#winters orbit

[vkelleyart]

“Just because it’s not important doesn’t mean it’s not important to someone.” - Winter’s Orbit by @avoliot / Everina Maxwell

What a treat to have another excuse to draw Kiem and Jainan! This piece was commissioned by Sanctum Flames Candles for their upcoming Winter's Orbit scented candle, which I have been told smells DELICIOUS. This moment after the flybug crash was especially lovely to draw, as the scene grants Jainan a bit of insight into Kiem's generous spirit and makes Jainan fall that much more in love with him. * swoon *

I should have details soon on how to get your own limited edition candle and print! In the meantime, Happy Spring to all!

#winters orbit #kiem and jainan #everina maxwell #commission #fanart

[artbyflor]

old drawing of Jainan and Kiem from Winter's Orbit, if you haven't read it i highly recommend it😭🙏🏼

#winters orbit #kiem tegnar #jainan nav adessari #my art #kienan

[beartrice-inn-unnir]

10. What is your favorite genre book to recommend to someone who doesn’t usually like that genre?

Usually when people ask me for a rec for a genre they don’t usually like, they are asking for sci-fi, and I start by trying to figure out different access points based on what they already like. I’m not much of a hard sci-fi person, tending more to the space opera and political thrillers, so here’s a few “if you like x, maybe try y”:

If you like romance, give Everina Maxwell’s Winter’s Orbit a try. It’s definitely sci-fi in setting and plot, but it also hits nicely in the formulaic patterns of a arranged-marriage, strangers-to-lovers story that will help you through it even if the sci-fi elements are throwing you off. The author has another similar book that increases the sci-fi elements and is enemies-to-lovers as well, so if you like Winter’s Orbit, Ocean’s Echo is a good next step.

If you like non-fiction, The Martian by Andy Weir is a great pick. I have multiple friends who got into reading again as adults via The Martian. It’s well-written, well-grounded, funny, and very sci-fi. If you’ve already read it, then maybe give To Be Taught if Fortunate by Becky Chambers a try. It can be described with all the same adjectives, plus it’s a short novella, so if you’re hesitant, it’s less intimidating.

If you like mysteries or political thrillers, boy is there a lot of great sci-fi out there for you. The crux of a lot of sci-fi is space or high-tech settings with a plot that asks questions about personhood, and that mixes really well with detectives and spies wandering around trying to solve problems and find truths. Try Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells (it’s partway through a series of great books and novellas, but that one’s the most traditional mystery plot) or A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine (ambassador solving her predecessor’s mysterious death while trying to do his job)(I’d also recommend this one if you read a lot of classics) EDIT: just realized I mistyped - book 1 by Arkady Martine is A Memory Called Empire.

If YA/ Bildungsromanen/ New Adult figuring the world out through trial and error is often your jam, try Provenance by Ann Leckie (for the kid who really wants to do things right) or The Warrior’s Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold (for another kid who wants to do things right, but is also a high-energy chaos gremlin).

If you like fantasy, you probably already have read some sci-fi; it’s all under the speculative fiction umbrella and genres are vague anyway. All the same, I know this is the Locked Tomb Website, but give Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir a shot (it’s got magic and mayhem and an epic locked-room whodunnit mystery). The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord is also good - it has a team of people traveling together and thinking about morals and discovering new abilities, plus some romance.

I’m sure there’s lots of genres I’m forgetting right now, but feel free to send me another ask for any specific one!

#readers asks #winters orbit #oceans echo #everina maxwell #the Martian #andy weir #to be taught if fortunate #becky chambers #fugitive telemetry #martha wells #the murderbot diaries #a desolation called peace #arkady martine #a memory called empire #provenance #ann leckie #the warriors apprentice #lois mcmaster bujold #gideon the ninth #tamsyn muir #the best of all possible worlds #karen lord

[oblivionsdream]

Just wanted to share the cover redesigns + edges that I did for Dazzling Bookish Shop! I got my copies and I just love how they turned out 😭

#book cover redesign #winters orbit #oceans echo #teach the torches to burn #in other lands #the alchemy of moonlight

[redwhiteandroyalbluesuggestions]

Be compared with many, many other books that come after you

#red white and royal blue #rwrb #casey mcquiston #lgbt books #winters orbit #everina maxwell #freya marske #a marvellous light #HS Valley #Tim Te Maro #prince of the palisades #julian winters #prince of fortune #lisa tirreno #the gay dictator #sean kraig

[lilareviewsbooks]

Queer Normal-World in SFF Books

Here are five books where being queer is the norm, aka there is no homophobia or transphobia at all! Not all these books are fluffy though -- most of them have heavy conflicts and a bunch of shit going down, but at least no one has a problem with anyone being gay!

