hmm. Just finished Murtagh and it was very 🤷‍♀️

Okay sooo i need that you give a list of all for favorite books. I need to read the books that you (one of my favorites fanfic writers) love the most. Dont be shy and break my tbr sweatheart

Haha, I’m weird in that I read allll the time, but actually finishing books? Rare. 

So my list of favorite books is actually pretty short: 

Ender’s Game and the whole Enderverse.  I’ve only not read The Swarm, Children of the Fleet, and The Hive because they came out while I was in grad school / after I finished and I need to go back and reread everything in the series IMO before I read them, and there’s 20 books in that series xD.  I think my favorite in the series is Ender’s Shadow and Earth Unaware. Both can actually be read as first books, since they are the first in their own series within the overall universe. Although Ender’s Game is probably best to read before Ender’s Shadow, just because then you understand who Ender is. I got my username from Shadows in Flight. 

Eragon and the Inheritance Cycle. The third book, Brisingr, is my favorite. 

The Hunger Games. I’m still mad about Gale. 

Artemis Fowl. I haven’t read the final two books in the series, but I loved the series as a kid/teenager. There’s a line in the Opal Deception that reads something like: “I’m going to make clones of you so I can kill you over and over” that I still find hilarious. 

The Thief. I just read this a few months ago, and I’m half way through the second book because... I do that. I need to just skip to the third because people say it’s the best in the series. I really loved the first, though. It was so unique and I loved the storytelling. 

Left Behind, the kids. This has been a favorite series of mine since I was a teenager, but I’ll admit, I tried to reread it recently and was like... wow this is so bad. LOL. I’m putting it here because when I read it I legit was obsessed, and we went on vacation while I was reading it so I brought three of the series (there’s like 10?) with me thinking it would be enough, and it very wasn’t, and the one I got stuck on until we got home ended with a gun being pointed at one of the characters and wow. Traumatized. Most miserable vacation ever. I’ve also tried to read the original series, and could never get into it. I should try it again, although I’ve read other of Jenkins’ books and am just underwhelmed by his writing.  I read the Soon Series, and even as a young college student my criticism of it was ‘interesting plot, terrible execution’ so. 😂. That’s all christian fiction as far as I can tell, though. I tried to read 49th Mystic for my church’s bookclub (I kept complaining at the group that I don’t read BS christian non-fiction that’s just some person being like ‘hey look at how righteous I am here’s a bunch of stories of my life’ and so I NEVER read the book for group, so they picked this one so I would read it since it’s christian fiction, and then I tried and was like this is so bad no. 😂). Hey if you want to read a REALLY overrated Christian Non-fiction book and fume about it with me, read Love Does by Bob Goff. I haaaate that book, it’s all about a guy being a stubborn jackass and then being like “See! I got everything I want!! Because I’m such a good Christian and God loves me!!!” :) 

And yeah. That’s it. There are tons of books on my shelf I read and enjoyed, but I wouldn’t put them on my ‘favorites’ list, and will probably never read again for this reason or that. Like The Fault in Our Stars, The Maze Runner, the Soon Series, the Kite Runner, One Word Kill etc. LIke I said, I tend to half read books and stop right in the middle for this reason or that. I have literally dozens of books on my shelves like that. 😂. I also have about 100 non-fiction books on my shelf that I’ve read.... because I’m a historian. But I’ll leave those out. ha.  If you want to read a popular history book, try Manhunt: The 12-day hunt for Lincoln’s Killer or Killer Angels. Both are fictionalized retellings of events during the civil war and I enjoyed both, even though I kind of detest that time period, but that’s more because I used to work at a civil war park as a tour guide in Georgia and it got So Tiring. I way prefer early American history. lol 

Elide x Lorcan ship ramblings

I’ve been reflecting on why I ship Elide x Lorcan so hard.  When QoS ended, I was all about imagining Aelin x Rowan and Lysandra x Aedion, and I didn’t think much of Lorcan except he was sort of the Loki of ToG.  

But once hints of Elide x Lorcan showed up in EoS, I was HOOKED.  I had tunnel vision while reading EoS and KoA hoping for scenes with them and ranting to my fiance about this ship.  I absolutely FREAKED OUT that one chapter in KoA when Elide realized Lorcan didn’t come back from the battle.  I was on the verge of kicking him out of the apartment so nothing could distract me from the drama of that chapter.  Let me tell you, quarantine + reading Throne of Glass books for the first time = lots of moments when I go “squee” and super long rants about ToG because real life is not fun to talk about...my fiance still wants to marry me so that’s fantastic (true love exists kids).

Anyway, I’ve been thinking to myself why I shipped Elide x Lorcan so hard and so fast when Lorcan was still relatively evil.  But he had hints of honor?  Like when he went back to the tunnels because he didn’t want the son of his bro Gavriel to die.  Didn’t care if Rowan died tho, LOL.  Classic Lorcan...

My first comic book character I was ever obsessed with was Catwoman.  Before I even understood character analysis, I just thought it was awesome she was sometimes good and sometimes not.  I found that kind of character more entertaining than classic heroes or villains.

Then around the age of 12 or something, I entered by first fandom ever: Naruto.  I became OBSESSED with Itachi, a character who is not really in the story that much, and he’s blatantly evil (like slaughtered most of his family evil, although there was a reason why but tbh I forget and you don’t find out until volume 5000 anyway) but the fandom knew there was something redeeming about his character, and he was mysterious AF, and super cute!

When I discovered fanfiction.net (the place where I learned lots of false information about how orgasms work - I see you tumblr, and you are even worse, my goodness), guess who became my favorite ship... Itachi x Hinata! 

So I guess I’ve always been a fan of the bad-boy-with-hints-of-redemption x honorable-courageous-small-angel trope? 

I also super shipped Murtagh x Nasuada from the Inheritance Cycle.  And Wolf x Scarlet from Lunar Chronicles.  Mira x Grant from the Glittering Court (this series needs more fans, it’s incredible).  Essentially the same trope.  I’m seeing a pattern in my ships...

Reblog other variations of this trope from other fandoms?  Or is it just me?  It’s not just me.  Tell me what to read next please. Quarantine is still going on for a while and my fiance is actually glad I use reading and fandoms as a coping mechanism.  

name — Blue

gender — Male

star sign — Virgo

height — 6′4″

age — 20

wallpaper on my phone — gosh, i’ve had this wallpaper of my boy for so long. wow. yeah, a friend of mine made this for me a long time ago. never changed it since

ever crush on a teacher — can’t recall

coolest halloween costume — Gosh, I had a fucking BOMB Sub-Zero costume. Can’t wear it anymore cause I am Too Big(tm). Might try and lose weight to wear it again.

favourite 90s tv show — i actually didn’t watch a lot of TV growing up, but out of the 90s era? I think I liked Mighty Morphin Power Rangers a LOT.

last kiss — March of 2019. been a while haha.

have you ever been stood up — I think once or twice.

favourite pair of shoes — s h o e s. kidding, don’t have a favorite pair.

have you ever been to vegas — no, but I plan to go for my birthday when I hit 21 this year. Hopefully, I’ll be ABLE to.

favourite fruit — it’s a tie between pineapple and cantelope.

favourite books — i really don’t read as much as i used to. I BECAME the writer lol. if i had to pick one though, it would be the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. Wonderful series.

all time favourite shows — again, i didn’t really watch a lot of TV. The most obvious one here is My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I’m genuinely not sure what else, though.

last movie you saw in theatres — I even tried talking to my mom about this, and I can’t remember for the life of me. i swear there was something after this, but the last one I remember was The Greatest Showman.

tagged by: @imperiialfrost​ ((thanks mom!!))

tagging: i have no idea who hasn’t been tagged tbh. steal it

Happy Storyteller Saturday! For LOE, I know you've been writing it for a long time and I love hearing how wips got started so do you remember what inspired LOE or what first got you started (like a plot, character, scene, or legend idea for example)?

I think in order to understand what inspired me to start writing this story is to get an idea of the pieces that make it up. I’ve been writing for this universe for almost eight years now, but the concepts have existed in some form or another for most of my life. Since I was a little kid, I have been in love with Tolkien’s lore (they were some of the first movies I saw in theatres) and “lived in my own little world” as my family puts it. But I won’t start too far back.

Winter 2005: I was in the third grade and wrote a story about a princess named Val. That princess has continued to exist as a character in some form or another in several stories since then and has finally evolved into a terba named Valenrey.

Spring 2008: I was a fifth-grader and had taken a profound interest (obsession) in dragons and as such, stole my brother’s only two books -Eragon and The Hobbit. Eragon quickly became my favorite story and had a special place under my pillow. From that story, I thought up a small, silver dragon named Iris.

Summer 2008: While frantically cleaning the house, my mother picked up Eldest and said, “whose copy of... Edelpest is this?” Suddenly I knew who was meant to fly with this Iris character. At least for the time being.

Fall 2009: In the seventh grade, gravitated toward werewolves. I started a story about “Kat,” an elf, and “Thief,” a werewolf originally named Paul but I had to change it because a kid named Paul in the class below me committed murder.

July 2011: On a road trip, I wrote a short story about sisters Katerine and ___ (now Perinnea) who lived in a suspended village, high in the trees. They were elves and Perinnea dabbled in magic which, to her “soon to be chief” sister’s horror, was considered unnatural and punishable by exile. (I did it first, FROZEN lol)

November 2011: I was a freshman in high school and the final installment of the Inheritance Cycle came out. Within three days, I managed to devour the whole thing despite having swim practice. For the first time ever, I was incapable of reading at all afterward.

December 2011: I was enduring my first “hell weeks” of swimming and was not taking it well. I got an iPod touch for Christmas and downloaded all five books of A Song of Ice and Fire. I swam, I ate, I slept, I read. I finished all five books before the end of January and my “book hangover” worsened.

March 2012: I discovered a writing app for my iPod and started recording a story about a girl named Edelpest who was found by a dragon named Iris and invited to join him in the magical land beyond The End. This was the beginning. I didn’t write voraciously because I was in art, I was in sports, and over the summer I got my first boyfriend, but it was something I picked up from time to time.

October 2012: As a dumb sophomore, I accidentally dropped my iPod off the roof of my house while I was sitting up there, writing. It was fine until the following day at school when I knocked it out of my pocket (I was pulling my hand out to hold that boy’s hand) and it shattered on the ground. The End was lost.

November 2012: I scribbled out “Spanish” from the cover of a yellow spiral notebook. My intention was to rewrite The End but I didn’t know enough about this elf Iris was best friends with, this elf who was meant to be Edelpest’s adversary. I wanted to know why she chose to stay behind when Iris went on this adventure and found Edelpest (and her friend Valenrey). So I started to write about his quest with his best friend, Helina, and rather than returning to Iris’ POV upon completing chapter two, Thief decided to join the story. This notebook, now safely tucked away in a banker box in my parents’ attic, is the first draft of The Assassin.

February 2013: I finished my swim season and it did not go to plan. I was devastated because it was the last I would have at that high school. I ate a quiet dinner, I showered as much of the chlorine out of my skin and hair as I could, and when I went to bed I distinctly remember having one, bright thought: “at least now I can just write.” That was when I realized that writing WAS my art, it WAS my outlet, and I WOULD pour myself into it. It was not long after that I had decided how Letters of Edelpest would end.

Since I started writing in notebooks, I have completed five drafts of The Assassin two drafts of The End, two drafts of The Thief, one draft of The Rogues, and I have only the start of The Vaults. All my notebooks have been kept, every file has been saved, and while I have five books for this series (LoE), I have other stores to tell with these characters in these settings. Three prequels have been planned and drafted, three stories will tell of the happenings after this series is done, and eventually, years from now, I will go on to write my greatest adventure of all, the kind I, as a young child, would have been terrified and enthralled to read by flashlight. Letters of Edelepst has been my primary project for eight years but that’s nothing compared to the time I have put into the details, and the time I will dedicate to bringing these characters and this world to life.

Sorry, I got a little carried away...

1000th post!🎉🎉🎉

We got there! We did it! 

I want to say thanks to everyone in the fandom for making it such a welcoming space and making me want to make a thousand posts here. I wouldn’t still be here if it weren’t for how awesome you all are. This really is a family more than a fandom and I love everyone for that 💖

And all the questions I received up until now are right here below the read more, so let’s just jump into it:

From @kokinu09: F*ck, Marry, Kill: Zed, Addison, Bucky 😂

You would choose this for me!

Okay, so...first off this is an incredibly weird thing for me to do, but I'll try my best 😂😅 I am also going to use the whole 'Bed, Wed, Behead' rhyme because...well, PG blog trying to avoid that awful profanity (I kid, but y'know how it goes around here 😂) so:

Bed: I guess based on character *age* I'd have to go with Bucky, and actor age too, as I believe of the 3 available Bucky is the only one not supposed to be like...under the age of consent. And Trevor is the only one in his 20's of the bunch so...yeah 😂😂

Wed: ...I guess Addison? Is there a rule we have to stay married? If not, a quick an easy annulment and, if we do, it'll be a marriage of convenience and we'll both do our own thing without caring too much. A nice easy solution 😅

Behead: I mean...some hc’s are that zombies can detach body parts, right? So that means in theory you could remove the head and nothing bad would happen? 😂 even just kill...zombies are technically undead as is, so I wouldn't have to do anything. Long live loopholes! 😂😂

From @kokinu09:  Favorite character in Mario Cart /Kart:

I...don't tend to play all that much, it's been quite a while since my last foray....but if I remember right I tended to go with Peach, Waluigi or Yoshi. Idk why, but those names stick out to me as memorable 😂

From @keepswingin​:  How old are you/when is your birthday (I am so interested by peoples ages because I enjoy guessing and I already guessed that you’re older than me soooo maybe 22/23ish?)

I am 22 and my birthday is in early October 😊 You were right on the money with that guess!

From @keepswingin​:  What is your favorite thing to write (fluff angst drama, etc)

Ooooh, that’s a tough one! Truthfully I enjoy writing all genres, and different styles too because part of what I love most about writing is improving my ability, which is why I love feedback so much (not so subtle hint that I’m always up for critique here 😂), and I think one of the best ways to improve is to keep a broad horizon, so I enjoy challenging myself with all kinds of types of writing!

I’d say my absolute favourite is probably...drama, though. I think one of the best elements of any good story is a great conflict that drives the characters through the plot, and drama’s one of the best ways to bring that out. Plus with drama you can play with other elements like angst, mystery, etc, so I love getting to try and throw that in!

From @keepswingin:  Are you an only child? Do you have any siblings?

I am... not an only child! I have one sibling, so I come from a fairly small family 😊

From @keepswingin:  Something you’ve always enjoyed (book, show, movie, etc)

Hmmm...it’s gonna sound cheesy, but improvement. I’m a perfectionist at heart, and part of just my personality is that I love trying new things. But at the same time, I want to be the best I can be at whatever I do, and really push myself in new directions and work as hard as I can to achieve whatever potential I have, and maybe if I’m really lucky I can push beyond that.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m always successful, or that life doesn’t get in the way, but it’s definitely something I’ve enjoyed ever since I was a little kid.

Also, the movie Stardust. It’s a go to and I love it. 😊😂

From @keepswingin: favourite hobby?

Well, I tend to keep up with a lot of hobbies, so it’s difficult to pick one...

Having said that, I’ve done horse riding ever since I was 3. I was around horses since practically birth, so I grew up as one of those horse girls way past the phase when it was considered acceptable, and was going to go into the equestrian business for a long, long time! 

