#Elise out here romancing three women

[driftingballoons]

I love Rozenmarine, but sometimes the way her VA says “Elise” is just so

#rozenmarine #little goody two shoes #original art #Spoilers #Do you see my vision #I’ve only just passed the crow stage so I’m not fully sure what’s up yet #But she’s such a wet dog of a girl #But also damn girl stop raising my suspicion #I can’t afford enough food to bring you to work just go home #Also the way the villagers are just “oooh I know what you are >:(“ #Replace the word “witch” with “lesbian” and they’d be correct 👍🏻 #Elise out here romancing three women #Although I fumbled one she’s gone now :( #Great game so far def recommend :3

[marjaystuff]

Interview with Shaina Steinberg

Under the Paper Moon

Evelyn Bishop and Nick Gallagher Book 1

Kensington Pub

April 23rd, 2024

Under The Paper Moon by Shaina Steinberg is a fun read.  Between the scenes of WWII and the murder of someone in 1948 this blends a mystery and thriller. There is love, duty, loyalty, and forgiveness.

The heroine, Evelyn Bishop, has joined the OSS as a spy.  Besides wanting to help the allies she is trying to rescue her brother, held in a German POW camp. Her supervisor is Nick Gallagher.  They become intimate and grow close during the war until he betrays her. 

Six years later, Evelyn is working as a private investigator. After trailing a suspected cheating husband, the suspect is murdered. Evelyn finds out that Nick is also a PI, who was working with the murdered victim. Teaming up for a final mission, Evelyn and Nick begin to uncover the true nature of her case, realizing that the war has followed them home.

The banter in the story adds humor to the story. There is a lot of action with some romance that includes a love triangle.

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the series?

Shaina Steinberg: This is the first in a three-book deal, but I am hoping that I can continue writing more in the series. I love old movies and I started to watch movies from the 1940s.  These had strong women like Katherine Hepburn or Ingrid Bergman. This is partly why I set it during this period.  Plus, there is a correlation with my grandmother who was a strong and vibrant woman.  She got married and did everything society expected of her. She had regrets because she really wanted to be a doctor or a nurse. She did not have many options in her life.  My heroine, Evelyn, explores what my grandmother could have been. 

EC: How did you get the idea for this story?

SS: I have been fascinated by WWII and my father read bedtime stories written by Elie Wiesel. He always said, ‘it can happen here so we must be vigilant.’  I see this is as a story that delved into the war, but not just that aspect.  It shows what war can do to someone and the sacrifices made, especially what a parent would do to keep their child safe. 

EC: Do you think there is a corollary between being a spy and a private investigator?

SS: Absolutely. Evelyn as a spy was extremely competent.  She was taught to be undetected and how to notice small clues that might lead to something bigger.

EC:  How would you describe Evelyn?

SS:  She is very talented, good with a gun and able to speak five languages. She is a feminist and loves the adrenaline rush. She could be selfish, petty, sarcastic, stubborn but is also loyal, fearless, funny, and brave. She is from a privileged background. But after the war, her eyes are open, which gives her empathy.

EC:  As with many of those in the military who have retired, they miss it.  Please explain how you explored this in the story with Evelyn.

SS: There were two quotes in the book that refer to this.  The first, “There is no place for me. Not here. Not there. Not anywhere.” The second, “Those first week’s home Evelyn felt as if she was under water. Sometimes it felt like sitting on the ocean floor with the weight of the water pressing down on her.” The second quote is like someone grieving and that grief encompasses everything in someone’s life. While later, after the grief is not so fresh, the person can be functional. The weight of the ocean water is the numbness. The first quote refers to how after the war she feels useless. Evelyn does not want to be a stay-at-home wife because she actively saved lives during the war and had a sense of purpose. 

EC:  How would you describe the hero, Nick?

SS:  He was Evelyn’s commander during the war. During the war he felt fulfillment, a sense of purpose, confident, fearless, and self-assured. Now, after the war he feels hopeless with a sense of failure.  He feels rage and anger. The anger is an undercurrent as to when he was abandoned by his family when he was so young, feeling his life was unjust and unfair.  He uses that anger to motivate him.  

EC: What about the relationship between Evelyn and Nick?

SS:  Evelyn gave him stability, hope, and happiness.  During the war they were bonded by danger.  They are in love even though he betrayed her. From Evelyn he saw that she is kind, good, and has a belief in the goodness in people. Nick sees the world from her point of view, through her eyes. Nick gets a sense of purpose from Evelyn. I think she helps him channel all his anger into ways he can help others. After the war when he loses her, he loses his sense of purpose.  I also think the war gave her a sense of purpose. She felt like she was doing something important that could save lives. I think a big part of Nick’s appeal is that he was her partner in that purpose, and he never thought of her as anything less than strong and capable. 

EC:  Is there a love triangle between Evelyn, Nick, and her current fiancé? 

SS:  Yes.  There is a scene in the book where Evelyn describes James, her current fiancé,as “romantic, sweet, kind, and chivalrous.”  Nick sees James as “desperate, needy, and old-fashioned.” If there was never WWII, she probably would have married James when she was twenty-two. Before she went to war that would have been enough because she did not know anything different.  To her James is safe and represents her being home and her innocence as well as her living breathing connection to her brother.  But what he represents is not enough for her anymore. Evelyn does not see a compability between her world before the war and one after the war. Her appeal for Nick is beyond more than their chemistry, but he was also there when she grew into the person she is now. But because of his betrayal she questions everything she saw and knew about him as well as how she sees herself.

EC:  What is the relevance of the song, “Paper Moon?”

SS: Everything she felt about Nick was turned around once she thought he betrayed her. The song represents the way Evelyn sees their love. She thought their love was real and after he betrayed her, she now feels it was hollow. On a personal level it was one of my grandmother’s favorite songs, so it reminds me of her. 

EC:  Next book?

SS:  It will be published in May of next year, with a working title An Unquiet Peace. One of my regrets was that I did not explore Evelyn’s female friendships in this book, but it is part of the second book. There are still conflicts between Nick and Evelyn. It will take place in October 1948 around the Berlin Airlift. Nick also has a case of a woman who wants to leave her marriage.

THANK YOU!!

[cumbercookiebatchs]

Grantaire first met Mathilde and Elise at the end of the year holidays. Enjolras' parents had insisted that he would spend it with them, so they went; Because Grantaire didn't really want people to know it, but he really didn't want to give Enjolras' father and two brothers any reason at all to dislike him. He had been on the receiving end of three different speeches, all ending with the clear warning of repercussions if he ever hurt their petite ange, call Grantaire what you must, but he was a little bit scared of the other men in Enjolras' life.

Anyhow, they had barely fully walked into the living room where everyone was already gathered when Enjolras' brothers were leaping up from their places on the couch and pulling Enjolras away from Grantaire and into their arms; "Don't mind them, every year is the same thing;" He looked to the side and to the woman who had spoken. She was really beautiful, as was the other one standing beside her. She offered him her hand to shake, "You must be Grantaire; I'm Mathilde, I'm Henri's wife," She introduced, "This is Elise, she's married to Matthieu,"

"Nice to meet you," Grantaire greeted, offering them his best smile, Elise laughed gently at him, "Mathilde is right, you know? I give them five minutes, maximum, and those two will drag Ange away so the three of them can, huh" She furtively looked around before lowering her voice and leaning in as if she were revealing a big secret, "they hate the word, but they just want an excuse to gossip,"

"I've heard that Elise!" Came a loud voice from the other side of the room and Elise sent her husband a kiss.

"Every year, you say?" Grantaire inquired, eyes tracking the three brothers across the room. Enjolras looked even smaller when standing next to his brothers; he was giggling and blushing and rolling his eyes in that way he did when he was pretending to be annoyed.

"Yes, ever since we were in school," Mathilde disclosed, "When Enjolras was starting high school we were all already in college, thankfully the programs that we were aiming for were local," She nudged Elise gently, "Remember before that, when Ange was little?"

"You've met him when he was a kid?" Grantaire asked them and they gave him matching nods.

"We all went to school together," Elise clarified, "When we were starting to go out and properly date, we would spend most of our time here, considering that the house is so big,"

Mathilde looked fondly at her husband across the room "So imagine our surprise when, one night, we were all watching a romantic movie, clearly hoping for a bit of romance ourselves," She wiggled her eyebrows playfully, "Then just as I was sure that Henri was going to make a move, out of nowhere we start hearing these heartbreaking sniffles and whimpers, Henri stood up so fast that I could barely understand what was going on,"

Mathilde's voice was full of fond amusement at the memory, after a couple of seconds she started talking again, "Turns out that Ange had been getting terrible nightmares at the time and would wake up terrified," Her voice turned sad for a moment but soon she was smiling again, "Henri and Matthieu just stood up, told us that we were welcome to stay and finish the movie and that there was ice cream, if we wanted some; But that the two of them would go upstairs with Ange and stay with him until he fell back asleep,"

Grantaire knew that he probably looked as fond as the two women in front of him, "We went upstairs after them to say goodnight," Elise started, "They were all cuddled up in Ange's bed, a mountain of stuffed toys surrounding them and reading him a story," Elise shook her head slowly, "Decided right then and there that I would marry Matthieu one day,"

Grantaire turned his fond look to his boyfriend across the room, being pulled by his brothers to another part of the house, "They'll be back in time for dinner," Mathilde informed him, "Would you like to see some pictures of Ange when he was little?" She offered and Grantaire's soft smile became a grin.

THERE'S A THIRD PART THERE'S A THIRD PART THIS IS SO WONDERFUL THANK YOU ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[deathbyvalentine]

Regency Werewolves Chapter 2

The grounds were suitable. The social season could commence.

Of course, there were preparations to be made that had little to do with tooth or claw. There were dresses to be made, ribbon to be pinned and plaited, pocket watches to be wound and shoes to be polished. Not to mention the small stack of calling cards that was beginning to lean a little in the stack. Everyone was curious and the family had been particularly elusive. But now, glimpses could be caught. The women were glimpsed moving from a haberdashery, servant laden with fabrics. The men had waved a greeting to some passing gentleman from some local land known for its good hunting. They had managed to escape the title of 'snobs', instead becoming 'mysterious'.

The first ball of the season, was of course, themed. Lady Robin in all her finery and extensive powder had announced it with a hint of smugness, the type that was unfortunately entirely backed up with ability. Her parties were lavish while still being respectable, decadent without being wasted. Wine would be drank but not quaffed, food served but not scoffed. This was a line many struggled to toe (poor Earl Sussex) but she did to with aplomb.

Obviously, the Williamson house was in uproar, even as Lady Williamson sought to contain it. Elise was of no help whatsoever, stirring the girls up with tales from her youth and recollections of flirting. Even Alice, usually resentful at being squashed into dresses and her hair being brushed within an inch of her life, showed little complaint at her dress and chattered excitedly about the dark woods on the ground, despite her lady mother reminding her there would be no chance for her to explore. Sybil had managed to contain her own excitement but there was a certain tremble in her hands when she spoke of ribbons. Kingsley suffered in stoic silence, his dread of social occasions easy enough to read on his face. His father's face mirrored his own.

Kingsley was often a rather put upon creature. He had not the wild bravery of Alice nor the social graces of Sybil. He found social situations not merely a chore, but much more of a minefield. He was at ease in precisely two situations - looking over his father's accounts and when he shrugged off his human skin and ran under the full moon. He found himself wishing for the moon to come more often - the rules of being a wolf were so much clearer than the rules of being a human.

Meanwhile, Sybil would happily give up her teeth and claws for the gift of a normal life. She fretted over how she would handle her little 'condition' when the time came for a husband, seemingly unaware of the fact her mother had managed it.

Alice was much more a wolf than her a girl - her shape had little to do with it all in her view. She was a wolf when she was in dresses and she was a wolf when she was in fur. Civilisation was a cruel joke.

And what was more civilised than a soiree? From the drinks in clear glass flutes to the steps of a dance, all of it was manufactured. Therefore the children must be manufactured too. They had to blend in, had to look like this was their first or second nature. Tears in dresses had to be prepared, quick tempers soothed before they turned violent, the correct amount of food to eat imparted. Lady Williamson made it look natural and her three progeny strived to imitate that ease.

*

The day came and the evening followed. The evening was summer tones of pink, fading to purple, becoming blue. The drive to Lady Robin's house was packed full of carriages, warm young ladies hanging out of windows and fanning themselves furiously. The only reason why Alice was not among them was because Sybil had hooked her by the back of the dress and pulled her back into her seat with one fluid moment. Alice responded by panting behind her fan.

Even the sisters petty bickering fell silent once the turn on the drive slipped past. The entrance was flung open wide, revealing the light of what must have been hundreds of candles, some lining the meticulously swept stone steps. Garlands of white flowers hung in long strips, attracting the attention of a few lazy bees. Kingsley couldn't help sniffing the air, the smell of perfume, lillies and food almost too much to resist. The entire family took a moment to look and to see and to scent. Alice fidgeted, eager to explore. Her mother shot her a warning look - each of the older women were taking one of the girls to be chaperoned and Alice had drawn the short straw. Selene might have let her have a little fun (Sybil, ironically, was equally as unhappy at her chaperone's identity).

They entered as a procession, with Lord and Lady at the front, the children and their aunt tidily following behind them like ducklings. Curtseys were liberally distributed, as were bows and handshakes. The girls were complimented, the boys were given approving nods. A few of the prouder invitees attempted to be above the buzz of the throng eager to meet the new family, but even they couldn't resist side-long glances their way, measuring up the cut of their dresses and smoothness of their manner.

The dancefloor was currently clear, the band only just beginning to settled down in their chairs, taking up positions and instruments. Alice couldn't help but wince as the tuning up began, the sharp notes of a violin particularly harsh to her sensitive ears. Sybil, though she didn't show it, was having similar trouble with an overpowering perfume an old duchess was wearing. These events were often overwhelming to humans, with werewolves it was a hundred times more stimulating, for better or worse. There was another scent on the air, that made the Lady turn her head. It was there and gone in a quick breath, but the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. It was surely nothing.

Kingsley made a beeline for the refreshments, as teenage boys usually do. It also carried the dual purpose of delaying the need to ask young ladies for their hands to dance. Kingsley rather despised dancing. Though naturally graceful, he never seemed to know the correct steps for the popular dances of the day and tread on toes with impunity. Later Lord Gordon would gently prod him to do his social duty, but for the moment he took pity on the lad and let him dodge the dance cards thrust towards him.

Lord Gordon took a moment to take in the room. It had been a hot summer night much like this one where he had met his darling wife. Fairytale like he had seen her, diamonds looking like starshine in her hair, both dimmed by the force of her smile and strength of her scent. He recognised in her what he had in himself, the howling beast that resided in their chest, making them just a little bit wild. It was love at first sight and the love blossomed between them over the years, making infatuation into the kind of deep fondness on which empires could be built. He wrapped an arm around her waist and she leant into it, thinking of the same memory. Alice pulled a face at the romance, since when were parents allowed such luxuries as romance?

Her grimace didn't last long. As her mother was brushing off her dress and making noises about finding some wine, a young man approached. He was tall and slender, with a bright spray of freckles across an elegant nose. His hair had the unmistakable bearing of curls squashed and soothed into submission, but nothing could dim the brightness of the orange it was. This distracted Alice so thoroughly it was only after a moment she remembered to curtsey. He was introduced and she too was, albeit via her mother.

His name was Leopold, though his friends called him Leo. He was a cousin of the family who owned this place, although slightly distantly. He was studying at Oxford and had came up especially for the season as his younger sister was coming out and he wanted to support her. He liked history and art. All of this Alice found out very rapidly. He spoke like a train rattling down a track and in trying to take it all in, she offered little about herself. He was nervous, she realised, trying to cover up his unease with words. Eventually, he got to the point.

"Miss Williamson. Would you do me the honour of a dance?" His eyes flickered towards the empty dance card at her wrist. At first, she thought it was out of pity. But then, she became aware of all the young men in the room and how many were hovering close by, waiting. It was not pity, rather, eagerness. This shocked her so very much she gave her consent.

A moment later after Leopold had departed, Sybil appeared at her elbow like a horrid specter. "You must attend to me at once Alice. You must not tread on his toes or turn too soon. Don't laugh without covering your mouth and smile like you have a secret. Don't fiddle with your gloves - " "It is only a dance Sybil." "To begin with, yes. But Leopold is one of the most eligible men in this room and it won't be a bad thing to impress him." "He asked me to dance, shouldn't he be impressing me?" Sybil gave her a long look which informed her exactly how foolish an opinion that was to have. Alice flushed, finished her glass of champagne and braced herself.

Across the room, Kingsley had watched the exchange with an academic interest. He was about to go and join his sisters, to gossip and discuss the already rather interesting turn of events, when he realised someone was beside him, also gazing out into the room.

It was a man a little older than himself. He had dark eyes and dark hair that was teased into dreadlocks. He had sharp cheekbones but a soft mouth. Kingsley looked away quickly, but not quite quickly enough.

"I prefer to stay on the sidelines too, don't worry." A small chuckle passed between them and Kingsley relaxed his shoulders a little, recognising a kindred spirit. "Are you here alone?" "No, my entire family are here." He nodded towards Alice and Sybil. "They're my sisters." "I'm here with a niece, though where exactly she has gotten to is a mystery." He held out a hand. "Michael." "Kingsley." His hand was warm and gentle. He turned back to the room and in companionable silence they observed.

Alice had made her way onto the dance floor, trying desperately to remember every tip that Sybil had forced into her mind two minutes prior. It was hopeless, as was she. Ladyship didn't come easily to her. Selene squeezed her arm in passing, hoping to pass on a little of her courage.

Leopold stood opposite her and gave a most ungentlemanly grin, like he was not in a room full of rules and looks, but somewhere else, perhaps a park or school. Inevitably, she found herself grinning back before she remembered the rule and covered her mouth with her hand. The music started, a light tune with much work on the fiddle and violin. It reminded her somehow of spring, of waking up to flowers and birdsong. Much better than the droll solemnity often trotted out in these occasions.

The dance begun. Kingsley, watching from slightly above, thought not for the first time of how much it looked like certain creatures from the animal kingdom, bees in the summer tracing their endless ritual paths. The formality was stifling. All of them would be feeling it, the moment of feeling trapped within stays and lacing, rules and regulations. But he chose to cling to them, using them to retain his humanity. What was more human than this party?

Alice kept her eyes on Leopold, and he kept her gaze evenly. The grins slipped away, giving way to an expression that she could not name. She was acutely aware of every touch between them, despite the layers of gloves and the swapping of partners. She began to be able to differentiate his scent from those around him - there was something earthy there, like standing in a woodland after rain or digging. It felt familiar and welcoming in this place full of artificial perfume.

Lady Williamson and Selene watched from the sidelines, their dancing days mostly done. A respite from the work of courting. Selene lamented it but Elise felt a sense of relief. She had found and kept her husband, and even loved him. No more performing, pretending or showing off. She could be as she was. Well, almost. Some things were not for public consumption. Selene, scandalous as always, made no secret of the fact she was looking for a second husband, much to Elise's dismay and amusement. The two women stood side by side and watched their girls dancing.

#regency werewolves #regency #prose #commissions

[emerald-amidst-gold]

1-4 ✨- @mageofholyandraste

Why, hello! :D Welcome to my ramble corner and thank you for the ask! I love these so much! X3

1. What would your Warden generally think of your Hawke and your inquisitor?

Rylen:

Now, I kind of see Elise eventually meeting or at least, reaching out to Rylen after the events in Kirkwall. After all, she’s an Amell, and so is Hawke. They’re literally the only family each other has (that’s not ‘found’ family, that is.). So, I think Elise would reach out through a letter or somehow manage a visit to her cousin and...connect. She would see him as inspiring; Rylen always manages a smile and a quip. However, if they were to spend more and more time interacting with each other, Elise would see that Hawke isn’t very well put together, especially after the Chantry explosion. She would question why Rylen chose the templars, why he executed Anders who was a like a brother to her, but eventually she would come to understand the whys. Elise would see it as no different as when she decided to spare Loghain at the Landsmeet; they did what they believed to be right and what would be best in that very moment. Both Rylen and Elise sacrificed their own happiness for the benefit of others, and were still blamed for future complications and there’s something comforting in a finding another who can relate. :3

Fane:

So, I actually have some later fic ideas for a confrontation between Elise and Fane (after Trespasser, kind of Pre-DA4 shenanas~), and suffice it to say, these two have similar ways of thinking, but their methods are entirely different. Fane is rash, prone to barreling head first into conflict without thinking about those around him. Elise is analytical, always assessing and placing the pieces in her head to make sure everyone comes out alive. This isn’t to say Fane doesn’t care about his comrades; he does. There’s countless, countless times he takes a blow for someone else without batting an eye or thinking that he could die. He just doesn’t plan; he acts. Fane can get lost in the moment of battle, in the heady scent of chaos and blood. Elise, at first meeting him, would see him as any typical warrior; eager for battle and a garden of death. But if they were to sit down and talk...I think she might find him endearing and fascinating. More or less she would think, ‘He’s so mature for someone so young. I mean, he’s twenty-four, but...he speaks as if he’s older. His speech is manicured, measured as if decided upon carefully. And his eyes...there’s pain, a deep, deep pain. Like some of the older Wardens, those just hearing the Calling. But also...hope? Conviction? Who are you, Inquisitor? What has the world done to you?’

4. What would they think about each other’s love interests (if they romanced someone of course)

Elise would probably, for both Fenris and Solas, would be like, 'I would never have guessed that pairing.' Like, Fenris and Rylen are complete opposites, but they adore each other. They've been through hell and high water, and despite the three year gap, it seemed to only make them stronger. So, Elise would admire that and also go up to Fenris and go, 'Take care of him.' And Fane and Solas? Again, polar opposites. Elise would be fascinated by Solas, though. She's always seen magic in a more gentle, practical light, and meeting Solas and hearing how he freely engages with spirits would make Elise go, 'TEACH ME.'

Now, in fanfic land, I have ideas about Fane and Fenris interactions. These two are very similar to each other, but Fane would be wary of Fenris. At first. Fenris is keen, observant of tiny things that most would turn a blind eye from, and that sets warning bells off in Fane's head. However, once the ice is broken, I think they would bond with nods of approval and huffs of exasperation concerning varying situations. *cackles* Also, both have been through tremendous trauma at the hands of another, both have had to work through the rage that trauma has invoked, and I think Fane would respond to that and want to try and open up a bit. :3

Elise has two love interests, but for the sake of keeping this canon, I'll just go with Alistair. Fane would probably be uninterested in Alistair. He would just be another person roped into society's spiral due to the actions of their forebears. He's the son of a king? Fane doesn't care. He's a Warden? Fane doesn't care. Fane judges people by their actions, not by their titles or labels. And in my playthrough, Alistair and Elise call it quits at the Landsmeet because...everyone lives, right?? *laughs nervously* So, Fane would probably never get a chance to meet Alistair to have an opinion about him. (went for the Templars instead of the Mages).

Rylen has met Alistair when he came to the Keep in Kirkwall, and I would like to think he would have to interact with him when he became Viscount, so diplomatic respect would be the farthest it would go. If Rylen found out about what exactly happened at the Landsmeet between Alistair and Elise, he would probably go hostile real quick. Rylen protects his family, and if one's been hurt? Yeah, that's a big NO.

Rylen would be wary of Solas. After Act II, my Hawke becomes...defensive when it comes to magic. He witnessed his mother be reanimated from the parts of other women to feed into a sick man's grief and delusions over his dead wife. Rylen knows that it wasn't just magic that did that, but he can't get away from that fact that magic was a part of it. And after the whole debacle with Anders, Rylen would be timid around anyone that interacted with spirits on the norm. Although, Rylen would respect Solas to an extent, admiring his patience and steadfast approach to situations, never backing down, never being cowed into conforming.

And there we have it! Questions, questions! I love questions! So, thank you so much for asking! <3

(Also, I wasn't sure if you meant 1 through 4 or just 1 and 4, so here's the link to the other two questions that I answered in another ask! :D LINK. )

#asks #ask #dragon age #oc: fane lavellan #oc: elise amell #oc: rylen hawke #these questions are fun! #i like it when you guys make me THINK >:3 #thank you again! X3

[thefirstcourtesan]

The Royal Recap: A Tale of Two Houses, Chapter 1

Hello all! It’s time for my thoughts and reactions to the first two chapters of The Royal Masquerade. Most weeks I will have this out earlier than Friday, but as many of you know, I was way from Friday to Wednesday and am playing catch up.

I loved The Crown and the Flame. Loved it so much. I do like the Royal Romance, but it was the TC&TF connection that has me so excited about this book, a return to teh world of teh Five Kingdoms and the first Choices characters I ever fell in love with. I play wth two devices so my recaps note that. I don’t search out other playthroughs though, this is just based on my own play and reaction. I will point out connections to other books and my random thoughts and so on. I also don’t necessarily go chronologically, if a point comes up twice, I will discuss it all at once.

So with that settled, let’s start!

The book tells us that our story is taking place in 1600 A.D in the Kingdom of Cordonia, so 400 years before modern events and a later comment about it being 300 years since humans had magic makes me think it is probably roughly 400 years since the events of TC&TF, putting us at the mid-point between the two lores. More on that later.

But first, we have to choose what we look like! 5 faces and 3 of them are from OH. Oh hello again, I think we are all sick of you. One is from ACOR and the 5th is new. I have to choose two, so I chose the ACOR face and the new one. We also have to choose a name and a house. Here are the choices for house:

I am a little salty that we couldn’t choose to be a Nevrakis 😂 as that was my number one hope for this book. Oh well. I guess I’ll choose from these three.

I chose House Rosario on one playthrough and House Everhart on the other. Meet my MCs, Lady Viola of House Rosario and Lady Livia of House Everhart:

Both names were chosen for a reason, one as a nod to one of my favorite Shakespeare plays (and a fitting one I think) and the other a reference to my own fanfic canon.

Now, to the story, we start while dancing with a mysterious stranger. The game asks us if we are interested in men, women, or both. We will see later that this choice impacts the gender of the LIs, which is a neat way of blending the sexuality choice of TE with the LI gender choice of Perfect Match/High School Story: Class Act/Platinum.

I chose interested in men on one device (Livia) and both on the other (Viola). Interesting note, I got blonde male Hunter as my dance partner in both, though he is obviously not identified yet. There is some flirting and they lean in for a kiss and then... We are rudely interrupted.

Turns out it was just a dream and we are brought to the present and the library where the MC works under the stern Head Librarian Kana. We learn that we were raised in a respected family, but given to the library. Given the nasty atttude of our aunts when we meet them, I am going to guess that happened when our parents died. But for now, back to the drudgery of writing up manuscripts on soil samples.

We are interrupted again, but this time not by Master Kana, instead it is a pretty noblewoman, who we quickly learn is our big sister Annalise. She quickly tells us that she is here to whisk us away from the library and sneak us into the Royal masquerade ball! Alright, sis, I already love you. I love her even more when she firmly puts Kana in his place before whisking us away.

