#i really enjoyed the binding by bridget collins

[sabinabardot]

QUEER FANTASY SERIES RECS NEEDED

what are the queers reading these days in YA fantasy? as a queer myself, I don't know and it's imperative I get some book recs so if you have any good ones feel free to reblog/shoot me an ask/dm me!

self-promo welcomed, always looking to support indie authors

[the-modern-typewriter]

Fantasy Book Recs

For the people who asked for book recs, muhahaha...

(You may be interested in my book tag or my goodreads) The tag definitely repeats some of my favourites because I keep recommending them, but in my defence, they are excellent and I need no defence. 

Anyway, fantasy book recs my love...I know I have a type. We all know I have a type. I was not kidding about the fairytales/retellings obsession.

Also, let’s get it out of the way. Literally ANYTHING by V.E Schwab. I cannot stress that enough. My favourite is The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue, but like. God tier.

I’m just going to go and add Leigh Bardugo here as well. Slightly less god tier, but still great. Especially Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom which is god tier.

Short(er) stories and short story collections

The Poison Eaters and Other Stories by Holly Black

A Portable Shelter and A Rental Heart and Other Fairytales and Things We Say In The Dark by Kirsty Logan

A Spindle Splintered by Alix. E. Harrow

Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor

The Greenhollow Duology by Emily Tesh

Wayward Children novellas by Seanan McGuire

Hag (collection with numerous authors)

Beasts and Beauty by Soman Chainani

Novels

The Song of Achilles by Madeleine Miller

Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente

Uprooted and Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden

Girl, Serpent, Thorn and Girls Made Of Snow and Glass by Melissa Basherdoust 

Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Dark Rise by C.S Pascat

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (I think the series goes down in quality, but the first one is excellent and I think can be read standalone)

The Montague Siblings trilogy by Mackenzie Lee

The Folk of Air trilogy and The Darkest Part of the Forest and The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Peter Darling by Austin Chant

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

The Binding by Bridget Collins

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J Klune

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M Danforth

Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper / Blood Countess by Lana Popovic

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (I’m not being ironic, I think the first book is great)

The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Interview with a vampire by Anne Rice

Note I have limited this list to really liked and it was amazing. There are lots of others I have liked and enjoyed while reading.

[i-sveikata]

hey, just curious if you could rec any particular authors you love read or rec any books to read? I tend to only read fanfic and when I try to read anything out there...ugh just the storyline is predictable and the dialogue is cringe. I trust your judgment, so anything you recommend?!

appreciate you love, hope you're doing well and take care of your health 💟💟

hello anon! i mostly read fantasy/queer novels so i can defs rec some of my favourites but if you have any triggers or things you don't like to read etc id recommend a bit of research on them here for triggers or here for goodreads synopsis. But here you go in no particular order:

-iron widow series/ Xiran jay zhao (1st book out 2nd coming out this year) -the radiant emperor series/ Shelley Parker Chan -the queens thief series/ Megan Whalen turner -the graceling realm series/ Kristin cashore -mo dao zu shi series (grandmaster of demonic cultivation)- Mo xiang ton xiu -all for the game series/ Nora sakavic -the cruel prince series/ Holly black -the celestial kingdom series/ Sue lynn tan -six of crows series/ Leigh bardugo -dark rise series/ CS pacat -villains series/ VE Schwab -leviathan series/ Scott westerfeld -a great and terrible beauty series/ Libba bray -legend series/ Marie lu -anne of green gables series/ lucy maud montogomery

heres some i've read when i was younger that are a bit more y/a but still slap and i still reread them every now and again

-the lightning thief series/ rick riordan -deltora quest/ emily rodda -the missing series/1800 where are you series/ meg cabot -the mediator series/ meg cabot -a series of unfortunate events/ lemony snicket

Also just some stand alone books I’ve read and really enjoyed: -the binding/ Bridget Collins -where the crawdad sings/ Delia owens -the martian/ Andy weir -life of pi/ Yann martel -green lights/ Matthew McConaughey -song of Achilles/ Madeline miller -howls moving castle/ Diana Wynne Jones -holes/ Louis sachar -the invisible life of addie larue/ Ve Schwab -the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo/ Taylor Jenkins Reid -the island of sea women/ Lisa see -aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe / Benjamin alire saenz -all our shimmering skies/ Trent dalton -red, white & royal blue/ Casey mcquiston -ella minnow pea/ Mark dunn

you'll probably find a few of these titles familiar already but a lot of these are favs of mine or are just really damn well executed stories. happy reading!

