Happy Birthday Percy ! (18/08)

What to read after Throne of Glass

If you, like me, are still going through complete Sarah J Maas withdrawal, and can’t really stand to wait for her next books, check out the list below to tide you over! Each book has many of the things I adored about both ToG and ACOMAF: strong and interesting female characters, magic, deeply beautiful writing, love stories to cry about, and an all around sense of adventure. If you have any more recommendations to add, definitely let me know!

Black Jewels: Anne Bishop

I just finished this series, and I am still amazed by how masterfully Anne Bishop weaves her stories. Welcome to the Dark Kingdom, a matriarchal realm ruled by strong queens and the males that support and serve them (Rowan and Aedion anyone?). There is a prophecy fortelling the rise of a Queen with more power than even the High Lord of Hell himself, which gives us a wonderful story full of scheming, war, adventure, and a badass court I would kill to be a part of. Prepare your heart!

Graceling by Kristian Cashore

Graceling is the best series for all you folks who couldn’t get enough of badass assassin Celaena. Katsa is an assassin Celaena would be proud of, due to her rare ability as a Graceling. She is Graced with a killing power, and has spent her life as the king’s tool in doling out his reign of terror. In waltzes Po, Graced with fighting, and here to shake everything Katsa knows about her world. Cashore definitely gives us a twist Sarah would most certainly support!

The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

This book aligns more with the romance and court mystique that Sarah presents so wonderfully in ToG and ACOMAF. Kestrel is the daughter of a general who helped the emperor conquer territory after territory. As she is faced with a choice, marry or join the military, Kestrel finds a friend in one of the slaves from the conquered people, and so begins one of the most interesting political schemes I have read in awhile! I haven’t finished the trilogy yet, because I am out of the country and can’t get my hands on the final book, but I would highly recommend it.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Cue another really cool empire written by an author who isn’t afraid to be inventive or go beyond the normal realms of fantasy. Vin is another Celaena-esque character, as the abandoned street child who turned thief who struggles to stay alive. When a mentor takes her under his wing, she discovers that her luck on the streets might be more than she could ever explain. Magic, mystery, and of course, a few court balls thrown in make for a wonderful mix. Warning: the last book made me cry. Like really cry. But in a good, I’m-still-mad-at-you-but-I-understand-and-respect-your-story-line type of way.

Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

Raisa is everything that I have ever wanted in a princess. She is intelligent, passionate, feisty, and super compassionate. So when a war arises between the clans and the wizards, you can bet she has goals to achieve and empires to shake up. Throw Han Alister into the mix, a street wise leader, and things get tricky and fireworks explode. One of my favorite love stories in a long time, because it isn’t a story about just romantic love, but also what the love of a princess for her country can do. 

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Yelena is set for execution for murder, but is given the choice to be the next food taster of the Commander of Ixia. As if the threat of having poison in her system wasn’t enough, she is also given a dose of Butterfly’s Dust, which she needs every day to stay alive, and can of course only get from the chief of security. Fighting for her life soon becomes more than just guessing the right poison, but also a game of magic, love, and all out war. Best kind of combo out there!

Legend by Marie Lu

This is the only book in the list to be set in a dystopian universe as opposed to a kingdom, but with a prodigy like June, no one can make any complaints. After a war tore the country apart, the Western United States is under the martial rule of the Republic, and June is their perfectly groomed soldier golden child. Day, on the other hand, is a slums boy who has become the Republic’s most wanted criminal. What happens when their paths cross is enough to make any country tremble, and to keep me hanging on to every word!

And finally:

Literally anything by Tamora Pierce!

Tamora Pierce has been my favorite author since I was a little girl. Each of her series is set in the same universe, based around the story of an interesting and kickass female character, from the first female warrior to a wild-mage. I first found these stories when my mother decided my sister and I didn’t have enough strong women in our literature and Tamora really rose to the occasion. Start with the first series, Song of the Lioness, and work your way from there! I have reread her books at least once every year since I was a little girl and they get better every time. I cannot recommend these books enough!

If you read or have read any of these books, feel free to shoot me a message; I am always ready to geek out over them. 

Endgame - Whatever it takes - (2019)

Tony Stark in Avengers Endgame (Photoshop CS6). Also available: STEVE. 

The Camelot-Sorcerer-Rescue-Squad There’s nothing to see here.

Trans Tony Stark anyone???

Requested by @loki-isnt-so-lucky! Kind of tempted to make this a series, so feel free to request any other characters you’d like me to write about!

——————————

• Anyways Tony is kind of the textbook definition of what A Man™️ should be, and with all the toxcitity of Howard (at first) too, and it’s not really for a happy reason

• It’s ‘cause Howard never truly accepted Tony’s identity, ever, and told him he could never be a man in his eyes. Would never get a girl or be an engineer or be able to casually sleep around or do any of those Macho Man things that Howard Stark held up as the golden traits of being a man

• Part of the reason he loved his mother so dearly was because she was the only one who listened to him and tried to help him. But she was always overshadowed by Howard.

