#R. K. Ashwick

[cinnastray]

One out of four illustrations for R. K. Ashwick's new book, "The Spirit Well" 🌼

[autumn2may]

Today our judges review R. K. Ashwick's A Rival Most Vial for this year's Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) finals! 🐉

[betterbooksandthings]

"The book has seen immediate success in 2023, debuting as a number one New York Times bestselling novel. Readers love the irreverent fantasy world and the witty characters trying to make a living in a villain’s evil lair. Sure, the villain equips the lair with a top-notch break room, HR, and healthcare, but there are still the trappings of a villain’s daily activities, reminding employees they work for a bad guy. If you, too, can’t get enough of this world, read on for eight funny, romantic, and fantastical books like Assistant to the Villain!

The following books like Assistant to the Villain give readers who are eagerly awaiting book two something to read in the meantime. They are a combination of fantasy romance books that have a dash of action, romance, and comedy to keep any Hannah Nicole Maehrer fan happy. I am head over heels for the odd little subgenre myself, so I guarantee these books like Assistant to the Villain will hit the spot."

[author-a-holmes]

Reddit Cozy Fantasy Tournament 2023

Congrats to all the authors who made it into the Semi-Finals of the Reddit "Cozy Fantasy Tournament 2023"... but especially to the lovely @ashen-crest!! I've already cast my votes for the semi finals, but if you've read A Rival Most Vial, go and help her out by casting your vote HERE And if you haven't read A Rival Most Vial yet... well... what on earth are you waiting for? It's fantastic!!

To see the Full Reddit Competition Thread, Click HERE.

[author-a-holmes]

Hello!

If you're looking for a FANTASTIC LGBTQ+ Cozy Fantasy, I highly recommend @ashen-crest's "A Rival Most Vial". Absolutely top tier, A+ storytelling right there. (Their other book, The Stray Spirit is also fantastic!)

My current project isn't LGBTQ, but if you're interested in checking out a reverse portal contemporary fantasy with fey and vampires, then my debut, "Changeling" is available for sale basically everywhere.

Self published authors, this one’s for you!

So, I’m looking for some more books to add to my shelf and want to support self published authors at the same time!

I enjoy most genres, tbh, although I do prefer LGBTQ stories! So promo yourself to me and show me your books! ❤️

I’m also looking for more mutuals so I’ll be following all of you back if you choose to follow!

[forthesanityofstorytellers]

Books of 2024 (in no particular order)

Tagged by @tryingtimi here, thanks so much!

The “rules” were to list 9 books you’ve read and loved this year (buuuuuuut sorta. lol I started reading more again last year after a reading lull and also I got distracted by some, so Imma sprinkle in ones that I started and then got distracted from)

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler Adult hardboiled crime, 1939

Started this one last year because I got bit by the hardboild noir gumshoe whatever-it-is bug. So I decided to go to one of the (what my research said was) greats and work my way out that way. It did have a very interesting beginning setup, and that's about as far as I got before We Will Devour The Night was released and...then the crime was traded in for political backstabbing. Was a good start tho, and I'm going to come back for it. I actually did this year but I started A Rival Most Vial at the same time and it became A Problem. So help me, I'm hopeless lol

The Darkangel Trilogy by Meredith Anne Pierce YA, 1982, Fantasy, vampires and gargoyles and ghostly brides oh my!

Picked this one up after reading The Firebringer Trilogy and I really wanted to read more by Pierce. It was a pretty interesting read as far as I got, which was about...middle, I think. Application of the creatures was fun, and I'm pretty sure there was more yet to discover about the world that they're in. Can't wait to dive back in.

A City Without Birds by Alexandra Ding YA Dystopian Sci-fi, 2023

This one was a wild ride. A new discovery around every corner, horrible memories popping up for our poor protagonist, little chips hidden under the skin, and of course I love a good mentor that helps keep our young always-in-danger MC aware of the situation and doing his best to keep her out of danger and informed at the same time.

The Unschooled Wizard by Barbara Hambly High Fantasy, other worlds, magic and swords, 1987

This one I've had an on-off relationship with lol, but I am determined to finish it. Some day. I found it among my dad's things after he passed, and given everything I learned about Fantasy at the start was from him, it felt like a good bet I'd enjoy it too. Also I'm a little gremlin, lol. Good world building, evil wizards, mercenaries. It's got two books in one, and I finished the first one (The Ladies of Mandrigyn) a while ago. It's been start and stop with the second but I got far enough to know I'm going to be interested when I pick it back up again. Also one of those that I abandoned when a certain Star Princess came back around.

We Will Devour The Night by Camilla Andrew Fantasy, magic, politicking, and dicks erotica, 2024

Aahahaha, the book that lured me away from other books last year. Couldn't help it. Read the first book in 2023 and so it was a case of I couldn't wait to see what the second book had in store and I already knew some of the world from the first book, so in I went! Parallel plotlines, an expansion on the world and the magic, with enough story and relationships left for the next one.

Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson High Fantasy, lots of travel and creatures, 2022

One of the poor stories abandoned for something else. I think this one was chucked for The Spirit Well. But I was having a hard time with it anyway. I love Roshar so, so much but the book was so, so long. Got about halfway. I am going to go back. I can't not go back. The magic system, the world, the...Kaladin. Kaladiiiiiiiiiiiin. Anyway. Now that I'm Kaladin thinking of Kaladin I might get back to Kaladin sooner rather than later. Kaladin.

The Spirit Well by R. K. Ashwick Fantasy, adventure, espionage, bards doing wildly dangerous things, 2024

The lovely Bard and Spirit and Scholar that I scampered after once the book was released. The magic is so much fun and Aspen was worth abandoning the other books for. A bit less light-hearted than the first book, but every bit as fun. Also I did talk at the book a few times and screamed once. Or twice. Might have kicked me feet and giggled a little as well.

Daughter of the Dragon by Anmol Kahn Fantasy, Dragons, Magic, Evil. 2020

D R A G O N S. Good old-fashioned dragons. This one had adventure, taking back the kingdom, and evil generals trying to take over all the kingdoms. Was a very enjoyable ride! Also dragons.

Kith & Kin by Mariki Nijkamp Vox Machina Origin story, LitRPG, Dungeons and Dragons. 2022

I started this one after watching the show after I got into the show thanks to watching Critical Role's second campaign. Of course Vax is my fav and the series got me interested in the twins mostly, so when I heard they were starting a book series on Origins I decided to start with them :P Only got to the first few chapters before other books beckoned me tho. Will be going back for more once other books stop distracting me...or when I get tired of there being no new Vox Machina content lol

Tagging, no pressure!!

@tc-doherty @bloodlessheirbyjacques @aether-wasteland-s @nacricissa @theeccentricraven

@daisywords @faeriecinna @americanfemcel @emberlyric @theprissythumbelina

@crazyinspirationaldreams @vacantgodling @erieautumnskies

@talesofsorrowandofruin @theoracleofgiana

@at-thezenith @full-on-sam @lyutenw @librarysilverfish

@theunboundwriter @sleepyowlwrites @karkkidoeswriting @thesorcerersapprentice @ryns-ramblings

@charlesjosephwrites @aalinaaaaaa @mjjune @adie-dee

@concealeddarkness13 @wordswrittenbynight @winterandwords @toribookworm22

@serafyyn @gummybugg @carnocus @everthewip @sentfromwolves

@somethingclevermahogony @kaylinalexanderbooks @sodaliteskull

@flowerprosegarden @leahnardo-da-veggie @thegoddesswater @rhikasa @mysticstarlightduck and OPEN TAG!

[mary-is-writing]

My review for the ARC of The Spirit Well by @ashen-crest is finally up in my blog!! It's on Spanish, but there should be a button there in the blog to translate it to English👍

If you haven't read The Spirit Well, you totally should!! It's a fantasy story with lots of great characters that'll definitely win over your heart :D

[ettawritesnstudies]

Another EXCELLENT release by writeblr's own @ashen-crest, I cannot say enough how much I absolutely loved this book. If you haven't checked out the Lutesong Trilogy yet, I highly recommend you go check it out. The characters are absolutely delightful, this is one of the few (only?) romances I've ever read that had me actually literally crying at the end, and the worldbuilding is really reminiscent of the spirit world in ATLA (especially the episodes with Hei Bai and the Painted Lady). If you like anxious bard bois, nerdy determined politician girls, and friendly overprotective feral shapeshifter spirit children, this is the book for you

[thegreatzeldini]

there’s a little of this in A Rival Most Vial and A Captured Cauldron by R. K. Ashwick!

Given how wizards are themed around higher education, with their universities and ivory towers, I wanna see more fiction that goes into their published papers.

Like, there should be massive drama in the Wizarding world about how Fantasy Wikipedia says "There's no consensus about the origins of skydoves" when in fact, there very much is, everyone knows they were created in the first or second dragon wars, and that's uncontroversial. One single wizard at the University of Towers who thinks they're an offshoot of mermaids DOES NOT MEAN IT'S AN OPEN ISSUE.

Papers that are rebuttals to other magical discoveries. Like, look, that spell just won't work, and you can't call it a "theoretical exercise" just to cover up the fact that you've not been able to cast it. You can't combine Ichthyomancy with completely unrelated elemental summonings, that's just not how magic works, in all due respect.

Thesis defense would be significantly scarier when all your reviewers can cast Everburning Fireball on your ass.

Learning Theoretical Evocation from a hungover lizardman TA at 8am, because the professor for this course has been off on the Elemental Plane of Circles for half the semester trying to finish her paper on how Centaurs predate horses rather than the other way around.

Speaking of which, the life of a wizard graduate student... You keep getting called to go on "quests" which are just overgrown research expeditions to help out some professor's project. You spent nearly a month in that damp castle capturing all the spinfrogs you could find, all to help your professor's project on the possibilities of concentrated soul essences. To this day, you still get dizzy whenever you see battlements, let alone a donjon.

[toribookworm22]

heyy Tori, happy STS!! I'm curious to know about your recent reads - what was your favorite book/short story/screenplay/whatever that you've read this year? any that disappointed you (feel free to ignore if you don't wanna spill any tea lol)? or, if you haven't read anything, first, I see you, and second, any book you'd particularly like to get your hands on?

Hey, Cee! Thanks for the ask, love!

I'm gonna real with you, the only reason I even remember what I've read is because of Goodreads. 🤣 I'm realizing more every day that I have very little object permanence-- or whatever permanence, I don't know.

So let's see a few highlights:

All The Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

So, if nothing else, this book kept me on my toes the entire time. I'd think I knew where the story was going and it would go the complete other way. While the princess and the mermaid don't get together like a small part of me was hoping, I'm incredibly attached to the depictions of these characters. Looking forward to reading the sequel!

A Field Guide To Mermaids by Emily B. Martin

This made 7-year-old me very happy. Not only is it written like mermaids are simply another part of our world, it's illustrated absolutely stunningly. Ms. Martin, you have my whole heart. ♥️

A Rival Most Vial by R. K. Ashwick

New comfort read acquired!! Oh my gosh, I don't even know how to sum up how happy this book made me. Such a wonderful read, with a stunning world, and absolutely delightful characters. I rooted for these two idiot boys the entire way through-- harder than I think I've ever done before. ❤️ Thank you thank you thank you.

Skyhunter by Marie Lu

Oh. My. Gosh. So coming from one of my favorite and most trusted authors, I went in with high hopes. And they were beyond exceeded. This is such a stunning world filled with glorious characters. I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel. Thank you, Ms. Lu for another lovely read.

Daughter of the Deep

Absolutely stunning! I always forget how fantastic Mr. Riordan's novels are and it has been several years since I've gotten to read one for the very first time. Such a rich and beautiful story pulled from a world many are unfamiliar with. Adding to his collection growing on my bookshelf.

Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer

This is one of my new favorite romance novels! And I'm still internally squealing about it! Honestly, I was a little doubtful to begin with. I've become extremely critical of romance novels over the past year or so, but I knew I had to give one of my favorite authors a shot. And I was not disappointed. The main character is downright WRONG in this book, which I absolutely adore, and so it's more of a self-discovery (even though the love interest is delightful as well). Thank you, Marissa Meyer, for making me grin at a book for four solid hours.

[cinnastray]

Hello, happy Sunday!

This is another illustration for RK Ashwick's new book, "The Spirit Well" <3

[betterbooksandthings]

"In this age of ever-expanding nerdery, there is a fantasy romance book for every type of geek—including, of course, those of us who love a good tabletop role-playing game like Dungeons & Dragons. To understand the existence of DnD-inspired fantasy romance books, you only have to look to the growing popularity of both DnD and high fantasy romances."

[anntickwittee]

Short List:

A Rival Most Vial by R. K. Ashwick

The Phoenix Keeper by S. A. MacLean

Silver in the Wood by by Emily Tesh

Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy

ok so like ... where are the queer low-stakes/cozy fantasy books?

