Queer Book Review #1

In an attempt to expand this newsletter into something more than simply me yapping about my own projects, I’d like to introduce something new! I want to spend some time spotlighting queer books, as it aligns with my personal mission statement: create and support works that uplift underrepresented voices in the fantasy genre.

So, let’s dive in!

WHAT IT IS:

Lucha of the Night Forest is a gritty, atmospheric YA fantasy novel. Lucha, a teenager desperate to save her sister, ventures into the forest to destroy the memory-erasing drug that runs rampant in her city. It’s a sapphic Latinx story with a slow build romance arc.

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Drug abuse, addiction

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I’d picked up this story before I started my quest to find queer fantasy books, and I would say it was a significant inspiration point by that regard. The story and worldbuilding were compelling, the plot intrigued me, and Lucha’s desperation to save her sister throughout the story made her character compelling.

The relationship—the sapphic element—did not come to fruition until near the end, which is rather common in the fantasy genre (not counting romantasy), but the author did a good job of slowly building the romance arc toward a reasonable payoff. I distinctly remember thinking throughout my reading process, “Is this going to be gay? Wait, it’s actually going to be gay? OMG, IT’S GAY!” and that was a thrill.

The world is atmospheric and intriguing, with sinister magic and mushroomy vibes. From the very beginning, the author places you into this well-crafted world and lets you stew in it as you follow Lucha’s plight.

Lucha of the Night Forest has a sequel, Lucha of the Forgotten Spring, which I have not read, so I can’t speak on it. A future read, maybe? We’ll see. I’ve got enough on my TBR list, lol.

I’d consider this one pretty solid, despite how many sub-3 star reviews I’ve seen it has on Goodreads. Now, it’s worth mentioning it’s been quite a while since I’ve read this book. It’s been maybe a year or so? When I’d picked it up, I was still only starting to get into the habit of reading. Not that my ability to judge good stories was any lesser back then, but I was definitely in my “I’ll read whatever seems neat, so long as I’m reading something” era. Would I like it if I read it again now? Probably. But will I take the time to pick it up and reread it? Probably not. At least, not right now.

I make a habit of only keeping books I enjoyed. If I buy I a book I don’t like enough to deem keeping, I’ll either give it to a friend, donate it, or sell it. Lucha of the Night Forest still lives on my shelf, and it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. :)

Thanks for sticking around for something a little bit new, a little bit out of the norm! I figure I could drop a queer book review every once in a while, during months where I don’t have a ton to share. Instead of what I’ve done previously, which was “I don’t have anything to share but I’m gonna send meaningless word salad into the void anyways,” lol. Now, if I find myself stuck on what to write for my newsletter, I can send out a QBR.

Or, possibly, another little “segment” I’ve been considering—writing tips, tricks, and tools.

So: what’s been going on in the Divine Archive sphere?  I’m sure you’ll have guessed by now, given my earlier paragraph: I don’t have much to share.

Blood of the Gods is still with its copy editor. It’s scheduled for edits until, at the latest, August 22nd. I could get the manuscript back at any point in the interim, but for now, I’m operating under the assumption that it’ll be a while longer.

Floodwaters, my free promotional prequel, has gone through beta reading and I’m wrestling with myself over one particular decision I’d made in the story. Is this worth keeping in? I’ve been asking myself. Or should I change it? Is it too much? Will it scare people away? 

And sure, while Floodwaters will need a whole slew of trigger warnings, I can’t bring myself to part with the scene as it stands. The entire point of this story is that the Great Flood is too much. The circumstances leading up to the core canon are devastating. And the scene I’m warring with in particular is devastating. It’s par for the course.

It’s just a matter of, “do I keep it nasty, or do I soften it for the sake of my readers?” and I haven’t made that decision yet.

TDA #2 is at a standstill. I know where I need to get, but I can’t get it there. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Catch you all next time, when I will hopefully have more to share!

Wren Rivers

Corvid Arcana Literary

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