#with really pretty prose and all that jazz

[pizzaqueen]

But whyyyyyyy do I have to be so self conscious about the kind of fic I enjoy writing??? 😫

It can’t just be me who gets like this right? I live for fluff but sometimes I’m embarrassed that it’s all I write ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

(Okay that tag is meant to say romance but I’m on mobile and I do not want to write them all again 🙄)

[seat-safety-switch]

Believe me, nobody was more jazzed about my interview with Consumer Reports than me. I grew up as a kid reading its dry, dry prose, dreaming about the day when I, too, would get to smash the living shit out of consumer appliances until they fell apart. Savagery would flow through my pen, dismantling multinational corporations for the capital crime of having made a dishwasher with buttons that scratch easily.

I had been "funemployed" for quite some time. In fact, I'd been without a job for so long that my parole officer told me I had to go get one, otherwise they would put me back in the hole. So, I decided to go out on a limb and write Consumer Reports about all the torture testing I'd been doing to my half-century-old menagerie of shitboxes. A few minutes after I sent the email, I got a breathless, panicked phone call from the head destructive testing engineer, who told me to get on a fucking plane and head out there pronto.

Plane? Plane? I made a solemn vow in my youth to never get in an automobile driven by anyone else. And even though it flies through the air using what I think is an elaborate series of lies, an airplane certainly qualifies. I cashed the plane ticket in for gas money, and then set out for a road trip in my most reliable 1978 Volare, its trunk packed full of spare fluids, tires, and parts, almost none of which I had to use.

There was just one problem. Their headquarters are located in a pretty weird spot of an industrial park. One of those big skyscrapers-on-skyscrapers places where nobody lives, and the food sucks, but there are thousands of parking spots. They all look the same, and I think I transposed a digit in the address when I was punching it into my GPS (a Garmin from 1997, whose speaker barely works and whose power supply consists of an absurd number of ganged-together solar panels that I broke out of desk calculators.) When I turned up, the building looked like any of the other ones in the complex, so I went on in.

The good news? I got the job. The bad news? The good folks at Kitchenaid were so terrified about how aggressively I dismantled their test blender that my job is "being paid to stay at least 100 feet away from any and all Kitchenaid employees, at all times." It pays pretty well, though, which is to their credit. I think it's because I made a good first impression. And second. And third. They really should have made those chopping-blade impellers out of a better plastic.

[dragonofeternal]

I'm so discouraged about Nano this year...

Like, obviously I wasn't gonna donate any damn money or buy any merch with everything that happened this year + last year, even though Killian and I used to BOTH donate yearly.

But I still wanted to do the challenge because... I dunno! Killian and I have been doing it pretty regularly for the past decade, and we've both done it intermittently for even longer. It's a good way to make myself sit down and bust out a bunch of words before winter hits and the long nights tank my productivity. It feels good to bust out a bunch of shit!

This year I just... ugh.

The website is broken as fuck. They bungled their store and instead are doing dropshipping of the MOST generic merch they've had in years. The forums are STILL locked and unusable because they've decided it's too hard to have them open. Every fucking word out of their mouths on social media feels like it's pointing fingers at participants for being too hard on Nano and not caring enough.

Their social media message about today's website issues really made me see red, ESPECIALLY the third paragraph:

For those of you who aren't hardcore Nano peeps, you maybe don't know about the website update- but in 2017 they held a fundraiser to do a big overhaul of the website, which was dated but still very functional. (Well, the whole having to delete the entire forum every year thing was super janky but like. It still worked.) The fundraiser raised $57,320 to fund a new website. In 2019 they rolled out said website.

And it fucking sucks.

Like, the new Nano website is pretty universally despised. It's laggy, it's not intuitively laid out, and it just kinda generally enshittified something dated but functional in a way that's hard to describe.

And the forums? Hope you enjoy a shittily implemented instance of Discourse! They, too, are somehow far harder to navigate than they were before. I loved hanging out on the Nano forums, but each year they are less and less active, probably because they suck to use! And, maybe this is a small stupid thing, but I hate that it no longer gives you the word count for your comment as you type. It was such a little touch, but seeing my word count go up on my comment was both inspiring (wow! Look at how easily you can write all those words!) and a little shaming (oh wow I really did just write a 500 word comment instead of 500 words of prose.... I should probably go do that....) in a way that was really effective at getting me motivated!

And they have the fucking gall to go "OUR LAST UPDATE WAS IN 2019 AND IT JUST WASN'T GOOD, GEE GUYS YOU CAN JUST LOOK AND SEE THAT OUR TECH IS BAD~" Motherfucker you collectively received $57 grand to redo the website and gave us back crap for it!!!

And so with all that going on plus, ya know, the racism, the child grooming, the bad AI takes, etc etc etc I just am having a hard time getting jazzed about busting out a bunch of words in an ill-advised madcap dash! You can write a shit ton of words at any time of year, but Nanowrimo's sense of community made it feel electric and fun and like an Event. But now I don't have that. I just feel bloopy and frustrated and unmotivated and like this is not even "The beginning of the end" but the limping, sagging middle act of the end that should have been taken out in edits.

SIGH.

I'm gonna go try to write some anime boys fucking now and see if that lifts my spirits....

[illarian-rambling]

Thanks for the tag @davycoquette!

Writblr Questionaire

My lore! For you!

About You:

When did you start writing?

Honestly, not that long ago. I was a sophomore in high-school when I wrote my first short story (it was about a student wizard selling wizard adderall to make ends meet), so that'd have been 3 or 4 years ago. I've always been imaginative, but that was the first time I put pen to paper instead of just daydreaming.

Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write?

I mean, I'm a high fantasy girly through and through. I will admit though, I like writing romance way more than I like reading it.

Is there an author (or just a fellow writer!) you want to emulate, or one to whom you’re often compared?

If I could impact people's emotions as much as Brandon Sanderson's writing has impacted mine, I will die happy. And it might be basic, but I've always wanted to write prose like Patrick Rothfuss. I can't say anyone has ever compared my writing to anyone else's that I can remember.

Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)? (Room, coffee shop, desk, etc.)

I have a favorite spot on my couch where I nest up with a blanket and a snack. Usually, a cat is also there and being unhelpful. If I need a change of scenery, I'll go to this crepe place a little ways away.

What’s your most effective way to muster up some muse?

If I'm feeling burnt out, I take a few days off, then I'm usually good to go. I'll draw instead, or watch an inadvisable amount of caving disaster videos. A good long drive can also help.

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

Oh, most definitely. I live in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. My redneck claims to fame are eating a rabbit my mom shot, hand feeing a raccoon some hot wings, and catching snakes for a living. Thus, a lot of my characters are country as hell. Also, I'm in college for microbiology, so I write about a lot of scientist characters and have a lot of university settings. These things come together in Astra DuClaire - a runic engineer and certified hillbilly, which is a combo of don't see a lot of, but should honestly exist more considering the feats of engineering I see at the rat rod shows down here.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

I'm really bad at picking up on my own themes, but I'd say perseverance is a big one. No matter how bad things get, sometimes you gotta keep walking. Also, kindness. Most of my main characters are fundamentally kind and when they help people, that good karma is paid forward.

Your Characters:

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character? (Current WIP, past WIP, never used, etc.)

Currently, I've been pretty jazzed with this big Avymere chapter I've been working on. Their character development has been really juicy so far. But in the end, I love all my ocs equally.

Which of your characters do you think you’d be friends with in real life?

Honestly, most of them. I think Izjik would be chill as fuck to hang out with, and once they're out of their shells, Sepo and Twenari would make for some awesome conversations. Djek and Astra are a lot for my introverted self, but in small doses, we could have a blast. Mashal is a sweetheart, of course, and so is Elsind. And while Avymere is intimidating, we could bond over martial arts. Also, all the ghosts are just plain fun.

Which of your characters would you dislike the most if you met them?

You might notice who I left off that list. Ivander is a snarky bastard, but not in a funny way. He's more like a middle school bully. He'd call me broke and swagless, then I'd smack him and he'd die on the spot.

Tell me about the process of coming up with of one, all, or any of your characters.

They arrive in my mind from the void. I usually come up with their core traits pretty fast. Actually, Astra's the odd one out here because it took me a month or so to solidify her character. But yeah, I don't have much of an interesting answer for this one.

Do you notice any recurring themes/traits among your characters?

Two big ones jump out at me. One, most of them will help a stranger. Izjik and Sepo took in Twenari right after finding her washed up on a beach. Djek spared Izjik and Sepo's lives because he simply knew killing them was wrong. Astra saved Mashal's life after finding him on the side of the road out of nothing but the goodness of her heart. The second trait is not unrelated - they're all nosy as hell. They love eavesdropping, drama, and gossip. I'm not sure why this is, but everyone from Ivander and his dirty rumors to Elsind and their saucy romance books adores sordid tales.

How do you picture them? (As real people you imagined, as models/actors who exist in real life, as imaginary artwork, as artwork you made or commissioned, anime style, etc.)

In my brain, they're just colorful versions of the most realistic version of my art style.

Your Writing:

What’s your reason for writing?

I love doing it, why else? In all seriousness though, writing gives me an outlet for a lot of emotions I have a hard time expressing in real life. So, basically, I'd explode or something if I didn't.

Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

Nothing makes me happier than when people tell me they're excited to find out what happens next. Also, seeing any headcanons and theories is like a free hit of dopamine every time.

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work? (For example: as a literary genius, or as a writer who “gets” the human condition; as a talented worldbuilder, as a role model, etc.)

Just... cool, I guess? I want people to relate to my characters and be intrigued by my worldbuilding. I don't want to be the next literary sensation. I just want people to enjoy and talk about my stories.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

I also feel like I write action quite well and have a unique voice. My descriptions ride the line between flowery and fun.

What have you been frequently told your greatest writing strength is by others?

People say they're drawn in by my characters and that my worldbuilding has a sense of depth.

How do you feel about your own writing? (Answer in whatever way you interpret this question.)

I feel pretty good about it! Not all the time, obviously, but overall, I think I keep improving and building my skills with every word I write.

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

Yup. I like reading my own writing. It's almost like it was written by someone who shares my exact literary tastes.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy? If it’s a mix of the two, which holds the most influence?

I can't honestly say I've ever thought about what other people would enjoy, so I guess I write for myself. I'm confident enough that a fair amount of people share my preferences, so hopefully it all works out in the end.

I'll tag @kaylinalexanderbooks @elizaellwrites @ashwithapen @i-am-moss-the-boss and anyone else who wants in :)

[carsonian]

i saw you reblogged the ask game and i got very curious and excited. limiting myself to two questions bc honestly i would be interested to hear you answer every single one but i choose ❤️ and 👻 x

Ho ho ho...waheyyyy, heyyyyaaa whiny! K! Let's get into this.

❤️ What is your favorite line that you’ve written in a fic?

TOUGH question mostly because I can't fucking remember anything.

I have lines that still make me laugh:

And two fics that I think hold up pretty well prose-wise: "As They Are" and "Must Admit I'm Out of Bright" but I'd be hard-pressed to find a good serious line.

Oh, wait!! I really like the poem young-pining-Steve wrote young-Tony in "The Remarkable People Initiative & The Zugzwang Dilemma", also a riff off of the poem Ben wrote Beverly in IT. That fic is chock full of references to other children-encountering-huge-scary-things novels.

There we go, that's the answer.

👻 What is your wildest headcanon?

My wildest headcanons aren't that wild. Mostly stuff about the Avengers as people. Like.

Clint's got the best music taste in the OG Avengers (Sam wins overall). It's not that he's particularly musically inclined; it's just that he's listened to a lot more music, he keeps up with new artists, goes for variety, and is able to curate his listening experience better. He makes an active effort so by default he gets the aux.

Natasha likes hard 90s (only 90s!) dubstep and has Opinions about classical music but mostly just listens to whatever Clint's put on during a stakeout. It's not that she doesn't care; she's just not very picky.

Bruce has got very carefully curated playlists that are all some variation of "CALM DOWN INSTANTLY", "SENSORY IS FUCKED. LISTEN AND CALM DOWN", "STAY CALM AND LISTEN TO THIS"; mood stabilisers, you know? And then one playlist that's just "AGHGHHGHGHGHHGHGHGHGHGHGHHHHHSHHSHSHSHS". It's a playlist curated by the Hulk and it's mostly Britney Spears, Linkin Park and Cocomelon.

Thor likes orchestras and raves. Acapella fascinates him. He's weirdly ambivalent about pop music but thinks that Earth's nursery rhymes are pure shite.

Steve doesn't really listen to music much. If people tell him he has to check something out, he'll do it, but he doesn't really keep playlists or anything on record. He's not the type to crank out a tune just for the heck of it. If he has to listen to something, he tends to go for "actual singers." Okay, he likes Whitney Houston. + he will listen to Thor's acapella picks because he thinks the genre's real impressive. He enjoys swing and jazz but only when live, and slow jazz he keeps for romancin. . . and speaking of people he's romancing->

Tony thinks he's got good music taste--he's an 80s baby! But he doesn't really. He's been listening to the same shit for thirty years and he's yet to get bored of it. He does have a party trick though where he can offhandedly recite the lyrics off songs from decades back if you ask him casually enough. But! If he's actively trying to recall it (aka karaoke), he fucks up.

[danpuff-ao3]

6 + 16 + 25 for the reader ask game

Hey there! Thanks for the asks!

6.) What's your absolute favorite works you read this year?

Oh goshhhh!!!!! How to narrow down my loves. I'll stick to fics that were posted this year, yeah? Otherwise we'll be here all day. (I do a lot of rereads!)

~ Compulsory Figures by LilaDiurne (@liladiurne)

I hate to do this to her, but like...Okay, my friend Lila is so very gifted and I adore all of her work, but Compulsory Figures blew my socks off. Smug, famous Severus and starstruck Harry???? The smut is stupid hot. I can't tell you the number of times I've reread this fic. It's ridiculous. It's a Muggle figure skating AU!!!!! All that elegance and grace and beauty I associate with figure skating and all the questionable hotness of Severus abusing his fame and power to seduce pretty boys?? Yes please and thank you.

~ Ghosts of Christmas by PinaNaponi (@vulnerasanenturmyprince)

My sweet Nina. She has produced so many excellent fics, but this one from Adopt-a-Prompt still stands out to me. Found family fluff plus family history angst. It's set at Spinner's End (which I'm always a sucker for) and features Eileen (who I'm also a sucker for.) Postwar recovery, set during Christmastime! Combines my love of Snarry in particular with my love of Severus himself, and how that love extends to learning more about his history and exploring more of where (and who) he came from and how it shaped him.

~ A Life Worth Remembering by Writcraft (@writcraft)

This is especially special since it's established Drarry that becomes Drapery. It's very rare that I can read Harry or Snape with others, even if it's both of them with others. I have very strange, specific feelings about my OTP, okay? But I've always loved Writ's work, and I knew they were very excited to get this work finished and posted, so I couldn't resist giving it a chance. And I'm so glad I did! (Should have known I could trust them!) It's such a unique premise, and it's de-aging the only way I like it (as in: retaining an age gap!) The exploration of each individual connection (between Harry and Draco, and Harry and Severus, and Draco and Severus), and how they all work together. The struggles they face. And how real and human they all feel. And while I've been able to read the occasional Drapery in the past, this is the first one that really made me see it. This convinced me it could be real, as more than just a bit of smut to scratch an itch. (For me personally, this is just about my weirdly specific ship feels LOL.)

~ The Lamb of Tartary by eldritcher

One of few WIPs I follow! Such a strange, dark fairytale-esque story! I still owe them a comment on chapter 2, I believe...Which means I need to reread, oh no. EYES. Eldritcher always has such unique ideas and such a unique writing style and every one of their works is stellar, but this one especially captured my mind and heart, and I'm so excited for the third and final chapter to be posted!

~ The Afterlight by perverse_idyll (@perverse-idyll)

Another of the very few WIPs I follow! Listen, PI has been my biggest writing crush for the longest time. I've been reading since The White Road, okay (still one of my top fave Snarries of all time, btw.) To get several new stories from PI this year was such a treat! Social Lubricant was such a joy, and I'm so excited to see where The Threefold Death goes, but The Afterlight has my heart. We're barely in the story at all but I already have a feeling it'll end up on my faves list one day, when all is said and done. Her characterizations of Harry and Severus are, as ever, fully on point and exactly how I like them, as is their electric dynamic. Her prose is as gorgeous as ever, and the story itself is full of the grit and humanity and passion I'm forever in love with. I could not be more jazzed about this story and I about die whenever I see an update. (Speaking of which, this is another one I owe a comment on...Oops! I'll get there soon, PI, I swear!)

16.) Were you comments coherent or mostly screaming?

Ahahahahaha. People tell me I'm more coherent than I think I am, so who knows. I make solid attempts at being coherent that I feel turn into babbling, rambling nonsense.

I think my comments for my favorites all turned out to be a good combination of both? Like "this work is so great and it blew my mind and it deserves me waxing poetic, but also my brain is melted so this is hard."

25.) Do you read on your phone or on your computer?

Prior to this year, I'd have said my Kindle! I was doing so good about reading all my fics there, but I got a bit lazy this year and have been reading on my phone instead. I think I've only read on my computer for helping check fest fics, or looking over fics for friends on Google docs. I don't like "checking" fics on my phone, it's easier for me to get in the right mindset for that on my computer.

ao3 wrapped: reader's edition

answered: 5, 9; 6, 16, 25

[sanguine-salvation]

♥️

( Send in a ❤️ + a url for some OOC positivity! - ACCEPTING )

You!! *boogies on over but spookily* I got some words for you!

First off, I am so in love with your prose. It was one of the first things I noticed when I found your blog and oh my gods, it’s simply beautiful. You weave together these amazingly vivid scenes, and the way you describe characters, ESPECIALLY your Crane, is more like a painting. It has all these little details that form a perfect image in my mind, and I can’t stop looking. Hang this up in a gallery, for rEAL.

I love how you write his dialogue, he has such an eerie but lovely quality to his written voice, and the way you describe all the minute sounds both his body and costume make really accentuate his presence around someone, I am a huge sucker for auditory detail in writing. Like everything is so pretty and well-orchestrated and inspiring. You’re a bona fide wordsmith!

And tbh your portrayal itself is so far just amazing? I love Crane in all his many versions, but yours is a special treat! He’s calculated and cunning, but he also has this ethereal quality about him that comes off as equal parts elegant and spooky.

You also just seem like a really lovely person from the free times we’ve talked, and I’m jazzed to write with you! I wanna see more of the frights you’ll make for him 👀✨

(Also, tall af Crane is just peak ✨ and I love the face claim that you chose for him)

[scarlettlillies]

Sorry I'm kinda late to this but 💞 and 🌿 for the writer asks? Also 💌 but only if you're comfortable with that of course ;v;

No worries! You're actually the first person to send me an ask about this! :D

From this ask meme

💞what's the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language

That's a tough one! All of them are pretty important to me but I think I'd have to pick the plot. I often go into my stories with just a vague idea of what I want to happen so it's very common for me to write my sections out of order. I then try to find a way to tie the pieces together, either through worldbuilding, extra prose, or new plot points. Sometimes it works, other times not so much!

🌿how does creating make you feel?

I feel many different things. There's a lot of positive feelings like joy and excitement. I daydream so much about the things I want to make! But my anxiety takes over very quickly and the desire for perfectionism keeps me from finishing anything. I nitpick at every sentence and I've tossed out stories at the moment when something goes wrong. There have definitely been times when I didn't feel good enough to create the things I wanted. It's very difficult to get out of that mindset. :c

💌share something with us about an up-and-coming work (WIP) that has you excited!

I recently just started writing again! I'm starting slow so I revived a 10+ year-old story and turned it into a ficlet! I'm hoping I can post it within the next few days. It's just a simple fic about Est and Ned bonding over gardening. Whether their relationship is platonic or romantic is really up to the reader. It still needs some cleaning up so please ignore anything wonky. ;w;

No matter how many times Netherlands stopped by Estonia’s home, it was always a shock to see him covered in dirt.

Their friendship was very new. His impression of Estonia was slick, neat, and modern. When their paths would cross, he was always well-dressed in expensive suits and noticeably owned the latest devices available on the market. Estonia seemed to be stunned when Netherlands shared his observations about him over coffee. It was their first time sharing a table together during a brief morning recess at an EU meeting in Paris. Estonia admitted he had a bad habit of changing his devices regularly and was struggling to break it. Being known as an IT nation was important to him. He had convinced himself that being seen with a device that was more than a few years old would tarnish his reputation. His clothing, however, he insisted was fairly cheap. He was no different than anyone else; he shopped at one of the local malls nearby his home and bought what was within his price point. Netherlands found his words hard to believe but when he wanted to press him for more questions, they were called back to continue with the day’s agenda.

That was some time ago. Five? Maybe ten years ago? He doesn’t quite remember. Time was always a strange concept for their kind anyhow.

Over their short time together though, Netherlands has learned more things about him. He had an interesting palette for alcohol, was a natural when it came to music and technology, liked the outdoors, but most importantly he was business-orientated. He knew how to sell you on anything—whether it was a wacky dish at his favourite restaurant that you just had to try out or you needed help selling your hand-made crafts at the local marketplace—making a quick buck seemed to come naturally for him. Netherlands liked that in a man.

But when he found out that Estonia liked to garden, he was skeptical. They had been sharing drinks in a Brussels jazz bar after a long meeting and thought Estonia was just trying to make conversation. He didn’t look the type (then again neither did he), especially to those outside of his main friend group. Even when Estonia shared his knowledge on botany, he chalked it up to just being the intelligent guy that Estonia was known for.

“You should come to my place in the spring! I think you’ll like the setup that I’ve got.”

He took him up on that offer. To his surprise, Estonia was correct. He definitely liked what he saw.

[mediaevalmusereads]

The Prince of Prohibition. By Marilyn Marks. 2023.

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Genre: romantic historical fantasy

Part of a Series? Yes, Fae of the Roaring Age #1

Summary: Adeline Colton was cursed. Everyone in Georgia knew the devil walked her farm, and maybe they were right, because each month she had . . . dreams. Visions of a dark prince and a shadowed forest. A creature so wrong, temptation lurked beneath her skin.

So after escaping to New York City, it’s no surprise when her bad fortune follows. Only this time, it’s in the form of Jack Warren: millionaire bootlegger, infamous gangster, and criminal who makes Addie his fervent obsession.

Jack is everything Addie should avoid, but the more she resists his pull, the deeper she’s drawn into his extravagant world. Lured by a life of freedom and desire, Adeline must make a choice: heed her family’s warnings or follow Jack into the dark. But when fate binds them together, Jack is revealed to be something else—not man, not beast, not even the devil, but a creature much, much worse.

***Full review below***

Content Warnings: blood, violence, graphic sexual content, racism/targeting by police

Overview: I came across this book while researching something or other, and since I'm continuing my streak of picking up random books without context, I went ahead and got a copy. At first I had high hopes, fairies in the 1920s seemed like an interesting premise, and I was curious to see how fae lore complimented the decadence of the Jazz Era. Unfortunately, this book became way too quickly stuffed with too many things, and the plot didn't build in a way that kept me engaged. Because I also didn't really connect with the protagonist and I found the prose wanting, this book only gets 2, maybe 2.5 stars from me.

Writing: While I don't necessarily think the prose in this book is bad at a sentence level, I do think altogether, the writing primarily suffers from repetition, poor pacing, info dumping, and a lack of atmosphere.

For repetition, I often felt like the author would use some of the same descriptions over and over again (like Jack's serpent/amber colored eyes) or else saturate her prose with swear words in order to make the narration and dialogue feel more edgy. I'm not against characters swearing, but when it's overused, the prose starts to feel pretty stale. Unfortunately, that's what happened here (at least for me).

As for pace, this book is over 500 pages long and so much of it could have been condensed. There are quite a few details or scenes that didn't have much bearing on the plot, so eliminating them could have gone a long way towards making the pace feel more appropriate.

As for info dumping, a lot of information is withheld from the reader until about the 20% mark, at which point all the worldbuilding and contextual information is dumped on the reader. The characters simply explain everything to our confused protagonist, and this happens every time there is some new information that is needed (though the author would not craft a scene where that information could be shown or integrated more naturally). Personally, I don't enjoy it when books do world and plot building this way because it makes information hard to absorb in a meaningful way. I would much rather have the author dial back the worldbuilding and really think about what is needed for the story and what feels like is beyond the scope of the narrative.

Lastly, I felt like Marks could have done a better job at making the setting feel more atmospheric. Though this book takes place during the 1920s, I don't think the setting gives the story much flavor aside from the stray mention of a speakeasy or Jack's bootlegging. Given that the 1920s are known for decadence, I would have loved to see how the fae took advantage of that and how the aesthetics of the 20s can be integrated with fae tropes. (As a side note: the lack of atmosphere/setting is even more apparent when the author fails to correct basic historical references. For example, Addie calls the war "World War I" which wouldn't have been the term for it in the 1920s. Also, Jack is said to wear boxers as underwear, which would also strikes me as unlikely as they weren't invented until 1925 and this book takes place in 1926.)

Plot: The plot of this book follows Adeline Colton, a girl with the ability to see through faerie glamor and who is forced to move from small town Georgia to New York City. While in New York, she encounters a number of strange figures, including Jack Warren - her mysterious landlord and a major employer. Addie is inexplicably drawn to Jack and learns that they are tethered together by a magical bond from Addie's childhood. As a result, she finds herself drawn into a plot to aid the fae against the evil plans of an immortal druid.

