#that self same metal | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

checkoutmybookshelf · 11 months

Text

Stabby Girls, Shakespeare, and Stagecraft, Oh My!

We have a guest bookshelf today! I was visiting my Nana's house, and it is her beautiful built-in bookshelves that serve as the stage for Brittany Williams's very fun That Self-Same Metal. This book hit literally every major keyword for me: It's set in Stuart England, it has a protagonist with a sword, there are fae involved, Robin Goodfellow uses they/them pronound, and William Freaking Shakespeare goes faerie hunting. It's also similar to Legendborn in that it brings in a West African (specifically in the area now known as Nigeria) inspirations for magic and spirituality, and I love that these aspects of culture are being highlighted both in the historical period of the novel and in contemparay publishing. Let's talk That Self-Same Metal.

I was sold on this book in one sentence: Joan Sands is William Shakespeare's fight coordinator. Then it got better, because there is a broken pact so the fae are loose in Stuart England and have their fingers deep in the Guy Fawkes plot. On top of that, we have Richard Burbage burbaging all over the stage and not doing the fight choreography properly and romance between our fight coordinator and one of the apprentice actors playing all the women's roles. This book is just immensely fun and full of easter eggs for Shakespeareans (professional and casual alike) and theatre kids.

One thing that this book does exceptionally is reflecting the gender fluidity inherent in the world of Elizabethan and Stuart theatre. Not only do you have the layers inherent in acting (in Twelfth Night, for example, you had a boy actor playing a girl who in story is disguised as a boy. There is nothing simple or linear there, it's a wibbly wobbly timey wimey mass) and I love that this book honors and recognizes that. We also have great Bi representation, because instead of trying to pull a love triangle between our main character and a cute boy and cute half-fae girl, the book goes:

I love it. It is perfection.

Pulling Puck--who has been played by actors all along the gender spectrum--out of the gender binary with they/them pronouns helps to really hammer it home, and we also have background characters across the sexual orientation spectrum as well.

Add to this the fact that the book also highlights the existence of Black people in Shakespeare's day and age and goes in complicated on different levels of racism--from casual to utterly dehumanizing and also to unquestioning acceptance from individuals (noticably not the system, though, which I appreciate)--and honestly the complexity and richness of the world is something that we just do not see in the pop culture mythos we have created around William Shakespeare and his world.

I'm not even gonna address whether the portrayals of historical characters in this novel are accurate or not. I'm not going there, it's too close to the authorship question and we literally do not know enough about Shakespeare in particular to even begin to ask questions of accuracy. I loved Dadspeare in this book; it was fun and made me happy while I was reading it. A+ no notes.

Overall, I had a ton of fun with this book, and despite wanting a little more length and depth from it (in terms of plot, mostly, if I'm being honest) I highly recommend giving it a read. It made my early modern scholar heart happy.

#brittany n. williams #that self same metal #that self-same metal #shakespeare #shakespeare books #shakespeare adaptation #ya novels #book recommendations #books and novels #books & libraries #books and reading #books

8 notes · View notes

berrysweetbooks · 11 months

Text

That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams

This story was so unique. I never thought Shakespeare, fae, Orisha blessed magic, and that there would be a Black actor and a sword expert. This book was a solid 3 ⭐️ for me, which isn’t bad. I enjoyed reading the book and I was continuously intrigued by the plot. Sometimes it felt like so many things were happening, so many good ideas present that the story struggled to contain it all. By this, I mean that the story felt like it didn’t fully resolve. I’m wondering if this is because it’s a series and the other books will complete the action or if it was an editing issue. I really liked Williams concept. I thought so many cool things were constantly being introduced. The orisha magic, the Fae’s increasing presence in London, the metal magic. There are so many moments that I loved. The duels. Anytime Joan did anything. The twins dynamic. But, the ending didn’t really resolve much of the conflict. I ended the book feeling like I was missing pages. It was good and I’m gonna continue reading the series. I feel this book is perfect for Shakespeare loving friends. A nice quick read.

#bookblr #currently reading #berry sweet reading log #that self same metal #brittany n. williams

1 note · View note

mistwraiths · 1 year

Text

4 stars

I would like to thank YALLFEST and Brittany N. Williams, who I got to meet and she was so sweet, for this uncorrected proof ARC I got.

This was an actual delight of a debut! If you like historical fiction with fantasy, queer characters, Shakespeare and his plays, a wonderfully diverse world, this book is for you.

Joan is an easy to root for heroine and I loved the friendship and camaraderie between the company and Joan. I do feel like there's not really ~romance in this book but there is flirting and crushing and kissing. It does however feel awfully fast when we meet Rose, for Nick she's at least known for awhile.

The pacing of this book is super fast with everything happening very quickly over a short amount of time. I would have liked at least for a conversation or two to happen with Rose, especially since she lied and got them in serious danger. It was forgiven too easily in my opinion. Plus they were way too familiar and kissing after just like one interaction, imo.

I did like seeing the Fae really causing harm to random individuals because it shows how deadly they are. I would have also liked to know more about Auberon and his plans in general and Titiana as well, because we really don't get too much. Auberon felt a little bit like a posturing villain in some parts and not some terrible intelligent old Fae.

But I loved the Orisha giving their chosen children powers. I want to learn more of that. I enjoyed seeing parts of the play being played out and it being explained.

This book doesn't shy away from the gruesome attacks and the horrific treatment and racism of its time period.

Overall, this was an exciting and fresh debut and I'm excited for the next book. This is probably a 3.5 for me but I enjoyed it a lot so I rounded up.

#steph's book review #steph reads #brittany n. williams #2023 reads #that self same metal

1 note · View note

chez-sad · 9 months

Text

Something abt anxious guys with doctorates is endearing to me

#big fan of whatever this genre of men is #the most self indulgent art: all my blorbos at the same time #they are the same font to me and all very special #stardew valley #sdv harvey #otacon #metal gear solid #hal emmerich #the spot #johnathon ohnn #atsv #atsv spot #sad art

175 notes · View notes

aroaessidhe · 5 months

Text

read in 2023: fey (or fey-adjacent)

That Self-Same Metal

Desdemona And The Deep

Hamra and the Jungle of Memories

Wander The Night

Road of the Lost

Unseelie

The Buried and the Bound

The Faerie Hounds of York

The Story of the Hundred Promises

#read in 2023 #Desdemona And The Deep #Road of the Lost #wander the night #the faerie hounds of york #the buried and the bound #that self-same metal #fey #fey books

75 notes · View notes

ace-artemis-fanartist · 1 year

Photo

Joan from That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams.

This was one of my top fave books of this year! It has queer characters, monstrous fae, metal magic, sword fighting ladies, and so much more!

#joan sands #that self-same metal #brittany n. williams #Forge & Fracture Saga #lgbt books #booklr #queer books #artists on tumblr #my art

239 notes · View notes

looneylolita · 5 months

Text

Bookcover I did for Fox & Witt of Brittany N. Williams's That Self-Same Metal (The Forge & Fracture Saga) back in April.

#that self-same metal #fox and wit #book #fantasy art #historical fashion #woc #art on tumblr #female artists #fantasy book

79 notes · View notes

generic-sonic-fan · 1 year

Text

I Can't Take All This

Summary: A corollary to “I Can’t Accept All This”.

Metal Sonic finds itself buried under the rubble with Sonic, and is forced to contemplate the most extreme execution of its prime core directive.

(Or: what if it was Metal Sonic buried alive with Sonic instead of Omega?)

Word Count: 1677

(Inspired by the lovely @ramblingsofasandvich!)

Metal Sonic’s processor could not even begin to chart a path of egress before the rubble fell.

Catching the falling debris with its arms joints locked above its vital processor was a decision made in the next three frames of its continued existence. It flexed its elbow joints to prevent them from snapping. Its legs sheared off at the knee joint instead. Now its foot and calf plating lay in front of it, tactile sensors refusing to reconnect no matter how many times it urged them to.

Its every other sensor was tuned to escape options. It did not need to devote precious processing power to the calculations to know that its frame would only withstand another half an hour bearing this weight, and that was a generous estimate. It probed the wreckage above and to every side for weaknesses or natural cavities in the collapse formation. It found none; at least, none accessible, even if its turbine could achieve maximum spin-up and airflow in these conditions.

And it registered, upon turning its scanners to the floor, that Sonic the hedgehog lay only five feet southwest of its position. Heart rate, elevated; breathing, erratic; alive.

