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Queer Historical Fiction Book Bracket: Round 4

Book summaries and submitted endorsements below:

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.

So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world 50 years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.

Alongside her Ministry colleagues and her clever girlfriend Siti, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city—or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems…

Setting: Cairo, 1912 (fantasy/steampunk alternate history)

Historical fiction, fantasy, alternate history, steampunk, mystery, 1910s, adult

Mrs. Victoria buys a Brothel by Talhí Briones

Endorsement from submitter #1: "A sapphic western where women help women (bury the body of your abusive husband.)"

Endorsement from submitter #2: "This is a story about women who age, gossip, drink, love, and help you hide the body of your dead husband."

1865, United States— It took thirty years and a dislocated arm for Victoria to leave her abusive husband. Heartbroken, she has to choose her own life over the hope of ever seeing her son again. She escapes the manor in the dead of night, only bringing with her a white wedding dress.

She ends up in Swainsburg, a minuscule town in Wyoming, where she’s adopted by the local prostitutes. To save them from expulsion, she buys the building and learns that in these parts, entertainment is worth more than gold. It’s almost easy, even fun, to organize piano recitals and cancan shows for the cowboys of the area, but being a Madam comes with responsibilities and dangers she isn’t ready to face. Her husband, after all, has contacts everywhere.

It’s hard to navigate the delicate tensions between respectable ladies and whores, between white society and the ‘others.’ Her new friends are women who carved their place in this merciless life; people who, like her, ended up in Swainsburg when they got tired of running.

Victoria falls in love. She doesn’t notice, she can’t even imagine the possibility. The townfolk say the widow Díaz is strange. Natane is actually incredibly awkward, kind, and very lonely. Victoria has no name for this burning friendship, but the feeling grows and demands to be acknowledged.

This is a story about women who age, gossip, drink, love, and help you hide the body of your dead husband.

Setting: Western; 1865 Wyoming

Historical fiction, Western, 1860s, adult

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you gotta love when the person editing your story reaches that specific part and leaves you notes

thanks @edhelwen1 for your work and also making me laugh

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for the curious, this it Tales of Swainsburg, a companion piece to Mrs. Victoria buys a brothel, specifically Benjamin's story.

Tales of Swainsburg will be available in August 2025 Mrs. Victoria buys a brothel is already available here

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just interviewed for a phone customer service job that demands you being available:

Mon-Fri: from 6AM to 9PM

AND

Sat-Sun: from 8AM to 6PM

That's 95h of availability for 35h of work. Because the schedules will vary. You'll know 6 weeks in advance but they won't be the same week after week.

So no Monday evening pottery class. No getting your kids from school at the same hour every day.

And they're not a scam, they're a known organization. They offer all the good job perks, and probably decent pay, which would be great if their availability requirements weren't completely insane.

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other writer: Yeah promoting your work online is hard. But you're good at social media, no?

me: If you call being on tumblr since 2013 "good at social media".

other writer: I tried tumblr once but it was overwhelming.

me: Because you need to be on it since 2013 to get it.

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a good way of meeting cute people is to hand them the book you wrote and let them read your author bio.

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getting tired of reading romances where someone's laughter is described as a bell, or melodic, or other delicate things.

give me someone completely in love with their partner's loud, disruptive, honking laugh. extra points if the person laughing is a woman.

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Kpop Demon Hunters just gets girls.

They look cool + They kick ass + They want couch

People usually forget the last one. But you need the whole trifecta to understand the layers of girl.

You need to go full Sailor Moon.

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person at the phone: ...and still on the topic of travel, do you think traveling would be easier if there were no borders, if the world spoke a single language, and if we all had the same currency?

me: *starts on a rant about American cultural imperialism and how making all countries have one language and one culture would be crushing the diversity in the world*

(the test was just about my capacity to speak english, but apparently i have no chill. about anything. ever.)

the bank job is gonna test me for english in like ten minutes and i forgot the whole language

"am i really bilingual???" i stress, forgetting i wrote a whole ass book in english

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the bank job is gonna test me for english in like ten minutes and i forgot the whole language

"am i really bilingual???" i stress, forgetting i wrote a whole ass book in english

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Queer Historical Fiction Book Bracket: Round 3

Book summaries and submitted endorsements below:

River of Teeth series (River of Teeth, Taste of Marrow, and other stories) by Sarah Gailey

In the early 20th Century, the United States government concocted a plan to import hippopotamuses into the marshlands of Louisiana to be bred and slaughtered as an alternative meat source. This is true.

