Blessed by the gods with unparalleled beauty, Andromeda lives a life of ease within her Aethiopian palace walls. Content with her sanctuary, the young princess has no concerns other than the royal expectations her parents have for her – until a single, fateful proclamation changes everything.
When the queen defies the gods with a blasphemous claim, Poseidon, fearsome God of the Seas, delivers a deadly ultimatum that puts the queen’s life in Andromeda’s hands. Poseidon sends his loyal servant, the shape-shifting Ceto, to seal the princess’s fate.
But Ceto is not just a servant. With a sharp tongue and hardened heart, she has little interest in the princess’s appearance – and even less in the games of gods. Yet an undeniable tension begins to bloom between them, and both quickly realise Andromeda’s beauty is not only a gift, but a weapon to wield. As Poseidon’s judgement draws ever closer, the two women find themselves pulled into something far more passionate – and dangerous – than either could have predicted...
Review:
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!
A reimagining of the myth of Andromeda from her perspective, with lyrical prose and a heart wrenching sapphic romance.
I am passingly familiar with Andromeda's story within the context of the myth of Perseus, so it was fascinating to see how the author filled in the gaps of Andromeda's life beyond his story. This iteration of Andromeda depicts her childhood growing up in the palace of Aethiopia, as both a princess and part water nymph. She chafes against her mother's high ambitions for her, wanting to live a simple life, but that soon becomes impossible.
The beginning starts off a little slow, as we learn Andromeda's backstory, but once Ceto is introduced--well, the pacing is still slow, but that's when it gets interesting. Andromeda and Ceto despise each other immediately but are forced to spend all their time together, which doesn't help their mutual hatred. The initial tension between them was SO delicious, and as they find common ground and become friends, that tension becomes something different, iykyk. Both of them are in--what might be considered--positions of privilege, yet struggle with lacking agency over their lives. All the odds are against them, but they do everything in their power to find ways to be together.
While I do know Andromeda's story, I was unfamiliar with Ceto's. I did a quick google, and it turns out there are 3 different Cetos (Ceti?) I am not entirely certain which mythological Ceto this book's version is meant to be based on, but I did learn that the sea monster is indeed named Cetus, so that was cool. I don't think readers need to know who Ceto is based on, as the book discusses her backstory, and while it is interesting to see how this book intersects with Perseus' story, I don't think readers necessarily need to have prior knowledge about Andromeda either. Most of the book is spent on Andromeda's life before meeting Perseus anyway, which isn't part of the original myths, although the original myth does plays a big part in the plot.
I also didn't know that Andromeda's kingdom, Aethiopia, was African, as explained in the glossary as being the location of modern day Sudan. As current adaptations of Greek myths generally depict white people under the guise of "historical accuracy", I liked that the kingdom of Aethiopia is clearly Northern African, in its culture and proximity to other kingdoms, with the Aethiopians being depicted with dark skin.
Overall, an emotionally resonant read, short but with slow-pacing, making every word well-earned.
"A Light Most Hateful" follows the story of small town drive-in worker Olivia and her best friend (and crush) Sunflower. However, a couple of other strange people - Lizzie and Christmas - show up almost immediately, along with a strange storm that causes a sort of zombie apocalypse in town. Olivia scrambles to save Sunflower more than herself - she has always been deeply devoted to Sunflower and there are multiple references to Sunflower being like the Sun to her earth or galaxy, being the light, being god..... Olivia finds out some ugly surprises. The cover of the book shows a silhouette of a person struct by lightning - or so I interpreted, before I read further about the strange effects of the storm and the light.
The story takes place over one fateful night, and it only gets stranger and stranger until the very end. The world is transformed in a horrifying way. Olivia wonders who is real and what is real? It gives an Alice in Wonderland feeling, but also very much Stranger Things too - a small-town mystery being unraveled by a scrappy, ordinary person as the world gets stranger and stranger. Olivia also gives Final Girl. The strange effects of the storm and the light remind me of Annihilation too.
Some of the plot twists were predictable - some of the answers to who am I? who or what is doing this? how will this person react?
