#ban gilmartin

[good-books-to-read]

Travel Destination: Scotland

Pine by Francine Toon

Lauren and her father Niall live in the highlands in a small village surrounded by pines. One Halloween Night a women stumbles in front of their car, they take her home with them and in the morning she’s gone, this isn’t the only mystery this small town holds, Lauren’s mother had vanished years before and now a local teenage has vanished as well.

Weak Heart by Ban Gilmartin

On the Isle of Mab, reality has sifted, the tides are angry, memories are vanishing and the Selkies are coming up out of the ocean and people have begone to disappear.

A Rush of Wings by Laura E. Weymouth

Rowenna knows there’s magic in her, her mother disagrees and believes she need discipline and won’t teach her the craft, however her mother dies a tragic death and Rowenna only chance with her.

However on a storm tossed night Rowenna rescues a man from a shipwreck and her mother returns from the dead or did she?

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke

Liv has been commissioned to paint a mural in an old lighthouse on a remote island is Scotland, however this dream quickly turns dark when 2 of her 3 daughters go missing, the locals share with her the history of the lighthouse and creatures that mimic children.

22 years later Luna has been looking for her sisters and mother, and is excited to hear her sister has been found however Clover looks exactly the same as the day she went missing, and Luna is worried she’s a Wildling however she doesn’t remember much of her time on the island, she’ll will have to return to learn the truth.

Hold Back the Tide by Melinda Salisbury

Everyone knows what happened to Alva's mother, all those years ago. But when dark forces begin to stir in Ormscaula, Alva has to face a very different future - and question everything she thought she knew about her past...

[fandomlife-confessions]

[anodetofiction]

Review : Weak Heart by Ban Gilmartin

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. Weak Heart by Ban Gilmartin Published Independently Adult Fantasy Goodreads | Amazon | Tumblr Release Date : April 25th 2020 SYNOPSIS Something has gone very wrong on the sleepy Scottish Isle of Mab. The tides are angry. Reality has shifted. Selkies are coming up from the ocean, boys are missing, magic is going haywire, and memories are being pulled from people’s…

[who-do-i-know-this-man]

⚠️Vote for whomever YOU DO NOT KNOW⚠️‼️

[duckprintspress]

Celebrate J.R.R. Tolkien’s Birthday with 54 Queer Fantasy Books!

Today, January 3rd, is J.R.R. Tolkien Day—the day we celebrate the legend’s birthday. It’s hard to imagine the fantasy genre without Tolkien’s influence on it. That’s why, we figured, what better way to celebrate than by having an adventure with an awesome fantasy book? And, as this is the first time we’ve done a queer fantasy rec list, our reccing crew got very excited, with the result that this is one of the longest lists we’ve ever posted. We asked our contributors for great queer, fantasy recommendations, and boy, did they deliver! We collected a list of whooping 54 titles, all thanks to Sanne, Kelas, Shadaras, Nina Waters, Shea Sullivan, E. C., Adrian Harley, Alex, D. V. Morse, Zel Howland, Shannon, Dei Walker, Linnea Peterson and an anonymous contributor.

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Fire Logic by Laurie J. Marks

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho

The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang

The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison

The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Witch King by Martha Wells

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Heaven Official’s Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison

The Husky & His White Cat Shizun by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou

Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner

Devil Venerable Also Wants To Know by Cyan Wings

Ruin of Angels by Max Gladstone

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows

Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

Ash by Malinda Lo

Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley

Rust in the Root by Justina Ireland

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner

Reforged by Seth Haddon

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling

The Bone Doll’s Twin by Lynn Flewelling

Umineko: When They Cry by 07th Expansion

The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce

Witchmark by C.L. Polk

Lord of Eternal Night by Ben Alderson

These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling

The Brilliant Death by A.R. Capetta

Consort of Fire by Kit Rocha

First Test by Tamora Pierce

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Weak Heart by Ban Gilmartin

The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett

Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett

The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

What are your favorite queer fantasy books?

You can find all these books on our Goodreads bookshelf of queer fantasy books.

Did something here spark your curiosity? You can buy it through the Duck Prints Press Bookshop.org affiliate shop. 

So many books means so much to talk about! Come, join our Book Lover’s Discord server to chat with us about aaaaaall the books!

[sapphicreadsdb]

Hi do you by chance have any sapphic fantasy recs? preferably adult fantasy but YA is fine too

sure! tho this could will get quite long... no links, sorry!, bc it was kicking up a fuss with those for some reason

+ = ya

pennyblade by j.l. worrad

lady hotspur by tessa gratton

sofi and the bone song by adrienne tooley (+)

she who became the sun by shelley parker chan

the scapegracers by h.a. clarke (+)

the third daughter by adrienne tooley (+)

the daughters of izdihar by hadeer elsbai

the malevolent seven by sebastien de castell

blackheart knights by laure eve

the warden by daniel m. ford

the unbroken by c.l. clark

dark earth by rebecca stott

witch king by martha wells

scorpica by g.r. macallister

the mirror empire by kameron hurley

now she is witch by kirsty logan

silverglass by j.f. rivkin

the woman who loved the moon and other stories by elizabeth a. lynn

...(this answer is how i discover there's a character limit per block so. doing this in chunks.)

fire logic by laurie j. marks

a restless truth by freya marske

when angels left the old country by sacha lamb (+)

the traitor baru cormorant by seth dickinson

an archive of brightness by kelsey socha

the bladed faith by david dalglish

the winged histories by sofia samatar

dragonoak by sam farren

the forever sea by joshua phillip johnson

into the broken lands by tanya huff

the jasmine throne by tasha suri

daughter of redwinter by ed mcdonald

the last magician by lisa maxwell (+)

the fire opal mechanism by fran wilde

...

