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candycandy00 · 4 months

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The Doll House - A Nanami x Reader Fanfic Part 3

Despite your crippling fear of men, your family sells you to the Doll House. Luckily, you end up with the handsome, gentlemanly Nanami as your trainer, and he’s about to show you how great a man can be.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Read Geto’s Part Here!

Read Toji’s Part Here!

Read Sukuna’s Part Here!

Read Gojo’s Part Here!

Read Choso’s Part Here!

AU! Each trainer will get their own story! This is Nanami’s. If you’d like to be tagged in future parts, let me know! You must be an adult to be tagged! Any feedback whatsoever is adored! I’m keeping the same tag list as Geto’s part. If you’d like to be removed, please let me know!

Note: Consider these parts AU’s within an AU. So you might see Geto with a different doll from the reader in his part, but just consider this an alternate timeline lol.

The book series the characters are discussing is The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson. Jasnah and Shallan are both from it. Everyone please go read it because it’s amazing (and fall in love with Kaladin just like everyone else, in universe and out).

Smut. 18+. Fem Reader. Daddy kink. Hair pulling. Oral sex. Fingering. Spanking (with hand). Divider by @benkeibear!

Four weeks into your training, you and Nanami are both sitting in your chairs, reading. You adore these quiet moments between you two, where you’re both doing something you love, together. Nanami always seems so relaxed and comfortable sitting there, a heavy book in his lap, his reading glasses slipping down his nose. You’re happy he can feel that way in your presence.

The feelings you’re starting to have for him… they’re dangerous. He’s explained to you already that you should avoid developing an attachment to him, because he’s not going to be your long term owner. You understand that. But while you are a little less scared of men in general (you can talk to most of the other trainers at dinner now without nearly having a panic attack), you’re still terrified of the idea of some strange man taking you away from here. Away from Nanami.

“You’ll meet the buyer a few times before you go,” Nanami has told you. “He won’t be a complete stranger to you.”

You were slightly relieved to hear that, but you still felt a knot in your stomach when Nanami casually spoke of another man taking ownership of you. Won’t he miss you? How does he keep training women and then sending them away without a care in the world?

Did the previous women feel this way about him? Did they get this close to him? These questions haunt you.

You close the book in your lap, finally finishing the second book in the series Nanami is lending you. At your pace, you should finish the third one before you have to leave. The books are massive though.

He looks up. “Finished?”

“Yes, just now.”

His eyes seem a little warmer as he asks, “What did you think of it?”

Outside the window you tried to crawl out of once upon a time, snow is falling silently. There’s already a blanket of the shimmering diamond dust on the ground outside, making the warmth of Nanami’s room all the more cozy.

You tuck your legs under yourself and say, “It was amazing! That climax was incredible!”

He smiles and nods. “I thought so too. Have you chosen a favorite character yet?”

You think for a moment. He asked you the same question when you finished the first book, but you wanted to read more before deciding. Now, you think you have your answer. “Jasnah. She kind of reminds me of you.”

Nanami looks surprised. “She does?”

“Yeah. She’s super smart, mature, collected, strong, beautiful…”

He raises an eyebrow at that last word.

“Uh, I mean… you’re… very handsome. But you know that already,” you say awkwardly.

“I appreciate the compliment,” he says. “I think my favorite is Shallan. She’s a bit of a mess, but she’s trying.”

You feel heat creeping into your cheeks. You saw so much of yourself in Shallan that you almost didn’t like her. But she’s Nanami’s favorite? Maybe he thinks more of you than you thought.

“I hope I can finish the third book by the time I leave,” you tell him.

“You will. And you can take my copy of the fourth with you. Think of it as a gift.”

You blink at him. “A gift? How did you know my birthday is tomorrow?”

His eyes widen slightly. “Tomorrow is your birthday? I didn’t know. The book was going to be a farewell present, so I’ll get you something else tomorrow.”

You quickly wave your hands in a dismissive motion. “Oh, no, you don’t have to get me anything!”

“Let’s see, how about a nice dinner?” he asks, ignoring your protests. “I’ll make reservations in the morning. And we’ll need to get you something appropriate to wear. The restaurant I have in mind is high end.”

High end? So he’s taking you some place fancy. You remember your aunt taking you to fancy restaurants a few times in your teenage years, but you had panic attacks when any men came near. You probably scared the poor waiters half to death. In the end, you had to leave before the food was even served. By the time you reached adulthood, your aunt stopped trying, which meant she also stopped buying you fancy dresses to wear.

The next morning, Nanami takes you to a boutique in town and instructs the stylist working there to help you find something suitable. He waits patiently while you try on several dresses, finally settling on a red, form fitting one with a high neckline to balance out the rather daring slit up to your hip. The stylist announces that the two of you have chosen a dress, and from the fitting room you hear Nanami’s voice ask, “Would you like to show it to me?”

“Not yet,” you call back through the curtain. “I want it to be a surprise tonight.”

After putting back on your regular clothes, you step out to find Nanami at the counter, paying the exorbitant price for the dress, as well as shoes and a long coat you’d picked out first. You told him you already had a good coat, but he insisted.

Back at the Doll House, Nanami politely stepped out so that you could get ready. He was wearing a fine suit that looked ridiculously expensive and his hair was neatly styled back from his face. He looked so handsome, you almost asked if you could spend the evening in bed with him.

One of the other dolls, the one being trained by Choso, worked in a salon before being a doll. You suppose that explains Choso’s constantly changing hairstyles, but you’re pleasantly surprised when she offers to do your hair and makeup for you. When she’s finished, and you’re wearing your new dress and shoes, you’re shocked by how fancy you look in the mirror. It’s been so long since you dressed up for anything, you’ve nearly forgotten how nice it feels.

You pull on your new coat, which is long enough to conceal much of the dress. It’s beautiful, with fur trim, and very warm. There’s also a pair of sleek leather gloves laid out for you to wear. You wonder why he wants you to dress so warmly. Maybe he wants to take a romantic stroll through town.

When you step into the welcome room, Nanami is waiting for you. He offers his arm to you in his typical gentlemanly fashion and the two of you step outside into the cold winter night.

You stop short as soon as you walk out the door. There in front of the entrance is a beautiful horse-drawn carriage. The entire thing is white with gold trim, even the horses are the color of snow. Now you know why Nanami wanted you to be warm.

He goes over to the carriage and opens the door. A step lowers down from the side and Nanami helps you up and into the seat, then sits beside you. There’s a heated blanket folded neatly on the seat across from you, and Nanami spreads it over both your laps. “Not too cold, are you?” he asks, sliding one warm arm around your shoulders.

“No,” you say, still a bit awe struck, “it feels nice.”

“I’ve noticed you like to watch the snow falling outside the window, so I assumed you like snow,” he says.

He’s been paying that much attention to you? The thought makes your heart flutter. “I love snow,” you tell him, looking up at the dark sky. The snow is falling softly but steadily, in a way that will only leave a thin coating on the ground. It’s breathtaking.

As the carriage moves to the road, you can’t help feeling like a Princess. The sound of the horses’ hooves clacking on the road is comforting, and you end up leaning your head on Nanami’s shoulder, savoring his heat.

*************

After the carriage stops in front of the exclusive French restaurant Nanami made reservations at, he stands up and climbs down, then helps his doll move down the steps provided. She seems breathless and excited, which is exactly what Nanami was hoping for. He knows being out in public, around men, makes her nervous. The plan was to make the trip there so unique, she wouldn’t have the chance to let her anxiety build. He also called ahead and requested a woman to be their server. He wants this to be a special night.

Once inside the warm, well lit restaurant, Nanami removes his outer coat and hands it off to an attendant. Then he steps behind his doll and gently removes hers. After handing it over and turning back to face her, he finally gets to see the dress she has chosen.

He nearly stops breathing. She’s so stunning in the long red dress, the slit on the side going almost scandalously high, that he’s not sure he’ll be able to remain a gentleman tonight. At the moment, he wants nothing more than to take her home immediately and fuck her into the mattress.

But tonight isn’t about what he wants. It’s about her, about celebrating the day she came into this world.

So he holds out his arm and she takes it, curling her elbow around his to interlock herself with him as they walk through the restaurant. Nanami reserved a secluded table next to a large window, so that she could have an excellent view of the town and the falling snow as she enjoyed her meal.

He pulls out her chair for her and then takes his own. She seems a little bit nervous, but relaxes when a woman comes to the table to ask what the couple would be having to drink this evening. Nanami orders champagne after confirming his doll likes it, and the two of them look over their menus as the server walks away.

