#i'm not tagging all the individual books lol

[cliffhanger-ending]

2022 Library Books

I moved to a new city this year and opened a library card, so I made this list of (most of) the books I checked out this year and my thoughts! Some are shorter than others because I started this list in about June so I was trying to remember how I felt about them a few months later haha

(Note I did not include books I DNF’d after like 30 pages because I didn’t see the point, I included a few I DNF’d further along)

That said, if anyone has any recs for 2023 reading, feel free to send me an ask!

List under the cut!

Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston - 3.5/5. Cute and cheesy, but felt a little too much at times

Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan - 3.5/5. Loved the concept and laughed out loud at parts but I'm not sure I liked the ending

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern - 5/5. Honestly my favorite book I’ve ever read, the concept the writing the characters the world building the everything. Finished the entire 500 page book in 2 days, could have done it in 1 if I hadn’t started at 7 pm the first day

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - 4/5. I think I read it too fast so there were a few parts I didn’t understand but overall very good, again loved the world building

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur - 1/5. Just not my cup of tea, felt more like a poorly written fanfiction than a book. Grumpy/sunshine and fake dating but like… ok what else that’s literally the entire book

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston - 4.5/5. This one wasn’t as hyped to me as RWRB was so I was pleasantly surprised that I liked it way better. Sapphic subway romance with a sci-fi twist, what more could you ask for? I love Jane. Docked half a point just because I personally did not enjoy the explicit scenes but that’s a me being sex repulsed thing and not anything against the author’s writing

The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons - DNF. I’m definitely out of the intended age range for this book, and the writing was frankly bad. Felt like representation for the sake of checking off boxes on a diversity checklist

Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden - 2/5. I related to the main character as a former dancer forced to quit due to my body failing, but in terms of actual plot and characters it wasn’t super great

Beyond the Black Door by Adrianne Strickland - 2/5. Too many plot twists, felt really confusing. Ace/trans rep but in the weirdest most roundabout way possible so it didn’t feel like it. Don’t like her falling for the guy who literally invaded her mind and started living there

Sweet Sorrows by David Nichols - gonna be honest I don’t remember much of this one, it wasn’t what I was expecting out of it when I checked it out

Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann - DNF. Disappointed because I wanted the bi ace rep, but the writing wasn’t good and the representation felt wrong and frankly insulting

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin - 3/5. The concept of this one is really intriguing and I loved the beginning where we found all the boroughs, but the ending wasn’t quite satisfying to me. Also felt like stereotyping in the bad way but maybe that was the point? I think it’s a series, maybe some of this is answered in the later books

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow - 2/5. Again disappointed by what should have been a really good book based on the concept. I wish it was more about the sci-fi than the romance and also that it wasn’t human/alien romance. Ending was not satisfying and I’ll admit I’m ace not demi so I don’t have firsthand experiences but the representation felt inaccurate

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo - 4/5. Loved how much research clearly went into making it as accurate to 1950s San Francisco as possible. I related a lot to Lily in terms of her figuring out her sexuality and being perceived as naive and innocent by other queer people, and I really felt for her with all her internal (and let’s be honest external) conflict about her identities. There were just a few plot points I wish had been elaborated on more, like what happened to Kath after they got separated or what ever happened with Calvin

Pulp by Robin Talley - DNF. Abby’s character annoyed me to death, Janet’s story was slightly more interesting but not enough for me to want to keep reading. Disappointed because the premise was really good but it just was not executed well at all

Almost Like Being In Love by Steve Kluger - 4/5. Hilarious, loved all the characters and all the Red Sox references (being a big fan myself). Loved the formatting too but I get it’s not for everyone. Felt a bit over the top at parts (Travis that was definitely stalking bro) but it worked for the plot. First chapter when they were teens was definitely the best, epilogue felt a little anticlimactic but I guess it wrapped up nicely

Desire Lines by Christina Baker Kline - 1.5/5. Not what I was expecting when I checked it out, I thought it was going to be more of a mystery and it wasn’t (both in the sense that the first 70% of the book is basically an entirely different genre and that it was pretty easy to figure out the mystery). Did not like the main character at all, did not like the only gay character being a stereotype, did not like the justification of student/teacher relationships, did not like the romance. Bonus half star for small New England town setting but that’s probably the only thing I did like about it

Survive the Night by Riley Sager - 2/5. The premise was really interesting but the execution was not very good. I think it took me longer than most to figure out who did it but I was able to figure it out before the reveal, but the other big twist seemed like it came out of nowhere, especially after that character’s pov chapter. I didn’t like the whole “this is what happened, oh just kidding you made it up, nope you were right the first time” thing and that was pretty much the entire book. Especially didn’t like the very end when she married the guy who essentially kidnapped her

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab - 3/5. Absolutely loved it most of the way through and was ready to give it 4 stars, but the ending was bad enough to dock an entire star, it completely ruined it for me. It just fed into that trope of manipulation played off as “love” which I can’t stand. I did like Henry’s character and a lot of the side characters, and the writing itself, but for as much as I was loving it up until the last 70 pages or so I was left feeling extremely disappointed

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor - DNF. I liked it enough for the first part with Lazlo, but as soon as it switched pov to Sarai it completely turned me off. Especially didn’t like the implication that Sparrow was in love with Feral when they were basically raised as siblings. The reviews on this one were overall really good so I was expecting more

[coquelicoq]

what i love about the Famous Actor Natori Shuuichi of it all is that...it's not just that he's famous and therefore widely recognizable wherever he goes. like yes that is very funny because he was an exorcist before he became a famous actor, which means he CHOSE, on purpose, a day job that would make it harder to hide his double life/secret identity from the hordes of his adoring public, but it's more than that. it's not just that he's famous, it's that he's famous specifically for being an ACTOR, aka a person whose job it is to dissimulate, to make believe, to inhabit roles and emotions other than his own. like he decided he was going to become as visible as possible (which again was literally not necessary! he could have gone into any other career for his day job!!) but in such a way that everyone would see him but no one would see him - they would just see his various made-up personas, including the Famous Actor Natori Shuuichi persona. i can't decide if he's a genius or if he just made so many absurd decisions that they canceled each other out and circled back around to working out. he's either playing 9-dimensional chess or he's eating the pieces. too soon to say.

[brittlebutch]

finally found a place to read With the Light online and i'm thrilled; if you haven't read this manga i do Legitimately recommend it

[brehaaorgana]

ADHD money/budgeting system I'm currently using for my benefit is going well (I've been using it for like half a year now?), and I wanna recommend it.