the black coast by mike brooks

high times in the low parliament by kelly robson

foundryside by robert jackson bennett

the enterprise of death by jesse bullington

mamo by sas milledge (+)

from dust, a flame by rebecca podos (+)

uncommon charm by emily bergslien & kat weaver

wild and wicked things by francesca may

the unspoken name by a.k. larkwood

brother red by adrian selby

the final strife by saara el-arifi

way of the argosi by sebastien de castell (+)

the bone shard daughter by andrea stewart

ghost wood song by erica waters (+)

into the crooked place by alexandra christo (+)

ashes of the sun by django wexler

the midnight girls by alicia jasinska (+)

the midnight lie by marie rutkoski (+)

the never tilting world by rin chupeco (+)

water horse by melissa scott

...

a master of djinn by p. djeli clark

the good luck girls by charlotte nicole davis (+)

among thieves by m.j. kuhn

black water sister by zen cho

the velocity of revolution by marshall ryan maresca

sweet & bitter magic by adrienne tooley (+)

the dark tide by alicia jasinska (+)

the library of the unwritten by a.j. hackwith

a dark and hollow star by ashley shuttleworth (+)

the chosen and the beautiful by nghi vo

the councillor by e.j. beaton

these feathered flames by alexandra overy (+)

the factory witches of lowell by c.s. malerich

fireheart tiger by aliette de bodard

...

city of lies by sam hawke

bestiary by k-ming chang

the raven and the reindeer by t. kingfisher

the winter duke by claire eliza bartlett (+)

master of poisons by andrea hairston

the empress of salt and fortune by nghi vo

night flowers shirking from the light of the sun by li xing

down comes the night by allison saft (+)

wench by maxine kaplan (+)

girls made of snow and glass by melissa bashardoust (+)

girls of paper and fire by natasha ngan (+)

the impossible contract by k.a. doore

burning roses by s.l. huang

the house of shattered wings by aliette de bodard

not for use in navigation by iona datt sharma

weak heart by ban gilmartin

girl, serpent, thorn by melissa bashardoust (+)

the devil's blade by mark alder

...

we set the dark on fire by tehlor kay mejia (+)

the true queen by zen cho

moontangled by stephanie burgis

a portable shelter by kirsty logan

sing the four quarters by tanya huff

all the bad apples by moira fowley doyle (+)

the drowning eyes by emily foster

the priory of the orange tree by samantha shannon

miranda in milan by katharine duckett

the afterward by e.k. johnston (+)

thorn by anna burke

penhallow amid passing things by iona datt sharma

in the vanishers' palace by aliette de bodard

summer of salt by katrina leno (+)

the gracekeepers by kirsty logan

out of the blue by sophie cameron (+)

black wolves by kate elliott

the circle by sara b. elfgren & mats strandberg (+)

unspoken by sarah rees brennan (+)

thistlefoot by gennarose nethercott

passing strange by ellen klages

(and breathe)

[qiust]

Thomas and Kit from the novel Weak Heart by Ban Gilmartin 🥺🥺 forgor to post here

[tired-truffle]

Something’s Gotta Give

A CullenxLavellan fic

Chapter Word Count: 4.4k

Part 11 - One Step Back

"I've never felt more human than I do right now, holding her in my arms, desperately wanting to kiss her. I've never felt a need like this before. I need to touch her. I need to feel her. I need to know she's alive and okay." - Ban Gilmartin

Warning: Historical methods of healing lung infections

Masterlist

The mere thought of Corypheus made Ash's blood boil. She couldn’t wait to get her hands wrapped around his disgusting throat and squeeze the life out of him - impractical as it was. He deserved to suffer for what he’d done to Rae - for what he planned to do. But first, Ash needed to heal. 

After her conversation with Rae, Sweetpea had wrapped herself around Ash’s head, warming her despite the chill that had settled in her bones. It had been decades since she’d felt cold, and she hadn’t missed it - her body struggled to regulate its temperature as a side effect of the burns. But it hadn’t taken long for the heat and the softness of Sweetpea’s tail caressing her cheek to lull her into a dreamless sleep. 

When she’d next awoken, she thought for a moment that she must be underwater, trapped under a heavy weight. Every breath was a struggle, her lungs burning and her chest feeling like it was seconds away from bursting and covering everything in her viscera. It was a different kind of agony than the searing pain of her burns, but just as unbearable and excruciating. 

Her ears throbbed as if they had been stuffed with thick wads of cotton. Every sound was muffled and distant, making it difficult to distinguish the words being spoken around her. But with all her concentration, she could barely decipher the hushed voices mentioning 'fever' and 'fluid'. 

Infections were a death sentence, especially without the aid of magic to combat them. The Inquisition lacked skilled healers, and with the severity of her burns…

“I don’t care what you have to do, just fucking fix her!” Rae’s scream burst through the muted barrier around Ash’s ears. 

Ash's stomach churned uncomfortably, a gut feeling warning her against what was to come. But before she could form any objections, the all-encompassing darkness.

Her screams tore from her raw throat, pulling her from the depths of unconsciousness. Hands, rough and unyielding, pinned her down as she thrashed against their hold. There was fire in her lungs and blades slicing between her ribs. With each cough, a gut-wrenching gurgle came from her sides and a viscous liquid seeped from her chest.

