#Amelia Peabody Series

[listening-to-free-audiobooks]

Guardian of the Horizon by Elizabeth Peters (Amelia Peabody #16)

Amelia Peabody and her husband Emerson, along with their son Ramses and foster daughter Nefret, are summoned back to the Lost Oasis, a hidden stronghold in the western desert whose existence they discovered many years ago (in The Last Camel Died At Noon) and have kept secret from the entire world, including their fellow Egyptologists. According to Merasen, the brother of the ruling monarch, their old friend Prince Tarek is in grave danger and needs their help, however it's not until they retrace their steps back to the Oasis, with its strange mixture of Meroitic and Egyptian cultures, that they learn the real reason for their journey. There's no better company on an archaeological expedition than the Father of Curses and the Lady Doctor, their beautiful Anglo-Egyptian ward, and Ramses, the Demon Brother who loves her, as Peters once again demonstrates in the latest historical mystery in this immensely popular series. If you haven't met the indomitable Amelia yet, this intriguing tale is a great place to start!

The Serpent on the Crown by Elizabeth Peters (Amelia Peabody #17)

A priceless relic has been delivered to the Emerson home overlooking the Nile. But more than history surrounds this golden likeness of a forgotten king, for it is said early death will befall anyone who possesses it..

The woman who implores the renowned family of archaeologists and adventurers to accept the cursed statue insists the ill-gotten treasure has already killed her husband. Further, she warns, unless it is returned to the tomb from which it was stolen, more will surely die. With the world finally at peace—and with Egypt's ancient mysteries opened to them once more—Amelia Peabody and her loved ones are plunged into a storm of secrets, treachery, and murder by a widow's strange story and even stranger request. Each step toward the truth reveals a new peril, suggesting this curse is no mere superstition. And the next victim of the small golden king could be any member of the close-knit clan—perhaps even Amelia herself.

Tomb of the Golden Bird by Elizabeth Peters (Amelia Peabody #18)

Convinced that the tomb of the little-known king Tutankhamon lies somewhere in the Valley of the Kings, eminent Egyptologist Radcliffe Emerson and his intrepid wife, Amelia Peabody, seem to have hit a wall. Having been banned forever from the East Valley, Emerson, against Amelia's advice, has tried desperately to persuade Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter to relinquish their digging rights. But Emerson's trickery has backfired, and his insistent interest in the site has made his rivals all the more determined to keep the Emerson clan away.

Powerless to intervene but determined to stay close to the unattainable tomb, the family returns to Luxor and prepares to continue their dig in the less promising West Valley—and to watch from the sidelines as Carter and Carnarvon "discover" the greatest Egyptian treasure of all time: King Tut's tomb. But before their own excavation can get underway, Emerson and his son, Ramses, find themselves lured into a trap by a strange group of villains ominously demanding "Where is he?" Driven by distress—and, of course, Amelia's insatiable curiosity—the Emersons embark on a quest to uncover who "he" is and why "he" must be found, only to discover that the answer is uncomfortably close to home. Now Amelia must find a way to protect her family—and perhaps even her would-be nemesis—from the sinister forces that will stop at nothing to succeed in the nefarious plot that threatens the peace of the entire region.

A River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters (Amelia Peabody #19)

August 1910. Banned from the Valley of the Kings, Amelia Peabody and husband Emerson are persuaded to follow would-be archaeologist Major George Morley on an expedition to Palestine. Somewhere in this province of the corrupt, crumbling Ottoman Empire—the Holy Land of three religions—Morley is determined to unearth the legendary Ark of the Covenant.

At the request of British Intelligence, Emerson will be keeping an eye on the seemingly inept Morley, believed to be an agent of the Kaiser sent to stir up trouble in this politically volatile land. Amelia hopes to prevent a catastrophically unprofessional excavation from destroying priceless historical finds and sparking an armed protest by infuriated Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Meanwhile, Amelia's headstrong son, Ramses, working on a dig at Samaria, encounters an unusual party of travelers and makes a startling discovery—information that he must pass along to his parents in Jerusalem...if he can get there alive.

The Painted Queen by Elizabeth Peters (Amelia Peabody #20)

Egypt, 1912—Amelia Peabody and her dashing archeologist husband, Radcliffe Emerson, are once again in danger as they search for a priceless, stolen bust of legendary Queen Nefertiti and Amelia finds herself the target of assassins in this long-awaited, eagerly anticipated final installment of Elizabeth Peters’ bestselling, beloved mystery series.

Arriving in Cairo for another thrilling excavation season, Amelia is relaxing in a well-earned bubble bath in her elegant hotel suite in Cairo, when a man with knife protruding from his back staggers into the bath chamber and utters a single word—"Murder"—before collapsing on the tiled floor, dead. Among the few possessions he carried was a sheet of paper with Amelia’s name and room number, and a curious piece of pasteboard the size of a calling card bearing one word: "Judas." Most peculiarly, the stranger was wearing a gold-rimmed monocle in his left eye. It quickly becomes apparent that someone saved Amelia from a would-be assassin—someone who is keeping a careful eye on the intrepid Englishwoman. Discovering a terse note clearly meant for Emerson—Where were you?"—pushed under their door, there can be only one answer: the brilliant master of disguise, Sethos.

But neither assassins nor the Genius of Crime will deter Amelia as she and Emerson head to the excavation site at Amarna, where they will witness the discovery of one of the most precious Egyptian artifacts: the iconic Nefertiti bust. In 1345 B.C. the sculptor Thutmose crafted the piece in tribute to the great beauty of this queen who was also the chief consort of Pharaoh Akhenaten and stepmother to King Tutankhamun. For Amelia, this excavation season will prove to be unforgettable. Throughout her journey, a parade of men in monocles will die under suspicious circumstances, fascinating new relics will be unearthed, a diabolical mystery will be solved, and a brilliant criminal will offer his final challenge... and perhaps be unmasked at last.

[riley1cannon]

Calling Amelia Peabody fans: Do you know about this book?

I mean, did I just read a trial run at the series? Did Ms. Peters/Mertz pick this one up say around 1975 and say to herself, "Huh... Y'know I was onto something with this one. Needs some tweaks, starting with taking everything back to Victorian times, but by golly, I have a feeling there's something here worth exploring."

[bargainsleuthbooks]

Deeds of the Disturber (Amelia Peabody #5) by Elizabeth Peters #BookReview #CozyMystery #Egyptology #HistoricalMystery #AudiobookReview #BarbaraRosenblat

Who, or what, killed the night watchman at the #BritishMuseum's mummy exhibit? That's something #AmeliaPeabody and her husband, #RadcliffeEmerson want to find out. #DeedsoftheDisturber #ElizabethPeters #bookreview #audiobookreview #barbararosenblat

Can fear kill? There are those who believe so, but Amelia Peabody is skeptical. A respected Egyptologist and amateur sleuth, Amelia has foiled felonious schemes from Victoria’s England to the Middle East. And she doubts that it was a Nineteenth-Dynasty mummy’s curse that caused the death of a night watchman in the British Museum. The corpse was found sprawled in the mummy’s shadow; a look of…

[olderthannetfic]

I used to read voraciously when I was youner, but Life and Mental Health happened and I just kind of stopped.

So to get back into it, I'm looking for book recs for engaging standalone novels or short story collections (a series is too much of a commitment for now) that are relatively easy to read. Well written is a must, but I don't want something too dense or challenging. I like SSF and action/adventure stuff, but I'm open to pretty much anything. Romance (preferably queer) as a subplot is great but I'm not into The Romance Novel as a genre.

Hit me with those recs, guys.

(I don't have to say this to OTNF, but for the commenters, I do NOT want to read the kind of glurge that gets shelved as YA)

--

Alas, I mainly read series.

Maybe the first of the Amelia Peabody books? It's fine on its own without the rest of the series. It's historical mystery/adventure about egyptologists.

A lot of the queer stuff I read isn't that amazing on a craft level or is uneven in that department. Tamara Allen is a strong writer, though, and her books are standalones.

[otherworldseekers]

About Sharlayan AU (updated 4-30-24)

Welcome to my first AU for Severia and Nero!

The idea behind this AU is that Severia and Nero are both from Sharlayan and meet each other through their respective studies, fall in love, and go on to be a cute archeologist couple digging in Allagan ruins. 

