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If only
Nov. 30th, 2025 03:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fayanoraIf I had the skill to make the digital paintings I wanted to make as covers for my books, instead of just a black and white raven drawing, this is what I'd do:
Book one (Dalia Ravenstone and the Vicious Circle): A picture of Dalia Ravenstone -- a black girl with her hair in locs -- wearing a witches' hat and holding her wand in both hands, point side up. Brandon would be in the picture too, in his wheelchair. Sally as well, if I could fit her in. If not, a wider version of the image in which she is in the picture, would be included in the book itself.
Book two (Vedya Ravenstone and the Forge of Ponos): Vedya Ravenstone -- who is a Dalit child with rainbow colored hair -- would be in the image with her best friend Sarah Butcher, the two girls having their arms over each others' shoulders, both hamming it up for the camera.
Book three (Chooli Ravenstone and the Corrupted Spirit): An image of Chooli Ravenstone -- whose appearance is that of a Navajo child, but zee is actually biracial (half black) -- dressed in a tunic and vest for a ren faire, standing next to Felicia Grimaldi (an Italian girl with black hair). The image looks like a professional portrait of the two, but Chooli's attention has been diverted by something not in the frame. We can still see zeer face, though.
Book four (Ressa Akamai and the Bridge Not Crossed): Ressa Akamai -- a Hawaiian1 woman from another universe -- on the back of a motorcycle with an anonymous biker in the front, everything about their identity hidden by their gloves, bike leathers, and helmet. I'd get the second anonymous biker from that scene in the image too, if I could, on their own motorcycle. This would include having the skill to draw a very specific brand and model of motorcycle that would have to be imported from India.
Book five (Dalia Ravenstone and the Vengeful Hunter): For this one, a bit of a departure. It would be a view of a place much like the Giant's Causeway in Ireland, in the background. (The foreground is a more traditional sandy shore.) It would, in fact, be Fomor. Several Ravenstones would be in the image -- most likely Dalia, Vedya, and at least two of the adults like Nizoni and Orpheus. Morgana as well, if there's room. They would be scattered on the shore, soaking wet, clearly having just been washed ashore.
Book six (Naga Ravenstone and the Envoy of Truth): I think having Naga herself on the cover would be too confusing, even with her haircut being what it is, and her hair being pink. This is because she is a multiverse double of Vedya. So in another departure, I'd probably include the Lichters and Oxythemis Caldwell instead, or maybe just feature the LLS Oneironaut -- an airship that resembles a submarine turned into a blimp. I dunno. Point is, most of book six's important plot is centered around them. The title is not a red herring, it is relevant to the plot, just not as much as other things are. The Lichters are both blond and white and look like they're from Victorian England. They look like identical twins if one was a woman and the other a man. (They are multiverse doubles of each other, and Lady Lichter is a trans woman.)
Book seven (Vasanti Sultana and the Riddle of Hope): Probably Vasanti and Zorana standing in a group next to one or both of the Lichters. Their appearances... Vasanti is Indian. (India Indian) Zorana is a black woman.
1 = Technically Ressa is biracial as well, however her father's ethnicity doesn't really show in her appearance, which is a good thing as I'm not really clear myself what that ethnicity is, as the country he's from doesn't exist in our world, however I would say the most likely cognate for his ethnicity to ours is Mexican, because the country he's from is located in part of what is Mexico here. Mexico exists in that world, but its name is Mexica. And obviously its borders are different.
Book one (Dalia Ravenstone and the Vicious Circle): A picture of Dalia Ravenstone -- a black girl with her hair in locs -- wearing a witches' hat and holding her wand in both hands, point side up. Brandon would be in the picture too, in his wheelchair. Sally as well, if I could fit her in. If not, a wider version of the image in which she is in the picture, would be included in the book itself.
Book two (Vedya Ravenstone and the Forge of Ponos): Vedya Ravenstone -- who is a Dalit child with rainbow colored hair -- would be in the image with her best friend Sarah Butcher, the two girls having their arms over each others' shoulders, both hamming it up for the camera.
Book three (Chooli Ravenstone and the Corrupted Spirit): An image of Chooli Ravenstone -- whose appearance is that of a Navajo child, but zee is actually biracial (half black) -- dressed in a tunic and vest for a ren faire, standing next to Felicia Grimaldi (an Italian girl with black hair). The image looks like a professional portrait of the two, but Chooli's attention has been diverted by something not in the frame. We can still see zeer face, though.
Book four (Ressa Akamai and the Bridge Not Crossed): Ressa Akamai -- a Hawaiian1 woman from another universe -- on the back of a motorcycle with an anonymous biker in the front, everything about their identity hidden by their gloves, bike leathers, and helmet. I'd get the second anonymous biker from that scene in the image too, if I could, on their own motorcycle. This would include having the skill to draw a very specific brand and model of motorcycle that would have to be imported from India.
Book five (Dalia Ravenstone and the Vengeful Hunter): For this one, a bit of a departure. It would be a view of a place much like the Giant's Causeway in Ireland, in the background. (The foreground is a more traditional sandy shore.) It would, in fact, be Fomor. Several Ravenstones would be in the image -- most likely Dalia, Vedya, and at least two of the adults like Nizoni and Orpheus. Morgana as well, if there's room. They would be scattered on the shore, soaking wet, clearly having just been washed ashore.
Book six (Naga Ravenstone and the Envoy of Truth): I think having Naga herself on the cover would be too confusing, even with her haircut being what it is, and her hair being pink. This is because she is a multiverse double of Vedya. So in another departure, I'd probably include the Lichters and Oxythemis Caldwell instead, or maybe just feature the LLS Oneironaut -- an airship that resembles a submarine turned into a blimp. I dunno. Point is, most of book six's important plot is centered around them. The title is not a red herring, it is relevant to the plot, just not as much as other things are. The Lichters are both blond and white and look like they're from Victorian England. They look like identical twins if one was a woman and the other a man. (They are multiverse doubles of each other, and Lady Lichter is a trans woman.)
Book seven (Vasanti Sultana and the Riddle of Hope): Probably Vasanti and Zorana standing in a group next to one or both of the Lichters. Their appearances... Vasanti is Indian. (India Indian) Zorana is a black woman.
1 = Technically Ressa is biracial as well, however her father's ethnicity doesn't really show in her appearance, which is a good thing as I'm not really clear myself what that ethnicity is, as the country he's from doesn't exist in our world, however I would say the most likely cognate for his ethnicity to ours is Mexican, because the country he's from is located in part of what is Mexico here. Mexico exists in that world, but its name is Mexica. And obviously its borders are different.
