#disappointing but i will read it every time i read the trilogy so it's whatever

[lostandbackagain]

theory that dustfinger spent half of the book unconscious not because of whatever the hell orpheus did but because he concussed himself

[raine-witcher]

I have finished Spirit of Justice and I have OPINIONS:

These are not going to be at all well organized instead will be tangent filled and disorganized af. Bear with me.

First of all the trilogy itself id describe as a…interesting sandwich, we have a rocky depressing start but with absolutely solid new characters. The absolute masterpiece of Duel destines being a completely amazing set of cases consistently. And then…this absolutely devastating rollercoaster. I think the cases in Japanafornia are solid, great cases. While the first 2 cases in Kura’in are…they’re pretty bad, especially the 3rd case of the game. And that issue is entirely because the characters from Kura’in are incredibly uncomplying. Nahyuta is a complete asshole and hypocrite who shows no signs of his change. And Rayfa is a spoiled brat. Neither of these characters change until the last half of the last case. That. Is. A. Problem. Why should I care about their changes when I haven’t seen a steady pattern of growth from them? Instead we get coin flips. That’s not compelling that’s a waste of my time having to read their stupid. Boring. Dialogue. I hated Nahyuta so much I stoped voicing him for a while in my play though. The best way k can describe why he sucks is because he wasted 4 dialogue boxes to just say he likes peaches. He drags on about nothing. After following the incredible acts of Gavin and Simon the best was I can explain my disappointment is by pointing out how both they before him had the ability to admit when they’re wrong and be helpful in a case. Nahyuta said Trucy was a sinful being pretending to be a cute little girl. That’s not a great introduction when we know Trucy is far from that. They keep saying he’s “kind and generous” but they show no action confirming that idea. The writers forgot about the core rule of “show don’t tell” that man was awful constantly and consistently. So when we get to the final case, I don’t give a single flying fuck about his feelings or change of heart. Because I’ve been given no real reason to care. Speaking of the 5th case. Oh my god. I cried so much about Dhurke. And part of me is upset because that proves the writers could make a character worth bringing me to tears and he had so much less screen time then Nahyuta or Rayfa. So they proved they can write characters that don’t suck ass from Kura’in. So I’m just all the more disappointed. Finally. I hate Apollo staying there. And that’s for multiple reasons. One, I don’t like the kingdom of Kura’in. Best way I can explain that is due to the fact it doesn’t have its own voice as a distinct country. I can clearly tell it’s a large melting point of every country from the east. What am I supposed to latch onto if it doesn’t truly have a culture? It’s biggest defining feature is it’s hostility towards me. So my reaction is to want to get tf out of there as fast as possible. Secondly as I’ve stated. All the characters in Kura’in are fucking boring. Or annoying. Or whatever. I don’t want to spend my time talking to them. Therfore I don’t want to be in this location. Okay two. I love Apollo. And I’m terrified that he won’t be a main character in the next game. I don’t want him to come back as a cameo character in a single case. He is a core part of the main 3 I’ve come to adore and I want him to be there. As a main character. Consistently. And I don’t know if he is. And I’m worried. So the ending made me feel bittersweet, upset, disappointed. This cast I’ve come to know as a family. And then being together is important to me. Is that stupid? Personally Idgaf it’s my feelings and I’ll get myself attached to what I want. I will criticize the writers for these decisions because they’re also written an amazing franchise that I’ve come to adore incredibly. I care about this game and it’s characters and I want to see them together. The end of duel destines where they all 3 point together left such an impression on me. As an artist and a character designer (not professional in any sense but it’s what I love to do) I respect the fuck out of the creators for making the cast of Wright anything agency. But the fumbles in Spirit of Justice have me concerned for the next game in the franchise. I hope to be proven wrong in my fears.

[bloodgulchblog]

Have you seen that YouTube video where some guy reads every Halo novel back to back and then reviews them? If so what did you think

The Brian David Gilbert one? Oh yeah, all my friends showed me it when it came out. (It was honestly kind of cute seeing how many people thought of me immediately.)

Rewatching it to refresh myself because it's been a couple years and a full-novel reread for me since the last time...

High fiving BDG because the Master Chief parts of The Flood were definitely the most boring parts.

He didn't have anything to say about First Strike which I think is a shame because I think it's better than The Fall of Reach and actually has A Theme I Find Interesting.

Rightful recognition of Contact Harvest as pretty damn good.

Rightful recognition of the Forerunner Trilogy as dense oldschool-style SF with deep worldbuilding. (Also the San'Shyuum thing.)

I disagree with him about, and have significant problems with, Kilo Five. He is correct that Kilo Five actually delves into some of the dark places in Halo in a way it really needed, and I would even say that its writing is extremely engaging by Halo novel standards. However, while he does notice the obvious parallels between what ONI is doing post-war and the kind of shit the CIA has pulled again and again irl, I think he misses some of the subtext I see where it feels like it justifies some shit a liiiiittle too much if you know the author's irl politics re: the military. He also doesn't seem to notice the character assassinations (particularly of Catherine Halsey) that I and a lot of other fans see/object to in those books. I kind of gaze into the middle distance with a haunted expression at the suggestion that these are the ones to read if you don't touch any of the others just because they are, ironically, so heavy-handed and feel like they treat certain kinds of evil as inevitable in a way that actually feels way worse to me than the excuse plot offered by the earlier/lighter Halo novels. (But idk, that's me? Nobody is committing a crime if they disagree with my frenzied insane person red string diagrams about Kilo Five.)

I'd swap Pariah for Dirt in the Evolutions anthology if it were me, but I think these are solid standouts.

Broken Circle is neat but really nonessential he's not wrong.

A one-sentence review of New Blood is probably not enough space to get into how fucked up the Spartan-IV program is, but yeah. New Blood is fun if you don't find Buck's first person narration annoying. (It comes and goes for me in that one.)

BDG you're an absolute sweetheart, I think Hunters in the Dark is kind of goofy in a way I cannot in good conscience ignore if I'm gonna review it. But it really really is so much fun and I love that one a lot anyway. The "it's like Halo 3... 2" observation is solid.

High fiving him again because I also found Last Light disappointing. And it is also a me problem.

Fractures!

Hell yeah these are all good pulls from Fractures, I would say Shadow of Intent is the pick of the litter in that anthology for me. Interesting that as a Kilo Five enjoyer he didn't single out Rossbach's World, which is the last we've heard about Osman and Black Box. (Also, that one is good.) I think Oasis is worth an honorable mention because I'm an Envoy stan, and the Forerunner stories are interesting but I wouldn't go for them if you don't already have a healthy interest in the trilogy.

This tangent is so fucking funny now that we know more things:

Oh BDG, oh buddy, it's really not for the people like you and me huh. (Disclaimer: I have no idea if BDG likes the Halo tv show or not and I have no desire to dig up evidence about it.)

Also, while you're here, this is the bloodgulchblog origin story:

Smoke and Shadow is fun so it's a little sad that when he ends that sentence with "whatever," I can't actually say he's wrong to. (Sorry Rion your part of the lore just.... hasn't... touched anything that touches anything else anymore.)

ENVOY IS GOOD AND EVERYONE SHOULD CARE ABOUT IT okay okay I'm cool I'm normal, anyway. Envoy is the Halo novel that restored my faith in reading Halo novels and reminded me that authors can care and know how to do nuanced, interesting themes in this space. It's great. Everyone in this book has war refugee trauma (except the Spartans which have Spartan trauma) and that's incredible to me. Please care about Envoy if you have spare room in your heart for Halo side characters.

I am cheered to see someone indifferent to the Veta Lopis stories, but I still feel petty for feeling it.

I don't have a lot to say about Legacy of Onyx here but it's always so fun seeing someone else suffer and care.

Bad Blood, the Blood is Bad now is a fun joke but lol yeah. It does have this very vital moment where Chief and Arbiter talk, though. For the first and only time in years.

PROPS FOR NOTICING THE YA NOVELS they're actually pretty nice.

"The Master Chief is the protagonist and boy does he shoot some people" is most of how I feel about Silent Storm and Oblivion too, I know they have their fans but Troy Denning's Chief books don't do much for me personally.

Renegades hadn't had its followup Point of Light yet but yeah, Spark stuff is interesting.

I had to remember that oh yeah, there are multiple books now that didn't exist when this was made. I wonder if he read them?

OKAY I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAD TO SAY as always if y'all want specific book opinions, I might have a tag for them. Or just yell in my ask box, I'm sure I can scrounge up some thoughts.

[cuppajj]

Requiem of the Wreckers to me is like sam raimi spiderman 3 to so many people. It’s such a trainwreck it’s amazing and my mind will not shut up about it. Rotw gets better (worse) every reread, I get frustrated over what should’ve happened and how it should’ve ended, and then I’m like “here’s what character A should’ve done here and maybe if we had more pages (screen time) we could’ve gotten more buildup for character B.” I reread it again and it’s even more frustrating but it’s so bad it’s good and fun that I can’t look away. Tarantulas did that for some reason. Springer was like that somehow. They’re in a barn. Ok. Don’t even get me fucking started on whatever the hell Overlord was doing. Hey why don’t we question the implications of this specific plot point that exists only for there to be a shocking reveal of a returning character that also uses previous elements established in the narrative? Yeah but what if we really question it? Like a lot? Is this what it’s like to be obsessed. You make an AU to carry the weight of poorly explained story elements in a trilogy-ending comic book that only so many have read. And its obscurity and absurdity makes you love it so much it becomes self indulgent to the point you get shy when you share it. It is about a poorly explained plot element that you aren’t supposed to question but I did the opposite and made it a problem. Just like the comic itself. I do not understand the grapple it has on my mind and why these writing decisions were made, why did some of these things end like THAT, how did this shit escalate. The writing in this post is as unhinged as the writing of Requiem of the Wreckers because that is what it is. Unhinged. Please read it you will not be disappointed (by what I’m saying). Never before has a comic book driven me this mad

[sednonamoris]

fran's 2023 read it and weep 🫵

a comprehensive list of everything i read this year and why you should (or shouldn't) read it as well...

how to read literature like a professor by thomas c. foster

i picked this back up again when i took on a teaching job as a refresh - it was my fourth or fifth reread and as always my main man thomas c. did not disappoint!! not joking when i say i quote this thing on the reg: it's a symbol if you think it is became a permanent fixture in my vernacular ages ago. this book aligns perfectly with my yes the curtains are blue on purpose agenda and serves as an excellent foray into deep/active reading, which i am constantly preaching about to my kids. fun and fresh literary analysis, just the way it should be!

tiny beautiful things by cheryl strayed

gritty, witty, and full of heart. this advice column-turned-book is shocking but so very human, and it got me out of a months-long reading slump.

bridge of clay by markus zusak

yes, a boy named clay builds a bridge, but it’s sooooo much more than that. this book weaves the past and present together in a beautiful way and really brings meaning to the concept of haunting the narrative. the descriptions are vivid and lived-in which makes the setting - 1980’s australia - entirely accessible, even to a foreign homebody like me. the family dynamics at play are outrageous and charming and the whole thing is gorgeously written and it made me cry. read it right now.

the hunchback of notre dame by victor hugo

i LOVED this book but unless you are just as obsessed with the story as me, this is not a rec. victor hugo anything is more of a warning or an i-read-it-so-you-didn't-have-to. did i learn more than i ever wanted to about french gothic architecture and the paris catacombs? yes. was i still utterly enthralled by the layers upon layers of tragedy woven together? also yes. it was so neat to see the (obviously many and major) differences from the children's movie and musical that i grew up loving. so many good quotes for my commonplace book in this one.

song of solomon by toni morrison

i had read just about every toni morrison book except this one, and since this is like theee book i figured it was high time i rectified that. to no one's surprise, i loved it. a brilliantly written coming of age novel with family history and family mythology in dialogue with cultural history and cultural mythology. who are we but the stories we tell ourselves? is common history alone enough to have in common? morrison is an author who poses difficult questions and lets her readers grapple with difficult answers and i always come away from her work feeling exhilarated. if you let me influence you in anything let it be this - whatever book of hers you choose, Everyone should read toni morrison and experience her brilliance firsthand.

the first law trilogy by joe abercrombie (the blade itself, before they are hanged, and last argument of kings, respectively)

gritty political fantasy with the most lovable evil bastards of characters you ever met - it's safe to say i'm obsessed. each and every character has themes and lines of repetition that carry through the series, but they're Anything but one-note. this trilogy is all about cycles, and what i love is that everything - literally everything - comes full circle while still feeling fresh and true to both the story and its characters. also logen ninefingers is my wife now.

the pale blue eye by louis bayard

i watched this movie first on netflix and had a great time, but to no one's surprise i'm going to tell you that the book is better. the character voices are strong and enjoyable - the kinds of personalities that keep you turning pages - and the mystery itself is full of wonderful twists and turns. it's in dialogue with sir arthur conan doyle, as all post-holmes detective fiction is, but does not feel shadowed by or beholden to it. the historical fiction aspect is fun as well!

[wtfuckevenknows]

Top 9 Books

thanks for the tag and the crisis @liminalmemories21... I'm cheating because of course I am 🙈

Y'all knew there would be pictures, right?! I do live my life in pictures (theres a reason I studied photography) after all 🤷🏻‍♀️

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Obviously....

2. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

I've read the whole trilogy but this is by far my favorite (isn't the first one always the best?). Every now and then I need a break from all the romance and then I'll pick up a ya thriller or whatever and this was the perfect quarantine read tbh.

3. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Used to be my favorite book until rwrb came along. Also didn't hate the movie...

4. P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

Unlike here, where the movie kinda ruined the book for me. Read it like 5 times, bawled my eyes out every time and haven't read it since I watched the movie (which also means I've never read it in English). It's on my list actually, to get over the trauma and to finally read it in its original version.

5. Off Campus Series by Elle Kennedy

It's hockey... Do I need to say more?! Some of the best book boyfriends are found in these books 💖

6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I read this in my lunch breaks at work years and years ago and I bawled my eyes out so much that even the kids asked me if I was okay. 🤣 Haven't read it since but loved it very much!!!

7. hush hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Once again and the first and best book of a trilogy. The only book of my fantasy phase that I would still read again today.

8. What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

I loved the first one so much and I was sooooo disappointed by the beginning of the second one I still haven't finished it.

9. Rules for Being a Girl by Candace Bushnell and Katie Cotugno

Such a powerful book. Just read it. I yelled at everyone I knew to read it after I finished. 😂

There could be soooo many more books on this list 😩 I'll just leave you my Goodreads, where you can check out all my 5 Star books if you want to 🙃

Now (don't kill me Lim)...

Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar

Don't ask how many times I used to read them as a teenager...

Harry Potter

I know, believe me I know! But 7 year old me didn't know and has fond memories of her mom reading to her before bed, before she started reading it herself from Book 3, Book 5 came out while I was hospitalized and I read it in a day... (I own them in English but I've never read them in English 😬)

My three absolute favorite books as a kid/pre-teen:

Flight of the Albatross Der Gesang der Orcas Der Wunschplanet

Honorable mention to these three cook books because I love them very very very much and use them (or recipes from their websites) often!!!

I'm gonna shut up now 😂

No pressure tagging @heartstringsduet @strandnreyes @beautifulhigh @three-drink-amy :)))

[sweetfirebird]

anyone who's being a dick about asking for more after you're doing the whole writing thing at your own pace can fight me behind a waffle house. (especially if it's about the albert thing) i have no idea why people are so impatient?!?! i have been waiting on the last kingkiller trilogy for over six years. i have incomplete fanfic bookmarked from nearly a decade ago i still check for updates occasionally. take your fucking time or don't write whatever they're asking for at all! it's your choice and not ours and i have yet to be disappointed with your work and i'm even keeping a few books unread for a future rainy day because it's a little treat. jesus fuck let authors write and take their time and do it how they want and can people please stop being a nagging wet tissue paper eater because it just makes everyone have a bad time and i'm sorry you have to deal with that.

anyway you write good. thanks for writing good. i'm sleepy and this is a weird awkward ramble sorry about that and it's been a whole fucking week so i hope you're fine and if not everything will be fine <3

ha no it is not about Albert, surprisingly. (That sweetheart) No, two separate people, both using a post about something else to ask me (for the second time, yes both of them for the second time) for something they would like to see.

