Need fantasy novel recommendation, within specific parameters of course
December 29, 2024 9:04 PM Subscribe
I am in search of recommendations for a fantasy novel (preferably a series). I have several stipulations, details below.
I just finished the ACOTAR series, somewhat hesitantly, following the recommendation from a friend. It was engaging enough, but unfortunately did not scratch the itch I was looking to scratch, for a variety of reasons.
I want to read more adult (i.e. NOT Y.A.) fantasy, but am looking for some different qualities. I would also be OK with sci-fi and/or horror. Not looking for anything realistic at this time!
Want:
- Must pass Bechdel Test.
-Prefer a female/non-binary/trans main character, but the identity of lead character is less relevant than LGBTQ+/ethnic/intersectional diversity of overall fictional world.
-Thought-out world building and good quality storytelling.
-Sex/sexuality is a necessity. Doesn't have to be purely smut but it's gotta be in there. Vanilla is fine but would prefer spicier options.
-Creatures/monsters are fine and welcome.
Do not want:
-Child death/abuse/endangerment
-Graphic rape/sexual abuse
-"Handy" plot devices in place of actual cause and effect consequences for characters (yes, this is a direct result of having just finished ACOTAR, where people just... "un-die???")
Things I already have read and liked:
- ALL N.K. Jemisin
- Most Naomi Novik
- Deborah Harkness
- Carrie Vaughn
- Anne Rice (frequently problematic but still enjoyed and enjoyed analyzing/dismantling over multiple reads at different stages in life)
- Neil Gaiman (personal ick but have enjoyed his stories)
- Rachel Harrison
- Sookie Stackhouse series
- Ilona Andrews
- Patrick Rothfuss
What should go on my To Read in 2025 list??
I just finished the ACOTAR series, somewhat hesitantly, following the recommendation from a friend. It was engaging enough, but unfortunately did not scratch the itch I was looking to scratch, for a variety of reasons.
I want to read more adult (i.e. NOT Y.A.) fantasy, but am looking for some different qualities. I would also be OK with sci-fi and/or horror. Not looking for anything realistic at this time!
Want:
- Must pass Bechdel Test.
-Prefer a female/non-binary/trans main character, but the identity of lead character is less relevant than LGBTQ+/ethnic/intersectional diversity of overall fictional world.
-Thought-out world building and good quality storytelling.
-Sex/sexuality is a necessity. Doesn't have to be purely smut but it's gotta be in there. Vanilla is fine but would prefer spicier options.
-Creatures/monsters are fine and welcome.
Do not want:
-Child death/abuse/endangerment
-Graphic rape/sexual abuse
-"Handy" plot devices in place of actual cause and effect consequences for characters (yes, this is a direct result of having just finished ACOTAR, where people just... "un-die???")
Things I already have read and liked:
- ALL N.K. Jemisin
- Most Naomi Novik
- Deborah Harkness
- Carrie Vaughn
- Anne Rice (frequently problematic but still enjoyed and enjoyed analyzing/dismantling over multiple reads at different stages in life)
- Neil Gaiman (personal ick but have enjoyed his stories)
- Rachel Harrison
- Sookie Stackhouse series
- Ilona Andrews
- Patrick Rothfuss
What should go on my To Read in 2025 list??
The Books of the Raksura series by Martha Wells is a good read. Shape shifting polyamorous dragon people, what fun.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 10:34 PM on December 29 [10 favorites]
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 10:34 PM on December 29 [10 favorites]
Have you read Octavia Butler? All her books are amazing but I think you might like the alien ones.
The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders is great.
posted by bluedaisy at 10:52 PM on December 29 [2 favorites]
The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders is great.
posted by bluedaisy at 10:52 PM on December 29 [2 favorites]
Since you read ACOTAR, I honestly suggest you take a look at Maas’ Crescent City series. It’s generally not considered YA, and I found the story, characters, and world building far more engaging and deep than either of her two prior series, largely because it’s a more modern setting. It’s still a fantasy series, though (think fae with cellphones) It definitely checks the boxes on your list (imho, anyway.)
posted by Thorzdad at 5:30 AM on December 30
posted by Thorzdad at 5:30 AM on December 30
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sarai - Amina Al-Sarafi made her name as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, but she’s gotten out of the game - until she’s offered one last job she can’t refuse. Heists, demons, fey folk, and sea monsters abound. This book is set in the same fantastical sea sailed by Sindbad. Both the world building and the world-weary middle-aged main character are excellent. It’s one novel, with more to come.
