#it doesn’t help that most the protagonist of the books that I picked up were girls

[maggi-cube]

Legitimately when I was still into ya 15-17 the preoccupation with romance was what made me hate the genre… I felt like it was insulting my intelligence. Like I wanted to read abt kids my age shouldering circumstances way beyond their control like I literally had been reading in children/middle grade lit (ex: Animorphs? Hello?) and complex moral questions or even just Wow! Cool dragon! Knights with sword!

And I thought that there would be more of that as I got older so they’d get more complex and have more politics but it was like they got dumber. Ykwim? Like “So and So is 16/17/18/fucking 19 and thrown into circumstances way beyond their scope. It’s up to them to do XYZ in a society that has failed them or who cannot be relied on. Anyway what about this boy 🥺🫣” and it pissed me off every single fucking time bc it was inescapable!! Every single book!! And -1/10 times was it ever done well! Not even an exploration of codependency or something! This is not even getting into the complete absence of any other interesting dynamic no it’s a motherfucker named Pokemon LeafRain or SkywardSword smoldering in the MC’s general direction and suddenly the war and oppression is the B plot!! God!!

Also special FUCK YOU to Uprooted bc I was so excited about this mentor student dynamic and parent figure and oh she makes a move on this century egg ass old man and they smash. Great 👍 loved that so wanted to read that

[bridenore]

HD Books / Writing fic recs

Here are a few drarry fic recs involving books or writing. Listed in alphabetical order, as always.

Annus Mirabilis by Ren [39k]

Harry and Malfoy are trapped at Hogwarts around the time the school was founded. Stuck with a different way of doing magic, with no chocolate, and with each other, they have to find a way to work together if they want a chance to go home.

Dear Diary by AWickedMemory [20k]

 // This can’t possibly go worse than the last time I kept a diary. // After the war, Harry picks up a journal to write in… and it writes back. Luckily, it’s not a Horcrux on the other end this time.

Faint Indirections by ignatiustrout [29k]

Draco Malfoy is the last person Harry expects to turn up in Boston, Massachussetts. But now he’s here, and he won’t stop requesting books from the library where Harry works.

He Who Must Not Be Normal by @letteredlettered [40k]

Potter has fame and fortune and posh clothes and all he wants is a simple life.  Draco has a flat and a cat and a steady job and all he wants is a complicated life.  Which makes you think this story has something exciting like body-swapping, but it doesn’t.  Instead it has Indian takeaway and a blue jumper and people wanting a whole lot of what they can’t have, discovering themselves as they discover each other. 

If We Were Honest by daisymondays / @gracie137blogs [26k]

Two years ago, Draco and Harry had a whirlwind secret romance that ended in heart-break. Since then Draco’s written a best-selling novel based on their relationship, but with one key difference—the characters get a happily ever after. Now Harry and Draco are reunited for the first time since their break-up, but can they rewrite their own ending?

Love Bites, Or How Draco Malfoy Learned to Let Go and Celebrate His Allure by @m0srael [50k]

Recently-turned Draco Malfoy is doing his very best to be a normal, productive, contributing member of wixen society. So far, he’s managed to keep his bloody little problem a secret, even from his best friends. But when the professional opportunity he’s been dreaming of finally   falls in his lap, he finds himself with much more than just a potential promotion. Will a profile on a new creature-exclusive dating app, a wolfy stranger who seems hellbent on liking Draco just the way he is, and a little self-confidence help Draco finally love himself and his newfound community?

Orion in the Sky by space_wingding [30k]

Draco Malfoy owns a bookshop in the Lake District. He’s also cursed. Enter: Harry Potter.

Per Solum Lacuna: By Words Alone by Azhure [560k]

A set of enchanted journals bring solace to two very unlikely lost   souls. Whoever said the art of penmanship was lost? This is a wizarding twist on the old fashioned art of correspondence (or the modern art of Internet chatting). What will happen when the mystery writers finally   discover the identity of their counterpart? Join this star crossed pair as they obliviously chat to each other; along the way learning about   life and love. Find out what will happen when their own voyages of self discovery lead them to the most unlikely of places. This is eventual   HP/DM, but other pairings for the protagonists along their journey.

The Price We Pay for Wings by Frayach [13k]

Books have the power to shape young lives. At least that is the hope of the anonymous author of a best-selling series about a Muggle boy and his best friend on the eve of a world war. But stories do more than just shape the future: they can redress the wrongs of the past as well. But only as long as it’s not too late…

Reading Malfoy by @femmequixotic [15k]

After thirteen years of hiding himself away in Muggle London, Draco Malfoy shows up again in the wizarding world–with a wickedly amusing memoir in hand. Harry doesn’t want to read it. Really. He doesn’t.

The Romantic Prawn Who Loved Christmas by @bixgirl1 [39k]

When Draco, forced into sharing a room with Potter for the year, finds out that Potter has a sleepwalking problem, he expects the odd conversations and the weird games of chess. What comes as a complete shock are Potter’s other activities…And why he seems so intent on having Draco join him. (Relax. It’s just like a holiday Hallmark movie! …With, uhm, sleepwanking.)

Sourdough by @academicdisaster24 [17k]

Draco writes romance novels and doesn't leave his apartment much. Harry bakes bread and sells it to Draco. Draco is quite weird. Harry might like that.

Sunseeker by @shiftylinguini [15k]

Harry is a struggling writer. Namely, he is struggling with: writing his next book, dealing with his agent, finding a decent tea strainer, fielding his friend’s concern over the aforementioned book, and figuring out who the cat loitering in his garden belongs to. He also has a slight liking-Malfoy problem. Okay, he has a massive liking-Malfoy problem.

Teach Me, Life; Guide Me, Love by @kiraohara [79k]

Revelations both painful and joyous set the markers in the path of every life. Thankfully, Draco has spectacular company for the journey.

Verba Volant by shushu_yaoi_lj / @orange-peony​ [34k]

The first letter arrives after the Trials. Harry unfolds the parchment and his eyes open wide when he realises who it’s from. He soon finds himself waiting for those letters to arrive, staring at the window in search of Malfoy’s owl. He wants to know more.

When It Alteration Finds by momatu [55k]

After the war, Harry left most of the Wizarding world behind and built a new life for himself in the Channel Islands. He opened a bakery and is happy with his life. Draco is a fiction author who writes under a penname, and he’s currently suffering from writer’s block. His agent suggests he try writing in a new environment and rents a cottage in the Channel Islands for him.

I hope you enjoy these stories as much as I did!

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4.5/5

Book Blurb: A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis.

Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again...

Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was….

Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she's ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.

Review:

A Vampire in an arranged marriage with the ruthless Werewolf Alpha...nothing could possibly go wrong right? Misery Lark is the daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman and has been an outcast her entire life, shunned by her own kind, hated by humans and werewolves, her only true friend is her childhood companion/sister, Serena who has mysteriously disappeared leaving behind a cryptic journal with only one phrase in it as a clue : L.E. Moreland. When her father request she enter into an arranged marriage with the newly appointed Alpha of the Werewolves she wants to say no... except when she learns its none other than Lowe Moreland, she knows she has to say yes. He is the only clue to what could have happened to Serena and Misery will do anything to find her sister. Yet this marriage is meant to ensure a peace treaty between the vampyres and the werewolves, essentially forcing Misery into being a hostage living in Lowe's home for a year. Misery knows Lowe has a mate despite agreeing to marry her, yet the closer the grow the more confusing their feelings become. It doesn't help that their marriage has it's own politics to deal with, from werewolves and vampires wanting to assassinate either one of them and Lowe being hot and cold with his feelings. Misery just wants to find her sister, yet the longer she stays with Lowe the more she finds herself opening her heart to the very wolf she never expected to fall for... but can she be with him when he has a mate... or is he keeping another secret from her? This was a really fun vampire/werewolf and fated mates romance. I loved Misery, she's fun and cute, I love how caring she is and how she's willing to give everyone a chance, despite being hurt by so many people in her life. Lowe is a great love interest and I wanted to shake him at times and tell him " JUST TELL HER " but overall I could see what his mentality was and how he cared for her so much that he wanted to put her needs and feelings above his. They really had a sweet romance. I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE, I AM LOOKING AT YOU KOEN AND SERENA. The book was a bit slow to get into and the romance itself was really slow burn ( not picking up at all until the 50% mark) but once it gets going, it gets going and I loved it. I really enjoyed the world that Ali created and am excited to see where she goes next with these werewolves and vampyres! if you enjoy paranormal romances with fun protagonists and swoony love interests, definitely give this a go, this was such a fun read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[biocrafthero]

Wolves Den

After being held hostage for months on end, a small group manage to rescue our protagonist from their kidnapper. Despite the feeling of safety the three bring, questions about why they were taken in the first place still remain unanswered...

(More about the story and cast under the cut)

Wolves Den follows Shay and the few days of their life leading up to their encounter with the Wolf and subsequent kidnapping. They’re held hostage for months with no apparent reason, time slipping through their fingers. But one day, for similar unanswered reasons, they find themselves rescued by a trio claiming to help them, named Mei, Cain, and Elias. It doesn’t take long before Shay begins to feel safe around the three of them, but questions still linger in the back of their mind despite everything. Will the answers they seek be worth it, or will they find themselves entangled in an even greater danger than they had initially believed to be?

This story focuses heavily on themes of paranoia, obsession, and trauma. It will contain scenes involving violence and bloodshed, but nothing beyond what I as an author have already posted online.

Characters (in no particular order):

Shay (they/them) - The unfortunate victim. Normally more confident and outspoken, but faltering after what they've been through. This doesn't stop them from being curious enough to take risks, of course. Improvises plans while in the moment and does what they can with a bad situation.

Cain (he/him) - All smiles and all teeth, very social. Definitive strongman of the group and pretends not to understand concepts like personal space. Can be teasing at times, but means well. Reads people like open books. Enjoys hunting with a permit.

Mei (she/her) - College student who's close to graduating, takes online classes. Stubborn at times, but easily mistaken for being timid. The kind of person you'd want to go to if you needed help. Knows how to pick both locks and pockets with ease.

Elias (he/it) - The one planning most operations and "heists" the group pulls off. A man of few words if he decides to speak at all and has a bad habit of staring blankly at people. Adverse to most touch unless he's initiating or if you're Cain. Takes a liking chess and other strategy games.

The Wolf (??/??, use any) - The hunter. Identity currently unknown. Erratic personality. Very capable and extremely dangerous.

[roman0writes]

𝕃𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕖𝕒 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕊𝕒𝕜𝕖

Warnings: none

Summary: A quiet moment in the Going Merry’s empty for once kitchen

For someone who only has one eye, Zoro easily has the most intimidating glare on the ship. And while you’re glad you’ve never truly been on the receiving end of it, sometimes it certainly feels like it. Like now, how even when quietly reading a book at the kitchen table, you can feel his occasional glance crawl up your spine like some kind of demon spider. It comes and goes, and whenever you lift your eyes even slightly up from the pages, he’s back to polishing his swords like he wasn’t staring a hole into the center of your forehead.

It’s infuriating, and it causes you to constantly lose focus and re-read the same word over and over again in the cheesy romance novel you picked up off the island in some last-ditch effort to distract yourself from him. Of all the people you had to have a crush on, it had to be the one person on this ship that hated you. Just your luck.

You were enjoying it, the summary seemed promising enough: a runaway princess gets rescued by an exiled knight and teams up to stop an all-powerful crime lord from taking over the country in order to regain the respect of the royal family. Cheesy, stereotypical, and just what you needed to read. Until the knight was revealed to be just like Zoro. It was like reading a romance novel with yourself and the crush as protagonists, and what was supposed to be a cure for your boredom just became fuel for your problems.

“What are you reading?” Zoro’s gruff voice came from across the counter, and you look up at him. Your view of him is partially blocked by your empty cup of tea. He’s still looking at his swords, polishing them with a level of attention to detail you couldn’t possibly exhibit without a scope.

“Just some dumb romance novel I picked up off the island,” you mutter. You close the book, summary side up, and stand up to head to the stove. “I’m making some more tea; do you want some?” The offer is formality alone, you know what his answer is.

“No, thanks.”

But he doesn’t stop there, he also gets up from the table and heads to the cabinet you’re at. His body naturally slots behind yours, like pieces of a puzzle, and he reaches above you to the liquor cabinet. You freeze, holding and staring at the box of lavender in your hand while Zoro presses even closer to you, reaching to grab a bottle of sake further back.

You want to shout or say that he’s too close, but by the time you’ve already processed what happened, he’s backed away from you and is pouring some into a cup. He only drinks it from the bottle.

“That lavender tea is only going to do so much to help you relax,” he says, “sake would probably do a better job than that.”

You turn to look at him, tell him you don’t need alcohol thank you very much, but your hand silently accepts the cup he’s already handed you and takes a sip. It’s bitter and burns as it goes down your throat, but you drink it anyway. “Thank you, Zoro.”

You make eye contact with him again, but it’s more relaxed, the lazy grin he has on his face making it a lot less tense and nerve-wracking than eye contact with him normally is. He takes another swig from the bottle before clearing his throat to get your attention. Did you zone out again?

“So, is it clear that I like you, or do I need to buy you roses and call you (Y/N)-swan like that moronic chef?”

[em-dash-press]

Are Prologues Worth Your Time?

It felt like every book I picked up when I was a kid and a teenager had a prologue. I thought they were super deep and essential foreshadowing, but then I went to college for creative writing.

You know what every professor taught?

Prologues are outdated and unnecessary.

I was shocked. Not that I’d ever say that I had only read the greatest books (many were trash—and some, beloved trash), but how could so many published books have outdated and unnecessary prologues where they’re supposed to hook a reader?

Here are a few thoughts you can consider when unwrapping this problem for yourself.

Give Your Prologue a Purpose

There are two primary purposes for prologues:

They give the reader a glimpse of a future event in the plot (like a movie trailer).

They give the reader a glimpse into the fictional world’s past to set the scene for the current world (like a flashback).

You don’t necessarily need to put a prologue in your manuscript. Your reader will likely get hooked from the first chapter you’ve worked so hard on. However, if your character/world/conflict will drastically change later, you can make the reader wonder, “How does it get from here to there?” after the first chapter with a prologue.

Flashback prologues are also helpful. A handful of pages could introduce the reader to a conflict (a deity getting betrayed by other gods and cursing all humans to forget they exist) that sets the tone/explains why your universe exists the way it does (every single character and person in the novel doesn’t know about gods because their history has been wiped from their minds, but the protagonist meets one of the gods who betrayed the antagonist deity and wants others to see/hear them too).

How to End a Prologue

Your prologue should end with the reader fully engaged, but wondering—WHAT?!

This might mean that you write your prologue (after deciding on one of the purposes mentioned above) when you’ve finished your manuscript. You’ll know exactly which historical or future point in your world will be most relative to your plot and the most captivating for your reader.

If George R.R. Martin had become inspired to write Game of Thrones based on an idea like this—historically powerful households go to war with each other to regain the most powerful throne in the realm, based on their various birthrights—and written the prologue immediately, we never would have been introduced to the potential-dead-brought-back-to-life in the actual prologue. 

You gotta admit, zombies are a much more gripping hook than political rivalries. Especially when there are so many rivalries and so much history to learn before the tension builds!

When a Prologue May Be Necessary

Sometimes writers feel that their first few chapters are basically info dumps. You may have created a complex world with lots of history, lore, and ongoing conflict. The reader has to understand it all in the first five chapters, but it makes your story read like a textbook.

Prologues can help by summarizing the most important information the reader has to grasp to enjoy your manuscript. Challenge yourself to write some flash fiction (in this case, ~1-3 pages) about your novel’s world to see if you can create a prologue that condenses the most essential info for the reader. You can edit the next few chapters to see if they have better flow/pacing.

Reasons to Avoid Writing a Prologue

You may need to remove your prologue or pass on writing one if you agree with any of these factors:

The info explained in the prologue (history, initial conflict) reappears later in the plot.

You’re including the prologue because your first chapter is boring (just rewrite the first chapter—it will likely still feel boring even with an amazing prologue).

You feel like you have to have one. (This is common in fantasy/sci-fi.)

You want a prologue to set the mood for your story. (That’s the job of your first chapter.)

You need a prologue to do all of your world-building. (Introducing the reader gradually to your world through action-based events the first few chapters is much more engaging than an info-dump prologue.)

Make Your Decision After Getting to Know Your WIP

I tend to think of prologues as something you consider and potentially write well after developing your WIP. Get to know your characters, your plot, the stakes, and the world’s history/conflict before deciding if a prologue would hook your readers. You can always write it in a separate document/page and play around with removing/adding it with beta readers.

[angelofthepage]

BATDR Speculation: Who is Bendy?

So the internet is currently freaking out over little Baby Benders (rightfully so, he’s ADORABLE), and we all have a lot of questions about him. Is he as cute and innocent as he seems? Is he going to betray us? Is he the lighter half of an ink demon split into pieces? Does he have a soul? If so, is it someone we know? I have a lot of thoughts on this, and none of them are concrete, but today I want to talk about one of my favorite musings so far: How Joey and Henry might be involved in this. I wanna talk about The Illusion of Living.

https://twitter.com/LaurenSynger/status/1587778374038069249?s=20&t=b-DLbISPVNI584xRm5ALAg

Warning: if you haven’t read the Illusion of Living by Adrienne Kress, HIGHLY recommend it, as there are spoilers ahead. This book is delightful, and it’s not what I expected. When I picked it up, I thought we were getting a narrative about Joey’s life, and we did to an extent. But the real treasure of this book is that it’s a character study of Joey Drew. It gives us so much to think about in terms of who he is as a person. Because he’s Joey, you’d expect him to bend the truth (pun absolutely intended), and there are moments where it feels like some details aren’t entirely true. But there are some scenes that are written in such a way that feel all too earnest, and one of them is the scene in Joey’s apartment: the birth of Bendy.

