Butches in Books
Updating the list of my favorite butches in (mostly) fantasy
“Butch. Stud. Dyke. Masc. Androgynous. Masculine women have been called and called themselves many things over time. We have always existed, even when we’ve been persecuted for the ways we look, the roles we refuse to fit into, and the roles we claim instead.”
A few years ago—probably for the release of The Faithless—I was asked by Google Books to come up with a themed list of books for them to feature. I wasn’t sure where to go with it, at first, but eventually I settled on what I knew best and what I knew I could come up with an appreciable number of. It was also what I wish someone might have curated for me once.
(I’m also aware that not all of us masc of center peeps hold the identity of ‘woman’ but I was dealing with a very certain marketing audience and a tiny word count that didn’t allow for the precise caveat that I’m making now. )
I also know that people are often looking for this—I used to see the posts on twitter all the time: “Where are the butches? Where are the masculine women?”
It’s true that, societally, while many associate the word “lesbian” with masculine women, associate us with ugliness, coarseness, even the patriarchy itself. It comes from inside and outside of the queer communities we find ourselves in. At the same time, in media, it can feel like we’re under-represented. Those same biases made it so that, for a long time, it was only acceptable to show femme women who were interested in media, women who at the very least might look like they were interested in men sometimes.
Luckily, I think that’s changing, not necessarily in visual media, but certainly in mainstream textual media. (This isn’t even to start on assumptions of femme/femme or butch/femme pairings to the exclusion of two masculine partners, but that’s a topic for a different day. As you may know, I’m more fond of a different binary: the knight/commander or sword/conniver.) (It also doesn’t account for indie publishing, where there have continuously been butches, especially in queer indie presses.) Still, it can be difficult sometimes to find what you’re looking for when, in a fantasy world, gender isn’t signified in the same way it is in our world. So we look for certain attitudes, certain professions, and ways of physicality. Certain understandings of one’s body in relation to others, especially other women and queer people.
Below, you’ll find a few more butches I’ve met in books since the original list came out, or books that I didn’t have room to include. I’ve also included the SFF titles from the original list so that it doesn’t vanish one day. Most of the characters below are lesbians or find themselves in lesbian relationships at some point in the narratives they’re in, but sexuality isn’t always something to be bound and labeled; not to mention, some may have certain duties to their houses. On the whole, I tried to include only those who rang true to me. I realize that might not be the same for all of us. Oh well!
I hope you enjoy. And obviously, if you have more—share them in the comments!
Stay sharp,
C. L.
*The links below are affiliate links and I do get a kickback if you purchase a book through them, either at my UK Bookshop.org or my US Bookshop.org.
All of my books. Obviously.
Call me Traitor, Everina Maxwell
Call Me Traitor
Check out Call Me Traitor - <p>A thrilling and romantic fantasy adventure from Everina Maxwell, bestselling author of <i>Winter’s Orbit</i>.<br><br><b>En is a weapon.</b><br>Battle spells are carved into her skin, she’s trained to work through pain, and she’s magically compelled with loyalty to the archmagi. When she’s sent on a mission to retrieve a group of infamous traitors from exile in a land of unpredictable and deadly magic, she’s forced to team up with a common soldier to have any chance of success, or survival. <br><br><b>Tamol is a disaster.</b><br>En isn’t fooled by the soldier’s silver tongue and good looks. Tamol is flighty, cowardly and the worst soldier En has ever met. But she’s also brilliant at magic and kinder than En has any right to expect. When she saves En’s life, it takes everything En has not to start falling for her. That is, until En discovers Tamol is one of the very traitors she seeks.<br><br><b>The empire never forgets.</b><br>Years ago, the exiled traitors were just normal students with a vision for a better kingdom. They put their lives on the line fighting for it and lost. So they were exiled to the Far Peninsula to die. But now, the empire discovers the traitors may yet live, and they’ve unearthed something in the wilderness that the archmagi will pay any price to get. <br><br>But the might of an unforgiving empire isn’t the greatest force in all the land. Something monstrous is living in the Far Peninsula that does not discriminate between soldiers, traitors, and kings. <br><br>The future of the empire is unexpectedly in the hands of En and Tamol. At least the perfect soldier would never betray her orders, no matter how much she starts to question her command. Would she? <br><br><i>Call Me Traitor</i> is an enthralling sapphic adventure from academia into exile and beyond.<br><br>Everina Maxwell’s books have been recommended by <i>NPR</i>, <i>BookRiot</i>, <i>Paste Magazine</i>, and featured in <i>The New York Times</i> “Romantasy: A Starter Pack”!<br> <b><br>Expect:</b><br> Opposites attract <br>Assassin falls in love with target <br>Forbidden love<br>Found family gone wrong<br>Slowburn<br>Dark academia</p> by Everina Maxwell on Bookshop.org US!
Tor Books
(pre-order this now and thank me later, ugh!!)
