Gay – Page 5 – Marked for Plot

American Hippo

Inconsequential history facts can be a ton of fun. Apparently in the 1910s, the US government considered importing hippos as a new source of meat during food shortages. If the cocaine hippos of Columbia (and really any other invasive species) have taught us anything, it likely would have been a horrible idea with lots of downstream consequences. Thankfully, that world didn’t come to be, but it did result in a set of novellas and short stories by Sarah Gailey reimagining this possible history, blended with some Western set dressing, which was a premise too intriguing to pass up. I ended up liking River of Teeth (novella #1) quite a bit, but was mostly disappointed by Taste of Marrow (novella #2).

The Premise:
Houndstooth is a Hop, who raises and wrangles hippos. After his breeding ranch burned to the ground, he turned to a life of crime. Now he’s offered a job by the federal government to clear out feral hippos from the land his former ranch sat on, and which his most hated foe now runs a gambling empire on. Houndstooth’s crew consists of Archie, a fat French conwoman and longtime friend of Houndstooth; Hero, a nonbinary poisoner and demolitionist that Houndstooth quickly falls in love with; Adelia, a bisexual contract killer who is very pregnant; and Carter, Houndstooth’s former ranch hand who now works for his enemy.

Read if Looking for: bloodthirsty hippos, tropey characters, criminal crews totally not breaking the law, a queernormative American history, relaxed reads

Avoid if Looking for: thought-out alternate histories, meaningful Western elements, consistent characterization

The Chromatic Fantasy

I’m all about unapologetically queer books, and The Chromatic Fantasy definitely fits that brief. This book isn’t a tour-de-force on the trans experience, but it’s an extremely fun romp a book with great art that didn’t disappoint in the slightest. I need to wait a week or two to see if this has the emotional staying power to crack my top 10 of the year, but I think it’s got a pretty good shot.

The Premise
Jules hates being a nun, in no small part because he’s not a woman. To escape, he makes a deal with the Devil, gaining immortality and becoming a thief, swordsman, and general troublemaker. When he meets his match a fellow scoundrel, the two figure out what a life together might look like. Turns out, this life mostly looks very, very chaotic. Looming over Jules’ new life though, is the Devil constantly pushing Jules into isolation, depression, and doubt.

Read if Looking For: tricksters and thieves, anachronism and whimsy, more color than a chameleon at a rave

Avoid if Looking For: fully coherent plots, historical accuracy (or even consistency in the intensity of historical inaccuracies), memorable villains, books without nudity

The Route of Ice and Salt

A Mexican horror novel following a ship captain of a ship transporting vampires, playing off elements of Dracula (which I haven’t read). It’s an excellent translation, and a dip into the more Literary side of horror than I normally go for. This was a good reminder of why I was a bad English major in college, and why genre fiction is my happy place over Literature. However, I’m glad I read this, and I think it’s much better at engaging with vampires’ historic associations with queerness in interesting ways than most other queer vampire books I’ve read.

The Premise
The captain of the Demeter has been hired to take fifty boxes of dirt to England. The captain spends the trip in a haze, torn between his constant desire for the companionship of men and his responsibilities as captain of the ship. And he dreams. Oh does he dream, and his dreams grow ever darker as strange things begin to take place on the Demeter, shifting what should have been an easy and profitable journey into a thing from nightmares.

Read if Looking For: intense focus on internal monologue, dream sequences, horror of the unseen, prose like liquid silk

Avoid if Looking For: direct plot or prose, ethical gays, paranormal romance elements, cute rats, protagonists who don’t sexually harass people, vampires with major speaking roles

City of Strife

The City of Spires has been on my radar for a while as a great example of what ambitious queer representation can look like. It’s also gotten nods as the modern inheritor to Swordspoint, the seminal Fantasy of Manners book with pioneering queer rep in the 80s. I ended up not loving the book, but I see the appeal and am intrigued to continue at some point in the future. But if you’re looking for a queer ensemble cast, I can’t think of something better than this.

The Premise
Isandor is a city with class problems. The rich live (quite literally) above everyone, in towers connected by bridges, holding them above the world. The poor are at the whims of the games of the noble houses. And the city plays host to an embassy of an Empire intent on conquering the world. Many different characters lives intersect in this book, connecting apprentice mages with shelter owners with idealistic nobility. Each character’s agendas and concerns are different, but this book lights the match that will set the city ablaze (quite literally). There’s enough going on that focusing on any single plotline will do a disservice to describing what the book is about.

Read if Looking For: many queer identities in one book, ethically upright protagonists, sadistic villains, impassioned monologues

Avoid if Looking For: deep characterization, flashy magic, political maneuvering

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert

When celebrities announce that they’re coming out with a book – a book in one of my favorite genres no less – I tend to get skeptical. Bob the Drag Queen is a phenomenal comedian, performer, and entertainer. That does not make her a good author necessarily. Still, at only 233 pages and narrated by Bob herself, it wasn’t difficult to throw a library hold at this book and tackle it over a weekend of deep cleaning. This book is no masterpiece, but it was solid, entertaining, and blended modern queer struggles with lessons on slavery in a way I hope others emulate. Also, how I could I not pick up a book called Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert? It’s definitely on the short list for best title of the year so far.

The Premise
Darnell’s career as a music producer is more or less over when historical figures begin returning to the world. However, Harriet Tubman calls him in to help her produce an album sharing her story with the world. She and her team (also returned from the same era, and Tubman’s friends and associates) share their stories with Darnell as he grapples with his own internal struggles. Can Harriet Tubman help Darnell just as she’s helped so many others?

Read if Looking For: middle aged queer leads, music performances (in the audiobook), self-liberation, a broad range of stories from history

Avoid if Looking For: deep historical analysis, Bob’s comedic persona, romance plotlines

Frontera

This is a book that’s been in my classroom library for a while. It hasn’t been super popular unfortunately, likely because it looks a little to realistic for kids who are browsing in the fantasy section of my library. When a kid had rave reviews for it, however, it was easy to give it a try. Frontera is a quick and emotional read. Immigration is a topic that affects pretty much any country in the world, but Frontera’s relevance is strongest to those living in Mexico and the US. At a brisk 240 pages, it won’t take too much of your time either!

The Premise:
Mateo lived in America his whole life before being deported his Junior Year in high school. He and his parents make the choice to have him make the crossing back into the US to live with his grandmother. On the perilous journey, he encounters Guillermo, a ghost of a man who died during the same crossing many decades ago. Guillermo now helps others cross the border as he refuses to come to terms with his own history. However, perhaps the two can help each other more than either is willing to admit.

Read if Looking For: immigrant narratives, heartfelt characters, badass cats, angsty teens that feel realistic

Avoid if Looking For: tightly plotted stories, lots of speculative elements, romance storylines

Magic’s Pawn

Along with Nightrunner and Swordspoint, Magic’s Pawn serves as one of the foundations of gay male representation in the fantasy boom in the 80s and 90s. Apparently, this is the year where I finally got around to reading the classics of queer men in the genre I love so dearly. While Swordspoint and Nightrunner had some issues, I found them largely interesting and engaging reads worthy of their place in the cannon. Magic’s Pawn however, I struggled immensely with. I kept listening out of a desperate desire that it would return to the heights of its opening chapters. Unfortunately, I thought this novel was a bit of a mess. I deeply appreciate Lackey for helping to pave the way for greater queer representation, but it isn’t a series I plan on returning to.

The Premise
Vanyel is heir to a relatively minor noble house in the countryside. Unfortunately, he aspires to be a musician, while his father wants him to follow in the footsteps of toxic masculinity. Eventually, Vanyel is sent to court to live with his Aunt Savil, one of the highest ranking mages in the country. While there, Vanyel comes to terms with his homosexuality and falls in love with Savil’s star apprentice Tylendal. Their love is fated for tragedy however, and Vanyel’s story is far from a happy one.

Read if You Like: examples of early gay representation in epic fantasy, magic horses, tortured protagonists, instalove

Avoid if you Dislike: graphic suicide attempts, convincing love stories, emotional depth, consistent tone in writing

Stud and the Bloodblade

It’s been a while since I read a good batch of comics, but ever since I picked up Fables and Abott the urge has been growing in me. While Queer graphic novels are having a real moment right now – and I should probably do some writeups of my favorites – most of the ones I read are for my teaching job. I’m lucky enough to have two comics electives on my rotation (one middle school, and one high school) which keep me fairly busy. Stud didn’t seem like a safe bet for a school-purchase, so it took a lot longer for me to get around to this fabulous looking comic. At 144 pages, it’s tough for me to find reasons to not recommend something as quick and fun as Stud and the Bloodblade.

Elevator Pitch
Stud is the hero of his world, a world which plays hosts to refugees from across the multiverse. It is home to the Ouroboros, and Stud protects the citizens from the evils that find their way in. Unfortunately, he and his sword are also cursed by a witch whose son Stud accidentally killed. If he doesn’t sate the sword’s thirst for blood, he finds himself trapped in his sword while the dead child temporarily returns to life. After saving the life of an Astronaut and falling in love at first sight, Stud’s priorities begin to shift. Unfortunately, the man’s ship also supposedly contains a Demon Egg, which the Witch hopes will kill Stud once and for all.

Read if You Like: Corny superhero vibes, the intersection of satire and seriousness, He-Man references,

Avoid if You Dislike: American Superhero story structures and art style, lack of emotional depth, plots that aren’t airtight, quirky character designs

For more examples of the art, see the bottom of this post.

Price of a Thousand Blessings

Price of a Thousand Blessings was one of my most anticipated books coming out this year. Fantasy with a focus of the fantastic, a gay lead who isn’t totally consumed by a romance plotline, and an appealing cover. It didn’t quite hit the heights I was hoping for, but I’ve already purchased the sequel, and this is exactly the type of story I wish traditional publishing were willing to pick up more often.

Elevator Pitch:
Cymin is a monk, orphaned at 4 years old and fostered at a religious temple that turned him into one of the most skilled mages of his generation. He now represents the East Deity, the rising sun, in this year’s festival. It’s his last year before being sent to work at the Storm Towers to repay his debts to the government. This year is special though, as the ancient immortal Wraiths have come, once more ready to select apprentices after centuries of isolation. Unfortunately, Cymin ends up sacrificing his own future to stop a bomb from killing him (and everyone else at the arena) skyrocketing his debt and placing him in the control of National Security as a spy to investigate the mysteries of the Wraiths by tagging along with their journey home.

Read if Looking For: a serious take at a magitech world, reincarnation elements, epic(ish) fantasy with a m/m subplot, secret police pulling the strings

Avoid if You Dislike: slow pacing, characters in denial about their crushes, obvious twists that protagonists refuse to see

The Vessel’s Blood

I was asked to read this book by the author. I did not receive any payment for this review, and the book was purchased with my own money. My review is my honest opinion about the book.

Compared to many readers, my taste in books can verge on the unknown. For others, my reviews are remarkably mainstream. I can say with certainty though, that this is the least-reviewed book I’ve ever read (with the sole exception of a book of poetry retelling the story of Cronus written by a friend). It also happened to have a rather intriguing premise: what would the story of a man whose destiny is to turn into a god, their own soul consumed, when everything goes wrong? Throw in a pair of gay protagonists who don’t immediately fall in love, and it should be right up my alley. In general, I loved the ideas behind this book, but have some large reservations about the writing craft elements that didn’t work for me. Thankfully, craft can be workshopped.

The Premise:
Vulfrey is The Vessel. He is destined to die, subsumed by his god’s power when he sacrifices himself for the god’s return. He has lived his entire life in a citadel dedicated to him and his god. But when things go horribly wrong the night before his own death, he finds himself on the run with the Kail, son of a man who tried to kill him. The two search for a path to salvage the situation and bring their god into the world, even though it means Vulfrey losing his life.

Read if Looking For: non-romantic gay epic fantasy, spoiled brats acting like soiled brats, books that focus on scenework over narration, expansive worldbuilding

Avoid if Looking For: books tackling existential questions, romantasy, breakneck prose