#if the vibe of the books is fantasy-ish even better

[amalias-whatsoever]

I need some recs of books in spanish for beginners. I'd like to start reading in Spanish but don't really know spanish, however I do know italian which is similar-ish to Spanish so I should manage. I hope.

[vintagerpg]

Let’s get this out of the way at the top: “swyve” means “to fuck.” So, swyvers are fuckers. Another meaning of swyve, or swive, is to reap, as in crops and harvest. This is likely the proper definition that lends itself to the metaphorical slang (I’m no farmer, but it seems like reaping is at least in the same neighborhood as ploughing). Swyvers (2024) is indeed a game about fuckers, but more of the “fuck you over” type rather than the copulating sort, though I won’t rule anything out. Thus, these fuckers actually hew to the less obscene definition, by harvesting wealth they don’t actually own. It’s a game about thieving. It’s set in a sort of fantasy late-medieval London, dirty, impoverished, violent.

The rules are light. So light that the book doesn’t bother with them until you’ve flipped through 20-ish delightful pages of stage-setting tables (including an exhaustive one dedicated to prosthetics) following the two pages of character creation rules. This is a clear indicator that the game is vibes-first, something emphasized by the tone of the prose (which makes me want to check that I still have my wallet) and David Hoskins’ wonderfully seedy art work. It is a genuine mystery to me how his line work depicting such grime can remain so elegant and clean.

To do things, a Skill system is employed (and modified depending on what a given character might know, guess, or bullshit). When things happen that a player’d rather not have happen, saves are deployed. It’s very savesy, I think. Combat is desperate. The game seems intentional arranged around preposterous and violent things happening. There is a delightful vein of humor in the writing — having that, and having it be so entertaining, really underscores how dour most RPG rulebooks tend to be.

Swyvers is not a dungeoncrawling game, its about heists, but the heists are constructed in a way that just, they are dungeons in their way. The tables, the fast and loose rules, this is a game meant to be constructed on the fly and I think it will work rather nicely once everyone gets the vibe, though I do wish it were a little better organized — I get lost in the highly orderly OSE tome, so this book winds up being surprisingly maze-like when you need a thing. I suppose the counter is to not need anything, which, fair.

All these words, and I haven’t even gotten to the magic system, which is a delight, and maybe my favorite part of the game, or the extremely good starter scenario, once of the most exciting I’ve encountered in a while. I’ll let you discover and be surprised by them on your own. On sale now at Melsonian — don’t sleep on it.

[shy-sapphic-ace]

List of queer books I read, loved & recommend!

(There isn't any particular order, I wrote these as I remembered them)

Master Of One - Jaida Jones & Dani Bennett (mlm, fantasy, very cool worldbuilding and magic system, funny, cool characters)

Legends & Lattes - Travis Baldree (wlw, fantasy, very soft & chill vibes)

The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon (wlw, high fantasy, cool worldbuilding, kinda reminds me of LOTR but with more dragons and feminism and lesbians)

Even Though I Knew The End - C.L. Polk (wlw, supernatural noir, cool 1930s detective story with angels & demons, I loved this one!)

The Love Interest - Cale Dietrich (mlm, science fiction, very cool concept)

The Darkest Part Of The Forest - Holly Black (side mlm, fantasy, cool fae lore)

The Weight Of The Stars - K. Ancrum (wlw, not quite science fiction but space stuff is involved, lovely and complex characters)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz (mlm, fiction, very nice in general, there is also a sequel)

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - Mackenzi Lee (mlm, historical and vaguely fantasy, nice story but I preferred the sequel honestly)

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy - Mackenzi Lee (wlw, the sequel to the one before, more fantasy elements than the first, asexual main character!!)

Gallant - V.E. Schwab (no romance, but in the background one of the characters(?) uses they/them pronouns, very cool dark fantasy vibe)

Stranger Than Fanfiction - Chris Colfer (gay main character, trans main character, coming-of-age, nice book)

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (yes it's the Love, Simon book, mlm, fiction, pretty nice)

They Both Die At The End - Adam Silvera (mlm, sci-fi ish but mostly fiction, cool ideas, but the ending is sad! Very amazing book though, I haven't read the prequel yet)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid (wlw, bi main character, historical fiction, cool story, just a neat book in general)

This Is How You Lose The Time War - Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone (wlw, sci-fi, very cool time travel stuff!! and very beautiful, it felt like reading poetry most of the time)

One Last Stop - Casey McQuinston (wlw, background trans & pan & queer characters, sci-fi or fantasy idk, but time travel, I loooved this book, great)

The House In The Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune (mlm, fantasy, THIS BOOK oh my gosh you should read it!!, just cute and lovely and good)

Under The Whispering Door - TJ Klune (mlm, fantasy, this book is also sooo amazing, great character development and awesome relationships and stuff, it's been a while since I read it but it was so good)

In the Lives of Puppets - TJ Klune (mlm, ace main character!!, sci-fi, now THIS is found family, oughh feelings. argh, tj klune you’ve done it again, a human and his family of funky robots… I love them)

And They Lived... - Steven Salvatore (nblm, fiction, about gender identity and learning to love yourself, read it a while ago but it was very nice)

I Wish You All The Best - Mason Deaver (nblm, fiction, about finding your identity and people who care about you, very cute and sweet)

The Song Of Achilles - Madeleine Miller (mlm, historical, very good in general)

Carry On - Rainbow Rowell (mlm, background wlw in the third book, fantasy, it's a trilogy, basically Harry Potter if it was gay and also better)

Silver In The Wood - Emily Tesh (mlm, fantasy, very pretty, lots of fae stuff and lovely descriptions, it has a really good sequel too)

Pretty much anything by Alice Oseman (all cute and lovely and great, though I've only read Radio Silence so far I hear only good things, Solitaire is on my to-read list)

I Kissed Shara Wheeler - Casey McQuinston (wlw, fiction, it's been a while but I liked this book)

The Falling In Love Montage - Ciara Smyth (wlw, fiction, this book was so cute and funny and deeply emotional it made me Feel way too many things, I'd definitely recommend it)

What Big Teeth - Rose Szabo (a bit of queerness all around, fantasy, werewolves and monsters, this one was pretty cool!, lots of original ideas for the world/character building)

His Quiet Agent - Ada Maria Soto (mlm, asexual, fiction, about like spies but this book was so gentle and sweet I wanted to cry in the best way possible)

Some By Virtue Fall - Alexandra Rowland (wlw, historical fiction(?), theatre drama!! rival romance!! duels!!, a very good read in general)

Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend - Emma R. Alban (wlw, historical fiction, I’m not usually one for regency romances, but I really liked this!!, very cute and lots of drama, and there’s a sequel coming out soon!)