The way Joey tells it, he’s the one who had the concept for Bendy, then his friend Abby Lambert attempted to draw it, but nothing was looking right. Abby brought Henry on board to help without consulting Joey first. Then they all sat on the floor of Joey’s apartment while Henry sketched out what would become the signature Bendy design (with critiques from Joey along the way). It’s made out to be this magical moment, and it’s believable. What reason would Joey have to lie about this? He may have a lot of feelings about Henry, mostly negative from what we’ve seen in DCTL, but he gave Henry credit here. He didn’t downplay Henry’s importance in all of this, which surprised me, and I like that a lot.

Joey comes off as being so deeply in love with his creation that it doesn’t matter who did what, the fact remains that Bendy is still his in the ways that count the most. He was made with love, dreams, and wonder at his core, Joey’s ideas and writing, Henry’s artistic execution. He belongs to both of them. I get the sense that a lot of people are going to jump into debating whether this little Bendy is somehow made using Henry’s soul or Joey’s. But I’d like to propose this: what if he’s made with both? His creation isn’t credited to a single person, but two, and who better to give Bendy a soul than both of his creators, two halves of a whole?

It gives another layer to why Joey would send Henry into the studio in the first place. Like why Henry? Henry’s just a guy who supposedly worked with Joey as an animator and business partner for one year before vanishing forever, why send him in? Is he a last resort where others failed (maybe Tom was sent in first and couldn’t fix things), or is it because he’s so integral to Bendy’s creation? Surely he has something grand to offer in that regard, by Joey’s logic. Send Henry in, sure, if anyone can stop this twisted version of Bendy, it’s his creator, right? No, this story isn’t one that you can solve by making Henry the protagonist, it’s one that needs both of them. It’s a story that needs Joey to acknowledge a lot of things in order for it to change. That could be why it’s a loop, the story can’t end without Joey playing his part, but he’s too busy blaming everyone else for the trouble he’s caused, not taking responsibility for his actions.

One of the theories I’ve seen that I really love from the first game came from @dreamfisher-nux​ which I’ll link here: https://www.tumblr.com/dreamfisher-nux/184575733862/that-child-at-the-end-might-not-have-been-human?source=share The idea that the child we hear say “tell me another one Uncle Joey” might not be human based on the milk carton texture’s inky handprints gives me a lot to think on. I have to wonder if that child might have been his last attempt to make Bendy. Yes, I know, five fingers is too many, but that’s exactly why I say “attempt,” not success. I mean he has the studio full of his previous employees, souls he’s claimed he owns, and now Henry is in there too. Is it possible this was all a plan to get Henry’s soul to make into his creation? I’ll admit, while I was around for the emergence of the “Henry is a perfect Bendy” theory, I’m not 100% sold on it for canon (though I do love it in fandom works), but an imperfect Bendy, or something close to Allison or Twisted Alice in nature? That I would buy. Henry alone may not be enough to give Joey what he wants. So what if, before the end of his lifetime, Joey gave himself up? Bendy is in part his creation, a part of him, just as Alice is a part of Susie, there is something they give to that character that no one else has. And much like Susie, Joey would do anything for the character he loves. He went to great lengths to try and see it through, sacrificed so much (much of which was never his to sacrifice).

When I first heard Joey’s tape about cheating death itself, I assumed his goal was immortality for the longest time. But TIOL has me thinking that that’s only half the story. You’re never dead if your legacy is still alive, and Bendy is Joey’s legacy. Making Bendy real and innovating beyond what any artist or engineer has done before is at the core of what he wants, to make dreams into reality. And if he’s gone, but Bendy is here and real and perfect? I think, that’s a sacrifice Joey would be willing to make, his dream would be achieved and that’s what matters. Throw on the machine machine one more time, take the child, his child, that was so close and take one more chance, add his piece to the puzzle, his soul to the mix. Become part of your creation. It’s an act of love, “but love requires sacrifice.”

Joey is believed to be dead in 1972, and this is where Arch Gate comes in. They have control of the Bendy brand, they own the rights and assets to it. Nathan was someone that was believed to be Joey’s friend, even though he’s done things a friend wouldn’t do. What does Nathan Arch know of Joey’s marvelous machine, of his dreams? While I don’t know if I buy Nathan as a benevolent character given what he’s said in the books, I do believe he would carry out some of Joey’s final wishes, though maybe not exactly the way Joey would want him to. And handing Bendy over to him, his most precious creation, to be taken care of? Well, that would be an interesting thing, wouldn’t it? You don’t leave your child in the hands of just anyone. It’s as Tom says in TLO, you don’t give up on a miracle.

Or course, take this all with a grain of salt. I think this would be an intriguing story to follow, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I expect it to be canon. Canon or not though, it’s an interesting thought, isn’t it?

[sifya]

Astolfo and Persephone's myth

This a speculation after I read the article from digital-dhampirs.

One most interesting thing about Astolfo is his cover which presents a pomegranate.

I found strange nobody talked about this because pomegranate has very strong symbolism, and maybe can be a hint of his story.

First it is possible symbol of his family, because the word Granatum is part of scientific name of pomegranate; Punica granatum.

But the connecting between the family and the fruit doesn’t stop here, because in fact the word “garnet” comes from Latin word granatum from seed or grain, most likely are reference to the seeds of pomegranate fruit.

Pomegranate also has strong Christian symbol because represents martyrs’ blood, which it appropriates for hunter family.

If we remove Astolfo from the cover we have a picture in still life, a work of art using also like metaphor, because pomegranate is also a Christina symbol that represents a priest, hard outside soft inside, but because the corruption around and inside the fruit, the author is talking about corrupt of the Church but I don’t think only about the Beast act but the tragedy of family Granatum.

If we look inside the fruit we can see tubes, I thought can be Chloe library but it is too dark and broken and there are not books, but another place with tubes it is Moreu lab.

Moreu got help from Church now and then, because it is impossible there is no one in Church didn’t know about a secret lab near to their headquarters.

But why Moreu’s lab if Astolfo had never met him and he is not with Ronald about the search.

His sister can be n°70, a child who is been rewriting by 13 marks and from a powerful line of hunters, a subject who Doctor would love to have.

Plush it is possible Granatum family bloodline isn’t completely human, anime color in VNC it only used on vampires/dhams, but from anime we know both siblings has got pink hair/eyes, but there is not other humans with anime colors.

If his sister is n°70 , her and Astolfo has got a lot parallels with Demeter hymn, or more knowing as Persephone myth.

This myth is already showed up in series, when Veronica talks with Domi, she sat down on statue of Ratto of Prosepina, that Latin name of Persephone.

I think this myth is connect with Granatum siblings; Astolfo fills as Demeter and his sister as Kore/Persephone.

The myth is often rewriting as love story between Hades and Persephone but it is far away from original myth.

Demeter’s hymn is part of Eleusinian Mysteries. Her hymn is sole protagonist who is mother in grief for losing of her daughter, and only when she played dirty she can have her daughter back.

After the kidnapping of her daughter she ignored her duties for looking for her with help of Hecate.

Hecate is one who proposed to ask help for Helios, because he can see everything.

Helios has pity of her and only one who shared the truth(other Gods ignored her because they were afraid of Zeus).

After Demeter found out Zeus sold out Kore to Hades, she took all humans hostage by famine, and Zeus had to give in.

Hades tricked Persephone to eat pomegranate seeds, so she cannot completely come back to her mother, because she is part of underground.

So season are born because the staying of Persephone.

Like we can see Demeter is sweet and devote person who can be so powerful turning the world outside down if her beloveds is in dangerous. She can be pretty revengeful and mean, she punishes humans, who are innocent, for bring Zeus to his kneels.

Astolfo is a devote, sweet and self denial person, but also a revengeful force.

During the myth we don’t know how Persephone lives in underground, if she is love with Hades ecc.

The beauty of Anciest Greek mythology is a big mess fandom of fanfictions so you can find a lot version of same myth, and pick your favorite.

But what is sure, Kore that means maiden, from innocent girl turned is a fearful and severe goddess who scared also big heroes like Odysseus.

It is interesting if his sister alive, both they share a lot with myth.

Also Ronald and Oliver can fill in some roles in myth. Ronald like Helios, the god of light, the only one who pitied Demeter and told the truth, Oliver as Hecate, a reasonable figure for Demeter/Astolfo.

Like we see in chap 59,they are only one they give a darm about Astolfo, the other hunters are disinterested or mean to him, like Demeter and other gods.

Ronald was only light for the boy, Oliver used to be near to him, so the relationship is pretty strong like for Demeter with Helios and Hecate.

Like I said before Ratto di Prosepina is other connecting with the myth and possible with Granatum siblings.

“Ratto of Prosepina” can be connect with his sister because this statue represents a sexual assault.

