#young adult portal fantasy

[tychodorian]

Today only!!! One Pale Reflection is $.99 on Amazon! If you're looking for a great gift to give for the holidays for people who can't get enough books, or if you're looking for a new read by an indie author, One Pale Reflection is the book for you!

Pop on over and snag your copy before the sale is over.

#trans artist #trans artwork #art #digital art #oc #original character #publishing #self publishing #writing #authors of tumblr #one pale reflection #young adult books #isekai #portal fantasy

[betweenthetimeandsound]

--prompt from @flashfictionfridayofficial

"You wouldn't know a constellation from an aura, wouldn't you, Your Highness?" Seraterina asked, tracing a hand amongst the multitude of stars. Far away from the mists back in the east, she relished in the cool serenity of the night, a gentle breeze passing by.

But it didn't come from her queen, Aleria--she instead closed her eyes, trying to take away the image of the Crown from her eyes. A desolate constellation despite its resplendent symbol, those stars flickered and remained shrunken amongst a whole galaxy. Like gems stripped out of a crown.

Could've the other members of our dynasty known how much danger that we could be in? Aleria thought, immersing herself in a dream. Didn't Selerina have to cross a sea, barefoot, to face the rebels on their own turf?

"Your Highness, could you sense a constellation from an aura?"

"I don't know," Aleria replied, before suddenly waking up. Only this time, a vast array of stars scattered the scar, only rivaling the gas lamps from the languid city further south. A scattering of sparkles against an acidic paradise, one with as much danger as opportunity. Paralyzed in amazement, she remained mute.

"Because we could use them to venture where the Sea Gardenia could be," Seraterina suggested, holding up her hands to determine a way back to the mountains.

"But how will we be able to venture for it? The Selerina Ocean is so fast, we could find ourselves on another continent."

At that moment, a falcon streaked from the east and scratched Seraterina's arm. Startled, she struggled to grasp the falcon's claw, but only found herself in a frenzy with it. Suddenly, Aleria emerged from her trance and summoned a gust of wind to compel it away from the vanesti. Its feathers shed and it flew above them both, but looked down at their widened eyes.

"Could this be a message from her...?" Seraterina ask.

"Depends on who 'her' is," Aleria snarked, sweeping her dirty cloak behind her. "If it's from Amber, maybe she wants to know of our secret, or if she has more information than we do."

#flash fiction #my writing #writers on tumblr #creative writing #rival realms #out there #fantasy #young adult fantasy #portal fantasy

[tigger8900]

House of Hollow, by Krystal Sutherland

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

As children, Iris and her two sisters — Grey and Vivi — went missing, vanished for a month and then returned, together but with no recollection of what had happened. As they settled back into their lives, they began to manifest mysterious powers, developing eerily beautiful physical changes to match. Now 17, Iris is just trying to survive high school when her oldest sister Grey disappears again. With Vivi's help, Iris has to follow the clues Grey left behind to discover not only where their sister went, but also the truth of what had happened to them on that winter night so many years ago.

This was really good! Not only was it a solid portal fantasy take on the dark fairy tale genre, but I loved the focus on sisterhood. I can't go too much into the reasons why I loved it because there be spoilers, but I really am a sucker for fiction that centers platonic connections, like friendship and sibling connections, and that can be rare to find in the sea of romance-focused YA that's out there. The connection and tension between the three sisters was the high point of this title, for sure.

That said, there is a slight romantic distraction which felt out of place, given how strong the focus was on finding Grey. The ending of the book seemed to be leaving room for a sequel, though one hasn't been announced, so I'm especially concerned that any continuation of the story would be completely overpowered by this focus. But this is very much a personal gripe, and maybe most readers would enjoy Iris exploring her attraction! I will say that there's some excellent LGBTQ rep here, with Iris being bisexual and Vivi being a lesbian.

As for the fantasy, I believe it would appeal to readers who enjoy things on the darker side. Little uncanny glimpses were dropped in to build tension, employing images of insects, decay, and invasive growth to unsettle the reader. I wouldn't go so far as to say this is a horror novel, at least not any more than a dark fairy tale retelling is horror, but I can see the imagery getting under some readers' skin. I know I was brushing imaginary bugs off my arms sometimes as I read. As much as it got under my skin with some of the imagery, I have to say that, if I'd come across this book when I was a teen, it would've been my absolute favorite.

#books #book review #house of hollow #krystal sutherland #fantasy #portal fantasy #ya fantasy #young adult fantasy #young adult #young adult fiction #ya fiction #lgbtq #black-eyed susan 2023-2024 nominee

[indecentpause]

The Fairy Portal: Chapter Five

cw: mild violence, blood

Tassie didn't ask for much at first, and certainly for nothing that could be called a favor. A bowl of milk. Some bread with honey on it. A little butter, just the bit left over on the knife when Blake was done spreading it on his toast. Blake spent more and more of his time at home or in the woods, and Emily, less and less, going over to friends' houses, instead. But soon, it became too cold to continue going out into the woods, the snow was too deep to tread the pathways, and Blake spent most of his time outside of school in the living room peering out the window into the backyard. Finally, after about a week of his forlorn staring, Emily cornered him in their basement bedroom and asked, "Okay, what's wrong with you?"

