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luxaofhesperides · 4 months

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For ghost lights prompts: eldritch/creepy/weird Danny + shy/flustered Duke + hand holding

Your ghostlights fics are giving me so much joy RN I cannot express how much, if this prompt doesn't spark a brain worm for it I get it but I'm excited to read all the others you may wind up posting

There’s a new kid at West Robinson High School.

This normally wouldn’t be a big deal. They get plenty of new students, being an average high school; not prestigious like Gotham Academy, but not terrible like some of the schools in the lower South Side. New kids are hardly anything to make note of, but something about this student has everyone paying attention to him.

It’s not charisma. The guy doesn’t talk to anyone. It’s not attractiveness, because no one really knows what he looks like under the tattered hoodie he wears all the time. It’s not curiosity, not really, because the student body moves around him like he’s dangerous, not like they want to pry all his secrets out into the open.

It doesn’t help that Duke sees things around him.

He considers briefly telling someone about it, but then remembers having to argue for returning to West Robinson High School instead of being put in Gotham Academy and decides that Bruce can continue to mind his own business. It’s not like this new kid has done anything bad (yet) and Duke can handle investigating this on his own.

So he watches, catching glimpses of the new kid—Danny Fenton—in hallways during passing period, hiding away at lunch, disappearing into the streets as soon as the school day is over. They even share a class together, French Language and Culture, but Danny is always in the back corner, ignored and made invisible by everyone else.

Well. That’s not quite true.

There are shadowy figures that surround Danny and they never leave him alone. Even when he’s got his arms folded on his desk, head down, looking as if he’s asleep, these figures pull at the hood covering his head or reach semi-transparent hands down to pet his hair. And Danny reacts to them, lightly batting their hands away or turning his head away from them.

Duke has no idea what they are. Ghosts are his best guess, but he can’t confirm it. As far as he knows, ghosts are magic and can only be seen by magic users, which Duke very much is not. They do lead to cold spots, keeping the temperatures noticeably colder around Danny, and make the shadows darker, which only makes other students more nervous about being near Danny.

Through his week of observing Danny, beyond the ghostly figures and visible unease he causes in everyone, what Duke learns is that Danny is lonely.

No one talks to him. People barely look at him. Teachers avoid calling on him when they can.

And Danny accepts it. He fades into the background, keeps out of the way, shrinks in on himself.

No one else sees it. No one else wants to see him.

It’s breaking Duke’s heart, just a little bit.

He’s lucky that he’s not an outcast at school. With his meta gene awakening and his free hours taken up by Bats and fighting crime, it’s hard to have much of a social life, but he still has a few friends during the school hours he can hang out with. Danny doesn’t have anyone, and the more Duke sees how isolated he is, the more upset he becomes.

Which brings him to step two of his investigation: befriend Danny.

So what if he has some ulterior motives! He also just wants to give this guy someone to hang out with! What little glimpses of Danny’s face he’s able to get show him a tired teenager, worn down the way Alley kids are when they’re at the end of their rope and have nothing left to give.

Duke’s first attempts at befriending Danny fail so fast it’s almost funny. It’s as if Danny knows when someone is seeking him out, because every time Duke goes to where he is, Danny up and disappears, hurrying away and vanishing in the crowded hallways, or in the alley a few buildings past the school, or into the fucking restroom, which is always empty when Duke goes in after him. Trying to use his powers to see where Danny goes next doesn’t help either; all he sees is some glowing figure resembling Danny walk through walls, which is either due to Danny being a meta or from Duke’s powers deciding to be unhelpful.

He’s about to resort to Tim level stalking to finally have a conversation with Danny when his French teacher blessedly (and unknowingly) aids him on his mission.

“Find a partner, everyone!” she instructs with a clap of her hands near the end of class. “This is a translation project, and you’ll be doing them in pairs to check each other’s work and decide how to best interpret something into English. If you don’t have a partner in the next minute, tell me and I’ll assign you someone.”

The class is a flurry of movement just as the last word leaves her mouth, friends turning to each other or running across the room to make sure they’re partnered up before anyone else can butt in.

No one looks at Danny. Which means Duke can just skirt along the wall of the classroom until he’s next to Danny, gently knocking on his desk to get his attention.

Danny looks up, and Duke sees a flash of blue before Danny averts his gaze, tilting his head down again. “Yeah?” he says, and his voice is much softer than what Duke imagined. He expected something hoarse and rough, a little deep, intimidating. Instead, it’s gentle and quiet and smooth.

It’s a nice voice. It’s a shame that no one else has really heard it.

“Wanna be partners?” he asks, as if he’s offering a choice. They both know no one else is going to ask Danny, and if he wants to avoid talking to the teacher, then he has to work with Duke.

Danny sighs. “Sure.”

And then he puts his head back down on the desk.

Duke backs off. This is the best he’s going to get right now. Now that he’s got an excuse to spend time with Danny, he can take his time breaking down his walls and getting to know him. He watches as a figure from the usual group that hangs around Danny breaks away and gently brushes a hand against Danny’s arm. Then they turn to Duke and reach for him.

He moves without thinking, stepping out of the way. The shadowy figure fades back, almost invisible even to his eyes, and Danny’s turned his head to lay his piercing gaze on Duke.

…There’s no way that blew his cover, right?

He didn’t just reveal one of his meta abilities from taking a single step to the side. No way.

But Danny’s eyes are a deep blue that seem almost endless as he keeps his attention on Duke. It feels as if he’s staring into Duke, seeing more than what he wants to reveal.

“Alright, looks like everyone’s found a partner! As you head out, be sure to grab a practice packet from my desk to work on some translation. There are due the next time we meet, and I will be handing out your individual passages once these have all been turned in.” Their teacher sets a large stack of papers onto the corner of her desk, then gets to work erasing the whiteboard just as the bell rings.

Students grab their bags and rush to take one of the packets before heading out to their final class of the day. Duke stays behind with Danny, waiting for most of the class to leave before swinging his backpack onto his shoulder and grabbing a packet for both of them.

He hands one to Danny, who takes it with some hesitancy and a quiet, “Thanks.”

He leaves before Duke does, and though it’s only a second between his leaving and Duke stepping out the door, Danny’s already vanished from sight.

As soon as school ends, Duke heads for the Hatch, hoping a quick evening patrol will help clear his mind. It’s a quiet evening, though, so he’s left with his thoughts more often than not, staring out over the city long enough that Oracle asks him if he’s alright.

Against his better judgment, he says, “I’ve been looking into something, but I’m not finding much. Can you do some research on Danny Fenton?”

Oracle is already typing before he finishes asking. “What am I looking for?”

“Anything. He’s… strange. I don’t know if he’s a meta or just lightly haunted. But there’s something up with him.”

“Do we need to be keeping a closer eye on him?”

Duke considers. None of them ask Oracle to look into specific people unless they’re dangerous. But danger is not the sense Duke gets from Danny. It’s more like he’s hiding, shying away from the world, constantly on edge. “No. If anything, he might be in danger. Something happened to him, because no one ends up like that by living an average life.”

“I’ll let you know what I find. Turn in for the night, it’s quiet out and you’re too distracted to patrol properly.”

“You got it, O.” He salutes the nearest camera, knowing she’ll see it, and makes his way back to the Hatch to change back into civies and get started on his homework.

When he next goes into his French classroom, all the desk has been rearranged so they’re all in pairs, side by side. Already, patterns are filling up the desks, so Duke heads for the back and sits down where Danny usually hides away. He’s not here yet, which is making Duke realize that he’s never actually seen Danny walk into the classroom and head to his seat.

Did he just never pay attention? Has Danny always just slipped in unnoticed until attendance was taken? How did Duke miss that?

There’s movement in the desk next to him. Duke goes to say that he’s waiting for his partner, so please sit somewhere else, when he realizes that it’s Danny who managed to sneak in yet again.

“Hey,” he says after a moment, hoping his surprise is hidden.

There’s a pause, and then Danny returns, “Hey, Duke.”

That’s all they have time for before class is starting and their teacher goes around to collect homework. She then hands out new packets, each one a different section of L’Ecume des Jours, and gives them the rest of class to begin working on translating it.

Duke is already dreading it as he flips through the three pages they were given to translate, stapled to each other beneath the two page instructions of how to format the final translation, how to document their previous translation drafts, and what to include in the reflection essay.

There’s no way he can get all of this done in a week.

On the other hand, it gives him a week to learn more about Danny. He needs to make the most of it.

“This is a lot,” he comments, hoping to prod Danny into conversation.

Danny shrugs.

“Can we work on this together after school today? Or do you have plans?”

“We can work on it today,” Danny says, voice barely louder than a whisper. He’s already scanning the pages, underlining certain words and phrases.

Duke hurries to get to work as well, trying to parse out meaning from the text through single words scattered on the page.

Qu’est-ce que vous faites dans la vie, vous?

J’apprends des choses, dit Colin. Et j’aime Chloé.

Duke nods to himself. He definitely doesn’t know French. Well, he knows qu’est-ce que. He knows vous. He know j’apprends and j’aime Chloé. Also dit Colin. Fairly simple, but with the missing pieces to the rest of those sentences, he really doesn’t know what’s going on beyond the fact that it’s a conversation and Colin loves Chloé.

When he glances at Danny’s desk, he’s shocked to see that his partner is already translating the first few lines into something that reads like normal English.

“Oh, wow,” he says, leaning over to get a better look, “You’re definitely better at this than I am.”

“I just like languages,” Danny replies, turning his paper so Duke can read it more easily.

“Have you been hiding your French skills this entire time? I could have definitely used your help before this.”

Danny goes still for a moment, eyes flicking towards his right where a shadowy figure has placed a hand on his shoulder. Then he turns to fully face Duke and says, “Better late than never. What do you need help with?”

“Everything.”

His immediate answer makes Danny smile, and he begins talking in that soft, soothing voice of his. He talks about not trying to translate everything into English immediately, but to understand the French and take it in as a whole language itself. He talks about getting the idea of the text first, the feeling of it, before trying to fit it into English. He talks about splitting up the text into sections to make it easier.

And then he reads the text, entirely in French, and Duke did not have a thing for voices or multilingualism before this, but he sure does now.

“Qu’est-ce que vous faites dans la vie, vous?” Danny reads, reaching the end of the first page. The syllables come to his easily, his French smooth and steady. “J’apprends des choses, dit Colin.” His eyes dart up, off the page, and fix Duke in place. “Et j’aime Chloé.”

Duke has never been happier that he doesn’t blush so visibly with his dark skin because he feels downright romanced. It’s a mix of the French, of Danny’s addictive voice, of their closeness, of how intimate this dark corner of the room feels, tucked away from the rest of the class.

“We can work on the other pages after we finish translating this one,” Danny says, leaning back at bit.

Duke nods, swallowing to chase away the dryness of his throat. “Sounds like a plan!”

They work in silence for the rest of the class period, and once the bell rings, Danny says, “I’ll wait for you by the bus stop down the street,” before he slips out of reach and disappears into the throng of students heading to their last class.

He’s beginning to think that he’s in way over his head. Duke can handle being in the middle of all the action, risking his life, fighting for others. He can handle staring down rogues and criminals and Gnomon. He can’t handle feelings and romance and other such things. Those are much scarier than a criminal shooting at him. At least with the criminal, he knows what to do and doesn’t just freeze up like he did with Danny.

The school day ends faster than he’s prepared for. As promised, Danny waits for him by the bus stop down the street, where other students are also waiting.

They don’t wait for a bus, though. Danny just meets his eyes and begins walking away, leaving Duke to follow after him, matching his pace so they can walk side by side.

The shadows in the alleyway seem to reach towards them as they walk down it. Something about it doesn’t feel right, so Duke tries to quietly use his powers and force them back.

He only has time to think, Oh, that was a bad idea, before Danny is shoving him against the wall, getting them both out of the way as a shadow solidifies and lashes out at them. He’s kept in place by strong hands on his chest, and Danny’s eyes are glowing lightly as he hisses at the shadows, making them rear back and settle down once more.

As if given permission to reveal themselves, more shadowy figures and strange movements in the shadows emerge, surrounding them.

“Danny, I don’t mean to alarm you, but—”

“I know,” Danny says. “I thought you might be able to see them too. Which is not good.”

“Sorry, man, it’s not like I can turn it off.”

“It’s fine. Just be more careful. They like me because I’m like them, but you just register as a threat. Either that, or prey.”

“Great,” Duke replies weakly, “Those are my favorite things to be. Are we… are we safe to move?”

Slowly, Danny steps back, no longer pressed right against Duke. Nothing moves to attack him, but it might be due to the glare fixed on Danny’s face, eyes still glowing.

“They’ll leave me alone, so…” He reaches a hand out, looking away. The hoodie isn’t able to hide the way his cheeks go red. “Don’t let go and we’ll be fine.”

“I hope this isn’t to lead me to my doom,” Duke jokes nervously as he accepts Danny’s hand, holding it tightly.

Danny wiggles his fingers, making him loosen his grip, and then their fingers are lacing together. Duke stares down at their hands, wide eyed, and hopes he doesn’t look as flustered as he feels.

“Not to your doom,” Danny reassures. “Just a coffee shop I thought you’d like.”

“Well, then, lead the way!”

“Allons-y,” Danny replies.

Stealing glances at him as they walk, ghostly figure and shadow shrinking away from them, all Duke can think is that he doesn’t need to worry about Danny being evil. His immediate instinct to protect Duke has proved that. He’ll keep the investigation going, though, to make sure Danny is safe from others that could hurt him.

Strange and unsettling as he may be, Danny’s also a smart, kind person who deserves more.

Duke is determined to make sure he gets it.

And if he gets a crush along the way, that’s his business and his business only.

It looks like Step Two: Befriend Danny is finally complete. He’ll figure out the other steps later. For now, he has an evening of French in a coffee shop to look forward to.

#ghostlights #dc x dp #dp x dc #dcxdp #dpxdc #dc x dp fic #prompt fill #my writing #im glad youre enjoying my ghostlights fics so much!!! im having a blast writing them #thank u for giving me more propaganda to spread for the ghostlights agenda <3 #this could easily continue into a much larger fic that goes into danny relocating to gotham for his protection #and start mixing in dc's spirit world with danny phantom's ghost zone/infinite realms #its kinda two stories in one tbh #1: danny trying to protect his kind classmate from ghosts and gotham spirits leading to supernatural shenanigans #2: duke trying to protect this clearly hurt and lonely person which leads to getting him accidentally roped into superhero shenanigans #both are the protagonists of a ya novel where they stumble into a secret for the sake of protecting one person #idk if im getting that across well but if u know the vibes then u know what im talking abt

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mermaidsirennikita · 1 year

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ARC Review: Infamous by Lex Croucher

3/5. Releases 3/21/2023.

For when you're vibing with... childhood friends to lovers (sans separation), "kissing for practice", good old-fashioned lesbianism, and maybe a bit of what we all probably want to happen with Eloise Bridgerton, but like.... it actually happens here.

Edith "Eddie" Miller has always had her best friend Rose Li to fall back on, and vice versa. They even rely on each other for kissing practice. How convenient! But when Rose announces her intentions to marry, Eddie is left bereft and alone--until the famous poet Nash Nicholson invites her to visit his estate. Like Nash, Eddie is a writer, and she figures that getting Rose out of her head is just what she needs to perfect her novel. But Rose isn't so easy to shake, and Nash's invitation might be a lot more complicated than it initially appeared.

What an interesting book! I think that for some people, it's going to be exactly what they need in a sapphic historical romance. For me, I'm not so sure--but I appreciate what it is, and I liked it as my first Lex Croucher read.

Quick Takes:

--When I tell you Eddie gives big "if Eloise Bridgerton was allowed to be the sapphic girl her TV version clearly wants to be" vibes--I mean it. She's not quite "not like other girls", but there are some borderline moments. I will admit that one thing that took away from the novel as a romance for me is that it is really a singular POV book. I prefer--with some notable exceptions!--my romances, especially non-contemporaries, to have a dual POV. It doesn't have to be equal, but I want to hear from both love interests. Here, Eddie was squarely the protagonist, and while we saw a lot of Rose, we never got into her head. This sucked, both because I honestly liked Rose more (Eddie is definitely meant to be Complex, but aside from that I just found Rose's complexity to be more compelling and unexpected) and because it just felt more like a story in which Rose was the side character versus an equal protagonist.

--But again, I really like Rose. I don't want to give away her aim in this novel, but it was a refreshingly forthright take on a sapphic historical romance. I went into this book really expecting Rose to be one thing, and she totally zigged where I was thinking she'd zag. I just wanted more for her.

--The villain is very transparently obvious, and though I'm not against a clear villain theory... This was so! Clear! That it did feel a bit more YA than adult. I actually had to double check the ages--but yes, the women are twenty-two, so this is squarely not YA.

--The entire setting of the gothic estate was great, and it led to a lot of moments where people stumbled in on secret meetings, clandestine kisses were had, and so on. It felt very Northanger Abbey, and in a lot of ways the entire novel very much seemed like a tribute to Austen, which I loved.

--The ending had some elements I loved (especially in regards to the romance) but one thing that did bug me a lot, and while I get why the choice was made... I don't know if I can get over it.

The Sex Stuff:

There is passionate kissing and light touching, but the book is very tame. Sex happens, but we don't "see" it. I found this rather disappointing, to be honest. I feel that a lot of sapphic historical romance is much lighter on the sex that het historical romance, and it's not my favorite thing.

Overall, I think that Infamous ran a bit young for me, and while it was quirkily pleasing, it didn't quite go as far as it could have gone. It's good, but it could've been great. I would, however, recommend it to YA readers who'd like to dip their toes into adult romance. It works really well as a bridge in that sense.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#romance novel blogging #netgalley #arc reviews #book reviews #book recs #books

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mediaevalmusereads · 3 months

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Ace of Spades. By Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. Feiwel and Friends, 2021.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Genre: YA thriller

Series: N/A

Summary: Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter, Aces, is bringing two students' dark secrets to light.

Talented musician Devon buries himself in rehearsals, but he can't escape the spotlight when his private photos go public. Head girl Chiamaka isn't afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power.

Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they're planning much more than a high-school game...

***Full review below.***

CONTENT WARNINGS: racism (including use of the n-word), underage drinking, distribution of a sex tape featuring a minor, homophobia (including forced outing), bullying, drug use, hit and run car accident, PTSD, stalking

OVERVIEW: I believe I was reading a post about dark academia when I stumbled onto this novel. Thrillers aren't typically my genre, but I was promised a critique of institutional racism in the education system, so I picked it up. Overall, I think this book was very well done; it was quick, it had high stakes, and it had characters that you really felt for, even with all their flaws. The main reason why I'm giving it 4 stars is because I felt the ending was rushed and relied on way too many coincidences. But other than that, I enjoyed the reading experience.

WRITING: Àbíké-Íyímídé's prose is gripping and easy to read. I felt like it balanced showing and telling well, and it moved at a pace that felt neither too slow nor too quick. Dialogue felt natural, and though there are some instances of slang or pop culture references, I don't think they'll be too much of a drag on the writing as the book ages.

PLOT: The plot of this book follows Devon and Chiamaka, the only two Black students at an elite private high school. Devon and Chiamaka find themselves targeted by a mysterious figure named Aces who leaks their secrets to the student body via text. These secrets threaten to get the two kicked out of school and denied acceptance to college, so the two team up to take Aces down before their futures are destroyed.

Overall, I think Àbíké-Íyímídé did a great job crafting suspense. The bullying (for lack of a better word) is not your typical everyday harassment (not that bullying is ever "normal" or insignificant), but life and future-threatening actions that make the stakes incredibly high. There also aren't a lot of dull moments where characters are sitting around; it felt like every scene was purposeful, whether to advance the plot or develop character relationships, so even though this book was over 400 pages, it moved quickly and kept me engaged.

The only part of the plot that I didn't think was well-done was the ending. Without spoiling anything, I will say that I think the ending relies on too many coincidences to happen - things that are outside the characters' control. I also felt like after everything was done, there was a sense of finality and security that just didn't seem quite believable, and though I don't want the characters to be tormented for the rest of their lives, I do think things ended a little too suddenly and neatly.

CHARACTERS: Devon, one of our protagonists, is sympathetic in that he struggles with trying to belong while also feeling guilty about his privilege. Devon comes from a low-income neighborhood and attends school on a scholarship; his mother barely has enough money to cover bills and fees, and Devon sometimes resorts to drug dealing to help out. Devon's perspective is incredibly insightful for the way it examines the struggles of Black kids from low-income families to fit in with white kids; not only does Devon have to contend with feeling like an outsider, but he has to confront those from his own neighborhood who resent him for his opportunities.

TL;DR: Ace of Spades is a dark academia thriller that critiques the systematic racism present in the education system. While the ending left a lot to be desired, the complex protagonists, quick pace, and high stakes meant that I was highly engaged, and I look forward to more from this author in the future.

Chiamaka, our other protagonist, offers a different perspective. She is a biracial girl from a wealthy family, and she is highly ambitious. She uses the people around her to get what she wants, and to be honest, I kind of liked her ruthless pursuit of her goals. Of course, there are moments when Chiamaka's behavior is problematic, but I loved watching her put her mind and her scheming to work.

Belle and Terrell were the biggest surprises, and I really liked how Àbíké-Íyímídé used them to A.) give our protagonists a confidante, and B.) explore tangential themes such as queerness, education and class, and family.

Still, I think this book would have had a greater emotional impact if a little more was done with certain characters - namely Jack, Andre, and some of then teachers/staff at the school. While the way they are written now is fine, I think I would have had a bigger reaction to their arcs if they were more involved with the plot earlier on. I feel the importance of these characters to the protagonists are told to us rather than shown, and we were expected to care about changes to their behavior before it was established (emotionally) what they meant to the protagonists.

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alliluyevas · 4 years

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Hi! I hope I don't bother you, but would you be so kind and share some historical middle grade fiction reading recommendations? I love reading those! Have a lovely day :)

this is absolutely not a bother, I love doing book recs and I love this genre! Some of my very favorites, in roughly chronological era by the period they’re focused on:

The Roman Mysteries series by Caroline Lawrence

I happen to love good detective stories, and this series includes that, along with so much else. During the reign of the Roman emperor Titus, Roman preteen and enterprising amateur sleuth Flavia and her three friends Nubia, Jonathan, and Lupus solve mysteries and experience historical events from the eruption of Vesuvius to the opening of the Colosseum. This series has really well-developed characters, both major and minor, and strikes a great balance between enjoyable fun and some pretty heavy dramatic storylines. There are also a lot of actual historical figures depicted, like Titus and Pliny the Elder.

Crispin: The Cross of Lead by the always-wonderful Avi

One of the comparatively few children’s historical novels I’ve read and enjoyed with a male protagonist! In medieval England, young peasant Crispin is forced to go on the run for his life after the steward of the estate he lives on declares him an outlaw for mysterious reasons. With the help of a traveling musician who he meets and befriends, he attempts to clear his name and discover why there’s a price on his head to begin with. Beautifully written and thrilling.

Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

Also set in medieval England! This book is written in a diary format by the narrator, Catherine/Birdy, a young noble girl who records her daily life, her struggles with becoming a proper young lady, and her fears about her upcoming arranged marriage. The narrative voice is really unique, snappy and humorous and deeply engaging.

The Tudor Women series by Carolyn Meyer

This is a four-part series focusing on the childhood/adolescence through young adulthood of women in the English Tudor dynasty: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Queen Mary I, and Queen Elizabeth I. My personal favorites are/were the Anne and Mary books, but I think they’re all very worth reading. They’re quite well-written and the author has a real gift for characterization. These were my introduction to the wild world of the Tudors!

The Lady Grace Mysteries series by Patricia Finney

Another middle-grade historical detective series! (Technically, I think I’d consider both of the Tudor series middle-grade bridging to young adult, but I’m counting them both here). Lady Grace Cavendish is a bright, mischievous young maid of honor in the court of Queen Elizabeth I who solves mysteries, including plots against the queen. The world of the Tudor court is very well realized and a lot of the mysteries are very clever.

The Lacemaker and the Princess by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Isabelle, the young daughter of a struggling family of lacemakers, visits Versailles to deliver lace and is stumbled across by Marie Antoinette, who selects her to be a playmate for her own daughter, Therese. As she travels between the world she once knew and the world of royalty, she has to decide who she is and where she belongs, as outside the palace the French Revolution is brewing. (Note: Marie Antoinette did actually bring ordinary children to play with her kids, but Isabelle is an invented character). I feel like this is a quite compassionate and nuanced take on the time period and the complicated friendship between Isabelle and Therese was very interesting.

A Drowned Maiden’s Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz

Maud, a difficult and awkward preteen orphan during the Victorian era, is finally adopted by a pair of spinster sisters who work as spiritualist mediums. At first, she is thrilled, but as she realizes the two are con artists who plan to use her in their rigged seances to scam grieving parents out of money, she has to decide whether this new family is worth having. I feel like this book really tapped into the spirit of Gothic novels for a middle-grade audience, it was really delightfully creepy as well as quite emotionally affecting.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Esperanza, a wealthy young Mexican girl, is left mourning and destitute after her father is murdered by bandits and her uncle forces her, her mother, and her grandmother off the family estate. Along with a family who formerly worked as servants on the estate, her family immigrates to America as migrant agricultural laborers in California during the Great Depression. Esperanza has to adjust to her difficult new life and find strength and hope where she can. This book is very captivating but is also absolutely beautifully written, very poetic. It also provides a very important look at a demographic of people who are not as frequently talked about when we discuss the period of the Great Depression.

Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin

Set in the Soviet Union during the Stalinist-era purges. Nine-year-old Sasha is an ardent admirer of Stalin and thrilled that he’s about to become a Young Pioneer--until his life is turned upside down when his father is accused of crimes against the state and arrested. As he struggles to make sense of these events, Sasha accidentally damages a bust of Stalin at his school and tries to cover it up with the help of other children of “enemies of the state”, who are outcasts at the school, as Sasha has now become. This is a really thoughtful book that combines acerbic, surrealist humor with deep compassion, and it’s a great look at a really horrible period in history that isn’t talked about much in the United States, tailored very well for the developmental level of middle-grade readers. Also, Sasha’s father is an NKVD officer who is later denounced and purged himself, which was a pretty common scenario at this time, and I appreciate the author’s choice to show how the lines between victims and perpetrators weren’t always very clear.

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson

This is a coming-of-age story about Louise, a tomboyish teenager living in a fishing village on a remote island on the Chesapeake Bay during World War Two. This is hands-down my favorite children’s novel (I think it bridges middle-grade and YA) and one of my favorite books after. It is an incredibly poetic and poignant story, both uplifting and heartwrenching, about a girl struggling to discover her own identity and carve out a place in the world, as well as a really captivating portrayal of an insular community that is both comforting and crushing.

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord

Nine-year-old Shirley Wong immigrates from China to Brooklyn in 1947 along with her parents. She struggles at first to fit in with her classmates and neighbors and misses her large extended family back in China, but she eventually finds ways to make friends and thrive in America while being true to herself. Also, she falls in love with baseball! This book is partially based on the author’s experience as a young Chinese immigrant. The way that Shirley navigates a very foreign and confusing world is depicted in a funny, poignant and accessible way and the clever, scrappy Shirley is a vividly written character who definitely goes against common stereotypes about Asian American girls.

Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm

Eleven-year-old Penny feels caught in between the two sides of her family--her mainstream 1950s Anglo-American mother and grandparents, who she lives with, and her father’s relatives: a large, loud, very Italian, very Catholic immigrant family. As she grows up, she begins to uncover the family secrets that contribute to the tension between the two sides of her family, including uncovering the story of her father’s death when she was a baby. This is a really beautiful, moving story about love, trauma, and the things that families often find too painful to talk about, and it’s also a really vivid picture of 1950s Americana as a whole and Italian-American families in particular. Also, Penny is partially based on the author’s mother as a child and her own family history which I thought was sweet and pretty compelling.

#reference #book recs #thank you sooooo much!!!#a couple of these i havent read in a while but i have fond memories and others i have and they def hold up even to an adult reader

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preserving-ferretbrain · 5 years

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The Archon's Retread

by Robinson L

Friday, 06 May 2011Robinson L reviews the second book in Catherine Fisher's Oracle Prophecies trilogy~

The Archon (American title: The Sphere of Secrets) is the second book in the YA fantasy series Catherine Fisher began with The Oracle. Again, I'm using the American cover because I like it better.

It seems Fisher recognizes the truth behind the old cliché “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” As

The Archon

opens, young Alexos has been installed as the eponymous religious leader, but in terms of power, the status quo has largely reasserted itself. Hermia and General Argelin still effectively rule the country, which is still blighted by drought.

Argelin, shrewd strategist that he is, has promoted Seth, provided Alexos with a bountiful supply of pets and toys and baubles, and provided Obleck with a bountiful supply of wines and spirits. This keeps them all too busy or distracted to plot further against himself or Hermia.

But when a petitioner pays tribute of a shiny sphere to the Oracle, Mirany discovers this Sphere of Secrets is actually a map to the fabled Well of Lost Songs. Alexos decides to go on a quest for the Well, taking Obleck and Seth with him.

Mirany stays behind with Argelin, Hermia, and the rest of the Nine. However, even before the trio set out, political machinations have set in motion which could swallow up all their lives, and much more.

Reading

The Archon

was much like reading

The Oracle

, except that now I've taken Fisher's measure, she no longer surprises me; I know what to expect from her.

Fisher tries to give her characters added depth by keeping the viewpoint character (and the reader) guessing about the true nature of the people around them. She did something similar—with moderately more success, to my mind—in

Incarceron

My problem with the characters in

The Oracle

and

The Archon

is that they never feel alive and three-dimensional to me. Please refrain at this point from skipping to the comments section and drafting a response beginning “My dear sir, are you aware ...,” explaining how this sense of characters as real people is merely illusion. I know all that, but it is a necessary illusion for creating truly powerful and engaging characters.

The characters in

On the Jellicoe Road

The Woman in White

or even

Schroedinger's Ball

feel real to me in a way those in Fisher's works generally fail to do. I'm at a loss to explain the phenomenon, which I also experience when reading the works of

Llyod Alexander

, for instance. Possibly, as our esteemed editor

suggests

, I have no soul.

Since I'm unable to connect with the characters on any meaningful level, reading the

Archon

was a lackluster experience for me. It doesn't help that this time around, our heroes' journey through the desert is epic in terms of both length and tedium.

That said, the book is perfectly readable, the plot interesting, and the story flows quite well—bar a few unfortunate scenes in the desert. The characters, though flat, are all right, and I do appreciate the way Fisher plays around with the the supporting cast and her readers' perceptions of them.

Rhetia, in particular, stands out in this regard. In

The Oracle

, she was the self-centered-jealous-antagonist-turned-unlikely-ally. With

The Archon

, Fisher could easily have kept Rhetia in the role of Mirany's ally—instead, she keeps true to the antagonistic as well as the cooperative side of Rhetia's character by having her pursue her own agenda over Mirany's objections.

Fisher challenges conventions in other ways, as well. Most strikingly for me was a scene where a servant stumbles upon Mirany eavesdropping on Hermia and Argelin. Mirany knows the servant will rat her out sooner or later, so instead of retreating or trying to bribe the servant as most protagonists would in her shoes, she marches into Hermia and Argelin's room as if that were her intention all along.

I'm of two minds about the climax. On the one hand, Fisher evokes one of my least favorite narrative tropes—without straying too far into spoiler territory, we'll leave it at a supporting character sacrifices their life to save a main character. On the other hand, it's probably the most exciting climax of Fisher's I've read so far. The final chapter of the book is downright explosive, and while the story nominally ends, it leaves many questions unresolved for book three,

The Scarab

The climax was for me, hands down the most engaging part of the book, and I should add that I found it exciting in its own right, not merely in comparison to the rest of the story. Although I suspect

The Scarab

will be more of the same, I admit the ending leaves my interest piqued to learn what comes next.

In summation,

The Archon

is a little weaker than

The Oracle

, but otherwise much the same. Anyone who's already read the former would be justified in assuming their reaction to the latter (positive, negative or neural) will be similar, and should proceed accordingly. Anyone who hasn't read

The Oracle

might as well start there, and see whether it's worth their while to continue to

The Archon

.Themes:

Books

Sci-fi / Fantasy

Young Adult / Children

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~Comments (

go to latest

)

Wardog

at 11:06 on 2011-05-06I'm kind of saddened to read this review. I know I reacted with similar dismay to your review of the first book but since, despite being quite openly a fan of Fisher's work, I still haven't got round to either finishing the first book or starting on the second. Which makes me suspect that either I have no soul as well or that some of your criticisms are correct. Wah. I do remember Incarceron with deep pleasure though - although perhaps it was just the awesome setting overwhelming everything else. The thing is, I don't really remember much about the characters in The Oracle, but I do quite vividly remember Claudia and ... uh ... the other dude.

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http://roisindubh211.livejournal.com/

at 23:08 on 2011-05-08I actually find Fisher a bit hit and miss. I love her "realistic" fantasy, like Corbenicand Darkhenge, but find that her high fantasy tends to fall a bit flat. I never quite believe in the characters- very nearly but just can't manage it. I found this with the Snow-walker trilogy, and Incarceron, though the people were a little more real, felt formulaic and dull, even though I know it shouldn't have. The ideas behind it are good and new, but it just feels off somehow- somehow it reminds me of Dragonlance novels, if they were written with more skill. I'm definitely going to read Sapphique to find out what comes next, but I really prefer her stories set in the modern world.

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Robinson L

at 15:30 on 2011-05-09

I do remember Incarceron with deep pleasure though - although perhaps it was just the awesome setting overwhelming everything else.

I could see that. The setting really is imaginative and well-realized.

I actually find Fisher a bit hit and miss. I love her "realistic" fantasy, like Corbenic and Darkhenge, but find that her high fantasy tends to fall a bit flat.

I haven't gotten around to

Darkhenge

yet. With

Corbenic

, it took me until about the last third of the book to feel really emotionally invested in the characters, but I'm pretty sure I did get there eventually.

By the way, how many articles does an author need to rate a theme handle at this point?

#Ferretbrain #The Oracle Prophecies #Catherine Fisher

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aion-rsa · 4 years

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Top New Horror Books in February 2020

Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland

Type: Novel Publisher: Balzer + Bray Release date: 2/4/20

Den of Geek says: Justina Ireland’s Dread Nation was one of the most-talked-about YA debuts of 2018, and for good reason! The story of Black zombie hunters in an alternate Reconstruction-era America is already one of the best premises of all time, and Ireland more than follows through on the promise of kickass, sociopolitically cathartic potential—with Dread Nation, and now with Deathless Divide. (We love this one so much, it’s also on our Top New YA Books of February 2020 list.)

Publisher’s summary: The sequel to the New York Times bestselling epic Dread Nation is an unforgettable journey of revenge and salvation across a divided America.

After the fall of Summerland, Jane McKeene hoped her life would get simpler: Get out of town, stay alive, and head west to California to find her mother.

But nothing is easy when you’re a girl trained in putting down the restless dead, and a devastating loss on the road to a protected village called Nicodemus has Jane questioning everything she thought she knew about surviving in 1880s America.

What’s more, this safe haven is not what it appears—as Jane discovers when she sees familiar faces from Summerland amid this new society. Caught between mysteries and lies, the undead, and her own inner demons, Jane soon finds herself on a dark path of blood and violence that threatens to consume her.

But she won’t be in it alone.

Katherine Deveraux never expected to be allied with Jane McKeene. But after the hell she has endured, she knows friends are hard to come by—and that Jane needs her too, whether Jane wants to admit it or not.

Watching Jane’s back, however, is more than she bargained for, and when they both reach a breaking point, it’s up to Katherine to keep hope alive—even as she begins to fear that there is no happily-ever-after for girls like her.

Buy Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland on Amazon.

The Boatman’s Daughter by Andy Davidson

Type: Novel Publisher: MCD x FSG Release date: 2/11/20

Den of Geek says: If it’s good enough for Paul Tremblay, it’s good enough for us! We love a good atmospheric horror read, and The Boatman’s Daughter sounds like it has more atmosphere in one page than most books do in their entirety.

Publisher’s summary: A “lush nightmare” (Paul Tremblay) of a supernatural thriller about a young woman facing down ancient forces in the depths of the bayou.

Ever since her father was killed when she was just a child, Miranda Crabtree has kept her head down and her eyes up, ferrying contraband for a mad preacher and his declining band of followers to make ends meet and to protect an old witch and a secret child from harm.

But dark forces are at work in the bayou, both human and supernatural, conspiring to disrupt the rhythms of Miranda’s peculiar and precarious life. And when the preacher makes an unthinkable demand, it sets Miranda on a desperate, dangerous path, forcing her to consider what she is willing to sacrifice to keep her loved ones safe.

With the heady mythmaking of Neil Gaiman and the heartrending pacing of Joe Hill, Andy Davidson spins a thrilling tale of love and duty, of loss and discovery. The Boatman’s Daughter is a gorgeous, horrifying novel, a journey into the dark corners of human nature, drawing our worst fears and temptations out into the light.

Read The Boatman’s Daughter by Andy Davidson on Amazon.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Type: Novel Publisher: Berkley Release date: 2/18/20

Den of Geek says: Who doesn’t love a good creepy motel story? From the author who brought us The Broken Girls, comes another female-driven foray into horror mystery. If you’ve been digging Nancy Drew or love Sharp Objects, there’s more where that came from.

Publisher’s summary: Something hasn’t been right at the roadside Sun Down Motel for a very long time, and Carly Kirk is about to find out why in this chilling new novel from the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.

Upstate New York, 1982. Viv Delaney wants to move to New York City, and to help pay for it she takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. But something isnʼt right at the motel, something haunting and scary.

Upstate New York, 2017. Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her aunt Viv, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down before she was born. She decides to move to Fell and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. And she soon finds herself ensnared in the same mysteries that claimed her aunt.

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Read The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James on Amazon.

The post Top New Horror Books in September 2020 appeared first on Den of Geek.

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#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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krinsbez · 5 years

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Some Book Reccs

-Anything and everything by Nick Harkaway (I have read; The Gone-Away World, Angelmaker, and Tigerman), which are hilarious genre-bending awesomeness that defy summarization. They are, I think, what TVTropes calls "World Half-Full", where the world sucks but there's still hope and things worth fighting for.

-Kings of the Wyld and it's sequel Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames. Starts with the brilliant idea of muderhobo adventure parties as rock bands, and makes it work brilliantly.

-Relic by Alan Dean Foster. ADF, is of course, an old pro, and it shows. Basically, after a star-spanning human civilization is destroyed by a gengineered bioweapon, the aging last human makes first contact, when alien archeologists find him living in the ruins of the colony world he was born on. Fortunately the aliens are pretty nice, but they also want to recreate humanity, and our protagonist isn't sure that it's a good idea. In order to obtain his cooperation in the project, the aliens agree to look for humanity's long-lost homeworld. That's what kicks off the plot, I can't say more without giving away the plot, but it's a pretty enjoyable book.

-Ravi, PI series by Adi Tantimedh(sp?) (thus far comprising Her Nightly Embrace and Her Beautiful Monster) about a British-Indian employee of a high-class PI firm in London staffed entirely by "over talented fuck-ups", as he works weird cases for rich/famous/important people, and deals with personal stuff. Also he has visions of Hindu deities texting and tweeting each other about him, which may or may not be hallucinations. It's hilarious, if often cynical. -Greta Van Helsing series by Vivian Shaw (thus far comprising Strange Practice and Bad Company), about a doctor in modern London who provides care to the secret society of monsters (vampires, mummies, etc.).

-Serpentine by Cindy Pon, a YA novel set in a fantasy version of ancient China, and starring a foundling taken in as a baby by a wealthy family to be raised as a handmaiden and companion to their youngest daughter. The story begins in her sixteenth year, when her life is disrupted by A: hitting puberty and meeting a boy, B: her mistress hitting puberty and meeting a girl, and C: beginning to periodically transform into a snake-monster as their land is invaded by an army of demons and undead.

-The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman, about an agent for an interdimensional agency that exists to secure books from across the multiverse, ensuring they aren't lost; granted, thus far I've only read the same-titled first book, where she gets sent to a Weird Steampunk world and ends up way over her head, nut I loved it.

-Provenance by Ann Leckie, a...I think sidequel is the term, to her justifiably all-the-awards winning Ancillary trilogy, set in the same universe, but in a different part with different characters who are not involved and only tangentially affected by the events of that series. It's a really great book, with great characters, neat worldbuilding, and discussion of some pretty serious ideas (in addition to the main themes of the nature of family and the relationship between history and national identity, there are at least five other aesops in there, none of which slap you in the face) -I'm a few books into the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs, about a half-Native American auto mechanic who can turn into a coyote and was raised by werewolves,in a world where the Masquerade is sloooowly being lifted, one supernatural race at a time.

-Medusa Uploaded by Emily Devenport, about a young woman pursuing a vendetta while also seeking to end an oppressive social structure aboard a generation ship.

-DI Peter Grant AKA Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovich(sp?) about a London cop who ends up getting himself apprenticed to the Metropolitan Police's sole wizard.

-Motel of the Mysteries by David Macaulay, a slim picture book written in 1979, presumably to satirize Tutmania. The premise is that in 1985 a catastrophe (the nature of which I will not reveal as it's the first gag in the book) wipes out the US, such that by the 4000s, nothing remains but legends. So, when archeologists stumble on a miraculously perfectly preserved motel room they proceed to misinterpret everything. Not every joke lands, and several are based on things that to my knowledge are no longer things, but still pretty funny.

-The Forensic Files of Batman by Doug Moench, a prose work written in 2004 that I'm reasonably certain was meant to capitalize on CSImania. As the title suggests, it's a series of short pieces in which Batman uses forensic science to solve crimes in his first year of operation (the book ends with him deciding to recruit Robin), generally written in the form of Batman's personal memoirs (which he's recording on the off-chance someone might find them useful), though there are a few bits from Alfred or Commissioner Gordon, mixed in with mini-lectures about forensic science, generally written in the form of entries in young Bruce Wayne's diary as he learns about this stuff (though again, there are a few bits by Alfred). Also there's one bit that exists solely to make fun of profilers. It's pretty good, although there's a lot of technobabble about forensics which can get a bit dull at times. But there's lots of good stuff too, at least if you're a Batfan.

- An Unattractive Vampire by Jim McDoniel (that's not a typo, BTW) which takes what sounds like a hoary, generic, cliche concept (an Orlok-style vampire wakes up from an involuntary 300 year nap in the modern day to find that ideas about what vampires ought to be like have changed and he is Not Happy about it), and somehow manages to make it both awesome and hilarious.

#Book Recommendations

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gta-5-cheats · 6 years

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The 32 Most Anticipated Movies of 2018

New Post has been published on http://secondcovers.com/the-32-most-anticipated-movies-of-2018/

The 32 Most Anticipated Movies of 2018

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2018 looks set to be another huge year for films, with the biggest chapter of Marvel’s decade-long project with the Avengers, new instalments in the world of X-Men and Jurassic World, alongside the return of The Incredibles, Tomb Raider, Deadpool, and even Mary Poppins. And also, another Star Wars story. Here are the 32 most anticipated movies in the new year:

January

1. Mary and the Witch’s Flower Release date: January 18, 2018

After Studio Ghibli shut down following the then-retirement of Hayao Miyazaki, several former employees – led by Oscar-nominated Yoshiaki Nishimura – founded Studio Ponoc, to carry on their love for film-making. This fantasy anime, following a young girl who picks a flower that grants magical powers, is its debut effort.

youtube

2. Maze Runner: The Death Cure Release date: January 26, 2018

The YA dystopian trilogy comes to a close with this third and final chapter, where Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) leads the group of escaped Gladers on their most dangerous mission yet: break into the Last City, the deadliest labyrinth of all, which contains answers to the questions they’ve had since the beginning. Wes Ball, who directed both previous instalments in the trilogy, is back as director.

February

3. God Particle Release date: February 2, 2018

The third anthology entry in the Cloverfield universe is centred on a team of astronauts aboard the ISS who end up alone after a scientific experiment involving a particle accelerator makes the Earth disappear. Produced by J.J. Abrams and starring Daniel Brühl, Elizabeth Debicki, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and David Oyelowo, the film follows the astronauts as they fight for their survival.

4. Black Panther Release date: February 16, 2018

The king of Wakanda T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), who first appeared in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, gets his own standalone film – directed by Creed’s Ryan Coogler – where his sovereignty is challenged by two enemies. He must team up with CIA and Wakanda’s special forces to prevent a world war. Black Panther also stars Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis.

youtube

Black Panther and Captain Marvel Have Me Excited About Marvel Films Again

5. Annihilation Release date: February 23, 2018

Alex Garland (Ex Machina) adapts the first book in Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach trilogy, where a soldier’s biologist wife (Natalie Portman) volunteers to enter an environmental disaster zone to figure out what happened to her injured husband and his fellow soldiers, who never made it back. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, and Oscar Isaac are also part of the cast.

March

6. A Wrinkle in Time Release date: March 9, 2018

Ava DuVernay becomes the first black woman to direct a live-action film with a budget of over $100 million with this adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s famous book, where a woman works with her younger brother and a classmate to rescue her father (Chris Pine) from a universe-wide evil with help from three astral beings, played by Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Mindy Kaling.

A Wrinkle in Time Trailer: Disney’s Cosmic Kids Adventure Looks Beautiful

7. Tomb Raider Release date: March 16, 2018

Alicia Vikander stars as Lara Croft in this reboot of Tomb Raider, based on the 2013 reboot version of the popular game. As she sets out to finish her father’s research on the island he disappeared, she uncovers ancient secrets that will help clear her name. Roar Uthaug (The Wave) directs.

youtube

8. Pacific Rim Uprising Release date: March 23, 2018

Set ten years on since the first film, ex-Jaeger pilot Jake Pentecost (John Boyega) – son of Idris Elba’s character from the original – gets a chance to be a hero like his father when the Kaiju return, working with his adopted sister Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi) and their fellow pilots to save humanity from extinction. Spartacus creator Steven S. DeKnight took over from Guillermo del Toro in writing and directing duties.

9. Isle of Dogs Release date: March 23, 2018

Wes Anderson returns after a gap of four years with his next feature, a stop-motion animation set in a dystopian future Japan, where dogs have been quarantined on the remote eponymous island due to a “canine flu”. The film follows five local dogs, voiced by Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, and Bob Balaban, who help a boy looking for his dog and protect him from Japanese authorities.

Scarlett Johansson, Yoko Ono, Greta Gerwig, F. Murray Abraham, Ken Watanabe, Frances McDormand, and Liev Schreiber also have voice roles.

youtube

10. Ready Player One Release date: March 30, 2018

Steven Spielberg is at the helm of this long-awaited adaptation of Ernest Cline’s novel, which is filled with 80s pop culture references, including to Spielberg’s own works. The director felt he would be vain to include them, and has opted to avoid them. As for the story, Ready Player One is set in near-future dystopian Earth where mostly everyone spends their time in VR in a game called OASIS.

When the founder dies and says ownership will transfer to the first person to find an Easter egg, a race begins that pits the protagonist, Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan), and his friends against a large corporation that wants control to monetise the system. Spielberg has called it “his most difficult movie” since Saving Private Ryan.

Ready Player One Trailer: Steven Spielberg’s VR Game-Movie Takes Shape

April

11. The New Mutants Release date: April 13, 2018

The X-Men franchise branches into horror with The New Mutants from director Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars), where five young mutants fight to escape their past sins and save themselves from a facility where they’re being held against their will. It stars Anya Taylor-Joy (Magik), Maisie Williams (Wolfsbane), Charlie Heaton (Cannonball), Henry Zaga (Sunspot), Blu Hunt (Mirage), and Alice Braga (Cecilia Reyes).

12. Avengers: Infinity War Release date: April 27 (India); May 4, 2018 (US)

Easily the most-awaited film of 2018, the third Avengers chapter is a lot more than that. It brings together everyone from past Avengers films, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, and Thor: Ragnarok – an ensemble cast that takes four paragraphs to list – to join forces and confront Thanos, who’s on a mission to collect the Infinity Stones. Infinity War, set four years after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, has been described as a “heist film” by director the Russo brothers.

youtube

May

13. Solo: A Star Wars Story Release date: May 25, 2018

The next Star Wars film arrives just five months after The Last Jedi, though this one is a standalone adventure set before A New Hope. It follows the adventures of a young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) and his Wookie partner Chewbacca, including meeting Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover). The cast also includes Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, and Paul Bettany.

Solo had a troubled road during production, with original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller being fired four months into filming, before replacement Ron Howard extended reshoots to fit the demands of Disney and Lucasfilm.

June

14. Deadpool 2 Release date: June 1, 2018

Ryan Reynolds is back as everyone’s favourite bad-mouthed superhero in this sequel, which expands the vigilante roster with Domino (Zazie Beetz) and Cable (Josh Brolin) in addition to the existing ones Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Colossus. Morena Baccarin and T.J. Miller are also back, though David Leitch (John Wick) is in the director’s chair, after Tim Miller left due to creative differences with Reynolds.

15. Ocean’s 8 Release date: June 8, 2018

An all-female soft reboot of Ocean’s 11 focuses on Danny Ocean’s (George Clooney) estranged sister, Debbie (Sandra Bullock), who’s got a mind to pull off the heist of the century at the annual Met Gala, the target being jewellery worn by Anne Hathaway. Her crew consists of Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, and Awkwafina. That’s only seven, so make up your guesses as to who the eighth will be.

Matt Damon will have a cameo role, as will half a dozen celebrities as themselves: Kim Kardashian, Maria Sharapova, Zayn Malik, Katie Holmes, Adriana Lima, and Serena Williams to name a few.

youtube

Shop On SecondCovers

16. Incredibles 2 Release date: June 15, 2018

Fourteen years on from the original, Brad Bird returns to the film that put him on the map, giving us another dose of the adventures of the Parr family: Elastigirl, Mr. Incredible, Violet, Dash, and of course Jack-Jack. Most of the original voice cast return, including Samuel L. Jackson as Frozone. The new villain will be The Underminer, voiced by John Ratzenberger.

17. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Release date: June 22, 2018

The fourth highest-grossing film of all time gets an inevitable sequel, set four years after the events of the original, with the lives of the remaining dinosaurs roaming freely on the theme park’s island threatened by a volcanic eruption. The former head of the park Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) convinces dinosaur trainer Owen (Chris Pratt) to help mount a rescue mission.

Given it’s a Jurassic movie, of course everything goes horribly wrong. Meanwhile, the two also stumble on a conspiracy that endangers everyone. The film, directed by J.A. Bayona, also has a cameo role for Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm, who was in two movies of the original trilogy.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Trailer – Everybody Runs, Including Dinosaurs

July

18. Ant-Man and the Wasp Release date: July 6, 2018

Releasing after Infinity War, this sequel to 2015’s Ant-Man is actually set before the events of that film, which is bound to confuse everyone. Here, Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly’s titular heroes team up to embark on a new mission from Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). Peyton Reed is back as director, and the film also stars Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Judy Greer, and Laurence Fishburne.

19. Alita: Battle Angel Release date: July 20, 2018

James Cameron is the producer and co-writer for this live-action adaptation of Yukito Kishiro’s manga, with Sin City director Robert Rodriguez at the helm, who also co-wrote. Made with a reported budget of $200 million, it stars Rosa Salazar in the lead, who plays the amnesiac cyborg heroine Alita by way of motion capture. Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, and Ed Skrein are also in the film.

youtube

20. Mission: Impossible 6 Release date: July 27, 2018

Tom Cruise returns in his most well-known role as IMF agent Ethan Hunt, with Christopher McQuarrie also continuing his writing, co-producing and directing duties. Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin and Sean Harris all return from previous M:I movies, alongside newcomers Henry Cavill, Vanessa Kirby, Sian Brooke and Angela Bassett. We don’t know anything about the plot, but expect outrageous stunts – most undertaken by Cruise himself.

August

21. The Predator Release date: August 3, 2018

Shane Black (Iron Man 3) had a supporting role in the 1987 original, and he’s now directing proceedings in this fourth entry that takes place between 1990’s Predator 2 and 2010’s Predators. The ensemble cast includes Boyd Holbrook (Narcos), Olivia Munn, Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight), Keegan-Michael Key, Sterling K. Brown, Jacob Tremblay, Yvonne Strahovski, Alfie Allen, and Thomas Jane.

October

22. Venom Release date: October 5, 2018

Sony kickstarts its own Marvel Universe with Tom Hardy playing the titular anti-hero, who confessed that he’s a huge fan of the character. Though the film will share the world of Spider-Man: Homecoming, which prominently featured Iron Man, Venom won’t have any connection to other Marvel movies. Have fun figuring that out. Sony has brought together an interesting cast though, with Michelle Williams, Jenny Slate, Woody Harrelson, and Riz Ahmed all attached. Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) directs.

23. First Man Release date: October 12, 2018

Damien Chazelle’s work with La La Land and Whiplash has made him a name to watch, and his next film is his most ambitious yet: a biography of Neil Armstrong and NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on the years 1961-69. Ryan Gosling stars as Armstrong, alongside Claire Foy as his first wife, Corey Stoll as Buzz Aldrin, Kyle Chandler as NASA’s first Chief of Astronaut Office Deke Slayton, and Jason Clarke as Ed White, the first American to walk in space.

24. Mowgli Release date: October 19, 2018

Just over two years on from Disney and Jon Favreau’s take on Rudyard Kipling’s book The Jungle Book, the mo-cap expert Andy Serkis directs his own version of the story, with an ensemble cast to match: Christian Bale as Bagheera, Benedict Cumberbatch as Shere Khan, Cate Blanchett as Kaa, Matthew Rhys as Kipling’s father, and Serkis himself as Baloo. It’ll be interesting to see how the film can separate itself, and not feel like a derivation so soon after Disney’s take.

November

25. X-Men: Dark Phoenix Release date: November 2, 2018

Following on from the disappointing Apocalypse in 2016, long-time X-Men producer Simon Kinberg takes over directing duties for this next adventure for Professor X (James McAvoy) and his fellow heroes, which is set a decade later, in the 1990s. Comic fans will remember the Dark Phoenix saga storyline, where Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) loses control of herself. Here, an alien shapeshifter – played by Jessica Chastain – is seeking to use her.

Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Evan Peters are all back too. Here’s hoping X-Men can get back on track.

26. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Release date: November 16, 2018

J.K. Rowling’s expanded Potterverse moves to Paris with the second chapter in the expected five films, which is centred on the rivalry between Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), who revealed himself to be hiding in disguise in the first film. Depp’s casting, and Rowling’s defence of his presence has attracted criticism in the wake of the social movement following Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault allegations, but it remains to be seen if that will affect the film’s profits.

Directed by Harry Potter veteran David Yates, The Crimes of Grindelwald will feature the return of Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, and Ezra Miller. Dumbledore enlists his former student Newt Scamander (Redmayne) to help stop Grindelwald’s plans.

27. Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 Release date: November 21, 2018

The sequel to 2012’s Wreck-It Ralph takes place as many years after the events as the gap between the two releases, with Ralph plugged into the Internet after a Wi-Fi router is installed in the arcade. That means online gaming (sort of), with tons of Disney Princesses – Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Snow White, Aurora, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Anna, Elsa, and Moana – all appearing in the animated adventure.

Sarah Silverman will return to voice Ralph’s best friend Vanellope von Schweetz, while Taraji P. Henson voices a trendy algorithm named Yesss. Mario might make an appearance as well.

December

28. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Release date: December 14, 2018

The Lego Movie co-director Phil Lord has written the screenplay for this animated Spider-Man outing that focuses on Miles Morales, who takes over the Spidey mantle after the death of Peter Parker. He’s still in high school, and must juggle homework while fending off crime in the city, including vampiric chief villain Morlun (Liev Schreiber), and his evil uncle Aaron Davis aka Prowler (Mahershala Ali).

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29. Aquaman Release date: December 21, 2018

Jason Momoa gets his own standalone adventure as the reluctant king of Atlantis, which is set after the events of Justice League. James Wan (The Conjuring, Furious 7) directs the only DC film in 2018, where Aquaman must keep balance between the surface dwellers polluting the globe, and his people who want to invade their world. Along the way, he also learns more about his past.

The film also has the pressure of bringing order to the DC film universe, which has had just one success amidst the cacophony of disasters around it. Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temuera Morrison, Dolph Lundgren, and Nicole Kidman also star.

30. Bumblebee: The Movie Release date: December 21, 2018

The Transformers universe expands with a prequel spin-off tale for Bumblebee, who lived in refuge in a junkyard as a yellow Volkswagen Beetle in the late 80s. Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen) plays a teenager who discovers it’s no ordinary car, with John Cena, Pamela Adlon, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., and Rachel Crow starring alongside. This will be Travis Knight’s (Kubo and the Two Strings) live-action directorial debut.

31. Mary Poppins Returns Release date: December 25, 2018

Fifty-four years since the release of the original, Emily Blunt steps into the shoes of Julie Andrews and takes her carpet bag to the Banks family home again, to bring joy back into the lives of three kids after the death of their mother. The sequel takes place 25 years on in 1935, during the era of the Great Depression in the UK. Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Pixie Davies, Joel Dawson, Nathanael Saleh, Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep and Angela Lansbury are also involved.

32. Bohemian Rhapsody Release date: December 25, 2018

Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) plays the late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in this biopic that focuses on a 15-year period in the band’s famed history, from their formation in 1970 to their Live Aid performance in 1985, six years before Mercury’s death. Bryan Singer served as director from fours months in 2017, before being fired for absence and clashing with cast. Actor turned director Dexter Fletcher is currently busy finishing up filming.

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acosmic · 7 years

Text

wip meme, bastardized version

@stebers did this and it was awesome (i LOVE ben and teddy!!!!!). mine is a mess. i’m still working on the timelines for pretty much all of this, so i’m listing them as universes instead of by project because Who Knows What Will Happen In The End

more under the cut. warning for Totally Extra, word vomit, and me using this as an opportunity to actually make synopses for my writing projects. it’s… way longer than it should be.

tagging @rev0lutions-of-ruin, because we haven’t talked writer shit in forever, and any other interested parties!

apostate, universe b

three teenagers, mikhail, mari, and their friend (and mikhail’s love interest) lucas, discover supernatural power. it gets out of hand incredibly fast.

it’s basically a story about mental illness, hubris, teenage friendship, and biting off more than you can chew (and dealing with that).

this is the YA novel prequel with a lot of dark humor, if anything.

apostate c

synopsis: years after accidentally gaining supernatural power, forming a cult, and causing the deaths of his friends, michael (now a grad student) realizes that he might be able to fix things by making his way up the inner working of the respectable religious organization that emerged from his cult. but an alternate version of himself is trying to stop him (mikhail from b.), and the disease that killed massive parts of the population and gave the cult legitimacy is more important than he realizes.

subplots: reconciliation with his former maternal figure (bug) who disowned him after the incidents, self-medical experimentation, independent detective work, and falling in love with the guy he’s using for information.

the spiritual successor to the bad end of apostate b, but the point is that it’s ambiguous that the events of b don’t necessarily lead to c. this would be an adult novel or a screenplay. it seems gloomy but it’s kind of in the flesh in tone - a dark background with bits of light.

apostate a

the boring, background universe - or the sitcommy version of apostate. michael discovers alternate universes and finds that his alternate selves usually fuck them up horribly. with the other two members of his small-town LGBT support group (his friend mari and his mentor bug), he tries to fix the universe.

retrofuturism

reluctantly recruited scientist/doctor is sent back in time by a sketchy secret government agency, but they fucked up and she ends up trapped in a futuristic past where time started in the 2000s and progressed mostly linearly backwards. in keeping with the first rule of pop culture time travel, she tries not to change anything, but the past is determined to push her front and center. as she changes the retrofuture and her coworker/love interest tries her best to get her back, the present that she was sent back from changes in disturbing ways, and she’s forced to choose between the past and the present,

subplots: historical pop culture, queer history, main character finding things out about the retrofuture and what her employers really want.

this one is both more and less fleshed out than the others, but SCI-FI LESBIANS, vintage aesthetics, and alternate history! i still need to find names for the protagonists though.

it’d be a comic book, but i need to work on my art!

vilspo

if i end up actually making this, it’ll end up as kind of a love letter to fandom and superhero comics that actually deal with the emotional issues of heroism… and also really gay heroics, mild camp, and fight scenes.

prologue: maybe-boyfriends m and richard put uni on hold and stumble their way into becoming supervillains. they turn their social issues-riddled town (city, actually) upside down and end up in the hearts of the populace, and on the hit list of the city’s resident superhero team. after m is killed in mysterious circumstances, richard is forced to join the superhero team.

main plot: richard is having some personal issues, but his newhero teammates have finally started to trust him. until m returns from the dead as a villain with undeterminable motivations and a bone to pick with richard, and richard decides that telling his teammates who m really is would jeapordize their relationship. (it doesn’t. dickie fucks it up bad.)

eventual form uncertain. but it’s basically original fanfiction: action and occasional slice-of-life.

miscellaneous undeveloped/honorable mentions:

falling in love with a ghost at a party: Gay and Gloomy.

what about the rest of it?: gay teenage alien road trip

the teen drama i helped write in high school and the members of my group were okay with me using the characters after: gay murder drama. one of the characters from here is

retroapostate: apostate but with Time Fuckery.

wwii but gay: sad indie film about a soldier and a navy officer.

historical qmoc: post-apocalyptic early 50s, featuring emotional issues and queer history. they might become retrofuturism characters.

#nonsense text

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richincolor · 7 years

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Everyone, please welcome debut author Axie Oh to Rich in Color! We’re thrilled to have her here–I absolutely loved her novel, Rebel Seoul, and you can read my review here.

Rebel Seoul is one of the newest offerings from Tu Books, and you definitely need to check it out:

After a great war, the East Pacific is in ruins. In brutal Neo Seoul, where status comes from success in combat, ex-gang member Lee Jaewon is a talented pilot rising in the ranks of the academy. Abandoned as a kid in the slums of Old Seoul by his rebel father, Jaewon desires only to escape his past and prove himself a loyal soldier of the Neo State.

When Jaewon is recruited into the most lucrative weapons development division in Neo Seoul, he is eager to claim his best shot at military glory. But the mission becomes more complicated when he meets Tera, a test subject in the government’s supersoldier project. Tera was trained for one purpose: to pilot one of the lethal God Machines, massive robots for a never-ending war.

With secret orders to report on Tera, Jaewon becomes Tera’s partner, earning her reluctant respect. But as respect turns to love, Jaewon begins to question his loyalty to an oppressive regime that creates weapons out of humans. As the project prepares to go public amidst rumors of a rebellion, Jaewon must decide where he stands—as a soldier of the Neo State, or a rebel of the people.

Pacific Rim meets Korean action dramas in this mind-blowing, New Visions Award-winning science fiction debut.

I knew the moment I read the synopsis I would love it. Now on to the interview!

Rebel Seoul was one of the winners of the New Visions Award. Can you tell us more about why you decided to enter the contest and what it was like to work with the staff at Tu Books?

I first heard about the contest at ALA in 2014, where I was given a brochure at the Lee & Low booth. I had begun to query REBEL SEOUL (titled something else at the time), and was getting a lot of feedback along the lines of: “dystopia is dead.” This was before WNDB really took off, so I accepted this as fact (now, I would argue – yes, maybe there are a lot of books set in American dystopias with white protagonists, but very few with POC protagonists in a non-Western or even Western setting). When I got the brochure, I really loved Tu Books’ mission statement to diversify children’s literature. I was also inspired to write REBEL SEOUL in part after reading Cindy Pon’s short story “Blue Skies” in the Tu Books’ anthology DIVERSE ENERGIES. So when I sent in my cover letter with my application, I comped my book to that short story! Since winning, everyone at Tu Books has been super supportive and awesome. I’m really proud, honored and grateful to be a part of their list. P.S. Cindy wrote a beautiful blurb for REBEL SEOUL!

Science-fiction often gives an author the opportunity to extrapolate upon the present to reshape the world. What drew you to creating a militaristic world like Neo Seoul? What were your favorite parts about building this world?

This is exactly it – I extrapolated upon the present. In the world of REBEL SEOUL, Seoul is divided into Old Seoul and Neo Seoul, and I based that concept on Seoul’s present-day geography, as Seoul is naturally divided by the Han River. North of the Han River is Gyeongbokgung (Gyeongbok Palace) and some of the older parts of the city and south of the Han River is the Gangnam district and some of the newer areas, hence Old and Neo (New). All the landmarks and districts are the same. Seoul has a very extensive subway system and lots of taxis and shopping areas and billboards, so I just made that all “futuristic.” Really, I did no world building. It’s all there already!

The militaristic world came from a childhood spent watching a lot of sci-fi anime, which oftentimes have plotlines of war or rebellion. Again, I extrapolated from the present, like the idea of mandatory military service, which is a requirement in South Korea for males. In my alt-future, it’s a requirement for all citizens.

My favorite parts of building this world were those moments when I could extrapolate from what already exists, where I could add in a scene that felt true to me that I hoped would resonate with others. One of my favorite scenes I put into the novel is when Jaewon goes through the funeral home of a hospital (funeral homes are often in hospitals in Seoul), and he comes across a mother mourning her son. The whole scene is something I’ve experienced in my own life during memorial services, and I wanted to show through the scene a love and reverence for the moment.

One of the things I really admired about Rebel Seoul was that the characters all had rich lives before the start of the story. Tell us more about Jaewon and Tera’s development as characters.

With Jaewon, I was inspired by Korean dramas. He’s pretty typical of protagonists in high school K-dramas, a loner with a heart of gold. I think the appeal of these characters is that we can trust and put our faith in them. Although they make mistakes and stumble, they never give up, and this gives us hope as viewers. I wanted to channel this feeling with Jaewon. I began with this character archetype and then layered him with a family, friends, history and dreams. As for Tera, her characterization came more from anime. She’s similar to a lot of characters in sci-fi/mecha anime, like Heero from Gundam Wing or Soma Peries from Gundam 00. She’s a government experiment, trained and manipulated since birth for a “greater purpose,” but coming into her own person, discovering her own dreams and desires.

Jaewon and Tera are one of my favorite battle couples in YA. Who are some of your favorite battle couples, romantic or not?

Minho and Thomas from THE MAZE RUNNER. I’ve only read the first book and seen the films, but I love their friendship, and how together they protect the group. Will & Lyra from His Dark Materials. I love them both so much as individuals. But together, they’re unbeatable. Not YA, but I love Relena & Heero from Gundam Wing. I love how they’re both strong individuals with their own goals and motivations, yet in times of vulnerability, seek each other for warmth and comfort.

Family, both biological and of the found/friendship/soulmate variety, had a huge impact on Jaewon and his motivations throughout the novel. Why did you place so much weight on these relationships in Rebel Seoul? What interested you in those types of stories?

Again, going back to K-dramas and anime, K-dramas often focus on family and close friendships, and anime on found families and soulmates. These are themes that come up in the media I love and consume, so it felt natural as I wrote the story to incorporate them into REBEL SEOUL. In general, I love all types of relationships – I didn’t specifically start off thinking, okay I’m going to have a bromance or a team of four very different individuals who come together as friends and partners – it just sort of happened! And K-dramas always have four main characters (two leads, two secondary leads), so that formation came naturally into my storytelling.

If you could pilot any giant robot (whether from Rebel Seoul or another fictional universe), which would it be and why?

Gundam Deathscythe Hell!!! This is the upgraded gundam Duo Maxwell pilots in Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, the animated film following the television series. It’s just so cool! It specializes in stealth and close combat. It wields a large SCYTHE and has bat wings and cloaking armor that allows it invisibility. Plus, I love Duo. I feel like if I took a “which gundam pilot are you” character quiz, I would get him.

What books by or about people of color or people from First/Native Nations are you looking forward to this year? Or that have already come out this year?

It hasn’t come out yet, but I read and loved FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS by Julie C. Dao. It’s an exciting and thought-provoking villainess origin story inspired by the evil queen in Snow White and Chinese court dramas. Looking forward to: WARCROSS by Marie Lu, STARFISH by Akemi Dawn Bowman & TRAIL OF LIGHTNING by Rebecca Roanhorse.

Some books I already read and loved: WANT by Cindy Pon, I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE by Maurene Goo and THE EPIC CRUSH OF GENIE LO by F. C. Yee!

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about Rebel Seoul or your other work? What can we look forward to from you next?

Right now I’m working on a YA fantasy inspired by a Korean folktale. Fantasy with a dash of romance were always my favorite kinds of books as a teen (think: BEAUTY by Robin McKinley or HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE by Diana Wynne Jones), so I’m indulging that love of mine, and combining it with the culture and myths that I grew up with!

Axie Oh is a first generation Korean American, born in NYC and raised in New Jersey. She studied Korean history and creative writing as an undergrad at the University of California – San Diego and holds an MFA from Lesley University in Writing for Young People. Her passions include K-pop, anime, stationery supplies, and milk tea. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with her puppy, Toro.

You can find out more about her at her website or follow her on twitter.

#axie oh #rebel seoul #WeNeedDiverseBooks #young adult books #science fiction

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