Once dinner is brought out, Nanami is impressed with the doll’s table manners. She grew up in a wealthy family, so he supposes it shouldn’t be a surprise, but the way she gracefully eats her meal and sips her champagne seems at odds with the awkward woman who ran to the bathroom to scream a few weeks ago. He still chuckles to himself when he remembers it.

“Do you always take dolls to fancy restaurants like this?” she asks.

“No, this is the first time, actually,” he replies.

She seems surprised. “Really? So why me then?”

“It’s your birthday. And I haven’t been here in a very long time. I don’t enjoy eating here alone,” Nanami tells her.

“I see,” she says, and he wonders why she sounds just a little disappointed.

“That being said,” he adds, “if I’m going to bring someone here to eat with me, I’d prefer to bring a beautiful, intelligent woman like you.”

She blushes and looks back at her plate, making Nanami smile. They make pleasant conversation for the rest of the meal, then when his doll is finished eating, she suddenly touches her ear and says, “Oh no, I’ve lost an earring.”

There’s something strange about the way she says it, as if she’s not really worried, but she stands up from her chair and looks around on the floor.

Nanami’s eyes scan the floor around the table as well. “I can ask if someone can help look for it,” he says, starting to get up himself.

She holds up one hand to stop him. “No! It’s okay. I can find it!” Then she pulls the fabric of her dress up and to the side and gets down on her knees. Perplexed by this odd behavior, Nanami watches as she crawls beneath the table, disappearing behind the thick white tablecloth. A few seconds later, he feels her hands on his thighs, rubbing along the inner sides, then nudging them apart.

He freezes, the glass of champagne in his hand halfway to his lips. For a moment, he sits perfectly still, feeling her hands working at his belt, then opening his pants. Then he slowly sits the glass back down and subtly lifts the edge of the tablecloth. There she is, his beautiful, awkward, sexy, silly doll, pulling his rapidly hardening cock from his pants and wrapping her red lips around it.

He can feel her tongue gliding over him, coating him in saliva, her eyes staring up at his face. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asks, trying to maintain a stern tone but struggling to keep from moaning.

She pulls away, strings of fluid connecting her lips to his tip. “I’m still hungry, Daddy.”

His self control is being severely tested. He reaches down and grabs a handful of her prettily styled hair, pulling her face back down and effectively shoving his cock back into her mouth.

Fuck, she’s good at this. Her tongue never rests, her lips are tightly locked around him, and she’s making the hottest little “mmmm” sounds he’s ever heard. It’s a massive struggle to keep his composure.

His blood nearly freezes in his veins when the server approaches the table. He hopes the tablecloth hides his lap well enough as he smiles politely up at the woman. She smiles back and says, “Will you be having dessert this evening?”

“No, thank you,” he says.

“And what about your date?” the server asks, probably assuming his doll had went to the restroom.

His grip on her hair tightens and he pushes her head further down, stuffing her little throat beneath the table. “I believe she’s quite full,” he says smoothly to the server.

After a few more words and leaving the check behind on a silver tray, the server leaves. Nanami lifts the tablecloth again and looks down. The lovely face looking up at him nearly makes him cum on the spot. “You’re being very brazen tonight,” he says, keeping his voice even with great effort. “Such a bad girl. I hate to have to punish you on your birthday, but you leave me no choice.”

Excitement flashes in her eyes. He’s been with her long enough to know what thrills her, what turns her on. And nothing gets her wetter than a good “punishment”.

He can’t hold out any longer. He pushes her head down again and says, “Don’t make a mess. I don’t want to see a drop on your dress, or my pants.”

She doesn’t have a chance to respond before he cums directly into her tight, hot mouth. He can feel her tongue and throat working to swallow all of it, sucking the life out of him. He suppresses a groan and hopes no one in the restaurant saw the shudder that just rippled through him.

A minute later, his doll crawls out from under the table and he helps her to her feet. She takes a napkin and wipes her mouth daintily, as if she hasn’t just guzzled his cum. Then she holds up a dangly silver earring and says, “What luck! I found it!”

He can’t stop a grin from spreading over his face, or the massive hardon already building in his pants. There’s no way he can wait until they get home. He leaves a generous tip for the server and then takes his doll by the hand, leading her out of the dining area. He finds the “powder room”, which is structured like a restroom without the toilets. There’s a sink, a mirror, and a wide, padded bench. Apparently it’s a place for people (probably women) to freshen up.

Nanami confirms the room is empty, then locks the door. He sits down on the bench and then pulls his doll toward him by the arm. Using rough but fluid movements, he forces her to lie stomach-down across his lap. She gasps as he moves one hand under the slit in the dress, stroking her thigh, then pulls the fabric up, exposing her black lace panties. His hand moves over her ass, relishing the feel of the plump flesh, the way she’s already trembling beneath his touch.

He pulls off his black silk tie and uses it to bind her wrists together behind her back. Then he pulls her panties down to her knees and gives her bare ass a harsh smack with the palm of his hand.

She lets out a small cry, probably trying not to make too much noise. “I’m sorry, Daddy!” she says. She’s not sorry at all, judging from the lusty look in her eyes.

Smack!

“And what are you sorry for?” he asks.

Smack!

She whimpers and squirms in his lap. “F-for being brazen and shameless… and…”

Smack!

“And?” he says.

Smack!

“For risking us getting caught… and embarrassing you.”

He gives another smack, marveling at the reddened, heated skin where his hand hits. Then he slides his hand down between her thighs, feeling how wet she is, smearing her arousal all over her backside. When he pushes two fingers inside her, she moans and jerks in his lap. He pumps them in and out while she wiggles around, releasing little cries of “ahh ahhh!”

When she’s on the edge of cumming, he withdraws his fingers and gives her another smack, harder this time, and she jolts from the sting. That’s the limit of his self control. Nanami lifts her up and shifts them around so that she’s face down on the bench, her ass in the air, her beautiful red dress bunched up at her waist, her wrists still tied together behind her. And then he’s burying his cock in her dripping pussy while she cries out a little too loudly.

He gives her raw ass another smack as his thrusts get deeper, and she clenches so tightly around him that he sees stars. Three more smacks and she’s cumming on his cock, crying and quivering, her makeup ruined by her tears. Almost immediately after, he reaches his limit, shooting his cum into her core.

For the next few minutes, they sit side by side on the bench, just catching their breath. Then they quietly help each other clean up and his doll fixes her hair and makeup as best she can at the sink. She catches Nanami’s eye in the mirror and gives him a sweet, warm smile.

She’s incredible, he thinks. She’s incredible and she’s his. At least for now.

The thought of his time with her being temporary has been on his mind lately, and he can’t seem to stop thinking about it. He feels so comfortable with her, as if he’s truly home when she’s by his side. She stimulates him both physically and emotionally. Lately, he can’t seem to picture his life without her in it.

There is a way she could stay with him, and he’s given that a lot of thought these past few days. But what would she think of the idea?

On the way home, in the carriage, he watches the snowflakes collect on her hair and leans over to kiss her, his hand finding hers under the heated blanket.

The carriage drops them off back at the Doll House, and as they walk through the parking lot, still holding hands, Nanami broaches the topic to her.

“Are you aware that all trainers at the Doll House are allowed to keep exactly one doll they’ve trained?” he asks.

She looks at him, eyes wide. “No, I didn’t know that,” she says as they near the door.

He reaches out and opens it for her. “These past few weeks have been wonderful. If they’ve been the same for you… I was thinking of ‘keeping you’. How would you feel about that?”

She’s stepping through the open door when the words hit her. Just inside, she whirls around to face him as he follows her in. She opens her mouth. “I-“

“There you are!”

A feminine voice cuts off his doll’s reply. The two of them look up to find an older, classy looking woman standing in the lobby.

His doll looks shocked. “Aunt Rina?”

Aunt? So this is the woman who sold off her own terrified niece to the Doll House. Nanami instantly dislikes the woman, but he keeps his expression politely neutral.

Aunt Rina places one jewel-covered hand on her hip. “I’ve been waiting all evening,” she says to her bewildered looking niece.

Then…

“Pack your things. I’m here to take you home.”

Tag List:

@suguguro @kaedear @onyxsphynx @poopoobuttsy @butterskyy @collectionofdolls @akaotv @witchbybirth @bloofinntoona @wasurenagusaa @tclbts @tojirin @lucyrocks86 @badbyeyoongi @97britt @aydene @lzaj19 @lyn-lotte @missthatgirl @peachedtv @ladytamayolover @nanam1nx @deegausserr

#nanami x reader #nanami smut #nanami #nanami kento #nanami x you #jjk x reader #jjk smut #x reader #nanami kento x reader

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cosmerelists · 11 months

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The Rules of the Cosmere

And by “rules,” I mean tropes that crop up repeatedly in Sanderson’s books, that one could consider “rules” in a nonserious, please-don’t-take-this-too-seriously type way.

