#confounding oaths

[monomatica]

Type Map for Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall 🧚‍♀️

If you’re ever at a Regency Ball and a blue fairy called The Lady appears before you, please be careful what you wish for. She is not to be trusted!

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[abookishidentity]

Books read and finished in May 2025

-Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall started May 1, 2025 and finished May 5, 2025- 4/5 stars. I liked this book better than the first one. The reason why things were happening didn’t piss me off like in the last book. A fairy godmother fulfilling a wish a little too well is something I can wrap my head around. My only gripe about this book is that it gets a little repetitive. Mr. Caesar’s sister disappears and or is taken away and they have to find her way too many times in this book. It makes the book feel a bit long. I am glad that we get to see Miss Bickle again. She was the best character in the previous book and I loved that she was in this book too. Just not as much. She’s hilarious. 

-When She Woke by Hillary Jordan started May 5, 2025 and finished May 7, 2025- 4/5 stars. This is The Scarlet Letter but more on the dystopian side that’s probably like The Handmaid’s Tale. So it’s a bit of a bummer to read. I like the growth of the main character in this book. She goes through so much shit. She has sex with the married reverend and then, unlike the scarlet letter, she has an abortion. She is then colored red as this is considered serious murder in this society. People are colored different colors based on their crimes which is interesting. They have to keep going in to get recolored every so often otherwise they start to mentally deteriorate and then die. In this world, there was a pandemic that made people infertile so having babies is quite a serious endeavor even after there was a cure. This book is mostly the main character trying to survive and get to a place where she could live peacefully. She is heavily encouraged to name the man who impregnated her (the reverend) and her abortionist. She doesn’t give either of them up. I highly suspect that even if she named the reverend people wouldn’t believe her. So it’s nice that at some point the reverend confesses all his sins on TV and falls from grace that way. Overall, a pretty good book.  

-When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi started May 8, 2025 and finished May 10, 2025- 4/5 stars. I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I was going to. Then again, it’s John Scalzi who is one of my favorite authors. This book is what happens when suddenly and out of nowhere the moon turns to cheese. Or a cheese-like substance. Each chapter is for each lunar cycle and we read about different characters. I thought these chapters wouldn’t connect with each other but they do. Some characters show up again and I like that. It was entertaining. John clearly did some research on certain things and I appreciate that. The characters were interesting. The ending made me question if the ending was suppose to be interpreted however you wanted. I want to interpret it in which the billionaire did really die in space when the moon cheese hit him and his ship. 

-Road to Ruin by Hana Lee started May 11, 2025 and finished May 13, 2025- 4/5 stars. Mad Max vibes with magic. I thought there were going to be more scenes of people trekking against the dusty lonely road. I’m glad it was minimal. Overall I liked this book. I guess it makes sense that if you are reading and delivering letters to two members of royalty you would fall in love with both of them. And both of them would care for you. Saving each other in various ways is always very lovely to read. A very interesting read. 

-Escape Velocity by Victor Manibo started May 14, 2025 and finished May 17, 2025- 3/5 stars. Victor’s other book, The Sleepless was a lot more interesting and I loved that book. This book was fine. I like what he was trying to do in the book.  It’s just if you advertise the book as rich bitches in space getting what they deserve then I would expect that to be the whole book. It was a lot of build up and it only happened the last 50-70 pages of the book. It didn’t feel like enough. Instead we get too much of the rich bitches fucking each other (in different ways) in the past and present. These rich bitches don’t use protection but I guess they could afford the consequences of unprotected space sex. The backgrounds of these rich bitches don’t feel like they matter if they are all simply going to die at the end. I liked Ava but she was part of the rich bitches so yeah. 

-Bindle Punk Bruja by Desideria Mesa started May 18, 2025 and finished May 21, 2025- 4/5 stars. I wish the main character was able to use her magic more but she was limited and still a novice at using it. When she did, it was cool even if it was charm magic that made men stupid. Her taking out the KKK at the end was pretty damn cool. A lot of the book felt a bit repetitive. She held a nightclub/speakeasy. The night either went great or terribly wrong. I don’t know. Maybe because I’m not a drinker or a party person so I didn’t really care for those parts. I like how diverse everyone was. This book took place in the 1920s so naturally the main character and other women in this book had to deal with sexist and chauvinist bullshit. That got old after a while. It seems rather cruel that the main character had to deal with the KKK and mobsters. Her brother almost died several times so I feel bad for him. But overall it’s a good book. I just wish it focused on one antagonist. Mainly the mobsters. 

--The Best of all Possible Worlds by Karen Lord started May 22, 2025 and finished May 24, 2025- 4/5 stars. I liked this book a lot. It’s always fun to read about aliens. I like how different authors will come up with different aliens species and backgrounds. The aliens in this book have psychic powers and read minds and affect people’s perceptions of the world. Anytime I read aliens that remind me of Star Trek, I am happy. One of the aliens reminded me of Spock from Star Trek. Maybe that’s why I liked it so much. There was also some time travel in this book which was cool. Each chapter felt different from the previous. It reminded me of Becky Chamber’s first book in the Wayfarers series. I need to check out this author’s other works. I like her writing style. 

-The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki started May 24, 2025 and finished May 25, 2025- 3/5 stars. This is a translated book. I think some things get lost in translation. I wasn’t a huge fan of the book. It wasn’t for me. I thought talking cats would be interesting but they sounded preachy at times. The characters in this book needed therapy and not talking cats talking about astrology and shit. The book reminded me of What you are looking for is in the library by Michiko Aoyama. 3-4 stories about different characters learning lessons about why their life sucks and what they should do about it. The books are trying too hard to be inspiring. 

-Noor by Nnedi Okorafor started May 25, 2025 and finished May 27, 2025- 4/5 stars. The main character is quite interesting with her body modifications and what not that she had to get in order to live. Of course a major evil corporation is behind it all. Interesting world. Interesting characters. It was a good book. Very realistic that taking down the major evil corporation cannot happen so easily and so soon. 

-When Among Crows by Veronica Roth started May 28, 2025 and finished May 29, 2025- 4/5 stars. This book is quite interesting as I have never read about Polish mythological creatures before. I don’t think I have read a book like this before. It was a quite short book so things moved on quite quickly. Characters sharing awkward sexual tension even though they just met is quite weird to me but oh well. It’s queer so that makes it more intriguing. I like how it ends. 

[bookshelvesandtealeaves]

✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨

Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[instagram]

Confounding Oaths was just as fun and engaging as Mortal Follies, if not more-so. I absolutely adore the whimsical nature of these books with an outside faerie narrator.

This book followed John Caesar, cousin of the first books protagonist, his romance with Captain Orestes James, and his younger sisters dealings with the faerie world.

I really liked the relationship between Caesar and James. It was unconventional and neither seemed altogether suited for the other and yet they fell for each other anyway. I loved that they were entangled with each other from the start, both helping save the other, both ensuring their lives are forever entwined.

I really liked the way race was handled in this. It truly broke my heart that Mary was made to feel less beautiful because of her African heritage and therefore her African features. But I love that she owned who she was in the end, that she wanted to connect with that side of herself, after so desperately wanting to throw it away.

The magic and inclusion of the faerie world was a lot of fun, as always. Turning a woman into glass because she asked to be beautiful? I would expect nothing less from the fae.

All in all, a great second addition to this world. I’d love to have Miss Bickle’s story next!

[eggcatsreads]

No one's voting on my Instagram poll, so I'll see if I have better luck here (I won't, but that won't stop me 🤷‍♀️)

Books + descriptions under the cut

[butch4femme4life]

im in Key West for vacation rn, and heres some stuff I got from the shops

the shorts double as running and swim shorts, but are unfortunately too short for me to wear to school

the book on the left is Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall and looks very promising!!

the book on the right is Miss Peregrine's Museum of Wonders by Ransom Riggs, an supplemental book to his Peculiar Children series and is most likely the last one about that series that he'll write. i finished it already and i recommend buying it if you liked all the others in the series!

on this trip as well, i havent listened to a lot of music, but a song thats been stuck in my head is Hotel Room Service by Pitbull

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Confounding Oaths | Author: Alexis Hall | Publisher: Gollancz (2024)

[rheadionne]

Check out my review of Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall 

[werehounded]

I went out and got new headphones to replace my gross ones which I bought bc they were cheap and now they're so quiet I csn barely hear them AND I got them in cream so they look soooo dirty cos I've had them for a while

This time I got black ones instead :> hoping to xone out during my tattoo w them on!

I also got snacks and a queer fantasy romance novel 👀

[clare-875]

Misplaced Rings (Luffy, Sanji, Zoro)

_____ Pairings: Luffy x Reader; Sanji x Reader; Zoro x Reader Summary: They misplace their wedding ring/band and are sent into a panic. Warnings: Some Angst, Fluff, Female Reader [One Piece Masterlist] _____

- Luffy -

Everyone knows that Luffy's most prized possession is his straw hat. It is always on his head or within his reach wherever he may go, and if it was not, he would be sent into an untamable panic that almost always ended with tears if the hat was not found within the day. However, unbeknownst to most, there is now a second possession he cherishes just as much: his wedding band.

The simple strip of gold around his ring finger adorned with crushed rubies was a fitting wedding band you had picked out just for him. And though Sanji often berates his Captain for wearing such precious jewellery during battles, his concern was for naught; you had sought Franky's help, ensuring the band could survive Luffy's battles and keep up with his elasticity.

Thanks to those facts, the ring remained on Luffy's finger indefinitely, just like the iconic straw hat on his head. It reminded him of his wedding with you upon his ship; the banquet far larger than any he had thrown before, the lively music and laughter, the utter joy. But more importantly, it reminded him of you and your pledge to stay by his side as he became the pirate king; it was an oath you undertook with pride every day of your life.

So, imagine his utter despair when he realises it has gone missing.

You were sitting at the dining room table with Nami and Robin, the three of you chatting and looking over magazines away from the harsh summer sun when you heard a familiar shout. You startle along with the two women you sit beside, meeting glances with utter confusion.

"What was that-"

You barely get to finish your sentence when the door to the kitchen slams open, revealing a wide-eyed Luffy who looks as though he is about to be sick. Your brows furrow together, Sanji looking over from his kitchen and about to give his Captain a piece of his mind, but you are concerned seeing your husband look as though on the brink of rare dread.

"Lu, what's wrong?"

You stand from your chair and run up to him but he already has comical tears almost pouring from his eyes. He is on his knees and instantly grabs your hands, and shakes them in his despair.

"[y/n] it's gone!!!"

You are still lost in your confusion as you look at him, his straw hat still attached to his head. You remember his outbursts in the past when he had thought he lost his hat for good, so you look down at him confounded at why he is having a similar breakdown with it still on his person.

"But Luffy, you still have your straw hat. It's on your head."

Luffy shakes his head like a downtrodden puppy as he looks up to you with tears falling from his eyes.

"No, my wedding band, it's gone!!"

Your eyes widen for just a moment as you look at the hands that still hold yours, noticing for the first time that there remains a tan line where Luffy's wedding band used to be. You feel your heart drop lightly at the predicament, and at that point, your friends had also gathered around in the fuss their Captain seemed to cause. Sanji seemed shocked the most whilst Robin and Nami frowns in concern behind you.

"What?! You lost the wedding ring [y/n]-san especially bought for you?!"

Sanji starts berating Luffy but you can hardly be mad at him when he looks so genuinely upset and in despair on the ground before you. You instantly kneel down to his level, and caress his raven hair gently trying to soothe the turmoil in his eyes. "W-wedding band-" He murmurs, and you are touched by how much he seems to hold the simple piece of jewellery so dear, to the point where he reacts to losing it just as he does his straw hat. You smile gently, and pat the straw hat that remains atop his head.

"It's okay Lu. I'm sure we'll find it."

"W-what if we don't?!"

You sigh as he looks at you imploringly, but you take his hands and help him to his feet.

"We'll all look for it, surely we'll find it then."

You turn to the cook who stands beside you, still glaring at his Captain as though he had committed the worst crime in the world.

"Right, Sanji? You'll help us too right?"

Sanji instantly perks up at the mention of his name past your lips and turns into a puddle of nods and affirmations.

"Of course, [y/n]-swan-"

You sigh at his never changing demeanour but turn to your husband who seems to have collected himself and nods in grim agreement. You smile as you take Luffy's hand, ready to search every nook and cranny of the ship. Nami, Robin and Sanji also help, with Chopper joining in when he bumps into you all searching the ship for a glimpse of gold and red. You force Luffy to retrace his steps entering the rooms he went to the past day for the glimmer of jewellery, but soon hours pass with no sign of his beloved ring.

"W-wedding band-"

You had all returned to the kitchen, Luffy now with his head on the table and tears pouring down it like a river of defeat. Chopper tries to cheer up his Captain but it is for naught, and you pat his shoulder in comfort whilst the others look on sympathetically.

In his mind, Luffy cannot believe that he has lost the one piece of jewellery he thought he would cherish until the day he died. Gold was often a mere bonus to him as a Pirate amongst the sea; an afterthought often intertwined in his adventures on the path to becoming Pirate King. But the gold around his finger was another story.

"I'm sorry Lu, I'll ask Franky if he can make you another one?"

But Luffy seems inconsolable as he is adamant the one he received on his wedding day, was the only one he wanted. However, before you can even input another word, the door smacks open, revealing the very man you had just spoken about. What's more, in his hand, the shine of gold and red reflected from the kitchen lights; Luffy's wedding band.

"Here you go Luffy! Sorry, it took a while but I promise I added some SUUUPER upgrades to keep up with your SUUUPER gears."

For a moment, there lasts a long and lingering silence in the wake of Franky's words, when suddenly, Luffy sits up like he was told the day's weather.

"That's right, I did give it to Franky yesterday."

Everyone falls off their chairs in utter bewilderment at Luffy's words; the day spent searching that could've been solved by one trip to Franky who had been working away all day, or by lack of Luffy's dense memory. Sanji instantly stands back up, kicking the underside of his Captain's head in utter rage and causing his head to hit the table.

"Idiot! We searched the whole day for that damned ring!"

But Luffy seems unfazed, and you have to let out a small laugh as he collects the ring from Franky and puts it back in its rightful place. You don't know if your laughter comes from relief or discomposure at the stupidity of the scenario you were in, but Robin joins you, your other crewmates more agitated. When Luffy looks up to you, however, with his wide and satisfied grin, ring shown proudly on his ring finger you can't help but get up and kiss his cheek lightly.

"I found it!"

He was an idiot, but he was your idiot.

- Sanji -

Sanji adores you, he is utterly in love with you, and if anyone asks what the happiest day of his life is, they don't even need to wait a second before he tells them about his wedding day. The gorgeous atmosphere, the pleasant music, the wedding cake he pondered and spent hours making just right, you adorned in your beautiful white dress. He could speak hours on his love if you let him, and he is not afraid to shout it out for everyone else to know and hear: you were his and he was yours.

If there was anything that symbolised the depths of your love and his, it would be the wedding ring around your finger and the wedding band around his. Yours was gorgeous but simple, a beautiful diamond reflecting the strength of the love you both shared. His was personal and beautiful, a gold band etched with sapphires, engraved with the date of the wedding until the end of time.

He adored it, he adored the weight of it on his finger, a reaffirmation of the oath you both pledged. He adored showing it off to people, just as he adored seeing you pointing to your ring when asked if you were taken. He would only remove it when absolutely necessary, such as when he prepared meals for his crew, but even then it stayed close to him where he could never misplace it. He told you he would look after it forever, but amongst Sanji's abundance of thoughts, there was a moment where the location of his prized ring slipped his mind.

Sanji has been absent all day, hastily making meals, moving swiftly from your side, and not even a murmur of hello as he leaves every room you enter. You are confused and slightly hurt, but most of all you are concerned.

Have you done something?

Was he feeling okay?

Why was he avoiding you?

When you asked your crewmates about his behaviour, however, they said similar things. How his answers had been short, unable to request meals due to his haste to enter the next room, even Nami and Robin claimed he had seemed more distracted. So you frown at the entrance of the kitchen; you had just seen him enter and knew you could try and talk to him now. You only hoped he would share in his troubles.

As the door to the kitchen creeps open, Sanji freezes at the sound of your footsteps and looks up at you standing before him. When your eyes meet you catch guilt and trepidation in the depths of his, and you are instantly more worried than before.

"Sanji, what's wrong? You're not being yourself."

Your husband grits his teeth in regret, and you catch a slither of tears amongst his lower lash line, causing you to reach up and caress his face in concern. But in his mind, Sanji feels as though he does not deserve your touch or your care. He had lost his wedding band and could not for the life of him remember where he put it. He felt as though he had been searching the whole day, but as the hours passed, he felt his hopes withering along with the sun.

His most prized possession, a symbol of your love and a remnant of the best day of his life, was lost due to his carelessness.

His eyebrows furrow together as he reaches out and holds your hand that lingers on his face, his words low and softly spoken.

"I lost my wedding band. I- I'm so sorry love."

Your eyes widen slightly in surprise, and Sanji readies himself for the disappointment and your swift anger, rejection, your swift dismissal of him from in front of you. But instead, you collect yourself before continuing to bear the concern in your gaze mixed with what looked like understanding; finally knowing why he was acting this way.

"It'll be okay Sanji, no need to work yourself up. We'll look for it together, I'm sure we'll find it."

Sanji's eyes spark open in his own surprise at your kind words and conduct. God, he didn't deserve you. Guilt still travels freely within him, especially as he feels the coolness of your own wedding ring against his cheek; you had looked after your ring with so much care.

"I'm sorry love."

You smile but you release the touch on his face in favour of grasping his hand in comfort.

"It's okay, now come on, let's retrace your steps shall we?"

The next few hours are spent all around the Sunny, every room Sanji had been in before he remembered losing the ring was searched from the roof to the floor. You asked your crewmates if they had seen the mix of gold and blue you both are so adamant to find, had looked in every small crevice that may contain the precious jewellery. And as the sun started to dim, you were now looking in your shared chambers one last time.

Your hair was ruffled like his, clothes wrinkled under the time spent trying to find the ring, but to Sanji, you were still the beautiful, thoughtful and loving wife he married. You had spent all day trying to find something due to his own mistake, and he was never more regretful for losing the wedding band, nor more grateful for having you as his wife than he was now. Moments pass in silence, but finally, you let out a delighted gasp.

"Sanji!!"

Your husband instantly perks up from the other side of the room and in your hands is the wedding band, finally found. Your smile is wide, as you quickly run over to him, taking his hand and sliding it on his ring finger where it lay as perfect as it did all that time ago at your wedding. Sanji meets your gaze with such gratitude he cannot describe and impatiently presses his lips to yours. You smile as you return his fervour and pull away.

"Thank you, my love."

You let out light laughter as you roll your eyes.

"Of course, I am your wife you know? You can come to me about these things."

Sanji's heart warms even more than he thought possible as he tucks away a loose strand of hair from your face, admiring your features.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Sanji makes you your favourite dinner and dessert as a thank you for your help and your love. You never see him without the ring on his person, again.

- Zoro -

Among the straw hats, Zoro seemed the least likely to be intertwined with thoughts of love and rings and weddings, well at least that's what the Strawhat crew initially thought. But as time passed, he fell for you, and what would you know, suddenly he is asking Robin and Nami about weddings and dresses and ceremonies; how it works, what would you like, how soon could he pledge his love and you yours? In utter reluctance and on rare occasions he would even approach the 'idiot cook' for advice; something he would often regret afterwards.

But suddenly, the two of you were married and had rings on your fingers and he was your husband and you were his wife. The ring he got you was surprisingly thoughtful, and you knew the girls had something to do with it as it looked so much like how you wished it to be when you talked to them. His was simple. A gold band, but on the underside there etched your name. He very rarely took it off, and it became a part of him just like the earrings he wore or the three swords always at his hip; secretly finding strength in the piece of your love always present.

Zoro is a man, adamant about loyalty, and it is one of the things he adored most about you. The rings symbolised that for him; that an oath had been pledged and the two of you belonged to the other. It was something you both took pride in every day, and he found satisfaction watching the crestfallen faces of men when they spotted your wedding ring, just as you did when you saw women leave him be when they spotted his wedding band. He took care of it and treasured it, more than he would allow you to know, so he is honestly shocked when one day, he finds it missing.

Zoro feels cold sweat rising on his skin, and he honestly can't remember a time he felt more stressed. He is looking down at his hands again and again, as though he can't believe the absence of jewellery he always had on his finger.

He looks frantically around your shared chambers, looking in drawers of bedside tables, under the bed, and every nook where gold might enter his vision. He spent many moments, searching in utter silence, but he finds no semblance of a ring anywhere.

The door suddenly creaks and Zoro stands upright, hair and clothes slightly ruffled, swords leant against the wall in his haste to find the missing ring. You enter your room, looking up in surprise at the rare presence of your husband in the middle of the day, but it was lucky for you as you had been searching for him.

"Zoro," you smile, before your eyebrows pull together in confusion. "Are you okay? I thought you're usually in the crow's nest about this time?"

Your husband freezes, static under the weight of your searching eyes and scouring for an excuse. You step closer, and instantly his hands go behind his back, causing you to stare at him in bewilderment at his strange behaviour. You eye his discomposure, his hidden hands and his guilty expression with suspicion.

"Zoro what are you hiding?"

"N-nothing woman just got up from a nap. I'll be in the crow's nest-"

He doesn't let you continue your words and is out the door in a swift movement. You frown but shrug looking down into your hands. Ussop had found Zoro's wedding band in the bathroom, no doubt from the shower you had somehow forced him into this morning. You had simply wanted to give it back but decided to wait until a better time when he wasn't in such a hurry to get to his training. As you are about to let the matter go, however, you spot three familiar swords on the wall of your room where Zoro left them.

You frown at the sight, just what was your husband up to?

Meanwhile, Zoro is moving at speed throughout the Sunny, every room he barges in, searching in what he hopes is discretion before running off in frustration again. Many times he left his crewmembers in utter surprise at his uncharacteristic demeanour, usually he was training or napping, not found running around deck in discomposure.

You had bumped into a few of your friends who shared the same concern you had earlier; his strange behaviour and franticity. Nami complained that he had barged in while she was making a map, ruined due to her shock, Robin said that she had been reading on deck when he had been looking closely at the floor for something, Luffy exclaimed that he thought he was looking for some sort of treasure but quickly left in his boredom of nothing found.

You start to put the pieces together and begin to realise, that he was looking for something. And that something was probably the ring the Ussop had turned to you, so even if Zoro did check the bathroom it wouldn't have been there for him to find. You sigh as you quickly get up, trying to find him, Robin assuring that she had last seen him enter the kitchen and with the sounds of two men fighting, you supposed she was right.

When you open the door to the kitchen, Sanji and Zoro who seemed as though they had been arguing look at you blankly before crossing their arms and looking away from the other. You hear Zoro murmur something along the lines of, "Don't tell her," but you ignore it, hoping to relieve the tension in the room.

"Hey guys, everything alright?"

You ask, and Sanji sighs at your words before walking out of the kitchen; he seemed disappointed in your husband, more than usual. "I'll be outside [y/n]-san." You turn back to your boyfriend in Sanji's absence and you furrow your brows in concern.

"Zoro-"

"I lost my wedding band."

Zoro interrupts you before you can continue or pass him the ring in your grasp. You pause at the abruptness of his words, and the surprising amount of regret and hurt in his downcast eyes; he looked as though he had failed you.

"Zoro, it's okay I-"

"No, it's not okay, dammit." He looks to you then, and his eyes betray the stress and worry he had held onto all day, softening at the sight of his wife - you - looking at him in concern when he has just lost a treasured possession you had given him. You watch the way your husband's eyebrows pull together, and a frown makes its way to your face at the sight of him so worked up over the ring.

"It was my wedding band, a part of an oath we pledged on our wedding day, and I- I lost it. I should've looked after it better, I know that. I'm sorry."

You look, wide-eyed at the sight of the swordsman apologising to you. One of the rare times he would, but you realise now how much he placed importance on what the ring symbolised and what guilt must've filled his senses at his readiness for your disappointment. You step forward, caressing the curve of his face with one hand, as his eyes look at you, emotion betraying his eyes, but you smile softly and unravel your other hand. A moment of shock enters your husband's vision at the sight of the golden band he had almost turned the ship over for.

You smile sheepishly then, "I'm sorry, I tried telling you and giving it to you earlier but you were, you know, you seemed busy. Ussop found it in the bathroom."

You expect him to become irritated, having searched so long for something already found, but instead, Zoro smiles wide, kissing your lips suddenly in one swift movement. When he pulls away, he puts the ring back on his finger, satisfied by the light weight of it on his hand. "Thank God," he murmurs before looking at you so determinately it makes you blush. "I won't lose it again." You collect yourself before nodding, warmth spreading in your chest at his rare emotion in front of your eyes.

"I know you won't."

[wardensantoineandevka]

I do love that Fjord is someone of intense convictions, to the point that it's been remarked upon by others in the party that he has consistently maintained himself and his direction well in the face of the immense and confounding, but he is also someone who has broken a pact and is known as a betrayer, he is someone who has given himself to three pacts.

Truly wild arc as a warlock-paladin there, what a wild execution of conviction and oaths and the keeping and breaking and promising yourself to them.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Oaths & Exclamations

lo (Old English) ⚜ spi (c.1225) ⚜ how mischance (c.1330)

by my hood (c.1374) ⚜ by my sheath (1532)

by the mouse-foot (1550) ⚜ what a/the goodyear (c.1555)

bread and salt; by Jove (1575) ⚜ by my truly (1580)

by these hilts; by yea and nay/no (1598)

by the Lord Harry; by the pody cody (1693) ⚜ by jingo (1694)

splutterdenails (1707) ⚜ I snore (1790) ⚜ by hokey (1825)

shiver my timbers (1834) ⚜ by the (great) horn spoon (1842)

upon my Sam (1879) ⚜ for goodness’ sake (1885) ⚜ yerra (1892)

for the love of Mike (1901) ⚜ knickers (1971)

Honour-Related Oaths & Exclamations

aplight (1297) ⚜ by my troth (c.1374) ⚜ on one’s honour (c.1460)

upon my word (1591) ⚜ honour bright (1819)

With Reference to Life or Body Parts

by my life (c.1225) ⚜ by these ten bones (c.1485) ⚜ lifelikins (c.1644)

Imprecations

woe (971) ⚜ woe worth (c.1275) ⚜ dahet (c.1290)

confound; sorrow on (c.1330) ⚜ in the waniand (c.1352)

woe betide you (1362) ⚜ wild-fire (c.1375) ⚜ evil theedom (c.1386)

a pestilence (up)on (c.1390) ⚜ hang; murrain (c.1400)

vengeance (c.1500) ⚜ plague (c.1566) ⚜ maugre (1590)

pox (c.1592) ⚜ rot (1594) ⚜ cancro (1597) ⚜ perdition; death (c.1603)

pize; vild (1605) ⚜ peasecod (1606) ⚜ cargo (1607)

confusion (1608) ⚜ pest (1632) ⚜ light upon (1642) ⚜ deuce (1651)

rat (1691) ⚜ stap my vitals; strike me blind (1697)

split my windpipe (1700) ⚜ rabbit (1701) ⚜ consume (1756)

capot me (1760) ⚜ foul fall (c.1775) ⚜ weary (1788) ⚜ drat (1815)

rats (1816) ⚜ bad cess to (1859) ⚜ curse (1885)

Damn

damn (1589) ⚜ damnation (c.1603) ⚜ damme (1645) ⚜ darn (1781)

dash (1800) ⚜ hot damn (1929) ⚜ dammit (1956)

Mild Oaths

before George (c.1592) ⚜ Gemini (1664) ⚜ dash my wig (1797)

Jiminy (1803) ⚜ Christmas (1897)

Implying Rejection

farewell fieldfare (c.1413) ⚜ twenty-three skidoo (1926)

Foreign Words

parbleu (1696) ⚜ sapperment (1815) ⚜ caramba (1835)

merde (1920) ⚜ sapristi (1932)

The recorded examples above start relatively late, in the 13th century.

People must have sworn as much in the first millennium as they do today (Beowulf would surely have let out something rather more Anglo-Saxon in his various fights than the expressively elegant locutions we know from the poem) but the words would never have been written down.

The lists show an increasingly colloquial character as time goes by, and writers more accurately incorporate the language of everyday into their work.

Source ⚜ More: Word Lists ⚜ Notes & References ⚜ Historical Thesaurus Writing Resources PDFs

[cloaksandcapes]

Our newest Dungeons & Dragons subclass is here! The Paladin's Oath of Shadows!

The Oath of Shadows binds Paladins to the ideal of justice at any cost. They put aside the notion that one must take the high road or else they are no better than those they seek to bring to justice.

Paladins are often depicted as holy knights and warriors of virtue who uphold the law as shining examples of morality; the Oath of Shadows Paladin doesn’t care for the optics of their crusade or about recognition for their heroics.

Paladins who take this oath do so with the understanding that their tenants aren’t meant for attaining glory or renown but to make the world safer, even at the cost of their own reputation.

Thwart Evil Where it Thrives. Protect Without Praise. Justice By Any Means.

As an Oath of Shadows Paladin you can coalesce a wall of pure shadows to block off enemies, protect your allies, and confound any hostile creatures who attempt to breach it. Use the darkness to conceal yourself, overcome the usual disadvantage of noisy heavy armor, and bring swift retribution to those who harm the innocent from the places unseen.

[abookishidentity]

Books I recently checked out of the library

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong - This is cosy fantasy and sometimes you need cosy fantasy in your life. I forget how I found out about this book. I am currently reading it and its a delight to read. This book has a two week loan sticker on it which means I can only have it for two weeks as its new. I am less than a hundred pages away from finishing it so that's no problem.

Interstellar Megachef by Lavanya Lakshminarayan- This also can be checked out for two weeks so this one is my next read. I saw the cover of this book and I knew I had to read it. It takes place in space and the main character is competing in a cooking show. That sounds quite entertaining and amusing.

Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall- I read Mortal Follies and I liked it enough to warrant reading another book by Alexis Hall. This book sounds fun.

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan- I don't remember how I found this book. It appears to be a reimagining of The Scarlet Letter and I do like that book. This will be an interesting read.

Total amount saved: $79.93

[hellyeahscarleteen]

"Why are so many romance novel leads sexist a%*holes — and am I weird for not finding that sexy?"

Jane asks: "Also, why are there so many huge guy/tiny girl couples and barely any the other way around? I really liked how Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan books portrayed non-toxic masculinity (involved fathers! no petite-fetish crap! men giving oral!), but finding something similarly respectful (I guess that’s the right word) is like finding a needle in a haystack."

s.e. smith answers: "Nothing more frustrating than getting into the groove of a good book only to get smacked in the head by misogyny, stereotypes, and general weirdness—and no, Jane, you’re not weird for not being into sexist assholes, and for knowing what you DO like! BUT, I have some great news for you: Romance is an amazingly diverse and fun genre, and it sounds like you’ve just scratched the surface.

And I’ll let you in on a little secret: You can find sexist trash in all literary genres. There’s fancy literary fiction that is absolute garbage, with horrible gross sexist characters being terrible human beings, for example. The fact that only romance gets called out⁠ for and associated with this should set off your bullshit detector. Interesting that a genre associated with women writers and readers gets put down all the time, isn’t it?..

From the sound of your letter, you’re probably not going to be super into alpha hero and other romance centering around power imbalances, for example, unless that romance is upending those tropes (and they will tell you in cover copy and reviews). But if you’re looking for romance where people are on more equal footing, or playing with gender⁠ dynamics, something like partners in crime or different worlds could be fun.

I’m personally a huge fan of period⁠ romances, especially those set in the Regency Era. Beverly Jenkins is a very famous author in that genre, with a focus on Black characters in contemporary and historical fiction, and if you want more Black characters, check out Alyssa Cole. Georgette Heyer is a classic. I just finished Confounding Oaths, by Alexis Hall, which is a super fun and very gay⁠ fantasy set in (sort of) the Regency era. Zen Cho, a Malaysian fantasy and romance author, is also delightful. Wanting to go Victorian? India Holton’s books are spicy, charming, and fun. Something more fantasy and very queer⁠? TJ Klune isn’t exactly a romance author, but writes very cozy, sweet, gay love stories."

Want more leads? Read the rest of s.e. smith's tips on how to find romance that doesn't revolve around boring overused tropes steeped in misogyny and sexist main characters below!

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Queer Books Coming Out in August 2024 🌈

🌈 Good afternoon, my bookish bats! Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Happy reading!

[ Text list below ⤵ ]

❓What was the last queer book you read?

[ Release dates may have changed. ]

❤️ Failure to Comply - Sarah Cavar 🧡 I Spit On Your Celluloid - Heidi Honeycutt 💛 You're Embarrassing Yourself - Desiree Akhavan 💚 Death of the Hero - Briona Johnson 💙 Between Dragons and Their Wrath - Devin Madson 💜 The Crimson Crown - Heather Walter ❤️ Sacrificial Animals - Kailee Pedersen 🧡 Oath of Fire - K. Arsenault Rivera 💛 The Palace of Eros - Caro De Robertis 💙 This Ravenous Fate - Hayley Dennings 💜 Mistress of Lies - K.M. Enright 🌈 Wolf Bite - T.J. Nichols

❤️ In the Valley, A Shadow - Samantha Tano 🧡 Follow My Lead - Adrian J. Smith 💛 The Last Woman I Kissed - Venetia Di Pierro 💚 Full Shift - Jennifer Dugan & Kristen Seaton 💙 Hers for the Weekend - Helena Greer 💜 Come Out, Come Out - Natalie C. Parker ❤️ Rules for Ghosting - Shelly Jay Shore 🧡 How to Leave the House - Nathan Newman 💛 Plot Twist - Carmen Sereno 💙 On the Far Side of a Crescendo - Kalyn Hazel 💜 Tiny Oblivions and Mutual Self Destructions - Maxwell I. Gold 🌈 Daylan and the River of Secrets - Edd Tello

❤️ The Italy Letters - Vi Khi Nao 🧡 The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie - Lee Wind 💚 The House Where Death Lives - Alex Brown 💙 Ash's Cabin - Jen Wang 💜 The Avian Hourglass - Lindsey Drager ❤️ The Heart Wants - Krystina Rivers 🧡 A Grand Love - Janna Barkin 💛 You Can't Go Home Again - Jeanette Bears 💜 Libertad - Bessie Flores Zaldivar 🌈 Her Golden Coast - Anat Deracine

❤️ Mighty Millie Novak - Elizabeth Holden 💛 Rise and Divine - Lana Harper 💚 Dying for You - L Flowers 💙 I'll Have What He's Having - Adib Khorram 💜 Changing Her Tune - Amanda Kabak ❤️ Monogamy? In this Economy? - Laura Boyle 🧡 The Rainbow Age of Television - Sayna Maci Warner 💛 Medusa of the Roses - Navid Sinaki 💙 Confounding Oaths - Alexis Hall 💜 Idol Lives - K.T. Salvo 🌈 Brother's Keeper - Quinn Cameron

❤️ Key Lime Sky - Al Hess 🧡 Crushing It - Erin Becker 💛 The Husky and His White Cat Shizun - Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou 💚 Not for the Faint of Heart - Lex Croucher 💙 Tasting Temptation - JJ Arias 💜 Ami - S. Jae-Jones ❤️ You're the Problem, It's You - Emma R. Alban 🧡 Cubs & Campfires - Dylan Drakes 💛 The Dark We Know - Wen-yi Lee 💙 Practical Rules for Cursed Witches - Kayla Cottingham 💜 Riyati Rebirth - Kalani Shimizu 🌈 The Brujos of Borderland High - Gume Laurel III

❤️ A Bánh Mì for Two - Trinity Nguyen 🧡 Dance of the Starlit Sea - Kiana Krystle 💛 Scattered Snows, to the North - Carl Phillips 💚 Beyond a World Apart - Caitlin Myers 💙 Don't Let It Break Your Heart - Maggie Horne 💜 Nothing Heals Me Like You Do - Harper Bliss ❤️ How It All Ends - Emma Hunsinger 🧡 How Do I Sexy? - Mx. Nillin Lore 💛 The Palace of Eros - Caro De Robertis 💙 Prince of the Palisades - Julian Winters 💜 Better Left Buried - Mary E. Roach 🌈 Back to Back - Jo Fletcher

❤️ DITCHLAPSE / [REALLY AFRAID] - Tommy Wyatt 🧡 The Love Archives: Bonus Scenes & Excerpts for Palestine - Various 💛 Guardian: Zhen Hun - Ying Priest 💚 The Sunforge - Sascha Stronach 💙 Queering Reproductive Justice - Candace Bond-Theriault 💜 Gender Explained - Diane Ehrensaft & Michelle Jurkiewicz ❤️ The Unlikely Pair - Jax Calder 🧡 In Universes - Emet North 💛 We Love the Nightlife - Rachel Koller Croft 💙 Lessons from Cruising - Martin Goodman 💜 Wild Ginger in the Rhubarb - Eule Grey 🌈 Not My Circus - Delicia Niami

❤️ Asunder - Kerstin Hall 🧡 The Phoenix Keeper - S.A. MacLean 💛 Encounters with James Baldwin - Various 💚 Verity's Game - Jennifer Giacalone 💙 Hunt Me! I Crave the Chase - Fae Quin 💜 The Audacity Omnibus - Carmen Loup ❤️ Haunted to Death - Frank Anthony Polito 🧡 Blood Orange - Paige Grunewald 💛 The Bad Things We Did - Chris Archeske 💙 Dark Restraint - Katee Robert 💜 Worth the Wait - Kenna White 🌈 The Maid and the Crocodile - Jordan Ifueko

❤️ Loving Corrections - Adrienne Maree Brown 🧡 The Last Witch in Edinburgh - Marielle Thompson 💛 The Duchess of Kokora - Nikhil Prabala 💚 The Scales of Seduction - Rien Gray 💙 Survival Is a Promise - Alexis Pauline Gumbs 💜 Loka - S.B. Divya ❤️ The Every Body Book of Consent - Rachel E Simon 🧡 Southern Lights - Liz Arncliffe 💛 Then Things Went Dark - Bea Fitzgerald 💙 Death at Morning House - Maureen Johnson 💜 The Last Doorbell - William Parker 🌈 The Pairing - Casey McQuiston

[alagaesia-headcanons]

I've Had A Thought. I was thinking about the scene where Eragon is reminiscing over Brom's message to him as his father, and how Eragon is confounded and troubled that he in no way mentioned Murtagh. I found it a little sad that, for whatever reason, Brom decided Murtagh didn't bear mentioning. Then it crossed my mind to consider the possibility that Brom didn't know about Murtagh at all.