I have had a break from horse riding, but I’m going back to it again and it really brings me so much joy that, even though I adore my other hobbies, I have to admit horse riding is one that holds a special place in my heart.

From @keepswingin: Do you like video games/have you played any?

I’m not huge on video games, but I’m certainly not averse to them either!

I enjoy a good let’s play (cause I’m cheap and poor and it means I don’t have to buy a ton of games and/or consoles or ‘git good’ as it were) but don’t tend to play a lot of games myself, though I like watching stuff that’s either action, horror, or story-based, as those really do tend to appeal to my tastes.

That being said I am currently involved in a weekly gaming night regarding the game Danganronpa, which is a lot of fun and I highly recommend it, and I also dabble in the Sims from time to time, like a lot of people (ya girl basic 😂)

From @keepswingin: Favourite book?

Oooh, that’s hard! I have a nostalgic place in my heart for the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini as one of the first YA fantasy series I read at like...10/11, which were so much fun.

But, as I am now...I tend to stick to the classics, or non-fiction if I’m honest (I’m boring, I know, judge me 😂) so I’d say Pride and Prejudice, as well as the Picture of Dorian Grey, are also up there in terms of favourites. That and biographies on figures like Leonardo Da Vinci are just endlessly fascinating to me. Also just...anything by Shakespeare. Man was an absolute genius.

From @keepswingin: If you don’t have a favourite book, a favourite author & the last book you read?

Well, at the moment my favourite author is a four way tie between Austen, Shakespeare, Wilde and Kazuo Ishiguro.

Speaking of, the last book I read in regards to fiction is actually the Buried Giant by Ishiguro that I’m currently working through. Non-fiction, it is currently...The Art of War by Sun Tzu.

From @fist-it-out: I have a question, a burning question: do you have siblings? How many what gender and are you a middle child? Middle child’s rule (me and keeps are middle kids).

I have one sibling, as told to @keepswingin, they're a sister and they're older. But there's only 2 of us so I'm the baby of the family (at the tender age of 22 😂😅)

Aaaaand that’s it! I didn’t receive any more questions in time for this post going up, so from now on, I will be going back to being as reticent about info as I’ve always been! Any more questions you will have to hold off on, as whilst you are always free to ask them, my ‘open book’ period of time has officially been slammed closed!

Nevertheless, thank you for all the questions, and I hope the answers were interesting enough for everyone! 

And now back to our regularly scheduled posting 😊

Tagged by @deputymaxwell and @pathcrier

1. how tall are you?

In the realm of 5’9-5’10 😂

2. what color and style is your hair?

It’s currently blond and like? Jess Mariano style from Gilmore Girls kinda

3. what color are your eyes?

Light brown/hazel/gold (my momma literally has gold eyes, I quite literally have a ring of gold around my eyes)

4. do you wear glasses?

Much to my dismay, yes

5. do you wear braces?

No but I needed them as a kid and I’ve been considering getting adult braces, life’s too short to be uncomfortable with something I can fix

6. what’s your fashion sense?

Vans, jeans (ripped jeans if I can) and some sort of dark coloured, plain t shirt or a band shirt or something video game themed. The occasional flannel or button up

7. full name?

Bailey John Bremmer

8. when were you born?

December 16th

9. where are you from and where do you live now?

I’m from Vancouver BC and I currently live in Penticton BC

10. what school do you go to?

I don’t at the moment, too expensive

11. what kind of student are you?

The disorganized, forgetful procrastinator

12. do you like school?

I liked it when I enjoyed what I was learning. I absolutely hated most of the other kids cuz they were all incredibly cruel and never left me alone

13. favorite subject?

Computer aided design 😍😍

14. favorite tv shows?

Gravity Falls, Supernatural, Sabrina, Gilmore Girls, New Girl, Bobs Burgers, The Vampire Diaries, The Walking Dead, Stranger Things

15. favorite movie?

City of Bones atm, it changes constantly

16. favorite book?

I don’t have a singular favourite but my 2 favourite series are The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare and The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini

18. favorite past time?

Video games!!

19. do you have regrets?

Lots, it’s impossible to live life without them

20. dream job?

Either a video game tester orrrrr an animator

21. would you ever like to be married?

I don’t really know anymore? A year ago I would’ve said yes right away? I think so?? Probably

22. would you like kids?

Maybe?????? I don’t know anymore either???

23. how many?

Just 1, if I ever decided I want them

24. do you like shopping?

Do I like it???? Y e s 😍😍 can I afford it? Not right now 😂

25. what countries have you visited?

Just the states, nothing fancy

26. scariest nightmare you have ever had?

I was trapped in a parking lot with all the ghosts from The Sixth Sense, and they all had whatever had killed them in their hands. They all had this weird black goo coming out of their mouths and for a while they just shambled around then all decided to just, maul me zombie style. We had watched that movie in middle school for Halloween and I had that nightmare for like 3 months and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. I still can’t walk by that parking lot (it took place in the town I was living in at the time and now whenever I go visit family there, I can’t even look at it)

27. any enemies?

Oh probably? But none that I’m aware of

28. any significant other?

No.

29. do you believe in miracles?

I want to, tho I don’t know if I actually do anymore

30. how are you?

Really sleepy

Most of y’all were already tagged by Char and Amanda so I don’t wanna tag you guys AGAIN

But @wrecklessbehavi0r and @gemder I WILL bug you guys with it 😂

You've been posting about eragon and i have to say... Omg yus its my favorite book series ever and I'm so glad you like it most people don't know what it is and say it's stupid but omg I'm rambling so I'm going to stop now but I'm so glad you like it

Okay, I’m so glad you’ve sent me this ask, wonderful anon. We’re going to go on a journey twelve to fourteen years back.

I read this book series when the first book came out. From the very start, I knew this would be a series I would love, but I didn’t really realize how much of an impact it would really have on me.

This series, as well as the Harry Potter series, was being released around the same time, and it was really cool having two pretty large (at the time) series being released.

Anyway, after reading the first book like ten times (not kidding), my mom let me know that she found the audio book at Costco. I’d never heard of an audio book, but I was super excited. And let me tell you, that was a huge turning point in my life. I don’t think any single piece of literature to date has hooked me and sucked me in as much as Gerard Doyle reading the audio book for Eragon. He has a way with words that keeps you more invested than any other VA I’ve ever heard.

With each new book release date, I would read the book the day it came out, and my mom would buy me the audio book. I became more and more invested, and by the time all four audio books were out, I’d listened to the first one over a hundred times. I specifically remember finishing the fourth book once, popping out the CD, and putting the first CD of the first book back in and starting over.

This might seem excessive, but when you grow up living fantasy worlds, the one you connect with most always seems to be the one you can go back to with ease.

To this day, Gerard Doyle remains the person I look up to most in the world. He inspired me to get into voice acting, and a lot of what I have learned about the skill has come from him.

I actually have a pretty dope Eragon tattoo planned!

So, wonderful anon…I fully understand, and to me, the Inheritance cycle is the best book series I’ve ever read. Yes, it’s not a hard read, and yes it is for ages 14+ or so, but the series will always hold a special place in my heart.

A, K, R, V for the fanfic ask?

A: Of the fanfic you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

Honestly I'm pretty damn proud of the unposted second chapter of the current wip, but if I had to pick a completed fic then I'd have to go with like i've never been. its soft and good and i will hopefully someday finish the sequel

K:  Do you have a guilty pleasures in fic (reading or writing)?

almost any fic with the tag combo of [character] Needs A Hug, [character] Gets A Hug, but really any found family where someone gets emotional support that canon denied them,,,,, mmmm thats the good shit

i also have a deep and terrible love for emotional reunion scenes of any sort. within the bounds of canon logic? please. time travel? sure. ghosts? sure. reincarnation? sure. someone haunting a dog? fuck it, why not. Let Them Hug. by any means necessary.

R: Which writers (fanfic or otherwise) do you consider the biggest influence on you and your writing?

