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nellasbookplanet · 5 days

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Book recs: angels

Want some cool fictional angels? Good news! Whether you prefer traditional winged angels, scary eldritch angels, possibly-human-angels, incredibly creative in-name-only-angels, angels separated from or exploring concepts of faith and religion, romance, horror, fantasy, or sci-fy; this list is sure to offer something to chew on!

For more details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. And as always, feel free to share your own recs in the notes!

If you want more book recs, check out my masterpost of rec lists!

Historical fantasy angels

When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb*

The angel Uriel and the demon Little Ash have been friends for centuries, living and studying together in a small jewish community in Europe. But times are changing, and many of the community have left for a new life across the sea. When one of these emigrants go missing, Uriel and Little Ash decide to leave their peaceful life and go find and, if needed, save her.

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèli Clark

Set in an alternate 1910’s steampunk Cairo, where djinn and other creatures (among other things, creepy steampunk angels) live alongside humans. We get to follow an investigator as she races to catch a criminal using a powerful object to control djinn and stir unrest. Fantastically creative and fresh, and also features a buddy cop dynamic between two female leads as well as a sapphic romance.

The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison*

Sherlock Holmes retelling. After having been injured fighting a war against fallen angels, Doyle returns to London to survive on only a veteran's pension. To afford a place to live in the city, Doyle finds a housemate in Crow, and eccentric angel with a great curiosity for humans and a knack for solving crime. And London needs its protector - supernatural beings walk the streets, and a someone going by the name Jack the Ripper terrifies the citizens at night.

Modern day fantasy angels

Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi

Novella, young adult. Bitter is an art student in Lucille, a city on the brink. Injustice plagues the citizens and protests shake the streets, and Bitter doesn't know where her place his - whether to fight or stay safe. When her art calls upon a creature of bloody justice, she must ask herself just how far she’s prepared to go and what price she’s ready to pay for justice.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Young adult portal fantasy. Young Karou is a student in Prague, but she’s also a mystery. She fills sketchbooks with drawings of monsters, trades in wishes, speaks languages that aren't all human, and has hair that grows out blue. When strange signs start appearing around the world - handprints scorched into doorways by winged strangers - will Karou finally find out who she really is?

Angelfall by Susan Ee*

Young adult post apocalypse. Six months ago, the angels descended on the Earth - and brought the apocalypse with them. Between ruling street gangs and vicious angels, Penryn is just trying to keep her family alive. When angels fly away with her little sister, Penryn does the unthinkable: strikes a deal with an injured and outcast angel to rescue her.

A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin*

Urban fantasy. Two years ago, sorcerer Matthew Swift was killed. Today, he woke back up. And he isn't alone in his body, but rather in the company of the blue electric angels, who lived in the telephone lines and are now experiencing the world for the first time through him. Now, he seeks vengeance not only against the one who killed him, but also against the one who brought him back.

The Fall that Saved Us by Tamara Jerée*

Cassiel is of angelic heritage, raised to fight and kill demons alongside her family. But Cassiel has left the hunt and her family behind, wanting a normal life. For three years she's built a life for herself, cut off from her family, but now a demon has found her, sent to collect her soul. Except, the demon isn't any more interested in following the orders of her family than Cassiel is. Can they work together to free themselves from the expectations placed on them? Sapphic romance.

Out of the Blue by Sophie Cameron*

Young adult, sapphic main character. When angels started falling from the sky, the world went mad. So far not a single angel has survived the fall, but that doesn't stop teenage Jaya's father from growing an obsession with catching one, going as far as uprooting the entire family to Edinburgh in hopes of finding one. Jaya, busy mourning the recent loss of her mother, finds his obsession pointless - until an angel crashes right at her feet. What’s more, it's alive...

Full on fantasy angels

Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse

Novella. During Heaven's War, the rebel Abaddon died and fell. Now, long after, what remains of his body is a valuable element called divinity, which is mined by Fallen, descendants of those who fell and the only ones capable of perceiving divinity. Celeste, a Fallen raised among the privileged Elect, is deeply protective of her little sister Mariel. When Mariel is accused of having murdered an Elect, it’s up to Celeste to find out what really happened and save her sister.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Middle grade. In Lyra's world, every person has a daemon: an animal companion who follows them throughout life. When children begins being stolen off the street, among them Lyra's friend, she must embark on a great journey to save him, taking her to the furthest north - and beyond. A note: the angels do not appear until the second book, however this trilogy is very much worth a read from the start.

Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akhtar

Dark fantasy inspired by the crusades. Seeking revenge, Micah the Metal leads an army of men baptized i angel's blood against the kingdom that stole his daughter. It’s up to Kevah, legendary fighter, to stop him and save his people. But ever since losing his wife a decade ago, Kevah has lost his fighting spirit. To defeat Micah, he must find it within himself a will to live again. While featuring (scary eldritch) angels, they serve more as a driving background/world-building force than as actual characters.

Horror angels

The Unnoticeables by Robert Brockway

Angels watch over humans, but not to protect us but to solve us, seeking to make the universe more efficient and clean away the undesirable. Carey, a 70s punk, doesn't like the idea of being solved. Watching fellow punks disappear off the streets, he becomes embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy. Decades later, stunt woman Kaitlyn has her own encounter with the angels and their creations - as well an older punk who might have the answers she needs.

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

Young adult post apocalypse. The world has ended, and sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that caused armageddon. Infected with the bioweapon they released to bring about the end, Benji is slowly transforming into something not quite human and desperate to find someplace safe. When coming across a group of surviving teens, Benji finds something new to fight for. No traditional angels, but it does play with the concept.

Angel Radio by A.M. Blaushild

Young adult post apocalypse. A week after strange and terrifying angels appeared, humanity is dead. Sole survivor of her town, teenage Erika is left wandering on her own. That is, until she catches an odd broadcast on the radio which lures her into the newly emptied world. There she encounters dangerous creatures, but also fellow survivor Midori, who has a cryptic connection to the angels.

Sci-fi angels

Archangel Protocol (LINK Angel series) by Lyda Morehouse

Cyberpunk. In a future where religion has become the law of the land and people spend as much time in cyberspace as in reality, ex-cop Deirdre has lost everything after having been accused of a crime she didn't commit. When approached by a man calling himself Michael and asked to solve the mystery behind the so called link angels - supposed angels who show themselves in cyberspace - Deirdre is given a chance at redemption and answers.

Archangel by Sharon Shinn

For twenty years, archangel Raphael has ruled over the lands, leading to corruption among both angels and mortals. Now the time has come for the angel Gabriel to become archangel, but first he must find his Angelica, a mortal woman chosen by Jehovah to be by his side. But his chosen partner, Rachel, has lived under oppression and fear, and she has her own ideas of what she wants - ideas that don't include Gabriel.

Terminal World by Alastair Reynolds

On a dying earth, society is separated by zones in which the laws of reality shift, allowing for different levels of technology and life. At the top of Spearpoint, the only surviving city, lies the Celestial zone, in which only angels can survive. Quillon, former angel who's had his wings removed and body changed so he can survive and infiltrate the lower zones, has been in hiding for years when he receives a warning that his former people are hunting him. Forced on the run, Quillon must leave Spearpoint for the dangerous wastes beyond, where he will discover ancient secrets of his world.

Space angels

Dust by Elizabeth Bear

In a dying spaceship, orbiting an equally dying sun, noblewoman Perceval waits for her own gruesome death. Having been captured by an opposing house, her wings severed and life forfeit, Perceval’s execution is imminent - until a young servant charged with her care proves to be Perceval’s long lost sister. To stop a war between houses likely to doom them all, the two flee together across a crumbling, dangerous spaceship. At its core waits Jacob Dust, god and angel, all that remains of what the ship once was. And he wants Perceval. Sapphic and asexual characters, however be prepared for kinda fucked up relationships.

The Outside by Ada Hoffman*

AKA the book the put me in an existential crisis. Souls are real, and they are used to feed AI gods in this lovecraftian inspired sci-fi where reality is warped and artificial gods stand against real, unfathomable ones. Autistic scientist Yasira is accused of heresy and, to save her eternal soul, is recruited by cybernetic ‘angels’ to help hunt down her own former mentor, who is threatening to tear reality itself apart. Sapphic main character.

The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang

Space opera inspired by Joan of Arc. Misery Nomaki possesses rare stone-working abilities usually found among only saints and the voidmad. Not believing herself the be former and desperately not wanting to become the latter, Misery is trying to keep a low profile. Her attempt fails when the voice of an angel - or a very convincing delusion - leads her to become the centerpiece of a dangerous battle between two warring factions hoping to use her. Very unique and cool conceptually, but a little all over the place in how it handles its plot.

Bonus AKA I haven’t read these yet but they seem really cool

Dusk in Kalevia by Emily Compton

Toivo Valonen is a secret agent in more ways than one. An angel masquerading as human, he's acted as a source of hope for humanity in wartime throughout history. In 1960, he embarks on an undercover mission to Kalevia, allied with a rebellion against the government. In his way is fellow angel and rival agent Demyan Chernyshev, who’s working for the KGB.

