✨️Night of Wands✨️
LightNews LightNews
banner
nightingaelic.bsky.social
✨️Night of Wands✨️
@nightingaelic.bsky.social
83 followers 210 following 420 posts
Adult, bi, very into Fallout, currently into Red Dead Redemption 2, The Sopranos, the evolution of feminism, my cats, and running a book club
Posts Replies Media Videos
nightingaelic.bsky.social
Just in time for me to go home and argue about declining birth rates at Thanksgiving dinner
leftoblique.bsky.social Dana Fried @leftoblique.bsky.social · 5d
This is an insightful but deeply upsetting article about why everyone in the US feels poor, and why the current political situation emerges as a direct result.

www.yesigiveafig.com/p/part-1-my-...
Part 1: My Life Is a Lie
How a Broken Benchmark Quietly Broke America
www.yesigiveafig.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:25 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 3.25-star review of Neon Leviathan by T.R. Napper — This book taught me that Australians (and also extra-dimensional aliens) are just as into gambling as Americans
Text: As a debut book, T.R. Napper's anthology of short stories set in the same cyberpunk future triumphs more than it stumbles. Its settings feel lived-in, touchable, and its examination of a history where human memory loses all reliability before becoming a controlled resource is brilliantly claustrophobic. Napper's characters, however, feel incomplete. Some of this we can attribute to the various things their literary environment has taken from them, such as memory, purpose, opportunity, or safety, but much of it comes down to how their personalities are given a backseat while that environment and its injustices take center stage. This isn't to say that Napper can't write good characters: One of the best stories in the anthology is "The Weight of the Air, The Weight of the World," when much more time is given to the main character and the way she relates to the totalitarian regime she lives under. All in all, a decent start for this author, and I am keen to see what more he might conjure when given the time and space to do so. Cover of the book Neon Leviathan by T.R. Napper.
November 25, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Reposted by ✨️Night of Wands✨️
bodegacats.bsky.social
November 24, 2025 at 3:56 AM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
Why are we using the word "czar" again
November 23, 2025 at 5:49 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 4.75-star review of The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler-Colonial Conquest and Resistance, 1917–2017 by Rashid Khalidi — 🍉
Text: If something's bothering you about the way Palestine is vilified by Israel's government and its allies, Rashid Khalidi has created a very thorough starting point for anyone in need of information about how the conflict began and how it has endured. This book is a frank, disheartening description of how Zionism was co-opted by the great military and colonial powers of the day, from 1917 to 2017, to produce a nation intent on stamping out the native people of the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. It understands the major players and their motivations beyond religious belief, and it details the many governments that are at fault for the oppression and genocide that continues today. The text is also packed full of references to other works, many of them from Khalidi's ancestors and relatives that were preserved in the Khalidi Library. This does lend a noticeably-privileged perspective to the history within, as it is apparent that Khalidi's family and sources came from enough wealth and power to shield them from the worst atrocities, but it does not distract from the overview of inequality that emerges when the full picture is formed. Cover for the book The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler-Colonial Conquest and Resistance, 1917–2017 by Rashid Khalidi.
November 21, 2025 at 5:55 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
Victim complex aside, this lady and her accomplice did distressingly little to cover their tracks, I could stage a crime better than these people
'Trump whore': Congressman's aide staged her own attack, feds say
Natale Greene, a former congressional aide, is facing federal charges after she allegedly staged an elaborate politically-motivated attack on herself.
lawandcrime.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:46 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
They're like little sugary hay bales, Tyler, and I'm the horse
nathanwellman.bsky.social Nathan Wellman (Acolytes of Horror) @nathanwellman.bsky.social · 11d
Everyone else seems to have all these fantastic dreams about flying or smooching a sweetie. Meanwhile I'm over here having dreams where I'm like, explaining to some barely interested acquaintance from high school why I like Frosted Mini-Wheats
November 20, 2025 at 5:56 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 3.75-star review of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 1 by Kanehito Yamada — I like Frieren well enough, but why are Himmel and Heiter so gross in the flashbacks
Text: A light, airy start to an elf's journey to understand her companions too late. This opening volume has a good sense of scale, a smattering of hooks, and a warm, fantastical tone that hints at a deeper world to explore ahead. Cover for the manga Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 1 by Kanehito Yamada.
