Genre: LGBTQ+

An ambitiously creative and well-rounded sapphic retelling of Swan Lake, A Treachery of Swans by A.B. Poranek is a wonderful low fantasy story featuring a great mix of storylines and elements. While many retellings either struggle with adhering to their source material or end up predictable given their well-known general plots, A Treachery of Swans makes the concept look easy. Gracefully following Swan Lake’s premise faithfully, this book adds a considerable amount of new context, details, and unexpectedly solid new storylines to the iconic tale, all within a PG-rated scope for YA readership. I didn’t have much of an expectation going into this one, but I was pleasantly surprised and consistently thrilled reading this book! As I walk by them, their faces blur together, artificial as theatre masks, lifeless eyes and painted lips and too-sharp teeth glinting as they seethe their congratulations. They think I will be an easy meal, I realize, the Swan Princess of Auvigny, pearlescent and pure-hearted and ripe for their devouring. But they’re wrong… I’m the darkness of cold gutters and merciless nights, the bruised shadows beneath a thief’s desperate eyes. I’m nothing but a lie, a twisted reflection, a black swan. As evident from the…

Lyrical, reflective, poetically beautiful, not to mention a proudly sapphic and historical take on vampires, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a slow and thoughtful literary fiction and historical novel wearing an exquisite paranormal fantasy gown. Very similar in tone and approach to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, this novel is everything one would expect from V.E. Schwab. Spanning over five hundred years and featuring FMC’s of various backgrounds and stories, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a sprawling and meandering narrative that won’t be for everyone, but is sure to please Schwab fans and classy readers. The best way I can describe Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is vibrant women growing from the midnight soil, restricted by a society dominated by men and the roles they are slotted into. The novel covers the life stories of three women in three different centuries and how obstacles and circumstances in their lives led them to a future of being immortal. The recollection of their lives is unveiled in chronological order, starting with Maria in 16th century Spain, Charlotte in 19th Century Britain, and finally Alice in modern day Boston. Coming off Schwab’s most recent…

Most sci-fi alien invasion stories are told from the frontline defenders, innocent bystanders, or the invader themselves, but not many are told from the perspective of the early vanguards planted in place to test the soil before the interstellar fleet arrives (sorry couldn’t resist the pun). Putting a unique botanical spin on the classic alien invasion story, Mira Grant’s Overgrowth is a unique, intellectual, and ambitiously crafted novel written from the perspective of Anastasia Miller who has believed herself to be an alien for nearly thirty years. Constantly telling others she’s an alien sent ahead of an invading armada for years and being written off as an eccentric oddity, her unassuming life in Seattle is upended when an alien signal is received announcing that said alien armada is finally coming to Earth. While most stories of similar content show off the epic scale and flashy combat of the invasion, Overgrowth instead chooses to focus on the ramifications for individuals like Anastasia, with conflicting loyalties and the often cruel and destructive nature of human behavior on full display. Featuring slow pacing interrupted by frequent political and social commentary, Overgrowth is not for everyone (myself included), but it’s nonetheless an intriguing sci-fi…

An Amazing Race-style reality TV competition, an airport breakup + hot pilot meet-cute, and the good ol’ fake dating + forced proximity tropes, Chip Pon’s M/M romcom Winging It With You is a vibe. A perfect summer read mixing international travel destinations with romance trope hijinks, Pon’s trade publisher debut is a fun, light-hearted yet comforting story. Featuring lots of laughs, embarrassingly awkward moments, spicy scenes, yet a lot of heart, Winging It With You is the type of book that will make your day just a little bit brighter or leave a smile on your face with its endearingly sweet and cute story. I openly admit that I am a huge fan of the Amazing Race and have been watching it for years, so when this book randomly popped up in my Instagram reel suggestions I was intrigued. An Amazing race-style reality show paired with a fake dating M/M romcom, the algorithms are getting scary good these days. Comically over the top right from the start, Winging It With You makes it clear that it’s a story written for pure, unadulterated enjoyment and a good time. Rather than coming off as derivatively tired, Winging It With You wears its…

In the Kingdom of Elben, there is a legend of a god bestowing magical power to a king along with a surrounding barrier that protects the land from invading forces. In order to maintain the barrier, the king is told he must marry and court six queens who each reside over a castle and land. Boleyn, his newest queen of Brynd is enamored by King Henry and is determined to become his favorite Queen and to leave a lasting impression across the kingdom. However, as she settles into her new role and investigates new ways to increase the King and Elben’s magical powers, she uncovers clues that suggest the historic arrangement may not be as it seems. Meanwhile, originally planted as a spy by another Queen under the guise of a lady-in-waiting to Boleyn, Seymour finds herself torn between the familial and royal obligations she’s been tasked with vs her fascination and interest with her new mistress. As Boleyn and Seymour find themselves swept up in the power struggle between the Queens, the trusted associates, and the king himself who’s obsessed with producing a male heir, the two women find themselves in an unexpected alliance as they navigate the political…