#boyscanloveboys

[dracereads]

Dark Rise | C.S. Pacat | ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pacat's new tagline is "books about bisexual disasters by a bisexual disaster" and I'm absolutely living for that statement, FYI.

Synopsis: Victorian, London. In a time before recorded history, an ancient evil was sealed away by the final bastion of good. Now in modern times, the evil threatens to rise again and destroy all. What roles do our heroes play in this tale? Are they doomed to repeat their pasts, or will a new happiness emerge as roles begin to change.

Thoughts: I absolutely took way too long to read this book. I took an equally long time trying to write a review about it. It has an INCREDIBLY slow fucking start, but it's not bad if you can muddle through that first action sequence. Anyway, I would say that it possesses the same sort of messy disaster of malformed relationships and dynamics that Pacat is known for, but at the same time they have always handled with extreme dexterity + grace which is... immaculate. I trust that Pacat is going to make mince meat of her main characters and their emotions by the end of this series. Also... there is a stabbing scene, and well. If you know, you know. And it's just an absolute french kiss of allegory. It's one of the things I've always appreciated in a Pacat book.

#c.s. pacat #dark rise #boyscanloveboys #taglinemode

[dracereads]

Cemetery Boys | Aiden Thomas | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

-- One of My Picks for the Book of the Year for 2021

Happy Belated day of the dead! Unfortunately on the real day of the dead, I was slaving away at work. I did leave a couple shots of good bourbon and a candle out for my ancestors, though!

Synopsis: Born to a conservative Latine family, Yadriel is determined to prove himself capable as a real brujo. However, throw in the unlikely ghost of Julien, a troubled youth from Yadriel's school into the mix, and otherworldly drama and hi-jinks ensue. This captivating tale weaves together traditional Latin folklore with an artistically modern coming of age story.

My thoughts: This book made me laugh, it made me gasp aloud, and it made me cry. The story is well written, well paced, and luxuriously decadent. Sometimes you hate to plug a tiktok well-loved, but this one really is deserving of the hype.

Artistic Comment: I really like how this photo turned out! I hope you all enjoy it as well.

#Cemetery Boys #Aiden Thomas #boyscanloveboys #thegays #transprotag #transmanprotag #comingofage #latinxfiction #persistent spooky season #bipocfiction #bipoc authors #tw: transphobia #genre: romance #genre: young adult #taglinemode

[dracereads]

Heartstopper V1 | Alice Oseman | ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a birthday gift from one of my IRL friends. I have never read Heartstopper before, and this is my first experience with it! synopsis: Charlie and Nick sit next to each other during a new semester at school, and Charlie convinces Nick to join the Rugby team. Shenanigans ensue!

my thoughts: what a lovely little comic! It was easy to follow, and the characters are so cute. I thought it was going to be a lot more complex that it was, and I am so sorry that I have been putting it off for as long as I have. Honestly, I can see why it's so popular now, LOL. I'll try to acquire more volumes soon to continue this little story. and I am so fucking sorry that it took me like 3 months to read babe

#Heartstopper #Alice Oseman #genre: romance #genre: ya #genre: comic #boyscanloveboys #thegays #taglinemode #I think this is the month of catching up on danmei and comic releases as well as a few box books #that's literally all I've done LMAO

[dracereads]

Heaven Official's Blessing v5 | Mo Xiang Tong Xiu | ⭐⭐⭐⭐

That should leave me caught up as for now– *Checks to see how many more of them there are* Holy shit there are 8 full length novels what the fu–

Synopsis: Xie Lian and the weakened Hua Cheng go on the run from various forces wishing to do them both harm, only to be stopped by Jun Wu. Jun Wu, of course, has an agenda. He wishes for the Crown Prince to return to Heaven and take his place as tertiary Emperor while he goes on a secret mission. Instead, Xie Lian negotiates to do Jun Wu’s task in his stead, while Hua Cheng negotiates on several key points for his Ghost City, as well as ‘permission’ to accompany Xie Lian on his mission. The two of them embark on the mission: Sneak into Mount Taicong and prevent the birth of a new ghost king by preventing any ghosts with a significant spiritual presence from entering the Kiln.

