Once & Future (Once & Future #1) by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy - Starting April 20th 2019

[Maddie]

I’ve been chased my whole life. As a fugitive refugee in the territory controlled by the tyrannical Mercer corporation, I’ve always had to hide who I am. Until I found Excalibur.

Now I’m done hiding.

My name is Ari Helix. I have a magic sword, a cranky wizard, and a revolution to start.

When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind.

No pressure.

[Wiktoria]

how about this?
20 - friends & enemies
21 - winners and losers
22 - wives & administrators
23 - prison & break
24 - impossible & unacceptable
25 - pageantry & reality
26 - check & mate
27 - cost & crowns
28 - finish

[Maddie]

That works well! I'll get to it tonight, and catch up!

[Maddie]

4% (view spoiler)[Oh no it's another intense sci-fi.. For some reason I thought it was a kind of time-travel novel, not a sci-fi one. Oof. Good thing I've finished Defy the Stars today before I started this, which was another intense sci-fi. (hide spoiler)]
Trying to catch up now..

[Maddie]

So we are reading 5 chapters a day? I've got 20 pages until I'm up to date :D

16% (view spoiler)[I don't know much about King Arthur, but I can tell that this story is super smart, playing around with the names and making them things that he knows. And is a 'fluid' like a trans? Or bisexual? I'm a little confused how to picture Lam.. Boy/girl? I can't picture 'they' as I don't know what 'they' resemble. (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Up to date!
22% (view spoiler)[I like all of the lgbtq rep, it's legit just such a normal thing in this book and it's great, not perceived as weird or a thing to comment on. I assumed that Merlin and Ari would be attracted to each other, but knowing that Merlin likes Val and that Ari's generally destined to fall into Gwen's trap, that means they're both bi or gay (hide spoiler)]

[Wiktoria]

Hey sorry I took so long to reply haha (view spoiler)[ yeah Lam is trans but Merlin referred to them as "him" first time he saw him so I guess he looks more like a guy? The writing took me a while to get used to but it's not so bad anymore. I don't have many thoughts but I'm loving the story so far (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Oh that is true! I thought the writing was pretty middle-grade at first, but now I'm liking it!

[Maddie]

Will read these chapters in a bit.

[Maddie]

Starting this now.

[Maddie]

29% (view spoiler)[Okay so now they just got married that quickly.. All because they were friends as children, and Gwen wanted to help free Ari? This is just silly.
And everyone kissing everyone.. How does Merlin adapt to all of these time zones?
I love the way that Kerch is basically the Middle East (at least that's what I got from Merlin..) and that Earth is England? Based on the languages they speak. (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Caught up.
32% (view spoiler)[One thing that kind of annoys me about this is how easily everyone just believes that they're just casually all reincarnations of King Arthur.. (hide spoiler)]

[Wiktoria]

Shit I fucked up yesterday (view spoiler)[ the person isn't trans, I was tired and wasn't thinking. He's fluid so he has no definite gender (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Ah yeah, so kinda similar.

[Wiktoria]

Hey hey please don't hate me but I don't think I'll be able to read today, we're on a trip and we just keep doing trips so I've no time to read it

[Maddie]

No worries :D I'll just skip today's pages and catch up tomorrow :)

[Wiktoria]

Thanks ^^ and sorry again

[Maddie]

No worries! That works well for me, as I have a lot of other things to read today.

[Wiktoria]

Ahh yw then XD

[Maddie]

Yes haha. You liking it so far?

[Wiktoria]

Yeah it's an interesting twist on King Arthur XD you?

[Maddie]

Yeah I like it, hopefully it gets better!

[Wiktoria]

Yeah, I'm hoping for an epic sci fi adventure xd

[Maddie]

Glad it also counts as an OWLs readathon book XD

[Wiktoria]

Oh does it?

[Wiktoria]

Ohhh retelling

[Maddie]

That's the one :D I've got 3 more to go for my career, you doing it too?

[Wiktoria]

Yeah I had a the planned out but I kinda went South and barely read any of them... So I'm failing miserably xd

[Wiktoria]

Okay I read winners and losers earlier today and I'm just gonna start hearts and aches now but I gotta talk about the former one. (view spoiler)[ what just happened? This definitely did not go the way I expected it to. That whole marriage plan was so fast and random! I'm shooketh. I also felt it was so rushed like seriously why did this happen xD (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Okay so I shouldn't read that if I haven't read today's chapters? I'm going to try staying up until midnight tonight so I can call a hotel in a different time zone, so I should be able to catch up.

[Wiktoria]

^ that was ch 3, the one I wasn't able to read cause I was bust... im pretty sure you said you already read it?

[Wiktoria]

Maddison wrote: "Caught up.
32% [spoilers removed]"

omg, thank you!
(view spoiler)[ I found it so weird how they're all just like "oh yeah that's normal" (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Oh yeah I'd read that one already. I haven't read today's chapters yet, but I will try and get to them later tonight if I'm still awake after I finish up this book. Otherwise double tomorrow.

[Maddie]

What chapter are you up to? I'm going to keep up with you, I haven't read for a few days, so will just read your pace.

[Wiktoria]

I still haven't read further, I'm hoping to maybe read yesterday's chapter today... I'm sorry for being behind again but I don't wanna force myself to read it and im not always in the mood for it

[Maddie]

Yeah I'm the same!

But what chapter is that.. Or what % are you? Because I feel like I'm behind and don't have much time next few days to read it

[Wiktoria]

I think it's 32%?

[Maddie]

Oh cool so same spot as me :D I'd like to finish it this month, but if we don't then no stress

[Wiktoria]

Maddison wrote: "Oh cool so same spot as me :D I'd like to finish it this month, but if we don't then no stress"

i really wanna finish it this month as well but i also have furyborn and honestly im not in the mood for both of them XD

[Maddie]

XD Yeah, I'm going to hopefully get Furyborn finished on Sunday or Tuesday

[Maddie]

How's this going?

[Wiktoria]

So bad! I haven't read anything in three days... I can feel the slump coming

[Maddie]

Okay cool neither have I XD I'm just trying NOT to slump!

[Wiktoria]

I might just take a little brake from all the books I'm reading and hopefully I'll be better by May xD

[Maddie]

Yeah that sounds good XD

[Wiktoria]

*break jesus what is english

[Maddie]

I understand you :p

[Maddie]

Just post back here when you continue reading

[Wiktoria]

hehe okay!, thanks for understanding

[Maddie]

I'm the same, don't worry XD