#mlm urban fantasy

[lou-wilham]

He's a 10 but. . .

Honestly, the boys of Hunters of Ironport are all 13s, but who's counting?

Blurb:

Sometimes the hunter becomes the hunted. Overworked, and underappreciated, Eric Marcelino just wants to hunt the vampires plaguing Ironport, keep his students out of the field, and somehow make it home in enough time to get a full 8 hours of sleep. . . maybe 6. Tony McMahon and his sister arrive in Ironport looking for a fresh start. Only Tony didn’t count on the instant attraction he feels toward the Huntsman’s golden boy, Eric, nor being drawn into an ancient prophecy set to end the Huntsman forever. Something strange is brewing in Ironport. With bloodsuckers, the Council of Creatures, and his students breathing down his neck, Eric has to wonder if he’s in over his head and if a potential boyfriend might be the final nail in his coffin. This is gonna suck.

Grab a copy

[laurasimonsdaughter]

The directions to the outskirts of town were easy enough to follow, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that the building he arrived at, while it fit all the descriptions of the hotel, really shouldn’t have been there. He was almost sure it hadn’t been there the last time he passed through this area, but the gleaming wooden doors swung open before he had the presence of mind to question it further.

It was brightly lit inside, but somehow walking into the lobby gave him the same feeling as exploring underground. He couldn’t quite put his finger on why exactly, but the hairs on the back of his neck seemed to stand up the same way they did when clambering down into total darkness.

There was no darkness here, no silence either. Pleasant music filled the air and something sweet filled his nose with every breath. The lobby was full of cheerful hustle and bustle and several times he caught a smile flashing in his direction that seemed almost familiar, but no one approached him, and the gleaming reception desk towards the end of the room was unattended. He made his way towards it even so. There was no bell to ring, the only thing on the counter was a silver platter with beautifully arranged food.

A sudden burst of laughter behind him made him look round and when he turned back, he looked straight into the brightly smiling face of a receptionist. “Welcome to Underhill Hotel!” she sang and she picked up the platter as soundlessly as she must have arrived. “Try the canapés! They’re so good, you’ll never leave!”

“Well, I—” A strong, cool hand closed around his wrist and pulled him deftly away from the counter. He spun on his heels and breathed a sigh of relief. “Callum!”

“Didn’t I tell you to wait for me outside?” Callum scolded, firmly taking his hand and pulling him back the way he came, towards the exit. “And never eat anything from a place I work at.”

“They’re only for guests right? I was about to tell her I wasn’t here to check in.”

“Aye,” Callum grimaced, quickly ushering him through the door and back into the cool evening air. “Something like that.”

[poopraven]

Hello! I'd like to tell you about a book I wrote. It'll be coming out on Friday the 26th of May 2023.

I'm extremely proud of this one. I'm proud of them all, of course, but I think in this one I let myself get angry for, well, pretty much the whole book to be honest. Previous books in the series have bursts of queer rage, but this one definitely sustained it.

At its heart, it's a book that demands to know just how long we're supposed to do nothing while fascists kill us.

Now, fair warning, it is book 9 in an ongoing series. It won't make a whole lot of sense if you haven't read the previous eight books. I'll get to that at the end of the post, but for now I want to stick with Runes of Fall.

No storm bows to reason.

Quentin's trip to the desert with his chosen family is supposed to be two days of testing the limits of their powers. Instead, a violent storm looms on the horizon, and nothing will alter its course.

The storm has a name: Nate Anderson. Demigod, supremacist, leader of a neo-Nazi Übermensch cabal... and father to Quentin's latest ward, Mel. He means to take her home, and won't let a ragtag group of "inferior" psychics get in his way.

Besieged and outgunned, Quentin is trapped in a no-win scenario. No matter which way he turns, one fateful night will change him forever.

Inheritance is a series best read in order, so if this is the first you've heard of it I strongly recommend that you start with Jack of Thorns, but keep going and I'll let you know how you can grab that for free. First, let me tell you more about it.

In Jack of Thorns, we meet Laurence and Quentin, two men with astonishing powers but little to no control over them. They are both adrift, traumatised, and doing what they can to get by one day at a time. Laurence is struggling to escape a toxic, abusive boyfriend who refuses to accept that their relationship is over, and Quentin spends as much of his time drunk as he possibly can.

Do they start out likeable? Opinion varies. But they learn, they grow, and they put in the work to improve themselves. They do their best, and sometimes they make mistakes, but the Laurence and Quentin in Runes of Fall are a world away from the Laurence and Quentin you first meet.

Heads up, there are some content warnings to take note of. In random order, they are: sexual intimacy, addiction, drug use, sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse, incest, gaslighting, bullying, coercive control, kidnapping, domestic abuse, bigotry, classism, torture, post-traumatic stress, therapy, violence, peril, and death.

If you're still here, thank you for reading this far. I'd like to give you some links if you're interested in finding out more!

Jack of Thorns: https://books2read.com/jackofthorns

Runes of Fall: https://discoverinheritance.com/books/runes-of-fall

Discord server: https://discord.gg/reYUyTH9DJ

And, if you'd like, you can get all nine books at once - whether as ebooks, paperbacks (signed or unsigned), or audiobooks - from Kickstarter:

Thank you so much for your time. Please feel free to ask questions if you have them!

- AK.

[jadejedi]

Fantasy Book Review: The Tarot Sequence (Books 1-3) by K.D. Edwards

JJ’s rating: 4.5/5

How feral did it make me: 5/5 

My book reviews

Okay, I read these kind of randomly, not really sure what I was getting into, and oh my god. Oh my god!! Okay, so most of the sci-fi/fantasy books I have read other than these were written by AFAB authors in their 20s and 30s. Which is great, and fine, but that’s a fairly limited perspective. These novels were written by an asexual man in his forties (sorry Keith, just sort of guessing on your age here lmao) and is it weird to say that it’s kind of refreshing to read a mlm romance actually written by a queer man? No, I don’t think so. These books, despite the dark topics they sometimes cover, feel like warm coziness to me. Reading these books feels like following along with a group of your beloved friends. God. I love them. 

Summary time! In a world in which Atlantis was a secret society of demigods called the Arcana (all named after tarot cards) before being destroyed in a civil war with humanity, the remaining Atlantean society has relocated to the island formerly called Nantucket. Rune St. John is the last son of the Sun Court, the rest of the Sun Court destroyed in a mysterious attack that left Rune with emotional, mental, and physical scars. Rune and his Companion (think platonic soulmate meets bodyguard), Brand, hire out their work essentially as mercenaries to scrape by. When a son of Lady Justice goes missing, Rune and Brand are hired to find him. Also, they acquire an orphaned teenager? Are they fathers now? They might be fathers now. 

These characters guys. Holy shit. They are perfect to me. K.D. Edwards was really out here like, what if I just… smash every toxically masculine stereotype out there? What if I make a snarky bodyguard character who unabashedly loves his best friend? What if these two men who have known each other all their lives are not afraid to be open about how important they are to each other and how much they genuinely LOVE each other? What if I make a romantic interest who is patient and kind and loving and not at all threatened by the relationship between his boyfriend and his boyfriend’s oldest and most important relationship? What if I create a relationship between these three men that blurs the lines between romantic and platonic?? What if I create an urban fantasy society in which queerness is normal and accepted, and where polyamory is normal and accepted? What if I make a group of characters who need a family and then FIND ONE WITH EACH OTHER???? WHAT. THEN????? (then we all cry, that’s what)

FUCK! 

These books are fun, witty, full of monsters and villains, but also some of the most heartwarming characters and relationships I’ve ever read??? Like, god. These are some of the few books that I have bought both audio book and e-book copies because I could not put them down. I *had* to be reading them, if I were at home, or at work, or in the car. And as soon as I finished them, I picked up the first one and reread them. 

This series is planned to be a trilogy of trilogies, with books 1-3 currently finished, and book 4 being written right now. I am so excited for more of this series, I can’t even tell you. Dear god. 

There is some dark content covered in these books, specifically based around what happened to the Rune on the night when his father’s court was destroyed, so if you have any questions about trigger warnings, don’t hesitate to ask. 

These books are an absolute DELIGHT. They are the queer fantasy I’ve always wanted to read, because Edwards understands that what makes the queer community special is the COMMUNITY. It’s about finding and CHOOSING your family, bitch!

Here’s a meme I made a while back to convince people to read these books (yes I spelled dinosaur wrong. oops):

READ THEM!!!

[jetwhenitsmidnight]

The Brujos of Borderland High by Gume Laurel III

Release date: 1 August 2024

Genre: young adult urban fantasy written in verse

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis

High school is rough for a gay teen brujo going through his first breakup. And Alejandro's supernatural ability to see the past with the use of his tarot cards makes it so the past is all he ever really focuses on. Alejandro would like to pour his passion into piano to prepare for the upcoming winter recital, but bizarre supernatural forces seem out to get him. When a time-traveling demon arrives with a mission to stop the upcoming high school winter recital from taking place, Alejandro must focus on the future to slay the demon, save the recital, and maybe get a second chance at love.

Content warnings

Parental death

Violence

Injury

Cheating/toxic relationship

Abandonment

Review

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

This book is packed full of action and drama and emotion, and all within 200 pages of poetry. I found the writing style to be very accessible and fast-paced, and the way each section is broken up into short chunks of poetry makes it easy to follow along with the story, which I think would be helpful for teen readers who struggle to focus or are trying to get into reading.

The worldbuilding isn't explored in-depth, but I think it works well in this case. I appreciate that the book jumps headfirst into this world without overexplaining and lets readers discover things along the way.

Although there is plenty of action, the main focus of the story is on Alejandro's emotional journey. The author does an excellent job of laying the groundwork of his character, as well as developing his character arc realistically over the course of the story.

All in all, I came to this book for the magic and action, and stayed for the satisfying character development and emotional catharsis.

[full-moon-phoenix]

My latest commission: Holly, King of the Drus, and the hunky-dorable Tristan from Tree Gods!

The indie publishing company Midnight Meadow asked me to do character art for their latest queer fantasy book, and even made stickers to go with their giveaway! If you want me to draw gay stuff for you, DM me for commissions! (prices in pinned post)

[thistlearts]

Love is in the details, and for me, that often means capturing the beautiful, intricate moments of intimacy shared between two men. As an artist, I pour my heart and soul into every illustration, especially when it comes to the power of touch and the language of hands. And when it comes to bringing these stories to life, a striking book cover is key to catching a reader's eye. So here's a glimpse of my latest creation - what emotion does this strike in you?

[dontjudgemeimawriter]

Six of Crows X I Hunt Killers

Syndicate

(Working title)

Terran is an assassin in Calson City, where a criminal syndicate controls the city. 3 years ago, Terran covered up the death of Raymond, a traitor he was supposed to execute. Now he has to keep anyone from finding out what he's done all while grappling with realizations of morality, of wanting escape, and wanting to be a better person that he sees in Raymond. The safest option is to keep his cover, do his job, and keep Raymond far away from Calson City-- but that may come at the cost of the person he wants to be. The secret of Raymond being alive is threatening to come out amidst assignments, discoveries, and investigations-- all while Terran is surrounded by the Syndicate's watchful eyes.

Themes:

Escaping vs feeling trapped

Abuse, trauma, and masking

Morality-- learning, sacrificing, and compromising

Current Stage:

Drafting

(Image sources here)

Links

Full Intro

Links to excerpts

Info on the magic system

Playlist

Characters: Terran Raymond Mika

Content Warnings

Abusive Relationship, Anxiety, Attempted Murder, Child Abuse, Death, Emotional Abuse, Fire, Gun Violence, Hostages, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical Abuse, PTSD, Stalking, Torture

Note: I was fairly generous with these and took from the list m+s posted-- please ask me to expand on any of these. But yes it is a book that deals with both abuse and with criminals/assassins.

[mercuriart]

hmmm i want to be. a little bit controversial. but i fear this is the no nuance no critical thinking webbed site. and i don't want to start discourse on this account. ill just. tags.

