The novel ‘The Leavers’ is written by Lisa Ko. This novel is about a boy named Deming Guo who grows up in New York City with his mom Polly. Polly works at a nail salon and one day never comes home. Throughout the novel we learn about Polly’s backstory and how she gets detained by immigration services, while also learning about how this affects Deming and how his life changes.
In the start of the novel we learn about Deming’s childhood as he grew up with Polly and the struggles they went through. Polly had a hard time making enough money to support her family, so she was frequently taking out loans and trying to work as many hours as she could at the nail salon. All while this was happening Deming is going through school and he hates it. He is a very unmotivated kid and had no desire to learn or go to school. During this time they are living in an apartment with Polly’s boyfriend Leon. Leon’s sister Vivian and her son Micheal are also living with them. This helped Polly a lot as it was easier to find someone to watch over Deming if she was working.
One day when Polly goes to work she doesn’t come home. She is taken by ICE and Deming is left alone with Leon and his family. None of them knew what happened to Polly and they were all left in confusion. After some time Vivian decided to put Deming up for adoption, and he was adopted by a white couple in upstate New York. Their names are Peter and Kay.
They struggle a lot to connect with Deming due to him being adopted as an older kid, but also because he comes from a different cultural background. They try to change Deming to help him fit in more by changing his name to Daniel. This causes Deming to lose his sense of identity as he gets older. He also just feels disconnected because he still doesn’t know what happened to his mom.
Later on in the story when Deming grows up he gets reconnected with Micheal and Micheal helps him get in contact with his mom. He calls Polly and she is shocked to hear from him, we then get her whole side of the story. She was detained and was held by ICE for months and then was sent back to China. Once in China she got married and got a job, and she didn’t tell anyone about Deming. They reconnect and she finally tells her husband and he is shocked.
Deming then flies out to China to meet Polly. They reconnect but at the end of the book decide that it’s best for Polly to stay in China and for Deming to go back to New York, and they go their separate ways.
This novel represents the struggles that immigrants and children of immigrants face everyday. The raw emotions and feelings that Ko explains in the novel is what many immigrants face. Ko has a good way of bringing all perspectives into this book and changing the way I perceived the adoption process and program in America as she showed how unaware and innocuous Peter and Kay were when it came to Deming’s ethnic background.
This is a well written novel that shows problems that are very relevant in our world right now. It will take you into what immigrants face and it is truly heartbreaking. I recommend this novel to all who feel strongly about what’s happening in our nation and want to understand better or make a difference.
The first chapter of ‘Twilight’ begins with 17-year-old Bella Swan moving from Arizona where she lives with her mom, to Forks, Washington, to live with her dad, Charlie. Her dad picks her up from the airport and takes her back to his house, the one she used to stay at every summer until she was 14. He gives her an old truck that he bought from his friend as a gift, so she can drive herself to the new high school she’s going to be attending. Charlie also shows her to her room, which is decorated nicely. He leaves immediately to let her get settled in and she appreciates this. She unpacks all of her stuff before going to bed.
Bella starts her first day at the Forks high school the next day, and to her horror, is the talk of the school. As she tries to find her way to classes, everyone is staring at her, as new students aren’t common. She meets a boy named Erik, who also seems enthusiastic about her novelty and is eager to show her around the school. She also meets a boy named Mike who seems just as interested in her novelty. She meets a girl named Jessica who she shares many classes with, and although friendly, she seems jealous of how much attention everyone (especially Mike) is giving her.
She’s eating lunch in the cafeteria with her newfound friends when a group of mysterious looking students sitting at a table catch her eye. They catch her eye because of how breathtakingly beautiful and different they look. She asks Jessica who they are, and Jessica explains that those are the Cullens, the adopted children of the local doctor Carlisle Cullen, and how they don’t interact with others often, so Bella shouldn’t get her hopes up. The one who catches her eye the most is a boy that Jessica points out as Edward Cullen. He seems to chuckle to himself as Jessica is speaking, although he is all the way across the cafeteria and it would be impossible for him to hear what she was saying at that distance.
Bella’s next class is biology. She walks in and notices the lab partner sitting at her table is Edward Cullen, who looks disgusted beyond belief. She sits down next to him, feeling insecure and uncertain of what’s making him react like that. He sits as far away from her as possible and holds a clearly disgusted expression for the entire class period, not speaking or looking at her. As soon as the bell rings he gets out of the room as fast as possible.
She goes through the rest of her classes puzzled about Edward’s mood in biology, ending the day by walking through the school office where she happens upon Edward arguing with the lady behind the counter about switching out of biology class. The lady refuses, and he storms off obviously upset, muttering that he’ll just have to withstand it. This causes Bella even more anxiety and she fights back tears for her whole drive home.
Review:
The first chapter of ‘Twilight’ holds many scenes that are iconic in pop culture history such as the cafeteria scene and biology scene. It sets up an interesting question of who Edward Cullen is and why he reacts the way he does to Bella. The worldbuilding has a comforting atmosphere which is communicated through simple, yet effective writing by Stephanie Meyer, the author. I would give it 10/10. You can buy ‘Twilight’ on Amazon.
Much has changed since the First Continentals War (1948-1956). The dawn of the new millennium marked a new and haunting era for the world; a cold war began as soon as the time ticked to January 1, 2000, and the contenders were the Vaserian Federation and the Democratic Union of Kavara. Both nations wield the divine powers of Arcerium warheads, the same design of weapon used to end the First Continentals War.
“Vaserian Federation flag (left) and the Democratic Union of Kavara flag (right)”
Vaseria and Kavara began to amass their military might and collect new allies to compete for world dominance, and it all came to a head when Kavaran ally, Alakis, invaded the Vaserian ally, Krinia in 2023, marking the beginning of the Second Continentals War. It was a relatively short war that ended in a ceasefire, not because one side was faltering but because of an event so devastating it would change the course of the entire world.
The event was known as the Arcerium Rising.
On October 5th, arcerium fields within the Arcerian continent erupted abruptly across the entire continent, contaminating it with arcerium and arsoulium. The damage done was severe enough that two warring superpowers chose to end hostilities and clean up the disaster. All events following Arcerium Rising would shape the future of the world, whether it be for the best or worst.
The year is 2049, and this is the state of the world.
NOTABLE FACTIONS
It is clear that for a nation to survive in this new world, they would need more than just an army, they would need the help of other nations not only for security but to turn a bark into a roar on the international stage.
PATO (POLARIS ALLIANCE TREATY ORGANIZATION)
PATO is a global organization led by the Vaserian Federation, their goal is to keep the Kavaran threat at bay while guaranteeing the security of the free world whether it be through peaceful means or by intervention. Some call them an alliance of self-righteous bullies.
CDP (CROATOKE DEFENSE PACT)
The CDP is a pact formed, and led by, Kavara, mainly to secure as many allied states around the world; its goal is to expand the influence of its member states by any means necessary. Despite having the word defense in its name, the alliance has been responsible for starting many conflicts including the Second Continentals War.
ON (ORGANIZATION OF NATIONS)
The ON is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to maintain international peace and security by all means possible. But if peace cannot be achieved peacefully, they can always rely on their peacekeepers who tend to keep the peace by force and force only.
ISAO (INDEPENDENT STATES OF ARCERIA ORGANIZATION)
When the Arcasian Civil War broke out following the Arcerium Rising event, an alliance of Arcasian states began to fight a war for independence. To many, they are terrorists taking advantage of a terrible situation, but to many, they are freedom fighters reclaiming lost land.
CONFLICTS IN MOTION
ARCASIAN CIVIL WAR (2023-present)
“Map of Arcasia”
The Arcasian Civil War is the deadliest war to have ever occurred, when the Arcerium Rising event began, it sent the already unstable Federal States of Arcasia into turmoil, and the states within sought independence.
“The flag of the Federal States of Arcasia”
Not wanting to face embarrassment from the international community, the Arcasian government kept everything under wraps, isolating itself from the world and keeping the war and their failures to contain arcerium a secret until 2034, when they finally asked for international intervention.
“Actors involved in the Arcasian Civil War, red = fight, blue = support, grey = some support”
What happened in those 11 years remains a mystery, but what is known is that a billion people used to live in what is now the Arcerium Rising Exclusion Zone, and their whereabouts remain a mystery. What is happening now in Arcasia is complicated, but what is certain is that this war is not going to end any time soon.
ORBESJKAN CIVIL WAR (2030-present)
“Map of Orbesjka”
The Orbesjkan Civil War began when the government allowed some states autonomy over their regions before they could declare independence. This was done so that some regions could transition into independent nations peacefully, but only a few selected states were given this treatment.
“The national flag of the United Principalities of Orbesjka”
In 2030, states in the northern regions, feeling neglected by the government, declared independence with the support of the CDP, and began a war to free other states in the south, beginning the Orbesjkan Civil War.
HOSHIRAN CIVIL WAR (2046-present)
“Map of the Kingdom of Hoshira”
The Hoshiran Civil War began when the Suineng hydroelectric dam broke apart and killed nearly fifty thousand people. The dam was known to be in a dire state and yet the government refused to do anything about it. Fed up with the government, the citizenry began to revolt against the government and formed warlord states to solve what they believed were the issues that plague their kingdom.
EPREAU-INDO WAR (2043-present)
“Map of Epreau and Indoshia”
“Flags of Republic of Indoshia (left) and the Republic of Epreau (right)”
The Epreau-Indo War is a conflict between the Republic of Epreau and Republic of Indoshia that began after border clashes led to the deaths of several border troops from each side, which then spurred an all out war between the two nations. As of 2049, the war has hit a stalemate.
DRONGO-ZEHERA WAR (2048-present)
“Map of Zehera and Drongo”
“Zeheran Union flag (left) and the flag of the Republic of Drongo (right)”
In their attempt to regain lost territories, The Republic of Drongo, alongside their CDP allies, declared war on the Zehera Union. Although Zehera was no match for the full might of the CDP, the failures of the Drongon army in the first few weeks of their invasion saw the CDP pull out of the conflict and to merely advise the Drongon’s into “winning” the war.
WHAT LIES AHEAD
The future of this world hinges on the cool steady minds of its inhabitants, one fatal error could send every living being to have ever lived to their maker. If the world ignites in total war again as it did so long ago in Koldr and in Krinia, there will be no winners or losers, only survivors.
War is human nature, and we are doomed to repeat it.
The Coalition was able to take the Hoshiran capital by August, but their forces couldn’t go much further. They too were just as outstretched as the Great Terrans. That would change when news arrived that a large naval force had just landed on the shores of the Lunarian continent.
The Vaserians had just landed on Oprica.
The Vaserians took over the shores of occupied Oprica on August 15th. With most of the Jupitan occupiers being sent to fight in Sapan, the Vaserians were able to take over the entire country in a matter of days with little resistance. The Vaserian entrance to the war was a surprise to many, and there would be further surprises as the Vaserian military continued to land on the shores of occupied Lunarian states.
The 20th of August saw the Vaserian Mage Corps and the Marines landed on Casikee, successfully returning the capital back to its Casikan people as the roars of VF-6s shook the skies above. With the arrival of the Vaserians, the occupied nations of Lunaria rose up against the Jupitans, overwhelming them as the Vaserians trekked more and more into the continent.
August 23rd, the Vaserians finally made the push to join the Coalition and with it, guaranteed the Coalition the needed victory to end the war. With Vaseria now officially a part of the Coalition, other nation states from the Vaserian continents joined and with their entry, saw a flow of new troops from the Vaseria sent to every front of the war.
