#the fox and the dryad

[melanielocke]

Book recommendations: queer adult fantasy romance

This is a relatively new genre. Before, pretty much all YA fantasy books are heavy on the romance, but that's becoming more popular in adult, creating fantasy romance as a genre. I read mostly queer fantasy romance. Unfortunately, there aren't many traditionally published ones yet, I think the top rowin the left picture is all of them (if there are any I didn't know of, please let met know). I've excluded sci-fi romance for this post (which is why Winter's Orbit isn't here).

In indie books, I think there are some more, but I'm not super familiar with the indie market. The bottom three in the left picture are all indie books that also come in paperback (many are ebook only and I don't have an ereader). Most of these books I have talked about before but not all of them.

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland

This is a prince/bodyguard romance set in a kingdom inspired by the Ottoman empire. Kadou is the queen's younger brother, and after a mistake puts him in a bad situation with his sister and the body father of her child, he has to help her uncover a conspiracy to do with forged money.

He gets a new bodyguard, which in this case has both the task of being a guard and being a personal attendant. Evemer hates Kadou at first. He's very duty bound and thinks Kadou does not take his duties as prince seriously.

But they will have to trust each other if they want to get to the bottom of that forged money conspiracy.

Evemer is a very stoic guy. He doesn't talk much. He can go entire days only saying 'Yes, my prince' 'no, my prince' or simply 'my prince' when he tries to convey he is annoyed or disagrees.

Kadou has very well written anxiety, and deals with this in numerous ways, including at first drinking far too much wine to dull his fears. Evemer is at first very judgemental, but over time he comes to understand Kadou better.

There's lots of discussion of ethics in this book, partially to establish how a relationship between them could happen without there being a power imbalance because of it.

Also by this author: several self published books, in 2024 comes their next trad published book, Running Close to the Wind, which is a queer pirate book pitches as Our Flag Means Death x Six of Crows

A Marvellous Light & a Restless Truth by Freya Marske I've already talked about several time

And yet I'm going to do it again. I love the each book features a different couple structure and I'd love to see this more often. It's a great way to have many different major characters but also give all of them their moment to shine and have properly development instead of trying to balance three romances in the same book.

The overarching plot in the trilogy has to do with the conspiracy Robin and Edwin begin to uncover in the first book, something that threatens all magicians of england.

A Marvellous Light features a himbo x librarian m/m couple. They're the softest, sweetest couple of the three in the trilogy to be sure, and I'm planning to reread soon.

A Restless Truth features a sapphic rake x wallflower couple. They're both very chaotic, and I love Maud's energy, as well as the whole sexual awakening arc she has in here, which is so funny.

The third as of yet unpublished book is a Power Unbound, featuring a couple that I think is grump x sunshine but in a asshole x asshole way and it sounds like it's going to be amazing so definitely keep an eye out for that one coming November.

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows

This is one I don't think I've talked about before. Before reading this, definitely check the content warnings. There's a pretty graphic rape scene very early in the book, as well as several moments of suicidal ideation. That said, this is a healing story, and the character this happens to is doing a lot better when the story ends.

Vel is a prince who ends up in an arranged marriage to a noble girl from a different kingdom. When his preference for men is revealed in a pretty awful way, his family is ready to disown him. But the envoy of his betrothed's family had a better idea, marry his former intended's brother instead.

But before Vel arrives at the castle of his betrothed, he is attacked and nearly killed by assassins who clearly do not want his marriage to take place.

When attacks keep happening after Vel and Cae have gotten married, they will have to rely on each other to figure out what's going.

I love queer arranged marriages in stories, like in Winter's Orbit, so I was super excited when I first found out about this book. This book ends with everything wrapped up, but there is a sequel coming out this December. Unfortunately, that's still pretty far away, but there has been a cover reveal and blurb. The sequel will feature the same main characters.

Then to the indie books

Prince of the Sorrows and Lord of Silver Ashes

These are the first two books in the Rowan Blood series, which the author intends to be an eight book series in total. But since it's an indie series and the author is a pretty fast writer, they come pretty fast after one another. The first one came out last March, and the second one October, and the author released a different book this February. The next book in this series is schedule for late spring somewhere.

This series is set in a fae world, with a parallel historical human world we don't see much of.

Saffron is a beantighe, which is a human servant who is raised in the fae world after his parents made a deal with the fae. His patron sends all these children back to the human world once they become too old, but Saffron wants nothing more to stay in the fae world. To do that, he'll need an academic endorsement from a fae so he can stay and study.

When he accidentally finds out the true name of prince Cylvan, the two strike a deal, Saffron will help him find a way to remove the power on his true name, and Cylvan will give Saffron an endorsement. The only problem is, Saffron has no clue what he's doing and barely taught himself to read.

In the meantime, beantighes are getting killed one after another by a mysterious person known as "the wolf" and it will be up to Saffron to stop the killer, because no one else will.

The first book ends on a cliffhanger, but the second is a bit more wrapped up so I'm not sure what's going to happen in the next book since there will definitely be more. Fortunately, the wait is not super long, but the release date and covers are released much later than for trad publishing

Last is the Fox & the Dryad by Kellen Graves

This book is set in the same world as the Rowan Blood series, but it is a standalone in the modern time period.

Briar is a ballet dancer, and while he enchants many people on the stage, he cannot get the attention of the one person they really want to notice them. So they strike a deal with a fae lady, if he can perform one perfect dance she'll make him the most enchanting thing on two legs. Of course, a dance is never perfect and now he's stuck dancing for the fae lady whenever she asks him too, despite him getting worn out and injured from it.

Malric is the son of said fae lady and used to be a dancer himself. All his siblings are artists and their mother abuses their talents to entertain people at her revels, all at their cost. Malric left, but he finds out his mother struck a deal with Briar, who is now his replacement. Malric wants to rescue Briar, and tries to help him posing as his new dance teacher in the human world as well as a mysterious masked fey lord at the revels. But then he starts developing feelings for Briar, and he has to ask himself if what he's doing is really helping him.

This book takes place a lot more in the human world than the main Rowan Blood series, which ballet playing a big role which I think was done really well. Briar is a masc enby and uses he/they pronouns, and use alters through the book. I think this is the author's best book so far and if you're not looking to get invested in a long unfinished series yet I would try this one first and maybe start Rowan Blood afterwards.

I'll probably do trans characters next as the Wicked Bargain has arrived and I'll start reading it tomorrow

@alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @life-through-the-eyes-of @astriefer @justanormaldemon @ipromiseiwillwrite @a-dream-dirty-and-bruised @amchara @all-for-the-fanfiction @imsoftforthomastair @ddepressedbookworm @queenlilith43 @wagner-fell @cant-think-of-anything @laylax13s @tessherongraystairs @boredfangirl16 @artist-in-soul @beyondlifebeyonddeath @ikissedsmithparker

[books1311]

I can only just applaud Kellen Graves for these books. They are amazing and should get way more credit! I can't wait for more. ❤️❤️❤️

[transbookoftheday]

The Fox and the Dryad by Kellen Graves

Briar Hunt has always been lauded for his grace on stage, except by one person from whom he wants it the most. Desperate to earn the affection he craves, Briar makes a late night deal with a high fey lady: If he can perform a single perfect dance at one of her woodland revels, she will make him the most enchanting thing on two legs.

However, Briar quickly learns the fey lady is impossible to please. Not only that, her demands are never-ending, enough to slowly unravel his life and his health. Only when a handsome stranger, Mal, arrives claiming he can help Briar break his deal and earn his freedom back, does Briar think he might be saved.

Lord Malric d'Alarie has finally broken free of dancing on command for his mother at her fey revels. But after hearing he's been replaced, he attends one of her parties to see for himself. The human performing in his place is breathtaking--but Malric dreads what kind of deal the dancer made with his mother in order to be there.

Wanting to rescue Briar from the same woman who stole his own love for ballet, Malric inserts himself into Briar's life from every angle possible. From posing as a dance instructor in the human world to hiding behind a mask in the fey world, Malric promises he can set Briar free of his fateful deal. Malric only has to keep his identity--and his intentions--secret, from both the dancer he's quickly falling for, and his mother, who controls their every move.

[rowan-blood]

Book Covers of the Rowan Blood Series.

Links to purchase at @skellygraves

[tickatocka]

the fox and the dryad is going well guys

[galinophrum]

i just enrolled in a beginner ballet class and im very nervous but also excited

[tea-with-eleni]

sometimes I forget that not everybody had a ballet phase, and not everyone had the plots to Giselle, Coppelia, Swan Lake, the ballet version of Sleeping Beauty, and the Nutcracker memorized before they could read.

if you were one of those people who had those stories ingrained in your brain, if you also like nonbinary protagonists, if you like the kind of fey that are all bargains and danger, and if you like consensual romance where the R-rated bits can be skimmed over (or not, as desired)

Go read The Fox and the Dryad by Kellen Graves. It just consumed me for the last four hours straight, including some very risky bathtime reading.

[originalzin]

I'm terrible at posting consistently anywhere, let alone here, but here's some of the Halloween avatars I've been working on this year~

[cikalys]

Another beach-themed illustration? Yes!

