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devotion-that-corrupts · 7 months

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10 Characters / 10 Fandoms / 10 Tags

pick 10 characters from 10 fandoms and tag 10 people. thank you for tagging me @ithinkthiswasabadidea :)

apparently you don't have to comment on them. HOWEVER, i love talking about my interests, and you've given me an excuse to do it, so let's go!

(not in any particular order, i love them all.)

constantin d'orsay (greedfall) baby boy. has done nothing wrong ever in his entire life. seeing him activates my knight instinct. i would fight lord and lady d'orsay for him. i would fight the high king guy for him. i would fight god for him. if he is wrong i would reshape reality to make him right. all of this to say, i love him a normal amount.

viego (league of legends / ruination / runeterra) if i had a nickel for every time a character i love was born a second son of a ruler and so was never intended to lead, yet became an heir after his brother's death, was supposed to die because of poison, had only one person he cared about deeply, in something between eternal love and obsession caused immense destruction for the sake of that person (who has never asked for any of this), had some sort of transformation during which his hair turned from fair/blond to platinum, his eye color changed, and there appeared some weird magic-related thing on his head symbolizing his becoming a villain (or, rather, making it clear that he was wrong all along), then i'd have two nickels. which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. ok, now for a more normal explanation. bringing your kingdom & then entire realm to ruin for your wife? in grief, in hopeless attempt to revive her? i love this! i love it when love turns people evil.

camilla hect (the locked tomb) i don't have coherent thoughts about her. i simply adore her with my whole heart. here's to camilla hect, yet another of devotion's casualties!!!

gale dekarios aka gale of waterdeep (baldur's gate 3) i will kill mystra.

gabrielle de lioncourt (the vampire chronicles) there is much to analyze about her background and her relationships, esp with lestat, and i am most definitely unfit for this. let me just say that if i were a vampire, i would also ditch humanity and explore some jungle instead. and probably wear men's clothes.

millions knives (trigun) unhinged codependent siblings… <3

fang runin (the poppy war) my darling girl who fell in love with the war, and nobody told her it ended. i think she should get to burn the world down, as a treat.

breezepelt (warrior cats) i am including him because he is my og blorbo. 10-year old me really looked at the worst guy ever and said yeah that's the one. my love for writing about dysfunctional families and defying religion could probably be traced back to him.

constance blackwood (we have always lived in the castle) i NEED to teleport into the world of this book and ask constance her perspective. because she knew it, i mean, she knew what must have actually happened the whole time. i wonder what she felt after the accident, and if/how her view changed since then. i wonder what she thought of her parents, and of merricat, and of the life they came to lead. we get some of it from the dialogue and interactions ofc, but it doesn't stop me from contemplating all of this.

august (the wicker king) guard dog of a boy. 'I like following him. Following orders. Doing whatever he wants.' 'I’m always going to want to be at your heels, fighting for you. Hurting myself because you tell me to.' i hope belonging to someone else brings him peace.

anyways, i had to open the book to find these quotes, and now i want to reread it all over again. let me just tag some mutuals and then i'm gonna go read.

(no pressure!) (also you don't have to elaborate on them) @kuramirocket @grin-unsettling @boygirltwins @fairylightfairlybright @drizzit @msnormandy @darkvisionvamp @gardenbastard @cjflint @pups-2-dust & anyone else who wants to :)

#i don't usually write long posts on tumblr so i'm not sure if the formatting is readable #jay talks #tag games

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bitethebullets · 1 year

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1, 11, 19, and 21 :)

1. who is/are your comfort character(s)?

I have a lot but will keep it brief with my top faves: buffy, percy jackson, peter parker, fang runin/rin, shawn spencer, howl, clementine kruczynski, katniss, fleabag, & the doctor

11. favorite extracurricular activity?

i actually really enjoyed when i used to play lacrosse. now though i am having fun teaching myself guitar

19. imagine we’re at a sleepover, would you paint my nails?

yes but i cannot promise it is going to look good (i am the type to let the shower take care of my choppy paint job)

21. something you’ve kept since childhood?

a blanket my neighbor gave to me as a baby. its like 2 feet long and barely covers my calves

#i am in bed now with my blanket as we speak i dont sleep without it really #also love how i said i would keep it breif and listed like 10 characters #prettyhatemachinegf #answered

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fgodump · 4 years

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Connections to “The Poppy War”

The setting and characters to The Poppy War has derived a lot of inspiration from historical events and myths alike. This is meant to discuss which characters have a relation to those preexisting. Of course, you do not need to know this information to enjoy the books, but I think knowing them will elevate your reading experience. None of this information is official. This is just the conclusions I came to while reading. Feel free to make comments

MAJOR MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ALL BOOKS

Locations

Nikara: Qing Dynasty.

