10 SFF Books Set In London!

I love London, and I especially love reading books set there. Here are ten of my favourites!

You can get The Forgotten (which is set in London!) free now

And pre-order the third book for 0.99 for a limited time!

5 Recent Favourite Sci-Fi Reads

The best sci-fi I've read in a long, long time. Awesome spaceships, great characters, seriously terrifying villain, and you never know if the main characters are gonna survive.

My fave queer supervillain lady! Plus this series has zombies caused by alien-meat-burgers. It's bizarre and fun.

A perfect end of one of my favourite series. Inventive, stand-out alien species, high stakes, and surprising story. Highly recommend/

Sequel to one of the best books I've ever read. This book offers so many questions about what it means to be a person, and it's full of great alien races and a highly detailed world.

Crime bosses and spying and a really dodgy cult AND TECH THAT DOWNLOADS INFO INTO YOUR BRAIN. So exciting.

The Revelation (third in my sci-fi series) will be released May 9th!

Pre-order now

It's the last day to get it for £0.99!!

LGBT Lit Recs: ROANNA SYLVER

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 so, so happy to have RoAnna Sylver, author of Chameleon Moon (which relaunches super soon!! Be excited!) on Words From Saruuh. Here's RoAnna's recommended books:

The Second Mango (Mangoverse Series) - Shira Glassman

Probably the warmest, most welcoming, most delicious LGBT fantasy I've read in a long time. Contrary to popular fairy tale belief, the adventure doesn't end when you win the throne. Especially when you don't feel quite ready, and you're feeling like the only girl who likes girls in the entire kingdom. Personally, I really can't say enough good things about the Mangoverse - it's where I want to go when I'm sad, stressed, scared; even when I've got too much pain and too few spoons for reading, I want to read these. Finally, the entire series is being re-released under the author's total rights with gorgeous new covers. If your heart is tired (I'm sure it is) and you need some good news, start here.

Daybreak Rising - Kiran Oliver

A hot new release I've been so excited to watch light up the skies. A once-failed, twice-wise rebel leading a revolution, wielding magic and technology to overthrow an oppressive empire, with a slow-burn (ha) F/F romance at the center - this is pretty much everything I want to see in my fantasy action, and I'm sure I'm not alone. It saw an impressive release, and I'm sure Daybreak is just the start of something amazing.

Viral Airwaves - Claudie Arseneault

A dystopian, virus-ravaged landscape, rogue rebel radio stations, and hot air balloon journeys. The future could be bleak, but the aim is the opposite: community, hope, and rebellious optimism brighter than the promise of a of brand new day. Solarpunk. This is my literary aesthetic, and it might be yours too. Combine it with easy gay, bi, ace and nonbinary rep, and you've got something really special going on here. Check it out. Make it go viral. This book deserves it.

Ariah - B. R. Sanders

Elegant, sweeping, multilayered and intricate. If you like your fantasy high, but a lot more colorful, diverse and inclusive than what you'll see on the big screen (sadly), might I suggest? I do. I speak of elves. Bisexual elves, genderqueer elves, polyamorous elves with all their magic and history and lovely we already dig, and a lot more Super Interesting, Important Good Things (racial/social level interaction! Culture clash! Gender, sexuality - ahh, real life stuff!) that need to be included a lot more. Also, it's just a beautiful work-of-art book. 

(A Word And A Bullet) The Planetary Tarantella  - Rachel Sharp

Came for the asexual representation (hi, Ace Book Club! , stayed for the dynamite apocalyptic storyline, Oregon setting, tense pacing, Nerds Saving The Day... and Mab. Oh, Mab. Fast-talking, no-crap-taking smart-as-a-whip and twice-as-crackin' lady with a dog. Mab, you know where to find me. Over here, with my nose in your book. (ProTip: 'Bullet' is actually Book 2; you want The Big Book of Post-Collapse Fun if you want to see how it all began. But if you're like me and - what's 'in order,' I can't read suddenly, I don't know - in this case it's really not going to be... the end of the world. Or will it? Read and find out!)

About RoAnna

RoAnna Sylver is passionate about stories that give hope, healing and even fun for LGBT, disabled and other marginalized people, and thinks we need a lot more. Aside from writing oddly hopeful dystopia books, RoAnna is a blogger, artist, singer and voice actor. She lives with family and a small snorking dog, and probably spends too much time playing videogames.

