#rcfeb23

If you've been around my account for a decent amount of time, you'll know I have a soft spot for a well written villain. They're not always as monstrous as they seem.

I haven't read Malice by Heather Walter, but after reading the synopsis, I'm definitely adding it to my tbr. Sleeping Beauty retellings are maybe my second favorite next to Cinderella. Which is what the February collectible magnet is inspired by. This super cute art of Aurora and Alyce was done, as always, by @jamielynnlano.

Camping is probably one of my favorite activities, but I haven't been since my Girl Scout days. Hiking is fun, but I can't go for super long before my knees and hip start to majorly protest. Though today's weather was perfect for getting these pictures and being outside. Until the sun came out. 😅

This survival pack was inspired by Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White and was the item included in the February @rainbowcratebookbox Duality box. It was designed by @heitor.shigue. I couldn't decide on just one set of photos, so here's a little dump.

February's trad pub pick from @rainbowcratebookbox was My Dear Henry by Kalynn Bayron—a queer Jekyll & Hyde retelling.

Some of my favorite retellings are The Once Upon a Con series by Ashley Poston, Heart of Iron/Soul of Stars by Ashley Poston, You're a Mean one, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky, and The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder.

Synopsis:

London, 1885. Gabriel Utterson, a 17-year-old law clerk, has returned to London for the first time since his life— and that of his dearest friend, Henry Jekyll—was derailed by a scandal that led to his and Henry's expulsion from the London Medical School. Whispers about the true nature of Gabriel and Henry's relationship have followed the boys for two years, and now Gabriel has a chance to start again.

But Gabriel doesn't want to move on, not without Henry. His friend has become distant and cold since the disastrous events of the prior spring, and now his letters have stopped altogether. Desperate to discover what's become of him, Gabriel takes to watching the Jekyll house.

In doing so, Gabriel meets Hyde, a a strangely familiar young man with white hair and a magnetic charisma. He claims to be friends with Henry, and Gabriel can't help but begin to grow jealous at their apparent closeness, especially as Henry continues to act like Gabriel means nothing to him.

But the secret behind Henry's apathy is only the first part of a deeper mystery that has begun to coalesce. Monsters of all kinds prowl within the London fog—and not all of them are out for blood...

I'm very intrigued by this month's trad pub. I love a good Jekyll and Hyde story and the fact that it's queer? Even better.

This box includes:

• trad pub: My Dear Henry by Kalynn Bayron (alternate dust jacket art by @artofmachira)

• indie pub: Baker Thief by Claudie Arseneault (dust jacket art by @lindaknowsnothing)

• item: Hell Followed With Us survival pack (designed by @heitor.shigue)

• magnet: Inspired by Malice by Heather Walter (art, as always, by @jamielynnlano)

Sometimes I do, but it depends on the series and how recently I've read it. I haven't gotten to The Fae Keeper yet, but I want to do a reread of The Witch King before I get to it.

Today is the first day of the February box photo challenge from @rainbowcrate. The prompt was "a queer book featuring good vs evil" and I feel like this duology fits the bill as well as any.