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semper-legens · 2 years

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13. The Silver Collar, by Antonia Hodgson

Owned?: No, library Page count: 312 My summary: Thomas Hawkins, after surviving a death sentence and the ire of all of London (it seemed), was looking forward to a quiet time of relaxation. But when a bothersome preacher darkens his door, he soon finds himself in a spot of trouble. What does the preacher want with his girlfriend Kitty? Who wants him dead? And when he finds the truth, how will he save himself and Kitty from a terrible fate? My rating: 4/5 My commentary:

Some books just sort of call to you. Like this one, as a point of fact. It was out on one of our displays in the library, and I kept casting it curious glances every time I was shelving or doing the item request and happened to wander by. A historical mystery set, not in the Victorian era as is so common, but in the 1720s? Featuring a rogue who is notorious for having escaped the gallows, and touching on the impact of slavery in Britain? My interest, as I am sure you have gathered, was piqued, and I decided I was going to read this one posthaste. And, reader, I was not disappointed.

However, one note - is there anything so disheartening as getting about 50-100 pages into a book you're enjoying only to realise that, not only is it not the first in a series, but is in fact the fourth? People who design book covers should put that information front and centre, I swear it. Nevertheless, it is to this book's credit that I was never lost without the context of the previous books. Events pertinent to this book were recapped in a brief, but informative manner that was still entertaining, and the status quo of the characters and their relationships was well laid out from the get-go. Which, if you're going to come into a book series at the fourth instalment, was pretty much the ideal. No complaints from me writing-wise on that front!

So what of the actual book itself? It was a good read! I'm always interested in historical fiction that doesn't centre the white aristocracy or middle-class, and although the protagonist, Thomas Hawkins, is a gentleman by birth, he doesn't really have any of the privileges associated with it. Kitty, his girlfriend, likewise comes from money but is basically living as a pauper. There is mention of gay characters from previous instalments, and a major supporting character is Jeremiah, a previously-enslaved black man who is searching for his daughter. Jeremiah is interesting - the traumas he has experienced meant that he spoke with a stammer, but when he tells his story in writing he is eloquent and passionate. He is dedicated to his daughter, to the point of calling out Thomas when it seems that Thomas is just using him for his own revenge, and not wanting to help Jeremiah on his own and for his ends. This idea of a man born into slavery who manages to free himself and carve out a life is incredibly compelling, even if it's ultimately not the point of the book.

That's not to say that our main protagonist isn't anything to write home about, either. Thomas is exactly my kind of historical male character - rogueish, dashing, criminal, but with a heart of gold and a burning passion to do what's right, even when it goes against the social mores of the time. What I liked about Thomas was that he had elements of the Genius Detective archetype - he's very quick and makes logical deductions based on cold-reading his clients - but he shows how he came to his conclusions or where he just bluffed or made a lucky guess, and sometimes he's wrong, with devastating consequences. It's a more realistic take on that trope and I'm glad to see it. He's also chugging that Respect Women juice, which for an 18th century fella is very good to see.What else? Kitty, Thomas' not-wife, is a reasonably strong character as she fights against her kidnapper, though at times she did fall too much into the distressed damsel archetype for my liking. The villain is deliciously evil. And the glimpses into Thomas' past adventures, far from putting me off, ended up galvanising me to request the three previous books from the library. So, uh, watch this space for those, I guess!

Next up, we're back to the world of the vampire, as Lestat takes the stage.

#The Silver Collar #Antonia Hodgson #bookblr #book blog #book blogger #4

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texaschainsawmascara · 8 months

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archfiendco on ig / @fiendco on here

#jewelry #design #spiked collar #collar #fashion #style #necklace #silver #fairy #fairies #dog collar

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cutevintagetoys · 11 months

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💖 Get it here: Pierce My Heart Collar

Use code “TUMBLR” for a discount!

#kawaii #kawaiicore #kawaii aesthetic #kawaii babe #kawaii fashion #cute #cutecore #cute blog #spiked #silver #heart #goth #collar #necklace #choker #spikes

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xieliansbignaturals · 2 months

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I've made too many (four!!) non-fandom, real-world-problems-related original posts/additions today. 😬 To even things out a little, here are some silly Hualian headcanons:

Hua Cheng collects Xie Lian's toenail clippings. Xie Lian thinks this is normal, reasonable, and actually quite cute, so he makes sure to clip his toenails where the clippings can be easily collected.

Hua Cheng wishes he had to breathe so he could suffocate to death via Xie Lian sitting on his face.

Xie Lian is unhinged about Hua Cheng, too. Aside from the pain thing from the birthday extra, he also knows things like exactly how many eyelashes Hua Cheng has. (The number doesn't change, for ghost reasons.)

Hua Cheng's calligraphy never improves. Xie Lian actually loves Hua Cheng's cursed handwriting, and Hua Cheng knows this, and Xie Lian knows he knows. They keep doing lessons anyway.

Hua Cheng is jealous of Xie Lian's stray cats. Sometimes he shapeshifts into a cat and tries to blend in with them. This is not successful in the sense that he actually manages to blend in, but it is successful in the sense that he gets lots of gege attention and chin scritches.

Slowly, as Xie Lian adjusts to married life, he becomes a blanket hog. Hua Cheng is delighted by this development. It's not like he needs a blanket. And even if he did, His Highness should feel so comfortable, and value his own needs/wants enough, that he demands things even in his sleep!

Xie Lian also relearns his sense for when textures, tastes, etc. are Not Right, and his urge to complain about them until they are Fixed. Hua Cheng loves this, too! A picky Xie Lian is a mentally healthy Xie Lian, and being ordered around by his god is like, the sexiest thing ever.

Both of them get sad if the other closes the bathroom door to pee :(

#tgcf #hualian #hua cheng #xie lian #'today' in that first paragraph is in the sense of 'the time i was awake since the last time i slept'#i'm imagining hua cheng's cat form as like. a one-eyed black cat with sleek perfect fur and a red leather collar with a silver bell.#he uses this form Every Single Time #it did not even fool xie lian the very first time

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amber-tortoiseshell · 13 days

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Cat report

Today i was walking in the neighbourhood, and saw such a silver cat!