General Books / Reading Challenges

The Magical Readathon: Orilium Autumn Equinox 2023

Dini @ dinipandareads18 Comments

Hello, hello and welcome back to another semester at Orilium! Can you believe it’s already August and time to head back for the 2023 Autumn Equinox? I can’t! Seriously, I know I maybe say this every year but this time really, where has the year gone? Can’t lie though, 2023 has had some incredibly weird and yucky energy and I’m kind of keen to move forward and start a fresh year soon. 😂

On that note, let’s take a look at what’s on the class schedule for ✨ The Magical Readathon: Orilium Autumn Equinox 2023! ✨

If you’re confused and don’t know what I’m on about, you’re totally fine. Check out this video by our super lovely host and creator of this wonderful magical readathon, G @ Book Roast!

CHARACTER BACKGROUND

Guild Tier Status: Exhaulted (310 pts)

  • Name: Meeska Shonara
  • Guild: House of the Arcane
  • Calling: Illusionist Rogue
  • Background: Urban
  • Province: Kerador
  • Heritage: Earthling (Fire)
  • Conduit: Staff
  • Legacy: Pocket Dimension

Orilium Autumn Equinox Class Prompts + Possibility Pile

To quickly recap: Meeska is continuing their pursuit of the Illusionist Rogue calling and in the August semester, they’re attending the same three classes as the Spring semester: Art of Illusion, Psionics & Divination, and Shapeshifting. This time we need to achieve an ‘O’ in Shapeshifting, a ‘D’ in Art of Illusion, and an ‘O’ in Psionics & Divination.

The grading system is ‘O’ – Outstanding; ‘Q’ – Qualified; ‘D’ – Distinguished. Basically, to get a D, I have to get an O and a Q first, so I’ll need to read 5 books in total to pass the Autumn semester!

As always, I’m terrible with TBRs so I’m going with a possibility pile that will allow me some flexibility throughout the reading month.

*covers linked to Goodreads*

‘O’ IN SHAPESHIFTING:

FORMATION – FANGS: READ A BOOK WITH VAMPIRES

So, I immediately thought that this would be an easy prompt to do but I’m realising right now that I’m not sure I have many options to choose from on my owned TBR… 🤔 I’d love recs for fantasy romance, paranormal romance, or anything that’s not too scary!

Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent, Slaying the Vampire Conqueror by Carissa Broadbent, Shanghai Immortal by A.Y. Chao, The Agent and the Outlaw by Lily Riley

‘D’ IN ART OF ILLUSION:

O – LEVITATION SPELL: READ WITHOUT TOUCHING THE FLOOR/GROUND

Honestly, this can be any book because I usually read in bed so it’s basically anything I might read in August!

Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston, The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton, Something More by Jackie Khalilieh, Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson

Q – VOICE ALTERING SPELLS: AUDIOBOOK

Love, Comment, Subscribe by Cathy Yardley, The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher, The Stand-In by Lily Chu, West Side Love Story by Priscilla Oliveras

D – DISGUISE SKILLS FOR EMERGENCIES: BOOK WITH NO MAGIC

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto, Role Playing by Cathy Yardley, Dust Child by Nguyen Phan Que Mai, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

‘O’ IN PSIONICS & DIVINATION:

INTRODUCTION TO TAROT: RANDOM TAROT GENERATOR, SAME SYMBOL IN TITLE OR COVER

I used this Random Tarot Generator that G shared and landed on THE FOOL. So, I wasn’t sure what all I was seeing in this image and I still have no idea what’s on the stick! A bag? A musical instrument?

  • White Flower/Rose(?)
  • The Sun
  • A Dog
  • A Stick
  • A mountain range?
  • A cliff/precipice(?)

Let’s see what covers/titles I can find based on these symbols!

Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley, Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse, The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington, Things We Hide from the Light by Lucy Score

Are you also returning for the Autumn Equinox semester? How many classes do you have and how many books do you have to read? If anyone has recommendations or if you see a book to buddy read, let me know cos I’d definitely be up for it! 😃

18 thoughts on “The Magical Readathon: Orilium Autumn Equinox 2023”

  1. I hope you enjoy the books you do pick for the prompts! I am excited for the ones I picked and am hoping to do some of the extra prompts too. They all look great ,especially dragon riding!

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  2. Man! I missed the Spring Equinox as I didn’t start REALLY reading until May. I was super excited to start in Autumn, have my character and everything, but then I realized that I would have to read for the prompts from Spring to get “caught up” as well. I was told that as long I completed Autumn’s this month and then catch up with Spring’s before NEXT spring, it’d still count and I could still be Apprentice for next year but it sort of feels like cheating… 😅 So I think I’m going to just sort of go through the Novice Path and Gear Up prompts and all that (even though it’s not required anymore) as kind of a trial run of getting used to picking stuff for prompts and start “correctly” next Spring.

    I am all for putting my hat in for Role Playing by Cathy Yardley for your “no magic” prompt! Such a good book! But a word of caution? The book is set IRL but there is some mentions of magic used in the game they play. I’m not sure if that disqualifies the book or not as it’s part of game and doesn’t really have any bearing on the “real” story? Maybe I’m just looking too hard into it. G sounds like a very easygoing person and very flexible with the “rules” but I just thought I’d mention it!

    I hope you enjoy your reads for this Equinox! Nelcidel (my little elf Story Weaver wannabe) will join Meeska next year hopefully! 💚

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    • Ooh, yay—it’s nice to have another friend at Orilium! I totally get you wanting to wait cos I also feel the same whenever it comes to readathons. I want to start at the “right” time and I think doing the prompts for the Novice Path and the Gear Up before joining the academy is a lot of fun too, so a great warm-up for next year indeed!

      Also, I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed Role Playing so much. 😍 I didn’t realise that there would be magic in the game play and I’m not sure if that counts against the prompt… I know G is quite flexible on the rules but I do feel like it’d be cheating? Either way, I know I’m definitely going to be reading this book so even if I go with another book for this prompt, I’ll read this eventually 😂 Or I could still read it and another book without magic just in case (if I end up reading as much as I “normally” do before the busy times, lol).

      I hope you have fun doing the novice path and gear up and enjoy all the books you pick for it! 😃

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      • I actually changed my mind and am jumping right into the Autumn syllabus! G said in her Orilium 101 video and then on the live stream she did the other night that we can jump in whenever and not to worry about it. To make myself feel a bit better though, I went through last Spring’s syllabus for my Calling and then the books I’ve read since April and, lucky for me, I had a book for every prompt! Same for the Character Background prompts,the Novice Path, and Gear Up! So I think I’m effectively “caught up”! 🥳

        I just got too excited to wait… I had my TBR all planned out and everything. 😅 I love how flexible it all is.

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        • Ooh, YAY! I think one of my favourite aspects of this readathon is how flexible and low-key it is. It’s like absolutely no pressure or stress and doesn’t make me psyche myself out, haha 😂 Very exciting! I hope you have an amazing autumn semester and enjoy all your reads! 😍

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  8. I love this readathon so much! I haven’t posted my TBR yet but I’m working on it. I need to read 6 books and I have decided the options for each prompt. I read Love, Comment, Subscribe and loved it! Had a great time with it. Happy reading and good luck with your calling, Dini!

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  9. I’m a bit late, but the Magical Readathon has been the highlight of this month for me 💜 I’m aiming to get the second year in my Archmage Calling! I hope you managed to read the books you needed 🥰 I read Role Playing this month and I loved it!

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