"What?" Blake asked.

"You've been staring out the window like you're waiting for your lover to return from war," Emily said. "And I know it's not Benny because you haven't been spending time with either of us. And your crush was never bad enough for you to get this mopey, anyway."

"She's right."

Blake looked up to where Tassie was playing with the flame of a small votive candle he'd lit, one of her favorite pastimes. The fire wasn't safe in the woods, and she hadn't been back through the portal since Clementine had enchanted their glasses. Nothing had seemed to come through in either direction. Blake wasn't sure if Emily's markings had damaged it, but from what little Blake understood of it, it seemed to be out of use.

"You never go out anymore," Tassie said. She didn't look up from the flame. It cast bright lights and dark shadows over the lines of her face and body, flickering. "You're tense all the time. You only ever seem to calm down if it rains."

"I just want to be out in the water, I guess," Blake said. Tassie's head jerked up from the candle flame.

"What?" she bit.

"I want to go back in the woods. Out to the river. You know, not be cooped up inside all the time. But the snow's too deep. It's not safe right now."

 read chapter five on ao3!

or read it on Wattpad!

General taglist:  @ohsugarfoot​​​​ @abalonetea​​​​ @only-book-lovers-left-alive​​​​ @poore-choice-of-words​​​​ @leadhelmetcosmonaut​​​​ @jasperygrace​​​​ @drippingmoon​​​​ @viskafrer​​​​ @thelaughingstag​​​​ @athenswrites​​​​ @kaiusvnoir​​​​ @magic-is-something-we-create​​​​ @fictionalbullshitter​​​​​ @idreamonpaper​​​​​

let me know if you want to be added or removed!

#writeblr #my writing #ao3 #wattpad #excerpt #chapter update #moodboard #lgbt fiction #urban fantasy #young adult fiction #young adult #ya fiction #bisexual character #aroace character #aromantic character #asexual character #the fairy portal #blake murphy #emily murphy #grandma florence #clementine #dix #seamus #tassie

[ninasoden]

Finding Everdal

"Finding Everdal" Nina Soden's latest gem... Sneak peek alert! Unearth the magic in this soon to be released Teen/YA Portal Fantasy Novel!

Celeste epitomizes high school success: top grades, head cheerleader, even dating the star quarterback. Life couldn’t be better with a picture-perfect family and college on the horizon. But as she drifts off to sleep on the eve of her 17th birthday, Celeste never fathoms waking up over 1,000 years in the future. Transported to a world both unfamiliar and strangely linked to her own, Celeste…

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#NinaSodenBooks #TheRedheadedAuthor #author life #Everdal #Fantasy #finding everdal #Nina Soden #portal fantasy #teen #writing #YA #young adult

[signourneybooks]

Mislaid in Parts Half-Known | Book 9 of Wayward Children | ARC Review

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway. Book: Mislaid in Parts Half-Known Release Date: January 9th 2024Tags: Fantasy | Young Adult | Portal Fantasy | Trust | Friendship | Second Chances | Dinosaurs Trigger/Content Warnings: Pressure | Mentioned Transphobia Other books in this series I…

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#dinosaurs #fantasy #Friendship #Mislaid in parts half-known #Portal Fantasy #seanan mcguire #second chances #Trust #TW: mentioned transphobia #TW: Pressure #wayward children #young adult

[whimseysthrone]

So I'm A Spider, So What? pulls out neat tricks

I just wrote about portal fiction and isekai anime, stories about people from one world (usually ours) transposed into a second world. All the stuff I said about loving this genre is still true. And, having just inhaled So I’m A Spider, So What? (an isekai anime about a schoolgirl reincarnated as a spider in a fantasy world), I’ve got some more thoughts for you about the show. I inhaled the…

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#Anime #fantasy #isekai #portal fiction #science-fiction #So I&039;m A Spider So What? #YA #young adult

[terapsina]

Ask Game for us Self-proclaimed BOOK WORMS 📖🐛

Name the best book you've read so far this year.

Favorite fantasy book(s).

Favorite fantasy sub-genre(s). (high fantasy, urban fantasy, portal fantasy etc.)

Favorite science fiction book(s).

Favorite science fiction sub-genre(s). (dystopian, superhero, aliens etc.)

Favorite romance novel(s).

What kind of common romance tropes do you enjoy and what kind do you dislike?

Favorite queer fiction book(s).

Favorite detective novel(s).

Favorite classical literature.

Favorite historical fiction.

