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Arden Powell

@ardenpowell.bsky.social

4.3K followers 750 following 6K posts

Queer SFF author + artist, they/them 🇨🇦 Flos Magicae, The Carnelian King, Faerie Hounds, The Bayou. March 2025: Flesh & Bone Patreon: https://patreon.com/ArdenPowell Itchio: https://ardenpowell.itch.io Book Links: https://ardenpowell.mailerpage.io

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Arden Powell @ardenpowell.bsky.social · Oct 17

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

Cover art for The Carnelian King and Other Stories by Arden Powell: fantasy illustration of a red and gold dragon with a snakelike head, catfish whiskers and koi scales, looking at a knight in golden armour. The knight is riding a dappled grey horse, who is rearing to meet the dragon. They are against a dreamy, romantic background of painted trees and sky.

The Bachelor’s Valet illustrated cover art: watercolour silhouettes of two men, one fixing the other’s tie, on a teal background in a field of tall yellow hollyhock flowers.

The Faerie Hounds of York illustrated cover art: a woodcut-style wolf rearing up against a dark green background.

The Bayou illustrated cover art: a minimalist black church surrounded by bare trees in front of a full moon or a pale sun, with a staring alligator underneath.

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Ness 🎃🇨🇦 @vriccithode.bsky.social · 9h

hey canadian friends you can tell the govt what you think about AI (🚮)! survey closes at the end of the month. it's a tad long but worth it. #CanPoli
ised-isde.canada.ca/site/ised/en...

Help define the next chapter of Canada's AI leadership

Current status: Open from October 1 to October 31, 2025 Canada helped invent modern AI. To stay a leader—and protect our digital sovereignty—we're running a 30-day national sprint to shape a renew...

ised-isde.canada.ca

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SPiNDLE @aidenr0.bsky.social · 7h

choose from Therese's autumn fits

An artwork by Spindle of the character Therese, a trans elf woman who has cyan hair. The artwork showcases 4 different autumn outfits (from left to right):
1 - Therese's hair tid up to a circular "bun", while the rest of her hair is down to her butt. She's wearing a white turtleneck, a golden diamond-shaped necklace, and a long beige skirt with a dark leaf pattern. She's also wearing brown boots with a silver accent.

2 - Therese's hair tied up in a big bun. Wearing a white croptop under a long see-through beige cardigan. Red pants with brass-coloured accents, and red leggings that end just above the ankles, as well as red flats with swirly openings.

3 - Same hairstyle as 1 (except without the floating accessory in the hair loop), she's wearing a black scarf, a white and beige checkered shawl with a diamond shape on the front, and a black top underneath. (only the sleeves are visible). She's wearing a yellow skirt with white accents and buttons, and black open heels.

4 - Home fit, hair messy and free. Wearing a multi-coloured capelet/cardigan thing (idk what it is lmao), a black "night gown" with an opening in the front, and red pants with slits on the sides on the bottom. She's also wearing pie-shaped slippers (That Felt made for her!)

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chira 🎋 @artofchira.bsky.social · 8h

for me personally: art is the reason I find a point to being alive. and that sounds intense and dramatic but I really can't emphasize enough it's not an exaggeration. the despair and nihilism and pain the world offers all vanishes when I draw. nothing compares. absolutely nothing.

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chira 🎋 @artofchira.bsky.social · 8h

to most people, creativity in of itself has no reward. it's all grind, and usually capped off by burn out, what's the point. capitalism validates that belief. so why not just outsource the process and just get to the part they need

and that's horrifying, tragic, and deeply angering all at once

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chira 🎋 @artofchira.bsky.social · 8h

they don't envision or are completely ignorant of how the creative process itself is the reward, because of the flow state, because of experiencing the buzzing meditative energy channeled in what you're doing and being of the world around you in the moment is what makes all the grind worth it

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Juliette, clockwork mouse ☄🐭⚙🕰🇵🇸 @juliettenecro.neocities.org · 10d

Emotionally intelligent people are better to be around in real life, but if you write all the characters in your fiction as emotionally intelligent it's gonna be boring

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ShortBox Comics Fair @shortboxcomicsfair.bsky.social · 4d

Yara Elfouly's 190+ page comic 'Mountainkind' is a feat in worldbuilding and innovative layouts.
A melting cosmic glacier is the source of both life and strife. While the Summit States thrive, the Coastal Cities drown beneath rising seas, swelling populations, and mounting debt.

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Tiernan Blanched Bone Shards @gaycannibalism.bsky.social · 10h

Fundamentall, stories are kind of boring (to me) if they're about mostly reasonable people doing the sensible thing. You need weirdos making bad decisions or it's just your dullest friend describing their weekend

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sixpenceee none the richer @kagredon.bsky.social · 12h

i think about this tweet a lot

tweet from @arod_twit:

"characters in tv shows are too self aware now! every emotional convo is like "i guess i yelled at you earlier because i never processed dad leaving" no!! no!!! flush someone's blood pressure medication because they called you lazy."

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Tiernan Blanched Bone Shards @gaycannibalism.bsky.social · 10h

I'm going to be a little unkinder than Rowan, here.

I'm already in therapy. I don't need my fiction to model therapy for me.

rowan kaiser @rowan.monster · 1d

I'd really appreciate if writers these days took a look at their characters doing therapyspeak and whether that's appropriate for their work and their world.

By "therapyspeak" I mean speaking like this: "This is the emotion I'm feeling, and feeling that emotion makes me want to act in a way"

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michiums @ deadlines @michiums.bsky.social · 10h

this old piece went viral on tumblr back in 2023 so here it is again since I don’t think I posted it here before !

A dreamy purple, pink, green and blue sky with a bunch of little ghosts and text in white that reads “your trans dreams,love,rage,existence are enough”

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Fiona Creates @fionacreates.bsky.social · 11h

Cat's out the bag! Ladies of the Knight, coming to you in July 2026 in actual bookbook form with Oni Press!!

Complete with shiny new cover!

LADIES OF THE KNIGHT Brings Medieval Flair To New Queer-Normative Historical Fantasy

It’s giving us Ser Brienne of Tarth from ‘Game of Thrones’ vibe, with a love story that will leave fans of YA queer, medieval fan fic in no doubt that this is a story for them. Pu…

www.girltalkhq.com

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Arden Powell @ardenpowell.bsky.social · 10h

Oh hi 👀 (Silver in the Wood is one of my comps for Faerie Hounds too!)

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Alex Larkspur 💛 Queer Fantasy @applesncinnamon.bsky.social · 15h

If you enjoyed Sweet & Wild, you should read:

- Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
- Bookshop & Bonedust by Travis Baldree (or so I've been told!)
- The Faerie Hounds of York by Arden Powell (If you liked S&W's ending!)

Ian Haramaki 🏳️‍⚧️✨ @cometkins.bsky.social · 17h

What books should people be reading if they enjoy yourself? Shout them out! #WritingPrompt

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Arden Powell @ardenpowell.bsky.social · 13h

Hair.......splinters

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alix e. harrow @alixeharrow.bsky.social · 7d

most people don't know this but you're not technically a fantasy writer until your book has a map in it. with the topography drawn in charming miniature. and at least one dragon

fantasy map, on exactly the style described

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Nana @grey0295.bsky.social · 15h

Comms for @kargyres.bsky.social

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Devan Barlow @devanbarlow.bsky.social · 16h

Stock up on my books to read this weekend!

Devan Barlow @devanbarlow.bsky.social · Apr 22

✨Buy my books!!!✨

devan-barlow.itch.io

Fairytales-meet-musicals fantasy novels!
books2read.com/u/bzKXBj
books2read.com/u/bp1nBW
books2read.com/u/bOD2LE

Short fic/poetry retelling collection!
books2read.com/u/bOqZKN

Cover of Foolish Hopes and Spilled Entrails: Retellings, by Devan Barlow, featuring numerous fantastical objects surrounding a smoking cauldron, against a dark red background. The cover is by Arden Powell.

Cover of An Uncommon Curse by Devan Barlow, featuring a golden bird against a green background. The cover is by K.B. Spangler. This is book 1 of the Curses & Curtains series

Cover of An Uncertain Murder by Devan Barlow, featuring golden tentacles, fish, and a ring against a blue background. The cover is by K.B. Spangler. This is book 2 in the Curses & Curtains series.

Cover for An Unexpected Feast by Devan Barlow, featuring a golden cupcake and capering horses on a red background, interspersed with sparkles. Cover by K.B. Spangler. This is book 3 in the Curses & Curtains series.

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City Mouse Garden @citymousegarden.bsky.social · 17h

Rudbeckia ‘Henry Eilers’ is just magical in sun or shade. 🥰

#gardening #bloomscrolling #FlowerReport #FlowersOnFriday #February2Frost 🌱

Three quilled yellow blooms float in dappled shade above dark green matte foliage with other flowers opening behind them in the distance.

Three quilled yellow blooms shine in the sunlight against a background of deep green matte leaves and ferns.

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Nana @grey0295.bsky.social · 17h

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nic.tattoos @nicterhorst.com · 18h

I'd really encourage folks in Canada to write out their thoughts in this survey.

Most of mine were "Don't", but I really got to dial in on some.

Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel) @nicomaramckay.com · 2d

Canadians: The federal government is seeking public input on how AI should be developed and used in business, research, and the military.

If this scares the shit out of you, please let them know:

Help define the next chapter of Canada's AI leadership

ised-isde.canada.ca

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toril @ NYCC #4455 @toril.bsky.social · 4d

#mybook HOTBLOOD! is a neo-noir Fantasy/Western about bestiality and the Transcontinental Railroad, Publishers Weekly said it was "good," and I'm drawing Vol. 2 for September 2026

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Aubrey 💖🏳️‍🌈 @clericofthevoid.bsky.social · 16h

🏳️‍🌈✨🌸💖LAST DAY💖🌸✨🏳️‍⚧️

Aubrey 💖🏳️‍🌈 @clericofthevoid.bsky.social · 2d

My sapphic space fantasy is still on sale for ✨🌸$1 on my kofi🌸✨

Come get your cosmic lesbians holding hands while the horrors persist 🫶🏻

ko-fi.com/s/748ece637a

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ceej @ceej.online · 1d

damn. hoping it at least signifies something

William Shakespeare @shakespeare.lol · 1d

It is a tale
Told by an idiot

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jade 🫀 comms closed @yellghoul.bsky.social · 1d

🔥

illustration of a girl walking through a forest fire with a giant wolf made of smoke

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