Tag: Asexual

Someone You Can Build a Nest In

Someone You Can Build a Nest in caught my eye with its cover as I was exploring 2024 new releases. I threw a hold on the audiobook at my local library and promptly forgot about it until it came up just as I was finishing a re-listen of Dungeon Crawler Carl. It was perfect timing, and ended up being a really wonderful read that is a good example of a book that manages to successfully balance romance and fantasy elements in its story.

Elevator Pitch:
Shesheshen is a shapeshifting monster. Homily is a monster hunter. After Shesheshen is driven from her lair and unmasked, she ends up falling down a ravine only to be rescued by Homily, who mistakes her for a human woman. As they fall in love, monster hunters descend into the town and Shesheshen must grapple with her own survival, what it means to fall in love when (for her species) that usually means killing the one you love, and how to successfully masquerade as a human.

Read If Looking For: quality asexual romance, plus sized queer rep, cozy/horror mashups

Avoid if Looking For: monsters that truly feel monstrous

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The Sapling Cage

I’ve been on the lookout for epic fantasy debuts, especially since I wasn’t terribly impressed with the early few I read during 2024. The Sapling Cage captured my attention with it’s cover, and earned a purchase with the promise of witchy epic fantasy. I found it a refreshing reset, blending the best parts of classic fantasy with modern sensibilities.


The Premise:
Lorel wants desperately to be a witch, and trades places with her best friend to do so. The only problem: Lorel was born in the body of a boy, and witches only let women in. It doesn’t matter that Lorel thinks of herself as a woman, so she must hide that part of herself. She joins the witches at a turbulent time. Duchess Helte is on the move to grab power, demonizing the witches as a scapegoat. The Knights are more violent than normal, and someone has developed a magic that Blights the land. Nobody knows the culprit, but the witches are suspect number one. Lorel just wants to learn magic, but its a long and winding road to get there.

Read if Looking For: grounded stories, Tamora Pierce for adults, books that wind instead of twist, travel scese

Avoid if Looking For: characters powering up, fast pacing, punchy fight scenes

Continue reading “The Sapling Cage”