Apparently, it’s June – yes, we’re also shocked by how fast 2022 is flying past us. Luckily, June is Pride Month!
Pride Month pays homage to the 1969 Stonewall Riot, which paved the way for LGBTQ+ folk everywhere, and celebrates the queer community across the world. As a publisher, we’ve always been looking for new ways to elevate queer voices and we’re lucky enough to have an LGBTQ+ story for every reader*.
(*Psst! Don’t forget to treat yourself to the fantastic novels in our Celebrating LGBTQIA+ SFF eBook sale!)
Here’s what the Rebellion team recommend this Pride…
Amy | Editor
I just finished The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow and absolutely loved everything about it – the folksy writing style, the bonds of three sisters each with their unique magical strength, the historical setting in mythical early 20th century New York, and the love story between the eldest sister, Bella, and Cleo, the Black journalist revolutionary. I loved that their relationship was messy, often challenged by racial, class and gender politics of the period, and that it was essential to the plot. They’re all such wonderful, vivid characters and I loved being so taken in by the entire world.
Jess | PR and Marketing Manager – Fiction and Non Fiction
I’m a history nerd and a sucker for fantasy tales set in the past, so She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan was destined to be a favourite of mine. It’s juicy and political and so unapologetically queer, bringing a version of 14th century China to life that’s brimming with revenge and characters who are truly morally grey. I adored its exploration of gender and power, and now I want to watch every C-drama I can find.
Casey | Senior Digital Marketing & Social Media Executive
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri raises the bar for what epic queer fantasy should be. Tasha Suri has created a beautiful, ferocious world alongside an intimate study of the characters who will burn it all down. It is an intricate, feminist, political novel with a large cast of characters, Sapphic representation and really interesting world-building inspired by the history and epics of India. Easily the best fantasy of 2021 for me!
Gemma | Junior Graphic Designer
I’m currently reading Other Words for Smoke by Sarah Maria Griffin, a modern fantasy about siblings Rossa and Mae who visit their great aunt witch Rita and her apprentice Bevan for the summer, unknowing that Bevan has been seduced by a demon in the walls of the house. It’s a wonderful surreal mix of haunted house horror and fluffy romance. I feel the characters’ emotions, longings and their pain, and know I will struggle to find another book that will have the same effect on me again. It is truly magical, please read it!
Charlotte | Copywriter
As a queer woman, I know better than most that we’re often relegated to minor roles within fantasy and sci-fi stories, so this new wave of queer MCs is very welcome! I’m a sucker for love stories of any kind, so Someone in Time ed. by Jonathan Strahan is my current favourite read. From tear-jerking goodbyes to the search for love in the space-time continuum, Someone in Time has managed to rewrite time-travel tropes through a more diverse lens. *chef’s kiss*