Ratto in old Italian mean marriage by kidnapping or rape, between VNC characters despite there are a lot of violation, Misha, Astolfo and sister are victims of sexual abuse. Astolfo acts a lot like SA victim. Maybe he didn’t suffer by the act but he saw rape on his mother, seeing sexual acts against own will still rape.

Astolfo also said to Noè “My sis was only six when they…!”

The sentence has never ended by implication are grave, because in previous meeting he already told about the torture, so he didn’t need to repeat himself, and we know there were already rapists in group, so we can hope for best but be prepare for worst.

So this version Hades is a terrible monster who violates completely body of people and our doctor Moreu fills the role

My guess his sister is in fact n°70 and possible the first artificial vampire in series.

VNC is a very peculiar vampire media, because we don’t have turning vampire plot, the most similar thing to that is the rewriting.

Rewriting sounds a terrible and mysterious transformation which we and VNC’s world didn’t know enough

So artificial turning in a vampire maybe is not so far away, like for Kore Olympic godess turned in Crhonotic one by tricky and egoism of other.

An another point making believe Astolfo’s sister is alive because she should be chekhov's gun

and the fact Astolfo mirrored Vanitas.

A character is not mentioned if they aren’t necessary for plot. Yes, there are characters like ghost but these ones are alive and often are used like joke.

Astolfo’ sister is not really necessary character for writing his background dark, if we remove her now and making a lone boy who befriend the wrong person still work, but Astolfo is the mirror of Vanitas and what’s happened to Vanitas recently? He found out his brother alive.

So his sister would work like character if she show up in future and if she is counterpart of Misha.

It’d ’ be pretty cool; while Misha uses childshness as coping/manipulation mechanism and cannot move on from his past with Luna and Vanitas, in contrast she’d be more mature of her age and she don’t try to reunite with his brother because she know things wouldn’t be the same and in fact are enemies.

Like Kore from an innocent girl became to fearful goddess.

Turning a really strong vampire, not for her choices(in myth is tricked by pomegranate seeds) but she enjoined the power but still deeply miss Astolfo.

She would be the one who take care of dr Moreu;Vanitas and Misha are clearly avoiding him, but killing him is not only for revenge but also for stopping him.

If Astolfo ‘s sister is Kore, there is an other possible connection with myth; they are both sold off by someone support to protect them.

Astolfo hates himself because he thinks he’s responsible of tragedy, but it ‘s not a tragedy but a full shreme, with a mandate church/charlatan.

The vampires attacked when the mansion was more vulnerable, most hunters leave for looking a group of vampires, they weren’t guards, the presence of 5 powerful vampires and the fact the group didn’t leave.

What criminal stay in crime scene? They stayed for days, giving all time for Marco asking for help, why they stay a place frequented by vampire hunters.

In fact they give enough time to Church to organize itself and kill all them.

And if wasn’t Church, senate could send bourreau. We know bourreau are sniper for rogue vampire, and they act very quickly to act; one day for Mina, and Amelia was afraid to have them on her way.

Now a situation of a rogue group of vampires who assault humans is a big problem to Senate, because peace threat, we see they send Jeanne to Chloè for that.

And not mention killing a family of paladin is the same to send a letter” We want war kisses”.

Like when Charlaton attacked Luca using very similar clothes from hunters, if Luca didn't survive, they would be political consequence between Church and Senate, why didn’t this happened with Granatum tragedy?

Why didn’t these vampires leave? Why there wasn’t a diplomatic accident after that.

That group must have protection until its protect let them die.

“Oh we are sorry,but responsible are dead.”

This group looked like they were used a sacrifical lamb.

Onother points makes me believe Church can be responsible of Tragedy, it is missing of Lousiette.

In anime we see the lord using a rapier not Lousiette, but Charles told Astoldo to take it, that it is means Lousiette is the weapon of Garnet throne.

I think the paladin weapon are unique and best pieces cannot be reproduce so only when somebody become a paladin get one.

Ronald didn’t have Durandal when he met Astolfo, so why Lord Granatum who presumably was a paladin didn't have Lousiette, one of stronger weapons of The Church and a weapon that he was used?

A good weapon and ability to use it, can make difference in battle.

Dr Moreu was able to make disappear a trainer, faking his death, and we see clearly there some members a Church help him,, so kidnapping little girl wouldn’t be hard.

If Church is implicate with Granatum tragedy and sister’s missing, we can have a plot line for Astolfo.

Astolfo isn’t loyal to the Church, his drive is hate for vampires, but if found out everything about his family also what doctor Mareu did to his sister and other people, I cannot see Church survive.

Remember Demeter put down on their kneels Olympus, Underground and Earth, when she went ballistic.

But who represent Zeus, my guess is Charles, he is intrigued on Astolfo, but Gano and his blond vice who were asshole, they were showing pity on him saying Charles is scary and should be let the boy die.

I don’t know how Astolfo reached if his sister is alive and vampire, my guess can be deny but I think his love for her would be stronger; Astolfo hates more himself than vampires.

So maybe they can reunite in future but cannot be together because they belong to two different words.

If I’m right I really serious want their reunion being a reproduction of Frederic Leighton-The Return of Persephone (1891).

Astolfo eyes are drawn empty it ‘d be interesting after he reunite with his sis, got reflex back. I like idea also his sis eyes’ make the same.

And or couse they must go together to kick out some ass together.

In worst case she can be the new vessel of queen but remember Demeter's rage...

PS: I'm sorry for mistakes , English isn't my first languange

[dreams-and-drabbles]

hullooo!! could i rq some very soft and fluffy hcs for cyno and albedo with a sweet fem s/o who's like the definition of a shoujo protagonist pls? thank u!

I got ya, Anon! ✨ I hope you enjoy them as much as I did writing them!!! Tbh— Cyno and Albedo seem like they’d be love interests in a Shoujo anime. I feel like they’d fit in Fruits Basket or maybe a show like Kami Sama kiss?🤔

Albedo

At first, he found you a bit annoying. You’re easily excited, bubbly, and outgoing. Albedo, on the other hand, is a fan of silence and hardly feels the need to socialise. Your cheerful demeanour is off putting, and your presence is overwhelming. You’re bright, way too bright, and Albedo simply could not stand to be in your presence for too long—

Ironically, your demeanour is what eventually spurred his interest in you. How could someone be so cheerful all the time? Surely, you were hiding something— The only way to find out, unfortunately, was to approach you. That’s exactly what he did.

He discovered that you were hiding a few things— Namely, your ability to make delicious desserts. How on earth had he not noticed? They tasted so good, too— Surely, your skill wasn’t obtained through natural means. Soon enough, he was watching you bake— Eventually, he grew used to your rambled, and even grew to look forward to them. Of course, the sweets were an added bonus. (( His observation of you had turned into an actual friendship, and next thing he knew, he was head over heels—))

Albedo oftentimes slips drawings into your lunch, as well as the occasional ribbon for your hair, or a few small candies. He’ll walk you to school/work, and makes it a habit of meeting you afterwards, as well.

On particularly cold days, he’ll either offer you a warm drink, or his coat, which is actually incredibly comfortable despite its appearance.

He’s not one to hangout with large groups, but he will accompany you to hangout with your friends, but only if you’re the one who asks. ((You’ve heard complaints from a few of your friends that he’d declined their invitations to join in on plans, or that he’d asked if you would be present. You find this adorable, and sometimes— Sometimes, you can’t help but laugh at the situation.))

Albedo’s more than happy to let you pick the spots for any dates, as he’s not the most experienced in romance. ((He’s not experienced at all, really, and when he first found himself harboring feelings for you— He consulted Lisa, believing he’d fallen sick.))

Physical affection is…interesting. Albedo certainly doesn’t mind it, but he prefers to do more bold things behind closed doors. He’s more than willing to hold your hand while you walk, and give you a quick peck, while out in town. Anything other than that, he finds a bit …flustering.

Albedo, having helped raise Klee, is surprisingly patient, and should you ask— Well, he wouldn’t be opposed to letting you do his hair or his makeup, for that matter. ((His hair is incredibly soft, but it’s also super thick, and you wonder how exactly he manages to keep it in that braid all day—))

Cyno

Cyno found you entertaining upon first meeting. You weren’t frightened by him at all, which was a plus in his book, and you were very polite, if not a bit energetic. Your easygoing attitude made it easy for him to get to know you, and soon enough you were friends of a sort—

Cyno would sometimes offer you help carrying things, if you crossed paths, while you were out. Little interactions like that, became the basis of your friendship. That was until… Your evening past time became a shared interest. ((Cyno absolutely crushed your strongest deck in Genius Invokation TCG. )) That was the first time you swore in his presence, and it wouldn’t be the last.

What had started off as a cordial and polite relationship, slowly spiraled into a fierce rivalry when it came to the card game. It was when you finally beat him, that you realized you didn’t want to give up his company, and ended up asking him out. ((He said yes, much to your pleasure, and the two of you got matching shirts the next day. Solely, for kicks and giggles.))

