#twelfth knight

[olivieblake]

last day of this unceasing madness

[torpublishinggroup]

Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth is for:

MMORPGs players

2000s Rom coms lovers

Fans of Shakespear remixes 

Teen + coming of age novels enjoyers

High School football players (current or former)

Angry teenagers (current or former)

[neurodivergent-fangirling]

Pride Month Books 2026 Part 2: People of Color (POC) Main Characters

Happy Pride Month! Once again, I’m celebrating by recommending books with LGBTQ+ main characters. The first three weeks will each highlight a different intersectional subcategory, and the fourth week will be for general recommendations.

This week, I want to focus on books featuring main characters who are People of Color (POC). Like my other recommendations this month, these are all books I’ve read and enjoyed that feature happy endings. Feel free to add your own recommendations in the comments and reblogs!

Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth In this high school retelling of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, gamer girl Viola makes a deal with jock Orsino: she’ll smooth things over with his girlfriend Olivia in exchange for him dealing with the idiots on the student council. Meanwhile, Orsino explores the world of online gaming and fandom through his friendship with Cesario—Viola’s character in the gaming world. Look, I normally despise enemies-to-lovers and contemporary realistic fiction teen romance, but I absolutely adored this book. Viola is such an amazing, unapologetically ‘unlikeable’ female protagonist (yet still a good person!), and I love how this book celebrates fandom culture while also addressing the prevalent sexism and racism. Dozens of romances feature secret identities, but I appreciate that in Twelfth Night, the female character is the one with the big secret (and she has a very good reason for it initially). The Shakespeare play was already practically queer, but in this retelling, we get canonically queer characters, romance, and community.

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo Aspiring actress Luli Wei navigates a Hollywood landscape full of heartbreak and twisted fae bargains, determined to claw out place for herself in a world that closes its doors to people like her. Stardom comes with a price, and she will pay whatever it costs to live her dream. This book is positively brilliant and I loved it. While at times it might feel like magical realism, this is proper fantasy, the faery lore and studio corruption woven seamlessly together. Shoutout to the Tam Lin retelling included, although it’s not the main story. I think what I loved best were all the female friendships and mentorships, and the different ways characters support each other. It’s dark at times, but the ending was perfect.

Cemetery Boys by Aidan Thomas Yadriel just wants to be accepted by his family as a brujo. When his cousin is murdered, Yadriel performs a ritual and summons the wrong ghost—Julian, who has no intention of passing over just yet. There’s more than one murder for them to solve, but Yadriel may end up losing his heart in the process… if not his life. I know this was published years before Dead Boy Detectives but oh my gods, Yadriel and Julian are so Payneland-coded I just can’t handle it. The rule-follower finding his place in the world and the charismatic chaos magnet. The doomed romance. The banter. And that ending!! I mean, I saw the first twist coming, but not the second one!! And now I find out there’s a sequel coming out this fall?! Look, if you like Dead Boy Detectives, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, or any of the other fandoms I fangirl-gush about, you need to read the Aidan Thomas books.

The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa A pirate makes a deal with the Devil and the Devil comes to collect—but neither of them read the fine print carefully enough. Mar survives the wreck of their parents’ ship determined to find a way to free their father from the demonic bargain, but they also have to contend with hiding their magical powers, growing feelings for another pirate, tricky bargains offered by a charming younger demon, and the looming threat of colonialism against their people. This is a really good book. I love stories about characters who have to hide parts of themselves and struggle to find acceptance and belonging, and I appreciate stories about pirates who aren’t white dudes. I enjoyed the action, the drama, the plot twists, and the ending.

It Rhymes with Takei by George Takei The story of the actor who became one of the core crew of the original Star Trek series, and the parts of his life omitted from his previous biographies. I normally don’t read graphic novels or nonfiction, but of course I was going to read this one. There’s so much I didn’t know about his early life, and so much I never learned in school about modern queer history in America. This was a fascinating, heartfelt, and enjoyable read. It’s a testament to how far we’ve come—but also how much we could lose, and how far we still need to go. But Star Trek has always been about hope, and pushing beyond the possible.

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland It’s a love story and a mystery. Court intrigue mixed with messy family situations, a few assassination attempts, and an interesting dissection of power and ethics and how fealty works. Plus a refreshing new take on resolving a love triangle. I enjoyed reading it. Shoutout to the general because older female characters with agency are appreciated.

Unbecoming by Seema Yasmin Two Muslim teenage girls form a guide advising others on how to find safe abortion access in post-Roe Texas, while one of them searches with increasing desperation for methods to end her own unplanned pregnancy. Very relevant. Laylah and Noor can join the ranks of Kamala Khan and Samirah Al-Abbas as heroes for young girls. Still, the grandma was my favorite character—another to add to the list of older women who shouldn’t be underestimated.

Note: The Sunbearer Trials by Aidan Thomas and Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki also belong on this list, but I already wrote them up for the Trans/ Nonbinary/ Genderqueer list last week.

What are your favorite books (or other media) that feature POC main characters? I’m always looking for more stories!

[heatedrivalryy]

i’m only one chapter into twelfth knight by olivie blake but she took this shakespeare inspiration super literally 😭

[maryxoliver]

books i read in 2024: twelfth knight by alexene farol follmuth

"I think we're lonely. Like, as a species." "So what does that mean?" "That we can like who we are and still like being alone and still want to feel connected."

[quillnqueer]

Interesting New Releases ✨

Dreadful: high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, evil wizards and a garlic festival - all at once.

Evocation: queer, poly romance with secret societies and a deal with the devil

Housemates: Two young housemates embark on a (queer!) road trip to discover themselves in a fractured America

The Only Light Left Burning: The highly-anticipated sequel to the queer genre-bending dystopian romance All That's Left in the World.

The Safekeep: twisted tale of desire, suspicion, and obsession between two women staying in the same house in the Dutch countryside during the summer of 1961

Twelfth Knight: a grumpy/sunshine YA romantic comedy and coming of age story about taking up space in the world and learning what it means to let others in

[earl-of-221b]

“Why did you manipulate me? Use me?” Aoshi wrenched the words from his throat, lying through his teeth; Okina couldn’t fake astonishment as good as this no matter how many years he bathed in lies and wore deception as a skin, Aoshi already knew he had no hand in it; but he kept — lashing out, raging — because really it was him again; him at fault; him in error; Okina was only a mirror reflecting back his own defects. His old world antics, his old world teachings, all of it mired in Aoshi, his born and bred leader, unable to be rid of the pure unadulterated Tokugawa woven into his makeup. Fifteen years old with the soul of a sixty year old. Living in a world that was always 1845. Aoshi spoke like an old man and thought like an old man and was exceptional by the standards of these old men. “You…you…” his chest rose up and down, exhausted almost a second time, “You made me conceal the woman…you made me aid and abet the imposter the Okashira has sought for months.” Aoshi’s voice ground down into a whisper. “You made me…treasonous.”

I think I got Aoshi. He's Like That because he was raised by Okina and the previous Okashira (Misao's grandad). Okashira at age 15? This is why he's fucked up. He's only 26 in the manga and events of the main story. But he says shit like "For now I can offer you no glory. But one day I will." "To lay down the 'flower' of the 'strongest." "Such villains will be sent to the deepest pit by those same dark powers."

And he speaks like this ALL the time in manga. No code-switching. He was never socialised with a peer, only ever had subordinates, not friends, and so I think working for Kanryu and Shishio in RK was just another example of washed up gifted kid. He was always a uniquely terrible leader. He's good at everything, literally everything. But he was foisted into position of Okashira which totally destroyed any chance of him being a well-adjusted person.

[yourfavebooklrsfavebooklr]

New Releases of June!