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theia-eos · 2 months

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Elincia Was Not Too Hesitant to Act

I love the Tellius games. I think the writing for the Fire Emblem series as a whole peaked in the Tellius duology. There's a lot of nuance and tiny details and characterizations and depth and layers to every character. However, this does not mean that the games are perfect or beyond criticism.

And one such criticism I have is the message they try to sell in Radiant Dawn Part 2. I am not buying it. Spoilers below the cut.

In Part 2 of Radiant Dawn, we see how being ruler of Crimea is working out for our fair Queen Elincia. The last time we saw her in Path of Radiance, she was filled with self-doubt and worried about her ability to rule as she was never raised to rule and kept secret from the public, so her coronation as queen of Crimea is a big step for her.

Ike stayed on as a member of the royal court for a while, but dips out 6 months prior to the events of Part 2 because he's only causing her more grief than he is providing support now and he goes back to the simple mercenary life he loves.

Bastian has also left her side, citing sightings of the Black Knight returning in Daein and wanting to get a good understanding of Ashnard's "son," the new King Pelleas. He is lying to her, which I'll go into later. So it's only Elincia and the children she was raised alongside, her knights Geoffrey and Lucia, in the courts.

And the nobles do not respect Elincia at all. They disparage her at every chance they get, they blame her for Bastian wanting to go scope out Daein because she lets him go because he tells her, as her advisor, that it's the best idea. They chastise Lucia and Geoffrey for trying to defend her. Generally, you get the idea why Ike had to leave, he probably kept calling them out until he was blue in the face and then some.

Leanne comes looking for Ike, and he's disappeared into the wind, and then Elincia gets word from Nephenne, Brom and Heather from Ohma that one of the nobles, Duke Ludveck, is attempting a coup based on what the recruiter said. Elincia sends Lucia to Ludveck's territory, under the guise of showing Leanne around Crimea's best orchard region, to gather some more information. Lucia finds proof that Ludveck is trying to start a civil war/insurrection, and brings that back to Elincia, who then sends Geoffrey and the Crimean Royal Knights to arrest Ludveck. Elincia privately despairs to Leanne that she never wanted to be queen, she never wanted to deal with these problems, the burden of having to act against her own people is too much for her to bear.

There's some political espionage, Ludveck had a decoy force at his castle and attacks Elincia in her safehouse in Fort Alpea, and Elincia bests Ludveck, captures him, and then says he needs to be executed for treason. Ludveck says she should make him king instead, as she's too indecisive and feeble to be queen, she took too long to stop him plotting under her and that's weakened her authority in Crimea, and to force her hand, he says that he captured Lucia. His forces will execute Lucia unless she releases him and promises to pass her crown to him. Elincia refuses, Lucia is about to be killed but Ike and the Greil Mercenaries swoop in to save the day to save Lucia. Elincia resolves to be more decisive in the future.

So what is my problem with this plot? Well, let's review the chapter count of Part 2, it's very short.

Prologue - Elincia finds Begnion wyvern riders attempting to capture Leanne and intervenes immediately

Chapter 1 - Nephenne, Brom, and new recruit Heather fight their way out of Ohma to warn Elincia directly

Chapter 2 - Elincia sends Lucia to find solid evidence that Ludveck is a traitor

Chapter 3 - Lucia comes back with proof and Elincia sends Geoffrey to arrest Ludveck

Final Chapter - Elincia fights Ludveck

Please tell me where Elincia was indecisive, failed to take action, dwadled, or let the insurrection just grow. As soon as she finds out that it's happening she goes to get evidence, and then as soon as she has the evidence, she orders for Ludveck to be arrested. She immediately refuses to hand Ludveck the throne.

Ludveck: So I take it you understand everything now? And considering Lady Lucia’s life is on the line, you haven’t much choice. Now, let’s have you free me from this prison cell, and then we can discuss any further details… Elincia: I don’t think so. Radiant Dawn, Chapter 2-F, Elincia's Gambit Extended Script Translation from Serenes Forest

No hesitation. None. Even in the prologue where she fights and kills Begnion forces intruding on her home, trying to enslave Leanne, no hesitation.

Elincia: Begnion dracoknights… You will only be warned once. Leave this area immediately! I serve the queen of Crimea. Trespassers on Crimean territory will be dealt with. No exceptions. Zeffren: The queen, she says! The very queen that relied on us, the Begnion Empire, to free her nation. Imperial dracoknights are not frightened by soldiers so weak as Crimean pegasus knights. Listen up! Leave those two alone. It’s the Serenes maiden we want. Do not allow her to escape! Elincia: …Looks like we’ll not talk any sense into them. I suppose we have no choice. Sir Nealuchi! We’re here to help you! [Elincia attacks Zeffren] Zeffren: You… You Crimeans seriously believe you can withstand the might of Begnion?! Elincia: Crimea takes this sort of encroachment seriously. We will not overlook invaders in our domain. Release your weapons, and apologize for your discourtesy… Only then will we lower our own. Zeffren: You have quite a mouth on you… I won’t be addressed in that tone by anyone. It’s time to end this farce. Radiant Dawn, Chatper 2-P, On Drifting Clouds

Like yes, she offers diplomacy and a chance for them to stand down, but the story and Ludveck would have you believe that she's so crippled by hesitation that she wouldn't take action. Ludveck says "you were too hesitant and too concerned about harming the people" in stopping the civil war decisively to be a strong ruler.

What the hell else was she supposed to do? Elincia never caught wind of the rebellion until the beginning of Chapter 2, and then what was she supposed to do? Take the word of three villagers that there was some random unknown man they didn't even bring in with them recruiting for a rebellion for Duke Ludveck? Like I love Nephenne, Brom, and Heather as much as anyone else, but if she had just arrested and executed Ludveck based on that information she'd be a tyrant, the other nobles would never trust her and could possibly turn against her too. Getting proof was not a sign of hesitation. Sure, she says she'd like to attempt diplomacy first instead of immediately resorting to the sword, but as soon as she says that, a soldier runs in and says Ludveck is preparing to attack and Elincia realizes the time for negotiation is over and authorizes an immediate attack.

Lucia: As we suspected, Lord Ludveck is intent on rebellion. His followers are spread across the land, inciting insurrection. We have the documents to prove it. Geoffrey: Queen Elincia, I stand ready to defend the realm! I will lead the Royal Knights into Felirae, and we will seize the duke! Elincia: I am hesitant to resort to the sword without at least attempting diplomacy. At all costs, I must stop the people of Crimea from fighting one another. [A Crimean soldier rushes in] Crimean Soldier: Your Majesty! News from the countryside! Duke Ludveck has assembled an army and announced his intentions against you! The rebellion in Felirae is growing quickly! Elincia: I see… Lucia: He must have realized that his operations were no longer a secret. Your Majesty, we have no time to waste. We must stand against this, for the future of Crimea! Elincia: …I understand. Geoffrey, leader of the Royal Knights… I hereby authorize the use of military force against the rebel army! Geoffrey: Yes, Your Majesty. At once! Radiant Dawn, Chapter 2-2, Tides of Intrigue

Does a few seconds warrant Ludveck's criticisms? Is that a failure of Elincia, for taking a moment to say she wants to try diplomacy first?

