#i reread the issue to write the summary and it is a powerful stand-alone story

[embroid-away]

What If: Captain America Were Revived Today? #44 (April 1983) by Peter B. Gillis and Sal Buscema; Original Image by John Romita Sr.

In this What If? Marvel tale, Captain America is unfrozen in 1983 rather than the 1960s. Without the leadership of Steve Rogers, The Avengers disband. Meanwhile, a Captain America imposter, who calls himself a "real American," has decided to use his newfound influential media status to publicly support a National Identity Card to "deal with illegal aliens,” to suggest that members of civil rights groups "ought to think seriously as to whether or not their actions contribute to the strengthening of communist enemies," and declare that if those groups tear the country apart with protests, martial law is justified "for the peace to find a solution.”

Neighborhoods with large black populations (e.g., Harlem) are walled off and forced into poverty, and one character even mentions that Jewish people are being “put back into camps.” The right-wing politicians make sure that things like this aren’t shown on television, keeping the majority of the American public ignorant of the horrors committed with their indifferent support. The public are simultaneously told that with some sacrifices, America can be free once again. The fake Captain America confronts a group of peaceful protestors, and he is shot by a sniper (in what reads like an inside job), allowing the police to have “reason” to attack the protestors. The imposter does not die and instead uses the attack to provide more reason for the violent crackdown against protesting groups.

When the true Captain America is unfrozen, he is horrified to see what America has become, especially with his emblem stamped all over it. He immediately seeks out the resistance forces (who clearly represent the Black Panther Party) and joins their cause, stating that "the wrongs [he's] seen will take much more than one man to right -- but [he's] got a name to clear, a costume to unsoil-- and a country to die for!!"

By the time Steve joins them, the resistance only has one chance left to stop the American downfall: a political convention where the "America First" party will be able to secure its support to sweep the national elections and allow them "to return America to the pure and great nation [the] forefathers envisioned."

The resistance strikes just as the convention begins. The Captain America imposter is no match in a fight against the true Captain America -- especially against a Steve Rogers who's fucking pissed. ("Get up so I can knock you down!!")

With the imposter knocked unconscious, Captain America addresses the convention crowd, warning that an America that does not represent all its people does not deserve to exist at all; that liberty can be "as easily snuffed out [in America] as in Nazi Germany" and "as a people, we are no different from them."

The crowd realizes that the man speaking before them is the true Captain America and cheers. Captain America holds his hand up and silences them, stating that he will not allow them the chance to simply replace one idol with another. He alone can’t undo the horrible damage, and he pleads that there’s still a chance for the people to “find America once again.”

Fascism doesn’t change its tune, just its singers.

A 2021 Marvel Trumps Hate ( @marveltrumpshate ) commission, completed on 22-count aida cloth with embroidery floss and watercolors on a 9" diameter bamboo hoop.

[wastefulreverie]

Phic Recs

Alright so my turn for the reveal phic recs thing *cracks knuckles* Reveal fics are my bread and butter (besides angst of course) so it was really hard to narrow it down. So I decided on phics that don’t get as much attention as others, given that they’re new or just not really paid any attention. Also I included five instead of three because that’s just extra

All It Takes Is A Sack of Flour by Sonic Squid

Summary: Casper High has its first ever all-boys lock in where Dash and Kwan decide to pull a little prank on Danny (no PP, One-Shot)

Why I Like It: In just a thousand words, this oneshot tells everything it needs to in the funniest way possible with good dialogue execution. Additionally, it’s not ridden with angst like most reveal phics are, and is generally lighthearted and silly - which is often scarce with these types of fics.

Shivers by JadeNoRyuu

Summary: When the Fenton parents went to investigate a strange phenomenon, unforeseen consequences began to stir a chain reaction that would lead to injuries, an odd medical issue (impossible for human standards) and the discovery of weird facts. Above all they're unable to call for help. What will they do?

Why I Like It: First off, the world-building and pacing in this phic is honestly just phenomenal. The plot slowly builds toward the reveal, as the Fenton parents gradually discover more and more information, leaving you anticipating every next moment. What I personally enjoy about this one is how it delves into the aftermath of the reveal, while most fics usually conclude after the reveal.

Summer Reveal by WritingDreamGirl

Summary: All was right in Danny's world. With Summer Vacation coming up, he and his friend's were finally going to get that vacation they so desperately deserved. But things take a slight detour when his mom tells him they can't afford the airfare. Her solution however, is the thing that really shocks him.

Why I Like It: Another short oneshot, this story leaves you wanting more yet is somehow still satisfying? This one really stands out to me since reveal fics are generally focused on drama while this oneshot does the opposite by presenting a casual scenario with just enough suspense to keep you hooked.

Third Time’s the Charm by Shadow Kat-Lyn

Summary: Danny knows he needs to tell his parents about Phantom, but he always backs out at the last second. A Danny/Maddie bonding fiction in four parts.

Why I Like It: Each part of this series just feels so natural whenever I reread it. It establishes the complicated tension in Danny and Maddie’s relationship in the first chapter, realistically straining it until everything eventually comes to light. Really wholesome read that you should check out if you’re a sucker for Danny/Maddie bonding, like me.

Unearthed by DarkNympha

Summary: In the stress of the events that followed the Accident, as Danny struggled to control his new-found ghost powers and as ghosts started attacking Amity Park, the trio completely forgot about the body that they had buried in the woods. Until someone found it. 

Why I Like It: Alright, before I read this phic I was writing something very similar last Ectober, but this fic pulls it off much better than I would have. Suspenseful. Angsty. And a few awkward moments in between that at least made me laugh. It’s premise alone stands apart from most reveal fics, and the author’s fluid style contributes even more appeal.

Also, I don’t usually self promote but I thought I’d add a few of my own reveal(ish) oneshots: Tapes / Green / Power Surge / Their Possession / Colors Underneath / Under My Skin / Witching Hour

[ifbrd]

Huggy’s Log (WordGirl Fanfic)

This is my first posted WordGirl fanfic! I’m so excited! There’s probably a lot more editing I could do, but my brain is fried and I’ve reread it so many times it’s getting hard to find errors and things to edit. 

Summary: A retelling of WordGirl and Huggy’s origin story, told from the perspective of Huggy and written (or attempted to be written) in the form of a captain’s log.

According to one of the writing editor websites I used to help me with this, it’s about a 10-minute read.

So here we go. I hope you enjoy :) 

Huggy’s Log

Captain Log: 7 03 7: Captain HuggyFace

My mission was simple: transport resources back to Lexicon from one of our allies. I regret to report that I have failed said mission. This is to no fault of my own—or anyone for that matter. And don’t think I regret my actions. Given the circumstances, I am proud of how I handled the situation.

Everything started fine. My ship was brand new, met all the new safety standards and had plenty of fuel. I knew my exact course and the time frame I'd arrive. Knowing this would be a long trip, I decided to take one more long look at Lexicon.

This, I assume, is when my stowaway snuck onboard.

 I'm not sure how long it’d been. I wasn’t paying attention to the time. My surroundings had been distracting me. It can be hard to focus when you're flying through the beautiful inky swirls of indigo and violet. And the gleaming stars sprinkled everywhere are mesmerizing as well. It’s always a breath-taking sight, at this point I expect to be a little inattentive. Despite dodging planets, asteroids, and satellites, it was one of my smoothest rides. Since I was in no rush, I relaxed and took it all in. At one point, a meteor soared passed the ship that I masterfully avoided. But it caused a slight bit of turbulence. I’m sure this is what awoke the stowaway.

Up until I heard a soft little yawn in my ear, I was positive I was alone. So, it makes perfect sense that this sound startled me—startled me. It did not scare me! In my startled jump, I somehow managed to launch myself from the pilot chair. I took a moment to catch my breath. Bravely, I leaped back into the pilot seat. I was ready to unleash a full attack on my intruder—only to discover my intruder was a small child.

I didn't know what to think as I watched this toddler in my ship, rubbing her tired little eyes and wobbling up and down. She gripped onto anything within her reach. At one point she dropped to the ground and had to pull herself back up. Cute kid. After she fell, she ungracefully brushed her pigtails out of her face. It made me chuckle.