[hawthorne-swift-enthusiasttt]

Unit 919 as obscure google fonts!!!

Hi please don't ask me what this is i don't even know lmao

Anah:

Um yeah so I think both of these fonts just go along with her vibe tbh. Sweet, timid, and a bit prim!

Mahir:

Any fantasy-looking fonts match with him honestly. I found a TON that reminded me of him but I think these two sum him up pretty well.

Cadence:

I kind of like the idea of a handwriting-esque font with her. It's just the vibes I guess. But the first one sort of looks mesmerizing in itself (imo) so it works with her.

Hawthorne:

Hawthorne is basically all the bold fonts lmao. I really think these picks are self-explanatory. Just look at him. He screams BIG BOLD FONT lol.

Morrigan:

I feel like I could have put more effort into hers and relate it to Wunder or something but I like these ones enough so 🤷‍♀ She gives a hand-written vibe about her as well.

Arch:

Sorry for the grainy-ass quality and tiny image but I feel like Arch has a sophisticated yet humble and chill vibe about him (that makes zero sense I'm aware but I was struggling on him ok)

Lam:

I tried to find a regal-looking font for her. Idk if this does her justice but its sort of intricate and mysterious so I think it matches.

Thaddea:

So similarly to Hawthorne, she screams bold in-your-face font. Also can I just take this moment to talk about Thaddea like she's so badass omg I love her <33

Francis:

Ummm I'm really not confident about this one but it's giving fancy menu and Francis is all about food right???? Idk I could do better but I couldn't find anything so whatever :')

BONUS STUFF:

Okay so I found some bonus fonts that I really liked and gave such nevermoor energy so I'm including them.

Nevermoor Christmas:

This one is sooooo battle of christmas eve. Especially the Yule Queen. I kid you not when I first read these books the first thing that came to mind when reading about the Yule Queen was this font. It might be a problem that I have a vast knowledge of random fonts that I relate to my interests but whatever ok I'm only human

Jack:

These have Jack written all over them. Any variation of Cinzel works for him, and Cormorant is similar as well. I think these are quite sophisticated but also stand out. They have a specific flair about them that I just associate with Jack. Super trash explanation I know but at the end of the day all of these literally just come down to vibes.

Hotel Deucalion:

Anyone else think this one is so Hotel Deucalion-ish??? Or at least Jupiter-ish. Like it's fancy but welcoming.

Anyway dudes that's the end of the post hope you liked it. It's funny cause I always say I'm gonna do something productive with Nevermoor content like writing a fic or something but most of the time I just end up with shit like this. Like girl. You are supposed to be making stuff like fanart and fanfic and headcanons why are you doing a Nevermoor post about google FONTS???? lmao

[insufferableprotagonistpoll]

Round 2

Propaganda why Marinette Dupain-Cheng is insufferable:

"shes annoyinng anf shes a stalker"

"I love fanon miraculous but by god she has got to stop obsessively stalking her crush and generally making a ton of other terrible decisions. I’d submit Adrien too but he’s more of a deuteragonist"

"I started the show, watched one episode, and never tried again. I simply do not vibe with her."

"I get she has social anxiety but the way she goes about stalking Adrien is kind of the worst like she even has creep shots of him hanging in her room? That’s weird. I think Adrien’s going through enough without having to deal with the main character being his stalker lol. I know they’re (spoilers) at this point but in the beginning it was so sus"

"In the newest season, Marinette hides the fact that Hawkmoth was Adrien’s dad. This leads to the bastard getting a statue and honored as a hero after his death. Adrien now never gets to know the fact that his abusive and neglectful father was the one trying to kill him and is instead proud of him."

"Her crush on Adrien is like a black hole for her character. Things she’s done because of it:

1) stolen property

2) ruined dates

3) humiliated other characters

4) has a chart of Adrien’s daily schedule for the next year in her room (this is stalking)

5) broke into his room and sniffed his pillow (also a crime)

6) sniffed, took the hair from, and tried to kiss what she thought was a wax statue of Adrien

7) convinced her parents to let her go to China. Why? Not because she wants to connect with her mother’s heritage, not even because she’s a budding fashion designer and Shanghai is considered a fashion hotspot. It’s because Adrien was there."

"She easily gets away with bad, stalkerish behavior, it always feels like she can ‘do no wrong’ unless the show wants us to pity her, and the show writers want us to think she is a quirky and socially awkward girl when throughout the series we see her be friends with basically everyone in Paris with many connections to high up places."

"Listen, if Adrien's here, she needs to be too. I like her, but from the odd stalker-ish behaviour, to straight up lying to adrien and telling him that his abusive father was actually a 'very good person, a hero even and not the main villain of the series I promise', there's no way she doesn't deserve to be in the polls."

Propaganda why Quentin Coldwater is insufferable:

"Quentin is the epitome of self important, entitled young men who think it's okay for their actions to have consequences for other people because he's smarter than them. He's constantly letting his friends (especially the female characters!) take the brunt of his bad decisions (end of the first book, I'm looking at you.) Every time something he does comes back to bite home he goes all "surprised Pikachu face". And he's nowhere near as smart as he thinks he is. Ugh."

"I hated this man so much I stopped reading an otherwise engaging book. I don't even remember all the reasons I just found him so infuriating that my hate for him survived multiple years."

"Affluent white kid, wants desperately to be in Narnia as his only ambition in life, stares at the boobs of nearby women, thinks people without magic are living empty lives even though he's desperately depressed and rudderless with it, cheats on his girlfriend for literally no reason. Also, incel vibes."

"He's a very Depressed White Sadboy about everything. He's got a very asshole attitude towards women especially, and tbh I don't really feel like it gets better, not even by book 3 (the way he "rescues" Alice and forces her to be human again by trying to like. Maker her love him. Was annoying and skeevy. This reddit thread sums it up well: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/s/HlZU4Rb0UG"

[your-unfriendlyghost]

How'd you end up discovering your art style?

Well, it wasn’t much of a discovery- it’s just how I draw, I guess! It evolves over time and changes based on what artists I’m looking up to and what styles I’m into

But I can give ya a (recent-ish) evolution of my style/a break-down on all its influences over the past two years if ya wanna see how it all happened!

-

Some stuff from July-October of 2022

Two-three-ish years ago, for instance, it was more classical painting inspired. I was real into Over the Garden Wall and also just…general American history back then don’t judge I was coming off of my first American history class since elementary school and I thought it was so cool So my art had more of like…that going on yk? It wasn’t as good as my stuff now at all, because I’ve since improved my anatomy skills, learned how to draw fabric folds (sorta), and learned a bit of color theory lol. But they’re ok for what they are, I guess.

I think my main problem back then was the fact that I did not fully know how to use references- and a lotta my references were like. Cartoons. And stuff that was very much not meant to be painted in the amount of detail I aimed for at the time.

(Even here, you can tell I was dissatisfied, because they all look pretty different from each other yk?) (and you can see how hardly any of the fabric has folds and how little I understood lighting 😭)

-

January-March ‘23

Anyhow, after this, in uhh early 2023, I had a 80s-90s comic book/pop art phase, which was a pretty drastic swing in the opposite direction. I still rendered things sometimes, but things were less soft/warm. BUT I was starting to use real photos as references which was vital

I was also watching a lotta tmnt with my kid brother, which is what I blame for why the proportions got so stylized- folks in the 2012 version of that show were just kinda built funny, which I think subconsciously impacted my art. My posing did get a bit stronger in this time as I practiced more, and I think things got less stiff

-

June-August ‘23

Next, as the summer months came, I had a lotta changes in inspo and also just in life lol. I had temporarily moved to my neighbor’s place, and I didn’t have a car yet/any friends who I liked enough to hang around with, so all summer long I rewatched a lotta 80s movies, fell in love with the first season of Stranger Things (not the others as much tho 😭), skateboarded, and watched a lotta art tutorials online. (I specifically remember Jackie Droujko’s yt shorts saving my assss- I loved her stuff so much. Definitely check ‘em out she explains things real well)

I improved slowly, but I DID IMPROVE a HELLUVA LOT. I focused a lot on trying to draw people who looked recognizably like themselves, but also stylized because realism (usually) bores me. I also got better at coloring- the first two here ain’t great in terms of colors, but I was learning. Plus, back then I was very into oddly saturated color schemes. (I mean it is a solid vibe. I may not do this a ton anymore but I can dig it still)

-

October-November ‘23

As autumn came, I was pretty enamored with all the like…✨fall vibes✨ that time around. My life was goin’ well, so I had a lotta optimism and a re-ignited love for nature, forests, and fantasy. Plus I was dating this girl who was really into vintage-y Wes Anderson stuff so I think some of that uhhh twee-ness rubbed off on me lol

My influences here were mainly old storybooks, a hint of Lord of the Rings (as you can probably tell by the hobbit), and a decent amount of Fantastic Mr. Fox. And for faces I was mainly using the Laurenillusrated Brushpack at the time I think? I don’t use the “Sketchy” brush in it as often anymore as I did then, but I should. It’s a great brush, and I actually am really liking all the little sketchy lines. It adds a nice touch.

also don’t look at my goddamn long hair in that self portrait on the left. I hated it on me then and I hate it now too. I cannot believe I ever let it get that long it was really bad

-

December ‘23-April ‘24

I honestly did like a total of like. Seven drawings in these four months. As opposed to my usual…uhhh I wanna say 25 every four months. Idk what was up- art just wasn’t fun at the time. I mean, it was also just a lousy few months in general, so I’m sure that’s a part of it lol, but yk. This style is pretty close to my current one- my inspiration just came from x-files-ish sci-fi and American gothic stories/images as opposed to nowadays’ Beat generation and greaser inspo.

May-Now (October) ‘24

The Outsiders kinda dragged me back into enjoying drawing again honestly. I’d read and loved it back in 2023, but upon rereading it/watching the movie in February of 2024, it just sorta…entered my headspace and stayed this time. (Still, I didn’t really draw any Outsiders/greaser-y things till May)

Lately, I take artistic inspiration in 2d animated films, like the ones by Disney with the real nicely drawn fabric folds. And also just a lotta inspo from real life. I also do a lot of black and white comics, because I find that I generally have a “Go big or go home” mentality about most things- which can be a LOT of pressure! By allowing myself to draw simpler doodle-y things, I’ve regained that love for drawing. I think for a while it just felt like work, but in letting myself take it easy, art’s become a good time again :))

[junglejam]

Have you read Priory of the Orange Tree? Would you recommend it to a hosie? I was eyeing it but then some people were saying the sapphic romance was a relatively small ish part so I was undecided

Uhhh I'll try my best to give a well-rounded answer!

So in general in the bookish community I find that people either love it or really don't vibe with it/find it boring. But I think I've seen more positive reviews on it than negative. Usually it's the writing and pacing that throws people off I think, but I love Samantha Shannon's writing, so it really comes down to personal taste. But I can see some problems with pacing toward the end of the book.

Some people also think it's too long (around 850 pages), but the margins are unusually large so it reads faster than that, so I wouldn't be too concerned.

Plot-wise the romance is definitely not the main focus and is more of a sub-plot, however it does gain more spotlight and is the main romance there is in the book compared to Legacies. As for the dynamics between A and B (I'm trying not spoil anything at all about who we're talking about ahah) in TPOTOT I think you'll enjoy that just as much as Hosie. We have the longing, the non-verbal AND verbal romance, the staring from across the room and it's just really gay.

But again, I think you'll only enjoy the book if you enjoy premise of it. I don't know if you've read much fantasy but personally I love classic fantasy (think dragons, dwarves, elves, kingdoms) and TPOTOT falls under the king/queendoms and dragons category. Not gonna go too much into what's it about but here's a link to the goodreads description of it. I think the world-building is great, the politics between the different countries is great, the dragons are amzaing and the characters are likeable!

You can really feel that the author Sammantha Shannon has poured a lot of love into the world she has created!

And I would honestly just read TPOTOT just to read the prequel 'A Day of Fallen Night' that also has an already established lesbian couple where one of them is a main character. It's even better in my opinion. (Technically you don't need to read TPOTOT to read ADOFN, but I recommend doing it in publishing year order).

Shannon has also announced that she wants to keep on writing more stories in the world (The 'series' is called 'The Roots of Chaos') so we won't run out of content!

So in short, I love it and I think you should give it a chance! And this was fun to write aha☺️

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall

4/5. Releases 8/27/24.

vibes: Shakespeare x Jane Austen, a man in uniform, WHIMSY

Heat Index: 2/10

The Basics:

Mr. John Caesar is escorting his sister Mary through the marriage mart--avoiding his parents' own desires to see him settle down, because, like, that's not John's goal. Things get a bit more complicated when Mary accidentally ends up with an evil fairy godmother, which leads John to work with Orestes James, a war hero who's ready to leap into action. (Perhaps in more ways than one.) As they attempt to rescue Mary, Orestes and John grow close; but even if they do live through this, is John ready to commit wholeheartedly to anyone?