These are my favorite kind of books and I have so, so many recommendations, so let me know if you ever want more of these :) And I can also absolutely do only fluffy queer books, too!

The Genesis of Misery, by Neon Yang

Mx. Yang's books are perfect for this type of prompt. The Genesis of Misery is their most recent, and the premise is absolutely killer. It follows Misery Nomaki (she/they), who is haunted by an apparition of an angel. While she is convinced she is mentally ill like her mother, and that her visions are a symptom, people around her seem more and more certain that she is actually some sort of messiah. 

I have my issues with The Genesis of Misery, but it’s a very creative sci-fi that’s worth the read. It includes mecha, interesting depictions of religion, which permeates the entire story, and, of course, excellent queer rep. We have characters who use neo-pronouns, a polyamory situationship and most characters are queer. Not to mention, it’s written by a queer and non-binary author, which is always a plus. It’s part of an on-going series, though, so be prepared to wait a little while for the sequel! 

Plus, The Locked Tomb fans might be interested to know that there’s a very cavalier-necromancer dynamic in this, and that Rebecca Roanhorse (who wrote Black Sun) described it as Joan of Arc meets Gideon The Ninth. 

Yep. You wanna read it, don’t you?

(Also, if for some reason you’re like: “gee, I really wish there was a black-and-white silent movie with a killer score that touched on these same themes”, then you should probably watch The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1928). It’s not explicitly gay, but it is queer in my heart. And it rocks.)

The Locked Tomb Series, starting with Gideon The Ninth, by Tasmyn Muir

Since I mentioned it, I guess I might as well include The Locked Tomb in here! This is a Tumblr favorite, and with good reason, because The Locked Tomb fucking rocks. It’s hard to pitch it to someone without ruining the whole point of the series, but the first book follows a necromancer, Harrowhark and her sworn swords-woman, her cavalier, the butch-as-hell Gideon, as they’re summoned to the First House to compete to become Lyctors, the companions of God. 

Yeah, I know that’s a lot, and, to be honest, it’s probably not gonna make much sense to you at many points throughout the story, but that’s the point of The Locked Tomb - everything is confusing, and it’s about sapphics in space! 

The thing about this series is they’re the most unique books you’ll ever read. Every volume has a different approach to telling its story. There’s so many mysteries and it’s almost impossible to understand all the intricacies without sitting down and doing some work. The magic system is also the wonkiest, coolest thing - it involves eating people, sometimes, y’know. And, I promise, you’ll love every single second of it. Especially because there’s absolutely no homophobia or transphobia in any of it, and almost every character is queer as fuck - especially after the second book, when gender starts getting a little funky!

Winter’s Orbit, by Everina Maxwell

I love this book so much, and so know that it comes highly, highly recommended! I have a whole five star review on it you can check out here. (Do check trigger warnings, though! You should always, but especially for this one. I didn’t and they really got me!). 

Winter’s Orbit features my absolutely favorite trope - queer arranged marriage. (Nothing better - those three words and you know it’s gonna be a queer normal world, have some politics and probably be really fucking sweet.) This one is probably one of only ones out of this list where the romance is very predominant and serves as an important B plot. It’s also a standalone, but has a companion book in the same universe, called Ocean’s Echo, which rocks, too!

This one follows Jainan, a recent widower who is rushed into an arranged marriage with Prince Kiem in order to keep the alliance between their homelands intact. Together, they must navigate court intrigue I’m trying my best not to spoil and investigate Jainan’s ex-husband’s death, which might not have been an accident, after all...

In this sci-fi fantasy world, being queer is completely normal, and their system when it comes to gender is absolutely fascinating. People will wear little gender signifiers, like a wodden token for female, for instance, so that others know how to refer to them. It’s super cool to see these kind of things incorporated into the world-building, and it’s something you really only get when queer authors are behind the helm.

