#even though i knew the end

[shy-sapphic-ace]

List of queer books I read, loved & recommend!

(There isn't any particular order, I wrote these as I remembered them)

Master Of One - Jaida Jones & Dani Bennett (mlm, fantasy, very cool worldbuilding and magic system, funny, cool characters)

Legends & Lattes - Travis Baldree (wlw, fantasy, very soft & chill vibes)

The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon (wlw, high fantasy, cool worldbuilding, kinda reminds me of LOTR but with more dragons and feminism and lesbians)

Even Though I Knew The End - C.L. Polk (wlw, supernatural noir, cool 1930s detective story with angels & demons, I loved this one!)

The Love Interest - Cale Dietrich (mlm, science fiction, very cool concept)

The Darkest Part Of The Forest - Holly Black (side mlm, fantasy, cool fae lore)

The Weight Of The Stars - K. Ancrum (wlw, not quite science fiction but space stuff is involved, lovely and complex characters)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz (mlm, fiction, very nice in general, there is also a sequel)

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - Mackenzi Lee (mlm, historical and vaguely fantasy, nice story but I preferred the sequel honestly)

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy - Mackenzi Lee (wlw, the sequel to the one before, more fantasy elements than the first, asexual main character!!)

Gallant - V.E. Schwab (no romance, but in the background one of the characters(?) uses they/them pronouns, very cool dark fantasy vibe)

Stranger Than Fanfiction - Chris Colfer (gay main character, trans main character, coming-of-age, nice book)

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (yes it's the Love, Simon book, mlm, fiction, pretty nice)

They Both Die At The End - Adam Silvera (mlm, sci-fi ish but mostly fiction, cool ideas, but the ending is sad! Very amazing book though, I haven't read the prequel yet)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid (wlw, bi main character, historical fiction, cool story, just a neat book in general)

This Is How You Lose The Time War - Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone (wlw, sci-fi, very cool time travel stuff!! and very beautiful, it felt like reading poetry most of the time)

One Last Stop - Casey McQuinston (wlw, background trans & pan & queer characters, sci-fi or fantasy idk, but time travel, I loooved this book, great)

The House In The Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune (mlm, fantasy, THIS BOOK oh my gosh you should read it!!, just cute and lovely and good)

Under The Whispering Door - TJ Klune (mlm, fantasy, this book is also sooo amazing, great character development and awesome relationships and stuff, it's been a while since I read it but it was so good)

And They Lived... - Steven Salvatore (nblm, fiction, about gender identity and learning to love yourself, read it a while ago but it was very nice)

I Wish You All The Best - Mason Deaver (nblm, fiction, about finding your identity and people who care about you, very cute and sweet)

The Song Of Achilles - Madeleine Miller (mlm, historical, very good in general)

Carry On - Rainbow Rowell (mlm, background wlw in the third book, fantasy, it's a trilogy, basically Harry Potter if it was gay and also better)

Silver In The Wood - Emily Tesh (mlm, fantasy, very pretty, lots of fae stuff and lovely descriptions, it has a really good sequel too)

Pretty much anything by Alice Oseman (all cute and lovely and great, though I've only read Radio Silence so far I hear only good things, Solitaire is on my to-read list)

I Kissed Shara Wheeler - Casey McQuinston (wlw, fiction, it's been a while but I liked this book)

The Falling In Love Montage - Ciara Smyth (wlw, fiction, this book was so cute and funny and deeply emotional it made me Feel way too many things, I'd definitely recommend it)

What Big Teeth - Rose Szabo (a bit of queerness all around, fantasy, werewolves and monsters, this one was pretty cool!, lots of original ideas for the world/character building)

#any recommendations are appreciated! #honestly I might've forgotten some #lgbtqia #book recs #master of one #legends & lattes #the priory of the orange tree #even though i knew the end #the love interest #the darkest part of the forest #the weight of the stars #aristotle and dante #the gentleman's guide to vice and virtue #the lady's guide to petticoats and piracy #gallant #stranger than fanfiction #simon vs the homosapiens agenda #they both die at the end #the seven husbands of evelyn hugo #this is how you lose the time war #one last stop #and they lived... #i wish you all the best #the song of achilles #carry on #radio silence #alice oseman #the house in the cerulean sea #under the whispering door #silver in the wood

[literary-illuminati]

Book Review 43 - Even Though I Knew The End by C. L. Polk

Oh this was fun. Never would have heard of it if it hadn’t been nominated for a Hugo, and devoured it in the course of a computer-less Sunday afternoon. It wasn’t exactly reaching for the stars, but it knew what it was about and it executed it well; there’s a real virtue to that. Also I adore slightly cheesy but self-serious noir and the early 20th century really is the ideal setting for classical urban fantasy.

The story follows Helen, a private investigator and warlock in 1930s Chicago. Ten years prior to the story, she sold her soul to a demon to resurrect her younger brother from a car crash that would have otherwise killed her entire family – for her trouble, she was cast out from the magical brotherhood training her as a mystic and forced to make a living as a cut-rate diviner and gumshoe in Chicago. The plot kicks off three days before the deal comes due and her soul’s forfeit, and she takes one last consulting job to add a bit more to the nest egg she’ll be leaving for her girlfriend Edith when she’s torn from the mortal coil. And then, of course, she finds out that a) her employer is a demon, b) the case she’s consulting on is someone ritually murdering other poor souls who’ve made deals, days before they come due, and c) if she solves it she’ll get her soul back, along with enough money to make to San Francisco with Edith and start a new life free and clear.

So this is not a book that sets out to surprise the reader. The storytelling is efficient and the foreshadowing is reasonably honest – you can guess just about every twist well ahead of time with even the slightest bit of effort. I’d say the book isn’t trying to break any new ground, but actually it’s the only example I can think off hand of this sort of genre emulation period piece that both has a queer protagonist and doesn’t either elide or edit out the homophobia of the their environment, so there is that. Anyway, ‘genre emulation’ is the right term I think – snappy, tightly written noir plot that doesn’t outlast its welcome (this was absolutely a novella-sized story).

I really don’t know the author or their work well enough to know how intentional it is, but the ending very much felt like a comment on the whole Bury Your Gays/Tragic Lesbian trope. Essentially, Edith gets herself heroically sacrificed saving Helen’s life in the climactic showdown. Then, once the dust has settled and Marlow (her demonic client) has given Helen her soul back she…immediately sells it again to bring her back. Better ten years of Californian bliss with her true love then an eternity in heaven (and besides, that brother she’d saved the first time had just killed an angel, so someone’s going to need to keep him company in hell). The book’s title is in no way subtle or metaphorical, it is a line of the protagonist’s internal monologue.

The story’s universe is a folk-Christian one, and it is absolutely imperative that when reading it you don’t poke at the underlying metaphysics at all. Angels and demons are real and magicians are the distant descendants of Nephilim and some of the Grigori still haunt the earth, and we have it on good authority that God doesn’t actually care about being gay and everyone seems very frightened of the idea of summoning the Archangel Michael to earth, but start asking any followup questions about angels and world events during the Roosevelt Administration and you’re ruin the story for yourself. Just don’t worry about it.

As a final note, I really did love Marlowe – or properly, she’s one of my favorite types of demons in these sorts of stories. Epitome of high class beauty, lives in a palatial penthouse waited upon handed and foot by layers of servants, eats the best food and wears the best clothes and has the best lovers, even a generous employer and creditor as long as you do what she wants and give her what she’s owed. The sort of demon who seems like falling out of heaven was worth it, and one you can imagine actually convincing someone to sell their soul. She’s fun!

#book review #hugo nom #sff #urban fantasy #even though i knew the end #c. l. polk

[smokefalls]

Blood doesn’t un-spill easily. It marks the places it touches.

C.L. Polk, Even Though I Knew the End

#C.L. Polk #Even Though I Knew the End #quote #fiction #queerlit #mystery #fantasy #historical fiction #novella #2023 reads

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

JOMP BPC - October 3rd - Faceless

feat. Even Though I Knew the End by CL Polk

#even though i knew the end #cl polk #justonemorepage #jompbpc #booklr #bookblr #trcc original #portraits

[sapphicbookoftheday]

Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk

Today's sapphic book of the day is Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk!

Summary: "A magical detective dives into the affairs of Chicago's divine monsters to secure a future with the love of her life. This sapphic period piece will dazzle anyone looking for mystery, intrigue, romance, magic, or all of the above.

An exiled augur who sold her soul to save her brother's life is offered one last job before serving an eternity in hell. When she turns it down, her client sweetens the pot by offering up the one payment she can't resist―the chance to have a future where she grows old with the woman she loves.

To succeed, she is given three days to track down the White City Vampire, Chicago's most notorious serial killer. If she fails, only hell and heartbreak await."

#lesbian #sapphic #wlw #queer #lgbtqia #lgbtq #lgbt #books #book recs #booklr #book recommendations #fantasy #historical #historical fiction #speculative fiction #even though i knew the end #cl polk #c.l. polk

[ace-artemis-fanartist]

My piece for @rainbowcrate’s November book box.

@clpolk’s Even Though I Knew the End.

#even though i knew the end #cl polk #rainbow crate #queer books #lgbt books #wlw #ladies in love #commission #my art

[vanillaflowerstuff]

looking for good sapphic book recs, maybe something similar to these?

#books #bookblr #book recommendations #even though i knew the end #thistlefoot #wild and wicked things

[scifimagpie]

Queer, Found Family Space Opera!

I share a release day with CL Polk's "Even Though I Knew the End," which you can get *here* - https://www.amazon.com/Even-Though-I-Knew-End-

and you definitely should, because they're a phenomenal writer.

And if you want five books for the price of one, and a queer, found family space opera catches your interest, please check out my release! It's in hardcover as well as paperback and of course, ebook.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BHXRZ8NP/

Summary:

Two best friends looking for love. An oppressive interstellar government. Adulthood has never been so stressful... For the first time, all five books in The Meaning Wars are united as a complete collection. In this queer space opera featuring a diverse cast, a found family navigates the politics of revolution and freedom. Join Crystal, a wormhole engineer, and Sarah, an English Literature graduate with a chip on her shoulder, as they try to find romance and friendship - while an oppressive interstellar government watches their every move. As Crystal deals with her faltering marriage, Sarah makes risky career decisions - by doing what's morally right. Running from the surveillance state of the Human Conglomerate, will the Interfederation's multi-species alliance prove their salvation? A crew of old friends and a union of renegade space pirates may be their way out. But first, they have to save rebel icon Patience Ngouabi from arrest and certain torture - and make sure they all get out alive. Fans of Ruthanna Emrys' A Half-Built Garden and Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series will love the cosy yet intense adventures of this crew of misfits fighting for political and social justice.

So if you want a distraction from the midterms, here it is! Read it, revitalize, and recharge. <3

#cl polk #etikte #even though i knew the end #scifimagpie #tmw #the meaning wars #meaning wars #sapphic #queer #fiction #queer fiction #gay #lesbian #polyamory #canadian writers #authors #indie #sci fi #space opera #found family #queer found family #politics #midterms #us midterms 2022 #leftist #communist #anarchist #pirate #acab #smuggler

[contracat25]

Alright as it is Trans Day of Visibility (Hi still not cis, still here etc.) and the final day of the extended Trans Rights Readathon I thought I would post about a few more of my favorite books by trans authors because hopefully everyone will be reading books by trans authors and about trans characters/topics all year round. Because to me this day is about supporting others in the community as much as anything else. The world is pretty on fire right now so if you can support a trans creator, artist, organization or friend today (and beyond) then do it!

So here are a bunch of shorter reads: books, graphic novels, novellas etc. I didn't really notice how many novellas I had been reading recently till making this list, but there is something about a wel- written short book that just really works for me. Also a lot of these just have really creative or lovely concepts and I am a sucker for those. Plus the characters in these are soooo good! Also a lot of these have lovely audiobooks or e-books, hence me not having a physical copy (yet). Many of these have trans characters as well, but not all of them. Though most have some form of queer rep because I don't read much that doesn't. I included muliple by some of the authors, including sequels because... I just really like them and couldn't pick just one. Most of these authors have other books that are also wonderful. And these are just a handful of examples, there are so many fabuluous books by and about people who are trans.

Six Months, Three Days, Five Others by Charlie Jane Anders

Peter Darling by Austin Chant

The Companion by EE Ottoman

The Barrow Will Send What It May by Margaret Killjoy

Taste of Marrow and River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey

Even Though I Knew the End by C. L. Polk

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

Nimona by Nate Stevenson

Gender Queer by Mia Kobabe

The Seep by Chana Porter

Future Feelings by Joss Lake

Pet by Akwaeke Amezi

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

The Black Tides of Heaven; The Red Threads of Fortune; The Descent of Monsters; The Ascent to Godhood by Neon Yang

Finna and Defekt by Nino Cipri Coffee Boy and Caroline's Heart by Austin Chant

ID: Slide one has a stack of 10 books on a teal background. Slides two through four have a white background and four book covers and a boarder of books in the trans flag colors.

#transrightsreadathon #trans books #queer books #book recs #booklr #trans day of visibility #Six Months Three Days Five Others #trans authors #charlie jane anders #peter darling #austin chant #s.a. chant #the barrow will send what it may #Margert Killjoy #taste of marrow #river of teeth #sarah gailey #Even though I knew the end #c l polk #Upwright Women Wanted #nimona #gender queer #Mia Kobabe #the seep #chana porter #Future feelings #Joss lake #Pet #akwaeke amezi #nate stevenson

[sketchinthetimeaway]

“You don’t do the unthinkable to get something you want. You do it to get back what you lost.”

- Even Though I Knew The End by CL Polk

#even though i knew the end #cl polk #tor #artwork #queer #sapphic #wlw #fantasy

[noahhawthorneauthor]

We should be reading Black books all year, not just for Black History Month. One of my goals last year was to read more BIPOC books, and while I did that, I didn't read as many Black books as I should have.

Time to keep reading 💪📚

#black history month #black books #black authors #gay books #queer books #even though i knew the end #witchmark #lore and lust #black leopard red wolf #somewhere in the gray area #the sorcerer of the wildeeps #fantasy books #book recommendations

[bi4bihankking]

Even Though I Knew the End Summary:

Where you're not going to hell for being gay your going to hell for selling your soul to the devil. Subtle difference.

Female General and Eldest Princess Summary:

In order to survive in troubled times; in order to get revenge for loved ones; in order to claim justice for all 118 people who died undeservedly in the village. Lin WanYue took the residence registration of her younger brother Lin FeiXing to join the army, and was determined to kill the Huns all over the world.

The empress died at court, leaving the 16 year-old princess and the 8-year-old crown prince to rely upon each other for their lives. Several princes older than the crown prince were greedy for the throne, and the two were in a precarious position.

#even though i knew the end #c.l. polk #cl polk #female general and eldest princess #fgep #qing jun mo xiao #baihe #lgbt books #lgbt literature #queer books #queer literature #lgbtqia #poll #bookblr #booklr #books #literature #queer lit

[freckles-and-books]

Currently reading

#books #cl polk #even though i knew the end #currently reading #fantasy noir

[smokefalls]

You don’t do the unthinkable to get something you want. You do it to get back what you lost.

C.L. Polk, Even Though I Knew the End

#C.L. Polk #Even Though I Knew the End #quote #fiction #queerlit #mystery #fantasy #historical fiction #novella #2023 reads

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

Quick Review: Even Though I Knew the End by CL Polk Rating: 4/5

This was just fun! It reminded me of early Supernatural or The Angel of the Crows by Sarah Beth Durst. Paranormal and spooky and high stakes that feel low but with a lovely queer, feminist twist that warmed my lil gay heart. Perfect for whiling away a quiet morning.

#even though i knew the end #cl polk #booklr #bookblr #book review #trcc original #reviews #4 star reads #lgbt books #wlw reads #authors of colour #not ya

[midnights-my-afternoons]

TO ANYONE IN THE SUPERNATURAL FANDOM:

If you are looking for a book recommendation: Even Though I Knew the End by CL Polk. It’s basically set in the Supernatural universe (a lot of the same world building elements, not actually the same world) but is a 1940’s Sapphic Noir. Genuinely, I can not recommend it enough, it’s a novella so it’s under 150 pages and it’s just so good.

TO ANYONE LOOKING FOR AN AMAZING NOVELLA REGARDLESS:

You should read Even Though I Knew the End by CL Polk. It’s a 1940’s Sapphic Noir but with angels and demons. It’s a novella so it’s under 150 pages and it’s just so good.

#book reccs #supernatural #even though i knew the end