November 19, 2025 at 4:10 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
Y'all ever see a take so bad that it sends you into a late-night research frenzy in order to learn about the benefits of food security programs like SNAP
November 19, 2025 at 4:47 AM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 3.5-star review of Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson — Who the fuck is Hoid and why is he here stealing the spotlight
Text: Fans of The Princess Bride will like this one, as it pulls at many of the same heartstrings and Brandon Sanderson openly admits in his acknowledgments that his book was inspired by it. Tress is a sweet, lovable protagonist, even if she is supremely lucky beyond realism - but if she wasn't, this book wouldn't be as fun. That said, I hadn't read any of Sanderson's other works when I started this, so the narration being handled by a judgmental wizard of renown from outside Tress's world who becomes a MacGuffin that saves the day in the end was a strange decision. I'm sure Hoid is a great important somebody elsewhere in the Cosmere, but he's a baffling point of view for a newcomer to this setting, and a wild narrator for a cozy little story about a girl becoming a pirate who can literally manipulate the seas. I almost don't want to recommend this to anyone else unless I know they've read more from the same literary universe. However, I admit that I'm a bit older than the target audience, and younger readers probably won't mind Hoid's silly asides - they may even see him as a hook into a larger world. Cover for the book Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson.
November 18, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Reposted by ✨️Night of Wands✨️
usedpizza.bsky.social
losing my mind over youtube's suggested reply for this comment
youtube suggesting i reply to a comment with "i miss my ffamily"
November 17, 2025 at 3:50 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 2-star review of Cold War Wisconsin by Christopher Sturdevant — I went to a meet-and-greet for this author and he spent half the presentation talking about competing in the 2015 Pyongyang Marathon, which is admirable but not super helpful if you're trying to write a Fallout TTRPG campaign
Text: Informative, if a little dry. I was hoping for some more details in Chris Sturdevant's book about day-to-day life and how it affected the people of Wisconsin, but he chose to focus on the individuals (and military machines) who left the state or traveled to the state or resided within the state to mark the 44 years of geopolitical tension. More of a tour through the highlights of Wisconsin's contributions than an immersion in the world of Cold War America. Cover for the book Cold War Wisconsin by Christopher Sturdevant.
November 17, 2025 at 6:51 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
With a taste of a poison paradise
November 16, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Reposted by ✨️Night of Wands✨️
alartton.bsky.social
he's back
December 20, 2024 at 2:36 AM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 3.75-star review of The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley — Gripping, flawed, and squishy, just like a... no, I shan't say
Text: The first, and most obvious, adjective to describe Kameron Hurley's space epic is "visceral," and it's no wonder that critics have leapt to use it. This novel does not shy away from layering blood on top of desire on top of mucus on top of betrayal on top of entrails on top of ecological collapse on top of unidentifiable, cancerous goop. Main characters Zan and Jayd have to claw and crawl their way through fleshy landscapes, gut-wrenching space battles, sticky sex, and political intrigue toward an unknown, uncertain future. It's an odyssey in tandem: The women trade the spotlight, and the reader squirms and cheers and internally debates which of the two has the worst of the whole affair. Also? No men whatsoever. The second adjective I would apply to the story is "insufficient." Zan and Jayd's mysterious, taxing journeys build to a final reveal that does not meet the moment of triumph at all. It feels completely removed from the mountains the characters climbed, lacking in both context and weight. What could have been clues about the setting are instead packaged into exposition, telling us about the cool things that happened to lead up to this novel rather than showing them. Obviously, this is completely fixable. Hurley just has to write another book explaining why the tentacle planets are developing cancer, how the Mokshi managed to break away from the Legion, and how Zan and Jayd met and became inextricably linked in the first place. But perhaps those mysteries will remain mysteries, floating among the fleshy stars. Cover for the book The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley.
November 13, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Reposted by ✨️Night of Wands✨️
internethippo.bsky.social
Seen a few of the epstein emails now, all with different people and it's not the main issue here but is everyone illiterate
November 12, 2025 at 5:54 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 3.75-star review of The Summer Hikaru Died, Vol. 7 by Mokumokuren — Mama, a frog ghost behind you
Text: Mokumokuren's landmark monster boy manga is now shifting into the typical tale about teenagers saving the world, but that doesn't mean it's any less enthralling or endearing. His characters are earnest, vulnerable, flawed, and they smash against each other in ways that leave scars. The adults in the rural Japanese villages withhold information, ostensibly for the kids' own good, but to the detriment of those who feel obligated to fumble around in the dark anyway. Shapes move on the other side of a dimensional divide, and you get the sense that wherever this story is going, it will be painful, but worth it. Cover for the manga The Summer Hikaru Died, Vol. 7 by Mokumokuren.
