#A G Howard

[books-in-a-storm]

July 2024 JOMPBPC: Day 16 Cool Colors

[a-hearts-a-heavy-burden]

The way I have been completely losing myself in this book. I freaking love reading so much.

PotO retelling with a PotO instrumental playlist!!

Bliss

[im-goin-mad]

what business did like 12 y/o me have reading a kinky alice in wonderland au

[razreads]

Inspiration is a fickle and vicious mistress.

A.G. Howard, RoseBlood

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (02/26/24)

Reviews and thoughts under the cut

The Odyssey by Homer, trans. Emily Wilson (6/10)

This was my first time reading the Odyssey, even though I've enjoyed Greek mythology for years. It was so interesting to see the origins of so many myths, even ones that don't technically relate to the core story of Odysseus since Homer was a huge fan of going off on tangents. This certainly does not ascribe to modern standards of storytelling, often jumping around and repeating whole passages, but it's all a result of it originally being oral poetry. It definitely didn't capture my attention like a more modern tale would, but it was still incredibly interesting when considering all the history around it.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (10/10)

I reread Legendborn to prepare for Bloodmarked, and I swear it just got better. There's a perfect balance of plot and character in this book, with just enough focus on the complex worldbuilding and buildup to the big plot twist and just enough on the character relationships and Bree's personality and her struggle with grief. I'd literally do anything for Bree. I know she's got two amazing love interests, who Deonn did a great job with making both totally viable options (throuple please), but she should date me. There's also a lot of time devoted to the issue of racism and how deep-seated it is, especially in the south, in blatant, slur-using ways and more subtle ways that come from even the characters we're supposed to like. Deonn weaves the social issues into her story, and they both build each other up.

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow (9/10)

I've read a few of the more recent gothic fantasies, and most of them have let me down, but not this one! I really like the atmosphere, and Harrow balances the ethereal language really well with a character voice that is more down-to-earth. Opal is a really strong main character, and her relationships are really well-developed. One thing I loved was that even if there had been no romance, I think the story would have turned out the same because Opal and her love interest have a bond that works just as well platonically. The story behind Starling House is incredibly interesting, and it's so cool that we got multiple versions. I love the fairy tale-esque children's literature influences, and the ending is satisfying. My only complaint is that sometimes the atmosphere sweeps away some of the technical details.

Stain by A. G. Howard (CR, 35%)

Another reread, I've finally gotten some other people to read it with me. I'm immensely enjoying going through this book again, and I'm really taking time with it, especially since the language is so flowery and inexact. I do feel the urge to rush forward and get to my favorite parts, but I'm forcing myself to slow down. It's so much fun to see my friends read it as well!

[charlenasaxen]

Favorite Quotes - Stain by A. G. Howard

Dark tears fell to her feet, a violet rain spattering the white marble.

Within that smile, the princess saw the deadly slant of her future

the prince lifted his father's limp hand and placed it atop his head. this very palm had ruffled his hair

"Leave a lantern and my fur. My place is by my king's side, until his final breath."

He wasn't born to be Nerezeth's evening star. He was born to be their sun.

you might trust the scope of my devotion. Think of me each time you see the dusting of dusk

She would never know him, and he would never know he was being fooled.

“Meet me halfway. Compromise tastes sweetest when offered by a friend's hand.”

So delicate and perfect. Just as he imagined her to be. Eager to experience that alongside her

Selena rushed over and hugged him. Vesper held her-cheek pressed to her head.

"But I'm still the prince . . . your king. Come closer. One sniff, and you'll remember."

He pulled off his skintight hood, leaving his white hair mussed.

She looked like an angel. He wished she was, so she could heal his gatekeepers.

His first knight entered the clearing and together they slid from their saddles.

No doubt sending silent assurance to Selena that he’d watch over her brother.

