#queerplatonic books

[aroaessidhe]

Queerplatonic book recs, that actually have QPRs, inspired by me seeing someone listing qpr books that were literally just queer people being friends 🤦‍♀️

These all have the main characters in queerplatonic relationships,  explicitly and/or unambiguously in most cases.

The Thread That Binds

solarpunk-fantasy about queer bookbinding witches, 2/3 MCs are an aroace & an ace in a QPR

Baker Thief

superhero fantasy with a bigender aromantic superhero / demisexual woman QPR 

Not Even Bones

YA supernatural trilogy where the main characters initially seem to be developing a romantic relationship, but eventually realise neither actually feel that way, and settle into more or less a QPR (without labels, but it’s pretty clear)

Two Dark Moons

YA fantasy where an arospec girl & ace lizard kid accidentally get fantasy-married & develop a friendship/qpr

The Wolf Among The Wild Hunt

dark fantasy novella with an aroace wolfman & nonbinary knight qpr

Our Bloody Pearl

NA fantasy with a siren & ace pirate, originally marketed as a romance, but it is pretty much a qpr and that’s what the author intended!

The Reckless Kind

historical YA with an aspec girl becoming a family with her best friend and his boyfriend

Fire Becomes Her

YA, 1920s inspired fantasy world, demiro girl breaks free of her relationship and instead ends up in a QPR with a nonbinary transmasc ace.

If It Makes You Happy

YA contemporary about a girl navigating her queerplatonic relationship with her best friend, and a possible new romantic relationship.

Royal Rescue

high fantasy with an amatonormative royal marriage system, where the aroace MC has had enough, rescues himself, and starts to dismantle the system, finding a QPR on the way

The Heretic’s Guide To Homecoming (duology)

slow introspective high fantasy following two characters on a journey, doesn’t explicitly have them define their relationship in a QPR-like way, but undeniably focuses on complex platonic relationships and narratives

Mindtouch

this is one that’s been on my tbr forever - a sort of cozy/slice of life sci-fi that centres a platonic relationship between two aliens, which is quite reminiscent of a QPR. apparently there’s like 5 books now, I’ve only read the first so far!

Archivist Wasp / Firebreak

honorable mention because it’s not explicitly a qpr - but all of the author’s works focus on platonic m/f relationships in a very aspec way, and have absolutely no romance anywhere. one of the central relationships is very much platonic soulmates/ qpr vibes (postapoc ghosty sci-fi/fantasy YA & dystopian anticapitalism)

#queerplatonic books #aromantic books #aromantic #ace week #laya talks

[franticvampirereads]

This was a really fun read! I honestly don’t know why I waited so long to read it. I loved Perle and Dejean so much! I loved getting to see the queerplatonic relationship that developed between them over the course of the book. They made this beautiful connection that led to them making a pod based on trust and a willingness to help those that need a place to recover or rest or that need a home. They just kind of started collecting people little by little. I also loved just how queer this whole book was! It was really nice. Our Bloody Pearl is getting a four out of five stars from me.

Reading Challenge Prompt Fills:

Trans Rights Readathon

PopSugar 2023: features two languages

Shop Your Shelves: never the right time

Read Queerly 2023: mermaid/siren

#our bloody pearl #these treacherous tides #booklr #book review #trans rights readathon #books #reading #read #book #bookish #bookworm #trans books #queer books #lgbtq+ books #queerplatonic books #fantasy books #nonbinary books #queerplatonic relationship books

[turtledotjpeg]

melody leorio and kurapika somehow find a chance to take a break and Chill together (I don't know how or when, but I want it for them lol)

for a vday exchange in discord!! this was right up my alley hehe, was very excited to draw these three again ^_^

#was lazy and got the floor texture from an unsplash photo ^^; #btw it's probably not worth the time to decipher but kurapika is reading a real life book. some important literature #may or may not have put a bit too much effort into converting it from english to japanese to hunter text (wikipedia helped thanks wikipedia #hunter x hunter #hxh #leorio paladiknight #melody hxh #senritsu #kurapika #leomelopika #leokurasen #<- prompt was for queerplatonic gen romantic or otherwise & i think this could be interpreted as any one of those as you prefer!

