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I used to be an avid reader, and read tons of books when I was in school. Lately, with work and busier life I end up reading mostly online stories in GA (thanks again you wonderful authors), but I still like to hold "real" paper books from time to time. My idea with the blog entrances Book Club Suggestions is to share some a book in a particular category, and have you guys do the same (if someone joins me). When growing up I felt that most books I found and read were "strong heroes, sensitive princesses, ugly villains", and rarely touched "atypical" sexuality and/or gender differences. Thus being in GA I will probably have that in mind, but please feel free to share any good book. My suggestion for today in Fantasy is not actually a book, but a series of 3 books I read when I was a teenager/young adult: The Stone Dance of the Chameleon series by Ricardo Pinto starts with The Chosen, followed by The Standing Dead and finally The Third God. The author is a gay man, Portuguese descent that lives in the UK, and you can find the books on Amazon. These books tell the story of a teen boy in a strange world with a strong stratified society that values the purity of the blood above all. Being nicer than his peers, he doesn't seem to fit in the complex scheme of the imperial court, and we will learn how he deals with the notions of good and evil, of finding love and betrayal. The story is a little slow to start (which is reflected in the 3.5 stars on Amazon for book 1), but becomes more complex and interesting in the following books (book 3 has a rating of 4.5 stars on Amazon). What I liked in this story is that while it is fantasy, there is no magic of the usual kind, just a very complex caste society that it is very human in all its atrocities. Hope you enjoy, and please share a fantasy story you liked. PS: next entry will be either historic fiction or crime novels, so start thinking about your favorites =P

I've begun work on a new story, a Sci-Fi/Fantasy story. I won't begin posting until it's completed, beta read, and edited. Word of caution, it could take a while. In the mean time, I will continue to develop The Field of Love and at some point, merge it into Trials and Tribulations. I hope I don't disappoint. Billy

His Dark Materials was a groundbreaking trilogy of fantasy novels. They were breathtaking in their scope and originality; the concept of a person having the personification of their soul in the form of an animal called their daemon was both simple and a stroke of genius. It was also a wonderful writing device; characters could literally talk to themselves. For a long time, Pullman hinted that he was writing a second trilogy, The Book of Dust, following on from His Dark Materials. Finally, in 2017, the first part of that trilogy was published, La Belle Sauvage. This book, unlike the other two books in this new trilogy, is a prequel to His Dark Materials, but unlike so many other prequels, this isn’t an origins story. This is an intense adventure in its own right. Malcolm Polstead, the main character here, is a plain and non-heroic boy, not the usual adventurous type of boy found at the heart of a fantasy story, and this book is all the better for that. Malcolm’s ordinariness draws the reader into this story of cloak-and-dagger spying and sinister danger against the backdrop of the all-powerful Magisterium. Malcolm lives in an inn, on the bank of an Oxford river, run by his parents. On the opposite bank is a convent of nuns, several of the elderly nuns Malcolm has befriended. Three characters from His Dark Materials trilogy make an appearance here. Lord Asriel has a small but important part to play in the plot, Mrs Coulter makes a sinister cameo appearance, but it is Lyra who is an important part of the story, even though she is just a newborn baby here. The story begins with her left in the care of the nuns. What lifts this novel up from a well written, sinister spy adventure is the horrible event at the centre of this story. A terrible storm hits the country and overnight the whole of Southern England is flooded. What were once cities and towns and green countryside are suddenly turned into a desolate, dark sea of dank water. Suddenly the only land is at the top of hills or tall buildings. Into this dangerous world Malcolm and Lyra, accompanied by Alice, the inn’s young serving maid, must race across this now alien land in Malcolm’s small boat in an attempt to keep Lyra safe. Pullman’s writing is always of a high quality, he doesn’t turn in lazy or shallow characterisation because this is a “children’s novel”. The first part of this novel crackles with the sinister and dark tones of a spy thriller, but it is the second part of the novel where his writing shines. He paints the flooded landscape as an alien and dangerous world, the familiar gone as it is drowned under an unforgiving sea of water, in which the three characters have to survive. This book was certainly worth the wait. Pullman has lost none of his skill as a storyteller but neither has he run out of ideas and stories to tell in his unique universe. So often with sequels, especially after such original stories as His Dark Materials trilogy, there can be the law of diminishing returns, the author having used up all their ideas in the first book/books, not so here. The quality of La Belle Sauvage bodes well for the rest of the trilogy, and I am so glad to report that. Find it here on Amazon

