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[ivaninprint]

A deeper look into Arlon was everything I asked for.

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Misfit is a continuation of the Sex Wizards series and gave me a lot of background information I was hungry for. Arlon, Brigette and Garett are such a strong power team and knowing more about them was amazing.

The books focus with Arlon at the forefront was interesting and the start had me surprised for a bit. The book doesn't start with Arlon coming to the Crux, but already has been there for a while as a sort of prisoner. It then picks up with him trying to settle in the Crux now as a beginner wizard.

This awkward feeling he has being now a free man was felt very deeply in the book. The contrast then with the safe moments with Fawn is really there and made me feel so much.

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Starting to speak with Brigette and Garett isn't easy for Arlon and seeing him fuck up was actually quite nice. He is such a collected and thought through man in the main books, seeing him fumble and just learn to be human was so interesting to see.

He grows though, he grows so much and it warmed my heart. He is by no means perfect but he's learning to be a more gentle human while keeping his strong edge. Seeing him grow while knowing the kind of person he ends up being was so much fun.

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The smut in this book is so much fun too. There are gentle moments between Fawn and Arlon are adorable and for this series not that kinky. To be honest this book is really not that kinky in general. It focuses a lot more on character growth and bonds between characters. This is quite a contrast between the main Sex Wizards books, but for a side story it really works.

There is some sex though, and the one scene between the strong thruple is amazing and had me hot!

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Concluding this book is a lovely side story giving us more info about characters in a series we love.

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ID:

The cover of Misfit by Alethea Faust is surrounded by text. At the top it says "eARC Review." At the bottom it says "Get to know Arlon's Story."

The other bits of text surround the book with small bits about the book. These are:

- Being in a new place full of intimidating wizards

- Friendships in learning how to fight

- Finding comfort with new and old people

- Learning how to grow as a person

[ivaninprint]

I was so excited to read another book by Emezi and they totally delivered.

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After having read PET and BITTER I had high hopes for another YA book by Emezi but made sure to go in totally blind.

It quite surprised me to see the jump from magical realism to fantasy but this book did it so well. The world is so rich of history and stories there was always something interesting to uncover.

This uncovering of the lore of the world was something always a theme of this book up until the last moment when everything unravels. And gosh did this often blow me away with how awesome it was and pull me right in wanting to read more.

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The main characters as a brother and sister was really fun. I loved how they were twins and had an incredibly close bond. When that bond starts to fray however I was so worried about them and hopeful that things would end up better at some point.

This longing for them both to be together again was really strong throughout the whole book and kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know if they might be fine on the next page.

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I also really loved how the good and bad parts of family dynamics were shown in this book. There were feelings of still loving a family member even though they've harmed you, and the way others sometimes can totally fill that gap. But sometimes things get so bad there is no forgiving anymore and the characters were only left with grief. This hit me really hard and was written beautifully.

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Concluding I'd recommend this book for everyone who likes fantasy with big world building and family relations.

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[ID: The cover of Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi is surrounded by text. At the top it says "eARC Review." At the bottom it says "Another YA book by Akwaeke Emezi that blew me away."

The other bits of text surround the book with small bits about the book. These are:

- Twins trying to save each other

- Family struggles that hit deep

- Deep world building full of interesting lore

ID End]

[ivaninprint]

My #ProudlyCutSleeves post.

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As said in the picture I'm late. My crashing has been bad, even though about 2 weeks ago I said I wanted to post more.

My mental spoons have been limited lately but I managed to finish this draft from before!

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I want to say a big thanks to @dawn.writesstuff for talking to all of us about the dire situation the Chinese queer writing community is in and raising awareness for this issue.

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As said in the image I haven't read any Chinese work except for the ARC of the upcoming book The Witch Who Chases the Sun by @dawn.writesstuff. Being in community it made me realize that was an ignorant part of me that I am wanting to change, starting with this post. Thank you for giving me a space to learn.

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ID:

In bold letters at the top is the hashtag #ProudlyCutSleeves with it below saying "living on crip time version (joining late)" and "TBR, I have never read Baihe or Danmei before, which is something I'm going to change asap."

Below the text are three images with each a white border and a small bit of text. These are:

The cover of Run Wild, Sa Ye by Whu Ze. It has the text "requested on Libby."

A screenshot of YouTube of the fanmade audiobook Heaven Official's Blessing on YouTube by @ CrimsonRain.

The cover of Her Mountain, Her Ocean by Fu Hua. It has the text: "Her Mountain, Her Ocean, recommend by Dawn Chen."