I know about Rebecca Thorne, Legends and Lattes, and The Honey Witch but from my very low-effort browsing on GR and in bookstores, I can't seem to find any others?

if anyone has recs for cozy fantasy books with queer protagonists, I would love to hear them but don't recommend me things that are only available on amazon/kindle, please and thank you <3

[author-a-holmes]

ARC Review: A Rival Most Vial by R. K. Ashwick

I received a free copy of this book from the author (@ashen-crest) and am voluntarily leaving an honest review. However, I now have a paperback copy on order because Holy Sh-- this was so good!!

R. K. Ashwick made herself comfortable on my list of favourite authors after her debut novel, 'The Stray Spirit'. There's a freshness to her authorial voice that makes her books an utter delight to read, and time slips away from me the moment I start the first page.

With 'A Rival Most Vial' she's cemented her spot in my top ten favourite authors. I didn't anticipate buying any paperbacks this year, I've got bills and a holiday to save for, but I simply had to shuffle around some finances to add this one to my shelf.

The rivalry between Ambrose and Eli is perfectly balanced. It doesn't cross into anything groan-worthy, and I didn't get second-hand embarrassment for either of them, which is a common reason romance-rivalry's aren't commonly a favourite trope of mine.

But, as usual, Ashwick had me falling in love with all her characters. Ambrose and Eli, of course, but also all the other members of Rosemond street. Dawn is a delight, Tom's freaking adorable, Sherry's brilliant and Banneker is a laugh, but besides the main characters, Grim's quiet protectiveness might be my favourite.

I don't know what else to tell you without giving away spoilers, because this plot was so perfectly woven together that every element I want to gush about, leads to another that I want you to read and discover on your own.

All in all, I adored this read. It's my first paperback purchase of the year; potentially my only paperback purchase of the year, and another of Ashwick's wonderful stories to add to my collection.

[ettawritesnstudies]

Indie Author Interview: R.K. Ashwick

Etta: Hello, my name is Etta Grace, and welcome to my YouTube channel. Today I am interviewing R. K. Ashwick, who has wrote a few different books that I have reviewed on my blog before. The first was The Stray Spirit and the second was A Rival Most Vial, which is in a separate series called The Sidequest Row. And today we are going to be talking about R. K. Ashwick’s second book in the Spirit…

[magic-is-something-we-create]

2022 Year In Review Tag!

Thank you @whimsyqueen for the tag!!! <3<3<3

Top 5 Movies I watched: ... I don't think I even watched five so here's just the two rewatches I enjoyed while excluding the ironic hits a la Birdemic and Bigfoot 2012 - 9 to 5 - The Iron Giant

Top 5 Shows I watched: - Arcane - Prehistoric Planet - Made in Abyss - Legend of Vox Machina - The Haunting of Bly Manor

Top 5 songs of 2022: (completely separate from Spotify Wrapped) - The King by Rosendale - We Have it All by Pim Stones - Fire by Saint Mesa - Identity by grandson - The London Air Raids by Vian Izak

Top 5 albums/artists of 2022: - Modern Myths for a Crazy World by Rosendale - Shapeshifter by aeseaes - grandson in general - God of War: Ragnarok OST by Bear McCreary - Kevin Penkin in general

Top 5 books I read: - Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson - Hunger Pangs by Joy Demorra - Iron Gold by Pierce Brown - The Stray Spirit by R. K. Ashwick - The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (I think I read it early this year?? If not, it still lives in my head rent-free like I did so)

Top 5 characters from TV/Books/etc.: - Vi from Arcane - Aspen from The Stray Spirit - Ephraim ti Horn from Iron Gold - Riko from Made in Abyss - Navani from Rhythm of War

Top 5 podcasts I listened to: - Not Another D&D Podcast (especially Campaign 3 🥰🥰🥰) - The NoSleep Podcast - SciShow Tangents - Sawbones - The Spawn Chunks

And finally...

5 Positive things that happened in 2022, no matter how small! - I started AND finished Echoseers this year!! - I got back on HRT and found the ADHD meds that work for me!! - I started reading more again after a long reading slump!! - I've officially started making money off of my art for the first time ever!! - I'm running a fun as hell D&D campaign for my friends consistently for the first time ever, too, and we've only missed a handful of sessions!!

This is a lovely tag game, so even if you're not tagged right here right now, PLEASE take it as an open tag and hop in!! It's an awesome way to look at the bright side of things :D

I'll tag: @writeblrfantasy, @impaledlotus, @faithfire, @ettawritesnstudies, @fletcherandfiction, and @athena-anna-rose!!