Spoilers for pretty much all of the Cosmere!

1. Don’t feed the children

As seen in: Elantris, Oathbringer, Warbreaker

If you see a hungry, homeless child in a Sanderson book and you’re tempted to, say, give them food--don’t! Raoden tried that. And the poor child was horribly mangled by the men who wanted that food. Shallan tried it. And it turned out the child was being coerced into accepting the food by gang leaders--who ended up killing the child. Vivenna didn’t exactly feed them willingly, but the urchins did, like, beat her and steal her food while she was living on the street. So that wasn’t great.

Exception that proves the rule: Stump. She fed lots of orphaned children, and she was only almost killed. So the message is: if you want to feed the children, have a Lift around to protect you.

2. Once Marriage is On The Table, Breakups Don’t Really Happen

As seen in: Mistborn Era 1, Mistborn Era 2, Stormlight Achives, Elantris, Warbreaker

Once characters get to the point of marriage, be they engaged or in an arranged marriage or just solidly A Thing, it is rare for them to break up. Sometimes a breakup is floated--like when Adolin told Shallan she could go ahead and leave him for Kaladin or when there was Wax/Steris tension or when Zane tried to break up Vin and Elend--but in the end, the original relationship tends to hold strong. Siri and Susebron were married before they had even met, but they ended up happy together. Even “death” couldn’t stop Sarene and Raoden’s engagement--Sarene did try to marry someone else, to be fair, but that second marriage did not actually happen and the original marriage reigned supreme.

Exception that proves the rule: Elend’s first engagement did not work out. Vin killed the fiancée. So it is slightly riskier to be engaged if you’re not a viewpoint character, if you’re secretly evil...or if you’re in Vin’s way.

Although...did Elend and Shan actually break up, or was their engagement only canceled by Shan’s death? I guess either way, it didn’t work out!

3. Your enemy will save you...if the sexual tension is high enough

As seen in: Elantris, Rhythm of War

Perhaps appearing in two books isn’t quite enough to call this a rule...but if I had a nickel, etc. Hrathen was Sarene’s enemy...but in the end, he kinda fell for her and ended up killing himself to save her. And in a strangely similar manner, Raboniel used her dying moments to save Navani...after Navani was the one to kill her. Then there’s Lewshi and Kaladin--neither sacrificed themselves to save the other, thank goodness, but Lewshi does help save Kaladin and/or his men on several occasions and their romantic tension is off the charts.

Exception that proves the rule: Even sexual tension doesn’t seem to be enough for Moash to not try to drive Kaladin to suicide.

4. Your fave is (accidentally) queer

As seen in: Stormlight Archive, Mistborn

Sanderson has a tendency to write characters that he innocently believes to be straight...until readers point out how incredibly not-straight they are. Take Shallan, who is as bi as the day is long--which Sanderson admitted, I believe, once it was pointed out to him. Veil is canonically into women, at any rate. And Sanderson has said that both Shallan & Adolin would be open to adding Kaladin as a third, so Adolin is presumably bi as well, to no one’s surprise. Many readers--me included--read Kaladin as some flavor of ace, although again, that seems to be unintentional, canonically speaking. There’s also Lewshi, a woman inhabiting a male body, whose transness is not really talked about as such but is very present. And in Mistborn, there’s Wayne and his gender-fluid SO MeLaan, a queer relationship that I don’t think is ever really identified as such.

And yes, there are also canonical queer characters in actual queer relationships, but so many more seem to be accidentally queer.

Exception that proves the rule: Sanderson insists that Moash is canonically straight...somehow.

5. Don’t trust the underling priest!

As seen in: Way of Kings, Warbreaker, Elantris

If there are suspicious things going on, look no further than your nearest, seemingly loyal underling priest. In Way of Kings it was Kabsal, who turned out to be an assassin. In Warbreaker, the seemingly helpful and awkward Bluefingers tried to sacrifice Siri on an altar. And in Elantris, while Hrathen never exactly trusted Dilaf, he did believe that he had him handled...which turned out to be a mistake, and Dilaf ended up being one of the big bads. The big bad? It’s been a while since I read Elantris.

Exception that prove the rule: Kadash seems like a good dude. I will be genuinely shocked if he tries to, like, murder Dalinar or something.

6. Hoid is there

As seen in: All of them.

Hoid has a supernatural ability to be present at all important moments in the Cosmere, so he can expect to find him in whatever book you’re reading. If there actually are Cosmere Rules, this would have to be one of them.

Exception that proves the rule: I don’t think he’s in all of the Arcanum Unbounded stories--like Shadow for Silence or Sixth of Dusk. So maybe if your story is short enough, you can escape Hoid?

It could be the only way.

#cosmerelists #cosmere #stormlight archive #warbreaker #elantris #arcanum unbounded

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smeegamae · 11 months

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no bc to me tarah is one of the most important people to kaladins character arc from his past like what do you mean he barely thinks of her in twok yet he obviously still feels guilty about how the two of them parted ways???? what do you mean she only gets one chapter what do you MEAN she said “maybe one day you’ll learn how to be there for the living, not just for the dead”??? there’s something so special in a first love, in the ways that you know and understand each other, and then parting your separate ways. something so special about how tarah and moash both truly know kaladin and how kaladin so obviously loves them, but can’t let himself think about how things ended otherwise he’ll be overwhelmed by guilt. in a post tien world, only 2 people have been able to get kaladin to consider moving on and that’s tarah and moash. and tbh i don’t think sanderson did any of that on purpose i think he just gave kaladin an ex girlfriend to be more relatable to young male readers and to stop the gay allegations but she’s SOOOO important to me specifically. idk listen to above the chinese restaurant by laufey and think abt kal and tarah and get back to me

#tbh i don’t think kal even liked her the way she liked him bc i think he’s gay but like.#he definitely saw her as at least a very close friend #tarah may as well be my oc at this point bc sanderson isn’t doing ANYTHING with her character she’s served her one purpose #kaladin will never think of her again #kaladin #tarah #the stormlight archive

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golden-flute · 1 year

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No one asked for my opinion on The Sun and the Star, but I’ve been thinking of nothing else since I finished the book, and I have to write my thoughts or I will explode, lol.

Fair warning: Spoilers and long-ass thought dump ahead.

Gif Originally posted by riptides

On the Themes

I picked out a few different themes that I found carried through the book:

Self-acceptance

Living with trauma

Embracing change

What healing looks like

I thought they were brilliantly approached because there was a lot of nuance for each theme. Particularly when you consider that these are pretty heavy topics for middle-reader age groups!

The biggest theme directly relating to Nico was this idea that it's possible to embrace your trauma, to accept it, and to grow around it. In his case, it's literal, with the Cocoa Puffs hanging around him now like a little parade of Walmart Ghibli Sootballs, lol.

I think that Nico was working through his trauma well before he ever heard the prophecy. The fact that he was able to accept his darkness so easily once Nyx forced him to confront it was more a mark of how far he'd already progressed than it was a big moment where he was suddenly magically healed from all of his baggage. The entire purpose of the Cocoa Puffs was to act as a physical representation of Nico's existing trauma. They will always be a part of him, but they don't define him. He's simply accepted them and freed himself from them without avoiding the fact that they'll still be there. That's such a healthy place to be, particularly because I think a lot of people tend to fall into the same trap of toxic positivity that Will did....

Many people who are natural healers and problem-solvers often fail to realize that being healed doesn't always mean that pain has totally been eradicated, hurray. In their minds, there's always some way to fix broken people. And I think that's why Will's conversation with Persephone was so important for his growth. I think he always saw Nico as someone who needed to be fixed, and to Will, that meant that Nico must hide from his trauma, or ignore it. Will's story arc centered around his acceptance that he can't (and shouldn't) always try to heal people "his way." With Nico, he had to get on his level, see him, and accept his pain. I've known people in my life who tend to avoid negative emotions because they think it's totally bad. But hiding from the pain can often make it worse. Darkness only grows stronger in the shadows, after all.

Nico and Will's internal journeys were two sides of the same coin in that respect. I loved it. Nico was ready to accept his trauma, but in a way, Will had to accept it too.

By the time they reach Nyx, these internal struggles had been mostly resolved and simply need to have their big final moment to totally hit home. But there's another kind-of-subtle-but-also-not theme for Nyx that ingeniously ties into the idea of questioning gender and sexuality. Nyx sees things as black and white. Even her own children, who are more than their labels, have to fit into these perfect molds in her mind. She's the BBEG because she struggles to change or to accept others changing around her. Talk about a heavy topic, right? But then at the end of the book, this idea of change is also beautifully encapsulated in Nico and Piper's discussion about sexuality labels. Particularly from Piper's perspective, since she's still figuring herself out and just going with what feels right in the moment. People are beautifully complex creatures who are capable of being something new every day.