Pus, she would later learn when the healers had settled her. The thick, yellow-green substance had collected in her lungs and they had to remove it before she drowned in it. The healers had no choice - ordered by her sister - but to perform an agonizing procedure, cutting into her lung and stuffing a balled-up cloth in the incision to soak it up. It would repeated every few hours.

Sweetpea took one sniff at the cloth and promptly gagged, scurrying from the tent like her tail was on fire. Ash was inclined to agree, though she had no strength to speak, and spent what must have been a few days dozing in and out of consciousness - only able to communicate her pain through grunts.

Slowly, the burning in her lungs started to subside, and she became lucid. She found herself longing for the peaceful bliss of unconsciousness, anything was better than the persistent ache and stinging fire of her burns. Each shallow breath felt like inhaling flames, and the rattle of phlegm in her chest refused to subside.

Rae’s visit was a balm to her weary heart. The rags were producing less and less pus each time they were removed and with a wave of her hand, she dismissed the healers from their watch over her sister. She would take over now, giving them a much-needed break. They did not dare argue with their revered Herald. 

Rae brought news with her. While Ash was feverish and murmuring her delusions to the healers, the Inquisition was heading for Skyhold, an old fortress in the mountains that Solas had become aware of in his travels. 

Slipping her hand into Ash’s, the two lapsed into a comfortable silence. Rae hummed a quiet tune under her breath, slowly lulling Ash into a state of half wake, half sleep. 

But peace never lasts for long. 

With all the grace of a Templar in full plate, the Commander pushed past the tent flaps, his armour rattling as he moved. 

“Herald, we have need of your—“ he began, as strict and direct as always, only to halt in his tracks, eyes widening as they landed on Ash. 

A coy smirk ticked at her lips - a cover for how much she hated that he saw her like this; vulnerable and weakened. “It is impolite,” a ragged breath, “to barge into a lady’s room without knocking, Commander.”

“I-I…” he stammered, though to her dismay his cheeks remained pale. Had her injuries made her lose her touch? Surely tits were still tits, even when they were burned. Was it because she was under a large pile of blankets? “I apologize for the intrusion, though I am glad to see you awake.”

Ash grunted noncommittal, she wasn’t a fan of wakefulness, it brought pain and fevers and confusion. Sleep was much more peaceful, dreamless and blissful. But even she couldn’t sleep forever. 

“What is so important that you sought to rob my sister of her privacy, Commander?” To anyone who didn’t know her, Rae would seem irritated and impassive, but Ash knew all her quirks, every subtle sign. From the twitch of her ears to her relaxed posture, Rae was very much enjoying giving her war commander a hard time. 

He straightened, his eyes widening further. “Please accept my apologies, Herald. I fear all this travel has made me forget my manners.” 

“Apology accepted,” Rae said with indifference. “At ease, or whatever. And spit it out already.”

“Right,” Cullen nodded his assent. “Josephine and Leliana are requesting your presence urgently. There is a…delicate matter that needs your attendance.”

“Does Mother Giselle have her big hat in a twist?” Rae slanted her head, an almost evil quality growing in her smooth grin.

Cullen chuckled. “Something like that. It was urgent enough that they did not bother finding a runner and insisted I fetch you personally.” 

Ash found that…intriguing, they had the power to boss him around like that? She remained silent. 

Rae clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “I see, but I can’t leave Ash alone.”

“I’ll be fine Rae, you have important religious figure business to attend to. I will survive in your absence.” Ash squeezed Rae’s hand with a whisp of her former strength - which hadn’t been much to begin with. She may be skilled with magic, but muscles she had not. 

Rae turned half towards her, an unimpressed slant to her brows. “Absolutely not. The next thing I know you’ll have pitched yourself off the bed and gotten your gross lung pus everywhere.” 

Ash crinkled her nose. “That sounds terribly painful and frankly disgusting.” She coughed, wincing as it irritated her open wounds and, well, everything. “I’d much rather lay as still as possible and let you all do the heavy lifting.” 

Rae narrowed her eyes, ready to argue, before Cullen interrupted. “I will stay, Herald. If that is amenable with you, Ashvalla.”

“I would be honoured by your company, Commander.” Ash gave him a wolfish grin, ignoring the sharp burn across her cheek as her burn stretched and cracked. 

Rae eyed Cullen skeptically, weighing her options. She was loath to leave Ash alone, even for a moment, but duty called and the Commander had offered a solution.

"Fine," she conceded begrudgingly. "But Commander of the Inquisition or not, if I hear you've been bothering her-

"I would never dream of it," Cullen assured, though she was sure he had dreamed plenty.

Rae fixed him with a piercing stare, green eyes boring into amber, before she leaned down to brush a kiss over Ash's forehead, whispering so only she could hear.

"I'll be back soon. Try not to seduce the Commander while I'm gone.”

Ash laughed, the sound morphing into a painful cough.

"No promises," she rasped with a wink.

With one last warning look at Cullen, Rae swept from the tent, leather boots scuffing against the dirt.

Cullen hovered in the doorway, looking everywhere but at her. 

“I don’t bite, you know,” she teased, patting the spot on the cot where Rae had vacated. “Unless you want me to.”

There was the blush she so adored, tickling the tips of his ears, almost hidden in the low light. “I would prefer to remain unbitten, if that’s all the same to you.”

“Suit yourself,” Ash said, unbothered. “But please sit, your hovering is making me anxious.”

With a shake of his head, a smirk pulling at the scar bisecting his lip, he perched on the side of the cot. 

Ash smiled at him, genuine, and softer than she’d meant to. “Are you going to hold my hand too?” She wiggled her fingers, forcing her lips into a grin. 

Just because she was in pain and feeling mildly delirious, didn’t mean she had to get soft on him. 

