Friday Fics Fix - Drarry in a Cupboard

Drarry time!

Friday Fics Fix - You Zigged When You Should've Zagged

One of the most wonderful things about fanfiction is that it asks, again and again, 'What If...?'

This can mean explorations of anything, from looking at characters in a different light, to alternate universes, to changes of plot-point.

Month in Review(s) - May 2017

Ahhhhh May. The month when we all gave up hoping 2017 would be better than 2016, and decided to just do damage control from here to Christmas.

(I joke - but only slightly. People in 1917 would be shocked by how short a distance we've come.)

Comics Wrap-Up - House of the Rising Sun

Film Trailers

New Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer!!!!!!!

I'm loving the whole Tony-Stark-as-out-of-his-depth-father-figure vibe! :)

Warning: flashing images

Mini-Review! (Comics Edition!) - The Sun Dragon's Song #2

Title: The Sun Dragon's Song #2

Author: Joyce Chng

Artist: Kim Miranda

Genre: Comics, Fantasy, Kids

Series: The Sun Dragon's Song

Amazon:
The Sun Dragon's Song #1: UK - USA
The Sun Dragon's Song #2: UK - USA
Two issue bundle #1&2: UK - USA

Review Time! - Thirteen Hours by Francis Gideon

Title: Thirteen Hours

Author: Francis Gideon

Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Paranormal, Zombies, Steampunk, LGBTQ+, Romance (M/M; secondary F/F,) Novella/Short Story

Amazon: UK - USA

Friday Fics Fix - Whatcha Gonna Do About It?

Spoiler warning: potential Harry Potter spoilers ahead!


Bringing someone new home to the family is challenging. Now, if that person also fought against you in the recent magic war, it might make things a li'l awkward.

But like, it'll all work out in the end... right? It's not like you were a Death Eater, and he was The Boy Who Lived or anything... oh. Right. That.

Friday Fics Fix - Crossover Time!

One of the things I adore about fanfiction is that you lot (you fangirls, fanboys, and other fanfolks of the world,) aren't afraid to say 'F**k it!' and just smash things into each other!

Honestly, a lot of the combinations I've seen are just like: HOW DID YOU EVEN THINK OF THAT?!

(Case in point: That time someone decided that Bruce Wayne and Hermione Granger were meant for each other.)

Month in Review(s) - March 2017

March was difficult, guys.

My depression has not been good, and I had an awful cold.

So, between the two, my concentration was utterly shot. I also had a lot of work on, which I had to prioritise. (Because I need money.)

The result of those factors was that I only wrote/published two reviews in March (granted, I did publish plenty of other posts too.)

I have to admit that, as my own worst critic, I'm kind of disappointed.

Friday Fics Fix - Mr Scamander

Once again, my nerdlets, I bring you a great piece of #ownvoices fanfiction.

Fanfiction is often the place where diverse stories can find a voice - which isn't always possible in mainstream media.

This fic is awesome. It's heart-wrenching, heart-breaking, but also spirit-lifting.

And it's supremely well-written. Simply put, it's beautiful.

Simply put, it's beautiful. Click to Tweet.

Review Time! - The Voices of Martyrs by Maurice Broaddus

Title: The Voices of Martyrs

Author: Maurice Broaddus

Genre: anthology, short stories

Genre (of individual stories): historical fiction, contemporary, sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, vampires, urban fantasy, horror, dystopian, magic realism

Amazon: UK - USA

A few starting notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

Honestly, I like me some short stories - and I never fail to be impressed by Rosarium Publishing - so I figured, why not? And decided to give this a shot.

Premise:

A collection of voices - an unforgotten collected memory that encompasses the past, present, and future.

These short stories are tales of strength, pain, sacrifice, and life. These are the voices of martyrs.

Review! - Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Title: Caraval

Author: Stephanie Garber

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Series: Caraval #1

Amazon: UK - USA

A few starting notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

This book has a lot of hype attached; does it deserve it? Urmmm - let's take a look...

Month in Review(s) - February 2017

February. The shortest of months, and the one with Valentine's Day crammed into the middle there.

Which may explain why four of the 5 books I reviewed this month were romances - guess it even got to yours truly! (I'm not going all soft on you though, dearest nerdlets, I'm still your Rebel Valentine! Lol.)

Why I'm Hesitant To Read Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle

(Warning: this post contains a fast-moving gif which may cause problems to those with light-sensitive medical conditions such as migraine or epilepsy.)



It's St. David's Day - so what better time to finally give you all the low-down on why I'm hesitant, as a Welsh person, to read Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle.

