#iris foxglove

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Fiction Free-for-All Book Bracket Tournament: Preliminary Round

Book summaries below:

Shadowfall by Iris Foxglove (Immortals Descending #2)

It is said the demon in the well will give you your heart's desire…for a price.

When Declan's prince and best friend, Arwyn, goes seeking the demon for himself, he surprises Declan by leaping into the demon’s well. But when Declan pulls him out, it isn't Arwyn he rescued, but a demon wearing his skin. No one believes Declan that Arwyn's soul has been corrupted by the shadow in the well, and with Arwyn taking up arms against the king's fleet by becoming a pirate, all that matters is stopping him.

When Arwyn offers him a terrible bargain, Declan agrees, hoping it will finally give him the truth about what happened to his prince…and a chance to find the man he'd loved since childhood.

But Arwyn isn’t a demon. He’s a god, and he is very, very good at knowing what people really want. He is convinced that for Declan, it isn't the prince who went into the water that has captivated him…but the shadow that came out of it.

Romance, fantasy, secondary world, adult

The Alliance Trilogy (Sneak, Liar, Traitor) by E. Jade Lomax

A century ago, the general chosen to lead the armies of the Nerian Alliance against their shared enemies deposed the allied kings he served.

With loyal soldiers behind him, the general conquered their three kingdoms in the name of unity and strength.

Now, the vast swathe of land that was the Alliance is known simply as Neria. The old borders and the old ways are forgotten— by most.

This is the story of a princess called Sasha and a rebel named Andrea, neither of whom are as righteous as they think they are.

It is the story of Will, an ambitious amateur spy, and Gabrielle, the equally ambitious youngest princess, who are not as smart as they think they are.

This is Gregory’s story, about a shy young mountain lad who is not as useless as he thinks, who is not as harmless as he thinks.

They all have a long way to go.

Fantasy, epic fantasy, secondary world, series, young adult

[poisindonottouch]

Queer Books!

The last couple years, I've posted about queer books I've read and authors who write queer stories, and this year, I'm at it again!

Here are the books I posted about in 2023, and here's all the books I posted about last year!

Jay Hogan

Parker St. John

Riley Hart

Sidney Bell

Jesse H Reign

Onley James

Iris Foxglove

Morgan Brice

Eliot Grayson

Charlie Adhara

Anna Zabo

August Jones

Riley Nash

Roan Parrish

Cat Sebastian

Tal Bauer

Cait Nary

Eden Finely and Saxon James

EM Lindsey

LA Witt

Sarina Bowen

Kit Oliver

Ari Baran

[hannaedits]

Book Review: Knight of Staria (Starian Tale) by Iris Foxglove

Read my reviews of other books set in the world of Staria. I’ve been addicted to every book set in this expansive and unique fantasy world since reading the first installment, The Traitor’s Mercy. I was incredibly impressed that two additional books featured redemption arcs for villains in the first book that absolutely worked, leaving me caring for and supportive of the characters. Since then,…

[elysiasong]

Favorite Reads in August 2023

The Face in the Water (Iron on Iron by Gregory Ashe

An immensely fun crossover with Ashe’s North & Shaw, Hazard & Somerset, The First Quarto, and The Lamb and the Lion series, The Face in the Water is a mystery about a missing woman, animal traffickers, and more. The main pairing in this book is Jem and Tean, who are unfamiliar with the other characters, and it’s a blast reading their reactions as they meet each new peculiar personality. They also mesh well, especially Tean and Emery (Hazard).

I’ve always enjoyed Ashe’s books more when the characters are in an established relationship. There is still relationship drama as they struggle with some difficulties, but it is easily resolved and their love for each other is affirmed. Tean and Jem support each other throughout this book without ever trying to change each other and I love the growth they’ve developed across the years.

While the mystery in this book is wrapped up to a satisfying conclusion, the wider meta plot leaves questions to be answered in subsequent books. This book can work as a standalone in my opinion, but knowledge of previous books and the books with the side characters will greatly enhance enjoyment, especially as each subsequent book features a different pairing as the main characters. I adored this book and I can’t wait for the sequel, featuring Auggie and Theo as they investigate a missing person.

Tempest (Immortals Descending #4) by Iris Foxglove

Tempest is a love story between a god and an amnesiac former assassin. It is a story about family for a girl with a heart big enough to care for the world. It is a story about redemption and learning to forgive past mistakes.

Iris Foxglove has once again crafted a beautiful story, this time featuring former assassin Iason Ellis and Leviathan, the Tempest and first god of the world. After a rocky start, Levi and Iason form a relationship as Levi learns about humanity and Iason learns about himself. They are living in the midst of a rebellion, and Iason was on the wrong side of the war. He has lost his memory, but he knows enough to remember that he has done horrible deeds. Iason starts off with no hope for himself, only fighting for his ward's survival. Throughout the story, he learns about the circumstances that pressured him to become an assassin and repents for his mistakes, ultimately building a new life.

Levi has existed for centuries, but he has slowly lost interest in humanity. When his dragon form is stolen from him to save the life of a young girl, he is furious, yet unable to eat Iason (literally). Levi starts off like a feral cat living with Iason to break their bond and become a dragon once more, but as time passes, he grows more and more fascinated with Iason.

Sophie is the daughter of nobles who lost her fathers at sea and ended up in the care of an aunt who ordered an assassination on her. Despite everything, she remains a joyous presence and continuously engages with life and adopts everyone she comes across, including a water dragon that eats bubbles to survive.

The love story between Levi and Iason and the found family between all three of them is lovely. Highly recommend for fans of low angst and high feels books.

This book is not a standalone. I would recommend reading, at the very least, The Prince's Vow and The King's Mage to understand the Misilan revolution.

[enigmaticagentalice]

summer flowers in my garden: the pink edit

[polytoxikomaniac]

Mayflowers🌺🌱🤗

[mysterycharacterflowers]

We've reached the end! Let's see the podium!

Congratulations for the bouquet of purple hyacinth, purple columbine and hellebore for getting in first place, his identity is…

John Ward from Faith the Unholy Trinity!

In second place, is the bouquet of aloe, fern, blue iris and sage, their identity is…

Shaun Hastings from Assassin's Creed!

Lastly, on thirds place, is the bouquet of sunflowers, dandelions, ferns, foxglove, hollyhock, lotus, balsamine, green carnation, fennel, black eyed susan and queen of night. His identity is…

Rune Saint John from The Tarot Sequence series by KD Edwards!

Thanks for everyone for participating in this tournament! See you guys later today for Season 2!

[apho-sappho]

Slams face into wall . I have so many reference sheets I still need to do . And so many to post

[iloveroblox123]

The Iris.

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Fiction Free-for-All Book Bracket Tournament: Round 1C

Book summaries below:

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail - for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he's released, he's greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago.

As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.

Mystery, thriller, academia, adult

The Traitor's Mercy by Iris Foxglove (Starian Cycle #1)

In the court of Staria, mercy is rarely a blessing…

Sabre de Valois is the last of his line. Saved from the gallows while his family hangs for treason, Sabre is given the chance to pay off their debt and clear his family name. To do so, he must serve as a courtesan in the pleasure district, but the only House willing to take him in and risk the disfavor of the king is the House of Onyx, which caters to the darker desires of the Starian noble elite. There, he finds his masochism is an asset, the courtesans are kinder than the nobles of the Starian court, and that he cannot help but be inexorably drawn to the owner of the House of Onyx, Laurent de Rue.

Lord Laurent de Rue knows that love is dangerous. Abandoned in the pleasure district with no memory of his past, Laurent clawed his way to notoriety and earned his title through cunning and skill. He has seen love ruin the lives and ambitions of those he passed on his way to the top, and he has no intention of letting himself fall prey to the same mistakes. Yet he can’t stop himself from growing closer to Sabre de Valois, who loves so earnestly and so completely that even Laurent’s steel will is starting to break.

But Sabre has secrets of his own, and when the machinations of the court threaten to put Sabre in danger, Laurent will have to decide whether he will risk it all for love, or let Sabre de Valois slip through his fingers.

Romance, fantasy, dark fantasy, BDSM alt reality, secondary world, adult

[poisindonottouch]

Queer Reads: Iris Foxglove

For recommendation #17, we have Iris Foxglove. 

Iris Foxglove is the shared pen name of Avon Gale and Fae Loxley. While I miss all the excellent hockey content from Avon Gale (see my post from last year on the hockey stuff), I enjoy this fantasy stuff too. 

Foxglove writes mostly MM, with a bit of MMF and genderfluid characters thrown in for good measure. Their books are very fantasy with magic, gods walking the earth, shape shifters, and a bit of monsterfucking. 

The series in the graphic focuses on the characters from the isle of Lukos, a slightly mythical land cut off from the rest of society. It’s home to a society of outcasts who band together to survive the harsh winters and the unforgiving sea. In book 1, Victor is a kind of oblivious scholar who gets dropped on the island in a dick move from his ex, and is basically left to die. Luckily, hunk Sava is there to keep him warm and cozy throughout the winter. As the series goes on, the world expands, and you learn more about the Lukoi and their lore. 

There’s lots of Foxglove I haven’t read, but it’s sitting nicely on my TBR pile, and I know when I get to it, it’ll be good. 

Remember folks, read queer books. 

[hannaedits]

Five-Star Reads for June 2025

[vtatters]

[antimony-ore]

Native plant haul: Foxglove Beardtongue, Cardinal Flower, Tall Gayfeather, Golden Alexander, Blue Cohosh, Canada Anemone, Smooth Aster, Riddell's Goldenrod, Prairie Dock, Golden Ragwort, Marsh Gayfeather, Showy Goldenrod, Early Meadow Rue, Harebell, Lady Leek, Marsh Gayfeather again (whoops), Southern Blue Flag Iris, and False Sunflower

[agentwraith]

[a package shipped from "Office 274, 4th floor" is left inside the door. How is it inside the door when the lock is still shut, who knows? Inside it contains a whole lot of knives like there at least 20 knives in there, and 15 apples. There's also a letter inside in purple and gold perfect cursive introducing the senders, asking how they've been and all that. There's a very faint smell of something burnt from the paper. It ends with the writers wishing them well and a few sentences about not letting Ronald get their hands on either of the apples or the knives, written in pink doctor's cursive.]

-@ieytask-agentposting

”Oh! We’ll have to send them something as thanks! …And check the locks and other entrances.”

[Ronald makes a demanding beep.]

“I’m not giving you any apples and you already have enough knives.”

[Angry beep]

[Wraith sticks her tongue out at Ronald before going to put the apples and knives away.]

[huariqueje]

Floating Herbarium (Iris, Magnolia, Lily of the Valley, Cosmos, Foxglove, Trillium, etc.) - Julia Whitney Barnes ,  2022.

American , b.

Watercolor, gouache, India ink and cyanotype on Arches Platine paper , 44 x 30 in.