#she is the ONLY nuanced character in the book goddamn it

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Past Artemis and Present Artemis Are Not Allowed in the Same Room

If Number 1 kind of nudged the door open to time travel and wibbly wobbly timey wimey shenanagins in Lost Colony, then Artemis full-on kicked it down and yeeted a grenade through it in this book. Let's talk Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox.

As per usual, SPOILERS ABOUND below the break.

There are a ton of things about this book that are amazing and in order to stay at least a little organized, we're gonna use HEADINGS this time around! That's not to say the headings are in any particular order, but life has been lifeing and I need a little help making sure I gush about everything I want to here. Because while Eoin Colfer introduced time travel in the last book, this one is a whole TIME PARADOX PLOT!

Opal Koboi, Empress of our Hearts

So, there are places for nuanced, complex, morally gray villains who have carefully throught-through ethoses and who are compelling because of their tragedy. Those kinds of villains are great.

Opal Koboi is not that kind of villain.

Opal Koboi is a villain in the classic Disney sense. She is absolutely unhinged, wants nothing more than to be Empress of the Goddamn World, and absolutely revels in setting things on fire just to watch them burn. She is rock-solid on her own worth, she is terrifyingly intelligent, and she is equally fun when she is strutting around in her own success as when she is pitching a dramatical cats tantrum because somebody said "ethics" in her presence. Our girl is sheer fun from start to finish, and honestly I love how consistent she is.

In this book, we see Opal before the events of The Arctic Incident, and it's great to know that she has ALWAYS been unhinged and glorious. If anything, this book shows us that the plan to use the B'wa Kell to take over Haven was weirdly vanilla for Opal. Sucking the bodily fluids out of endangered animals to basically Captain America super serum herself is...way more on brand.

The bit where she is too narcissistic and paranoid to stay in character as Angeline Fowl for more than like 60 seconds once Jay Jay is in the room is also AMAZING. Talk about getting in your own way...

Artemis vs. Artemis

So sometimes as a series gets increasingly lengthy, it's good to remind readers and character how much your protagonists have grown. Eoin Colfer decided that time travel was a great way to take advantage of this, and reveled in it by giving readers 10-year-old Artemis's opinion of 18-year-old Artemis and vice versa for the entire book, and it is SO FUN. They both hate each other, and understandably so. They both also have qualities that the other begrudgingly respects, and ultimately they need BOTH Artemises to resolve the plot.

We also get some really lovely instances of Artemis outsmarting and bamboozling himself. This conceit had every chance of coming off as cringe as hell, but Colfer handed it with enough humor and humanity to make it feel real rather than like a whole book devoted to a vanity plot centered on Artemis thinking he's the best thig since sliced bread.

Artemis...That was WILDLY Uncool to do to Holly

Ok, so Artemis has grown a lot over the course of five books. He's matured. He's learned how to be a reluctant antihero. He and Holly are legit friends. Which somehow manages to make it EVEN WORSE when Artemis full-on knowingly tricks Holly into thinking that she not only gave his mother a fatal illness but also started a plague that at one point killed 20% of the fairy population in three years. There's honestly no coming back from that kind of breach of trust.

And no, giving Holly a chance to say goodbye to Commander Root does NOT make Holly and Artemis square. It nicely ties up a loose emotional thread, but it does NOT square the emotional devastation of infecting a friend's mother and starting the plague 2.0. That is possibly the least believable relationship dynamic in a book where Artemis and Holly KISS (no, we're not gonna talk about it, they were both under the influence of the time stream and it doesn't count).

The truly wild thing about this is that Artemis before the fairies was a cold-hearted little bastard capable of incredible cruelty, but once Artemis understands feelings and emotional relationships, he's suddenly capable of hurting people WAY MORE than he could when he was a tiny robotic human. And of course the person he takes aim at is HOLLY SHORT. Like, FFS, Artemis. You did less damage when you had the emotional intelligence of a gold ingot...

Butler

Domovoi Butler is too good for this world and we do not deserve him. Artemis sure as hell does not deserve him, past OR present. Past Butler full on calls 10-year-old Artemis out on the act that he is *checks notes* handing over the last of a species to a group of fanatics to be horribly murdered in a kangaroo court, fully sells a sentient elf to those same fanatics, does not emotionally let Artemis off the hook when he is experiencing guilt and shame over being an accessory to murder and extinction, and TURNS THE PLANE AROUND to go save Holly and 18-year-old Artemis from the extinctionists. And thats just past Butler.

Present Butler is such a goddamn badass that he resists a juiced-up Opal Koboi's mesmer so hard that he gives himself a heart attack. Not even Opal Koboi can pull a 180 on Butler's moral compass, and even when he can't fully fight her off, he can resist in little ways, like sticking breathing tubes in barrels. Someone let this man retire happily, he has MORE THAN earned it at this point.

Baby's First Ecocritical Text

Environmentalism and ecocriticism have been very present as secondary themes in the Artemis Fowl series from the very first book, but this is, I believe, the first book where this theme gets really explicit and has real, concrete plot consequences and implications. The "hunting animals to extinction is bad for [list of reasons]" isn't the deepest or most nuanced version of the argument, but it doesn't have to be. The audience for these books are middle graders and YA readers. They get a concrete introduction to ecocriticism and some very comprehensible examples of the consequences of extinction and pollution, and that's going to be enough for more of them than you'd think to keep thinking and reading about the issue.

I highlight this because so few middle grade and YA books do ecocriticism at all, let alone this clearly and concisely. I suspect we will see more of this as climate change keep wreaking absolute havoc on quite literally everything, but these books did it before it was cool, and I really appreciate that about them.

Overall, this book is not my favorite of the series. Time travel can be a hard sell, even if you weave the complexities of time travel around a relatively simple fetch quest. As per usual though, the character work is never not entertaining, and I do enjoy rereading this one periodically.

#eoin colfer #artemis fowl #artemis fowl the time paradox #the time paradox #time travel #holly short #domovoi butler #opal koboi #middle grade sci fi #middle grade fantasy #middle grade books #middle grade fiction #books & libraries #books and reading #books and novels #books #book recommendations

[bonebabbles]

First Battle Aftermath

For the first battle itself go here

lol. Lmao, even.

Not, "Oh my god what have I done," but "I'm so weak. I can't even kill," while wearing Rainswept Flower like a new pair of fur boots

first Adoption Win in 3 books. What's the tally on that one-- 1 to 10?

Clear Sky doesn't understand the point of burials lmao. Dude did leave that dead mom he killed out in the open for the flies to find, until Wind Runner and Gorse Fur came across the corpse and put it in the ground.

And he can't remember killing Rainswept Flower either, in spite of the fact he was coherent enough to justify his actions to Gray Wing, because the Clear Sky chapters aren't meant to be a glimpse into the mind of a detestable character. They exist to garner your sympathy.

Was that enough regret for you? Hope you got your fill because it's RIGHT back to Gray Wing's Excuse Hour

WE?!

WE LET IT GET TOO FAR

We Let It Get Too Far

"My brother :(((( He's a good man :(((((((( He's a good guy even though he just starved Jackdaw's Cry before trying to murder everyone and told Thunder he shouldn't exist and slaughtered Rainswept Flower in a fit of rage :((((((((((((((((((( He gave up some food after I asked him to when we were like 17 so that means he could never be a bad person"

It's right there on the goddamn page, Clear Sky wasn't BORN EVIL so he's GOOD ACTUALLY because NO CAT CHANGES THAT MUCH.

It's EXPLICIT, am I going crazy here?! The narrative says EXACTLY that because he was good when he was young, he can't possibly have changed into a monster. "No one changes that much"

FEAR OR GREED. GOOD OR EVIL. The writing is SO BAD that they attempted to tell a story with an ounce of more nuance than usual and just ended up re-inventing a Light vs Darkness dichotomy with different nouns!

And just when you thought we'd hit rock bottom, StarClan arrives with the reinforcements needed to DIG DEEPER

Enjoy Clear Sky being called a fool once, just a silly little slip-up, an Oopsie Daisy. "I only wanted--" goes UNADDRESSED as Turtle titters about "killing only ever leads to more killing" because they have to find SOME way of getting mad at Tall Shadow too.

Turtle Tail says some romantic schlock to Gray Wing about the kits and thanks Thunder for scraping her pancaked body off the pavement where she died, and then Gray Wing decides that actually he's mad that her magic ghost came down from the heavens because it's Too Painful to see her again or something. Because he's a GREAT character.

"We came to spread the Good News Gospel, Gray Wing. You need to know that god is real to live here peacefully."

