Raina Nightingale - Return of the Dragonriders is ILLUSTRATED!
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areaernovels.bsky.social
Raina Nightingale - Return of the Dragonriders is ILLUSTRATED!
@areaernovels.bsky.social
890 followers 400 following 1.4K posts
Writer of fantasy since I could read. Think like yourself. Return of the Dragonriders is cozy epic fantasy for lovers of Pern & Valdemar. Right now, I just want dragon art.


Blog: enthralledbylove.com
DragonBirth (Return #1): books2read.com/return1
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areaernovels.bsky.social
Raina Nightingale - Return of the Dragonriders is ILLUSTRATED! @areaernovels.bsky.social · Nov 13
I am very busy in real life &I'm not able to write right now.

But if anyone wants to support me (or just read a wholesome book!) DragonBirth is the first book in the COMPLETE Return of the Dragonriders Trilogy - a cozy X epic MG-appropriate fantasy with illustrations by me!
books2read.com/return1
Graphic or trope map for the Return of the Dragonriders series. Shows all three book covers in a Pern-esque Michael Whelton style: DragonBirth shows a girl kneeling between sequoia trees with a small white dragon. DragonWing shows a white dragon with wings spread across an evening sky, carrying a rider in fur and leathers. DragonSword shows a black dragon with red wings rising out of a volcano. The background is a starry sky full of nebulae and shadows. Tropes: 1) "Good vs. Evil" - but it's a battle you must fight inside yourself, 2) A dragon emerges from a volcano. EPIC! 3) Cute dragon babies! 4) Platonic love-at-first-sight 5) One of my only romantic sub-plots, 6) Slice of life/Cozy Epic Fantasy, 7) Magical names you can pronounce and love at the same time, 8) The temptation to otherwise your enemies might be THE ENEMY... 9) Magical beings to whom the future is present.
areaernovels.bsky.social
When I first conceived Return of the Dragonriders / DragonBirth, one of the important ideas to me was that Silmavalien is completely "normal": she doesn't have any ancestors, her people don't have any past, that has any apparent bearing why SHE should find the dragon eggs or raise the new dragons.
kiraofthewind.com Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle) @kiraofthewind.com · 7d
#NovemberWorldbuilders Let's talk about how the world's history directly impacts your main character (or some other important character in the world you're developing). Do they have an important ancestor? Was there a specific event, say a war or diaspora, that impacted their current life?
#NovemberWorldbuilders prompt card Hosted by Kira of the Wind Week 4: HISTORY 24. An event/ancestor directly connected to your MC or another important character The image in the background is a blurred picture of a foresty/rocky landscape with lightning and a mountain in the background
November 24, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Reposted by Raina Nightingale - Return of the Dragonriders is ILLUSTRATED!
midnightrose838.bsky.social
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT IS NOT ALWAYS ROMANCE

The world may reject for me this, but it's time I'm open about my pain over the word "love" (& even the concept) being taken in so many places to imply romance.

Here is my thoughtful rant, continued below in a page that mentions 1 of my stories.-🧵
(I can't put the bold in alt text, but these are the words on the page in case it's hard to read.) Falling in love is not always romance. Love at first sight is not even always romance. All love starts somewhere. Sight is one of many means through which we perceive another being's presence, its need, its care, perhaps just some connection we cannot name. (This does not mean those who lack sight are incapable of love. The lack of one sense often rather than lessening our perception drives us to be more in tune to other senses, giving us deeper experiences and helping us express ourselves more strongly.) Physically expressed and committed love does NOT have to be romance. I ask, what love is more committed than the love of a parent who will stop at nothing to protect and care for their child? I ask again, what love is expressed more physically than the love between moms and babies? If you have answers to these questions, I must wonder how much you have really lived, how much you have really seen of true love. I am not one to speak many details of my personal life, but I can say with certainty that love can begin at first sight, or at first touch, or at the first sound you hear from another creature, without it being romantic. I have never experienced romantic love, but I have both seen and experienced love just as deep, and just as heartbreaking when it meets a tragic end, at least in this world. So many people, and so many stories, speak of healing/moving on, in a way that I find cheap. Grief fades as the years pass, but the missing hole in the heart is never filled. To truly love is to give a piece of oneself to another creature, and when a beloved leaves this world so does that piece of one's heart. This is not meant to be a judgment, only my take, my experience, which yes could be seen as tragic, but it is more than tragic. Love is worth it, no matter how deeply it breaks us.
September 16, 2025 at 7:40 PM
areaernovels.bsky.social
My novels are part of the Smashwords Summer Winter Sale. Cozy X epic fantasy character-driven novels of dragons who are real characters in the story (and real people, though definitely not human). And more (dryads in one book, talking dolphins in another) ... www.smashwords.com/books/view/1...
DragonBirth
In a world where dragons are considered demons and Dragonriders are hunted and killed as witches . . . Silmavalien is a devout young woman from a small mountain village. Her engaged, Noren, is teachin...
www.smashwords.com
July 9, 2025 at 1:34 AM
areaernovels.bsky.social
Maybe-Goodbye post on the blog: enthralledbylove.com/2025/05/18/n...

If you're an author for whom I've written reviews - you may want to keep a copy of my review somewhere else, in case my blog goes down completely.
Not Sure What to Call This – 2025 Announcements and Updates
Hello everyone. Firstly – I am well. I am very well and very happy. I have some very good things happening in my life – but it does not leave space for this blog – for writing, re…
enthralledbylove.com
May 20, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Reposted by Raina Nightingale - Return of the Dragonriders is ILLUSTRATED!
kayas-kosmos.bsky.social
🌻 Happy #PortfolioDay 🌻

I am a fantasy illustrator, creature and character designer who loves to draw dragons! I am also very enthusiastic about Solarpunk.

🎨 - cara.app/kayaskosmos

☕ - ko-fi.com/kayaskosmos
A drawing of a prismatic dragon. This is a white dragon with iridescent mother-of-pearl like scales. There is a line of golden scales running up the side of its neck. In the background is a mountain range at sunset and wispy cirrus clouds against a deep blue sky. The dragon is emitting a ring of rainbow light around its head. A drawing of an earth colossus crossing the Scottish coast. The colossus has six legs and somewhat resembles a massive bull-like ungulate. It is made from earthy materials and has forests and plains growing on its back. There is a strong fossil motif running throughout its design, including its lower legs which resemble giant shells. The creature also has huge, stony antlers protruding from its head, though its face is a cross between bull and human. It also has several manmade structures on its back, including giant glass domes with trees inside, some modern wooden and stone huts and the ruins of an abbey on the back end. It is also has several airborne wind turbines tethered to it. In the foreground of the image are two climate scientists on the clifftop observing the creature. They have set up some equipment for measuring meteorological conditions. A huge, creepy sea monster lurks menacingly beneath the surface of a subterranean lake. All around it are the ruins of once futuristic ships. This is the giganath from the Arrhenius TTRPG. A drawing of two serpentine dragons affectionately touching noses. One is white with rainbow feathers and fur (Horatio), the other black with rainbow feathers and fur (Elijah). They are in a forest.
April 8, 2025 at 6:29 AM
Reposted by Raina Nightingale - Return of the Dragonriders is ILLUSTRATED!
galaxywings-art.bsky.social
I liiiiive!
And I bring you the raffle prize for @rscu.bsky.social !
#dragon #art #digitalart #dragonartists #illustration
Wings of Fire oc named Waterlily swimming through a river!
February 20, 2025 at 8:01 PM
areaernovels.bsky.social
Gorgeous!
rosiejaen.bsky.social Rosie Jaen @rosiejaen.bsky.social · Feb 22
Sky Dragon
Hi guys this was my dragon for the 1st day of #smaugust2025 that I painted back in August.

#smaugust #art #paintingprocess #digitalart #clipstudiopaint #dragon #artist
February 22, 2025 at 6:03 PM
areaernovels.bsky.social
#FebruaryWorldbuilders @kiraofthewind.com 4 - snippet "LAND."

I don't feel like a snippet today. So I'll just share a random fact. The land north of the big mountain range that splits the continent of Aneri is very fertile, but only lightly cultivated.
areaernovels.bsky.social Raina Nightingale - Return of the Dragonriders is ILLUSTRATED! @areaernovels.bsky.social · Feb 3
#FebruaryWorldbuilders @kiraofthewind.com 3 - Share your maps!

A map of Areaer's largest landmass, and a map of the entire Alaeran ocean.

I've got lots more on my webpages.

Areaer: enthralledbylove.com/novels/intro...

Alaer: enthralledbylove.com/novels/intro...
February 5, 2025 at 1:39 AM
areaernovels.bsky.social
#FebruaryWorldbuilders @kiraofthewind.com 3 - Share your maps!

A map of Areaer's largest landmass, and a map of the entire Alaeran ocean.

I've got lots more on my webpages.

Areaer: enthralledbylove.com/novels/intro...

Alaer: enthralledbylove.com/novels/intro...
Colored map showing a large continent spit by a huge east-west mountain range. The northwest and much of the south is desert-colors, with a north-south mountain range on the northwest coast, and two north-south mountain ranges forming a V on the east half of the south. The eastern and south-east coasts are deep green. The rest of the land looks like plains or more arid forests. A gulf leads to an inland sea in the middle of the continent. Ovalish map of an entire globe. Most of the globe is ocean, shown in blue, laced with some archipelagos, the islands shown in green. The patterns suggest the islands are the peaks of submerged mountains rising from underwater continents. Deeper water / lower elevations are shown in darker colors.
February 3, 2025 at 8:07 PM
areaernovels.bsky.social
#FebruaryWorldbuilders @kiraofthewind.com - size & scope of world

Mostly, I write about one planet and I have no ideas for any novels beyond the Anidril System. However, the universe is ... well, I don't know how big! Many galaxies.

Anidril System "About" page: enthralledbylove.com/novels/the-a...
A view from space showing the sun-lit side of an earth-like world. A continent stretches into the sea, which covers the entire horizon. Above the horizon are two moons, one tiny, one large, with their lower sides in shadow.
February 2, 2025 at 5:36 PM
areaernovels.bsky.social
#FebruaryWorldbuilders The name of the planet where most of the stories take place is Areaer (but this name may not appear in all stories). The name of the Sun is Anidril (but this name doesn't appear in most of the stories). The name of the other earth-like (ocean) planet is Alaer.
kiraofthewind.com Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle) @kiraofthewind.com · Jan 31
Oh yeah! Here's February's #FebruaryWorldbuilders prompt list! It is the same as last year's since 1. I'm lazy and don't want to make a new one. 2. there are only so many q's about worldbuilding. 3. New year, new friends, new people to play!

Alt text in the post below!
Prompt list for February Worldbuilders. Alt text is in the posts below
February 1, 2025 at 10:00 PM
areaernovels.bsky.social
Okay. Areaer has "Relational / Personality-driven Magic." The idea is basically that magic is personality innate in ... everything, from sand to mountains to stars. So, I don't know whether it's soft-rational or soft-irrational, because it does have reason, but that reason is like poetry, not logic.
leeiswriting.bsky.social Lee🍄🌈🍉 @leeiswriting.bsky.social · Jan 20
I read this blog post on magic systems that proposes something a little more than just hard or soft.

#FantasyWriters what kind of magic systems do you like to write?

#WritingCommunity #WritingQ
crrowenson.com/magic-system...
A quadrant axis pointing up to hard, down to soft, left to irrational, and right to rational. Hard Irrational magic The Majority of the System is Displayed or Explained Cannot Use Logie to Extrapolate and Predict Unseen Portions of the System Hard Rational Magic The majority of the system is displayed or explained. Can use logic to extrapolate and predict unseen portions of the system. Soft Irrational Magic The Minority of the System is Displayed or Explained. Cannot use logic to extrapolate and predict unseen portions of the system. Soft rational magic The minority of the system is displayed or explained. Can use logic to extrapolate and predict unseen portions of the system
January 27, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Reposted by Raina Nightingale - Return of the Dragonriders is ILLUSTRATED!
dead-edd.bsky.social
This is another version I did without color and with dragons
#myart #digitalart
January 26, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Reposted by Raina Nightingale - Return of the Dragonriders is ILLUSTRATED!
dead-edd.bsky.social
Crystal Cavern
A little something I did in ProCreate for an old art class last year
#myart #digitalart
January 26, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Reposted by Raina Nightingale - Return of the Dragonriders is ILLUSTRATED!
kamakru.bsky.social
Trying really hard not to get super heated about peoples' continued use of gen a/i and how it's absolute garbage rot and grounds for immediate block and loss of all respect.

So here's a fiery dragon that I painted. One of a lifetime of paintings that I will make that gen a/i has no part of. Ever.
A gouache painting on black paper of a fiery dragon with flames and feathers on its head and back. Glowing wings, it sits on a rock above steam and water. By Katie Croonenberghs, text reads www.kamakru.com
January 26, 2025 at 4:39 AM
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redizak.bsky.social
Icon raffle!
✨Retweet/like/comment this post with picture of your character or pet
🌟Follow me
🚫no Raffle accounts (I'll check!)
💫ends on March 7th 2025! #raffle
January 16, 2025 at 9:27 PM
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sapricot.bsky.social
Storm dragon
#dragon #creaturedesign #illustration
January 23, 2025 at 7:55 PM
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rapiopapi.bsky.social
Yet another commission finished!

This one was interesting to do, they asked specifically for the character to be in a cave with only their bioluminescence lighting up the area. I’d say it was good practice!

#art #digitalart #artcommission #dragon #dragonart
January 21, 2025 at 7:49 PM
areaernovels.bsky.social
Anyone know of any feeds for fantasy animals? I'm following a dragon feed, but sometimes it seems like more of the dragons look human than not.
January 18, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Reposted by Raina Nightingale - Return of the Dragonriders is ILLUSTRATED!
artbyfinch.bsky.social
When I was asked to paint an RV turned into a food truck... I decided to go with a unicorn dragonfly in space. lol

#artbyfinch #art #rv #unicorn #dragonfly #space #graffifi #foodtruck
January 18, 2025 at 3:49 AM
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dragonniar.bsky.social
Behold the majestic forest guardian. Made for Appreciate a Dragon day

#dragon #art #ink #digitalart #fantasy #dragonart
January 16, 2025 at 9:42 PM
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rivalmit.bsky.social
This was a fun paintover to do. Took one of photograps done by @Akulatraxas and turned the birdie to the dragon. the biggest chalange I found myself trying to solve was making the trnasparecy of the foggy out-of-focul branches overlaying the subject.

Photo: Akulatraxas

#art #painting #dragon
dragon paintover of bird photograph
January 15, 2025 at 8:33 PM
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sevilai.bsky.social
I've been using this painting as a warm up for working on other pieces for a few months now. I'd open it up, work on it for a little bit until I was in the groove, and then get on with more important work. I think as of today he's done, though!
#dragon #fantasyart #seadragon
A painting of a blue wingless dragon sitting on a rock in the ocean at twilight.
January 14, 2025 at 12:47 AM
areaernovels.bsky.social
beautiful!
raptorq.bsky.social raptorq.bsky.social @raptorq.bsky.social · Jan 10
A big dream of mine has been fullfilled, finally got a statue of my dragon!

Made by the amazing @rivalmit.bsky.social
January 12, 2025 at 7:48 PM