She takes us home to the family estate and we reveal we have been away from some time. As soon as we get inside, we are introduce to our aunts Zya and Elise. Zya is terrible and sour and hates us, she is the one who reveals that the MC is an “adopted stray” and I am sure she is the one who gave the MC to the library. Elise doesn’t seem as bad.

Annalisa has no patience for Zya’s nonsense and also reminds her that she is the head of the family and that she wants the MC by her side. You rock Annalisa and I love you already! Zya backs down and Annalisa whisks is away to get ready for the ball.

Upstairs we meet Vasco, an older gentleman who seems to work for the family and is the last member of the household (at least for now) and we are presented with a magic mirror. Side note, I love this, becuase I have always had strong Snow White vibes from TRR and my MC Eleanor and the magic mirror just ads to that and I love it.

We learn that there are a few magical objects left in the world and that only the noble families posses them and that Queen Kendra has gifted this mirror to our house! We also learn the names of the other royal houses: Vescovi, Fierro, Beaumont, and Nevrakis. At some point I am going to sit down and figure out how they match up to the family’s of the Five Kingdoms and modern day Cordonia. So far the only consistent between the three Books is our beloved Nevrakis family.

So this magic item makes clothes appear out of nowhere (for diamonds of course), I guess this is what you do when you don’t have boutiques in every noble residence 😂. We get our first diamond dress option and it is the same one we were wearing in the dream at the beginning. TRR did this too, let us wear a dress in teh flashforward at the beginning of the book and then make us pay for it later. At least this time it is a dream. If we don’t like that dress, we are given a free black dress provided by Vasco.

The free dress is actually very nice. The diamond dress is too, but it is so close to Aster colours and that is the house I didn’t choose so that annoys me a little. But I do love the jewelled belt and I have always adored that shade of blue (it was the color of my bridesmaid dresses). Interesting, the free dress is very similar to Vasco’s outfit and I don’t think that is a coincidence. I ended up choosing the diamond dress for Livia and the free one for Viola.

After we choose our outfit, we talk a little bit with Annalisa and Vasco. Annalisa promises to free the MC from the drudgery of the library and we learn that our house is about to be announced as the newest noble house. Apparently our parents made lots of money and Annalisa has charmed the queen and the result is that we are being granted official status and the power and influence that goes with it.

We travel to the ball and then we are introduced to Queen Kendra, though we don’t realize that is who it is at first. Kendra is very friendly to the MC and they have a brief chat about art and then we are whisked inside because there are other nobles waiting to greet Kendra.

The MC eagerly eats some bread (because they are starving her at the library) and Annalisa generteases her about it, before departing to find a bed mate for the night. Between Annalisa and Hunter (as we will soon see), we get the impression that Cordonian court is very sexually liberal, which is awesome. I am putting PB on notice that I expect my MC to be able to indulge as well, no waiting a whole book for a kiss.

The MC heads to the food table (good plan) but is distracted by a gorgeous person in a sun mask who is being fawned over by noblewomen. However, despite their admirers, we are the one who catches their eye and we get the chance to choose their appearance (and gender, if you picked you are interested in both). I picked Asian male for Viola and white male for Livia. (Note- From this point on, I will be referring to them as male because both mine are).

This mysterious noble in the sun mask is the same one from our dream (we’ll potentially 😂) and he flirts with us, ignoring his fawning audience in favour of us and he asks us to dance, telling us to meet him on the dance floor at the beginning of the next song. But before we can, it is time to meet our next LI.

We have attracted the attention of a mysterious person in a moon mask, who seems to realize that we don’t belong. We get the chance to customize their appareance and I chose the black male for Viola and I chose the Hispanic/Mediterranean (I don’t know what race they are supposed to be) male for Livia. (note- Like with Hunter, from this point forward I will be referring to them as male).

He asks us for our invitation, but we deflect him and there is a chance for some flirting before he asks us to dance. We now choose who to dance with. Livia chooses to dance with the man in moon mask and Viola with the man in the sun mask.

Both men take being rejected well and then we begin dancing with our chosen partner. The conversation is similar but not the same. The man in the sun mask is smoother, more flirtatious while the man in the moon mask is a little more reserved, as if he is unaccustomed to this kind of thing. The man in the sun mask lifts the MC, while the man in the moon mask dips her.

I really like this scene and how it differs between the two men to accommodate their personalities, because it lets you get a feel for them. Both want to know who the MC is, but they approach it differently, with the man in the sun mask desperately curious and the man in the moon mask more suspicious/intrigued and more direct.

The dance ends and the man in the moon mask comments he still knows little about the MC, while their is a crowd ready to pounce on the man in the sun mask who is unwilling to let hte MC go just yet. Both men suggest that the MC join them on the balcony to continue their dance and we have our first diamond scene!

Again, the diamond scene is similar, but not identical. Again, the man in the sun mask is very comfortable and very charming, while the man in the moon mask is more reserved but very observant. In both cases, you dance and then the masked man tries to guess your identity. The man in the sun man guesses foreign noble (though if you tell him the truth, he is not surprised) while the man in the moon mask accurately guesses who you are. Then it is your chance to guess who he is, if you choose “noble from important house”, the man in the sun mask agrees and the man in the moon mask demurs, but both refuse to name their house, saying it changes how people see them.

The two of you admire the view from the balcony, his hand covering yours, and then it is time for you to remove your masks. Both men seem to be quite impressed by the MC’s appearance and in both cases, they are about to kiss her when they are interrupted by Vasco (who I am so suspicious of, dude is up to something).

Apparently, Annalissa is about to give the Queen the wrong invitation. So we say goodbye to our mystery man, though we do get a name. You can choose their name, though the defaults are Hunter and Kayden. I kept Hunter (becuase I am sure it is a nod to Dominic Hunter) but changed Kayden to Dante on both devices and will be referring to him as such.

We hurry to the throne room, but find two dead guards and get there just as an assassin plunges a knife into Queen Kendra! The Queen advises for us to flee with her dying breath and the assassin threatens us. The assassin reminds me of the shadows from TC&TF and that makes me wonder who sent them, a foreign power or someone within Cordonia? Right now, we have bigger worries, because our sweet sister is lying unconscious on the floor!

And end chapter one.

I thought this was a great start, it introduced the world and set the tone of one of glitz and glamour but also secrets and a darker side. I feel like that may be what this book is about, about everything that lurks Heath the glittering surface of court and I am here for it.

Also, visually this is such a beautiful book. The background, the characters, the gowns, everything is so beautiful. I love period pieces and I am already drawn into the world that they have built and I am so excited to be exploring this portion of Corodnian history!

#the Royal recap #the royal masquerade #playchoices

[bellabooks]

Grab the eggnog! Holiday films that feature actual lesbian, bi and queer storylines

There’s been a lot of focus this week on a certain network (Hallmark) and it’s ill-advised decision to pull a commercial featuring a same-sex wedding. It also opened a big ol’ can of worms about Hallmark’s lack of LGBTQ characters and characters of color. While Hallmark has apologized and is certainly in the hot-seat now, even having several working Hallmark actors like Elise Bauman, Ali Liebert and Hilarie Burton calling them out publicly, only time will tell if the channel actually follows through. So, instead of waiting for them, there are some actual holiday movies and short films that feature significant lesbian, bi and queer character storylines. Ghosting: The Spirit of Christmas This little gem from Freeform has flown under the radar this year, but it’s very worth your time. Jess (The Bold Type‘s Aisha Dee) has just been on great date with Ben, when she’s killed in a car accident. When Jess’s spirit returns, she teams up with lesbian bestie Kara (OITNB‘s Kimiko Glenn) to find out why her spirit is still stuck on earth. There’s a pretty big plot twist in this film that is super refreshing. It’s also really fun and sweet, if a little sad, too. (Find it on Freeform and Hulu) Let it Snow This teen ensemble holiday piece is cute, and one of the main plots is the secret romance between Waffle Town waitress Dorrie (Santa Clarita Diet‘s Liv Hewson), and popular athlete Kerry (Stitchers‘ Anna Akana). Their story can be a little frustrating at times, but there’s a nice payoff at the end and a lot of supportive friends. (Find it on Netflix) Season of Love This Tello film has been a hit this holiday season with three, yes three, charming lady love stories in it. It’s also written, directed and produced by queer women. (Find it here.) Carol If Diehard gets to be a Christmas movie, so does Carol, dearest. (Find it on Vudu and Amazon) Holiday Help Desk In this short film, Shannan Leigh Reeve and Rachel Lin play two women stuck working on Christmas Eve, who connect over the IT help line. (Find it on Amazon Prime) The post Grab the eggnog! Holiday films that feature actual lesbian, bi and queer storylines appeared first on Bella Media Channel. http://dlvr.it/RLS9dZ

[problemsofabooknerd]

All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Through the Ages edited by Saundra Mitchell (Review)

Pride day 12!

Check out the intro to my Pride project here.

Anthologies have been all the rage in YA for a little while now, and I know that there are many more on the horizon. But All Out is the one that means the most to me, and the one I have loved the most out of the many I have read. It is a collection of stories all about queer teens living, loving, and being happy, written by a variety of queer authors. I figured today I would share my full, detailed review of the book, and encourage all of you to pick up a copy of your own!

For those of you who don't know, I have been anticipating All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Through the Ages since the very first Publisher's Weekly announcement almost two years ago. Since that time, I have read more books by more of these authors, worked shortly for the agency that represents many of them, and generally fallen into a rabbit hole of anticipation that I can't believe I've finally pulled myself out of. It has been a long journey. And now I'm thrilled to talk more about each of these stories and my overall thoughts on this collection. ♡Story Reviews♡ ♡ Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore: 4/5 This was a brilliant start to the collection, and only solidified the love I have for Anna-Marie McLemore's writing. There is something so fierce and unyielding about her characters, and even in a few pages she was able to craft a deeply moving story full of characters and a world I instantly understood. I really appreciated her writer's note giving more context to the story, but overall I felt fully absorbed in the collection from page one. ♡The Sweet Trade by Natalie C. Parker: 2.5/5 In concept, this is brilliant. Two women run away from their husbands on the day of their weddings, steal boats, and happen to run into and fall for each other. However, in execution, I wasn't as big a fan. The story felt rushed, the romance uncompelling, and I was already forgetting it by the time it was over. ♡And They Don't Kiss at The End by Nilah McGruder: 3.5/5 I love stories set in the 70s, and this definitely delivered on that aesthetic element. The main character was sweet and I really liked the inclusion of a story with a character on the ace spectrum. It was a really nice story with a great setting, and I will 100% be on the lookout for more of Nilah's work. ♡Burnt Umber by Mackenzi Lee: 4/5 McKenzi Lee sure does know how to make me fall for an m/m pairing. This was hysterical and adorable, and without a doubt delivered on what I was expecting from this author. While I didn't love Gentleman's Guide, this renewed my confidence in Lee's writing and hyped me up for her book coming out in 2019. Seriously, blushing art boys falling in love softly with little bits of embarrassment thrown in? Exactly my cup of tea. ♡The Dresser and the Chambermaid by Robin Talley: 4/5 I will be the first to admit I have a huge weakness for palace drama, and I'm so glad at least one story in this collection gave it to me. While I have had my bouts in the past with queer characters in period palace shows and movies, this was finally what I've been looking for. The romance wasn't rushed, and the setting was excellent. I'm thinking I may have a particular fondness for Robin Talley when she writes shorter fiction, and I can't wait to read her story in Toil & Trouble after enjoying this as much as I did. ♡New Year by Malinda Lo: 3.5/5 So it turns out this is only part of what will be a full book by Malinda, which I suspected based on the summary of her next release, and I think that showed in the story itself. While it was nice, and I loved the setting of 1950s San Francisco, it felt incomplete and I'm excited to eventually read a deeper, more fleshed out version. ♡Molly's Lips by Dahlia Adler: 4.5/5 This was (I think?) the shortest story in the collection, but it absolutely blew me away. I mean.... Kurt Cobain? Best friends harboring secret crushes? Drama? I live for it all, and I can't believe this is the only thing I have ever read by Dahlia. My new goal is to read more of her work as soon as possible. ♡The Coven by Kate Scelsa: 3/5 I kind of expected more out of this story considering it was set in the 1920s, one of my favorite time periods to read about. I did love the witch element, and the setting, but it fell flat considering how many of my favorite things it was trying to deliver simultaneously. I will say I liked the very end of the story the best, though, and I think it made the whole thing feel like it had a solid landing. ♡Every Shade of Red by Elliot Wake: 3/5 Oh, how I have tried to love Elliot Wake. His writing is very, very flowery and metaphorical, which was something I knew back when I read Black Iris. But while I know a lot of people love his writing style, it ends up being sort of a slog for me to get through. The story underneath heavy-handed writing was fantastic, though. I love a good retelling, and a m/m retelling of Robin Hood with a trans Robin as the love interest was just a fantastic concept. ♡Willows by Scott Tracey: 2/5 I'll be honest, I don't have a very full idea of what happened in this story or what the particular queer rep even was. I think it was possibly going for a gender fluid or non-binary main character, but the entire thing was unnecessarily confusing. ♡The Girl With the Blue Lantern by Tess Sharpe: 4/5 Can I get a "hell yeah!" for prairie vibes, bringing it back to the historical fiction I consumed constantly as a kid? Honestly, this was fantastic. Clearly I was a fan of the setting, and the fantastical element was really well done. I'm usually not a fan of anthologies that aren't fantasy having stories with fantasy elements, but I loved this. The f/f romance was great, the writing was solid, and this is a story I would love to return to in the future. ♡The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy by Alex Sanchez: 4.5/5 I can't even fully describe why I love this story as much as I do, but even after just a few pages with the main character I got a little teary at the end? I do love the setting of a scorching porch in the summer and a stranger just wandering through who happens to catch the eye of a main character. I mean, I know that's a specific trope, but I love it. This wasn't a romance so much as a romance-to-aid-coming-of-age-narrative situation, but it was soft and quick and it just made me smile. ♡Walking After Midnight by Kody Keplinger: 2.5/5 I'll be honest, I had to flip back to this story later because I completely forgot what it was about, and that is the biggest problem. The romance doesn't feel earned, and the entire thing is just sort of a there-and-gone situation that I at no point felt particularly invested in. ♡The End of the World As We Know It by Sara Farizan: 3/5 First and foremost, I'm not that old so it was weird to read about a date I remember experiencing in a historical fiction collection? I mean, I was at a New Year's Eve party in December 1999. I know what that was like. But beyond that, I thought this story was nice. It didn't blow me away, but it was sweet and I did really like the New Year's Eve element. ♡Three Witches by Tessa Gratton: 3.5/5 I've upped my rating by half a star since I read this! There are multiple f/f witch stories in this collection, but I think this one is a bit stronger. The romance was wonderful, and I thought the magic was really off-kilter in a way that charmed me. I think the final POV kind of unsettled the rhythm of the story, but overall it was super enjoyable. ♡The Inferno & The Butterfly by Shaun David Hutchinson: 5/5 My absolute favorite story in this collection. As someone who lovesThe Prestige more than I would care to admit, the fact that SDH made it gay is??? Overwhelming??? I can't believe it?? I mean, battling magicians is great, but put a m/m romance at the center of it and my heart is completely yours. I want this to be a full novel. I would cry. ♡Healing Rosa by Tehlor Kay Mejia: 4.5/5 An incredibly solid conclusion to this collection, and it blows me away that Tehlor doesn't have a novel out yet. I know one is coming soon (and!! she's writing one with Anna-Marie McLemore!! I'm not even kind of ready wow!), but I'm anticipating it even more highly after this story. There was so much work done here that it felt like I got the content of a full book in only a few pages. It was profoundly emotional, and there is a deep connection to family and tradition, with this through-line of respect and romance that pulls the whole thing together. Overall, fantastic. ♡Overall Thoughts♡ Like any anthology, I would say this had its ups and downs, but it was a really solid collection that allowed me to read some incredible stories by authors I already love, and some by authors I can't wait to read more from. I do wish, like many other reviewers, that more stories would have been set outside the United States and Europe? I think it would have offered a greater variety in storytelling and really opened up the potential to see so many more stories of queer teens. But beyond that, I really had no complaints, and I feel like my months and months of anticipation were met with a beautiful collection of queer characters living their lives throughout time.