DOTC is about to say that the cats need StarClan to avoid these sorts of massacres, because actually Clear Sky is fearful, NOT greedy, and believing in God means he won't be so scared that he feels the need to abuse women and children

(But also that everyone's kinda responsible for the First Battle because Clear Sky is a good boy and WE let it get too far)

Anyway, Fridge Wife 2 starts interrogating Clear Sky. They do this incredibly insulting chapter transition where Gray Wing goes, "idk if he wants to listen to herrrr..." and Clear's chapter opens up with "LOVE OVERWHELMS HIM" because, AGAIN, Clear Sky's chapters exist to garner your sympathy.

"I was scared my heart would break if I had to see someone else die, which is why I wanted to kill orphans, threw disabled people out into the wilderness, clobbered a kitten, told my son he shouldn't exist, performed public humiliations, and beat 3 women to death"

Wanna take a break and go check out the tally of things he did in the past 3 books, and compare it to his self-defense? Be Storm! Go check that out, keep everything he did in mind.

Ask yourself this; were his actions truly consistent with someone who was just scared he would see someone die of starvation, OR, were they consistent with a domestic abuser who enjoys the power he has over people?

Storm buys it.

"FEAR IS WHAT DROVE YOU," she said with relief.

If you're AFRAID then ABUSE IS UNDERSTANDABLE. IT'S OKAY! It's all fine in the end if your motivator wasn't greed, AKA "BORN EVIL"

"Now you see there's no need to be afraid because God is real, death isn't the end, and the assurance of religion with an eternal afterlife will make you a better person"

They're saying pain is less painful if you believe in God and this is why Godless Heathens are bad in the Warrior Cats series. When Gray Wing decided to proselytize to Wind Runner and tell her it was good that her weakest child died, because it meant he was in a "better place", THIS is what that was building to narratively.

PIETY will fix Clear Sky's abusiveness. YAAAAAAY!

ALSO THIS IS TALL SHADOW'S FAULT TOO SOMEHOW?!

DIE AGAIN, SHADED MOSS, BEFORE I BEAT YOU INTO COSMIC DUST. I HOPE THERE'S MORE TRUCKS IN HEAVEN

"how did you know he was going to kill-" CONTEXT. CLUES.

SHE MADE AN EDUCATED GUESS BASED ON ALL THE CATS POKING HOLES IN EACH OTHER AND SHOUTING "it's murderin' time!!!"

She was a female Warrior Cats character in the general vicinity so they had to make sure to shame her because god forbid they imply that Clear Sky is the only one to blame for this bloodbath

In fact they do it again, Clear Sky snaps and starts barking at River Ripple for being a foreigner in his presence, right in front of God, and they don't skip a beat,

It CANNOT remain about Clear Sky, EVER. Storm whips over to GRAY WING and accuses HIM of bringing death to the mountains too, closing out the whole rant with, "ALL of you need to make amends"

This is like when a bully spits on you, calls you insults, and slaps and hits you where the teacher won't see, all while you keep trying to negotiate, but then YOU punch back and you both get equally punished because retaliation is just as bad as being attacked.

The book ends on the cats deciding it's time to bury the dead. Thus concludes The First Battle, and Clear Sky's Redemption Arc begins in Blazing Star. Because this means they nonsensically get rid of their main antagonist, they have to conjure up an Evil Foreigner to take his place.

"Unite or Die" isn't a message about actual peace and unity, that thing that the Non-Clear Sky cats have been hopelessly committed to, it's actually a message about how they're about to have a very convenient common enemy.

Y'know, someone who isn't "scared," just "greedy," one of those evil Godless Heathens, so we don't have to 'feel bad' about murdering him. One Eye time!

#bonefall reads dotc

[daisymylove]

Hide the breakables and board up the windows, my beloved Mfs, for a rant is coming your way.

I want to be done complaining about chot I really do, I hate being so negative about a book I waited and yearned for, for so long, but there’s one more thing that annoyed me greatly, and, per usual, I want to know what yall think

Today’s subject is our Blackthorn sibling duo.

I wanna preface this by saying that Grace’s povs were one of my favourite parts of Choi.Her character in itself adds grayness to a narrative of angels and demons, good vs evil, and I really enjoyed all the complexity and layers given to her.I ended Chog cursing her name to the wind swear to god, the cursing emoji was a perfect visual representation of me when she put that thing on james again, but in choi cc achieved exactly what she aimed for with grace :” an explanation, not an excuse”

However, I feel like all that information we were given in the previous book was completely wasted in Chot.The characters never find out that she was threatened into putting the bracelet back on James, or that she tried to take it off at his wedding. Her motivations, too, are never known.The way it was portrayed, it looks like Grace stayed so long by Tatiana’s side bc she truly had some sort of fetish for torturing men, when, in reality, it was all for Jesse 

She could’ve begged for sanctuary in an institute, once she became old enough, she could’ve fled with Magnus when he offered to help her in TMH, but she never did.Grace never left bc leaving Tatiana would also mean leaving Jesse and what was all that for? home boy discarded her like some rancid food at the first opportunity  When she went to Curzon street to demand James kissed her? That was for him. Even that train wreck she caused by the end of choi was for him, bc she couldn’t bear the thought of controlling her brother and twisting his feelings for her.To me, this is some very relevant info that should’ve become known if all the secrets were going to be revealed, AND YET NONE OF THIS IS ADRESSED IN THE GODDAMN BOOK

the only explanation I can think of is because that knowledge would require of Jesse to have at least a little bit of loyalty towards his sister, or look like an ungrateful arse which he did, but I’ll get there.

Now about jesse.I had great expectations for him in this last installment, the first one in which he’s alive, but my main take away is that he has become an extension of Lucie’s feelings and opinions, in the most symbiotic way possible, with no personality of his own.

In choi we find out that Grace withstood a lot of physical and psychological abuse from Tatiana that he didn’t know about.I was expecting them to have a true heart to heart, they would discuss everything that went down when they were kids, not just james and the bracelet, and jesse would not only feel guilty about not being able to protect his little sister, but also decide to stick by her side no matter what.

And yes, he could’ve done that while also condemning her mistakes and treatment towards James.The two are not mutually exclusive, and would do justice to his little speech about complicated stories, which, to me, is a very hypocritical spiel since he decided to become his sister’s jury, judge and executioner

I never thought I would say this in my life, but I was infuriated on Grace’s behalf reading their scene in the silent city.Everything about it was very odd, Grace conveniently for cc withholding something so important, the way she explained herself, his storming off. Jesse had never had ONE conversation with Cordelia in his life, he barely knew James, can a kind soul explain to me WHY he would be more concerned about their marriage than his actual sister? Considering his beloved had just done necromancy (YES, Thats what it was, even if it was a unconventional form of it.Bro was dead, then bro was alive again, just like that. N e c r o m a n c y) his moralism is very hypocritical and his understanding of nuance lacking

It irked something so deep inside me to see not just kit defending a girl he barely knew tooth and nail over his cousin and life long friend, but also Jesse not giving a fuck about his sister.They were talking about leaving Grace completely isolated from society (that was disgusting btw, it was up to their authorities to decide her future, not a bunch of teenagers thinking they can treat a person like a broken doll, to be put away wherever they feel like it) and Jesse looked like he couldn’t spare a visit. He seemed more than eager to put Tatiana AND grace behind him in order to start a new life with the herondales. So much for them being all each other had growing up and his so called loyalty

As some last thoughts bc this is getting way too long, Grace should’ve been the one to kill Tatiana.That wasnt Cordelia’s business and had no emotional significance. When that fight happens Grace looks the polar opposite of everything Tatiana ever groomed her to be.She is dirty, shoeless, bedraggled and feral looking, Lucie even thinks that grace’s little training would only be useful if she got close enough.Imagine, my siblings in christ, Grace slitting Tatiana’s throat, after she kills Grace’s only friend, while she is distracted with Rupert.Tatiana molded Grace into her blade, and that Blade was responsible for her end.Feel the sheer power of it, the poetic justice that could’ve been ours.

I also think Grace should’ve been sent away to the scholomance (against her wishes, hence the I didnt choose this) for intensive training both bc she’s really behind in it, and as a punishment from the clave.Its not like she had a place to go to, and staying at her ex fiance’s parent’s house is not the way to go. . 