The plot of this book was... a lot. Not only did we have Addie's personal journey of uncovering her past, but we had a huge narrative about the conflict between exiled fae and one particular druid. On top of that, there were references to a whole bunch of magical creatures (like wyverns) and an alternate history of the Knights Templar that just made the worldbuilding overwhelming. In my opinion, there was too much to wrap my head around, and I had a really hard time feeling invested in any of the individual plot threads because so much was being thrown at me all at one time.

On top of that, it takes about 200 pages for the meat of this plot to really get roasting. The first section of the book is primarily focused on Addie growing up, moving to NYC, and then encountering Jack and the fae. While not a problem in itself, the fact that it took so long to get to the magical plot meant that I was already pretty exhausted as a reader by page 200. If the first part had been condensed, I think I would have had the mental bandwidth to get more excited for the main plot.

Characters: Addie, our narrator and protagonist, is a bit of a mixed bag. The times I liked her best were when she was thinking about her family and how she felt about them. Most of this occurs within the first few chapters, which I maintain are some of the strongest. I really liked the blend of "old world" superstition and small town Christianity, and I loved the way the author describes the effect of World War I on Addie and her brother.

However, once Addie is thrown into the world of the fae, she got a little irritating. Because she's in over her head, she doesn't make good decisions, and she lacks a lot of agency. While somewhat understandable, I wish more was done to show how Addie could use her wits to navigate unfamiliar territory; instead, it felt like she was making mistakes that we, as readers, knew were mistakes (like mistrusting Jack), which in turn made me less likely to sympathize with her. Granted, this gets better as the book progresses; she becomes more agentive and a lot of her character growth involves her learning to assert herself. However, it felt a little unbalanced to have Addie basically stumbling her way through each major plot point while surrounded by much more competent magical beings.

Speaking of Jack, I personally found him to be a little bland. He doesn't have much personality, and even though we're told over and over again that he's a bootlegger and a gangster, he doesn't have that edge to him that would make me think he's dangerous. As a result, Addie running away from him and disliking him so fiercely seems foolish.

Other supporting characters were fun, and some of them even had touching moments with Addie. It seemed like all the other fae in Jack's circle had more chemistry with Addie than Jack did, which made me enjoy the moments when they were interacting more than the romance. Lillian and Violet were perhaps my favorite, as they had more screen time, but I didn't really find fault with any of the side characters.

Romance: Though I wouldn't call this a romance novel, I have a few things to say about the romance between Addie and Jack. The two are magically bonded through something called a "parallel bond" which is not only rare and contains a lot of magic potential, but also means that the two share a soul and are soul mates. The bond also makes them incredibly horny for one another, no matter how hard Addie tries to fight it.

These types of magical bonds aren't my favorite kinds of tropes because I feel like it deprives characters of romantic and sexual agency. Without the bond, there's little reason for the two of them to fall for one another aside from Jack being obscenely attractive, so I felt like the bond was inserted to avoid doing the work of showing the two coming together.

TL;DR: The Prince of Prohibition is a book with an interesting premise, but ultimately lacks the storytelling craft needed to pull it off. Between repetitive prose, overwhelming worldbuilding, a main character who is overshadowed by her companions, and a lack of atmosphere, I couldn't connect with the story and ultimately, have little interest in continuing the series.

[ilovetheseattlemariners]

Lost the poetry contest

That was yesterday. I've been meaning to write to you for awhile. I feel like I smell like shit right now and I've been paranoid. I've been stressed. Last night I was lying in bed and I was ready to scream uncontrollably. I felt as though I was on the verge of dying.

Yesterday I found out that I had a bunch of poetry due for my intro CRWR class. That was a fun surprise for everyone. I'm just going to try half-assing some things and then end up turning in something that I really have no pride in just for the sake of getting a mark. Such a thing is one of the most depressing things in the world, and is intrinsic to trying to interpolate arts into academia. I've had the most terrible writer's block for so long, and yesterday when I found out that I'd lost the poetry contest any sort of possible motivation or passion or drive for my field instantly left me. I did finish James Agee's letters to Father Flye yesterday, though, and was kind of motivated a bit. And thought again of Ashbery's story, too. Some of the half-assed shit I wrote yesterday sound pretty good right now, even. Though I don't know. I've been trying this Franz Wright/Tang Dynasty style of sparseness in my writing, and it doesn't really feel like me? I honestly feel as though I've lost my voice. I feel too like I need to compromise myself for any sort of success. Nobody else really writes like me, and that should be a good thing but I end up hating it. I hate how people don't know how to respond when I read a poem. I hate not knowing whether or not my poetry is good. I hate not know what to do about it at all

That's poetry, at least. I feel like my prose is great, but that's because its prose. I read Jesus' Son in like two days, and it was some of the finest prose I've ever read. I need get on revising a piece of short fiction for my fiction class. Johnson's work should help me with that.

Improv on monday was pretty uneventful, too. I hit the shed last night and sounded great, which is of course how that works: you sound great on your own but suddenly you have to face a crowd and your playing has no body or soul. I mean, I was just in the practice room today and played until I fell out of love with myself. I don't think I love the cellist any longer either. It's just dry and sparse. I'm tired of having to start everything. And I mean that's just how she is but I know I can't live with that. But I always think of her. It's bad. I have a lot of thoughts about her being there next jazz jam and me really blowing everyone's socks off. Because last Mon nobody really said much about my playing. I mean nobody was really there. Its midterms szn — hence the aforementioned stress having me feel as though I'm perpetually falling to my death. But nobody telling me that I'm the greatest bassist they've ever heard, which I never really cared to hear back then because its all exaggerated lies but I guess lately I've been needing to have my dick jerked off. I've been needing to get lucky too. The girl said she was tentatively inviting me to her friend's house for a friend get-together over a movie, but I doubt that's going to happen now because I'm not putting in any effort and she doesn't have the inclination to give me anything. Its upsetting. I'm mad and I'm unloved. I mean I guess I could work my ass off trying to get her to perceive me but who fucking cares anymore. Just me. I care deeply.

Ran into my childhood friend again for the first time in god knows how long. She's ignoring me, I know she is. I tried hitting up her line the day after that awkward blocking thing happened and she didn't reply, and when I saw her yesterday I brought that up and she acted like she didn't see that. Alright. She's studying with my gym bro rn, too, someone else who is also ignoring me and I don't know why. I think everyone hates me. I have no real deep friendships and I have nothing going for me. I have a gig tomorrow where I'll be playing music that I don't care for at all and I'll probably get home late and have to clock into my fucking 9-5 and who cares at all who gives a shit. I better get away from you now to touch up this short story and then somehow get together the time to fucking write some poems. I bailed on my niece's jazz gig today like a jackass. Of course I wouldn't get a piece of nothing at all.

I should just call off work, right? I should just call all of this off and just fucking fuck off of it in all honesty. God damn I'm so fucking over it all.

[dirtydragonthoughts]

I've now finished Part 2 of Exiles.

I am so angry about this book. I'm not really mad that someone got paid to write this; I'm over that. I'm now mad that a) someone got paid to edit this book (maybe? Maybe no one did get paid for that, and that's why it's Like This), and b) there are some good little worldbuilding nuggets in here, but they are completely drowned out by the awful prose.

Ok, onto my thoughts about Part 2, behind the cut.

I'm not going to do a specific review of the plot or anything; suffice it to say that this book is a VERY mid MacGuffin quest story (and actually it's now become a two-fer MacGuffin quest, where they're now looking for TWO things). This is just the things that jumped out at me while I was reading, or things that made me stop and go "what the actual fuck."

I'll start with the good! Junkion is actually a pretty cool concept in this book. It's described as a planetoid made entirely out of junk (mostly old spaceships). There is some vague mentions that pirates abandoned their plundered ships here, and they eventually accreted into Junkion, but that doesn't make a huge amount of sense? Why would you bother hauling a stripped ship halfway across the galaxy just to dump it in a specific place? Space is BIG. Just leave it where you captured it. Anyway, there's a scene where Optimus digs down to the center of the planet and finds a VERY old ship. The viewscreen had been busted in by the pressure of the junk outside the ship, but the interior of the ship itself was in good shape. Anyway, I loved the visual idea of that, digging down through debris and finding intact ships down there. Very neat. Prowl also investigates some of these ships, and it's a nice little view into the depth of Cybertronian history.

Oh, Optimus. He has no agency in this book. He is getting hauled around from plot point to plot point by the Matrix, just as if he was on a leash. Go here. Look at that. Pick that up. Go over there. Et cetera. There's a line "He didn't ask any questions, he just went. The Matrix guided him, as it always had." I mean, why even put the Matrix in a living bot at this point? Why not just install it in a drone?

