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yvesdot · 7 months

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SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT IS OUT!

“A quietly fantastical wonderland of creatures, queerness, and possibility.” — Max Franciscovich @goose-books, author of Night Shift

The debut collection returns in a special fifth anniversary edition, repackaged with three new short stories, a new cover, and additional bonus content! A vampire is forced into a compromising situation; a father fears his child's growing plant collection; the undead go to high school; a butcher contemplates whether or not she can be loved. In a captivating debut, yves. opens the door to our world, slightly askew—where the crows work for witches and telephone booths serve as secret channels for prophecy; where a diverse cast of monsters and humans alike are forced to contend with what the world believes is right.

Thank you to everyone who made my weird uncategorizable "Lemony Snicket meets Carmen Maria Machado" speculative fiction an instant bestseller! If you’ve ever felt like a monster, this book is for you.

PRESS: KZSC interview | Santa Cruz Sentinel interview

EXCERPTED SHORT STORIES

BUY NOW!

signed paperback | paperback & ebook (amazon) | ebook (itch.io)

& at all major retailers!

Thank you so much for reading this post about my book. I hope you will share it, and this image of my beautiful black cat, Andy, widely. To queer weird fiction and indie pub! To you, Dear Reader, with love.

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ya-world-challenge · 1 year

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18 Afrofantasy Worlds to Read after you watch Wakanda Forever

So I see you guys love these lists and, hey, I’m not going to complain, I love looking at these sets of beautiful cover art. This theme is... Afro Fantasy Worlds! ♥♥ From alt-Cairo to alt-Johannesburg and many magical worlds in between, I’ve chosen 18 books full of African magic.

Add your favorites in the comments, too! I only ended up with two male MCs... that’s sadly a shortcoming in YA fantasy in general, although not every book here is YA.

Support my blog and read at the same time when you buy from the linked titles below, which go to Bookshop.org (where you support small bookshops, too!) Or get a free trial at Scribd for ebooks & audiobooks.

Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray Fate binds two Black teenagers from different social classes together as they strike a dangerous alliance to enter a magical jungle and hunt down the ancient creature menacing their home--and discover much more than they bargained for.

Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo A gruesome war results in the old gods' departure from earth. The only remnants of their existence lie in two girls. Twins, separated at birth. Goddesses who grow up believing that they are human. Their epic journey of self-discovery as they embark on a path back to one another.

Everfair by Nisi Shawl A steampunk alternate-history novel set in the Belgian Congo. What if the African natives developed steam power ahead of their colonial oppressors? This land, named Everfair, is set aside as a safe haven, an imaginary Utopia for native populations of the Congo as well as escaped slaves returning from America and other places where African natives were being mistreated.

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi A fantasy trilogy with its roots in the mythology of Africa and Arabia, three women band together against a cruel empire where castes are divided by the color of one's blood.

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark A young magical detective in 1912 Cairo must investigate the murders of a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, when the murderer claims to be al-Jahiz himself returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko Tarisai was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to compete to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince's Council of 11. If she's picked, she'll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust.

Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron Heir to two lines of powerful witchdoctors, Arrah yearns for magic of her own. Under the disapproving eye of her mother, the Kingdom's most powerful priestess and seer, she fears she may never be good enough. But when the Kingdom's children begin to disappear, Arrah is desperate enough to turn to a forbidden, dangerous ritual.

Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa Danso is a clever scholar on the cusp of achieving greatness--except he doesn't want it. Instead, he prefers to chase forbidden stories about what lies outside the city walls. But when Danso stumbles across a warrior wielding magic that shouldn't exist, he's put on a collision course with Bassa's darkest secrets. Drawn into the city's hidden history, he sets out on a journey beyond its borders.

The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani Children have been disappearing from across Menaiya for longer than Amraeya ni Ansarim can remember. When her friend's sister is snatched, Rae knows she can't look away any longer. She finds unexpected support from a foreign princess and a street thief with secrets of his own.

