#fantasy duology

[princessofbookaholics]

currently reading ✨

[bookishlyvintage]

CR: A Fire Endless, Rebecca Ross

[mad-rdr]

Dance of Thieves & Vow of Thieves - Mary E. Pearson

★ ★ ★ ★/5

This was a pretty solid duology! I am honestly such a sucker for enemies to lovers tropes (as long as they're done right) and this duology was no exception. Jase and Kazi are so cute, falling in love as they're chained together over a period of days (weeks) only for their communication skills to absolutely PLUMMET the moment they're back in civilization. There was a good portion of the first book (and some of the second one) where I felt like shaking them. PLEASE just use your words goddamnit. Anyways, the actual plot of this duology was good, I enjoy a good betrayal plotline (with a happy ending of course). The second book was honestly a little dark for ya series, between the war and various questionable torture methods, I was a little surprised. One thing this author does really well, though, is pacing. There weren't any moments where I felt like I was bored or waiting for a chapter to be over. Overall, I enjoyed this series so much I went out and bought physical copies within the week after finishing the ebooks. Also, I feel like it's important to mention that I had absolutely no idea this was a spinoff of the Remnant Chronicles and while there were a couple moments where context would've been nice, you definitely don't have to read the other series to read this one (I probably never will).

[beanbowlbaggins]

[lizanneyoung97]

ARC REVIEW: HEART OF THE SUMMER QUEEN BY HOLLY ROSE

⭐⭐⭐⭐

TROPES

Beauty and the Beast meets Snow White

Enemies to Lovers

Touch Her and Die

Slow Burn

This picks up right where the first book, Bride of the Winter King, leaves off. Adara has just tried to kill her husband, and it didn’t really go how she thought it would. Now the two of them are working together to break the curse that plagues the Winter King also known as Elaric.

While most of the first book takes place in Elaric’s castle of ice, this next book sees the two go on an adventure across the kingdom, from the forests to the seas. It was perfect because I do think the story had outgrown the castle, so it was nice to see how Adara and Elaric interacted outside of their otherwise rigid environment. 

There are some great sequences that showcase Adara’s ability to think on her feet and adapt to any situation, and it was fun to watch her continue to grow. She really gives their adventure her all, even if it could end up poorly in the end. 

Once the door opens on Adara and Elaric’s relationship, nothing can stop them (even though it takes a hot second for them to be on the same page). Though it started on rocky ground, by the end, they are in a great place and I’m so glad they made it there.

Heart of the Summer Queen is available now on KU! Thank you to the author for a chance to ARC read.

[jccatstudios]

Six of Crows: A Comic Adaptation

Part 1, Chapter 3

Pages 19–20

Previous Pages

Next Pages

Download the Chapter 2 Digital Copy

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

Anyone know how Duolingo chooses what constructed languages to teach and how we can petition them to teach Grishaverse languages?

Asking for a friend

[currentlyfandomobsessed]

Something that I still wonder about today is how the fuck I kept reading the Six of Crows duology when it started at this guy named Joost yapping away about complimenting Anya's rabbit-fur eyes??? (I hadn't read Shadow and Bone yet, how smart of me) 😭. Like I've been a part of this fandom for 2 years and I still can't understand how the Grishaverse works lmao. Trust Leigh Bardugo and her killer writing skills to keep my non-existent attention span reading.

[torpublishinggroup]

“A powerful fantasy with sharp teeth." —Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Skyhunter

Honesty was the best misdirection of all. It often pleased him to wield it like one of his little friends, gleaming blades and bone handles distracting the prey before biting to drink deep, remaining pristine no matter how much gore was splashed.

“Grab your popcorn and settle in for a scintillating ride!” —Jacqueline Carey

THE DEAD GOD’S HEART duology is American Gods vs. Baba Yaga in a contemporary fantasy from #1 New York Times bestseller Lilith Saintcrow.

Order Book 1, Spring’s Arcana, and Book 2, The Salt-Black Tree, now!

[ofstarsandmoonlightt]

They’re so much like the crows:

Ji-An like Inej, with her knives

Merren like Wylan

And of course

Andreyen like Kaz~

[artemis-dawn8]

We’re so winning my dudes. Six of crows is 4th in the list of most popular books for tumblr year in review and Kanej went up 44 points in the list of most popular ships for tumblr year in review. KEEP THE GRISHAVERSE ALIVE!!!! WOOOOO!!!

[princessofbookaholics]

"you have given me a universe of stars and stories, where there was emptiness." 💫

[bookishlyvintage]

meet my 100th read this year: The Witch Hunt (The Witch Haven #2)

[island-in-ignorance]

"Not everyone who looks like a hero is a hero. And not everyone who looks like a monster is a monster" is a line that goes SO HARD and also reminds me of the line from Vicious

"Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human.”

And it is an UTTER delight of mine to connect lines from Rick Riordan (childhood favorite author) to V.E Schwab (adult favorite author)

[kleioscanvas]

Hananja, Goddess of Dreams, dances in front of her mother Dreaming Moon, orbited by the Sun and Waking Moon. From the mythology of N.K. Jemisin's wonderful Dreamblood Duology.

[lilareviewsbooks]

Short SFF Books!

I know getting into SFF can be difficult because of the sheer size of series and books in the genres. So here’s a couple of speculative fiction picks that don’t require that much time to read :)

I’ve also made a part two for this, so check that out if you’d like some more short SFF!

This Is How You Lose The Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

209 pages

sapphic rep

standalone

This one is a classic when it comes to short sci-fis (thank you, Bigolas Dickolas), and that’s definitely for a reason! This Is How You Lose The Time War is a story in an incredibly unique format that will, to be honest, probably emotionally devastate you in some way or another. 

Time War follows Red and Blue, two agents working for opposite sides of, you know it, a time war. Their job is to travel through time to change the odds for their respective “agencies”. But, of course, they can’t resist leaving each other messages along in the way - in the most unique manners possible.

This queer novella will take your breath away. It will lead you through multiple timelines, split into two perspectives, Red and Blue, with a beautiful, lyrical writing style, which will make you so invested in our two main characters. The author duo treats us to these fantastical, vivid settings, which are sparkling with potencial and leave you wanting to dive deeper.

Silver In The Wood, by Emily Tesh

112 pages

achillean rep

duology

This is part of the Greenhollow Duology, but can absolutely be read as a standalone. It’s also one of my all time favorites! Silver In The Wood follows Tobias, a groundskeeper who lives deep in the woods. When Henry Silver moves into the house Tobias watches, things change - there’s something in the woods, and Tobias might just have to introduce Henry to it. 

It’s been a while since I read this, but I haven’t forgotten about it. I’m always thinking about this book. The vibes are simply immaculate, and so cozy. It will literally make you feel like you’re in the woods. The character work is excellent, and focuses on older protagonists, which is always a treat. The romance is well-constructed and the second book is completely optional, taking place almost as a side-quest for the main couple. 

I wish there were so many more of these, but unfortunately there are only two. But damn, are they great! Highly recommend, Silver In The Wood and its sequel, Drowned Country!

The Singing Hills Cycle, by Nghi Vo

100 to 128 pages 

non-binary and sapphic rep

series

The Singing Hills Cycle is a good one to recommend, because it’s very low-commitment. You can pick whichever one of the three books (there’s soon to be a fourth!!) draws your interest, you can start with that one, and then go from there. The series follows Chih, a wandering cleric, from the Wandering Hills Abbey, which is preoccupied with keeping records of the history of this China-inspired kingdom. Chih goes around the territory with his talking bird Almost Brilliant, collecting stories.

This series is beautiful! Every book contains in it a beautiful exploration of folklore, and bite-sized story that will always warm your heart. Chih is a wonderful character around which to revolve this story, and their commitment to keeping records and history flows off the page - which is hella important, let’s record our history, folks! The side characters that show up on a book-by-book basis are always the best, and their dialogue is always the best part.

I highly recommend listening to the audiobook - I did so for the last installment,  Into The Riverlands, and it was amazing! Just a 2 hour listen, if that sells ya!

The Murderbot Diaries, starting with All Systems Red, by Martha Wells

144 to 256 pages

queer rep of all kinds! yay!

series

The Murderbot Diaries is for those of us looking for a bigger committment. The series currently has 7 books, one of which is a full-length novel. However, you can read the first book as a standalone and decide if you’d like to continue on following Murderbot’s adventures! Most of the books are 150 - 200 pages long, and so are a pretty quick read!

This is perfect if you enjoy a snarky narration style and a compelling protagonist who’s trying to figure out how they fit into the world. Murderbot, our main character and narrator, is a SecUnit, that is, a security android, that must accompany a scientific expedition to a distant planet, to keep the explorers safe. But Murderbot has hacked its security mode, and enjoys watching TV shows and chilling by itself. But when the mission starts to go wrong, it might need to perk up and start - oh, no! - interacting with the humans.

Although I haven’t read the whole series yet, - I’m waiting for the mood to come over me, okay! - I have the first three books under my belt, and I’m so excited to continue. Murderbot has this spark and this snark which is just so entertaining to read, and so this book will have you laughing and rooting for it as it tries to figure out how to fit in in human society. Such a compelling character, and I’m happy there’s a lot of content out there for me to consume.

The Emperor’s Soul, by Brandon Sanderson

192 pages

no gay rep :(

standalone

The Emperor’s Soul is a part of Mr. Sanderson’s Elantris universe, but can be read as a standalone without knowing anything else about this world. It’s a bit of a different rec - Mr. Sanderson’s writing style is - and I mean this in the politest way possible - dry as fuck, and definitely not for everyone. But there’s something here I think is worth your time.

The magic system here is so unique and so fascinating. The Emperor’s Soul follows Shai, a Forger, who can copy objects flawlessly by re-writing their history. But, suddenly, she’s enlisted to do the impossible - Forge the Emperor.

I would give this one a try, even if it’s not like all the others one I recommended. It’s a good read, and Mr. Sanderson is, like it or not, a classic fantasy writer that’s a must-read for most fantasy fans. And, for me, this and then Mistborn were perfect stepping in points for his fiction.

I have so many of these, guys. Like, literally, so many. So, let me know if you want more of these - I’ll write up another post! And if you’d more specific recs, feel free to drop an ask :) 

Also, check out my SFF books with queer-normal worlds list, if you’re looking for more gay stuff!