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inkyardpress · 7 years

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Your 2018 YA Fantasy Guide, part 1

There’s no denying it: we’ve seen some excellent YA fantasies already this year, and the genre continues to top our TBR piles month after month. With a handful of fantasy blockbusters still to come before the year is even halfway over, we wanted to give you a quick guide to the books we’ve loved so far in 2018 and what we just can’t wait to read next! Here’s the best of 2018, part one:

January

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him—and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

The Cruel Prince is out now from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Zenith by Sasha Alsberg & Lindsay Cummings

Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness, a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her glass starship, Marauder, however, she's just Andi, their friend and fearless leader.

But when a routine mission goes awry, the Marauder's all-girl crew is tested as they find themselves in a treacherous situation and at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter from Andi's past.

Meanwhile, across the galaxy, a ruthless ruler waits in the shadows of the planet Xen Ptera, biding her time to exact revenge for the destruction of her people. The pieces of her deadly plan are about to fall into place, unleashing a plot that will tear Mirabel in two.

Andi and her crew embark on a dangerous, soul-testing journey that could restore order to their ship or just as easily start a war that will devour worlds. As the Marauder hurtles toward the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only certainty is that in a galaxy run on lies and illusion, no one can be trusted.

Zenith is out now. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.

The Hazel Wood is out now from Flatiron Books. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

February

Everlife by Gena Showalter

At seventeen years old, Tenley “Ten” Lockwood had to make the ultimate choice—where to live after she died. Loyalty to her selected realm has not wavered…until now. She is out of time. Sacrifices must be made, and a terrible price must be paid. But is she too late?

As the Everlife descends into darkness, a single truth becomes clear: Troika and Myriad must unite—or perish. In order to bring sworn enemies together, Ten must enter forbidden territory…and destroy the powerful Prince of Ravens. But there’s only one way inside—bonding with Killian Flynn, a deadly rival who sets her blood aflame.

When nothing goes as planned and betrayal leads to the edge of utter defeat, Ten and Killian will have to rebuild trust from the ashes of their hearts. Victory seems impossible, the odds stacked against them. In the end, how far will they be willing to go for the sake of their realms and the Everlife?

The entire Everlife series is out now! Add Everlife to your Goodreads shelf!

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.

The Belles is out now from Disney-Hyperion. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Cadaver & Queen by Alisa Kwitney

When Lizzie Lavenza enrolled at Ingold as its first female medical student, she knew she wouldn't have an easy time. From class demands to being an outsider among her male cohorts, she'll have to go above and beyond to prove herself. So when she stumbles across what appears to be a faulty Bio-mechanical—one of the mechanized cadavers created to service the school—she jumps at the chance to fix it and get ahead in the program.

Only this Bio-mechanical isn't like the others. Where they are usually empty-minded and perfectly obedient, this one seems to have thoughts, feelings…and self-awareness.

Soon Lizzie realizes that it is Victor Frankenstein—a former student who died under mysterious circumstances. Victor, it seems, still has a spark of human intelligence inside him, along with memories of things he discovered before his untimely death…and a suspicion that he was murdered to keep that information from getting out. Suddenly Lizzie finds herself intertwined in dark secrets and sabotage that put her life, and the lives of Victor and their friends, in danger. But Lizzie's determined to succeed—even if that means fighting an enemy who threatens the entire British Empire.

Cadaver & Queen is out now. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones

Six months after the end of Wintersong, Liesl is working toward furthering both her brother’s and her own musical careers. Although she is determined to look forward and not behind, life in the world above is not as easy as Liesl had hoped. Her younger brother Josef is cold, distant, and withdrawn, while Liesl can’t forget the austere young man she left beneath the earth, and the music he inspired in her.

When troubling signs arise that the barrier between worlds is crumbling, Liesl must return to the Underground to unravel the mystery of life, death, and the Goblin King—who he was, who he is, and who he will be. What will it take to break the old laws once and for all? What is the true meaning of sacrifice when the fate of the world—or the ones Liesl loves—is in her hands?

