Six for Sunday: Favorite LGBT Characters

1. Aros from Where Dreams Descend

Though not the protagonist, Aros is a fabulous addition to the story, bringing a levity and charm at the perfect moments. I love his quick wit and easy banter as well as his wisdom.

Title: Where Dreams Descend

Author: Janella Angeles

Series: Kingdom of Cards

Page Length: 464

Publication Date: Aug. 25, 2020

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Synopsis: In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.

As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.

The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost. The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told. The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide.

Where Dreams Descend is the startling and romantic first book in Janella Angeles’ debut Kingdom of Cards fantasy duology where magic is both celebrated and feared, and no heart is left unscathed.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

2. Sophia from Cinderella is Dead

Sophia is the protagonist of this fresh take on the Cinderella story. Smart, fierce, and passionate about her beliefs, Sophia is an admirable young woman.

Title: Cinderella is Dead

Author: Kalynn Bayron

Page Length: 400

Publication Date: July 7, 2020

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Synopsis: It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.

Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all–and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew . . .

This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales they’ve been told, and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon |  Book Depository

3. Soraya from Girl, Serpent, Thorn

Though her sexuality is not a major focus of the novel, her relationship with Parvenah is lovely to watch grow.

Title: Girl, Serpent, Thorn

Author: Melissa Basherdoust

Page Length: 336

Publication Date: July 7, 2020

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Synopsis: There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story.

As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison.

Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming…human or demon. Princess or monster.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

4. Ollie in Only Mostly Devastated

I love Ollie! He’s so open and likable, and he has such a big heart. He goes through a lot in this story, but his strength and resilience, as well as some pretty amazing friends. get him through.

Title: Only Mostly Devastated

Author: Sophie Gonzales

Page Length: 288

Publication Date: March 3, 2020

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Synopsis: Summer love…gone so fast.

Will Tavares is the dream summer fling―he’s fun, affectionate, kind―but just when Ollie thinks he’s found his Happily Ever After, summer vacation ends and Will stops texting Ollie back. Now Ollie is one prince short of his fairy tale ending, and to complicate the fairy tale further, a family emergency sees Ollie uprooted and enrolled at a new school across the country. Which he minds a little less when he realizes it’s the same school Will goes to…except Ollie finds that the sweet, comfortably queer guy he knew from summer isn’t the same one attending Collinswood High. This Will is a class clown, closeted―and, to be honest, a bit of a jerk.

Ollie has no intention of pining after a guy who clearly isn’t ready for a relationship, especially since this new, bro-y jock version of Will seems to go from hot to cold every other week. But then Will starts “coincidentally” popping up in every area of Ollie’s life, from music class to the lunch table, and Ollie finds his resolve weakening.

The last time he gave Will his heart, Will handed it back to him trampled and battered. Ollie would have to be an idiot to trust him with it again.

Right? Right.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

5. Cal from The Gravity of Us

Cal is a strong, smart, and brave seventeen-year-old with ambition and determination. I love how much he grows throughout the course of the story.

Title: The Gravity of Us

Author: Phil Stamper

Page Length: 314

Publication Date: Feb. 4, 2020

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Synopsis: As a successful social media journalist with half a million followers, seventeen-year-old Cal is used to sharing his life online. But when his pilot father is selected for a highly publicized NASA mission to Mars, Cal and his family relocate from Brooklyn to Houston and are thrust into a media circus.

Amidst the chaos, Cal meets sensitive and mysterious Leon, another “Astrokid,” and finds himself falling head over heels—fast. As the frenzy around the mission grows, so does their connection. But when secrets about the program are uncovered, Cal must find a way to reveal the truth without hurting the people who have become most important to him.

Expertly capturing the thrill of first love and the self-doubt all teens feel, debut author Phil Stamper is a new talent to watch.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

6. Patroclus in The Song of Achilles

Patroclus is a sensitive and caring man who puts others before himself. His character is complex, and the way that he loves, defends, and places trust in Achilles is lovely.

Title: The Song of Achilles

Author: Madeline Miller

Page Length: 352

Publication Date: Sept. 20. 2011

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Synopsis: Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. By all rights their paths should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine their bond blossoms into something deeper – despite the displeasure of Achilles’ mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But then word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus journeys with Achilles to Troy, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.

Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository