#there’s very clearly a lot of thought put into the world and worldbuilding - I feel like we just didn’t see quite enough of it as a whole?

[aroaessidhe]

2023 reads // twitter thread

Fragments of a Fallen Star

NA sapphic fantasy romance

a grieving young woman who runs away from her island home to search for a spell to help her turn back time

when she crosses paths with a mysterious ship captain with a quest of her own, they realise they might be able to help each other

Black cast, demisexual love interest

#Fragments of a Fallen Star #aroaessidhe 2023 reads #this is fine! a bit too much of a romance focus for me - but I knew that going in #the last like 15% is cool I feel like it could have been 50% of the book……. #most of what happened before that was random and weird pacing. could have been cut down more #there’s very clearly a lot of thought put into the world and worldbuilding - I feel like we just didn’t see quite enough of it as a whole? #also the LI is def demisexual not demiromantic djfghfjd they start dating after knowing each other like 2 days. #their whole relationship goes very fast sdgjhsf #(it's definitely something only mentioned briefly; if you're going into it for that) #but the world also has its own words for sexualities which is interesting #demisexual books

[vaugarde]

oh also we watched the mlp g5 movie yesterday and i really liked it tbh ^^ it was very cute and vibrant and all the character designs were pleasing (in fact i really prefer looking at these characters in cgi), and izzy was my favorite, tbh i kinda just love every character kimiko glenn voices

#racism metaphor was very clunky and i cant really say too much on it but like i didnt have much hope that it wouldnt be clunky #so i just focused on the characters and yeah i think theyre all really good ^^ #but like. we talked abt this a lot but man i REALLY wish this wasnt in the g4 continuity #not just bc it doesnt make sense but bc conceptually it feels like such an insecure decision #like this world wasnt good enough to warrant being its own thing. it had to be a continuation #even tho the lore and such is clearly different from g4. like i feel like they wanted to make it standalone like the other series #but they panicked and thought ppl wouldnt care if twilight wasnt there. but i feel like all it does is hinder both series #bc no one wanted this to be where g4 ended up and it keeps g5 from doing its own thing bc it has to connect to g4 #like im not opposed to the wind creatures (not saying their name) not showing up bc they suck in the first place #but writing wise its weird to not even mention them at all when it was important to the worldbuilding #did the ponies just love being racist that much that they killed the wind creatures?? #if it was me and i HAD to make it the same continuity id probably have put this in the past instead of the future #but then we couldnt have ponies on phones ig #or epic g4 references #im gonna try out the show but im like hmmmm bc lex said the show was a lot worse abt this #i swear the movie itself was good and i liked it! but i can see easily see the lost potential #and how g4 is going to keep holding it back and refusing to let it be its own thing #echoed voice

[avelera]

I watched the first episode of Kate Winslet's "The Regime" and had a few thoughts.

First, the good:

- Really excited to see Matthias Schoenaerts (Booker in The Old Guard) in it, so that was already a huge plus.

- Kate Winslet is definitely acting her ass off.

- A lot of worldbuilding and research about dictators both historical and modern definitely went into the script. I could see snippets of many known dictator affectations, like germophobia, on display.

And now the... not exactly bad but the ???:

(Cut because we start to get into some actual spoilers)

I really don't know where the show is trying to go just yet. I can't quite tell if it's a flat out comedy in the style of Death of Stalin, as advertised, or if it's actually going for a deeper dramedy where we're supposed to feel some level of pathos for Winslet's and Schoenaerts' characters.

Basically, it feels like a fictionalization of a historical dramedy.

However, in Death of Stalin and other dramas and satires based on real historical events, we know where this is all going, to some extent. We can tell if the Bumbling Advisor's advice is, well, bumbling because we know how things are going to turn out.

Right now, in The Regime, we don't have any grounding in reality to be able to determine if the decisions being made are bad or good or simply incompetent and doomed to fail.

We've got a lot subjective view points like the various ministers and Schoenaerts' character to give their perspective on what the country should do next, but we don't have any objective birds eye view, historical knowledge, or even an actual person average person in the this fictional country to tell us what they're really thinking, unfiltered through the subjective POV of all these characters with very pronounced agendas.

In a way, I do consider that quite clever from a writing craft standpoint. I feel just as isolated and wrapped in cotton wool as Winslet's character. Which is part of why I wonder if I'm supposed to sympathize with a figure that, to my eyes, reads like Marine le Pen from a dystopian world where she actually won in France.

As an American, I can't tell whether or not the country turning away from America (who was clearly trying to take advantage, in a cobalt deal that to my ears echoed the British oil interests in Iran at the beginning of the 20th c.) is meant to be seen as a good or a bad thing. Truly. I don't mean that as saying I want or expect America to be the good guy, but I can't tell if I'm relatively anti-American compared to the creator of the show (ie, that America is just assumed to be a good guy so it's meant to be a negative harbinger of bad things to come that they turned away) or relatively pro-American (ie, that it's a show made by non-Americans so by not seeing this as a clear good thing that they reject America using terminology that echoes current Russian rhetoric) and I should be cheering on their choice to turn away.

On the one hand, this ambiguity if intentional is quite masterful! I can't quite tell if I'm supposed to see Schoenaerts as a straight-shooter who is supposed to help this rather hapless dictator maybe achieve some good, or if he's a violent MAGA-type thug who is going to get her ear and put their country down the path to atrocities. I just don't know yet, because this isn't a historical dramedy so I don't know how these events play out.

And I can't tell quite yet if that's a good or a bad thing from the writerly perspective. On the one hand, I'm personally more baffled than intrigued as to why I should care about anything going on in it so far. It's not all that funny, so I'm not entertained or amused just at the nonsense happening, because I can't tell what I'm supposed to see as nonsense and what I'm supposed to see as serious worldbuilding leading towards an actual fictional country narrative that will allow some commentary on our own global situation, or if it's just intrigue for the sake of intrigue, or if it's a character study and I shouldn't care about the actual events in the fictional country because it's the absurdity of the personalities I should be focusing on. Or if I am supposed to be laughing, what aspects I'm supposed to be laughing at.

Basically, it hasn't won my trust yet. I'm mildly intrigued, mostly because of Winslet and Schoenaerts adding complexity to what in a normal satire might just be flat comedic characters. But I can't even really tell yet if the story thinks it's a comedy or if it just has comedic elements (like, say, Succession).

Maybe I'm just basic, but I wouldn't have minded a bit more signposting and a bit less of a feeling that I'm supposed to grasp what point the story is trying to make on its own. I don't really know what the thesis is yet, because it's not based in real events, there's no objective truth for me to look at and say, "Ah, they're saying this historically terrible person was misunderstood, or bumbling, or actually heroic, or well-intentioned," etc etc. I only have their word for it and they haven't actually told me yet what their word is trying to say, y'know?

Verdict: I'll probably watch a bit more, but I am a little perplexed at present as to what the takeaway should be.

#the regime

[yesterdaysallknowing]

Hello, My Hero Academia fandom.

I think BNHA/MHA/whatever acronym, as a story, is pretty... well, to put it politely, SHIT.

(I'm currently studying writing at uni, I am Qualified™ to say this.)

I am writing a fic about it. Read it here:

Ultra Academy: Extra Credit (660 words) by yesterdaysAllknowing Chapters: 1/? Fandom: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

(More details UTC)

In its myriad issues, from abuse apologism (Endeavour, the UA staff and Bakugou), to grooming child soldiers, to questionable treatment of its fem-presenting cast, and very, VERY pertinent ableism that I never really see discussed (Quirklessness is a pretty blatant metaphor for disability, if not actually a disability in universe, and the way the narrative just dismisses it is. Hm), I feel a lot of these could be solved by the presence of 1 (ONE) singular adult with a braincell and Working with Children Check (or equivalent, I'm Aussie), which CLEARLY no one in this story has or they wouldn't be neglecting or outright abusing these kids.

So I have written a fic where I drop in a character with exactly those qualifications. Yippee.

Only the prologue exists (for now), but the fic overall will get deeper into my many, MANY thoughts on the issues in the series, and I actually wrote a lot of the initial bones of the story a couple of years ago, and decided to rewrite/reboot it recently due to uh,,, peer pressure, so expect some more chapters soon over an inconsistent schedule.

While a LOT of the initial chapters will be mostly canon-compliant (and also pretty salty/leaning into bashing of the original material, because, I cannot emphasise this enough, it is GARBAGE), I have a lot of worldbuilding and development planned, including characters improving or being placed onto paths I think make more sense given their characterisation and backstory, which I am looking forward to actually sharing with the world.

And fair warning: If you're a die-hard stan of ANY characters in the original story, maybe don't read this. No one is getting away unscathed here. Not even the OCs, they're getting hit with the development in the name of plot more than ANYONE honestly. Things will be worse before they get better, here. It's the only way I can see to fix the problems in the story without completely changing it and being disengenous to the source material.

#fanfic #ao3 fanfic #bnha #mha #bnha critical #my writing

[elliepassmore]

The Tainted Cup review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: fantasy, sci-fi, greenpunk, murder mysteries, powers, disability rep

Big thanks to Netgalley, Del Rey, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

To start, I'll say I'm not sure whether to classify this book as fantasy or sci-fi since I feel it has elements of both. The world the book is set in is 'greenpunk,' with buildings grown from plants and things like AC from mushrooms, and the characters have powers augmented through some kind of medical procedure. At the same time though, there are leviathans that rise from the ocean depths and threaten the empire. The genre isn't really important, but I will say it isn't super clear-cut and think it could fit easily into both sci-fi and fantasy.

The world in the book is super interesting. As mentioned, the buildings are largely grown from plants, with some more plant-like than others. A lot of the buildings have fernpaper walls, which serve well to keep out the humidity and don't mold, while also being sturdy enough to stand and not too heavy in the case of an earthquake. A couple of buildings are made from a different plant that can be grown in any shape, allowing for a more personalized architecture. Plants are pretty central to life in the book, and are used for additional things like AC, vaccination, medical treatments, and human augmentation. I love all the plant stuff and think the focus on 'green' things is a really interesting worldbuilding piece that isn't used nearly often enough. We get a good background on how the greenery works without going too in-depth, though I honestly could read an encyclopedia on this world and be happy.

In terms of the augmentation, there's a breakdown of the different augments people can have, with grafts being temporary and more for things like increased immunity in humans or faster growing in plants, while suffusions are permanent and change a lot more about a person/plant. If someone is employed by the empire and has a suffusion they're called a Sublime, with Sublimes categorized into how their suffusion works (axioms are good w/ numbers, linguas are good w/ languages, spatiasts are good w/ spatial relations, engravers who memorize everything, cracklers who are superhumanly strong, etc.). It was really interesting to read about the suffusions and the different Sublimes, and I really enjoyed the background info we get on the augmentations. I also thought it was pretty cool how the augmentations seem to be everywhere, including to help plants do different things and to help medications and vaccines be produced against the wide range of issues people might come across.

While this is a SFF story, the bulk of it is the murder mystery. It's twisty and deliberate, but at the same time has moments when it's very fun. Ana reminds me at times of Benoit Blanc from Knives Out and I really enjoyed her method to solving mysteries. There's a good mix of humor and seriousness here, and I think Bennett struck a good balance between the two.

Din is a Sublime engraver recently assigned to be Ana's investigative assistant. He's a rule follower and so his and Ana's approaches clash at times, though never majorly. Din is very clearly dyslexic, which gave him trouble in training, and at times he runs up against needing to read things during the investigation, but he's figured out a work around using his engraving skills which I found to be a really smart way of going about it. He's clever and a good observer, and is able to put the pieces of things together quickly even though he's new to investigating. I liked seeing things through his eyes and and way he would meticulously go through a scene to find evidence. It was particularly interesting how he interviewed people because Din seems to have a knack for knowing how to circle a conversation around to what he really wants to know without being too obvious about it, thus putting the interviewee at ease and getting them to open up. It was wonderfully subtle the way he got people to open up.

Ana is the main investigator on the case and is not the sort of investigator you'd expect. She prefers to stay in her house (or later on, in her borrowed rooms) rather than going outside to investigate on her own, and when she does leave the comfort of her accommodations, it's with a blindfold on. I suspected she was autistic throughout the book, and then toward the end she basically comes out and says it (without saying it since...you know...this is a SFF novel not set in our world with our terminology). She's quick to make deductive leaps and is often several steps ahead of everyone else involved. It was fun to read as she snapped through deduction after deduction, using the evidence Din collected, and coming to a conclusion that made sense but you didn't always see coming. Ana is also pretty funny and I enjoyed the humor she brought to the book.

There are a bunch of side characters who come in and out of the story as needed, and I found them to be pretty well fleshed out. It definitely felt like each character had their own lives and concerns and didn't just cease to exist once they left Din's presence. Miljin is the side character who's probably around the most, he's one of the investigators working the case with Ana and Din. At first his demeanor was pretty gruff and unwelcoming, so I didn't think I'd like him much, but over the course of the book his character grew on me and I actually ended up liking him a lot. He's just the kind of person that doesn't immediately warm up to people, but once he does he's got quite the quick brain and lots of humor and advice to go around.

As mentioned, the main point of this book is the mystery. At the beginning, Ana was making all sorts of leaps that I just took her word for, but as the story continued, I began being able to make guesses of my own. Some of the stuff I was able to guess correctly, sometimes in a surprising way, but other times I was still puzzling it out when Ana and the others came to their conclusions. There are so many moving pieces and different elements to the mystery going on in this book, I enjoyed trying to figure out the solution myself as well as seeing what the actual solution was.

Overall I greatly enjoyed this book and I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series. This is the kind of book that makes me want more SFF backgrounds for mystery books, it added a really interesting layer to things that I enjoyed.