Shadowsong is out now from Disney-Hyperion. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

March

Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi

Juliette Ferrars thought she'd won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander, and now has Warner by her side. But she's still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch—and now she's got the whole world in the palm of her hand. When tragedy hits, who will she become? Will she be able to control the power she wields and use it for good?

Restore Me is out now from HarperCollins. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.

Children of Blood and Bone is out now from Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow, where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.

The Wicked Deep is out now from Simon Pulse. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

April

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…and secrets hide in every shadow.

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn't have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne's offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems.

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi's enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city… And she’ll need to play.

Ace of Shades is out now. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

Dread Nation is out now from Balzer + Bray. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

The Diminished by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson

In the Alskad Empire, nearly all are born with a twin, two halves to form one whole…yet some face the world alone.

The singleborn

A rare few are singleborn in each generation, and therefore given the right to rule by the gods and goddesses. Bo Trousillion is one of these few, born into the royal line and destined to rule. Though he has been chosen to succeed his great-aunt, Queen Runa, as the leader of the Alskad Empire, Bo has never felt equal to the grand future before him.

The diminished

When one twin dies, the other usually follows, unable to face the world without their other half. Those who survive are considered diminished, doomed to succumb to the violent grief that inevitably destroys everyone whose twin has died. Such is the fate of Vi Abernathy, whose twin sister died in infancy. Raised by the anchorites of the temple after her family cast her off, Vi has spent her whole life scheming for a way to escape and live out what's left of her life in peace.

As their sixteenth birthdays approach, Bo and Vi face very different futures—one a life of luxury as the heir to the throne, the other years of backbreaking work as a temple servant. But a long-held secret and the fate of the empire are destined to bring them together in a way they never could have imagined.

The Diminished is out now. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Inferno by Julie Kagawa

Ember Hill has learned a shocking truth about herself: she is the blood of the Elder Wyrm, the ancient dragon who leads Talon and who is on the verge of world domination. With the Order of St. George destroyed, Ember, Riley and Garret journey to the Amazon jungle in search of one who might hold the key to take down the Elder Wyrm and Talon. If they can survive the encounter. Meanwhile, Ember's brother, Dante, will travel to China with a message for the last Eastern dragons: join Talon or die. With the stakes rising and the Elder Wyrm declaring war, time is running out for the rogues and any dragon not allied with Talon.

The final battle approaches. And if Talon is victorious, the world will burn.

Inferno, the fiery conclusion to the Talon Saga, is out April 24. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

May

War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

Victory comes at a price.

Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart—and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her—Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all…starting with the crown on Maven’s head.

But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal’s powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolishing everything—and everyone—in his path.

War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced?

In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard’s stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power…for all will be tested, but not all will survive.

War Storm is out May 15 from HarperTeen. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Furyborn by Claire Legrand

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable—until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world—and of each other.

Furyborn is out May 22 from Sourcebooks. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Legendary by Stephanie Garber

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.

Welcome to Caraval...the games have only just begun.

Legendary is out May 29 from Flatiron Books. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

June

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

Beyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger.

The Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, is assailed on all sides. Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable, while the Commandant capitalizes on his madness to bolster her own power. As Helene searches for a way to hold back the approaching darkness, her sister’s life and the lives of all those in the Empire hang in the balance.

Far to the east, Laia of Serra knows the fate of the world lies not in the machinations of the Martial court, but in stopping the Nightbringer. But while hunting for a way to bring him down, Laia faces unexpected threats from those she hoped would aid her, and is drawn into a battle she never thought she’d have to fight.

And in the land between the living and the dead, Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher. But in doing so, he has vowed himself to an ancient power that will stop at nothing to ensure Elias’s devotion—even at the cost of his humanity.

A Reaper at the Gates is out June 12 from Razorbill. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Dawn of Legends by Eleanor Herman

Prince Alexander of Macedon has battled both men and monsters, but his final war will determine his fate…and the future of mankind. While Macedon’s enemies close in from all corners of the earth, Alexander must fulfill one last prophecy that dictates only he—and he alone—can ensure humanity’s survival against the age of the deadly Spirit Eaters.

As the threads of fate draw Alexander closer to his destiny, an exiled queen will meet a runaway princess, a young sorceress will set the final path of her heart and generals will choose their final battles. Before the light of victory can shine, enemies must become allies, Death must be tamed and hearts must break.

Who will rise and who will die? All is revealed in the epic finale to New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman’s rich and fantastical Blood of Gods and Royals series.

Dawn of Legends, the final installment in the Blood of Gods and Royals series, is out June 26. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman

Star-crossed lovers, meddling immortals, feigned identities, battles of wits, and dire warnings. These are the stuff of fairy tale, myth, and folklore that have drawn us in for centuries.

Fifteen bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate.

Compiled by We Need Diverse Books’s Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman, the authors included in this exquisite collection are: Renee Ahdieh, Sona Charaipotra, Preeti Chhibber, Roshani Chokshi, Aliette de Bodard, Melissa de la Cruz, Julie Kagawa, Rahul Kanakia, Lori M. Lee, E. C. Myers, Cindy Pon, Aisha Saeed, Shveta Thakrar, and Alyssa Wong.

A mountain loses her heart. Two sisters transform into birds to escape captivity. A young man learns the true meaning of sacrifice. A young woman takes up her mother’s mantle and leads the dead to their final resting place. From fantasy to science fiction to contemporary, from romance to tales of revenge, these stories will beguile readers from start to finish. For fans of Neil Gaiman’s Unnatural Creatures and Ameriie’s New York Times–bestselling Because You Love to Hate Me.

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings is out June 26 from Greenwillow Books. Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

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#ya books #ya reads #fantasy #bookworm #am reading

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wherever-i-look-blog · 7 years

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Darla’s parents come about and like when Lorna came to Louisiana, we are led to believe everything we were told is not true.

Previous Recap: Episode 12 “Live in the All Along”

Director(s) Liesl Tommy Writer(s) Monica Macer & Davita Scarlett Notable Guest Stars Darlene Michael Michele Quincy Roger Guenveur Smith

Lupus: Aunt Vi

Lupus is the reason Aunt Vi has been sick. Something which is a bit devastating for her, as you can imagine. Also, it is something she tells no one this episode.

Let’s Take It Slow: Nova, Calvin, Charley, Remy

Calvin returns and is talking sweet nothings to Nova. Yet, if there is one thing she has learned from the people she damn near makes sound like rebounds, it is that what she needs is her freedom right now. Not sleeping with a bunch of random people or boo’d up. She needs to be with her community and falling back in love with that. For be it Robert, Calvin or the girl whose name escapes me, she is just not ready for them and what they want for her to be. In a way, she is just starting to discover who she is and what her place is. A task all of them, sort of desire to help with, but only as long as she ends up who they want her to be for them.

As for Charley? Well, she is experiencing something similar in a way. Remy, being that he has long since lost his wife, has had a few things on his mind. One being marriage and the other children. Two things which make it so Charley realizes they can’t be all cutesy and adorable anymore. Remy is bringing adult conversation. Long-term relationship conversations. Of which, despite saying Remy is important, Charley wasn’t necessarily thinking of.

Just when they were about to have sex, some pillow talk about forever from Remy throws in a monkey wrench.

From what it seems, she saw him as a kind of friend with benefits. One who gave her the support of a boyfriend, maybe even husband, but didn’t ask for much besides her respect. But with it now being clear he wants marriage, a family, and that not necessarily being a deal breaker but something he seriously wants her to think about, so comes a crossroad. Will Charley adapt to what Remy wants or stick with the path she is on? After all, Micah is damn near grown and while being married wouldn’t be horrible, she just got out of a marriage.

So, for now, it seems, like Micah and Keke, the two of them are going to take things slow. Now, as for how they mutually define that? Well, only time will tell.

Family Reunion: Darla, Ralph Angel, Darlene, Quincy, Blue, Aunt Vi

The Suttons come to Ralph Angel’s farm and they seem like nice enough folk. Darlene, Darla’s mom, is warm and welcoming. She even asks for little Blue to hug her – which of course he obliges. As for Quincy, Darla’s dad? Well, he is a bit awkward and cautious. However, as he reveals he did his research on Nova and Charley, it seems he is warming up a bit. Heck, even when Darla asks if they can make amends, he doesn’t give her a hard time.