You Need a Budget is EXCELLENT. 10/10 do recommend. Uhhh rambling about it and my generic disclaimers + gushing extensively under the cut but TL;DR I think it's great for ADHD ppl, I've used it for 6+ months now and I find it super SUPER helpful. also weirdly fun.

DISCLAIMERS:

Budgeting helps you understand/know your money, it can't make money appear where there is none.

Everyone should learn to budget even if you don't have much money (especially then)

This is NOT a magic trick solution. Just like everything else, it is an assistive tool. This is one of those adult things we can't simply opt out of without negative consequences, though.

My advice is based on something I am currently able to do. That is, I can spend an amount of money on this specific thing that works well for me. If you have no extra money to spend then previously I was tracking things in a notebook. So you can still do this.

I believe Dave Ramsey is a fundie fraud/hack and no one should listen to him about money.

DID YOU KNOW THEY CANCELLED MINT???

Okay? OKAY.

Ahem.

You Need a Budget is EXCELLENT.

It is called YNAB for short. The first 34 days are your free trial, and that is my referral link. If anyone uses it and then signs up for a subscription, we both get a month free. Also you can share a subscription with up to six people (account owner can see everything but individuals can pick and choose what they share amongst each other) so like...idk your whole polycule can be on one account. Or your kids. Whatever.

If you are a student, it's free for a year. If you aren't, a subscription is $99 for a year (paid all at once) or $14.99 monthly, which is equivalent to paying Amazon prime. Go cancel Prime and get this instead tbh.

They got a whole article just on ynab and ADHD. They also have like...a big variety of ways to access their info? They have a book, podcast episodes, YouTube videos, blog posts, q&A's, free live workshops you can join (you can request live captioning), emails they can send (if you want) a wiki, and so on. They got workshops on all kinds of topics!!

So whatever ends up working for your brain. It also has a matching app.

If you lost Mint this year they have a gajillion things for moving from Mint.

Also they have a "got five minutes?" Page which has a slider so you can decide how much attention/time you have before going on lol:

They only have 4 rules of the budget, they're simple and practical, and it doesn't get judgey or like...mean about your spending.

1. Give every dollar a job 2. Embrace your true expenses 3. Roll with the punches 4. Age your money.

THEN THEY BREAK THESE DOWN INTO SMALL STEPS FOR YOU! They even have a printable! Also these rules are great because there's built in expectations that things WILL HAPPEN and it's NOT all or nothing with a fear of total collapse into failure. Reality and The Plan don't always align, especially if you have ADHD. So it's directing our energy towards the true expenses and not clinging to The Plan!! over reality.

You can automate a lot of shit (you can sync with your bank accounts just like mint, but also automate tagging the categories of regular expenses/transactions). And if for whatever reason you accidentally do something that makes the budget look weird or wrong:

A) you can usually fix it somehow OR b) they have like, a button you can press that gives you a clean slate and archives the previous version of the budget for you.

So if you forget for a few weeks or months, or accidentally input something wildly wrong, or just don't want to look at a really terrible month anymore and feel like you need a fresh start you can usually either fix it or start fresh which is really nice.

The app also (for whatever reason) scratches my itch to have things like...have incentives or little game-like goals in a way mint never did? I don't know why. Filling up the bars or putting money into the categories to cover my expenses is satisfying lmao. You can also make a big wish expense category for all the fun shit you want, and fund it whenever you can and then you can see the little bar go up and that's fun.

Anyways I've been using it for like 6+ months now and I think it's really helped me when I use it.

[sarahlizziewrites]

Writeblr for newbies

So you joined Tumblr to talk about your writing. Maybe you're published and you want to promote your works, or maybe you're wanting a supportive community of fellow writers, or maybe you're just writing for the hell of it and want to show the world your blorbos.

Welcome!!

Being a part of the writing side of Tumblr is a little bit like being in kindergarten and all the kids are talking about their imaginary friends to each other. Except some of the kids have published stories about their imaginary friends in real books you can buy. It's so cool.

I have made some wonderful friends on Writeblr, I've ARC'd and beta'd books for people, and I've gotten a lot of warm fuzzies from sharing my snippets and my characters. It's somewhere between self-promo and group therapy, but it doesn't feel like either. It feels like a wonderful community of writers supporting each other.

The Writeblr lingo can seem a little intense at first so I thought I'd set up a guide. If I've missed anything lmk!

WIP - stands for 'work in progress' (plural: WIPs). Any piece of writing (or poetry, or any kind of art) that isn't completed yet. This might be the first draft of a story, or the nth draft of your novel, or the not-yet-posted chapter of the fanfiction you're writing. WIP is a state of mind: it might be nearly complete, or it might just be an idea with a few hundred words attached to it. Talk about it as much or as little as you want.

WIP intro - a totally optional (and honestly a lot of hard work sometimes lol) post explaining the main themes/background/plot/characters of your WIP. Something you can link people to so they good a good idea of your WIP and what it's about. Similarly, character intro, for individual characters within a WIP, often with art/picrews.

Tag game - the lifeblood of Writeblr! In its most basic form, someone tags you in a game, you play the game, then tag other people you want to play the game. Lots of people do 'open tags', which you can also pick up. These games can range from making picrews of your characters to posting a snippet or multiple snippets. A few common ones at the moment (these change often!) are: Find the Word (the tagger gives you words to find in your WIP, you post a short snippet for each word, then give the people you tag new words to find); Last Line (you post the last line(ish) you wrote, or wrote recently); 9 Lines 9 People (post 9(ish) recent lines, tag 9(ish) people). There are so many more, and new ones being created all the time.

Blorbo - your OC (original character) that lives in your mind rent-free. The one(s) you would commit war crimes for. You know the one I'm talking about. In addition, blorbo trading and sharing is encouraged in the Writeblr community.

Ask game - a post that you reblog, usually containing a list of prompts or questions, that encourages your followers to ask those questions in your ask box. It is friendly to drop an ask from the game to the person you reblogged the post from.

Weekly asks - if you've asked to take part, questions about your writing in your inbox, related to a certain day of the week. There's Worldbuilding Wednesday (WBW), which are questions about worldbuilding, Blorbo Blursday (OC questions), and Storyteller Saturday (STS), questions about writing in general. These questions can be very generic and vague, or can be about specific characters/stories.

Pinned Post - basically, an 'about' page. Talk about yourself, your WIPs, the kinds of things you like, whether you want to be involved in Writeblr games, whether your asks are open. You don't need one, but it can be a handy reference point for your followers.

Taglist - sometimes, Tumblr posts get lost on the dash. If you are interested in a particular WIP, ask the author if you can be put on their taglist, so you can get notified every time they post about it. They will love you for it, seriously!

