Roar Cat Reads

Tag: fantasy

  • Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard

    Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard

    Genre | Fantasy Novella
    Page #s | 99
    Publishing Date | February 2021

    Award-winning author Aliette de Bodard returns with a powerful romantic fantasy that reads like The Goblin Emperor meets Howl’s Moving Castle in a pre-colonial Vietnamese-esque world.

    Fire burns bright and has a long memory….

    Quiet, thoughtful princess Thanh was sent away as a hostage to the powerful faraway country of Ephteria as a child. Now she’s returned to her mother’s imperial court, haunted not only by memories of her first romance, but by worrying magical echoes of a fire that devastated Ephteria’s royal palace.

    Thanh’s new role as a diplomat places her once again in the path of her first love, the powerful and magnetic Eldris of Ephteria, who knows exactly what she wants: romance from Thanh and much more from Thanh’s home. Eldris won’t take no for an answer, on either front. But the fire that burned down one palace is tempting Thanh with the possibility of making her own dangerous decisions.

    Can Thanh find the freedom to shape her country’s fate—and her own?

    Goodreads

    Although the themes of power differentials and self-empowerment were great, the fact that they were portrayed through the lens of two romances that I found fairly equally unappealing led to an ambivalent reading experience for me.

    Thanh is in her home country of Bihn Hai, still reeling from a traumatic fire six years ago and feeling useless in her position as princess and diplomat. When their powerful neighbor to the north comes to negotiate, Thanh must make some huge decisions that will impact both herself and her country. Her ex-lover, Princess Eldris of Ephteria, has come to propose, but Thanh isn’t sure that this is what she wants.

    I think the biggest problem for me was that we get hints of Eldris’s anger and control because Thanh says so, but we what we see is someone who professes their love and defends their relationship against those who would try to exploit it (until the end, anyway). I do appreciate the fact that in this relationship, Thanh would never truly be Eldris’s equal because of politics, but I’m not convinced that the romantic alternative is much better.

    Now, I love a fire elemental. But the fact that this book opens with Thanh having a traumatic flashback to the fire that almost killed her (and did kill others) but finds the elemental responsible a viable love interest didn’t track for me. Thanh! You don’t have to choose between two powerful and dangerous women! Find yourself a better girlfriend.

    The romances are central to the story, but what I liked best was Thanh’s growing confidence as a diplomat and a stateswoman. She is eventually able to stand up to her mother the Queen and create a path to a more independent future for her country. That stuff was all awesome, and if the romances had been left out I might have liked the book a lot more (chalk that up to something I never thought I’d say!).

    Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

    Despite my ambivalence, this is a great little book to give to a friend who wants to dip their toes into Asian-based fantasy worlds with queer lady protagonists.

    Rating: 3 out of 5.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

    Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

    Genre | YA Fantasy
    Page #s | 356
    Publishing Date | September 2019

    The story is supposed to be over.

    Simon Snow did everything he was supposed to do. He beat the villain. He won the war. He even fell in love. Now comes the good part, right? Now comes the happily ever after…

    So why can’t Simon Snow get off the couch?

    What he needs, according to his best friend, is a change of scenery. He just needs to see himself in a new light…

    That’s how Simon and Penny and Baz end up in a vintage convertible, tearing across the American West.

    They find trouble, of course. (Dragons, vampires, skunk-headed things with shotguns.) And they get lost. They get so lost, they start to wonder whether they ever knew where they were headed in the first place…

    With Wayward Son, Rainbow Rowell has written a book for everyone who ever wondered what happened to the Chosen One after he saved the day. And a book for everyone who was ever more curious about the second kiss than the first. It’s another helping of sour cherry scones with an absolutely decadent amount of butter.

    Come on, Simon Snow. Your hero’s journey might be over – but your life has just begun.

    Goodreads

    When I first read Carry On, I expected to love it as a self-referential ode to Harry/Draco fanfic. Instead, I found a thoughtful book in its own right. Wayward Son moves even further into its own unique space, taking Simon, Baz, and Penelope on an American road trip to save Agatha and avoid the existential angst of outliving one’s role as the Chosen One.

    I adore every single character in this book. Simon is depressed, having lost his magic and his purpose (though he also gained a tail and wings) after the events of the previous book. It is painful and all too real to watch him doubt himself and his relationship with Baz. Speaking of, Baz is going through his own struggles trying to support someone with depression; he also gets a wrench thrown into his vampiric worldview when he meets American vampires who aren’t absolutely monstrous.

    Penelope shines in this book, confronted with consequences as a result of her controlling tendencies; I loved that her arc included realizing she is bossy but responding, “Yeah, well, I should be the boss; I’m the smartest.” And then there’s Agatha! My darling Agatha, who just wants to get away from the fantasy world of magic and danger. I’m so glad she has continued to be a part of the story after fleeing England, and I hope she is an even bigger part of the next book.

    The third book in this series, Any Way the Wind Blows, comes out today! I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

    What Makes This Book Queer?

    Simon and Baz are in a gay relationship, though since this is the middle book in a trilogy (?), they are not in the best of places. They are constantly misunderstanding each other and missing opportunities for romance (though that means when they DO connect, it is all the more precious).

    Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

    Anyone who enjoys loving deconstructions of traditional YA books and storylines.

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

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  • 10 Underrated LGBTQ+ Books

    10 Underrated LGBTQ+ Books

    In general, queer literature tends to get less press than other genres, although increasingly, LGBTQ+ stories are getting the attention they deserve. Still, many excellent books are underrated on Goodreads (aka have less than 5,000 ratings). I wanted to give them a little extra love, and I hope you will too!

    Idea taken from Kat Impossible.

    10 Underrated LGBTQ+ Books

    Alice Payne Arrives by Kate Heartfield

    The Alice Payne novellas are time traveling adventures centered around women of color (one is queer) from different time periods. They are fun, feminist, and philosophical.

    Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi

    A literary novel about a Nigerian mother and her twin daughters breaking apart and coming back together. It’s a book about love, travel, trauma, and the liminal space between mental health and spiritualism.

    Camp by L.C. Rosen

    An adorable YA novel about a diverse cast of queer kids attending a supportive summer camp. The premise is ridiculous (an effeminate gay teen goes masc to win over his crush) but handled with surprising care.

    The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith

    A beautiful fantasy graphic novel about two young twins who escape a royal slaughter into a magical convent for girls. One wants to get back to his life as a prince and reclaim his throne, while the other realizes she feels more herself as a girl and hesitates to leave this refuge.

    FINNA by Nino Cipri

    What if IKEA was a(n actual) dangerous labyrinth that passes through wormholes into different worlds? This delightful novella places two underpaid employees going through a breakup in life-or-death situations and, in the most queer story imaginable, centers on successfully rebuilding a relationship after romance.

    Flamer by Mike Curato

    A black and white YA graphic novel that uses color for emotional effect about a young Boy Scout coming to terms with his attraction to his bunkmate in honest, heartbreaking, and joyful scenes. His dreams of the two of them acting out fantasy romances are priceless!

    Miranda in Milan by Katharine Duckett

    Queer Shakespeare geeks rejoice! This short novel follows a post-The Tempest Miranda back to Milan where she must confront the ghosts of her past while navigating falling in love with a woman.

    Naamah by Sarah Blake

    If you’ve ever wished the Bible were gayer and more feminist, this is the book for you! Noah’s wife Naamah is given a voice as she struggles with living through a disaster that killed her female lover and wrestles with what it means to relate to the god who caused such tragedy.

    Trans-Galactic Bike Ride edited by Lydia Rogue

    A novella anthology of short stories centered on trans narratives and biking through space…weirdly specific and utterly delightful! I guarantee that some of the stories will be your flavour, though who knows which ones that will be.

    The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood

    An excellent fantasy novel about a lesbian orc who works as a wizard’s assassin and struggles with her life’s meaning after fleeing a cult who wanted to sacrifice her to appease an ancient god. That should be all you need to know to be assured that this is so much fun!

    What underrated LGBTQIA+ books do you want to boost?
    Leave a comment and let everyone know about them!

  • Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie

    Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie

    Genre | Grimdark Fantasy
    Page #s | 287
    Publishing Date | April 2016

    Sharp Ends is the ultimate collection of award winning tales and exclusive new short stories from the master of grimdark fantasy, Joe Abercrombie.

    Violence explodes, treachery abounds, and the words are as deadly as the weapons in this rogue’s gallery of side-shows, back-stories, and sharp endings from the world of the First Law.

    The Union army may be full of bastards, but there’s only one who thinks he can save the day single-handed when the Gurkish come calling: the incomparable Colonel Sand dan Glokta.

    Curnden Craw and his dozen are out to recover a mysterious item from beyond the Crinna. Only one small problem: no one seems to know what the item is.

    Shevedieh, the self-styled best thief in Styria, lurches from disaster to catastrophe alongside her best friend and greatest enemy, Javre, Lioness of Hoskopp.

    And after years of bloodshed, the idealistic chieftain Bethod is desperate to bring peace to the North. There’s only one obstacle left — his own lunatic champion, the most feared man in the North: the Bloody-Nine . . .

    Goodreads

    I am not a person who is drawn to grimdark stories, but Joe Abercrombie is Rachel’s favorite fantasy author. She asked me to read Best Served Cold a year ago, and this year she had me read Sharp Ends. We couldn’t stop talking about it for two days, so even though my main reaction is, “He’s clearly an amazing author; why can’t he just write about nice things?”, it is clear his work leaves a mark.

    Sharp Ends is a series of interlocking short stories that can be read alone but would resonate more deeply if you already knew the characters from his other series. Even though I only recognized some of the names, I was still immediately drawn in. Abercrombie is an absolute master when it comes to creating relatable characters with rich personalities in only a few lines. I honestly don’t know how he makes dozens of believable characters, some of whom only live for a page or two.

    Because that’s the thing…this book is so violent! And gratuitously so. If the people in the stories weren’t having such interesting feelings about the terrible things they find themselves doing, I wouldn’t give this book even one star. But every character is so interesting, most of them wrestling with some kind of cognitive dissonance, wanting to be good people but then rationalizing leaving a wounded person to be murdered or having to kill ten people to finish a thieving job. If nothing else, this book makes a very compelling case for the philosophical argument that people aren’t bad, we’re all just products of a system that necessitates bad actions.

    I also admire Abercrombie for never shying away from the implications of the violence in his world. In one of the most memorable short stories, we see “nobodies” who died in the wake of Murcatto’s warpath of revenge in Best Served Cold. From a bank teller who worries about pleasing his wife to a prostitute who comforts a soldier who needs a good cry, their lives are snuffed out by another protagonist’s actions. We aren’t allowed to revel in the violence, because the faceless masses are given faces. I like that quite a lot.

    Another thing Abercrombie does well is his ability to write women as actual people. They’re as grumpy, snarky, and brutal as any man in the book, but they also worry about their itchy inseams and if the girl they’ve always pined after is only using them. Even though there is a lot of prostitution in his stories, there isn’t explicit sexual violence. Instead, the job is portrayed like all the other jobs – something that is often unwanted and unsavory, but necessary to get by.

    I’m never going to gravitate to a Joe Abercrombie book because my heart is overly sensitive. But I can appreciate his skill and wish I had a stronger stomach when Rachel offers me the next book in a year.

    What Makes This Book Queer?

    The only storyline that is repeatedly returned to is of Shev, a lesbian thief who has fallen in love with courier who repeatedly sells her out. Romance is not an optimistic endeavor in this book, but Shev’s relationship with Carcolf isn’t the one that’s most meaningful. Instead we get an amazing female duo in Shev and Javre, a massive warrior woman who insists that Shev is her henchman, sidekick maybe, definitely not partner. They are a joy to behold, and I would definitely read a whole book about them without needing a yearlong break in between.

    Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

    Sharp Ends is great little book for someone who wants to dip their toes into Abercrombie’s world or for someone who just wants a “realistic” fantasy setting (aka violent and dark).

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    Come chat books with us on Roar Cat Reads’ discord.

  • Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

    Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

    Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who’s ever been chosen.

    That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

    Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here — it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

    Carry On – The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow is a ghost story, a love story and a mystery. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story – but far, far more monsters.

    Goodreads

    I’ve JUST finished the book, like two seconds ago, and I LOVED IT.  I expected to like it, an a sort of ironic “Isn’t this odd, reading a pseudo Harry Potter fanfiction that was excerpted in Rowell’s Fangirl?” And for a while, I was mostly interested in assigning every character to their HP equivalent, but that quickly turned into genuine investment.

    I LOVE Simon!  I love Baz!  I love Penelope!  I even love Agatha, although for a while she was a useless wet blanket (but then she acknowledges her role as a useless wet blanket, only meant to further someone else’s story, and when she said “peace out!” I adored her for it).  I love the magical world in Carry On, how they have phones and computers and are simply just like Normals, but with magic.  That makes more sense to me than Harry Potter’s culturally-backwards wizarding world.  But!  I’m not comparing!  (Okay, it’s impossible not to compare.)  

    I loved the crackling dialogue, and I laughed out loud SO OFTEN at Simon and Baz’s repartee, like when arguing about the benefits and challenges of being a vampire:

    Simon lowers his eyebrows.  “When you look at it that way, why doesn’t everyone cross over?”
    “Because it’s death,” I say.
    “It clearly isn’t.”
    “They say your soul dies.”
    “That’s tosh,” he says.
    “How would you know, Snow?”
    “Observation.”
    “Observation,” I say.  “You can’t observe a soul.”
    “You can over time,” he says.  “I think I’d know–”
    “It’s death,” I say, “because you need to eat life to stay alive.”
    “That’s everyone,” he says.  “That’s eating.”

    Those crazy kids.  But seriously, there’s nothing I love more than a romance built on hatred!  Or, in this case, mutual obsession that turns into need that turns into trust that turns into a love based on their mutual brokenness. And Penelope!  She and Simon are such great friends, and I loved how Rowell had her and Baz become friends too.  They all felt like real characters with interlocking lives and independent motivations.  Very impressive for, as I mentioned earlier, a pseudo-Harry Potter fanfiction that was excerpted in Rowell’s Fangirl.

    Originally posted on my other blog, www.itistrish.com.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo

    Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo

    Genre | YA Fantasy
    Page #s | 588
    Publishing Date | March 2021

    The Grishaverse will be coming to Netflix soon with Shadow and Bone, an original series!

    The wolves are circling and a young king will face his greatest challenge in the explosive finale of the instant #1 New York Times-bestselling King of Scars Duology.

    The Demon King. As Fjerda’s massive army prepares to invade, Nikolai Lantsov will summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm—and even the monster within—to win this fight. But a dark threat looms that cannot be defeated by a young king’s gift for the impossible. 

    The Stormwitch. Zoya Nazyalensky has lost too much to war. She saw her mentor die and her worst enemy resurrected, and she refuses to bury another friend. Now duty demands she embrace her powers to become the weapon her country needs. No matter the cost.

    The Queen of Mourning. Deep undercover, Nina Zenik risks discovery and death as she wages war on Fjerda from inside its capital. But her desire for revenge may cost her country its chance at freedom and Nina the chance to heal her grieving heart.

    King. General. Spy. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. Or watch a nation fall.

    Goodreads

    Exciting from start to finish, Rule of Wolves takes our monstrous heroes into the depths of subterfuge and war where they will make hard decisions and costly mistakes…in addition to some rip-roaring plot twists due to behind the scenes machinations.

    Ravka, as always, is the tiny country desperately trying to fend off their more powerful neighbors. Fjerda to the north is openly moving toward war, while Shu Han to the south and Kerch from the sea are more circumspect but no less dangerous. Told from King Nikolai, General Zoya, and Spy Nina’s perspectives (as well as a couple others that are delicious but aren’t to be spoiled), we get to see the little country that could defend itself and fight for Grisha lives against all odds.

    I read this during the same period of time as I watched the new Netflix show, Shadow and Bone, based on Bardugo’s first Grishaverse novel. Seeing where some of these characters, especially Zoya, began made me appreciate where they ended up all the more. These books truly create an entire world, full of diverse countries, cities, religions, and people who grow and change based on what has happened in previous books.

    This definitely feels like the end of the series, with surprise guest appearances by fan favorites from other books. But the very end teases a potential continuation…whether it’s because Bardugo isn’t quite ready to give up the Grishaverse or just to show us that adventures will continue in this world whether or not we’re privy to them, I don’t know. I desperately hope that we will get more from this world, but I honestly don’t know how the stakes could be greater than they are here.

    I’m not giving many details, but I don’t think they’re necessary. If you’ve gotten to this point in the series, nothing I say will convince you one way or the other. But I will say this: I love cranky female characters who are hardened and protective and powerful. Bardugo deserves a medal for making me fall absolutely in love with Zoya Nazyalensky.

    What Makes This Book Queer?

    There is not one, not two, but THREE queer relationships in this book! There is a lesbian couple in the Grisha who don’t get a lot of page time, and gay couple who will delight readers at their appearance. But it’s Nina and Hanne who have the most meaningful and plot-centric queer love story. Nina is comfortable in her bisexuality, never questioning her attraction to former love Matthias or current housemate Hanne. I don’t want to say too much about Hanne, but her relationship to gender is also explored delicately and perfectly for this fantasy setting.

    Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

    Uh, the masses. The Grishaverse is incredibly popular, and rightly so. Literally anyone would enjoy this.

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    Come chat books with us on Roar Cat Reads’ discord.

  • The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune

    The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune

    A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

    Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

    When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

    But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

    An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

    Goodreads

    Sometimes the hardest reviews to write are the ones for books we love the most. How am I supposed to write about The House in the Cerulean Sea without simply shaking the imagined book in your face and screaming, “READ IT!”

    Book shaking aside, I adored this fantasy novel about a world of rules and regulations that suppresses magical beings “for their own good” while maintaining a status quo of normalcy and “safety.” So many finger quotes! Linus is a man who works as a caseworker to ensure that orphanages for magical children are run properly. He genuinely cares about the safety of the kids, but he fails to question the system in which he works to determine if his actions actually help the children in the long run. After all, he is fond of safety and security and routine.

    It isn’t until Linus is thrust out of his bubble and assigned a month-long work assignment at an orphanage by the ocean that his perspective broadens and his heart expands. And whose heart wouldn’t?? This orphanage is home to some of the cutest lil creatures in the whole world – there’s the actual Antichrist, who enjoys both threatening visitors and singing in the kitchen. There’s Theodore, a wyvern who collects buttons and stole my heart. There are also tentacled beings who dream of being a bellhop when they grow up, and were-Pomeranian who has been shuffled from orphanage to orphanage, a female gnome with a proclivity for threatening people with her garden tools, and a forest sprite who didn’t get enough page time. I am amazed at Klune’s ability to write devilish children who are mischievous and loveable and scared.

    For a book that is centred around a pretty cute plot (stodgy man learns to love children), it has some pretty salient messages about cultural change. It isn’t enough for Linus to change his opinion – he must take his new perspective to the beachside village that fears the children as well as to his workplace, where he must defend the existence of the orphanage to the authority figures who once made him quake with fear. It isn’t enough to change ourselves; we must do our part to change the system, if we can.

    What Makes This Book Queer?

    Most obviously, there is a gay love story! Linus is an out gay man who is annoyed at how attractive he finds the man who runs the orphanage. It isn’t much of a spoiler to say their attraction to each other plays a significant part of the story, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how quietly revolutionary it felt to tell a story about young children watching and celebrating two adult men fall in love.

    But more than the love story between two men, the whole plot is a queer analogy. For most of history, queer folx were pushed to the margins (if they were allowed to exist at all) , out of sight of those who might be made uncomfortable by them. This was ostensibly for their safety, whether that meant the safety of their eternal souls or their physical safety (“Don’t kiss in public, someone might attack you” rather than “Don’t attack people for showing affection in public”). Change occurs when people allow themselves to be in a relationship with those who are queer/magical. It takes time to get past the hardened exterior of those who have been shunned by society, but if you take the time, you might be surprised to find a big ol’ softie underneath. That’s what Linus learned, and I hope the readers of his story learn the same.

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

    at Reads’ discord!

  • The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith

    The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith

    After a terrible political coup usurps their noble house, Hawke and Grayson flee to stay alive and assume new identities, Hanna and Grayce. Desperation and chance lead them to the Communion of Blue, an order of magical women who spin the threads of reality to their will.

    As the twins learn more about the Communion, and themselves, they begin to hatch a plan to avenge their family and retake their royal home.While Hawke wants to return to his old life, Grayce struggles to keep the threads of her new life from unraveling, and realizes she wants to stay in the one place that will allow her to finally live as a girl.

    Goodreads

    This was an excellent graphic novel that I would seriously love to see made into a movie. There is action and political intrigue, fascinating world building, and deep character development. Not bad for a middle grade graphic novel!

    When royal twins find their family under attack, they escape and hide in the women’s section of the city. There is one panel in particular that shows a land mass within a bustling city circled by a river, high walls guarding feminine secrets, and I want in! Dressed as girls, they are initiated into the Communion of the Blue, which is a fabulous society based on religious myths of a Mother Weaver whose proclivity for blue bestows life. One twin, Hawke aka Hannah, is taken into the guards, where he struggles to learn weaponless combat after a young life of sword training. The other twin, Grayson aka Grayce, is welcomed into the inner sanctum to learn how to spin blue wool. Oh, and I mention that spinners can perform magic with their spinning? This whole premise gives me serious Avatar: The Last Airbender vibes, and I love it.

    What Makes This Book Queer?

    When Grayson enters the Communion of the Blue, everyone around comments on what a lovely girl they make, which causes Grayson to blush with obvious pleasure. While Hawke is eager to return to their old life and reclaim the throne, Grayce feels at home in the women’s world, seen and understood for the first time.

    It’s a very sweet transgender narrative. Her brother is unobservant, but when a more savvy mutual friend points out Grayce’s happiness, he quickly understands and supports his sister. And even though I knew it was coming, seeing the magic of the tapestry confirm Grayce’s identity was absolutely moving. I really hope Smith writes more in this world!

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

    Find more books nominated for Lambda Literary Awards reviewed here!

  • Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

    Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

    The Emperor needs necromancers.

    The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

    Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.

    Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service.

    Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.

    Of course, some things are better left dead.

    Goodreads

    Reading Gideon the Ninth for the first time is a chaotic dump of dense entertainment; Rereading Gideon the Ninth is a masterpiece. The first time through, it took me about 100 pages to be fully invested in the story, though Gideon’s brash attitude and compelling internal voice (and external, to be clear) endeared me to her immediately. Still, it wasn’t until Gideon and Harrow left home for the challenges in Canaan House with other necromancers and cavaliers that I became fully invested. The second time through? I was all in, immediately!

    These girls! Gideon and Harrow are giant messes, and Harrow in particular is legitimately nasty. And yet I love them with my whole shattered heart! Muir’s characterization skills are flawless, and with each additional character she just keeps showing off by creating unique, fully realized people. Dulcinea! Palamedes! The aggrieved teens! Magnus and Abigail! Literally just everyone (except for you, Eighth House).

    I am not, and have never been, a goth lesbian, but WOW does this book make a compelling case. Admittedly. there is a lot of body horror in the story (skeletons galore, beasties and monsters made of bits of people), but Gideon’s upbeat personality makes it all bearable, and this is coming from a Very Squeamish Person. Gore aside, the worldbuilding of a magical system entirely centered on death is incredible. The fact that there are nine houses, each with a different way of manipulating necromantic powers, is truly mind blowing. The religion that is shared but practiced differently on each planet is morbid and wonderful, and I loved the reveal that the heavy-handed religiosity that we are introduced to via Harrow is considered archaic by the other houses.

    Okay, okay, let’s get into the plot. Necromancers and their cavaliers are sent to a mysterious house to solve the mystery of immortality – aka lyctorhood. Everyone immediately assumes it is a competition, which is ridiculously paranoid. Eventually the monsters force some to work together, but maybe the true monster is within the group?? It is a little slow to start, but as I said before, there is a LOT of information being laid out that becomes super important in both this book and the next (so much talk of eyeballs!). It is a wild romp, and I love everyone and everything about it.

    What Make This Book Queer?

    Gideon is a horny repressed jock lesbian, and she has got crushes on everyone – Dulcinea the sweet sick woman, Coronobeth the hottie, and Harrow the archnemesis! This book is fanfic tropes come to glorious life, and we do not deserve it.

    The relationship between Gideon and Harrow is particularly satisfying. They grew up together and they have MAJOR beef with each other. However, if you are a fan of enemies-to-lovers, then my friend. You will be delighted. I love a story with a “I hate you! OMG, you might be dead, NOOOO!” realization. They are traumatized by the slightest vulnerability in each other, and it is satisfying at a bone-deep level to watch them start to work together, respect each other, and trust each other.

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

    Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

    Pet is here to hunt a monster.
    Are you brave enough to look?

    There are no more monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. With doting parents and a best friend named Redemption, Jam has grown up with this lesson all her life. But when she meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colours and claws, who emerges from one of her mother’s paintings and a drop of Jam’s blood, she must reconsider what she’s been told. Pet has come to hunt a monster, and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption’s house. Jam must fight not only to protect her best friend, but also to uncover the truth, and the answer to the question — How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist?

    In their riveting and timely young adult debut, acclaimed novelist Akwaeke Emezi asks difficult questions about what choices a young person can make when the adults around them are in denial. 

    Goodreads

    Wow wow wow! This 200-page YA novel dives into the darkest of topics within one of the brightest worlds I’ve ever seen created. In a utopian society that has eradicated “monsters,” there is no crime and no prejudice. This has led people to believe that there are no more monsters…but this assumption proves to be dangerous.

    This is a story that is all about appearances and heart, and how it is not easy to differentiate a monster from an angel (literally or metaphorically). I got some serious A Wrinkle in Time vibes from Pet when an otherworldly being is simultaneously scary and comforting while offering a young person a hard choice via fantasy philosophy. I hope it goes without saying that this is EXTREMELY MY SHIT, and I was very moved by Jam, Pet, and their interactions.

    The names in this book are very strange (from Jam to Redemption to Whisper to Bitter), but the story is remarkable. Jam accidentally summons a creature from her mother’s painting, a creature who looks monstrous but is built to hunt monsters…one of whom lives in her best friend’s house. Her parents don’t believe it’s possible, and I adored the themes explored around people’s fear of terrible things leading them to ignore the terrible things themselves.

    Although the label of “monster” makes the topics this book addresses a bit more palatable, I think it is only fair of me to acknowledge that there is child physical and sexual abuse in this book; it is not described, but it is known to have occurred.

    Which leads me to my one complaint about Pet. Well, not even the story itself, but the book cover and design. The short length and the bright purple cover with a young girl in pajamas on the front made me assume that this was a middle grade book. When the text said Jam was 15 and she said “shit,” I went online and saw that it is categorized as YA. This makes much more sense considering the dark themes of the story, and I wish this were reflected in its design.

    Pet is one of the best books I read in 2021, and I am very curious to read Emezi’s adult novels!

    What Makes This Book Queer?

    Jam is a 15-year old trans girl. She doesn’t speak often, preferring to sign her words instead. When she does speak aloud, it’s for something truly important. When she was three, the first word she said (yelled, actually), was “Girl! Girl! Girl!” Her parents took her tiny word for it and stopped referring to her as their son. Her knowledge of herself is respected regardless of age, and she is given access to the hormones and surgery that allow her body to develop in more feminine ways during puberty. This is all explained within a page or two as an example of how this utopia differs from our current reality. Other than this section (and I think one mention later in the book), Jam is always referred to entirely as a girl. It feels revolutionary precisely because it’s NOT the focus of the book.

    Non-heteronormative relationships are also displayed in Redemption’s family. He has three parents, one of whom is non-gendered and goes by they/them pronouns. Overall, this world is just blithely accepting of everyone, and it’s beautiful.

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

    Find more books nominated for Lambda Literary Awards reviewed here!

  • The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood

    The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood

    What if you knew how and when you will die?

    Csorwe does — she will climb the mountain, enter the Shrine of the Unspoken, and gain the most honored title: sacrifice.

    But on the day of her foretold death, a powerful mage offers her a new fate. Leave with him, and live. Turn away from her destiny and her god to become a thief, a spy, an assassin—the wizard’s loyal sword. Topple an empire, and help him reclaim his seat of power.

    But Csorwe will soon learn – gods remember, and if you live long enough, all debts come due.

    GoodReads

    This instantly became one of my favorite books, and I want to thrust it into the face of anyone who likes fantasy or queer ladies or, ideally, both!

    Where lesser fantasy novel would drag out this plot into a multiple books, The Unspoken Name has a pace that crashes readers through twists and time jumps while feeling cohesive and satisfying. Bonus: This IS the start of a series, but that is only because there is so much good story to cover, not because Larkwood held anything back this time around. We start with Csorwe (An orc protagonist! My heart!) as a child raised to be a sacrifice, then quickly leap several years ahead after she decides to abandon her fate. I found it so much more interesting to see how that time had changed rather than read every detail of what changed her.

    Also, the idea of a sacrifice refusing to play into the role that’s dealt to them….but there being consequences? I love that! I feel like most stories with this conceit revolve around the sacrifice realizing that the religion is corrupt or sacrifices are unnecessary, but this iteration felt so much more powerful and interesting to me.

    That detail speaks to the joy that is the worldbuilding of The Unspoken Name. Every person and place that we meet feels rich and well thought out. I wanted to know more and see more, so it delights me that Larkwood is working on a sequel, The Thousand Eyes, due to be released in June 2022.

    All of this is just a lead up to my favorite aspect of this book: the characters are SO GOOD. The wizard who “rescues” Csorwe is unapologetically ambitious and selfish, and Tal, his other apprentice, is an asshole. The three of them together is *chef’s kiss*. Their relationships are so complicated and messy, and there is literally nothing I love more.

    What Make This Book Queer?

    The Unspoken Name has multiple queer relationships! Huzzah! The central lesbian relationship warmed my little heart, and I especially liked that their attraction to each other was as much about what they each had lost as it was sparks and lusty times. Their relationship built very naturally and slowly, and I cannot wait to see more of them.

    On the other hand, we have a gay relationship that is revealed out of nowhere and is so sad, but in a deliciously dramatic way. I won’t say more than that.

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!