#Kushiel’s legacy

[vifetoile]

Okay, maybe in the first book Phèdre’s coloring is described as brown eyes with a red mote; ivory skin; hair of sable black. Maybe that’s set up right away so there’s no question. Uh-huh.

But when I picture Phèdre, her coloring is precisely like Noémie Merlant in Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

Hair is a dark, rich brown with red tones. Not a flat black, somehow that just doesn’t suit Phèdre. Furthermore she usually wears red, in my mind’s eye.

And by the way, THAT scene with the mirror… anyone else imagining Melisande drawing Phèdre in that pose, or is it just me?

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

[the-dust-jacket]

Joie to you on the Longest Night.

[unfuckthisworld]

maybe phèdre needs training from one cassiline brother 😭😭😭😭😭 i feel bad for her. the dart is a curse, too.

(maybe this cassiline brother also needs training from one naamah’s servant lmaoaoaooa)

[phrackingineffable]

Wait, so if Cassiel guarded the gate of Eden with his flaming sword, does that make him Aziraphale? Because I totally believe Aziraphale would stay with Jesus’ son to protect him but I’m not sure I believe he’d push quite so hard for celibacy. Actually, it’s celibacy with the humans so yeah I do. Aaahhhhh I need someone to write me a crossover!!!

[a-crack-in-the-universe]

I’m finally reading Cassiel’s Servant. I think it’s interesting so far. I just don’t like the glaring differences in dialogue compared to Kushiel’s Dart. It’s supposed to be a retelling from Joscelin’s POV, as far as I know, so it doesn’t make sense that some of the dialogue from Kushiel’s Dart scenes was changed in Cassiel’s Servant.

[a-crack-in-the-universe]

I think that a major theme in this series is that even though Elua teaches them to ‘love as thou wilt’ the characters are still constrained by the society they live in and forced to adhere to its rules. For example, Delaunay fell in love with a man, which meant that he would never have biological children of his own and continue the family bloodline. His father disowned him as a result. 

Terre D’Ange seems to focus a lot on bloodlines. I think that the heteronormativity OP mentioned might stem from this. To continue a bloodline you would need to have biological children, which means that you would need to marry a woman.   

d'Angelines, Heteronormativity, and Gender Roles

So, for the past few months, I’ve been listening to Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel series on my commute. This is my 2nd read plus with the books, but my first listen with them, and my first in a while. I remember reading them soon after they came out and a number of friends became somewhat infatuated with them. In this pass, though, while still enjoyable, I’m noticing a lot.

While Terre d'Ange is a very sex positive place, I notice we never see any homosexuals, and few male bisexuals. Lots of bisexual ladies, with that seeming to be the norm, but few bisexual men. Mavros, Imriel’s cousin is. Lucius, Imriel’s friend from Tiberium is bi enough that he seems to think it likely that his marriage will produce heirs. Ti Phillipe is bi, but his lover Hughes might be the only homosexual in the series… and that’s only because I cannot recall anything to the contrary (his infatuation with Phedre might be sexual, but she’s also a hero of the realm). There are also a number of cameos of Servants of Namaah who are bisexual males, but they are cameos, not even as well developed as Hughes. The two male leads, Joscelin and Imri, are, respectively, celibate-except-for-Phedre and bicurious but pretty firmly heteroromantic.

The heteronormativity extends to cultural expressions. At his wedding, it is expected he will dance with his (female) Courcel cousin with whom he has an openly strained relationship, but never with his (male) Sharazai cousin who seems to be his best friend in residence. It may simply be omitted, but it is *always* omitted. Tiberium is noted as being hostile to homosexuality (especially male homosexuality), but Terre d'Ange never seems to embrace it.

Lastly, to gender roles. Women have property and inheritance rights in Terre d'Ange, but are still in constrained gender roles. While Phedre bemoans the place of women in Tsingano, Akkadian, and Serenissiman society, and Imriel opines on their restraint in Tiberian, I cannot recall any example of d'Angeline freedom… their are no women warriors or sailors mentioned, at least among the d'Angelines. Women are queens and ladies and the wives of seneschals (not even the seneschal themselves), and sex workers are treated with respect, but there are no d'Angeline examples of women who break out of relatively conventional gender roles. Phedre, for all that she throws herself into danger at the slightest provocation, barely even has self-defense training, while her adoptive son is trained in an exclusive fighting style from 10 years old, with at least passing familiarity with a more common style… and is skilled enough at 16 to fight a blooded warrior (Eamon) to a standstill.

Ah, well, there is a reason this blog is called “Overthinking It.” It is inspiring me to think more deeply about sex and gender roles roles in fantasy, especially in settings divorced from Earth history.

[book--brackets]

The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb (1998-2000)

Wizardwood, a sentient wood. The most precious commodity in the world. Like many other legendary wares, it comes only from the Rain River Wilds.