“Step back, son,” Vesper said, grasping the boy’s scrawny elbow

slammed his head into Vesper’s chest. The prince’s golden shin gave out and he fell backward

Vesper gripped his friend’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Cyp.”

this vexing fascination for those lips and eyes, for that fighting spirit

“his skintight assassin’s uniform that shimmered like scales along his tall, masculine frame—appearing lethal as a black snake”

“They were fighting on the ground. There’s something to be said for his gentleness”

Scorch lowered his long neck and bent a lithe, graceful foreleg in a bow

“I’ll see that you have revenge one day. Whoever hurt you will answer to both of us”

a man in a white shirt and black leathery breeches—tight enough to conform to his sinewy, masculine lines

“Hang me on the wall naked beside their finest creations. See how long it takes”

“several maids who would swoon at the prospect of such a sight even now.”

His sister coaxed him to sit beside the fire. Drawing out her dagger, she shouted

“The leaves are changing color. That was Lyra’s favorite thing to watch for. At last it’s come, and she’s missed it.”

“All those letters he’s written. So broken; he expects me to have some missing piece of him. She’s gone forever, as is his chance to live. He’s coming here so I can watch him die.”

There was only Vesper himself, whole again, alone in the depths

Something was lying beside her, large, warm, and breathing. Long, silky hair tickled her cheek. The prince. It was as if a layer of gilt had been painted across ripples of muscle.

The prince’s eyelashes twitched, as if he could sense the brazen inquiry of his body

He let her go and stood, towering over her. His muscles spasmed beneath his shredded shirt

“I’m a man,” he said.

The flickering intensity returned behind his eyes as he squeezed.

“Do you feel that?” he whispered. “I’m touching you.”

the smoldering sensation of their skin almost touching, at soft curves yielding to hard angles and planes.

He lifted his head, his mouth at her ear. “Show me how fierce you are, tiny trifling thing. I predict, this time, you can convince me to let you win.”

Then he smiled in wonder, a stunning flash of white teeth

“Yet it wasn’t, was it? For the part of me I thought I’d lost was here all along, with you”

“That in your darkest moment, when you’d lost yourself, you found me.”

touching him as he slept . . . laying across his chest with nothing but threads separating their flesh.

“a foundling, a thief, my most loyal friend. She’s the only one who can cure me. I need her. Find Stain!”

Selena stroked his hair with a gloved hand. “Your welfare is more important”

Selena tried to answer but a sob caught in her throat. “Yes.” Cyprian took over. “He’s been trying to speak”

Cyprian’s desperate shouts launched everyone into action

She saw her true self at last: a murdered princess, resurrected.

“It remained in Nerezeth with the prince. A boy who learnt to speak in sign for a girl he’d yet to meet”

the one she’d laughed, quarreled, and ran with over the past five years—made the question moot. She loved him enough to try

“Tell me, what lengths will ye go to, to save him as the man?”

“The flying donkey . . . is a prince?”

“The prince,” Crony corrected.

a gold-gilded likeness of Nerezeth’s evening star—from his toes to the lovely bow of his upper lip

Though in truth, she’d been dancing with a prince . . . her betrothed, and neither had known it.

only one girl had ever managed to gentle it.

“You were mad to let him go. If I’d had that hard, royal body pressed to mine”

Selena said, standing beside the desk where Cyprian sat. Her hand rested at the back of the knight’s neck.

“Am I no longer your king? Must I add anointing a new first knight to this day’s list?”

“Enough: No harm shall come to these two. They’re here on royal business.”

They surrounded their king with soft nickers of greeting. He fussed over each of them.

“Careful, you might never get rid of me this time.” His flirtatious taunt circled.

“I’m counting on it,”

he spun them both in a circle, his free arm snug at her waist. His touch left her breathless.

“I will help you. I’ll see that you have your revenge. Those who hurt you will answer to us, and will bow to you as their queen”

draw her body against him, leaving no question as to his complete transformation to a man

“Better than what a certain donkey used to leave behind. You’re just jealous that I wear the wings now.”

