8 LGBTQ+ Fantasy Books to Add to Your TBR for Pride Month + Beyond

If tragic lesbians and crying are your vibes, then Afterlove by Tanya Byrne should have been added to your TBR yesterday. Afterlove follows Ash, a determined girl who won’t even let death get between her and her love.

This book is contemporary with a fantasy tilt that makes it accessible for those still dipping their toes into the fantasy ocean. We still have cellphones and New Year’s Eve parties, but there are also reapers guiding souls into the afterlife. It’s called duality.

Cassandra Khaw knows how to send chills down your spine and The Salt Grows Heavy is no exception. If you like your fantasy to upend fairytale classics with a murderous twist - this novella is what you’re going to want to sink your teeth into. Literally. Murderous mermaids, mysterious plague doctors, and cannibalism, oh my! This luscious novella will remind you why fairytales were meant to be feared.

With comps like The Tea Dragon Society and Legends and Lattes, Fern Haught’s The Baker and the Bard is the perfect low-stakes graphic novel for your cozy fantasy needs. Immerse yourself in a soft fantasy world where Juniper and Hadley are out to forage the glowing mushrooms needed for a special bakery order, finding adventure and mischief on their way. Not only is this book perfect for bundling up with on a drizzly day, but it’s also perfect for gifting to the reluctant readers in your life.

The Jasmine Throne is the first book in the completed Burning Kingdoms trilogy, meaning you can start and finish a series without having to wait! A book doesn’t need to win the World Fantasy Award for best novel to earn a spot on your TBR, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.

Malini has been imprisoned in a decrepit temple by her dictator brother, but with the help of Priya, a magical priestess, she’ll find an escape and start on the path of a revolution. This one’s for the hardcore fantasy lovers—the readers who love it when their books double as blunt objects. If you love morally ambiguous lesbians, then you have met your match!

They say never to judge a book by its cover, but it’s impossible not to be drawn in by the art nouveau-inspired cover illustrated by @levantwinds on Instagram. The Absinthe Underground is perfect for fans of Holly Black who wish that the Folk of the Air series had a sapphic main couple.

We follow Sybil and Esme as they set out on a heist arranged by a Green Faerie. Who are they stealing from? Queen Mab herself. This is a whimsical Friends to Lovers romp with a whole lot of heart to go along with the magic.

Note: If you love the worldbuilding of Severon in The Absinthe Underground, then check out Pacton’s debut, The Vermilion Emporium!

If you’re itching to get hooked on a new series this year, look no further than Saints of Storm and Sorrow! This book is the start of a new duology and is steeped in the author’s Filipino roots.

Maria Lunrurin is a conduit for the Aynilan goddess Anitun Tabu. In other words, Lunurin is a storm caller who can control the sea. She tries to hide as a nun to keep the peace, but Anitun Tabu wants nothing to do with peace; she wants vengeance.

A poignant fantasy set in the Philippines during the era of Spanish colonization, be ready for vengeful goddesses and magical hair!

Another contemporary fantasy for those of us scared of committing to the thicker tomes associated with fantasy. Jaxon’s family runs a funeral home; that’s something he’s known all his life. What he doesn’t know is that his family ALSO descends from a long line of necromancers. That part only comes out after he re-animates his dead crush. Oops? 

If you loved Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson, this is the book you need in your (un)life.

Till the Last Beat of My Heart comes out on October 15, 2024!

Evocation follows Gibson’s novella Odd Spirits and dips into a world filled with secret societies, the occult, and deals with the Devil. There’s no doubting the evil undercurrent that thrums through Boston’s occultist underground. But David thought he mostly escaped that when he came out from under his father’s oppressive hold.

Now David’s trying to reverse a centuries-old curse that leaves him possessed by a demon, and the only one who can help is David’s ex (and his ex’s wife). This one’s for the astrology girlies and everyone who thinks a round of tarot every few months will solve their problems.

Note: An edited-for-continuity version of the prequel Odd Spirits with a beautiful new cover is out in October 2024!