Darcy Alexander
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upmosttoaster.bsky.social
Darcy Alexander
@upmosttoaster.bsky.social
Reader, Writer, Coveter of colourful things
DNF 33%. The ideas were so good but I found the way they were presented a little disjointed and hard to follow. I might come back to this, it feels like an important story with insightful exploration of difficult themes but I don't have the bandwidth to appreciate it just now. #BookSky #reading #sff
March 6, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Another 5 star for Feb! I really appreciated the restraint shown in the pace that information was revealed to engage me in the mystery. It was truly delightful to half guess some bits and be taken by surprise in others. The plant based magic system was so fun! #BookSky #fantasy #sff #reading ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
March 3, 2025 at 12:19 PM
This was so steeped in atmosphere I could have sneezed clouds. It was dark and gothic in the most delicious way. Having to use corrupted magic despite a horrifyingly steep cost is 1 of my favourite tropes. The prose was beautiful, I stopped a couple of times just to reread a sentence
#BookSky ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
February 28, 2025 at 4:38 PM
My 1st DNF of 2025 at 50%. The world building was so great but the mc just wasn't for me. I tend to fall in love with characters who are a bit more vulnerable. But I'd still recommend for anyone looking for romance against a unique fantasy setting and an interesting magic system
#BookSky
#reading
February 27, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Reposted by Darcy Alexander
Fruits Basket Macarons!!! I did a red and white swirl to represent the beaded bracelets and decorated them with the Chinese zodiac symbols and a red crimson butterfly 🙌 I also made onigiri, cat and mouse character shaped ones 🥰 #bookishmacarons #booksky #macarons #fruitsbasket #manga #anime
February 24, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Reposted by Darcy Alexander
But what if we were a tiny red crab that lived in a sandcastle and we scuttled about, thinking crabby thoughts and waving our pincers and making pleasant clacking sounds all day?
February 24, 2025 at 1:53 PM
This was incredible! I went in expecting a fun, jaunty space heist and was blown away. The bonds between the characters was magical and the way friction between friends was explored was so unflichingly earnest. The world was also vibrant and unique. I loved this so much ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#BookSky #reading #sff
February 24, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Finished the 1st writing game for #FantasyFeb! The Style Jam. Won myself 3 points and a Jammy Dodger badge. I don't often read/write contemporary romance so this is super out of my comfort zone. Fingers crossed my writing club like it 💙 #writing #writers #writingcommunity #BookSky
February 2, 2025 at 2:14 PM
I've drawn up my February TBR and I'm so excited I don't know which to start with! #BookSky #reading #sff #books
February 2, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Such a brilliant January to kick start the year 😊 #BookSky #reading #sff #books
January 31, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Mwah!
January 29, 2025 at 5:05 PM
These are so beautiful! 😍 Perfect for drinking tea in the woods sat on a mossy log looking wistfully into the mist.
The two tea sets I had left after my holiday sales have lingered in the shop a while. I'll be splitting them up for my January collection so you'll have a chance to score just the teapot, or a teacup and saucer set instead of committing to the whole set. Hoping this helps more people love them ❤️
January 28, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Reposted by Darcy Alexander
Last one: character-heavy sapphic romantasy: Dishonored x Locke Lamora x City of Last Chances x Rick and Evie O'Connell. Anti-imperialism! Pro-community action! SMUT! #lgbt #a #rm #2025pit
January 27, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Outlining plans for an event I'm facilitating for my writing club #FantasyFeb! Creating games, prompts and writing exercises for each day. Any writing folks - could you please share any writing tasks in the past that have been helpful for you? #writing #writers #writingcommunity #writingq
January 27, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Reposted by Darcy Alexander
When the delicate balance of corruption is disrupted by eldritch-power-wielding warlords ‘The Twins’, thief Nightjar and thief-catcher Illyana have to set aside their lethal cat-and-mouse game to try and survive while their feelings for each other grow too strong to ignore #LGBT #A #RM #2025Pit
January 27, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Reposted by Darcy Alexander
The Terror x The Fisherman x Mugen Train

Unhinged socialist revolutionary seeks naval corruption aboard ship in the Arctic, finds demonically possessed vessel, broken monsters made of crew and a lil gay romance. Erebus and Terror with an autistic sharpshooter and positive trans rep #HF #H #A
January 27, 2025 at 3:05 PM
First 5 star read of the year! This was such an incredible read, getting to connect with the story of this ship and it's crew from over 300 years ago was amazing. The writing really makes you feel like you're there with them. Fantastic! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#BookSky #reading #books
January 25, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Innocently putting together a playlist for a writing exercise I'm facilitating for my writing group when this masterpiece flooded my goblin brain with all the happy-sad. Time for a rewatch ❤️
#anime #music #writing
January 22, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Wow! I know I'm not supposed to judge a book by its cover but the colours on The Carnelian King make my brain so happy so I'm going to anyway! 💛💙 #BookSky
Hello! I'm a queer indie author of fantasy, romance, and gothic horror. I write the Flos Magicae series, my new release is a short story collection #TheCarnelianKing and I publish a sword & sorcery serial on Patreon #TheBlackKnightSaga
✨Books: shorturl.at/KHuF3
✨Patreon: www.patreon.com/ardenpowell
January 19, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Looks like I might finish my Jan TBR early which means I get to pick a bonus book! I'd appreciate any recommendations folks are happy to share. I love science fiction, fantasy and horror. Especially character driven stories with interesting settings and strong friendships. 📚 #BookSky #sff #reading
January 19, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Finished a buddy read of Guns of the Dawn. There was a little less focus on the magical elements than I was hoping for and a few plot moments I didn't enjoy but it was great seeing Emily change and the bonds that developed with the secondary characters was really heartwarming ⭐⭐⭐ #BookSky #fantasy
January 19, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Reposted by Darcy Alexander
AI defenders said it was just “help” and they were rewriting everything. Now AI bullshit (I don’t call them books) are showing up with AI notes. Why? Because the AI defenders are lazy (we knew that) and they were lying (we also knew that). Imagine wanting to be a writer and hating the writing part…
January 18, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Finished Silver in the Wood - this is such a sweet and magical story. I loved how the fantastical elements were woven throughout in vague, dreamy hints. It had the perfect amount of danger to still be cosy and had me smiling from the first page to the end. ⭐⭐⭐
#BookSky #reading #sff #lgbtq
January 15, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Although there was a lot to love, like the beautiful prose and wonderful moody aesthetic, this wasn't my cup of tea. I disliked seeing plot points in hindsight from the POV of someone who wasn't present and while the characters were written brilliantly, I didn't enjoy spending time with them ⭐⭐ +1/2
January 13, 2025 at 11:59 AM
I grew up on these streets
January 12, 2025 at 12:28 PM