Nyssarra

Hi! Editor here... Nyssarra asked me, since we've changed the Journal over to a Blogger to put some info on this page regarding some of her favorite things. So after discussions, we decided to show you some of Nyssarra's favorite books, movies, music, and possibly more as time goes on. If you'd like to see anything added, please let us know. Thanks! - Editor

BOOKS - I LOVE TO READ!!! Thank you to my Editor for agreeing to add these! 

🛡️ RuneScape Lore & Gielinor Legends

Books that ground Nyssarra in the world she walks—rich with history, divine mystery, and mortal struggle.

• Betrayal at Falador

• Return to Canifis

• Legacy of Blood

• The Gift of Guthix

• The Fall of Hallowvale

• Shadows of Amascut
  
  

🌿 Nature, Spirituality, and Quiet Wisdom

Books that speak to Nyssarra's druidic leanings, reverence for balance, and moments of introspection.

• The Hidden Life of Trees – Peter Wohlleben

• The Prophet – Kahlil Gibran

• Women Who Run With the Wolves – Clarissa Pinkola Estés
  
  

✨ Classic & Mythic Fantasy

Stories that mirror the ancient magic, heroism, and melancholy of Nyssarra's bloodline.

• The Silmarillion – J.R.R. Tolkien

• The Mists of Avalon – Marion Zimmer Bradley

• The Last Unicorn – Peter S. Beagle

• The Forgotten Beasts of Eld – Patricia A. McKillip

• Wildwood Dancing – Juliet Marillier

• The Earthsea Cycle – Ursula K. Le Guin

• The Way of Kings – Brandon Sanderson

• The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss

• The Bear and the Nightingale – Katherine Arden

🧬 Fantasy by Women, LGBTQ+ Authors, and People of Color

Bold, rich narratives that reflect Nyssarra’s belief in the strength of many voices and the beauty of the in-between.

• The Fifth Season – N.K. Jemisin

• The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms – N.K. Jemisin

• Black Sun – Rebecca Roanhorse

• Trail of Lightning – Rebecca Roanhorse

• The Jasmine Throne – Tasha Suri

• The Priory of the Orange Tree – Samantha Shannon

• She Who Became the Sun – Shelley Parker-Chan

• The Unbroken – C.L. Clark

• Witchmark – C.L. Polk

• Gideon the Ninth – Tamsyn Muir

• Swordspoint – Ellen Kushner

• A Taste of Honey – Kai Ashante Wilson

• The Empress of Salt and Fortune – Nghi Vo

• Gods of Jade and Shadow – Silvia Moreno-Garcia

• The Deep – Rivers Solomon

• Ash – Malinda Lo

• The Bone Shard Daughter – Andrea Stewart
  
  

MUSIC - melody, rhythm and the beat speak to my soul! 

🌲 Nature-Inspired & Elven Ambience

Music that mirrors the hush of the forest, the hum of crystals, and the voice of Seren.

• Elven crystal harmonics (ambient glass and chime melodies from Prifddinas)

• Druidic chants recorded deep in misty glades

• “Elegy” – Austin Wintory

• “Skye Boat Song” – traditional, Celtic versions

• “Misty Mountains (Cold)” – The Hobbit Soundtrack

• “Nara” – E.S. Posthumus

• “Saturn” – Sleeping at Last

• “Song for Jesse” – Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
  
  

🧝‍♀️ Fantasy Soundtracks & Ethereal Scores

Powerful, evocative pieces she’d draw strength and calm from while in quiet reflection or silent travel.

• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Jeremy Soule

• Ori and the Blind Forest – Gareth Coker

• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Marcin Przybyłowicz

• Dragon Age: Inquisition – Trevor Morris

• Lord of the Rings OST – Howard Shore

• Final Fantasy X: “To Zanarkand” – Nobuo Uematsu

• The Fountain OST – Clint Mansell
  
  

🥀 Melancholic, Reflective, and Dreamlike

Songs she’d listen to while staring into the fire, watching the stars, or mourning what was lost.

• “Holocene” – Bon Iver

• “Breathe Me” – Sia

• “Dawn Chorus” – Thom Yorke

• “The Night We Met” – Lord Huron

• “Motion Picture Soundtrack” – Radiohead

• “Night Vision” – Imogen Heap

• “Nocturne in C-Sharp Minor” – Chopin
  
  

⚔️ Resilience & Battle-Ready

For the times when her calm gives way to fire—tracks that evoke inner strength, determination, or sorrowful resolve.

