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melanielocke · 2 years ago

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Book recommendations: Chain of Thorns hangover

Since I think a lot of you have finished Chain of Thorns by now I figured I'd make a book recommendation post with books that I think will appeal to people who are trying to get over Chain of Thorns. Most of the books here I've talked about before, but I made the selection that I think will appeal the most to ChoT readers.

First up: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Why this book?: It has thorns in the title. Also the main couple, the humor and the story would appeal to fans of TID in particular. Nathaniel reminds me of Will somewhat.

Sorcery of Thorns is a second world fantasy set in Austermeer. Elisabeth Scrivener grew up in one of the country's great libraries, where grimoires are kept, living books that contain magic spells used by sorcerers, and she wants nothing more than to become a warden, a sword wielding librarian who keeps the books but also protects the world from these books since some of them can be quite dangerous.

When Elisabeth intervenes in an act of sabotage and slays a very dangerous grimoire, she is implicated in the crime and taken to the city's capital by Nathaniel Thorn, a sorcerer she distrusts, and his demon servant Silas. She has no choice but to work with Nathaniel to uncover a conspiracy targeting the great libraries.

Nathaniel and Elisabeth are one of my favorite m/f couples. Nathaniel is bi, and the author has said she likes playing with feminitiy and masculinity in her m/f couples. Elisabeth is essentially a "lady himbo" who likes swords and armor, and is taller and more muscular than Nathaniel, with Nathaniel being a bit more feminine at times (in the sequel novella he wears a lady's dressing gown).

The third major character is Silas, an aroace demon who works for Nathaniel as a servant and gives him his magic in exchange for some of his life. I love him as a character and his dynamic with the other two, and Elisabeth has a very beautiful platonic relationship with him.

Mysteries of Thorn Manor is a sequel novella that just came out. It is essentially an extended epilogue with a new story where Elisabeth and Nathaniel get trapped in Thorn Manor and have to figure out how to appease the house. It is an adorable little book but with the tiny size it's difficult to find a good spot for it with the other books.

Next: A Marvellous Light & A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

Why this book?: horny queers in the Edwardian era, book 2 also features a rude pet parrot (keep in mind, this book is adult and has some pretty explicit sex in it)

I've discussed this series before here, but I hadn't read a Restless Truth yet when I wrote that. The series is a trilogy, with currently two books out and the third coming November this year.

Each book focuses on a different couple, but you do have to read them in order since they're also trying to get to the bottom of a magical conspiracy in each book.

Book 1 focuses on Edwin and Robin, which is essentially a himbo/librarian couple. Robin is the himbo in this case, who works a government job and is accidently assigned to a post related to Britain's secret magician society. Usually, this post is held by non magic people with magic relatives, like his predecessor who mysteriously vanished. His magic coworker Edwin decides to wipe Robin's memory and replace him, but then Robin gets cursed by people who think he knows where a magic artefact his predecessor hid is, and Robin and Edwin have to break the curse and figure out what he's after.

Edwin is a magician, but he is a very weak magician. He makes up for this by being clever and very precise with his magic, and inventing new techniques, and this is very different from what I'm used to which is main character (or magic love interest) is the one who most powerful ever.

Book 2 is a sapphic book focusing on Maud and Violet and they are based on the rake/wallflower trope.

Maud is Robin's younger sister, who travels on a ship a la Titanic from America to the UK with an old lady who is important for the magic conspiracy. Only the old lady dies the first day and Maud has to turn to Violet, a scandalous young actress who is a magician specializing in illusions. Compared to book 1, book 2 is even more sexual, but in a hilarious way. Maud was raised a proper Edwardian lady, but is now first experimenting with her own sexuality and I loved the way this was portrayed. There's also a side character (who will be the love interest in book 3), who writes porn as a side hustle and Maud has to purchase his entire supply of porn to secure his cooperation.

The relationship between Violet and Maud also starts with Violet thinking, oh this girl is seeking to explore her own sexuality, let's help with that. No way I'm catching feelings.

The third book, coming in November, will focus on Jack Alson (lord Hawthorn) and Alan Ross who were side characters in book 2 and Hawthorn also appeard in book 1, but also feature Violet & Maud en Edwin & Robin.

Third: A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth

Why?: Urban fantasy, ensemble cast with lots of queer characters, complex plot in a longer series

I think this is more similar to the modern day shadowhunter books, since it is set in the present, but I think it will appeal to fans of tlh too.

The series has 5 main characters, and in the first book they have to figure out why ironborn (half fae) are dying, which no one else really seems to care about.

Arlo is an ironborn, with her mother being part of the royal family of unseelie spring, which is the ruling family over all fae right now. As an ironborn, she's threatened to be cast out of the fae world, her memories erased, if she doesn't have enough magic. She's very soft, but also determined, and seeking a path for herself and I think overall she's the main character of the series.

