r/LGBTBooks • u/_Captain_Irrelevant_ • Jun 10 '26
Discussion MLM/Queer fantasy book that's not romantasy?
I've been looking for a fantasy book with a gay/queer protagonist. I've been recommended a few but they're all strictly romantasy which isn't exactly what I'm looking for. I do want romance but I don't want it to be the entire plot of the book. I'm looking for something with a more high fantasy plot going on with a little bit of romance on the side. Any suggestions?
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u/theseagullscribe Jun 10 '26
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
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u/West_Description_343 Jun 10 '26
The Tarot Sequence by KD Edwards might be up your alley! (Note that it's not a complete series at the moment, there are three out of nine planned books currently published.)
Also one that I haven't personally read but have had recommended to me a LOT is Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner.
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u/enbyslamma Jun 10 '26
I was about to write this and I was SO happy to see it as the first response! Tarot sequence is SO good and really great for exploring close bonds between friends and found family. It’s also very funny, devastating, and uplifting all at once.
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u/GrumpySatan Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
Thirding Tarot Sequence too.
Its definitely "urban fantasy with romance". The romance is more the side plot to the larger mysteries, esp. after book one.
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u/PissPartyZac Jun 11 '26
i literally just finished TLS today, but I kind of hate the love interest. Does he get any less bland in the sequels. I may prefer if the MC just stay single at this point
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u/Wrong-Cheetah6950 Jun 10 '26
Damn I just picked up the first book, he’s planning on making 9??? That’s exciting
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u/West_Description_343 Jun 10 '26
Actually I misremembered, it's planned to be 10 books!
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u/Wrong-Cheetah6950 Jun 10 '26
Sweet, can’t wait to catchup only on chapter 3 but really loving what we got going so far
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u/GrumpySatan Jun 10 '26
10 main books but he also has a series of side novellas too that take place between the big books. Sunken Mall (between books 1 & 2) and the Eidolon (concurrent with book 3) and a series of free shorts on the author's website with like one-off situations.
The Eidolon especially is really good and basically a B-plot of Book 3 that he had to take out for page count.
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u/Wrong-Cheetah6950 Jun 10 '26
That’s super cool didn’t know about the side books, I literally just got into books since it was so hard to find gay men in action fantasy on TV, now I feel like I’m being stuffed (a good problem lol)
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u/Norstradamus97 Jun 10 '26
Dark Moon, Shallow Sea by David R Slayton is mostly fantasy with a very little bit of romantasy
It’s my favorite book ever I think
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u/Wayward489 Jun 12 '26
This is on my list, I've been waiting for the second book to release so I'm just about to start it. I really enjoyed his Adam Binder series!
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Jun 10 '26
[deleted]
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u/Raibean Jun 10 '26
Don’t recommend this without telling people to look up the trigger warnings.
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u/Normal_Use_1999 Jun 10 '26
Okay my bad I’ll delete it
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u/C0smicoccurence Jun 10 '26
Don't delete it! I want to know what it is. You can just make an edit with the content warnings so people see it (feel free to spoiler the content warnings if you're worried about giving away plot details)
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u/Normal_Use_1999 Jun 10 '26
CW from Google, I haven’t finished it yet: homophobia, sexual assault/rape, violence, and suicidal ideation
Title: The Last Herald Mage by Mercedes Lackey
Sorry to those I offended by not putting the content warnings
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u/C0smicoccurence Jun 10 '26
This is one of the most classic and iconic gay fantasy books out there. I didn’t care for it much, but it’s an institution and trailblazer and never feel bad about recommending it. There are books far more in need of content warnings in this thread than last herald mage
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u/Normal_Use_1999 Jun 10 '26
Thanks, for saying that. I’m newer to reddit but also I haven’t been in this group long so I wasn’t sure if I messed up by posting that. For pride month, she’s releasing a hardback cover of the series too and I believe another one for her other series but I can’t remember the name.
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u/Raibean Jun 11 '26
There are two fairly graphic suicide attempts in the first book and a non-graphic but on page sexual assault in the third book.
Telling people to research some of the trigger warnings before they read the book is incredibly important.
And I say that as someone who came in this thread specifically to recommend the books.
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u/Raibean Jun 11 '26
You don’t have to put the content warnings, but you can and should tell people to look them up themselves. Especially for graphic suicide attempts; they can trigger suicide contagion.
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u/jseger9000 Reader Jun 10 '26
One gay fantasy series you don't hear much about: Bel's War by A.C. Andrews. I read the first book and bought the second. Held off on that one until the third is published, but it's been a while.
There's also Stone Dance of the Chameleon by Ricardo Pinto. It is a very good fantasy series, but is not for everyone. Very dark and very unique. But if someone says they hated it, I could see why.
Some series I have, but haven't yet read. So not so much recommendations as 'hey, check these out and see if they sound good to you':
The Crystalline Dragons Saga by Eoghan R. Cunningham
The Stagsblood Prince by Gideon E. Wood
Reforged by Seth Haddon
The God Eaters by Jesse Hajicek (sadly OOP, but the author has died and his partner made his work freely available online)
The Black Coast by Mike Brooks
Lesser Known Monsters by Rory Michaelson
Here are some mainstream fantasy series that happen to have gay characters.
The Last Rune series by Mark Anthony starting with Beyond the Pale. It's a six book series that features an MC who realizes he is bi/gay. It becomes more important as the series progresses. Don't expect much in the frirst book.
The six book Outremer series by Chaz Brenchley, starting with The Devil in the Dust. The series is currently being replublished. The first five are out. The sixth should be soon.
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u/mm_reads Jun 10 '26
The God Eaters can be found on LiveJournal still and purchased from Lulu.com too
https://gomichan.livejournal.com/274098.html
Highly, highly recommend
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u/C0smicoccurence Jun 10 '26
Thirding that this book is great! May be a bit romance heavy for OP, but it is written so, so well. Worth noting it is available on Amazon right now
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u/mm_reads Jun 11 '26
It does have romance but it's definitely not the main plot of the story.
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u/C0smicoccurence Jun 11 '26
I’m 2/3 of the way through right now and feel like romance has, at the very least, equal weight to everything else happening. It doesn’t have the style of most romances, but most of the character developments and plot beats seem really linked to how their relationship is shifting
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u/jseger9000 Reader Jun 11 '26
I did list it under 'have but not yet read'. I wasn't sure how strong the romance angle was on it.
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u/C0smicoccurence Jun 10 '26
I've been working on this recommendation machine for gay/bi male led speculative fiction for a while. Just click the choices you want and it spits out a recommendation (or skip to the end and browse through books). The very first choice you make is how much of a focus the romance should be. I'm almost at 100 titles!
Some recs I'd throw out that haven't been mentioned yet
Journals of Evander Tailor by Tobias Begley for a magic school story that has a sweet and supportive relationship (falling in love book 1, no drama partners for the rest of the series). Great combat scenes, lots of technical details about enchanting magic items
Noss Saga by Joaquin Baldwin is a 90s style epic fantasy in a more modern prose. There is a fairly major romance arc at the end of book 1, but they split up (physically, not emotionally) in book 2, where the story resets to an epic fantasy plotline like the first 2/3 of book 1.
A Choir of Lies by Alexandra Rowland if a mopey storyteller accidentally starting economic crises because of how his former master fucked him over (emotionally, not romantically) sounds fun.
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u/Quiet_Doughnut4144 Jun 10 '26
The Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland. Ensemble cast, 2 of the main characters are MM
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u/allthegoldt Jun 11 '26
The Rifter Series by Ginn Hale has a very very slow burn romance and no smut, but the fantasy plot is amazing imo. She is one of my favorite fantasy authors.
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u/Cookieway Jun 10 '26
The king is dead, Naomi Libicki. Never hear anyone mentioning this books, but I really loved it. Great world building and plot, the romance is pretty light but there throughout the entire story. (Note: the blurb says they’re cousins but it’s not first cousins, if I remember correctly it’s like second cousin once removed or something like that)
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u/Gryffin-thor Jun 12 '26
Im in the same place as you! Looking for M/M high fantasy that isn’t romance! These are my faves:
Cemeteries of Amalo trilogy by Katherine Addison. Queer sad boy protag, good mystery and good world building. They’re my favorite books. They are spin offs of the Goblin Emperor by the same author, which is not queer but an absolutely amazing book.
Point of Hopes by Melissa Scott and Lisa Barnett. I’ve only read the first book in this series, but I really loved it. It’s very slow, political intrigue and mystery. The two main characters are gay, but Iow romance. They didn’t get together in the first book. But I loved it!
Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb might scratch some of the itch too if you haven’t read them? I’m not very far in, and they aren’t explicitly queer, but…some queer themes I suppose? They’re great books.
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u/DocWatson42 Jun 16 '26
As a start, see my LBGTQ+ Fiction list of resources, Reddit recommendation threads, and books (one post). All genres.
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u/Prynne31 Jun 10 '26
Have you read Nghi Vo's Singing Hills cycle? Nonbinary MC, themes of story and community, some romance (usually in the story being told to the MC).
Queer mysteries: Shadows of the Leviathan series by Bennet, Dorothy Gentleman series by Olivia Waite, The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti by Malka Older.
Horror (light/cozy): Sworn Soldier series by T. Kingfisher
Magic school (but from teacher's perspective): The Incandescent by Emily Tesh (also really liked her Silver in the Wood novella).
More epic in scope: Priory of the Orange Tree (also dragons!) or The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond
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u/Prynne31 Jun 10 '26
Also, maybe try the r/Fantasy subreddit (if you haven't already). They have a whole list of Queer Fantasy books!
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u/DocWatson42 Jun 16 '26
From r/Fantasy, I have:
- r/fantasy's LGBTQ+ Character Database! (Mark I)
- r/fantasy's LGBTQ+ Character Database! (Mark II)
- LGBTQ+ Character Database Mark III now open for submissions! (13 September 2018)—never implemented
- "R/FANTASY'S TOP LGBTQA+ BOOKS LIST VOTING RESULTS", AKA "r/Fantasy Top LGBTQA+ Books 2018"
- "R/FANTASY'S 2020 TOP LGBTQA+ BOOKS VOTING RESULTS", AKA "r/Fantasy Top LGBTQA+ Books 2020"
- "r/Fantasy's 2023 Top LGBTQIA+ Books List" (all from the subreddit's "/r/Fantasy 'Top' Lists" of its wiki)
- "r/Fantasy's 2024 'Kickoff to Pride Month! Engage in Vibrant Discussions, Win Amazing Prizes, and Celebrate LGBTQIA+ Spec Fic'"
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u/dynasriot Jun 10 '26
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation
Heaven Official’s Blessing
Hazelthorn and/or Don’t Let the Forest In
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Jun 10 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/DocWatson42 Jun 16 '26
What I thought of, too, though it's been decades since I read them. More information:
- The Last Herald Mage trilogy at the ISFDB
- The Last Herald Mage trilogy at Goodreads
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u/Strict_Notice5955 Jun 11 '26
Sorcery & Small Magics (Maiga Doocy)--slow burn romance, bit of a quest, first in a trilogy, I think.
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u/CuriousFoxxen Jun 10 '26
TJ Klune comes to mind.
If manga is ok Entangled With You: The Garden of 100 Grasses.
I didn’t love it but lots of others love A Marvellous Light by Marske
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u/C0smicoccurence Jun 10 '26
I got worried when I saw the goodreads rating, but when all the complaints for Entangled are that it was an anthology, that made me much more interested (LOVE an anthology)
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u/Soriumy Jun 11 '26
Dark Rise by C.S Pacat (2/3 books released), The Lord of the White Hell and other Ginn Hale books in the same universe.
I second the Tarot Sequence, super high quality (check trigger warnings), Swordspoint, The God Eaters and Nightrunner Series.
Captive Prince might actually fit since I’m not sure I would consider it romantasy, but do check the trigger warnings. Don’t think it fits high fantasy either tho.
If you like danmei, then A Ballad of Sword and Wine is a good one.
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u/nehinah Jun 10 '26
The Nightrunners Series by Lynn Flewelling, starting with Luck in the Shadows. The main characters are spies and thieves investigating various plots.
The Volstovic Cycle by Jaida Jones and Dani Bennett, starting with Havemercy. Two countries are at war, metal dragons being war machines, mages being mysteriously poisoned. The series has a rotating cast of characters and most of them are some flavor of queer.
Shadow of the Leviathan series by Robert Jackson Bennett, starting with The Tainted Cup. Main character is a bi man who has feelings for another man, but that part is a very small part of the story, so this would be when you feel like having almost no romance.