Then again, it could be because Aunt Vi has been keeping in contact with them. You see, Aunt Vi reveals Darlene, during the time when Aunt Vi had custody of Blue, was sending monthly checks. Of which, you know Darlene wasn’t just sending money and not asking for updates. Heck, her rapport with Aunt Vi is so friendly that I wouldn’t be surprised if all Quincy knew came from Darlene and Aunt Vi’s conversations.

I mean, considering how dirty Darlene implies Darla did her and Quincy, maybe to the point of rocking their marriage, I’d believe Aunt Vi telling them the truth, noting Darla’s progress, might be why they came around. For while Darla claims it has been 6 years of silence, this came after who knows how long of back and forth moments. Calls when she was high and wanting money, was in pain, wanted to come home, or was threatening to hurt herself. The kind of calls which are calls to action but when they showed up, no Darla.

As you can imagine, that puts a toll on a person, a marriage, and the relationship between a daughter and her parent. Yet, again likely due to Aunt Vi’s secret communications, it seems like a time to heal. Of which, Quincy reveals it isn’t just with them that Darla has to make amends with. She also does with Ralph Angel. Someone she reveals may not be Blue’s father.

Other Noteworthy Facts & Moments

Ralph Angel made 20% more on the soybeans than expected.

Nova and Calvin mutually say they never got over each other. However, while Calvin makes Nova seem like the first decision he was never pressured into making, Nova thinks of Calvin as a prison. Something which would require constant explanation so she decides against reforming their bond.

It seems Darla’s drug problem started in high school – per her talking about seeing some high school friends and doing harder drugs than ever before.

Question(s) Left Unanswered

I speculated a lot but, how much did Aunt Vi tell Darlene? Much less, how did those monthly payments start?

Did Charley really think Remy wouldn’t, at least, want to get married?

Has Nova accepted she needs to be single and perhaps not mingle for a while?

How is this going to affect Blue in learning the people he has known his whole life may not even be blood relatives? Likely he will still see them as family, but with that family tree project, will he have a tantrum and rip it up? Maybe even get mad at Darla? It isn’t clear if he remembers any of the bad times, he likely doesn’t, but may he bring that up?

Where is Darla from because Darlene makes it seem they are not locals.

Collected Quote(s)

I believe in forever and I want you in mine.

Highlights

Darla’s Parents Threw Me For A Loop

Weekly, Sarah and I go back and forth and the topic we usually square in on is Darla and Ralph Angel. One of the things which has been seriously dug into is how Darla’s parents were going to be. One of the ideas which came about is that they’d be the opposite of Lorna. That is, someone who was touted as menacing in a way but ended up being mostly a sweetheart. However, with Darla’s parents, it was figured, at least by me, they would live up to their legend.

Yet, again that wasn’t true. In fact, the way Darlene puts it, and probably knows, Darla has outright lied on them. Not to imply they might not have been strict and had expectations, much less didn’t cut Darla off. But, it seems what Darla has said which has likely made masses of viewers think of her as an angel, while forgiving her past, was mostly a lie. The kind which, I don’t want to say was about garnering sympathy. However, that is what it kind of looks like. Hell, maybe even manipulation to a point.

Though, one could also see it as weakness. She burnt her bridges and poisoned the water with her folks. Seemingly to the point where it could have destroyed their marriage. She manipulated them while high and through their emotions about like some wild carnival ride. All of which was who the old Darla was. But does that mean we can, or should, easily forgive her lying on these people? These people she made seem abandoned her outright, didn’t know who Ralph Angel was, and barely knew Blue?

It is something which I find hard to say because, as noted in the comment section of a past episode, Darla has been allowed to be angelic on the show. Yes, she had her past but outside of with Kenya, she hasn’t had the same amount of bumps as Charley, Nova, or even Ralph Angel. She has remained this consistently likable and sympathetic character. Which now is brought into question.

Could it be, because of how weak and frail she was, she made it seem she was abandoned because she needed that sympathy to finally get better? Was seeming weak how she dealt with her guilt and as she built up her person, it was a crutch? Heck, could it be, when she hit rock bottom, the tough love of Aunt Vi was what she needed vs. her parents either flying across the country or just leaving her to the wolves? It is all so hard to pin down an exact emotion.