And that’s it for my review! Check out some of my other favorite reviews of this anthology by Elise, Kav, and Destiny. Also, add this book on Goodreads or purchase a copy of your own. Also, bear with me for the next couple of days of posts because I am about to get on an international flight to Australia, so I might be a tiiiiny bit scattered. 

#pride #review #book review #all out #saundra mitchell #pride 2018

[danyreads]

TITLE: The Rebels of Gold AUTHOR: Elise Kova RELEASE DATE: December 5th, 2017 READ DATE: February 3rd, 2018 PUBLISHING HOUSE: Keymaster Press RATING: ★★★☆☆

can i get an uuuuuuhhhhhhhhh i didn’t love this and i’m not sure how to feel about that!!!!!!!!! i did like it, i just didn’t love it?? this was a ~solid~ conclusion. i say ~solid~ because everything was wrapped up super nicely by the end of the book but it kind of left me feeling a little unsatisfied. truth be told, i feel like victory was obtained way too easily—considering the stakes the characters were up against, the nature of the villains, and the dangerous world they live in, in general. a lot happened in this book (and i mean, A LOT), which also leads me to think this might’ve been better as a quartet (or otherwise a trilogy, but taking out most of the useless material in book 2 and inserting the extra material from book 3 in there). this doesn’t mean the trilogy sucked, or that it was messy. it just means that there was a lot of world building stuff in book 3 that didn’t make it in book 2 or earlier, which maybe would have helped carry out the story and character arcs a little better. i adore elise kova and absolutely loved her previous series, air awakens, which was EXTREMELY different to the loom saga in all the ways you can think of. air awakens is also probably my favorite from the trashy high fantasy genre, which might’ve been why i was completely biased going into the loom saga and why it surprised me so much. about the loom saga in general, i have a few thoughts, both positive and negative!! ● diversity: ENDLESS amount of brownie points on this one for this series. when in this modern day and age can you pick up a steampunk high fantasy series and honestly say “hey this book has not one, not two, but three wlw MAIN characters.” that’s super rare. the word ‘pansexual’ is not explicitly stated but you can very confidently assume it since a whole society is based, basically, around pansexuality. sure, recently lots of books feature gay main characters, but they’re always male. having three (i can’t get over it, THREE!!!!) main female characters who had, currently have, or will have romantic relationships with women is an absolute, automatic win. i’ll mention again that a whole society in this book centers on pansexuality. just so it sinks in for y’all. i know diversity doesn’t stop at lgbt+ characters but considering the material we are constantly getting, this series feels like a long time coming. ● writing: elise improved immensely since air awakens and it’s pretty evident. as an aspiring writer i also really admire how she just thrusts out book after book after book with barely any breaks in between, and how they’re always fully fleshed out 300+ page novels. she published the entire loom saga in the same year and did the same with most of air awakens and i think that’s something that’s really praiseworthy skill for a writer to have. ● characters: a very conflicting point for me. some characters, like cvareh, i adored. some other characters, like florence, i felt were useless (despite the lgbt-ness). i can tell character development was tough in this one for elise, because there were very random jumps from plot points to plot points to help with character development, or to introduce new characters (again, some of them useless). i feel like she probably had a much longer draft with some very important character arc scenes that she eventually cut out for editing’s sake and proceeded to forget she had cut out, because there were things in the character’s behaviors or relationships that went virtually unexplained. not all is negative, though. as i said before, characters i adored didexist. ● gore: this was one of the things that surprised me the most. again, having read air awakens, i expected going into this series to find some fun loving romance with a cool plot, and instead i got cannibalistic dragons who enjoy eating pieces of each other’s bodies for fun, and who also take out organs from each other’s bodies and transplant them into their own bodies. you know, for funsies. if you don’t have a very strong stomach, i would personally skip on reading this series. there’s a lot of blood. ● world building: here’s where my opinion’s generally a little bit more conflicted. i’m not gonna lie, the world building was amazing. dare i say, i’ve never read a series like this one before. the science and magic systems are absolutely unique, genuinely like nothing out there. the worlds of loom and nova are also quite spectacular, as well as the complicated politics and societies in which the characters live. it really was amazing. however, i think it might have been a little toocomplicated to truly appreciate in such a short series, which i’m still baffled about. air awakens, (i know i keep comparing it to air awakens but i can’t help it), was a five book series. five longbooks, at that. this is why earlier i suggested this should’ve been a quartet, or at least a really long trilogy (i.e. mistborn). book 2′s world building and general development was a little on the short side, and suddenly you are thrown into book 3 with this intense, heavy political intrigue and then the characters are constantly traveling between territories and countries and it just... came in a little short. some pretty prominent plot points (perfect chimeras) ended up being not that important in the grand scheme of things. some of the characters also didn’t feel like they belonged in this heavily built world, but that’s a story for a different time. in general i did like this series. as i said before, though, i didn’t love it. and i was really expecting to love it, which i’m kind of disappointed about. something was off for me, but it might not be for everybody else. i just think it was a little bit ahead of its time for elise’s skills (i love you elise don’t hate me).

GOODREADS LINK

#rebels of gold #the alchemists of loom #loom saga #elise kova #booklr #reviews #book review #goodreads #3 stars #fantasy #steampunk #sci fi

[odanurr87]

My thoughts on... Altered Carbon

Apologies for not posting this review earlier but a few things happened during the week, one of which was the Farewell episode of Life is Strange: Before the Storm and I simply couldn’t not play it right away. Also, as you may have noticed by now, I hadn’t written up this review yet. I’ll try to keep this brief.

Overall, Altered Carbon is a series I enjoyed a great deal due to several factors, the first of which is its length. Much like British TV shows, Altered Carbon’s first season is short, comprised only of ten episodes, what’s good because it doesn’t dilute the narrative and keeps the momentum going. I’ve lost count of how many filler episodes there are in any given American TV show and I’ve often pondered how much better something like, say, The Flash would be if it were given half the number of episodes to tell a story. Not to mention there are only so many times I can be invested in Barry having to defeat yet another evil speedster. Altered Carbon is given 10 hours to make this work and I believe it succeeds.

The second factor that immediately appealed to me was the blend between sci-fi and crime thriller ala Blade Runner (probably leaning more towards 2049 than the original). The main protagonist, Takeshi Kovacs, is introduced to us as a mercenary on the run who is later hired as a private eye to look into a murder given his... colourful background. The investigation is certainly eventful and well-paced although it doesn’t do as good of a job as other murder mysteries, such as Poirot, or Miss Marple, in involving the audience and trying to get them to play detective themselves. By the time Kovacs decided to gather everyone in the traditional “room scene” I had few concrete reasons to suspect any of them for the murder but Takeshi managed to paint a colourful picture as was, indeed, the intention. 

Perhaps this is compounded by the fact that, in Altered Carbon’s universe, the body is just a shell (wink wink), a sleeve, a skin that can be worn by anyone, what makes it difficult to guess who may be using a person’s sleeve at any given time, a fact that Altered Carbon takes advantage of throughout the series. This leads to a number of plot threads that introduce new characters and potential allies of Takeshi, such as Kristin Ortega (played by Martha Higareda), a police officer who’s aware of Takeshi’s colourful past and decides to keep tabs on him; and Vernon Elliot (played by Ato Essandoh), a former medic in the Tac Marines who initially becomes a prime suspect in Takeshi’s investigation. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Poe (played by Chris Conner), the Raven hotel’s Artificial Intelligence who takes on the appearance of, you guessed it, Edgar Allan Poe and sees himself as Takeshi’s partner in crime. If only. Poe’s introduction in episode 1 is probably the best in the series (certainly the funniest and a tad creepy as well) and I hope he returns in an eventual sequel.

Poe, one of the best supporting characters.

Since we’re talking cast I should mention a few other names that are tied to Takeshi’s past but for that I need to paint you a picture of the setting. As I mentioned earlier, in this alternate future, humanity has unlocked the means to live forever by storing their consciousness in a chip called a “stack.” In so doing however, humanity has paved the way for further differentiation of the classes, where the rich and powerful can practically live forever in the best and most alluring sleeves while the lower classes either die or often get placed in the cheapest bodies they can afford. At one point, a group of rebels called Envoys decided to rise against this system and tried to put an end to immortality. Needless to say, it did not go well for them and the series explores the events that led to their downfall alongside the murder mystery. In fact, Takeshi was the sole surviving member of their group and he was put on ice for a couple hundred of years. You can imagine he was none too thrilled about being brought back to solve the murder of an immortal, as he embodies everything Takeshi fought against.

Takeshi Kovacs, meet the new Takeshi Kovacs.

This segways nicely into an interesting discussion point as Altered Carbon’s main protagonist is played by two actors (three actually, as he’s briefly played by Byron Mann in the beginning as the above picture shows): Will Yun Lee, during his Envoy days; and Joel Kinnaman (whom you may recognize from Suicide Squad), during the murder investigation. Personally, I liked both their performances and I even felt, at times, that I could see Lee’s Takeshi in Kinnaman’s performance, what is no mean feat. Connecting the two is Quellcrist Falconer (played by Renée Elise Goldsberry), the smart and fearless leader of the Envoys and, incidentally, Takeshi’s love interest. I absolutely loved her interactions with Takeshi, be them past or present. Indeed, Altered Carbon successfully weaves and balances the Envoy storyline with the murder mystery in a way reminiscent of how Arrow used to balance Oliver’s past in the island and his day-to-day as a vigilante in Star City. Some, if not all, of the best moments in the series involve these two in some form or another. Quell is always present in Takeshi’s thoughts, even in death, and her wisdom helps him out of many a tight spot. It’s a rather beautiful, if tragic, love story and I’m a sucker for those. The ending of the series perfectly sets up the sequel playing to Quellcrist’s theme, undoubtedly the most emotional of the music tracks in the series and my personal favourite (sadly, it’s not a part of the OST). Since I mentioned music, I must admit Altered Carbon has some badass scenes that are perfectly enhanced by tracks like PJ Harvey’s “The Wicked Tongue.” Is the soundtrack worth listening to on its own? My first answer would be “no” but let me get back to you on that.

Quell is my favourite supporting character and I hope we see more of her in a sequel.

There are a few other positives and negatives I could mention about the show but I’ll do so in the spoilers section of this post. In general lines, the murder mystery is relegated to a second place after a certain point in the series as it switches to the heist genre once the criminal mastermind has been identified (perhaps somewhat sooner than I would’ve liked in retrospect). The reveal came as a bit of a surprise, even when it really shouldn’t have. Personally, I found the conclusion to the investigation more disappointing than the culprit’s identity as a few things line up rather too conveniently. 

The series has also been, to an extent, criticized for its somewhat gratuitous depictions of gore and nudity but, to be fair, it’s nothing we haven’t seen in Game of Thrones before, a series that, if I remember correctly, was praised for that very same fact not too long ago (even though I always felt this was done for the shock value and to attract viewers). However, at least the nudity doesn’t seem too out of place in Altered Carbon when you consider most of the universe’s richer denizens see their bodies, their sleeves, as a sign of their power and would probably waste no opportunity to show off (indeed, one such scene transpires between Takeshi and Miriam Bancroft). Still, I believe the series would work just as well if there was less of it.

