Australian LGBTQ YA

This is a blog dedicated to Young Adult (YA) and Junior Fiction with LGBTQ content written by Australian authors. A place to show what has been achieved, and what could be. To see the full list (in no particular order) check out the Archive If you know of any that are missing, please let me know. I also blog personally, HERE

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Lady's Knight by Amie Kaufman & Megan Spooner

(2025)

From the Publisher:

A rollercoaster of a medieval romp and a sapphic love story, set in a world of dragons, witches and excellent snacks from NYT bestselling duo, Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. Perfect for fans of Gwen and Art are Not in Love, Twin Crowns and My Lady Jane.

'More fun than cheesecake on a stick!' Jodi Meadows, co-author of My Lady Jane

A blacksmith's daughter with a secret. A lady with a plan. We're in for one unforgettable knight ...

Gwen has spent the past several years manning the blacksmith's in place of her father, an open secret in the village in which she lives. A much more covert secret, however, is that she knows not only how to craft but also how to wield a sword, and an incognito stunt at the local jousting tournament manages to catch the eye of the wily Lady Isobelle.

Isobelle has secret dreams too, but she's been promised in marriage to the winner of the whole stupid tournament, which means an end to any freedom or choices for her. Desperate to avoid this fate, when she connects the newcomer knight to the female smithy she saw earlier that day, she begins to hatch a scheme ...

Petty knights. Backstabbing noblemen. A prison breakout. Cheesecake on a stick. One particularly large and angry dragon.

Will our ladies survive the night? And can our knight save the day?

'Sparkles with wit and charm ... Kaufman and Spooner will leave you breathless.' C. S. Pacat, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Rise

'Will inspire readers to take up their swords to fight dragons and the patriarchy.' - F. T. Lukens, New York Times bestselling author of So This Is Ever After

Goodreads

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Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson

(2025)

From the Publisher:

DARK ACADEMIA…WITH DEMONS. After a deadly incident at her old school, Page enrols in Agathion College, an exclusive boarding school, only to find that it's built over centuries of secrets - including an ancient society potentially linked to demonic magic. Perfect for fans of Lynette Noni and Leigh Bardugo, from the acclaimed author of A Hunger of Thorns.

Page Whittaker has always been an outcast. She's too smart, too quiet, too weird. And after the deadly incident that destroyed her only friendship at her old school, she needs a fresh start.

Agathion College is everything Page has ever wanted: a safe haven of wood-panelled halls and dusty books, on a remote Scottish moor. And for the first time in her life, she has a close group of friends. Cyrus, Ren, Gideon, Lacey and Oak help her feel at home at Agathion; the only problem is, they're all keeping secrets from her.

Page doesn't know it yet, but her perfect new school has a crooked foundation, rooted in an ancient clandestine society with rumoured ties to demonic magic. Soon, Page will learn that not everyone at Agathion is who they say they are. Least of all, her friends.

Agathion claims to teach its students history…but some histories are better left buried.

A wonderfully captivating dark academia fantasy from the award-winning author of A Hunger of Thorns and Deep is the Fen.

'A must-read for fans of magical realism, fantasy and stories with demons, Unhallowed Halls is a gripping, unputdownable read from start to finish. Recommended for readers who enjoy works by Leigh Bardugo or Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle series.' - Books & Publishing

'Moody, gripping dark academia steeped in magic.' - Kirkus Starred review

'Covert clubs, dangerous tests of wits, and a mystery shrouded in dark magic and strange and ancient secrets unfurl in this stunning foray whose skillful plotting is reminiscent of Donna Tart's The Secret History.' - Publishers Weekly Starred review

Goodreads

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Nobody In Particular by Sophie Gonzales

(2025)

From the publisher:

Rose is a disgraced princess. Danni is a scholarship student. They're also secretly in love. A scandalous sapphic royal romance, from the bestselling co-author of If This Gets Out. Perfect for fans of Young Royals.

'So good. I'm breathless.' - Becky Albertalli

When Danni joins an all-girls boarding school on a music scholarship, she expects to be an outcast among her wealthy classmates - especially the gorgeous Princess Rose.

After a royal scandal lost her the trust of both her country and her best friend, Rose can't afford any distractions - even her beautiful new classmate, Danni.

But resisting temptation is harder than it looks . . .

