#Indigenous Fantasy

[ravenkhor]

Quick sketch of Ikumak <3 I'm going to be drawing Kalea next!!

Ikumak's design and the culture he's from feeds a lot of inspiration from Yupik and Inuit cultures, but also feeds a little bit from other canadian tribes like Ojibwe, at least when it comes to the stories meant to originate from his home, Astivia, since Astivia is made up of 5 major groups rather than just one large group.

[laikacore]

First Peoples Shared Stories: orders open now!

Laika Wallace’s short story, Snow Blindness, has been published in First Peoples Shared Stories by Flame Tree Publishing!

Taken from the publisher’s website: Following the success of Black Sci-Fi Short Stories comes a powerful new addition to the Flame Tree short story collections: the first peoples in Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, the first migration, the first exploration, the discovery of land and landscape without the footprint of humankind. Stories of injustice sit with memories of hope and wonder, dreamtime tales of creation and joy highlight the enduring spirit of humanity. These stories, selected from submissions by new writers and cast alongside ancient stories and oral traditions from around the world bring new perspectives to the legacy of First Nations, of First Peoples.

His addition to the anthology follows a Mi’kmaw trans lesbian and hir daughter searching for a planet for their family to call home after being adrift in space for many generations, and finding something they could never have predicted, for better or for worse…

Orders are open now at the link in the first reblog. Reblogs are very appreciated, as are requests for the book at bookstores and libraries. Thank you for supporting indigenous authors!

[quakgrass]

[Image Description: A digital drawing of Otter from the novel Sorrow's Knot. She's an Indigenous woman with dark skin and straight black hair in two braids. She is shown from the shoulders up, with a web of red string between her hands and a sad expression. One of her eyes is visible in a space between the strings. End ID.]

"A noose that has nothing inside it will knot itself away." -@erinbowbooks

[elliepassmore]

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: fantasy, magic, dragons, Indigenous fantasy, magic schools, LGBTQ+ characters, autistic characters. Big thanks to Netgalley, Del Rey, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! This might be my favorite book of the year! I really like the take on dragons shown here and that there's such a big variety between the different kinds. I also liked the worldbuilding and enjoyed learning about the two main cultures of the book (Anequs' culture is one indigenous to this alternate-North America, and the settler culture is a German-Nordic mix). I also enjoyed how there were stories within the story and how these were used to bring more history and lore into it. The dragons and the lore were clearly well thought out. I can't remember all the species of dragons, but Anequs comes into contact with a lot of different species that each seem to have their own appearance, temperament, and activities/uses. Some of them come across as being more of the traditional Western kind of dragon while others have feathers, fur, and/or antlers. We also get to see some of the lore of the world, with some of the stories being completely unique and others being repeats of the same myth/story but from a different angle. I thought this was a fun way to include information about the different cultures and beliefs while still fitting them within the frame and style of the story. I liked learning about Anequs' culture and their beliefs. There's clearly a greater appreciation for nature and animals than in the Anglish culture, and Anequs gets quite the culture shock. Likewise, the Masquisit and Naquisit are much more LGBT+ friendly and same-sex relationships, transgender/gender fluid people, and poly relationships are all casually accepted. There are several LGBTQ characters in the book, including Anequs, who are out to varying degrees. I also enjoyed learning about the oral history traditions and the dances, and the role they play in the story is very interesting. I thought Anglish culture was mostly stuffy, which I think is the point, but there were also some interesting aspects to it as well. As a German speaker, I'm always delighted to see it show up in English books. While the language used in this book isn't exactly German, my take on it is that this is an 'alternate' earth anyway, so the German language just underwent a different history than the one on this earth, one that involves a lot more Dutch and Nordic influence. Some words are changed, so, pfennig = pennik, but others remain the same, Versuch = try/attempt. The compound words were a little difficult to get a hold of, I think another reviewer mentioned that they aren't compounded morphologically correctly, but it wasn't too troublesome and I don't think any non-German speakers would notice. This is a very character-driven story, with each of the major characters having at least some learning and growth to do. There's a couple of scenes that have action in them, but a lot of the book is an exploration. I enjoyed the slower pace and getting to know the characters and the world they're in. It felt slice-of-life at times, which I feel is often missing from fantasy stories, especially ones that are more action driven. Anequs is someone who is very solid in who she is. She may have doubts about things at times, but she never doubts who she is as a person and what she wants out of life. This leads to her very matter-of-factly pushing back against the expectations people have of her as a result of her race and/or gender. I very much enjoyed seeing her go head-to-head with others' expectations and prejudices because she was never one to backdown to keep the peace, but rather forced people to consider their prejudices, even if it didn't always lead to them reconsidering them. Anequs is also someone who seems to make friends easily, and she has a friendly and welcoming demeanor and is considerate of others' needs. The story is, obviously, mainly about Anequs and her dragon, Kasaqua, but there are some major side characters in the book as well. Marta is Anequs' roommate at the school and the only other female dragoneer (or really, only since Anequs distinguishes between dragoneer and Nampeshiweisit). She can be a bit annoying at times because she is so invested and interested in the workings of society, and thus likes to discuss dresses and the who's who gossip. Marta is from high Anglish society and brings those prejudices and rules of civility with her, resulting in some clashes between her and Anequs. Marta is an interesting character because she's clearly interested in being friends with Anequs but also thinks that the way things are done in Anglish high society is the correct way to do them and that Anequs breaking those rules makes her backward. She does get the chance to learn over the course of the story, but doesn't fully break free of her prejudices even by the end of the book, though she does improve. As much as I would've liked to see Marta learn and completely change her ways, I think the way it's written is probably more realistic. Theod is another interesting case. He's a Naquisit who was raised in Anglish society after his parents were killed and hasn't had any contact with his own culture. Like Marta, he has prejudices against the Indigenous cultures of the region and thinks that Anglish high society is improvement/progress. He and Anequs butt heads as well, but Anequs is able to get through to Theod more than Marta by commiserating with him and sharing information from her/their culture. He's a bit difficult to like at first since he's quite abrupt and grumpy, but over the course of the book he warms a lot and seems happy in the friend group. Sander is the other really 'main' side character. He's also Anglish, like Marta, but unlike her he's far more open and less prejudiced. He's autistic and largely nonverbal, preferring to write instead. He has an AAC device that allows him to write something in wax using a stylus and then use magnets to erase it so he never runs out of room. You don't really see AAC devices a lot in fiction (I don't think I've ever seen one), even when characters are completely nonverbal, so I was both surprised and excited by it's inclusion here. I liked Sander a lot and thought he was a good friend to Anequs from the beginning. A lot of his story is about gaining confidence in himself and getting free from his mother, who's a truly terrible person. I liked Sander's sister, Lisbet, as well and hope we see her in future books. Liberty is another side character, I wouldn't say she's a major character since I don't think she gets enough scenes, but she impacts Anequs a lot and I suspect she'll be a bigger character in the sequel. Liberty is an indentured servant at the school and is the first person Anequs befriends when she gets there. The two of them develop a close relationship, and are supportive of one another's goals. I look forward to seeing more of her in the future. Niquiat is Anequs' brother also plays a role in the book. He left their island a few years prior to Anequs and lives in Vastergot, the closest city to the school. Niquiat has a bit more conflict with the family than Anequs does, though this improves over the course of the book as Anequs, then their father gain a better understanding of Niquiat's interests and goals. This book really dives deep into into discussions of colonialism and all its violences and injustices. It tackles both the overt instances of it (i.e., racism and ethnocentrism) as well as more subtle instances (i.e., the erasing of Indigenous knowledge and silencing of Indigenous people), and the well-known assumptions that 'of course you want to be part of settler society, it's a vast improvement from your own.' There's a really great juxtaposition between the two main cultures of the book, with the settler culture claiming civility but reflecting a stark lack of care and community, while the Indigenous cultures embody that care and community and show that the so-called 'uncivilized' are actually far more welcoming and accepting. There's also a clash in the book between tradition and progress, deciding what exactly progress looks like, and whether and how foreign technologies can be adapted to the culture so the advantages of it are there without also seeing any erasure. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and think it'll probably be one of my favorite reads for the year, if not my favorite. I can't wait for the sequel and am so bummed I'll have to wait until 2024 to get it!

[loveaankilaq]

Fantasy books stop having arctic kingdoms of all blond hair blue eyed white people.

[merry-harlowe]

I would rather spend a lifetime with you, than face all the Ages of this world alone.

*t4t indigiqueers your fantasy otp* (inspired by @neechees gif sets!!)

[noahhawthorneauthor]

Be thankful for who you are today, and do better than those who came before you.

I live on Iroquois land, specifically the Mohawk region. The Iroquois, or Five Nations, was brought together by Deganawidah the Great Peacemaker, and it was composed of the nations Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca.

Later on the Tuscaroras joined, and they became Haudenosaunee, or 'six separate nations.'

Happy Thanksgiving, keep your minds open, never stop learning, and don't let history become forgotten. The majority of us are already do a damn poor job of not repeating it.

[maplewozapi]

Final fantasy XIV characters commission, I had so much fun with this commission! She’s so gorgeous 🩷💖💜😆🎀

[rs-hawk]

Piasa Bird bringing you shiny objects and relocating his nest by the river so you can see how beautiful it looks during the day or with the stars shining off of it. His smile faltering when he sees the pollution clogging up the river and making it look murky and muddy. It’s the first time you’ve seen him anything but confident and strong.

His reptilian eyes clouded with memory and emotion as he lands back in the nest, sitting on the far edge away from you. You assure him you still think it’s a lovely spot. You like the scenery. He doesn’t really respond for a little while, then asks why humans do this. You don’t have a good answer, so you just take one of his wings, wrapping it around yourself like you would a human partner’s arm.

You both sit in silence until the sun sets, then you point out how beautiful the stars look twinkling off the water. That at least makes him grin, showing off his mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

[sejanuspiinth]

by clicking on the source link you will find a page with 133 gifs, all made from scratch by myself, of amber midthunder in avatar: the last airbender. amber is assiniboine, thai-chinese, white and is currently 26 years old, though she must have been 24-25 during the filming of this season. i don’t care what you do with these, just don’t be gross and don’t claim them as your own. if using these, give this post a reblog. thank you !

[ravenkhor]

WIP art of Nuvua Tuktulok and her son, Ikumak Tuktulok.

Nuvua and Ikumak are both healers, though only she can use her abilities due to the fact Ikumak doesn't have all ten fingers on his hand. Though, both of them have physical features of the Tuktulok family's magic, giving them green eyes when naturally they would be brown.

There's a lot of antler coding in the patterns in her gloves (which are made to be similar to Kakiniit, which she does have on her face) to call back to the Caribou spirit they descend from :)

Ikumak has a lot less of a natural-themed design, as he takes on a completely new role unlike any of his ancestors.

[the-eldritch-it-gay]

I think Majexatli is gonna be one of the best dressed people in Baldur's Gate (along with Wyll). Their maxtlatl is still my favorite detail but I'm obsessed with how the whole outfit is coming together.

[cottagecore-droids]

Where is all the buzz about this book??? All my dragon friends should be reading it!! It’s an Own Voices historical fantasy/AU with American dragons! Natural and emotional heir to Temeraire. Read it AT ONCE!!

[elliepassmore]

Black Sun review

4/5 stars Recommended if you like: epic fantasy, multiple POVs, Indigenous fantasy

There's a lot going on in this book leading to the major event at the end. We get insight into the running of a major religion and the whispers of a coup; we get glimpses of the past and present of a god; we get an extended road trip; and we get someone who recently lost his mother but still wants peace. It's somewhat hard at first to see how all the pieces lay together, but as the book progresses, it's interesting to see how each of these elements plays into the larger whole.