I frequently have vivid hyper-realistic dreams but some are more odd than others. Last night I had a very strange dream and vivid dream and can still remember the main details. There was a city with six sides, surrounded by walls, and at each corner a Gothic spire rose impossibly high into the sky, slowly arching over at the top until they met in the center high above the city. There was some sort of disk on top of the points of the spires -- entire thing was almost like a birdcage. I was up at the top of this structure, with five others, one of us for each spire, -- which is a place I can guarantee I'd never want to be in the waking world as I have a fear of heights -- all of us gargoyles or angles or a blend of both. I know there was a discussion and/or argument about something, but couldn't remember what when I woke up. Was difficult to see the architectural style of the city because of the height, but it seemed to be in a much older style - definitely not modern. Part of me wonders what my mind was trying to sort out or tell me. Part of me isn't sure I'd want to know.

Sub-genres of fantasy, of which there are many, focus on speculative elements of writing that have an extremely unlikely possibility of actually being real. Magic, fantastic beasts, and in many cases the places you find them, all land in fantasy. Sub-genres: Alternate History, Anthropomorphic Fantasy, Arcanepunk, Arthurian, Assassin, Crossworlds/Portals, Dragon Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Flintlock, Gaslamp, General Fantasy, Grimdark, High/Epic Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Lost World, Low Fantasy, Magical Realism, Medieval Fantasy, Mythic Fantasy, Science Fantasy, Sword and Planet, Sword and Sandal, Urban Fantasy, Wuxia Top 10 Most Read - General Fantasy The Light at the End of the Tunnel by kbois The Case of the Short, Short Prince by Geron Kees To Have and to Hold by Nephylim It's Always Something by Ticklishboy30 A Vampire to the Rescue by comicfan Widderkin by Palantir The Brotherhood: Awakening Book II by The Writer X The Reluctant Consort by lilansui Rebellion of December by BlackInkRain We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes, Charlie Boone! by Geron Kees Top 10 Most Read - Low Fantasy Love in the Shadows by astone2292 Connor and the Wolves by Yeoldebard Rising in the Shadows by astone2292 Spirit of Fire by Stellar Harry Potter and the Sword of Gryffindor by dkstories Harry Potter and the Parliament of Dreams by Myr Harry Potter and the Destiny of Prophecies by dkstories Dracken Awakening by wolfwriter The Elven Chronicles of Draco Malfoy by Cailen A Diamond Heart by wolfwriter Top 10 Most Read - Historical Fantasy The Court of Ghosts by Stephen Wormwood Of Pride and Power by W_L Unicorn Quests by Cia Res Publica Christiana by W_L Raising a Rebel by W_L Return to Zenda! (stage play) by Refugium Unchained by lawfulneutralmage Promises to Keep by W_L The Little Book of Poems by Tim Hobson The House Sitter by Bill W Top 10 Most Read - Medieval Fantasy Of Pride and Power by W_L Broadswords by Disjecta Membra Res Publica Christiana by W_L The Lesser Evil by ObicanDecko Fairyfly II by ObicanDecko Life of a Pet by astone2292 No Regrets - A Forbidden Love Story by Brayon Founder's Day by Myr The Hunt by IkeNeko Fantasy Flash Collection by Myr Top 10 Most Read - Urban Fantasy Running with the Pack by WolfM Morningstar: The Malaise by Headstall Into the fields of Summer by gabz2000 Timber Pack Chronicles by Rob Colton Oregon in the Fall by drown Higher Education by WolfM Enforcer by Rob Colton GFD 12: Blood Ties by Comicality Broken Path, Starless Tail by Cia The Alpha by WolfM Top 10 Most Read - High/Epic Fantasy The Kandric Saga by Kyle Aarons The Brotherhood: Awakening Book II by The Writer X A Wizard's War by TeamStilinski Tests of Blood by dkstories The Brotherhood by The Writer X Beyond the Crags by Kyle Aarons Widderkin V. O. E. by Palantir Sands of Time by Roland Welcome to Redwaters by Hardianarcher Broadswords by Disjecta Membra Top 10 Most Read - Lost World No stories Top 10 Most Read - Sword and Sandal The Sons of Memory by Stefan Top 10 Most Read - Gaslamp Fortitude by Cia Diamond Eyes by ValentineDavis21 Top 10 Most Read - Grimdark The Kandric