𝐹𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒: 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
———••———
𝑆𝑎𝑟𝑎𝘩 𝑅𝑒𝑒𝑠 𝐵𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑛𝑎𝑛

𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐:

So i’m a really big fan of c.s. pacat and i know what everyone’s thinking so i’ll just say it now yes this includes captive prince but this of course was one of the series i completely mentally edited and just decided that parts that happen didn’t happen

she could’ve done much better things with the story but alas she didn’t and, just like harry potter, i still enjoy the characters she wrote without actually enjoying the books specifically but, when she and an artist i’d been following for a long time teamed up, i couldn’t resist

so we had the fence graphic novels and it’s so completely different from CP (aside from the whole enemies to lovers trope you can tell she really loves) with a diverse cast great slow burn writing and beautiful art from Johanna the mad and then 12 issues, 4 volumes later...

by Sarah Rees Brennan comes “Fence: Striking distance” A NOVELIZED ORIGINAL SERIES INSPIRED BY FENCE! with Johanna’s amazing art slapped onto the cover and throughout the pages of the book! and i’m so excited to read!!

𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐 𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒔:

so the book starts with an email between sarah (our epee coach) and her sister who she’s moved away from to coach at KR and already we’re getting way deeper into the story than what c.s. has been able to do which is honestly the beauty of this

as readers we’ve been given not only visually page after page of how the characters move and express themselves and now we’re given that extra view into what’s in their hearts and minds we didn’t get to see before

the comics are a very show don’t tell thing which both c.s. and johanna are great at, don’t get me wrong at all, but this is a completely different also incredible thing

STARTING WITH AIDEN FUCK YEAH (and just to give you a glimpse of the art on the pages of the book)

so what i’m noticing and i’m unsure for the rest of the book but?? i think that this can be read as stand alone and you don’t need to read the comics (though i highly recommend it) because she’s really good at explaining things without it feeling forced

a character drawls and they have my whole heart idk why like i know they’re gonna make trouble for the rest of the cast and just be so fucking difficult in general but i LOVE THEM yes this is about aiden

aiden dude stop being so emotionally closed off i’m gonna fall in love with you

i’m so scared for aiden oh my god oh my god i can already tell pain is on its way

characters named aiden: :)
me:

“aiden lived kings row, as he loved fencing, because harvard had chose it for them.”

ben though this chapter is in harvard’s pov seiji just had his first lines and it’s just yelling at nicholas,..i have yet to be disappointed by this book

“Wow, Seiji, you need me. I’m your rival,” Nicholas muttered. “You’re not my rival,” seiji muttered back. “You’re very bad.”
if this is the content we’re getting when it’s not even in either of their pov’s....this is gonna be so good

“i didn’t mean to be insulting, Nicholas. What i meant was, your fencing is very bad.”
“Really?” said Nicholas. “𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦?”
He started to shove Seiji, who turned and walked away down the corridor. Nicholas followed Seiji so he could continue shoving him.

this just continues to get worse and worse emotional pain wise

i’m connecting to aiden too much this isn’t healthy this is gonna get bad fast

finding out aidens bear he’s really attached with is the bear harvard gave him when they first met over 10 years ago

“Unreasonable demands like ‘Why can’t you remember my name?’”
aiden vs remembering the name of one guy he’s slept with

THE-
chapter 2 “Harvard had never received a valentine himself. Except from aiden when they were little, in a cute platonic way. But aiden hadn’t given him one for years.
AND THEN COME CHAPTER 3

chapter 3 “Aiden used to timidly proffer a valentine’s day card. Every year, his heart pounding so hard he thought his ribs would smash to dust, he’s think this time harvard would understand. Harvard always put his arm around aiden’s neck and said ‘Aw, thanks, buddy.”

this is heartbreaking okay so harvard is just terribly oblivious and or just thinks aiden could never like him that way and aiden has just come to and understanding that harvard would never share those feelings and that’s why he sleeps around so he can feel wanted...FUCK

NICHOLAS HI! HI! I LOVE YOU!! HI!!

no wait i’m gonna cry “When Nicholas saved Seiji a seat on the team bud, Seiji didn’t mind when nicholas’s stuff or limbs went everywhere. Well, Seiji sighed and snapped at him a lot, but Nicholas was pretty sure that was just part of their thing.” DUALFJAKHRJ

seiji: can you please shut up god please i’m begging you
nicholas: haha you’re so silly friend

bro stop focusing on how the light hits my face. no don’t look at the open collar of my pajamas. dude stop noticing how the lowlight reflects on my hair.

i really want to post every line i love but i’m pretty sure it’s like?? against the law or something?? to post the whole book??

“‘i knew that’
Nicholas had not known that”

just found out what the watch from the opening of the book is....i don’t know the history behind it but i know it’s gonna be deep and painful probably

“seiji’s words might cut, but he didn’t say them to cut.” if i wasn’t already crying i would start crying

i love how nicholas seems like he would be overconfident and angsty but he’s just the goofiest shyest ray of sunshine

okay maybe a smidge of angst but not weird angst it’s more of a ‘grew up without knowing what it is to be loved or cared for and it’s only when i met my coach that i had to beg to coach me that someone even remembered my birthday but i still try to keep a smile on’ angst

2 more chapters till i even reach the first seiji chapter COME ON

in case anyone wants to know exactly how busy i get/exactly how easily i get distracted....i still haven’t reached the seiji chapter

okay but theyre telling nicholas about how aiden is always bringing guys over at all hours and nicholas absolutely scandalized and is like “he’s throwing PARTIES?? that’s so disrespectful to harvard what??” i love this idiot

NOT EVERYONE THINKING SEIJI WASNT ALSO AN IDIOT AND WAS GOJNG TO CLARIFY EXACTLY WHAT AIDEN WAS DOING WITH THE BOYS IN HIS ROOM JUST FOR SEIJI TO BE LIKE “yeah no that’s so disrespectful of aiden, harvard might even be ranked higher if aiden would let him sleep”

last two tweets are not actual quotes but this is

“...Oh my god,” Bobby whispered.
“Right, bobby?” asked Nicholas. “We’re all shocked.”

nicholas is my emotional support himbo

no wait stop (how many times do i start a tweet in this thread with that) seiji struggling to try and make connections with people and getting scared when something goes wrong but nicholas silently cheering him along and trying to help him this book is gonna be the end of me