for the love of words

// always on a desperate hunt for ineffable books //

[welcometothebookreport]

PIERCE BROWN WRITES BETTER FEMALE CHARACTERS THAN THE VAST MAJORITY OF FEMALE AUTHORS I’VE READ.

—Maegan

[jessireads]

When you’ve been reccing Red Rising to friends for years and FINALLY one of them reads it aaaaaaand they post ^ that and 😍😍😍 YES 👏🏻

[welcometothebookreport]

Lies are more affectionate than truth and embrace with both arms.

The Prophets, Robert Jones Jr.

[bberenicce]

“She wasn’t being brave or noble or kind. She was doing this because it had to be done, because there was no way that she could not do it.”

— Terry Pratchett, The Wee Free Men

[hyena-frog]

[violethowler]

In light of that one post complaining about a female character in Red Rising being referred to as delicate, along with @darrowsrising ‘s response, I decided that since I have the entire series on my kindle app to make my timeline/lore research easier, I’d do some digging and count for myself ever time the word delicate was used to describe a character, as well as the context of when and how that word was used. 

Red Rising: 

Chapter 7: “Yet it is the unburned side of her face that startles. She is beautiful, more beautiful even than Eo. Skin soft, pale as milk, bones prominent and delicate.” 

Context: Darrow contrasting the burned vs unburned side of Harmony’s face. 

Chapter 12: “Your skeleton is weak because Mars gravity is zero point three of Earth’s my delicate little bird.”

Context: Mickey talking to Darrow about the procedures necessary for the carving.

Chapter 17: “Next goes a delicate girl with a mocking smile.” 

Context: Darrow observing the students selected ahead of him in the passage. 

Chapter 26: “She is small, delicate. Her smile is not. It mocks us.”

Context: Darrow noting the contrast between Mustang’s nonthreatening appearance and what her attitude indicates about the threat she poses. This also confirms for the audience that Mustang is the same girl mentioned in Chapter 17.  

Chapter 43: “”I thought you were dead,” I tell him as I clutch his delicate frame.”

Context: Darrow embracing Roque when he returns to House Mars and finds his friend malnourished but alive. 

Golden Son

Chapter 2: “Theodora’s delicate old hands pull at me, like a bird pulling at a fallen statue.”

Context: Darrow referring to Theodora’s age and her size compared to a Gold.

Chapter 11: “He bumps my shoulder with his fist and nods to Victra. “You understand. Had to watch out for the lady here.” “She is a delicate little flower,” I say, pulling her away. 

Context: Darrow, Victra and Tactus discuss the latter launching the escape pod from the Quietus without Darrow at the Academy.  

Chapter 12: “Then a hand settles around my wrist. Not an iron grip. A soft one. Warm against my skin. Delicate.”

Context: Darrow emphasizing how Mustang is being gentle with him as she interferes between his and Cassius’ duel. 

Morning Star:

Chapter 4: “She leans against the metal beside a yawning male Gray with a delicate nose more like a Pink’s than a soldier’s.”

Context: Darrow describing Trigg’s appearance. 

Iron Gold:

Chapter 5: “He has an incredible shock of white hair and a jaw you could carve granite with, but pathetically delicate hands for a man.”

Context: Lyria describing the news anchor reporting on Darrow’s triumph on Camp 121′s evening news broadcast. 

Chapter 8: “I wish I did not look so delicate.”

Context: Lysander talking about his own physical appearance. 

Chapter 13: “His nose is smashed flat and his eyes are small and ringed with delicate eyelashes.”

Context: Lyria describing her first time seeing Kavax. 

Dark Age: 

Chapter 23: “Near Godeater, Valdir has taken off his ridiculous helmet. The champion’s face is unusually delicate for an Obsidian. His nose is twice broken, his cheeks gaunt and freckled. But all the savagery can’t hide the avian structure of his bones, the motes of silver in his black eyes, his full, notched lips, and the haughty grandeur of the only human besides Darrow to survive a duel with the Minotaur. Gotta admit. He’s damn slick.”