OHOHOHOOOO alright, okay, trying to keep this to actual influence instead of admiration/enjoyment bc dear god are there some talented authors in this fandom??

@/transandor. if my descriptions are ever one tenth of vav's then i will fucking dissolve bc holy SHIT man. holy fuck. i dont care if you've never watched a single episode of mianite go look at his stuff right now

@/fialleril of Double Agent Vader fame was the first example i saw of really complex worldbuilding in fic, especially when it comes to folklore and mythology. the detail put into that series is fucking astonishing, as is the way that the myths intertwine with the plot, as is the figurative language, as is the everything else.

there are a fair few others from when i was first picking up fic that i would like to name, but they all seem to have changed usernames and/or deleted entirely :/

in terms of original authors, i'm going to reluctantly admit to a combination of a few really disconnected names.

The first is Homer?? i guess??? the Odyssey has always been one of my absolute favorites, but the epithets and descriptions (especially in the Fitzgerald translation) have been a huge huge huge influence on me. also the copious number of emotional reunion scenes. also the mythology, of course. i tried to write a mianite fix-it based on the Odyssey, actually, because the Odyssey slaps, actually,

The Secret Garden was also a childhood favorite, so i have to throw Francis Hodgson Burnett into the ring as well. the descriptions are genuinely spectacular. i can still recite certain parts from memory bc the imagery was That Fucking Good. the book has its issues, like most books its age, but it shaped a huge portion of my writing style.

Rick Riordan (PJO, specifically), Kathryn Lasky (Guardians of Ga'hoole), and Christopher Paolini (Inheritance Cycle) are the others that really spring to mind. they all had fantastic worldbuilding, as well as either stellar characterization or a mastery of tone. i haven't read any of their stuff in years, but i adored it as a kid.

V: Are there certain comments you’ve received on your stories that have stuck with you?

oh my god i got a beautiful wonderful incredible comment on are you really gonna save the world that would have made my ap lang teacher proud and i have been coasting on that since december. highkey the best christmas gift i got last year.

also cheese and lennon's keysmashes after i appear from the void,,,,, my beloveds,,,

Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance 🐉

Okay, here we go. The end of an era has just come upon me, and it’s finishing the Eragon series, officially known as the Inheritance Cycle, by Christopher Paolini.

I know that I’m late to the game here. Eragon, the first book in the series, came out in 2002, with Eldest following in 2005, Brisingr in 2008, and finally Inheritance in 2011. So I’m about ten years late to the game to be exact.

Actually, the thing is, I got Eragon probably when I was in elementary school and, as I read a lot in those days, it became a book on my shelf that for some reason I just never got around to. Last year coming home after Harvard cancelled the rest of in-person classes for the semester and California went on statewide lockdown, I discovered the word tsundoku. Tsundoku is one of those famous untranslatable words, Japanese, meaning “leaving a book unread after buying it, typically piled up together with other unread books.”

Well, I had just gotten home to California, and I was face to face with my many-years unread books. The longest one sitting unread was Eragon. I suddenly felt so bad for the book, that it had been collecting dust for 10+ years after a purchase, and so I very belatedly started to read the famous fantasy series, after being confronted by the mocking haunt of tsundoku.

And...wow. This book series truly revealed to my 23-year-old-self that the fantasy genre was not just my favorite as a kid...it was actually still my favorite genre. It’s just that I hadn’t read a fantasy series in an immeasurably long time. The few books I read for pleasure in high school and college were usually more along the lines of political commentary/satire novels or the bestsellers of the day. But this book brought me back into a genre of absolute fun and pleasure.

I’m not sure what the general consensus is on this, but Eragon was not my favorite book in the series. Eldest, book two, was my favorite. I have to say that the character of Roran was masterfully written and just one of my favorite all time book characters ever. This definitely contributed to Eldest being my favorite and Eragon being my least favorite, with Roran being the most present in the former and being the least present in the latter. Roran leading the villagers of Carvahall to Surda with no prior experience of leadership, battle, or knowledge of the lands outside Carvahall was absolutely stellar storytelling. The trek in exile from the havoc caused by the Ra’zacs was lyrical:

I think I’ve seen this film before

And I didn’t like the ending

You’re not my homeland anymore

So what am I defending now

Now I’m in exile seein’ you out

I think I’ve seen this film before

…

You were my town

Now I’m in exile seeing you out.*

I have to admit, I may like Roran as a developed character slightly better than Eragon. He completes his arc, saves and rescues Katrina, nearly saves all of Carvahall, and returns to Palancar Valley. Eragon’s end is not so circular or tidy.

Let’s talk about the dragons: Saphira, Thorn, Glaedr, and Fírnen. As you can see if you look at the covers, each has a differently colored one. In the case of Saphira, the story starts with her appearance. As with Thorn, Glaedr, and Fírnen, their books end with their appearance. I rather enjoyed this pattern, because it provided a new twist and unexpected way to end each of the books. Thorn changed the plot with Murtagh as a rider and vengeful half brother, Glaedr, with the knowledge that Eragon and Saphira were not alone and as a well-kept secret by the elves, and Fírnen hatching for Arya’s long awaited rider destiny. Of course, we don’t talk about Shruikan.

What really set this book apart from other fantasy series for me was the world of magic within it. The magic was so specific, so vivid, and so complex. I couldn’t help but compare it to the magic in Harry Potter, which is so well known even to those who didn’t read it. Yes, there are many spells in Harry Potter, but the book never goes into the mechanics of how it works. I found this aspect of the Eragon series to make it really stand on its own in the fantasy world. The care and understanding of how magic is derived from energy and how Eragon and other spellcasters were able to store, transform, and be transformed by it was probably my favorite part of the series. This was simply what made Alagaesia, Alagaesia.

One more thing must be said about the core of this series-- and that is names. I think the most powerful, all-important passage was Eragon and Saphira learning their true names. Isn’t that, after all, what allowed them to open the Vault of Souls? And isn’t that what allowed Murtagh to ultimately defy Galbatorix-- not because he had changed, but because he recognized his true nature, and thus his true name, had changed. Names here became the power of spells and the power of magic, and I absolutely loved that. Eragon Bromsson.

Harry Potter. Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The Hunger Games. All amazing fantasy series that I had loved before, and I can’t believe Eragon slipped through my fingers. This series DESERVES a spot among the greats.

*Yes, Folklore dropped while I was reading this book and “Exile” played in my head the entire time during Roran’s exile from Carvahall. 

11 Questions Tag

Rules: always post the rules, answer the questions given to you, write 11 questions of your own, tag 11 people

Thanks @the-bookler @bookcub @howlsmovinglibrary @mlledevoltaire for tagging me :D I’m just going to go ahead and answer all your questions in one post.

I’m tagging @logarithmicpanda @readingbooksinisrael @the-forest-library @the-forest-of-books @magic-in-every-book @lilymaidofgallifrey @thelibraryofmars @thevajunglebook @aimeereadsalot @rhetoricandlogic @captainbookamir

1. What film or TV show do you wish there was a book for?

Um… I honestly don’t know? Most of the movies and TV shows I really enjoyed were already adapted from books, so…

2. What was your favorite book as a child? The Inheritance Cycle was my jam back in middle school!

3. What’s the coolest book you own? Um, maybe The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick? It’s told half through pictures and I’ve honestly never seen anything like it before (aside from the author’s other books).

4. If you could bring 1 character from any book to life to be your friend/partner/whatever, who would it be and why? Ah my god just one??? Um, first person that comes to mind is Jesper Fahey. He’s just such a hilarious guy. 

5. What bookish world would you like to live in? The world of Septimus Heap!! (surprise?)

6. Worst book you’ve ever read? The Lovely Bones, man. Was just not lovely. At all. 

7. How do you treat your books- do you highlight, dog-ear, annotate, keep pristine, etc? I like keeping them in pretty pristine condition (though some of them have gotten pretty beat up over the years). I don’t really highlight/dog-ear, though recently I have been tempted to start annotating...

