#fan suyi

[roadtophantom]

Degas of China

[ladycloudless]

Welp here we have An Lian family ✨

First up is his mother Queen Merry Breeze

Queen Merry Breeze, was once a celestial but chose to leave the celestial realm as her love and curiosity of the mortal realm grew. Especially once she learn that she had distinct family who dwell in a large village. She went and lived in the village, where she gain her most trusted servant Dr.Liang; who had been serving the family for generations and now they were serving her. There she earned the title "Queen" as the villagers grew to love Merry Breeze for her resourcefulness, tips in trading and that she kept the village safe from the threats around them.

Fun facts: Is the older sister of Princess Iron Fan, gain her immortality by the immortal peaches and is overprotective of her children. Has a dislike towards Azure, cause that guy flirted with her husband.

Next up the father Shui

Shui, a water demon born from water, who was found by some celestial maidens as a baby and taken to the celestial realm where he was raised by whom he dubbed his sisters. He received education that the celestial realm had, he would be told to study the art form of fighting, but he was drawn to art form of dancing and he skip out on his studies to watch the dancers practice. Often practicing the dances on his own time. Once others found out about this, they did scold him before Shui showed off his skill and low and behold, they could only describe his dancing as elegance, his movements flowing like water, smooth, graceful, as if he had been dancing his whole life. He was granted to be a celestial dancer, becoming one of the best ones.

Fun facts: He's judgemental on those that have intent on becoming friends with his family. The necklace he wears keeps him from turning into his water monster form out of anger and such. Has a glamour over his ears. To say many people have tried to woo him is an understatement

Up next the triplets!

Minyi the oldest by 3 minutes, Suyi the 2nd oldest by 2 minutes and then Yanyi the youngest.

Fun facts: They're 8 years old, Dr.Liang is their caretaker, they knew of their brother, but never met him until they meet him after the events of season 4. They haven't met QMB sister family yet and they have only seen PIF once. The sisters love playing a lot henceforth they're very energetic and friendly. Little gremlins at night-

And last but certainly not least Dr. Liang!

They been serving the family for generations and been the closest friend to them. Though once QMB came into the picture, they became loyal to her as she eventually became the leader or what the villagers called her "Queen". He found this generation to be his favorite and they loved being the caretaker for QMB and Shui children.

Fun fact: They're 6'9, quite strong, they're an ex mercenary, he was the messenger for the love letters between Shui and QMB, he's been the family doctor for generations, only became the caretaker of the kids for QMB and Shui. He questions the family taste in partners sometimes though, having been a bit skeptical of Shui at first before eventually accepting it. They have patches of missing fur.

take this nice drawing of Shui ✨

[tsunflowers]

when I see a description of a book that says "x meets y" I'm always like "you're so full of shit. it's only a little like those and you just named them bc they're famous" but "lost ark dreaming" by suyi davies okungbowa really is snowpiercer meets the deep. it's set in a future where rising sea levels have demolished lagos and the remnants of the city have formed a new society in a series of skyscrapers originally built off the coast. class is determined by what floor you live on, with the people living in the submerged base of the structure considered the worst of the worst and the people on the very top floors living in paradise. after a breach is reported underwater, an ambitious administrator, a tenacious analyst, and a persecuted supervisor are forced to team up and confront the possibility that there might be people who live outside the tower... but under the sea

if I have a complaint it's that the book is somewhere between fanciful fairy tale and hard-hitting scifi in a way that doesn't quite work for me. I want to know more about the daily life of the people in this tower, whether that comes as vibes-based vignettes or minute details about how the tower runs. I wanted more of an air of oppression within the tower before the fish folk showed up. but it's only novella length and it's a good time. fans of snowpiercer, the deep, and even hugh howey's wool should enjoy

[lovejapan55]

Fans of centaurworld and Steven universe and Big hero 6and ducktales 2017

The show moon girl shares some storyboard artists with Centaurworld and Steven universe and Big hero 6 series please support Moon girl and devil dinosaur and watch season 2 when it airs on Disney channel despite what bitter feelings you have against Disney please I’m begging you I have trust issues with them too that’s why I’m doing this they are airing 2 episodes a week like they did last season and the ratings where low i need to show Disney they are wrong to treat story driven shows and moon girl is going to be more story driven in its second season so please

the list of artist who also directed episodes of moon girl Ben Juwono who’s also directed all the moon girl episodes Trey Buongiorno,Christine Liu,Samantha Suyi, here is also Faith Chen who was an animation supervisor for Amphibia and an layout artist for the owl house and also Sarah Craig who was a character designer for owl house Amphibia and ducktales

also check my other posts supporting moon girl and devil dinosaur

[h1mmel]

Related to HSR leaks but what do u think about Lingshuang becoming playable?