And I get being excited. And I get wanting more of certain settings or characters. But there is a time and place to tell me what you like about other, past books and it's not when I am talking about something else I have JUST done. And it is definitely not after you (the general you) have already asked me to write that specific something new for you that you want so much and I have given you as much of a soft No or at best vague maybe someday but I don't know that I possibly can.

I think... in addition to what you said, because yeah, most authors are doing it on their own. Even the ones working with traditional publishers are still writing while contending with the stresses of real life, and frankly, traditional publishers do not offer much help these days.(As far as I can tell anyway.) And they will write at whatever pace they can, and most cannot put out a billion stories a year. It's just not doable. It's mentally and emotionally taxing, and also... they have lives. They have families. What the hell.

But in addition to that, authors are also doing their own marketing, their own PR. Like, it's not agents. It's not a team. A few might have assistants but most do not. ...and readers maybe forget that? There is no wall separating the authors from this. They perhaps imagine their words as being more like, paper fanmail going to a publisher, who forwards it on, where an assistant or agent reads it. Like some sort of filter situation.

Then also, people like me who are too tired or weird (or semi feral) to maintain a colder public persona and *do* publicly let friends tease me or call me bitch or whatever, perhaps give the impression that we are cool with more informal requests.

And then also the internet tends to instill weird close/distant relationships, so some people either not think of the people they are talking to/authors as real people, while also giving those people a distorted sense of friendship and familiarity.

....

That's actually me being kind. I worked retail for a long time and the general public are demanding and will ask for stuff they shouldn't without any shame. Because every person thinks they are the only one doing the naughty thing so it's okay. (If they even know it's naughty.)

Anyway, thank you for also seeing it as rude. Get some sleep now maybe?

And to everyone else, a few things:

if you want to ask a writer about upcoming stories and you aren't following them on social media or wherever, then I bet you they have a fanmail option somewhere. Use that instead of hopping onto a post about something else.

and... as my family will tell you... the more you insist I should do a thing, the greater the odds that I will never do it. :)

(also, i do charity prompts all the time. these people could pay charity money for the stories they want and somehow never do...)

[llau-ren-ti-a]

Hoping I can find some Until Dawn/The Quarry/Dark Pictures people here to talk about this with, so I'm shooting my shot!

Spoilers ahead for Until Dawn, The Quarry, Little Hope, Man of Medan and House of Ashes (and somewhat The Devil in Me, but I haven't played that yet)

So, we (my sisters and I) have finished the game (Little Hope) now and I thought I'd just dump my thoughts here.

So far I've played Until Dawn and The Quarry (not Dark Pictures but still by Supermassive) Man of Medan, House of Ashes and Little Hope - the last being my favourite so far.

And I've read the same statement a few times that the ending was somewhat underwhelming after that build up and here are my two cents about it.

I wish they would stick with a pattern in their games, either make the antagonists something supernatural (creatures, demons, evil doings/beings) OR something that's affecting the protagonist (aka trauma/psychological issues or hallucinogenic substances or whatever)

I found the alien-ship-crashing-on-earth-plotline SO outlandish in House of Ashes, whereas I really rooted for Little Hope to be supernatural.

I was thinking of a time loop, in which the Reverend just keeps inserting them into the bubble of Little Hope and kills them over and over again for his entertainment or gain. Because his family name kept coming up I thought there may be some Netflix-Fear-Street-trilogy thing going on, a deal with the devil/demon to keep his family successful by killing off a few townspeople every so-and-so many years.

The end felt anticlimactic, I chose to believe Mary from the start and the lack of a "bossfight" was a little disappointing to me? We just walked out of that house, we don't know what became of the Reverend, did we finally break the cycle? I have no idea.

Another thing I want to add is that I don't think every game needs some sort of mind-bending plottwist. Until Dawn set the standard, and I don't know if it's the nostalgia talking or if I just was significantly younger and more impressionable back then, but no other game (in my opinion) came close to that "Oh it's not just a psycho but something in the woods." build up and eventual resolution.

I loved how The Quarry was so rational about the werewolves, and I didn't mind they were revealed so early on, and the 'misleading the player by making them think the witchlady tries to help them' actually made me kill the entire Hackett family the first time around.

I haven't played The Devil in Me yet, all I know is that it's somehow Saw-esque and based on H. H. Holmes, but I will keep my hopes up that there is an actual physical/supernatural thing at the bottom of this and not another "something is affecting my psyche and perception of the world".

How do you think about this? I have loved this series since Until Dawn came out and I have so many opinions on it and I would love to hear what you have to say!!

[yletylyf]

10 Lines Tagging Game

Thank you for the tag, @rebelrebelwrites! This is glorious timing as I’ve published more than ten fics since last time I played!!

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written less than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway ❤️

1. Gollum woke to a black sky. He did not know where or what he was. Everything hurt, and the world was cruel. He curled into a ball, shivering and shaking, and tried not to remember anything. - Rainbow of Chaos, Sauron/Galadriel plus assorted gen relationships (Lord of the Rings, Rings of Power). I was quite convinced that opening on Gollum would turn off a lot of readers, but people like Gollum more than I realized. He is cute in his own way. He deserved better :(

2. It began with a flash of black across his vision. Gone as quickly as it came, Celebrimbor was left blinking in confusion. - Entwining, Celebrimbor/Sauron (the Silmarillion). My attempt at a long, fix-it fic for this ship. The first chapter is just a retelling of the canon moment when Celebrimbor discovers he’s been lied to, and the One Ring was forged. I’ve sort of stalled out on the writing... although I have the whole plot in my head.

3. Harry stirred from unconsciousness. At first, confusion was the only thing that registered. Last he remembered, he was sitting down at his kitchen table to eat a microwaved dinner. Alone. A quick break before he would have to be on duty for New Year's Eve. Had he fainted at his table? - Voyager, Healer, Survivor, cowritten with @maraudersaffair, Voldemort/Harry/Severus (Harry Potter). This first paragraph is so fun! It’s a time-travel with less time-travel angst than usual, because Harry isn’t thrilled about the idea of going back to his solo microwave dinners.

4. "She's not here," Celebrimbor observed. He deflated in disappointment. He lowered the scroll that he had been ready to brandish at Galadriel with a flourish. - What nourishes me, destroys me, Celebrimbor/Annatar/Galadriel (the Silmarillion). This is just porn. With my three faves. A lot of porn. I guess there is political intrigue and feelings, too.

5. There was a disturbance outside on the slopes of Orodruin. Halbrand had been sleeping. (Or passed out, whatever term was appropriate for his fits of unconsciousness brought about by overexertion.) He woke feeling deeply annoyed by the disturbance. - Through Peril and Fire, Halbrand/Galadriel (Rings of Power). I have so many feelings about this fic! I should do a long meta post about it someday. When I started writing it, I had not read the LotR trilogy in twenty years and I’d never read the Silmarillion, I just saw the season finale for the show and HAD TO write a fix-it where these two get together. You guys, I angsted for so long over whether Halbrand/Sauron sleeps. So silly of me! Maiar can sleep if the fic author wants em to, and don’t need to if s/he doesn’t. How I forgot that fundamental lesson after so many years of fic writing, I don’t know.

6. Smaug's earliest memory was of three shining Stars. They were jewels, but they were fairer than every other jewel he had ever seen put together. When he asked the Eldest of dragons what they were, the Eldest said he didn't know, but that they would burn Smaug if he touched them. - As rich as twenty seas, Smaug/his hoard (the Hobbit). A pinch hit I picked up for the Here Be Dragons exchange, because the prompt was amazing. By the time of this writing, I’d read the Silmarillion, but I had to pick up the Hobbit again for the first time in twenty years for it. A delight! Smaug is my new fave.