On Characterization

Over the years, I've discovered that I gravitate toward the reformed, darker characters--the gloomy cinnamon rolls, if you will. Nico. Laudna and Caleb from Critical Role. Hunter in the Owl House. Zuko. Kaladin from the Stormlight Archives. Riku from Kingdom Hearts. So on and so forth. Something about their stories is so compelling to me. Perhaps seeing them overcome their own trials is a symbol that light comes after darkness, which is a message I have clung to my entire life, because it gives me hope for myself. And that’s exactly one of the messages I got from TSATS. This time, it was Nico’s turn for a reprieve from his trauma.

Y'all. Nico's a fucking NERD. The moment we met him as a little kid, he was talking everyone's ears off about Mythomagic, and he revealed he had a pirate phase and... yeah, he's just a nerd. His carefree personality took a huge nosedive after Bianca was killed, and then he became this unrecognizable dark creature of vengeance. I know some folks felt that he was really out of character in TSATS, but I find the shift just harkens back to the themes of change. Nico's transforming before our eyes, guys. Though Apollo's series and into TSATS, he's come to a place of peace where he could let go of his anger and his darkness... or at least accept them. And that's given him the space he needed to kind of get back on an even keel. He's finally able to return to his natural progression as a hyperactive dork. That's what we saw in TSATS and I loved it so much for him.

I found Will's progression really interesting as well. He's always been seen as the intrepid healer with a sometimes-literal glowing halo around him. In this story, the tables were turned and he had to accept that he needed support sometimes too. But more than that, this is the first time we've really gotten inside Will's head. We've only ever really seen him from the perspective of Nico (his admirer) and Apollo (his affectionate father). But this time, we were able to get Will's thoughts, and he's... not as perfect as we expected. And I love it. No one is perfect, and I think that in the absence of more information on Will, people sort of developed headcanons of him that understandably made the TSATS version of him a bit jarring. But if he were this perfect pariah of a character, that would hardly be interesting. I really enjoyed that in the first half, he spent so much time complaining about the Underworld, because it just meant there were some lessons for him to learn as well. He's complex, just like the rest of the PJO cast.

Other Incongruent Thoughts

Guys, I'm dead. When we finally heard the fated prophecy, I was... really underwhelmed. It didn't feel like it was literarily as impressive in the same way the other prophecies had been. It just... wasn't very good poetry. But then Dionysus criticized the rhyme structure and called it "a bit forced" and I was like "Hang on..." Come to find out, Hades made up the prophecy to get Nico to go save Bob! Can you just imagine Hades sitting at a desk, surrounded by crumpled pieces of paper, writing bad poetry that's convincing enough to get Nico off his butt and into Tartarus? I'm deceased.

The reunion between Nico, Maria, and Bianca BROKE me, y'all. I was full-on sobbing and my eyes were swollen this morning when I woke up. I was confused by how they were there, since past books said that they'd "moved on," insinuating they'd tried for rebirth. But I saw another post someone made about how Hades (or Bianca?) mentioned that they were the barest of essences remaining. I'm not saying it very well, but it made a lot more sense, and I hadn't caught that insinuation in my read-through. But I absolutely loved that we didn't get this reunion until after Nico had already accepted his trauma. If this meeting had come before, I'm sure he would have fought to "save" his mom and sister--I mean, he even says it in the book. But by that point, all he needed was to say his piece and get some closure, and that was enough for him. It was a mark of how much he's grown, and I just... *chef's kiss*

I love Hades. He's genuinely a good dad. Well... sort of. Maybe not at the beginning of PJO. But he, too, is changing his ways and taking more of an interest in his children. Or at least Nico. I wonder if we'll ever get more Hazel/Hades content? But Nico pretty much confirmed that Hades was around when he was a kid, and Hazel said the same thing in a previous book, which is more than pretty much every other demigod can say, so there you go. By Olympian standards, Hades deserves that #1 Dad mug.

I was really surprised that it took over half the book for Nico and Will to make it to Tartarus! Don't get me wrong, there was still plenty going on, but I was so used to the idea of Percy and Annabeth dropping in at chapter 2, it surprised me!

Anyone else peep the really big typo on page 401 of the US hardcover? "My mother is Bianca di Angelo, and she loved me and my sister." I stared at that for a long time last night wondering if I was going crazy, lolol. From what I've heard, the typo has already been fixed on the kindle version of the book, but those of us with physical copies have got the OG mistake. Whoops, lol!

I'm having a hard time discerning if the "'Dam it,' said Nico." on page 352 is a typo or not, for the pure and simple reason that there were so many dam jokes in PJO. And somewhere else in the book, Nico actually says "Damn," so... was it a typo? The 'dam' joke didn't really have a purpose for being there, and it wasn't repeated later, so I feel more like it might have been another typo?

We got a little Percy and Annabeth action! And Sally and Estelle! I have to admit, I was a little disappointed that Percy and Annabeth had already forgotten about Bob. Especially since Percy's whole growth in the House of Hades was to realize how many people he'd left behind. I never expected them to join Nico and Will in their Tartarus journey, but they apparently brushed him off so fast I got whiplash! What was that about? I wonder if we'll get more on that in the short story that comes out later this year?

We got a little mention of Damasen in this story as well, and obviously if he hasn't regenerated yet, there wasn't much they could do for him. But... I'm surprised that Percy and Annabeth didn't mention him or ask Nico to keep an eye out for him as well because he was there at the Doors of Death, making the same sacrifice as Bob. Will there be another Tartarus rescue mission in the future? Nemesis told Nico that any future journies into Tartarus would be unsuccessful. While I feel like it's unlikely we'll get any more Tartarus field trips, those little asides made me wonder if Rick Riordan's got more ideas floating around that he wanted to leave open for later, just in case.

They used the words gay, bisexual, and lesbian! I don't think this book series has ever done that before! I have a sneaking suspicion that this was part of Mark's contribution to the book. RR usually tends to talk around those words--he'll make it obvious, like when Apollo talked about his love for Hyacinthus, but I don't think Apollo ever actually used the word bisexual to describe himself (correct me if I'm wrong). I think that it was a really good step forward for children's literature. If you're going in, go all in, you know?

Lil Nas X made an unbelievable appearance! Lol! Though I have to admit, the inconsistency of the timeline of references sometimes gets me. Like many books ago, some character probably dropped a reference from ten years ago, and a year or two in book time, we get a Montero reference. Like, it's a small nitpick, but that inconsistency always pulls me out of the story a bit. Yeah, you heard right--I'm totally fine with the issues everyone else had with the books, but the weird timeline of references messes with me, lol. That's where I draw the line! That's not the say the Lil Nas X reference wasn't spectacular, though, lol.

Do I... like Mr. D now? I love Dionysus from the mythologies, but Mr. D was always so... blegh. But he's like legit a decent person to Nico. He shared his popcorn! That. Was. HUGE. Hahaha.

We finally got the full scoop on Nico's first trip to Tartarus!

The nickname "Night-Light" is endlessly adorable. And then Will ruins it by turning around and calling Nico "Death Boy" lol.

The trogs were never my favorite mythological creature ever, but they grew on me in this story.

So... Menoetes and Geryon, huh? Menyon? Geroetes? What's our ship name? Lol.

Will having the hots for Persephone was not on my bingo card, lol! I did really enjoy their talk, though. It really set up Will's character arc very nicely. And I loved that Persephone seems to be taking a leaf out of Hades' book and trying to be a bit kinder towards her stepchildren. It's not their fault, you know?

I'm seeing a lot of reactions to Nico's coming out story. I agree, that's one part I felt was a little bit forced. Introverted people can have moments where they're feeling brave and don't mind an audience (Hi, I'm exhibit A), I wouldn't say it's out of character per se. But it was a little bit... shall we say out of context? Since we didn't get the actual scene, but Nico and Will's recollection of it?

I really liked Gorgyra. The random chapters of stories from Nico and Will kind of jarred me a bit, but I think they were a nice touch, but would have been too much if they'd all been told chronologically. I agree with Rick and Mark's decision to split those up.

Amphithemis was a trip! I wish we could have lingered a bit more on Nico being upset at Will for tricking him away. I was glad that Nico at least asked Hades to free Amphithemis.

I saw some complaints that Nico and Will were super cringey around one another. To that, and as someone who's ace, I say... most couples are cringey around each other, particularly young couples. Nico and Will are still feeling out their relationship, and they don't have the years of friendship that Percy and Annabeth had that made their relationship so easygoing. I think Nico and Will's relationship is a bit more realistic in terms of first loves.

