• All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: The Stone of Sorrow

    6 April, 2020
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    In a land of myth and ice, seventeen-year-old Runa Unnursdóttir is not the runecaster her clan has been hoping for. She spends her days daydreaming of sailing away and exploring the world instead of studying the runes and learning her spells. The villagers consider her odd, in looks and in manner. She’s nothing like her talented sister, Sýr, keeper of the sacred moonstone that ensures the village’s continued survival. But when a rival clan led by an evil witch raids the village and kidnaps her sister, Runa is forced to act. With a fallen Valkyrie by her side, and the help of a gorgeous half-elf Runa is not quite sure she can trust, the apprentice must travel to the site of an ancient runecasting competition to try to win back the magical gem. But the journey will not be easy; the three unlikely companions encounter malevolent and supernatural creatures at every turn. Somehow, Runa must summon the courage and strength to face her destiny, a destiny she never wanted. Or die trying.

    The Stone of Sorrow

    Brooke Carter

    Published: 7th April 2020
    Goodreads
    Rep: nonbinary character, wlw characters

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  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Mysteries

    20 March, 2020

    I’m a simple reader: give me a good mystery and I will be satisfied. Make it gay and I will be over the freaking moon. And I’ve finally read enough excellent mysteries that I can make a rec list of them!

    I have fairly high standards for mysteries, I’ll admit. I mean, I want something where I could potentially guess the culprit myself for a start. But not too easily. Basically I have to be able to follow along but also have some element of actual mysteriousness. I told you it was high standards.

    But that, of course, means that all the books on this list are especially excellent (not that they wouldn’t be otherwise but. Stringent criteria and all).

    So, onwards.

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Queen of Coin and Whispers

    15 March, 2020
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    ‘She loved me as I loved her, fierce as a bloodied blade.’

    When teenage queen Lia inherits her corrupt uncle’s bankrupt kingdom, she brings a new spymaster into the fold … Xania, who takes the job to avenge her murdered father.

    Faced with dangerous plots and hidden enemies, can Lia and Xania learn to rely on each another, as they discover that all is not fair in love and treason?

    In a world where the throne means both power and duty, they must decide what to sacrifice for their country – and for each other …

    Queen of Coin and Whispers

    Helen Corcoran

    Published: 23rd April 2020
    Goodreads
    Rep: lesbian mcs, lesbian, gay & bi side characters

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  • Book Club,  Literature

    Book Club: March Read

    29 February, 2020

    For March’s read, you voted we pick sci-fi. So the chances of Anna not reading a third book club book in a row have immediately skyrocketed.

    We ended up picking a very recent release from an author we have both liked the short stories of for March’s read. Hopefully, that means we’ll both read the book for the first time in about 3 months.

    So take a look to see what we selected.

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  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Books By and About QPOC

    17 February, 2020

    Today, I have for you a massive rec list of books by and about QPOC (and Latinx authors/characters). There are fifty books on here – though that isn’t the sum total of those I know, so if your favourite isn’t here, it’s simply because I couldn’t fit it.

    It’s gonna go like this: I’ve split this post into contemporary, historical, science fiction or dystopia, and fantasy sections. In each section, half the books have been released, half are upcoming (barring sci fi, where I could only find 4 upcoming releases).

    So, enjoy!

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  • Book Club,  Literature

    Book Club: February Read

    26 January, 2020

    February brings us both Black History Month (and associated readathons) and #FFFeb. So, obviously, it made most sense for us to pick an f/f book with Black MCs, by a Black author.

    And also we heard this one would make us cry, and who doesn’t want a good cry over a book.

    So, without further ado, the book.

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  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Tor Novellas

    21 January, 2020

    At the beginning of December, I decided (foolishly) to aim to have read 400 books in 2019 (being, at the time, only on about 325). I made it, exhaustedly sure, but I made it. And I did so by reading a lot of novellas on tor.com.

    So, obviously, armed with that knowledge, I had to make a rec list. There are only my favourite 10 on here, but I also made a longer thread on twitter, with every single one I read over that time.

    So enjoy!

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Nottingham

    14 January, 2020
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    Robyn Hood didn’t set out to rob the rich, but in Nottingham, nothing ever goes according to plan….

    After a fateful hunting accident sends her on the run from the law, Robyn finds herself deep in the heart of Sherwood Forest. All she really wants to do is provide for her family and stay out of trouble, but when the Sheriff of Nottingham levies the largest tax in the history of England, she’s forced to take matters into her own hands. Relying on the help of her band of merry women and the Sheriff’s intriguing—and off limits—daughter, Marian, Robyn must find a way to pull off the biggest heist Sherwood has ever seen.

    With both heart and freedom at stake, just how much will she risk to ensure the safety of the ones she loves?

    Nottingham

    Anna Burke

    Published: 21st January 2020
    Goodreads
    Rep: lesbian mcs, lesbian & bi side characters, trans side character
    CWs: self-harm, mentions of gendered violence/rape, homophobia & internalised homophobia

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: The Relic Spell

    8 January, 2020
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    Magic rolls through Orion Tamura’s history classroom like a tidal wave of golden light that only he can see. The spell is deadly, and Orion has no idea who cast it or what they want.

    Answers are scarce—all of Port Monica’s sorcerers vanished fourteen years before, including Orion’s father. Armed with his limited knowledge of magic, Orion is the only one left in the city who is strong enough to investigate the origins of the spell.

    But the city’s leaders will stop at nothing to censor and sabotage anyone who gets close to the truth. Invisible otherworlders watch every move Orion and his friends make, and a mysterious sorcerer who knows the answers haunts Orion’s dreams.

    The Relic Spell

    Jimena I. Novaro

    Published: 17th December 2019
    Goodreads
    Rep: Japanese Argentine American bi mc, nonbinary side character

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  • Book Club,  Literature

    Book Club: January Read

    28 December, 2019

    It’s approaching the end of December which means it’s time to announce our book club read for January! As ever, we got you to vote on twitter and you picked the genre of… (drum roll please) ROMANCE!

    Read on to find out which book we selected! And look out for our reviews* of December’s read sometime next month.

    *Disclaimer: we may not actually have read it by that point… oops.

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  • All Recommended,  Book Recs,  Literature

    Book Recs: Christmas (and Other Winter Holidays)

    13 December, 2019

    Because we promised (vaguely, maybe a while back on twitter), me and Anna have some wintery rec lists for you! We’ve trawled through all the Christmas (and other winter holiday) media, just to find something gay all for you (ask Anna about her travails with Christmas films I dare you).

    And here is the first of those rec lists! Ten books (mostly novellas in this one) for you set during Christmas (or another winter holiday, but mostly Christmas because it’s surprisingly difficult to find holiday novellas that are a) gay and b) not Christmas-specific. Obviously I wasn’t trying hard enough).

    But anyway. Onwards.

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  • Book Club,  Literature

    Book Club: December Read

    25 November, 2019

    In November, we tried out a new thing of offering multiple novellas to pick and choose from. This month we’re going back to a single book (though a fairly short one).

    So, you voted, and the genre we’re reading is historical! Don’t worry, though, there’s still plenty of time to read November’s choice(s) before we get to it.

    But, without further ado, here’s our choice.

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