#at night all blood is black

[lit-rants]

Temporary madness, in war, is bravery's sister.

At Night All Blood is Black, David Diop.

[patheticbatman]

Part Two

I’m very proud of these dolls, and I’m also leaving them at my parents’ house, so I did a little photoshoot with some books as background so I can have nice pictures of them.

This is the second post, so check out the first for more info!

First up we have Pocahontas (real name Matoaka) with Elatsoe, by Darcie Little Badger. It’s a why-dunnit, not a who-dunnit, about a Lipan Apache girl who has some serious ghost powers. Pocahontas was a tough one, but I decided to go with a book I love about a modern Lipan Apache (Indigenous) girl, written by a modern Lipan Apache (Indigenous) woman. I know a lot of people have strong feelings on both the real life Matoaka and the cartoon Pocahontas, and how she symbolizes a lot of sad and terrible changes for Turtle Island. So I thought putting the doll and this book together would provide an interesting contrast, one that the real life Matoaka may find horribly interesting.

Second is Esmeralda with At Night All Blood Is Black, by David Diop (the French title means Soul Brother - I believe that the title is a play on the English Idiom, At Night All Cats Are Grey, meaning you cannot see meaningful differences in the right circumstances). It’s a very interesting though sorrowful novel about a Senegalese Tirailleur (Infantryman) who was sent to France during WWI. I don’t think Esmeralda would read this normally, but if she was in a sad mood, I think the theme of fluctuating humanity during conflict, and being a Person of Color in France (even centuries later!) would interest her.

Third up is Mulan with Lady of Ch’iao Kuo: Warrior of the South, by Laurence Yep. When I drew pictures for Mulan’s poem (years ago now!) I headcanoned in my explanation that Mulan and Lady Xian, princess of the Li Xian people in modern day Guangdong, were close enough in history that they *might* have met and been friendly. Mulan is typically from further North and West than Guangdong, and would be part of the colonizing side in this case sadly, but I feel like they would respect each other as fellow powerful women.

Fourth is Melody (Ariel’s daughter) with A Song Below Water, by Bethany C. Morrow. I think she’d go into the book with certain expectations, like I did, about the plot, and then get drawn in by the real story. Let’s just say the cover gave me assumptions that lead to a great twist for me personally. Also, I think Melody would relate to the mystery of her magical parent’s true background. The book celebrates the lesser known fantasy species, and approaches the danger of traffic stops, police brutality and protesting for Black people, and how that intersects with being a woman, with care and love. If they ever make a live action Little Mermaid 2, I feel like that would also speak to Melody.

Fifth is Kida with The Ones We’re Meant To Find, by Joan He. Kida is from a fantasy ancient civilization, and this book depicts a sci-fi futuristic one, but there’s more similarities than one might initially think. Both exist due to the hubris of humanity, and in reaction to serious pollution topside. And both explore (or at least mention) a relationship between two women separated by the change in their civilization, and with a boy who seems to know too much. I’m not sure Kida would necessarily read this story, aside from its attractive and exotic (to her, at least) take on the world above, which she has not seen for millennia, but this story is similar enough to Kida’s movie that I felt it fell under the adaption category instead.

Sixth is Jane (from Peter Pan 2, Wendy’s daughter) with Peter Pan on Scarlet, by Geraldine McCaughrean. The Disney movie is NOT based on this book, but both do mention Wendy’s family being affected by a World War, though this one has WWI and the movie has WWII. Interestingly, both have a sympathetic Hook initially. ‘Twas a lovely read, and in my opinion matched the original book based on the play.

Seventh is Giselle with The Wind in the Willow, by Kenneth Grahame. I just felt Giselle would enjoy the idea of cute talking animals (but not so much the war storylines of Redwall) so I put her with this book.

Eighth is Tiana (<3) with Wildwood Dancing, by Juliet Marillier. Funnily enough, I do actually have the *sequel* to the book her movie was based off of, but I’ve never read the original, so I decided it doesn’t count. But this is my favorite mixed up fairy tale novel that features a Frog Prince storyline, so I went with it. The villain is also a greedy butt who doesn’t care for his own people, and the protagonist is often underestimated, due to her appearance and gender. In any case, I love this book so much that I illustrated the first chapter, lol.

Ninth is Rapunzel with Rapunzel’s Revenge, by Shannon, Dean and Nathan Hale. I loved this adaption since I was a kid (honestly more than Tangled) and I’m pleased to finally own it.

Last is Merida, with The Edge on the Sword, by Rebecca Tingle. The book is about a warrior princess a thousand years ago in what is England today, with a forced engagement storyline, so I figured this would be right up Merida’s alley.