As it turns out, Eragon actually does think about it in that scene- he says, "He must have known about Murtagh. He couldn't not have." And admittedly I don't think this is the most likely scenario or that it's now my personal interpretation of canon, but the idea really has captivated me. Because it actually does fit within the facts! (the new book notwithstanding)

Brom was a gardener at Morzan's estate for three years, and while it's probably more likely that he learned about Murtagh in that time, I think it's certainly feasible for him to never know. Morzan was very determined to keep him hidden and took a lot of precautions to ensure just that. Oromis said Morzan forced all his servants to swear fealty and Brom found a flaw in his wards to infiltrate, and possibly he was able to do so because a job as a gardener didn't require such strict oaths because it wasn't in proximity to Murtagh.

Again, it may not be the most likely, but I can absolutely believe Selena might not have told him either. She also would have been aware of the serious danger Murtagh was in and would've wanted him to stay hidden. Even after Brom told her who he was and she started working with the Varden, she might have kept it secret. For one, Brom's hatred of Morzan is described as extreme and all consuming, and that it never waned with time. Even if she came to believe that Brom wouldn't harm Murtagh, she might not have trusted he could look at him kindly. And of course, telling him about her child with Morzan also risked damaging their relationship considering that they were lovers. Then there's the possibility that Selena did build all this necessary trust to tell Brom about Murtagh if he wasn't aware of him already, but it was too late for her to discuss it with him before she died. So I think it is conceivable that Brom actually never knew about Murtagh's existence.

Where this concept really shines is in an AU where Brom survives after Murtagh saves them from the Ra'zac. I've always liked these, and I sometimes toy with my own, but there's so many ways Brom could react and I've never been able to settle on one well enough to get invested in it. But I find this SUCH a fascinating take on it (especially if you wave off the detail that Murtagh's voice sounds ~exactly like~ Morzan's, which I tend to do). Brom recovers and meets their rescuer, and he has no idea he's looking at Morzan and Selena's son. Murtagh seems terribly familiar, but Brom has been relentlessly haunted by his past for so long now that he doesn't put much stock in the perceived similarities. Meanwhile, Murtagh realizes that Brom truly does not know that he's the son of the man he murdered, a precarious but welcome relief. Because he doesn't know- up until Murtagh's confession in the valley.

Brom is stunned by disbelief. It can't be true, Morzan had no children, because surely he would know, surely-! But another thought dawns on him, drowning out the memories of Morzan, because who could have been the mother of his child other than his wife: Selena? And Murtagh is looking at him with fear, fear that he'll turn on him because he shares the blood of the man Brom hated most. It's heart wrenching, because even as part of his mind tells him that maybe he should scorn him, Brom is looking at this man who single handedly saved him from the brink of death and saved Eragon and Saphira from far worse at the hands of Galbatorix, and who has given them extraordinary devotion ever since.

In his core, he accepts the truth of Murtagh's claim as he explains his past and recounts the story of his parents exactly how Brom knows it to be. The paradigm shift sends him reeling. Murtagh believes Brom is affected only because of his past with Morzan; he has no way of knowing what he felt for Selena. He still glances at him nervously, especially as he admits that he briefly intended to serve Galbatorix, yet then there's also a spark of trust and gratitude- maybe even hope- in his eyes when Brom doesn't rescind the way he vouched for him when they were stopped inside the gates. How could he? Murtagh has accomplished one thing neither Morzan nor Selena ever did: escape.

Despite everything, his aching heart feels something fiercely like pride. He would not dare ruin that for him.

Then to further prove the truth, like the world is laughing at his years of ignorance, Ajihad recognizes him, because after Murtagh was brought to Uru'baen, the Varden's spies informed him of Morzan's son. But of course, that was after Brom cut himself off and started living in Carvahall, so he never learned of that discovery. "Morzan's son" is said over and over, but in Brom's mind, that idea is far eclipsed by Selena's son. He's hurt and ashamed to realize he never knew something so significant about the woman he loved. And he feels guilty that Murtagh struggled for so long in Uru'baen because no one was there to save him when he was left helplessly alone. Brom must have been so close to him when he arrived right after Selena's death, but he just didn't know.

Brom is utterly at a loss. How can he process Murtagh- the child of Selena and Morzan, Eragon's half brother, and in a certain sense, his own stepson? What can he do now? He was already so terrified of telling Eragon the truth of being his father, and now he has another staggering revelation to inflict on Eragon and Murtagh both. The prospect feels terrifyingly impossible, but keeping his secrets has grown even more painful. Watching how easily and how well Eragon and Murtagh get along is now bitterly ironic. Even without knowing it, Murtagh is a great older brother, waiting vigilantly near his side after the battle. The injury Durza inflicted scared Brom in a way he can't put into words; he simply could not bear to lose Eragon. How could he risk that happening without telling Eragon how much he loves him and values him as his son? But telling him truth could be the quickest way to lose him. And now, with Murtagh, he has more to lose than he ever realized.

-And because Murtagh deserves it, I like all these changes resulting in the Twins never getting the chance to kidnap him, and so Brom has to figure out how to make the three of them into a family <3