This new scenario would give her a fresh start to properly heal and eventually make friendships/ find love without the taint from the past on her heels.Her hanging out and chilling with James and his friends has no sense and is a disrespect to his abuse.James doesnt need his abuser living in his uncle and aunt’s house, Grace needs to start her life over where her past won’t haunt her everyday

#i think now im done #but my asks are always open darlings #chain of thorns #chain of thorns spoilers #grace blackthorn #jesse blackthorn #james herondale #cordelia carstairs #lucie herondale #kit lightwood #christopher lightwood #charlotte fairchild #charles fairchild #henry fairchild #Tatiana Blackthorn #chain of iron #chain of gold #the last hours #tlh #tsc characters #tsc chronicles #tsc critical #tsc

[megnificent-reads]

A Court of Wings and Ruin - Christ alive/5 ☆

Warning - this review is 1.2k words, and 98% negative. If you love SJM and the ACOTAR series, love that for you /gen. However, for your own mental health, I genuinely would not recommend you read this. For everyone else, and those who hate-read, Let's begin!

~~~

Okay, so I actually rated this 2 stars on Goodreads because I didn’t hate it the whole time but, I’m mad about it so it gets a special rating. ♡

I honestly lament when I was excited to read this book. Being what I refer to as a Lucien Lover (nuanced), I enjoyed a good bit of the beginning of this book. That’s not to say I wholeheartedly enjoyed every word of the first 100 pages of this book. 

So we start with Feyre in the throes of rage, becoming a master manipulator. Now, before I put just a minute or two of thought into it, I loved it. I love a girl tearing shit apart and using intellegence as a form of strength. However… 

Anybody think she was doing a little too much…?

Like, okay, Tamlin fucked up. Big time. I will admit justice is needed! Love when women take back power! But not only dismantling his entire country but turning everyone against him for things that he actually did not do? Crazy! He sucks! But people still live in that country. We still need order! His life is ruined now and I don’t necessarily think all that was necessary. 

Tamlin sidebar: “my father and my father’s father did the Tithe, so I’m going to do it.” Didn’t you acknowledge two books ago that your father sucks absolute ass? What fucking sense does that make? How in the first book was he the Perfect Moral Man that now can’t see the very evident immorality in the shit you’re doing. Anywhoozers. 

So, Feyre has her cool girl moments and returns to the Night Court. In book one, I was bored out of my mind until we arrived in Rhys-land. (Good one). This time, it was like the moment we arrived here the magic was lost. I was no longer excited to read. And honestly, I think the big issue was actually our beloved bat-boy, Rhysand.

I don’t know her personally, so this is not an attack on her character, but I’m starting to feel like SJM writes Rhysand based off of her fantasy version of what a man is like. Dominating, but soft and loving. Perfectly moral. Capable of evil, deplorable things, but too loving of people and their dreams to be that way. I’m going to be referring to it as PMS (Perfect Man Syndrome). 

Many of her men (sorry, males) are unfortunate PMS victims, but Rhysand is by far the worst. I wish I had underlined it when I was reading so I could cite it, but there’s just something about his actions. He is PMSing so hard that he doesn’t develop at all. He was old enough to be grown during the faerie-UK version of the Amercian Civil War where of course he was anti-slavery the entire time despite being raised by people who appeared to be violent racists. Good for our educated king. He also, of course, runs a sanctuary for abused women. 

Of course, I’m not saying that being anti-slavery and supporting abused women is bad. I love it. But like… be real with me here. I know that this is fictional. It’s not real. We can be happy here. But can I have some dimension, please? This man is the personality version of Flat Stanley. We had two conflicts between them since they got together and both were resolved by Rhys nearly getting on his knees and saying everything is his fault and he’s so sorry. The first conflict was just her thinking she stepped out of her Womenly Line and him not even knowing there was an issue. 

He’s just so. Fucking. Boring. 

Moving on. ♡.

Let’s talk about what makes me so goddamn angry about this book. I’ve seen complaints about SJM where other people are saying that other people call her books feminist literature. I personally have never heard anybody say that, but if I did, I don’t know if I would be able to control the rant that would ensue.  

I’m willing to have a civilized conversation, but I don’t remember Feyre actually doing anything. Yes, SJM puts her women in positions of power. Do they use said power? Maybe once or twice. 

Amren is an ex-god with powers above any character we’ve met so far. We see it used I think once. The rest of the time is spent talking about her power and her holding down the fort at Velaris while everyone else is off to war. 

Morrigan - also very powerful (described only). I remember her power being “truth” and never elaborating on that. She is a known soldier, that doesn’t fight. 

During the two huge battles, Feyre, Nesta, and Morrigan are on the ground while Rhys, Cassian, and Azriel are in the air fighting. After the first battle, Feyre is seen tending to her beloved mate’s wounds, Nesta is fetching water for Cassian, and Morrigan is getting mad at Nesta for wanting to fuck Cassian. So strong of all of them. 

Azriel is there doing… nothing. Which he has a habit of doing. Speaking of habits, SJM will create characters that I like because I’m excited to see how they will grow and develop. 

She then proceeds to do nothing with them.

I know more books are coming, as they will with SJM until the end of time, but it’s starting to drag. I love Elain. Well, I love what Elain could be. She’s a seemingly fragile, docile character. With her Seer powers, I was excited to see her notice the world around her sucks and develop into somone capable of holding their own. Instead, she uses her powers to relay some cryptic messages that no one heeds or even tries to, then she “snaps out of it” and can’t really do anything else. 

Azriel has a tragic backstory and seemingly a big story to tell. God, I wish I could ever fucking hear it. 

This is getting exceptionally long, but I remembered I had a list of things I wanted from ACOWAR and didn’t receive, so I’ll pick one more thing off. 

The Ouroboros. Out of all symbols, the Ouroboros is my favorite. Cycles and inevitability and all that. We spend a good chunk of this book leading up to Feyre retrieving this. It drives everyone mad. Only the strongest can look in it and survive. I was so excited to see what she saw! What the battle with herself would be like! How does she overcome it?

I guess we’ll never know.

She ended up seeing… herself? I guess she wasn’t previously aware of her flaws and then simply accepted them. Would love to have seen it!

And to finally end this review, I think the Ouroboros is a good symbol of every issue I have with this book. There’s so much build up and excitement that ultimately leads nearly no explanation. It’s like there’s ideas and concepts but then no idea how to execute them.

I won’t be reading ACOFAS or ACOSF or anything else. I already didn’t want to, then I found out about the pregnancy thing and. Yeah. I think I’m good off that.

#books #book review #acowar #acowar spoilers #acotar spoilers #anti acotar #anti acowar #anti sjm #anti rhysand #anti feyre #bookblr

[lakesbian]

To be honest, as someone who have actual siblings, the Cosay siblings headcanon it's kinda odd to me.

There's other potential sibling relationships like Lake and Tulip (that's why there's so much Twins Aus) and Jesse and Nate, but that one is more obvious... even if the blushes are because both of them are embarrassed, I don't think all of them are for that reason, the blushes can be by making a lot of strength (Book 1 Lake for example when they tried to escape to the door, also Tulip blushes too because of Lake's weight), a sign of attraction, joy, excitement, ect.

also, they hold hands soooo yeah :T

this is so funny. your analysis is bad, sorry. the only thing it has going for it is that it's the meat pumpkin in my tiger enclosure, by which i mean i will have fun tearing it apart.

"there's other potential sibling relationships, like lake and the girl she spends an entire season violently insisting her life doesn't revolve around!" like in what world LMAOOO she literally goes "i spent my whole life reflecting you, i'm going my own way now" to tulip to explain that because her life has been based entirely around tulip she doesn't want to have any connection to her, and you think there's good grounds for a sibling headcanon? deranged. i love that you started off with this because it really established the tone for how (in)coherent the rest of your thoughts were going to be perfectly.

as for the blush commentary, i. can't figure out what you're trying to say here? like, sure, sometimes characters in the show blush because they're being physically exerted, but that's irrelevant to bring up as an argument because it doesn't contradict my statement that the blushes in s2 aren't romantic. what does lake being exhausted from her failed attempt to escape the chrome car have to do with that?

the blushes in s2 do have varying emotional nuances behind them but they can generally all be tied back to embarrassment, shyness, or other similar feelings. lake blushing in the lucky cat car because she's flustered that jesse is expressing care for her is certainly happier than jesse blushing in the map car because he's admitting his state-qualified swim stroke lake is teasing him about isn't his favorite, but the core emotion motivating both is still feelings of vulnerability, and subsequently, self-consciousness. it's kind of a nothing-statement to say that 'not all of them are because of embarrassment' because yeah no shit, i never claimed the reasons for them were solely one-dimensional. this is The Train Nuance Blog, it's a given that there's nuance.

the "it's a sign of attraction" regarding s2 blushes is just like. Comically stupid. go read my post with the multiple screenshots of one of the show's writers explicitly confirming that the blushes aren't because of a crush & they're Platonic Friends, dippie. https://lakesbian.tumblr.com/post/714630299618770944/okay-umm-listen-i-have-a-silly-a-very-silly

and "they hold hands" ...,,,,..,,,rip to you i guess but some people have physical affection with their non-romantic loved ones? we got a fucking time traveler from the goddamn victorian era out here in my inbox talking about the Intrinsic Romance of [checks notes] "touching your friends." WAIT until you find out that i'd kiss mine on the cheeks LMAO. i'm gonna have to get ms lindsay katai on the phone to inform her that despite the crew's best attempts they did unfortunately accidentally write a romance by depicting a lonely traumatized child sharing occasional physical affection with her first-ever friend to comfort her during the most upsetting moments of her life :/

cosay siblings is rlly not that odd of a projected life outcome for them--they're best friends, lake living with jesse is a fairly common assumption people make, and a best friend you live with who's slowly becoming integrated into your family as a whole is...kind of just going to become an adopted sibling! there are many people who describe their best friend as being "like a brother/like a sister," there's no reason jesse and lake couldn't start feeling similar in the future & then turn it into "just literally actually brother/sister because he IS her family so it's not Like a sister, it's Is a sister"

#ask #infinity train #b2 #analysis #i like the 'as someone who has actual siblings' like this is a rare qualification that most people do not have #damn i can't believe i'm going to have to inform piranha tank that they're actually all dating me because we hold hands #i didn't know i had so many bitches

[tadpolesonalgae]

I think we get a glimpse of this in your depiction in CBMTHY, but how do you feel about the relationship between the Archeron sisters and the way it's handled in canon?

In canon, I think there's a bit more nuance that sjm could explore why Feyre & Nesta never got along in their upbringing, how they all felt excluded from their other sisters at some point or another, how they aren't capable of just . sitting down and talking about all the shit they've been through and instead of just telling each other 'i love you' right to their face, they can only show their love & care for each other in insane acts of sacrifice or during some world ending event.

I know there's a pretty big thing in the fandom where some people like one sister and hate the others, or they think one deserves an apology, or they think one sister should cut ties with each other, etc, etc. And, while I can see where it's all coming from, I just think that Feyre, Elain, and Nesta don't? hate each other like that??

They don't get a long all squeaky clean because their circumstances (the weird favoritism of their mom, the poverty, turning fae, i mean they go through a goddamn war) simply did not allow that, but they are also vicious when it comes to protecting each other.

‘In canon, I think there's a bit more nuance that sjm could explore why Feyre & Nesta never got along in their upbringing’

So honestly while it would be nice to know more about their upbringing, I’m quite glad we didn’t get whole chapters or flashbacks to what it was like for them growing up? It’s all good and fun speculating now we’ve read the books, but I’m pretty sure I would have found it boring to read about their childhood during the storyline? Now that I’m actually attached to them as characters I’d be interested, but I think you’d need that connection to find it interesting in the first place?

That being said, maybe in silver flames a flashback here and there to get more of Nesta’s perspective on it? She quite clearly resents how she was before—which I think is such a big part of her character development there, how she moves past her self-hatred and self-sabotage to try and be better—but I think it would have been a nice addition to see some other things she did? Not only to discover more about her, but also about who Elain and Feyre were too?

‘I know there's a pretty big thing in the fandom where some people like one sister and hate the others, or they think one deserves an apology, or they think one sister should cut ties with each other, etc, etc. And, while I can see where it's all coming from, I just think that Feyre, Elain, and Nesta don't? hate each other like that??’

Really?? (For the cutting ties part)

I mean I get they didn’t have a great relationship but none of them really caused or particularly contributed to their situation? They’ve been through some really difficult and severely straining times but regardless of how amicable their relationships were they made it through together?

I think particularly with Nesta who’s shown to be quite abrasive at the beginning which I think is why some people disliked her, but she still?? Cut the wood?? At the beginning Feyre asks her to chop wood and Nesta says she doesn’t want to because it hurts her hands and Feyre’s stronger anyway, but then Feyre leaves and comes back to it chopped?? Not only that but when Feyre returns from Prythian (I think the first time?) Nesta is ready and listening to her?? Like yeah she was quite difficult in some ways but when it ultimately came down to it she was there? Actions are louder than words and all that.

And I agree, I don’t think any of them hate each other that much. Again, maybe with Nesta she needs some distance from Elain after kind of forcing herself to care for her for so long, but it’s certainly not an unsalvageable relationship?? Just needs some work and I think it’ll begin to reform into something better for both of them :)

‘They don't get a long all squeaky clean because their circumstances (the weird favoritism of their mom, the poverty, turning fae, i mean they go through a goddamn war) simply did not allow that, but they are also vicious when it comes to protecting each other.’

I really like this take because I feel that’s really shown but it can take a while to see it? Feyre fought for her family during the trials and the war, Nesta put in the work to calculate and prepare for the Mortal Queens meeting as well as working on herself later on, and not only did Elain kill Hybern but I think more importantly she was willing to try and scry if Nesta was unable to?? After having been kidnapped by the Cauldron she was prepared to try that again which I feel deserves more recognition within the fandom :/

#anons <3 #acotar

[goatsandgangsters]

*chanting* DAR-KO-LAI! DAR-KO-LAI!

When I started shipping them: It really only took a couple months in the fandom tbh. but I also kinda realized it by accident. Anytime I tried to write them in the same fic with 0 shippy intentions, it would take an EXCEPTIONALLY flirty turn. I remember sitting here writing a fic for a different ship and being like “NIKOLAI WHY ARE YOU JOKING ABOUT MARRIAGE, THAT IS NOT THE DIRECTION I INTENDED FOR THIS SCENE??” It would legit just go there naturally without me ever intending for it. but also it COMPLETELY tracks with my usual Ship Dynamic so nobody should really be surprised 

My thoughts: NARRATIVE FOILS!!!!! honestly this is THE ship for sexy people who love the grishaverse sociopolitics. Darkolai is a philosophical debate personified. I just love how they’re THE two characters who are most cognizant of Ravka politically and who are the most invested in their country As A Philosophical Concept. 

I also love the well-matchedness of them. Their conversations must be the most intricate dance, such a natural back-and-forth. They throw each other off, in a way they’d both find refreshing. They’ve really found an equal in each other. (I’m going to plagiarize myself because I phrased it before:) Aleksander can’t outsmart Nikolai the way he does everyone else. Nikolai can’t dazzle Aleksander with charm the way he does everyone else. So they have to face each other as themselves, as equals.

What makes me happy about them: There’s SO much you can sink your teeth into with them! Literally endless, boundless potential. I don’t think you could ever run out of angles. There’s the politics, their shared history, the way Aleksander frankly understands Nikolai’s family better than he does, the sense of history that Aleksander brings with him (of Ravka, of the Lantsov regime). You spend hours and hours writing the two of them volleying back and forth on any given topic without either of them running out of things to say

What makes me sad about them: how hard canon works to keep them from ever having a Significant Conversation with each other, which I’m convinced is because she doesn’t want to reckon with the reality of how much Nikolai understands him. like, Rule of Wolves is a very long and often meandering book, Nikolai has the Darkling’s power literally living inside of him, they PSYCHICALLY CONNECT ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, not to mention their lives pre-canon were very intertwined given their respective positions which should allow for reflecting on that shared history ….. and yet there’s somehow NO room for them to have any kind of meaningful exchange with one another?? Talk about untapped potential.

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: that there’s not very many fics

Things I look for in fanfic: in this fandom particularly, because canon offers me so little of it, I really just love nuance. I like a little friction, a little tension. A little duality. Some kind of counterpoint between characters. I like fic that explores something, whether that’s an aspect of the character or an aspect of the world or a broader theme

My wishlist: Ben Barnes sneering “sobachka” on my TV screen. and at least One Scene together like those very Electrically Tense couple ones he had with Archie that came off WAY less hetero than they probably intended

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I have dual citizenship with Darklina (tho this man is capital T Tragic Figure, he’s not ending up with anyone in actuality). For Nikolai—ahahahaha—uhhhhh. Well. I’m very Salty about his character arc getting gutted like a fish and thrown out the window in Rule of Wolves so thaaaat influences some of my ship opinions. sooo I’m gonna endgame him with The Goddamn Ravkan Throne and getting a character arc :))

