Tag Archives: Fantasy

Authors in Conversation

Authors in Conversation: Trip Galey and R.D. Pires

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Today on the site I’m delighted to welcome Trip Galey and R.D. Pires, authors of the upcoming Science Fantasy The Fall of the House of Valenziaga and Epic Fantasy Before the Ghost Sea, respectively! With both books launching Kickstarters this month, the authors wanted to chat about their projects, so before we get started, here’s a little more on those!

A Kickstarter campaign banner with an art deco border in blue-green over a black background. The title of the book the project is funding is centre left and reads: The Fall of the House of Valenziaga. Above the title is the phrase: Snatch the crown. Break the tyrant. To the right of the title is the shadowy face of a man staring off the banner to the right. The face and title are surrounded by flying shards of broken glass.
Cover art by Jamie Flack

Virtus is the handsome, golden-tongued heir to House Valenziaga. He has wealth, privilege, influence, as many lovers as he could want…and his life is a living hell. His mother, the ageless Vainglory Valenziaga, is a world-breaking tyrant and she holds Virtus’ very existence firmly in a razor-manicured fist.

Not all mothers love their children; not all rulers deserve their crown.

Continue reading Authors in Conversation: Trip Galey and R.D. Pires →

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: The Siren’s Kiss by Leslie Vedder

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Today on the site I’m delighted to welcome Leslie Vedder to reveal the cover of her upcoming Sapphic YA Fantasy, The Siren’s Kiss, releasing September 1st from Amulet/Abrams! Here’s the story:

Perfect for fans of Daughter of the Pirate King and Our Flag Means Death comes a swashbuckling YA queer romantasy about a mermaid and a pirate who reluctantly join forces to find the Sea Witch.

Dead Shot Rayleigh has spent the last three years bound to a cursed ship after crossing the sea god Red-Handed Roger. Her only hope for freedom is to find his long-ago stolen heart—which means taking on his sworn enemy, the Sea Witch.

But Rayleigh’s not the only one with a score to settle… Fiery mermaid Maren is also searching for the Sea Witch, determined to bargain for the soul of her lost brother.

When Rayleigh and Maren’s separate missions bring them together, sparks fly, and all their plans go up in flames. Now they’ll have to join forces to survive.

Find the Sea Witch. Steal the heart. And don’t fall for your enemy, no matter how irresistible she is. How hard can it be?

And here’s the gorgeous cover, designed by Micah Fleming with art by Gilded Ruin!

Book cover for The Siren’s Kiss by Leslie Vedder. A mermaid with red-tipped white hair and a crimson tail stares up at a pirate with dark hair and a scar across her cheek. The pirate holds a rope on the deck of a ship, with the sunset ocean in the background.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Leslie Vedder (she/her) is a queer ace author who loves books with girl adventurers and heroes! She grew up on fantasy books, anime, fanfiction and the Lord of the Rings movies, and her debut YA The Bone Spindle was an indie bestseller. She lives in Colorado with her wife and her spoiled house cat Fox Mulder, who believes the treats are out there.

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Hollow Magic by Mars Lauderbaugh

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Today on the site, I’m delighted to reveal the cover of Mars Lauderbaugh’s Hollow Magic, a queer YA Fantasy releasing August 11, 2026 from Feiwel & Friends! Here’s the story:

Seventeen-year-old Rosefinch has been traveling along the weather-beaten coast for two years on a quest to find a witch strong enough to help her control her magic. Her magic is volatile, hard to wield, and Rosefinch is tired of the pain of magical backlash. When she’s directed to the sea-side village of Harp, she discovers the ancient castle of a long-lost Witch Queen with the inhabitants long gone; the only remaining soul is a knight encased in solid ice guarding the door.

When she attempts to lift the curse, she frees Thierry, a human with no memory of who they are, wrapped in cursed magic so strong that they cannot leave the castle. Thierry is soft spoken, strong, and in possession of a fey sword that should be impossible for them to have. But they have secrets of their own, as do other members of the Harp family still hidden within the walls.