Are you talking about the leaked character named Lingsha? I personally think that's just a coincidence that their names sound similar and I doubt that it's actually an AU version of her. All of the Hi3 Xianzhou characters taken from Shattered Swords so far (Luocha, Suyi, Sushang, Yanqing) have kept their original names, sans the surnames, so I can't think of any reason they'd change her name specifically. However, Su Mei is the one character who might have a different name- since Mei is not her birth name, and Su is her mother's surname, not her father's. It's unknown why she changed her name in Hi3 since she fully knows her birth name, but my personal speculation is that it's due to a (poor?) reputation regarding her family (specifically her father.) My personal speculation is that Yunli is Su Mei, as she's the only SSOSS character with an unknown birth name aside from Suyi (who is still named Suyi!)

As for Lingshuang being playable, personally while I love her, I know that HSR fans have the reading comprehension of a rock and they could not handle her raging autism without wildly mischaracterizing her. I would be happy for more Lingshuang content but also driven insane by other people knowing she exists and doing her dirty. I am the self proclaimed CEO of Lingshuang and she is my obscure wife. I already go crazy every time someone who didn't read SSOSS says Su Mei is Yanqing's mistress or that he had a loving relationship with Zhaoyu. So yes I would love to see her in HSR but I would lose my mind!!

[itsahullabaloo]

I been reading through a day of fallen night and i realized just how important having the right headspace when going into that type of book is.

When i read priory I just wanted to read a story for wlw and the various characterizations and relationships. I had skimmed a lot of story with Niclay and Tani. Tani’s story was just very bittersweet and the girl could not catch a break (I also felt like her story felt weaker than Ead’s and Sabran’s).

Now onto my feelings so far on adofn under the read more tag

I’m not too deep into the story (~100 pages in) but from what I’ve read for each person I feel super invested.

With priory i felt like i had to speed through to the parts that I really wanted to read, but with adofn it feels like I’m ambling through it with the feeling of catching the details and no rush.

I love the various perspectives in adofn especially Tunuva. (I gasped at the reveal with Suyi, like damn girl you’re speedrunning towards bad ending aren’t you?) I know shit is supposed to hit the fan since it’s like 500 years from priory but I’m enjoying the world so far

[cairnparavel]

JAN 2023.

9th. The Haunting of 13 Olúwo Street, Suyi Davies Okungbowa. beautiful, gentle, patient and concise. in a genre so often "revolutionized" by plot twists and development of ideas away from the root, it does feel revolutionary to tend to one concept with infinite kindness and depth.

29th. Armless Maidens of the American West, Genevieve Valentine. A pretty nice follow-up to 13 Olúwo Street, sharing a core theme of kindness making the changes that voyeuristic curiosity never can. The idea haunts me constantly, and feels like perfectly plausible urban legend.

29th. On the Banks of the River Lex, N K Jemsin. Re-read. I liked this one more on revisit, not for any faults of the story but because I was unused to short stories that focus more on describing one slice of a moment than on interpersonal plot. I like this incarnation of Death.

29th. The Only Friend You Ever Need, M Shaw. Re-read. This one jarred me to get into, but I don't hate the concept. I'm not a fan of the protagonist but I am a fan of the monsters in this and the repercussions of his actions which balances it out. Not a fave, but solid despite it.

29th. Paper Menagerie, Ken Liu. Re-read. Deserved every award it won and then some. This one never fails to reduce me to useless tears. I don't know what else to say here. The magic is beautiful and grounded and kind. Ken Liu is a master of emotional patience and empathy.

FEB 2023.

??. The Queen of Atlantis, Sarah Rees Brennan. Re-read. This is one of my two favorite fantasy shorts ever written. Everything about it is so quintessentially childlike in tone without ever flinching from its topic or message. Foreshadowing is subtle and holds up impeccably on revisit, and this story has made me cry before. Impeccable.

??. The Worth of Crows, Seth Dickinson. Re-read. Yes, of Baru Cormorant fame, although I discovered this short before that. This one is less iconic in concept, but sticks with me more. Possibly because it is 🍊s favorite piece of short fiction. Possibly because I love necromancy done kindly.

??. Bread and Circus, Genevieve Valentine. Re-read. This one is less of a favorite of mine, but it helps give depth to her previous entry on this list from January. As ever, the human element shines relentlessly above the more by the book depictions of small social miseries.

??. More Full of Weeping Than You Could Understand, Rosamund Hodge. Re-read. God, I adore this one. Nothing does changelings well in the way this one does. They work too hard on making the fairy motives translatable, instead of presenting them as obvious fact.

??. The Prince's Shadow, Emily M Z Carlyle. Re-read. Always a beloved favorite right next to my unfindable white moonlight about a wizard after the war. The love between them is unflinching and locked tight. I love courts and I love when people don'f eschew society to cottagecore up.

??. Silk And Shadow, Tony Pi. Re-read. Absolutely insane. This is what people keep telling me grishaverse is. It's perfect. The universe is lush, the prose unflinching, the tragedy beautiful. I personally did not want the ending of inception to be hashtag solved, and the ending of this isn't.

MAR 2023.

N/A. I was ill and I was not well also. I played lots of games and re-watched giant chunks of Nirvana In Fire. I came into this knowing my reading was slowing down as my cognitive health got worse over the last year and part of that is being patient to myself on bad months.

APR 2023.

??. Remembering Light. Marie Brennan. Re-read. I'm so glad this author returned to Driftwood after the initial short had me haunted for days. This one was far more reasonable and simply reduced me to tears multiple times. The prose is steady, the worldbuilding fascinating, and the concept unlivably tender. Masterclass in short fiction.

??. The Bone House. James Lecky. Re-read. There's a different story I always try to find, and search resolutely insists that it was this one and I just forgot or misremembered some parts. Maybe so. I'm honestly less invested in the protagonist's inner struggle as I am very very interested in his father and his girlfriend, both of whom did more with less.

??. Our Dead Selves Lie Like Footsteps In Our Wake. Jeff Isacksen. Re-read. God. This was insane. The magic system is beautiful, the world feels bright and lush, and I know these people as intimately as if we were stood in the same room together. The story builds without mercy to a breaking point, but the relief is palpable and lovingly rendered.

??. And Her Eyes Sewn Shut With Unicorn Hair. Rosamund Hodge. Re-read. This honestly deserves a place alongside Queen of Atlantis for the work it does at re-writing childrens fantasy hallmarks to their own end. This time it is Narnia, or more specifically Tash, who gets folded into a new story that grabbed my neck and will not let it go.

??. Ghostweight. Yoon Ha Lee. Re-read. Finally a Clarkesworld entry! I love sci-fi that builds itself on a different cultural foundation because I love seeing what is so taken for granted that it becomes a cornerstone of a new world. This universe exemplifies that with the kites, and the characters are heartbreaking and complicated without reserve.

.

[cature]

JAN 2023.

The Haunting of 13 Olúwo Street, Suyi Davies Okungbowa. beautiful, gentle, patient and concise. in a genre so often “revolutionized” by plot twists and development of ideas away from the root, it does feel revolutionary to tend to one concept with infinite kindness and depth.

FEB 2023.

Armless Maidens of the American West, Genevieve Valentine. A pretty nice follow-up to 13 Olúwo Street, sharing a core theme of kindness making the changes that voyeuristic curiosity never can. The idea haunts me constantly, and feels like perfectly plausible urban legend.

MAR 2023.

I was ill and I was not well also. I played lots of games and re-watched giant chunks of Nirvana In Fire. I came into this knowing my reading was slowing down as my cognitive health got worse over the last year and part of that is being patient to myself on bad months.

APR 2023.

On the Banks of the River Lex, N K Jemsin. Re-read. I liked this one more on revisit, not for any faults of the story but because I was unused to short stories that focus more on describing one slice of a moment than on interpersonal plot. I like this incarnation of Death.

MAY 2023.

The Only Friend You Ever Need, M Shaw. Re-read. This one jarred me to get into, but I don’t hate the concept. I’m not a fan of the protagonist but I am a fan of the monsters in this and the repercussions of his actions which balances it out. Not a fave, but solid despite it.

JUN 2023.

Paper Menagerie, Ken Liu. Re-read. Deserved every award it won and then some. This one never fails to reduce me to useless tears. I don’t know what else to say here. The magic is beautiful and grounded and kind. Ken Liu is a master of emotional patience and empathy.

JUL 2023.

The Queen of Atlantis, Sarah Rees Brennan. Re-read. This is one of my two favorite fantasy shorts ever written. Everything about it is so quintessentially childlike in tone without ever flinching from its topic or message. Foreshadowing is subtle and holds up impeccably on revisit, and this story has made me cry before. Impeccable.

AUG 2023.

The Worth of Crows, Seth Dickinson. Re-read. Yes, of Baru Cormorant fame, although I discovered this short before that. This one is less iconic in concept, but sticks with me more. Possibly because it is 🍊s favorite piece of short fiction. Possibly because I love necromancy done kindly.

SEP 2023.

Bread and Circus, Genevieve Valentine. Re-read. This one is less of a favorite of mine, but it helps give depth to her previous entry on this list from January. As ever, the human element shines relentlessly above the more by the book depictions of small social miseries.

OCT 2023.

