SF/F starring queer women
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Going on a bit of a break—probably not more than 1-2 weeks. Just trying to get my head out of the Internet for a while, see if I can clear my thoughts up on some physical-world things! Nothing bad; I have OCD, and I need to disconnect sometimes to straighten out thought snarls. SFFic should start up again soon :|b
Godmother Night, Rachel Pollack, 1996.
“Set in an alternate world, this modern fairy tale tells the story of two women, Laurie and Jaqe, who become lovers but are separated by Mother Night, a small elderly lady, who is death. Along with her gang of riotous bikers, she cruises through their lives, leaving a trail of heartbreak and joy.”
Reviews:
GLBT Fantasy Fiction Resources (with a second review here)
The Chosen, Verda Foster, Intaglio, 2005.
“In the feudal kingdom of Ryshta , there are masters and there are slaves. The servants labor for their arrogant lords, who treat them little better than animals. That’s the way it’s always been. But the slaves are waiting for the coming of The Chosen One, the prophesied leader who will take them out of their bondage. A chance encounter separates Roslin, daughter of the king, from her privileged world. She takes refuge in a peasant community where she finds herself drawn to the charismatic Brice, leader of the slaves’ rebellion. Is Brice indeed the Chosen? The old order is eventually overturned and the slaves win their liberty. But in the new, free world, the unveiling of a carefully kept secret has as much impact on the ex-slaves as the rebellion had on their ex-masters. And Brice and Roslin have to face their own challenges as they explore their love for each other. Verda Foster has written a novel of remarkable insight which seeks to answer some very fundamental questions about social convention and perception. At the same time, she gives us a gripping story of love, battle and outstanding moral courage. This new edition of one of Open Books most consistent sellers is being expanded and refined to give this timeless story a new level of depth and emotion.”
Reviews:
Once Upon a Dyke, Karin Kallmaker, Therese Szymanski, Julia Watts, and Barbara Johnson, Bella Books, 2004.
“Once upon a time, four of your favorite lesbian novelists embarked on a magical journey to bring their favorite fairy tale characters out of the closet and into the sheets. The result is a highly erotic and deliciously tongue-in-cheek collection that brings a whole new meaning to the term “bedtime stories.”
Lie back and let these fantasy femmes – and a butch in wonderland – take you deep into the forest, high into castles, and through the looking glass. You’ll be enchanted as Rapunzel lets down more than her hair, the Little Mermaid gets soaking wet, and Snow White proves that Sleepy and Bashful are neither. Whether you grew up wanting to be a princess, or wanting to rescue one, Once Upon a Dyke is the book for you!”
Reviews:
None found.
Tomoe Gozen series, Jessica Amanda Salmonson, 1981-1984.
Tomoe Gozen (later reissued as The Disfavored Hero):
“In a dimension next to ours, there is a world very much like Earth…
In that world there is an island empire called Naipon, where the gods and demons known only as legends in our Japan roam freely over the land, bringing good an evil to its people as they choose. There are mighty warriors, samurai, in Naipon as in Japan, and added to their skill with the two swords of a samurai they must have skill in magic.
One of the greatest of them all is the woman called Tomoe Gozen. She is young and rash, perhaps not as wise as she should be … indeed, as she will be … but valiant in war, loyal in friendship, and steadfast in honor as becomes a samurai.
This is the story of how sorcery caused Tomoe Gozen to break with her bushido, and of what she did to regain her honor.
And even Amaterasu the Shining Goddess was unsure how this came to be… whether in Naipon the hopes and fears of Japan coalesced into a different and stranger reality, or if in Japan the glory and terror of Naipon echoed through the dreams of Japanese.”
Reviews:
GLBT Fantasy Fiction Resources
“In the next dimension there is a world very much like ours, and on this world is an island nation much like our own Japan. In Naipon, however, the myths and dreams of the Japanese people are clothed in reality—sorcerers make magicks great and small, creatures out of legend walk the land from sea to sea. In Japan, magic exists now only in children’s tales. In Naipon, the wonder never died….
In this land travels the one they call Tomoe Gozen—a warrior who is half legend herself, so skilled is she in swordplay and the other arts of the samurai. This is her story: of how she chose between pathways of duty and freedom, between love and honor, and how she came to bear the splendid sword called The Golden Naginata.”
Reviews:
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Reviews:
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Kassandra Lyall Preternatural Investigator series, Winter Pennington, Bold Strokes Books, 2010-2012.
“Preternatural Private Investigator and Paranormal Huntress Kassandra Lyall is used to working alone. Whenever there’s a murder or a mystery to solve that involves the preternatural—she’s the witch they call. When she’s called in to help the local cops work on a mysterious murder case, she finds herself needing all the help she can get.
A bloodthirsty werewolf is loose in the city and on a killing spree.
As if her plate weren’t full enough, a strange she-wolf seeks Kassandra’s aid, asking her to help find her missing brother. Kassandra soon learns that the strange she-wolf serves two masters, and one of those masters has taken quite an interest in her.
In a world where vampires have charmed their way into modern society, where werewolves walk the streets with their beasts disguised by human skin, Kassandra Lyall has a secret of her own to protect.
She’s one of them.”
Reviews:
“Following the execution of Lukas Morris, Preternatural Private Investigator Kassandra Lyall told herself that she’d learn more about the local werewolf pack’s Alpha female. Just as she begins her investigation, she’s interrupted by a phone call from friend and ex-colleague, Detective Arthur Kingfisher. The body of a sixteen-year-old boy has been found. It’s not just any sixteen-year-old boy, it’s Timothy Nelson, a boy Kassandra knew was curious about the preternatural.
Kassandra soon realizes that Timothy’s death serves as a challenge, but it’s not a challenge directed at her. It’s aimed at her lover, the Countess vampire of Oklahoma, Lenorre. While Kassandra tries to figure out if Timothy’s curiosity was his undoing, the biggest question of all remains unanswered.
Is Timothy Nelson dead or undead?”
Reviews:
“Yule is a time to celebrate the rebirth of the light, but for Preternatural Private Investigator and Paranormal Huntress Kassandra Lyall, it’s about solving yet another series of crimes.
When a couple disappears from their quiet neighborhood home, Detective Arthur Kingfisher brings Kassandra in on the case. Faced with a bloody symbol painted on the couple’s bedroom wall, the cops are stumped. That is, until they find a body and their missing person’s report becomes a full-blown murder investigation. Kassandra realizes that someone is targeting the pagan community. The investigation brings up some heavy emotions, making it harder for her to play human in front of the law enforcement officers she works with.
In the midst of aiding the police, Kassandra finally finds herself at serious odds with Sheila Morris, the local werewolf pack’s Alpha female, when Sheila decides to abuse someone very dear to Kassandra. A certain Alpha has a bone to pick. The question is: Who’s going to pick it first?”
Reviews:
Soulwalker, Erica Lawson, Blue Feather, 2012.
“A loner. An outcast. A killer. A hundred years into the future, in a near-totalitarian state, there exists a group of feared Government assassins called The Black Shadow Corps. They are albinos, able to send their inner shadow to kill in the name of the law. Tarris Waite is leader of The Black Shadow Corps. But she is different from them, visibly marked by her pale blue eyes. Her teammates consider her a half-breed, to be feared and despised. A childhood accident left Tarris a paraplegic, yet she has never given up looking for a cure. Asher Hyrea is a medical researcher investigating nerve regeneration, and Tarris believes she may hold the key to her walking again. But Tarris soon learns that nothing is as it seems. Suddenly, even the most trusted members of her Shadow Corps team are suspect. Could her meeting with Asher be more than mere coincidence? When her loyalty is questioned, Tarris is left with no choice but to run. She is driven underground, where she discovers a horrifying secret that threatens the very fabric of society. Now Tarris is in a desperate fight to save her life and, more importantly, to save those who turned their back on her. But no one ever leaves the Corps alive.”
Reviews:
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Raven Delaire Curse books, J. Alex Acker, Womens Work, 2001-2003.
“Raven Delaire has sworn vengence on the women who betrayed her. Tayler Windquest is the only woman with the power to save them all. She just doesn’t know that…yet.
Tayler Windquest is practical. As a journalist, she has little use for anything not written in black and white. Until the night someone tries to kill her.
Saved from the assailant by her mysterious and beautiful neighbor, Erica Kirsten-Laird, Tayler realizes she’s fascinated by the intensely private woman…and not just as a journalist.
As the plot against her unfurls, Tayler finds herself deeply immersed in an ancient and formidable curse. When additional threats on her life occur, Tayler realizes she must find a way to destroy Raven…or be destroyed herself. And when she needs her strength the most, Tayler finds she’s hopelessly in love, but to make love to Erica would kill them both.
Tayler must trust her instincts and newfound powers to destroy the evil Raven has created, and to save the woman she loves.”
Reviews:
GLBT Fantasy Fiction Resources
“Dr. Savannah Jase is talented, powerful, and dangerous. Already a world-renowned cancer specialist, she has an insatiable appetite for beautiful women, an unquenchable thirst for power, and a penchant for unspeakable evil.
Sterling Navarre, Dr. Jase’s partner, is dying of cancer…according to Dr. Jase at least. Sterling is convinced her condition is more sinister than cancer, and that Savannah is behind it.
In a quest to cure her illness, Sterling seeks to acquire the Serpentine Sapphire, a stone so powerful that its very existence has never been confirmed. Sterling consults noted gemologist Leah Constantine, who’s skeptical that the stone even exists. Leah finds herself curiously drawn to the ailing woman, and quickly ensnared in situation well beyond her wildest imaginings.
Will Sterling find the stone in time, only to have it fall into Savannah’s hands? Can Leah be convinced of the stone’s existence and help Sterling? And will the mysterious Guardian make herself known in time to save them all?”
Reviews:
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Tales of Emoria, T.J. Mindancer, Bedazzled Ink, 2001-2008.
“Jame, an Emoran princess and assistant arbiter, takes on the most difficult case at the military compound in Ynit: arguing for the rehabilitation of former Supreme Commander, Tigh the Terrible. Between Jame’s changing feelings for her childhood sweetheart and pressure to return home, and Tigh’s rejection of the family business, they become kindred spirits in their struggles against family and societal expectations. Will they be able to break from their inherited paths and achieve their dream of a future together?”
Reviews:
“Jame and Tigh set out on their new careers as peace arbiter and peace warrior. Between hero worshipping teenage girls, battling the army of the Silver Dragon, and getting more than they bargained for with Jame’’s first case as an arbiter-at-large, they discover that life on the road is anything but routine. But life has never been routine for Tigh and Jame and each challenge helps build the foundation for their new life together.”
Reviews:
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“Six years after the events in Present Paths, Jame, a peace arbiter and Emoran Princess, and Tigh, a peace warrior with a notorious past, answer a summons from the Queen of Emoria. Jame and Tigh battle ghosts from their pasts to prevent a mad, vengeful Wizard from unleashing the most powerful army the world has ever seen.”
Reviews:
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““The Second Coming of K’miel,” “Hearing Things,” “Way of the Jeep,” and “Warriors of the Emoriat” together in a single volume.
Explore the world of Emoria across time and space. Meet K’miel, the seafaring Emoran princess, and Melia, a Lukrian warrior in training. Encounter the descendants of Queen Jamelin I and her consort Tigh of Ingor in 21st century California. Hang on to your swords as Warriors of the Emoriat, the peacekeepers of the universe, get caught up in a crazy galaxy-hopping adventure.”
Reviews:
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The Salt Roads, Nalo Hopkinson, Warner, 2003.
“In beautiful prose, Nalo Hopkinson’s The Salt Roads tells how Ezili, the African goddess of love, becomes entangled in the lives of three women. Grief-powered prayers draw Ezili into the physical world, where she finds herself trapped by her lost memories and by the spiritual effects of the widespread evil of slavery. Her consciousness alternates among the bodies/minds of several women throughout time, but she resides mostly in three women: Mer, an Afro-Caribbean slave woman/midwife; Jeanne Duval, Afro-French lover of decadent Paris poet Charles Baudelaire; and Meritet, the Greek-Nubian slave/prostitute known to history as St. Mary of Egypt.” — from Amazon.com’s review
Reviews:
GLBT Fantasy Fiction Resources
…and more