The Red Scholar’s Wake and others from the Universe of Xuya series by Aliette de Bodard. These are fantastical space operas featuring sentient spaceships. In The Red Scholar’s Wake, one such ship proposes a marriage of convenience to a captive — but as they work together to investigate the murder of the ship’s former wife, their relationship grows deeper than either of them expected. Gay as hell, great setting, rollicking adventure with a bit of noir mystery.
And finally, with some reservations, I have to mention the Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir, starting with Gideon the Ninth. TL;DR: lesbian necromancers in space. It’s got incredible characters, magnificent world-building, and a gripping high-stakes plot. I ripped through this whole series and I’m now a little obsessed with it. My only reservation is your point about child endangerment/death. In the first and second books of the series, the main characters do occasionally flash back to explain their difficult and unpleasant childhoods, and there is reference to past child death (the two main characters are the sole surviving children of their generation — the deaths are not described in extended detail, but they are there). The third book takes place partly in a children’s school in a conflict zone. Nothing seriously bad happens to the kids, but there is a general sense of looming danger. Your call on whether this is a no-go.
posted by ourobouros at 5:54 AM on December 30 [4 favorites]
The Red Scholar’s Wake and others from the Universe of Xuya series by Aliette de Bodard. These are fantastical space operas featuring sentient spaceships. In The Red Scholar’s Wake, one such ship proposes a marriage of convenience to a captive — but as they work together to investigate the murder of the ship’s former wife, their relationship grows deeper than either of them expected. Gay as hell, great setting, rollicking adventure with a bit of noir mystery.
And finally, with some reservations, I have to mention the Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir, starting with Gideon the Ninth. TL;DR: lesbian necromancers in space. It’s got incredible characters, magnificent world-building, and a gripping high-stakes plot. I ripped through this whole series and I’m now a little obsessed with it. My only reservation is your point about child endangerment/death. In the first and second books of the series, the main characters do occasionally flash back to explain their difficult and unpleasant childhoods, and there is reference to past child death (the two main characters are the sole surviving children of their generation — the deaths are not described in extended detail, but they are there). The third book takes place partly in a children’s school in a conflict zone. Nothing seriously bad happens to the kids, but there is a general sense of looming danger. Your call on whether this is a no-go.
posted by ourobouros at 5:54 AM on December 30 [4 favorites]
I will recommend Jacqueline Carey, primarily Kushiel's Dart and sequels, with some details/reservations:
- It is a high fantasy series in which the protagonist is a divinely-gifted masochist. She is not part of a safe, sane, and consensual kink scene, she is a courtesan-spy with fast healing and an extremely unusual physiological response to pain. The book (and the series) are very much about power dynamics in both political and personal relationships, there's a lot of kinky and often queer sex, and I find a lot of it very hot (although it's not my particular kink) but the series really requires that detail to go into, because it is very much not trying to represent an admirable or desirable (or possible) kind of sexuality - it's using BDSM as a lens to examine other things as much as it is about fun kink scenes.
- This is a world in which child endangerment happens and the age of consent is around 16 - there's no explicit child abuse or rape, and it's not a focus, but the early part of the book especially is eyebrow-raising around age gaps etc. (And, again, is intended to be.)
- A lot of the adult sex is dark. Coerced, dubcon-at-best, manipulative, etc. May not be for you.
- This book is chonky and the vast majority of it is politics. This is mostly why I love it - it's a lushly detailed world with a lot of political actors trying to outmanuever each other and that is my kink.
So yeah, I think it hits most of what you're looking for but might be too dark for what you want right now.
posted by restless_nomad at 6:42 AM on December 30 [2 favorites]
- It is a high fantasy series in which the protagonist is a divinely-gifted masochist. She is not part of a safe, sane, and consensual kink scene, she is a courtesan-spy with fast healing and an extremely unusual physiological response to pain. The book (and the series) are very much about power dynamics in both political and personal relationships, there's a lot of kinky and often queer sex, and I find a lot of it very hot (although it's not my particular kink) but the series really requires that detail to go into, because it is very much not trying to represent an admirable or desirable (or possible) kind of sexuality - it's using BDSM as a lens to examine other things as much as it is about fun kink scenes.
- This is a world in which child endangerment happens and the age of consent is around 16 - there's no explicit child abuse or rape, and it's not a focus, but the early part of the book especially is eyebrow-raising around age gaps etc. (And, again, is intended to be.)
- A lot of the adult sex is dark. Coerced, dubcon-at-best, manipulative, etc. May not be for you.
- This book is chonky and the vast majority of it is politics. This is mostly why I love it - it's a lushly detailed world with a lot of political actors trying to outmanuever each other and that is my kink.
So yeah, I think it hits most of what you're looking for but might be too dark for what you want right now.
posted by restless_nomad at 6:42 AM on December 30 [2 favorites]
The Raksura books are among my top favorites in the world, but they don’t have much (any?) explicit sex. Lots of implied. The world building, though, is just incredible. So great.
You might like Anne Bishop. She’s a bit too violent for me but if you can handle Ilona Andrews you 100% can handle Anne Bishop. Deanna Rayburn’s Veronica Speedwell mysteries are good steampunk fun. Seanan Macguire’s October Daye series might tick most if not all your boxes as well.
posted by mygothlaundry at 9:49 AM on December 30 [2 favorites]
You might like Anne Bishop. She’s a bit too violent for me but if you can handle Ilona Andrews you 100% can handle Anne Bishop. Deanna Rayburn’s Veronica Speedwell mysteries are good steampunk fun. Seanan Macguire’s October Daye series might tick most if not all your boxes as well.
posted by mygothlaundry at 9:49 AM on December 30 [2 favorites]
Gail Carriger! I mostly read the Parasolverse, which is steampunk with vampires and werewolves. Smut levels across the Parasolverse range from innocent (the YA boarding school books) to quite explicit, and there's *many* gay characters and gay romance stories. In particular I'll note that a 4 book sequence called "The Custard Protocol" includes a trans character as well as a gay romance, though the smut levels are only medium (mostly off screen). And check out the "romancing" stories here
She also writes the San Andreas Shifters, which I haven't gotten around to reading but is gay urban fantasy.
posted by elizabot at 10:11 AM on December 30 [2 favorites]
She also writes the San Andreas Shifters, which I haven't gotten around to reading but is gay urban fantasy.
posted by elizabot at 10:11 AM on December 30 [2 favorites]
Freya Marske's The Last Binding Trilogy. These books very much embody 'romantasy'. Each volume features a different developing romance. The first is M/M, the second is F/F and the final one is M/M with BDSM as the focus. The setting is a magic infused Edwardian Era, and Marske is very cognizant of what life would be like then for queer and marginalized characters across race and class.
They are all very smutty and I thought Marske did a good job with it, but my perspective is that of a queer cis dude. I found the first book's sexy scenes to be hot. Lesbian erotica is not for me, so I can't speak to the second volume being arousing, but I didn't hate them. BDSM bores me to tears, though, so I did end up skipping those chapters in the final book.
YMMV.
posted by ursus_comiter at 11:09 AM on December 30 [4 favorites]
They are all very smutty and I thought Marske did a good job with it, but my perspective is that of a queer cis dude. I found the first book's sexy scenes to be hot. Lesbian erotica is not for me, so I can't speak to the second volume being arousing, but I didn't hate them. BDSM bores me to tears, though, so I did end up skipping those chapters in the final book.
YMMV.
posted by ursus_comiter at 11:09 AM on December 30 [4 favorites]
It's sci-fi, but not "hard" sci-fi, I enjoyed The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers as well as the follow-ups in the same universe. All sorts of "LGBTQ+/ethnic/intersectional diversity". Moreso in the later books.
posted by Sphinx at 11:48 AM on December 30 [2 favorites]
posted by Sphinx at 11:48 AM on December 30 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Every suggestion so far is going on my "to-read" list!
I have never looked forward to a new year's reading list more.
Keep the suggestions coming!
Thanks so much!
posted by Temeraria at 1:35 PM on December 30
I have never looked forward to a new year's reading list more.
Keep the suggestions coming!
Thanks so much!
posted by Temeraria at 1:35 PM on December 30
The Saint of Steel series, by T Kingfisher
One and two, Paladan's Grace, and Paladan's Steel are M/F, but the third, Paladan's Hope, is M/M. The fourth, Paladan's Faith, is back to M/F, but I'm hoping there will be a fifth and gender queer. The M/F books are very gender accepting of all characters and sexuality.
The Elemental Logic series by Laurie J. Marks, starting , starting with #1, Fire Logic will definitely fit well inside all your perimeters.
I like Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series, but as far as I remember, there's only a wee bit of spicy, and it's completely straight and pretty vanilla. But they're good. The protagonist is mixed race and is pretty easy-going, but so over it with casual London racism.
posted by BlueHorse at 3:44 PM on December 30 [6 favorites]
One and two, Paladan's Grace, and Paladan's Steel are M/F, but the third, Paladan's Hope, is M/M. The fourth, Paladan's Faith, is back to M/F, but I'm hoping there will be a fifth and gender queer. The M/F books are very gender accepting of all characters and sexuality.
The Elemental Logic series by Laurie J. Marks, starting , starting with #1, Fire Logic will definitely fit well inside all your perimeters.
I like Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series, but as far as I remember, there's only a wee bit of spicy, and it's completely straight and pretty vanilla. But they're good. The protagonist is mixed race and is pretty easy-going, but so over it with casual London racism.
posted by BlueHorse at 3:44 PM on December 30 [6 favorites]
The Unbroken and The Faithless by CL Clark? Third book in the trilogy is out in 2025.
posted by knapah at 4:03 PM on December 30 [1 favorite]
posted by knapah at 4:03 PM on December 30 [1 favorite]
Yes. Love the Elemental Logic series.
posted by ursus_comiter at 4:03 PM on December 30 [2 favorites]
posted by ursus_comiter at 4:03 PM on December 30 [2 favorites]
I just came here to recommend the Saint of Steel series. If you like that, Kingfisher has also written a number of others in that universe, so you will have plenty to read!
I can't believe no one has recommended M.A. Carrick's Rook and Rose series. It ticks off all of your boxes. Diverse cast with heaps of queer characters, passes Bechdel test easily. Some of the main characters come from very difficult childhoods; if you can deal with that, it should be a good read. It has the epic feel of ACOTAR but is more uplifting and has a richer and more complex world. More people should read this series!
Shannon Chakraborty's The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi also has what you are looking for. She has written another series in the same universe called The Daevabad Trilogy, but Amina al-Sirafi is more diverse and has a bit of a lighter feel. But it is definitely in a complex world and on an epic scale.
C.M. Waggoner's Unnatural Magic series I think is also a good fit. The books are somewhat standalone but set in the same universe, so you can read one without having read the other. Both have lead female characters and characters that are a bit genderqueer. I see that they are tagged as YA on Goodreads but I cannot figure out why; some of the characters are young but some are not.
posted by rednikki at 5:39 PM on December 30 [1 favorite]
I can't believe no one has recommended M.A. Carrick's Rook and Rose series. It ticks off all of your boxes. Diverse cast with heaps of queer characters, passes Bechdel test easily. Some of the main characters come from very difficult childhoods; if you can deal with that, it should be a good read. It has the epic feel of ACOTAR but is more uplifting and has a richer and more complex world. More people should read this series!
Shannon Chakraborty's The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi also has what you are looking for. She has written another series in the same universe called The Daevabad Trilogy, but Amina al-Sirafi is more diverse and has a bit of a lighter feel. But it is definitely in a complex world and on an epic scale.
C.M. Waggoner's Unnatural Magic series I think is also a good fit. The books are somewhat standalone but set in the same universe, so you can read one without having read the other. Both have lead female characters and characters that are a bit genderqueer. I see that they are tagged as YA on Goodreads but I cannot figure out why; some of the characters are young but some are not.
posted by rednikki at 5:39 PM on December 30 [1 favorite]
It's not high fantasy but meets your criteria - Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor.
posted by goo at 12:39 AM on December 31 [2 favorites]
posted by goo at 12:39 AM on December 31 [2 favorites]
It has been a few years since I read them, but I think China Mieville's Bas-Lag novels meet most if not all of your criteria.
posted by abraxasaxarba at 12:59 PM on December 31 [1 favorite]
posted by abraxasaxarba at 12:59 PM on December 31 [1 favorite]
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Lots of queer and kinky sex. Marxist dykes and sex workers and some sciency- magic and train robberies and union organizing.
Not a series though.
posted by latkes at 9:25 PM on December 29 [3 favorites]