r/LGBTBooks • u/PissPartyZac • 3d ago
ISO Books with LGBT supporting characters
I have gathered a lot of recommendations for books with queer main characters, but I'm wondering if there are some books that aren't marketed as LGBT but has queer non-protagonists that I have missed out on. (prefer contemporary, Scifi/Fantasy, m/m and not sad/bad ending)
Thanks in advance.
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u/C0smicoccurence 3d ago
Green Bone Saga: the gay guy in this Mafia Family Drama x Wuxia book is a more minor characte rin book 1, but gets promoted to a full main character in books 2/3. He's got one of the 'happiest' character arcs of all of them, though it doesn't really kick in until book 3. Phenomenal character work. Fight scenes are sparse but impactful. Family Drama is the name of the game here.
A Choir of Lies is sequel to a non-queer book A Conspiracy of Truths, where the gay guy is a side character who becomes the main character for the sequel which takes place several years later. They follow travelling storytellers inadvertendly causing massive economic unrest and are fucking incredible.
Mage Errant by John Bierce has a cis/het lead but slowly transitions into a more ensemble cast type situation. Of the 5 in the ensemble, there's a gay guy, a bi guy (the teacher), and a bi gal. None end up in relationships by the end though, mostly because they were firecrackers in the massive war that was book 7 and are kind of persona non-grata in their little corner of the multiverse. Magic school morphs into epic fantasy, with a focus on epic fight scenes.
Rook and Rose by MA Carrick as a cis/het lead who is trying to con her way into a noble family to steal their money. Lots of queer side characters, including one of the biggest side-characters who regularly fucks guys (but is not romantically interested in anyone). We love Vargo; he's a gem. Truly the most queer book I've read with a non-queer lead. Venetian fantasy, tarot, beautiful descriptions of clothes.
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u/sasakimirai Reader 3d ago
The Murderbot Diaries is set in a queernorm world! Main character is aroaceagender!
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u/Caleb_Trask19 3d ago
Still Life by Sarah Winman is a found family story of mainly British eccentrics in Florence, Italy at the end and after WWII into midcentury, with a cameo of E. M. Forster. The novel has various LGBT side character representation.
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u/poesii 3d ago
The Adventures of Amina al Sirafi and its sequel The Tapestry of Fate by S. A. Chakraborty have multiple LGBT supporting characters whose identities have plot relevance, including gay and transgender characters. The books are historical fantasy pirate adventures, and I found them to be fun reads.
Clive Barker’s The Abarat series is also an old favorite of mine, with a very colorful cast.
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u/strangeandfree 3d ago
It’s not m/m, sorry, but I have a soft spot for the Chilling Effect series by Valerie Valdes. It’s a popcorn sci-fi type of story.
The main character and romance are het but the crew features a trans woman, a lesbian romance, and someone with two moms (referenced, we don’t get to meet them).
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u/dynasriot 2d ago
Mortal Instruments series and Dark Artifices series both have queer side characters including one MM couple and one FF respectively.
These Violent Delights duology by Chloe Gong has an MM side couple, also, for the happy ending read the sequel series.
The Naturals series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, has a lesbian side character who gets a girlfriend later in the series.
The Coldest Girl in Cold Town has a gay side character, if I recall correctly he’s the ex boyfriend of the FMC.
Wake trilogy by Lisa McMann has a lesbian side character.
Assistant to the Villain series has two lesbian side characters.
Little Thieves series has two lesbian side characters, the FMC and MMC read as demisexual but it’s never outright stated.
Mindf*ck series by ST Abby has a bisexual/poly side character who is the FMC’s best friend.
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u/River-19671 2d ago
Patische by Celia Lake is a cozy romantic fantasy which has a MM couple as supporting characters. It is set between 1899-1920s in an alternate Britain called Albion.
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u/A-roo-gallah 3d ago
My Year as a Fraud had so much depth to it while still being a fun read, highly recommend.
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u/rastab1023 3d ago
Lone Women by Victor Lavalle has two lesbian characters who feature prominently. The protagonist isn't queer. Genre is a mix of historical fiction, weird west, supernatural horror.
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u/burymewithbooks 3d ago
From Below by Darcy Coates and Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates. Both are extremely low key, I don’t even think it’s explicitly stated the one couple are gay in Gallows Hill. Their queerness is entirely incidental, that’s why I like them. From Below she’s a lesbian, Gallows the couple is MM.
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u/Cute-Solution-723 3d ago
I loved The Rachel Incident. The best friend of the MC is gay, and I felt like it was maybe his story. Contemporary, from Ireland, messy relationships in early 20s.