“Vaserian M2 Strucker tank during the Second Battle of Ulyse, Koldr c. June 9th, 1956”
By October of 1956, the war had completely changed, the Sapanese were able to retake its capital, and Koldr, the first to fall, regained its sovereignty, and the Jupitans were now fighting on the homefront. All that was needed to finally bring the world to peace again was something really big to happen, and that came with the arrival of shooting stars. Man made shooting stars.
SHOOTING STARS
In 1949, the Vaserian Federation, in secret, began the development of a new type of weapon that would harness the power of nuclear fission with arcerium to create an explosion never seen before. The weapon would be placed into a warhead, and transplanted onto newly developed intercontinental ballistic missiles for increased range.
In 1953, the first detonation of the weapon, now nicknamed as “Star” was conducted, an explosive yield of 10 million tons of TNT.
In 1954, ten stars were built and operational with more to follow.
In 1955, Anne Hall is advised by the Office of Secret Security (OSS) to not use the stars until they make land in Jupita.
November 5, 1956, Anne Hall is told by the OSS to use 10 of the 24 ICBMs at specific targets in Great Terra.
November 6, 1956, 10 stars were launched from their silos.
The following are the impacted targets:
Hellica, the capital of Jupita, was the first to be hit by the stars; it destroyed half of the city, and caught Emperor Treijon himself in the initial blast.
New Olapi City, Jupita
Veldpal, Epreau
Gunfang, Hoshira
Songfei, Hoshira
Sakunn, Jupita
Falei, Jupita
Lunbai, Epreau
Raikou, Epreau
Rinyan, Hoshira
THE NEW WORLD
On the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, in the capital city of the first nation to fall, was the signing of a treaty of peace between the Tectonic Coalition and Great Terra. The Treaty of Ulyse put an end to the deadliest war the world had ever seen, over 100 million souls were lost in eight years. Great Terra was no more, but the world before it came with it.
Jupita lost all of the territories it gained from the war, and had to pay reparations to the nations affected by its wrath. The Lunarian continent returned to peace as it was rebuilt with Vaserian loans.
In Kyusia, it was not Hoshira who saw the loss of land, but the Kingdom of Sapan. Princess Chiyo, now queen of Sapan, saw to reward her people, but more importantly, the ethnic minorities who remained loyal to the crown. Her reward was to allow them to choose to stay within the Sapanese realm, or be free.
January 12th, 1957, the Kingdom of Arcana was formed, and on the following day, the Republic of Otrya. It wouldn’t be until March 27th, for the final state to secede from the realm, that being the Kingdom of Kayusa.
“Map of western Kyusia c. 2047”
Eusona, following the war, was not a pleasant sight. Because of how far the technological gap was for Eusonan nations, many could not bear the weight of post-war clean up. In 1957, the Kalavian civil war (1957-1962) began when the socialist government refused to return back to a democracy, and it split the nation into two; the eastern half belonged to the People’s Republic of Kalavia while the west belonged to the Republic of Kalavia.
“Map of West and East Kalavia”
What remained of the Cazar Empire was split up into multiple nation states following its civil war that ended in the 70s, Eraki, Yuzakstan, Yusan, Baniera, Edeon, Eani, Kirstistan, and Xana.
The Kirston Empire, despite being victors of the war and liberators of the Valkyrie Peninsula, found itself with a destroyed nation. Millions of ethnic Nexens were wiped out at the hands of the Cazars. They were, for many generations, the backbone of Kirston society, and with their loss came the empire’s economic troubles.
In 1957, to cope with their economic struggles, the empire sold away parts of its territory as sovereign nations, Envoa and Litho. Although there was some peace for the Kirstons, the ambitions of many hardlined nationalists saw the nation at war again, this time as the invaders in The Grants War (1970-1973).
“An Envoan Special Forces operative posing for a camera crew during an extraction in the mountains of Kirsto, circa April 2nd, 1973.”
Vaseria soon cemented itself as one of few superpowers of the world with the use of its arcerium weapons, and soon enough the rest of the world appeared to have begun their own arcerium weapons program to compete for superpower status.
But the world was at relative peace now that the war, or the Continentals War as coined by the media, had ended, and that was all that mattered in the end.
WAR NEVER CHANGES BUT THE WORLD DOES
The start of the 21st century saw a Cold War begin between the Vaserian Federation and their PATO allies, against the Democratic Union of Kavara and their CDP puppet states. And in 2023, the Second Continentals War began between the two superpowers, but it ended as soon as it was declared, when the Arcerium Rising event occurred and a tense peace insured.
It is now 2049, the world is on the brink of total war between Vaseria and Kavara, and with the civil war in Arcasia becoming more worrisome, it is now up to the people of Earth to decide the fate of this world.
July 5th, 1953, Coalition forces enacted Operation Lone Passage to invade Ostera through the Lapish channel, with a combined force of 150,000 strong. The Kirston airship Spirit of Eve is allowed to be used in the operation, using its ability to launch aircraft during flight to guarantee the Coalition air superiority over Ostera.
“Visual invasion of Ostera during Operation Lone Passage”
With the Coalition landing on the shores of Ostera, Emperor Treijon sends Army Group Aster, to reinforce the Osterans and halt the invasion in its tracks. Prior to the initial landings, the Coalition touched base with separatist groups in the region, who agreed to support their invasion if the Coalition guaranteed the independence of the Lapland regions. With their backing, the Coalition was able to move through the Lapland region with ease, allowing them to strike deep within Osteran territory.
By August 25th, Coalition forces were able to secure the southern coastline of Ostera, but the entry of Jupitan reinforcements led to the halt of their invasion. General Thor, the commander of the Jupitan invasion of Sapan, and the man in charge of Army Group Aster, was sent to the Osteran front to put an end to the Coalition invasion.
