Sally Bend's Blog, page 7

Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post

Stacking The Shelves (Reading Reality) and The Sunday Post (Caffeinated Reviewer) are both blog memes about sharing the books we’re adding to the shelves and sharing news of the week ahead.

New Purchases

Nothing new on the purchase front this week.

For Review

Two new review titles this week. First up was The Heretic Cypher by Murray Bailey, a thriller about an explosive secret beneath the sands that could rewrite everything we know about ancient Egypt and religion. Next up was To Please Her by Elena Abbott, an erotic romance about sexuality and submission that I’ve been eagerly anticipating.

Currently Reading

With a 6-hour flight each way, beautiful beaches, multiple pools, and an amazing rain forest, I did a lot of reading on vacation . . . with reviews to come!

As for what I’m reading, I started Heir of Strahd, the new Ravenloft novel by Delilah S. Dawson, while on the beach; The Death Relic by Chris Kuzneski on the flight home; and To Please Her by Elena Abbott the same night I got approved on NetGalley.

Weekend Freebies – Fetish & Fantasy

Well, if it’s another weekend, then it must be time to bend our hearts and minds around preparing for the week ahead, and how better to do that than with some Weekend Freebies!

Every weekend I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might interest visitors to the ruins. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

Enjoy!

Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post

Stacking The Shelves (Reading Reality) and The Sunday Post (Caffeinated Reviewer) are both blog memes about sharing the books we’re adding to the shelves and sharing news of the week ahead.

New Purchases

Despite feeling the need to stock up for vacation, I somehow didn’t buy anything this week. I did visit two bookstores, so it wasn’t for lack of trying, but there was nothing I needed for vacation.

For Review

Just one new review title this week. Community Witch by Ash Kreider was pitched to me as a trans fantasy romance novel with a non-binary aspiring community witch and failed witchfluencer who moves across the country and has a meet cute with a beautiful stranger . . . only to run into The One That Got Away.

Currently Reading

I did pretty good catching up on my review pile this week, but as for what vacation will bring . . . who knows (LOL). I tend to overpack for vacation, since I can’t exactly return to the shelves if my mood changes, so my current packing stack includes (from top to bottom) a little Can-con epic fantasy, some urban fantasy, a fantasy favorite re-read, a romantasy, a dark fantasy romance, an queer archaeological adventure, an epic fantasy ARC, and a chonky sci-fi epic.

In all fairness, this stack will likely change more than once between now and Sunday night, but at some point, I do have to commit and get packed.

The Dominion and the Sugilite: Episodes 16 & 17 by B.J. Frazier (erotica)

Title: The Dominion and the Sugilite
Episode 16 | Episode 17
Author: B.J. Frazier
Publication Date: Jan 10 to 20, 2025
Genres: Erotica | Sci-fi
Protagonist Gender: Various

If you’re new to The Dominion and the Sugilite, it’s a serialized erotic science-fantasy soap opera by B.J. Frazier, set on a female-ruled planet where the power exchange is the foundation of a fantasy-themed society fueled by the magic of gems known as sugilite.

As always, I will do my best to avoid spoilers, but there’s only so much I can not say when we’re deep into the 2nd season.

I wrote in my last review that Episode 15 was rather reflective, exposing new secrets and mysteries, and these next 2 episodes very much follow in that vein. These are chapters that explore consequences, and there are big ones in store for several of our characters. Gaius plays a large role in that, with the consequences of both his actions and his punishment, and despite my suspicions, his suffering seems to be legitimate. If there’s an upside to it, it’s that it draws the nymphs into the story, further broadening the fantasy aspects of the story.

There are also big consequences in store for Geo and Aurora, with a series of scenes that are probably some of the most troubling in the series. Aurora is still holding onto her secret, but close to breaking, while Geo is pushing too hard, earning himself heavy-duty punishment . . . that leads to Aurora coming dangerously close to pushing Geo past his limits. There are some tense moments, and when paired with Acaia’s training around power, limits, aftercare, and a Domme’s responsibility, with Pebbles confidently and responsibly realizing her own power, it feels even more uncomfortable.

Sadly, my favorite scenes here are tainted by an underlying betrayal, with my favorite futa finally getting to stretch her boy wide. It’s such an incredibly erotic series of events, with some really hot moments, but some men just can’t get their priorities straight (pun fully intended).

As always, beneath the soap opera drama and kinky erotica, Frazier infuses the story with power exchange philosophy within the Dominion and social commentary through those from outside the Dominion. With Attis Day coming soon, the story only promises to get bigger and wilder.

Rating:   

My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Falling Under the Spell of the Sex Witches with Crystal Veeyant & Belle du Jour

Title: Sex Witches
Author: Crystal Veeyant & Belle du Jour
Publication Date: Dec 26, 2024
Genres: Erotica | Urban Fantasy
Representation: Lesbian

As the cover blurb promises, Sex Witches is a story of sex, the supernatural, and deep kink in the Nevada desert. I’ve been fortunate to call Crystal Veeyant a friend over the years, so I was excited to explore her first project with Belle du Jour, and the ladies did not disappoint.

On one level, this is the story of a centuries-old romance between Crystal and Valerie, one a long-lived witch and the other her reincarnated lover. On another level, this is the story between a dominant and her submissive, one as experienced as the is powerful, and the other requiring some intense training to relearn her past self’s surrender. Running parallel to their story is that of a young man who, on one level, is a curious kinkster, eager to explore all that Crystal’s brothel has to offer, and on another level, the loyal son of a witch hunter, placed here to take down the witches and their empire.

It should come as no surprise that this is a story that’s full of beautiful, sexually aggressive, wonderfully kinky women who enjoy each other’s attentions as much as that of their clients. Crystal’s stories always have a lot of sex to them, but the sex is character-driven, fitting personalities and advancing the story forward. The intertwined mysteries of two young people learning their way beneath the witches, each for their own reasons, is what pulls it all together, with secrets that only heighten the erotic tension.

There is some violence to the story as conflicts come to a head, but Crystal is never one to let her characters suffer – unless they enjoy it, of course – so you can rest assured there are happy endings waiting for all.

Rating:

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame (but a little dull) by Neon Yang

Title: Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame
Author: Neon Yang
Publication Date: May 6, 2025
Genres: Fantasy
Representation: Lesbian

I wish I had better things to say about Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame, but I wasn’t exactly overwhelmed by my first encounter with Neon Yang. The concept here was interesting, but the pacing and the narrative didn’t live up to it, and Yeva had the potential to be a great protagonist, but I found the character development lacking.

Let me start with the pacing. Aside from two significant time jumps, the story moves very slowly, with no sense of drama or urgency. As for the narrative style, it’s shallow, heavy on telling and light on showing, and all in the first-person, making it read like some kind of YA fairy tale.

As for the characters, I was so excited about the promise of Yeva, the legendary masked guildknight, armored and oath-bound,  trained in the art of dragon-slaying . . . and yet an outcast in so many ways, severed from her family by a selfless act of courage that saves her sister’s life, but reveals her magic. She has such potential for depth, but aside from coaxing her out of her armor, none of it is explored, despite the opportunities to do so. As for Lady Sookhee, she was little more than a plot device with no depth beyond her sickly presence and sweet demeanor, with the secret of her illness telegraphed so strongly, the final act is entirely anticlimactic.

This just didn’t work for me, neither as a fantasy nor as a romance. Maybe it would have worked better as a full novel with room to explore and develop, but the only thing that kept this from being a DNF was the length.

Rating:

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post

Stacking The Shelves (Reading Reality) and The Sunday Post (Caffeinated Reviewer) are both blog memes about sharing the books we’re adding to the shelves and sharing news of the week ahead.

New Purchases

A rather diverse collection of new books sliding onto the shelves this week:

The First and Last Adventure of Kit Sawyer by S.E. Harmon, an M/M adventure romance that’s The Mummy meets Indiana Jones . . . but cute.The Traitor’s Mercy by Iris Foxglove, an M/M dark fantasy novel that’s been compared to Kushiel’s Dart and Captive Prince.Bloodletting by William D. Prystauk, a mystery set in New York’s S&M subculture featuring a punk rock investigator, the Goth-girl of his dreams, and a transgender dancer.For Review

Nothing new for review this week, but I did submit a number of exciting requests – Herculine by Grace Byron (transgender horror), Wickedly Ever After by R. Lee Fryar (cozy romantasy), What Fury Brings by Tricia Levenseller (matriarchal romantasy), Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon (epic fantasy), and A Holy Maiden’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped by Katy Nyquist (fantasy romance) – so hopefully I’ll have more to share soon!

Currently Reading

One week until we leave for vacation, which means I’m spending more time thinking about reading on the beach than actually reading (LOL), plus I have a 100k word novel to finish proofreading for a client, but I want to catch up with some kinky reads from friends that I’m very late getting to.

Off The Beaten Path by Marie Sann & Yann Krehl is a super fun graphic novel that is gorgeously illustrated; The Dominion and the Sugilite by B.J. Frazier is a kinky sci-fi soap opera; and Sex Witches by Crystal Veeyant & Belle du Jour is a story of BDSM, magic, and witch hunters.

Weekend Freebies – SFF LGBTQIA Romance

Well, if it’s another weekend, then it must be time to bend our hearts and minds around preparing for the week ahead, and how better to do that than with some Weekend Freebies!

Every weekend I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might interest visitors to the ruins. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

Enjoy!

Wooing (and Being Wooed by) the Witch Queen with Stephanie Burgis

Title: Wooing the Witch Queen
Author: Stephanie Burgis
Publication Date: February 18, 2025
Genres: Fantasy | Romantasy
Representation: Bisexual

Wooing the Witch Queen is, in a word, marvelous. If you’ll allow me a few others, I’ll add magnificent and magical, brilliant and beautiful, and stunning and sensual. Honestly, I have not enjoyed a book like this so much since His Secret Illuminations – and for many of the same reasons.

What Stephanie Burgis has written here is a slow-burn, cozy, and yet high-stakes fantasy romance that is deliciously surprising in so many ways. The Queens of Villainy are the heroes, the monsters (especially the goblins) are cute, and the protagonist is a cinnamon roll of a boyfriend who does a really bad job of pretending to be a dark wizard.

Felix (Fabian) is the kind of protagonist with whom I identify wholeheartedly, and his gender-role-swapped relationship with Saskia makes me feel seen. He’s kind, bookish, good-natured, and loyal, but there’s a hidden strength behind his resilience. Utterly smitten with the Queen, who is the lead in their relationship, Fabian throws himself into a world of magic he knows nothing about and risks both his safety and his freedom to keep her safe. As for Saskia, she is a good woman with a dark reputation and a backstory as tragic as Felix’s. Confidently and openly bisexual, she’s still navigating the fallout of one relationship while easing her way into another. She’s angry and stressed and frustrated, beset by challenges on all sides, but in Felix she finds a safe outlet for her heart.

Morlokk, Mrs. Haglitz, Krakk, the goblins, and the crows are perhaps the oddest found family you’ll ever come across in fantasy, and yet they’re absolutely endearing. It was they who made Saskia’s dark castle a home, and they who make Felix feel welcome. The other Queens of Villainy (Lorelei and Ailana) are more complex characters, women of incredible strength and worrying flaws, and I’m looking forward to getting to know more about them as the series continues.

Wooing the Witch Queen is beautifully written, a breeze of a book that begs to be savored, and I enjoyed it immensely. There’s magic aplenty, books aplenty, and even some mythology that you’d best pay attention to, because it’ll become important by the end. I cannot recommend this highly enough, and as soon as Enchanting the Fae Queen is released, I’ll be first in line to follow Lorelei’s tale.

Rating:

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Can’t-Wait Wednesday – May Reads

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.

With the first of April having come and gone, it’s time to look ahead to the books I’m most excited about seeing on shelves in May.

Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame

by Neon Yang

Fantasy
May 6, 2025 by Tordotcom

With an armored, oath-bound hero reminiscent of The Mandalorian and the Asian-inspired epic fantasy of She Who Became the Sun, Neon Yang’s Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame is a stunning queer novella about a dragon hunter finding home with a dragon queen.

Daughter of Tides by Kit Rocha

by Kit Rocha

Fantasy
May 6, 2025 by Montlake

From the author of Consort of Fire comes a scorching romantasy novel full of courtly intrigue and erotic crackle riding the swells of immortal love.

The Vengeance

by Emma Newman

Fantasy | Horror
May 6, 2025 by Solaris

A swashbuckling adventure set in a version of Alexandre Dumas’s world haunted by vampires…

Anji Kills a King

by Evan Leikam

Fantasy
May 13, 2025 by Tor Books

An unlikely assassin struggles to escape a legendary bounty hunter in this breakneck fantasy debut that will grab you by the throat—perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie, R.F. Kuang, and Christopher Buehlman. She killed for a cause. Will she die for it too?

The Intermediaries

by Brandy Schillace

History| Society & Current Affairs
May 13, 2025 by W. W. Norton & Company

Set in interwar Germany, The Intermediaries tells the forgotten story of the Institute for Sexual Science, the world’s first center for homosexual and transgender rights. Headed by a gay Jewish man, Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, the institute aided in the first gender-affirming surgeries and hormone treatments, acting as a rebellious base of operations in the face of rising prejudice, nationalism, and Nazi propaganda.

To Please Her

by Elena Abbott

Romance | Erotica
May 13, 2025 by Bold Strokes Books

As Delilah leads her into the world of BDSM, Sabrina discovers a new submissive side to her sexuality. But Delilah only promises her one night: one night of play, of fun, of pleasure.

The Knight and the Moth

by Rachel Gillig

Fantasy
May 20, 2025 by Orbit

From NYT bestselling author Rachel Gillig comes the next big romantasy sensation, a gothic, mist-cloaked tale of a young prophetess forced on an impossible quest with the one knight whose future is beyond her sight. Perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Leigh Bardugo.

Amplitudes: Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity

by Lee Mandelo

Fantasy | Science Fiction
May 27, 2025 by Erewhon Books

Revolutionary and visionary, these twenty-two speculative stories edited by Lambda, Nebula and Hugo finalist Lee Mandelo explore the vast potentialities of our queer and trans futures.

Written on the Dark

by Guy Gavriel Kay

Fantasy
May 27, 2025 by Ace

Both sweeping and intimate, a majestic novel of love and war that brilliantly evokes the drama and turbulence of medieval France

Clipped

by K.Q. Watson

Science Fiction
May 31, 2025 by Clippedscape

When angel engineer Zak’s infant son is cast down for being born without wings, he faces Heaven’s cruel mandate: forget, or fall. Clipped, Zak plummets to a broken Earth, where false prophets exploit the faithful, drug lords rule dead cities, and every truth comes with a price.