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checkoutmybookshelf · 7 months

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...Are We the Bad Guys?

Guys...I was going to be good. I was going to finish a chapter last night and call it good and go to bed. That...SUPER did not happen, because the last few chapters of this book happened which meant that I was just fully up half the night finishing it and I HAVE THOUGHTS. So with that for preamble, let's talk Fourth Wing.

THIS IS A SPOILER-IFIC REVIEW BELOW THE BREAK because I wanna talk about a couple things...so be warned.

Ok, so the TL;DR on Fourth Wing is that it's a romantasy in a military training camp for dragon riders that is full-on enemies to lovers with a protagonist with a disability that reads like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). It's also very good, I basically inhaled the book around work and life. I also have THOUGHTS about this book.

Violet Sorrengail is our disabled protagonist, and the daughter of General Lillith Sorrengail was supposed to be a scribe, but her mother basically forces her into trying to become a dragon rider, with everyone from Vi's older sister Mira to her childhood best friend and fellow trainee Dain Aetos think will kill her because she is--as everyone in the damn book describes her--fragile. She obviously does not die, but put a pin in Dain for a second, because we're coming back to his ass after we talk about Vi and how disability was handled in this book.

I am...objectively kind of torn on how this book handles Vi's EDS. On the one hand, I am very much here for getting rid of the idea that a disabled protagonist doesn't belong in any type of story you want to tell, up to and including the ones that involve "graduate or die" styles of training camps. Disability is everywhere, and I am so, so very cool with disrupting the stereotype that disabled protagonists either cannot be in these stories or have to die at the end--and Vi is gloriously alive and kicking at the end of the book.

That said...there are like...hard ceilings and absolute limits on what you can push a body to do, and Vi...kind of doesn't hit EDS-related hard limits in a significant way. Some of that is because she works smarter not harder (poisoning her challenges is flippin' inspired), but some of it is also framed in the book as Vi exercising to strengthen her joints and being creative in executing tasks and challenges, which are great and can absolutely alleviate some symptoms. But then she also refuses the magical healing that has kept her functional (not cured, which I appreciate, just functional) for most of her life to avoid the appearance of weakness. So for someone with a chronic illness that also involves a HELL of a lot of pain and joint issues, this read to me like a combination of toxic strength and refusing actual medical care in favor of like...exercising the symptoms away? And while exercise can absolutely help, it being the only thing combined with bailing on medical treatment read really toxic. I feel like a combination of sneaky care hidden from the other cadets and the exercise might have been less toxic feeling. I know that everyone's bodies are different, and some people can probably manage with exercise, but I do not love the vibe I was getting of "sheer grit and exercise can completely replace medical assistance in managing physical disabilities so you don't look weak to people around you."

To be VERY clear: Needing medical assistance to function has no moral value. Needing it to have the best possible quality of life has no moral value. And I don't love when stories put a moral value on physical strength without medical intervention.

I did appreciate that Vi simply could not physically hold her seat on her dragon by brute strength alone, and that she was accommodated with a saddle with actual straps. And the book does go out of its way to highlight that Vi's moral courage and intelligence are ultimately more valuable to the people and dragons who love her than her physical ability. I just could have done without the firing her mender to avoid looking weak.

And this is where we remember that we put a freaking pin in Dain Aetos, because JFC I have not wanted to reach into a book and punch a fictional character as much as I have Dain in a LONG time. Dain spends the ENTIRE book cutting Vi's confidence out from under her because he's convinced she is too physically weak to survive in the Rider's Quadrant and that he's going to have to watch her die. He says this after she survives the parapet. He says this after she survives having her shoulder ripped to shreds in the physical assessment. He says this after she survives the Gauntlet. After she survives Threshing. After she has BONDED NOT ONLY THE BIGGEST MOST BADASS DRAGON IN THE VALE BUT ALSO A SECOND ADORABLE DRAGON. Dain literally has zero faith in Vi's abilities and instead of helping her survive, he actively gets in the way of her physical and emotional growth. I wanted to PUNCH this man in his smug-ass paternalistic fucking face.

And no, y'all, the whole "I would be absolutely destroyed if I had to watch you die because your body can't handle the environment" is in no way an excuse or even acceptable. It's paternalistic and shitty and moves the focus from VI'S ACTUAL LIFE to his man pain. We don't fucking have that in this house.

In fairness, the book also calls Dain out on this. Everyone from Xaden to Tairn spends the book bitching about how Dain isn't helping Vi. The fact that it's mostly the men around Vi bitching about how they're affecting or not affecting her life and choices isn't my favorite thing either, but I'll take the book calling out at least some toxic paternalistic bullshit, especially where it comes to wrapping girls with disabilities in bubble wrap and trying to put them on shelves against their will.

This also facilitates Dain and Xadens' narrative chiasmus (crossing over). Dain starts as the childhood best friend that Vi wants, and ends up worse than anything he ever accused Xaden of. Xaden, of course, starts out as the literal black-hatted villain with every reason to want to murder Vi himself and ends up as the boyfriend. I did appreciate that little narrative peice, because it was pretty well executed throughout, and Vi having feelings about it was very fun to watch.

The other thing about this book that was stunningly well done was the worldbuilding. Rarely do I see "oh shit, we're the bad guys" done this well, and with this many dragons. It was a ton of fun, and I will absolutely be picking up Iron Flame when it comes out in November. I cannot wait to see what's in store for Vi, Xaden, Dain, and Navarre in general.

#fourth wing #rebecca yarros #fourth wing spoilers #violet sorrengail #dain aetos #xaden riorson #adult fantasy novel #adult fiction #dragons #disability representation #disabled main character #books and reading #books & libraries #books and novels #books #book recommendations

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drawsdenfiles · 10 months

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Storm Front

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

#the dresden files #dresden files #dresdenfiles #fanart #dresden files art #harry dresden #stormfront #jim butcher #adult fantasy novel #art #books and novels

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rosemariecawkwell · 4 months

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TBR Pile Review: Faebound, by Saara El-Arifi

Format: 392 pages, HardcoverPublished: December 15, 2023 by Harper VoyagerISBN: 9780008596965Goldsboro Books Exclusive Edition Two elven sisters become imprisoned in the hidden world of the fae where danger, and love, lies in wait. Faebound is the first book in an enchanting new trilogy from the internationally bestselling author of The Final Strife. A thousand years ago, the world held three…

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#adult fantasy novel #Book review #elves #fae #Faebound #fantasy #romance #romantasy #Saara El-Arifi #Sapphic fantasy

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killemwithkillness · 9 months

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08/03/2023

I would pay so much money to know exactly how much time spent writing my book has actually been me just staring at a wall

#debut author #debut novel #political fantasy #adult fantasy #adult fantasy novel

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hellkeepers-if · 6 months

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DEMO (prologue out) UPDATES

Set in an alternate version of Singapore, you're a fresh university graduate bumbling through life as you desperately look for a job.

...Or that's what your mother thinks. In a world where occult ceremonies are as common as an existential crisis, there's no way you were ever going to be a perfectly average office worker. Just like your twin brother, you work for the International Society Of Exorcists (ISOE) which deals with supernatural occurrences, demonic rituals, and the like.

When a tragic event befalls your older sister, it uproots your entire life and everything you ever knew about the supernatural. With it, comes a forced need to come to terms with a family history straight out of the movies.

After all, how the hell did it take twenty years to find out that you're descended from the freaking king of the underworld?

"I have a duty to myself, but more importantly, my family."

——————

Inspired by Supernatural, Fullmetal Alchemist, Noragami, and the Percy Jackson series, Hellkeepers is a +18 urban fantasy/paranormal interactive fiction, involving elements of Chinese and Southeast-Asian mythology. In every playthrough, you will...

• Play as a female, male, or non-binary Chinese demigod/ess.

• Determine the relationships between you and your family members. After all, they will play a big part in your story...

• Peel apart the full truth behind you and your siblings' birthright. Your parents can't hide it forever.

• Learn more about Chinese and Southeast Asian mythology as you warp into different dimensions, unlike anything you've seen before.

• Learn more about who you were in your past life.

| Nishimura Kazuo (he/him)

Age: 26

Ethnicity: Japanese

With a penchant for mischief and a charm that woos even the most stubborn of grandmas, Kazu is the wildcard of your organization. You think he's an anarchist, and the only reason he's tied down to the ISOE is so that he has an excuse for whatever havoc he wreaks on the supernatural.

The A-ranked exorcist is your colleague and your brother's mentor, though you rarely ever see him in his office. But if you ever need him for demon fighting, he'll be there. Most of the time.

"Mind taking that pesky thing out for me while I take a quick nap?"

| Quentin Khanh (Quan) (he/him)

Age: 25

Ethnicity: Vietnamese

Quentin, more affectionately known as Quan, was your childhood friend. After he moved overseas, the weekly texts you sent him fizzled into nothing but a lost friendship.

Since then, he's returned to Singapore as a forensics pathologist and researcher under your organisation. Whether you like it or not, you have to no choice but to work with him for most of your investigations.

"If your bribe doesn't involve a penthouse worth of money, don't talk to me."

| Reyna Aliyah Santos (she/her)

Age: 23

Ethnicity: Mixed (Filipino-Chinese)

You've never quite met someone like Reyna. A halfling with a demon mother and a human father. Being raised in Singapore all her life with little knowledge of her parents, it's natural that Reyna would come to the ISOE for help at the mere instance of a fox tail and white fur.

You've been tasked to help her mask and get comfortable with her supernatural powers, but she won't make it easy for you. After all, foxes do bite.

"Technically, I'm not stealing anything if they don't notice."

| Song Huayun (she/her)

Age: ????

Ethnicity: "Uhh...from Hell?" Chinese

| You don't know too much about Huayun, except for the fact that she lives in Diyu, the Chinese Underworld. As Diyu's gatekeeper, Huayun has seen countless depravities committed by humans before their deaths. That alone has made it hard for her to like them, and the contempt she shows you is no different than what she shows everyone else.

But with time, maybe she'll finally learn what it is like to feel human…and what a smile is.

"If it isn't the star of tonight's show. Welcome to Diyu."

| The Arbiter of Fate (m/f)

Theyre a stranger, or so you say. But this deity knows everyone...especially you.

#interactive fiction #interactive novel #interactive game #choice of games #adult fiction #dashingdon #cog wip #if wip #if recs #upcoming if #urban fantasy #hellkeepers if

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dandelion-jester · 2 months

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When did chapter books stop having a table of contents??? I want to be able to look at the front of the book to see all the fun chapter names that hint at where the book is going but actually give very little away. Also I wanna know what page I was on!

#philip reeve and rick riordan got it #is this an adult novel thing?#so many adult fantasy books have chapter titles why don't we get a table of contents?#writing #writeblr #writer #fantasy #books #author #fantasy books #chapters

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jessread-s · 7 months

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✩ 💜🐸Book Fanart:

📖: Trystan and Evie from “Assistant to the Villain” by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

This post is in collaboration with my sister @binjobo.0, who drew this lovely masterpiece as a birthday gift to me 🤩

Please click this link to show their art account some love.

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

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how-bout-i-tell-you-anyway · 2 months

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ok, i'm just going to say it. there's a reason that some of us like reading monster/alien romance just as much as maybe even more than regular romance.

and no, it's not about the supernatural dicks (at least not for me).

in short, it's about respect. obviously, the monster/alien comes from a place somewhere other than human society on planet Earth. because of that, he is completely ignorant of the sexist bias inherent in our society. (and by inherent i mean literally trained into us since birth and embedded in every aspect of our society)

sometimes the monster's views are more misogynistic — but in those stories the heroine manages to change his views by earning his respect as they navigate their inter-special differences (aka, he learns and fixes himself).

usually, the monsters believe strongly in equality between the sexes, and they are often shocked and horrified if/when they learn of how human men treat their partners. [and yes, i know some of them are over-the-top protective to the point of being controlling, but even then it's because they view the heroines as someone to continuously be protected, cherished, and respected.]

TLDR: it's an escape into a romantic fantasy where the love interest is GUARANTEED to be a good partner because he literally could never think to harm, insult, or disrespect the heroine

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checkoutmybookshelf · 10 months

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Ok, for all the problems I have with the Dresden Files in terms of genre and misogyny and fridging and ableism...goddamn it is inescapably true that the man can write a quip.

#and also fuck subtle #jim butcher #the dresden files #book quotes #adult fantasy novel #epic fantasy #books & libraries #books and reading #books and novels #book recommendations #harry dresden

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thecrystalcompass · 6 months

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The first 12 pages of my Graphic Novel "The Crystal Compass." Hope you guys dig it, you can help make this project real by backing us on Kickstarter https://inked.pub/thecrystalcompass

#original art #my art #comics #graphic novel #indie comics #young adult fantasy #young adult books #ya books #role playing #comic pages #comic art #airships #floating island

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poopraven · 11 months

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Hello! I'd like to tell you about a book I wrote. It'll be coming out on Friday the 26th of May 2023.

I'm extremely proud of this one. I'm proud of them all, of course, but I think in this one I let myself get angry for, well, pretty much the whole book to be honest. Previous books in the series have bursts of queer rage, but this one definitely sustained it.

At its heart, it's a book that demands to know just how long we're supposed to do nothing while fascists kill us.

Now, fair warning, it is book 9 in an ongoing series. It won't make a whole lot of sense if you haven't read the previous eight books. I'll get to that at the end of the post, but for now I want to stick with Runes of Fall.

No storm bows to reason.

Quentin's trip to the desert with his chosen family is supposed to be two days of testing the limits of their powers. Instead, a violent storm looms on the horizon, and nothing will alter its course.

The storm has a name: Nate Anderson. Demigod, supremacist, leader of a neo-Nazi Übermensch cabal... and father to Quentin's latest ward, Mel. He means to take her home, and won't let a ragtag group of "inferior" psychics get in his way.

Besieged and outgunned, Quentin is trapped in a no-win scenario. No matter which way he turns, one fateful night will change him forever.

Inheritance is a series best read in order, so if this is the first you've heard of it I strongly recommend that you start with Jack of Thorns, but keep going and I'll let you know how you can grab that for free. First, let me tell you more about it.

In Jack of Thorns, we meet Laurence and Quentin, two men with astonishing powers but little to no control over them. They are both adrift, traumatised, and doing what they can to get by one day at a time. Laurence is struggling to escape a toxic, abusive boyfriend who refuses to accept that their relationship is over, and Quentin spends as much of his time drunk as he possibly can.

Do they start out likeable? Opinion varies. But they learn, they grow, and they put in the work to improve themselves. They do their best, and sometimes they make mistakes, but the Laurence and Quentin in Runes of Fall are a world away from the Laurence and Quentin you first meet.

Heads up, there are some content warnings to take note of. In random order, they are: sexual intimacy, addiction, drug use, sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse, incest, gaslighting, bullying, coercive control, kidnapping, domestic abuse, bigotry, classism, torture, post-traumatic stress, therapy, violence, peril, and death.

If you're still here, thank you for reading this far. I'd like to give you some links if you're interested in finding out more!

Jack of Thorns: https://books2read.com/jackofthorns

Runes of Fall: https://discoverinheritance.com/books/runes-of-fall

Discord server: https://discord.gg/reYUyTH9DJ

And, if you'd like, you can get all nine books at once - whether as ebooks, paperbacks (signed or unsigned), or audiobooks - from Kickstarter:

kickstarter

Thank you so much for your time. Please feel free to ask questions if you have them!

- AK.

#book recs #urban fantasy #indie books #lgbt books #lgbt author #indie author #queer books #books and novels #indie writers #indie writer #inheritance #ak faulkner #new release #mlm books #autistic adult #bisexual fiction #demisexual fiction

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haveyoureadthisbook-poll · 2 months

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#hellaween #moss lawton #graphic novel #young adult #fantasy #book poll #have you read this book poll #polls

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greenerteacups · 14 days

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hi GT! thanks again for the great chapter—loved it (as usual).

just wanted to come on here to sing you praises with just how well you write touch/physical affection especially in the most recent chapter’s first half: draco & hermione being v touchy while entering hogsmeade vs. draco’s jealousy with ron + hermione, and how you depicted draco’s reaction to both (i.e., his awareness on just how not-platonic his actions were vs failing to see that ron and hermione might not be also sharing the same thing) and the way his jealousy flares up. it’s starkly real and engaging and you just leave us wanting more.

just wondering: would there be more platon-ish (or more) moments in the realm of Lionheart, since the books were PG?

hope u have a good day!!

Thank you very much! I hope you have a good day, too.

I think of Lionheart right now as a story that rides the line between PG-13 and R (for gore, and I guess also technically for swearing, since there's been more than one "fuck.") Those things will only scale up as the story goes on, to an extent that will soon surpass the books. If the original series can be split up into "children's / young adult" around the lynchpin of Book 4, I think of the volumes of Lionheart as "children's / young adult / new adult." New adult is, naturally, more capacious as a genre than young adult is, and I'm cautiously feeling out my comfort level in the new territory it opens up.

To be completely honest, I'm still making up my mind on how far to push past canon there. I know that explicit scenes are common and welcomed in the D/H fanfic space, to an extent even expected, but the jury is out on how much it will be relevant/necessary/something that I'll enjoy writing. (I'm aware that this is a totally confusing and not helpful answer. Friend, I also wish it was not like this.) Basically, I'm just trying to figure out what the story needs.

I guess the most I can say currently is that I'd definitely be comfortable writing it — I've written it before — and for the rest, I'll play it by ear.

#greenteacup asks #lionheart spoilers #new adult is such a weird and cool genre to me it didn't exist when I was growing up #i see it as a parent genre to the new 'romantasy' species of publication #which is itself like the sentimentalist's answer to pulpy sci-fi #and fantasy has been violently segregated by age bracket in a way almost no other genre has #it's like. everything is either Teeny-Bopper Dragon Wars or fucking game of thrones #or [blatant reskin of a classic fantasy novel that probably started as fanfiction].#like i enjoyed eragon but it did start as LOTR fanfiction. which is why i (LOTR & fanfic enjoyer) enjoyed it!! why be ashamed of that??#if everyone could just drop their pride and admit they like and respect well-written fanfics #we could save the commercial publishing market for really cool new original shit! we wouldn't NEED a million eragons and HP ripoffs!#they deserve to exist! just put them on AO3 where they belong!!

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wandering-wolf23 · 20 days

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After the unexpected death of his brother, Prince Wilhelm Hart finds himself seeking solace in the arms of a mysterious stranger.

Suspicions abound and after an attempt on Wilhelm’s life, no one is going to balk at the sole remaining heir to the throne having constant protection. This stranger, though, is far more than he seems. He might not just be the solace Wilhelm so desperately needs… he might well be the catalyst to uncovering a sordid plot that threatens to undermine all of Talla Gael.

Jealousy, fear, and fanaticism have each set their deadly claws into all that Wilhelm holds dear. He’s going to need every ounce of courage – and more than a little luck – to solve the mystery of Emil’s death and save the kingdom he loves.

Read me HERE!

#dispatches #original content? on this blog?#lgbt writers #writers on tumblr #young adult fantasy #gay fantasy novels #indie author #low fantasy novels

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ystrike1 · 7 months

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We Got Ourselves Stuck Inside an Adult Fantasy Novel - By Hyeyong (4/10)

Isekai trash only. You will not be able to comprehend this story unless you're already familiar with isekai and reincarnation plots. It does not care. All three protagonists are friends, and they take over a fantasy world together. Their greed and lust gets them nothing but praise and victory. The men have less personality than usual. Max trash.

We start out with a fangirl.

She wakes up as a heroine. I'm using the "real" names because this whole story is just roleplay. Siyeon does not care about her role as heroine. She only cares about hot faces and romance. She's been trying to convince her friends to read isekai for years and that's her whole personality.

She's the one who attracts the yandere prince.

She doesn't go alone. Her two best friends that are not interested in isekai come with her. There is no shame whatsoever here. All three women collectively do not care. They just decide to live life to the fullest as rich aristocratic ladies. Apparently none of them have children, friends or family. Nobody thinks about their past life unless it's a bad memory, because living in a fantasy world is soooo superior.

Yein is the hot villainess. She leaves for the countryside. She really struggled in the real world. She is a sadist. She's into extreme BDSM. She could never find a partner because she was never completely honest, and her male partners always left when she suddenly changed in the bedroom.

She buys a buff slave, and she makes him her submissive servant. It's hella toxic and she ignores every BDSM safety rule.

She is a high lady who can do whatever.

God even gives the three ladies phones, so they can chat.

Yein goes to the countryside because she doesn't...say it with me...care (about anything but BDSM)

Jiwon becomes the top aide for the prince. She loves money and she loves power. She sets Sihyeon up with the prince. She knows Sihyeon will be happy as a spoiled fantasy bride, and if the prince goes yandere....she can control the kingdom while he's busy locking her up.

It's funny, but nobody in universe is taking this seriously. It feels fake.

It's beyond parody.

Terris is a "Standard Yandere Prince ML"

Black hair. Red eyes. He killed his siblings to take the throne. He's strong, smart but not well liked because he's feared. He has few friends...you've met this man twenty times...or you don't get the meta joke and this story isn't for you.

Meta humor is annoying. Don't worry this won't get a high rating no matter what, because every page is a cheap laugh and the BDSM play is questionable.

He looks like this.

Please note this kind of appearance is a running joke in the OI Fandom. Lots of fans laugh at the factory produced ML's like this one, but it's a reaaaallllyyyy stale and tired joke.

The whole story is stale.

He kidnaps Sihyeon and he proposes because....because....um she likes him??? And he likes to be liked???

He is actually yandere we do get crazy scenes with him. He does give more power to Jiwon. Controlling Sihyeon becomes his new hobby.

The yandere scenes get consistently ruined by tired jokes it's a snorefest.

He thinks he's the number 1 mastermind but Jiwon is behind him pulling the strings.

....it all feels very safe and sassy.

Haha it's funny cuz of course a yandere that gets too obsessed would lose power lollll...

It gets old after like five chapters.

Sihyeon is in the gilded prison of her dreams. She's a social butterfly, so she makes lots of friends. She gets to wear the frilly dresses she has always admired. She's a noble adult woman, so after she marries she doesn't have to worry about her family much. They don't even show up. Terris never does anything unexpected and this is an "adult" book, so she has fun every day.

It's a happy and twisted ending.

All three women role play, drink, hang out and use handsome men forever.

I absolutely despise every single one of them.

They are the most unlikable protagonists I've seen this year.

#We Got Ourselves Stuck Inside an Adult Fantasy Novel #yandere #male yandere #yandere male #yandere boy #recommendations #recs #rec #recommended #webtoon #otome games #otome #otome isekai

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oliveoilcorp · 1 year

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Excerpt from my middle-grade werewolf graphic novel ARTIE AND THE WOLF MOON (2021).

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