Ludveck: Exactly, Your Majesty. If you truly had the power to quell the civil war… As long as I could affirm that, even if I were executed as a traitor, I would have no regrets. But, no, you were too hesitant and too concerned about harming the people… Now look what has happened. Radiant Dawn, Chapter 2-F, Elincia's Gambit Extended Script Translation from Serenes Forest

No, the real reason it took Elincia so long to act is because Bastian, Lucia and Geoffrey failed in their roles for her. All three of them had known that this was underway for a while.

Elincia: I see… So, that’s what’s going on. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I’m very sorry your village was affected by this. You have my sincere apologies. Brom: Oh, no, Your Majesty. We don’t need no apology. We’re just happy we could help. Geoffrey: Lucia… Brom’s story confirms what we’ve suspected all along. Lucia: Yes, as we thought. Duke Ludveck of Felirae is firing up a rebellion. We should have seen it coming. To be honest, Queen Elincia, there have been a number of indications that something like this was under way. We’d hoped to uncover something more tangible than hushed rumors… I should have told you sooner. Radiant Dawn, Chapter 2-2, Tides of Intrigue

They've suspected it. They've known it. They're not surprised when the Ohma villagers tell Elincia about it, which is the first time she ever hears of this going on. Lucia apologizes for keeping it from Elincia because she was waiting for more proof. If Elincia had known about this sooner, she could have acted sooner. She would have acted sooner, by how she immediately sends Lucia to gather evidence.

But worst of all is Bastian. Bastian not only knows that this is happening, he is so certain his absence would set things into motion that he hires Ike and the Greil Mercenaries to step in and assist at the last minute if things go as he expected. Does he warn Elincia of what might happen while he was gone? No. Not only that, but Bastian isn't even going to Daein to see if the new king is going to be friendly to them. He's going to Daein to get Izuka to force Izuka to cure Renning, even though Bastian has known all along for years that the herons could have cured Renning. Why does he go this route?

[エリンシア] ユリシーズ、あなたはいままでどこにいたのです？▼ 突然、連絡を絶ってしまって… とても心配していたのですよ。▼ [ユリシーズ] デインにて…… 長く探っていた”鍵”にめぐり合いまして。▼ それ故、表より姿を消し、策謀を巡らしておりました。全てはクリミアの未来のために……▼ Radiant Dawn, Chapter 4-5, Unforgivable Sin Extended Script

In the Extended Scripts (JP Only script locked to Hard/Manic Modes), Bastian explains that he is looking for a "key" to Crimea's future in Daein while working in secret, which is later revealed to be that he wants Izuka, former advisor of King Pelleas of Daein, cure Renning. This despite the fact that he could go to the herons the entire time, and eventually winds up going to the herons in the end anyway. While never talking to Elincia about any of this. The only justification for this is that Bastian is in love with Renning and Bastian is worried that Renning will die if he is cured through heron galdr, as Rajaion did, and Bastian's emotions get in the way of his reason. The best and most charitable explanation I can give Bastian saying that Renning is the key to Crimea's future, to the point he's left Elincia alone since before Part 2 begins when she really could have used his help, is that he hopes that Renning's support will make Elincia's rule more stable, but it's never explained why Bastian believes Renning is the key to the future or why Bastian doesn't go straight to the herons, so your guess is as good as mine.

But that still doesn't excuse the fact that he hires mercenaries to rescue Elincia without ever warning Elincia himself. He either doesn't believe in her himself, which him saying that Renning is the future of Crimea kind of hints towards, or he is just leaving the the queen of the country in the dark because he thought his plan was best. Either way, unforgivable.

None of Elincia's most trusted people, the people she relies on for advice and counsel, gives her a single hint of a warning of the information they have, even if it is only rumors. Elincia should have been told.

Is Elincia young and naïve? Yes. Ludveck's criticisms that she's too trusting, that it is too easy to assassinate her, or poison her food or drink are 100% valid. I'll even agree with his point about her letting the fleeing rebels leave after she captures Ludveck in the final chapter, they absolutely should be arrested and punished for treason. Maybe not killed, but punished.

But that she is too hesitant to act to quell the rebellion? No. Bastian, Geoffrey, and Lucia keep vital information from Elincia. That the civil war gets so far is on them, not Elincia. Elincia always takes the correct next step for her based on what she knows and what they know after finding out about it. Now, for all Ludveck knows, Bastian and the others found out and told Elincia from the start and the inaction was on Elincia, because why wouldn't they keep the queen informed, so he can say what he believes to be true. But the fact that Elincia believes him, the fact that no one calls out the three of them for what they did wrong, is a failure of the writing.

Elincia: Yes, that’s true. It’s for the same reason that, once I knew of the rebels’ movements… I didn’t immediately make any decisive orders. Radiant Dawn, Chapter 2-F, Elincia's Gambit Extended Script Translation from Serenes Forest

If they wanted me to believe that message, they would have needed to add another chapter into Part 2, not that Radiant Dawn needs to be any longer, ideally making Chapter 3 deal with her attempting diplomacy and hesitating to act (maybe they set up a place to talk that gets attacked and she still doesn't authorize an attack on Ludveck), and then Chapter 4 being Geoffrey's Charge when Ludveck mobilizes his army.

However, as it stands, Elincia hesitating to take action is completely absurd.

#fe9/10 #tellius #fe10 #fire emblem #fire emblem radiant dawn #radiant dawn #taking fantasy settings too seriously #Elincia #Ludveck #Lucia #Bastian #Geoffrey #Justice for Elincia #Would have loved for Ike to chew Lucia and Geoffrey out at the end #He'd be so bothered that he was hired to help for something they kept from Elincia #Like Elincia saying “I just wish I had known of it sooner”#Could have just triggered a few lines from Ike chastizing Lucia and Geoffrey

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ezziefae · 1 month

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How did the virtual event with HB go? I didn't even know she was having these events until that q/a post from a few days ago. Did you have to pay to be apart or was it some kind of ticket that came along with buying TPT?

holly announces any events she’s doing on her instagram, most of them you need a ticket, whether it’s virtual or in person. the event was great, she only answered one of my questions since the moderators were the ones picking out questions for her, which sucked. (I wish she could’ve read off of the comments and picked whichever questions she wanted to answer)

So yes we had to pay for the virtual event ticket + the book (personalized signed book plate) + and some book goodies (like pins and bookmarks) I thought the event was going to be a zoom call event (like it usually is) but it was a youtube live. I remember thinking “so i could’ve just watched the virtual event without paying” but at least i’m getting some goodies and a personalized book plate with it. The virtual event was one hour, and most of the questions she answered were 30% about her faerie books and 70% about her writing tips/advice. I would have definitely preferred to see her in person for many reasons it’s just such a better experience. :) currently there’s a contest for each tour stop, the best cosplay/costume wins a crown, (im very happy about this bc it encourages more people to dress up) and then there’s also a contest where a random person gets picked to have an hour chat with holly. i hope she does this for every book event she does in the future!!

here are some things she answered in the virtual event that caught my attention:

1) She has a plan for an adult fae book, but she still has no idea what she’s doing, it could possibly be 3 books from now.

2) Holly would like to write a coldtown sequel. She hasn’t yet because of schedule issues, with her upcoming sequel Thief of night, and the stolen heir duology, and now another elfhame book.

3) holly has a spotify playlist for the prisoner’s throne, she just forgets to change the settings to make it public. (this was my question)

4) Holly did anticipate the Taryn hate train, her friend absolutely HATED taryn. Holly doesn’t hate taryn to that degree, she feel sympathetic.

