#the dauntless path series

[awesomenikie]

Do you think after every interaction with Rae in the first book Bren went home giddy and gushed about her to Artemian?

[thedisabilitybookarchive]

'The Theft of Sunlight'- Khanani, Intisar

Disability Rep: Club Foot (MC)

Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Romance- TBC,

Age: Young Adult

Setting: Fictional; Menaiya

Additional Rep: POC MC, POC SCs

For more information on summaries, content warnings and additional tropes, see here:

[lephamquynhnhu]

Millennial Aegis

Chapter 3

Jing Yuan x Fem! reader

WARNINGS/ TAGS: Arranged marriage, the reader has a default name, OOC, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT.

Word count: ~2300

Summary: He is so stubborn to give up on you, and you are too hard-headed to reciprocate his affection. When do you both stop torturing each other?

Note: I don't know how you can find my fanfic, but I am genuinely grateful for your support. This will be a short series, and I have already had an ending for it.

However, the general refuses to sleep, his mind falling into spiral thoughts and wandering to the golden day you two first met. 

"I didn't expect that a businesswoman could perry those blows fluidly. They were all perfect movements." - Lord Jing Yuan brightly praised as he escorted you to the Stargazer Navalia's clinic. 

"Father taught me Jujutsu to protect myself in many dangerous circumstances, and a merchant must know some martial art when traveling alone." You replied with a small smile, yet melancholy vaguely clouded your eyes, which Jing Yuan quickly noticed. Your father was a strict and conservative man, so his decision was ultimate. Growing up with countless rules and rigid regulations was the factor of robotic demeanors but resourcefulness in your personality.

Throughout the escorting time, the general loved listening to your distant dreams and seeing your smile, even if you rarely did. Therefore, Jing Yuan cherished each second of staying by your side; and he felt the path shortened more than expected when the two of you reached your destination. Since that day, he could not get rid of your figure, his mind kept rewinding your smile as a broken record, and a nice glow bloomed over his chest as he thought about you. Jing Yuan supposed he headed over heel for you because of the dauntless action and your intellect. Jujutsu was an art of self-defense, but you also used it to taunt the enemy's attention and protect your partner valiantly. 

However, the general did not gain any contact information except your name, so it took him two months to investigate your identity. He knew it was his fault when taking you against your will, but he could not afford to lose his beloved again.

"I vow to my name. By all my intelligence and power, I will protect and adore you forever." - Lord Jing Yuan silently declares as he kisses your lock lovingly. 

You finally woke up and saw him sleeping soundly beside you. His strong arms are wrapped tightly around you. Your body feels relaxed from last night's activities. As soon as you see his face, a shiver runs down your spine as the last-night event flashes back. You quickly turn around and start criticizing yourself. 

" We...we had sex" - The heat is creeping up to your ears again when you recall the general's lustful face pounding into you mercilessly. As you intend to move out, he hugs your frame even tighter. 

"Stay by my side a little longer, will you?" - The general still closed his eyes and murmured in the morning voice. You feel yourself blush harder as turning to him and argue that you both overslept and he should be ready to attend at the Cloudfort. You secretly felt grateful for regaining your sanity and confidence to face him. 

His Highness slowly opens his eyes and softly caresses your cheek, a hint of playfulness dancing in his orbs.

"Don't worry about it. We both got tired after all those fun times yesterday."

Your eyes divert elsewhere except those amber pupils as you gently remove his hand and let go of him.

"Very well then, you can stay as you wish. I will freshen up first."

The moment you start walking, sudden aching shocks to the very core cause you to stumble on the floor. Lord Jing Yuan quickly catches you before you fall. He helps you stand up and holds you close to him, wrapping his arms around you protectively. A knowing concern washes over his face. You politely thank him when peeling your body off him again to take the cloak covering your naked body and carefully stride up to the bathroom. After you leave the room, he sits on the bed, looking at the ceiling. He sighs deeply, thinking about what happened yesterday. A smile appears on his lips as he thinks about how beautiful you were last night. 

As soon as at the private space, you quickly wear off the robe and inspect yourself in the mirror. Three hickeys scatter on your collarbones, several toothprints on your shoulder blade, and a handprint faintly bruise your hips.

You gave an exasperated sigh and internally lamented at the consequence of a passionate night. When you finish freshening up and leaving the bath, your room has been cleaned and decorated with fresh flowers. The general is waiting for you at the dining table with a light meal. He is back in the usual military uniform. His tail hair also dripped off the water, showing he just had a quick shower in the other bathroom. 

You both silently have breakfast together but are lost in thought. When ready to go off, Lord Jing Yuan places his hands on your shoulders and leans forward, pressing his forehead against yours.

"A Zhi, I...- Before he completes the sentence, you interrupted with a light curtsy which implied no farther advance - "I'll see you later, your Highness." 

He nods slowly and says nothing, then before going to the Cloudfort, he turns back to bind goodbye to you, smiling softly.

We then live our plain days for the next one hundred years. Lord Jing Yuan keeps managing the Xianzhou. As for me, I coordinate the domestic affairs in his estate, sometimes being his temporary advisor. Thanks to the peace, I spent most of my time in Lord Jing Yuan's study room reading books or assigned to supervise some vicinity in Xianzhou Loufu. Through a century, I orchestrated him into countless decoys, yet the general never fails into them, even one. The general also attempted to close our proximity but never fruitfulness because I cleverly avoided his affections all the time. As a result, those trials gradually died away as he recognized there was no way I felt in love with him. 

Before the wedding, I used to tell Lord Jing Yuan that it hurt when love someone who did not love him, and it turned into truth. I could sense the sorrow behind his long lashes whenever facing me, yet there was nothing I was eligible to do. We still sleep in the same bed but are always people of two different worlds, and he never lays a finger on me again since the first night. We both are too stubborn, so the price to pay is spirit torture to eternity.

"General, her Ladyship...stays at the Exalting Sanctum and refuses to return the estate." - Yan Qing is his Highness's disciple adopted last year - reports awkwardly.

Lord Jing Yuan quirks an eyebrow at the young boy, and a small smile appears on his lips since this must be one of your traps. He genuinely loves and spoils you rotten, but the obstinateness needs a truce. The general decides to pick you up himself and quickly dismisses Yan Qing. 

Before Jing Yuan arrived at the Exalting Sanctum, streetlights and flower-shaped lanterns lit gloriously across Xianzhou. The ship is even more vibrant than daylight. When rendezvous at the guest room, it seems you have been waiting for him as you read books and leisurely sipped tea. 

"Three rounds of gaming chess. If you win any of them, I will let go of you. Or else, you must stop being stubborn and return to the estate with me." - He exclaims while sitting parallel to you with his chin resting on his palm. 

