Gay epic fantasy
– f/f, disaster bi
– looming war, woman’s suffrage, & water magic in a fantastical Egypt
– spoiled aristocrat + bookshop keeper??? hmm YES
– sequel to THE BLADED FAITH, which had a sapphic main
– rag-tag, older group of revolutionaries use a mask to fake a hero & fight against the invading empire
– except the mask is cursed… and whispering
– sapphic MC
– dusky, witchy roadtrip through medieval Europe
– with a little murder, as treat
– stories within stories within stories
– sapphic MC
– instead of jail, criminals carry extra shadows to warn others of their misdeeds
– what happens when your kid is born with an extra shadow?
– tackles grief & shame in an unjust world
– lesbian MC, reach get your neurodivergent gays
&
This month’s installment of Ask Your Friendly Neighbourhood Lesbrarian tracks down some books for a reader of the first column, which was about books with lesbian May-December romances. Autostraddler Allison commented on that post and said that she was looking for
“QUEER. HIGH. FANTASY. Like, Guy Gavriel Kay, but queer. Tolkien, but queer. Melanie Rawn, but queer. That is all I crave in life.”
I am so excited to give some suggestions for queer Lord of the Rings readalikes. For those of you not steeped in fantasy nerdom: when people converse about high or epic fantasy, we mean fantasy set in a lush, very detailed, imaginary world intricately created by the author, often with its own comprehensive history, mythology, species, languages, landscapes, and all sorts of stuff. Typically these worlds are pseudo-medieval Europe, although I think the best authors switch that up. Believe of those fat books with glossaries and maps in the back, often with sword-wielding maidens on the cover. Another key feature is that usually the main character(s) are going on some thoughtful of epic quest. Guy Gav
In the whole wide world of queer fantasy books, there are so many options to choose from. Not only do you have all the deliciously different fantasy sub-genres there are on offer, you also get to experience a wide range of LGBTQ identities. From sapphic fantasy romance books to m/m historical fantasies and bisexual adventures, there’s a little something for everyone. Personally, I love a queernorm fantasy world where gender and sexuality are never even questioned. But whatever your preferred queer fantasy sub-genre, these queer fantasy books have a story just for you.
While I often — and still occasionally — have looked to fanfiction to supply all the queer identities I’m missing from my favorite shows and movies, so many LGBTQ books are making their way into the publishing world now that it’s easy to locate mainstream queer fantasy books that make you sense seen. Getting to watch yourself reflected in the stories you love is a feeling like no other. These stories inhabit worlds that are a little like ours or entirely different, but they still center the things that matter most: fami
The Fantasy Review’s list of 7 Epic Fantasy Books with LGBT Characters.
Magic’s Pawn (The Last Herald-Mage, #1) by Mercedes Lackey
From the blurb:
Though Vanyel has been born with near-legendary abilities to work both Herald and Mage magic, he wanted no part in such things. Nor does he seek a warrior’s path, wishing instead to become a Bard.
Yet such talent as his, if left untrained, may verb a menace not only to Vanyel but to others as well. So he is sent to be fostered with his aunt, Savil, one of the fame Herald-Mages of Valdemar.…
Luck in the Shadows (Nightrunner, #1) by Lynn Flewelling
From the blurb:
When fresh Alec of Kerry is taken prisoner for a crime he didn’t commit, he is certain that his life is at an end. But one thing he never expected was his cellmate. Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhiminee is many things–none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them. Soon Alec is traveling roads he never knew existed, toward a war he never suspected