  http:// amzn.to/ 2k2gj34.(Amazon)

Yeyet Soriano: @ysrealm (Twitter & IG) @Yeyetsorianowrites (FB), www.yeyetsoriano.com (blog), yeyetms@gmail.com

Danice Sison: @hastyteenflick (Twitter)

Bobbi Moran: bobbimoran26@gmail.com

Motzie Dapul: FB.com/atemozzarella, FB.com/atemozzarellastories, @atemozzarella (Tumblr) , mozzarellastories.wordpress.com (blog), motzie.dapul@ gmail.com.

Barbie Barbieto: @barbiebarbieto (Twitter),  barbiebarbieto.com (blog) 

H. Bentham: this is me. heh.

Editors: 

Brigitte Bautista: @brijbautista (Twitter & IG), brijbautista.wordpress.com (blog)

Ronald S. Lim: @tristantrakand (Twitter), ronlim20@gmail.com