News on Shuffle – Mostly music news + reviews, but we also cover film, tv, and anything else that catches our fancy

Top 10 Books of 2025

The last couple years I fell short on my reading goals due to migraines, but I crushed it this year reading 65 books (66 if I finish the one I’m working on before the end of the year, which is very doable). This year I went outside my comfort zone and found some real gems, so I wanted to do a little top 10 list. These are all the books I rated 5 stars (with some honorable mentions since I actually really lucked out and had more than 10 I thought were excellent).

10) When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley

This one I found threw Jenny Lawson’s blog, and am very grateful. It takes place in Coney Island in the 1910s and features a young man who joins a sideshow and falls in love with the star attraction – a merman. I did not expect how moving this story would be. It was absolutely beautiful and I especially loved that it was set right in my backyard (practically).

9) Immortal Consequences by I..V. Marie

I do love me a magic school (this is not the only book where that is the setting), but this one has the unique twist that the school is in the afterlife. Yes, all the students who attend Blackwood Academy have died. I was immediately sucked into this world, and even though I called almost every twist and reveal, it was in a way that was exciting. The sequel theoretically comes out next year and I cannot wait to see where the author takes us next.

8) the Inheritance series by N.K. Jemisin

I’m cheating here and putting the whole series at the 8th spot, and it won’t be the last time I use this little trick. I just read too many good books this year! The third book in the series, The Kingdom of Gods, is the one I actually rated 5 stars, but the whole series was excellent. I loved the worldbuilding in this series and how it all comes together in this book. The relationship the mortals have with the gods and the gods have with each other was really interesting and kept me wanting more time with them.

7) Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

The more I sit with this book the more I love it. The fact it’s not higher on the list was a struggle for me and tells you how good the reading was this year. It’s definitely my favorite Chuck Tingle book. It’s a horror book with a gay protagonist that talks about both the evils of capitalism and the importance of queer joy. I cried multiple times and clapped at the end. If you can handle some minor scares I highly recommend checking this one out. It was a beautiful story that will sit with me forever.

6) Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

I really enjoyed the first prequel book and was very excited when Collins announced there would be another, this time looking at Haymitch’s turn in the Hunger Games. Considering how messed up he is when we know him in the main series, I figured this would be a doozy of a story and was not disappointed. There’s a reason our boy Haymitch becomes a cynical, raging alcoholic. The more Collins fills out the world she has created and its history, the more I both love and hate it. Which just means she’s telling great stories.

5) Arcana Academy by Elise Kova

This is another book that has me greatly anticipating its sequel next year. It also takes place in a magic school, but this time the system of magic uses tarot cards. I thought it was a unique twist on the old classic. It also brought about an interesting conversation for me with someone about how the opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference.

4) World of the White Rat by T. Kingfisher

I am massively cheating here, but boy did this entire world grab me by the throat and refuse to let go. Every book I rated at least 4 stars (disclaimer: I still have to finish the Saint of Steel books, but I’m confidant they won’t let me down). The Wonder Engine and Paladin’s Grace I rated 5 stars. In the case of The Wonder Engine I almost finished it in one day and only stopped because my body yelled SLEEP at me. I love these books so much I’m switching from borrowing them at the library to just buying them. The last time that happened was the A Darker Shade of Magic series by V.E. Schwab, which currently sits as my favorite series. This is a close second though. The worldbuilding is fantastic, the characters are all wonderful, and the more Kingfisher expands the world the more I fall in love with it. Early next year I plan to finish the rest of the series. I’ll try to not cheat and have it be in the top list for next year too.

3) The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

We’re in the top 3 and gushing hours will now commence. I think it took almost no time at all for me to decide I was obsessed with this book. There is a cast of characters I could spend 5,000 more hours with and still want more. The best way I can describe it is if Willow and Creature Commandos had a baby, but even that doesn’t do it justice. A holy man with a mission has an unusual group to help him complete it, and things go sidewise several times over. I cannot recommend this one enough. I laughed so many times and was desperate for more when I was done.

2) Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

This year was one for knocking some books off the bucket list and Iron Widow was one of them. I loved that it turned the “enemies to lovers” trope on its head AND gave me a decent polycule. I screamed at both my partners as their relationships locked into place. I also screamed at the ending, but I argue that if a book makes you that angry then that’s still a passionate response and it deserves some gold stars. Reading the sequel is high on my list for next year.

1) Fourth Wing/Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

I’m cheating again here, but I rated both these books 5 stars and you simply cannot make me choose. I became absolutely feral for our two main characters and their story as I devoured these two books. Reading the third entry is also high on my list for next year.