OK, before we get into the 'but you haven't read it so you can't judge it!' sh**, these are the reasons I'm hesitant to read it.

I may eventually read it. If I can bring myself to. One day.

(And if that day should ever come, I'll tell you what I think! But don't expect me to be overly happy with it - see my reasons below.)

And honestly, if you liked the books then that's fine - dudes, I have zero problem with you liking what you like.

This is just me explaining a few things that annoy me about this series.

OK, the number one problem is the name Owen Glendower. It should be Owain Glyndŵr.

What's the difference? Anglicisation my friends, which is offensive - especially when it comes to a real historical figure and freedom fighter like Glyndŵr. (More on the man himself later.)

I'm not as bothered by the changing of Owain to Owen - it should be Owain, but Owen and Owain are somewhat interchangeable. So I'm willing to give Stiefvater leeway on that point.

The Glyndŵr to Glendower though? *shudders*

I should explain that Maggie Stiefvater was asked this very question on Tumblr in 2015, and answered in a way that suggests to me that she doesn't understand the culture she was writing in this series.

Glyndŵr means (roughly) 'water banks.'

It's a common Welsh naming tradition (or was) to be given a name related to where you live.

Glendower is gibberish. It has no meaning in the language, it's just a corruption to make it more palatable to English people.

I know that not many of you have ever spoken Welsh or pronounced Welsh words, but trust me, Glyndŵr is a natural flow. 'Glendower' is a tainted jolt to the system.

''Glendower' is a tainted jolt to the system...'  Click to Tweet

But what about what Stiefvater said on Tumblr about us not knowing Glyndŵr's 'true' name?

What Maggie said:

'Interestingly, Owain Glyndŵr wasn’t necessarily even the true name of our recumbent king. He’s also known as Owain ap Gruffydd or Owain Glyndyfrdwy, and centuries of historians have used all versions interchangeably, sometimes within the same document.'

In honesty, her response troubles me. Because she clearly has no understanding of Wales or Welsh history.

Until the 19th Century (1837, actually,) across the whole of the UK, there was no such thing as a legal name, because there were no birth certificates.

Glyndŵr lived in the 14th and 15th Centuries - which was before all that civil registration stuff.

Even after the 19th Century, the Welsh had legal names, and then, sometimes, other names - all of which are 'true' names.

The first name she mentioned, Owain ap Grufydd, is a patronymic.

For a start, it should be Gruffydd, not Grufydd - f and ff are different letters in Welsh.

Owain ap Gruffydd means Owain, son of Gruffydd. It literally means his father was Gruffydd.

It's perfectly acceptable to have this name and another name, and the patronymic system is still used by some today, with or without it being written on their birth certificate.








Owain Glyndyfrdwy is a more specific geographical name.

Afon Dyfyrdwy is the Welsh (and original) name of the now-Anglicised River Dee.

Remember how earlier I said his name meant 'water banks' - this version of the name is just being specific about what water. It means 'the banks of the River Dee.'

It may be difficult for non-Welsh people to understand, but the surname Glyndyfrdwy, in this instance, is the same as the surname Glyndŵr. Glyndŵr is just the short version.








But Stiefvater didn't use Glyndyfrdwy, or ap Gruffydd. She used Glendower.

So, apparently she knew there were three names, and added the fourth - offensive - name instead.

True, as she points out, she was by no means the first. But Shakespeare wasn't Welsh either. And that she should be so ignorant of what the Anglicisation means makes me worry for the actual books.

Oh and English-speaking Welsh people? We don't generally call him Glendower. Only English people, who haven't yet been slapped repeatedly with a slice of bara brith* been taught better, call him that.

*bara brith is kind of a fruit loaf... it's a special kind of bread, basically - it's really nice.

So, what's the problem with Anglicisation anyway?

Look, I get it - Welsh is difficult to pronounce.

We have funny extra letters like 'Ll' and 'Ng' which should not be attempted without instruction, but English is a freaking weird language too (and I'm saying this as a first-language-English person.)

The problem with Anglicisation is that we are not English.

And Anglicisation marks every moment we've had to change our own language, just to suit the English.

It's a reminder of our history - of every time a kid was caned in school for speaking Welsh, every time the language was claimed to be literally making us stupid, every time a Welsh name was changed because we're not in charge in our own country.

And yes, we've had to change our names. One of my ancestors was named Dafydd Sion. On every official document his name is David John. Welsh names often weren't acceptable to English officials.