More Full of Weeping Than You Could Understand, Rosamund Hodge. Re-read. God, I adore this one. Nothing does changelings well in the way this one does. They work too hard on making the fairy motives translatable, instead of presenting them as obvious fact.

NOV 2023.

The Prince’s Shadow, Emily M Z Carlyle. Re-read. Always a beloved favorite right next to my unfindable white moonlight about a wizard after the war. The love between them is unflinching and locked tight. I love courts and I love when people don't eschew society to cottagecore up.

DEC 2023.

Silk And Shadow, Tony Pi. Re-read. Absolutely insane. This is what people keep telling me grishaverse is. It’s perfect. The universe is lush, the prose unflinching, the tragedy beautiful. I personally did not want the ending of inception to be hashtag solved, and the ending of this isn’t.

JAN 2024.

Remembering Light, Marie Brennan. Re-read. I’m so glad this author returned to Driftwood after the initial short had me haunted for days. This one was far more reasonable and simply reduced me to tears multiple times. The prose is steady, the worldbuilding fascinating, and the concept unlivably tender. Masterclass in short fiction.

FEB 2024.

The Bone House, James Lecky. Re-read.There’s a different story I always try to find, and search resolutely insists that it was this one and I just forgot or misremembered some parts. Maybe so. I’m honestly less invested in the protagonist’s inner struggle as I am very very interested in his father and his girlfriend, both of whom did more with less.

MAR 2024.

Our Dead Selves Lie Like Footsteps In Our Wake, Jeff Isacksen. Re-read. God. This was insane. The magic system is beautiful, the world feels bright and lush, and I know these people as intimately as if we were stood in the same room together. The story builds without mercy to a breaking point, but the relief is palpable and lovingly rendered.

APR 2024.

And Her Eyes Sewn Shut With Unicorn Hair, Rosamund Hodge. Re-read. This honestly deserves a place alongside Queen of Atlantis for the work it does at re-writing childrens fantasy hallmarks to their own end. This time it is Narnia, or more specifically Tash, who gets folded into a new story that grabbed my neck and will not let it go.

MAY 2024.

Ghostweight, Yoon Ha Lee. Re-read. Finally a Clarkesworld entry! I love sci-fi that builds itself on a different cultural foundation because I love seeing what is so taken for granted that it becomes a cornerstone of a new world. This universe exemplifies that with the kites, and the characters are heartbreaking and complicated without reserve.

JUN 2024.

At The Mouth Of The River Of Bees, Kij Johnson. Re-read. Finally a Clarkesworld entry! I love sci-fi that builds itself on a different cultural foundation because I love seeing what is so taken for granted that it becomes a cornerstone of a new world. This universe exemplifies that with the kites, and the characters are heartbreaking and complicated without reserve.

[bookishthings30]

Lost Ark Dreaming- Review

First, I would like to thank NetGalley, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, and their publisher for the ARC.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Here is my honest review:

I am a huge fan of Snowpiercer, and I have been itching for something similar. Lost Ark Dreaming delivers that with its in-depth brutal class system. I enjoyed how the story talked about and questioned immigration, humanity, and class. The story makes you think, and I enjoy works that linger with me afterwards.

Overall, the premise of the book was very intriguing. Unfortunately, the characters fell a bit flat for me. The character development was slow, and I couldn’t develop an attachment to any of the characters.  As a reader, I found the book lacking in its understanding of the characters' motivations. The progression of the plot begins only when we meet the final character and by then it was too late for me. I think that the main character’s motivation should have been presented sooner in the book, because it threw me out of my reading experience trying to keep up with their goals. This caused the story to be very slow-moving even though it was marketed to be fast paced.

Despite this I was still captivated by the world-building I think this would have been better suited as a full-length novel as opposed to a novella. That way the author would have more room to go in-depth with world-building and character-growth. As previously stated, I enjoyed the journey and the premise, I just think the characters need a bit more work. However, for people who love fast-paced dystopian books that make you question humanity and society and are fans of Snowpiercer, this book will be for you.

[roadtophantom]

The obligatory adorable Meg photo set - Fan Suyi

[elkdiaries]

hello stranger things fans, i wanted to discuss l*cas on the l*ne a little bit.

firstly, i want to apologize for bringing up mike when posting about lucas’s book. i didn’t know at the time that this post would get as much attention as it did, and that the topic would end up being discussed way more so than the main plot of this book. as i said in the final paragraph of that post, l*cas on the l*ne is about lucas first and foremost, and i hate that my post ended up taking away from that. lucas is an amazing character who has been excluded and treated poorly amongst people in this fandom for years, so for his book to be blowing up around the internet as “that one book with the quote about mike” on top of all that is upsetting to say the least.