My happily ever after for them: Just run the country, JUST RUN THE COUNTRY!!! They’d be so good at it. And like, symbolically, the healing of the country as metaphor for the healing of the self. The way it brings Nikolai’s desire to reconcile with Ravka’s past failures full circle, because Aleksander IS the embodiment of the harm Ravka has inflicted on its people for centuries. (I don’t like “and then they were happy and there were no problems ever again” endings because that’s boring, but I like quietly hopeful/healing/peaceful endings—and I think they have the potential for that, symbolically. At least for a few decades before we veer back into tragedy-land, but can it truly be a tragedy when so much has changed, when it was so worth it?)

Can you imagine that sense of awe at Nikolai as king? Because Nikolai is good, Nikolai cares, Nikolai doesn’t goddamn sleep because he’s so dedicated to his country. Sometimes Aleksander tells him that he’s young still, he’s naive, but Aleksander is as much an idealist at heart. And when a bitter, jaded, wounded, burnt idealist meets Nikolai’s still-fresh idealism, how much is that hope re-awakened? How much does it re-kindle that pure, genuine belief that drove Aleksander too? After centuries fighting an uphill battle, Sisyphus shoving that boulder alone, how good does it feel that this fuuuucking family finally managed to produce someone who cares? Someone who is GOOD for Ravka? Someone who’s actually worthy to sit on the throne? What a miracle Nikolai must seem. What a long-awaited, improbable miracle. 

And in return, how loved would Nikolai be for his entire life? He can’t grasp at the scope of it. I’ll live another 60 years, Saints willing—if of course you don’t leave me when I start losing my marvelous hair, and that sounds like plenty to him. But that’s not enough for Aleksander, how could it ever be enough, that’s nothing. Not even a century! He’s an intense person at the best of times, but the clock is ticking and he is not going to waste a second. The sand is already slipping between his fingers and he will hold Nikolai tight because he knows it. Nikolai knows too, but he can’t really understand. but he knows he is loved. he is loved fiercely, every day of his entire life, by someone who’s counting the seconds. 

Nikolai says nothing, but he will pay him back in kind by one day leaving Aleksander with a Ravka that can finally love him in return. 

#darkolai #aleksander morozova #nikolai lantsov #the darkling #grishaverse #the grisha trilogy #shadow and bone #king of scars #rule of wolves #(in case anyone has the duology blacklisted for spoiler purposes) #ullizaveta #sorry this is belated but top surgery distracted me in the meantime! #I will not be suffering fools about this fyi #be an adult and block me if you’re that pressed about a rarepair #I mean you’ll miss out on my excellent gifsets of nikolai in s2 but that’s your loss

[katnissgirlsmakedo]

special edition show i haven't really seen you complain and/or talk about in a while: 7 8 & 12 for julie&the phantoms, shadow and bone and the wilds

oof the wilds….. that was an ERA fr. also what are you TALKING about including shadow and bone as something i haven’t talked about in a while….. i’m IN my alina era rn…… well ok let’s do this

7) what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

for julie i don’t hate anyone but lowkey i kinda hate those boys on the grounds of the fact that before i watched the show every post i had seen about it was ONLY about the boys and i didn’t even know who julie was or what she looked like because no one ever talked about her despite her being THE TITULAR CHARACTER like come on besties… for shadow and bone i’m not involved in fandom for that but from what i remember seeing back when season one came out and people were talking about it was that there was SO MUCH discourse about kirigan/aleksander/the darkling whatever the FUCK i’m supposed to call that man. well that didn’t make me hate the character but it DID make me realize that fandom was annoying as hell. the wilds… idk i don’t think i hate any fan favorites in the wilds. i think some people went too hard for shelby and toni tho. oh actually and kirin. yes i know i participated in loving that guy. i’m different tho. i’m never the problem haven’t you heard….

8) common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

i don’t think i know any fandom opinions about julie i’ve never really engaged with that. i assume though that there are people that ship luke and reggie and call julie a lesbian to push her out of the way. so that. no i don’t know that, i don’t know what i’m talking about I’ve just been around the block and i assume that’s a thing people in fandom do/did. shadow and bone…. well i think discoursing about whatever the hell his name is is dumb. i haven’t read the books yet but he’s well written enough in the show that there’s clear nuance we don’t have to do black and white morality discourse idk. as for the wilds…. when people were arguing about who we should ship for a potential third season and everyone was like omg martha and bo!! like. 😐 just say you want my girl martha to die goddamn. also true about every martha ship people tried to push. all of them would have been bad sorry. except maybe one. which i won’t say. unless….

12) the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

well. JULIE. oh my god why does no one talk about julie ever it’s ridiculous she is the TITULAR CHARACTER…. like was i just in an insane bubble at that time or something?? well i still never see anyone talk about julie when they talk about the show so idk. idk but i love julie a lot she’s my favorite :) this is also true for alina but i’m definitely in a bubble for that one. hm idk what the widely disliked in fandom characters are in shadow and bone so i can’t really speak on this one. do people hate mal? i’m just guessing that based on his gale-ism, there’s probably people that hate him right? well EYE think he’s neat, he’s alina’s best friend, they’ve been there for each other nearly all their lives…. he’s a brave man but deep down he’d rather be taming horses…. i like him!!! and the wilds. well. i liked raf, nobody else liked raf, he had that problematic swag and those big brown eyes he was like a pathetic little lamb to me idk. also leah but i think people warmed up to leah in s2, more people didn’t like her in s1. so like we won on the leah front fr!!

#loved that you specified more niche (to my blog) fandoms i got to pull out some weird ass answers…. #asks #anonymous #ask game

[bigdreamsandwildthings]

Review: Foul Lady Fortune (Chloe Gong)

Rating: ★★★★/5

“‘You don’t mean to say that you’re trying to save the whole city from harm. You’ll spend your whole life trying, and you’ll still fail. There is a reason why dui bù qî is dui bù qî. We’re only human. We will never match up to what everything could be.’ Rosalind gave him a little smile, almost looking confused. ‘With enough time -‘ ‘No,’ he insisted. ‘You cannot save the world. You can try to save one thing if you must, but it is enough if that one thing is yourself.’” This was good. It didn’t captivate me quite like These Violent Delights, but it was well written and intriguing. Rosalind Lang has become Lady Fortune, an immortal assassin with nothing to lose. Her weapon of choice: poison, fast-acting and lethal. When a new assignment sees her going undercover, with a fake husband, no less, she is mortified; this is not her strong suit, but she will follow her orders. Her heart, however, has other ideas...as does Orion Hong, the aforementioned fake husband. Part of what drew me in with TVD was the fact that it was an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Without that draw, that familiarity, this one still brought me into its story, but I didn't feel the same magnetism there. However, I absolutely adore Rosalind Lang. She is so nuanced, so interesting, and her dynamic with Orion is truly the best part of this book. They're feisty, they're fiery, they're so much goddamn fun to read about. I have such a clear picture of Orion as this suave, snarky pretty boy with a heart of gold underneath; I loved him in this. The other characters fell a bit more flat, especially Celia and Oliver. Oliver feels like a carbon copy of his brother, and for that matter, so does his relationship with Celia. Celia felt like a shadow more than anything; I guess we didn't get enough time with her for her to make more of an impact. But there is so much there, and it felt a bit like she was just wasted in this book. I did love Phoebe and Silas though. Again, the snark, the humour, is where Chloe really shines in her character development, and these guys exemplify that. The twists and turns in the plot were fun here, but I found myself struggling to remember who was on what side and where we finally fell with it all in the end. I think because Rosalind doesn't have super strong ties to anything, that she chooses what she has to and just accepts it, it makes the perpetual civil war and Japanese influence feel less defined than it could have. Those details sometimes made it hard to lose myself in the story, because I had to go back and remember all of that nitty gritty every time I picked up the book. Overall, though, Chloe's writing is beautiful and evocative. Her characters are wonderful. I did enjoy this, and I will read the sequel.

#booklr #book photography #book picture #book review #foul lady fortune #chloe gong #ya fiction #ya fantasy #ya historical fantasy #bookworm #bibliophile #book lover #book nerd #book aesthetic #book community #my photos #my reviews #mine

[thetypedwriter]

Chain of Thorns Book Review

Chain of Thorns Book Review by Cassandra Clare 

I don’t know what to say about Chain of Thorns, the Last Hours trilogy, or Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter books that I haven’t already said. At this point, I’ve written a multitude of reviews for her books, ranging from the main series, spin-off trilogies, and side novels. 

The Shadowhunter universe is now so huge and overwhelming that if I stop, I know I’ll never be able to catch up again (or want to, most likely). So I just keep…chugging along.

