#author Dal Maclean

[melaniem54]

Review: Bitter Legacy by Dal Maclean

Review: Bitter Legacy by Dal Maclean

Rating: 4.5🌈 Murder mysteries are a favorite trope so discovering a new author and series of both made my day. Especially when the novel’s storylines and characters turns out to be so riveting and absolutely beautifully executed. Dal Maclean’s Bitter Legacy, the first book in a series of the same name, is a gripping tale of multiple murders, intense law enforcement investigations, with a…

[everything-maxriemelt]

I was tagged by the funny and lovely @gear65 . Thank you for giving me a break from WFH Tuesday ❤️

Rules: tag 9 people you’d like to know better

Top 3 Ships (in no particular order):

1. Marc Borgmann and Kay Engel (Freier Fall/Free Fall)

2. Elio and Oliver (Call Me by Your Name)

3. Ennis and Jack (Brokeback Mountain)

Honourable mentions: Mulder & Scully (my perma-ship)

Last Song: The Next Life (revisiting Suede debut album - marked its 27th anniversary this week)

Last movie: Portrait of a Lady on Fire (now free on Hulu - GO WATCH IT! Argh... so good)

Reading:

Books: just started Dal Maclean’s “Blue on Blue”, she’s one of the authors whose books I like so much I pace myself to finish it, to shorten the withdrawal.

fanfic: everything new under Freier Fall/Free Fall, also the new epic saga from @branwen-blaidd

Lipstick or Chapstick:

Nivea chapstick all day, Glossier’s Vinylic lip in siren red when I need to see other people

3 Random Things That Make Me Happy:

1. Rudely awoken in the morning at 6:30 but it’s ok because it’s weekend, that means I can read in bed for another 4 hours.

2. Find out someone just read all my old and new fanfics consecutively.

3. Going hiking and realise I can still do the difficult routes

I don’t know enough people to tag 9! 😝 but @branwen-blaidd if interested.

[thisiswhymomworries]

Gay (mlm) Book Reccs

links to Asexual / Aromantic, Bisexual / Pansexual, Lesbian, Transgender / Non-Binary sheets

TCCL stands for Tulsa City-County Library, in Oklahoma. These reference sheets list the books physically available (not including ebooks only) at the 24 library locations in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For folks outside of this range, I suggest double-checking your local libraries, as well as the apps OverDrive, Hoopla, and YourCloudLibrary!

An online version of this list can be found at https://bit.ly/2kq4tjP. This goodreads shelf includes ebooks, new releases, and books not available at the library! It also features a notes section that specifies which character is gay, their exact identity if stated in the text, and whether they are a main or side character.

In the shelf list along the left side of the page, you can also find shelves for other LGBT+ identities, as well as books featuring characters that are disabled, fat, mentally ill, neurodivergent, and people of color. All the books are cross-tagged, so a book featuring a black disabled trans woman would appear in the shelves named disabled, POC, and transgender.

transcription below the cut!

Books Featuring Gay Male Characters Available at TCCL

(format: Title Author Genre)

The Black Tides of Heaven Yang, J. Y. Fantasy

The Love Interest Dietrich, Cale YA Romance

Black Wings Beating London, Alex YA Fantasy

Red Skies Falling London, Alex YA Fantasy

My Fate According to the Butterfly Villanueva, Gail D. Middle Grade Fiction

Heart of Iron Poston, Ashley YA Science Fiction

Soul of Stars Poston, Ashley YA Science Fiction

Salvation Day Wallace, Kali Science Fiction / Horror

Keep This to Yourself Ryan, Tom YA Mystery

The Merciful Crow Owen, Margaret YA Fantasy

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue Mackenzi, Lee YA Historical Fiction

Openly Straight Konigsberg, Bill YA Romance

Upside Down Walker, N. R. YA Romance

Red, White, & Royal Blue McQuiston, Casey YA Romance

Object of Desire Maclean, Dal Romance

The High King’s Golden Tongue Derr, Megan Science Fiction

All the Wrong Places Gallagher, Ann Romance

Kill Game Kingsbridge, Cordelia Mystery

Trick Roller Kingsbridge, Cordelia Mystery

Cash Plays Kingsbridge, Cordelia Mystery

One-Eyed Royals Kingsbridge, Cordelia Mystery

A Chip and a Chair Kingsbridge, Cordelia Mystery

A Mark on my Soul Greene, Jordan YA Romance

Timekeeper Sim, Tara YA Science Fiction

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda Albertalli, Becky YA Romance

Two Boys Kissing Levithan, David YA Romance

Autoboyography Lauren, Christina YA Romance

Taproot Young, Keezy Graphic Novel

My Brother’s Husband (vol 1) Tagame, Gengoroh Graphic Novel

My Brother’s Husband (vol 2) Tagame, Gengoroh Graphic Novel

Carry On Rowell, Rainbow YA Fantasy / Romance

What If It’s Us Albertalli, Becky YA Romance

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Sáenz, Benjamin Alire YA Romance

Stranger Than Fanfiction Colfer, Chris YA Fiction

Blank Spaces Lennox, Cass Romance

Draw the Line Linn, Laurent YA Fiction

How Not to Ask a Boy to Prom Goslee, S. J. YA Romance

Trans Mission: My Quest to a Beard Bertie, Alex Autobiography

Once & Future Capetta, Amy Rose YA Fantasy

The Song of Achilles Miller, Madeline Historical Fiction / Romance

Proxy London, Alex YA Science Fiction

The Priory of the Orange Tree Shannon, Samantha Fantasy

[droppingtheveilofmaya]

Hello!! 

As I know our fandom is a place of very eager, voracious, wonderful readers, I feel like I really shoud recommend this pearl I’ve stumbled upon. 

Bitter Legacy, by Dal Maclean is a M/M novel, even though the romance isn’t the most traditional kind of love story one might be used to. BUT it also happens to reveal itself as one of the sweetest and most romantic endings I could dream about! More than anything, though, the author came up with a phenomenal thriller! Easily one of the best I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. Set in contemporary London, it never misses the pace, it’s very on point, very neat, exact, brilliantly developed and even better solved! It got me straight in from the very first chapter and held my breath until the very end. A lot of twists and well placed hints, a couple of enthralling final turns of events. It doesn’t miss a beat and so didn’t I. The characters are round and vivid, a long list of very lovable and funny ones and a great insight on what moves the human mind and heart, what our nature makes of us and what our life can shape us into. 

Honestly, this is a clever book and I’m convinced it requires a clever audience. And a strong one, as it does repeatedly test the reader, both mentally AND emotionally. You feel for the main characters (man, did I suspect I’d end up loving so much the very one I couldn’t stand for half the book?), you feel for the side characters and you feel for the victims. In one word, Bitter Legacy made me feel so much, in so many ways, it challenged me, it absorbed all of my energy and attention, it made me wish so badly that I could skip both professional and social duties in favour of spending my time locked up somewhere with my book and some tea. No one else, nothing else, just those super lifelike, lively characters and all the hopes and emotions I had for them.

Bonus, rare case in its genre, there’s nothing random, nothing left to case in this book. It’s well thought out, it gives the reader the chance to follow the subtle hints, to reflect on the signs, in the very lovely old fashoned way of the most classic crime novels. It’s well written and it breaks you and puts you back into one piece, in the span of a blink. 

I’ve truly loved it, so here it is, in case anyone is up to give it a try and share their impressions with me! xx