again, i apologize for redirecting people’s attention so severely. it was not my intention whatsoever. i’ve censored all mentions of the book title in that post so it will not end up in the book’s tags, but if it would be better for me to delete the post altogether, i completely understand. let me know if i should!

secondly, i’d love to bring to everyone’s focus some aspects of l*cas on the l*ne that were written phenomenally and should be talked about way more on this app. i’m only about halfway through this book so i’m sure i’m missing out on a whole bunch of other details, but i will post more about it after i’ve finished it!

lucas has always been a person who makes it his duty to help those around him, and in this book this trait is thoughtfully highlighted. he is so brave and strong for staying calm and trying to help his loved ones even with all that’s going on in his life. though we’ve seen this part of his character in the show before, getting to see this trait in action from his perspective is very interesting.

the portrayal of mental illness in this book is realistic, specifically the parts on how how max is coping with losing her step-brother. in addition, there is plenty of detail on how it feels for lucas to be in a relationship with someone who is suffering so much. it gives us a ton of insight as to how he felt in season four. one part that’s very close to my heart is when lucas learns that the most important thing he can do to help max is to simply let her talk, and listen to what she has to say. their breakups was so wonderfully written that i sobbed all the way through it.

lucas opens up about what it’s like to be poc in a predominantly white town, and how it has been for him in particular to grow up dealing with racism. he discusses how hard it is to have practically zero poc peers who understand what he’s going through. he gets to explore his history and is able to learn more about himself as a person throughout the course of this book.

the way each person talks to others is very in character, from dustin’s witty remarks to mike’s snappy sarcasm to lucas’s calm tone. there’s one bit that i especially loved in which lucas was talking to robin, said something incorrect, and she made a buzzer noise to indicate that he was wrong. i loved the way she and lucas interacted.

we get a look at lucas’s family dynamic— both the good and the bad. we find out that lucas secretly loves when his mom does first day of school photoshoots with him, which is the sweetest thing on earth if you ask me.

each chapter so far has finished with a line or paragraph that feels like a punch to the heart, but in a good way. as a writer myself i bow to suyi davies for his ability to make words so emotional and powerful.

that’s all just scraping the surface. again, i haven’t even finished the book and i’m already in love with it. so do read it if you’d like. appreciate every bit of this book and give the author the love he deserves. and please be sure that if you’re talking about things from the book that don’t involve lucas that you keep it away from l*cas on the l*ne tags, and censor it like so!

we are at last getting to see lucas in the spotlight, so let’s appreciate that!

[mevekagvain]

Chapter 526 - Funny that Crombel is still unaware of the noblesse. Idiot.

- Once again when in danger, Suyi and Yuna immediately hugged each other :)

- 'All right I am'? Who the hell made Raizel watch star wars?

Chapter 527 - I don't think searching for Lukedonia is dumb in of itself, but yes it is stupid to do so on a tiny boat with no room for more than a day's worth of supplies.

- I'm of the opinion that if Raizel had more lifeforce, he could have destroyed all the satellites from one spot instead of having to run around to below where they were orbiting.

Chapter 528 - So Ikhan lives in a house with his uncle who's a policeman, Yuna lives in a very pink place with her family (or at least her mother), and Shinwoo lives alone in an apartment. Ikhan's home and room are pretty nice though his bed's the wrong way around, the living room we saw way back when was also cool.

- Ikhan being able to basically unblur images is both impressive and very very uncomfortable.

Chapter 530 - I do think Crombel improved First's face.

Chapter 531 - The newest translator really changed the speech patterns completely. Not a fan. Raizel also keeps doing Yoda lines every now and then :/

- How is Raizel finding the places of the coordinates anyway? Is Tao projecting a map into his brain???

- Huh. A flashback with Lunark advising M-21. Good for them.

Chapter 533 - They should have made Crombel look younger in his flashback.

- Seeing the results of your experiments, I don't particularly want a new world with your 'creations' bro.

- Karias and Amore!!

Chapter 534 - See! Even Karias is wondering how the modified ppl keep regenerating endlessly!

- Hi Lunark.

Chapter 535 - Muzaka and Raizel in an alleyway is so suspicious hsjskksks.

- No Frankenstein's rude to everyone, Crombel. You aren't special.

Chapter 536 - Karias looks very cool. Big fan.

- Takeo killed Aris. Poetic <3

Chapter 537 - Rip Yuri and Mark.

- Raizel "I wish I was home instead of in the damn USA".

Chapter 538 - I still think it's hilarious that DarkSpear built Frankenstein a throne inside of itself. Why?

- What are you? A librarian? Stop complaining about shit you knew would happen Frankenstein. Only I'm allowed to do that.

Chapter 539 - Can you imagine seeing that eccentric girl who came to your school like twice on TV because it turns out she was actually the ruler of an OP supernatural species? Would be awkward.