Our language has been suppressed, changed, and ridiculed. Because the English invaded several centuries ago, and haven't let us forget it since.

via GIPHY

(Every Welsh person ever, every time someone calls us English)

Look, like most in the South, I have more than a few drops of y Saeson running through my veins.

But I was born here. I am Cymry, not Saeson.

I have a fair amount of Cymry in my veins too, but I speak Saesneg, and only a little Cymraeg.

The reason? My grandmother's parents - both fluent Cymraeg speakers - made the decision that their children would never get on in life if they were first-language Welsh.

Welsh was seen as a language that literally made it's speakers stupid. Even now, if you want to sound 'posh' or 'professional,' what people mean is 'sound more English, sound less Welsh.'

And first language Welsh often leaves the odd cue in the accent to show that it's there - 'eu' pronounced as 'ew' etc.

Therefore, to bring a child up speaking Welsh could leave an inflection, even when speaking English, and it would be possible to be passed over for jobs, promotion, etc., just because of that.

Anglicisation is especially irritating and frustrating when it comes to Glyndŵr, who was fighting to free us from English rule.

Do you get that? He was a rebel, a self-declared prince. He wanted freedom from the English.

He called a parliament at Machynlleth (no, don't attempt to say it unless you've heard it said, you'll just hurt yourself! 😉) and wanted self-governance for the Welsh people.

'He was a rebel, a self-declared prince...'  Click to Tweet

Owain was also NOT a king.

The closest there has been to a King of Wales was Hywel Dda in the 10th Century, but he did not rule Morgannwg.

What we had were princes - occasionally called kings of their individual territories.

The prince with the most land, and therefore the most ability to moderate between all the others, was the Prince of Wales.

The last True Prince of Wales was Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Tywysog Cymru.

Owain was a self-declared Prince of Wales - had his rebellion been successful, perhaps he would have been confirmed as prince in truth, but it wasn't to be.

But wait, isn't Prince Charles the Prince of Wales?

When Llywelyn was murdered by the English crown, the English king transferred the title to his own son. The heir to throne has held this stolen title since that time.

Prince Charles is not the True Prince of Wales.







OK, let's look briefly at my other problems with this series:

The Goodreads synopsis of The Raven Boys says:

'“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.'







I have no idea why the St. Mark's Eve stuff is there (what even is that?), but it's totally possible for 'non-seers' to see spectres.

OK, we're traditionally big on divination here. It looks like Stiefvater has smashed some of our divination rituals into a phantom funeral and hoped for the best. *face palms*








Also, Neeve, as a name, is a) Irish, not Welsh and b) spelt Niamh.

And none of the rest of the names that I've seen seem in any way Welsh or British - they're more something you'd find in America or Ireland.

Sorry. Nitpicking I know, but it's the kind of thing that would really bug me if I read the books.

Ooh! Someone online briefly mentions a Gwenllian? That is a Welsh name - a good, strong, girl's name, meaning (very roughly) 'sacred brook.'



Update: Apparently most of the book is set in Virginia, so I'm even less bothered about the other names now.




I don't know how Stiefvater uses ravens here... but I'm wary.

Birds, and the crow family in particular, play a large part in our folklore and mythology. They are the way between worlds, often magical, and should be respected.

Quite often, they're also people. Or warriors. Or Fair Folk. Or even (if you go back enough in our traditions) gods or goddesses.

I actually really liked the way Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children used birds, because it was respectful of our traditions, as well as putting Ransom Riggs' own spin on things - I loved the way he used shifters as guardians.

From what I've seen of the way Stiefvater understands, or doesn't, as the case may be, Welsh culture, I'm hesitant of how she'll handle brain (crows - of any and all types) in her books.









Maybe you think I'm making mountains out of mole-hills - but things being incorrect like this is likely to bug me the whole time I'm reading.

(Plus, could she not have added a historical note?! I mean, dude, really!)

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Review Time! - Santa Muerte by Lucina Stone

Title: Santa Muerte

Author: Lucina Stone

Genre: New Adult/NA, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Witches, Vampires*, Werewolves*, Historical Fiction* (*ish)

Series: The Daniela Story #1

Amazon: UK - USA

A few starting notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book from the author, Lucina Stone, who I'm in contact with on Twitter.

This does not affect the content of my review; my review is fair and honest.

I agreed to read this with only the vaguest of notions of what it was about - I had read Naz @ Read Diverse Books' review of it, but had mostly forgotten about it by the time Lucina Stone contacted me.

I definitely didn't realise that it was urban fantasy - so that was a pleasant surprise!

