#Od Magic

[cultivating-wildflowers]

2024 Reading - September

Another productive month. Which I know would rub some readers the wrong way, and sometimes that mindset isn't great for me either, but as a girlie who likes her lists? I'm happy getting to check off stuff.

The biggest accomplishment this month was FINALLY finishing The Disorderly Knights. It took me so long that by the end of the story, I'd already forgotten what happened at the beginning. But it's done, and I have the next book on my shelf. For next year. Maybe.

Total books: 10  |  New reads: 9  |   2024 TBR completed: 2 (1 DNF) / 29/36 total   |   2024 Reading Goal: 63/100

August | October

potential reading list from September 1st

#1 - The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown - 5/5 stars

After hearing people rave about the movie and then the book, I snagged a cheap copy from my local used bookstore and decided to check it out.

It was so so worth it. Absolutely breathtaking. All of the assorted narratives--the different characters, the historical background, the technical details--came together so perfectly and resulted in a captivating story. I love every bit of it. I cried.

#2 - In the Forests of Serre by Patricia A. McKillip - 5/5 stars ('24 TBR)

This is exactly the sort of story I was craving. Absolutely spellbinding.

More like this: I had the sense this story reminded me of something else I've read, but I'm blanking on it just now. If I remember, I'll come back here. It might have been a fairy tale kind of story. It's a bit like the first Earthsea book. Perhaps Robin McKinley, Patricia C. Wrede, Madeleine L'Engel, Shannon Hale.... Diana Wynne Jones. It feels like a Ghibli movie.

#3 - The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol 2 by Beth Brower - 4/5 stars

A fun installment! I am quickly losing track of the cast, but I can totally see the author's vision of this being a delightful period drama.

#4 - The Disorderly Knights by Dorothy Dunnett - 4/5 stars

Note to anyone I've recommended this series to: I unfortunately have to retract that hearty recommendation and replace it with...several caveats.

I finished! Honestly, I don't know why it took so long, because once I made myself sit still and read it was easy-ish going; I just had trouble sitting still.

Ok, so "easy" is not the right word. With this series, the first half of each book tends to be a slow build-up, while the end careens rapidly downhill to the conclusion and the ever-brilliant (and painful) reveal.

And, uh.... This got much darker and more intense than I was prepared for. (If I made a habit of reading more in this line, I might have seen that coming, but epics aren't my usual fare.) Narratively, it all worked very well, but it was right on the edge of what I can tolerate.

Still, with 200 pages left to go, I absolutely planned to keep reading the series, well aware that it would be...an experience. Then I saw a blurb for both Book Four and Book Five, skimmed some super vague reviews for Book Four ("Five Stars. owowowowowowowowowowww") and freaked out. And, against all my usual inclinations, hunted for spoilers. And now I'm scared. (But, weirdly, less stressed about the conclusion? Which is an odd experience.)

#5 - Od Magic by Patricia A. McKillip - 3/5 stars (audio)

This confirms my suspicion that McKillip is one of those hit-or-miss authors for me. The first book of hers that I read was The Changeling Sea, six years ago, and I remember absolutely nothing about it. Then In the Forests of Serre blew me away. Od Magic? Another middling story.

Don't get me wrong; McKillip's writing is gorgeous. It immediately draws you in, connects you to living, breathing characters, and paints the most vivid pictures. But the story here just kind of...wanders along. It's a pleasant journey, but not very exciting.

Note: I didn't dive into "Od Magic" because of how much I loved "In the Forests of Serre". I needed an "O" title, and realized McKillip had a few. 😅

#6 - Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones - 5/5 stars (reread, audio)

We all know I love this. 'Nuff said.

#7 - Yours From the Tower by Sally Nicholls - 4/5 stars

Another Tumblr rec! And a read that had the unfortunate pressure of me getting to it on the heels of 1) a so-so fantasy and 2) a historical fiction adventure that wrung me out. I did my best not to go into it with any expectations outside of being pleasantly charmed, and charmed I was. 90% of it was a fun, light read with just a touch of drama, but my stars, the end had me rolling. There's something so fun about epistolary novels when it comes to twists and big reveals.

