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botanical books 🌷🌸

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The Memoirs of Lady Trent by Marie Brennan

Cover illustrations by Todd Lockwood

A Natural History of Dragons (2013)

You, dear reader, continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart—no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon's presence, even for the briefest of moments—even at the risk of one's life—is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten. . . . All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world's preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day. Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever.

A Tropic of Serpents (2014)

Attentive readers of Lady Trent’s earlier memoir, A Natural History of Dragons, are already familiar with how a bookish and determined young woman named Isabella first set out on the historic course that would one day lead her to becoming the world’s premier dragon naturalist. Now, in this remarkably candid second volume, Lady Trent looks back at the next stage of her illustrious (and occasionally scandalous) career. Three years after her fateful journeys through the forbidding mountains of Vystrana, Mrs. Camherst defies family and convention to embark on an expedition to the war-torn continent of Eriga, home of such exotic draconian species as the grass-dwelling snakes of the savannah, arboreal tree snakes, and, most elusive of all, the legendary swamp-wyrms of the tropics. The expedition is not an easy one. Accompanied by both an old associate and a runaway heiress, Isabella must brave oppressive heat, merciless fevers, palace intrigues, gossip, and other hazards in order to satisfy her boundless fascination with all things draconian, even if it means venturing deep into the forbidden jungle known as the Green Hell . . . where her courage, resourcefulness, and scientific curiosity will be tested as never before.

The Voyage of the Basilisk (2015)

Devoted readers of Lady Trent’s earlier memoirs, A Natural History of Dragons and The Tropic of Serpents, may believe themselves already acquainted with the particulars of her historic voyage aboard the Royal Survey Ship Basilisk, but the true story of that illuminating, harrowing, and scandalous journey has never been revealed—until now. Six years after her perilous exploits in Eriga, Isabella embarks on her most ambitious expedition yet: a two-year trip around the world to study all manner of dragons in every place they might be found. From feathered serpents sunning themselves in the ruins of a fallen civilization to the mighty sea serpents of the tropics, these creatures are a source of both endless fascination and frequent peril. Accompanying her is not only her young son, Jake, but a chivalrous foreign archaeologist whose interests converge with Isabella’s in ways both professional and personal. Science is, of course, the primary objective of the voyage, but Isabella’s life is rarely so simple. She must cope with storms, shipwrecks, intrigue, and warfare, even as she makes a discovery that offers a revolutionary new insight into the ancient history of dragons.

In the Labyrinth of Drakes (2016)

Even those who take no interest in the field of dragon naturalism have heard of Lady Trent's expedition to the inhospitable deserts of Akhia. Her discoveries there are the stuff of romantic legend, catapulting her from scholarly obscurity to worldwide fame. The details of her personal life during that time are hardly less private, having provided fodder for gossips in several countries. As is so often the case in the career of this illustrious woman, the public story is far from complete. In this, the fourth volume of her memoirs, Lady Trent relates how she acquired her position with the Royal Scirling Army; how foreign saboteurs imperiled both her work and her well-being; and how her determined pursuit of knowledge took her into the deepest reaches of the Labyrinth of Drakes, where the chance action of a dragon set the stage for her greatest achievement yet.

Within the Sanctuary of Wings (2017)

After her adventure in the mountains of Vystrana, and her exploits in the depths of Eriga, to the high seas aboard The Basilisk, and then to the deserts of Akhia, the Lady Trent has captivated hearts along with fierce minds. This concluding volume will finally reveal the truths behind her most notorious adventure - scaling the tallest peak in the world, behind the territory of Scirland's enemies - and what she discovered there, within the Sanctuary of Wings.

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Teo and Aurelio from the Sunbearer trials by Aiden Thomas!! Hope you all like it, it took me a pretty while

@aidenschmaiden

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Temples are built for gods. Knowing this a farmer builds a small temple to see what kind of god turns up.