Saga by Kyle Aarons The Book of Leaves by ValentineDavis21 Pandemonium by frozenphenix The Mantis Continuum - Book Four by Adam Andrews Johnson The Mantis Variant - Book One by Adam Andrews Johnson The Mantis Equilibrium - Book Two by Adam Andrews Johnson The Mantis Corruption - Book Three by Adam Andrews Johnson Diamond Eyes by ValentineDavis21 The Witcher is Kind of Gay by Thorn Wilde Unearthly Delights by Littlelovestories Top 10 Most Read - Alternate History Mine! by Cia Of Pride and Power by W_L The Flamekeepers of Delta Psi Theta by Kelevra Goon by dkstories Fortitude by Cia Dawn of Tears by dkstories The Spirit of the Plum Blossom Tree (TSPBT) by Kong Wen Hui Res Publica Christiana by W_L Raising a Rebel by W_L Harbinger of Change by W_L Top 10 Most Read - Anthropomorphic Fantasy Connor and the Wolves by Yeoldebard Pig-Boy and The Insectorator by Biff Spork Raising Evzen by Yeoldebard Primal Park by astone2292 Waif and Stray by AlreadyForgiven Promises to Keep by W_L To Sleep in a Bed of Deer by Yeoldebard Incy Wincy Spider by northie Top 10 Most Read - Arcanepunk Tests of Blood by dkstories Top 10 Most Read - Arthurian Ilinot by LemonSoda Top 10 Most Read - Assassin No stories Top 10 Most Read - Crossworlds/Portals We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes, Charlie Boone! by Geron Kees Broken Path, Starless Tail by Cia There's A Strange Partridge in My Pear Tree, Charlie Boone! by Geron Kees Welcome to Redwaters by Hardianarcher It's Just a Matter of Time, Charlie Boone! by Geron Kees Corrupting the Innocent by kbois All Hallows Eve Adventure by Cia Top 10 Most Read - Dragon Fantasy The Kandric Saga by Kyle Aarons Gone Away, Gone Ahead by Mawgrim To the Weyr by Mawgrim Spirit of Fire by Stellar Threadfall by Mawgrim Broadswords by Disjecta Membra The Spirit of the Plum Blossom Tree (TSPBT) by Kong Wen Hui The Rider's Pride by dkstories Empty, Open, Dusty, Dead by Mawgrim Weyrlings by Mawgrim Top 10 Most Read - Flintlock No stories Top 10 Most Read - Mythic Fantasy Warrior Children: Legendary Three by Vaughn Edward The Spirit of the Plum Blossom Tree (TSPBT) by Kong Wen Hui Blades of Ashes by lilansui Winter Haven's Dyrpath by Cia The Sons of Memory by Stefan Dragon's Roar by Xfighter1984 Battle for Souls by Cia Sword of the Missed (SOTM) by Kong Wen Hui Gilgamesh in a Nutshell by Refugium Borderline by Stefan Top 10 Most Read - Science Fantasy The Case of the Short, Short Prince by Geron Kees We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes, Charlie Boone! by Geron Kees There's A Strange Partridge in My Pear Tree, Charlie Boone! by Geron Kees Ark II by R. Eric Pandemonium by frozenphenix The Icebox by JujuTheDruid Palingenesis by frozenphenix The Mantis Equilibrium - Book Two by Adam Andrews Johnson It's Just a Matter of Time, Charlie Boone! by Geron Kees The Mantis Corruption - Book Three by Adam Andrews Johnson Top 10 Most Read - Sword and Planet The Case of the Short, Short Prince by Geron Kees Re-Emergence by Kyle Aarons Dragon's Desire by Wicked Witch Top 10 Most Read - Wuxia Raising a Rebel by W_L Top 10 Most Read - Fairy Tales Raising a Rebel by W_L The Snake's Lover by Refugium The Six Swans by Refugium Goldilocks and the Three Lumberjacks by Bondwriter The little Prince that turned into a Beggar by Georgie DHainaut The Golden Bird by Refugium Bippity-Boppity-Boo by Lugh The Fear of Fairies by Refugium The Princess Who Danced with Fairies by Refugium Georgie Wants to Make Friends by Graeme Top 10 Most Read Fantasy - Magical Realism between 09/23/2023 and 01/20/2024 No stories

Anyone been watching it... Actually an interesting show. About a Secubus chick being introduced into the World of the Fey. There are Gay, Lesbian, Strait relationships...it's kind of cool and really the first time I've seen in on a channel like SyFy

Hey all I just rediscovered GA after years and years away. I used to spend countless hours here in late high school and college. I loved sci-fi stories by the likes of dkstories and Christopher Lydon - especially Mists of Fate/Shapers Chronicles and The Falcon Banner (thought I’ve read all of them). Any recommendations for new writers here who are carrying that torch? Also does anybody know what ever happened to Dan and Christopher?