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Angry Queer Book Recommendations

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Diverse Discoveries: Arabian Fantasy

From Whole Cloth by Sonia Sulaiman
I loved this queer, asexual retelling of the Palestinian folktale ‘The Story That Begins and Ends with Lies’. A Prince is told he has to marry, but he only wants to spend his time with a woman who tells stories made up of only lies. When he meets a woman who seems to be his fated match, they must both discover what they really want, and a way to live in their truth (and lies).

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chackraborty
A 40+ year old mother with bad knees gets the band back together for one last adventure, sailing the high seas and encountering pirates, sorcerers, and mythical creatures.

The Ending Fire trilogy by Saara el-Arifi
Saara el-Arifi is now one of my favourite authors. The first book, The Final Strife, absolutely blew me away. It’s inspired by Arabian and Ghanaian mythology, about a brutal world where the colour of your blood determines your status, and three women of different blood types who seek to bring down the oppressive regime. It’s fast paced, richly described, and incredibly gripping. And queer!

Noble Warriors and Non-Binary Knights

Nicholas in A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna.
In this gorgeous found family cosy fantasy, a witch who has lost her magic lives with a ragtag group of diverse misfits, including a young man who works at the local medieval fair, goes everywhere in full plate armor, and is incredibly honorable and protective of his chosen family.
Garad in Blackheart Knights by Laure Eve.
In this futuristic Arthurian retelling, knights ride on motorbikes and fight in cages to settle disputes. One such knight is King Arthur’s champion Garad, a non-binary fighter and the best in the land.

Nick in the Legendborn series by Tracy Deonn.
Look, I love both Nick AND Sel, okay? What I love most about Nick is his sense of justice, his willingness to stand up for Bree, to recognize all the patriarchal bullshit and refuse to go along with things just because they’re tradition. He’s noble, and he honestly gets better as the books go on.