I've been slowly reading the Lightlark series by Alex Aster. I made it through Skyshade a couple of days ago and just start Grim and Oro.
I'll be honest. I was planning on DNF'ing the series after Skyshade. I really didn't like it anymore. I don't like Isla nor do I like Grim and so much of Nightshade and Skyshade surrounded them that I was no longer interested. I literally only finished Skyshade for Lynx and Wraith. Then I found out about Grim and Oro.
I'm about halfway through Oro's side right now. I genuinely believe the 147 pages I've read so far are better than the entirety of the first three books. Oro is such a compelling character and I love the background given to Oro, his friends, and Grim. It actually makes me a little excited to read Grim's side. I'm still not excited to continue on in the series proper, so I'll have to decide after finishing Grim's side if it's worth continuing on to Crowntide.
Does anyone who has read it have any thoughts (non-spoilery) to share? Is it worth continuing? Does it get better in the fourth book?
Y’all are not REMOTELY outraged enough about what SCOTUS did this week - the gutting of the Voting Rights Act is abhorrent and - just like after Roe v. wade was overturned - we should be setting shit on fire!
Not only are we not doing that - most of y’all aren’t doing so much as posting or talking about it. Do you even know it happened?
Listen, I don’t think I have white folks who would celebrate this bullshit in my personal world anymore - they’ve been let go long ago. But if any of y’all are like, “Yeah, that sucks. But no biggie…” do me a favor and let me know - because y’all need to be cut, too.
We’re living through some dystopian shit and you’re either on the right side of history, or you’re one of the monsters. There is no room for “nuance”. There is no room for you to tolerate the discomfort and disenfranchisement of others because you sit comfortably in your own home.
If you fall in that category - I don’t want you in my life either.
If you’ve been silent - that needs to end. Change doesn’t come in the form of complicity and silence IS complicity.
And if you think SCOTUS is planning to stop with black and brown folks - wake up. Project 2025 spelled this all out. Women - yeah, even you white women - are next. LGBTQ is next. Then non-rich white folk.
WAKE THE FUCK UP.
You shouldn’t care only when it impacts you - but since that’s how 90% of people operate- trust, it’s coming for you, too.
Yet another new study debunked the basis for the anti-trans sports bans. It was never about sports but for creating legal avenues for exclusion and abjection. This is one of the largest analyses ever conducted, involving 52 studies and 6,485 trans people. Read the study here.
Favorite Read: On the Care and Keeping of Orcs by Kass O'Shire
Summary of January:
I started out January so strong, not only reading every day but reading a lot every day. Once I hit the halfway mark through the month and the new year sparkle wore off (and the constant reminders that we're living in an evil dystopian reality just keep coming), reading became difficult to mix in with everything else. I still managed to read, but it was much smaller, much more easily digestible reads. I also spent much of last year being disappointed by books I was promised I would love, so I'm a little afraid to get back into the longer books that were once my standard again.
What to expect next month (February):
I'm cutting back my expectations for February to a degree I've never done before. Instead of making promises of new series to devour and longer books, I'm instead going to try to kick out as many of the super duper short reads I've collected over the years as I can. I really just want to use reading this year as a means of fun and escape.
By super duper short reads, I mean the novelettes (?) of 50 pages or under that I've collected but never touched. This is my last ditch effort to keep myself reading new material instead of reaching back for comfort reads to reset my brain. If it's still necessary by the end of February, I may need to spend March rereading old favorites.
My YouTube Music Recap 2025. What does yours look like (on whatever platform you use)? This is my first year ever that Taylor Swift wasn't my number 1 artist.
Related: at a neuroscience conference I was at once there was a talk on how the "microslippages" against your fingertip when you lightly pinch something are generally enough for you to work out exactly how much force to grip it with to lift it without crushing it or dropping it.
[ID/A tweet by Cliff 🦖 [dinosaur emoji] Jerrison (@ pervocracy) saying "one of the most amazing things a human brain can do is when you shake an opaque bottle and get an idea of how full it is by how the weight shifts. there's got to be incredible math going on under the hood there" /End ID]
Theres a post somewhere about how the human brain is just constantly doing advanced calculus, even if we dont understand the math, we are still very good at consepsualizing it
So a common sale was Arizona Iced Teas in cans, 2 for a dollar. People would buy literal *cases* of their favorite flavor.