7. The shadow and flame at his side did not require chains to keep him in place. Maitimo was weak at their touch, as he was hauled along with his feet dragging on the ground, and he thought he would faint. He had no sense of place or the passage of time; all his mind was focused on repelling their evil touch from his spirit. - The first moonrise, Maedhros & Mairon & Morgoth (the Silmarillion). Aaah this fic. I am conflicted about it, along with its opening. You thought there were enough fics about Maedhros in Angband, did you? Well think again! Featuring a Mairon who is something more than a flat torture-robot for Morgoth.

8. "Well, it's certainly an honor to be asked by the Minister of Magic himself," Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank said, but despite the respect she intended to convey, her tone came out sounding dubious. - The Art of Preservation, Minerva McGonagall/Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank (Harry Potter). Ultra-rare femslash!! A hoggywarts exchange fic, which is a very storied event I was so happy to take part of this past year. What a wonderful community!

9. Galadriel climbed the tower swiftly, in spite of the clunky boots she was wearing, made by humans for humans. She was not the type to let a little tower of stone, or the wrong equipment, get in the way of her quest. - A means of mastering it, Galadriel/Tar-Miriel (Rings of Power). More femslash! Another (semi) fix-it where Galadriel kicks butt, gets rid of a pest, and lands herself a queen girlfriend. Written for Yuletide, a thrilling one-time thing as the fandom will never again be eligible, lol.

10. "Harrow," said the Body. She placed her hand over yours, her touch featherlight and chilly. Once again, her voice had changed—it now sounded exactly like your own. "You do not know what you ask." - your mind a shell, Harrow/Alecto (the Locked Tomb). Creepy ghost/hallucination femslash! It’s a missing scene from canon, but with smut. Harrow has a sexual awakening; Alecto (the Body) may or may not be real; Gideon fumes.

Tagging @phantomato, @metalomagnetic, @lumosatnight, @hsvh-hp, @cindle-writes, @turanga4, @perverse-idyll, @leogichidaa, @ncoincidences, and @danpuff-ao3 but only if you want to play!

[smalltownfae]

End of year book ask: 2 & 6?

2. Did you reread anything? What?

Yes. I reread the following, in order:

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

Liked it even more this time. I believe it's an all time favourite even though it unfortunatelly has a 20 something year old getting involved with a 16 year old... seems like I can't escape these in old fantasy books. But the fact that this was the author's first published book is very impressive. The writing style is beautiful and the relationship between the siblings really emotional and believable.

Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier

This one was a disappointment. I believe I once liked in better than the first book, mentioned above. Young me loved angsty emo love interests and special not like other girls main characters. Both things I despise now.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I was supposed to reread these books closer together but it seems like it will be one book every year. Mockingjay will be next year then. Unfortunately this reread didn't go as well as the reread of the first book. The book is way more fast paced than I remember, especially in the arena, and it is way less emotionally impactful than what seemed to me the first time. I remember tearing up and I felt nothing this time. I had not enough time to connect with the new characters. It just moved too fast!

The Blade Itself and Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie

I was hoping to finish Last Argument of Kings too before the end of the year, especially because I am listening to them on audio, but it seems like I will not be able to do that since I am not even halfway though. It really is my least favourite book of the trilogy even though I appreciate what it's doing.

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip

I needed a reminder of why I love this author, after 2 disappointments. I didn't love this book as much as I did the first time, but it's still a favourite. I think it was one more case of right book at the right time though. The author wrote so much that depending on how it goes with more of her books I will decide if I keep her in my favourite authors or not.

The Case Study of Vanitas by Jun Mochizuki vols. 1 to 6

I really needed to refresh my memory. Funny how I remember Pandora Hearts way better. Even though I really like this manga, PH has more characters I love and it was more mysterious. I am still waiting for a.big twist and turn like it happened in PH. Even though VnC had some twists none feel as big as the ones in that series. Still, those twists happened more towards the middle and end so Vanitas still has a lot of volumes to prove it's worth.

6. Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?

So many books! Including ones I have on pause. I am a mood reader and that means that if I am not in the right mood I am not continuing whatever I am reading and I don't follow my lists, even though I make a lot of them. I love making lists but I am not good at following them. Some of the books I planned to read will be for next year and others will probably have to wait a bit longer or maybe I will not even get to them. It's just how I work because reading is an hobby and should be enjoyable at all times.

Thank you for the ask 😀

[abysscronica]

I know this is different from your usual asks but could you tell us what fantasy books or series you read and which ones would you recommend? I'm intrigued.

Sure! I think I mentioned before that I mostly read classics, so I haven't read a tremendous amount of fantasy books, but I can quickly go through them. I'll start from my loves and dislikes, and I include a complete list of what I read at the end, so you can see what I left out from both categories.

My all-time favs!

A Song of Ice and Fire by Martin. All the books, including spin-offs. I rarely came across a writer that kept me enthralled so much I literally never wanted to put the book down and couldn't wait to get back to it afterwards. It's heartbreaking to think that the series will likely remain unfinished.

The Neverending Story by Ende. In my opinion, this is a book that every kid should read, and the adults too. It's a truly magic book, if you can get your hands on the old edition written in red and green, the experience is even more magical.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by Klune. A recent read, I strongly recommend this book if you need a soft, comforting stress-release from your everyday life. It's also LGBTQ+ friendly.

Other good reads.

The Princess Bride by Goldman and The Witches by Dahl will always be two untimely classics to enjoy.

No, I'm not forgetting The Lord of the Rings, but you have to like Tolkien's style. It was an enjoyable read for me but also daunting at times, sorry. If you're looking for something on those epic fantasy lines but much less demanding, I'll suggest to glance at the Dragonlance series by Weis (& other writers). It's developed from DnD campaigns and has all the elements of Tolkien's world except it flows like the wind and you can just turn off your brain and enjoy the ride.

Personally, I'm a sucker for myths and epics itself, so I cannot leave out the Iliad and Odyssey by Homer. In particular the Iliad shaped my conception of how an epic war should be structured (and yes, Tolkien doesn't fall too far off some of Homer's standards - AND YES, Oda's Marineford has something to do with it as well). If you like Greek mythology, throw in Metamorphoses by Ovid for good measure. And Paradise Lost by Milton! It's Christian lore but one cannot forget Paradise Lost, although you'll have to be ready for the ride, like for Tolkien's.

If you like goth/dark stuff, Edgar Allan Poe is my go to.

What I didn't enjoy

[please remember this is solely my opinion and it's perfectly fine if you disagree]

I only liked the first book of The Chronicles of Narnia by Lewis, then whatever attempt I made to continue the series was cut short. It's not just the indoctrination purpose that rubbed me the wrong way, I found the other books boring.

His Dark Materials series by Pullman, once again, I only enjoyed the first book (The Golden Compass). I liked it a lot, so I was quite disappointed by the rest of the trilogy, I felt like nothing made sense and the author had not really thought it through, but maybe that's just me.

The House of Earth and Blood by Maas. I hope people won't burn me at the stake for this but... what the actual fuck? I picked up this book recently because there was so much praise over it, even from famous reading sites, and I thought "Yeah, I'm really in the mood for a good fantasy, it's been ages since I got one, hand it over!". And. How is this book so praised is beyond me. Don't get me wrong, the worldbulding is great and it has a big cast of characters, which is something I always like, but. But. I better shut up on what I think of this book. Bye.

Here below is the list of most of the fantasy I read, I'm sure I forgot something along the way.

Myth/Epica

Beowulf, Odyssey, Iliad, Aeneid, the Epic of Gilgamesh, Metamorphoses (by Ovid), The Divine Comedy by Dante, Paradise Lost by Milton

Popular/big series

The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien, A Song of Ice and Fire by Martin (all available books including Fire & Blood and The Knight of the Seven Kingdoms), the Harry Potter series by Rowling, the Twilight series by Meyer, the Hunger Games series by Collins (although it counts as sci-fi more than fantasy), a shitton of Dragonlance books by Weis & co., His Dark Materials series by Pullman, the first book of the Chronicles of Narnia by Lewis

Dark/Goth

Dracula by Stocker, Carmilla by Le Fanu, The Castle of Otranto by Walpole, all Edgar Allan Poe, Coraline by Gaiman, Bestiario by Cortazar, The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, Marina by Ruiz Zafon, Frankenstein by Shelley, Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde by Stevenson, a lot of Lovecraft

Others

The Neverending Story by Ende, The Princess Bride by Goldman, some of Martin's short stories, the Eagle and Jaguar trilogy by Allende, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Twain, some Shakespeare that also counts as fantasy I guess, Gulliver's Travels by Swift, Peter Pan by Barrie, The Witches by Dahl, The House in the Cerulean Sea by Klune, Sirene by Pugno, The House of Earth and Blood by Maas, A Christmas Carol by Dickens, some of Banana Yoshimoto

[4th-make-quail]

another book down for my bingo card! currently looking like this - although i'm a lot of stories into Jewel Box (I need to finish a full short story collection for hard mode to count), but I needed a break because every time I finished one, my brain was like "ok cool!!! book finished!!! fanfic time??" lol (also the stories are very weird too).

i've been reviewing these on my dreamwidth, but for the sake of the interest i'll drop them here too! has anyone read any of the books on my list? what did you think of them?