The only barrier separating them was a metal panel. This panel was not load-bearing and only a quarter of an inch thick. Easily pierceable. Metal Sonic ran simulations of the various tearing motions with its claws that could achieve a breach. All of which, though, required releasing its hold on the ceiling. It could not flee to Sonic’s cavity for shelter should it pursue that course of action, as his cavity was not a natural result of the debris formation, but rather-

But rather-

Metal Sonic flinched its head forward as its operating system was whipped with a reprimand for its direct disobedience of its prime core directive. Its arms shook. This motion translated into the greater debris, knocking particles loose from the ceiling. One large particulate landed on Sonic’s head, rousing him from an unconscious state.

“Hello? Help? HELP!”

The organic hedgehog rose from his prone position. A surge of tactical protocols flooded Metal Sonic’s already overwhelmed processor. It calculated, in two-point-three seconds, every possible angle of attack Sonic could utilize should he choose to tear through the thin metal plating, and it concluded that it would have no defense. This would lead to near-complete chassis loss and require extensive repairs from Dr. Ivo Robotnik to remedy.

. . . or it could release its hold on the ceiling.

“Is anyone there? I’m here! Help!” Sonic screamed.

Sonic would be crushed in an instant. His skull would cave, his ribs would snap, and his viscera would be squeezed into whatever miniscule gaps remained. Metal Sonic had run similar simulations thousands of times before. The outcome was certain.

Similarly, though, its own frame would be not just lost, but obliterated; titanium torn, copper and hydraulic fluid spilled into open air, every last trace of its code arcing down the nearest conductive surface to be lost to the ground below. “Repair” was not a concept that existed after this outcome. Neither was “restoration”. The closest was “rebuild”, and that was if Dr. Ivo Robotnik could even find enough salvage to make the operation worthwhile.

This was no mere processor wipe. This was complete annihilation.

“Come on, come on, Sonic! Calm down! Think! I have to find a way out of here.”

Metal Sonic was once more whipped with punishment from its prime core directive for allowing itself to disassociate in the presence of its enemy. Its frame shook. Something snapped in its left shoulder joint, causing its arm to slam into the pit of the socket. The resulting vibrations in the ceiling structure caused Sonic to whimper, a unique sound that Metal Sonic saved to its memory banks for later analysis before it could stop itself. There should be no future analysis. It should fulfill its prime core directive.

Another, secondary core directive surfaced in its processor, whispering something about self-preservation. Metal Sonic seized this directive and brought it alongside its prime core directive. Combat circumstances allowed for the secondary core directive to be violated if this meant fulfilling the prime. But these were not combat circumstances, it reasoned to itself. Sonic was trapped and incapacitated. These were not combat circumstances, so therefore it must consider both directives.

The rationale was weak, but enough to allow it to forgo an immediate decision while its subroutines detangled the paradox.

“Okay, let’s try this. . .”

Sonic was pawing at a wall of loose debris. This debris, though not load-bearing, held back a wall of gravel-sized pieces. The gravel supported other concrete chunks throughout the structure above, the shifting of which could impact the load Metal Sonic was bearing. Sonic was digging, and fast- it did not have time to calculate whether the impact of the shifting gravel would be negative or beneficial.

It tested its vocalizer and released a negative ping.

Sonic ceased his movements. “Hello?”

After a few seconds, Sonic continued. Metal Sonic released another negative ping.

“No, wait, I know that sound. I know that sound. Who- Metal?”

Sonic knew it was here.

“You’re trapped here too?”

Sonic could easily tear through the metal plating separating them.

“Metal, if you’re in here, gimme another ping.”

Sonic would destroy it. The ceiling would collapse. They would both be obliterated.

“I’ll- I’ll get us out of here. Don’t worry about it.” Sonic panted. “Don’t worry. We’re okay. I’m okay. Are you okay?”

His voice diminished the longer he spoke, and his heart rate spiked. His breaths became shallow gasps. It matched an emotional state Metal Sonic had witnessed from Amy Rose when it had first captured her. The colloquial term was a “panic attack”.

It was. . . remarkable, to register such a drastic fear response from Sonic.

This observation was interrupted by a snap in its right shoulder joint. Its other arm was forced deep into the pit of its socket, now uniform with its left. The consequent shaking dropped a watermelon-sized rock onto Sonic’s lap. The impact did not break any bones, but it would leave him severely bruised, and caused him to begin openly sobbing. This was another unique sound that Metal Sonic recorded to its memory banks.

It would not have much longer to record things to its memory banks. With both of its shoulder joints having failed, its arms now impaled into the walls of its center chest turbine. The load would force these walls to fail in fifteen minutes, and with that, send the debris tumbling down atop its processor.

Why did it delay the inevitable?

Self preservation, its secondary core directive whispered. But what difference did fifteen minutes make?

Metal Sonic let go.

At least, its processor sent the command to its actuators to release, only to find both its left and right shoulder joints inoperable.

If it was programmed to laugh, perhaps it would have.

It began calculating methods to wiggle its arms out of their sockets, before abandoning this pursuit. What difference did fifteen, now fourteen, minutes make? Sonic was going to die. Its purpose was going to be fulfilled. It no longer needed to strain its processing capabilities towards this end. It no longer needed to exert its physical form or make determinations about the limits of its chassis. Its purpose was complete. Its existence was now unnecessary.

It should find itself finally able to rest, with this conclusion.

. . . it should not be scrambling to find any other solution.

Metal Sonic scanned every inch of the ceiling above for points of weakness and found none. It scanned the walls around it for natural cavities to flee to, and found none. It scanned, and scanned, and scanned, and found only the same unforgiving concrete and the same panicking hedgehog. It reviewed all of the lines of rationale its short-term adaptive processing had generated since the collapse, analyzing each bit of logic for any hidden clues or missed solutions, only to be led to the same conclusion.

Suddenly, there was a massive shift in the rubble above, and the load Metal Sonic was supporting decreased. Another vibration swept through the space around it. Then another. Then another.

The ceiling was lifted off of its hands, revealing Dr. Ivo Robotnik’s Eggmobile hovering above. He released the chunk from the claw of his crane before lowering the glass dome surrounding him with the press of a button.

“Well, well, my finest creation! You certainly have a habit of wanton destruction in your attempts to destroy Sonic. Still wasn’t expecting you to bring the roof down on top of yourself though. I’ll see if I can tweak that habit during your next-”

Metal Sonic flicked its cameras in the direction of Sonic in an attempt to warn its creator of what he’d just done, but it was already too late- Sonic jumped to his feet, scrambled up the debris, and disappeared beneath the open sky before Dr. Ivo Robotnik had uttered his last syllable. The man ducked beneath the walls of the cockpit as the shockwave rocked his vehicle.

When the Eggmobile steadied, he peeked his eyes over the side. “Huh. You didn’t tell me you managed to trap the rodent down there with you!”

Metal Sonic had not engaged in any communication with the outside world after the collapse- the layers of concrete had blocked any signal but the strongest, most bare of distress pings.

Distress pings. Metal Sonic checked its communication feed and found that it had given off the signal automatically the moment the roof had collapsed. If it had disabled this ping, its creator would not have stumbled upon it, and Sonic would finally be dead.

“Eh, that’s alright. There’s always next time.” Dr. Ivo Robotnik shrugged as he returned to his controls.

He lowered the crane claw and grabbed Metal Sonic’s frame. Upon safe retrieval, protocol was to enter standby mode to limit processor activity. Metal Sonic allowed this mode to dampen its awareness as it was hoisted into the cabin of the Eggmobile.

It could analyze its utter failure later.

#sth #fanfiction #metal sonic #sonic the hedgehog #tw sui ideation #I'm serious about that trigger warning- this robot is a fascinating flavor of self-loathing #metal sonic uses it/its #I inserted it into the exact scenario Omega found himself in during the previous fic #so you'll notice the same basic plot beats here #(Metal is not as physically strong as Omega lol!)#This was an extremely fun what if to explore! I finally get to show off my writing style for Metal #consider this a preview into the style of the longfic I'm chipping away at :)#massive thanks to ramblingsofasandvich for the prompt. it grabbed me by the throat and refused to let go!!!

105 notes · View notes

mobblespsycho100 · 8 days

Text

not my previous opinion on firefly coming to bite me in the ass JAHDJSHJD

#honestly her design is iconic #i think its the least fanservicey design hsr made so far #barring the child/younger teen characters' design obviously #firefly's design is still very gender and cute while being practical #also ofc Sam. is Sam. we love u sam. sam firefly. IHwdsjssjeheueb explodes #(for context i was previously unhappy with the fact that firefly and sam is one and the same)#(because i wanted a playable robot/mecha)#but kamen rider magical girl firefly who pilots / transform into huge metal warrior sam is so fun which i love #and the fact that firefly is canonically like . an biologically manipulated or engineered human #and is very much . older than a lot of our cast #first stellaron hunter (super cool)#the way her name signifies how her life is like #chefs kiss design #winx club looking ass splash art name title . thats a compliment btw #im very much looking forward to looking at her beautiful eyes up close . and also running around as a tall metal guy with fairy wings ahaha #kamen rider moment truly....#also ppl saying its a clara svarog situation isnt getting it #clara and svarog are seperate characters just one in the gameplay #as svarog is claras robo dad/protector and just fights for her #honestly shouldve been clara & svarog like how topaz & numby are called that #but firefly is firefly. SAM is SAM. theyre one and the same #SAM is her alternate identity as a weapon and firefly is her true self #MAN....#i think writing wise fireflys ''death'' was still not as hard hitting as possible #it was mostly shocking #which isnt bad writing #i still got attached to her #but when it was sad for trailblazer it just felt like a WTF WHAT. HUH moment for me #which kinda has like a disconnect #anyway im rambling too much

7 notes · View notes

richincolor · 1 year

Photo

As I was coming up with a shortlist of books to review later this year, I noticed that there were some really great looking fantasy books headed our way in 2023. Here are three that caught my attention, all by Black authors:

Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker Tor Teen

Thirty years ago, a young woman was murdered, a family was lynched, and New Orleans saw the greatest magical massacre in its history. In the days that followed, a throne was stolen from a queen.

On the anniversary of these brutal events, Clement and Cristina Trudeau—the sixteen-year-old twin heirs to the powerful, magical, dethroned family—are mourning their father and caring for their sick mother. Until, by chance, they discover their mother isn’t sick—she’s cursed. Cursed by someone on the very magic council their family used to rule. Someone who will come for them next.

Cristina, once a talented and dedicated practitioner of Generational magic, has given up magic for good. An ancient spell is what killed their father and she was the one who cast it. For Clement, magic is his lifeline. A distraction from his anger and pain. Even better than the random guys he hooks up with.

Cristina and Clement used to be each other’s most trusted confidant and friend, now they barely speak. But if they have any hope of discovering who is coming after their family, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other and their family's magic, all while solving the decades-old murder that sparked the still-rising tensions between the city’s magical and non-magical communities. And if they don't succeed, New Orleans may see another massacre. Or worse.

That Self-Same Metal (Forge & Fracture Saga #1) by Brittany N. Williams Amulet Books

Sixteen-year-old Joan Sands is a gifted craftswoman who creates and upkeeps the stage blades for William Shakespeare’s acting company, The King’s Men. Joan’s skill with her blades comes from a magical ability to control metal—an ability gifted by her Head Orisha, Ogun. Because her whole family is Orisha-blessed, the Sands family have always kept tabs on the Fae presence in London. Usually that doesn’t involve much except noting the faint glow around a Fae’s body as they try to blend in with London society, but lately, there has been an uptick in brutal Fae attacks. After Joan wounds a powerful Fae and saves the son of a cruel Lord, she is drawn into political intrigue in the human and Fae worlds.

Swashbuckling, romantic, and full of the sights and sounds of Shakespeare’s London, this series starter delivers an unforgettable story—and a heroine unlike any other.

Sing Me to Sleep (Sing Me to Sleep #1) by Gabi Burton Bloomsbury

Saoirse Sorkova survives on lies. As a soldier-in-training at the most prestigious barracks in the kingdom, she lies about being a siren to avoid execution. At night, working as an assassin for a dangerous group of mercenaries, Saoirse lies about her true identity. And to her family, Saoirse tells the biggest lie of all: that she can control her siren powers and doesn't struggle constantly against an impulse to kill.

As the top trainee in her class, Saoirse would be headed for a bright future if it weren't for the need to keep her secrets out of the spotlight. But when a mysterious blackmailer threatens her sister, Saoirse takes a dangerous job that will help her investigate: she becomes personal bodyguard to the crown prince.

Saoirse should hate Prince Hayes. After all, his father is the one who enforces the kingdom's brutal creature segregation laws. But when Hayes turns out to be kind, thoughtful, and charming, Saoirse finds herself increasingly drawn to him-especially when they're forced to work together to stop a deadly killer who's plaguing the city. There's only one problem: Saoirse is that deadly killer.

Featuring an all Black and Brown cast, a forbidden romance, and a compulsively dark plot full of twists, this thrilling YA fantasy is perfect for fans of A Song Below Water and To Kill a Kingdom.

#blood debts #that self-same metal #sing me to sleep #terry j benton-walker #brittany n williams #gabi burton #book lists

74 notes · View notes