I love urban fantasy - a subgenre of paranormal which involves magical-type-people (witches, vampires, etc.) faffing about in cities and/or towns in which they have their own societies (sometimes open to human society, sometimes hidden.)

It's strange, really, since I don't like cities in general - too much of a rural kind of girl. *shrugs* But there you have it.

Premise:

Turns out there's more to Daniela's family than she thought there was.

In the year 2030, Daniela sees no end to the pain. Depressed and hurt by an abusive relationship, she tries to take her own life...

...and wakes up somewhere strange.

This can't be happening. She can't be in the 1920s... right?

Dani doesn't get this time period, has no idea about magic, and, with a farm-girl named Daphne in tow, is being chased by a bunch of people who want her dead - or at least in jail.

All she wants is to go home to her mothers, but that seems almost impossible from here...

Best bits:

I love the chatty tone of this book. Stone grabs hold of you and says, 'come on guys, this way!' Which is spot on.

And the time travel element is well done! DID YOU HEAR THAT???? THE TIME TRAVEL ELEMENT IS WELL DONE!!!!!!!!!

Too often, time travel gets unnecessarily messy, or even just plain naff, but not here.

Here we have the reality of suddenly finding yourself in a world full of racism and rigid gender rules (Daniela ends up posing as a dude because of her short hair and trousers.)

And it's an element which is missing from your average time travel plot: the day-to-day-ness of living in that period, especially as a person of colour (PoC) in the USA.

I liked the Mexican variations on the stalwarts of urban fantasy.

All of the different species of the paranormal and urban fantasy worlds - vamps, wolves, witches, etc. are removed from their White European stereotypes and instead seen through the lens of Mexican folklore.

Most notably we have the brujas - the Mexican witches - who are written with skill and intrigue, and are far removed from the average urban fantasy witch-chick (who is normally a white goth-girl and/or biker-chick.)

The depression representation is good overall, devastatingly realistic as a whole - but I did have a minor issue with it, which I'll write about in the next section.

The sense of hopelessness and worthlessness depicted is accurate and heart-breaking, and Daniela doesn't magically get better the moment she ends up in 1923, meaning it's not treated as just a plot point.

And we get a same-sex, lesbian, parenting couple - which is awesome.

Not so great bits:

First thing, as ever, is first, here's the potentially distressing content from this book (hold on, there's some stuff to get through):

• depression
• attempted suicide
• suicidal thoughts
• hanging
• abusive relationships
• low self-worth/self-esteem
• racism
• racial slurs (including the 'n' word)
• the KKK
• lynching
• segregation and discrimination
• sexual abuse
• child abuse
• sexual assault
• rape
• torture
• kidnapping
• burning (as a form of torture)
• attempted murder
• homophobia
• grave-robbing
• missing persons investigation

I think that's everything - v. sorry if I've missed anything out.

There's swearing and violence; if you can handle all the other stuff though... *shrugs*

At one point, the phrase totem pole is used in as a metaphor in a non-native setting, which is seen as cultural appropriation, affecting some First Nations tribes (this piece by Robin R R Gray explains more.)

It was only once, but was still disappointing, and I hope won't occur again in future books.

Also, and this one is more of a personal preference, the relationship between Dani's mothers is referred to as a lifestyle. I don't like this.

I'm aware that a lot of LGBTQ+ people are ok with it (especially from older generations,) but I am personally not a big fan of the term.

But then, a lot of LGBTQ+ people find the term queer very offensive, but I personally identify as both sexually fluid and queer.

I guess you just have to understand that some people will be offended by both of these terms, and you need to examine how and why AND WHETHER YOU SHOULD use them in any given context.

Occasionally it felt like the representation of Daniela's depression was a little bit hit-and-miss, simply because at the times when it wasn't affecting her so much it was almost as if it didn't matter any more.

Honestly though, the representation of depression was, overall, heartbreakingly affective.

Verdict:

This is a great book - a strong foundation for the series, with great characters and interesting paranormal elements.

If you're an urban fantasy fan, this is a must. But those not so familiar with the genre will love it too.




UPDATE 22nd APRIL 2017:

A couple of people have raised issues with the lesbian and depression representation in this book, as well as a few other matters. Some people have equated Dani's lesbian mother having sex with a man with biphobia.

I personally don't agree with the lesbian rep/biphobia criticism - because if anyone knows that sexuality is fluid, it's yours truly. But I see the validity of the points made.

For an overview of the issues that some people have with this book, see C T Callahan's Goodreads review.