Chapter 540 - Speak for yourself Crombel, I've wanted to be rich but I've never wanted power. At most I've wanted wings to fly with.

- Raskreia just sounds like she's saying she/nobles don't give a shit about humans with her phrasing and it's not true and ajjaksksk.

- Have we considered the only reason all these bloodstone users are turning into monsters is because they're using artificial ones? The only one who used a real one is Lagus and he only got it in the invasion itself so... He probably was embedded with an artificial one too. I know there's that one guy from the sidestory but maybe the stranger who gave him the bloodstone was Lagus and thus it was also an artificial one. Or maybe he becomes monstrous since he's a human who absorbed other humans and nobles' power. Probably the latter actually.

Speaking of artificial bloodstones, they become useless when broken unlike the real ones which are crystals and even a broken part is useful as seen with the guy from the sidestory.

Chapter 541 - The only person I care for in this room of nobodies 🥺

Chapter 542 - Shinwoo's the only one not crying about Raizel going off to die.

- Raskreia just say noblesse oblige and walk off. It may not be as heartwarming but it wastes less time. These missiles truly be slow as fuck.

Chapter 543 - Personally, I understand how Raizel, Raskreia, and Rozaria could contribute, but how are Kei and Muzaka gonna help? Punch a missile?? That's counterproductive.

- 'My soul echoes nothing different'. Damn Raizel, that's also very quotable. I'm going to hc that that's a common reply to someone saying I love you (be it platonic or romantic) in noble culture. He and Muzaka are truly besties.

- :(

- :(

- Idc if I know they aren't dead. My beloved characters don't and that's iwiwiwiwiwi.

Epilogue - I don't think it's particularly strange that the kids forgot about Raizel and everything else. One can just assume Raizel suppressed their memories once again when he knocked them out.

- Shinwoo cried this time too :3

- Dw Muzaka. Give it another century and my darling Jinan will beat your ass for the position.

- Lukedonians <3

- My hc for the end part is just Frankenstein and Third trying to figure out what the fuck was in those missiles to heal Raizel and the other 3 once destroyed, noble biology because actually he knows jack shit even after his experiments 1000+ years ago since he didn't do much, etc etc. Which actually is useless because my hc is that aside from Muzaka and Kei who did survive because like I said, them being there is dumb so they didn't contribute much, Raizel, Raskreia, and Rozaria did die and produce their red glowy dust. They were just lucky that the next time the universe aligned was like a month later so they then revived <3

[buffyfan145]

While I’m still so sad about what happened to Eddie I will point out that he’s actually going to be in the latest “Stranger Things” YA novel “Lucas on the Line” out July 26th. That book tells what happened between seasons 3 and 4 from Lucas’ POV and how he started to get torn about being with Mike and Dustin in the Hellfire Club and his new group of friends from the basketball team. These books are considered cannon. These YA books are also written by popular YA authors so will be interesting to see Suyi Davies’ takes on all the characters. There’s also a chance too Eddie could be in the graphic novels and/or get his own book/graphic novel as even Brenner has his own novel telling more of his backstory. 

Again I don’t think the Duffers realized how popular Eddie/Joseph was going to become and wouldn’t surprise me if he guest stars somehow in season 5, especially with the time travel theories, but there for sure is an audience there if they do want to write more about him in either genre of the books. Also I know Joseph’s career is going to skyrocket after this especially in the US and he’s got a fan for life with me.

[rockislandadultreads]

New in Science Fiction & Fantasy: June 2021 recs

Wendy, Darling by A.C. Wise

A lush, feminist re-imagining on what happened to Wendy after Neverland, for fans of Circe and The Mere Wife. For those that lived there, Neverland was a children's paradise. No rules, no adults, only endless adventure and enchanted forests - all led by the charismatic boy who would never grow old. But Wendy Darling grew up. She left Neverland and became a woman, a mother, a patient, and a survivor. Because Neverland isn't as perfect as she remembers. There's darkness at the heart of the island, and now Peter Pan has returned to claim a new Wendy for his lost boys...

Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

From one of the most exciting new storytellers in epic fantasy, Son of the Storm is a sweeping tale of violent conquest and forgotten magic set in a world inspired by the pre-colonial empires of West Africa.

In the ancient city of Bassa, Danso is a clever scholar on the cusp of achieving greatness—only he doesn’t want it. Instead, he prefers to chase forbidden stories about what lies outside the city walls. The Bassai elite claim there is nothing of interest. The city’s immigrants are sworn to secrecy. But when Danso stumbles across a warrior wielding magic that shouldn’t exist, he’s put on a collision course with Bassa’s darkest secrets. Drawn into the city’s hidden history, he sets out on a journey beyond its borders. And the chaos left in the wake of his discovery threatens to destroy the empire.

