#WINTER’S ORBIT BY EVERINA MAXWELL

[betterbooksandthings]

"Romances in space are just out of this world. Love in the dangerous, endless expanse of space isn’t easy. Traveling far distances in ships that you often cannot leave is challenging in the best of conditions. In space, the door is locked and you have to make it work. Interplanetary travel, adventure, and romance are not for the faint of heart. Good thing I have some entertaining books to pick up instead of making the trip yourself.

My favorite romances in space involve a level of mystery, political intrigue, and danger. There is just something about a romantic pairing in trouble that really sells me on their mutual respect, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. When you are in space and in trouble, sometimes love is part of the answer, and I think that’s fun."

[vkelleyart]

“Just because it’s not important doesn’t mean it’s not important to someone.” - Winter’s Orbit by @avoliot / Everina Maxwell

What a treat to have another excuse to draw Kiem and Jainan! This piece was commissioned by Sanctum Flames Candles for their upcoming Winter's Orbit scented candle, which I have been told smells DELICIOUS. This moment after the flybug crash was especially lovely to draw, as the scene grants Jainan a bit of insight into Kiem's generous spirit and makes Jainan fall that much more in love with him. * swoon *

I should have details soon on how to get your own limited edition candle and print! In the meantime, Happy Spring to all!

[beartrice-inn-unnir]

10. What is your favorite genre book to recommend to someone who doesn’t usually like that genre?

Usually when people ask me for a rec for a genre they don’t usually like, they are asking for sci-fi, and I start by trying to figure out different access points based on what they already like. I’m not much of a hard sci-fi person, tending more to the space opera and political thrillers, so here’s a few “if you like x, maybe try y”:

If you like romance, give Everina Maxwell’s Winter’s Orbit a try. It’s definitely sci-fi in setting and plot, but it also hits nicely in the formulaic patterns of a arranged-marriage, strangers-to-lovers story that will help you through it even if the sci-fi elements are throwing you off. The author has another similar book that increases the sci-fi elements and is enemies-to-lovers as well, so if you like Winter’s Orbit, Ocean’s Echo is a good next step.

If you like non-fiction, The Martian by Andy Weir is a great pick. I have multiple friends who got into reading again as adults via The Martian. It’s well-written, well-grounded, funny, and very sci-fi. If you’ve already read it, then maybe give To Be Taught if Fortunate by Becky Chambers a try. It can be described with all the same adjectives, plus it’s a short novella, so if you’re hesitant, it’s less intimidating.

If you like mysteries or political thrillers, boy is there a lot of great sci-fi out there for you. The crux of a lot of sci-fi is space or high-tech settings with a plot that asks questions about personhood, and that mixes really well with detectives and spies wandering around trying to solve problems and find truths. Try Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells (it’s partway through a series of great books and novellas, but that one’s the most traditional mystery plot) or A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine (ambassador solving her predecessor’s mysterious death while trying to do his job)(I’d also recommend this one if you read a lot of classics) EDIT: just realized I mistyped - book 1 by Arkady Martine is A Memory Called Empire.

If YA/ Bildungsromanen/ New Adult figuring the world out through trial and error is often your jam, try Provenance by Ann Leckie (for the kid who really wants to do things right) or The Warrior’s Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold (for another kid who wants to do things right, but is also a high-energy chaos gremlin).

If you like fantasy, you probably already have read some sci-fi; it’s all under the speculative fiction umbrella and genres are vague anyway. All the same, I know this is the Locked Tomb Website, but give Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir a shot (it’s got magic and mayhem and an epic locked-room whodunnit mystery). The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord is also good - it has a team of people traveling together and thinking about morals and discovering new abilities, plus some romance.

I’m sure there’s lots of genres I’m forgetting right now, but feel free to send me another ask for any specific one!

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Adult SFF Books Bracket: Round 1

Book summaries and submitted endorsements below:

The Last Binding trilogy (A Marvellous Light, A Restless Truth, A Power Unbound) by Freya Marske

Endorsement from submitter #1: "A trilogy of books set in a magical Edwardian England, the Last Binding series focuses on three queer couples who come together in order to solve a conspiracy threatening all magic. It’s a masterful blending of fantasy, historical fiction, and romance, with a splash of mystery and Wodehousian romp. Expect magical manor house parties with beautiful wallpaper, as well as explorations of power, trust, and what we owe the land. The prose is absolutely gorgeous and evocative. The characters and their emotional arcs form the beating heart of the story, intertwined with beautifully crafted romance. The worldbuilding feels organic and deeply rooted within this hidden magical society. These books are thoughtful, tender, scorching, and fun all at once."

Endorsement from submitter #2: "Utterly fantastic historical fantasy. Each book focuses on a subset of a larger character set. There is an overarching high stake magical plot, as well as different queer romances explored in each individual book."

Robin Blyth has more than enough bother in his life. He’s struggling to be a good older brother, a responsible employer, and the harried baronet of a seat gutted by his late parents’ excesses. When an administrative mistake sees him named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society, he discovers what’s been operating beneath the unextraordinary reality he’s always known.