Mugen: Japan (Meiji Period)

Hesperia: Britain

The Hinterlands: Mongolia (unsure)

Murui: Yellow River

Tianshan: Kunlun

The different provinces were based off the Chinese Zodiac

The Poppy Wars: the Opium wars, as they have the heavy involvement of foreign invaders

Fang Runin: Rin’s character does not seem to take from a specific person, however the wiki stats that she was inspired by multiple people, such as Azula from ATLA and Mao Zedong

Chen Kitay: It's pretty obvious his character is inspired by Zhuge Liang in Romance of the Three kingdoms. In actual history, he wasn't that much, but in the book, Zhuge was a monster at strategy.

In the first book, Irjah proposes a question, which Kitay replies “to bait the enemy into giving them arrows by rolling out a boat of strawmen”. This is something that Zhuge did as well.

Sring Venka: Honestly I'm blanking on Venka. I think perhaps Venka isnt supposed to represent a character at all, but instead all the comfort women and victims of the Rape of Nanking, based on what happened to her during Golyn niis.

Yang Souji: He and his group the “Iron Wolves” remind me so much of the Shinsengumi. He even shares a name with Okita Souji, the captain of the first unit.

The Shinsungumi were also nicknamed “The wolves of Mibu”

I know the glaring problem with this is that the Shisungumi are Japanese, and should have been Mugini in this book, but I think these parallels are pretty cool in any case.

Chiang Moag- Ching Shih. Woah, as soon as I heard Lady Pirate, it was undeniable who Moag is. Ching Shih, the most famous pirate in China perhaps, and she was a woman.

Their backstories share similarities too. Ching shih was a prostitute, just like rumors around Moag.

The Cike: During the Zhou Dynasty, Wu Zetian (China’s only female emperor) had a secret police force that assassinated everyone she needed. This sounds incredibly similar to the way Daji used the Cike.

Altan Trengsin: I believe that Altan is like Rin; either an amalgamation of many characters or simply someone Kuang made for the sake of the story.

Ramsa: I believe him to be Nikara’s representation of the creation of fireworks. Not based off a person, but instead one of the Four great inventions of China. Or maybe I’m looking too far into it lol, since he doesn't strike me as being inspired from a myth, since he is not a shaman

Baji: Zhu Bajie of Journey to the West. Based on his description and his name, I had him guessed before they even said anything about pig.

His weapon is even the same as Bajie’s, a nine-toothed rake.

He also shares his desires, both of them being lusty for beautiful women

Suni: Sun Wukong. I had him guessed by his name as well. Although I believe the connection to be true, I cannot help but feel disappointed that the avatar of Sun Wukong was killed off so easily

The traits that these two characters share are pretty different, much more different than Baji had Bajie.

For one, Suni is generally calm when he is not being taken over by his god, and is pretty gentle and nice actually. This is very unlike Sun Wukong, and also the reason why I think Suni was a bad body for Wukong to take over, since I think their desires do not match up like Rin and Phoenix

Aratasha: The last in the trio, Sha Wujing. I was confused at first, since Aratasha is no fighter, but I realized his name sounds incredibly similar to Sha Wujing. Wujing was a sand river demon in JTTW, so I don’t think it was a stretch to believe that Aratasha was based off of him (his god is a river god, after all)

Plus, Aratasha died before Baji and Suni did. Wujing in JTTW was weaker than both of his companions.

Chaghan and Qara Suren: This may be a stretch, but I think Chaghan was inspired from Genghis khan. Gengis Kahn united the Mongols, like Chaghan united the Ketreids and Naimads. Even though the time period would be centuries apart (Genghis 1206, Qing Dynasty 1644-1912), it is the most likely option. It is unrecorded whether Gengis had any sisters, so I believe that Qara was made for the sake of plot (anchor).

Yin Family: The entire Yin family was taken from the story of Nezha. You can read more about the original story by searching his name in Wikipedia. R F Kuang kept a lot of things from the original tale, and these notes are what I have noticed

Yin Vaisra- Li Jing. Li Jing was also a great general, and in other stories, he was the head general in the Jade Emperor's Heavenly Army. If you know about “Journey to the West”, it was him who attempted to subdue Sun Wukong.

Yin Saikhara- Lady Yin

*its interesting how Kuang decided to make the mother’s name the family name for the Yins. Originally, I would have thought it was Li instead.