Characterizations and reactions to things continue to be bizarre. For example, when the Autobots first arrive at Junkion, no one really wants to go down to it. (It looks like a dump, so fair.) But Jazz announces he would rather do maintenance instead of going down to the planet. So Optimus assigns a different team, headed by Hound. Then Jazz gets all butthurt and asks if this means he's getting demoted. Jazz. You literally just asked not to go down to the surface. You're getting what you wanted. What is your problem? The sassing continues for another full page. Complete filler, for no reason other than for Jazz to bitch, and then it's never brought up again.

We get our first scene with the Decepticons, who were all knocked unconscious by some kind of space bridge whatever. During the course of this scene, we do a LOT of POV head-hopping, which I hate. We go from Starscream's thoughts to Megatron's, to Thundercracker, back to Megatron, back to Thundercracker, and finally back to Starscream. OMG, just pick someone's view point to describe the scene from! (On the other hand, we see that the "command trine" is now Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Slipstream!)

Oh, and Soundwave (who took a vow of silence, remember that from the first book) has a line of dialogue that's basically just "Yeah, me too." 🤷‍♀️

I LOL'd at the scene were Prowl and Silverbolt are investigating a dead body. Prowl was there because he had previously investigated murders when he was law enforcement on Cybertron. Silverbolt was there because he'd watched a lot of cop shows on TV. No, I'm not kidding:

At the end of this part, Optimus decides that the dangerous mission he's about to embark on needs Sideswipe and Ratchet. He wishes he could take Bumblebee, but because of Bee's voicebox issues he decides that's a bad idea because communication that was clear and quick could be important. Literally one page later he forgets all of that invites Bee on the mission.

And when I was talking about the writing, here's an example:

I've shown this to a few people who've written fic and they all agreed: wtf is this sentence even.

While out for a walk today, Spouse and I workshopped a rewrite of this. Breaking it into multiple sentences would make it MUCH more clear and help with the readability. There are lots of ways this could be rewritten, but here's a (very fast, off the cuff) rewrite on how it could be fixed up.

The Autobots put the Ark in a parking orbit over what appeared to be a population center. The only thing that made this point on the planet stick out from any other point on the surface was the larger concentration of Spark signals the Ark's sensors could identify.

In this sample, I kept most of the same wording, and I even maintained the "focus" of the paragraph being the Autobots sticking their ship in orbit.

A more vigorous rewrite (pulling in things from the paragraphs around it) might be something like:

The surface of Junkion was nearly uniform, with any given point appearing to be nearly indistinguishable from any other point. However, at one particular point the Ark identified a larger collection of Spark signals, and the onboard systems determined this may be a population center. Optimus ordered the Ark to be placed into a parking orbit over that point, in the hopes that they could find out who was in charge on this planet.

(Incidentally, picking a passage of a book or article and rewriting it in your own style is a very valid writing exercise that I encourage everyone to try once in a while.)

On to Part 3.

I'm finally getting around to reading Transformers: Exiles and

omg. It is so bad. Like, bad on multiple levels.

I read Transformers: Exodus a few years ago. It was... OK. Definitely not a great work of literature, and there were some "huh" moments in it, but it was fine. But now I'm starting on the next book. I didn't look at the TFWiki entry for Exiles until last night, but just the Errors section is absolutely sending me. (The idea that the book was panic rewritten by Hasbro just before publication would explain a LOT of the issues I'm seeing.)

As someone who loves the franchise, it physically hurts that this guy was paid to write this. It is completely phoned in. Now, I'm sure he was writing on spec, and was probably handed an outline or specific plot points/characters that needed to be included, but even with that limitation it could have been a LOT better.

Anyway I'm going to jot down some of my impressions in this thread because I want to make sure I remember why I didn't like this book, years down the road when I see the book still sitting on my bookshelf. (If I even keep it, that is up for debate.) I'll even keep away from the things mentioned in the Error section of the wiki entry, since that's low-hanging fruit.

(If you enjoyed this book I'm glad for you, but I am down to just hate-reading it now. Sorry about that.)

Impressions will be behind cuts in case you don't want to spoil yourself for this masterpiece. XD

I've finished Part 1 and some of the things that stuck with me have been:

There's a thing in fiction writing that's often bandied about, how you should show and don't tell. It's hard to explain to new authors what this means, and why it's a bad thing. Well, this book has about a million examples. Instead of showing how a character is feeling, it just tells us. Optimus was stressed. Optimus was worried. Prowl was irritated.

Related to the showing/telling thing, this book loves just giving a laundry list of things that happen, regardless of how important it is. For example, we got a whole paragraph on what happened after a race on Velocitron. None of these details mattered to the story in any way, but we still got a whole half page of detail about it:

We got a multi-page scene of Prowl cultivating an informant. He gets named (Armco). A few chapters later Prowl brings him in saying "Here's someone who can keep his mouth shut" and then IMMEDIATELY someone tries to blow up the Ark, and Armco falls out of the plot, never to be seen again. RIP Armco, we never knew ya.

Weird character note: The Autobots show up on Velocitron and discover there's a schism in the leadership there, with factions forming on both sides. While the Autobots are preparing to leave the planet, the "bad" leader says something relatively innocuous to Optimus, who then punches the Velocitronian in the face. This sets off a giant battle between the two factions, whereupon the Autobots dip and go through the space bridge. Brilliant.

More when I finish part 2.

[annathesillyfriend]

Anna's June Fic Recs

Welcome to my June fic recommendations masterpost!! This month has been a little hectic, I didn't have as much time to read so I am doing just one list. I really hope July's gonna be more productive reading wise, now that I am at home with no exams. But still, I've read some pretty amazing stories and I hope you're gonna enjoy them as well 😌 I wish you all a wonderful summer! 🥰

To all the writers - I love you and I appreciate you so much! To all the readers - please, share the fics you read and love. The reblog really makes the change! It’s the least we can do to show our gratitude.

Holland & Co.

✨Tom Holland✨

naughty noises by @thegirlintheswivelchair

one-shot, 18+, caution!!! hot!!!

share by @/blindingdutchy

one-shot, 18+, pornstar!tom x pornstar!reader, 🥵🥵

lazy lover by @blindingdutchy

one-shot, 18+, the perfect balance between soft and hot

torn leaves, broken hearts by @t-lostinworlds

one-shot, this is so full of emotion and so beautiful and so heartbreaking at the same time

taunt by @duskholland

one-shot, 18+, rich kid!tom, golf, fwb, all that jazz, hannah is feeding us once again

call me when you get this by @multiholland

one-shot, college!tom

this fic by @/multiholland

one-shot, so cute!!!

tension and temptation and sensuality and serenity by @marvelouspeterparker

two-shot, 18+, pornstar!tom x pornstar!reader

peanut butter and extra jelly and more jelly, please! by @starknik22

two-shot, 18+ for a bit in the second one, actress!haz's co-star!reader, jealous!tom, loved every second!

this fic by @blissfulparker

blurb, tom vs. road rage 😂

also this one by @/blissfulparker

blurb, tom wants to propose but it didn't go as planned

putter fantasy by @worldoftom

series, 18+, roommate!actor!golfer!tom, fwb, this is just fucking great

the best birthday by @celestialholland

one-shot, birthday boy!tom

since then by @softholand

one-shot, best friend!tom

✨Harrison Osterfield✨

electric love by @lauras-collection

series, 18+, fwb!roommate!harrison, amazing 👏

bluberry muffins by @peterplanet

one-shot, meeting harrison at a cafe, so sweet 🥺

impromptu hoe for haz blurbs by @greenorangevioletgrass

collection of blurbs, 18+, delicious!!!

