#seregil of rhiminee

[wiltking]

going to start talking more about what im reading on here because my brain is allergic to coherent post-book reviews at the moment it seems. from this month so far:

finished Luck In The Shadows by lynn flewelling - mixed feelings on this one. i enjoyed the first half but once they hit Rhiminee i was struck with the most likely reason i dropped this book the first time, which is that worldbuilding is not this author's strong point. i felt zero investment for the political field and all characters involved in that fiasco. seemingly important elements kept getting washed out by boring exposition and even more boring side characters (and the extremely underwhelming utilization of centaurs. hello! centaurs!) but i am intrigued by the scar plotpoint and enjoy it when alec and seregil are off adventuring on their own, so i'll see what else the series has to offer.

read Aleksey's Kingdom by john wiltshire - the sequel to A Royal Affair which i absolutely adored last year. was wary of reading the sequel right after the 1st book because the description seemed so different. and im glad i waited because now ended up being the perfect time for it. it is very different but i found it refreshing to come back to these characters after time away to check in on how theyre doing, to watch them iron out some leftover kinks, to know that theyre going to be okay. i also loved the unexpected horror element. i thought the build up was executed very well and it was beyond fascinating to watch these characters navigate their relationship and the difficult world around them long after getting together. it was equal parts fun and emotional and disturbing. niko and aleksey both feel so unique and alive and i loved experiencing their realistic arguments and conversations again. it gave me more than i could have wanted and im just sad that means there won't be a 3rd book.

read Chasing Cold by stephen graham king - a mailman on a eternally frozen refugee planet falls in love with a man he only knows through video corespondance and embarks on a journey to meet him. lovely concept, okay execution. my biggest letdown with this book is my difficulty grasping the depth of the main character. he had me in the first half, i love a sad hurting man with hopes too big for his body. but midway he kind of slipped through my grasp. solid story otherwise though, revitalized my love for scifi, and secured a spot as one of my top m/m scifis for sure.

started Ariah by b.r. sanders - i have never read a good gay elf book. boy i have tried. i have searched. i have given up on the possibility of there being a good gay elf book. 2 chapters into Ariah is far too early to tell if this might be what i've been looking for but i do know that im hooked. im loving the vibe, the air of mystery around the narration. the fact that the main character is himself an elf and not just some painfully beautiful love interest to marvel at. truly have no idea what to expect from this one but im here im queer my eyes are open and i do feel strong potential that i'll lose sleep staying up to read it. i am very, very cautiously optimistic.

#yes i own a whole server for talking about books. yes i worry about rambling in there #this just feels like a better place to do it mayhaps #book thoughts

[reviewsthatburn]

STALKING DARKNESS finally answers the big mystery that has Nysander swearing people into secrecy if he tells them anything at all. Alec continues to be an excellent student of thievery and hidden things, and Seregil is maybe almost someday thinking about perhaps telling Alec he likes him... at a later date.

The plot follows Alec, Seregil, Nysander, and Micum as they are living life and doing sneaky (or magic) things. Seregil has a brief quest by himself at Nysander's direction, and a lot of the emotional tension in the first half related to Seregil trying to navigate the increasingly romantic direction of his already intense feelings for Alec. Mysterious antagonists have been tracking them since the first book, and their nefarious plan (centuries in the making) has finally come to fruition. Once they make their big move, the rest of the book is devoted to trying to stop them and save some of their victims. This connects with Beka's storyline in an unexpected but narratively neat way (though very bad for a bunch of her fellow soldiers). 

[Full Review at link]

#BookReviews #Audiobook #Fantasy #Recommended #lynn flewelling

[ace-artemis-fanartist]

“And in the light.”

Mock cover for Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling.

#Luck in the Shadows #Lynn Flewelling #nightrunner #nightrunner series #seregil of rhiminee #alec i amasa #artists on tumblr #mock cover #booklr #my art

[1313-arts]

Slowly getting there...

#I bounce back and forth between WIPs way too often #seregil i korit #my art #art wip #Seregil #seregil of rhiminee #nightrunner series #lynn flewelling

[jinsai-ish]

Seregil rested on his back, arms tucked behind his head, Alec already asleep and snoring softly beside him. It was warm enough that his lover had kicked the cover down so that they twisted up in his thighs, leaving the moonlight falling on his pale, bare ass. Seregil spared an appreciative glance out of the corner of his eye, a small smile gracing his face. He let his eyes slip closed, intent on letting Alex's soft, rhythmic snores soothe him into sleep. Another sound trespassed on his ears however, small, bare feet padding across the floor. The quiet sound reminded him of Sebrahn and he sighed, sitting up and pulling the blankets up to cover his own assets as well as Alec's.

The girl stood, briefly outlined by the moonlight, fidgeting as she hesitated. The light made her eyes appear to almost glow silver, another reminder of Sebrahn, but he knew they were just his own clear grey. Seregil sighed again, shifting and patting the bed next to him. She nodded and walked over, sitting, her careful silence respectful of Alec sleeping. Seregil looked down at her hair, silky dark brown just like his own, her high cheekbones and delicate features showing only her 'faie blood, and none of her mother's. Her skin was a few shades darker than his own, her presence there a souvenir of his visit to the Dravnians and their guesting traditions. While he was not surprised to find he'd left a few behind, he was shocked to have any enter his life. Though he'd never seen them, he'd been told how her two half-brothers were mirror-images of their mothers, treasured and at-home in their village and with their clan. Only his daughter had come out strange - well, strange to her mother's people. When her uncle had delivered the girl to Rhiminee, six, slim, and silent, he had been told how her birth had killed her mother before the labor had even completed, how they had had to cut the infant out, and hadn't been sure she would even live. How could Seregil turn her away, when his own birth had killed his mother? So much like him, yet still so distant. He wasn't sure how to connect anymore than she was; it was Alec who was so good with children, not him.

"Would you tell me a story?" She asked at last. She slid near, though she didn't look up. Goosebumps prickled on her legs where they stuck out of her nightshirt, and he extended the blankets to her.

Her mother's people had always placed a nigh-religous value on story-telling, and this at least left Seregil on solid ground.

"Did you know you have another brother, of a sort?"

Seregil wasn't sure what possessed him to tell that story of all he could have, save for the memory of silver eyes. But she looked up at him finally. Her eyes were large, but the color of the sea at sunset reassured him, and the dark waves framing her small face. He took a deep breath, and began.

"Alec and I were south, in my own homeland, on the Queen's command, to deliver a message to her sister. No, not Queen Elani, but her aunt, Queen Phoria," he said, answering the question in her eyes before she could it voice.

"An old enemy seized an opportunity, and we were attacked and dragged to Plenimar, to be enslaved."

He detailed the battle, and something of the terrors of the ship's slave hold, but held off from telling her the worst, or that he had nearly died. His hand rubbed his throat reflexively, the hated memory of the slave collar sunk into his subconscious actions.

"So, an evil wizard?" She questioned as he reached that part.

"No," he replied vehemently, immediately quieting himself with a glance at Alec. "Not a wizard," he continued. "A man practicing a terrible mix of science and magic, for works as black as any necromancer's. He took bits of Alec - spit, mucus, blood, his spend - and created a -"

Here Seregil hesitated. How to describe what Sebhran had been, what he was? A glance out the window gave him an idea.

"A moon child," he said at last. "A child of magic, who could heal with his blood, or kill with his voice. White and silver, made of Alec. A moon child, born of no woman."

"Like me," she said, her voice filled with sadness and wonder. He started, staring down at her in shock.

"You-" he began but she shook her head. Looking down as he was, he could see the birthmark near her collarbone, the same size and shape as the scarred circle on his own and shivered. There was no logic to why she would wear the same mark, matching the one of his own chest and on Alec's palm, from their tangle with the evil god of the necromancers. He tried not to think about what that might mean for his daughter.

"I was never born from my mother," she stated, dragging him away from those thoughts. Her voice too even for a child. She looked to the window, and then he could see the tremble in her jaw.

"They cut me from her dead womb, on a night with no moon." She pulled her knees tight to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, and resting her head on top, still looking out the window. "If Alec's child of the moon was white and silver, then I'm just... Empty and dark."

Seregil pulled her close to him, his throat and heart tight.

"No," he declared. Gently, but firmly he tilted her chin up, so that their eyes met. "Aura's moon, we call it in Aurenen. A very lucky sign, especially for - for Alec and myself."

Her eyes, so much like his own stared up. He could see a hesitant hope in them, still fearing to be born. He purses his lips.

"We had to give Sebrahn up to the Hazadrielfaie - Alec's mother's people. It was best for him - and us," he admitted. "But it was hard, most of all for Alec. Sebrahn was his child, in the end, and he has never truly recovered. Having you with us, well..."

He smiled down at her. "It's hard, for all of us. But hard doesn't mean bad, and it helps him. And I am glad that you are here now."

There was that dance of newborn hope he had hoped to see. She leaned against him fully, her eyes drifting shut. After a few minutes, he could feel her small body relax into sleep.

"That was good." Seregil laid his daughter down gently, turning to see Alec yawning widely. Dark blue glimpsed up at Seregil out of lashes still heavy with sleep. His hand fumbled for Seregil's, wrapping warmly around his fingers.

"I have no idea how we're going to do this tali," Seregil confessed. "Or if we even can."

Alec pulled him down, burying his face and yawning against his lover's chest.

"Together," was all he said before giving way to sleep once more.

For tonight at least, that was reassurance enough for Seregil, and he let himself finally sleep as well.

#nightrunner #oc story #storytelling #alec i amasa #alec x seregil #seregil i korit

[definitely-not-an-alb]

Like, appart from how ... every goddamn High Fantasy book, especially at that time, features/ed teens, the fact that Seregil and Alec are both displaced textually-bisexual men who were essentially ripped from their home and cultures at the brink of adulthood and had to grow up asap or die in exile is one of the things that makes them both and their later relationship so compelling to me.

Just the absolute whiplash of having these books sell you on a power-imbalanced mentor/protégé relationship only to then go ‘actually, the very reason Seregil is even in Rhiminee is because the normal punishment for his crime was considered to cruel for his tender age so he was exiled instead ... to a land where everyone treated him like an extremely experienced adult despite the fact that he was essentially a super-sheltered teen’ - now I’m sad and also uhm. reconsidering why I latched so hard onto these books skadnks

#I'm NOT going to reread these books now I have HOMEWORK and HOUSEWORK and also the weird kid fic arc SUCKED #the nightrunner series

[mollymauk-teafleak]

say it will always be like this

Seregil decides it's time for Alec to learn the subtle art of make up. And he has a few ways to make it more interesting.

-

Please consider reblogging and leaving a comment over on Ao3 if you liked this, it really helps motivate writers particularly in small fandoms like this one!

-

Seregil had taught Alec a wide variety of skills in the time they’d been together. From coercing locks to open to walking like a noble, from scaling walls ten times as tall as he was with no foothold in sight to navigating the baffling arsenal of cutlery that would be set before him as standard practise at the palace. Skills that would save his life, skills that would take the life of someone else and more than a few skills that were only to be used within the gauzy canopy of their own bed. Alec, always sharp and hungry to learn, had taken to every one with his usual endearing eagerness, tackling everything from swordplay to chardsharping and giving himself to it completely until he was as good as Seregil. Maybe even better, in some cases.

But this was the first time he’d ever seen his talímenios look truly, completely nervous.

Seregil had to laugh, seeing his face as he opened the box between them and began laying the multitude of products within out on the bed. It was rather daunting, he supposed, when you saw how much was contained within a standard well born lady’s cosmetics chest.

But there was just something so adorable about the way he immediately flushed and began to squirm, especially when Seregil’s laughter broke through the professional air he’d been trying so hard to maintain.

“Oh hush…” he begged, ducking his head into his collar, the tips of his ears as red as if he’d been walking around in the snow currently falling outside their bedroom window with no hat.

Seregil tried to marshal his trembling shoulders and the giggles bursting in his chest like champagne bubbles, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. You’re just so adorable when you’re flustered like this…”

“You’re not helping!” he’d now yanked the fabric of his loose evening shirt as high as his nose and Seregil had to reach between them and coax it back down.

“Hey now, talí…” he left his fingers where they were even when Alec had resurfaced, caressing his friend’s cheek with soft fingertips, “It’s just another skill, another weapon in any nightrunner’s arsenal. You wouldn’t believe the doors that a dress and a bit of rouge can open. And with your lovely braid, it’s the perfect time for you to learn!”

Alec sighed, clearly sinking any lingering traces of his strict Danlan upbringing as best he could, “I know…”

“And besides,” Seregil’s grin turned crooked the way it only did when he was out to pay court to his lover, something he still made a point of doing even now they’d been married in all but name for months and months, “I know you’re going to look beautiful in it.”

That clearly snagged Alec’s attention and soon he was blushing for an entirely different reason, a softer and more playful kind of heat in his face, “Oh come on.”

“I mean it! Once I’ve taught you, you’ll be lucky if I ever actually Jelet you use this disguise. You’ll have every man with a working set of eyes from miles around nipping at your heels.”

It was Alec’s turn to laugh, shaking his head so a few strands of his blonde hair fell across his face, his braid starting to unravel as it always did in the evenings after a day of wear, “You’re such a fool, talí.”

“Fair. Doesn’t make me wrong though, does it?”

Now his love was smiling, he sat back and turned his attention to the products on the bed between them. He’d sorted them into groups based on what they did, what part of the face they were used for. First would come the instruction, then the application. Alec always learned best through touch.

“This is pretty much a standard set of makeup for a Skalan woman of fairly high society. Not high enough to attract attention, mind you, but certainly well to do.”

“Standard?” Alec looked at the spread with a mix of apprehension and awe, “There’s so much!”

“Precisely,” Seregil chuckled, “The pressures put on women these days are quite staggering. And unfortunately for us, if we’re to pass as women then we need to rise to meet those pressures.”

He held up a small pan between them, “This is a fairly common face powder, made for paling and smoothing the skin. Mind where you buy this when your stock runs low, some of the cheaper suppliers have started mixing the stuff with lead paint, of all things.”

“I suppose corpses are very pale?” Alec sniffed, taking the box from Seregil and turning it over in his hands, opening it up and rubbing a little of the chalky powder onto his finger, “How do I put it on?”

“With this,” Seregil held up a brush, “Finest horse hair. Here, I’ll do half of your face so you can get a feel for it, then you finish it off.”

Alec gave a last groan of protest, though he paid close attention to how Seregil tapped the fine dark brush into the powder and let his eyes close without complaint, leaning close.

Seregil had thought, with the weather in Rhiminee being so stubbornly awful, all sleet and snow and howling winds, this would be a good lesson to fill a cosy evening in. And he’d been right. While the flakes fell just outside the glass, their room was filled with gently glowing candles and the fire could be heard crackling in the sitting room just beyond the door. The smell of the mulled wine they’d been drinking still hung on the warm air, filling their bedroom with the scents of cherries, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. It was on Alec’s breath too, as he exhaled softly, not wanting to move his face too much while Seregil carefully applied the powder. There was something so soft and relaxed about his face in that moment, cast in gently flitting shadows by the candlelight that, as soon as he was done, Seregil pressed his lips to his lover’s in a sweet kiss.

Alec was grinning when he pulled away, “What was that about?”

Seregil smirked, “I haven’t put your lip paint on yet, it’s allowed. Right, can you see what I’ve done?” He pulled the looking glass he’d taken off the wall into his lap so Alec could see his face, now half an eerie bone white, “Concentrate on getting it settled into the creases of your eye and nose.”

Alec pulled a face at his reflection but took up the brush, mimicking Seregil’s movements as best he could. It wasn’t a bad effort at all, he only had to redo a few parts that he missed, just behind his ear and under his jaw.

Seregil gave him a fondly annoyed smile. Was there nothing his talímenios wasn’t excellent at?

Next came the eyes, a more delicate affair. This required a completely different brush, a kohl pencil, the coloured dust made from dried and ground flowers. Again, Seregil did one eye so Alec could see what was required of him, then let him complete the set in the mirror.

Alec was soon frowning, “This is so fiddly, like sprininging a tumble lock that trembles. And my eyes keep watering!”

Seregil grinned, “Think of it like you’re pulling your bow. Your hands never shake then, do they?”

“Because I know what i’m doing with my bow,” Alec grumbled, a little petulantly, cursing and having to restart the kohl when his hand slipped, “Billiary’s balls!”

“Patience, talí,” Seregil smiled, “We have all evening. You’ll get the hang of it.”

Finally, after three attempts, Alec had two passably matching eyes, ringed in thick black kohl with lids shaded a deep, sultry red. And Seregil was starting to realise just how right he’d been at the start.

Alec had always been beautiful to him, of course. Whether he was tricked up as his noble alter ego, in the finest silks with his hair neatly queued, or whether he was rough from weeks on the road, dust in his hair and days away from his last bath in anything but a half frozen stream, his lover would always be the most gorgeous man in the world as far as Seregil was concerned. The cosmetics, combined with the candlelight, only emphasised what he’d always seen on his talímenios’ face, like everything he’d always admired was being edged in gold.

Now Seregil was left wondering why he’d waited so long to give Alec this particular lesson.

“Lips next,” he said, bringing himself back to the task at hand. He could do something with the feelings stirring inside him later. What kind of teacher would he be to only give half a lesson?

Now he’d mastered the eyes, Alec seemed to be getting more confident by the moment. He sniffed the lip paint with genuine interest, admiring it’s deep red colour.

“It’s pigmented with crushed berries and beetle’s wings,” Seregil smiled, he loved satisfying his lover’s curiosity, “Which makes it pretty expensive so, in a pinch, you can rub a cut lemon on your lips. That’ll make them look redder and a little fuller.”

Alec looked dumbfounded then laughed in disbelief, “This is like learning a code! All these secrets and tricks, I had no idea...”

Seregil snorted, “I knew you’d get to liking this. Now, keep your mouth relaxed, don’t tighten up or the paint will crack. There, that’s it…”

Once again, the barely there distance between them as Seregil leaned in and carefully painted his lower lip struck him, the closeness, the attentiveness as Seregil’s focus shrank down utterly to Alec’s body. And this time, he wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“I suppose you can’t kiss me now…” Alec murmured, voice a little lower and a little rougher.

Seregil was so close, he could practically hear his heartbeat, smell the scent of wood air and musk that was so completely Alec.

Sergeil grinned, heat in his own cheeks now. If any of his friends on the Street of Lights learned that this sweet faced, shy smiling Northerner could actually get the infamous Seregil í Korit to blush with scent alone, his reputation was ruined. And in the moment, he didn’t think he cared.

“Not until after our lesson,” he smiled regretfully, sitting up and handing the brush to Alec, a drop of red stain falling on his fingers as he did so, “Then, my talí, that lip paint is getting places it absolutely was never intended for.”

Even the thick layer of white paint couldn’t hide how red Alec got at that promise. Clearly Seregil hadn’t lost sight of himself entirely.

Despite his new distraction, Alec completed his lips perfectly and, after a dusting of rouge and painting over some of his veins in blue ink, he was as perfectly made up as any woman in the Noble Quarter of Rhiminee. Of course Seregil would teach him what to accentuate to make his face look more femenine, working with his natural faie features to create the full effect so he’d pass even under a critical eye. But for now, he simply looked beautiful, ethereal and otherworldly.

Alec grinned, feeling the heat in Seregil’s gaze. Even after he’d finished his rouge, Seregil hadn’t moved back. A bare inch and they’d be kissing. Suddenly, the candles seemed to be burning lower and the air had gotten warmer, closer, like before the tension broke and the rain began to fall.

And then a glint of pure wickedness entered Alec’s innocent blue eyes, “So...am I prettier than Lady Gwethylyn?”

Sergeil’s jaw dropped for a moment before he gathered himself gave a low, throaty chuckle, casting the powders and brushes and tins to the floor so he could advance on Alec, pinning him back against the cushions.

“Oh, talí, you’re in trouble now.”

Afterwards, Seregil took a lot of pleasure in standing before the much larger mirror placed against the far wall, scanning his body for the smudges of red and charcoal black and white like the gentlest snowfall, a map of how Alec had hungrily explored him, giving as much as he’d gotten for that comment.

Alec sat up in bed behind him, admiring his work too. Seregil could see him in the mirror and returned his smug smile before turning to crawl back onto the bed.

“All your hard work…” he murmured with a sigh of mock regret, touching one very badly smudged cheek.

“Well, now I get to practise again,” Alec grinned, clearly hoping, the same as Seregil, that it would lead to another evening like this one.

Seregil reached over and snagged his own shirt from where it had been carelessly tossed to the floor hours before. He used it to gently wipe away the last lingering traces of the makeup, where it still clung on determinedly at his eyes and his high, thin cheekbones.

And then there was his Alec. No inks or powders or crushed flowers, just his own soft blue eyes and gentle, shy smile and messy, flyaway hair the colour of summer wheat.

For once, Seregil allowed himself to say exactly what was in his heart, without any hesitation.

“You don’t need any of that to be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

The way Alec’s eyes deepened and creased so perfectly in the corners, the way a smile of uncomplicated joy lighted on his face, the way that he believed Seregil so completely in that moment made him glad he’d chosen this lesson for today. Because if there was anything he wished he could teach his lover, it was to see himself the way Seregil saw him.

#nightrunners #nightrunner series #seregil x alec #alec x seregil #seregil i korit #alec i amasa #lynn flewelling #fluff #some very light smut #look I started reading the white road and I just need these boys to be happy for a second #please reblog! #please comment!

[stopbeingartsy]

1, 16, 22 :)

1. what’s your favourite memory? the day we finished GCSEs last year I went to a mates house and we were drinking all afternoon but that evening we went to the house of one of the other people that was there with us bc she lived like a couple streets away, and me and one of my best friends were just lying in the grass (not drunk anymore at this point) and just giggling at everything and the sun was still out and we were looking up at the sky and everything felt so free and I really miss it

16. who are your top 5 fictional characters? FIVE IS NOT ENOUGH but in no order - Sirius Black (HP), Simon Snow (Carry On), Ingrid Dracula (Young Dracula), Willow (Buffy), Seregil of Rhiminee (Nightrunner)

22. favourite scent? generally? You know the scent when days get warmer and you realise it’s finally summer bc you can smell the grass an the warm air? That. Also baking bread and cinnamony vanilla.

#man i miss that day last year!! #postbox #ask game

[laurents-laces]

Hello friend! I’ve recently bought the nightrunner series, but it’s taking a while to get into. I’m still slowly enjoying Dune. But I do admit it’s a little hard for me to really dive deep into the nightrunner series, so many terms and title. I forget how immersive fantasy can be 😂

Lol I know what you mean! It can be a lot. I just ignored all the info dump stuff at the beginning and went back to it once I had some idea of what all the countries and gods were. The only things I bothered remembering at first was that Alec is Dalnan, Seregil is Illioran, Skala is the country Seregil lives in, Rhiminee is the capital of Skala, and Plenimar is the enemy country. That's my usual strategy for fantasy or sci fi with a lot of worldbuilding- learn the bare minimum of essential facts at first, then pay attention to the rest of it once I'm already invested in the story/characters.

And you've just reminded me that I should probably be more careful about not spoiling those books, so spoilery posts will now be tagged as #nightrunner spoilers

#thanks for the ask :) #i like getting nightrunner questions #ask #anon

[reviewsthatburn]

LUCK IN THE SHADOWS is a slow burn series of heists and cons carried out in the name of spywork and finding out the truth of a murderous conspiracy as Alec slowly gets to know Seregil, his enigmatic rescuer, and the rest of his comrades.

Much of the story is Seregil introducing Alec to people and places. The reader is constantly in Alec's position in terms of information, as Seregil is pretty cagey about most things. He has a lot of secrets and is good at keeping them. I like the group who eventually emerge  as the main point-of-view characters in addition to Alec and Seregil. 

Full review at link.

#luck in the shadows #lynn flewelling #BookReviews #Audiobook #Fantasy #Recommended

[ace-artemis-fanartist]

I’ve been meaning to draw Nightrunner since I started drawing (yeah for a year now), it was one of the first LGBT+ fantasies I’d ever read.

Anyway, Fae thief husbands, Alec and Seregil, when Alec was still the short one.

#nightrunner #lynn flewelling #Alec of Kerry #Seregil of Rhiminee #luck in the shadows #pride month #bi characters #fanart #quick doodle #my art #seregil i korit #nightrunner series

[fencer-x]

Hello! I’ve been looking for some good books to read and was wondering if you had any recommendations? I seem to just wander around the bookstore not knowing where to start.

I confess I’ve been reading nothing but fics on fics on fics (Drarry exclusively lol) for a good year now, so I haven’t touched original works in ages, though I have several of the latest installments of my favorite series waiting until I run out of good Drarry fic... (please...god...free me from this hell........)

I’ve made several recommendations for excellent M/M original works (you can always check out my reccs tag for any recommendations as well, though it includes original novels as well as manga and fic). I pretty much only read M/M fantasy (with the very VERY occasional M/M scifi or supernatural book thrown in), so I hope that’s what you’re looking for XD

Here’s a “””””””brief””””””” recap of series I particularly enjoy and go back to reread often, along with details on who might like these books and why. They’re all available via Amazon (most as Kindle reads, but some as paperbacks; some are also available from other sources as well in other formats if you prefer, for example, epub) and at reasonable prices (all but one series are under $10 per book, some under $5).

It is entirely possible you’ve read all of these, since I’ve gushed about them many a time before, and if that’s the case, I apologize I can’t rec you anything new! But maybe it’s been a while if you’ve read these before and it’s time for a reread!

The Lord of the White Hell series, by Ginn Hale - [GOODREADS BLURB: "Kiram Kir-Zaki may be considered a mechanist prodigy among his own people, but when he becomes the first Haldiim ever admitted to the prestigious Sagrada Academy, he is thrown into a world where power, superstition and swordplay outweigh even the most scholarly of achievements. But when the intimidation from his Cadeleonian classmates turns bloody, Kiram unexpectedly finds himself befriended by Javier Tornesal, the leader of a group of cardsharps, duelists and lotharios who call themselves Hellions. However Javier is a dangerous friend to have. Wielder of the White Hell and sole heir of a dukedom, he is surrounded by rumors of forbidden seductions, murder and damnation. His enemies are many and any one of his secrets could not only end his life but Kiram’s as well."] 

Read this if you like... magic and science working together, religion-borne racism and the difficulties of interracial as well as interreligious relationships, snarky aristocrats and a good mystery. And read the second book in the series definitely if you liked Yokozawa Takafumi no Baai or Sore Nari ni Shinken nan desu (I've found I really like stories where the rejected third-party from the main series gets his own happy ending, and Book 2 of this series is one such, building an entire new couple with the midway-through-the-story return of Book 1 couple so you get the best of both worlds.)

The Magpie Lord series by K.J.Charles - [GOODREADS BLURB: "Exiled to China for twenty years, Lucien Vaudrey never planned to return to England. But with the mysterious deaths of his father and brother, it seems the new Lord Crane has inherited an earldom. He’s also inherited his family’s enemies. He needs magical assistance, fast. He doesn’t expect it to turn up angry. Magician Stephen Day has good reason to hate Crane’s family. Unfortunately, it’s his job to deal with supernatural threats. Besides, the earl is unlike any aristocrat he’s ever met, with the tattoos, the attitude… and the way Crane seems determined to get him into bed. That’s definitely unusual. Soon Stephen is falling hard for the worst possible man, at the worst possible time. But Crane’s dangerous appeal isn’t the only thing rendering Stephen powerless. Evil pervades the house, a web of plots is closing round Crane, and if Stephen can’t find a way through it—they’re both going to die."] 

Read this if you like...magic and 19th century UK settings and snarky aristocrats who guard their hearts fiercely. The dynamic is fantastic, and the writing itself is gorgeous.

Whyborn & Griffin series, by Jordan Hawk - [GOODREADS BLURB: (Summary of Book 1) “Love is dangerous. Ever since the tragic death of the friend he adored, Percival Endicott Whyborne has ruthlessly suppressed any desire for another man. Instead, he spends his days studying dead languages at the museum where he works. So when handsome ex-Pinkerton Griffin Flaherty approaches him to translate a mysterious book, Whyborne wants to finish the job and get rid of the detective as quickly as possible. Griffin left the Pinkertons after the death of his partner. Now in business for himself, he must investigate the murder of a wealthy young man. His only clue: an encrypted book that once belonged to the victim. As the investigation draws them closer, Griffin’s rakish charm threatens to shatter Whyborne’s iron control. But when they uncover evidence of a powerful cult determined to rule the world, Whyborne must choose: to remain safely alone, or to risk everything for the man he loves.”] 

Read if you like... magic and the supernatural and 19th century US settings and Eldritch monsters and mystery and intrigue and adventure and era-appropriate treatment of homosexual relationships but with happy endings (and also couples of all types).

The Nightrunner series, by Lynn Flewelling - [GOODREADS BLURB: "When young Alec of Kerry is taken prisoner for a crime he didn’t commit, he is certain that his life is at an end. But one thing he never expected was his cellmate. Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhiminee is many things--none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them. Soon Alec is traveling roads he never knew existed, toward a war he never suspected was brewing. Before long he and Seregil are embroiled in a sinister plot that runs deeper than either can imagine, and that may cost them far more than their lives if they fail. But fortune is as unpredictable as Alec’s new mentor, and this time there just might be…Luck in the Shadows."] 

Read this if you like... magic, spies, fantastic female characters, adventure, and intrigue. Read also if you love looooong series, as it's complete at 7 books!

Scarlet and the White Wolf series, by Kirby Crow - [GOODREADS BLURB: "Scarlet of Lysia is an honest pedlar, a young merchant traveling the wild, undefended roads to support his aging parents. Liall, called the Wolf of Omara, is the handsome, world-weary chieftain of a tribe of bandits blocking a mountain road that Scarlet needs to cross. When Liall jokingly demands a carnal toll for the privilege, Scarlet refuses and an inventive battle of wills ensues, with disastrous results. Scarlet is convinced that Liall is a worthless, immoral rogue, but when the hostile countryside explodes into violence and Liall unexpectedly fights to save the lives of Scarlet's family, Scarlet is forced to admit that the Wolf is not the worst ally he could have, but what price will proud Scarlet ultimately have to pay for Liall's friendship?"] 

Read this if you like... weird twists on old fairy tales with amazing world-building, provided you're willing to put up with a little bit of a slog until the couple really gets on the same page.

Captive Prince, by C.S.Pacat - [GOODREADS BLURB: "Damen is a warrior hero to his people, and the rightful heir to the throne of Akielos, but when his half brother seizes power, Damen is captured, stripped of his identity, and sent to serve the prince of an enemy nation as a pleasure slave. Beautiful, manipulative and deadly, his new master Prince Laurent epitomizes the worst of the court at Vere. But in the lethal political web of the Veretian court, nothing is as it seems, and when Damen finds himself caught up in a play for the throne, he must work together with Laurent to survive and save his country. For Damen, there is just one rule: never, ever reveal his true identity. Because the one man Damen needs is the one man who has more reason to hate him than anyone else..."] 

Read this if you like... phenomenal skill with the written word (I mean REALLY TOP NOTCH), fantastic characters with real evolution in relationships, amazingly intricate political intrigue (guaranteed to keep you guessing the whole way), enemies-to-friends-to-"I think if I gave you my heart, you would treat it tenderly"-to-...well, I won't spoil things 8D Please note the 'slavery' aspect that is heavily featured in Book 1. There is NO RAPE between the main characters, but there are forced sexual scenes between Damen and another minor character (n.b. minor as in not major, not minor as in a kid), and well, Laurent just isn't a very kind 'master', nor does he pretend to be. This is not your typical 'omg the slave falls in love with the master and vice versa!!' dreck, but do be aware that the first book deals intimately with those themes as Damen must play his part.

Wytch Kings series, by Jaye McKenna - [GOODREADS BLURB: (Summary of Book 1) "Prince Garrik is the Heir Presumptive of Altan, next in line to be crowned Wytch King. There’s only one problem: in order for Garrik to be crowned, he must possess Wytch power of his own, and thus far, whatever power Garrik might possess has shown no sign of awakening. As things stand, it is Garrik’s younger brother, Jaire — a dreamer completely unsuited to wear the crown — who will take the throne after their father. Concerned about the future of his kingdom, the Wytch King demands that Garrik’s power be forcibly awakened. Hoping to protect his brother from the burden of rule, Garrik allows the attempt — with disastrous results. Now, Garrik must learn to control the fiery dragon that rages within him before he destroys everything he loves. Wytch Master Ilya has been alone for years. Learning to control the icy beast slumbering within him has already cost him his family and his lover, and Ilya will never open himself up to that kind of pain again. Summoned to Altan to avert disaster if he can, Ilya has no intention of allowing anyone to thaw the ice in his heart. When he meets Prince Garrik, sparks fly, and Ilya finds himself fighting feelings he thought he'd buried, long ago. Can Garrik’s fire melt Ilya’s icy heart? Or will Ilya be forced to use his ice to quench the flames that burn within Garrik once and for all?"] 

Read if you like... DRAGON SHIFTERS. There's really not much more I can say to encourage you to read this series (there are five so far!) other than to say HERE THERE BE DRAGONS, AND LOTS OF THEM, AND HOT GUYS WHO TRANSFORM INTO THEM. The plots are interwoven, with side characters from previous books showing up as MCs in subsequent ones, so you get to see major characters fleshed out, even if not right away.

Mermen of Ea series, by Shira Anthony - [GOODREADS BLURB: (Summary of Book 1) "Taren Laxley has never known anything but life as a slave. When a lusty pirate kidnaps him and holds him prisoner on his ship, Taren embraces the chance to realize his dream of a seagoing life. Not only does the pirate captain offer him freedom in exchange for three years of labor and sexual servitude, but the pleasures Taren finds when he joins the captain and first mate in bed far surpass his greatest fantasies. Then, during a storm, Taren dives overboard to save another sailor and is lost at sea. He’s rescued by Ian Dunaidh, the enigmatic and seemingly ageless captain of a rival ship, the Phantom, and Taren feels an overwhelming attraction to Ian that Ian appears to share. Soon Taren learns a secret that will change his life forever: Ian and his people are Ea, shape-shifting merfolk… and Taren is one of them too. Bound to each other by a fierce passion neither can explain or deny, Taren and Ian are soon embroiled in a war and forced to fight for a future—not only for themselves but for all their kind."] 

Read if you like... MERMEN SEX. Again, not much more I can say to encourage you to read this XD There's mermen having sex in mer form, there's mermen having sex in human form, there's just lots of mermen and rather a lot of sex too. But there's also interesting plot! Though lbr if you're going to read this, it's for the mermen XD

#gay fantasy #reccs

[uldrensredpants]

#the nightrunner series #seregil #alec of kerry #stalking darkness

[dgrtytrtee]

Read and download eBook By : Lynn Flewelling ( Luck in the Shadows (Nightrunner, #1) ) in PDF, EPub online.

 Luck in the Shadows (Nightrunner, #1)

by Lynn Flewelling

   Synopsis : When young Alec of Kerry is taken prisoner for a crime he didn?t commit, he is certain that his life is at an end. But one thing he never expected was his cellmate. Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhiminee is many things?none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them. Soon Alec is traveling roads he never knew existed, toward a war he never suspected was brewing. Before long he and Seregil are embroiled in a sinister plot that runs deeper than either can imagine, and that may cost them far more than their lives if they fail. But fortune is as unpredictable as Alec?s new mentor, and this time there just might be? Luck in the Shadows.

 Details :

Author : Lynn Flewelling

Pages : 479 pages

Publisher : Bantam Spectra

Language : eng

ISBN-10 : 74270.Luck_in_the_Shadows

ISBN-13 : 9780553575422(Best Seller) Luck in the Shadows (Nightrunner, #1) \Book By Lynn Flewelling\Reading Download Pdf Epub

[risingshadownet]

Re-Coil by J.T. Nicholas - by: Seregil of Rhiminee https://www.risingshadow.net/forum/press-releases/2459-re-coil-by-j-t-nicholas#6104 https://www.risingshadow.net/forum/press-releases/2459-re-coil-by-j-t-nicholas#6104

[awed-frog]

ok so in flora's story you mentioned a fantasy novel with a gay surprise, might you still remember its name?

Yep - it’s Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling. Mind you, I read it when I was about fifteen and I don’t know how well it’s aged, but I remember it as a good story set in a convincing world. I think it’s a series that’s got seven books in all? Here’s the summary:

When young Alec of Kerry is taken prisoner for a crime he didn’t commit, he is certain that his life is at an end. But one thing he never expected was his cellmate. Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhiminee is many things–none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them. Soon Alec is traveling roads he never knew existed, toward a war he never suspected was brewing. Before long he and Seregil are embroiled in a sinister plot that runs deeper than either can imagine, and that may cost them far more than their lives if they fail. But fortune is as unpredictable as Alec’s new mentor, and this time there just might be…luck in the shadows.

(As for Flora’s story, if you’re wondering what that is, you can read it here.)

#ask #fantasy books #book rec #lgbt representation #lgbt teens