Overall, Altered Carbon is a series I would heartily recommend to any fan of science fiction and murder mysteries, not to mention it has a solid romance story between Takeshi and Quell (and maybe between Takeshi and the beautiful Kristin Ortega, you’ll just have to see!). I’m a bit puzzled by the critics’ tepid, if not outright dismissive, reception of this series, but for a while now I’ve had the feeling that critics have become increasingly out of touch with what people look for in entertainment. Their professionalism in analyzing or critiquing a film or a series has, sadly, become more and more influenced by their biases and agendas (be those political or otherwise), as recent releases like Ghostbusters or The Last Jedi would suggest (or the different reception to The Orville vs. Star Trek Discovery insofar TV shows are concerned). In fact, James Raney over at YouTube makes an interesting comparison between reviews for Netflix’s Bright and Disney’s The Last Jedi, highlighting the lack of consistency when reviewing one of the other (you can watch his video here). Erik Kain from Forbes also wrote an article about a month ago arguing some critics didn’t do their due diligence when reviewing Altered Carbon (you can read his article here). Is the takeaway here that I should start watching everything the critics review badly? I should hope not.

With that said, let’s dive into spoiler territory.

I didn’t like the character of Lizzie, Vernon’s daughter. I thought Poe’s therapy took way too long and was meant entirely to have her show up in the last episode to save her parents through Kovacs’ levels of badassery in an outfit that felt out of place, if not out of character. Not to mention she hints at being able to see the future, something that comes entirely out of the left field and certainly adds nothing to this series but perhaps it’s setup for the sequel. It’s also rather convenient that she has the single, most damning, piece of evidence for Takeshi to round up his investigation, something you will probably guess early on and that the show will do its utmost to make you forget (or you will have solved at least half of the puzzle).

Much criticism has also been directed at the character of Reileen Kawahara (played by Dichen Lachman; did I mention the women in this show are all absolutely gorgeous?), Takeshi’s sister. As you can undoubtedly guess, she’s the evil mastermind behind everything that’s going on to the point she even has her version of Oddjob (that’s from James Bond’s Goldfinger in case you didn’t know) to run interference and murder everyone that gets in her way. I personally liked how Lachman played the character as I felt she was very attached to her brother (maybe too much so), to the point I truly believed she was sincere about wanting him back at her side, the two of them against the world, even if it was also crystal clear everyone else was utterly expendable to her. In hindsight, perhaps the flashbacks don’t accurately convey this bond as Takeshi and Reileen have little time to reconnect, after being separated since childhood, before they’re recruited into the Envoys, but Reileen certainly comes across as (overly) protective of her big brother from that point onwards. Props to Joel Kinnaman also as Reileen’s and Takeshi’s last scene aboard the “Head in the Clouds,” is especially poignant as you can see how neither truly wants to harm the other and it tears Takeshi (and the viewer) apart when he finally pulls the trigger and end his sister’s life. As the resort plunges from the skies to its inevitable doom, Takeshi ignores Ortega’s pleas to escape with her and resolves to stay with his little sister to the very end.

Please find a way to reunite brother and sister in a sequel! It’s so sad we spent so little time with her before she was outed as the villain.

I think that about covers it. As you may have noticed, I’ve taken a liking to several of the supporting characters in the show. Sadly, all of these end up dead but I’ve learned not to take death for granted in a sci-fi show, especially one where there a technology exists that can backup a person’s consciousness. Let me add here that I also liked Ortega’s busybody character but I feel her arc was well-rounded at the end of the series so I don’t think it’s necessary for us to see her again in the sequel, but maybe Takeshi will run into Elias Ryker one day? That would be fun to watch.

What did you make of Altered Carbon? Who was your favourite character? Who would you bring back? Also, with the introduction of sleeves, this show could potentially go on for as long as it wants (or has enough material), similarly to Doctor Who. Will Yun Lee could certainly reprise his role as Takeshi Kovacs or perhaps he could be played by someone else. The ending takes every precaution not give away any hint as to his ethnicity, to the point his new sleeve is even wearing gloves. Who would you like to see play Takeshi Kovacs in a sequel?

#altered carbon #netflix #takeshi kovacs #reileen kawahara #quellcrist falconer #kristin ortega #joel kinnaman #will yun lee #dichen lachman #renée elise goldsberry #martha higareda #chris conner

[briangroth27]

The Get Down Part 2 Review

I enjoyed the second part of Netflix’s The Get Down and I’m sorry it ended up being the last. This show was exciting, engaging, and completely outside what I normally watch—I’ve never been a big fan of the 70s, disco, or hip-hop—but I loved it and found a new appreciation for all three. I’ll definitely miss these characters and this aesthetic, but I’m glad they found a way to wrap things up in a (mostly) satisfying way. Unlike other reviews I’ve read, I didn’t have a problem with the release structure of this season. Dividing it into “Parts 1 and 2” didn’t throw me at all, first because it’s just branding and second because I always felt Part 1 had a solid beginning, middle, and end. It also had a cliffhanger to leave you wanting more, just like any other show’s season finale. With the new cartoon sequences and the time jump, Part 2 feels so different stylistically that if they had been released together, it would’ve felt jarring and weird.

Full spoilers...

After The Get Down Brothers’ victory at the end of Part 1, they’re reveling in their success while trying to build dream lives for themselves. Zeke’s (Justice Smith) struggle to identify himself in light of his (and everyone else’s) dual lives through his Yale application letter was a perfect encapsulation of this, while also serving as a nice reminder of what happened in Part 1. That duality was a great build off of Zeke giving a speech promoting Ed Koch (Frank Wood), but then immediately running off to perform for the very people Koch was against. The pull between Zeke’s future at Yale/his internship with Mr. Gunns (Michael Gill) and his future as a musical superstar formed a strong backbone to Part 2, and I imagine the looming choice between disappointment now with a good future promised by Yale/Gunns and a dream life granted by music in the present that might have no future is one a lot of people can empathize with. My circumstances aren’t anywhere near as dire as Zeke’s, but I certainly struggle with working towards my dream career or giving up and settling for a routine 9-to-5 job that has financial stability. I think the show did justice to this struggle, but it could’ve been a bit more fleshed out (though Part 2’s shortened episode order may’ve truncated that arc). Zeke’s clear discomfort with navigating the casual racism at the Yale club but still wanting to keep his hopes of college alive despite Shaolin (Shameik Moore) showing up—and then choosing Shao when things got way out of hand—was great to watch. I liked that Zeke stood up for Shao and didn’t rat him out to Gunns, even though it meant giving up his shot at Yale and the internship. That defense made their final split at the end of Part 2 even more heartbreaking, when Zeke discovered Shao had allowed Boo-Boo (Tremaine Brown, Jr.) to sell drugs. It was smart to make their connection to the drugs Shao was pushing not just a way to get rich, like Boo-Boo was trying to do, but a situation that could actually get Shao killed if he stopped, which made it much more complex than Zeke—whose quitting over this felt totally right—wanted to see. Zeke and Shao’s final fight felt perfect and tragic (and was perfectly acted by Smith and Moore), and Zeke scoffing at Shao’s real name when the “kung fu superhero” blinders were finally off was excellent. I feel like Zeke fully understood that even though he’d been best friends with this guy, Shao wasn’t going to stop dragging him into his world (whether it was Shao’s choice to do so or not) and Zeke couldn’t save him, so he had to save himself by cutting Curtis out. I really liked the reversal of the end of Part 1 that the destruction of The Get Down Brothers created: there, he chose rap over the system, but here he bails on his music to go back to Yale.

It would’ve been interesting to expose Zeke to the punk rock scene after Gunns’ daughter Claudia (Julia Garner) discussed it with him. I get him not wanting to explore it after they kissed since it was so closely tied to her, but it would’ve been a neat to at least get his thoughts on it. If the series had more time, rock’s war with disco could’ve made for a good obstacle for Mylene’s (Herizen F. Guardiola) career as well and the musical divide between Claudia’s interests and Mylene’s career would’ve made them direct rivals in an interesting way. That said, I’m glad Zeke came clean about his kiss with Claudia to Mylene instead of trying to hide it for an extended period of time, which helped to defuse the potentially explosive drama it might’ve otherwise caused. Their fight over her saying she was single on TV felt a little too well-worn: it would’ve been more original to subvert expectations and have Zeke understand the demands of public images himself, since he’s somewhat famous too. Regardless of that cliché plot point, the show definitely had me rooting for Zeke and Mylene, even knowing that something tragic was racing at them. Smith and Guardiola had great chemistry and totally sold their romance in both their happy and harder times. Zeke talking Mylene down from Misty Holloway’s (Renée Elise Goldsberry) excellent “Backstabbers” attack was one of those great moments between the two of them. I also loved the knowing goodbye she gave him when she told him she was leaving at the end of the season; that she didn’t repeat “forever” when she said she loves him was heartbreaking. However, the renewed hope that fills Zeke while doing his poetry in his impromptu studio session—the beginning of his recording career, no doubt—was the perfect reaction to his heartbreak. In the end, it was just him and his rhymes, and that’s not only supremely fitting, but a nice segue to the flash-forwards of adult Zeke (Naz) rapping alone on stage. Zeke’s poetry with his future self was very well done (and extremely well-acted) and makes me tear up every time I watch it, while overlaying it with Mylene’s “See You on the Other Side” was a very cool mirror of the Get Down Brothers sampling “Set Me Free” for their battle at the end of Part 1. Reuniting Zeke and Mylene at the very end was extremely fulfilling—I’m choosing to believe that silhouetted trio was the actual Soul Madonnas, not just a tribute—and gave their romance something of a happy ending. Even if that isn’t them, or if it’s not supposed to imply Zeke and Mylene finally got back together, I think he was still waiting for her—and maybe only for her—just like Francisco (Jimmy Smits) waited for Lydia (Zabryna Guevara). No matter what, Zeke and Mylene will always be connected by their music.

Mylene’s journey away from gospel music and into a more sex-laden atmosphere worked really well as a parallel for her growing up and moving beyond the confines of her religious upbringing, even with as blatant as her father (Giancarlo Esposito) being a literal preacher was. I did appreciate and enjoy Mylene finally getting out of that situation with her dad before he died, though, and Guardiola was great at portraying Mylene’s attempts to break free as well as her confidence when it came to taking hold of her group’s future. I also liked the internal drama within the Soul Madonnas that was stirred up by Yolanda’s (Stefanee Marin) concerns about them becoming too sexy, but I thought it should’ve lasted longer. As I’ve seen pointed out elsewhere, her return to the group an episode after ratting out the plans for their sexy show was jarring. I felt like that was a major missed opportunity for Mylene to step up as leader to work out a solution all three of them felt comfortable with while also digging into Yolanda and Regina’s (Shyrley Rodriguez) perspectives more. Personality-wise, Mylene was already a good balance between Yolanda and the more fun-loving, assertive Regina, and it would’ve been great to see her become the balance within the group as well. Seeing her step into a leadership role within the Soul Madonnas would’ve not only given her a new struggle (one that paralleled Zeke and Shao’s fight for the future of the Get Down Brothers, now that I think of it), but would’ve better built her arc towards taking control of her career from Roy (Eric Bogosian). Had Mylene gotten the chance to show him and us that she could handle internal dissension and be a strong voice within the group through the Yolanda incident, it probably would’ve sold Roy agreeing to her terms a bit more. Standing up to him and threatening to walk out of her contract—and Roy caving—may have been unrealistic, as others have noted, but I still liked that she got that moment. Given the necessarily rushed nature of the season, Roy having the sense to keep his talent happy was an emotional win I can get behind, even if it doesn’t make business or real-life sense. 

The other thing I would’ve liked to see in regard to Mylene is where she sees her music going. “See You on the Other Side” implies she won’t fully transition to the full-on sexy thing, but is she content to only do ballads? We know she greatly admired Misty Holloway (at least until Ruby Con), so did she want to be the next Misty or something original? Where does her artistic instinct take her, and what kind of music does she want to be making? Would she have considered pioneering a new style? Would she have tried to dabble in punk rock as that started to challenge disco (and rock ultimately defeated it)? That would’ve been a cool way to pit Mylene’s style against Zeke’s (and Cadillac’s (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II)) in a potential Part 3, give her an entirely different sort of challenge as she tries to adapt to that style, and create an entirely unexpected way to wrap Claudia back into the storyline; maybe she could’ve inspired Mylene to try out what’s out there, since early punk rock was inclusive of women. Of course, those all feel like Part 3 developments. In Part 2, I still would’ve liked to see more of her opinion of what her music should be.

I liked that Mylene and Shao fighting over Zeke’s future gave a much more personal stake to the hip-hop vs. Wall Street nature of Zeke’s two potential paths. That the two of them were the most important figures in Zeke’s life and were fighting over him gave that triangle an interesting aspect that could’ve been fleshed out more, but I liked what we got. I could easily buy that Mylene’s barb about Shaolin being romantically interested in Zeke was more than just an offhand insult. So many characters commented on his and Zeke’s friendship as something more than platonic, like everyone was seeing something he didn’t see (or didn’t want to admit) himself, that I think the writers were definitely hinting that he’s gay or bi. Even Fat Annie (Lillias White) gives a knowing smile when Shao says Zeke isn’t his boyfriend. Shao also immediately understood what was going on between Dizzee (Jaden Smith) and Thor (Noah Le Gros), even though when he “caught them” they weren’t doing anything remotely sexual, which to me implies he's been there, even if he doesn’t want to admit it. Though their friendship was real and he definitely depended on Zeke to provide lyrics to his music, so of course he wouldn’t want to see Zeke head off to Wall Street, I think Shao really might’ve loved him. Perhaps the superhero ninja persona he crafted wasn’t just to cover up the fact that he had no one, but to hide his true identity as well. After all, the only person he really lets his walls down for and tells his “secret identity” to is Zeke. Of course, you can share your deepest truths with your best friend just as easily as with the person you love without it meaning you love your best friend too, but in this era it seems telling that Shao’s ultra-masculine alter-ego only comes down for Zeke in a desperate effort to make him stay.

