#storygraph preview

[wastelandslug]

what the fuck is this. get out AI out of my book tracking website. how does it even figure out what the key themes are. is it reading the book? is it combing reviews? both of those dont sound like you asked anybody involved (the author or the users writing reviews) if you could regurgitate their words for a summary. i get that there are infinite books and it can be hard to have a summary for every single book, but this isnt how you go about fixing that issue. at all.

[ladzwriting]

THE FEALTY OF MONSTERS - March 12, 2024

AKA the work formerly known as AquaShame. Illustrated by @t-hornapple, this is the Slavic vampire political fantasy gothic horror of my dreams and your nightmares

Volume 1 comes out on 🫀 MARCH 12, 2024 🦟

Final cover reveal on JANUARY 22, 2024

Preorder:

Itch (signed copies pre-order, US & International): https://ladzwriting.itch.io/the-fealty-of-monsters-vol-1 (you can also download the Prologue as a preview)

eBook: https://books2read.com/TheFealtyofMonstersVol1

Add to GR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201742983-the-fealty-of-monsters

Add to The Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/3c23d390-61eb-43fa-bb5c-5ea764bacdab

If you like:

🫀 Baru Cormorant 🦟 Villain protagonists 🫀 Age gap yaoi 🦟 Leige/advisor yuri 🫀 Monstrous vampires 🦟 Eat the rich (literally) 🫀 Gormenghast 🦟 Political fantasy 🫀 Killing hundreds to save thousands 🦟 Not romance, not erotica, but high heat horror

As far as the art goes, if you're a fan of these pieces by Häxan, you're in for some delights:

🌚 Yharnam 🌚 Excalibur 🌚 in ecclesia (in church) 🌚 moonbeams*

*Featured in white noise: https://t-hornapple.itch.io/white-noise

Also please read THE LORD OF ASTIIGOS: https://t-hornapple.itch.io/the-lord-of-astiigos-complete-part-1

THE FEALTY OF MONSTERS is more intense than most things I have available now, except THE LADY OF THE LAIR

ARC requests will open in January with the final cover reveal

I'm so excited to share this with you all

🫀 https://thefealtyofmonsters.carrd.co/ 🦟

[duckprintspress]

Welcome to Duck Prints Press

Duck Prints Press LLC is an independent publisher based in New York State. Our founding vision is to work with fancreators to publish their original work. We are particularly dedicated to working with queer authors and artists to publish stories featuring characters from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. We were founded in January 2021. We're fan-owned, queer-owned, and dedicated to working with diverse creators, whether they be queer, disabled, bipoc, neurodiverse, or any combination of the above!

Current Projects

The Twinned Trilogy by Tris Lawrence (f/f, m/m, and others, three-novel trilogy, modern with magic college setting; Kickstarter to (maybe) launch this winter - you can follow the campaign now!)

Anthology: Many Hands: An Anthology of Polyamorous Erotica (what it says on the tin: poly erotica; Kickstarter ended July 20th. Fulfillment in progress.)

Anthology: A Year of Queer 2023 and A Spicy Year of Queer 2023 (a project featuring stand-alone short stories previously published by Duck Prints Press. Projected for a crowdfunding campaign in late 2024)

Novella: Scrap Metal Angel by Nicola Kapron (modern-with-magic adventure with horror elements, crowdfunding October 2024)

Anthology: A Truth Universally Acknowledged: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (what it says on the tin; art and fiction are currently in progress, crowdfunding projected for November 2024.)

Anthology: Scholarly Pursuits: A Queer Anthology of Cozy Academia Stories (writing period underway!)

Monthly short stories are published to our website and our Patreon!

Come read with us - we host a low-key reading challenge on Storygraph, encouraging people to read more queer books!

Upcoming Conventions and Events

September 22nd: A Big Gay Market x Saratoga Pride (High Rock Pavilion, Saratoga, NY)

September 28th: The Shirt Factory Book and Comic Festival (The Shirt Factory, Glens Falls, NY)

October 20th: A Big Gay Market (Washington Park, Albany, NY)

Past Projects

Pride Merchandise campaign featuring art by Pippin Peacock (six mythical creatures in each of eight pride colors, offered as die-cut stickers and enamel pins; available on our website!)

Anthology: Aether Beyond the Binary (aetherpunk settings, main characters outside the gender binary; available on our website!)

Hockey Bois by A. L. Heard (m/m, modern sports setting, sloooooow burn romance; available on our website!)

Anthology: Aim For The Heart: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas's "The Three Musketeers" (what it says on the tin; available on our website!)

