the sun and its shade is weird

[@azurecurrents4289]

Very unrelated question but as someone who doesn’t write about human characters, what is the appropriate way to describe darker-skinned characters? (I also say this as a black person lmao)

[@ReadswithRachel]

Great question! Mari from MynameisMarines has some great videos on this, I'll link one below, but a resource she recommends is writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/post/96830966357/words-for-skin-tone-how-to-describe-skin-color Mari's tiktok on this: www.tiktok.com/@mynameismarines/video/7208342594303036718?lang=en Hope this helps!

[@camillagilmore1547]

Hey, I also don't write about human characters. I think that there are certain tropes that you obviously want to avoid (like all the antagonist characters having dark skin and the protagonists having light skin) but otherwise... They're not human, y'know? They exist only in your head. So if in your mind their skin looks like tapioca pudding, curried potato or beef jerky then you should say that. I think when it comes to non human characters the issue is are we uncritically replicating real world systems of bigotry, not would this description be offensive if I applied it to a real world race. The two questions are somewhat intertwined, but not to the point where it should interfere with you expressing your imagination as accurately as you can.

[@noditschi]

@camillagilmore1547, and @trianenopenottrian9108, too, in case you people are interested. It's not just a description. It's easier to focus on the literal than the overall demeanour, worldview, and treatment of certain characters. I'll give you an example from a recent RPG experience, where I was the only immigrant at the table, also the only one who would be considered from the "unwanted" country. So, even though there was another person who had lived abroad for a time his experience and mine would not compare. (recognised how we have for instance Philippino "immigrants" but French "expats"?) It was when a second wildling joined our party that especially the dwarf started asking questions that were increasingly alarming for me. For instance, asking the two wildlings (of different races) if they were lost brothers or cousins for the tenth time, or asking them to explain themselves and not bother to remember and ask the same question again later, asking private questions one after another while he was quite private about his backstory. I was the only one who not only understood what this behaviour was. When confronted - while I explained that in the game I did not care because the dwarf character could as well be racist - accusations of different kinds followed and I was left to think that maybe it wasn't the dwarf after all and my friend who was the racist. So, single words themselves might be well thought but the content still a problem. That's why we need sensitivity readers... or at least open ears for those who will tell us of their experience.

[@beeaggro2593]

Avoid food I think. Just be like blunt. Pale. Tanned complexion. etc.

[@sora1498]

i think a big no-no is using foods , even worse if u use different foods that arent similar in colour throughout the prose, an example i saw online being dark chocolate and cappuccino in the same book to describe the same person

[@palinurus]

There are so many holes in this plot that it needs a trypophobia warning in the intro

[@cjn8719]

Damn. That's good

[@aud7593]

holy shit. ⭐️ for you

[@shangc2781]

BaBUM-tish

[@GrainneSheridan]

Wow, just wow that’s an impressive burn.

[@emmadoyle3990]

when they kept going on about how Nox is like the night because of how dark her skin was (especially because of the covers) I was thinking she would be a really dark-skinned black woman, like unnaturally dark in a similar way to how Amaris is unnaturally pale. finding out she's just light brown kind of made me question what the whole point of the metaphor was. She could have just been south asian coded with another metaphor or something because from all the art I've seen she doesn't even appear to be a particularly dark-skinned south asian. it just feels kind of like colourism to me

[@strexcorp]

honestly such a missed opportunity to spotlight dark skinned south asian women but no we had to go with barely brown woman #1000000000

[@CaptainTrasha]

I feel like Nox was originally meant to be very dark skinned. But once she got back lash from the whipping she switched to lighter skin to “lessen” the damage.

[@marsisbae]

There are folks with naturally pitch black skin out there

[@marsisbae]

@@jaginaiaelectrizs6341 Didn’t catch that before, thanks for clearing it up

[@Womynxx]

I’ve noticed when I’m reading something by a white author and they describe someone’s skin as brown that can mean anything from dark skinned to white with a tan. 🤦🏾‍♀️ 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@bluebirdeyes]

Some less anachronistic words: Psychopath => lunatic Zoo => menagerie

[@inotanzen]

“are we doing polyamory?? because i’m willing to bump it up half a star if we’re doing polyamory.” SO RELATABLE 😂😂

[@estrellapage-lopez6197]

The fact that Piper apparently has a folklore degree but also like doesn't understand the intersection of storytelling, myth, history, and societal issues (misogyny and racism) is mind blowing to me

[@lulucool45]

you know who else has a folklore/mythology degree? ...JKR

[@Stonedandbookish]

Wtf is a folklore degree

[@Darkfyyre]

Terry Pratchett is rolling in his grave 😩dunno if he had one, but he sure as hell had a deep understanding of folklore... gonna be centuries before we see another author like him tho

[@xiexielian]

Diploma these days doesn't mean anything

[@crow6558]

i'm bisexual so i'm not trying to say that it's bad for nox and amaris to have sexual and/or romantic relationships with men throughout the books, but it does seem weird that a book that markets itself as a female-focused sapphic fantasy cares way more about developing the female characters' relationships with men than it does their relationships with other women. and nox and amaris are presumably supposed to be endgame, so these are just sidequests... imagine if even half of that time had been dedicated to actually building an on-page relationship between nox and amaris instead of just having them be in love because they're the two main characters. it's more than just the romance, like, do either of these characters even have any female friends? and all the villains are stereotypical evil queens/ambitious women! thank you for this review by the way, and i'm sorry that simply honestly sharing your opinions about books has become such a minefield for you :(

[@beeaggro2593]

That's honestly kinda depressing... Like. I wanted sapphic stuff. Not. Guys? Like if I wanted to read relationships with men I would just read a Sarah J Maas book

[@beeaggro2593]

But also now that you put it that way, it's kinda of funny because it's almost baiting in a way. Like it's trying to market itself to people who are like yes finally, a wlw story that's kinda cool and that Sarah J Maas style of book. And it's basically just a slow revelation of oh it's bi that's dope who's that guy who's that guy why are they. I thought the two girls were endgame? she's only shown up like twice in the whole book... ... ... Like there's such a distinct lack of wlw literature that it almost feels kinda mean. And you really can't bitch about it without sounding biphobic because yeah, if they actually spent time with the two girls it would be fine. But like...

[@ghostinyourcloset]

i think my problem with this is that it's marketed as wlw. nox & amaris having one kiss in the first book without ever even developing an attraction that isnt tell not show is ridiculous. their relationships with men is far more developed and (somewhat) fleshed out than the supposed relationship nox and amaris are to have. i understand having two bi mcs but at least show some attraction to the other, even when theyre in relationships with men. idk i just think the writing is lazy & just trying to appeal to sapphic people while simultaneously mainly focusing on heterosexual romance

[@clioalexandra6485]

This is exactly my problem with these books and thank you for putting it into words. There is so much heterosexual fiction love stories out there, like can we have a liiiittle more of a connection between the sapphic characters? This book leaves so much to be desired on that front and it's like, fine, write whatever you want, but don't tell me this is a bisexual fantasy/lovestory if there's no actual love story here. The way both characters are so overly sexualized too... its just really gross and honestly, I wish this author just hadn't even bothered.

[@scofthenight]

For budding writers: you don’t need to be super poetic. You can be descriptive without it being over the top and hard to read. It’s ok to be simple. Simple language is not the same as bad writing, bad writing in my opinion means it’s a badly thought out story and characters lol.

[@belladonnabeauty8829]

Okay but can we appreciate Rachel's eyeshadow!? She looks gorgeous! Like a unicorn or a fairy!

[@ReadswithRachel]

Oh thanks!! My patrons requested "galaxy" so that was the makeup look of the day

[@belladonnabeauty8829]

@Reads with Rachel It suits you so perfectly! Then again you rock any eyeshadow look!

[@shannonquinn]

Yes!!!! Best look yet! I might need a tutorial.....just saying. 😘

[@rachelcarpenter3965]

Hair. It's the hair for me. Damn good hair. (but yes, the eyeshadow is awesome too)

[@ashannaredwolf8485]

Fierce AF! 🤩

[@strexcorp]

As a south asian I have very mixed feelings about the representation in this book (coming from the perspective of someone who has not read it lol). On one hand I'm happy to see south asian rep in western fantasy in general but on the other hand it leaves a sour taste in my mouth that the "rep" we get in this book is ~femme fatale brown temptress that smells like c̶u̶r̶r̶y̶ exotic spices~ and it's like are you fr? can authors come up with literally anything else for brown characters besides being like the dark and corrupted foil to the perfect pure white girl? so obvious that she only views brown and black people in this book as vague concepts to prop up the main white chara.

[@nicoverma2477]

As another South Asian person who hasn't read this book (and has no plans to) I agree with you completely. This is a further conversation that needs to happen because there is nuance in representation and how white people chose to do so. As a kid, I was ashamed of having food with loud flavors. I was scared of my culture because I'd never seen anyone who didn't look like me appreciating and kindly responding to South Asian culture. I love the way you worded your comment, looking forward to more of your input. ❤

[@joyc.e.7511]

@@nicoverma2477 Same here. As a Nigerian girl growing up in the U.S. who had a packed lunch throughout elementary and middle school, I was embarrassed to come with traditional foods because of how I knew people would talk about the smell and the way it looked. But going to Nigerian parties, (where half the point of them is to eat food lol) I was able to get that appreciation for my culture and see it as a point of pride to be from a country in Africa rather than ashamed, no matter what insensitive questions my teachers and peers asked.

[@kekayowrites]

@@joyc.e.7511 fellow Nigerian here, relate completely. It’s crazy to think of all our shared experiences. We need to write more of our own stories, so more people feel empowered, instead of having half-assed, high-key racist and colorist stories like these attempting to “represent” poc.