[queerism1969]

Unpopular opinion but telling me to “be the bigger person” loosely translates to: “Accept the disrespect and just let it happen even if it violates your boundaries” and you can go suck a gas station toilet bowl if you think I’m gonna let that shit slide.

#lgbtq community #lgbt pride #lesbian #nonbinary #lgbtqia #sapphic #lgbtq #queer #nonbinary lesbian #gay girls #queer books #queerplatonic #queer feedism #pride #the ultimatum queer love #queer community #queer pride #toxic mother #toxic friends #toxic relationship #breakup #toxic behavior #toxic #toxicity #toxic people #toxic love #anger

[seaglassdinosaur]

I know we collectively agree that Hiccup isn’t romantically inclined, and his getting married and having kids didn’t make sense in the epilogue, but consider: Hiccup getting married for political reasons.

It’s a marriage of alliance, which is recognized both by him and his partner, and they enter it without expectations of romantic involvement. Since they’re now married, they live in the same castle, spend time together, and Hiccup finds he really likes his spouse. They’re funny, get along with his friends, and has the same interests and values. They both probably speak multiple languages. She understands why Hiccup is so dedicated to making the Wilderwest better, and holds similar views. She’s a good politician (her job after all, was to be an ambassador). Hiccup likes spending time with them, and the feeling is mutual. They’re not in love, they have their own lives, but they’re dedicated to each other and eventually decide to raise children. They teach their kids how to train hawks and hunt with dragons, riding, history, the Languages, and all the necessary skills of their world. They’re not in love and they’re happy together.

#pushing the aromantic hiccup agenda and also the queerplatonic agenda #as much as the idea of hiccup getting married was always a little off to me it was more the romantic angle #which I why I like the idea of a marriage of alliance and a partner who understands that #and then of course the montage of them being a good team and getting along #and going ‘yeah I like this person. I think this is the person I want to spend my life with.’ #also a) a lot of arranged political marriages did have the foreign spouse function as an ambassador #b) polyglot hiccup is canon and I think it would be neat if his spouse was as well. it is a marriage alliance after all. #she isn’t from the small area of berm #(actually give all the Vikings regional accents. I think it’s neat) #c) she/they because I didn’t feel firmly about the partner’s gender and the nords were pretty gender diverse #anyway I think the partner would probably be fond of the library and admire hiccup got it open way back when #get along with Fishlegs and camicazi well enough #and enjoy dramatic stories of their adventures. maybe have some of her own #also: normalize people having their own lives outside their partners. hiccup and they are happy together but also have their own friends #oh and you know hiccup would be a great dad. he loves Stoick but he would so much be the dad he wished he had growing up #are the kids bio related? are they adopted (cast off and No Names)? who knows! #I could build in my head what hiccup’s spouse is like but I’ll leave it here #they exist as we construct them #httyd #httyd books #my post #book!hiccup #hiccup the third #hiccup horrendous haddock iii #book hiccup

[yardsards]

people have pointed out the symbolism of mace repeatedly referring to lake as “girl” and how that plays into the transgender metaphor, how he represents society’s bigotry and bias and whatnot and done really good analysis about that

but i would also like to draw attention to him referring to jesse as lake’s boyfriend while taunting them

and how lake doesn’t really react to that, just disdainfully ignores him

compared to following scenes where lake fiercely defends the validity of their and jesse’s relationship and only ever uses the term “friends”, doesn’t even use ambiguous words like “he loves me”

and idk i just feel like that kind of ties in as like, mace enforcing heteronormativity/amatonormativity onto lake and jesse’s relationship, just like he could be interpreted as forcing a cisnormative gender onto lake, just like he is canonically forcing mirror law onto them.

and i may be projecting as an aroace (just like i may be projecting as a nonbinary, tho the trans metaphor is a lot more blatant) but. idk it just means a lot to me that a friendship can be so fiercely defended and a platonic bond can be strong enough to bend the laws of the universe

(and this isn’t a diss if you headcanon lake and jesse’s relationship as romantic; i myself have even enjoyed romantic content of them. but i think even if they did enter a romantic relationship, it’d be done in a way that rejects amatonormative and heteronormative roles and instead would be done based entirely on their own terms rather than on society’s rules)

