Content Advisories

Author’s Note

I frequently feature “dark” themes or topics, but without the hopelessness that usually goes with them. If you or your kid can’t stand “dark” topics, I currently don’t recommend any of my work for you.

That’s not to say I’m a fan of government censorship. I’m not. But parental censorship is an entirely different ball game, and I have no problem with anyone doing that.

Virtual cookies if you’re reading this so you don’t accidentally scar yourself. (Hey, I did that—censored my own reading—and accidentally scarred myself.)

-Misti Wolanski

Contents:

World: Aleyi
World: Darkworld
World: Overhill

World: Aleyi

A Fistful of Fire
Chronicles of Marsdenfel, book 1
Rating: T (Teen) for some themes
(The lead character’s familial background contains rape and incest. A few characters are or are becoming insane.)
Offensive language: None.
Sex: None on-screen. Sex, rape, incest, and mistresses are mentioned and have greatly influenced major characters’ lives.
Drugs/Alcohol: No drugs. Lead characters drink alcohol in moderation or not at all; drunkeness is portrayed negatively.
Violence: Minimal.
Note:
Evonalé’s family is downright sadistic. Nothing’s graphic, but please don’t hand this to your easily-freaked kid for a light bedtime read.
A Fistful of Earth
Chronicles of Marsdenfel, book 2
(coming soon)
Rating: T+ (Teen) for some themes
(This will the story of a character featured in A Fistful of Fire, after the events of that book.)
Offensive language: None so far.
Sex: Fade to black.
Drugs/Alcohol: None so far.
Violence: Pervasive, not all of it in defense.
Notes: This book contains non-erotic nudity.
A Fistful of Water
Chronicles of Marsdenfel, book 3
(coming mid–late 2012)
Rating: T (Teen) for some themes
(This will the story of a character featured in A Fistful of Fire and A Fistful of Earth, after the events of those book.)
Offensive language: Likely none.
Sex: Likely none.
Drugs/Alcohol: Likely none.
Violence: Likely none.
A Fistful of Air
Chronicles of Marsdenfel, book 4
(coming late 2012–early 2013)
Rating: T (Teen) for some themes
(This will the story of the mother of the narrator of A Fistful of Fire.)
Offensive language: None so far.
Sex: None will be on-screen. Sex, rape, incest, and mistresses are mentioned, some of which inflicted off-screen on the narrator.
Drugs/Alcohol: None so far.
Violence: Will probably have some.
“Driven by the Deadline”
Rating: MG
(Addresses Fael Honovi, godmother to the narrator of A Fistful of Fire—what Honovi is, and why she took that godparenting gig to begin with.)
Offensive language: None.
Sex: None.
Drugs/Alcohol: None.
Violence: Some. Someone who doesn’t like the narrator loses his sanity and attacks her.
Note:
This one’s comparable to Neil Gaiman’s Coraline: clean but creepy, but with a focus on insanity that wasn’t present in Coraline.
“Of Her Own”
Rating: T (Teen) for content
(how Lallie met Silva)
Offensive language: None.
Sex: None, though the child narrator suspects someone’s a pedophile.
Drugs/Alcohol: None.
Violence: Some.
Note:
Someone’s trying to kill the narrator. The end result is a bit bloody.

World: Darkworld

Destiny’s Kiss
Destiny Walker series, book 1
Rating: T (Teen) for themes and content
Offensive language: Minimal, except the narrator does often use the Italian version of “crap” (merda).
Sex: Contains fade-to-black rape, acknowledgements of characters who sleep together, and other characters who are interested in sleeping together.
Drugs/Alcohol: No drugs. Lead characters drink alcohol in moderation or not at all; drunkeness is portrayed negatively.
Violence: Present.
Note:
The narrator is a runaway sex slave. Adult readers have been disturbed by the birth scene, which leaves much to the imagination.
The first chapter is a good indicator the kind of content that’s in the rest of the book, though, if you’re unsure and want to try reading a sample, first.
Know Thy Frienemy
Destiny Walker series, book 2
(coming early–mid 2012)
Rating: T (Teen) for themes and content (comparable to Destiny’s Kiss
Offensive language: Minimal, except the narrator does often use the Italian version of “crap” (merda).
Sex: Contains references to sex and abuse.
Drugs/Alcohol: No drugs. Lead characters drink alcohol in moderation or not at all; drunkeness is portrayed negatively.
Violence: Present.
Note:
The narrator is a slave concubine whose master is trying to let her be a person rather than property, though he can’t free her for legal reasons.
“The Corpse Cat”
Rating: T (Teen) for themes and content
Offensive language: None, though the middle finger shows up.
Sex: None.
Drugs/Alcohol: Two witting adults have doped coffee.
Violence: Present. People die. (Violent) temper issues are present.
Note:
This one gets a bit gruesome, but so far the biggest “squick” complaint has been that two characters are cousins and romantically involved. Also, two characters’ ideas of a pleasant greeting is the middle finger.
“Romeo & Jillian”
Rating: T (Teen) for themes and content
Offensive language: None.
Sex: Off-screen; nudity is present, but not with erotic intent.
Drugs/Alcohol: One scene takes place at a party where most of the attendees are drunk, though the lead characters aren’t.
Violence: Others attempt to murder and torture the lead characters—the the attackers’ efforts don’t have quite the effects intended.
Note:
This one’s set in 13th century Italy, which is when the Inquisition was first formed. Between the Inquisition and the story’s mention of some of the hypocritical abuses that happened when Roman Catholic priests were legal and religious leaders, reader discretion is advised.
“A Blackmail and a Birthday”
Rating: T (Teen) for themes and content.
Offensive language: Some.
Sex: None, though discussed.
Drugs/Alcohol: MC gets drunk.
Violence: Some.
Note:
There’s a gun, a drunk, and a girl whose boyfriend insists on sleeping on the couch only because she’s intoxicated.

World: Overhill

“Primpriety”
Rating: ≥T (Teen) for themes and content.
Offensive language: A fair bit, mostly British.
Sex: None.
Drugs/Alcohol: No conventional ones, but there is some fantasy drug abuse.
Violence: A fair bit.
Note:
This one gets gory.
“Hello, Kitty”
Rating: ≥T (Teen) for themes and content.
Offensive language: A fair bit, mostly British.
Sex: None.
Drugs/Alcohol: No conventional ones, but there is some fantasy drug abuse.
Violence: A fair bit.
Note:
This one gets gory.

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