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I really enjoyed Bloodmarked lmao

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“But if you forget to reblog Madame Zeroni, you and your family will be cursed for always and eternity.”

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This would be fucking hilarious

Honestly I fully want Kaz to keep denying he knows Inej to the Ravkans until the day he dies.

Nikolai: I want to talk to you about this woman here, Inej Ghafa, and I know you know her so don't pretend you don't.

Kaz: I've never seen that person in my entire life.

Nikolai: This is your wedding photo.

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She's beautiful

Genya Safin 🥀

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I just finished the entire Grishaverse!! It was incredible. I see the hype now. I understand. I love everyone*

*Except Brum. Fuck that guy

Ps. Before yall come for me, i have very mixed feelings on Aleksander. Obviously, not a good person in anyway shape or form, but damnit if he wasn't an incredible character

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Remember no one else can see your likes. This isn’t like TikTok or Twitter. You have to REBLOG to show what you love. REBLOG that art of your favorite character. REBLOG that fic that you thought was really good. REBLOG that gif-set (someone worked hard on it). It’s all about your voice and what you do with it.

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Look at him😍

Credit: @jessdraw-s

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Bloodmarked Character Analysis and Opinions: William Sitterson

Spoilers ahead!!

1. William is the most emotionally intellegent person in the entire book. Argue with ya mama

2. William Sitterson is one of the best friends anyone on this planet could ask for (Alice Chen us the other). He is kind, protective, and isn't afraid to be commanding when need be. I loved every moment when he had to slip into a commanding or violent role. It shows that he is a multifaceted person and while he is normally mild tempered, he is that way bc he chooses to be. He is capable of being ruthless and stern but he doesn't want to be.

3. Healer William. William's disposition set him up perfectly to be a healer. In both Legendborn and Bloodmarked, any time something went wrong, his first thought was for anyone and everyone around him. His protective and almost defensive nature is so beautiful to watch and see how it challenges him when he must go against it and go on offense. When he had to help Sel interrogate Kizia we saw the extent of his physical strength but we also saw the extent of his mental strength. He hated doing it but he still crushed Kizia's hand bc he needed to.

4. William is selfless. He does what is required of him regardless of the personal consequences. He hides his pain about Whitty, he allows himself to be held hostage by the Regents, he hurts Kizia, he heals Bree while holding a fucking goruchel, he almost reveals himself bc of a pair of racists, he breaks up with his Bf. William will do anything for his friends bc who is he if he doesn't. When he says, "I am still a healer." He says it to remind himself who he is. He is annoyed when he has to admit that his magic won't help Selwyn. William knows his strengths and plays them well but having to hurt people when he is going to be a doctor and the number 1 rule is "first do no harm"? That is hard and I hope Bree honors her promise to make the Regents pay.

5. I hope he and Lark get to know each other more in Bree's absence

6. He's insanely smart. He nerded over the idea that Bree could be tapping into DNA memory. Also, I love that Deonn chose to allow him to be detailed about what injuries Bree sustained when she was cut open by the demons. I think it was a small tid bit that showed William knows what he's doing and is incredibly talented.

William my beloved. He deserves the world

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I forgot to add this to Selwyn's analysis but can we talk about the scene in Volition where he creates fireworks with his magic? That is the first time in his life that he cast something just because. I- he's 18. He's been so programmed to be a soldier that he never got to be a child and see what he can do besides forge weapons and armor. Imagine that for a moment. If you were a kid with magic you would found a way to use your magic outside of weaponry. Sel never did, he believes in the order so much that he never strayed from them even as a child. And we wonder why he snaps on Bree when she questions the order. That's all he's ever known.

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Bloodmarked Character Analysis and Opinions: Selwyn Kane

Spoilers ahead!

1. Sel's development from the first novel to now is *chef's kiss*. He is a flawed character who is always willing to admit when he is wrong. His apology and explanation for is actions during LB in chapter 37 were absolutely heart wrenching. I loved it vulnerability and honesty.

2. Selwyn has come a long way from the boy who didn't know how to ask to be Nick's friend or ask Nick to be his. He expresses his feelings for Bree and makes it clear that his priority is her happiness, even if that isn't with him.

3. Sel's relationship with Nicholas is beautiful but so complicated. It is clear they care for each other more than either of them wish to admit, but it is also so hard to move beyond the hurt and betrayal both of them have inflicted on the other. Both of them have abused their bond at some point or another. But they have also been at each other's sides for almost a decade (it's 8 years. Sel was 10 and Nick was 9 when they were oathed.) Sel knows Nick better than anyone else on the planet and vice versa but that type of bond and knowledge breeds resentment and pain, especially with the immense pressure both of them shoulder. The two are inextricably linked. In LB we find out that Sel had a crush on Nick when they were younger and when Bree asks him about it in BM, he says, "I don't think that's in the cards for me... if I allowed myself that wish, it would be something. Wishes are a dangerous game we play with ourselves and the only way to win is not to play." I took this to mean, he will not allow himself to love Nick in that way because he thinks it cannot work out. But before that, he stated that he feels safer and more whole with Nick. I really love the complexity of their relationship and I hope to get more of it in the next book.

4. Let's talk Sel's magic. For a large portion of this book. Sel had Void Cuffs on and could not call aether. Shortly after Bree breaks the cuffs, she is badly injured, and Sel uses his magic to do something unprecedented. He holds Bree together. He holds her organs, nerves, and blood vessels together for 3 hours until William can get to them. William himself says that what he did was incredible and would have killed another Merlin. My question is what gives Selwyn the ability to do that? Why is he special? I think it's because of Bree's root! When he does this he is still under the affects of Bree sharing her root with him. We've seen Bree's root have lasting effects on Alice (mesmer resistance). And we've been told that as demons consume aether they become more powerful. So it makes sense that with root flowing through him he'd be able to do something that should have been impossible. Bree also willingly shared her root with him and I think the reason it didn't cause him to succumb then is just that. Consent. When Bree shares her root, it strengthens Sel. When he takes it in the bloodwalk, it causes him to succumb to his blood. These are just my theories but I'm excited to see if Deonn chooses this route for the story.

5. Sel's mother. We know so little of Natasia Kane but I think she will be a major player in the next book with Sel's humanity on the line. I also think we might find out that Erebus is Selwyn's father. Erebus hinted to a relationship with Natasia and has a soft spot for Sel. Whether that is due to him being his father or if it is because of his relationship with Natasia, I'm not sure but I hope to find out.

I absolutely adore him and I pray he ends up ok

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BLOODMARKED SPOILERS

nothing in all my days has affected me more than Bree briefly mentioning that Sel pushed her up against a tree when they kissed.

I'm weak in the knees yall.

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One of my absolute favorite things about Bree is how she literally refuses to believe Sel has the capacity to be dangerous. Like he' could be snarling, barking, or committing mass murder and it's somehow still

Bree: Sel? Hurt me? Sel's not dangerous.

William, exhausted: Sel just killed someone. Alice vomited because she watched him commit a murder.

Bree, plugging her ears: Sel doesn't have a capacity for violence.

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It's 1am and Selwyn Kane could use me for target practice while reciting Shakespeare and I'd say thank you. He's that fine

I hate Shakespeare

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Bloodmarked Character Analysis and Opinions: First up, Briana Matthew's!

Spoilers ahead!

Bree is 16 years old at the beginning of BM and later turns 17. Let's start there. Her age is an important factor that people tend to leave out when talking about her character. Yes she makes mistakes, yes she can be selfish sometimes, yes she is flawed but she is 16! Bree is a teenager who has immense pressure on her and she is grieving not only her mother, but also Nick, Russ, Whitty, and even Evan. She is surrounded and filled by loss and pain. She is allowed to make mistakes, to be angry, to not be perfect. I loved that Deonn wrote her that way and allowed her the space to be volatile while still creating realistic and heartbreaking consequences to her actions.

Not only is Bree a teenager, she's also a black woman. To have her be flawed and still be loved and cherished is so beautiful and so incredibly important to see. Deonn discussed this in her author's note at the end so definitely go read it if you haven't! Too often black people especially black women are expected to be perfect, to be strong, to support the weight of the world alone. Bree's story subverts this narrative. When Bree gets angry at the funeral, instead of chastising her for being angry, William gives her space to release her emotions in a judgement free zone. Though he does remind her that she must learn to hold her tongue, he does not punish her for her fury. When she is devastated by her friends' decision to stop searching for Nick, Alice holds her, makes room for her emotions, and promises to find another way that she can fight. Sel does much the same after her outburst at Volition. She honestly has some of the most amazing friends I've ever seen in a YA novel.

Bree's goes through some of he most brutal character development I've seen in a long time. Her arc follows the stages of grief-- though she definitely spends the most time in anger and really works towards acceptance in Volition. She spends so much time during this book fighting her anger and pain and trying to use it to become who everyone wants her to be. It's only when she starts doing what SHE wants and claiming HER power that she is able to move forward. Although she does not burn the ancestral plane until after she rejects Arthur, I believe she formed the idea after she almost died and is reminded by both William and Sel that she is more than just king. She is more than just the lines, or oaths, or anything else. I think she made her final decision during her time at Volition. Particularly after she confronts Vera in the circle.

All in all, I enjoyed her journey throughout his book and love the growth and hard truths she was forced to face. Definitely look forward to seeing her continue to grow and change in the third book!

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I finished reading Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn two days ago. Here are my thoughts overall:

Small spoilers at the end!

1. It was incredible. It was an emotional roller-coaster with twists and surprises at every turn. I loved every second of it. Deonn's writing keeps you begging for more with its lyrical and gorgeous cadence.

2. Grief and love are themes that carried over from Legendborn and I absolutely love that. In BM, we explored mass grief and the effects of it. We also touched on the guilt that comes even when there is nothing that could be done. Deonn handled these subjects with care and grace.

3. The relationships, platonic and romantic, in BM get fleshed out so so well. Bree's friendship with Alice and William had me just as excited as her romance scenes with Nick and Sel. I love the way this book broke the traditional mold of "friendships must be less intimate than romantic relationships to show the difference." William, Alice, and Bree have just as beautiful relationships as Bree and Nick do. They care for each other the way friends do in real life instead of the distant way we're so used to seeing in media.

4. Racism was tackled head on in this book and in the last. That is something I appreciate to no end. There is no sugar coating or defense of it. It is layed bare and condemned.

5. Volition. Allowing Bree and the rest of the gang even just a few chapters to rest and recuperate without fear really allowed us to glimpse who they are apart from running for their lives. Particularly when we see Selwyn create fireworks with his aether and at Bree's birthday. Too often in fantasy, we see characters going on and on without ever having any break and somehow being totally fine. BM didn't do that. It treated the characters like people. We can't go on and on and on without rest. It weighs on you. We have to take time to regroup and recharge. Selwyn said it best, "we are not meant to run from trauma to trauma." I think Volition not only enhanced and deepened the plot, but it reminded us that these are 17-20 year olds. They aren't war heros. They are children who just want to stay alive.

I will be doing character analyses later so these are just my thoughts on the themes and things that stood out to me

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It's been forever since I posted on here but I'm back folks!

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Denki Kaminari, Yuu Nishinoya, and Beast Boy are all the same person just different

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