The first Mychal Halwood died ten years ago, and no one can ever find out. A transmasculine prince, running from his destiny.  A princess with forbidden magic, days away from being promised to the enemy.  And the heir to the evangelist northern kingdom, starting to doubt... Seventeen-year-old Mychal is a squire in the Holy Army, serving the officers by day and giving their secrets to the Resistance by night. It's risky work, but he's used to that; the Army would kill him if they ever found his greatest secret, that he and the missing princess are one and the same. Mychal ran away to become his true self years ago, but his kingdom is still occupied by the Holy forces, ten years after they executed his mother and brother. Meanwhile, Samira, his best friend from childhood, is harboring a secret of her own- she is a mage, with forbidden powers, only weeks away from being promised to the mysterious Godhead. Never mind that the only one she ever wanted to be with rode away in the night with a new name, leaving her behind. And Edris, the crown prince of the evangelist kingdom to the North, is still haunted by the night he helped Mychal escape. But when he meets a handsome knight from an enemy kingdom, he starts to doubt his commitment to the Faith. Mychal never meant to overthrow an empire. But when Samira asks him for his help and his first battle ends in disaster, he finds that he has to go home- and take his brother's name and place as heir to the throne. The Heretic Prince is the first book in the Heretic Prince series from new author Theo J. Malloy.

A swoon-worthy sapphic romance following two women who are thrown together on a European adventure, from the Lambda Literary Award–winning author of the “sexy, insightful, and utterly charming” (BuzzFeed) Kiss Her Once for Me.Thirty-five-year-old Seattleite Sadie Wells needs an escape. She’s desperate to escape her monotonous routines, the family business that has consumed her entire life, and the unexpected gay panic that has her questioning everything she thought she knew about herself. So when her injured sister offers Sadie her place on a tour along Portugal’s Camino de Santiago, she decides this is the perfect chance to get away from it all. After three glasses of wine on the plane and some turbulence convince Sadie she won’t even survive the flight, she confesses all her secrets to her seatmate, Mal. The the plane doesn’t crash, and it turns out Mal is on her Camino tour. Worst of all, Sadie learns that she is on a tour specifically for queer women, and that her two-hundred-mile trek will be a journey of self-discovery, whether she wants it to be or not. Fascinated by the woman who drunkenly came out to her on the plane, Mal offers to help Sadie relive the queer adolescence she missed out on as they walk the Camino. As Sadie develops her newfound confidence, Mal grapples with a complicated loss and unexpected inheritance. But as their relationship blurs the lines between reality and practice, they both must decide if they will forever part at the end of the tour or chart a new course together. With “funny, poignant” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) prose, Alison Cochrun explores the power of letting go of your past and realizing that it’s never too late to live as your authentic self.

The author of The Charm Offensive returns with a festive romantic comedy about a woman who fakes an engagement with her landlord…only to fall for his sister.One year ago, recent Portland transplant Ellie Oliver had her dream job in animation and a Christmas Eve meet-cute with a woman at a bookstore that led her to fall in love over the course of a single night. But after a betrayal the next morning and the loss of her job soon after, she finds herself adrift, alone, and desperate for money. Finding work at a local coffee shop, she’s just getting through the days—until Andrew, the shop’s landlord, proposes a shocking, drunken plan: a marriage of convenience that will give him his recent inheritance and alleviate Ellie’s financial woes and isolation. They make a plan to spend the holidays together at his family cabin to keep up the ruse. But when Andrew introduces his new fiancée to his sister, Ellie is shocked to discover it’s Jack—the mysterious woman she fell for over the course of one magical Christmas Eve the year before. Now, Ellie must choose between the safety of a fake relationship and the risk of something real. Perfect for fans of Written in the Stars and One Day in December, Kiss Her Once for Me is the queer holiday rom-com that you’ll want to cozy up with next to the fire.

The Emperor needs necromancers. The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman. Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit. Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service. Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die. Of course, some things are better left dead.

Once upon a time, a vampire fell in love with a hunter… The trials for the heir of the city have begun, and the stakes have never been higher. Red, a hunter, is struggling with her growing hunger for blood and the truth of her identity. Octavia Beaumont, one of the original three vampires, is determined to win the trials and take control of the city. But as Red and Octavia navigate deadly challenges and political machinations, they must also confront the lies and betrayals that have shaped their past. Memories have been stolen. Secrets have been kept. And the line between love and hate has never been more blurred. As the trials progress, Red and Octavia's bond grows stronger, but so does the target on their backs. Enemies lurk in every shadow, and even allies can no longer be trusted. To survive the trials and uncover the truth... They must decide how much they're willing to sacrifice. Confront the monsters they've become. And embrace a destiny that could destroy everything they hold dear. But in a world where blood is power and love is a weakness, can Red and Octavia emerge victorious? Or will their secrets be their undoing? This is a dark and steamy lesbian vampire romance with a generous dose of enemies to lovers, fated mates, and political intrigue. Featuring a snarky dhampir heroine, a morally grey vampire queen, explicit BDSM, blood play, and shocking twists, this book is not for the faint of heart. Please check the author's website for a full list of trigger warnings. 18+ only.