[hanzajesthanza]

the short stories are actually really provocative and profound, heartrending and disturbing and thought-provoking and funny all at the same time and in such a short amount of space.

but i feel like when n*tflix touched them, they were the first victim of a withering away and soul sapping for me, in which i couldn't bear to be around the kinds of discussions and jokes and everything which were coming up at that time as fundamental misunderstandings of them so it just became very painful and very banal because they were all, in essence, forgotten.

however, that damage is not irreversable.

particularly in the case of a good adaptation, the musical, i have begun to remember all of why i love the short stories so much, just how good and painful to my heart they are, as well as thinking more deeply about some aspects which i had not previously considered or paid a lot of attention to (in lieu of other things which excited me more).

i think the biggest strength of a "good" adaptation and a "good" fandom is that they make you realize things you hadn't, interested in parts that weren't your 'favorite,' and generally expanding your mind and love of the source material. in contrast, a "bad" adaptation or "bad" fandom is that which makes you wish to forget and eventually end up forgetting your love and leaving it behind yourself. "good" is to remember, "bad" is to forget.

[roscheriart]

My new art not for orders! I miss to draw for myself so much 😢😢😢

[rowan-blood]

Pronounciation Guide & Title Reference (fictional & inspired) WIP

BOOK 1:

Ailir (fictional) eye-leer Asche (fictional) ash Aon-adharch (scottish-gaelic) oon er-kach Beantighe (irish-gaelic) ban-tee Bríghde (gaelic) bride Connacht (irish-gaelic) con-ah-kt Clymeus (fictional, greek inspo) clai-may-us Cylvan (fictional) sil-van Derdriu (irish-gaelic) der-dru Eias (fictional) eye-uss Elluin (fictional) ell-oo-in Naoill (fictional) now-ill Naoise (irish-gaelic) nee-sha Niamh (irish-gaelic) neeve Oisín (irish-gaelic) oh-sheen Shamhradháin (irish-gaelic) sham-ra-dien Sídhe (irish-gaelic) shee Tuatha dé Danann (irish-gaelic) too-ha de dan-an

The Fox and the Dryad

Beantighe (ban-tee) Felme (fell-ma) Larissa (lah-riss-ah) Lillis (lil-iss) Lusia (loose-ia) Malric (mal-rick) Maura (more-ah) Mavera (mah-vare-ah) Neda (neh-da) Persea (purr-say-ah) Reta (reh-tah) Sídhe (shee)

Title Reference (fictional)

he/she/they Lord/Lady/Gentle King/Queen/Danae Prince/Princess/Daurae

[nutcaseart]

I have added Character Creation Commissions to my Ko-fi commission area! You can order one over here: https://ko-fi.com/nutcaseart/commissions

[neixins]

what if i made the gijaeha flashback portion of my skater au (coming to your screens…at some fucking point idk!) into its own thing? like a prequel? what then ….. or should i just go with my initial idea and incorporate it as extended flashbacks? so much to consider but i wanna see what the imps think :3

[kokonoko84]

Deep in the forest, a dryad offers some of her fruit to a wandering fox.

[sculk-veined]

Life series design ideas i'm gonna slowly work on (not series specific but i'm kind of developing an overarching garden theme accidentally)

Garden Life

rosy maple moth fairy lizzie with her polyphemus moth fairy husband joel hyping her up from the sidelines

Snail gem with a beautiful decorated detachable turquoise shell that expands into a cottagecore house

creaking tree BigB and sapling Scott as a willow and flower dryad each respectively

pearl could be a sparrow person or a human shepherd figurine (not sure on it rn) but her army of dogs could either stay (ceramic) dogs or be little caterpillars. she guards the sunflower patch

bdubs would make a great stoat/other mustelid, though the way he keeps his houses so specific reminds me of a little beatrix potter dormouse

mumbo and tango and impulse are all borrower-type tiny humans but they're all in your house chewing on your wires and taking apart your toaster for the heating coils and resistors and redstone

martyn is a boggart like in spiderwick chronicles, he likes making messes and mischief and leaving thumbtacks on chairs when he gets into your house

skizz seems like he'd be a little garden statue of a knight, something to match his chivalry, maybe he's a fountain statement piece

cleo seems more like a Lost Thing, like she's a barbie that got left in the dirt by the previous owner's child that you dig up when you're trying to plant carrots

jimmy is a canary that escaped from his cage one day and never looked back, he would tell stories about the inside of the house and the giant watching things that would have him sing for them but his voice is hoarse now so he doesn't sing anymore (and that's his choice)

etho is a fox. no notes i love that interpretation

rendog is a little action figure who got lost like cleo but remembers the child who would turn him into a tyrant king whenever he was played with

grian is a male cardinal (because the red obv) bird person who's a bit of a daredevil and who hits windows quite a bit

going to draw these and post them so keep an eye out, if you draw this (before or after i do) please @ me so i can see!