[@mimisezlol]

As a South Asian I also feel like the representation doesn't ring true

[@JaniceSeagraves]

Instead of zoo, Piper could have used Menagerie. Which was used in 17th-century France (Or earlier) for a collection of captive animals, frequently exotic, kept for display.

[@nicole.z.624]

That’s exactly what I thought, too.

[@smidgen]

i love that word lol, i go out of my way to slip it in when i can 😂

[@nalcarya]

My thought as well. It's also a much more beautfiul and poetic sounding word. In general the author vocabulary seems rather narrow for someone who wants to emulate a very flowery writing style.

[@daddyslittlegirl226]

I was about to say the same thing 😂

[@ohkaydokay9743]

There is a writer's workshop dictionary/thesaurus, I think it's 20 dollars USD that provides entries with periods used, etymology, points out other entries to be used and explanations. I always presumed writers took months on chapters, weaving their story. Someone explain to me how she has a masters in folklore but her research amounts to so little than paltry duplication of an anthology of myths in a barnes and nobles?

[@maddiedoesntkno]

The bit that was like “romanticising trauma is such bullshit- now here’s a flowery paragraph about my trauma😘😘” is so funny to me I can’t get past it😅

[@jumanas2695]

Wait those three magic items, the pocket watch that points to where you wanna go, sounds like the compass from Pirates of the Caribbean 😂😂

[@ReadswithRachel]

......fuck you're right.

[@JulianGreystoke]

A little bit golden compass too. Not a very new idea for sure

[@ShaeTheIcyPole]

I’m so glad someone also thought this 😂😂

[@simplesimply3753]

Exactly what I thought too.

[@kumibooks1359]

I just don’t understand why reviewing books has become this so complicated and stressful for the reader. In don’t understand why authors can’t just let their books go out into the wild since that’s what they wanted. I’m also disappointed in Goodreads that it doesn’t protect their reviewers. Have you tried Stoygraph?

[@ReadswithRachel]

I have one but I never remember to update there. I need to start!

[@kumibooks1359]

@@ReadswithRachel you should link your story graph! If you haven’t already. I just also wanted to say your video helped me recover from a root canal, especially when I took the wrong medication when I was in a daze. My body threw up hydrocodone (supposed to have taken ibuprofen first and hydrocodone if ibuprofen didn’t work) and listening to your video helped me distracted from my extreme anxiety when it came to throwing up. Love your videos sorry that the harassment happens

[@ReadswithRachel]

Omg I’m so sorry you had a tough root canal! 💕

[@cassiscrowmatic]

The problem is, from the author side of the website, GoodReads is incredibly encouraging for authors interacting with readers. They in fact present it as a selling point. I haven't interacted with any of my reviewers, because a friend of mine who was a fan of Rachel's talked to me about it and encouraged me to watch her videos. But as a new author, without that history, I absolutely would assume that interacting was the correct thing from all the information provided by GoodReads itself. I will also second Storygraph as an excellent platform. From the author side they do NOT have the same encouragement to interact with readers, and I really, really like their tagging and recommendation settings. It feels much more reader-centric in a lot of ways.

[@vvitch-mist20]

Only insecure authors care about how their book is reviewed. If an author put actual love and care into their writing then they wouldn't be worried about what people think.

[@shangc2781]

10:53 "Your pupils are showing great cognitive fuction" As in her pupils have cognitive function? As in her pupils have the ability to think? Do her pupils have little brains? Doesn't matter what time period youre replicating that medicine is inaccurate

[@hope2dust]

The issue is that those cool ideas aren't hers. The broken clock that points in the direction of your desires? Pirates of the Caribbean. The painted map of the kingdoms on the floor? Game of Thrones. It's not just her ripping off The Witcher. She's literally stealing details from loads of different series. That's why the time period feels all over the place.

[@annd2631]

even the dragon proverb is just a famous proverb about an elephant with a fantasy skin.

[@simplesimply3753]

Came to write the same thing. She’s just taking pieces of famous pop culture and spinning into a book.

[@beeaggro2593]

Hell even their backstory is just Bronya and Seele.

[@lizabethhampton4537]

Also when I heard of the pocket watch that immediately points to your desires I thought "...like a compass?" Not quite The Golden Compass, that's a bit different, but still.

[@CelticGuardian7]

@@beeaggro2593 Was not expecting this reference, but yeah, it basically is a very watered-down and much weaker version of their story.

[@lizabethhampton4537]

This book: "Oh, right. The poison. The poison for Kuzco, the poison chosen especially to kill Kuzco, Kuzco's poison. That poison?"

[@justanormalfish]

I thought that we were past the "dark skinned people magic bad and light skinned people magic good" trope in YA/NA fantasy

[@ChrisWilliamsDallas]

Amaris getting mad because the guy give her the right praise is on brand with this author

[@ReadswithRachel]

Chris 😜

[@Hyuchii]

her worldbuilding is COMICALLY bad. why do terms like “veterinarian” and “intern” exist in the same medieval fantasy world where there are titles like “master of beasts”

[@Hyuchii]

ALSO u can’t tell cognitive function by looking at someone’s pupils?????