MCU

✨Steve Rogers✨

the dumb bet by @bccky

one-shot, fun times at sam's bachelor party! and there's karaoke!

city love by @captain-kelli

one-shot, so beautiful!!

quiet light by @xbuchananbarnes

part of the you are the sun universe, you can't go wrong with Dani's work, just go read it all

library lesson by @jurassicbarnes

one-shot, 18+, modern royal!au

his saviour by @kinanabinks

one-shot, civilian!steve x superhero!reader

✨Sam Wilson✨

eyes wide open by @babycap

one-shot, sam becomes a father 🥺🥺

all i wanna be, all i ever wanna be, is somebody to you by @blackberrybucky

one-shot, 🥰💕

✨Bucky Barnes✨

daisy chain by @belowva

one-shot, avenger!reader, soulmate!au, so nice!

dearly beloved by @indyluckycharlie

one-shot, mafia!bucky x mafia!reader, amazing!!!

the love club by @slyyywriting

series, 18+, mob!reader, so bloody good!!

lamented & assured by @belladonnabarnes

one-shot, just stunning

hide & seek by @angrythingstarlight

one-shot, dad!bucky 🥺🥺

anger that loves by @/babyboibucky

one-shot, so beautiful!!

unfair by @/babyboibucky

one-shot, falling in love with bucky, get your tissues, friends

deserve better, undeserving, deserve the best by @babyboibuckywrites

series, so much angst 😫

trilogy by @buckycuddlebuddy

series, 18+, fuckboy!bucky

the coupon book by @tuiccim

series, 18+, with a guest appearance from another super solider 👀

flight risk and no control by @wkemeup

two-shot, protective!bucky, so sad but so beautiful

suburbia by @/wkemeup

one-shot, fake married!au

dreamland by @blissfullybarnes

series, avenger!reader, hits you right in the feels 🥺

✨SarahBucky✨

forever by @samwilsons-pillowpecs

one-shot, this is just poetry at its finest

✨Joaquin Torres✨

sunrise by @calif0rnia-lovers

one-shot, black!reader, reuniting after the blip

sweeter than honey by @/xbuchananbarnes

one-shot, 18+, Dani's work is always a treat but her Torres fics are just exeptional

whispered words by @moonlight-prose

one-shot, angst & fluff

favourite crime by @mischiefmanaged71

one-shot, angsty

✨Peter Parker✨

girlfriend and piece of you by @spideyspeaches

two-shot, 18+, so good!!

all too well by @/spideyspeaches

one-shot, singer!reader, just what you'd expect from a story titled like a tswift song. especially that song

she doesn't even know by @loveaffaire

one-shot, best friend!peter

just you and me by @vampireoutofbusiness

one-shot, 18+, first time with peter, amazing!

angel eyes by @londonspidey

one-shot, 18+, first time with peter, the softest thing ever

✨Thor✨

lightning in my veins, and thunder in my chest by @blackberrybucky

one-shot, 18+, 🥵🥵

✨Loki✨

beyond bruises by @spilledkauffie

one-shot, jealous!loki

Others

memories and misconceptions by @peeterparkr and @erodasghosts

two stories that go together - Tom's and Harry's, they're just starting but are already so wonderful!

1k follower celebration masterlist by @rodrikstark

collection of fics, mix of characters, each one better than the last

✨Chris Evans✨

munchies by @buckyhoney

one-shot, after party for 2

✨Ransom Drysdale✨

undercover boss by @chase-your-dreams-away

series, in progress, so good!!

✨Johny Storm✨

aftershocks by @mypoisonedvine

one-shot, 18+, enemies and lovers

✨Chris Beck✨

never had it from the start by @tinymalscoffee

one-shot, 18+, breaking up, angst and so much heartbreak

[celiabowens]

underrated SFF books (YA and Adult)

So uhm, since I keep seeing the same books on my dash all the time (and I like them too, just...there’s more! to read!) here’s a list of less popular SFF books, divided into YA and Adult. I’ve tried to mention when there is lgbt rep and the trigger warnings. Also, books written by poc will be in bold. Please point out any typo or mistake or if I’ve forgotten specific rep/tw mentions.

All of these are books that I’ve read and enjoyed (by enjoyed I mean anything from 3 stars and above), but if anyone wants to add titles please feel free to do so!!

YA:

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi: beautifully written, fairytale-like story rich in mythology (inspired by several Hindu myths. There’s a full list on goodreads indicated by the author herself). Roshani’s prose is gorgeous.

A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi: it’s a companion novel to The Star-Touched Queen, but both can be read as a standalone. I liked this one more than its companion and I particularly loved how the romance was written (slow burn, but specifically, the author really highlights the mutual respect between the characters, we love to see it).

The Young Elites by Marie Lu: fantasy trilogy set in a world inspired by Renaissance Italy, in which children who survived a mysterious and deadly illness ended up with strange and dangerous powers. Secret societies and a female villain!

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu: historical fantasy following Mozart’s sister, Nannerl, a girl as talented as her brother, but afraid of being forgotten because of the lack of opportunities she has to be seen and heard. Nuanced sibling relationship, no romance.  

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski: fantasy f/f romance! Both a coming of age story set in a society with a rigid class system and a slow burn f/f romance with a lot of banter. TW: abuse.

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore: magical realism. The book follows two families of traveling performers that have been locked in a feud for over a generation. This was the author’s debut and I remember getting an arc of it and being impressed by both the prose and how the forbidden love trope was handled.

When the Moon was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore: another magical realism novel. One of the main characters is a trans boy and the book focuses on issues of racism and gender. One of my favorite YA!

Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton: fantasy romance set in a village that periodically sacrifices a young man in order to keep a deal with the devil that ensures their prosperity. Also, polyamorous and non-binary rep.

The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee: first book in a duology following avatar Kyoshi’s life. It explores the political and cultural aspect of the Earth Kingdom and Kyoshi’s past. Bisexual rep.

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He: sort of a murder mystery fantasy, as the main character finds herself suddenly thrust into power once her father has been murdered. The story has a slow build up to a last part full of twists and machinations and it features lots of court intrigue. Warning: the ending is quite open and afaik there isn’t a sequel planned as of now.

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones: a quite unique take on zombies influenced by Welsh mythology (it’s super cool). The novel follows Ryn and their siblings, as they try to get by after their parents’ death by working as gravediggers. Only well, the dead don’t always stay dead. The characters read a bit younger than they are imo. There is chronic pain rep.

The Magnolia Sword by Sherry Thomas: retelling of the original ballad of Mulan. The book follows Mulan, who’s trained her whole life to win a duel for a priceless heirloom, as she joins the army. There’s a lot of political and historical details, which I really appreciated. Do not go into it expecting a fun adventure though. The descriptions of war aren’t extremely graphic, but be aware of the fact that most of the book is set during a conflict.

The Candle and The Flame by Nafiza Azad: standalone fantasy set in a city on the Silk Road! It’s a quite slow-paced tale about love, family and politics. It has lush descriptions of landscapes and cultures (and FOOD, there are some really great descriptions of food). It’s a very atmospheric book and while I struggled a bit with the pace I’d still recommend it.

Forest of a Thousand Lanters by Julie C. Dao: sort of an East Asian inspired retelling of Snow White, but following the Evil Queen before she became Snow White’s stepmother. I honestly haven’t read its sequel (which should focus on Snow White herself), but I do think this can be read and enjoyed as a standalone too.

The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner: it’s hard to point out exactly what this series is about because it has evolved so much with time. It starts out as classic quest/adventure series with The Thief (which may seem a classic and simple book, but is actually full of foreshadowing and has a really clever set up), but develops into a complex and intriguing political fantasy in The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia (and then goes back to the quest theme in book 5, Thick as Thieves).

Adult:

A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers by Alyssa Wong: I’m cheating with this one because it’s technically a short story but I love Alyssa Wong’s stories so I’m putting it here anyway. It can be read for free and you should just...read it.

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang: grimdark fantasy (TW: abuse, self harm, rape, drug abuse), inspired by Chinese history. It’s adult, but follows younger MCs and the unique blend of different historical periods/inspirations makes it extremely interesting. The characters are extremely fucked up in the best possible way, plus the use of shamanism is awesome. Please make sure you check all the TW before reading.

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang: a Japanese-inspired militaristic fantasy, with elemental magic, a badass housewife dealing with her past and hiding a sword in her kitchen’s floor. It has interesting and nuanced family dynamics and a great reflection on propaganda and the use of narratives.

Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri: first book in an epic fantasy duology inspired by Mughal India (TW: abuse, slavery). I really liked both Empire of Sand and its companion and I find them pretty underrated. Both books have great slow burn romance (with a focus on mutual trust and respect) and focus on culture, religion, self acceptance and politics.

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: a fantasy bildungsroman set in Mexico during the Jazz age. It’s a great approach to adult SFF as it follows a young girl on a life changing adventure. It features Mayan mythology and a god slowly becoming human (this trope is everything!).

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden: a coming of age story inspired by Russian folklore. The trilogy as a whole has one of the best arcs I’ve ever seen: each book is perfectly self-contained and has its own arc, but also fits perfectly in the bigger picture of the trilogy. The atmosphere is amazing, the cast of characters is extremely well developed. Also frost demons are better than men.

The Binding by Bridget Collins: historical fantasy, but with very minimal fantasy elements. It’s set in a world vaguely reminiscent of 19th century England. I’d say this book is about humans and self discovery. It’s about cowardice and the lies we tell ourselves and those we wish we could tell ourselves. Gay rep. (TW: abuse, sexual assault, pretty graphic suicide scene).

The Divine Cities trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett: starting with City of Stairs, it follows a female diplomat and spymaster(!!). The whole trilogy features an interesting discussion about godhood, religion, fanatism, politics, without ever being boring or preachy. It has complex and rich world building and a pretty compelling mystery.

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett: heist fantasy following a thief as she’s hired to steal a powerful artifact that may change magical technology as she knows it. Set in a Venice-like merchant city. Also, slow burn f/f romance.

Jade City by Fonda Lee: sort of a gangster urban fantasy, heavily inspired by wuxia and set in an Asian-inspired metropolis. It follows a pretty big cast of characters, each with their own journey and development. It features nuanced family dynamics and a lot of political and economical subplots. Not extremely prominent, but book 2 features m/m side rep.

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse: inspired by Native American culture and specifically by the idea of subsequent worlds. It has a kickass MC and a good mix of original elements and typical UF tropes. TW: the book isn’t extremely violent but there is death and some gore.

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine: space opera inspired by the Mexica and middle period Byzantium. It focuses on topics like colonialism and the power of narratives and language. It has one of the best descriptions of what it’s like to live in between spaces I’ve ever read. Also very interesting political intrigue and has a slow burn f/f romance (and a poly relationship recalled through flashbacks). I ranted a lot about it already.

Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee: a Korean-inspired space opera with a magic system based on math. It’s honestly quite convoluted and difficult to follow, but it also features some of the best political intrigue I’ve ever read. Plenty of lying, backstabbing and mind games. It also features lesbian and bisexual rep and an aroace side character (TW: mass shooting, sexual assault, abuse). I also really recommend Yoon Ha Lee’s short-story collection Conservation of Shadows.

The long way to a small angry planet by Becky Chambers: character driven space opera featuring a found family journeying through space. A fun read, that also deals with topics such as sexuality and race. Quite easy to go through, as the world building and plot aren’t particularly complex themselves. f/f romance.  

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo: an Asian-inspired fantasy novella that gives a voice to people usually silenced by history. It follows a cleric (non binary rep) as they chronicle the story of the late empress, retold through objects that she used in her life. It focuses on bonds between women and the power that lies in being unnoticed. f/f side rep.

The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark: an urban fantasy novella, based on Orisha mythology and set in an alternate, sort of steampunk, New Orleans. I really like how creative Clark’s worlds are and how good he is at writing female characters (which rarely happens with male authors).

The haunting of tram car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark: novella set in an alternate steampunk Cairo populated by supernatural entities. It’s set in the same world of a Dead Djinn in Cairo, which is a short story you can read for free.

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone: epistolary novella set during a time-travel war. It has gorgeous writing and an amazing f/f romance. As a novella, it’s quite short but it’s beautifully crafted and so complex for such a short book!

The Citadel of Weeping Pearls by Aliette de Bodard: a novella set in the Xuya universe (a series of novellas/short stories set in a timeline where Asia became dominant, and where the space age has empires of Vietnamese and Chinese inspiration), but can be read as a standalone. It’s a space opera featuring a disappeared citadel and the complex relationship between the empress and her daughter as war threatens her empire.

One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake: self-published urban fantasy following two rival families in New York. Sort of a Romeo and Juliette retelling but with gangster families and magic. Honestly recommend all of her books, I love how Olivie writes and especially how she writes female characters.

[insomniac-dot-ink]

Books I’ve Read in 2020

AHello! I’m trying to read as many books as I can during the quarantine, here’s what I’ve finished so far:

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (literary fiction): a son writes a letter about his life to his illiterate mother. Breathtakingly beautiful with it’s way with words this book is lovely and real in the hardest and sweetest ways. The author’s combination of prose and poetry is dazzling and intricate, this book has stuck with me for days afterward. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (fantasy): a money-lender gets in trouble after bragging she can turn silver into gold and is kidnapped and ordered to do so by a fey creature. It may be that I am the perfect audience for this type of book, but it’s my favorite thing I’ve read all year. It’s a book that equally takes on the fantastical and real-world with compelling female characters at the center of the whole thing. A wonderful fantasy journey inspired by eastern-European Jewish folklore. 5 out of 5 stars.

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll (horror graphic novel): a series of short horror comics. Absolutely bone-chilling! This was a really fun type of scary story, especially the last one which made my skin absolutely crawl. Deliciously eerie, this was treat to read if not a little too short. 4 out of 5 stars.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (magical realism): a young girl can taste other people’s emotions in their cooking and begins to understand her family in new ways. This was a weird book, but it has everything you’ve got to love about that combination of the surreal and mundane. It’s sense of character was electrifying and I had fun engaging with this type of off-kilter real world. I was a little frustrated in parts bc of some characters choices, but that too was true to life. 4 out of 5 stars.

Crier’s War by Nina Varela (steampunk fantasy wlw): about a Made automaton heir to a throne and her human hand-maiden that is trying to kill her. This was an easy read with a lot of tension between the two main characters that I liked, but the writing itself was very weak. There was waaay too much exposition in parts and the dialogue had some really hockey lines. I enjoyed the twists and turns in the middle of the book, but the beginning and end didn’t have much movement. 2.5 stars out of 5.

The Huntress by Kate Quinn (historical fiction): honestly, I’m a little disappointed. This book just did not hit my sweet spots, it wasn’t fast-paced enough for me to get immersed in the plot, and the characters weren’t real enough to be wholly invested in them. That said I adored Nina Markova and the Night Witches, so that did help. 3 starts out of 5.

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White (horror sci-fi retelling): HAND IN UNLOVABLE HAND. A retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein from the perspective of Victor Frankenstein’s wife and my God! The characters! The plot was well-enough, but the characters took the whole show for being complex and compelling. The main character was breathtakingly layered and I was wholly invested in Elizabeth and her story and the triumph at the end of this story was tangible. 4 out of 5 stars! 

Uprooted by Naomi Novik (fantasy): A story of a young woman who lives in a valley where a girl must go live with a wizard for 10 years. She is certain she won’t be chosen, but ends up having to be “uprooted” herself. I enjoyed most of this book! However, I think I liked “Spinning Silver” a lot more just because the ending of this one somehow lost me. The characters were good and plot compelling, but (SPOILERS) the big battle at the end seemed to drag and didn’t interest me somehow. 3.8 out of 5 stars.

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (fantasy): excellent read! A story of a young woman in Jazz Age Mexico who goes on an adventure with a Mayan death God who is trying to regain his throne. A romp across the country absolutely brimming with likable characters and fairy tale twists. My only complaint would be that most of it felt a little predictable due to the fact we knew where we were going throughout the whole story, However, it was still greatly enjoyable for the heroine herself, Casiopea. 4 out of 5 stars!

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (literary): a story of two families in a progressive “planned” community, how their lives intertwine, their secrets, and a central question surrounding motherhood. Deeply empathetic to its characters and introspective, this is an every-day story of people in suburbia that reads like a thriller. I could barely put it down and felt deeply for its characters and situations, 5 out of 5 stars!

Wilder Girls by Rory Power (YA sci-fi suspense): a story of a group of girls at a boarding school on an island affected by the “tox” which alters their bodies in strange ways like giving them scales or an extra spine. This was an eerie, interesting read with a wlw romance! Watch out for the body horror in this one, but it was very gripping and held my interest. Some of the pacing was off in places (like the romance), but had a very creepy atmosphere that did it for me. 3.8 out of 5 stars!

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio (thriller-mystery): A thriller about a group of Shakespeare actors in their last year of college and one of their classmates who turns up dead. I enjoyed the murder mystery part of this novel more than I expected despite the fact I had guessed who had “done it” pretty early on. I really enjoyed the James-Oliver dynamic with its growing homoeroticism, but I didn’t like how the character of Meredith was handled at all. She felt like a one-note aside. I might have given this book four stars, but the ending was EXTREMELY frustrating for me and I did not like the “open-ended” conclusion. 3 out of 5 stars.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (literary humor): a weird character-driven comedy about an old grumpy man and a new family that moves in next to him. Warning for themes of suicide. Anyway, I don’t normally indulge in cliches like “I laughed, I cried, I loved one Cat Annoyance.” However, that’s exactly what I did. I laughed out loud, I cried my eyes out (THE CAT’S HEAD WAS IN HIS PALM), I loved this book. It was sweet and compelling and thoroughly immersive. 5 out of 5 stars!

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow (historical fantasy): set in the early 1900s comes a story of a young girl and her experience with “Doors” that lead to different worlds. This book had a lot of great character development and really interesting descriptions, however, I didn’t like it as much as I wanted to. I found it hard to get myself to sit down a read it. There was just something missing with the push to “page-turn,” but it was still a really good book. 3.7 out of 5 stars!

