LGBT Lit Recs: CLAUDIE ARSENEAULT

Did I combine my love of book recs and my appreciation of LGBTQIA authors? Heck yes, I did. LGBT Lit Recs is a monthly series of guest posts where LGBT+ authors recommend their favourite queer books! There'll be a post every last Wednesday of each month.

This month I am super, super excited to have Claudie Arseneault, author of a whole bunch of queer-inclusive books, on Words From Saruuh. Here's Claudie's recommended reads:

A Timeline of LGBTQIAP+ SFF

Hey, wonderful strangers! It is my great pleasure to occupy this space today, and do one of my favourite things of all: sneeze great SFF recs written by LGBTQIAP+ authors, and featuring those characters, and infect everyone with them!

And because I can, these will be presented not in order of my favourite (I could never pick), but in “chronological” order. Not that they’re in the same world. Or on a clear Earth-like timeline in relation to one another… but hey. It’s a thing! *throws confettis* Let’s get to the fun part right away.

1. DAUGHTER OF MYSTERY, by Heather Rose Jones

First of a historical fantasy novel featuring two amazing women unraveling mysteries, falling in love, and carving their place into the high society and politics of Alpennia. It is a-ma-zing. The prose fits the period, the characters are deep, with complex and often conflicting relationships, the plot builds and flows and captivates.

2. ARIAH, by B.R. Sanders

I always have a hard time describing this novel. ARIAH is not an adventure novel. The story follows the eponymous character throughout formative years of his life, as he learns to master and understand his magical gift. It’s an exploration—of cultural shock, of friendship and love, of the mutual influence people have on each other. ARIAH is intense and captivating, somehow feeling both slow and inexorable. Perhaps it’s its depth, perhaps it’s the subjects touched upon. Whichever the case, this is one of my favourite recent reads.

3. CHAMELEON MOON, by RoAnna Sylver

Aaah, this book. I will never make a LGBTQIAP+ recs without a mention for the Chameleon Moon series. I cannot. Set in Parole, a city barely holding above a lava lake and threatening to sink in, contained by a force field and filled with people wielding superhero-like powers, CHAMELEON MOON features an amazingly diverse cast and tells a story of friendship and love and hope in the face of overwhelming odds. A dys-hope-ia, as RoAnna loves to call it (and I like to parrot). Get this book. Now. And keep an eye out for the second in the series, coming out this fall!

4. FOURTH WORLD, by Lyssa Chiavari

Who’s up for an archeological mystery on Mars? Not one, but two ace spectrum protagonists? Reading this book has given me some of the most amazing “it me” feels, and considering how far you sometimes have to dig for good ace rep by ace writers? Yes yes yes. But don’t be fooled, it has a thrilling plot, great characters, solid and sometimes gorgeous prose, and an amazing worldbuilding to go with it. Plus if you fall in love with the novel, a sequel novella (DIFFERENT WORLDS) is coming out this fall!

5. ASCENSION, by Jacqueline Koyanagi

From semi-near future sci-fi, we jump into starships and space opera. ASCENCION is a masterful novel, led by a black lesbian with chronic pain who stows away on a ship. It’s intense, both in action and emotion, and it has one of my favourite tropes: Crew Before All. I love stories with group of friends who stick together above all else. It also explore complex sibling relationships, and grief, and disability, all of it while taking you on a non-stop ride of events. I devoured this book and highly recommend it to, well, anyone.

There are, of course, many others. Kiran Oliver was here last month and you should definitely watch for his, DAYBREAK RISING. And he mentioned Shira Glassman’s Mangoverse, another eternal source of joy for me. But five sounds like a good number, doesn’t it? And if you want more, you can always check out my own stuff! I have a political fantasy with a friendship focus lined up for publication with a large and almost exclusively LGBTQIAP+ cast, and I’m really excited about it. Add it on Goodreads if that’s your jam, or take a look at my sci-fi adventure novel, already on the shelves!

About Claudie:

Stories have always been an important part of Claudie's life. From reading to roleplaying to writing, characters have lived in her head for years, growing and evolving with her. Proud québécoise, asexual, and lover of squids and hot air balloon, she aims to provide awesome LGBTQIAP+ science fiction and fantasy. Her next novel, the first of a political fantasy trilogy, CITY OF STRIFE, comes out this Fall 2016.