Overall, on Writeblr, it is always encouraged:

to talk about your stories and characters as much as you like. People might not follow along at first, but they'll get on board!

to reblog others' writing/snippets/promo. We're all relying on each other for our sanity here, and a nice comment in the tags never goes amiss either!

I'm sure I've missed something - feel free to add!

[sherrendipities]

i have no interest in engaging with people whose values do not align with mine, for my own safety and as a moral standard. if you don't stand for the liberation of palestine and all colonized people, this is not the place for you. if i followed you and you don't agree with me on this, it's because i didn't see anything discussing this on your blog. do us both a favor and block me.

learn about palestine. do your daily clicks. boycott & push for divestment where you can. vote uncommitted. keep masking. read about decolonization and liberation of all people all over the earth (free books by keystone authors).

with that out of the way: hi, hello, welcome! i'm sherry (not really), and this is where i dump out all my horny ramblings so i don't explode lol. besides being a raging slut, i'm also a scientist, communist, pagan, writer, and a lover of books.

my inbox is open for anything flirty n kinky or otherwise, but my dm's are strictly a sfw, out-of-kink space for making friends n getting to know each other !!

🟢 things i love: orientation play/dykebreaking. misogyny. breeding. fauxcest (father/daughter & brother/sister). rapeplay. free use. monsterfucking. praise. petplay. corruption. edging & denial. exhibitionism. hand fetish & voice kink.

🟡 things i mostly like: degradation and dumbification, but don't make me think you don't like me ok, i'm still baby. light impact play, esp slapping and spanking. occasionally detrans comes up bc i like the bioessentialism aspect. hypno and worship are fun if i'm obsessed with you. most things get way more fun if i'm obsessed with you tbh, so i'm open for 1x1 discussion with time.

🟠 things i don't like: anything unhygenic will often squick me out, incl piss, scat, vomit, rimming, feet, shoes (specifically being stepped on), occasionally spit, etc. i'm a giant baby about substance use, so no intox play.

🔴 things i will outright block you for: raceplay of any kind, incl sexualizing hijabis. any form of body shaming or controlling eating. don't call me pig. extreme violence, especially when a lot of blood is involved. don't push me to try this kink irl without discussion first.

tag guide ⁠—

# sherry speaks : unfiltered horny ramblings

# sherry writes : longer, more cohesive horny ramblings

# sherry reads : ramblings on romantic and erotic books

# ooc : non-horny ramblings, often political

# happy queueincidence : queued posts

# 💬 , # 🐶 : tags for my fav mutuals xoxo

# me core : for silly little posts that resonate with me on a soul-deep level

i don't tag individual kinks, but mutuals and friends are welcome to ask me to!

some necessary disclaimers:

this is all fantasy and not at all representative of my real-world views and behaviors. i will often post things tagged #ooc to denote when i'm being serious!

nothing is sexy without informed and enthusiastic consent from all parties. never hesitate to communicate your needs and boundaries with me 💕

i'm quite selective with sending pictures or audios. you never have permission to share anything i send you, publicly or privately. i will assume the same for you unless stated otherwise.

[shiny-jr]

Just read all three books of the damnation au and they were soo good! I truly fell in love with all the individual mc’s and i can’t stop thinking about the next books! I was going through the damnation tag and saw the idea of the diasomnia mc being based off of malificents (?) crow. The idea of a bird mc trio (raven, parrot, and crow) would be a funny thing to consider. All these villains go to servants are just birds lol

Thank you! I'm glad the project is enjoyable so far. Birds of a feather flock together, I guess.

The bird mcs when they realize that the main villain they work for and tried to trick/avoid has now become unspeakably obsessed with them:

[camvrin]

“ NO MATTER WHAT ERA IT IS . . . ”

𓉱 Ξ. CAMERON / OLIVER . Nicknames are welcome, of course ! .𓉱 Ξ

𓉱 Ξ. THEY / HE / SHE are my pronouns; anything GENDER NEUTRAL is especially preferred .𓉱 Ξ

𓉱 Ξ. I am a NONBINARY LESBIAN; an orientated AROACE (repulsed, beware); as well as a POC (Person of Color) .𓉱 Ξ

𓉱 Ξ. CURRENT HYPERFIXATION : Boku No Hero Academia + Jujutsu Kaisen .𓉱 Ξ

𓉱 ��. HOBBIES : writing, drawing, reading, baking, world building, studying animals, getting into media unfamiliar with myself .𓉱 Ξ

𓉱 Ξ. I LIKE : horror concepts, ocs, dark romance / romance, buying books (that collect dust), platonic tropes, selfshipping, my friends, more .𓉱 Ξ

𓉱 Ξ. MARRIED TO MY //P GF : @lexisism SUCK IT HAHA .𓉱 Ξ

𓉱 Ξ. DNI : Basic DNI Criteria, Isreal Supporters / Those who are NOT Pro Palestine / Congo / Etc., Below 13 / Above 30 (unless ive already established comfortability with you), Fun Police™, if ur name is Faline <3 .𓉱 Ξ

𓉱 Ξ. BYF / BYI : I will SOFTBLOCK or HARDBLOCK depending on what my viewpoint becomes of you; feel free to ask why you were blocked but chances are I'll ignore you ! I get stressed out easily and will carry my burnout though my texts, so you'll find I'm not always so expressive; nothing personal, I just have days . You will see me gush over FICTIONAL MEN here quite a bunch; no like because I'm a lesbian? :( then go away tf . I will ALWAYS prioritize IRLS and then MUTUALS over anyone else here . I'm a very sarcastic individual, and TONE TAGS are very appreciated . I'm a deranged and tired teenager with dumbass friends, SUGGESTIVENESS and regular bullshit can and will be seen here. so I guess my blog is for MATURER AUDIENCES? I stole all of this from @anonoob btw LOL .𓉱 Ξ

“ YOU JUJUTSU SORCERERS ARE A PAIN . ”

[justagalwhowrites]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you for the tag, @sawymredfox!!!

1. how many works do you have on AO3?

21

2. what’s your total AO3 word count?

1,032,269. When you throw in the Tumblr only stuff I think I'm closer to 1.2 million overall.

3. what fandoms do you write for?

Pedro Pascal fandom, mostly TLOU! But I'd love to spend some time with Poe Dameron, my beloved, so I might dive into Star Wars beyond Mando at some point :)

4. top five fics by kudos 

I'm really not sure on Tumblr? Individual chapters don't get as much attention and I don't write many one shots, my highest single post on Tumblr is probably a one shot but I have NO CLUE which one!

On AO3:

Lavender

Beskar Doll

Yearling

New in Town

Lavender No Outbreak AU

5. do you respond to comments?

I used to be so much better about doing this and I've just not been keeping up with it lately. I want to get back to it! I LOVE getting comments, they make me so happy! Part of my issue is I read them immediately even if I don't have time to respond and I'm like "I'll respond when I post the next chapter" and then I post the next chapter super late at night and I'm so tired and I'm just like "I'll reply later" and then I never do.

ANYWAY! I want to get back to replying to comments because I love them. I used to reply to every one. Less now.

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably Proof of Life, an angsty as hell QZ!Joel era one shot. I traffic in angst but I like my happy endings, especially for long fics :)

7. what’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Lavender I think. After all that angst, they got the life they wanted and saved the world. Not too shabby.

8. do you get hate on fics?

I haven't really! I've had a few people disagree with directions I took characters or plot lines and a few people send asks that didn't feel so nice but I'm not sure they were intended to not be nice. I try to not take those things personally. But everyone as been exceedingly kind, probably kinder than I deserve!

9. do you write smut?

I do but I feel like it's my weakest area. If you're looking primarily for smut and reading my stuff, you're probably in the wrong place, I'm sorry! I wish I was better at it! I feel like I'm getting better at it. But alas!

10. craziest crossover?

I haven't written any and I haven't really read any, either. Closest thing I came to a crossover I think is tying the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy of Star Wars into Doll's history in Beskar Doll.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

None so far!

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

Not shared anywhere but I do have commenters in other languages tell me they've put my fic into Google Translate to read it! I think that's immensely cool .

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

I haven't but I'd be open to it! 

14. all time favorite ship?

Of characters that actually exist in canon? Probably Han Solo and Leia Organa. I LOVE them. Love love love love LOVE them. The "I love you" "I know" in Empire followed by the reversal in Jedi? TO DIE FOR.

15. what’s a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

As far as fics go? None. I have the stories so thoroughly planned there I'm compelled to finish them, I can't help it. I wasn't always this thorough of a planner, though, and I have so many books that I've started and written like 40k words of that I'll probably never finish. That breaks my heart a little. All these characters who won't get to live their whole lives because I can't get their stories across the finish line. But I'm not sure I have enough hours left in the rest of my life to tell every story I've got inside me so it'll have to be what it will be!

16. what are your writing strengths?

Dialogue.

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

Everything else lol especially smut. I feel like my descriptions are often lacking, too.

18. thoughts on dialogue in another language?

Yes please! As long as the author can do it right (either because they know the language enough or get help from someone who does - the translate tools just aren't great at grammar and it takes me out if it's a language I know.)

19. first fandom you wrote in?

The Pedro fandom! Specifically, the Mandalorian. Beskar Doll, my first baby <3

20. favorite fic you’ve written?

Probably Lavender? Maybe Yearling. It's so hard to say! I'm probably the most attached to Doc and Joel, though.

NP tags: @dancingtotuyo @beardedjoel @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin @netherfeildren and anyone else who wants to play!

[theorahsart]

I’ve been happily dragged into the French Revolution, do you have any recommendations on where to start learning about this??? My brain doesn’t hold French names very well so I literally only know Robespierre and the dude that got killed in the bath

OH NO my enthusiasm has caught on, welcome to the insane drama that is French Revolution 😆

So if you're able to listen to podcasts, I feel like Grey History is a good place to start because it paints a really good picture of the situation, culture and feelings of the public leading up to the revolution.

It then delves in a straightforward timeline into the various events during the revolution and gives all the different points of view from each side (there's so many different 'sides' it's a lot like modern day politics where everyone is quite divided in their motivations).

So I feel like it's a good starting point before going into the many books, that in contrast tend to look at more individual moments without giving much overall context.

If you'd prefer reading books to listening, I'm reading currently 'Liberty or Death' by Peter McFee which also (so far, I haven't finished it) feels also like something that is painting a good overall picture in a straightforward timeline, and giving loads of cultural context that helps you understand various people's motivations and actions.

My favourite book in English that I've read so far is 'Twelve Who Ruled'- but it's very specific to the one 'reign of terror' year which is pretty far along in the first part of the revolution. But I think I would recc reading this anyway- you might not understand all the context but it's so riveting I think it helps you see why the topic and people involved are so fascinating.

As I'm not an academic/easily remembers facts kind of person, I really like that it so vividly painted a messy situation in a story telling kind of way, without being particularly biased to any side. Each politicians very different personality shines through, which is one element of Frev that makes it so interesting. It also does a great job of sharing in this story telling way, the overall culture at the time, psychology/sociology of the public and individuals, and various messy af situations that had to be dealt with.

It basically breaks down really well something horrific and complicated so that you understand how it came to be that way, and how people ended up making the decisions they made. Also, SO much drama in this one year, so many friendships broken down, so much back stabbing lol

Outside of that, I think actually the online community is really amazing and there's so many people on here translating stuff into English and answering questions to info that is normally scattered across several books/archival information, and then these amazing ppl just like bring it together in Tumblr posts. Looking through the Frev tag is a good way to piece together all the various details when you're just starting out.

[batrachised]

I'm rereading Emily's Quest and Ilse/Perry's romantic resolution is hands down one of my favorite parts of the whole entire series, what are your thoughts on them together and the complicated love square between Emily, Teddy, Ilse and Perry?

you can't see it, but I'm throwing back my head and laughing maniacally, for o poor innocent anon - I do not know if you are aware and you might be, but this discussion happened several months ago and I learned (while having the time of my life) that people have strong and conflicting opinions on Emily of New Moon. Never have my lm montgomery posts gotten so much traction. I'm more than happy to talk about my thoughts here, but if you're looking for more, I suggest searching the emily of new moon tag on tumblr or on my blog. (Poor Teddy did not fare well, let's just say that).

Ilse and Perry's relationship is a really sharp contrast to Emily's and Teddy's to me tonally. Although this isn't necessarily reflected on the individual level, I feel like Ilse and Perry's is defined by this activeness/aggression, and Emily's and Teddy's is defined by this passiveness. Ilse and Perry get into fights; Teddy and Emily ignore each other for years. Ilse verbally attacks Perry to his face because she's too proud to admit she loves him; Emily ignores Teddy's whistle and ices him out. This doesn't necessarily trickle down to the character level (I would not describe Emily Byrd Starr as a passive and quiet person lol), but squinting at the relationships, these are overall impressions.

