CL Clark's debut novel, THE UNBROKEN is an enthralling North African inspired political fantasy. Touraine is without a country, striving to find her place. Is it with Princess Luca as her spy, with her conscripted soldiers as their leader, or with the revolution in the country she was stolen from? Luca is a princess desperate to take the throne, and rule her Empire as their queen. But first she needs magic to prove she is worthy. These two headstrong, passionate women clash, come together, and clash again, as each figures out what they want, and what they have to do to get it. THE UNBROKEN is captivating from the first page until the last, and its end left me begging for the sequel. Great for fans of queer female centered fantasy that has a strong moral center.
John Tucker must Die meets The Witches of Eastwick, In Payback's a Witch, as a group of 3 witches plot revenge on the scheming Gareth Blackmoor, who broke all of their hearts after promising them they were the one. It's a sweet and steamy sapphic romance set against the backdrop of a magical competition that will determine the head magical family in Thistle Grove. It's also a coming of age story about finding your place in the (magical) world, and accepting your family legacy, even if you don't think you want it.
Light From Uncommon Stars is an absolutely breathtaking examination of love in all its forms. Whether it is the love of friendship, parent for child, siblings, lovers for one another, or the love of queer found family. It is a warm and beautiful story of a Faustian bargain, interstellar travel, a trans girl violin prodigy coming into the fullness of her talent, and the quest to make the perfect donut. Although it never shies away from trauma, it is at the same time a quirky and gentle tale, that will make you happy for having read it. This is a book that will stick with you long after you have put it down, and leave you feeling better for having experienced it.
Summer Sons is an edge of your seat thrill ride of a Southern gothic novel. It is an adrenaline rush full of queer love, illegal backroad drag racing, malevolent spirits, dark academics, and unrelenting grief. When Andrew goes to Nashville to investigate the cause of his more than best friend Eddie's death, he has to be very careful that he doesn't meet the same end, all while grappling with Eddie's malevolent spirit that has possessed him. A fascinating examination of what it means to be a man coming to terms with his queerness, after the love of his life has died.
Event Horizon meets the Haunting of Hill House in S.A. Barnes' creepy, and chilling new novel DEAD SILENCE. The salvage crew of the LINA is just about to finish up their mission and go home, when they discover a distress beacon, which leads them to the ghost ship Aurora; a monument to excess that disappeared six months into its maiden voyage. Told in a combination of flashback and current day, it is slowly revealed what ultimately happened to the crew of the LINA, after they made the fateful decision to board the ghost ship. DEAD SILENCE is at times ghost story, psychological horror, mystery, and a warning against all-powerful corporations. It captivates from page one as the mystery begins to unfold and never lets go.
I absolutely loved this book. It has everything you caould want in a book: wonderful characters, a great love story, and dragons. Great for people seeking epic fantasy that doesn't center around white heterosexual males.