[@ava_marie_v]

Yes! This bothers me so much because, while veterinary medicine is very old, we weren't always called veterinarians. One of the first descriptions a man who could be called a veterinarian today was from 3000 BC and was "an expert in healing animals”. In ancient China, they had what were called Horse Priests who practiced traditional medicine like acupuncture on horses. Basically, whatever your fantasy world version of a doctor is (usually healer or maybe magister), there'd be a similar term for the animal version. Usually they'd also only treat livestock or horses, but occasionally pets would be treated, or birds. Depending on how highly those animals were valued in the society (in ancient Egypt, for example, it was more common for animal healers to tend to cats and dogs because of how much Egyptians valued them as pets). (Sorry for the massive paragraph about veterinary medicine history. It's one of my special interests because I'm going into the profession).

[@ava_marie_v]

​​@@Hyuchii I wouldn't describe it as "cognitive function," but how your pupils react to light can be an indicator of a concussion or other brain injury. Basically it's another example of Piper using a weird and off description of an actual thing

[@Hyuchii]

@@ava_marie_v that’s exactly it! it’s like she used modern terms as placeholders but then never got around to actually changing them to something more internally logical lmao

[@elizabethanderson1120]

“And then they found her an axe” followed by nervous laughter is how the start of my villain arc begins, tbh.

[@leannj.3706]

"her equilibrium floated" this is sending me to outer space lmaoo

[@alexislirette3451]

I howled when you said "now I'm going to review it publicly" we love a petty queen ❤

[@sardonisms]

13:00 I just figured out why Tamora Pierce always refers to the collections of animals as a "menagerie". It never even occurred to me because it fits in the world so well I didn't notice she meant what we would call a "zoo". (So see, author of this book, it's REALLY not that hard to use a better word.)

[@Pharm2be]

Pharmacy student here! Pills are actually first reference in ancient Egypt! But they weren’t given the name pill until Ancient Rome when they were called pilula. They would roll them in spices and try to coat them to make them less bitter so probably not technically anachronistic, though idk when the English word pill came about, but it feels anachronistic and sometimes in writing the feeling matters more than technicalities. If it feels anachronistic, it doesn’t really matter if you can defend it. Especially when combined with actual medical anachronisms

[@Teajay21]

The Tiffany problem!

[@samanthamead6729]

A pocketwatch that points wherever you want to go- I think she meant a compass that does that instead of pointing north 😂

[@Saibellus]

it'd be cool if it was a hot n cold thing. like the clock was closer and closer to striking 12 the nearer you were to attaining your hearts desire

[@ps1hagridoufofcharacter]

@@Saibellus that is such a cool idea

[@euphoricamoric6841]

13:00 this is something that really bugged me about SJM’s worlds too. not everything has to parallel a real historical period, but that’s not an excuse to write a setting with no internal logic 😭😭

[@beeaggro2593]

Blame GRR Martin and Bridgerton

[@nebulaquatica]

@@beeaggro2593 im genuinely curious why g.r.r. martin?

[@JulianGreystoke]

She "borrowed" that dragon proverb. It sounded familiar and I found it: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_men_and_an_elephant "The parable originated in the ancient Indian subcontinent, from where it has been widely diffused."

[@ReadswithRachel]

you have got to be fucking kidding me right now… that’s literally the same shit Andrew tate did. ANDREW. TATE.

[@lisahoshowsky4251]

I was wondering if someone was going to point that out, and was very pleased to see it pinned😅

[@katerinaharness]

Also, I don’t know if anyone mentioned it and I haven’t finished your video yet but Yggdrasil, the tree? The mythological “world tree” in Norse mythology? Obviously a concept and not something I’m saying she’s ripping off, but when I heard it I was like-??? Norse myth is canon here now??

[@ellys106]

yes! I recognized it right away. was in one of my storybooks as a child

[@AllisonMiller30]

I can’t wait for your read along. I just know that right now it has checked off maybe four boxes of your bingo card. Also, I’m going to suggest again just for the Piper CJ videos adding a box that is “more words is good words.”

[@rainydayjules]

that woman in the fancast for Nox was in literally every edit I saw for Six of Crows for Inej before the show came out, fancasters you GOTTA get more creative I swear there’s more than one south Asian model

[@beeaggro2593]

I mean what do you expect of basic girls?

[@SemiIocon]

The anachronisms you pointed out made me think of the Discworld series, where the world is at the verge of industrial revolution and how well the discoveries in that world fit the general worldbuilding, where everything makes sense in universe. It's something where you barely notice how well it is actually made until you stumble on negative examples like in this book, lol.

[@Teajay21]

Yes Pratchett does this so well! He even kind of lampshades it with the Tiffany Aching books, bc of the "Tiffany problem" which is that Tiffany sounds modern so people don't use it in historical media despite it being a common nickname for Theophania

[@AlishaHerbiederbie]

Rachel I am so proud of you for making this video. I saw the way you were attacked and the trauma that caused. Your reviews are valuable and blend critique and humor in a way that I don't often see. It's why I became a patron and it's why you have ever-growing group of people who feel the same 💜

[@underthebookcover]

Apparently she wrote this book in 9 days. It sure seems like she wrote it in 9 days, that's all I'm saying.

