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Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk
A magical detective dives into the affairs of Chicago's divine monsters to secure a future with the love of her life. This sapphic period piece will dazzle anyone looking for mystery, intrigue, romance, magic, or all of the above.
An exiled augur who sold her soul to save her brother's life is offered one last job before serving an eternity in hell. When she turns it down, her client sweetens the pot by offering up the one payment she can't resist--the chance to have a future where she grows old with the woman she loves.
To succeed, she is given three days to track down the White City Vampire, Chicago's most notorious serial killer. If she fails, only hell and heartbreak await.
Why you should read it: What a riveting and bittersweet novella. Polk does a phenomenal job of building a whole world and magic system in an impressively short space, while still giving me characters with depth and history and so much heart. I loved this book. Absolutely wonderful.
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Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
Welcome to Neverton, Montana: home to a God-fearing community with a heart of gold.
Nestled high up in the mountains is Camp Damascus, the self-proclaimed "most effective" gay conversion camp in the country. Here, a life free from sin awaits. But the secret behind that success is anything but holy.
And they'll scare you straight to hell.
Why you should read it: I had a strong inkling that I was going to enjoy this book, but I still can't quite believe just how much I loved it. Spooky, subversive, weirdly charming, and an absolutely vivid horror story. I loved Rose Darling. I laughed in delighted exasperation at all the Peter Pan references. I found the monsters themselves to be nightmare-inducing in a very literal way. Just all around an excellent book, and I look forward to seeing what Chuck Tingle does next.
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Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel
I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions--much good it did me.
So begins Kaikeyi's story. The only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, she is raised on legends of the gods: how they churned the vast ocean to obtain the nectar of immortality, how they vanquish evil and ensure the land of Bharat prospers, and how they offer powerful boons to the devout and the wise. Yet she watches as her father unceremoniously banishes her mother, listens as her own worth is reduced to how great a marriage alliance she can secure. And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear.
Desperate for some measure of independence, she turns to the texts she once read with her mother and discovers a magic that is hers alone. With this power, Kaikeyi transforms herself from an overlooked princess into a warrior, diplomat, and most favored queen, determined to carve a better world for herself and the women around her.
But as the evil from her childhood tales threatens the cosmic order, the path she has forged clashes with the destiny the gods have chosen for her family. Kaikeyi must decide if resistance is worth the destruction it will wreak--and what legacy she intends to leave behind.
Why you should read it: This was an excellent but very stressful read. Somehow, having the narrator allude repeatedly to HOW MUCH WORSE things are going to get, makes the whole thing even more harrowing. Which I am better equipped to handle sometimes than others. All that being said, this is an absolutely incredible book—a vast fantasy story based on the Ramayana. Since I'm not familiar with the original epic, I didn't recognize any of the key players or traditional story elements, but the author still managed to make the whole book feel like it shared a heartbeat with that solid underlying story. I loved the main character and how she faced a lifetime of impossible choices, and the magic of the world was beautifully conveyed. Bonus points for a main character who reads as both aromantic and asexual, without implying that these things are in any way a character flaw.
Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk
A magical detective dives into the affairs of Chicago's divine monsters to secure a future with the love of her life. This sapphic period piece will dazzle anyone looking for mystery, intrigue, romance, magic, or all of the above.
An exiled augur who sold her soul to save her brother's life is offered one last job before serving an eternity in hell. When she turns it down, her client sweetens the pot by offering up the one payment she can't resist--the chance to have a future where she grows old with the woman she loves.
To succeed, she is given three days to track down the White City Vampire, Chicago's most notorious serial killer. If she fails, only hell and heartbreak await.
Why you should read it: What a riveting and bittersweet novella. Polk does a phenomenal job of building a whole world and magic system in an impressively short space, while still giving me characters with depth and history and so much heart. I loved this book. Absolutely wonderful.
- — - — - — - — -
Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
Welcome to Neverton, Montana: home to a God-fearing community with a heart of gold.
Nestled high up in the mountains is Camp Damascus, the self-proclaimed "most effective" gay conversion camp in the country. Here, a life free from sin awaits. But the secret behind that success is anything but holy.
And they'll scare you straight to hell.
Why you should read it: I had a strong inkling that I was going to enjoy this book, but I still can't quite believe just how much I loved it. Spooky, subversive, weirdly charming, and an absolutely vivid horror story. I loved Rose Darling. I laughed in delighted exasperation at all the Peter Pan references. I found the monsters themselves to be nightmare-inducing in a very literal way. Just all around an excellent book, and I look forward to seeing what Chuck Tingle does next.
- — - — - — - — -
Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel
I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions--much good it did me.
So begins Kaikeyi's story. The only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, she is raised on legends of the gods: how they churned the vast ocean to obtain the nectar of immortality, how they vanquish evil and ensure the land of Bharat prospers, and how they offer powerful boons to the devout and the wise. Yet she watches as her father unceremoniously banishes her mother, listens as her own worth is reduced to how great a marriage alliance she can secure. And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear.
Desperate for some measure of independence, she turns to the texts she once read with her mother and discovers a magic that is hers alone. With this power, Kaikeyi transforms herself from an overlooked princess into a warrior, diplomat, and most favored queen, determined to carve a better world for herself and the women around her.
But as the evil from her childhood tales threatens the cosmic order, the path she has forged clashes with the destiny the gods have chosen for her family. Kaikeyi must decide if resistance is worth the destruction it will wreak--and what legacy she intends to leave behind.
Why you should read it: This was an excellent but very stressful read. Somehow, having the narrator allude repeatedly to HOW MUCH WORSE things are going to get, makes the whole thing even more harrowing. Which I am better equipped to handle sometimes than others. All that being said, this is an absolutely incredible book—a vast fantasy story based on the Ramayana. Since I'm not familiar with the original epic, I didn't recognize any of the key players or traditional story elements, but the author still managed to make the whole book feel like it shared a heartbeat with that solid underlying story. I loved the main character and how she faced a lifetime of impossible choices, and the magic of the world was beautifully conveyed. Bonus points for a main character who reads as both aromantic and asexual, without implying that these things are in any way a character flaw.
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