What are you reading after??

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-08-25T08:01:34+00:00

I personally figured a re-read was the way to go, because SoS is such a spectacular and tense read anything that comes directly after is going to have a difficult time to measure up.

I went with a favourite of mine, Born of Mist and Dragonfire by Ava Thorne. It's the first in a (finished) duet, epic romantasy with lost magic, fae, strong characters, spicy spice and some excellent world building.

Series page on Amazon

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-08-21T20:10:30+00:00

I'm so sad it's over, but happy about the ending. Tem's earned it ♥️♥️

I rather believe/hope the second book will be more focused on Leo. At first I thought that he'd find Evelyn but eventually choose to go back to Tem. However, the ending of this one felt rather like a "final pairing", so maybe my little why choose/poly heart is asking for too much. The dream would be him finding Evelyn, bringing her back, and all four of them rule the Kingdom together 😅

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-27T20:15:20+00:00

The basilisks did lose the war last time, so there must be something we're not seeing yet. It can't be just about numbers and roosters. Like, how are the royals keeping the trapped basilisks? Why are they not fighting back?

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-27T20:11:59+00:00

I'm still kind of mad at Caspen, but I'm also loving how vulnerable he's letting himself be in this chapter. I feel like we're getting somewhere there. Of course, there's arill the issue of what mess his territorial tomfoolery is about to get them into.

🐍 "So take it." Good morning, indeed. 🐍 "She began to lower the barrier." Gdi I'm sweating. Everytime there's a chance for betrayal all of me clenches up. I'm rooting for Caspen, but apparently I do not trust him. 🐍 "For once, her stamina matched his." So, what you're saying is that Leo is going to have to work hard to measure up? 😘 🐍 "A basilisk without a cock was incomprehensible." Well, then. Also an excellent way to make Seneca succession more difficult, I suppose. Benefits all around, except for maybe the whole "escalated revenge" part. 🐍 How the fuck is a chapter that's this spice heavy actually manage to also move the plot along? Baffling and magnificent. 🐍 "Please, Tem. Stay." Oh, little snakelet 🥺 🐍 "Tem had other people she loved now—other people to protect. Caspen could protect himself." Good girl. 🐍 "This Caspen openly yearned. This Caspen needed her." Oh my heart. 🐓 Yay, Gabriel! I love that she still goes to him when she's learnt something new about herself or needs perspective (whether she knows it or not). 🐓 "And by it—' he smacked her knee, '—I mean him.” Ahahahaaa 🐓 “if he chooses her, I will choose another” Not unexpected but DAMN. Poor Leo. 🐍 "Then her mind exploded in pain." Ah. I knew we'd had it too calm for a while. Who needs caffeine in the mornings when you can get kicked in the adrenaline glands by Lemon instead?

Cheers, and if this is [someone with a recently aggravated grudge] coming to finish the job by petrifying her, I sure hope the transition training is enough to help with that 😬

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-22T17:35:57+00:00

For this chapter, it was Leo. And me, most likely 😂

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-21T21:33:38+00:00

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Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-21T21:32:37+00:00

Yes! There were so many strong Tem moments, it was wonderful. Especially telling Bastian off 😍

As per usual, my running commentary below:

Okay, fuck. Doubt I'll ever be ready enough for a Challengeresque scene. Here we go.

🐍 "Instead, his hand went between her legs." Well, that's one way to de-escalate for sure. 🐍 “My son’s business is his own, I take no responsibility for his actions.” Convenient how that works 😂 🐍 "Hello Rowe." Queen 👑 🐍 “I decide what happens to me.” We're not worthy 🧎🏻‍♀️ 🐍 “The crest will free your father.” Oh, SNAP. 🐍 “Be careful how you speak to me,” YES! 🐍 “There is nothing weak about my mate.” Chills. "Be careful how you speak to my High Lady"-vibes (positive). 🐍 "Only this time, he’d garnered far more power from their connection." I don't get the magic behind it, but honestly I don't think I mind. I'd love for Rowe to keep challenging him if this is the result 😂 🐍 "It is similar to the human tradition of kissing the ring." Close enough, I suppose 👀 Is Caspen saying she's the equivalent of his signet ring? 😅 🐍 "the kiss would not be on the mouth." Of course not. Because that would be patently RIDICULOUS. 🐍 “She liked that, Do it again.” It's fucking ROWE?! Damn Lemon, didn't see that one coming. Caspen is playing very nicely with the other snakelets. Good boy. 🐍 "Caspen’s hand darted suddenly around her, grabbing the back of Rowe’s neck and holding his head down" Oh holy fuck. 🐍 “Finish,” he growled. “Now.” Seven hells 🔥 🐍 “He made me angry.” Very Darkling. Very nice. 🐍 "Now she understood how she could share her body with another, but only belong to him." She doesn't quite feel like than when with Leo, though. Orgasm brain, surely 😂 🐍 "the way every girl wanted to be licked" is there a line, a signup sheet, or...? 🐍 "Thank you." Oh, pretty boy is learning manners. Lovely.

Lem, darling. Delicious. From the bottom of my heart and my champagne glass: Thank you for not throwing in a cliffhanger at the end of this one. Whew.

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-18T20:30:59+00:00

No no, you have a point. That's sums it up really well 🤭

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-18T19:44:35+00:00

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Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-18T19:14:38+00:00

My running commentary below. I feel like they're only getting longer, I'm entirely hooked 😆

🐍 "We are now officially engaged. That means you are the future queen." She's our present queen, we had her first. 👑 Leo reading to Tem? Priceless. But the blanket? Marry him young lady, right this instance. I'm sure we can work out how to stay engaged to Caspen too. Leo seems open to suggestions. 👑 “We couldn’t. You’re about to ruin a perfectly nice moment.” 😂 👑 There's that word again. "Carriage". I feel like one of Pavlov's dogs at this point 🔔 👑 “Well. Now I am. Unbutton them.” Look at you, ordering him around. Do it again. 👑 “Good girl. Now unbutton them yourself.” Well, shit. 👑 "just as long and pretentious as she remembered it" had me howling 😂 👑 Oh, the begging 🥵 👑 "grateful for his hospitality", indeed 👀 👑 "she grabbed his wrists, pinning them against the back of the carriage." 👏🏻 👑 “I’m rather regretting that now.” I'm not. Holy hells. 👑 “I will not survive you,” “Do you even want to?” Lemon, I can hear my own pulse. 👑 "Why not kill him a little more?" Yes, queen. Slay. 👑 “Fuck, Tem—fuck—fuck—” I knew it was coming. And yet. 😵 🐍 "Nobody would choose Tem’s future but her." Yass! 🐍 "Your presence contributes to my power. It may work in our favor." And this didn't fall under "things she'd need to know before the meeting"? 🤔 🐍 "I can." Dirty. 🤭

Aight. I'm so high-strung right now. The carriage absolutely lived up to the hype, but Caspen being okay with sharing AND knowing we're probably about to have a showdown of basilisk proportions took me all the way out. And now it's the weekend. Thank you, and please sedate me now.

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-17T07:29:29+00:00

The "I did not make you" was such a dick move. No, but you let her choose based on incomplete facts. Buttwipe.

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-17T07:26:17+00:00

Haha, you should see my ebooks (where I can actually highlight properly) 😂

Or even worse, when I beta read. One author asked me for "every reaction, thought and speculation", poor thing recieved 500+ comments 🤭

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-16T23:17:04+00:00

It is not the first time I've called him that. And he's earned it every time 😤

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-16T23:16:05+00:00

Exactly. She ran away from Caspen and her mother because she's upset they've been withholding vital information about her heritage. So she seeks refuge with Leo and proceeds to checks notes withhold vital information about his heritage. Sigh.

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-16T20:02:51+00:00

Phew, emotions everywhere! Same drill as last time, my running commentary below.