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Hi! I really love your writing and I wanted to ask if you could recommend a list of winteriron fics (yours included). I'm kind of bitter abot CACW so maybe not too Team Cap Friendly of it's post CACW. I really appreciate it, thanks!

Hi, sorry for the incredible long wait and thank you very much! I'm not even sure if you're still in this fandom at this point but just in case, here we go with some of my favorite WinterIron treasures:

All-around wonderful:

The Silver Age by copperbadge [a WinterIron classic, great AU where the assassination of the Starks doesn't go as planned and things turn AU from there]

Meet Me Again, Time After Time by syriala [yet another classic I adore]

create / detonate by pprfaith, reena_jenkins [speaking of great female Tony fics, this is one with her and the Winter Soldier that I still go back to re-reading]

Includes Post-CW bitterness:

As Expected by phlintandsteel [I really love the concept and the aftermath of the fight on Titan here. Also the dynamics between Bucky, Bucky and Tony.]

We'll Meet Again (Some Sunny Day) by @tangodancer91 [I'm physically incapable of not rec-ing this. Fair warning, the series isn't finished and female Tony isn't for everyone, but I adore it. The angst, the pain, just everything about this is beautiful in a heartbreaking way.]

Misremembered by Arboreal [Another great fic for some Steve un-friendly content with great WinterIron interactions]

Other great fics that include WinterIron as part of the main pairing:

Poisonous Presumptions by Shi_Toyu [listen, even if Stuckony isn't your thing, you should give this a chance. it's a oneshot and it's written through the eyes of a HYDRA goon and I think I died laughing once or twice there]

Do Every Stupid Thing by @thepartyresponsible [it's Tony/Bucky/Jason Todd and even if you aren't in the DC fandom you should give this one a chance. I'd never read a single DC comic nor knew any of the characters and I still had the time of my life. And have since gotten dragged into more DC fics but that's a different issue. one of the best crossovers I've read.]

The Straight Path (Until The End Of My Days) by @rayshippouuchiha [it's post-canon (well, for Steve at least) Stuckony and it's. Well, I love it because we see a dark, uncompromising Steve here and this time he's acting in Tony's favor. Hey, if we get guilty Steve, let it be a competent, vicious one.]

I'm sure there are many, many more great fics that I forgot to mention (I unfortunately have very few bookmarks from my WinterIron reading binges for some reason) but I hope there's at least one here you don't know yet. Otherwise let me know!

And well, regarding my own fics, I've written a couple of WinterIron ones but my favorite probably is On A Scale From Panic To Malfunction.

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sketch

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🌲 🐁 👑 🕯️

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Hypothetical scenario: someone is on Ao3, looking for fanfiction to read. This person only speaks/reads English, and they set the language filter to only show fics written in English.

We ask your questions so you don’t have to! Submit your questions to have them posted anonymously as polls.

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do you guys think that a full decade after the release of tumblr hit movie rise of the guardians I can get people to get back into it to the point where everyone reads Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King and like, makes fanart and writes fanfic bc I would like to see the sortof tumblr rennaisance girlies (gn) have a go at fandomising this specific lore and also see young santa kiss his wizard husband

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day 11: Transmogrify

@rotg-halloween

My first time participating in something like this. Quite proud of how it turned out

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Drops of Starlight

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Tried to design my own Mother Nature

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i wanted to mix book an movie tooth because i can :3

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Omg Ambessa x Silco crackship (if you can call it that) is amazing, I live for it🙏

I'm happy to hear that we all agree that this would've calmed Silco down (at least a little bit):

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My favorite two Bleach fighty boys <3 Ichigo & Grimmjow in a box :D acrylic standee design I made for the @grimmichizine 💙🧡

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When your genocidal warmongering colonialist imperialistic buff butch milf wolf mom wants you to join your home country’s military industrial complex but you’re too busy being artdeco steampunk fenty beauty mogul diplomat goddess with a buff latino-adjacent boytoy who has a situationship with a sad eastern European 90’s heroine-chic machine herald Czech hunter twink boyfriend

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Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm cuddling my huskies as I type ❤️