The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de Bodard

Having just barely survived the Great Houses War, much of Paris lies in ruins. Morningstar, founder of the House Silverspires, has gone missing, and something is stalking the people within the House's walls. Three people, a Fallen, an alchemist, and a man wielding spells from the far east, may be prove to be Silverspire's salvation.

The Worst Perfect Moment by Shivaun Plozza

Young adult. Sixteen-year-old Tegan is dead and i heaven. There, she's supposed to be reliving her happiest memory. Except the moment Tegan has been placed in isn't very happy at all. Guided by an angel, Tegan is brought through her past to understand what most matters to her. If she fails to see the happiness in her assigned memory, the consequences would be dire for both her and the angel.

Honorary mentions AKA these didn't really work for me but maybe you guys will like them: The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey

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dailyadventureprompts · 6 months

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I don't really have one cohesive campaign setting for my d&d games, as I prefer to purpose-build each landmass for the overall quests/adventures I think will fit together. That said, I do have a few homebrew worlds that I've been toying around with for a while that I'm not sure I'll ever really get to game in/what system I should use for it.... but the vibes are immaculate.

The Atomic Age: Rockabillies and rayguns, a psychedelic 50s retro futurist feverdream where a bunch of meddling kids have to dodge B-movie monsters and shadowy government agencies while trying to figure out why the world keeps ending. Can they finally hit snooze on the doomsday clock? Or will OURGREATNATION be forever trapped in an increasingly surreal loop of self destruction?

The Master's House: Aside from the fact that it's Inspired by Gibli and some of my favourite children's book series, this one might be a little hard to describe. A 1920s inspired panoply of warring factions, crumbling kingdoms and revolutionaries fighting over a world that adheres to the logic of a great manor home. Dig deep enough under the mountains and you'll find the bricks laid by The Good Master's hand, ride the train far enough past the horizon and you'll find the walls of the world. Every place name is a pun, like the wartorn farming province of Pantry and it's burnt out capital of Hearth, the waterside vacation town of Vanity, or cabinet: home to the provisional government trying to seize power over the kingdom of Nave away from its ruling steward.

Badlands Burnout: You and your archaeologist friends pile into a van, tune the radio just right, make sure your supplies and ammunition are topped up, and take off on a roadtrip through the post-post apocalypse. Your mission? Scavenge the ruins of the old world for grandest wonders and smallest joys, all while avoiding the weirdstorms and the horrors that devoured it. It's a journey about balancing nostalgia with discovery, regret with reinvention.

#Spotify #dapper digresses

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thomthinks · 3 months

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Demonata by Darren Shan

✓ I liked it

And I hated it. It was extremely good, and extremely flawed. I wanted it to be over, at the same time, couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed it but it was so hard to get through and yet worth it.

If I haven’t made it obvious by now, I have mixed feelings on this series. And by that, I mean a lot of mixed feelings.

There are ten books in this series: 1.Lord loss 2.Demon thief 3.Slawter 4.Bec 5.Blood beast 6.Demon apocalypse 7.Death’s shadow 8.Wolf island 9.Dark calling 10.Hell’s heroes. Each book is usually less than 300 pages, and pretty easy to read.

It's young adult fantasy horror mostly aimed at younger teenagers. They’re officially listed as “middle grade” however I personally don’t think this amount of gore and horror (very descriptive & graphic) is appropriate for an 8 year old. I remember reading the first 3 books at 14 and loving them.

There are 3 protagonists present by the names of Grubbs, Kernel, and Bec. Each book is told from a different point of view.

Now on to my opinion (minor spoilers):

The first 4 books? Great. Amazing. Perfect even. The ones that come after? Downhill. (Well, mostly downhill. Death’s shadow was still as good as the first ones.)

The first 4 books give the series a very strong start. Each one is about a different protagonist in a different timeline and it sets up the plot and characters quite nicely. But as soon as the timelines crash and the 3 protagonists meet and unite? The story starts becoming stale and dragging on wayyyy too much.

Each of the first 4 books have their own stand alone stories while setting up future plot points, but afterwards it’s just set up after set up, with little pay off and too high stakes, to the point that you don’t even care anymore. It kinda reminds me of MCU actually.

I mean, for example book 9. Dark calling has no actual story of its own. It’s just 186 pages of exposition about information you need to know so that the next book makes sense.

There is a sort of? Inverse? Character? Development?? I’m not sure what it’s called, but instead of unlikable characters becoming likable, the cast of lovable characters becoming completely appalling by the end.

You will start to notic a pattern when it comes to side characters. Most of which aren’t important and get introduced only to be killed later, without any purpose or development.

While I find plot twists to be one of the biggest strength of Darren Shan and I love him for it, I don’t think every single book needed to have one. Now don’t get me wrong, he writes plot twists so well, I’m in shock and awe. I cannot emphasize how good he is with plot twists, but as the story progresses, you start to anticipate them and they lose their intended effect. (Except for book 7, ofc. God that one was so delicious)

All of this complaining might make it sound I didn’t like or enjoy the series, but I assure you that I truly did. My annoyance and fury stems from a place of love. I’m just mourning the lost potential and nitpicking the issues that stopped a good series from becoming a great series. But I would still recommend reading this to anyone between the ages of 12 - 15 I come across.

Lastly, my favorite characters were “Lord Loss” and “Dervish”. (And to a lesser extent Beck. She was pretty great too. Definitely well written and interesting. She's the star of book 7 and she shines.)

I used to like Grubbs and Kernel in the first few books, but like I said, by the end there was nothing likable left about them.

I absolutely loved Dervish. (Even though he was pretty pathetic at times, ngl) he was a good character and a good person, and he stayed that way until the very end. Most importantly he was cool, interesting, sarcastic, and charismatic, lol. His arc and development were good too.

But my all time favorite has to be Lord Loss. Yes the villain. But God, he’s just sooo good at being bad. He makes an amazing antagonist. He’s evil, literally a demon with no redeeming qualities, his presence is dark and chilling and he doesn’t pull back ANY punches. See that people? THAT’S how you right a good villain. If this was a movie he would absolutely steal every single scene he was in. Whenever he showed up I just KNEW things were about to become hella intense and interesting XD

That’s pretty much all I have to say on this book series. It might be worth mentioning that the whole story is rather forgettable. But I guess on the bright side, that means you can read it again and still enjoy it as much as the first time ;)

Farewell for now ~

#books #book review #book recommendation #demonata #darren shan

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subliminalbo · 5 months

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Mind Control In the Wild #2: Prince of Darkness

Hotness: 2 Context: 4 Creativity: 3 Final Score: 2.78

Watch this scene here. You can rent or buy Prince of Darkness on Amazon.

You might have seen a clip from this one floating around Youtube as a 240p video with a name like "Female Posession 11" (searching random clips of mind control scenes is a rite of passage for hypnofetishists around the world). Prince of Darkness is a profoundly strange and creepy movie that stands out as one of the more underrated films in John Carpenter's filmography. Since Carpenter is the namesake for my own Carpenter State University, it felt appropriate to cover this one.

In Prince of Darkness, Carpenter blends science fiction themes into biblical myth and the product is a cosmic horror story where Jesus Christ was an alien, Satan is a tank of mind controlling goo, and its followers seek to summon an even more powerful apocalypse god from a mirror dimension. Also Alice Cooper commands an army of zombie homeless people. Carpenter is absolutely cooking here.

All of the action takes place in a Catholic monastery in Los Angeles. For Carpenter, it's a return to smaller, less studio-supported filmmaking. The closed setting kind of gives it an "Assault on Precinct 13 but with zombies" vibe. A group of scientists go to the monastery to research a mysterious tank of seemingly sentient goo that a priest discovered in the basement. The scientists quickly learn that the goo is the literal anti-Christ. While alone in the basement, Susan (played by character actor Anne Marie Howard) is summoned before the tank of goo. A jet of liquid suddenly sprays from the tank into her mouth, making her its first convert.

After that, Susan stalks through the monastery converting her fellow scientists in a stretch that includes some absolute hall of fame mind control acting from Howard. If you dig cosmic horror in your mind control stories, there's great content here.

The next to be converted is Lisa, who awakens to find Susan crawling over her in bed with wide, empty eyes. Lisa seems to misinterpret this as a sexual advance, but before she can protest, another jet of liquid shoots out of Susan's mouth and slides down Lisa's throat.

There's this great moment where another scientist finds Lisa repeatedly typing, "I Live!" before Susan pounces from the corner.

The thing is that these scenes are better mind control fetish content as short clips on Youtube than within the greater context of the film. It's not like Ghostbusters where the possession is deliberately sexy and is ultimately a weird detour in a random week of Dana's life. In Prince of Darkness, the converted are essentially zombies, there's quite a bit of gore, and it's unambiguous that they die when the anti-Christ does, which is a bummer if you watch your movies based on how hot the mind control is. You probably shouldn't though, right?

