acourtofantumbra

[acourtofantumbra]

I have seen this account lighting up with notifications as of late - thank you for walking with me down my brain spirals! They were so fun.

But just wanted to say that this will likely be the last post on this blog. I have another personal account where I spend most of tumblr time (always have) and that’s where I’m at these days. And no, there’s no SJM content on there.

Tbh, it feels funny to say, but CC3 was just that bad for me lol. I think a lot of us who do theory posts have been stumbling into the dark - again, having fun with our lil puzzles - assuming that this decades long project has lore and Easter eggs and connections and clues would lead to grand reveals. That never felt more true than when so many of us read the last chapter of CC2.

CC3 unfortunately felt like proof that we have a thousand threads and connections we all assumed were intentionally placed… and they might not be. In fact, this series in particular shows a surprising lack of editing… too many characters, plots, words, and not enough craft.

SJM loves giving us half of a lore dump and hastily ends it with a like “and then they moved on from what they were saying” or some sort of fake out in her series. I see it now as keeping her options open, which is tricky business. In CC3 she had to face her own set ups finally and what we got was a book of lore dumps that trapped us in one cave and then bizarrely locked us in another. I really will never get over the SJMU Cave Tour 2024. And the magic bean… the saddest writing out of your own unfortunate plot trapping I’ve ever seen.

But plots and characters in CC3 were basically forgotten or hastily closed… like why even do the thunderbird bit? Ariadne seemed unnecessary. Hell even the Viper Queen was just a footnote. Also making the autumn king simply comically evil was boring as hell. Sigh. This is to say nothing of the treatment of our leads who I almost universally got icked by.

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is… the idea of a thing vs its execution are two different things. I’ve been in the HP fic fandom for so long that I genuinely forget what is canon because I have been delighted by talented writers building on a story that needed more (I said what I said). And the idea of this interconnected world that can be fun, silly, sexy, but masterfully woven might be mostly in my head. It’s worth noting, that I found CC3 notably unsexy, not fun, and far too silly.

With my own begrudging awakening it gave me more time to find the stories that deliver at the level I wanted. That maybe a fantasy series isn’t always going to have the smoldering romance and the perfect world building - but maybe there are series by smaller authors that deliver on one of those aspects. And it’s been a journey so rewarding that the idea of coming back to my obsession with this is… not gonna happen haha.

I’ll probably always read the newest release when it comes out. What else is all the lore I know about these worlds good for? But posting about it? Yeah, probably not.

But to those of you who still get so much from her work - keep having fun. Keep reading. And I hope this world continues to make magic for you.

[acourtofantumbra]

Fave Pairings as Voted by my Followers: #4  ⟶ Feysand

“I fell in love with you, smartass, because you were one of us—because you weren’t afraid of me, and you decided to end your spectacular victory by throwing that piece of bone at Amarantha like a javelin. I felt Cassian’s spirit beside me in that moment, and could have sworn I heard him say, ‘If you don’t marry her, you stupid prick, I will.’” 

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Oh hey I get to share another commission- this one is for an ACOTAR inspired puzzle for Reverie Puzzles!

[acourtofantumbra]

“ 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕. ”

— Sarah J. Maas

For #ElucienWeek2024 - Day III "Adventurers"

Characters belong to Sarah J. Maas

find my art.

[acourtofantumbra]

Only one more week until Elucien week!☀️🌸💕

@cauldronblssd and I are so excited to celebrate Elain and Lucien for @elucienweekofficial that we decided to post this one early!!

Lana did such an incredible job creating this Day Court Elucien for us, she was so wonderful and a pleasure to work with💗

The flowers we chose for this piece are damask rose, saffron, and jasmine. These all grow in the Persian region, and symbolize love and beauty, light and sacrifice, and sensuality and grace, all of which embody Elucien and their story of tension, growth and healing💕

[acourtofantumbra]

Dorian "I'll bleed whatever color you tell me to" Havilliard

Dorian "he'd make her beg for the first time in her long life" Havilliard

Dorian "willing to let a little cruelty into the bedroom" Havilliard

Dorian "invisible fingers down her neck" Havilliard

Dorian "as tempting as seeing you naked and chained might be" Havilliard

Dorian "I don't think you can handle the sort of things I need, witchling" Havilliard

Dorian "I am never begging for anything again in my life" Havilliard

Dorian "I want to taste every inch of you." Havilliard

Dorian "magic gently pinning her wrists to the mattress" Havilliard

Dorian "I need to hear you say yes" Havilliard

Dorian "I suggest you listen" Havilliard

[acourtofantumbra]

Happy @gwynrielweeksofficial!It's my first time participating and I'm super excited to show off my vision for Gwyn and Azriels first mission together. The shadowsinger is an excellent perch for spying...and the priestess a comfortable perch for tired shadows.

Major thanks to @witchlingsandwyverns for doing this for me last minute.

[acourtofantumbra]

[acourtofantumbra]

WIP of the lucien art i’ve been cooking because I adore him so, so much

I’ve been seeing sm of those aesthetic bathtub photoshoots, and I was like you know who would look pretty posing in a bathtub????

[acourtofantumbra]

Gwyn whispered, “I am the rock against which the surf crashes.” Nesta straightened at the words, as if they were a prayer and a summons. Gwyn lifted the blade. “Nothing can break me.” …

Emerie said, “Nothing can break us.”

The world seemed to pause at the words. As if it had been following one path and now branched off in another direction. In a hundred years, a thousand, this moment would still be etched in his mind. That he would tell his children, his grandchildren. Right then and there. That was when it all changed.” …

Nesta’s voice was thick as she declared, “Valkyrie.”

—A Court Of Silver Flames 🤍🗡

Artist: l.moon_art for warlock.and.co

[acourtofantumbra]

Extremely thrilled to finally post my big feast for @gwynrielweeksofficial 🖤 enjoy!!

Commissioned with Artcraawl (here)

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Nesta Archeron by renata_watsonn [instagram]

[acourtofantumbra]

Day & Night

Lidia and Ruhn - Crescent City

Artist: @brunojlopez for @asirenspins

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🍁🔥Lucien Vanserra🔥🍁

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Manon Blackbeak

Throne Of Glass

Artist: aokiart_

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Aelin and Rowan - Throne of Glass

Artist: @romannaboch

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Lucien Vanserra - A Court of Thorns and Roses

Artist: @kri_stasss_