#dark ocean duology

[bereft-of-frogs]

And for my last little ‘sea horror summer’ post, behold the knitting project:

I have been knitting the spooky ocean. It will eventually be an infinity scarf and I’ve been using two different chart packs from the Pacific Knit Co’s doodle collection! It has been so much fun to work on while watching cheesy 80s ocean horror movies happy sea dread summer

#sea dread #dark ocean duology #knitting #doing some crabs next

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: alien intelligences

Intelligent spiders, octupi, plants, bacteria, and even entire oceans, intelligence without sentience, extra terrestrials and strange intelligences evolved right here on Earth - alien minds can take many forms. Allow me to share with you some books featuring the most alien and fascinating ones.

Previous book rec posts:

Really cool fantasy worldbuilding, really cool sci-fi worldbuilding, dark sapphic romances, mermaid books, vampire books, many worlds: portal fantasies, many worlds: alternate timelines, robots and artificial intelligences, post- and transhumanism

For more details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. And as always, feel free to share your own recs in the notes!

The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky*

The Doors of Eden is something of an experiment in speculative biology, featuring versions of Earth in which various different species were the one to rise to sentience, from dinosaurs to neanderthals. Now, something is threatening the existence of all timelines, dragging multiple different people and species into the struggle, among those a pair of cryptid hunting girlfriends and a transgender scientist.

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky*

Millenia and generation spanning scifi. After the collapse of an empire, a planet once part of a project to uplift other species to sentience is left to develop on its own, resulting not in the intelligent monkeys once intended but in sentient giant spiders. Millenia later, what remains of humanity arrives looking for a new home, only to be met by the artificial remains of the ancient woman who once led the uplift project - and she is not willing to let them on her planet.

Semiosis (Semiosis duology) by Sue Burke

A generational story following a group of humans trying to survive on a new planet, where a strange and unkowable intelligence is finding ways to use them to its whims. As the humans come across an abandoned city wrapped in the roots of a strange plant, they slowly come to the realization that mutual communication is the only path to peace and survival.

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

While I felt the characters could’ve been better developed, this is undeniably a well-written novel featuring an alien race and culture developed on a planet vastly different from ours. Firmly in the realm of hard scifi, this is a realistic, fascinating and slightly terrifying look at how first contact may look.

Brain Plague (The Elysium Cycle) by Joan Sloncewski*

Chrys, a struggling artist, agrees to become a carrier for a sentient strain of microbes. With their help, Chrys breathes new life into her career. But every microbe society is different - some function as friends and brain enhancers to their carrier, while others become a literal brain plague, a living addiction taking over the life of their carrier. And like every society, the microbe community is in constant flux - inluding the one inside Chrys's head.

Rosewater (The Wormwood trilogy) by Tade Thompson

In Nigeria lies Rosewater, a city bordering on a strange, alien biodome. Its motives are unknown, but it’s having an undeniable effect on the surrounding life. Kaaro, former criminal and current psychic agent for the government, is one of the people changed by it. When other psychics like him begin getting killed, Kaaro must take it upon himself to find out the truth about the biodome and its intentions.

Dawn (Xenogenesis trilogy) by Octavia E. Butler*

After a devestating war leaves humanity on the brink of extinction, survivor Lilith finds herself waking up naked and alone in a strange room. She’s been rescued by the Oankali, who have arrived just in time to save the human race. But there’s a price to survival, and it might be humanity itself. Absolutely fucked up I love it I once had to drop the book mid read to stare at the ceiling and exclaim in horror at what was going on.

Blindsight by Peter Watts*

Vampires and aliens and questions of the nature of consciousnesses, oh my. A ship is sent to investigate the sudden appearance of an alien vessel at the edge of the solar system, but the crew, a group of various level of transhumanism, isn’t prepared for the horrors awaiting them. No, seriously, this book will fuck you up, highly recommend if you’re okay with a lot of techno babble and existential horror.

Midnight Robber by Nalo Hopkinson*

Utterly unique in world-building, story, and prose, Midnight Robber follows young Tan-Tan and her father, inhabitants of the Carribean-colonized planet of Toussaint. When her father commits a terrible crime, he’s exiled to a parallel version of the same planet, home to strange aliens and other human exiles. Tan-Tan, not wanting to lose her father, follows with him. Trapped on this new planet, he becomes her worst nightmare. Enter this book with caution, as it contains graphic child sexual abuse.

Fragment (Fragment duology) by Warren Fahy*

The reality TV show Sealife is having a rough time - as it turns out, a ship full of scientist doesn’t make for the kind of drama they hoped for. Hoping for some excitement, they reach Hender's Island, a fragment of a lost continent that may contain an interesting new ecosystem. But as they step foot on the island, they quickly come to realize the ecosystem isn’t just new, it’s highly dangerous and very hungry. Among all this life is one single species that may be more dangerous than any other, but which may also be the salvation of the scientists on the island. A bit wonky, but genuinely one of the most fun books I have read, I love it so much.

Axiom's End (Noumena trilogy) by Lindsay Ellis

It’s 2007, and a leak has just confirmed that the US has reached alien contact. Cora wants nothing to do with it, but as her absent father is the whistleblower who dropped the news the media won’t leave her alone. Even worse, she soon finds herself meeting and being pursued by the alien presence itself as it tries to remain in hiding - and discovering that there is a much larger threat on the horizon.

The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis*

Francie has just traveled to Roswell to attend her college friend's wedding to a UFO conspirasist. Not a believer herself, Francie is shocked when she finds herself abducted by an alien. Her abductor is not much what popular media would have you believe, looking more like a tumbleweed than a grey alien, and is clearly on some kind of mission it isn’t willing to put on hold for the sake of Francie attending to her duties as a bridesmaid. As more people get roped along - among those a conman, an old lady, a ufo conspirasist, and a retiree with an RV - Francie finds herself getting closer to the alien and wanting to help it succeed.

Bonus rec: if you like this book, you may also enjoy the movie Paul, which has a similarly humorous tone and similar plot.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir*

Ryland Grace just woke up up from a coma, unable to remember anything. He finds himself alone on a space ship, and as his memories slowly trickle back, he realizes he's been sent on a mission: to find a solution to the impending doom of the earth. Still struggling with holes in his memories, Ryland tries to fulfill his mission, but as he gets closer to his goal, he discovers someone else got there first. And they aren't anything close to human. Funny, heartfelt, and heavy on the science.

Survival by Julie E. Czerneda

Mac, a biologist studying salmon on Earth, has little interest in life beyond her own planet. Despite this, she’s sought out by Brymn, an alien archaeologist hoping her expertise as a biologist can help him solve the secret behind the Chasm, a region of space completely devoid of life. Trying as she might not to get incolved, Mac has little choice as she and her colleagues come under attack by the mysterious Ro, the species Brymn's people suspect to be the cause of the Chasm.

Translation State by Ann Leckie*

An exploration of the alien as filtered through the human. At what point does the human become something else? When does something else become human? Is it a question of biology or culture, nature or nurture? Can we choose it? Can it be forced upon us? Set in the Imperial Radch universe, Translation State follows three different characters embroiled in the question of what makes a human. The alien Presger can only communicate with humans using their translators - people they’ve created that are not quite human and not quite alien. But as news of a translator fugitive arises, conflict brews regarding what right they have to choose their own identity and home.

Exo (Exo duology) by Fonda Lee*

Young adult. Earth has long since been under the control of an alien presence. Donovan Reyes is an exo, a human enhanced with alien technology, working to keep the colony and its people safe. The biggest enemy is Sapience, a terrorist organisation opposing alien rule by any means necessary. When a mission goes awry, Donovan finds himself abducted by Sapiance, something that risks a war. While it took until the second book for me to be fully sold on this series, it features a genuinely nuanced take on oppression and resistance rarely seen in YA genre.

Needle by Hal Clement

1950s classic. A small island in the pacific ocean and a fourteen-year-old boy have just become the center of an interstellar chase between an alien Hunter and the criminal he's pursuing. Robert is a regular boy, but he has a very special passenger: an alien symbiont hiding inside his body. The alien became stranded on Earth as he pursued a criminal of his own species, and now they are both trapped on the same island, playing a game of cat and mouse as Robert and the Hunter struggle to find their prey before it finds them.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers series) by Becky Chambers

Rosemary Harper just got a job on the motley crew of the Wayfarer, a spaceship that works with tunneling new wormholes through space. With a past she wants to leave behind, Rosemary is happy to travel the far reaches of the universe with the chaotic crew, but when they land the job of a life time, things suddenly get a lot more dangerous. A bit of a tumblr classic in its day, this is a cozy space opera with an episodic feel and vividly realized characters and cultures.

Under the Skin by Michel Faber

A dark allegory of alienation and dehumanization, Under the Skin follows Isserley, a woman traveling along the roads of England and picking up hitchhikers. Little does her passengers know, she’s an alien hiding her true self, and they are her prey and a delicacy for her species.

Solaris by Stanislaw Lem

1960s Polish classic. Arriving on a station orbiting the planet Solaris, Kris Kelvin is meant to study the strange, possibly sentient ocean that covers its entire surface. But the effects of the ocean are far reaching - Kelvin finds the crew of the station secretive and unstable, and is shocked to wake one day to the embodiement of a long dead lover. Was it created by the brain-like ocean, and if so, why?

West of Eden (West of Eden trilogy) by Harry Harrison

65 million years ago, the meteor that killed the dinosaurs never arrived. Without it, the dinosaurs lived and thrived, allowing a the complex society of the matriarchal Yilanè to arise. Meanwhile, in the new world, humans still evolve, and when an impending ice age forces the Yilanè across the ocean in search for a new home, the two are destined to clash. A bleak story of the cycle of violence and hate leading to war, West of Eden is a marvel of world-building.

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

Triptych by J.M. Frey

Kalp is a widower and alien refugee newly arrived on Earth; Gwen is a language expert secretly recruited by the United Nations to help integrate a ship of alien refugees; Basil is an engineer who loves them both. Together they must defend their relationship against a violently intolerant world.

The Sparrow (The Sparrow duology) by Mary Doria Russell

When proof of alien life is found, the United Nations are too slow in their plans for a first contact mission. Instead, the Society of Jesus overtake them and send their own ship, but the crew could never have been prepared for what they will find.

Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor

Something massive and alien crashes into the ocean off the coast of Nigeria. Three people, a marine biologist, a rapper, and a soldier, find themselves encountering this presence, and have to race to save humanity before it's too late.