It is partly inspired by one of my favorite book series of all time: the Amelia Peabody series of historical mystery novels about an archeologist couple digging and solving mysteries in late 19th and early 20th century Egypt. The main couple, Amelia and Emerson, are serious couple goals. They may be my favorite couple in all of literature. 

In 1535 Sharlayan researcher Zolen Zetsuen found a young Auri child wandering lost and alone among the Dravanian Hinterlands. Failing to find the child's family, Zolen ultimately adopts the child and names her Severia. She grows up in the Sharlayan colony, educated along with the children of many prominent scholars, until Zolen eventually retires at an advanced age and returns to Old Sharlayan in the year 1545. Severia spends the next several years setting aside her education to care for her adopted father. When Zolen knows that his time is near he makes Severia promise that when he's gone she will enter the Studium and resume her education and carefully makes provision in his will to ensure it happens.

When Zolen has passed away, Severia finds that she has been bequeathed an annual allowance on the condition that she attend the Studium with the promise of Zolen's full estate being bestowed upon her at her graduation. Dutifully, she enrolls in the Studium at age 19. The following year, when she has finished her introductory courses and advanced to the next level, she has a random encounter in the Noumenon with a man named Nero Scaeva.

Nero Scaeva is the son of Garlean researchers who fled from Solus' regime in order to prevent their work being used for militant ends. Nero is only two years old when they take refuge in Sharlayan. His parents end up living and working in Labyrinthos where their skills are put to use maintaining the complex environmental systems. Though they set aside their magitek research to learn the science of Sharlayan, a precocious Nero at age 8 finds where their old research materials are stored and becomes captivated. As he grows, his interest in magitek combines with his interest in stories of Allag, which he devours obsessively.

Nero becomes the youngest Sharlayan scholar to have an invention patented and distributed for use among the population. Faced with the decision to either pursue a career as an engineer or a career as an archeologist, Nero chooses both and begins producing a new line of inventions specifically for making archeological excavation more safe and precise. When he meets Severia at the age of 30 he is working on his 3rd Archon thesis (His mark is on his back left shoulder.) while he teaches to support himself and continues to seek funding for his archeological endeavors.

Severia and Nero soon begin meeting frequently as Nero helps her with her studies. It does not take the two long to fall in love and begin to contemplate a life together after Severia has graduated. But both of them more than anything want to pursue an archeological career, which costs a lot of money. Fortunately, after her graduation, Severia receives the rest of her legacy from Zolken Zetsuen, and discovers that her father had far more wealth than she ever imagined.

Severia becomes a well-to-do woman and knows exactly what to do with her new riches. That year they are married in the Spring and a month later have packed their bags for the mainland and their first archeological expedition together.

[calicoshadowcat]

The amount of times I have reread the Amelia Peabody series (by Elizabeth Peters) is innumerable. I am now listening to them being read by Barbara Rosenblat. I recommend it 110%.

Listening to her read the book is like getting a long hug from am old friend you haven't seen in a while.

[kitausu]

I read 14 books in May!

Worth Reading:

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett

Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters

You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian

The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie

Not Worth It:

Say Uncle by MD Gregory (not bad, I've just read better)

Problems by Brea Alepou

Professor Daddy by Nora Phoenix (this one legit made me angry)

[bookishardor]

A Last Journey to Lorien~

Or, A Dream Comes True Again.

In October 2019 I wrote a short blog entry about a course of events that I could owe to a book I pulled from a box in eleven years earlier.

The Ape Who Guards the Balance by Elizabeth Peters set the trajectory of my life on that otherwise unremarkable day, and the knowledge that I simply skipped home none the wiser of how deeply it and its author would affect my life still gives me goosebumps.

I have looked back at that moment countless, and at all the moments that stemmed from it, with elated and sometimes stupefied astonishment. Moments that include choosing to attend Hood College because I read MPM lived in Frederick and had an honorary degree from that institution, pursuing my budding interest in archaeology/art history and Egyptology, and even traveling to Egypt.

After graduating college, I discovered and helped cultivate the most amazing community of fans on Twitter, and through that channel TeamRamses and Beth Mertz, MPM’s daughter. The two of them have been such joys to get to know and talk to on social media, the main forum for the MPM fans I know. It’s not often I run across people who know the books in real life, so being able to talk to fans from around the world online is important to me.

Funnily enough, it is rarer for me to find casual fans of MPM’s work than it is for me to find people who actually knew her.

In 2017 with the launch of The Painted Queen, I met the owner of Wonder Book, Chuck, who had been dear friends with MPM, as well as Ray and Jay, Egyptologists who not only knew MPM, but also purchased and moved into her Frederick home a few years after her death.

Eventually I would come to work at Wonder Book, and in that fateful October of 2019, I was invited to see the house and gardens, MPM’s Lorien.

One might suppose with that jewel in my proverbial crown, that this would be the end of a superbly lovely and incredible tale.

Oh, Dear Reader, it was not the end.

At the end of April of this year, I had the privilege to attend Malice Domestic—an annual conference of mystery writers and readers. TeamRamses and myself were kindly invited by Beth to be a part of the fun in honoring her mother, and while I was only able to be there for that Saturday’s events, I had the most wonderful time.  

I brought along my mother and one of my best friends—my roommate from college actually, so you could say I kind of owe MPM even more for the push that had me attending Hood—and we had a blast listening to the panels and walking the book room. You all likely know how hard it was for me to not snatch up a million books to buy in that room…

And then it was time for the panel. And here is where I met TeamRamses for the first time in person. There is something so special about meeting someone who loves a book series and author just as much as you do, even if online, and then to finally be able to hug and talk face to face. And TeamRamses is so easy to talk to, and so insightful about books and fandom. Chatting with her on the balcony outside later in the evening while we waited for the banquet was delightful. We talked books and television, and brought up all of our favorite topic: Who is your dream Amelia Peabody cast? Maybe we can run a panel on that someday. Or better yet, a panel about a show itself! Wishful thinking, I know.

The authors gathered on the panel for MPM discussed her amazing characters and her lasting influence over their own works. As soon as Gigi Pandian opened the discussion on Amelia, with an introduction along the lines of, “Peters’ most famous and beloved heroine” I felt a suspicious tingling in my eyes. As Amelia might say, just a bit of dust, nothing more!

But truthfully, I felt briefly overwhelmed. It’s been nearly 10 years since MPM’s passing, but being in a roomful of people celebrating her and thinking of Amelia and seeing her so vividly in my mind as I have for 15 years, sort squeezed the breath from me for a second. All of this culminated when we all realized that Barbara Rosenblatt, the voice of Amelia, was in the crowd and graciously answered a fan’s question, and illuminated us all on MPM’s more mischievous side.

When it was time for the banquet later that evening, I was seated at the same table as Gigi Pandian and some of MPM’s old friends; her veterinarian and her husband and son. It definitely still hits me in hindsight, how incredibly lucky I was to have gotten that seat. To be able to talk to an author so influenced by MPM. To hear first-hand accounts from the friends that knew her so well, including a riveting tale involving a treed raccoon and some rather presumptuous hunters. I have added each little detail I’ve picked up from her friends to my ever-increasing regard for the woman. In hearing these stories, I know I am beyond fortunate.

At the next table, Beth and TeamRamses sat with Beth’s family and Chuck. Barbara Rosenblatt was also in their set, and when I turned suddenly to find Chuck standing with her at my side…Reader, you should have seen how wide my eyes got. I could feel them become starry saucers. I shook her hand and thanked her—in my mind for all of the beautiful narration she has done for the Amelia books and beyond—though in reality it probably looked like I was just thanking her for standing next to me. Let’s be honest, I kind of was. Chalk one up for me being completely calm and smooth, certainly. If you ever read this, Barbara, I promise I’m more eloquent when I’m not star-struck!

Unfortunately, I was unable to stay for the entire award ceremony that night, but I took with me so much from that dinner and the people I shared it with. To them I also wish to say, “Thank you.”

The drive home gave me time to reflect. What a wonderful day. What a wonderful gathering of people. What a wonderful woman MPM had been. I turned to my friend, not for the first time that day mind you, and asked, “So when are you gonna read Amelia?”

On the following Sunday I was invited, along with my mother and TeamRamses, to visit Lorien again once more before Ray and Jay move.

Now, as I said before, I’d been to Lorien once, in the fall of 2019. But coming around that corner and seeing the house on that little rise again…

At this rate, I feel most everyone has seen photos of the house and gardens. I don’t know if I could paint that same scene with words that can’t be gleaned from those images. If you have not seen the photos, you can likely Google the real-estate listing, or find it on the Facebook fan page: Another Shirt Ruined. I recommend it; they’re a feast for the eyes.

Nothing I say could do it justice, but there are a few things that can’t be extricated from photos, and I’ll do my best to explain here.

Once the visual beauty and appeal of the home has settled around you the next thing you notice is the scent. In fact, you may notice it as soon as you enter the solarium, but the architecture and bright glass walls of the room dazzle, where the smell calms. It permeates the air until you can’t help but pay attention, until it ensconces itself in your memory. Weeks later and I can still recall it; I think I always will be able to.

I’m not exactly sure what it was entirely. Lavender, undoubtedly, as Jay had it hanging in the kitchen, but also the earthy smells of the garden and trees outside. And perhaps, the stone itself imparted a lingering trace of aroma. The overall effect was dreamy and sweet and I could only imagine many a quiet, rainy day in that room, sipping coffee and dozing while the rain ran down the windows and accentuated the smell of the air.  

The next thing you notice is the love.

It’s in the very bones of that house. It’s in MPM’s desk and chair that were still in situ. It’s in the bookshelves and artwork and posters that were still hanging in the rooms and up the stair case. It’s in the custom Egyptian murals of the bathroom and the tiles on the kitchen floor and backsplash. And of course, it’s in the gardens; where beloved pets were buried and where so much time and care was given to creating a paradise. It’s in the stories I heard about gatherings and exploits her friends and family recalled.

And that’s where the love was most. In the people that gathered at the open house that day.

As we all walked the rooms of the home, listening to Beth and asking questions, I know we all fell into pockets of personal reverie. Where we could just imagine the life of the woman who’d lived there, who’d filled each room with her blazing personality. It felt like that I had actually met her before, in a sense. And it felt like I could turn a corner and find her there, petting a cat or tending a plant, or writing away at her desk.

After a tour of the house, TeamRamses, my mother, and I took a turn through the garden, ruminating on all the reasons why it would be so easy to never leave the property. It’s simply idyllic, even in the misty weather of that day.

And love was to be found lastly in the performance given by Barbara Rosenblatt.

As a delightful treat for all of us, before she had to drive back up to NYC, Barbara read an except from The Curse of the Pharaohs, the second book in the Amelia Peabody series. Fans will know the scene well—where Amelia and Emerson return to Evelyn’s to collect their progeny…little baby Walter Peabody Emerson.

Ramses, to those of us who know him best.

It was surreal to stand there in MPM’s home and listen to Barbara read. I’m still in a daze thinking about it. A little teary, too. I never gave audio books the time of day until I thought to try the Amelia recordings as a reread method. And to hear her voice come alive in the home where so many of the stories were written? To hear Emerson bellow and Evelyn laugh, to hear baby Ramses proclaim in somber, serious tones, “it is a femuw. A femuw of a winocowus…”

I have said before that somewhere in my mind and heart, I am always in the desert of Amarna with Amelia and Emerson. The first book in the series is my favorite for so many reasons, least of which is the nostalgia and peace it brings me. My original copy is well loved, and I know pieces of it by heart. Part of me is sitting with them at the fire, looking at the stars and listening to the jackals, chiding Walter and Evelyn’s young love, and scoffing at Lucas. Part of me is always snickering at the feelings brewing between Amelia and Emerson, even as he sets his own pocket on fire and she bosses him around.

In the same vein, I know part of me will always be standing in that solarium with MPM’s nearest and dearest, listening to Barbara read. The smell of lavender, rain, and stone in the air, the sound of all our laughter, and the sense of MPM just out of eyeshot, chuckling with us all.

I write my own story, from time to time. I’m not very disciplined with it, at least, not as much as I used to be. I have varying feelings about it, and I don’t imagine it will ever be much more than a tale of my own whimsy. But I do feel like every time I add even a little bit to it, that I’m adding to a love letter to MPM. And I do think I could add endlessly to a love letter to MPM. Writing my story, reading her books, talking to fans and friends on Twitter—it’s my way of saying thank you, thank you, thank you a million times over to an author I owe so much to.

So does the story end with the last visit to Lorien, the last glimpse into the sanctuary of a woman I can only wish to have met? Maybe. But so many things have happened these last 15 years that can find threads trailing back to my decision to read that book.

I can’t wait to see where she leads me next.

[listening-to-free-audiobooks]

He Shall Thunder in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters (Amelia Peabody #12)

1914 finds archaelogists Amelia Peabody, narrator, and husband Radcliffe Emerson back in Egypt for another dig, despite civil unrest. Defiantly pacifist son Ramses hides his spy activity with cousin David. He rescues Molly, and his dazzling smile conquers yet another female. An artifact from Giza confirms the return of archnemesis Sethos.

Lord of the Silent by Elizabeth Peters (Amelia Peabody #13)

Undeterred by world war and enemy submarines, Amelia Peabody -- Grandmaster Elizabeth Peters's indomitable archaeologist-sleuth -- once again sets sail for Egypt, where ghosts of an ancient past and specters of a present-day evil hover silently over an inscrutable land. With son Ramses, his wife, Nefret, and a few unwelcome additions in tow, the elder Peabody-Emersons embark on a dangerous sea voyage to Alexandria, ultimately ending up in Cairo for their annual excavations. But in this autumn of 1915 the exotic, alluring city is not what it used to be. Cairo has been transformed into an armed camp teeming with enemy agents, and shockingly bold tomb robbers are brazenly desecrating the ancient sites.

Amelia's foremost priority is to prevent the War Office from pressing Ramses into service again, on the same sort of job that almost cost him his life the previous year. But in these terrible days of global conflict and relentless skullduggery, no place in Egypt is safe. Even remote Luxor provides no guarantee of safety, especially after Amelia discovers a fresh corpse resting in an ancient tomb. The grim discovery presages further trouble for the Emersons, as the sinister conundrum pulls them all into a bubbling morass of corruption, intrigue, and international espionage deeper and more fiendish than any they have hitherto encountered. Yet there is an even darker danger in store for the Emersons. Can it be that one of Amelia's oldest and most dangerous adversaries will intervene to alter the family's destiny? Tantalizing clues suggest that this may be so and point toward an archaeological discovery of unparalleled importance -- and the resurrection of a voice that has been silent for millennia.

The Golden One by Elizabeth Peters (Amelia Peabody #14)

A new year, 1917, is dawning, and the Great War that ravages the world shows no sign of abating. In these perilous times, archaeologist Amelia Peabody and her extended family must confront shocking dangers. But it is son Ramses who faces the most dire threat, answering a call that will carry him to the fabled seaport of Gaza on a mission as personal as it is perilous -- where death will be the certain consequence of exposure. While far away, Ramses's beautiful wife, Nefret, guards a secret of her own ...

Children of the Storm by Elizabeth Peters (Amelia Peabody #15)

The “grande dame of historical mystery” (Washington Post) is back with a thrilling new tale featuring America’s favorite archaeologist turned sleuth. At last the Great War is over. Amelia Peabody, her distinguished Egyptologist husband Emerson, and their extended family are preparing for another season of excavation in Egypt. To everyone’s great joy, their son, Ramses, and his wife, Nefret, have become parents. Amelia, enjoying the role of fond (yet firm) grandmother, hopes that for once this will be a quiet year with Ramses no longer undertaking perilous missions for British intelligence and no old enemies on their trail.

Yet the hazards of the past will be overshadowed by new danger and a new adversary―unlike anything Amelia’s ever encountered―who will pursue her in a battle that puts innocent young lives at stake.