We Are Satellites by Sarah Pinsker

Everybody's getting one. Val and Julie just want what's best for their kids, David and Sophie. So when teenage son David comes home one day asking for a Pilot, a new brain implant to help with school, they reluctantly agree. This is the future, after all. Soon, Julie feels mounting pressure at work to get a Pilot to keep pace with her colleagues, leaving Val and Sophie part of the shrinking minority of people without the device. Before long, the implications are clear, for the family and society: get a Pilot or get left behind. With government subsidies and no downside, why would anyone refuse? And how do you stop a technology once it's everywhere? Those are the questions Sophie and her anti-Pilot movement rise up to answer, even if it puts them up against the Pilot's powerful manufacturer and pits Sophie against the people she loves most.

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid

In her forest-veiled pagan village, Évike is the only woman without power, making her an outcast clearly abandoned by the gods. The villagers blame her corrupted bloodline—her father was a Yehuli man, one of the much-loathed servants of the fanatical king. When soldiers arrive from the Holy Order of Woodsmen to claim a pagan girl for the king’s blood sacrifice, Évike is betrayed by her fellow villagers and surrendered. But when monsters attack the Woodsmen and their captive en route, slaughtering everyone but Évike and the cold, one-eyed captain, they have no choice but to rely on each other. Except he’s no ordinary Woodsman—he’s the disgraced prince, Gáspár Bárány, whose father needs pagan magic to consolidate his power. Gáspár fears that his cruelly zealous brother plans to seize the throne and instigate a violent reign that would damn the pagans and the Yehuli alike. As the son of a reviled foreign queen, Gáspár understands what it’s like to be an outcast, and he and Évike make a tenuous pact to stop his brother. As their mission takes them from the bitter northern tundra to the smog-choked capital, their mutual loathing slowly turns to affection, bound by a shared history of alienation and oppression. However, trust can easily turn to betrayal, and as Évike reconnects with her estranged father and discovers her own hidden magic, she and Gáspár need to decide whose side they’re on, and what they’re willing to give up for a nation that never cared for them at all.

[lenskij]

Got tagged by @klingonegin to share 6 books I plan to read this year! Here they are, in no particular order:

Barbara Hambly: Those Who Hunt the Night. People in the LMB discord were talking about this series, and since we're all fans of LMB, I think it's a safe bet I too will like this one.

Katharine Kerr: Daggerspell. I've been reading the Deverry series willy-nilly, it's good time I read the first book in the series!

Фе��ор Достоевский: Бесы. This one has been on my tbr-list for a loooong time, so I've decided this is the year I read it!

Shida Bazyar: Drei Kameradinnen. This one is Goethe Institute's first book for their international book club this year, and the blurb seems interesting! (I've not been so good at keeping up with the buchclub, but I will make it for at least one zoom-discussion!)

Suyi Davies Okungbowa: David Mogo, Godhunter. This one was pitched in one of the latest Writing Excuses episodes, as an example of good worldbuilding, and my local library has a copy (a rarety for WE recs). I'm looking forward to it!

Ursula K Le Guin: The Hainish Novels & Stories. I got this boxed set for Christmas, and it contains two of my all-time favourite novels, so I don't doubt I'll have a great time reading this beast of almost 2000 pages!

I'm also going to do the Storygraph's Read the World challenge (although I'm a bit cranky they didn't make it as another translation challenge, though I will fill the prompts with translations when possible).

In other words, I have tons and tons of books lined up for the year (when don't I?). I'm taggig @vera-dauriac @ginkovskij @thedeadhandofseldon @verdigf and everyone else who wants to!

[sillylittlelouie]

Special Dresses

Females were evil, M-21 ascertained. 

Females were evil, and Frankenstein was the devil. Or, at least, the Antichrist. Or both.

That had to be it. If that wasn't how it was, then why else was she standing in a dressing room, staring at her reflection in the large mirror?

The strapless purple gown hung low on her chest, showcasing the scar from when that bastard had replaced her heart. It was tight, clinging to her curves. It actually hugged her body until about her knees, where it flared and pooled softly around her feet, just like a sleeping cat. It was lovely, and obviously not for someone like her. What had she been thinking when she'd allowed Yuna to convince her to try it on?

No, not Yuna.

It had been Suyi's idea for her to try on the gown. In fact, this whole trip had been Suyi's idea. Much like with the gown, Seira seconded the trip. Then she'd somehow gotten Frankenstein involved, and the mad scientist had actually gone for it, citing her need for female interaction.

"Female interaction" her ass. Frankenstein was just pissed that Raizel had opted to walk to school with her that morning. This was just his way of getting revenge without having to lift a single finger.