“Photo of a Kirston Soldier with their identification armband”
Fierce fighting between the seasoned Jupitan army and hardened Coalition forces ensued in the cities and forests of Ostera, but as the fighting prolonged into the winter of December, the seasoned Jupitan army began to show its cracks. After years of fighting, the Jupitans became overwhelmed by the extent of its forces, and the new front only caused it to stretch even further.
December 20, 1953, General Thor and his remaining army of 4,000 troops were encircled in the Silver Forest by an encircling Coalition force of 7,000, cutting them off from the nearest Terran stronghold in the region. When Treijon receives news of one of his greatest generals being encircled, he decides that it was time to reveal his newest weapon.
It was to be released on the night of the 24th of December.
SIDE BY SIDE
Gripping the stock of his rifle, the lone Jupitan marches alone in the darkness of the snow covered forest. His comrades had already passed not too long ago.
The sounds of distant gunfire are followed by a haunting roar that fills the forest. They were unlucky enough to encounter the beast of the forest.
Marching through the snow, the Jupitan halts in his tracks, looking back at the creeping darkness of the forest. His gaze met eye-to-eye with the creeping beast.
He closes his eyes as the beast lept from the snow, he tries as hard as he can to fetch a good memory before he can remember no more.
A quick snap of the rifle fells the beast to the snow. Opening his eyes, the Jupitan is met by a singular soldier, on their arm was the flag of Orbesjka. The two soldiers exchange looks, their uniforms may be different, but their goal of survival wasn’t.
The two trek through the forest together, hiding when the roars of another beast fill the night air and resting when needed. When the sun’s basking heat covered the forest, the two soldiers were found back to back against one another, sharing a sigh of relief as the horrors of the night faded away.
“A soldier’s sketch of the monster following the attack.” c.1953
MAN MADE HORRORS
Treijon green lights the use of a new chemical agent, spiritus, on the Coalition forces encircling General Thor. The chemical agent was designed to turn those affected by it into bloodthirsty monsters, by overstimulating the body with arsoulium.
Arsoulium is often used as a “miracle” drug to slow down the rate of cancer cells while giving its users quick access to their magic abilities, but it is dangerous in large doses. Individuals become unnaturally aggressive and aware of their surroundings, which would be exploited in Jupita’s new weapon.
On the night of December 24, 1953, Jupitan planes released spiritus over Coalition lines in the cover of a snowstorm to avoid the interception of Coalition aircrafts. However the harsh winds of the storm blew the chemical agent towards the encircled Jupitans, resulting in utter chaos on all sides.
The night turned into a bloody affair, as both Coalition and Jupitan forces banded together against their former friends and foes. When day broke, what remained of the two armies in the area were brittle, down to only a couple thousand. General Thor and what remained of his army retreated from the region, leaving only the Coalition being left to clean up the remaining monsters.
The use of such a weapon was horrific in nature, and caused a global outcry against Great Terra, but to Treijon, he saw it as a means to an end.
SIX YEARS OF WAR AND MORE TO COME
At the beginning of the war, it was Great Terra who were the victors of the battlefield, but now, after six years of constant warfare, it was the Tectonic Coalition that began to take their place.
On February 5, 1954, Coalition forces captured the Osteran capital city, Lindel, and established a provisional government as well as forming a Lapland republic on the following day. With the Osterans out of the way, the Coalition pushed eastward into the territories of Hoshira, besieging its capital by June.
“The invasion of Hoshira visualized”
There was a small Coalition invasion of Epreau on the 2nd of May, the Molivians invaded to capture the Epreaun capital, Svarn City. This however was partially successful, the Molivians did take a lot of ground leading up to the capital, and were even able to take some sections of the city, but it all stagnated when both sides limited the use of artillery and aircraft in fear of civilian casualties.
But on the bright side for the Great Terrans, the Jupitan Fall Offensive was successful in taking back the western coastline of Sapan, but this however was a double edged sword. The offensive cost them tons of vehicles, ammunition, and supplies that they couldn’t replenish, but Great Terra knew that the Coalition was also in the same predicament.
“The Fall Offensive”
The Great Terrans were on borrowed time, and that time was going to become way shorter due to a situation happening beyond the Pacific. 1954 was not only an important year of the war, but a very important one for a specific nation, the Vaserian Federation, due to it being election year.
THE NATION ACROSS THE POND
When the war first began, many Vaserians pondered on whether the Vaseria needed to intervene in a conflict so far away, but this has since gone away when Great Terra invaded the neutral states of the Eusonan continent, with many seeing it more of a reason to intervene before it comes close to home.
1954, was the election year for Vaseria, and the war across the pond became a hot issue for its candidates. There were two major candidates on the ballot, Anne Hall, a former decorated officer of the Vaserian Mage Corps during the Great Vaserian War and prominent supporter of the Tectonic Coalition, and Mariane Thoa, an actor turned politician who wanted to keep Vaseria’s ambitions within its borders.
When the votes were accounted for on November 10th, it would appear that Anne Hall had won the election with 56.4% of the votes, which was a huge victory for the Coalition as they now had the industrial powerhouse soon to be on their side, but this win would only embolden the already demoralized Jupitans.
January 30th, 1955, a date which will live in infamy. The Vaserian Federation was suddenly and deliberately attacked by chemical weapons, created by the terror state of Great Terra. The capital city, Sukuyo, and the newly elected queen was the target of these attacks, and although the queen did survive, it left the nation scarred and shying away from matters on the war. Or so it would seem.
Starting January 15, 1951, the Kirston army made their counter offensive against the Cazars and the newly arrived Kirston expeditionary forces. The attack was successful, not because of the reorganization of forces in the mountains, but the introduction of a new weapon, the aerial carrier, KIAF Spirit of Eve, the world’s first operational aerial carrier.
