Brooksie C. Fontaine

@brooksiesbooks

Art, writing, and book account! I'm a professional illustrator and Wigleaf-nominated author with 50+ publications and two MFAs. I draw and write about all things magical, like to rave about books, and post daily microfiction.

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Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· 19d

Happy release to #TheLegendofAang! So jealous of everyone who gets to see it in theaters, and hope for a wider release. I hope to draw the whole adult gaang, because I adore them! #TheLastAirbender #Zuko

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· 26d

The elf and the goblin 💚💙 #OCs #Illustration

An elf with long white hair showing off a green shoe to a purple-blue goblin. Both have tea.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· 29d

Dress I wore to see The Great Gatsby musical. You know I had to sparkle! The musical was amazing, I really like how it interpreted the book, and put a very heartfelt, almost optimistic spin on it. #TheGreatGatsby

Me (brunette woman) in a sparkly gold dress outdoors.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 15

January Werewolf and Weredog! For this year's #Julycanthropy, I'm doing a 2027 calendar of werewolves and weredogs! Starting with an Arctic werewolf and American Spitz! #Illustration

Werewolf and American spitz weredog on a snowy day, bundled up, drinking something hot.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 13

The day she fell in love, the world turned lavender. Pink had been for crushes, at least for her. This was how she knew it was real, the #unabashed purple sunset, lilac and rose in the air. This color soothed and titillated her. She felt it in her chest. Meant to last. #vss365

Violet Venus on a dark purple swan with doves and white roses.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 13

Monke 🐵 #Illustration #OC

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 11

Eighty-seventh book of the year is The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, which was an absolute delight. 👽 #BookSky

Really fun and delightful, and good at poking fun at the stupidity inherent to human-like life without sounding sanctimonious. No easy feat.

The takeaway from this is that the universe is bright and full of color, and wherever you find people they will BE people.

A favorite portion was the sequence at the titular restaurant, it was unique and...oddly cozy to picture this restaurant full of familiarly absurd people habitually watching the end of everything.

At this rate, maybe I'll finish this series by the end of this summer! And then at some point I'll definitely have to read it again.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 11

Very proud that my story "Witness" will be featured in The Best of MetaStellar Year Five, which will be available for purchase July 21! How cool is this hand-painted cover? #Writing

Best of Metastellar Year Five, with a flying saucer, Ford pickup, and other cool stuff on the cover.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 10

The rain of #rose petals, the snow white doves, the glide of swans like eruptions of love on the sleek water. Beauty leaves ripples of power in its wake, impossible to replicate, the need to love, to fight for, to follow. #vss365

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 10

Eighty-sixth read of the year is "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor. It was a trainwreck, in a really powerful way! #BookSky

Brutal in a really particular way, very funny at various points leading to something not funny at all, but still imbued with that kind of tragic, human awkwardness.

The family that this story focuses on is far from idyllic. The grandmother is racist and suffocatingly preoccupied class and appearance, the husband is implicitly abusive to the point wherein his own mother is afraid of him, the wife is a mostly silent, pleasant cabbage of a person (not being rude, that's how the story pretty much describes her), and the children are mean-spirited brats. They are generally awful in a thousand little ways.

The only innocent parties are the cat and the baby (not that innocence is any protection) but for the most part, this awfulness is the only thing that makes the mounting dread of the story even a little bearable.

It has a payoff. I wouldn't exactly call it satisfying, unless you'd consider a trainwreck satisfying, but it is powerful, and says something unique about human nature.

Not to spoil too much about the escaped convict The Misfit, but he is a fascinating example of humanity pushed in extreme and destructive directions. His interaction with the grandmother is one of the most memorable and oddly poignant I've read in a long time.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 10

My eighty-fifth read of the year was the brutal, masterful "Those Who Walk Away From Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin. My full review is on goodreads, be warned that it covers some disturbing topics. Which isn't a surprise to anyone who knows the premise of the story! #BookSky

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 10

Book 84 of the year is The Lost Sisters, which captured the tumultuousness of teenagers in a fantastical, court-intrigue fueled way. #BookSky

Mild spoilers ahead.

This was really good. I was a bit surprised to see that the ratings for The Lost Sisters are more tepid than the other Folk of Air books, and a quick glance told me why: it's because of Taryn, which I probably should have seen coming.

As a character, I find her SUPER interesting, and there were times when I really felt for her a great deal. But Taryn can be unlikeable, in a way that might be personal to a lot of women and girls. A close friend who betrays you is a particular kind of awful, especially if you're in a vulnerable situation together in which you need to count on each other. Never mind that Taryn isn't just a friend, but a sister.

She's not charismatically awful, in the manner of Carden. She's not a loving monster like Madoc. She's a human, every day, teenage kind of awful. And, again, that's mostly why she's interesting.

She has this moment of especially organic yet drastic evolution towards the end, where she embraces the manipulative tendencies of those around her, that I actually considered one of her more likeable moments - or at least, a moment where I could truly root for her, as it felt like she was embodying herself instead of trying to convince herself that she her intentions were always noble.

In The Cruel Prince, Taryn called herself a mirror to traits Jude doesn't want to acknowledge, with is both true and also how Taryn deflects autonomy for her own actions. This novel is a speech that Taryn is giving to her own image in a literal mirror.

Both girls are at an incredibly formative age in a formidable setting, and it's interesting to see what paths they'll take as they reach adulthood in this uncanny place, because there are definitely a lot of forks still ahead of them.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 9

Book 83 of the year is the fantasy classic, The Riddle-Master of Hed. I found it really interesting narratively. #BookSky

One thing this book makes abundantly clear right away: the gears of this world and these characters' lives have been in motion for a long time before you got here.

Someone in the classic fantasy book club I read this for remarked that it felt like they'd missed a book before this one, and I concurred; it does feel that way. We begin en medias res in the hero's journey - scratch that, we come in AFTER this hero's journey, which serves as the catalyst for the events of another one.

That's a really interesting narrative decision, and one that I ultimately liked, because of the sense of scale it lent to the events of this plot. Knowing that the deadly riddle battle with a ghost king was a precipitating event that didn't even merit being shown demonstrates 1) the normalcy of dangerous magic in this universe, 2) the skill of the protagonist as a riddle-master, and 3) the fact that what adventures he'll be having hereafter will be even more dangerous and magnitudinous.

I really enjoy this fantasy world, and the way magic is relatively normalized yet still fantastical. The presence of shape-shifting kings and assassins, and the scope of this world's history as it's alluded to, make this feel so unique, somewhere between fairy tale and historical thriller.

I should finish the sequels fairly shortly, and I look forward to seeing how this unfolds.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 9

Book 82 of the year is volume 8 of #MyHeroAcademia Team Up Missions! Akiyama has become one of my favorite mangaka for her work on this franchise, and the sheer love and charm with which she handles these characters. I hope she keeps doing additional MHA one shots! #BookSky

Team Up Missions vol 8 with field and trees in background.

I have so much appreciation for Akiyama's contribution for this franchise! She really added so much love, charm, and heart, and I adore how she handles these characters.

Especially Katsuki; she really GETS what makes him endearing. Even though there wasn't enough focus on him in this particular volume, I won't deduct points for that! After all, there's never enough Katsuki for me.

Minor spoilers ahead, so be warned!

This volume has three really charming stand-alone stories, focusing on All Might's efforts to be a better teacher (and I love how much he reflects on his struggles to connect to students in the past), Best Jeanist and Edgeshot having a meet-cute at the textile club (my personal favorite), and Mina hilariously battling an anti-dancing gang with a leader who disrupts people's rhythms.

The last three chapters focused on everyone coming together to battle a well-meaning but extremist villain, who'd been extracting vigilante justice on some former delinquents. We got to see cameos from a lot of the cute characters from previous Team Up Missions, and it was really sweet.

The final bonus chapter focused on the events leading up to Your Next, which may have been my favorite (excluding the Best Jeanist and Edgeshot one) due to the dynamics of Class 1-A and Izuku and Katsuki's relationship.

I know Akiyama did another Team Up Missions one shot for New Years, and I hope she keeps doing that occasionally! I love what she brings to this world.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 8

Linework for a monke! Will color him later 🐒 #Illustration #WorkInProgress

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 8

Book 81 of the year is Tehanu, the fourth and "final" (that changed later) book of Earthsea. It was a great read, albeit a brutal one. CW for mentions of various forms of violence in the review; major spoilers hidden. #BookSky

Full review on goodreads, Brooksie Fontaine.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 8

December centaur unicorn to complete my 2027 calendar! And a belayed conclusion to #Junicorn 2026 🦄 #Illustration

White centaur unicorn in a red coat with bells, holding a present!

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 7

You'd think it would be #revealing. Aphrodite, however, is an oil painting in motion, a buttery marble statue, and there's nothing scandalous about her bare skin. You'd think you'd be self-conscious in her presence, but in her endless eyes, all you see is Love. #vss365

Beautiful Venus on the back of a swan, perched on a rose.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 7

In case you can't tell by these blocks of text, The Parable of the Sower REALLY got me thinking. The full review is on goodreads, where my username is Brooksie Fontaine. Yep, this isn't even all of it! #BookSky

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 7

November centaur unicorn for my 2027 calendar! #Illustration

Centaur unicorn girl with fruit in her hair holding pie, colorful birds on her back.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 6

October centaur unicorn for my 2027 calendar! 🧡 #Illustration

Long-haired calico centaur unicorn in witch hat with happy ghost, cats, pumpkins.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 5

September centaur unicorn for my 2027 calendar! I think she's soooo pretty, if I do say so myself 💜 #Illustration

A lavender centaur unicorn with a bunny on a starry night.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 4

Have to dress appropriately for America's birthday! ❤️🤍💙 #America250

Me in vintage red white and blue style, miniskirt, crop top, sunhat.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 4

Book 79 of the year is His Excellency by Joseph H. Ellis, in Honor of 4th of July! #BookSky #America250

Finished the morning of Independence Day, in honor of America's 250th birthday! And I enjoyed it quite a bit.

To start with my favorite part: the book points out something that I myself have been recently contemplating, which is Washington's remarkable ability to relinquish power. I thought of this when reading Orwell's 1984 recently, and encountered the quote that "no one seizes power with the intent to relinquish it." Almost always true, hauntingly true.

Washington, however, did relinquish power. And that - in addition to the remarkable set of circumstances that allowed for American victory in the Revolutionary War - is largely what makes him and the country so exceptional despite their flaws. We have a remarkable dream here.

I wasn't entirely fond of certain assumptions the author made - he kind of forcefully stated that Washington was in love with Sally Fairfax, which is highly likely but not proven, and I prefer a bit more acknowledgement of the subjectivity of correspondence rather than insisting on "obvious" inference.

But I really appreciated the effort to approach Washington from a balanced, human angle, with an attempt to mitigate the strong emotions engendered by such an all-encompassing national father figure.

I found the exploration of Washington's evolving relationship with slavery particularly interesting, especially sobering in the context that we in the developed world STILL benefit economically from the enslavement of innocents, both historically and today, often with forced child labor in the Global South.

I was also intrigued by the more briefly explored but equally intriguing exploration of his dynamic with Native American nations and tribes.

This book is unique in that it focuses greatly on Washington's life before and after the Revolutionary War, to the point wherein that portion felt rather short. But still was long enough to emphasize how dire the war was, and how improbable America's victory should have been. The fact America was NOT a united front prior to or even during the war, and the fact that so many battles were so tenuous, only serves to make the ultimate triumph more poignant, at least in my opinion. The American dream - and the vision of egalitarianism that is still taking shape - were forged during those long years.

The book isn't perfect, there's a reason it doesn't get five stars. I felt some inferences about Washington's inner thoughts were inappropriately absolute, and some dynamics were oversimplified. But it was an enjoyable, enriching read that made me want to learn more, and that's something I really appreciate.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 4

Book 78 of the year was My Friends by Fredrick Backman. Amazing story, somewhat weighed down by being overly saccharine. Full review on goodreads, where my username is Brooksie Fontaine! #BookSky

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 4

Book 77 of the year was Maurice. I really loved it! #BookSky

Full review on my goodreads, Brooksie Fontaine.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 4

Book 76 of the year was Hyperion, a sci-fi classic masterpiece that I read for a classic science fiction book club! Major spoilers blurred, full review on goodreads. #BookSky

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 4

Book 75 of the year was Cress, the third book of the Lunar Chronicles. In my opinion this is the book where the series becomes something truly special. #BookSky

Cress book cover (Rapunzel hacking in space).

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 4

Book 74 of the year is the Second Book of Samuel! #BookSky

"He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.
He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky.
Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth.
The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of breath from his nostrils.
“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.
He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me."

2 Samuel 22, lines 10-20.

How absolutely METAL is that?

This Book is dense, and deals with a lot of politics and intertwining lives. But it's also one of the most enriching so far.

Daniel's relationship with God, and Daniel's humanity, are among the aspects I find most interesting. His relationship with God - especially when he asked God who he was while alone with the ark - was particularly poignant, as were the trials Daniel faced as king, a father, and a person, making his triumphs even more epic.

Brooksie C. Fontaine@brooksiesbooks· Jul 4

Happy 250, America! (CW flashing lights) #America250 #Illustration