Honorary mentions AKA these didn't really work for me but maybe you guys will like them: Salvaged by Madeleine Roux, Exodus by Nicky Drayden, The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull, Embassytown by China Miéville

#nella talks books #the doors of eden #children of time #semiosis #the three-body problem #brain plague #rosewater #xenogenesis #blindsight #midnight robber #fragment #axioms end #the road to roswell #project hail mary #species imperative #translation state #exo #needle #the long way to a small angry planet #under the skin #solaris #west of eden #there are more alien centric books that I love #but this list is pretty focused on books where the truly alien unkowable and inhuman is central #so anything featuring human looking or acting aliens got disqualified #same as books where the aliens themselves weren’t very central #also i need you all to know that i have had official art of the 'alien' from Fragment as my screensaver for a decade #that book is so silly goofy dialogue and absolute gory slaughter i love it so much #i still have one of these rec posts in my drafts but! will soon post a new poll in preparation for more

[richincolor]

I love speculative fiction, so I thought it would be fun to highlight three speculative fiction books that came out this year to add to your TBR pile:

A Tempest of Tea (Blood and Tea #1) by Hafsah Faizal Farrar, Straus and Giroux

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone. Calling on some of the city’s most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it. From the New York Times–bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame comes the first book in a hotly-anticipated fantasy duology teeming with romance, revenge, and an orphan girl willing to do whatever it takes to save her self-made kingdom. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories edited by Sandra Proudman Inkyard Press

These sixteen stories by award-winning and bestselling YA authors center a Latinx point of view in an empowering anthology that reimagines classics through fantasy, science fiction, and with a dash of magic, for fans of A PHOENIX FIRST MUST BURN and RECLAIM THE STARS In classic stories remixed, Latinx characters take center stage Pride and Prejudice is launched into outer space, Frankenstein is plunged into the depths of the ocean, and The Great Gatsby floats to an island off the coast of Costa Rica. A shape-shifter gives up her life to save the boy she loves from an evil bruja. La Ciguapa covets a little mermaid’s heart of gold. Two star-crossed teens fall in love while the planet burns around them. Whether characters fall in love, battle foes, or grow through grief, each story will empower readers to see themselves as the heroes of the stories that make our world.

The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le Roaring Brook Press

Nhika is a bloodcarver. A cold-hearted, ruthless being who can alter human biology with just a touch. In the industrial city of Theumas, she is seen not as a healer, but a monster that kills for pleasure. When Nhika is caught using her bloodcarving abilities during a sham medical appointment, she's captured by underground thugs and sold to an aristocratic family to heal the last witness of their father’s murder. But as Nhika delves deeper into their investigation amidst the glitz of Theumas’ wealthiest district, she begins to notice parallels between this job and her own dark past. And when she meets an alluring yet entitled physician's aide, Ven Kochin, she’s forced to question the true intent behind this murder. In a society that outcasts her, Kochin seems drawn to her...though he takes every chance he gets to push her out of his opulent world. When Nhika discovers that Kochin is not who he claims to be, and that there is an evil dwelling in Theumas that runs much deeper than the murder of one man, she must decide where her heart, and her allegiance, truly lie. And - if she's willing to become the dreaded bloodcarver Theumas fears to save herself and the ones she's vowed to protect.

#a tempest of tea #relit #the last bloodcarver #book lists #weneeddiversebooks

[overmorrowpromo]

EVERY TIME I DESCRIBE A CITY, I AM SPEAKING ABOUT HOME.

IT STARTS LIKE ALL THINGS START: WITH CHOICES AND THE HANDS THAT MAKE THEM. Don't call this an accident, but don't call it fate either: neither is to blame, nor should either reap all the acclaim. The city of ARDEN, hung with a million lanterns and a thousand shrines, blossoms out of the ocean, and above her hangs the wreckage of the sun— her god desiccated, but never destroyed. Through her streets walk many things: small gods, hands that build, hands that steal, and even the machines of industry that might make her anew and alien. ARDEN IS HAVEN, IS OASIS, IS EYE OF THE STORM for the conflicts that wage beyond her ports, that flicker far from her shores. But eyes of storms never stay put— and the world threatens to turn calm shores into a city, broiling. AND IN HER HEART: a band of petty thieves, bound together by circumstance and need, find themselves on a heist that might disrupt the balance of things— that might even return the sun.

✧✧✧

OVERMORROW is a 21+ industrial fantasy heist discord rp set in ARDEN, THE CITY OF SMALL GODS, focusing on a band of criminals thrown into the machinations of gods. It is inspired by Marielda, Blades in the Dark, Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities, and The Six of Crows duology. The game explores themes of industrialization, home, loyalty, love, belief, and what we owe each other.

✧✧✧

REBLOG FOR AN EARLY PREVIEW OF THE MASTERLIST.

#new rp #lsrpg #literate rp #fantasy rp #heist rp #skeleton rp

[aeor-is-for-reccing]

Hidden Gems: A Shadowgast Rec List

This week, we have one of our recurring themes: fics with fewer than 150 kudos! Check under the cut for fourteen amazing fics that you might have missed the first time around:

Ocean Blues by Vailee (3836,General)

Warnings: None

On a remote island, Caleb meets a merman named Essek.

Reccer says: The description of merman Essek with his fins and tail is very adorable.

Breaking Inertia by futureshieldmaiden (31096,Teen)

Warnings: None

A time loop fic where Bren has to work with the Shadowhand Essek Thelyss to straighten out time.

Reccer says: There's a lovely slow burn between the two, and I like the plot develops - with a couple of twists along the way.

flurries by quinn_of_aebradore (1381,General)

Warnings: none

Caleb and Essek visit a night market

Reccer says: It's extremely sweet and soft, with a warm and cozy wintertime feel to it.

the start: wings to chase the sky by mllekurtz (TheKnittingJedi) (2662,Teen)

Warnings: None, but note that the other part of the duology has its own tags! (calamity fic)

Part of a duology of an Age of Arcanum AU where Caleb and Essek are prestigious wizards of Avalir. A getting-together ficlet.

Reccer says: Mlle is so good at writing the shadowgast getting together, and it's fun to see the wizards in this lavish arcane world.

in the blood by VexedVixen (11075,Mature)

Warnings: None

Vampire!Essek rescues an injured Caleb and brings him to his towers in Rosohna. Caleb is them offered a job by Essek - a job that includes donating some blood.

Reccer says: The worldbuilding is so cool! Always nice to see a good vampire AU.