Despite its mid score on the Subliminalbo Scale, this one has actually been really influential for my own smut which is why it was the second thing I thought of when I started this series. The transmission of a sentient mind controlling goo as a fluid from one person to another was a huge inspiration when I was developing Assimilation.

Carpenter explores mind control in quite a few of his movies (some even less sexy than here, like The Thing, which is not mind control but plays with similar tropes that at least makes it mind control adjacent). If you're looking for hot mind control in a John Carpenter movie, Big Trouble In Little China probably has the best example. Though it wasn't a direct influence on my manips, it features whitewash eyes which is pretty cool. The reason I'm talking about Prince of Darkness instead of Big Trouble In Little China is because the former's had a bigger impact on me as a writer (and the mind control in Big Trouble is comparatively brief and less impactful to the story).

It looks like a lot of Prince of Darkness clips have been taken down from Youtube since I was a weird kid starving for mind control content, but you can find the full scene of Susan's possession on there right now. If you're into cosmic horror, I definitely recommend the movie, but I wouldn't call it essential for someone who wants to see some hot mind control.

#hypnokink #mind control #brainwashed #possession

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gorgynei · 3 months

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Imagine this. You are locked in a CITY with no windows. No light gets in, no light gets out. You have been staving off the apocalypse for centuries. Your leaders plan to kill the gods to end it all. That is an AMAZING setting for horror.

actually SO TRUE. not to mention all the fucked up magical body horror stuff thats just below the surface. its a great place for horror and im sooo ready for it. so much to see!!! so much to be excited for !!!!!

i do wonder how a party of divine champions will feel in a place where faith is completely dead and disrespected. in avalir we saw a taste of that, but in aeor who knows how cruel and spiteful they are towards faith!!!!!!! maybe some of the horror for them will come from that aspect of it as well

#''city with no windows'' is a badass way to describe aeor btw #askbox of inquiry

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incorrect-mtg · 1 year

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Flavor Text Highlights

So, one thing that I did two years ago (and have kept updated since) on twitter was my flavor text thread, where I went through each set in Magic history and picked the top 4 (or, for some exceptional cases, 8) best pieces of flavor text in my opinion.

Since then, I have regreted some choices and very much dislike the fact I can't edit the original tweets to reflect changes on the rules I followed for card selection... So I might as well use Tumblr as the place to correct all that.

Every day from now on, I will re-post a set from the list until I catch up to it, then eventually update it as new magic sets come out. The rules for selection can be seen after the linebreak below (as well as a full list of sets I've already gone through, with links). The first one can be found here.

1- Categorization

I will always try to select a diverse list of cards so as to fill the following 4 categories of flavor text types:

Cool - Boasts and descriptions that serve to make the subject matter of the card seem powerful and/or interesting.

Funny - Dialogue, descriptions or epigrams meant to get a laugh out of you

Worldbuilding - Flavor text whose biggest strength comes not from what it says on its own, but how it helps build upon either the world the set takes place in or the story of the set in question

Emotional - This one could conceivably be separated in two whole categories, but it encompasses cards that would fill the same niche as the "Cool" category but with a specific focus on either sadness or horror.

However, there will be situations where there might be a number of good flavor texts within a certain category while another is found lacking of any truly great options. In such scenarios, I will simply remove one (and in rare cases more) of the categories and repeat one of the remaining options. For an extreme example, the first Un-sets barely had any non-Funny options, so when picking cards from those sets most/all of the picks will be from the Funny category.

2- Card Selection

Cards will be reviewed only if they have new flavor text (using scryfall's "new:flavor" filter) and only if it's original flavor text (aka no real world references or quotes from literature) while sets will either be reviewed alone or grouped up depending on the amount of eligible cards in the set. Although I don't have a hard cut-off point for how many new flavor texts a set needs to be reviewed alone, the general range is around 150.

For sets that don't reach that number, they will either be bundled with an associated set (i.e. reviewing Commander precons with their associated Standard set) or bundled with a lot of other smaller products until a suitable number is reached (i.e. bundling all early Masters sets and Duel Decks together, since the amount of new flavor texts in those products is very low).

2.1 - Cycles

For some sets, a collection of cards (usually a cycle) will have flavor texts that work together, expand on each other or combine into a single theme. If said interaction is particularly good or if there isn't already a good flavor text that can stand up on its own, a cycle might be picked for a specific entry. Below, I will try to set up a list of every post for this, in order:

Alpha/Beta/Unlimited

Antiquities

Legends

The Dark

Fallen Empires

Ice Age | Homelands | Alliances

Mirage | Visions | Weatherlight

Portal

Tempest | Stronghold | Exodus

Portal Second Age

Unhinged + Unglued

Urza's Saga | Urza's Legacy | Urza's Destiny

Mercadian Masques | Nemesis | Prophecy

Invasion | Planeshift | Apocalypse

Odyssey | Torment | Judgment

Onslaught | Legions | Scourge

Mirrodin | Darksteel | Fifth Dawn

Champions of Kamigawa | Betrayers of Kamigawa | Saviors of Kamigawa

Core Sets (4th Edition - 10th Edition)

Ravnica: City of Guilds | Guildpact | Dissension

Coldsnap

Time Spiral | Planar Chaos | Future Sight

Lorwyn | Morningtide | Shadowmoor | Eventide

Duel Decks

Shards of Alara | Conflux | Alara Reborn

Magic 2010

Zendikar | Worldwake | Rise of the Eldrazi

Magic 2011

Scars of Mirrodin | Mirrodin Besieged | New Phyrexia

Commander Precons (Commander 2011 - Commander 2019)

Magic 2012

Innistrad | Dark Ascension | Avacyn Restored

Magic 2013

Return to Ravnica | Gatecrash | Dragon's Maze

Masters Sets

Magic 2014

Theros | Born of the Gods | Journey into Nyx

Conspiracy + Conspiracy: Take the Crown

Magic 2015

Khans of Tarkir | Fate Reforged | Dragons of Tarkir

Magic Origins

Battle for Zendikar | Oath of the Gatewatch

Shadows Over Innistrad | Eldritch Moon

Kaladesh | Aether Revolt

Amonkhet | Hour of Devastation

Ixalan | Rivals of Ixalan

Unstable + Unsanctioned

Dominaria

Battlebond

Magic 2019

Guilds of Ravnica | Ravnica Allegiance | War of the Spark

#magic the gathering #flavor text highlights

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theresattrpgforthat · 1 year

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Hi Mint! I want to run a game about a group of people on a road trip getting lost in the desert at night. Technically horror, but like ... mostly existential horror. (Mostly ... there's also some weird hillbillies and Something Terrible™️.) Do you have any suggestions for a system that models isolation and mounting desperation well?

THEME: Isolation and Desperation.

Hello friend! First things first, I should probably direct you towards the Kentucky Route Zero recommendation post that I released a little while back, as a number of those games might have something that fits your fancy. Specifically, I’d recommend Midnight Roads and Apocalypse Roadtrip for the feeling of isolation out on the open road.

Now, on to some more games! As always, followers are welcome to include their own additions in the reblogs!

RoadSpire, by Glempy.

RoadSpire is an RPG about strange and bewildering liminal spaces, of being lost, and finding something anyway, about being adrift in a sea of possibilities, and the connections and relationships you make along the way; a journey is always better with friends.

The Road is a vast, fluid, and shifting world between realities; anything is possible here. The Road is the ever present NOW. Spires enforce order and rules around their immediate areas. They pin down the Road. All Spires are a puzzle, once completed they are destroyed and open a gateway to a single, specific world or dimension. The Spires are the past, and the future. And at the centre of it all stands the great wheel city of MUS-DE-TUM: gateway to worlds beyond counting, an edifice that has stood at the centre of creation since the dawn of time.

If you want a longer game about road trips that keep you ever on the move, RoadSpire might be for you. It uses a PbtA system and the biggest aim of the designer is to create the feeling of roaming liminal spaces. This game isn’t necessarily meant to invoke horror per se: it’s more of an unnerving mish-mash of a world-between-worlds, a place where anything can happen. This means that your players are probably going to be a bit more powerful, a bit more equipped to overcome what you throw at them.

Pish Tush Jumped, by atelier pilcrow.

You didn't want to go to Florida. You didn't want to drive at 55 mph out of the rolling hills of Georiga. You'd been to Florida before, not to mention the escaped convicts who were last sighted along I-75. If it can't be helped, might as well bring along my cat, Pish Tush.

This is a game inspired by the story A Good Man is Hard to Find, by Flannery O’Connor. The game has the car break down in Georgia, but you can probably alter the location to have it happen in a place like Arizona, and replace the Boys with a number of Hillbillies. The game system, Breathless, gives you resources in the form of different-sized dice. These dice diminish in size every time you use them, up until you refresh with a Prayer. However, each time you Pray, the GM gets to introduce a problem or advance a threat, which is a great way of increasing the sense of desperation or panic. Because you are in a broken-down car in the middle of a long drive, I think it would also do a good job of evoking the feeling of isolation.