5) If holly could hang out with any character she would hang out with kaz brekker

6) Holly’s favorite scene she’s ever written is when Jude had Cardan tied up in the court of shadows with the knife to his throat in the cruel prince.

7) Holly hates hearing her audiobook, its like torture to her

8) Holly had fun making the card game, and is excited for people to play it.

9) Grima mag questioned Lord Jared many times, and did not agree with any of their doings, she was also sympathetic of Wren, resulting in her being cast out of the Court of Teeth.

#holly black tour #holly black #the prisoners throne #the folk of the air #the stolen heir

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bookishfeylin · 1 year

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Black Fantasy TBR Part 2

Part 1 is here.

Since the last segment of my tbr was more focused on standalone novels and duologies, this list will be more focused on trilogies and longer series. Aside from the first 8 series mentioned here being a mix of adult fantasy and epic fantasy (I know the Acacia trilogy, especially, is an epic fantasy that's been frequently compared to Game of Thrones in reviews), there's no real order to these books either. And ofc, please look up age ratings and trigger warnings :) For simplicities sake I only put the first book of each series on this list.

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

Acacia: The War with the Mein by David Anthony Durham

Scarlet Odyssey by C.T. Rwizi

Half a Lion by Palle E.K. Oswald

Unleashed: The Saga of Ruination by Ramon Terrell

Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope

Stars and Garters by Thursday Owusu

The Battle for the Sky by Dalila Caryn

Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo

Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows

A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney

The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley

The Chameleon with a Sword by B.L. Logan

Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton

Chaos & Flame by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland

We Are the Origin by C.M. Lockhart

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow**

The Royal Heretic by Sarah Macklin

Dragon Connection: The Stone Crown Book 1 by Ava Richardson*

The Soul Cages by Nicole Givens Kurtz

Truth Seer by Kay L. Moody

Dragon Link: Ragond's Portal War Book 1 by Ava Richardson*

The Conductors by Nicole Glover

The Raven and the Dove by Kaitlyn Davis

Dragon's Mage: Ragond's Witch Hunter Book 1 by Ava Richardson*

Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray

Nobody's Goddess by Amy McNulty

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

*Dragon Connection, Dragon Link, and Dragon's Mage are the first books of three separate trilogies by Ava Richardson. To avoid confusion I spelled out the whole name of each trilogy.

**In The Ten Thousand Doors of January, January is technically mixed, and I believe she identifies as such.

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the-mic-drop · 8 months

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TotK Spoilers Below Cut

Regarding Korok Forest

Nothing in either installment of the Wild Duology gave me a greater sense of dread and fear than going into the Korok Forest for the first time in Tears of the Kingdom. Not my first Lynel encounter, not my first Guardian encounter, not my first trip into The Depths, not even my first encounter with the Gloom Hands put the kind of spine-tingling horror into my soul. Sure, those all made me nearly piss myself, but the infected Korok Forest was a unique, well done brand of horrific.

So you get to that one stable, meet Kilton and Koltin, say what's good to Tera, and by now you're thinking "I wonder what's good in the Lost Woods." Now, let's say for the sake of argument that you don't go right into the Minshi Woods Chasm and try to go the original way. Immediately you can tell something's off. Instead of the surreal blue mist you remember, it's a chalky black miasma, and there's no getting through it. No clever wind puzzle either, it's impenetrable.

So now the dread is really starting to build. Both that you have to go into The Depths and that something's wrong in general. So you go to The Depths and on the little raised pathway to a central lightroot are several Koroks being vague about some problem in the Korok Forest. So you ascend up back onto the surface and are faced with... wrongness.

What you should see (depending on what time of day you get there) is shining greens, yellows, pinks, and more colors of a welcoming and safe respite. Instead, you're faced with an eerie stillness and malicious magentas. Towering over this scene is The Great Deku Tree, Protector of the Korok Forest. Except his mouth is hung open and it is clear he is not well. You approach him, quickly noting that the Master Sword is nowhere to be seen, and talk to the first Korok you come across.

To you they say "..." as they stand perfectly still, staring at the ground. The textbox doesn't even display their name.

This is the crowning moment of this horror show. The Koroks are a relative unknown, yet are quite simple. They're childlike, whimsical forest spirits that are always full of energy and enthusiasm. They are pure, innocent, yet mysteriously magical. Most don't even know they exist, let alone interact with them. Yet, here they are, in the place where logic would dictate that they are the safest, lifeless. They are spirits that have been robbed of their spirit, their identities too if the lack of names are anything to go by. And then you go to the Deku Tree himself and he can't even notice you, only groan about a pain in his stomach.

Now this is upsetting in many ways. The Calamity was powerful to be sure, but no Malice ever invaded the forest. Even the monsters that were there seemed to be either naturally occurring or only existed because the forest willed it. But now, not only had Ganondorf's power corrupted the protective fog of the Lost Woods, it infected a near godlike being. It smothered the very essence of the Koroks.

In BotW, the Korok Forest felt more than any other location like a safe haven. Untouched and safe from the dormant power of the Calamity. After all, where else would Fi, the spirit of the Master Sword itself, know it would be safe enough to recuperate for an entire century? But now, in TotK, it has been completely and thoroughly infected by Ganondorf's magic. It feels more than just wrong, it feels heretical, sacrilegious, criminal.

I can only liken this shift in tone to WW2 stories where Allied forces come across a concentration camp for the first time. You've already seen so much, been through so much, but this? This is different. The profound sense of "this shouldn't be this way" is gut-wrenching. Yet it motivates you to stay and fix it like no other quest in any game I've played. No matter how much you hate The Depths, no matter how difficult you find the Gloom Hands, no matter how under-prepared you are for a Phantom Ganon fight, you want desperately to stay until you do it. Not because the payoff might be huge, not because it's required for the plot. But because you just can't not.

At least, that's how I experienced it.

#Legend of Zelda #LoZ #Tears of the Kingdom #TotK #Korok Forest #Koroks #Deku Tree #Great Deku Tree #Link #Gloom Hands #Ganondorf #totk spoilers

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veneritia · 7 months

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when comes the dawn monthly update { 9.30.23 }

And here's to the revival of WCTD and the first ever WCTD monthly post! But first things first, let's get some basics out of the way

↳ WHAT IS WCTD?

FENICE VI AETIER, a portent of ill omens and the estranged daughter of the Vasilier, ignites a dangerous succession game between her and her half-siblings, where losing means death and winning means an empire. But to compete in this game requires the acknowledgement of the Vasilier himself, one that he isn't willing to give Fenice unless she gives him something in return: the head of the deposed king of Hesperia.

When Comes the Dawn is a new adult fantasy court intrigue novel featuring succession battles, an aro/ace lead, shifting alliances, cut-throat relatives, and a family that's torn themselves apart in the name of ambition for eons. You can find the wip intro here or follow the wip's main tag (#series.wctd)

↳ WHAT IS WCTD MONTHLY?

