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helloeurydice · 2 years

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Best Books I read in 2021

Nobody asked, but here are the best books I read in 2021.

1. The Greenbone Saga by Fonda Lee

"Perhaps that was the great tragedy of jade warriors and their families. Even when we win, we suffer."

Now my favorite book series of all time. The Green Bone Saga chronicles the life of the Kaul family of the No Peak clan. This is being marketed as The Godfather meets kung fu meets magic and that tracks, but this series is much much more than that. The Green Bone Saga, at its core, is a family drama - and that's where the series excelled: its interesting and complex characters and their relationships. It has one of the best character arcs I have read (Hilo) and some of my favorite female characters (Shae, Wen, Mada). It also has one of the best worldbuilding in high fantasy. From the first page of Jade City, Fonda Lee will immediately immerse you in this fantasy metropolis. It's very visual and for me it played out like scenes from a Wong Kar-Wai film. Not to mention that it has well-written fight scenes, I think this is the first time I could picture out a fight scene vividly in my head (Fonda Lee's martial arts background definitely came in handy). This series is also heavy on the geopolitics and economics and I absolutely enjoyed this, it's one of my favorite things about GBS. I appreciate that Fonda Lee detailed the logistics of running a crime family, not just the military side, but also the business side. I'm not a fan of gangster/mafia stories and I usually steer clear of those, but picking up Jade City was one of the best decisions I made as this series has become my number 1 favorite book series.

Rating:

Jade City - 4/5 stars

Jade War - 4.5/5 stars

Jade Legacy - 10/5 stars (favorite book of the year and maybe ever?)

Overall - 5/5 stars

TW: violence, death, drug use, murder, torture, sexual content, addiction, abortion, pedophilia, rape

2. The Poppy War trilogy by RF Kuang

"History repeated itself, and she was only the latest iteration of the same scene in a tapestry that had been spun long before her birth."

The Poppy War trilogy is a grimdark military fantasy inspired by the second Sino-Japanese war, particularly the Rape of Nanking, and the Chinese Civil War. If you're familiar with those events, then you'll basically know the general plot of the series, just add shamanism and drugs and lots of heartbreak. Before Jade Legacy came out, this was my number 1 fantasy series, it's still in my top three though. This series is INTENSE. It will break you. It certainly broke me and I still haven't recovered since I finished the trilogy in July. Actually, I still haven't processed the entire and I want to break this series down because there's lots to think about (the commentary on colonialism and that ending alone give me lots of food for thought). Rin had one of the most interesting arcs I have read. She's an already unhinged girl becoming more and more unhinged as the series progresses. Watching her descend into madness and her realizing she's actually the villain and not the hero was both fun and heartbreaking. This also has my favorite platonic relationship ever (rinkitay, my babies). The series is not perfect, I have some issues with it but it's still one of the best I have ever read.

Rating:

The Poppy War - 5/5 stars

The Dragon Republic - 5/5 stars

The Burning God - 4/5 stars

Overall - 5/5 stars (still like it as a whole despite some issues in TBG)

TW: graphic violence, war-related violence, rape, sexual violence, substance addiction, massacres, genocide, self harm, abuse, human experimentation, cannibalism

3. The Sword of Kaigen by ML Wang

"Wholeness, she had learned, was not the absence of pain but the ability to hold it."

The more time passes, the more i realize i love this book, and it has cemented its place as one of my all-time favorite books. This is so underrated (only 7k ratings in goodreads, it's still underrated compared to other popular fantasy books) and you should read it now. The commentaries on propaganda, war, misogyny, family, and parenthood were written well and I enjoyed reading those. The characterizations were on point. The book had two POVs: Mamoru - the son, and Misaki - the mother. Misaki had one of the best character arcs I have read and is now one of my favorite female characters, the book is basically one giant character study of Misaki. The book also had an unusual structure, it had two climaxes, one leading up to the battle near the middle of the book, and another battle (this time more internal) near the end. The magic system is also interesting. The battle scenes were amazing. These people are basically waterbenders and they took waterbending to a whole new level. This book also made me legit cry, lol. It's intense, it's heartbreaking, but it's also hopeful. If you enjoyed the poppy war and would like to read a mature version of a:tla, then go read this book now!!!!

Rating - 4.75/5 stars

TW: death, violence, miscarriage, rape, suicide

4. The City of Brass and The Kingdom of Copper by SA Chakraborty

"People do not thrive under tyrants, Alizayd; they do not come up with innovations when they're busy trying to stay alive, or offer creative ideas when error is punished by the hooves of a karkadann."

