Beth Tabler's Blog, page 162
September 19, 2022
Review – The Pain Eater by Kyle Muntz
A thank you to the author for offering an early review copy of his book – and an apology cause I’m ridiculously overdue in writing this!! This does in no way impact my thoughts on this novel.Hello again dear reader or listener, I hope you’re enjoying the last hints of summer as I am. However, spooky season is slowly approaching so why not look at a horror novel?Let’s go for some trigger warnings first: this is not a light novel, presenting some body horror, gore, self-harm, and mentions of emotional/physical abuse.It’s been so long since I last got to have some horror in my reading and, while ultimately this particular novel was not the sub-genre of it that I tend to enjoy, it was still very well written and if psychological/existential horror mixed in with a weird cat-that-is-not-a-cat kind of monster, is the type of read you think you’d enjoy, I’d say give this a go.Muntz excelled in setting up atmosphere as well as rendering that inescapable awkwardness and bitterness that is ever present in tense interactions between family members that can hardly coexist, but are forced together because of circumstance. None of the protagonists, or even the side characters for that matter, are particularly likable, and this is not the kind of story where you’ll look for someone to root for. They each self sabotage in someway and they can’t help wanting more of that the pain eater can offer. You could say it’s a vicious cycle of cause and effect with characters who don’t really know how to exist in the world.Muntz puts everything out in the open, with no fear of revealing the plain unpleasantness of a given situation or thought. This makes for interesting character dynamics or studies in psychology, but it might not be the most enjoyable kind of read for a lot of people. Especially given the weight of the subject matter, supernatural bits aside.Put another way, this book is what you get if you throw in a bowl a hint of King’s Pet Sematary (for the supernatural shenanigans), a pinch of Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye and a sprinkle of Camus’ The Stranger (both for the stream of consciousness type of narration and existential dread/confusion), and finally a dash of Junji Ito (for the remaining horror and body horror elements, sense of the uncanny and unsettling circumstances). Stir and serve on a platter of fever dream and you’re good to go!Until next time,Eleni A. E. Buy from Amazon
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Review – The Battle That Was Lost by Michael S. Jackson
Novellas are an intriguing medium. Sometimes I find them to be too short, choppy in their attempts to fit more within their pages than the length can hold. Other times, they can feel superfluous. In the case of The Battle that was Lost, however, the length was perfect. The writing was skillful, each word placed to further a story that packed a punch.
Brutal and smart, The Battle that was Lost wasted no time in establishing an atmosphere that pulsed with desperation. The line between life and death could be crossed at any moment, and the characters knew it. The stakes were high, and tension dripped from each word. This isn’t a happy-ending sort of book. In fact, the ending is more of a beginning, the novella serving as a cutthroat introduction.
Qor and Staegrim are mercenaries, doing anything they can to survive and hopefully somehow come out ahead. Their relationship is a brilliant one. It’s the sort of complicated mix of annoyance and something akin to affection that is fascinating to read. Of course, the book is about higher stakes than the fates of two thugs, although they are the pieces that make The Battle that was Lost so compelling.
I’ve always been a little lost when it comes to tactical decisions in fantasy books, but I was able to follow along well here. When you have two armies going at each other, knowing that the entire fate of the continent hangs in the balance, I like to see a personal aspect. It gives me a reason to be invested in the outcome. The judicious use of flashbacks provided this personal aspect, fleshing out characters and backstories and expanding the world even more.
I’m gob smacked at how much was packed into such a short novella. The Battle that was Lost was fantastic. I highly recommend picking it up.
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Television Review – House of the Dragon S1 E5 – We Light the Way
In a very real sense, “We Light the Way” is the end of Season One of House of the Dragon and in a more just world where HBO had more faith in the series then it would have been Episode 10 rather than Episode 5. The series has been rushing through the majority of the story about the Dance of the Dragons in Season 1 with numerous time skips as well as signs that another lengthy one is ahead. They seem to want to desperately get to the actual Targaryen Civil War and unwilling to give any time to rest to the plots going on. I think the show would have strongly benefited from letting them have an additional five episodes to soften the characters up.
I have somewhat mixed feelings on this episode as a result as it resulted in the jumping past of several more points in the story as well as signals the end of our current crop of actresses. Milly Alcock and Emily Carey did fantastic jobs as both Princess Rhaenyra and Queen Alicent. While neither of them can pass for mothers of twenty-year-olds, I think their absence from future episodes is part of the reason that I am so down on this episode. They did an amazing number of changes to the status quo but no room for following the consequences up.
The episode opens up with what I suspect will be one of the two major controversial scenes of the episode with the introduction of Lady Rhea Royce, Daemon Targaryen’s wife, who makes a great first impression. Unfortunately, Lady Rhea Royce taunts Daemon one too many times and he either causes her horse to rear or takes advantage of it doing so to kill her. This is the darkest action Daemon has taken yet and I wonder if any of the fanboys or girls will change their minds about supporting him.
Rhaenyra accepts the marriage proposal of Laenor Velaryon and the two of them discuss their impending nuptials. The problem being that Laenor is gay as the day is long and Rhaenyra is aware of it. However, they’re cousins and good friends so they decide to make the most of their marriage by agreeing to have an open relationship. This IMMEDIATELY backfires with the fact that Ser Criston Cole has fallen deeply in love with Rhaenyra. He’s crippled with guilt over breaking his oath of celibacy and the idea of being Rhaenyra’s lover while she’s married to another man disgusts him.
Viserys Targaryen is on his seeming last legs both heath-wise and monarchy-wise, so he’s doing his best to marry Rhaenyra off to a house that will support her claim. Lord Corys is kind of iffy about the whole thing, far more so than you would have imagined for a man being offered the chance to make his grandson or daughter ruling monarch. It’s clear that not even Corys has much faith in Rhaenyra’s ability to keep the throne.
Ser Otto, by contrast, is someone who holds the blame for his dismissal on everyone but himself. Particularly, he blames his daughter for siding with Rhaenyra and says that her children would be murdered by the Princess if she were to ever ascend the throne. It implies that Otto would have the same sort of view to any children of Rhaernya and shows the man to be truly contemptible. Alicent also lets the poison sink into her soul due to both her father’s influence and Ser Criston Cole confessing, unprompted, that Rhaenyra slept with him.
This leads to the mother of all awkward feasts as everyone has started plotting against one another openly for what amounts to no reason whatsoever. The friendship of Alicent and Rhaenyra is severed because the former is jealous of the latter’s freedom as well as a willing pawn in her father’s games. The latter is not really aware how the hurricane of her actions has affected the people around her and enjoys stirring the pot more, including teasing her uncle who wants to wed her.
I have some issues with the wedding itself as it seemed like murdering a man in the middle of one would have more consequences than it does. Then again, Ser Criston Cole is a Kingsguard so I’m sure the Kingsguard union will come to his defense. He might end up on Administrative Leave for a month with pay thanks to Alicent’s involvement. I’m sure Laenor’s lover will be found with a sword in hand and some milk of the poppy sprinkled over him. AKAB.
Oh well, we’ll see how the next massive time skip of about fifteen years or so goes.
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The Video Game That Made Me – Secret of Mana
I’ve been reading SFF books almost all my life, or at least since elementary school. And I’ve watched enough anime and cartoons for at least two lives. But there is one story in particular that shaped a lot of whom I am and in particular, of my writing, a SNES game that at the time came by and went without much fanfare, at least in my home country: Secret of Mana (SoM).
This was my first foray into Japanese rpg’s. I mean, those that know me, also know that I have a special place in my heart for the Final Fantasy series. But Secret of Mana was my first jrpg. And the most important one as writer. The story is quite simple actually: trio of heroes from different walks of life –a naïve boy, a girl trying to rescue her fiancé, a magic being, the last of their kind- have to find these magical elemental seeds to reenergize a mystical tree to bring balance to the world while at the same time trying to stop a necromancer from unleashing a nightmare upon the world. And they only have on their favor a few spells, and a rusty sword that is the Archetype of every sword in mythology and evolves along the characters. They travel around the world in the back of a young dragon that they rescued. And you get to know their backstories slowly, empathizing with them. What was interesting back then is… and this is a spoiler… they fail ¾ into the game. And then they have to salvage what’s left of the world in a race against the time. Pretty simple uh?
But it was behind that 16-bits graphic tiny world that got edited to fit in the cartridge that a whole realm of possibilities opened to me. Behind the screen, that world was real to me. Even today, when I hear the main theme and the opening scroll explaining to you the legend of the Mana Tree and the Mana Sword, I’m transported back to that world where witnessing a titanic tree made me feel full of wonder and eleventh hour hope.
It inspired me to write my first fanfic, then my first (non-school mandate) story with original characters. I tried at first to create my own videogame inspired on SoM, but I’m bad at math. I tried to later take those ideas into a comic, but –despite being a designer- I draw way too slow for that to work, so I focused on writing my first script that my best friend –who helped me finish the game back then- would draw. We never got around that. But the idea of creating my own tiny corner of the universe and make it feel as real as SoM was to me, never left. Until I began working on earnest on my Tempest Blades novels, with the aim of making someone else feel the same awe and amazement at the wonders of the world. Of the epicenes of going into a quest, visiting new places, meeting curious characters and allow myself and the readers to marvel.
That’s the most important thing I got from SoM, to never lose the sense of wonder, of hope, and the worlds that imagination can create. And when I do forget about them, I just need to listen to the soundtrack or look at my wallpaper to remember that again and get to write.
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September 18, 2022
Review – BadAsstronauts by Grady Hendrix
In BadAsstronauts, Grady Hendrix wrote a story about cousins, NASA, and a whole lot of rednecks. Ones he affectionately refers to as Redneck NASA, and there has never been a more apt moniker for this rag-tag group of people with the single goal of getting someone’s ass to orbit.
The story starts with Walter, a drunk and retired astronaut who gave up on the dream of getting to the stars long ago. After his mission goes south, his cousin is stuck on the abandoned International Space Station, awaiting death. NASA is out of money; they want to sweep this PR debacle under the rug.
Walter is not having it.
Walter’s little farm in Melville, South Carolina, might just have to become the beacon of hope blinking in the darkness for “misfits, drifters, rocket junkies, pyromaniacs, dreamers, science nerds, and Astro-hippies who believe that space shouldn’t just be for billionaires.” Walter will break all the laws, state, federal, and decency, to get himself to orbit to grab his cousin. The ship is made out of tin cans, chicken wire, duct tape, and drug-induced fever dreams, and “like Braveheart yelling, “Hold..hold….hold,” Walter is going to pull this mess together or die trying.
With this contraption, the dying might just be guaranteed.
Grady Hendrix has a wonderful knack for lightness in his stories. Even when at their most gruesome, they don’t stray too far and become heavy. He is excellent at the darkly funny and the absurd, which balances well with the scary or, in this case, absolutely batshit. Hendrix did that here in BadAsstronauts. The subject matter, redneck NASA, is nuts. The idea of a disparate group of characters coming together for what is usually an unobtainable goal has just enough plausibility to make it work. NASA, for most people, is something other people do. Towering figures like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, it is not for ordinary people like Jethro down at the trailer park who loves to blow up stuff.
So I salute Walter for trying to save his cousin, I salute the folks of redneck NASA for coming together, I salute the “can-do” attitude of ordinary folks, and I salute Grady Hendrix for writing another entertaining story.
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September 17, 2022
Romantasy Roundtable (Part two)
Romantasy roundtable discussion part two! Fantasy romance and romantic fantasy are among the hottest genres in SFF right now, and for good reason: they’re awesome. They are two ends in a continuum; romance books with a fantasy setting are classified as fantasy romance, and fantasy books with a strong romantic subplot are called romantic fantasy, but there’s a lot of gray area. We’re here to celebrate the continuum and hear from authors and readers in the genres.
This is the second part of the roundtable; the first part can be found here.
We’ve invited six authors and two avid readers of the genres to talk about what it means to them, and we hope you’ll find your next romantasy reads right here! I’ve read them all and they’re fantastic!
We’ve asked a handful of questions to all the participants, and some more specific questions to each of them. You’ll read their responses, and some discussion among them. We hope you enjoy the conversation, and feel free to hop in with questions and comments on the blog!