A Thousand Words, Unspoken by soot_and_salt (3150,General)

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings (technically, but it's not a dark story)

Caleb runs a YouTube channel where he films himself restoring paintings. The latest one to come in is a portrait of a beautiful drow man.

Reccer says: If you're familiar with the story of Pygmalion and Galatea, it's a little like that.

you're the only light i've ever known by glossolali (1463,Teen)

Warnings: None

After their bath, Essek combs and plays with Caleb's hair. Caleb enjoys himself.

Reccer says: It's very sweet and tender. And like the author says in the end note, it shows how Caleb has changed and healed over the course of campaign 2.

Break Me, Mend Me by Kaiannae (21835,Mature)

Warnings: Depiction of depression and self-sabotage, CNC if you squint, borderline force feeding if you squint.

Caleb's self-loathing is rearing its ugly head and he is spiraling out of control, pushing his friends and chosen family away, isolating himself from those who care about him and attempting to sabotage everything good in his life. Eventually, Essek decides to do something about it. He knows that nothing mundane like talking would be of any help, so he offers Caleb what the human thinks he wants: punishment, atonement, debasement, a way to quiet the vicious voices in his head.

Reccer says: BDSM as therapy, sort of, getting into Caleb's head for the character study, aftercare for the masses, doms and subs alike.

Silver Couches To Recline Upon And Ornaments Of Gold by soot_and_salt (3242,Teen)

Warnings: None

Essek, unable to leave the tower he resides in, finds a cat on his balcony. He soon discovers there is more to this cat than he could have ever imagined.

Reccer says: It is a fairy tale au and I am a big fan of fairy tales.

Let the River Carry You by Operafloozy (2983,General)

Warnings: none

Essek knits something for each of the Nein

Reccer says: It's very sweet and thoughtful, and I love the description of the patterns

in vaults and cherished amber by allinna (4406,Teen)

Warnings: none

At the Vurmas Outpost, Essek receives some well-deserved love from Caleb and the M9.

Reccer says: it's a sweet, comfy fic that makes you smile! what more would you want.

born from beauty by hanap (2375,Explicit)

Warnings: None

Caleb and Essek have a conversation about their respective experiences with gender and what it means to feel at home in one's body, after which Essek shows his love for Caleb's body by giving him a blowjob.

Reccer says: I resonate with both Caleb and Essek's experiences of gender in this fic, so it was a lovely experience getting to read how much the two of them love each other's bodies that are so similar to mine.

if only I could see your face by lakrisrot (3399,Explicit)

Warnings: Can read having a sex-negative to sex-neutral POV character

Caleb spends some time with Essek after the Transmogrification fails. They end up more intimate that expected.

Reccer says: This fic offers a very intriguing look into Essek's mind as an asexual/demi person. I very much enjoyed that.

And two recs for

the hole in the stone by MinnesotaBruja (13243,Teen)

Warnings: Animal/Pet Death

Shortly after the end of campaign 2, Essek takes a position as a lighthouse keeper on a remote island north of Eiselcross. The fic is comprised of his letters to Caleb.

Reccer 1 says: Essek cares for chickens while living on the island and I find it extremely sweet. Reccer 2 says: Beautiful, heartbreaking, so very well written you will most definitely cry and it's worth every tear!

Aeor is for Lovers is an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. All fics, unless otherwise specified, will primarily feature Shadowgast. And hey! Don’t forget to leave comments and kudos for the lovely authors!

Check out the previous Hidden Gem Recs Lists here [1] [2]

Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week's theme is Time Travel/Time Loops!

#critical role fan fiction #shadowgast #essek thelyss #caleb widogast #aeor is for lovers #hidden gems rec list #fan fiction rec lists #cr fan fic

[gardenofbookworms]

april's monthly: from bee and rose

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

▪︎ adventure/fantasy novel ▪︎

everyone wants something—money, revenge, freedom, love, risk, recognition—tangible or otherwise. but how far are you willing to go for it? how many rules are you willing to break, how many things are you willing to risk, how many people are you willing to lose? is it all worth it, in exchange for what you long for most?

kaz brekker certainly has the will. a cold-blooded thief to the end, he’s known as dirtyhands on the streets of ketterdam, the dirty and crowded kerch capital. there’s absolutely no job he won’t take—anything for the right price. money and greed are his gods, and the revenge they’ll get him, brick by brick, is what he craves above all else. he’s willing to do anything to get what he wants, even break into the world’s most impenetrable safe in its most impenetrable fortress in its harshest, iciest, strictest country—and steal the world’s most valuable man.

it's an impossible job; but then again, kaz makes everything impossible, possible. but of course there’s a hitch; this time, he has to rely on other people to get what he wants. desperate people, people willing to risk their lives for the grand prize—four million kruge each. to kaz, that’s everything he needs to burn his enemies’ world down. to his crew, it's a ticket out of the city—to freedom.

enter inej, the best spider ketterdam has to offer, desperate to pay off her contract and leave the city. nina, a grisha struggling to survive an ocean away from home. jesper, a risk-addicted gambler trying to keep it all together. wylan, a runaway with a gift for chemistry. and matthias, an escaped convict desperate to return home to his beloved fjerda and see to it that nina is dead. there's only a very small chance the crew makes it out alive with their prize. most likely, they’re all going to die—and worse, without being paid.