Many Drops Make a Stream by Adrian Harley (f/f, fantasy, novel; available on our website!)

To Drive the Hundred Miles by Alec J. Marsh (m/f, explicit novella, trans male main character; available on our website!)

Anthology: Add Magic to Taste (fluffy queer relationships at magical coffee shops, tea shops, and the like; available on our website! New second edition ALSO available on our website!)

Anthology: And Seek (Not) to Alter Me: Queer Fanworks Inspired by William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" (what it says on the tin; available on our website!)

Anthology: She Wears the Midnight Crown (f/f stories set at unusual and creative masquerades; available on our website!)

Anthology: He Bears the Cape of Stars (m/m stories set at unusual and creative masquerades; available on our website!)

Support Duck Prints Press

Shop in our bookstore to get short stories, novelettes, novellas, novels, anthologies, bookmarks, stickers, enamel pins, and much more!

Become a Patron for shop discounts, behind-the-scenes glimpses, ask-us-anything access, Discord invitations, teasers and previews, bonus extras, and up to ten free stories every single month!

Buy us a ko-fi for a small, one-off donation! We appreciate every penny.

Subscribe to our mailing list to get offers, new release information, blog posts, and more.

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[takiki16]

Umm… so what’s the subby murder bot book that 80 people are trying to read?

I'm tearing my own hair out in frustration, I tell you. I don't know if any of my holds are any good bc I can't READ THEM YET!!!

If anyone is looking for romance novels to read, I've found r/RomanceBooks and their Book Request tag to be very helpful as far as mainstream cishet recs. I scroll through the book requests until I see someone asking for a book that sounds like something I'd enjoy, and then check the comments. If I see a book linked that sounds interesting, I check out the free preview and then place a hold at the library if it's available (or request an inter-library loan if not). Their romance bot unfortunately provides links to goodreads rather than storygraph or similar, so if you are trying to avoid Amazon affiliates be advised.

The book that started me on this trend was found on this thread, and it was For My Lady's Heart by Laura Kinsale. Basic premise is a medieval knight that has essentially taken a vow of celibacy has to escort a princess caught up in intrigue to her castle. The author actually has a good grasp on medieval worldbuilding and writes in Middle English when the characters speak English rather than French, which REALLY tickles my heart. The book doesn't end as well as I'd hoped - a little too convenient, doesn't double down enough on subby murderbot-ness - but the journey and the writing is enjoyable enough that I would recommend it as a fun read.

I also recommend pretty much any of T. Kingfisher's romances, if you don't mind a little bit of...tumblr house flavor, I suppose? The author IS on tumblr and is very much a product of fandom, which might not scratch your itch if you are deliberately looking for contrasting tone, but I DEVOURED Paladin's Grace and the Clocktaur Verse (they are in the same universe but stand alone), since she also does some good horror stuff and has great worldbuilding.

I browsed around a little more and put a hold on The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne, Hot Blooded by Heather Guerre (although her werewolf romance VERY much turned me off, just couldn't stand the MMC), and His Secondhand Wife by Cheryl St. John, but have NO clue if any of them will actually deliver the very specific content I'm looking for in a romance novel. Unsatisfactory state of affairs ;_____;

If you want fanfic to tide you over, I put this list and this list together for femdom stuff!

[b-a-pigeon]

Consolidating all the Hierarchy of the Unseen links I've posted recently in one place :)

Read an extended free preview ~ Bookfunnel

Add to your TBR ~ Goodreads / Storygraph

Buy a copy ~ Books2Read or our webstore

Get the paperback & ebook & more for $4/mo ~ Patreon

Ok thanks

[smalltownfae]

End of the year book asks: 21 & 22!

21. How have you kept track of the books you read this year?

As always, I tracked it on goodreads and storygraph. I also have a notebook where I put the books I read in each month, the rating I gave them and add some stickers.

22. What are some books you discovered this year that you added to your tbr?

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree, The Well by Jake Wyatt, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White, Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams, I'm Still Here by Eartha Kitt, Mimus by Lilli Thal, The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa, If Only by Geri Halliwell, Gifts by Ursula K. Le Guin, War for the Oaks by Emma Bull, Black Sun Rising by C.S. Friedman, Take Nothing With You by Patrick Gale, The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth, Between by L.L. Starling, etc.

I always add so many books but then I sometimes take them out of the tbr after checking previews.

[cuntylittlesalmon]

[this post has alt text]

>> welcome!

i am rhys, i am 23 years old, i am a lesbian, and i use they/them pronouns. i write both genre and literary fiction, with horror as my go-to, but i also deeply love writing romance. my projects tend to quite dark and sad, dealing with some fairly intense subject matter, however i don’t care for grimdark or trauma porn. i usually write about angry lesbians and messy families, and i love a good body horror moment.

tag game friendly ;; inbox open, anon on!

i reblog untagged artistic nudity and sex jokes fairly often. decide for yourself what that means for you

i don’t have tag lists anymore

i follow from @cvctuslesbian

>> current projects

i am mostly concerned with short fiction currently, as that is much easier and quicker to write for me, however should i begin to work on long form again in a bigger capacity these are the projects i am most likely to return to

VESSEL

Eirwen Yale discovered that she could see ghosts at her aunt's funeral. Burdened with the new knowledge that her aunt's passing wasn't as natural as she was led to believe, Eirwen quickly finds herself drowning in the secrets of her family's past, uncovering things her relatives thought to be long buried.

young adult gothic horror / estimated 70k / first person / single pov / past tense

graphic depictions of death, arson, child abuse and neglect, suicide, mentions of underage drinking, mentions of parental death

pieces in the vessel universe >>

excerpt 1

THE MATCHBOX BOYS

Sawyer Thomas Phillips is seventeen years old. He likes living by the beach, arcade games, the piano, paper roses, and his new friend Nam Yejun. What was supposed to be a fleeting summer romance between two boys turns into something deeper when they both discover they're roommates at a prestigious boarding school, far from Sawyer's home town.

young adult literary romance / estimated 60k / first person referential and third person / dual pov, dual timeline / referential tense and past tense

graphic depictions of depression, homophobia, religious trauma, parental trauma, underage smoking and drinking, drug use, suicide/suicidal thoughts

pieces in the tmbb universe >>

chapter 1 preview

chapter 9 excerpt

chapter 21 excerpt

chapter 11 excerpt

SING, LIAR, SING

Two men on opposite sides discover that the other has more to him than what meets the eye in their dangerous game of cat and mouse.

adult mystery thriller romance / estimated 80k / third person / dual pov / past, maybe present tense

internalized homo/biphobia, gun violence, explicit sexual content, more tba

pieces in the sls universe >>

[n/a]

>> other projects

a brief, non-comprehensive list of any project you may see me talk about. there is no guarantee that i will post anything from them, though.

Stillwater — young adult southern gothic about a psychotic teen, the ghost lady haunting the town lake, and a string of teen suicides

Those Girls Were Made of Stone — adult horror mystery about the remaining survivors of a mass kidnapping and the deadly reunion five years later

Belly of the Beast — young adult horror about two teens and a punk band uncovering just what the fuck happened with that one research lab a decade ago

Maraschino Rising — adult literary about an emotionally repressed lesbian and the butch who thinks he can fix her

>> miscellaneous

tagging system

answered asks -> “ asks “

ask games -> “ ask game “

tag games -> “ tag game “

my projects -> “ wip: [project title] “

i try to tag fandoms and movies, but sometimes i miss them

find me outside of tumblr

twitter

storygraph

letterboxd

spotify

want to support me?

here is my k*fi

c: $rhysvkm

v: @rhysvkm

[morebedsidebooks]

The StoryGraph and generative AI???

The StoryGraph's has been my main social cataloguing app since the end of 2020. It’s a platform that’s been on the rise as an indie alternative to Goodreads. Boasting many features, a place to discover/vet your next read and intuitively building a community for avid readers.

But… there’s a new feature in beta rolled out in apparently the last couple of months called StoryGraph Preview.

Now AI tech is all over our daily lives. The StoryGraph already uses machine learning AI. Though I’d like to point out AI just isn’t like ‘your trusted go-to friend’. Moreover, StoryGraph Preview is a step further. First know users can turn on/off seeing StoryGraph Preview in preferences. The Preview is labeled as ‘powered by AI.’

But generative AI raises several serious ethical as well as legal considerations. Labor, sustainability, privacy, copyright, accuracy, and safety issues among them. How AI is developed and used is key. It’s already a hot button issue for many. Especially right now, one of the frustrating things is if something is public (even semi-public)— it is exposed to being used. The ways to interfere with this are unfortunately not foolproof either. Until laws catch up well…

Even so, the difference between companies embracing generative AI, how, and those who aren’t can also matter to people. StoryGraph Preview (or advertising it) is further presented on a title’s page before the standard description etc., elements that a human created.

Is it not valuable and important when humans are describing literature and its themes? Offering what reader(s) they think are a good fit. Not something artificial, taking that material training on it and spitting out a thing. Plus, how do writers feel about their work being represented to potential readers by StoryGraph Preview? Already some object. There’s growing concern from reviewers and readers too.

The response The StoryGraph has been giving some people is boilerplate text. The two sentences users already read if they hover over “AI-generated” in The StoryGraph Preview explanation.

This statement seems purposely vague, a kind of non-answer, doesn’t address common questions, and lacks transparency. Particularly from a company marketing their platform as an alternative to that of multinational tech conglomerate(s). I also previously contacted The StoryGraph to see if there were more details available to share, as well as referring to the ethical questions and impacts. A stated aim is for someone on their team to answer tickets in one business day. But, in my experience, it takes much longer. In this case I've yet to get a response.

So, I don’t know, like I wrote at the top I’ve been loving the The StoryGraph app. But I’m not loving generative AI with the way it is often being developed and used.

[halflingkima]

Slumpy First Chapter Test

I have not been reading. Moreover, I have not been liking what I'm reading. My average rating has been sub-2 stars all year. I want to fix this not so I read more, but so I can read books I really want to without my bad mood affecting the experience. It's been going so badly that I'm gonna start tracking my DNFs. I know I've put down at least 20 books in the last couple months bc they weren't working and ironically I feel like that's part of the mood. So I'm gonna track how far I get and where I stop (esp now that storygraph doesn't count them as 'unrated' or 'books read' anymore) so that i get a better view of how much i'm actually reading vs only what i finish.

as typical in my slumpy flailing, i panic-checked-out a lotta library books so here's what i'm currently reading, how i feel about it, and impressions of the first chapter of all the books currently staring at me.

Currently Reading

Spell Bound by FT Lukens: An author I usually like, especially when I'm slumpy or not really in the mood to read or focus. Much like TJ Klune where the writing style is a little too.. simple? to ever really get more than a 3 star, but I typically love their characters and plots and the fantasy worlds they build, but for some reason this one is simply Not Hitting. Something about too few characters, mainly single POV, and the love interests not having much interaction at the 100-ish page mark isn't working for me. Think this might be a DNF tbh but isn't yet.

Speculative Fiction for Dreamers Anthology: Heavy literary-style anthology. I picked this up to maybe cure a slump with easy one-off short stories, but they're all so dense that it's having the opposite effect. I'm also not liking a large portion of the stories – I think the subject is too broad/vague to work as a coherent collection for me. It makes a much better textbook. I'm gonna finish it, but probably even slower than I have been.

Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun: This one's dicey bc it's definitely a 5-star for me, but I put it down at a point of Overwhelm in the story (it was so good and happy and I wanted to stay in that spot for a bit) but then the slump struck and I don't want my poor reading mood to negatively affect what so far has been a nearly perfect story.

Palace Project

Vampires Never Get Old Anthology: I have the audiobook and my headphones have gone missing so that's an issue. I only read the front material and a small bit of the first story, but it's promising! the audiobook has good production, thank god – i hated the narrator for the intro (she was pronouncing stuff weird??) but each story is narrated individually, and I love that in an audiobook, especially a collection from multiple authors. the first story is by tessa gratton, so idk if it's the topic or her writing (since i tend to like her short stories) that has given me hope for this one.

The September House by Carissa Orlando: I liked the prologue, it was very readable. It set up a character voice and a full backstory very efficiently and got me excited for the story to come. idk if I'd be excited about phyiscally reading it, but it sounds like a stellar audiobook option.

Thorn by Anna Burke: For some reason this sounds very familiar. I wonder if I read an ebook sample or a preview somewhere. It feels very much like something someone maybe posted here circa 2014 as an interest check and now has finally gotten it published. i'm not exactly a fairytale retelling fan, and it very much reads as such, but I'm intrigued enough to continue. I don't think it's a slump cure, though, it seems a smidge too dark for that. but i do like drama – i think it'll depend on the style and amount of romance tbh.

Libby

New Adult by Timothy Janovsky: A reliable author that i'm tempted to crack the seal on. Like FT Lukens, he's kinda a reliable 3-star writing style, but i have had a 5 star and I dont have many more books of his to save for rainy days. This first chapter seems par for the course and i'm intrigued by the sliding doors/midnight library/life choices concept. i think it's gonna be the In Case Of Emergency on this list - if all else here fails, i'll crack that spine.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles: idk if i get kj charles and cat sebastian's writing styles confused just bc they're kinda the only regency m/m i read or if theyre actually that similar. this chapter was a great example of why i do prefer cat sebastian just a smidge – this opening chapter was a little abrasive and fast-paced with some immediate character conflict while i'd prefer to slowly adjust to a book. regardless, it does seem promising.

Afterlove by Tanya Byrne: This was very interesting. Again had a fairytale retelling tone, but isn't a retelling in content. I'm intrigued by the worldbuilding here. I knew it was a post-death teen romance but the way it's introduced still fascinated me. tbh I'm looking forward to the plot more than the romance per se.

Sutphin Boulevard by Santino Hassell: Like Thorn, this one also feels. weirdly familiar?? but more recent. I did probably read the libby sample at one point when I was really short on gay romances and reading it again, I remember why I put it down. It starts off real um. Intense. and kinda escalates from there. I might give this one a chance though, since the prose itself isn't insufferable. it's way too long to be simply erotica so I guess i'm curious where things go after a threesome in the first chapter.

Hoopla

Delay of Game by Ari Baran: much like kd casey's unwritten rules series, this has become my favorite reading-in-progress sports romance series. i'm a little afraid to burn the last remaining book (so far) on a slump break, but it has been a long slump. this first chapter launches into the past which is a little weird to contend with since the leads were attached-at-the-hip bffs in the previous book. ironically kd casey did that too. either way, i'm intrigued and locked in. but i hope i can save this till i can figure out how to get ahold of the third ebook.

Physical Library Books

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus: it starts off with a poem and a first person dialect that tells me 1) i'm probably gonna love it 2) it may break me and 3) it requires some solid focus and immersion. I don't think i'm gonna pick this one up very soon, but i'm now much more sure that i will pick it up at some point.

Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism by Kristen Ghodsee: I've only read the author's note, but it's surprisingly conversational/readable for a nonfiction text, especially on such a dense subject. I tried the audiobook a while ago and the narrator's accent like uhh repulsed me, i have no clue why. I'll definitely keep reading, but perhaps slowly. Unlikely that a physical nonfic would cure a slump, but idk maybe it'll shake up my routine enough to jolt it back into place.

The Written World and the Unwritten World by Italo Calvino: These are supposedly essays, but from the first one i got more of a satirical, meandering creative nonfiction think piece vibe. the structure is much more like a story than an essay, and the style reminds me of mark twain's nonfiction. i can see myself dnfing in the future, but i'll give it a shot for now.

[unnonexistence]

tfw you borrow an audiobook youve been looking forward to from libby, and you start listening to it, and it's pretty good, but there are a couple bits that seem weirdly confusing. and then you go to pause it and realize with a sinking heart that it is only 2hrs30 minutes long. you check the length on storygraph. 300 pages. you check the audiobook details. it's abridged. the ebook preview of the unabridged version is easy to find, so you read the first page, only to discover they cut out the full context for the confusing part and it WOULD have been FINE except. it's. abridged.

[nerdnonymous-plus-ttrpgs]

ACOFAF EP6 LIVE REACTION

I have been adulting all week (and its been TORTURE) but I AM HERE, I AM QUEER, AND IM READY FOR SOME OF THAT SWEET SWEEEET REGENCY DRAMA

OMG BINX NEW INTRO

MADE THE HEARTBREAKING CHOICE TO PURSUE DUTY OVER HIS HEART??

HAND TOUCH

OH MY GOD WE DOING RUMORS

OSCAR TARGETING GRABALBA HOLY SHT

SHINNNYYYY

LETS GO BIRD FACTS

RUE IN LOVE WITH GRABALBA RUMOR??

"HOW ARE YOU EVER GONNA??" MY QUESTION EXACTLY

BRENNAN BUILDING EVEN MORE TENSION ALREADY

CAN I JUST SAY, BRENNAN IS LOOKING HANDSOOOOME IN THIS EPISODE 🤭👀

WE GET EPISTOLARY TOO 😭

BARONESS ALVEN??

SQUAK HOLY SHT

HUMBLE SERVANT'ED

BECAUSE HE IS LOWBORN?????

SIR, WE USE GOODREADS/STORYGRAPH NOT LETTERBOXD

THE CONTRAST BETWEEN HOB'S MANNER OF SPEAKING VERSUS BINX THO HAHAHA

ILY LADY FEATHERFOWL

THE GREEN HUNTER BY AIRRY PERRY PFFT

GRANDPA IS HERE??

HOLY FUCK

COMING AT THE CLIMAX BYE

GOD THIS IS SUCH A FUN EPISODE

SHOPPING AROUND????

SHE'S FUCKING MARRIED????

THE WHOLE TABLE FUCKING EXPLODED

SHE HAS A CHILD?????

RUE'S REACTION TO BINX SAYING THAT THEY HAVS A MEETING WITH HOB IM DEAD

TWIN FLAME???

CORE 4 INVESTIGATION TEAM LETS GO!

SWEATY

HOTTER, FIERER THAN JUST A FLAME????

GOD I LOVE THIS CONVERSATION

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE BRENNAN'S REACTION TO ALL OF THIS PLS

HOTTEST OUTFIT LETS GO

ANDHERAAAAAA

BEARD JWHWKWHEJE

AWWW HOB

OMG RUE BACKSTORY

RUE AND HOB MEETING *FAINTS*

OH THEY LOOK HOT

CAUGHT HIS BREATH???

HOB'S SURFACE THOUGHTS 🥺

RUE AND HOB ARE SO CUTE

HOB'S BEAUTIFUL EYES???? 😭

YOU DON'T BELONG ANYWHERE? BITCH, YOU BELONG WITH CAPTAIN HOB ARE YOU KIDDING ME

AGAIN, CORE FOUR!

FUCK I JUST SAID THAT AND HOB'S SURFACE THOUGHTS ARE JUSTIFYING WHAT I JUST SAID! LIKE FUCK, YOU GUYS ARE EACH OTHER'S HOMES 🥺💗 YOU BELONG IN EACH OTHER'S ARMS

THE K STANDS FOR KNICKOLAS 😭🤭 WHAT DOES THE P STANDS FOR THEN???

"I LOVE HIM" HEEELPPPP

AGAIN, THEY'RE ALL SO BEAUTIFUL IN THE PREVIEW

AND OH, BRENNAN IS TRULY MAKING AN EFFORT WE LOVE TO SEE IT

HAND??? BOSOM???

THROBBING???

GOD, CANT WAIT FOR THE ADVENTURING PARTY TOMORROW AAAA SO MANY THINGS HAPPENED LIKE WTF

[brynwrites]

ONCE STOLEN: out now!

When an autistic naga botches the robbery of a notorious cartel, a self-proclaimed hero is poisoned in his place. He strikes a deal with the dying hero: he’ll bring her to her cure in exchange for her hoard of coveted power-producing stones—stones which stop the pain caused by his sensory perception disorder. But to reach them, he’ll have to guide her through the desolate swampy homeland that banished him, with the cartel leader hot on his tail.

Once Stolen is a queer, fast-paced fantasy adventure taking place in the same universe as Our Bloody Pearl. It can be read as a standalone or as the start of a new series that explores the steampunk-inspired world and the fungal parasites that make their mysteriously renewable energy possible.

You may like this book if you enjoy...

Bantering hate-to-love

Insults turning affectionate

Fan boat chases

Magical swamps

Queer found family

Autistic and deaf rep

Purchase in ebook, paperback, or hardcover through Amazon or a variety of other distributors!

You can also add Once Stolen on Goodreads, Storygraph, or Bookbub!

Keep reading for a preview of the first chapter...

CHAPTER ONE: ALL THE SHADES OF GREED 

Banishment isn’t a curse if it means escaping all of you.

THE THRUMMING POWER OF the ignits calls to me. Five small variants of the round stones lie in the gambler’s pot, their slight glow barely visible beneath the cartel boat’s canopy. From the shade of the nearby mangroves, I grip the blue ignit on my wire necklace of precious stones. Blue for thunder, like two of those in the pot. But the gamblers have a yellow and a pair of small reds as well.

The ignit beneath my fingers pulses into my scales, primed to soothe whatever skull-shattering nonsense my body decides to throw at me today. But one lonely stone can be easily lost, easily taken. With one stone, the pain still stalks just behind me, waiting to strike. Besides, I want the gamblers’ ignits.

Tightening my serpentine tail around the roots of the half-submerged tree, I lift my head a little farther out of the water. I flick out my tongue. The boat humans smell of oil and gunpowder, of arrogance and cowardice and anger, and a touch of fear.

Three of them sit on the boat’s main deck, huddled around a table. The vibrations of their voices tingle across the patterned ridges along my scaly scalp. I feel the tug the nearest gives to their beard as they anxiously put down their cards, the slight splash of the lizard dipping into the river down-stream, and the landing of the parrot in the tree branches far above.

But the fishers don’t know I crouch so still that the murky water blends with the brown and black patterns along my half-snake body. The boat humans won’t notice me like this—won’t try to kill me. But if I stay here, those ignits will never thrum in my hands or hang from my wire mesh necklace.

My banishers said this desire would latch inside me like claws through flesh, like my spiny retractable teeth digging into a freshly caught capybara, like a viper’s toxin eating me from the inside out. And it has. Oh, it fucking has.

It’s just so hard to care now that it’s caught me.

The tallest human slams their cards down and strolls to the boat’s railing. Their dark skin gleams with a layer of sweat as they wave to a little vessel across the river. The fan at the back of this smaller boat thrums to life, powered by an ignit buried somewhere in its engine. It pulls alongside the larger boat.

“You already out?” the driver asks with a series of hand motions stolen from the swamp natives. I assume the boat humans use them to talk over the vicious whirr of the fans and roar of their motors, though most also sign whenever they use spoken language, which I have no ability to hear.

“Lay off,” the disgruntled human signs. They climb onto the smaller boat and speed down the river.

My gaze jumps to the remaining gamblers. Even with one human gone, these two still look like a challenge. The bearded player sports muscles as thick as my own, and their slighter opponent crouches in the shadows like a jaguar, hidden beneath a wispy cowl and shawl.

I guess we’re all gambling today.

Unfurling my tail from the roots, I take a deep breath and slip into the water. I undulate as I swim, though my humanlike torso moves with far less precision than my flexible tail, its bulk twice as powerful and three times as long as two legs combined. The fish withdraw around me, the flex of their muscles tingling along my head ridges. I keep to the dimly lit river bottom.

As I pass over a scattering of stones in the clay-heavy soil, I skim the silt with my fingers. A round grey rock that could almost be a clingstone or maybe a perfectly worn hematite tempts me, but the blotch of red on its back proves it to be just a normal river pebble. I leave it be, the vision of those glorious ignits still burning in my mind.

The image of a fang embellishes the front of the boat’s flat hull, and a large cabin sits at its back, a stairway leading up to its cargo-filled rooftop deck. Two fans swoop out from either side, their blades currently dormant. I surface beneath one. With the cabin shielding me from the human’s view, I climb the fan blades like a ladder, twisting my tail into their ridges to brace myself. Unlike the massive central fan at the back of the boat, these will only bruise me if turned on. Bruises fade. The scars I received learning that lesson won’t.

I near the cabin’s roof, but the rumbling vibration of a shout halts me. I peek around the corner. At the gambling table, the bearded human’s face shifts, their mouth and brows moving. These expressions mean little to me, but eagerness wafts from the human as potent as the sweet burst of an overripe mango on the jungle floor.

I pull myself onto the cabin’s rooftop deck and slide between the crates, just out of sight. A burst of new scents hits me—leather and wine and the sun. I spot the owner through the cracks between two crates: Rubem, the newly established head of the Fang Ignit Cartel, who slipped in like a rat in the wake of the last leader’s sudden death. When the crew talk about him, they keep their signs small and their mistrust big.

He crouches near the back of the boat, his mass of dark braids tied in a high bun. Three claw-like rings sprout from his right earlobe. A pistol glimmers at his belt, the sheen of the dark copper hilt matching his skin. Its embedded emeralds contrast the shock of scarlet hemming his loose brown clothing.

I try not to look at his hands, at the fishnet gloves I know I’ll find there, but when he flicks a vial of glowing green liquid between them, my gaze goes to his fingers anyway. My scales itch, a creeping pain that only diminishes when I focus on my ignit’s gentle pulsing.

Despite the vial’s impeding presence, Rubem signs with a contained sharpness, the motions fluid but precise. “You know where they are, you were her daughter. But you clearly aren’t using the damn things. Let them not go to waste.”

The person he speaks with looks delicate, the soft curves of her tan face placing her somewhere well beyond childhood but not quite worthy of anyone’s respect yet. About my age, then. Her brown curls spill down her back, and grey and green fabrics hang off her in layers, a scarf wrapped like an ana-conda around her neck. A chain on her ankle rattles when she hugs her legs closer. “I don’t care.” Her hands tremble as she makes the motions, her lips remaining closed. “The cartel can’t have them.”

“You realize that whatever you choose, I will find them.” He makes his claw-handed grabbing motion for the word will far stronger than the rest. “There are stakes here more important than you realize.”

But the prisoner only stares toward the front of the boat, tapping a steady rhythm against her leg. She jerks at the vibration of a laugh from downstairs.

Rubem flinches as well, glancing over his shoulder. When he looks back at the prisoner, his expression makes her curl tighter into herself. “If—when—she finds out you’re here, she’ll flay you alive and string your guts from the canopy to get ahold of your mother’s hoard. So, I would be quiet for a while if I were you.” He pockets his glowing flask with a sharp snap, bursting to his feet. “And we’ll have a longer conversation about this later. Giving up that hoard is for the best, you’ll see.”

Threats, kidnappings, torture—all usual cartel methods. But this sounds different. Bigger.

I duck as Rubem marches by my hiding place and de-scends the stairs, his footsteps remarkably silent for such fury. His shouting vibrates off my head ridges a moment later. It fades as he and the shadowy gambler walk into the cabin beneath me. The bearded human continues to watch their cards—and the ignits. I rub the ignit on my necklace and clench my jaw, unhinging and rehinging it.

Motion behind me flickers along my head ridges. I turn to find the prisoner poking her head around the crates. Her eyes widen, long black lashes drawing back to reveal hauntingly blue irises. A shiver runs through me. I coil the extensive loops of my tail, preparing to lunge at her.

She lifts her hands. “Stop, please—I don’t know if you understand this, but please—help me.”

I can’t smell her emotions, can’t tell whether she’s truly panicking or only trying to lure me in, but her words still make me pause. I have absolutely, positively no desire to talk to this scentless boat human. But being banished to a place where most people want to kill and eat you does weird things to a person. Things like making them hesitate.

Liked the preview? Buy now for $3.99!

[weltenwellen]

are you currently reading “tell the wolves im home” or have you ever? could you tell maybe what it’s about and is it worth reading?

yes, i am rereading it & yes, it’s worth reading 🐥 could i link you to the preview and what the book is about? here is a link to goodreads & storygraph.

[hermitlibrarian]

Welcome to DC’s blog tour for Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo. 👏

Among my favorite superheroes, seeing this cast of characters portrayed by one of my favorite artists has been a blessing since I picked up Teen Titans: Raven back in June (see my review here).

Now we’re in for a treat with Garfield Logan aka Beast Boy’s entry in the series. Utilizing Gabriel’s art style and Kami’s storytelling, I’m looking forward to seeing how they’ll build upon the foundation of volume one.

B & N | Bookshop | Goodreads | Indiebound | The Storygraph

Published: 1 September 2020

Publisher: DC Ink

Age Group: Young Adult

Genre(s): Graphic Novels/Fantasy/Superheros

Garfield Logan has spent his entire life being overlooked. Even in a small town like Eden, Georgia, the 17-year-old with green streaks in his hair can’t find a way to stand out–and the clock is ticking. Senior year is almost over. If Gar doesn’t find a way to impress the Chosen Ones–the social elite at Bull Creek High School–he will never know what it’s like to matter. Gar’s best friends, Stella and Tank, don’t understand why he cares what other people think. They miss their funny, pizza-loving, video game-obsessed best friend.

Then Gar accepts a wild dare out of the blue. It impresses the Chosen Ones and his social status soars. But other things are changing, too. Gar grows six inches overnight. His voice drops and, suddenly, he’s stronger and faster. He’s finally getting everything he wanted, but his newfound popularity comes at a price. Gar has to work harder to impress his new friends. The dares keep getting bigger and the stakes keep getting higher.

When Gar realizes the extent of his physical changes, he has to dig deep and face the truth about himself–and the people who truly matter–before his life spirals out of control.

Kami Garcia a #1 New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author and comic book writer. As an award-winning, Bram Stoker Award-nominated young adult author of 12 novels and graphic novels, she has been published in 51 countries and 38 languages and her books have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Kami’s best known works include the Beautiful Creatures series, Teen Titans: Raven, The X-Files: Agent of Chaos, The Lovely Reckless, Broken Beautiful Hearts, and the DC Black Label comic Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity. She is also a cofounder of the Kid Lit book festival YALLFest and co-organizer of #Creators4Comics. Learn more about Kami at kamigarcia.com and follow her on Instagram and Twitter @kamigarcia.

Photo Credit: Vania Stoyanva

Gabriel Picolo is a Brazilian comic artist and illustrator based in Sao Paulo. His work has become known for its strong storytelling and atmospheric colors. Picolo has developed projects for clients such as Blizzard, BOOM! Studios, Harper Collins, and DeviantART.

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All media belongs to the respective owners and is used here solely for the purpose of review and commentary.

I received a copy of this book from DC Comics for review.

DC Blog Tour – Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia (author) & Gabriel Picolo (artist) – PREVIEW Welcome to DC's blog tour for Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo. 👏