Recs if you like Juniper & Thorn...

in progress

Basically, a huge list of every book I ever heard features sapphic characters.

I have not read all of these, so I cannot be sure of the amount of the time on page of the sapphic characters or of the quality of the books.

Some of these I do not plan to read at all, since they are not my style. If you feel like a book doesn't belong here, let me know.

For my favs / read, check out my other lists & shelves.

Open to suggestions for more titles.

Don't shoot the messenger.

No Hans Christian Andersen on this list. Retellings based on...Twelve Dancing Princesses, Cinderella, The Goose Girl, Snow White, Snow White + Rose Red, Rapunzel, Hansel + Gretel, Rumplestiltskin, Bluebeard, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, The Frog Prince, King Thrushbeard, The Pied Piper, The Six Swans, The Brave Little Tailor, Bearskin, Puss in Boots, Allerleirauh, The Wolf + the Fox, The Pink, Maid Maleen, Brother + Sister, The Golden Goose, The Six Swans, etc. As always… no Gaiman

Works in the speculative, fantasy, science fiction, and horror genres by authors who are not cisgender! Two spirit, nonbinary, trans, genderfluid, and other gender diverse authors count!

Hauntology is the philosophical concept, as quoted by Mark Fisher from his article taking a deeper look into Derrida's philosophical work, that "the present is always haunted by the ghosts of the past and the unfulfilled promises of the future." From generational trauma to dark histories to dying Old World pagan traditions, these elements persist throughout the wide genre of folk horror. These books explore deeply into the hauntings of the past and the instability of the future.

Fantasy inspired by Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, and/or Russia (myths, setting, etc.) Will also be including Slavic inspired fantasy books here as well.

fantasy novels where curses play a role, whether it be a cursed person, object, or place! recs always welcome!

This is a list for those of you that love dark fantasy (dying gods, monsters in the woods, that kind of thing), but you also have a soft side for softies. These books still have that grim atmosphere, but they also have characters who are green flags. Someone who asks permission, protects without smothering, or just does the right thing when no one else will.

We all love gothic classics, but what is new when it comes to the gothic genre (from the last 20 years or so)?! For fans of Dracula, Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, etc. Please comment with suggestions to add!

Perfect for fantasy lovers with not enough hours in the day!

Feel free to mention any I missed in the comments 😊

…fairytales with a darkness that creeps

Books with neurodivergent MCs across various genres so you can find them in your favorite one.

Neurodivergent rep here includes autism, adhd, ocd or dyslexia. In addition the term neurodivergent also includes anyone who’s neurological processing works in a way that isn’t considered typical; such as various personality disorders, other sensory issues and depending on who you ask also depression, ptsd, and more. I’ve included all here when I find them.

creeping vines, twisting thorns, bleeding hearts and rotted bones...

books in a eastern european/slavic/ashkenazi setting that focus on folktales and magic

Books that are just as good as the cover promises. AKA: Fantastic book covers that also happen to be fantastic books! List will be added to in the future because I can’t leave well enough alone. (Suggestions welcome, leave it in the comments.)

Fantasy, but the castles are haunted and there is secrets hiding in the dark.

Alexa play “Castle” by Halsey A tribute to the women who crave power and who will do anything to sate their hunger, for better or worse.

Stories featuring unreliable narrators that have you debating throughout the book, is this really happening?

Plants and women that are pretty but deadly

You hit that reader’s curse where romantasy starts feeling like a labyrinth you’ve already walked, same brooding fae man, same “special girl,” and you can predict the plot before chapter three 👀

Bonjour, olá, hallo - these books are set all across Europe. From the coast of Portugal to the beautiful Caucasus and from freezing Scandinavia to the islands of the Mediterranean. Mostly fiction, a few non-fiction (mostly memoirs) in there :) Recommendations welcome!