In this neapolitan ice cream mix of personalities, you get so many different combos. (Ilse/Perry, Ilse/Teddy, Emily/Perry (he wishes)..the list goes on). I love how you describe it as a love square, because it really only stops short of Ilse and Emily dating each other, and even then, their friendship plays just as a significant a role as the actual romantic relationships. It would be as if in Anne, Phil did decide to go for Gilbert because well, Anne has repeatedly said she's not interested. That would layer their relationship in an entirely different way, and that's what happens with Emily and Ilse. It would also give us a different impression of Gilbert, choosing to date one of Anne's best friend after expressing romantic interest in Anne repeatedly.

I think the love square kind of fits Emily's tone as a whole - Emily's books don't have the innocence - or perhaps a better word is earnestness - that Anne's do. That friend group is messy. Ilse knows Emily likes Teddy but goes around with Teddy, Emily knows Ilse likes Perry but Perry is in love with her, Teddy is in love with Emily but still choose to date Ilse...it's less a square and more a three dimensional rhombus that's caving in on itself. (floating somewhere in this stew of hormones is dean too, to make matters all the more complicated)

As for each individual couple - your ask didn't ask this, and it's already been discussed at length (see first paragraph) so I'll limit my thoughts on Teddy and Emily as It Would Have Been Nice if Teddy Talked, At Least Sometimes. We barely see them interact, and it weakens the pairing in my eyes considerably.

All the more because we have this passive conflict right next to Ilse's and Perry's very active one, although that's usually seen at a narrative distance (ie through Emily referencing it in her diary). I think Ilse's and Perry's romantic resolution suits them very well - Ilse is someone who has had free reign to do what she wants her entire life, who was neglected then spoiled rotten, and who is temperamental to say the least. Her leaving Teddy at the altar to flee to Perry's bedside is completely in character for her, along with her needing a wake-up call on the level of death haha. It's suitably dramatic and over the top for someone who is very dramatic. It also neatly embarrasses Teddy, who, if my memory serves, needed some emotional walloping at that point as well.

The thing about Ilse and Perry though, is that almost all of their interactions happen offscreen. Their fights, reunion, and married life all happen off screen. In fact, both the 'endgame' couples are marked by this. You get more interaction between Perry and Emily than Perry and Emily, and really, it almost feels like you get more interaction between Teddy and Ilse than Emily and Teddy. I love the Emily books, but they do leaving me wanting more in that respect, especially because these characters are so compelling. I want to read the scene where Perry who is half conked out in bed sees Ilse in all her bridal glory crash through his hospital room door! I want to read more than the 1-2 conversations we get between Emily and Teddy! It's interesting, though, because a lot of what we do see is narrated by Emily in her diary; in a way, Emily is telling her own story to us as she sees fit.

[flamebringer0]

More About Nightwing Powers

I decided I had more to say about this post, so I reblogged it and wrote some more. It seems like when you do that Tumblr doesn't put the post into tag searches, so nobody can actually find it. I'm just going to copy the full text into a new post. I'm sorry if this spams anyone's feed, I just don't understand how this site works yet. I've never actually had a blog before.

-----

Ohhhh damn I just had another thought about this. This is my problem, I think about this stuff all the time and I keep coming up with new things I think are cool, but now that I've written all this out and published it for the whole world to see I can't change it so easily.

It's actually fine though. These thoughts are kind of a mix of things I think are canon but sufficiently non-obvious to be worth stating (All Nightwings have powers at hatching and then lose them), things that are definitely not canon but I feel like it doesn't mess with the story too much to change them (Prophets have a silver scale on their foreheads), and things that are ambiguous and I'm just filling in the blanks (fake Nightwing magic is based on their sense of smell). But there's a fourth category, which is things that I don't like about canon but changing them would basically entail writing a whole new story. I'm pretty sure this new idea falls into the latter category, so I wouldn't really have put it in that post anyway.

But let's explore the hypothesis that Tui T Sutherland and Scholastic collectively lose their minds and give me the rights to Wings of Fire, and also I have infinite time, resources and motivation to make my own adaptation of the story. Then what happens? Well, the first thing is obviously to change animus magic to be something other than total omnipotence, because omnipotent characters are the kind of albatross (tee hee) you don't want around your neck when you're trying to write a coherent story. And the second thing is to make it so the terrible Rainwing queens in book 3 are hereditary royalty and Glory is not, because I've never liked the valorisation of hereditary royalty in WOF (or in general), and that would be an easy way to subvert that. And THEN I would turn scavengers into lizard people, because I am a furry and I think that's cuter than making them humans. Lol.

But somewhere down the list would be the fact that I don't actually vibe with the idea that normal Nightwing seers/mind readers apparently have a built-in power limiter that varies randomly according to the specific individual, and the special gift you get for hatching under three moons is just to have that limiter set to 0. I don't like this because, first of all, the fact that it works like that just doesn't fit into my brain in a satisfactory way. Hatching under zero, one, or two full moons each results in a qualitatively different outcome, so in my mind, the third full moon should also do something qualitatively different. But it doesn't, it's just the same as two full moons but better. And then I'm left to assume that there are probably very rare cases of twice-moonborn Nightwings who have all the power, just because whatever secondary factors there are happened to line up in their favor? Weird.

But the more important reason is, I don't really like the idea of Clearsight as someone who has extraordinary power because she just hatched that way. Nor do I like the fact that the reasons for this are, on the one talon, unexplained (maybe inexplicable?), and on the other, not a function of who she is as a character. I think it would make for a much stronger motif if run-of-the-mill seer Clearsight were able to take down once-in-a-generation chosen one Darkstalker because she's diligent and doesn't believe in destiny while he's entitled and sure of his glorious future. At its core this feeling is actually the same thing as what I said about the Rainwing queens above: I just don't find it satisfying when the hero has some kind of special trait that makes them naturally better than everyone else. A villain can have that, but a hero I want to prove themselves through their own efforts. But that's explicitly not what happened in canon: Clearsight IS naturally more powerful than all the other seers, that's an essential part of her story, and changing it requires basically rewriting the books. I don't love it!

So anyway in the universe where I'm rewriting the books, here's a thought about how Nightwing powers might work. This partially contradicts what I wrote above, but I've decided I'm cool with that. I love contradicting myself actually, and maybe next week I'll contradict all of this again. There are no laws.

Some Nightwings are seers, some are mind readers, a few are both, and most are neither. But aside from the fact that an individual might or might not have these powers, they don't vary in strength from dragon to dragon. All seers have equally strong abilities, and all mind readers have equally strong abilities. But the strength of the abilities does vary: not per individual, but over time. Specifically, the current state of the moons affects the abilities of empowered Nightwings. On a hypothetical "darkest night" with three new moons, all Nightwings are effectively powerless. On the brightest night, empowered Nightwings experience the full strength of their abilities. Seers can easily look down many different paths into the distant future, and mind readers can easily examine any information in the mind of another dragon. Of course, the phases of the three moons are not synchronous. Most of the time, the moons are all in different states, and empowered Nightwings experience abilities somewhere in between those extremes.

Above, I said that the "strength" of Nightwing abilities doesn't really vary per dragon. Strength, as I use the term here, only refers to the raw potential to look into the future or into another dragon's mind. But different individuals do have different levels of adeptness when it comes to applying their abilities. On the brightest night, any seer can look with relative ease into the far future, down multiple timelines, examining subtle ripples of possibility. The rest of the time, most seers can't use their abilities on that level, but a particularly adept one can get closer. What makes one seer more adept than another? Well, it's really just training. If you're someone who, for whatever reason, keeps looking into the future, over time you'll get better at it, just like anything you keep doing. This is what sets Clearsight apart from her peers. She isn't more blessed by the moons than them, because no seer is more blessed by the moons than any other. Clearsight just looks into the future all the time, to a degree nobody else does. She works harder on her visions than any other seer, so her abilities are more advanced than those of any other seer.

There is one exception to the maxim "no seer is more blessed by the moons than any other". The special gift of the thrice-moonborn is that they are exempt from the cyclical waning and waxing of power with the phases of the moons. They hatch on the brightest night, and its power soaks into them and becomes permanently part of them. And so, they live as if every night is a brightest night. They always have the potential to see the ripples that spread into many distant futures, and they can always pluck any information they want out of another dragon's mind. What other Nightwings may train and train for, these dragons do as easily as they breathe.

There are few Nightwings who never dreamed as dragonets about what it would be like to have hatched under three full moons. How different their lives could have been from those of the common powerless Nightwing, or even ordinary seers and mind readers! And not just directly because of what they could see: the thrice-moonborn are almost inevitably beloved by their tribe, showered with attention, and elevated to the highest strata of society. Wouldn't that be nice, think the dragons who could have walked that path but for something as meaningless as the sky under which they hatched.

It's unsurprising that many covet that life, but it's not entirely as pleasant as they imagine. The adulation that surrounds the most powerful Nightwings is instrumental. As laid out in excruciating detail just behind the eyes of smiling dragons, few love them for who they are; many more love them for what they are. They will never have any interaction with friends or family that isn't fundamentally shaped by the asymmetrical power dynamic implied by their abilities. It's easy for a dragon in that situation to become profoundly isolated, especially without support. But the brightest night comes so rarely that most Nightwings who receive its gift will grow up with neither peers, nor mentors who can relate to these experiences. That many ultimately respond in unhealthy, self-destructive ways is a given; that the self-destruction of such powerful dragons often also destroys those around them is a recurring tragedy in the history of the tribe.

But it's not inevitable. No dragon's fate is actually written in the stars or sealed by the moons. It's always possible to choose a different future.

[nyhti]

What are you currently reading? Any suggestions for someone who is trying to indulge in some older batman runs?

Thank you for the ask!

I recently read Under the Hood for the first time! Then that inspired me to read A Death in the Family again. I wrote a little tag essay about these stories actually, but then didn't post it lol. And then I randomly read Detective Comics #388 ”Public Luna-Tic Number One” (1969) again, which I did post about. Oh, and before that I was reading random Alan Grant issues from the 80s/90s. And also I'm still trying to get through every single Pre-Crisis Lex Luthor issue in chronological order lol xDDD I'm currently in the year 1983. I've also been meaning to read Steve Englehart's run again, because my Hugo fic heavily references it and I wanted to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything about it.

Alright! Now, I don't know exactly what does ”old” mean to you. I mean, some people could consider comics from the 90s old, but to me those are very modern. I'm just gonna talk about Pre-Crisis (1938-1986), because that's what I'm most familiar with. I don't really know nor care about Post-Crisis that much. Aaaaaaaaaaand. I have actually made a list before for Pre-Crisis issues that I'd consider essential right here. It's not a definitive list, I've left out a lot of big issues and put in quite a few personal indulgences, but over all I still think it's an ok list. But you asked about runs so...

Actual runs, at least how we've come to know them, didn't really start until the 70s, I think. Continuity did start somewhere in the 60s though and from then on we do have longer stories like the Outsider saga and Dick leaving. Steve Englehart's run (Detective Comics #469-476 (1977-1978) is the first story that I see people calling a ”run”. It's on my previous list and I'm definitely going to recommend it again lol xDDD It's classic for a reason. And after that the only ones that that I'm personally familiar with are Gerry Conway's and Doug Moench's runs. Gerry Conway's run I'd 100% recommend! I'm not entirely sure what issue could you consider the run starting from, but to me Detective Comics #503 "Six Days of Scarecrow" (1981) is the first issue and Detective Comics #526 "All My Enemies Against Me!" (1983) is the last. It's all collected in Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway. I loved it personally. It's my favorite Batman run there is <3 And a lot of it is illustrated by Don Newton, who's my favorite Batman artist! And Dough Moench's run? Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh. I'll admit, I didn't finish it. It was just so boring DDDx I wouldn't say it was bad, but Moench is not one of my favorite writers lol. I'm going to try and finish it at some point though, because I do want to see how Hamilton Hill's story ends. The run picks up right after Conway's run in Batman #360 ”When Slays The Savage Skull...” (1983) and ends in Batman #400 "Resurrection Night!" (1986). It's the last Pre-Crisis Batman run. It doesn't seem to be collected anywhere, though.

Anyhow, I felt like adding some fun individual Pre-Crisis stories that I really enjoy that I couldn't really put on that older list of mine :333 These are not in anyway big or important stories, just stories that had that special something in my opinion :3

Detective Comics #76 (1943) "Slay 'em with Flowers" Joker being Poison Ivy before Poison Ivy was created <3 This is something that I really like about early Batman. They had so few villains they had to give them themed capers that would've later been given to villains with that actual theme. Kinda like how Hugo was being Scarecrow before Scarecrow was created (Detective Comics #46 (1940)). Also I just really love the art in this <3 It's so lively and flowy. You can see raw scans of the inks of this story in a book called Jerry and the Joker: Adventures and Comic Art. I wouldn't say the colors ruin the inks, but I do think they look nicer without the colors.

Detective Comics #180 (1952) "The Joker's Millions" From since around the 70s every time a writer decides to write a Joker story, they seem to think it has to be BIG. He has to do something HUGE and EPIC. ”The Joker's Millions” continues to be one of the best Joker stories of all time, because all he tries to do in this issue is just pay his damn taxes.

Batman #74 (1952) "The Crazy Crime Clown!" Interesting Joker issue, because this is the first time he's ever in a mental hospital. Golden Age Joker was perfectly sane and it wasn't until the 70s when they made him officially mentally ill, but it's interesting to already see them toying with the idea this early on.

Batman #179/2 "The Riddle-Less Robberies of the Riddler" (1966) First time Eddie's riddle obsession is looked at as anything other than just a silly quirk.

Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #70-71 (1966-1967) Selina turns Superman into a fukcing kittyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Penguin is here too, I guess.

Batman #200 ”The Man Who Radiated Fear” (1968) Super cute Scarecrow story that includes a couple other villains as well <333 Nothing much more to say. Just a good time!!!!

Detective Comics #377 (1968) ”The Riddler's Prison-Puzzle Problem” A very classic Riddler story <333 I also base my Riddler's psychical appearance on this issue. If they still did stories like this at DC today, I might actually start reading current issues again. Like truly when was the last time we got an actually classic Riddler story? Just a one issue long story where he sends Batman a riddle he's going to rob a bank and then Batman stops him? I miss it when stories were allowed to be small and the characters were just allowed to be themselves, instead of some grimdarktwistedthis'llknockyoursocksoff re-imagining. I love how Eddie gets thrown around in this one <333 His ass looks amazing in this issue <3 Also his hair looks very cute when it's messy <33

Wolrd's Finest Comics #177 (1968) "The Duel of the Crime-Kings!" One of my favorite Joker stories <333 I really think Joker peaked in the late 60s. Really, I think most characters peaked around then. You can probably tell by how many late 60s stories I put on this list.

Batman #210 "The Case of the Purr-Loined Pearl" (1969) I am obsessed with this girl group. All of them iconic. All of them stars. They exist in my verse, too.

Detective Comics #388 (1969) ”Public Luna-Tic Number One” Another one of my favorite Joker stories. They are toying with the mental illness one in this as well with Batman's ”the problem will be whether to put you in prison -- or in an asylum!” quote. Also my Joker's psychical appearance is based on this issue.

Batman #258 "Threat of the Two-Headed Coin" (1974) Fist appearance of Arkham Asylum - or Arkham Hospital as it was called then. I don't know why I didn't put this on my previous list. It should definitely be on there. A Two-Face story.

Batman #291-294 ”Where were you on the night Batman was Killed?” (1977) Here's a slightly longer story. All of my boys and girls are so cute in this <3333 I love it when they are able to get along and also when no-one is above anyone. Yes, some are more popular than other's but they still all feel equal.

Batman #326-327 "This Way Lies Madness", "Asylum Sinister" (1980) Professor Milo story!!!! Yippeeeeeeee!!! I love that you can see day to day life at Arkham!!! Also this is the issue where Milo becomes an Arkham patient.

Detective Comics #503 ”Six Days of the Scarecrow” (1981) A good Scarecrow story. Also the first time he's admitted to Arkham and it's not because of mental illness, but because he suffered an overdose. The overdose saga continues in Detective Comics #526 (1982) where he is still very ill and Jervis takes advantage of his vulnerable state. And then in Batman #373 "The Frequency of Fear" (1984) and Detective Comics #540 "Something Scary" (1984) he's finally recovered. I don't think it's mentioned in these issues whether he was taken back to prison or Arkham once he was captured, so it seems unclear whether or not Pre-Crisis Scarecrow ever became a permanent Arkham patient.

Detective Comics #510 ”Head-Hunt by Mad Hatter” (1982) Technically the second appearance of Jervis, because this is the issue where imposter Mad Hatter and the Jervis we know and love today were split into two characters. Also my favorite Jervis story :333 I base my version's physical appearance on this story :333

The Brave and the Bold #183 ”Let's play... The Death of Batman” (1982) Riddebat shipper's dream comic lol. Just an all around good story!! Love how Eddie is written!! It's so fun. The art is not very good though. The artist had no clue how he wanted to draw Riddler so in some panels he's literally Bruce's identical twin and then in other panels he'll have a completely new face.

Batman #356 ”Double life of Hugo Strange” (1983) My favorite Hugo story <3333 ((((Actually I admit Engelhart's run has kinda started to rival this tbh)))))))) But this one is illustrated by Don Newton so there's that. First time ever we see him without the beard btw! And more importantly this is the issue where he starts wanting to be Batman.

[firenati0n]

8 and 17 xoxo MJ/kiwiana-writes

hellooo :)

8. Is there a story idea in your mental vault that you’ve never been brave enough to try writing? Is this the year? Can you tell us about it?

funny you ask this because i was just thinking about this lmaooo I want to write the firstprince x rom com cinematic universe. this is my legacy fr.

I wasn't brave enough to start proposal au until you literally told me to do it one day and i was like "okay if mj says i should then i guess i gotta?" so now that's being written. chap 1 done and ppl say it's decent sooooo I'm writing more fjalksdjflka. which btw i am forever in your debt for being so supportive and uplifting. i wouldn't be writing without you fr so jot that down <3 i am president of the mj fan club everyone else SCRAM!

currently have docs for these lol (very sandra bullock heavy!)

the proposal (being written, this is the full spectrum of human emotion)

while you were sleeping (i think about this daily)

the lake house (Alex and Henry writing letters to each other across timelines? Hoping they can meet? YEARNING? PINING? LONGING?)

miss congeniality (alex is sandra bullock henry is his partner)

leap year (alex is amy adams henry is matthew goode)

the wedding date (dermot mulroney my beloved. alex would play him, the escort hehehe henry hires him to accompany him to phillip's wedding)

notting hill (alex the actor henry the bookstore owner duh)

how to lose a guy in 10 days (henry the writer alex the marketing guy)

the half of it (being written, this is queerano de bergerac)

i also have a bunch of random wip docs (really takin a page outta your book mj haha):

abbott elementary au (alex as janine henry as gregory omg??)

chuck au (this is all because of @user-anakin)(alex is chuck henry is sarah eeeeep)

a henry focused songfic based on "Home" by Daughtry lol where i explore how “I'm going home to the place where I belong” changes meaning throughout Henry's life and it's pretty angsty lol not my usual wheelhouse (@hgejfmw-hgejhsf for u hehe)

worm fic 2: electric boogaloo where alex and henry go on their first date and the worms are working OVERTIME

17. Do you typically answer all comments/reviews individually? Do you plan to change the way you interact with your readers this year?