I've had this wip for a long time but have never made much significant progress before shoving it to the side because of work, school, life, or just being burnt out. WCTD Monthly is my way to try and motivate myself by giving myself a space to talk about all of the different work I've done on this wip. (And to pressure me into actually working on it so I have something to talk about.) You can follow along with my updates with the #wctd-monthy tag

↳ NOW, ONTO THE SHOW

outline → the first 9 chapters have been outlined. outline document is currently at 4k+ words. The main plot beats for Act 1 and Act 2 have been outlined

notion → I rebuild and organized my wip notion, as well as all of the character pages

series → because of the different character arcs and plot beats that I wanted to explore, I decided to officially make WCTD a duology as opposed to a standalone like originally planned. No official title for book two as of yet, though Crowning of the Sun is a tentative one.

worldbuiling → realized that the majority of book 1 takes place in the now subjugated kingdom of Hesperia as opposed to Aetier, where I focused the majority of my worldbuilding. This means that I'm starting to worldbuilding from...almost the ground up. It helps that I'm mostly focused on the province of Isidore.

characters → the vi Aetier family has been expanded! Fenice and Charles now have 3 other half-siblings (Euphemia, Konstantine, and Basil) as well as their siblings' respective mothers. I've added 9 noble houses to form the unofficial oligarchy of influence in Isidore, and I've given Leda a rival-turned-girlfriend-turned-ex to help flesh out her character.

extraneous content → attempted to make the vi Aetier family tree starting from the beginning of the vi Drochona dynasty (I'll probably clean it up and post it separately at a later date). I also added another god to the pantheon (Heleia, goddess of the wild nature, the hunt, liberation, and childhood), and finally re-introduced wctd (linked above)

events → I participated in WTW's character event week! You can find all posts here: protagonist / tropes / representation / antagonists / relationships / traits / wildcard

↳ WHAT'S NEXT?

I'll be using preptober to outline as much as I can for nano! My goal is to finish outlining act 1 and my stretch goal is to reach half-way to act 2

posting 1 or 2 character intros or worldbuilding posts

Find more WCTD content with the series tag #series.wctd and keep an eye out for monthly progress updates with #wctd-monthly

↳ Taglist under the cut (ask to be +/-):

#wtwcommunity #writeblrgarden #writeblr #series.wctd #wctd-monthly #collection.my projects

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liketwoswansinbalance · 1 year

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Fall Countdown Day 2: Midas

Not what I'd expected in that I had expected he'd present as Good or more Everish. Again, a potential Rhian love-interest candidate.

Ok, I really appreciate the likely intentional Hamlet reference! Love it. The skull that he looks at, so morbid. All related to the brevity of human life, the fleeting nature of life, that old memento mori theme. I bet he will be a strong carrier of that mortality theme in the book.

"Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio. A fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. He hath borne me on his back a thousand times."

This reminds me of how Rafal figuratively supports Rhian. Alas, poor Yorick! But really, in this context: Alas, poor Rhian and Rafal!

Even the greatest, most powerful people one day die and are buried beneath the earth, to be feasted upon by the worms. Hamlet has the best wit. I loved his “mad” dialogue when I read the play. Anyway, for the purposes of Fall, we all end up in the same place. Physically interred, underground.

And, of course, we're getting imperial Roman vibes from this picture. Midas also has the potential to single-handedly shoulder the themes of greed or avarice in Fall, according to the original myth of King Midas.

Then, there’s the use of purple, a color only worn by the rich in ancient times because it was such a painstaking process to collect the dye and dye the fabric. Also, there’s some version of a laurel wreath at his brow, which is more fitting than a regular crown. The cravat is a good masquerading-as-an-Everboy detail though. Like, it’s definitely believable that Rhian will fall for it. Also, the swash-buckling, pirate-esque boots are the perfect disguise.

Then, there’s the idea of another boy-king. Oh great. He’ll probably be a bit like Tedros but worse. I expect some immaturity in his characterization if the plot goes in this direction. But, he’ll probably be unstable. Definitely emotionally unstable. Yeah, emotionally unstable boys in positions of power are exactly what this duology is all about. So, I wouldn't be surprised at all if he did turn out like this.

Also, I expected Midas to have more of a ridiculous, pompous, Everish personality, but he looks so brooding, so maybe, he'll be more Never-like than I expected. I mean, he's holding a skull, and looks kind of morose.

The mist looks similar to the mist that surrounds the Schools on the cover of Fall. I wonder if it’s significant?

The cage is definitely present and more obvious in this picture as well. Must be some kind of symbolism, or hinting at the actual plot and possible themes of confusion and tainted judgment in war. Actually, I've had ideas about this before.

⸻

The way I could see it playing out is this:

Before they enter Midas' court, Rhian tells Rafal to be polite, if he's capable of it. However, Rafal refuses to bow before a man with less power than he has.

Rhian tells him they are not in the best position to argue, and he'd better keep quiet, submit, and not mouth off to the royalty in the room because they need support to win against Hook. Also, they are in a weakened state because they’ve lost their immortality.

Rafal: And who caused that problem by letting Hook in?

Rhian stops talking. They are not playing the blame game again. Hell knows they've been doing it since the end of Rise, since their students disappeared.

So, Rafal and Rhian enter Midas' court.

Then, Rafal eventually reaches a point where he doesn't respect Midas as a Never. He treats Midas with condescension.

That strikes a nerve in Midas, and Midas doesn't take Rafal's comments in kind.

Rafal says true Nevers like himself take no prisoners, and that Midas is too merciful to have lived this long, and to not have been overthrown. If he didn't have a battalion of advisors and lord-regents to rule for him, since he was a boy, it surely would have happened by now.

And, Midas also reacts with contempt, saying that he'll be merciful, all right!

Rhian is startled, and Midas has him dragged away. And, Midas either encases him in gold to put him in a sculpture garden, or imprisons him in a giant bird cage, likely a golden, gilded one.

Now, Rafal is absolutely gobsmacked, flabbergasted, at how his own plan backfired. He’d only intended to threaten Midas to get what he wanted, an army or support or something else along those lines. But, not for the first time lately, he's underestimated his new foe.

And then, Rafal is dragged away to the dungeons probably, and has to solve this new problem.

⸻

Or, alternatively, this hypothetical could involve Rafal turning into a bird, maybe to infiltrate Midas’ palace, being caged, and Rhian humiliating himself by pleading with Midas to release his brother.

Midas probably agrees to it on one condition: Rhian stays with him. And, in response, Rhian says something like "Never! I must remain loyal to my brother!"

Midas doesn't budge. And, neither does Rhian. After some time passes, and is wasted, Rhian decides to agree, pretends to come around to it, and pretends to fall in love.

Rhian does it so convincingly that Rafal thinks Rhian has abandoned him, and is going mad and lovesick again.

And, this is doing serious damage to their trust.

Until, Rhian gears up to have his heroic moment. The moment Rafal is released, he plans to escape, get both of them away from Midas.

So, Rhian pretends to be seduced, promptly stabs Midas in the back, deserts Midas, and takes Rafal with him.

Rafal is in shock, and is simultaneously so relieved, but still can't fully relax.

He thinks he might be able to trust Rhian now, but is still unsure, because, well, the acting came so easily to Rhian. And, Rafal thinks like a Never, of course, and probably projects intentional Evil intentions onto Rhian (not the accidental: Oops, I went too far and extremist for the sake of Good, and was led astray and manipulated. Not Rhian's somewhat justified victim complex either, no, but real Evil. Or, that’s what Rafal thinks.)

Because, just look at how good Rhian is at acting! What if this was Rhian's plan all along? What if Rhian was pretending this whole time? Because, Rafal’s Rafal and he's paranoid.

So now, Rafal is forever on the lookout, and is observing Rhian more closely than ever before because who knows if he can trust Rhian? Just because Rhian saved him once before doesn't mean he won't try to kill him (again). Then, this could lead Rafal to thinking he has to make the first move, to betray first, so he isn't the one betrayed, who ends up in the losing position.

