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nellasbookplanet · 10 months

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Book recs: vampires

Listen, vampires are a classic for a reason, but they have also been done to death (pardon the pun) to the point that finding books that are creative with the premise can be a bit of a slog through tired old tropes. Hopefully this rec list can be to a bit of help for all vampire fans out there wanting something fresh!

For details on the books, continue under the readmore

Previous rec posts:

Really cool fantasy worldbuilding

Really cool sci-fi worldbuilding

Dark sapphic romances

Mermaid books

Sci-fi vampires:

Fledgling by Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler my beloved, literally you cannot go wrong with one of her books. Fledgling follows what at first seems to be a ten-year-old amnesiac girl, who finds out she is in fact a decades old vampire on the run from others of her kind. The vampires here are a separate species from human, not supernatural, and are as a whole very fascinating and unsettling. Come in prepared for fucked up power dynamics.

Blindsight by Peter Watts

Vampires and aliens and questions of the nature of consciousnesses, oh my. Not a vampire novel so much as a scifi novel about aliens in which there also happens to be vampires (one of which is captain of a spaceship sent to explore an alien ship just entering the solar system). Another example of vampires as an entire separate species, but more horror focused than Fledgling. No, seriously, this book will fuck you up, highly recommend if you're okay with a lot of techno babble and existential horror.

Peeps (Peeps duology) by Scott Westerfeld

Young adult. Vampirism as a sexually transmitted parasite that turns most people into bloodthirsty monsters. Cal is an asymptomatic carrier working to find other infected before they hurt people, including his own former girlfriends. But there is something else lurking in the dark, an ancient enemy of the vampire parasite...

Post apocalypse vampires:

The Hallowed Ones (The Hallowed Ones duology) by Laura Bickle

Young adult. Katie is an Amish girl eagerly awaiting her rumspringa, when she gets to try out the outside world. But before she has the chance, something happens to the Outside; a nearby town is wiped out, and something evil stalks the night. To protect their community, the Amish elders decide that no one can leave and no one can enter the sacred ground that makes up their home. That is, until Katie finds an injured young man and decides to help him.

The Company of Death by Elisa Hansen

Wild mix of genres, where a zombie apocalypse has struck and vampires gather up humans to keep their food source from going extinct, a robot travels across America with a young man she's tasked to keep safe, and former-vampire-hunter-recent-zombie Emily teams up with Death himself to stop the apocalypse. Features bi and ace characters! Bonus rec: the author also runs the youtube channel Maven of the Eventide, where she talks about various vampire media. Check it out!

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden trilogy) by Julie Kagawa

Young adult. Another zombie apocalypse (well; feral vampires) scenario in which vampires gather humans up to keep their food safe. Allison Sekemoto hates vampires, but when she ends up on the brink of death and is offered a way out, she has no choice but to take it. Hunted by a mad vampire and forced to flee the relative safety of her city, Allie must enter the post-apocalyptic outside world and team up with the free humans roaming there, seeking a cure for the undead plague that ravages the world.

Urban fantasy vampires:

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Queen of fucked up gothic horror, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, comes for vampires in this gritty novel following Domingo, a garbage collecting street kid in a Mexico City where vampires walk the streets. His life gets turned upside down when he meets Atl, a vampire descendant of Aztec blood drinkers who’s on the run and needs all the help she can get.

Sunshine by Robin McKinnley

Urban fantasy on a level of its own, where dangerous magic exists alongside humans. It keeps you guessing and much is left unexplained; if you want clear answers and explanations to everything you might be disappointed, but if you want a world that feels mysterious and dangerous and lived in you'll probably like it. It follows a baker who, after getting kidnapped by vampires, gets embroiled in a dangerous struggle and has to team up with one of them to survive. The vampires here are really inhuman and unsettling.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Young adult. After vampirism swept the land, special Coldtowns were built to quarantine anyone bitten, whether they have turned or not. After having survived a massacre at a party in which her ex-boyfriend got bit, Tana sets out with him and mysterious vampire to reach the nearest Coldtown, not knowing if she’ll ever be able to leave it again.

Modern vampires:

Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Swedish literary novel set in the 1980s. Follows twelve-year-old Oskar, a troubled and bullied boy who befriends his new neighbor, Eli. But there’s something strange about Eli, such as her only coming out at night. Also available as two separate movie adaptations (I highly recommend the Swedish original; the American remake is perfectly adequate standard horror fare, the original is a masterpiece).

Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda

Literary novel following Lydia, who’s grown up as a vampire under the thumb of her mother, who’s been obsessed with self-hate over their existence as blood drinkers. Finally on her own for the first time in her life, Lydia moves to London hoping to make it as an artist. But surviving alone as a vampire is harder than expected. Slow and fairly light on plot, but utterly captivating.

Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde

Young adult. After Kerry saves a young man from three attackers who claim he's a vampire, she's drawn into a dangerous game and forced to work with a manipulative vampire. Pre-cursor to the modern ya vampire genre, Companions of the Night utilizes many of the same tropes but in very different ways, making it a unique experience.

Historical and fantasy vampires:

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

Dracula inspired novella, following Constanta, who’s turned from a medieval peasant to an undead bride. As time passes the relationship between Dracula and Constanta grows all the more strained and potentially dangerous. Teaming up with his two other consorts, she seeks to unravel her husband's secrets. Sapphic and polyamorous.

The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez

Having escaped from slavery in the 1850s, young Gilda is taken in by a vampire, and eventually finds herself turned as well. Consists of a series of novellas following Gilda throughout the centuries, from the past to the present to the future. It’s also sapphic!

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

In a world where the rich drink blood to preserve their health, Marion applies to a position as bloodmaid in a notorious noble house far from home. Suddenly showered with luxuries and debauchery, Marion soon gains the interest and favor of Lisavet, countess of the house. A fresh take on the idea of vampires and deliciously dark sapphic romance.

Bonus AKA I haven't read these yet but they seem really cool

The Hunger by Whitley Strieber

Ancient vampire is on the hunt for a new partner, none of which tend to last long.

My Soul to Keep (African Immortals series) by Tananarive Due

I keep seeing this one described as a vampire book, and once stumbled on the description "almost a vampire book" and listen by now I'm simply curious to see what it's about.

Team Human by Justine Larbelestier & Sarah Rees Brennan

Young adult. As far as I can tell, a satire on typical ya vampire romances.

The Madness Season by C.S. Friedman

*chanting* vampires in space vampires iN SPACE

The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl

Young adult, sapphic. Three vampire girls turned and abandoned by the same vampire get together to stop him from turning yet another girl.

The Balance of Fates by Raquel Raelynn

Young adult, sapphic. A girl enters a competition against vampires and werewolves, complicated by her feelings for one of her vampire competitors.

#hello new critrole followers! i sometimes write book recs!#vampires #book recs #nella talks books #portal fantasies next time!#might be longer than a week tho #there are a couple of books i want to check out first to see if they qualify #(just gave up about nora roberts the awakening; it does NOT qualify)

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owlconscience · 6 months

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hey🕊

my name's meg (she/her), i am here to post about my interests and love my friends

sp interests: BIRDS, HEART WORK, [deep sigh] tangled the series reg interests: ecology, natural history, archery, swords & fencing, medieval history & chivalric romances, sapphic fantasy books, murder mysteries, working out, buffy the vampire slayer, legend of zelda

u might know me from such hits as "mediocre bird photographs" and "tangled screenshot text post memes on twitter" and "lake's ex-wife (beloved)"

if you like tangled and cassunzel i have an AO3 account (<- link) where i write about those two A Lot (all fics on hiatus as of early 2023 due to a health problem, i hope to get back to writing soon) (also if u don't like/care about tangled or cassunzel youre gonna wanna blacklist #tts or #cassunzel if u follow, lol)

MOST IMPORTANTLY u should check out the webseries Heart Work (<- link) by Lake Fama (summary):

Heart Work is a silly queer romcom about fake dating to the Extreme - a disaster heartbreaker and perfectionist engineer are mistakenly paired to do a job only soulmates can do in a city absurdly obsessed with romance, but they are Not soulmates

thank u for reading, have a bird

(^spotted towhee absolutely belting it out)

#megposting

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convenient-plot-device · 10 months

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My unorganized thoughts after finishing The Dragon Prince season 5

Finished binging the season!!! I loved it. It dragged in places and that stupid fucking lemur thing is still the bane of my existence but I loved the character development and plot beats! I also loved seeing more of Terry. He has something deeply wrong with him <3. Also liked Viren completing his redemption arc, though I would have preferred the resurrection spell actually require Claudia to sacrifice herself or at least like sacrifice a limb or something to truly complete Viren's arc. He has no attachment to that fuckin homunculus thing, and his reasoning for not killing it being that "Dark magic led Claudia down a dangerous path, I'm not doing any more dark magic" is a little weak. I do appreciate that the way they did it gave us a whole scene of Aaravos talking about "our child" with Viren, peak evil gay, but it did a disservice to Viren's redemption arc. I get that it was kinda the only way, since Aaravos knows Viren would never hurt one of his actual kids at this point in his arc, but still. I also am really interested in how Zubeia being corrupted goes, how Claudia losing her leg goes, and what's up with that magic pearl. Is that really Aaravos's prison? Or is that the key to his prison? Loved Callum struggling with what he's willing to do under pressure to save those he loves, and how that's contrasted with Claudia, who's kind of a dark mirror for who he could become if he can't learn to let go of those he loves. Loved the reveal that he used dark magic to save Rayla in the Sea Legs episode. Also just really liked Finnegrin, he's a great character and I love his design. Love a ruthless evil pirate who wants revenge on the Archdragon of the Ocean for killing his beloved hermit crab, who keeps pet hermit crabs all over his office, and who has a neckline low enough to kill god. I also love Elmer! What the fuck is his deal though. Are there just plant trolls in Xadia now? Not opposed, just wanna know.

I also really loved Soren this season! I like how his kindness and unwavering faith in others is his greatest strength. Very sweet. That man is the One True Himbo. Dumb, strong, and most importantly, kind. Fucking LOVED seeing Tidebound elves this season. I've wanted to see ocean elves since season one! Fuck yeah! Janai and Amaya are so cute together. Same with Terry and Claudia, love a good fucked up couple. He's just like "I can fix her" and she's just like "No you can't but you CAN join me in my insanity." Callum and Rayla go back and forth for me; sometimes they're really sweet, but sometimes they seem almost forced and I'm just like... can't they be BFFs? Or in a QPR? I feel like it would fit better than a romance TBH. I also love how Villads was 1000% willing to get his hand chopped off for a few kids he met once three years ago. My kind of dude. Fuck that General lady, also. Like, how is Karim worth betraying your entire people and possibly ruining the future of your whole society?? Does he kiss you on the forehead sometimes? Please get better judgment you are literally a judge on the High Court. Also what is up with the Sunfire high priest? He's clearly hiding what's most likely a corrupted wound but why? And why side with Karim? I loved Kim'dael. Love an emo vampire lady with sapphic energy who could kill a man with her fingernails (literally). I like how she isn't strictly evil and has a clear goal that she acts toward with logic. She wants to be freed from her mercy debt so she can drink the blood of anyone she wants, and she acts with logic toward that goal. I still CANNOT wait for them to finally free Runaan from the coin. Honestly Rayla's parents come second for me because we just don't know them as people. But like. I wanna see the cut to Ethari standing over the pool and seeing Runaan's life lily rise to the surface again. I will cry and that is a promise.

Also, that bit where Janai has a nightmare where Aaravos tells her that her great-grandmother's fate was that Aaravos "swallowed her"??? Why are half the lines out of Aaravos's mouth innuendos. Is it the VA's voice? Does it just compel people to write his characters like that? Or is Aaravos just Like That as a person.

I mean like. Aarvos also flirts needlessly with Viren every chance he gets. Not even for manipulation because Viren is not into him, he's just incapable of not acting like that. Viren is definitely gay though. Like definitely. Even my cishet brother could tell in that scene where Viren is having a dark magic-induced fever dream about Harrow. Like oh you *liked him* liked him. Sure had a funny way of showing it, Mr. Kill The Princes. Anyway. Yeah that's my thoughts on The Dragon Prince season 5! Cannot wait for seasons six and seven, I'm sure they will be so cool.

#the dragon prince #the dragon prince season 5 #tdp spoilers

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onward--upward · 4 months

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q my beloved, sliding in for nice ask week time! <3 <3

my ask for everyone is...what is a book you are looking forward to reading and a movie/tv show you are excited to watch in 2024? :) xoxo roop

ROOP HELLO!! <3

oh my goodness i have sooo many books i'm anticipating... i'm gonna say An Education in Malice by ST Gibson! dark academia sapphic vampires?? YES PLEASE!! (i actually managed to get my little gremlin hands on an electronic ARC of this, so i just started it, and it's soo juicy so far!!)

also honourable mention to Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner, coming out in february!! i've preordered this one already, i adored godkiller and im so excited to see where the series goes!!

as for movies/tv, i am of course excited to see the rest of the percy jackson show (which i am LOVING so far!!) and i am also vibratingg with excitement to see our boy nick in mary & george!!

what about you!! x

#<3 #q answers

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sntsnoialles · 20 days

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case file : noialles , lilia , my god whose performance am i watching

associations : clan pretorius

824 , francia what is this space between myself and myself

Name: Lilia Noialles

Occupation: Owner of the Soleil

Age: Appears 33, 1,200.

Sexuality: Lesbian

Species: Vampire

Clan/Pack/Coven?: Pretorius

Hometown: Old Kingdom of France / Francia

Relationship Status: Single

Personality Traits: manipulative, charming, cunning, selfish, withdrawn, loyal

Biography -

TW: Violence, Child Neglect, Death, Mentions of blood, Mentions of cruelty, Depression, Murder, Toxic sapphics

In the hallowed specks of time, amidst the labyrinthine tapestry of history, there existed a figure shrouded in the veils of secrecy and tragedy - Lilia, born under the pale moon of Francis, a girl ensnared in the delicate threads of fate's cruel design.

Conceived amidst the whispering shadows of a forgotten romance, Lilia's birth bore the weight of enigma. Her true lineage obscured, she was relinquished into the embrace of her grandparents, the sovereign royals of their time, their regal stature eclipsing even the celestial orbs that adorned the night sky. Yet, unbeknownst to the innocent babe cradled within the opulent confines of their court, she was but a pawn in the machinations of destiny.

Raised as the cherished progeny of the royal family, Lilia flourished amidst the lavish opulence of her surroundings, her porcelain visage illuminated by the flickering glow of candlelight, her spirit ensconced within the gilded cage of nobility's embrace. Yet, beneath the veneer of splendor lay the dark specter of maternal tyranny, as her existence was marred by the icy grip of a cruel matriarch, a queen whose heart was forged of ice and whose words dripped with venom.

Arrogant yet beguiling, Lilia's essence exuded a curious dichotomy - a tempest of contradiction, wherein her outward demeanor veiled the tempestuous anger that raged within her soul. At the tender age of sixteen, fate intervened with the ferocity of a vengeful storm, as the dread specter of Viking marauders descended upon her kingdom, their savage war cries rending the tranquility of her once-peaceful existence.

It was amidst the chaos and carnage that Lilia's gaze alighted upon the Nordic queen, a figure cloaked in the mantle of formidable majesty, her countenance a portrait of unyielding resolve. In the crucible of conflict, amidst the clash of steel and the crimson tide of battle, an unlikely bond blossomed - a forbidden liaison that transcended the boundaries of time and convention.

The Viking queen, with her stoic demeanor and merciless disposition, ignited a flame within Lilia's heart, a flame that burned with the intensity of a thousand suns. Despite the chasm that separated their worlds, their love blazed forth with an ardor that defied reason, casting aside the shackles of societal norms in favor of an immutable connection forged in the crucible of adversity.

But as the sands of time moved inexorably onward, tragedy descended like a shroud of darkness upon their star-crossed union. A monstrous abomination, its visage twisted and beautiful, laid siege to their ancestral stronghold, its insatiable hunger for blood and carnage laying waste to all in its path.

In a moment of unspeakable horror, Lilia's destiny was forever altered, her once-mortal form irrevocably transformed into an immortal creature of the night - a vampire, cursed to roam the shadows for all eternity. In her frenzied bloodlust, she unwittingly became the architect of her beloved's demise, her heart rent asunder by the cruel hand of fate.

Haunted by the specter of her lover's death, Lilia descended into the abyssal depths of despair, her soul consumed by the ravenous maw of grief and remorse. Yet, amidst the suffocating tendrils of darkness that threatened to engulf her, a flicker of defiance ignited within her breast - a primal instinct for vengeance that burned with the fury of a tempestuous tempest.

For centuries, she languished in company of her sire, her will captured by the indomitable force of her dominion. But with each passing moment, her thirst for revenge swelled like a tempestuous tide, a relentless tide that threatened to consume her very essence.

And so, she embarked upon a harrowing odyssey, a journey fraught with peril and despair, as she sought to reclaim that which had been stolen from her by the cruel hand of fate. Through the sands of time, she wandered, a solitary specter haunting the shadows of the world, her heart a barren wasteland devoid of solace or reprieve.

Today, she resides in the shadows, a silent sentinel of the night, her heart a fortress of ice and steel. Within the confines of her domain, she reigns supreme, a sovereign ruler amidst the throng of the undead, her gaze an inscrutable enigma that pierces the veil of eternity.

But beneath the veneer of her regal façade lies a heart heavy with the burden of centuries, a soul scarred by the indelible mark of loss and longing. For in the end, she is but a creature of the night, a solitary specter condemned to wander the corridors of eternity, her existence a testament to the fragility of mortality and the enduring power of the human spirit.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

People she turned

Clients

Enemies

Ex-hook ups

Friends

#cor.intro #click for better quality #and ep descriptions

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quinnfebrey · 2 years

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hi i just have to ask, what specifically do you like about first kill? i think it’s a cool concept and all and the girls are cute but i just feel like the acting wasn’t that good and it was just really cheesy. i’ve watched up to when they run away from their families. does it get better? i’m still going to watch the whole show i just don’t really understand the hype like what am i missing

okay let me preface by saying that this got really long and i don’t at all mean this directly @ you it just seemed like a good opportunity to brain dump every thought i’ve had about first kill 😅

i didn’t think the acting was that bad (and im usually really picky/sensitive to shit acting which is like 60% of the reason i hate mike wheeler from stranger things lmao) so i don’t really have a rebuttal for that but it definitely gets better after that ep though. the finale is what cemented it for me interestingly enough. i was on the fence until then and then on my second watch i liked it so much more idk why!

but i don’t see cheesy as a bad thing if it’s well done though? which i think it is? i mean it’s vampires like. there’s always going to be some amount of that. if “cheesy” things didn’t exist we wouldn’t have some of the most beloved media. twilight, teen wolf, friends, gossip girl, to all the boys i loved before, heartstopper, buffy, the office, greys anatomy, scream queens. hell, even star wars is cheesy as shit, so is pretty much everything marvel like…??

we should ask ourselves why sapphic media is held to such a high standard in comparison. not everything has to be a work of art, sometimes it’s just fun. i also don’t think first kill falls into the “settling for” category, i actually think it’s a lot better than people are giving it credit for, BUT for those who do see it that way, it should be recognized that if you (as a general collective) ever want “better” sapphic content, you can’t just disregard every sapphic thing you DO have because it’s not perfect

anyway onto what i actually liked about it:

the representation alone in the fact that there’s a dark skinned black lesbian as the main character is practically unheard of

being gay is not the subject of the plot, not a metaphor for the vampirism, but also not glossed over. i cannot name ONE single other lesbian tv show in which their sexuality or homophobia isn’t the primary plot or character development that they go through

the friendship between ben and juliette is SO cute and one of the best teen friendships i’ve seen realistically and enjoyably on tv

cal’s relationship with her family is also beautiful to watch, especially as it would be SO easy to feed into the “black girls are more mature/older” but no! she’s a teenager! she’s a CHILD. and her family treats her as such

theo as an adopted member of the family is one of the best representations of adoption i’ve ever seen except maybe randall pearson on this is us. very rarely do adoption stories ever get right the line between being part of the family but not abandoning where the child came from, and they just get it so well

elinor is an interesting villain (but i won’t spoil it for you), and even while she’s being a god awful person she manages to do it while still being objectively likable enough that you’re actually invested in what she’s doing. most often i hate the villains of anything because they’re just Bad, there’s no reason or logic or anything else besides I Am The Villain. i loved elinor as an antagonist because that’s NOT the case. you see several different sides to her and can understand where she’s coming from even if you vehemently disagree (which, you definitely should disagree lol)

adding onto it, all of the mistakes or “bad decisions” made by any of the character are done in a way that’s very in character, not just a plot device handed to that character for no reason

cal and juliette’s relationship might be one of the only examples i’ve of a lesbian teenage relationship that’s allowed to be unabashedly sexual without being sexualized, which is so important. lesbians are too often either hypersexualized for a straight audience or practically sterile for a straight audience, but first kill finds the balance between allowing them to be realistic in their sexuality while still protecting the fact that they’re minors

the racial metaphors within the legacy/guild are very well done without being on the nose

cal and juliette are the main characters that drive the ENTIRE show. when has that ever happened with two lesbians in an actual full scale tv show?

juliette and cal aren’t roped into masc or femme boxes, and instead are both allowed to wear and present themselves in a wide variety of clothing that’s still in character

the relationship dynamics are what make the show imo. talia & theo, juliette & elinor, cal & apollo margot/sebastian, talia/jack, ben & juliette, cal/jules obviously. they’re the heart and soul of first kill and they managed to flesh out numerous disagreements (of varying degrees) without just making one person start an argument for no reason; again, it’s in character, and never used to demonize one person. you can almost always see the other side with grace even if you personally have an opinion

it’s funny, cute, hot, sad, and a whole range of other emotions all throughout the show, and yeah maybe it’s done a little messily, but it’s pretty rare for me to find a tv show that actually makes me audibly laugh AND legitimately cry actual tears

the chemistry between the actresses for cal and juliette is off the charts and really makes them shine in whatever scene they’re in

calliope is devoted to her cause and depicted as a passionate, determined hunter, but does NOT fall into the angry black girl stereotype (joss whedon take notes please?)

in fact, none of the black characters fall into any stereotypes. it would be so easy for them to make talia some independent woman girl boss but they allow her to be a strong individual while still having the softness and tenderness in her relationship with her kids and her husband

there’s nothing annoyingly stereotypical about the family either. it’s not a feel good story about over coming poverty or racism, there’s no absent father or drug addict brother. it’s just a family, that loves and fights and happens to be black

the writers room is SUPER diverse. this is coming from someone who was previously obsessed with the wilds, a show with a very diverse cast but a bland as hell writers room and it showed. a diverse character list means NOTHING if the people writing them aren’t also diverse, and first kill understands that

the fact that the show can have lines like “it was no match for the gods of olympus, so why would i be immune to the insanity of first love?” and “you are my mother?” in the same show and neither feel out of place is something to be commended

calliette isn’t just a side plot sprinkled in throughout the show in 2 minute increments, they ARE the show

the soundtrack slaps

and this is just off the top of my head

additional thoughts on this topic (i’m sorry, but i warned you it got long😅):

i think people are forgetting that it’s a pilot season of eight episodes with a budget of about $3

pulling characters out of archetypes, fleshing out lore, complex plot, deeper character dynamics, better budget, more nuanced script, etc. all come AFTER the first season. tv shows aren’t what they used to be; you don’t get 22 episodes to make your case. when you have to introduce an audience to an entire world in eight hour long episodes, you’re going to have to fall into some predictable storylines, some cheesy writing, some basic character layouts

“this line was cheesy” sure, but did it tell you what it was supposed to about the characters in the scene? will you remember that for future episodes? “the plot was boring” okay, but which characters did what? did that teach you about them? did you figure something out based on decisions they did or didn’t make? “this character annoyed me/wasn’t developed enough/needs to learn xyz” okay, what do you think season 2 and beyond is for?

unless a tv show is intended to be a standalone series, such as the haunting anthology, very rarely do you come to a conclusive and complicated character arc and plot line all in one season. i feel like the popularity of that tv style has created this false sense of what tv is actually like; you’re supposed to leave a season wanting more. if you’re completely satisfied, they don’t have any reason to make another

a great example to me is brooklyn 99; i loved the pilot season the first time i watched it, but after finishing the show it’s one of the worst because of how stereotyped every character is. but… it works. yeah, jake in the pilot season was annoying as shit in hindsight, but it built him quickly and consistently and set him up for five seasons of additional depth and development

point being, it is extremely difficult to convince people to care about and differentiate several brand new characters in 8 hours of content if they aren’t boxed up a little bit

if you’re expecting killing eve, you’re going to be disappointed. if you’re expecting heartstopper, you’re going to be disappointed. if you’re expecting anything at all, you’re going to be disappointed. if you allow it to be what it is, that’s when you’ll really enjoy it

#asks #first kill #calliette

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cozycatsandbooks · 2 months

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A DOWRY OF BLOOD; BOOK REVIEW

Name: A Dowry Of Blood Author: S.T. Gibson Pages: 292 Genre: Horror, sapphic, adult, gothic horror, adult, historical fiction, vampires TW Warnings: Emotional, verbal, and physical intimate partner abuse, Gaslighting, War, famine, and plague, Blood and gore, Sadomasochism, Self harm, Body horror, Consensual sexual content, Violence and murder, Alcohol use, Depression and mania, Sexual assault (not directed at any named character), Drug use, Drowning

Summary:

This is my last love letter to you, though some would call it a confession. . .

Saved from the brink of death by a mysterious stranger, Constanta is transformed from a medieval peasant into a bride fit for an undying king. But when Dracula draws a cunning aristocrat and a starving artist into his web of passion and deceit, Constanta realizes that her beloved is capable of terrible things.

Finding comfort in the arms of her rival consorts, she begins to unravel their husband's dark secrets. With the lives of everyone she loves on the line, Constanta will have to choose between her own freedom and her love for her husband. But bonds forged by blood can only be broken by death.

GoodReads

My thoughts: First of all. Holy fucking shit. What a book. The book is beautifully written, and I was in awe. But that would be my opinion on it, and I find it beautiful the way Constanta is writing a whole ass book to her ex husband. I loved Constanta as a character, I loved Magdalena and Alexi. I love their dynamics, and I love their strength and bond with each other. I have no words for this, because I loved the story didn't drag on that it ended up in an horrible ending. And I was right, and it made me love this book even more. Engrave this story on my body, please. I am deceased.

My GoodReads rating: 5 star General rating: 5 star

#book blog #books #bookshelf #book review #books and reading #books & libraries

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fromxxthexxashes · 1 year

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My thoughts on Supernatural if it were on different networks/platforms.

ABC: No gore. No brutal murders on screen. So much melodrama. A lot more characters. Many love triangles. Maybe Destiel, but if it was leaning that way they would have had a complicated on and off thing. It would probably play second fiddle to an over complicated romance for Sam.

HBO: More gore and darker themes. More explicit content (lots of seggs). Also F-bombs. Mostly from Dean. Dean’s alcolism and Sam’s demon blood addiction would have been highlighted more and it would be way darker. Destiel would be a thing and they would probably get together pretty early on.

Amazon: So much more blood. Like all the blood and all the gore. Hard core seggs. Also SO SO SO many f-bombs and other taboo curses not allowed on network television. Again, most of them from Dean. Just watch The Boys. It would basically be that, but switch the supes for monsters.

NBC: imagine if supernatural had a baby with a procedural cop/hospital/fire-fighter show. It would basically be monster of the week all the time, with some more romance. Destiel is like a fifty-fifty chance (in the later seasons when the general viewers are less afraid of gay people), but if they were together they wouldn’t get as much attention as Sam’s romance, which would probably be Eileen and everyone would love them, but still.

FOX: It would have gotten canceled after season three.

Netflix: Possibly better VFX, depending how popular it is. Shorter seasons, so way less filler episodes. I feel like it would be way more dreary or way more action packed. They would certainly queer bait Destiel, but I feel like they would be more into it than the cw (Byler vibes yk). Seeing as it is a mostly male show with mostly white leads and no sapphics in the leading role - it would not have been canceled after one season. Also seeing as Netflix wasn’t making their own shows in 2005, the time-line would have been pushed WAY up.

CBS: Less gore. It would be a procedural, monster of the week thing. It would still have its long run time. Way more drama and more suspense. Probably less humor. The only humor would come from some flat jokes or like a beloved comic relief character. Probably lots of copoganda.

Disney channel: No gore at all. Also no death, except rarely mentioned things in the past. John would probably be written as a better father. Dean and Sam would be high schoolers. They wouldn’t kill the monsters, they just put them in monster jail or some shit. Think Wizards if Waverly place (there would probably be a cross over tbh). Sam would definitely be a monster fucker dater. Him and Madison would probably be endgame. Destiel would 100% be a thing, but that’s because they’d make Cas a girl. Cas would still be an Angel, with fluffy white wings and white clothing. Also, no demons, just vampires, ghosts, and goblins and shit like that.

Nickoldian: A) An incredibly overdramatic show on teennick. Think soap opera for teenagers. They would probably make Cas a girl and there would be a love triangle with Sam and Dean. They go to like a private school for monster hunters or something. Horrible ratings. Would barely make it to 2 seasons, but it would a have a very small, but devoted fan base. B) Deeply unserious. It would probably involve Sam and Dean befriending most of the supernatural creatures. It would involve minor comical injuries mixed with mild adult humor (like Icarly and Victorious). It would be Dan Sch*ender era, so, you know, f**t.

Cartoon Network: it would be a cartoon (duh). No blood or onscreen deaths. Either a spin off of Scooby-Doo or very reminiscent of it. Either way, it would have the vibes of Mystery Incorporated. They would definitely lean more into the “Sam is a nerd” thing. If it was made during recent years, they would incorporate more magic, and Dean and Cas would be together and sickeningly adorable.

Freeform: It would be during the ABC family era technically. They’re teenagers but they’d be played by people in their late 20s. So much melodrama. Way less gore. Lots of dead bodies, but no gory deaths. PLL but instead of stalkers it’s monsters. A lot less humor. Inappropriate relationships.

BBC: it would probably be pretty much the same, except they’re, you know, British.

#supernatural #dean winchester #sam winchester #castiel #Destiel #random thoughts #I don’t know why I made this #this was made out of pure boredom #there is probably so many grammatical error but I didn’t really bother to try #anyway

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ghostybreads · 10 months

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Hi....If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

hello!! i absolutely don't mind! this is such a cute question, i love talking about my interests 🥰 the top few are my absolute all time favourites, but otherwise no particular order! Put under a cut because I rambled a bit!

How to Train Your Dragon

I'm so so obsessed with this franchise, I'm not even sure where to start on why I love it. I actually have a toothless tattoo! and like, six toothless plushies that my friends and I call the council. The show race to the edge for it is one of my favourite parts, but nothing will top the first movie for me. There's just something so magical about it. It's truly beautiful, every time I watch it I genuinely feel like my heart is soaring <3 A lot of people don't know that the shows exist but I think they're so good and silly, they're such a comfort for me.

Servamp

This is a manga I always end up going back to again and again. I'm sure people have put it better than i could, but it reflects a very real and flawed human experience (despite the vampires lol). It feels like each and every side character gets so much depth, and everyone has their own journey, and its a very sympathetic and nuanced with its antagonists. The main pair grow SO much as people over the course of the story, and they build up plot twists so fucking well, ive watched it unfold and still felt like it was all planned from the very beginning. Also has british vampire catboy who goes 'meow' in the most serious deep voice ever, my beloved.

The Legend of Zelda

I'm counting this as one because I feel this way about most of the games, they're all so special to me in different ways. Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom I've loved playing, I felt so immersed in the world in such little ways, and all the small interactions with the people in that world felt so real and made me care about it. Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are also so incredible and such wonderful stories, and I have such a soft spot for Skyward Sword, idk I couldn't choose a favourite if I tried. I've loved them since I was a kid so its hard to pinpoint what exactly it is that draws me to them.

Jing Wei Qing Shang/Clear and Muddy Loss of Love

TOXIC LESBIANS. I fear that since i've read JWQS no sapphic media will ever be good enough for me again, its insane how perfectly to my taste it was. The main chara can telepathically communicate with horses in an otherwise normal non-fantasy world and there's no explanation or even plot necessity for it, its so perfect for me. Qiyan, the MC, has so much gender. She's a malewife, she's a pathetic boyfriend, she's a lesbian, she's a boygirl, she's everything. The premise is that Qiyan, in her quest for revenge, ends up accidentally in an arranged marriage to the daughter of her enemy. And despite falling in love with her, she continues with her revenge anyway, prepared for the love of her life to kill her with her own hands when its over. There's so much emotion on both sides, its overflowing love and hatred and anger and bitterness and affection all at once. It truly is a whole journey to get through and I've been a changed man since.

Scum Villain's Self-Saving System

Another one I'm so batshit over that I don't know if any series will ever replicate. They're so insane. Shen Qingqiu's unreliable narration is so funny but also so fascinating to unpack, there's so much to read in what he doesn't say. It's so funny, but then when you think about what's really happening, it's kind of horrifying, there's this constant whiplash. The whole premise of one persons impact changing the story, the very narrative itself, is sooo important to me on so many levels. Bingqius dynamic is so incredible to me too, they're just so insane and so much fun to read. They've always stuck with me.

MILGRAM PROJECT

I LOVE MILGRAM it's a song story project told through music videos and audio dramas! The producer is one of my favourite artists, DECO*27, and every song is consistently a banger. Every character has such an interesting, nuanced story, and as the audience you're challenged to figure it out yourself based on the clues, and your interaction decides where the story goes. It's so much fun seeing a new MV come out and everyone come together to theorise and discuss. It's still ongoing, and very easy to get into, so I always recommend it! My favourite prisoner is Fuuta :)

Voltron

Okay look. The question said favourite media, not explicitly media I thought was good. It is a show that is very very dear to my heart, and I think it fucking sucks after a certain point. The PREMISE is so so good, it had so much going for it on concept, and the characters carried it. I got so attached to them, I love their silly dynamics and they're so funny. I really do love the first few seasons, and I love the potential for what it could've been :') I very frequently text my best friend to rewrite parts of the lore.

That's 7 in detail, and the bonus additions are: Natsume's book of friends, good omens, and word of honour!

Thank you for asking!!! 💖💖💖 I don't think my thoughts were very comprehensive but I had fun, I hope they make some sense??

#ghost answers #WAH this was so nice i love talking abt my little neurodivergent interests #thank u!

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eradicatetehnormal · 2 years

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Just Watched the New Monster High Movie

I know I should've watched for Halloween, but as was the case as a child, my ghoulfriends are cherished all year round and beloved during the spooky season.

So I could tear this movie apart from a G1 lover standpoint. Why is Cloe just introduced as a mean girl with no redeeming or likable qualities? Why does Ghoulia have no noticeable disabilities or features we could use to parallel real-life disabilities? If they're going to go with the whole half-monster half-human thing, why isn't Jackson the main character of this movie?

So here are my thoughts:

The movie is poorly paced at times and it tries to put stakes to something that has no heart *badoom ching*. A noticeable example is when they try to bring up Clawdeen missing an assignment for her class. It never gets brought up again and isn't a consistent problem. Why even bring it up?

That Deuce romance is cute in full but I don't like the implications of him just taking her out to the middle of nowhere. Like, don't teach kids that's okay. To have an older person (I wouldn't take the age gap too seriously in most circumstances, but like, come on dude, freshmen, at least here in the US are seen completely differently from the rest of high schoolers) take you to a place where there's no cell service and where no one can see you are a good idea. I know Clawdeen could actually tear Deuce apart, but dude. Dude. No. but you know what, I just don't trust people.

The songs were pretty mid aside from the first one. Feel the same way about the costumes aside from Frankie's.

I'm also still baffled by the choice to make Drac a witch. Wouldn't it make more sense to make her a priestess? Like, priests and vampires have a classic rivalry, and honestly who cares if you "misrepresent" the religion? It's popular enough to where people know it's your fictionalized version of it and you've already pissed off any fundamentalist Christian that could've incidentally watched your movie by having Frankie go around saying "I'm Frankie. Pronouns: They/Them." Off-topic but with that in mind, why didn't they go ahead and make Clawdeen a lesbian or sapphic in some way?

Aside from that, yeah, no I quite enjoyed that actually. I like how Hyde's son is incorporated, even if I do miss Jackson. I like the way Frankie is written to be socially awkward but still very smart. I like the set designs, and honestly, the fits aren't as bad as people say they are. Once I let G1 slip from my mind and accepted that this is only the Monster High I knew in the base concept, I could dig this film. I actually really liked that MH tackled the mixed kid angle this time around even if I feel like I've seen it done better in the series in the past.

I'll give it a 6.5 out of 10. It's everything it needs to be. Haven't seen the new shorts yet, but going off the movie, if this is the Monster High gen Alpha grows up with, that's fine by me.

#though a lot of this characters should have been different characters all together #monster high #monster high movie #monster high 2022 #monster high g3

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pridepages · 2 years

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Happy Halloween: Spooky Gay Reads

Happy Halloween!

In celebration, I’ve decided to recommend some of my favorite LGBT reads that bring the spooky or hallowqueer vibes.

Vampires:

Dracula by Bram Stoker--An OG in the canon. While no character in this book is openly queer, the book was written by a man who had an obsessive, toxic relationship with another man. The contemporary reading of Bram Stoker as queer has changed the way we read sex and desire in Dracula, bringing forward its nightmarish homoerotic undertones!

Witches:

The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska--If you’re looking for darker witches, these are written in the tradition of eastern European folklore. In a twist on the tale, two rival witches set out to seduce a a prince and capture his heart...only to find themselves drawn to each other instead.

Ghosts & Demons:

Plain, Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth--In a sprawling novel that is dark academia, ghost story, and love letter to Hollywood, this novel features 2 timelines: one about the young sapphics who died under mysterious circumstances and the other about the contemporary sapphics who come to the old house to film a movie re-telling the tale. But have the spirits of the lost ones stayed to haunt the grounds?

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo--The Secret Societies of Yale University are full of actual dark magic. A young woman is recruited for her ability to see magical forces to come and serve as one of the guardians who monitors the actions of the Societies. But when her mentor goes missing and people begin dying, she must solve the mystery of who--or what--is upsetting the balance.

Curses:

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde--This classic gay tale features a young man who sees a portrait of himself and makes a wish: if only the portrait could age instead of him! The magic works, and Dorian finds himself sinking deeper and deeper into darkness...and discovering that some wishes can turn to curses.

Mysteries:

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio--A group of Shakespearean actors is shaken when the morning after a party one of their own turns up dead. Unsure what happened that night, they close ranks to protect each other. But as secrets come to light--passions of hatred and love--they begin to go to pieces. Eventually, as the truth of what happened that night emerges, one will be forced to make a choice that will change their lives forever.

Rebecca by Daphne Dumaurier--In this classic novel, a woman marries a man after a whirlwind romance. She learns she is his second wife. Upon arrival at his manor house, she finds herself haunted by the memory of his first wife, Rebecca, who appears to have been universally beloved as perfect. But it turns out Rebecca may have had a few dark secrets of her own...the novel has definite sapphic undertones, and Dumaurier herself was a (possibly genderqueer) known bisexual. Her explorations of gender and sapphic homoerotic tones take this haunted tale to greater heights.

Necromancers & Skeletons:

The Locked Tomb sequence, book 1: Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir--I’ve previously written about these books for this blog. But for the new reader: the elevator pitch is Necromancing Lesbians in Space. I assure you, it’s as good as it sounds. Razor sharp, gory, pitch black, and sure to tickle your funny bone!

Happy Hauntings! 🧡🖤

#spooky season #happy halloween #lgbt reads #queer lit #book recs

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adanseydivorce · 1 year

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top 5 characters with your zodiac sign (stolen from you), top 5 wlw pjo/hoo ships, top 5 tropes that you love and top 5 that you hate

5 characters with my zodiac sign I could only think of three canon Taurus chars I love so the last two I counted headcanons for, and neither of those characters has a canon birth date

canon taureans

•Hope Mikaelson (TVDu) ((I do see the arguments Ares sun fits her better but I think Taurus sun with other fire placements also fits her quite nicely and again I don’t have a lot of favorite characters with my sign let me have this lol)•Dan Wilds (Aftg) and we share a birthday!

•Emily Fields (technically in the Pll books she’s a Taurus and going off her show bday she’s a Scorpio but I do think that Taurus sun fits show Emily better overall too and Ik when we discussed this you agreed with me :))

And then two characters I’ve always seen as Taurus are Blue Sargent (Trc) and Marina Andrieski (The Magicians)

Top 5 wlw pjo/hoo ships

Pipeyna

Pipabeth

Reynabeth

Rueguard

this could be one of a couple ships depending on my mood but I’m going with Thalia x Zoe rn because it’s very underrated imo

Top 5 tropes I love (didn’t want to agonize over ranking these so bullet points again) •enemies to friends to lovers or any iteration on these things (lovers to enemies, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, reluctant allies to friends to lovers etc.) •doppelgängers, shadow selves and dynamics between a hero and their shadow selves can be a romance can be enemies etc. •anything to do with parallel worlds •the overachiever girl from a seemingly perfect (and this mean different things) background who struggles to fulfill familial expectations, is actually very unhinged at times and has some sort of spiral where she ends up off her original path at least for a while, and part of the subtext is usually about her repressed sapphic ness a la Spencer Hastings / Annie Edison / Julia Wicker

•the mean girl character who is originally set against the protagonist but as the story progresses she’s shown to be sympathetic and layered in her own right, and her relationship with the protagonist is allowed to develop into at least respect maybe friendship that’s usually pretty homoerotic. honorable mention to this specific flavor of opposites attract dynamics that’s like ‘on the surface we could not be more different but we can relate/connect/are actually more similar than anyone else when it comes to very specific things that aren’t obvious. And not really a trope which is why I didn’t include them but I love fantasy stories about witches and/or vampires. Also I can’t lie I do love a magical school setting. Codependent relationships in general. Sister stories!!! LOVE those. Bottle episodes and bottle episode adjacent episodes my beloved!! I have a lot of favorite tropes actually Top 5 tropes I hate

insta love I have exceptions and these exceptions are like, reincarnation stories such as dosab where there’s a reason for it and Rue x Jules because they simply had the range/chemistry. But usually I hate it. Also combining this with any fated/pre-destined/other forces or people are always telling the audience this pairing is meant to be without doing the work of showing/developing the relationship to be appealing/seem to work well together

mystical pregnancy, most pregnancy and baby story arcs in general

media concerned with parental/familial issues where all the mothers are demonized while the fathers get to be complicated parents like tm tended to do. Something I found refreshing about watching pll was that it was a total reverse of this with all the fathers being irredeemable monsters and the mothers being more complex

I ranted about this recently re: the va show but I really dislike when a fantasy work has this aspect of metaphorical bigotry as a theme and the characters who voice said bigotry are usually poc

Ik this is solely a fic thing but fucking hate abo lol

Thank you! (Ask me too 5 of anything)

#s speaks #pll #pjo #hoo #legacies #va #the magicians #trc #community #euphoria #dosab #just tagging whatever fandoms I specifically mentioned in the post I was alluding to / referring to others too

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