#cayla fay

[ace-artemis-fanartist]

My piece for @rainbowcrate’s March book box.

Cayla Fay’s Ravensong.

[the-final-sentence]

The Hellgate was open, and her family was coming home.

Cayla Fay, from Ravensong

[redwiccanrobin]

Currently reading: Ravensong

[beautyandthebeastlyloveofbooks]

Happy Release Day to Ravensong by Cayla Fay!

Ravensong is the story of Neve’s latest incarnation as a budding goddess in the body of a teenager. Neve and her sisters are actually ancient Irish goddesses known as the Morrigan that live amongst humans to protect them. The triad are reincarnated every generation, but only on their eighteenth birthday do they remember their past lives. There’s a thousand years of memories inside of Neve and soon, she will join her older sisters in their fully fledged abilities. As her birthday approaches, all Neve wants to do is get through this lifetime without interacting too much with humans. Enter, Alexandria. (Like the library.)

Caya Fay truly knows how to write fleshed out characters. Alexandria is sweet and quirky, and the best contrast Neve’s brooding and snarky personality. That’s right, Ravensong has a top tier grumpy/sunshine ship. Neve’s sisters are also well developed, and their bond with Neve is both loving and full of enough teasing that you know that Fay actually gets how siblings operate. Even the band of side characters are detailed.

Ancient Irish mythology in the body of a teenage girl is the story I never knew I needed. It seems there’s more of Neve and Alexandra to come, and I couldn’t be more thrilled!

I received a DRC from Edelweiss and I was not required to give a positive review.

[stardustandrockets]

What's your favorite type of mythology to read?

Aside from Greek mythology, I have read much mythology from other cultures. However, Celtic mythology has always seemed interesting. I've read at least one book based on Celtic myths and that was Witches of Ash and Ruin by E. Latimer.

Ravensong is about 3 Irish war gods. There's demi gods, weird happenings with Hell, and accidentally falling in love with a human. It's pitched as Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Celtic mythology and I'm 100% here for it!

Synopsis is pinned in the comments.

[acourtofpaperandink]

Book Review: Ravensong By: Cayla Fay

Post by: BookGirl Ravensong By:Cayla Fay Cover: So I did see this at ALA and it did grab my attention but I think it was more the title than the cover. I’m not generally a fan of characters on covers. I think this cover is on the boring side. But I did pick it up. Story: ★★ So this is a YA fantasy set in our modern world. It follows three sisters that are actually a god that has been reborn…

[jessryno]

Book Review: Ravensong By: Cayla Fay

Post by: BookGirl Ravensong By:Cayla Fay Cover: So I did see this at ALA and it did grab my attention but I think it was more the title than the cover. I’m not generally a fan of characters on covers. I think this cover is on the boring side. But I did pick it up. Story: ★★ So this is a YA fantasy set in our modern world. It follows three sisters that are actually a god that has been reborn…

[six-owls-in-a-trenchcoat]

My three pairs of silly little gays and my three pairs of silly little sapphics

Yes, the last pair are my own characters, their names are Ivy (left) and Jane (right).

[sapphicbookclub]

23 sapphic books in 2023

Here’s a list of 2023 book releases with f/f pairings that you can add to your TBR and you can preorder now to support the authors!  

Science Fiction / Fantasy books:

The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang

Ravensong by Cayla Fay

The Valkyrie by Kate Heartfield

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Ann Older

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

Lucha of the Night Forest Tehlor by Kay Mejia

The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero-Lacruz

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

Juniper Harvey and the Vanishing Kingdom by Nina Varela

Contemporary romance books: 

Life is Strange: Steph’s Story by Rosiee Thor

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Out of Character by Jenna Miller

What a Desi Girl Wants by Sabina Khan

The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar

The Girl Next Door by Cecilia Vinesse

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko

Mimosa by Archie Bongiovanni

The Rules of Us by Jennifer Nissley

Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni

If Tomorrow Doesn't Come by Jen St. Jude

The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur

May 2023 bring you even more sapphicness and books! 🎆🎇

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Queer Books Coming Out in February 2024

🌈 Good afternoon, my bookish bats! Struggling to keep up with all the amazing queer books coming out this month? Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Remember to #readqueerallyear! Happy reading!

❤️ We Ate the Dark by Mallory Pearson 🧡 The Paper Boys by D.P. Clarence 💛 Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada 💚 Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine 💙 A Vicious Game by Melissa Blair 💜 Clarion Call by Cayla Fay ❤️ Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories edited by Sandra Proudman 🧡 The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton 💛 Truthfully, Yours by Caden Armstrong 💙 Outsider by Jade du Preez 💜 Cross My Candy Heart by A.C. Thomas 🌈 The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

❤️ An Education in Malice by S. T. Gibson 🧡 The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Ann Older 💛 Never a Bridesmaid by Spencer Greene 💚 The Rewind by Nicole Stiling 💙 Good Christian Girls by Elizabeth Bradshaw 💜 The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha ❤️ The Terrible by Tessa Crowley 🧡 Blood Rage by Ileandra Young 💛 Call of the Sea by Emily B. Rose 💙 Sign Me Up by C.H. Williams 💜 Ways and Means by Daniel Lefferts 🌈 Peaceful in the Dark by A.A. Fairview

❤️ We Are Only Ghosts by Jeffrey L. Richards 🧡 Dead Ringer by Robyn Nyx 💛 Somacultural Liberation by Dr. Roger Kuhn 💚 Stormbringer by Erinn Harper 💙 A Saga of Shields & Shadows by A.J. Shirley 💜 Ghost Town by R.E. Ward ❤️ I Heard Her Call My Name by Lucy Sante 🧡 The Night Alphabet by Joelle Taylor 💛 Remedial Magic by Melissa Marr 💙 Bloom by N.R. Walker 💜 Entwined by Alex Alberto 🌈 Queer Newark edited by Whitney Strub

❤️ Tristan by Jesse Roman 🧡 How to Live Free in a Dangerous World by Shayla Lawson 💛 Daniel, Deconstructed by James Ramos 💚 Of Socialites & Prizefights by Arden Powell 💙 Lost Harbor by Kimberly Cooper Griffin 💜 Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair by Laura Piper Lee ❤️ Bunt! Striking Out on Financial Aid by Ngozi Ukazu & Mad Rupert 🧡 How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly 💛 Blackmailer’s Delight by David Lawrence 💙 Tile M for Murder by Felicia Carparelli 💜 Impulse Buy by Jae 🌈 Live for You, Die With You by Kalob Dàniel

❤️ Fairest of All by A.D. Ellis 🧡 Goddess of the Sea by Britney Jackson 💛 A Taste of Earth by Nico Silver 💚 The Moorings of Mackerel Sky by M.Z. Emily Zack 💙 How the Boogeyman Became a Poet by Tony Keith 💜 V is for Valentine by Thomas Grant Bruso ❤️ Crushed Ice by Ashlyn Kane & Morgan James 🧡 When Tomorrow Comes by D. Jackson Leigh 💛 Bugsy & Other Stories by Rafael Frumkin 💙 The White and Blue Between Us by Kiyuhiko 💜 Guide Us Home by CF Frizzell & Jesse J. Thoma 🌈 The Friendship Study by Ruby Barrett

❤️ Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender 🧡 Heart2Heart edited by Annabeth Albert 💛 No Time Like Now by Naz Kutub 💚 Bless the Blood by Walela Nehanda 💙 Vengeance Planning for Amateurs by Lee Winter 💜 Who We Are in Real Life by Victoria Koops ❤️ Prove It by Stephanie Hoyt 🧡 Mewing by Chloe Spencer 💛 Awakenings by Claudie Arseneault 💙 Born of Scourge by S. Jean 💜 Disciples of Chaos by M.K. Lobb 🌈 To Cage a God by Elizabeth May

❤️ Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly 🧡 What Feasts At Night by T. Kingfisher 💛 You Had Me at Merlot by Melissa Brayden 💚 Turning Point by Cathy Dunnell 💙 For the Stolen Fates by Gwendolyn Clare 💜 Season of Eclipse by Terry Wolverton ❤️ These Haunted Hills by Jana Denardo 🧡 Samson & Domingo by Gume Laurel III 💛 Lies that Bind by Rae Knowles & April Yates 💙 We Got the Beat by Jenna Miller 💜 The Diablo's Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa 🌈 Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh

❤️ Out There by Iris Eliot 🧡 At Her Service by Amy Spalding 💛 Green Dot by Madeleine Gray

[bookaddict24-7]

NEW YOUNG ADULT RELEASES! (FEBRUARY 6TH, 2024)

___

HAVE I MISSED ANY NEW YOUNG ADULT RELEASES? HAVE YOU ADDED ANY OF THESE BOOKS TO YOUR TBR? LET ME KNOW!