#book #book review #books #book recommendations #fantasy #bookstagram #booklr #bookblr #bookaholic #bookish #the tainted cup #murder mystery book #mystery #murder mystery #scifi books #scifi #advanced readers copy #netgalley #netgalley reads #lgbtq characters #eco horror #disability representation

[knightfeared]

*TIME FOR SOME POSITIVITY! 📨 ➤   @sephyathredon ( … ) 🌵,✨, 🌼, 🌲, 🌱, 🌿, 🌙

◈ @hexcoremagician [ ; ] a canon rp blog I’m biased here for obvious reasons — but regardless? I highly recommend Mars’ portrayal to anyone who adores Viktor from Arcane & League. How they’ve built him up, fleshed him out & developed him is nothing short of AMAZING. I absolutely adore all the replies I see on dash, can clearly hear his voice & picture a scene painted perfectly well with how they write! You will not be disappointed, in fact, you’ll be beyond blown away by the true care they have for this character. They truly do him Justice! 💕

◈ @luxcruor [ ; ] a multimuse blog Though I’m slow with replies, Sailor is so insanely sweet to talk to ooc! They have this way of hyping you up for replies & character interactions & are not shy about meshing muses from other fandoms together which is something I admire greatly. They’re so friendly, very easy to plot with & chat to about the blorbos, you’ll be introduced to new muses through interactions with them, but it’s very easy to grow fond of them.

◈ @vulpesse [ ; ] a blog with beautiful writing Everything? Everything is beyond gorgeous! Bunnie is someone I’m still so shy to poke & write with but my god do I admire their creativity! They have such a way with words, making everything sound so poetic & gorgeous — I feel like I’m reading a well loved story book or fairy tale with their work. The graphics they craft & use to help in visualizing their story— it’s nothing short of beautifully inspiring. Despite how insanely gorgeous their writing is, they also go out of their way to open the door for interactions with muses no matter the fandom. Bunnie is such a genuinely sweet soul, so so talented, I highly recommend any & all of their blogs because the mun truly does put a lot of effort into building stories with people.

◈ @shimmerbeasts [ ; ] a blog with thought-provoking headcanons I gotta write together more with this lovely writer & it’s truly on me for being a chicken but I’m forever going to be blown away by how big their brain is with the lore & headcanons Miss T has developed for Zaun & their muses. Each one is so well thought out, fits seamlessly with their portrayals to help shape not only them, but build up the world itself to something that feels real, nitty & gritty but so believable. I don’t have the words to describe it, but they’re insanely skilled in worldbuilding from all I’ve seen since I’ve followed & I highly recommend them because the effort they put into their portrayals is incredible!

◈ @pitgritted / @prtector [ ; ] a blog that's always positive SUCH A SWEETHEART— I do not know them all that well but following their blogs? It sounds cheesy, but the vibes I get from both, from the mun themselves is nothing but positive— always so wholesome & talented — I admire their passion so so much because of the distinct way they capture their muses. The effort put into Taric & Sett is awe-inspiring — but so far, yeah. No — I am nudging them over onto dash & holding them up like Simba because they are such a warm, friendly, UTTERLY WHOLESOME PERSON here in the rpc— definitely! Follow!

◈ @jynxd [ ; ] a new blog They are new to me but I’m so happy I’m Mutuals with them. I’m excited to see all their Headcanons, their replies & writing on my dash — a new face but they have such a clear love for their muses, are so wholesome & cheerful to see poking others — all I can say for now is they’re worth following & taking the time to plot with cause so far from all I’ve seen, they’re a skilled writer with a lot of bubbling ideas!

◈ @hymnblood / @inexoratos / @grantsuccor [ ; ] a blog for my favorite character Sage is an og— I need to gush about their Zag cause their writing is utterly gorgeous, so beautiful it will always blow me away! I need to poke them more, & I highly encourage poking their portrayals a hell of a lot more too because the ideas they come up with for interactions, the way they bring their muses to life, give them such a distinct, memorable voice in their dialogues — the headcanons are lovingly crafted, fitting well for the muses I do know, & for muses I am unfamiliar with? They catch my eye. They carry a passion for everything they do that is very strongly felt & greatly admired. But yes— their portrayals are always top tier in my personal opinion! 🙏💕💕💕

#╰┈➤ ┊❛ answered ooc. ❜┊ #╰┈➤ ┊❛ out of medkits. / ooc. ❜┊ #╰┈➤ ┊❛ positivity. ❜ #HOH THIS IS A CHONKER BUT— god I’m mush #I’m lucky to be Mutuals with so many talented people IM SCREAMING

[the---hermit]

Top 5 High Fantasy

Hello anon, while looking at my shelves I realized that I have read less high fantasy than I'd like, because I really like the genre, so thanks for this ask because it will definitely push me to finally get to reading some books that have been on my tbr very a long time.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (yes for me this scores higher than lotr, simply because I am even more emotionally attached to this one. This is my number one comfort book, Biblo's adventure fills my heart with feelings I cannot even put to words)

The Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (I will count this as one single book because firstly the author intended it that way, secondly it would turn into a Tolkien's book top 5 and it's not what you asked)

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski (my reltationship with the witcher book series has been complicated but this first book was amazing, I loved it, it's actually the book that made me start my habit of reading in the morning because I just had to pick it up. I like the darker themes and how there's a lot of references to fairytales it's a great collection of short stories which is not something you see a lot of in this genre)

The Priory Of The Orange Tree by Damantha Shannon (you clearly saw how much I loved my time with this book. I loved the worldbuilding, I think the author did a great job in both constructing the story and writing it. I recently spoke a lot about it so if you want more opinions check out my other posts)

Legends And Lattes by Travis Baldree (I considered whether including this one or not, it's a self proclamed hogh fantasy with low stakes, so I thought it would count. Again this book was very comforting. I love that we got a high fantasy setting with a very simple storyline about this coffee shop, it was really sweet. I also wanted to have a more or less diverse list with things with different vibes so here you go)

I doubt anything will ever beat Tolkien for me, because I grew up with the stories of Middle Earth (I am ashamed to say I have not read the Silmarillion yet, but in my defense I don't have a copy, yet). His world just has a special place in my heart and I can't really do much about it. As I said I have a lot of epic fantasy in my tbr and wishlists, and since I very randomly decided this year will be my fantasy reading year you might see more in my bookish updates in the next few months!

#thanks for the ask anon this was hard but fun #epic fantasy #high fantasy #book #books #cris speaks #asked #ask #asks #answered #anon #bookblr #mine #the---hermit

[runicmagitek]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love❤

Oh my goodness, this is so sweet, anon 🥺 I've been having a rough weekend and feeling really self-conscious about my ability/worth as a writer, so this was well-timed and genuinely made me smile. Thank you for sending this!

Ho boy, it's tough to narrow down the to my top five favorite fics, because I have a lot of fics. I love all of them for one reason or another, so this is difficult lol. That said, here's my attempt at a top five, in no particular order.