Here are the questions in part two:
Introductions
How explicit are the sex scenes in your books, and why? (for the readers, I asked how explicit they like sex scenes in their reads)
Writer/book-specific questions (for the readers, I ask what their fantasy romance catnip is)
What 3 fantasy romance books would you recommend?
Links to the participants’ books, socials, websites, etc.
Introductions
Carissa Broadbent: My name is Carissa and I write, as I usually like to put it, magic and kissing books — stories with lots of epic fantasy, big stakes, big plots, lots of romance, and capital A-Angst. Right now most people know me from The War of Lost Hearts trilogy, which is an epic romantic fantasy that just concluded in February.
Nisha: Hi Carissa, I’m really looking forward to your new series!
Kimberly Lemming: Hello! I’m Kimberly Lemming and I write diverse fantasy romcoms.
J.D. Evans: I’m Jenn, I write epic fantasy romance under J. D. Evans.
Lionel Hart: I’m Lionel Hart, and I write MM fantasy romance!
Nisha Tuli: I’m Nisha and I write romance, primarily in the fantasy and romcom genres. I mostly write adult, though I’ve dabbled in some YA, too. I published my first fantasy romance novella in April and have the first of a duet coming in August. I’ve got a YA fantasy romance book and an adult romcom on submission.
Rosalyn Briar: Hi! I’m Rosalyn and I enjoy writing dark fantasy fairy tale retellings that are heavy on romance!
Ashley: Hi there! I’m Ashley– so glad to have been invited to join everyone for this fantasy romance roundtable discussion. I’m a contributor to the blog, FanFiAddict. I would characterize myself as a huge mood reader. I always have three books going at once (physical, ebook, audiobook) for different moments of the day- whether it’s at night before bed, folding laundry, commuting to work, etc. I have two young kids, and not a lot of time to read during the daytime hours so most of my reading comes late at night on my ereader or audiobook. I primarily read Sci-Fi/Fantasy, with the bulk of my reading falling within the subgenres of dark fantasy, romance, first contact, time travel, and epic. I prefer multi-pov, character driven stories. Being as this a fantasy romance discussion, I’ll focus on this genre of my reading habits. The romances that I love to read do ebb and flow with the seasons. My heart lies within dark romances, and I am continually cycling through dark fantasy romance, contemporary dark romance, and monster romances. I prefer New Adult/Adult; however, I do enjoy YAs that bring a unique and different style to the genre.
Kristen: My name is Kristen, and I go by that or Star usually, online. I’m originally from Toronto, Canada, and currently live in Houston, Texas. I blog at superstardrifter.com and do the tweets from @suprstardrifter 
How explicit are the sex scenes in your books, and why?
Carissa: I write explicit sex scenes in my books. There are two reasons for this. One, people like them and they’re fun (and this is enough!). But secondly — romances are character writing under a microscope, and that is just as true of sex scenes. Sex is a significant part of romantic relationships and the way characters connect through sex is, in my books, usually an important part of their relationship. Of course, there are tons of amazing romances that do not include on-page sex. It comes down how the author wants to tell that story — in mine, what happens in sex scenes is an important part of their journey, so I want to include that.
Kimberly: My sex scenes tend to be very explicit. Why? Why not honestly. In my opinion sex is a very important part of a healthy relationship and when I see a couple with amazing sexual chemistry when I’m reading, I love to see that come to flourish with a well done sex scene.
Carissa: I think “why not?” is a perfect answer to this question!
Jenn: I thought they were pretty explicit, but my books get labeled low or medium spice frequently in reviews. I do open door sex, but it does tend to be pretty vanilla, and I focus more on feelings and emotions than describing a lot of body parts and moisture levels, if you will. I like the tension vivid sex can add to a relationship, you’re in there, you’re having this explicit moment with the characters where they connect on a new level, where they are vulnerable in a way that they might not be otherwise, then you know, something probably happens that damages that connection. If I closed the door on the act that made the connection, I don’t think damage to what I created in the dark would really hit the same. I do not believe, however, that open door sex is necessary to show that connection, but I do think the amount of tension and buildup you create should have an appropriate amount of outlet. I don’t actually write sex for the physical titillation (though that is a perfectly fine side effect), I write it as an emotional payoff, and I think the way I write it reflects that.
Lionel: Well… very explicit, haha. I like steamy romance, so I wrote steamy romance 
It’s definitely 100% open door spice, which is fairly standard for MM as a genre overall, but I know fantasy romance can vary a bit more. I prefer steam, though! Not just for the, ahem, titillation of it, but it brings additional, emotional story beats that readers of spicy romance appreciate.
Nisha: Pretty explicit… I’d give myself a 3-4 on the pepper scale depending on the book and situation. Why? Because I love reading and writing them and I find them purely escapist and entertaining. I’m not one of those people who thinks your characters need a reason to bang other than it’s been a while and they’re horny. I mean I also use them for character development and plot, but that’s not the only reason. loving the generally explicit answers 
Rosalyn: It varies from book to book, but I do enjoy writing out sex scenes in a way that feels romantic and erotic without being too detailed, if that makes sense. I find it important to write these scenes for my characters, as it is a big moment for character and relationship development.
Slight twist on the question for the readers in the group: How explicit do you like your sex scenes in books, and why?
Ashley: I love explicit scenes in books with some conditions. I largely enjoy slow burns so I enjoy the build up in tension and connection. This hits differently for me as a reader because there is an emotional connection by the time it happens. I find that I am satisfied with however many scenes the author wants for their story. I will admit that the fewer there are, the more I tend to long for more although I don’t necessarily want more… confusing, right? It’s all about the perpetual pining. I love when it’s perfectly balanced with what works for the plot. I do begin losing some interest if the plot stalls in favor of sexy time. In terms of the dialogue used during the sex scenes, I think it all comes back around to the mood that I am in. Generally, if I’m in the mood for more explicit sex with dialogue to match, then I will often specifically look for those to read. There are some fantastic novellas out in the world for times like these because the sex and plot are fantastically balanced. I do like it in detail; however, I do believe that fade-to-black scenes can play an important role when used to show a continued connection without taking up page time.