[negrospiritschool]

Writing Prompt: While sitting in class you absentmindedly doodle something in your notebook that looks like a rune. Suddenly your book begins to glow. Your teacher looks at you, sighs, and says "Looks like we have another one," then turns and begins drawing mysterious symbols on the board. (Source: @writing-prompt-s blog on Tumblr)

Sean Hughes felt his face grow hot. The other students turned to him, and I wish I could say they were confused and concerned. No, not one of them recognized the symbol glowing from Sean's book, but they didn't care about the symbol. None of them understood what their teacher meant by 'another one' either, but that was also not their main concern. All they cared about was seeing Sissy Sean squirm.

"I--I'm sorry." Sean said, not sure if he was apologizing to the teacher, his class, or himself.

"Nothing to be sorry about," the teacher said, "Pay attention, class. This may happen to all of you once your Sigil Magic develops. This is why carrying your wand on you is important, otherwise these things just start flying off anywhere. It's my tenth one this week alone."

In all that time, the teacher had been scribbling smaller, more familiar symbols around the one that Sean drew. At the end of their sentence, they reached the end of their inscription. They placed the chalk down, stepped back from the board, and placed their hands in the casting position; one palm forward, the other against its back.

"Neutralize!" The teacher cried.

And that's when shit went left. That's when something would happen which would mark the day when Sean's classmates went from calling him Sissy Sean to Sadistic Sean. Sean would find himself sitting in the principal's office, being ordered to explain what the symbol was and why Sean cast it. Sean would only scream, "I don't know" in between tears he and the principal thought he was way too old to shed. Parents would be called, accusations would be made, someone would mention the cops, and Sean would wind up driving home with his parents as they argued about keeping Sean in a Merlin Academy school.

When the teacher screamed "Neutralize," the symbol didn't neutralize. It started to glow a vibrant, golden color that drowned out all other light in the room. Our friend Sean found himself glowing, too. But it didn't feel like the last time he glowed--standing together with his friends in New Orleans and discovering the legacy he'd once thought lost to him—this glow felt different. Sean got the feeling that something bad was about to happen. Unfortunately, he was right.

The symbol exploded.

It wasn't a typical explosion. There was no scent of gunpowder or some other, weird, chemical concoction. There were no flames or smoke. But there was a 'boom'. No, wait, that's not right. Let me try again: there was a BOOM! There was the sound of a furious god striking a gargantuan mallet against a giant drum. There were streaks of electricity cracking through the air, echoing the BOOM! that had just erupted. There was a shockwave of light so concentrated and compact that it overturned desks, sent papers flying, and knocked the teacher on their whole-ass ass! Not their partial ass, their whole-ass ass. And the teacher wasn't the only one on their whole-ass ass.

Every child in the room wound up on the floor. Their ears were ringing, their brains were cloudy, and their hair stood up on end. None of them knew what happened, and none of them cared for a real answer. All anyone cared about was the fact that Sissy Sean, who by the end of the week would be Sadistic Sean, was standing by his desk, completely unharmed. And he was still glowing like a goddamn anime character.

"That was Sunday Soul, right?" Tim later asked.

Sean blinked. He'd been sitting alone in the park, trying not to draw attention to himself. It was three days later, he was still suspended from school, and his name was still all over the M-Net. He thought going to a Sublunar park instead of one for Magykals would give him a chance to get away from it all--away from the cops' questions, away from his parents' angrier questions, and away from all the hate e-mails he was getting. The last thing he needed was Tim-With-The-Perfect-Chin walking up out of nowhere.

Sean, who was an absolute master at spitting game, looked up at Tim-With-The-Perfect-Chin and said, "You-huh-what?"

Tim sat down on the bench beside him, his mouth spread in an excited smile, "Sunday Soul. That thing you did in class when you were glowing. That's a Negro Spirit technique, right? My godfather showed his to me once."

That surprised Sean, and he felt guilty for being surprised. Sure, it was a bit surprising to hear that a Chinese-American boy had a Black godfather, but who was Sean to be so presumptuous? Just as many people would be surprised that a little Black boy could speak Gaeilge.

Sean shrugged, "I don't know. I--I didn't think I was a Negro Spiritual."

"Really?" Tim asked, legitimately surprised. "My godfather said that all Black people are Negro Spirituals, and that's why there's no real word for Sublunars in your community, because magic was never really restricted like--"

"I wasn't raised in the Negro Spiritual community," Sean replied, his voice a bit sharper than he'd intended.

Tim instantly stopped talking, afraid that he'd somehow offended Sean.

Sean took a deep breath and clarified, once more, something he didn't love explaining to people, "My dad's a Negro Spiritual. His whole family was in the Laveau Academy--one of our great, great something grandmothers was in the first class. But when he turned 18 and graduated, he went to a Merlin Academy college to study Dream Magic."

Sean wasn't sure why he was explaining this to Tim-With-The-Perfect-Chin of all people. Perhaps it was because he felt guilty about snapping at him. Perhaps it was because he wanted to get all this out to someone, and Tim seemed like the nicest person to talk about it with. Perhaps, even, it was because of Tim's oh-so perfect chin. (Between you and me, I'm inclined to think that was the real reason.)

"My dad never uses Negro Spiritual magic, cuz his specialty wasn't offered at the Laveau school. All the magic he actually uses is...American, ya know? A little bit of European Traditional, some New Age, basically stuff from everywhere. And since my mom's from Ireland, it's not like she could teach me the Negro Spirit."

"Oh," Tim said. It was the same reaction Sean was used to hearing, so it didn't bother him much. What really bothered him was what often came later.

"Oh, so your dad hates his own people."

"Oh, so your parents do real magic."

"Oh, it's so great that your parents got you into a MAMA school instead. You know how those kids at the Laveau Academy are."

"Oh, so you're not a Negro Spiritual?"

Sean had heard it all. And more importantly, he'd gotten sick of it all.

"I don't know how I did it, it's only happened to me once before," Sean said.

Tim raised a curious eyebrow, but was careful not to say anything.

"It was over the summer. I was visiting my uncle who teaches at the Laveau Academy...it's a long story."

Tim nodded, seeing that Sean didn't want to talk about it too much.

"Well," Tim said, "whatever you did in class was cool. You looked like Sentry."

Sean gasped, and brought a hand to his mouth to try to hide it.

"No, really you did! I remember when I looked up and saw you just glowing, I thought I was looking at a mini-Robert Reynolds."

Sean didn't respond, and when Tim saw that his mouth still hung agape, he grimaced. Why did he have to go full-nerd?

"Sorry, Sean. You see, Sentry is--"

"You read Marvel!" Sean cried, a huge grin across his face.

****

"And then we just spent the rest of the day talking about comics!" Sean nearly screamed into the phone.

On the other end of the line, Earl rolled his eyes, wondering if this was what he had to look forward to when he started dating. He didn't see what the big deal was, he and his cousin talked about superheroes all the time.

"Glad you had fun, bruh." Earl said, and he legitimately meant it. Sure, Sean was annoying, but hearing Sean be annoying was better than Sean quietly sitting around, too awkward and depressed to say anything to anyone. This was the first time Sean had actually called him or anyone else since summer ended, so Earl was just happy to know that Sean was happy.

Sean began rambling about Tim-With-The-Perfect-Chin again, but Earl cleared his throat to cut him off.

"I was able to track down that symbol you drew. You were wrong, it's not Egyptian."

Hearing that made Sean's rambling stop in its tracks. He scratched his head in confusion and replied, "But this summer when I did Sunday Soul with you all, my wand shot out the Eye of Horus."

Earl nodded. Then, he remembered that Sean was hundreds of miles away and couldn't actually see him, so he said, "Yeah, you made Egyptian and Adinkra symbols then. But it's not like the Negro Spirit's just those two cultures. You probably only made the Eye cuz I was there with you, and my whole vibe is Egypt."

Sean nodded. It made enough sense, but it still wasn't the answer he wanted.

"So what was the symbol, and why did I draw it? And why did it...react like that?"

"Well, it's called the Oshe."

"The what?"

