Best Lesbian Sci-Fi / Fantasy
And the Rainbow Award goes to:
1) Barbara Davies - Bourn's Edge
Paperback: 196 pages
Publisher: Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company (November 11, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1934452521
ISBN-13: 978-1934452523
Amazon: Bourn's Edge
Wonderful, wonderful book! --Debra
Following an attempt to kill her, librarian Cassie Lewis leaves the only life she's ever known and flees west into the mist-shrouded borderlands that lie between England and Wales. There, the sleepy, hillside village of Bourn's Edge provides a safe haven for her to regroup and decide what to do next, and reclusive local artist Tarian Brangwen provides an intriguing and welcome distraction. But Cassie soon makes a startling discovery that turns her world upside down. For deep in the heart of the adjacent Bourn Forest lies an entrance to Faerie, and the enigmatic Tarian is much more than she appears.
2) Andi Marquette - A Matter of Blood
Paperback: 204 pages
Publisher: Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company (January 3, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1934452564
ISBN-13: 978-1934452561
Amazon: A Matter of Blood
Outlaw Torri Rendego can't shake her past, which most often involves Kai Tinsdale, her former Academy bunkmate and now commander in the hated Coalition forces. She's convinced the Coalition is up to no good on Kai's family holdings and decides to investigate. Problem is, the Coalition is definitely up to something, and Torri and the crew of the Far Seek have to pursue an outrageous plan to gather information and pass it along to Kai somehow. But even the best-laid plans can go dangerously awry, especially where Kai's concerned. Risking herself, her crew, and a tenuous tie to a shared history, Torri goes deep into Coalition territory to uncover a secret with far-reaching consequences for a distant and ancient culture. The stakes of this venture may prove way too high, even for a gambler like Torri.
3) JoSelle Vanderhooft and Catherine Lundoff - Hellebore and Rue
Paperback: 238 pages
Publisher: Lethe Press (May 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590213777
ISBN-13: 978-1590213773
Amazon: Hellebore and Rue
This is an excellent collection of witch stories. The editors did a great job, I was very disappointed to reach the end. --Julie
It seems weird to rate an anthology as such but overall the stories were really well written, and they all flowed really well. There were a few stories here that when I started reading I thought "oh, this isn't going to fit" and then it did, so it was like finding a surprise inside. A really good read. --Jorgi-Anne
The essence of fantasy is magic and the folklore of women has often dwelt on the innumerable powers they possess. Magic that heals, magic that destroys, magic that saves their community. All these elements and more can be found in the queer women of Hellebore & Rue. These lesbians shape their worlds, their wants and needs, and, most important, their destinies. Here are stories of a greenmage reuniting with her former partner on one last mission in Connie Wilkin's ''The Windskimmer''; a shaman calling on the power of the Medicine Buddha to fight demons in Jean Marie Ward's ''Personal Demons''; and even an aging school nurse discovering a dark secret about her heritage in Steve Berman's ''D is for Delicious.'' A dozen stories by a dozen talented authors, including Juliet Kemp, Lisa Morton, Ruth Sorrell, C. B. Calsing and other names that promise the reader many wonders.
Honourable Mention:
4) Erica Lawson - The Chronicles of Ratha, Children of the Noorthi
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1935627937/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
I had read this story in draft chapter form prior to the publication of this book, and I am very impressed with the editing and rewriting of this story. The plot flows and the characters more distinct making you want to read more about them. Well done! --Julie
5) Sarah Diemer - The Dark Wife
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1461179939/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Interesting read. Great setting, really got a feel for the atmosphere, almost felt like I was there. --Tammy
1) Barbara Davies - Bourn's Edge
Paperback: 196 pages
Publisher: Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company (November 11, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1934452521
ISBN-13: 978-1934452523
Amazon: Bourn's Edge
Wonderful, wonderful book! --Debra
Following an attempt to kill her, librarian Cassie Lewis leaves the only life she's ever known and flees west into the mist-shrouded borderlands that lie between England and Wales. There, the sleepy, hillside village of Bourn's Edge provides a safe haven for her to regroup and decide what to do next, and reclusive local artist Tarian Brangwen provides an intriguing and welcome distraction. But Cassie soon makes a startling discovery that turns her world upside down. For deep in the heart of the adjacent Bourn Forest lies an entrance to Faerie, and the enigmatic Tarian is much more than she appears.
2) Andi Marquette - A Matter of Blood
Paperback: 204 pages
Publisher: Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company (January 3, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1934452564
ISBN-13: 978-1934452561
Amazon: A Matter of Blood
Outlaw Torri Rendego can't shake her past, which most often involves Kai Tinsdale, her former Academy bunkmate and now commander in the hated Coalition forces. She's convinced the Coalition is up to no good on Kai's family holdings and decides to investigate. Problem is, the Coalition is definitely up to something, and Torri and the crew of the Far Seek have to pursue an outrageous plan to gather information and pass it along to Kai somehow. But even the best-laid plans can go dangerously awry, especially where Kai's concerned. Risking herself, her crew, and a tenuous tie to a shared history, Torri goes deep into Coalition territory to uncover a secret with far-reaching consequences for a distant and ancient culture. The stakes of this venture may prove way too high, even for a gambler like Torri.
3) JoSelle Vanderhooft and Catherine Lundoff - Hellebore and Rue
Paperback: 238 pages
Publisher: Lethe Press (May 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590213777
ISBN-13: 978-1590213773
Amazon: Hellebore and Rue
This is an excellent collection of witch stories. The editors did a great job, I was very disappointed to reach the end. --Julie
It seems weird to rate an anthology as such but overall the stories were really well written, and they all flowed really well. There were a few stories here that when I started reading I thought "oh, this isn't going to fit" and then it did, so it was like finding a surprise inside. A really good read. --Jorgi-Anne
The essence of fantasy is magic and the folklore of women has often dwelt on the innumerable powers they possess. Magic that heals, magic that destroys, magic that saves their community. All these elements and more can be found in the queer women of Hellebore & Rue. These lesbians shape their worlds, their wants and needs, and, most important, their destinies. Here are stories of a greenmage reuniting with her former partner on one last mission in Connie Wilkin's ''The Windskimmer''; a shaman calling on the power of the Medicine Buddha to fight demons in Jean Marie Ward's ''Personal Demons''; and even an aging school nurse discovering a dark secret about her heritage in Steve Berman's ''D is for Delicious.'' A dozen stories by a dozen talented authors, including Juliet Kemp, Lisa Morton, Ruth Sorrell, C. B. Calsing and other names that promise the reader many wonders.
Honourable Mention:
4) Erica Lawson - The Chronicles of Ratha, Children of the Noorthi
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1935627937/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
I had read this story in draft chapter form prior to the publication of this book, and I am very impressed with the editing and rewriting of this story. The plot flows and the characters more distinct making you want to read more about them. Well done! --Julie
5) Sarah Diemer - The Dark Wife
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1461179939/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Interesting read. Great setting, really got a feel for the atmosphere, almost felt like I was there. --Tammy