I'm aiming for both hard mode and hero mode this year, and it's been fun so far! picking books to meet hard mode specifications was really really fun as well heh.

Book bingo is a yearly reading challenge hosted on r/Fantasy.

HARD MODE: For an added challenge, you can choose to do 'Hard Mode' which is the square with something added just to make it a little more difficult. You can do one, some, none, or all squares on 'Hard Mode' -- whatever you want, it's up to you! There are no additional prizes for completing Hard Modes, it's purely a self-driven challenge for those who want to do it.

HERO MODE: Review EVERY book that you read for bingo. You don't have to review it on r/Fantasy. It can be on Goodreads, Amazon, your personal blog, some other review site, wherever! Leave a review, not just ratings, even if it's just a few lines of thoughts, that counts. As with Hard Mode there is no special prize for hero mode, just the satisfaction of a job well done.

1. The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri - Prologue and Epilogue Hard mode: must have both (DONE) This is a sequel to The Jasmine Throne, and it didn't disappoint. I absolutely loved it, there was a lot of intrigue and I still loved the central relationship, but the ending was such an awful cliffhanger I desperately need book 3, oh my god!! I thought the upping of the stakes was really well done, and as usual I loved Suri's lush writing style. 5/5

2. The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling - Under the Surface Hard Mode: At least half the book takes place underground or underwater (DONE) This was very very slow going. It's been languishing on my kindle forever so I figured I'd try it out, and while the premise was really good - a caver takes on a dangerous job and the book is told from her pov with only her handler for company - I thought it was a bit clumsily written with lots of repetition, I wasn't really sold on the relationship and I found both characters quite annoying tbh lol. Solid okay. 2/5 3. Godkiller by Hannah Kaner - Book club or readalong book Hard Mode: Must read a current selection of either a book club or readalong and participate in the discussion. (DONE) I really enjoyed this one! It was light and easy to read, and it set up a lot of intrigue in the plot so far. I enjoyed the premise of godkillers being basically mercs who, well, kill gods, and I really ended up shipping the main two characters haha, which always helps. It also had really excellent portrayal of disability, with the main character being an amputee living with chronic pain, and she has a Deaf sister. The people in the discussion threads on r/fantasy seemed to think it was too basic and boring, but idk I really enjoyed it. I'll be picking up the next book for sure! 5/5

4. The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett - Eldritch creatures Hard Mode: The book is not related to the Cthulhu mythos. (DONE) I already knew I loved Jackson Bennett's writing because I devoured the Divine Cities trilogy years ago, and the Tainted Cup did not disappoint! I picked it up on a rec from someone on the booknook comm on dw, and I'm really glad I did - it was absolutely fantastic! His worldbuilding is second to none for imagination and interest imo, and I really loved the characters a lot. It was fast-paced and hilarious, and the mystery elements weren't overwrought or drawn out too much. Also I REALLY shipped Din and his officer who's name I have forgotten so I was very pleased by that storyline heh. Really really good, I cannot wait for the second book!! 5/5

5. The Palace Job by Patrick Weekes - Criminals Hard Mode: Features a heist. (DONE) Unfortunately coming off the high of Tainted Cup, this book was absolutely dreadful. The characters felt very one-note, the writing was trying WAY too hard to be funny, and the worldbuilding was shallow and nowhere near detailed enough to be interesting. It also just felt very idk. Almost clumsily written? It switched very quickly between POV characters but their voices weren't developed enough for it to be noticeable, and he has a real over-reliance on epithets like "the death priestess" to refer to his characters. Also one of the romances was like.. all of a sudden we're told this one character has a thing for another, but he's not shown us this at all so it just comes out of left field lmao. AND ALSO like, it felt uncomfortably racist at very many points. Idk, it was just not a good book. Very evident after reading an actually good book just before it which hit a lot of the notes this one was trying for but fell very flat with. 1/5

[eddiebabygirldiaz]

3, 12 & 20 for the book asks!

3. what were your top five books of the year?

summer sons by lee mandelo, under the whispering door by tj klune, babel by r f kuang, beach read by emily henry, and every book in the green creek series by tj klune (which i know makes it more than 5 but whatever i can't choose a favorite in that series)

12. any books that disappointed you?

there were a few this year. one that stands out is where the forest meets the stars by glendy vanderah. it just didn't deliver for me.

20. what was your most anticipated release? did it meet your expectations?

a crown of ivy and glass by claire legrand. she wrote one of my all time favorite series ever (the empirium trilogy) and i was so ready to delve into another world of hers however it definitely did not meet my expectations and was actually quite a let down, didn't hold up to her other books at all for me

end of the year book asks

[readnburied]

Books I Read in September

Target: 11

Read: 8

So I didn’t quite managed to reach my goal for the month, but are we surprised? Not at all. But I managed to come close. However, this month revolved around a lot of dark romance that helped me read as much as I could. So without any further delays, here are the books I read in September. 

Phantom Heart by Kelly Creagh

This is book 1 in the series of the same name and is a retelling of the Phantom of the Opera. The story follows the main character Stephanie Armand who has just moved into a new house with her family. Little does she know that all the rumors she heard about the house being haunted are actually true. It is only when Lucas Cheney expresses his interest in her and the house, things start to take a turn for the uncanny. And what about the handsome boy who keeps showing up in her dreams? Stephanie needs to figure it all out before she loses everyone dear to her. 

I had a splendid time reading this book and loved every aspect of it. I will go into much more detail in the separate review for the book, but for now all I’m going to say is, I’m glad the author finally brought out a new series. I love the author’s previous series and her writing style is phenomenal. And I just can’t wait for book 2. Everybody needs to go and read this book. 

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee

This is a middle-grade standalone and revolves around Ophelia who is spending her time at the museum where her dad works. Little does she know that there’s a boy locked in the museum and when she eventually finds him they go on an adventure to save the boy and the world from monsters and doom. 

I’m not a fan of middle-grade and only read this book for a prompt in the reading challenge that I’m doing. But I was bored reading this and had to skin through a lot of text because I just wanted to be done with it. The writing style was a bit too juvenile for me and the story was too predictable. I wouldn’t recommend this book because I know there are a lot of more interesting middle-grade books out there. 

Coerce by Candice M. Wright

This is book 1 of the Death in Bloom series and revolves around the lives of Ivy and Atlas who have more history with each other than they previously thought. Both of them are staying away from falling in love until they meet each other and even though they know they’re wrong for each other, being with each other feels incredibly right until their dark history threatens to break them apart. 

I was excited about reading this book. I thought it’s a dark romance so I’ll enjoy it. Boy was I wrong. I was actually bored reading this story. The characters were boring and one dimensional. Atlas is dark and brooding and your typical anti-hero but incredibly predictable. He does all sorts of things to keep Ivy with him and I just couldn’t help but roll my eyes at some of them. But Ivy… I don’t know what to say. The girl simply had no depth or personality. Her only personality trait involved sleeping every chance she got. And I saw the plot twist coming from the first few pages of the book. So I wouldn’t recommend this book but if you want to read it, you can do so but I personally was very disappointed and I’m not sure if I’ll put myself through book 2. 

Cruel Games by Zoe Blake

This is book 1 in the Dark Obsession Duet and revolves around Roman and his love interest Aurora. The entire story centers around their relationship and how Roman would do whatever it takes to make Aurora his. 