"Oh-Shay!" Earl screamed into the receiver. His mom yelled at him for yelling in her house, and he quickly apologized to her before he continued, "It's an axe with two heads."

"What language is it?" Sean asked.

Earl clarified, "There isn't one. I mean, the word's Yoruba but it's not part of a writing system. I've never even really seen one drawn before, I've only seen them on people's altars. The Oshe is a symbol for the Orisha, Shango."

Shango? Orisha? This was all sounding Negro Spiritual. And not even the type of Negro Spiritual Sean was used to, it sounded African specifically. Sean's uncle was a bible-thumping Southern Christian, the most African thing about his magic was the Jalapa Root he used for remedies, and Sean only vaguely knew about the Orisha from looking at Negro Spirit memes on the M-Net.

"Why is a Yoruba deity making me blow up my classroom?" Sean sighed. He rubbed his temples in frustration, an expression that he knew he was far too young to do. The way he saw it, he'd aged five years over that summer, then another three after blowing up his class—he was an adult now and old enough to have stress migraines.

"I don't know! Maybe he noticed you drawing the symbol and just assumed you wanted the classroom blown up. Maybe he got pissed that your teacher was trying to neutralize him. Better question is, why were you drawing an Oshe Shango in your notebook?"

"I wasn't!" Sean protested.

"Then what were you trying to draw?" Earl pushed.

Sean quickly found that he couldn't answer that question, either.

In his own home in the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans, Earl leaned back in his chair and smiled. He could feel Sean's embarrassment through the Spirit.

"Come on," he pushed. "Answer the question. What were you trying to draw?"

"I wasn't trying to draw anything. I was just wiggling my pencil, and the shape just kinda came out of that."

Earl nodded his head confidently, "I knew it! This explains everything!"

"How does this explain anything?" Sean challenged, his voice rising and growing higher.

Earl laughed, "Dude. Calm down. Think about it. First your Sunday Soul activated along with the rest of ours. Then, while in Sunday Soul, your wand starts making Egyptian and Adinkra symbols that you've hardly even seen before. And then, the symbol of Shango's dance wand just appears in your notebook and triggers another Sunday Soul transformation? Why do you think that is, Sean?"

"I don't know! That's why I called you, so you could tell--"

And just like that, Sean stopped. He thought again about what Earl said and a realization came to mind. But he wanted to be sure the realization was right, so he went over Earl's words again, only to find the same conclusion at the end of the trail. Again and again, Sean retraced his steps, checked his math, and proofread his reasoning. The same answer came up every time.

Sean sighed, "You're fraking ELEVEN! How the hell are you so smart?"

Though Sean couldn't see it, he could almost feel Earl's smug smile as he replied, "The Spirit is with me, my nigga."

****

On Sean's first day back at school, the principal personally escorted him through the halls. He was saying something, but Sean didn't care, and so he didn't listen. He scanned the hallways of the Merlin and Morganne Academy of Magical Arts, looking for one just one face in particular. Failing to spot the face, Sean looked for the chin.

Sean darted away from the principal when he spotted Tim, who was sitting alone on a bench in front of his homeroom class. Sean's heart pounded with every slap of his shoes against the linoleum tiles; he felt like he waited too long to see him again. When Sean finally skidded to a halt in front of the boy, Tim smiled and put down the Avengers comic he'd been reading.

"They really let you out, huh?" Tim joked.

"Remember how you asked me if I was a Negro Spiritual?" Sean said, ignoring Tim's joke. He could already hear the hoofbeats of an angry principal closing in on him from a distance.

Tim raised a cautious eyebrow and replied, "Yeah? Sorry, was that rude of me to ask?"

Sean shook his head, "I am a Negro Spiritual! And I did use Sunday Soul!"

And then, just as suddenly as Sean had approached Tim, he ran away from him (and the principal) again. He'd said what he wanted to say to the boy, and heard more than what he cared to hear from his principal. Other students stared at him and teachers chastised him as he continued to run away, but Sean didn't pay mind to any of them.