Cyno is totally fine with snuggling in public, and whatnot. You’d been surprised at first, but he’d explained that either way— His reputation would always be an issue. He’d much rather people ogle him in shock for giving you a piggyback ride, than constantly eye him out of fear.

Cyno’s more than happy to tag along with you whether you’re going to the market, or on an outing with friends. He enjoys teasing you, and fits along surprisingly well with the group of people you know. ((As intimidating as he may seem, Cyno’s a huge softie. For some reason, no one ever seems to believe you when you tell them that, though…))

Cyno always eats the lunches you make, should you make him one, whether the food tastes awful or delicious. (( He refuses to let your efforts go to waste. He’s also honest, though, so if in the event it tasted awful, and you asked how it was— Well, in his defense you did ask.))

Sometimes, Cyno will randomly surprise you when you get home. Usually, he’ll do this by starting off with a story about an encounter he had at work ((whether it be a pyro slime or a fox)) and will randomly launch a plushy in your direction. ((The first time it happened, he’d told you about a particularly obnoxious Dendro slime, and you not expecting the plush, had shrieked as he tossed you the soft toy. Cyno had laughed and laughed at that, and while you wanted to be mad, you were too busy marveling over just how soft the plush was.))

[no-where-new-hero]

✣ Blake Wrapped: Author Edition 🖋

According to Storygraph, these were the authors I read most of this year!

V. E. Schwab I’ve read a bunch of her books before (Addie Larue, had problems; Vicious, one of my favorite books ever; This Savage Song, annoyed that she doesn’t write this stuff all the time), but never the Shades of Magic series, which is…weird as someone who almost always goes to fantasy before any other subgenre. So I finally bit the bullet and read the trilogy, as well as the first book of the sequel trilogy, which came out in September. Like always with Schwab, it was hit and miss. The first book I found excruciatingly slow, almost painful to finish. The second book I LOVED since it had a much faster pace and more interesting characters. Book 3 was far too long—not exactly as slow as the first, but there were just pages from the villain’s POV that I skimmed because I couldn’t be bothered. Book 1 of the new trilogy was good—it had a fan service feel, but the two new protagonists seem cool, and I think this series might be more interesting on the whole. The thing with Schwab’s style that I keep coming back to is that she writes morally grey really well. If a character is behaving villainously, the more I’ll like them. Hence the fact that Vicious is my favorite book of hers. Ditto with male characters: many of her female characters’ arcs strike me as weirdly reductive, but her men have a more felt quality to them somehow. I can’t say she’s a beloved author or even a favorite author, but I enjoy picking her brain.

Alix E. Harrow I finally read The Ten Thousand Doors of January earlier this year because its premise is not unlike that of my WIP, and I had avoided it for a while due to like … jealousy and also a desire not to get my own plot derailed from its influence. The book was so good though. I know that Harrow and I share a lot of literary influences, which automatically predisposes me to like her style, but it just ticked a lot of boxes: voice, setting, plot, magic, etc. That being said, I’m not sure if any of her other books quite live up. Her Fractured Fairy Tales were enjoyable but nothing memorable. The Once and Future Witches honestly bored me. Starling House was the best of this year’s heavy spate of “Gothic/House books with far too big a helping of Women Thoughts” that I forced myself through (The Last Tale of the Flower Bride, A Study in Drowning, and The Hacienda were the others), but it still lacked the lush immersion of TTDJ that I was hoping for. I’m definitely going to keep looking out for what she publishes since it’s very much my thing, but I really hope she’ll be able to match the quality of her debut again sometime soon.

Shirley Jackson Where do I begin? I gulped down four books of her in a row and wished I had read them all years before. I’ve posted a bunch of Jackson thoughts before, but I think what I adore most about her work is she reads like a shadow of LM Montgomery. LMM curves toward, but ultimately curves away from, the darkness that waits for the unsuspecting person. Jackson paves a straight road into it and doesn’t come out. But they write around a lot of the same topics: houses as extensions of the self, female individuality, female social identity, the life of the mind, queerness (in the sense of unbelonging as well as being not-straight), landscapes, depression, cats, family dynamics, etc. Even though I came to her late, I’m also not that mad about it since I do think my twenty-something self is a bit more predisposed to get something out of her books than my teen self would have. In any case, I definitely need to fill my shelves with her books.

Marina and Sergey Dyachenko Vita Nostra broke my brain at the beginning of the year, and I haven’t quite put it back together again. I’m not sure if it’s a translation thing, but the prose, the plot structure, the way the entire novel is put together, feels so different from an English-language novel. It was so refreshing, in all senses of the word: it felt like diving into a deep pool of dark water. Naturally, nothing else they would write could come close to that novel, but I still sought out their other works in translation, giddy for more of that experience. The sequel novel was tolerable, though did little to wrap up much of the plot—in fact, it only seemed to complicate it further without much promise of a finale (I do think a Book 3 is on the way, though). Daughter of the Dark was the third book of theirs I read, and it was also fairly interesting—a good speculative literary feel—but altogether lacking in the magic of VN. Which is fine for me, all in all. Sometimes masterpieces need to stand alone.

[snowlupinwoodstories]

A Writer's Conundrum

Here's the next practice snippet I worked on. I'm going to take a week off of making snippets as a friend (@bloobluebloo ) is visiting! Maybe a break will help me with my own writers block.

“What do you do when all the inspiration has dried up,” The white wolf hummed to herself as she shut the laptop and looked around the coffee shop where she typically wrote, her blue eyes dull from staring at the blank page in front of her. Normally the sounds of people going about their day, calming renditions of popular pop songs and asian folk music, and the whirr of the coffee machines could break through the worst of the writing doldrums. It's why she would typically start her days off here before running errands or setting up research opportunities.

But with her latest drafts already off to their publishers and no requests for edits she was itching to start a new project. If she could just figure out what that project was.

She’d just covered a little bit of coffee culture in her latest book, so writing about a coffee shop was out. The park over the way had already served as an inspiration for many scenes in her novels, thirteen break-up scenes, five teary come together scenes and one wedding if she was remembering correctly. 

“Perhaps writing about a writer who doesn’t know what to write about?” she frowned before brushing the idea out of her mind. One, it was too meta, and though her books did include several taken from real life and recontextualized scenes. Two, it was overdone. While readers did enjoy and romanticized a writer’s life and work, Snow did not think it was something her readers wanted to read about. 

Well knowing what not to write about was progress at least. 

Maybe. She turned her head back to the window, watching the traffic go by for a few moments before she began to pack back up. Laptop in its bag and charge cord packed away she walked her dishes over to the collection area where a barista would pick them up. 

“Leaving so soon?” a cerulean asian palm civet asked who was sweeping nearby. “Do you have a lot of errands today, Snow?”

“Not quite,” Snow responded, her eyes trained outside, staring off into the distance, “Just having trouble finding my mojo today I guess.”

The civet hummed for a moment, “You know, when I’m stuck on drink creation I bake, and when I’m stuck on a baking creation I practice my coffee craft. Maybe you need to do something adjacent and see where it takes you. Let your brain work on it in the background.”

“That’s an idea, its been a hot minute since I’ve been to a bookstore,” Snow mentioned as she walked out of the cafe. 

Snow stopped in the big name bookstore outside of a shopping center, beelining for the romance section of the store. Perhaps reading some of her competition would help her feel inspired by her own work. 

The books were paperback, with bright covers depicting either the protagonists with their love interests, or sometimes just the love interests in pin up poses displaying their bodies, just covered enough to avoid being labeled inappropriate. Names like Tranquil Krystalkat, Nora Roden, Vixen Valentina, and others peppered the section. Most were pen names of course. While the genre of romance writing could be lucrative most people had issues attaching their names directly on the cover. At least until they hit it big enough for the judgements to slide off their backs like water off of waterfowl. 

Now there’s an idea, Snow mused. She hadn’t done anything with a waterfowl protagonist or love interest. She’d have to do some research. She picked up a book with a swan protagonist holding a bouquet of black and white flowers, a black swan wrapping their wing around the white swan, even as the white swan turned their head away. 

She flipped it over and gave the back a read, frowning. A story where black swans, rare as they were, knew their mates at first glance and a rich swan took his new bride-to-be away to his mansion as the wedding was prepared. How she’d be determined to not fall for him despite the flattery, the rich gifts, etc. It was a very run of the mill story going off of a rather well known stereotype of anthro swans. Snow put the book back and grabbed another, this one showing off of a small jackal holding a few dice in his hand with ominous eyes glaring from behind. She turned it over to find a trickster jackal had won the heart of an ominous wolf in a game of chance, and how that resulted in their romance. A few page flipping determined that the conflict was the wolf wanted to be rid of the jackal, but the jackal had magic and the wolf ended up being more possessive because of that. 