Context: Ephraim describing Valdir’s physical appearance. 

Chapter 26: “My spymaster wears a long black citycloak. Her white hair is coiled atop her delicate head like a nesting albino snake.”

Context: Mustang describing Theodora’s appearance with respect to her age. 

Chapter 53: “After Zan departs, Publius dismisses his staff to the far wall and looks at me. I search his face for some sign of evil. Even now it is a pleasant face. A small chin and delicate facial bones, with only a long nose to add drama. But those eyes, for so long cold and distant, flicker with excitement.” 

Context: Mustang commenting on Caraval’s appearance as she looks for any signs she may have missed regarding his true motives and allegiance. 

Conclusion: 

Every other use of the word delicate is used to describe an action or emotion rather than physical appearance, so I did not count them. But out of all the times a character’s physical traits have been described as delicate, this is the total count of my initial findings: 

Red Rising: 5 (3 W 2 M)

Golden Son: 3 (3 W)

Morning Star: 1 (1 M)

Iron Gold: 3 (3 M)

Dark Age: 3 (1 W, 2 M)

Full series: 15 (7 W, 8 M)

The series average out to a 50/50 split in terms of the gender of which characters are being referred to as delicate. And when the word is used to describe women, it is always in a specific context that focuses on attributes other than their actual appearance, and one case of sarcasm in response to a sexist excuse.

So in conclusion, not once in the entire Red Rising saga has the word delicate ever been used to mean fragile/weak in relation to its female characters, and the fandom would appreciate if people would stop immediately looking for things to condemn author over because he’s male. 

[darrowsrising]

☕☕☕

[jessireads]

👏🏻

[lou-who]

Dark Age Spoilers Below

I give every Howler permission to slug me in the face 

(blood and heartbreak below…proceed at your own risk)

Keep reading

[darrowsrising]

Oh, so you thought @lou-who was here to barely make you cry. Sweet, little Pixies, they’re here to obliterate you🤭

[jessireads]

Oh heck my heart 🥺

[welcometothebookreport]

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Rating: 3

Genres: YA, Contemporary, LGBTQIA+

Tropes: coming of age, slow burn, self-discovery

Content Warnings: homophobia, internalized homophobia, transphobia, violence, hate crimes, murder, animal death

Recommended if you enjoy: medium-paced, emotional, insightful, reflective, character driven, diverse, flawed characters

Follow Me on Goodreads!

Keep reading

[thecountofs]

‘Getting a reading’ 

Daily Drawing Challenge 42 - Red Rising Trilogy -

I got kinda impatient with the lighting, but I kinda feels like it adds to the chaos of molten rock and superheated drill. Next i’ll draw Darrow and Eo, but I had to draw the frySuit in action.  Moreover, I’m in need of a re-read of the first book, can’t remember how Darrow burns his boot and hand. 

[welcometothebookreport]

February TBR!

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz - I’m about 25% of the way through, a carryover from January.

The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr. - My most anticipated book of February! An OwnVoices historical debut fiction 😍

The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook - From my 2019 TBR list, a book-turned-movie historical romance.

More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kremmerer - A sequel to a book I read in 2020; I was so pleased to learn there’s an in-universe sequel for my favorite character of the original novel!

Not pictured:

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kremmerer - a gifted kindle edition from @maereads After everything she’s told me about it, I’m pumped to dive in!

On The Road by Jack Kerouac - Classic Book Club’s pick this month! 😍

What are you reading this month?

[welcometothebookreport]

BOOK MAAAAAIL \o/

[pennspoem-deactivated20240524]

[youthbookreview]

[Image Description: On pages of a book sits a blue bookmark that reads, "We are stardust, meant to shine," in gold lettering. The bookmark is decorated with a sun, small stars and planets, and patterns made up of crescent shapes, all in gold, and the bookmark has a gold beaded tassel on it.]