It’s sad that Shao didn’t ever seem to have had anyone and needed Zeke a whole lot more than Zeke needed him. That made their split all the more heartbreaking. The push and pull over who was actually leading the Get Down Brothers—Zeke or Shaolin—worked well to build their growing conflict to the breaking point. Once they were there, I thought it was a beautiful and heart-rending note to have Shao resort to a Fat Annie movie when Zeke tried to walk away from him. Speaking of Fat Annie, Shaolin falling into dealing angel dust was disappointing given how strongly he’d only cared about being a DJ in Part 1. It’s tragic that moving it for Cadillac was the only way to keep his music going, particularly as it directly led to the end of his DJ career. It’s even more tragic that Shao ended up staying with Annie to protect the rest of The Get Down Brothers after getting even Cadillac out of her grasp. As sad as that is (and Moore sold Shao’s defeat perfectly), it felt like an earned end for him and satisfyingly explained why Fat Annie would let Zeke and the others get away. I wish we were getting a Part 3 to show him escape her grasp.

Adding Dizzee as a secondary narrator was an interesting choice, but it would’ve worked better if the show had honestly and more deeply explored his secret life. That would’ve justified and smoothed over the feeling I got that he was so unconnected from the main plot this season. Aside from Dizzee getting yelled at by his parents (Karen Aldridge, Ron Cephas Jones) alongside his brothers, Get Down Brothers gigs, and accidentally taking the tainted angel dust, it felt like he was existing in a slightly different show that didn’t really reconnect with the rest of the plotlines. As I’ve seen pointed out elsewhere, Part 1 had him doing his own thing too, but still made his connection to the rest of the plot a lot cleaner and more important when he introduced “Set Me Free” to the real tastemakers of New York and made it a hit. Here, even when he collided with the subplots of other characters, like taking the supposedly very dangerous tainted angel dust, he just got a little sick for a minute (which was weird in and of itself) and then continued doing his own thing. That said, his narration and the cartoon segments played into not only the heightened reality of Part 1, but the comics and 70s cartoons the guys would’ve been into as well. I like the interpretation I’ve seen elsewhere that (most of) the cartoon sequences are idealized versions of what the characters were experiencing, like the animated scene that follows their victory at the unity concert where all their comic book alter egos are reveling in their success before the real world comes crashing down around them and their dreams. That was probably the most successful use of the cartoons. On the other hand, there were some animated sequences that were literally just a character arriving at/leaving a building, which felt awkward and pointless. There didn’t seem to be any thematic reasoning for those moments to be animated and the transitions between real and cartoon characters were awkward and disruptive when used that way.

The biggest disappointment about Dizzee’s arc this season was how shy the show was about his burgeoning sexuality. I expected much more to Dizzee coming to terms with being either bi or gay and they literally didn’t even dare speak that love’s name, which was a bizarre choice for a season that also featured Ruby Con and numerous drag queens. It was weird that Dizzee and Thor weren’t able to ever kiss, even when they were painting each other. Dizzee inferring that Boo-Boo wouldn’t ever understand what he was going through was perfectly tragic (and it was a very well-acted scene by both of them), but I wish we’d gotten to see him take a chance and tell his little brother the truth. It would’ve opened Dizzee’s arc to the rest of the characters and Boo-Boo (and the rest of them) trying to deal with it could’ve been a solid dramatic arc. At the very least, a scene with Shao giving Dizzee some comforting words (whether Shao is into guys too or not) would’ve been great. Since Dizzee didn’t tell anyone, feeling (and animating himself) as an alien made a lot of sense and worked, and Jaden Smith conveyed the pain of knowing he couldn’t share his secret very well. I thought for sure this Part would do an AIDS storyline given the time period and the impact it had on the gay community and that would’ve been a powerful, important story to tell. I’m not sure I could’ve handled that level of heartbreak given everything else that went down in the finale, but I did go into Part 2 expecting tragedy heading for Dizzee and Thor. However, what the show gave us instead felt pointless and needlessly mean. My impression was absolutely that Dizzee got hit by the train and that was not a satisfying conclusion to his story at all. Not only did they not let him kiss the guy he was in love with, but half the gay couple gets killed? Come on. The two of them never fit into flamboyant stereotypes about gay guys, but “bury your gays” is an even worse cliché. It felt like a cheap shock that didn’t need to happen. I don’t think the series would’ve had any less of an impact had they just been happy together and it didn’t gain anything by (maybe) killing Dizzee.

Comparatively, Boo-Boo and Ra-Ra (Skylan Brooks) didn’t get much to do this season, and that’s a shame. Boo-Boo’s stint in the drug trade was certainly unexpected and it was disappointing to watch him get wrapped up in that lifestyle, even if all three Kipling brothers’ reaction to their parents grounding them for the drugs they found was funny. Like Shao’s predicament, it was tragic that it was the only way he could see to raise his social status. Regardless, Brown, Jr. clearly had a blast as Boo-Boo briefly hit the high life with this dangerous gig. Boo-Boo’s ultimate arrest was sad and shocking; maybe I was “stuck on hope” or looking for a Hollywood ending, but I didn’t actually expect Boo-Boo to end up in prison. Along with Dizzee’s apparent death, that definitely brought the fantastical nature of the show back to the ground with a stark reminder of the realities of life. That could’ve easily upset the tone of the show, but I think it worked.

I liked Ra-Ra thinking about the future and dabbling in making what The Get Down Brothers do truly profitable and long-term. His sojourn into the Universal Zulu Nation territory was a cool introduction of that style and I liked that he wasn’t welcome because The Get Down Brothers had been marked as drug dealers. The positive culture there was a nice counterpoint to what we’d seen so far and I wish the show had time to explore it more via Ra-Ra’s perspective. I wish it weren’t so animated though; if the animated sections are to be considered the characters’ dream worlds, why is the real salvation from Fat Annie the gang finds in Ra-Ra’s trip animated as well? At first that felt incongruous, but perhaps it’s because the guys aren’t really saved from Fat Annie at all. They get out of her contract, but she still gets Boo-Boo arrested and they still break up. In any case, I wish we’d gotten more of Ra-Ra this season. Brooks brought a great, distinctive energy to Ra-Ra and I would’ve liked to see more of that. Trying to woo Tanya (Imani Lewis) on the phone was so funny and sweet, and this half of the show could’ve used a bit more of his innocence and optimism. I also would’ve liked to see where his forward-thinking got him in the future. He’s one of the main characters and deserved at least a hint at his destiny. 

Cadillac’s love for video games and disco made for a really fun and unique gangster, while his desire to go to space was a great, unexpected reveal! I’m sure Abdul-Mateen II had an absolute blast playing this character and he’ll definitely remain one of the most memorable parts of the show. It was awesome that even Cadillac felt like he got a complete ending to his arc in Part 2. I liked that the unity concert actually changed Cadillac’s mind and got him to successfully break free of Fat Annie. Agreeing to let the Get Down Brothers go after Shao acknowledged their common bonds of abuse by Fat Annie and their desires to be free was a great moment and I really liked both characters at that point. I loved that he’s going to use his freedom to work on his own music, even if his time as a music producer never felt fully fleshed-out in either Part of the series. However, that may have been the point. His revelation about not ever really focusing on his Super-High Voltage Records label all this time felt like a wake-up call to people with goals everywhere: he’s gotten nowhere on his dream at least partially because he never really buckled down and tried. For me, that was a surprising connection to a character who seemed like he’d be completely nefarious and unrelatable at first! I would’ve liked to see him struggle to make it as a producer as Disco died in a potential Part 3. That said, there were a few bumps in the road for Cadillac’s development. It seemed like there was a bit of disconnect between the end of Part 1 and the beginning of Part 2: I felt like he was far more prepared to get revenge on The Get Down Brothers at the end of Part 1 and thought he already knew where they’d gotten their sound system and records, but that reveal was saved for Part 2. It’s possible I misread his moment watching them perform at the end of Part 1, though. His continued obsessive “love” of Mylene was creepy and didn’t amount to anything, so I don’t know why it needed to persist beyond Part 1 (or even past the pilot). On the other hand, I’m so glad that neither that nor Mylene’s producer Shane’s (Jeremie Harris) somewhat teased interest in her ever became anything. I didn’t need to see her sexually used or abused by some skeevy adult in power.

Besides, Mylene’s father using her was enough. As blunt as a man of God trying to keep his daughter holy was, it was cleverly twisted by Ramon trying to exploit Mylene’s career to increase the standing—and the trappings—of his church. I liked that his ambitions became just as gaudy and “godless” as he feared Mylene’s career and soul would become, hurting himself and those around him in the process. His presence even actively drove her to the drugs he feared her fame would expose her to, like when she used cocaine to calm her nerves when he showed up at the Ruby Con. As strong an example of how much impact he had on her as that was, however, it was a somewhat bizarre one-off moment (perhaps in an expanded season, she’d have her own drug problem to parallel what Shao and Boo-Boo were doing). On the other hand, his controlling nature extending into beating his wife felt cliché and unnecessary. I hated him so much in the end that I didn’t care he died; in fact, I was happy to see him go. That said, I wish there’d been more fallout to his suicide than Mylene overcoming it as a survivor (though a strong Mylene is always a good thing). While Ramon probably became the villain of his own story without realizing it, Fat Annie reveled in her ill-gotten empire. She was a great villain and the implication that she’d been abusing both Shao and Cadillac made her feel evil in a far ickier way. I’ve seen people say killing the cat was too much, but I think they did it to prove she really would kill more kids. Perhaps the writing could’ve given her some more dimension and motivation, but she never felt like a one-note character to me (possibly because her performance was so entertaining). I liked that Francisco was finally revealed as Mylene’s actual father and the fact that he “slept alone” since 1960 was sweet. Though it was a little rushed and sidelined, his end felt earned. I feel like we should’ve gotten more of Lydia’s reactions to everything happening with the two men in her life, as well as her daughter’s career, in far more detail than we did. I also would’ve liked more from Jackie Moreno (Kevin Corrigan) than the couple of songs he wrote for Mylene and his support in the contract renegotiation scene. He seemed like such a presence in the first half the series that it was odd he was so sidelined here. It would’ve been nice if more had been done with the three kingdoms of Hip Hop pioneers—Kool Herc (Eric D. Hill, Jr.), Grandmaster Flash (Mamoudou Athie), and Afrika Bambaataa (Okieriete Onaodowan)—as well before they came together to save the kids from their contract with Fat Annie. If we’d known them better, seeing them unite for this moment would’ve felt like a bigger deal. 

I liked the way the teens’ success in Part 1 segued into the manipulation of that success by the people behind Zeke and Mylene in Part 2. That made for a surprising (if inevitable) bittersweetness to their wins at the end of the first Part while giving them new battles to fight that didn’t feel like retreads of the first half of the series, even if many of the same players were involved. For example, the dance/rap-off between the Get Down Brothers and Cadillac’s disco music at Les Inferno was really entertaining and a great restructuring of Zeke and Cadillac’s dance-off over Mylene in the pilot. Fat Annie’s record contract for the Get Down Brothers worked well as a plot for me and I liked that the final rap battle wasn’t just about freeing themselves from that contract, but about proving that using a band just isn’t the same. That said, I really liked the gut-punch reveal at the end that the first hip-hop record did use a band. That sort of historical irony played really well, and had the show continued it seems like that sort of thing might’ve been the battle of a potential Part 3: as I saw pointed out on IGN, it’s ironic that Mylene is such a disco revelation too late in the game for that genre, while The Get Down Brothers arrived on the hip-hop scene a bit too early. I would’ve liked to see the characters navigate the changing trends in music and it’s a shame we won’t get to see more of their stories. Having so many of the main characters meet bad ends was sad, but felt real (even if I’ll never buy that dark/depressing is inherently more “realistic”).

Although I liked a lot the new songs, none of them matched “Set Me Free” or The Get Down Brothers’ winning mix from the end of Part 1 except “See You on the Other Side.” That one had a lot of emotion packed into it and was perfectly used to wrap up the show. The remix of Gonna Fly Now (the Rocky Theme) was cool too; it’s also used directly after they win the Unity Concert and right before their dreams are crushed; like Rocky, they go the distance but don’t really get to win. I loved the heightened reality this show lived in, while the Soul Train-type show Platinum Boogie was a fun bit of 70s atmosphere and I loved how outlandish the Studio 54-esque Ruby Con nightclub was, both thematically and design-wise. The truly creepy and unnerving intro to Episode 4 was very effective and surreal; so effective that I’m not sure the rest of the club or the episode lived up to what the intro promised, even if it still mostly worked. The use of stock footage from the real-life 70s intercut with the glossier night clubs and modern film quality still plays very well too. This world was so unique and well-constructed that it feels like we lost something special with the show’s cancellation.

I’m going to miss The Get Down, these characters, and this world. The actors were excellent across the board and I can’t wait to see more of them in their future projects. Despite some missed opportunities for exploring the characters more (mostly caused by the truncated season), this was a great, satisfying conclusion to the show. In regard to actual events, these 11 episodes may be fictionalized and softened (from what I’ve gathered from other reviews), but they’re still an entertaining insight into an aspect of history I never knew about. If you never gave The Get Down a chance, it’s definitely worth checking out!

