#ya fantasy for adults

[brujahinaskirt]

It's not even about the vindication of calling a ship, okay. It's that the supposedly anti woke studio wrote about 3 million words of medieval fiction centering the relationship of the two main characters who are in most ways (or in all ways if you follow the obvious canon momentum of the story) meant for each other, as counterparts who help each other survive the great travails of their lives and who challenge/complete the other to become fuller, braver, kinder people. It's so clear these two people are soulmates, platonically or romantically, something observed consistently by the world around them and by themselves.

Except their society (feudalism, Catholicism) dictates that they are intended to be completely incompatible by nature and divine law. Not just for the obvious fact they are both men, but they are separated by what is arguably an even steeper chasm of social class. Their existence even as friends utterly spites, interrupts, and threatens feudal order right down to its theological and philosophical roots. They should not see each other as human and yet.

It's the fact that they do. The fact that the entire story has been about this--that these two protagonists fit together, undeniably, and grow to love each other fiercely (a love that deepens superbly from their knee-jerk playful puppy-friend-love in kcd1 to something selfless and mature by the end of kcd2). And they do so despite the immense opposition by their world, their social circles, their faith, and indeed their fandom.

And yes, it really does fucking matter that all of this culminates into a deep onscreen romantic love (if you get out of the way and allow it to) between two fandom-beloved male main characters (not just side characters rammed in for an optional gay romance but THE main characters of the duology; the "you" as in the player character and your erstwhile dick-jokes bro you have perhaps grudgingly at first been invited as the audience to love) in a historical fiction story that has been wrongly touted by the worst of our contemporaries as the holy grail of cultural conservatism.

Holy shit. Warhorse -- y'all. I'm sorry I doubted you. So few game writers understand how love works and indeed how people work, let alone translate it so well onto the screen.

Calling this an "optional romance" is not technically incorrect, I suppose, because it's true you can opt out and choose to remain platonic friends. But this language feels like a disservice, as if Henry & Hans's romance is a typical RPG wham-bam fanservice makeout with a minor fan fave character who never interacts meaningfully with the player again. Or as if it's a Bioware-style "give this NPC the right gift and do their side quest and you get to see a jankly ugly-bumpin' montage" situation.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance is so very much not that. The "main, optional" romance scene in question is just one consummation event of two people who have been growing up and falling in love in front of us over the course of some 200-300 (or god knows how many) hours. The fact these protagonists openly love each other is very much not optional.

This is, sincerely, groundbreaking storytelling in this medium and this genre. How fucking cool that we all got to see it now.

[writtenbycassandra]

most female main characters in ya fantasy usually don't have their parents around/are orphans/ran away from home (e.g. the mortal instruments, lockwood & co, a deadly education, ...), which is why there are often no adult figures around to manage the (magical) chaos the teenage characters have to untangle standalone.

but the raven cycle is different — the adults work together with the teen characters, actually listen to them, and try to help them with their quest. blue doesn't have only her friends around to help her out, she also has a giant home with different, female rolemodels. calla, persephone, maura, and all the other aunts and friends — they give blue something most ya characters don't have.

and as the series continues, she also meets the grey man, who becomes a familiar figure for her, too.

instead of having not enough help and support from adults, which is a thing most ya protagonists struggle with, blue has so many people constantly trying to protect, guide, and help her, and i think that's awesome.

she has a family, and they're actually a part of the story.

[obsob]

happy and proud!!

✷(print shop)✷

[blessedsweetgirl]

Literally husband and wife

[soranatus]

I just wanted to make a post showcasing some of my favorite illustrations by Keith Thompson for the Leviathan Trilogy.

The art went so hard in these books, it’s crazy. The plot is basically an alternate universe WW1 about the major two powers, the Darwinists, and the Clankers. The Darwinists genetically engineered animals to fight for them creating huge flying whale battleships, while the Clankers made huge robot mechs and powerful guns. A few historical people and places show up in these books, like Nikola Tesla.

But my favorite parts of the books were the art, truly breathtaking, it was beautifully grotesque at times. But that’s not unexpected, after all Keith Thompson helped create the design of Moder from The Ritual!

[serien-grl-22]

Something I love about Jude is, that when she witnesses how Balekin treats Cardan, she isn't like every other YA main character "oh no, that's why he's so mean. I should help him!", but more like "oh no, Cardan has the potential to be even worse, I gotta stop him!"

[frondobongo-mixedmedia]

Going to the thrift store to buy a paperback book called Throne of Broken Raven Bones and Glass Ruin Kingdom for 45 cents just to feel alive. The main character is a simple farm girl named Græclyne Summernight de’Royalty (Gray for short)and she was born with a birthmark the exact shape of World Peace right on her shoulder. Everyone is in love with her except her sworn nemesis Blarno, the prince, who she must save the kingdom with butoh my the shocking he saves her it must be he loves her more than the rest. She is 4ft 6 and he is 7ft tall.

[greykolla-art]

YES IM STILL ADVERTISING OUR GRAPHIC NOVEL!