Gideon the 9th by Tamsyn Muir (high fantasy, kinda gay): I AM FILLED WITH EMOTIONS. This was book was definitely a page-turner. I was very confused with it at the beginning, but the characters and their interactions were, forgive the expression, the life blood of the story and kept me wholly invested. The ending has CRUSHED my heart, but damn did I have a good time reading it. 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Harrow the 9th by Tamsyn Muir (sequel to Gideon the 9th): I really enjoyed this book. It was just as strange and twisting as the first book, though I think I enjoyed the first one a bit more since I love Gideon. It was fun ride overall, though the ending was kind of really confusing. So 4 out of 5 stars.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (historical fiction): Overall, I really enjoyed this book! The writing style was personable and grounded in reality. I found myself really liking the main characters and the exploration of the life of a bi main character was really well done I thought. A solid book with drama and glamor to boot. 4.6 out of 5 stars!

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (historical fiction): A story of two sisters during WWII and their resistance to Nazi occupation. To be honest, this book wasn’t my cup of tea. It was compelling, but also wholly depressing and I felt like gloried in the pain of the two main characters too much. The history was wonderful and realistic, but it didn’t make me feel anything good afterward. It was just dark. 3 out of 5 stars.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (mlm romance): I finally finished this after the heaviness of The Nightingale. This is a story of the First Son of the USA falling for the prince of England. And it turned out to be a very fun and light hearted read! Some of it was kinda generic and too political, and it coulda been shorter, but I thought the romance itself made up for it. It just made me feel so sweet and lovely inside. 4 out of 5 stars!

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman (literary humor): I’m searching out heartfelt books and this one ticked off all the marks on my “sweet” list. A lovely book that made me cry more times than I would like to admit. Compassionate beyond belief, funny and heartfelt. I think I enjoyed A Man Called Ove slightly more, but this book was also dear to me and something I hope to reread in the future. 4.2 out of 5 stars!

Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel (sci-fi): A post-apocalyptical story about a group of traveling Shakespeare actors and a symphony. Overall, an excellent read that somehow pictures a more realistic or even softer version of the apocalypse. At first, I wasn't happy with the jumping around of the story, but as I progressed I grew fonder and fonder of the interwoven characters and their journey. A very fascinating read about a world that hits a little too close to home. The appreciation of the arts and preserving humanity was somehow very hopeful and I was fully engaged with this story. 5 out of 5 Stars!

Up next: The Hidden Life of Trees by by Peter Wohlleben (nonfiction science), The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin (urban fantasy), The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (fantasy)

[socksemoji]

yay a whole post!

not sure how old you are but in 2008 or so they started a horrorland-focused run and made a whole horrorland-focused website + in-character blog of two kids giving you horrorland survival tips, might be part of why you liked it a lot?? they own the spooky amusement park theme to me

night of the living dummy 2 is the first one to star slappy in it & i think you're recalling the scene right yeah. the protagonist is named amy and is very beloved by the fandom, which is a fun 180 from worm

the haunted mask is widely considered to be The Best goosebumps book in terms of like, construction, quality, actually having a character arc and a theme etc, plus it was the first tv episode. excellent taste

a night in terror tower isn't quite a "this location sucks" book it's mainly them running from location to location unless you consider all of london a horrible location in which case yeah. though there is a lot of somber "people used to be tortured and died Here horrifically" prose to introduce kids to that concept so

fun fact barely related but pretty much every summer camp book by rl stine is considered a little better than usual. like for some reason they just tend to be really good. camp jellyjam is no exception

i never read blob as a kid and good thing i did because the twist would've pissed me off so bad

don't go to sleep was made during the "rl stine is writing 2 books a month and relying on ghostwriters" phase. the writers, tim jacobus, and whoever wrote the captions (sometimes even the descriptions on the backs of the books!) were working off incomplete information. stine compared it once to freeform jazz

this is my favorite nonsensical tagline

like what the fuck do you mean "they're watching you learn the hard way" like am i learning something the hard way? what am i learning? are they watching me the hard way? doesn't even have anything to do with the plot i love it

i. have never read it as a riff on "kill you" in the laughs sense i don't think anyone's ever told me that. (i think because stine notoriously wasn't used to writing for small kids yet and was still on his fear street killing-the-dog pulp horror grind so i never even processed it as a joke.) you've opened my eyes to something thank you

okay goosebumps post for @socksemoji :) when i was looking up the summaries of them online i wasn't sure how many i actually read but i'm scrolling through the classic series right now and so far there's not a single one that i don't recognize. some favorites are:

'one day at horror land' was the only one i really distinctly remembered the name of/knew i liked before i looked up the list so i think this one takes the grand prize

i completely forgot about slappy (i'm certain his name was slappy right) but when i saw the night of the living dummy one i was like OH YEAH. so i think that was also a favorite. not deviating from what was probably a popular pick here. i specifically remember a scene where the kid was in bed and slappy was in their room at night and i think the kid was a girl so i might have liked book two the most, based on the cover having a pink bed on it?

i don't remember much about the haunted mask but based on my !! reaction to seeing it on the list i think i liked that one also

a night in terror tower is also very familiar now that i see the title. i feel like i was a fan of children going to and being trapped in locations that are fucked up and want them to die

the horror at camp jellyjam. yeah okay i was a locations fan

the blob that ate everyone <3

also i love these covers so much

what is 'rise and shine. forever.' supposed to mean. some of these are more coherently menacing and then there's some where it's just completely endearing schlock Phrased in the cadence of a horror slogan. maybe i should reread some for fun...oh to oncemore be a kid capable of reading and really appreciating one million goosebumps novels

[only-in-december]

For the 40 Questions — Meme for Fic Writers ask game,

7, 11, 29, and 37

Sorry that it's taken me so long to answer, I got a little distracted😅

7. Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

"It felt like someone was looking through his brain in the most literal sense. Pulling out memories forcefully, flashing them in front of his eyes and then grabbing more. (The phrase 'pick your brain' suddenly seemed a lot darker.) He saw so many events from his life at once. But they were all out of order. His and Maddie's wedding. Sara dying. Vlad looking through his ghost binder for the first time. Pops glaring at him for speaking. Danny's first steps. Ma ignoring him because he wasn't Sara couldn't be Sara. Vlad smiling. Vlad's accident. Jazz dancing. Danny lying in front of the Interdimensional Wormhole possibly dead.

Jack would have screamed if he could. But whatever ghost or other entity was possessing him, was making sure that he was locked up tight. The ringing was so loud. The memories kept flashing in his mind. His and Maddie first date. Harriet's article. Jazz's first dance recital. Danny explaining the birth of a star. Falling out of a tree and breaking his arm in fifth grade.

Jack distantly felt his arm get burned. He almost wondered if it would hurt later. But the ghost didn't seem to be done invading his mind and memories. Ma and Pop looking disapprovingly as he sang Danny Boy for Sara at her funeral. Finding out that Vlad wouldn't let him visit the hospital. Getting a returned Christmas card from Vlad with his face scratched out and the words "I HATE YOU" angrily scrawled on it. Him Vlad and Maddie sitting and laughing and talking." -Five Times Vlad Defended Jack (And The One Time He Didn't) Chapter 6, 'A Bitter Reunion'

This section just turned out exactly how I wanted it to. I have other parts that I'm proud of, but right now, I think this is my favorite because it feels scared. (If that makes any sense😅) This entire chapter ended up how I wanted it to. But this section, where Vlad is possessing Jack and looking through his brain? It just turned out precisely how I envisioned it.

11. Is writing your passion or just a fun hobby?

A hobby. I like doing it, and don't plan on quitting any time soon. But it isn't my passion.

29. If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

This is the question I had the hardest time with. Because like, I'm sure that there are tons of fics that I'd love to write a sequel or prequel for. But, I couldn't think of any. At all. And it aggravated me to no end. So I'm leaving this one open ended with an, "I don't know. I'm sure there's at least one out there. But I'm sure I'm under qualified."

37. Talk about your current wips.

I'm gonna just do all the ones I can think of off the top of my head. I'll link all the ones that are on AO3 already.

"The Twin Trap" is an AU fic I'm working on with @deaths-true-mortal-enemy about the Maximoff twins. Kind of a parent trap au. I think it's a lot of fun.

I'm working on a sequel to "On Pride And Failure." About the moments after the fight, and how it all affected Jack. (There's also a lot of mentions of his sister, and her death. It's a little dark.)

"I'M GOIN'..." is a fic (that I need to finish) about Danny's accident. It starts a second AU about if Kwan was on Team Phantom. And I think it's pretty good so far.

"From The Ghost Zone Into Your Home" is about the ghosts, and how they choose who they become. (Because in my AU they're not dead.)

"Never Play Among Us With Two Lawyers, A Private Detective, And A Police Lieutenant (it won't end well for your receptionist)" is a goofy modern AU Perry Mason fic. Perry, Della, Paul, Hamilton, Tragg, and Gertie all play Among Us. (I started it back when the game was huge and haven't really touched it since.)

I hope that suffices! I could ramble about them, but this post is pretty long already.😅