She scanned the books ruefully. Yes she knew the patterns of romance books, they allowed for beautiful looks into the psyche, and you had more freedom to play with the characters and readers emotions because everyone knew the question wasn’t when the characters would end up together but rather the when and why. 

But the benefit of the genre was also its frustration. There were common tropes that were common for a reason. Romance novels were escape fantasy afterall. And there was nothing wrong with that. But Snow had been pushing that boundary for a while now. Asking questions about the comfort genre, pushing the envelope on normalizing poly in the mainstream. Something to offer more flexibility to the rules the genre was typically afforded. 

 “Having trouble deciding?” An orange ferret who was shelving books asked her, noticing her frown. 

“I was hoping for something that kinda pushed the boundaries of the genre,” Snow replied, her hand coming underneath her chin. 

“How so? I mean there are plenty of fantasy, magic and higher feral titles I could recommend,” the ferret offered, putting her task to the side. 

“I’m really open to any sub-genre,” Snow turned her head towards her, “but I’m looking for something that if the set up is convoluted its not overly so. And perhaps something that isn’t afraid to break the normal mold of how these stories play out. You know something that makes me wonder more ‘if’ rather than ‘when’.”

“Hmm…You know I know just the thing! Its over this way,” the ferret directed leading Snow around the other side of the shelves and over to a corner display, “This author has been making loads of headway in the romance genre, her book Gym Brats might be just what you’re looking for.”

Snow smiled gently, her eyes widening as they paused in front of the display, her pen name, Blizzard Sapphire splayed across a sign. The ferret had already picked up a book, a very tall athletic shimmery palomino mare spotting for a black wolf who was struggling under a mediocre weight for a chest press on the cover. “See both of the characters start off in committed relationships that are open for different reasons, so no squick about cheating, as an added bonus.”

Snow took the book from the ferret and flipped it over, scanning the back, trying to figure out how to gently decline the book. Well here was the true heart of the problem. Snow wrote the types of things she wanted to read. And because of that she was the go to author for things like this. Which meant the other writers hadn’t tried to dip their toes into it yet, or their publishers weren’t ready to try and compete with her. Perhaps thinking the fad of pushing the envelope would disappear sooner rather than later. 

“Her other titles are just as good, Me and My Middle Class Girlfriend is a hoot if you want something more normal. It flips the effortless millionaire genre and writes it from his perspective trying to keep his worth underwraps but failing and how she shows him how to live a more normal lifestyle,” She handed Snow a book with a bright blue and red macaw and a demure looking husky. That had been a fun one to write, trying to get into Scritch’s head without him realizing what she was doing. He still didn’t know that she wasn't an editor, but a writer. 

“Or oh! This is probably my favorite of right now, though it is one of her older works, Werewolves of Knottingham.” Snow, balanced the two previous books on her one arm as she took the last book, this one covered that time she spent time at an amateur erotic writers commune. “The main character is a young hobby writer who signs up for a writer’s commune without realizing its for professional erotic writers, and ends up with a publishable novel at the end. I know that may be kinda spoilery but at least I’m not spoiling the love interests.” The ferret paused waiting to hear Snow’s thoughts.

“You’re right,” Snow said, swallowing her nerves, “This is exactly what I’m looking for.”

“Great! Do you want to keep browsing the selection or should I get you checked out?” the ferret grinned excited to share her favorite books. Snow groaned inwardly, realizing that she wasn’t leaving there without buying her own books. Again.

[beware-thegemini]

Thanks for the tag @aicasey! (I really need to crawl out of my grad school hole and be more social)

are you named after anyone? I’m pretty sure that my name came from a baby name book, but I do have at least two great-ish aunts who think I’m named after them

when was the last time you cried? Two weeks ago. I had a stressful doctors appointment and needed a good cry from pent-up stress

do you have kids? God-willing I’ll have a tiny child in August! Which is exciting and frightening. Baby doesn’t yet know that they’re going to be helping me write my masters thesis yet, hehe

do you use sarcasm a lot? Clearly not enough because sometimes my husband thinks I’m being serious when I deadpan the most ridiculous thing ever

what sports do you play? None. Negative sports. I’m bad at organized sports, anything requiring bodily coordination, and most things athletic. But I do like cycling and walking, and I have a hidden talent at softball which saved me in high school gym class. Why I can hit a ball with a bat when it took me over sixteen years just to learn how to CATCH a ball, I don’t know.

what's the first thing you notice about people? Weird little details that make them identifiable when I’m not wearing my glasses. The way they hold their head. How they walk. General vibe.

what's your eye color? Green with a dash of ambery-brown on one

scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings all the way! I can do a horror movie, but I’m still scarred from once watching the Shining in my dorm room when I still needed to go down five flights of stairs to the sub-basement to pick up my laundry afterwards.

any special talents? Does being able to dislocate my shoulders at will count? (My sister’s physical therapist is screaming no from four states away). I’m fairly proficient in two dead languages, so that’s uselessly special I guess

where were you born? In a hospital on the banks of the Hudson River

what are your hobbies? Singing, writing, gardening, and cleaning/reorganizing things that don’t need it (like the Ghibli protagonist I want to be). I also like collecting art postcards from art museums and using them as home decor

do you have pets? I wish. I would love a cat

how tall are you? 5’4. I'm oddly proud of the fact that my height has stayed exactly average my entire life

favorite subject in school? English! But I also liked art and history

dream job? I’m currently getting paid to sing, which is the dream, I suppose. But being an opera singer would be cool. And I’d also love to work in a library again. Or work in a greenhouse.

[oldfashionedmorphine]

(going with the theme of the other ask): Joyce/Karen

Alright hear me out for this one…

So I think they both are bi (though an argument can be made for Karen realizing later in life that she is actually a lesbian)—but for years are of the belief that “all women are beautiful, all women think this way, and wanting to be with a woman is totally normal you just don’t act on it because it’s a sin” and so while there were a couple heated moments in their youth, they never confront it—too scared and ashamed of the implications.

And they both wanted children, so they ultimately sought out relationships with men, and while they love their children, they never stopped thinking about the “what if…” of it all and at times their love lives were lacking…

Most especially Karen. She felt trapped for years in a loveless marriage, and that’s why she reads so many steamy romance novels—imaging scenarios with men who are too perfect to exist, but then one day she realizes sapphic romance novels exist too. She buys one at a bookstore along with a couple other books (a small effort to seem like it was an accident to the cashier) and she reads the hell out of that book, always picturing herself as the protagonist and Joyce as the love interest and it makes her crazy! She wishes that was her life, but she never tries to change it because she has to stay with her husband for Holly… but it also never helped that Joyce remained in her life because her daughter married Jonathan and her son has been in a long-term relationship with Will—Joyce is always there!! Reminding her at every holiday of what she really wanted… it just wasn’t fair. But once Holly turned 18 and went off to college, she finally filed for divorce. She couldn’t take it anymore. Her loveless marriage was keeping her from true happiness…

Joyce was always followed by a string of rotten luck, ever since she was young. It’s true that there’s a lot of choices she regrets, many missed opportunities, and what-ifs that haunted her every night right before bed, of course in the light of day she doesn’t have much time to dwell on it—she constantly has to focus on work work work to raise her two sons. Daydreams don’t pay the bills. Their deadbeat father (oh boy she can pick ‘em) was no help at all… but she found another guy eventually who seemed a decent fella, and she desperately wanted her boys to have a good father figure—she had them in mind and the guy was great, a little boring, but great—but then he died. And that really sucked. Because she was happy enough with how things were going. What other chance was she gonna get? But then she does. Her old crush from back in high school—sparks were flying and he sweeps her off her feet. And once again, she is sure it’ll be great because her kids still needed a father and she truly loves him, no regrets, for once things were finally going right for Joyce Maldonado… but nothing lasts forever and eventually he becomes ill, cancer, probably from all the chemicals from the war and her heart is broken to pieces when he dies too.

But Karen was there for her through it all—all the hospitalizations and all the treatments until the bitter end—she cooked her dinners, helped clean her house, gave her a shoulder to cry on—Karen did whatever she could to help Joyce because she didn’t want to see her suffering. Because she finally could admit after all these years that she had always loved Joyce. No more denial. And sometime later, once Joyce seemed to be more like herself again, no longer dwelling in the dark cave of her room and when she stopped calling her up on the phone in tears, Karen started to invite Joyce out for dinner, dancing, and the weekly night out at the movies, and then one night after having one too many drinks, she finally confesses her feelings… and Joyce reciprocates! Because she had feelings too—buried deep down below responsibility and expectations, but they were always there. They decide to move in together, eventually settling into a beach house, and spend the rest of their golden years as a couple, happy and fulfilled <3

[mediaevalmusereads]

Hit Me With Your Best Scot. By Suzanne Enoch. St. Martin's, 2021.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Genre: historical romance

Part of a Series? Yes, Wild Wicked Highlanders #3

Summary: Coll MacTaggert, Viscount Glendarril, is a big, brawny Highlander who doesn’t like being told what to do—not even by his exasperated English mother who is determined to see her eldest son wedded and bedded. However, when he comes to the rescue of an irresistibly beautiful woman, Coll discovers that he may have found his perfect match…

The challenge isn’t that Persephone Jones is famous, wealthy, independent, and smarter than anyone he knows. The problem is that she is not interested in marrying any man---especially not a hot-headed Scot—even if he is the only man who seems to understand who she really is even when she’s not sure herself. When Coll learns that Persephone is actually a lady-in-hiding and someone is willing to kill her for what she stands to inherit…Well, Coll has never been one to turn down a fight. When hearts are involved, nothing comes between a Highlander and his lady.

