Summer Camp 2025 Reading Challenge

Hello Campers!

I had a lot of fun this Summer Camp - I hit my goal of writing for each prompt, and wrote just a little over 53k words in total. If you want to check out the articles I wrote, you can find them here:

But we're not here to talk about what I wrote during Summer Camp. We're here to celebrate the many, many wonderful articles I read over the last five weeks. I've been saving them to my reading list all throughout camp, just to get ready for this challenge. In total, there were 187 articles that caught my attention and went into my long list to check out further. Below, in no particular order, are my ten favorites. If you are curious about the entire longlist, you can find them behind a spoiler at the very end of the article. Let's go!

My Favorite Articles

While I've selected ten articles here, it wasn't easy! At the end, I chose randomly from my forty-or-so favorites, any of which are as good and enjoyable as the ones below.

Gúrîmòq-Respiration is a Qírīrī medical phenomenon caused by venom from the Gúrîmòq cave viper, which suppresses gill function and enhances lung capacity.

I love the idea of a condition that is such a mixed blessing - and there's a little octopus mentioned here that I am particularly delighted to see.

Gúrîmòq-Respiration

Condition | Oct 28, 2025

...Suffocating and gasping for air at the same time, which is supposed to please some people!

Lexus the Pure

Character | Jul 25, 2025

Lexus the Pure, a legendary elven storyteller of Kena'an, reshaped history not through power or conquest but by inspiring generations with tales of hope, wonder, and quiet resistance - stories so enduring they sparked both reverence and controversy long after his mysterious disappearance.

It was very hard to pick only one of Imagica's articles for this list - her work in both Kena'an and Crux Umbra was outstanding this year. However, this one has a little easter egg at the bottom that put it over the edge for me.

Alexander Hamilton, a visionary Founding Father of the Kingdom of America, championed the nation's monarchical structure, shaped its early political and economic systems, and established a legacy that endures through his ducal lineage and royal descendants.

There is no world that more consistently makes me think than Kingdom of America; it's an incredible alternate history that shows incredible depth of knowledge and understanding. It's also undergone massive upgrades over the last year - if you haven't visited recently, you should go back and see all the improvements!

Alexander Hamilton

Character | Nov 23, 2025

Iversh tree

Species | Sep 1, 2025

An Ashtarian tree found in one of Branul's cave systems, feeding off mana, shining light from it's leaves, run before you don't want to leave its embrace ever again.

The Iversh tree is a mysterious, light-emitting underground plant that lures creatures with its beauty and scent, drains their mana, and ensnares the unwary in a deadly, enchanting trap from which few escape.

I always love what Cato writes - it's creative and intelligent and fun. This is a great example - and it is part of a series of articles that expand the picture beautifully.

The Sijinn are an ancient elemental diaspora of spiritually-formed beings from beyond the stars, now divided into four Tribes - Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water - each with unique cultures, physiologies, and philosophies, who seek harmony and identity on their adopted world of Pathon through shared myth, language, and ritual.

Myth-X always delights me with the amount of thought and detail that goes into the article. In this piece, the Sijinn really burst into life for me - and I think you will find the same.

Sijinn, Elemental Tribes

Ethnicity | Aug 2, 2025

The people of four Elements converge on Pathon.

The Last Lantern

Organization | Jul 15, 2025

The Last Lantern was once a place of torment.

Once a prison of torment disguised as mercy, the Last Lantern was transformed by its remorseful founder Vethias - guided by the ghost girl Curls and her cat Claws - into a sanctuary where the dead are honored, heard, and peacefully released.

I'm not crying - you're crying.
This is beautifully written, and carries the emotional punch of a wrecking ball.

In Samar Sha'haq: The Sands of Madness, a traveler becomes trapped in an ever-shifting desert of illusion and despair, where reality unravels and the mind succumbs to a waking nightmare from which there is no true escape.

What can I say about Tyrdal's prose that hasn't been said before? It's incredible, poetic, and emotional. I particularly love this article and its little tricks - keep your eyes open for signs of the sands shifting as you read it.

Samar Sha'haq

Region Overview | Sep 10, 2025

Beyond sanity's edge, your mind becomes the lie.

Yonderhythm Song Contest

Organization | Jul 28, 2025

The biggest and the best song competition the Yonderverse has to offer. A hundred planets battle it out to claim vocal superiority. (Almost) all profits go to charities.

Yonderhythm is a galaxy-wide, music-based charity contest founded by opera singer Symphia Luhng to unite planets through performance and fund humanitarian aid, but its legacy of peace and artistry is shadowed by scandals, corruption, and the suspicious death of its beloved founder.

You knew Mochi was going to appear on this list, right? This is one of my favorite articles in the entire Yonderverse (which has recently exceeded ONE MILLION WORDS, so that's saying something). I love the entire concept of Yonderhythm, and it is executed beautifully. And that's before mentioning the artwork in this article, which is spectacular even by Yonderverse standards.

Bonfire Night is an autumn festival honoring the Elemental Monarch of Fire, Elian, with communal fires, prayers, feasting, and protective rituals, celebrated most fervently in the Midlands as both a thanksgiving for the harvest and a plea for winter protection.

Serukis always paints the most vivid pictures with words, and this is no exception. Reading it, I can close my eyes and see the fires and the celebrating people, smell the smoke and cider. It's a delight to read.

Bonfire Night

Tradition / Ritual | Jun 29, 2025

A festival that gives thanks to Elian, the Monarch of Fire, for the sun that helps the plants to grow.

Aria Andersen

Character | Dec 18, 2025

Aria Andersen was an elven ichthythrope who ruled Mermaid’s Lagoon during the Second Age of Eden.

Aria Andersen, an elven mermaid who lost her heart at sixteen, rose to power by killing a sea witch and founding a ruthless crime syndicate that dominated both underwater and coastal realms during Eden's Second Age.

This is a fun take on H.C. Anderson's Little Mermaid, and very much not your Disney Princess version. I always enjoy reading the ways tales are twisted in Clarkwoods, and this one was a particular favorite.

Summer's End

Well, that's a wrap for Summer Camp 2025. I had a great time writing and reading this year, and I'm already looking forward to next year's fun. In the meantime, I'll be continuing on my quest to write a new article every day (I'm at ~700 days and counting), and plan to take part in Spooktober, WorldEmber, and whatever unofficial competitions catch my eye. I may even be planning to run a challenge myself in the fall - look for more details in the weeks before the Equinox.

Farewell to you all, and Happy Reading!