But how can one trade with the Rain Wilders, when only a liveship fashioned from wizardwood can negotiate the perilous waters of the Rain River? Rare and valuable a liveship will quicken only when three members, from successive generations, have died on board. The liveship Vivacia is about to undergo her quickening as Althea Vestrit’s father is carried on deck in his death-throes. Althea waits for the ship that she loves more than anything else in the world to awaken. Only to discover that the Vivacia has been signed away in her father’s will to her brutal brother-in-law, Kyle Haven...

Others plot to win or steal a liveship. The Paragon, known by many as the Pariah, went mad, turned turtle, and drowned his crew. Now he lies blind, lonely, and broken on a deserted beach. But greedy men have designs to restore him, to sail the waters of the Rain Wild River once more.

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke (1997-2021)

With lonely Ben aboard, brave dragon Firedrake seeks mythical place where silver dragons can live in peace. Over moonlit lands and sparkling seas, they meet fantastic creatures, summon up surprising courage - and cross a ruthless villain with an ancient grudge determined to end their quest. Only a secret destiny can save the dragons and bring them the true meaning of home.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow (2020)

In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.

But when the Eastwood sisters -- James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna -- join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote -- and perhaps not even to live -- the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.

There's no such thing as witches. But there will be.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (2013-present)

In 2059, Scion has taken over most of the world's cities, promising safety for all the citizens it deems worthy and wiping out clairvoyants wherever it can find them. 

Paige Mahoney, though, is a clairvoyant--and a criminal just for existing. Paige is determined to fight Scion's power, and as part of the Seven Seals, Paige has found a use for her powers: she scouts for information by breaking into others' minds as they dream. 

But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly--as soldiers in their army. 

Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (2021-present)

The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn’t matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.

When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it’s to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​

To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.

Kushiel's Legacy by Jacqueline Carey (2001-2003)

The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good...and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.

Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission...and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel's Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.

Phèdre is trained equally in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber, but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path; love and honor goad her further. And in the doing, it will take her to the edge of despair...and beyond. Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin; they can all wear the same glittering mask in this world, and Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear.

Beauty by Robin McKinley (1978)

Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in appearance, she can perhaps make up for in courage. When her father comes home with a tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must travel to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father insists that he will not let her go, but she responds, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?"

The Immortals Quartet by Tamora Pierce (1992-1996)

Thirteen-year-old Daine has always had a special connection with animals, but only when she's forced to leave home does she realize it's more than a knack--it's magic. With this wild magic, not only can Daine speak to animals, but she can also make them obey her. Daine takes a job handling horses for the Queen's Riders, where she meets the master mage Numair and becomes his student. 

Under Numair's guidance, Daine explores the scope of her magic. But she encounters other beings, too, who are not so gentle. These terrifying creatures, called Immortals, have been imprisoned in the Divine Realms for the past four hundred years--but now someone has broken the barrier. And it's up to Daine and her friends to defend their world from an Immortal attack.

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander (1964-1968)

Taran wanted to be a hero, and looking after a pig wasn't exactly heroic, even though Hen Wen was an oracular pig. But the day that Hen Wen vanished, Taran was led into an enchanting and perilous world. With his band of followers, he confronted the Horned King and his terrible Cauldron-Born. These were the forces of evil, and only Hen Wen knew the secret of keeping the kingdom of Prydain safe from them. But who would find her first?

Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima (2009-2012)

Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for his family. The only thing of value he has is something he can't sell—the thick silver cuffs he's worn since birth. They're clearly magicked—as he grows, they grow, and he's never been able to get them off.

One day, Han and his clan friend, Dancer, confront three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to keep him from using it against them. Soon Han learns that the amulet has an evil history—it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

Meanwhile, Raisa ana'Marianna, princess heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of freedom in the mountains—riding, hunting, and working the famous clan markets. Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea—the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But her mother has other plans for her...

The Seven Realms tremble when the lives of Hans and Raisa collide, fanning the flames of the smoldering war between clans and wizards.

[towns-end-bindery]

Songs of Love and Death ♥️☠️🗡️

Edited by George R. R. Martin & Gardner Dozois

Features stories by Neil Gaiman, Jim Butcher, Jacqueline Carey, Diana Gabaldon, Majorie M. Liu, Carrie Vaughn, and many more.

My first process video - PART 1

Here is PART 2 on Instagram

Here is PART 2 on tumblr

📚📖

This is my most ambitious rebind so far. I’ve printed on bookcloth before, but this time it was particularly challenging. I printed a much larger pattern for the covers and spine than I’d ever previously attempted. I ran into some issues with printer jamming for the first time since I started the regular practice of printing directly onto bookcloth. It was immensely stressful, because any damage to the printer as a result would have voided the warranty, since book cloth is not one of the accepted printing mediums for the machine.