***Full review below.***

Content Warnings: sexual coercion, violence, blood, explicit sexual content, one use of the g-slur

Overview: So why did I pick up this book? The title made me laugh, ok? That and I kept seeing it on a few best historical romance lists. Overall, I think there were some ups and downs that led me to giving this book a middling rating. The Scotsmen weren't as obnoxious as some romances I've read, and the bond between our protagonists was nice; however, I ultimately felt the narrative was a bit uneven, so for that, this books gets 3 stars.

Writing: Enoch's prose is fairly typical of the romance genre, which is not to say it's bad. Rather, it's very direct and flows quickly, and I think it does a good job balancing showing and telling. There wasn't a point where I felt confused, and I could read at a fairly rapid pace.

I do think, however, that Enoch's use of Scots can be a bit simplistic. I swear I saw the word "sassenach" used 3 times in the span of 10 pages, and I think random Scots words were thrown in to give the speech flavor. I don't think Enoch has a good grasp of Scots - perhaps just as much as what passes within the Highlander romance genre - and I could tell because the repetition of a few key Scots words (like "wee" and "sassenach") made the speech feel contrived.

The constant descriptions of Scotland (and its inhabitants) being uncivilized or full of people who fight and live "wildly" also did not help, and I am personally not a fan of the barbaric Highlander tropes that Enoch seems to be employing. Though to Enoch's credit, it wasn't so bad that all the Scotsmen seemed to be emotionally unstable or the worst stereotypes on offer; there was somewhat of a variety in the way the MacTaggert Brothers acted, and Coll himself is not quite as hot headed as he first appears. Still, I think it's worth acknowledging that some of my least favorite Scots tropes are in here.

I also didn't quite see the value in inserting quotes from Shakespeare's Macbeth at the beginning of every chapter. While the plot point of rehesrsing and performing Macbeth did some good narrative work (by making it seem like all the bad things happening at the theater could be bad luck), personally, I didn't find that the themes of the play enhanced the themes of the novel and vice versa. Thus, it felt like Macbeth was quoted mostly because it's the most well-known "Scottish" piece of literature.

Plot: The plot of this book primarily follows Coll MacTaggert as he tries to find a wife. Faced with the prospect of losing access to funds that will keep his Scottish estate afloat, Coll reluctantly embarks on a wife-hunt, only to find himself drawn to Persephone Jones, London's most alluring actress. Persephone, for her part, is overwhelmed with fending off men who only want to bed her, so when she meets Coll, she finally finds someone who makes her feel safe.

The two strike a bargain: Persephone will teach him how to act in polite society, thereby increasing Coll's chances of finding a wife. In return, he will be her protector - which turns out to be more involved than just fending off unwanted suitors. You see, someone is trying to kill Persephone, and it might just have to do with a secret she is hiding from her past.

To get at the root of Coll's problem: I personally thought that the legal contract which forced Coll into marrying was surprisingly intetesting. The contract is between Coll's mother and father, and it states that each of the MacTggert sons must marry English women or else Francesca - Coll's mother - will withhold the vast funds that the MacTaggert estate needs to survive. What made this interesting to me was the turmoil between Francesca and Coll's father, Angus. Though it's not the focus of the book, their relationship plays with politics, identity, and marriage in a way that I find fascinating, and I wanted to know more about Francesca's motivations.

That being said, I think the main narrative could have started a bit earlier and wrapped up with a bit more direction or focus. As it stands, the main plot doesn't really kick off until about 25% of the way through the novel, and until then, character motivations are a bit hazy. Persephone doesn't seem to have any goals or things she is striving for, so her POV chapters feel like we are following her in her day to day life as an actress. Once things get going (the bargain is struck around the 25% mark), things get a little more interesting. Interactions seem to have a larger purpose and the plot feels as if it's moving forward and ramping up; but at about the 60% mark, things start to slow down again. At that point, it feels like we've hit a crisis, but the resolution is a bit more drawn out than I would have liked. I think it's because at that point, Coll is so worried about Persephone's safety that he does t let her go anywhere alone. To me, that felt like he was restricting her freedom and agency, which is exactly what Persephone was trying to escape by becoming an actress. On the one hand, given the plot details, I understand the need for caution. But also, it made Persephone feel a bit useless.

Characters: Coll, our hero, is not really my kind of male protagonist. He embodies a lot of things I dislike about the typical Scottish romance hero: he's brusque, prone to physical violence, hostile to the English, and uses obnoxious Scots dialect. He's also protective in a way that can get irritating, but given the stakes of the plot, it's not surprising. I did appreciate, however, that he wasn't as hot headed as some other Scottish stereotypes. While Coll could let his anger get the best of him, he knew how to temper it and he had some depth to him that combatted the tough exterior.

Persephone, our heroine, was fun to read about and easy to sympathize with. I appreciated her frank discussions about her desire for freedom and her love of acting, and the commentary on how men viewed her was interesting. I do wish she had more of a goal or something to give more shape to her individual character arc; as it stands, she mainly seems to want to stay hidden, and her personal growth involves learning to trust Coll. While all well and good, I kind of wished she had bigger ambitions (and it would have kind of mirrored the themes of Macbeth more, if she did).

Supporting characters were fine, though I suspect some of them would mean more to me if I had read the other books in this series. Still, I liked the relationship Coll had with his siblings, and I found his mother's motivations deeply fascinating. I also liked the little family Persephone created at the theater and in her home, and the cat Hades was a nice touch. I don't think I have anything negative to say about the actual characters, so there's something to say about Enoch's ability to create families, found or otherwise.

Romance: Coll and Persephone's romance was interesting in that they had quite a few barriers to overcome. For one, the difference in class meant that they had a lot of opposition from society, and it was satisfying to see the two navigate that. I also liked Persephone's arc in that she had to learn to trust after being treated as a sex object for so long.

I also liked that a big part of their relationship was about being direct and frank with one another. As an actress, Persephone is used to being seen as her characters, so when Coll desires her for who she is, it's refreshing. Coll also finds Persephone's presence refreshing in that he finds the semi-coded interactions of upper class English society frustrating. Thus, with each other, they don't feel as though they have to wear a mask or speak in riddles - they can tackle their feelings head-on and do away with propriety.

But still, there were some things that I didn't like. Persephone had some "not like other girls" energy at various points (not necessaily due to her actions, but how Coll thinks of her compared to proper society women), but those moments faded fairly quickly. As the plot continued, that energy transformed into something more like love and appreciating Persephone as the right woman for Coll, so perhaps my criticism is unfair.

Also, maybe this is just me, but... Enoch reminds us multiple times throughout the romance that the protagonists have not known each other very long. Coll thinks about how he just met Persephone a couple days ago, Persephone reflects on them knowing each other for a week... I understand that the pressure of the contract means that the relationship is something of a whirlwind, but with so short a time frame, I couldn't really imagine their acquaintance was more drawn out.

TL;DR: Hit Me With Your Best Scot is a fun little adventure starring a heroine who primarily wants freedom and a hero under a lot of pressure from his family. While I wish the plot had been a little tighter and more deliberate, the chemistry between the protagonists is refreshingly direct, and the families - both found and otherwise - are quite charming.

[write-on-world]

Tag Game: This or That Writer’s Edition

I was tagged and it’s been a long time since I’ve done one of these.  Maybe it’s good to get it out there how much I’ve changed.  Thanks very much @pens-swords-stuff for reminding me and keeping me in the game.  

*note to whoever wants to play (or pass on): feel free to tag others.  I won’t say you have to, like writing, I feel like one shouldn’t be obligated to do something.  Like any other game, you should play because you want to.

1. historical or futuristic

Yes and yes.  Futuristic was always a fun theme for me to work with.  What could have changed?  What’s familiar to us now that I could have made better in the worlds I created.  Can I make it as intriguing as Dune or Star Trek or Star Wars?  There’s the challenge.  

Historical is also fun though.  There’s an established frame in which to work.  But what can I throw in that people might not have known about before?  Clothes?  Political subterfuge?  Warfare?  Ancient technology and terminology?  Knowing the historical stuff also helps to build framework for fantasy stories.

2. the opening or closing chapter

The easiest chapter is the opening - the reader doesn’t know anything about the world that they’re about to delve into.  Everything is a surprise from the first paragraph onward.  

