Blog Tour: Spin the Dawn Graphics and Thoughts

July 7, 2019July 7, 2019 ~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 13 Comments

Spin the Dawn Preview

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of Spin the Dawn from the publisher via Caffeine Blog Tour.

2019 has been a wonderful year for East Asian fantasy releases, from The Girl King, to Descendant of the Cranes, to Wicked Fox, and now Spin the Dawn – we’ve seen an exploration of a diverse array of Asian culture and history through YA fiction.

Mini Review

Spin the Dawn had two distinct story arcs, each breathing fresh air into the tropes of high-stake tournaments and impossible quests. As a daughter of a tailor, I felt a kinship to Maia, her plight and her utter devotion to her craft. Here is a heroine that did not sought to change the world with physical might or sharp wit – she altered the fabric of the universe with a decisive cut of her scissors – and I found that imagery beautiful.

I prefer my fantasy to be character driven, and this is exactly what Spin the Dawn delivered with its introspective heroine. The relationships that Maia developed over the course of this novel, especially her slow-burn friendship turned romance, was satisfying to behold.

My favourite thing about Spin the Dawn was the way the tale took familiar notes of East Asian folklore and weaved it into the fabric of its lore and legend. The resplendent robes Maia was tasked with completing called to mind the myths of Weaver girl. More than that, the story reclaimed the narrative of unfortunate girls being transformed by beautiful dresses – and placed the power back into the hands of a girl who created them.

Graphics

Spin the Dawn was rich in beautiful imageries expressed through both Maia’s embroidered creations and Elizabeth Lim’s lyrical proses. I could see no better way to celebrate than through a collection of wallpapers, to pay homage to both the book and its beautiful cover.

Characters and quotes belong to Elizabeth Lim.
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.

Spin the Dawn 01

DROPBOX LINK Continue reading “Blog Tour: Spin the Dawn Graphics and Thoughts” →

Midnight Designs: Descendant of the Crane

April 1, 2019 ~ 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 Cruel Prince

January 11, 2018January 11, 2018 ~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 33 Comments

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: When The Moon Was Ours Wallpapers

November 30, 2016 ~ 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” →

Midnight Designs: Throne of Glass Wallpaper Part 2

September 5, 2016September 5, 2016 ~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 38 Comments

By the time this post goes up, we should be just a few hours away from the release of Empire of Storms. I am here to make sure that your phone screen celebrates this release day in style!

Quote and Art belongs to the brilliant Sarah J. Maas
Designs belong to me

Rules:

For personal usage only. This means you’re only to download this for use on your own phone.
No redistribution. I had issues with people sharing my designs without credit or permission last time, please please please don’t let this happen again. If you want to share this with people, just link them to this post.

Continue reading “Midnight Designs: Throne of Glass Wallpaper Part 2” →

Midnight Designs: A Court of Wallpapers

July 4, 2016 ~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 55 Comments

If you follow me on any form of social media, you’ll know that I am pretty much obsessed with A Court of Mist and Fury. Many of my fellow fans have been asking for some wallpapers based off the series. To quote Rhysand, here’s to the dreams that are answered.

Free for personal use only.
Do not redistribute.
Series and quotes belong to the incredible Sarah J Maas.
Resolution is for iPhone 6 but should fit onto all phones.

ACOTARWallPreview

DROPBOX LINK.

A Court of Thorns and Roses: Is anyone surprised I used a Rhysand quote in both these wallpapers? For this, I picked rose motifs for call-back to the Spring Court/Beauty and the Beast, some neat little arrows as a reminder of Feyre’s humble beginning as a huntress, and those masks the Spring Court denizens were stuck wearing. I totally mentally edited out the masks while I was reading the book, though.

ACOMAFWallPreview

DROPBOX LINK.

A Court of Mist and Fury: Like the rest of the fandom, this is my favourite quotes from one of my favourite scenes. Team Night Court forever. I used motifs of constellations and stars for obvious reasons. I thought it looked like she was winnowing with the feathers (use your imagination and humour me a little here). Let’s not look too closely at her hair/Illyrian leathers in this one though, guys. My redrawing needs work.

If you’re after more Sarah J Maas related wallpapers, I posted some of the Throne of Glass series a while back here. I also started making the wallpapers for Assassin’s Blade and Empire of Storm tonight, but they didn’t really fit into the look of this post so I’ll save them for another day. Follow the blog for update as soon as they’re up!

My other wallpapers for other series can be found here.

If you love my stuff and want to commission me for a blog redesign, subscription box products, or any other graphics reason, please contact me here. I also have a Society 6 Store filled with bookish goodies.

FIND ME ON: Twitter // Instagram // Bloglovin

Midnight Designs: The Star-Touched Queen Phone Wallpapers

May 6, 2016 ~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 47 Comments

You might have seen me on twitter rambling about how I can’t stop making graphics of The Star-Touched Queen. The imageries this book conjured was so vivid, I could not help but attempt to capture it – even though I don’t think I did it justice at all. If you’re a fan of opulent, transcendent, mythic tales, you should definitely check this book out ASAP.

Story, characters & quotes belong to the supremely talented Roshani Chokshi
As always: free for personal use ONLY. Do not redistribute, edit, claim as your own.
As always, let me know if you need any of this stuff resized, though it should fit onto most phones, not just the iPhone 6.

Continue reading “Midnight Designs: The Star-Touched Queen Phone Wallpapers” →

Read at Midnight Designs: Morning Star

February 17, 2016February 17, 2016 ~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 47 Comments

So if you’ve read my previous posts about the Red Rising series, you’ll know that I am huge fan. I finished Morning Star over the weekend and my brain is still reeling from post-series devastation/euphoria. I haven’t been able to string together a coherent review, but I have been making some wallpapers to share.

Quotes belong to the magnificent Pierce Brown and the Red Rising trilogy.
DO: Download wallpapers for personal use. Buy the books. Enjoy!
DON’T: Redistribute or modify without permission.
iPhone 6/6s resolution, but should work with most phones. Let me know if you need resizing 😀

Continue reading “Read at Midnight Designs: Morning Star” →

Blog Tour: The Girl Who Fell + Giveaway + iPhone WallPaper

January 22, 2016January 21, 2016 ~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 33 Comments

Book Detail:

Release Date: March 1st 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse

Synopsis:

His obsession.

Her fall.

High school senior Zephyr Doyle is swept off her feet—and into an intense relationship—by the new boy in school.

Zephyr is focused. Focused on leading her team to the field hockey state championship and leaving her small town for her dream school, Boston College.

But love has a way of changing things.

Enter the new boy in school: the hockey team’s starting goaltender, Alec. He’s cute, charming, and most important, Alec doesn’t judge Zephyr. He understands her fears and insecurities—he even shares them. Soon, their relationship becomes something bigger than Zephyr, something she can’t control, something she doesn’t want to control.

Zephyr swears it must be love. Because love is powerful, and overwhelming, and…terrifying?

But love shouldn’t make you abandon your dreams, or push your friends away. And love shouldn’t make you feel guilty—or worse, ashamed.

So when Zephyr finally begins to see Alec for who he really is, she knows it’s time to take back control of her life.

If she waits any longer, it may be too late.

Pre-order Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Kobo

This book was exciting in the ways it challenged our expectations and preconception about the YA genre. I feel privileged to be part of the blog tour. I want to share with you how this book turned tropes around on its head – as well as give you two book-inspired iPhone wallpapers to take away!

5 Ways THE GIRL WHO FELL Destroyed YA Tropes

1. The Side Characters’ Lives Doesn’t Revolve Around The Protagonist

It’s so often the case in YA that many side characters lose their agency, only fulfilling their purpose in the plot as either a dispenser of advice, or a motivation for the protagonist. We hardly glimpse at their own ambitions and plans. Their only goal seem to be servicing the main character in their story.

Zephyr’s best friend, Lizzie, defies this role. Yes, she’s an excellent friend who dispenses many warnings and advice, always steadfast and loyal. But she also has her own life outside: working towards her goal in becoming a journalist, and dealing with her own long distance relationship. Similarly, Gregg has his own group of friends and his own agency. They both love her, but they also love themselves – and that note made the book all the more authentic. Continue reading “Blog Tour: The Girl Who Fell + Giveaway + iPhone WallPaper” →

Giveaway: A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms & After Alice (+ iPhone Wallpapers!)

October 4, 2015October 4, 2015 ~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 12 Comments

Thanks to Harper Voyager Australia, I have a 5 sets of books to giveaway. Winners will BOTH:

1 copy of A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms by George R R Martin AND
1 copy of After Alice by Gregory Maguire
A Knight of The Seven Kingdoms is a collection of the Dunk & Egg short stories, which are an amazing prequel to the A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE series. After Alice is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland, written by Gregory Maguire, the king of retellings. YOU NEED BOTH. YES, YOU DO.
The giveaway is Australia/NZ ONLY! Sorry to my international followers, I have included an iPhone wallpaper of Daenerys & Alice below for you to try make up for it ❤
Winners will be drawn and notified Monday 12/October/2015!

CLICKY FOR RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY!

For the international people, here’s two iphone wallpapers (shoddily made sorry!) to apologise for the region restriction on the giveaway 😀 I have another international giveaway running HERE!

DROPBOX: Alice // DROPBOX: Daenerys

As always let me know if you would like them resized ❤

I have been a terrible blogger of late, I’m working a 50 hours week this coming week so it probably won’t be improving anytime soon… BUT I SHALL BE BACK.

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