[natreviewsbooks]

Needed to read something romantic after reading some fairly dark fantasy, and here’s my choice! It’s a romantic comedy where a young man is trying to find romance with his best friend, but his friend has other plans! It’s a story told in both characters perspectives, so I’m curious where it’s all going to go! #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookish #ilovereading #ilovebooks #instabooks #instareads #bibliophile #bookgram #bookcommunity #booksbooksbooks #book #booklover #tbr #reading #monday #motivation #bookcover #love #pink #igreads #igreaders #igbooks #readingtime #bookphotography #bookobsessed #book #fiend https://www.instagram.com/p/CKxFEedgi3k/?igshid=1o0cuovue1q2j

[jessireads]

👀 this sounds like a delicious slow burn 👀

[welcometothebookreport]

January Shore Up!

Wheeeww, January was intense for me & reading! I made it through the books I planned to read, squeaked in a three part series, and started February’s reading early.

Challenges completed:

1 x Classic

1 x Contemporary

1 x 2019 TBR List

Choosing a favorite January read is SO hard, but I have to give it up to both Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray and Scythe by Neal Shusterman. Both were solid 5s for me—the worldbuilding and characters were just 😍

And, as much as I complained about all the commas in Frankenstein, it was such a deep read that I wasn’t at all expecting!

[welcometothebookreport]

I’m stoked for my next read! I’ve heard so many great things 😍

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

[tohmae]

me: i’m so SICK of clichés! where’s the originality?!

author: they’re enemies but they slowly start to fall for each other

me: *sobbing and shaking* oh my god they’re enemies but they slowly start to fall for each other

[welcometothebookreport]

Defy the Stars, Claudia Gray

Rating: 5

Genres: Sci-Fi, YA, Romance, dystopian adjacent

Tropes: anthropomorphised robots (!!!), enemies to friends to lovers, forced proximity, fake dating, slow burn

Content Warnings: death, discussions of suicide, terrorist attacks, emotional abuse

Recommended if you enjoy: fast-paced, adventurous, emotional, resonating, reflective, witty robots, deep and lovable characters

I devoured Defy the Stars in 24 hours. It’s a true 5 star for me—the writing is gorgeous, the pacing is on point, the character development is solid, the plot is interesting and imaginative, and ohmygosh do I have feelings over the whole thing!

Even if I weren’t willing to die for Genesis, I would die for you.

Let’s start with what this book is about. Noemi is a soldier for planet Genesis, which is in an endless war against Earth for resources. Abel is a mech, born in the lab of the most famous cyberneticist alive, and has the spark of something special inside him; something that makes him learn, grow, change, and feel. After an unexpected attack during a practice run, Noemi and Abel square off. The catalyst moment sends them careening through the galaxy on a mission to stop Genesis from making a play in war that would cost hundreds of innocent lives.

My friends, when I say this is slow burn, I mean it’s the slowest, most painfully sweet burn ever. We follow these two main characters through so much—a profound dive into what makes someone a person, what proves they have a soul, and how do faith, luck, science, and fact come together to propel these characters forward.

Strange, how you can be willing to fight, flee, kill, or die for your cause but hesitate before a simple touch.

It’s enchanting. Watching Abel exist outside of his commands and circuitry. Watching him become something more than he was destined to be. I was in total and utter love with him from early on—and it grew and grew all the way through the end.

And, while I enjoyed Abel, he didn’t hold a candle to Noemi. A brave, strong, intelligent girl who wants to do good by everyone because it’s the right thing to do. She’s everything I hope I am—and I related hard to her values, her doubts, and constant curiosity.

There’s so much I want to say about how much I loved this story, but also, the second one is waiting for me and I have zero chill. If you love sci-fi, the sweet torture of an incredible slow burn, and the deep examination of souls and humanity, stop everything you’re doing and pick up this book!

[welcometothebookreport]

“Her dread vanishes, scorched away by warrior instinct.”

- Defy the Stars, Claudia Gray