This review is long overdue, considering how much I adore Silk and Steel: A Queer Speculative Adventure Anthology. Published in 2020 and edited by Janine A. Southard, this beautiful collection of seventeen stories contains “big names and bold new voices” (full author list in tags). The book features warriors and gentlewomen and centers queer women’s strength—andRead More
Kids Can Fight Injustice Too: Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith
Bookshop.org Affiliate Link “My name is Callie, and I’m not a girl. I am here as Papa’s squire, and I want to train as a knight.” Content warnings: verbal and physical abuse from parental figures; internalized homophobia/transphobia; deadnaming; bullying; queer-coded distrust of magic; parental figure with implied depression; implied suicide of SC; death of siblingRead More
Ren reviews Tell It to the Bees by Fiona Shaw
During a classic late-night spiral down an internet hole, I happened upon the trailer for the not-yet-released movie based on this book. The trailer appeared to follow the same depressing arc we accept in film as As Good As It Gets For Us, but the book was available at my local library, and the carefully-skimmed-to-avoid-spoilersRead More
Elinor reviews Best Lesbian Romance of the Year: Volume One edited by Radclyffe
I am so happy I read this anthology. The introduction starts with an Audre Lorde quote, which is the right way to kick off a book. The stories ran the gamut from meeting cute to the culmination of decades of longing. Every story ended happily, those happy endings felt genuine and deserved, and drama andRead More