Witches and vampires arenât just stories, they are archetypes, energies that live through people. The witch carries ancestral wisdom, weaving what runs through blood and bone, shaping energy with intent. The vampire too is more than lore. There is vampiric magick which is a path of magnetism, lure, and power. They draw life-force, not only to feed but to command presence, to bend the unseen to their will. Their energy is intoxicating, irresistible, yet consuming and dangerous. Both of these archetypes are more than image, they become roles in practice. The witch yields, the vampire lures. One rooted in wisdom, the other in hunger yet both remind us that myth is memory, and energy is real.
Holly Black meets Lex Croucher in this contemporary fantasy about a love story to raise the dead.
At Demdike College of Witchcraft, Orlando is an outcast. Not just for being the only shapeshifter in a college of witches. Not just for being a really bad shapeshifter, with no control over their magic or when their body switches between male and female forms. But because their girlfriend Elizabeth diedâand it was Lando's fault.
Then charming new boy Bastian arrives with a proposition: he knows a spell that can raise Elizabeth from the dead. It's dangerous but Lando will try anything. But as Lando's attraction to Bastian grows, questions start to arise. Who is Bastian? What does he really want? And who will survive the resurrection spell?
For fans of V.E. Schwab and Rainbow Rowell, Emma Hinds' Witchlore is a spellbinding contemporary fantasy where the passion is as real as the magic.
Hey, new followers. Just in case you weren't aware, writing fanfic is my hobby. But writing NOVELS is my job. Here they are, my babies. If you're looking for books that explore some of the things I explore in my fanfic writing, maybe one of them is for you ...
You can also keep up with my work and early fanfic drafts and drabbles on my Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/EmmaLouiseWrites
Whoops, make that six.
Hit Me With Your Best Charm by Lillie Vale (f/f)
Extraordinary Quests for Amateur Witches by Kayla Cottingham (m/m)
Everything She Does is Magic by Bridget Morrissey (f/f)
Witchlore by Emma Hinds (m/x)
No Charm Done by Tori Anne Martin (f/f)
Brewed With Love by Shelly Page (f/f)
My local library has a reading program each year where they challenge you to read 50 books in 50 weeks - I've given myself the additional challenge of only using books with queer representation for the challenge. If you feel like joining my little queer book club, check out the recommendations below! (If it's not your thing, I'll be tagging these recommendation posts with UA Queer Book Club so you can filter the posts out if it's not something you're interested in!)
I'll be breaking these up into groups of 10 and posting a new "Round" of books with each 10 I finish for the challenge. If you choose to read any of these books, please feel free to let me know what you think!
Code: đśď¸- contains adult scenes/sexual content đŠ - contains possible triggers, proceed with caution
Book #1: The Entanglement of Rival Wizards by Sara Raasch đśď¸
Representation: MLM gay relationship between the two leads, other queer characters in supporting cast
My Rating: ââââ
Thoughts: Humorous with endearing characters and significant drama. There is Definitely Spice - many a sex scene in this one, so keep that in mind. Rated 4 stars since there were a few parts that seemed a bit melodramatic and for the main sport having an Awful name, but had very interesting world building and I'm excited for the next book set in this world to come out.
Summary: "Sebastian Walsh: Evocation Department. Human. The first of his family to pick college over the military. Elethior Tourael: Conjuration Department. Half-elf. Pretentious asshole. The latest legacy Tourael at Lesiara U. Both: Mageus Research Grant finalists. Sebastian refuses to let anyone snatch this away, least of all a snob riding on old money. But whatâs worse than a nemesis stealing your grant? You could both get it. Under the condition you work together.
Sebastian is in hell. Thioâs broody. Takes up their shared lab space with his projects . . . and biceps. Brings treats for Sebastianâs familiar . . .
. . . and is nothing like Sebastian thought. When Sebastianâs past with the Touraels forces him to choose his research or Thio, the decision should be simple. But while working with his rival is volatile . . . falling for his rival might blow up Sebastianâs future."
Book #2: Witchlore by Emma Hinds đŠ
Representation: Nonbinary/fluid main character, queer romance between the leads
My Rating: ââââ
Thoughts: One immediate thing to keep in mind with this one is that it deals with suicidal ideation and the main character has made an attempt in the past - it is mentioned often. If this is something that you are uncomfortable with, do not read it. That said, the book does handle such a difficult subject pretty well and the main character recovers throughout the book. Rated 4 stars since the attitude/internal dialogue toward the beginning is quite repetitive, but I did enjoy the relationship between the main characters and thought the encounters with magical creatures were interesting and the main character's power manifestation and the twist at the end were well done.
Summary: "At Demdike College of Witchcraft, Orlando is an outcast. Not just for being the only shapeshifter in a college of witches. Not just for being a really bad shapeshifter, with no control over their magic or when their body switches between male and female forms. But because their girlfriend Elizabeth diedâand it was Lando's fault.
Then charming new boy Bastian arrives with a proposition: he knows a spell that can raise Elizabeth from the dead. It's dangerous but Lando will try anything. But as Lando's attraction to Bastian grows, questions start to arise. Who is Bastian? What does he really want? And who will survive the resurrection spell?"
Book #3: Given by Natsuki Kizu (manga) đŠ
Representation: MLM romance between the leads, other queer relationships with supporting characters
My Rating: ââââ
Thoughts: Y'all are probably getting tired of me giving four star ratings, huh? This one is promising, certainly - I finished the first volume and went out and bought the second, though I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. There's an anime based on it - I watched a few episodes a couple years ago, but I don't think I ever finished it. It does have some mentions of one of the main character's ex-boyfriend committing suicide, though I expect that will come more into play with future volumes.
Summary: "Love of music unites the four members of the band Given: hotheaded guitarist Uenoyama, playboy drummer Akihiko, gentle bassist Haruki, and Mafuyu, a singer gifted with great talent and burdened by past tragedy. Their struggles and conflicts may drive them apart, but their bond to the musicâand to one anotherâalways brings them back together again.
Ritsuka Uenoyama is bored with it allâwith school, with his basketball club, and even with his one true passion: playing guitar. That is, until the day he finds his favorite hidden napping spot occupied by a strange boy cradling a broken-stringed guitar. At first, Uenoyama is nonplussed by Mafuyu Sato and his slightly odd behavior, but when, on a whim, he asks Mafuyu to sing, the power of that song pierces him to the core."
Book #4: Looking for Group by Alexis Hall
Representation: MLM romance between the main characters, lots of other queer rep throughout
My Rating: 3.5xâ
Thoughts: Look, I really enjoyed this until the last, like, 90 pages where the main character makes himself sort of unlikable. For those who are fans of MMORPGs, I think you'll really enjoy the nostalgia of reading this since there's a lot of in-game chat dialogue at first, but it's also just a pleasant read. Main character does make effort to make up for being crummy, so I do still recommend.
Summary: "Drew's always prided himself on being the "right" kind of nerd. He plays sports, has a solid group of friends, and never had any problem talking to girls. Sure, he spends time playing Heroes of Legend, the biggest MMORPG on the planet, but it's just a fun hobby, not his identity. Falling for someone in a video game? Not his style.
Until it is.
Enter Kit: witty, kind, razor-sharp, and a healer who's saved Drew's virtual skin more times than he can count. She's also, turns out, a boy in real life. The realization knocks Drew off-balance, but it doesn't take long for him to figure out the simple truthâhe likes Kit, no matter Kit's gender.
The real challenge? Kit's reality is leagues apart from Drew's. Being online is his life, and while he's willing to come out of his shell an inch at a time, there's such a wide gulf between them that Drew's left wondering: can love truly bridge the distanceâŚor are they fated to remain in separate worlds forever?"
Book #5: Lumberjanes (#1) by Noelle Stevenson (graphic novel)
Representation: queer rep throughout, seems to be more prevalent in later volumes but there's a bit here
My Rating: âââââ
Thoughts: This was genuinely cute - I thought the scouts' adventures were fun, and there were bigger mysteries set up that support a continuing series well. I could see the starts of relationships forming that would be rewarding when they paid off. Since it's a graphic novel, it's a pretty quick read - definitely worth checking out.
Summary: "Five best friends spending the summer at Lumberjane scout campâŚdefeating yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falconsâŚwhatâs not to love?!
Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer togetherâŚand theyâre not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way!"
Book #6: Upright Women Wanted - Sarah Gailey
Representation: Lesbian, queer, poly, and nonbinary characters galore
My Rating: 2.5xâ
Thoughts: Not my taste personally, but definitely an interesting premise - sort of Handmaid's Tale meets the Wild West meets Fallout. It's another short one, less than 200 pages, so worth checking out if that sounds like your vibe!
Summary: "Esther is a stowaway. Sheâs hidden herself away in the Librarianâs book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for herâa marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. Her best friend who she was in love with. Her best friend who was just executed for possession of resistance propaganda.
The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing."
Book #7: Mistakenly Saving the Villain by Feng Yu Nie đŠ
Representation: MLM relationship between the main characters
My Rating: ââââ
Thoughts: This one's pretty heavy, not going to lie. Triggers include graphic depictions of sexual slavery/trafficking, severe torture, non-consensual sexual acts, suicide attempts, and intense psychological trauma. While most of these things are handled well, there are a few that I think miss the mark and some of the details brought up toward the end of the book don't quite make sense, but may fit better once the sequel is released. Since it was originally written in Chinese and translated into English for publication, some dialogue and descriptions felt a bit strange, but not enough to be a major fault. It's an interesting book, especially when you get to see from the innocent view of the main character, and from the manipulative and (understandably) jaded view of his love interest.
Summary: "When medical student Song Qingshi dies and wakes up in a historical fantasy novel, heâs tasked with rescuing the tragic protagonist from a life of misery. Thereâs just one problemâhe has no idea who the protagonist is.
Instead of saving the hero, Song Qingshi accidentally rescues Yue Wuhuan, an enslaved man renowned for his striking beauty and trained in the art of seduction. Now determined to help his traumatized new patient heal, Song Qingshi offers everything he can: Medicine, therapy, emotional support, even a shared bedâstrictly for his patientâs well-being, of course.
But Yue Wuhuan wants more than healing. He wants revenge. And most of all, he wants Song Qingshi all to himself."
Book #8: Lady's Knight by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Representation: WLW romance between the main characters, gay supporting character
My Rating: âââââ
Thoughts: Oh my god, read this book! Please read this book! It's legitimately such a good time - the jousts are well described, the female characters are not one dimensional and actually have personalities (even the supporting cast!) and the romance is built up to effectively. In the best possible way, it reminded me of a medieval Mean Girls. Highly recommend.
Summary: "A blacksmithâs daughter with a secret. A lady with a plan. Weâre in for one unforgettable knightâŚ
Gwen has spent the past several years manning the blacksmithâs 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 sheâs 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 schemeâŚ
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?"
Book #9: All Out edited by Saundra Mitchell (Anthology)
Representation: a collection of queer stories with a range of identities and relationships, queer rep galore
My Rating: 3.5xâ
Thoughts: I had a hard time with some of the authors' writing styles but really enjoyed the different perspectives and some of the stories had me wishing for a full-length novel - I recall really enjoying the Robin Hood retelling!
Summary: "From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldierâŚto two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt CobainâŚto forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish conventâŚand an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods, and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten."
Book #10: Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid đśď¸đŠ
Representation: MLM relationship between the main characters, Bi representation, gay representation
My Rating: âââââ
Thoughts: I have so many things to say about this book, this might go on for quite a while. I originally decided to read the book because of the show, and I can definitely see why they decided to make a show adaptation. Shane and Ilya are simultaneously larger than life and incredibly grounded. Unfortunately I found that there were a few moments where it felt like Shane was being infantalized (constantly described as small/hairless when compared to Ilya) that made me kind of uncomfy and the sex was... not super well written for a book that is focused largely on how these mens' relationship develops through sex over time, but the humor is plentiful and the characters are terribly endearing and good lord, I could talk about them for ages. This book makes me want to read the rest of the series, though I'm not sure I actually will. I do need to mention that one of the main characters' family members committed suicide in the past and it is discussed, though not in detail.
Summary: "Nothing interferes with pro hockey star Shane Hollanderâs game.
Now that heâs captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he wonât let anything jeopardize thatâdefinitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate.
Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shaneâs not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, heâs as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat himâexcept Shane. Publicly, theyâre enemies. Privately, they canât stop touching each other.
The smart thing to do? Walk away, once a few secret hookups turn into a struggle to keep their relationship out of the press. The truth could ruin them both. But for Shane and Ilya, secrecy is soon no longer an optionâŚ"
At Demdike College of Witchcraft, Orlando is an outcast. Not just for being the only shapeshifter in a college of witches. Not just for being a really bad shapeshifter, with no control over their magic or when their body switches between male and female forms. But because their girlfriend Elizabeth died - and it was Lando's fault.
Then charming new boy Bastian arrives with a proposition: he knows a spell that can raise Elizabeth from the dead. It's dangerous but Lando will try anything. But as Lando's attraction to Bastian grows, questions start to arise. Who is Bastian? What does he really want? And who will survive the resurrection spell?
Mod opinion: I haven't heard of this book before and it doesn't sound like my type of story.
This one has an interesting non-binary protagonist. Check the trigger warnings if you're a cautious reader, it deals with some dark topics. I think that it is a worthwhile read.
Thank you to St Martinâs Press/Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this. All thoughts are my own.
I loved this one so much. I was captivated from the start, drawn into Landoâs emotional state and the worldâs magic system and its history and lore. I just wanted to know more and more and more.
I absolutely loved Lando and Bastienâs relationship. It blossomed and bloomed so naturally and it was really beautiful to watch these two broken, hurt people slowly open up to each other and slowly learn how to heal.
The entire plot with the resurrection spell and the old diary entries and Landoâs dreams all coming together had me absolutely hooked. It was so fascinating watching it all come together as all the pieces settled into place.