What Leads You Here A post-canon deep dive into Keitaro's and Natsuno's trauma and how they mourn what they lost and learn to heal and move on together. It picks up immediately where the game ends and explores numerous things I love, from worldbuilding to slice-of-life interactions to delicious angst to heavy hurt with equally heavy comfort. I'm really proud of how I was able to write and edit and post a 214k fic within roughly two years. I put a massive amount of research into this along with using a lot of my own personal experiences and am REALLY happy that those who stuck around til the end thoroughly enjoyed the ride. This story will always have a special place in my heart.

The Lies We Tell Ourselves It's very difficult for me to talk about this fic without ruining the entire game. But I came up with this idea and wrote/edited it within roughly four days?? Like it possessed me and I couldn't focus on anything else until I wrote it. BJ and his journey is extremely heartwrenching and just thinking about what he might have come across and how he handled any of that (or didn't) felt like a story worth exploring. It also has some of my favorite lines I've written in recent years, especially the second to last scene.

The Wings That You Burn Holy shit, I cried a lot when I worked on this fic. It's a Celes-centric fic from Sabin's POV during the start of World of Ruin. I love VI, but in retrospect, I wish Celes was given more time to heal after everything that happened at the Solitary Island. And with Sabin being one of the first people she finds, he's the perfect character to remind her she deserves to live, no matter what.

Burning Bright Yet another fic that made me cry while working on it (this is a trend - I love me some angst). I love Steiner and his friendship with Vivi and (much like Celes in VI) I was really sad there wasn't any like, touch base with Vivi after everything that happened with Black Waltz 3 and the South Gate incident. Trauma and healing are core themes that keep cropping up in my stories, which probably says a lot about myself more than anything lolsob but honestly, I really love seeing characters support one another, despite it all. And I'm genuinely thrilled so many readers said this felt like a missing scene straight out of the game, too.

Long Journey Home You guessed it - this fic also tore out my heart while writing it. There's a reason it's tagged as "sad with a happy ending". Kentucky Route Zero is such a profoundly tragic game and exploring the possibilities of Ezra's past in this fic really hit close to home for me. That and weaving in magical realism and devising fantastical situations were such a fun challenge. This also contains my favorite passage I've ever written (and I very clearly remember needing to get up and walk off the feels for at least five minutes after I wrote this damn line):

She patted his head, much like how he patted the dog’s head. When she left, Ezra stayed and listened to the water carry them elsewhere. He thought of the people he met and those who stayed and those who didn’t and if anyone ever cried for the ghosts of who he used to be.

#runic rambles #my writing

[aslitheryprinx]

can't stop thinking about how borrowers being real in the starstruck au would change so much of how the boys and Wilbur view the world. 1) the boys wouldn't feel so alone in a world full of giants 2) wilbur would feel glad but also mortified at the though of the lab finding out about borrowers 3) the borrower will be very confused/horrified about these 3 teenagers living with a human + know nothing about their "own" culture

:D that is a FANTASTIC idea... Let's explore this, shall we? (I don't think borrowers are canon in this au, but if they were.... 👀)

The first time they meet a borrower, it's shocking. Almost as shocking as seeing Wilbur for the first time... Though not much can top that. The boys have gotten so used to everything around them being the wrong size, except for each other. They might think for a second that they're going crazy... And then when they realize that there really is another person, other people their size, all three of them get very excited.

Wilbur is relieved. Benchtrio's social life since leaving the simulation has been... not good. They have each other of course, and him, but that's it. Phil, Techno, Niki, Eret... the boys are still too wary to really form connections with any of them. Hell, Tubbo won't even leave his room when there's visitors most times. Borrowers mean that there's someone new for the three to talk to! And then... Wilbur starts to think. Where did these people come from? Have they always been tiny? Are borrowers the result of some experiment? What would the lab do if it got it's hands on these tiny people? Were Tommy Tubbo and Ranboo borrowers caught and put into the simulation? ......There's a lot to think about.

These poor borrowers are so confused. It's already rare for borrowers to find others like them. And now they come across the oddest group of kids they've ever seen. They don't talk like borrowers, they don't act like borrowers... They don't even look like borrowers, not completely. The first few conversations between benchtrio and a group of borrowers were probably very confusing. Benchtrio would have no idea what borrowers were, and the borrowers would have no idea they thought of themselves as humans. Once everything was cleared up, the borrowers would likely be very concerned, especially about Wilbur. They probably wouldn't want to get anywhere near him, but they wouldn't want to just abandon these three kids that clearly needed to be taught how to borrow.

Basically, it's a really fun idea! :D I don't think I want to add borrowers into the au at the moment because I don't know who I would even make borrowers. (maybe dream team? But I don't write them much.) The main characters I write with already have roles, so for now I'll keep the worldbuilding as is XD

Thank you for the fun ask!

#mcyt g/t #aslitheryanswers #starstruck au

[aptericia]

I genuinely hope it's okay to send this ask, if not please ignore this, but honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the "the writer's just don't know what subtly racist dialogue sounds like" thing was true in general, because nearly all of the characters are kinda ehhhhh towards the beastlings imo?

Like even when they're nice, Ochette still gets othered a lot or they ask stuff that might be a bit insensitive, and the game just kinda.. doesn't acknowledge it properly whatsoever. Or like, stuff like whatever was going on in the next chapter sidequest with Clarissa, some Tropu'hopu lore, lots of Ochette's story in general, etc all still include some very iffy things too tbh and I can't really tell if the writers just didn't notice that it sounded like that™ or if they just did it on purpose and then proceeded to not address it

Hi anon!! Thank you for the ask!!

I think you could be absolutely right! I feel like it's pretty hard to tell with some of the minor characters bc they get so little development, and the fact that Ochette's story focuses on racism muddies things further. For instance, I'd say Cohazeh and the other humans in Beasting Village are clearly intended to be racist because their attitudes towards beastlings are discussed and Ochette, the protagonist, is displeased with them. I'd also say the random villagers she talks to on the main continents (such as the one who thinks she's wearing a costume) are also intended to have racist ideas, because they exist to show that Ochette is a stranger to their world. Other background characters (and the Tropu'hopu lore) seem to fall into the same category. They're worldbuilding to set up the struggle that Ochette deals with on her journey, so they aren't addressed in the same way. And often they say blatantly racist things like "beastlings are weird and scary" to hammer in this point.

Temenos, on the other hand, is a protagonist in and of himself, and his story is not specifically about racism. His visit to Toto'haha and his relationship with the beastlings are intended to serve his story's themes (namely lies/secrets and divine power used for malevolent purposes). Therefore, I think it's likely that the writers put less thought into whether he was being racist. He's also a lot more subtle than many of the NPCs. Most of his racist comments evoke a dismissive attitude and the "white man's burden" sentiment (btw this is NOT about whether Temenos is white, the point is he's a (pale-skinned) racial majority with a more technologically advanced culture) which is what you see more around subconsciously racist people who are trying to be inclusive.