Muzha and Jinzha’s name were lifted directly from the source material

Mingzha is a character Kuang added, for Li Jing only had three sons (or 2 sons and a daughter in this case). There is no source material for how Muzha and Jinzha’s characters are; even in adaptations we rarely get to see any exploration of them.

Yin Nezha- Nezha:

Yin Nezha, like his original counterpart, was the third child of his father. Since Muzha was changed to a female, he is actually the second son.

He has the powers of the Dragon of the Western river (TBG 392), likely referring to the White Dragon in myths, who is the dragon ruler of the western sea.

Like the Nezha in the myth, Yin Nezha had an occurrence with a dragon that changed his life.

At the first battle between Nezha and Rin in TBG, it is stated he wears golden rings around his wrists and ankles. Guanyin bodhisattva did this to Nezha in Journey to the West, in order to placate him.

The Trifecta: All of the figures in the Trifecta were based on the Fengshen Yanyi (AKA the Investire of the Gods).

Jiang Ziya: His name was directly taken from the novel.

Su Daji: Her name was directly taken from the novel, as well as some of her penchants for murder. Daji, in both history and the novel, was infamous for her torture methods.

Jingzha being delivered back to his father in a dumpling holder would qualify as a toruture method. I applaud Kaung for being creative.

Yin Riga: I do not know if Riga is meant to be King Zhou or Ji Fa (the man who overthrew Zhou). Perhaps he was inspired by both of them, or neither.

Since Kuang did not go into depth into which gods were in the pantheon, I will make a list to who I think is there

Gods mentioned in the books:

Erlang Shen

Sanshengmu

Sun Wukong *implied through Suni

Zhu Bajie *implied through Baji

Huxian *implied through Unegen, and also Daji

Phoenix

Nuwa

Fuxi

The Four Dragon Kings (Yin Riga was likely the Dragon of the East) *There is no confirmation that there are multiple dragons, but I believe it was strongly implied

Chang’e

Xi Wang Mu, Queen Mother of the West

Zhenniao *implied through Pipaji

The Four Guardians (Azure Dragon, Vermillion Bird, White Tiger, and the Black Tortoise) *implied through Dulin, who summoned the Black Tortoise

Wong Tai sen *implied through Lianhua (Actually I am not sure, but I could not think of any other healer god in Chinese myths)

Gods not mentioned but I believe are in the Pantheon:

Yudi: Usually depicted as the husband of Xiwangmu

Hou Yi (Since Chang’e is there. However, there is a possibility that he is in Chuulu Korikh as punishment for killing the sons of Yudi)

Shennong: He exists between Nuwa and Fuxi as the “human”

The Eight Deities

Guanyin: (Since Wukong is implied to be a god) showed up in JTTW

Yanwang: (Since Wukong is implied to be a god) showed up in JTTW

Other tidbits:

Arlong’s name may have been the combination of “Azure” and the chinese word for dragon “Long”.

Aquebus are guns, but they shoot very slow. This aint a AK 47

The Red emperor could have been based off of Qin Shi Huang, or even the Jade Emperor himself.

Chuulu Korikh’s origin, although explained, has ties in Chinese myths. It was the mountain that encased Sun Wukong before he was broken out by Xuanzang. This means that the mountain was put there by the big B, Buddha. (Actually I can't remember if Kuang said who put the mountain down, but if she didnt specify this is what I think happened)

I am more familiar with Chinese history and myths, rather than Japanese ones, so if im missing something feel free to correct

#i finished all of them within 24 hours #im shaking #i wrote this right afater the last page of the burning god #holy shitttttttt #the poppy war #the dragon republic #the burning god #fang rin #nezha #fang runin #books #literature #yin nezha #chen kitay #tpw

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eclpsedsun · 3 years

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rules : tag at least 5 people to learn more about

tagged by : @caribaheine thanks sm bea! ♡♡♡

tagging : @resetme @burnhamandtilly @jynesro @fahey @marksfarrows @keepyourlife (of course feel free to ignore!) ♡

music

♡ fave genres : alternative, indie, rock, pop punk

♡ fave artists : halsey, måneskin, the unlikely candidates, the struts, barns courtney, bishop briggs, queen, arctic monkeys, lana del rey and many more

♡ fave songs : don't have one, but my fave albums are smoke + mirrors by imagine dragons, il ballo della vita by måneskin, pure heroine by lorde, i love you by the neighbourhood

♡ songs most listened to recently : i am not a woman, i'm a god by halsey

♡ song currently stuck in your head : dis-moi by bb brunes

♡ 5 fave lyrics :

"your heart was glass, i dropped it" - champagne problems, taylor swift

"when the stars look down on me, what do they see?" - thief, imagine dragons

"you steal the air out of my lungs" - don't take the money, bleachers

"in my head, i do everything right" - supercut, lorde

"heaven is a place on earth with you" - video games, lana del rey

books

♡ fave genres : young adult, contemporary, low fantasy, murder mysteries/thrillers

♡ fave writers : marie lu is probably the only author I keep up with

♡ fave book series : still searching for it

♡ comfort book : i'll give you the sun, aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe

♡ perfect books to read on a rainy day : any classic really

♡ 5 fave characters : kestrel trajan (the winner's curse), jude duarte (the folk of the air), adelina amouteru (the young elites), fang runin (the poppy war)

♡ 5 literary quotes that you know by heart :

"You could jump so much higher when you had somewhere safe to fall." - Truly Madly Guilty, Liane Moriarty

"The only way the universe will remember you is if you do something worthy of remembrance." - Illuminae, Amie Kaufman

"My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me." - Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

"You can't get away from yourself by moving from one place to another." - The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway

"The stars incline us, they do not bind us." - These Violent Delights, Chloe Gong

tv + movies

♡ fave tv / movie genres : fantasy, sci-fi, comedy, superhero

♡ fave movies : tenet, inception

♡ comfort movies : all of the early barbie movies + studio ghibli

♡ movies you watch every year : different versions of A Christmas Carol

♡ fave tv shows : 3%, sense8, orphan black, what we do in the shadows, the umbrella academy

♡ most rewatched tv show : avatar the last airbender

♡ ultimate otp : i don't really care that much tbh

♡ 5 fave characters : melanie cavill (snowpiercer), michael burnham (star trek discovery), yennefer (the witcher), daenerys targaryen (game of thrones), villanelle (killing eve)

#🤍#I'm so so sorry it took me so long!#but it was really fun #I'd love to do one again next year to see how much I changed #anyway #I hope you're doing well bea! ♡♡♡

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rivolted · 4 years

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GOODNIGHT TO GIRLS UNDER 5′2, SCORPIOS, AND THE VERY UNPLEASANT

[ ASLIHAN MALBORA, CIS FEMALE, SHE/HER. ] introducing calpurnia pamuk, VICTOR of the 71st hunger games, representing district two. my sources say that they are twenty three years old, & that they’re pretty handy with knife-throwing. wonder if that did them any good in the arena ? anyways, caesar says you can’t miss them, because they remind everyone of looking like the innocent flower but being the serpent undern’t, sparks of mischief glittering in your eyes, looking everywhere but at the reflection in the mirror & a finger tracing delicately over scarred skin.

CHARACTER INSPO : katara ( atla ), darayavahoush e-afshin ( city of brass ), fang runin ( poppy war ), alina starkov ( shadow & bone ), leia organa ( star wars )

𝑾𝑯𝒀 𝑪𝑨𝑵𝑵𝑶𝑻 𝑰 𝑫𝑶 𝑨𝑺 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑾𝑶𝑳𝑽𝑬𝑺 𝑫𝑶 ? / so , a HUMMING VIOLENCE settles without hesitation . don’t call this destruction , 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖆 𝖉𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖇𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝖆𝖈𝖙 . the undoing of the first thing to be done .

name : calpurnia pamuk ( call her nia )

age : twenty three ( with the timeline i’ve made she’s technically twenty two but. she’ll be turning twenty three soon enough. MZMZMZM )

gender & pronouns : cis female & she / her

district : two

occupation : victor.

moral alignment : chaotic. just chaotic.

wcs at the end !

one of calpurnia’s first memories is bringing flowers she’d picked to her father’s bed as he lay sick, her grandmother’s firm hand on her shoulder keeping her stuck to the ground, unable to leap forward and hug him desperately.

both of calpurnia’s parents died when she was very young, of disease, according to her grandmother. she knows nothing else except that. with their deaths, she was placed in the care of her only living relative, her loving grandmother. her incredibly rich grandmother. her grandmother who may or may not have gotten said wealth from shady business practices with the capitol while fronting as a jeweler.

her grandmother, presumably due to losing her son and daughter-in-law so close to one another, was a very nervous woman. she let calpurnia train like any other career, but she made it explicitly clear she was under no circumstance to volunteer. ever.

so, in the academy, nia put in minimal effort. she did well enough to pass, but she never tried to compete for a top spot; still, somehow, she was one of the best. this also did not matter to nia, a fact which was probably a sore spot to everyone who tried to encourage her to participate in the games.

and then. well, calpurnia was always a flirt. but this girl ? her and nia had something real. nia loved her. & after a year-long whirlwind romance, when her name was called ? nia couldn’t handle it. she volunteered. to the world, the actions of a career looking for glory. privately, the desperate act of a girl in love.

the girl did not come to visit nia as she was waiting to be sent off into the games. she never heard from her again. but her grandmother came, even though she was utterly destroyed, and she begged nia to win. to come back to her. nia promised she would; and she’d never broken a promise.

