For this list I thought it would be fun to just throw out some titles, old and new that I really enjoyed and that you may not have read. Some you may have heard of, others probably not.....but check them out and feel free to leave some feedback!
If you want to listen to the podcast, the link is here: alchemy of genres
Cole McCade has structured the books in this series as if they were seasons of tv shows; so Cardigans is listed as "Criminal Intentions, Season One, #1". This format allows the author an overarching theme of "main villain/story" as well as allowing cliffhangers between novels. I find it quite intriguing as well as encouraging book binging.
Story: A string of queer men turn up dead in grisly murders and all signs point to the ex-boyfriend they all share in common but what seems like it should be an open and shut case is fraught with tension but the prime suspect seems wrong. Adding to the stress is that Baltimore Police Detective Malcolm Khalaji has an unasked for partner just transferred in from CA, Lt Seong-Jae Yoon. They are opposites in every way (aside from both being queer); but perhaps having opposite approaches and viewpoints will help solve this case as the murder count & intensity escalates.
There isn't any romance between the main characters in this book, though there are hints that perhaps it will happen at some point. This novel introduces their characters, styles and a bit of background as well as other background characters, like Sade, the head IT person and a proud non-binary. I really enjoyed all the detail, the complex murder & interpersonal connections and I also am happy to see so much diversity in the main and secondary characters. I am working my way through these books slower than I'd like due to reading so much for podcasts & blogs; but I am definitely hooked.
Ride the Lightning is book 1 of the Sinister in Savannah series. Jonah St. John is a criminal analyst for the GA State Bureau Investigations by day, but at night he is one of the Sinister in Savannah podcasters alongside his two best friends (an investigative reporter and a private investigator). The podcast focuses on cold cases that should have been resolved, or that were suspiciously solved (wrong person in jail or convicted). They tend to focus on underserved populations (especially minorities and LGBTQ+ cases) where intimidation or illegal tactics or even outright hostile situations happen. The case they are working on now is the 38 year old murder of a drag queen that a friends asks them to look into and though it was marked solved with a confession, something definitely is suspicious about it. The more they dig into the story, the dirtier it smells and someone doesn't want them looking under these particular rocks. Alongside the thrilling case Walker includes a romantic entanglement with Jonah and his assistant (each of the stories has a M/M romance of some kind). Really well done, fun mystery and a hot romance; available only from Amazon (store or Kindle Unlmited)
I usually minimize the covers, but this one is so cool....I left it bigger so you can check it out. Hororstor is as advertised, a creepy, mildly horrific ghost story. It all happens in a knock-off Ikea (called Orsk) where some strange things have bee happening. The assistant manager wants to find a solution to the broken furniture, strange smells, graffiti, etc before a corporate inspection so he asks two employees to stay after hours with him to try and catch the vandals in the act (the cameras & lights go off at 2am; and all incidents are happening between 2-6 am). Along with the 3 expected, they end up with two bonus people, who have snuck in trying to find evidence of ghostly activities for a youtube video (and to be famous, of course). What they all find will be beyond anything expected, and not all of them will make it until the morning. When reading, make sure you pay attention to the cute (and gradually not so cute) diagrams and descriptions of furniture that start each chapter, I almost missed the change as I thought it was just a cutesy atmospheric thing, but...nope, important and contextual. This isn't as intense as Clive Barker or some of the Joe Hill books, but it IS horror and has horrific things happening.....my advice? Definitely check this out if you enjoy creepy/scary stories.
In this alternate earth science fiction story, we have already figured out space travel, visited Mars and started to explore further out before the 1980's. When an earth like planet is found, it is decided to form an exploration mission to look into the planet and start getting it set up for human habitation so as to relieve the population/ozone/trash/etc issues on Earth. Great Britain won the rights to send the first flight and set up a contest to select 6 teens and 4 adults on the 23 year mission to Terra-Two. The book jumps back and forth between the process of selection & all that happens in the 10 year period leading up to the flight and the first year of the flight itself. The story is told in all 6 voices of the teens/new adults as they recount their issues/worries/etc and their current difficulties of being trapped in a spaceship with others for the foreseeable future.
This book was so much better than I thought it would be (I was nervous because it was being talked about by A LOT of people as THE book, which always makes me wonder if I will like it or hate it). It really brings you into the drama of what is happening, and quickly filling you in as things escalate. I literally could not put this book down.
Mark Wojcik is a monster hunter (passion project) and a mechanic (the job that actually pays the bills). Luckily he owns the garage, so he has the flexibility to hunt for monsters when needed. Mark lives in the "wilds of PA" (mountains between Pittsburgh and the Poconos). Mark works alone usually, but is part of a loose network of other hunters who handle ghosts, demons, cryptids and other paranormal/supernatural problems. Spells, Salt & Steel is the first book in the series of the same name, and each book has a different monster "flavor of the week" with Mark scrambling to figure out what it is, how to fight it (or contain it) and try to survive (or save the world) until the next time.
This is such a fun series, kind of a book version of binge-worthy tv.
Girton Club-foot is an assassin hired to (required to) protect his charge against other assassins (really more of a blackmail situation than a "hired job"). Girton uncovers a conspiracy while trying to avert disasters, and is desperately trying to stay ahead of the assassins while also trying to figure out who is trying to kill the heir to the throne; as well as figure out if it is better to stop it or let it happen.
Age of Assassins is a story with lots of tension and the fun of trying to figure out a conspiracy. The main character is interesting (though the name is terrible, because he literally has a clubfoot); but I liked seeing him find ways to use his disability to shield himself while still doing his job of sneaking about & killing people efficiently and effectively. Barker gets extra points for an original main character who isn't defined by his issues but acknowledges them and makes them part of the equation.
Okorafor explores the chaos and the layers of an alien landing in Lagos, Nigeria. In this circumstance the alien can assume any shape, and in exploring to understand the human civilization (as well as those of the other animal residents on the planet), it exposes the corruption and hypocrisy. Okorafor is merciless in this story but this is not a preaching type story but an engaging one full of tension and a variety of characters who feel like people you've met (or could have).
If you haven't read this, or her other books, you really should.
What if there were an Ikea-like store where you could get lost in the displays of innovative furniture? What if in wandering, you accidentally entered a wormhole into a parallel universe? What if you are the lowest ranking employee tasked with finding the lost customer and the person coming with you as backup is the person that just broke up with you, breaking your heart?
Cipri's central premise is so interesting and the quick, action-filled novel is so immersive and quick to read that you might need to read it several times to catch everything.
The companion to Finna is called Defekt. It just came out and is equally awesome.
R. Cooper always does a fabulous job of building characters...and this time is no exception. This is a definite "beyond the stars" alien adventure. We are on a planet with the Sha Empire who is not happy with the Interplanetary Trade Coalition; but it's a well known secret that if diplomacy fails, the IPTC will just take over and do as it likes. This difficulty is adding to rising tensions between internal factions as well as with IPTC diplomats. Into this comes Taji, a human who is good with languages and is really struggling to update and record all the intricacies of the language of this cat-like race of people where body (ears, eyes, etc) are interwoven with words and unspoken context. He needs to be on his game as he is the secretary/helper for the only IPTC diplomat left on the planet, but it's lonely being the only human who isn't military and being gay just makes is even harder. Taji has a crush on Trenne, who is an outcast for some reason and when things escalate and are taken out of context; Taji is declared a Shehzha, which is a sacred role and a mix between lover and precious jewel. Taji and Trenne play the roles of lovers but are now caught up in political games and all of them are in danger.
This was a really interesting mix of a romance, a political adventure and just plain alien exploration & understanding. This is an adult novel, with adult situations (i.e. sex); but it all rolls up into something deep but fun to read.
Bannen is looking for adventure, but he wasn't expecting to be magically transported halfway across the world in an instant. He has somehow become a Human Familiar, which is unprecedented and illegal; but a fact nonetheless. Rena feels terrible, but then again is used to things going wrong since her magic works in such strange ways. She and Bannen get to know each other while the wizards and courts figure out how to handle this mess; and they really begin to bond. They also find themselves in danger as someone has decided to get rid of Rena and Bannen is determined to protect her no matter what.This is a beautiful romantic fantasy and can easily be read by teens or adults as it is not explicit but is simply sweet (and in fact the pair consistently insist they are only friends, but readers will hope for more). The world building is well done, characters are multi-dimensional and even background characters aren't ill-defined place holders but have motivations and reasons of their own. I really enjoyed this and it was good enough to make me read the entire series as quickly as humanly possible.
It’s not stealing if you’re stealing it back….Ari had a game plan for life. Shoot people. Get money. Hang out with fellow criminal friends. He saw absolutely no reason to change that plan until one dark night in Memphis, when a little girl reached out to him with pocket change and a desperate plea for him to help her.Adopting an abused little girl off the streets was, needless to say, not part of the plan. Ari had no idea what he was doing with an eight year old. He especially didn’t know how to juggle taking contracts and raising a little girl.Things get more complicated when the mercenary, Carter Harrison, approaches him with a job. He needs Ari’s expertise to get into the very high-security museum, Knowles, and steal back Monet’s Water Lily Pond. The job isn’t an easy one. He’d need more than the two of them to make it happen. It’s further complicated because Ari’s not sure what to do with his new daughter while working this job.And for that matter, how’s he supposed to handle the sexy mercenary? This is an amazingly fun and binge-worthy book series.
In this first Tales from Veronia book, Sam is found in the slums of the City of Lockes as a child. He and his family are taken to live in the castle where he is being trained to be the next King's Wizard. His best friends Tiggy (a half giant, who is sweet but not bright) and Gary (a sassy hornless gay unicorn) provide support but also many humorous moments. When Justin (heir to the throne) is kidnapped by a dragon, Sam has to go rescue him (even if he really doesn't like him). Joining him on the quest are his best friends and the Prince's fiancee Ryan Foxheart, whom Sam has been secretly crushing on for years. The long journey means they all get closer and the more Sam learns about Ryan, the more he likes him (and then loves him), but Ryan swore a sacred oath to marry Prince Justin and he won't break his word, no matter how much he may want to. This is a silly, funny, over the top book but Klune manages an impossible task of grounding those ridiculous moments in real emotions and issues; so the reader ends up invested in the characters. I have read few books that have me cycling through laughing, crying, raging and stressing out (where is Sam's Happy Ever After? What if he doesn't get one? AAAAHHHH). Definitely not for kids (very inappropriate humor and funny rude situations) but highly recommended to check out if you haven't read it yet.
I don't usually like militaristic stories, so even though I adore this author, I was nervous about this series....but it was really fun to read and more action adventure with superheroes than military story. Set in a future after the sea levels have risen and where terrorists have created a chemical weapon with an unexpected side effect. Splice is lethal for 97-99% of the population, but for those it doesn't kill; it grants powers. Governments keep a very close eye on everyone who exhibits metahuman powers, especially if they have useful combat skills and/or abilities of use in war. Jamie is captain of the super-secret Alpha team. He is from a super wealthy family but has found that he is much more at home with his team than with his actual family. When Alpha squad is assigned to find traffickers testing splice and of the need to work with two elite military officers, a sniper and his brother. The catch (and a major issue) is that when Jamie meets the sniper, Kyle, it turns out that he is the random guy he left with the night before and with whom he had an unbelievably hot night. This story and the series is a mix of romantic entanglement and a non-stop action adventure. What a ride!
Ex-priest, demon hunting Travis Dominick teams up with former special ops officer and monster hunter Brent Lawson to save humanity from evil in all forms. This is a quick read, full of suspense and magic with a buddy/cop vibe. The backstories of the main characters give extra oomph when it's needed and for those who prefer an adventure with no romantic entanglements, this is a good choice.
Detective Sawyer Key has a new (and very hostile) parner in Royce Locke. They need to solve the murder of a local shock jock. Neither is willing to talk about the attraction they feel for each other, but as danger mounts, the urge to see where it goes eats at both of them. Ground Zero is a very suspenseful, twisty mystery with well drawn characters and a sexy, hot romance.
Lozen is Apache and a hunter, trained as a hunter in the old ways of her people. In this future world, a Cloud decimated all technology, which shatters modern society and kills most of the high level rulers who have augmented themselves with so much technology they cannot live without it. For those who do survive, they are monstrous creatures. Lozen's skills are in high demand as she can both hunt for food as well as for killing monsters. Her family is held hostage to ensure she always returns; and she is determined to find a way to free them and kill those responsible for their entrapment.
Bruchac is an amazing writer, and being a Native American himself, he provides a unique and in-depth point of view for this post-apocalyptic story.
Really amazingly well done.
Hidden in Darkness is a fun, silly, suspenseful adventure featuring a cop, Lane, who is struggling with his recent blindness due to an accident and a con artist/lost soul, Felix.
When Felix convinces someone to hire him as a caretaker for Lane, he figures it will be an easy job. Unfortunately, Lane is grumpy and angry and depressed but also in danger because those who blinded him are determined to finish the job and kill him. Can a con artist & thief help a blind cop stop the bad guys? Also can Felix con the grumpy Lane that they should be together?
Alice Winters loves bawdy humor and an interesting story and this is a fun ride.
Rufus is a criminal informant who is barely scraping by, living on the fringes in NYC. Sam has been discharged from the Army due to health issues. Both are brought together when their mutual friend and police detective is murdered. Sam wants to figure out who is responsible and Rufus is afraid with no idea of where to turn, since he witnessed the murder and is next on the killer's list. Together they have to duck dirty cops, while figuring out what their friend uncovered that got him killed, hopefully before they also are silenced.
This is a really dark but very cool story. This pairing of authors resulted in a gritty mystery that leaves you hanging (the sequel just came out though).
When two soldiers from opposite sides of a neverending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into the world and trying to survive the fallout of running from a war to live their lives. This mix of SF/Fantasy/Galactic war story won Vaughan a ton of awards, and rightfully so. The art & story are intricately entwined and masterfully used to tell a truly original story.
Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic. This engrossing story is not to be missed!
Atticus is the last of the druids and he lives peacefully in AZ running an occult bookshop/tea house. He shape shifts in his spare time to go running and hunting with his Irish Wolfhound Oberon. Atticus looks 21 but is really 21 centuries old. He draws power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit and wields an even sharper sword, called Fragarach. Unfortunately there is a very angry Celtic god who wants that sword and he has hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down and he will need all his powers and help from allies (and a bit of luck) in order to get out of this alive. Hearne's Iron Druid series is amazing, and well worth exploring.
It's Christmas in NYC, and not only has Sebastian Snow lost his floundering relationship with is detective boyfriend but he also finds himself caught up in a mystery echoing the writings of Edgar Allen Poe. To make matters worse, sparks fly when he meets Detective Calvin Winter; but Sebastian isn't sure he can trust his heart or of the wisdom of falling for another closeted cop. Poe has written an interesting mystery with a disabled gay main character. This is not a deep story, but it is fun and addictive.
While most of the world has drowned beneath the sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse, Dinetah (formerly a Navejo reservation) has been reborn. The gods and heroes of legend walk the land again, but so do the monsters. Maggie Hoskie is a Dinetah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last and best hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much larger and more terrifying than anything she could imagine. Maggie reluctantly enlists the aid of Kai Arviso, an unconventional medicine man and together they travel to the rez to unravel clues from ancient legends, trade favors with tricksters, and battle dark witchcraft in a patchwork world of deteriorating technology. As Maggie discovers the truth behind the disappearances, she will have to confront her past if she wants to survive. Welcome to 6th world. This is a really cool and original story with a mix of magic and post apocalyptic adventure. Roanhorse has created a really strong main character and while there is a hint of romance, it isn't the focus of the story.
Ok, I will break down the stories, then give my opinion as it seems like a fair and logical way to handle a collection. Rhys Lawless wrote "Blake & Beast" (Beauty & the Beast) and tells the story in the voices of both characters, alternating chapters between Archer, an unseelie beast of a man and Blake, a scientist who has started a war by finding a "cure" for being fae.
Sam Burn wrote "Cat Returns to Adderly" (Puss in Boots) and tells the story in two (really three) voices; the cat (Wentworth), Luke, and Alastair (the ghostly wizard). Luke and Wentworth find an abandoned house, owned by Alastair that they begin to live in after losing their home.
W M Fawkes wrote "The Seventh Ring of Bertram Bell" (Bluebeard) which is told completely in Pascal's voice, the young man forced into apprenticeship with the wizard Bertram Bell.
Morgan Brice wrote "Gruff" (3 Billy Goats Gruff) about two goat shifters meeting in Fox Hollow, and drama of a disappearing fae island.
Meghan Maslow wrote "Demon's in the Details" (Rumplestiltskin) told in the voice of Poe, raven shifter who makes some deals with a demon, Tommy, in order to save his family & roost/flock.
Richard Amos wrote "Spirit of Snow" (Snow White) told in alternating voices of Alec Snow and Tristan Fox. Tristan is a simulacrum made alive forced to do evil things by his Master and Alec is trying to find what happened to a friend who has disappeared, courtesy of that Master & servant.
Personally (and trying to avoid spoilers); I really loved the fun of the 3 Billy Goats Gruff, the original twist on the Rumplestiltskin tale and the alternate idea of why Puss in Boots is such an unusual cat. But again, while I have my favorite stories in the collection, I really enjoyed this collection overall. It was an entertaining way to get to know some authors I was unfamiliar with, while having fun with treasured tales from my youth. If you enjoy the twisting & rewriting of fables & fairy tales and love a good romantic MM romp; you should definitely read this book.
Harley, in a wheelchair from an accident since childhood, avoids the world as much as possible because he hates the pitying looks and patronizing behavior of the general public. His cousin forces him to socialize as much as he can, doing things like going out for dinner, joining a wheelchair basketball league, etc. On this trip, he is taken to the hair salon to "help him not look like a homeless hermit". Harley's first interaction with hairdresser Finn is nothing like he expects. It also becomes apparent that Finn likes him and Harley in intrigued, especially as Finn is the first man to treat him like a regular person as well as the only one to find him attractive. I fell in love with this really sweet love story. Jayda Mary doesn't shy away from Harley's realities of living in a wheelchair but also doesn't pity him, or allow the reader to either. So few stories feature disabled main characters, and Mary has written a spicy, sexy story with believable characters, one of whom happens to be in a wheelchair.
On the outside Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint B&Bin a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast and is good neighbor. But Dinah is.....different. Her broom is a deadly weapon, her inn is magic and thinks for itself and her guests are otherworldly visitors from other planets. Now something has begun hunting and killing dogs in town, and Dinah is worried people will be next. She gets involved and soon she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive ex-military werewolf Sean and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland while also trying to keep her inn and guests safe.
Clean sweep is a fun, sexy story with new twists on werewolves and vampires as well as a totally cool magical inn. Highly recommended.
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