I loved the frank conversations about PTSD. I eat stuff like that up, because when I read it, I can just imagine someone else who really needs that sort of representation reading this book and finding comfort in characters like them.

And I'm literally out of space. I had no idea Tumblr had a character limit, but I hit it, lol. But if you got this far, thanks for reading!

#the sun and the star spoilers #tsats spoilers #spoilers #sun and the star spoilers #tsats #the sun and the star #nico di angelo #will solace #percy jackson #hades #sun and the star

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warrioreowynofrohan · 2 years

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I’ve started rereading The Way of Kings and am noticing a few things.

First, the risk that Sanderson took starting it the way he did. Three different time periods and viewpoint characters before the fourth chapter finally gives us a current-time, main character viewpoint. If I was Sanderson’s editor when he was pitching this, I’d be finding the Cenn viewpoint the hardest sell.

The Kelek one is short, hints at vastly powerful forces, ends with the creation of a great mythic lie, and the “4,500 years later” gives things a properly epic feel.

The Szeth one is fantastic - it starts with an iconic line, has an engaging magic battle scene, and sets up a central mystery: why did the Parshendi betray the alliance and have Gavilar assassinated. It explains enough but not too much of the context (mechanics of Szeth’s ‘magic’ powers: yes; details of the concept of Truthless and reasons behind Shin veneration of stone: no).

But the Cenn one has the combined challenges that this isn’t a main character, dies (though we don’t yet know it) at the end of the scene, and isn’t an interesting person in and of himself. If I was the editor, I’d be asking “Why can’t we have the Kaladin POV here?” But the more we see of Kaladin, the clearer it becomes why his introduction had to be done this way. The contrast between Kaladin in the Cenn-POV chapter and the despairing Kaladin in the slave wagon in the next chapter gains its power and drama from two things: the contrast between who Kaladin was then and now, and the contrast between how others see Kaladin and how he sees himself. Kaladin in that battle wouldn’t have seen himself as the heroic, nearly-miraculous figure his soldiers see him as: rescuing Cenn by fighting six-on-one and killing all his enemies in a matter of seconds, then turning into a healer and bandaging his wounds; training his men to operate as a unit unlike anyone else on the battlefield; spending most of his pay on bribing the support staff to evacuate his wounded; bribing other commanders to give him recruits who seemed militarily useless. He’d have taken that for granted. Kaladin (later) reacts to being pretty much miraculously resurrected by despairing and thinking he’s a failure. The switch of perspective at the start is necessary for us to realize early on that the way Kaladin percieves himself does not line up with objective reality or with other people’s perceptions, and necessary for us to realize how impressive he was, and how others reacted to him, before his enslavement. It’s the essential backdrop for all the horrible early chapters in the slave wagons and Bridge 4. But the necessity of that only becomes apparent once the reader has spent a while with Kaladin.

The second thing I’m noticing is that, while on my first read-through I was overwhelmed and not picking up on this, Sanderson does leave us a trail of breadcrumbs to follow. In the first chapter, four people are named: Kalak, Jezrien, Talenel, and Ishar. Then, only a few pages later, Szeth passes the states “depicting the Ten Heralds from ancient Vorin theology”, naming four: “Jezerezah, Ishi, Kelek, Talenelat.” The names are similar enough that it’s possible to put the pieces together. Even in Kaladin’s first chaptet, the mention of windspren stucking things to other things can recall Szeth’s Full Lashings.

Another thing that jumped out at me: in the first chapter, Kelek mentions “red, orange, and violet” blood on the battlefield. Parshendi blood is orange, but who on Roshar has violet blood?

#brandon sanderson #the stormlight archive #kaladin #the way of kings #szeth #szeth son son vallano

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knightsgaydiant · 11 months

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Look I know we all love this moment, but let’s talk about if Adolin was right to kill Sadeas. HEAR ME OUT

(Don’t worry this isn’t a defense of Sadeas or even have to do with my personal enjoyment of Sadeas as a villain.)

This isn’t about if it’s right to kill Sadeas. This is about if it’s right for ADOLIN to kill Sadeas. If Kaladin or anyone in the bridgecrews (or any Listener on the battlefield for that matter) had killed Sadeas, for sure that would be completely justified. With Adolin it gets complicated. I’m not saying wrong, just COMPLICATED. Sadeas dying, overall a good thing, no debate there, net positive for the cosmere. Adolin killing Sadeas is a man removing an evil from the world. But it’s also the son of a political leader taking out his father’s only opposition. Look, I’m not going to call the Kholins tyrants (I don’t need to; the text does it for me) obviously there’s nuance here, but that is some tyrannical behavior. Murdering your political opposition in a back alley, yeah that’s authoritarianism 101 baby. And again I acknowledge there is nuance here… Sadeas was unjust and there was no way in the current legal system/social heirarchy to stop him, he DID need to die. But was this the way to go about it? I don’t have an answer to that.

After Sadeas’s death, opposition to Dalinar is pretty much nonexistent. Sure Amaram and Ialai seem like threats for a second, but they get dealt with pretty quickly, and, with Ialai in particular, it’s clear that Sanderson isn’t interested in those plot threads anymore. Any internal Alethi opposition to our protagonists is reduced to bigots for Jasnah to stab. And honestly, I think that’s kind of a shame. (To put it in Sanderson’s own writing lecture terms: I feel like a promise to the reader was broken.) I’ll be happy to take this all back if it gets addressed in stormlight 5, but as of now I feel like both fandom and the text haven’t explored this deeply enough. And I do think it’s worth thinking about.

#words of radiance spoilers #wor spoilers #stormlight archive

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cosmererambles · 1 year

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Edited because people really hated my use of the word Paragon.

I think a lot of the Kelsier hatred/distrust comes from a single fact among readers: Many of them started with Stormlight. Full disclosure: I did too. I started with Stormlight. I was very nervous to even read Mistborn, I worried I’d like it better. That actually was the case. I do like Scadrial more than Roshar. That being said, I still adore Stormlight and its characters.

These fans started with Stormlight, and through it, got to know Kaladin and Shallan, and also got to know Hoid through Wit. Wit helps Kaladin, our precious depressed boy, and he helps Shallan out too, our wonderful anxious and broken girl. We see him as a good character. He subtly aids our favorites.

Then people read Mistborn. They are used to characters like Dalinar and Kaladin: Good dudes. They are met with Kelsier. Kelsier is a good man. He is a very good man. But he is not a paragon, he is not a soldier, and he is not someone who is afraid to lie to get the result he wants. He will lie to your face if he thinks it will make you fight harder in the battle coming. He is aware the effect his words have on people. He loves attention, and he knows it works. He’s not afraid to use himself as a symbol. In short: He’s arrogant.

“I pity anyone who isn’t me, Fuzz. A hazard of being the man I am.” - Kelsier, Secret History, page 103

I don’t think people like this. They see a man with a silver tongue who knows of his strengths and uses them as manipulative. They don’t see the man himself; they don’t see how terribly broken Kelsier is, the weight of everything he’d ever experienced coming down on him. They just see a guy slaughtering noblemen without a care and laughing about it.

“These were evil men, Vin.” - Kelsier, Final Empire

Fast forward to era 2, and people now know the leader of the Ghostbloods is Kelsier. This leads to even more distrust, because now we know that his organization is who is leading Shallan around by a noose and attempted to murder Jasnah.

We don’t see it from their perspective. We just see it from fractured moments. Shallan doesn’t even know everything, and she’s basically in the thick of things.

So, the loyal Stormlight readers trust Wit’s every word, because at least in Stormlight, he’s been a good guy. We trust that he’s not lying about Kelsier, that he’s not being an ass, because to our perspective, he isn’t. But I’ve read Secret History. And he was not friendly at all towards Kelsier. Did he have to be? No. But he could have explained a few things to him instead of insulting him immediately.

TLDR: People see Kelsier through a modified lens of bias towards Stormlight, at least, a large majority. There are many who see him with a very unbiased lens and still dislike him, and that’s fine. They’re wrong, but its fine. However, this post is aimed at those who started with Stormlight and see the Cosmere through a distinctly Rosharan lens.

#Kelsier #Cosmere #Stormlight Archive #Scadrial #Roshar #TLDR at bottom #Ramblings

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liesmyth · 1 year

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So I was thinking about this discussion about Moash’s arc vs. Dalinar, specifically the argument by @kunaiman that Moash refuses to take responsibility for his own actions in a series that is all about acknowledging past wrongs and finally growing as a person.

As I said in the other post, I actually agree with the point that it’s not about who did the most evils, but about how you handle it. Like, this is not a war tribunal, we’re discussing character arcs in a fantasy series! But because I’m approaching it as a fantasy series and looking at it doylistically, then I will say that I find Dalinar’s character arc lacking, and at the same time Moash is never given a fair chance in the story.

Dalinar: look, the guy faces basically zero consequences for anything he has done. He waged a war of conquest for purely personal reasons, committed war crimes, and suffered no consequences for it, either politically or personally. He holds a lot of remorse and that IS a good thing about Dalinar (and a core tenet of the series in general) but also: Dalinar is in a position of immense social privilege. It’s pretty easy to be a good person when you are rich and powerful, esteemed by your family and subordinates, chosen one of a demigod entity. As a reader, it made me deeply unsatisfied. Dalinar is the narrative’s designated Leader. Every time his name is brought up, characters clamour to talk about how cool he is. He commands respect. Even the people who dislike him have some grudging praise. His sons worship him even after it comes out that he caused the death of their mother – and the entire thing is swept off the carpet! off-screen! in between books! Dalinar has his big moment of admitting to atrocities and that’s it, all is cleansed. Like, I wasn’t expecting drawn-out emotional conflicts or chapters upon chapters of Dalinar grovelling (inefficient; also boring). I actually really like that the latter books are so fast-paced with so many things happening that we can barely keep track; this is epic-scale fantasy and we’re gearing up for the big show. Real wartime is all about making compromises and just keeping it together… but that is NOT how the books treat Dalinar. No one in his camp is thinking “this guy isn’t great but he's the best we’ve got in this emergency”. His children aren’t just pretending they’re over their mother’s death just to show unity – they genuinely are over it. He’s not a “lesser of two evils” wartime leader, he’s Roshar Jesus. He keeps feeling bad he did bad things, and everyone around him is all “it doesn’t matter! You’re good now!” Everyone forgave him the instant the narrative deemed him forgivable; he carries his burdens but everyone forgot about it. One big moment and then it all fizzles out. It’s not a good redemption arc – and I’m not even sure if the narrative even THINKS Dalinar had to be redeemed. At times I get the impression that his past atrocities are just window dressing for his backstory, old demons he has to defeat, like a superhero with a dead wife in his past who was never a real person to the story. Dalinar’s crimes barely hold weight in the narrative because the big redemption washes them clean – sometimes I don’t get the sense that they mattered.

By contrast, Moash. He does bad things. He was also dealt far, far shittier cards in life that Dalinar ever did. His big evil moment was a crime of passion: wanting to kill a guy who not only represents the apex of the very system that marginalizes him but also personally had a hand in the death of his family (I say this as an Elokhar fan). So yeah. He goes against Kaladin, he fails; he’s left friendless and alone and with very few options beyond falling in further with bad people, doing more bad things etc. but – what were his alternatives? Unlike Dalinar, he didn’t have a princedom or a loving family or an important destiny waiting for him. He has been personally wronged by the justice system multiple times. Pre-Kholinar, literally, how can he know he won’t be killed on the spot if he makes it to the Plains (Kaladin’s words? He saw Kaladin thrown in a cell before). What other options does he have if not the Fused? Post-Kholinar, well. He’s infamous. Even if he redeems, what does he have waiting for him? Again: only Kaladin, but Kaladin cares for Dalinar just as much. It’s not enough. And so Moash keeps digging himself down further.

To make it clear: I’m not absolving Moash of anything he’s done. He absolutely had a choice multiple times and he consistently refused to go back even given many chances. His whole arc is a massive sunk-cost fallacy, but it’s also about alienation and disenfranchisement as much as it’s about rage. Unfortunately, Brandon Sanderson misses the part about disenfranchisement because he doesn’t realize the implications of the social dynamics in the world he created. I don’t say this as a snub: he does some things very well (emotional scenes, pivotal character moments). He also does some things very badly: his focus on the characters as individuals completely fails to engage with the characters as a product of their environment, something that is true in real life and should be true if you want a well-rounded character in a story arc about redemption or lack thereof.

The story doesn’t acknowledge the fact that Moash’s is a direct product of the society he lives in, and treats his morally bad actions as if they came about in a vacuum. It’s a lot easier to say “you can do better and you should, you have the power to change, redeem, and grow” about Dalinar, who’s been metaphorically sitting on a tower in the clouds long before it became factual, than someone like Moash, whose (morally bad!) actions are a direct consequence of his disenfranchised position in society and the (completely justified) bitterness he feels. Neither the characters OR the narrative have at any point acknowledged that maybe, just maybe, there would have been no Moash if the people in power had been a bit more humane. That is a massive blind spot in a character arc that is all about how a man is irredeemable because he refuses to let go of the resentment that corrupted him.

#stormlight archive #moash #dalinar kholin #the stormlight archive #cosmere #long post #narrative themes #at some point this stopped being a response and started being a note from me to me about why that guy deserves a chance #i wrote this for me etc.#sanderson critical #i mean a lil bit

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lilmccoy · 2 months

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So I started reading The Way of Kings and am about halfway through. Current thoughts:

- poor Kaladin, he needs some sleep and a hug

-what did he even do to deserve all that, like why was he made a slave and what happened to Tien

-idk why, but I agree with Adolin about Sadeas, he just comes off as the type to pull off some type of betrayal

-i really like Renarin

-idk what's going on with Wit, but there's just something

-that one dinner scene to avoid a conversation

- gotta appreciate a persistent young woman, brownie points for also being an avid reader

#personal #the way of kings

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kingjasnah · 2 years

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Reading RoW in one night is actually crazy but also. Hi how did you do that. Do you have any marathon reading tips?

yah firstly to preface: i dont think anyone should be reading rhythm in one night. i needed to for Reasons but besides those there's really no need to do this. also i know ive been saying it was one night but in the spirit of full transparency, i committed a little wage theft and read the first part (pretty much everything that had already been preview released) while still on the clock....last min circumstances (someone got covid) meant i was able to work from home the week it dropped and again. i dont think i could have done this if i had to commute the next morning. in general i am a fast reader and ive done these before but 1200 pgs was still. daunting.

ok so 1) you need good and consistent light. your eyes will be strained enough, dont make things harder for them. 2) a source of caffeine you can drink quickly that wont hurt you later. i drank a lot of very very very cold diet coke cause if i had tried to do it with my beloved filter coffee i would have been physically ill. 3) focus. like in general. i had noise cancelling headphones without playing music until everyone i lived with was asleep and that got me through. 4) you need to trick yourself into caring so so so so so much about what is happening that you force whatever you are reading into becoming a page turner. i could not have read 1200 pages in 8 hours of just anything, but kaladin is my friend and i wanted to see him so.....yeah. if you're last min cramming for school or something this is harder but fr if you straight up psychologically trick urself into caring thats better than caffeine

im actually kinda interested in reading rhythm in smaller doses....i was thinking of doing a big november reread where i would follow that drinking game tor published but like. a couple of chapters a week or smth......idk, for the sake of my liver and the fact that its literally mistborn release month and im ignoring the franchise

#no i read it in one night cause i knew i couldnt get through the mental illness stuff in short bursts i needed a resolution #that was not a good year or month or season for me i needed to see it through #i literally dont even think i ate that day i was head down nose in book the whole time #it was like that for ob too but that took two sittings. i miss reading like that it reminded me of middle school me #asks

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cosmerelists · 4 months

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My Top 10 Favorite Cosmere Characters

Today is my birthday, so it's time for a purely self-indulgent birthday list! I thought I'd just share my own personal Top 10 Cosmere characters, which will just prove once and for all that I am SUCH a Stormlight girlie.

[Spoilers for Stormlight, Mistborn Era 1 & Era 2 and Shadows for Silence]

#10: TenSoon

I think I almost like TenSoon better in Era 2, when he's, like, an immortal quasi-divine figure who also happens to be a big, fluffy puppy. I like it when characters from different eras interact, so I was quite taken by having Wax meet TenSoon. I was also a fan of TenSoon back in the original series though, especially as his loyalty to Vin developed. And I'm one for a tragic sacrifice, so the kandra trying to kill themselves to avoid getting taken over by Ruin--that was a powerful moment (and I'm big fan of the fact that they did not, in fact, die. It was still a heroic sacrifice!).

#9: Silence

It's hard to say how much my love for Silence is part & parcel with my love for Threnody which, for whatever reason, is my favorite Cosmere planet. I like how Silence interacts with Threnody--the sheer horror and fatalism of living right on the edge of that forest, being a mother and a bounty hunter, keeping your dead grandmother in a back room...