Sean didn't care to think about why his dad never taught him any Negro Spiritual magic growing up. He didn't think about how his school never had any classes on the subject, despite having so many Black students that studied there. He didn't care about people saying that the Negro Spirit wasn't real. And he damn sure wasn't concerned about people that said he didn't have the Spirit just because his mom was Irish.

Sean was alone running through the halls. But he didn't feel alone anymore. He ran, ever forward, unsure of where he was going or what he'd do when he got there. But he ran all the same, trusting every muscle of his body, and every spark of his soul.

End

[lou-wilham]

If you're a tired millennial who is all about found family, soft crafts, and 90s nostalgia... this one's for you kid.

Sometimes the hunter becomes the hunted.

Overworked, and underappreciated, Eric Marcelino just wants to hunt the vampires plaguing Ironport, keep his students out of the field, and somehow make it home in enough time to get a full 8 hours of sleep. . . maybe 6.

Tony McMahon and his sister arrive in Ironport looking for a fresh start. Only Tony didn’t count on the instant attraction he feels toward the Huntsman’s golden boy, Eric, nor being drawn into an ancient prophecy set to end the Huntsman forever.

Something strange is brewing in Ironport. With bloodsuckers, the Council of Creatures, and his students breathing down his neck, Eric has to wonder if he’s in over his head and if a potential boyfriend might be the final nail in his coffin. This is gonna suck.

Overkill is a mm paranormal romance perfect for fans of Buffy, and DN Bryn’s Guides for Vampires.

The Hunters of Ironport is a series set in the same universe as Witches of Moondale (just a town over), and thus will have crossover characters from time to time. That being said, it can be read separately if you so choose. For more information on how Hunters of Ironport and Witches of Moondale fit together please visit the author’s website.

GoodReads | Purchase

[laurasimonsdaughter]

Perhaps the first knock on the door had woken him already, he couldn’t be sure. But the second round had him bolt upright in bed in an instant. It was the middle of the night. Who in the— Again a frantic rap at the door, not even stopping this time, but keeping on in a fast, incessant rhythm. It was only just not loud enough to be frightening.

He stumbled into the hallway, still blinking the sleep from his eyes. “Who’s there?”

The knocking stopped abruptly.

“I’m sorry to wake you.” A woman’s voice, low and tense. “I’m here for my brother. You have his key.”

He halted with his hand on the door. “I what?”

“Please open the door!”

“Who are you?”

He could feel as well as hear a thump against the door. “My brother is your neighbour, he gave you his key. I need to get in there. He’s- I just need the key.”

He wasn’t awake enough for his full range of judgment, but the worry in this person’s voice was real.

“Okay, hold on.” He fumbled for his own keys as well as the single apartment key with a leather tag on it that he’d been given after a couple awkward greetings and a chat about being new to the city.

When he opened the door, the young woman on his doorstep saw it immediately. “Oh thank god.”

He snatched his hand back from her grasping fingers.

“No offence, but how would I know if—”

“We’re related,” she snapped, furiously grabbing something from her coat pocket and shoving a driver’s license in his face. “Just let me have it!”

Liza May Merrin. That name meant nothing to him. But she probably meant— “Maxwell never told me his last name.”

She stared at him in utter disbelief. “You unlock the door then!” She grabbed his arm and pulled him outside and he followed for lack of a better idea what to do.

She did look a bit like Maxwell. They had the same unruly, sandy coloured hair. Only Maxwell was broader, with lighter eyes, and…

“Door. Please.” Liza pointed.

He unlocked the door. “What’s the—” he began, but she pushed past him as soon as she could.

“Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

Well, that rather defeated the purpose of coming with her. Besides, even if she was Maxwell’s sister that didn’t mean she was welcome here. He snatched the key from the lock and hurried after her, letting the door fall shut.

He froze two steps into the apartment, his heart jumping in his throat. The living room had been torn apart. There were shards on the floor and upended furniture and…

His heart flopped back into place. Liza was kneeling on the floor, unwinding something that looked like a leather leash from around the paws of the largest dog he had ever seen.

“Stupid, pigheaded, grade A moron,” she muttered under her breath, but he could hear the relief in her voice.

“Bloody hell.”

Both Liza and the dog snapped to attention, staring at him where he stood. Liza’s hands closed tightly around the leash.