He was a Templar for ten years, do not forget that your heart was only recently kept beating by the spirit that possesses you, she reminded herself, repeating it like a mantra in her mind. 

Cullen rolled his eyes, and Love trilled happily in her chest when his leather-gloved hand found its way to hers. “Better?” he asked, mirth creasing his crow’s feet. 

“It will do. For now.” 

“Even injured and bedridden you find ways to be difficult. I cannot say I am particularly surprised.” 

Ash shrugged with her uninjured shoulder, wincing as it tugged on the burnt skin of her back. She couldn’t lay on her side because of the incisions, but laying on her burn was not her preferred position either. Ideally, she’d float in mid-air, but she had yet to figure out how to achieve that feat. “It’s in my blood.”

“On that, we agree.” His eyes travelled the length of her body, quickly, instinctively. “How are you feeling?”

Ash raised an eyebrow, glancing down at the bandage-covered arm resting above the furs, her neck and cheek also wrapped in white cloth. 

He had the decency to look sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “Forgive me. I only wished to know if you are as well as you could be, given the circumstances.”

“I was roasted by an Archdemon and somehow I still live. I’d say I’m pretty good.” She grinned using only one side of her face, attempting to stop irritating her facial burns. Ridiculous, but she made an effort. That had to count for something.

Gaze darkening, a pinch appeared between his brows, his lips curving into a frown. He was very handsome when he scowled; Ash couldn’t decide if she liked his glowers more or his blushes. 

Ash sighed, anxiety pulling at the lines on her face. “If you want me to be completely honest.” She made a disgusted noise and his scowl of irritation turned into a scowl of disapproval - a minor improvement. “Then I…everything hurts. And by Mythal does it itch. I never would have thought the itching could be worse than the pain, but I’d rather get stabbed with a thousand tiny needles or tear my skin off in strips.” Another rattling breath. “These stupid cloths in my lungs make it feel like I’m breathing wet fire, which I can confirm is far worse than breathing regular fire. And I’m so fucking afraid that after enduring all of this, I still won’t make it. That the illness will take me anyway. But I can’t tell Rae any of this. She has enough on her plate and I won’t add to it. I can’t be a burden on her.”

She blinked, she hadn’t meant to say all that, but in her pain-fueled haze, it had tumbled from her mouth like rocks down a cliff. 

Silence settled between them and Ash refused to look at him. 

“I may not have much…experience, with your predicament, but I have spent a significant amount of time around the Herald in the past few days, and let me assure you that you are not, nor have you ever been a burden on her.” He spoke with such gentle conviction, his hand squeezing hers, and Love pulsed weakly in her chest. But the spirit had always been a sucker for affection, for men bestowing kind words upon her, it meant nothing. “As I believe I said before, the Herald is less sullen with you around. You give her…drive, confidence. Though you may be stuck here, you give her something to fight for, to keep her head up.”

Why couldn’t the Archdemon have burned her tear ducts off?

“It’s alright Commander,” Ash ignored the blurring of her vision, “you can say cunty, I give you permission.”

His head shook, exasperation tilting his small smile. He refused to fall for her trap, smart man. “Be that as it may, she is happy you are alive and recovering. As am I.”

“You were so close to getting rid of your biggest irritant,” Ash teased. 

Cullen shook his head. “You overestimate yourself. That title belongs to the rashvine Sera continues to try to put in my smalls, which has not ceased even in our time of strife.”

A giggle tumbled from Ash’s lips, the skin around her eyes wrinkling and her smile widening, despite the pain it caused. “She’s just trying to find a way to get you to loosen up. Or she just hates authority. Either way, I think it’s funny.”

“I’m glad one of us is amused,” he said, as dry as wheat stalks in autumn.

Ash paused, her mind racing as a thought took hold and fought to escape. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, but was unable to hold it back. “Why are you being so nice to me? It's strange. You’re supposed to be a big, mean Templar.”

Cullen shifted on the cot, a flash of uncertainty crossing his face. "I suppose holding your hand at your sickbed does undercut that image. Though it is not an image I wish for you to have of me so I can’t say I’m upset that I do not fit your description. I am trying to make amends, for my past actions towards mages." He paused, gazing down at their still joined hands. "I have many regrets. I no longer wish to be a man blinded by fear and hatred, I would like to be someone that mages could trust, that you could trust."

Sincerity hadn’t been what Ash had expected, and she blinked twice, unsure of how to respond.

"As for you specifically, at first I saw you as nothing more than a nuisance. Another reckless mage determined to get under my skin."

Ash laughed softly, relieved he hadn’t continued with his vulnerability - she was not in the space to respond appropriately and didn’t want to ruin…whatever this was. "Can't say you were wrong."

Cullen huffed a quiet laugh of his own. "No, I suppose not. But I was wrong, I have seen how deeply you care for others, how hard you work, how much you’re willing to sacrifice. I fear I misjudged you.” 

“I’ll just have to work harder then,” she teased. “Though, I should thank you.” Ash discarded their conversation in favour of a new one that she was much more comfortable with.

“Whatever for? I’m ashamed to say I was little help to you after…you were injured.”

Ash brushed him off with a dismissive noise blown through her teeth. “You had much more important tasks than tending to me, and there was little you could do after I had the bright idea to stand in the way of Archdemon fire.” He opened his mouth to argue, but Ash did not let him speak. “What I wanted to thank you for was the chest plate you insisted I wear. From what I’ve been told, that is the only reason my…” she shot him a wolfish grin, “assets were unharmed. Should you ever wish for repayment, I have the perfect idea of how we could achieve this.”

