#our bloody pearl

[mothandnessieread]

Gotta love some peaceful Saturday morning reading! I’m so close to finishing my reread of Our Bloody Pearl and I’m loving it just as much as before, if not more! I can’t wait to finish it soon.

[aroaessidhe]

Trans aro & ace books (part two)

OUR BLOODY PEARL / nonbinary aspec MC, ace MC

THE THREAD THAT BINDS / multiple nonbinary and aspec MCs

STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY / trans ace-spec (word of god) MC

WERECOCKROACH / agender aroace MC

THE BRUISING OF QILWA / aroace nonbinary MC

THE WOLF AMONG THE WILD HUNT / aroace MC, aroace nonbinary major character

THE HERETIC’S GUIDE TO HOMECOMING / greyace genderqueer MC

TEARS IN THE WATER / ace-questioning & demi trans MCs, aroace side character

SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN / nonbinary acespec MC (word of god)

[queerplatonicshipshowdown]

Round 2, Match 14

Perle and Dejean from Our Bloody Pearl vs. Matilda and Drea from Everything's Gonna Be Okay!

Propaganda for Perle and Dejean:

It's canon!

Propaganda for Matilda and Drea:

They date while Matilda is exploring her sexuality, and when Matilda eventually comes to the conclusion that she is straight, they break up. However, they're both miserable being apart from one another and decide to become life partners, even getting married, even though there is no attraction on Matilda's end.

[dragonbadgerbooks]

August Fun Day Book Photo Challenge: August 14, 2023 International Pirate Month

I'll be honest, I was not a fan of any of the daily holidays, but pirates are always great. So enjoy some classic and modern takes on piracy!

[haveyoureadthistransbook]

Our Bloody Pearl by D.N. Bryn

goodreads

The ocean is uncontrollable and dangerous. But to the sirens who swim the warm island waters, it’s a home more than worth protecting from the humans and their steam-propelled ships. Between their hypnotic voices and the strength of their powerful tails, sirens have little to fear. 

That is, until the ruthless pirate captain, Kian, creates a device to cancel out their songs. 

Perle was the first siren captured, and while all since have either been sold or killed, Kian still keeps them prisoner. Though their song is muted and their tail paralyzed, Perle’s hope for escape rekindles as another pirating vessel seizes Kian’s ship. This new captain seems different, with his brilliant smile and his promises that Kian will never again be Perle’s master. But he’s still a human, and a captor in his own way. The compassion he and his rag-tag human family show can’t be sincere… or can it?

Soon it becomes clear that Kian will hunt Perle relentlessly, taking down any siren in her path. As the tides turn, Perle must decide whether to run from Kian forever, or ride the forming wave into battle, hoping their newfound human companions will fight with them.

Mod opinion: I‘ve learned of this book through this poll, so I haven‘t read it yet, but I do like that there‘s disabled trans rep <3

[npdclaraoswald]

Another Instagram crosspost! This time for Disability Pride Month!

Note: The Tree is a sequel, but the MC sustains the injuries that make her disabled in book one

[Image: several graphics edited with a picture of The Capitol Crawl as the background. The first image has text reading "Favorite Disability Books."

The next image shows four books- All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living with Racialized Autism ed by Lydia XZ Brown, E Ashkenazy, and Morénike Giwa, The Seep by Chana Porter, Eight Kinky Nights by Xan West, and The Unbroken by CL Clark. There is also text with colorful arrows pointing to the books. The label "autistic" points to All the Weight of Our Dreams, The Seep, and Eight Kinky Nights. The label "cane users" points to Eight Kinky Nights and The Unbroken, and the label "arthritis" points to Eight Kinky Nights.

The next image has four books- The Tree by Na'amen Gobert Tilahun, Borderline by Mishell Baker, Pet by Akwaeke Emezi, and Our Bloody Pearl by DN Bryn. This image also contains labels and arrows. "Limb difference" points to The Tree and Borderline. "Mute" points to The Tree, Pet, and Our Bloody Pearl. "BPD" points to Borderline.

The next image has two books. Disability Visibility: First Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century ed by Alice Wong is labeled "collected works." Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha is labeled "no focus on a specific disability; about mutual aid."

The next image has four books- Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness, and Liberation by Eli Clare, Accidents of Nature by Harriet McBryde Johnson, The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green, and White Smoke by Tiffany D Jackson- and more colorful arrows. "Cerebral palsy" points to both Exile and Pride and Accidents of Nature. "OCD" points to The Anthropocene Reviewed, and "anxiety" points to White Smoke.

The last image features four books, each with one label pointing to it. Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor is labeled "albino." The Collected Schizophrenias by Esmé Weijun Wang is labeled "schizophrenia." Mooncakes by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker is labeled "Deaf." Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett is labeled "HIV+" End.]

[franticvampirereads]

This was a really fun read! I honestly don’t know why I waited so long to read it. I loved Perle and Dejean so much! I loved getting to see the queerplatonic relationship that developed between them over the course of the book. They made this beautiful connection that led to them making a pod based on trust and a willingness to help those that need a place to recover or rest or that need a home. They just kind of started collecting people little by little. I also loved just how queer this whole book was! It was really nice. Our Bloody Pearl is getting a four out of five stars from me.

Reading Challenge Prompt Fills:

Trans Rights Readathon

PopSugar 2023: features two languages

Shop Your Shelves: never the right time

Read Queerly 2023: mermaid/siren

[transbookoftheday]

Our Bloody Pearl by D.N. Bryn

The ocean is uncontrollable and dangerous. But to the sirens who swim the warm island waters, it’s a home more than worth protecting from the humans and their steam-propelled ships. Between their hypnotic voices and the strength of their powerful tails, sirens have little to fear.

That is, until the ruthless pirate captain, Kian, creates a device to cancel out their songs.

Perle was the first siren captured, and while all since have either been sold or killed, Kian still keeps them prisoner. Though their song is muted and their tail paralyzed, Perle’s hope for escape rekindles as another pirating vessel seizes Kian’s ship. This new captain seems different, with his brilliant smile and his promises that Kian will never again be Perle’s master. But he’s still a human, and a captor in his own way. The compassion he and his rag-tag human family show can’t be sincere… or can it?

Soon it becomes clear that Kian will hunt Perle relentlessly, taking down any siren in her path. As the tides turn, Perle must decide whether to run from Kian forever, or ride the forming wave into battle, hoping their newfound human companions will fight with them.

[mermaidbracket]

[brynwrites]

FAN WORK ALERT!

The brilliant and hilarious @cwritesfiction made a video about the first two These Treacherous Tides books! Want a refresher before you read Odder Still? Or a good laugh? Or simply to witness the world's most fabulous prop usage?

My favorite quotes include:

No I will not admit I am being kind to humans, next question

Tuck it in for bedtime, give it a little snack

Pew pew pew boat boat boat

(BTW, who else is excited for more of our favorite fishnet-wearing, villain-aesthetic, tired queer monster dad? Rubem is hitting the shelves in six week!)

[mothandnessieread]

Just another day of reading with Moth! At this point, I think he’s been around for a couple of rereads of Our Bloody Pearl and, well, I think he’s down for another! That is, if I give in to his request for treats and plenty of pets, of course.

[aroaessidhe]

Aro & Ace books: M/nonbinary ships

Aces Wild - ace MC, ace nonbinary love interest

Meet Cute Diary - ace nonbinary love interest

Tears In The Water - acespec gender questioning MC, demi love interest

Help Wanted - ace nonbinary MC

Blasted Research - ace nonbinary MC

The Story of the Hundred Promises - arospec MC, other aro characters & themes

The Wolf Among The Wild Hunt - aroace MC (QPR)

Our Bloody Pearl - ace man / aroacespec agender MCs

Assassins: Nemesis - grey-ace nonbinary MC

#aspec books / aspec database / tumblr masterpost

[the-final-sentence]

'Let's go home.'

D.N. Bryn, from Our Bloody Pearl

[thistle-nightshade]

This is the book that got me hooked on indie authors. This is the book that started it all. It's lovely. Steampunk pirates, found family, disability rep, sirens, they/them pronouns, sapphic pirates, ace spectrum rep. A very pleasent read.

[queerplatonicshipshowdown]

Round 1, Match 27

Robbie & factoryAI from Void Terrarium vs. Perle and Dejean from Our Bloody Pearl!

Propaganda for Robbie and factoryAI:

They literally raise a child together what more is there to say

Propaganda for Perle and Dejean:

It's canon!

[npdclaraoswald]

Another Instagram crosspost! I made a post of my favorite queer books last pride month, so here's some of my recent faves!

ID in alt text and book summaries under the cut.

Borderline by Mishell Baker follows a young woman named Millie recruited into an organization that guards the border between our world and the fae world. Artistic inspiration comes from a mystical tether to a fae and when a fae noble goes missing goes missing, Millie, despite being a new recruit, has to investigate across LA, meeting fae nobles and celebrities who owe their fame to their bond. Bisexual

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger takes place in a fictionalized America where magic is normal. Elatsoe, a young Lipan Apache girl can summon the ghosts of dead animals. One night, she is visited in a dream by her cousin who tells her he has been murdered, though his death has officially been ruled an accident. Elatsoe travels to his town to investigate and encounters magical beings and a town full of secrets. Asexual

The Wicker King by K Ancrum follows a popular boy and a misfit who maintain a close and intense friendship despite their social differences. Jack begins experiencing visions of a parallel world existing alongside their own and demands August's help in fulfilling the prophecy the fantasy world centers around. The two become more and more codependent upon each other as they try to figure out whether Jack is hallucinating and how to fulfill the prophecy if it is real. Mlm- I don't remember if they specify any labels.

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant follows multiple perspectives of the crew of a ship going out to investigate the sinking of one of the company's other ships seven years prior. The sunken ship had been out to film a mockumentery on the existence of mermaids, but before they sank, they uploaded incredibly realistic footage of the crew being attacked by mermaids. The new ship is crewed by scientists and media personnel to discover both what happened to the other ship and whether the mermaid attack was real. Main character is bisexual with a lesbian love interest.

Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee follows an artist in a fantastical version of Korea during Japanese colonization. Though Jebi has no interest in politics and is perfectly happy to live under colonization as long as they get to paint, their sister hates the colonizers and kicks them out of the house when they apply for an artist's position in the colonial government. While in the government's employ though, Jebi discovers some of the horrors the government regularly commits and resolves to steal the government's dragon automaton and fight back. Nonbinary

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall takes place in a fantasy world that is divided by colonialism. Evelyn, the daughter of a noble family, is forced onto a ship by her mother to be delivered to her arranged husband. Flora, who has taken on the identity as Florian the pirate, is part of the pirate crew who masquerade as a transport ship before selling the passengers into slavery. Flora is assigned to guard Evelyn during their journey as she will fetch the highest price once sold, but the two begin to bond. Especially when the rest of the crew capture a mermaid that they plan to sell as well. Florian and Evelyn resolve to free the mermaid and escape together. Lesbian and nonbinary.

Our Bloody Pearl by DN Bryn follows Perle, a mute siren who has been captured and tortued by the pirate captain Kian as a prize. When Kian's ship is attacked by another pirate, Dejean, he finds and promises to free Perle, but because they are so injured from Kian's treatment, Dejean must take them back to his island to heal. The two slowly warm to each other as Perle heals and they hide from Kian, who is intent on revenge. Intersex and asexual

Eight Kinky Nights by Xan West follows Jordan, who just got divorced and moved to New York for her new job and is rooming with Leah, her best friend of decades. Because her ex wife wasn't interested in kink, Jordan has no experience with BDSM despite desperately wanting to be part of the community and explore herself as a dom. Since Leah is an experienced sub and works as a sex educator, she introduces Jordan to members of the community and decides that her Haunnuka gift to Jordan will be eight lessons on kink. Lesbian and grey ace

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé follows Devon and Chiamaka, the only two black students at a prestigious private school. Devon is a scholarship student and a loner and Chimaka is rich, popular, and Head Girl. They have nothing in common before they both become the only targets of Aces- an anonymous online bully who starts outing all of their secrets and tormenting them. The two must work together to figure out the mystery behind Aces and why they are being targeted. Gay and sapphic

Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett follows Simone, a young HIV+ girl who is starting over at a new school after being forced to leave the old one as a result of serophobic bullying. When she starts crushing on and hanging out with a popular boy in school, she begins receiving anonymous letters threatening to out her as HIV+ if she doesn't leave stop spending time with him. She must decide what to do while attending a support group for other HIV+ teens and learning more about the community. Bisexual

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters follows three people. Ames detransitioned after experiencing a violent hate crime and is now presenting as a man and in a casual relationship with his boss, a straight woman named Katrina. When Katrina becomes pregnant and informs Ames that she does not want to be a single mother and will only keep the baby if Ames enters into a committed relationship with her, Ames realizes he cannot live the rest of his life with someone who sees him as a man. So he invites Reese, another trans woman and his ex who broke up with him when he detransitioned, to co-parent with them since Reese has always wanted to be a mother and he knows Reese understands that though he presents as a man, he is not cisgender. The three try to make their new relationship work as the pregnancy continues. Trans, lesbian, detransition

Mooncakes by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker follows a young witch who comes across her childhood crush, a werewolf, fighting a demon in the woods. The two of them investigate the demon and reconnect. Nonbinary

The Tea Dragon Society by K O'Neill follows a young blacksmith learning how to care for Tea Dragons and bonding with the dragons' care takers' young ward. Nonbinary, gay

Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness, and Liberation by Eli Clare is an essay collection centering on disability, class, queer identity, and environmental justice. Author IDed as a lesbian at the time of writing, but recent editions contain a forward clarifying him as trans

Everyone on the Moon is Essential Personnel by Julian K Jarobe is a short story collection featuring sci fi and fantasy stories. Variety of representation

A Place Called No Homeland by Kai Cheng Thom is a poetry collection centering race, sexuality, gender, and trauma. Trans

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo is a Great Gatsby retelling focusing on Jordan Baker, who in this version is Vietnamese and was adopted into the Baker family. It is also set in a fantastical version of the 1920s where Gatsby's magic is more of his gilded glamour and Jordan's is one more factor in how her peers exoticize her. We follow the events of the original book and her relationship with Daisy while Jordan reflects on being a queer Asian woman who is treated like an exotic attraction by her peers. Bisexual

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland takes place in a world in which during the Civil War, zombies began to rise. The war was quickly ended in order to fight the zombies, but the fighters on the front lines are black and Native people who are forcibly conscripted into service at the age of eleven. Jane is training in both fighting and ettiquite so that she can serve as a bodyguard to upper class women, but when one of her friend's little sister goes missing, she begins investigating the disappearance that leads her to a conspiracy. Bisexual