So yeah, that's why I point out Temenos specifically, but I could also believe it if some of the other iffy stuff is unintentional. I'll definitely pay more attention when I replay the relevant chapters (and that sidequest with Clarissa which I barely remember 😓). Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

#thanks for the ask! #and please be reminded that I am pale-skinned myself and even my non-White culture is never viewed as “primitive” or “unadvanced” #I am not remotely an authority on this sort of racism and I apologize if I say anything uninformed/insensitive #8path2 #OH ALSO #I DID NOT MEAN TO SUGGEST THAT NON-WHITE PEOPLE HAVE LESS TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED CULTURES #that IDEA is just where the white man's burden sentiment comes from

[snorkling-in-sodasea]

Moments of Stupidity 4

Well, I'm not putting that quick recap anymore but I do wanna say, thanks to all the people who like what I post. This seemed as good place as any to say that. I mean, I'm someone who just wants to vent or at least let her thoughts out so it's nice that people are choosing to follow me or click on the heart to my posts or even comment. Anyways, up next!

C.H.E.R.U.B. -

Okay, so the TVs. I didn't think it was funny that Moxxie was made to be next to TVs for Blitzo to shoot bullets through. For killing his boredom. So I thought of it as dumber that Blitzo was just shooting multiple televisions. Even if they were cheap, I can imagine littles make lots so all those TVs together made for a damn good price. And Blitzo got them all just to shoot them as a boredom buster. They're supposedly poor or struggling with money so why the fuck do they just waste money like this? Fuck damnit...

Soon after, the thing with the 'hell quakes'. I mean, Viv never clarified if hell quakes were really a thing in her world - because from all the posts I read, she's not very good at worldbuilding and I don't doubt that. I guess I'm more invested in characters and their stories than the world they live in, if that makes sense - but I can still see Blitz being all 'is that a hell quake?' Feels in character, actually. I can still include him if it counts. But it does feel dumber when Millie tells Moxxie not to panic. Not only is Moxxie very clearly not panicking but he was confused if that was even a thing and then says that hell quakes can't happen. Again, it's never made clear to me if hell quakes are just a Wrath ring thing and Moxxie just doesn't know but, as long as I'm not told how it is, then I still don't get why Millie would tell her husband to not panic like he's having a panic attack. And I'm not sure about counting Loona going all 'stop being hysterical' because I feel like, in that scene, she very purposefully acted like she was freaking out just so she can have an excuse to slap the shit out of Moxxie. I guess I can include her here because there's a chance she legit was as stupid as everyone else. I just feel like how I interpreted the scene was more what that scene was

Blitzo bringing up to Loopty that the guy he wants to put a hit on will end up in Hell with him, and forever, too. I forgot this when I was posting about Murder Family but I'm wondering why Blitz is bringing up. It's probably more understand in Murder Family, given the context of that conversation, but here, I don't get it. Blitzo, you know that you're running a business to cater to vengeful sinners who want to get people they can't get to otherwise, right? Given that Hell has an population problem, then pretty much all the targets that your clients hire you to kill will end up in Hell with them. So why bring up that the clients' hated people will be in Hell with them like it's a bad thing that the clients shouldn't want? That'll just make your client base wonder what's the point in frequenting your business if it's like that. And I'm at least including this as a moment of stupidity because I really don't see the logic as to why Blitzo would bother doing this if it's just going to make his business and his services sound pointless to indulge in

Blitzo when he jumped through the window. Granted, it was funny and I loved that he got hurt but it wasn't smart for Blitzo to just jump through the window, especially if he just did it for dramatic effect

The cherubs for not doing something about the imps when trying to convince Lyle that there's good things in the world worth living for. I mean, the first time is one thing. Maybe the second time. But fuck come on, by the third time, are you expecting Blitzo and maybe Moxxie and Millie to not bring up something bad. Even when the imps couldn't, like with opera apparently, Blitzo and his employees were bound to. Sure, maybe the cherubs shouldn't do something as drastic or as violent as fighting them, but they should've made sure that the imps couldn't interfere anymore because they should've picked up on a pattern sooner than the opera house

Blitzo for having just his pistol or revolver or whatever (sorry, not a gun-savvy person). But I do remember reading on TVtropes that, whatever gun that is, it's a pain to reload and doesn't carry a lot of bullets. Really, he should've asked Moxxie for some of those weapons he carried. And yes, it would have been possible. Seriously, the writers had Moxxie have all those weapons he had in his coat or jacket and Moxxie's smaller than Blitzo. That means Moxxie jammed all those weapons in a smaller coat than Blitzo's. Because really, throwing the empty gun at Cletus was more of a desperate move and then Blitzo would have been left with nothing left. It was probably lucky that the episode ended the way it did

Millie and Moxxie for choosing to have sex while fighting cherubs. Who the fuck gets horny and desperately wants sex while fighting for their lives? What, did they think they were gonna die and wanted to go out fucking?

The audience for never getting the fuck out of there, especially when guns got involved. Fuck seriously, they never even tried ducking and using the chairs as cover. Even if it still wouldn't protect them, it would've still been something than just sitting there!

The cherubs for just watching the piano slam down on Lyle. Absolutely none of them even tried flying for Lyle to grab him and move him out of the way. Even if the piano was just gonna follow, it still would have been something

Deerie, her little posse, and likely Heaven itself for never picking up on demons roaming the Earth and killing people. If keeping up the masquerade was supposed to be important, then perhaps one reason would be that Heaven knows it when demons are unauthorized to be on Earth amongst the humans. Like with likely Verosika and Vortex and the cubi crew, they were allowed by Asmodeus to be on Earth but the show, at least at first, said that what I.M.P. was doing is less than legal. (Fucking weird that Hell of all places cares about legal but I guess some extent of rules can stand) But anyways, how the fuck anyone in Heaven could miss it, especially if they managed to catch Lyle accidently being killed? I'm feeling like that there has to take some level of incompetency and as a result, some level of stupidity

Moxxie at the end for not staying away from the walls in general and Millie for giving a fuck for those two times that he's under debris. For Moxxie, I'm thinking for the same reason as the cherubs in not detecting a pattern (but more forgivable given that getting crushed by something smashing the walls only happened twice in the entire episode). As for Millie, it's her beloved husband being crushed and struggling to breathe and she's not even trying to get him out. She's not even mad at the people who are doing that to him or ignoring him, and especially not at Blitzo who just acts annoyed over all the work that he's planning to give to Moxxie (in fact, I think I'll have to throw in the time of the rape threat in Murder Family because Millie was right next to them and saw Blitzo's face as her boss gave the threat. How the fuck did she miss all of that and still smile like everything's hunky-dory?)