• So Tony spent his entire life trying to prove himself to his father, and ended up developing a lot of traits he hated because of it. But… that’s what it took to be a man, right? Right…?

• As soon as his parents were out of his life he started rapidly transitioning. It maybe wasn’t the best way to cope with the pain of losing his family, but… he felt like he was falling apart, and transitioning kept him moving forwards and kept him going. Light at the end of the tunnel kinda thing.

• It wasn’t until the arc reactor and getting kidnapped and Pepper that he cane to his senses. That wasn’t what it meant to be a man. Tony Stark had a heart, and courage, and kindness and love and caring, and he was still valid in his identity. He didn’t have to be uncaring and stoic and snarky. That wasn’t right OR healthy.

• It still takes him a while to unlearn that. Therapy helps. Being a better dad to Peter helps.

• On that subject, he never thought he’d get to be a dad! But now he has lil trans Peter to look after and it’s a little terrifying and he’s clueless but… he’s a dad. Not a mom. Someone’s father. A father to another son struggling with identity. But a better one than Howard.

• Trying to fit the macho man stereotype for so long meant he was blind to his bisexuality for a good chunk of his life. But now boys are… really hot and Pepper is laughing at him and shUT UP PEPPER LOOK AT HIS ASS—

• Pepper knows everything, and supports him through it all. The rest of the Avengers know to varying degrees. Loki knows full on. Loki silently admires him for it.

• When he first opened up to Steve about it the man was, as someone from the World War era might be, a little surprised and confused. But after coming to an understanding he (very gently) offered to help research and synthesize a milder form of the supersoldier formula that transformed him, or even to use samples from his own body, “if it might help you, Tony”. Tony didn’t take him up on the offer— testosterone was a hell of a thing on its own— but he threw Steve into a hug and they were close ever since then.

• His superhero name went through a lot of iterations, but it felt nice to have “man” in the title somewhere, even if it seemed petty or insignifigant to someone else. It made him feel way more confident in the hero role if he could announce himself as the Iron Man. It still makes him smile a little.

• Height dysphoria.

• Thor, sensing this, tries an innocent attempt to comfort Tony and ends up buying him high heeled boots.

• The whole team places bets on how hard Tony’s gonna throw them at Thor’s head, but he surprises them all by graceously thanking Thor and clicking off down the hall in them. No one’s allowed to talk about the heels.

• Tony very much likes to pretend he doesn’t know jack shit about feminine stuff, but was was kind of forceably raised female by Howard especially, so. He slips up. Especially when something is irritating him.

• “Wait, that’s the wrong order! You have to do eyeshadow before foundation.”

“Tony, I think I know what I’m doing.”

“If you do foundation first, your eyeshadow fallout is gonna get all over your nice powdered cheeks.”

“…you have a point, I guess.”

“Unfortunately.”

• You can bet a big chunk of his charity money goes to trans organizations and shelters. He’s like the trans tooth fairy, too. Oh, you need top surgery? Bam, paid for. Srs? Here’s a check, have a good hospital stay.

• He likes to work with Bruce on prototype treatments and whatnot, and Bruce has to reign him in from becoming a total mad scientist

• “Bruce what if I inject myself with 9000 GRAMS OF PURE MASCULINE—“

“Tony, no, you’d explode—“

“BUT—“

“Tony, you’re perfect just like that, you don’t need to perform experimental treatments on yourself!”

“But—“

“Tony you have more abs than I ever will please stop”

делюсь с вами новогодним настроением ~ 

Hey look I’m still doing inktober! haha

I’ve been too busy lately, never thought working full-time would change my drawing-time this much.

Inktober day 21 “fierce”

WHILE WE ALL HATE GAME OF THRONES

I’mma just remind everyone that the fantasy series you have been dreaming of, the one with a diverse as hell cast (I’m talking 50/50 gender split, 80% LGBT, 70% POC), with battles for Power ultimately being proven pointless in the face of the battle for Existence, with characters who are damaged and morally grey as hell but always still likeable and still understandable, with meaningful relationships of all kinds between said characters: THAT SERIES EXISTS. 

Everyone go read A Crown for Cold Silver by Alex Marshall. (Then A Blade of Black Steel, then A War in Crimson Embers)

It’s finished. The endgame is perfect. You can thank me later, and then hate me for having hoarded all the canon urls already. 

marvel cinematic universe  –  P H A S E  1

“there was an idea to bring together a group of remarkable people, to see if we could become something more.”

My version of Emma Carstairs with her lovely blade.

Credit to the artist of this. Punk Cas and Nerd Dean. I like it. ☺️

Source(s): Tsuki-Nekota