#the bone thief’s tale

[thatpunkmaximoff]

[Book One of Three]

Story: 3 out of 5 Smut: 1 out of 5

If you’re one who can look past some very obvious (but not many!) mistakes, then this book was actually a pretty decent read.

There was a bit going on, but once you grasp how the world works then you’ll be hooked.

The highs and lows, twists and turns, left you anxiously wondering would happen next or what the hell one character was thinking to do what they did. Looking at you, Rio 😡

Now read my spoilery thoughts…

* Very much little mermaid vibes… just more darker.

* Lynne vowed she wouldn’t lose a bone and what did she do? She lost a bone. And Rio picked it up 😬

* Ahhh. A crime boss. I like Rio, but I’m not sure I like this writing style 🤔 Maybe I’ve read too much mafia romance and fantasy just isn’t my fav anymore…

* The Blood Queen is a bitch. And why doesn’t she want Lynne to know who her fuck buddy was..?

* Being sent to the Top World without a voice.. ? She’s definitely Ariel. And Rio is a gang leader instead of a charming prince.

* Lol. She chose a “dress” from her collection and was wondering why she was being gawked at while Too World. It was a fuckin’ negligee! That’s why everyone thought she was a sex worker 🤦🏻‍♀️

* So who the fuck is Baron? If it’s Rio, she’s fucked. He doesn’t let chicks get in his way and Fox apparently has dibs. If her dislike for Lynne already is anything to go by, she’s gonna be super pissed/jealous when Lynne and Rio start spending time together.

* ….and Rio’s fucked. Love at first sight? Already possessive? Yes, please.

* Dude, Rio’s kind of a dick. He unfortunately saw Lynne kill one of his men, accidentally, and wants to weaponize her now 🤦🏻‍♀️

* The tension! Oh man, he was showing her how to seduce a man… and yeahhhh… they’re both fucked 😂

* I love how protective he is already. He took her out to see if she could do parkour and she’s impressing him. I love it.

* “All right, I like that you can fight back. But I will always take the blows aimed at you, understand?” — and this is where I fall in love with Rio.

* Lol she whacked him with her shoe hard enough to draw blood 😂

* The betrayal! Rio’s best friend is a dick.

* Or not… 👀 Wtf is going on lol.

* How did C-Wax get in Lynne’s clutch? Is Fox really fucking with her or someone else…?

* The “sexting” is kind of awkward, but bearable.

* Then again, Lynne’s never done that before so, of course, her flirting is awkward.

* I think the author should have edited this again before sending it off. Twice I’ve seen two different sentences repeated a couple paragraphs later. It’s kind of cringe.

* “I may seem calm,” he said, “but I’ve already fucked you a hundred times in my mind.” — goddamn 🥵

* Wow. Lynne totally went Selene on Fish’s dead ass 😂 That leap + decapitation combo was totally inspired by Underworld. Calling it rn.

* Fuck. “Any” knows about the Underworld. He just outed Lynne to Rio. Fucking asshole.

* So “Any” has a deal with the Blood Queen too 🤦🏻‍♀️ He has a time limit to kill his sister’s murderer… and twice already Lynne’s caught him pointing a gun at Rio. Does he think Rio is responsible? Fuck that dude.

* Ugh. I hate Fox and her smug little attitude.

* Wait.. is Lynne “Aria” and she just not know it? Rio’s mentioned how she and “Any” look alike, and notices some familiar things about her that he shouldn’t because he’s never met Lynne before. What if she’s “Any’s” twin?!

* What the fuck, Rio. You betrayed Lynne?!

* Oh no. Lynne touched Rio with her bare hand.

* Who the fuck knocked her out?!

* Oh fuck. Rio can see Bory and hear Lynne now!

* I FUCKING CALLED IT! I knew Lynne was Aria, “Any’s” twin 😭

* Also, how dare the author end it like that.

[hunting-songs]

Blog Inspiration:

Pape Dönes Glockenspiel- Pape Dönes Chimebells

Pape- a lowgerman version of Pfaffe. A not especially nice version to refer to a priest or monk. It comes from the latin word papa for father which again developted from the oldgreek word papás.

Döne- lowgerman version of the highgerman Töne. It translates to Tunes (as english developed from old lowgerman and centuries later lowgerman was reintreduced into London English by beeing the trading language of the Hanseatic Pact), noises, sounds. Highgerman and English are both very closely related to old lowgerman. However Lowgerman is its own language and not a dialect as its nowdays often seen compared to modern highgerman.

Störtebeker- word by word: Stürz den Becher= Plunge/ empty the jug. The name of a pirate from lowgerman stories who was named after his ability to empty a 4-litre-jug in one gulp. Klaus Störtebeker is said to have been born in Wismar and executed in Hamburg.

Pape Dönes Glockenspiel

As Störtebeker and his cutthroats had their secret hideout at Jasmund, so sat another similar murderer in his hideout in the forests of Ratzeburg. This one however was not a pirate,but a robber. His name was Pape Döne and his inhuman, unmeasurable strenght he had earned through a pact with the Devil.

Disguised as a begger he wandered around,attacked other Travlers, overpowered even the strongest man and brought them along with all their belongigns to his secret hideout and den of cutthroats.

There he beheaded his victims, skinned their skulls, dried them and hung the craniums between the threes around his hideout on a thread. After this he would hit the craniums with his wanderstaff and notice with his keen ears that every skull would give away another tune. As every person had their own personality so played their skulls another tune. Thats why there were so many people living together unhappy, fighting and quarreling as the tunes their skulls would produce were not harmonically and discordantly. From this instrument he had span between the trees the Robber had been given the name "Döne".

Whenever this musically inclined man, the inventor of the skull-theory, would play music on the chimebells he would also pull the threads and let the skulls dance. To this he would sing happily a mocking dancing-song:

"So danzet, danzet,min levesten Söne,

Dat Danzen, dat maket ju Vater Pape Döne."

"So dance, dance, my beloved Sons;

Its your Father Pape Döne who makes you dance."

One day the devil wanted to finally take this despicable mans soul to a place where there woul neither be songs or dances. Pape Döne however refused and promised the Devil seven innocent souls instead of his corrupted, dirty one, if the devil would give him some time to collect those souls. And the devil as stupid and greedy as he was, agreed to Dönes offer.

However as soon as the Devil had walked away Döne hasted to Lübeck, looked for a monk to confess all his sins and crimes to, and asked him to please protect him from the devil. The monk promised Döne to protect him from the devil, but only if Döne would confess all his crimes to the court of justice and give himself over to the law to be properly punished for his crimes. Pape Döne was not especially happy over those conditions, but it was about saving his immortal soul, so he agreed.

When the Devil came to collect the seven souls Döne had promsied him, the same Döne had become a pious monk and showed the devil his crucifix, kissed it, and asked the Devil to do the same.

Something like this had never happned to the Devil. He hissed and spit fire and left a scent of sulfur when he disappeared.

However at the next day the Devil lay in waiting, as at this day Pape Döne was suppose to be hanged to be punished for the cime she had after all confessed to and the devil planned to catch the despicable robbers soul as soon as it would leave the body.

How flabbergasted was the devil, when at the moment of the hanged mans death two angles came down from ehaven to fetch the robbers soul and bring it with them as after all Pape Döne had confessed all his sins and as sinless as he was now his soul was brougt to heaven.

That was the story how a musically inclined, sly robber tricked the Devil and saved his soul.

Original german fairytale under the cut:

[prokopetz]

One of my favourite genres of Tumblr post is people RPing as fairy tale creatures who hate their jobs. Like, you'd assume the Bone-Thief of the Dark Forest at least enjoys taking people's bones, but no, apparently they get paid to do this. In what currency does a bone-stealing phantom of the deep woods get paid? What do they spend it on?

[lifebetweenthecovers]

Blog Tour - The Bone Thief's Tale

Blog Tour – The Bone Thief’s Tale

Hello and welcome to Infinite Pages! Today I bring you a blog tour review of another retelling story, this time The Bone Thief’s Tale by Heleen Davies. In addition to being the month for spooky reads, this one also turned out to be the month for retellings as well it seems! This one is a Young Adult or YA book that was officially released on October 18, 2022. I was intrigued by the plot and it…

[circeyoru]

Collection of Overlords _ Part 12 = Requested

[Alastor x Soul Owner of All Overlords!Reader]

Part 1 — Part 1.5 — Part 2 — Part 3 — Part 4 — Part 5 — Part 6 — Part 7 — Part 8 — Part 9  — Part 10 — Part 11 — Part 12 (here)

Call you cruel, call you sadistic, call you evil, call you a tease. You are, after all, The Cursed Entity, the symbol of all things demonic. As much as you may appear to be harmless and passive, it was all a facade for souls to let down their guard like how a hunter would pounce on an unsuspecting prey

Overlords are unique Sinners, set apart from the other doomed souls that arrive in Hell after their timely or untimely death on Earth. A Sinner’s power stem from a few things or circumstances

It could be something related to their career when living, like a gravedigger would control soil or bones. It could be something related to an element they love or hate, like a person who loves the sea would have control over water. It could also be something related to their biggest crime or sin, like a thief would have telekinese

The possibility was endless and hard to tell. But one’s appearance was a tell-tale sign, a window to what kind of person or demon they are. Take Zestial as an example, cloaked from head to toe, there was seemingly nothing that could hint at what kind of demon he was, but it’s exactly that that tells you he’s a mysterious being and reserved, not prone to action and would weight his options

Another example. Velvette. Her appearance always changes, from hair style to her clothing, she was one of the rarer demons that would do that. Like her ever-changing appearance, her base, meaning her body, never changes. It shows that she changes her surroundings to make herself fit in rather than herself. Her core self is stable and knows what to do to make herself station

Your Overlord picks were something you’ve observed from the biggest hints to the littlest, you never really needed to see their past life during their living years when you knew what made a Sinner a Sinner

Steadily, you moved the original Hellborns living in Pride to other Rings and gave Lucifer and Lilith dominion over that Ring so there won’t be as much conflict. But because you knew there was a different between the Sinners, you also knew they aren’t prone to follow orders. You gave a test to Sinners when more and more arrived

Different from Hellborns, Sinners will have the unique and universal power to make and enter deals of their own kind. Sinners that enter into the deal will be making their own terms and agreements without a third party unless they are to be involved and consented

When such a power was revealed, the stronger Sinners got to work, using their overwhelming power to crush weaker Sinner into their submission. This process helped you differentiate the plain Sinner from potential Overlord candidates when you were still on the fence with the whole new ranking system

It was after letting Lucifer and Lilith know about the whole Overlord project did you start to look for some Overlords to take under your wing. As exciting as it sounds, it was one headache after another, you lost count of the would-be Overlords you shoved into your Cages

Until Zestial came along and wanted to be at your services. A demon of knowledge and elegance was your first impression of him. He wasn’t ashamed to be under someone, rather he saw it as an honour to be under someone as great and cruel as you. Quite the flatterer, not that it displeases you

You have to give credit where it’s due since Zestial had a big hand in your Overlord project early days. It was him who recommended Carmilla and informed you of Rosie, two more obedient and favourable Overlord candidates you quickly took a liking too

Then came Zeezi, a formidable Sinner of violence and strength, displayed in her appearance and actions. Through her, you saw the joy in beating a Sinner into your ideal Overlord. It was the success of it all that made you continue this routine, but there were also times when you got bored and didn’t mold your new Overlords into space which resulted in their expulsion

“Husk is no longer fit to be among the ranks of Overlord.” You announced to the others while atop your throne with the others seated around you at the table. You played with the pendant that was Husk’s in your fingers before black flames burned it and you threw it into the air, your Cages all fought to devour it. “Do as you see fit.”

Now how should you deal with Vox?

Velvette was smart and keen enough to at least look for help among your favoured Overlords, but Vox… Vox was so smart that he went to Princess of Hell. Truly smart beyond words. It’s moment like these that you question why and how he got Alastor to see him as a good enough candidate for you to consider

Honestly… How talented was Vox that he got Alastor’s attention and praise?

It irked you how Vox held Alastor’s attention for that long to the point you wanted to crush him immediately the moment you offered him a place. However, as one could plainly see now, you never did

The question you have now was how to make use of Vox. Should you revive him like you have done with Velvette or discard him like the trash he is?

Choking and cricket noises pulled you out of your thoughts as you looked forward at Vox in a sorry state. Zestial being indifferent to the entire situation, well, deep down he was entertained, you’re sure. Great minds think alike after all. You snapped your fingers and released him from your subconscious torture. This is what happens when you get too immersed in your thoughts

“I’ll be frank.” You spoke, uncaring of how Vox was still self-repairing from his ordeal. “Your little group is down a member, said member is building her own forces to lead and I gave her full support.” Your eyes opened as you glared down at him, “So don’t go pestering my new star.”

Vox felt the pressure from your words, his TV screen of a head bowing, “O- Of course…”

You hummed, your eyes closed again making the intention in the air return normal. “Alright, you can go now. Zestial will see you out since this is your firs time at the hotel.”

Just as Zestial was making his way to Vox, he panicked and hastily questioned, “Wait! What’s going to happen? Velvette’s gone, we aren’t the Vees. Is Valentino and I going to…?”

“I wonder.” You can’t help but play around with your words, a smirk form while you taunted, “Guess it’ll be the 2Vs now.” At Vox’s silence, you decided to offer some form of mercy. With a glitch in your form, you suddenly appeared before Vox’s face, your form towering over his. “Tell me honestly, can you even afford to worry for others when your place within my collection is like a sand castle at the beach?” Your head tilted, “Oh so close to the waved of the ocean, ready to be. Washed. Away. Into. Nothingness.”

Vox’s knees gave out as he buckled down, “I… I…”

You scoffed, turning away to return to your seat, “Broken items are thrown away, Vox, no one wants to keep something that lost its value.” Your fingers snapped, eight cards flew around around, “You have been keen on keeping information to yourself, especially against Velvette and Valentino, it shows your superiority towards them.” Two cards burned to nothing while one card flew to remain hovering in front of Vox, the rest remained by your side. “But you’ve forgotten as an Overlord, who you’re supposed to show your talents and skill to.”

The card in front of Vox burned to nothing, now he was able to view your indifferent expression and Zestial standing faithfully by your side with his cheshire grin. His claws balled into fists, his digital jaw clenched, and his form shook. “So I don’t qualify as an Overlord…” A twisted smile spread on his face, “Ha… Haha… Hahahhahahahahhahahaahahahaaa! Ha! Hahahahaha!!”

Zestial glared over to you while you turned your head to his direction as if sharing a glance. When a grin grew on your face, Zestial bowed formally and dramatically. “Giveth me some timeth, mine own liege (Give me some time, My Liege.)”

Within your room of souls, both loud and silent cries and pleads did nothing to earn your attention. Cages flew from one area to another, devouring and festing on bodies of defiant subjects that shown you disrespect. All while you sat behind your desk in your throne, a quill pen in your hand to scribble over cards of different colours, but all share the singular pattern and symbol 

The moment you were done, a murder of Cages flew to your side and you attached each with a card put into an envelope. You patted their heads with a command to delivery your words to their target. With their orders received they flapped their wings and flew up until they were gone from sight

You strolled and made your way to your round tables, stopping by at the one for Pride Ring. A satisfied smile graced your face. Familiar patches of colours covering all of territories. Your Overlords have completed their work and the time has come for the grandest of events

“The time has come!”

“The time has come!”

“It’s here!”

Your commanded Cages all found their targets and cried out to announce their presence. Then your intended receivers all realized what they were given and the weight of it all

Rosie didn’t need to open the window as a Cage flew through it and hovered in front of her with its wings flawing to remain in the air. Rosie reached out both of her hands to receive the envelope with pride and a wide smile

Zeezi flinched at the sudden appearance of the Cage, quickly composing herself before she took the envelope to see what was inside. Her eyes narrowed at the words written, she quickly pocketed it and started to bark orders to her followers to prepare

Carmilla, Zestial, and Vox all paused in their activity as three Cages came to them, each having one flying in front of them with a visible envelope of acception. Vox gulped as he glanced to his two seniors who nodded and he took his with a bow at the Cage that was delivering on your behalf. Zestial and Carmilla received theirs without issues, but both shared a look of acknowledgement 

Velvette halted the rehearsal when a Cage appeared by her side. She took the envelope carefully as if it was made of glass and read through the contents. Her eyes widened as she couldn’t believe her eyes, she immediately got up and cancelled everything in her schedule. Priorities 

Alastor placed his tea cup down, his eyes lit up with interest at the sight of a Cage perched on his shoulder. He scratched its feathers with a claw while retrieving the envelope, he opened it with a claw and read through the card. He hummed and looked over to where Husk was, seeing a familiar scene of a Cage handing Husk an envelope as well

Husk punched away an overbearing tailor, his scowl ceased when the familiar creature whom he recalled as a ‘Cage’ flew to him and show him an envelope of high quality. A chill run down his spine as he figured the time has come, he read through the card and gulped, it really has come. He turned his head to Alastor who’s smile widened

Valentino threw another glass at the wall, creating another mess inside the room. His screams and roars going unheard and uncared for, evident of the destruction within the room and the unkept appearance of the moth demon. The Cage avoided another thrown object, letting go of the envelope so that he splatted on his face, he growled and snatched it open. His eyes narrowed and blinked. Great. Another meeting

Note: This series is coming to an end~~ Soon, I think a few more parts then an epilogue. Thanks for people that's still keeping up with this series! It's not going to be dropped! Promise!! Anyways, your thoughts on this one?

Circe Y. 

My Works: MASTERLIST

Taglist: (those that don't specify to being in all the works' taglist will automatically be assumed to be in whichever series they comment on)

@aconfusedwonderland @crowleysthings @donustellaron @mistpurpl3 @lucifers-silhouette @fluffy-koalala @snowy-violet @charlottesskiss @plutobots @ray-rook @thealienartist @serenity-songbird @galaxydreamer468 @raynerrold @wen01203 @hikari-michiko @colecreo @myromanempiree @xsamkuro @yourdoorisunlocked @clavelina @jono723 @cursedcattalastor @an-idyllic-novelist @flamiohotman2024 @rea-grace @myromanempiree @veroneverleft @lousypotatoes @crazysuityouth @jellyedkazoo @wat4r @kiraisastay @thealienartist @chefysawesomeideas @wtvbabes @patronizingbitch @koshi-kazu @craftyperfectiontragedy @scr4luv @chrollobb @mysterypotatoink @callmefe @dokukg69 @ratchetprime211 @freejayde @prettyprincess-ily @cgmajor @mook14 @ace-spades-1 @yuuandtheghost @abbiesxox @martinys-world @kiraisastay @umbreon-worshipper @crimsonflameproxy @the-gay-trash-gremlin

[wondereads]

Sapphic Book Recs for Pride 2024

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Adult, high fantasy, 4.28 star average (my rating: 5 stars)

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Adult, sci-fantasy, 4.29 star average (my rating: 5 stars)

The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett

Young Adult, high fantasy, 3.55 star average (my rating: 5 stars)

Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide

Young Adult, thriller, 4.27 star average (my rating: 5 stars)

Crier's War by Nina Varela

Young Adult, high fantasy, 4.11 star average (my rating: 4.5 stars)

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

New Adult, low fantasy, 4.18 star average (my rating: 4.5 stars)

Seven Devils by L. R. Lam and Elizabeth May

Adult, space opera, 4.03 star average (my rating: 4.5 stars)

Malice by Heather Walter

Adult, fantasy romance, 3.97 star average (my rating: 4.5 stars)

Beguiled by Cyla Panin

Young Adult, high fantasy, 3.48 star average (my rating: 4 stars)

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

Adult, high fantasy, 4.21 star average (my rating: 3.5 stars)

Ash by Malinda Lo

Young Adult, fantasy romance, 3.57 star average (my rating: 3.5 stars)

We Ate the Dark by Mallory Pearson

New Adult, horror fantasy, 3.04 star average (my rating: 3 stars)

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

Adult, historical fantasy, 3.66 star average

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

Adult, historical fantasy, 4.13 star average

Flip the Script by Lyla Lee

Young Adult, contemporary romance, 3.64 star average

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

Adult, high fantasy, 4.07 star average

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Adult, historical fantasy, 4 star average

This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron

Young Adult, contemporary fantasy, 4.17 star average

Tink and Wendy by Kelly Ann Jacobson

Young Adult, low fantasy, 3.4 star average

The Tiger's Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera

Adult, high fantasy, 3.84 star average

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

Adult, horror sci-fi, 4.04 star average

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Young Adult, high fantasy, 3.65 star average

The Goddess of Nothing at All by Cat Rector

Adult, high fantasy, 4.23 star average

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Young Adult, historical romance, 4.28 star average

Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Young Adult, dystopian sci-fi, 3.92 star average

The City of Dusk by Tara Sim

Adult, high fantasy, 3.72 star average

Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills

Young Adult, contemporary fiction, 4.25 star average

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

Adult, gothic fantasy, 3.83 star average

A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson

Adult, gothic fantasy, 4.12 star average

Seven Faceless Saints by M. K. Lobb

Young Adult, high fantasy, 3.5 star average

Darker by Four by June CL Tan

Young Adult, contemporary fantasy, 4.11 star average

The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling

Young Adult, paranormal romance, 3.64 star average

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Lin

Adult, mystery thriller, 3.63 star average

Once & Future by Cory McCarthy and A. R. Capetta

Young Adult, sci-fantasy, 3.57 star average

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

Adult, high fantasy, 4.1 star average

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Young Adult, sci-fi horror, 3.48 star average

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfled

Young Adult, contemporary fiction/low fantasy, 3.69 star average

[traeumenvonbuechern]

🐉 Dragon Books To Read If You Liked "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros 🐉

The dragon romantasy "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros has taken over the bookish community, so I wanted to give you some recommendations on what to read after you finished it.

Dragonfall by L.R. Lam

Long ago, humans betrayed dragons, stealing their magic and banishing them to a dying world. Centuries later, their descendants worship dragons as gods. But the 'gods' remember, and they do not forgive. Since they were orphaned, Arcady has scraped a living thieving on the streets of Vatra, dreaming of life among the nobility - and revenge. When the chance arises to steal a powerful artefact from the bones of the Plaguebringer, the most hated person in Lumet history, they jump at it, for its magic holds the key to their dreams. But the spell has unintended consequences, and drags Everen - the last male dragon, who was once foretold to save his kind - into the human world. Trapped, and disguised as a human, Everen soon realises that the key to his destiny, and to regaining his true power, lies in Arcady. All he needs to do is convince one little thief to bond with him completely - body, mind, and soul - and then kill them . . . Yet the closer the two become, the greater the risk both their worlds will shatter.

To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

A young Indigenous woman enters a colonizer-run dragon academy—and quickly finds herself at odds with the “approved” way of doing things—in the first book of this brilliant new fantasy series. The remote island of Masquapaug has not seen a dragon in many generations—until fifteen-year-old Anequs finds a dragon’s egg and bonds with its hatchling. Her people are delighted, for all remember the tales of the days when dragons lived among them and danced away the storms of autumn, enabling the people to thrive. To them, Anequs is revered as Nampeshiweisit—a person in a unique relationship with a dragon. Unfortunately for Anequs, the Anglish conquerors of her land have different opinions. They have a very specific idea of how a dragon should be raised, and who should be doing the raising—and Anequs does not meet any of their requirements. Only with great reluctance do they allow Anequs to enroll in a proper Anglish dragon school on the mainland. If she cannot succeed there, her dragon will be killed. For a girl with no formal schooling, a non-Anglish upbringing, and a very different understanding of the history of her land, challenges abound—both socially and academically. But Anequs is smart, determined, and resolved to learn what she needs to help her dragon, even if it means teaching herself. The one thing she refuses to do, however, is become the meek Anglish miss that everyone expects. Anequs and her dragon may be coming of age, but they’re also coming to power, and that brings an important realization: the world needs changing—and they might just be the ones to do it.

She Who Earned Her Wings by Vaela Denarr & Micah Iannandrea

One does not learn to fly without taking a leap. And one has to fall to be caught. Nomi is a young druid finally taking the chance to spread her wings and leave her home. To see the world and discover its magic, beauty… and maybe love. Calia is a dragon on the hunt for angels, trying to square an old debt. That, and to get Laura, her desired bondmate, to finally return to her side, where she belongs. Nomi immediately catches the eye of the powerful dragons. Calia entices her with honeyed words and a skillful tongue. On the other hand, Laura, much smaller but equally intimidating, takes it upon herself to protect her. Despite the warnings, Nomi can’t help being drawn to Calia's charm, her power, her fangs… and the hidden gentleness in her eyes. She promises danger where Laura promises safety, and Nomi is torn between the two. Luckily there is a convenient cult out for the dragons’ heads, providing Nomi with ample distraction and at least one dragon egg to steal, hatch, and raise by herself. Perfectly normal things for a young transgender druid to get involved in! In the clutches of dragons, battling dark forces from beyond the stars, Nomi faces the questions of who she is and who she wants to be. Whether she deserves the love offered to her, and what it truly takes to earn her wings...

[electronickingdomfox]

"The New Voyages" review

This one is actually a collection of short stories by fan authors, which makes the stories seem more like episodes of the series. It has also the distinct honor of being introduced by Roddenberry and most members of the cast. The stories are generally well-written and in character.

Some spoilers ahead:

Ni Var (by Claire Gabriel; intro by Nimoy) takes the plot of "The Enemy Within", but applied to Spock and the division between his Vulcan rational part, and his human emotional part. Besides the fact that I'm not sure such division works at that biological level, the two Spocks aren't all that different really. And it's not a very novel concept, specially right after a similar plot in previous book "Spock must die". But bonus points for Kirk giving the middle finger to his own reflection.

Intersection Point (by Juanita Coulson; intro by Doohan) is one of the best stories. The Enterprise is seriously crippled while navigating through an anomaly cloud, which is quickly contracting and threatens to crush the entire ship. Anyone who enters the cloud to retrieve a crucial component of the ship, is mentally destroyed by its eldritch qualities. Great tension and difficult choices.

The Enchanted Pool (by Marcia Ericson; intro by Nichols) is an attempt to write a fairy tale with Spock thrown in the middle for good measure. A bit of purple prose, and doesn't quite work. The resolution of the mistery is ingenous, even when convoluted.

Visit to a Weird Planet Revisited (by Ruth Berman; intro by Barrett) is actually the other half of a fanfic (Visit to a Weird Planet, not published here) where Kirk, Spock and Bones end up in the real world, right in the studio where they're filming Star Trek. Here instead, we follow the actors, who appear in the Enterprise and have to improvise to avert a danger. The other story was more fun, since Kirk and co. are more clumsy and hilarious in our world (being even "attacked" by fans), while the actors are just slightly less competent than their counterparts.

The Face on the Barroom Floor (by Eleanor Arnason and Ruth Berman; intro by Takei) is a really fun story. Kirk gets into a fight in a bar while in shore leave, is detained, teams up with a ratty thief, and crashes a party, while his crew search for him frantically. In the line of TOS best comedy-adventure episodes.

The Hunting (by Doris Beetem; intro by the editors) is a bit "meh". Spock goes into a Vulcan ritual which requires to mind-meld with a wild beast, and McCoy accompanies him. When Spock goes wild in the process, the good doctor has to hunt him and give him back his sanity. There could have been a more homoerotic fight between them, as in "Amok Time".

The Winged Dreamers (by Jennifer Guttridge; intro by Kelley) is another high point. The Enterprise crew falls under the influence of some creatures that make their fantasies seem real. So real that people can actually die if imagining the wrong thing. Spock is less affected, but slowly begins to hallucinate too, and the triumvirate fall into paranoia as neither they (nor the reader) can tell what's real and what's not anymore.

Mind-Sifter (by Shirley Maiewski; intro by Shatner) drags a bit at the beginning, when Kirk wakes up in a sanatory, his mind almost destroyed. It gets more interesting once Spock and McCoy start a quest to search for him. Great interactions between these two, reminiscent of "The Tholian Web".

After the eight stories there's still a little poem about Spock and Leila.

Spirk Meter: 10/10*. Not all stories are equally slashy, but the parts which do, are slashy in spades.

Ni Var has Kirk worrying about Spock all the time, and "human Spock" wondering if what he feels for the Captain is friendship... or love (something which happens too in one of Roddenberry's story concepts for a movie, around this time).

Intersection Point has a clear parallel between the anguish of a female crewmember, after a man (obviously her boyfriend) loses his mind in the anomaly, and Kirk agonizing once Spock has to enter the same anomaly.

The Enchanted Pool, where Spock refuses to kiss a beautiful female time and time again. Even when the woman assures him it's the only way to break a spell and escape. Even when Spock is doing far more dangerous things ALL THE TIME to solve problems. Of course, he considers the kiss a total waste of time once it doesn't work.

The Face on the Barroom Floor: Kirk is invited to a bar by McCoy and Sulu, who have found three women to pass the time, one for each. What does Kirk do? He gets out the bar two seconds later, puts on a samurai costume, and goes instead to a bar full of muscular, rowdy men, to get thrashed by them. Of course.

The Winged Dreamers has Spock wishing to stay on a planet with Kirk, just the two of them, for ever and ever. McCoy totally gets what's going on.

And I thought that Mind-Sifter would be about the love between a (quite unproffesional) nurse, and her mentally unstable patient, Kirk. But oh man, where do I even begin!? For starters, we have Kirk using his mind link with Spock to cry for help, across the galaxy and several centuries. And later he's concerned about how much can Spock read into his mind. Then we have McCoy informing the nurse that no, Kirk can't stay with her, because his love is his career and his... (trails off, having said too much). Gallant Spock carries an unconscious Kirk in his arms, and tells the nurse that, no matter how much she loves him, Kirk DOES NOT love her back (bitch!). If that wasn't enough, there's a lenghty conversation at the end, where Kirk almost melts in love and appreciation for Spock, and the Vulcan blushes at his own emotional display.

*A 10 in this scale is the most obvious spirk moments in TOS. Think of the back massage, "You make me believe in miracles", or "Amok Time" for example.

[hedwig221b]

HIIII can you list some of your favourite angst heart-wrenching sobbing sliding down the walls fics ? idc if it’s short or long i need some angst rnn please and thank uuu <3

Hi, sweetie! This was difficult for me, bc I'm a sucker for angst, basically all I read is angst and I have like 200 fics saved. Here's a looong list of the ones which I know for sure I can always come back to for some good old angst.

STEREK ANGST FIC RECS from HEDWIG221B

By Any Other Name by entanglednow

(Explicit, 33k, Amnesia, Violence)

He doesn't know his name, he doesn't know who he is, and neither does the werewolf he's on the run with. But he's pretty sure they hunt monsters, because they seem to be really good at it.

all roads they lead me here by spaceprincessem

(Teen, 39k, Mates, Emissary Stiles)

“Then why wouldn’t you be Derek’s emissary?” Stiles asked. He just wished Deaton would get to the fucking point. He was tired and he hated playing twenty questions to figure out what the older man was getting at.

“Derek’s emissary needs to be someone who he trusts completely,” Deaton explained, “and it’s time I passed on my wisdom and expertise to that person.”

The beat of silence between them stretched for too long before Stiles realized exactly who Deaton was talking about.

“Me?” He asked incredulously.

A Princely Knight by Dexterous_Sinistrous

(Mature, 25k, Medieval, Royalty, Pining)

He would stand by Stiles’ side, a constant shadow of protection until his death. A life for a life, one worth much more than an orphan turned thief turned royal guard could comprehend.

In truth, Derek saw the one person he would gladly give his life for, because Stiles made this world better.

~*~

Or, Stiles is a prince and Derek is his knight.

won't you torture someone else's sleep by redeyedwrath

(Gen, 3,6k, Pining)

I love you, Derek thinks, but he doesn’t say it, just watches Stiles throw his head back in laughter that isn’t for him and never will be. I love you, I love you, I love you.

Maybe if he thinks it hard enough, Stiles will hear him.

Wants & Needs by MadcapRomantic

(Explicit, 33k, ABO, Mating Run, Bad Peter)

Derek Hale has been participating in the Beacon Hills Mating Run for a decade, each year coming up without a mate. His mother, convinced this is his lucky year, persuades him to run one last time.

Enter Stiles, a young Omega with an unwanted Alpha nipping at his heels.

Family or not, Peter is determined to have Stiles.

But convinced they are True Mates, there isn't anything Derek won't do to keep Stiles safe.

To Whom The Wolf King Bows by MadcapRomantic

(Explicit, 108k, 14/?, Courting, Fantasy, Royalty)

Stiles Stilinski meets The Wolf King, the very boogeyman he'd spent his younger years terrified of; yet the man is little, if anything, like the tales he's heard. But, Stiles has spent the last ten years of his life as a slave, under the harsh whip of the cruel King Gerard Argent, and trusting Derek - trusting anyone - is beyond difficult.

xcaellachx

Just check out this author, there's some major angst in a lot of their works, a lot of ABO

Hung The Moon by nrnyx

(Explicit, 85k, ABO, Pack Dynamics, Heavy Angst)

Slowly Stiles got control of himself again. His heart calmed. His breathing evened out. The anger was gone. In its place, a bone-deep weariness settled. He couldn’t do this. He wouldn’t survive this.

A gift worth giving by Nival_Vixen

(Mature, 2k, Historical Fantasy, Royalty)

A person’s virginity is not only the physical act itself, but also an object that can be gifted to someone else. Stiles has given his virginity to Derek, one of the soldiers in the King’s Guard. Despite his parting promise to return the next month, Derek still hasn’t returned two months later, and Stiles doubts that he ever loved him at all.

The Bargain by dr_girlfriend

(Teen, 9,7k, Arranged Marriage, Regency AU)

Time drags on, and it becomes apparent that this is not a part of the tradition. The wolves start to shift on their feet and murmur, but no one attempts to speak to Stiles. He stands, feeling the back of his neck growing red from the sun and his face growing red from embarrassment.

What will happen if Derek Hale cannot be coerced to the altar? Will the bargain be revoked?

Perception by DiscontentedWinter

(Mature, 5,4k, Horror, Nogitsune, Murder)

Peter Hale's client is a murderous sociopath. The best thing Peter can do is get him committed to Eichen House, where he'll never see daylight again.

He thinks.

The Omega Spark by misteeirene

(Explicit, 62k, ABO, Alive Hales, Pack Dynamics)

John lived a sad and lonely life after the death of his wife, until one day when he noticed someone had breaking into his home while he was at work.

Second Chances by rootbeer

(Gen, 2,6k, Soulmates)

"A lot of times the ‘markings’ were common, simple things you said to strangers all the time. 'Excuse me'; 'thank you'; 'hello'. Some got extremely romantic things like 'it’s you isn’t it? I’ve been waiting for you' or 'Wow you’re really pretty'. And they were always the first words their soulmate would ever say to them.

Of course, having 'You are the fucking worst kind of person in the world' tattooed down your side, didn’t bode well. How fucked up was Stiles Stilinski that even his fucking Soulmate hated him? High School had been a special kind of hell when all the kids learned what his tattoo said—despite his best efforts to keep it a secret."

My Wolf by Dexterous_Sinistrous

(Teen, 7,6k, ABO, Full-shift werewolves, Pack Dynamics)

“If he wants to mate Stiles, why not let him?” Jackson asked, ready to part with Stiles if need be.

“Because if I did that, I’d be demoting Lydia,” Alpha Stilinski replied.

“We don’t even know how good of a Beta he is,” Lydia countered, bristling some that her status was being challenged.

“That’s because he’s not a Beta,” Alpha Stilinski stated. “He’s an Alpha.”

I Shouldn't Love you Anymore by wulfarchival (wyrmwolf)

(Mature, 2,2k, Established sterek, Feral Derek)

After Stiles divorces Derek under mysterious reasons, Derek moves out into the middle of nowhere loosing himself to the wolf after the ache in his chest becomes too much. But after weeks of being lost to an animal someone he thought he'd never see again returns in his life.

This time to stay forever.

Cut to the Bone by standinginanicedress

(Explicit, 112k, ABO, Secret Relationship)

“Not that it’s any of your god damn business, but my name is Stiles. Do you need something?”

The alpha grins. All teeth, shiny white, straight as an arrow. He’s got this sculpted perfection to him that Stiles is sure has worked on all the omegas he’s ever encountered before, but Stiles stands his ground and narrows his eyes. “A date.”

Stiles looks him up and down, slowly, from the black shoes on his feet, to his uniform khakis and blazer littered with pins, to his face. He frowns, makes a face, and says, “pass.”

Life After This by Nimpalous

(Mature, 5,1k, Violence, MCD, Soul Bond, I consider this having a HE)

Feeling his weight shift backwards over the ledge when another bullet hit, Stiles closed his eyes and whispered the name of his beloved as he fell.

“Derek…”

Derek woke up with an agonising scream, his body curling in on itself in pain. He wasn’t aware of having wolfed out, he didn’t know he was clawing himself as he clutched at his head, willing the agony to go away… but to no avail.

Daybreak by TheObsidianQuill

(Mature, 70k, Time Travel, Mates, ptsd!Stiles)

"There . . ." Stiles swallowed and looked down at the bottle in his grasp as he slowly swirled the amber liquid inside. "There's really nothing left. For me. Everyone is . . . gone, and it feels like I haven't thought of tomorrow in years." His words rang in the air like a gunshot, he took another heavy drink. "I would trade every last breath I take to just have another shot—not even a guarantee, just a chance to make things right and bring back even one of them."

The pack was gone. He had nothing left. He had no one. With nothing to lose, Stiles puts everything on the line to go back in time to try to prevent the future from becoming his past. Broken, guarded, and haunted by his past, only one overgrown-pup of a wolf seems able to get past his defenses. Changing the future? Easy. Finding a place for himself in the Hale Pack? Impossible.

It seems wasted now by DaaroMoltor

(Teen, 48k, Slow Burn, Miscommunication, Stiles is pushed out of the pack)

It's been months. Months of lonely days and lonelier nights.

And Stiles can't understand what he did wrong.

Under Glass by calrissian18

(Mature, 6,6k, Pining, Cursed Stiles)

The pack goes looking for a cursed artifact. Stiles would really like to go back to the time before he found it, thanks.

Time To Say Goodbye by matildajones

(Teen, 34k, Time Travel, Mates, HE)

Derek finds an older version of himself at his front door, along with Stiles, a boy from the future.

Emissary by dragon_temeraire

(Teen, 3,7k, Alive Hales, Bonding)

To keep the peace, Stiles agrees to be emissary to the Hale pack.

One Thread by RurouniHime

(Mature, 11k, Established sterek, Grief, HE)

In the middle of the night, his dad comes into the room and crawls onto the bed behind him, easing Stiles into the vee of his legs. He settles back against the headboard with a groan and doesn’t say anything for a long time. Stiles wraps his arms around one of his dad’s legs, presses his cheek to warm flannel, and tries to be still.

“Oh, kid,” his dad exhales. His hand comes down on the side of Stiles’ neck and his fingers press gently. “I never wanted you to know this pain.”

(Or, Derek dies. Stiles reacts Badly.)

[writingquestionsanswered]

hello, do you have any tips for getting more creative titles? Like going for a more poetic style without it being too much. I like for example, "These Violent Delights" and "Our Violent Ends" by Chloe Gong. They're simple, telling, and short - and I just think it's different (from "The" type titles, and the Blank of Blank and Blank format). I also think "The Folk of the Air" is simple yet creative. I feel like I don't know enough words to get the title. I appreciate any advice! Thank you.

Coming Up with Poetic Titles

Some of the most beautiful, poetic titles often stem from actual prose quotes, either from poetry, classic literature, song titles, public domain lyrics, plays, etc.

These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends, for example, are actually derived from a quote from Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet ("These violent delights have violent ends...") which is appropriate since the These Violent Delights duology is a Romeo & Juliet retelling. Other examples are The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (I knew a woman, lovely in her bones... “I Knew a Woman” by Theodore Roethke), The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars/But in ourselves... Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare), Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (What immortal hand or eye/Could frame thy fearful symmetry? "The Tyger" by William Blake), Across the Universe by Beth Revis ("Across the Universe" by The Beatles), To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han ("To All the Girls I've Loved Before" by Hal David and Albert Hammond, made famous by Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias.)

Series titles, like The Folk of the Air series and A Song of Ice and Fire series are usually broad references to what the story is about. I haven't read The Folk of the Air, but I know it's about faeries, so I'm assuming that's a reference to the fae in that story. A Song of Ice and Fire is a reference to a prophecy and history book in the series, but the imagery also references many of the themes and events in the story.

So, whether you're titling a book or series, here are some places you can look for a title:

-- references to relevant source material, such as original fairy tale if you're doing a retelling (Ash by Malinda Lo)

-- references to relevant poems, song titles, lyrics, plays, music, classic literature (Catch a Falling Star by Kim Culbertson)

-- relevant quote, title, person, place, or event that appears in your story (The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black)

-- beautiful imagery that appears in your story (Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes)

-- who or what your story is about (The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, The Martian by Andy Weir, All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater)

My post Coming Up with a Book/Story Title has more tips!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

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[book--brackets]

Best Fantasy Book Poll Links

Preliminary Rounds

Poll 1: The Hobbit - Circe (here)

Poll 2: The Night Circus - Coraline (here)

Poll 3: The Mistborn Saga - The Stormlight Archive (here)

Poll 4: The BFG - Daughter of Smoke & Bone (here)

Poll 5: The Raven Cycle - Earthsea Cycle (here)

Poll 6: Simon Snow - Legacy of Orisha (here)

Poll 7: Anansi Boys - Legends & Lattes (here)

Poll 8: The Scholomance - The Locked Tomb (here)

Poll 9: Song of the Lioness - The School for Good and Evil (here)

Poll 10: DragonLance: Chronicles - Otherworld (here)

Poll 11: Temeraire - The Queen's Thief (here)

Poll 12: The Liveship Traders - Seven Realms (here)

Poll 13: The Two Princesses of Bamarre - Falling Kingdoms (here)

Poll 14: The Wicked + the Divine - Chronicles of the Black Company (here)

Poll 15: Curse Workers - The Near Witch (here)

Poll 16: Valdemar: Heralds of Valdemar - The Riyria Chronicles (here)

Poll 17: Green Rider - The Deep (here)

Poll 18: Fledgling - The Elric Saga (here)

Poll 19: Young Wizards - Reckless (here)

Poll 20: Her Majesty's Royal Coven - The Saint of Steel (here)

Poll 21: The Magic Thief - Furthermore (here)

Poll 22: Valdemar: Mage Wars - Girls Made of Snow and Glass (here)

Poll 23: Dragonkeeper Chronicles - Faerie Tale (here)

Poll 24: The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy - The Squire's Tales (here)

Poll 25: The Cemeteries of Amalo - Stoneheart (here)

Poll 26: The 13 Clocks - Deeplight (here)

Poll 27: The Chronicles of Faerie - Guides for Dating Vampires (here)

Poll 28: Once & Future - Birthright (here)

Poll 29: Kingdoms and Empires - Lyra (here)

Poll 30: Star Wars: Jedi Quest - Wildworld (here)

Poll 31: Troll Trilogy - The Merlin Spiral (here)

Poll 32: Codebearers - Knights of Liofwende (here)

Round 1

Poll 1: Lord of the Rings vs Spellbound (here)

Poll 2: Howl's Moving Castle vs Zachary Ying (here)

Poll 3: Song of the Lioness vs The Tarot Sequence (here)

Poll 4: Lockwood & Co. vs The Unicorn Chronicles (here)

Poll 5: Circle of Magic vs Dragon Slippers (here)

Poll 6: The Queen's Thief vs Valdemar: Vows and Honor (here)

Poll 7: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard vs The Edge Chronicles (here)

Poll 8: Artemis Fowl vs Star Wars: Jedi Quest (here)

Poll 9: Discworld vs The Fairy Realm (here)

Poll 10: The Locked Tomb vs The Cemeteries of Amalo (here)

Poll 11: The Immortals Quartet vs Deltora Quest (here)

Poll 12: The Sisters Grimm vs Young Wizards (here)

Poll 13: The Keys to the Kingdom vs The Chronicles of Chrestomanci (here)

Poll 14: Princess Academy vs In Other Lands (here)

Poll 15: Simon Snow vs Hexwood (here)

Poll 16: Good Omens vs The Merlin Spiral (here)

Round 2

Poll 1: The Lord of the Rings vs The Chronicles of Chrestomanci (here)

Poll 2: Song of the Lioness vs The Locked Tomb (here)

Poll 3: Howl's Moving Castle vs The Immortals Quartet (here)

Poll 4: Lockwood & Co. vs Discworld (here)

Poll 5: Artemis Fowl vs Young Wizards (here)

Poll 6: The Queen's Thief vs Simon Snow (here)

Poll 7: Magnus Chase vs Princess Academy (here)

Poll 8: Circle of Magic vs Good Omens (here)

Round 3

Poll 1: The Lord of the Rings vs The Locked Tomb (here)

Poll 2: Howl's Moving Castle vs Discworld (here)

Poll 3: Artemis Fowl vs The Queen's Thief (here)

Poll 4: Magnus Chase vs Circle of Magic (here)

Semifinals

Poll 1: The Lord of the Rings vs Discworld (here)

Poll 2: The Queen's Thief vs Circle of Magic (here)

Finals

The Lord of the Rings vs The Queen's Thief (here)

[redgoldsparks]

January 2024 reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut.