#eliot posts #infinity train #intr #infinity train meta #infinity train book 2 #lake infinity train #mace infinity train #jesse cosay #queerplatonic jesslake #aroace #amatonormativity #idk if i even headcanon either of these two as aroace or even anywhere on the aspec but #you don't have to be aspec to have a qpr. a qpr isn't somethin you settle for when you cant feel romance #i also kinda like them as friends rather than explicitly in a qpr cuz a friendship can be your most important relationship #...but i also like them as moirails because homed stuck brainrot and it fits their dynamic SO WELL #i don't mind seeing them as romantic or (in the opposite direction) as a kind of familial bond tho

[cranberrykissel]

starting the reread, I promised myself I won't give Crowley and Halt any queer side-eyes for funsies

these guys made it incredibly difficult tho? I'm in tears from laughter

-> Here's this grumpy runaway prince helping out a guy he barely met like he's a damsel in distress (he actually is) not once but TWICE

-> Halt: Morgarath is after us? PLEASE run away with me 👉👈

Crowley: Naur, let's kick Morgarath's ass together💍🧎

Halt: yes 😉 (I still have some gold coins and I'm going to follow this chirpy idiot around bc I've nothing to do, not like anyone would recognize me if I get involved in royal business lol) I'm Halt "danger" Halt afterall

-> Wouldn't be surprised if they'd actually eloped in these few days between Tournament at Gorlan and The Hiberian really, based on how they act. Top tier married banter

-> MAJOR offense Halt did to Crowley:

1) drink coffee with honey

2) calls potatoes a funny word

3) constantly grumpy (that's not even true, the amount of jokes he played in the meantime?? Crowley are you tone deaf)

-> MAJOR offense Crowley did to Halt:

1) is a redhead

2) sings

-> They share one (1) braincell and I think Copper has it most of the time. Crowley's zero acting skills, Halt using the same name he gave Morgarath, and always getting away with it. Bonus a free meal.

-> Crowley "The kingdom is in danger" Meratyn and his "the world is beautiful with a companion [Halt] like that" 🥰

-> Crowley's in his early 20s and Halt who's 18 acting 45 (now we know where Gilan got this condition) due to chronology shenanigans! Really makes you feel like the series was written by a medieval annalist making thing up whenever he has no idea

-> No idea why Pauline doesn't pull out the "That's my husband Halt, and that's his work husband Crowley" card. Shame

they're legitimately written as soulmates guys, one can be a cheeky redhead and another an emo teenage prince so chill

#ranger's apprentice #halt o'carrick #crowley meratyn #tournament at gorlan flanagan #book analysis? does that count as book analysis? #more like book funsies #adam talking #they're soulmates. im reading them as queerplatonic forever. bye.

[teatitty]

Book Gerlion is a queerplatonic romance to me. They're soulmates, they're best friends, they drive eachother crazy in a way nobody else can, they're monogamous in the sense that they cannot imagine being with another man but polyam in the sense that they're okay with the other one dating or sleeping with women, they will never get married, they've exchanged vows without saying a word, they're co-parenting Ciri with Yennefer, do you get what I'm saying

#the witcher books #gerlion #been holding this in FOR TWO WEEKS the thought's been driving me crazy #book gerlion are queerplatonic romance but game gerlion are straight up married #if you get it you get it

[edosianorchids901]

Safeguard

@flashfictionfridayofficial prompt - "seal it tight"

“I am not very pleased with this idea, you know,” Aziraphale said in a severe tone. He didn’t enjoy being short with Crowley, but at the moment it was that or let his voice shake, and he couldn’t allow himself to be afraid.

Crowley gave a little shrug, watching curiously as Aziraphale put down plastic drop cloths. “I know. I know. But what if we need it? You’ve gotta admit, we might need it.”

“I don’t have to admit anything I don’t want to.” It was a poor argument, and Aziraphale was quite aware of that. He hastily continued before Crowley could point out the downsides of denial. “That said, I agree that it’s likely a good precaution. That does not mean I have to be the slightest bit happy about it.”

“I’m not asking you to be happy about it, am I?” Lips pursed, Crowley passed him another drop cloth. “Just wanna make sure you’re committed.”

Aziraphale gestured to the row of three thermos flasks, lined up on a table in the rented hotel room. He then gestured to the drop cloths, the water jug, and the wetsuits they both wore. “Does it look like I’m committed?”

“Well, yeah. It does.”

“Then do stop questioning me!” Aziraphale’s hands shook as he fussed with his wetsuit, making sure everything was sealed tight. This couldn’t harm him, of course, but it was best to be careful. “Let me check your suit again. And get your helmet.”

Hissing softly, Crowley picked up his full face motorcycle helmet. “Aziraphale, I’m not even gonna be in the room when you make the holy water. I’ll be over there, in the closet. This is total overkill.”

“Yes, well. The point is that we are aiming for not killing you at all.” Aziraphale checked Crowley’s wetsuit carefully, frowning at it with as much sternness as he could muster. The wetsuit obediently made itself even more waterproof. “Don’t you know how awful I’d feel if even the tiniest drop of holy water got free and harmed you? I’d never forgive myself.”

“Manipulative bastard,” Crowley said fondly.

“Mhm.” When Crowley leaned down to kiss his cheek, Aziraphale snatched the motorcycle helmet and put it on him. “There. That’s much better. Now, into the closet you go.”

Crowley gave a heavy, put-upon sigh that sounded very odd through the helmet. “You’re okay, got everything you need?”

“I have everything I need.” Aziraphale pushed Crowley into the closet, closed the doors, and sealed them with a miracle too.

“Aziraphale!” Crowley yelled, his voice muffled on the other side of the door. “Really? Really?”

Aziraphale patted the door in reassurance. “I’ll let you out as soon as I’m done, dear boy. Do be patient.”

Trembling, he went back to the table. Careful not to spill a drop, Aziraphale split the jug of water between the three thermoses.

This really was unpleasant, but necessary. Crowley’s previous supply of holy water was gone, used to destroy Ligur. And although it seemed that their old Sides were pretending that Aziraphale and Crowley didn’t exist, that could change at any moment. Better to be prepared as they settled into their new life.

Chest tight, Aziraphale performed the blessing. The water, now holy, looked entirely innocuous. But it now had the potential to kill his best friend.

Getting increasingly lightheaded, Aziraphale capped the thermoses, screwing on the caps as tightly as possible. Once sure they wouldn’t leak, he sealed them in a biohazard transport container.

He took that outside and placed it in the car he’d rented, ignoring the odd looks from passerby. It seemed they didn’t think his wetsuit and helmet were very stylish.

“Aziraphale!”

“Almost done!” Aziraphale called as he stepped back inside, although it was difficult to get enough air to answer. Oh dear, he really wasn’t feeling very well.

But he cleaned up the drop cloths, cramming them in the bathroom’s rubbish bin. He took off his own protective gear, set it in the shower, and then closed the door.

Only then, still breathless, did he let Crowley out of the closet. He turned Crowley in a full circle, inspecting the wet suit for any water droplets, and sighed with relief. “Oh, good. Your suit isn’t at all contaminated. You can take it off, now. Everything’s okay.”

And then Aziraphale began to hyperventilate. He clutched at the wall to steady himself, trembling. His trousers, shirtsleeves, and socks seemed inadequate to guard against the sudden chill.

“Ohshitohshitohshit. Aziraphale? What’s wrong?” Crowley shimmied out of the wetsuit, tossed his helmet down, and caught Aziraphale by the arms. “Did something go wrong? Are you hurt?”

“Not hurt,” Aziraphale gasped, unable to get any air. “I’m fine, I’m just… I…”

“You’re just having a panic attack, looks like.” Scowling, Crowley pushed him to sit on the bed. It had been covered in drop cloths too, and couldn’t be at all contaminated. It still gave Aziraphale a jolt of worry. “Easy, angel. It went fine, I’m fine, nothing to worry about.”

Aziraphale shivered, catching Crowley’s hand. He held on tight, focusing on the solidity, the steady presence beside him. He and Crowley had been in each other’s lives for thousands of years, after all, and his mere presence was enough to calm the worst fears.

So perhaps it made sense that the very worst fears were related to losing Crowley. It would be like dying too.

“I’m right here,” Crowley said softly. “It’s okay, promise.”

Aziraphale’s panic eased after a few more minutes of hyperventilation, and he managed a weak smile. “Oh. That wasn’t very fun.”

“Nuh. Glad you’re okay, though.” Gently, Crowley kissed his cheek. “C’mon. We’ll enchant the rental to follow my Bentley. Let’s go have some celebratory drinks.”

Aziraphale wasn’t entirely sure he felt like celebrating the creation of such a deadly substance, but he did feel like having drinks. And although he still wasn’t pleased at having holy water anywhere near Crowley, knowing they could defend against Hell really was a relief.

#good omens #ineffable husbands #aziraphale #crowley #book omens #queerplatonic aziraphale/crowley

[aroaessidhe]

2023 reads // twitter thread

By Your Side

NA short story about a bisexual girl who finds her boyfriend cheating on her and starts to reconsider her relationships and priorities

and discusses forming a QPR with her aromantic friend

#By Your Side #aroaessidhe 2023 reads #aromantic books #queerplatonic books #this is fine! #it is very much telling not showing and also like. all of the discussion about identity felt a bit like an explainer #but it is very short; that’s fine I guess! there’s still so little QPR narratives that explicitly talk about it that that sort of thing is #needed still I guess #I feel like it Could have gone into more detail with the characters themselves

[mollieisntweird]

Good Morning Tumblr. I'm Mollie. Let's be friends what do you think?

#nonbinary #queer #asexual #gender #queer romance #queerplatonic #queer history #queer feedee #queer books #queer ns/fw #lgbtq #lgbt #lgbt n/s/f/t #lgbt community #lgbt pride #lgbtpeople #lgbt positivity #lgbtqia #lgbtqiia+ #lgbtqi community #lgbtq issues #trans rights #trans woman #trans pride #transgender #mtf trans #transgurl #transsexual #trans #trans beauty

[cukrkandl]

are there any classics (whatever your definition of that is, actually) that have strong aro/ace/queerplatonic relationship vibes?

#aromantic #asexual #queerplatonic #i'm writing a fanfic where different couples are represented by different queer classics #and i wanna make a point about how aro/ace people are just kind of excluded #except that means i wrote myself into a corner bc what book am i supposed to use to illustrate the point that there are none lmao #like i think there has to be something but idk what to look for #don't judge my researching skills please #someone please answer #oooooh i just thought of little women somebody commented on my fic that jo has strong aroace vibes

[queerism1969]

#trans kids #texas government #bible belt #lgbtpride #lgbt #lgbtq community #lgbtq #lgbtqia #lgbt pride #lgbtqplus #lgbtedit #lgbt books #queer #lgbtpeople #queer community #lgbtq positivity #queer solidarity #queerplatonic #queer culture #queer nsft #queer lit #gender queer #queer love #queer artist #agender

[rosieethor]

Happy Aromantic Awareness Week! It's me, your local aromantic asexual agender author asking you to be aware of me and my aromantic books! I've got em! You can read em!

Fire Becomes Her is a 1920s inspired fantasy about an aromantic girl who becomes a political spy to appease her wealthy boyfriend's family only to discover she has more in common with the other side. It's got fire magic, speakeasies, and queerplatonic love!

Common Bonds is an anthology of aromantic fiction centering platonic relationships. I have a story in this anthology about a magical market where time stands still and a thread witch frozen by grief who finds a way to love again after losing those she holds dear.

Tarnished Are The Stars is a steampunk science fantasy about three queer teens who team up to save their planet. It stars an aro/ace boy and two sapphics taking on a government that refuses to provide decent healthcare.

I hope you enjoy them!

#aromantic #asexual #aromantic awareness week #arospec #aromantic books #queerplatonic #aroace rep

[ilovedthestars]

Hi Stars! I've been thinking some more about media with deep platonic relationships, and I'd like to recommend Victoria Goddard's Nine Worlds fantasy universe. She has several interconnected series set in different parts of the same world, most of which have a lot of "love as in significance" going on.

In particular, The Hands of the Emperor and its sequel, At the Feet of the Sun, focus on the deepening friendship between the Emperor and his personal secretary (later Lord Chancellor), Cliopher. The sequel makes it explicitly clear that Cliopher is ace and the relationship he dreams of having with the Emperor is a queerplatonic one. Both books are enormous doorstops, but I love their leisurely, character-focused pace and overall tone of compassion and hopefulness.

Ooh, thank you so much! I can enjoy a good doorstopper if it's well paced, and this sounds really cool. I went to go look up a summary on the author's website:

An impulsive word can start a war. A timely word can stop one. A simple act of friendship can change the course of history. Cliopher Mdang is the personal secretary of the Last Emperor of Astandalas, the Lord of Rising Stars, the Lord Magus of Zunidh, the Sun-on-Earth, the god. He has spent more time with the Emperor of Astandalas than any other person. He has never once touched his lord. He has never called him by name. He has never initiated a conversation. One day Cliopher invites the Sun-on-Earth home to the proverbially remote Vangavaye-ve for a holiday. The mere invitation could have seen Cliopher executed for blasphemy. The acceptance upends the world.

I can already feel the platonic pining, oh my goodness. That kind of imbalance, wanting to be close to someone who's revered as a ruler and a god, being devoted to them as both but also caring about them as a person--it's so juicy. I imagine this is why some people love bodyguard romances and similar plots, but knowing that the desited end state of this pining is queerplatonic makes it so much more exciting to me.

I read the sample on the website too, which is sizable and took me all the way up to the invitation. I'm intrigued by the worldbuilding, I love that the protagonist is a bureaucrat whose life's work is trying to help people and shift political systems to be better for the citizens, I love all the complicated emotions of his trip back home and trying to reconcile his two lives. I can already feel that compassionate, hopeful, contemplative tone to the writing, and I can already tell that this is a story that treats friendship with weight.

I mean, look at this:

He thought of his lord, pacing in his study, bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. Thought of how well they worked together, the enmeshing of respect and knowledge and good humour and experience. Thought of leaving his lord to the court. Thought of leaving his friends in Solaara-Conju and Ser Rhodin and Commander Omo-how none of them had families, had lost them in the Fall. Thought of leaving his work undone. All those projects slowly, delicately, unobtrusively transforming the government according to his vision of what the world could be. Thought of his lord, never failing to do his duty. Thought of his lord, with no one to joke with him. Thought of losing that—he could not call it friendship, could he? That implied a kind of equality, and there was no equality possible between the Sun-on-Earth and anyone else. But call it a relationship, that was permissible. He suppressed the wish that he dared call his Radiancy his friend.

And this:

"You saw this beautiful place, and you thought I would like it, and that I might enjoy a—a vacation after finishing up my present project, so you rented it for a month in my name, am I correct?" Cliopher swallowed. But his Radiancy said I, not we. He held to that. "I did not presume so far, my lord. It is in my name." His Radiancy continued to frown silently for several moments longer. And then he said: "Thank you, Cliopher." When Cliopher glanced up in surprise, for his Radiancy's tone had changed utterly, he saw that his Radiancy was smiling and there was even, oh just perhaps, the suspicion of moisture in his Radiancy's eyes, and Cliopher sank back to the ground in sheer relief and wonder and also a kind of pain, for he had seen that kind of surprised pleasure before in the faces of people receiving entirely unexpected but welcome gifts. And it occurred to him, somewhat later, after they had settled into their usual work, that if he, who was the chief member of his Radiancy's household, had never before dared offer a gift to his Radiancy beyond the tithes and service expected of him, then apart from his Radiancy's sister, who barely wrote and even more rarely came to court, there was no one else to do so.

I think I am going to LOVE this book. I've requested it from my library, and I can't wait for it to get here. Thank you so much for the rec!!

#stars answers #book recs #tbr #love as in significance #i NEED this to hold up to the promise of the first few chapters because the first few chapters are SO GOOD #you've nailed EXACTLY the kind of relationship vibes i was looking for #not to mention the vibes of a story that's as full of quiet unassuming kindness as this seems to be #no idea what kind of plot that starts with the inciting incident of 'wanna take a vacation' takes up 800 pages #but i am trusting that it will be a compelling one whether it stays quiet and relationship-focused or turns into something more dramatic #it makes me so happy to know this an explicitly queerplatonic story :) #long post #also the 'to call it a relationship was permissable' was a little funny in contrast to murderbot's 'it's not a RELATIONSHIP' #made me laugh at the difference in language

[bayofwolves]

y'all remember the coneke/shaneke ship wars of 2016? those were the days

#for the record i ship both #but now i see coneke as more queerplatonic/familial than anything #either way i respect the ambiguity of their relationship #but even back then shaneke was always my number one #sorry to the haters 💥 #text #spirit animals #spirit animals books #spirit animals series #abeke #shane #conor #shaneke