WHAT TO SAY ABOUT THE 71ST HUNGER GAMES. nia went in as a nineteen year old promising...ish career who thrived by displaying a fun, ditzy personality pre-arena, a persona she’d keep alive even when in the arena. because a soft fool of a girl was an easy target. because it would make others come to her.

i haven’t.. . .. . figured this out entirely but i wanna say the arena was very tropical rainforest-esque, and one of the big gamemaker moves against the tributes was literally flushing them out with rainfall so heavy and long it flooded the arena until only whoever was lucky enough to pick the highest trees were left. lots of venemous/dangerous animals, an extreme amount of humidity, and so much foliage the tributes needed a miracle to be able to move anywhere undetected.

calpurnia officially wins on her twentieth birthday, though she wouldn’t find that out until much later. she’d managed to seduce her district partner, having a star-crossed love of the ages. a fantastic decision: he got rid of most of the other careers for her, save for a district 4 girl she had to finish off with her knives. in the end, there were three left: her, a district 6 girl, and him. the district 6 girl was an easy kill, her partner snapping the poor girl’s neck. he’d looked at calpurnia with wide eyes and asked, breathless, “what now?”

and calpurnia, sweet, silly calpurnia, put her hand on his chest. leaned in. brushed her lips against his. told him not to worry, because she would make the ultimate sacrifice. and proceeded stabbed him three times in the heart. and then she kept stabbing him, because suddenly she’d been filled with an indescribable anger - at him, for being tricked so easily. at herself, for doing this to him. but now that she’d killed him, the show was over. everything would go back to normal; better, even.

or so she thought. calpurnia, despite her betrayal, had won the capitol’s hearts. she’s a capitol darling, still. when she won the hunger games, it wasn’t the final act of a hero’s journey: it was the first act of a tragedy.

she goes on. she’s less of a girl and more of a puppet. she’s giggles and smiles and softness, which is ridiculous because she murdered dozens of other people in cold blood, and sometimes her hands itch to do it again. what she wants is to rage, to demand, to be not a puppet or a girl but a monster feared by the capitol. but. but she won’t. who will take care of her grandmother if not her ?

she’s not a good person by any means. when she hears whispers of a rebellion, she listens. follows the trail. but it’s not because she cares for what they have to say; it’s because the rebellion can give her the hot-blooded revenge she wants.

wcs !

so i might send in an actual wc for this, BUT ALSO IF YOU’RE READING THIS AND THINKING ABOUT MAKING A DISTRICT TWO MUSE, i’d love to see the girl who calpurnia fell in love with. i like the idea that maybe this muse wanted to be in the games, and calpurnia taking that from them was seen as a betrayal, but honestly this is.. . .. completely up to you !

I AM ONCE AGAIN ASKING FOR PLATONIC SOULMATES. preferably someone from the capitol who she met during her games ? this is someone who, despite their differences, is probably the person closest to nia other than her grandmother. they’re also probably the only one who knows just how much inner turmoil she’s in, and maybe they have their own giant issues that only nia knows about or is willing to understand. eventually, they’ll either be pro-rebellion by themselves or with nia’s help; regardless, they won’t leave each other’s sides. it’s a bond that’s very rare and kind of unexplainable but they’re It for each other ( PLATONICALLY PLEASE )

i want. a fellow victor & her to have a Hate On Sight relationship. it might have a Certain Tension it might not but there’s something about these two that seems to naturally clash, maybe it’s even because they’re actually Similar in some ways ? i just.. . ..Love Enemies

f-family members or friends of the district 2 guy she killed who resent her ? i like to imagine he actually felt something for her, which was.. .. . .A MISTAKE, BUDDY.

LITERALLY ANYTHING. hookups. rivals. bad influences. good influences. ppl who don’t see her as anything past her façade or who might even judge her for being “ditzy” and “pro-capitol”. someone who has like a fancrush on her would be cute, stars in their eyes, don’t meet your idols etc etc.

#sacrificialintro #last one for a bit because my final intro is. uh. not formatted. MZMZMZM

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bookishreviewsblog · 5 years

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R.F. Kuang: Poppy War (Poppy War #1) | Lara

When Rin aced the Keju, the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies, it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard, the most elite military school in Nikan, was even more surprising.