[@blackrainfell9969]

WHAAAAT?! How does one write a book within nine days?!

[@readingroomcafeproject]

badly!

[@Virgo117]

I can barely wrote more than 2 drafts in a day 😅

[@fortunatecookie]

I’ve spent more time than that on a single chapter of fanfiction

[@infiniteX3]

@@fortunatecookieSAME OMG 😭

[@wonderfulkitty]

It’s ridiculous how Good Reads refuses to address review bombing and actual harassment only to turn around and take down your review. That website is hell.

[@duohensheng]

Absolutely delighted that you chose to make this a public review- your integrity is commendable and you exemplify why we all need reviews and reviewers! Opposite of delighted at the circumstances that led to this though, I hope you know there is a robust and enthusiastic review community that stands with you! grateful for the way you use your voice.

[@Marie45610]

That 'succubus transferring life' thing happened in a show called "Lost Girl" It (the show*) was meh, it was on SyFy, so one of those low-budget shows. But the MC was a succubus, "with a heart of gold" who refused to be evil... or something, and she often transferred the life she took from other people to save people she cared about.

[@DesertKitsune]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who caught this reference.

[@Teajay21]

She was also bisexual!

[@fr4nkensk4nk]

@@Teajay21 okay you sold me on watching lost girl

[@leightoningstrike6971]

The joy I felt seeing the run-time of this video😍😍😍

[@kekayowrites]

The Jasmine Throne is a FANTASTIC example of showing how even a religion rooted in women “beings” can be used to justify sexism. The author here really should’ve done a lot more research Edit: it’s also a fantastic example of morally grey main characters done right

[@unavezms8167]

*moves it up her tbr*

[@match3819]

i know this comment is a few months old but I just wanted to say yessssss yes yes yes yes yes!!!!!!!!! TJT and TOS explore these topics and many more sooo so well, i absolutely adored them!!! AMAZING books my favorites of all time and i cannot wait for the final one to be released aaaahhhh!!!

[@heyheysheashea12]

One of the many things I love Nina Zenik because she loves her food and isn't ashamed of it. I'm so sad that these books are bad the covers are so pretty I would love to have then on my shelf

[@ReadswithRachel]

SAME ON THE NINA ZENIK THING

[@heyheysheashea12]

​@Reads with Rachel truly a queen and an icon

[@llamabean529]

This is the fact that I'm also sad about, I wanted to read the original because of the cover and the blurb but upon researching it I found out it sucks.

[@riversrhodell2359]

Piper CJ definitely writes a lot of weird misogyny. Though benevolent sexism is actually a real term that refers to stereotypes or things said about women that seem supportive and positive but are based on traditional gender stereotypes (feels kinda anachronistic considering I've only heard it in a modern academic context discussing gender and maybe specific feminist spaces). So in context, the "benevolent sexism" is probably the assumption that women can't be dangerous/can't cause harm/aren't a physical threat (especially towards men).

[@erebrows]

The anachronisms! That was honestly one of my biggest problems with the ACOTAR series and you just very eloquently put into words why. Thank you!

[@daunderhill17]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but the “reverse succubus” thing Nox does to heal someone, is VERY reminiscent of the show ‘Lost Girl’, where the succubus Bo uses Chi (sexual energy in that universe), to drain or heal herself/ others. If we’re adding to the list of copy/paste ideas in this series.

[@msanthropea13]

Ma'am, Jack Sparrow would like his compass back.

[@peggyluwhoreads]

"DRAW ME A DIAGRAM!" I am deceased. I die. You're too funny.

[@ineffablebuttercup]

a mosaic of the continent on the floor sure sounds like the mosaic of westeros in the red keep in game of thrones

[@ReadswithRachel]

.......fuck

[@melaniereine3378]

That's exactly what I came here to say lmaoo, nope Rachel you can't even give her credit for that

[@ReadswithRachel]

@@melaniereine3378 goddamit

[@ReginaCordium722]

every week, my friend sends the group chat a minute-by-minute breakdown of riverdale. those messages make more sense than anything piper cj has going on. (also the witcher clips im SCREAMING)

[@beeaggro2593]

Riverdale is just a telenovela. Once you have that understanding of it, it all makes perfect sense This is just a really deeply involved fanfic

[@nikkihacker6461]

Maybe it's just me, but I hate any and all descriptions of people's "natural smells", not just equating it to food. Much prefer to read about a specific perfume or cologne that they use that's nice, rather than "two weeks without a shower and she still naturally smelled like my mom's apple pie."

[@izzisart]

Yeah, it always weirds me out because it just seems strange to be paying that much attention to how someone smells unless it's a super specific perfume or something. It just puts in mind them weirdly sniffing each other.