[ivaninprint]

Hey all,

Haven't been on instagram much.

I had a great April and start of May, but the end of May and June were intense with a deep crash.

But I hope to be back and am starting with this post!

This book by Dawn Chen has been pulling me through my reading slump and I figured focussing on those aspects might be a fun way to recommend this book.

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Q: What book has helped you through a harder period?

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ID: The book "The Witch Who Chases the Sun" by Dawn Chen stands surrounded by my feelings of the book. At the top it reads the title "Pre-Orders Open!" with the subtitle "A recommendation post on what it's doing with me." At the bottom it reads "Out September 30th." It states "My current read" above the image of the book.

List of feelings:

- Helping me come through a reading slump

- A good book distracting from my increase in symptoms

- A book long enough to read for a long while staying with familiar characters

- Helps my mind relax when my brain is panicked

[ivaninprint]

Another great book in this series by @sarah.wallace.writer and @s.o.callahan

Not following a Wrenwhistle child was a fun change for this third book. I've definitely become very attached to Wyndham and Emrys, but a different family at the forefront was very fun too. Don't worry though, the Wrenwhistle's are very much part of the book, but this time Emrys best friend Keelan has a chance to shine.

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I really enjoyed it that Keelan and Silas got together in a hot moment so early in the book. It created a big theme of longing for both of the main characters, and damn do I love someone pining over a crush.

They're both hopeless though, denying themselves for so long to interact again. But this made the feelings of wanting even stronger and soon I too couldn't wait until they'd be in each other's arms again.

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The plot around the research on fae-human magic was so interesting too. I love learning more about the world this series takes place in and it seems that Roger Wyndham is just as eager to learn too.

Research in a whole new field is difficult though and it's evident that the volunteers are struggling too. Silas most of all, and oh how I wish I could've hugged him for most parts of the book. But you know, Keelan might be better for him anyways.

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The fact that Silas didn't come from high society was a fun thing that changed things up as well. It really gave me as a reader an outside perspective on the characters I already loved.

It broadened the world in the book and gave it a lot of depth. The way Silas lives for his craft is so wonderful to see. He's passionate but adorable and I loved hearing all descriptions of his work with his family.

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Concluding this is a lovely continuation to the Fae and Human Relationships series and I would definitely recommend it for everyone to continue the series with.

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ID:

The book "Shade Spells with Strangers" by Sarah Wallace and S.O. Callahan stands surrounded by tropes of the book. At the top it reads the title "eARC Review." At the bottom it reads "3rd Fae and Human Relations Book."

The tropes are:

- Different standings in society

- Researching Fae-Human Magic

- A quick hookup at a wedding leading to more?

- Difficult family va close knit family

- Pining over each other in denial

[ivaninprint]

[ivaninprint]

Reading winter vibes in the summer can be so nice.

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We're getting into sunnier weather and I'm enjoying it so much. But at the same time leaving behind the cozy winter is always a bit sad. This book however brings back that warm and wholesome feeling with this lovely romance between a human woman and a krampus.

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Gosh did I get this real big crush on the krampus too. He's adorable and so sweet and as a reader I couldn't help falling for him too.

In the beginning of the book he's definitely a bit closed off, although this isn't as much from shyness or a personality trait, he actually just barely has anything in his life to shape a personality with. As a krampus his life is filled with following orders with not much else and gosh that made me feel for him.

Seeing his journey into becoming more of a being with agency was beautiful to witness and damn was I proud at the end of this book seeing how far he comes.

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The romance is also absolutely adorable. The main character Naomi isn't well versed into what a krampus is just like many other monster romances, but Margaret still makes their encounter into the sensual feel very fresh. It was so fun to read them exploring each other and having a good time. The smut was sooo hot too and I loved their connection in them so much. It was great to see them enjoy each other plentiful.

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The book has a timeline in the back to follow the time skips and honestly I also really enjoyed that. Both the time skips and the help of the timeline. The time skips gave this book a lot more feelings of longing which I really enjoyed. It gave it some more plot for the characters to experience and gave it the right balance of hot romance and a good story.

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Concluding this book was a great read for anyone into monster smut with themes of growth and finding new connections.

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ID: The book "Rescuing Krampus" by Robin Jo Margeret stands surrounded by tropes of the book. At the top it reads the title "eARC Review." At the bottom it reads "Winter vibes with a wholesome krampus."

The tropes are:

- Bisexual FMC, Autistic coded MMC

- Missing each other across the years

- Decorating a tree for the first time

- Hot monster smut with a krampus

[ivaninprint]

This spin-off in the Colibri Investigations universe from @mhowalt had me laughing from start to finish.

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First thing I really enjoyed in this book is the fact that the main characters aren't human. I loooove learning more about all the other species within this universe and I feel like we got a very unique peek into their lives with this book.

The main character is a Wendek which are a very interesting group of species that have really strong smell. This was clear mutliple times in the books together with some other things unique for the species and gave a fun change to what I was used to.

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With the Wendeks having a strong sense of smell also comes the fact that the main character is chronically ill and has a lot of their sense of smell. This way the main character was different was interesting and gave me a whole different kind of perspective on how disability might differ if you're not a human.

The main character also struggles with fatigue and breathing issues and I liked the way the book handled this. The disability was there, and was actually disabling too. It got in the way and was frustrating to the main character often enough, and that's thoroughly relatable as someone also chronically ill.

I felt seen in this book with how sometimes you really want to go outdoors and do things, but just can't. And I think above all I loved it the main character didn't just "push through" and everything was fine, but actually saw consequences of their choices in ignoring their disability a few times.

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To talk about the plot itself I want to say I was entertained from start to finish. I had a lot of fun with this book. The way the main character and the investigator Raithan interacted was so full of emotions and hidden agendas it always left me wanting to know what would happen next. I definitely didn't see the twists coming with the way Raithan seems to plot so far ahead, and it made for a great book that left me on the edge of my seat.

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Concluding this is a lovely book with great disability rep and fun interactions between main characters.

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ID:

The book "A Study in Black Brew" by Marie Howalt stands surrounded by tropes of the book. At the top it reads the title "eARC Review." At the bottom it reads "Sherlock Holmes retelling based on an alien planet."

The tropes are:

- Friendships between new neighbors

- Learning about other species in the Colibri Investigation Universe

- Main character being thrown in a whole new life

- Chronically ill main character

[ivaninprint]

I read this book during the Trans Rights Readathon and had such a good time.

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Grace felt like she had to quit football to be accepted to live as a girl. But from the book early on it's clear how much that hurts her. It always used to be her passion and giving that up hurt a lot. But her mates didn't just give up on her and their friendship and still call her over to hang out. The way she is hesitant to hang out though was thoroughly familiar.

When I transitioned to a man I really felt like I was supposed to hang out with the boys from that point onward. But whoever decided that is the supposed rule sucks and Grace realizes that too, slowly hanging more and more out with her old football friends. Seeing her accept that you don't need to give up everything masculine from your old life was freeing to read and I loved to see that growth in her.

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That didn't mean that growth was flawless though, and she struggles managing her time and making sure to still hang out with her newer queer friends too. Seeing her struggle with this and learning how to manage it all was all too relatable and I think she ended up doing quite okay. 

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I also really enjoyed how this book handles making choices for the future. A big part in this book is Grace looking for a potential scholarship and her decisions around that. It is a big question for her and very understandable so, and the book definitely made it clear that choosing this is hard for her. The way she worked through her difficult feelings and found her way was beautiful to be a part of and I was so full of feelings at the conclusion of her choice.

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Concluding this is a book about a trans teen that is trying to find her way after coming out and I would recommend it to anyone who might be wanting to be a part of such a journey.

[ivaninprint]

Sissix and Rosemary from The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet! This was a commission.

[ivaninprint]

It's ME Awareness Day today.

Seeing everyone around me post, asking for more research, more funding for the research... for being taken more seriously, asking people to mask...

It's a lot, and on days like this I honestly feel quite hopeless.

But I read this poetry bundle a week ago and it made me sob from start to finish. It was beautiful.

Give it a read if you want a peek into our lives from a different angle.

Big hugs to everyone in the community who'd like one. We're in this together 🫂

[ivaninprint]

I'm sharing another cover reveal today!

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This series is an absolute gem and I've loved the previous installments so much, so I can't wait to get my hands on this book!

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Q: What upcoming release are you excited about?

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Short book blurb:

Rahil Zaman distances himself from the world, acquiring blood through the risky hookup apps. After one such fling turns sour, he ends up trapped in the work shed of the craftsman, Mercer Bloncourt. But Rahil is not the only intruding presence in Mercer’s life. A hostile hunter and a manipulative research scientist both insist—on threat of his daughter’s life—that he recreate versions of the vampire-killing metal he’d forged in the wake of his wife’s murder.

To complicate matters, Rahil is the rare vampire who’s immune to the deadly silver, providing Mercer the perfect lab rat to test a new—and kinder—vampire-affecting metal. As Rahil and Mercer rush to the forge, the weight of their past wrongs come to bear and they discover that no mistake is worth the sentence of eternal loneliness.

[ivaninprint]

Trans and Disabled - Edited by Alex Iantaffi

I read this book for the Trans Rights Readathon and I'm so glad I picked this up.

This collection of essays and stories about trans disabled people was so amazing to read as a fellow trans and disabled person. I've read some stories about trans disabled people before like Care Work from Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, but reading an anthology with so many varied disabled voices was amazing. The topics of the book was also so varied from celebration to poetry and essays and together it made for a very beautiful mix.

One of the stories that stood by me was the one by Finlay Games for multiple reasons. I was actually already familiar with Finlay as I read his phalloplasty memoir before my own bottom surgery. His bottom surgery though happened before he got diagnosed with ME/CFS so that book doesn't touch upon disability at all. At one point in his piece Games talks about the fact that people sometimes ask if his being trans might have contributed to being sick. After my own bottom surgery that I had in December last year I quite significantly worsened from the hit it gave to my already chronically ill body. Sometimes people ask me if it was worth worsening, sometimes I wonder if it was worth worsening for it. However one quote by Games stood by me as the truest answer to this issue.

"Had I not transitioned, I wouldn't have ME/CFS because I would not be alive."

It was a sentence that made me come to the realization that it is quite the same for me. That yes I worsened over it. But had I not gotten my bottom surgery instead, I would not be able to be happily alive in any way.

The first story about being plural and disabled also really able to look into a live of others. I have a few trans plural friends that I love chatting with. But it's not their obligation to teach me about how plurality works, and I feel like by reading this story I got to look into the life of someone similar and maybe get a bit better understanding how such a life may shape.

The piece about covid-19 of Jac of GENDERMEOWSTER was also something that really hit me hard. FInding covid aware places nowadays is a struggle and wearing a mask is something most don't understand around me. But seeing others talk about how covid still impacts them always makes me feel less alone.

Concluding this was an anthology with many different voices on trans disability and I would recommend this for every trans and/or queer person to read more about your community.

I received this eARC through Netgalley and this was my honest review.

[ivaninprint]

LINK: tinyurl.com/oldgaySF

I'd like to share with y'all a project I've poured my heart and soul into over the last couple of years: a database cataloguing every single older queer science fiction book I've managed to track down, consisting of just over 200 titles with LGBT characters/themes & by LGBT authors, spanning over a century (1880-2000) 🚀

The database can be filtered by representation, subgenre, whether the book is currently in print, and more; additionally, it includes my own ratings & brief thoughts on the ones i have read, if anyone needs a suggestion on places to start! (or feel free to shoot me an ask for a more personalized recommendation)

[ivaninprint]

Late because crip time

Happy #LesbianVisibilityWeek

I read this book for the trans rights readathon as the main character is a nonbinary lesbian. I absolutely loved it this sci-fi heist story and all the tension between the main character and their love interest.

What lesbian book did you lately enjoy?

[ivaninprint]

Lesbian Visibility Week is here, and I have a collection of sapphic books to keep you going. There are many ways to be a lesbian and not one label fits all, so please keep that in mind.

Edit: I made a mistake regarding 'To A Darker Shore', it does not have a main sapphic romance. There are side ones, however.

[ivaninprint]

After four books I'm still getting more and more invested in this world by MN Bennet

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Dorian has become someone I look forward to meeting again every time a new book comes out. I love spending time with him and seeing the world through his eyes. His eyes that look to the world with despair but still trying to make beautiful moments happen.

In the fourth book I feel like his darkness is lifting more and more, enjoying life as much as he can. However not everyone wants him to become happier and a lot of dark things happened in this book once again. But Milo is there, he always is, and god is it good to have him with us.

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This book starts off when everything seems kind of already moving towards that happily ever after. But when things slowly get out of control and dangerous things are happening I am once again at the edge of my seat (although I never sit and always lay down reading XD).

Bennet writes fighting and high intensity scenes so so well and I keep coming back to his books for them. I enjoy them so much, they are clear, have good speed of momentum and keeps the tension of the moment just right.

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And then we have all the kids. The kids who have been my phone lockscreen for the past half year since I read book 3. They are Dorian's kids, but at this point they're mine too. I am so invested in each of them and damn if they won't grow up into happy adults one day I'll throw a fit (sorry not sorry).

But while we're not there yet it was so good to see them growing into adults more and more. Making big decisions and maturing. I can't wait to see what's more in store for them.

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Someday Dorian will have his happily ever after, and bet you I will be there with him right at the end.