▪︎

from bee

this book has been on my list for a very, very long time. when i finally got off my ass and read it last year, rose was so excited because they had read it a while before me already. like they’re about to say, there are a zillion good quotes for reference material, and we even use them a lot ourselves.

but about the book itself? soc got me into the “group of rivals band together with a common goal” trope. the way bardugo goes about it is just perfect—it seems that everyone is involved with something unfathomable. and as much as they want to stick to their morals to get past it, the road is tricky (and of course they can't walk it alone). and a note about the character’s pasts: they don't feel made-up, as outlandish as they seem when you boil them down. they're complex and thought through and diverse and give the characters something solid to run towards or away from. all in all, an amazing start to an amazing series.

from rose

i first heard about this book in a very dark little corner of the internet, when a few mutuals read it (together?) and posted about it. it was at least a few months before i actually got around to finding a copy and reading it, but i have never been more grateful for that dark little corner than i was then (okay, so that’s not entirely true, but still).

by the time i made it to, say, halfway through the book, i was absolutely in love with the story—the characters, the plot, the witty humor, everything. and as much as i love the author, none of her other books have quite lived up to the amazingness of this duology. bardugo writes with suspense that will make it literally impossible to put the book down, even if you’re rereading. the wit and humor of the characters is insane; their banter is so much fun to read, and, if you’re like me and love throwing little references into conversation, there is so. much. material. to go off of. and a little side note to bee—jesper is a gay goat lover and there is nothing you can say to change my mind.

▪︎

bonus: spotify playlist!

#six of crows #leigh bardugo #bees + flowers = garden #book recommendations #bookblr #books

[per-oceanum]

𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐈'𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑!

alias / name:  Kanon

pronouns: they / them

birthday: Sept. 28

zodiac sign: Libra

height: 5'0"

hobbies: writing, SFX makeup, cosplaying, reading, cooking

favorite color: dark greens, dark reds; jewel tones

favorite book: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones, Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

last song: "Dethrone" by Bad Omens 

last film / show: Show: Goosebumps ( 2023 ); Movie: Dune ( Part I )

recent reads: the One Piece manga; Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

inspiration: for Croc?? Bitch Better Have My Money by Rihanna, blood money, gold, emerald, fallen kingdoms, disgraced sons, BRUTUS by the buttress, expensive colognes, feeding the crocodile ( or gator ) that lives in the swamp behind the house ( real childhood story there )... yeah.

story behind url: it's an old habit from my old rp days of using latin for account names. Per Oceanum means "Across the Ocean", fitting for pirates.

fun fact about me: You know when teachers use this as an ice breaker in high school? I was the reason why my teachers stopped using this because in the 8th grade, my teacher asked this, and I decided to answer with "I have a dead organ inside of me." Which is true, I'm a t1 diabetic so my pancreas is essentially dead, but hearing that from a 14 year old in a class of 20 was not on her bingo card, I'm afraid. I did this again in my freshman year of college & ended up giving a 15 minute Q&A about diabetes.

Tagged: @mingos Tagging: Idk who hasn't done this so. If you're reading this & you haven't done it, consider this your sign.

#[ dash games ] #[ I have a lot of stories I could use from my life for the fun fact section by 90% of them would need TW in one way or another so. ]

[hopeymchope]

2009-2010 are *EXTREMELY BACK* on Nintendo Switch in 2024

I am loving this trend of bringing back all my favorites from 15 years ago with either new ports, remasters, remakes, or — ideally — sequels, all available to me either on the big screen or portably via my Switch.

This year ALONE is bringing:

Full remakes of the Another Code/Trace Memory duology!

A remaster of the first Epic Mickey (a.k.a. the good one)

A new sequel in my beloved Endless Ocean series!

A port of the wonderful Batman: Arkham Asylum!

Well fuck yeah, Nintendo/THQ Nordiq/Warner Bros Interactive!

Are y'all open to taking requests??? Because I have some more stuff I'd love to see hit the Switch, if possible :D

My dream list of 2009-2010 games to resurrect:

Now that Ashley Mizuki Robbins is back at long last, isn't it time to bring back the other investigator from her shared universe: Kyle motherfucking Hyde???? I want remakes of "Hotel Dusk" and "Last Window," please.

I am once again begging Konami to consider re-releasing all of their "ReBirth" games from WiiWare. Because Gradius ReBirth, Contra ReBirth, and ESPECIALLY Castlevania The Adventure ReBirth need to be accessible for modern gamers. These are EXCELLENT games. (And I'd rank them in the order I just listed in them.)

I realize that the Riddick/Pitch Black franchise isn't exactly hot-n-fresh right now, but I would ADORE having a portable version of "The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena"

I wonder if Sega would remaster/re-release the "Sonic Storybook series" games? Because I have unreasonable fondness for Sonic & The Black Knight in particular. (But plz do a better job than y'all did remastering Sonic Colors)

The easiest one of all: JUST FRIGGIN' BRING LAST YEAR'S REMASTER "Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana" TO THE WEST IN ENGLISH PLEASE

#video games #2024 #another code #trace memory #endless ocean #epic mickey #batman arkham #batman arkham asylum

[akkrosu]

Get to know me (ask game)

So, ummm, I’m finally getting back to this after @recentadultburnout tagged me all the way back in August, which I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t answered to in all this time. I never forgot though, so here I finally am, six months later, doing it after all. Hope it still counts!

Rules: bold the ones that are true and tag 10 people to do it.

APPEARANCE

blonde hair // I prefer loose clothing to tight clothing // I have one or more piercings // I have at least one tattoo // I have dyed or highlighted my hair // I have gotten plastic surgery // I have or had braces // I sunburn easily // I have freckles // I paint my nails // I typically wear makeup // I don’t often smile // I am pleased with how I look // I prefer Nike to Adidas // I wear baseball hats backwards

For a brief period around 7th grade, I liked to wear makeup and nail polish before I realized they’re really not for me. In general I’d say I don’t really give much of an effort to my appearance, which is why almost nothing is bold in this section.