Electric Bones volume 1 by Hazel and Bell 

Lucian is the son of a minor nobleman and the CEO of the galaxy's biggest AI company, but he's not so rich that he can't get in trouble. After being fired as a programmer from Echo Station he joined a startup with a couple friends and is now fishing for funding at an elite tech expo on board an expensive and exclusive space vessel. There he sees someone he thinks he recognizes- Ezra, a grey robot, an fully sentient AI who worked on Echo Station as a researcher and partially cost Lucian his job. So why is Ezra now working on the space vessel as an escort? Unless it's not Ezra, but just a look-alike robot model? These questions drag Lucian into the beginnings of tangled web of intrigue which include kidnapping, AI-hacking, and murder. I've been reading this story online as a webcomic for years; you can still read all of volume one here: https://electricbonescomic.com/index.... But last year I also backed the kickstarter, and just sat down to re-read the whole story in print form, including a sexy little bonus comic. I love these characters, I love the rich colors, the lovely sense of flow and design of the pages. I can't wait for volume two!

The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha

Action packed and exciting, this family drama is full of unexpected twists and turns. I loved the focus on female characters: passionate Kai, whose love of martial arts and sense of justice cannot be contained by the normal rules of Joseon society; her mother, Meorhu, a fragile woman with a surprising past; Sura, a thief turned mercenary; and the Gumiho herself, the deadly but alluring fox spirit who impacts the lives of all the others with her magic and charisma. The art is rich with historical details, beautiful nature scenes, and fast paced fight scenes. Lovers of ghost stories, kdramas, and queer re-tellings of fairy tales will find much to enjoy here. I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy of this book! Pre-order it now, or look for it in bookstores in mid-February 2024.

A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles read by Martyn Swain

What a delightful return to Romney marsh! This book picks up 13 years after the dramatic conclusion of the previous installment. Luke Doomsday is now a secretary, looking for a new position in a large house were he can keep books and solve his master's problems. Rufus, the recently minted Earl of Oxney, formerly a major in the army and son of a draper, has problems. For one, he never expected to inherit and his uncle is doing everything he can to prove Rufus illegitimate in court. For another, the previous Earl of Oxney was a selfish old bastard who let the estates fall into terrible disrepair, while Rufus' timid cousin kept poor account of the estate's money in a chicken scratch handwriting. Rufus struggles to read at the best of times, and he can barely make sense of his newly inherited account books. When Luke shows up on his door, it feels like a godsend. The men are immediately attracted to each other, though both have reason to be wary. And Luke, in seems, may have come to Stone Manor looking for more than a job. This series is such a fun mix of spicy romance, action, mystery, and danger. I'm really enjoying the setting and time period, which is just after the end of the Napoleonic wars. I really hope there will be more books to come!

Translation State by Ann Leckie

No one is doing it like Ann Leckie! This sci-fi novel uses six different pronoun sets (actually kind of seven, except one is the same set just used culturally very differently by different groups of people). It’s fantastic. We’ve got they/them, e/em/eir, sie/hir, it/its, he/him, she/her, and she/her again except used as a universal pronoun regardless of gender (which works great inside the Radch Empire and badly outside of it). I'm on the fence about whether this book can be read as a stand alone, or if it would only really make sense after having read at the Imperial Radch trilogy and Providence. I suppose it depends on what level of baffling alien customs and politics you are willing to tolerate. This book opens with Enae attending hir grandmaman's funeral, only to learn that the seemingly wealthy old woman had sold her entire estate to a stranger before her death. For the first time in her life, Enae leaves home with a Foreign Affairs job: to see out a fugitive who left Presger space some 200 years prior. Enae isn't expecting to succeed, but sie gives it hir best shot- and in doing so completely upends the lives of a widening circle of bystanders including Reet, a man of unknown parentage, and Qven, a juvenile Presger. This book finally begins to explain this inhuman and terrifying species, and the reason why the Presger-Radachii Treaty defines the rules of so much of this universe. I deeply enjoyed this installment; it makes me want to go back and re-read the original trilogy.

Brooms by Jasmine Walls and Teo Duvall 

Set in an alternate 1930s, Mississippi, this story follows a group of friends and found family who have to hide their magic from the restrictive and racist government. They survive at the margins, but they don't let the fear of prosecution stop them from doing what they love: racing together as a team. Deep in the woods seers and witches host carnival like events where racers on brooms compete for prize money and glory. Each of them has reasons why they need to win; lives and futures depend on it. This book is deeply queer with a diverse and magical cast. If you're looking for historical fiction where the trans and lesbian brown witches win, this one's for you.

Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky

Sammie is a recently out nonbinary transfemm but their college friend group has not picked up on that fact yet. When Sammie is invited to be the "best man" at their friend Adam's wedding and attend a bachelor weekend at a high-tech, no-laws resort built on top of the Pacific Garbage Patch they decide to go in stealth mode. The resort is a pyramid scheme mutated with a strip club, business conference, all you can drink brunch bar, pro-gamer, most-dangerous-game corporate nightmare. Also, the waters around it are infested with terrifying flesh-eating monsters and someone is trying to raise an eldritch god. It takes every bit of queer resistance Sammie possesses to survive this bleak, hilarious, and surprisingly moving tale. In both their fiction and nonfiction comics, Lubchansky continues to hold up the black mirror to our own dystopian times.

Belle of the Ball by Mari Costa 

A very queer high school rom-com comic with a satisfying message about growing into yourself and seeing others truly for who they are. It opens with a love triangle, but subverts that form into a more complicated shape by the end of the tale. Strong character designs and very effective limited color palette.

The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill 

In a desert village, a group of folks choose to live a nocturnal life to keep the moon company, and to care for a small group of magical moths, the only creatures who can pollinate a magical tree which helps sustain the whole ecosystem. One youngster, Anya, volunteers for the important but lonely job of Moth Keeper. She yearns to be of service to others, and feels she must earn her place in the village. In reality, help and friendship are only an ask away, and in this space everyone is cared for. This is a very beautifully illustrated and brief tale of responsibility, community, and resilience.

Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls

What an accomplishment! I savored every page of Feeding Ghosts, absolutely floored by the labor and courage that went into the writing of this book. The inking is gorgeous, the history is clear, digestible, and devastating. This book threads the line between honesty and compassion in a way that I appreciate so much in any memoir, but especially one dealing with family. Hulls lays out the story of three generations of women starting with her grandmother, Sun Yi, a Shanghai journalist who faced intense persecution during the rise of Communism in China, who penned a popular and scandalous memoir and then suffered a mental breakdown. This left her only daughter, Rose, a student at an elite boarding school with no parental figures and no other family to lean on. Eventually Rose earned a scholarship to an American university and in the end moved her mother into her California home. Sun Yi haunted that home during the author's own childhood. The unexamined trauma and codependency of Sun Yi and Rose drove the author to the extreme edges of the Earth, seeking freedom from their ghosts. But in the end, she stopped running from her family history and turned, instead, to face it. Shelve this book with Maus, Fun Home, Persepolis and The Best We Could Do.

I Keep My Exoskeletons To Myself by Marisa Crane read by Bailey Carr 

I really struggled with this book. I almost DNFed at 25%. Ultimately, I did finish it, and I am glad I did because I think the final act was my favorite part of the story. However, I think the title and cover set me up with expectations of what this book would be which were very different than what the book actually delivered. This is not science fiction- despite the fact it was nominated in the science fiction category in the Goodreads Choice Awards. It is only barely speculative. This is a book about grief, depression, and parenting a baby and then a young child as a single mom struggling with loss and borderline alcoholism. There were passages of the book which struck hard, individual observations and lines which rang like bells. There is also nearly no plot and I was frustrated by the lack of world building. I wanted to know more about the laws governing extra shadows- were Shadesters allowed to vote, hold passports, travel across state lines? Had anyone experimented with the removal of Shadows? When and how did cameras get installed in apparently every home in American, and how did the government hire and pay for a workforce of seemingly 1:1 surveillance agents to citizens? Also, how on earth did Kris manage to pay for a whole apartment on a single salary working a call center job, especially when as a Shadester she had to pay extra taxes? I understand that this is literary fiction, and these questions are obviously not the ones the book was interested in answering. But it felt strange to me that a book so focused on parenting would not include a single passage about struggling to pay for or arrange childcare. The "pop quizzes" that break up the text did not work well in audio, and did not add anything to my experience of this book. Ultimately, I would only recommend this novel to a vary narrow audience of readers who enjoy lit fic, and are willing to spend a lot of time in the POV of a character teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown through much of the story.

Atana and The Firebird by Vivian Zhou

Atana is a mermaid, but she was banished from her home to live alone on island for a reason she doesn't understand. One night a curious young firebird leaves her flock in space to come down and visit Earth, and she convinces Atana to go an adventure. They are soon pursed by magic hunters, but they also make friends, and end up as invited guests in the Witch Queen's palace. She makes them welcome in her massive library and gardens, but she also has ulterior motives. This is a fast paced story of magic, friendship, and young people slowly learning about the forces larger than themselves that shape their world and their lives. I really enjoyed the art, it has a very active, energetic line which serves the action scenes particularly well. I can tell the author came from an animation background! I am glad that the ending set up potential future installments in this world.

Portrait of a Body by Julie Delporte  

I really loved the colored pencil illustrations of this book, especially the botanical drawings, and the kind of abstract relation of the text and images. I thought the drawings paired extremely well with the hand lettering even if at times I struggled with some of the cursive capitals. This is a candid memoir of recovering from sexual assault and a dysfunctional relationship to ones body and sexuality, of stepping into queerness and self-acceptance. I couldn't really relate to the author's journey, but I appreciated the honestly and thoughtfulness with which the more challenging themes were handled.