Favorite horror book(s).

Favorite thriller(s).

Favorite humor and satire book(s).

Which genre(s) are your favorite?

Favorite trilogy.

Favorite finished book series.

Favorite unfinished book series.

Do you read new and less known books or only the big bestsellers?

Where and how do you find new books to read?

The book(s) on your school reading list you actually enjoyed.

Favorite example of a Chosen One trope in a book.

Favorite heist story book(s).

Favorite Young Adult book(s).

Favorite Middle Grade book(s).

Favorite novella(s).

What was the first book you remember reading as a kid?

Goodreads or StoryGraph (or something else)?

How many books do you have on your 'to-be-read' list?

How many books do you have on your 'currently-reading' list?

Do you mostly read through e-reader; reading app on phone; on your laptop; a physical copy; or by audiobook?

Name your favorite author(s).

How often do you read by listening to audiobooks?

Favorite book narration voice actor(s).

Least favorite trope in your most favorite book genre.

Your absolute most favorite character(s) from any book you've ever read.

The only example of your least favorite trope being written in such a way that you enjoyed it.

How many books have you read this year?

Do you read reviews before picking up a book?

Did you ever want to be a writer?

When you get ready for a week long trip to somewhere how many books do you download/pack inside the suitcase?

Do you buy hardcover book copies for previously purchased paperbacks and library books you enjoyed reading?

Title of a book you own that's in the worst physical condition you have. Explain what happened to it. Post a picture if you want.

The book(s) whose stories have become part of your very makeup.

What book(s) would you sell your soul to get a TV or movie adaptation of?

I like _____, recommend me a book to read, please (insert a book, or trope, or character, or... anything you like before asking for this one).

What are the last three books you read?

Do you leave reviews for the books you've read? How often?

Do you prefer hopeful, humorous, very emotional or darker books?

What kind of book have you never read but always hope to find at some point in the future?

#ask meme #book asks #books #ask me #ask bait #ask game #reading #terapsina rambles #i was bored okay?

[ladyloveandjustice]

My Favorite Books I Read in 2023

I read a ton of good novels last year- 36 in all (and uh, 78 manga/graphic novels, but we'll examine that in another post). Here's a link to my Goodreads year in books (the manga is at the beginning, the novels start with Siren Queen) and my storygraph wrap up.  

I reread a ton of Discworld this year, and it's as spectacular as ever. But what about new reads?

Well, here are my favorite books I read in 2023!

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

This is an autobiographical memoir about the abusive relationship the author went through with her ex-girlfriend. It's absolutely gut-wrenching, and at times, achingly beautiful. Machado uses the house she shared with her girlfriend, which she calls the "dream house", as a back drop. It's a place she always wanted and also a place she became trapped in, Machado's language is beautiful as she explores the relationship from different lenses-- The Dream House as Lesbian Cult Classic, the Dream House as Noir, the Dream House as Creature Feature, the Dream House as Stoner Comedy....All facets of the relationship are explored in a way that grips you by the throat and makes you remember everyone who ever tried to suffocate you-- but it also explores the hard work of moving on, of picking up the pieces, of living and embracing tenderness along with hardship.

I especially related to Machado's struggle to talk about abuse between queer lovers because of her fears of giving homophobes more ammunition...and when she says "we deserve to have our wrongdoing represented as much as our heroism, because when we refuse wrongdoing as a possibility for a group of people, we refuse their humanity", I felt that deeply.

This wasn't just one of my favorite books this year, it goes on the list of all-time favorite books. I wish I had this kind of writing style. I'll be returning to this again and again.

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao

A middle-grade novel about a Chinese-American teen who feels a bit alienated from his heritage, which becomes a bit of an issue once he finds out the First Emperor of China has possessed his A.R. Gaming Headset. Now he needs to close a portal to the underworld with the help of other kids possessed by emporers.

This was a whole lot of fun, and often quite poignant. I was unsure if I could really enjoy middle-grade books as an adult, and this absolutely proves I can. There's a lot of really interesting Chinese history blended with action-packed fantasy, and exploration of the complicated feelings a kid can have about their own heritage . The dynamic between Zachary and Qin Shi Huang was so entertaining with the Emperor being villainous, heroic, charismatic, detestable-- and Zachary realizing how his complicated feelings about him mirror his relationship with his culture at large. There was also a lot of fun with other historical figures, and Xiran's take on Wu Zetian is a joy. (Also, if you like Yu-Gi-Oh!, you'll probably like this, since Xiran says it was one of their influences).

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Rose is young woman who's raised in a fundamentalist Christian household, and she's a devout, obedient daughter. But some weird things are happening. She's seeing a terrifying demon everywhere, insects are coming out of her mouth....and she's possibly having feelings about other girls. What's going on?