As Rose and Danni fall for each other, rumours swirl, and the girls are forced to hide their forbidden romance. Because if the palace ever finds out, they will do whatever it takes to separate Rose and Danni forever.

Goodreads

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Friends and Benefits Vol 2 by Andy Drws

(2024)

From the Author:

The love triangle reimagined

Hyacinth leaves his small country town to start university in the big city. Excited for a new life, where he no longer has to hide, he joins the LGBTQ+ club, and makes many… interesting friends.

One of them is Yuuki, the out and loud club president. The other is Bellamy, the gentle and gorgeous football star.

What happens when Hyacinth finds himself falling for both guys?

Friends and Benefits is a queer college romance graphic novel, set in Melbourne, Australia.

Vol.2 contains episodes 36 to 67 (finale) of the comic and bonus art

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Avast! Pirate Stories From Transgender Authors Edited by Michael Earp and Alison Evans

(2024)

From the Publisher:

Get ready to set sail with a crew of rebels and misfits in this thrilling anthology of pirate tales. From CD burners to space pirates with an otherworldly crew, these stories blur the lines between criminal and separatist, playful and heartfelt and showcase a range of unique characters and found families.

Featuring seven long-form pieces of writing, including a graphic novella and a verse novella, this collection has been edited by and features trans and non-binary writers, ensuring a fresh and diverse perspective on the pirate genre. So come aboard and discover a world of queer pirates, grey morals and homebrewed ale.

Stories from:

Michael Earp Alison Evans Madison Godfrey Alexander Te Pohe Maddison Stoff Vika Mana Mia Nie

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Everything Under the Moon: Fairy tales in a queerer light Edited by Michael Earp and Illustrated by Kit Fox

(2023)

From the Publisher:

Some damsels don’t want to be rescued. Some curses don’t need to be broken. And some of the best happy ever afters won’t be found in storybooks.

Think you know fairy tales? Think again.

These twelve fairy tales have been spun through a queered lens to reflect our world in stories as old as time. From the furthest reaches of space and the darkest depths of the forest to the street just around the corner, this anthology will excite, challenge and move you.

Featuring stories from some of the biggest names in young adult fiction, Everything Under The Moon is an illuminating celebration of queer love and identity.

Lushly illustrated by up-and-coming talent Kit Fox, this collection includes stories by Michael Earp, Alison Evans, Helena Fox, Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner, Will Kostakis, Jes Layton, Gary Lonesborough, Amber McBride, Abdi Nazemian, Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Alexandra Villasante and Lili Wilkinson.

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An Unexpected Party: Queer Speculative YA Fiction Edited by Seth Malacari

(2024)

From the Publisher:

Co-published by Get YA Words Out and edited by Seth Malacari, An Unexpected Party brings together the stories of emerging authors from the LGBTQIA+ community.

From fantastical realms to real-world struggles, this anthology champions queer identity by challenging stereotypes and exploring the many facets of identity. Written with wit, heart and honesty, these stories take queer protagonists outside the box of young adult romance and centre them at the heart of stories that involve magic, paranormal beings and adventure.

Featuring trans and gender-diverse voices – asexual, aromantic, bisexual and more – the stories in An Unexpected Party are as diverse as their writers.

Praise for the book

‘A warm, tight hug, long overdue for the generations of queer young adults longing for a place in the world. An Unexpected Party contains an unashamed and beautiful honesty, carving out a space for broad, and ever resonant queer stories within the Australian YA cannon.’ Jade Breen, Children’s Book Council of Australia

‘An Unexpected Party is a profoundly humanising experience … It’s a world where all fictional elements, be they realistic or fantastic, exist to serve a necessarily complex space of identity, empowerment, trauma, grief and belonging for both the authors in this book and the characters they create.’ Laurie Steed, WritingWA

‘Queer readers or young people struggling to understand their individual and social selves could recognise aspects of themselves and the way they see the real world in these short science fiction or fantasy tales.’ Magpies

‘This collection of short stories is a veritable party of sparkling new voices, highly original stories that cover the spectrum of LGBTQIA+ experiences, within imaginary worlds, some sci-fi, some fairy story, some dystopian, some horror, but all are fresh and powerful writings that will attract a variety of readers.’ Helen Eddy, ReadPlus

‘A deeply touching, heartwarming anthology exploring queer stories in science fiction, fantasy and horror.’ Readings

Awards: Aurealis Awards, Best Anthology (Shortlisted 2024)

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Into the Mouth of the Wolf by Erin Gough

(2024)

From the Publisher:

Part thriller, part queer romance, Into the Mouth of the Wolf is the stunning, long-awaited new YA novel from the award-winning author of Amelia Westlake.

Dear Iris,

If all goes well I will be in touch by this evening. If you hear nothing, contact Glassy Bay International Travellers’ Hostel and ask after me. Use our real names.

Your Mama xxx

Iris lives on the run with her mother, Rohan. They’re travelling to escape the earthquakes, though of course that’s impossible. And they’re being followed. One day, Rohan insists Iris repeat the phrase in bocca al lupo: into the mouth of the wolf. The next day, Rohan's vanished, leaving no clues about where she’s gone besides a contact in an unknown town. Entirely alone and fearing the worst, Iris reaches out to a stranger for help.

When Lena gets Iris's message, she's busy panic-studying for year 12 and helping run her family’s hostel. She’s intrigued by Iris, and can’t deny there’s a spark between them – but she’s also worried. A dead body has just washed up at the beach in Glassy Bay. And Lena’s old best friend – who's just returned after an unexplained absence – seems to know something about it.

Missing people. Mysterious deaths. A growing attraction between two girls caught up in the search for the truth. Somehow, they’re all connected. But in order to find out how – and in order to even meet each other – Iris and Lena will have to go into the mouth of the wolf …

​​​​​​​With shades of We Were Liars and Station Eleven, this extraordinary new YA novel explores love and grief in an uncertain climate from one of Australia's most talented writers.

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The Heart of the World by Amie Kaufman

(2024)

From the Publisher:

Magic and sacrifice will collide as lovers and gods, enemies and allies vie for the fate of the world in this heart-pounding sequel to The Isles of the Gods, which Stephanie Garber called 'deliciously diabolical and full of heart' from the New York Times bestselling author of the Illuminae Files and the Aurora Cycle.

They fell in love in the shadow of war. But can their love withstand the ambitions of the gods?

When Selly and Leander began their treacherous voyage to the Isles of the Gods, the captain's daughter and the playboy prince were strangers. But amidst talk of war and a deadly attack on their ship, the unthinkable happened. They fell in love.

Leander's ritual at the island temple was meant to prevent a war between the gods. Instead, it nearly cost him his life, and drew the goddess Barrica back from her exile. Now, as her Messenger, Leander's imbued with her deadly magic, and only Selly's presence can stop it from consuming him.

But Barrica wasn't the only immortal roused from sleep. The God of Risk, Macean, was awakened by an enemy all thought dead, and across the sea he's calling for war.

The fight to save their world will take Selly and Leander from the gilded ballroom of the royal palace to the hallowed halls of an ancient library. Battle lines will be drawn, and bonds will break.

With the wrath of gods and the machinations of power-hungry rulers straining their loyalties, can their love withstand the trials that await them?

Praise for The Isles of the Gods

'So evocative and romantic...I loved every second.' Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Skyhunter

'A rollicking adventure brimming with magic, mythology, and danger,' Alexandra Bracken, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lore

'Gorgeous and gripping...A must read for any who dream of adventure!' C.S. Pacat, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Rise

'I devoured it. When is the next book?' Garth Nix, New York Times bestselling author of the Old Kingdom series

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The Isles Of The Gods by Amie Kaufman

(2023)

From the Publisher:

Magic, romance, and slumbering gods clash in the start of a riveting fantasy series spanning gangsters' dens, forgotten temples, and the high seas from the New York Times bestselling author of the Illuminae Files and the Aurora Cycle.

Selected as one of the Best Young Adult Books for 2023 – Readings Books 

Selly has saltwater in her veins. So when her father leaves her high and dry in the port of Kirkpool, she has no intention of riding out the winter at home while he sails to adventure in the north seas. But any plans to follow him are dashed when a handsome stranger with tell-tale magician's marks on his arms commandeers her ship under cover of darkness: He is Prince Leander of Alinor, and he needs to cross the Crescent Sea without detection so he can complete a ritual on the sacred Isles of the Gods.

Selly has no desire to escort a spoiled prince anywhere, and no time for his entitled demands or his good looks. But what starts as a leisure cruise will lead to acts of treason and sheer terror on the high seas, bringing two countries to the brink of war, two strangers closer than they ever thought possible and two dangerous gods stirring from centuries of slumber...

'I devoured it. When is the next book?' Garth Nix, New York Times bestselling author of the Old Kingdom series

'A rollicking adventure brimming with magic, mythology, and danger.' Alexandra Bracken, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lore

''Gorgeous and gripping...A must read for any who dream of adventure!' C.S. Pacat, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Rise

'So evocative and romantic...I loved every second.' Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Skyhunter

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A Sea of Wolves by Sarah Street

(2024)

From the Publisher:

Prepare to be swept away by heartbreaking romance and revenge-at-sea in this sapphic enemies-to-lovers romantasy inspired by Little Red Riding Hood. From the author of A Curse of Salt, this fairytale retelling is perfect for fans of Lies We Sing to the Sea and Marissa Meyer.

Set in the same world as A Curse of Salt, a heartbreaking sapphic romantasy inspired by Little Red Riding Hood.

A broken treaty A wolf in sheep's clothing And a love that will need to defy all odds to survive HER RED HOOD CAN'T PROTECT HER HEART . . .

A fifty-year-old treaty between pirates and the city of Bray lies in tatters, so Mersey sets out to free her city - and herself - from the clutches of the Heartless King. But when her reckless plan fails, she finds herself captured by the world's most notorious pirate crew.

As Mersey battles between fighting for Bray's safety and falling into the arms of the ship's cold-blooded first mate, Golde, she's soon caught up in the beginnings of a war; one she knows will have disastrous consequences for the people she loves, but just might be the thing to set her free.

Amid lies, betrayal and a blossoming love for someone she is supposed to want dead, Mersey is torn between two lives.

Uncover lurking wolves prepared to pounce and a sweeping romantasy in this enemies-to-lovers fairytale twist set upon stormy seas. Perfect for fans of Lies We Sing to the Sea and Marissa Meyer.

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A Curse of Salt by Sarah Street

(2023)

From the Publisher:

A heartless king trapped by a curseA brave sister searching for answersAnd a love so strong it will drown the raging sea ...THIS FAIRYTALE IS CURSEDPrepare for stormy seas and swoony romance in this addictive retelling of Beauty and the Beast set on board a cursed ship where love blooms in the darkest of hearts ...

The romantic Beauty and the Beast retelling of your dreams - perfect for fans of reimagined fairy tales and dark, brooding love interests ...

A heartless beast A sister's sacrifice And a love so strong it will drown the raging sea ... THIS FAIRY TALE IS CURSED

In a kingdom that fears the sea, Ria Lucroy longs to be brave. Bodies are washing ashore and everyone knows who's to blame. Legends of the Heartless King shroud the continent in fear; they call him a pirate, a monster, a god. When his mercenaries raid her father's merchant ship, Ria's family is faced with a horrifying demand. They will spare his life, in exchange for one of his daughters. Determined to save her sisters, Ria launches herself into the world of pirates. Face-to-face with the Heartless King, she finds he is far more than the stories told. He is a man, with a human name and blood-stained hands, bound to the seas by a centuries-old curse. As their chemistry blooms into something more, Ria finds herself caught in an ancient web of secrets.

Battling creatures of the deep alongside those that reign its surface, Ria discovers how to love a heartless man and that some curses aren't so easy to break.

Prepare for stormy seas and swoony romance in this addictive enemies-to-lovers fairytale romance set on a cursed pirate ship. Perfect for fans of Brigid Kemmerer's Cursebreakers series and Sarah J Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses.

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Fin & Rye & Fireflies by Harry Cook

(2022)

From the Publisher:

From moonlit meet-ups to vintage diners, pride parades to a passion for old vinyl, Fin & Rye & Fireflies is a gloriously upbeat tale of being true to yourself no matter what.

"It started with a kiss … as love stories often do. Jesse Andrews had the arms of a Greek god and he was on the track team. The night of our kiss fell on a Friday."

Then, only a few days later, Fin's world is turned upside down - and not in a good head-over-heels-in-love way - when Jesse cruelly outs him. An event which ultimately leads to his family leaving town.

But a fresh start isn't going to change the truth of who Fin is. And it's not going to stop his sexuality causing everyone all sorts of problems. Everyone, that is, apart from his new best friend Poppy, her girlfriend-in-waiting June, and his latest crush Rye … So, while Fin and Rye are enjoying some seriously intimate moonlit moments together, Fin's parents decide to pack him off to the local ReSouled 'therapy camp'.

It's a nightmare - and there's no easy way out. Can Fin's squad hatch a plan outrageous enough to spring him before the 'conversion' acolytes force him onto the straight and narrow?

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Boys on a Train by Amy Coomer

(2022)

About the Book:

2022 FINALIST: Leapfrog Press Global Fiction Prize A journey through adolescence, one ride at a time... EDDIE: Resident loser. Hair that never sits right. Vintage acoustic guitar. DYLAN: Brooding charm. Good genes. Rising star of the footy team. Despite the distance that divides them, fate sees these two sharing more than just a train to school. Set against the concrete jungle of Brisbane, Australia, we follow 17-year-old Eddie as he navigates his final years at Greenview High, and the coming of age he always feared was coming. "A lyrical, compulsively readable story about first love and coming of age. It captivated me." Deidre Knight New York Times Bestselling Author

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The Worst Perfect Moment by Shivaun Plozza

(2025)

From the Publisher:

Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, tender and edgy,this inventive romance asks what it means to be truly happy. Tegan Masters is dead.

She’s sixteen and she’s dead and she’s standing in the parking lot of the Marybelle Motor Lodge, the single most depressing motel in all of New Jersey and the place where Tegan spent what she remembers as the worst weekend of her life.

Tegan isn’t particularly happy about this. At all.

In the front office, she meets Zelda, an annoyingly cute teen angel with a snarky sense of humour and an epic set of wings. According to Zelda, Tegan is in heaven, where every person inhabits an exact replica of their happiest memory.

But reconciling with her past, might just lead Tegan, and Zelda, to a happily-ever-afterlife …

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Prince of Fortune by Lisa Tirreno

(2025)

From the Publisher:

Red, White & Royal Blue meets A Darker Shade of Magic in this swoony debut young adult romantic fantasy following a magical young prince and a noble seer who fall in love in the midst of war and intrigue.

Shy Prince Edmund will be a great king one day: it has been Seen again and again. With rare magic giving him dominion over the nation’s plants and weather, Edmund feels a great deal of pressure to live up to his nation’s many expectations, including making a perfect diplomatic alliance through marriage. That is, until he meets Lord Aubrey Ainsley.

Charming, romantic, and politically insignificant, Aubrey is a Seer, but not even he could have predicted catching the eye of Edmund, the Prince of Fortune—nor that the anxious prince who talks to plants more than people could feel so right for him. Aubrey’s dream-visions have been full of battle, not love, but to say that Prince Edmund has captured his fancy would be a grand understatement.

As the two become more and more intertwined, the nation of Saben falls under attack. War and dark sorcery loom on the horizon. To save their homeland, Edmund and Aubrey must resist the outside forces seeking to drive them apart and find the power within themselves to create a future for Saben—and each other—they never could have imagined.

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They Them Wolf by Jaydell

(2024) About the Book:

They Them Wolf is an LGBTQIA+ urban fantasy YA novel for readers 13+.

In a town where shadows hide secrets, Fred must unravel the truth before they become prey to something far more sinister than they could have ever imagined.

Seventeen-year-old Fred McTire is counting down the days until freedom. The foster system has dealt them a hand of hardship, but one more year stands between Fred and escape from their nightmarish existence.

That is until Genevieve 'Ginny' Chase, all blue eyes and freckles, sashays into Fred's life, unexpectedly brightening their bleak world. Yet, as Fred grapples with the complexities of adolescence - as if being queer in a rural town wasn’t hard enough - an unsettling force within them begins to stir, marked by violent outbursts and dreams of wolves with amber eyes.

The arrival of Mathusi Manebarn, a new student with familiar amber eyes, coincides with the discovery of a mutilated body on the outskirts of town, exposing a sinister supernatural cover-up.

The truth is elusive, and Fred must navigate a treacherous path of betrayal and familial ties as they unravel the secrets of their past.

They Them Wolf is a tale of self-discovery, identity, and the courage to confront the unknown, resonating with the howl of the wolves within.