Check out more of my reviews, opinions, and original short stories here!

#the get down #netflix #justice smith #zeke figuero #mylene cruz #jaden smith #get down brothers #soul madonnas #Shameik Moore #herizen guardiola #shaolin fantastic #Skylan Brooks #ra-ra #tremaine brown jr #boo-boo #dizzee kipling #yahya abdul-mateen ii #cadillac

[woman-loving]

i mentioned last week that “bisexuality” is a frustrating concept with a lot of baggage, and i wanted to expand on that a bit. i’m gonna talk for a bit about how bisexuality is conceptualized within the dominant framework of gender and sex, which classifies everyone as a man or woman, and what implications this has for how people think about bisexuality. it’s not comprehensive.

commonly, "bisexuality" is conceptualized as an orientation or behavior comprising two (dual) elements: eroticism with men and eroticism with women. the dualism between men and women--imagined as complementary elements that come together in heterosexual union--is a key factor in how (bi)sexuality is understood. i’m going to expand on this a bit just to provide some background.

within the dominant gender paradigm, sex, romance, and marriage[1] take place between a man and a woman. the gender dynamic of a couple (man/woman, man/man, woman/woman) is therefore given immense social significance. this significance is less apparent when sex and marriage take place between a man and woman. these are either seen simply as “sex” and “marriage,” or else rendered immoral or illegitimate because of the particular men, women, or activities involved. 

however, the significance of the sex-gender composition of a couple becomes immediately apparent when it deviates from the prescribed heterosexual dynamic. sex between two men or two women stands out as perverse, unnatural, or unreal. and the idea of same-sex marriage is considered farcical. it fails to meet a supposedly “natural” definition and purpose of marriage, which is partially linked to a marriage’s potential for containing legitimate (reproductive) sex--a criteria that all sex within a same-sex marriage would categorically fail to meet. not only is “homosexuality” marked and visible in a way heterosexuality isn’t, but it’s confined to the level of (illegitimate) sexual activity. in contrast, heterosexuality permeates multiple areas: sex, courtship, marriage, parenting, kinship.

the asymmetry between “homosexuality” and “heterosexuality” is important to keep in mind. there are further asymmetries hidden within these categories. for example, same-sex behavior has historically been interpreted and stigmatized through the lens of “gender inversion.” participants who are identified as taking the sexual (gender) role assigned to the “opposite” sex particularly stand out as a deviant factor. in fact, physical or psychic “bisexuality”--which has an original meaning of “hermaphroditism”--was proposed as an explanation for feminine men who desire sex with (normal) men and masculine women who desire sex with (normal) women, who were seen as the true homosexuals or inverts. 

so how does this all play out over the concept of “bisexuality”? 

like homosexuality and heterosexuality, bisexuality is a word whose meaning is supposed to be obvious in its construction. it references “two” sexes, either within a single organism (as in its original meaning) or as subjects of a single orientation. the word foregrounds the dualism in society’s understanding of gender and sex, and implies bringing together two (opposite, complementary) elements--men and women. this is a source of much frustration, because it is this very gender dualism that makes bi sexualities seem paradoxical. 

in a sense then, “bisexual” is a compound category. if heterosexual and homosexual each reference a single gender dynamic (man/woman vs. same-sex) or object choice (women for straight men vs. men for gay men), then bisexual is identified by the presence of both dynamics or object choices at once. conceptually, it’s a dynamic produced by the proximity of two more basic dynamics. each of those two dynamics can exist independently: every sexual encounter between two people could theoretically be categorized as heterosexual or homosexual. but bisexuality must contain both elements, while not being reducible to either. 

this has important implications for where “bisexuality” can or can’t be seen. situations can only be read as bisexual when they contain a person relating to men and women at the same time or in close succession. for instance, if a person is perceived as “going back and forth” between men and women, this can be read as bisexual behavior. similarly, threesomes involving men and women may be identified as bisexual. it’s telling that notable evangelical homophobe james dobson said of bisexuality: “that’s orgies!” for many people, threesomes and promiscuity are the behaviors most specifically associated with bisexuality. at least three people are needed to make bisexuality apparent.

when a bi person couples with a single person at a time, this typically isn’t read as “bisexuality.” it’s read as either homosexuality or heterosexuality, depending on the specific gender dynamic that’s present. on one level, this makes sense: society differentiates couples and acts based on gender dynamic, so they are encountered by other people as homosexual or heterosexual. on another level, the elision between behavior and orientation results in people being read as gay when in gay relationships and as straight when in straight relationships. not only does this erase a bi person’s sexuality (its contents or context), but it erases the relevance bi sexuality can have on a person’s relationships and life.

one strategy bi people have employed to assert the continued relevance and reality of their bi sexuality--even while not engaging in “bisexual” behaviors--is to emphasize that sexual orientation is defined by internal attraction, not just behavior. it’s possible to maintain a meaningful “bi” sexuality even in contexts that seem straightforwardly heterosexual or homosexual.

while this is true, the logic of gender dualism renders the concept of a “bisexual” orientation paradoxical. at a very basic conceptual level, it doesn’t make sense to be “oriented” in two directions (toward men and women) simultaneously--especially when these “directions” are considered complementary opposites. (in one bi feminist book i read, a contributor proposed that we think of bisexuality not as an orientation, but as an absence of orientation.)

as an orientation, “bisexuality” has the same conceptual constraint of needing to always contain two elements--male and female object choices--in order to be distinguished from gay or straight orientation. when only one object choice is apparent, “bisexual” seems to dissolve as a meaningful status: you’re left with a sexuality containing a single object choice, so where does the “bisexuality” come in? insisting on the persistence of a bi orientation is taken to mean that two object choices are present--and expressed--all the time. in effect, three people are still needed to make a bi orientation meaningful: you and the representative man and woman you’re longing to be with. 

(the idea that there always must be a third, that a single person cannot satisfy a bisexual longing, leads to the idea that bi people are inevitable cheaters, as i’ve discussed here.)

essentially, the constraint that bi orientation must have two “active” object choices present at all times (to avoid collapsing into a non-bi sexuality) flattens out desires and actions--which may exist across time and in a variety of forms--into a single temporal plane and relevance. in fact, bi people frequently don’t have both or either object choices “active” at a given time. sometimes a bi person goes a while without crushing on anyone, or only crushes on a single gender over a period of time. we should be able to see bi sexuality as a field of potential--the contextual ground of our sexualities on which specific points of desire (for men, women, or anyone else) can appear, and which continues to be meaningful no matter what points (if any) appear on it at any moment or over any span of time.

there are many other factors that can get lost in the common conceptualization of bisexuality. for example, not every feeling of desire or attraction is weighed the same or carries the same relevance. gender can also play a complex role in a bi person’s attraction; it’s relevance can differ among bi people or change over time for a single bi person. (e.g. some bi people would prefer to date a representative of each gender; some don’t see gender as a relevant factor at all.) additionally, there is simply a stunning diversity in how bi sexualities manifest, how they are defined by the bi person in question, and what they mean in a given context.

ok i’m gonna stop here for now, but that’s NOT all i have to say about it.

[1] why am i talking about marriage? because marriage is a significant social institution that organizes “the family” into the basic economic and social unit of society. when i say “sex or marriage,” assume i’m referring to a range of topics from sex to marriage, including: dating, romance, “relationships,” co-parenting, and kinship.

#bisexuality #bi tumblr #biunite #biphobia #lgbtq #lgbt #wlw #long post is long #my writings and comments

[romancereadingdiva]

Playing For Keeps Teasers!

Playing For Keeps by Kendall Ryan is out now! 

Here is the link to my review:

https://romancereadingdiva.tumblr.com/post/186980302505/playing-for-keeps-by-kendall-ryan

Blurb, buy links, teasers...

I've never been so stupid in my entire life. 

Elise Parrish, my teammate's incredibly sweet and gorgeous younger sister, should have been off-limits, but my hockey stick didn't get the memo. 

After our team won the championship, our flirting turned physical, and I took her to bed. Then shame sent her running the next morning from our catastrophic mistake. 

She thinks I don't remember that night - but every detail is burned into my brain so deeply, I'll never forget. The feel of her in my arms, the soft whimpers of pleasure I coaxed from her perfect lips....

And now I've spent three months trying to get her out of my head, but I'm starting to understand she's the only girl I'll ever want.  

I have one shot to show her I can be exactly what she needs, but Elise won't be easily convinced.  

That's okay, because I'm good under pressure, and this time, I'm playing for keeps.

Get ready to meet your new favorite hot jocks in an all new series of stand-alone novels. If you like sexy, confident men who know how to handle a stick (on and off the ice), and smart women who are strong enough to keep all those big egos in check, this series of athlete romances is perfect for you!

Amazon ➜ https://amzn.to/2GWFZGj Apple ➜ https://apple.co/2GSV4tv  Nook ➜ http://bit.ly/2LgEVSM Kobo ➜ http://bit.ly/2UKjVU4 Audible ➜ https://adbl.co/2PH4ona

Goodreads ➜ http://bit.ly/2GS72Ug 

Paperback ➜ https://amzn.to/2XURaWx 

[marjaystuff]

Elise Cooper’s interview with Karen Rose

Say You’re Sorry by Karen Rose will keep readers guessing and thinking.  It has thrills, suspense, psychological analyses, and a bit of romance.  People are kept at the edge of their seats by a story that delves into intense subjects such as cults, pedophiles, torture, abuse, alcohol dependency, anxiety attacks, and PTSD.

Although the first novel in a new series, it draws on characters from the Baltimore series.  The heroine, Daisy Dawson, should be recognizable to those readers who have read Rose in the past.  She is a cross-over character whose story is told front and center in this debut. Having moved to Sacramento she is confronted by a disguised gunman who pulls her into an alley.  Instead of fleeing she uses the skills taught by her dad.  As the attacker bolts, Daisy pulls a locket off his neck. A good friend, Sacramento PD Detective Rafe Sokolov, comes to her rescue and brings his old friend, FBI Special Agent Gideon Reynolds. After doing some investigating it becomes clear this attacker is actually a serial killer who preys on young women.  Knowing she needs a defender, Reynolds is asked to be a part of her protection detail.  For him it is personal, since he recognized the locket’s significance.  The cult forces teenage women to wear these lockets after marrying them young. Together Daisy and Gabriel are determined to stop this vicious killer and find the cult he escaped from.

Both the hero and heroine are mending from emotional problems.  She is a recovering alcoholic that has anxiety, while he wrestles with his memories of the cult’s abuse. Daisy was forced to live a sheltered and isolated life by her father who believed her sister, Taylor was being hunted. Daisy must come to grips with her father for uprooting their lives.  She gravitates towards Gideon because he too is trying to come to grips with his past. When he was a young child, his mother got involved with a cult that advocated forced marriages as soon as a young girl turned twelve and welded a locket around her neck which claimed ownership of her. Boys at thirteen were considered men and began apprenticeships which also included pedophilia. Gideon was nearly beaten to death after he objected and killed the man who was trying to rape him. He barely escaped with his life.

Although this book is 600+ pages, there are a lot of moving parts from start to finish. Yet, it's an amazingly fast read given the size of the book, since these pages are jam-packed with wall-to-wall action and heart-stopping, page-turning suspense. Say You’re Sorry is something Karen Rose will not have to do with this debut novel of her new series, because she has written a riveting and thrilling novel.

Elise Cooper:  Why a new series?

Karen Rose:  One of my series has finished and I wanted to start writing something new.  I wanted to do some stuff with my older characters, but also write something fresh.  I proposed this new series and my editor loved it, so here it is.

EC:  How did you come up with the idea for this intense serial killer?

KR:  This is a serial killer who has been hanging around in my head for about five years.  I have to tell you a funny story.  I met a man on an airplane who is a private pilot that combined charter services and corporation time shares.  As he talked about all these places he visited in such a short period of time I looked at him and said, ‘you would make a perfect serial killer because there is no pattern.’ He looked at me and became very upset.  I told him I write thriller novels, but he still did not speak with me the rest of the flight.

EC:  Why Sacramento?

KR:  I have characters from all over the country, but never set a story on the West Coast.  I thought how this could be a good place for a book. It is a large enough city; yet, does not have a big city feel.  There is a law enforcement hierarchy.  Also, I had been visiting in California for my writing retreats.  It is so beautiful and remote where we stay.  I thought about what could be hidden in remote areas and the idea of the cult popped up.  This is an over-arching story in this series and will probably be in the next couple of books.  It is actually loosely based on my college experience.

EC:  Can you talk about what happened to you?

KR: I was a member of a Maryland Baptist Congregation while in college. My future husband and brother-in-law found out our minister was a fraud and for years embezzled money from the Church.  He also faked a psychology degree and slept with the women he was counseling, not to mention that he beat his children.  I thought everyone would think he was a bad man and should leave.  But I was naïve, because the Church split into three factions.  One thought he should go; some people wanted him to stay; and others left to join another congregation.  Those who wanted to keep the pastor actually made death threats to my husband and his brother.  

EC:  How did you integrate your personal story into this novel?

KR:  I started to think what would have happened if this charismatic pastor took a group of people aligned with him and started his own church in a remote area.  Since my daughter just received her degree in religious studies she helped me build up the cult.  

EC:  What about the serial killer?

KR:  He is a person that is capable of monstrous deeds.  To make a villain believable they must not be cardboard cutouts like Snidely Whiplash who just twirls his mustache and goes wah-ha-ha.  They have to have a vulnerability, something they care about.  This killer had a messed-up childhood.  I wanted to explore why others like the hero Gideon who has a horrific childhood do not become killers.  I am fascinated why some do and some do not.

EC:  FBI Agent Tom Hunter seems familiar?