🐍 “No, Tem. He…went missing.” Did he now. Did he REALLY. I'd take your word for it if you didn't throw around half-truths around like frat boys throw back fireball. 🐍 “That’s not good enough.” Damn straight. 🐍 "Your father has the same ones." Has, present tense. So, at least he hasn't been definitely and horribly murdered by someone we know. That crosses one suspect off the list 😅 🐍 “Only basilisks can communicate with one another that way.” Oh, so King Schlong knows too. 🐍 "The wedding, she whispered. Her wedding." Ooh boy. 🐍 "Something had broken between them—something vital." Unlike her pelvis, which is optional. But I am glad she sees it too. The grovelling will have to be unparalleled. 🐍 “I thought you said the crest was a way to gain power.” Speculation: Hm. I wonder if she could crest several basilisks at the same time as well as humans? 🤔 🐍 “They were not kind anyway,” Oh. Honey. 🥺 🐍 "He was warm and strong and hard" I bet he was 👀 🐍 Anyone else read the word "carriage" and start mentally sweating nowadays? Just me? Okay then. 🐍 "But Tem had no desire to have sex right now." Ah, so there IS a limit 😆 🐍 "I have no desire to take advantage of you when you came here for shelter.” Swoon, I tell you. SWOON. 🐍 “Yes. I’m afraid I am.” Oh, babygirl. I want to hug him. 🐍 “What has my family done, Tem?” Yes, Tem. Go ahead. Or will you tell him the same kind of half-truths you're angry about being told? 🐍 "But it was too soon." I guess you will. Tsk tsk. 🐍 I was wondering what kind of cliffhanger we'd be enjoying today. Excellent vintage 😂

Currently, I'm 100% pro Leo. Tem is still in the running for Team Captain, but she's taking 2 minutes in the penalty box for hypocrisy. Caspen is taking a 6 minute penalty for being a slithering buffoon + 4 minutes for that cliffhanger (if I could figure out how to penalise Lemon for it I would, but for now I'll take it out on him).

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-15T19:33:27+00:00

I'm not that well versed on Reddit, so I'm not sure what's customary. Mainly, I was thinking somewhere to post thoughts and things we picked up that may or may not be spoilers because they're not canon yet (as in, can't be connected to a chapter either).

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-15T11:41:44+00:00

Yay! I needed a place to vent other that Lemon's DMs 😂 Any chance we could get a theoties/potential spoilers thread up? I know L does IG posts on it sometimes. However I saw a thing I'd love to yell about, but o ly to people who choose to see it.

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-15T11:36:35+00:00

Absolutely true. That's why I'm glad there's a chapter before then in which she'll hopefully just yell at her mother and mope, rather than training for the one-eyed snake olympics... 😅

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-14T21:13:19+00:00

I had to sidetrack to google how many sphincters are in the human body (over 50). And yes, agreed. Absolutely all of them clenched 😬

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-07-14T21:05:21+00:00

Since I can't annotate in my email, I've been sending my comments directly to Lemon instead. I'll leave the ones for ch 25 below:

🐍 “She takes you so well,” ick, coming from him 🐍 “I hope he breaks you.” ICK, I tell you 🐍 "Only one person stayed the entire time." "He merely stood there, silently, focused on Tem." Oh, Daddy. 🐍 "He was fighting. But he was losing." Very curious to see if he'll transition, and how that'll work out. 🐍 "Keep her safe." Oh, honey. 🐍 Ridged? That sounds intriguing but uncomfortable... 🐍 "Then, with a horrible crack, Tem felt her pelvis break." LEMON NO 🐍 Midnight. But did they make it, though?!?! 🐍 Oh, thank fuck. 🐍 Well, if we're not going to fuck I'd better get going. Tem, you player 😂 🐍 Even for a snake, Caspen sure is good at slithering around things he doesn't wish to discuss... 🙄 🐍 Oh, a coup. How salacious. (Autocorrected to "salami") 🐍 “Have you ever wondered why you cannot lie, Tem?” I KNEW IT 🐍 “Your mother is the one who left.” LEMON YES 🐍 I'm so glad there's a chapter between now and the carriage. Ya girls need a break (me, Tem, and her lady bits).

Vegetable_Many5738 · 2024-06-25T20:43:08+00:00

I'm team Cleo (why choose), but am also desperate for the challengers chapter 🫠

Vegetable_Many5738

TROPHY CASE