#8: Adolin

I think Adolin is one of those characters I like because of his relationships with other characters. Especially Maya--I really love the relationship Adolin has with his sword, and when he and Maya fight back to back using the kata...that's one of my favorite scenes. I think he and Shallan are cute, and that he and Kaladin are cute, and that the three of them are a triad in their hearts. Also, and this will be a theme throughout this list, I love competent fighters and good fight sequences, so Adolin's duels really put him near the top for me.

#7: Navani

Rhythm of War really made me love Navani, I think. And not only because of that unhealthy yet somehow alluring relationship she had with Raboniel. We'll see throughout this list that I just like really competent characters, and Navani is such a smart and cool inventor of stuff, from watches to pain management devices to flying ships. And knowing what she went through with Gavilar and how she was made to think she wasn't smart or worthwhile only to have Dalinar and Raboniel recognize that yes she was smart and good at things and now she's cracked the code to make god-killing weapons and has bonded the Sibling and she's just so cool.

#6: Sazed

Honestly, I really love Sazed both before and after his ascension. I heard that people aren't always fans of Harmony, but I find him just as fascinating, if not more so--the idea of trying to balance such discordant shards in one being. But Sazed is, I think, my favorite character from the Mistborn Era 1 books. He is so sincere and smart and competent and deals with so much shit all the time. And I think he's doing his best.

#5: Jasnah

Like, Jasnah is just cool. She's so polished. So competent. So deadly. So smart. I think seeing Jasnah through Shallan's eyes for so long really made me respect and fear her as much as a reader can respect/fear a book character. That moment that she and Dalinar bonded over the book after Gavilar's death--very sweet. Kinda disappoited that we didn't get much with Jasnah & Elhokar--hard to remember they're siblings sometimes. In conclusion, I am both excited and scared to get more of her tragic backstory soon.

#4: Leshwi

Listen, I like cool fight sequences and enemies who bear a deep respect for each and duel a lot but never from a place of hatred. So, I was basically made to like Leshwi and how she interacts with Kaladin. But I also just like Leshwi's interactions with everyone. Leshwi and Moash? Awesome. "Hey you killed me once. Respect." Leshwi and Venli? Heck yeah. "I am slowly feeling you out and trying to see where your loyalties lie because they might intersect with mine." Once I am thrilled that Lewshi is joining the Listeners now. I want her to form a Radiant bond SO BAD.

#3: Steris

I seem to recall Brandon Sanderson talking about Steris as a character you don't like at first, but later you grow to love her. But if I remember correctly, I feel like I always liked Steris? Like yes, the marriage contract was a lot, but it was also so thorough and honest (and, honestly, funny). And then she just grew on me from there. As someone who makes a lot of lists, I also feel a kinship with Steris.

#2: Shallan

The first two times I read through the Stormlight Archives, I was all about Kaladin. But the third time, I really started to realize just how much I like the Shallan chapters. I think Shallan is a great character with a great arc--and I love the way she sort of grows into herself and her powers. Plus, I enjoy the slow reveal of how much she's already done--she already has a shardblade. And two spren bonds. And many murders under her belt. Quite the resume. And I really love Veil and Radiant, but especially Veil. The scene during the Oathbringer climax where she holds hand with her alters while constantly creating other alters to let them be killed legitimately makes me cry. She holds back a whole army by herself! She's amazing!

#1: Kaladin

Kaladin was my favorite character pretty much from the very moment I started reading Cosmere books (I started with Way of Kings), and he has never been dethroned in my heart. First, there's the simple fact that I love good fight scenes and fantasy heroics and people who gain the power they need at the very last second...and Kaladin does those things like every other chapter. But also, Kaladin is just such a good character. I love how he's not just a shallow fantasy hero--he has depression, and invents therapy, and struggles with guilt, and doesn't always make good choices. Sometimes the Kaladin chapters are tough--Rhythm of War was downright painful sometimes with just how much Kaladin was suffering--but even so. I will always look forward to the Kaladin parts the most, and like many, I deem Kaladin my #1 Cosmere Blorbo.

#Cosmere #Cosmerelists #TenSoon #Silence #Adolin #Navani #Sazed #Jasnah #Leshwi #Steris #Shallan #Kaladin

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writingmaidenwarrior · 10 months

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Happy Tuesday!!

How did you decide POV for your WIP(S)?

Happy Tuesday @theimperiumchronicles

With "Their Call for Home" I had to limit it because somehow my first idea was to have the reader wander like a ghost from one person to the next and have no real POV characters, but then I got more ideas, and it crystallized itself that following Maud, Meir, Feyre and Saylah is the way to tell the story. For some time, I thought about another POV of Kaladin but forgot about it because it would be only for a few scenes.

In the case of "Moon Daughter" it was clear one POV needs to be Mika since she is the center of all this in multiple ways. I added Neil because my first idea was to present him as antagonist and I like to have protagonist and antagonist as POV but then he became more the love interest and I wanted to have a more neutral POV to everything which is how Connor's POV came to be, so I ended up with 3.

The silly little elven story that came to life because of an STS ask three weeks ago only has one POV which is more an accident. I simply started writing and for some reason one of the two characters I had right from the start became the "talking" one. I went with it, since I learned a long time ago to not fight those things.

#writblr #wynne talks

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tenebris-lux · 10 months

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I never liked Moash.

I saw a thread asking people what Moash would have to do for each reader to forgive him. The discussion that followed brought up some interesting points—Dalinar did worse, yet he’s easier to forgive; Venli did worse, yet many people don’t care as much; without the option of redemption & forgiveness, why would anyone ever try to do better?

I agree with all of these, and if I studied Moash more critically, I’d probably have a more meaningful answer to give than what I currently have. But alas, for me (and most readers, I think), it’s personal.

The difference between Moash and Dalinar has more to do with framing. We meet Dalinar when he’s a pretty decent guy, then later learn the details about his horrifying past. Either the previous impression holds out more, or the new knowledge changes one’s opinion of him. Usually in those cases, it’s easy to stick with the former impression, because what happened “before the story starts,” err, “doesn’t count” (to put it weirdly); in Stormlight Archive, however, we get very intense flashbacks that shows us some more details of the atrocities (still kinda censored, but definitely more than a mere mention). With Moash, we’re watching it all in one direction in real time. No flashbacks and different impressions clashing with each other.

So. That’s my rationalization for my emotions on him. I didn’t like him from the start, and the only stand-out impressions he made for me were bad ones. Elhokar especially cemented things for me (yeah, there’s some justification for Moash, but I was fascinated by Elhokar’s character development).

That said … I’m glad Moash is a character in the books. Stories need people like him. Not in the I-need-someone-to-hate way or anything like that. But the books bring up choices and personal responsibilities a lot. And he keeps setting the example of “taking the wrong choice” while making it clear that there IS a choice to make. That’s crucial, because it goes further than I’m-a-bad-person-who-does-bad-things-for-bad-reasons-because-that’s-my-role-I’m-the-bad-guy. He’s justified in his feelings and some of his motives, but it doesn’t make his decisions the “right” ones. Kaladin showcases those examples in Words of Radiance, and Moash hasn’t seemed to learn or care since then. And he does have a few opportunities to do so.

As a character, I’m glad he’s there. He’s as interesting as the rest of them. But as an emotionally-invested reader, he ain’t coming back for me.

#the stormlight archive #moash

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tenrose · 2 years

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As I’ve finally gained back my ability to read, and couldn’t be more happy, I would like to share some tips with you. I don’t think I’m the only, once upon a time big reader, who ended up brain fried, completely unable to read over the last years. Of course this is how I managed to get back to reading and there is no guarantee that this will work for you but it can always be helpful, I hope.

So here we go.

First: most obvious one but probably also the hardest one too. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to read. Don’t start focusing on “I’m reading a book, I have to”, “I’m reading x pages” etc. Maybe it’s just me but everytime I do this kind of thing, it’s stressing me even more and since reading is not a duty I have to accomplish like work or something that’s due.. well I end up shutting off completely like I always do for everything. Don’t view it as an obligation.

Instead, just pick a book, put it here close to your favorite place, on your nightstand, somewhere you can easily grab it the moment you are ready, without extra effort (because obviously if you are like me, and you have to get up from bed to grab a book, well it’s not gonna work isn’t it?)