You perceive that he eventually has lost all patience because of the annoyance in your behavior. The general has fallen into your long-term end when suggesting this treatment and his bargain chips. You expressionlessly observe Lord Jing Yuan's face while carefully calculating the next move. His frame indicates seriousness, yet there is indescribable confidence in the general's eyes. "It is an enormous gamble when playing in his specialty. However, the reward is too good to be true. What a dilemma." - You monologue and start weighing the elements. 

"I accept the challenge, but you must concede me the first five moves in every round because I am on the disadvantageous side as playing your specialty." - You lower your voice when modifying the conditions prudentially. This factor will accumulate your victory and secure your safe point. "I will adapt to the general's playing style in the first round, plan the counteracted strategy in the consecutive wave, and checkmate him in the last game."

As soon as Jing Yuan quickly accepts and hums in amusement at the condition, you think the victorious goddess blessed your side. However, there is a fatal factor that you forget. 

"Checkmate! A Zhi, you lost." - he calmly declares after winning three solid rounds.

[That he would rather die than let go of you.]

You look petrified at the chess with a hollow mind. 

"Absolutely defeated..."

You unconsciously clench your hand so tight that the knuckles become white as a sheet of paper, and your palm threatens to bleed with the pressure of nails. "Lord Jing Yuan's style of playing chess is utterly peculiar. I could not get him because it constantly changed and nullified my moves." 

You feel like you have gone berserk. Everything crumbles. The general of Xianzhou eliminated your strategy with detailed tactics and underwent an entire century in only one step. Suddenly, a warm hand thaws your icy one, which brings you back to reality as His Highness unravels your fingers. 

"You are hurting yourself." - he gently massages your hand with a concerned look.

"My apologies, Lord Jing Yuan. I am just..." - Before you finish the sentence, Jing Yuan quickly removes his cloak to wrap it around your figure. 

"It is getting chill outside, my dear. And don't worry. We can rematch any time you want with the same conditions."

You surprisingly inquire again as if you misheard him. The general pulls you into his embrace and confirms his answer as he pats your head lightly. A glee appears on his face because of two things. You did not push him away or evade his affection as usual, and he found a new hidden aspect of your personality. He never expects you to be that competitive. 

"Let us head home. Little Jin."

You keep your words to the contract but rematch with him restlessly for the next 50 years. The loss counts up to 2573 rounds and shows no stop sign. Finally, you are bored with the repeating duty and head toward the botanic garden to refresh your mind with the old hobby. 

The garden is enormously vast and sublimely tailored to look like the epitome of a pristine forest with emerald color. The dazzling sunlight of early Summer danced through the slit of leaves shining the pathway, and cicadas started their iconic song. You silently rejoice as soft breezes with a faint floral aroma gently caress your cheeks. You began playing a folk song with a bamboo flute, then all your favorite compositions. Birds also sing their melody along with your rhythm. A sudden clap resonates behind your back when completing. You turn around and see Lord Jing Yuan looking at you, grinning happily. 

"Pardon me for my rudeness, your Highness. I didn't notice you were here." You quickly greet him with a small smile. A nightingale flies down to sit at his point finger, then mischievously jumps on his shoulder. The general watches the bird hopping up and down on his shoulder before looking at you.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it." - Jing Yuan's voice sounds gentle and soothing - "So, you are the musical master of Yan Qing? I saw a flute dangling at his side last week, yet I forgot to ask him."

You hum shortly as an answer to his rhetoric question and change the topic. After several dialogues, you learn that Jing Yuan usually stays in the garden to play chess with himself and accidentally hears you playing music. As your spirit is in a high mood, you suggest performing his requested songs. Time seems to flow slower to the general in this ardent Summer, and he feels this peaceful sentiment has not appeared for ages. There is always an invisible gigantic wall between you and him, but now, it is like a rendezvous of two soulmates after a century. Even if this short-lived moment is an ephemeral dream, Jing Yuan graciously treasures each second passing. As long as you stay by his side, nothing matters now.  

When fulfilling the performance, the general maneuvers his hands, and you are astonished by a hairpin in his palm. 

"I never expected my Lord can be a magician." - A light chuckle escapes your lips as you look at the ornament. It is an exquisitely carved camellia with ivory raindrops. The flower petal is as red as his hair tie, and the pistil shares the same color as Jing Yuan's eyes. 

"I intended to gift the bespoken hairpin to you this evening. But my lady is here now, so the wait is needless." - he gently pins it on your hair and smiles brightly as compliments you.

A bittersweet suddenly tastes on your tongue as you subconsciously touch the carved flower. It is sweet because no matter how many times you gave him your cold shoulder, Lord Jing Yuan's adoration for you never changes. It is bitter because you feel guilty, unable to reciprocate his love. The two of you were then immersed in gaming chess at the wood pavilion in the garden until sunset. They were no longer rematches because you wanted to play mere chess with him, and you could practically see the jubilant sparkling in his eyes all day. However, the happier he is, the more sinful you feel. At night, when you both settle in bed, you ask him why you cannot win even a single time, or at least let you win a round since they were not re-challenges. 

"Because losing to you means losing my lady forever." - There is clever wordplay in his answer as the general crosses his arms and stares at the ceiling. Although he hints at humor, you know that Jing Yuan is deadly serious and still clings to a sliver of hope of winning your heart. 

 "Hah...General is always stubborn, after all..." - You internally laugh, but it is humorless. 

[heliads]

Congrats on 10K! Idk if youre still doing this character but 💌 for Eric from the Divergent Series?

I’m a nerd with a special interest in animals, and I collect stationary and wax seals. I love soft things, especially blankets, and my fave color is periwinkle. I’m not confrontational, but I can be petty to people who are rude to me or the people I care about. I can also be a smartass and make jokes about anything regardless of situation.

I’m average height, with dark blue hair and glasses, and a tendency towards comfier clothing like sneakers and sweatshirts. I’m shy when meeting new people and socially awkward, but open up after some time.

Not sure if I put enough of a description here, if not let me know and I’ll add more, and congrats again on the 10K!

thank you!!

masterlist

Dauntless is a big faction. Eric’s met a lot of the people here, but he still misses some by accident. They slip through the hairline cracks in his clenched fists, trickling out by the bucketful. He knows who he knows and he ignores the rest. Usually, he assumes that if his path hasn’t brought someone before him, they’re not worth the time it’ll take to get to know them, and he was mostly right, too, until– well, until he met you.

He meets you by accident. Eric likes to pretend that he does everything solidly, decisively, on purpose, but this truly was an accident. He was meant to be meeting a friend for discussions over dinner, but knocked on the wrong door, and ended up mistakenly trying to get into your apartment.

Eric was supposed to just move on and go to the right door this time, but your apartment looked good and you looked better, so he might have forgotten about all the faction matters that were supposed to be debated tonight. He might have introduced himself, and you might have let him in, and the two of you spent that night talking quietly over dinner. It was out of character for both of you– him, not usually one to sit around chatting with random people, and you, not one to open your door to strangers, but something about the other made both of you want to step past your comfort zones for once.