The KIAF Spirit of Eve, was a revolutionary weapon that turned the tide of the war, it launched jets from a runway on the top and fired cannons from the bottom, and it was able to do this with its powerful arcerium reactor.
The aircraft had been built in collaboration with the Kirston government and the defense manufacturer, Shinka Industries, the premier defense manufacturer from the Vaserian Federation.
With this new weapon it was able to seize control over the skies of Kirsto, allowing the army to advance without worrying of enemy close air support. The Terrans retreated back into Cazar or occupied Icana by the end of January, the Kirston army was able to take back their country, and in their success was the hope of turning the war in favor of a Coalition victory.
REVITALIZED WAR
With the Terrans defeated in Kirsto, many Eusonan nations joined the war, such as the Orbesjkan Empire and the Holstaid dynasty, with the latter taking the opportunity to invade Cazar on March 10. With the Terrans driven out of Kirsto, Coalition forces in Kyusia seized the moment to enact their greatest feat of the war up to that point.
Coalition forces began their advance to regain control of Sapan on the 12th of July, codenamed “Cherry Landing”. The operation was to airdrop troops behind enemy lines, sabotaging logistical lines and preventing enemy reinforcements from reaching the advancing Coalition forces.
The fiercest fighting of the war began on that fateful day, but it was very well needed as the Coalition began to sweep through the southern plains of Sapan and even reaching to the western coastline. Their successes had to end at one point, and it ended as soon as they reached the mountains of Sapan that blocked the southern plains from reaching the north.
Many attempts were made to breach the mountains, few were successful, but most ended in disaster. The operation would end in early October, and despite suffering more losses than the Terrans, the Coalition were successful in regaining control of southern Sapan.
AN EYE FOR AN EYE
Happening around the same time was the invasion of Cazar on September 3rd. While having a large army of over ten million strong, the Cazars would have the majority stationed too far from home, and combined with the Kirstons new aerial warship and the entry of Orbesjka and Holstaid, the home guard of Cazar could barely fight the fight on its own.
The Cazars surrendered to the Coalition in large numbers, ranging from a hundred to ten thousand surrendering troops. But those who pleaded for mercy from the arriving Kirstons found none. It was ruthless, it was bloody, but it was undoubtedly revenge in its extreme form.
Sana, the capital of the Cazar Empire that for centuries held up the foundations of the aging empire, was burnt down on January 22, 1952. Had the advancing Orbesjkans and Hostaidi’s been there a few days earlier, they would have spared the city from the revenge of the Kirstons.
In the fall of their capital, many regions within the vast empire declared their independence and were willing to fight to keep it. Soon the entire empire was engulfed in chaos, with the coalition unwilling to spend more resources to quell the rebelling states across the now destroyed empire. The Cazar Civil War has begun, leading to decades of conflict.
As the Cazars left the conflict for good, Coalition forces in Eusona eyed the Valkyrie Peninsula and the occupying Osteran forces stationed there. If they were successful in retaking the peninsula, they would be able to launch an invasion of Ostera through the Lapish Channel and force the Great Terra to relieve their forces in Sapan to avoid a Coalition steamroll in Ostera.
A complete reversal of Cazar’s invasion of the Valkyrie Peninsula began on the 10th of June, 1952, with Coalition forces pushing the Osterans out of the peninsula by the end of September. The newly formed People’s Republic of Kalavia, which was created by Great Terra in the Coalition surrender the year before, quickly aligned themselves with the Coalition and turned its back on its creators.
TREIJON HAS GONE ILL
With the Valkyrie Peninsula returning to the Coalition, the Jupitan Premier, Alek Treijon, and the mastermind of the whole war and leading figure of Great Terra, cracked from the weight of it all. He slowly grew paranoid with power, and feared that his own generals were after him or worse, losing control of the Great Terra he created.
To avoid the many scenarios he created in his head, Treijon would secretly purge military officers, politicians, or anyone with a resemblance of power within Great Terra to labor camps or execution. December 12, 1952, Treijon announces himself as eternal emperor of Great Terra, hoping to guide it long after his passing.
As the summer of 1953 came along, Emperor Treijon was informed by his generals that his new weapon was finished and operational, all that was needed was his approval for it to be used on the battlefield.
Nexens, or Homo Nexums, evolved from Humans like many other races, however unlike most of them that evolved to have animalistic body parts, Nexums retained nearly 99% of Human traits with the exception of being naturally taller with the average healthy Nexen growing up to, or even over, seven feet tall.
Their lack of animalistic traits and unusually tall stature, made the Nexens visually inferior to other humanoid races, who believed them to be a mistake in human evolution and were not worthy of having special traits like themselves. Because of this, Nexens were often forced into slavery, with them being the main labor force for Great Terra. That was until 32 BH.
In 32 BH, the slavery of Nexens in Great Terra gave birth to a Nexen boy in Triaag, a mining town for slaves. Growing up, the boy learned to read and write from the few books he stole, where he learned what life of being free was like, or at least from what few words he understood.
But when Great Terra’s economy collapsed in 16 BH and the empires within started to show their cracks, the boy seized the opportunity and fled from the small town, to embark on a journey across the world.
His journey across the known world as a Nexen on the run, would see the start of his radical ideas of a new world, one where freedom, liberty, and justice was the norm for all beings. By the time the Revolutionary War started in 18 BH, the boy, amongst the low ranks of the revolutionary army, stood above his fellow soldiers and preached his ideas of a new world.
His words enlightened those who listened, and they too would spread his words. As the Revolutionary War continued, the boy grew to become a prominent figure amongst the revolutionaries; historians still don’t know his real name but he is known by his moniker, Hero.
THE CONTINENT OF EUSONA
“Map of the Eusonan Continent, c. 1949”
After the failed Terran September offensive of 1949, Great Terra realized that they could not break Coalition forces in Kyusia. So their focus turned to Eusona, a continent known for its abundant arcerium fields, but one that had fallen behind most of the world in technology.