Meanwhile, Rhian is wondering what is going on in Rafal's head because his brother keeps looking at him strangely. And, not as covertly as Rafal thought. And besides, you can read a person exceptionally well after living with them and knowing them for over a century.

Rhian worries that Rafal doesn't trust him, and only tries harder to make it up to him. But, the continual efforts of "This is why you should trust me" only serve to make Rafal more suspicious as time passes because Rhian is trying too hard to repair their relationship and smooth things over artificially. It certainly doesn't look right, but he's mostly sincere. Rafal just isn't perceiving things correctly because his judgment is clouded by Rhian's earlier display of acting.

Like, how in the world can Rhian switch so quickly? Appear so real. But not be? It's all an act. But still. How? Just how? It's like he's flicked a switch. That's how easily the acting comes. And, it’s unnerving to Rafal.

Rhian is probably innocent though. And, he starts to feel hurt that Rafal won't believe in him or trust him, like ever again, and he starts to become depressed. And, that depression causes him to act unlike himself. Or rather, unlike his usual self, the self that Rafal knows and trusts and is familiar with.

And because Rhian is different and quieter than usual, this only reinforces Rafal's misperception that Rhian is untrustworthy and has something up his sleeve to doom Rafal or be the death of him. Rafal fully believes the betrayal will come from Rhian. That it’ll be dealt by the one person he used to trust. So, he's hurt too, but his pain is in response to his own anticipations, his dread, and his negative, held expectations. Rafal’s not hurt by reality. And, the fact that he's hurt by this, the unreal, and what lives in the realm of possibility, means that Rafal is hurting himself. Sure, there are external factors involved, reinforcing his misperceptions. But, his own mind is working against him. To cause these errors in perception. And, it's just sad.

And, Rhian doesn't know about the prophecy from the Sader who planted the seed in Rafal's mind, to start all this havoc and chaos and unrest. And, that Sader is partly, heavily responsible for the brothers' unraveling.

But, Rhian still worries more than ever because he sees something off or broken in his brother and wants to try to fix it. Yet, the more Rhian does, the more he tries to talk to Rafal or broach the subject of Rafal's mental state, the more Rafal utterly shuts down. And, all this continues to reinforce the problem. But, Rhian is doing it unknowingly, because he's really only trying to put his best foot forward. However, Rafal feels like he has zero people he can be vulnerable with, even if that isn't true.

Basically, each brother acting out-of-character, or revealing other sides of themselves that the other hasn't seen, is what causes them to act out-of-character. It's a vicious cycle, tearing them further and further apart.

Also, keep in mind that I'm thinking about this through a bit of a psychological lens and so, maybe, the plot will be more action-based yet still complex in terms of the brothers' relationship and their characterization. I don't know. But probably, there’ll be more action than this.

It (their downfall) could also be a more simple misunderstanding. It (the eventual ending/fratricide and/or betrayal) could be the result of such a thing, like a real argument, or anything really, no matter how small.

The tipping-point is often the smallest act, the thing that throws everything off balance, to trigger all the rest of the catastrophe, because just jostling something fragile can throw it off balance, in terms of physical objects. And, naturally, this can apply to a relationship too—if it even turns out to be a single, little moment that is possible to pinpoint and identify and define.

This is just one idea. That I somehow feel is likely? Because, at least, I believe in it. The fact that Rafal’s (or Rhian’s) descent into insanity could potentially be paranoia-driven.

I could be completely wrong or off the mark here, but I feel like this makes sense at the very least, and I could be partially right in the end. Partly, because this is based on my "It's not who we are. It's what we do" theory from my post, “Why Rafal Might Still Be a Never and Rhian Might Still Be an Ever.” And, I'm biased toward that theory. In fact, Rafal’s thought patterns in this hypothetical are based off of that other post, discussing his self-inflicted isolation and paranoia.

And, if Rafal’s characterization here seems exaggerated, it could be. But consider: instead of focusing on the positive, on how Rhian rescued him, and appreciating his brother’s heroics and skills as a diplomatic and maybe, more-shrewd-than-he-looks-Ever, Rafal fixates on the negative. Which is understandable. Humans dwell on the negative. We are wired to do so. And, Rafal is probably a pessimist by default.

⸻

An extension to this line of thought:

This is just speculation, but maybe, in TLEA, Rafal projects Rhian onto Sophie, in how Rafal perceives her. See the: “No one will ever love you but me” line. This is given the fact that every time Rhian has fallen in love, it has gone tremendously wrong, and that the only reliable person Rhian has ever loved is Rafal.

In Fall, Rafal could treat Rhian the way everyone treated Sophie in AWWP. Like a ticking time bomb, an inevitability that will only end in disaster because he can’t be trusted. Like he could go off any minute.Because, honestly, Rafal is shocked and astounded at Rhian’s capacity to act and betray others. What dictates that he won’t be Rhian’s next victim? Their love, I suppose, if it's still there. But, I’m sure Rafal will forget about his love for Rhian at some point.

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ash-and-books · 7 months

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Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb: New from the author of The Keeper of Night comes a YA fantasy duology set in an alternate Tang Dynasty China, where a poor biracial girl with the ability to raise the dead gets caught up in the dangerous political games of the royal family.

Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she’s trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table—resurrecting the dead, for a price.

When Zilan finally has the chance to complete her imperial exams, she ventures to the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country in tasks she’ll be lucky to survive, let alone pass. On top of that, her reputation for raising the dead has followed her to the capital, and the Crown Prince himself seeks out her help, suspecting a coming assassination attempt.

The more Zilan succeeds in her alchemy, the more she gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family. There are monsters lurking within the palace walls, and it’s only a matter of time before they—and secrets of Zilan’s past—catch up with her.

Review:

Raising the dead, alchemy, court politics, and monsters come together in this story about a poor biracial girl with the ability to raise the dead who gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family. Zilan has dreamed of becoming a royal alchemist, it would let her practice her alchemy freely and would provide for her family. She has a secret, she's been illegally practicing soul alchemy, reviving the dead. After her mother died and her father disappeared, she vowed to do whatever it took to provide for her remaining family. That means she has to pass the royal alchemist exam, but that means competing against the best alchemists in the country in tasks that she'll be lucky to survive. It doesn't help that she has garnered a reputation for raising the dead and the Crown Prince himself ha come to her seeking her help as he believes he'll be assassinated soon. The more she succeeds in her alchemy the more she gets caught in the dangerous political gams of the royal family... and the more she is starting to realize that there is a price for alchemy that might destroy her. This book was a wild bloody ride, filled with tensions, action, and alchemy! I found myself completely enraptured by the story and Zilan's adventure as she navigates the deadly court. She is a survivor and the decisions she had to make were so tough. There is no learning curve, it's a life or death situation, and it was such a brutal but amazing read. This is the first book in the duology and I cannot wait to see where the second book goes and how Zilan's story ends. Seriously, the twist and turns of this book were fantastic and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for deadly court politics, competition, monster fighting, and high stakes books (with a touch of romance)!!!