But surprises aren’t always good.

Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.

For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .

Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.

“If there was one thing Rin had learned about her country's history, it was that the only permanent thing about the Nikara Empire was war.”

It’s been like four days but I already feel like I’ve been reading this book for a lifetime. My being is completely consumed with this magnificent story and the lengths it went to evoke beautiful and terrible things I wasn’t ready to feel after going through such a specter of emotion and experience. My mind is filled with this intangible feeling of pain and complete understating of everything this book is trying to point towards - I am completely and utterly in love with this story of war, pain, and survival.

Modern Chinese mythology? Yes, please.

I died for Kuang’s fascinating world of power and faith, where Empires are constantly at war and there is really no sense of stability. Nikara Empire barely won the last Poppy War and the Mugen are waiting for their chance to ravish the outdated nation once and for all. Mugen is a strictly militaristic, disciplined and ruthless Empire that wants to expand and spread their ways on those they see inferior no matter the cost. They might have all the brute force and numbers, but Nikara has something that might save them after all – faith, although long forgotten, in shamans and their gods. Most of the people believe their gods either dead or just a part of some children’s story, but there are still those who have come to the knowledge and power within it – an ability to host a god and its power, to become one with the god and use their energy to fight back. Rin never would have imagined her revenge and fear would lead her to find art and power that would change her life forever.

“But I warn you, little warrior. The price of power is pain.”

It feels like a few lifetimes have passed from the time Rin was studying for the Keju until the end of the book. She went from the fierce spirit and relentless child to such a damaged and broken fighter… but no matter how many times I tried to wrap my mind around this book, I couldn’t figure out how that many emotions and happenings can fit into such a compact and intriguing narrative. This book changed direction and surprised me a dozen times, but each alteration made it even more interesting and painfully realistic. What I thought would be another Hogwartsy school-for-special-kids story turned out to be an epic tale of war, military strategies, magic, and power. Stunning history and culture were mixed with passion and patriotism resulting in a heartbreaking fight between loss and mercy – between revenge and sanity.

“If you hold the fate of the country in your hands, if you have accepted your obligation to your people, then your life ceases to be your own.”

This book is about war – an inevitable trait of humankind that will never cease to exist. How the poor suffer when those on top move power like pieces on board. How can a single individual decide the fate of the millions with a single move? There is a terrible price with power, but the ones that pay it aren’t the ones who are asked usually. This book brings up so many problems that have been around forever and will probably remain until the end of time because, well, as long as there is power and want there is no balance.

“When a man begins to think that he is responsible for writing the script of the world, he forgets the forces that dream up our reality.”

Runin Fang is probably one of the best and most real characters I’ve had the pleasure to read about. Following her character development, her anger and motivation were one of the wildest and most inspiring experiences this book has given me and I’m desperate for more. Rin’s life has never been fair and she had to fight tooth and nail for every single piece of her future. She has never been given anything and the world just couldn’t wait to put little orphan peasant from Tikany where she belonged. Only Rin didn’t let them.

“Well, fuck the heavenly order of things. If getting married to a gross old man was her preordained role on this earth, then Rin was determined to rewrite it."

With the sheer will and determination, she fought her way to the most prestige school in the entire Empire and escaped her adoptive parents who only wanted to marry her off for a good price. She’d been belittled for her gender, accent, and looks but she never let it get to her. Instead, she fueled her anger into fighting and learning something that could help her defend her country one day. For years she has been resisting all the different forces trying to break her until she found the ones like her – the Cike, her new family.

Her relationship with Atlan was one of the sweetest and saddest things in this book. There is so many emotion surrounding their sibling bond that formed between them fueled by their shared heritage and endless well of rage and fire within them. Jiang thaught her peace and power, but Atlan taught her control and rage. I can’t believe how many well-developed characters are there that I’ll never forget.

No romance made this book even more powerful and straight ass amazing, but I’m still going to be a huge sucker for slow-burn enemies to lovers when Nezha *spoiler* comes back xd

“I have become something wonderful, she thought. I have become something terrible. Was she now a goddess or a monster? Perhaps neither. Perhaps both.”