A dark pink tinge spread from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. Ash did her best not to show her satisfaction. “Oh, I…Maker’s Breath, no. No repayment is necessary. I am simply happy to hear you were less harmed.” 

“Let me know if you change your mind.” 

His blush deepened and his hand twitched in hers. “I…” He released a deep, long-suffering sigh, but his hand remained. “I assure you, I will not request any repayment.” 

“If you’re sure.”

“Very.”

She wasn’t sure if that stung or not. He was a gentleman who would never dream of taking advantage of her like that, but at the same time, for some illogical reason, Ash wanted him to want her. Were the burns deterring him? Or maybe that she’d have permanent scarring? He didn’t seem like the type - he was a soldier, he must have his own scars hidden beneath his armour. And tits were tits, Ash had found a majority of men were not as picky as they pretended to be. They may gripe and moan about her weight, but they folded as soon as they thought no one was watching.

Jaw creaking, she suppressed a yawn. The singular hour of being awake had taken its toll on her. 

“You should rest,” Cullen said, grateful for the chance to distract her. 

Ash narrowed her eyes, even as she fought another yawn. “I’ve had plenty of rest.”

“And you will require plenty more if you are to recover.” His eyes flickered to her ribs where the cloth remained plugged in her lungs. Rae must have said something. 

Ash scowled. “I dislike when you’re right.” It was petulant and pouty, but she was allowed to have a few childish arguments when her entire body throbbed and her skin felt like it was two seconds from crawling off her body and laying itself over a tanning rack. 

“That does not change the fact that I’m correct.” That damned smirk tugged at his scar and Love fluttered insistently in her chest. “Or would you prefer I fetch a healer to confirm?”

“No,” Ash said too quickly, though she was much too tired to care. “Stay. Please.”

His face softened and he squeezed her hand reassuringly. Ash was pleased he hadn’t let go, even through her teasing. “As you wish.”

Ash felt her eyelids growing heavy as a wave of exhaustion washed over her. The dull ache in her ribs and the incessant gnawing of her burns were pushed to the back of her mind by the comfort of Cullen's steady presence at her bedside. His large hand engulfed her long fingers, allowing the tension in her body to slowly unwind.

She studied his face as her vision began to blur, taking in the strong line of his jaw and the wrinkle between his brows that seemed permanently etched there. Even in repose, he looked focused, vigilant - the result of years of intensive Templar training. She wondered if he ever truly relaxed. The thought made something in her chest constrict.

"You'll stay?" she confirmed again, too exhausted to care that she was being needy, her words slightly slurred with impending sleep.

“As long as you need.”

He didn’t know what he had promised. As long as she needed? She was embarrassed to even think about how attached she had started to become. No one else put up with her flirtatious teasing like he did, what was she supposed to do without him? Life would be dreadfully boring. Blessedly, she did not get the chance to voice her thoughts as sleep took her once more.

Upon waking, Ash felt a cold emptiness where Cullen's hand should have been and he was nowhere to be found. They had moved again, the tent having shifted and her cot sloped at a different angle. Her ribs were sore but it was dull, no longer the sharp stabbing of the open hole in her lungs.

Though Cullen may have left, she was not alone. 

Seated at the side of her cot was Dorian, his mustache perfectly styled, and an old-looking book in hand - Ash imagined it must contain all kinds of Tevinter secrets. 

“What are you doing here?” Her question came off much harsher than intended, she’d only meant to verbalize her confusion at seeing Dorian of all people in a gross healer’s tent - it lacked his pristine. 

The mage looked down his nose at her, closing his book with a severe snap. “I am here because someone needed to watch over you - the Herald’s orders, if you were wondering - and I was deemed to have too much free time on my hands. Never mind that all I’ve been doing for days has been trudging through mountains packed to the brim with Ferelden snow. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to feel my toes again, though all this sun is doing wonders for my complexion.”

“At least you’ve got one good thing going for you.” Her throat was dry, but no longer as irritated as before.

“Yes, and you know what is less good?” He narrowed his eyes, swivelling on his stool to scowl more completely at her. “That my friend decided to play the hero and almost got herself incinerated in Archdemon fire. Your sister may be Andraste’s Herald, but that does not mean you must perish similarly to the goddess.”

If not for the undercurrent of concern, Ash would have thought that Dorian was truly mad at her.

“I’ll consider that next time.”

“Next time?” Incredulousness raised his brows. “There will be no next time, you will be staying far away from that thing as long as I can help it. Best not to give it a second chance.”

Ash studied his face, her eyes tracing over the hard lines and tense muscles. There was a fierce look in his gaze, but she could sense the fear that lurked just beneath the surface. It caught her off guard and she felt strangely moved by it. After all, they had only known each other for a little over a month.

“Ugh,” he made a disgusted noise, and waved his hand at her as though she was a pesky fly. “Don’t make that face at me.”

Ash frowned. “What face?”

“That one,” he said snippily. “The one that says you know what I’m feeling even though I don’t want you to, and that you feel some sort of sympathy for me and my pathetic emotions. It’s unnerving. And furthermore, I’m supposed to be the one feeling sympathy for you, not the other way around.”

Ash smiled, though judging by the glare that pulled at Dorian’s features, it was still too soft. “I just didn’t think you liked me that much.”

He huffed, lifting his chin. “You’re one of the few people who tolerates my Altus presence. It would have been lonely without you, obnoxious as you may be. Who else am I supposed to gossip with?”

“Varric, The Iron Bull, Vivienne, Rae—“ Ash listed until Dorian cut her off with a sharp exhale through clenched teeth. 

“Alright, I get it, but none of them are as…fun as you.”

“I thought you’d started to get along with Bull?”

“Getting along with and enjoying one-on-one chats are entirely different things, my dear.”

Ash waggled her uninjured fingers enticingly at him. “But you could, if you wanted to.”

He scowled harder. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“A big, muscular man like Bull? I’m sure his private chats would be, uh, interesting.” 

“As was your talk with our stuffy Commander, I’m sure,” Dorian purred, a knowing spark lighting up his dark eyes. 

Ash grinned, though the skin of her cheek felt tighter than it had before. She knew enough about burns to know that that wasn’t good. She’d been sedentary, and if she didn’t start to move soon, her skin would heal in a fixed position and further limit her mobility. “If you won’t spill, neither will I.”

“I have nothing to spill about. You on the other hand, I saw the way the Commander came out of your tent, you must have at least said something scandalous to him.”

“You truly do have too much time on your hands if you were sitting around waiting for him to come out. I’ll have you know that I fell asleep, so I didn’t say anything.”

She repositioned her shoulders while she spoke, and winced as pain radiated through her arm. She was going to have to start moving soon. Dorian's sour expression softened with concern. "Are you alright? Should I fetch a healer?"

"I'm fine," Ash muttered through gritted teeth. It was better than it had been, surely she should be able to handle it by now. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to focus past the pain. When she opened them again, Dorian was staring at her intently.

"You know, you don't always have to put on a brave face," he said gently. "Especially not for me."

Ash looked away, a faint blush colouring her pale cheeks. She wasn't used to others seeing through her act so easily. With most people, the witty banter and coy smiles were enough to keep them at arm's length. But Dorian seemed intent on getting past her defences - possibly because they were so similar to his.

"I'm not - I mean, I just…" She faltered, uncharacteristically lost for words.

Dorian leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "It's alright," he said. "You've been through quite the ordeal. No one expects you to bounce back so quickly."

Ash glanced back at him, taking in the sincerity etched across his carefully primmed features. She wondered briefly what she had done to deserve a friend like him.

"Thank you, Dorian," she said softly. "I appreciate you checking in on me."

"Think nothing of it," Dorian replied airily, though his eyes were kind. "I should hope you'll return the favour once you've recovered. Maker knows it’ll be unbearable without your company to brighten my days."

Ash laughed, then winced again as soreness lanced through her healing body. Dorian shook his head, clucking his tongue in sympathy.

"Now try to rest, won't you?" he implored. "We've only a day left to Skyhold, and we'll need you at your best."

Ash nodded, exhaustion settling over her like a shroud. Her eyes drifted shut even as Dorian settled back in his chair, intent on keeping watch over her as she slept. The Fereldan mabaris must be rubbing off on him, despite his protests otherwise. His steadfast loyalty brought a small smile to her lips as she surrendered to sleep - though this time, more willingly than before. 

Next Chapter

A/N: I spent a lot of time looking into old healing methods for lung infections, and this seemed the most probable for where they currently are, though pretty gnarly.

I hope you're liking it so far! I'm happy we got some good Dorian time, and there is plenty more of that to come <3

I'm also very partial to Cullen holding her hand :)

[alinacapellabooks]

Writeblr Intro!

I never formally made a Writeblr intro, so, I’m doing one now! ^.^

My name: Alina Capella

My age: 25

My favourite colour: White, like the white light of stars ✨

My height: That information is classified! My sign: Aquarius

Do I have a lover?: I’m aro-ace, so no ^.^ What’s my nationality?: That information is classified!

Here’s some things that inspire me!: My writing style was largely influenced by Ai Yazawa, T.J. Klune, and Ban Gilmartin, three authors whom I greatly admire. I also get some of my novel ideas and titles from the music I listen to, and I’m currently very into The Front Bottoms, and TX2

My favourite food: Red velvet cake. I love sweets, but red velvet cake is the best of all ^.^

My current mood?: Tired. I stayed up all last night reading again >.< I blame Cat Sebastian. We Could Be So Good is just so good that I couldn’t put it down ^.^

My shoe size?: 9

[bensbooks]

Hello ♡ Do you have any underrated bisexual books you'd recommend?

Hi!

I'm incredibly bad at remembering/noting down the specific queer rep in the books I read, however I have gone through my spreadsheet and tried to find ones that people have tagged 'bi' on goodreads. These are all books I've read and enjoyed (given a 3.5 rating or higher).

A Light Amongst Shadows by Kelley York and Rowan Altwood (~1000 ratings)

Deposing Nathan by Zack Smedley (~1900 ratings)

Lighter by A. Aduma (~30 ratings)

The Law of Inertia by Sophie Gonzales (~400 ratings)

Hold by Rachel Davidson Leigh (~150 ratings)

The Edge of Being by James Brandon (~150 ratings)

There Is a Light by Ban Gilmartin (~350 ratings)

Boomerang by Helene Dunbar (~130 ratings)

[purplenarwhal19]

@basic-banshee

hey does anyone know what happened to ban gilmartin? I really miss ban's work and reblogs and posts and everything. i hope theyre doing okay!!! xx

[linus-wickworth]

June 2023 Reading Recap

5 Stars:

Just Between Us by J. H. Trumble

There Is A Light by Ban Gilmartin

Gypsy Boy by Mikey Walsh

The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley by Shaun David Hutchinson