#8 - Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher - 5/5 stars (audio)

A gorgeous little story.

#9 - Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher - 4/5 stars (audio)

Largely enjoyable, but the ending felt rushed.

#10 - The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke - 4/5 stars

An impulse pick from the library. I wanted something short and sweet and discovered this after finishing Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. As is becoming a habit with Clarke's writing, I enjoyed this book. I loved the variety of styles and tones within the collection.

DNF*

The Element of Fire by Martha Wells - Not a bad story, but by the 15% mark I remained bored and vaguely confused and unable to pay attention, so I gave up. I like Wells's writing style (obviously), but this was evidently her debut and is a bit dull around the edges. For some reason it reminded me vaguely of The Curse of Chalion, which I love, so might be worth checking out if you enjoy Lois McMaster Bujold. Goodreads also shows that fans of T. Kingfisher might enjoy this one as well. (Note: Paladin's Grace [below] also had the same general feel as The Element of Fire and The Curse of Chalion)

The Anthropology of Turquoise: Reflections on Desert, Sea, Stone, and Sky by Ellen Meloy ('24 TBR) - I was hoping for a more scientific exploration of color. Instead, this book is a collection of (in my and my friends' opinions) weirdly stuffy, stilted essays. I don't usually mind slow, descriptive/lyrical writing, but this is something else. If you don't mind a deeply personal and conversational writing style and a book you can sit with for several months, definitely check this one out, because it has merit; it's just not for me.

Zao's Tales by J.A. Sommer - I'm still vaguely unclear on how this book arrived on my shelf (it was a gift from my mother and she bought it to support someone?). Decidedly not for me. Also...now I don't have a "Z" title for my alphabet challenge lol.

just kidding, I found another one that was kind of on my radar and ordered it from the library, whoo

Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher - I'm learning that Kingfisher really straddles the line on what I'm willing to tolerate content-wise. This one was a "no" based on that.

The Sea at the End of Everything by Emily McCosh - The writing style was not for me. Sorry, Ruby.

*I'm starting to wonder if I should bother recording books I DNF.... They make up fully a third of the books I've picked up this year.

Currently Reading:

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks - just started

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Od Magic | Author: Patricia A. McKillip | Publisher: Penguin (2006)

[lightthewaybackhome]

What a beautiful book to start the year off with. I love McKillip's ability to describe things in a way that shifts your perspective. I love that her women work with needle and thread, buttons and bones. I love how close to the earth she is with her magic. I love how much she honors the ordinary by lighting it with wonder. I love how her villains are people trying to do what's right wrongly, but coming round in the end because this book is about the wonder of the ordinary being lost and then found. I love how she confronts tyranny with freedom, trust, and love, not lawlessness.

I love how beautifully written her cozy stories are, and this one is. She is quickly becoming my favorite female author, and I don't hate her female characters. That's a win.

[diaryoftruequotes]

Sorrow was like sleeping on stone, he decided. You had to settle all its bumps and sharp edges, come to terms against them, fit them around until they became bearable, and then carry your bed wherever you went.

Patricia A. McKillip, Od Magic

[deathricedrawn]

egem portrait for @empiropediazine

[serpentface]

Etadinii priest (cult of Inyamache) standing near the serpent stone, a megalithic structure predating any historical record. Contrary to first impressions and occasional jesting, this is almost definitely not a giant penis (though Some level of symbolic phallic intent is possible), and was probably shaped to cast a long shadow resembling the head and neck of a snake.

Its location is within the present-day province of Wardin adjacent to the city Jaesai, close to the border of Ephennos. A temple to Inyamache was built around it three centuries ago and greatly expanded within the past century, though the stone and the majority of the associated site remains intact.