CW: sexism, racism, drug abuse, addiction, rape, torture, war, self-harm

#books #book reviews #historical fiction #chinese mythology #representation #fiction #fantasy #high fantasy #poppy war #r.f. kuang

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wild-awake · 4 years

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“But your people are fragile and desperate fools. They don’t know what’s real and what’s false, so they’ll cling to their little truths, because it’s better than imagining that their world might not matter so much after all.” - R. F. Kuang, The Dragon Republic — Good evening bookstagram! 🌝 ⁣ #QOTD: What’s the color you most like on books? -Mine is white! 💕 ⁣ July 8 📚 Challenges: • #RFABJuly20 - Color Combo (I really like how blue looks with all these colors 💙) ⁣ • #ampersandjuly20 - Favorite Quote ⁣ • #marvelinjuly2020 - I Am Groot: Best Character Growth (Lazlo Strange, Rhysand, Percy Jackson, Fang Runin) ⁣ • #myfandomobsessionsjuly20 - Wash: Made You Laugh (Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune. Percy’s sass stay winning 💯) — #StrangetheDreamer #ACOMAF #OurDarkDuet #TheDragonRepublic #SonofNeptune (at Metro Manila) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCYfQCUJj_I/?igshid=1hay0gznr44jq

#qotd #rfabjuly20 #ampersandjuly20 #marvelinjuly2020 #myfandomobsessionsjuly20 #strangethedreamer #acomaf #ourdarkduet #thedragonrepublic #sonofneptune

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cover2covermom · 4 years

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Goodbye July & hello August!

I don’t know about you all, but I am ready for 2020 to be over. Am I right?

Let’s see what I read & blogged in July…

The last time I gave you all a personal update, I mentioned that we were sending our children back to school in-person…. The lie detector determined that was a lie.

As the deadline loomed over my head, we decided to select the online schooling option for our children for the first semester of school this year. We decided that the in-person schooling option was just going to be too unpredictable, thus decided on online schooling for consistency. Since I work in a library, I am not able to work from home. I needed my children to have a set schedule, so that I could adjust my work schedule around their schedule.

This decision was one of the hardest decisions I’ve made. I think every parent needs to make the decision that is best for them & their own family situation.

» The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

The City We Became is an urban fantasy that felt like an ode to New York City. While this was definitely a unique concept, this story did not grip me in the same way Jemisin’s Broken Earth series did.

» Call Down the Hawk (Dreamer Trilogy #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

LOVED this spin off of The Raven Cycle. I love Ronan so much! I listened to the audiobook (like I did with The Raven Cycle) because Will Patton’s voice suits Stiefvater’s atmospheric writing perfectly.

» Winkby Rob Harrell

Wink is a MG novel inspired by the author’s own battle with cancer. I would recommend this one to fans of Wonder by R.J. Palacio.

» Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes

A book about police brutality geared for the middle grade audience. I would recommend this book to parents looking to open a dialogue about racism & police brutality with their middle grade aged kids.

» The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman

Set in India, The Bridge Home is an heartbreaking tale of two sisters who ran away from an abusive home. This book punched me in the feels.

» Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

This was a steamy & highly entertaining new adult M/M romance. I’d recommend this book to fans of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue.

» Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

While I wasn’t feeling this book at first, I really appreciated it by the end. I enjoyed watching Queenie’s growth over the course of this book. I’d recommend this books to fans of Normal People by Sally Rooney as they have similar tones.

» The Girl Who Drank the Moonby Kelly Barnhill

*4.5 Stars*

This was a reread for me. I enjoyed this just as much as the first time I read it. My criticism still stands that the climax of the story is rushed.

» My Lady Jane (The Lady Janies #1) by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows

My Lady Jane is a historical retelling with a fantastical flare. I found this book to be highly entertaining.

» Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld

This was just an okay read for me. I loved that this was a re-imagining of Hilary Clinton’s life, and I enjoyed watching her climb the political ladder. Unfortunately, it was slow paced, boring at parts, and was just WAY too long.

» Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestorby Layla F. Saad

The second book off my anti-racist TBR. This book is excellent for self reflection since it is set up as a 28 day challenge with reflection questions at the end of each chapter.

» The Last Council (Amulet #4) by Kazu Kibuishi

Another wonderful installment to the Amulet series.

» Blended by Sharon M. Draper

This was a wonderful MG contemporary that dives into the complexities of blended families & racial issues.

Goodreads Challenge Update: 84 books in 2020

Saturday 7/10

June 2020 Reading & Blogging Wrap-Up + Book Haul

Monday 7/13

Teen Librarian Archives: May & June 2020 *Being a Librarian During COVID-19*

Wednesday 7/15

Mini Book Reviews: July 2020 – Part 1

Tuesday 7/21

Mini Book Reviews: July 2020 – Part 2

Wednesday 7/22

Favorite Books of 2020 (January – June)

Tuesday 7/28

Mini Book Reviews: July 2020 – Part 3

NetGalley ARC eBooks:

» The Burning God (The Poppy War #3) by R.F. Kuang

Genre: Adult Fantasy

Release Date: November 19, 2020

The exciting end to The Poppy War trilogy, R. F. Kuang’s acclaimed, award-winning epic fantasy that combines the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters, to devastating, enthralling effect.