The closing chapter is the challenge - everything that you’ve written up to that point needs to be tied together in a way that will make the reader go, “Whoa!” And it has to be done in a way that will make the story memorable.  That’s hard.

3. light+fluffy or dark+gritty

I got my start writing light and fluffy - kid’s books and later with young teen stories.  Didn’t do it for long, but I wrote them with other writers in my school about some of the things that we were going through.  Normal teen drama stuff, nothing really bad.  My teachers always insisted that there was a pleasant resolution by the end.  Useful as it was to teach me some of the fundamentals about writing, it always stuck with me: there isn’t always a happy ending in real life.  

So if I’m being perfectly honest, I prefer dark and gritty.  The dark stories always seemed more relatable to me.  I read those stories and I think, “Ok, my life doesn’t seem so bad now.”

4. animal companion or found family

For a long time in my life, my dog was my only friend.  And comforting as that was, I used to wish for real friends.  I think this is why in so many of my stories, my protagonists usually wind up making their own families.  Even my own family didn’t really get me because I was an introvert, not the first pick for sport’s teams, or ever the top of the class.  I always like retreating to my own corner with my book to read or my notebook to write in and letting everyone else have their fun.  That’s why so many of my characters are surrounded by people that they choose to be around because dogs can only help you accomplish so much.

5. horror or romance

I never really liked horror.  Too many things in the world are scary as it is.  Romance is easier to do.  Don’t get me wrong, getting a romance story good and believable and (most importantly) to make it satisfying to my own standards is about as easy as walking on the sun.  But yes, romance, all the way.  

6. hard or soft magic system

One of my first writing professors once told me “keep it simple”.  “Magic systems, political systems, money systems... keep it simple.  The less complicated, the more easily your reader will believe it if they don’t have to try and figure it out.”  

My problem is, I’m an overthinker.  I have to know and set the rules or else I might wind up with a hole in the plot that critics everywhere will drive a truck through.  So, yeah... not gonna lie, I make it a hard system.

7. standalone or series

I like series, writing and reading.  Standalone stories are great, but I like to expand on an idea if there’s room for it.  If it’s got to be a standalone, I like to make it as detailed as possible.

8. one project at a time or always juggling 2+

For me, writing is me juggling a chainsaw, a burning stick of dynamite, and a mason jar full of nitroglycerin.  Keeps it more interesting that way.  I should focus on only one at a time, but my stories are like kids and trying to pull you in various directions all at once.  You can’t not just focus on one, you have to work with them all when you can as often as you can.

9. one award winner or one bestseller

If I can be picky, I’d rather have a bestseller.  I’ve got two nephews and a niece to help put through college.  

10. fantasy or sci-fi

I go both ways. But to be honest, my sci-fi stories outnumber the fantasy stories I’ve written by about 5:1.  Fantasy is definitely lots of fun because you can do things with it that you’d have to explain in a sci-fi story (sometimes).  Fantasy: monster exists, no one needs to know where it came from, but it can be slain with this/that magic spell.  Sci-fi: creature was created through twisted science  (or alien exists on a previously unexplored world) and can only be killed by this/that because their origin didn’t include this/that or because their native environment made them vulnerable to this/that.

11. character or setting description

Depends on the story.  Character descriptions need to be given only the once, I think, unless the reader needs the occasional reminder for this trait or that.  But the setting - unless it takes place in the same room/area - for the whole story, changes all the time, doesn’t it?

12. first or final draft

Gold bars go through a less rigorous purification process than any final draft I’ve ever written.  

13. love triangle in everything or no romantic arcs

I can count on one hand - with two fingers left over to scratch my face - the stories I’ve written that didn’t have a romantic arc in them.  Love triangles are a bit tricky though, so I usually end up with an unrequited love arc.  They seem more realistic to me.

14. constant sandstorm or rainstorm

Sandstorms come first, then the rainstorms that follow turn that piled up sand into cement.  

If you see this and want to do it too, please do! Feel free to say that I tagged you, I’d love to see.

If you want to be tagged by me for tag games, click here!

[readingaway]

Worst Reads of 2022

time for some negativity! I’m just going to list the books I absolutely hated this year and give a short explanation of why I hated them.

1- Disfigured by Amanda Leduc

Literally the best part of this book is the description. The contents never get deeper than that and the book utterly failed to really investigate or explore what Leduc claimed to be writing about. Much of the text is taken up by autobiographical details and biographical details about other writers. 

2 - Namesake (Fable, #2) by Adrienne Young

This was especially disappointing because I’d quite enjoyed Fable - in-so-far as I can enjoy most YA adventure fantasy-romance, and Fable was very typical of its genre. But Namesake? What the hell was the point of this duology. I have to ask. What was the point Ms. Young? More importantly, you do understand that in your chosen genre of YA fantasy adventure the protagonist needs to do something.

But wait a second I need to go over another detail before I get back to the insanely weak plot and characters. The worldbuilding. It sucked. In Fable I put up with it, there was some nice imagery. But with all the other issues in Namesake I couldn’t ignore it. Young uses the same tired costuming tropes where, in one scene, the MC is forced - forced I say! - to wear a pretty dress to a party which involves a horribly uncomfortable corset. (What undergarments was she wearing before?) But that’s barely even an issue compared to, for example, that there is exactly one alcoholic drink in the entirety of this fictional world and it is called rye. That’s it. Rye rye rye. He was drinking rye, she was drinking rye, they were drinking rye. I wouldn’t be surprised if it had originally been rum and the editor made Young come up with something else to call it because rum would be too stereotypical or whatever. The rye thing is a pretty good example of the weak worldbuilding without getting too far into the plot. But I would also note that there is no clarity in what the climate is like, or the various cultures. Oh yeah. I guess there’s some magic in this story and some people have the ability to read or sense gems somehow, and it is only used for tension in a couple scenes and doesn’t matter to the main plot.

And back to the plot, which sucked. As a general rule, the main character of a story needs to do something. There are other important things about plots and characters, such as that a main character should want something, and that this drives the plot. The MC here does, at least, want something: her father’s love. What she does do over the course of two books is all about gaining her father’s approval or love, or it’s about helping her love interest. Just typing that makes me realize that somehow this duology failed the sexy lamp test with its main character. Fortunately it’s been almost a year so I won’t write more but seriously. This book is so bad. It’s soooooooooo bad.

3 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

I love the 90s adaptation of this book and so was excited to read listen to it, at last. That was a mistake. The first section of the book, up until Edmond escapes prison is good. It’s tense and you can really feel and understand why he’s so angry and set on revenge. The rest of the book.... his revenge is too intricate, there’s too much moralizing and talking. The revenge isn’t even satisfying. There’s a time gap between the escape and Edmond’s return to Marseille and he picks up this Greek slave girl who is kind of his adopted daughter but then becomes his love interest. He screws Mercedes over. The movie changed almost everything from the point of the escape and that was the right decision. There’s no satisfaction or great romance in the novel.

4 - Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

So, I wasn’t a fan of American Hippo because it turned out that the novellas were not, in fact, fun and were instead gritty westerns. I figure that’s more an issue of my not reading the description carefully enough. This, I was unsure about and I just wish I hadn’t picked it up. It might have been good, but it’s missing so much worldbuilding/ information. I cannot buy into a story where somehow, at the time of the real american civil war, there’s instead this very fascist government over all the white people and there’s a secret society of people ferrying folks from the east to the free, rebel-held west. And that the headquarters of this rebel stronghold are in Utah. And the place names are the same. You cannot actually expect me to believe that there is a Provo, Utah not twenty years after initial colonization that is a glorious safe haven for free speech and being gay and nonbinary. I also don’t recall there being much about race or colonization in this story despite it being set, again, at the time of the real american civil war and with the group the audience is supposed to be rooting for heading for safety in a very recently colonized place.

*addendum, apparently this story is actually supposed to be “near-future.” But the worldbuilding issue remains the same. There’s nothing in this novella to 1) make it clear when this is supposed to be set, 2) make it clear or even possible to guess what has happened to bring about this “near-future” dystopia. I’ve read other, similar stories that also involve a near-future dystopia set in the US that give enough detail for that described future to be plausible. (Ex, The Handmaid’s Tale, or Civilwarland In Bad Decline.) This novella does not give enough information for me to even visualize the story, much less understand the essential question of “how did we get here?”

5 - How to Write a Mystery, edited by Lee Child

There were a lot of bad essays

6 - Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

I wrote a review of it which you can read here.

7 - The Once and Future King by T.H. White

So yeah. I would like to stuff a sock in Merlyn’s mouth and duct-tape it shut and shoot him out of a cannon. That’s a bit extreme, but so much of this text was taken up by his patronizing, philosophizing, when he wasn’t going on racist rants and making up colonial manifestos. Such speeches rang especially hollow with the hindsight provided from the last several decades since the books were being published. There were other issues I had with the book, such as abrupt time skips and glossing over important details or constantly referencing other authors so that in order to understand this excessively long book, one must already be familiar with the preceding major works of arthuriana.