“Tectonic Coalition propaganda, c.1949”
Most Eusonan nations at the beginning of the 20th century, especially those in the south and east, lacked the industrial power to exploit its abundant arcerium fields. Many countries still relied on horse drawn carriages to travel from place to place, despite the car being made in the dawn of the century. But the few Eusonan nations that had the industry to exploit the abundant amounts of arcerium, became the dominant powers on the continent.
The wealth sustained by arcerium guaranteed the lucky few nations to rapidly modernize, such as the case of the Kirston Empire, who by the time of the war, had the largest arcerium deposit on the continent.
“Great Terran Propaganda, c.1949”
THE START OF THE EUSONAN THEATER
January 15th, 1950, The Cazar Empire invades Kirsto with an army of 500,000 strong. For the past eight months, the Cazars had steadily mobilized their army to the Kirston border without detection. The Cazars overwhelmed the unprepared Kirston army, and within four days, they had already conquered the Kirston capital, Eve. The Kirston army retreated to the Grai mountain range, a strategic range that is home to the tallest mountain in the world, Mount Torrest at around 32,000 feet tall.
With two thirds of their country under occupation by March 12th, and their abundant arcerium fields in the north now under Terran control, Kirsto’s civilian population found themselves the target of Cazar’s wrath.
At first the occupation plan was to relocate the civilian population from the country to central Cazar where they would be put into refugee camps, but when they discovered that most Kirstons in occupied territories were Nexens, the plans changed. The Cazars would still relocate Kirstons, but with the exception of those who were of Nexen origin.
Believing that the inferior Nexen race was the cause for the downfall of Great Terra in the past and for their part in the creation of the “false” Hero, the Cazars in their fit for glory, rounded up the Nexens population en masse, prolonging them to harsh conditions for days before executing them. The numbers vary, but historians believe over 9 million Nexens were killed. A new word would sprout from this mass murder campaign, they call it genocide.
“‘A Nexen painted Red’ by Jon Reese, c.1960. Was once believed to be destroyed in a bombing during The Grants War”
THE WRATH OF GREAT TERRA
As refugees from Kirsto fled into neighboring nations, they brought with them tales of the horrors committed by the Cazars, their illegal removal of Kirston natives and their mass executions of Nexens would only spread fear across the continent.
Before the Coalition could even respond to the invasion of Kirsto, the Cazars in an ambitious operation, invaded its way to Coalition member states on the Valkyrie peninsula. Countries like Icana and Polka fell to Cazar within the first week of April, as their armies were no match to Cazars due to the large technological gap between them.
Coalition member states on the Valkyrie peninsula, Pavlovia, Luxona and Kalavia, panicked as not only was Cazar already within Luxonan territory, but another Great Terran state, The Osteran Socialist Union, was now invading through the Lapish Channel and were now threatening to take Luxona’s capital.
The quick advancements of Great Terra in April saw the Coalition states in Eusona caught off guard, and by June 2nd, the peninsula was cut in half as Cazar and Osteran forces met one another at the Battle for Tattburg.
Although being important Coalition member states, the Coalition did not have the logistical capabilities to send troops and supplies to support their allies in Eusona, as Great Terran states such as Epreau and Hoshira, controlled the Krinian ocean with their superior fleets. With no support, the Coalition in Eusona had only one choice to protect their people.
August 20th, 1950, the Federal Republic of Luxona, the Kingdom of Pavlovia, and the Grand Duchy of Kalavia, issued their terms of surrender to Great Terra, which was accepted immediately. The Coalition was hit with their worst loss of the war, as they now lost three of their founding members to Great Terra. It appeared that soon enough the war was going to be a Great Terran victory.
Once upon a time there was a prince, an o so beautiful prince, whose long hair shone as bright as the stars. But though he shone bright, his heart was rotten. Rotten and brown with greed and desire. He would steal from the poor and give to the rich. He would punish the innocent and free the guilty. But he cared not, for his father was the king, and he was the prince. No one dared to stop him. Until one fateful day, an old lady visited the prince’s castle. And as she walked down the corridors decorated with gold and gemstones, she was plagued with anger for all of those jewels he had not earned, but stole from the beggarly. There, she was let into the throne room where the prince sat haughty in his chair, looking down on her as if she were a mere roach.
”Speak old hag! You should feel lucky I have even let your eyes wander upon me, so speak!”
“I only wish for you to give back what you have taken…”
”Taken?! What is this you speak of? All I have is what I worked for! I am not like you, who sits and does nothing but complain, you peasants are all the same,”
The words the prince spoke had angered her. And as her anger turned to rage the skies started to rumble, being overtaken by the dark clouds of wrath. The winds howled and blew throughout the castle into the throne room making all of the candles that lit the room go out.
In the silence the prince saw nothing but dark, his guards nowhere to be found. Only a faint voice so dull and somber that one would think it was the whisper of the wind.
“You pitiful prince,” The whisper started, “Your greed and insolence will turn this kingdom to ruin,” The wind had stopped, “So I shall give you a gift, a gift that lets you take and take and take without getting full.”
”You- YOU FOOLISH WENCH! HOW DARE YOU LOOK DOWN UPON ME!? I SHALL-“ he stopped as he heard the sound of the old lady laugh. She was laughing and laughing and as she laughed he had realized that he was no longer in his castle, but somewhere in a different realm.
“YOU WITCH, TAKE ME BACK TO MY CASTLE!!”
”My poor prince, that castle was never yours to begin with.”
Suddenly the prince’s vision began to haze over as a smoke thick like poison, filled the room making him slump to the ground. Then the witch spoke for the last time.
”Goodbye my fair prince, for when tomorrow comes, you shall wake-up to find yourself cursed by this old hag.”