[oflights]

2,8,21 for the bookworm game

hi!! thank you!

okay i just did 2 here!

8. Favorite queer fiction book(s).

going to rec The Spear Cuts Through Water again because it was so wonderful. The Binding by Bridget Collins is another fave, though very stressful. i really like Natasha Pulley and would recommend The Bedlam Stacks. oh and Zen Cho's The True Queen, that was so much fun!

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

i mean, most of them lol. i loved almost everything i read in school, i was an english nerd. my favorites were always epistolary novels, though, which is what i studied in grad school; i've read Clarissa a bunch of times and i love the publication history. i also loved middle english romances and chaucer tbh.

ask me book things! 📚

[readingrobin]

(June 24th - June 30th)

The weeks keep coming along so quickly now. With the full plate I have it's difficult to keep on top of things, but all I can really do is try. Started a new embroidery project, something I've never done before, but I've been wanting to try out a hobby that lets me work with my hands or doesn't involve me sitting in front of a screen. It's not very good and it's going to come out a little wonky, but I'm trying to be a little forgiving to myself of what's my first time with a new thing.

The Fourth is coming up for all us Americans and of course me being somewhat apathetic/annoyed with the hypocrisy of the holiday, I'm just going to enjoy the day off with no goals of patriotism, rest, play D&D, and go watch Spiderverse for the third time.

Books Read:

Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall (3/5)

Spider-Verse by Dan Slott (4/5)

Edge of Spider-Geddon by Gerardo Sandoval, Jason Latour, Zac Thompson, et al. (3.5/5)

Books Currently Reading:

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (40% done)

West by Edith Pattou (65% done)

The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman (76% done)

Spiderpunk: Banned in D.C. by Justin Mason and Cody Ziglar (46% done)

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer (87% done)

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (48% done)

Books to Read Next:

The Binding by Bridget Collins

[patroclusdefencesquad]

I feel like you'd like The Binding by Bridget Collins? Calling it a gay book is definitely a spoiler, but it feels very queer throughout, and I really enjoyed it.

thank you, adding it to my list!!

[glowpop]

glowpop do you read fantasy books? would love some recs if you have any

Yea I do, but not as much as I should! here are some of my fav fantasy books (and also urban? Magical realism? Idk)

1. Broken earth trilogy by N.K Jemisin. You cannot go wrong with this series—I think this was my first foray into more grown up fantasy (?) and this series had me so fucking hooked (strictly fantasy)

2. The devourers by Indra das. I would strongly suggest looking at trigger tags if you’re sensitive to that kinda thing before you start, and also I have no idea what’s up with this guy but he really likes getting graphic with the pee and scents. if you can look past all that, i enjoyed it a lot :] (magical realism-ish)

3. The city we became by n.k Jemisin, though in my opinion it’s a bit weaker than her stone sky trilogy. It’s still pretty solid hehe

4. The binding by Bridget collins. Magical realism I think? man I should really read a lot more fantasy books but as much as I liked this book I have to acknowledge it’s kinda lowkey fujoshi bait which isn’t anything wrong but I liked the premise and the writing and it was fun

Fuck maybe I need fantasy recs I’m about to read the earthsea trilogy and the kingkiller chronicles after I’m done with persuasion so I’ll come back to report my findings

[frogsmulder]

My July Reads

The Girl in the Red Coat by Roma Ligocka (translated by Margot Bettauer Dembo from German)

Started May 2018 finished August 2022 (mostly read in July 2022)

Dark, reflective, nonfiction, historical

Ligocka was inspired to write this autobiography when she saw the premier of Schindler's List: she recognised the girl in the redcoat as herself. She spent her childhood in the Krakow ghetto but managed to escape with her mother in 1945, constantly moving around to avoid death. It is heartbreaking in its retelling, honouring the bewilderment of children forced to face this reality, but also the trauma they are left with as they become adults in a new world. It brings to light how important communication is with loved ones and is another major influence for the penning of this book, with its dedication "For my son, Jakob" after such a complicated relationship with Ligocka's own mother.