Yes, this is by the Chuck Tingle who makes all those Tinglers. But THIS one... will make you tingle with fear! It's a great horror novel! It's skin-crawlingly creepy at times, but also does a great job digging into how fundamentalist dogma harms queer people, and the hypocrisy of such beliefs. The conversion camp aspect is handled tastefully, and overall it was a great spooky read that's also ultimately very affirming, cathartic, and hopeful.

Qualia the Purple by Hisamitsu Ueo

You might go into this thinking it's just a quirky yuri light novel about a schoolgirl and her crush who sees everyone around her as robots (like literally, when she looks at someone she sees a robot instead of a human). But it quickly becomes surreal queer psychological horror steeped in absolutely wild applications of quantum mechanics and thought-provoking time travel.  Some of the quantum mechanics  exposition dumps were a bit much but I deeply enjoyed having my mind cracked open by this book. 

It's one of the most interesting takes of time loop stories I've seen. But it definitely covers a lot of rough subject matter, including a relationship with a serious age gap and extremely messed up relationships, so be cautious if you have triggers.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

This book follows Miri, whose wife goes missing on a deep-sea submarine mission for six months. Miri thought her wife dead, but she miraculously returns one day...but her wife has changed. She's like a stranger. She may have bought the horrors of the sea home with her.

This is a gripping exploration of grief and loss combined with a delicious, slow horror that creeps under your skin. There's excellent Lovecraftian and body horror elements to the novel, but it works very effectively as a metaphor for a loved one going through trauma, and a relationship starting to crumble because everything seems different. A moment that really stuck out to me is when Miri copes with her wife's disappearance by frequenting an online community where women roleplay as wives with husbands missing in space. The way the online drama of the community interacted with her grief was  both funny and heartbreaking. 

This is another example of a book that makes me deeply jealous with its lyrical writing, and another one for the ever-lengthening all time favorites list.

Otherside Picnic Volume 8: Accomplices No More by Iori Miyazawa

The latest entry in a series about two girls exploring an alternate dimension full of creepypasta monsters, while also falling in love with each other. See my other reviews here and here.

This volume has the payoff to a lot of careful character work and relationship building, and it was completely satisfying. In fact, it was...show-stopping. Spectacular.  Incredible. I loved the exploration of how love, sex, and romance are so different for different people and it's impossible to put it in neat boxes. The frank and messy conversation our leads have about their relationship was perfect and so was that absolutely  bonkers, wonderful finale. This is another one for the all times favorite list, and I loved it so much I wrote a extremely long review/recap here. 

Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality by Eliot Schrefer

This was a well-researched, well-crafted, easy to read book that explores queerness (mainly homosexuality, bisexuality, trans and genderfluid expressions in animals, and even the question of if and how animals can related to gender) in the animal kingdom. Though it's definitely aimed at teens, I learned a lot from it (who knew female bonobos were such life goals) and it presented its information in a fun way. It included some interesting examinations of how proof of homosexuality and bisexuality in animals was historically suppressed and filtered through homophobic assumptions. If you want to learn a little animal science in an accessible format, definitely check this out.

Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin

The story follows Mia, a woman in her 20's living with her vampire mother. Her whole life revolves around not drawing suspicion towards her Mom. She also has to make sure to feed her Mom some of her blood every night--lest her mother fall back in with her abusive boyfriend and start hunting humans.  But when Mia meets a cute girl, she starts to dream of living her own life...

It was a really interesting use of vampirism as a metaphor for both living with a parent struggling with addiction and having an abusive parent. It's just a well-told, heartwrenching tale that got deep into the character's mindsets. I thought the ending was bit abrupt and rushed, but it did make more sense once I realized this was the first in a duology. It's a fascinating take on vampires, and I'm interested in seeing more.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

This novel follows a middle-aged Muslim female pirate living around the Arabian Peninsula. She's supposed to be in retirement, but wouldn't you know it, she's lured in for one last job! I she rescues a kidnapped girl,  she'll have all the riches she needs to set her family up for life. So Amina begins her adventure of fighting demons and monsters and ex-husbands. But the job might not be all it seems.

This novel is full of all the entertaining swashbuckling action and shenanigans that any pirate story should have. It's a rollicking good time, and feeds my craving for middle aged women going on quests and kicking ass. Amina's journey is a fun, wild ride full of dynamic characters and interesting mythology!

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Juniper is friends with a successful Chinese-American author, Athena Liu, and has always been deeply jealous of her. When Athena dies in front of her, Juniper decides to steal her manuscript rooted in Chinese history and claim it as her own. But plagiarism might catch up with her...

This is a strong example of a book I thought was really well-done, but one I'm probably never going to read again. The way it depicted Twitter drama is just too accurate and I got anxiety. It did such a good job putting you in Juniper's awful shoes so you can feel the pressure close in along with her. The book's commentary on the insidious racism of the publishing industry was effective, and it made a horrible character's journey fascinating to follow. I was so intrigued yet anxious I had to force myself to finish the last few pages.

Bonus read:

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldtree

A very cute novel about an orc named Viv who decides to retire from the violent life of a bounty hunter and run a coffee shop instead. She ends up getting a lot of assistance from a succubus named Tandri...and my, is that a slow-burn coffee shop romance brewing? This book reminds me a lot of various cozy slice-of-life anime, and it's nice to be getting more of that feeling in book form. I wish there was a little more specific to the fantasy world rather than making it a coffee shop that line up 1 to 1 to a modern day shop, but it was definitely a sweet read.

#year in books #my reviews #our wives under the sea #in the dream house #zachary ying and the dragon emperor #camp damascus #qualia the purple #otherside picnic #queer ducks #night's edge #legends and lattes #the adventures of amina al sirafi #books #queer lit #yellowface #r.f. kuang #xiran jay zhao #carmen maria machado

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recommendation masterpost

As my list of rec posts grows, I figured it might be time to write a masterpost that I can continuously update and link back to.

Some notes on how I structure my lists: I generally try to stick to adult and young adult titles (with a mention in the synopsis if it's a YA), however on occasion I will include a middle grade if I need to fill out the list or if it’s a little known or especially good book I want to highlight. The lists are a mix of already pretty well-known titles (sometimes a book is famous for a reason, okay) and lesser known names, as long as they fit the theme and were an enjoyable read. I do try to make the lists diverse, but I will not include a book simply for diversity's sake - this is a subjective project, and if I didn’t enjoy a book it will get booted to honorary mentions even if the main character is gay.

Many books will appear on multiple lists as it covers multiple themes. In some cases, a title that got featured on one list might end up only on the honorary mentions of another. Honorary mentions books are generally titles I didn’t super care for personally, but sometimes I will feel they are still a good example of some particular theme and include them in the main list. I mark my favorite books and do try to mention when an included book had notable flaws, however, the lists are not reviews. I try to keep the synopses brief, and do not consistently include things like personal opinions or content warnings. If a title sounds interesting to you, I recommend still looking into it on your own if you need content warnings. I do sometimes write reviews on my Goodreads, but my rec lists are merely rec lists.

Without further ado, here is the list so far:

Really cool fantasy worldbuilding

Really cool sci-fi worldbuilding

Dark sapphic romances

Mermaid books

Vampire books

Many worlds: portal fantasies

Many worlds: alternate timelines

Robots and artificial intelligences

Post- and transhumanism

Alien intelligences

Queer science fiction part 1

Possession/bodysnatching

Evil fungi

Black science fiction

Queer fantasy part 1

Fairy books

#nella talks books

[tychodorian]

New video up on my YT! Finishing up this animated painting of the main villain of my book One Pale Reflection, Athos the Key Thief.

#trans artist #trans artwork #art #digital art #oc #original character #publishing #self publishing #writing #authors of tumblr #one pale reflection #young adult books #villain #villain arc #isekai #portal fantasy

[betweenthetimeandsound]

Find the Lines (tag game)

Thank you @lexiklecksi for tagging me! Here are some lines found in Out There, based on the themes you gave me.

About friendship:

“Would you go out there and save a thousand year old realm which thrived over the centuries, or see a powerful force of nature eclipse the realm forever? Just stop whining!” Jessica spat, pulling Caroline by the shoulder and dragging her back. 

“Seriously, Jessica, just go and let me do—” Caroline spat at her, but suddenly stopped when she turned around, coming face to face with her best friend. 

Forgetting about the dream entirely, about wars and the solar eclipse, Caroline faced Jessica’s cold stare, and shed a few tears. If Jessica cared about that realm, Carina, then what was it like her to not support it? What kind of friend was she if she didn’t go out of her way to help her? 

And if I don't take a stand now...I may not see her again. Or worse, she might not forgive me after the things she's done for me. 

Is Said In Anger:

“Do you want to see your realm destroyed?” Caroline cried out as she barely shattered the icy glass with her flames. 

“No, but—” 

“It doesn’t matter anymore!” Caroline screeched again. “Maybe we should leave Syuln before Carina disappears—and keep searching for the Sea Gardenia.” 

“Seriously, Caroline—stop! Princesses are supposed to help people from other realms, even though—” Jessica managed only a short lecture when Tera gagged her, trying to dodge themselves from Caroline’s fury. 

“Does it look like I’m a princess?” Caroline yelled. 

Describes Texture:

"As the scorching sun bathed down on them from the western edge of the realm, Caroline and Jessica laid against the warm, soft sands of the beach, stretching several miles west along the Carinian coastline. They thought about their future; after several minutes, their minds floated off into the boiling, desiccated heat."

Shows Tension:

In a moment of irrationality, Aleria slashed her sword at Brighir’s neck, only for him to draw out a dagger and dodging it. A moment of paralysis between the royal couple stunned everyone before the guards tried to split them up. 

“I am the Queen of Carina,” Aleria affirmed, checking her sword for any scratches. “I can choose what to do for my country.” 

“And what if Vela decides to invade?” Birghir asked. “Without you at the helm, then we don’t have anybody to command the military. If we don’t have anybody to control the military, then Princess Amberose will run over this realm. And it will all be your fault.” 

Aleria stared at Birghir for a quick second, then decided to not lash out at him. Instead, she stared down at the ground, letting the mist cover the ground. 

“Your husband is right, your Highness.” One of the guards walked up to Aleria and took her by the arm. “We appreciate you trying to look for it on your own, but what about the millions of people who need you? 

Mentions Heart/Heartbeats

"Caroline hyperventilated as she clung on to the phone--the difference between life and death of the girl lying on her navy Converse sneakers. The only signs of life in the girl were the rising and falling of her chest, and her heart pumping softly. Those signs, they could mean the end of everything for her."

How about you @andromedaexists, @memento-morri-writes, @dontjudgemeimawriter, @apolline-lucy?

#tag game #find the lines #my writing #writers on tumblr #wip #rival realms #out there #ya fantasy #young adult fantasy #portal fantasy #a good amount of these will be looked at in the next draft #but they stand out quite well!

[literary-illuminati]

2024 Book Review #16 – The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera

I grabbed this on a recommendation I now forget the specifics of, but which I am incredibly glad I listened to. Not a perfect book, but a beautiful one. It really does immerse you in a capital-w Weird setting in a way I haven’t gotten to enjoy in a while, and might the best in years at really weaving it in with a sense of the mundane and the bathetic. Pacing and character development and plot are a little all over the place, but still a great read.

The story follows Fetter, the only child of the Perfect and Kind, anointed messiah of the Path Above. His mother tears his shadow off of him at birth, and forever after he must choose to remain tethered to the earth and not float away into infinity. He is raised from birth as a tool to take vengeance on his father by committing each of his five unforgivable sins – culminating, of course, in holy patricide. His childhood is spent in indoctrination and murders – and oh, he’s also the only one he knows who can see the monstrous devils who share the world with humanity.

So anyway, all that gives him a lot to talk about in therapy.

The actual book follows Fetters’ life as an aimless young adult in the city of Luriat, with its layers of impenetrable government and byzantine system of castes and races inherited from successive colonizers, its regular pogroms and plagues, and its tendency for any doors left closed and unwatched for too long to instantaneously become permanently shut portals to Somewhere. Over the course of the book, he is dragged into a revolutionary conspiracy, learns his father is coming to the city, learns deep metaphysical secrets, is a pretty terrible boyfriend, becomes a suicide bomber, and learns to fly.

To start with the negative, the pacing of the plot is...okay, maybe not bad, but it’s really not trying for the things I’d expect it to. A whole act of the narrative is spent meandering through an absurd purgatory of refugee/prison/quarantine camps Fetter has been consigned to. Lovely writing, thematically important, does eat up a lot of page count which then leads to rest of the book being things happening very quickly one after the other with very little in the way of buildup or reflection. Time is enjoyably spent just detailing the experience of Fetter’s day to day life, but much of the supporting cast feel more like plot (or thematic) devices than characters. The book ends with the protagonist loudly reciting the big lesson he’s learned from the events of the book. So yeah, less than perfect book. Still, I found all the sins very easy to forgive.

As mentioned, this was the first fantasy book I’ve read in a while that felt properly fantastical, like it was created from first principles rather than being the latest in a hoary old lineage stretching back generations. Which might be complete bullshit, I don’t know – not like I’ve read a great deal of other South Asian fantasy to compare it to – but it worked for me. A big part of which is how very modern it is. This is a secondary world with prophets and plague-bearing anti-gods, forgotten timelines whose ghosts leak into the world, and a whole plethora of almost- and not-quite- messiahs. And also one with cellphones and UN-administered refugee camps, labyrinthine bureaucratic politics and scandals over inappropriate allocation of imported medical devices. It all feels like a reflection of the present and its own concerns rather than the thousandth-generation pastiche much of the genre does, I suppose – which is something I really did appreciate.

The world of the book – or, at least, the little slice of it the story is concerned with. There’s clearly grander and stranger things happening off in the distance – is one intensely concerned with caste and class, race and religion and breeding. Luriat is weighed down with the architecture and high culture of successive waves of colonialism, and its elites organize and govern the population according to a syncretic mix of all of their ideological castoffs. Politics – and in particular the use of plague and quarantine on one hand and sectarian pogroms on the other to control the populace – is pretty key to the whole book. It’s also just about entirely beyond Fetter. Not that he’s dumb, just that he’s apolitical, in the sense of treating government like an inexorable and inevitable fact of life to be worked with/around or avoided, not something you can understand or change. Which makes for fun reading as there’s clearly a whole Les Mis thing happening like 0.5 degrees to the left of the book’s plot.

Anyway, I’m still sad Pipra didn’t get more screentime, and the whole ending feels almost comically rushed, but absolutely a worthwhile read.

#book review #the saint of bright doors #vajra chandrasekera #sff

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Beta Readers Wanted!

My YA sci-fi fantasy novel The Secret Portal, Part One is READY FOR BETA READING!

At about 106k words, TSP Pt1 is about a group of young preteens and teens discovering a portal to another dimension called Alium, full of people with powers and a group without powers. With extremists on both sides, war has plagued Alium for decades, and they are in need of change. TSP is planned to be a five-book series.

The following form is the application for beta reading. You will give a gmail so I can grant you access to the document, answer questions to see if I need your specific knowledge to consult (not a requirement), and understand the content warnings of TSP to see if you're okay to read about it.

I don't have a time limit yet, so even if the next few months are hectic, I am willing to be very flexible.

If you cannot apply for any reason, please reblog anyway so this gets around! Thank you!

#writing blog #the secret portal #tsp #teaspoon #writers on tumblr #wip #my wip #beta request #beta reader #beta reading #readers of tumblr #reading community #novel writing #my writing #ya novels #scififantasy #scifi books #sci fantasy #scifi writing #sci fi writing #scifi #ya fantasy #fantasy world #fantasy books #fantasy #reading #female writers #tumblr writers #writing community #queer books

[indecentpause]

The Fairy Portal: Chapter Four

cw: mild violence

While their mom had been willing to let them out for a 'talk' with their grandma, the grounding still stood, and the next day was beautiful and sunny and crisp and they were stuck inside. With enough pestering, she finally agreed to let Blake and Emily into the backyard, under the condition that they rake the leaves and clean the gutters.

"Switching yard time for manual labor," Emily muttered, but she was smiling. She was just glad to be in the sun, too. Ever since the Fair Folk had followed them home, they'd both been itchy indoors, twitchy and jumpy, like static electricity wouldn't stop cracking underneath their skin. With Tassie's help, it had been a little easier for Blake last night, but Emily was still struggling, and she was everywhere once they went outside: on the roof cleaning one gutter, running into the garage to get trash bags, raking a small patch of grass and then abandoning it to clean the next gutter. Blake knocked at the lower hanging branches of the backyard trees with a stick to knock off any excess leaves as Emily ran around. Tassie was still with them, flitting around in the falling leaves, dancing off the streaks of sunshine filtering through. Her singing was lilting and beautiful, much like the Merrow's, but without the eerie quality that had drawn Blake to him in the first place.

Blake knocked the last of the branches and picked up the abandoned rake.

"So, Tassie, do you live near where... where we were last week?"

Tassie stilled momentarily, then lowered herself to a low-hanging twig. It bounced in the breeze. She glared at Emily. "You mean where your sister desecrated our portal?" she barked. Emily flinched and looked back to the gutter she was cleaning.

"Yes," Tassie continued. "I live just on the other side. I like to come into the human realm, though. I like your mushrooms. And you're lucky I do, because if I hadn't been there that day the rest of them probably would have killed you."

Read chapter four on Ao3!

or read it on Wattpad!

okay this is the last time I will bother y’all on my taglist today, thank you for putting up with my multiple posts!

General taglist:  @ohsugarfoot​​​ @abalonetea​​​ @only-book-lovers-left-alive​​​ @poore-choice-of-words​​​ @leadhelmetcosmonaut​​​ @jasperygrace​​​ @drippingmoon​​​ @viskafrer​​​ @thelaughingstag​​​ @athenswrites​​​ @kaiusvnoir​​​ @magic-is-something-we-create​​​ @fictionalbullshitter​​​​ @idreamonpaper​​​​

#mermay #writeblr #my writing #wip #excerpt #amwriting #moodboard #lgbt fiction #young adult fiction #young adult #ya fiction #merrow #mermaid #fairy #urban fantasy #the fairy portal #blake murphy #emily murphy #grandma florence #clementine #dix #tassie #seamus

[flameswallower]

Briar's Favorite First Time Reads of 2023!

I read sixty or so books (start to finish) for the first time this year, which is pretty average for me. I liked most of them pretty well, since if I dislike a book I usually won't finish it. But there were some stand outs, which I'm going to list here.

First up: NOVELS!

Pseudotooth, by Verity Holloway (2017) is the first portal fantasy coming of age novel I've read in a long, long time that I found genuinely charming. It has a very dark Gothic edge to it, with shades of Gormenghast and Edward Gorey making for a uniquely unsettling and bleak fantasy world. The novel also deals frankly and seriously with themes of ableism, eugenics, medical abuse, xenophobia, socio-economic class, rape/sexual abuse, and the psychic fallout of rape/sexual abuse. But it's got a lot of whimsical absurdist humor to it, too, and a deep humanist compassion for its characters. The three young adults at the center of the story are all quite likeable, and though they are involved in a kind of love triangle, I found the particulars of it refreshingly queer, strange, and not the primary focus of the story.

The Marigold, by Andrew F. Sullivan (2023) is a pitch-dark, stone cold bummer that is also frequently hilarious and emotionally moving in tender ways that took me by surprise. In this dystopian satire, a bunch of down-and-out relatable characters and one horrible rich guy struggle to survive as near-future Toronto is engulfed by "the Wet"-- a sapient mold-based hive mind accidentally created by the depravity and greed of big business. The residents of the titular condominium/apartment complex feature in short vignettes that demonstrate the despair and alienation people suffer under late stage capitalism, and the way the Wet calls to these people, lures them in, hunts them.

The Open Curtain, by Brian Evenson (2006) is a harrowing nightmare about madness, violence, possession, Mormonism, and the destabilization of one's known reality (well, see also "madness"). It's a type of story that could easily feel shlocky and exploitative of people with certain mental disorders, or just predictable (there are some plot twists you'll guess very quickly if you've ever like...read books or seen movies before...), but Evenson's unornamented yet masterful prose, his meticulous attention to detail, and his non-condescending empathy for both victims of violence and people struggling with delusions, violent impulses, etc. make it rise above those potential problems. At least in my opinion! This one's very disturbing, will definitely leave you feeling like shit.

Hummingbird Salamander, by Jeff VanderMeer (2021) is very emotionally moving and a suspenseful, well-plotted eco-noir page turner! Also a bummer, but leaves one feeling awe and hope and determination as well as mourning the devastating loss of life that climate change has wrought. The protagonist is great, a truly unusual and unlikely detective. I loved her voice-- like any good noir hero, she can throw off a legitimately funny sarcastic quip with the best of them, but she's also prone to astute social observations and flights of breathtaking lyricism.

How to Get Over the End Of the World, by Hal Schrieve (2023) is a TRAGICALLY under-promoted and underrated punk rock magical realist YA masterpiece about trans high schoolers, and their dysfunctional adult mentors, putting on a rock opera to save their community center. This one, unlike most of what I read, is NOT EVEN KIND OF A BUMMER. It's delightful and hilarious from start to finish, though it's definitely not saccharine-sweet or afraid of conflict. In fact, it deals quite bluntly and refreshingly with topics ranging from the relationship one character has with his violent, abusive father, to sexual relationships between teenagers, to the ever-looming awareness of climate change. Every major character is trans! Every single one!! This is kind of a spoiler, but, like, not really lol

Sudden Glory, by Hal Johnson (2023) just goes to show that guys named Hal can really write comic novels. This book has perhaps the highest joke-to-paragraph ratio of anything I’ve ever read, and also probably the most varied types of joke: a person whose sense of humor runs to preposterous situation comedy, slapstick, and lowbrow sexual humor will find a lot to like here, and so will someone whose sense of humor runs to moderately esoteric literary/historical references, social satire, five-layer wordplay, and Wildean bon mots. Since it’s set in the New York City of 2003, there’s even room for a few 9/11 jokes, which could not have appeared without controversy in a book actually published in 2003. This slightly "politically incorrect" edge comes off as good-natured and in keeping with Johnson's commitment to absurdism-- there's never a "laughing at" vibe, more one of "laughing with" human folly, futility, pretensions, etc. At base, this is a story about a person who feels he can't tell the truth or be himself for fear of social rejection, and all the trouble that gets him into.

Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke (2020) is fucking gorgeous, probably one of my favorite books of all time now, this hole was made for me, etc. I can't reasonably expect that most others will have as intense a response to it as I did-- I felt it perfectly conveyed some very important and difficult to articulate things about, like, my personal experience of consciousness, and my experience as a person with certain types of neurological/cognitive/developmental disability navigating the world, through a kind of fabulist prism. But it got great reviews, so, you know, give it a shot! I think it's better not to know anything about it going in, but let me just say, if you're into weird, massive labyrinthine buildings, this hole might also have been made for you.

Devil House, by John Darnielle (2022) is exactly the novel you'd expect "the Mountain Goats guy" to write, in all the best possible ways. It's a story that elevates the inner lives of neurodivergent outsider teens to the mythic heights they deserve. It's a story that brutally critiques the true crime industry. It's a story about the problems of defining people exclusively by their victimhood, or exclusively by the worst thing they ever did. It's a story about the importance of having a little space to oneself, a shelter from the demands and threats of an often cruel world, and the lengths to which a person will go to defend such a shelter if it's broached. Also, there's a long, nauseating section about how it's actually really difficult and gross to chop up a human corpse for disposal.

#next: short story collections and anthologies!!