Daybreak had come and awakened the prince from his slumber. He looked around scared to find a trace of the previous day, but there was none. He must have only dreamed it.
“My prince!” a servant cried as the throne room doors creaked open, “What are you doing in here? The king wants to see you in the dining hall for breakfast! Immediately!”
So the prince made his way to the dining hall, his stomach growling as if he hadn’t eaten for days. And having finally made it to the dining hall, he looked across a table filled with all kinds of foods. Each and every food making him drool and stare, as in a daze.
“My fine boy, does the food look so good to have bewitched you?”
The prince responds, “Ah, I believe I’m just a little hungry as I fell asleep before dinner.”
Then the prince sat down and began to eat. He took one bite, then another bite, then another bite, then another. To the king’s horror, he looked up to find the prince had started to eat up every single dish on the table, as if he were a ravenous animal.
“My son, what is this nonsense? Are you that of a beast!?” the king cried.
“No, father! I don’t know what came over me! And it’s not as though we can’t get more…”
“You fool! This is not about more, you selfish swine! I refuse to have such a beast in my house! You have done far more than enough, you don’t even know the half of what I’ve had to cover for you, do you!?” The king was furious, “I hereby banish you to the kingdom in the woods! Until you get your act together and make up for your sins, you are no longer my son!” So the prince was sent to the woods, to rule over its kingdom. Cursing and scowling the whole way there, understanding just then that yesterday’s feat was not just a mere dream.
When the people of the woods heard the coming of a new ruler, all they could do was hope he would bring prosperity to their cursed lands. But when the prince finally set foot in his new kingdom, all he could think about was the pain from his abdomen that shrouded his thoughts with agony. He was hungry again. It had only been a couple hours since his last meal, but he knew what his very first order of the kingdom would be. He ordered all the people of the woods to hand over all of their food and crops, and in return he promised to give them enough food to last them a thousand years. They believed this as they had nothing left to lose, but they realized their mistake when they heard the prince had eaten all of their crops in one sitting.
“Such horror,” the farmer said.
“What beast is he,” the knights all sang.
”How could the king leave us to such a glutton,” all the people cried.
But the prince was still hungry. He then ordered for all the animals to be sent to him, slaughtered and cooked.
“Such vile behavior,” the people all thought, but could not betray him as they were still hoping the prince might keep his promise to them.
Soon after eating all his people’s delectable livestock, the prince thought about the things that might fill him up other than food. He came to a conclusion and ordered for all of the jewels and gold to be stripped from his new castle walls. The people of the woods saw him as crazy, but did as he asked as they were afraid what he would do if they betrayed him.
“Such divine jewels,” the prince drooled. He ate the whole pile and finally, no, he was still hungry.
This made him angry. The hunger he had tried to stop, that ravaged inside him, felt as though it would eat him alive.
“BRING ME THE POOR AND THE FILTHY! NO! BRING ME ALL THE PEOPLE OF THIS KINGDOM!” He finally screamed, “I will do anything to satisfy my hunger.”
All of the prince’s servants were now terrified. What did the prince plan to do with the filth of his newfound kingdom they wondered. As his royal subjects began to pour into the castle, the prince’s hunger worsened. Scraping and tearing as if trying to rip him open from the inside out.
“Hah…, Well, come into my dining hall,” he declared, “I told you I would have you for a royal feast, didn’t I?”
His people didn’t know what to think about the sight they let their eyes upon. A long table filled with thousands of dishes, at least a couple helpings for each of them once over. But as the dining hall doors shut behind them, so did any chance of their escape. It was said that the screams of terror from inside those halls could be heard from two kingdoms away. A truly horrid sound.
But that was not the end of the prince. Wandering the empty corridors of an o-so empty kingdom, looking at the empty walls where gold and gemstones once adorned each and every wall, he realized the witch had gotten what she wanted. So he sat down on his brand new throne, thinking. He still had not yet satisfied his hunger. In fact, the hunger had gotten worse, as if everything he had eaten made the pain grow. Then he realized something. That the scraping and tearing was not just a feeling, but it was his stomach eating away at his very own flesh. He hated the feeling, but weak in his famished state, could only look upon the empty throne room, cursing the witch for bringing him to such a desolate place.
The book ‘Thunderhead’ was made by Neal Shusterman and is a sequel to ‘Scythe’.
To help better understand this review, if you haven’t read ‘Scythe’, it is important to know that in this book, they don’t say “kill,” they say “glean”.
Thunderhead is an advanced AI and a perfect ruler of a perfect world; it has its own agenda, which is to protect humanity and ensure their well-being, but it has no control over the Scythedom (in another word, Scythes).
This book is set in the future, where death is conquered. They cured all illnesses, so now they’re immortal, but to keep the population in control, they created Scythes. Scythes are an order of individuals who are responsible for killing, or should I say gleaning, to keep the world’s population in check; once gleaned, they’re unable to be revived by the law.
In the last book we learned Citra became a Scythe and goes by the name of Scythe Anastasia who is trying to be a good Scythe but Rowan, on the other hand, has taken a dark path. He is now known as Scythe Lucifer, and he embraces a more ruthless method. He believes that the system is corrupted, that he needs to take extreme measures to bring about change, and he is willing to do everything that it takes to accomplish his goal.
As the story unfolds, we can see conflict ruin the traditional sides and the rise of a new group called the New Order. This group of people believe in a harsher approach to gleaning, and their plan is to maintain control over humanity so they may be feared and have power over anything, which goes against Citra’s ideals of mercy and empathy. Scythes who disagree with their method face dangers and challenges.
Scythe Anastasia and Scythe Lucifer, who were once friends, find themselves in conflict with their different ideals. But as the New Order rises, their power poses a direct threat to traditional sides as they implement harsher methods of gleaning.
