fuck-yeah-monsters-and-villains:

UPROOTED by Naomi Novik

Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.

Check out this book on Goodreads: Uprooted https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22544764-uprooted

Occasional self reblog.

fuck-yeah-monsters-and-villains:

THE DARKANGEL (DARKANGEL TRILOGY #1) by Meredith Ann Pierce

Aeriel is kidnapped by the darkangel, a black-winged vampyre of astounding beauty and youth. In his castle keep, she serves his 13 wives, wraiths whose souls he stole. She must kill him before his next marriage and comes into full power, but is captivated by his magnificent beauty and inner spark of goodness. Will she choose to save humanity or his soul?

Check out this book on Goodreads: The Darkangel (Darkangel Trilogy, #1) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/92717.The_Darkangel

You think this is your average YA novel? Think again! First published in 1982 it came long before the supernatural love interest was trending. I read this book as an adult and I never once had the feeling that I couldn’t relate to the young heroine. This trilogy features incredibly imaginative worldbuilding, a wealth of interesting secondary characters and universal themes including love, friendship and betrayal. I was crying by the end and I mean crying, like actual salt water leaking from my eyes.

Do you have a REYLO VIBE recommendation? Submit or contact me!💙💙💙

Occasional self reblog.

winterofherdiscontent:

A Maiden and her Monster 

– in 2018 between commissioned art and projects i’m going to finally start on a series i’ve been wanting to create for a while now: a dark fairytales set of drawings. starting with my version of Beauty and the Beast

next up in january will be my take on the tale of Aschenputtel (and her weeping tree) 

instagram: @winterofherdiscontent 

DEATH’S MASTER (Tales from the Flat Earth, #2) by Tanith Lee

The soul is a magician. Only living flesh hampers it.“

– from Death’s Master

Death’s Master, winner of the August Derleth Award for Fantasy, is the second book of the stunning arabesque high fantasy series Tales from the Flat Earth, which, in the manner of the One Thousand and One Nights, portrays an ancient world in mythic grandeur via connected tales.

Long time ago when the Earth was Flat, beautiful indifferent Gods lived in the airy Upperearth realm above, curious passionate demons lived in the exotic Underearth realm below, and mortals were relegated to exist in the middle.

Uhlume, Lord of Death, second of thķe Lords of Darkness, King of Shadow and Pallor, makes an unusual bargain which sets in motion an intricate sequence of events that entangle men and gods, queens and kings, sorcerers and witches, and lowly wanderers. When the secret to immortality falls into human hands, dark magic and wickedness are unleashed, testing the bounds of mortal love and sanity, and questioning the nature and purpose of life itself.

Come within this ancient world of brilliant darkness and beauty, of glittering palaces and wondrous elegant beings, of cruel passions and undying love.

Rediscover the exotic wonder that is the Flat Earth.

Check out this book on Goodreads: Death’s Master (Flat Earth, #2) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/669027.Death_s_Master

Reylo vibe recommendation by @k10c2
I strongly second this recommendation. 😍 I’ve decided that each of the ‘Tales from the Flat Earth’ books will get it’s own post.

Very sensual, reminiscent of 1001 nights, featuring a wide cast of characters over the course of 5 books but always returning to beautiful and casually cruel Azhrarn, Lord of Demons who occasionally has a soft spot for humanity.

While the reylo vibe is not as strong in the first of this series it will still make you fall in love with Tanith Lee’s creation and her characters.