*Spoiler: Zilan finds out that after raising her cousins from the dead, they've been draining her of her qi for sometime and in 4 years anyone near them would be drained as the undead drain the qi of those who love them. She also discovers that her father never left her but had sacrificed his life looking for a cure for her dying mother, as it turns out Zilan herself has a soul tag and was raised from the dead when she was a child as the empress's horse brigade had run her over and the Moon Alchemist had revived her. Zilan wins the royal alchemist competition but discovers that the Empress (who has been prolonging her life through gold as in this universe those who eat gold dont age and can maintain their youth) has been experimenting on humans and has been killing off the royal line to make her the only person to rule. Zilan is called the Scarlet Alchemist because she used tons of blood during her winning trial. She discovers that the Empress uses the blood she collects on people to send her monstrous creations to kill them. The other alchemists that have been trapped in the castle want to kill the empress and Zilan joins their efforts. The emperor is dead from arsenic poisonining and the empress has been hiding it and she killed the crown princes's two younger sisters but Zilan brought them back. Zilan and the Crown Prince bond as she discovers whats truly happening and he made her his concubine but offered her real marriage (he was later killed by the Empress, as was her cousins, but she brings her cousins back , Yufei in the body of the empress and Wenshen in the body of the Crown prince). At the end of the book she discovers that there is a elixir of immortality and she decides that she is going to find it and bring all the dead alchemist who had been killed by the empress back as well as the Crown Prince (despite her brother inhabiting the man she love's body).

*Thanks Netgalley and Inkyard Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

#book review #bookish #the scarlet alchemist

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serpentthecrow · 2 years

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Introduction

Hi! So, since I am getting into writing, I thought I might introduce myself a bit more!

So, to begin with, my name is Orion,Orie in short and I use they/she pronouns and I am queer! I live in Central Europe, and I am a student!

As for my writing, my requests are open 24/7. I am working on some requests rn, thank u btw, I will greatly appreciate your ideas/thoughts.(you can text me even with smh not related to fics) I write for the fandoms I know :) here are some I can think of:

~Grishaverse (Grisha trilogy, Six of crows duology,didn't finish king of scars yet. Nikolai, Alina, the darkling, Genya, David, Nina, Matthias, Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Wylan)

~The Sandman (Dream, Hob Gadling, desire, the Corinthian)

~Good omens (Crowley and Aziraphale- x reader pairing or crowley x Aziraphale. Polly relationship included.)

~The last of us (hbo) (Joel Miller, Tommy Miller, platonic!Ellie)

~Wednesday (Wednesday, Enid, Xavier, principal Wheems)

~Harry Potter (both golden and marauders era as well as Fantastic beasts) ( most characters)

~Marvel: (MCU) (most characters)

~ X- men (Professor X, Magneto, Mystique, Wolverine, Hank Mccoy, Peter Maximoff)

-DC : suicide squad 2016 (most characters), The Batman (both battinson and Bale!batman)

~Star wars (Obi wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Han solo, Princess Leia, Ben solo, Din Djarin)

~Top gun Maverick (Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell, Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw, Jake 'Hangman' Seresin, Robert 'Bob' Floyd, Natasha 'phoenix' Trace.)

~ The Chronicles of Narnia (movies) (the kings and queens, prince Caspian)

~Howl's moving castle (Howl Jenkins Pendragon)

- games! For example:

Resident Evil (Leon S. Kennedy, Lady Dimitrescu, Karl Heisenberg, Chris Redfield)

God of war (2018,2022) (Kratos)

Alice: madness returns (Alice Liddel)

~ House of the Dragon ( basically all characters)

~Dune (Paul Atreides)

~ Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children (movie)(Enoch O'Connor, Alma Peregrine)

~Alice in Wonderland (Mirana of marmoreal, the mad hatter)

~also books!

Three dark crowns ( Pyetyr Renard, Katherine, Arsinoe, Mirabella)

~i also write for celebrities (mostly actors of these characters, but even singers and stuff, just ask, I'll tell u if I'll write them)

~songfics(for any fandom mentioned)

~a lot of random characters! So if you have any character that is not here, you can try if I will write it!

Conditions:

I won't be writing smut (even tho I am of age in my country, you gotta wait a year)

Totally nothing with children ew (unless it's platonic)

No incest (unless it's House of the Dragon lmao)

There will be no pregnancy trope and reader won't have children unless it's asked for (I don't wike kids, sorry not sorry)

I will write age-gap, as long as it's legal (yeah, I also had my Tony Stark phase dw)

NO professor x student relationships ew

I will write for fem, male and gender neutral readers

Lmk if you want me to include 'y/n' or not.

If you want the reader to be for example blonde, plus size, brown eyes or have any other specific features, let me know! :) (Also, in cases of top gun if you want a specific call sign)

If there is a specific trope/dialogue prompt on you mind, don't be shy, I'll write it!

I will write poly relationships (poly marauders I'm looking at you)

These lists might be edited through time

I don't own, or claim to own any of the characters.

#grishaverse x reader #the sandman x reader #the last of us x reader #wednesday x reader #harry potter x reader #mcu x reader #avengers x reader #x men x reader #batman x reader #star wars x reader #top gun maverick x reader #narnia x reader #resident evil x reader #hotd x reader #mphfpc x reader

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van-zieksy · 2 years

Note

"...My learned Nipponese friend is obviously in training to be a clown, the way he regales us with such witticisms."

Barok just.... I mean I am still correct in what I'm saying, but damn, how do you even come back from that one?? Ryunosuke is going to need therapy for that statement alone.

Also I'm soooooo upset the games aren't fully voice acted, I would've loved to hear that!!

The more I play DGS the more I want a separate anime just for this whole era. I'm not even asking much. Just the cases and-

Okay wait I just clicked on my switch screen to prevent it from shutting down and he follows up with a toast to "my future career in the circus"???? Holy fuck, this man!!

Soooo I suppose you can definitely count me in for the Barok van Zieks Simp Club. I feel like I owe him my soul and part of my income.

Such an iconic statement that it even transcends timelines. Barok must be Edgeworth's ancestor, right? (Yeah, I know, the "you're the entire circus" thing is just a meme).

I can understand his thoughts, though. Think about it from Barok's perspective for a moment. You are the most celebrated Crown prosecutor in the country who only takes on high-profile cases, not that you care about your own status, but you do want to make sure that the good name of the British judicial system doesn't get sullied. This nobody from a different country who did not even properly study law and who does not have any real world experience whatsoever shows up in court to pretend to do real attorney work. This wannabe also makes his debut defending one of the most notorious individuals in town, who you definitely know to be shady (let's leave it at that, okay?). Surely this kid can't be trusted, right? What's he up to?

The youngster goes on to disrespect court procedures because he's not familiar with them, accuses people without any shred of evidence, bluffs, puts forward hypotheses merely based on ideas or feelings, disregards many of the protocols. Of course the prosecution is frustrated. Wouldn't we all be if we were part of the game? What makes Ryunosuke charming to us as the audience, makes him bothersome to the characters in the game that are involved in all of this. :D

I'm actually surprised that prosecutor Van Zieks just goes along with it, when he would have had grounds to ask this learned friend to be removed from the courtroom due to being unfit for court. Barok is very patient and even helps Ryunosuke quite a bit/mentors him, as well as cooperates with him when he technically doesn't have to, because in the end, this prosecutor only cares about justice. (Gosh, there's more I want to say, but I will refuse to use any spoilers because I know you haven't finished the game yet, so let's end it here).