Nausicaa is an ex fury who was cast out from the furies because she killed a bunch of people she wasn't supposed to. She's very morally grey and kind of an asshole, but in a funny and likeable way, and she develops a weak spot for Arlo, who becomes her love interest.

Vehan is the prince of seelie summer. He's sweet and very naive and doesn't realize his mom is evil. He feels very isolated because his best friend, Aurelian, who is also in love with, seems to be pulling away from him and he feels like no one really cares about him. He is determined to solve the ironborn murders in book 1 because no one else wants to try.

Aurelian is Vehan's bodyguard and he's kind of the brooding guy. He's very protective of Vehan, but also pulls away from him because of a secret he's keeping to protect Vehan. They have been best friends for long, but he was essentially forced to become Vehan's guard so now their relationship is difficult.

Celadon is the final main character and he gets his own POV from book 2, and will be very important in book 3 I think (he's on the cover). He's a prince of unseelie spring and Arlo's cousin, and he's very popular. There's a fandom of him called the "Celadom". Vehan in particular is a big fan and has posters of Celadon in his room. Celadon is also Arlo's best friend, which is how he's introduced in book 1.

Book 3 is coming out this September, and the cover was just revealed this week

Then: A Blade so Black by L.L. McKinney

Why this book?: demon slaying (well, nightmares in this case), great cast of characters

Like A Dark and Hollow Star, this would likely appeal more to fans of the modern day shadowhunters as it's set in modern day Atlanta, and follows Alice who was chosen to battle nightmares, monsters that come from Wonderland into our world.

She's trained by her attractive mentor Hatta, but when he is poisoned she has to travel deeper into wonderland to find a cure while also maintaining her school, and keep her very protective mother from figuring out what's going on.

The third book is coming out in April, I think only in US hardcover (while I have the UK paperbacks so that sucks), but I'm still curious to see how this story ends.

It's fast paced with lots of action, but also balanced with Alice' homelife as a teenager and her trying to figure out how to disappear into Wonderland for a week without her mom finding out.

And last: The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

Why this book?: high stakes, great cast of mostly queer characters, funny and chaotic characters

I've talked about this book before. Several times. But it's just that good. So here I am, trying to convince you once more why you should read the Sunbearer Trials.

The main character is Teo, a jade transgender demigod son of the goddess of birds.

"I am a being of chaos, fueled by spite and antidepressants"

Every 10 years, the sunbearer trials are held, with ten semidioses participating. The winner becomes the new sunbearer and replenishes the sunstones so the sun doesn't die out. The loser gets sacrificed.

Usually, only gold semidioses are chosen to participate. These are the children of the most powerful gods, who can shoot fire out of their hands or move earth, things like that.

This time, there are two jade semidoses chosen to participate. Teo, and Xio, the son of the god of bad luck who has no powers. Meanwhile, Teo can talk to birds. Together with Teo's best friend Niya, the gold daughter of the earth god, they will have to fight to survive against much more powerful semidioses.

@alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @life-through-the-eyes-of @astriefer @justanormaldemon @ipromiseiwillwrite @a-dream-dirty-and-bruised @amchara @all-for-the-fanfiction @imsoftforthomastair @ddepressedbookworm @queenlilith43 @wagner-fell @cant-think-of-anything @laylax13s @tessherongraystairs @boredfangirl16 @artist-in-soul @beyondlifebeyonddeath @ikissedsmithparker

#sorcery of thorns #mysteries of thorn manor #margaret rogerson #freya marske #a marvellous light #a restless truth #a dark and hollow star #a cruel and fated light #a grim and sunken vow #ashley shuttleworth #a blade so black #a dream so dark #l.l. mckinney #the sunbearer trials #aiden thomas #book recommendations #chain of thorns

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cricketwithashotgun · 3 days ago

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Yeah she's not mentally stable enough to care-

Also I updated Ashley's design; I like the way she looks on Gacha Nebula better tbh :3

*a letter has arrived for Blade.*————————————————————————————————

I’ve seen how you keep my letters in perfect condition. I’ve seen how you read over them every few days. I’ve seen how you have a shelf dedicated solely to my notes and gifts. I’ve seen how your eyes light up whenever a new letter arrives from me. I make you happy, don’t I? I know I do. I’ve seen it countless times in the way your smile grows a bit wider whenever you read my notes, in the way you check outside the door every day to see if I’ve sent you anything, in the way you’ve started leaving the curtains in your room all the time so I can watch you. I love you, I want you, I need you. I know your schedule like the back of my hand, I know all your favorite foods and all your hobbies, I know what you like and what you don’t. I love you with every ounce of my being and then some. You love me too, right? That’s why you always look forward to my letters. Speaking of letters, I wish I didn’t have to talk to you through them. I love seeing the way your face lights up when you get them, but I wish I could talk to you in person. But I always get nervous and back out at the last moment. I really want to talk to you, though. Will you write back? I want to know your thoughts on all of this. Love, A

————————————————————————————————

So... Uh... Daily reminder that I tweaked with Blade's personality a bit 👀✨

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