Did I combine my love of book recs and my appreciation of LGBTQIA authors? Heck yes, I did. LGBT Lit Recs is a monthly series of guest posts where LGBT+ authors recommend their favourite queer books! There'll be a post every last Wednesday of each month.
This month I am so, so happy to have RoAnna Sylver, author of Chameleon Moon (which relaunches super soon!! Be excited!) on Words From Saruuh. Here's RoAnna's recommended books:
Probably the warmest, most welcoming, most delicious LGBT fantasy I've read in a long time. Contrary to popular fairy tale belief, the adventure doesn't end when you win the throne. Especially when you don't feel quite ready, and you're feeling like the only girl who likes girls in the entire kingdom. Personally, I really can't say enough good things about the Mangoverse - it's where I want to go when I'm sad, stressed, scared; even when I've got too much pain and too few spoons for reading, I want to read these. Finally, the entire series is being re-released under the author's total rights with gorgeous new covers. If your heart is tired (I'm sure it is) and you need some good news, start here.
A hot new release I've been so excited to watch light up the skies. A once-failed, twice-wise rebel leading a revolution, wielding magic and technology to overthrow an oppressive empire, with a slow-burn (ha) F/F romance at the center - this is pretty much everything I want to see in my fantasy action, and I'm sure I'm not alone. It saw an impressive release, and I'm sure Daybreak is just the start of something amazing.
A dystopian, virus-ravaged landscape, rogue rebel radio stations, and hot air balloon journeys. The future could be bleak, but the aim is the opposite: community, hope, and rebellious optimism brighter than the promise of a of brand new day. Solarpunk. This is my literary aesthetic, and it might be yours too. Combine it with easy gay, bi, ace and nonbinary rep, and you've got something really special going on here. Check it out. Make it go viral. This book deserves it.
Elegant, sweeping, multilayered and intricate. If you like your fantasy high, but a lot more colorful, diverse and inclusive than what you'll see on the big screen (sadly), might I suggest? I do. I speak of elves. Bisexual elves, genderqueer elves, polyamorous elves with all their magic and history and lovely we already dig, and a lot more Super Interesting, Important Good Things (racial/social level interaction! Culture clash! Gender, sexuality - ahh, real life stuff!) that need to be included a lot more. Also, it's just a beautiful work-of-art book.
Came for the asexual representation (hi, Ace Book Club! , stayed for the dynamite apocalyptic storyline, Oregon setting, tense pacing, Nerds Saving The Day... and Mab. Oh, Mab. Fast-talking, no-crap-taking smart-as-a-whip and twice-as-crackin' lady with a dog. Mab, you know where to find me. Over here, with my nose in your book. (ProTip: 'Bullet' is actually Book 2; you want The Big Book of Post-Collapse Fun if you want to see how it all began. But if you're like me and - what's 'in order,' I can't read suddenly, I don't know - in this case it's really not going to be... the end of the world. Or will it? Read and find out!)
About RoAnna
RoAnna has worked as a contributing fiction writer, concept artist and voice actor for videogame company Phoenix Online Studios, appeared on several episodes of NBC's Grimm and The Librarians, and now writes for entertainment news website Moviepilot.com.
Chameleon Moon: 2nd Edition releases October 11th!