Chain of Thorns is the third installment of the sequel series to the prequel series (yes, you read that right) and is average on a banal level. I’ve said this for the previous two reviews of the first and second books of the Last Hours trilogy respectively, but this is Cassandra Clare’s worst trilogy by far. 

I’m not going to review aspects of world building, history, background, or even explain very much because at this point, people reading this review have either kept up with Cassandra Clare’s books like I have, or are just reading this review out of curiosity and accepting that they won’t understand any of the details or intricacies I mention, seeing as this book is freaking number twenty in the overall series. 

That being said, Chain of Thorns is a predictable ending to an already hackneyed series. The plot of this book is beyond boring. Belial, one of the princes of Hell, takes over London and makes it his own little slice of Edom on earth. This turns all the humans and downworlders into lifeless puppets. Why is he doing this you might ask? Just…cause. 

I genuinely don’t know. Belial as a villain is atrocious. I get that he’s a demon, but he is comically evil. The way he speaks, his motivations, and his actions are so ridiculous and trite that I could hardly stomach reading scenes with him. Good thing the scenes with him were not until the last 200 pages of the book. 

For a book that’s almost 800 pages, you might be wondering what the first 600 pages are about if they don’t contain Belial, the main adversary. The answer is: character relations. No, really, that’s it. 

The first 600 pages contain Cassandra Clare’s millions of characters interacting, keeping secrets from each other, and generally making themselves miserable for lame, noble reasons that lack finesse or intrigue. 

This character is in love with this character, this character is sad, this character feels guilty, this character feels shame, rinse and repeat. Normally, I’d say that Cassandra Clare’s main strengths are her characters and how she characterizes them. 

However, in Chain of Thorns she spends soooooo much time fleshing out the main characters that the plot is squeezed lifeless. The same events are repeated over and over again so they can be seen from different perspectives, which makes the book a slog to get through, forgoing any kind of significant advancement story-wise. 

Additionally, her characters aren’t interesting. All of the main characters in this series—Cordelia, James, Lucie, Jesse, Ari, Anna, Christopher, Grace, Thomas, Alistair, Matthew, and more, if you can believe it—have been done more thoughtfully in other installments Clare has written. 

Take Christopher for example. I know almost nothing about him except that he’s the inventor-type guy. Clare has already written one of these with Henry from The Infernal Devices and was done better. Emma was a better Cordelia, Will was a better James, Cecily was a better Lucie, Jem was a better Matthew, and on and on it goes. 

None, and I mean none of the characters from this series stood out in any new or notable way. Even the couples from this series are overshadowed by other couples in Clare’s universe. A large reason for this, in my opinion, is because everyone in this goddamn trilogy is too good. 

They’re mind numbingly altruistic. Everyone is selfless, trusting, brave, kind, and inherently accepting. There’s no spice, no nuance, no complexity. The only tension this book has for the first 600 pages are the characters keeping secrets from each other. 

Not because of some malicious reason, oh no, that would be too gripping, but instead because they don’t want to burden the others. Bleh. 

The epic final fight, if you could call it that, lacked any emotional depth, was glaringly obvious in terms of how it would end, and no character of magnitude died, leaving this book without emotional weight or consequences. 

Clare’s writing itself was fine, as usual, as was her world building, but she did have several scenes that seemed to go on and on forever without purpose or reason. 

For example, there are several chapters describing Belial’s London and how horrific it is. We need one of these scenes to get the picture. Two, max, if Clare really wants to drive it home. 

Clare has at least eight scenes describing this hellish London, which is really just the same descriptions repeated multiple times throughout way-too long chapters stretching out barely present and miniscule tension. 

Overall, this is not Cassandra Clare’s best work. The plot and its villains had much to be desired. Her characters, usually her greatest strength, were carbon copies of other characters from her previous series who outshined these characters drastically.

 The novel tried to present too many POV’s, which watered down every protagonist exponentially and their magnanimous personalities made it difficult for me as a reader to connect to them on any kind of human level. 

Recommendation: You don’t need to read this trilogy. Unless you’re a hardcore Cassandra Clare fanatic, this series will offer you nothing that her previous series haven’t given you already. Steer clear unless you’re a completionist and have already spent way too much time reading the Shadowhunter series as a whole and feel obligated to continue. 

Score: 5/10

#chain of thorns #cassandra clare #shadowhunters #the last hours #ya fiction #YA Books #YA literature #book blog #books #book review #favorite books #Book Recommendations #book rec #YA Book Review

[stupidcanofpeaches]

could you do five for the character bingo?

oh five. my honey my darling my punching bag my blorbo <3 where do i begin even. he's such a nuanced character!! like at the surface he seems to be one of those gruff, sarcastic, downright mean characters that frankly as much as i love assholes in media can be hit or miss. but! five's such a wonderfully fleshed out, tragic character that i just. i cannot. i love him so much. he's not an open book either, we're not given everything - like for example with his apocalypse backstory, we're given plenty of empty spaces to fill out with what his life must have been like back then, the things he'd been through, how he must have had to teach himself to cook, build things, probably sew, etc - or his interactions with dolores and how she grew into this whole other person that kept him more-or-less sane during those long lonely years - or his childhood at the academy, what he had been like as a kid - those empty spaces make him so human, for a lack of a better word.

another endearing thing about five, is that five's not entirely good and not entirely bad. he's done some truly terrible things for an ultimately noble purpose. unlike his original comic version, this five has a big, big bleeding heart. now, comic five is a delightful little psychopath and i love that about him, but tv-show's five - he's truly something else. his entire motivation is his family - everything he ever done before and everything he does now is solely for them, and they often don't even know that which makes it all the more heartbreaking. their safety is his main priority. he's not looking for happy. what he's looking for is alive. they're the only important thing in the whole wide world, and he loves them so goddamn much he'd give anything to just have them alive and breathing. which, of course, five sees no need to outright tell them that, they only ever learn that he saw them die in bits and pieces - in s1, five tells luther alone that he found their bodies, and then announces that he witnessed their deaths again in s2 in an effort to make them stay and work with him (and the sad thing is, is that luther, the one who at this point knows that this is the second time five got to see them die, is also the one to outright throw it back in his face before leaving so really, i don't think they truly realize just how much seeing that messed him up.). he almost leaves a little crumb trail for them to follow - he never does tell them everything all at once, and they pretty much have to connect the dots to figure out what's going on and what five's doing (which, his abysmal communication skills are also completely to be expected from someone who spent his important formative years in a dead wasteland all on his own, and that also makes his characterization all the more real to me).

also, since we're talking about the character flaws - his superiority complex is both a little infuriating and also very humanizing in a way? like. he is very smart. he's really, really good at what he does. and he's old - older than his siblings ever got to be, so naturally he feels like it's his responsibility to save them, to direct them (and frankly, seeing how bad they are at managing on their own, i cannot blame five, especially coupled with his trauma from prolonged isolation, for assuming he'd better take things into his own hands).

all of that is not to say that five's right and correct in assuming that he's automatically better than they are, or that everything he does is good and smart (because really he's as much of a mess as the rest of them) - but being able to see how he he comes to that conclusion, what influences him to do this and that, is what makes him such a good character imo. we can see the impact of that childhood trauma of finding his siblings dead, can see what the apocalypse did to him, can see the lingering influence of reginald raising all of them as child soldiers and what being relentlessly pushed to succeed did to him - to all of them. he's so much more than a sarcastic old man in a child's body - he's flawed and traumatized and desperately driven to do anything to save his family and he's angry and also full of love, and i love him for it.

also i know that given his body count he can probably be considered a serial killer (and i still wonder if they're going to use the whole serial killer dna thing in the show), but i personally find it funny to just sometimes pretend he's a precious little darling boy who never did anything wrong <3

so yeah here's some ramblings for you. im so sorry for taking so long to answer. thank you so much for the ask!!

#five my beloved #tua #character bingo #asks #i love asks!! #here you go my fixation on full display #five is such a good character #i really did project some of my issues on him too lol #i have some issues with food let's put it this way and it all just spilled out in spoiled pretty much #but fr considering the extreme food insecurity he probably went through he's bound to have some sort of ed i think #irl he'd probably be uhhh exhausting to be around #but he's my fictional darling murder man and i love him