But what was she doing on my ship? Where were her parents? Did they know she was here? Should I fly her home, or would someone rather come to get her? There were millions of questions flooding my brain. So many, that I failed to notice the impending meteor shower. Thank the stars the gravity stabilizer was on. Things would have been so much worse if we had been bouncing throughout the cabin.

An aggressive jolt threw us to the floor. Firing myself back into the pilot seat, I scrambled for the controls. My instincts were to make sure the kid was alright from the hit. But I knew that wouldn't matter if I didn't get control of the ship.

I soon realized something was wrong. It took me a moment, but it did click: the engine had fallen off! I swear I saw it flying through space!

The ship was spinning like a top. We were hurdling at unimaginable speed into a system in the Milky Way. The “DANGER” light was flashing and buzzing, and I wanted to yell “I know!” at it, but then I’d be talking to a light bulb.

At this point a crash was inevitable. Our last hope was for me to adjust the wings to slow us down and angle us in the best position for impact.

I grabbed the steering and the instant we hit the atmosphere of a planet, I pulled up. Time slowed. It was the longest, hysteria filled millisecond of my life. I could feel the nose of the ship being forced upward.

When I saw the ground fast approaching, I clenched, shut my eyes and braced myself for the end.

 I had to get up. I would have much rather laid there until the swirling in my head stopped, but I had to get up. Once I blinked away my blurry-eyed state, I found myself upside-down on the dashboard. A rush of pain flooded through my head as I pulled myself into a sitting position. It took me a second to realize the ringing I was hearing wasn't coming from the ship, but my own head. Shaking off the dizziness, I stood on my feet and stretched my aching muscles. I was in agonizing pain, but I was alright. As long as I could walk and get the little girl somewhere safe, I was fine.

The girl. Where was the girl? She couldn't have escaped the cabin, but I didn't see her. I started scouring the room in a panic and tore it up before I discovered her trapped under the dashboard. On the verge of tears, she was struggling to free her little foot from the bent brake pedal.

“Hey, hey,” I whispered. “I got it, I’ll get you out of there.”

After loosening her foot from the brake, she started crying. I wasn't sure what to do, little kids intimidate me. I picked her up and started bouncing her around. “It’s alright, you’re okay,” I soothed until I saw the scrapes and scratches. “well, you’re mostly okay…”

Six or seven silly monkey faces got her to stop crying and start giggling. I took her to the ship’s infirmary, put bandages on her and tested her reflexes and brain power. Scratches and scrapes were the worst of her injuries; by some miracle. My next objective was to return her to Lexicon. I couldn’t fly her back. It was inconceivable to think the ship could get off the ground on its own, let alone flying it all the way back. What I could still do was send a distress message to Lexicon with my coordinates.

With the kid in tow, I returned to the computer. Typing the message one handed was a challenge, but I wasn't planning to let a toddler loose on my ship. Finally, I hit send. A notification popped up saying “Error: Message failed to send. No signal.” I opened the computer to find a shattered communication chip. No planet way out here would have a communication chip. And without it, I couldn’t contact Lexicon or any other planet for that matter.

“Great! Just great!” I hissed, “what do I do now?!” Pacing back and forth, I desperately tried to think of a plan B while balancing a squirming baby in my arms. How would I ever get us back home? I had no engine, no ability to call for help, and I didn’t even know where we were. My thoughts were interrupted by the little girl’s stomach growling. She was getting hungry. Frankly so was I. At that moment I came to the sensible conclusion that I should hold off planning our way home. My top priority was getting us both fed.

I just had to prepare for the elements.

Considering all the trees on the planet, I was confident neither of us would need oxygen helmets. The main concern was the temperature. Many planets are rather cold compared to Lexicon. Since Lexicon designs their uniforms to moderate temperature, I was already protected. But the little girl was in a shirt and overalls.

I pulled out my stash of emergency blankets. Hoping to find a smaller one I could wrap her in, I started sifting through them. She was still squirming in my arms and made finding an appropriate blanket difficult. I set her down in the bin of blankets so she couldn’t go anywhere and continued to search through them. She watched me for a moment and then started to look through the blankets too. I heard her let out a small squeal of excitement. Looking over to her, I saw she was snuggling with a small pink one. She looked up at me with the sweetest, twinkling little eyes. My heart melted. No way was I going to take that blanket away from a kid who gave me that cute of a look. I swaddled her in it, and we stepped out of the ship.

It didn’t take me long to realize what planet we were on: Earth. I’ve read about it and even visited it two or three years ago with my brother. It’s a stable planet, home of millions of different forms of life. Including intelligent life that has created thousands of different societies within itself. Biologically, humans and lexiconians are nearly identical. Plus, Earth has a species of monkey like mine that would allow me to blend in. Of all the planets in the universe to crash into, it was lucky we crashed into this one. But Earth does come with a few catches. First, while there is intelligent life, it’s primitive compared to Lexicon. Which meant fixing the ship wasn't an option. The other issue was the warnings of Earth’s treatment of aliens—humans don’t take kindly to strangers, I guess. So, the child and I would have to blend in and never share the minor detail that we were from another planet.

I was stealthy as possible, not because I thought any humans would stroll by. Humans tended to avoid venturing deep into their nature locations. My fear was the wildlife. I recalled an Earth movie that stated forests had “lions and tigers and bears.” I don’t know what lions, tigers, and bears are, but the characters cried “oh my!” afterward, so I assumed they were creatures to be avoided. We didn't run into any of these creatures, but I thought for sure we would, so when I heard footsteps nearby, I panicked.

I looked up and saw two humans standing there, a man and a woman, likely a young couple. They stared at us. The time for hiding had passed. As long as it wasn't a Lexiconian-eating beast. If I played this off right, I could get their help without them learning we were aliens. As fast as mentally possible, I reviewed every Earth dialect I knew.

“Oh look, a baby and a monkey,” the man said. English. Of course, they had to speak the hardest and most inconsistent language on the planet.

“Who wants sandwiches?” The man asked. That caught my attention.

 Twelve sandwiches later, the couple started asking questions. The first one was, “so why are a monkey and a baby alone in the woods anyway?”

“Um, uh…” I stammered.

“Tim, monkeys can’t talk!” the lady laughed.

“Oh, right! Silly me!” the man chuckled, “let’s see, are you two alone?”

I nodded.

“Do you need a place to stay?”

I nodded again.

“Well, problem solved!” The man cheered, “you can stay with us!”

“Oh, yes! We’d be happy to have you!” The lady said, “I’m Sally, by the way!”

“Oh, and I’m Tim! We're the Botsfords! What’s your name?”

I had half a mind to remind him we just established I can’t speak to them. But I knew it wouldn’t do any good because…I can’t speak to them…

“Hmm, do you mind if we call you Bob?” Tim asked me. I shrugged and nodded, Bob seemed like an alright name. Sally looked at the baby.

“And this cute little girl looks like a Becky!” She said, turning to Tim, “don’t you think?”

“No question about it! She’s absolutely a Becky!”

In what humans call a "car," they took us back to their home. Once we arrived, Tim pulled a crib from their attic. He said it was his old one that his father gave to him for when he and Sally had kids. While Tim set up the crib in a spare room, Sally found a hammock amongst their camping supplies. She set it up for me in the same room. By this point, Becky had fallen asleep in my arms. Tim took her and set her in the crib. Exhausted, I hopped into the hammock. After the day I'd had, a nap sounded wonderful. I was sure I'd know what to do when I was well-rested.

 It was dark by the time I woke up, I had slept away the entire afternoon. Peering over to the crib I noticed Becky was still sleeping. The hallway was dark except for a teeny bit of light leaking from downstairs. I snuck to the top of the stairs and stopped when I overheard the Botsfords talking.

“I’m not sure how long it will take to fill out the adoption papers but…”

Adoption papers? Were they planning to adopt Becky?

"And pet adoption papers take less time, but we will also need special licensing since he's a monkey."

And apparently, they wanted to adopt me too—as their pet. That's a little offending but Earth hasn't yet realized the potential of monkeys. And since I couldn't inform them, I decided to let it go.

 The odds of us getting back to Lexicon are next to nothing. So, I guess being part of the Botsford family won’t be so bad. They seem nice enough. Their house and neighborhood are lovely. And in general, lexiconians and humans are so similar that this would be a fantastic set up for Becky. The main difference is that she will develop superpowers one day, but that's something I can help her with. I have limited experience with superpowers, but I can learn. There are plenty of books on the subject in the ship's library. Between the three of us, this sweet little girl will be fine.

I'm sure I'll be fine too, but I don't know how to react. I'm still in shock from today's events. I haven't processed anything yet. I don’t want to think about how I’m never going to see my family or friends again. I'll never see my home planet again. And I might never pilot anything again. My status as a captain means nothing here. Everything I had on Lexicon…is just gone. I mean it’s still there, waiting for me to return. But I’m gone. I can’t return. Even worse is no one I care about will ever know what happened to me. No one will think to look for me on Earth. Even if they did, the planet is so big, would they ever find me? I hope so, but I doubt it. Don't get me wrong, this seems like a great alternative, but nothing can replace Lexicon.

I don't even know why I'm writing this report. Who will ever read it?

[gorgonwoman]

can you rec good female monster horror movies?

asdfghj to be completely honest i don’t actually know a lot of horror movies? i’m not very good at watching movies and i get scared really easily so i don’t often watch them. i think joey @tenderbeasts posted a rec list of monstrous female horror movies here. 

i can recommend other things though? some of these women won’t be technically monstrous but run maybe parallel to it. 

the claymore series; it’s a manga/anime, and it’s my absolute favorite. the summary is this: “in a world where monsters called Yoma prey on humans and live among them in disguise, humanity’s only hope is a new breed of warrior known as Claymores. half human, half monster, these silver-eyed slayers possess supernatural strength, but are condemned to fight their savage impulses or lose their humanity completely.” it’s got very nearly everything i like in a series. it doesn’t sexualize them really either, which is honestly huge for a manga/anime? it does have nudity, but it presents it in a way that is meant to be horrifying. it doesn’t have explicit gayness but if you read between the lines it’s there. it has women who fight their monstrosity and women who embrace their monstrosity, it’s got a majorly female cast of characters (claymores are only women). and the main character, clare, is so interesting; she’s obsessed with vengeance, stubborn as hell, never gives up even if every odd is against her, and we get to watch her grow emotionally and physically stronger throughout the entire thing. i’d really recommend it. (if you want triggers you can message me -- it would make this too long if i listed them here.) 

the monstress series; this one is a comic by marjorie liu and sana takeda. it’s ‘set in an alternate world of art deco beauty and steampunk horror.’ i’ve heard it called an asian matriarchy. it’s about maika halfwolf, a ‘teenage survivor of a cataclysmic war between humans and their hated enemies, the arcanics.’ marjorie liu says this about it: “monstress was more a desire than an idea. an impulse that came over me, something i’d think about in the shower or when i was driving and listening to janet jackson on the radio. i had this image in my head of a battered girl standing alone, absolutely furious, and behind her a battlefield that stretched for miles. i didn’t know what to do with it -- and i’’m not all that patient -- but i had no choice in this matter. nothing was there. no story. just the girl. i don’t know anything about war, not having lived through one. but my grandparents experienced the devastation of war firsthand in china. in their stories surviving was more horrifying than dying. surviving required a desire to live more powerful than any bomb or army, a summoning of superhuman resilience to keep going, day after day. [...] and the victims of this horror had to learn how to first survive...and then survive the surviving. [...] and the root of my desire, i finally realized, was to tell a story about what it means to be a survivor. a survivor, not just of a cataclysmic war, but of racial conflict and its antecedent: hatred. and to confront the question: how does one whom history has made a monster escape her monstrosity? how does one overcome the monstrousness of others without succumbing to a rising monstrousness within?” the art is beautiful. the story is deeply enchanting. i’d recommend this one perhaps more than claymore.

and i darken, and its sequels, by kiersten white; this one is not technically about a female monster, but i’d say lada comes as close as a human can get. it’s about the historical vlad dracul reimagined as a cis girl. she’s brutal. she’s wild. she’s angry, she uncontrollable, she’s badass, she’s amazing. i’ve read the first book honestly dozens of times -- once i got to the end i’d flip back to the first page and start again. lada is incredible. the writing is beautiful. i love it. the book also has a sympathetic portrayal of islam -- lada dislikes their kingdom for personal reasons, but her brother radu (who is everything she is not: beautiful, tender, kind) converts to it, finds home and safety in it. spoiler -- he’s also gay. (lada appears to be straight, which is ridiculous, but there are other lesbians) i haven’t read the last book yet because i’m rereading the other two first, but i’m sure it’ll have a good ending. i really trust kiersten white on this one. 

sharp objects by gillian flynn; this one is more female villainy, but still. i posted a quote from her about this book not too long ago; i’d repost it, but i don’t want to make this post too long dfghj -- in essence this is gillian flynn’s exploration of female cruelty and villainy -- it’s about bad women, it’s about female dark sides, none of the women in this are portrayed very kindly and that’s the point. it’s flynn getting tired of sugar-sweet women-are-meant-to-be-nurturing women-aren’t-cruel-like-men women-can’t-do-genuine-bad-things narratives and writing her own where absolutely none of the women are 2D kind and simple. 

the last werewolf series by glen duncan; this one i’m a bit iffy on recommending -- it’s got beautiful prose, and talulla is just as much a monster as her male counterparts are, but it’s got some.... issues. for example, the first book (with a male narrator) -- jake never refers to cis female genitals as anything other than c*nts. (at one point he literally says he’s not a misogynist because of the way he fucks women.) the ending of the first book is interesting though, and unexpected. the second one is with talulla’s point of view. she’s better than jake, but there is a point (spoiler) where a man is raped, and she’s mocking about it. (”women go through that every day, why are you whining?”) that part honestly kind of ruined the book for me, and duncan does punish her for this mentality, i’m sure you can imagine how (only attempted though, we don’t read a graphic rape, which i’m sure duncan would have included if he thought it would have worked). i haven’t read the final book and i’m not sure if i will -- the things i’ve heard about it are -- strange, to say the least. 

the book of the ancestor series by mark lawrence; beginning with red sister, followed by grey sister, and the third one not due to be released until april 2019, this is honestly one of my new favorite books. it’s brutal and incredible and it’s about assassin nuns with a completely new religion in a fantasy setting (and some of them are lesbians!!). nona’s growth is really interesting to read and her interactions with her fellow novices are kinda what makes red sister. i’ve talked about this series a lot so i won’t do that again here but honestly, read it 

carrie, of course, the book and the movies, i love the book more though, probably just because it gives more information on what carrie is thinking, i haven’t read it in awhile so i don’t have very many thoughts on it rn to give fghjk

ask baba yaga: otherworldly advice for everyday troubles by taisia kitaiskaia; this book is absolutely gorgeous, the writing is haunting and incredible and i’m really into baba yaga lately so finding this book was a godsend. it’s based on an actual advice column the author ran on a website whose name i forget atm -- she collected some of her answers into a book and published it, and i’m so glad she did.

i’m just gonna end this here because this got a lot longer than i intended sdfghj (i had more books planned to share too!). i’m sorry i couldn’t exactly give you what you asked for, i really don’t watch that many horror movies, i’m not into gore or too much violence or anything like that, and i dislike having to google triggers before a movie and getting spoiled for the whole thing. if you want more book recs though you can hmu :0

oh also! the monstrous feminine by barbara creed! it’s not fiction but it’s an examination of female monstrosity in film and i’d really recommend it! 

[dangermousie]

Reading list for the month - hooray for the Middle Ages!!

I’ve not really been watching much lately (except that I just discovered the Legend of Fuyao and it’s AHMAZING) but I have been reading a bunch, hence the reading list. I also have a v short attention span so while I am not reading all the books listed below that I recently got and/or put on my kindle, I am reading about five of them at once.

As you can tell, I am on the Middle Ages kick right now. Also, as you can tell, current historical crushes are apparently William the Conqueror and Edward the Black Prince and Richard III (always.) Hmmmm.

Valerie Anand, King of the Wood - how many novels are there about the time of William Rufus aka Fabulously Gay aka Killed By Arrow Mysteriously Probably By Orders of Baby Bro? This one revolves around William and Ralph de somebody, a minor nobleman who comes over to get lands and power. Ralph is young and hot and William fancies him and even though Ralph is not inclined that way, he is not going to turn down a roll or dozen in the hay with the king if it gets him closer to his goal. Apparently this all leads to mixed results, eventual death of William, ancient pagan rites, Ralph getting some land and a hot wife, and overall a very sympathetic portrayal of William Rufus. I have not started yet though.

Anna Belfrage, The Cold Light of Dawn - the fourth and possibly last in one of my favorite medieval series that follows the lives of a minor knight, Adam, and his arranged but then more, wife, Kit during the reigns of Edward II and III.  This is such a lovely lovely series and this book so far is as good as the rest. Adam is a protege of Roger Mortimer (of the “de facto ruler of England, lover of Queen Isabella’ fame) and when the book 1 starts is slated to arrange marry a spoiled aristocrat who is missing so her family hastily substitutes a bastard daughter and lieeeees. The books follow them as they fall in love, reveal their secrets, try to survive in a pretty horrible time period etc etc. Adam eventually becomes close to Edward III which causes all sorts of internal conflicts. Book 1 is probably my fave (though second half of it is a giant trigger warning as Despenser takes Adam and, to lesser degree, Kit, under his notice) but all of them are good and the latest is wonderful as always. Frankly, by now, I love the lead couple so much, I could just read about them going about their business in their residence for 500 pages.  

Anna Chant, Three Times the Lady - I can’t believe I found a novel about Judith, first Countess of Flanders! If you do not know who she is, Judith was a daughter of a Frank king who married her to a much older king of Wessex. When the old man died, she married his grown son (this was a few centuries before the Church would have fits about this) and when that man died, she returned back home. Daddy King did not want to lose such a valuable bargaining chip (who was still quite young) either to make her own marriage or to be taken by some lord via kidnap so he stuck her in a remote fortress while he decided which potential husband would make the best bargain. Ummm. Hunky Baldwin was guarding the place, he and Judith fell for each other and with the help of her brother ran off and got married. Daddy King lost his mind, took Baldwin’s lands, the lovers had to go to the Pope to beg for help blah blah eventually Daddy King cooled down, Baldwin became the first Court of Flanders and got nicknamed Iron Arm for how hard he fought to protect his father in law. So basically, this is a RL medieval romance, of the “hot dude in chainmail holding pretty lady on cover” variety. Seriously - I am very surprised this is the only novel of her I know. I realize records were not as good as they were later but this just gives more room for license. I am quite excited to read this since I’ve read a couple of other books by Chant set around that time and loved them.

Joanna Courtney, The Conqueror’s Queen - Matilda, Mrs the Conqueror. Hmmmmmm. I am about 1/3 in. The book’s odd insistence on Matilda liking but not loving William despite his being amazing in beddddd and generally a stud muffin of stud muffiness is a little odd (it’s just an odd combo) but it’s a fun light read. What I would really love is for someone like Sharon Kay Penman to write a giant doorstopper of a series about that reign.

Joanna Courtney, The Constant Queen - about Elizabeth, the Russian wife of Harald Hardrada. I am about 60% in. It’s not as good as it could be (it doesn’t make Harald interesting which, even reading a short summary of his life on wikipedia - the man had an insane life) but it’s about a subject that’s not novelized often or even that well-know (in fact, prior to this book, the one thing I knew about Harald was that he was defeated by Harold Godwinson who then had to take his exhausted troops and march to fight William the Conqueror. If not for that, England now might be ruled by Harold’s and not William’s descendants.) Also, Elizabeth herself is likeable and the author does a good job on selling me that the two loved each other even while not falling into the trap of making the relationships modern (Harald has a hand-fast wife because he needs sons; it’s not much of an issue etc.) It’s a pleasant beach/travel read.

Dorothy Dunnett, King Hereafter - my favorite stand-alone period novel of all time and I am gonna reread it and bawl. It’s about Earl Thorfinn of Orkney, who Dunnett supposes to be the basis for historical Macbeth. It is simply the best historical novel ever written and if Thorfinn/Groa don’t move you, you have no heart. It’s also a rare book where people feel like people of the period, not modern people playing dress up.

Parke Godwin, Sherwood/Robin and the King - I used to love this bleak, emotional, amazing duology which moves the story of Robin Hood around the time of the Norman Conquest. I just got my hands on it again.

Karen Harper, The First Princess of Wales - ok, this is pretty much a romance novel. About Edward the Black Prince and Joan of Kent. So bring it on!

