Hokay, folks, I'm back.

I've finished KoA, finally, and good lord, it was amazing. It was a thousand kinds of amazing. It was the kind of amazing that made me want to read it again, and that made me disappointed with the next book I picked up simply because the lack of amazing blend of tone, style, and secrecy.* I am very excited! It was a good book! :D

I've been thinking of fanart, but what's frustrating is, I have such certain images of a few characters (Eugenides, Attolia, Eddis), and none at all of certain others (Costis, Teleus), that it makes it very difficult to art for these folks.

I compromised for my first fanart. Gen, minus face.



Also at Deviantart!

Bit of a rush job - this couldn't taken 20 minutes - and the anatomy's a little wonky - I kind of want to draw him a little thinner, next time, like I imagine. Also, next time he'll be clothed.** But the basic concept is there.

(Need to research clothes of the time period, and also the kinds of gymnastics you can do with one hand.)

So yeah! There you have it. Hopefully I'll be back periodically with some other characters - also, faces. Faces are nice.





*This is not to say Francis Mary Hendry's Quest for a Maid is not good (my childhood!), only that it is ... not KoA.

**I have an excuse for the lack of shirt. That is because he is someplace where shirts are not necessary. Like in his rooms. Or Attolia's. Not because of gratuitous muscle-drawing. Totally not.

Here's a bit of British humor for Christmas!



OK, I must run! Lots of work to do before Christmas Eve -- Happy Holidays, everyone, and tell all your friends to listen to the podcast, because Megan Whalen Turner and her books are awesome!

Hi, everybody!

My sister Mary, my friend and colleague Maria, and I just had the most awesome conversation with MWT! We recorded it for a podcast, but, since Megan was extraordinarily generous with her time, we have cut it in two, and we'll be making two podcasts out of one interview!

I just put the first podcast up on line, and you can access it here

Enjoy, everybody! The second half will be up soon!

Hiyya everybody!! I'm new around here (not exactly new.. but I never find time to post anything here due to the heavy boulders of asignments I carry as a result of attending university). Its the first time I EVER joined a blog and sounis is the only reason I joined LJ. My addiction to MWT and the Queen's Theif a couple of months ago during a stroll in the university library, and suddenly a book caught my attention. Alas, it was KoA! But I kinda figured out from the cover that I have to read the the previous books to understand. This how the journey started (and is still going on): 
The Theif - loved it!
The Queen of Attolia - just adored it!!
The King of Attolia - omg!! there're no words to describe my obsession!!
Conspiracy of Kings - I'm having stomach cramps thinking of it!!
So I really thanked god that I didn't read the book sooner, or I would have literally died.. =)

Anyways.. I've got this question: In the KoA, Gen says to Costis that "don't give up because there is little chance (of assasination or heir)" - sorry but I don't remember the words properly. Does that mean anything? I don't know why it caught my attention but I think it would pretty cool if they find themselves a heir. =)

Its so great being here with all of Gen's fans (where I live, I don't know a single person who even heard of the series.. hopefully that won't keep bookshops to delay the book release) and be a part of it!  =)


P.S. Hopefully you understood my post despite the spelling and gramatical errors (my English sir is soo gonna kill me!)
P.S.S. Can't wait for CoK.. =''''''''''''(

i_hope_that
For many of us, the holidays can be kind of rough. If you're searching for a network of understanding friends, this ultra-nurturing community encourages you to express your heartfelt wishes and offer other members encouragement and acceptance. Not for the terminally snarky or emotionally-challenged, this is a good-spirited place to lend comfort and support.

diygifts
Feeling crafty? If you've got a few last folks on your holiday gift list, this is a great place to seed your creativity and generosity. You'll also discover wonderful DIY tips to decorate your home and entertain guests. Offering a no-frills-no-skills attitude that welcomes the cash-challenged and arts-phobic, you're sure to get ideas and make friends in the process.

cooking_club
A fun and friendly community dedicated to those who love to cook, whether you're a meat-and-potatoes type, an aspiring gourmand, and/or a vegan. In search of a brilliant dish to use up those weekly leftovers? Post your ingredients and you'll be whipping up a feast by dinner. You can also share favorite recipes. For Type A chefs, you can spice up your culinary repertoire with exciting cooking challenges.

My gift is quite a lot different from that of the lovely FreeNarnian, sadly I do not have an ARC, and have only read small amounts of KoK (Whis is absolutely LOVE of course). My present is a illistration thingie majingy (Thingy Majingy?) from QoA (And I suppose the KoA). I drew from this phrase from QoA-He had looked so young when he was asleep, and hardly older once he was awake. He needed a nursary, not a bride, Attolia though bitterly.- This bit of the book, for some inane reason, has always fascinated me. The picture is set some time in KoA. I found a very scribbly sketch of it in my huge pile of sketches and finished it. So anyway, enough burbling here it is.



Hmmm-I hope that worked. My computer likes to annoy me. Anyway, Happy Holidays and be Blessed in all your endevours!

-Tencups (I SWEAR IT!)

(It won't do the cut! I'm sorry!)

Firstly, I greet you all. I'm new to LJ so please forgive me if I post this entirely the wrong way. It's something of an experiment...

Second, I come bearing a gift! I had the privilege of reading an ARC of A Conspiracy of Kings this past week and I wanted to share some of the goodness with this splendid community. I snatched this brief, spoiler-mild excerpt from the book before passing it on to the 4-5 friends that lined up to read it after me (with some rivalry over who would get it first). With respect for those who are holding out and avoiding any degree of spoiler (brave souls!) until March/April, I have posted the excerpt at my journal instead of here. Link: http://freenarnian.livejournal.com/

Merry Christmas everyone!

On account that there is a chance to meet-up with Megan within a five hour drive traversable distance of my hometown I began my perilous quest to convince my mother it is worth driving to. Upon the successful completion of my venture, #5 (my ten-year old brother), asked if he could go too. My mother responded that he could, only if he read the books before the scheduled day, no doubt assuming that he wouldn't even if he could. I, who had been looking for an excuse to read the books aloud and perfect my voices for each character, volunteered to read them to him. We started TT yesterday and are now on chapter nine of QoA, half of which has been read aloud and the other half he read without me because he got tired of waiting. =)

stepstomarrow
When granddaughter, Jada, was born with leukemia, a donor-match was located and Jada made a miraculous recovery. In honor of her grandaughter's health, Jeanna has decided to walk across the country (in the dead of winter) to raise awareness and build support for the bone marrow registry (all that's required is a cheek swab). Follow Jeanna's remarkable journey as she travels the United States by foot.

OK, everybody, I am SO lucky! I just finished reading our brand-new, shiny ARC of "A Conspiracy of Kings" last night, and I have posted a review over on my "real" blog (http://deirdrea.wordpress.com/ ). I hope you all enjoy it!

BTW, as I'm sure you well know, the book is great!

One of the things that I've found most interesting about the latest update from Greenwillow (of course I wasn't caught swooning! Don't be ridiculous...) is the /inclusion of a map./ Ever since Eugenides, the Magus, Pol and the Uselesses trekked across all three borders in the Thief, I've been curious to know exactly how the Eddisian mountains are laid out. I've made a few attempts myself, based on the info we have in the books about the Dystopia, the Sea of Olivers, and the sparse mention of major bodies of water... but they don't seem coherent or book-jacket worthy. If anybody else has come up with a design, I'd love to see it!

--Theone

Just in case you all thought I was dead - I am not. C: And holy pants you guys, the next book's first few chapters! Whoooo. No fanart of it in this post, but I shall be certain to do so in the future... under a cut, of course, haha. Anywho, nothing particularly spectacular here - realized I never really think about Eugenides' scar, so doodled what I think it looks like. Also, Attolia raising an eyebrow and Eddis with a glowy crown. I think they can be clicked to be enbiggened, if livejournal is behaving itself.
Oh and also some process doodles while I tried to figure out what Attolia looked like. They range from sort-of-looks-like-her to doesn't-really-at-all, haha.

I have a question but I'm not sure if this has been discussed here before and I just can't find the answer. Anyway, I was wondering why Attolia, the country, is named that way and not Attolis so it would've been consistent with Eddis and Sounis? Or are the countries named after the current ruler?

So, because of recent chapter leaks and whatnot, I can't seem to focus on anything but COK and now the months till April seem much MUCH longer.

So I just wanted to get my mind off what Gen and Sophos are up to in CoKs, I was wonder
who's your favorite character (besides Gen) and why? Which led to my next idea of...

Who would you nominate for following superlatives...
(All characters are fair game)

1 The one who is most likely to end up dancing on a table
2 The one who kicks-butt
3 The study geek (:
4 The one who's always confused
5 The the smarty pants
6 The jock/athletic
7 The most ambitious
8 The greediest
9 The laziest
10 The funniest
11 The reliable one
12 The cutest/ most adorable
13 The one who needs anger management
14 The one most likely to have 8 kids

:]

Some folks hereabouts feel that the name Irene has an old lady vibe. It has been considered old-fashioned in some circles until recently, but maybe it's time we re-think it. Try pronouncing it differently. In French, it's pronounced EE-renn, in Spanish ee-RAY-na. This is extra-funny because the French & Spanish words for queen are pronounced renn [reine] & RAY-nah [reina]. So, in a way, her name says I-Queen [like we didn't already know--weg].

Another suggestion is to go out & read the Irene Adler mysteries by Carole Nelson Douglas, starting with _Goodnight, Mr. Holmes_ and _Good Morning, Irene_. Anything less old-ladyish than the intrepid Irene Adler would be hard to imagine. Best of all, by the time you find & read all 7 or 8 mysteries, ACoK will be out. I recommend earplugs to help with the inevitable squee.

taste_buds
Holidays provide a built-in excuse for indulgent entertaining. This all-purpose foodie community covers everything from homemade hangover cures to dinner party menus. Need quick advice? Get five-minute snack suggestions, low-fat ingredient substitutes, and even measurement conversions. Delicious recipes garnished with humorous advice. Yum.

naturesbeauty
Always on the lookout for compelling images, we were delighted to discover this flourishing community of artists who share a love of nature. Honoring the subject with photographs, paintings, sketches, prose, poetry, and other creative works, you'll be simultaneously riveted to your monitor and inspired to run helter skelter towards the nearest wooded dale.

Passing on this message from Megan Whalen Turner.

Christmas is coming and I could really use a latte. Is there anyone in the San Diego area who might like to meet up at Mysterious Galaxy bookstore which has a conveniently located Starbucks next door?

Megan

Sounds like a good time to get those books signed.

I highly recommend the Gingerbread latte--it's only out this time of year.