[checkoutmybookshelf]

A Surprising, Cozy Comfort Read

Ok, so something that is very important to know for this post is that I do not play DnD. I have never played DnD, and I have no real desire to play DnD. So how the hell did I end up not only reading but also loving Travis Baldree's Legends and Lattes? I run in a ton of circles with extremely enthusiastic TTRPG players (including but not limited to DnD, CoC, and Delta Green), so I'm at least conversant in DnD. On top of that, my theatre circles run nerdy, so very dear friends of mine have been involved in productions of Of Dice and Men by Cameron McNary and She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen. To top it all off, I edit the Supplementary Case Files available to patrons and fans of The Redacted Reports: A Delta Green Podcast.

Given all that background and a desperate need for somethig genuinely cozy to read, it's not that much of a stretch that I picked up Baldree's debut. Let's talk Legends and Lattes.

This book was impressive in that it beautifully balanced the DnD conversant audience with worldbuilding and lore in such a way that even with things I didn't know, I never felt excluded from the world or the characters. I could go look things up if I wanted to (and there were a few I did, because goddamn, DnD lore is expansive, y'all), but I never felt like I had to in order to understand the story. That was an automatic plus in my book.

What was surprising to me was how much I loved Viv and Tandri and the supporting cast of characters. Viv and Tandri are complex, nuanced characters who effortlesslessly pulled me into their lives--and for a novel of supposedly low stakes, I was as invested, if not more, than I have been for life-or-death stakes. I probably shouldn't have been surprised by this, given how character-focused DnD and TTRPGS are in general, but one of my personal character arcs has been unlearning ivory tower snobbery around different types of storytelling, TTRPGS included. So I was happily surprised by how much I loved literally everyone in this book, as well as the casual but crucial representation for female characters and LGBTQ+ characters. I would extremely love to be adopted by a dire-cat.

The sense of place in this novel is also stunning, and the comfortable ambiance of everyone's favorite local coffee shop is made magical through Baldree's descriptions, word choice. And overall tone. Reading this book scratched my itch for College Coffee House (sadly defunct now) and the Roast in Alaska, my college coffee haunts, and I didn't think anything short of a trip home would do that. It's no wonder that Legends & Lattes the coffee shop was famous in Thune and the hearts and minds of readers.

As far as cozy comfort reads go, I literally do not have a better recommendation than this book.

#legends and lattes #legends & lattes #travis baldree #dungeons and dragons #a novel of high fantasy and low stakes #dnd #d & d #ttrpg #viv #coffe shop #books and novels #books and reading #books & libraries #book recommendations #cozy reads #comfort reads #cozy books

[smokeybrandreviews]

Monster Mash

The final episode of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is in the books and it has been one hell of a ride. This show had no right to be as good as it was. Seriously, Monarch was a solid, refreshing, little entry that squeaked in just before the end of the year and I’m glad it did. Obviously, it’s not highbrow, intellectual fair but it is very well written, with strong characters, great performances, outstanding effects, and a whole ass realized world. I have my issues, of course. Off the top, I don’t like any of the original monsters being introduced by the Monsterverse. These things suck balls, every last one of them. Admittedly, this is an overall Monsterverse thing, not just a Monarch show thing. The US is just so uninspired with their kaiju design, always has been. Ren Watabe is kind of awful and doesn’t have the acting ability to carry such an emotionally involved role. Also, this thing just blows open gaping plot holes and raises so many questions about all of the content which came before. I like a lot of the “revelations”, I just wish they were integrated with the established lore better. There’s only a handful of films. You can’t be f*cking up that narrative like this so soon. Those are minor gripes, of course, because Monarch has been a beacon of what streaming originals can be and it has found a pretty broad audience because, and this is kind of the point of this essay, the lead is a lesbian Japanese woman and no one seems to care.

You would be forgiven if you thought this was Kurt and Wyatt Russell’s show, the marketing pushes that narrative strong, but you would be wrong. This show is about the Randa siblings, Cate and Kentaro. The aforementioned disappointment, Ren Watabe plays Kentaro but, in direct contrast to his flaccid performance, Anna Sawai plays his half-sister Cate, and she is the engine that makes this show go. You watch Cate’s character develop, spend so much time with her, learn so much about it. This is HER show and it never she’s away from who she is, which is kind of remarkable because Cate kind of checks every box of diversity bingo. Woman? Yessir. Japanese? You betcha! Lesbian? Check. Overtly carrying romantic feelings for Kiersey Clemons’ bisexual May? Check, again. Also, May is black. Just wanted to throw that in there for reference. Oh, and she basically left Kentaro FOR Cate, too. You’d think having a queer relationship presented front-and-center in the middle of A-spec Goji content would get all the neckbeards in a tizzy, but I haven’t heard a single peep. But the representation doesn’t stop there. The leader of Monarch is a woman. Mari Yamamoto plays the Randa siblings grandmother, Keiko, and she’s also a founding member of Monarch, itself. Michelle Duvall, Sandra Brody’s sister, is this bad ass Monarch operative who goes rouge with Lee Shaw, eventually taking over his band of defectors after the good Colonel goes missing for the second time. This show is riddled with POC, queer, and female representation. By all means, it’s woke as f*ck and no one has said a word. Why? Because it’s f*cking good.

I will dies on this hill, man. There is no such thing as “Go Woke, Go Broke.” There is not Superhero fatigue. The issue is that this stuff is poorly written. Identity politics can encapsulate your entire goddamn narrative, as long as you write it well. Your lead characters can be two, gay ass, men, as long as the character work is there to make those aspects part of who they are, not define them as a whole. I’m speaking, specifically, about The Last of Us. They did that sh*t twice, actually. Nick Offerman’s episode as some of the strongest television I have ever seen in my entire goddamn life. It was beautiful It was tragic. It was inspired f*cking television. That’s how you do representation and identity on television for the wide audience. That’s what Monarch has done with Cate and May. That’s what we need to see more of out of Disney, Lucasfilm, and the MCU. There has to be nuance when developing these characters and stories. They have to feel real, not just performative checkboxes for Xitter clout. You’re always going to have Neckbeards upset that The Force is Female, but don’t feed the trolls with more lazy characters like Rey. Write better ones who line up closer to Ahsoka and Dr. Aphra. Interestingly enough, Chelli is also a queer woman of visibly Asian descent. An just like that, we’ve come full circle! Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is a great show. It’s probably the best thing The Monsterverse has produced to date, and it did so while incorporating a ton of diversity, without alienating the entire audience. That, alone, I think, is worth a watch. And, more to the point, worth the entirety of Hollywood taking note. We need more shows like this, Atlanta, Beef, Reservation Dogs, and The Brothers Sun. It’s not hard to write “Woke” content for the masses, as long as what you write is organic and true to the characters. No one wants to be preached at or pandered to. Monarch towed that line beautifully and every follow it’s example.

#Monarch: Legacy of Heroes #Monsterverse #Godzilla

[smokeybrand]

Monster Mash

The final episode of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is in the books and it has been one hell of a ride. This show had no right to be as good as it was. Seriously, Monarch was a solid, refreshing, little entry that squeaked in just before the end of the year and I’m glad it did. Obviously, it’s not highbrow, intellectual fair but it is very well written, with strong characters, great performances, outstanding effects, and a whole ass realized world. I have my issues, of course. Off the top, I don’t like any of the original monsters being introduced by the Monsterverse. These things suck balls, every last one of them. Admittedly, this is an overall Monsterverse thing, not just a Monarch show thing. The US is just so uninspired with their kaiju design, always has been. Ren Watabe is kind of awful and doesn’t have the acting ability to carry such an emotionally involved role. Also, this thing just blows open gaping plot holes and raises so many questions about all of the content which came before. I like a lot of the “revelations”, I just wish they were integrated with the established lore better. There’s only a handful of films. You can’t be f*cking up that narrative like this so soon. Those are minor gripes, of course, because Monarch has been a beacon of what streaming originals can be and it has found a pretty broad audience because, and this is kind of the point of this essay, the lead is a lesbian Japanese woman and no one seems to care.