(Also, this was originally written online, and it was actually picked up and traditionally published! Which is so cool! Queer fics becoming traditionally published books is so rare, it’s so nice to see it actually happen!)

The Teixcalaan Series, starting with A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine

This is another one of my favorites! I read it last year and it blew me away - so much so that I’ve been itching to re-read it ever since I finished the second book.

The Teixcalaan Series is a political sci-fi duology focusing on the themes of language, empire and cultural domination through imperialism. It’s amazing, and I wrote about it in a full-length review, here, if you wanna take a look! 

It follows Mahit Dzamare, from the tiny Lsel Station, who becomes the ambassador to the huge Teixcalaan Empire, whose culture she’s been in love with for ages. The problem? Something happened to the Lsel ambassador, and the Empire’s control over the Station has been growing ever bigger. To make matters worse, Mahit’s imago machine - the cerebral implant full of her predecessors memories and experiences - doesn’t seem to be working properly, leaving her with a ghost of her predecessor inside of her head...

With all the problems the Teixcalaan Empire has, it’s not homophobic or transphobic, which is a plus for us gays who want to read in peace. Mahit has a charged relationship with her cultural liason, Three Seagrass (yes, that’s her name; yes, there’s an in-world explanation; no, I won’t tell you what it is, you’ll have to read it and find out), not to mention all the hijinks she finds out her predecessor was up to. And none of it needs to be justified or explained at all - people are just gay, and that’s fine!

On A Sunbeam, by Tillie Walden

This graphic novel has a stunning art style, and, listen closely sapphics, absolutely no men at all. Yep. Literally there’s only women and non-binary people in this comic! 

And guess what? It’s available to read for free, here. Thank you, Ms. Walden!

Here, romance is also an important plot point. On A Sunbeam follows Mia, who starts working for a crew of repair-people who rebuild broken down structures. In another timeline, we flashback to her experiences at her boarding school, and to her relationship with a new student.

What’s most unique about On A Sunbeam - apart from the fact that there are no men at all - is it’s unique version of outer space. It’s almost historical, with huge sprawling marble structures decaying, surronded by trees. The ships are shaped like huge fish. You can feel the whimsy in your bones from the colors and the art style that Ms. Walden uses, here.

This standalone is definitely worth a read. And if you like it, you should definitely check out the rest of Ms. Walden’s work - it’s all as beautiful as this is, if not more. Her The End of Summer was one of my favorite reads, last year.

That’s all I’ve got, guys, but lemme know if you want more of these - I have so many, I can definitely recommend you more! Drop me an ask if you have specifications, too - I’m always happy to do some digging :)

#booklr #book recommendations #book recs #queer books #sapphic books #lgbtq books #book review #queer sff #sff books #the locked tomb #the genesis of misery #neon yang #gideon the ninth #winters orbit #a memory called empire #teixcalaan #on a sunbeam #tillie walden

[sweetestmercutio]

reading winter's orbit rn and it's so funny jainan is like "oh god oh no i'm fucking everything up if i ruin this i will kill myself live on tv" and kiem is busy being space vogue's most specialest princess ever

#winters orbit

[mswynter]

They were sweet. Should draw more of these 2 actually being sweet on eachother. AND THE INQUISTOR, WHO WAS RAD!

#winters orbit #jainan #kiem #I ACCIDENTALLY POSTED THIS TO MAIN

[mimisreadingnook]

my next read, im so excited for this one!! 🛸 also, i made a bookstagram! if youre interested in checking it out, my handle is @mimisreadingnook (same as on here) 💌

#books #reading #mine #winters orbit #everina maxwell

[punkinspice-latte]

Please read Ocean's Echo (and by extension, Winter's Orbit). "Gay boys in space" is quickly becoming one of my favorite genres, never knew I needed this in my life.

#ocean's echo #oceans echo #winter's orbit #winters orbit #everina maxwell #books #reading #I would burn whole worlds to see Surit smile #Pretty sure Tennal feels the same

[themisfitthrone]

Hello Winter's Orbit fans! If you loved this book as much as I did and are looking for more books with a similar vibe... check out THE TAROT SEQUENCE by K.D. Edwards! Sci-fi and fantasy are two genres that go hand-in-hand and when you add the bonus layer of them being queer literature... it's becoming less rare but still. Finding ones to love as much as I love this book and this series?