Road to Nowhere, by Capacity for Wonder. (Supplement for Liminal Horror)

Road To Nowhere re-imagines a roadtrip across the paranormal United States of America as a sprawling, horrifying and surreal megadungeon. Grab your snacks, fuel up , and plunge into the darkness that lurks just around the next turn.

This game isn’t available yet, but I’d definitely recommend keeping an eye on it for future reference. Liminal Horror is out and available, and is very much suited for the kind of game you’re looking for - exploring liminal spaces, and slowly unravelling weird and unsettling mysteries is its bread and butter. There’s even a Vehicle Appendix supplement that you can download for rules about using something like a van in your setting!

While you’re waiting for this one to come out, you can also take a look at Residents of Nowhere, which contains a number of factions for use in this road-trip-to-be.

Travel Not Advised, by 200-Proof Games.

TRAVEL NOT ADVISED is a tabletop roleplaying game that allows you and your friends to create your own stories within and interpretations of the excellent isolation-horror genre. With 2-6 players and one Documentarian or DM, together you will trespass into unknown and mysterious places and draw the ire of the supernatural MONSTER that dwells there. The game is setting-agnostic, meaning that any setting you can dream of will work thrillingly well with the rules and guidelines I’ve set out here.

Since this game is primarily a series of mechanics for telling a certain kind of story, placing your characters in a desert is absolutely possible. It appears that the dice mechanic depends on a pool of d4s and a d6 for your action dice. Using the two series of die allows for a complex story, in which your character can succeed and still have something bad happen to them. It looks like the game expects a monster, but I wonder if perhaps your suspicious hillbillies and whatever is lurking in the background would be adequate monsters in this scenario.

#tabletop games #indie ttrpgs #dnd #game recommendations #asks #horror #road trip

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thegayhimbo · 1 year

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Stranger Things Darkness on the Edge of Town Review (Part 3 of 3)

Warning: The following review contains MAJOR SPOILERS from both the book and from Season 4 of Stranger Things!

If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out my other Stranger Things Reviews. Like, Reblog, and let me know what your thoughts are regarding the show or the upcoming season! :)

Stranger Things Comics/Graphic Novels:

Stranger Things Six

Stranger Things Halloween Special

Stranger Things The Other Side

Stranger Things Zombie Boys

Stranger Things The Bully

Stranger Things Winter Special

Stranger Things Tomb of Ybwen

Stranger Things Into The Fire

Stranger Things Science Camp

Stranger Things “The Game Master” and “Erica’s Quest”

Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons

Stranger Things Kamchatka

Stranger Things Erica The Great

Stranger Things “Creature Feature” and “Summer Special”

Stranger Things Tie-In Books:

Stranger Things Suspicious Minds

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 3 of 3)

Part 6: Inspirations for the Book

In the past, I've noticed certain Stranger Things comics and tie-ins have similar elements to other books/movies. Tomb of Ybwen paid homage to The Goonies while containing multiple references to Lord of the Rings. Hawkins Horror had several stories taking inspiration from either Stephen King or common urban legends. Rebel Robin, a book centered around Robin discovering her identity as a lesbian, contains plot aspects from 80s movies like Sixteen Candles. Even the upcoming comic The Voyage (set to be released on November 1st) looks like it'll borrow heavily from Alien (1979) except instead of in space with the Xenomorph, it'll be on a cargo ship with the Demogorgon.

While I can't say whether or not this is a coincidence, I noticed that Darkness on the Edge of Town had many similarities to two different properties: A movie called Escape from New York, and a Batman comic called Batman: The Cult.

Escape from New York is a 1981 movie directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell. It takes place in an alternate timeline where the Cold War is still ongoing, and Long Island has been converted into a massive prison for all the criminals (similar to what Hugo Strange does to Gotham's criminal population in Batman Arkham City). During a flight over the island, Air Force One gets hijacked, and the President ends up crashing inside the prison. He gets taken hostage by a gang led by its leader, The Duke, who threatens to kill the President unless he and the other prisoners are granted amnesty and allowed to walk free. In exchange for getting pardoned from a life sentence, the government makes a deal with a man named Snake Plisskin (Kurt Russell's character) to infiltrate New York City and rescue the President within 24 hours.

Like Snake, Hopper is a former war veteran who received honors for his services. Unlike Hopper, who became a cop and moved to NYC, Snake became a criminal after becoming disillusioned with what the United States had become. Both men are forced to undertake a dangerous mission: Snake takes up the task because he was being slated for execution before the situation with the President occured, and Hopper is forced to go undercover in Saint John's cult after Agent Gallup threatens to destroy Hopper's life if he doesn't comply with his demands:

Both men get put in dangerous situations in New York City at night where they're forced to fight for their lives alongside different companions. There's even a scene from the movie where Snake and his group are attacked by crazies in their car, which is eerily similar to what happens to Martha and Hopper in their car when the blackout happens and the rioters on the street go after them:

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Both the movie and the book feature a charismatic leader of a gang as the main antagonist: Saint John and The Duke. The difference is their motives: Saint John is looking to fulfill his prophesied apocalypse whereas The Duke is hoping to use the President as leverage to help him (and presumably his gang) escape the hellhole New York City has become. In many ways, the Duke is more sympathetic than Saint John because, while he is framed by the movie as a bad guy, his reasons for wanting to get out are easy to understand. It doesn't help that both the President and the government are shown to be self-serving and callous towards the loss of human life, which is something that disgusts Snake. Unlike this book, Escape from New York ends on a bitter note with Snake non-verbally acknowledging that, despite the events that took place, things in the country were not going to change. Snake is also treated as an anti-hero by the narration compared to Hopper who (along with Delgado) are framed in a heroic light.

Likewise, Batman The Cult contains similar elements to Darkness on the Edge of Town in regards to their villains and certain plot points. Like Saint John, Deacon Blackfire is a cult leader who lures in the homeless and the desperate to create an army which he can use to take over Gotham City. He masquerades as a benevolent priest running a homeless shelter much in the same way Saint John and his followers attended support groups as a means of recruiting potential followers.

Both Saint John and Deacon Blackfire have an understanding of the deeper problems plaguing society. While they claim they want to fix those issues, it's really about them exploiting the current state of things to drive their agendas forward:

Both of them want the hero (i.e. Batman and Hopper) to join them on their crusade and even use drugs and brainwashing as a means of putting the hero under their control.

The difference is Deacon Blackfire succeeds in breaking Batman via holding him prisoner for a week, torturing him, starving him, drugging him, and chipping away at his will. By contrast, Saint John was acting with limited time in trying to brainwash Hopper in the climax, and Hopper manages to fight this long enough to overpower Saint John.

Both Deacon Blackfire and Saint John create an army for the purpose of attacking a city. Both attacks are coordinated, planned out, and cause untold damage and chaos:

Both of them preach an ideology and build lore around themselves. Deacon Blackfire claims he's doing God's work while Saint John claims he's acting on behalf of Satan:

Both of them are also scarily effective in whipping their followers into a frenzy:

Where the villains differentiate is how they're defeated. While Saint John is overpowered by Hopper and fatally stabbed (dying with the belief he did the right thing) Deacon Blackfire gets humiliated by Batman in front of his followers. This has the effect of causing said followers to immediately turn on Blackfire for daring to show weakness, as well as realizing they've been duped by Blackfire the entire time:

Unfortunately, Saint John's followers don't ever see him humiliated the same way Blackfire was, so it's questionable if (after the FBI and NYPD got back control of the city) Saint John still has disciples out there following his defeat who will continue to carry out his work. Not all of them were arrested by Agent Gallup's task force unfortunately. However, it's a moot point since it's likely there won't be a follow up sequel to this book.

Again, I can't confirm if Adam Christopher took inspiration from either Batman The Cult or Escape from New York, but there are so many aspects of those stories similar to the ones found in this book that I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Regardless, I like the parallels between these three stories and how they complement each other in regards to themes and plot.