i crave comments because i love community and interaction and am a whore for validation as a deeply insecure and new writer so I always try to talk to people 1:1 and interact with all tags / reblogs and such. this won't change because i love y'all and am obsessed with you so. I want to know everything about you all. in fact, I will probably become MORE annoying! so there!

xoxo roop

send me a fanfic ask for the new year :)

[crestfallercanyon]

Weekly Tag Wednesday Thursday

Thanks for the game @michellemisfit ! I believe I have missed like the last three, my apologies lol. Thanks for still looping me into the fun <3 

name: crest

age: late 20s

location:  next to my cat who is sleeping like he hasn’t been a complete menace all damn morning. 

top sheet, yes or no? (I'm assuming by top sheet it means the sheet over the ones that wrap your bed that separates your body from your comforter/duvet, which maybe not everyone uses) and yes, especially in this heat, sometimes that is the only thing I have on me because it’s too warm (but I hate not having something heavier on me)

how many stuffed animals do you own? I have two that I can think of off the top of my head. Used to have several. 

the names of your pets (and the explanations behind them): I only have one cat! And I'm sorry, as I am a paranoid individual (though there are people on discord who know his name, and I know there's other pets with this name, and I give out other information I know) but I'm not going to put it here. I will say I named him what I named him because he's all angles, he's very small for a cat, and loves jumping on me.

favourite color: I gravitate toward the color green a lot. I just adore it in all shades. 

any tattoos? Yes! 

how you transport your belongings (purse, tote, hands, pockets, etc.): If it’s just like me out and about? My pockets usually, I don’t like having anything hanging off of me like a bag if I can help me because it’s distracting to walk very far with shit flipping around. If it's for work/going somewhere with stuff that cannot fit in pockets, then I have a corduroy satchel with a bunch of buttons on it.

the last movie you watched: Shrek! I was feeling nostalgic.

how long does it take you to get ready in the morning? If I take a shower? Around an hour (I have curly hair, it’s kind of a bitch to make look nice because I’m bad at that kind of thing, that and winding down my cat who wants to play so badly it’s like he was fueled with jet fuel). If I don’t take a shower and let the cat figure out his own playtime? 20 minutes, usually with a breakfast on the go situation (and leaving my cat to mourn that I did not play with him). 

favourite weather: I love a good thunderstorm when I'm able to hang out at home and watch. Or a good snowstorm. For general getting around though, low 70s or low 80s with a breeze.

relationship status: single

ice cream flavor of choice: mint chocolate chip or something peanut buttery. Which I know are two chaotic differences, but it’s just my style. 

first fandom: Fandom where I’d be aware of what a fandom was? Probably Dr. Who? (I swear I answer this question differently every time I’m asked lol). 

how many books have you read this year? Think I’m at seven? I don’t read nearly as much as I used to but I’m starting to pick it up again. 

first 4 words of your last notes app entry:  “Right out the elevator”, believe that was instructions to myself on how to navigate some building I’ve long forgotten why I was confused about. 

and finally, if you had to change your URL tomorrow, what would you change it to? If I had to? Probably something equally sort of pretentious as crestfaller, something like coppermarsh or cruisinghearse (which damn I actually love that one lmao) but I came up with crestfaller by looking into a mountain range’s peaks and valleys, finding a name that sounded interesting, and grabbing the synonyms and mixing them together until I liked it. I have adopted the name crest on all things though now, I don’t know what I’d have people call me if I changed my name now. 

And finally... tags! (I imagine since we're into Thursday most people have already been tagged and I also don't want to spam people, but here's what I've got -- hope y'all enjoy!)

@mmmichyyy @jrooc @gallawitchxx @gardenerian, @babygirlmickey, and anyone else who would like to join!

[jeanmoreaux]

okay so not to alarm you but prince's gambit has rewired my brain

like objectively i admit this series is dark and gross and yada yada yada all the caveats, i get it....but also i'm gonna be so honest i was expecting worse? like more specifically between damen and laurent. like the world itself is crude and terrible but everybody made it seem like it was this insane relationship that leaned into the sex slavery part and i'm just so compelled by the fact that as characters, both damen and laurent are overall....pretty decent people. like sure they have slaves, they kill people sure, but they don't abuse each other to the same extent like i see in a lot of toxic ships and that's soooo fascinating. (especially because i'm still waiting on laurent's reasoning for his celibacy! what is he hiding!!!) the reason the ship works so well is that starts as enemies to allies first and they do shockingly treat each other with as much consent as they're able most of the time. and in book two especially there's just so much less horror than in book one.

i think it was uncomfortable to adjust to the world itself because of obvious reasons but i think the political intrigue of book two is SO interesting and compelling and yeah i'll say it, i fucking love stories where the enemies end up becoming the only people they can trust - and the REASON IS they are BOTH TRYING TO DO GOOD! which is again so andreil coded, although it's for sure in a different way. my other favorite character archetype is the bad guy who is actually doing good underneath he just never corrects anyone because it's easier and better strategically to be bad!!! (me reading this: oh okay so it's a rhysand thing isn't it) like sure laurent is a bitch but he's literally giving aaron warner

i'll admit i am slightly terrified of what will happen when laurent finds out who damen actually is but i am LIVING for these bonding moments where they keep saving each other's life like DAMN i'm into that shit

anyway. i've fallen into the deep end and i fear i'll be stuck here for a while but hey, it's fun. i feel like i should be more ashamed of enjoying it BUT it's fun.

i know you already finished kings rising by now and i know i already screamed sufficiently in the dms (<3) BUT i just need to post this because your reactions in any shape and form are priceless to me. like YEAH it isn’t as bad as some people make it out to be. like you mentioned in some other tags on your blog, for a series that people claim is about focused on sex slavery (which it is not lol) there is a lot of consent happening. also like. the gross and disturbing stuff mostly happens in book one (after that it’s getting much tamer (still heavy and disturbing things happening but to a different extent) and it’s mostly just established things playing out and the main dynamic shifts so so much from where it started and in book three you understand why things unraveled and happened the way they did in book one. and by then everything has changed and the person they used to hate is their focal point and the only person they can actually trust. and the loyalty and devotion are well-earned and bone deep on both sides. it’s just soooo *head in hands* 🧎‍♀️and just to have it said, with an ounce of critical thinking you can see that there are points being made—shocking and “problematic” things in this story do have a point to exist in the story. it’s actually a story that at its core much more about love and forgiveness and overcoming your past than anything else. people either get it or they don’t.

and i know you understand now when i said they are andreil coded in a distinct way in the sense that their dynamics resembles them but they both resemble them as individuals as well but also they are completely different from neil and andrew and ahhhhh it makes me feel insane but You Know.