Once I was ringing up the cans for someone, who had like six. The cans were green.
I was a bit distracted ringing and putting cans in bags, engaging properly.
Grabbed a similarly sized and colored can of pringles. Brain did not register. Hand just went high up because Pringles weigh nothing compared to Arizona can
We all laughed but science tumblr what math error happened??? What was the error message in the brain?
NOTICE: As more and more fanfic writers are using generative AI for their works (you uncreative dweebs), I hereby swear on everything I hold dear that I have not and will NEVER use generative AI in ANY of my written work. Everything I post will be organically and creatively my own.
These last couple of months, it’s been interesting to talk about Nesta as a character and how her subsequent characterization is so integral to pointing out the problems in the series. Whether or not you view Nesta to be ‘real’ or ‘good’ character is one thing, and often subjective. Our own personal backgrounds may muddle or influence whether we like these characters or not.
The reason why I think Nesta is an interesting character is because of how she kind of…ruins the story, or the illusion of a story we are given. There are many times in the story where I think SJM could have elaborated on the qualities that she gushes about, but she intentionally chooses not to. For example, if SJM kept Rhysand consistent, I could see him disliking Nesta and wanting to actually hurt her, but have him think about Feyre and her wants and ultimately relent to Feyre’s want. One thing about Tamlin’s abuse that I think was done well was the fact that he genuinely seems broken up by the fact he can’t control his anger, and he feels something akin to guilt, but he doesn’t stop the abuse. It highlights the effect of the victim, not the intention of the abuser. I don’t know if it was intentionally done, but I liked that element of his abuse. I also liked that the dangers that Tamlin are worried about are real – the threat is real. Why? Because I think it proves, to some extent, that we should not justify abuse, even if the abuse seems rational. It proves that in this world, these men should still adhere to the fact of self-control. How can Feyre in a relationship with Tamlin if he can’t regulate his emotions around her?
But then the story does something weird – it embodies Rhysand with these very same qualities. It also recreates Tamlin’s abuse of Feyre with…Nesta – and then justifies it. Nesta arrives in a similar position as Feyre, yet the story goes to great lengths to vilify her for not reaching out; this is a far-cry from how the story (and stans) think about Feyre. (paint scene, fire scene, solstice scene, and hiking scene). We're supposed to sympathize with the decisions being made; so much rides on the fact that the IC are doing this out of the kindness of their heart:
Did Nesta notice the faint glimmer of worry in Amren’s smoky eyes—understand how rare it was? More than that, did Nesta understand that this meeting wasn’t to condemn her, but instead came from a place of concern? Her simmering stare told him she considered this purely an attack.
We're supposed to think about the worry of the Inner Circle and not think about the way they've decided to express their worry. Its similar to this scene that we get with Lucien to Feyre about Tamlin:
“I’ve given him time,” I said. “I can’t stay cooped up in the house forever.” “He knows that—he doesn’t say it, but he knows it. Trust me. You will forgive him if his family’s own slaughter keeps him from being so … liberal with your safety. He’s lost those he cares for too many times. We all have.” Every word was like fuel added to the simmering pit in my gut. “I don’t want to marry a High Lord. I just want to marry him.”“One doesn’t exist without the other. He is what he is. He will always, always seek to protect you, whether you like it or not. Talk to him about it—really talk to him, Feyre. You’ll figure it out.” Our gazes met. A muscle feathered in Lucien’s jaw. “Don’t ask me to pick.” “But you’re deliberately not telling me things.” “He is my High Lord. His word is law. We have this one chance, Feyre, to rebuild and make the world as it should be. I will not begin that new world by breaking his trust. Even if you …”
Lucien is continually asking Feyre to place Tamlin over her own happiness; he is asking her to consider his feelings before she considers his own - partially because this is the way Lucien is characterized to handle Tamlin's abuse himself. Cassian is asking Nesta to consider the Inner Circle's intention over how she feels. Amren and Rhys immediately shame and threaten Nesta - she is valid in her anger. She has interpreted this meeting as an attack...because it was. I think its especially telling that the later scene is asking Nesta to have empathy for Amren who is arguably the most abusive, abrasive, and unproductive person in that entire meeting. The second part of Lucien's monologue end's up being true for Nesta as the Inner Circle end up doing the same thing to control Nesta's behavior -- whether that be by leveraging Elain, outright forcing her, or even the decision to withhold Nesta's power from her -- these echo the exact same plot points we see in MAF with Feyre.
Let’s compare some scenes:
It was worse than a crown, actually. Built into the box were compartments and sleeves and holders, all full of brushes and paints and charcoal and sheets of paper. A traveling painting kit. Red—the red paint inside the glass vial was so bright, the blue as stunning as the eyes of that faerie woman I’d slaughtered— “I thought you might want it to take around the grounds with you. Rather than lug all those bags like you always do.” The brushes were fresh, gleaming—the bristles soft and clean. Looking at that box, at what was inside, felt like examining a crow-picked corpse. I tried to smile. Tried to will some brightness to my eyes. He said, “You don’t like it.” (MAF: Chapter 9)
“You’re going, even if you have to be tied up and hauled there. You will follow Cassian’s lessons, and you will do whatever work Clotho requires in the library.” Nesta blocked out the memory—of the dark depths of that library, the ancient monster that had dwelled there. It had saved them from Hybern’s cronies, yes, but … She refused to think of it. “You will respect her, and the other priestesses in the library,” Feyre said, “and you will never give them a moment’s trouble. Any free time is yours to spend as you wish. In the House.” Hot rage pumped through her, so loud Nesta could barely hear the real fire before which her sister paced. Was glad of the roaring in her head when the sound of wood cracking as it burned was so much like her father’s breaking neck that she couldn’t stand to light a fire in her own home. “You had no right to close up my apartment, to take my things—” (Silver Flames; Chapter 2)
She could barely stand to hear the crack and pop of the wood. Had barely been able to endure it in Feyre’s town house. Snap; crunch. (FAS: Chapter 21)
"He had Enough of the coldness, the sharpness. Enough of the sword-straight spine and razor-sharp stare that had only honed itself these months"
He understood. He really did. It had taken him months—years—after his first battles to readjust. To cope. Hell, he was still reeling from what had happened in that final battle with Hybern, too
Another grin as he lifted the small, wrapped parcel. “Your Solstice present.” “I don’t want one (FAS)
“Nesta forged a new Trove,” Cassian said, reining in his rage at the truth of Azriel’s words. “She could create anything.” He nodded to Rhys. “She could fill our arsenals with weapons that would win us any war.” Briallyn, Koschei, and Beron wouldn’t stand a chance. “Which is why Nesta must not learn about it,” Amren said. Cassian demanded, “What?” Amren’s gray eyes held steady. “She cannot know.” Rhys said, “That seems like a risk. What if, unaware, she creates more?” “What if, in one of her moods,” Amren challenged, “Nesta creates what she pleases just to spite us…’ (SF)
He appealed to Rhys, “You’re all right with this? Because I’m sure as hell not.” “Amren’s order holds,” Rhys said, and for a heartbeat, Cassian hated him. Hated the mistrust and wariness he beheld on Rhys’s face.(SF
“No. She knows the labor will be difficult, but I haven’t told her yet that it might very well claim her life.” Rhys spoke into their minds, as if he couldn’t say it aloud, I haven’t told her that the nightmares that now send me lurching from sleep aren’t ones of the past, but of the future. Cassian squeezed Rhys’s shoulder. “Why won’t you tell her?” Rhys’s throat worked. “Because I can’t bring myself to give her that fear. To take away one bit of the joy in her eyes every time she puts a hand on her belly.” His voice shook. “It is fucking eating me alive, this terror. I keep myself busy, but … there is no one to bargain with for her life, no amount of wealth to buy it, nothing that I can do to save her.
