Julia Laurel

A large mushroom-warped woman stands holding the hand of her sword. Skeletons sit below her, and a broken moon bleeds onto them.

Character Design - various monsters based on mushrooms

fullbody color commission. A character with white hair wears a cloak secured by a bird pin, blue tunic, and strapped boots. They hold a spear dripping blood into the rainwater at their feet. they appear contemplative as a red droplet falls into their hand.

Character lineup - a squad of odd masked mercenaries

Chris here, a freelance illustrator and character designer that loves dark fantasy, monsters, and folklore 🍄🌙

Publishing, games, TTRPGs - for any project that needs a funky organic touch, I'm available for work 👁️

🕸️ sutexii.art
✉️ chrisutexii@gmail.com

✦ #portfolioday #art

08.07.2025 19:50 — 👍 572    🔁 158    💬 5    📌 1

Happy release day graphic for Cassandra Newbould’s CLIMATE OF CHAOS

“Complex world building…largely conveyed through commendably natural character dialogue…rarely predictable and always engaging…[Fox] firmly establishes herself as the cane-wielding menace disabled readers deserve to see. This stellar series opener is a must-read for dystopian fans old and new.” —Booklist, starred review “Newbould keeps readers guessing in this well-written future with storms, viruses, and people in safety—and others with none... Fans of James Dashner’s The Maze Runner and Lex Thomas’s Quarantine series will enjoy this adventure... A must-have for teen libraries and lovers of dystopian ­fiction.” —School Library Journal, starred review “An exciting, high-stakes story offering relevant social commentary... the fast-paced, well-executed, suspense-driven plot will keep readers entertained.” —Kirkus Reviews Featured in Paste’s “The YA Dystopia Comeback is Served with a Healthy Dose of Romance” Featured in Reactor Mag’s “5 Books That Serve Serious Eat-the-Rich Energy” CLIMATE OF CHAOS is in stores now!

Happy Book Birthday to my client @cassnewbould.bsky.social’s YA dystopian, CLIMATE OF CHAOS! Out now from Peachtree Teen!

The Hunger Games for the next generation, it’s a hard-hitting survival story set in a dystopian Seattle that explores the devastating effects of climate change and medical debt.

15.07.2025 15:03 — 👍 13    🔁 4    💬 0    📌 0

I realise that reading vast amounts of fiction, and buying about three times more than even I can read, is neither a substitute for therapy nor a solution to everything out there. However, in my defence, just fucking *look* at everything out there.

15.07.2025 13:46 — 👍 587    🔁 126    💬 18    📌 13

A stack of queer books rests on a surface above the Bookshop.org logo. Words at the top read "Join Bookshop.org and LGBTQ Reads as we celebrate pride." A badge reads "20% off titles w/code PRIDE25".

Happy Pride Month! This year, LGBTQ Reads is partnering with @bookshop.org for a sale on over 100 books by LGBTQIA+ authors using code PRIDE25! bookshop.org/info/pride

04.06.2025 13:29 — 👍 225    🔁 156    💬 3    📌 16

If you see this, post a monster

Here's my spooky grave creature :)

30.05.2025 20:17 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Ardyce Alspach at Union Square & Co has acquired, in a two-book deal, the adult fantasy debut, An Embodiment of Souls, by author Julia Laurel, pitched as A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians meets Mortal Follies in a Handmaid's Tale society, in which a young woman from a culture of fundamentalist necromancers, who agrees to a marriage of convenience to magically inhabit her husband's body and save her father from a corrupt political conspiracy, is thrust headlong into a rebellion for bodily autonomy. Ernie Chiara at Fuse Literary brokered the deal for World rights. Publication is slated for November 2026.

Very excited about this one!

21.05.2025 14:16 — 👍 13    🔁 2    💬 3    📌 0

So very mutual 🥰

22.05.2025 20:33 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Julia Laurel's AN EMBODIMENT OF SOULS, pitched as A DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAGICIANS meets MORTAL FOLLIES in a HANDMAID'S TALE society, in which a young woman from a culture of fundamentalist necromancers, who agrees to a marriage of convenience to magically inhabit her husband's body and save her father from a corrupt political conspiracy, is thrust headlong into a rebellion for bodily autonomy, to Ardyce Alspach at Union Square & Co, in a very nice deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in November 2026, by Ernie Chiara at Fuse Literary (world).

AN EMBODIMENT OF SOULS is coming in November 2026 from Union Square & Co. 🎉Beyond, beyond excited to be announcing this as my debut. It's dear to me, it's queer, and it's all about confronting purity culture & the patriarchy, and taking back your body and your magic 🖤🖤

22.05.2025 20:32 — 👍 4    🔁 2    💬 1    📌 1

Preorders are vital to authors, especially those building their readership. My disability makes it difficult to hold a job, so being an author helps me support my family. I appreciate every time someone orders CLIMATE OF CHAOS.
Barnes & Noble's 25% off sale runs today - 4/25 #BNPreorder

23.04.2025 17:55 — 👍 9    🔁 5    💬 0    📌 0

Bookshop: Buy books online. Support local bookstores. An online bookstore that financially supports local independent bookstores and gives back to the book community.

PLEASE don’t buy into Amazon’s booksale this week.

They are intentionally trying to eat into profits from Indie Bookstore Day this weekend, a really important annual event for our important community institutions.

Check out your local fave or bookshop.org.

23.04.2025 13:36 — 👍 3444    🔁 2853    💬 45    📌 103

HAPPY EARTH DAY. AND HAPPY RELEASE DAY! The spooky smuuut pamphlet is here. 40ish pages you can devour in one sitting.

Feast your eyes. 🖤

Cover art by @olyfrogg.bsky.social.
Typography by @julialaurel.bsky.social.

22.04.2025 20:05 — 👍 14    🔁 6    💬 2    📌 0

"Your bookshelf isn't safe—it's a playground for the wildly inventive and the beautifully bizarre" 💓

08.04.2025 17:46 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

08.04.2025 17:45 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Read Your Color

Okay, I had fun with this 'read your color' quiz:

"I’m a Purple Reader.
🌀 Unconventional. 🧬 Visionary. ✨ Drawn to strange beauty, surreal twists, and radical ideas.
What kind of reader are you?"
readyourcolor.com

08.04.2025 17:44 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

A deserved end to NaNoWriMo, but dang if I didn't get a tiny bit emotional logging onto the site to screenshot my projects that go all the way back to 2018 🥲

03.04.2025 01:29 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

A feast indeed!!! So excited I got to incorporate the typography for this gorgeous indie romance and its stunning cover🖤

26.03.2025 21:31 — 👍 5    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

Your art is jaw-dropping, it was an honor to work the typography together with it!!

26.03.2025 21:29 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0