Teenage baker Syd sends ripples of heartbreak through Austin’s queer community when a batch of post-being-dumped brownies turns out to be magical—and makes everyone who eats them break up.
“What’s done is done.”
Unless, of course, it was done by my brownies. Then it’s getting undone.
Syd (no pronouns, please) has always dealt with big, hard-to-talk-about things by baking. Being dumped is no different, except now Syd is baking at the Proud Muffin, a queer bakery and community space in Austin. And everyone who eats Syd’s breakup brownies . . . breaks up. Even Vin and Alec, who own the Proud Muffin. And their breakup might take the bakery down with it. Being dumped is one thing; causing ripples of queer heartbreak through the community is another. But the cute bike delivery person, Harley (he or they, check the pronoun pin, it’s probably on the messenger bag), believes Syd about the magic baking. And Harley believes Syd’s magical baking can fix things, too—one recipe at a time.
Representation Includes
- Agender bisexual protagonist who prefers no pronouns
- Transmasculine love interest who switches between “he” and “they” pronouns and who is demisexual
- Large queer supporting cast
Content Warnings
dysphoria, some misgendering (non-malicious), Break-up, therapy, coming out, divorce, surgery, sex,Reviews
- Alex Brown’s review
- Rainbow and Sunshine’s review
- Rampant Reading’s review
- Mimi’s review
- Utopia State of Mind’s review
- LGBT Representation’s review
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1883. Thaniel Steepleton returns home to his tiny London apartment to find a gold pocket watch on his pillow. Six months later, the mysterious timepiece saves his life, drawing him away from a blast that destroys Scotland Yard. At last, he goes in search of its maker, Keita Mori, a kind, lonely immigrant from Japan. Although Mori seems harmless, a chain of unexplainable events soon suggests he must be hiding something. When Grace Carrow, an Oxford physicist, unwittingly interferes, Thaniel is torn between opposing loyalties.
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street is a sweeping, atmospheric narrative that takes the reader on an unexpected journey through Victorian London, Japan as its civil war crumbles long-standing traditions, and beyond. Blending historical events with dazzling flights of fancy, it opens doors to a strange and magical past.
Representation Includes
- MLM protagonist
Content Warnings
racism, misogyny, bomb threats, implied abuse.Awards
- Shortlisted for the Gaylatic Spectrum Award
Reviews
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Author of Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne, beginning a new trilogy set in a world inspired by the history and epics of India, in which a captive princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic become unlikely allies on a dark journey to save their empire from the princess’s traitor brother.
Imprisoned by her dictator brother, Malini spends her days in isolation in the Hirana: an ancient temple that was once the source of the powerful, magical deathless waters — but is now little more than a decaying ruin.
Priya is a maidservant, one among several who make the treacherous journey to the top of the Hirana every night to clean Malini’s chambers. She is happy to be an anonymous drudge, so long as it keeps anyone from guessing the dangerous secret she hides.
But when Malini accidentally bears witness to Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled. One is a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne. The other is a priestess seeking to find her family. Together, they will change the fate of an empire.
Representation Includes
- Lesbian protagonists in a fantasy world based on India
Content Warnings
From the author’s site:- Explicit violence including immolation and self-immolation
- Gender-based violence (this does not include sexual assault)
- Homophobia and internalised homophobia
- Suicidal ideation
- Self-mutilation
- Abusive family dynamics
- Child murder
- Body horror (plant-based, cosmic)
- Forced drug use and depictions of addiction/withdrawal
Awards
- Include whether the book was nominated for or won any awards. This information is typically listed on Goodreads. If there are no awards, simply delete this section.
Reviews
- Rainbow and Sunshine’s review
- May’s review
- Reads Rainbow’s review
- Lex Kent’s review
- To Other Worlds’ review
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Would you leave your life behind to save a world you never knew?
Florian has always felt like an outsider. He never thought it was because he was from another world.
He knew being gay and trans made him different, but then his estranged father shows up with claims of royalty, prophecy, and a dying kingdom. His curiosity piqued, Florian joins him to visit the magical world he’s supposedly from, and not just to spend time with the handsome wolf shifter body guard, Kade, that his dad brought along.
The pull of the Veil and the prophecy about him prove to be a siren song Florian can’t resist, throwing him headlong into mystery and danger in equal measure.
With all the one-on-one time they suddenly have, Florian discovers a kind heart behind Kade’s silent facade. But can he afford to fall in love when he’s supposed to be saving the world?
THE CHANGELING PROPHECY, book one of the Chronicles of the Veil, is a slow burn MM paranormal romance.
Representation Includes
- Gay trans man protagonist (Florian)
Content Warnings
Provided by book: Parental death. One brief instance of body horror involving gender dysphoria. Steamy scenes between a trans man and a cis man with a range of gendered terms used for body parts.Reviews
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Ancillary Justice meets Red, White & Royal Blue in Everina Maxwell’s exciting debut.
While the Iskat Empire has long dominated the system through treaties and political alliances, several planets, including Thea, have begun to chafe under Iskat’s rule. When tragedy befalls Imperial Prince Taam, his Thean widower, Jainan, is rushed into an arranged marriage with Taam’s cousin, the disreputable Kiem, in a bid to keep the rising hostilities between the two worlds under control.
But when it comes to light that Prince Taam’s death may not have been an accident, and that Jainan himself may be a suspect, the unlikely pair must overcome their misgivings and learn to trust one another as they navigate the perils of the Iskat court, try to solve a murder, and prevent an interplanetary war… all while dealing with their growing feelings for each other.
Representation Includes
- Gay man porotagonist
- Bisexual man protagonist
Content Warnings
Domestic abuse (past)Reviews
Where to Find
Details
- Published February 2nd 2021 by Tor Books
- ISBN13: 9781250758835
- Original title: The Course of Honor
The day before moving into her new dorm, college freshman, Maya Lilac, has a haunting dream that ends with her coming face-to-face with a second version of herself. After being haunted by the dream during move-in day, she finally comes in contact with her double, nicknamed “Lucent”, and learns that she actually has powers and can—among other things—make her dreams come true.
Maya’s heritage, however, runs deeper when she discovers that she’s the True Dreamer, a person reaching back as far as Joan of Arc that’s tasked with protecting her species, as well as the world, from any and all threats… including her seemingly-peaceful and non-combative double. But, not everyone shares Maya’s vision that her clone isn’t out to harm anybody, especially her mother. As Maya and her mother fight over whether Lucent is a legitimate threat, Maya trains in her now-active powers to fulfill her destiny of protecting the world, whether she has to take care of Lucent or not.
Representation Includes
- Bisexual protagonist
- Lesbian supporting character
Content Warnings
Help grow this entry by commenting below or emailing queersffbooks@theillustratedpage.net.Reviews
Where to Find
Details
- Published March 19th 2019 by Ja-Mel Vinson
-
ISBN: 9781732858
Dragons. Art. Revolution.
Gyen Jebi isn’t a fighter or a subversive. They just want to paint.
One day they’re jobless and desperate; the next, Jebi finds themself recruited by the Ministry of Armor to paint the mystical sigils that animate the occupying government’s automaton soldiers.
But when Jebi discovers the depths of the Razanei government’s horrifying crimes—and the awful source of the magical pigments they use—they find they can no longer stay out of politics.
What they can do is steal Arazi, the ministry’s mighty dragon automaton, and find a way to fight…
Representation Includes
- A non-binary protagonist from a Korean-inspired fantasy country
Content Warnings
War, death, violence, torture, imprisonment, earthquake, bombing, some characters discuss eating a cat but the cat livesReviews
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Raised on the high seas as an avaricious corsair, Aela Crane has turned her back on her roots, but she can’t seem to stem the ancient magic that courses through her. Del is a soft-spoken soldier who seems to know more about Aela’s inherited powers that she does. Brynne’s the crofter’s daughter who’s reluctantly learning to become a princess, if she could just get a certain swashbuckling someone off her mind.
Originally hired on (okay, blackmailed) by the King of the island nation of Thandepar, Aela’s light monster extermination gig takes a fast turn into kidnapping-for-profit. Del tries to ignore family issues by searching for a long lost friend, and ends up getting both for the price of one. Brynne’s prepared to give up her heart for her country until her own personal heartbreaker shows up with the most terrible timing.
As the three of them become more entwined in their own political predicaments, and each other’s lives, they may discover that the legacies their parents have left them aren’t as solid as they seemed. In fact, they may just slip through their fingers, leaving all three fumbling to forge their own future, before the kingdom comes crashing down around them.
Representation Includes
- Bisexual/pansexual female protagonists
Content Warnings
Content warnings provided by author: parental death, parental abuse, brief mention of suicide, abductionReviews
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Kris Starr used to be famous. Rock and roll. Sold-out shows. Literal magic. Empathic talents and screaming fans.
But he has a problem or two. He’s having a hard time writing new music. It’s Midwinter, which means he’s surrounded by depressing holiday cheer. And he’s in love with Justin, his manager, who has a talent for rescuing almost- or once-famous bands … and who’s hiding secrets of his own.
Justin Moore, on the other hand, is very good at keeping those secrets — he’s had to be for years. One secret involves a demonic inheritance that would make him a target of suspicion. Another involves his past.
And the third involves Justin’s feelings for Kris Starr, rock and roll icon and now his client … and a powerful empath of his own.
Representation Includes
- Both male protagonists are bi/pan.
- Justin’s human heritage is Filipino-American.
Content Warnings
Fictional prejudice (anti-demon), offscreen violence (in context of domestic relationship), “outing” of demon hertiageReviews
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A mermaid’s supernatural beauty serves one purpose: to lure a sailor to his death.
The Massacre is supposed to bring peace to Eriana Kwai. Every year, the island sends its warriors to battle these hostile sea demons. Every year, the warriors fail to return. Desperate for survival, the island must decide on a new strategy. Now, the fate of Eriana Kwai lies in the hands of twenty battle-trained girls and their resistance to a mermaid’s allure.
Eighteen-year-old Meela has already lost her brother to the Massacre, and she has lived with a secret that’s haunted her since childhood. For any hope of survival, she must overcome the demons of her past and become a ruthless mermaid killer.
For the first time, Eriana Kwai’s Massacre warriors are female, and Meela must fight for her people’s freedom on the Pacific Ocean’s deadliest battleground.
Representation Includes
- The main character is sapphic and Indigenous from a fictional Northwestern Pacific Island
Content Warnings
gore, death, torture, animal death, abuseAwards
- Won the Best Indie Book Award