#ashen-crest

[reedraws]

A big commission for @ashen-crest, featuring the characters of her books eries, Lutesong and Side Quest Row! If you like cozy romantasy, enemies to lovers, or unique world building, you should absolutely check her works out!

❀ Comissions / Ko-Fi / Store

[kjscottwrites]

Sequel?? Sequel to Cavernous please?? !!!

I'm licheralllllly working on it right now <3

[ladyazulina]

I took a quiz just to have fun and because it was @ashen-crest the one who sent it to me in her latest newsletter, I thought "What if I do get ending up with Ambrose?"

Hmmm?! What if?!

Your Result:

Ambrose

You are… Ambrose Beake! Reserved, polite, brilliant, and utterly professional. Your ideal evening involves a good book, a cup of tea, and a hearty dollop of peace and quiet. You may come across as prickly to those who don’t know you, but under the surface, you are a passionate friend who would do anything for those you care about. Read A RIVAL MOST VIAL: POTIONEERING FOR LOVE AND PROFIT to learn more!

[lacependragon]

Pay day!!! Which means I can finally get these! Gosh I'm excited.

First one is How to Sell your Blood and Fall in Love by @brynwrites. Already own the first novel in the series (which is a companion) and am currently reading and loving it.

Second one is A Rival Most Vial by @ashen-crest.

I have been so hype to buy both of these. I love filling my shelves with indie paperbacks. Something really satisfying about it.

[by-allison-kai]

So I've finished @ashen-crest's A Rival Most Vial, and I can't discuss the emotional punches with my wife (yet), so I'm gonna ramble here.

Spoilers ahead, obviously.

Also tw for personal trauma, shitty families, and abandonment issues.

AC, you are masterful at crafting characters that tug at the heartstrings!

As someone who's still untangling my own issues re; abandonment and general family shittiness, Ambrose's story prompted such a visceral reaction that my wife had to make sure I was okay.

(To be clear, I'm fine!)

"Apparently, he was very easy to leave behind." OW. My heart!

And that shitty letter from Pearce, the thin-as-vellum excuse for not coming back to the shop for its anniversary? Oof. I wanted to hug Ambrose again. And punch Pearce.

Anyway, this post isn't to dig into my trauma, but to applaud how brilliantly you write these emotions and situations.

[author-a-holmes]

Book Review: The Stray Spirit by R.K Ashwick

I, admittedly, went into A Stray Spirit with some hesitance because it's not my usual brand of fantasy. The magic in the world of Thalis is softer, and quieter, than I've grown to expect from my fantasy favourites, and yet…

It works.

It works beautifully. So much so that by the time I'd realised I'd fallen in love with the characters, I was already seven chapters into this masterfully woven adventure. R.K Ashwick weaves the story through your head much like the lutesong that our protagonist, Emry Karic, plays at the Red Rat inn.

Emry is kind, and relatable. He has goals that anyone can empathise with and understand, and a backstory I was eagerly waiting to discover as the tale progressed.

Cal is headstrong, stubborn, intelligent, and a perfect companion to work alongside Emry, balancing out his character. I can see their character developing even more beautifully as the series progresses and I can't wait to see where she goes next.

Aspen is an absolute sweetheart. They stole my entire soul the moment they caused trouble with Stef in a fabric store. If you've read the book, you know exactly the scene I'm talking about. It painted such a vivid picture of innocent mischievousness, I laughed aloud, and if you don't know the scene I'm talking about, then you should absolutely pick up this book and find out!

This is an entirely enchanting tale, with enough adventure and tension to keep you engaged, while weaving affection for the characters through every line you read.

A truly beautiful piece of writing. I wasn't intending to purchase a copy in paperback, but now I've finished it I think I'm going to have to (I have, in fact, already put my order in!). It would be a crying shame not to add this book to my shelves, and I'm eagerly awaiting more stories of Emry, Cal and Aspen in the future.

[drabbleitout]

DIO I had a dream about garnet and Beau and Ives! Someone was trying to kidnap Beau and make him be evil, but this was before he knew Garnet, and they ended up traveling together? I have no idea, but Garnet helped him out so everything is fine

!!! RK that's amazing!! But I am so sorry these gremlins were pestering you in your sleep!! (I'm actually flailing at the idea!) But I'd love to hear details! 😆 Was Beau still a robot? Did he meet Garnet by chance? Was Ives having to keep the peace?

But this sounds like it could have been pure chaos or hilarious maybe both. Was this like a road trip scenario? I can't even imagine being stuck with those two on a road trip. But I'm so glad everything was fine! A road trip AU actually sounds like a lot of fun and now you've got me thinking!!

Thank you for telling me about this! I hope they don't pester you in the future, but if they do I'd love to hear about it 🤭

[memento-morri-writes]

Trick or Treat!!

In exchange for giving me a lovely treat, you also get a lovely treat!

Kristopher nodded, adjusting his fingers on the reins as he spoke. “On the count of three, then. One, tw-“ And suddenly Fallon was flying past him, Alena stepping up into a near gallop. “Your Majesty!” Kris sputtered, kicking Phillip into a gallop behind her. However, even Phillip’s speed was not enough to best Fallon’s head start. She slowed Alena to a stop in the clearing, laughing. “Good girl, Alena. We beat them.” She heard hoof beats as Kristopher and Phillip arrived, less than a minute behind. “Oh look, it appears the boys finally caught up.” The Prince dismounted, scowling. “You cheated,” he said, crossing his arms. “The race was set to begin on three.” Fallon dismounted as well, pulling a treat for Alena from her pocket. “You never said it was to be a fair race,” she said, grinning. “That should have been implied when I said a race!” Kristopher half-shouted. Fallon turned back to Alena to hide her grin. “I suppose I must have misunderstood, then.” She raised a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter. Kris tethered Phillip to a tree, grumbling as he did so. When he was finished, he turned back to her, composure mostly regained. “Well then, I suppose my preparations have been in vain. There is no point in giving out prizes in an unfair race, is there?” “Prizes? You said nothing of prizes!” Fallon whirled around, but Kris was already disappearing into the clearing. Now it was his turn to hide a grin.