Tidbits of Cinders #6 - The Characters of Blackbird Castle

Nov 6

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I hope everyone had a good Halloween! I diiiiid, though I did nothing of import, only watched a scary movie (Gretel and Hansel, the new one from 2020 with all the pretty cinematography) and ate ice cream. I've been doing nothing of import in general since Cinders and Sparrows came out, though I have done lots of walking and reading and baking of blackberry crumbles. I'm also working on a short story about mythological deities in Victorian London that's breaking my brain. BUT BE THAT AS IT MAY. Cinders has been out for two weeks, and so here are some of the characters that populate it.Our heroine and long-lost heir, Zita Brydgeborn - formerly known as Ingabeth, or Mrs. Boliver's housemaid. She's generally a cheery and optimistic sort, but this picture finds her practicing the Language of Clouds, which she finds highly annoying. Bram and Minnifer - the castle's two remaining servants after everyone else flees. Absinthia Klarmp, or her gravestone, at least. (I think Absinthia is mentioned one time in the entire book, but her gravestone is too nice to exclude from the character list. It is, like all of these, by my mom.) This next one I made myself, very hurriedly, but I'm determined to do it again in detail with a proper background, and a proper hand holding the key instead of a lobster pincer, and also proper spacing of the words in the dress. In the meantime, this is Ysabeau Harkleath-Cantanker St. Cloud, Zita's somewhat mysterious guardian and teacher. And lastly, coin and lavender in hand, and surrounded by sinister accoutrements, Magdeboor III, our dangerous, dangerous villain. (This is a picture of her hundreds of years ago when she was alive. Things are rather different now. . .) There are more characters - several ghosts, an enchanted beast, a crow, and a rather ineffectual lawyer named Mr. Grenouille - and hopefully I'll have sketches of them all eventually. Also, I'll be able to share some exciting news soooooooon! Possibly next week. Watch this space. :) I hope everyone's doing well!