Spring is in the air, and as the days last longer, it's a great time to get out of that reading slump and pick up something new. There are lots of new releases coming this month that we can't wait to read, so let's get down to it!
First up on the 1st, we have Outcast by KJ, which is a queer romantic realm-hopping story that sounds full of excitement (and swords!).
Rhiannon Clarke is having a week. A week in which her identity is stolen, she is pursued by underworld thugs, then, at the back of a laundromat, she falls through a portal into another realm.
While making every effort to return to Melbourne, Rhiannon is renamed Sevich, must win a sword fight to gain her freedom, discovers she can manipulate elements, and falls for Orilaevar Reysandoral, the sexy warrior princess of Breula; the realm at the end of the spin cycle.
It’s a lot.
As her feelings start to grow, Sev must decide if returning to Melbourne is really what she wants. Will her increasing elemental powers and relationship with Ori divide the realm, or will Sev stay to save Breula from a danger it has never encountered before?
Described as a queer supernatural coming-of-age story, The Immeasurable Depth of You by Maria Ingrande Mora comes out on the 7th of March.
How do you face your fears when everything is terrifying?
Fifteen-year-old Brynn can’t stop thinking about death. Her intrusive thoughts and severe anxiety leave her feeling helpless—and hopeless. So after her mom interprets one of Brynn’s blog posts as a suicide note, she takes extreme measures, confiscating Brynn’s phone, blocking her Internet access, and banishing her to stay with her father who lives “off the grid” on a houseboat in the Florida mangroves. Isolated from her online friends—her only friends—Brynn resigns herself to a summer of mind-numbing boredom and loneliness… until Skylar appears.
Skylar is everything Brynn isn’t—sultry, athletic, and confident. Yet Brynn feels at home around this fearless girl who pushes her to try new things and makes her belly flutter with nerves that have nothing to do with anxiety. When Brynn discovers that Skylar is trapped in the bayou and can’t tell her why, she resolves to free her new crush from the dark waters, even if it means confronting all of her worst fears.
Also on March 7th, catch Bryony Rosehurst's sapphic 'brother's best friend' romance, When Love Barges In.
Piper Stevens has always been intimidated by best friend Max’s older sister, Jamie, despite practically having been taken in by the Lockett family from the age of fourteen. With a rough past in foster care, an altogether shy and nervous disposition, and a tiny crush for the openly queer woman that caused Piper to come to terms with her own sexuality, things have always been awkward between them. Jamie never understood why, and she’d been too wrapped up in her own problems to ever figure it out, even if it did make her feel out of place in her own home.
After two years of travelling, Jamie is back in their small town of Hebden Bridge, and seeing Piper again brings back old feelings — and new ones, too. When Piper agrees to try to be friendlier with Jamie for Max’s benefit, signing up as the plus-size model for Jamie’s handmade clothing range, they end up realising that part of their tension was built from more than just unease. But can they allow themselves to finally fall for one another, or will their mutual loyalty to Max keep them apart?
March 15th sees the release of Now the Wind Scatters by J. Donai, a Greek mythology retelling of Iphigenia.
Iphigenia seems to have it all.
As the eldest daughter of the House of Atreus and princess of Mycenae, Iphigenia has had an idyllic childhood despite her family’s bloodstained history. She is the darling of the people of her city, and at her side are her endearingly annoying sister Electra and adorable baby brother Orestes. As she comes of age, however, that fragile peace is threatened by strange, burgeoning feelings for her handmaiden. Amidst this crisis of identity, another looms as an ancient goddess only Iphigenia can see simmers beneath the surface of reality. All of this falls to the back burner when war with the Trojans looms high on the horizon, and Iphigenia’s father summons her with a proposal of marriage she would go to the ends of the earth to avoid.
In a desperate attempt to circumnavigate her fate, Iphigenia discovers a dark truth: the altar her father intends for her is sacrificial rather than matrimonial. It is only by an act of divine intervention that she survives, and it is by divine retribution that she will have her revenge.
It is from the desecrated shores of Aulis that Iphigenia will embark on a journey that will take her from the furthest reaches of the ancient Mediterranean to the underworld itself. Amidst romances with goddesses and her own terrifying deification, Iphigenia plots. Despite the pleas of everyone around her, she vows that blood will soon stain the marble halls of the House of Atreus once again.
Vengeance is sweet, but as Iphigenia soon discovers, it comes at a price that could cost her everything.
One of our most anticipated reads of the year releases on the 21st: The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores, a queer YA fantasy retelling of Rapunzel!
Ava and Kaye used to be best friends. Until one night two years ago, vampires broke through the magical barrier protecting their town, and in the ensuing attack, Kaye’s mother was killed, and Ava was turned into a vampire. Since then, Ava has been trapped in her house. Her mother Eugenia needs her: Ava still has her witch powers, and Eugenia must take them in order to hide that she's a vampire as well. Desperate to escape her confinement and stop her mother's plans to destroy the town, Ava must break out, flee to the forest, and seek help from the vampires who live there. When there is another attack, she sees her opportunity and escapes.
Kaye, now at the end of her training as a Flame witch, is ready to fulfill her duty of killing any vampires that threaten the town, including Ava. On the night that Ava escapes, Kaye follows her and convinces her to travel together into the forest, while secretly planning to turn her in. Ava agrees, hoping to rekindle their old friendship, and the romantic feelings she'd started to have for Kaye before that terrible night.
But with monstrous trees that devour humans whole, vampires who attack from above, and Ava’s stepfather tracking her, the woods are full of danger. As they travel deeper into the forest, Kaye questions everything she thought she knew. The two are each other's greatest threat—and also their only hope, if they want to make it through the forest unscathed.
On 23rd March, you can expect Volume Two of M.L. Eaden's The Saint George Chronicles: The Dragon's Lance.
After Xavior’s phoenix episode, Gregor and Xavior find themselves with an unexpected two week vacation. Xavior takes Greg to one of his favorite vacation spots, an exclusive resort which creates an accessible and inclusive environment for magical species and their guests.
Amid questions about their future, secrets about their past, and complicated personal histories, their love leads them to take the final step toward forming their pheromone connection. It adds a new dynamic to their relationship, which swings from exciting to overwhelming more than either of them would care to admit.
As they navigate this new phase of their relationship, Xavior finds himself pulled back into a world he left behind involving his ex-fiance and her lover. With several close calls, including an accusation of murders, and their lives at stake, will they find the answers in time? Or will Greg and Xavior make the ultimate sacrifice?
If you like a heart-wrenching coming-of-age tale, Hayley Anderton's Homebound is sure to do the trick. This one releases March 31st!
After a hard start in life, Lori is already struggling to find her feet in the world. Then, a devastating tragedy sends her hurtling back to square one. Consumed by her anxiety and feeling alone, Lori finds herself bound to her house, unable to face the world.
But she's not alone in her pain. Living under the same roof as her estranged Aunt, her grieving mother and two sisters with growing pains only adds to her troubles. All five of them have lost the person most dear to them - and now they must learn to live a new life without her.
Also on March 31st, She Who Earned Her Wings by Vaela Denarr and Micah Iannandrea is due to release, promising lesbians, battles, and dragons — what more do you need?
Nomi is a young druid finally taking the chance to spread her wings and leave her home. To see the world and discover its magic, beauty… and maybe love. Calia is a dragon on the hunt for angels, trying to square an old debt. That, and to get Laura, her desired bondmate, to finally return to her side, where she belongs.
Nomi immediately catches the eye of the powerful dragons. Calia entices her with honeyed words and a skillful tongue. On the other hand, Laura, much smaller but equally intimidating, takes it upon herself to protect her.
Despite the warnings, Nomi can’t help being drawn to Calia's charm, her power, her fangs… and the hidden gentleness in her eyes. She promises danger where Laura promises safety, and Nomi is torn between the two. Luckily there is a convenient cult out for the dragons’ heads, providing Nomi with ample distraction and at least one dragon egg to steal, hatch, and raise by herself. Perfectly normal things for a young transgender druid to get involved in!
In the clutches of dragons, battling dark forces from beyond the stars, Nomi faces the questions of who she is and who she wants to be. Whether she deserves the love offered to her, and what it truly takes to earn her wings...
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