HOBBIES & TALENTS

I play a sport // I can play an instrument // I am artistic // I know more than one language // I have won a trophy in some sort of competition // I can cook or bake without a recipe // I know how to swim // I enjoy writing // I can do origami // I prefer movies to tv shows // I can execute a perfect somersault // I enjoy singing // I could survive in the wild on my own // I have read a new book series this year // I enjoy spending time with friends // I travel during work or school breaks // I can do a handstand

I play the piano and the guitar, and many years ago I used to play the violin, but I was never good at it.

I speak English, German and Spanish fluently, and I’ve been learning Chinese for just over two years. I’m also currently trying to learn Portuguese, Russian, and Thai, but I haven’t gotten very far with those yet.

The number of new book series I’ve read this year depends on your definition. I’ve read the new volumes of 2ha and Heaven Official’s Blessing that have come out, if that counts. Other than that, I read Judy I. Lin’s A Magic Steeped in Poison and A Venom Dark and Sweet (if a duology counts as a series), two amazing fantasy books set in China and based on Chinese traditions like tea-brewing. And then there was a German fantasy trilogy by Marah Woolf called Wicca Creed.

I travel sometimes, but it really depends on the circumstances. I still travel with my parents sometimes, but I very rarely enjoy vacation with friends for some reason.

RELATIONSHIP

I am in a relationship // I have been single for over a year // I have a crush // I have a best friend who I’ve known for ten years // my parents are together// I have dated my best friend // I am adopted // my crush has confessed to me // I have a long distance relationship // I am an only child // I give advice to my friends // I have made an online friend // I met up with someone I have met online

I loved @recentadultburnout’s comment on this, and because I relate so much, I will put their quote here: I have been single all my life, actually. Not even a single crush. Probably an aro.

I’m still friends with my neighbor, who I’ve known all my life. Also some friends from school I’ve known for that long.

AESTHETICS

I have heard the ocean in a conch shell // I have watched the sun rise // I enjoy rainy days // I have slept under the stars // I meditate outside // the sound of chirping calms me // I enjoy the smell of the beach // I know what snow tastes like // I listen to music to fall asleep // I enjoy thunderstorms // I enjoy cloud watching // I have attended a bonfire // I pay close attention to colors // I find mystery in the ocean // I enjoy hiking on nature paths // autumn is my favorite season

I’ve probably watched the sun rise more than once in my life and just can’t remember because I was a child or something, but the only time I consciously remember was this August when I went to China for a summer program and our group went to climb Lao Shan, a mountain near Qingdao.

I love rainy days and thunderstorms, but mostly when I don’t have to leave the house and can watch from a warm, dry place.

I often have trouble falling asleep, so I usually listen to my Sleepy Songs playlist or watch Bob Ross.

In real life, I don’t really pay attention to colors, but @respectthepetty has taught me to at least do it in BLs.

I think the ocean is hiding more things than we can imagine, considering we’ve only explored about 5% of it.

I don’t enjoy sports, but I like hiking (even though I don’t do it a lot) because it’s very calming and you can just let your mind drift.

MISCELLANEOUS

I can fall asleep in a moving vehicle // I am the mom friend // I live by a certain quote // I like the smell of sharpies // I am involved in extracurricular activities // I enjoy Mexican food // I can drive a stick shift // I believe in true love // I make up scenarios to fall asleep // I sing in the shower // I wish I lived in a video game // I have a canopy above my bed // I am multiracial // I am a redhead // I own at least 3 dogs

I think it’s different in the US (and this particular point feels very American to me), but I live in Germany and here you usually have to be able to use a stick shift to get your license.

I sing in the shower, but only when no one else is home.

This was fun! I don’t know enough people to tag 10 of them, so I’ll just throw some tags into the wild and see who feels like doing it (no pressure, of course): @ellaspore (who I haven't talked to in way too long), @biochemjess, @majestictortoise, @respectthepetty, @firstkanaphans

#tag game

[swallowtailed]

five things you might find in my fics

thanks @laiqualaurelote for the tag!!

1. wide open spaces. deserts, tundra, oceans, prairies, prairies that are oceans... look, i like vistas and interesting qualities of light, okay.

2. similarly, long distances. road trips and radio shows, for example. i think this is at least partly an artifact of learning from scifi fandoms set in the void of space.

3. intimate late-night conversations. everyone's more vulnerable and honest after 12:30 am. this is in so many of my fics that it might be easier to count when i didn't use it, but i did a duology about it once.

4. hyperspecific and unusual aus, the weirder the better. left hand of darkness au, the martian au, natural history museum collection au, balefire murder mystery meta au...

5. ballroom dancing. i enjoy choreographing scenes and it's fun to do that with, uh, actual choreography. masquerade balls, masquerade balls but evil, the dance from beauty and the beast.

tagging @thetragicallynerdy, @nevershootamockingbird, @lovewithagirl, @aldieb, and anyone else who wants to!

#hello world #my fic #q & a

[bereft-of-frogs]

p.s.: wipe the salt off of my skin | 4.2k

The ship has seen better days and those days were a long, long time ago. The beat-up craft lowers into its designated spot on the other side of the now-quiet party ship as Greez and Merrin head down the Mantis’s gangway to greet them. Merrin is first across the landing platform, with Greez trailing a bit behind her. She reaches the pair of them and throws her arms around Cal’s neck just as Cere cries out, “Careful—” Cal staggers back with the force of Merrin’s embrace and Cere has to brace his back to keep him on his feet. Merrin pulls back, then embraces Cere with the same enthusiasm. She seems to remember herself after a moment, pulling back and awkwardly refusing to meet their eyes. Greez watches all this as he catches up, mouth agape. “You look awful,” is the first thing he can think to say. “Thanks, Greez,” Cal says, with a tired smile. “We missed you too.” Post-script to the dark ocean duology: Cal and Cere finally, finally return to the Mantis, where Merrin is just happy to see them and Greez has concerns.

