Just finishes #LightBringer by Pierce Brown (#RedRising Saga) and. Fuck. Red Rising is so, so good.

I obviously have criticisms of its typically liberal, sort of centrist politics, where the most radical revolution that it can imagine is basically just capitalist Republicanism, and where the socialists that point out that nothing has really significantly changed for a lot of the actual lower classes under the Republic's rule are depicted as easily manipulated idealists for the most part, and the people that are rightfully angry at the fact that they have just ended up dominated by yet another hierarchy with an aristocracy on top it's just that they get to choose which aristocrats lord it over them every so often are depicted not as people who are rightfully angry lashing out in the only way that they can figure out how to actually make the system listen, but as an angry is slavery unthinking mob.

But the character development is wonderful and complex and slow and oh so realistic and mature, the dialogue is amazing, the drama brings out emotions that are so rich and evocative, the in-world politics and plotting so complex and interesting and make sense in a way few series manage to do, the narrative so brutal and willing to take good things away from you and twist the knife that you can't help but eye every positive turn of events with traumatized eyes, and the action scenes are some of the best I've ever experienced in any medium, and it just has such a sensibility for grand drama and gestures that it is truly awe-inspiring. Despite its flaws philosophically and ideologically speaking, despite how often it edges up to a good point or idea philosophically and then backpedals or dismisses it as a strawman through narrative happenstance in favor of comfortable support for the status quo in our world, despite how truly centrist and unradical a lot of its underpinning thinking is, unwilling to really inspect or think about the roots of ideas or assumptions, I still love it as a work of fiction if not its themes.

Going back to Malazan (last two books now!) is super rough after this though, bc it's very hard to adjust back from first person present tense to third person past lol

It's #Lightbringer time!! Please excuse me while I disappear for a few weeks to read this book. #RedRising #books

2019-01-25

Cisty from Dungeon Magic / Lightbringer

this was a practice piece that I had recorded to show my flow of these kinds of fast illustrations

#art #fanart #taito #arcade #lightbringer #dungeonmagic #elf

2019-02-01

Taito superstars Rika, 1P-BUB, and CIsty, in the Crayon Shin-Chan style

#arcade #taito #art #fanart #mastoart #arcade #raimais #dungeonmagic #lightbringer #bubbulun #elf #bubblebobble

I feel a warm breath on my neck, and as I turn towards it a previously invisible Giant Ape punches me and bits Blinky, caushing quite a bit of damage. And of course, forgetting all my plans to cast Healing Spirit, I hit it right back with #Lightbringer for 17 points of damage.
I look terrible, the poison is getting to me, and Seluna can see. She runs over and heals the poisoned effect, and I thank her profusely. #DnD #Combat #DnDWednesdays

The name of the game first got my attention because of the #Lightbringer novels (have not read).