My thoughts: This was such a breakneck book. We get to see the aftermath of a lot of previous arcs. Characters who have long since dipped out of the plot reappear and get dragged into the chaos. We also get an introduction to the long anticipated Rain Master, as they have been teased since the Rain for Yung’On incident. Spoiler: SHE is amazing, and I adore her. Anyway, this book is doing a lot of set up, in that Xie Lian needs some fucking therapy because he most definitely has PTSD from his past traumatic experiences, while at the same time we’re dealing with Hua Cheng having to see a side of the Prince that is not the most composed or trustworthy. Also, I think it’s funny that Xie Lian was attempting to make progress in admitting his feelings out loud, and ended up vexing the hell out of an easily jealous Ghost King. You’re jealous of yourself, sir. The next HOB release is in June according to my chart, so this series is officially caught up until then!

#taglinemode #genre: romance #humourous #boyscanloveboys #danmei #thegays #heaven official's blessing #MXTX

[dracereads]

Heaven Official's Blessing v4 | Mo Xiang Tong Xiu | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

*Another one bites the dust by Queen plays in the background* 

Synopsis:  Shi Quingxuan, the  heavenly Wind Master, has reached out to Xie Lian for help regarding a delicate personal matter from before she was a god. While her brother Shi Wudu is set to undergo another Divine Tribulation, she wants to hunt a monster who stalked her endlessly during life and has returned suddenly to start running amok. Xie Lian agrees, and gets pulled into an extremely tragic mess.  Meanwhile, the stage begins to set for the start of the next major plot point, the Mount Taicong arc. Usually sealed, Mount Taicong draws in and holds massive reserves of the world's negative energy. As the seal weakens however, negative energy beckons the world's ghosts into the clutches of the Mountain irself. As a supreme born in Mount Taicong, Hua Cheng struggles with keeping himself composed.

My thoughts: This book contains the Black Water plotline, and it has literally lived in my head rent free for what feels like 3 months even though it hasn’t been that long since I read the book. It has beautifully etched themes like “would you change your fate, even if it meant that you had to damn someone else to it?” coupled with things like “How should you feel about getting revenge on someone who ruined your life, but had no idea that it had even occurred?” I feel like this is where HOB is starting to differentiate between MXTX’s previous works. This arc was absolutely stunning as well. There were two absolutely hilarious scenes. The first was the coffin bit, and the second was the art featured on the cover. Both Xie Lian's demisexuality and chastity vows were getting stretched to their breaking point. He's also fully realized he's got some sort of deep feels for Hua Cheng at this point because of it.

#heaven official's blessing #MXTX #taglinemode #thegays #boyscanloveboys #danmei #genre: romance #humourous #tragic

[dracereads]

So I was having a conversation with a friend IRL about my collection of books. She knows I'm asexual, so she blatantly asked me if I read anything raunchy. The answer to that question is yes, I do in fact read raunchy stuff too. I don't make it my mission, so don't expect to pose this question to me and get an erotica list that'll make your dreams come true. I aint about that life fam.

This one was recommended by another friend, who failed to mention the nature of the erotica... It caught me by surprise the first time I read it. There were definitely a few "Why did you convince me to buy this??" rapidly sent in quick succession. It was a really funny experience overall though, and you can't get too mad at someone for trying to get a prank in at your expense from time to time.

Anyway. I'm putting this bad boy up here because I actually really did like the plot behind Letters... It's kind of a... complicated scenario. There's an age gap at play here, but not the one you'd expect. The 61 year old Protagonist is actually the youngest one in the relationship. However, it's strange because his suitor bears the eternal body of a vampire of the Night Court. There's a lot of complicated questions posed about age, immortality, and vampires juxtaposed in between the romance scenes, which sets up for the ultimate twist in later books.

This is going to be a solid 3/5. It would get more points if it took it's erotica scenes slower. LMAO.

#Otava Heikkilä #taglinemode #thegays #boyscanloveboys #genre: adult #genre: romance #smutty #vampires #agegap #genre: fantasy #letters for lucardo #queer authors club

[dracereads]

Fall of the Demon Prince (Rest In A Demon's Embrace I) | Tinalynge | ★★★

Drace's PSA: The Author, Tinalynge, is from Denmark where the Age of Consent is 15.

Synopsis: Tinalynge's attempt at a "fanmei"; A non-Chinese author writes a webnovel in a similar style and trope-collection to a true danmei. It's hard to nail down the plot of this one without spoiling it. However, the MC is a young man who's entire village is wiped out by a walking corpse. He is rescued by a Demon Prince, and typical danmei shenanigans get underfoot.

Opinions: I often go back and forth about this series. There are elements here and there that I absolutely adore... while on the other hand these books are a MESS. From story arcs, to character directions, to character motivations. This one is the least shaky in terms of characterizations and plot arc projection, but. it leaves much to be desired for sure. Though because this one is the most soild, it gets the best score of the bunch at 3 stars. Worth mentioning that I was extremely suss'd by one of the MLs being 15, but upon doing research I found out the author's reasoning behind it. This was one of those series that I binge read just to see if it'll straighten itself out as the author progresses... and it both does and doesn't. As I get further into the reviews of the later installments, I may or may not go into more detail.

In my honest opinion, unless you're looking for something questionable to tear your hair out over (and derive joy from that) I would skip this one.

#tinalynge #rest in a demon's embrace #fall of the demon prince #suggested skip #boyscanloveboys #thegays #genre: romance #genre: danmei #genre: fantasy #hot mess book #drace is critical #taglinemode

[dracereads]

Cattle Stop by Kit Oliver | ★★★★

Synopsis: Cooper has a bit of a problem. City-boy turned into Country-man, he's made a career for himself as a full time ranch and farm manager. On his way to another job, Cooper stops in to check on his best friend Drew and his farm find that the farm is... well... suffering and it's all Drew's farm-hand Whit's fault. Or that's at least what Cooper believes; because Whit is stubborn, stuck in his ways, and oh yeah-- not to mention he totally hates Cooper. Now Cooper has to suck up his pride and his apathy towards Whit while he works to save Drew's farm from ruin. Thoughts: Animal Husbandry and Farmstead work is a very not small part of my life right now. You don't want to know the amount of books I've read on chickens and poultry to prepare for my fluffy bird children when they get here next year. So you dangle a queer farm-based romance in front of my face and expect me not to snatch at it? Shame. Shame for 100 years. Honestly, I would say that Kit Oliver is a good comparable to Alexis Hall in the fact that this is well thought out and absolutely funny. Poor Cooper. I believe this is Kit Oliver's debut novel though. So. I expect great things from him in the future. There's also an already published sequel to this about the other main characters, Drew & Penny. So. I will eventually read that. Why 4 stars? Honestly. I really wish we could have gotten more inklings of what was going on in Whit's head. It's one thing that Coop doesn't notice subtle gestures... except there are no things in subtlety for Coop to miss. Whit sort of goes 0 to 60 into the physical aspect with Coop.

Then there's no hashing or discourse between the two of them and what they want. The lack of communication or inclinations here leaves one Drace very aggrieved on behalf of Coop. Except Coop is just as guilty too. so also mad at Coop.

#Cattle Stop #Kit Oliver #boyscanloveboys #thegays #genre: contemporary #genre: romance #angst #enemiestolovers #taglinemode

[dracereads]

This Way Out by Tufayel Ahmed (July New Release) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When I read the description of This Way Out back in December, I knew it was a a book I had to get my hands on. The plot description is fantastic. The main character, Amar, comes out to his deeply conservative Bengali family via Whatsapp, and has to deal with the aftermath and consequences of his actions.

I have been craving drama all month, and this book delivers that and asks all the hard hitting questions. I give this book five stars for the simple fact that I cried at about every major plot "drop off" (It's drama, so the drama is at it's peak, meaning the characters drop to an all new low. hence "drop off") and sympathized with Amar's pain and trauma in a way I haven't had the chance to experience in awhile.

This book does have a happy ending, however it explores really deep topics such as internalized racism, internalized homophobia, and religious trauma. It packs a mean sting, and if you're not ready to get viscerally obliterated alongside Amar, then this book might not be for you. She holds nothing back.

5/5 stars. I cried like a baby okay?

#This Way Out #tufayel ahmed #thegays #boyscanloveboys #tag this later #taglinemode

[dracereads]

WHOOPS. Guess who forgot that they never did officially write an entry for Heaven Official's Blessing while they were organizing?? No. I would NEVER.

It's so hard to give an accurate description of what's going on in this book without spoiling it. Which is good because it requires you to read it to get it, and also bad because... well. I can't entice you to read it. (This is also why it probably got stuck on the bottom of the pile of stuff to write about) Overall when I read the synopsis on the back, I feel like the person who wrote it also struggled with writing the synopsis as well. Because the tone, pacing, and the general plot of the book... sort of have nothing to do with how the back of the book poses the book to play out... but it also does? It's a mishmash of weird tonal shifts. Again. Nobody's fault because this book is HARD to nail down without spoiling it. Anyway, the synopsis not matching the plot and tone of the book decidedly did wonders to my opinion of the book. I was set up not to like this one as much as I did. Out of all three of mxtx's works, this is the one that feels a lot different than the other two. At least for this section of the story. And it was good. 3.5-4/5 stars overall. Just a real chill vibe while shit be wildin' in the background novel. and shit really do be wildin' in the background.

#boyscanloveboys #thegays #genre: romance #tian guan ci fu #heaven official's blessing #mxtx #humorous #cultivationorexorcism #genre: supernatural #danmei

[dracereads]

So this was my pick for Secret Book Club's first entry. I hadn't done any research on Shishi, only read the description of the novel, and I was like "why not seems pretty intriguing." Let me tell you that was probably one of the best "fuck it why nots" I've decided to make this year. Considering this was Danmei, I was expecting something ENTIRELY different than what I got. I am aware there are more mature and serious Danmei out there, but reading the description I was not prepared for the roller-coaster I had purchased. This is probably very high on the list of some of the best science fiction I've ever read. Like period. Despite a few annoying snafus here and there, this book is absolutely beautiful while still managing to be heart-breaking. It's a steady dichotomy between human cruelty, kindness and everything that lies in between. 5 Stars hands down.

#5 star books #taglinemode #author: shishi #little mushroom #genre: romance #genre: fantasy #genre: horror #genre: scifi #genre: adultfiction #dystopia #tw: body horror #tw: death #tw: genocide #tw:sexual assult #angst #sad #horrifying #thegays #boyscanloveboys #soldierprotag

[dracereads]

Heaven Official's Blessing v3 | Mo Xiang Tong Xiu | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We're doing it ya'll. We are going to get through yet another volume.

Synopsis: We begin this book with the continuation of the flashback introduced in v2. Xie Lian has just ascended to godhood for the first time, and he is finding that his new position as a deity isn’t exactly what he thought it would be. He struggles with this reality.

In the present day, Xie searches for solutions to his current problems and tries to be considerate of those that he has taken under his care, and to those that have helped him in the recent past. He dances a complicated sort of contrivances with Hua Cheng in the meanwhile, and the two of them become tangled even deeper in Xie Lian’s complicated feelings.

My thoughts: God I am so blown away by the stark contrast between this book and the last. I’m not sure if it’s because of the editing changes, but this one had a much better cadence and flow to its translation. The plot and the writing also took an abrupt turn, with the very jovial pacing of the story thus far being dashed to pieces on the ground. It then slowly started introducing the darker and more sinister elements to the story.  

This book was absolute character suffering in its finest form, and I enjoyed it from start to finish. I feel like whoever decided to cut the manuscript up did an immaculate job of balancing the absolute suffering of the two thirds by leaving in the goofing off present in the start of the third act. Of course, there were a lot of important plot questions raised during this goofing off– but the tone was kept light, humorous, and it showed a stark change in the person that Xie Lian was and the person that he has now become.

#MXTX #heaven official's blessing #thegays #genre: romance #humorous #angst #boyscanloveboys #taglinemode

[dracereads]

Heaven Official's Blessing v2 | Mo Xiang Tong Xiu | ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My cat accidentally dumped coffee on this last year, completely soaking through the book before I could get to the end. It was in rough shape and badly stained, I had chocked it off to needing to buy a new copy if I wanted to finish it. However, I wrapped it several layers of paper towel and an actual towel and pressed it under an extreme weight in an attempt to save it anyway. I just recently freed it from it's prison while reorganizing my room, and the pages are still legible, even though they are discolored. It's just now a unique part of my collection.

Synopsis: Xie Lian gets drawn into more shenanigans because Heaven can't stop clowning him. He gets drawn into a rescue mission revolving him entering the City of Ghosts (A place where Heavenly denizens are not welcome, theoretically) and the rescue mission goes on it's side, gets flipped upside down, and half-backwards as it progresses forward. My Thoughts: I absolutely loved the direction this took. I love the fact that we get insights into why Xie Lian has been ousted from Heaven the last two times, and we get more character development from both protagonists in this novel. I am also a huge ass sucker for big displays of character chemistry being SHOWN and not TOLD, and Hua Cheng having to rescue Xie Lian's rescue attempt from [Xie's] own bad luck, only to turn around and needing to pull Xie Lian out of another precarious situation caused by the consequences of his actions was absolutely A+ plotting. Hua Cheng really was putting in the work this novel, and we can stan a king for it. My only issue is with MXTX's obsession with chopping up her story arcs with approximately nine thousand years of backstory, which is how the end of the book rounded out.

#danmei #boyscanloveboys #thegays #genre: romance #taglinemode #heaven official's blessing #MXTX

[dracereads]

The Scum Villain's Self Saving System (3) | ⭐⭐⭐☆ | Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (MXTX)

AHEM. The ADHD got this one, folks. *vomits up blood at little bit for how late this is because I forgot I didn't post it.*

Summary: How does one not spoil the ending of a series?? Uh. Good question. The usual relationship dynamic is turned on it's head, as our narrator finally takes on the lead role in the action. Instead of feeling like he's observing the plot from the sidelines, and SQ dives headlong into saving the original protagonist from his own[SQ's} negligence.

Thoughts: [I can use this vine ironically: I can't swim!] Anyway, I had a few issues with the later half of this book that I cannot discuss without spoiling, and I am not especially sure I am the one to discuss those things. It was definitely some stuff that I didn't care for taste and scene wise, but I'm going to leave that lie for a later and more educated future Drace to tackle. I am pleased by the overall end result of the story, however. I have my gripes and my nitpicks, but overall this was a very genre-aware piece of satire that I enjoyed. MXTX was like "I AM GOING TO READ YOU ALL" and that's exactly what she did. 3.5 stars is a very good place to leave this entry, I feel.

#genre: horror #genre: romance #MXTX #the scum villain's self saving system #ren zha fanpai zijiu xitong #taglinemode #boyscanloveboys #thegays #tw: dubcon

[dracereads]

The Boy in The Red Dress | Kristin Lambert |⭐⭐⭐⭐

read: a good example of function over form

synopsis: It's New Years Eve 1929, and a swanky party is taking place in French Quarter Speakeasy. Tensions become high when a young woman with ties to the stage performer, Marion's, past emerges and threatens to tear down her life around her. However, all that gets turned on it's head when the young woman ends up murdered in the courtyard of the bar, with the blame all to easily falling on the queer person she had a reasonably expected altercation with. My take: Like I stated in the read, the easy way to sum this book up is function over form. There is a very workable detective story here. All the pieces are in place, the characters are lovable, and the outcome wasn't something that I reasonably saw coming.

However, the form that this book takes is what's my main issue with it. The 1930s setting of the book appears more as a backdrop for the characters to participate in rather than a commentary on the time. None of the characters participate in the time, so much as they all actively rebel against it. Which makes me wonder why the author wanted to use this time period if she wanted literally none of her characters besides the villains to be period appropriate.

There are a few well-placed damages and wounds that are period appropriate, but for the most part the contention of the setting does not pair well with the contention of the story. There are a litany of OOPs that the author didn't have time to flesh out, or just didn't understand she was making. If the author had made any sort of inclination that this was going to be her intention for a good story, and we could fuck off if we didn't enjoy it, then I would have been more prepared for it and less critical overall. As a historical novel, this one just makes me purse my lips. However, as a queer novel, it is quite functional and I enjoyed it for what it was. Please don't take my nitpicking as a sign that this wasn't a good book though. I really did enjoy it, and I was glad I stuck a bookmark in it to save it for New Years Eve proper.

#The Boy in the Red Dress #Kristin Lambert #boyscanloveboys #genre: mystery #genre: thriller #genre: ya #foundfamily #drace is critical #taglinemode

[dracereads]

Waiting for the Flood // Alexis Hall (Spires II) ⭐⭐⭐

Waiting for the Flood is the second book in the Spires series, however it is the third spires book I had read. Yes, I 100% read these out of order. I can do that because they don't overlap and tell the same stories, ya'll. fight me. I dove headfirst into the angstier ones first. WFTF is an adorable short story about our protagonist, Edwin, getting over his previous boyfriend of 12 years, Marius. The backdrop of the novel is a flood is a flood threatening Edwin's house, and meanwhile he is slowly being courted by one of the civil engineers responsible for helping him prepare and mitigate damage.

It's a short, cute, and sweet little fluff piece centered around moving on after a loss. Edwin is a rather shy creature, and it makes the story progress very languidly. All-together, it is very very very short, and it's brevity contributes to it's low star rating. If this one had been longer and we had more time with Edwin and Adam, I'd have read the socks off of this. Overall, 3/5 stars. QUEUE THE ANGST FEST SUCKERS.

#Waiting for the Flood #Alexis Hall #Taglinemode #thegays #drace tag this later #boyscanloveboys