It was worth it. Always is, with him, with you. Eric can’t pinpoint when he fell in love, but it felt a bit like the moment of inertia between throwing a knife and hearing the decisive thunk of the blade into the target. He’s flying there forever, waiting for you to take him by the hand or smile at him and make him feel right again, right on target, right on time. Eric Coulter doesn’t fall in love, but around you, Eric cannot help it. It’s surprising to have something that feels this good. Dauntless is crazy, will be crazy until the day he dies, but Eric already knows that he’s sure about you. Even in Dauntless, he’s not going to lose you.

[nighttimepatrons]

Hello! Since you loved Spinning Silver I suppose that you have read Uprooted by Naomi Novick? If not I highly recommend—it’s really special. But actually I came here to recommend a series that I’ve seen less about: the Dauntless Path series by Intisar Khanani.

What Naomi Novick is doing w Eastern Europe and the Jewish tradition, Intisar is doing w Mid East setting/ Islamic tradition. The first book is based on the goose girl and is very good (esp if you like a heroine who suffers) but the second and third are great, featuring a fantastic heroine who has a club foot and is therefore often underestimated. She’s driven by a strong moral imperative to investigate why children are being taken in their city. Maybe check it out if you feel like more stories w a fairy tale vibe.

Ha! I'm actually almost done with Uprooted right now! (I have 31 minutes left) It was a flop for me but I'm happy that I made myself listen to the whole thing and I can see the appeal to it.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale was like my favorite book with I was like eleven so seeing that the first Dauntless Path is based on the same fairy tale has gotten my attention 👀 I'll have to look into them (but first I Need to relisten to Spinning Silver), thank you for the recommendation! <3

[uses-for-fics]

Glimpse of Us

Part two to Forbidden Paradise

Peter Hayes x Reader

The ceremony unfolded with a methodical cadence. One by one, names were called, and futures were determined. Abnegation, Amity, and now Candor. Each faction claimed its share of the graduating class. I'd drifted into a detached state, the monotony of the proceedings a dulling balm to my anxiety.

I watched as Cass, my confidante, was summoned. Her eyes met mine, a silent promise passing between us. With a quick hug and a whispered "I love you," she joined the procession. Her choice as clear to me as the summer sky. Erudite. It was a path I'd seen coming. A pang of sadness mingled with the relief of knowing she'd made her decision. A testament to her evolving spirit.

My name echoed through the hall, a stark contrast to the quietude that had settled over me. My feet moved mechanically, carrying me to the stage. The weight of the world seemed to rest on my shoulders as I ascended the steps. The spotlight's glare was blinding, and for a moment, the world narrowed to a single point of light. The crowd fell silent, their expectant gaze heavy with anticipation. This was the culmination of years of growth, of questioning, and of fear. A single choice would shape the rest of my life.

My gaze swept over the room, landing on familiar faces. Cass, her eyes filled with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. And then, there he was, Peter, his expression unreadable. His presence was a physical ache, a constant pull in two different directions.

I looked at the bowls in front of me, each representing a faction. Amity, Candor, Dauntless, Erudite, and Abnegation. Five different paths, five different lives. My fingers trembled as I was handed the blade. I pressed the blade into my palm and did a quick slash. I reached out, hovering over the bowls.

Amity. Peace, harmony, selfless love. It was a world I could easily imagine myself in. A world without the complexities of my feelings for Peter. A world where I could focus on helping others and finding solace in nature but a pang of loss shot through me. If I chose Amity, I risked losing Peter completely. Candor...Honesty, truth, and integrity. A world I knew intimately. It was the world I’d grown up in, the world that shaped me, but it was also a world that felt suffocating at times. A world where I felt like a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit and staying meant staying away from Peter, a constant reminder of what could have been.

My hand shook as I hovered between the two bowls. A lifetime of decisions distilled into this single moment. I closed my eyes, trying to find clarity in the chaos within me. When I opened them, my gaze was fixed on Peter. His eyes met mine, a silent plea in their depths.

With a trembling hand, I reached for the bowl representing Candor. The choice was made, irrevocable. As I dropped my blood into the bowl, a wave of relief washed over me, followed by a pang of regret. I had chosen safety, familiarity, over the unknown, over the possibility of love.

The Candor crowd erupted in applause as I stepped back. As I turned to face them, I met Peter's gaze once more. In that fleeting moment, I saw a flicker of something in his eyes - disappointment, perhaps, or understanding. It was impossible to tell. As I walked away, I could feel the weight of my decision, a choice that would shape the rest of my life.

As I sat in my seat, I felt a series of congratulatory pats on my back from fellow candor initiates, a small but heartfelt gesture that was meant to offer comfort and camaraderie. The sounds of names being called out and the general buzz of the ceremony seemed to fade into the background as I became increasingly absorbed in the persistent ringing in my ears and the sharp sting of a cut on my hand.

My mind wrestled with the question, ‘Why must we make this offering?’ I glanced down at my hand, which was marred by the cut, and instinctively reached into the pockets of Cass’ cardigan. I pulled out a small white rag, the kind that’s often used for cleaning but now had become a makeshift bandage.

‘Of course,’ I thought, ‘always thinking ahead.’ I silently expressed my gratitude to Cass in my mind as I carefully wrapped the rag around my hand. The sight of my blood slowly seeping through the fabric was unsettling, but there was little I could do but accept it.

While I struggled with my own discomfort, I couldn’t ignore the ceremony’s ongoing progression. I tried to gauge how many initiates had already been called, but the overwhelming noise and my own preoccupation made it difficult. However, my attention sharply refocused when I heard Peter’s name being announced. The sound of his name was like a stone dropped into still water, creating ripples of memory and anticipation.

Peter felt a cold dread settle in his stomach as he watched her choose Candor. It was as if the world had tilted on its axis, leaving him stranded and adrift. He'd hoped, against logic and reason, that she would choose Dauntless. It was a selfish hope, he knew, but it was all he had left.

Now, as he waited for his own name to be called, he felt a strange detachment. The world around him seemed to fade into a muted blur. The weight of his decision pressed down on him, heavy and inescapable. Dauntless. The choice was clear, a stark, unforgiving path. It was a rejection of everything he knew, a leap into the unknown. But it was also a farewell. A final act of defiance against a life that was no longer his. When his name was called, he felt a surge of adrenaline. Almost as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders, replaced by a sense of purpose. As he stepped onto the stage, he glanced at her one last time. Her eyes met his, a silent conversation passing between them. In that moment, he knew he was making the right choice, a painful but necessary one.