Finally, I think the fact that none of the imps thought that Lyle was going down to Hell regardless. Seriously, Loopty's story had the line 'we tested on ourselves instead of the poor, like we usually do'. That really didn't sound like a horrible person to you? You thought that committing suicide was the only condemnable thing that Lyle would ever have done in his life? In fact, what the fuck did the cherubs hope to accomplish saving an old man they knew was shitty? Collin was one thing because he seemed to be naively good but the others had to have known so what were Keenie and Cletus hoping to accomplish from an old man they had to have figured since the start was going down to Hell anyways? Especially since that episode showed off just how strict Heaven is about letting people in there. Even if Lyle did a change from bad to good, the fact that he did bad at all - horrendous, despicable bad - is already enough to send him to Hell

#helluva boss #blitzo #moxxie #millie #helluva boss keenie #helluva boss cletus #helluva boss collin #helluva boss lyle #loopty goopty #ranting

[sifeng]

Love Between Fairy and Devil (苍兰诀) - Eps 1-8 Review

A very early review because this drama is definitely... something! There is an intense division in the popular opinion of this drama, some absolutely love it, others think it is dumb and childish. Personally, I think that despite its obvious issues, it has a lot of merit and deserves a lot of the hype.

Characterization: considering there has only been eight episodes, and there are 36 total, it makes sense that none of the characters have really had to develop or change dramatically. However, the initial characterizations of our main 3 (Dongfang Qingcang, Xiao Lan Hua and Chang Heng) are very solid, and clearly set their personality, goals and morals. Personally I love the characterization of Xiao Lan Hua. These “cute” type female leads can very easily become annoying and unnecessarily stupid, but Xiao Lan Hua, though innocent, kind and not the most intelligent of celestials, is by no means dumb nor annoying. She has extremely strong morals, generosity and kindness, and has the ability to think for herself - ignoring the celestial propaganda about the demons because she knows Dongfang Qingcang has been kind to her. Dongfang Qingcang’s characterization stability is a little weaker, but this is made up in how he is evidently beginning to feel and understand emotions. As we see him do no evil (except burning 2 people to save Xiao Lan Hua in like episode 2), it’s hard to imagine just how cruel this man is. The lack of information about his reign of terror also makes it difficult for the audience to understand why he is so desperate for Xiao Lan Hua to work her magic on the leaf of Chi Di Nü Zi. But, to an extent, I get the mystery behind his background, it allows us to see him as Xiao Lan Hua sees him, without the prejudice of knowing how evil he was. Chang Heng is also a very solid character. He is someone who is selfless and puts the stability of the universe and the happiness of others ahead of his own well being. 

Pacing: This drama is very fast. With so much to go through and only 36 episodes, it makes sense. But, despite the fast pace, it doesn’t feel rushed. This drama hits the sweet spot, where you really want to keep watching and keep watching (I watched all 8 episodes in a row), but don’t feel like too much information is being thrown at you. However, there are certain moments that feel very undeserved, or out of nowhere. For example, when Rong Hao discovers Xiao Lan Hua is Shen Nü. Why did he suspect her anyways? And if he suspected her, why doesn’t any of the other celestials? The ambiguity of Rong Hao and Chi Di Nü Zi’s characters are a plus right now, but I can easily see them being plot holes if the show only ever gives them random shots with no explanation. But I doubt that...

Worldbuilding: Out of the past few xianxias I have seen, this drama does world building best in my opinion. Unlike some shows that throw way too much information at you in the first few moments, this drama gives you very little in the beginning, and only begins to reveal page by page the intricacies of this universe, which leads to the binge-ability of this drama (I really want to figure out who is who what is what!) Plus, this world feels so unique and fresh. Part of this is the costuming and CGI, part of this is its look into the business, bosses, different parts of the heavenly realm. One of my biggest complaints about the heavenly realm in other shows is how empty it seems, this show actually fleshes out the realm, showing the lives of the lowly and the rich. 

Acting: now, I have to be honest. I thought this show would be terrible, mostly because I did not trust Wang Heidi’s acting at all. He was terrible in Miss The Dragon, like to the point where you just laughed when he appeared. He’s not really that good in this either BUT at least you can watch without being completely taken out or bursting out in laughter which is huge improvement for him! The scenes where he was pretending to be Xiao Lan Hua were actually okay!! I’ve always maintained the opinion that Yu Shuxin is one of the most underrated actresses in the industry. People think she’s not good because her line delivery is, shall we say, unique, but in believing she’s a poor actress simply because they dislike her voice, they cannot hear how clear her words are, how she can easily control her emotions and how her mood is always clear in her voice. Acting wise she always adds little details that really show off her understanding of both Dongfang Qingcang (when she is in his body) and Xiao Lan Hua. She makes Xiao Lan Hua so adorable, someone you want to cry for when she cries, someone you want to laugh with when she’s happy. There are moments when she does overact a little, making Xiao Lan Hua almost caricature like in moment, but overall, I think she’s doing amazing. Zhang Linghe is pretty okay as Chang Heng. The scene where he crossed Xiao Lan Hua’s name off his list did make me feel sad, but overall, I don’t feel like he’s made this character particularly engaging (not to say the character isn’t engaging, he is, just mostly because the writing is good). 

Romance: The main CP is really growing on me. Chemistry wise, they are actually pretty great. I’ve seen videos of them doing interviews and variety shows and clearly they are friends, which really makes these early scenes so enjoyable because Xiao Lan Hua and Dongfang Qingcang are also friends. I really can’t wait to see how this relationship progresses, because it’s already very clear how cute they are. The switching bodies trope is actually sooooo funny because of how Xiao Lan Hua misinterprets his actions, so it doesn’t feel old or boring at all. Xiao Lan Hua and Chang Heng (FL and SML) grouping is also very cute, and so sad. The innate tragedy of their situation makes the relationship so interesting, and I think they have pretty good chemistry too! The second CP between Rong Hao and Chi Di Nü Zi is very exciting to me because they both seem like crazy people!

Costumes: while I am not a huge fan of some of the costuming aesthetically, overall, I really appreciate how the designer managed to make such a new, different style for the celestials, while maintaining a classical style for the humans. I do think the fact that all the young celestial fairies wearing the same thing makes the idea of costume design kind of redundant, but I appreciate the spectacle! Personally I love Dan Yin in the fairy dress, while Xiao Lan Hua looks better in other styles. I totally get why the designer put them all in the same dress (to add a sense of continuity) but personally I wish Xiao Lan Hua’s wardrobe was slightly different to show her different personality and class. 

CGI: The CGI is amazing! The CGI for the heaven palace, Si Ming’s house, the place where they went to see the sunrise, the prison are all absolutely gorgeous. But the most impressive scene has to be when Rong Hao and Chang Heng were in the painting together, that was absolutely gorgeous! I used to think Love and Redemption was the best xianxia for CGI but this drama just took the number 1 spot.

Overall: If you can get through the acting and are a xianxia fan, I would 100% recommend this! A really different drama no matter how you look at it, and I would say you should at least try it even if it sounds unappealing (I thought it would be terrible and look at me now!)