Carousel by Brendan Ritchie

The Boy Who Steals Houses by C. G. Drews

The Kings of Nowhere by C. G. Drews

What About Will by Ellen Hopkins

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

They Cage the Animals at Night by Jennings Michael Burch

Out of Time, Into You by Jay Bell

4.5 Stars:

Bait by Alex Sanchez

Junk Boy by Tony Abbott

Gypsy Boy on the Run by Mikey Walsh

Milo and Marcos At the End of the World by Kevin Christopher Snipes

4 Stars:

The Ghosts We Keep by Mason Deaver

My Dear Henry by Kalynn Bayron

A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs

The Edge of Being by James Brandon

He Forgot to Say Goodbye by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

This Winter by Alice Oseman

The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs

Beyond Carousel by Brendan Ritchie

Keep This to Yourself by Tom Ryan

Every Day by David Levithan

The Gravity of Nothing by Chase Connor

If I See You Again Tomorrow by Robbie Couch

3.5 Stars:

Here's to You, Zeb Pike by Johanna Parkhurst

Five Have Plenty Of Fun by Enid Blyton

Caterpillars Can't Swim by Liane Shaw

Boys of the Beast by Monica Zepeda

Invisible Boys by Holden Sheppard

Anything Could Happen by Will Walton

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

Dead Flip by Sara Farizan

Every Moment After by Joseph Moldover

Hold by Rachel Davidson Leigh

Trailer Trash by Marie Sexton

Always Leaving by Gene Gant

Kings of B'more by R. Eric Thomas

3 Stars:

Five Go To Mystery Moor by Enid Blyton

These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall

Things We Couldn't Say by Jay Coles

Golden Boys by Phil Stamper

The Desolations of Devil's Acre by Ransom Riggs

This Is Not a Love Story by Suki Fleet

Another Day by David Levithan

Toughing It by Nancy Springer

2.5 Stars:

Arctic Zoo by Robert Muchamore

Keesha's House by Helen Frost

Trying Hard to Hear You by Sandra Scoppettone

Pain & Wastings by Carrie Mac

2 Stars:

Qualities of Light by Mary Carroll Moore

Small Town Monsters by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

1.5 Stars:

Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voigt

[macaronis-telegraph]

hi , any quick book recommendations?

Uncertain if you mean quick as in the time it takes to read, or quick as in “Quick! Give me a recommendation!”

If it’s the latter, here’s a book that I always recommend—I think it’s so important and I’d always be glad to see more people reading it:

Despised and Rejected by Rose Allatini is always one that I find both impactful and important. Taking place on the home front in England during WWI, and written and published in that very same setting, it tackles the topics of queerness, pacifism, conscientious objection, identity, and more, in ways that are still very clear and extremely relevant over 100 years later.

If it’s the former, here’s some here’s some titles that I loved and could also totally be read in one sitting:

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen - a graphic novel about how storytelling can cross language and cultural barriers.

Weak Heart by Ban Gilmartin - a self pub book with a gorgeous and clear contemporary writing style. It’s an urban fantasy based within Scottish folklore, and I fell in love with all the characters. So while longer than the other two here, with all that I very much sped through it!

The Forbidden Zone, by Mary Borden - a short memoir about Borden’s experiences as a nurse in WWI. Definitely a book that shouldn’t be overlooked in the area of WWI literature.

[brisalec]

More books

Yo vivo por los libros donde las relaciones se desarrollan poco a poco hasta que ambas partes estan profundamente enamoradas. Estos dos libros son de ese tipo.

Love is for Losers - Wibke Brueggemann (Tomo Único)

Phoebe es una adolescente y lo puedes percibir en cada página (Es un cumplido).

There is a Light - Ban Gilmartin (Tomo Único)

No soy experta, pero considero que la forma en que se trataron los problemas mentales en este libro fue sana. El amor no te curará mágicamente, pero no por ello debes cerrarte a él. Puedes apoyarte en tus seres queridos y eso no hace que automáticamente dependas de ellos.

[the-lincyclopedia]

I haven't read a lot of self-published books, but @weakheart-story by @basic-banshee is definitely on my list! Ban Gilmartin (basic-banshee's pen name) was the biggest-name fan in the fandom for Carry On by Rainbow Rowell at the time--like, at one point, 10 of the 20 most-kudosed fics in the fandom were by Ban. When they announced they were self-publishing a novel, much of the fandom was rabidly excited. Weak Heart is queer fantasy/horror about a young man returning to his hometown, which is on a remote island off the coast of Scotland, and I think I read it in one or two sittings. I'm really not a horror person, but Ban's writing is worth it!

PEOPLE OF WRITEBLR and beyond: What are some of your favorite self published novels??

Hello please help me add to the megastructure that is my TBR and also shout out our beautiful genius self-published authors by telling me about your favorite self published books! Any genre, any language, any availability, and as many as you like, I want to hear about them!!!

[iambibliophilic]

My all-time favourite books &recs!

1. The murderbot series by Martha Wells. I truly cannot fault these books. Sci-fi with an undercurrent of the ethical ramifications of a society with human/robot constructs. First few are very short, then book 5 is a full novel. Diverse cast of characters, casual non-binary rep (esp later on), polyamory, asexual rep. 10/10 humour. What more could you want?

