Tag: Midnight Designs

Midnight Designs: The Burning God Phone Wallpapers

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 3 Comments

First of all, apologies for being a bit absent on this blog in the past month. The COVID-19 lockdown in my state eased completely at the end of last month, and since then I’ve been so busy at work that I’ve barely had time off, let alone stealing a moment to blog. However, the release week of The Burning God is not something I wanted to miss, and I wanted to complete my wallpaper series for the trilogy with this post as a contribution to the celebration!

  • Quotes and characters belong to the inimitable R. F. Kuang, cover art from The Poppy War series are drawn by Jung Shan.
  • The phone wallpapers are free for your personal use only.
  • Please do not edit, repost, redistribute the images.

DOWNLOAD LINKS: 1 / 2 / 3

The themes in these books have always hit like a punch to the guts, and this is especially evident in ending of this trilogy. We see the culmination and consequences to all the questions the series have been posing: about war, about history, and about Fang Runin herself. She’s become a mythic figure by the beginning of book three, but she’s never felt so fallible and human. I’ll miss my murder baby, and all three of these wallpapers are dedicated to her! I would let you ruin me, Rin!!

The Poppy War series has been a significant part of my life in the past few years, and I’ve made so many blogger friends through in. In truth, it extended the life of this blog by at least another few years. Saying goodbye to it with the conclusion of The Burning God feels so bittersweet. If any of you want to discuss the ending and all things spoilery, please do not hesitate to reach out by DM! Especially if you are a fellow member of the Chen Kitay protection squad!!

Midnight Designs and Audiobook Review: Black Sun

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 4 Comments

I have been a fan of Rebecca Roanhorse since I read Trail of Lightning. With Black Sun, she cements herself as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary SFF. I have both a book review and some graphics for everyone today, ahead of the excitement for Black Sun’s release next week!

Book Title: Black Sun

Author: Rebecca Roanhorse

Series? 1 of 3

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Release Date: 13 Oct 2020

Goodreads

Libro.fm

Book Depository

Audiobook Review

Disclaimer: I received this audiobook through the Libro.fm ALC program. I love Libro.fm with my entire heart, but this is an honest review.

To be frank, I am not sure if I can quite verbalise how much I love Black Sun with mere words. I have spent most of this week in a complete daze as I left my few remaining brain cells with The Meridian, its expansive world, and its multifaceted cast of characters. From the very first chapter, where a boy is ritualistically transformed into a god – under the vivid visuals of a sun being devoured by a crow – this book has gripped me by the throat and absolutely refuses to let go.

Continue reading “Midnight Designs and Audiobook Review: Black Sun” →

Midnight Designs: Descendant of the Crane

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 5 Comments

Descendant of the Crane teaser

I knew that I would make a graphics post for this book as soon as I saw the cover. Feifei Ruan’s artwork is actual magic. The book is endlessly quotable and so vivid in imageries. Bring those two things together and I simply can’t help myself.

I have a new phone now, so these are larger than the ones I’ve always made ❤

  • Characters and quotes belong to the brilliant Joan He.
  • The phone wallpapers are free for your personal use only.
  • Please do not edit, repost, redistribute the images.
  • They are made for iPhone XS, but should fit most smartphones.

DOTC 1

DOWNLOAD HERE.

“Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own.”

A++ leadership advice, would follow to the ends of the earth. I grew up watching c-drama featuring court intrigues and warring concubines, so seeing Descendant of the Crane play with and subvert these tropes was an absolute delight.

 

DOTC 2

DOWNLOAD HERE.

Carve your path path, little bird.

While the coming-of-age meets weight-of-destiny is a common narrative structure in fantasy, I loved how it was written in this book – especially because so much of it was focused on family and its complicated ties. Although Hesina’s father was never physically present in the novel, his decisions and his mentorship guided the novel through twists and turns.DOTC 3

DOWNLOAD HERE.

But in trying time, truth is the first thing we betray.

Speaking of betrayals, this book has taught me to never trust again. Godspeed, friends, as you make your way through all of the intrigue and reveals of this novel.

  • Find more of my free book-related designs here.
  • If you enjoyed these free graphics and want to support me, you can find me on Society 6.
  • Alternatively, you can commission me for your custom graphics by contacting me.
  • Finally, you can grab me a cuppa via Ko-fi here.

Descendant of the Crane is set to release on April 9, you still have time to submit your preorder receipts for character art cards! Fly, friends!

Midnight Designs: The Gilded Wolves

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 10 Comments

The Gilded Wolves is Roshani Chokshi’s best work yet. It’s populated by an endearing and diverse cast of characters, each trying to carve out a space of their own in a historical era that’s wont to erase them.

The prose are lyrical and brings this fantastical re-imagining of the Belle Époque to life, and there were so many great quotes to choose from that I could not refrain from turning a few into phone wallpapers.

Important:

  • Characters and quotes belong to the talented Roshani Chokshi.
  • The phone wallpapers are free for your personal use only.
  • Please do not edit, repost, redistribute the images.
  • They are made for iPhone 6, but should fit most smartphones.
“If you are furious, let it be fuel.”

DOWNLOAD HERE. This one is currently my own wallpaper, because I love the sentiment of channelling your anger into productivity and be an agent of change. God knows the world needs it. Severin is pretty much the living embodiment of this quote, it’s how he broods and schemes so well.

“Don’t capture their hearts, steal their imagination.”

DOWNLOAD HERE. Leaders everywhere could use this counsel. It comes from the mother of one of my very favourite characters in this series – although it’s very hard to pick just one. Laila gets my vote because baked goods and grand gowns hold the key to my heart. Hypnos shares the spot though, can someone just show my boy the love and attention he craves and deserve?

“Wolves were everywhere. In politics, on thrones, in beds.”

DOWNLOAD HERE. Don’t you just love the moment where the title of a book or movie is referenced directly in the text itself? This quote has got to be one of my favourite examples of that in recent memories. It fits the context of the setting and the constant changing character dynamics within the L’Eden crew so well. I can’t wait to see what Roshani has in store for them in the future.

  • Find more of my free book-related designs here.
  • If you enjoyed these free graphics and want to support me, you can find me on Society 6.
  • Alternatively, you can commission me for your custom graphics by contacting me.
  • Finally, you can grab me a cuppa via Ko-fi here.

Have you read this book? If so, please tell me who your faves are and how much the ending wrecked you on a level of 1 to catatonic. No spoilers, though, please!

Midnight Designs: Uprooted and Spinning Silver

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 7 Comments

Naomi Novik Wallpaper Preview.png

Uprooted and Spinning Silver are the perfect modern fairy tales: bewitching, evocative, with a strong streak of feminism. I am sharing my love for Naomi Novik today by bringing you two phone wallpapers featuring Agnieszka and Miryem

Important:

  • Characters and quotes belong to the brilliant Naomi Novik.
  • The phone wallpapers are free for your personal use only.
  • Please do not edit, repost, redistribute the images.
  • They are made for iPhone 6, but should fit most smartphones.

 

Uprooted Wallpaper

I was a glaring blot on perfection. But I didn’t care. I didn’t feel I owed him beauty.

Spinning Silver Wallpaper

Because that’s what the story is really about, getting out of paying your debts.

  • Find more of my free book-related designs here.
  • If you enjoyed these free graphics and want to support me, you can find me on Society 6.
  • Alternatively, you can commission me for your custom graphics by contacting me.
  • Finally, you can grab me a cuppa via Ko-fi here.

Review & Designs: Tensorate Novellas

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 9 Comments

Tensorate Teasers

I’ve been wanting to feature the Tensorate novellas by JY Yang, The Black Tides of Heaven and The Red Thread of Fortune on my blog ever since their release. These books are stunning from cover to cover, whether it’s their exquisite cover art to the rich world that lies within.

Today, I’m sharing with you a brief review of the two novella, as well as some graphic fanart you can use as phone wallpapers.

R E V I E W

I am a huge fan of the Tor.com novella imprint, and the Tensorate novellas exemplifies all the reasons why. These books are vividly imagined and champion voices long ignored by SFF.

These twin novellas fittingly follow a pair of twins, Akeha and Mokoya, spanning the first few decades of their lives. They are significantly different in tone, tied together by this vastly imaginative world and the strength of the sibling’s bond. Akeha’s book is an introspective saga about family, destiny, and choice. Mokoya’s novella explore her emotions and its manifestation over few short but action-packed days.

The Tensorate series unfold in a world that is at once reminiscent of East Asia, yet filled with wonders such as the Slack elemental manipulation and advanced biotechnology. At every turn, there are delightful surprises within the layers of world building, from raptors to visually impressive feats of slackcraft. While the novellas are short, an immense amount of detail is packed within these pages, allowing the readers to fully appreciate the various factions with the Protectorate and the brewing tension between them.

I love the exploration of gender within these novellas, facilitated by a world where gender is not assigned at birth – but rather chosen by each person (and what a world that would be!). Upon this decision, the person can choose whether they want to take gender confirmation drugs. The novella’s examination of Akeha and Mokoya’s individual choices was especially well-executed.

At the moment, there are two more planned novella set in this world, with The Descent of Monsters set to release on July 31! I’m still secretly holding out for a novella on Sonami. In any case, I’m sure I’ll be back in due time with more graphics and reviews.

W A L L P A P E R S

  • Quotes and characters belong to the magnificent JY Yang, cover art drawn by the awe-inspiring Yuko Shimizu.
  • The phone wallpapers are free for your personal use only.
  • Please do not edit, repost, redistribute the images.
  • They are made for iPhone 6, but should fit most smartphones.

“The black tides of heaven direct the courses of human lives”. To which a wise teacher said, “But as with all the waters, one can swim against the tide.”

Tensorate 01
Tensorate 02

Black Tides of Heaven Wallpaper DROPBOX
Red Threads of Fortune Wallpaper DROPBOX

  • Find more of my free book-related designs here.
  • If you enjoyed these free graphics and want to support me, you can find me on Society 6.
  • Alternatively, you can commission me for your custom graphics by contacting me.
  • Finally, you can grab me a cuppa via Ko-fi here.

Midnight Designs: Iron Gold

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 14 Comments

Iron Gold Twitter Teaser

NOTE: Post will contain mild SPOILERS for the first Red Rising trilogy! There are no spoilers for Iron Gold, beyond a few quotes you might have seen in other promotional materials.

Two graphics posts within a week is unprecedented, but I’ve been very lucky with my 2018 reads and have loved them enough to create edits. Iron Gold is the first of a new trilogy in the Red Rising series, and it’s a game-changer. I usually get series-fatigue with expanded trilogies, but Pierce Brown keeps me coming back for more with his addictive pacing and morally complex characters. I could go on for pages, but I’ll save it for my review, published next week!

  • Quotes belong to Howler alpha Pierce Brown, official character artwork by artist Magali Villeneuve.
  • The phone wallpapers are free for your personal use only.
  • Please do not edit, repost, redistribute the images.
  • They are made for iPhone 6, but should fit most smartphones.

Iron Gold Darrow Wallpaper

“War eats the victors last.”

Darrow of Lykos is a living legend, after all, he is the man who led the Rising against the Republic. Ten years later, Darrow serves as an ArchImperator in the Republic he helped built – but victory did not guarantee him a happy ending. His journey in Iron Gold is an entanglement of internal conflicts and treacherous external pressures. The Reaper has never felt more human and fallible, and it makes for a damn good story.

DOWNLOAD ON DROPBOX

Iron Gold Lysander

“The dream of the Gold is over.”

Although Octavia au Lune is long dead, the powerful ghost of the old Society remains – whether it’s from the war against the Ash Lord, or in The Rim where the pyramid of Society stands unchallenged. Lysander’s narrative is one that I found simultaneously infuriating and utterly compelling, I’ll be back for more.

DOWNLOAD ON DROPBOX

Iron Gold Wall Lyria

“They planted us in stones, watered us with pain, and now marvel we have thorns.’

Lyria of Lagalos presented us with my favourite quote from Iron Gold. Liberated with the rest of the Reds through the efforts of The Rising, Lyria and her kin found themselves shackled by bonds of a different sort: poverty, prejudice, and marginalisation by society. Her chapters are filled with rage, but they’re some of my favourites in the book.

DOWNLOAD ON DROPBOX

Iron Gold Ephraim

‘Only thing easy is entropy.’

Ephraim ti Horn is disenchanted by society and its promises, made cynical by the tragedies he’s seen unfold. His voice vastly differ from the other characters, and his actions unpredictable – he’s a wild card and I can’t wait for you all to meet him.

DOWNLOAD ON DROPBOX

  • Find more of my free book-related designs here.
  • If you enjoyed these free graphics and want to support me, you can find me on Society 6.
  • Alternatively, you can commission me for your custom graphics by contacting me.

FIND ME ON: Twitter // Instagram

Midnight Designs: The Cruel Prince

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 33 Comments

The Cruel Prince Twitter Preview

If it was not immediately obvious before, The Cruel Prince has now cemented Holly Black’s position as the Queen of Faeries. The Fair Folks in her books are glittering and magnetic, yet dangerous and deceitful. Even more compelling are her human characters, especially the ambitious and utterly flawed Jude. The Cruel Prince has glamoured me completely, so I did the predictable thing and selected some of my favourite quotes to present as phone wallpapers for you all!

  • Quotes belong to the brilliant Holly Black.
  • The phone wallpapers are free for your personal use only.
  • Please do not edit, repost, redistribute the images, or claim them as your own.
  • They are made for iPhone 6, but should fit most smartphones.
  • If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a cuppa or two via Ko-fi! All donations will go towards image licensing for my next shareable graphics project, so we will all benefit ❤

The Cruel Prince 01

“If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.”

This quote gave me legit chills. Jude is a true Slytherin queen, filled with ambitions and cunning — and she’s not afraid to seize life by the throat and take what she wants. We need more main characters like her in our bookshelves, please and thank you.

DROPBOX LINK

The Cruel Prince 02

“Nice things don’t happen in storybooks.”

I love books that remind us fairy tales are filled with treachery and bloodshed, and The Cruel Prince exemplifies this in every sense of the world. It reminds us that princesses get their crowns by being survivors, whether it’s living through poisoned apples or enchanted sleep.

DROPBOX LINK

The Cruel Prince 03

“If I can’t find a good enough story, I make one.”

Out of all the wicked and delightful lines spoken by Prince Cardan, this one is my favourite. I thought it was also served as a wonderful encouragement to all my writer friends out there – own the story you wish to see in the world, I can’t wait to read your works one day!

DROPBOX LINK

The Cruel Prince 04

“Instead of being afraid, I could become something to fear.”

Jude, I can’t tell half the time whether she’s the heroine or the villain, and I love every moment of it. Where is the next book, I’m willing to make a bargain with the next fae prince I come across for it.

DROPBOX LINK

  • Find more of my free book-related designs here.
  • If you enjoyed these free graphics and want to support me, you can find me on Society 6.
  • Alternatively, you can commission me for your custom graphics by contacting me.
  • Finally, you can grab me a cuppa via Ko-fi here.

FIND ME ON: Twitter // Instagram

Midnight Designs: Cindy Pon Appreciation Post

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 8 Comments

Cindy Pon Appreciation Post Teaser

This week marks the release of Cindy Pon’s latest novel, Want. To celebrate, I’ve compiled a wallpaper post based on the cover of Want, along with a couple from her previous series, Serpentine.

Although the publishing world is getting better every year in terms of representation, it’s still rare to see an Asian face grace the cover of any YA books. I’ve been loving the covers of Cindy’s more recent novels, gorgeously illustrated by Zachary Schoenbaum (for Serpentine) and Jason Chan (for Want).

Cindy’s debut, Silver Phoenix, was also the first YA fantasy novel I read with a Chinese protagonist – I remember cherishing it for telling me a story that was at once fresh and nostalgic. Being able to see yourself is a powerful thing, and it was Cindy’s book that propelled me to begin my first (but very short-lived) book blog. I just celebrated my 2nd year of blogging on Read at Midnight yesterday, and I am glad to share my blog birthday with Cindy’s latest novel!

As always, a couple of house rules:

  • The wallpapers are set for iPhone 6S, but should work across a range of smart phones. They’re free for personal use.
  • All characters belong to Cindy Pon. Illustrations of the characters are by Zachary Schoenbaum (for Serpentine) and Jason Chan (for Want).
  • Please do not edit, repost, redistribute the images, or claim them as your own.
  • Find more information on Serpentine, Sacrifice, and Want on Goodreads!
  • If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a cuppa or two via Ko-fi! All donations will go towards image licensing for my next shareable graphics project, so we will all benefit ❤

Serpentine TEaser 2DROPBOX LINK

 

Serpentine TeaserDROPBOX LINK

 

Want TeaserDROPBOX LINK

  • Find more of my free book-related designs here.
  • If you enjoyed these free graphics and want to support me, you can find me on Society 6.
  • Alternatively, you can commission me for your custom graphics by contacting me.
  • Finally, you can grab me a cuppa via Ko-fi here.

FIND ME ON: Twitter // Instagram

Midnight Designs: When The Moon Was Ours Wallpapers

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 25 Comments

when-the-moon-was-ours-preview

As soon as I started listening to When The Moon Was Ours, I resolved to make graphics from the book quotes. If you’ve known me for any length of time, you’ll quickly realise that I go weak at the knees for images of the night or of flowers, and this book has both in abundance. The writing painted imageries directly into my mind, and I had to get them down – even though I felt inadequately equipped for the task.

  • Quotes and characters belong to the insanely talented Anna-Marie McLemore.
  • Free for personal usage only.
  • Do not redistribute: this means no reuploading to social media, Pinterest, etc… please just link back to this post.
  • Do not claim as your own.

Continue reading “Midnight Designs: When The Moon Was Ours Wallpapers” →