Some honorable mentions that didn’t make the cut but did get rated 5 stars by me:

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao – A standalone story about a pawnshop that can rewrite your fate, my only regret is we won’t get more time with these characters. I loved them and the world and wouldn’t have minded another book in the universe.

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn – a murder mystery where the murder has already happened and the entire book is a flashback leading up to the fateful event where you get to meet the cast of characters and try to guess what happened. A boarding house full of women who all have their secrets. I loved the surprise twist at the end.

Trials of the Jedi by Charles Soule – This was the big finale of the High Republic series, which spanned several years and many, many novels and comics. I cried multiple times at the end. It was hard saying goodbye to my babies, but they successfully tied up the series in a way that felt satisfying.

The Assistant to the Villain series by Hannah Nicole Maehrer – I had such a complicated relationship with this series. The first book was 5 stars for me, but it turned out to be the slowest of slow burns that didn’t payoff until late in book 3. Having said that, I was passionate in how strongly I felt about it and the characters lived rent free in my head for weeks. I also loved the world and everything else about it. It was just frustrating how long we had to wait for the big payoff. It did feel worth it once we got there though, which I was concerned there was no way anything would feel good enough after that long a wait. There are supposedly two more books coming out, and I do worry what could possibly happen to warrant that much more story. For now I will sit and be happy with where things left off.

Thus concludes my favorite books of 2025 list! I would love to know what some of your favorite books of the year were. Maybe I’ll check them out next year and they will make my list then! Until next time, have a happy New Year and happy reading, book lovers!

Daggerheart vs D&D Discoursing

There’s been a lot of discourse about Critical Role leading into campaign 4 as they geared up for their announcement. People were so sure the company would be switching gears and using Daggerheart as their system instead of D&D. The people of the internet were gasp wrong.

Not to brag (as Ashley Johnson often says on her Beacon talk show, Weird Kids) but I had a feeling they would be sticking with D&D and using Daggerheart for more mini side campaigns. I’m pretty stoked about what we’ve seen of the new setting so far and the new players that will be joining the table. That’s not what I’m writing about today though. While thinking about the fandom, this announcement, and my relationship to Daggerheart, I had a bit of an epiphany.

I’ve tried so hard to get into Daggerheart and have not loved it as much as other people have, and I think I figured out why. The biggest supporters of the game that I see online seem to think that its job is to crush D&D and Wizards of the Coast and become the King of TTRPGs. I think this association with the fanbase has unfortunately soured me on the game somewhat. But here’s the problem – I think they missed the point.

Matt and co have always said that with everything they do on this channel, the biggest motivation is to have fun. If this ever stops being fun for them, they have said they will pack their bags and walk away. They play D&D because it is fun for them. They made Daggerheart because there were things D&D didn’t quite do, so they made a system that did. That doesn’t mean that Daggerheart is supposed to replace the other toys they’ve been playing with though. It’s just another toy in the toybox.

Another reason one shouldn’t assume they would have moved away from D&D is this: there was no way for them to know how much of a home run success they would have with Daggerheart. They are constantly in disbelief at how much we flock to support them. And while I don’t have exact numbers, I think it’s safe to say Candela didn’t do as well as Daggerheart did – although I’m sure it did well enough. (Side note: I really hope this Fall we get more Candela because I have a mighty need for some spooky stories).

The last thing that should have indicated we were probably sticking with the old system (and why I’m actually very excited about this fact) is the new roster of people they’ve pulled into the company. You mean to tell me they got Jeremy Crawford and Chris Perkins to build a homebrew world with Brennan Lee Mulligan and you’re NOT excited to see what they have in store for us?! I know this is a recent development after months of y’all being fired up for Exandria in Daggerheart, but I for one am thrilled to see what they’ve got brewing.

In conclusion, I wish the fans would sit back, touch grass, and let the team cook. It looks like we are in for some epically ambitious storytelling told by some of the best people in the business. I think they deserve a chance to win us over.

This is How Democracy Dies

It was announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would be ending in May, days after he called CBS out in settling their lawsuit with Trump. Anyone who thinks this is a coincidence, I have a bridge to sell you. Not only is Colbert leaving the network, the show isn’t getting a new host. It’s just completely being wiped from their schedule. Here’s what Stephen had to say about it on the show last night:

The Late Show first aired in 1993 with David Letterman. It’s an institution that I never expected to see end, especially not in this way. This isn’t the first time a news outlet has bent over backwards to satisfy Daddy Trump, but it is a major look at the potential death of free speech as we know it. People often misunderstand what that particular constitutional freedom means, but it is specifically meant to protect the government from silencing us. Now yes, CBS is a private corporation that can do whatever it wants with its money, but this is clearly politically motivated. They claim it’s about finances, but who is buying that? The Late Show is one of their highest rated shows and just got nominated for an Emmy (which I briefly talked about a few days ago). If anything, losing Colbert is also going to lose them income. It’s not remotely believable that finances are a motivating factor here.

The fact of the matter is that CBS needs Colbert more than Colbert needs him. I’m sure MSNBC or Netflix or someone will scoop him up real quick. Or he probably has the money and clout to just start his own YouTube channel. Or he can go the Jim Acosta route and create a Substack to do livestreams from. There are plenty of options to keep him busy and in our feeds.

I think CBS is quickly going to realize they made a big mistake. Will that be enough for them to reverse course? Only time will tell. I worry that they’ll have trouble doing it in a way where they can save face. I think they just backed themselves into an impossible corner to escape from. I also fear that this is only the first chink in our freedoms. What’s to stop The Daily Show from being canceled next, or Last Week Tonight. If every corporation is afraid to anger Trump, the only way to protect these shows is to make a strong showing here that it would hurt their wallets more than they can afford. Everyone needs to yell at CBS and tell them you will not stand for this. Otherwise I fear this is only the start of a rolling darkness looking to snuff out the light of Democracy for good.

CBS form to contact them can be found here: https://www.cbs.com/showfeedback/

Emmy Nominees 2025

The Emmy nominations were announced yesterday and I have some thoughts. Let’s get into it!

First up, Outstanding Drama. This is such a hard choice for me between Andor and The Last of Us but I think I have to go Andor. I don’t know if part of it was the perfect timing of needing this story at this particular moment in time, but it really hit hard for me. TLoU did a great job of adapting the first part of the second game, but there can be only one winner and I think Andor squeaks out just above it in my heart.

On the comedy side of things, I’d love to throw Shadows a bone for its last season, which was very good. I especially loved the fact they did multiple endings, a la Clue.

For me, Outstanding Limited Series has to go to Penguin or I riot. It is possibly one of my favorite series of all time. The first episode was so good I clapped when the credits rolled. That level of high caliber storytelling continued throughout the entire show.

Now onto the stars of these shows… Bella Ramsey deserves all the awards for her portrayal of Ellie in The Last of Us. She has been crushing it! Same with Pedro Pascal for his gut wrenching performance in the last season. Spoilers for TLoS They both did such a brutally good job during Joel’s death scene. I grieved for Joel as if I was the one who had just lost their substitute dad.

For Lead Actress in a Limited Series I have to give it to my girl Cristin Milioti who stole the show in Penguin as Sofia Falcone. Colin Farrell also deserves awards for portraying Penguin so well that I forgot who was playing him.

Continuing my love for all things Penguin, Deirdre O’Connell did a fantastic job as Francis Cobb. Every scene with her and Colin Farrell was great. They were such a twisted family unit, but you still wanted to route for them. I attribute that equal parts to the phenomenal writing and their acting.

For Talk Series I’m always torn between The Daily Show and Colbert, but I think this time I have to give it to The Daily Show. And scripted Variety Series there is only one choice, and that is John Oliver’s consistently good work on Last Week Tonight.

Outstanding Directing I’m giving to Andor. Honestly I just want it to clean house this year. It’s one of the best Star Wars things out there, and I think the best for live action series. Especially living in the current times we are in, Andor and Rogue One have been hitting especially hard for me. Andor’s final season set the stage to make me cry even more at a movie than I already had the first time. It was impressive.

The Penguin has two episodes up for Directing of a Limited Series, and it’s hard to choose which episode I liked better. Cent’Anni, I think, was the episode that made me want to give Sofia all the awards, but A Great or Little Thing was a fantastic finale that kept me on my toes right up until the end. The latter episode is also up for Best Writing.

Outstanding Guest Actor is another really hard choice for me. There are two actors from The Last of Us and one from Andor. Do I give it to Forest Whitaker for reprising his role as Saw, or Jeffrey Wright for nailing his portrayal as Isaac? Honestly I think I’d be happy either way, it’s too close to call in my eyes.

Finally, for Outstanding Animated Program I’m really pulling for Arcane’s final season. The last episode made me cry buckets. Anyone who says animated stuff is for kids is simply wrong.

I think by now you can tell I just want all the awards to go to Andor, The Last of Us, and The Penguin. All three shows were water cooler television for me. (Remember when we used to watch shows weekly and talk about them at work/school the next day?) I’ve heard good things about some of the other series that have been nominated, but these three I could not stop talking about while they aired. I wish everyone the best when the night comes, and may we keep being blessed with such good television to escape into in the future.

Superman of the People

Last weekend was opening weekend for a movie I had been anticipating for quite some time – Superman. From the day the first teaser dropped and they so expertly wove a variation on the old theme music into a series of images that told us nothing while simultaneously peaking our interest… I was pumped.

I watched this multiple times in a row and hyper analyzed every frame when it came out. The casting looked great, and they clearly wanted to appeal to old fans of the comic. There were a few full trailers that came out after this, and each one got me more excited than the last while only somewhat giving us an idea of the actual plot. They evoked the right emotions while spoiling nothing.

Fast forward to a little nonbinary nerd celebrating their day (happy belated nonbinary day everyone!) while finally getting to watch the movie they had anticipated for what seemed like ages. The reviews were all great (minus the people crying it was too woke) so I knew I was in for a treat.

Here’s where the actual spoilers for the movie come in, so pause here if you haven’t seen it yet and come back when you have.

logo for James Gunn’s Superman movie

The movie starts with the theme playing and the old Superman design appearing, which immediately got me in my feels. We then get a brief bit of text appearing on screen explaining the history we need to know about the character in this universe. I am super grateful to them for doing it this way and not making me sit through yet another origin story.

Cut to a scene we got in the teaser, of Superman having just lost a fight and having to be dragged home by bestest boy Krypto. In general the scenes from the trailer all mostly happen at the top of the movie, which I also really liked that choice.

I won’t do a play by play of the whole film, but I will dive a little bit more into what I loved and what I can see some people nitpicking over. First, the likes! I loved the casting for starters. Everyone was the perfect choice for their roles. I also love that black Perry Mason seems to just be canon now. I’ve seen it in a few iterations at this point. Personally I don’t think skin color matters for that character, as long as you nail the personality down. You don’t get a ton of Perry in this movie, but the scenes you do get really captured his spirit. I also almost said out loud “that is a perfect representation of Cat Grant” but held back since I was in public. I can’t wait to rewatch this at home and really get into it.

Next, let’s talk about it being too “woke”. There are aspects of the movie that can perfectly be layered over our current discussion about immigration right now, but does that make it “woke”? In my opinion, the folks who are complaining about this are simply realizing that they are more similar to the villains of these stories than the heroes. Comic books have always been about standing up for justice and protecting the little guy. Sorry if you’re just noticing now that you worship an actual supervillain (Elon Musk) and lost some of your humanity along the way. Superman gives a fantastic speech towards the end of the movie where he calls Lex out on what it means to be human and how he would be better off if he saw that for himself rather than being jealous of Superman. But other than that, the movie doesn’t beat you over the head with its message, and if you were uncomfortable that might be a you problem.

Now for the possible nitpicks. If you’re a comic book fan, you might notice that they change the origin of Ultraman. I personally am not bothered by this, but my knowledge of the character is also weak to be fair. The one teeny thing I could nitpick on is the appearance of Supergirl at the end of the film. My ears perked up when Superman mentions his cousin, but I don’t love making her a party girl. Again, my knowledge of the character isn’t as good as the core cast (Superman, Lois, Jimmy, and Lex) but I feel like she’s supposed to be more mature than that. Hopefully her own movie gives her more depth.

Despite the teeniest of complaints at the end, I overall thoroughly enjoyed the movie and would give it a solid 4.8 out of 5 stars. I would go see it in theaters again (which is rare for me) if it weren’t for the fact that I’m saving my money to go see Fantastic Four later this month. I highly recommend going to see Superman in theaters, and the sooner the better. It’s the little dose of goodness and hope we could use in these dark times.

Superman flying up with the words "look up" to his right

Year of the Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker

Beware: the following is a deep dive into the movie, and as such has a ton of spoilers. There’s also some talk about Dragon Age Inquisition, mostly character stuff involving Cassandra. And one mention of DA2, but it gives away the ending and I wouldn’t want that to be ruined for you. You have been warned!

Dawn of the Seeker takes place in 9:22 Dragon and gives us a look at Cassandra’s backstory. In the opening scene you see her take out a dragon pretty much by herself. Why can’t she do that in the video game?? (I do use her in my dragon hunting party because of her background as a dragon hunter in this movie).

The bulk of the movie is about a young mage (Avexis), some blood mages who are interested in her and a possible conspiracy within the chantry. Cassandra gets accidentally swept up in everything and it becomes her mission to protect Avexis. She teams up with a mage, Galyan, to rescue Avexis from the blood mages. According to the wiki, Galyan is a representative of the rebel mages at the Temple of Sacred Ashes and dies when the Breach occurs. If you romance Cassandra, she also mentions him as the only other person she’s been in a romantic relationship with. I’ve never done her romance, but I do have plans to do what I’m calling a “Chantry run” where I romance the more religious characters in the games. She’s going to be my DAI romance for that run.

Along the way we also get a glimpse into Cassandra’s past where she tells a story about blood mages killing members of her family, and that is why she hates mages so much. We’ve seen her distrust of mages in DAI, so that stays true throughout her life (even if she maybe romances the mage she’s traveling with in this movie at some point). I guess one cute mage can’t undo years of trauma and hate.

It turns out the Knight Commander is the secret mole working with the blood mages. Because we’ve never seen a Knight Commander secretly be the bad guy in this universe… (Martel walked so Meredeth could run). He might have murdered the High Seeker, but he was still a boring human when he did it. What, didn’t want to become a lyrium monster and attack an entire town for your cause?

The evil monologue reveals that they’re using Avexis to get her to control dragons to attack the Chantry and the Divine, Beatrix III. Ok, that’s more like it. There’s got to be a big final conflict that puts all the people you’re supposed to be protecting in danger, or are you really villaining enough?

Cassandra gets to solo kill some more dragons, and I’m only a little turned on. Gosh she’s a badass. She might take awhile to warm up to you in the games, but once she does, she becomes one of my favorite companions. She also looks damn good in the Divine armor in Trespasser, if you go that route.

With the dragons and Knight Enchanter dealt with, all that’s left is Head Blood Mage.

Bad guy: I wanted to create a world ruled by mages!

Me: you could have just moved to Tevinter

And then he turned into a Rage Demon and we had to kill him.

The events of this movie earn Cassandra the position of the Right Hand of the Divine. It’s cool seeing this big part of her backstory play out. That title means a lot to her, based on conversations in DAI. And clearly she does a good enough job that she keeps it through multiple Divines, as she is still in that role when Justinia takes over. I’d be curious to see more of her relationship with Justinia in the early days. I’d also love to see more of her with Galyon. The wiki hints at their relationship, but what did that look like? And how did it end? Was his role with the rebel mages what put a rift between them? I have so many questions.

That concludes this look into Dawn of the Seeker. If you’d like to watch the movie for yourself, it’s available on Crunchyroll. Up next, is the Penny Arcade Dragon Age Origins prequel comic and then we’re finally starting Dragon Age Origins! The Leliana’s Song DLC is first, and it will be a first playthrough for me. I can’t wait to dive into this game with my new knowledge.

Year of the Dragon Age: The Calling

The second book in the Dragon Age series takes place 8 years after the rebellion that makes Maric king and drives the Orlesians out of Ferelden. It’s also eleven years after he takes his unplanned excursion into the Deep Roads, which is important for PLOT reasons. Yet again, I can’t wait to dive into the games with new book knowledge in my head. There’s going to be spoilers for Dragon Age Origins, but specifically the Awakening DLC this time, as well as possibly some Inquisition talk. Intrigued how those two things connect? Lets get into it.

First off, we meet a recently recruited Duncan, fresh off the streets of Val Voyeaux. Before that he was a thief, which I did not expect that to be his backstory. He also super does not seem to want to be a Grey Warden at all, but it was literally that or execution. Not great choices. Anyway, our heroes ask Maric for help because one of their own has been captured by the darkspawn in Ferelden. He has knowledge of the Old Gods, and they are concerned if the darkspawn get this knowledge a Blight will begin. They ask Maric to guide them, since he has been to Ortan Thaig before. He agrees, which of course Loghain is not happy about. Remember in the last book when Flemeth gave Maric a bunch of prophecies? We learn that one of them was about a coming Blight! That was one loose end I was wondering about, so I’m glad they picked it back up here.

Before I continue, let’s introduce our cast of characters. The Wardens going on this excursion are Duncan, Utha (who is also a Silent Sister), Nicolas, Julien, Fiona (yes, that Fiona), and Genevieve (commander of the Grey Wardens in Orlais). The man they’re looking for is Bregan, Genevieve’s brother. After meeting everyone briefly and setting up the mission, we swap POV and see what Bregan is up to. I love that they do this. It’s so much more interesting seeing the shifting perspectives and them eventually meeting than just watching the group push their way toward Bregan to find whatever twist in the end. Especially because of who Bregan is with. Because, dear reader, I was not prepared for The Architect of all people to be the one to have captured Bregan. If you haven’t played the Awakening DLC you really should. I’ve always wanted them to do more with The Architect. He’s such an interesting character because you truly do not know if his intentions are good or if he has an ulterior motive. I was really conflicted with my choice in the end, and could see an argument for either option honestly. And that is what I love about Dragon Age, is it’s full of choices like that. But I digress… My favorite part about chapter 2 is that it doesn’t reveal who Bregan is talking to right away. There’s just this intelligent darkspawn that I thought”this is giving me Architect vibes” and then the reveal happened and I nearly lost my mind.

There’s lots of interesting character developments in this book in addition to the general plot being good. For one thing, Fiona hates Maric at first, which I found fascinating considering I knew they eventually had a kid together. It was fun looking for the thing that would eventually change her tune about him. Her reasons were understandable though. She was expecting him to be a typical stuck up noble who doesn’t care. Also there’s some trauma regarding her old human master before she joined the Wardens when she was a slave. Meanwhile, I think Fiona wakes Maric up from the funk he has been in. In between books Rowan has passed away and he’s been very disconnected from everything. Going on the adventure in the first place is him doing something that feels like it matters, and then he makes this connection with Fiona. It’s a bummer they don’t end up together because she’s really good for him, and they make a good team when she lets her hackles down.

Meanwhile in PLOT LAND, this isn’t a simple “stop the Blight” story. The Architect has a proposal for Bregan that he says will end Blights forever. It also would mean tainting all of humanity and the darkspawn finding and killing the remaining Old Gods. No big deal!

While Bregan is making deals and corrupting himself for the greater good, the group is fighting a lot of bad stuff to save him, including a mother fucking dragon! Duncan does some dope but risky maneuvers, and Julien dies in the fight. Nicolas blames Duncan for his death. Yay tension! The group also fight a demon and get stuck in the Fade. Here we lose Nicolas as he decides to stay behind, but everyone else escapes their dreams and presses on. We also learn that Nicolas and Julien were lovers, and that’s why he took his death so hard. The group finally are close and when they take a rest two big things happen: 1) Maric and Fiona end up alone together. This is one of two times this happens in the book, so 50/50 this is when Alistair is conceived. And 2) Genevieve sneaks off while they’re all sleeping. She assumes the group will decide it’s too risky to follow her and turn around, and she’ll complete the rest of the mission on her own. She manages to find her brother and is convinced to join Team End The Blights.

The rest of the team, of course, do not turn around and leave her to do stupid things on her own. While trying to catch up to her, they are overwhelmed by darkspawn and saved by The Architect. They are then told The Plan. Utha immediately joins Team End The Blights. Everyone else says “let me sleep on it” then promptly escapes. Kell does a Heroism and leads the darkspawn away so the rest of them can reach the surface. I think to myself “we are now down to the members I know are safe because of Plot Armor” (Duncan and Fiona both appear in future games so I know they have to be fine).

The group reach the surface, find the First Enchanter, and BETRAYAL, they are captured AGAIN. This is getting really old, y’all. It is revealed the First Enchanter gave them items that, yes, did hide them from the darkspawn, but they also sped up the corruption in them. He has been working with The Architect this whole time! A big battle ensues where Loghain shows up coincidentally, the Enchanter betrays The Architect the first chance he gets, and Genevieve and Bregan see the error of their ways in the end. The Architect and Utha slip off back into the Deep Roads (which I figured had to happen because he has to still be around for the DLC he’s in). The heroes celebrate (I guess) because they mostly won. At least there won’t be a Blight (this time).

In the epilogue Fiona and Duncan sneak into the castle to visit Maric. This is where I start thinking about implications, with some reveals in their conversation. First of all, they have to sneak in because Maric fears Loghain won’t trust the Wardens anytime soon. Quote from Maric: “He’s still not convinced the Grey Wardens weren’t in league with Remille, and I’m not sure he’ll forgive me for telling your order it could return to Ferelden for good. I think you can expect he’ll be watching your every movement like a hawk when you do.” Thinking about this quote and DAO – obviously the Wardens were opposing him and his plans, but also apparently he already didn’t like them for other reasons. This is very interesting and something I’ll have to keep in mind when talking to him in the game during my next playthrough.

Duncan announces he’s becoming second in command, which is huge considering where he was at the start of the books both in the ranks and his general attitude about the Wardens. Clearly he’s on the road towards where we see him in the first game. The book doesn’t mention who the commander is, and I wish it did. I don’t remember if there’s a codex entry or dialogue about it in game, or perhaps one of the other books mentions it. I’ll be on the lookout, for sure.

Fiona has several big announcements. First, she likely won’t have to go through the Calling because of the fake one she went through with the brooch the Enchanter gave her. This explains how she still hasn’t gone through her Calling by the time we see her in Inquisition. She also says she’s going to be sent to Weisshaupt. But before she goes, she introduces Maric to his son! Her request is that the boy gets to live a normal life where he’s not the son of a Grey Warden or a king. Duncan promises to keep an eye on him to make sure he’s safe and bring Maric news from time to time. And that is how Alistair ends up not growing up with Maric in the castle.

Final thoughts: It was great seeing so much of Fiona in this one. I respect she wanted to let Alistair have a “normal life” but he did eventually find out his real parents sent him away and had to wonder was it that they didn’t want him/couldn’t be bothered, which sucks for him. I’ll have to pay extra close attention to his dialogue to see how he talks about that whole situation. Also talking to Fiona about him in Inquisition is going to hit differently too. My favorite part of this is unlocking new lore and the extra layers these characters get with it.

Thus concludes my recap/thoughts on The Calling. Next up is the first Dragon Age comic!

Year of the Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne

Happy New Year!

What do you mean it’s already halfway over?

I kept getting holds at my local library, so I just finished my first Dragon Age book over the holiday weekend. I don’t have anything on the horizon, so the next one should move pretty quickly and then hopefully you’ll be getting regular Dragon Age Origins videos out of me. I’m really looking forward to playing it with this book in my head. Loghain is going to read much differently. He’s still an asshole, but he’s an asshole with layers.

First of all, I cannot tell you how much I loved living in this world in a written form. Seeing characters that vaguely get referenced become fully fleshed out made my brain squee. Obligatory SPOILER WARNING that after this point there will be in depth discussion of both the book The Stolen Throne and the video game Dragon Age: Origins. You have been warned.

You know how Loghain is supposed to be a great war hero but all we know him as is the bad guy in the video game? This book takes place during that war. We meet Prince Maric when his mother, the Queen is betrayed and killed, thus making him the next in line to the throne and in charge of the rebel army along with his father-in-law, the Arl Rendorn. Loghain meets him while on the run from the traitors who have killed his mother and want him dead too. At first it’s just “I’m going to get you somewhere safe” and then it snowballs into joining the rebel army and ultimately becoming a commander of that army and one of his best friends. Except, oops, along the way he develops feelings for Rowan, the woman Maric is supposed to marry. Awk-ward! It’s fascinating seeing how Loghain’s relationship with this family develops over time, knowing that ultimately he is going to be an advisor to Maric’s son, Cailan, but that’s going to be complicated as well. More on that at the end though.

There’s one particular section in an early chapter I loved, where Loghain and Maric are traveling through the Wilds and meet Flemeth. She, of course, has some juicy dialogue that I made note of because I thought it would be prescient for future chapters (or even possibly the next book, since I know Maric is in that one as well). Hell, you could even argue she’s referencing Loghain’s actions in DA:O with this beauty, “Keep him close and he will betray you. Each time worse than the last.” I’d say leaving Maric’s son to die in battle could be considered a betrayal? Although there’s also this exchange towards the end of the book, after Loghain has diverted from the army to save Maric, where Maric then makes Loghain promise, “Next time I don’t come to your rescue”. I spent most of this book looking at their relationship and seeing what happens in DA:O with Cailan, and part of that I will admit was me mixing up who was king at the time, but I also wonder if Loghain remembers this moment and several others that add up to “sacrifices need to be made” and that’s his justification for doing what he does during that battle where Cailan dies. It doesn’t necessarily make me agree with him, but it does get me to a place where I see where he’s coming from in a way I didn’t expect to be able to.

The epilogue shows us that Loghain has been rewarded with a title of nobility – Teyrn of Gwaren. He marries and has a daughter, Anora, who we see is married to Maric and Rowan’s son Cailan in DA:O. What’s interesting is that in the epilogue it’s mentioned that after Loghain gets his title he stays in Gwaren and never visits the palace until Rowan’s death. Cleary he and Maric don’t speak again but patch things up and sometime after promise their kids will get married…? I’m curious to see what other things get filled in with the next book before continuing on with the game, but this one really does change how I view events especially early on when Cailan is still alive and you interact with him and Loghain more. I’m very excited to play with this new knowledge in my noggin.

One last interesting lore detail to wrap things up. In the last chapter, right before the big battle, a dragon flies over Ferelden. This is significant because, at the time, it was believed the Navarrans had hunted them more than a century ago into extinction. The Chantry takes it as an omen, and the Divine in Val Royeaux declares the next age as the “Dragon Age”. And thus our series was born.

Ska Festivals & Shenanigans

Hello friends! It’s been awhile and I have so many things I want to share with you.

What have you been up to?

Well…. there’s the health stuff, for starters. Migraines are still being a (literal) pain, but I’m currently doing Botox treatments and am playing the waiting game to see how they respond to that. In more fun news, I went to a ska festival last weekend! It was 3 days of music and catching up with friends, and I had an absolute blast. For those not in the know, Supernova Ska Fest takes place in Hampton, VA. It’s usually a cross between bands I love, bands on my bucket list, and bands I never heard of before. There’s acts from all over the world who come to participate. This year they had Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Bad Manners, Out of Control Army, Adhesivo, Stranger Cole, Hollie Cook, and Sister Nancy – and that’s just the international acts. I cannot properly convey how much fun I had. It was even worth feeling buried in things to do for the next week after I got back.

Am I a music blog again?

Maybe! I at least want to dip my toe back into it. I used to do way more writing about music on this site, and Supernova inspired me to try to get back to those roots. Maybe next year I’ll try doing write-ups on the bands as they’re announced.

What games have you been playing?

I’ve actually been doing a ton of gaming lately. My ADHD doesn’t hold focus on any one thing, but I started FFXV and even posted some short clips on TikTok. I also bounce between being obsessed with FFXIV and dropping completely off it. Lately I’ve been focusing on Baldur’s Gate 3 (like a lot of us I am obsessed, although still in Act 1) and Palia, a cozy online game currently still in beta. I also recently downloaded Marvel Snap on Steam and really like it. The dailies give you a reason to do a few matches in a row, but don’t feel too demanding. And finally, I’m getting back on an Idle Champions kick. They added a couple characters from BG3 and sucked me back in. Maybe I’ll do some individual posts of these games if the mood hits me.

What about streaming? Still doing that at all?

I’ve been on a very long hiatus due to both health and other life stuff. I tried to come back for my affiliate anniversary Sept 20th and had major tech issues. Still, it was nice catching up with everyone before things imploded. I’m hoping I’ll be able to find time to fix whatever the problem was, but I also might need to wait till I get a new headset. The other one gets really uncomfortable. Even after only 2 hours I had a little migraine forming. I currently have a kofi goal to get some stream upgrades. I also have a birthday and Christmas to look forward to. Maybe a guardian angel will smile on me for the holidays.

It’s too soon for Christmas! Don’t skip Halloween!

You’re right, we cannot forget the best month of the year – Spooky Month! I’m building a list of new horror movies to check out and have actual plans on Halloween night. Bringing it back around, it happens to be a ska show. I’m really hyped to get into some good spooky fun this year

Well, that’s all from me for now. I’m gonna try to get back into the swing of things again, but I’m not forcing myself to write every week like I had been. I’d like to be consistent, but I also have to accept that my body might not always cooperate with me. Now, share your favorite horror movies in the comments and pass the pumpkin coffee over.

2022: The Year That Wasn’t

Hi fam! You may have noticed I dropped off the face of the internet this year. I did a big New Years post and then poof nothing till May. I remember that being a very good month. I wrote regularly, streamed every time I planned to, and generally felt like things were getting back on track. But then I got sick and never came back. Part of it was burnout. Being in pain every other day (on average) takes its toll. My focus became using my time not spent at work to relax, catch up on tv, and wait until I got better. If I knew that would mean taking the rest of the year off, I truly don’t know what I would have done. But you can’t change the past, so there’s no point in dwelling on it.

I started this by writing a script for a YouTube video, but, real talk, I don’t think I can talk about this year without being on the verge of tears. This year took a lot out of me. I’m trying to focus on the good, but I had so many plans for this year and did none of them. For one, this will be the first year I don’t meet my reading challenge since I started doing them. I didn’t even come close. I also started my favorite game on stream but I’m still in Act 1 and have no idea when I’m going back to it. According to my twitch recap, I streamed a total of 8 times for the entire year. I knew it wouldn’t be great, but that was worse than any of my expectations.

So what about next year? Honestly, I can’t worry about that now. I’m currently living one day at a time. I’m making plans for 2024 because I honestly don’t know what next year holds, but I feel fairly confident that I will have either fixed my problems or found coping mechanisms for them by then. I hope to take a second crack at that reading challenge and get back to sharing my joy with you on Twitch. I hope to finally put together some long held plans for the YouTube channel. But now, in this moment, I can’t even begin to think about that.

I’m sorry this entry was kind of a downer. I knew I didn’t have a lot of good to recap, but I didn’t want to not acknowledge where I’ve been either. Consider this my “I’m still alive” post.

That’s all for now. Don’t forget to hydrate, take your meds, enjoy some yummy foods, and take care of yourself. I appreciate everyone who has given me the patience and support I needed while I deal with everything. Here’s to 2023 going a little easier on us.