The Review:

Another fun, whimsical, magically-narrated fairy tale/Jane Austen romcom from Alexis Hall! These books are quite unique, to be honest. Not only in terms of the narration--which is delightful--from Robin, a literal omnipresent immortal, but just... the world? Early in the book, we have a discussion about Jane Austen fandom and writing fanfic? From a couple of Regency-era girlies? It's so fun, so lighthearted, so completely itself.

And in general, Alexis can always write the fuck out of a book. The way he shifts between styles is honestly so impressive to me. Dude can turn a phrase, and that makes his books just... a pleasure to read for the sake of reading. The uniqueness of these particular novels only adds to it. (Do you need to read Mortal Follies before this one? Not exactly, but it might help; and to be real, you should just read it anyway, as it's a good work.)

Where I will say this book does fall a little behind MF for me is that the romance feels a bit less prominent. This is probably because John and Orestes are essentially trying to save someone for much of the book, whereas the last novel had more direct peril for the heroine. So it does feel a little more "save the day forward" versus "romance forward". Not that there isn't romance. There is, and it's lovely, and I also really liked that Alexis gave them breathing room and didn't act as if these were two guys lacking life experience simply because they were queer in a homophobic society.

Speaking of, both Orestes and John are Black (John is biracial) and this fantasy world of Hall's doesn't just throw racism out the door. It's not heavy, but it is thoughtful... and comes with a rather snarky remark alluding to the deplorable treatment of a certain duchess. And I did appreciate that. I don't know if Alexis was responding to some of the... less than perfect choices of a certain big time Regency romance show. I don't want to say he was. However, I did find this book's observations much more interesting and insightful.

The Sex:

This is a closed door romance--sex is definitely alluded to, but because our narrator is a third party, he doesn't just sit there and perv on everyone. Which makes sense. I support that choice. Alexis Hall is one of the only writers who can make closed door work for me.

All in all, this is a fluffy yet adventurous Regency-ish fantasy romance with a lot of humor, a good bit of sweetness, and a fuckton of wit. It's a good time, as most Alexis Hall books are a good time. Is it my absolute favorite of his? Maybe not, but a good book by Alexis Hall is better than a lot of other people's best books, to be real.

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[the---hermit]

The Book Of Lost Things by John Connolly

This is a reread of a book I first read two years ago (and here's the post I wrote at the time which I did not reread but I am linking in case you are curious). After just one read this book made it to my favourites shelf, I adored every single thing about it, and I loved my time reading this novel a second time. This is exactly the type of book I like. It's a dark fantasy with fairytale vibes that have a horror-ish spin to them. I didn't remember how graphic some scenes were, but that just made the contrast with the fairytales even better for me. The story is focused on a boy who is dealing with the grief of losing his mother as well as the anger for his father's new life with a second wife. His grief and anger, as well as his loneliness, make him vulnerable to a creature that lures him into his world. This fairytale like world the main character finds himself in is extremly dark and violent, an obscure forest where days aren't bright and every creature is probably dangerous. The streght of this book in my opinion is how well the author worked in popular fairytales like snow white, and red riding hood. He took all these stories we all know so well and turned them into dark and sometimes even violent aspects of this world, still somehow keeping this fairytale atmosphere. I don't know how he did it but it worked so well. I picked this book up, as it was recommended online as the book that will ruin your childhood's favourite stories in the best way possible, and honestly that is a great way to put it. I also recently found out the author published a second book set in this world, and I cannot wait to put my hands on it. I think this is the perfect book for spooky season, and I highly recommend it.

[rocicrew]

11, 16, 17!

end-of-year book ask

11. What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

i did read dracula this year, through dracula daily, and i think that's the oldest book i've read this year, however le guin hs me in a chokehold and the left hand of darkness has to take this spot.

16. What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

i haven't read that many books this year in general rip so i don't think any of the books i did read fall into the very over-hyped kind of category that i associate myself with this question.

so i'm answering this in a bit milder way with the expectations i went into these books based on what i'd seen here on tumblr*. and i think i expected a little more from all systems red by martha wells. i did rate it 4 stars, i did enjoy it. i think it was a solid novella and it did accomplish what it was trying to do with the story. i just think i went into it expecting something more from the story from what i heard and i have to give an answer. that being said maybe the rest of the series will expand into something more and it will all make sense. (i don't have access to them tho rip, besides the 2nd book being out of stock for months, none of the rest are imported here so :( idk if i'll find out)

[*i also had the same approach with ancillary justice but i vibe with the way the story unfolds more, (even tho i now realize I've rated both of them the same and thus i need to bump up ancillary justice) soo that's why that's my pick tho i don't think it serves the over-hyped category fully]

17. Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

first of all, i didn't think i would like annihilation as much as i did. i knew i'd probably enjoy it because it ticks the weird unnerving alien ish mystery box i'm always down for even when zero questions are asked but it is a book that either works for you or it doesn't. and it ended up being right up my alley and i can't wait to write down some passages/quotes from it.

second, i gave a chance to a scifi & fantasy collection of short stories from various authors in my mother tongue since there aren't a lot of local books in the genre. the title roughly translates to what if or maybe depending on the context. not every story gripped me the same way, but some were really good, and some were not for me. but it was certainly interesting not only to see how they meshed either local mythology or folklore with elements of the scifi and fantasy genre but also how the language as a whole (with each person's writing style or certain tricks with syntax that do not fully apply to english [or translators often avoid while adapting works to better suit the original]) affected the storytelling and the rhythm of reading. so that was also a different read this year.

i think the rest of my reads were a little more on par (either a bit higher or lower) with my expectations going into them, either because i was familiar with the authors and knew what i was getting or generally from what i knew of them.

[literaticat]

What would you think if you read this comp? My YA fantasy is Yellowjackets meets Alice in Wonderland. Fans of Holly Black will also love my novel for its lush imagery and down-to-earth narrator. I'm just wondering if it's terrible to comp a TV show and a classic novel, even with a current author comped.

First, IMO there's a difference between what you're doing here, which I consider "Tone Comps" vs Comp Titles. Read what I mean by Tone Comp here.

I don't mind TV shows in pitches/tone comps/whatever personally, though some people might, and IMO there should definitely ALSO be comp titles that are books.

The problem with this is, to me, these three feel like a bit of a mismatch. I haven't seen Yellowjackets but I'm familiar, and in my head instantly conjures an image of a GROUP of girls, violence, intense, survival-at-all-costs, etc. But mostly: A GROUP of violent teenagers, like a girl gang but with cannibalism, set in a heightened "real world" scenario.

Alice in Wonderland conjures an image of one very young girl in a weird ass kinda psychedelic but cozy imaginary world. Much younger, much more tea-time-with-talkin-animals-ish, and mostly, much more about ONE GIRL.

Holly Black books, to me, are yes atmospheric and darkly lush worlds etc -- but also her most recent and arguably most popular series are specifically about the Fair Folk / set in a Fae-filled realm. (I personally ADORE the Curse Workers series, which is like Magical Mafia rather than Fae, but it's also more than ten years old, and I don't think that's what instantly comes to mind for most people when you say "Holly Black")

I'm not seeing the natural connection between these three things, is what I'm saying. And I haven't read your book, so IDK what's more accurate. If you mean that it's like Yellowjackets (because violent/thriller-pace/about a group of girls) but it's got lush, dark fantasy vibes, is set in a Faerie realm or whatever, maybe it would be better to leave Alice out of the equation. If it's about ONE heroine thrust into a dark/scary/whatever Fae-filled realm, maybe leave Yellowjackets out of the equation. And if your book doesn't have Faeries / Fae in it, I'd probably leave Holly Black out of the equation, unless you mean a different book than the Folk of the Air series! Or, put her in with some other examples to dampen the Fae aspect.

Examples:

TITLE is a thrilling, high-stakes YA fantasy about a rag-tag 'found family' trapped in a magical realm who need one another to survive, but also need to survive one another -- think YELLOWJACKETS meets SIX OF CROWS. Fans of Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black will be drawn in by the lush dark magic of the world.

or

TITLE is a YA fantasy that I liken to ALICE IN WONDERLAND, if Alice was a bad-ass warrior and Wonderland was populated by very vicious monsters bent on destroying her. Fans of Leigh Bardugo, Holly Black and Laini Taylor will be drawn in by the lush dark magic of the world and voicey narrator.

[mistwraiths]

4 stars

I really enjoyed this, mostly because I LOVE dragons and there absolutely needs to be more dragons in fantasy books. Was this the greatest thing I've ever read? No. But if you like romance and dragons, and simple fantasy setting, I think you'll like it.

When I didn't think too hard about the worldbuilding, the plot itself and its holes, the history of the world, or the mechanics of this world, I liked the book better. That sounds like a bad thing to say. This book has fantasy but it doesn't really buckle down on it because it's more focused on Violet and Xaden.

What I mean is: I don't understand what the war is about or for?? Like they're stopping gryphons and their riders attacking or something?? Why?? But also there's a treaty or something??? They trade certain things but apparently that doesn't stop the war? This has been going on for 600 years but some things have happened over time like the treaty. There was a rebellion not long ago but we aren't told what for. (I know now at the end but not even a good made up reason is given???)

I don't understand how the wards work. How they're created? How they're created? The magic is described enough but like so there's ~wild magic outside the wards and only dragons can channel magic within wards and through people and it won't kill their soul or whatever. It's all a little confusing.

I don't understand the tone either. Is this kind of medieval Europe vibes? But why is the dialogue so modern?? It gives me ACOTAR vibes where its fantasy but modern feeling/writing and its palatable. I prefer my adult books to be more adult-y I suppose?

Parts of this book feel very similar to a mix of books. Quadrants where you are either Healer, Scribe, Rider, or Infantry feel almost like Divergent-y. Violet's brown hair going to silver through the length felt reminiscent of Mare Barrow and then her power literally being lightning felt like Red Queen-ish. Xaden with his dark hair and golden skin and being tall and his shadow wielding powers felt a lot like the usual love interest of any popular book right now. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed this book.

To me, I did feel like the pacing was off. The first 200 pages or so was very enjoyable, with her struggling and making friends and trying to survive and claim a dragon. But after that, this book dragged quite a bit. A lot of the scenes felt like they went on for longer than needed. Once she gets a dragon, it's mainly about Xaden and her. I was under the impression that this was meant to be a military fantasy type book, like we were going to like get battles or like discover that the leadership was hiding things. There's like... one scene where Violet and Liam find something about a outpost and the teacher doesn't say anything about it. And they are confused for the page, and then promptly nothing else happens. The way we learn about what the book mentions of the secrets the leadership is hiding and her suspecting isn't really her suspecting at all? She sees it firsthand at the VERY end. It just felt like a misdirection in the summary.

I do like Violet. Is she frustrating at times, yes, but I found her to be a good MC and to actually be smart and tough and capable. I love that the book SHOWS me she's smart, it doesn't just tell me or have her ask a million questions to be answered by the love interest. She's a good person and compassionate. The whole two dragons bonding was a little eyerolling to me but whatever. To be honest, the only annoying thing about her was her not thinking Xaden didn't care for her/love her, when she gave Dain a million chances, and at the end where she acted like everything was lies.

I do like that the book highlights her differences and while there is ableism the book always shows how terrible and shitty it is. I say differences because it mentions that she's sickly but also her joints are weak and pop out/bones break easy but it never specifically states what she suffers from. Maybe it mentioned she's chronically ill but she never shows pretty much any symptoms. She talks about being in pain too. But she's never sick in the books and her bones aren't like glass. So, it did kind of feel disingenuous with its representation to me. She does have to train to get better but everyone has to do that.

There's a big part where it mentions she can't make jumps/pull herself up because not only her disability but she's short. How short is she? Are there NO other short people who experience that problem too about the vertical ascent? Also, a big majority of the book focuses on her being unable to keep her seat on a dragon. It's mentioned MANY people fall to their death. Um?? Why not make saddles a regular thing? It's been 600 hundred years and there's no advancements???

Xaden was good, we don't really get to know him a lot. Other than Violet being immediately hot for him, that's pretty much all we get until we slowly see he's a decent and good guy. I do respect that he never tries to make choices for Violet and he treats her like she can handle herself and helps her. I really admired his loyalty to all the rebellion kids and how he feels responsible for them. It's absolutely asinine and ridiculous that people make children suffer for the actions of their parents. It honestly makes me wonder about how great the dragons REALLY are when they're marking children and going along with it.

I'm also really glad that this was never a love triangle. She shut that shit down so fast. Dain was literally the WORST friend and just so god damn awful nearly every time. And like HE KEPT SOUNDING LIKE A BROKEN RECORD about literally everything.

Big spoilers ahead

When we find out the truth that Xaden's been keeping, Violet acts like it's SUCH a huge betrayal and she hates him because he didn't trust her, etc. Let's not forget that they haven't REALLY been together together for not even 24 hours yet. Plus, like... that's SUCH a huge secret. You have to slowly really trust someone because it could endanger SO MANY PEOPLE. This isn't a "don't tell people I met with a group of other rebellion kids to help tutor them through the year" kind of small secret. This is a EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS A LIE AND YOUR FAMILY IS COMPLICIT AND PEOPLE WILL DIE IF TOLD kind of secret. I'm not saying she doesn't have a right to be angry. HOWEVER, I think she could be more "I'm angry that you didn't feel like you could trust me, but I understand how big and hard of a secret this is."

Also, we don't know for SURE if Dain did steal memory from her or not. I absolutely wouldn't put it past him to be honest and wouldn't be surprised if he did. HOWEVER. There's a mention that specifically states that command and leadership didn't expect the rebellion kids to survive and bond dragons, and states specifically that they aren't quite sure what to do with them! Xaden and his third years are the first about to graduate!! It makes more sense to me that leadership just either set them up to die because it was an easy solution. Especially since we did have that scene where Violet tells Dain to never take without permission and without asking and he's like omg I didn't ask?? And apologizes. Doesn't mean he DIDN'T DO IT I'm just throwing it out there. It's all just speculation.

I do think I'll keep reading the series whenever the next book comes out. I'm interested and I like the dragons and characters.

[acourtofquestions]

The Assassin and the Desert

— (thoughts while doing my first read) —

Is Ansel the person referenced in Crown of Midnight? The one who taught Celaena about the witches? Does that mean SHE will be the betrayer??? … is this the same person she said “she’d kill” if she ever saw again?!? (These are rhetorical thoughts; more theory than question😂).

The entire time Celaena is talking about these shoes shoes (and really it’s written like poetry; when she compares them to calligraphy👌👌👌) but all I am picturing is green Elf style curly shoes🤣🤦‍♀️… then again those would make a statement sooo…

“and why Arobynn had thought he'd need three seasoned assassins to restrain him that day.” — YEAH I THINK ABOUT THAT TOO CELAENA (Sam🥹😭… ugh this angsty/pining true-soulmate childhood love trope is going to BREAK MEEEE🖤)

Wait… is this where we learn the Asterion Mare tale?!

“Saying that she was sorry didn't feel adequate. She knew what this sort of loss was like, and words didn't do anything at all. ‘Where do men find it in themselves to do such monstrous things? How do they find it acceptable’” — The way Sarah writes sisterhood & female friendship is very special; honestly one of my favorite parts of her books & writing style. She hits the nail on the head 👏EVERY🥹DAM🥰TIME😭 — (not me crying cause Celaena isn’t under the stars sad and alone this time) … this is why Nehemia mattered so much😭

— also if I had a nickel for every time she said “silver lined eyes”🤣

Celaena taking the blame for Ansel because she thinks she doesn’t have a purpose but Ansel does🖤

Every time Celaena flinches I both want to hug her, hug Sarah, hug younger me, (kill Arobynn… I’m with ya Sam😅) and then thank all of them for the trauma representation; heartbreaking as it may be it’s pretty real for a fantasy series, and their is comfort in shared trauma through that lens.❤️‍🩹

EVERYTHING HAS A PRICE (giving me Ruin & Rising levels of fear here Sarah😬) — “but I’ve seen this episode and still loved the show”

It’s lovely to see Celaena be young & normal-ish; like she’s still a teenage girl in this book, she’s mortified over her first kiss, obsessed with shoes, making new friends, recklessly having fun… smiling for once… there’s an innocent joy in this book; one we never see in the post-Assassin’s Blade series…

… I think reading it post-Crown of Midnight (when I am) is especially perfect because you understand her & the books better (including tiny references like the Ironteeth witches & Asterion mares) … There’s also a sense of grief seeing her before it all “ended”, you already understand her now & now you do then too; which makes her make EVEN MORE sense; its not quite a “lost humanity”, but a grieving of lost innocence. — Despite all she had already been through, there were still these little pieces of life kept for herself back then; and something preciously heartbreakingly accurate to girlhood within them.

Despite having never been in love and not known much love Celaena seems to understand it better than most… there’s a special thing to that within her character; her joys resilience, drive for love, and draw toward goodness.

She finally feels safe… at peace🥹 (if only Sam were there… it would be home🥹😭💔)

Oh NO; normal teenage girl drama fight, meets highly trained traumatized assassins; this feels dangerous!!!

NOT FAERIE WINE AGAIN🤦‍♀️… wow if only Celaena had a nickel everytime someone tried TO POISON HER😅😱🫥

THE STOLEN RING DETAIL/CLUE

Celaena is giving Ahsoka vibes

THAT damned gloriella AGAIN

Her, seeing The Master trying desperately to save his son; doing what a good father should. Meanwhile in opposition her “father figure” Arobynn who was the one to first draw blood

“Wincing as blood from her face dripped to his white clothes” — “A pang of guilt at the sight of her blood staining Arobynn’s exquisite red carpet” — One my heart broke at these lines; she literally feels sorry for bleeding! Two the difference within the Master in white (unstained, untouched, pure) clothes and the Master with red (already red like blood) RED carpet; that she still feels sorry to bleed onto… it’s ALREADY red—he’s the one who drew blood—& yet she’s the one who feels guilty.

Is the foreign language he reads & speaks Wyrd?

SHE WAS NOT AFRAID!

… don’t tell me she gets back and Sam is a Courtesan (or some form of indenture) that’s going to require her gold & stop her from leaving😅PLEASE😅I HAVE A BAD FEELING ABOUT THIS😬

The note of the silent Master’s footsteps & lack of cruel punishment, in comparison to Arobynn’s fear invoking silence & unjust cruelty… the fear she feels just standing in front of him once again, feeling little again within minutes of coming back from months of near-freedom… barely a few pages in to The Assassin and the Underworld and I can tell it’s going to crush my heart — isn’t it?!

[fictionadventurer]

A Ranking of all the Cinderella Retellings I’ve Read

(Completed via a very unscientific method where I try to balance between “I liked it” and “It was well-written.” Your mileage may vary and my ranking would probably vary if I made this list again.)

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine: The Gold Standard. The retelling that started it all for me. Manages to twist the fairy tale (even dislike some parts of it) while remaining true to the heart of it. A+ worldbuilding, A+++ ending.