City of Brass and Kingdom of Copper satisfied my craving for something MENA-inspired after We Hunt the Flame massively let me down. The first book was the very definition of no plot, just vibes but the vibes were immaculate and I had a fun time reading it. It was slow and focused on worldbuilding and politics. Characters still felt surface-level in the first book but I began to like them better in the second book. Shoutout to Prince Ali, my precious economist. As someone who previously worked in the government, I super enjoyed the fantasy economics and politics of development here. I have yet to read the third book but I hope it delivers a good ending.

Rating:

The City of Brass - 3/5 stars

The Kingdom of Copper - 4/5 stars

5. The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang

Favorite nonfiction book this year. This chronicles the events before, during, and after the Rape of Nanking. The book is easy to read but difficult to digest because of the subject matter but it's very eye-opening. The world made sure that Germany never forgets the holocaust. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Nanking, as there are still groups of people persistently denying the true nature of the massacre, or claiming that it never happened at all. RF Kuang dedicated the first poppy war book to Iris. In the epilogue to the 2011 edition, Iris' husband revealed that it was Iris' dream to have her books be made into documentaries or films, and RF Kuang dedicating her book to Iris made me emotional, lol.

TW: rape, sexual violence, death, gore, genocide, racism

Rating - 5/5 stars

6. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

No need to say anything, I think everyone likes this.

Rating - 4/5 stars

#lea talks about books #green bone saga #jade city #the poppy war #the sword of kaigen #the daevabad trilogy #city of brass #six of crows #was only supposed to include 5 but i thought soc deserved a mention #it's the book that got me out of a decade-long reading slump after all #book recs #diverse books

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derelictheretic · 2 years

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Okay longer Daemon AU post with lil blurbs abt the daemons and more daemons !!

Before I begin I realise i've been posting these without explaining Daemons so short and sweet explanation; Daemons are the manifestation of someone's soul. They can change their form until you hit puberty and then they settle in whatever form fits you and your environment. They can talk out loud but also can communicate with their human almost telepathically if I remember right. Usually your Daemon is the opposite sex and if they're the same sex as you society has decided you're queer or mentally disturbed (and u could literally be neither of those things. I like to think it's genuinely random.) No one can really touch another person's Daemon without bringing them intense pain so anyone who does touch your Daemon is usually a romantic partner or close family/friends you trust with your soul. (Someone touching your Daemon can be extremely traumatic) It's also seen as wrong for your Daemon to talk directly to other humans and not their Daemons. A human can live without their Daemon but a Daemon cannot live without their human, if they're seperated usually the Daemon dies and the human is left a soulless husk. (OH also when someone has a kid, the kids Daemon gets named by the parents Daemons!)

John's daemon... is a Ball Python named Seraphine and she acts very differently depending on who is around. With strangers she stays silent; wrapped around John's shoulders and basically indifferent. With friends she's a little more talkative and will maybe slither down his arm or on the back of where he's sitting and with family she's very lively and sassy and will slither away to mingle with the other daemons.

If you look at her at any given moment it will give you a good idea of John's current mood or comfort level, if she's tense and more coiled around him he's stressed or angry; if she's loosely lazing on him like he's a tree branch he's relaxed and happy. She is rarely not hanging off of his shoulders, only in the safety of John's ranch would she find a nice spot to curl up and maybe have a nap.

Joseph's daemon... is a Golden Monkey named Evelyn and she's very similar to Joseph, she doesn't follow society's silent/invisible rules and doesn't believe personal space applies to her. She'll climb all over other people and talk to anyone and everyone which unsettles many; other daemons tend to shy away from her when she's in the room. She's very affectionate to the project members and family naturally but like Joseph she has that chilling calm violent nature about her. (Like okay I know a monkey isn't that scary but when she goes dead silent and just stares at you that'd be unnerving okay)

She's usually calm and soft spoken, similar to Joseph but she has a much more plafyful side as well. She'll openly tease people and plays small pranks on Seraphine, Dante and Ophelia.

Jacob's demon... is a wolf named Dante and he's a silent, grumpy protector. He can go farther from Jacob than most daemons can go from their people but he'll mostly keep to his side and stalk by his heel wherever he goes. He doesn't talk unless provoked and even then it's very condescending retorts, he barely pays other daemons attention (Seraphine and Evelyn are exceptions of course) and he mostly goes for humans when attacking which is uncommon for Daemons. I'd like to imagine he helps in training Judges and dragging any runaways back to their cage.

If anyone besides Joseph or John touch him, or even get too close on accident, he will bite with no questions asked. He has his own schedule alongside Jacob's and he gets irate when it's disputed. He's very protevtive of Seraphine and Evelyn.

Faith's daemon... is a Linx named Ophelia, she comes across as very aloof but is very cunning. She doesn't say much as she's usually 'asleep' at Faith's feet or chasing after butterflies and basically just doing her own thing. It unsettles people how Faith and Ophelia act so distant from each other and even seem to not really get along at times. Spoilers; Ophelia and Faith have actually been separated, I thought it would be interesting if they had a way to use Bliss to separate Daemons and humans without the daemon simply dying. (although that is still a possible outcome and it's probably erratic) Ophelia speaks freely whenever and to whomever she chooses.

Ophelia is also on bliss like Faith but it affects her differently, being close to her will still cause people to experience bliss hallucinations but at a much smaller scale.

Sharky's Daemon... is a Jack Russel named Aideen and she's excitable and full of energy and her dream is to ride a bear into a fight. She's very sweet and cuddly and unsurprisingly will jump into close friends laps, she also doesn't shut up and much like Sharky she makes no sense half the time. (all Sharky's secrets and feelings getting spilled but no one notices bc Aideen talks too fast and throws in a bunch of other bullshit with it lol) Sharky and Aideen can't be that far apart for too long, they have one of the strongest bonds in Hope County bc I said so.

She's a sensitive little lady and is also very quick to defend Sharky if anyone badmouths him, she is small but mighty and ankles are her go too target.

Hurk's Daemon... is a Teacup Pig named Portia (AND I LOVE HER), she is just a tiny bundle of carefree joy with absolutely zero thoughts in her little head. Hurk usually carries her because she's so small but sometimes you will just see her trotting behind him very fast and getting distracted and wandering off before needing to rush back to Hurk. Like Aideen she's very cuddly but not just to close friends, she'll accidentally bump into people's legs or do it on purpose if Hurk knows them at least a little. She also really loves pie and sunflowers. She's a sweetie and deserves nothing but the world and Yes, she has her own bandana.

Staci's Daemon... is a Stout named Leah! She's sassy and full of bravado and puffs her little chest out while sitting atop Staci's shoulder. She will cause chaos around the office/jail, hide in filing cabinets and spook people and will constantly annoy Alexi. She tends to hide in Staci's shirt pocket and poke her head out and she will unironically insult people's mothers.

After being put through the Jacob situation she becomes mute, always looks like she's shaking and never leaves Staci's pocket. Jacob probably has them seperated or at least attempts to but I could see it going wrong so they're like cracked/broken. They can barely feel each other but there is a sliver of something there.

Joey's Daemon... is a hyena named Alexi, he is a confident lil man and his work ethic matches Joey's. He excelled in the police academy alongside her and enjoys police work almost more than she does. Except for paper work, he hates it with a passion. He's a lot more playful than Joey and will go out of his way to do things the fun way, he never leaves anything unfinished. He shows his fear and anger a lot more than Joey and when he's backed into a corner he will have a big reaction.

When trapped in John's bunker he is kept far enough from Joey that every second hurts and he goes through his own confessions with Seraphine. John threatens to seperate them but never goes through with it, when Alexi gets freed he's much less confident and incredibly paranoid. He tucks himself under Joey and never leaves her side.

Grace's Daemon... is a barn owl named Bellamy, he is loyal and stern and can be terrifying in a fight. If Grace is around he can always be spotted perched in a tree or any higher up surface he can manage to sit on. Smaller Daemons tend to get nervous around him but despite coming off as stoic and intimidating he's a sweetheart. Much like Grace his jokes can come off as flat but his feathers always fluff up when he gets a laugh.

He's only ever sat on Grace or her Father's shoulder and he's never touched any other Daemon. He prefers the company of the calmer Daemons who can keep their heads on straight and loves sharing stories.

Adelaide's Daemon... is a Cougar named Fergus and he's a charismatic goofball. A smart one, but a goof none the less. He loves making Addie laugh and he will never turn down an opportunity to show off. He is the deadliest and most impressive Daemon this side of the marina don't you know! Despite taking the form of a land mammal he loves rides in Tulip; he loves being up high and seeing how small the world looks.

He's more of a homebody than Adelaide and loves to curl up with Xander's Daemon on the pier in the middle of the afternoon.

Tracey's Daemon... is a Panther named Isa, she is silent and always by Tracey's side. Her eyes are piercing and she's not afraid to stare down a human or the biggest of Daemons. When Tracey is on the move she is always prowling by her side, head down and claws ready. She's awkward when talking to other Daemon's but she tries her best, she's very protective of Tracey and will put herself in between her and anything that comes at her.