2. The Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews. Spicy urban fantasy. First trilogy revolves around human lie detector Nevada, second trilogy from the point of view of her sister. My favourite books are 4 and 5 (especially 4!). Such a cosy cast of characters I love them so much. Prepare for some problematic stuff in book one though omg I did not remember that the love interest did THAT how did they recover from that I’ll never know. Also stop whitewashing these characters they’re mixed race and it’s mentions that explicitly (although one criticism I have of Ilona andrews is that even their POC read like white characters. More depth needed)

3. The innkeeper chronicles by Ilona Andrews. I think it’s described as paranormal romance? But I would describe it as urban SCI-FI. I would say consider the first book a prequel of sorts and judge the series more starting from the second book. Again they’re pretty short. Defo get better as the series progresses since the world-building takes a while. Maud’s book was so unexpectedly phenomenal I highly highly recommend. Technically this series is most enjoyable after reading the author’s On The Edge series but I won’t put you through that. (I love those books but objectively only book 4 is perfect so decide for yourself if you want to give that series a go once you’ve seen Ilona Andrews’ other work. It’s their oldest series so the fact that it’s not their best is actually a really good sign - you can really see their growth and how they’ve improved as authors with every publication.) Don’t get excited they’re not non-binary: Ilona Andrews is the name of a husband and wife who write books together. They also happen to be my favourite authors so get ready for me to recommend all of their books to you

4. Red, white and royal blue by Case McQuiston. The perfectest perfect book out there. I’m just putting it on here to show you I have good taste

5. The Second Mango series. I’ve only read the first two but now that I’m getting better (I’ve been sick for the past couple of years) I’m rereading them and looking forward to reading the rest of them. Very short little books only available on Amazon unfortunately and no audiobooks rip. The most heartwarming story ever - lesbians, dragons, Judaism, magic, what more could you want? Fantasy series with quite simple storytelling. Lots of brown people yay. Kind of accidentally forgets trans people exist in the first book

6 There is a light by Ban Gilmartin. Love it. So full of humour it’s impeccable. Brown rep, gay and bisexual rep. Poetry, trans rep. Non binary rep. I’m just listing types of rep but in my head I’m telling you all the ways in which this book rocks. One thing is rep and another is doing it well. This book does it well and then some. Highly recommend. Tw: suicide

7. All for the game series. Do I really need to recommend this to tumblr though this is literally the only place that knows about these books. Gay, crimes, sports but don’t let that dissuade you the sports is actually a highlight of the series. I love my child Neil Josten and I love these books an unholy amount. If you do read them half of the enjoyment is looking through the content on tumblr so definitely do that after. Ooo also check out the art of one ‘polarts_’ on insta

8. The name of the wind books by Patrick rothfuss. The most misogynistic series I know but the world building and storytelling is impeccable. I would say these books are the polar opposite to the second mango: no gays, too many white people and it takes itself so seriously. The writing style is a bit much sometimes but I seriously love the story so, so much. It’s rich and well constructed and funny and yes. Also sad omg you don’t even know

9. The stormlight archives by Brandon Sanderson. Anything by him to be honest and like Ilona Andrews you can really see his growth as an author as time passes - in his case it’s to do with misogyny bc his earlier series (mistborn) reeks of Patrick rothfuss-level sexism but unlike Patrick he does something about it. Stormlight is way less sexist, almost not sexist actually, and his sci-fi series Skyward is even better in terms of that. Stormlight is a CHONK though so buckle in for a good time and a long time. High fantasy, lots of brown people and actually unexpected non binary rep? But don’t get your hopes up cos it’s not a human being. And it’s not till like book 4. Better than nothing though! Not gay enough

10. Kate daniels series by Ilona Andrews. Listen, I love this series wholeheartedly. Favourite author, remember? But the first two books and the first book in particular is not very good. The authors themselves say that. I recommend starting at book two and waiting till book three to decide whether to read the series. It’s urban fantasy with the best chemistry between characters I’ve ever seen. (Can start with book one if you want but be warned there’s gratuitous sexual assault descriptions/ sexual harassment. It was the urban fantasy scene at the time but yeah not the mos pleasant reread. Can be tricky to get your head around the world building but it’s so worth it I promise!) Not enough queer rep but they tried a little. Some brown rep but not really enough. (Again, main character is brown but doesn’t read like it. I understand why given how she’s raised but then there’s a few kinda racist/ fetishising things said about her appearance so -_-). Excellent epic storytelling, excellent humour and phenomenal characters. Can skip book 5.5 if you want but don’t skip Hugh’s book - read it between Kate Daniels books 9 and 10. It’s excellent you won’t regret it. And don’t forget to read Aurelia Ryder when you’re done with Kate Daniels.

11. SAGA graphic novels. Graphic is correct cos there’s explicit everything in these books. Amazing storytelling, diverse set of characters. Sci-fi, feminist. Yes yes very recommend

BONUS: 12. If you’ve already read six of crows and crooked kingdom then king of scars and rule of wolves by Leigh Bardugo. Best enjoyed if you’ve read the grisha trilogy too but once again I won’t put you through that if you haven’t. These books defo smack of YA especially in the plot at certain points but OH MY GOD they are so epic and fast-paced and heists and shenanigans. 10/10 so enjoyed them. Warning I repeat: only read AFTER the six of crows duology, especially Crooked Kingdom for spoiler reasons. Once you have read king of scars and rule of wolves I recommend checking out jaded.draws’s art on instagram and also polarts_ again. Both make such beautiful art but it is slightly spoilerly if you haven’t read all the books. Also can we talk about the Shadow and Bone tv show because they did such a good job with it somehow?? It is it’s own work of art and I highly enjoy it

I recognise that my favourite books are overwhelmingly (exclusively?) written by white people and there’s varying amounts of diversity in them. I’m actively working to remedy that and I plan to post an updated list once I’ve read a little more broadly. These are just the books that are closest to my heart and I’ve wanted to share them on here for a while (read: a decade 💀). I hope you find a new book to love on this list but if not you can make fun of me for the ones I do! Also the format of this post is unforgivable but it’s my first one and I’m chronically ill so I’m not gonna put any more effort in that I already have. Xoxo have a good day!