Harp castle was left in ruins for a reason, and Rosefinch must find a way to cure the curse or lose Thierry—and the chance to learn the truth about the Witch Queen—forever.

And here’s the stunning cover, done by the incredibly talented author/artist themself!

Buy it: Bookshop | Charlie’s Queer Books | Always Here Books | Third Place Books

 

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Undeniable by Jes Honard and Marie Parks

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Today on the site I’m delighted to welcome back Jes Honard and Marie Parks to reveal the cover of Undeniable, a paranormal thriller with an asexual MC and the second book in the Grigori Cycle, as well as the new cover of Unrelenting, which was originally revealed here! First, here’s the story behind Undeniable, which releases October 28th from Not a Pipe Press:

A lifeless body awaiting immortality.
Magic that erodes a sister’s identity.
Enemies bent on retribution.

Bridget has saved her sister, Dahlia, from imprisonment. But their reunion has come with enormous costs. Their friend was murdered in the rescue efforts, and Dahlia herself is no longer fully human.

Together, they seek to grant their friend a second chance at life. But the magic that will save him also paints a target on their backs.

As the sisters race to uncover the key to resurrection, Dahlia’s former captors pursue them—coveting the ancient powers and seeking justice for their own fallen companions.

At the same time, they must also contend with Dahlia’s immortal life, new abilities, and fracturing personality.

Undeniable is the second book in The Grigori Cycle. Multi-Hugo Award-winning author Mary Robinette Kowal called Unrelenting “a tapestry of emotion that effortlessly weaves together the threads of grief and obsession.”

Here’s the ethereal cover, illustrated by Lauren Raye Snow, with a background symbol designed by Gigi Little!

A young woman looks directly at the viewer with her head tilted slightly down, with light eyes, straight blond hair, and pale skin. As her hair flows down, it becomes enmeshed with a green-gold smoky mist that rises from the bottom of the cover and surrounds her. In the center of the mist is a white glowing silhouette of a woman. The background is a blue background overlaid with an intricate, symmetrical, geometric symbol. The following text is on the cover: "Jes Honard & Marie Parks. Unrelenting, Book One of The Grigori Cycle."

Buy Undeniable: Bookshop | Amazon | B&N 

Continue reading Exclusive Cover Reveal: Undeniable by Jes Honard and Marie Parks →

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Clock Hands by Marieke Nijkamp and Sylvia Bi

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Today on the site I am utterly delighted to be revealing the cover of Clock Hands by Marieke Nijkamp and Sylvia Bi, a middle grade graphic novel with a nonbinary protagonist releasing April 21, 2026 from Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins! Clock Hands is a companion to Ink Girls, but can be read entirely on its own. Here’s the story:

Raising your voice can change everything.

Vale has always dreamed of being a metalworker’s apprentice. But in Siannerra, the guilds rule with an iron fist, and their apprenticeship fees are impossibly high. So Vale and their guildless family must make do with the pennies and scraps they’re able to cobble together from work on the docks or in the market.

Until Maestro Giuseppi arrives from abroad, determined to build the city’s first astronomical clock. He doesn’t care for fees or exclusionary practices—and he sees Vale’s talent. He invites Vale into his workshop, and for a while Vale believes all their dreams are coming true. But everything in Siannerra belongs to the guilds, and if anyone tries to break free, there are consequences. Sometimes the gravest of consequences. Still, Vale refuses to stop dreaming. Or fighting. With the help of their friends, they plan to take on the might of the guilds. And together, they may just be strong enough to bend iron to their will.

A stand-alone companion to the acclaimed Ink Girls.

And here’s the fabulous cover, illustrated by Sylvia Bi and designed by Sylvie Le Floc’h!

Illustrated cover of CLOCK HANDS, featuring three tweens on the edge of a brightly lit clockface over a darkened Renaissance-like town. The tweens all wear practical, medieval looking clothes. The boy on the left--Caliste--has brown hair, brown skin, and wearing a laced up shirt. He's sitting down with one knee pulled up. Vale, in the middle, has black hair and brown skin. They're standing, dreamily looking out over the city. They're wearing a blue tunic, patched up pants, and a necklace. They have a slight scar on their chin. And to the right is Stella, who wears her red hair in a braid with a headband. She has freckled white skin, and she's wearing a pink and green dress. She's standing next to Vale and has her hand on their shoulder. She's smiling.

Buy it: B&N | Amazon

Marieke Nijkamp (she/they) is the author of Splinter & Ash; Ink Girls, a middle grade graphic novel illustrated by Sylvia Bi; as well as several books for young adults, which include #1 New York Times bestsellers, a critically acclaimed anthology, graphic novels, and comics. She studied philosophy and medieval history, and when she isn’t writing, she loves to garden, roll dice, and daydream. Marieke Nijkamp lives and writes in Small Town, the Netherlands.

Sylvia Bi is the illustrator of the graphic novel Ink Girls, written by Marieke Nijkamp, and loves drawing stories with expansive, vibrant worlds, an undercurrent of chaos, and girls running on rooftops. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, she explores and shares diverse stories and experiences through the power of a (digital) pen. She is also a book designer, a frog enthusiast, and an avid earring collector. Sylvia Bi lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: One Morning Sun by Avi Silver

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Today on the site, I’m delighted to welcome back Avi Silver to reveal the cover of One Morning Sun, the final book in the polyamorous and aroace YA fantasy Sãoni Cycle trilogy, releasing September 23, 2025! Here’s the story:

Sohmeng Parminhal is ready to face the unknown.

The mountain community of Ateng is safe at last, but Sohmeng and her partners have a new challenge ahead: defending Gãepongwei from the invading Qiao Sidhur Empire. While Soh is convinced that open conversation can turn her adversaries into allies, Prince Ahnschen isn’t so sure. His older sister, the charming and ruthless General Ólawen, has never been one to concede defeat.

With the future of the rainforest at stake, the hmun are uniting for the first time in living memory—and the animal kingdom has its part to play. But as self-appointed guardian of Eiji, Hei questions if the relationship between humans and sãoni is indeed symbiotic as they walk the line between skin and scales.

The dark of Minhal is coming. Inside that darkness, infinite possibility. In the final heartfelt chapter of the Sãoni Cycle, Hei, Ahn, and Sohmeng must decide their place in the perfect system, and become who the world needs each of them to be.

And here’s the gorgeous cover by Haley Rose!

Framed in curtains of purple leaves and jade vines, a calm ocean sunrise is rendered in vibrant, lineless illustration. The water seems to reflect the sun so that it forms a perfect circle out on the horizon. In the foreground, three silhouetted figures stand by the shore and watch the dawn emerge. In white text in the top third of the image, the title is written, “One Morning Sun”, while in the bottom quarter of the image, also in white, reads the author name, “Avi Silver”.

Buy the book!

In celebration of the Sãoni Cycle’s conclusion, The Shale Project is holding a giveaway on The StoryGraph! Enter to win one of 50 digital copies of Two Dark Moons, the first volume in the trilogy. Giveaway closes July 18, 2025.
New to the series? Recommended to anyone who needs a little more hope in their storytelling. Set in a queernormative, gender-diverse world (and with a fantasy astrology system to match!), Two Dark Moons is about environmental stewardship, unconventional relationships, and capable teens changing their world. Plus, giant lizards.

Avi Silver is a speculative author, poet, editor, and co-founder of The Shale Project. One Morning Sun, the finale of their Sãoni Cycle trilogy is forthcoming September 2025. They are also author of  the 2023 Aurora Award-nominated novella, Pluralities. Their poetry has been published in Strange Horizons and Uncanny Magazine, and received an honorable mention in the 2022 Rhysling Awards. Find their short fiction in Common Bonds: An Aromantic Speculative Anthology and Nothing Without Us Too. Avi currently lives in St. Thomas, ON with creative and life partner Sienna Tristen.

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong

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Today on the site I’m delighted to help reveal the stunning cover of The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong, a Sapphic Fantasy releasing from Ace on October 14, 2025! Here’s the story:

An almost-mage discovers friendship—and maybe something more—in the unlikeliest of places in this delightfully charming novel from the author of The Teller of Small Fortunes.

Certainty Bulrush wants to be useful—to the Guild of Mages that took her in as a novice, to the little brother who depends on her, and to anyone else she can help. Unfortunately, her tepid magic hasn’t proven much use to anyone. When Certainty has the chance to earn her magehood via a seemingly straightforward assignment, she takes it. Nevermind that she’ll have to work with Mage Aurelia, the brilliant, unfairly attractive overachiever who’s managed to alienate everyone around her.

The two must transport minorly magical artifacts somewhere safe: Shpelling, the dullest, least magical village around. There, they must fix up an old warehouse, separate the gossipy teapots from the kind-of-flaming swords, corral an unruly little catdragon who has tagged along, and above all: avoid complications. The Guild’s uneasy relationship with citizens is at a tipping point, and the last thing needed is a magical incident.

Still, as mage and novice come to know Shpelling’s residents—and each other—they realize the Guild’s hoarded magic might do more good being shared. Friendships blossom while Certainty and Aurelia work to make Shpelling the haven it could be. But magic is fickle—add attraction and it might spell trouble.

And here’s the magically stunning cover, designed by Katie Anderson and illustrated by Devin Elle Kurtz!

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Julie Leong is a Chinese-Malaysian-American fantasy author who grew up across both New Jersey and Beijing, China. She studied economics and political science at Yale and works in tech, but she has always nurtured a deep love for sci-fi/fantasy beneath her corporate exterior. Julie lives in San Francisco with her husband Drew, their rescue pup Kaya, and a magical Meyer lemon tree in the backyard that somehow always has ripe lemons. When she’s not writing, she enjoys making unnecessary spreadsheets and flambéing things.

Fave Five

Fave Five: Fiction with Sapphic Knights

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The Afterward by E.K. Johnston (YA)

Where Shadows Bloom by Catherine Bakewell (YA)

A Knight to Remember by Bridget Essex

The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond

Her Pretty Knight by Mariah Rae Birch

Bonus: Coming in June 2025, Lady’s Knight by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner (YA)

Double Bonus: For two MG series with nonbinary knights, check out Splinter & Ash by Marieke Nijkamp and Sir Callie by Esme Symes-Smith

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Sir Callie and the Final Stand by Esme Symes-Smith

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Today on the site I’m delighted to welcome Esme Symes-Smith to reveal the cover of the fourth and final book in the MG fantasy Sir Callie series, Sir Callie and the Final Stand, which releases October 14, 2025 from Labyrinth Road/PRH! Here’s the story:

In the conclusion of this bestselling fantasy series a nonbinary knight-in-training, a reluctant crown prince, a fierce young witch, and her resilient twin brother must fight for the heart of their kingdom against tyranny, once and for all.

Helston and its champions have been torn apart by war. Finally reunited after being scattered across the realm fighting personal battles, Callie, Elowen, Edwyn and Willow must prepare to step into the roles they’ve been training for: Champion, Witch, Knight and King.

Even if it feels like their best will never be enough to conquer the infection of hate that has spread across Wyndebrel, even when their numbers seem so small compared to the might of their enemies, they must hold true to their mission: to create a better and safer realm for everyone.

With the aid of Eyrewood, Fairkeep, and the dragons, they are as ready as they’ll ever be to ride on Helston and Dumoor, to confront the newly crowned King Peran and the Witch Queen, and finally define what peace truly means. And there is a single truth Callie and friends must cling to: The battle is still worth fighting even when victory seems impossible.

Before we get to the cover, here’s a note from author Esme Symes-Smith:

Dearest Readers,

All the way back in the beginning, I promised you a happy ending, and a light at the end of the darkness. Even though SIR CALLIE is a fantasy story full of magic and dragons, it has always been important to me that it feels real.

There were many times in writing where a happy ending felt impossible, and I struggled to believe in it for myself. Of course, as the author, I could give my characters a Happily Ever After in just a few words, but I wanted it to feel real. I wanted to leave you with the certainty that they’re going to be okay, not just in the last few pages, but long after the book is finished.

It’s hard to believe in happy endings right now, when everything I know to be good and true is ignored in favor of all the things I know to be bad. But I have come to learn that I am not at the end of my story, only the dark middle when everything feels hopeless and it would be so much easier to quit than to keep fighting. I feel the way Callie did, and Willow and Elowen and Edwyn. I feel like a kid in a grownup’s world, witnessing all the wrong and trying to be heard. It feels like a battle that I keep losing, over and over.

But, you know what? I’m going to get up and fight again, even if I lose. I’m going to keep speaking, even if no one hears me. And I’m going to keep believing that my story only ends when I’ve won. I’m just not at that part of the story yet.

Throughout my journey with SIR CALLIE, I have been reminded so many times why the fight is worth fighting, and what the happy ending looks like. It’s in the fierce hope of the readers, and it’s that hope which keeps my own kindled.

Everyone’s journey is their own, everyone has their own way of being a hero, and everyone’s happy ending is a little bit different with a single commonality: the right to live as yourself with those who see you and love you, all the way through.

Thank you for giving me hope.

Be brave, be kind, be you.
Love, Esme Symes-Smith

And here’s the fierce cover, illustrated by Kate Sheridan!

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Bio: After cutting their teeth on a steady diet of fan fiction in the Southwest of England, Esme Symes-Smith wandered north to Wales for their degree in literature and creative writing, then promptly migrated to Missouri after meeting their wife on Tumblr.

In their spare time, they take care of the next generation as a preschool teacher, and run their local chapter of Good Books, Young Troublemakers.

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: The Lure of Their Graves by Laura R. Samotin

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Today on the site I’m thrilled to welcome back Laura R. Samotin to reveal the cover of The Lure of Their Graves, the sequel to the Jewish Historical Fantasy The Sins on Their Bones, which releases June 3, 2025 from Random House Canada! Here’s the story:

In the heart-wrenching sequel to The Sins on Their Bones, The Lure of Their Graves forces Dimitri and Vasily to confront old ghosts and a new threat: political enemies-turned-suitors, all coveting Dimitri’s throne and his hand in marriage.

Dimitri Abramovich may have won back the throne of Novo-Svitsevo, but even after defeating his former husband, the usurper Alexey Balakin, he seems no closer to securing lasting peace for his people. Enemies are closing in on all sides, and pressure is mounting for Dimitri to play the one card he has left in a bid for stability—offering his hand in marriage for a second time.

But Dimitri is still healing from the tragedies of the war, his return to the throne, and Alexey’s years of torment. Vasily Sokolov is the only person with whom he feels safe, and giving up the comfort of their budding relationship feels unfathomable, even if it’s the only way to sever the alliances being formed among the countries surrounding Novo-Svitsevo. So as Dimitri and Vasily reckon with political treachery, the lasting consequences of Dimitri’s resurrection, and the sinister legacy of Alexey’s use of the Holy Science, they must also work to understand what it means to love each other even as they prepare to let each other go—which might prove the most difficult of all.

And here’s the gorgeous cover, designed by Talia Abramson!

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | B&N | Indigo

LAURA R. SAMOTIN and her spouse live with two enormously large felines. When she’s not pursuing her academic research on military tactics, power politics, and leadership, she relishes her role as a full-time cat servant.