Now Robin must contend with the beauty and danger of magic, an excruciating deadly curse, and the alarming visions of the future that come with it—not to mention Edwin Courcey, his cold and prickly counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, who clearly wishes Robin were anyone and anywhere else.

Robin’s predecessor has disappeared, and the mystery of what happened to him reveals unsettling truths about the very oldest stories they’ve been told about the land they live on and what binds it. Thrown together and facing unexpected dangers, Robin and Edwin discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles—and a secret that more than one person has already died to keep.

Fantasy, historical fiction, romance, magic, Edwardian, series, adult

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell

Endorsement from submitter: "Gay princes in space"

While the Iskat Empire has long dominated the system through treaties and political alliances, several planets, including Thea, have begun to chafe under Iskat's rule. When tragedy befalls Imperial Prince Taam, his Thean widower, Jainan, is rushed into an arranged marriage with Taam's cousin, the disreputable Kiem, in a bid to keep the rising hostilities between the two worlds under control.

But when it comes to light that Prince Taam's death may not have been an accident, and that Jainan himself may be a suspect, the unlikely pair must overcome their misgivings and learn to trust one another as they navigate the perils of the Iskat court, try to solve a murder, and prevent an interplanetary war... all while dealing with their growing feelings for each other.

Science fiction, romance, arranged marriage, politics, mystery, adult

[vxlinart]

“Your Grace?” “Your Highness.”

Redraw of this post for my annual reading of Winter’s Orbit because I can never get enough of Kiem and Jainan

[sing-you-fools]

i'll be honest, i actually enjoy a good miscommunication trope. humans pretty much suck at communicating, and they tend to double down rather than risk facing either rejection (if their interpretation was correct) or their flaws (often necessary if they were incorrect). it can be painful to read at times but i genuinely believe even the absolute dumbest miscommunication can be perfectly realistic.

the problem is that they're so rarely good. if your pov character comes out of a conversation that i as the reader interpreted as perfectly benign or possibly even pleasant going "so clearly he hates me," then (a) you have failed at the concept of "pov character" and (b) you're fucking up the trope. if your character's getting "he hates me" from an interaction, i should also be picking up on some "oooh, he hates you" vibes from the page. you should be showing me enough, in between the dialogue, for me to be on the same page as the pov character. give me the context. show me the facial expression he's misinterpreting. the history between them that makes this otherwise pleasant comment feel like a slap in the face.

if i can tell it's a misunderstanding as it's happening, it's not done well. i should not be rereading the passage going "how the fuck did he get to that conclusion?" i should only be going "you fucking idiot" from the beginning if i have passages from both characters' pov and even then the reasons they're being fucking idiots should be entirely understandable.

[lucrezianoin]

my favorite fantasy/sci-fi books with M/M romance

[oblivionsdream]

I am super excited to share my redesigned covers of both Winter’s Orbit and Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell!

These are both going to be available in @//dazzlingbookishshop on Insta! 😉

[suni2flower]

Read Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell and really enjoyed it :D

Wanted to draw Kiem and Jainan ✨🫶

———————

“You’ll be the best,” he said.

“You don’t know that,” Jainan said.

His eyes reflected the light from the hall; behind him, beyond the void, the stars burned in enduring points; far beyond them, a telescope could have seen the maelstrom of the link, and a million more stars beyond that; and this tiny station spinning around a tiny jeweled planet like the fulcrum of the universe.

“I do,” Kiem said. “You’ll see.”

———————

[redwhiteandroyalbluesuggestions]

Be compared with many, many other books that come after you

[haveyoureadthisbook-poll]

[betterbooksandthings]

"Opposites attract romance novels bring out the best in characters. By all accounts, these are characters who shouldn’t be friends, let alone romantically involved. But, because they are going to fall in love anyway, we might as well read about it.

Let me be completely honest. Opposites attract is one of my favorite tropes. I love it when unlikely people are falling in love. Sure, at first I gasp and say, “It will never work.” All the while, I secretly know it will, though. Somehow, these two silly beans are going to find out why their opposing attitudes, interests, and/or behaviors are fascinating. They are going to fall in love. It’s just up to the readers of opposites attract romance books to see how it’s all going to happen."

[asexualbookbird]

Have You Read My TBR? round seven!

Another book I got hyped for during my twitter days, but after its release people said it was Very YA so I've been hesitant to start it....

[queer-book-character-tournament]

Character, book, and author names under the cut

Shen Qiao- 千秋/Qian Qiu/Thousand Autumn by Meng Xi Shi

Elliot Schafer- In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

Alec Campion- Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner

Tennalhin (Tennal) Halkana- Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell

[kay-claire]

I made some Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell memes, because I think my favourite thing about the book was the names of the wildlife not actually fitting the descriptions of the wildlife lmao

[tali-zorahs]

read ocean's echo recently and NOW i have brain worms.