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this one and getting to see the different cultures and people. Tova was particularly interesting and I liked that we got, essentially, a walking tour of the city. There are four different districts in the Sky Made portion of the city, and each of these has their own traditions and hierarchies. Then there's also the Earth Made people, which are generally relegated to second-class citizenship in Tova. The Maw is a cliff area where the Earth Made make their homes out and within the cliffside. I was definitely intrigued by this mazelike neighborhood, which seems like a city within its own right.

The Sky Made clans are Carrion Crow, Golden Eagle, Winged Serpent, and Water Strider, and it's from their ranks that the priests are pulled. When the book opens, its clear the current Sun Priest is attempting to bring the priesthood back to its former glory while trying to honor the horrors the group enacted decades prior. Naturally, this causes some issues, both within the priesthood and outside of it, and it was interesting to see the political machinations at play inside an important institution that was nevertheless becoming increasingly obsolete. I also liked seeing how traditionalism and relation to one's clan played a role in people's stances.

On the 'flip' side of things are Serapio, a man/god whose duty is to enact vengeance for the wrongs of the priesthood. Okoa is also on this 'flip' side as a young man whose mother recently died and who is trying to puzzle out what is going on in Tova while he's been away. Both Serapio and Okoa are Carrion Crow, the people who were targeted by the priesthood all those decades ago, but where Serapio/the god seems to think the whole priesthood must suffer, regardless of whether some are attempting to remedy the past, Okoa comes from a place of understanding the nuances of what is going on in the Tower.

In terms of characters, Serapio, Okoa, and Naranpa are all involved in the politics of Tova, even if they haven't been in Tova. Xiala is hired to transport Serapio but is otherwise uninvolved in what's about to go down in Tova. Obviously by the end of the book she's somewhat involved, but overall in this book she has little to do with the goings on in Tova, though I suspect that will change in book 2. This is a very plot-driven novel, so the characters don't undergo a ton of growth during this one, though they don't necessarily remain static either.

Xiala is a siren/mermaid sea captain. She enjoys her work, though not always the trouble that comes from crewmembers and merchants, and is also a bit of a troublemaker. I enjoyed her chapters and liked getting glimpses of her past and culture. It was interesting to see her on the sea and I enjoyed the scenes where she, the crew, and Serapio are on the water.

Serapio I was more wary of. His chapters oscillate between past and present, with the past acting as a guide to how he got to be who he is today. Knowing that he is a vessel for a god is obviously a heavy burden to bear for anyone, and it's clear that he's lonely. Serapio is determined to see his work through, but at the same time, over the course of the book, it's also clear that he wants company and to have a semi-normal life, if that's even possible.

Naranpa is the Sun Priestess in Tova and is trying to change how the priesthood runs so that it both remedies the sins of the past while also providing for the people of Tova. She gets a lot of pushback from people at different angles, and while I felt she was a bit naive and idealistic, I also felt bad for Naranpa considering the sheer number of people who oppose her. I liked getting to know her and knowing that she genuinely does want to help, and I did like knowing that she has at least some allies.

I wasn't too sure of Okoa at first, but he quickly grew on me. He's the son of the Carrion Crow leader and has been away at war college for some time now. He returns upon the death of his mother and immediately clocks that something isn't right in Tova. He and Naranpa almost have mirrored plotlines, with Naranpa trying to figure things out from the inside and Okoa trying to figure them out from the ground. I liked that they got to meet and have a tentative allyship, though I wonder if that still remains. Okoa is clearly trying to step into his role with his clan and is doing his best to protect them and his sister. I actually liked Okoa a lot and wish we saw more of him.

Overall I enjoyed this book and found the worldbuilding to be excellent. It didn't always hold my attention the way I would've liked from a 5 star read, but once the machinations in Tova really started going, I found myself more drawn in. Not sure if I'll read book 2, but we'll see how I feel about it.