#transprotag

Artistic Comment: I really like how this photo turned out! I hope you all enjoy it as well.

Hello and Welcome to Drace forgets to blog about things they read because they have too many brain bees vol 3 or 4 at this point who knows. Today's edition is all about A Lady for A Duke by Alexis hall. Another of Alexis' regency works, this one more serious and less jaunty than Something Fabulous. The main character Viola, is a transwoman in a time where we wouldn't ordinarily see a trans protagonist. What's more is that the book is not focused on Viola's womanhood as the source of contention for the novel. At all. This reads as sort of a queer fantasy where everyone is accepting of Viola's truest self. It's a very sort of self-indulgent and happy fantasy that I can get behind. Alexis Hall poses the question of whether or not this sort of thing is something trans folks would like to see more of. Arguably this trans folk would very much approve of more of this story and others. Anyway, the main story revolves around Viola falling in love with her best friend since childhood, Justin de Vere, Duke of Gracewood. Gracewood has suffered a physical injury and is dealing with war-related PTSD. Like I said, this novel is a more "serious" regency, and the two have to work through years of trauma before they are able to find comfort in the new happiness they bring one another. It was a very touching and lovely book, and I highly enjoyed it. There's lots of positive affirmation and character growth in this piece. The characters aren't set on being horrible people, and I just really appreciate a regency where characters actually learn from their mistakes instead of droning on about them for about 17 chapters before they do a little bit of soul-searching and move on. Rating: 5/5 stars, if just for the concept alone.

This is a short little Novella by Zen Cho. The description and the artwork on the cover really attracted me to this little book. At the time of reading it, I had a long wait at the Rheumatologist's office (yay auto-immune diseases) So I powered through this one in a long ass wait because the hospital uses all paper like we're back in the 1980s. It's a hoot. Anyway, this book is short and was surprisingly QUEER! I was not expecting queer but I appreciate it. The only drawback to this book is the occasional horrible line editing (and there's a bit of it) and the fact it's feels short and incomplete. I am going to look into Cho's other works because despite the errors, this was actually a really jaunty and fun read. I loved the world-building and the characters. I'm hoping to see more of this universe and maybe more or less of these characters in her other short stories. Anyway, I would probably skip the physical edition of this book (the binding leaves... a lot to be desired, If I'm honest) and get a digital edition of this if I had to purchase it again. Overall, I would give it a solid 4/5 stars.

GOD

I assume it was, but I haven't the foggiest idea what.

i have no idea