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Tag: Redwood and Wildfire

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Lists / What's New

6 Fantastical Romances to Scratch the Romantasy Itch

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by Merlin Hoye

With the advent of our new romance imprint Bramble, we hope you won’t blame us if we have love on the brain. If you still want to scratch that fantasy itch, though, we’re here with romantasy recommendations for every spice level!

opens in a new windowCassiel's Servant by Jacqueline Carey opens in a new windowCassiel’s Servant by Jacqueline Carey

We have to start with Jacqueline Carey. Her lush Kushiel’s Legacy series is, in the immortal words of Olivie Blake, “the beating heart of every romantasy to follow”. Kushiel’s Dart is the story of Phédre nó Delaunay, a courtesan who experiences pain as pleasure, and her bodyguard, Joscelin, who is sworn to celibacy.  Their epic love story put romantic fantasy on the map and Cassiel’s Servant is a retelling of that genre-defining tale from Joscelin’s perspective. In Carey’s world, people are allowed to love who and how they wish and things get steamy pretty quickly. 

opens in a new windowwolfsong by tj klune opens in a new windowWolfsong by TJ Klune

Wolfsong, the first installment in the Green Creek series, has all the heart and soul of Klune’s more recent books, with far more spice. This book is decidedly for adults. Ox is a young boy with a troubled home life so when a family with a mysterious secret moves in down the street, he quickly bonds with their son Joe. Years later, when Joe suddenly moves away, Ox is forced to grapple with his feelings for him, his own identity, and the turmoil building up all around him. This is a story about trauma, loyalty, loss, and opening yourself up to love despite your scars. Also werewolves. All the angsty werewolves. 

opens in a new windowImage Place holder of - 93 opens in a new windowRedwood and Wildfire by Andrea Hairston

This novel is an imagistic and literary alternate turn-of-the-twentieth history with romance and elements of the fantastic. It’s also fantastic, so it way earns its recommendation on this list and then some. Gifted vaudeville performers and hoodoo conjurers Redwood and Aidan embark on a journey from the haunted swampland of Georgia to the billed “city of the future” Chicago. There is magic and pain. Community and the prejudiced evils of individuals and society that despise such solidarity and hope. Like the stories Redwood and Aidan conjure not on screen, but in real space, this book lives with you, and inside you.

opens in a new windowLegends & Lattes by Travis Baldree opens in a new windowLegends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

The romance in this one is light, almost like a slight dusting of cinnamon on top of (you guessed it) a latte. Low on the steam scale, but off the charts on the cute scale, this is cozy, romantic fantasy at its best. When orc barbarian Viv grows tired of constant battle and bloodshed, she moves to a small town and opens a coffee shop. The residents of the town have never heard of coffee before and are reluctant to try the strange “bean juice”, but soon Viv shows them the wonders of caffeine while finding herself a family and, perhaps, even love. 

opens in a new windowPoster Placeholder of - 65 opens in a new windowWinter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell

Now we just need a name for sci-fi romance… Romantifi? Eh, we’ll work on it. Winter’s Orbit is a story about an arranged marriage between princes in space. Jainan and Kiem marry in order to keep the peace after a bout of political upheaval and soon find themselves actually falling in love. This book doesn’t shy away from dark topics, but it is also a wildly entertaining ride full of blackmail, murder mystery, misunderstandings, interplanetary political intrigue, and romance galore. Winter’s Orbit will have you turning the pages far past your bedtime. 

opens in a new windowone for my enemy by olivie blake opens in a new windowOne for My Enemy by Olivie Blake

What happens when you take the greatest love story of all time, set it in Manhattan, and add witches? One for My Enemy happens and it happens brilliantly. This is a retelling of Romeo & Juliet where the Antonova and Fedorov families have been rivals for years, each fighting to keep control of their criminal empires through magic. When Lev and Sasha, the two youngest members of the families, meet and fall in love, things quickly run out of control. Come for the fairies and Russian mythology, stay for the big feelings and heart-pounding romance.

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Lists / What's New

5 SFF Books Featuring Memorable Trips

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by Becky Yeager

Buckle up, readers. Do you hear the call of the road? These authors did, except the routes they have planned involve stops that are decidedly elsewhere. Don’t forget to pack your map.

opens in a new windowImage Placeholder of - 1Last Exit by Max Gladstone

Have you ever gone on a road trip, had everything go completely wrong, and then decide maybe it’s worth trying that road trip a second time? Ten years ago, Zelda led a band of merry adventurers whose knacks let them travel to alternate realities and battle the black rot that threatened to unmake each world. The group’s center—its heart—was Sal, Zelda’s lover. On their last mission, Sal was lost. And they all fell apart. A decade later, Sal threatens to return, surrounded by the rot. Zelda cannot face this peril alone and needs to reunite the old band. Which brings us to Road Trip 2.0 where the stakes are higher than ever.

opens in a new windowPoster Placeholder of - 6American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Shadow only wanted to go home when he finally got out of prison. Tragedy leads him to accepting a job offer from a mysterious man named Mr. Wednesday to become his bodyguard. Together they travel across America on a strange road trip. There’s far more than meets the eye to the places they visit and the individuals they meet.

opens in a new windowPlaceholder of -13The Brotherhood of the Wheel by R. S. Belcher

Sometimes the road requires protectors. The Brotherhood of the Wheel descended from a small offshoot of Templars. They are a secret group of knights composed of truckers, bikers, taxi hacks, state troopers, bus drivers, and others. Their mission is to defend the roads of the world and to guard those who travel on them. Jimmy Aussapile is one such knight. He’s driving a big rig down South when a promise to a ghostly hitchhiker sets him on a quest to find out the terrible truth behind a string of children gone missing all across the country.

opens in a new windowPlace holder of - 23Redwood and Wildfire by Andrea Hairston

This is one traveling act you won’t want to miss. Redwood and Aiden are gifted performers and hoodoo conjurors. At the turn of the 20th century they leave behind George and journey to Chicago, going from a haunted swampland to a “city of the future.” Their adventure is both magical and painful as they deal with trauma, a changing world, and the challenges their own abilities present.

opens in a new windowImage Place holder of - 82Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha

Road trips are so much more challenging when the terrain involves a post-apocalyptic dystopia. Luckily, mercenary librarians are made of tougher stuff. The prospect of access to the long-lost U.S. Library of Congress is enough to convince Nina, Maya, and Dani to work with the Silver Devils, a rogue group of enhanced ex-soldiers. Together they will deal with numerous perils including no-good biker gangs and the secrets they’re keeping from each other. Now if Nina can avoid falling for the leader of Silver Devils then everything might go off without a hitch.

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