Final Thoughts:

This is a must-read book! It serves as a nice prequel to the show, and gives more backstory on Hopper while also expanding on his character and his relationship with El. It also fits well with the continuity of the show, and (as far as I can tell) doesn't contain any errors related to canon. It's a thrilling, fast-paced novel with plenty of suspense and insight. If (or when) you get the chance, check it out! :)

#stranger things #jim hopper #el hoppper #rosario delgado #martha washington #leroy washington #escape from new york #batman the cult #tgh opinions #tgh reviews #stranger things darkness on the edge of town #stranger things meta #stranger things reviews #Youtube #adam christopher

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novaharpersworld · 6 months

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The entity was so utterly beyond description that Joel could not comprehend what it was he was looking at. His brain searched for patterns, recognizable appendiges, a body, a solid form his mind could latch onto, something that would allow him to make sense of what had opened up through the rift. But there was nothing. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before, perhaps unlike anything anyone had ever seen before, and so there was no basis for comparison, no anchor of familiarity for his mind to seize upon, no description or visual that could make sense of it. It hurt his brain to look at and he tried to screw his eyes shut against the sight of it, but he found himself unable to look away, compelled by his need to understand and it held him fast in his doom. It seems to be constantly shifting form in a trillion places at once, in no particular order, in no particular direction, comprehensible in no particular way. Here a tuberous, parasitic limb or appendage like that of a plant or insect spearing through whole planets, there what seemed for a moment to be a cluster of eyes or a great maw with which to devour the stars. And then gone again.

It had ignited in him a deep set dread, a terror beyond all rational thought, and yet an allure that was undeniable; so vast, so timeless, so incomprehensible, that to look away felt worse than to continue gazing into its unspeakable depths. It was as if his brain was afire with profundity and horror in equal measure, burning with the bright flame of adrenaline and the shattering apocalypse of all his categories and concepts. What he once believed was his great knowledge he saw now for the empty, foolish trifles it was, like an ant speculating about the unfathomable giants who strode through their domain with nary a thought to them. It was to see a thing so huge that it could span the dark and shadowed void between galaxies, encompass whole sectors of space for purposes alien and unknowable, reach out and grasp planets as if each were a speck of cosmic dust.

And it was looking at him, if looking could indeed be claimed as a word to do justice to the sensation of its eyeless and ceaseless and pitiless perception of that which was utterly beneath its notice. Microbes on the bottom of a upturned stone. A great tide of dread filled him, the darkest dread he had ever known, for he did not know and could not grasp what it was. The fire in his brain was acute now and the sheer blinding pain of non-comprehension seeped into his waking consciousness.

He screamed. He screamed and screamed until his voice was hoarse, screamed like countless beings on countless worlds in countless galaxies from countless universes had screamed, screamed to no end and for no purpose, a senseless noise equal to the senseless sight before him.

Bria found him in a corner of the lab an hour later, shaking and writhing, drool trailing from slack, pale lips, eyes wide and casting madly about for an unseen terror he could no longer see, his voice ruined and unable to scream further, speaking only an inchoate word in a harsh whisper, repeated over and over as if it were a name.

"Dread . . . Dread . . . ."

#fantasy #steampunk #worldbuilding #writeblr #writers on tumblr #creative writing #cosmic horror #lovecrafian

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nidamae-approvedhpfanfics · 7 months

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Fanfic .com favorites as of March 2024

The list is long mostly Harry Potter but a few Labyrinth.

ALPHABETICAL B-C

Back to the Beginning by burnable Harry Potter u:07-02-2020 - Harry finds himself thrust into his four-year old body, after Voldemort killed him in the forest in what would have been his seventh year. Knowing what he did, he decided to fix some things he never had a chance to before. He'd not go into the magical world untrained this time. OP Harry. Science, magic and discovery. Harem.

Back in the Game by Demoph-the-Black Harry Potter u:11-27-2022 - Harry has planned for years, only for Dumbledore to put a wrench in the works. "You have to die... so long and thanks for all the fish." But his plan will move on even without him. Except... Death has something else in mind. My 1st fic, crosspost from AO3, crack!

Back to the Past by Glorioux Harry Potter u:04-11-2021 - Can Apocalypse be averted? The magical world is a place of horror. Hermione goes back to the moment where all went wrong. Will anyone believe her. Dumbledore made amistake, Grindenwald escaped, and The Magical word is ending; can she stop it? First she must kill the pretender, glamoured to seem like Sirius.

Backward Without Purpose by birdwoman95 Harry Potter u:06-28-2016 - A re-do story full of cliches and cussing. I dislike the Weasley family in general and Ron in specific, so you may want to pass if he's your hero. Adult, Auror Harry is thrown back to his 10 year old body. What does he do? Kick @ and take names, of course. Rating is for the recounting of crimes by a Very Bad Man.

Basilisk-born by Ebenbild Harry Potter u:03-26-2021 - What if the Dementor attack in 5th year had ended with Harry losing? What if someone had stepped in to save him? And what if Harry ended up in the past with a chance to be more than he ever was before? A story about a forcibly time travelled Harry and its consequences... Manipulative Dumbledore, 'Slytherin!Harry', Time Travel!

Basilisk Go Boom! by BeepKeeper Harry Potter u:03-25-2018 - Here's a short story set during Harry's third year. Who gives a fourteen-year-old a powerful artefact to bend time. Did anyone monitor her use? Did anyone warn her of the consequences of misuse? Also something different with Basilisk! Dumbledore Ron & Sirius bashing (no pairings)

Bastard Prince by RhiannanT Harry Potter u:12-11-2016 - Book two in the Outcast's Alley series. Having accepted his place in the Court, Tobias must learn how to fulfill it, as well as handle new revelations about his parentage.

Bathtime by Ruya Firtina Labyrinth u:06-20-2012 - Sarah gets completely dunked in the Bog of Eternal Stench, and there is only one way to get rid of the stink. Okay, I lied before, but now it is really Complete!

Beautiful Things Can Come From The Dark by yesterdayschild4 Harry Potter u:11-28-2009 - He finds her, broken and bleeding, and it will change everything. A rape aftermath story told from Draco Malfoy's POV. DHr

Beauty and the Beast by Lightning09 Harry Potter u:11-12-2016 - Kind. Scared. Smart. Loving. Not words you would use to describe Draco Malfoy. But the war had it's toll on everyone. But Draco Malfoy? During their 8th year of school, Hermione discovers the side of Draco she never would have thought possible. Love and War. Beauty and the Beast. Two opposites who find themselves in one another. DRAMIONE *Sequel out NOW!*

Becoming Neville by Jedi Rita Harry Potter u:06-07-2006 - COMPLETE Neville's Gran breaks her hip just after his fifth year at Hogwarts, and he must spend the summer with Harry and Remus. They discover a hidden message in the candy wrappers his mother has been giving him, and begin to uncover the mystery.

Before the Dawn by snarkyroxy Harry Potter u:07-12-2006 - In her seventh year, a latenight discovery changes Hermione Granger's view on a great many things. Severus Snape is just one of them. Complete.

Beginning of a New Life by rlpj4 Harry Potter u:07-27-2010 - AU. After the events of fourth year, Harry does not return to Privet Drive. He, with the help of Gringotts, decides to travel and learn as much as he can to help him in the fight against Voldemort. Super!Harry, Time-Travel!Harry

Behind Blue Eyes by elmembrila Harry Potter u:11-14-2019 - It's the summer after the Department of Mysteries and Harry Potter's about to do something drastic, something nobody expects, and he may not be alone. Following the lives of Harry and the Order as they battle against each other.

Behind the Mask by tookkia Harry Potter u:08-09-2017 - It begins when he asks her to dance; charming, dashing, Hermione is enchanted; pity it's not who she expects. Tensions continue to rise, though, when a new poison threatens the magical world, more fatal than childish grudges. An impossible pair, surreally perfect.

Beltane Child by White Angel of Auralon Harry Potter u:09-01-2013 - Harry needs some time to let his guard down in the war. So he goes to a celebration just before he, Ron and Hermione plan to get Hufflepuff's Cup from Bellatrix Lestrange's vault. Who could have guessed what the consequences would be?

Beneath Your Window by Crookshanks.x Harry Potter u:06-06-2008 - Hermione finds her life in turmoil and decides that the best move is to run from it all. To her surprise, she's not the only one running from life. DHr fic, Complete.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Perhentian.en Harry Potter u:04-21-2022 - Hermione had grown quite used to help Harry each time her friend managed to end up in some impossible situation, and this even if the war with Voldemort had been over for a long time. But when Harry, faced with the destruction of the magical world, decides to throw his friends back in time, Hermione is appalled. And what about this reckless plan of his to somehow use Voldemort?

Beyond the Sacred by Lomonaaeren Harry Potter u:12-02-2022 - Members of the "Sacred Twenty-Eight": "Don't you wish you were sacred like me?" Harry: "Not really, no." COMPLETE.

Birdshot by BeepKeeper Harry Potter u:04-01-2022 - Harry's exceptional summer between third and fourth years at Hogwarts begins with revising the goblin wars and figuring out how to get help from trusted adults. He spends time in the sunshine and thinks about his runic arrays and cartouche. The summer gets intense before return to Hogwarts where professors have stupid restrictions once again. BASH DUMBLEDORE BASH Magical Britain

Black Family Business by Nargled Harry Potter u:05-11-2016 - The war and the trials are over. Draco is finally going to become the Heir to the Black Family. And there's nothing that bloody Potter can do about it. Chapter two added, updated.

