YubNub Social YubNub Social
    #hair #opey #energysaving #machineryprice #capproduction
    Advanced Search
  • Login
  • Register

  • Day mode
  • © 2025 YubNub Social
    About • Directory • Contact Us • Privacy Policy • Terms of Use • Android • Apple iOS • Get Our App

    Select Language

  • English
Install our *FREE* WEB APP! (PWA)
Night mode
Community
News Feed (Home) Popular Posts Events Blog Market Forum
Media
Headline News VidWatch Game Zone Top PodCasts
Explore
Explore Jobs Offers
© 2025 YubNub Social
  • English
About • Directory • Contact Us • Privacy Policy • Terms of Use • Android • Apple iOS • Get Our App

Discover posts

Posts

Users

Pages

Group

Blog

Market

Events

Games

Forum

Jobs

Daily Caller Feed
Daily Caller Feed
44 w

FACT CHECK: Did Karine Jean-Pierre Leave Press Conference Without Answering Question About Hurricane Relief?
Favicon 
checkyourfact.com

FACT CHECK: Did Karine Jean-Pierre Leave Press Conference Without Answering Question About Hurricane Relief?

A post shared on social media purports that White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre left a press conference after being asked a question about money for hurricane relief efforts. BOOOOOOOM!!!? pic.twitter.com/Q0JTel5vP8 — il Donaldo Trumpo (@PapiTrumpo) October 7, 2024 Verdict: False The video is edited. Fact Check: Hurricane Milton is at a Category 4 as it […]
Like
Comment
Share
Daily Caller Feed
Daily Caller Feed
44 w

Elite University Rejects Pro-Palestinian Students’ Divestment Demands
Favicon 
dailycaller.com

Elite University Rejects Pro-Palestinian Students’ Divestment Demands

'Would undermine our mission'
Like
Comment
Share
Daily Caller Feed
Daily Caller Feed
44 w

‘Go F*ck Yourself’: James Carville Rages At Legal Pundit ‘Truth Tellers’ Who Say ‘Trump’s Getting A Bad Deal’
Favicon 
dailycaller.com

‘Go F*ck Yourself’: James Carville Rages At Legal Pundit ‘Truth Tellers’ Who Say ‘Trump’s Getting A Bad Deal’

'They can't help but tell the truth'
Like
Comment
Share
Daily Caller Feed
Daily Caller Feed
44 w

Editor Daily Rundown: Millions Without Power Due To Hurricane Milton
Favicon 
dailycaller.com

Editor Daily Rundown: Millions Without Power Due To Hurricane Milton

AFTER MILTON... TAMPA BAY ESCAPES STORM SURGE... 3.3 MILLION WITHOUT POWER... DEATH TOLL UNCLEAR... NYT: Officials and residents were just beginning to tally the damage and death toll early Thursday. The heavily populated Tampa Bay area appeared to have escaped devastating storm surge, but barrier islands along the Gulf Coast reported heavy flooding. In Sarasota, Milton uprooted trees, stripped the sides off buildings and tossed yachts onto the waterfront. [...]
Like
Comment
Share
Classic Rock Lovers
Classic Rock Lovers  
44 w

Favicon 
www.classicrockhistory.com

10 Best Songs With The Word ‘Girl’ In The Title

The word “girl” has been one of the most frequently used terms in song titles throughout rock and roll history, and it has inspired some of the most iconic tracks ever recorded. Many of the most enduring songs with “girl” in the title were written, recorded, and released during the 1960s, a time when music often expressed love and relationships in simple, direct terms. This list highlights just how influential that decade was, showcasing songs that have stood the test of time both for their widespread popularity and emotional resonance. While the use of “girl” in song titles may have The post 10 Best Songs With The Word ‘Girl’ In The Title appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.
Like
Comment
Share
The Lighter Side
The Lighter Side
44 w

Holographic 3D Printing Has the Potential to Revolutionize Multiple Industries, Researchers Demonstrate
Favicon 
www.goodnewsnetwork.org

Holographic 3D Printing Has the Potential to Revolutionize Multiple Industries, Researchers Demonstrate

Researchers have developed a novel method of 3D printing that uses acoustic holograms, and while it’s a little technical and difficult to understand, the discovery might be a paradigm shift. The researchers say it’s quicker than existing methods and capable of making more complex objects as the sound waves help cancel out certain limitations imposed […] The post Holographic 3D Printing Has the Potential to Revolutionize Multiple Industries, Researchers Demonstrate appeared first on Good News Network.
Like
Comment
Share
SciFi and Fantasy
SciFi and Fantasy  
44 w

Revealing The Gryphon King by Sara Omer
Favicon 
reactormag.com

Revealing The Gryphon King by Sara Omer

Books Revealing The Gryphon King by Sara Omer A fantasy inspired by the diverse Turkic cultures of Southwest Asia. By Reactor | Published on October 10, 2024 Photo credit: Allen Omer Comment 0 Share New Share Photo credit: Allen Omer We’re thrilled to share the cover and preview an excerpt from Sara Omer’s The Chaos Constellation: The Gryphon King, the start of a Southwest Asian-inspired epic fantasy trilogy brimming with morally ambiguous characters, terrifying ghouls and deadly monsters. The Gryphon King publishes July 8, 2025 with Titan Books. Bataar was only a child when he killed a gryphon, making him a legend across the Red Steppe. As an adult, he is the formidable Bataar Rhah, chosen by god to rule the continent that once scorned his people. After a string of improbable victories, he turns his sights on the wealthy, powerful kingdom of Dumakra, whose princesses rule the skies from the backs of pegasuses.When rumours reach the capital that the infamous warlord is moving on Dumakra, Nohra Zultama prepares to face him. She and her sisters are feared warriors, goddess-blessed and mounted on winged, man-eating horses. But as deceit and betrayal swirl through her father’s court, Nohra soon learns the price of complacency. With her city under Bataar’s rule, Nohra vows to take revenge. But her growing closeness to Bataar’s wife, Qaira, threatens to undo her resolve.When rioting breaks out and mythic beasts incite panic, Nohra must fight alongside Bataar to keep order, her mixed feelings towards the man she’s sworn to kill becoming ever more complicated. Old evils are rising. Only together will Nohra and Bataar stand a chance against the djinn, ghouls, and monsters that threaten to overrun their world. Cover art and design by Nat MacKenzie Buy the Book The Gryphon King Sara Omer Book 1 of The Chaos Constellation Buy Book The Gryphon King Sara Omer Book 1 of The Chaos Constellation Book 1 of The Chaos Constellation Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleIndieBoundTarget Sara Omer is a Pushcart Prize-nominated short story writer. She’s been a technical editor for medical and engineering publications and is now pursuing teaching. You can find her (sometimes unsettling) poetry and prose in places like The Dark, PodCastle, Small Wonders, and Strange Horizons. The Gryphon King is loosely inspired by history and culture shared by her Turkic and Kurdish family.  Bataar flung up his arm, casting his eagle into the air. Erdene flew swifter than a storm, shooting across the field. The hare leapt above the tall grass, narrowly evading her talons. Bataar whistled for Erdene to circle back. She arced around, diving to sink sickle claws into its neck and dragging its thrashing body hard across the red dirt. This side of the mountains, eagles were the most dangerous predators, alongside the falconers who hunted with them. The hare’s kicking legs went limp. Something iridescent spilled out of its slack face, disappearing like smoke on the wind. Not everyone could see spirits.  Bataar had been born with his umbilical cord constricting his neck, his skin tinged blue. As soon as his soul had come into this world, it had almost left it. If anyone knew he could see souls, they’d make him become a shaman, reading rune stones and interpreting smoke signs for the great rhahs. But the spirits didn’t whisper wisdom to him. Instead, every death he witnessed was a reminder that he’d robbed Preeminence of a life it was owed. The universe hunted him, and Bataar knew never to look a beast in the eyes unless you were ready for a fight. He had a plan. He’d keep his sight a secret and get stronger. When he was tougher than everyone in their camp, he would challenge a steppe king, become a rhah, and next a king of the world. Then he would be worthy of what he’d stolen. He tried not to grin like an idiot as he imagined riding into battle one day with Erdene on his arm. He’d have a long mustache, a sable cape, and hundreds of thousands of men sworn to his cause. For now, he just shooed Erdene off the hare before she could rip open its belly, tempting her with a piece of organ meat from his bag. He tied the dangling rabbit to his saddle and climbed back on his horse. Erdene choked down the heart meat and squawked, gliding up to perch on Bataar’s forearm. Her bloodied talons dug like needles into his vambrace. “What do I have to do before the men let me hunt with them?” Shaza asked. Her black rope of a braid swished as her pony pulled beside them. “Are we not good enough for you?” Tarken said around a mouthful of orange berries. He and his little brother shared a horse ahead of Bataar, its legs deep in the ruby-tinted grass.  Shaza let her icy silence be an answer. “That’s insulting,” Tarken grumbled. Tarken’s little brother bounced in the saddle, holding a child-sized bow. Chugai was only six, but Bataar had been even younger when he first rode with his father, watching the eagles take down wolves in the snow.  Shaza’s rabbity sister Qaira brought up the rear, wearing ribbons in her braided hair. She caught Bataar looking back and glanced away, flushing. He bristled. Everyone admitted Bataar was a passable shot, better than most of the boys, but he wasn’t as good as Qaira. Still, Shaza’s sister was older than him, yet she bawled when sheep were slaughtered. Bataar didn’t even flinch as he watched souls rip free from bodies, shimmering in the air and evaporating into the sky. A timid rabbit like her couldn’t even see what was really worth being scared of. As the noon sun began to dip, they dismounted by a stream to let the horses drink. Surveying their kills, Shaza scoffed. “They’ll laugh us out of camp.” “Food is nothing to laugh at,” Bataar told her. Blood matted the raked-through pelts of the hares. Erdene ruffled her feathers as she preened, surveying her mangled quarries proudly. Tarken glanced over his shoulder. “Hey, where’s Qaira?”  Shaza fixed him with a look. “She’s picking berries. We passed the bushes ages ago. How’d you two not even realize she left?” “She’s so quiet, how could we?” Bataar muttered. “Why’d she bother bringing a bow anyway if she’s going to close her eyes whenever there’s something to kill?” “She just doesn’t have the stomach for it.” “Well, at least she’s not useless,” Bataar admitted, starting to smile. “Someone’s gotta mend our clothes and cook for us.”  Tarken laughed. Chugai laughed because his big brother was laughing. Shaza rolled her eyes. “You two are idiots. You’ll ruin the kid.” The four drifted apart, refilling water skins and cleaning their knives. Bataar sheathed his, watching Tarken and his little brother kick stones along the river’s burbling edge. Winter was a biting song on the wind. High above, a perfect blue stretched over the horizon. People said the Preeminent Spirit looked like the calm sky, but that wasn’t true. Bataar could see God’s face leering down at him from above, and They were terrifying.  Ahead, the snow-capped Red Mother stretched into the sky. Except for the wind and his hunting party’s voices, the hills were quiet. A sulfurous smell hung in the air, fouler than any fire. Gooseflesh prickled on Bataar’s neck. Instinctively, he drew his short bow off his shoulder. “Look at that shiny one, Chugai.” Tarken’s voice became smaller the farther he walked, blabbering about rocks. Erdene cried in Bataar’s ear, insistent, digging her talons deep. A twig snapped, and the horses whinnied, shuffling nervously. Bataar turned, expecting to spot the black eyes of an antelope. Instead, his gaze fell on a gryphon. Golden irises locked with his, and Bataar stood paralyzed. A clear membrane slid over the gryphon’s eyes. It looked like a huge lion, except for its beak and feathered back legs ending in taloned feet. Its tufted tail lashed the air. Bataar’s chest tightened, his body trembling and heart pounding. The gryphon rose from its crouch. Standing as tall as Bataar’s sternum, it spread its wings. They could all have made a line, arms outstretched, and they wouldn’t have reached as far as the tips of its longest feathers. It was darker than sable, than tar, like a hole torn in the night sky. Its footfalls were soft as it slunk forward, hardly disturbing the grass with its bulk. Beside him, Shaza gasped. The gryphon was lean and gaunt, its ribs pressing through its rippling pelt, eyes flashing as its head moved sharply, watching them, then the horses. Not wanting to turn away, Bataar inclined his head at Shaza. The two of them moved in tandem, nocking arrows and pulling bowstrings taut. Maybe they could distract the gryphon, giving Tarken time to get his little brother away. The ponies whickered, breaking the quiet. “Find something?” Chugai said.  His older brother thumped him on the back of the head. “You’ll scare it away—oh, Spirit.” Tarken’s eyes went wide, and he dropped the berries he’d been eating. They spilled across the dirt, garish orange on red. The gryphon moved quickly. Suddenly hulking over Chugai, it craned its neck down, beak inches from his head, breath stirring his brown hair. It reared on its hindlegs, flapping its wings, and leapt up. Erdene screamed and tore into the air, circling above the field as the ponies fled, veering off across the stream.  Bataar and Shaza loosed their arrows—they glanced off the gryphon’s shoulder. Tarken’s bow was on his horse, so he threw his bag. It missed, splashing into the water.  The gryphon pounced, putting one paw on Chugai’s head, the other on his shoulder. The boy only had time to squeak, like a mouse. Snap snap snap, a sound like so many sticks breaking, a little boy crumbling. The gryphon’s beak opened and shut around the broken body. It threw its head back, swallowing.  Bataar watched bonelessly as Chugai’s soul swirled out through the gryphon’s nostrils. He told himself don’t look. But he had to watch, to bear witness to that moment when the gaping mouth of God at the precipice of the sky drank in Chugai’s soul. “No!” Shaza shouted, firing more arrows. “Tarken, move!” The gryphon didn’t flinch as barbed heads sank into its flesh. It circled, eyes gleaming, and batted Shaza away with a crunch. She fell on her back, the front of her tunic torn. Scarlet bloomed across the fabric. Her ragged gasps told Bataar she was still alive, for now. Tarken collapsed to his knees as the gryphon neared. Bataar tried nocking another arrow, but his fingers were clumsy. His ribs constricted, tight around the hollowness in his chest. Bile burned in his throat, and his eyes stung as his quiver spilled into the bank. The gryphon’s paw thumped against Tarken’s face. He wobbled, whimpering, a thick red line welling across his nose.  The gryphon tilted its head curiously.  Bataar thought of the oath he’d whispered to Tarken, when they camped together last year; no longer just friends, but bloodsworn brothers. Memories of skating on the Lugei River in the winter came to him. He remembered laughing so hard his sides ached when Tarken fell and slid into a snowdrift. Numbing powerlessness overcame Bataar, loosening his grip, making it hard to stand on shuddering legs. “Tarken!” He yelled. Run, fight, do anything. Everything was happening too quickly, a smear of motion and choking terror. He didn’t want to cry, but the world was already blurring. An arrow shot into the dirt beside the gryphon’s talons. Bataar couldn’t tell where it had come from. The gryphon spun away, leaving Tarken gasping, the front of his breeches darkening. The wind carried Qaira’s smell, honeyish, like edelweiss flowers.  Bataar reached uselessly for his spilled quiver.  The ribbons in her pony’s mane flashed a rainbow of color as she gripped its bridle. “Shhh, shhhh,” Qaira whispered. She dropped the reins and raised her bow. Bataar had once watched her split one arrow with a second, bursting them through the back of a target the older boys put up, but he’d never seen her kill anything. Her hands didn’t tremble as she loosed an arrow toward the gryphon’s face. It deflected off its beak. The gryphon screeched, loud as a peal of thunder. They were all going to die like Chugai.  Bataar didn’t want to meet Preeminence’s gaze, to watch its horns and teeth and black eyes as his soul joined it in the sky, but he’d face death, if it meant the rest of them lived. The blade of his knife was short and straight, tapering to a hatchet-point. He unsheathed it and stumbled forward, uncoordinated with panic. With both trembling hands, Bataar sank the blade into the gryphon’s flank, sliding it between dense quills. “Take your sister and Tarken! Get out of here!” he screamed to Qaira as the gryphon’s beak thrusted toward him.  Bataar pulled the knife out and fell onto his back. He scrambled through the dirt, kicking the gryphon’s chest. His pulse pounded as claws raked across his face and burned down, over the top of his chest, into his shoulder. More of Qaira’s arrows sank into its body. Shadows oozed from the wounds. Bataar put his dirty fingers in his mouth and whistled. Erdene swooped down, her talons razing black feathers. Smoke seeped out and dissipated in the air. Bataar blinked in confusion, vision fading on his right side as something warm and wet flooded his eye. There was something hypnotic about its eyes; they made Bataar want to freeze up and pee himself, like a mouse cornered by one of the camp cats. But he wasn’t prey. Stabbing again, his blade pried some of the huge feathers loose. His vision was obscured by blood, tendrils of smoke, and plumage floating in his face.  He blinked, and as it cleared, the gryphon’s bare, purple skin came into view. The claws on one paw slashed toward him. Bataar ducked away, squeezing himself down toward its midsection. He jammed his blade into the gryphon’s stomach. Hot droplets hit his face. It bled. It could be killed. Qaira yelled his name. Her gentle voice had never sounded so hoarse. The gryphon curled its underbelly back. A fervor overcame Bataar. His hands moved on their own, faster than his mind could think. The knife sank in and out of the muscles on its throat as its beak snapped toward his face. Blood ran over his hands, coating his arms down to the elbows. His fingers turned raw, palms splitting and chafing against the knife’s hilt. He recognized Erdene’s brown feathers on the arrows Qaira fired now, from his spilled quiver. With a scream, Bataar plunged his blade into one of the gryphon’s yellow eyes. Its soul seeped out of its body, pulling close and snarling in Bataar’s face. The gryphon’s spirit was shimmering nothingness, but it caressed his skin like fevered breath before it was swallowed up. Its hunger smelled sour, the same desperation and fear that roiled through Bataar. He kept stabbing even after the gryphon’s weight collapsed on top of him. He didn’t stop until Qaira pried the knife from his fingers and groaned, struggling to roll the gryphon’s body off his. She didn’t vomit at all the blood. She didn’t cry or shake. He stood dizzily, throwing her hands off when she reached for the scratch across his face. He wiped the blood out of his eye, his vision turning red again in seconds. “I’m fine.” His voice scratched, clawing its way out of his throat.  Near Tarken’s stunned body was one of Chugai’s shoes. Bataar limped forward. Inside was a little foot. Bataar had only had a few bites of dried meat to eat in the last several hours, but it bubbled in his stomach as his eyes fell on the white bone protruding from bloody flesh.  “Let me help,” Qaira said softly. They worked together. Qaira wrapped wounds using clean strips torn from their clothes. Shaza moaned, eyes unfocused as Bataar hefted her onto his shoulder and laid her across her sister’s pony.  “We need to get her to Boroo quickly,” Bataar said. She’d already lost a lot of blood. The shaman wouldn’t be able to do anything if Shaza died before they could get her to camp.  Qaira whispered gentle things to Tarken as she helped him stand. “He was embraced by the Preeminent Spirit. I felt it,” she said, voice full of kindness.  Her words were well-meant, but Bataar had seen it, the moment Chugai’s soul disappeared. The universe had swallowed him with blank eyes. Bataar tried to keep from quivering. He couldn’t tell Tarken, not now, or ever. Tarken’s voice cracked. “My brother. His body, I can’t leave it.” “I’ll come back for him,” Bataar swore. He gave Tarken the wrapped shoe to hold. Tarken slotted his other fingers through Shaza’s limp ones. Qaira rode, steadying her sister against her. They moved slowly, in silence punctuated by groans and stifled sobs.  Twilight was smoldering, coloring the sky in melting pinks when relief twinged in Bataar’s chest. Shaza’s shoulders still rose and fell in shallow breaths, and their camp grew in the distance. Ignoring the gasps and concerned expressions as they entered the circle of tents, he took Shaza off the horse and laid her down near the cookfires. Qaira ran to get the shaman. Bataar stood in a daze as Boroo worked. He let his mother fuss over him, dabbing his face with a damp cloth. Across camp, a woman cried, clinging to Tarken—his mother. Chugai’s shoe dangled in her hand and fell. She looked down, her ragged sobs turning to a keening wail. “Thank God,” Bataar’s mother whispered, gripping him with desperate fingers, squeezing his uninjured shoulder like she was reassuring herself he was really there. Excerpted from The Gryphon King, copyright © 2024 by Sara Omer The post Revealing <i>The Gryphon King</i> by Sara Omer appeared first on Reactor.
Like
Comment
Share
SciFi and Fantasy
SciFi and Fantasy  
44 w

“Diamonds and Toads”: A Fairy Tale About Getting What You Deserve?
Favicon 
reactormag.com

“Diamonds and Toads”: A Fairy Tale About Getting What You Deserve?

Books Fairy Tales “Diamonds and Toads”: A Fairy Tale About Getting What You Deserve? Six retellings that complicate a seemingly straightforward story of “good” and “bad” sisters… By Rachel Ayers | Published on October 10, 2024 Engraving by D.J. Munro, after Gustave Doré. From Tales of Mother Goose by Charles Perrault, 1901. Comment 0 Share New Share Engraving by D.J. Munro, after Gustave Doré. From Tales of Mother Goose by Charles Perrault, 1901. “Diamonds and Toads,” sometimes titled simply “The Fairies,” is a French fairy tale about how a single moment can change your life forever. Two sisters, one kind and one cruel, are each given a similar moment to prove their worth, and their own natures play the greatest part in their fates.  In case you aren’t familiar with this particular story, here’s my quick and dirty retelling: An ornery widow lives with her two daughters. The eldest is as disagreeable as her mother and is also the mother’s favorite, due to their similar natures. The younger daughter is sweet-tempered and naturally kind, and the mother can’t stand this. Both the elder sister and the mother treat the younger sister with contempt, but she continues to be cheerful and considerate. One day, the mother sends the younger daughter to the well to fetch water, and while there, the girl meets a poor old woman who asks her for a drink. Naturally, the young woman obliges, and the old woman turns out to be a fairy who gives her a gift: every time she speaks, flowers or precious jewels fall from her lips. The girl returns home to tell her family everything that happened, and of course they believe her due to the pile of flowery, glittery evidence that grows with every word. The mother decides that her older, favorite daughter should also be given this gift, so she sends her to the well in place of her sister. The older daughter is angry about having to do this extra chore, so when she meets a beautiful, richly dressed woman at the well, she insults the fairy instead of offering her a drink. The fairy decides to punish the elder sister: every time she speaks, toads and snakes and insects fall from her lips. The elder sister returns home and tells her tale, or at least tells some of it before her mother insists that she stop speaking. (At least, not in the house.) Nobody is very happy about the way things are going, and in a fury, the mother drives the younger daughter from the house. While she’s hiding in the woods, a prince happens to find her, and when she tells him her sad tale, he falls in love with the beautiful young woman. (Or at least, he falls for the jewels dropping from her lips.) He marries her and they live happily ever after. Meanwhile the widow and the elder sister can’t take much comfort from each other, and they die alone and unhappy. Charles Perrault certainly seemed to think it was a straightforward matter: reward the good and punish the wicked. But modern authors have torn that simple premise to bits and reconstructed it in new ways that bring the nature vs. nurture debate into the mix, or that show that gifts aren’t always what they seem, or that it’s what you do over the course of your life, rather than in a single moment, that matters in the long run. “Diamonds and Toads” by Daniel M. Lavery Although Lavery’s retelling starts out very similarly to the original, with the sweet sister going to the well and being blessed by the fairy, there’s plenty of biting commentary in the prose which gives the reader a slantwise view on these familiar characters. Is someone’s kindness really admirable if it’s no effort for them to be kind? When the elder sister reaches the well and the fairy reappears as a beautiful woman, she reacts honestly, and when she requests that the fairy change her words so that she comes across as a kinder person, it seems that perhaps all will be well. Fairies, though, are apparently also somewhat disagreeable, so in the end, everyone’s nature does seem to play the main role in determining their fortunes. “The Fairy’s Mistake” by Gail Carson Levine Best known for Ella Enchanted, her wonderful retelling of Cinderella in which a fairy godmother’s ill-chosen gift of obedience causes endless problems for the protagonist, Levine revisits the same fairy-saturated world in this tale (the first story in a collection of the same name). Fairy Ethelinda gives out another problematic set of curses/blessings to two young sisters, Rosella and Myrtle. When Rosella, now dropping precious and semi-precious jewels from her mouth with every word, is swept up by a prince who encourages her to talk but never listens to a word she says, and Myrtle, with insects and snakes coming from her lips, threatens the local villagers into giving her whatever she wants or else she’ll fill their shops and homes with pests, Ethelinda realizes she’s gone about things all wrong, and will either have to find a way to sort things out or swear off giving fairy gifts forever. “Precious” by Nalo Hopkinson, from Silver Birch, Blood Moon edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling More of a follow-up to the original story than a retelling, in this version, Isobel now lives with her husband, Jude, who rescued her from her stepmother when he realized that every time she made a sound, something precious fell from her lips. But between drinking and gambling, he always needs more money, more jewels, more treasure. Isobel runs away, but continues to send money to her stepmother and stepsister, who live on a farm where they can keep her stepsister (and her curse) hidden from the world. When Jude finds her again, Isobel has to learn to speak up for herself regardless of what comes out of her mouth. “Three Dwarves and 2000 Maniacs” by Don Webb, from Black Swan, White Raven edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling This tale blends several fairy tales and flirts a little bit with the ending of “The Goose Girl,” but most of the narrative comes from “Diamonds and Toads.” Alfred is a psychiatrist who has synthesized a drug that cures patients of their hallucinations. Now very successful, he begins tracking down his old classmates, and hears about beautiful Susan, who he always had a crush on. One of his other friends tells him the remarkably strange tale of her father’s remarriage, and how her stepsister inheriting all his worldly possessions when he passed away, leaving Susan penniless with nowhere to go. Alfred tracks down Susan and finds her surprisingly wealthy, and she tells him more of the story, and how she became blessed by three dwarves who admired her attitude toward life. Of course, we find that her stepsister was not so lucky when she tried for the same blessing, and it has fostered some resentment in the time since. Cheeky and full of humor, with a clear affection for the horrific side of folklore and modern horror culture, Webb’s bizarre blend of elements is more than the sum of its parts. “Toad-Rich” by Michael Cadnum, from Silver Birch, Blood Moon edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling One of the darker retellings I’ve come across, this is told from the “wicked” sister’s point of view. Becky always has to watch out for her pretty but simple sister Lydia. When Lydia returns from fetching water, speaking jewels and telling a wild story about running into a stranger, Becky sets out for the well—not to seek her own blessing but because Lydia forgot the water. Becky has a cutthroat view of the world and when she curses at a stranger and starts speaking in toads, she strangles the fairy and becomes stuck with the condition. However, she’s determined to keep talking, especially when some of the creatures that fall from her lips are rare and beautiful, and she finds a thriving market for exotic insects. Although Becky doesn’t have anything nice to say about Lydia, it’s clear that she cares for her sister more than just about anything else in the world, and when a life at court turns out to be a misery, Becky sets plans in motion to rescue her. Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson This YA retelling is gloriously rich and beautiful, highlighting the sisters’ relationship and the unexpected benefits and pitfalls below the surface of their seemingly straightforward gifts. Alternating viewpoints, the chapters switch back and forth between each sister and the fallout and consequences of her respective gift. Diribani is whisked away to a life at court and prospective marriage to a prince, while Tana uses her gift to replenish the local snake population, which has been devastated by an invading ruler who doesn’t understand the snakes’ importance in hunting household pests. This lyrical novel has enough space to give the sisters’ relationship depth and nuance without making them enemies. Which versions of this particular tale are your favorites?[end-mark] The post “Diamonds and Toads”: A Fairy Tale About Getting What You Deserve? appeared first on Reactor.
Like
Comment
Share
Survival Prepper
Survival Prepper  
44 w

Hurricane Milton Swamps Florida, Leaves 3 Million Without Power
Favicon 
preppersdailynews.com

Hurricane Milton Swamps Florida, Leaves 3 Million Without Power

Hurricane Milton Swamps Florida, Leaves 3 Million Without Power
Like
Comment
Share
Survival Prepper
Survival Prepper  
44 w

The Destruction of the United States
Favicon 
preppersdailynews.com

The Destruction of the United States

The Destruction of the United States
Like
Comment
Share
Showing 8721 out of 56668
  • 8717
  • 8718
  • 8719
  • 8720
  • 8721
  • 8722
  • 8723
  • 8724
  • 8725
  • 8726
  • 8727
  • 8728
  • 8729
  • 8730
  • 8731
  • 8732
  • 8733
  • 8734
  • 8735
  • 8736

Edit Offer

Add tier








Select an image
Delete your tier
Are you sure you want to delete this tier?

Reviews

In order to sell your content and posts, start by creating a few packages. Monetization

Pay By Wallet

Payment Alert

You are about to purchase the items, do you want to proceed?

Request a Refund