You absolutely speak my mind! A well-made anime in the world of DGS would be so very amazing. Hearing our beloved characters speak (as you've mentioned), seeing them move. The character design is superb, the world is beautiful. I adore the whole franchise (some games/characters more than others), but this cast is my favourite. From Ryunosuke to Barok to Susato to Iris etc., I love them all! I am not the same since I have finished this duology. Barok is my favourite character in the franchise (surprise, I know), with Ryunosuke coming in second and Susato coming in third, which is quite the achievement against such all-time-greats as Edgeworth, Phoenix and Maya. :)

Enjoy the rest of the game(s)! 😊

Edit/P.S.: In case you read my blog here, I can only recommend you filter out the tags "tgaa spoilers" and "dgs spoilers", as that's how I tag my spoilery posts and reblogs. Other people may use the same or other tags.

#asks #lost elda ask #tgaac #dgs

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arrowflier · 2 years

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Catching up on tag games! Gonna take my cue from some other folks and try to combine them, sorry if I miss anything!

First up, tagged by @shameless-notashamed @energievie @grumpymickmilk and @creepkinginc :

Last song: not sure what was on radio last, but I have Margaritaville stuck in my head because I’m drinking one

Last show: Season 2 of Only Murders in the Building

Currently watching: Right this second, Colbert. Ongoing: Rings of Power, What We Do in the Shadows

Currently reading: A Marvellous Light and Blue Lily, Lily Blue

Current obsession: my upcoming trip!

Second, tagged by @celestialmickey @creepkinginc @sleepyfacetoughguy and @energievie

name, age, and pronouns: Arrow, 31, she/they

if you could live anywhere, where would you live? Unrealistic: New Zealand. Slightly more realistic: Germany

something on your to-do list today: I was gonna say write but shit I gotta do laundry😭

describe your current outfit: basketball shorts branded with the name of my old middle school (they were required for gym and they’re STILL too big on me lmao), and regular v-neck I wore to work

what’s the last song you added to your playlist(s)? I don’t maintain any playlists😅

favorite holiday: Christmas

something you’d find in your bag/purse/backpack: pocket knife, food

something you’d find in your bedroom: a lot of dirty clothes

you’re giving a Ted Talk, what’s it about? Ritual cannibalism. Any number of fantasy book series. How to make people think you’re smart.

what’s something you’d still like to do this year? not laugh hysterically when someone mentions work-life balance

And lastly, a comfort game, tagged by @metalheadmickey @ms-moonlight-inn @gallawitchxx @mikhailoisbaby @rereadanon :

comfort movie- Lord of the Rings

comfort food- bean and rice nachos, ginger ale with fruit juice

comfort clothing- cargo pants, old shirts that are really soft now, fuzzy socks

comfort song- actual sing-to-myself comfort: No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley & The Wailers (my mom always sang the everything is gonna be alright bit when I was a kid)

comfort book- I haven’t read it in forever but the Crown Duel duology by Sherwood Smith. Also Sabriel by Garth Nix. Also 5 million others.

comfort game- Regular game: Set. Video game: Skies of Arcadia: Legends or Tales of Symphonia

Don’t feel obligated if I tag you, I know this is a lot! But if there’s anything you haven’t done and want to: @mrsinistertype @y0itsbri @sickness-health-all-that-shit @doodlevich @smokey-mickey @unbridgeabledistances @xninetiestrendx

#tag game #macy game💖#personal

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ijustkindalikebooks · 8 months

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Review: He Who Drowned The World by Shelley Parker-Chan.

Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, is riding high after her victory – one that tore southern China from its Mongol masters. Now she burns with a new desire: to seize the throne and crown herself emperor. To stay in the game, Zhu must gamble everything on one bold move. A risky alliance with an old enemy: Ouyang, the brilliant but unstable eunuch general. All contenders will do whatever it takes to win. But when desire has no end, and ambition no limits, could the price be too high for even the most ruthless heart to bear?

This book so much time, because the wave after wave of absolute carnage was quite something as we finish this duology that was begun with She Who Became The Sun.

If you want characters that can possibly have a redemption arc, you will not really find it here as this book delves into violence and the base of human behaviour as these characters do everything they can to rise to power, with a conclusion and final line that just smacks you in the face and makes you think, 'holy cow we got here and I feel like I need a drink'.

Parker-Chan's writing is grim and punchy throughout, you feel like you are feeling everything that happens in this book and I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, if this book was a game, I would need a constitution check at the end of every chapter practically. I mean considering the end of the last book, I feel like you know things are gonna be pretty dark in this second part however the storytelling is fantastic and the world is built gloriously.

Would be happy to read more of this world, just give me some time to prepare myself for it.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.

#booklr #books #fiction #bookblr #book #he who drowned the world #shelley parker chan #she who became the sun #fantasy #reading #book review #book reviews #review #reviews #books and reading #booklover #bookworm

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romajuliettemai · 9 months

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Chloe Gong making up my anticipated reads list for this year is everything

I am 1/2 out of my most anticipated reads of this year

Finished Immortal Longings a few days ago

Now just Foul Heart Huntsman

Then I will be able to rest peacefully- in further anticipation for F&FG 2 because that ending was brutal

Both of these books are by the wonderful @chloegong.

Immortal Longings is the first in the Flesh and False Gods Trilogy - the series is an adaptation off Shakespeare's Antony & Cleopatra, and pitched as "If Clove and Cato of the hunger games were the revolution-hungry, star-crossed protagonists insetad, taking place in a 90's Asian Noir world, featuring battles to the death with only one winner and lots of spice, and directed by Wong Kar Wai. As well as a corrupted crown prince, but it's okay because he's likeable for some reason." (Yes I did add a bit of my own wording to this pitch, but it was mostly taken from Chloe herself.)

I loved this book! <3

Foul Heart Huntsman is the Finale of the Secret Shanghai Series, featuring the NYT Bestsellers duology These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends, as well as the duology Foul Lady Fortune and Foul Heart Huntsman, which FLF has currently made it to the NYT Bestsellers I believe. Last Violent Call is the book of two connecting novellas in between the duologies in a sense, but it is also a full-of-fluff-and-post-trauma style book/books (U.K & Fairyloot is one book with both novellas in it and U.S is. a boxed set of two separate novellas in one box.)

This series is my all time favorite series and I would highly recommend reading it! <3

The reading order, since it can be confused, is as follows:

These Violent Delights, Our Violent Ends, Foul Lady Fortune, Last Violent Call, and coming September 26; Foul Heart Huntsman <3

Thank you for reading this schpiel if you did, and I hope that I convince someone to read said books!

#these violent delights #our violent ends #foul lady fortune #last violent call #foul heart huntsman #chloe gong #book tumblr #booktok #booktwt #bookstagram #booktube

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elliepassmore · 8 months

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He Who Drowned the World release!

How much would you give to win the world? Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, is riding high after her victory that tore southern China from its Mongol masters. Now she burns with a new desire: to seize the throne and crown herself emperor. But Zhu isn’t the only one with imperial ambitions. Her neighbor in the south, the courtesan Madam Zhang, wants the throne for her husband—and she’s strong enough to wipe Zhu off the map. To stay in the game, Zhu will have to gamble everything on a risky alliance with an old enemy: the talented but unstable eunuch general Ouyang, who has already sacrificed everything for a chance at revenge on his father’s killer, the Great Khan. Unbeknownst to the southerners, a new contender is even closer to the throne. The scorned scholar Wang Baoxiang has maneuvered his way into the capital, and his lethal court games threaten to bring the empire to its knees. For Baoxiang also desires revenge: to become the most degenerate Great Khan in history—and in so doing, make a mockery of every value his Mongol warrior family loved more than him. All the contenders are determined to do whatever it takes.