___

NEW STANDALONES/FIRST IN A SERIES:

Relit by Various

ASAP by Axie Oh

Even if it Breaks Your Heart by Erin Hahn

Out of Body by Nia Davenport

Daniel, Deconstructed by James Ramos

The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton

No Time Like Now by Naz Kutub

I Hope this Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang

Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada

How the Boogeyman Became A Poet by Tony Keith

Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender

Dead Girls Don't Say Sorry by Alex Ritany

Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo

You're Breaking My Heart by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

NEW SEQUELS:

Clarion Call (Ravenson #2) by Cayla Fay

The Cursed Rose (The Bone Spindle #3) by Leslie Vedder

All this Twisted Glory (This Woven Kingdom #3) by Tahereh Mafi

King Cheer (Arden High #2) by Molly Horton Booth, Stephanie Kate Strohm, & Jamie Green (Illustrator)

___

Happy reading!

[someonelookingpraediti]

Subscription Box Comparison - 2023

This year, for my annual book box comparison (it’s happened two years in a row, that makes it annual) I’m comparing five subscription boxes: FairyLoot, OwlCrate, Illumicrate, Rainbow Crate, and A Year of Sanderson. I also received two book-only shipments, and a bonus box to share with you, which isn’t a book subscription: Witch Casket!

Let’s start with some of the boxes I didn’t include this year.  One of the companies I featured last year (Book Box Club) has gone out of business - this is something I predicted, because they weren’t any good. Other boxes I’m not including: The Bookish Box - I think this box looks really good, and I’d love to try it, but they don’t ship to the UK. I could use a third party courier, but it would be very expensive. Fox & Wit - this only comes with one item, so I’m not that invested in trying it, I prefer full boxes. And their website is really quite terribly designed - it’s difficult to navigate, and there never seems to be anything available on their UK site. LitJoy - I’ve tried the occasional one-off purchase from LitJoy, and I can’t deny their quality is amazing. But they persist in clinging to their infatuation to H*rryP*tt*r, which makes me very uncomfortable. They say that they support trans rights, and don’t condone the author’s actions, but their worship of the series says otherwise. In this case, actions really do speak louder than words. But even if they sorted that out - their products are just too expensive. Yes, they’re good quality, but they are incredibly overpriced. FaeCrate - I will never, never order from FaeCrate again. I ordered one box - it was over three months late to arrive, which is apparently very common, and their customer service was not just bad, but they were genuinely rude. When the box finally did arrive, it was just absolute tat, and the entire lot went in the bin. Even the book was uncustomised. And on top of that, there was an item that they’d not included, and a note saying that this item would be sent on to me later. I never heard from them again.

Keep scrolling for my comparison! I've updated my scorecard for this year, which I'm using to rate the books out of 20. Click the Box Name to see a full unboxing for each.

FairyLoot Theme: Eternal Featured Book: Seven Faceless Saints - M.K. Lobb Price (before shipping): £27.50 / $35.90 Total number of items: 4 Items I actually liked: 3 Book Customisation Rating: 12/20 Overall: This is usually one of my favourite boxes - but this month's was quite disappointing. FairyLoot is normally really good, but I have seen a drop in quality recently.

OwlCrate Theme: Let's Rewrite History Featured Book: Midnight Strikes - Zeba Shahnaz Price (before shipping): £29.08 / $35.99 Total number of items: 4 Items I actually liked: 3 Book Customisation Rating: 08/20 Overall: This box has improved massively since my last comparison, last year I was considering dropping this box, but now they're consistently good!

Illumicrate Theme: Live Like Legends Featured Book: Lies We Sing to the Sea - Sarah Underwood Price (before shipping): £27.00 / $35.00 Total number of items: 4 Items I actually liked: 3 Book Customisation Rating: 13/20 Overall: I switched to book-only for half the year, but I went back to the full box as their item quality improved. They're still hit and miss, but vastly improved on last year.

Rainbow Crate Theme: Protect Your Own Featured Books: Ravensong - Cayla Fay and I am Not Your Chosen One - Evelyn Benvie Price (before shipping): £37.95 / $46.97 Total number of items: 2 Items I actually liked: 0 Book #1 Rating: 01/20 Book #2 Rating: 10/20 Overall: This is the first time I'm trying this box, and it'll be the last. Although you get two books, only one is properly customised. And there are only two items, neither of which were much good.

A Year of Sanderson Theme: Cytoverse Featured Book: none Price (before shipping): £32.32 / $40.00 Total number of items: 3 Items I actually liked: 1 Book Customisation Rating: N/A Overall: This one-off Yearly subscription was a complete rip off, and it's made me lose faith in one of my favourite authors. This box comes with either a book or box, and the quality is vastly lacking. It's hugely overpriced, and I've been nothing but disappointed.

This year there are also two upcoming subscriptions that I’m eager to try. There’s a sucker born every minute and, apparently, that sucker is me. One is the new OwlCrate Adult subscription that they’re currently working on. The shipping to the UK makes OwlCrate expensive for me, but I'll definitely try getting both boxes for a while, if I can afford it. The appeal of this is that it's a full box, unlike the FairyLoot Adult subscription, which is book-only. The other is the new Illumicrate Horror subscription. I’m keen to try something other than a Fantasy book subscription, and usually the only options are Romance or Spice, neither of which I’m interested in. This is book only, which is disappointing, but it’s a quarterly subscription, which is more manageable!

The two book-only options I received this month are FairyLoot Adult, and a three-month delayed Sanderson book from January.

FairyLoot Adult Theme: Rotten Opulence Featured Book: The Foxglove King - Hannah Whitten Price (before shipping): £20.00 / $28.00 Book Customisation Rating: 13/20 Overall: I've started skipping months for this subscription, and will probably end up dropping it soon. The books are nice, but they come faster than I can read them, and it doesn't seem as good value without the items, even though it's cheaper.

A Year of Sanderson Theme: Secret Project #1 Featured Book: Tress of the Emerald Sea - Brandon Sanderson Price (before shipping): £32.32 / $40.00 Book Customisation Rating: 03/20 Overall: I've made my thoughts quite clear on the overpricing of this subscription. For this month, we only received a book with no items. It was advertised as a "premium" hardback, which it absolutely is not. It's nice, but not worth the amount they've charged.

The last box I'm going to share isn't a book subscription at all! But honestly, it's so thoughtfully put together, and such good value for money, that I had to include it in this comparison post!

The box is "Witch Casket", and as the title suggests, it's a witch-themed subscription box. I've tried boxes with similar themes before, and always been disappointed, but this one blew me away so much that I've decided to make it a regular subscription!

It had an incredible twelve items, all of them exclusives, rather than the wholesale purchase stuff I've received in previous witchy boxes. You often get spell ingredients, candles, crystals, enamel pins, tea blends, incense. Such brilliant value for money - if this also included a book, it would be a perfect box!

[profiterole-reads]

Ravensong by Cayla Fay

Ravensong by Cayla Fay was a lot of fun. Neve and her sisters are the reincarnations of the three aspects of the Morrigan. Their duty is to guard the Hellgate.

This is the first part of a very dynamic duology. The marketing's comparison to Buffy feels right to me. I especially enjoyed the last few chapters.

There's major f/f, minor f/f and several other LGBT characters. Alexandria (like the library, what a great name!) has ADHD.

[stardustandrockets]

(CW: talk of religious trauma and Christianity)

One thing I've come to think about while putting these recs together to combat the bigotry of #JesusJune has been how growing up in church shaped me as a person. From a young age, you're taught not to do certain things because you'll be judged when you die and potentially go to Hell. Don't do drugs or drink under age; don't have premarital sex; etc. Those things made sense to me. Especially not having premarital sex.

When all of my peers seemed to be engaging in relationships and alleged sexual activity in high school, I had no interest. Even when I did start toying with the idea of dating in college, I hid behind "no sex before marriage" because it was easier than examining my feelings around why sexual situations made me so uncomfortable. I didn't have the language for what I was feeling and a lot of that has to do with the lack of queer rep in media. Sure, there were gay characters at this point, but they were generally caricatures and the butt of the joke.

It wasn't until 2015 when I found a tumblr post about asexuality that things finally started to click into place. I felt a little more whole. Once I found a term for what I was feeling, it started a whole other mess of issues in my personal life. The beginning of the end for several relationships, one of the worst semesters of college, but in the end, things turned out for the best.

Seeing these bigots try to "reclaim" a symbol that's been around longer than their religion is wild to me. The rainbow means so many things to so many groups of people. It's a natural, beautiful thing. If you're dealing with religious trauma, know that you are loved and the Jesus I came to know before becoming exvangelical would support the queer community because he preached love and acceptance. 🌈✨️

[notesjournalieres]

6 janvier 1824

Mon cahier pour 1824 n’est pas fait : il faut que je me serve encore de 1823.

Je me suis dispensé cette année d’aller à la cour, le jour de l’an. Pourquoi aurais-je été présenter mon visage au milieu de cette ridicule ovation du Trocadéro. Je me suis dispensé d’envoyer des cartes quelle que part que ce soit. J’en ai aussi moins reçu que les autres années.

J’ai dîné vendredi, 2 Janvier, chez Etienne avec le colonel Jacqueminot et Saunier. On veut me porter au collège départemental de la Meuse, si j’échoue à Vervins. La chance est loin de présenter une certitude. Il y a là une intrigue ministérielle qui porte des Bassins, le beau-frère de Villèle, et au secours de laquelle viennent des libéraux assez prononcés.

Réunion le Dimanche 4, chez Cas. Périer. Chauvelin y pérorait. Transporté du calme de Pithon dans le mouvement de Paris, j’éprouve malgré moi le contact des autres, et je crois davantage à un succès d’élection très improbable. Je vais presque tous les jours chez Laffitte. Jeudi, jour de l’an, j’y ai conduit ma femme et mes trois aînés entendre une petite pièce jouée par les acteurs des Variétés. Ils se sont fort amusés. Ma Lise toussait et chaque fois que j’entendais sa toux, mon cœur était déchiré.

Le bon Hartmann a comblé mes enfants d’étrennes. C’est le seul bonheur de ce genre qu’ils aient reçu des étrangers. M. Hartmann n’y sera pas l’an prochain. Je veux en dédommager alors mes enfants. Lundi 5 janvier, je lis le fouillis emphatique de Salvandy. Mme de Duras l’appelle le solitaire en voyage. — Je ne fais rien, occupé que je suis à courir pour mes impositions. On m’a donné l’alarme en disant et répétant de toute part à Paris que je ne paie pas le cens d’éligibilité. J’ai peur que les ultras ne m’aient joué quelque mauvais tour. M. Clavier a été tracassé pour m’avoir délivré un certificat de contributions dans le mois de septembre.

J’ai dîné chez le duc de Vicence. Lui est bien maigre, bien attristé, ne rêvant que le tombeau. St-Aignan est d’une vive exaltation contre les ultras. Il y avait à dîner le Cte de Mercy-Argenteau, sa femme et sa fille. Le comte dit que le royaume des Pays-Bas est absurde. Il s’y trouve une seule administration et deux cours. Il faudrait une cour et deux administrations. Lady Parke, la femme de Bruce. Lord John Russel qui a fait la fameuse motion au dernier parlement relativement aux Bourbons. M. et Mme de Souza. Forbin qui met bien bas le roman de Salvandy. On ne parlait que du mariage de Mlle Gabrielle de Beauvau avec M. Talon, frère de Mme du Cayla. C’est Turenne qui a fait le mariage. On a cru être transporté au siècle de Louis XIV lorsque, ces jours derniers, le roi a dit : « M. de Turenne, je suis content de vous.»

J’ai été au soir chez Mme de Rumford. L’abbé de Pradt a bavardé le sacre de Napoléon. Il y avait aussi M. de Tracy, M. Gallois et M. Jamard. Il paraît que Léon XII est un grand chasseur et un homme de plaisirs. Aujourd’hui, Milleret m’a mené à Brie avec Nègre. Colot y est venu aussi. Beau temps et amicale réception. Le colonel Alexandre de Rigny va ��pouser Mlle Zéa. Si je n’étais pas un maladroit, moi aussi je marierais mes neveux.

[daniellethamasa]

NetGalley Review: Ravensong by Cayla Fay

Do you like Celtic Mythology? If so, you're definitely going to be interested in today's YA book review. Check it out!

Hey all, Sam here. Oops…sorry for getting around to this post so late today. David and I spent quite a bit of time searching through some of our remaining boxes, trying to find either a USB drive or external hard drive that had a couple specific files on it, or searching for a specific book in our collection…because I’m working on doing a read-through and then one more editing pass through an…