Gay-themed fantasy novels - part one
Explore top gay-themed fantasy novels in Part One of our curated list. Discover enchanting worlds, diverse characters, and epic LGBTQ+ love stories in these must-read books.
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The Lord of the Rings Box Set
by J. R. R. Tolkien
The three books that make up Tolkien's famous trilogy of Middle-earth are here boxed together in hardcover editions. Set contains The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King.
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Luck in the Shadows
by Lynn Flewelling
"A new star is rising in the fantasy firmament...teems with magic and spine-chilling amounts of skullduggery."–Dave Duncan, author of The Great Game 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.
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Stalking Darkness
by Lynn Flewelling
With the Leran threat laid to rest, Alec and Seregil are now able to turn their attention to the ancient evil which threatens their land. The Plenimarans, at war with Skalans, have decided to defeat their ancient enemy by raising up the Dead God, Seriamaius. The early attempts at this reincarnation--masterminded by the sinister Duke Mardus and his sorcerous minion Vargul Ashnazai--once left Seregil in a sorcerous coma. Now, an ancient prophecy points to his continuing role in the quest to stop Mardus in his dread purpose. Seregil's friend and Mentor, the wizard Nysander, has long been the guardian of a deadly secret. In a secret, silver-lined room hidden well beneath the Oreska, he has served for most of his 300 years as the keeper of a nondescript clay cup. But this cup, combined with a crystal crown and some wooden disks, forms the Helm of Seriamaius, and any mortal donning the reconstructed Helm will become the incarnation of the god on earth. Nysander holds the cup and Mardus the wooden disks--one of which was responsible for Seregil's coma--but the crown must still be located. Threatened under pain of death by Nysander to keep his quest a secret even from his loyal companion, Alec, Seregil is dispatched to find the last missing piece of the Helm so that he and Nysander can destroy it. But this is only the beginning of one of his deadliest journeys ever, for the prophecy also holds that four will come together in a time of darkness, and gradually all that Seregil values is placed at risk as he, Alec, Nysander and Micum are drawn into a deadly web of terror and intrigue.
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Traitor's Moon
by Lynn Flewelling
Master spies Seregil and Alec are no strangers to peril. Their assignments, nightrunning for wizards and nobles, have led them into many deadly situations. But sometimes the greatest danger can lurk beneath a Traitor's Moon. . . . Wounded heroes of a cataclysmic battle, Seregil and Alec have spent the past two years in self-imposed exile, far from their adopted homeland, Skala, and the bitter memories there. But as the war rages on, their time of peace is shattered by a desperate summons from Queen Idralain, asking them to aid her daughter on a mission to Aurënen, the very land from which Seregil was exiled in his youth. Here, in this fabled realm of magic and honor, he must at last confront the demons of his dark past, even as Alec discovers an unimagined heritage. And caught between Skala's desperate need and the ancient intrigues of the Aurënfaie, they soon find themselves snared in a growing web of treachery and betrayal.
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Magic's Pawn
by Mercedes Lackey
Groundbreaking epic fantasy series in Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar universe • Lambda-Award winning novels with heartfelt high adventure and magic Though Vanyel has been born with near-legendary abilities to work both Herald and Mage magic, he wanted no part in such things. Nor does he seek a warrior’s path, wishing instead to become a Bard. Yet such talent as his, if left untrained, may prove a menace not only to Vanyel but to others as well. So he is sent to be fostered with his aunt, Savil, one of the fame Herald-Mages of Valdemar. But, strong-willed and self-centered, Vanyel is a challenge which even Savil cannot master alone. For soon he will become the focus of frightening forces, lending his raw magic to a spell that unleashes terrifying wyr-hunters on the land. And by the time Savil seeks the assistance of a Shin’a’in Adept, Vanyel’s wild talent may have already grown beyond anyone’s ability to contain, placing Vanyel, Savil, and Valdemar itself in desperate peril.
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Magic's Promise
by Mercedes Lackey
Groundbreaking epic fantasy series in Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar universe • Lambda-Award winning novels with heartfelt high adventure and magic Wild magic is taking its toll on the land. Many Heralds and Herald-Mages have died fighting to preserve the peace. Even Vanyel, the most powerful of the Herald-Mages is almost at the end of his strength, in need of a respite from the dual threats of war and dark magic. But for Vanyel, there can be no rest. Not when his Companion, Yfandes, receives a summons which can’t be ignored—a desperate cry of a magical holocaust in the neighboring kingdom. Almost overwhelmed by the devastations they discover there, Herald-Mage and Companion must try to unravel this tragic mystery. Is the young Prince Tashir, a newly Chosen Herald who can’t control his magic, responsible for the destruction? Or is Tashir a pawn in a deeper, more deadly game—and, if so, will Vanyel be able to find and defeat the true destroyer before this master of dark powers can strike again?
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Magic's Price
by Mercedes Lackey
Groundbreaking epic fantasy series in Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar universe • Lambda-Award winning novels with heartfelt high adventure and magic Valdemar—the once-peaceful kingdom protected by the magic of its Herald-Mages—is now besieged on all fronts. The king lies near death, the neighboring land of Karse wages a relentless war against Valdemar, and the forces led by a master of dark forbidden magic are massing to strike the final devastating blow against the kingdom. And Vanyel, the most powerful Herald-Mage Valdemar has even known, has become the primary target of the evil which is reaching out to poison all the land. With all his fellow mages slain, Vanyel alone remains to defend his people against the dark master’s army. Yet a dream vision has revealed to Vayel the fate which awaits should he and his Companion Yfandes take up the dark master’s challenge. And if either Vanyel or Yfandes falters, the dream will become a horrifying reality in which both Valdemar and its last Herald-Mage must pay the ultimate price.
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Swordspoint
by Ellen Kushner
The cult classic fantasy of manners, now with three bonus stories “Swordspoint has an unforgettable opening and just gets better from there.”—George R. R. Martin Hailed by critics as “a bravura performance” (Locus) and “witty, sharp-eyed, [and] full of interesting people” (Newsday), this acclaimed novel, filled with remarkable plot twists and unexpected humor, takes fantasy to an unprecedented level of elegant writing and scintillating wit. Award-winning author Ellen Kushner has created a world of unforgettable characters whose political ambitions, passionate love affairs, and age-old rivalries collide with deadly results. On the treacherous streets of Riverside, a man lives and dies by the sword. Even the nobles on the Hill turn to duels to settle their disputes. Within this elite, dangerous world, Richard St. Vier is the undisputed master, as skilled as he is ruthless—until a death by the sword is met with outrage instead of awe, and the city discovers that the line between hero and villain can be altered in the blink of an eye.
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The Fall of the Kings
by Ellen Kushner
Award-winning fantasy authors Kushner and Sherman team up to tell a tale of a world rediscovering an ancient magic, and the price to be paid for repeating history.
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Wraeththu
by Storm Constantine
Here at last in a single volume are all three of Constantine's Wraeththu trilogy: The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit, The Bewitchments of Love and Hate, and The Fulfilments of Fate and Desire. In this powerful and elegant story set in a future Earth very different from our own, a new kind of human has evolved to challenge the dominion of Homo sapiens. This new breed is stronger, smarter, and far more beautiful than their parent race, and are endowed with psychic as well as physical gifts. They are destined to supplant humanity as we know it, but humanity won't die without a struggle.
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The Chosen
by Ricardo Pinto
Young Carnelian has spent his entire life alone with his father, who years ago rejected the savage cruelty of the Masters of Osrakum and was sent into exile. But now a ship has come flying through the winter gales to shatter his quiet world. Three Masters disembark, and as they remove their masks of gold, Carnelian is awed by the light that seems to radiate from their skin. In formal conclave they beg Carnelian's father to return with them to Osrakum to oversee the election of a new God Emperor. And so Carnelian begins to fulfill his destiny. Along his perilous journey to the Osrakum, he is forced to learn bitter lessons in bloodshed, power, intrigue, love, and treachery--and sets in motion the concluding events in a story four thousand years old.
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The Standing Dead
by Ricardo Pinto
At the heart of The Three Lands, there is a paradise, filled with beauty and wonders of all kinds. A lush and vibrant place, it stands in sharp contrast to the baseness and squalor of the world outside the walls of Osrakum. But this beauty comes at a cost. The Masters who rule the world are driven by sadistic dreams and mythic charms. They use their vast powers to leech the resources of the world unto themselves, to create an artificial haven where they play out twisted games of power amid a decadent splendor. Within the inner circle of power lies a glittering court where the royal houses plot vile atrocities, and madness and bestiality hold sway. The Masters are nothing less than gods in this realm and their plans (or whims) can bring either perfect pleasure... or death. Young Carnelian has spent his entire life in exile with his father, a nobleman who rejected the evil ways of his people and fled to the ends of the known world. But forces conspired to change all that, and Carnelian returned to his homeland. He is a sheep among wolves, and it has taken every ounce of his strength to resist the temptations of power that threaten to seduce his very soul. What Carnelian could never have imagined was that he would fall in love with none other than Osidian, one of the twin Gods, ruler of his world--or that forces far darker than he thought possible would use him as a weapon. When the young lovers are kidnapped by the Empress Ykoriana and forced from the safety of the empire, it appears that their lives are forfeit. But Carnelian and Osidian fall into the hands of barbarians from the southern plain they call the Undersky. These raiders manage to elude the legions of the Masters, and after enduring terrible hardships, they succeed in bringing their prizes home to their tribe. Carnelian comes to realize that the world is much more bizarre than he could ever imagine, that love can sometimes blind you to things that may destroy you, that the simple things the heart can teach you will prove to be the most true.... And that he holds in his hands the potential to save or doom all of his world. The Standing Dead is the powerful sequel to Ricardo Pinto's first novel The Chosen, and it continues this unique fantasy series about power, eros, and madness...and the depths a man will go to for love. It is the second volume in The Stone Dance of the Chameleon series, and he is currently at work on the third. Ricardo Pinto resides in Edinburgh, Scotland.
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The Stone Prince
by Fiona Patton
Galactic Spectrum Award nomination • Locus Recommended Reading List • Epic fantasy series with character-driven intrigue and spectacular magic The royal line of Branion have been blessed, or cursed, with the power of the Flame, a magic which—if wielded properly—none can stand against. But if called upon by one untrained, the Flame is as likely to destroy its human vessel as whatever foe it has been unleashed against. Yet even the Flame is less dangerous than Her Most Regal and Sacred Majesty Melesandra the Third, an unyielding and terrifying ruler. No one understands this better than Crown Prince Demnor, who is convinced he is his mother’s most-treasured victim. Often at odds with Melesandra, Demnor knows he will receive no support from her when faced with the prospect of an unwanted, politically motivated marriage. But all his personal conflicts must be thrust aside when the realm of Branion is drawn into a far greater struggle as the eternally rebellious Heathland plots a bold new campaign of war. Only time will tell whether Demnor can survive the traitors within the Court and the ever-growing rebel forces—even as he strives to master the power which is his birthright.
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The Fire's Stone
by Tanya Huff
A thief, a princess, and a wizardess embark upon a perilous quest for a magical stone that has long protected the city from the volcano that threatens it
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The God Eaters
by Jesse Hajicek
Imprisioned for 'inflammatory writings' by the totalitarian Theocracy, shy intellectual Ashleigh Trine figures his story's over. But when he meets Kieran Trevarde, a hard-hearted gunslinger with a dark magic lurking in his blood, Ash finds that necessity makes strange heroes... and love can change the world.
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Gate of Darkness, Circle of Light
by Tanya Huff
Toronto had no idea what was in store for it--an Adept of Darkness had broken the barriers and arrived in this 20th-century city. And in an age when only fools and innocents still believed in magic, who was there to fight against this invasion by evil?
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Ilario: The Lion's Eye
by Mary Gentle
Abandoned and alone, the fosterling Ilario grows up as the King's Freak, surrounded by all the pomp, intrigue, and danger of the Iberian court. Fleeing a failed treacherous attack, Ilario crosses the sea to Carthage, where the mysterious Penitence shrouds the sky in darkness. There, a strange and awful destiny awaits the would-be painter, one that spans continents and kingdoms. Filled with intrigue, sex, and mystery, Ilario: The Lion's Eye is a stunning tale of secret histories and self-discovery. The adventure continues in Book Two: The Stone Golem.
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Melusine
by Sarah Monette
Felix Harrowgate, a handsome, well-respected wizard among his aristocratic peers, finds his dark past as an abused slave coming back to haunt him and joins forces with Mildmay the Fox, a thief and assassin, to stop the demons of darkness. Reprint.
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The Virtu
by Sarah Monette
A powerful wizard until his former mentor seizes his magic and uses it to shatter the Virtu, an orb that serves as the magical source and protection for the city's wizards, Felix Harrowgate's only chance of reclaiming his power is to restore the Virtu, joining forces with Mildmay the Fox, a cursed assassin and cat-burglar whose fate is linked with that of Felix. Reprint.
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The Mirador
by Sarah Monette
In a continuation of the series that began with Mlusine and The Virtu, wizard Felix Harrowgate returns to the Mirador, the citadel of power and wizardry, unaware that enemies from the Bastion, a rival school of wizards, plan to use him to destroy the Mirador, unless Felix's half-brother, Mildmay the Fox, can stop them. Reprint.
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