RoAnna has worked as a contributing fiction writer, concept artist and voice actor for videogame company Phoenix Online Studios, appeared on several episodes of NBC's Grimm and The Librarians, and now writes for entertainment news website Moviepilot.com. 

https://twitter.com/RoAnnaSylver

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00OI321DO

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7351298.RoAnna_Sylver

Chameleon Moon: 2nd Edition releases October 11th! 

https://www.amazon.com/Chameleon-Moon-RoAnna-Sylver-ebook/dp/B01LW0O7KJ/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

7 Books Featuring Mythology

Since my The Legend Mirror series is heavily based on mythology, I thought I'd recommend some other books that feature gods and creatures.

I've had my ups and downs with this series, but ultimately it's fun and has a great murder mystery storyline. This one's Arthurian Legend.

A fabulous fantasy book with unicorns, other great mythical creatures, and a f/f romance!!

Djinni! This book is just wonderful - atmospheric and rich with detail, and it made me seriously emotional.

A perfect blend of Beauty & The Beast, greek mythology, with a love that has a serious Hades/Persephone vibe? This is one of my all-time favourites and makes me heart all smushy.

Another hit-or-miss one. But this features ORACLES. Which is pretty darn epic. It also adds a bit of mystery to the pot, which is always great.

One of my favourite series ever. Effortlessly combines super soldiers, a dystopian america (potential utopia actually, which is cool), and GODS AND MYTHOLOGY!! It's epic, read it. It is adult, though, so it's not recommended for younger readers.

An amazing series, one of my favourite YA fantasies ever. Banshees and reapers and all sorts of other great creatures. Plus incarnations of sins and vices - envy, greed etc. Truly inventive, and fun, and swoony toward the end of the series. Highly recommend.

~Saruuh

Unsung Leading Ladies of YA

The Legend Mirror is all about female main characters. In the first 4 books (three of which are released right now) I have Yasmin, Fray, and Minnie as POV characters. I love my leading ladies, and how they’re all strong in different ways, so I wanted to recommend some other ladies who are awesome in their own way. It pretty much killed me to leave out Celaena, but I wanted to talk about some lesser-loved ladies.

Kami Glass

I couldn’t not include a Sarah Rees Brennan character. She’s amazing at writing complex girls that are as different as they are all epically awesome. I love Kami’s paricularly intrepid brand of badass. If there’s a secret, she’ll leave no stone unturned until she knows it and publishes it in her school newspaper.

Puck Connolly

She enters a race for murderous water horses on her regular, family horse, and she’s SO AWESOME. I love her so much. She goes to such lengths to support her family and herself, and be self sufficient, and she’s strong and emotional and all the things I love. I honestly want to be her.

Adelina Amouteru

She’s complex, she’s conflicted, she’s probably going to kill you. I love her so much, and it’s fascinating and chilling to read about the villain’s journey from innocent girl to murderer. I’m already in awe of Adelina and I can’t wait to see what she becomes in the third Young Elites book. Side note: I also want to mention June, of Legend – also by Marie Lu – in this post. June is another flawed, complicated women, and Marie Lu writes them so well.

Natividad

I love how Natividad is both a soothing influence, a calm heart, and a passionate girl who will rebel for the things she believes in. In a world ruled by Black Dogs, she’s the one I really loved and admired for her bravery and her determination to protect her family and her place in the world.

If you like The Legend Mirror, try these books: Urban Fantasy edition.

If you like my YA UF series The Legend Mirror, you'll likely love these books! I've read and adored all of them, and I hope you do too. BONUS: They're all indie!!

DOG WITH A BONE, Hailey Edwards

There are not enough words in the world to explain how much I love this book, and Thierry, and Shaw. Their romance held me in this book but the world and the mystery is on point and I could not love anything in this book more. One of my all-time favourite series. Book 1 is $0.99 in Kindle!

BOUND BY PROPHECY, Melissa Wright

I fell so hard in love with Aern and devoured the whole trilogy in a couple days. Action-filled, tense, and romantic. AND FREE on Kindle!

DESCENDED FROM DRAGONS, Tricia Owens

The main character has a dragon familiar. DRAGON. FAMILIAR. Gone are the days of black cats (not that I don't love black cats, but DRAGON!!) Also there's a super cute gargoyle guy and threats of demons, the MC is Asian American, her best friend is Mexican, and it's set in Las Vegas. All good stuff.

STONE-COLD FOX, Hailey Edwards

Yes, this is the second Hailey Edwards book in this list but her books are SO GOOD. And I couldn't leave our Mai Hayashi, awesome Kitsune (fox-shifter) and all around kickass lady. Plus, this book has a tonne of POC and geek culture and COSPLAY. Heck yes!

More about The Legend Mirror:

Welcome to Callaire, a town of shifters, magic, and secrets.

Yasmin is the daughter of a goddess and a mythical creature. As a Legendary, she has telepathic power and the ability to change forms every full moon. 

GET THE FIRST BOOK FREE

Amazon US | UK

Words & Wonders (61)

Welcome to Words & Wonders, a weekly journal of writing updates, links I've found useful or interesting, and book recommendations. I hope W&W will prove to be useful to you writers out there as well as offering an insight into my writing progress for my readers. Don't forget to leave a comment with your own writing progress!

In the Writing Cave, this week:

- I've edited 80 pages of The Powers of Callaire, and I am FINISHED. It's off with betas now and then it's ready for release. Just a few weeks' time, folks!!

- I second drafted 29 pages of my Johanna short, a Legend Mirror companion novella, and finished this round of edits. Next I'll add these changes to the manuscript, and then the story'll probably sit waiting for release. Since it takes place during the fifth Legend Mirror book, that could be a while... but there aren't too many spoilers to discourage me from an earlier release. We'll see!

- I wrote 1.5K of a Minnie short story, which will follow the Legend Mirror book four and preempt the events of book 5!

In my life:

- I've turned my attention to The Lux Guardians, and I'm rereading the first two books so I can write the final two. Plus doing essential research. Slowly, slowly getting there!

On the internet, this week I found useful:

- Been too busy to browse unfortunately!

A Book I've Loved Lately:

Lush, tense, and dangerous romance in the Russian court. It's free for kindle so make sure you get a copy!

What have you written this week?
~Saruuh

Words & Wonders (59)

Welcome to Words & Wonders, a weekly journal of writing updates, links I've found useful or interesting, and book recommendations. I hope W&W will prove to be useful to you writers out there as well as offering an insight into my writing progress for my readers. Don't forget to leave a comment with your own writing progress!

In the Writing Cave, this week:

- I've second drafted 111 pages of The Powers of Callaire and finished this stage! I moved onto big picture edits and a couple rewrites (40% edited, 1.5K rewritten so far) and when this is done, I'll be close to the finish line. I'll have an announcement about the release date VERY SOON.

- I started second drafting the TLM short I wrote the other week (6 pages edited). I'm gonna refer to it as the Johanna Short, named for the main character, who is named for Johanna Konta, my British tennis bae.

- I wrote another 2.5K random of the NA UF dragon story I'm definitely never gonna finish. For a few days I considered writing it for real but I have more important things (Lux Guardians, Legend Mirror) to turn my attention to. Maybe when TLG is wrapped up!!

In my life:

- Work, work, working

On the internet, this week I found useful:

- This interesting post on authors marketing/release strategies

A Book I've Loved Lately:

These books are hella awesome urban fantasy, with a tonne of new twists to the genre and swoony, complicated relationships. These books are sneaky - you won't see any of the shocks coming. And they're NA genre fic! Score!

What have you written this week?
~Saruuh

Words & Wonders (58)

Welcome to Words & Wonders, a weekly journal of writing updates, links I've found useful or interesting, and book recommendations. I hope W&W will prove to be useful to you writers out there as well as offering an insight into my writing progress for my readers. Don't forget to leave a comment with your own writing progress!

In the Writing Cave, this week:

- I've second drafted 112 pages of The Powers of Callaire. Making awesome progress with this. I'll be done soon!

- I got hit by inspiration and ended up writing this short story about a daughter of Venus (not Yasmin) and an Incar (who you haven't met yet) and they're probably my favourite couple of all time. This story is NA, not YA, so there's some sexy times. I have a plan for it but no release date yet. This week, I've written 15,508. I had a day where I wrote an entire 8K. The largest output of words IN MY LIFE.

- I also wrote a random 2K of a NA urban fantasy dragon story I'm probably never gonna finish. Fun times!

In my life:

- Not an awful lot to report.

On the internet, this week I found useful:

- Didn't keep track of what I read this week. Sorry guys!

A Book I've Loved Lately:

OH MY GOD, let me tell you about these books. They're perfect urban fantasy with incredible female leads, and shifters, incubi, and fae. Holy mother of hell, I love them so much. They're indie and the first book in the Black Dog series is only £0.99 on Kindle and you need to go get it RIGHT NOW. I'm starting the final book today and I can't cope. I love everyone in this series so much!

What have you written this week?
~Saruuh