[@jennyjoseph778]

@@whiteraven562 Tbf, I know one (1) person who can actually differentiate people by smell and I have one family member that definitely has a smell I can recognize... But for the vast majority of people, 'natural smell' is synonymous with unpleasant body odor lol

[@Teajay21]

Yeah or if they have a specific scent for a reason that plays into characterization like a healer that smells of medicinal herbs because she's always at work.

[@JulianGreystoke]

Watching again. Nox gets the MC immediately good at the high skill activity bingo Square for that axe situation

[@ReadswithRachel]

And Malik gets sexy lamp! Again!

[@JulianGreystoke]

@@ReadswithRachel good old sexy lamp Malik!

[@ReadswithRachel]

ole reliable!

[@Ivymyoungwrites]

@@ReadswithRachel i screamed sexy lamp on my route when you talked about him 😂😂😂

[@BasedClef]

This hit me during the review of TNAIM too, but I was so annoyed by the undercurrent of racism and the poorly-executed "dark/light contrast" between the main characters that it didn't occur to me to mention it. "All-Mother Temple" and the concept of the "All-Mother" as a matriarchal goddess figure is ripped straight from the Horizon Zero Dawn video game. All-Mother is a goddess worshipped by the Nora tribe in-game, and All-Mother Mountain is a sacred place that the protagonist Aloy is taken to near the start of the game, which is significant because it's explicitly stated that "only Matriarchs are allowed inside". Matriarchs being high-ranking women within the tribe. Hell, even Googling the term "All-Mother", the first result that comes up is the wiki page for the video game. Yikes.

[@nalcarya]

It's really not a novel concept though, it's a pretty classic term for matriarchal societies or religions. If we wanna pin an origin it's probably norse mythology with Odin the All-Father and Freyja the All-Mother, which is the more likely source since Yggdrasil is also used in this book later on. Obviously we don't know where the author really got it from, my point is that using the term "All-Mother" is far from a yikes thing imho. Horizon shows up a lot because it's a very prominent and rather recent example.

[@BasedClef]

​@nalrya true enough. There was also a result that looked like a painting someone had done of the goddess Freya when I Googled the term, so I thought the same thing at first. "Oh, this just a Norse mythology concept that she inserted into her book", but I feel like the similarities between All-Mother Mountain as it exists in the Horizon Zero Dawn universe and "All-Mother Temple" as Piper has explained the concept in her book are just *too* alike to be ignored. I'm fully aware that Guerilla Games didn't invent the concept and they probably just drew *their* inspiration from historical and mythological concepts in a similar manner, but it still felt worth mentioning. Definitely could just be a me thing.

[@alitaniak7404]

I was thinking this too! And tbh the whole "baby being born as a gift from the 'gods' in a matriarchal temple called the All-Mother" thing also echoes HZD even if it was a priestess giving birth and not the mountain itself. When enough things are pointed out to be derivative, I guess everything starts feeling derivative lol

[@ava_marie_v]

I think a big way that Piper could improve her writing is to limit the number of metaphors and similes she uses for one description. She uses so many different ones to describe a single emotion or visual that it feels like a list, not a story. It drags terribly. She needs to settle for like one, maybe two in scenes she wants to stand out. Also, sometimes you don't need to use any descriptive language. Sometimes it's more impactful to not use it, or to use it sparingly. Basically if she were in my creative writing class and I was critiquing her, her use of metaphors and descriptors would be at the top of my critique.

[@bluebirdeyes]

Book itself aside, the cover art on these is so good. Kudos to the artist.

[@geolrik]

another comment says it's clip art from canva 😭 nothing about these books is original

[@Financiallyfreeauthor]

It is beautiful. That font isn’t Canva, I’m fairly certain. And the ability to put together graphical elements is a talent!

[@xiexielian]

the sun, yolky thing... Lark, Light

[@Darkthestral1]

What you were saying about the prose reminds me of when people try to sound smart. The giveaway is usually odd word (if not outright wrong) usage. The really obvious one is when they definitely used a thesaurus because the synonym they picked doesn't quite mean the same thing as the word they replaced. With flowery language I think it's a similar usage issue. Someone who's really good at it has an intimate understanding of the rhythm of language and word usage. So I bet you're picking up on the subtle tells that they aren't as skilled in those areas. Like when you see a painted face and you know it's off even if you can't articulate why

[@bro.that.is.adorable.2633]

I found your channel shortly after Piper apologized for harassing that reviewer before the book got traditionally published. I watched your video about TSAIM and I’ve loved your videos ever since!

