Excerpts Katherine Arden Read an Excerpt From The Warm Hands of Ghosts During WWI‚ a combat nurse searches for her brother… By Katherine Arden | Published on February 6‚ 2024 icon-comment 0 Share New Share Twitter Facebook Pinterest RSS Feed We’re thrilled to share an excerpt from The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden‚ a historical novel with a speculative twist set during WWI—out from Del Rey on February 13. January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps‚ leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax‚ Canada‚ Laura receives word of Freddie’s death in combat‚ along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth‚ Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital‚ where she soon hears whispers about haunted trenches and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield‚ only to fall prey to something—or someone—else?November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier‚ a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds‚ the two form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields‚ especially on opposite sides‚ they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear.As shells rain down on Flanders and ghosts move among those yet living‚ Laura’s and Freddie’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging—or better left behind entirely. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before she found Fa­land sitting beside her. She was startled. She hadn’t seen him cross the room. But he was there‚ rolling an empty glass between long fingers. “It’s Laura‚ isn’t it?” “Yes‚” said Laura. When had she told him her name? “Do you like the wine?” “Yes‚” she said. She was so warm‚ the knife-edges of the world all blunted. He refilled her glass deftly. “And you were wounded?” He’d noticed‚ of course. How could he not? “I was.” “Brave heart‚” said Faland. “But surely you would stay home after that‚ in the arms of your family. Or are you so wild for adven­ture?” “No‚” she said. A hairline crack ran now through Laura’s enjoy­ment. There was something in his face‚ almost too subtle to notice. Malice? His sidelong stare seemed to see everything. The ghosts that Agatha Parkey swore she trailed: her mother‚ her father‚ her brother. The hope and long-denied despair that had dragged her back across the ocean. He seemed to see it all‚ to catalogue it‚ even to be laughing at it‚ in some secret place. Didn’t he have patrons to serve? Pim was nowhere to be seen. Mary had put her head down and gone to sleep. Trying to turn the force of his gaze‚ Laura said‚ “Have you ever considered leaving Flanders? A man with your talent—” She fell silent‚ staring past Faland’s shoulder. Standing in the middle of the room was the figure she’d seen in the road‚ the figure that had prompted her‚ half-instinctively‚ to cry out. It was the watcher from the gangplank in Halifax. The face from her dreams. Her mother with glass in her eyes‚ glass jutting from her body. The glow of the wine vanished. Laura stumbled to her feet‚ back­ing away. She was wet‚ hungry‚ tired‚ ill. Buy the Book The Warm Hands of Ghosts Katherine Arden Buy Book icon-close The Warm Hands of Ghosts Katherine Arden Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget Faland shook his head‚ as though he’d understood something that vexed him. Then Laura blinked and the figure was gone. She stood panting‚ swaying on her feet. Lightly‚ Faland said‚ “You could stay here awhile. It would do you good‚ I think. You could stop being afraid.” “I’m not afraid.” He didn’t dignify that with a response. He’d seen her staring in horror at nothing. Laura set her jaw. Madness stalked the Western Front‚ but she would not‚ could never‚ succumb. She was the steady one when others lost their heads. She must concentrate on what she’d come for: to learn what had become of Freddie. “I can’t stay. I have things to do.” “Do you?” Did she? Why was she in Flanders‚ really? To torment herself with the— Across the room‚ Pim screamed. She was staring into the mirror over the bar‚ her expression reflected in the glass raw with equal parts hunger and horror. Laura didn’t think even a great obscenity would put that look on her face. “Pim—” Faland had turned as well‚ almost impatiently‚ but then his shoul­ders stiffened. Laura could see in profile his lips pursed in a sound­less whistle. But there was nothing to see but a woman‚ her golden hair coming down‚ looking into a mirror. “What does she see?” de­manded Laura‚ already making her stumbling way across the room. He didn’t answer; she didn’t know if he followed. Mary didn’t stir‚ her head still pillowed on her folded arms. The mirror itself glimmered‚ black with tarnish in spots‚ spider-webbed with cracks in one corner. Laura squinted into the depths but could see nothing that would have prompted Pim to— A face‚ reflected in the mirror‚ swam into focus as she walked closer. It wasn’t hers. Then she thought her heart would stop‚ because it was Freddie. Freddie with eyes hollow and blank. Freddie with white threaded through the russet of his hair. Freddie with his expression strangely dim‚ puzzled. A reflection that wavered‚ as though her brother were caught in the tarnished glass. She knew it was just a figment. Some sort of hypnotic suggestion. Faland had said she’d see her heart’s desire‚ and he’d meant it liter­ally. It was his voice working on her brain‚ along with the dimness‚ and the wine‚ and her fever. She knew. And