Bookshop.org

Barnes & Noble

I got an ARC of She Who Became the Sun back in May 2021 and was instantly hooked. Zhu’s and Ouyang’s stories have so many layers and interesting parts to them, it keeps you thinking about them long after the book ends. He Who Drowned the World is a fantastic sequel for that book and did not disappoint in the slightest.

The characters from SWBtS change and grow in various directions in HWDtW and some of them take some surprising turns. I liked getting to know the new POV characters too, even if it meant less page time for Zhu and Ouyang. I definitely think it’s difficult to do a sequel when the first book is so good, but Shelley definitely exceeded expectations with this book and it’s probably one of the best sequels I’ve read.

For a refresher, check out my He Who Drowned the World review!

If you’re new to the duology, I also have a review of She Who Became the Sun.

#book release #book birthday #advanced reader copy #netgalley read #book #books #booklr #bookblr #bookish #bookaholic #book addict #book recommendation #historical fantasy #she who became the sun #he who drowned the world #shelley parker chan #fantasy #fantasy book #tor books

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adxmparriish · 2 years

Note

Book recs?

hi! I can absolutely give you some 🖤

if we were villains by m.l.rio — favorite book of all time, it’s dark academia with some mystery and thriller elements. seven students who study shakespeare find themselves trapped up in a murder and it’s fantastic. the prose is to die for. I can’t properly explain how much this book means to me, it literally rewired my brain chemistry.

stalking jack the ripper series by kerri maniscalco — this is a 4 book series following a couple who perform autopsies and try to solve murders. the main couple is FANTASTIC and has one of my favorite fictional men of all time. the banter and love declarations are to die for. there is also plenty of angst and gothic atmosphere, too! all around amazing series, and do NOT forget to read the novella!

the folk of the air trilogy by holly black — I will never shut the fuck up about this series. wicked boy meets monster girl in a battle for the crown of elfhame and it’s fucking phenomenal. jude and cardan are one of my favorite fictional couples but don’t go into this series expecting a full blown romance. there’s a lot of political conflict with a romance splashed in, but when you do get those moments, boy… they’re juicy. enemies to lovers done right.

the raven cycle series by maggie stiefvater — codependent teenagers love each other so much it makes me sick. that’s basically it. oh, and one of them is doomed to kill her true love when she kisses him. oh, and there’s tarot and a dead welsh king and boys who bring things back from their dreams and a magic forest and a girl with hooves and just. read this? please?

these violent delights by micah nemerever — it’s hard to explain this book accurately but two boys find themselves so deeply obsessed with each other and wrapped up in their own game and it leads to absolute insanity. this book is dark though, so be warned. definitely check trigger warnings.

six of crows duology — fantastic books set in the world of “shadow and bone” about six teenagers on a heist. you don’t HAVE to read shadow and bone first but i’d recommend it. there are slight spoilers for that trilogy and elements you may not understand if you don’t. but I love these characters so much more and this story is amazing. there’s diversity and romance and tragedy and just!!!! so much!!!

the locked tomb series — these books are IMPOSSIBLE to explain but trust me when I say they are AMAZING. it’s got necromancy and love in its purest form and complex story arcs and impossible scenarios and HUMOR, SO MUCH HUMOR, and just. I can’t recommend this series enough. I will say though, prepare to be confused a lot until the writer finally lets it all come together, because that’s just how the books are. I promise it’ll all make sense.

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balanceoflightanddark · 2 years

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Slaves to Perfection

One of the things I have a bit of a habit of doing is comparing similar characters or themes across various pieces of media and see what one says about the other. How seeing things from a different perspective can put the other into focus and all that.

With this in mind, let's talk about Azula for a moment. A common misconception about her is that she is assumed to have a lot more agency in her actions than most. That being the Crown Princess and the "favorite" of Ozai, she naturally has more say in what she does. And as such, she has a lot to answer for.

Now while I can't exactly argue that Azula has done bad things in the past of her own volition (looks at the burning net incident for example), I don't believe she has a great deal of autonomy as some people might assume. And there happens to be a character that demonstrates what I'm talking about perfectly.

Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness is the second in what is commonly referred to as the Orre duology (which includes the earlier released Pokemon Colosseum). While essentially being a Pokemon game in both spirit and in mechanics, it's also noted for being among some of the darker installments in the franchise. The culmination of this is the introduction of "Shadow Pokemon" (later reintroduced via Pokemon GO!).

Shadow Pokemon are...unique. They're Pokemon who've had their hearts artificially shut, turning them into what is described in-universe as "fighting machines." All their personality is suppressed and replaced with violence and aggression to make a better weapon. Think of them as volatile bundles of rage.

And the apex of this is Shadow Lugia, a.k.a XD-001. Shadow Lugia is one of the main driving forces of the game, directly responsible for abducting a cruise ship and capturing a ton of Pokemon for the criminal group Cipher to corrupt. He was designed to be the ultimate Shadow Pokemon. Terrifyingly powerful, he's the biggest threat the Orre region faces outside of Cipher's Grandmaster himself. To make matters worse, he's said to be so corrupted, he's resistant to any attempts of purification. Not to mention unlike other Shadow Pokemon, who you need to read their aura and behavior to identify them as such, Lugia underwent radical body changes when he was conditioned into XD-001:

The interesting tidbit I found was...Azula and Shadow Lugia have a lot of parallels with one another.

Both of them for example are essentially the attack dogs of the main antagonist: Azula for Ozai, Shadow Lugia for Greevil. Both of them do a lot of the heavy lifting for their respective masters: Azula is the one who took down Ba Sing Se and organized the defense during the Day of the Black Sun, while XD-001 was responsible for procuring the Pokemon necessary for Cipher's plans. And both of them are associated a lot with perfection and high expectations: Azula's drive for perfection and the crushing expectations from her father is one of the pillars of her breakdown, while Lugia spent most of the game getting "fine-tuned" by Lovrina for not managing to lug the S.S. Libra all the way across the region. Not to mention both are heavily associated with fear and are fought in the final battle.

But...here's where things get a little messy. See, despite how terrifyingly powerful and menacing Shadow Lugia is...he's just a slave.

Lugia never chose to be turned into what he is. He was conditioned to solely be Greevil's "most loyal servant" with no free will of his own. Hell, that scene where he captures the S.S. Libra? He gets a signal first before acting, almost like a machine turning. Even his codename XD-001 is less of a name and more something that you'd name a weapon. Despite being deemed by Greevil to be the leader of his army of Shadow Pokemon, he essentially has no will of his own and has to go along with it. And he's treated as such by the narrative, where snagging him from Greevil's clutches is a big part of the game.

Azula is very much in the same boat when you apply that logic. Cruel as she is, Azula didn't have a whole lot of room to be her own person, even being named after her grandfather rather than having her own name. Ozai carefully conditioned her into being his weapon, before throwing her to the wolves by abandoning her in a worthless position. There wasn't any room for kindness, otherwise, that small portion of love shown would've been reduced to cinders along with her face. With no real alternative world viewpoint, Azula had about as much free will as you might expect any other weapon.

Azula was a monster and weapon first in Ozai's eyes, not a person. And under his influence, she had no real chance to change herself for the better in the show proper.

Which begs the question: when one is conditioned to be a monster, has no real alternative where all the others result in you either being maimed, punished, or "fine-tuned"...how much free will does one really have?

#azula #princess azula #shadow lugia #free will #character rambles

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