Justin Hill, Viking Fire - a novel about Harald Hardrada whose life I am fascinated by now

Thomas W. Jensen, As a Black Prince on Bloody Fields - I am currently about a third into this and loving it. It deals with basically the first half of the life of Edward the Black Prince, who is one of my favorite historical what-ifs. Oldest son and heir of Edward III, the Black Prince was a hell of a medieval warrior, very involved in Crecy and in charge in Poitiers, two of the three biggest English victories in the 100 years war. In the latter, heavily outnumbered English captured the French king himself. Also, interestingly, he married for love in quite a scandal. Instead of marrying a foreign royal, he married an English noblewoman, older than him (she was 32 when they married!!!), a widow with five children AND a scandalous history (her first two husbands had a fight that went all the way to the Pope about which one of them was her actual husband. There were secret marriages and all that.) He married in secret, his father eventually came around etc. He would have probably made a King in the scary but effective mold of Edward I, but on one of his campaigns, he contracted one of many nasty medieval diseases -  dystentery - which crippled and eventually killed him shortly before his father died, leaving his small son to become Richard II.  If the Black Prince was better about drinking clean water, Edward III would have been succeeded not by a small child who, as an adult, wasn’t particularly cut out for the rough business of medieval Kingship, but by a competent and scary adult warrior. Thus no Henry IV revolt (do you really want to face the man who almost conquered France), no war of the Roses, no Tudors, no Church of England. Anyway, he was a fascinating man, in some ways an epitome of medieval warrior class ideals but probably because of that, there aren’t too many novels about him in the last whatever years. Like Henry V, his virtues are a bit too alien for the modern world. He is VERY medieval. But I find him fascinating beyond measure and deserving of more books about him, so this excellent excellent novel is such a pleasure.

Susan Fraser King, Queen Hereafter - about Margaret, wife of Malcolm (of the son of Duncan, killer of Macbeth fame.) I know little about it except the topic interests me.

G. Lawrence, The Heart of the Conqueror - Matilda, again. Matilda here is portrayed as rather an anti-heroine, vain, ambitious and picking William because he’s the scariest and most capable man she met. They are monsters in love (though, frankly, their attitudes are not such much monstrous as early medieval) and I do love them so. I find it quite odd that the author chose to start her novel with the apocryphal story of Matilda insulting William’s courtship and calling him a bastard and William riding in to beat her up in her own father’s town and her deciding this is what she digs in a dude. Lawrence makes the beatdown, already possibly fictional, quite brutal, so it makes me wonder if Matilda is insane to decide William is it because of it. Also, he never lays a finger on her again so wtf. Oh well, historically they did seem to have a rare successful marriage so there is that - I don’t mind him being a good husband since it’s historically accurate, it’s just the weird start to the relationship that makes me boggle.

Rosanne E. Lortz, I Serve: A Novel of the Black Prince - you can tell I am on the Black Prince kick, right? This is about a squire to him and looks quite interesting but I haven’t read it yet.

Isolde Martyn, The Knight and the Rose - sometimes you are just in the mood for an angsty but happy medieval romance.

Anne O’Brien, The Virgin Widow - Romancey take on Anne and Richard III? Yes PLS. If I like this, I might end up getting more of the author’s books as she appears to specialize in known but not super famous medieval women with strong romantic relationships, so YES. I did find it tragically amusing that in order to make the end happy (I peeked), she ends before all the bad stuff happens - their son dying, Anne dying, Richard being killed etc. But then I bawled with the Sunne in Spendour so....

Edith Pargeter, The Brothers of Gwynnedd - reread. It’s a great, epic, tragic, poetic tale of the end of the Welsh independence and surprisingly, in light of all the tragedy, somewhat of a comfort read.

Judith Merkle Riley, A Vision of Light - about a widow of a medieval merchant, this has been recommended to me by multiple people. We shall see.

Anya Seton, Katherine - I read that book so long ago, I barely remember anything. But it’s a classic and Katherine Swynford has always been interesting and I am a sucker for RL romance so reread!!!

Freda Warrington, The Court of the Midnight King - a fantasy AU of Richard III where he gets to live and be happy with his mistress Kate (modeled on mother of his illegitimate child in RL) Oh YES.