With a trembling hand, he reached for the Dauntless bowl. As he cut his hand and let the blood drip, he felt a sense of liberation, tempered by a profound sadness. He was leaving behind everything he knew, including the girl he loved but he was also stepping into a new chapter, a chance to redefine himself. As he turned to face the crowd, a new determination sparked in his eyes. Dauntless. It was more than just a faction; it was a rebirth…

Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched him walk towards the Dauntless bowl. A wave of disbelief washed over her. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be their goodbye. She’d held onto a sliver of hope, a desperate wish that they would end up in the same faction. Now, as he reached out for the bowl, that hope shattered into a million pieces. Their eyes met across the crowded room, a silent conversation filled with a lifetime of unspoken words. In that moment, the world narrowed to just the two of them, suspended in a bubble of shared sorrow. They were strangers in a familiar landscape, two souls drifting apart, pulled by invisible forces. In the depths of his eyes, she saw a reflection of her own pain, a shared acknowledgment of their irrevocable parting. With a heavy heart, she turned away, the weight of their unspoken farewell settling on her shoulders like a leaden cloak.

As the Dauntless initiates began their ritualistic chanting, a cold emptiness settled over her. She was a ghost in her own life, watching as the pieces of her world scattered to the wind. The weight of their shared loss was a physical burden, pressing down on her with an unrelenting force. Her gaze followed Peter as he disappeared into the throng of Dauntless initiates. He was a fading silhouette, a memory in the making. With each step he took away from her, a piece of her heart seemed to break off. She was left alone, a solitary figure in a sea of celebration.

The realization hit her with the force of a tidal wave. This was goodbye. Not a temporary separation, but a permanent farewell. The future stretched out before her, a vast and empty expanse. In the center of that emptiness was a void shaped like Peter. She turned away, her vision blurred by unshed tears. The weight of the world was too much to bear. She made her way through the crowd, she felt a cold determination seep into her. She would survive this. She would find a way to heal. But the scar that Peter had left on her heart would forever remain.

[sapphicbookclub]

Dauntless by Elisa A. Bonnin

Seri's world is defined by very clear rules: The beasts prowl the forest paths and hunt the People. The valiant explore the unknown world, kill the beasts, and gain strength from the armor they make from them. As an assistant to Eshai Unbroken, a young valor commander with a near-mythical reputation, Seri has seen first-hand the struggle to keep the beasts at bay and ensure the safety of the spreading trees where the People make their homes. That was how it always had been, and how it always would be. Until the day Seri encounters Tsana.

Tsana is, impossibly, a stranger from the unknown world who can communicate with the beasts - a fact that makes Seri begin to doubt everything she's ever been taught. As Seri and Tsana grow closer, their worlds begin to collide, with deadly consequences. Somehow, with the world on the brink of war, Seri will have to find a way to make peace.

Genres: fantasy, romance

Get the book from The Book Depository here!

[sapphicbookoftheday]

Dauntless by Elisa A. Bonnin

Today's sapphic book of the day is Dauntless by Elisa A. Bonnin!

Summary: "A teen girl must bring together two broken worlds in order to save her nation in this lush, Filipino-inspired young adult fantasy novel from debut author Elisa A. Bonnin. 'Be dauntless, for the hopes of the People rest in you.'

Seri's world is defined by very clear rules: The beasts prowl the forest paths and hunt the People. The valiant explore the unknown world, kill the beasts, and gain strength from the armor they make from them. As an assistant to Eshai Unbroken, a young valor commander with a near-mythical reputation, Seri has seen first-hand the struggle to keep the beasts at bay and ensure the safety of the spreading trees where the People make their homes. That was how it always had been, and how it always would be. Until the day Seri encounters Tsana.

Tsana is, impossibly, a stranger from the unknown world who can communicate with the beasts - a fact that makes Seri begin to doubt everything she's ever been taught. As Seri and Tsana grow closer, their worlds begin to collide, with deadly consequences. Somehow, with the world on the brink of war, Seri will have to find a way to make peace."

[andreasphilippineslitblog]

Ten Interesting Filipino Novels

1. In the country by Mia Alvar

In The Country is a stunning, lyrical work of fiction presented in the form of nine short stories. In 2016, Mia Alvar put contemporary Filipina authors on the map with her first published piece, giving voice to Filipino men and women in the diaspora. Her short stories about emigrants, wanderers, exiles, and expats across the globe expertly distinguishes the Philippine experience for each protagonist, while upholding the universal likeness of all Filipinos around the world and “in the country.” The tales of a migrant worker in Saudi Arabia, the sighting of a “White Lady,” and a New York pharmacist smuggling drugs to his sickly father in Manila will illicit nostalgia for many Filipinos looking for glimpses of home. (thenextsomewhere.com)

2. Dauntless by Elisa A. Bonnin

Seri’s world is defined by very clear rules: The beasts prowl the forest paths and hunt the People. The valiant explore the unknown world, kill the beasts, and gain strength from the armor they make from them. As an assistant to Eshai Unbroken, a young valor commander with a near-mythical reputation, Seri has seen first-hand the struggle to keep the beasts at bay and ensure the safety of the spreading trees where the People make their homes. That was how it always had been, and how it always would be. Until the day Seri encounters Tsana. Tsana is, impossibly, a stranger from the unknown world who can communicate with the beasts – a fact that makes Seri begin to doubt everything she’s ever been taught. As Seri and Tsana grow closer, their worlds begin to collide, with deadly consequences. Somehow, with the world on the brink of war, Seri will have to find a way to make peace. (yourtitakate.com) 3. America Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo

How many lives can one person lead in a single lifetime? When Hero de Vera arrives in America, disowned by her parents in the Philippines, she's already on her third. Her uncle, Pol, who has offered her a fresh start and a place to stay in the Bay Area, knows not to ask about her past. And his younger wife, Paz, has learned enough about the might and secrecy of the De Vera family to keep her head down. Only their daughter, Roni, asks Hero why her hands seem to constantly ache.

Illuminating the violent political history of the Philippines in the 1980s and 1990s and the insular immigrant communities that spring up in the suburban United States with an uncanny ear for the unspoken intimacies and pain that get buried by the duties of everyday life and family ritual, Castillo delivers a powerful, increasingly relevant novel about the promise of the American dream and the unshakable power of the past. In a voice as immediate and startling as those of Junot Díaz and NoViolet Bulawayo, America Is Not the Heart is a sprawling, soulful telenovela of a debut novel. With exuberance, muscularity, and tenderness, here is a family saga; an origin story; a romance; a narrative of two nations and the people who leave home to grasp at another, sometimes turning back. (goodreads.com)

4. When The Elephants Dance by Tess Uriza Holthe

In the waning days of World War II, as the Japanese and U.S. forces battle to possess the Philippine Islands, the Karangalan family hides with their neighbors in a cramped cellar, where they glean hope from the family stories and folktales they tell each other. These stories of love, survival, and family blend the supernatural with the rich, little known history of the Philippines, the centuries of Spanish colonization, the power of the Catholic church, and the colorful worlds of the Spanish, Mestizo, and Filipino cultures.

As the villagers tell their stories in the darkened cellar below, Holthe masterfully weaves in the stories of three brave Filipinos--a teenage brother and sister and a guerilla fighter--as they become caught in the battle against the vicious Japanese forces above ground.

Inspired by her father's firsthand accounts of this period, Tess Uriza Holthe brings to magical and terrifying life a story of the hope and courage needed to survive in wartime. (goodreads.com)

5. Noli Me Tángere (Touch Me Not) by José Rizal

In more than a century since its appearance, José Rizal's Noli Me Tangere has become widely known as the great novel of the Philippines. A passionate love story set against the ugly political backdrop of repression, torture, and murder, "The Noli," as it is called in the Philippines, was the first major artistic manifestation of Asian resistance to European colonialism, and Rizal became a guiding conscience—and martyr—for the revolution that would subsequently rise up in the Spanish province. (goodreads.com)

6. Gun Dealer's Daughter by Gina Apostol

At university in Manila, young, bookish Soledad Soliman falls in with radical friends, defying her wealthy parents and their society crowd. Drawn in by two romantic young rebels, Sol initiates a conspiracy that quickly spirals out of control. Years later, far from her homeland, Sol reconstructs her fractured memories, writing a confession she hopes will be her salvation. Illuminating the dramatic history of the Marcos-era Philippines, this story of youthful passion is a tour de force. (ginaapostol.com)

7. Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club by Roselle Lim

A new heartfelt novel about the power of loneliness and the strength of love that overcomes it by critically acclaimed author Roselle Lim.

Newly minted professional matchmaker Sophie Go has returned to Toronto, her hometown, after spending three years in Shanghai. Her job is made quite difficult, however, when she is revealed as a fraud—she never actually graduated from matchmaking school. In a competitive market like Toronto, no one wants to take a chance on an inexperienced and unaccredited matchmaker, and soon Sophie becomes an outcast.

In dire search of clients, Sophie stumbles upon a secret club within her condo complex: the Old Ducks, seven septuagenarian Chinese bachelors who never found love. Somehow, she convinces them to hire her, but her matchmaking skills are put to the test as she learns the depths of loneliness, heartbreak, and love by attempting to make the hardest matches of her life. (goodreads.com)

8. Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

Jay Reguero plans to spend the last semester of his senior year playing video games before heading to the University of Michigan in the fall. But when he discovers that his Filipino cousin Jun was murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, and no one in the family wants to talk about what happened, Jay travels to the Philippines to find out the real story.

Hoping to uncover more about Jun and the events that led to his death, Jay is forced to reckon with the many sides of his cousin before he can face the whole horrible truth -- and the part he played in it. (amazon.com)

9. Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco

When a hidden prince, a girl with secrets, a ragtag group of unlikely heroes, and a legendary firebird come together…something wicked is going down. Many years ago, the magical Kingdom of Avalon was left encased in ice when the Snow Queen waged war. Its former citizens are now refugees in a world mostly devoid of magic. Which is why the crown prince and his protectors are stuck in…Arizona. Prince Alexei, the sole survivor of the Avalon royal family, is hiding in a town so boring, magic doesn’t even work there. Few know his secret identity, but his friend Tala is one of them. A new hope for their abandoned homeland reignites when a famous creature of legend, the Firebird, appears for the first time in decades. Alex and Tala must unite with a ragtag group of new friends to journey back to Avalon for a showdown that will change the world as they know it. (yourtitakate.com)

10. The Woman Who Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic by Nick Joaquin

Nick Joaquin is widely considered one of the greatest Filipino writers, but he has remained little-known outside his home country despite writing in English. Set amid the ruins of Manila devastated by World War II, his stories are steeped in the post-colonial anguish and hopes of his era and resonate with the ironic perspectives on colonial history of Gabriel García Márquez and Mario Vargas Llosa. His work meditates on the questions and challenges of the Filipino individual’s new freedom after a long history of colonialism, exploring folklore, centuries-old Catholic rites, the Spanish colonial past, magical realism, and baroque splendor and excess. This collection features his best-known story, “The Woman Who Had Two Navels,” centered on Philippine emigrants living in Hong Kong and later expanded into a novel, the much-anthologized stories “May Day Eve” and “The Summer Solstice” and a canonic play, A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino. As Penguin Classics previously launched his countryman Jose Rizal to a wide audience, now Joaquin will find new readers with the first American collection of his work. (amazon.com)

[a-dream-deferred]

♥️ 📒

thank you so much for the ask!!

❤️Who is your all-time favorite author, and what makes their writing so special to you?

I can't not say tolkien! there's so much depth to his worldbuilding, it's incredible

there's also intisar khanani, whose books i discovered last year. she writes heroines who are not stereotypical Strong Female Characters, and the themes she explores in her writing are very thought-provoking

📙What’s your favorite genre to read, and do you have any recommendations within that genre?

fantasy! i need escapism to survive lol. here are some recs:

babel: an arcane history

a wizard of earthsea

the dauntless path book series

thanks again anon <3

bookish asks 📚

[awesomenikie]

Please look at the art under the dusk jacket on the hardcover edition of a darkness at the door. Look at my babies I love them. This is the prettiest book I own. ( Excuse the shitty camera quality).

[disco-elysium-via-polls]

3. "Yes. Kids, friends, chicks. I have all those."

PLAISANCE - "Then you're a lucky man, officer. Children are the greatest of treasures..." She fiddles with her pendant, thinking.

"For playing with friends I'd recommend 'Suzerainty'. It's a civilization-building game where you build a civilization, then set off to brutally colonize and repress other civilizations. It'll cost 12 reál."

2. "So what about all these 'Wirrâl' things?"

PLAISANCE - "Lousy auras there!" She shudders. "No, *role-playing games* are popular among those types... you know, who're into those kinds of things. Personally, I don't like it. Not at all!"

"I've heard they turn people into occult-enthusiasts. That they have rituals, where they try to summon entities. Highly immoral stuff… You can still buy them, though." She looks at the table, crossing her arms.

3. Look through the pile of Wirrâl-related items.

MOUNTAIN OF BOARD GAMES - An endless variety of sourcebooks, lorebooks, and codices litter the table. The top-most book is titled "Welkin Compendium, Second Edition."

There's also a large hardbound tome with intricate cover art: "The Hunters of Katuak: Boreal Creature Compendium," and a pick-your-path adventure gamebook titled "Tales of Wirrâl: Cavern of Velkraag."

Anything that really catches my eye?

Hm, maybe I'm not into all this binoclard stuff.

MOUNTAIN OF BOARD GAMES - There's a box that says: "Wirrâl. Third Edition Mega-Setting Supplements Module". The side panel notes: "A *fantastique* adventure board game. New maps and miniatures!" A sticker on it displays -- 25 reál.

5. [Leave.]

SHELF OF CRIME NOVELS - These shelves are overburdened with books from the same series. You see the name "Dick Mullen" over and over.

"Storekeep, what's all this crime fiction?"

Look through the display of books.

[Leave.]

PLAISANCE - "Oh, crime, robberies, murders..." She lowers her voice. "Even *sexual* crimes. We're fortunate to have Dick Mullen and his stories to sort all that out."

"You're a... a police officer... apparently. You should buy *all* of these. They really do teach a person how to be a proper detective."

2. Look through the display of books.

SHELF OF CRIME NOVELS - Crime fiction... is a disgrace. An asinine misrepresentation of the physical attributes and the arduous everyday work of actual police officers.

These books *greatly* overstate the excitement of police work, glossing over how long it takes to actually follow up on leads and eliminate dead-ends.

What's more, they completely ignore the psychological hardships of, year after year, coming into contact with people during the worst days of their lives.

Not a single mention of all the stress this work creates upon the officer's *family*. Detective fiction just doesn't tell the truth at all. Now, would you like a list of the books found on the shelf?

Sure thing.

Oh god, no.

SHELF OF CRIME NOVELS - You see: "Dick Mullen on the Job", "Get Me Mullen!", "The Stalwart Adventures of Richard P. Mullen", "Dick Mullen and the Murder in the Orchard", "The Sordid Affair of Dick Mullen"...

"A Killing Is Declared", "Dick Mullen in the Murderhouse", "The Final Case of Dick Mullen" (an obvious lie), "Dick Mullen in the Clock Tower", "The Ordeals of Dick Mullen", "Dauntless Dick", "Dick Mullen's Funeral Pyre", "The Murder of Dick Mullen"…

Dick Mullen *dies*?!

Are there any more?

Okay, let's stop now.

SHELF OF CRIME NOVELS - Oh no, turns out he faked it to solve a case.

Are there any more?

SHELF OF CRIME NOVELS - Yes. There's also: "The Dame Who Did It", "Farewell, My Mullen" (faking death seems to be a common trope in the Mullen series), "The Morbid Tales of Dick Mullen", "A Dark Tide Turns"...

"Tragedy Calls for Dick Mullen" (another one with fake death), and, of course, "Dick Mullen: The Murderer", in order to catch a murderer, Dick Mullen must become the murderer.

ESPIRIT DE CORPS [Challenging: Success] - Come on, this is *not* the way real police solve crimes. The *real* police are some twenty kilometres away, sitting in an armoured motor carriage.

MACK TORSON - "Come on, Chester, tell the story again." A bald man turns toward a lean man and pats him on the back.

CHESTER MCLAINE - "Again? Man, I tell that one at least once a month. It's not that interesting," Chester replies.

MACK TORSON - "The *fuck* it is," the bald man replies. "And these guys haven't heard it." He motions to the civilian sitting in the back seat. "You see, Chester here," he pokes his finger at the lean man. "Chester *faked his own death* once!"

CIVILIAN - "Gosh, why?" One civilian looks on, amazed. The bald man bellows a reply:

MACK TORSON - "A very fuckin' dangerous case, ain't that right, Chester? They almost got you that time."

CHESTER MCLAINE - "Yeah, sure came close," Chester mutters in return, then turns to the rapt listener. "Alright, so I was tailing this guy called 'Francis the Shoe'..." The inside of the motor carriage is thick with cigarette smoke. Outside, it starts to rain...

INLAND EMPIRE [Medium: Success] - After all this, you still haven't found the answer to the one question that matters: Who *is* Dick Mullen?

3. [Reaction Speed - Medium 10] Who is Dick Mullen?

REACTION SPEED [Medium: Failure] - Your attempt to grasp at the answer fails... it seems very close by, pulsating just out of reach.

4. [Leave.]

A quaint picture book brochure. Very colourful.

It's a... *Tome of Fascist Magic*. Rather candid.

SHELF OF BIOGRAPHIES - The plaque on the shelf reads: "Biographies of Famous People." You see a large variety of names, none of which ring a bell.

"Storekeep, anything of note in this shelf?"

Look through the display of books.

[Leave.]

PLAISANCE - "I would say..." The woman hums to herself. "'The Greatest Innocence.' Yes, most certainly. It's an important educational tool, delving into the depths of history, religion, and their relation to *innocentic power*."

"Who or what is an innocence?"

"Great. I don't need to know any more."

PLAISANCE - "A very influential historical figure, but surely I don't have to tell you that." She waves her hand, as if casting aside the thought. "You're a law officer and law officers have at least *some* education."

"The book is also very daring. The author aims to re-examine the universal understandings of the innocentic system, creating a fresh vantage point and a shift in the tired order of things."

"I thought it was about which of these... innocences... is the coolest and greatest?"

"So you recommend it?"

"Great. I don't need to know any more."

PLAISANCE - "Perhaps for a layman!" She scoffs. "Deep analysis is necessary to peel back the multi-layered meanings."

"So you recommend it?"

PLAISANCE - "Certainly. It's prudent for a person to have at least an elementary understanding of history and society. Imagine the chaos we'd be in otherwise."

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - You feel like you should get this one. Definitely. It's *important* somehow. There is something personal inside...

This book is only 4.70. Perhaps we should come back to it later.

2. Look through the display of books.

SHELF OF BIOGRAPHIES - Browsing through all the books with all their names makes your head spin. None of these seem important or relevant. It's all just vapid egoism!

Suddenly, a particularly odd title catches your eye. It reads: "High Speed Love: the Tragic True Love Story of Jacob Irw and Alfie Deletraz" by one Cecilia Averbrook.

What's it about?

SHELF OF BIOGRAPHIES - "High Speed Love" chronicles the romance between two of the finest TipTop Tournée racers in history. One of them is the madcap driver Jacob Irw. His blond mane graces the cover.

Next to Irw's life story, you see a slim biography of an Occidental rock star called "The Antistar". He's famous for shooting morphine into one of his eyeballs, and cocaine into the other!

Next to that, Revacholian radio-personality Guillaume Bevy stands in front of a run down drug den. He's a permanent fixture on Channel 8, reporting on real life crime and ruining cops' days...

PLAISANCE - "I really *must* insist you buy one of the books." You're interrupted by the shopkeep. "Reading them is not for free. Do still browse though. But not too *long*."

SUGGESTION [Medium: Success] - She understands she has erred against the customer and immediately corrects course.

PLAISANCE - "I'm sorry, I did not mean to rush you. You *are* browsing. Go ahead. Take your time. Time is commerce."

4. [Leave.]

Another boring book. Just discarded here.

SHELF OF PARANORMAL BOOKS - This bookstore is not *strictly* about crime, romance, and biographies of famous people -- there's also a wide range of paranatural literature.

Look through the shelf.

"Storekeep, what books are these?"

[Leave.]

SHELF OF PARANORMAL BOOKS - Amidst the various books you find one written by someone named Matthias W. Dundas. It's about "Wholeness, Unity, Balance".

The point of the book, and many others on this shelf, is to give people medicinal advice in situations where they don't have access to paid health services.

How does that work?

Uh huh, interesting.