“I learned your secret voice as it gentled my rage. I’ll never need to see to know it’s you.”

looked at the stags resting peacefully

Vesper whistled low as he took her in her appearance. “Such brutal beauty.”

he was tall but lithe—corded muscles. Yet he had a presence about him, a feral confidence.

“Or find the courage to face the wrath of two kingdoms spurned. I leave the choice to you.”

“For the sake of my sister’s honor,” Vesper smirked.

Cyprian grinned back.

she hugged him. He held her close

He knelt in front of Lyra. “My queen, grant me one favor.”

Lyra stroked his hand and nodded.

“My Lady Queen, vengeance is yours”

She touched his brow affectionately, and he kissed the slippers on her feet.

“To show my gratitude, I will tell you how it’s going to end, since you won’t be here to see for yourself”

he called a stag to his side. It came willingly, lowering its prong tips

“That was his final memory, thinking of the life he’d wanted to live with you.”

Vesper scoffed. “This from the girl who used to beg me to carry her every day for five years straight.”

they were rewarded with a more altruistic and attainable ending, in which they shared a hopeful ever after

[mlmxreader]

Fallout + pet names/terms of endearment

these are ALL m!reader - please don't be weird abt it if you aren't mlm/nblm

jncludes: MacCready, Preston, Hancock, Nick, Cooper Howard/The Ghoul & Maximus

MacCready

handsome, trouble, sugar, bad boy (playfully)

MacCready rolled over from his place on the left side of the bed, a soft groan coming from the back of his throat as he noticed the sunshine starting to trickle in through the cracks in the wall; he couldn't believe it was morning already, but when he set his eyes on you, still fast asleep next to him, he couldn't help but to smile as he gently nudged you.

"Morning, handsome," his voice was quiet and low, still thick with sleep. "C'mon, it's time to get going."

Preston

sweet, General (playfully), husband, Prince charming

It was getting late when you and Preston finally got back home after helping out a settlement in need; the stars were shining brightly, almost as if the world hadn't turned to utter shit around you. Preston couldn't help it, stealing a fond glance your way as he smiled and allowed his shoulders to drop all their tension for the first time that day.

"We're almost home," he said softly. "Not long now, sweet."

Hancock

love, beloved, sweetheart, casanova, sunshine

Hancock had been locked in his office all day, dealing with the various goings on in Goodneighbor and hardly speaking to anyone at all except to ask for the odd bit of Jet here and there to keep him going; he was completely oblivious when you sat yourself down opposite his desk, tilting your head to the side and raising your brows expectantly. You had to clear your throat to get his attention, and when you did, he looked up at you with the upmost fondness.

"Sorry, sweetheart," he almost laughed. "I'll be right there."

Nick

honey, old man, beau, darling

The music was playing loudly as you and Nick sat down at what you could only guess was a pub, although there was hardly anyone around except for a few regulars. It was nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of Diamond City, as well as the nastiness from its residents that weren't exactly kind about your relationship with Nick. A quick look around, and you hummed under your breath at the realisation that nobody actually cared or even noticed.

"Alright, beau," Nick said as he lit up a cigarette. "You sit here, and I'll go get your drinks."

Cooper

cowboy, daddy-o, hot stuff, romeo

At best, Cooper was difficult; selfish and violent, he didn't exactly care what anyone else said or thought about him. He was always the shoot first, ask questions never type - whatever brought him whatever it was he wanted at the time. But even still, as he worked on getting a fire started for the night, he did find it difficult to take his eyes from you; you were the most fucking handsome guy he had ever seen in all his years, and at night, it seemed like the stars became trapped in your eyes.

"C'mon, cowboy," he said suddenly. "Sit down an' eat somethin'."

Maximus

sweetheart, angel, pumpkin, tiger, teddy bear

Maximus grinned as he sat down beside you, thankful to have some spare time just for the two of you; a little bit giddy, he handed you the glass bottle of Nuka Cherry. Outside, the weather was hot and almost sweltering, but amongst the wooden walls of the abandoned shack, it wasn’t so bad.

"I managed to find the last one," he told you, nearly laughing. "What'd you think, angel?"

[msachillelaurosfunnels]

I drew the US Presidents ⁉️⁉️

Constructive criticism is not allowed ⁉️⁉️(Because I only draw for fun lol, not mad or anything tho)

I couldn't tag anymore presidents 💔💔

[thehauntedrocket]

Vintage Pulp - Startling Stories (Nov1939)

Art by Howard V. Brown

Standard Publications

[books-in-a-storm]

September 2024 FDBPC: Day 4 National Wildfire Day

[a-hearts-a-heavy-burden]

Listen to me...

Anita's books are always stunning

[kettleghost]

bcs dump :D i cannot draw jimmy consistently and it shows <\3

[razreads]

Pretty faces were no more than masks worn to justify laziness and intellectual monotony.

A.G. Howard, RoseBlood

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (03/04/24)

Reviews and thoughts under the cut

Stain by A. G. Howard (9/10)

I had a great time rereading this book. This is the only book by A. G. Howard I've read that is high fantasy, not low or contemporary, and I honestly wish she did it more. She really nails the ethereal atmosphere which pairs beautifully with the fairy tale inspiration. This book is a bit on the slow side, and such flowery language isn't for everyone, but I think the mood is immaculate. Lyra and Vesper continue to be one of my favorite romances; their interactions in the last few chapters always have me giggling.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (6/10)

This book is honestly super intriguing and does a great job of building suspense. However, the last half is so oddly rushed with disjointed writing and so many sudden revelations that I felt like I was in a fever dream. Mara, despite being described as "not like other girls" by the love interest himself (a line that almost made me put down the book) is honestly quite likable as a main character. Personally, I would not put a normal high school life above addressing my hallucinations and constant trail of death, but other than that, Mara tends to react pretty reasonably and has a good inner struggle going on. The romance is probably what kept this book at 3 stars for me. Is it healthy? Hell no. But it is fun and they've got great chemistry. As for the negative, like I said, this book sort of goes off the rails. While I don't mind the paranormal elements, the random confession from Noah, deus ex machina potion, and general rushed writing makes it fall apart. There's a bit too much going on and not nearly enough time devoted to each scene. Still, what a great twist at the end.

A Bargain with the Fae King by Megan van Dyke (CR, 63%)

So far, this book is honestly just kind of boring. The whole story revolves around the main character, Lia, trying to get her little sister back, and there's a sort of half-hearted attempt to bring in some fae politics, but so far all it's done is slow things down. Lia herself is a very annoying main character. Half of what she does is berate and feel sorry for herself, only to proceed to make the same mistakes over and over, often by demanding she get to do things the other characters have very good reasons for trying to keep her from doing. It's a fantasy romance, and the chemistry is decent, but most romantic scenes are ruined by Lia harping on about her sister. There's nothing wrong with being worried, but her constant self-pitying is getting repetitive, especially when she's been told she needs to be patient.

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn (CR, 35%)

On the other side of the spectrum, so much is happening in this book and I'm eating it up. I really like that it's taking the route of going against the Order because I don't trust those Regents as far as I could throw them. I also like that race continues to be a prominent theme even though Bree should technically be in power at this point, as frustrating as it is. It was so satisfying to see Bree call the Regents out for their prejudice, as much as they try to hide it. I hope Bree, Nick, and Sel are reunited in this book since I love their trio dynamic.

[charlenasaxen]

Selena said, standing beside the desk where Cyprian sat. Her hand rested at the back of the knight’s neck.

[autumnmobile12]

Okay, so....

Generally, you're not supposed to repeat similar poses like this too close together because it'll eventually lose its impact on the readers. (Kinda like how writers shouldn't overuse italics or exclamation points for the same reason.)

But can we appreciate that Katsura Hoshino discovered she had a new superpower here and was clearly having the time of her life with it? Otherwise why else would she have drawn this similar shot like six+ times over the course of this arc?

It's been over a decade since these chapters were published and I still love the hell out of this.