And punishment it was, M-21 thought as her ears picked up on the squeals coming from the stall next door. Suyi wasn't very quiet as she gushed over Seira's dress. Neither were the store attendants.

Every other word that tumbled from their lips seemed to be a compliment, all aimed at the young noble.

M-21 could imagine it: Seira, standing tall and proud as Suyi flitted around her. The store attendants would stare in awe as she tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear, her eyes downcast in an attractive display of humility. A blush would fan her cheeks, and even more onlookers would fawn...

Sighing, M-21 turned back to the mirror.

Her shoulders curved inwards as she took in the trainwreck that was her reflection, diverting her eyes quickly.

Sure, the others would find something nice to say about her but their words would be empty.

And why wouldn't they be? Her breasts weren't particularly large, and her thighs were too large. Right now, as it stood, she couldn't see her thighs, but she could feel them rubbing. Her arms were muscular, and her neck was much too long. She was disgusting. She'd heard it enough to know that it was true.

With another sigh, M-21 reached back and unzipped the dress. She didn't need to hear the lies. Even if they were for her benefit.

"It didn't fit," she lied, stepping out of the dressing room. Her own clothes chafed her skin, as if they were chastised her for the lie. Keeping her eyes downcast, she handed the dress back to Suyi.

"Oh Unnie," Yuna said, coming to stand beside her, "I didn't think that it would be too big!"

"Yeah, it was." Guilt ate at her as they left the store. Especially when she realised that Seira was looking at her with something akin to sadness in her eyes.

- - - -

M-21 smoothed out the creases in the dress with shaking hands.

No, not the dress. Her dress.

Her dress, because she'd gone back after a few weeks and spent her money on it. The money that she'd worked for, at a job that she liked.

This time, in the silence of the bathroom, she allowed herself to look in the mirror. Really look, without measuring herself up to some inhuman level of perfection.

Like before, the dress was perfect. This time though, there was something missing...M-21 reached up, and tried to pile her short hair atop her head. She didn't even come close to it, but the nameless woman in the mirror, with her brown hair messily piled on top of her head, smiled back at her. Then, as M-21 watched, the woman reached down and picked up a pearl necklace and held it out.

Her smile never faltered. Not even when M-21's fingers hit the glass and her image faded, leaving only a grey-haired woman with a scar marring the side of her face. The first sob took her by surprise. The second saw her folding in on herself. The third sent her to her knees. The fourth felt cathartic, so she kept on sobbing, right there on the bathroom floor.

She'd never really cried before; not for herself. Sure, she'd shed tears on her own accord. cried when the first of her comrades had died, and again when M-24 had died. But she'd never cried for herself. Not until now, at least. So she cried. She cried for whatever she had lost, when the Union took her. She cried for how her future had been stripped away from her. Mostly, she cried, because even if she got back the names, the faces and the places, the memories were still lost to her.

It took her a while to work up the courage to change and leave the bathroom. But when she stepped out, the lights were off.

The house, however, was lit by candles, shining softly, casting a soft orange glow across the walls. A slow song rumbled in the background, complemented by the smell of roses.

In the midst of it all were Tao and Takeo, each wearing an even nicer version of their uniforms. The hacker was sporting a rose, and stood in a pose that would have been better suited for one of those ridiculous male leads out of one of the children's television shows.

It was all so incredibly out of place that M-21 had to stand and gape.

"What," she spluttered after a few seconds of staring, "are you two doing?"

Takeo had the decency to look embarrassed. Tao on the other hand, grinned and pranced over to her.He grabbed her by the hands and spun her in a circle, seemingly humming along to the music. The song had changed, and now the singer was crooning about the regrets he'd held after his last relationship.

Unpinning the rose from his suit, Tao clipped it into M-21's hair as the singer lamented that he'd never given his girlfriend flowers. Takeo took one of her hands out of Tao's and laced their fingers together. He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed the scarred knuckles gently. His actions fit perfectly with the singer's words.

They fit, even more so as the two held hands, leading the three of them in a strange sort of dance. "The answer to that's obvious M," Tao chuckled, once the song had ended. "We're showing you how much we appreciate you, for who you are."M-21 took back her hands, and blinked intelligently as she tried to understand the reasoning behind the hacker's words. Hoping to have some help, she turned to look at Takeo.

The sniper smiled at her, and stepped closer. He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, then stepped away. His smile however, remained.

"Miss Seira informed us that you'd been struggling with your appearance after your trip to the shopping mall with she and the others."

"And we heard you crying tonight, so we wanted to do something special for you."

Tao was blushing. So was Takeo. They were both uncomfortable with that level interaction, but they'd done it anyway, and all for her.

M-21 might not have been the most beautiful woman in the world but, in that moment, she certainly felt like the most special.