8. If you were to write a book, what genre would it be? Am currently in the process of doing so, and fantasy, naturally. 

9. Least favorite character ever? Umbridge. We do not speak of that monstrosity in this household. 

10. What book do you think everybody should read? I can’t really think of anything off the top of my head, since I don’t really think there’s a universal book that everyone will enjoy. I would totally freak out if everyone read Sep Heap though. 

11. If you could have your memories of one book wiped to read it again fresh, which would it be? I actually don’t know. One of my favourite things is going back to a book and having that feeling of nostalgia associated with it. I usually forget most of the plot points anyway, so it feels like reading it for the first time all over again.

1. Who was the last character you related to and what were they from?   Ummmm from the books I’m currently reading, Rincewind from The Colour of Magic. He’s just such a relatable mess of a person. 

2. What’s your favorite genre of music? Whatever genre you’d classify musicals under.

3. Which tags on tumblr do you follow and why? I actually don’t follow any tags! Is that weird? I just regularly search them instead. 

4. Do you have any book related jewelry? Nope, I wish! 

5. Thoughts on booklr being dead? *looks at self* *is not dead* *looks at friends* *are also not dead* Um. 

6. What are some of your favorite picture books from when you were a kid? GREEN EGGS AND HAM! I think I read that books upwards of a hundred times, no joke. Also, If I Were An Ant. I would die laughing every time I read that book. The absolute height of comedy for five-year-old me. 

7. What’s the first book you remember reading or being read to you? Green Eggs and Ham, funnily enough. 

8. What’s you favorite dystopian novel and why? Probably 1984 or The 5th Wave. Not a huge fan of dystopia in general, to be honest. But both of those books make you think. 

9. Where do you get/buy most of your books? The library! 

10. Favorite animal? Ermines and ferrets and pine martens and weasels are very precious creatures. 

11. What book release are you anxious for (one you know the release date for) (yeah that means not Doors or Stone) La Belle Sauvage by Phillip Pullman and Mirage by Somaiya Daud! 

1. What is your favourite TV show/film? Tangled is my go-to comfort film! Could watch forever. 

2. Do you prefer science fiction or fantasy? (Neither?) Fantasy all the way :D though sci fi has recently been growing on me as well. 

3. What is your ‘comfort food’ book, for whenever you’re ill/sad/tired etc? I actually don’t have one! Though usually when I’m feeling that way I just turn to YA contemporary, which I otherwise never pick up. Sometimes you just need a bit of fluff to lighten up your day. 

4. If you could have any magical power, what would it be? Um, does stopping time count? Then I could procrastinate to my little heart’s content. 

5. If you could rewrite any book, how would you change it and why? I would rewrite Flowers for Algernon and take all the stupid “sexual growth” stuff out and fix all the female characters. Then maybe I could actually rate it four stars. 

6. Tea or coffee? But have you ever considered this: both. 

7. If you had the chance to become the ‘chosen one’/hero of an epic story, would you take it? (PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER vs. weight of the world on your shoulders/potential for extreme trauma). Nah, I’d be the comic side-kick who ends up dead. 

8. Hogwarts house? Why you gotta as me questions I don’t even know the answer to? Slytherin? Ravenclaw? The universe is not ready for the answer. 

9. Least favourite book trope? Too many. Instalove is pretty high up there. 

10. If you could dress up as any character from books or other fiction (not taking actual costume making skills into account), who would you choose to dress up as? Eponine! Or Marcia Overstrand! Or Lucy Gringe! I don’t know!!!!!! 

11. What is your favourite dessert? Anything with chocolate crammed in there in, like, four different ways. 

1. Favorite non-fiction book? Those Matt Ridley books. I know I keep talking about them whenever non-fiction comes up, but I don’t think I’ve read more than five non-fiction books total in my life outside of school. 

2. A trope that you can’t help but love? The rag-tag bunch of characters that eventually become a found family. How can you not love it??

3. Choose your fighter: the classic authors edition. (Who’s your fave and why?) Vicky Hugo! 10/10 fighting power. Will put his enemy to sleep with his deadly ability to describe parisian sewer systems and the battle of waterloo for hours on end.

4. Favorite art movement and/or artist(s)? I’m gonna be honest, I don’t know shit about art. But I really love the whole photorealistic thing going on - is it a movement? who knows - whatever it is, it’s very cool <-- actual artistic terminology right there

5. Do you watch book adaptations? If yes, which are your favorite ones? I loved The Princess Bride! And A Series of Unfortunate Events was done really well too. 

6. Wanna rant real quick about something? (I know you do.) Okay, so, I’m currently reading The Map of the Sky and guys, this book is so good. The writing is perfect, the plot is brilliant, the characters are great (did I mention two of them are H.G. Wells and Edgar Allan Poe???). I haven’t loved a book this much in so long. So please go read The Map of Time, then pick up The Map of the Sky. Then come to me. And scream away. It will be great.

7. Which book/series you want everyone to read and why? SEPTIMUS HEAP! It is everything! I just want to have more people to yell with about it. There is a kid who seals a deal with a dark force with a freaking liquorice ring. Characters who go through awkward goth phases and I-want-to-kidnap-certain-people-to-validate-my-worth phases. Just read it!

8. New releases or backlist books? Backlist books! They’re 99% of the books I read.

9. What would you like to see more of in books? Diversity and trope subversion! I’m here for both. 

10. Your favorite childhood tv show/cartoon? Arthur! That show was the best. 

11. Mug full of tea on your bed - yay or nay? N A Y (god Ewelina are you conducting a survey or something? you can count mine as 100 responses. stop trying to validate your risky habits xD)

Okay! My Questions: 

1. Have you ever fallen out of love with a book? Why? 2. What’s the strangest book-related dream you’ve ever had?  3. Have you read a book that you didn’t really appreciate until later on?  4. What book would you like to see a musical adaptation of? (Bonus: any ideas for song titles?) 5. Have you ever thrown a book across the room? What was it?  6. What book cover do you absolutely hate? How would you redesign it? 7. Have you ever cosplayed a character? Who? 8. What’s the last book that made you want to scream from the rooftop?  9. What’s your favourite subgenre?  10. If you could bring an author back to life to write one more book, who would it be?  11. Mug full of tea on your bed - yay or nay? 

50 random facts about me!

Decided to do this instead of a more “formal” About Me-thing ^^ 

1. My parents are separated since before my birth, so I’ve moved between two homes since I was old enough to be away from my mum for one day.

2. I have three half-siblings; one younger brother (who I’m very close two), and two younger sisters (who I’m not as close to, because it’s a larger age gap between us).

3. I’m fluent in swedish and english, can speak some german, understand norwegian because it’s very similar, am trying to learn korean despite not really having the time for it, and I’ll start taking classes in italian this autumn.

4. The furthest away from Sweden I’ve ever been is London, so I haven’t seen a lot of the world.

5. My only real fear is spiders.

6. I’m a total lightweight when it comes to alcohol.

7. I’m a type 1 diabetic.

8. My favorite drink is orange juice for some reason.

9. I do pretty much everything for the Aesthetic™.

10.  I’m incredibly forgetful.

11. I’m the mum friend in all of my groups of friends. Seriously, I’m the one to come with relationship advice, tips on cooking, home remedies for different kinds of sicknesses, and when I’ve got the money I’ll buy “Get Well Soon”-kits full of candy and ice cream.

12. I’m always one of the teachers’ favorite students.

13. I have never broken or sprained a bone anywhere in my body.

14. I have never even considered smoking a cigarette.

15. I’m such a music junkie. I need music in the background at all times.

16. I’m obsessed with scented things. Body lotions, scented candles, perfumes, body mists… I spend almost all of my money on those things.