Aunt Vi & Her Secrets

Going all the way back to the Landry family formerly owning her family, Aunt Vi sure knows how to keep secrets doesn’t she? The problem is, damn near all of her secrets she only lets out after the damage is done. That Landry secret only came about because Charley was really seeming to put her foot down about selling her piece of the land. When it came to Lorna, until confronted, she didn’t say anything and that secret messed up Nova royally. So between her having Lupus and whatever deal she made with Darlene, you gotta wonder which will come out first?

The Cool Points Out The Window And You Got Him All Twisted Up In The Game

Nova notes she can’t be all of herself when with Calvin. Something which it seems she repeats no matter who she is with.

Excuse me for quoting Bringing Down The House [External] but I couldn’t help it. At this point, it seems Nova, Charley, and Ralph Angel are no longer in any sort of honeymoon period with any of their romantic relationships. For Nova, she keeps hitting these difficult conversations and increasingly seems unwilling to approach the idea of compromise. Before she could blame what happened with her mom but there comes a point you can’t use your parents as an excuse. You got to own up to the issues you allow to remain consistent in your life.

Leading to the question of: Will she finally take real time to heal? Be it sex or jumping into semi-serious relationships, Nova seems to have never really pursued being alone. Finding peace and joy in herself. It always seemed to be about one distraction or another. Anything to keep herself from being alone for more than one or two nights. You ever notice that? I’d even argue her investment in the community partly stems from her trying to avoid being alone when it isn’t on her own terms.

Then with Charley, I still can’t fathom how such an intelligent woman who I thought got to know Remy, would really think he wouldn’t want marriage. Also, didn’t he note he tried to have kids with his ex-wife until life got in the way? I mean, if they met now, after she got divorced, I could see her being taken back by what he said. However, these two have been talking for at least a year now. All of which have been flirty conversations. So don’t tell me she never thought of this man in a long-term fashion.

After all, considering how much Remy has done for the family and her, aren’t they damn near like a married couple anyway? If she didn’t see them as long-term, why note how important he is? Why so publicly kiss him in front of the entire community? I hope that wasn’t to get back at Davis over Tamar. Surely she can’t be that petty right? But, connecting Charley with Nova, who is to say Remy wasn’t a rebound like Robert and the other girl was? Just with Remy being someone who was much more of a beneficial partner.

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Leaving Ralph Angel. I don’t think anyone could argue that Blue has been the driving force behind his rehabilitation. Raising Blue, seeing that smile, and protecting him has been what kept Ralph Angel either on the straight and narrow or what helped people push him back on that road. So with the possibility he is not the father, so comes the question of if he even cares. He is more than 6 years in and signed the birth certificate. Though Darla’s parents may know, who else really needs or deserves to know really? Why mess something up which works?

But, lest we forget, Ralph Angel is a bit emotional. So while things may not change between him and Blue, the same can’t be said about him and Darla. For one of the reasons Ralph Angel went to jail was to help take care of that kid. So imagine, as you reflect, this kid being a few years old and you are robbing stores, risking yourself getting shot, to raise someone else’s seed. You lost years of your life, got a record now, because your lady relapsed and had some fun in DC with some high school friends.

Usually, when Ralph Angel has his moments it makes me roll my eyes but if he decides to go off, I can’t blame him on this one. Though, at the same time, I do wonder if his pride may lead him to keep this secret to himself like his name is Violet.

#QueenSugar: Season 2/ Episode 13 "Heritage" - Recap/ Review (with Spoilers) Darla’s parents come about and like when Lorna came to Louisiana, we are led to believe everything we were told is not true.

#Davita Scarlett #Heritage #Liesl Tommy #Michael Michele #Monica Macer #OWN #Queen Sugar: Aunt Vi #Queen Sugar: Blue #Queen Sugar: Calvin #Queen Sugar: Charley #Queen Sugar: Darla #Queen Sugar: Darlene #Queen Sugar: Nova #Queen Sugar: Quincy #Queen Sugar: Ralph Angel #Queen Sugar: Remy #Queen Sugar: Season 2 #Roger Guenveur Smith

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