still she turned to look behind her. No power on earth could have kept her from looking. And of course he wasn’t there. Just a sea of men‚ drowsy‚ with—No. There. For an instant she could have sworn she saw russet hair‚ straight shoulders‚ haunted eyes. His name came tearing from her throat. “Freddie!” But he was already gone‚ vanished between tables‚ between men‚ between shadows. He’d never been there at all. She tried to follow anyway. Came up instantly against people dazed and stupid with wine‚ came up against her own drunkenness and doubt‚ her cramping leg. Found herself pushing like a woman in a nightmare‚ not even sure what she was looking for. There were so many doors. The room was ringed with doors. Which door? Take the right door‚ she thought confusedly‚ and she ’d find herself in a different world‚ she ’d find herself back in Halifax‚ be­fore the end of everything. She clawed her way out of the sodden crowd. Fetched up against a person who caught her by the shoulders. “Gently‚ Mademoiselle‚” said Faland. “You are hallucinating‚ fever­ish‚ you are not yourself.” “My brother—I saw my brother.” He didn’t let go. “That damned mirror. I’m sorry I said anything about it. You are very ill‚ you know.” She pulled away‚ fighting for her balance. “No‚ I saw him. In the room. Not just in the mirror. I saw him.” His face expressed nothing but puzzled concern. “Could your brother be here tonight? By coincidence? Forgive me‚ but why would you have to chase him? He’d come to you‚ surely.” Of course he’d come to her. If he could. He wasn’t there. He was dead‚ and there was no such thing as ghosts. “No‚” she whispered. The fight went out of her. “He couldn’t be here tonight.” Faland’s face softened. “Then I am so sorry‚ Mademoiselle.” He offered her an arm. “I shall take you back to your companions. You should sleep. You should stay. You are in no condition to endanger—” Endanger? His words reminded her of Pim‚ and she looked up. Pim was still standing in front of the tarnished mirror‚ utterly still‚ an expression of horrified longing on her face. “What’s wrong with my friend? What did she see?” Faland’s green eye glittered with firelight‚ but the dark eye had no reflection. “It is often illuminating‚ to see your heart’s desire. But it is not always pleasant. You might have just discovered that your­self. Come‚ I will take you to her.” Excerpted from The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden. Copyright © 2024 by Katherine Arden. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. The post Read an Excerpt From <;i>;The Warm Hands of Ghosts<;/i>; appeared first on Reactor.

The Diablo 4 Lunar Awakening event has an array of free cosmetics available to all players‚ but how can you earn them for yourself? While there are cosmetics available in the shop for the Lunar Awakening event‚ if you’re not interested in spending real money you can still earn some free stuff. Diablo 4: How to get free cosmetics in the Lunar Awakening event Running from February 6-20‚ you have the chance to participate in an event in celebration of the Lunar New Year. This event allows you to activate Lunar Shrines which will give you incredible buffs in combat. You can earn some free cosmetics during the Diablo 4 Lunar Awakening event by collecting Ancestral Favor. Screenshot: PC Invasion You’ll first want to start the Lunar Awakening event by speaking with Ying-Yue in Ked Bardu; this event quest will appear right away. Speak with her and you’ll see Ancestral Favor tiers‚ 10 to be exact. After earning a certain amount of Ancestral Favor (dropped by ...

The time is coming soon for FFXIV to begin testing for its Xbox version release. From February 21 onward‚ the free trial is available to download on Xbox‚ so here’s how to join the Xbox open beta for FFXIV. FFXIV Xbox series X|S open beta prerequisites and instructions First of all‚ you cannot join the Xbox open beta with an existing Square Enix account. Your Square Enix account is required to be linked to your Microsoft account to play the open beta‚ but if there’s an existing registration of XIV‚ it won’t be allowed to participate. This open beta seems to be tailored to new players with no previous experience with the game. You do not‚ however‚ need Game Pass to play the free trial. Only the full‚ non-beta test version will require Game Pass. So‚ if you haven’t played FFXIV before‚ now is your chance. Make sure your Xbox has the following settings (Settings >; Account >; Privacy and online safety >; Xbox privacy >; View details and customize) enabled firs...

Are you plagued with the “Playing Now” error in Battle.net when playing‚ or trying to play‚ Diablo 4? This Diablo 4 error happened to me‚ so you can rest assured knowing this is the definitive fix for this error. Diablo 4: How to fix the “Playing Now” Battle.net error The Diablo 4 “Playing Now” error occurs on Battle.net when you aren’t playing Diablo 4 but you also can’t launch it because Battle.net thinks you’re already in. I encountered the Diablo 4 “Playing Now” error on Battle.net when I manually closed my Diablo 4 error after encountering a server queue that was taking too long. Regardless of how you get the “Playing Now” error‚ this is how to fix it. Screenshot: PC Invasion All you need to do is pull up Task Manager and end all the Diablo 4 tasks. Press the Windows button‚ type Task Manager‚ and hit Enter to pull up the Task Manager window. With the Task Manager window open‚ click into its ...

If you’re planning on maxing out the Chariot Social Link in Persona 3 Reload‚ you’ll need this guide to know the proper answers to give Kazushi Miyamoto. Getting the right dialogue choices means getting through a Social Link faster‚ and maxing them out can earn you a reward. Let’s go over the right things to say. Chariot (Kazushi) Social Link answers guide for Persona 3 Reload On 4/23‚ you’ll have the chance to sign up for the Track team‚ one of the few Clubs you can join. Just head to the Practice Field to initiate it. You’ll then meet Kazushi Miyamoto and start the Chariot Social Link. Kazushi will be around Classroom 1F on Mondays‚ Tuesdays‚ Thursdays‚ and Fridays. You should also have a Chariot Persona on you while you level up this Social Link. If you have the same Persona in your possession as the Social Link you’re upgrading‚ you’ll gain bonus points. Reminder: You’ll also need to progress this Social Link to unlock...

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. A Republican report from the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday raised alarms over possible AI-enabled censorship on a massive scale‚ reminiscent of Twitter and Facebook’s suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop exposé in 2020. The accusations focus on a series of AI tools currently under development. Financial backing for this venture has reportedly come from the Biden administration‚ leading to concerns about the permeation of political influence in freedom of speech. We obtained a copy of the report for you here. According to the report‚ the administration has invested millions of funds in AI research. The objective of this activity‚ as stated‚ is the creation of handy tools capable of targeting and suppressing “misinformation.” Once operational‚ these utilities could ostensibly be handed over to major social media platforms. Details contained in the report point towards a disturbing admission by researchers involved in the project‚ officially known as “Track F.” A series of emails reveal their belief that the average American lacks the ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood in the vast‚ complex landscape of online content. Seemingly‚ the project accuses veterans and conservatives of being particularly prone to disseminating or accepting misinformation‚ even more so than the general public. The report was submitted by the Subcommittee on the Weaponization of Government under the House Judiciary Committee‚ currently headed by Rep. Jim Jordan. It highlights how funds from the National Sciences Foundation filtered to prestigious institutions‚ including MIT‚ the University of Madison-Wisconsin‚ and the University of Michigan. The funds were funneled into a program‚ intriguingly titled “Trust &; Authenticity in Communication Systems.” The initiative dubbed “Track F” has been set in motion to recognize “misinformation‚” while also producing educational materials for those most vulnerable to false narratives. This initiative is part of a largely unnamed effort‚ the “Convergence Accelerator Program‚” which was stealthily set up in 2021 to address nationally impactful issues through high-level research. While these tools could‚ ideally‚ filter out harmful content such as child abuse or manipulative deepfakes‚ Republicans are more concerned about their potential for broader censorship. The report details researchers’ motivations to stifle public speech‚ as stated by Michael Pozmantier‚ the manager of the $13 million program‚ who broadly characterizes the project as a combatant against misinformation. Researchers at the University of Michigan suggested the potential of this undertaking to transfer content regulation from social media to government officials. An MIT researcher shared concerns with NSF officials‚ noting that “large segments” of the public are incapable of “discerning reality from fabrication on the internet.” There are apprehensions that these tools could be perfected and then utilized by platforms like YouTube‚ Reddit‚ and Facebook. This could further restrict internet users’ abilities to express themselves and access information‚ an instance reminiscent of the revelations about Hunter Biden’s laptop being quashed by Twitter and Facebook prior to the 2020 presidential election. This report is part of a larger examination into federal government efforts to inhibit speech on social media platforms. In an earlier finding‚ it was revealed that Covid origin narratives were removed by Facebook at the direct request of the Biden administration. The post House Weaponization Committee Report Warns of AI-Enabled Censorship Echoing 2020 Social Media Suppression appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Investigative reporter Lee Fang continues exploring the documents that made the Twitter Files possible – including a case where even a New York Times reporter got wrongly “shadow-banned” as a proponent of election misinformation. Fang‚ who worked with RealClearInvestigations on this latest piece‚ meant to have it out ahead of today’s congressional hearing‚ but says it will either way be a part of the House Select Subcommittee on Weaponization which goes into “social media censorship AI‚ and‚ free speech.” The NYT reporter at the center of this story is Reid Epstein‚ and the context is the prolonged vote-counting in a swing state‚ back in 2020. The state was Wisconsin‚ and this was the tweet that got Epstein in trouble: “Green Bay’s absentee ballot results are being delayed because one of the vote-counting machines ran out of ink and an elections official had to return to City Hall to get more.” Apparently‚ November 2020 was not the best time to just report the news. Even if this snippet a mere 8 minutes later got “addressed”: Epstein tweeted again‚ “Clerk has returned with printer ink!” But such apparently was the zeal not to let the tiniest bit of actual news get in the way of the narrative – even if the news was innocuous enough and