It is most likely at least couple thousand years old, long predating the written record and having only hazy and conflicting accounts in different oral histories. Most of its original features have been worn away by erosion, but petrogylphs of a snake and rows of scimitar deer (locally extinct or possibly never extant in this area), gazelle, and aurochs remain visible (and may have been re-carved at various points in history), and there are traces of concentric rings at the 'head'. 21st century level analysis would also find traces of ochre within the lines of the petroglyphs, which were painted and repainted red for at least a couple centuries after its creation.

This is the largest single prehistoric megalithic structure located within present day Imperial Wardin (unless burial cairns constructed over slab tombs are counted) and its existence is very technically impressive, especially given the nearest possible quarry is about 50 miles away. The builders of the site were almost certainly a fairly small society of nomadic pastoralists, so the diversion of time and manpower to the quarrying and movement of this stone (and others on the site) would have been absolutely exceptional. Most similar structures from the era are significantly smaller (about human height) and found closer to quarry sources.

The stone is part of a larger site that was mostly or entirely constructed in the same period. It stands adjacent to a shallow, rounded manmade pit buffered from erosion with brick walls, encircled by smaller horizontal slabs. A single circular slab is placed in the center, which is currently referred to as the sun stone. A nearby arroyo also shows signs of modification from the same period (beyond typical redirections for irrigation), diverting any potential floodwaters away from the site to prevent inundation of the pit.

The primary purpose of this stone and the site itself is recording the winter solstice. During the solstice sunset, the snake's cast shadow approaches and perfectly engulfs the circular slab at the center, appearing to devour it. The notion that the sun is eaten by a snake (either on the winter solstice, during total eclipses, or both) appears to have been a common thread in religious belief in the region. This notion is no longer held in the Wardi sphere (the night of the solstice is the sun's yearly death and total eclipses are a concerning premature and unnatural death) but still has linguistic traces, particularly in the word for total solar eclipses being a compound form of the phrase 'swallowed sun'.

Ownership of the site has changed hands numerous times over its history, but it has been in near-continuous use by all its owners as a place to observe the winter solstice and perform related rites. Virtually all proto-Wardi monotheist animist worldviews cast the sun (or sun + sky) as God and/or the source from which all beings emanate, and most considered the winter solstice to be an exceptionally significant (and potentially dangerous) moment in the year, as the time of the sun's dying and subsequent rebirth.

Within the faith of the 7-faced god, veneration of God has shifted to focus more upon the earth (with the sun as an Extension of the earth, all parts of God's body) but the winter solstice still retains extreme religious significance- it's used in part to determine the date of the new year (which occurs on the first new Nyaram moon on or after the solstice), and is still recognized as the moment of the sun's death.

The state cult of Inyamache currently maintains this site as part of the temple grounds and uses it to measure the winter solstice in the same capacity it has for millennia, using the total engulfment of the sun stone as the signal to begin their most important rites of the year. It is understood that it's at least Possible that the sun could fail to rise the next morning if proper action is not taken to ensure its rebirth.

The serpent stone stands in contrast to the brightly plastered and painted temple (and the other prehistoric slabs on-site that have received this treatment) in remaining unaltered in the modern era. The state cult holds that the serpent stone and its associated site was created by the first men, and considers the location and the serpent stone itself to be sacred and regulated by taboo. The only people permitted to enter the site and touch the stone are Etadinii priests (who cleanse it with water once per solar month). Solar eclipses (and subsequent misfortunes attributed to them) are occasionally blamed on trespassers.

[rogdona]

[oldschoolfrp]

Wizard’s Aide, 1977, a self-published third-party OD&D supplement by Matt Whalley, with Emmanuel Bautista's illustrations

[ethan-acfan]

I'm just gonna say this, Uther was always preaching about how magic is the source of all evil even though his son was born from magic so do yall think he subconsciously started believing his son was evil

[its-gettin-weird]

"People are creatures who cant live without loving someone. But since they're creatures who can't love something that's strange or revolting, then by process of elimination, they can't live without loving something they can love."