So much is happening here – there’s actually more scenes, but I don’t want to go and find them all. I wanted to include more similarities between Feyre and Nesta (I might make a separate post with all of those). To some extent, I think a lot of these quotes, even without elaboration echo the point I’m about to make. In quote #4, Cassian’s narration berates Nesta for not being integrated into the family and not being happy at Solsitice, but we the audience know that Nesta (1) isn’t being talked to, (2) she can barely stand the sound of the fire, (3) Feyre forced Nesta to come by essentially holding her rent over her head. And there’s just way to many parallels between how Nesta feels at the NC and how Feyre felt at the Spring Court. Nesta is drowning; she tells us that – Rhysand’s subtle anger is something she not only notices, but internalizes. She specifically mentions that she doesn’t take any of Rhysand’s positions because they were pity offerings; he’s only doing it because of Feyre. The story then decides to let him spearhead the conversations around Nesta’s autonomy. In the first quote, Tamlin's overall ignorance regarding Feyre's mental state, and her aversion to things such as the color Red were considered red flags; yet when Nesta has an aversion to fire, when she is neglected and nearly dies the story spends so much time trying to tell the audience that Cassian simply didn't know - it doesn't say anything about him.
But one of the biggest indicators of this ruin of the story is the fact that Amren and Rhys believe that Nesta should not have her power because ““What if, in one of her moods,” Amren challenged, “Nesta creates what she pleases just to spite us?” (Maas). The issue, as consistently reiterated, is a control one. They don’t trust Nesta simply because they cannot control her – that is what is highlighted as the issue in the story. Furthermore, Feyre doesn’t let Nesta know, she defers to a process that she doesn’t have to. She outranks everyone in that room; if she wanted to tell Nesta was rules would stop her – that’s literally been the way Feyre has characterized (see: Wraiths, the HL meeting attacking Beron, Tarquin and the BoB, Mor/Feyre w/ the Suriel), yet in this moment when she disagrees with Rhys – she essentially defers to his command. She simply expresses a subtle wariness and then moves on. Feyre has the power to just tell Nesta is the point that I am making here. It’s Nesta’s power; they forced her to do these tasks, and when she has one moment of autonomy in making the sword – they are argue that Rhys should make himself High King and Cassian, despite his earlier provocations, believes in this. He agrees with it. And even though I am going on this long, wordy analysis, I think a lot of what I am saying is kind of really clear In these quotes even without explaining.
To bring this back, Rhys (and Feyre somewhat) are only excused because the story believes their intentions were good (see quote #7), which conflicts with what we’ve already seen. These are…the exact same justifications we get about Tamlin; he truly believes that by making her safe, he is making her happy – but we know Feyre values truth over safety. And so the story undermines its lessons by not condemning the actions of its characters and instead leans into moralistic reasons. The argument now isn't even that Nesta isn't being abused, but stans and even the story (subtextually) believe that Nesta deserves the abuse - or that it's purely a consequence of her own immaturity, yet this is a far-cry to how Feyre is perceived in similar situations. The story argues that these characters understand that Nesta is not in her right mind - but constantly the story expects her act functionally in the face of her depression, even though the very reason the decided to lock her up is because they all unanimously believed she could not function by herself. She's expected to respond appropriately to their jabs, do missions on their behalf, train, and work at the library with no pay. She cannot leave Velaris without a Chaperone and all of her Chaporene are employed officials who are gone for the entirety of the book. No one ever actually offers to ever take Nesta out to see the town. I am seriously tired, and really concerned with the way Nesta's abuse is talked about.
they deal with human shit, dog shit, body fluids, razors and broken glass, hazardous chemicals, dead animals, live animals, flammable, corrosive, and poisonous substances, they are more likely to get cuts and punctures than most jobs, and those cuts and punctures are more likely to get serious or exotic infections...
and if they didn't do it for like just a few days, your city would be unlivable.
Garbage collectors went on strike in Memphis and within only 3 days Memphis had an estimated 10,000 TONS of garbage piled in the streets
That strike should have been taught in school and is worth reading about, to remember how hard people have fought to get as far as we are, and how hard we have to continue the fight to get where we need to be
If the monetary compensation + value of work was truly rated by:
-How important it is to the daily functions of society
-How difficult/dangerous it is to do
-How few people actually want to do it
Then sanitation workers would be the top earners in pretty much every community.
Also, for the record, there are definitely certifications you need to get for specific sanitation jobs. Handling hazardous waste, operating specialized and large equipment, transporting dangerous materials, etc, usually requires some kind of proof of training (depending on local laws & regulations). A lot of jobs that people claim require no expertise do in fact require significant amounts of training and proof of that training. They don't just let you walk off the street and get behind the wheel of a massive truck that will be carrying huge loads of trash through densely populated areas, y'know.
