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kilagreene) wrote2025-03-05 11:33 am
Read an Ebook Week list
(If you find this list helpful, please consider checking out my Ko-Fi and/or Patreon!)
Free
Common Accord, by K. N. Brindle
This one I have read, and loved very much. “Found family on a spaceship” has been one of my favorite things since the day I first saw an episode of Firefly, and this is a beautifully queer and diverse example of that genre. It’s free, so go grab it!
The Paths of Memory Duology, by K. N. Brindle
This duology I haven’t read yet, but its blurbs sound good, and given how much I loved the author’s other book, I jumped all over the opportunity to get these two for free.
The Eastern Quarter’s Mana series, by Dorian Valentine
I haven't read these, but the blurbs are interesting and the covers pretty (yes, I can be shallow like that). From the description, they sound like time travel crossed with gothic fantasy.
He Who Bleeds, by Dorian Valentine
Another pretty cover that immediately pulled me in. From the description, this one sounds like historical dark fantasy/horror with a focus on religion and sacrilege.
Dryad, by Chris Howard
I read a few trade-published books by Chris Howard many years ago, and was surprised to see some of his work pop up on Smashwords. This one sounds particularly interesting; it’s described as “a standalone urban fantasy with a dystopian feel,” and this line from the blurb immediately grabbed me: “Theodora Vearin has a way with forests, composting, paranoia, and sudden death.”
A Valley to Harness, by Jason A. Bartles
This one is described by BookLife as “A smart, humane novel of revolution and Earth-derived superpowers in a climate-ravaged future,” which I found intriguing enough to grab it for the low price of zero dollars and zero cents.
The Uncontinented Stars, by Haden Cross
This was one of my most anticipated releases of early 2025, so imagine my delight to find it offered for free. It’s described as “a queer science-fiction re-imagining of Moby Dick.”
Stormbringer, by Erinn Harper
This one’s blurb, “A superstar athlete becomes trapped in the threads of a dark plot when his magic is sabotaged under suspicious circumstances during the biggest tournament of his career,” interests me enough that it’s been on my TBR list for a while now.
Ever in the Waves, by Erin Branch
Sapphic enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance about a mermaid and a pirate (who is also secretly a mermaid).
The Elopement of Atticus & NEON, by Al Hess
I have a simple philosophy when it comes to stories by Al Hess: if you can get one for free, you should.
Of Kindred and Stardust, by Archer Kay Leah
Reboot, by Melara Dark
The premise of this one grabbed my attention: “One perfectly normal morning, every living thing in the world besides David disappeared. What's more, every day appears to be the same day, and at the exact same time everything around him…well, the best word he has for it is 'reboots'. He doesn't know what caused this. He doesn't know what will happen next. He's just trying to survive. You see, he's the only one left in the world. Except for the monsters.”
The Spiral of Life, by Francesca McMahon
Young adult coming-of-age fantasy featuring a sapphic teen blacksmith.
A Sharper, More Lasting Pain, by Alex Harvey-Rivas
“NINTH HOUSE and AN EDUCATION IN MALICE meet STRIXHAVEN in this claustrophobically tense sapphic fantasy dark academia novel.”
$0.99 – $1.99
The Monster Girlfriend series, by Marie Cardno
The tagline for the first book of this sapphic series is, “She’s just a girl, standing in front of another girl, trying to remember the correct number of eyeballs.” I was sold instantly. Every book in the series is just $1.99 right now.
The King Is Dead, by Naomi Libicki
I don't know a ton about this one, but from the description it sounds like a slow-burn, low-spice M/M fantasy romance, and it’s currently just $1.24.
Glorious Day, by Skye Kilaen
Sapphic science fiction romance? Sign me up! “The bodyguard is a traitor. The princess is her one true love. And the revolution is almost here...” $1.49.
Another one that was high on my list of early 2025 releases, and it’s currently just $0.99. The blurb, which begins with “Lorne’s magic is rotting him from the inside out,” interests me, and oh my gosh look at that cover (by the author, who is also an artist).
Scatter & Transistor, by Molly J. Bragg
Do you need more sapphic superheroes in your life? Of course you do. Fortunately, the first two books of Molly J. Bragg’s series are just $1.87 apiece.
A Vision of Moonlight & Other Stories, by Tamara Jerée
Anthology by an author who’s long been on my TBR list. “A Vision of Moonlight collects ten queer and sapphic short stories written from 2019-2021, including work in Shirley Jackson Award-winning anthologies.” $0.99.
The Carnelian King and Other Stories, by Arden Powell
Mercy, by Ian Haramaki
I already owned this one prior to the sale, but haven’t read it yet. It’s described as “a high heat MM dark romantasy featuring hurt/comfort and grumpy/sunshine dynamics between an emotionally tortured priest of the sun and a hothead, mouthy angel.” $1.24.
By the Blood of Rowans, by Xan van Rooyen
Queer YA fantasy. “The Sheehy witches are the most feared and detested family on the island of Inisliath, and none more so than Rowan. As a deathwalker, Rowan ferries island souls to the Otherworld, experiencing their deaths and carrying their memories like ghosts within him. It's a fated role he accepts even as it inexorably destroys him.” $1.99.
Sea Swallow Me, by Craig Laurance Gidney
“A finalist for the Lambda Literary Award! Magic and myth mingle in dark and dazzling ways in Craig Laurance Gidney's debut collection. A tourist meets an African sea god... A 12th century Japanese monk attracts the attention of a mischievous shapeshifter... The Earl King lives in a briar patch on an antebellum plantation... Spirits of the past haunt a young boy on a Southern coastal island...” $1.50.
The Warm Machine, by Aimee Cozza
“Two robots, newly sentient, fall in love and elope together in search of the fabled utopia Root.” $1.24.
The Goblins and Cheese series, by Juniper Butterworth
I’ve seen Juniper Butterworth’s books described as “just delightful,” and luckily for us, they’re all currently on sale for $1.49 apiece.
The Sea Goblins series, by Juniper Butterworth
Another Butterworth series on sale for $1.49 apiece.
When Blood Meets Earth, by E.A. Noble
Another book I don’t know a ton about, but I need more queer fantasy by Black indie authors in my life, and look at that gorgeous cover (made by a real human artist; I checked). $1.99.
City of Strife, by Claudie Arseneault
I have adored everything I’ve ever read by Claudie Arseneault. This City of Spires series opener is currently just $1.99.
Awakenings, by Claudie Arseneault
Another Claudie Arseneault book that’s just $1.99 right now. I love this series so, so much.
The Language of Roses, by Heather Rose Jones
Another book I haven’t yet read, but have heard great things about: a sapphic remix of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. $1.49.
The Voyages of Cinrak the Dapper, by A.J. Fitzwater
This book is about a dapper lesbian capybara pirate. Really, I think that says it all. $1.49.
Little Nothing, by Dee Holloway
“Two young women race to turn the tide in a Florida on the brink of civil war with monsters, magic and their love as their only weapons.” I own this, and it came highly recommended, but I haven’t read it yet. $1.99.
In-Between, by MJ James
Urban fantasy novel about an autistic single mom who discovers that her young son may be the heir to the elvish throne, featuring aroace and M/M rep. $1.24.
Like the First Moon Landing, by Matthew J. Metzger
“Stranded and injured in deep space, Maggie McLean has one chance at survival—the ship drifting off her starboard side, refusing to answer her distress calls. The ship the whole universe has been looking for. Maggie most of all.” Sapphic science fiction. $1.99.
The Elysium Proposal, by A.E. Bross
“Kyle Talos, adventurer, privateer, and captain of The Stargazer, wanted to have the perfect romantic evening with the love of her life. Good food, better wine, and then maybe, just maybe, a marriage proposal. Except nothing ever goes as planned.” $1.49.
$2.00 – $2.99
The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher, by E.M. Anderson
The Fall That Saved Us, by Tamara Jerée
Sapphic paranormal romance featuring angels and demons: “A retired demon hunter with an angelic inheritance is haunted by a mysterious succubus and must reckon with the true demons of her past.” $2.99.
A Wolf Steps in Blood, by Tamara Jerée
Another book I owned before the sale but haven’t yet read, about “a red wolf girl stuck in rural Alabama” who must join forces with a dangerous witch. High on my TBR list because it sounds like something I’ll love. $2.99.
Upon the Midnight Queer, by 'Nathan Burgoine
The Fealty of Monsters, by Ladz
The Cradle of Eternal Night, by Ladz
Another Ladz book, this one is described as “A sapphic horror romantasy featuring a grumpy witch with light magic and a sunshine bard made of darkness as they battle constructs and monsters alike on a quest to return light to a world swallowed by midnight.” Also $2.49.
Undergrowth, by Chel Hylott & Chelsea Lim
“Seventeen-year-old Mariam has been mixed up with the supernatural since she was a kid. Between a half-rotting Beast showing up in her dad’s study when she was six years old and the fact that she can’t die, it doesn’t come as too much of a shock when drought-ridden Los Angeles turns into a sentient, carnivorous rainforest overnight.” $2.49.
Obsidian Island, by Arden Powell
Splinter, by Jasper Hyde
A queer retelling of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. “Drusilla Van Tassel thought the headless horseman was just an urban legend and her nightmares were just the result of living in a creepy little town like Sleepy Hollow. Everything changes when Drusilla has a terrifying confrontation with the horseman. Now, Drusilla is thrust into a world of magic and secrets, but will her new mysterious power be enough to save her from the horseman's ax?” $2.99.
A Song of Silver and Gold Duology, by Melissa Karibian
The Endless Sea Between Us, by Lucy Mason
Sapphic fantasy. “When an outcast witch meets a stranded mermaid, magic is only the beginning of their adventure.” $2.99.
Monstrous Alterations, by Christopher Barzak
“In this new collection from Shirley Jackson Award-winning author Christopher Barzak, discover stories where fairy tales, gothic narratives, and classic monster stories are transformed into new wonders. From the Brothers Grimm to Kafka, Barzak imaginatively traverses the history of the dark and the fantastic and returns with new tales for an ever-changing world.” $2.50.
Stars and Soil, by Dax Murray
“A finalist for the 2024 Indie Ink Awards for "Writing the Future We Need: Best Disability Representation by a Disabled Author" and "Writing the Future We Need: Best Gay and Lesbian Representation," Stars and Soil is perfect for those who like their fantasy full of shifting alliances, deep worldbuilding, backstabbing and betrayal, and sapphic and disability representation set in a magical, queer-normative world.” $2.99.
Shades and Silver, by Dax Murray
This is the only Dax Murray book I’ve read so far: a fantasy anthology set in a universe with really interesting worldbuilding. $2.24.
Vampires in Space: An Omnibus, by Niranjan
I've been meaning to read something by Niranjan for a while now, and this seems like a good place to start: an omnibus of four full-length space vampire novels for just $2.49. Niranjan also has many other books between $0.99 and $2.99; a full list can be found here.
The Wind City, by Rem Wigmore
“Wellington. The wind city. New Zealand's home of art and culture, but darker forces, forgotten forces, are starting to reappear. Aotearoa's displaced iwi atua – the patupaiarehe, taniwha, and ponaturi of legend – have decided to make Wellington their home, and while some have come looking for love, others have arrived in search of blood. A war is coming, and few can stand in their way.” $2.49.
That Distant Dream, by Laurel Beckley
The premise of this sapphic sci-fi book fascinates me: “After her escape pod is found drifting through debris nearly two decades after the end of the Redelki Wars, Melin is woken from cryosleep to find a galaxy where she no longer belongs. The galaxy has moved on from the horrors she experienced, the experiences that transformed her into a hero while she slept, but she hasn’t.” $2.99.
That Slow Awakening, by Laurel Beckley
This is the sequel to That Distant Dream, but due to some mysterious Smashwords glitch it doesn’t even show up under the same author page, so I’m posting them separately. Also $2.99.
Blood Price, by Nicole Evans
“The law of the gods is simple: those who kill must pay for it in blood. In the land of Armadin, where nine clans exist in a fragile peace, Ashilde is one of the few chosen to pay the blood price. Through it, she becomes a warrior, capable of killing to protect her clan—alongside her hunters, who provide the essential animal sacrifice, lest they become the next clan to suffer the gods' wrath...” $2.49.
The Binding of Bloom Mountain, by Vesper Doom
Horror/fantasy starring “an autistic lesbian climbing a cursed mountain to save a town from disaster.” $2.99.