A Cinder’s Tale by Stephanie Ricker (in the Five Glass Slippers collection): A sci-fi retelling where Cinderella works a highly-dangerous space mining job. Fantastic worldbuilding with a wonderful ensemble cast.

Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley: Cinderella meets Joan of Arc. Has a fantastic multi-first-person-narrator structure. Some of the fairy tale plot points are an awkward fit, but I still enjoyed it.

Before Midnight by Cameron Dokey: A fairly basic retelling with a fantastic autumnal atmosphere that tempts me to reread it every year, even though the story’s rather basic and the ending’s too convenient.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer: The famous science-fantasy retelling. There are things I don’t like about the series, but this first book is a solid retelling with some good twists. I like it less than several others on this list, but it’s too solid to rank it much lower.

The Stepsister and the Slipper by Nina Clare: If Georgette Heyer wrote fantasy. Cinderella’s spunky stepsister and a roguish hero manipulate each other in competing schemes. The worldbuilding’s sketchy and the ending’s very rushed, but I had too much fun to care too much.

Soot and Slipper by Kate Stradling: Fantastic twist, adorable relationship between Cinderella and her prince, a sweet and melancholy atmosphere, and an underwhelming ending.

The Reluctant Godfather by Allison Tebo: Wodehouse meets Cinderella, starring a very grumpy fairy baker. Gets a bit too slapstick, but its snarky, silly vibe is a breath of fresh air in a YA-romance-dominated retelling world.

Traitor’s Masque by Kenley Davidson: I love the Ruritanian atmosphere and the political tension between the two brothers, even though it’s at least 33% too wordy and the plot makes less sense the more you think about it.

The Windy Side of Care by Rachel Heffington (from the Five Glass Slippers anthology): Cinderella meets Shakespeare. Has a strong voice, a heroine with a ton of spunk, and a fun “fairy godfather”.

Fated by Kaylin Lee: Great magical-1930s worldbuilding. The characters were also solid. The plot was a bit too long and too convenient at points. But the worldbuilding is the draw here.

The Earl of Highmott Hall by Nina Clare: Another Regency fairy tale by this author. Probably technically better-done than The Stepsister and the Slipper but I found it less fun.

Silver Woven in my Hair by Shirley Rousseau Murphy: Short and sweet little book with minimal magic and a lot of charm, but I don’t remember much about it anymore.

Midnight’s Curse by Tricia Mingerink: Set in a European-castle + American frontier setting that’s unique (even if I can’t quite decide if it’s cultural appropriation), with some interesting twists and themes.

The Spinner and the Slipper by Camryn Lockhart: Mashes up Cinderella and Rumpelstiltskin with just a touch of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. If I remember right, it did a decent job of it. The loving competition between Auberon and Titania was fun.

Letters by Cinderlight + Wishes by Starlight by Jacque Stevens: A Russian-ish retelling with some fantastic ideas (parts of it reminded me of Ella Enchanted) and unfortunately shaky execution. If it had been better written, it may have been one of my favorites.

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix: I was pleasantly surprised by parts of this (mostly Ella’s character arc of learning to accept help) and hated other parts (the villains were completely unbelievable strawman caricatures). In the balance, I’ll stick it here.

Mask of Scarlet by Sarah Pennington: Set in a very unique and very complicated 1920s Chicago + Iceland world. Of the series, this was the book where I was best able to understand the worldbuilding, and I think the fairy tale was decently done, but even though I read it earlier this year, I remember almost nothing specific.

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George: This one’s hard to rank because I think it was decently written, but I remember so little about it. I’ll stick it here, for whatever that’s worth.

What Eyes Can See by Elisabeth Brown (from the Five Glass Slippers anthology): Sweet, magic-free Regency-ish retelling with a very shy Cinderella and a nice stepfamily. It’s a bit basic, but it’s grown on me over time.

The Moon-Master’s Ball by Clare Diane Thompson (from the Five Glass Slippers anthology): Very strong autumnal and slightly spooky atmosphere. I remember liking this one well enough, but can’t remember much else about it.

The Other Cinderella by Beka Gremikova: This treats Fairy Tales as an external worldbuilding thing (people are cast in fated roles, etc.), which I usually hate, but there’s a twist at the end that impressed me.

A Gown of Spider Silk by A.G. Marshall: Short story retelling with one twist that’s kind of fun, but not quite my thing.

Another Midnight by Amanda Marin: Short-story Cinderella involving a time-loop. I remember almost nothing about it, but I think it was decent enough.

Cinders and Blades by Amanda Kaye: Short story Russian-influenced retelling. I remember almost nothing except that it disappointed me.

Slipper in the Snow by Alice Ivinya: Another short story. I remember even less about this one.

Rook di Goo by Jenni Sauer: I was promised Cinderella meets Firefly. I got an ensemble cast I didn’t connect with, worldbuilding I didn’t understand (what do they even do with their spaceship?), and a fairy tale that felt shoehorned-in.

The Stepsister’s Tale by Tracy Barrett: I don’t remember much except that I found it disappointing.

Broken Glass by Emma Clifton (from the Five Glass Slippers anthology): Mildly steampunk retelling imagining that the slipper fits the wrong girl. The humor here just isn’t my cup of tea, and the ending doesn’t make sense.

The Coronation Ball by Melanie Cellier: Short, shmaltzy and basic. There’s nothing that terrible about it, but for some reason there’s a lingering distaste that makes me recoil from it.

Cinderella (As If You Didn’t Already Know the Story) by Barbara Ensor: Written for lower middle-grade. One of those fairy tale retellings that thinks making anachronistic references is clever. It’s not.

Happily by Chauncey Rogers: Ugh. There’s one really dumb twist to the fairy tale that’s so dumb that it makes me angry just thinking about it, regardless of what else may be in the story (I don’t remember much else).

Mechanica by Betsy Cornwall: Double ugh. It had such a promising premise, but I hated so many things about this worldview that it gets the bottom ranking forever.

[profiterole-reads]

HP-like LGBT Books (not written by a TERF)

In no particular order. These are only books I've read and enjoyed. There are more out there and I will add them to the list as I make my way through them.

1. The Grimoire of Grave Fates created by Hanna Alkaf & Margaret Owen and written by 18 diverse authors: several non-binary characters, a trans woman, two trans boys + some f/f and m/m. This is an incredible collaboration! The students investigate the murder of a close-minded professor at their magic school.

2. Simon Snow by Rainbow Rowell: m/m. This is the most famous one. I wouldn't mind a TV adaptation, or even movies, but that sounds less likely.

3. A Hero at the End of the World by Erin Claiborne: m/m. This one is cute and funny. It doesn't hurt that the cover art is gorgeous.

4. Tim Te Maro and the Subterranean Heartsick Blues by HS Valley: m/m (YA, but very sexual). Simon Snow meets Sex Education, with a fake baby assignment. Simply hilarious!

5. Branches of Past and Future by MN Bennet: m/m + a trans boy and an ace girl. This is a magic school adult book series, focused on a teacher, though the students are all very interesting too. I adore the magic system.

6. Gallowgate by KR Alexander: queer male protagonist (MG). This one is about learning how to hunt ghosts and has horror vibes.

7. Magic University by Cecilia Tan: m/f and m/m, as the protagonist is bisexual + some trans characters (erotica). This series is surprisingly my favourite, even though I'm very picky with erotica.

8. [Spanish] Prodigioso principio de amor by Silvia Aliaga: m/m. This one takes place at the University of Magic and Eloquence, in Florence, Italy, and the two leads are from Spain and the UK.

9. It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts: m/f and f/f, as the protagonist is bisexual + a non-binary minor character. This takes place in a heroic fantasy setting. I love the magic system.

10. Scholars and Sorcery by Eleanor Beresford: f/f (novellas). This short series is super sweet. It's mostly about life at the magic school.

11. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey: f/f-ish (content warning: murder mystery about a dead queer woman). If you're looking for something darker, go for this one.

12. [French] L'éveil des sorcières by Cordélia: lesbian major character (MG). This is another cute and funny one, with a lot of diversity. It hasn't been translated so far, but I'll keep you updated.

13. When the Letter Comes by Sara Fox: trans girl protagonist (short story). It's a little sad at first, but it gets better. You can read it legally and for free here.

14. DIY by John Wiswell: queerplatonic m/nb (short story). It's about climate change and capitalism and also has disability representation. You can read it legally and for free here.

15. My Name is Magic by Xan van Rooyen: f/nb + a major queer male character. I love that this story is inspired by Finnish folklore. There's a strong focus on protecting nature as magic is being consumed too fast.

16. Trans Wizard Harriet Porber by Chuck Tingle: trans woman protagonist (weird erotica for a laugh). This is the biggest crack I've ever read, as well as the biggest F*** You to transphobia.

17. This Is How We Fly by Anna Meriano: the protagonist is questioning her gender identity + some non-binary characters and some f/f (non-magical). This is a novel about muggle quidditch, a co-ed sport where "the gender that a player identifies as is considered to be that player's gender."

18. Brooms written by Jasmine Walls and illustrated by Teo DuVall: some f/f + a trans woman major character (graphic novel). A group of diverse women take part in unsanctioned team broom races.

[olderthannetfic]

Could you shout out a couple of your favourite m/m authors or books, please? (nw if you don’t like reccing things tho, I find it stressful myself.)

I also find the one ship per book in a series not my cup of tea tbh. I find it too jarring to switch over to other characters I’m not as emotionally invested in within a world.

--

I don't mind side stories that wrap up supporting characters' romances, but I tend to like a main series that's about the same characters/ship most of the time.

I recced a few in response to another ask. That should be posting... some time. (You can tell how well I keep track of my queue.)

Who haven't I mentioned... let's see... Jenn Burke's Not Dead Yet series is pretty interesting, though it eventually angered me with a side character death.

E.J. Russell has a lot of books with different ships but that are all in the same universe. They work better for me than most such books because there's an urban fantasy arc plot about missing fae running through them. Some are a bit too ultra-fluff for my taste. Many are pretty funny. A lot of them feature things like supernatural dating agencies or event planners.

Integrate by Thea Hayworth is only available on Smashwords and is a one-off, but I can't say no to an alien-human buddy cop duo. Both the case and the romance are reasonably fleshed out for this short length, and the worldbuilding is fascinating. I want more! Come back usually-fic-author and write original!

I enjoyed AJ Sherwood's Jon's Downright Ridiculous Shooting Case and sequels/stuff in the same universe.

I've only checked out Beth Bolden a little bit. I met her at a conference, and she seems cool. (Definitely a recent fic fandom person, like many of us writing original m/m.) I read part of a boy band romance of hers that she admitted was 1D with the serial numbers filed. Filed well, I might add: the original version is sufficiently SoCal that I wasn't positive which boy band it was riffing off of. But what I really enjoyed was her fairytale-ish fantasy novel Yours, Forever After.

Meghan Maslow's Starfig Investigations was an instant favorite for me. I'm not sure if younger people will even be familiar with the genre of fantasy it is. It didn't click for me until I heard her talking about it, but the series is basically a take off of Robert Asprin's Myth series: oldschool secondary world fantasy full of dumb puns and jokes that only make sense in relation to the real world. Like that series, Maslow's features portals between realms and a lot of magic tech in advanced cities even if the trappings are Ren Faire-ish. The sense of humor style was pretty common in early 90s sff publishing and turns up in old games like Monkey Island, but it's not something I see all that much in m/m fantasy novels.

Harper Fox's Tyack & Frayne series is about a cop and a psychic in small town Cornwall. Lots of pagan vibes in this one, and some of the supernatural stuff picks up as the series goes along, but the basic structure is contemporary British mysteries.

The Plumber's Mate series by J.L. Merrow is a much more comedic take on UK village mysteries. I'm not usually into stories where people end up with their bully from school, but I liked how it was handled here. The side characters are a hoot, especially the camp best friend and the dwarf porn star turned vegetable salesman.

Morgan Brice I'm not as fond of, but she has a bunch of series including one that feels like early seasons Supernatural.

I don't think I ever read the sequels to My Zombie Boyfriend by T. Strange. It's... well... about a dude who finds a hot corpse and decides to revive him as a zombie. The lead is a weird little perv with an ex who's a goth mortician, a horrible undead pet cat, and an obsession for his new zombie project. I found this one while looking for creepy books after reading one too many bits of ultra-fluff with barely any plot.

I was enjoying the Hours of the Night series by Irene Preston and Liv Rancourt, but it seems like they stopped writing it without resolving anything? A lot of the books I've read are good but would have been better with more sequels, so they don't spring to mind here.

There are seriously a shitton of writers working in this space. I just found a few authors and started trying books and seeing what else was on the same goodreads lists and so on. You need to have a tolerance for hideous cover art, but plenty of the actual books are fine.