Blood Scion by Deborah Falayei They wanted me to be a monster. I will be the worst monster they ever created. Fifteen-year-old Sloane can incinerate an enemy at will--she is a Scion, a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods. When she is forcibly conscripted into the Lucis army, Sloane sees a new opportunity: to overcome the bloody challenges of Lucis training, and destroy them from within.

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata--a mermaid--collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home. But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi goes against an ancient decree and does the unthinkable--she saves his life. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy the gods.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna On the day of the blood ceremony of her village, Deka's blood runs gold, the color of impurity-and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death. Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki-near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat.

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes Set in a world where murderers and other criminals acquire magical animals that are mystically bonded to them. Zinzi has a Sloth on her back, a dirty 419 scam habit, and a talent for finding lost things. When a little old lady turns up dead and the cops confiscate her last paycheck, Zinzi's forced to take on her least favorite kind of job -- missing persons.

Noor by Nnedi Okorafor In a near-future Nigeria. Anwuli Okwudili prefers to be called AO, Artificial Organism. Instead of viewing her strange body the way the world views it, as freakish, unnatural, even the work of the devil, AO embraces all that she is: A woman with a ton of major and necessary body augmentations. And then one day she goes to her local market and everything goes wrong.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope. Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy Sixteen-year-old Eva is a princess, born with the magick of marrow and blood--a dark and terrible magick that hasn't been seen for generations in the vibrant but fractured country of Myre. Its last known practitioner was Queen Raina, who toppled the native khimaer royalty and massacred thousands, including her own sister, eight generations ago. Eva must now face her older sister, Isa, in a battle to the death if she hopes to ascend to the Ivory Throne.

Changa’s Safari by Milton Davis In the 15th century on the African Continent a young prince flees his homeland of Kongo, vowing to seek revenge for the murder of his father and the enslavement of his family and his people. He triumphs over the slavery and the fighting pits of Mogadishu to become a legendary fighter and respected merchant.

Waking Fire by Jean Louise Naira Khoum has only known life in Lagusa, a quiet village at the desert’s end. But to the rest of the world, Lagusa is a myth, its location shrouded in secrecy. While war rages to the north led by power-hungry Sothpike and his army of undead monsters called Dambi, Naira’s people live in peace. Until the impossible happens—Lagusa is attacked by a Mistress sent to do Sothpike’s bidding with a hoard of Dambi under her control.

Bonus: Daughters of Oduma by Moses Ose Utomi An elite female fighter must reenter the competition to protect her found family of younger sisters in this scintillating young adult fantasy inspired by West African culture.

#book list #afrofantasy #black ya #african fantasy #wakanda forever #book recommendations #diverse ya #diverse fantasy #north africa #west africa #fantasy #magic #royalty #afrofuturism #fantasy world

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bookishfeylin · 1 year

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Black Fantasy TBR Part 1

It's taking so long to compile all my books that I might as well release my tbr one portion at a time. This isn't really that organized, but here's the first part of my fantasy (and a little bit of scifi) tbr listed out for people who are curious and/or want to see more fantasy books with Black protagonists:

The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton

Nubia: The Awakening by Omar Epps and Clarence A. Haynes

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

Abengoni: First Calling by Charles R. Saunders

Across the Broken Tide by Lakase Cousino

Iron Cast by Destiny Soria

That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams

Kingdom of Feathers by Deborah Grace White

Priestess of nKu by Milton J Davis

Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland

The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Queen of Zazzau by J.S. Emuakpor

Elysium by Nora Sakavic

Daughters of Jubilation by Kara Lee Corthron

Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu

Dream Country by Ashaye Brown

The Reluctant Sacrifice by Kerr-Ann Dempster

She Steals Justice by J. Clark

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender

The Hope of Aferi: The Wolf Queen by Cerece Rennie Murphy

A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy

The Blazing Star by Imani Josey

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne Brown

Bones to the Wind by Tatiana Obey

Treachery of Water by Angela J. Ford

Wings of Ebony by J. Elle

Beautiful Nightmare by L.C. Son

Conquest by Celeste Harte

Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye

The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin

Magic Dark, Magic Divine by A.J. Locke

Shadow's Dissident by Ariel Paiement

War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi

Mirage by Somaiya Daud

A Conspiracy of Stars by Olivia A. Cole

This was mostly stand-alones and duologies, so the next part of my tbr should be mostly trilogies and longer series.

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sapphicbookclub · 1 year

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Author Spotlight - Rien Gray

Rien Gray, author of Her Wolf in the Wild, brings a fascinating guest post about the history of lesbian mystery novels! Her Wolf in the Wild is a paranormal romance that our members are current reading.

Like a lot of F/F readers, I struggled finding books with sapphic protagonists when I was younger, and held onto every book I could find like it was worth its weight in gold. So when I found out about the history of lesbian mystery novels, I was shocked to find out that hundreds of them had been published since the 1970s, often distributed through mailing services, magazines, and independent feminist presses like Naiad.

Also known as lesbian detective fiction, these books follow, you guessed it, lesbian detectives. Despite the name, plenty of characters in these novels are also bisexual or unlabeled but clearly attracted to women, and the gamut of the queer community tends to appear as the mysteries in question progress.

The genre appears to have started with A Reason to Kill by Eve Zaremba in 1978 with her middle-aged lesbian private investigator Helen Keremos. Mary Wings joined soon after with a butch protagonist named Emma Victor, a private eye. Nikki Baker became the first Black writer of lesbian mysteries with In the Game, a series that follows financial analyst and burgeoning sleuth Virginia Kelly. And there are dozens and dozens more.

Most of these authors wrote substantial series, following the same protagonists for years, taking their detectives through new jobs, heartbreaks, and self-discovery with each case. It’s worth noting that a lot of these characters are cops, but what I found interesting about that in the novels I read was how deeply the authors engaged with what that means when a protagonist is both queer and a member of law enforcement, and how often that clashed, especially in decades-old books where gay bars being raided was in recent memory.

If you want to know more about the genre, Megan Casey wrote The Lesbian Detective Novel, which features a database of every fitting writer and title the author could find, as well as several essays on the books in question.

#guest post #sapphic books #diverse reads #diverse fantasy #paranormal romance #paranormal books #booklr #lesbian mystery novels #lesbian #book recs

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b-a-pigeon · 8 months

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Hierarchy of the Unseen is on sale this week!

HotU is a fantasy novel following a devout demon hunter who isn't fully human and a lackluster demon who isn't quite committed to his role in the world. The two must team up to uncover a conspiracy that threatens life as they know it—but how can they protect the world if no one will listen?

ARC reviewers called it "immersive," "complex," and "page-turning" and compared it (very generously!) to Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler, Priory of the Orange Tree, and Good Omens.

If you like your fantasy character-driven and queer, with developed worldbuilding and creative takes on magic and religion, check it out before the price goes up! Read a full summary & grab your copy at any of these bookstores 🌑🌞

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aronlewes · 1 year

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Diversity in my books

I've been reluctant to make this post, because I feel like my intentions could be easily misconstrued. People might think I'm trying to make myself look a certain way or support some kind of agenda, but no. I've just ALWAYS written diverse books. Simply put, I think there should be all types of characters, for all sorts of people to enjoy. So I feature ALL KINDS of characters -- white, black, abled, disabled, straight, LBGT, pretty, plain, old, young, etc, etc. Writing the same character over and over again just isn't fun to me! (I've also had people personally thank me for Asian and disability representation, which is another reason I'm compiling this list)

So, without further ado, here is a (mostly) comprehensive list of my stories that emphasize diversity (these are major characters and plotlines, btw, not unimportant side plots or characters)

(P.S. - this includes a few books written under my other pen name, Caylen McQueen)

Books with diverse lead characters:

The Darker Ages: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077HVG9YW (Alfred du Bois is black and I love him and I will take that love to the grave with me!!! He's my guy for life. I'm putting him first because I think he might be my favorite character of all time.)

School for Spirits: A Dead Girl and a Samurai https://www.amazon.com/School-Spirits-Dead-Samurai-Spirit-ebook/dp/B078YNFD4F/ (Taishi is Japanese)

School for Spirits: Rebel Archangel https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GCXT6WV (Chris Pho is Asian-American)

School for Spirits: Angel of Death https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K5ZF89N (Luciana is Hispanic)

A Crew of Criminals and Cutthroats: https://www.amazon.com/Crew-Criminals-Cutthroats-Aron-Lewes-ebook/dp/B0BTS5MJLW (Jean-Rene is black... also, I like that Davin is 70+ and kicking ass)

School for Spirits: Almost an Archangel https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SQW9NN4 (Kaylene is African-American)

The Fourth Dragon: https://www.amazon.com/Fourth-Dragon-Aron-Lewes-ebook/dp/B096QB3MBP (Esmay is black)

An Elven Debutante: https://www.amazon.com/Elven-Debutante-Airships-Dragons-Book-ebook/dp/B0BGJLSMZP/ (Julian is Asian; so is Himiko in book 2)

School for Spirits: Pretty Dead Girl https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HN5ZYK2 (Vineet is Indian-American... I SUPER love Vineet, he's one of my favorites of all time)

Vixen's Chosen https://www.amazon.com/Vixens-Chosen-Fox-Assassin-Book-ebook/dp/B08ZD63ZXQ/ (Kylin is a kitsune, and it's strongly hinted that she is Japanese)

Angels & Outlaws: https://www.amazon.com/Angels-Outlaws-Aron-Lewes-ebook/dp/B0BDGBK95Y/ (Bo Lightfoot is Native American)

A Family of Wizards: https://www.amazon.com/Wizard-80s-Family-Wizards-Book-ebook/dp/B0B478DMNP/ (the titular magical family is Chinese)

Pride & Prejudice & Airships: https://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudice-Airships-Steampunk-Book-ebook/dp/B07G38N7FF/ (Bin Li is Asian)

Whispers of Steam: https://www.amazon.com/Caged-Princess-Whispers-Steam-Book-ebook/dp/B088PF6K36 (leads in this book are a pair of brown-skinned mercenaries, an Asian hero-turned-villain-turned-hero, and a bisexual woman)

Ghost of Redemption: https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Redemption-School-Spirits-Story-ebook/dp/B096Q9Q5ZY/ (Johnny Wong is biracial)

Little Alien on the Prairie: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Alien-Prairie-First-Contact-ebook/dp/B08PDGS9PC/ (Rain is Native American)

The Wishing Princess: https://www.amazon.com/Wishing-Princess-Magic-Dreams-Book-ebook/dp/B09ZVL578X/ (the MC's eventual love interest, Nils, is a dark-skinned elf)

Palace of Maids: https://www.amazon.com/Palace-Maids-Weird-Portal-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B098TNW5K5 (Dustin is indigenous)

Books with disability representation:

School for Spirits: Rebel Archangel https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GCXT6WV (Anna uses a wheelchair)

The Darker Ages: https://www.amazon.com/Darker-Ages-Aron-Lewes-ebook/dp/B077HVG9YW/ (Alice has quadriplegia)

Vixen's Challenge: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08ZD26H6H (Sara uses a wheelchair)

A Sheriff's Redemption: https://www.amazon.com/Sheriffs-Redemption-Lady-Robin-Hood-ebook/dp/B0784QFSKX (the Sheriff of Nottingham's younger brother, Kinlay, is disabled)

Cinderella & Dragons: https://www.amazon.com/Cinderella-Dragons-Complete-Aron-Lewes-ebook/dp/B07D3GLSPW (Terra uses crutches)

Books with LBGT+ characters:

My Lady Robin Hood series https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Locksley-Robin-Hood-Book-ebook/dp/B077LJ9G8N/ (there are many diverse characters in this series, but my trans Little John is most prominent, imo)

The Darker Ages: https://www.amazon.com/Darker-Ages-Aron-Lewes-ebook/dp/B077HVG9YW/ (Jalen/Jai is trans)(Jonathan is bisexual and ends up in a relationship with a man)

The Darkest Knight: https://www.amazon.com/Darkest-Knight-Black-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B07HFTSNDD (Daniul is asexual... and autistic, for that matter... he's another one of my all-time favorite characters)

The Barefoot Barmaid: https://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Barmaid-Belles-Bullets-Book-ebook (there are a ton of diverse characters throughout the series, but there is a gay couple, and Vee is a lesbian)

(I could have more LGBT+ characters, imo, but there are other authors do it better... actually, I'm thinking of one author friend in particular, and if she's reading this... DO write that gay historical, please! I want it!!)

I've probably forgotten some, but I'd say this is a pretty decent (and growing!) list. Also, many of my series starters are free, so they should be easy to get into!

Whoever you are out there, I hope you check out my work! <3

#disability representation #pocfiction #diversity #kindle unlimited #inclusion #school for spirits #aron lewes #diverse books #lgbt books #trans characters #poc main character #ebooks #diverse fantasy #gender diverse #asexual characters

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hereforthepotions · 8 months

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Behold, elf man 👀 Don't worry, his eyebrows are just like that, they aren't in attack mode.

YET.

He kisses trees goodnight and his grandmother is a sugar maple.

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heavymetalseries · 11 months

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A Rhapsody of Rapiers • Heavy Metal Blood

And what fate befalls the undead?

Genre • Historic Urban Fantasy

POV • Third Limited

Content Warnings • Violence

Characters • Elyes Jaouhari

Setting • Mediterranean and Barbary Coast during the Anglo-Spanish War, ~1600s

Synopsis •

Elyes Jaohari never wanted anything more than to travel. When his older brother needs a new cartographer during the Anglo-Spanish War, he jumps at the opportunity. Working under the command of English Captain Westmont, Elyes and his crew make easy work of the Spanish fleets. In exchange, Westmont promises them more money than they can count and free movement through the English world after the war. It seems like the perfect way to get everything he wants.

Until inhuman, blood-drinking monsters board the ship and slaughter most of the crew.

There’s no time to mourn. Elyes’ brother and captain are dead. Elyes must take command and assemble a new crew to continue fighting the Spanish.

Just when Elyes thinks it’s all finally over, Westmont turns on their deal and threatens to hunt down every member of Elyes’ new crew. In order to stop Westmont, he must become just as ruthless as his prusuer. Knowing that he will never see his family again, he sets on a path that will alter his life forever.

A man with nothing to lose is a dangerous creature, and Elyes has everything to gain.

A Rhapsody of Rapiers

#diverse fantasy #trans character #lgbt fantasy #historic fantasy #queer fantasy #original fiction #amir lane #heavy metal blood #hmbrhapsody

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rachel-sylvan-author · 13 days

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Sci-fi Sunday!

"Noor" by Nnedi Okorafor

Thank you @mpaxauthor for the cool read! ❤️

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negrospiritschool · 1 year

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Sample chapter of the first HBCU novel, Delinquents. Join Marquise Blood and his two new friends Jerome and Renee as they sneak their way into the graduating class’s Summer Party...and proceed to fuck everything up.

Read for free on Wattpad, Afrovana, Inkitt

#black mc #blackboyjoy #black witch #magic school #ya novel #harry potter alternatives #magical realism #diverse fantasy #afrofantasy #characters of color #voodoo #hoodoo #conjure #urban fantasy

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wandering-wolf23 · 2 years

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A thrilling tale of adventure, daring-do, and found family...

Find it HERE

#Historical Fantasy #lgbt author #pilots #LGBT books #historical fiction #diverse reads #diverse fantasy #independent author

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yaworldchallenge · 2 years

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🇱🇷 Liberia

Region: West Africa

Son of the Storm

Author: Suyi Davies Okungbowa

312 pages, published 2018

Original language: English

Native author? Author is Nigerian

Age: Teen-Adult

Blurb:

From city streets where secrets are bartered for gold to forests teeming with fabled beasts, a sweeping epic of forgotten magic and violent conquests unfolds in this richly drawn fantasy inspired by the pre-colonial empires of West Africa. IN THIS WORLD, THERE IS NO DESTINY BUT THE ONE YOU MAKE. In the ancient city of Bassa, Danso is a clever scholar on the cusp of achieving greatness—except he doesn’t want it. Instead, he prefers to chase forbidden stories about what lies outside the city walls. The Bassai elite claim there is nothing of interest. The city’s immigrants are sworn to secrecy. But when Danso stumbles across a warrior wielding magic that shouldn’t exist, he’s put on a collision course with Bassa’s darkest secrets. Drawn into the city’s hidden history, he sets out on a journey beyond its borders. And the chaos left in the wake of his discovery threatens to destroy the empire.

Other reps:

Genres: #fantasy #historical, ancient #adventure #magic

My thoughts:

I hope the fantasy is as cool as the cover!

Review to come.

Bookshop.org link | Kobo ebook

#liberia #ya world challenge #book recommendations #booklr #ya fantasy #son of the storm #suyi davies okungbowa #nigerian authors #diverse fantasy #fantasy #historical ancient #adventure #magic #west africa #africa

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ya-world-challenge · 1 year

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Book Review: Waking Fire

Author: Jean Louise

I finished this last year after receiving an early copy and it's taken too long to write a review. T_T

The book follows Naira, a headstrong girl with a temper living in the desert town of Lagusa with her twin brother Nez and their parents. The peace of their 'hidden city' is broken when a zombie army led by a mysterious women breaches the gates.

The setting of the book appears to be North African-inspired (a desert town with a sea and white people to the north), with its own fantasy religion and history. The town is nicely imagined, and I especially loved the atmosphere of the tombs outside the city.

While reading I wasn't aware that this was the first book in a series, so I was wondering when all the mysteries from the prologue would be answered, only to find out that it wouldn't be explained in this book. It was a little disappointing that we didn't get to know much about the dragons, and much of this book felt like filler before we get to the real story. There was a lot of Dambi zombie fighting and running about the city - with so much gore I began to wonder how anyone was left alive in the city (it was maybe too much senseless killing for me, though pretty standard for dark fantasy these days), and I was a little incredulous that a few teens were so much better at killing the zombies than seasoned fighters (but that's how YA is :P)

Naira and Nez's sibling banter was fun, her questioning of the religion was relatable, and there is clearly a lot of world left to be explored in the next books. I read this in spurts and didn't really get into it, but I think teens who love high fantasy and non-Western worlds would find this enjoyable, keeping in mind it is part of a series.

★ ★ ★ 3 stars

Read it on: Bookshop.org | Amazon

#book review #fantasy world #family #romance #africa #north africa #books #booklr #reading #diverse fantasy

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bookishfeylin · 1 year

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Black Fantasy TBR Part 3

Part 1 is here.

Part 2 is here.

This portion of my tbr has a few more sci-fi books than fantasy books, but I felt it still belongs :) So here is the third and final part of my Black fantasy TBR. You guys knows the drill--please look up all age ratings and trigger warnings, and ofc there is no particular order to this list.

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Flameborn by Jamel Cato

Sweep of Stars by Maurice Broaddus

The Record Keeper by Agnes Gomillion

Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley

Tentacles and Teeth by Ariele Sieling

Earthrise by M.C.A. Hogarth

Girl of Flesh and Metal by Alicia Ellis

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Updraft by Fran Wilde

The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow

The Wonder of All Things by Jason Mott

To Find You by Cerece Rennie Murphy

The Kindred by Alechia Dow

Awakening by Rebel Miller

Immortal Plunder by Kelly St. Clare

Kill Three Birds by Nicole Givens Kurtz

The Dream Weavers by Chantae Oliver

Niko by Kayti Nika Raet

#black books #black authors #black sff books #black fantasy books #black ya books #ya books #bookblr #book tumblr #diverse fantasy books #diversity in fantasy #diverse books #fantasy #fantasy books #ya fantasy #diverse fantasy #TBR #booklr #representation matters #bookish rambles

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sapphicbookclub · 1 year

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Author Spotlight: Nikolai Bryant

Today is the release date of The Tax of Teeth, Nikolai's first novel! In honor of the occasion, we're bringing you a guest post from the author.

Hello there! My name is Nikolai, Nick for short! I’m an FTM transgender author who began writing back in 2016 (on an old ipod touch, of all things) and I haven’t given society a break from my ramblings since. In this post, I would like to share my journey as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and how being part of this community has influenced my life. When I first started writing on Wattpad, I wrote fanfiction in my free time- often MM, for fandoms I was in. I was having a rough personal life at the time, figuring out my sexuality and gender- school was painful, I didn’t have many friends, and my conservative relatives were doing a great job of shoving me back into the tiny isolated closet I was in. I didn’t realize that, in my writing, I’d put a lot of my fears into my characters. All of those racing thoughts I had before coming out? All of the fear of how people would think of me when they knew, all of the heartache that comes with breaking the news to loved ones? That was a lot of it, but there was also so much else that was there. The way that the butterflies were in my stomach when my best friend came out to me. How I found a new family when my old one didn’t accept who I was. That message, that part of me, my heart and soul that bled into my work- those feelings weren’t only mine. I wasn’t alone. Around 2018, one of my stories began to gain traction. The comments and support from the weekly uploads made that closet so much less lonely. The hole I was in seemed brighter by the day. If I hadn’t gotten those flickers of hope, those little glimpses of the loving community that would pull me out of that dark, dingy closet, I don’t know where I’d be. My latest book, which I began even before my transition, is sort of the culmination of some of the stops my journey has taken. It’s a story about love and loss, and about fighting for what’s dear to you. Cassia is the heir to the Aztec-inspired Empire of Arcadia, where her father had conquered lands far and wide on the backs of Divine dragons. She’s assigned as The Arbiter, an infamous warrior of the Empire who is given a fearsome demonic dragon for the sake of intimidating other Dominions into submission. But all she wants is to return to the girl she loves back home: to take her gold, her glory, and for them to start a little dragon farm in the countryside. When Cassia is deployed to a foreign land that despises the Empire and its dragons, she loses everything. And she’s held at the mercy of a princess with a grudge. The Tax Of Teeth is a grimdark novel, that’s like George RR Martin meets Lovecraft meets ACOTAR with a splash of sapphic enemies-to-lovers.

Ultimately, my goal in writing such a dark and gritty story was to show anyone- no matter what kind of pain and loss they go through- at the end of it all, the light of love and acceptance shines through the bleakest nights. The book is set to release on February 7th, 2023! Thank you so much to Sapphic Book Club for having me here and hearing my story, and thank you to the community that helped me keep writing!

#sapphic books #guest post #sapphic book club #wlw books #trans author #diverse fantasy #diverse books #booklr #fantasy

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b-a-pigeon · 1 year

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I try not to push the Patreon (co-run by Fell & I) too hard, but let me just remind you of all the cool shit you could get for $4 a month:

Weekly updates of Hierarchy of the Unseen, my collab with Fell following a traveling demon hunter named Mitzli and a demon named Kor as they team up to avert the apocalypse;

Weekly updates of A Hollow Contract's prequel arc, following everyone's fave boy Felix as he secretly studies the magic in Astrid's house to prove himself worthy of becoming her apprentice;

Free downloads of all three previous arcs of my low fantasy serial, A Hollow Contract, in e-book format;

A free e-book download of Fell's queer fantasy romance, Taker of the Third Path, about a hedge witch named Linmiru awaiting a prophecied visitor whose arrival will change the fate of the world;

A free e-book download of our last collab, Poised in Either Eye, a gay urban fantasy romance about two dragons in human form trying to survive on Earth;

Weekly behind-the-scenes/bonus content about our projects, processes, thoughts on books and writing, etc.;

And in the future - exclusive polls, Q&As, private Discord access, and more!!

Like, becoming a patron is a great way to support two queer and trans indie authors if you appreciate our work and/or want to see more diverse adult fantasy books in the world -- but besides that, we really try to make it worth your while and find new ways to give back to our supporters! Check it out and consider subscribing if you're able :)

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