Kristen: The more explicit the better. Nothing makes me happier when reading about two people falling for each other than them boning along the way. I am shameless, but sex is part of the story, to me. I have Ace friends who don’t love graphic sex as much, and I respect that as well. To each their own. Personally, I want my fictional lovers to fictionally get busy though. 
Nisha: I pretty much lose all interest at this point. I was recently reading something that had this big slow burn build up and then it went fade to black and… DNF.
Next we ask questions specific to each authors’ books!
Carissa Broadbent: In Daughter of No Worlds , the heroine deals with massive trauma but refuses to let herself be defined by it. It’s very painful to read, but also empowering. Can you talk about the process of writing Tisaanah?
I’m honored that it resonated! To be totally honest, I am so pleasantly surprised that people love Tisaanah as much as they do — romantasy readers do tend to gravitate towards the hot dude in their books and Max really gets to be the snarky quippy mysterious one, so I was really shocked (and honored) when I got so many messages about Tisaanah. When I originally conceived of her, I wanted to write someone who was determined to a fault — who knew how hard it would be to make a difference but go for it with everything she had anyway. I wanted her to be as ballsy as I wish I was! All of the characters in DoNW came to life around each other. She and Max were written to foil each other — someone who would stop at literally nothing (even the morally questionable) for the greater good vs. someone who refused to do anything at all because he had determined that there was no morally pure path to action. Both of those stances are defined by their trauma, and they needed each other desperately to balance out those traits. If Max had never met Tisaanah, he would have remained stuck forever, and if Tisaanah had never met Max…. she would have become Nura.
Lionel: I just want to say that reading this response has made me really want to read this book!
Nisha: Max WAS hot :p
Kimberly Lemming: Your motto is “Fantasy that fucks,” and That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon certainly lives up to the moniker (which is fantastic, by the way!). It also includes a lot of interesting power play in the sex scenes. Why is this dynamic so interesting to write and read?
The power play in the sex scenes of my debut novel That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon is interesting to me to read and write because I just love a good give and take. When I started creating the character Fallon, I just imagined the morally gray type villain that I usually fall for in fantasy romance. He’s not quite good or bad, he just is. But he is a very dominant man and has no trouble taking over in the bedroom. Cinnamon, his counterpart, needed someone to take control in that moment. She’s the type of woman that will get far too into her head point where she’ll spend all day spinning out of control. By giving over her control to Fallon, she can finally let go and enjoy what she’s been denying herself their entire journey. However the most important aspect of their first sex scene in the Coliseum is that at any time in previous encounters where Cin put her foot down, Fallon stopped immediately. She may have been the one pinned to the bed but she was also the one that had the final say and in total control of that situation. If she was uncomfortable at any point, he would’ve got up and left.
Nisha: both of your characters were fantastic! so well written!
J.D. Evans: First of all, congratulations for winning SPFBO7! It’s such a joy to see a fantasy romance take the crown! Reign and Ruin is a very complex book, with a lot of politics mixed in with the romance. How did you manage to wrangle all the details in a way that made both the political fantasy and the romance hit so perfectly?
Thank you—I remain deliriously happy and also flummoxed about SPFBO. As for the mix, I write my character arcs alongside the fantasy plot, and I try to have points in their character arcs cross with the fantasy plot, so plot points serve in multiple arcs. I wanted the fantasy plot and romance plot to be equal, so I tried to give them equal air time, but it can be hard to balance a romance arc that only spans one book and a fantasy story that spans six +. Beyond that I think it’s subjective whether they’ve hit perfectly. I see people say it had too much sex, not enough sex, too much politics, not enough politics, not enough action, etc. Some said it was too insta-love, some said it was slow. I just wrote the amount of each that I like to read, and hoped there were other readers out there like me.
Lionel Hart: Claimed by the Orc Prince presents a perfectly queernormative world in which male characters can give birth, which is delightful to read. How did the inspiration for this elf-orc arranged marriage romance come to you?
Thanks! There were a few different things that inspired this world. Obviously, there are strong elements of the omegaverse at play, in that males can give birth and go into semi-regular heats during which they can become pregnant. While I do like a lot of MM omegaverse, some of it can also get into some… questionable gender role stuff that makes me uncomfortable, so I wanted to create a world where the parts of it I liked were included, and the parts I didn’t weren’t.
Another big component is the mental bond shared by the main characters, which is also sometimes used in omegaverse, but for me, the inspiration for this actually came from Star Trek! I’m a BIG fan of the Kirk/Spock pairing — it was my fascination with that ship that eventually led to me questioning my own identity and accepting myself as a gay trans man, so it holds a very sentimental place in my heart. The mental bond between Kirk and Spock is a cornerstone of K/S fanfiction (which I have written a little bit of myself, haha), and is an element I find very interesting (especially in spicy scenes!) so I knew I wanted to include it but with a more magical flavor instead of the telepathy angle K/S takes with it.
And finally, I play a LOT of Dungeons and Dragons, so my fantasy world is very heavily inspired by this — in fact, the world that both my Orc Prince Trilogy and Heart of Dragons duology take place in was first created for a D&D campaign I ran a few years ago! It really helped that I had done all that worldbuilding ahead of time when I decided I wanted to write fantasy romance, haha. Obviously some changes have been made, but overall it’s very much the same world.
Nisha Tuli: You play around with the concept of consent in both the arranged marriage and the abduction plotlines of Wicked is the Reaper. How did you think about consent when you were writing your version of these tropes?
So consent is something I think about a lot both when I’m reading and writing. When I consider abduction plots and arranged marriages in fantasy settings, I definitely don’t ascribe all the same real-world morality I do to my own life, or even to contemporary fiction. To me fantasy is fantasy in all ways and I’ll happily read and write about 200 yo fae or vampire hooking up with a 20 yo. I grew up with Twilight and while that’s ick for some people, it’s candy for me.
Though I do read some dark romance and I’ve read some dub con and enjoyed it, but MY personal line is definitely at non con (no judgement, it’s just not for me), and in my own writing, I still aim for fairly clear consent, even when it’s tied up with a plot that is maybe a little bit on the darker side.
When I write anything YA though, I’m very big on ensuring clear and enthusiastic consent since that’s aimed at a younger and more impressionable audience. I do believe adults can tell the difference between the rights and wrongs we see in books and I saw a great quote the other day that said something along the lines of: “I read romance for entertainment, not relationship advice.”
Lionel: So true! Fantasy is exactly that: fantasy. I love that quote, haha.
Rosalyn Briar: A Sea of Pearls and Leaves showcases a variety of LGBTQ relationships. Without spoiling the delightful ending, can you share how intentional this was? Did you know from the outset it would end up this way?
Ingrid, Lilura, and Soren were so much fun to write! Let’s just say while I was plotting, I had no intention of even giving Soren his own POV chapters. I only knew that these three characters would become extremely close. As I was writing the story, though, he continued to grow on me and I couldn’t leave him out of the romance any longer. Since I consider Lilura and her “special heart” to be demisexual, this storyline developed naturally and progressed into something lovely.
A different question for the readers: What is your fantasy romance catnip, and why?
Ashley: By now you may have figured out that I would do anything for all of the slow burn, TRUE enemies to lovers stories dripping with allure, where I feel like I’m immersed inside a fever dream. Make it a forbidden romance in the world of Fae and I say “take my money!” I think I love these stories so much because they are far from my reality and pure escapism! The worlds are often deliciously dark and gritty with this seductive pulse beating at its core. Deconstruct and subvert, allll day! I am also obsessed with fantasy romances where the romance doesn’t follow expectations.. such as where the “other woman” trope is not present to create drama but a strong friendship is formed instead, or the romance is founded around positive communication and dialogue– (speaking of dialogue, I greatly enjoy the banter that is created in a relationship that has a beautiful sort of rhythm).
Kristen: 100% M/M historical romance with magic or mystery (or magical mystery) involved. Magical-Victorian-England-but-Make-it-Gay-AF.
RECOMMENDATION TIME! Name three fantasy romance books you’d recommend to readers and say what you love about them. Give purchase links, please!
Carissa: Oh, this is so tough!
A Court of Mist and Fury, by Sarah J Maas, is almost sickeningly ubiquitous in romantasy-world so I almost feel silly recommending it, but look, there is a reason this series has the genre by a chokehold. If you’re new to the series, you need to read the first book, A Court of Thorns and Roses, in order for this one to make sense, but ACOMAF is the real jewel of the entire series. Maas really did something special with the subversion she pulled off between books 1 and 2. This series is so popular that it gets a lot of backlash, but I think ACOMAF will always be one of my favorite romantic fantasies of all time and was definitely one to introduce me to the world of romantasy. If your tastes run more epic, Maas’s Throne of Glass series (which gets progressively more adult / complex as the books go on — keep at it past those first two!) is also excellent.
Radiance, by Grace Draven. Maas’s books are more romantic fantasy – multi-book arcs following the same characters across more epic plots, which have heavy romance arcs — but Radiance is a classic fantasy romance: standalone with a happily-ever-after ending. It’s not super plot heavy. It’s kind of a beauty and the beast retelling, but a very loose twist on it. The two leads are so charming and likable and their approach to their situation is just refreshingly chill. It’s a lovely warm hug of a book about two very likable people falling in love with each other. I love angst, but it’s hard not to love Radiance. There’s a reason Grace Draven is a fantasy romance legend.
Nisha: This was great–such a good twist on ‘enemies to lovers’
Reign & Ruin by JD Evans. Am I cheating by recommending this right now? Ok, fine, full disclosure, I’m friends with Jenn and she’s an absolutely lovely human being, but long before I was friends with Jenn I low-key hated her because I was so jealous of her fantastic writing in this book (totally kidding, Jenn, I promise). It’s a lush, beautifully drawn story with noble, three-dimensional, relatable characters and a stunning world. It’s a great intro to romantasy for folks into epic fantasy because the world building and plot is so rich. I really, really loved it. And hey, a bunch of other people did too! It won SPFBO, have you heard of it??
I have SO many honorable mentions here that I almost picked and discounted them because they might be sensitive for a lot of people (The Captive Prince trilogy) or because they didn’t quite fit my definition of what a romantasy is (The Song of Achilles; The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, Circe, The Nevernight Trilogy).
Lionel: Seconding Radiance for sure! And those are some fantastic honorable mentions, too!
Kimberly: Here are three Fantasy Romance’s that I really enjoyed:
Famine (The Four Horsemen Book 3) by Laura Thalassa famine is bar none my favorite romance hero. Is he a crazy mass murderer? Yes. Yes he is. But with his caddy attitude and creative use of his ahem, powers, all the red flags just look like roses. Laura has a beautiful way of writing characters have no moral compass simply because they are not human. Famine is a God sent down to destroy humanity and he has absolutely no qualms about doing so. I read plenty of enemies to lovers romance books before. But none where the hero literally had his leading lady stabbed to death and left for dead. When his little flower shows up on his doorstep very much not dead and extremely pissed, a wild adventure ensues.
Magical Midlife Madness: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Novel (Leveling Up Book 1) by K.F. Breene This one is technically called paranormal, but I feel like there is a lot of crossover between the two genres. K.F. Breene is an absolute master at writing incredibly interesting side characters as well as fascinating adventures. The romance in this first book takes a bit of a back seat to everything else that’s going on but you’re going to be laughing so hard at the interactions between the characters that you won’t mind. This book got me out of the worst reading slump I’ve ever had and I absolutely devoured it in record time.
The Half-Orc’s Maiden Bride by Ruby Dixon Ruby Dixon is in a league all her own. At this point I’m pretty sure that woman could write her grocery list on a napkin and I’d buy it. The half orc’s maiden bride is an adorable romp and I loved every second of it.
Lionel: I had no idea Ruby Dixon wrote orcs! Definitely adding that one to my TBR…
Nisha: THIS WHOLE SERIES. I don’t know how this isn’t her most famous one.
Jenn: Fate of Wrath and Flame by K. A. Tucker Enemies to lovers, strong writing with a great plot and cool mysteries and magic!
I always recommend Grace Draven. Her book Radiance gets recommended a lot, so I’m going to recommend The Undying King. It’s a Novella, pretty dark, but with some Very interesting conundrums, and as always a capable, mature heroine.
The Wraith and the Rose by C.J. Brightley: A scarlet pimpernel retelling, but make it magical (and faeries!). I love retellings that aren’t as popular (looking at you Beauty and the Beast). The setting is Victorian inspired, so it has a historical kind of voice that’s a nice mixup from my usual fare.
Lionel: Great question! I’ve been loving all of Lily Mayne’s work, but her fae romance series has been captivating so far. Big warning, the first book, Mortal Skin, ends in a BIG cliffhanger! But, book two is already out (don’t ask how I dealt with the months of waiting in between books, haha), and ends in a HFN before the series ends with a third installment
Second, I’m really liking Corey Kerr’s The Middle Sea series, which is an omegaverse MM fantasy romance. The first book was great, but the second book that just came out, The Sorcerer’s Alpha, had me enthralled! It felt much more action/adventure in scope compared to the first, which was a more courtly/royal romance. Both were great, and can be read as standalones, but I would definitely recommend The Sorcerer’s Alpha as a great entry point!
And lastly, this is a little bit of a cop-out because the book isn’t out yet, but I’m REALLY looking forward to Reforged by Seth Haddon! I first found this author on TikTok, and every new piece of information about this MM fantasy romance only makes me want to read it more. I love the royal/bodyguard pairing and the tropes that come along with it, so I can’t wait to read this one.
Nisha: While I of course love SJM and Plated Prisoner is one of my faves, here are a few options that have maybe flown under people’s radar:
Vicious Faerie series by Natalia Jaster
Second Star to the Left by Megan Van Dyke
To Bleed a Crystal Bloom by Sarah A. Parker
Rosalyn:
The Dying Light by Lily Rooke (and the sequel We Become Shadows) – The Bloodwitch Series is an LGBTQIA+ dark fantasy that features a main character with serious trauma. I love how dark and deep this series goes while still giving the main character hope and love.
The Chrysillium Tree by Laken Honeycutt – This beautiful fantasy book with gorgeous prose has such a wonderful romance! It is so magical!
The Marked Princess by E.P. Stavs – This is the first in the Shendri Series and it is absolutely wonderful! The romance is so well done and I was rooting for the characters the entire time!
Ashley:
Reign & Ruin (Mages of the Wheel Book 1) by J. D. Evans – Oh my god, this book was everything! I need to share one of my favorite quotes from the book because it encompasses everything I need to pull me in: “All magic is beautiful,” she said, “and terrible. Do you not see the beauty in yours, or the terror in mine? You can stop a heart, and I can stop your breath.” All I needed to read was this single quote and I wanted to dive into the book. I couldn’t stop thinking about it every time I had to put it down. The development of the romance was such a slow burn that I was hanging onto every word as Evan’s enveloped me inside these intimate moments that were sultry and seductive. The political intrigue and machinations, and magic system were amazingly executed with a fantastic female lead.
Where Shadows Lie (The Last Gift Book 1) by Allegra Pescatore – Okay, for starters… I loved how there is immediate trope reversal where the chosen one is dead (don’t worry– not a spoiler because it’s at the top of the synopsis). Pescatore excels in creating a compelling world and story-line. I really love how the magic system works. The misuse of magic can have serious effects, which heightens the suspense. My favorite aspect of the series has to be the lore and plot. I can’t get over how well planned this plot has become. There is disability rep, queer rep, immortal dragon gods, court intrigue, plotting, betrayals, and more! If you love plots with carefully architected layers, then this series will be for you. The payoff when plot threads come together is worth every single second!
The First Girl Child (The Chronicles of Saylok) by Amy Harmon – This is an incredibly breathtaking tale of cursed kingdoms, warring clans, love, magical runes, and salvation inspired by Norse Mythology. A dying mothers curse prevents the birth of all daughters for years and years upon a land. Harmon’s prose is exquisite, as she takes her time to set up the story for a fully immersive read. If you’re looking for a book that will have your heart aching, this is the story for you. There is something special about slow burn stories that always find a way to meet my every expectation. The pacing is an essential part of the journey.
Kristen: Three!? THREE!? There are so many great ones! These are just the ones I think that would be good for someone new to the genre.
The entire Stariel quadrilogy, starting with The Lord of Stariel by AJ Lancaster
Any of the books in the World of the White Rat by T. Kingfisher, but most especially Swordheart
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
The entire Charm of Magpies series by KJ Charles, starting with The Magpie Lord
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
Okay I’ll stop. >.>
Kristen: I love how like three of us were like ‘Radiance though….’ Jenn is right though, it gets recommended a lot, for good reason. In an effort to spread the Grace Draven love around, I’ll recommend Master of Crows as well. It was also fantastic!)
Find out more about these amazing romantasy authors, and most importantly, buy their books, at the links below!
Carissa Broadbent: Books, socials, and more are on her website.
Lionel Hart: Books, socials, and more are on his Linktree.
J.D. Evans: Books, socials, and more are on her website.
Rosalyn Briar: Books, socials, and more are on her Linktree.
Nisha Tuli: Books, socials, and more are on her Linktree.
Kimberly Lemming: Books, socials, and more are on her Linktree.
Ash blogs on FanFiAddict and on Twitter @sffreads.
Kristen blogs at superstardrifter.com and does the tweets from @suprstardrifter.
Read my review of Daughter of No Worlds here
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September 16, 2022
Books That Made Me: Surface Detail, Iain Banks
I grew up in a small suburb about an hour south from Perth, Western Australia. The Scholastic Fair was basically the only way to get new books without making the long trek into the city. But they were the golden years. Each year, new books would arrive with those crisp edges and that fresh book smell, hot off the press. Fill a room with them, and you’ve got a potent cocktail for core memories for a nine-year-old.
Harry Potter was, of course, one of the books that made me fall in love with fantasy, like many kids my age. I couldn’t get enough – reading book after book, and re-reading them several times. Hobb, Le Guin, Williams, and Rowling were my watchwords. But when I was a teenager, I wanted to be cool, and reading books was the polar opposite of that. I stopped reading entirely, and fell out of love with it, though I still consumed visual media. Nothing held my interest for more than a few minutes, and then I was on video games or tv again.
So you’d imagine a book that numbered in the hundreds of thousands of words and over 600 pages of science fiction, politics, and nuanced characters would be the last thing I’d be interested in. But I was given Surface Detail by a friend of the family, and from the first line, Banks just enraptured me. So many properties try to envision the future – be that cyberpunk dystopia, climate wars, apocalypse, but none captured my attention so much as the Culture. AIs with psychological issues, societal issues of today that had long been solved and basically forgotten, and huge space battles where one split second of inattention meant leaking out into space. Though I write fantasy, it was the book that inspired me to write stories of my own, because it couldn’t *not* fill my head with stories.
Without Surface Detail and Iain Banks, I don’t know that I would have ever fallen back in love with reading again. I almost certainly would never have written my own stories. So, thank you, Iain, to wherever you might be traveling in the universe.
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September 15, 2022
Books That Made Me: Ten Tales Selected by A.A. Phillips
This was the first short story anthology I read by choice. I can’t remember how I got hold of it, but I see it is stamped Doncaster High School library, so I guess I got it when my school library had a sale. I must have been around 13 when I first read it and yes, I still have the same copy.
The introduction by A.A. Philips, a writer and anthologist, carries excellent information for writers more than readers. He talks about the importance of caring about characters so that we care what happens to them. He says, “…that action must be in harmony with his character as we have learnt to know it.” I take this very much to heart; even in the strangest of circumstances, our characters need to behave in a way that is believable for them.
Phillips also has instructive things to say about endings. He says that endings are both important and difficult to handle well. That ‘sometimes we ‘make do’ with a bad alternative, either just to stop, without really ending, or else rather lamely to repeat something you have already said in order to round off your work.” Words I have tried to live by, or at least write by.
This sentence inspired me to look harder: “The good writer sees and feels more sharply and more understandingly than the rest of us. He (sic) notices what we merely see.” I wanted to be that good writer!
Phillips talks about how to weave your research into your story because we shouldn’t see the seams, and about the importance of a ‘quietly told’ story. And he finishes by reminding us that sometimes a single absurdity, explored well, is better than one absurdity piled atop another.
There are two stories that have stuck with me, another two I love, one so utterly gross and racist I won’t mention it and others that all taught me lessons about story telling.
The variety of tales helped me understand the importance of the difference of voice, and of the importance of character. Those with twist endings thrilled me, and to this day stand testimony to a good twist, rather than one where the whole story is built around the surprise.
The anthology is separated into segments and I remember wanting to write a story for each!
What Happens Next carries The Bottle Imp, by R.L. Stevenson. I adore this long story beyond all measure. The ending is utterly perfect. I’ve read the story 40 times perhaps, and the ending even more, because I just love the way it plays out.
A Sting in the Tail has Exit, by Harry Farjeon. As far as I can tell he didn’t write much else, which is a shame because this story is so perfectly timed and played out. There is a short movie made of it, somewhere on the internet, which is worth tracking down.
Life as We Know it and Life as We Don’t Know it are not my favourite sections, but The Logic of Nonsense, with H.G. Well’s wonderful The Truth About Pycroft, and Gavin Casey’s gloriously hilarious Rich Stew, are perfect examples of normalizing the ridiculous.
One final, inspiration quote from Phillips: “But a short story, like an oyster, goes down at a gulp, and it is the after-taste that matters most; it is by the sense of the whole in our minds after we have finished reading it that we shall judge it.”
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7 SFF Books That You May Not Have Heard of But Should Read – Vol 2
Here we are at Volume 2 of SFF books That You May Have Heard of But Should Read. Again with how many amazing books coming out, some get missed. That is why Janny Wurts and myself have put together a series of recommendations of older novels just waiting to be discovered by you. These seven books run the gamut of space science fiction to fantasy, but they all have one thing in common, it has been 5 years or more since they have come out. So strap on your jet packs, jump on your magical flying horses, these books are going to take you for a ride.
If you wish to see previous recommendations, go here:
1. SFF You May Not Have Heard Of - Vol 1
1. (published 2005)The Myriadby R.M. Meluch About The Myriad
R. M. Meluch’s first novel in more than a decade, The Myriad,begins a series that is an amalgam of subgenres: military science fiction, space opera, time paradox, and alternate history.
On an Earth where the Roman Empire never fell (but instead existed in secret societies for millennia, finally reestablishing itself on the planet Palatine) and is now embroiled in a war against the League of Earth Nations, a much more deadly foe emerges from the darkness of deep space — the Hive. The governments of Palatine and Earth enter into an uneasy alliance to fight the alien invaders, nondescript antagonists that exist only to consume. While the unified forces try to keep the Hive from destroying human-populated planets, one U.S. battleship, the Merrimack, sets off on a quest to find the Hive’s homeworld and take the battle to its source.
During the ship’s desperate search, the crew of the Merrimackdiscovers a strange star cluster with three worlds inhabited by sentient beings. After first contact with the amazingly humanoid populace, Captain John Farragut discovers a series of wormholes that could unlock the secrets that could defeat the Hive — or destroy humankind forever.
Vaguely reminiscent of Robert A. Heinlein’s Starship Troopers (specifically, the relentless alien antagonists and the over-the-top, gung-ho characters), Meluch’s The Myriad is lighthearted, fast-paced fun. While obviously not as intense or controversial as Heinlein’s Hugo Award winning classic, this novel will prove thoroughly enjoyable to fans of military science fiction authors like David Weber and David Drake. Paul Goat Allen
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2. (published 1975)The Female Manby Joanna Russ
“As my mother once said: The boys throw stones at the frogs in jest.
But the frogs die in earnest.”
About The Female Man
It has influenced William Gibson and been listed as one of the ten essential works of science fiction. Most importantly, Joanna Russ’s THE FEMALE MAN is a suspenseful, surprising and darkly witty chronicle of what happens when Jeannine, Janet, Joanna, and Jael—four alternative selves from drastically different realities—meet.
AwardsNebula Award Nominee for Novel (1975)
James Tiptree Jr. Award for Retrospective (1995)
Tähtivaeltaja Award (1987)
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3.(published 1999)Code of Conductby Kristine Smith About Code of Conduct
Captain Jani Kilian’s life should have ended in front of a firing squad. Instead, she evaded battlefield justice by dying in a transport crash. End of story, according to official Commonwealth Service records.
But doctors repaired her in secret, using the most advanced Service Medical technologies available, or so they assured her. In the last days of the idomeni civil war, she escaped their homeworld of Shèrá, and spent the next 18 years on the run.
But someone like Jani leaves a trail no matter how hard they try to hide it, and she soon learns the Service hunt for her never ended. When Interior Minister Evan van Reuter, her former lover, tracks her down and begs her help in finding his wife’s killer, she has no choice but to agree.
The search takes her to the Commonwealth capital of Chicago, a hotbed of political intrigue as dangerous as any warzone. As the danger mounts, so do Jani’s struggles. Her rebuilt body is breaking down, and memories long suppressed are flooding back. Of one horrible night 18 years ago, and the gut-wrenching decision that changed her life forever.
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4. (published 2017)Draigon Weatherby Paige L. Christie About Dragon weather
Draigon Weather
The brutal, drought-bringing heat that arises from the colossal, near-mythical Draigon, is a fell portent, heralding the doom of a striving woman.
When Leiel’s mother is Sacrificed to the Draigon to relieve the terrible drought, Leiel is marked by the shame brought to her family. She must leave school, relegated to a new life of servitude.
Cleod, the woodcutter’s son, is Leiel’s closest friend. To avenge Leiel’s mother, he vows to rise above his station and join the Ehlewer Enclave, an elite society famed for training men to kill Draigon.
The friends’ lives take different paths. Cleod struggles with divided loyalties as he learns he cannot be a Draigon hunter while remaining a friend to a tainted woman. Leiel seeks forbidden knowledge and old secrets, placing herself in danger of sharing her mother’s fate.
When Draigon Weather returns to the land, Cleod has the chance to fulfill all his promises—both to Leiel and to his new masters, the Ehlewer. But as the rivers choke on their own silt and heat cracks the ground, the choices the two friends have made begin to catch up with them—for what plagues Arnan is more than just a monster.
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5. (published 2012)Scourge of the Betrayerby Jeff Salyards
“You haven’t lived until you’ve grieved. Death, life, together, the same. And if you’ve only experienced life you’re only half-alive.”
About Scourge of the Betrayer
Many tales are told of the Syldoon Empire and its fearsome soldiers, who are known throughout the world for their treachery and atrocities. Some say that the Syldoon eat virgins and babies–or perhaps their own mothers. Arkamondos, a bookish young scribe, suspects that the Syldoon’s dire reputation may have grown in the retelling, but he’s about to find out for himself.
Hired to chronicle the exploits of a band of rugged Syldoon warriors, Arki finds himself both frightened and fascinated by the men’s enigmatic leader, Captain Braylar Killcoin. A secretive, mercurial figure haunted by the memories of those he’s killed with his deadly flail, Braylar has already disposed of at least one impertinent scribe … and Arki might be next.
Archiving the mundane doings of millers and merchants was tedious, but at least it was safe. As Arki heads off on a mysterious mission into parts unknown, in the company of the coarse, bloody-minded Syldoon, he is promised a chance to finally record an historic adventure well worth the telling, but first he must survive the experience!
A gripping military fantasy explores the brutal politics of Empire–and the searing impact of violence and dark magic on a man’s soul.
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6. (published 2010)The Gaslight Dogsby Karin Lowachee About The Gaslight Dogs
At the edge of the known world, an ancient nomadic tribe faces a new enemy-an Empire fueled by technology and war.
A young spiritwalker of the Aniw and a captain in the Ciracusan army find themselves unexpectedly thrown together. The Aniw girl, taken prisoner from her people, must teach the reluctant soldier a forbidden talent — one that may turn the tide of the war and will surely forever brand him an outcast.
From the rippling curtains of light in an Arctic sky, to the gaslit cobbled streets of the city, war is coming to the frozen north. Two people have a choice that will decide the fates of nations — and may cast them into a darkness that threatens to bring destruction to both their peoples.
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7. (published 2002)Killerby David Drake, Karl Edward Wagner About Killer
Bestselling author David Drake and World Fantasy Award-winning author Karl Edward Wagner now join forces to tell the epic tale of Lycon, the greatest beast hunter that ancient Rome had ever seen, pitted against a murderous alien in a battle for survival…with the fate of the Earth hanging in the balance!
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September 14, 2022
Dyer Street Punk Witches
Dyer Street Punk Witches is the latest release in the Ordshaw series, a standalone contemporary fantasy thriller following Kit “Fadulous” Hamley, ex-punk rocker and local activist/magazine editor. Her shady past hides secrets intertwined with local criminal gangs and dark magic, which come back to haunt her when an old enemy is released from prison and a new witch appears in town. Set in the gritty city of Ordshaw, Dyer Street introduces all new characters and themes to the series, with a characterful crime-leaning story.
In celebration of the book’s release, I’ve designed a set of 14 character cards to accompany it, being released digitally and available in physical format through select promotions. The cards can be found on various blogs, and today’s article features one not previously shared elsewhere: Ellie Gladhill, righthand woman to Kit! (For more info on the cards, check this link: https://phil-williams.co.uk/dyer-street-trading-cards)
Given the book’s heavy influence from musical roots, I’ve also produced an accompanying playlist to build some atmosphere.
The Dyer Street Punk Witches PlaylistI’ve attempted to pile together some of the musical talent that influenced the writing of this novel, or otherwise helps set the mood, but should provide a caveat that this is by no means comprehensive. It blends together old and new influences, from the classic rock icons of Joan Jett and Grace Slick through to modern tunes from Peaches and K-Flay, with spatterings of Fem Rock and punk in between.
It’s a pretty heavy list that slows down towards the end, though it could’ve been much heavier. It’s not entirely punk but a mix that I felt captured various aspects of the book. Whether the resulting erratic blend works or is a hot mess, I don’t know, but then that’s kind of in keeping with Kit’s life anyway.
It’s also US-leaning, with Kathleen Hanna and Sleater Kinney standing in for a world of Riot Grrrl music, but such were Kit’s main influences. For the Brit scene, though, you might also look into the likes of X-Ray Spex and Huggy Bear.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Lu78WfuoEKBRSChkugN1d?si=d671375ca3b74e65
For more info on the book: https://phil-williams.co.uk/punkwitches/
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