It's her. The meat woman.

tbh, I don't really know anything about her asides from the stuff that I read on her wiki / Birth of Authority from Wish document and stuff that people in the fandom have said about her, so idk how accurate this would be to her lol but I think I have a gist for what her deal is XD

For Capella, I was going for a kind of butcher aesthetic, but with some touches of demon / dragon elements because iirc she transforms into a dragon at some point (also I think she already has a demonic vibe to her + just... how she is in general), and she 'butchers' people's bodies into grotesque shit. That's also the reason why her weapons are meat cleavers, to go with the whole 'butcher' theme. I also wanted to have a sort of clashing of cutesy / risqué elements in her outfit to go with the contrast of her appearance versus her personality, hence the ruffles + bows in her outfit paired with the latex top, gloves, and pencil skirt. I had no idea what to do with her at first, because her outfit in canon is literally just. A bikini. And some other shit. Aside from a color scheme I had no real 'theme' to go off of, just scantily clad outfit. I was at first gonna go for something like a mad nurse / surgeon vibe cause of how she alters people, but being a butcher just fits so much better for her and goes with her vibes really well. Also I think she's been called 'meat woman' in the LN or WN before so it makes sense lol XD

The authority from a wish document basically says that she wants to be loved by everyone and believes that people only love someone's appearance / looks are all that matter, so she wants to make everyone else around her look disgusting so that they only love her, and says her 'wish' is to turn others into something revolting, so that's what she probably wished for, giving her the ability to transform herself and others into whatever she wants.

[thedaselcor]

Alright fandom hivemind, I need lords/ladies of Camelot and/or greater Albion that we think would be amenable to swearing fealty directly to Arthur for reasons.

Bonus, it can also be groups like the druids who have power without land and would be willing to swear fealty to Merlin or to Arthur under xyz conditions.

They don't have to be canonical people we hear a lot about, they can be people we know through knights or just know like "hey these guys were in that area"... Mostly looking for raw ideas I can process... For reasons.

[lightthewaybackhome]

Not a beer, but a gin and lemon tonic.

[tsuki-in-faerun]

jammer had it right!

when you do CPR, you keep it going until EMTs or otherwise higher level medical help arrives.

if someone is unconscious and not breathing, you probably won't bring them back to awareness. the dramatic 'gasping awake' kind of reaction isn't necessarily realistic.

the mechanism of Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation is to essentially keep the person's blood somewhat oxygenated and circulating in the absence of breath or heartbeat. you are manually stimulating circulation by squeezing their heart for them via chest compressions. even if they appear to have died, you can prevent long term damage, particularly to the brain, by performing CPR in case they can be revived via more invasive means. even if that means taking turns with other people (because it is tiring to do chest compressions), don't just decide that someone is dead and CPR isn't doing anything. keep it going as long as you know that help is on the way.

if you are by yourself or emergency help is not coming, just keep it going as long as you can.

bonus: if you are ever in a situation where someone has lost an extremity and is bleeding out, use a tourniquet. you really only want to use one when you know that the flesh below it can't be saved because the point of a tourniquet is to cut off blood flow and that usually results in tissue death. use non-stretchy fabric or a belt. there are some ready made tourniquets that have a quick release mechanism built in, if you keep a first aid kit. if you are able to write the time you first applied the tourniquet on the bandage itself, that's really helpful information for EMTs/medics to have.

[greeneyeofenvy]

drew my fave maniacs. I think Lucinda would def give ‘feminine gaze-jock’ typa thing (her and Robyn would be bffs). And bc I was bored when I finaihed tihs

Mini Lucy’n’Danny

Ref as always

[darcyolsson]

dr odyssey and 911 both airing in the middle of the night on the same day for me makes every single thursday feel like christmas eve it's so fun. every week i'm tucked into bed all giddy. cant wait to wake up to gifts from murphy claus tomorrow

[stormyoceans]

EVERYBODY PAUSE. i just found out sweet tooth good dentist only has 11 episodes?????

what if. what if my magic prophecy is gonna take the friday slot right after stgd ends.........