• “Arise, My Love” – Audiomachine

• “Skin to Bone (Recharged)” – Linkin Park

• “Warrior” – Aurora

• “Running With the Wolves” – Aurora

• “My Body is a Cage” – Arcade Fire (Peter Gabriel cover)

• “Seven Nation Army” – The White Stripes (epic instrumental remix)
  
  

🌌 Mystical, Magical, and Otherworldly

For moments of transcendence, connection to Seren, or wandering ancient ruins under moonlight.

• “Arrival of the Birds” – The Cinematic Orchestra

• “Night Owl” – Galimatias

• “Stardust” – Yinyues

• “Oblivion” – Grimes

• “Celestial Soda Pop” – Ray Lynch

• “Talisman” – Nox Arcana
  
  

🎶 Folk & World Influences

Earthy, diverse, and timeless—these remind her of both human and elven cultures blending.

• “Wayfaring Stranger” – traditional versions, especially Rhiannon Giddens or Johnny Cash

• “Chan Chan” – Buena Vista Social Club

• “Baba Yetu” – Christopher Tin

• “Saltwater” – Geowulf

• “The Parting Glass” – The Wailin’ Jennys

• “River” – Ibeyi

MOVIES - The visual tapestry 

🧝‍♀️ Fantasy Epics & Mythic Journeys

Stories that echo her own—filled with grace, grit, ancient magic, and moral ambiguity.

• The Lord of the Rings trilogy – dir. Peter Jackson

• The Green Knight – dir. David Lowery

• The Last Unicorn – dir. Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin Jr.

• The Secret of Kells – dir. Tomm Moore

• Pan’s Labyrinth – dir. Guillermo del Toro

• Spirited Away – dir. Hayao Miyazaki

• Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind – dir. Hayao Miyazaki

• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – dir. Andrew Adamson

• Princess Mononoke – dir. Hayao Miyazaki

• The NeverEnding Story – dir. Wolfgang Petersen
  
  

🌿 Nature & Spiritual Documentaries

Stories that explore the interconnectedness of life, time, and the sacred wild.

• The Hidden Life of Trees – inspired by Peter Wohlleben’s book

• My Octopus Teacher – dir. Pippa Ehrlich & James Reed

• Fantastic Fungi – dir. Louie Schwartzberg

• The Salt of the Earth – dir. Wim Wenders & Juliano Ribeiro Salgado

• Baraka – dir. Ron Fricke

• Earth (BBC Earth Films)

• The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill – dir. Judy Irving

• Grizzly Man – dir. Werner Herzog

• The Green Planet – BBC, narrated by David Attenborough
  
  

🕯️ Occult, Mysticism & Ancient Rituals

Aren't we all drawn to the shadows and symbols—films that question reality and delve into deeper truths.

• The Witch – dir. Robert Eggers

• The Craft – dir. Andrew Fleming

• A Dark Song – dir. Liam Gavin

• The Ninth Gate – dir. Roman Polanski

• Only Lovers Left Alive – dir. Jim Jarmusch

• Midsommar – dir. Ari Aster (Editor's note: She told me that she was both fascinated and disturbed)

• Valhalla Rising – dir. Nicolas Winding Refn

• The Holy Mountain – dir. Alejandro Jodorowsky
  
  

🕊️ Quiet Power & Female-Centered Stories

Thoughtful, character-driven tales of resilience, loss, identity, and subtle transformation.

• Portrait of a Lady on Fire – dir. Céline Sciamma

• The Piano – dir. Jane Campion

• Beasts of the Southern Wild – dir. Benh Zeitlin

• Whale Rider – dir. Niki Caro

• Nomadland – dir. Chloé Zhao

• Call Me by Your Name – dir. Luca Guadagnino (for its slow-burn and beauty)

• Arrival – dir. Denis Villeneuve

• The Shape of Water – dir. Guillermo del Toro

⚔️ Survival, Wildness, and the Liminal Edge

For the part shaped by the wilderness, raw struggle, and the journey through broken lands.

• The Revenant – dir. Alejandro G. Iñárritu

• Into the Wild – dir. Sean Penn

• The Road – dir. John Hillcoat

• The Edge – dir. Lee Tamahori

• Valley of the Wolves – symbolic of her ties to Wolfthora

• Dersu Uzala – dir. Akira Kurosawa