Other true things about hippos: they are savage, they are fast, and their jaws can snap a man in two.

This was a terrible plan.

Contained within this volume is an 1890s America that might have been: a bayou overrun by feral hippos and mercenary hippo wranglers from around the globe. It is the story of Winslow Houndstooth and his crew. It is the story of their fortunes. It is the story of his revenge.

Setting: 1890s America

Historical fiction, alternate history, Western, adventure, 1890s, queernorm, novella, series, adult

Mrs. Victoria buys a Brothel by Talhí Briones

Endorsement from submitter #1: "A sapphic western where women help women (bury the body of your abusive husband.)"

Endorsement from submitter #2: "This is a story about women who age, gossip, drink, love, and help you hide the body of your dead husband."

1865, United States— It took thirty years and a dislocated arm for Victoria to leave her abusive husband. Heartbroken, she has to choose her own life over the hope of ever seeing her son again. She escapes the manor in the dead of night, only bringing with her a white wedding dress.

She ends up in Swainsburg, a minuscule town in Wyoming, where she’s adopted by the local prostitutes. To save them from expulsion, she buys the building and learns that in these parts, entertainment is worth more than gold. It’s almost easy, even fun, to organize piano recitals and cancan shows for the cowboys of the area, but being a Madam comes with responsibilities and dangers she isn’t ready to face. Her husband, after all, has contacts everywhere.

It’s hard to navigate the delicate tensions between respectable ladies and whores, between white society and the ‘others.’ Her new friends are women who carved their place in this merciless life; people who, like her, ended up in Swainsburg when they got tired of running.

Victoria falls in love. She doesn’t notice, she can’t even imagine the possibility. The townfolk say the widow Díaz is strange. Natane is actually incredibly awkward, kind, and very lonely. Victoria has no name for this burning friendship, but the feeling grows and demands to be acknowledged.

This is a story about women who age, gossip, drink, love, and help you hide the body of your dead husband.

Setting: Western; 1865 Wyoming

Historical fiction, Western, 1860s, adult

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they passed me to the next level!! it's for a bank so there's a lot of paperwork, but I passed the interview!

and another sector of the same bank just invited me for an interview next week!

what is this feeling? is it... hope??

interview. wish me luck.

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what i absolutely hate when you start moving again is that it HURTS

and you can easily hurt yourself by just walking just a little too much

this is stupid, it's infuriating, i'm making an effort! but here's my ankle screaming IF YOU MAKE ANITHER STEP I'M GONNA FUCK YOU UP FOR WEEKS

i'm trying

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sat on the porch to just chill in the morning air but i've had to greet no less than three (3) neighbours. went to my backyard because it's only filled with bugs.

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having your bird start screaming bloody murder the moment you unmute your mic to talk does not leave the best impression.

(orherwise, i think i did okay)

interview. wish me luck.

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interview. wish me luck.

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Rulette is honestly one of the best Game Changer episodes. I laughed so hard I almost peed myself.

Avoid spoilers if you can, watch it as soon as possible.

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today was a bad mental day. i must have spent half of it doomscrolling on my couch. i figured i might as well go doomscroll outside, and even that took me hours because depression is a bitch.

but i managed to crawl to my backyard and spent the last hours of daylight scrolling tiktok on my hammock. hey, better than nothing.

my battery went down, the sun went down.

and i saw them. just a couple, no more than ten, hard to count because they blink constantly. in my overgrown, messy backyard... fireflies.

like when i was little and we went camping with the family.

THERE'S A FIREFLY IN MY GARDEN

I HAVEN'T SEEN ONE IN DECADES