The story interesting. It was a good time. But nothing that blew my mind. The age gap bothered me but I forced myself to continue. However, the ending fell flat for me. I just expected more from Roman and he didn’t deliver. So if the age gap trope doesn’t bother you all, you can try reading this book. It’s not something I’d recommend off the top of my head. 

Ruthless King by Meghan March

This is book 1 in the Mount Trilogy and follows the main character Lachlan Mount and his love interest Keira who’s indebted to Mount for a loan she never took but has to pay the price for. And Lachlan only wants her as a form of payment. 

I enjoyed reading this book. It was a fun time and I especially loved the heroine and her friend. I liked how strong and independent she was. So if you’re looking for a good dark romance, consider giving this book a chance. 

Nero by S. J. Tilly

This is book 1 in the Alliance series and follows our main characters Nero and Payton as they discover each other. The story revolves around them falling in love with each other and Nero is willing to do everything to give Payton a happy ever after. 

Okay, this book was weird. I don’t know if the heroine was plain stupid or what. The beginning of the book completely threw me off and even though I tried to brush it off and continue till the end it still bothered me. Their meeting was incredibly unrealistic and boring. I understand it’s fiction and everything is possible in fiction but this was bizarre even in terms of that. The story didn’t have much of a plot and it’s insta love. So I personally wouldn’t recommend this book but if you want to give it a read, go ahead. 

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

This is book 1 in the series of the same name and follows our main characters Roma and Juliette who belong to rival gangs in 1926 Shanghai. Though the families hate each other when danger strikes and threatens to take everyone with it, Roma and Juliette have no choice but to push the past behind and work together to bring the monster down. 

This book was amazing and I loved it. I especially loved the setting and how this was a Romeo and Juliet retelling. I loved the action and the drama. The author has done a fabulous job with the characters and I would love to learn character development from the author. I highly recommend this book to everyone. You will not be disappointed. 

Empire of Lust by J. L. Beck

This is book 1 in the Torrio Empire series and follows Bianca who has harbored a strong crush on her best friend’s dad since they were young and Callum who is the sexy dad of her best friend. Callum is dark and dominating and will do whatever it takes to keep Bianca to himself. 

This book was mediocre at best. I personally don’t enjoy the best friend’s dad trope but apart from that there was just a whole lot of back and forth between the two. Sure Callum is possessive and hot but if this thing happened in real life I wouldn’t be okay with it. The characters were all over the place and I just wanted the book to end quickly. So this is another book I wouldn’t recommend but if you want to read it, you can. 

And these are the books I read in the month of September. Judging by the analysis above, I didn’t read many good books but hopefully next month will be better. Let me know if you’ve read any of the books mentioned above and what you think of them. And if you have any recommendations, feel free to comment below. 

[youknowwhoiamassbutt]

Norman Osborn’s many different abuse tactics

I’ve watched quite a few Spiderman things in my lifetime, not as much as many, but a fair amount.  Every single time I watch something with Norman Osborn in relation to Harry Osborn, I notice a pattern of abuse.  It isn’t a consistent pattern, because Norman’s character and motivations shift and change as all comic characters do, but the pattern is still there.  The pattern is that Norman Osborn, implicitly or explicitly, is abusive to his son.  

Norman’s abuse presents in different ways depending on the story and his development, which means each version is a correct representation of the character, whether it’s our interpretation or not.  I’m not here to explain why one version is more accurate than another, or here to call out his character arc in any particular instance as right or wrong. I’m simply here to talk about the aspects of Norman’s abusive behaviors that I have noticed and liked to see in the media I have seen him in.  

It might sound odd that I love watching a character (Harry Osborn) go through similar trauma’s that I have gone through, but I do.  There are probably many complicated reasons as to why I’m this way, but I have a feeling I don’t need to explain myself to any Harry Osborn fans that feel intrigued to read this, as they probably feel the same.

Full disclosure: the type of parental abuse I experienced was Narcissistic abuse, which means, there was a lot of *gaslighting*, manipulation, and verbal abuse (there will be a terminology glossary at the end).  This means that I am drawn to the more narcissistic versions of Norman, as I understand that type of abuse, and it helps me relate to Harry on a deep level.

One last disclaimer:  I may misremember a few details here and there when talking about these shows and movies, so please forgive me.  I don’t have time to sift through every scene just to get everything exactly right.  As long as I’ve got the basic gist, I think we’re good.

Raimiverse (spoilers ahead!)

The first depiction of Norman Osborn that I ever saw was in the Raimi trilogy.  There are quite a few pieces of emotional *neglect* and verbal abuse that were sprinkled in to those movies.  First of all, Norman blatantly favors Peter, Harry even acknowledges that in the first 40 minutes of the first film.  When Peter meets Norman outside of the museum, he tells Harry how amazing his father is. Harry makes an offhand comment about Norman only appreciating geniuses.  

During the thanksgiving scene, we see Norman angrily storm out.  Harry quickly follows behind him.  They have an argument about Mary Jane and Harry’s mother.  While there isn’t much to pull from this scene’s dialogue, there is a lot to say from Harry’s non-verbal reactions.  Harry sticks up for MJ as much as he feels he can, which, isn’t very much (which is sucky).  The fact that Harry doesn’t feel comfortable to say anything more than “You’re wrong about her, dad” lets us see that they have probably been in worse altercations. Harry keeps his voice level and calm at all times.  He tries to keep the conversation from escalating while still sticking up for himself and his girlfriend.

The Goblin’s first attack, shows us how little Norman really cared for Harry.  He attacks the ledge that Harry and MJ resided on overlooking whatever event/parade was going on (I was never quite sure what was happening right then).  He shows a disregard for Harry’s safety here.  He throws deadly weapons right next to his son.

Later in the trilogy, in the third one to be exact, Emo-Pete/Venom-Peter has a fight with Harry.  He tells Harry how much of a disappointment he was to Norman and how little Norman actually loved him.  This rings true.  While we didn’t get to see much of it due to (I’m assuming) the writers intentions to make Norman a sympathetic villain, the words would not have been uttered if there wasn’t a grain of truth to them.  We don’t see Norman neglect Harry’s emotional needs, we don’t see Norman verbally berate him over his grades or his life choices, but we don’t need to see it.  If you’ve experienced abuse, you will have already spotted it.

What I really enjoyed about the dynamic in these films, was that we saw Peter, a complete stranger to Norman before the museum, become Norman’s *golden child*.  We see how Norman would have preferred Peter to be his son, and we see how much Peter looks up to him as a father figure.  Because of Peter an Norman’s dynamic, Peter implicitly gaslights Harry.  He sees nothing wrong with their relationship, because he’s blinded by his own want for a father figure.  Peter only sees the version of Norman that Norman presents to him, and he accepts that presentation without question.

The Amazing Spiderman (spoilers ahead!)

In the Amazing Spiderman 2, we are introduced to Harry and Norman in the same scene.  Norman is on his death bed when he informs Harry that his disease is hereditary.  He seems to find glee in watching his son realize his impending doom.

There wasn’t much there in terms of Norman Osborn, so there isn’t much to talk about. Obviously, Norman never really cared to have Harry, as the moment he became difficult to care for (after Emily, Harry’s mother, died) he shipped Harry away to another country.  The detachment to his son shows us just how emotionally neglectful Norman was.  

Ultimate Spider-man (spoilers ahead!)

Ultimate Spiderman is my second favorite depiction of Norman Osborn to date, but it also frustrates me the most.  The show focuses less on Norman’s abuse and more on the impact it’s had on Harry.  This is fine, I love that!  We’ll get to why it frustrates me later (if you’ve seen the show, you probably know where I’m going with this).

First of all, Norman places an immense amount of value on Harry’s grades, and he rewards good performance with his attention. This is a problem because Harry never lives up to Norman’s expectations.  Now, I don’t believe that Norman was intended to be abusive in this show, but that’s exactly what he was.  If Harry didn’t meet his expectations, Norman would pay him no mind. He wasn’t worth Norman’s attention or energy if he couldn’t provide Norman pride.  Harry struggled with his grades, he had little interest in athletics, and he had no unique talent, therefor, he was worthless to Norman.

