Hi all!
As a 30-something, married gay man, I find myself a little embarrassed that when I was recently asked for a M4M fantasy book recommendation, I couldn’t think of one. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever read one at all! I know it’s okay to just read the things we enjoy, and for me that does tend to be Sci-Fi and Fantasy, though I enjoy thrillers a lot as well. I am trying to get into other genres, but haven’t branched out *too much* just yet.
Still, after being asked this question a week ago, I was hoping I might be able to get a recommendation from this sub about where to start! In short: can I please get some recommendations for gripping queer books (genre doesn’t matter too much, honestly!) that would be a good way to start breaking into the “genre”, so to speak? I’d love if you could include a high level description of what you enjoy about it, without any spoilers.
Thanks very much in advance for your consideration and time!
by WhatTheFunct
13 Comments
I honestly don’t know if this fits with what you’re looking for because I’ve never intentionally sought out a book that is LGBTQIA+ friendly. I just read books that I think I’ll enjoy. But I read Song of Achilles about 2 years ago and found it to be one of the most touching love stories I’ve ever come across. It was very beautiful and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fiction.
Edit: I am hesitant to give much more a description than this: it’s a retelling of the story of Achilles, written by a women who studies mythologies as an academic. I’d rather not say more simply because I knew nothing about the book – other than that my wife had read it and enjoyed it – and I very much enjoyed the experience of going into it blind.
Triad Blood by Nathan Burgoine is a m/m spec-fic book featuring vampire, demons and magic users
An Unkindness oh Ghosts by Rivers Solomon is a LGBTQIA2S+ sci-fi novel
Most books by TJ Klune. He’s a gay man and writes queer fantasy.
I’ve only read the house in the cerulean sea (which is so lovely!) and wolfsong (also enjoyable!), so can’t speak for the others. But those are great.
A Charm of Magpies trilogy by KJ Charles! Fantasy set in 1800s London, one wizard and a Lord famous for being eccentric investigate strange events. One of strongest read I discovered thanks to last year’s book bingo over at r/fantasy (one category meant picking one books from [this list](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/s/npbABal2qA), it’s full of great recs).
EDIT: since the author is self-publishing is now, you can download the first book for free on their website.
An M4M fantasy suggestion: “A Land Fit For Heroes” by Richard K. Morgan is about a troupe of adventurers who previously rescued the world from a lizard-people invasion, being called to action again. The main protagonist, Ringil, is gay.
Another suggestion would be the “Magic’s Pawn/Promise/Price” series from Mercedes Lackey. It’s about a bitter country noble, who’s sent to live with his aunt at court, and learns about magic and feuds. My claim to gay fame is that in 7th grade, I submitted a book report on this series and my teacher had to have A Talk with my parents.
This is WLW, but it does fit the sci-fi interest a bit – One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston. It is set in present day New York City and involves some time travel components that make it more interesting than just a traditional romance. I feel the characters are well developed, there’s a bit of mystery surrounding the plot, and it was easy to get into and engage with.
Melissa Scott’s Astreiant books, like Point of hopes.
Mercedes Lackey’s Magic’s Pawn series
I know Marion Zimmer Bradley’s a controversial author these days, but her Heritage of Hastur was the first m/m book I ever read and it was wonderful at the time.
If you lean towards sci-fi and fantasy this may not tickle your fancy too much, but I had to mention Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jędrowski because it really is a touching love story, set in 1980s Poland so you also get some historical drama in there as well. Highly recommend to any friends hoping to read more LGBTQIA2S+ novels.
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas. Protagonist is a transgender man. Takes place in a fantasy world where gods and goddesses and their demigod children exist, inspired by Mexican mythology/folklore. There’s this hunger games style thing, where the main character is selected to compete. The winner of this competition must sacrifice the loser to keep the world safe. I’d say it’s fantasy + thriller. I read it in about 8 hours straight. Would highly recommend.
Plenty of good SFF out there that meets your needs, so here’s a few of them…
*Godkiller* by Hannah Kaner – the only downside is that this is book 1 of a trilogy and the others aren’t out yet.
*The Vanished Birds* by Simon Jimenez – this is SF rather than fantasy
*Silver in the Wood* and *Drowned Country* by Emily Tesh
Dominion of the Fallen trilogy by Aliette de Bodard, starting with *The House of Shattered Wings*, which is dragons and other shape-shifters in the ruins of a Paris destroyed by a magical war
*The Unbroken* and *The Faithless* by CL Clark – books 1 and 2 of a trilogy
*A Master of Djinn* by P Djeli Clark
*A Memory Called Empire* and *A Desolation Called Peace* by Arkady Martine – again SF, a completed duology
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CL Polk’s Kingston Cycle trilogy is sort of fantasy political intrigue, but each book in the series is told from a different POV & has an accompanying queer romance side plot. Both the overarching plot and the side stories are great, and it does a rare thing: it makes me dislike a character initially & then *genuinely* change my mind about them later.
Dowry of blood