17. I love chocolate, but I pretty much only eat dark chocolate as milk chocolate makes me feel sick.

18. My immune system is quite good. This year was the first time I got sick in roughly 6 years.

19. I have never been in a relationship, and that’s something I’m very insecure about.

20. I spend too much money on shoes. I have like 15 pairs.

21. I’ve lived with depression for 5 years now, and I went through a 2-year period of self harming and suicidal thoughts (but I’m soon three years clean, so it’s all good).

22. I love cooking and baking, and I’m pretty good at it as well.

23. According to my most recent Pottermore sorting, I’m a Ravenclaw, but I’ve gotten Gryffindor more times than the other houses.

24. My best subject in school is english, as I’m a straight A student without even trying, and my teacher always gives me the most difficult books to read and stuff like that because she knows I can do it.

25. I develop crushes so easily, and then I can’t even look my crush in the eyes until I’ve moved on.

26. My absolute favorite book series is the Maze Runner, although Harry Potter and the Inheritance Cycle are well up there as well.

27. I prefer fantasy and sci-fi movies above all other genres.

28. I don’t really have a preference when it comes to music, although I really like songs with a chill summer-vibe, like Jay Park’s newer stuff.

29. I really can’t sing for shit, but that’s not stopping me from yelling along to all songs I listen to.

30. My birthday is February 7th.

31. My favorite animal are tigers. They’re just so pretty.

32. I was always that one weird kid who read books during breaks when the others played when I was younger.

33. I have never kissed anyone.

34. I’ve got a social phobia, so I can never initiate conversations with new people, no matter how much I want to.

35. I’m such a sentimental loser. I have things I’ve kept since I was 5 years old just because I got it from a friend.

36. I absolutely love to play Dragon Age Inquisition, but I’m really not much of a gamer.

37. I try to restrain my eating, as to not gain more weight, but I can still eat like hell. My record is getting an entire pizza down by myself in 10 minutes.

38. I really wish I had more money to buy makeup, as I just started wearing makeup like one year ago, and I need to stock up on some stuff (and buy better things).

39. I love to buy office things, like notebooks and stuff, just because it makes me feel organized, although I’m pretty much the opposite.

40. I’m always tired. Idk why, but I’m tired 24/7, and I have been for several years, and I can fall asleep anywhere. I’v slept on the floor at school on several occasions.

41. I need constant reassurance that my friends actually like me to not get anxious about wether they actually hate me or not.

42. I have been told my handwriting is very pretty.

43. My least favorite season is spring, as everything is just muddy and grey pretty much.

44. I build muscles very easily, so I don’t like doing exercises like push ups or weightlifting, as then I’ll be the same size, only with muscles instead of fat.

45. I like to think that I’m a good liar.

46. I love ice cream so much. I always crave ice cream, and sometimes me and my best friend will have ice cream-dates where we go to a store, buy a tub of ice cream and some plastic spoons, and sit down to eat outside.

47. I won’t leave my house unless my outfit looks good. Like, not even to go grocery shopping.

48. I’d like to learn how to use some kind of weapon, like bow and arrows or a sword or throwing knives or something like that.

49. I have a book I’ve been working on since I was 12.

50. I really really really want a golden retriever.

12, 14, 16, 18

12. Does time go by fast or slow to you?

For me, time always seems to go by too fast. I get distracted so easily or get caught up in things so often that time goes by way to quickly, even doing things I don’t enjoy.

14. Favorite sweet food?

Probably chocolate ice cream!! I don’t really like cake or cupcakes very much, but I adore ice cream.

There’s a type that we have at the moment at my house, and it have chocolate flavored ice cream as well as what I can only describe as strips of ice cream….

It’s definitely my favorite

16. Space, Ocean, City, or Forest?

Ooh, this one is hard. I like being in the city and the forest is certainly the most comforting out of all of these options, since I grew up around it and exploring it.

I love swimming, but I don’t think I can choose the ocean, just because of how scared I can get to actually swim in there (I blame the jellyfish documentary I watched when I was a kid for that one)

So that leaves me with space. I’ve always loved space and the stars, and I would say I have a sort of fascination with just wanting to know what’s beyond our world…

of course, it’s highly unlikely that I will ever go to space while alive, I can certainly dream about it.

18. Comfort book?

My comfort book is Eragon from the Inheritance Cycle for sure. My first copy is so worn out just from me reading it over and over again when I was younger.

The story is so familiar to me, as well as the words. Sometimes I can even pick out things that were edited from the original print to later prints lmao

Of course, I love all of the books in that series, and I actually got to meet and talk with the author once, which was incredible and he encouraged me in being a writer, but the first remains the most comforting, just by its familiarity,

I should definitely be writing

Well it seems I’ve been tagged in a tumblr thing. Kinda new to me, but hey, imma go for it. Thank you @the-awkward-math-writer for this challenge. How tall are you? I swear I’m 5′5″, but to 5′5″ people I’m probably 5′4 1/2″ What color and style is your hair? I dye my hair red, like kinda bright red though I wanna go for a sexy dark red. I normally just wear it down. You will know I need to wash my hair if you actually see me in a ponytail. Eye color? Pretty bright blue. I get a lot of comments from old ladies about it. Do you wear glasses? I do wear glasses. I wear them pretty much everyday. I have contacts, but only really wear them if I am going out and about or at fancy occasions. Do you wear braces? I did have braces in middle school. As well as an expander. I also had another expander before that one. And a retainer. And another retainer after the braces which I don’t really use anymore... so yeah I had a messed up jaw. What’s your fashion sense like? Black, like my soul. I tend to just wear dark leggings, tank tops, and sweaters unless I am feeling comfy. This means bright sweatpants and big sweatshirts. I don’t have too much of a fashion sense and pretty much no shame when wearing pajamas in public. How many siblings do you have? I have one sister who is younger than me. @superlaurigi though she doesn’t really use tumblr much but I try. She is amazing btw, and beautiful, and like a pretty cool person. What kind of student are/were you? I completely bullshitted my way through high school. I procrastinate all the time, doing everything last minute. But I take pride in still getting it in on time. Also you never if I am coming to class or not. In high school my friends would bet on whether I was just late that day or actually coming at all. Usually the latter. So in conclusion I get pretty good grades but procrastinate and bullshit everything. What’s your favorite subject? Right now biology. Science is my jam. What’s your favorite TV show? Oh gosh if I were to really say all y favorite shows this list would never end. I guess the most important ones are Doctor Who, Sherlock, Supernatural, Grey’s Anatomy, The Office, Parks and Rec, and sooooo much more like it’s never ending. What’s your favorite book(s)? Again, a huge list, but gotta say my top ones are Harry Potter series, the Inheritance Cycle series (or the Eragon series), The Hobbit, and more. What’s your favorite pastime? Netflix and food. And video games. And spending time with friends. And my dogs. Nothing too exciting. Do you have any regrets? Don't we all?  What’s your dream job? Becoming a veterinarian. This is something I have wanted since 4th grade. If I could write a book series that would be cool, but I have not the skill nor the patience to do so. Do you want to get married? I do, but who knows when or even with who. Waiting for the perfect man I suppose. How many kids do you want? I think my max is 5 kids. I want more than two, but not so many I have no money, you know what I mean? How many countries have you visited? I have been to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip once. I have also been to Peru with my Peruvian friends whom I love dearly. I would love to go back there, the food is amazing. What’s the scariest dream you’ve ever had? I gotta say I think the scariest dream I ever had was one where my dad was the devil and kidnapping and killing children. Yeah, my family may be a little messed up. Do you have any enemies? Enemies? I feel like that’s kinda a strong word. I have people i am not friends with anymore and we ended not goodly. There are people I choose not to talk to though they want to talk to me, really one person, that I don’t trust. But in a way, the worst enemy you can have is yourself too. Who’s your date mate? Date mate? Like friend dates? Or actual dates? Cuz I only got friends lol. Though Johanna is probably one of my ultimate date mates. I also go out with my friend Haley a lot. There are people I hope to go on “dates” with *cough cough* @the-awkward-math-writer @skuggoo

Soooo that is me, I answered all the questions. I don’t know too many people on tumblr I would wanna see this from. Maybe @skuggoo @superlaurigi

Thank you @the-awkward-math-writer for this challenge. Love you all!

Tags

I was tagged by @ificouldbringyouback to do these tags!! I'm so sorry for taking this long to do this but even now my PC Tumblr is messed up and I'm doing this in my phone! Thank you so much for tagging me <3 <3 <3

1. RULES: Bold the statements that apply to you, italicize your aspirations, and tag nine people!

AIR: I have small hands • I love the night sky • I watch small animals and birds when I pass them by • I drink herbal tea • I wake to see dawn • The smell of dust is comforting • I’m valued for being wise • I prefer books to music • I meditate • I find joy in learning new truths from the world around me

FIRE: I don’t have straight hair • I like to wear ripped jeans and overalls • I play an organized sport • I love dogs • I am not afraid of adventure • I love to talk to strangers • I always try new foods • I enjoy road trips • Summer is my favorite season • My radio is always playing

WATER: I wear bracelets on my wrists • I love the bustle of the city • I have more than one set of piercings • I read poetry • I love the sound of a thunderstorm • I want to travel the world • I go to sleep past midnight most days • I love dimly lit diners and fluorescent signs • I rewatch kids’ shows out of nostalgia • I see emotions in colors not words

EARTH: I wear glasses • I enjoy doing the laundry • I am a vegetarian or vegan • I have an excellent sense of time • My humor is very cheerful • I am a valued advisor to my friends • I believe in true love • I love the chill of mountain air • I’m always listening to music • I am highly trusted by the people in my life

AETHER: I go without makeup in my daily life • I make my own artwork • I keep on track of my tasks and time • I always know true north • I see beauty in everything • I can always smell flowers • I smile at everyone I pass by • I always fear history repeating itself •I have recovered from a mental disorder  • I can love unconditionally

the ones in both bold and italics are things that apply to me, but i also aspire to be better at

2. 

Gender: Female

Star sign: Moon Sign is Pisces and Sun Sign is Cancer

Height: 5'4"

Sexuality: Straight, I think. Though I’m tempted to say Fluid.

What image do you have as wallpaper: They are generic ones, but my laptop has a colour-gradient keyboard cover, and my wall paper is set to match that because I am trash

Have you ever had a crush on a teacher: Yes. Once. He was really cute and smart and young. 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years: Hopefully in a place with good scenery where I can drink a cup of coffee and enjoy a good book. And hopefully as a successful physicist.

If you could be anywhere else right now where: Some place with air conditioning because it is so fucking hot in my Dorm room.

What was your coolest Halloween costume: Never celebrated Halloween lol. I’m a hindu, and we don’t trick or treat in India. But I wish we did, it would be so cool. I’ll probably do it even when I’m 38.

What’s your favorite 90’s show: Does Tom and Jerry count?

Last kiss: Never kissed anyone .^.

Ever been stood up: Never been on a date .^.

Have you ever been to Las Vegas: lol nope

Favorite pair of shoes: Depends on my mood. I love comfortable footwear in general. I love boots but I’ve never owned one. But when I wear these black wedges I own, I feel like I’m invincible and going to war, so those, I guess.

Favorite fruits: Black Grapes. Bananas. Berries. I like a lot of em. 

Favorite book: TOOO MANY TO COUNT. But I love books by Rick Riordan and Cassandra Clare. Harry Potter is a default entry. I also love the Inheritance Cycle, Shatter Me Series. Stand-alone contemporaries: Fangirl, Geekerella, old classics like Pride and Prejudice.

Stupidest thing you’ve done: I do at least one extremely stupid thing every week. I have many stories, an especially good one about the scooter-exchange. But the most recent one, for instance: This week, I got 16 milk cartons (200ml) that did not require refrigeration. They expire within six months of manufacture, and when I saw them on the shelves, packs manufactured on 24 Feb were interspersed with those manufactured in Dec 2017. I gleefully picked up all those with 24 Feb manufacturing date thinking ‘HAHA YOU CAN’T FOOL ME BITCHES I READ MY LABELS’. And after returning to my room, I picked out one of them to make coffee. I reread the label. It said ‘Feb 24 2016′. 

Cue, I get really pissed off at myself and the shopping Mart, call and lodge a complaint saying they needed to let me exchange these and stop selling expired stuff. The customer care employee profusely apologizes and lets me know that I can exchange them and that they were very sorry. So I decide to go the next day and start packing the milk carton. And what do I see? EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM SAYS ‘24 Feb 2018′. I freak out and check the one carton I had opened. It said ‘24 Feb 2016′. So I guess it was a printing error during, manufacturing but just. How rotten was my luck that the one single pack I opened had the error? WHat were the chances? I felt terrible, had to call and cancel the complaint and make them aware of other possible manufacturing errors. ANYHOW. I would like to tag ya’ll coz I love you guys and wanna know you better. Feel free to do it or not because you might have already done it, but here goes: @altruisticshouto @102-delinquents @animeismybaeblog @trashtalkingkuroo  @ayilachan <3

An Interview with Brian Niemeier, Part I

Brian Niemeier is a best-selling science fiction author and a John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer finalist. His second book, Souldancer, won the first ever Dragon Award for Best Horror Novel. He chose to pursue a writing career despite formal training in history and theology. His journey toward publication began at the behest of his long-suffering gaming group, who tactfully pointed out that he seemed to enjoy telling stories more than planning and adjudicating games.

Released this week, Brian’s newest book, The Ophian Rising, concludes his groundbreaking Soul Cycle series. Recently, I sat down with Brian to discuss The Ophian Rising, the rest of the Soul Cycle, and more. Part I focuses on the Soul Cycle.

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You’ve mentioned on your blog that the Soul Cycle has been a passion project for you. What about it made it so riveting as a story to explore?

It’s kind of like trying to quantify love. Forgive me for going John C. Wright for a moment, but you kind of just asked me, “why do you love your favorite child?” I could point to how pleased I am with how the characterization has turned out and I could probably point to a few sequences in each book that I’m particularly proud of. It’s just in my wheelhouse. It’s the kind of project that I find esthetically pleasing. Like a lot of writers say, the Soul Cycle is the kind of sci-fi fantasy series that I always wanted to read but could never find, so I had to write it myself.

For those new to the series, could you take a moment to describe the Soul Cycle? What they can expect?

The unexpected. The Soul Cycle came out of this mélange of my earlier influences. Everything from 90s anime space operas, to Dune to Star Wars. There’s some Golden Age JRPG–16-bit and 32-bit era–role-playing games in there. It’s been described as a kitchen sink series, but that’s not to say that it’s incoherent. I miraculously managed to weave an internally self-consistent narrative through the whole thing and now it’s done.

You mentioned some influences on the Soul Cycle. Was there a moment that inspired it? Can you remember where the idea came together to start writing?

This is going to sound weird, but bear with me. As a kid and even up through college, I would occasionally amuse myself with amateur model building. I put together some commercially produced kits but quite often I’d just find stuff around the house and just hot glue stuff together into a shape that I thought looked cool.

So one day I was sitting down, and I had all of these used plastic frames from old Warhammer 40k figures. You know, the actual parts that aren’t even punched out. So I just had these slender plastic almost girder looking pieces and I though I’d see what I could build with them. I started forming the skeleton of a spaceship. I was just sitting there at my card table with some sort of cable movie the week on to the background and it just started taking shape into this big severe angular brutal looking behemoth thing that I ended up painting glossy black. It had this one gold rimmed emerald green eye in the center of the bow. Then I just did what sci-fi authors do–I asked, “what if?”

Who made this thing? Where did it come from? What is it? I actually took a page from “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by thinking, “what if this ship is powered by the torment of a child?” Immediately the idea for the entire character of Elena Braun popped into my head. Elena just kind of stepped out of my subconscious like Athena sprouting from Zeus’s forehead and introduced herself to me. I just took it from there and curiosity did the rest.