#cdrama #Love Between Fairy and Devil #cang lan jue #苍兰诀 #Esther yu #Dylan wang

[brehaaorgana]

24 and 26 for the weird questions for writers meme

24. How much prep work do you put into your stories? What does that look like for you? Do you enjoy this part or do you just want to get on with it?

Oooh this is one of those things where like, I'm not sure? I think some of my most successful writing has been done with a plan and outline and I certainly did some research, but I tend to have the writer's flaw of spending too much time planning and prepping and not enough actually writing.

Or rather, I do the wrong kinds of in-depth prep like "oh I'm going to download 30 articles/stories/books related to x or y topic that is going to appear in this story," instead of like...writing an outline and gameplan, and then maybe choosing one or two things to reference to start and THEN going and writing the rough draft so that I can decide if I really need to keep prepping or worldbuilding or whatever.

It's very dangerous! I'm definitely the kind of person who can pick up dozens or hundreds of books/articles/etc and maybe write a paragraph which is actually detrimental to the actual writing. Lol.

26. How do you get into your character’s head? How do you get out? Do you ever regret going in there in the first place?

I think it's important to spend time thinking about how other (real) people think/react/navigate life and then try to understand how/why they did something or said something. It doesn't have to be a full psychoanalysis or anything like that, but like, looking at people around you and seeing what they value or don't, how they tick — that's how you can approach exercising your character writing skills.

It's also a good way to...how do I put it ...? — it's good to look at other people (especially strangers) in the world and consciously acknowledge their humanity to yourself, and consider what shaped them. They're not just a cast extra or a backdrop in your life for 5 minutes! They have massive internal worlds too. It's a sense of people-mindfulness. In the same way it's good to like, go out in nature and contemplate some real nice flowers or hear a birdsong and be fully in the moment, it's also good to casually people watch and be aware of fellow humans. (Not all of them will be great people. Sometimes someone is a total jerk in public and you gotta be like "what made them do THAT?" Lol)

And then once you've just observed people only by as they present themselves, you can go ahead and imagine more details about them, changing things as you go to practice character building. I think about central values & motives, but also speech style and how they carry themselves. I don't base original characters entirely on any person I've seen, but I use the same thought process as the exercise to flesh a character out. Y'know what is obvious about this character they show to the world? What is buried more deeply? Why do they act the way they do?

Once you have some of those ideas, then you use that to guide your character writing to "get in their head." Whatever their internal logic is, that should guide the character's actions. If you struggle with getting out of their head, it's usually a) you're writing a different character and need to better understand their internal compass/differentiate it more clearly, or, more frustrating, b) you might need to think about your own internal compass / how you tick and think more. I think knowing yourself helps you "get out," — I'm sure actors have probably written and made great advice for character bleed for this reason.

I don't tend to have the second problem though (where I'm unable to get away from a character's head). I don't think I've ever regretted a character headspace either. Maybe it's because I'm already used to thinking things that I know I don't actually feel or that I distance myself from? Like "that's not me, that's my Anxiety Brain talking. That's depression voice. I don't really feel x or y, that's an intrusive thought, and I can acknowledge I wouldn't do that thing." Lots of boundaries in my brain already, the fiction doesn't hold much ground lol.

[semper-legens]

101. The Sunbearer Trials, by Aiden Thomas

Owned: No, library Page count: 401 My summary: It’s time for the Trials. Ten semidióses will be chosen today to compete for the title of Sunbearer. The winner will gain the crown - and the loser will have the honour of being sacrificed to keep the Obsidian gods at bay. Teo didn’t expect to be chosen - he’s the son of a Jade, not a prestigious Gold - but he and another Jade are selected by Sol to compete. Now they’re fighting for their lives to keep out of the bottom spot, but is something strange happening at these Trials? Why are the other competitors acting so out of character? And just what was Sol thinking in all of this? My rating: 4/5 My commentary:

The Sunbearer Trials! I'm always down for a bit of LGBT+ YA, and I've liked Aiden Thomas' previous work, Cemetery Boys. Though I thought that book suffered from being not particularly subtle at times, overall I enjoyed the world, setting, characters, and plot, and so after reading the summary for this one, I decided to give it a shot. And, overall, I'm glad I did. While I still had some of the same problems with Thomas' writing, the world and characters were expansive and interesting enough to engage me, and when the sequel to this comes out, I'm probably going to give it a read. What can I say? I'm a sucker for YA fantasy.

Our main character is Teo, the trans son of the goddess of birds, Quetzal. He's a Jade (more on that later) so he didn't expect to be chosen for the Trials. Unfortunately for him, he's the protagonist. He's joined by Niya, his friend who is the daughter of the Earth god Tierra, and Xio, the youngest competitor, fellow Jade, and son of Mala Suerte, god of bad luck. Niya is fun as hell, she’s a boisterous lass who acts without thinking roughly 110% of the time. Xio is shyer, more retiring, and very out of his depth. And Teo himself is bitter about being a Jade (and about his relationship with Aurelio, a Gold, dying) and fighting to keep all of his friends safe. He’s less worried about Niya than himself and Xio, however. Teo’s a good YA protagonist - he’s got a strong sense of justice, finds himself leaping into danger rather than listening to caution, and has a good instinct when something’s wrong. His voice is compelling and I found myself very much liking him. In general, actually, all the characters here are pretty well-defined - despite there being ten semidióses and a handful of gods as well as auxiliary characters to keep track of, I never struggled in remembering who everyone was and the short version of what their deals were.

And the worldbuilding here is so cool! This is a sort of alternate Mexico without so much of the colonialism - the gods are clearly inspired by Aztec mythology (like Quetzal) and a lot of the world is based on classic Mexican iconography, such as the alebrijes. Thomas has put a lot of thought and creativity into how the cities of Reino del Sol work, and the various powers and blessings gifted to the semidióses. And much of the language is Spanish-inspired rather than English-inspired; semidiós instead of demigod, TuTube instead of YouTube, Mexican candy rather than white American candy. It’s really neat, very much in line with the worldbuilding of Cemetery Boys.

Now, I do have a few criticisms here. As I said with Cemetery Boys, the writing here isn’t exactly subtle. Teo’s wings are the best example - he keeps them bound under his shirt at first because they’re the brown of girl wings, not the green that boys have. But when he stops hiding his wings, they change to green dramatically. Gee, I wonder what this is a metaphor for? It’s not like the writing’s bad, it’s just not keeping its subtext...sub. Xio and Teo have a heart-to-heart about being trans that sounds like it came straight out of a ‘how to talk to your trans friend’ handbook. The Golds missing out on normal lives and childhoods because of their Gold status is hammered home again and again. I just feel like this could have done with another draft to make it that much less overt, you know? It’s also notable that there are fair few transmascs in this book, but no (mentioned) trans women. None of this stopped me enjoying the book, but it did keep me from completely loving it.

Next up, some short stories that are allegedly horror, and prove once again that I should stop judging books by their covers.