November 11, 2025 at 7:14 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
Bigoted nerds run into the age-old problem of companies "going woke" because it means more profit in the long run: Which will win, the inevitable steamroller of capitalism, or a million AI-generated YouTube videos about how Intergalactic is dead on arrival because it stars Tati Gabrielle?
adamserwer.bsky.social Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 20d
The far right is obsessed with Lord of the Rings and Musk keeps posting about "hobbits" because modern scientific racism owes more to fantasy worlds and gaming systems than genetic science, and they see both as effective mediums for right-wing propaganda www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Why Elon Musk Needs Dungeons and Dragons to Be Racist
The fantastical roots of “scientific racism”
www.theatlantic.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Reposted by ✨️Night of Wands✨️
burg.bsky.social
Zohran text reading "Does anyone know where the love of god goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours"
November 10, 2025 at 3:32 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 3.25-star review of The Summer Hikaru Died, Vol. 5 by Mokumokuren — Great things happening in this one for people who know what a serow is
Text: Having grown up in rural America, it's an aching feeling to see the same small-town issues plaguing rural Japan, even under paranormal fantasy layers constructed by Mokumokuren. The thoughtfulness of incorporating tight-knit communal secrets; beautiful, odd, ancient traditions passed on without context; and self-sustaining practices that once kept villages alive in near-isolation becoming a yoke around the necks of non-conforming youth, who are now connected to a wider world they long to join, make this manga a bittersweet read. Cover for the manga The Summer Hikaru Died, Vol. 5 by Mokumokuren.
November 10, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Reposted by ✨️Night of Wands✨️
hatingongodot.bsky.social
Yeah I looked upon Cthulhu's dread visage and I was fine. Big octopus on a man's body. Not exactly "difficult to comprehend." Maybe you guys should go outside more idk
November 7, 2025 at 12:46 AM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 3.75-star review of The Summer Hikaru Died, Vol. 5 by Mokumokuren — If Guillermo del Toro hasn't read this manga yet, he should
Text: Mokumokuren's decision to depict "Hikaru" with a reading list composed of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and the Japanese folk tale Tsuru no Ongaeshi is really giving the game away. That said, it's about damn time that a manga about a relationship between a boy and an unfathomable creature that looks more like a Lovecraftian splash of paint than a sexy fish man got popular enough to warrant millions of circulating copies. I am looking forward to the rest of these crazy kids' adventures in small-town Japan. Cover for the manga The Summer Hikaru Died, Vol. 5 by Mokumokuren.
November 7, 2025 at 5:35 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
"GOOD," I say, while a sea of teenage-boys-turned-adult-boys wails
November 6, 2025 at 9:46 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 3-star review of Can't Spell Treason Without Tea (Tomes and Tea No. 1) by Rebecca Thorne — Cozy fantasy is way better when there's actual stakes involved and not just, "What if the barista serving you a scone and latte was a tiefling?"
Text: I picked up this book as a second attempt at enjoying the cozy fantasy genre, and overall I'd say it was a success. Rebecca Thorne has written a cute, inviting, feel-good romance between a runaway palace guard and the most powerful mage in the realms, in which they settle down in some provincial town to start a tea and bookshop. It's sweet, it's gay, it's charming, and it's a comfortable read. There's just one problem for me: The best bits of this novel are the uncomfortable, thrilling parts. I had the most fun when Kianthe was fighting dragons, when Reyna was ignoring her own injuries, when the politics of the small town of Tawney or the court of the Queendom or Shepara's Magicary were interfering with the lives of the two lovebirds on the lam. The many obstacles between the women and their happily ever after are by far the best parts of the story, so much so that I found myself rushing through every page of barn renovations, tea selection, and patisserie baking in search of the next plot hook. I don't want to pick apart whether or not this book fits the cozy fantasy genre — given how often it dips into typical adventurous fantasy, I'm sure that's an ongoing debate among fans — but I do know that I gave zero shits about the tea shop. Reyna might be a genius baker, but she's way more fun to read about as a self-doubting, treasonous swordswoman. Kianthe might want to escape the responsibilities of being the magically-gifted Arcandor, but that give-and-take between selfishness and selflessness can't ever be completely balanced. If the book is going to split the time between tea and thrills, I prefer the thrills. Cover for the book Can't Spell Treason Without Tea (Tomes and Tea No. 1) by Rebecca Thorne.
November 5, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Reposted by ✨️Night of Wands✨️
docshartman.bsky.social
I see trees of green, red roses too,
Dick Cheney Dies at 84 as New York Elects First Muslim Mayor Zohran Mamdani
November 4, 2025 at 8:39 PM