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finally able to share a big project from the end of last year, just released this month - my gold foil hardcover designs for the @owlcrate edition of Laura R. Samotin's dark Jewish fantasy The Sins on Their Bones
this was done entirely in Illustrator & i'm absolutely thrilled with how it came out in print! of course i'm only sharing my own contribution to the book here, but many other incredible artists worked on this special release - the (double-sided) dustjacket & interior art are fantastic so make sure to check them out too.
stay tuned for the other collaborations that grew out of this one - i've got a dustjacket cover coming out for OwlCrate's June adult fantasy box & am doing some secret work with Laura related to another upcoming book!
#illustration#jewish art#digital art#owlcrate#the sins on their bones#book cover#book design#gold foil#laura r. samotin
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Exclusive Cover Reveal: Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin
Today on the site, I’m delighted to reveal the cover of Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin, a dark historical fantasy releasing from Random House Canada on May 7, 2024! Here’s the story: Set in a Jewish folklore-inspired reimagining of 19th century Eastern Europe, this queer dark fantasy debut pits two estranged husbands and a daring spymaster on opposite sides of a civil war. Perfect for…
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#Fantasy#Historical Fantasy#Jewish#Laura R. Samotin#Random House Canada#Sins on Their Bones#Talia Abramson
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#REVIEW: The Sins on Their Bones, by Laura R. Samotin
This is going to be One of Those Reviews, I think. I am beginning this review at 7:30 PM on Saturday, which, you will notice, was yesterday. You may have noticed that yesterday-which-for-me-is-still-today’s post is also a book review. I am writing the second book review of the day because I woke up this morning, read the last two hundred pages of To Cage a God, wrote a review, ate lunch, took a…
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#ARCs#book reviews#book-review#fantasy#judaism#kabbalah#Laura R. Samotin#LGBTQ#publicity#reading#reviews#russia#The Sins on Their Bones
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Review: The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin
Title: The Sins on Their Bones Author: Laura R. Samotin Publisher: Random House Canada Length: 414 Pages Category: Historical Fantasy Rating: 4 Stars At a Glance: The Sins on Their Bones is decidedly more character than action driven, but that doesn’t mean the story lacks urgency. It’s the very urgency of the threat, in fact, and what’s at stake if they should fail, that creates the tension…
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ARC Review - The Sins on Their Bones
Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin, which will be published on May 7, 2024. I’ve been excited to pick this one up, and it is one of my most anticipated releases of May. What did I think of it? Read on to find out! Dimitri Alexeyev used to be the Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo. Now, he is merely a broken man, languishing in exile after losing a devastating…
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The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin, available May 7.
"Inspired by Jewish mysticism and folklore, this queer dark fantasy debut is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, C.S. Pacat, Ava Reid, and Katherine Arden, and is set in a fantastical reimagining of 19th century Eastern Europe. Dimitri Alexeyev used to be the Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo. Now, he is merely a broken man, languishing in exile after losing a devastating civil war instigated by his estranged husband, Alexey Balakin. In hiding with what remains of his court, Dimitri and his spymaster, Vasily Sokolov, engineer a dangerous ruse. Vasily will sneak into Alexey’s court under a false identity to gather information, paving the way for the usurper’s downfall, while Dimitri finds a way to kill him for good."
This one sounds like it's going to be angsty and amazing with all sorts of tangled feelings! Plus it's queer and has magic and intrigue and an undead king, so what more could you want from a book?
Thank you to Random House Canada & Wunderkind PR for the ARC!
#queer fantasy#queer books#lgbt books#lgbtqia books#m/m romance#fantasy books#jewish books#book mail#the sins on their bones#laura r. samotin#cover love
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The Sins On Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin
I had no idea what to expect when I started The Sins On Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin. I saw that it was blurbed by several queer romantasy authors that I like, so I requested it from NetGalley on a whim and was happy to dive in. I'm so glad I did. It was not what I was expecting but it is an interesting and dark fantasy that I enjoyed discovering.
First of all, if there are things that could trigger you, be sure to read the content warnings before you start this book! This novel deals with some very heavy topics and the author has kindly included detailed warnings on her website (there's also some stunning character art for you to seek out while you're there).