Less predictable was the romance and how it ended up. There are two romantic interests, Christmas and Sunflower, with very different personalities and ways of relating to the world. The moments of tension - kisses and almost-kisses and memories of kisses - were exciting and sweet and contrasted with the night of horrors.
While Olivia doesn't think highly of herself, she also doesn't obsess with her own self-image and she is easy to root for. Her struggle to admit her attraction is relatable for anyone who's been in the closet before. Her constant search for allies and support is sometimes hard to read - she desperately looks for acceptance and love just as much as literal physical aid against the transformed townsfolk.
Christmas is non binary and well fleshed out. Lizzie is a tragic figure and I wish she could have had more development. Hazibel, Sunflower's mother, is a feared authority figure, then feared for a different reason, then almost becomes a ludicrous figure by the end because of the surrounding horrors. Sunflower is well developed, but I wanted more from her - I wanted to see her grow in a different way than what ended up happening. Olivia does get that growth and fully deserved the protagonist role.
Overall, I wished I had realized how horrifying the book was before reading it, but I'm so happy that I did give this one a read. The strangeness was just what I needed after re-reading The Starving Saints, and the happy ending and plot action was just what I needed after reading We Can Never Leave.
This book has a lot of body horror (injury, warping, mutation), memory horror (forgetting, concocting, sharing of memories), violence and blood (but not described in great detail; the focus is more on Olivia's reactions), identity horror (am I real? am I who I thought I was? what I am I, if I am this or that? do I believe the evidence of who I am?), and a threatened unwanted kiss / groping by a romantic interest. A couple of young men are creepy and there is depiction of someone being beaten up. There are references to homophobia as well.
It's insane (in a good way) that the entire subgenre of fantasy (sword-and-sorcery) today survives almost exclusively by hands of tabletop geeks. Truly a whim of fate
I just finished This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman 🙂 I liked how the different countries were portrayed with their different experiences with fairy tales, magic, tradition and gender roles. it’s listed as a satire, but really the fairy tale tropes are played straight, just with humor and a lot more queerness and feminism. Almost everyone except for a side couple is queer, which is the reverse of so many other books I’ve read. An important character is a trans man and the main character is bisexual. The villain is actually a big twist and also a source of romantic tension. 😁
Queer sword & sorcery adventure-romance in fantasy ancient Mesopotamia
I highly recommend this game, especially to anyone who's already interested in games like Thirsty Sword Lesbians, Agon or Runequest. Some highlights of what I enjoyed - gorgeous and evocative artwork, really cool character abilities, building a city together that our characters loved and cared about, playing our own enemies in cutscenes, flavorful worldbuilding options to decide what the gods are or what is magic, and opportunities for dramatic reveals or vulnerable moments.
When I had the opportunity to play this game, we saw some really fun larger-than-life character abilities ("Miracles", "Spells", "Moves", etc.) like -
changing the timeline
summoning a posse of shades who are super helpful until they get hungry
making an illusion of people so real that you single-handedly change your city's demographics
communing with a mythical beast and convincing them to become a guardian spirit of the nearby river instead of eating people
disguising yourself completely as a high priestess and taking over the temple without any question from the acolytes
emanating the power of the goddess of hopeless wishes so powerfully that an enemy just decides to leap back in the Underworld
literally flying with the power of friendship
Learning the rules was pretty easy, rolls are 2d6 with a modifier if applicable. Epithets work both as sort of stats/abilities and conditions/health/durability. You write a unique phrase that talks about your character's behavior or values. You rewrite one of these epithets when your character experiences Crisis (from taking too many Wounds - which usually comes from low rolls) or Doom (from gaining too much Fire - which comes usually from high rolls). You gain XP when you roll low, or when you do certain things that match the theme of your specific character archetype (for example, communicating with otherworldly forces for one playbook, endangering yourself to see knowledge for another.) There's definitely some fun toys on each character sheet to keep track of and challenge everyone to dive into the drama.
There's an example adventure in the back of the full book, however it seems easy to set up a simple adventure by just looking at the playbooks that people are interested in and the World Forces (the authorities in the world that hate your characters for their subversive lifestyles and adventuring ways). In fact, each player makes a character who is a World Force, which also helps with fleshing out the opposition.
We encountered a god of revenge who was angry that our Revenant didn't want to serve them, city officials who sent guards to tear down our neighborhood to make way for a "fire break", a river god spreading curses to our neighborhood who also hated the Vessel's deity for not being a traditional goddess, and Atlantean sorcerers who wanted to plant their city in the Wild and our neighborhood alike without regard for either the wild creatures or city-dwellers. The players fleshed out some ideas at the beginning of the game of what creatures served the Underworld, what were characteristics of Atlantis, and what the city government was like.
For a one session game, I would definitely recommend doing as we did and starting each player character off with 2 XP and 2 Fire, and truncating some of the world building. I could definitely see this system being compatible with a bunch of sword n sorcery adventures as long as the group made sure to create dramatic relationships with each other and the opposition (World Forces).
This is a different type of book - a tabletop roleplaying game book! :) The creator is queer and the theme runs strongly throughout the book. It's an enjoyable read - the art is also fantastic - but even more fun to play. :)
A maiden (healer) falls in sapphic love with a monster (golem). This book takes you on an intense but also a wandering (in a positive way), complicated, emotional journey. The surprises that happened on the way involved characters we cared about; the world kept showing up and showing up.
I did have to take some breaks due to some of the cruelty and abuse that was described, but it felt purposeful and real. The “villains” were a mix - a cruel, rich religious figure that I might have guessed was evil - but we also see abuse in the home, bigotry and violence from occupying soldiers, and monsters and a curse that the protagonist doesn’t know how to make sense of. The cultures are fantastical but also familiar - a reader can easily see the parallels and similarities to real life peoples and events. The author draws sincerely from her own heritage and love of stories.
I was concerned this would be a hard read for me due to the religious elements - but as it was Jewish, not Christian, it didn’t trigger my particular trauma. It also helped that there was no homophobia and the sapphic relationship was fully accepted by their community, their religious leader and her mother. I didn’t think I would be able to see faith based magic as beautiful again, but in this book, that magic really is beautifully described.
The protagonist made brave choices that never felt obvious or easy; there is betrayal and impulse. Likewise, the love interest is complex and motivated to follow her own path and desires (despite her identity or nature, no spoilers of course!). There were other strong platonic relationships too, which are given a delightful amount of attention and space. Family and friends make up a large amount of motivation, memory, interludes and events in the protagonist’s life - shown in the pages, not just references. The cozy scenes of paper cutting and less cozy fights are as much a part of her as the magic and mystery that she discovers.
The ending is satisfying and doesn’t erase the hurt, but emphasizes hope. I would call it a happy ending. Confessions are made, and both monster and maid have a happy life ahead of them. I would have only wanted to see a scene or two from the retirement they imagined.
I really enjoyed Theseus and The Sky Labyrinth. A spoiler character who I won’t name was my favorite, given a complex backstory that we discover through a growing relationship, and grapples with a difficult decision and a nearly impossible location to escape. Theseus was of course magnificent, funny and a hero to root for throughout. Theseus’s perspective is roughly half the book, with alternate sections with another POV alternating about halfway through the book. The worldbuilding is smoothly introduced through each character’s perspective - past relationships, locations, technology, and social dynamics coming into play as they each deal with the situation at hand.
A sapphic relationship is central to this book, just as much as the labyrinth-crawling heroics. There is one stretch that is oddly cozy - a reprieve from the near-impossible obstacles of the labyrinth. The reactions to finding love in such as a place feel believable and the build-up to physical and emotional connection held some delightful suspense.
The language barriers between denizens of each interstellar society were handled thoughtfully, along with the cultural differences. They aren’t stereotypes, and neither are the sapphic lovers. Each has their own strength and talent, and view of the other with concern, affection or amusement. Even the villains who are presented as evil are viewed as complex people who could perhaps change their behavior one day - but the book remains bright and heroic in tone overall, and the villainy must be stopped to save the day. This is the kind of book I’ve always loved to read - and am so glad the genre is now populated with sapphic tales too.
I wish I could have known some of the minor characters longer, but with the space allotted, they were handled well. The spoiler character’s perspective did lag at first in retelling events seen previously through another’s eyes. Overall, I’m excited to see the future for Theseus as well as for those who had a hand in creating the labyrinth. A couple of other characters from Jason’s books do pop up, but this book stands well on its own. For those that have read them, some easter eggs and references will be enjoyable.
I received an ARC of this book. This review is my honest opinion. I am not being compensated in any way.
Di Curious by Erin Branch is a delightful bit of wish fulfillment bundled with plenty of easter eggs for those who enjoy tabletop gaming and romantasy. The cover art has warm hues and beautiful character art that match the coziness and warmth of this book.
There are two POVs. First, June is a burgeoning D&D influencer along the lines of Ginny Di or the cast of Critical Role; also an oblivious late-bloomer bisexual woman who is just getting over a toxic relationship with her ex-boyfriend. The second POV is Nova, a writer of D&D novels and adventure ghost-writer; who is confident in her sexuality and non-binary gender, but has social anxiety and ADHD which was not accepted or supported by her own recent ex-girlfriend.
They grew up together, but parted ways in recent years. They reunite as Lyssa and Aiden invite June to their regular D&D game. June needs a new group for her podcast, and Nova needs to resolve a burning secret of their own. June plays Awe, a pink sparkly tiefling lore bard with a bubbly personality, and Nova plays Hunt, a blue-themed tiefling vengeance paladin with a serious and mysterious vow that they won't admit aloud.
The exes, June's podcast company, Nova's writing career, industry homophobia, bisexual erasure, and their future opportunities cause them to grow together and face new conflicts during the course of the story. Some chapters focus on their game sessions, while others focus on their lives outside of game night. When the POV switches in the middle of the chapter, June's perspective is noted with a lute, and Nova's is noted with a sword.
References scattered throughout the book include allusions to Sarah J Maas's "A court Of" Series, Tamsyn Muir's The Locked Tomb, The Witcher, Critical Role, characters from official D&D adventures like Xanathar and his goldfish; dragon dildos; and of course common D&Disms like spell names or rolling a critical hit are mentioned too.
I was a little surprised at the occurrences of PVP without turning into a horror story - I suppose it's part of the fantasy that a group could manage that with emotional maturity.
While I'll still be running Thirsty Sword Lesbians instead of supporting Wizards, I certainly support this book! It was a fun ride and felt magical. I recommend it to anyone that's fond of both romantasy and tabletop gaming.
As I had recently read Carmilla, I was excited about Hungerstone's retelling of the classic vampire story - and my excitement was absolutely answered with the contents. I devoured this book, which is entirely appropriate. The scenes of horror interspersed with the drudgery of social obligations and stolen hours with Carmilla created a daydreamy, not entirely lucid effect. The lyrical descriptions and vivid images only exaggerated that dreamlike feeling.
I appreciated how Lenore is aged up from the originally novel, and the lack of any deus ex machina on this revamped version of the tale. Likewise, the interactions between Lenore and Carmilla are more intense emotionally and more physically sensual - likely also a product of the modern language and dialogue as well as the reframing of their personalities and character development. Carmilla feels more like a trickster archetype instead of a devil or succubus in this version. The sapphic relationship between herself and Lenore doesn't feel like it's written to be a sin from the narration, only in the eyes of their society. In the original, the homosexuality felt like it was meant to be part of the horror, not a respite from or promise of freedom from the horrors.
Some of the scenes were difficult to read due to my own experiences growing up in a strict environment and having experienced some of the same social pressures as Lenore does. The content warnings I could find online did not include cannibalism for example.
There were surprises in the plot that were as delightful as they were troubling. When Lenore confronts Carmilla about the awful truth of her situation and her husband's doing, I was pleased at this new development that was not in the original. Likewise, the husband's business and issues with labor and other misdeeds were an interesting inclusion and added a color and complexity to their relationship with each other and also to their community and social sphere.
I chuckled at the ending, cheered, and then felt somewhat disturbed. Is it a happy ending? I felt it was initially, and then I felt it was a horror instead. But this is the kind of book that makes me enjoy these mixed feelings. And no matter, happy or not, it is very queer and well written.
I highly recommend this book, whether or not you have read Carmilla. It stands on its own as a well-written gothic horror.
I met Evelyn and her wife at a pop up book shop at a pride fest. She signed a copy of “The Librarian’s Gargoyle” and also gave me a bookmark 😭 I’ve never gotten to meet a published author before, much less two that are also wives!
This one is a cozy romantic fantasy story set in Paris in the early 1900s. There are two POVs, a gargoyle who is suddenly feeling emotions for the first time as she goes on new missions for her Maker; and a volunteer librarian who is confident in her own sapphic desires but has to fight against her family’s expectations.
I enjoyed the writing style, the surprises in the plot kept me guessing just enough, and the conclusion was satisfying. Despite the threats and conflicts, the overall feeling was cozy and warm. It’s a lovely magical read.
I met Evelyn and her wife at a pop up book shop at a pride fest. She signed a copy of “The Librarian’s Gargoyle” and also gave me a bookmark 😭 I’ve never gotten to meet a published author before, much less two that are also wives!
This one is a cozy romantic fantasy story set in Paris in the early 1900s. There are two POVs, a gargoyle who is suddenly feeling emotions for the first time as she goes on new missions for her Maker; and a volunteer librarian who is confident in her own sapphic desires but has to fight against her family’s expectations.
I enjoyed the writing style, the surprises in the plot kept me guessing just enough, and the conclusion was satisfying. Despite the threats and conflicts, the overall feeling was cozy and warm. It’s a lovely magical read.
“So Let Them Burn” by Kamilah Cole is the first book in a duology. We follow two protagonists: Faron, chosen of the gods and the secret power that allowed her island country to defeat their colonial empire overlords; and her sister Elara, who feels overshadowed, seeking to find her own destiny - and is unexpectedly taken by an enemy dragon from that same empire. Faron is brash and impulsive; Elara is thoughtful and devout. They both are forced into desperate situations as a whole new conflict threatens their home.
They are separated for most of the book as Elara is trapped in the empire, and Faron is trapped at her country’s capital. Other significant characters include the youthful, battle-worn queen; the prince who betrayed his own empire to help the islanders win the war; a sapphic subversive noble dragonrider; and a long-forgotten god-saint who has mysterious motives of his own.
The setting and cultures are showcased through details of the dialect, food, family relationships and forms of address, children’s games, and of course the respective gods of the island country and the empire. The descriptions were vivid and the scenes were fast-paced. The ending felt a tad abrupt but the cliff-hanger made me immediately put the sequel on my to-read list!
To Rule The Desert by Monica Robinson was difficult to find but well worth the effort. I was able to get a physical copy from DiscountMags.com. The paperback feels like a slim volume of poetry; there are no page numbers. The premise is a desert gothic roadtrip retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice.
This novel, though brief, left a strong impression due to the lyrical writing style. Quinn and Ava are a sapphic couple, Orpheus and Eurydice on a roadtrip filled with memories and Americana. While the myth was familiar, the characters felt new and the twist in their fates was a surprise. It feels like it’s really Eurydice’s story in the end.
The ferry(wo)man and the snake man were also great characters - very distinctive imagery, the focus of their own scenes, and of course creative interpretations of the myth. I was left feeling like I needed to read this two or three times to really grasp all the twists and turns.
The Lotus Empire is the third and final book of The Burning Kingdoms trilogy by Tasha Suri.
A wonderful conclusion to the series - it felt powerful and epic. We followed the two main characters Malini and Priya as Malini has solidified her positon, but other threats come to a head. Their romantic and magical connection presents surprising complications. The yaksa are scarier than ever but also some of them are more sympathetic than I ever expected. The rot is still a big issue.
The conflict is solved in a satisfying way and the relationship also reaches a truly pleasing dynamic. My favorite romantic scenes were in chapter 61 and chapter 66.
This ties for Priory of the Orange Tree as my favorite sapphic epic fantasy!
for $1 name your favourite fictional lesbian. and no "straight female character popularly fanonized as a lesbian" or "this male character is a lesbian to me" allowed
Gideon Nav from the Locked Tomb of course, but recently: Priya and Malini from The Burning Kingdoms trilogy by Tasha Suri; Csorwe from The Unspoken Name and The Thousand Eyes by A K Larkwood; and Edie Morikawa from Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto!