Once upon a time, a vampire fell in love with a hunter… The trials for the heir of the city have begun, and the stakes have never been higher. Red, a hunter, is struggling with her growing hunger for blood and the truth of her identity. Octavia Beaumont, one of the original three vampires, is determined to win the trials and take control of the city. But as Red and Octavia navigate deadly challenges and political machinations, they must also confront the lies and betrayals that have shaped their past. Memories have been stolen. Secrets have been kept. And the line between love and hate has never been more blurred. As the trials progress, Red and Octavia's bond grows stronger, but so does the target on their backs. Enemies lurk in every shadow, and even allies can no longer be trusted. To survive the trials and uncover the truth... They must decide how much they're willing to sacrifice. Confront the monsters they've become. And embrace a destiny that could destroy everything they hold dear. But in a world where blood is power and love is a weakness, can Red and Octavia emerge victorious? Or will their secrets be their undoing? This is a dark and steamy lesbian vampire romance with a generous dose of enemies to lovers, fated mates, and political intrigue. Featuring a snarky dhampir heroine, a morally grey vampire queen, explicit BDSM, blood play, and shocking twists, this book is not for the faint of heart. Please check the author's website for a full list of trigger warnings. 18+ only.

A journey to the kingdom of dragons, a star-crossed love, and a cursed pearl with the power to mend the world or break it... Princess Shiori made a deathbed promise to return the dragon's pearl to its rightful owner, but keeping that promise is more dangerous than she ever imagined. She must journey to the kingdom of dragons, navigate political intrigue among humans and dragons alike, fend off thieves who covet the pearl for themselves and will go to any lengths to get it, all while cultivating the appearance of a perfect princess to dissuade those who would see her burned at the stake for the magic that runs in her blood. The pearl itself is no ordinary cargo; it thrums with malevolent power, jumping to Shiori's aid one minute, and betraying her the next—threatening to shatter her family and sever the thread of fate that binds her to her true love, Takkan. It will take every ounce of strength Shiori can muster to defend the life and the love she's fought so hard to win.

Sylvia Plath was one of the defining voices of the twentieth century, and one of the most appealing: few other poets have introduced as many new readers to poetry. The poems in this fresh and inviting edition were chosen by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. In my selection, which is roughly chronological to shadow her progress, I have tried to walk through the landscape of Sylvia Plath's poetry as though for the first time, fifty years older than I was when she died. In doing so I have experienced afresh the almost physical excitement I felt when I first read this bold, brilliant, brave poet who changed the world of poetry for us all. - Carol Ann Duffy

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit. In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family's history that began before he was born — a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam — and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity. Asking questions central to our American moment, immersed as we are in addiction, violence, and trauma, but undergirded by compassion and tenderness, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is as much about the power of telling one's own story as it is about the obliterating silence of not being heard. With stunning urgency and grace, Ocean Vuong writes of people caught between disparate worlds, and asks how we heal and rescue one another without forsaking who we are. The question of how to survive, and how to make of it a kind of joy, powers the most important debut novel of many years.

In Rise of the Guardians, North, Bunny, Tooth, and Sandman recruit the mysterious Jack Frost to help them stop Pitch from putting an end to childhood belief and sending the world into eternal darkness. Based on the children's book series by William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians is both an exciting adventure and a poignant exploration of the hopes and dreams of youth. Rise of the Guardians is one of DreamWorks Animation’s most ambitious films to date. Its mythic premise allowed the artists at the studio to let their imaginations loose, producing a truly unique take on the imaginary figures of childhood, the worlds they inhabit, and the innocence and joy they represent. With more than 400 pieces of meticulously reproduced art, including storyboards, character designs, visual development art, and effects concepts, The Art of Rise of the Guardians is an insider's tour of DreamWorks Animation's dynamic development process. Included is exclusive commentary from the director, producers, production designer, and crew that paints a fascinating picture of the way these filmmakers collaborated to create a stunning CG movie.