Fool’s Fate by Robin Hobb read by Nick Taylor 

This book, and this series, has earned Robin Hobb a permanent place in my list of favorite authors. This story goes so hard, weaving together threads that are 9 volumes and 30 plus years of in-story history in the making. The final confrontations, reunions, and farewells at the end of this story were hard earned and so well written. This very much felt like it could have been a final volume of the Realm of Elderlings series, but I know that there are 7 more books to come and I can't wait to see what else this series has in store for me!

System Collapse by Martha Wells read by Kevin R Free 

This book picks up right after the end of the previous volume and I had, unfortunately, completely forgotten most of the previous plot. Once I got myself oriented I still had a great time with it. Wow, I just love watching Murderbot learn and grow and solve problems in unique and interesting ways! I kind of want to go back and re-listen to the whole series.

The Chromatic Fantasy by H.A. 

This comic blew me away. One of the most beautiful, strange, artistically ambitious and deeply trans books I've read in a while. Aesthetically, its as rich as a stained glass window or illuminated manuscript. Its narrative is psychedelic but emotionally it rings so tender and true. The story opens with Jules, a transman trapped in a nunnery who accepts a deal with a devil who promises to help him live as a man. Possessed and impervious to physical harm, Jules turns to a life of debauchery and crime. Then he meets another trans criminal, the poetic thief and thespian Casper, and they begin to fall for each other. They see each other as no one else ever has, they validate and treasure one another, but Jules' devil is a jealous master. The devil would rather see Jules burn than thrive. This is one of those books that made me want to draw, made me want to write, made me want to be bolder, weirder, freer, wilder in my story telling. An instant favorite, I expect I'll return to this over and over.

Mall Goth by Kate Leth

Liv's parents are on the verge of divorce; they've just moved to a new town and Liv will be starting at a new high school. At her last school, Liv was bullied for being openly queer and an unapologetic mall goth, and she is understandably hesitant to accept friendship overtures at the new school. However, a supportive male English teacher and a fellow goth gamer boy start to make Liv feel welcome. The goth introduces her to an MMORPG and the English teacher praises her essays and gives her Lolita. Both of them start regularly DMing Liv late into the night, more than is appropriate for the relationships they have. This book is in large part about a teen navigating confusing advances and how and when to disclose things that make her uncomfortable but feel hard to speak about or define. I thought that aspect of the story was handled very well. Some of the pacing in the friendship plot lines surrounding it felt a bit rushed, a few sections underdeveloped, but ultimately I think this book tackled an important issue not often seen in YA comics. It is also steeped in early 2000s Hot Topic/emo music/pop culture references- if you were there, you'll know.

What’s Wrong? Personal Histories of Chronic Pain and Bad Medicine by Erin Williams 

Williams illuminates, through memoir, interviews, and mixed media illustrations the extreme failures of the US healthcare system to address chronic pain. These failures are especially common for patients of color, patients who struggle with addictions, patients who are queer or survivors of assault and trauma. If you had any illusions that the systems of medical care are working in this country, shed them now. This book is half cathartic, half infuriating to read. I really appreciated the honesty and vulnerability of the interviewees and the trans and nonbinary inclusiveness of the language surrounding pain tied to the reproductive system.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌙 Books for Arab American Heritage Month 🌙

🌙 Good morning, bookish bats, and Eid Mubarak to those who are celebrating. Eid al-Fitr ("the feast of breaking the fast") marks the end of Ramadan, an Islamic holy month of fasting and sacrifice. April is also Arab American Heritage month, which celebrates the 3.7 million Arab Americans across the country. This is an opportunity to combat Anti-Arab bigotry by challenging stereotypes and prejudices.

✨ One of the best ways to do so is to read books ABOUT Arab Americans. To help, here are a few books for Arab American Heritage Month you can read, discuss, or add to your ever-growing TBR!

[ List under the cut. ]

✨ Growing up, I didn't have books that represented my experiences as an Arab or Muslim American. My friends didn't have stories to read that could help them understand my perspective. With that in mind, I added children's books on the last slide, for the moms out there searching for diverse books--books that allow us to empathize and understand different perspectives and experiences.

🌙 A Woman Is No Man - Etaf Rum ✨ The Other Americans - Laila Lamami 🌙 You Exist Too Much - Zaina Arafat ✨ Grape Leaves - Gregory Orfalea and Sharif Elmusa 🌙 The Wrong End of the Telescope - Rabih Alameddine ✨ The Beauty of Your Face - Sahar Mustafah 🌙 Martyr - Kaveh Akbar ✨ Between Two Moons - Aisha Abdel Gawad 🌙 Tasting the Sky - Ibtisam Barakat ✨ A Game for Swallows - Zeina Abirached 🌙 Love Is An Ex-Country - Randa Jarrar ✨ The Thirty Names of Night - Zeyn Joukhadar

🌙 I Was Their American Dream - Malaka Gharib ✨ A Country Called Amreeka - Alia Malek 🌙 A Theory of Birds - Zaina Alsous ✨ Against the Loveless World - Susan Abulhawa 🌙 Arab in America - Toufic El Rassi ✨ The Skin and Its Girl - Sarah Cypher 🌙 Sex and Lies - Leïla Slimani ✨ Loom - Thérèse Soukar Chehade 🌙 Birds of Paradise - Diana Abu-Jaber ✨ Come With Me - Noami Shihab Nye 🌙 Girls of Riyadh - Rajāʼ ʻAbd Allāh Ṣāniʻ ✨ How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? - Moustafa Bayoumi

🌙 Evil Eye - Etaf Rum ✨ The Girl Who Fell to Earth - Sophia Al-Maria 🌙 What Strange Paradise - Omar El Akaad ✨ Girls That Never Die - Safia Elhillo 🌙 Bahari - Dina Macki ✨ Life Without a Recipe - Diana Abu-Jaber 🌙 Egyptian Diary - Richard Platt ✨ Man O'War - Cory McCarthy 🌙 The Cave - Amani Ballour, MD ✨ The Map of Salt and Stars - Zeyn Joukhadar 🌙 They Called Me a Lioness - Ahed Tamimi and Dena Takruri ✨ Salt Houses - Hala Alyan

🌙 Arabiyya - Reem Assil ✨ Mornings in Jenin - Susan Abulhawa 🌙 Shubeik Lubeik - Deena Mohamed ✨ The Wrong End of the Telescope - Rabih Alameddine 🌙 Conditional Citizens - Laila Lamami ✨ An Unnecessary Woman - Rabih Alameddine 🌙 It Won't Always Be Like This - Malaka Gharib ✨ Proud - Ibtihaj Muhammad 🌙 The Land in Our Bones - Layla K Feghali ✨ Everything Comes Next - Naomi Shihab Nye 🌙 The Immortals of Tehran - Ali Araghi ✨ Starstruck - Sarafina El-Badry Nance

🌙 Our Women on the Ground - Various ✨ The Jasad Heir - Sara Hashem 🌙 Tell Me How You Really Feel - Aminah Mae Safi ✨ Surge - Etel Adnan 🌙 Here to Stay - Sara Farizan ✨ We Hunt the Flame - Hafsah Faisal 🌙 A Tempest of Tea - Hafsah Faizal ✨ The Bad Muslim Discount - Syed M. Masood 🌙 A Girl Like That - Tanaz Bhathena ✨ Not the Girls You're Looking For - Aminah Mae Safi 🌙 All-American Muslim Girl - Nadine Jolie Courtney ✨ The Moon That Turns You Back - Hala Alyan

🌙 Ms. Marvel - Destined - Saladin Ahmed ✨ Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card - Sara Saedi 🌙 Internment - Samira Ahmed ✨ Stardust Thief - Chelsea Abdullah 🌙 Once Upon an Eid - Various ✨ Farah Rocks Fifth Grade - Susan Muaddi Darraj 🌙 Barakah Beats - Maleeha Siddiqui ✨ Amira's Picture Day - Reem Faruqi 🌙 The Tale of Princess Fatima, Warrior Woman ✨ Lailah's Lunchbox - Reem Faruqi 🌙 In My Mosque - M.O. Yuksel ✨ Halal Hot Dogs - Susannah Aziz

🌙 The Proudest Blue - Ibtihaj Muhammad ✨ Silverworld - Diana Abu-Jaber 🌙 Other Words for Home - Jasmine Warga ✨ Time to Pray - Maha Addasi 🌙 Under My Hijab - Hena Khan ✨ Wishing Upon the Same Stars - Jacquetta Nammar Feldman 🌙 Amina's Voice - Hena Khan ✨ Yasmin the Recycler - Saadia Faruqi 🌙 The Shape of Thunder - Jasmine Warga ✨ Deep in the Sahara - Kelly Cunnane, Hoda Hadadi 🌙 The Turtle of Michigan - Naomi Shihab Nye ✨ Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria - George Jreije

[checkoutmybookshelf]

I got wildly sick of white European farm boy fantasy a while back. Thank goodnes I didn't have to look hard to find other things, and plenty of them (literally this is not my whole collection, I just couldn't ffit everything in the picture)!

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko follows Tar as she finds her family in an African-inspired fantasy world. The haunting "made of me, and me is mine" still echoes in my head. That and Dayo literally being the adoptive uncle who gets his nibling an elephant.