#The Sunbearer Trials #aiden thomas #bookblr #book blog #book blogger #4

[hylialeia]

finished Fourth Wing and well. Eh

This book started off with a page labeled "BookTok praise", so... there's that.

My most positive note here is that it was a super fast read, even if it wasn't a short one; the pacing stayed quick and gave me a lot of ammunition to keep going, with surprisingly few lulls. It takes the Fantasy School concept and runs with it, and to its credit, it keeps things interesting enough to move forward and makes you want to see how the story turns out, particularly in the first half as we build towards "the Threshing," the event where the book's fantasy equivalent of college students (who feel more than a little inspired by the Dauntless faction in Divergent, albeit with a better in-world purpose for existing) are chosen to bond with their dragons. After that point, I felt a gradual decline in interest beyond the protagonist and her dragons, which while not detrimental to the story, was never fully resolved or reversed.

The worldbuilding was underwhelming. There was clearly thought and effort put into it, enough so that it had potential conceptually, but it never really got the focus or expansion I was hoping for. Atmospherically, the strongest areas were at the school, but beyond that, I felt like we got very little, which is a shame since the narrative decided to switch focus to the larger world near the end. I enjoyed the device of inserting excerpts from in-universe tomes and texts at the beginning of each chapter, though; Crier's War did something similar, and as far as exposition devices go, I think they're clever and fun.

Less fun were the characters - several interesting concepts that made it all the more disappointing when so many of them ended up being basic archetypes with no hint of deeper complexity. There were so many areas ripe with potential exploration and subversion, places where Rebecca Yarros could have turned the standard dynamics and clichés on their heads, but never really did. Bully character is a bully, jealous bitch character is a jealous bitch, etc, etc. Luca and Jack died without being anything other than obnoxious and awful; Violet and Dain's relationship fell apart remarkably quickly. I found some of the side characters intriguing - Rhiannon and Ridoc in particular - but there was never a particularly compelling depth to any of them, and worse, no moments in the story that really pushed that complexity to the surface. Liam seemed to be the one exception to this in a few instances, but that potential never got utilized and was fully extinguished when he died. For a book that started with such an emphasis on potential betrayals and high stakes, most character dynamics play out exactly as they seem and are far less cutthroat than promised.

Violet and Xaden are the worst offenders on this front. From what I gather, the romance was meant to be the main draw in this series, but I have to say, I never felt really pulled in or compelled by the supposed enemies to lovers slow burn between these two. None of their actions are ever those committed by outright enemies, especially not given how ruthless the setting is supposed to be. They don't even actively try to harm each other. I didn't necessarily dislike them as characters - mostly because the writing never took enough risks portraying them as people to ever get that far. They were never "too unlikable" (maybe an attempt to avoid SJM's pitfalls with very, VERY similar character archetypes), which left me finding their whole dynamic incredibly lukewarm. As characters, they felt more like vehicles through which to project what the reader wants to see, and less like vehicles through which to convey the already decided story via their strong personalities and designs.

Speaking of designs, I felt let down by Violet. One of the most interesting and exciting parts of the beginning of the book was in Violet's disability - or what I was led to believe was a disability (brittle bone disease/osteogenesis imperfecta) - and how she navigated that in this militaristic, ableist world. This came up often in the first half of the book, but by the end, it seemingly doesn't matter. It's such a huge missed opportunity, and one that would have fleshed out not only the protagonist, but several other characters and the overall world itself.

Overall, the story was competently written in a technical sense, though there were some stylistic choices that had me rolling my eyes. If I can be totally subjective for a second, the narrative voice really wasn't for me; there were several moments where it stripped some of the more tense moments of of their impact and took me out of the story entirely. In a story striving to portray the horrors of war, nationalism, and propaganda, it was hard to take much of the subject matter seriously with a bunch of fantasy college students calling each other "toxic assholes" or "fucking hot toxic assholes".

But there were dragons, so. 4/10, mostly for that and the pacing.

#fourth wing #the thing about me is if a book has dragons I will read it #and I am not immune to the whole dragon and rider communicate through telepathy thing #leia reads #been a while since I used that tag (still hasn't written the priory review ;-;)

[sage-nebula]

For the fic writer's ask: 💞 💝 and 🎀

Thanks 💜

💞 what's the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language

The characters, definitely. The characters are the backbone of any story. And to illustrate the point, I'll posit this scenario:

Say you go to one of those by-the-road tiny libraries, and there are two books inside that you can choose to read.

One book has intricate, expansive world-building; the author clearly put all their time into developing the lore of their world, to the point where the bulk of every chapter is infodumping about the world's history and cultural practices. However, as a consequence, the characters are very flat and one-dimensional, only serving as vessels to exposit more about the world they live in rather than having lives of their own.

The other book leaves a lot to the imagination about the worldbuilding. The author spends only the barest minimum of time on the world's history, gives you only enough pieces to be able to form a rough picture in your head of what the world currently looks like before they move on. There are many gaps here that they leave to you, the reader, to fill in. However, the characters are three-dimensional individuals, each with their own motivation and relationships and conflicts.

Which book would you rather read?

It's personal preference, of course. Some people LOVE world-building and it's what they care about most with any fictional narrative. But for me, I couldn't give less of a damn about it most of the time. I hate doing it myself, and I tend to dislike stories that spend ages expositing about this location or that world event. The entire reason I dislike Tolkien novels is because he spends what feels like three chapters describing a meadow. I just don't care about that. I want the characters, the dialogue, the relationships. I enjoy stories that are largely slice of life because those slices of life give us yet another avenue of insight into the characters and their relationships. I don't care how intricate your world-building is; if your characters are boring, I will put your book back.

All that said, grammar and writing style is also very important to me. Epithets, except for in cases where the point-of-view character doesn't know another character's name, make me want to claw my eyes out. And I put The Hunger Games back on the shelf when the first sentence of the first book was Katniss using purple prose to exposit about her sister. Writing style is integral to my enjoyment of a story. As I've said to various people before, I am super picky.

💝what is a fic that got a different response than you were expecting?

Hm, well, I was surprised that I only got one mean comment for including Scratch, Grounder, and Coconuts in chapter three of Beyond Oblivion. I was expecting way more people to take issue with that, lol. Although, when I later made a poll asking what fic people would like me to work on next, pretty much no one voted for that one, so . . . maybe people were just being polite, LOL.

Other than that, I did expect more people to be interested in Inflection Point, given that at the time I wrote it a lot of people were interested in Beyond Oblivion, so I thought a prequel showing how Miles ended up where he was would be interesting. But it got very little attention, so I thought wrong lmao. It's fine though; I still had a nice time writing it, so not all was lost.

🎀give yourself a compliment about your own writing

I'm very skilled when it comes to dialogue. I can hear conversations in my head and transcribe them easily, and the same goes with jumping from character voice to character voice without skipping a beat. My characters might be talking in a void, but at least they're talking!

#skimmingthesurfaces #writer meme