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I've been using Storygraph for the last couple of years. It's a Goodreads alternative that isn't owned by Amazon--which, as far as I'm concerned, is a major selling point all on its own--and offers some pretty robust search and recommendation features.
It also lets me tag books to make lists, and one of my lists is "queer protagonists old enough to pay taxes." In order to make the list a book has to a) be something I've read, b) feature at least one queer lead character, who is c) not a teenager.
You'd be amazed how few books make the cut.
Anyway, here are some of my favorites from the list.
The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht
A dark love story between an immortal undead serial killer and a young noble who wants to end the world. Beautifully nightmarish with a bittersweet ending that's more "bitter" than "sweet." If you're a big fan of "wholesome" romance, maybe skip this one. Or don't, I'm not your dad.
Kill Game by Cordelia Kingsbridge
The first in the 5-book Seven of Spades detective series, which features two gay leads and the ongoing drama of both their relationship and the serial killer obsessed with them. You may have noticed a theme regarding the stuff I read. Really good balance of romance drama and crime drama, with characters who are flawed while still remaining reasonable adults who behave like adults.
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
A queer polyamorous take on Dracula, from the perspective of his first bride. An insightful look at abuse, codependency, and why having a threesome (or foursome) will not fix your marital problems. Again, if you like wholesome fluff, this is definitely not that.
Magic's Promise by Mercedes Lackey
All right, I'm cheating a little bit with this one. This is the second book of Lackey's The Last Herald-Mage trilogy, the first being disqualified because the main character, Vanyel, is 16 in it. In this book, Vanyel is in his late 20s and experiencing the consequences of being a kingdom-saving hero for over a decade. Which is to say, he's having a bad time. Good old-fashioned sword & sorcery with a lot of time spent on the characters' interior lives, plus magic psychic horses. If you plan to get into the Valdemar books, though, I recommend starting with the Arrows of the Queen trilogy first.
Widdershins by Jordan L. Hawk
The first in the 11-book Whyborne & Griffin series, a queer take on Lovecraftian horror. A philologist falls in love with a private detective, becomes a sorcerer, and realizes the world he knows is under constant threat by monsters from beyond the veil. He will proceed to do something incredibly dramatic and life-threatening at the slightest provocation at least once every book from that point forward.
You can find the rest of the list on Storygraph here.
It also lets me tag books to make lists, and one of my lists is "queer protagonists old enough to pay taxes." In order to make the list a book has to a) be something I've read, b) feature at least one queer lead character, who is c) not a teenager.
You'd be amazed how few books make the cut.
Anyway, here are some of my favorites from the list.
The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht
A dark love story between an immortal undead serial killer and a young noble who wants to end the world. Beautifully nightmarish with a bittersweet ending that's more "bitter" than "sweet." If you're a big fan of "wholesome" romance, maybe skip this one. Or don't, I'm not your dad.
Kill Game by Cordelia Kingsbridge
The first in the 5-book Seven of Spades detective series, which features two gay leads and the ongoing drama of both their relationship and the serial killer obsessed with them. You may have noticed a theme regarding the stuff I read. Really good balance of romance drama and crime drama, with characters who are flawed while still remaining reasonable adults who behave like adults.
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
A queer polyamorous take on Dracula, from the perspective of his first bride. An insightful look at abuse, codependency, and why having a threesome (or foursome) will not fix your marital problems. Again, if you like wholesome fluff, this is definitely not that.
Magic's Promise by Mercedes Lackey
All right, I'm cheating a little bit with this one. This is the second book of Lackey's The Last Herald-Mage trilogy, the first being disqualified because the main character, Vanyel, is 16 in it. In this book, Vanyel is in his late 20s and experiencing the consequences of being a kingdom-saving hero for over a decade. Which is to say, he's having a bad time. Good old-fashioned sword & sorcery with a lot of time spent on the characters' interior lives, plus magic psychic horses. If you plan to get into the Valdemar books, though, I recommend starting with the Arrows of the Queen trilogy first.
Widdershins by Jordan L. Hawk
The first in the 11-book Whyborne & Griffin series, a queer take on Lovecraftian horror. A philologist falls in love with a private detective, becomes a sorcerer, and realizes the world he knows is under constant threat by monsters from beyond the veil. He will proceed to do something incredibly dramatic and life-threatening at the slightest provocation at least once every book from that point forward.
You can find the rest of the list on Storygraph here.
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