[@ti9372]

Wait she advertised this book as a sapphic love story/bisexual fantasy and all the sex is straight? No sapphic scenes apart from kisses? What's the point? Like why only one of the two options wasn't the point having both? I'm very confused did I miss something? She also retconned Nox into bi instead of gay that's,,, not tasteful

[@beeaggro2593]

Yeah that kinda...pissed me off tbh. Like my friend offered it to me as an alternative for 'I find the Sarah J Maas stuff lacking (and honestly, generally most fiction lately) in the sapphic department.' aspect of my being. Like if you're just gonna token a girl, then just admit it's bait

[@arbisofficial]

as i assume it is with a lot of things about this book, anachronisms were super common in the witcher but done much better. they're only ever brought up by witchers or sorceresses, which makes sense as they have much higher levels of understanding about science than the common people of that world. when a sorceress brings up genetically inherited traits it's a way to set them apart from the normal humans and show how they have all this advanced knowledge but don't share it out of a combination of superiority and fear of how it will be received. it adds to the fantasy element instead of taking away from it, and adds to the separation between humans and magic practitioners.

[@odakja]

Don't know how to describe how I feel about how the author took the name of the world tree in Norse mythology (Yggdrasil) and stuck it on that tree.

[@lexaraereads]

I’m selfishly so excited that you read this but also deeply deeply sad for you and your time 😂 thank you for taking one for the team.

[@jasminv8653]

No one has said it yet but the Raska (spelling?) being a Northern realm composed of South-Asian features while there is a pseudo-viking-esque Southern land is lifted directly off of the empire of Prakra vs Scourgelands in the mobile otome tarot game Arcana and that's quite possibly the funniest media property to sponge ideas off from...

[@erinlewis6901]

I saw this in the bookstore and was like "oh I cannot wait for this to be torn apart" Edit: This review doulbes in enterainment if you put the mii theme on in the background,and I only say this with love.

[@emilydavis8573]

I'm so glad you decided to post this. Thank you!

[@learning2live_brokeninchro157]

1:06:52 “Her equilibrium floated!” I almost died when you read this part. Lolz. 🤣😂🤣

[@strangeaelurus]

I saw this author advertising this book live along with The Night and its Moon when I was scrolling through tiktok and my heart skipped a beat 😭

[@ThatLizHunter]

Anytime I see the word “okay” in fantasy it throws me off because that word came from an 1820s US presidential race

[@ReadswithRachel]

Liz I did not know this, thank you for coming in with my new favorite random history fact

[@Ivymyoungwrites]

❤❤❤❤❤ SO PROUD OF YOU POSTING THIS!!!

[@shimaspawn]

Cat Burglar does not have anything to do with one specific person. It was used by newspapers starting in the early 1900s to refer to burglars who were good at climbing and very stealthy. There were several high profile gangs who popularised the moniker but it was never referring to just one dude.

[@ReadswithRachel]

That tracks. Every other day I learn that something I was taught in Christian school history class was bullshit. This is probably one of those things.

[@theycallmejodamo]

Like… Maybe it’s just me but when she was describing how “dark” Nox was, in my head I was thinking like the model Nyakim Gatwech or some similar skin, to contrast the moony paleness of Amaris. Because as a reader, given how she wants to create that contrast, that’s where my brain goes. To then find out that in her mind, Nox is basically just like the sort of tan one might expect to see if they traveled to Morocco? Like? Girl? Does this lady even know how skin tones work? (That last question was absolutely facetious, because obviously she doesn’t)

[@RainbowAnimeCupcake]

YES especially cause of the cover art and what I’m assuming as nox’s hand being pitch black thats what I imagined. So disappointing that the POC girl is barely olive when amaris is literally as white as a sheet in every way

[@theycallmejodamo]

@@RainbowAnimeCupcake Firstly, love your username lolz. But yeah. It’s giving very “anything that isn’t as pale as the driven snow is exotic and spicy” vibes and I don’t like it 😬😬

[@invadernav3422]

As soon as I saw this out in stores, I couldn't wait for your review.

[@AliCatWrites]

And now all I see is a chicken nugget

[@ReadswithRachel]

Get me the bbq sauce

[@llindberg194]

Yay I'm so glad you're doing this one.

[@NC-dw1ir]

I love your make-up here. I bought that shade of lipstick, if I'm not mistaken you told us where to buy it in a previous video but man the eye shadow really pops. It's like the sky at night. Those colors really suit you.

[@simplysparrow]

i have a massive painting project due tomorrow and this is just what i needed to get through the night lol looking forward to another absolute blast!!!!

[@ghostoyster]

we need a Good Reads Behaving Badly series now

[@charlie2.048]

I think she stole/borrowed how she crafted the succubus powers in this from the show Lost Girl. Now I can't be certain, but I have never seen or read another depiction of a succubus where they have the ability to take life force from one person and use it to revive another. That's explicitly a Lost Girl succubus power and it features very heavily in the plot point on several occasions.

[@charlotteyoung340]

Yes!! I fucking loved Lost Girl! I thought that sounded familiar!

[@TheFran2555]

Omg yes I loved that show

[@someaccountihaveyes.5998]

18:11. The pocket watch oddly reminds me of the compass from Pirates of the Carribean.

[@zoot9393]

I am so happy you did a follow up video for the sequel! I had been hoping you would!

[@CraftsandCasts]

Ma'am that eye look ❤❤❤❤❤❤ absolutely stunning

[@mbs.writes]

I love the witcher clips you throw into these videos, literally perfect and hilarious. 🙌🏻

[@marionettilapsi1]

The "pocketwatch" is just the compass from Pirates of the Caribbean.

