#auslit

books I’ve read in 2024 - no. 44

My publisher calls Silent Trilogy 'X-Men meets Good Omens'. That's not wrong but it is a series about abuse, colonialism and the importance of love in ways those aren't.

In more detail: the Silent Trilogy is an urban fantasy series set primarily in Hobart, Australia. It tells the story of the dainisa, a not-so-hidden magical community, focused primarily on their non-binary Princess, Torao Yamaguchi.

Desperate for her child to have a better life than she did, the leader of dainisa Amaya Yamaguchi sparks a revolution to claim Australia as a magical continent where dainisa can live in accordance with their own laws, not those of humans. However fighting power is a complex thing in a world built to function on injustice, and a pretty siren desperate for revenge could ruin it all…

Narrated through the eyes of a human who doesn’t quite get it, the Silent Trilogy is about the narratives we build of history. It's an exploration of trauma, the ways people learn to live with it, and how bigotry works. Also there's angels and demons messing things up. More info on the website!

I finished this series a long time ago but I'm still very proud of it!! It's a niche story I had a lot of fun with. I wrote this NB protag before I even came out myself so that's always cool. And every time I have to reread a part of the series I have a really hard time stopping cos I enjoy my own work so much lmao. So hopefully you'll enjoy it too!!

(it's also on Amazon if you prefer kindle, and if you don't wanna support either, well, chuck me a couple dollars on Patreon)

September is a bumper month for titles that have grabbed my attention. I could have easily added another five or so upcoming releases, but tried to whittle this list down to the novels that intrigued me the most: When Haru Was Here – Dustin Thao (YA, Contemporary, Romance, Magical Realism, LGBT+) We Are Okay meets Wandavision in this novel about loss, and learning to let go.After the death of…

Shelf-Confidence BPC | February 2021 | 8. Currently Reading

Are There Lesbians? Yes

What Happens? Alex lives in a rural town where everyone knows everyone but no one knows she’s a lesbian. Then a new family arrive with their out-and-proud daughter and Alex has a choice – stay quiet and miss out on an opportunity for love, or take a leap of faith and live true to herself, no matter the consequences.

The Verdict: I loved this book so much right up until the final quarter. Then I was fuming. Then I was still angry but also crying a lot because I am a human capable of complex emotions.

I really liked the character development in If I Tell You. For the most part it felt very realistic and I felt a great deal of connection with the main character. It was also really nice to read something about rural Australia which really humanised the towns inhabitants without making them into caricatures. There was a lot of a familiar Aussie behaviour that I could appreciate, even with my suburban upbringing, and overall If I Tell You was just a pretty darn good read.

Now for the less fun, more rant-y part of this review.

dancing on knives by jenny pausacker

books I’ve read in 2024 - no. 24