[runningoutofbooks]

I’ve been reading the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters and I swear everyone who made The Mummy (1999) read these books and said “this premise but with actual magic” and then just went nuts

[bargainsleuthbooks]

#LionintheValley #AmeliaPeabody#4 #ElizabethPeters #BarbaraMertz #Bookreview #AudiobookReview #BarbaraRosenblat #Egypt #CozyMystery

I've been enjoying revisiting the #AmeliaPeabodyMystery series on #Audiobook. #BarbaraRosenblat does such an amazing job bringing the characters to life, and I love a #cozymystery set in #Victorianera #Egypt #lioninthevalley #elizabethpeters #bookreview

[riley1cannon]

How would you write a friendly outing between two characters?

All right then...

The first thing that popped into my head was something with a Mary Stewart vibe, where the heroine and her aunt on holiday, perhaps in Greece. They've had enough of the official tour bit, however, and want to get out on their own, Someone recommended a certain spot, so they rent a car, pack a picnic lunch, and set out. After a couple of wrong turns, adventures in themselves, they find the spot, and agree that it is idyllic indeed. As her aunt dozes in the warmth of the day, the younger woman sets out to explore a bit, and is delighted to stumble upon some ruins. No one else seems to be around, and she's just started to have a look around when there's a scraping sound, like footsteps. She looks around -- nothing. But no, there's the sound again, and a shower of gravel down the hillside, and the next thing she knows, a young man, panting and disheveled and altogether rather worse for wear, appears, almost colliding with her. "Please, help me," he gasps, clutching at her, just before he faints dead away at her feet.

Of course this is less about the aunt and niece enjoying an excursion, and far more of a nod to The Moonspinners, but it's a start.

Then I adjusted course a bit and went to Clark and Bruce, contemplating an outing to a summer carnival. The players would have to expand beyond just the two of them, with some of the Batkids along -- Dick, Damian, and Jason, I think; Alfred as well -- and it would be a long day of cotton candy and deep fried Twinkies, funnel cake and caramel apples, riding the carousel and Ferris wheel, Tilt-a-Whirl and roller coaster, and Damian getting a lifetime ban from the bumper cars. Jason and Dick would compete in all the games to see who can win the most stuffed animals for Damian (Jason edges out a win, but it's close). Damian throws up once; Dick throws up twice, because cotton candy, popcorn, funnel cake, fried dough, deep fried Twinkies and all the rest aren't exactly how he remembers from his circus days.

The actual reason Clark and Bruce are there, with the kids providing cover, is because Matches Malone picked up intel that Intergang is using the carnival to get up to some nefarious shenanigans. So while the kids are enjoying the rides and stuffing their faces, Clark and Bruce are nabbing Bruno Mannheim and others.

When that's done, Clark insists Bruce has to have a little bit of fun. He hasn't even eaten a deep fried Twinkie or had a corndog. "And I never will," Bruce assures him, but Clark is persistent and eventually persuades him to at least go up on the Ferris wheel with him.

It's gotten on toward twilight by then, and when they reach the top they can see everything all lit up and bright and shiny against the darkness, and Clark says, "It was a pretty good day," and Bruce grunts and allows, "Punching Morgan Edge in the chops wasn't so bad." Clark laughs, and when he slips his hand into Bruce's, Bruce doesn't object, and even privately admits it's not the worst time he's ever had.

And then I thought about Ramses and Nefret, from the Amelia Peabody mysteries, because I'm reading Seeing a Large Cat and getting Ramses/Nefret feels again, and did in fact whip something up -- but it is well on its way to becoming an actual fic, so we shall skip over that, and instead contemplate Highlander: the series, and how they never did a Vegas episode...

Duncan and Methos are on a road trip, because I've always wanted to do a road trip fic and they would be great for that (I think), headed east from Seacouver, and deciding to stop off in Las Vegas for a couple of days. Duncan flashes back to the last time he was there, back in the Rat Pack days, and how he had a run-in with a mobster Immortal. Amanda may have been involved.

And maybe because of Amanda, when Duncan and the mobster Immortal came to blows back in the day it was a draw, but it was an uneasy truce, with the understanding that if they ever crossed paths again it would be a different outcome.

So here they are, sixty+ years down the road, and maybe the mobster runs a casino now or something. Anyway it all comes down to a game of cards: Duncan wins, they both walk away; other guy wins, they draw swords and fight until one of them loses his head.

Long story short (hah!), Duncan wins, and it's not until they're back on the road, Vegas left far behind in the desert dust, that the Highlander discovers Methos engaged in some chicanery -- "Trick I picked up from Houdini." -- because he wasn't taking any chances on Duncan losing. Something like that.

I could do more -- outings to a haunted house, for instance, or picnics that end with someone discovering a dead body -- but I think this enough for now.

Thanks for the inspiration!

[twowhoodles]

I’ve been listening to all of the Amelia Peabody mysteries this year, and I recently finished The Falcon at the Portal, book 11 in the series. To my surprise, reading some reactions online, this is one of the more controversial.

I understand why this one is divisive regarding Nefret’s actions. This is also the first time the books really get into interpersonal drama more than a small misunderstanding or an evening of danger (other than Emerson’s bout with amnesia, I suppose). Spoilers for a book published decades ago to follow.

Readers need to remember that we see nothing from Nefret’s point of view - the books are Amelia’s memoirs and Manuscript H, presumably Ramses’ work (perhaps with some editing by Nefret), and she is 100% an unreliable narrator in her letters to Lia.

But consider this - Nefret lost her mother and father at a young age. She was raised in seclusion in a weird cult. She cares deeply for how women are used in society. She laments that she and Ramses started spending more time apart in the past few years. She knows Ramses is a young man who seemingly hasn’t seriously dated any women. She knows about the birds and the bees.

For all that Nefret is very comfortable with Ramses and David and the Emersons, she is still not family - she calls them Aunt Amelia and the Professor - and knows that when either she or Ramses marry, they’ll be even more separated. Her close sibling relationship to both Ramses and David can potentially end at any moment (and for propriety’s sake probably should have years before).

She just had her entire worldview shifted in one night, after being accosted and assaulted. In the morning, on the cusp of revealing their happiness Nefret is not only greeted with a child who resembles Amelia but who recognizes Ramses and calls him Father? Even if she doesn’t think Sennia is his child, it’s still a huge secret to have kept, especially considering all that Nefret has done to help women like Rashida.

Nefret’s got a lot of unexplored trauma, she overreacted and made a mistake. Ramses keeping his mouth shut did not help matters.

And more is explained in the next book!

Book series, like tv series, eventually become about the characters interacting and affecting one another. My husband says they ‘turn into soap operas’ but we don’t exist in a vacuum.

[otherworldseekers]

I think everyone who likes The Mummy movies should read the Amelia Peabody mystery series (by Elizabeth Peters). Similar vibe, only with actual Egyptology, historical accuracy and a respectful portrayal of Egyptians. And just all the characters are so well written. You think Rick and Evie are couple goals? Please, you need to read about Emerson and Amelia and their incredible family.

[theladyragnell]

I voted early on Sunday! If you're still doing recs -- I'm always a sucker for good pining (like Anthony/Kate from Bridgerton and Ramses/Nefret from the Amelia Peabody series)

I am going to bring up R. Cooper's The Devotion of Delflenor again, because truly, anybody who was into E/R during the height of Les Mis fandom, this is your brand of pining, I promise.

For a new-to-today rec, though, Talia Hibbert's That Kind of Guy has some very good pining, as I recall. The Duchess Hunt by Lorraine Heath, to at least some extent, if you're more a fan of historicals.

This is a question I am also always interested in having answers to, any new amazing pining books out there, internet?

[zephfair]

Oscar Wilde and Charles Dickens for the classical asks? 🥰

Hi hi! Thanks for the ask!😘💖

Oscar Wilde: What book have you read more than once?

I tend to reread my favorite comfort books a A LOT. I’ve read most of Discworld multiple times, especially the Rincewind, witches and Night Watch books because they’re so dear to me. And I listen to the audiobooks while I’m trying to sleep.😔 Also the first 6 or 7 books of the Amelia Peabody Emerson series by Elizabeth Peters because I love them!

Charles Dickens: What book are you currently reading?

I just started The World of Robert Jordan’s the Wheel of Time because I decided to reread the Wheel of Time series after trying to watch about 5 minutes of the TV show.😬 My library had this compendium on ebook so I thought I’d read it first to remind myself of things.😂 I’m listening to The Art of the English Murder by Lucy Worsley while I do housework and Maskerade by Terry Pratchett while I struggle to fall asleep.