[@RachelFinston]

I saw someone on Twitter recommending this series and I was like noooooo But in all seriousness ily sm and thanks for making more fun content on this 🥰

[@KerriB]

Just found your channel last night and I already subbed, but after hearing you say reviews are for readers, I wish I could sub twice 😂 I'm an indie author and I couldn't agree more! I was absolutely floored to hear that the author's friend was responding to reviews.

[@rat_enthusiast]

This writing feels like the book equivalent of being stuck in traffic :/

[@nicoleava976]

This analogy made my evening, thank you))

[@rainydayjules]

man a big pet peeve with writing I have is when a person is described as having a scent like flowers/spices/baked goods with no real explanation like them wearing perfume or working in a bakery or SOMETHING. no one has a natural scent like that! WHY does Nox smell like spices?!?! is it because you’re stereotyping maybe Piper? anyways sorry for the rant, after this and your reviews of the first book I’m kind of morbidly curious about this series, Im a big fan of so-bad-it’s-good movies, but I’m not sure this series has enough fun-bad to be worth the time haha

[@quirkyblackenby]

Ooo I know this! I looked up what a cat burglar was recently because I fully thought a cat burglar was someone who stole cats but apparently a cat burglar is just a really sophisticated burglar

[@Jensington]

The pocket watch sounds a lot like Jack Sparrow’s compass that points to what he most wants

[@azure113]

guns actually started out in China in the 10th century and were first bamboo tubes with gunpowder and pellet projectiles and then they became metal in the 13th century and spread to eurasia in the 14th century. they weren’t able to mechanically fire at all until the 15th century. still i feel like there should be more guns in fantasy since they did have them at that point.

[@ReadswithRachel]

Not to say it AGAIN but…. You know which fantasy book has guns? Furyborn by Claire Legrand 😏🤣

[@Teajay21]

​@@ReadswithRachel Also Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett

[@lee_1292]

over an hour wow. im so excited. thank you rachel🙏🙏🙏🙏you keep me sane at my job

[@dontfretreadbooks]

The Witcher clip straight out the jump is so g0ddamn funny to me 😂😂 thank you for making this

[@JulianGreystoke]

*salivates*

[@noditschi]

1:02:40 I don't know if it's a coincidence or not, but there is a famous poem from Rumi about people being brought into a dark room with an elephant and very similar tale, where he then compares it to our awareness of the world and god.

[@VortexSerenity]

Rachel, you're amazing, and I love your content more than I really know how to say. I hope so, so much that no one gives you any grief over this. ❤❤❤

[@ReadswithRachel]

Tbh, I've decided I'd rather them all give me grief than someone else. If they're focused on reporting me then maybe they won't be bothering some other smaller creators

[@VortexSerenity]

@ReadswithRachel That is an infinitely more grounded and mature way to see it than I would have in your shoes. I really admire you a lot. Also, how do you do your eyeshadow like that? I'm fr jealous

[@ReadswithRachel]

@@VortexSerenitywhen I tell you I had to consult a friend to teach me, I’m lying…..because I had to consult two!

[@honeybea4845]

29:37 they had one of those in Game of Thrones, and knowing Piper, I wouldn't be surprised if that's where she got that idea...

[@deannarmartin113]

Thanks, Rachel. My Alexa also answered your zoo question!

[@naniaunruh1312]

Whattt there is already a sequel! Anyways thank you for making another revıew after what happened with the last one

[@vivs3538]

Considering that the author brags about writing (and I think publishing) the first book in a week, I’m honestly not surprised if she starts putting these out like hot bread

[@snicketylemony]

The compass that points where you want to go feels very Pirates of the Caribbean, and a giant lady spider immediately made me think of Shelob from Lord of the Rings

[@artikapoor1209]

I’ve had to pause this video multiple times to try and process the bits you read that are literally from the book. It’s making me question my own reading comprehension/processing 😂

[@TheSnakeh]

The "tried nibbling on a fig" sounded so familiar when I first heard you mention it and I just didn't get why. But now I realized it. In A Dance with Dragons, Daenerys is shown several times "nibbling on figs stuffed with cream cheese". I thought I might have been fixating on that part (it does sound yummy), but I've heard others mention this. Not sure if this was done on purpose (or maybe even subconciously), but I can't help think of ASOAIF when I hear something similar now, lmao

[@emmyrose233]

Couldn't even focus on the "plot" because my rat brain was too distracted by this incredible makeup look

[@sagathestoryteller7920]

Sending you love, Rachel! You're one of my favorite KZbinr's

[@ReadswithRachel]

Wow, thank you!

[@delyseonduty]

Can’t lie, I have been waiting for this one

[@adrasthe314]

Local historian in the making here! I'm pretty certain qe have known pupils dilate since antiquity and it may be plausible to think the link between pupile dilating and head injuries had been made for a while, but the linguo is way too moderne