Status Updates From The Briar King (Kingdoms of...

Took a brief hiatus from this—not the book’s fault, I just burned out on fantasy after uber-disappointing & longwinded Kushiel’s Mercy—but now I’m back. 🙃🫠😗 Resuming the slow build of Epic Unstoppable Villainy in 3…2…1…

‘Lady Gramme & William were a pink tangle of limbs on Gramme’s enormous bed. ‘People look rather stupid in the act of sex,’ Muriele thought, oddly detached. ‘Helpless & stupid, like babies without the charm.’’ …..🤭

—“A dream,” she told the dark room, rocking back & forth. “Just a dream.”
—But the air was still thick with anise & plum. In the pale moonlight streaming through her window she saw black petals scattered upon her coverlet. She felt them in her hair. Wet trickled down her face, & the bright taste of salt came to her lips.

Still liking it. Has a George RR Martin fantasy feel, but without the endless block paragraphs of description & overly complicated tangle of plots. Also it’s actually FINISHED, which shouldn’t need to matter, but *gestures wordlessly at A Song of Ice & Fire* 😑

‘The chatter started up again. Aspar watched the boy while he waited for the beer. The lad’s fingers were trembling, & he couldn’t look up. His courage seemed to be leaking out of him with his blood. That was often the case, Aspar found. Bleed a man a little, & he grew less heroic.’ ….Heh.

I’m liking this so far. Fingers crossed. 👽