The Sins On Their Bones is inspired by Jewish mysticism and folklore and is a high fantasy set in a world similar to Eastern Europe in the 19th century. Dimitri Alexeyev, one of the main POV characters and a former Tszar, has recently lost a brutal civil war to his vicious and newly immortal ex-husband, Alexey Balakin.
At the story's start, Dimitri is in hiding in the Free States with his closest friends and former members of his royal court: Vasily, his most trusted spy; Annika, who once led his army; Ladushka, his political advisor, and Mischa, his royal physician. Dimitri still harbors a lot of guilt (and other complicated feelings) about Alexey, the war, and the consequences of it. When Vasily brings word that Alexey is building an army to invade the Free States the group hatches a dangerous plan to finally defeat Dimitri's monstrous ex.
The novel cycles through three POVs. Along with Dimitri, we also get chapters from Alexey and Vasily. All three POVs are engaging and each adds different things to the story. Jumping back and forth through their parts of the story moved the plot along steadily while also filling in the needed backstory. Vasily's chapters, in particular, give a lot of clarity to the backstory which was one of the many reasons that his chapters quickly became my favorite.
The plot of this is fast-paced, dark, and full of religious and political themes. I also found it surprising and not predictable at all. Multiple moments shocked me and had me frantically flipping pages to see what would happen next.
The characters are also likable. Vasily, as I've already mentioned, is a fantastic character. Dimitri is sympathetic and has a nice arc of growth and healing. Alexey is a terrifying and well-written villain. Annika, Ladushka, and Mischa round out the main cast as dynamic characters with a lovely "found family" relationship (together with Dimitri and Vasily).
The Sins On Their Bones is a unique and very queer dark fantasy. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys classic tales of good versus evil in their fantasy!
Other Points:
Alexey reminds me of The Darkling from the Shadow and Bone trilogy.
There may be a Doctor Who reference?
There is an asexual character and a non-binary character along with the many same-sex relationships that the book features.
The whole book is delightfully queer normative with most of the main characters and several side characters being casually queer. There's no drama or trauma around their identities.
I also liked how the author wove Judaism into the world.
Did I mention how much I love Vasily?
The last 25% of the book is tense, action-packed, emotional, and surprising. It is almost impossible to put down!
The ending is satisfying while also setting up issues for a future sequel.
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tropes/Tags: achillean, queer, Jewish fantasy, dark fantasy, Hurt/Comfort, found family
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️/5. There are multiple sex scenes (various m/m pairings) that are "Open Door" and mildly descriptive.
Content Warnings: Full list from the author
If you liked this I think you will like The Sins On Their Bones: The Shadow and Bone series for the Eastern European inspiration. This is a much more gory and adult version though!
Links: Storygraph | GoodReads | LauraRSamotin.com
The Sins On Their Bones will be released on May 7, 2024, and is available for pre-order!
This book was made available to me in advance thanks to NetGalley! I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for this review. The above are my honest feelings on the provided book.
#The Sins On Their Bones#Laura R Samotin#queer books#book review#netgalley#arc review#books#best of 2024
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Most anticipated 2024 books!
I am anticipating a lot of books. To keep track of them, I made a 2024 tbr shelf. It has 123 books. I certainly won't be reading all 123, but since I can sort the list by release date it helps me keep track of new releases. Unfortunately, 123 is so many that half of them I don't even remember adding them or what they're about, so I decided to boil it down to 10 most anticipated new books and 10 sequels.
New
Faebound - Saara El-Arifi - Jan 18
Voyage of the Damned - Frances White - Jan 18
Fathomfolk - Eliza Chan - Feb 27
A Botanical Daughter - Noah Medlock - Mar 19
Otherwordly - FT Lukens - Apr 2
The Sins on their Bones - Laura R. Samotin - May 7
Not for the Faint of Heart - Lex Croucher - May 7
The Honey Witch - Sydney J. Shields - May 14
Running Close to the Wind - Alexandra Rowland - Jun 11
Swordcrossed - Freya Marske - Oct 10
Sequels
The Cursed Rose - Leslie Vedder (book 3 of the Bone Spindle, final book) - Feb 6
The Eternal Ones - Namina Forna (book 3 of Deathless trilogy) - Feb 13
Merciless Saviors - H.E. Edgmon (sequel to Godly Heathens, final book) - Apr 16
Heavenly Tyrant - Xiran Jay Zhao (sequel to Iron Widow, final book) - Apr 30
Mirrored Heavens - Rebecca Roanhorse (book 3 of Between Earth and Sky trilogy) - Jun 4
Hearts that Cut - Kika Hatzopoulou (sequel to Threads that Bind) - Jun 4
The Unrelenting Earth - Kritika H. Rao (Book 2 in the Rages trilogy) - Jun 18
The Lotus Empire - Tasha Suri (book 3 in the Burning Kingdoms trilogy) - Jul 18
Celestial Monsters - Aiden Thomas (sequel to the Sunbearer Trials, final book) - Sept 3
Alecto the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir (book 4 in the Locked Tomb series) - release dat unknown, likely late 2024
#anticipated releases#2024 books#2024 releases#faebound#saara el-arifi#voyage of the damned#frances white#fathomfolk#eliza chan#a botanical daughter#noah medlock#otherwordly#ft lukens#the sins on their bones#laura r samotin#the honey witch#sydney j shields#running close to the wind#alexandra rowland#swordcrossed#freya marske#the cursed rose#the bone spindle#leslie vedder#the eternal ones#namina forna#the gilded ones#merciless saviors#not for the faint of heart#lex croucher
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The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin
Source: NetGalley ARC
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Release date: 7 May 2024
Genre: dark fantasy
If you like:
Jewish folklore
(Mutual) gay yearning
Queernorm
Villain POV
Lovers to enemies
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Synopsis
Dimitri Alexeyev used to be the Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo. Now, he is merely a broken man, languishing in exile after losing a devastating civil war instigated by his estranged husband, Alexey Balakin. In hiding with what remains of his court, Dimitri and his spymaster, Vasily Sokolov, engineer a dangerous ruse. Vasily will sneak into Alexey’s court under a false identity to gather information, paving the way for the usurper’s downfall, while Dimitri finds a way to kill him for good.
But stopping Alexey is not so easy as plotting to kill an ordinary man. Through a perversion of the Ludayzim religion that he terms the Holy Science, Alexey has died and resurrected himself in an immortal, indestructible body—and now claims he is guided by the voice of God Himself. Able to summon forth creatures from the realm of demons, he seeks to build an army, turning Novo-Svitsevo into the greatest empire that history has ever seen.
Dimitri is determined not to let Alexey corrupt his country, but saving Novo-Svitsevo and its people will mean forfeiting the soul of the husband he can’t bring himself to forsake—or the spymaster he’s come to love.
Content warnings
Domestic and emotional abuse
Implied grooming
Death, war, gore, body horror, blood, injury
Torture
Past sexual assualt
Alcohol and drug use
Vomit
Mental illness/depression
Review
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!!
I love unconventional fantasy novels, where the main characters aren't powerful and heroic, where they have lost everything, where they doubt themselves and their decisions at every turn, but still choose to forge on regardless.
Dimitri is depressed and going through it mentally, after his ex-husband's betrayal and usurpation, and a lot of the beginning of this book is about picking up the pieces in order to move forward. I appreciate how his depression is taken seriously as a legit illness, which is something you don't see a lot of in high fantasy. Vasily is his loyal spymaster who is devoted to his country and to Dimitri, and is willing to do whatever it takes in order to reinstate Dimitri as Tzar. At times, things look hopeless, but Vasily manages to persevere and act under pressure. Alexey reminds me of the Darkling from Shadow & Bone, so take that as you will. He's power hungry and delusional in his quest for more power, under the misguided belief that he must do it for the good of the country. I hadn't expected to get his point of view in this book, and I won't say it was a pleasant surprise, but it was fascinating to read from his perspective and see how differently he interprets things.
A lot of the negative reviews critique the pacing as ""too slow"", but honestly, I didn't even notice? In hindsight I can see how people might find this book slow, as it takes about halfway into this book for the main plot to get going, but I really enjoyed being able to spend more time with the cast, learning about them and their backstories before getting swept up in the plot.
I've also seem some criticism of the amount of sex scenes in this book, which is perfectly fine and everyone's preferences are valid. However, I do feel that some people are coming at this from the perspective that sex scenes are written purely for the purpose of titillating the audience, which is definitely not the case here. The characters have sex for a variety of reasons, ranging from using it as a coping mechanism for trauma, or as a way to exert power or control, or as a method of manipulation, which I think is important to keep in mind before dismissing this book as ""smut"". (But if you're into it that's fine too!)
Another aspect of this book I found rather interesting was how Jewish folklore and customs were written into the world-building. I have zero knowledge of Judaism so I lowkey thought some of it was made up for fantasy world-building purposes, but the author's note at the end of the book was enlightening and gives some great insight into how the author constructed this world with Jewish culture in mind.
One thing that bugs me about this is, I was under the impression that this book was a standalone until I got to the ending. You could still read it as a standalone, I guess. And like, I'm glad that there could be more of this world, but it irks me that I didn't know this going into it.
TLDR; This book weaves a complex tapestry of past and present, love and betrayal, loss and healing. It's about finding light in the darkest of times. 5 stars.
#the sins on their bones#laura r samotin#booklr#readblr#book review#ARC review#lgbt#lgbtq#queer#lgbtqia#queernorm#queer books#gay#gay romance#gay books#lgbt books#lgbtq books#fantasy#fantasy books#fantasy novel#mlm#mlm books#jewish books#dark fantasy#queer romance#queer representation#jewish representation
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Dimitri Alexeyev used to be the Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo. Now, he is merely a broken man, languishing in exile after losing a devastating civil war instigated by his estranged husband, Alexey Balakin. In hiding with what remains of his court, Dimitri and his spymaster, Vasily Sokolov, engineer a dangerous ruse. Vasily will sneak into Alexey’s court under a false identity to gather information, paving the way for the usurper’s downfall, while Dimitri finds a way to kill him for good. But stopping Alexey is not so easy as plotting to kill an ordinary man. Through a perversion of the Ludayzim religion that he terms the Holy Science, Alexey has died and resurrected himself in an immortal, indestructible body—and now claims he is guided by the voice of God Himself. Able to summon forth creatures from the realm of demons, he seeks to build an army, turning Novo-Svitsevo into the greatest empire that history has ever seen. Dimitri is determined not to let Alexey corrupt his country, but saving Novo-Svitsevo and its people will mean forfeiting the soul of the husband he can’t bring himself to forsake—or the spymaster he’s come to love.
"If I die first, I'll tell you the secrets of heaven."
Laura R. Samotin's The Sins on Their Bones is an extraordinary tale of healing from trauma and finding your inner strength again after enduring an abusive relationship, a well-written dark fantasy story with Jewish accents and folklore and a Russian-inspired court, a tale of the supernatural that doesn't shy away from its horrors, even when it's creatures of good that are doing the violations. It's a quiet story, following the three POVs of the grief-stricken former Tzar, his loyal spymaster, and the man who abused the Tzar's heart, body, and empire.
The abuser's POV is truly unsettling; he's so enamored of his narrative, so disgustingly lacking in self-awareness, that it proves to be a challenging read. He's a perfect villain, not moustache-twirling but one who believes he's the hero of his own story when in truth, we see the depths of his depravity in stark vividness. The book is prefaced by trigger warnings, and one would do best to take heed of them; the upsetting material isn't just in his chapters, but is reminisced and witnessed in the other POVs as well. The spymaster, too, has a painful past, that he'll try to overcome while he helps the former tzar do the same. The tzar's POV is heartbreaking, for his love for his abuser, even though he's aware of the things he did, is still ever-present and drenched in agony, and he can't bring himself to find comfort as his kingdom is taken apart by a madman.
The supporting cast truly shines. Dimitri has friends, his inner court, well-rounded characters with inner lives, who love him and try to bring him back from the abyss (they enrich the queerness of the book, as one of them is nonbinary and another is aroace). The story starts after the war that broke the realm, and pieces of information are given here and there, to slowly paint the picture of what happened. Not everything is clear - how exactly Alexey turned to the Holy Science, for instance - but the atmosphere makes up for it. Another character who is truly tragic is Dimitri's half-brother, who bears the brunt of Alexey's twisted affections in the absence of the brother whom he resembles so much; his story was heartbreaking.
The magic system was intriguing, as were the glimpses of the supernatural and the way they were linked to Jewish folklore; we have demons and angels and the name of God. There are horror elements, in a sense, but the deepest horror is human depravity.
The book, despite no indication of this, seems to be part of a series given the epilogue, but I was expecting a standalone.
The Sins on Their Bones is a powerful tale.
✨ 4 stars
[You can find more of my reviews about queer speculative fiction on my blog MISTY WORLD]
#laura r samotin#the sins on their bones#lgbtq books#queer lit#queer books#queer sff#queer speculative fiction#books#book reviews#reading#gealach reads#gealach writes
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"The Sins on Their Bones
by Laura R. Samotin
FANTASY
In a gut-punch of a queer Jewish folklore-inspired dark fantasy, former Tzar, Dimitri, may still have the queerest, deadliest, and loveliest friends, but ever since his husband, Alexey, came back from the dead and overthrew him, they’ve been in hiding. Dimitri’s spymaster, Vasily, hopes that by infiltrating the court, he can gather intelligence to take back the throne. But Alexey will summon any demon to build a great empire, and he won’t let a little thing like morality stop him. To counteract Alexey’s evil, Dimitri and Vasily must risk it all—even learning dark magic that could corrupt their souls—in an evocative series debut.
- R. Nassor"
#Book Riot’s Best Books of 2024 (so far)#The Sins on Their Bones#by Laura R. Samotin#book blog#book review#book recommendations#fantasy book
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Bisexual books out in May 🩷💜💙
Books listed:
A Swift and Sudden Exit by Nico Vincenty
It Ain't Over Til the Bisexual Speaks by Lois Shearing, Vaneet Mehta, etc
The 7-10 Split by Karmen Lee
The Z Word by Lindsay King-Miller
Bisexuality: The Basics by Lewis Oakley
Til Death Do Us Bard by Rose Black (Hardcover edition)
Road to Ruin (Magebike Courier, #1) by Hana Lee
Blood Remains by Cathy Pegau
The Only Light Left Burning by Erik J. Brown Garner for Gold (Lustrous Divinity, #2) by Catherine Labadie
The Last to Pie (Pies Before Guys Mystery #3) by Misha Popp
The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe
Smoke and Steel (Scions and Shadows) by Dax Murray
Fake Dating a Witch (Bewitching Billionaires #1) by Brigid Hunt
A Girl Can Dream by Emily Barr
The Ride of Her Life by Jennifer Dugan
A Little Kissing Between Friends by Chencia C. Higgins
Meet Me in Berlin by Samantha L. Valentine
The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin
We Were the Universe by Kimberly King Parsons
Evocation by S.T. Gibson
Adrift by Sam Ledel
Don't Be a Drag by Skye Quinlan
This is not an exhaustive list so please do let me know of the books I missed 💖
#My posts#books of the month#bisexual#bisexual representation#bisexual pride#bi books#bisexual books#sapphic books#achillean books#booklr#book blog#queer books#lgbt books#lgbtq books#bisexual romance#bookblr#book tumblr#Bi rep#black books#black rep#bipoc books#queer bipoc books#bi4bi books#polyamorous books
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March 2023 Deal Announcements
Adult Fiction Author of STARS COLLIDE Rachel Lacey‘s COVER STORY, a sapphic bodyguard romance featuring an A-list actress in need of extra protection who hires a female bodyguard to pose as her girlfriend in order to keep the real story under wraps, again to Lauren Plude at Montlake, by Sarah Younger at Nancy Yost Literary Agency (world). Laura R. Samotin‘s THE SINS ON THEIR BONES, pitched as…
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#A Vile Season#A.M. Strickland#Cactus Country#Camille Kellogg#Cover Story#David Ferraro#E.F. Schraeder#Infodemic#Isaac Fellman#Joelle Retener#John Birdsall#Lady Dragon#Laura R. Samotin#Lee Wind#Lyla Lee#Marieke Nijkamp#Marley&039;s Pride#Melissa Marr#Montlake#Page Street#Rachel Diebel#Rachel Lacey#Remedial Magic#Sarah Younger#Splinter & Ash#Tamara Grasty#The Next Chapter#The Phoenix Keeper#The Price of a Small Hot Fire#The Sins on Their Bones
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Books to Try if You Loved the Grishaverse
If you liked the magical heists but you wanted more werewolves, vampires, nine-tailed foxes, and fae, try:
Zodiac Rising by Katie Zhao, a YA heist inspired by Chinese folklore.