Blind My Eyes, Sew Them Shut by Greenaleydis Harry Potter u:11-17-2017 - After a close brush with the Death Eaters, Hermione awakens blinded and on the run with a familiar snarky Slytherin. In hiding, Hermione and Draco must find a way to survive - and somehow thwart a plot that could alter their very world. Dramione, post-DH, COMPLETE.

Blood of My Blood by Lomonaaeren Harry Potter u:11-19-2022 - HPTN, AU. Theo knows that someone in Hogwarts is using blood magic, the kind that scrapes at his senses. But without knowing more information, he can't seek them out or stop them. Purely by chance, he finds Harry Potter with blood soaking through bandages on the back of his hand, and discovers the power of taking a risk. Twoshot. COMPLETE.

Blood of an Enemy by Foamy the Squirrel Harry Potter u:08-12-2004 - Hermione kills Voldemort at the end of Sixth year. Over the summer she is turned into a Vampyre. When she returns to school, friendless and alone, she finds out how cruel life really is. -COMPLETED-

Bolt Fashion by White Angel of Auralon Harry Potter u:12-27-2015 - Harry Potter knows that money can give you power and influence. He has learned that from a young age on, seeing how his relatives get away with many things. And others having way much more than you do can be a problem. Thus he starts his path to cause a small revolution in its own right. No matter if Dumbledore doesn't like it. Two-shot.

Bond by MrBenzedrine Harry Potter u:05-24-2017 - What happens at "Bond" stays at "Bond" -Hermione is taken out for drinks at club "Bond", an establishment that can offer you anything from some alcohol and dancing to SO much more. When she, quite literally, falls into Draco Malfoy's lap, will she open up her mind and explore sexual desires she never knew she had? Kink. COMPLETE **FIRST PLACE: BEST SMUT 2017 Dramione Awards**

Bonds of Blood by LiteraryLuminary Harry Potter u:05-04-2005 - Today marks the end of her debt to Lily, paid in blood. On Harry's 17th birthday, Petunia bids farewell to her nephew. She anticipates freedom the instant he is placed in his guardian's care, but is given poetic justice in its stead.

Bone of the Father by BeepKeeper Harry Potter u:04-11-2023 - The ritual in the Graveyard to resurrect Lord Voldemort reveals a problem for Tom Riddle, Jr. Something is missing when he steps out of the cauldron, something he couldn't get from Tom Riddle, Sr's bone. (Bashing Riddle, Dumbledore, professors, Houses at Hogwarts, and Ministry for Magic)

Break the Pattern: Tri-Wizard by Squirrel of Shadow Harry Potter u:03-27-2015 - As Tri-Wizard tournament approaches, Harry Potter prepares himself. He is unwilling to dance to the whims of manipulative old men, and he's laid the groundwork for what he has to do. This year's Quiddich has already been cancelled, and with the shadow of the Tournament threatening him with peril, Harry's got a plan to slip the old manipulative bastard's leash. Crack-ish! Bash!Draco

Breath of the Nundu by corvusdraconis Harry Potter u:10-09-2016 - [HG/SS] AU/Crackfic: One morning, Severus Snape wakes up with a furry visitor snuggled under the quilt with him. As he pulls back the quilt, two glowing eyes lock with his, and everything is turned on its ear. As the rest of his visitor crawls out from under the covers, he realises he has a problem. There is a Nundu cub in his bed, and for some reason, she's bound to him.

Broken by inadaze22 Harry Potter u:07-15-2009 - He felt something close to pity for the woman in front of him. And while that disturbed Draco to no end, what really disgusted him most of all was the harrowing fact that someone or something had broken Hermione Granger's spirit beyond recognition. Revised 2019. Update your Epubs.

Broken Bonds by broomstick flyer Harry Potter u:01-28-2015 - Harry is not happy about the adult responce to the Dementor attack in Little whinging. His letter to the order at Grimmauld place has some unforseen consequences some of which turn out quite good for both Harry and Hermione.

Broken Feathers by naarna Harry Potter u:08-26-2020 - It's been eight years since Draco last spoke with Hermione, and now she has disappeared. Will he put everything into finding her? WIP. Dramione. Creature!Hermione. EWE. (COMPLETED)

Building a Life by redhead414 Harry Potter u:04-23-2012 - A 12 Part Epilogue to "It's All Uncharted."

Bundle of Joy by LadyTuesday Harry Potter u:06-03-2013 - Seeking: An intelligent, capable wizard amenable to assisting a bright, independent, magically-formidable single witch in the conception of a child. Insemination only: no sexual congress; non-negotiable. Further contact will be established following receipt of preliminary letter of interest. Address all inquiries by owl to Joy Bundle c/o Hogsmeade Owl Post.

Burning Boils by SilverAngel99 Harry Potter u:09-28-2005 - COMPLETED! It is the end of the 7th Hermione is overcome by a strange illness that can be cured by a potion. Unfortunately, Madam Pomfrey is ill as well, and Snape is called up to take care of the young Gryffindor. What happens when she needs his undivide

Calculation by fringeperson Harry Potter u:12-08-2011 - Young Harry liked numbers, he liked using numbers and working out the value of things. When he found out that he was a wizard and had a big pile of gold... well, he had something new to calculate. oneshot, complete, don't own.

Can You Manage? by bruhdawg Harry Potter u:07-30-2021 - "'Are you sure you can manage it, Granger'" - Hermione has, once again, gotten caught for being out after hours. Dumbledore and McGonagall agree that the best punishment for her... is to work for the slytherin quidditch team. How will she survive? - dramione *sexual content and slight sexual assault/harassment* *All characters and majority of settings belong to J.K Rowling*

Cards of Truth by cleotheo Harry Potter u:06-27-2018 - When Snape catches Harry and Ron with a card game designed by the Weasley twins, he decides that the seventh years should play as it's nearing the end of the year and all their work has been done. However, the game reveals a few secrets, and more are revealed when the game continues in the head dorms. Fun and light-hearted one-shot.

Cat got your tongue? by VaingloriousHound Harry Potter u:09-16-2020 - Harry successfully manages his animagus transformation. And that's about all he's able to manage. Daphne's insistent attention seems entirely unmanageable for him and his poor heart. Slight AU.

Cats in the Cradle by hermionewiz27 Harry Potter u:12-16-2014 - When Minerva McGonagall heard she had to visit all of the muggle-born students in her house, she expected a tedious beginning to her holiday. When she ended up bringing a student home with her, it gave her the piece of her family she had been missing.

Champions of the Founders by StormyFireDragon Harry Potter u:04-09-2013 - What happens when the founders have enough? Why they come back and help turn the wizarding world upside down. See how people's lives will be changed and see what happens when you upset their heirs. HP/LL DM/SB

Chances Are by keeperoliver Harry Potter u:12-19-2015 - A five year old Harry is taken from an abusive Vernon and Petunia Dursley because of an accident. This accident changes Harry and these changes may decide the fate of the wizarding world. Ron Bashing. All Characters and settings are the creation of J.K. Rowilng

Change Comes to the Changeless by Lomonaaeren Harry Potter u:11-25-2022 - Fawkes thought about leaving the wizarding world altogether after the death of Albus Dumbledore. But there is another that needs his care and has attracted his fascination. Fawkes does not intend to let Harry Potter walk to his death. COMPLETE.

Changed Past by White Angel of Auralon Harry Potter u:07-26-2015 - Auror Harry Potter was hunting a criminal that caused lots of death. Just what he didn't expect was ending in the past, thanks to said criminal's actions. He was never one to sit by while injustice happened, so sitting still until he found a way home wasn't really going to happen. No matter what Hermione had told him about time-travel. One-Shot

Chaos by JustBored21 Harry Potter u:11-24-2019 - Harry gets thrown back in time and ends up in his ten year old body. This time, he's going to do everything different, this time he will have a proper relationship with the love of his life who happens to be a Siren and this time he's not playing Dumbledore's games.Dumbledore, Hermione, select Weasley bashing. Harry x original character. Crazy, overpowered and insane Harry

Chaos of the Potter Family by ReynaAtTheEnd Harry Potter u:08-08-2016 - 6th year AU. Dumbledore messed with Harry's family even more than anyone suspected. Ginny discovers that she was born Guinevere Potter. Harry discovers that, in a twisted system, the power of having multiple houses to his name is undeniable. He sets out to turn this twisted system against itself; and maybe restore the nobility of the former kings. Harry/Luna/harem, dark

Charm School by night.drive Harry Potter u:06-28-2016 - COMPLETE. Ginny Weasley finds herself trying to navigate the strange and confusing traditions of pure-blood society in Narcissa Malfoy's Charm School, where she encounters catty girls, a meticulous teacher, and worst of all, Draco Malfoy. Will she come out on top or be defeated? EPILOGUE POSTED.

Charmed to You by CJRed Harry Potter u:08-18-2016 - Hermione comes up with a charm that allows 'bonded soul' matches, something that has been unheard of for generations. What will Hermione do when her own magic matches her with Draco Malfoy? Unique pairings. This Hermione is a scarred war hero in a political job. She is not going to act like a brash teen and starts out in shock and reserved. Not for all readers.

Checklists by Gin's Comettail Harry Potter u:04-30-2009 - A G/D/B study in absurdity. Harry's left Ginny at Hogwarts, but does that mean any devastatingly sexy pair of boys can swoop in and steal her heart, Blaise wonders? To which Draco says - Wait, WHAT?

Child of Prophecy by VashonBeader Harry Potter u:08-24-2020 - Harry Potter is brought to Gringotts. Adventure ensues. Loving Weasleys, a bit of Dumbledore bashing, but not the focus. Harry/Hermione. This is a roller-coaster ride, so buckle up and have fun!

Choices by erm31323 Harry Potter u:11-14-2022 - Hermione takes a holiday before the second anniversary of Ron's death, hoping to decide if she is ready to move on with her life. Adrian is spending the last month before he must fulfill his familial responsibilities travelling on the continent. When the two run into one another, neither expect the outcome. Not Epilogue compliant

Christmas at Hogwarts by cleotheo Harry Potter u:12-22-2014 - A ferocious storm forces Dumbledore to shut Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays. However, in their haste to leave the Professors end up leaving a small handful of students behind. How will three Gryffindors and three Slytherins cope with spending Christmas at Hogwarts? Fun, festive story.

Chronos Historia by In Dreams Harry Potter u:04-08-2018 - Hermione and Draco stumble upon a mysterious portal and find themselves hurtled back through time a thousand years. Forced to team up to find a way home, they quickly realize that much of the history they believed to be fact, wasn't true after all. A founders era, time travel Dramione. Winner of Most Creative Plot in the Granger Enchanted Awards 2018.

Claimed By A Slytherin by Andy'sGirl4485 Harry Potter u:08-25-2011 - Hermione Granger had lost her bloody mind. At least, that's what the current circumstances would lead one to believe. AU HG/DM Hermione loses a bet and has to wear the claim tag of a certain Slytherin. Comedy, Romance, Fluff, Lemons and Happy Ending!

Closest When We're Very Far Away by GaeilgeRua Harry Potter u:03-03-2017 - Seven years after Hermione rode the dragon out of Gringotts with Harry and Ron, the Ministry has approved her petition to send someone to find it. That someone is Charlie Weasley.

Confused Beauty by DisneyKd4 Harry Potter u:04-04-2014 - She couldn't bring her parents memories back. She had to become a new person and befriend the Grangers as Briar Rose. As life is starting to fall into place again, one birthday changes everything -again. Who exactly are her parents? Why is Draco Malfoy back in her life? And how many more lies are there going to be?:/Pureblood Hermione -plot line loosely connected to Sleeping Beauty

Consequentially Yours by Nyruserra Harry Potter u:07-24-2009 - The war is over, and the recovering Wizarding Community adopts a new Marriage Law to cope with the sudden rise of bloodsicknesses. Poor Oliver, he's about to find out that the consequences of doing the right thing can get very out of hand! Not HBP Com.

Contrats? I Don't Need No Stinking Contracts by Alpha-The-Omega Harry Potter u:12-08-2010 - Harry learns of betrayal and shenanigans in dealing with most of the Order. WHat does he do? ONESHOT

Cornering Mediwitch Granger by Twilight to Midnight Harry Potter u:09-27-2007 - Five years after Hogwarts, Hermione is a mediwitch oblivious to the world of romance but Draco Malfoy is about to change that. If she won't admit she loves him then Draco will just have to force it out of her in the only way a slytherin sex god knows how.

Correcting Mistakes by potterlad81 Harry Potter u:09-12-2018 - At the end of his rope, Harry makes a desperate bid to reclaim his life... all of it. A brief time travel fic.

Correspondence by emikae Harry Potter u:02-22-2005 - Harry isn't getting his letters, so he take things into his own hands, and owls Voldemort to see if he is intercepting them. A surprising thing happens... Complete!

Coven of The Rose by CRose Harry Potter u:09-06-2009 - Harry's escaped from Azkaban and wants Revenge! Now this isn't your normal everyday kind of revenge, Harry is a second generation Marauder with a bone to pick with just about everyone that thinks they can just discard him like a worn out shoe

Craving Curves by WeasleyForMe Harry Potter u:02-08-2012 - Fred is surprised to find how much Hermione has grown up since her days as the Gryffindor bookworm. He's even more surprised by how much he wants her. Hermione/Fred rated M

Creative Landscaping by Acacia Vix Harry Potter u:01-14-2021 - Harry decides to let off some steam. This gives him ideas for handling the Triwizard Tournament. T rating may be overdoing it.

Crookshanks the Matchmaker by midwestern sorceress Harry Potter u:06-10-2013 - All Crookshanks wants is for his mistress Hermione Granger to be happy. But he knows she won't find the happiness she needs with the readheaded male. So, one evening, he chooses to take matters into his own hands. Or paws. H/Hr.

Cwéne by artemisgirl Harry Potter u:11-02-2016 - Hermione watches the inky sky, alone, and wishes upon a star. She wishes for an equal, someone to stand at her side as she takes a stand against the world. And when the Fates deliver him to her, the world will never be the same again.

#harry potter fanfiction #must read #ff.net #harry potter #good reads #harry potter fanfic #hp fanfic #harry potter headcanon #hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry #story recommendation

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mitchelldailygames · 9 months

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2023 Book Round-Up

This is going to be a quick list of some of my favorite books that I read this year. These aren’t books that necessarily came out in 2023 and they’re not in any particular order.

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone OK, this one is in a particular order. It’s my favorite. I read this book twice this year, the first time based on the recommendation of that tweet a lot of people saw. I found it beautiful, and as someone who wants to eventually publish novels, very inspiring. The application of the epistolary style to its sci-fi concept (it is actually set in a time war) made for a compelling and unique feel to the book. The prose were absolutely gorgeous. The way the characters were human and the way they were inhuman was perfect. All of it got me thinking about how my own writing could reach further than I'd considered before.

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir I also read and really enjoyed Nona the Ninth this year, but Harrow was my favorite. The mystery of it all, the intense necromancer action, and the angst all adds up to the perfect Locked Tomb book. And the payoff at the end is so good.

On the Beach by Nevil Shute I read this after watching Jacob Geller’s Art in the Pre-Apocalypse video, and this is the write up that will end up feeling the least like a recommendation. This book messed me up. I read it while fall was tumbling towards winter in the often dreary Pacific Northwest (of the US). This book made me feel like the world was ending. I became immersed in the state of living life while the end drifted closer to the point I kind of started to believe it in real life. I certainly found it compelling in its restrained doom.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers This one is also in a particular order because I read it right after On the Beach and it plucked me right out of my funk. Where the previous book left me feeling like precious few moments were slipping away from me, A Psalm for the Wild-Built said it was OK to just be. This is a beautiful solar punk novella as is its sequel, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy. It presents a possibility for a better world while giving a glimpse into the pathways we can take as individuals to move towards something better (while acknowledging that big changes need to take place on a macro level).

The Difference Engine by Bruce Sterling and William Gibson I tried reading this a long time ago because I was a fan of Gibson’s cyberpunk books and couldn’t get into it. I didn’t have that problem this year. Its steampunk London after the century-early arrival at the computer was very compelling. It fell prey to some tropes I’m not a huge fan of, namely that people in crisis will quickly resort to chaos and violence, but overall it was a story and setting that kept me reading all the way through this time.

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer What a book! I’m currently reading Authority, and I love this brand of weird sci-fi/horror. I watched the movie forever ago, but really enjoyed (and am enjoying) the story that's told in the books. The unraveling of the group and of the biologist was a great read, and it was fun to see cosmic horror in the modern age done really well. The mystery of it all was really the hook of the book, and the things it leaves unanswered was really fitting for the story.

Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King I finished the Dark Tower series this year, but this was my favorite. The doombot bad guys, the way it expanded on the lore, and the gunslinger action were all really cool. The characters were all operating at their peaks in this book, while dealing with some deep, dark secrets, and it felt like it held the best of all the things the series has to offer.

Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt What a harrowing, powerful, complicated haunted house story this is. I will say this book is not for the faint of heart (and comes with trigger warnings at the beginning of the book), but I was left at the end of the story with the distinct feeling I had read something that would stick with me for a long, long time. It gets into the complicated ways identities interact and the way fascism breeds in societies and individual hearts. There are long sections that slip into disturbing rambles that become less coherent as they go on, which is perfect within the tone of the book. The things that haunt the characters throughout the story add and help give traction to all of these other pieces.

#books #this is how you lose the time war #the locked tomb #harrow the ninth #dark tower #southern reach trilogy #monk and robot #tell me i'm worthless

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anautumncarol · 1 year

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The thing with zombie apocalypse AUs is that there are three distinct style of them so whenever someone tells me they love zombie apocalypse AUs I'm just like "which ones?"

Like we can identify three stages where a story can be set: the outbreak, the survival and the reconstruction of society.

The outbreak is probably the one you'll find more often in your prologues, first seasons and everything of the sort so in some way it's the most done. Most stories do start here or in the early survival stage which I'll include here. In this one, the threat is the zombies (or whatever creature you have) so these stories tend to be more action focused although they do put into place a few fundamental questions on humanity and what the meaning of life is. Moreover it's a good way to think about what humans are like in crises or the legitimacy of damage control.

Survival is where the real monsters end up being other humans. Due to this, the horror is more so psychological and they're just a great way to explore the limits of the human psyche all the while going through popular philosophical dilemmas. This is probably where you'll find the most dead dove although phase one also has its fair share.

The reconstruction of society is the one people often forget despite being done quite often in different ways despite one thing being constant: the threat being society or the government itself. This one is where you'll get the reconstruction of society and the biggest critics of a society's downfall. Whether it is an anti segregation message like disney's zombies or a roadtrip to take down the big bad corporation like Icarus Deranged (if you don't know minchan, don't worry you don't have to know this one) the main critics will happen here but the most inventive remakes of a society can also happen here. After all, it is after an apocalypse that hunger games and divergent take place, building a dystopia society in the aftermath of an apocalypse is a great way to reinvent a corrupt society while still having credible parallels to our current one. Not to mention it can be fun trying to figure out whether the person writing it is a fan of Hobbes or Rousseau (despite the correct answer obviously being the latter. Yes. I'm biased).

So yeah, next time you say your fav AUs are apocalypse ones, remember to say which one it is. Personally I think it might be the last one just because I am a sucker for taking down big bad governments and when well done it can be even tenser than the other two but other than that the survival and outbreak both have their own charms. Not to mention this is not taking into consideration the fact there are different kinds of zombies that will greatly alter the stakes at hand but these three stages tend to appear so I thought I'd write about it real quick.

#woops time to think about the construction of zombie apocalypse #wait hold on there are more than one!#zombie apocalypse #this is really just a brain fart #fanfiction #someone asked if we'd survive a zombie apocalypse and my brain just said #and here we are

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forgotteneilionora · 1 year

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Character Analysis

THE BASICS:

Character’s name: Eilionora Stafford

Role in story: Queen/supporting character

Physical description: Katie McGrath

Age: 26

MBTI: INFJ (the advocate)

Enneagram: Type 1 (the reformer), 1w2, 126

Zodiac: Aquarius

INTERNAL: THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER

What is his/her greatest fear? Of being corrupt/evil/defective

Inner motivation: to be good, to have integrity, to be balanced, to be right, to strive higher and improve everything, to be consistent with their ideals, to justify herself, to be beyond criticism so as not to be condemned by anyone

Kryptonite: To be reproached, regarded as defective, etc

What is his/her misbelief about the world? That she is unworthy of the great responsibility placed on her shoulders bc she is fundamentally flawed

Lesson he/she needs to learn: Everyone’s flawed and its the struggling to be better than we were yesterday that is the true definition of worth!

What is the best thing in his/her life? Her loved ones and her ppl, her country <3 Would literally die for them no joke <3

What is the worst thing in his/her life? Well, atm that would def be this whole conquest-which-might-spark-the-apocalypse/unleash-death-and-endless-winter-upon-the-world or whatever situation sdlkjfksjldf so yeah. not amazing laskjdafakjlsdf But also its this feeling that she's let her ppl down, let the whole world down, bc they were the one standing between humanity and apocalypse and she tried so, so hard, she did every single thing she could think of to make this world a little brighter and her ppl a little happier, and nothing she did was enough. i ts kinda playing into all her doubts abt herself and now the world is doomed bc of it...its kinda heavy ngl. now, she is faced w the notion that effectively giving up and embracing a lesser evil is the only way she can help anyone, bc if she can convince Roderick to legalize the old religion again then perhaps she can save the world -- and the only bargaining chip she has is her country, so basically she sells her own and her ppl's soul to save their lives? is that right? or is it just her flawed nature telling her so?

What does he/she most often look down on people for? cruelty, egotism, a lack of principles/willingness to harm others esp for selfish gain, lack of manners lol she can be a lil prickly sometimes ngl but i mean…she’s literally a perfectionist so, like, are we ~that surprised

What makes his/her heart feel alive? Love and friendship, the warmth of the sun, the laughter and smiles of her loved ones and her people, sweet summer fruits, the sound of water, peace, calm, wellbeing, the satisfaction of a job well done

What makes him/her feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way? im sure it was aria! warmth, comfort, and encouragement, kindness, playfulness and childlike silliness, sharing in her altruistic ideals, persistance, total trust

Top three things he/she values most in life? Her loved ones, trust, and a generous spirit

EXTERNAL: NOT NECESSARY, BUT GOOD TO KNOW AND SAYS A LOT ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER

What’s his/her favorite book, movie, and band? Oh, man, she’d probs love historical dramas!! Both for the personal/event analysis AND for things like the pretty sets and costumes hahaha she’d be esp enamored of Elizabeth I like Elizabeth: the Golden Age? She’d love it and probs cry every single time she sees it ngl smdh Another Florence + the Machine lover also classical music and soundtracks and operas and esp ballets! Big Tchaikovsky fan over here! She’d really enjoy Wonderwoman and The Dark Knight and the Prestige and, actually, the Nolan brothers in general, probs. I feel like she’d really enjoy speculative fiction, science fiction, and horror esp the more intellectual things bc she ~is a snob but she also dearly loves to laugh and btw P&P 2005 is probs her all-time fav movie, hands down <3

Is there an object he/she can’t bear to part with and why? Idk if there’s a royal signet ring but her dad probs gave her that w his dying breath, entrusting her as the future ruler and that’s a trust that she takes V E R Y seriously and she does noT take that thing off she is married to her country 100%

Describe a typical outfit for him/her from top to bottom. Well, she’s a queen so she always dresses in the latest style™ to show respect to her country etc and to play into the queenly iconography as expected tbh that promo shot from merlin where she’s lounging on the sofa in purple w that bejeweled headpiece dripping down her forehead is pr…on brand i feel like

What names or nicknames has he/she been called throughout their life? Your Grace haha no but Eilia, Ella, Norr, Nora

What is his/her method of manipulation? correcting others – insisting they share her standards

Describe his/her daily routine. Eilia does like to inject a little change into her routine daily for a bit of relish -- no two days should feel precisely the same! but generally, she gets up early, eats a little bit, receives petitions, meets w her vizier to discuss goals/makes orders largely informed by that prev activity, does correspondance etc, receives more petitioners, writes up and ratifies pending legislation etc, receives yet more petitioners, wraps up the day

Their go-to cure for a bad day? Helping others wherever she can always makes her feel better! esp if she can correct misfortunes etc! spending time w her sister and friends, taking a few brief moments for herself, a walk amongst the gardens in the sunshine or by the water or amidst the trees -- out in nature!, quality time esp w Eithne and her sisters!

CHARACTER GOALS:

How is your character dissatisfied with their life? well, two things. rn they’re ~invaded so that def sucks! but also she feels she’s intrinsically flawed and thus a bad choice for the throne! but she’s also all the ppl got rn what w invasion happening so she’s tryna hold on and be everything to everyone and just…oof

What does your character believe will bring them true happiness or contentment? if she can fix literally every single thing!!! she will be happy!!! this is obv absurd but!! so is perfectionism tbh

What definitive step could they take to turn their dream into a reality? well, on a small scale, any lil change she makes is helpful, but to the bigger stuff she’s in a biT of a catch-22 bc if she yields to this marriage, she's surrendered her nation to the corruption that is the varmont empire -- you only need to look at the varmont family to see this dude shouldn't be father of a nation tbqh! but if she doesn't (w/ the caveat that the old ways would be respected of course! she def aint giving in w/o that! which is why its been two years of stalement bc both she and roderick are stubborn af), literally everyone is doomed! so there's literally no way to keep true to her integrity and still achieve her goals! this is pr much a nightmare scenario for eilia ngl

How has their fear kept them from taking this action already? ultimately, eilia has v little real trust in herself. she is determined and unswerving which keeps her from giving up, but part of her wishes she simply could. bc she fears that someone -- perhaps anyone else -- might be better for the role in which she finds herself, she second guesses every choice before her, but she won't give up the fight. there's a way to save everyone -- she has to believe that there is

How does your protagonist feel they can accomplish their goal while still steering clear of the thing they are afraid of? eilia believes that if she can keep one ohand on the wheel, even as roderick's latest bride, she can help steer the world towards a better outcome than it currently faces, even if roderick cannot be swayed on matters of religion. bc of this, she is currently contemplating relenting and marrying him in order to quietly rebel from within, but she feels this might ultimately ultimately lead to the worst outcome of all, which has so far stopped her from going forward with this option

#about

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