“I’m sorry for being suspicious, but you could have just said he left his dog here alone,” he said. “You didn’t even tell me what the panic was for.”

The dog still stared at him with round, amber eyes, but Liza cleared her throat. “Right, yes, of course,” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight anymore. Max knows he’s not supposed to leave him alone.” She looked down pointedly at the animal. “He acts a damn fool when he’s left alone.”

The dog let out a loud, disgruntled snort. Even lying down it looked intimidatingly large.

“I didn’t even know he had a dog.”

“Imagine that,” Maxwell's sister said airily. “All the things my brother forgets to mention. Me, his dog, his absolute lack of common sense.”

He let out half a laugh and took a careful step around the debris towards where she was sitting. “I’m Ren.”

“Oh I know who you are,” she said wryly. “My brother did tell me all about you.”

The dog growled, but she ignored him, and suddenly held out her hand.

He crouched down by her and shook it.

“I’m Liza.”

“I gathered.” He hesitated, glancing involuntarily at the dog again, who was now much closer. It was still looking at him and he was pretty sure, that if it stood up, it’d be higher than the couch it was half hidden behind. “What- what exactly did Maxwell say about me?”

She stood up without looking at him. “That he thought you’d be scared of dogs.”

The dog made another, sudden sound that went very quickly from a growl to a whine.

“I’m not!” Ren protested hastily, standing up again. “He’s gorgeous, actually.”

The dog sprang to its paws and knocked over a chair.

“Oh you think so?” Liza said and her smile suddenly had a sharp sort of satisfaction to it. “Then maybe you’d like to take him for a walk? While I clean up here?”

Ren looked at her in surprise. “I suppose… if that would help. I mean, I’m awake now anyway.”

“Thank you!” she she said and it did really sound like she meant it.

“Sure, no worries. Let me get some proper shoes on. Be right back.”

“Of course, I’ll get you a leash,” she said, and he heard her still talking as he walked out the door, in a very deliberate, sing-songy voice: “What a lucky boy you are, going for walkies, with your nice, helpful neighbour Ren.”

He walked back into his own apartment with raised eyebrows. You never could tell, could you, which people were the types to baby talk to pets.

[dragonsorceress22]

Book Recommendation

The series provides some racial diversity, lots of LGBTQ+ diversity, embraces and includes all types of relationships and possible relationships, and has a broad scope of character ages as well. And what's really great is that it's not a book full of caricatures; it's a book full of people. And I love them.

I've only read the first 4 books so far, but if you're looking for fairly relaxed, diverse, modern-day fantasy story it's a great one to cozy up with.

The first three books in the series are available in print and audiobook! (I live in hope that more of them will come out in audio.)

Don't forget to check out your local library for a wealth of free reading, watching, and listening!

[haveyoureadthisqueerbook]

The Last Sun by KD Edwards received 388 votes total. 19.6% of respondents answered YES, they have read it. 80.4% of respondents answered NO, they have not read it.

In this debut novel and series starter, the last member of a murdered House searches for a missing nobleman, and uncovers clues about his own tortured past. Rune Saint John, last child of the fallen Sun Court, is hired to search for Lady Judgment's missing son, Addam, on New Atlantis, the island city where the Atlanteans moved after ordinary humans destroyed their original home. With his companion and bodyguard, Brand, he questions Addam's relatives and business contacts through the highest ranks of the nobles of New Atlantis. But as they investigate, they uncover more than a missing man: a legendary creature connected to the secret of the massacre of Rune's Court. In looking for Addam, can Rune find the truth behind his family's death and the torments of his past?

This series is fantastic. Highly recommend.

[full-moon-phoenix]

A WIP of Holly and Tristan from Tree Gods, an upcoming urban fantasy story featuring an MLM romance between a human and a forest king. It has been described as "Romeo and Juliet for people who shipped Romeo with Tybalt"

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[beautifulinternetwhispers]

score 4 out of 4

this was a beautiful book with a cute romance and lots of really soft pack interactions. The second half of the book was a little less soft but it still left me smileing everytime i put it down.