[ ao3 link ]

A litte post-script to the dark ocean duology for you. :) The crew is whole, if not exactly healthy, and ready for further adventures. I can't say this is for sure the end of this AU, who knows, but at least we've sort of rejoined canon. As always kudos/comments/reblogs/frogs appreciated and I'll see you later this week for the last two prompts of the month <3

#the held heart (whumptober 2023) #dark ocean duology #star wars #jedi fallen order

[accidentalspaceexplorer]

2023 Reviews: 5-stars, Part 1

Ok I'm trying a new thing to get more of my book reviews in long form on Tumblr - we'll see if it works! I'll be posting themed round-ups of my reviews, starting with this round-up of my first five 5-stars of the year. (Weirdly a synopsis is always the thing that slows me down the most so I'm only including a one line description of each of them, although there are also links to the blurbs.)

This is a pretty eclectic mix of books, but I absolutely loved them, and I'm excited to talk about them more!

1. Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell: 5/5

Pitch: SF m/m romance where a walking disaster mind reader and a very rules-oriented soldier are force-soulbonded & then discover a government conspiracy

Review: I loved this - like its predecessor Winter's Orbit, this is a standout SF romance that really builds out a world and then lovingly details two people moving through that world, and their relationship with each other. Truly excellent, and I love Surit with my whole heart.

2. Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco: 5/5

Pitch: vampire hunter teams up with two vampires to solve the mystery of new super evil vampires, & then they all fall in love

Review: Listen, this book!!! It was sexy, and dark, and mysterious, and wow. I read The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco before, and it didn't appeal to me very much, but this book hot damn. I'll be reading the sequel (the second half of the duology!) basically as soon as it comes out. I think if the second book was out right now I would be staying up as late as it took to read it.

As you'd expect, there is a fair bit of an age gap between the characters, but I thought it was handled well.

3. The Stars Undying by Emery Robin: 5/5

Pitch: Julius Caesar, gender-swapped Anthony, & Cleopatra, but space opera

Review: Wow. I loved this book. It is rich and dense and slow but it is so so good. The prose is beautiful and the descriptions are gorgeous, but if you know anything about Caesar (and you do, on the Ides of March-loving website) the whole time everything is beautiful you know it will end, which makes it more poignant while it lasts. Also, the science fiction setting is fantastic. I would absolutely devour the second book if it was out.

4. When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill: 5/5

Pitch: a bunch of women all turned into dragons and flew away in the 1950s and America doesn't know how to handle it

Review: I really loved this - I think it has a lot to say about queerness and memory and rage and freedom and joy, and most of all family. It's pretty tightly focused on Alex and her life, so it doesn't really dig into the dragon stuff as much as it could. I personally didn't mind that - it felt reasonable for the focus of the novel, especially given that it is framed as Alex's memoir. I thought it was personal and yet relatable, and I loved the characters.

5. Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett: 5/5

Pitch: time monks & Death's granddaughter try to stop a very ill-advised clock

I totally get why this is considered one of the best Discworld books. Many good theories, fun thinky thoughts, excellent puns and jokes. And in the end, one that makes you feel. (I wouldn't start here though...if you read Hogfather before this I think that would be sufficient though.

#book review #5 star reviews #2023 reviews #roundup reviews

[poisindonottouch]

Queer reads: a month of links

Here are the 30 books/authors I’ve recommended for the month of June.

Science Fiction

1: The Locked Tomb, by Tamsyn Muir

2: Provenance, by Ann Leckie 

3: A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine 

4: The Left Hand Of Darkness, by Ursula K LeGuin 

5: The Roads of Heaven, by Melissa Scott 

6: Winter’s Orbit & Ocean’s Echo, by Everina Maxwell

7: Murderbot Diaries, by Martha Wells 

8: Stars In My Pocket Like Grains of Sand, by Samuel R Delany

9: The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold

Horror 

(I don’t really read too much horror, because I’m a scaredy-cat, but these were both so good!) 

10: The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

11: Summer Sons, by Lee Mandelo 

Fantasy

12: The Greenhollow Duology, by Emily Tesh 

13: The Manifold Worlds, by Foz Meadows

14:  Paladin’s Hope, by T Kingfisher

15: The Last Binding, by Freya Marske

16: The Scholomance trilogy, by Naomi Novik

17:  Rain Wild Chronicle, by Robin Hobb

18: The Cemeteries of Amalo, by Katherine Addison

19: My Real Children, by Jo Walton

20: The Amberlough Dossier, by Lara Elena Donnelly

21: The Broken Earth trilogy, by N.K. Jemisin

Romance! 

22: K.J. Charles

23: Cat Sebastian

24: Alexis Hall

25: AJ Demas

26: Elin Gregory

27: Roan Parrish

Sport Romances! 

28: KD Casey

29: Rachel Reid

30: Avon Gale & Piper Vaughn

Go enjoy some queer books! 

#happy pride 🌈 #sandi reads

[overmorrowpromo]

EVERY TIME I DESCRIBE A CITY, I AM SPEAKING ABOUT HOME.

IT STARTS LIKE ALL THINGS START: WITH CHOICES AND THE HANDS THAT MAKE THEM. Don't call this an accident, but don't call it fate either: neither is to blame, nor should either reap all the acclaim. The city of ARDEN, hung with a million lanterns and a thousand shrines, blossoms out of the ocean, and above her hangs the wreckage of the sun— her god desiccated, but never destroyed. Through her streets walk many things: small gods, hands that build, hands that steal, and even the machines of industry that might make her anew and alien. ARDEN IS HAVEN, IS OASIS, IS EYE OF THE STORM for the conflicts that wage beyond her ports, that flicker far from her shores. But eyes of storms never stay put— and the world threatens to turn calm shores into a city, broiling. AND IN HER HEART: a band of petty thieves, bound together by circumstance and need, find themselves on a heist that might disrupt the balance of things— that might even return the sun.