You would be forgiven if you thought this was Kurt and Wyatt Russell’s show, the marketing pushes that narrative strong, but you would be wrong. This show is about the Randa siblings, Cate and Kentaro. The aforementioned disappointment, Ren Watabe plays Kentaro but, in direct contrast to his flaccid performance, Anna Sawai plays his half-sister Cate, and she is the engine that makes this show go. You watch Cate’s character develop, spend so much time with her, learn so much about it. This is HER show and it never she’s away from who she is, which is kind of remarkable because Cate kind of checks every box of diversity bingo. Woman? Yessir. Japanese? You betcha! Lesbian? Check. Overtly carrying romantic feelings for Kiersey Clemons’ bisexual May? Check, again. Also, May is black. Just wanted to throw that in there for reference. Oh, and she basically left Kentaro FOR Cate, too. You’d think having a queer relationship presented front-and-center in the middle of A-spec Goji content would get all the neckbeards in a tizzy, but I haven’t heard a single peep. But the representation doesn’t stop there. The leader of Monarch is a woman. Mari Yamamoto plays the Randa siblings grandmother, Keiko, and she’s also a founding member of Monarch, itself. Michelle Duvall, Sandra Brody’s sister, is this bad ass Monarch operative who goes rouge with Lee Shaw, eventually taking over his band of defectors after the good Colonel goes missing for the second time. This show is riddled with POC, queer, and female representation. By all means, it’s woke as f*ck and no one has said a word. Why? Because it’s f*cking good.

I will dies on this hill, man. There is no such thing as “Go Woke, Go Broke.” There is not Superhero fatigue. The issue is that this stuff is poorly written. Identity politics can encapsulate your entire goddamn narrative, as long as you write it well. Your lead characters can be two, gay ass, men, as long as the character work is there to make those aspects part of who they are, not define them as a whole. I’m speaking, specifically, about The Last of Us. They did that sh*t twice, actually. Nick Offerman’s episode as some of the strongest television I have ever seen in my entire goddamn life. It was beautiful It was tragic. It was inspired f*cking television. That’s how you do representation and identity on television for the wide audience. That’s what Monarch has done with Cate and May. That’s what we need to see more of out of Disney, Lucasfilm, and the MCU. There has to be nuance when developing these characters and stories. They have to feel real, not just performative checkboxes for Xitter clout. You’re always going to have Neckbeards upset that The Force is Female, but don’t feed the trolls with more lazy characters like Rey. Write better ones who line up closer to Ahsoka and Dr. Aphra. Interestingly enough, Chelli is also a queer woman of visibly Asian descent. An just like that, we’ve come full circle! Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is a great show. It’s probably the best thing The Monsterverse has produced to date, and it did so while incorporating a ton of diversity, without alienating the entire audience. That, alone, I think, is worth a watch. And, more to the point, worth the entirety of Hollywood taking note. We need more shows like this, Atlanta, Beef, Reservation Dogs, and The Brothers Sun. It’s not hard to write “Woke” content for the masses, as long as what you write is organic and true to the characters. No one wants to be preached at or pandered to. Monarch towed that line beautifully and every follow it’s example.

[midnights-til-dawn]

Twisted Hate by Ana Huang Book Review

Twisted Hate by Ana Huang My rating: 5 of 5 stars Twisted Hate Page Update: 224/504 So far, Twisted Hate has made me NOT HATE reading again! I can't believe I've read half a book in the span of 2 days (it's a lot for me, okay…). This book is so good, I now understand the TikTok hype. Just to clarify, I haven't read any of Ana Huang's previous books so going into this as a standalone is definitely an option :D It's steamy, mysterious, well-written and the characters are actually complex. Page Update: Finished Firstly, I'd like to share some highlights -- these romance scenes were swoon-worthy! And this book really was a spicy rollercoaster.

Page 322: "But when I opened the third book, a slip of paper fluttered to the ground. I picked it up and a smile burst onto my mouth when I read the words scribbled in Josh's neat scrawl. Your favourite food but you have to make it. B3, s4. #10."

This is SO adorable, he organised a bookstore scavenger hunt for their first date!! I love how Ana Huang writes their romance in a way that is true to their 'hatred' for one another yet so goddamn sweet. The banter in between heartfelt scenes like the one before truly made for an amazing, intense, I-can't-put-this-down-and-it's-now-2-am--, reading experience.

Page 344: "I had closure, but no one told me closure was such a bitch. It clawed at my bones and ripped a bloody gash through my heart until every breath became a battle. But instead of trying to assuage it, I embraced it. Because even though pain hurt like a motherfucker, it proved you were still alive, and it was only after it faded that you could finally heal."

This scene of Josh visiting his father in prison and leaving after realising how his dad was beyond redemption in his ways, well, really hit hard. The perspective of his grief really added depth to his characterisation, and I assume maybe more insight into his perspective during Twisted Love? I found the exploration of this theme of grief and growth very touching, Ana Huang writes with such prose that allows readers to feel as if they're experiencing the characters as if they truly were real, flawed, beautiful and stupid (at times), human beings. The only gripe that I had with the book was honestly, the painting fiasco. I understand the importance of the painting being a symbolic plot device, a metaphor of wealth and a life Jules was desperately striving for, but it was awfully coincidental. This didn't detract from the fun I had whilst reading the climax of the novel. The part where

Jules steals Josh's painting for her ex-boyfriend who was manipulating and blackmailing her. See page 357 for the reveal. And the boy was the breakup painful after that all went down. How Josh treated Jules during page 402 really was shitty, but also at the same time Jules did do something shitty and stupid and the situation was quite nuanced. Not to say that Jules didn't deserve an apology, because she did! And I love how Ana wrote that scene (see pages 443-444) was ugh, so. heart. wrenching!! On the other hand, there were so many moments within this book where I was in love and overjoyed and not sad and heartbroken! For instance, I loved the characterisation of Jules - she's the kind of MC I love to see in New Adult novels. She's independent, witty, driven, smart and learning about her past slowly throughout the novel really added a layer of suspense. I could go on for ages, but honestly I would 10/10 recommend this book - the happily ever after and those spicy scenes are so well-worth the drama.

Tropes and Themes If you love these, you'll love Twisted Hate as much as I do! 1. Enemies to lovers 2. Forced proximity 3. Best friend's brother

View all my reviews

#twisted hate #book review #bookblr #ana huang #twisted series #readers of tumblr #booktok #book community #book recommendations

[lakesbian]

16

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

have gone on hazmat-suited explorations into ao3 before. which was a mistake.

there is a bewilderingly large subset of the fandom that likes to take a look at the incredibly tragic & compelling dynamics btwn the undersiders--all of which are characterized by some form of imbalance or distance btwn the involved characters--and then go "actually, i think this nuanced and emotionally significant character writing would be better if everyone involved was flanderized and also all dating each other in the most boring way possible."

except for aisha, of course--she's brian's sister, so it'd be awkward if they had to account for her. the fix for this is to shove her offscreen with a bit of neat little character-lobotomy to make it so that nobody gives a shit about her. alec included. fuck that he straight up killed himself for her, fuck that taylor couldn't tell whether their relationship was platonic or romantic & estimated it could become solidly romantic in the future--just make him literally Wrinkle His Nose In Horror And Disgust at the idea of dating aisha so that we can bonk him together with op's taylor doll instead! and yes, that is an actual example from an actual fic.

oh, & aisha is apparently just, like, chill with being off doing her own thing while everyone else is going on insufferably twee dates & talking about how much they dislike her instead of inserting herself into the middle of everything in the most annoying way possible for attention. i recognize it's pointless of me to focus on aisha's out-of-character reaction to inane and implausible fandom tropewriting when the tropes themselves are inherently founded on 50 layers of They Would Not Fucking Say That, but there's just something particularly funny to me about how aisha's Entire Goddamn Problem is that everyone ignores/dismisses her and the fandom not only constantly perpetuates that but gets the one (1) character who did Not dismiss her in canon (alec) in on it.

(to be clear if i was in charge of making worm good (lgbt) i would immediately and without hesitation make both taylor & tattletale and taylor & rachel's dynamics gay. she wouldn't, like, date-date either but it'd be a thing. i would not remove brian/taylor. the undersiders are a team of people psychosexually obsessed with taylor and also alec and aisha are there. worm is about the tragedy of loving taylor hebert, and also alec and aisha are there.)

anyway tl;dr i think the twee-ass flanderizing "fuck the plot and themes everyone is going out for a pizza date and then collectively telling emma to kill herself when she randomly manifests to bully taylor in the middle of the pizza restaurant" (also a real example) shit this fandom does in their 5 million all-the-undersiders(-sans-aisha-who-doesn't-exist-)are-dating fanfictions sucks and is bad and furthermore i don't like it at all. surely there is other more tonally appropriate media people could make these fanfictions about instead of Tragic Relationships: The Book. [poking wormfic writers w/ a stick] you guys don't like tragic dysfunctional relationships :(?

#ask #worm #to be clear to be clear i would not make it Polyamorous per se #that would imply literally any level of healthy communication or functional romantic connection #that would absolutely not be going on. but it would be gay.