SHELF OF PARANORMAL BOOKS - It serves platitudes, while also telling everyone that traditional medicine (the kind people don't have access to, and which costs more than this book) is garbage, and would only give you cancer anyway, without even curing your cold or anything.

"Wholeness, Unity, Balance" on the other hand, can basically take care of anything. Though it is important to note...

"When it's up to your mind to heal yourself, then it's because of your mind that you're *ill* in the first place."

Does the book say anything else?

Uh huh, interesting.

SHELF OF PARANORMAL BOOKS - The book features chapters on topics such as: how to find magnesium (it even lists plants you can harvest magnesium from); how to continue drinking if you're an alcoholic who has destroyed his liver; and...

…there's even a chapter on the ancient Seraise tradition of using duck gall bladder (preservatives) to treat and prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Pre- and post-factum apply. Nothing worth buying.

INLAND EMPIRE [Medium: Success] - This is just mundane garbage. What's even para-natural about this?

2. "Storekeep, what books are these?"

PLAISANCE - "Hum... sir, please, no browsing in that shelf." She narrows her eyes. "That wisdom is not for free."

"I can't have you end up... like... opening a police store next door and stealing my customers, oh no."

3. [Inland Empire - Medium 10] Find something truly otherworldly.

INLAND EMPIRE [Medium: Success] - The throbbing in your head increases with every passing moment you gaze at this shelf...

SHELF OF PARANORMAL BOOKS - Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a small green book becomes apparent. The title of it reads: "Medicinal Purposes of the Pale."

What's the pale?

What's this book about?

That's all I need to know.

SHELF OF PARANORMAL BOOKS - The book contains very little explanation on the matter -- this knowledge seems to be taken for granted.

2. What's this book about?

SHELF OF PARANORMAL BOOKS- The book contains descriptions of various pseudo-scientific therapies, alternative medicines, and folk remedies involving *the pale* -- also known as *le territoire*.

For example, it recommends vigorously swatting one's naked body with a venik, or hand broom, made from "the leafy twigs of a young birch tree from the near-pale."

Sounds painful.

Sounds invigorating.

SHELF OF PARANORMAL BOOKS - It is supposedly invigorating and good for the circulation.

What else?

I think I've heard enough.

SHELF OF PARANORMAL BOOKS - It also recommends consuming distilled spirits like vodka or whiskey that have been aged in the pale. Readers are instructed to cover these jars in a shallow hole just inside the pale, and leave them there for 30-60 days, depending on the potency desired.

And what does this pale-aged liquor do?

SHELF OF PARANORMAL BOOKS - Among other benefits, it is alleged to restore a damaged liver to perfect health.

I should probably get my hands on some of that. What else is in there?

How is that possible?

I think I've heard enough.

SHELF OF PARANORMAL BOOKS - Is it any more improbable than anything else that human beings put their faith in?

Fair enough. What else is in there?

I think I've heard enough.

SHELF OF PARANORMAL BOOKS - For general health and well-being, readers are encouraged to take regular strolls through the pale, though a sidebar cautions readers to limit each stroll to less than an hour...

These strolls promise to "cleanse the mind of worries and the body of toxins," especially if the perambulator performs this ritual in the nude. (Nudity figures prominently in a number of these prescriptions.)

INLAND EMPIRE [Medium: Success] - This is exactly what you need!

Huh. Anything else of note?

SHELF OF PARANORMAL BOOKS - There's an entire section devoted to cures for men who are struggling to perform their "marital obligations."

Well, I certainly don't need that.

I probably need that.

SHELF OF PARANORMAL BOOKS - You close the book and return it to its place on the shelf.

*Medicinal Purposes of the Pale* is 4.20, but we've gotten quite a lot out of it already.

4. [Leave].

MAP WALL - Several maps have been attached to a bulletin board hidden inside the alcove. They're held up by small pins. The board has come loose from one corner.

The maps look old and faded. Your eye catches a map of Insulinde, a map of Revachol, and a map of Martinaise.

Look at the map of Insulinde.

Look at the map of Revachol.

Look at the map of Martinaise.

"Storekeep, can I buy these maps?"

[Leave.]

MAP WALL - This large map displays archipelagos. You see a constellation of small dots on the light blue emptiness of the Insulindic ocean. The largest, in the northeast, is "Le Caillou" (you are here). Another, far away in the southwest -- "Semenese Islands (Ile du Fantôme)".

What else?

MAP WALL - Ozonne, Laurentide, Face-a-la-Mer, Archipelagos, North Arcade Islands... all just specks of dust on the vastness of the Insulindic. On the edges of the map, the colour fades into a blur of dotted lines. Black and white.

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - In the northeast a dust mite stands on the north coast of Caillou. In a bookstore. It's you.

Squint first -- can you see *cities* on the islands?

Look at the edges.

MAP WALL - You can. On Caillou -- Revachol, a single black star; on Ozonne -- Fond de l'Air and Virmandeux; on Archipelagos -- Croyant-Morain, Villiers; on Semenine -- Olduvai. And on Laurentide -- Deora Of The Seven Seas...

EMPATHY [Medium: Success] - Lost little pearls of light. Tiny fires in the dark.

Look at the edges.

MAP WALL - The ocean breaks apart into a tangle of cosines and azimuths, all pointing into pale nothingness. *Mundi* is the north azimuth; *Graad* is the northeast azimuth; *Samara* is the east azimuth; *Seol* is the west azimuth. *Isolas*, they're called.

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - Connections to other worlds. Worlds past the Insulindian, unknown to you. You only know you've never been there.

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Impossible: Failure] - You have little idea what they are -- distant stars? gods? -- but looking at them makes you feel almost non-existent. Whatever they are, the *isolas* are immeasurably large compared to you. And very, very far away.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Impossible: Failure] - Perhaps they *are* gods. Gods of distance and outer dust.

2. Look at the map of Revachol.

MAP WALL - The north coast of a verdant island is shattered by the delta of a river. It is the River Esperance. Countless bridges put the shards back together, connecting city blocks to river islands. *La Delta*, says a great, artificial heart in the centre, teeming with lifeforms and construction.

To the east, rolling hillsides: Le Jardin, Stella Maris, the suburbs of Saint-Batiste, swallowed up into the megacity. They sound *rich* to you. This is Revachol East.

And west of the river?

MAP WALL - Couron. It's somewhere to live. Not bad. Then there's Jamrock -- it's *bad*. People shouldn't live there, but they do. Then Faubourg -- it's almost *as* bad and much larger. Then Coal City. It's the worst.

And Martinaise?

MAP WALL - It's so small you can't even see it on the map. No... wait. There it is! North of Jamrock, the strip of coast next to the Greater Revachol Industrial Harbour. It looks downright despondent. It's almost Coal City, to be honest.

VOLITION [Easy: Success] - No. This is somewhere to be. This is all you have, but it's still something. Streets and sodium lights. The sky, the world. You're still alive.

3. Look at the map of Martinaise.

MAP WALL - It's not really a map. It's a tourist thing -- a picture postcard with buildings on it, drawn from an isometric perspective. A date in the upper right corner says: '48.

Still, it's detailed. Could be pretty useful for scouting ahead. You see the jagged boxes of an industrial harbour, even the Whirling-in-Rags there...

4. "Storekeep, can I buy these maps?"

PLAISANCE - "I'm sorry, officer, the map of Martinaise is the only one available. The other two are not for sale anymore... and besides, you could scarcely afford them."

"They're quite valuable, though they might not look it. The map of Martinaise is 90 cents, though."

"Why is the one of Martinaise so cheap?"

"You seem to underestimate my resources, but sure, okay."

PLAISANCE - "That old thing? It's an out-of-date map of a tourist location that never was nor came to be..."

"From when some *design-studio people* tried to spruce the place up, four or five years ago. They also renovated the horse-statue, set up those coin-operated viewers and designed the new street lamps."

"What happened then?"

PLAISANCE - "They didn't get far... for some reason. A shame the project never got going. Would be nice if someone fixed Martinaise up. All these ruins are bad for business."

[shadowsong26x]

AO3 First Lines Tag Game

I was tagged by @darkpuck!

Rules: Share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written fewer than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway.

1. See You Soon (Star Wars)

It had been months since the three of them had been in the same place at the same time.

Technically, they still weren’t--Padme was home on Naboo for meetings with the Queen and other local politicians; Obi-Wan was in his quarters on the Dauntless; and Anakin was planetside somewhere rainy, based on the way his hair was plastered to his head and the faint not-quite-static background noise.

Still, it was something like being together, even if they couldn’t touch. The chance to see one another’s faces, hear each other’s voices--that mattered. And, for the first time in three weeks, everything had lined up so they could have a call.

2. A Question of Trust (Battlestar Galactica)

Gaius hesitated for a moment before shutting the lockbox and returning it to its hiding place under the floor.

I could leave it out, he thought. I could let her see.

Which felt faintly ridiculous to contemplate; but, then again, he was contemplating…quite a few things he’d never really thought he would, lately. And this…

He rested his fingers against his skin, familiar and smooth, still slightly damp from slipping out to the lake under cover of darkness.

3. Stay (Star Wars)

What was left of the Malevolence was no longer capable of shooting at them, even if there was still one hell of a debris field to navigate through, and some of the tension in the cockpit eased.

Some of it.

There was something about the way the three of them had moved together, had fallen into sync together; both while they were fleeing through the ship and after they’d made their escape.

It was…

Padme didn’t have a word for it, other than it felt right.

4. Snowglobe (Battlestar Galactica)

She woke up first, and quietly extracted herself from the pile of blankets next to the fireplace--the fire had gone out hours ago, probably; the ashes were cold and grey.

Gaius was still asleep, a few strands of his hair--it had grown out some in the months since she’d first approached him--falling across his face, tracing softer paths than the shadows of the firelight the night before, when they’d finally found themselves here.

5. The Secret Agent Job (Leverage/Nikita Crossover)

The last job had wrapped up, without any unexpected complications other than bringing them back to the bar an hour after closing. Which wasn’t a problem; ever since they’d helped Cora straighten things out at her father’s wake, they had keys and were trusted to be in and out of the bar without causing any trouble.

Still, it was late enough that even Parker decided to just crash here for the night rather than making her way back to wherever the hell her current apartment was. She had passed out in one of the booths; Nate and Sophie had gone upstairs; Hardison was wrapping up a few things in Lucille while Eliot cleaned up after they’d had a victory drink.

6. Incinctus (Castlevania TV Series)

“That the last of them?” Trevor asked.

“Hm,” Alucard said, eyes flicking around the clearing. “I believe everything I saw in the mirror is accounted for, yes. I’ll take another look when we get back to the castle.”

7. Under This Flooded Sky (Star Wars)

There was a quiet, unfamiliar tension on the Resolute when Ahsoka stepped off of Bo-Katan’s shuttle. Master Obi-Wan was waiting for her at the base of the ramp, hands folded into his sleeves. He looked…tired. Older.

Like he’d aged more than a decade in the months since she’d seen him last.

She’d had a bad feeling about this ever since she’d connected with Yularen, and then spoken briefly with Obi-Wan to set the meeting, and that feeling surged up in the back of her head now, stronger than it had been before.

Something is wrong.

8. Protectors (Star Wars)

There were moments when it felt as if the Force itself was holding its breath, waiting for the change that was bound to come.

Sidious had experienced several such moments before, learned to sense when they were building--and, of course, learned to exploit them. But he didn’t think it would take his skill to do so now, simply access to the right knowledge.

Project Stardust was all but complete.

He was prepared, at long last, to formally dissolve the Senate, which had remained in place as a polite fiction of limits to his power for nineteen years.

A fool in possession of those two facts would be aware that this was a turning point in history.

9. Of Other Suns (Star Wars/Avatar: the Last Airbender Crossover)

“So, I’ve got good news and bad news,” Ahsoka said, rejoining Padme in the cockpit.

“Yeah?” Padme asked, looking up from her seventeenth try at getting the comms to work.

10. Preludes (Star Wars)

Faint footsteps, almost-but-not-quite masked by the soft swish of a robe against the floor; Mara focuses in on that sound, that anchor in the face of this overwhelming presence in the Force, like a gravity well, attracting everything in range.

The footsteps stop.

“You know why you are here.”

Tagging...anyone else who wants to play!!

[geraniums-red]

Intisar Khanani - A Darkness at the Door

Book 3 in the Dauntless Path series

This book finishes the arc started in book 2, The Theft of Sunlight.

Rae has been betrayed and captured by slavers, and needs to escape, free the children she has been enslaved alongside, and then get back to defeating the slavery ring as a whole - which won't be easy, as it's supported by some very powerful people and organisations.

I liked that the book has a disabled protagonist (Rae has a club foot), and that the depiction felt realistic in terms of when it slowed her down or ached or needed massaging, and while it was clearly an inconvenience it wasn't treated as a tragedy. I also liked that she was a non-magical person in a magical setting, so it's her wits and actions that make her special rather than her being any sort of 'chosen one'.

I disliked the way that the slaves were all enslaved as children and almost all kidnapped by strangers. I felt that it was based on stereotypes on stranger danger, although the author's note at the end of the previous book suggests that it was inspired by modern slavery. Wikipedia states that only a quarter of slaves today are children, and while I can't currently find an explanation of the different ways people are enslaved, I believe that they are more likely to be sold by their families or those they already have a relationship with, than be grabbed off the streets by people they've never met.

Apart from my quibbles about plausibility of the slave ring, I enjoyed this book. Some nice excitement and adventure, and a sweet, if slightly conservative, romance.

[whiteskyproject]

I read a book! Yay me. Hope this is the start of my adventures out of the wretched reading rut. :D