✧✧✧

OVERMORROW is a 21+ industrial fantasy heist limited run discord rp set in ARDEN, THE CITY OF SMALL GODS, focusing on a band of criminals thrown into the machinations of gods. It is inspired by Marielda, Blades in the Dark, Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities, and The Six of Crows duology. The game explores themes of industrialization, home, agency, belief, and what we owe each other.

ENTER ✧ ENTER ✧ ENTER

#fantasy rp #lsrpg #heist rp #discord rp #skeleton rp #new rp

[thehigh-waytohell]

Oo I’ve never read Six of Crows but now I’m curious, can you give me some context or a summary of what it’s about?

Also Joe as a Rick Riordan demigod is such a good take, I hadn’t thought about it but now I’m obsessed (especially since you hinted at dark!joe soon 👀)

oooh yes so Six of Crows is the greatest YA duology of all time! it's written by Leigh Bardugo and it is technically a follow up series to her Shadow and Bone trilogy BUT! Six of Crows is a million times better and also completely capable of standing alone do not feel like you have to consume Shadow and Bone first. Don't let that stop you.

But you asked what it's about and I haven't yet said. Six of Crows was pitched as an Ocean's 11 style heist set in a pre-industrial revolution style fantasy world. The biggest complaint about the series is that the main cast of six teenagers act way too mature for their age and most people argue it would've made a better adult series than YA but this has not stopped anyone from going feral over the story anyway. It's a fun mesh of the tropes of "let's band together all these criminals to commit a very intense crime" and all kinds of wild high fantasy hijinks and found family.

The characters I mentioned specifically are actually kind of foils to each other but I won't keep gushing over this series on the high way to hell blog, I promise. The way it pertains to Patrick is that Wylan is very much the odd man out in the books in that he is new to the whole criminal lifestyle, doesn't really know what he's doing, has a lot of skills that help them but feels consistently out of his depth, and is kind of sold as "the sweet/innocent one" (in spite of how weirdly balls to the wall murderous he is, frankly) On the other hand, Kaz is very very ruthless and very deeply broken by his trauma. There's some quote about him to the effect of "no part of him had healed properly and every injury made him more crooked" (not an exact quote but I don't have it in front of me) and that's the energy we're going into soul punk with :)

re: Joe - thank you so much I'm delighted already. As per the Percy Jackson characters he doesn't go, like, long-term dark, but he does have that fierce loyalty and i came up with such a scene for SRAR while listening to Eat Your Young.

#thwth #ask #long post #sorry i love six of crows a lot you unlocked something #and okay yes you can watch the shadow and bone tv show #i've heard it's good #but i haven't seen it tbh #i'm terrible at watching adaptions #i'm always scared they'll disappoint me

[seeingteacupsindragons]

This is the request anon. It's a bit difficult for me to be specific, because to be honest I don't really have a genre preference. I'm the type that will pick up anything that's good and/or fun. I guess I'm looking for books that don't get discussed often? Hidden gems, if your will. Not sure if this helps.

So a lot of these are going to be older, just because I can only read so much, and I don’t know that I’d call them all 5-star reads, but I liked them all at least a little enough to have fun with.

10 Things to Do Before I Die: A YA novel about a neurodivergent teenage music geek dealing with an anxiety disorder, neglectful parents, and some kind of nervous breakdown in dramatic fashion all over NYC.

Bitterwood: The first installment of a series of sci-fi novels masquerading as fantasy. It takes place in a world where dragons rule over humans and humans’ fight to take back some kind of freedom...as well as the various machinations of dragonkinds.

The Fire’s Stone: A standalone novel by queer author Tanya Huff following a traumatized bi man dealing with seriously internalized self-loathing, a bisexual playboy, drunkard prince trying to prove some value to his family, and a aro ace wizard who wants to save herself from an arranged marriage to the prince and learn all she can about magic before taking care of her country.

Mélusine: Is this one obscure? It won a Lambda award, but I also know the series sold so poorly the author rebooted under a different pen name. This is the first of the series The Doctrine of Labyrinths, a very heavy, dense, dark fantasy series with the gorgeous prose about trauma, abuse, mental illness, recovery, and how much damage those things can do to a person and how much damage those people can cause. It follows a wizard trying desperately to repair something he’s being blamed for and yet isn’t precisely responsible for and the brother who’s trying to keep him together and keep himself together. So many trigger warnings apply here. So many. Please look them up before reading this one.

Shatter the Sky: The first installment of a duology, this follows a girl from a colonized homeland trying to rescue the dragons of her heritage and save her kidnapped girlfriend. It’s not a five-star read imo, but it’s a strong debut novel, I think.

Spinning Starlight: A YA sci-fi novel retelling of the fairy tale “The Wild Swans.” I especially like that the love interest doesn’t show up for like the entire first third of the book because our protagonist has Things To Do!!! And he’s honestly a sweetheart.

The Holver Alley Crew: This one is technically part of a series and that series is part of a whole entangled Verse by the author, but you don’t actually have to read any of the rest of them. It’s a fantasy heist novel with very Ocean’s Eleven Vibes and traumatized brothers just trying to do their best to love and support each other. The author says the protagonist is not aro ace and just traumatized, but he kinda reads that way anyway, and there are other aro/ace and queer characters in the world, so that’s kinda nice.

I hope this list hit on something that sounds interesting and you hadn’t heard of. This is just the first stuff that comes to mind. As ever, you can find me on StoryGraph or Goodreads (which is a little outdated now since I switched over) to see what kinds of things I read to mine for recs.