Melnibone is an empire that has dedicated itself to hedonism and sadism for centuries, dominating and subjugating the surrounding kingdoms. Over time their hold on the other lands failed and their own power diminished. Melnibone is now a shadow of what she once was. Emperor Elric is the rightful ruler but not the one that Melnibone wants. He does not…
TW: suicide, graphic violence, gaslighting, manipulation Our favorite morally grey sci-fi sapphics are back in Zoe Hana Mikuta’s Godslayers. If you thought the first book ended at rock bottom, have no fear Eris and Sona both have their pick axes sharpened and are ready to dig. We last saw our main characters in the ruin of Godolia, after attempting to…
TW: Ableism, surface-level discussion of physical and emotional abuse Something that really stuck with me after reading One for All was the different romances that Tania was involved in. Specifically, the way her relationships and her disability were inseparably linked. The author may not have intended it but I feel like each possible love interest is somewhat representative of the…
One for All is Lillie Lainoff’s debut novel. It follows Tania de Batz, the daughter of a former musketeer, who has become quite the fencer in her own right despite her struggle with POTS. Her only worries are making sure her mom lets her continue to fence and finding a boy willing to marry her. That is until her father…
Andrew Joseph White’s debut novel Hell Followed With Us is just as, if not more, beautiful than its amazing cover. The book opens with a dedication, “For all the kids who sharpen their teeth and bite.”, that sets the tone of the rest of the novel and sent literal chills down my spine. Hell Followed follows Benji, a trans boy,…
The second book in the Reluctant Royals series, A Duke by Default, follows Portia as she cuts many of her ties in New York and moves to Scotland for a sword-making apprenticeship. We are first introduced to Portia as Naledi’s flighty, irresponsible, and self-centered best friend in A Princess in Theory but we get to see her become so much…