She's only let one other human touch her and hasn't let anyone else do so since then. She also doesn't really like confined spaces and despises being put in a cage.

Jess's Daemon... is a flying fox bat named Mort, he's small but viscious and is often hiding away in Jess's hood or on her bow. He can fly a fair distance away from her but prefers to stay close. He's a bit rude and abrasive but he's also very mischevious and sweet, he'd fly straight into the mouth of a bear if it meant protecting his and Jess' loved ones.

He sometimes hints when Jess isn't doing so hot, being a lot more open to the idea of receiving comfort and often tries to subtly get trusted people to notice when Jess wants it but won't ask for it.

Nick's Daemon... is a bald eagle named Jupiter, she's exactly like Nick but with a little more gracefulness to her and a lot more venom. She'll fly alongside Nick's plane when he takes it for a drive and is constantly flying up to check the perimeter. She'll usually catch a ride on Jiyu's back if she doesn't feel like flying. She's louder than Nick could ever hope to be and friendlier than the most domesticated pet dog, sometimes she'll try to talk to humans and get huffy when they ignore her.

She's a mama bird through and through, Carmina is never out of her sight and neither is her Daemon. Similarly she likes to keep Kim and Jiyu within her field of view, her family is everything to her. (She hates John and Seraphine with a passion and will eat that snake one day mark her words)

Kim's Daemon... is a black bear named Jiyu, he's on the smaller size for a bear but no ones going up against him when he stands on his hind legs. His favourite person aside from Kim is Nick, and he'll happily plop his head in the mans lap for a good ear scratch. He's very sweet and witty and is good at starting conversation with other Daemons. When he doesn't like someone he's not afraid to show it and he's knocked a few people into the Henbane in the past.

When Carmina is born he is the biggest worry wart over her and her Daemon, and will curl himself around them whever they're sleeping. He and Jupiter spend months fighting over what the little Daemon's name will be, until finally agreeing on Mika.

Mary May's Daemon... is a Border Collie named Laine, she's a firework ready to go off at any second. She's energetic and mischievous and loves to play pranks on her friends. She doesn't stray too far from Mary May but she will duck out of the room and do her own thing if another Daemon is around. She is very protective of Mary May and their friends.

She doesn't talk to humans but she's a chatterbox around other Daemons. She also won't admit it but she loves gossip, her and Fergus have their own gossip group.

Jerome's Daemon... is a Ewe (Sheep) named Mona, she's very relaxed and kind and often takes younger Daemons under her wing. She can be cheeky and loves to partake in some witty banter here and there. She stays close to Jerome and is always in step with him, they have one of the most stable bonds out there.

She's very protective and when it comes to a fight she's as tough as a Ram, her horns cause a lot of damage. Much like Jerome she's like a rock in a storm and is more than happy to help their friends to shallow waters.

Whitehorse's Daemon... is a Saint Bernard named Meredith and while she is a sweetheart she's also very stubborn and would prefer to be at home over any other place. She's old, of course, and she doesn't really try to humour younger Daemons. She does her best to keep them in line but the rowdier they are the more tired she is. She's always at Earl's feet, always a hand away.

Going through the bliss leaves her out of commission for a while, it's a traumatic experience to go through and she never really recovers. (She's not alive long enough too anyway COUGH COUGH—)

Eli's Daemon... is a brown bear named Harlow, he is just the biggest softie known to man. He's always somewhere near Eli, off to the side as to not get in his or anyway else's way and he has the patience of a saint when it comes to younger Daemons. He has been clawed, poked in the eye, bitten and despite that he always just puts a paw on the other Daemon to stop stop them or sat there taking it lol.

He never goes out of his way to talk to humans but he's not entirely against it, if he thinks he can weasel infirmation out of someone Eli couldn't he'll go for it. (Also he's sooo trusting. He trusts the deputy and their Daemon so much :) The deputy would never betray them :) they'll be friends when this all over for sure :))

#Far Cry 5 #Daemon AU #nadine writes #Far Cry Tag #I didn't cover every character but yeah!! these are what I got <3 #two unimportant ones I imagine old man seed had a crow Daemon and their mother had a ewe/lamb Daemon. Life and Death symbolism anyone #also went with the black bear for kim bc imagining Jupiter riding on his back <3 Kim carries her husband so it fits okay <3 #also if u ever want to make me ugly cry get me to talk about Ophelia and Leah THEY ARE THE MOST TRAGIC DAEMONS ON THIS LIST PERIOD.

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