In a flashback to the time Harry and Peter became friends, we see the Raimiverse pattern reemerge.  Harry and Norman give Peter a ride when his bike is broken down by the side of the road.  Norman makes a comment on Harry’s grades in comparison to Peter’s.  Harry passively complains to Norman that he wishes Norman would stop micromanaging his life.  Peter, of course, sees only what he wants to see.  Peter is blinded by his desire for a father figure.  Peter steps in where he doesn’t belong, and he sides with Norman.  He tells Harry that he thinks it’s great that he has a father who cares so much.  He gaslights him.  Peter’s words reinforce the ideas that Norman had established, the ideas that he is a good father trying his best, and Harry is just misunderstanding and being insensitive to Norman’s situation as a busy single father.  

I love seeing that dynamic, the one where Norman favors Peter, and Peter accidentally gaslights Harry.  It’s one of my favorite versions of these characters, because it’s so relevant to real-life situations.  

When Harry is infected with Venom, we really see the extent of the damage Norman’s neglect has caused him.  He lashes out and continuously tries to attack Norman. When Harry realizes that there’s something wrong, that he can’t control the symbiote, he goes to his father for help. Norman immediately shuts Harry down. He tells Harry that he doesn’t have time for his teenage drama.  He brushes Harry off when he’s told that it’s not about Harry’s grades improving.  This is when Harry lashes out and tries to kill Norman.  

Obviously, Norman is Harry’s father, so, in this stage of Harry’s life, he still loves his father and simply wants the attention and care that every child deserves from their parent.  Once Peter helps Harry “purge” Venom, Harry continues to try and chase Norman’s approval.  Peter even states that Harry is always searching for Norman’s approval, but that he’ll never get it.

For the longest time, the only time we see Norman proud of Harry, is when Harry is Venom.  When Harry is an uncontrollable weapon that Norman designed.  When Harry is no longer Harry.  Norman prefers his son as a dangerous killing machine to be used however Norman pleases, rather than the human he helped raise.  

We see a lot of emotional neglect.  Norman frequently neglects Harry’s emotional needs, however, he provides him with money for his other needs.  This only makes children of abuse more confused.  Clearly Norman cares for Harry if he’s keeping up with his basic needs, and even spending lavishly for his son to have entertainment, right?  No.  He’s not a present presence in Harry’s life, which leads to Harry being fairly isolated when MJ and Peter aren’t around.

One of my favorite lines in the show is “I just wanted to make you proud.  But since that’ll never happen, I’ll just make you go away.”  This is really where we see the full extent of Harry’s pain.  This is where we see how much Norman has affected his life negatively.

A moment that ties into why I get so mad at this show is in the same exact episode as the line above.  Harry had just rescued Peter from Carnage by taking the Venom symbiote out of his friend and he faced his father with the help of Spiderman.  The battle was about to be over,  Harry and Peter were about to be safe, when Norman takes Harry.  He says that they have unfinished business.  So, out of spite that Harry tried to kill him, Norman tries to take his revenge, by dropping Harry from a large building, Gwen Stacey style. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love this scene and I’m so glad they put it in here.  But…now I can talk about why this show frustrates me.  

In my opinion, from dealing with abuse and researching it for probably around 6 years of my life, they should have kept their relationship at that level, or escalated it.  There should be no coming back from that.  A disregard of someone’s life or a blatant murder attempt is not something you can work through.  Ultimate Spiderman let me down the moment they started Norman’s redemption arc. Having an abuser in a kids tv show change for the better, in my opinion, can be very damaging.  A common lie that children of abuse tell themselves is “If I loved my parent more, if I showed them how hurt their actions make me. Their love for me will win out and they will change.  If I work hard enough, my parent will love me enough to not hurt me anymore.”  By giving Norman a redemption arc, the show reinforces this very dangerous lie.  

Marvel’s Spiderman (2017-2020) (spoilers ahead!)

This is my absolute favorite version of Norman Osborn.  He is so accurate!  The show focuses on Norman’s abuse, rather than Harry’s response.  As apposed to the neglect Norman showed Harry in the other versions of his character, he micromanages Harry and manipulates his son’s life behind the scenes.  

The show starts off slow, only showing us snippets with ominous camera angles and suspenseful music.  We’re supposed to feel unease around Norman, but we don’t yet have the information to figure out why.  He is framed above Harry and Peter, he towers over them, a looming threat.  This is a way to show us that he holds the power in these scenes.  Harry is meant to look small and weak against him.  

As the show progresses, we quickly see more interactions with Harry and Norman.  A perfect scene is one where Harry is preparing for his return to school party at Horizon High.  His father calls him into his office to speak with him.  Norman starts with manipulative questions designed to guilt Harry.  He tells Harry that he never believed Harry to be at fault for the mishap that caused Harry’s suspension from Horizon high.  This is incredibly nefarious when we learn later that Norman had orchestrated that suspension to get his son into the school he wanted to build, so that he could use his son’s suspension as a reason to build the school, and therefore, provide him with even more ammunition against Harry.  Harry tells his father that he knows Norman believes in his innocence.  We watch Harry’s body language change throughout this scene.  The moment it becomes clear what type of conversation this is, Harry avoids Norman’s eye contact for as long as possible, until Norman crouches in front of him.  Norman takes Harry’s bowtie off, and replaces it with his own.  A gesture that could be taken as innocent and even sweet, but it could also be taken as an exertion of power and ownership.  Norman tries to control Harry’s life so closely, that Harry’s bowtie isn’t even good enough.  

Norman tries to convince Harry to stay at Oz academy, Harry explains that he wants to make a name for himself, independent of Norman’s legacy.  Norman gets upset by this and grabs Harry’s shoulders in a threatening manner.  We see that Harry is scared by this from the expression on his face and the way his body tenses.  Norman warns Harry that he will never be able to escape the name Norman provides.  Harry backs away from Norman to “check his tie in the mirror”  but we all know he just doesn’t want to look directly at Norman, but he needs the safety that knowing where Norman is provides him.  We watch Harry watch Norman through the mirror for the rest of the interaction.  Harry’s body language throughout all of his interactions with Norman, prove that he has been dealing with abuse his entire life.  We often see him go into a *trauma response* when interacting with Norman. He keeps himself fairly still, he avoids eye contact to prevent a challenge, and he keeps his voice steady and calm to avoid escalation.  

Eventually, after spider island, right when you think they’re about to make the same mistake Ultimate Spiderman did and give Norman a redemption arc, Harry strays from the path Norman had envisioned for him, Harry is booted from being the golden child.  While in Ultimate Spiderman, when Harry and Norman’s relationship is at it’s worst, Harry is the *invisible child*.  In MSM, Harry becomes the *scapegoat*.  Norman takes matters into his own hands when Harry no longer wishes to believe Norman’s manipulations.  

Norman gaslights Harry into believing that he has been attacking Spiderman.  He uses his son’s ill health to convince Harry that he’s going insane and trying to murder his best friend.  He goes as far as to dress Harry in his Hobgoblin gear and place him on the floor to convince his unconscious son that he is doing what Norman wanted him to do.

Once Harry figures out that Norman is the person framing him, everything comes to a head.  There’s a battle in which Harry chooses Peter over Norman.  Norman angrily shouts to Harry “You’ve failed me, and deserve what you’ve wrought.”  We can assume from the look on Norman’s face that he was willing to kill Harry if necessary. There is an explosion which Norman is caught in, and Harry and Peter get away.  

I love this scene, and specifically that sentence within the context of the whole story.  The season, and their relationship is ended on such a violent note, and yet…when they bring Norman back in season 3, Disney XD doesn’t shy away from this. They pick things up right where they left off.  Norman is still just as angry and heartless as he was when he “died”.  

I must say though, my favorite part of the entire show is that Harry not only got to live out a revenge fantasy by accidentally killing his father, but he also got to have a healthy ending, where he cut Norman out of his life and can try to move on and heal away from the influence of his abuser, and without the need for punishment as justice.  

In the finale for these two, Peter introduces Harry as the one person Norman always underestimated.  And I think Peter couldn’t have been more right.                      