Pasha the Storm, Linda H. Codega
Pasha the Storm
Check out Pasha the Storm - <b><i>Moby-Dick </i>meets <i>The Bone Shard Daughter</i> in this swashbuckling queer fantasy adventure packed with piracy, political intrigue, and the eternal souls of the drowned, for fans of <i>The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi </i>and <i>Black Sun.</i></b><br><br><i>An exiled pirate queen hunts a killer whale on the high seas, while caught between a power-hungry empress and a revolutionary conspiring to end her reign . . .</i><br><br>Pasha the Northern Storm was once the most infamous Meridian pirate who ever sailed the sister oceans. Now, a decade into her exile, Pasha’s afterlife is being held hostage by Atle, an absurdly attractive noble who knows far too much about pirate magic—but not enough about sailing to realize how dangerous Pasha really is.<br><br>Minister Atle Itaavar is duty-bound to serve the Kingdom of Garda, but as Queen Thivaldís gathers support for her ambitions of empire, Atle turns to treason to stop her. In order to destroy the Queen’s new necromantic navy, Atle plans to steal the Queen’s flagship, kidnap a washed-up pirate to sail it, and track down a legendary killer whale to bring it down. <br><br>But the hunt for the great undying whale drags Pasha, Atle, and the crew of the<i> Dog </i>into a cosmic reckoning as they face threats from ghosts and gods alike—and the Queen of Garda is close behind. by Linda H. Codega on Bookshop.org US!
Erewhon Books
The Blacktongue Thief and The Daughters’ War, Christopher Buelhman
The Blacktongue Thief
Check out The Blacktongue Thief - <p><b>A <i>USA Today </i>bestseller!</b><br><b><br>Set in a world of goblin wars, stag-sized battle ravens, and assassins who kill with deadly tattoos, Christopher Buehlman’s <i>The Blacktongue Thief</i> begins a ‘dazzling’ (Robin Hobb) fantasy adventure unlike any other.<br></b><br>Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which includes (but is not limited to) lock-picking, knife-fighting, wall-scaling, fall-breaking, lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the old forest road, planning to rob the next traveler that crosses his path.<br><br>But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark.<br><br>Galva is a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death. She is searching for her queen, missing since a distant northern city fell to giants.<br><br>Unsuccessful in his robbery and lucky to escape with his life, Kinch now finds his fate entangled with Galva’s. Common enemies and uncommon dangers force thief and knight on an epic journey where goblins hunger for human flesh, krakens hunt in dark waters, and honor is a luxury few can afford.<b><br><br>“<i>The Blacktongue Thief </i>is fast and fun and filled with crazy magic. I can’t wait to see what Christopher Buehlman does next.” - Brent Weeks, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of the Lightbringer series</b></p> by Christopher Buehlman on Bookshop.org US!
Tor Books
The Daughters’ War
Check out The Daughters’ War - <p><b>An instant <i>USA Today</i> bestseller!</b><br><b><br>Enter the fray in this luminous new adventure from Christopher Buehlman, set during the war-torn, goblin-infested years just before <i>The Blacktongue Thief</i>.</b><br><br><i>The goblins have killed all of our horses and most of our men. <br><br>They have enslaved our cities, burned our fields, and still they wage war.<br><br>Now, our daughters take up arms.</i><br><br>Galva — <i>Galvicha</i> to her three brothers, two of whom the goblins will kill — has defied her family’s wishes and joined the army’s untested new unit, the Raven Knights. They march toward a once-beautiful city overrun by the goblin horde, accompanied by scores of giant war corvids. Made with the darkest magics, these fearsome black birds may hold the key to stopping the goblins in their war to make cattle of mankind.<br><br>The road to victory is bloody, and goblins are clever and merciless. The Raven Knights can take nothing for granted — not the bonds of family, nor the wisdom of their leaders, nor their own safety against the dangerous war birds at their side. But some hopes are worth any risk.<br><br><b><u>Also by Christopher Buehlman</u></b><br><i>The Blacktongue Thief</i></p> by Christopher Buehlman on Bookshop.org US!
Tor Books
(Galva, my love!)
The Kindom Trilogy, Bethany Jacobs
These Burning Stars
Check out These Burning Stars - <b>WINNER OF THE 2024 PHILIP K. DICK AWARD <p/> ”<i>These Burning Stars</i> pulls off one of the most brazen, gasp-inducing reveals I’ve experienced in an age.” -<i>Esquire </i> <p/> A dangerous cat-and-mouse quest for revenge. An empire that spans star systems, built on the bones of a genocide. A carefully hidden secret that could collapse worlds, hunted by three women with secrets of their own. This is an explosive space opera debut from one of the most powerful new voices in science fiction.</b> <p/> On a dusty backwater planet, occasional thief Jun Ironway has gotten her hands on the score of a lifetime: a secret that could raze the Kindom, the ruling power of the galaxy. <p/> A star system away, preternaturally stoic Chono and brilliant hothead Esek-- the two most brutal clerics of the Kindom--are tasked with hunting Jun down. <p/> And tracking all three across the stars is a ghost from their shared past known only as Six. But what Six wants is anyone’s guess. It’s a game of manipulation and betrayal that could destroy them all. And they have no choice but to see it through. <p/> ★ <b>“An intricate plot for revenge drives this far-future SF political thriller. An exciting start from a fresh talent.”―<i>Kirkus</i> (Starred Review)</b> <p/> ★ <b>“Readers who love smart thrillers and explosive science fiction won’t want to miss this book.”―<i>Booklist</i> (Starred Review)</b> <p/> ★ <b>“A devilishly fun thrill ride ... <i>These Burning Stars</i> is plotted like a chess match, confident and surprising as Jacobs moves each piece thoughtfully across her board.”―<i>BookPage</i> (Starred Review)</b> by Bethany Jacobs on Bookshop.org US!
Orbit
Daughter of Mystery, Heather Rose Jones
Daughter of Mystery
Check out Daughter of Mystery - <p>Margerit Sovitre did not expect to inherit the Baron Saveze’s fortunes--and even less his bodyguard. The formidable Barbara, of unknown parentage and tied to the barony for secretive reasons, is a feared duelist, capable of defending her charges with efficient, deadly force. <p/>Equally perplexing is that while she is now a highly eligible heiress, Margerit did not also inherit the Saveze title, and the new baron eyes the fortunes he lost with open envy. Barbara, bitter that her servitude is to continue, may be the only force that stands between Margerit and the new Baron’s greed--and the ever deeper layers of intrigue that surround the ill-health of Alpennia’s prince and the divine power from rituals known only as The Mysteries of the Saints. <p/>At first Margerit protests the need for Barbara’s services, but soon she cannot imagine sending Barbara away--for reasons of state and reasons of the heart. <p/><i>Heather Rose Jone debuts with a sweeping story rich in intrigue and the clash of loyalties and love.</i></p> by Heather Rose Jones on Bookshop.org US!
Bella Books
The Shipwright and the Shroudweaver, Rafael Torrubia
The Shipwright and the Shroudweaver: Tolkien Meets Jemisin in This Sensational Epic Fantasy Debut Filled with Fallen Gods and Forbidden Magic
Tolkien Meets Jemisin in This Sensational Epic Fantasy Debut Filled with Fallen Gods and Forbidden Magic
Gollancz
The Duke, Anna Cowan
The Duke: A Novel
A Novel
St. Martin’s Griffin
(not strictly fantasy, but it’s in a world where things are -different-
Fire Logic, Laurie J. Marks
Fire Logic: An Elemental Logic Novel
An Elemental Logic Novel
Small Beer Press
The Wings upon Her Back, Samantha Mills
The Wings Upon Her Back
Check out The Wings Upon Her Back - <B><I>[STARRED REVIEW] “A triumphant debut novel.”</I></B> —<B>Booklist</B><BR><B><I>[STARRED REVIEW] “An absolute must-read.” —</I>Kirkus</B><BR><b><i>[STARRED REVIEW] “Intricate and intriguing.”</i> —Publishers Weekly</b><br /><b><i>[STARRED REVIEW] “Complex and haunting.”</i> —Library Journal</b><br /><br /><B><i>In this gripping debut novel from acclaimed Nebula, Sturgeon, and Locus Award-winning author Samantha Mills, a disgraced soldier fights to make sense of her world and the gods who abandoned it. </i>The Wings Upon Her Back <i>is an action-packed, devastating exploration of the brutal costs of zealous loyalty.</i></B><BR><BR>Zenya was a teenager when she ran away to join the mechanically-modified warrior sect. She was determined to earn mechanized wings and protect the people of Radezhda, the city she loved. Under the strict tutelage of a mercurial, charismatic leader, Vodaya, Zenya finally became Winged Zemolai.<BR><BR>But after twenty-six years of service, Zemolai is disillusioned with her role as an enforcer in an increasingly fascist state. After one tragic act of mercy, she is brutally cast out and loses everything she worked for. As Zemolai struggles for her life, she must question her sect, their leader, and even the gods themselves. by Samantha Mills on Bookshop.org US!
Tachyon Publications
Valerin the Fair, Rien Gray
Savage Rebellion Trilogy, Matt Wallace
Savage Legion
Check out Savage Legion - <b>The acclaimed, epic, and spellbinding fantasy by Hugo Award–winning author Matt Wallace, about a utopian city with a dark secret…and the underdogs who will expose it, or die trying.</b><BR><BR>They call them Savages. Brutal. Efficient. Expendable.<BR> <BR>The empire relies on them. The Savages are the greatest weapon they ever developed. Culled from the streets of their cities, they take the ones no one will miss and throw them, by the thousands, at the empire’s enemies. If they live, they fight again. If they die, there are always more to take their place.<BR> <BR>Evie is not a Savage. She’s a warrior with a mission: to find the man she once loved, the man who holds the key to exposing the secret of the Savage Legion and ending the mass conscription of the empire’s poor and wretched.<BR> <BR>But to find him, she must become one of them, to be marked in her blood, to fight in their wars, and to find her purpose. Evie will die a Savage if she has to, but not before showing the world who she really is and what the Savage Legion can really do.<BR> <BR>This remarkable and captivating fantasy will take you on a journey into the heart of brutal battles, dire situations, and odds that seem too high to overcome. by Matt Wallace on Bookshop.org US!
Gallery Books
Song of the Huntress, Lucy Holland
Song of the Huntress
Check out Song of the Huntress - <b>The acclaimed author of </b><i><b>Sistersong </b></i><b>transforms the</b><b> story of Herla and the Wild Hunt into a rich, feminist fantasy in this stunning tale of two great warriors, a war-torn land, and an ancient magic that is slowly awakening.</b> <p/> Britain, 60AD. Hoping to save her lover, her land, and her people from the Romans, Herla makes a desperate pact with the king of the Otherworld. But years pass unheeded in his realm, and she escapes to find everyone she loved long dead. Cursed to wield his blade, she becomes Lord of the Hunt. And for centuries, she rides, leading her immortal warriors and reaping wanderers’ souls. Until the night she meets a woman on a bloody battlefield--a Saxon queen with ice-blue eyes. <p/> Queen Æthelburg of Wessex is a proven fighter. But when she leads her forces to disaster in battle, her husband’s court turns against her. Yet King Ine needs Æthel more than ever. Something dark and dangerous is at work in the Wessex court. His own brother seeks to usurp him. And their only hope is the magic in Ine’s bloodline that’s lain dormant since ancient days. <p/> The moment she and Æthel meet, Herla knows it’s no coincidence. The dead kings are waking. The Otherworld seeks to rise, to bring the people of Britain under its dominion. And as Herla and Æthel grow closer, Herla must find her humanity--and a way to break the curse--before it’s too late. by Lucy Holland on Bookshop.org US!
Redhook
The Isle in the Silver Sea, Tasha Suri
The Isle in the Silver Sea
Check out The Isle in the Silver Sea - <b>From World Fantasy Award-winning author Tasha Suri comes <i>The Isle in the Silver Sea</i>, a heart-shattering standalone romantasy of sapphic longing, medieval folklore and a love that spans the centuries--in a stunning hardcover edition featuring designed endpapers, silver foiling, and a soft matte finish! <p/> AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER <br> ONE OF <i>THE NEW YORK TIMES’ </i>BEST ROMANCE NOVELS OF 2025</b> <p/><b>★ “Beautifully inevitable and surprising at the same time.” -<i>Kirkus</i> (Starred Review) <p/> ★ “A sensuous and haunting story of love beyond time.” -<i>Library Journal </i>(Starred Review)</b> <p/> In an England fuelled by stories, the knight and the witch are fated to fall in love and doom each other over and over, the same tale retold over hundreds of lifetimes. <p/> Simran is a witch of the woods. Vina is a knight of the Queen’s court. When the two women begin to fall for each other, how can they surrender to their desires, when to give in is to destroy each other? <p/> As they seek a way to break the cycle, a mysterious assassin begins targeting tales like theirs. To survive, the two will need to write a story stronger than the one that fate has given to them. <p/><b>But what tale is stronger than The Knight and the Witch?</b> by Tasha Suri on Bookshop.org US!
Orbit
The Everlasting, Alix Harrow
The Everlasting
Check out The Everlasting - <p><b>DELUXE EDITION—a beautiful hardcover edition featuring dark teal sprayed edges, a foil stamp on the casing, and full-page illustrations!</b><br><br><b>Instant New York Times bestseller • USA Today bestseller • National Indie bestseller </b><br><b><br>October 2025 LibraryReads Hall of Fame Pick • November 2025 Indie Next Pick!</b><br><br><b>From Alix E. Harrow, the <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>Starling House</i>, comes a moving and genre-defying quest about the lady-knight whose legend built a nation, and the cowardly historian sent back through time to make sure she plays her part–even if it breaks his heart.</b><br><br>Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion’s greatest hero: the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country. Her legend lives on in songs and stories, in children’s books and recruiting posters—but her life as it truly happened has been forgotten.<br><br>Centuries later, Owen Mallory—failed soldier, struggling scholar—falls in love with the tale of Una Everlasting. Her story takes him to war, to the archives—and then into the past itself. Una and Owen are tangled together in time, bound to retell the same story over and over again, no matter what it costs.<br><br>But that story always ends the same way. If they want to rewrite Una’s legend—if they want to tell a different story--they’ll have to rewrite history itself.<br><br><br>“Alix E. Harrow is an exceptional, undeniable talent.” —Olivie Blake, <i>New York </i>Times bestselling author of <i>The Atlas Six</i><br><br>“An utter masterpiece… I loved every single page.” —Rachel Gillig, <i>New York Times </i>and <i>USA Today</i> bestselling author of <i>One Dark Window</i></p> by Alix E. Harrow on Bookshop.org US!
Tor Books
Godkiller, Hannah Kaner
Godkiller: A Novel
A Novel
Harper Voyager
Spear, Nicola Griffith
Spear
Check out Spear - <p><b>Winner of the ADCI Literary Prize</b><br><b>Winner of the <i>L.A. Times</i> Ray Bradbury Prize</b><br><br><b>Finalist for the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction<br></b><b>Finalist for the Nebula Award for Best Novel</b><br><b>Finalist for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel</b><br><b>Finalist for the HWA Gold Crown Award for Historical Fiction<br><br></b><b>”[A] queer Arthurian masterpiece for the modern era.”</b><b>—<i>Los Angeles Times</i></b><br><b><br>“A pleasure to follow [and] a lovely flexing of Griffith’s strengths in short form.” </b><b>—<i>The New York Times Book Review</i></b><br><br><b>“Spectacular—I’ve been waiting years for this book to exist.” —Maria Dahvana Headley, author of <i>Beowulf: A New Translation</i></b><br><b><br>“If Le Guin wrote a Camelot story, I imagine it would feel like <i>Spear</i>: humane, intelligent, and deeply beautiful. It’s a new story with very old bones, a strange place that feels like home.” —Alix E. Harrow, author of<i> A Spindle Splintered</i></b><br><br><b>A <i>Shelf Awareness</i> Best of the Year pick</b><br><b>A <i>Vulture </i>Best Fantasy of the Year pick<br><br></b><i>She left all she knew to find who she could be . . . </i><br><br>She grows up in the wild wood, in a cave with her mother, but visions of a faraway lake drift to her on the spring breeze, scented with promise. And when she hears a traveler speak of Artos, king of Caer Leon, she decides her future lies at his court. So, brimming with magic and eager to test her strength, she breaks her covenant with her mother and sets out on her bony gelding for Caer Leon. <br><br>With her stolen hunting spear and mended armour, she is an unlikely hero, not a chosen one, but one who forges her own bright path. Aflame with determination, she begins a journey of magic and mystery, love, lust and fights to death. On her adventures, she will steal the hearts of beautiful women, fight warriors and sorcerers, and make a place to call home. <br><br>The legendary author of <i>Hild</i> returns with an unforgettable hero and a queer Arthurian masterpiece for the modern era. Nicola Griffith’s <i>Spear </i>is a spellbinding vision of the Camelot we’ve longed for, a Camelot that belongs to us all.</p> by Nicola Griffith on Bookshop.org US!
Tordotcom
Metal from Heaven, august clarke
Metal from Heaven
Check out Metal from Heaven - <b>For fans of <i>The Princess Bride</i> and <i>Gideon the Ninth</i>: a bloody lesbian revenge tale and political fantasy set in a glittering world transformed by industrial change – and simmering class warfare.</b><br><br>He who controls ichorite controls the world. <br><br>A malleable metal more durable than steel, ichorite is a toxic natural resource fueling national growth, and ambitious industrialist Yann Chauncey helms production of this miraculous ore. Working his foundry is an underclass of destitute workers, struggling to get better wages and proper medical treatment for those exposed to ichorite’s debilitating effects since birth.<br><br>One of those luster-touched victims, the child worker Marney Honeycutt, is picketing with her family and best friend when a bloody tragedy unfolds. Chauncey’s strikebreakers open fire.<br><br>Only Marney survives.<br><br>A decade later, as Yann Chauncey searches for a suitable political marriage for his ward, Marney sees the perfect opportunity for revenge. With the help of radical bandits and their stolen wealth, she must masquerade as an aristocrat to win over the calculating Gossamer Chauncey and kill the man who slaughtered her family and friends. But she is not the only suitor after Lady Gossamer’s hand, leading her to play twisted elitist games of intrigue. And Marney’s luster-touched connection to the mysterious resource and its foundry might put her in grave danger – or save her from it.<br><br>H. A. Clarke’s adult fantasy debut, writing as August Clarke, <i>Metal From Heaven </i>is a caustic, dizzying eco-fantasy that addresses labor politics, corporate greed, and the relentless grind of capitalism, while also embodying a visceral lesbian revenge quest against the people and institutions who control and oppress the helpless.<br><br><b>“A riotous phantasmagoria that epitomizes the phrase ‘be gay, do crime.’” - Melinda Borie, Collection Development Librarian, Floyd County Library (New Albany, IN)</b> by august clarke on Bookshop.org US!
Erewhon Books
Scapegracers, H. A. Clarke
The Scapegracers
Check out The Scapegracers - <b><b>An Indie Bestseller! <br><br>2021 Locus Award Finalist for Best Young Adult Novel<br>2021 Dragon Award Finalist for Best Young Adult/Middle Grade Novel <br><br>“As tender and intimate as it is ferocious and volatile, <i>Scapegracers </i>deserves to be this generation’s go-to grimoire. May it launch a thousand covens of angry, loving, brilliant girls.” —Amal El-Mohtar in <i>The New York Times Book Review</i> Holiday Books Guide</b><i><br><br>The Craft </i>for Gen Z: <i>The Scapegracers</i> is an award-nominated, indie bestseller about witchcraft and friendship among a hell-raising coven of teen girls, told in an unapologetically fierce, inclusive, and vibrant voice.</b><br><br>Skulking near the bottom of West High’s social pyramid, Sideways Pike lurks under the bleachers doing magic tricks for bottles of Coke. As a witch, lesbian, and lifelong outsider, she’s had a hard time making friends. But when the three most popular girls pay her forty dollars to cast a spell at their Halloween party, Sideways gets swept into a new clique. The unholy trinity are dangerous angels, sugar-coated rattlesnakes, and now—unbelievably—Sideways’ best friends.<br><br>Together, the four bond to form a ferocious and powerful coven. They plan parties, cast curses on jerks, and try to find Sideways a girlfriend, all while eluding the fundamentalist witchfinders hell-bent on stealing their magic. But for Sideways, the hardest part is the whole “having friends” thing. Who knew that balancing human interaction with supernatural peril could be so complicated?<br><br>Rich with the urgency of feral youth, <i>The Scapegracers</i> is an atmospheric, voice-driven novel of the occult that explores magic, growing up, and the complexities of friendship with all the rage of a teenage girl. by H. A. Clarke on Bookshop.org US!
Erewhon Books
The Drowning Empire Trilogy, Andrea Stewart
The Bone Shard Daughter
Check out The Bone Shard Daughter - <b><i>The Bone Shard Daughter</i> is an unmissable debut from a major new voice in epic fantasy -- a stunning tale of magic, mystery, and revolution in which the former heir to the emperor will fight to reclaim her power and her place on the throne.</b> <p/><b>“One of the best debut fantasy novels of the year.” -- BuzzFeed News <br>“An amazing start to a new trilogy.” -- Culturess <br>“It grabs you by the heart and the throat from the first pages and doesn’t let go.” -- Sarah J. Maas</b> <p/>The emperor’s reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire’s many islands. <p/>Lin is the emperor’s daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic. <p/>Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright - and save her people. <p/><b>“One of the best debut fantasy novels of the year.” --<i>BuzzFeed News</i></b> <p/><b>“An amazing start to a new trilogy.” --<i>Culturess</i></b> <p/><b>“It grabs you by the heart and the throat from the first pages and doesn’t let go.” --Sarah J. Maas</b> <p/><b>“Epic fantasy at its most human and heartfelt . . . inventive, adventurous and wonderfully written.” --Alix E. Harrow</b> <p/><b>“Utterly absorbing. I adored it.” --Emily Duncan</b> <p/><b>“A thoroughly fantastic read.” --Kevin Hearne</b> <p/><b>“Stewart’s debut is sharp and compelling. It will hook readers in and make them fiercely anticipate the rest of the series.” --<i>Booklist</i></b> <p/><b>“Groundbreaking epic fantasy for a new age.” --Tasha Suri</b> <p/><b>“Begins with a spark of intrigue that ignites into a thrilling adventure.” --Hafsah Faizal</b> by Andrea Stewart on Bookshop.org US!
Orbit
The Queens of Innis Lear and Lady Hotspur, Tessa Gratton
The Queens of Innis Lear
Check out The Queens of Innis Lear - <p><b>Dynasties battle for the crown in Tessa Gratton’s debut adult epic fantasy, <i>The Queens of Innis Lear.</i></b><br><b><br>Three Queens. One crown. All out war.</b> <br><br><b>Gaela. Ruthless Commander.</b> <br>I am the rightful heir of Innis Lear. No more will I wait in the shadows and watch my mother’s murderer bleed my island dry. <br><br>The King’s hold on the crown must end—willingly or at the edge of my sword. <br><br><b>Regan. Master Manipulator.</b> <br>To secure my place on the throne, I must produce an heir. Countless times I have fed the island’s forests my blood. Yet, my ambition is cursed. <br><br>No matter what or whom I must destroy, I will wield the magic of Innis Lear. <br><br><b>Elia. Star-blessed Priest.</b> <br>My sisters hide in the shadows like serpents, waiting to strike our ailing king. I must protect my father, even if it means marrying a stranger. <br><br> We all have to make sacrifices. Love and freedom will be mine.<br><b><br>“Amazing. Just Amazing.”--Robin McKinley</b></p> by Tessa Gratton on Bookshop.org US!
Tor Books
Lady Hotspur
Check out Lady Hotspur - <p><b>Tessa Gratton’s <i>Lady Hotspur</i> is a sweeping, heart-stopping Shakespearean novel of betrayal and battlefields and destiny.</b><br><br><b>STRIKE FAST, LOVE HARD, LIVE FOREVER</b><br><br>This is the motto of the Lady Knights—sworn to fealty under a struggling kingdom, promised to defend the prospective heir, Banna Mora.<br><br>But when a fearsome rebellion overthrows the throne, Mora is faced with an agonizing choice: give up everything she’s been raised to love, and allow a king-killer to be rewarded—or retake the throne, and take up arms against the newest heir, Hal Bolingbrooke, Mora’s own childhood best friend and sworn head of the Lady Knights.<br><br>Hal loathes being a Prince; she’s much more comfortable instated on the Throne of Misrule, a raucous underground nether-court where passion rules all. She yearns to live up to the wishes of everyone she loves best—but that means sacrificing her own heart, and so she will disappoint everyone until the moment she can rise to prove those expectations wrong.<br><br>And between these two fierce Princes is the woman who will decide all their fates—Lady Hotspur, the fiery and bold knight whose support will turn the tides of the coming war.</p> by Tessa Gratton on Bookshop.org US!
Tor Books
The Winged Histories, Sofia Samatar
The Winged Histories
Check out The Winged Histories - <p>Four women, soldier, scholar, poet, and socialite are caught up on different sides of a violent rebellion. As war erupts and their families are torn apart, they fear they may disappear into the unwritten pages of history. Using the sword and the pen, the body and the voice, they struggle not just to survive, but to make history.</p><p>Here is the much-anticipated companion novel to Sofia Samatar’s award-winning debut, <i>A Stranger in Olondria. The Winged Histories</i> is the saga of an empire--and a family: their friendships, their enduring love, their arcane and deadly secrets. Samatar asks who makes history, who endures it, and how the turbulence of historical change sweeps over every aspect of a life and over everyone, no matter whether or not they choose to seek it out.</p> <b><p>Praise for <i>The Winged Histories: </i></b></p><p>“Like an alchemist, Sofia Samatar spins golden landscapes and dazzling sentences.... a fantasy novel for those who take their sentences with the same slow, unfolding beauty as a cup of jasmine tea, and for adventurers like Tav, who are willing to charge ahead into the unknown.”--<i>Shelf Awareness</i> (starred review)</p><p>“A highly recommended indulgence.”<br>--N.K. Jemisin, <i>New York Times Book Review</i></p><p>“Above all, it’s a story about love--the terrible love that tears lives apart. Doomed love; impossible love; love that requires a rewriting of the rules, be it for a country, a person, or a story.”--Jenn Northington, Tor.com</p><p>“An imaginative, poetic, and dark meditation on how history gets made.”<br>--<i>Hello Beautiful</i></p> by Sofia Samatar on Bookshop.org US!
Small Beer Press
The Traitor Baru Cormorant, Seth Dickinson
The Traitor Baru Cormorant
Check out The Traitor Baru Cormorant - <p><b><i>The Traitor Baru Cormorant </i>is the critically-acclaimed debut novel from Seth Dickinson, one of the rising new stars in fantasy. <br></b><br>Tomorrow, on the beach, Baru Cormorant will look up and see red sails on the horizon.<br><br>The Empire of Masks is coming, armed with coin and ink, doctrine and compass, soap and lies. They will conquer Baru’s island, rewrite her culture, criminalize her customs, and dispose of one of her fathers. But Baru is patient. She’ll swallow her hate, join the Masquerade, and claw her way high enough up the rungs of power to set her people free.<br><br>To test her loyalty, the Masquerade will send Baru to bring order to distant Aurdwynn, a snakepit of rebels, informants, and seditious dukes. But Baru is a savant in games of power, as ruthless in her tactics as she is fixated on her goals. In the calculus of her schemes, all ledgers must be balanced, and the price of liberation paid in full.</p> by Seth Dickinson on Bookshop.org US!
Tor Books
Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir
Gideon the Ninth
Check out Gideon the Ninth - <p><b><i>15+ pages of new, original content, including a glossary of terms, in-universe writings, and more!<br></i><br></b><b>A <i>USA Today</i> Best-Selling Novel, and one of the Best Books of 2019 according to NPR, the New York Public Library, Amazon, <i>BookPage</i>, <i>Shelf Awareness,</i> <i>BookRiot</i>, and <i>Bustle</i>!</b><br><b><br>WINNER of the 2020 Crawford Award<br>Finalist for the 2020 Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards</b><b><br><br>“Unlike anything I’ve ever read. ” —V.E. Schwab<br></b><b><br>“Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space!” —Charles Stross<br><br></b><b>“</b><b>Brilliantly original, messy and weird straight through</b>.<b>”</b> <b>—NPR</b><br><br>The Emperor needs necromancers.<br><br>The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.<br><br>Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead nonsense.<br><br>Tamsyn Muir’s <i>Gideon the Ninth</i>, first in The Locked Tomb Trilogy, unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as skillfully animated as arcane revenants. The result is a heart-pounding epic science fantasy.<br><br>Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service.<br><br>Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will be become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.<br><br>Of course, some things are better left dead.<br><br>THE LOCKED TOMB SERIES<br>BOOK 1: <i>Gideon the Ninth</i><br>BOOK 2: <i>Harrow the Ninth<br></i>BOOK 3: <i>Nona the Ninth</i><br>BOOK 4: <i>Alecto the Ninth</i></p> by Tamsyn Muir on Bookshop.org US!
Tor Books
A Master of Djinn, P. Djeli Clark
A Master of Djinn
Check out A Master of Djinn - <p><b>Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark goes full-length for the first time in his dazzling debut novel, <i>A Master of Djinn.</i><br></b><br>Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.<br><br>So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world forty years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.<br><br>Alongside her Ministry colleagues and a familiar person from her past, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city—or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems…<br><br><b>A Nebula Award Winner</b><br><b>A Ignyte Award Winner</b><br><b>A Compton Crook Award for Best New Novel Winner</b><br><b>A Locus First Novel Award Winner</b><br><b>A RUSA Reading List: Fantasy Winner</b><br><b>A Hugo Award Finalist</b><br><b>A World Fantasy Award Finalist</b><br><b>A NEIBA Book Award Finalist</b><br><b>A Mythopoeic Award Finalist</b><br><b>A Dragon Award Finalist<br></b><br><b><u>Novellas by P. Djèlí Clark</u></b><br><i>The Black God’s Drums</i><br><i>The Haunting of Tram Car 015</i><br><i>Ring Shout</i><br><br><i>The Dead Djinn Universe contains stories set primarily in Clark’s fantasy alternate Cairo, and can be enjoyed in any order.</i></p> by P. Djèlí Clark on Bookshop.org US!
Tor Books
Alanna series, Tamora Pierce
Alanna: The First Adventure
The First Adventure
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
The Thousand Names, Django Wexler
The Thousand Names
Check out The Thousand Names - <b>Set in an alternate nineteenth century, muskets and magic are weapons to be feared in the first “spectacular epic” (Fantasy Book Critic) in Django Wexler’s Shadow Campaigns series.</b><br><br>Captain Marcus d’Ivoire, commander of one of the Vordanai empire’s colonial garrisons, was serving out his days in a sleepy, remote outpost—until a rebellion left him in charge of a demoralized force clinging to a small fortress at the edge of the desert.<br><br> To flee from her past, Winter Ihernglass masqueraded as a man and enlisted as a ranker in the Vordanai Colonials, hoping only to avoid notice. But when chance sees her promoted to command, she must lead her men into battle against impossible odds.<br><br> Their fate depends on Colonel Janus bet Vhalnich. Under his command, Marcus and Winter feel the tide turning and their allegiance being tested. For Janus’s ambitions extend beyond the battlefield and into the realm of the supernatural—a realm with the power to reshape the known world and change the lives of everyone in its path. by Django Wexler on Bookshop.org US!
Ace
Legends and Lattes, Travis Baldree
Legends & Lattes: A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes
A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes
Tor Books
The Midnight Lie duology, Marie Rutkoski
The Midnight Lie
Check out The Midnight Lie - <p><b>Set in the world of the <i>New York Times</i>–bestselling Winner’s Trilogy, Marie Rutkoski’s <i>The Midnight Lie</i> is an epic LGBTQ romantic fantasy about learning to free ourselves from the lies others tell us—and the lies we tell ourselves.</b><br><br>Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colors. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences.<br><br>Nirrim keeps her head down, and a dangerous secret close to her chest. <br><br>But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away, who whispers rumors that the High Kith possess magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must surrender her old life. She must place her trust in this sly stranger who asks, above all, not to be trusted.</p> by Marie Rutkoski on Bookshop.org US!
Square Fish
Nottingham, Thorn, Compass Rose, Anna Burke
Nottingham: The True Story of Robyn Hood
The True Story of Robyn Hood
Bywater Books
Thorn
Check out Thorn - <p>On a cold day deep in the heart of winter, Rowan’s father returns from an ill-fated hunting trip bearing a single, white rose. The rose is followed by the Huntress, a figure out of legend. Tall, cruel, and achingly beautiful, she brings Rowan back with her to a mountain fastness populated solely by the creatures of the hunt. Rowan, who once scorned the villagers for their superstitions, now finds herself at the heart of a curse with roots as deep as the mountains, ruled by an old magic that is as insidious as the touch of the winter rose. Torn between her family loyalties, her guilty relief at escaping her betrothal to the charming but arrogant Avery Lockland, and her complicated feelings for the Huntress, Rowan must find a way to break the curse before it destroys everything she loves. There is only one problem--if she can find a way to lift the curse, she will have to return to the life she left behind. And the only thing more unbearable than endless winter is facing a lifetime of springs without the Huntress.</p> by Anna Burke on Bookshop.org US!
Bywater Books
Compass Rose
Check out Compass Rose - <p>In the year 2513, the only thing higher than the seas is what’s at stake for those who sail them. Rose was born facing due north, with an inherent perception of cardinal points flowing through her veins. Her uncanny sense of direction earns her a coveted place among the Archipelago Fleet elite, but it also attracts the attention of Admiral Comita, who sends her on a secret mission deep into pirate territory.Accompanied by a ragtag crew of mercenaries and under the command of Miranda, a captain as bloodthirsty as she is alluring, Rose discovers the hard way that even the best sense of direction won’t be enough to keep her alive if she can’t learn to navigate something far more dangerous than the turbulent seas. Aboard the mercenary ship, Man o’ War, Rose learns quickly that trusting the wrong person can get you killed--and Miranda’s crew have no intention of making things easy for her--especially Miranda’s trusted first mate, Orca, who is as stubborn as she is brutal.</p> by Anna Burke on Bookshop.org US!
Bywater Books
The Tiger’s Daughter, K. Arsenault Rivera
The Tiger’s Daughter
Check out The Tiger’s Daughter - <p><b>K Arsenault Rivera’s debut, <i>The Tiger’s Daughter, </i>the beginning of a new epic fantasy trilogy <br></b><b><br>“Rich, expansive, and grounded in human truth...simply exquisite.”</b> <b>—V. E. Schwab, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of the Shades of Magic series</b><br><br><b>Indie Next List October 2017 Pick<br><i>Paste Magazine</i>‘s 10 Most Anticipated Books in October 2017<br><i>io9</i>‘s Best Books Coming in 2017<br><i>The Verge</i>‘s SF/F Books to Read in October 2017<br><i>BookRiot</i>‘s Most Anticipated Titles of 2017<br><i>Medium</i>‘s Most Anticipated Books of 2017<br><i>Bookish</i>’s Fall 2017’s Hottest SF/F Books</b><br><br><i>Even gods can be slain</i><br><br> The Hokkaran empire has conquered every land within their bold reach—but failed to notice a lurking darkness festering within the people. Now, their border walls begin to crumble, and villages fall to demons swarming out of the forests.<br><br> Away on the silver steppes, the remaining tribes of nomadic Qorin retreat and protect their own, having bartered a treaty with the empire, exchanging inheritance through the dynasties. It is up to two young warriors, raised together across borders since their prophesied birth, to save the world from the encroaching demons.<br><br> This is the story of an infamous Qorin warrior, Barsalayaa Shefali, a spoiled divine warrior empress, O Shizuka, and a power that can reach through time and space to save a land from a truly insidious evil.<br><br> A crack in the wall heralds the end…two goddesses arm themselves…K Arsenault Rivera’s <i>T</i><i>he Tiger’s Daughter </i>is an adventure for the ages.<br><br><u>Ascendant</u><br> #1 <i>The Tiger’s Daughter</i><br> #2 <i>The Phoenix Empress</i><br>#3 <i>The Warrior Moon</i></p> by K Arsenault Rivera on Bookshop.org US!
Tor Books
Thanks for reading. If you like these ad-free, AI-less posts, please consider supporting my work by becoming a paid subscriber, dropping a tip in the tip jar, or buying a book for a friend.