Will the New Order have full control over Scythes, or will Citra and Rowan fight back in their own way that we are not sure of as they left us on a cliffhanger?
I personally am invested in what’s going to happen in the next book and in my personal opinion, I give this book 8.75/10.
On the early dusk of August 29th, 1948, General Calor Thor, age 31, of the Jupitan Imperial Army and commander of Army Group Caster, stood on the tarmac of a makeshift airfield and stared at the sky. His gaze on the starry skies kept still until the sounds of roaring fighter jets slowly approached the runway that his gaze finally returned down to the ground. The invasion of Sapan lies in his hands, and failure is not an option.
TROUBLED TIMES IN SAPAN
“Map of the Kingdom of Sapan, c.1942”
”Flag of the Kingdom of Sapan”
The Kingdom of Sapan resides on the Kyusian continent, and for most of its history, was the strongest nation on the planet. That was until the Great Vaserian War of 1920, when their invasion of the Vaserian Federation led to a devastating four year war that cost the lives of over three million Sapanese soldiers, and a resounding victory for Vaseria.
Three million young men and women died overseas in a failed invasion, an entire generation was lost, and those who lost loved ones blamed the war hungry government. In 1926, King Genta III, who had started the war, was forced to abdicate the throne when it appeared that the entire country was rioting against him.
On November 20th, 1940, the king’s nephew, Lord Daiki, was crowned king due to his vocal support against the war with Vaseria. His policies as king saw the nation turn away from its militaristic past in favor of improving the lives of its people, however he would pass away three years in his reign before he could fully implement his policies.
King Daiki’s brother, Lord Jiro, was crowned the next king of Sapan, but his rule led to rampant corruption within his government and a rise of independence movements by many ethnic groups in the far east and south, who felt that his rule was the final straw of staying under Sapanese rule.
OPERATION FORWARD HIKE
With the help of corrupt Sapanese officials, Great Terran forces were able plan an invasion of Sapan, with the main force invading from the northern coastline to make a mad dash to the capital, Nozomi, while the Hoshiran army would invade from their shared border to liberate the ethnic groups in eastern Sapan.
Under the command of General Thor, Over 50,000 soldiers were airdropped on the Sapanese northern plains and another 50,000 landed via the Ara Sea on August 29th, 1948. Their mission was to quickly reach the Sapanese capital, Nozomi, and occupy important government buildings and install a pro-Terran government with the help of corrupt military officials.
Despite having the advantage, General Thor cautiously moved his forces, but many of his field officers refused his orders in order to claim the glory of taking the Sapanese capital. Those who stood by Thor’s orders were lucky, as the ambitious officers were soon wiped out by the supposed “corrupt” Sapanese army.
The supposedly corrupt Sapanese army they had confronted in their invasion was being led by the king’s daughter, Princess Chiyo. Prior to the invasion, The princess, as well as members of the Ministry of Defense, learned of the Terran invasion plot after receiving coded messages from a mole within Jupita’s high command, and quickly formed a force of 100,000 loyal followers to combat the invasion.
Fierce fighting began as the sun broke the horizon. When news broke out about the invasions from the north and east, thousands armed themselves to combat the invaders. In the east, the Hoshiran armies met fierce resistance by the ethnic groups they were supposed to be “liberating”. Despite being under Sapanese rule for centuries, these groups were still loyal to the crown or at least the ever more heroic Princess.
Upon hearing that the invasion of Sapan started, the King tried to flee the royal palace but was immediately reprimanded by the Princess and the Royal Guard, and forced him to abdicate the throne in favor of putting the Princess in charge. The princess immediately called upon full mobilization of the Army, and by September 3rd, the army was fully mobilized and ready to combat the invaders.
The Terrans, despite not achieving their goal of capturing the capital, quickly gained land during the Sapanese mobilization, taking most of the northern coastline as well as the Otryan peninsula in the far east. By September 10th, the entire eastern regions of Sapan capitulated to the Terrans, but there were still many waging guerilla campaigns against the Terrans.
On September 13th, Coalition forces were allowed to enter Sapan, over 300,000 Coalition troops were transported to the Sapanese front. Despite the aid of Coalition troops, Terran forces were able to push south and capture the capital by the end of October, but at the cost of using most of their stocks of chemical weapons.
Over 80% of Sapanese territory was occupied with the southern regions, as well as holdouts in the mountains, remaining under Coalition control. By the new year Princess Chiyo had ordered the army to hold their ground no matter the cost, and it led to the Sapanese front becoming a meat grinder.
“Photograph of an abandoned Jupitan T-IX Piercer tank in the Kingdom of Kayusa, c. June 9th, 1969”
EVER EXPANDING WAR
By April 15th, 1949, Hoshiran forces invaded the neighboring Federal Republic of Jinyu to maneuver around Coalition forces in Sapan. Despite capitulating the Jinyun government within hours, they were unable to flank the Coalition, as they too would invade Jinyun to out flank them. The war had now spanned across the entire Kyusian continent, from Sapan in the east to Molivia in the south.
“Sample from the Valonan History Channel’s “The Return of Great Terra” documentary”
As the war ravaged the Kyusian continent, it was only inevitable that it would spread to another continent. By May of 1949, The Cazar Empire, a member state of Great Terra, was secretly notified by Jupita that it would fully support their territorial ambitions on the Eusonan continent if they invaded their neighboring country, the Kirston empire, and gave Jupita access to its rich Arcerium fields.
”Flag of the Cazar Empire”
”Flag of the Kirston Empire”
Not wanting to be left out of the glory of war, the Cazar empire agreed to their secret deal, and their army would slowly grow in size on the Kirston border. The Cazars shall seek their glory of war, and their flag shall be raised over the Kirston capital. But the Kirstons, who had endured multiple invasion attempts by the Cazars in the past, shall endure it once again for the final time.
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