In between all the bloody fights and swearing, there’s some GAY people!💖

And HEY! If you guys want to buy this book, even though it’s only in Icelandic, I do believe this store ships to other countries!😜

https://www.forlagid.is/vara/vesprius-og-kaleikurinn/

Here’s the instructions for it in English

https://www.forlagid.is/how-to-shop-here/

JUST LOOK AT THE PRETTY PICTURES AND LEARN ICELANDIC SWEARING!😂💖

it’s like 168 pages, so its also a weapon if nothing else!

[gothgleek]

Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan

“If you ask me, she’s too good for him.”

“He’s the supreme monarch of our land, and she’s a treacherous witch whose sins scream to the sky for the gods to strike her down.”

"I do like her.”

[rhysknees]

What to Read Next

[amkalus]

Looking for Potential Audience

Heya, I'm new to Writeblr world and willing to give it a try. Would anyone be interested in reading an adventure fantasy YA novel set mostly at sea? After being rejected 50+ times, I am considering potentially self-publishing it (and wondering if it'd be worth the trouble).

I have longed to have a heroine who represents this technically incurable health issue, given it affects one in every ten women. And I've longed for a story that encapsulates what it feels like to be hopelessly in love with the sea... so I wrote one.

The Sea Whisperer features:

FMC dealing with symptoms of PCOS [severe acne, suicidal depression, infertility etc.]

Enchanted lighthouse with a mysterious lighthouse keeper [there is sea magic involved]

Thousand-year-old prophecy and sea monsters

Old maps, leather-bound journals, and a pet sea hawk

Tall ships! lots of sails and ropes action

Friendships between women

Extremely subtle F/M romance

Sea Shanties

Island kingdoms and castles with opulent ballrooms [Anti-Colonialism Theme]

Here is the premise: The fishing village of Galacair has been the only home Earwyn’s ever known. Between the mysterious illness that plagues her and the villagers who consider her cursed, surviving gets harder with each dreary day. But there are whispers coming from the sea which ceaselessly beckon her, and an ominous vision of a calamity that haunts her dreams. Earwyn fears they could be a part of her illness too, and that madness has befallen her. The only one who seems to know something about it is Galacair’s lighthouse keeper, whose tower is as strange and remote as he is.

While I mainly wrote this story in dedication to all the PCOS women out there like me who are struggling to live with this and often failing, I also wanted it to be a personal tribute of mine to a lifetime spent by the sea, and to a family history filled with the adventurous spirit of mariners.

[lgbtqreads]

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe by C.B. Lee

Today on the site I am so thrilled to be sharing the cover for the long-awaited Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe by C.B. Lee, a cozy Sapphic YA fantasy releasing June 10, 2025 from Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan! Here’s the story: A geeky overachiever determined to save the world through science and a troublemaking chosen one lashing out against her destiny meet and fall in love in a magical…

[dreiidrie]

It's been years since I made these character cards for Cassandra Clare's The Dark Artifices book series. I haven't really officially posted them online so most artworks were only seen on her ig account or photos posted of the prints from fans~ Well, here goes. :> Follow me @:

Instagram

Twitter

[jessread-s]

TW: kidnapping, sexual assault, sexual harassment, drugging, misogyny

✩🎁❄️Review:

If you are hoping for a fluffy, festive romance, this is not it. 

Set after the Caraval series, “Spectacular” follows Donatella Dragna as she embarks on the ultimate holiday adventure to find the perfect gift for Legend. 

I LOVED the first half of this book. It was a joy to return to Valenda and spend more time with Scarlett, Tella, Julian, and Legend. Rosie Fowinkle’s gorgeous illustrations truly bring them to life! The red accents Fowinkle added to her images paired with Garber’s whimsical writing definitely got me into the holiday spirit. 

Unfortunately, this book took a turn for the worst near the halfway point that left me feeling uncomfortable. Simply put, this book fails to take consent into consideration. 

🚨‼️SPOILER ALERT‼️🚨

To go into more detail, Tella is drugged and kidnapped at one point in the story. She wakes up in the Spice Quarter—a place riddled with gambling pits, drug dens, and brothels. Soon after, she is forced to change into an outfit that leaves her scantily clad so that she can show off her backside to a man whose identity is not known. She is then taken to his private room where she is blindfolded, gagged, and restrained. Once there, the man touches and kisses her without her consent. The reader ultimately finds out that the mystery man is Legend, but honestly, that did not make the whole series of events better in my eyes. Had she known it was him all along, what transpired would still be considered assault given that she did not consent to any of it. Readers fresh off of Finale might be able to connect what happened here to the letter Tella wrote in which she asked Legend to kidnap her. Why Legend thought this would be such a great holiday gift is lost on me. As someone who hasn’t read Finale in years, I did not make the connection. Neither did Tella, which is what made the whole thing icky. 

🚨‼️END OF SPOILERS‼️🚨

I was hoping for more ScarJulian content at the very least, but their presence is more akin to a cameo. I hope that the next one (which is alluded to in the epilogue) does not follow in its predecessor’s footsteps. 

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[unhealthyfanobsession]

YA authors stop being cowards and write a 200 year old woman finding out her mate is a 19 year old boy.

I would cackle the whole time.