Often I struggle with modern fantasy and science fiction because there's a lack of world building in them. Maxwell and Edwards both found the perfect balance between creating a complex plot and bringing to life three dimensional characters. There's romance, yes, but it's developed in a natural way that doesn't neglect the needed development of a fully fleshed-out system. For Winter's Orbit, that's a realized and complex system of planets and politics; for TTS, it's a unique magical system and complex political positioning. Both authors understand the importance of the mix of these things to create what I view as hopefully timeless pieces of literature.

So! If you loved Kiem and Jainan... I think you'll fall in love with Rune, Brand, Addam, and the crew. And, The Hourglass Throne, the third installment in the series is out in just TEN DAYS (May 17, 2022). Click this link for ordering information.

#winter's orbit #winters orbit #everina maxwell #kd edwards #the tarot sequence #the last sun #the hanged man #the hourglass throne #thtstreetteam #ttspromo #scions of new atlantis #book recommendations #science fiction #urban fantasy #modern fantasy #tarot magic #kaje tts

[mybookshelf]

#scifi books #bonds of brass #winters orbit #this is how you lose the time war #the darkness outside us #queer books #queer scifi #gay and sapphic #books #booklr #lgbtq books #favorite books

[stardustandrockets]

Do you have a favorite book with bisexual rep?

I read Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell last February for the @rainbowcrate book club. Did I understand everything in the book? Not at all. Did I love the absolute chaos of the characters and their journey? For sure!

This political intrigue space opera follows Prince Kiem, who has an arranged marriage bomb dropped on him, and Jainan, an ambassador from another planet whose partner just died and who Kiem is betrothed. What happens next is a string of communication issues, problems due to the miscommunication, an investigation into Jainan's late partner's death, a few attempts at effective communication that go... not so well.

Usually, books that are extremely political are hard for me to follow and I lose interest, but that wasn't the case for Winter's Orbit. The world building was so well fleshed out and I loved how big a role culture plays. In this universe, sexuality is a fluid thing and gender expression is shown through the items they wear. No one questions it. This made for such a refreshing reading experience!

I adore Kiem and his chaotic bisexual energy so much! He was

incredibly kind and perceptive—the perfect match to Jainan's careful guardedness and intensity. And, while the miscommunication trope usually incites me with rage, it paid off so well in the end. Don't get me wrong, I was still absolutely screaming in my car while listening to the audiobook. That's what happens when you get both POVs.

Seeing Kiem and Jainan connect on such a deeply emotional level was everything. I adored watching them grow, uncover the past, and move past it together.

CW for past abusive relationship (mental, physical, gaslighting) discussed between characters and seen in flash backs, violence, torture

• For a full list, check StoryGraph

#winters orbit #everina maxwell #space opera #science fiction #scifi #adult scifi #rcdec22 #rainbow crate #rainbow crate book box #lgbtq reads #lgbtqia #bisexual books #bisexual representation #read queer all year #stardust reviews books #stardustandrockets #backlog from january #january 22

[onemorecoffeeshopau]

idk if something happened or if it's chance but i've got two comments on my Winters Orbit fanfic in the last few months when I didn't get any for months! I'm aware it's a small fandom so was expecting minimal interaction, it's just so nice to see lovely little comments cropping up! (and if you're one of those people thank youuuuuuu!!!)

#coffee shop thoughts #just got so excited when i saw the email notification in my inbox #like sure every comment makes me beam #but idk it's such a cute piece of fluff that i'm proud of #i think it's funny and cute and more people should read winters orbit and write fanfic for me #winters orbit #everina maxwell #fanfiction

[oblivionsdream]

I am super excited to share my redesigned covers of both Winter’s Orbit and Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell!

These are both going to be available in @//dazzlingbookishshop on Insta! 😉

#winters orbit #oceans echo #everina maxwell #kiem tegnar #jainan nav adessari #tennalhin halkana #surit yeni #book art #cover redesign

[speck-inthe-void]

This is a Taam hate page <33

#winters orbit