Part One

Part Three

Part Four

[elispyke]

"I am the shadow that devours rocks, mountains, forests, and rivers, the flesh of beasts and of men. I slice skin, I empty skulls and bodies. I cut off arms, legs, and hands. I smash bones and I suck out their marrow. But I am also the red moon that rises over the river, I am the evening air that rustles the tender acacia trees. I am the wasp and the flower. I am as much the wriggling fish as the still canoe, as much the net as the fisherman. I am the prisoner and his guard. I am the tree and the seed that grew into it. I am father and son. I am assassin and judge. I am the sowing and the harvest. I am mother and daughter. I am night and day. I am fire and the wood it devours. I am innocent and guilty. I am the beginning and the end. I am the creator and the destroyer. I am double." - At night all blood is black, David Diop

[ppeacexchaoss]

𝟙.𝟙𝟘.𝟚𝟛

Just finished reading At Night all Blood is Black by David Diop.

It is set during WWI and follows the story of Alfa Ndiaye and his more-than-brother Mademba who are soldiers in the war fighting for France against Germany.

In just about 150 pages this book deeply touched me with its description of war and how it affects the morality of men. The repercussions of war; physical, mental and emotional destruction of a human being and how participation in war can dehumanise us completely, are shown with such subtlety and ease in language.

There we so many quotable lines that really make you think for a while.

Page 64 “That’s war: it’s when God lags behind the music of men, when he can’t untangle the threads of so many fates at the same time.”

It was only the final 3 chapters that got me bit confused with the psychosis of the main character but other than that this book was easily a 4/5

[whatcha-reading-today]

At Night All Blood is Black | David Diop

This story takes place during World War 1, with our main character Alfa Ndiaye, a Senegalese man, part of the 'Chocolate' Army fighting for the French. Unable to mercy kill a badly wounded friend, he descends into madness and starts murdering his enemies in increasingly gruesome ways. I loved this, finding the prose nasty but detailing such a fascinating perspective of a part of history of which I know very little.

Format: Physical copy

Read in: 2023

High recommend for fans of historical fiction/horror.

[bookcoversonly]

Title: At Night All Blood is Black | Author: David Diop | Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (2020)

[goryhorroor]

horror sub-genres: giallo

[macaronis-telegraph]

“You killed him with your words, you disemboweled him with your words, you devoured the insides of his body with your words."

- David Diop, At Night All Blood is Black

[classichorrorblog]

10 Giallo Films To Consider For October/Halloween

[rabenschwcrz]

PEOPLE ONCE BELIEVED THAT WHEN SOMEONE DIES, A RAVEN CARRIES THEIR SOUL TO THE LAND OF THE DEAD.

⸻ A STUDY IN: Everything black, love and loss, death and resurrection, grief, revenge served cold, talking to the moon, cold and lonely nights.

【 . . . 】 If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die, but real love is forever.

✞ ⁰¹ 『rules.』 ✞ ⁰² 『about.』 ✞ ⁰³ 『starter.』 ✞ ⁰⁴ 『inbox.』 ✞ ⁰⁵ 『writings.』 ✞ ⁰⁶ 『edits.』 ✞ ⁰⁷ 『tutorials.』 ✞ ⁰⁸ 『credit.』

#RABENSCHWCRZ, a singlemuse blog for MICHAEL CORVIS, original character, inspired by the movie THE CROW (1994), as resurrected by 𝚖𝚒𝚍𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝. Crossover-, multiverse-, and multiship friendly. Very low activity, semi-selective, german preferred. English is fine for short interactions. Mdni, 18+ only.

[c0rpsedemon]

the thing about the queer media tournament that really gets me is that last i checked there wasn't a single mxtx work on it. like not even the untamed made it in and don't get me wrong the og mo dao zu shi books are huge but cql is def more popular among tumblr circles. idk it just really rubs me the wrong way how every single piece of western media that ppl have ever gotten a lil bit aggressive abt shipping with is there and then for east asian media there's utena and madoka magica and the handmaiden and last i checked that was pretty much it. and then for the rest of the world there's next to/nothing but idk enough to really make judgements there.

[eky11]

(Tw Blood, and my vent art, it is not Inazuma content today, sorry x'd)

Hold my hands, we'll dance the 12-step on my grave. I'd kill the man I am, for one more chance to be yours, babe. No I ain't begging, I'm just saying, it's an option. Don't let the latest be the last nail in the coffin!

[elispyke]

"Now I know, I understand that nothing is simple about what's written on high. I know, I understand, but I don't tell anyone because now I think what I want, for no one but myself... I believe I understand that what's written on high is only a copy of what man writes here below." - At night all blood is black, David Diop

[kirkwallsbane]

I'm so deeply predictable

[justinefrischmanngf]

i'd kind of like to write something horrible like i would like to write a piece of fiction that is just extreme and awful and visceral

[this-doesnt-endd]

I dont need these things but i wanna get those like finger pulse oxygen readers and the like blood pressure wrist cuffs. I dont need them i go to dr appts all the time and ive never had issues but like all of a sudden i feel like i really need them and i need to know these stats daily