David - proud Gleeman in Branwen's adventuring party > Recent Status Updates

"Council, if I may? We have a poor plan, a poor plan indeed."
"Grandfather and council elders, I mean no disrespect, but the plan is more than a poor one."

Doesn't sound promising! I've seen bad plans in action before...

Suddenly a figure trailing a red aura appeared on the path leading to Beinn. The figure stopped abruptly, like it knew someone had spotted it. It slowly turned towards Maya and two red dots, like eyes, became visible.

That whole "someone spots you staring at them" thing can be pretty mortifying!

"Seems like the gods and goddesses like to be repetitive," A grin spread across Maya's face.
"It's the best way to get you to hear."

I can respect Maya for calling out Nantosuelta. Going through the same thing over and over can get a little tiring after a while...

Both competitors hit their mark, and both shattered their lances. The force of Maya's blow launched Percy from his saddle.

This author knows how to write a good jousting scene!

I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. This is my first ever ARC so I'm really excited! Hopefully I can carve out some extra reading time for myself and wave goodbye to some of my real-life responsibilities for a while!

"I thought I recognized you..." She lifted her hands and immediately threw a bolt of lightning at Amarah.
Amarah brought her scythe up across her body, its power deflecting the attack. "You've got a shit memory if you only just realized who I am!"

Bad memory? I can so relate!

But his mind turned over and over thinking of past mistakes, making up worst case scenarios and working out how his situation could deteriorate.

Sounds like my brain every night!

Tacio rolled his eyes, huffing as he got up from his chair. "I'll see to it, Sapora. Once I've had something to eat. I'm starving."
"You'll see to it now," Sapora said, turning around to glare at his brother.
The two stared at one another, the room tense.

Ahhh, sibling rivalry at it's finest!

"I think you just dislike anyone who isn't you," Isa piped up as she clambered through the window and into the room, having apparently scaled the tower. She was covered head to toe in hay, and immediately set to picking out the strands from her braided hair.

Isa can make such a dramatic entrance!

Amarah picked up her scythe and slammed the bottom of it on deck.
She'd played nice for too long.

I love Amarah! She doesn't take crap from anybody!

Nicole has posted a status with links in the comments to organizations that are trying to help the victims of the tragic explosion in Lebanon. If you are able to donate and want to help the people of Lebanon, please click on Nicole's status below. Thank you!

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The Portiid spiders have never been a passive or defensive species. No patient web-lurkers they; they attack or counterattack. Those not directly involved fan out, watching to all sides with many eyes

These spiders are such warriors! Hopefully their fighting skills will be more effective than this

We will show them, Portia thinks. We will show them the error of their ways.

The epic battles are about to begin! :o

"Don't be too hard on him, the situation is unprecedented."
"I'll be the judge of that. I swear, sometimes I think I'm the only competent person left in the whole human race."

That's a tad harsh... even Batman has an off day sometimes!

The machinery had been taken apart and put back together more than once. Words stenciled on the side said "Do not open. No user-serviceable parts inside."

Some tasks just feel pointless!

"I don't believe you."

WOW! I did not see that revelation coming! I was caught unawares even worse than these guys were!

Bianca is still waiting. Nobody in all of history has done what she did. The eyes of the world are on her with a judgmental gaze. So she waits.

But, hey, no pressure, right, Bianca?!

"For all your heroic deeds, all your strength in battle... You're more a kitten than a tiger."

Hey, don't knock it, lady! Some kittens are vicious fighters!

Then again, some aren't...

They are performing that oldest of tricks: constructing a path by which to reach a destination, only in this case the destination is permanent security. With each step they take towards it, that security recedes, and the cost of progressing towards security grows.

Not how that is supposed to work!

"Patience. Damn patience. Why can't I go now? They're on the ground, right? I can fly over them."

Amarah is back! :D And as impatient as ever!

Since TL and I share a birthday today, we're starting a buddy read of this book, just as soon as I finish my birthday dance...

...and I'm done! Getting older is so much fun! xD

Suddenly he was clear and scrabbling at the wall to regain his feet. His twisted knee savagely resisted but he was adrenalined to the eyeballs right then and overrode it. That got him all of two steps away from the skirmish, whereupon he was grabbed.

Not exactly as great an escape as this was...

They looked as though at any moment someone would be arriving to judge the world's least impressive costume competition.

Sometimes costume designs just aren't well thought out...

Wishing all the wonderful moms on GoodReads a very Happy Mother's Dad today! :D
May your special day be filled with love, family, joy... and may you all be able to get a little time to yourselves for reading as well!

The censorship he had ordered Lain to put in place was never going to be able to keep out the chief culprit - to wit, Lain herself.

Lain is good at being sneaky! Others, not so much...

When the giant opened and closed its mouth, the spiders hypothesized it may be a means of communication, but the absurdity of such an idea won out. After all, using the same orifice for eating and communication was manifestly too inefficient.

Humans inefficient at talking? I can buy that!

There comes a time when someone must do what must be done. Portia is a warrior trained and indoctrinated from an early age so that now, in this time of need, she will be willing to give up her life for the survival of the greater entity.
"When?" she asks Bianca.

IT'S ON!!!

"Times like what? Being held hostage by lunatic mutineers? How many times like those have you had exactly? Or is the world of academia more interesting than I thought?"

Probably not

I just read a chapter where super-evolved spiders go to war with super-evolved ants, and it was so exciting and inventive. I'm loving this book! :D

But that being said... WOW, do all these graphic descriptions of spiders doing spidery things make me feel squeamish sometimes! D:

And, as Portia watches, the ants begin to dance.

We can add ants to the list of everyone who can dance better than me! A list that even includes cats
How cats dance:

How I dance: