Spinning Silver

Naomi Novik

Genres: Fantasy, Folklore

Miryem has gained a reputation.

Where her father failed to collect debts, whispers claim she can spin silver into gold.

While initially seeking merely to provide for her family, Miryem attracts the attention of a fae king, embroiling her world with that of the ice-like Staryk.

Secrets abound, and a young woman’s simple life will be challenged beyond her ancestors’ wildest dreams.

A standalone novel, Daniel is hoping to get to Spinning Silver eventually, per his sister’s request.

Uprooted

Naomi Novik

Genres: Fantasy, Folklore

The rule is simple.

Don’t go into the Woods, for we rely on the Dragon to protect us from it.

Said Dragon, a human wizard, enacts a strange price: a women given to him every ten years as a servant.

While Agnieszka fully expects her friend Kasia to be selected, she is stunned when the Dragon makes her pack up her things and move into his tower.

Life will never be the same for her again, and Agnieszka realizes there is more to it than just bravery, beauty, or grace.

There is magic.

The Tainted Cup

Robert Jackson Bennett

Genres: High Fantasy,

From the author of Foundryside, Robert Jackson Bennett brings you to the Empire of Khanum.

People, plants, and animals are magically altered to provide the perfect soldiers, servants, and detectives.

At the edge of the Empire, known as Daretana, a mysterious death in a land full of contagion brings Ana Dolabra and her assistant, Dinios Kol to investigate.

Eccentricities and imagination abound as the pair begin to dissect what should have been the impossible.

But strange things happen when the blood of leviathans is involved.

Dear Crone (& Daniel),

Life is great, besides my disappointing (lack of) love life.

At what point do I give up on Iffy Gym Guy (we had a thing, he hasn’t reinitiated) and download an app?

Or do I give up and get a cat?

Longingly,

Sick of Being Single

Dear Single,

The good news is that you can do all of this, and it’s not giving up!

You can get a cat if you can commit to taking care of one (and have a good place to put the litter box), you can download an app just to see who’s around, and you could theoretically try to reinitiate with Iffy Gym Guy.

None of these things are exclusive.

On the topic of IGG, you can test those waters, and his interest (or lack thereof) will become clearer once you communicate with him.

Life can get in the way, but if he’s still Iffy, drop him like you finished a deadlift set.

Given your thought process, you may simply need a change of pace in some form— a new hobby, a new environment, or a pet, though remember some of these are bigger commitments than others.

Vitamin D has a habit of showing up when looking elsewhere, if you catch my drift.

Encouragingly,

The Crone

Dear Crone,

I recently realized I'm bi, and even more recently shared it with my husband.

Should I worry that this will change how he sees my (very affectionate) close female friendships?

He's a good guy who has always supported my friendships with both genders.

Sincerely,

Bi-anxious in Africa

Dear BiA,

It is a good indicator that your husband is supportive of your male friendships, but your worries are valid.

You are introducing a new dynamic in your relationship, one where you are exploring what your sexuality means to you and where your husband is exploring what it means to have a bisexual wife.

This is the time to be more communicative, not less.

And understand that just because he is supportive doesn’t mean there won’t be things that he finds uncomfortable.

And that’s okay.

It means you must assess your and his feelings about particular circumstances and establish boundaries there.

Just as you have your feelings, he will have his, and so long as you work together to explore this new part of your relationship, that is a good thing.

Your sexuality is not an obstacle to the health of your relationship; it is simply a facet of it, and you will learn about it together.

Excitedly,

The Crone

Dear Crone,

I’m bisexual, but my family are all devout traditional Christians.

I’m doing my own Bible research, I struggle to see why it’s really wrong.

But living openly bi would destroy my family.

I’m not sure what to do.

Sincerely,

Anonymous

Dear Anon,

Many young queer communities will encourage you to “live your truth” and damn the consequences.

I’m an old witch, and I’m not good at telling people what they want to hear.

The MOST important thing for you is that you are SAFE. 

That means that you have somewhere to sleep, you know where your next meals are coming from, and nobody is going to try to physically or mentally harm you.

If you still live with your family, it’s possible that your coming out can endanger you, and I will tell you now that it isn’t worth it.

If you live separately and maintain your personal and professional life, only then are you in a position to come out safely.

Whether that is face-to-face or over the phone is up to you.

Now, in either case, your being openly bisexual would not destroy your family; YOU DO NOT have that kind of power or responsibility.

How your family reacts is up to them if you do decide to come out.

I cannot guarantee that it will go well, and I’m sorry for that.

If you want your family in your life, regardless of your partner, you will likely have to tell them and allow them to decide if they want to remain family.

That onus is on them.

Prioritize your safety and well-being.

And keep in touch.

Gently,

The Crone

Dear Crone,

I have a friend whose main hobby is trash-talking people.

From her stories, most deserve it, but we can’t stick to talking about other stuff.

Some are my exes or “enemies,” but idk.

We had a fight and are friends again, but I think she shit-talked me too.

Sincerely,

A friend’s dubious friend

Dear Dubious,

She shit-talked you. Let’s get that out of the way now.

Some individuals can only exist in social spaces if there’s an “enemy” to gossip about.

And when they don’t have one, they make one.

They can be entertaining, so long as you keep them at arm’s length and understand their mentality.

Trust me when I say the people she discusses will always have deserved it, even you when you were on her bad side.

It’s the definition of fair-weather friends; she doesn’t sound like the type to stick through the hard stuff, but you would know better than me.

This doesn’t mean you must terminate the friendship, but if she has mentioned losing multiple friends simultaneously multiple times, that’s an enormous red flag.

Variety is the spice of life; too much tea overpowers every other flavor.

It doesn’t sound like you missed much conversationally during the fight.

Honestly,

The Crone

Dear Crone,

My estranged mother passed away yesterday from alcoholism.

Dealing with all of the medical stuff out of nowhere after not seeing her since I was 9 has been weird and really hard.

I wasn't able to say anything I wanted to say to her before the end.

How do I get closure?

Sincerely,

Grieving in the Mountains

Dear Grieving,

Please know that when I offer my condolences, they are for the child you were and the person you are now.

What I can suggest is visiting your mother’s burial site, if she has one, and telling her everything.

Everything you feel or felt: the anger, the disappointment, the detachment, and even the part of you that may have wished for more time with her.

Closure itself is an ideal and an ideal that rarely occurs.

I say this not to be cruel but to encourage you to forgive your inability to give you everything you needed, whatever that may have been.

You are not betraying your childhood self by grieving. You are acknowledging the hope you had for something better with your mother.

Softly,

The Crone

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