Latest Posts by vivacias - Page 6
on some more gentle book criticism it's wild that both of wu zetian's love interests in iron widow are highly educated & there are references to the aesthetics and structures of a scholar system, but there is utterly no casual reciting of classics, tactics, nor poetry from anyone. there are references to adapted forms of the classics, but it doesn't inform how characters talk or think (li shimin seems more like a guy who never got education than someone who memorizes poems to the point it destroyed his vision). I understand the whole "peasant frontier girl half literate" thing to an extent (even though it feels an odd choice) but there aren't even like idioms really. it feels very simplistic & uniform in characters' speaking style, and the world, language, and culture all read very flat because of that. tacticians like sima yi, an lushan, and zhuge liang too might have a more creative way to call someone a bitch or what is the point of reimagining them in this world is all I'm saying.
i think there was also a big miss of not even referencing half of the incredibly funny things that a star studded historical fiction cast could provide like zhuge liang never did something funny with a feather fan? no one had to bother him into working? no pranks with corpses? where is his ugly intelligent wife?
why not posture that an lushan's son gave the thumbs up on his murder? historically accurate and hilarious
Been meaning to draw do fanart for Iron Widow for a while now and I finally got the chance to do a quick one. If you haven't yet, please check out the book Iron Widow!
snake and poppies
One more for @xiranjayzhao's Iron Widow, because when I read the descriptions of Yizhi's tattoos I knew I had to draw it. (I think there were other flowers mentioned, but my copy is back home so I couldn't look it up). I am rather happy with this turned out. :)
soooo, on a vacation trip a week ago, I stumbled over @xiranjayzhao's Iron Widow in a book shop in Copenhagen and devoured it last weekend. It was quite the fun read. (And I am not that inclined to mechs 😄 but the rage filled female power fantasy and the setting felt rather refreshing to me) And after finishing the book I had to get at least some art out of my system. As usual it didn't end up what I really intended it to be in my head initially, but also, as usual it has to suffice for now or I'll never post it.
Iron Widow • Xiran Jay Zhao (@/xiranjayzhao) ⭐️⭐️
The Penelopiad • Margaret Atwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️
On Palestine • Noam Chomsky & Ilan Pappé ⭐️⭐️⭐️
In the Garden of Iden • Kage Baker 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔄 The Raven Boys • Maggie Stiefvater ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain • Nghi Vo 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Bruising of Qilwa • Naseem Jamnia ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Dream Thieves • Maggie Stiefvater ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Blue Lily, Lily Blue • Maggie Stiefvater 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Into the Riverlands • Nghi Vo ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
🔄 The Fifth Season • NK Jemisin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Sky Coyote • Kage Baker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spear • Nicola Griffith 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Siren Queen • Nghi Vo ⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔄 Outlander • Diana Gabaldon 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔄 Gullstruck Island • Frances Hardinge ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
House of Open Wounds • Adrian Tchaikovsky 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (Great Illustrated Classics) • Howard Pyle ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Babel • R.F. Kuang ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Chainsaw Man Vol. 1-11 • Tatsuki Fujimoto 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔄 The Bloody Chamber • Angela Carter 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Haunting of Hill House • Shirley Jackson 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Sacred Bodies • Ver (@/sticksandsharks) 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔄 American Gods • Neil Gaiman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mammoths at the Gate • Nghi Vo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Key:
⭐️ stars out of 5
✨ 1/2 star
🔄 reread
💀 did not finish
📌 in progress
✨ that’s a wrap! ✨ my goal was to read 1 book per month so this year was more than successful (ㅅ´ ˘ `)♡ and so many 4-5 starrers!
Invisible Cities • Italo Calvino 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Severance • Ling Ma ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Tombs of Atuan • Ursula LeGuin 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔁 Fallen Hero: Rebirth (IF) • Malin Rydén @fallenhero-rebirth ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fallen Hero: Retribution (IF) • Malin Rydén @fallenhero-rebirth ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔁 The Amulet of Samarkand • Jonathan Stroud ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
The Golden Compass • Phillip Pullman 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Powers • Ursula LeGuin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Gideon the Ninth • Tamsyn Muir 💀 DNF.
The Subtle Knife • Phillip Pullman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Here There Be Dragons (Webcomic) • Steve Horton & co-creators @htbdcomic 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Farthest Shore • Ursula LeGuin ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nimona • Nate Stevenson 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Moon of the Crusted Snow • Waubgeshig Rice 💀 DNF.
Ain’t I A Woman • Bell Hooks ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ship of Magic • Robin Hobb 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Empress of Salt & Fortune • Nghi Vo 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Pillars of the Earth • Ken Follett 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Braiding Sweetgrass • Robin Wall Kimmerer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
🔁 Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone • JK Rowling ⭐️⭐️
Mad Ship • Robin Hobb 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
hello i am once again continuing my tradition of redesigning my favorite book's cover
i hate this weird trend in fandom where subtext is seen as a Bad Thing and is only done if the creators are too cowardly to commit to showing something. i hate to break it to you but nuance and layers are what make stories interesting, if you have no subtext then you have a very flat story
am watching drag race while thinkin about fhr tbh
Nice smile.
I've struggled with this one waaay longer than I'm willing to admit. Finally it's done, in great part thanks to valuable input I got from @wonda-ch and @nukritus. Thank you!
i’ve been known to think about wei “marshal steel” chen fhr. on occasion. to dwell upon, even
Old comic page I did, depicting the beginning of Rebirth. Something in Chen staring back at Sidestep through the crowd always stuck out to me.
im rereading the fifth season w gf and recalling my love for these characters. rly wanted to lean into alabaster and essun’s age… i love themb.
Do you know this queer character?
Tonkee is transgender and wlw, and uses she/her pronouns!
"to be loved is to be changed" but as in a horrific unasked for transformation. 🤍. btw.
baby fitz before he was taken to buckkeep… sort of companion to baby fool
“And we will live happily ever after?” the Fool asked. I watched the bits of mortar fall. ”That is my intention.”
Robin Hobb, Assassin’s fate.
when ur trying to be a silly little flirty guy but your friend is too busy going through the most harrowing experiences known to man