I’m looking at the Nethereal cover right now. Is that anything like that ship that you kitbashed?

It’s close. That is my artist Marcelo Orsi Blanco’s interpretation of the ship I kitbashed. I’ve actually got pictures of the model.

During the Puppy of the Month readthrough of Nethereal, I noticed that the Great Chain of Being was a big part of the world building. But the full implications didn’t hit me until I was reading Secret Kings yesterday. It made perfect sense that the fire souldancer would be the one to redeem the universe because fire is the element closest to the divine. What other mythologies or stories influenced the world building of the Soul Cycle?

Primarily the Christian Manichean heresy. I set out specifically to design a Manichean cosmos, partially in an effort to disprove it. I’ve read a lot of Augustine of Hippo. He’s one of my favorite authors. He’s right on the edge of antiquity and the Middle Ages, he’s been called the Last Ancient Man and the First Medieval Man, and his writings always really resonated with me. He made that journey personally from paganism to Manicheanism and finally to Orthodox Christianity. One of his arguments against the Manichean order–I suppose I should define what I mean.

The Manicheans believed that there were two gods, the god of Good and the god of Evil. That was sort their way around theodicy, or the problem of evil. By saying the good god created only what was good and everything that is good and evil comes from the evil god, that’s how they thought to get around it. The problem with that is, if evil has substance of its own and its own order of being, then it’s really just another good. There really is no evil because there’s no cogent argument for not choosing the evil getting the “evil” god’s order over the good god’s. You inevitably end up in moral relativism. So I tried to depict that in the work, especially in the climax of Souldancer like you’re alluding to.

There’s been some debate on where new readers should start the Soul Cycle. Jon Mollison and many others have said Souldancer. I loved Nethereal. I love what you’ve been doing since then but to me it’s still my favorite. Where would you recommend that the reader starts and why?

First of all, thank you for that glowing praise.

That is a question that I’ve debated myself and I’ve spoken with others about that. Listen to your readers, you always want to try to write to market. There have been a few who said start with Souldancer because it hits the ground running more. They find some of the concepts tend to be clearer, but the majority side with you. They say start with Nethereal and read in order.

The order of release is my preferred order. Actually, I ended up doing what Nick Cole and Jason Anspach just did with Galaxy’s Edge, where they actually wrote the second book first and then went back and wrote Legionnaire. I wrote Souldancer first and then I thought, you know there’s a lot of background here that needs to be covered. For example, how did the Cataclysm happen? Who are Thera and Shaiel? Why should we care about them? Where does the  name “souldancer” come from? I went back and wrote Nethereal to fill in the back story, so I think the most logical progression is to start with Nethereal.

With The Ophian Rising newly released, could you set the stage for the readers?

How about we start with just the general background of this novel as it relates to the others?

What I can tell you is if you’ve read The Secret Kings then you know that–spoilers for anyone who hasn’t read it yet–the good guys had their climactic and decisive final battle with Shaiel, with Vaun Mordecai, that’s been brewing since the first book. In The Secret Kings, I largely wrapped up the main through-line that started with Nethereal, which is you know these two beings who are vying for godhood. They each get half of the pie. So Elena as Thera’s soul inherits the power of the White Well which is the opposite of her birthright. Vaun kind of stole her birthright and ended up as Shaiel, the new god of the void. That conflict has resolved. Shaiel’s attempt to dominate the entire cosmos and turn it into one giant undead Void full of undead damned creatures serving him was thwarted. So really what you’ve got at the end of The Secret Kings is the last of the old pantheon that used to rule the cosmos being overthrown and this new group of misfits that we’ve been bringing together since Nethereal rise to become the new royal family of the whole Soul Cycle universe. Really only Zadok in the form of Szodrin is left, but he’s kind of the watchmaker god. He just likes to step back and see how things play out like a model train enthusiast.

So people said, “Well, The Secret Kings seems to come to a satisfying resolution. Why do we need another book?”

It’s because whereas The Secret Kings might have resolved the main plot or the first three books to the Soul Cycle, my work isn’t done until I’ve tied up all the themes. There’s at least one major theme that was left dangling, one major question that a lot of my readers have asked about and you just asked about earlier. Which is, so we’ve shown as early as Souldancer, that the basic moral underpinning Zadok tried to build with his cosmos doesn’t work. There is no guarantee of right and wrong. There’s really no way to avoid moral relativism except by Zadok saying “Because I said so.” So readers have been asking me if there is any point to it. Is there any clear right and wrong? Is there any clear definition of villainy or heroism? Any reason to hope and not despair? Any reason to choose love over apathy? So that is what The Ophian Rising primarily addresses.

I do show what the ultimate source of morality is and the ultimate reason for hope–but also fear. Realizing there are moral absolutes can be quite scary when you realize there is a standard that everyone is held to.

I definitely agree that the first three books have a satisfying arc. There’s still the judgment of Zadok over Astlin from the end of Souldancer.

You’re very close and it’s interesting that you honed in correctly on the character of Astlin. She’s another character who just one day showed up and knocked on my door and introduced herself. I haven’t had to do any nuts and bolts work on that character. She was fully formed from the first moment I met her. She wanted me to tell her story.

That’s a very keen insight that, in the order of this cosmos, the Fire Stratum, composed of elemental fire, is just one step down from the White Well, which is the closest that this cosmos has to the divine. So if you look at her powers, her elemental fire is able to harm demons. A spoiler alert for Souldancer, she’s able to harm Hazeroth with her molten brass blood and with the fire she can release from her soul. Fire doesn’t normally hurt those creatures, because being demons from hell, they’re used to the flames of hell. It is that residual spark of the Divine in it that can harm them.

She’s got this redemption arc where she begins as, you can argue, a villain, but certainly an antagonist. Through love, through someone telling her, “You are lovable. You do have dignity. You are worthy of redemption,” she gets her act together big time and turns her life around. It turns out that, as Sulaiman says, she may be the chosen one. Because, you know, tropes work because they’re tropes. So most science fiction and fantasy lately, and for quite a while, have had the promised one, the chosen one, the hero of legend. The Soul Cycle is no different, but it’s not really front and center. The references are in there. Sulaiman makes reference to one with the heart of a star who will make the final decision for good or evil before the gods on behalf of mankind.

Wow, I read Souldancer close but I missed that. Just how layered the Soul Cycle is still surprises me.

Let me get around to full answering your question. Sorry to go all fire hose on you. For that scene, go back to Souldancer, right after Hazeroth’s defeat when Sulaiman and Tefler and Cook find Astlin passed out after their battle. Sulaiman thinks to himself, “well, is this what’s going on? Is she the one the Burned Book talked about?” But then at the end of the book, Xander makes a deal.

First of all, he points out–and it’s hinted under divine inspiration, like these aren’t his words, they were they were given him by someone else–he points out the flaw to Zadok. He says that “Your test was faulty from the beginning because it’s lopsided in favor of evil. So the Zadokim are knocking to get in. Let them in to balance the scale and make it a level playing field.” That is when Zadok agrees to let Astlin, the first Zadokim, in.

So she then says, “We’ve got to help make others like us. We’ve got to help others escape and get back to the light. We’ve got to save these shards of Zadok that have the potential to become real people.” So that’s what she wants.

Interestingly, it in Zadok’s judgment of her, where Xander begs Zadok for her life, where Zadok says, “No. You know her crimes convict her,” and cuts her silver cord, which allows her to escape and receive a real soul and then return.

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Get the final book of the award-winning Soul Cycle today, and complete your collection by picking up the other captivating books in this supernatural space adventure series. And come back tomorrow for Part II of our interview, where Brian discusses editing, his favorite books, and his next project.

  An Interview with Brian Niemeier, Part I published first on http://ift.tt/2zdiasi