true‚ that Epstein got the attention of the government and Big Tech. And not in a good way. So much so that‚ according to the Twitter Files cited by Fang‚ it prompted none other than the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “and others” to action. Like the mythical Cerberus‚ these people/agencies were determined to guard the narrative of a clean as a whistle‚ and just in general unquestionable‚ integrity and fairness of the 2020 election. The machine went into high gear immediately after Epstein’s first tweet‚ with various officials “setting the record straight” – and the thing was happening almost in real-time. Minutes apart‚ various (effectively) pro-Biden official accounts were refuting Epstein’s original tweet with an urgency that seems ill-matched with the relevancy of the original tweet. But‚ one might conclude‚ such was the fear and uncertainty over Biden’s election that no chances whatsoever were to be taken. Things escalated all the way to the DHS – even though the “escalating tweet” never actually got retracted by the reporter or the newspaper. But‚ writes Fang‚ “neither Epstein nor the Times appear to have pushed back against the shadow-ban on the tweet.” “There is no ink involved in the machines used in tabulation of the ballots‚ a fact confirmed by the state‚” said the Center for Internet Security (CIS) – “a contractor tasked with facilitating misinformation reports from a variety of stakeholders to DHS and private social media‚” writes Fang. CIS then “quickly elevated the tweet in a ‘Misinformation Report’ sent to officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)‚ the DHS sub-agency with a focus on policing social media.” “The legality of such measures is now under Supreme Court review‚” the investigative reporter writes and concludes: “The court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in Missouri v. Biden‚ re-titled Murthy v. Missouri‚ which challenges the constitutionality of government social media interventions as a form of censorship‚ beginning next month.” The post How the DHS and Old Twitter Silenced a NYT Reporter’s Accurate Election Report appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The House Judiciary Committee has initiated legal action against Elvis Chan‚ an FBI agent that documents show was implication in prominent censorship of online speech. This move‚ made on Tuesday‚ stems from Chan’s non-compliance with a subpoena‚ directly challenging the committee’s probe into the suppression of certain viewpoints on social media platforms. The legal complaint asserts that Chan‚ who holds the position of Assistant Special Agent in Charge in California‚ deliberately ignored the subpoena under the guidance of the Department of Justice. We obtained a copy of the lawsuit for you here. The lawsuit states: “After public reporting revealed that the Executive Branch was coercing and colluding with technology companies and other intermediaries to censor online speech‚ the Judiciary Committee launched an investigation into how and to what extent agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were working to interfere with the marketplace of ideas and suppress the voices of the American people. The ultimate purpose of this investigation is to develop legislative reforms‚ such as new statutory limits on the Executive Branch’s ability to work with social media companies and other entities to restrict the circulation of content online and deplatform users. And to do so‚ the Committee must first fully understand the nature of the problem.” The complaint goes on to say that the investigation identified Chan as a “pivotal figure in its investigation” and that “publicly available information indicated‚ and information uncovered during the Committee’s investigation to date has confirmed‚ that Chan was at the heart of the FBI’s interactions with technology companies‚ including Facebook and Twitter. The DOJ’s stance‚ which opposes the committee’s deposition and interview guidelines‚ is at the center of this legal confrontation. Central to this dispute is the insistence from Chan and the DOJ that he be allowed representation by both his personal and government counsel during his deposition with the committee. This request clashes with the long-standing policy of the committee‚ which permits only one form of counsel to accompany witnesses. The committee‚ in its lawsuit‚ has accused the DOJ of lacking legal basis for its position‚ emphasizing the constitutional authority granted to Congress to set its own procedural rules. In their suit‚ the committee highlights Chan’s self-description as a key conduit of information to these companies‚ information that influenced their decisions to restrict online content. Chan’s involvement extends beyond this case. He was previously deposed in Missouri v. Biden (now Murthy v. Missouri)‚ where two Republican state attorneys general accused the federal government of First Amendment violations by pressuring social media firms to censor certain speech‚ including discussions on COVID-19‚ Hunter Biden’s laptop‚ and election matters. Chan was a part of regular discussions with these companies‚ aimed at addressing foreign influence activities. Moreover‚ the committee’s lawsuit notes Chan’s leadership in a team of FBI agents who engaged with social media companies on the topic of “disinformation.” The post House Judiciary Committee Sues FBI Agent Over Non-Compliance in Social Media Censorship Investigation appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Sign Up To Keep Reading This post is for Reclaim The Net supporters. Gain access to the entire archive of features and supporters-only content. Help protect free speech‚ freedom from surveillance‚ and digital civil liberties. Join Already a supporter? Login here The post Block Ads‚ Boost Your Privacy‚ and Avoid Censorship With These Private DNS Tools appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Big Changes at CNN Due to Low Ratings