I do find C T Callahan more than a little harsh on this book, but you guys all know that I believe in having all the cards on the table so that you can make up your own minds.

Buy Now UK – Buy Now USA – Goodreads

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My 7 Top Picks of 2016's Books

(This post contains a flashing/fast-moving gif which may cause problems to those with photosensitive medical conditions.)

2016 wasn't 100% bad - just, like, 85%, or something. Anyway, there were some pretty awesome books!

I've purposefully picked books with 2016 release dates here - but I should point out that I also read some pretty great 'back-list' (pre-2016) titles during the year, they're just not on the list.

So, these are my picks of books released in 2016, that I read in 2016. Everyone got that? Great.

(And yes, I know this post is technically 'late' - but I make my own rules dammit!)

via GIPHY

I'm also uber-pleased to note that most of these are diverse books - so anyone who says diverse books are lower quality needs to go and ask themselves some serious questions 😇

They are also all written by women - girls rock!





Here we go then (and in no particular order, because I am a wuss who can't rank books over each other):

Nina Is Not Ok by Shappi Khorsandi

Amazon links: UK - US

For my international readers (and boy is that a phrase I'm never going to get used to,) who may not have heard of her, Shappi Khorsandi is an Iranian-British comedic genius.

Her first novel though, is not light-hearted. It's not funny. It's not for the faint of heart. And it's freaking incredible.

Seriously, this is one that I'm sooooo happy I had a digital review copy of, because I was so privileged to be one of the first people to read it.

Since then, I've basically been like 'read the thing!' whenever it's been possible to recommend it.

And I'm clearly not the only one, since it was recently nominated for the inaugural Jhalak Prize - though Khorsandi unfortunately withdrew the book from the longlist out of concern that drawing attention to her ethnicity might alienate white readers.

It's a disappointing decision, but it's far from my place to tell a person of colour (PoC) how to market their own book.

And it really is a fantastic book guys! You can see my full review here.

Swan Boy by Nikki Sheehan

Amazon links: UK - US

Nikki Sheehan is a definite talent. I can't wait to see what she comes up with in the future.

Swan Boy is a remarkably artistic and lyrical kids' novel (middle grade/MG) and it's just... a stunningly beautiful read.

Honestly, it's amazing.

Check out my full review of Swan Boy here.

Blood Stain, Vol 1 by Linda Sejic

Amazon links: UK - US

Linda is an amazing person who writes awesome and oh-so relatable comics that make me laugh and bring me smiles when I need them.

You will love the hapless Elliott as she tries to make her way in this bizarre world of adulting (and she has levels of clumsiness and bad luck that most of us will recognise!)

You can see my full review of Blood Stain, Vol 1 here.

Monstress, Vol 1: The Awakening

Amazon links: UK - US

ORHGUIREJNGOIRGHNKETMNHOEIROIJTGGWMKRNGHTOI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are very few books which I consider '5 star' books guys.

(And I have issues with the arbitrary and restrictive nature of star ratings anyway - which is why I don't use them on this blog!)

But, if there is such a thing as a five-star book, then THIS IS A 5 STAR BOOK.

It has everything - fantasy, world-building, a disabled Asian protagonist, and stunning artwork.

And I want to adopt the small fox child. Soooo cute!

The ladies in charge here - Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda - have a lot to be proud of.

You can see my fangirling ramble review here.

Santa Muerte by Lucina Stone

Amazon: UK - US

One which I haven't reviewed yet (but I will dammit! I will!)

Santa Muerte is an awesome-sauce first instalment in a new-adult urban fantasy series by the lovely Lucina Stone.

What is urban fantasy? It's only an uber-incredible sub-genre of paranormal and fantasy that involves paranormal-types faffing about in cities and/or towns!

Add in the focus on brujas (witches,) and a chatty prose-tone (that's totally a phrase now. Shh,) and what more do you want?!

Luna the Vampire: Grumpy Space by Yasmin Sheikh

Amazon: UK - US

Do you want grumpy internet-style humour with bright colours and a millennial attitude? Of course you freaking do!

Seriously, Luna makes me smile. And will make you smile too.

Check out my review here.

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

Amazon: UK - US

Another bruja book, although a lot different to Santa Muerte, Labyrinth Lost is the beginning of a YA series about a bisexual Brooklyn Latina girl, Alex, who has a big mess to clean up.

This one is so involving, and those of you looking for a new YA obsession and/or fandom need look no further!

You can see my review of Labyrinth Lost here.

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