After saving her nation of Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress Su Daji in a brutal civil war, Fang Runin was betrayed by allies and left for dead.

Despite her losses, Rin hasn’t given up on those for whom she has sacrificed so much—the people of the southern provinces and especially Tikany, the village that is her home. Returning to her roots, Rin meets difficult challenges—and unexpected opportunities. While her new allies in the Southern Coalition leadership are sly and untrustworthy, Rin quickly realizes that the real power in Nikan lies with the millions of common people who thirst for vengeance and revere her as a goddess of salvation.

Backed by the masses and her Southern Army, Rin will use every weapon to defeat the Dragon Republic, the colonizing Hesperians, and all who threaten the shamanic arts and their practitioners. As her power and influence grows, though, will she be strong enough to resist the Phoenix’s intoxicating voice urging her to burn the world and everything in it?

This is one of my most anticipated books of 2020, so I am beyond thrilled that I was approved for this ARC!!

Physical Books:

» On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.

On the Come Up is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip-hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities of poor and working-class black families.

» Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai

In the final days of the Việt Nam War, Hằng takes her little brother, Linh, to the airport, determined to find a way to safety in America. In a split second, Linh is ripped from her arms—and Hằng is left behind in the war-torn country.

Six years later, Hằng has made the brutal journey from Việt Nam and is now in Texas as a refugee. She doesn’t know how she will find the little brother who was taken from her until she meets LeeRoy, a city boy with big rodeo dreams, who decides to help her.

Hằng is overjoyed when she reunites with Linh. But when she realizes he doesn’t remember her, their family, or Việt Nam, her heart is crushed. Though the distance between them feels greater than ever, Hằng has come so far that she will do anything to bridge the gap.

» A Kind of Paradise by Amy Rebecca Tan

Amy Rebecca Tan’s debut novel is a heartwarming middle grade coming-of-age story about the power of community, the power of the library, and the power of forgiveness.

Jamie Bunn made a mistake at the end of the school year. A big one. And every kid in her middle school knows all about it. Now she has to spend her summer vacation volunteering at the local library—as punishment. It may be boring, but at least she’ll be able to hide from mean girl Trina, who’s always had it out for her, and beautiful Trey, the boy at the root of her big mistake.

Or so she thinks.

Not only does her job bring her face-to-face with both her mortal enemy and her ultimate crush, Jamie also encounters a territorial patron, an elderly movie fanatic, a super-tall painter who loves to bake, and a homeless dog. Over the course of the summer, as Jamie gets to know the library and the people in it, she finds—and gives—help where she least expects it.

And she just might find herself along the way.

» The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds

Just when seventeen-year-old Matt thinks he can’t handle one more piece of terrible news, he meets a girl who’s dealt with a lot more—and who just might be able to clue him in on how to rise up when life keeps knocking him down—in this wry, gritty novel from the author of When I Was the Greatest.

Matt wears a black suit every day. No, not because his mom died—although she did, and it sucks. But he wears the suit for his gig at the local funeral home, which pays way better than the Cluck Bucket, and he needs the income since his dad can’t handle the bills (or anything, really) on his own. So while Dad’s snagging bottles of whiskey, Matt’s snagging fifteen bucks an hour. Not bad. But everything else? Not good. Then Matt meets Lovey. She’s got a crazy name, and she’s been through more crazy than he can imagine. Yet Lovey never cries. She’s tough. Really tough. Tough in the way Matt wishes he could be. Which is maybe why he’s drawn to her, and definitely why he can’t seem to shake her. Because there’s nothing more hopeful than finding a person who understands your loneliness—and who can maybe even help take it away.

Which books did you read this month?

Have you read any of the books I read or hauled this month? If so, what did you think?

Did you buy any books? If so, which ones?

Comment below & let me know 🙂

July 2020 Reading & Blogging Wrap Up + Book Haul #BookBlogger #Bookworm #Bibliophile #WrapUp #BookTalk Goodbye July & hello August! I don't know about you all, but I am ready for 2020 to be over.

#Bibliophile #book blog #book blogger #Book Chat #Book Haul #Book Nerd #Book Talk #Book Worm #Bookish #Books #Bookworm #Reading #Wrap Up

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