  To gaslight: To make an individual or group question their perceived reality.  It is often used by abusers to make their victims feel insane and therefore their feelings unjustified.  An individual can be gaslighted by one or more people.  Societal gaslighting happens when others outside of the abusive system reinforce the false reality an abuser has established, further forcing the victim into that false reality.

Golden child:  a golden child is the child of an abuser that “can do no wrong”.  This is the child that the parent/parents proudly present to others and shower with attention and praise.  It is important to recognize that the type of attention a golden child receives is not the fulfilling kind.  A golden child receives attention for their outward accomplishments, the things that look good to others.  They have high expectations placed upon them.  In some family systems, the title of golden child can be given and taken away at a moment’s notice.  It can bounce between children depending on who the most outwardly impressive child is at the moment.  Or, a golden child can be a permanent golden child.  The child that gets away with everything and can truly do no wrong.

Invisible child: The invisible child is the child that is often overlooked in abusive familial systems.  The name is pretty self-explanatory.  They are not as scrutinized as either the golden child or the scapegoat.  They get away with more things than the scapegoat, but they don’t receive the amount of attention or praise that the golden child does, infact, they tend to receive none.  The invisible child is the forgotten child.

Scapegoat:  A scapegoat is a child that is blamed for everything.  If something goes wrong, it is blamed on the scapegoat.  The scapegoat is always in trouble and often picked on by the abuser to instigate a fight that will eventually be blamed on the scapegoat.  The scapegoat is the punching bag of the family system and is often labelled as a problem child, no matter how docile or pleasant that child truly is.

Neglect:  It is important to remember that neglect is not just physical.  A parent can provide for the financial and basic needs of a child, much like Norman does, but still be emotionally absent from that child’s life.  Emotional absence is considered neglect, and it is considered a form of abuse.  

Trauma response:  An automatic response the body/brain have to a situation that reminds the person of past trauma.  A trauma response is different than PTSD.  They can be mild behaviors that one does not notice, such as freezing and making oneself as small as possible (trying to go invisible if you will) because they’ve been taught that engaging makes the situation worse. It is any unconscious, learned response to a triggering situation.

[sarahjtv]

BNHA Chapter 320 Short Spoiler Analysis: The Power of Friendship

The battle between Deku Vs. Class A has begun!  Well, it’s technically a battle, but more so a “Catch-A-Deku” situation.  Everyone is trying to use their cool Super Moves and words of friendship to try to convince Deku to come back home.  They’re all reminding him all of times he helped them, so they’re trying to return the favor.  So far, I think half the class was featured here including Shoto who I thought would be saved til the end.  Maybe he will be featured again since he’s one of Deku’s closest friends.  What’s interesting is that the trio that was shown at the end of last week’s chapter, Bakugo, Ochako, and Iida, didn’t have their heart-to-hearts with Deku this week, so I bet you they’re being saved for the end.  Anyway, my left hand is still on the mend, so I’ll keep this one short this week.  I hope it heals soon.

The 2nd Color page is shown this week!  It’s of Froppy this time around!  I think it’s been a while since we’ve seen Froppy featured in a color page, so this is cool to see.  She looks really good here too.  Horikoshi’s art rarely disappoints.  Next week is going to be the 7th BNHA Anniversary color page and the 7th Popularity Poll announcement, so I’m excited for that.  Apparently we’re going to get a lot of BNHA things next week including things for the WHM movie, Team-Up Missions, and the WHM one-shot manga.

I love how at the beginning, Bakugo breaks the 4th wall here by commenting on how Deku’s “art style” underwent a complete change.  It’s both a good taunt on Bakugo’s part and some acknowledgment from Horikoshi-sensei on the change of Deku’s design in general since this arc began.

So, Bakugo did tell the rest of 1-A about Deku’s other Quirks which is good.  I thought that would be the case after remembering that Bakugo read All Might’s OFA archive book.  Bakugo would still look over the other Holder’s Quirks, so he would have knowledge on the 4th-6ths Holders.  Problem is that none of them know of the 2nd and 3rd’s Quirks, so dealing with Fa-Jin will be troublesome.  None of us know what the 2nd’s Quirk is yet though, but I have a feeling we’ll see it in this battle.

Quite a few new Super Moves debut in this chapter!  

Katsuki Bakugo: Shockwave Landmine: Looks like Bakugo creates a blast on the ground so that the blast blows away anything around it like Deku’s Smokescreen.  It’s a big blast too, so Bakugo’s got a lot of range with this thing.

Kiyoka Jiro: Heartbeat Wall: It’s hard to tell, but I think it’s a move where Jiro uses her sound waves to block or stop whatever comes her way.  It could be really effective to stop anyone who can hear I’m sure.

Fumikage Tokoyami: Ragnorok: “Womb”: It’s a like a capturing move that traps anyone within Dark Shadow.  It kind of looks like one of the moves Tokoyami uses in The Strongest Hero Game.  Unless someone has a light Quirk, I can see this move being very effective in capturing villains.

Really, everyone is doing their best to remind Deku of all the good times they had with them. They’re using the power of feels and friendship to bring their sacrificial idiot home.  I like to believe it’s working given how Deku is finally shown crying tears of sadness as he pushes his friends away.  God, please let this kid have a good cry.  How they’ll be able to catch Deku though I still have no idea.

Deku is able to overpower pretty much everyone this chapter.  Even Tokoyami, who is considered one of the strongest in the class, and Momo who created this insanely complex machine to try to put Deku to sleep (how the hell did she make that anyway???).  At the end he’s captured by Shoto’s Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall (which he’s standing on btw and looks so damn pretty 💙☺️), but I doubt that will last.  Deku’s probably going to break right through the ice next chapter.

Speaking of Shoto, since I’m such a simp for him 😔, he has the least amount of dialogue out of everyone having heart-to-hearts with Deku.  But what he says is significant: he basically asks Deku if he can still truly cry and for Deku to share the responsibility with his friends.  I think this is calling back to when Shoto reassured Deku that heroes are allowed to cry back in the Overhaul arc and when Deku meddled with Shoto’s life to save him.  Which is essentially the philosophy everyone’s running on.  Meddling in Deku’s mission is the only way to save him now.

Side note, but I love that Kaminari is the one to tell Deku to take a freaking bath 😂!  Like, we’ve all been telling Deku that, but it’s good to know that Horikoshi and his characters are thinking the same thing.  Now someone has to tell Deku to eat a good meal and take a long nap.  

Also, small detail, but Sato comes in at one point and reminds Deku that they won’t be able to make candied apples for Eri anymore if Deku doesn’t come back.  Deku tells Sato that Eri will be fine without him 😭.  No, Deku, you dumbass!  Eri needs her big bro in her life!  I can’t imagine how sad she must be if she already knows about Deku’s disappearance 😭❤️

I’m also glad to see pretty much every student get some kind of spotlight especially the ones who are more minor characters than the others.  Koda actually gets a mini-monoluge this chapter.  Also, Froppy’s got a lot of focus at the end along with the color page this chapter.  Which, I’m glad to see.  It’s been a long time since Tsuyu got some spotlight.  Really, all the girls need more spotlight.  I assume everyone else will get their shine the next few chapters.  

It’s small and I’m still trying to find the meaning of it, but there’s one panel after Deku escapes from Tokoyami showing him flying through the air in the background and you can see the All Might statue at the forefront.  I want to say this symbolizes Deku being All Might’s successor or something, but I’m not sure.  This one just stood out to me for some reason.  

But yeah, like I said, the last half of the class will probably be featured next chapter.  I think Bakugo will be the last person to talk to Deku since he’s the most important one here.  Remember: Bakugo knows Deku better than anyone.  He will be the turning point I’m positive.  Iida and Ochako will definitely have an impact on Deku, but Bakugo will truly HIT DIFFERENT!  I won’t be surprised if that last conversation leads up to Deku Vs. Kacchan Part 3.  I wouldn’t be mad if that will happen tbh.  Part 2 was about understanding Bakugo and letting his feelings out.  Part 3 could be Deku’s turn.  And of course you gotta have a trilogy to cap it off.  I’m really excited to see what happens next!

Me seeing all my adopted children come together to save my green broccoli boy 💚🥦: