#Rien Gray

[monstrifex-art]

“They were sovereign of summer and the warrior of winter, proud head crowned with a thousand thorns.”

Character and Story from A Strip of Velvet by Rien Gray

Art from Vivid Shadows 2021

[transbookoftheday]

Books To Read For Genderfluid Visibility Week

Happy Genderfluid Visibility Week! Here are some books with genderfluid main characters you should read and/or preorder:

Book titles:

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

Dragonfall by L.R. Lam

Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall

Salt the Water by Candice Iloh

Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore

Valerin the Fair by Rien Gray

Nine of Swords, Reversed by Xan West

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller

The Manor House Governess by C.A. Castle (comes out November 7, 2023)

A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford (comes out December 5, 2023)

[hpowellsmith]

Reading: The Scales of Seduction (Rien Gray)

I read The Scales of Seduction by Rien Gray! It's a 33,000 word F/F erotic romance novella between a butch trans woman and a feral cis femme, focused on lesbian desire and reclaiming one's body from those who would destroy it.

Here's what I thought! (spoiler, I loved it)

[lauren-ce]

My beautiful physical copy of Rien Gray's excellent (and incredibly gay) The Scales of Seduction just arrived! @theivorytowercrumbles even signed it in a wonderfully bold and iridescent gold!

I put it on one of my gay shelves :3

[lgbtqreads]

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Double Exposure by Rien Gray

Today on the site, we’re revealing the cover of Rien Gray’s F/NBi romantic suspense, Double Exposure, which releases September 4th! Here’s the story: Love always shows your true face. Jillian Rhodes lies to everyone she meets. As one of the world’s best art thieves, a life of infiltration and con artistry has left her flying solo, which is exactly the way she likes it. When Jillian is hired to…

[the-novel-approach-reviews]

Review: Double Exposure by Rien Gray

Title: Double Exposure Author: Rien Gray Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 174 Pages Category: Contemporary Romantic Suspense, F/NB Romance Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: Double Exposure would have benefitted from more character backstory. Overall, a good if not perfect diversion. Reviewed By: Lisa Blurb: Love always shows your true face.Jillian Rhodes lies to everyone she meets.…

[judeinthestars]

New sapphic book review! Double Exposure by Rien Gray

[nikkimira2006]

I’m not the only one thinking…

[whatsuptyler]

for anyone who wants some sapphic knights books please check out @theivorytowercrumbles who has a whole series of them

HOLYYY SHIT

[wiltkingart]

LOVED mtmtm and the way you write. are there any writers, artists, or anthologies you would recommend that exist in that same trans/horror/erotica/fantasy crossroads?

a few! not many that hit all points at once, but here's some reads you might enjoy:

Bound in Flesh: An Anthology of Trans Body Horror - exactly as it says, this is a collection of 13 stories by trans and nonbinary writers. i liked it a lot, thought it had a lot of great stories, and it made me feel really excited about the future (and present) of trans horror.

Body after Body by Briar Ripley Page - "Sex, drugs, violence, cannibalism, psychic powers, a catgirl (sort of)", body after body is a novella that describes itself as a "lurid, dreamlike, amoral queer/trans sci-fi trash literature at least four or five people have been waiting for". i can confirm everyone i know who has read it has loved it, myself included.

Eyetooth by Mars Adler - trans horror erotica novelette with medkink + wound fingering (one of my absolute favorite things!) between an art student and a mysterious androgynous doctor. LOVED the surgery scene.

The Scales of Seduction by Rien Gray - not horror. This one's an f/f trans erotic romance novella between the last living Basilisk and Medusa, but i have to mention it because its a strong contender for my book of the year. Loved loved loved the writing. Poetic prose that had me highlighting lines on every page. Just astoundingly wonderful.

Kissing Carrion by Gemma Files - a collection of short horror stories "where obsession is stronger than death... body, soul, time and space itself, are all fluid and treacherous... vampires ache for more than simply blood... where the only escape from the darkness within is to embrace it". none of these stories are trans, but it has some queer horror elements that have left a heavy mark on my brain. gemma files has been a big influence on my writing in so many ways and reading this collection last year was one of the big things that pushed me to take the leap to write something like MtMtM!

that's all for now. i have a ton of weird trans indie sex books on itch.io bookmarked i still need to check out, but people are free to leave their own recs in the replies. and i talk a lot more about books over on my personal blog (@wiltking).

[wiltking]

reading the scales of seduction by rien gray (f/f trans erotica) and i want to howl at how good every paragraph is. delicious writing. absolutely and firmly in my alley

[coricatchthorne]

This week, as I prepare to start sharing my own writing in the new year, I want to reflect on works I've read this year that have inspired me!

First up is Scales of Seduction by Rien Gray @theivorytowercrumbles

Gorgeous, beautifully crafted, and scorching hot, this sapphic romance between a trans butch basilisk and feral femme Medusa got under my skin.

The lush prose and historical specificity reminded me of reading Mary Renault's Alexander the Great series; I felt deeply, sensually grounded in the ancient Greek setting. But magic runs deep through this story, elevating its themes of transness and monstrosity to mythic heights.

Light spoilers below so I can talk about the themes I dug most, though I'll aim to avoid too many specifics.

I'm a sucker for ordeals, and this book is full of them. Petra, the basilisk who we accompany on this journey, has endured many past ordeals out of necessity, but the ordeals we see her navigate in this story are chosen, each bringing her closer to her truest self. The ordeal of surgical transition; the ordeal of reaching Medusa (via a delicious and thoughtfully designed series of trials that literally strip Petra of nearly everything, preparing her for the possibility of renewal); and finally, the ordeal of intimacy, which she and Medusa share.

Medusa has survived by removing herself from the world and guarding herself from those who cannot bear her existence; Petra has survived by physically and emotionally armoring and reshaping herself to fit into that same, hostile world. The way these two characters clash and connect is raw and deeply queer. It's also violent, in a way I found deeply life affirming and hot as hell. I adore kink as a tool to engage with, transform, and even heal trauma and the kinky sex in this story does this expertly. It feels deeply rooted in these serpentine women and the lives they've lived. Eroticizing our own traumas as a way of claiming them is also one of my Favorite Things, and I wanted to cheer every time our leads transformed a tragedy from their pasts into intensely specific, erotic and powerful sex. The dirty talk is top tier, the scenes are creative and varied, and it builds into a bond I found believable and beautiful.

I've read and enjoyed a few of Rien's works before, and this one really bowled me over. I've gotta get into more of their catalogue!

Link: Scales of Seduction on itch.io

[transbookoftheday]

Valerin the Fair by Rien Gray

Follow a fellowship of sapphic knights as they’re seduced by witches, queens, goddesses—and each other—in a dark, lush fantasy inspired by Arthurian legend.

Under the reign of King Theomacha the Exalted, the Land of Maidens flourishes. Her knights protect and explore the realm, seeking artifacts lost to time and fending off wicked, cunning magics. 

Born in the isolated Brocéliande Forest, Valerin is raised as a warrior by druids of great power. Her unusual strength and invulnerability is said to be the blessing of a goddess, but when Sebille, a sorceress empowered by fire and rot, arrives to challenge her claim, Valerin must come to terms with her true nature — or fall to the seduction of the woman she's destined to kill.

Valerin the Fair is a 15,000 word high heat F/F fantasy romance featuring:

➼ a genderfluid butch protagonist ➼ an older high femme sorceress ➼ highly intimate duels and notions of chivalry ➼ consensual / body-affirming transformation

This is the first book in the Out of True novella series.

[hpowellsmith]

absolutely adored Love Kills Twice by Rien Gray aka @theivorytowercrumbles (50% off at Smashwords until 9th March) - thriller F/NBi revenge romance in which a woman hires an (extremely hot) assassin against her abusive husband not knowing that he hired them against her too, 10/10 no notes other than that I would very much enjoy quite a few of Campbell's outfits (as well as their physique tbh)

[the-bi-library]

HAPPY BI VISIBILITY MONTH!!! 🩷💜💙

I wish all bi folks a very pleasant bi month!

Here are bi books of September!

Books listed:

💕 This Spells Disaster by Tori Anne Martin 💕 In the Ring by Sierra Isley 💕 Those Pink Mountain Nights by Jen Ferguson 💕 The Darkest Stars (The Broken Stars #2) by Kristy Gardner 💕Daughter of Winter and Twilight (Queen of Coin and Whispers #2) by Helen Corcoran 💕 Time to Shine by Rachel Reid 💕 Herc by Phoenicia Rogerson 💕 Fly with Me by Andie Burke 💕 Everyone's Thinking It by Aleema Omotoni 💕 A Crown So Cursed (Nightmare-Verse, #3) by L.L. McKinney 💕 This Dark Descent (This Dark Descent, #1) by Kalyn Josephson 💕 Providence Girls by Morgan Dante 💕 Wolf, Willow, Witch (The Gideon Testaments #2) by Freydís Moon 💕 What Stalks Among Us by Sarah Hollowell 💕 Thank You for Sharing by Rachel Runya Katz 💕 Cities of Women by Kathleen B. Jones 💕You, Again by Kate Goldbeck 💕 Double Exposure: A F/NBi Enemies to Lovers Romantic Suspense by Rien Gray 💕 The Fractured Dark (The Devoured Worlds, #2) by Megan E. O'Keefe 💕 Cover Story by Valerie Gomez 💕 The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White 💕 The Death I Gave Him by Em X. Liu 💕 Better Left Unsaid by Tufayel Ahmed 💕 Dearborn by Ghassan Zeineddine 💕 A Green Equinox by Elizabeth Mavor 💕 Salt Kiss (Lyonesse, #1) by Sierra Simone 💕 The Amazing Alpha Tau Boyfriend Project (Alpha Tau, #1) by Lisa Henry

Make sure to check the TWs for all books if necessary 💕

Here is the goodreads list of these books

[bradleysass]

L'Art de la Seduction - word count: 657 - Jegulas

The Gryffindor common room was quiet, a rare and precious thing. Most of the house was still at dinner, leaving James Potter alone by the fire, a half-forgotten Transfiguration essay in front of him and his glasses sliding precariously down his nose.

He didn’t notice the figure slipping through the portrait hole until a soft, lilting voice broke the silence.

“Tu travailles dur, mon lion?”

James startled, nearly knocking over his inkpot. He spun around to see Regulus Black leaning casually against the doorway, arms crossed and a wicked smirk tugging at his lips.

“You know I don’t speak French,” James grumbled, pushing his glasses up his nose.

Regulus’s smirk widened as he stepped further into the room, his movements languid and deliberate. “All the better,” he said smoothly, switching back to English for just a moment before letting the French flow again. “Je pourrais dire tout ce que je veux, et tu ne comprendrais rien, n'est-ce pas?”

James squinted at him, suspicion sparking in his hazel eyes. “I’m pretty sure you just insulted me.”

“Insult you?” Regulus put a hand to his chest, feigning outrage as he came to stand behind James’s chair. “Never, mon cher. I was merely admiring how utterly charming you look when you’re concentrating so hard. It’s quite... endearing.”

James froze, the tips of his ears turning red. “You’re doing it on purpose now,” he muttered, but there was no real bite in his voice.

Regulus bent closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Bien sûr. C'est tellement amusant de te voir rougir.”

“That’s it,” James said, standing abruptly. He turned to face Regulus, hands on his hips, though his grin betrayed him. “What are you even saying? Are you just stringing random words together to mess with me?”

Regulus tilted his head, looking up at James with a mischievous glint in his gray eyes. “Oh, you’d love to know, wouldn’t you?” he teased, his voice like silk.

James narrowed his eyes. “You’re insufferable.”

“And yet, you can’t stay away,” Regulus replied, taking a step closer.

James didn’t move, though his heart was beating wildly. Regulus was standing too close now, his scent—a mix of cedarwood and something soft and sweet—filling James’s senses.

“What are you up to, Black?” James asked, his voice quieter now.

Regulus smiled, slow and dangerous, as he placed a hand lightly on James’s chest. “Rien de mal,” he murmured, his voice low. “Just seeing how far I can push you.”

And that was all it took. With a growl of mock frustration, James lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Regulus and lifting him off the ground.

Regulus let out a startled laugh, his usually composed demeanor crumbling as James spun him around. “Put me down, Potter!” he protested, though the laughter in his voice betrayed him.

“Not until you tell me what all that French meant,” James shot back, grinning.

“You wouldn’t know what to do with the translation even if I gave it to you,” Regulus retorted, though his arms looped around James’s neck as if he had no intention of being let go.

“Try me.”

Regulus leaned in then, his lips brushing against James’s ear as he whispered, “Je t’aime, idiot.”

James froze, his breath catching in his throat. He set Regulus down gently but didn’t let go, his hands still resting on his waist.

“Say that again,” James said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Regulus smirked, though there was a softness in his eyes now. “You’ll have to learn French if you want to hear it again.”

James laughed, low and warm, before cupping Regulus’s face in his hands and pulling him into a kiss. It was soft and sweet and entirely too brief for either of their liking.

When they broke apart, James rested his forehead against Regulus’s, his grin as wide as ever. “Fine,” he said. “Teach me.”

Regulus chuckled, his fingers tangling in James’s messy hair. “With pleasure, mon lion.”