This one is very personal and maybe you are gonna need the opposite, but I have to absolutely forget about coming back to reading with a book I’m familiar with, a story I love. Let me explain, when I was not able to read, my first thought was “Oh well, the next Stormlight Archive book is out, I LOVE these series, this surely is gonna help me read again”. EXCEPT it didn’t and it actually had the opposite effect. I struggled a few chapters, trying to go in the state I’m usually in reading my favourite stories, trying harder than for any other book I would have given up with no second thought, but at some point I had to give up because it was just too hard, I wasn’t in the story the way I’m usually in, the images weren’t there (sidenote: probably did not help that Kaladin is like this™ but it’s not the topic). And I don’t know if it already happened to you, but not being able to be deeply invested into something you’re usually in with your entire soul, it was more painful than not being to read any other random book I tried to read. It was like a self betrayal. And actually before this I managed to read like two books a year, but after this it dropped to zero. I was really feeling very bad about it, felt like shit, because reading is my thing. Fantasy is my thing, seeing the worlds and living it is my thing. And I didn’t want to hear about books anymore, also stopped going the bookstore (which tbh my wallet did not complain about). So my advice is to not go with your favourite story first. To this day I still haven’t caught up on TSA, I feel like I’m almost ready but I’m not sure so I’m waiting.

So instead, I’d recommend to pick something you’re not familiar with but easy to read. I’m a SFF reader, but this kind of literature is too demanding when you’ve lost your ability to dive into a story. The worldbuilding and stuff require your imagination to be active and if I’m being honest with my inability to read, it’s my imagination that was gone. Instead I chose thrillers, because they are usually page turners, the mystery is what you need to give you the urge to keep reading. Generally, pick easy books to read first, at first you’re gonna struggle to keep your brain focused so let’s not add too complicated things from the very beginning (it’s gonna come back later don’t worry). Also try to pick short books, short stories, digest paragraphs (I’m personnally against the “uh if a paragraph is too big I can’t read that” but I gotta admit that when you’ve lost your reading skills this is not what you want first). A friend of mine even recommended to pick children books. The point is to not be too harsh on your brain when you have lost your attention span. It need to be short, concise and simple.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room, the phone. Because I know it’s the shit that kept me from reading, even though the start of the decline was for other personal reasons, social media is a big part of the problem. I’m not blaming anyone and I won’t be that bitch who’s like “just get off instagram” because I know it’s not that easy, I know it’s an addiction. I’m still spending way too much time on my phone, and some of this time I should be reading but I’m not. And that’s ok. The more I blamed myself for scrolling through dumb shit instead of reading, the more I kept scrolling to drown this guilt. So I gave up trying to abandon social medias and picking a book instead, the “I’m reading instead of watching dumb stuff” never worked for me). I had to outsmart myself and basically trick myself and use my own flaws against myself. So what did I do? Well I sat myself on a chair, with my phone not fully charged, with no socket close enough to plug my phone without having to get up and put the book close to me. So when my phone battery started to be low, I put down the phone and picked the book instead. Yes this is peak laziness but it worked so who’s a smartass now? So yeah, if you are lazy, just sit yourself somewhere, put your phone somewhere else, literally in the same room but not close enough to reach with having to move your ass. And eventually it works! Tbh I’m kinda baffled to have outsmarted myself like this, not sure if I should be proud of it lmao.

Last but certainly not least, you have to accept that you are not gonna read like you used to. Especially if you are a full grown adult, with a job, kids, adult stuff to do etc. The fact is, we had so much more time reading as teenagers, young adults (you know when we were supposed to study???), that we have now. We are tired, and chances are that when you’re starting to read you’re gonna end up sleeping and that’s totally fine. We don’t have the time we used to have (btw fuck capitalism), our brains have been rotted (or maybe just mine?), everyday we have this insidious propaganda that everything we do should be profitable but it’s not. Reading is by definition profitable to your brain but you do not see it like this way when you are reading. You are reading as a hobby, and as for all hobbies, it has benefits for you. And you alone. It’s the only thing that matters. Also, you are not trying to find your old self. This is hard to accept, but it is gone. You are someone with difficulties, someone who needs time and patience. The point of reading is not how many books you are reading a year, a month, this is not a challenge. You read because you love reading. You read because you love words. You read because you love to have the words turns into images in your mind, and these images are better than any movie you’ve watched. You read because you love to educate yourself, or because you love the escapism. Or a bit of all of this. My point is, you are reading for yourself, at your time, this is not a competition with anybody, not even yourself. Maybe you can read a bit every night, maybe only on the weekends, it doesn’t matter. Once you know you can read, and appreciate it, you know this part of yourself is saved.

And that’s all, I genuinely hope it can help even one person, because I know how having a passion for reading and losing it is painful and if I can help even only one person to find joy again I’d be very about it.

Also sorry about mistakes, the train between my thoughts and the translated words I wrote here was hard.

#misc #reading #books #resources #sort of?#anyway it's super late and i havent cooked yet lmao

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uberwriting · 1 year

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Thoughts on The Way of Kings.

Amazing! Brilliant! Fantasy how it should be. Defies expectation. I could speak in quotes throughout this whole post, but considering I'm writing about the first book when already halfway through the third should be enough to tell you how engaging or a read this is.

I'm talking about the behemoth book The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, which is part of The Stormlight Archives series. I understand I'm late to the game and by now most of you reading this will already know that the series without a doubt has established itself as one of the most remarkable fantasy series of all time and the mastermind behind this spectacular read, Brandon Sanderson, has become a household name for many. But I can't help but write down my thoughts.

Fantasy Book Review states, "[Stormlight Archives] is a daunting proposition, and honestly, I would not recommend it if you are new to fantasy or new to Brandon Sanderson" Now, I wouldn't necessarily consider myself a Fantasy newbie - I mean, I read the Narnia series growing up, and I raced my friends to complete the Harry Potter books; pepper that with a few stand-alone fantasy novels and I'd say that makes me at least an Acquaintance of the genre…Right? Besides, reading should be a challenge in some form or another, preferably the rewarding kind. Fortunately, I was not privy to this warning before joining so many others on the Stormlight Archive journey. And a Journey it has been.

Before I share my experiences and thoughts with you, I should probably first attempt to summarize the book, an undertaking I should note that even Sanderson himself finds stymying. So, without further delay, let's begin.

Our story takes place in the world of Roshar, where seemingly mysterious Highstorms regulate nature and society. Centuries have passed since the fall of the Knights Radiant, but their magical weapons, Shardplate and Shardblades, were left behind. These relics and tools are priceless that give their wielders incredible power. Wars are fought over them; kingdoms are traded. One such war has lasted for six years on the Shattered Plains. A war that goes deeper than just weapons.

The book mainly follows three characters; Kaladin, a surgeon's apprentice turned soldier turned slave. Shallan is a quick-witted scholar with a dark past who must steal a powerful gemstone to save her family. And Highprince Dalinar, an army commander whose wisdom blossomed from a life of war and regret. All of these loglines might seem like their own story, but Saunderson's unique narration style effectively weaves their stories together comprehensively and attractively.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I did not read The Way of Kings. Instead, I decided to listen to the audiobook. I strategically chose the audiobook to listen while moving from D.C. to L.A. However, I could only listen to about three out of the fifty-five hour-long track as it was deemed "too confusing" by my girlfriend. No surprise - she was correct. I found it hard to blindly follow Saunders headfirst into the world of Roshar. Thankfully my work requires me to travel a lot, so I spend a lot of time in the car - the perfect time for an audiobook: just me, my thoughts, and a unique ensemble of characters.

As mentioned earlier, the most brilliant aspect of Saunderson's storytelling is his use of alternate points of view. The jumping between characters prevents burnout among readers and allows the world to build more organically. While some sections felt a bit drawn out or repetitive, particularly with some of Shallan's scenes or Kaladin's flashbacks, the overall pacing was excellent and allowed for a more engaging reading experience.

I found that the most engaging sections of the story were Kaladin's. Misery surrounds Kaladin's character. Death seems to take everyone that he tries to protect. Kaladin is depressed, and his negative thoughts overwhelm him, nearly killing him. If you like a hero that is dragged through crem at every turn but somehow remains true, then look no further. I often found myself getting frustrated. Kaladin's pessimistic stubbornness justified it may be, had me protesting audibly. That is why I loved him—a hero with actual conflict and real dilemmas but who somehow consistently saves the day.

Dalinar's character is, in my opinion, the most well-rounded. He has such a deep history that is often shrouded in mystery. There could definitely be a whole book solely focusing on him. His sections also pose questions about faith and religion. There is no doubt he is a flawed man, maybe even once evil, but I can't help but compare him to Peter or any one of the disciples in the Bible.

And finally, a few other reviews mention that Shallan's character could sometimes be annoying, but I found her to be really engaging. Her logic and reasoning are a thrill to ponder, especially during her acts of persuasion.

I could go on and on about this book, and trust me, there is a lot more to be said…a lot more. But I would just take up time you could be using to read this book. So go! Read. Read. Read.

#stormlight archive #brandon sanderson #fantasy #book blog #reading #writing

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