I genuinely cried whilst reading it, the loneliness and isolation of Ligocka throughout her life, her frustration with her own identity, politics, and social conventions, and her dealings with mental health all make for a hard but worth while read. I often hard to put it down because of its intensity and cause for reflection.

The most memorable parts for me were the secret garden her mother created for her whilst they were in hiding, her close and then distant relationship with her mother, not being able to understand that the war was over/not understanding what freedom was, and (skip the rest of this paragraph if you don't want to read about bodily autonomy violation) forced abortion.

The Binding by Bridget Collins

Started February 2022 finished July 2022

Parallel world, victorian industrial, dark acadamia, mlm gay, amnesia, enemies to lovers, fantasy

You can forget things you don't want to remember by visiting a binder and putting your memories in a book. Emmett Farmer is a binder who suffers with binderbound fever. By accident he discovered his book and his lost memories. He remembers his first love, Lucian Darnay, but Lucian cannot remember him.

This is my favourite book of the year so far, maybe ever. Its also the first lgbtq book I've read and I completely understand it now, I cried when Emmett's parents found out about his gay relationship. It was heartbreaking but thankfully ends on a hopeful note. It took me a while to get into it but once there, the characters are loveable and I couldn't put it down.

My favourite moments are literally all of part 2 and the ending. Which are basically the romantic parts.

The Mad Women's Ball by Victoria Mas (translated by Frank Wynne from French)

Started and finished July 2022

Spiritualism, feminism, anti ableism, novella, industrial France

The daughter of a lawyer and well-to-do family, Eugénie, has no intentions of getting married and regularly sneaks off to bars and coffee houses. When she attends a debate with the aid of her brother about the spiritual world, she learns that she is not alone in the gift she has as a medium. She knows if she tells anyone, however she will end up in the Salêtrière.

The daughter of a country doctor, Geneviève, traumatised by the death of her sister becomes a nurse to help others to atone for not being able to help her sister. She believes only is science and fact: this is her religion.

The Mad Women's Ball was a real historical event where once a year, the Parisian elite could interact with the inmates of the Salêtrière, like viewing animals in a zoo.

I appreciated this book more after reading the author's note at the end and her intended comment on the voyeuristic habits of society and drawing comparisons to modern reality TV. The characters are all engaging but the feminist message I feel was a little heavy at times and distracted from the story. I do wish we got to know more about all of the characters and their stories but I enjoyed the read nontheless. I also wish Geneviéve and Eugénie's relationship could have been more developed. The Epilogue of the book really hit though, especially for Geneviève's character development.

[illiteratelit]

The Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag ★★☆☆☆    (2/5)

I was drawn in by the beautiful cover, and the recommendation from Bridget Collins, The Binding being a particular favourite of mine. However, I wasn’t very convinced by this book at all.

Firstly, the whimsical language used was originally intriguing, but soon became too much when used in every paragraph. The characters, four girls on the cusp of adulthood, were all thrown together at me all at once, with POVs that switched every page or two and hindered my ability to really get to know them individually. The switching was a theme throughout the book that I disliked, being used not only with characters but with perspectives (first/second/third all used) and many timeline jumps too. I felt as though I was spending more time trying to figure out what was going on than actually enjoying what I was reading.

The book did have good aspects to it too. I enjoyed the writing, and there were some genuine laugh-out-loud sentences that I could tell came from good voicing. There were certain descriptions that felt vivid and picturesque, and the final 50 pages were far more gripping than the earlier 400.

However, spending the majority of a book waiting for answers, as well as questioning many of the decisions made, really didn’t make me enjoy reading. I soon got bored of a new man being introduced and immediately striking each girl with their oozing charm, as well as some of the ethics of quite how much sex 17 year old girls were having with older men. Furthermore, there were many scenes that felt... less developed - such as tragic backstories that were thrown in to give the characters a sad tale, and yet many of them were never dealt with again. Oh, and I won’t get started on the one character whose only trait seemed to be the fact he was fat.

I feel like I never really gave this book a chance, which was partly on me for not being open, but the writing style was far too jumpy for me to really get into and it did not help itself really.

[carica-ficus]

Review: The Betrayals

Author: Bridget Collins

Date: 04/11/2023

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

________________________________________________________

If you need to know something about me as a reader, it is that Bridget Collins is my absolute favorite author. There's something about her writing style that reaches out to me, completely and fully. Her first adult novel, "The Binding", quickly became my favorite book when I read it last year, my personal, infamous "the 6 out of 5", so I knew I was going to be getting my hands on her other book "The Betrayals" as well. And it didn't disappoint.

"The Betrayals" starts of with Léo, an exiled former Minister, who gets sent to Montverre, a prestigious grand jéu school where he studied when he was younger. There he meets Claire Dryden, the new Magister Ludi, who is obviously taken aback by the fact that she runs into the former classmate and good friend of her dead brother Aimé. As Léo and Claire become closer, the truth about their past and their shared grief slowly unfolds and reveals a brilliant and breathtaking story of rivalry, friendship, family, and love.

Collins is the type of writer who focuses most of her energy on her characters, while the plot of the book is merely a secondary element which serves the purpose of building up conflict. Because of this, the pace of "The Betrayals" seems to be really slow. There's barely anything going on throughout most of the book, and aside from the dramatic beginning and invigorating middle, it is relatively uneventful. This is definitely a setback for readers who depend on action-driven stories, but it is incredibly gratifying for ones who enjoy a more character-centered narration.

The book reads like true poetry, with gorgeous sentences that call upon beautiful imagery, delicate moments and intense emotions. Collins makes the ordinary look extraordinary - as if she can create the warmth of the sun from mere candlelight. This is why her characters are so believable, and their thoughts so easy to empathize with. Beside the hidden secrets from the past, Collins makes sure the reader can understand that the feelings, expressions and gestures of her characters are pure and raw.

There's such a profound skill in the way the past slowly reveals the mysteries of the present. Léo and Claire have some obvious unresolved issues which are tied to their shared grief over Aimé's death, but their pride, shame, and sadness prevents them to speak openly about it. The events from their youth are narrated through Léo's lost journal which reveals his feelings for Aimé, from the very beginning of their rivalry, to their subsequent friendship. The secrets and inner thoughts revealed in Léo's diary entries serve as a perfect addition to Claire's seemingly illogical resentment towards him. Her animosity isn't directly explained through them. Instead, it relies on the reader to construct a clear image of Léo's and Aimé's relationship, with Aimé's evident death being a constant reminder of its tragic ending.

In reality, Aimé's death served as an ingenious plot device which Collins uses to turn the story around. The reader knows Aimé's destiny, they know how his story ends, so it is considered as a constant, something unavoidable. Both Léo's present disagreements with Claire and his past rivalry with Aimé' do not matter, because in the end, Aimé's death is certain, but it is him and his character that determines the chemistry between Léo and Claire, and it is Aimé's character that truly displays Collins's irrefutable mastery in writing.

The pinnacle of "The Betrayals" is the scene of the Midsummer Game, a great celebration held at Montverre at the end of the school year. Until then, there's not a single instance of a grand jéu being preformed. The grand jéu is somewhat shrouded in mystery throughout the whole novel. It is a game, a worship, a dance, a play and a song, but it is none of these things and all of them at the same time. This in turn makes the grand reveal at the long awaited Midsummer Game so much more magnificent. Breathtaking, even. All the tension, all the emotions, and the suspense have been leading up to this one moment, this one glorious performance in which Collins' finally reveals everything she has been hiding in plain sight, peppering little traces of truth throughout the whole book.

I have enjoyed "The Betrayals", through and through, but I do find the ending somewhat disappointing. I believe Claire's final decision wasn't very true to her character, and while it might have made sense considering the political situation, I felt as if she has decided to give up on something she has been fighting for for her whole life. It downplays her character's intention. She has been used as a pinnacle of feminism - the first female Magister Ludi and one of the best grand jéu players - who needs to constantly struggle to get the recognition she so obviously deserves, as a person, as a scholar, and as a woman, but then at the very end, she steps away from this role. Defeated.

As for other critiques - and I am surprised I am going to say this - it obviously lacks some sex scenes. I hold Collins's in very high regard and I adore the way she writes romance with all my heart, but the tension between Léo' and Claire just hasn't been utilized to its fullest. There was too much pent up desire between them that just wasn't taken advantage of, which I am somewhat disappointed in, because it had so much potential. But I digress, "The Betrayals" is still a gorgeous love story and I adore the relationship Collins's has established between her main characters.

With "The Betrayals", Collins's has only further verified her status as my favorite author. This book has been a true delicacy and a gorgeous, entirely unique work of art that will stay with me for a very long time. I cannot recommend it enough if you are into historical fiction and dark academia, and are looking for a slowburn rivals-to-lovers romance.

[icterid-rubus]

If you're a fan of stories that feel kinda like fairy tales - I've got a couple of recommendations!

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wrecker The Binding by Bridget Collins The Watchmaker of Filigree Street series by Natasha Pulley

Also sorry if it's a little presumptuous of me to be sending book recs, I just thought you might enjoy these :)

Thank you! I really appreciate the recommendations, I’ll check them out 😊

[thesecretmoonsnightshade]

hello!

my name's marti, I wanted to give a little introduction about me and what I'd like to post.

I'm 19 and I live in Italy. my mbti is infp-t and I'm a capricorn in case you were wondering (probably not but ok). I'm queer but unlabeled and my pronouns are she/her.

I love writing and reading, both prose and poetry, I'm in fact currently working on a poetry book. I'd like to post about my poetry here as well, hoping you can enjoy it as much as me and maybe relate to it as well in some cases.

some of my writings are inspired by my favorite movies, shows and books, such as Harry Potter (I'm a marauders fan, moonchaser kinnie, slytherin), supernatural and The Binding by Bridget Collins. these are just examples of each category.

I like anime and drawing too so sometimes I might post about my art and my favorite anime characters as well, even.

this account will probably be a bit of a mess bc of how much contact I might bring, just as messy as my mind and soul. so a little warning, if you get confused, try imaging what's it like living with myself lol.

hopefully this will be a safe place for me to express myself in ways I can't do in real life.

I might disappear from the platform sometimes, I ask you to forgive me in advance for it but I tend to isolation (yes, I'm not mentally fine but don't worry, I have both a psychiatrist and a psychologist, we love therapy).

I hope to find people who I can be myself with, loneliness can really kill you.

♡

[i-sveikata]

19 & 17 for the fanfic writer asks, pls and thank youuuuu! If those do not spark joy for any reason or if you've already done them, feel free to swap them for something else!

ooooh thanks angel! i'll give both of them a crack! :D

19. what are some books or authors that influenced your style the most?

Hmmm this is a very good question! i'm sure im probably an amalgamation of so many different influences tbh because i read A LOT but if i was going off authors where i've read a book or series and been like, damn i want to create something like this, then i would say:

Megan Whalen Turner (The Thief series), Kristen Cashore (Graceling Realm), Bridget Collins (The Binding), Marie Lu (Legend Series), Emily Rodda (Deltora Quest series) C.S Pacat (Captive Prince Series, Dark Rise), Madeline Miller (the Song of Achilles), V.E Schwab (Villains Series) & Nora Sakavic (All for the Game series).

I'll stop there otherwise i'll go on forever lol. (kind of honourable not-mention would be JK for the Harry Potter series too but since she's a TERF and genuinely behaving horribly i'm discounting her, the credit there would mostly be for building a love of reading as a young kid which arguably i could also credit to Emily Rodda, Ali Sparkes, Scott Westerfeld, Rick Riordan, R.L Stine, Meg Cabot, Suzanne Collins, Janet Austen etc) also kind of proud most of these are women tbh.

17. what is your favorite line you’ve ever written?

omg hahahahahahaha well first thing you should know about me is that i have a pretty atrocious memory lol so I really wouldn't know one off the top of my head unless of course i was rereading that story. That's not to say i haven't had moments where i've written a line or a description and have been like damn that sentence fucks lol so I'd know it when i see it? Sorry that's such a non-answer!

There's a line from my current original work that i really, really like but i'm writing that in the hopes of publishing eventually so i won't put it here that for obvious reasons. (sorry again that's such a tease)

But what I will give is a line from a current Vegas/Pete fic i'm in the middle of, which isn't really a spoiler since nobody will understand the context:

“Maybe,” he agrees, just to spite Vegas with the possibility. “But I guess you’ll never know.”

i wouldn't say it's my favourite line in the fic but it's one i certainly enjoyed writing ;)

thanks for the asks!!!!

[the-modern-typewriter]

Hi! could you please rec me good romances in SFF setting without a love triangle or insta love.

Bear in mind this is geared towards my taste in romance (which luckily for you is very against both love triangles and insta love, because healthy communication please and polyamory is a thing, and also I’m too ace for insta love I feel but anyway) and romance tastes are very varied. But these are fantasy books that I’ve really enjoyed. 

It’s more fantasy that includes a romance, as opposed to explicitly romance genre novels that happen to include fantasy. Some is explicitly fantasy in the ‘fantasy world’ setting. Others are closer to urban fantasy, so mostly our world, but with elements of magic or the fantastical.

The Song of Achilles, by Madeleine Miller

Deathless, by Catherynne M Valente

Sorcery of Thorns, by Margaret Rogerson

Uprooted and Spinning Silver, by Naomi Novik

Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Peter Darling, by Austin Chant

Girls Made of Snow and Glass, by Melissa Basherdoust. Girl, Serpent, Thorn is also worth a read (same author).

 The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue, by V.E Schwab 

Carry on/Wayward Son, by Rainbow Rowell

This is How You Lose The Time War, by El-Mohtar Amal

The Binding, by Bridget Collins

The House in the Cerulean Sea, by T.J Klune

Cruel Beauty, by Rosamund Hodge

The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern (I have very mixed feelings about this book, but by god did it have me invested in the romance!)

[celiabowens]

underrated SFF books (YA and Adult)

So uhm, since I keep seeing the same books on my dash all the time (and I like them too, just...there’s more! to read!) here’s a list of less popular SFF books, divided into YA and Adult. I’ve tried to mention when there is lgbt rep and the trigger warnings. Also, books written by poc will be in bold. Please point out any typo or mistake or if I’ve forgotten specific rep/tw mentions.

All of these are books that I’ve read and enjoyed (by enjoyed I mean anything from 3 stars and above), but if anyone wants to add titles please feel free to do so!!

YA:

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi: beautifully written, fairytale-like story rich in mythology (inspired by several Hindu myths. There’s a full list on goodreads indicated by the author herself). Roshani’s prose is gorgeous.

A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi: it’s a companion novel to The Star-Touched Queen, but both can be read as a standalone. I liked this one more than its companion and I particularly loved how the romance was written (slow burn, but specifically, the author really highlights the mutual respect between the characters, we love to see it).

The Young Elites by Marie Lu: fantasy trilogy set in a world inspired by Renaissance Italy, in which children who survived a mysterious and deadly illness ended up with strange and dangerous powers. Secret societies and a female villain!

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu: historical fantasy following Mozart’s sister, Nannerl, a girl as talented as her brother, but afraid of being forgotten because of the lack of opportunities she has to be seen and heard. Nuanced sibling relationship, no romance.  

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski: fantasy f/f romance! Both a coming of age story set in a society with a rigid class system and a slow burn f/f romance with a lot of banter. TW: abuse.

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore: magical realism. The book follows two families of traveling performers that have been locked in a feud for over a generation. This was the author’s debut and I remember getting an arc of it and being impressed by both the prose and how the forbidden love trope was handled.

When the Moon was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore: another magical realism novel. One of the main characters is a trans boy and the book focuses on issues of racism and gender. One of my favorite YA!

Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton: fantasy romance set in a village that periodically sacrifices a young man in order to keep a deal with the devil that ensures their prosperity. Also, polyamorous and non-binary rep.

The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee: first book in a duology following avatar Kyoshi’s life. It explores the political and cultural aspect of the Earth Kingdom and Kyoshi’s past. Bisexual rep.

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He: sort of a murder mystery fantasy, as the main character finds herself suddenly thrust into power once her father has been murdered. The story has a slow build up to a last part full of twists and machinations and it features lots of court intrigue. Warning: the ending is quite open and afaik there isn’t a sequel planned as of now.

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones: a quite unique take on zombies influenced by Welsh mythology (it’s super cool). The novel follows Ryn and their siblings, as they try to get by after their parents’ death by working as gravediggers. Only well, the dead don’t always stay dead. The characters read a bit younger than they are imo. There is chronic pain rep.

The Magnolia Sword by Sherry Thomas: retelling of the original ballad of Mulan. The book follows Mulan, who’s trained her whole life to win a duel for a priceless heirloom, as she joins the army. There’s a lot of political and historical details, which I really appreciated. Do not go into it expecting a fun adventure though. The descriptions of war aren’t extremely graphic, but be aware of the fact that most of the book is set during a conflict.

The Candle and The Flame by Nafiza Azad: standalone fantasy set in a city on the Silk Road! It’s a quite slow-paced tale about love, family and politics. It has lush descriptions of landscapes and cultures (and FOOD, there are some really great descriptions of food). It’s a very atmospheric book and while I struggled a bit with the pace I’d still recommend it.

Forest of a Thousand Lanters by Julie C. Dao: sort of an East Asian inspired retelling of Snow White, but following the Evil Queen before she became Snow White’s stepmother. I honestly haven’t read its sequel (which should focus on Snow White herself), but I do think this can be read and enjoyed as a standalone too.

The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner: it’s hard to point out exactly what this series is about because it has evolved so much with time. It starts out as classic quest/adventure series with The Thief (which may seem a classic and simple book, but is actually full of foreshadowing and has a really clever set up), but develops into a complex and intriguing political fantasy in The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia (and then goes back to the quest theme in book 5, Thick as Thieves).

Adult:

A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers by Alyssa Wong: I’m cheating with this one because it’s technically a short story but I love Alyssa Wong’s stories so I’m putting it here anyway. It can be read for free and you should just...read it.

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang: grimdark fantasy (TW: abuse, self harm, rape, drug abuse), inspired by Chinese history. It’s adult, but follows younger MCs and the unique blend of different historical periods/inspirations makes it extremely interesting. The characters are extremely fucked up in the best possible way, plus the use of shamanism is awesome. Please make sure you check all the TW before reading.

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang: a Japanese-inspired militaristic fantasy, with elemental magic, a badass housewife dealing with her past and hiding a sword in her kitchen’s floor. It has interesting and nuanced family dynamics and a great reflection on propaganda and the use of narratives.

Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri: first book in an epic fantasy duology inspired by Mughal India (TW: abuse, slavery). I really liked both Empire of Sand and its companion and I find them pretty underrated. Both books have great slow burn romance (with a focus on mutual trust and respect) and focus on culture, religion, self acceptance and politics.

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: a fantasy bildungsroman set in Mexico during the Jazz age. It’s a great approach to adult SFF as it follows a young girl on a life changing adventure. It features Mayan mythology and a god slowly becoming human (this trope is everything!).

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden: a coming of age story inspired by Russian folklore. The trilogy as a whole has one of the best arcs I’ve ever seen: each book is perfectly self-contained and has its own arc, but also fits perfectly in the bigger picture of the trilogy. The atmosphere is amazing, the cast of characters is extremely well developed. Also frost demons are better than men.

The Binding by Bridget Collins: historical fantasy, but with very minimal fantasy elements. It’s set in a world vaguely reminiscent of 19th century England. I’d say this book is about humans and self discovery. It’s about cowardice and the lies we tell ourselves and those we wish we could tell ourselves. Gay rep. (TW: abuse, sexual assault, pretty graphic suicide scene).

The Divine Cities trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett: starting with City of Stairs, it follows a female diplomat and spymaster(!!). The whole trilogy features an interesting discussion about godhood, religion, fanatism, politics, without ever being boring or preachy. It has complex and rich world building and a pretty compelling mystery.

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett: heist fantasy following a thief as she’s hired to steal a powerful artifact that may change magical technology as she knows it. Set in a Venice-like merchant city. Also, slow burn f/f romance.

Jade City by Fonda Lee: sort of a gangster urban fantasy, heavily inspired by wuxia and set in an Asian-inspired metropolis. It follows a pretty big cast of characters, each with their own journey and development. It features nuanced family dynamics and a lot of political and economical subplots. Not extremely prominent, but book 2 features m/m side rep.

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse: inspired by Native American culture and specifically by the idea of subsequent worlds. It has a kickass MC and a good mix of original elements and typical UF tropes. TW: the book isn’t extremely violent but there is death and some gore.

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine: space opera inspired by the Mexica and middle period Byzantium. It focuses on topics like colonialism and the power of narratives and language. It has one of the best descriptions of what it’s like to live in between spaces I’ve ever read. Also very interesting political intrigue and has a slow burn f/f romance (and a poly relationship recalled through flashbacks). I ranted a lot about it already.

Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee: a Korean-inspired space opera with a magic system based on math. It’s honestly quite convoluted and difficult to follow, but it also features some of the best political intrigue I’ve ever read. Plenty of lying, backstabbing and mind games. It also features lesbian and bisexual rep and an aroace side character (TW: mass shooting, sexual assault, abuse). I also really recommend Yoon Ha Lee’s short-story collection Conservation of Shadows.

The long way to a small angry planet by Becky Chambers: character driven space opera featuring a found family journeying through space. A fun read, that also deals with topics such as sexuality and race. Quite easy to go through, as the world building and plot aren’t particularly complex themselves. f/f romance.  

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo: an Asian-inspired fantasy novella that gives a voice to people usually silenced by history. It follows a cleric (non binary rep) as they chronicle the story of the late empress, retold through objects that she used in her life. It focuses on bonds between women and the power that lies in being unnoticed. f/f side rep.

The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark: an urban fantasy novella, based on Orisha mythology and set in an alternate, sort of steampunk, New Orleans. I really like how creative Clark’s worlds are and how good he is at writing female characters (which rarely happens with male authors).

The haunting of tram car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark: novella set in an alternate steampunk Cairo populated by supernatural entities. It’s set in the same world of a Dead Djinn in Cairo, which is a short story you can read for free.

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone: epistolary novella set during a time-travel war. It has gorgeous writing and an amazing f/f romance. As a novella, it’s quite short but it’s beautifully crafted and so complex for such a short book!

The Citadel of Weeping Pearls by Aliette de Bodard: a novella set in the Xuya universe (a series of novellas/short stories set in a timeline where Asia became dominant, and where the space age has empires of Vietnamese and Chinese inspiration), but can be read as a standalone. It’s a space opera featuring a disappeared citadel and the complex relationship between the empress and her daughter as war threatens her empire.

One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake: self-published urban fantasy following two rival families in New York. Sort of a Romeo and Juliette retelling but with gangster families and magic. Honestly recommend all of her books, I love how Olivie writes and especially how she writes female characters.

[whenharrymetsallys]

What are some good fantasy books that you recommend? Bonus points if they have interesting female characters in them!!

'proper' epic/high fantasy:

the poppy war by rf kuang (check trigger warnings)

foundryside by robert jackson bennett

red sister by mark lawrence*

mistborn series by brandon sanderson*

the broken earth trilogy by nk jemisin

the priory of the orange tree by samantha shannon

fantastical/fairy tale/myth:

the bear and the nightingale by katherine arden

the binding by bridget collins

the mercies by kiran millwood hargrave

follow me to ground by sue rainsford

for the wolf by hannah whitten

all have interesting female characters with a lot of charm and depth!

*i personally did not enjoy these books/series but i also don't really like epic fantasy written by men that are more obsessed with the genre than telling a good story. that being said, these are interesting from a world-building perspective.