But with some patience and realignment, I managed and the cloth printed successfully. But the next problem I ran into was smearing. I’d never had this problem before either. I had changed up my settings out of caution for the machine’s acceptance of the cloth, but the result was probably a heavier and denser layering of ink than usual. This is becuase the machine believed it was printing onto matte brochure paper, not regular paper.

So as I was making the case, the design was smearing heavily on my fingers. I had to be extremely careful where I touched the book to make sure I wasn’t destroying the design as I wrapped the cover boards and spine, but it was still an absolute mess.

In the end though, I got through it. I’m pretty pleased with the overall design. I’ve been told by some that the pattern reminds them of azulejo ceramic tiles, or delftware porcelain. Hopefully my gift recipient likes it as well.

My original cover designs can be seen HERE.

[zareleonis]

side by side comparison of my latest arlefuri commission from my friend awa and "Kushiel's Dart II," by Tran Nguyen from the Subterranean Press edition of Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey, the inspiration for the piece

The original illustration of the characters Phèdre nó Delaunay and Melisande Shahrizai stuck with me ever since I first saw it. i've had a vision of Furina and Arlecchino in their position bouncing around my head for months now. Very happy to have the chance to bring that vision to life.

[zebublack]

"My grandfather's Heaven is bloodless, and I am not. Let him offer me a better place, where we may love and sing and grow as we are wont, where our children and our children's children may join us, and I will go."

- Elua, Kushiel's Dart

Art:

The Fallen Angel

Original by Arantzazu Martinez (2007)

Edit by ZB.IX

[hussyknee]

Put off reading Kushiel's Legacy thinking it would be vaguely racist harem-fantasy BDSM smut in high fantasy dressing. Instead I got feminist George R. R. Martin if he was less racist and skeezy.

You need to take notes to follow all the names and I can barely keep up with who's doing what and the author has never heard of cutting to the goddamn chase, but good God you get so invested in the characters within a hundred pages that it sends you reeling when they die. I'm only at 200 out of 500 pages but I'm so fucking gutted that I stopped reading to skim the rest of all three books to see whether any of my other favourites were going to die and who I should be braced for dying because good fucking god. I'm even heartbroken about characters that died before the book!

It really sneaks up on you because this book is so dense and crammed with so much detail that you don't realize you've begun to really love the characters. The fuckton of foreshadowing probably didn't register because they're front and center like main characters would be, so you're not prepared for them to die in the middle. And Phedre lives such a happy, sheltered life that it's a genuine shock when it all gets blown up.

I want them back. I like Joscelin, but he isn't them. Jacqueline Carey how could you. 😭😭😭😭😭

Oh btw, this series is also gay as shit. Heterosexuality doesn't seem to exist and it's so unremarkable it didn't even occur to me that this is a full-on LGBT series. It's not like in fanfic, when even in stories where queerness is universal and unremarked in-universe there might as well be a giant fuck you rainbow flag over it all. In Kushiel's Universe it's just so matter-of-fact that you realize this could actually have been what society was like in the past when the Church wasn't all up in everybody's business. Sure, in this universe there's a hippie Jesus that followed regular Jesus who was all flower power and free love and founded alternate universe France, so that nobody has any sexual hang ups, homo or otherwise (much like regular medieval France Ig), but even if there were, everybody's either too rich to give a shit or too poor to care (also like regular medieval France). It feels historically accurate somehow. Idk. But this book came out in 2001. Eat that, GRRM, with your two male gays and off-screen lesbians.

Edit: Just checked the AO3 tag and. Sigh. You know a book isn't trashy when it only has 350 works on AO3. Fanfic runs on trash and guilty pleasure, not sensitive and quality story-telling.

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

at the end of the day I didn’t particularly love the Kushiel’s Legacy books but Melisande Shahrizai def altered my brain chemistry lol

[angelasasserart]

Now that my Birthstone Goddesses have wrapped up, I'm embarking on a new experimental art project which explores inspiring Fantasy books via art, sketches, and my own cover art interpretations. Basically my way of keeping my skills sharp and doing work for my cover art portfolio.

I thought I might also combine my love of narration, art, and storytelling into a video format for this one. We'll see how it goes over or if I've just embarrassed myself!

Excerpt from CASSIEL'S SERVANT by Jacqueline Carey. Art & narration by me.

If you fancy a deep dive into the art and inspirations behind this image, I've also written up a Secret Sketchbook post for my Patreon Patrons. It's a way to get a bit more insight while supporting the artist.

[unfuckthisworld]

or if he had used his noggin (justice for alcuin)

[malachitegrey]

hey tumblr i keep forgetting to post about my good omens/kushiel's dart fic, serpent's eye, and i'm sure there's someone out there besides me and @voluptatiscausa who wants this combo!

do you like angst? slow burn? sexy fantasy religion? warrior monks not realizing they are horny? angst? slinky party dresses? vibes and feelings with no plot?

i am at 40k and aziraphale and crowley might just talk to each other for real soon! i promise it's a romance!