KR:  I keep a spreadsheet I call book years of all my characters.  He will get his own book in this series.  Readers might remember him as the son of a heroine in my first book that was published in 2003.  Then he was fourteen years old, but now, after a progression of years, I can make sure he has a book. It was fun when I realized I was going to bring him back.

EC:  You have written abused, handicapped and gay characters?

KR:  I have included a diverse set of characters, many who will get their own book.  I want the characters to be real and invested in the story. We in the media can present to the world that those who are ‘supposedly different’ are people that are not so different than the rest of society.

EC:  Brutus was so cute?

KR:  I enjoyed writing the scenes with the dogs.  Brutus is a therapy dog.  I got a lot of the ideas from one of my editors that trains therapy dogs. I wrote the scenes with Brutus because I want readers to understand what a true service dog does.  Daisy has her dog to help her with anxiety and keep it under control so it doesn’t become a threat to her sobriety.  We are even giving away some stuffed Brutus’ at the conferences. I am losing my hearing so I am looking for a service dog of my own.  Hopefully, one like Brutus.

EC:  Service dogs are very useful?

KR:  My younger daughter is deaf and her anxiety comes from her disability. Recently, she was followed, which scared her and me.  It is nerve racking that as a deaf person anyone can sneak up to her at any time.  We have been talking about getting her a service dog as well.

EC:  How would you describe Daisy?

KR:  Pragmatic headstrong, and tough, but mistrustful.  Someone who wants a life that was denied her.  A lot of this book is her coming to terms with her past and to have a relationship with her father.  She likes to have control over her own environment.

EC:  How would you describe Gideon?

KR:  He is Daisy’s anchor and has helped her gain trust.  He is very grounded who holds the strings of her kite.  I thought of the movie with Gregory Peck, “The Big Country.” In it Peck is a solid and quiet guy who will never get in your face.  He knows he is a strong man and does not have to prove it to anyone.  

EC:  How would you describe the Sokolov family?

KR:  I had not done a strong family unit I created this family. In my previous books the characters had to make their own families that in many ways had a stronger bond than families who are related.  I love the idea of community.  The Sokolovs are very good people.  They will mother/father anyone they come into contact with.  In Sacramento, there is a large Russian population and before writing these characters I spoke with a few folks who emigrated here and assimilated into American society.

EC:  A hint about your next book?

KR:  It will be Rafe Sokolov and Gideon’s sister, Mercy’s story.  There will be levels of villains.

THANK YOU!!

[fae-fucker]

The One: Chapter 18

Maxon comes into the room to give America some shitty bracelet and to apologize in advance for it being so shitty compared to the fancy necklaces the rest of the girls are getting. (But not before being praised for remembering Lucy’s name, of course.) But it’s ok! America’s bracelet + earrings are simple because her tastes are simple! She’s just so pure and humble! Maxon gives the rest of the money he would’ve spent on her gift to her family! Isn’t that cute!!!!!!!! FIND IT CUTE, DAMMIT.

Except ... why didn’t you just buy modest stuff for the rest of the girls too? Why does the book imply that Elise, who is sensible enough to know that there are more important thing than love, has the same extravagant taste as someone like Celeste? It makes no fucking sense. Somehow Cass manages to both paint America as simple but also very very special and better than everyone else and I gotta say, it’s pretty damn impressive.

Anyway, apparently the jewellry is for something called the Convicting, which isn’t explained yet but let’s be real, who cares?

America thinks about how good Maxon is at being a good person and how him giving her a ULTRA PERSONAL AND THOUGHTFUL GIFT means that he loves her.

We’re alone, Maxon. If you say it, I’ll say it back.

Nothing.

Why don’t you say it, you bowl of soggy cereal? Not enough Feminisms™? Out of Feminisms™ for the day? Did that whole conversation with three other women tire you out and now you can’t take your own initiative?

You can plan acts of war but you can’t tell some dumbass that you wanna ride his dick into the sunset?

“I’m always interested in hearing how you feel.”

Oh, no. Nope. I was not putting it out there first.

But. Why? 

Personally, when I write romance, I have a rule where they never, ever, under any circumstances, say that they love each other. But this isn’t the case here. Here, the words are given more weight than anything else, and that’s why the leads can’t squeeze them out. 

It’s so overdramatic and also completely pointless. This isn’t plot, it’s just them meandering. 

Anyway, they part ways, holding tightly onto their emotional blue balls.

I vowed to myself that, even if I went home and all the money ran out and my family was absolutely destitute, I would never sell these or give them away, or the bracelet he’d gotten me in New Asia. I would hold on to them no matter what.

That’s right, my friends. Her family could be STARVING and she’d hold onto her sparkly things.

Our heroine, everybody! A selfish bitch.

WE NEED MORE FEMININE HEROINES well here she is, goodnight everybody.

Anyway, we skip to the preparations for the Convicting and it’s basically ... Well, I’ll let the queen herself explain it, because I can’t be assed:

“The Convicting is meant to be a symbol of your submission to the law. One of you will become the new princess, and someday queen. The law is how we live, and it will be your duty not only to live by it but to uphold it. And so,” she said, stopping and facing us, “you will start with the Convicting.

“A man who has committed a crime, most likely a theft, will be brought in. These are cases that are worthy of a whipping, but these men will spend time in jail instead. And you will send them there.”

[...]

“I know it sounds harsh, but it’s not. These men have each committed a crime, and instead of facing the difficulties of a physical punishment, they’ll be paying their debts with time. You’ve seen firsthand how painful a caning can be. Being whipped isn’t much better. You’re doing them a favor [...]”

I mean ... you guys let me know how and if any of this makes any damn sense.

But I think we all know that America will do something very Rebellious and Badass and utterly stupid and get praised for it, so let’s all just prepare for that instead of trying to figure out all this Cass-logic.

Anyway, America, being the paragon of goodness, remembers how Aspen’s little brother got whipped for stealing food and comes to the conclusion that him being whipped was a much better choice than sending him to jail, because hey, he still needed to work! 

This isn’t me saying I want the kid in jail, this is me saying that America doesn’t fucking react to this awful regime, doesn’t even question it, and honestly believes that torturing kids is better than sending them to jail, because hey, they can’t work from jail now, can they?

You don’t fucking believe me?

Those who stole were penniless. Twos and Threes who broke laws paid their way out of punishment with money. The poor paid their way in flesh or time. I remembered Jemmy, Aspen’s younger brother, leaning over a block while men took a handful of food out of his back in lashes. While I hated that, it was better than locking him away. The Legers needed him to work, young as he was, and it seemed that once you got above a Five, people forgot that.

I’m ... I have no mouth and I must scream???

Besides, wasn’t Aspen the one doing all of the important work. Or is the little brother doing better work than his own mother and two older sisters, just because he’s got a penis?

What the fuck is this book?

America, being a bitch-queen, throws a shitfit because hey, she doesn’t want to send a man to jail!

“I can submit to the law, I swear. It’s not that I’m trying to be difficult, but I can’t put a man in jail. He didn’t do anything to me.”

Honey, he’s already been sent to jail. Silvia fucking TOLD you this is symbolic. You don’t have any power here, it’s just all for show.

Cakeass, why is it that whenever you want America to do something heroic, you have to make her really fucking stupid to do it? But then make the rest of the people stupid too to make sure she gets away with it?

America says that nobody has ever hurt her and that she’s not the princess. 

Which means that America won’t ... convict criminals ... unless they hurt her personally? Tbh that sounds about right.

America says that she can’t “do this to some poor Seven”, completely not understanding that if she doesn’t put up a fuss now and quietly becomes princess, she can dismantle these laws on her own instead of doing really dumb shit now that hurt her chances of becoming princess.

America is lucky Cakeass is her writer. If I were writing this, she’d be dead ten times over, because her actions would have actual consequences and not just character giggling about how cool she is and slapping her on the wrist.

But whatever. We all know she’s gonna win and that everybody in this book are too fucking stupid to know better. 

“[...] I just don’t want to put someone in jail. That’s not a princess’s job. Magistrates do that.”

THEY ALREADY DID. HE’S ALREADY CONVICTED. HE WILL BE PUNISHED NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO. 

I mean, right? Surely Cakeass isn’t so stupid that she’ll write that the magistrates will just give four teenage girls the power to convict criminals? I mean ... surely ...

I tried to tell myself that it wasn’t a big deal. People broke laws and went to jail all the time. It was one person out of thousands. And I needed to be perfect.

Perfect was my only option.

Cry me a fucking river, you idiot.

#eff reads: the one #book rants #I HATE THIS I HATE THIS I HATE THIS

[bellabooks]

The best lesbian and bi movies of 2017

I’ll be honest with you, dear readers. This hasn’t been a huge year for lesbian, bi, and queer cinema. Titles were few and far between to begin with, and there was no Carol-type blockbuster in 2017, or a Moonlight for wlw. There was also a lack of significant roles for queer women of color. 2018 is looking promising with big movies backed by big stars like Disobedience, My Days of Mercy and Vita and Virginia. That being said, there still were some excellent films starring lesbian, bi, and queer characters (and sometimes actors) and here are the best of the bunch. (While some of these films hit the festival circuit in 2016, they were not available for wide release until 2017. I’ve also included links to where you can watch them yourself.)   The Carmilla Movie (directed by Spencer Maybee): Carmilla, Laura and the gang are back in this highly anticipated movie, and this time they were all grown up. Based on the popular webseries, Smokebomb Productions brought the beloved characters back for a feature length film, filled with intrigue, guest stars, and yes, even some racy love scenes. Instead of going the traditional route, the film raised much of its budget via crowd-sourcing, and brought the movie straight to audiences online. Stars Natasha Negovanlis and Elise Bauman proved they could command the big screen as well as Youtube, and brought their characters to life in a brand new way. The movie even inspired a movement called #GayItForward, where fans bought movie bundles for other fans so everyone in the Carmillaverse could have a chance to see their favs in action.   Thelma (directed by Joachim Trier ) This Norwegian film is already being talked about for a Best Foreign Language Oscar nomination, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a chilling film that borders on horror and suspense, with some queer romance built in. Thelma (Eili Harboe) is a shy college student, away from her protective and religious family for the first time. One day while studying in the library, she catches sight of Anya (Kaya Wilkins) and it affects her in a way that she could never have imagined. As her feelings deepen, her awakening telekinetic powers do as well. Yes, it’s been called the lesbian Carrie, because both young women are undergoing a sexual awakening and have untold power, but that’s where the similarities end.   Signature Move (directed by Jennifer Reader): It’s about time that actress and writer Fawzia Mirza became a household name, and with this gem of a movie, she’s on her way. Mirza plays Zaynab, a closeted lawyer who lives with her mother (the legendary Shabana Azmi), and attempts to have some semblance of a secret social life away from her mother’s plans to marry her daughter off. When a client pays Zaynab in wrestling lessons, she finds herself becoming bolder and more open to new experiences. She also meets Alma (Sari Sanchez), who she falls pretty hard for. Family, love, and acceptance are at the heart of this film, and it’s one of the only releases this year to feature QWOC leads.   AWOL (directed by Deb Shoval): This tale of love and loss is as beautiful as it is frustrating. Joey (the lovely Lola Kirke) is looking for a way out of her dead-end town and figures the Army will give her a chance at a life and an education. But when she meets the married mother of two, Rayna (the underrated Breeda Wool), Joey throws her plans into upheaval for a chance at love. Based on a short film of the same name, this movie is a bittersweet ode to young and reckless love, with excellent performances by Kirke and Wool.   Battle of the Sexes (directed by  Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris) This Emma Stone led feature was probably the biggest of the group, getting major studio release and backing, and playing in major theatre chains across the country. Stone played lesbian tennis star Billie Jean King in this biopic, and it was one of her best performances to date. The chemistry she had with stylist Marilyn (Andrea Riseborough) was sizzling, even if their romance was fairly muted. It does, however, win 2017’s award for Sexiest Haircut Scene.   A Date for Mad Mary (directed by Darren Thornton): This Irish gem was a real sleeper in 2017. On the festival circuit for what seems like forever, Mad Mary was finally made available to the masses through Wolfe Video this winter. The impulsive and aimless Mary (played by the very charming Seána Kerslake) is fresh out of prison after serving time for assault, and just in time to serve as the maid of honor in her best friend Charlene’s wedding. When it becomes clear that things have changed in the time she’s been away, Mary has to begin looking outside of her relationship with Charlene, and building a life for herself. Part of that is being open to love, even if it’s with someone that she didn’t expect.   Professor Marsten and the Wonder Women (directed by Angela Robinson): Riding hot on the heels of the blockbuster Wonder Woman, out filmmaker Angela Robinson was able to release her ode to the man and women behind the Amazonian warrior. While the film struggled in theatres and received some backlash for its storyline (the granddaughter of William Moulton Marsten says that the women were platonic), it was an overall well-received film by critics with fabulous performances by Rebecca Hall and Bella Heathcote. Stories if polyamory are rare in modern cinema, and this treated the relationship between the three with care and respect.    Princess Cyd (directed by Stephen Cone) This indie film has garnered positive attention and reviews from other queer sites. This coming of age tale stars stage actor and newcomer Jessie Pinnick as Cyd, a high school student who spends part of the summer in Chicago with her aunt while looking at colleges. While there, she and her aunt bond over Cyd’s late mother, and Cyd crushes out on a barista named Katie. Katie is played by queer and non-binary actor Malic White. A little slow at times, there is still a lot to love about this film that celebrates love and growing, no matter how old you are.   What were your favorite lesbian, bi, and queer films of 2017? http://dlvr.it/Q5bfMs

#Movies #A Date for Mad Mary #AWOL