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong explores Chinese and Russian rival crime families in fantasy 1920s Shanghai. For my Shakespeareans in the audience, yes, it's also a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. For those of you with bug phobias, beware.

Tha Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri is often described as having morally gray lesbians, and that's true. But while Priya and Malini are compelling and fascinating to follow, I am HERE for the Hirana. Semi-sentient, possibly evil temple who is soft for its favorite trainee priestess in hiding? YES.

Jade City by Fonda Lee follows the Green Bones in fantasy Asia, as two warring gangs find their places in a rapidly modernizing world. Shae and Hilo's relationship in particular is fascinating.

Full Disclosure: I haven't finished Axie Oh's The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, but the first couple of chapters are a WOW and I can't wait to finish this Korean-inspired fairy tale retelling.

The Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan was sheer joy from start to finish, and I have not yet stopped asking "What the Actual HELL, Wenzhi???" Inspired by the myth of Chang'e, this book is a must-read. (The sequel is out November 2022 and I am so excited!!!)

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao took me by the throat and literally did not let me go until the book ended--and even then, it less let me go and more threw me against the boards until round 2. The triangle is the strongest shape, and this has phenomenal poly and disability representation.

Another full disclosure: I haven't started Judy Lin's A Magic Steeped in Poison, but I am so excited for it. There is literal and figurative tea promised, and I am here for it.

The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah scratched a reading itch I didn't even know I had, and I love this book so much. It has cinnaprinces, a Loulie, jinn, forty thieves, and stories within stories.

Last full disclosure of the post: I also haven't read the doorstopper that is RR Virdi's The First Binding, but it is a heckin' chonk of a book that I am super excited to dive into.

[revasserium]

a not at all definitive list of books that literally physically are a part of who i am and why i am and how i ache and love stories so fiercely it sometimes threatens to consume me:

the night circus by erin morgenstern

"The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not."

"I would have written you, myself, if I could put down in words everything I want to say to you. A sea of ink would not be enough.' 'But you built me dreams instead."

"Like stepping into a fairy tale under a curtain of stars."

the starless sea by erin morgenstern

"Strange, isn’t it? To love a book. When the words on the pages become so precious that they feel like part of your own history because they are. It’s nice to finally have someone read stories I know so intimately.

"For those who feel homesick for a place they’ve never been to. Those who seek even if they do not know what (or where) it is that they are seeking. Those who seek will find. Their doors have been waiting for them."

"Occasionally, Fate pulls itself together again and Time is always waiting."

the ten thousand doors of january by alix e harrow

“If we address stories as archaeological sites, and dust through their layers with meticulous care, we find at some level there is always a doorway. A dividing point between here and there, us and them, mundane and magical. It is at the moments when the doors open, when things flow between the worlds, that stories happen."

"They are artifacts and palimpsests, riddles and histories. They are the red threads that we may follow out of the labyrinth."

the secret history by donna tartt

"Does such a thing as 'the fatal flaw,' that showy dark crack running down the middle of a life, exist outside literature? I used to think it didn't. Now I think it does. And I think that mine is this: a morbid longing for the picturesque at all costs"

"She was a living reverie for me: the mere sight of her sparked an almost infinite range of fantasy, from Greek to Gothic, from vulgar to divine."

the wayward children series by seanan mcguire

"We notice the silence of men. We depend upon the silence of women."

"She was a story, not an epilogue."

"We’re all puzzle boxes, skeleton and skin, soul and shadow."

daughter of smoke and bone series by laini taylor

"She moved like a poem and smiled like a sphinx."

"Happiness. It was the place where passion, with all its dazzle and drumbeat, met something softer: homecoming and safety and pure sunbeam comfort. It was all those things, intertwined with the heat and the thrill, and it was as bright within her as a swallowed star."

"Like mold on books, grow myths on history."

the book thief by markus zusak

"I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race-that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant."

"It was a Monday and they walked on a tightrope to the sun."

dreams and shadows by c. robert cargill

"If you remember one thing, even above remembering me, remember that there is not a monster dreamt that hasn't walked within the soul of man."

"It's as if we are God's waking dream, each gifted with a small piece of his consciousness; the beauty of that arrangement is that we create the dream for him. If you can understand that, if you can wrap your mind around it, then you can conjure up anything you want from out of the ether. "

"You always assume we must have fallen, that we were thrown out of Heaven. Some of us just jumped."

stardust by neil gaiman

"He stared up at the stars: and it seemed to him then that they were dancers, stately and graceful, performing a dance almost infinite in its complexity. He imagined he could see the very faces of the stars; pale, they were, and smiling gently, as if they had spent so much time above the world, watching the scrambling and the joy and the pain of the people below them, that they could not help being amused every time another little human believed itself the center of its world, as each of us does."

"What do stars do? They shine."

the picture of dorian gray by oscar wilde

"Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic."

"Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them."

"The world is changed because you are made of ivory and gold. The curves of your lips rewrite history."

a midsummer night's dream by william shakespeare

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind. Nor hath love's mind of any judgment taste; Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste: And therefore is love said to be a child, Because in choice he is so oft beguil'd."

"I’ll follow thee and make a heaven of hell. To die upon the hand I love so well."

"Love's stories written in love's richest books. To fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes."

deathless by catherynne m valente

"You will always fall in love, and it will always be like having your throat cut, just that fast."

"I do not tolerate a world emptied of you. I have tried. For a year I have called every black tree Marya Morevna; I have looked for your face in the patterns of the ice. In the dark, I have pored over the loss of you like pale gold."

the song of achilles by madeline miller

"I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world."

"We were like gods at the dawning of the world, & our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other."

"We reached for each other, and I thought of how many nights I had lain awake loving him in silence."

circe by madeline miller

"It was my first lesson. Beneath the smooth, familiar face of things is another that waits to tear the world in two."

"But gods are born of ichor and nectar, their excellences already bursting from their fingertips. So they find their fame by proving what they can mar: destroying cities, starting wars, breeding plagues and monsters. All that smoke and savor rising so delicately from our altars. It leaves only ash behind."

[captain-kraken]

OC Deep Dive Tag

Thank you @the-inkwell-variable for tagging me over here!

I'll answer these for Pocha Ranna <3

What common/uncommon fear do they have?

Pocha is afraid of Gishars.

Do they have any pet peeves?

He HATES it when people lie to him. He doesn't care how bad the truth is, he much prefers that over being lied to.

What are 3 items you can find in their bedroom?

Various bones, hammock, snakes.

What do they notice first in a person?

Whether or not they're a gishar.

On a scale from 1-10 how high is their pain tolerance?

About an 8. He's experienced a LOT of pain so it takes a lot these days to really affect him.

Do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure?

Definitely fight.

Do they come from a big family/are they a family person?

He comes from a very large family, though it's kind of complicated. The only family he has now is Veila and the two of them are very close. Partly because they're twins, partly because they're the only company they both have for the most part.

What animal represents them best?

A snake lol. His Laeka has corrupted his physical appearance to be more snake-like, probably because he's always loved them so much.

What is a smell they dislike?

Smoke.

Have they broken any bones?

Yes. He has no self preservation lol. He broke his leg once by falling out of a tree, both wrists on separate occasions, and two of his fingers by punching someone in the face too hard. He also broke one of his teeth by trying to angrily bite the shell of a bone-thief crab.

How would a stranger likely describe them?

Creepy. That's what most people call him.

Are they a night owl, or morning bird?

Night owl. He likes the cover of darkness, he can hunt a lot better.

What’s a flavor they hate and a flavor they love?

He hates the flavour of coffee. But he LOVES fish.

Do they have any hobbies?

He enjoys climbing trees, bug-watching, hunting, swimming, and adventuring.

Boom, surprise birthday party! How do they react to surprise?

Well, the only person that would be there is Veila so it wouldn't be much of a surprise lol. In general though, he likes surprises. Because of his power he knows too much about the past, so he likes being able to fantasise about the future.

Do they like to wear jewellery?

Yes. He has necklaces made of teeth, wooden beads in his hair, a woven bracelet that Veila made for him, and ear gauges. But his favourite is his emerald anklet, which is his most prized possession.

Do they have neat or messy handwriting?

Pocha can't read or write.

What are the two emotions they feel the most?

Longing and joy.

Do they have a favourite fabric?

He actually hates most fabrics and can't stand the feeling of them on his skin, so he usually only has on the bare minimum.

What kind of accent do they have?

Pocha has an unusual accent as it has a Bahavian base but some of his words dip into other accents.

No pressure tag for @writernopal @noblebs @bardicbeetle @bardic-tales & open tag!

Blank questions under cut:

What common/uncommon fear do they have?

Do they have any pet peeves?

What are 3 items you can find in their bedroom?

What do they notice first in a person?

On a scale from 1-10, how high is their pain tolerance?

Do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure?

Do they come from a big family/are they a family person?

What animal represents them best?

What is a smell they dislike?

Have they broken any bones?

How would a stranger likely describe them?

Are they a night owl, or morning bird?

What’s a flavor they hate and a flavor they love?

Do they have any hobbies?

Boom, surprise birthday party! How do they react to surprise?

Do they like to wear jewellery?

Do they have neat or messy handwriting?

What are the two emotions they feel the most?

Do they have a favourite fabric?

What kind of accent do they have?