The fountainheads of the zodiac families have been taken and Evangeline’s older brother has been found dead, with all signs leading to the fae being responsible for both. Evangeline gathers a team of three other students to help her get the statues back, but things are never that simple when you’re on a heist with your ex or enter the fae world.
If you wanted to spend more time inside The Fold and liked the complicated romances, try:
The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart, the first in an epic fantasy trilogy
Two sisters forced on opposite sides of a war when Hakara escapes a godly force that either kills or transforms anyone trapped in it and the younger sister, Rasha, is changed into the god’s image. One sister will never give up hope of reuniting and the other learns the world is a lot more cruel than she originally believed.
If you wanted more Queer stories about destroying your monstrous ex, try:
The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin, a standalone MM fantasy inspired by Ashkenazi Jewish folklore
Dimitri was the Tzar, once, before his estranged husband took his place and forced him into hiding with what’s left of his court. With his new lover, Dimitri will destroy Alexey if it’s the last thing he’ll do. But Alexey is not ready ready to left Dimitri go and will do whatever he can to get him back.
You want the heist and the found family and addictive romance, but you wanted a contemporary with no magical elements, try:
Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wan, a contemporary set in Shanghai
Best friends Lulu, Jane, and Rina plan a heist to steal the money gifted to Lulu and her fiancee on Lulu’s wedding day to fund their dreams. But as they plan, obstacles pop up and some parts of their lives are maybe not as bad as they originally thought.
If you wanted more time in The Fold, destroying your monstrous ex, and you loved the Eastern European-inspired setting but you wanted more witches and dragons, try:
Foul Days Genoveva Dimova, the first in a Bulgarian fantasy duology inspired by the Iron Curtain
Kosara is a witch who willingly gave up her shadow, and her magic, to escape her home and her ex, the zmey. But she’s dying without her shadow. The only way to save herself is to go back and face her past.
If you loved the complicated relationship, you really love the enemies-to-lovers witch x witch hunter romance found in Nina and Matthias’ story, but you wanted a fantasy romance, try:
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli, the first in a YA/New Adult Romantasy duology
Rune is a witch in hiding who has been doing everything she can to save her fellow witches from the witch hunters. Gideon is the brother of Rune’s childhood best friend and a witch hunter out to kill every witch and was traumatized by one of the former witch queens. When the two agree to pretend to court, this cat-and-mouse game will reignite old attractions and heavy prices will be paid
If you loved what Netflix’s Shadow and Bone did with casting Alina and Mal as biracial but wanted more conversations around the complexities of being biracial during colonization and war, try:
Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares, a YA historical fantasy first in a planned series inspired by Zorro and Mesoamerican mythology
Leonora has taken the manacle of Pantera, fighting the colonizers every chance she gets to free her people from their oppression while also reconciling with her own identity as a biracial woman in a world where she has to be one or the other.
If you loved the elemental magic and found family but you also love fairy tale retellings, try
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, the first of a four book YA fantasy series
Princess Anidori is engaged to marry a man she has never met, Prince Geric. Her maid forcibly takes her place and sends Ani to become the new goose girl of the king. What the maid wasn’t aware of was that Ani has growing magical powers and that her kindness would win her allies to help get her throne back.
If you loved the angst of Kaz and Inej’s love story but want more tragedy, more poetic language, and less fantasy, try:
A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang, a standalone romantic historical retelling the legend of one of the Four Beauties of Ancient China
Xishi is one of the most beautiful women Fanli, an advisor to the emperor, has ever seen, prompting him to ask her to distract the king so a coup can come and overthrow him. Xishi agrees but wanted neither expected was to fall for each other as they prepare to be separated.
#if you liked this try this#grishaverse#shadow and bone#netflix's shadow and bone#ya fantasy#romantasy
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🌈 Queer Books Coming Out in May 2024 🌈
🌈 Good morning, 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!
[ Release dates may have changed. ]
❤️ Farzana's Spite - Felix Graves 🧡 Archangels of Funk - Andrea Hairston 💛 How It Works Out - Myriam Lacroix 💚 Queer History A to Z - Robin Stevenson, Vivian Rosas 💙 Queerceañera - Alex Crespo 💜 Second Night Stand - Karelia Stetz-Waters, Fay Stetz-Waters ❤️ You Can Call Me Cooper - Cali Kitsu 🧡 Gooseberry - Robin Gow 💛 Grand Slam Romance - Ollie Hicks, Emma Oosterhous 💙The Witches of Silverlake - Simon Curtis, Stephanie Son 💜 Drawn to the Enemy - Barbara Winkes 🌈 The Truth of Our Past - Heather Leighson
❤️ Infaust - T.D. Cloud, Ambi Sun 🧡 Garner for Gold - Catherine Labadie 💛 The Z Word - Lindsay King-Miller 💚 Snake Charming - Genevieve McCluer 💙 The 7-10 Split - Karmen Lee 💜 Loving Jemima - Sienna Waters ❤️ The Potion Gardener - Arden Powell 🧡 A Swift and Sudden Exit - Nico Vincenty 💛 The Worst Ronin - Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Faith Schaffer 💙 Murray Out of Water -Taylor Tracy 💜 The Guncle Abroad - Steven Rowley 🌈 The Weight of What Was - Pip Landers-Letts
❤️ The Amazing Alpha Tau Pledge Project - Lisa Henry, Sarah Honey 🧡 I Met Death & Sex Through My Friend, Tom Meuley - Thom Vernon 💛 Malicia - Steven dos Santos 💚 The Sins on Their Bones - Laura R. Samotin 💙 SLUTS: Anthology - Michelle Tea 💜 You Should Be So Lucky - Cat Sebastian ❤️ Death's Country - R.M. Romero 🧡 Cinema Love - Jiaming Tang 💛 The Brides of High Hill - Nghi Vo 💙 Emma - Jenna Kent 💜 Wish We Were There - Lionel Hart 🌈 A Troublemaker in Her Eyes - Genta Sebastian
❤️ I Make Envy on Your Disco - Eric Schnall 🧡 Lavash at First Sight - Taleen Voskuni 💛 Queer Power Couples - Hannah Murphy Winter, Billie Winter 💚 In Repair - A.L. Graziadei 💙 A Heart Divided - Angie Williams 💜 Long After We Are Gone - Terah Shelton Harris ❤️ The Queen of Steeplechase Park - David Ciminello 🧡 Lunar Boy - Jes Wibowo, Cin Wibowo 💛 Hot Boy Summer - Joe Jiménez 💙 Sunhead - Alex Assan 💜 The Summer Love Strategy - Ray Stoeve 🌈 Into the Mouth of the Wolf - Erin Gough
❤️ The Girl in Question - Tess Sharpe 🧡 The Lost Erwain - Mariah Stillbrook 💛 Starfire - Naomi Hughes 💚 Adrift - Sam Ledel 💙 Shanghai Murder - Jessie Chandler 💜 April May June July - Alison B. Hart ❤️ A Bone in His Teeth - Kellen Graves 🧡 Cabin Fever - Tagan Shepard 💛 Don't Be a Drag - Skye Quinlan 💙 The Ride of Her Life - Jennifer Dugan 💜 The Redemption of Daya Keane - Gia Gordon 🌈 Nearlywed - Nicolas DiDomizio
❤️ The Sunforge - Sascha Stronach 🧡 The End of Time - Trudie Skies 💛 Silent Ones - Melissa Polk 💚 Prime Time Travelers - Neil Laird 💙 My Darling Dreadful Thing - Johanna van Veen 💜 The Honey Witch - Sydney J. Shields ❤️ Spitting Gold - Carmella Lowkis 🧡 Last Chance - Claire Highton-Stevenson 💛 Road Home - Rex Ogle 💙 Only for Convenience - Shannon O'Connor 💜 Linus and Etta Could Use a Win - Caroline Huntoon 🌈 Finding Molly Parsons - Alyson Root
❤️ Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding - Maia Kobabe, Dr. Sarah Peitzmeier 🧡 See You Next Month - Jamey Moody 💛 Until You Say My Name - Tatum Schroeder 💚 Disembark - Jen Currin 💙 True Love and Other Impossible Odds - Christina Li 💜 Flyboy - Kasey LeBlanc ❤️ Thirsty - Jas Hammonds 🧡 Hands Off - N. Slater 💛 Flooded Secrets - Claudie Arseneault 💙 The Deer and the Dragon - Piper C.J. 💜 To Be Loved - Frank G. Anderson 🌈 Snowblooded - Emma Sterner-Radley
❤️ Blood Remains - Cathy Pegau 🧡 Blood on the Tide - Katee Robert 💛 We Were the Universe - Kimberly King Parsons 💚 Loyalty - E.J. Noyes 💙 Spirits and Sirens - Kelly Fireside 💜 Clean Kill - Anne Laughlin ❤️ The Worst Perfect Moment - Shivaun Plozza 🧡 Oye - Melissa Mogollon 💛 Here for the Wrong Reasons - Annabel Paulsen, Lydia Wang 💙 Exhibit - R.O. Kwon 💜 Experienced - Kate Young 🌈 Parenting with Pride - Heather Hester
❤️ Road to Ruin - Hana Lee 🧡 Meet Me in Berlin - Samantha L. Valentine 💛 The Advice Columnist - Cade Haddock Strong 💚 where lost & hopeless things go - Bryony Rosehurst 💙 Pit Stop - Ellis Mae 💜 The Switchboard - Christina K. Glover ❤️ In the Shallows - Tanya Byrne 🧡 Have You Seen This Girl - Nita Tyndall 💛 Another First Chance - Robbie Couch 💙 The Only Light Left Burning - Erik J. Brown 💜 Keepers of the Stones and Stars - Michael Barakiva 🌈 A Little Kissing Between Friends - Chencia C. Higgins
#queer books#queer fiction#queer romance#queer#bi books#lesbian romance#lesbian books#lesbian fiction#bisexuality#sapphic books#sapphic romance#batty about books#battyaboutbooks#book releases#book release
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🏛~ mini reviews
fallen thorns by harvey oliver baxter - 3.5✨️
loved the atmosphere and the beginning and end were entertaining. middle slogged a bit and i found myself a bit uninterested. i do think clarification was needed on the sun moon and star part as well as just more refinement in the world building as it was missing any sort of context or reasoning. i do plan to continue the series at this moment
dragonfruit by makiia lucier - 4.5✨️
this was an easy read, the world was drenched in folklore and myth, and it was decently straightforward in plot but still able to keep my interest. the story was simplistic but still held water with nuanced conversations of culture, greed and conservation. to some i could see it reading a bit young, but i personally loved it.
untethered sky by fonda lee - 5✨️
i was blown away by this novella and how much power was packed into its pages. the prose and storytelling was enchanting, as well as the rocs of course. i felt true emotion for the characters and their troubles and flipped through this with hardly a breath in-between. while i would never complain about a full series in this world, this is a book that was truly made for the novella format.
the voyage of the basilisk by marie brennan - 4.5✨️
starting out slower, this installment quickly got faster and full of action. we see so much more on dragon biology and taxonomy, and even a piece of dragon embryos. i was also shocked to see conversations about gender and sexuality woven into one of the storylines. this light academia series is one for the books (hah.) and this is currently my fav in the saga.
the sins on their bones by laura r. samotin - 3✨️
i really wanted to adore this but i found it to be jumbled. the story starts in the wrong place, firstly. to me, this would have been much better if this was a sequel to another book explaining the coup and past war. we are mostly told not shown the effects of this war on our characters, sprinkling in some small flashbacks but it truly didn't show the actual emotional turmoil we were expected to feel. it felt like reading the end of a book before the beginning. the last 100 or so pages were great and held my interest, i just wished the rest did as well.
the wings upon her back by samantha mills - 3.5✨️
i really loved the dual timelines in this and the character work was exceptional. my only vice was worldbuilding. it was very hard to picture this world and what it looked like, i personally think it would benefit greatly from a map and some more refining in the world section of things. certain parts are very well defined, but overall the image was quite hazy.
#bookblr#booklr#books#books and reading#bookstagram#book review#reading#bookworm#lifestyle#literature
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