Book recommendations - elemental magical orgy edition
February 28, 2017 5:00 AM Subscribe
I've just read Sharon Green's Blending series, and I'd like to read more stories like this. Please recommend them to me!
I don't want any more books by Sharon Green because The Blending was awful. But I read 4 books into the series anyway because there were some themes that got under my skin.
I am looking for books with the following characteristics:
* A group (that means more than 2!) of magic users, preferably of elemental magic
* Who link in some magical/psychic fashion to do more awesome magic
* Who have sex with each other
Bonus elements:
* Queer characters
* Kink
* Sex makes the magic better
* Magic makes the sex better
* The group is on an awesome quest
I can tolerate pretty bad writing, but Green was unbelievably repetitive and the characters were thin and boring. I might even have tolerated that if the sex scenes had been more frequent or interesting...
So, what books/stories/fic do you think I might I enjoy?
I don't want any more books by Sharon Green because The Blending was awful. But I read 4 books into the series anyway because there were some themes that got under my skin.
I am looking for books with the following characteristics:
* A group (that means more than 2!) of magic users, preferably of elemental magic
* Who link in some magical/psychic fashion to do more awesome magic
* Who have sex with each other
Bonus elements:
* Queer characters
* Kink
* Sex makes the magic better
* Magic makes the sex better
* The group is on an awesome quest
I can tolerate pretty bad writing, but Green was unbelievably repetitive and the characters were thin and boring. I might even have tolerated that if the sex scenes had been more frequent or interesting...
So, what books/stories/fic do you think I might I enjoy?
Uh, I kind of hate to say this, but Laurell K. Hamilton's Merry Gentry books are probably exactly what you are asking for. I don't know how good her writing is now because I gave up on her many many years ago but the first few books in the series would be readable and you could go in as deep as you wanted.
posted by PussKillian at 5:08 AM on February 28, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by PussKillian at 5:08 AM on February 28, 2017 [4 favorites]
100% Merry Gentry. Such a guilty pleasure.
posted by corvine at 6:03 AM on February 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by corvine at 6:03 AM on February 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
"All the Birds in the Sky" by Charlie Jane Anders fits several of your needs! The two main characters are childhood friends - one turns to magic and the other to technology. They each find their own groups of friends and their timelines converge from time to time over several years.
Yes to awesome quest, yes to groups of magic users (with crazy cool powers), yes to (later in the book) sex, I can't remember if there were any explicitly queer characters but the author is genderqueer.
I'm wary of saying "urban fantasy," but it's a modern-futuristic setting with both magic and sci-fi technology. Awesome.
posted by wintersonata9 at 7:18 AM on February 28, 2017 [3 favorites]
Yes to awesome quest, yes to groups of magic users (with crazy cool powers), yes to (later in the book) sex, I can't remember if there were any explicitly queer characters but the author is genderqueer.
I'm wary of saying "urban fantasy," but it's a modern-futuristic setting with both magic and sci-fi technology. Awesome.
posted by wintersonata9 at 7:18 AM on February 28, 2017 [3 favorites]
The Magicians by Les Grossman?
This hits main points 1 and 2 well, 3 every so often, and it's solid on bonus points 1 and 5, but the rest are not present. In short, it focuses on a group of kids in a magical college, and their adventures. One of the main characters is gay, and there's some thin discussions of sex in the books, but mostly in passing. There are three books in the series, and you can preview all three on Google books (The Magicians; The Magician King; and The Magician's Land).
Also, it has been adapted as a series on SyFy (FanFare show page, possible spoilers).
posted by filthy light thief at 7:19 AM on February 28, 2017
This hits main points 1 and 2 well, 3 every so often, and it's solid on bonus points 1 and 5, but the rest are not present. In short, it focuses on a group of kids in a magical college, and their adventures. One of the main characters is gay, and there's some thin discussions of sex in the books, but mostly in passing. There are three books in the series, and you can preview all three on Google books (The Magicians; The Magician King; and The Magician's Land).
Also, it has been adapted as a series on SyFy (FanFare show page, possible spoilers).
posted by filthy light thief at 7:19 AM on February 28, 2017
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin?
posted by zeptoweasel at 7:29 AM on February 28, 2017
posted by zeptoweasel at 7:29 AM on February 28, 2017
Not a book, but a story: Sense8! Psychic orgies ahoy.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:52 AM on February 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:52 AM on February 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
Fire Logic, Earth Logic, and Air Logic by Laurie J Marks. Fire Logic is the first in the series.
posted by azalea_chant at 7:58 AM on February 28, 2017
posted by azalea_chant at 7:58 AM on February 28, 2017
I liked The Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff. It's about a big Canadian family of witches, some of whom sleep with their male cousins (or maybe all of their cousins). So there was a lot of implied sex in it. I don't actually remember how explicit it was. It was pleasantly readable urban fantasy with a connected group of magic practicioners. It was set in a contemporary world, not something exotic or medieval. I guess there wasn't really a 'quest' but there was a looming magical danger. And I think she has written several books.
posted by puddledork at 8:35 AM on February 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by puddledork at 8:35 AM on February 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
I feel like there must be something waiting for you in Raven Cycle fic, as there is a wealth of stories there that would fit your description other than being only pairs instead of groups, but I am not well-versed enough in that fandom to be sure. Might be worth poking gently at your preferred fic archive to seek it out, though.
posted by Stacey at 9:27 AM on February 28, 2017
posted by Stacey at 9:27 AM on February 28, 2017
I am voting in agreement with the Hamilton's series, which hits all the major buttons. I will say that Kushiel's Legacy series of books is one to consider from the free love aspect. Not so much supernatural magic but it is a different type of fantasy series and you want something that deals with BDSM.
posted by jadepearl at 10:29 AM on February 28, 2017
posted by jadepearl at 10:29 AM on February 28, 2017
The Elementals by Francesca Lia Block. It's YA and some of the writing is a little over the top but definitely sexy.
posted by Waiting for Pierce Inverarity at 11:38 AM on February 28, 2017
posted by Waiting for Pierce Inverarity at 11:38 AM on February 28, 2017
Once you find a series that suits you, I recommend looking it up on AO3, as the fandom, if it exists, will probably elaborate on the sex bits. In great depth.
posted by praemunire at 11:42 AM on February 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 11:42 AM on February 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by heathrowga at 5:08 AM on February 28, 2017 [3 favorites]