Books like 'Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame'
Readers who enjoyed Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame by Neon Yang also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy lesbian romance high fantasy queer magic friends to lovers class difference disabilities and marks sweet heroine gifted heroine
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When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo
"Dangerous, subtle, unexpected and familiar, angry and ferocious and hopeful. . . . The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a remarkable accomplishment of storytelling. "—NPR. The cleric Chih finds themself and their companions at the mercy of a band of fierce tigers who ache with hunger... -
![Hives & Heroism by Benjamin Medrano]()
Hives & Heroism by Benjamin Medrano
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsDemons loom over Dorma. Despite Joy’s victory over Alethus’s servants, his plans haven’t been stopped. Even so, a glimmer of hope lies before her, and she and her friends are determined to grasp it. That doesn’t mean it will be easy, though. An army is invading Dorma, one with the same destination as Joy. Their goals are sinister, but they aren’t going to stop Joy and her friends... -
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![The Reverse Healer Case Files by Hiyodori]()
The Reverse Healer Case Files by Hiyodori
"I never thought I would be the one to hurt you like this. ". The Reverse Healer Case Files picks up right where The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage left off, delving ever deeper into Clematis and Wist’s tangled relationship and the complex, modern-era fantasy world that surrounds them. It’s a direct sequel with more slow-burn f/f romance. More mystery. More enemies... -
![Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon, Rovina Cai]()
Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon, Rovina Cai
With the awakening of fire-breathing dragons, Among the Burning Flowers sees the first sparks of danger that threaten to consume the world in The Priory of the Orange Tree. Take your first steps into the epic. Yscalin, land of sunshine and lavender, will soon be ablaze. It has been centuries since the Draconic Army took wing, almost extinguishing humankind... -
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![Tea You at the Altar by Rebecca Thorne]()
Tea You at the Altar by Rebecca Thorne
The Princess Bride meets Bookshops and Bonedust in the third book of the Tomes & Tea series, where our favorite lesbian pirates must navigate the ultimate maelstrom—their own wedding! Kianthe and Reyna are ready to finally walk down the aisle—in just seven days, their wedding of a wifetime will be a reality. There's loads to do—but like all best laid plans, everything seems to be going awry... -
![Talyn: Unyielding by Benjamin Medrano]()
Talyn: Unyielding by Benjamin Medrano
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsSuccess can be dangerous. After surviving the depths of Castra's dungeon, Talyn has returned to the surface and caused a seismic change in the city. Now she has to deal with the consequences. But after her last life, she will not bow to anyone. -
![Talyn: Descent by Benjamin Medrano]()
Talyn: Descent by Benjamin Medrano
Talyn’s in over her head. Talyn is finally beginning to take control of her life in a new world. Learning that her problems aren't natural is a first step, but before she can take true measures, her life takes a turn for the worse. Cast into the depths of Castra's dungeon, she survives only on the sufferance of others... -
![Webs & Wards by Benjamin Medrano]()
Webs & Wards by Benjamin Medrano
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsJoy can’t get a break. Having survived a chance encounter with a demon lordling, and made an immense sacrifice, one might expect Joy to at least have some time to rest and recover. Instead, when Joy’s friends learn what she sacrificed, they decide they’ll repay her, no matter what it takes, and they take the adventurous bee-girl on a quest to find another apis hive which can help her... -
![The Apple Diary by Gerri Hill]()
The Apple Diary by Gerri Hill
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFollowing the death of her grandmother, reluctant heiress Madilyn Marak agrees to stay with her grandfather at the estate for the summer. While there, she finds a diary—The Apple Diary—written by her great-grandmother Isabel, telling the story of a long ago love affair with a woman named Lorah... -
![Daughter of the Sun by Effie Calvin]()
Daughter of the Sun by Effie Calvin
Orsina of Melidrie is a paladin of the Order of the Sun, sworn to drive out corruption and chaos wherever she finds it. She has been ordered to leave her home and travel around Vesolda in search of a great evil she is supposedly destined to destroy. But after two years of fighting monsters and demons and evil gods, she does not seem to be any closer to her goal—or ever returning home... -
![The Fires of Longest Night by J.C. Rycroft]()
The Fires of Longest Night by J.C. Rycroft
This Longest Night, Nissa must do her duty to her people - but all she wants is the hot, axe-wielding dragon-rider. Nissa is looking forward to Longest Night, with feasting and revelry and the chance that axe-wielding dragon rider Ria might accept a kiss under her lantern during her clan’s traditional dance through the rainforest. But this year, everyone has a plan for Nissa...Categorized as:
queer high fantasy friends to lovers warrior-heroine fantasy f-f length-novella explicit-open-door -
![The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart]()
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
The emperor's reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire's many islands. Lin is the emperor's daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets... -
![She Who Would be King by Kim Pritekel]()
She Who Would be King by Kim Pritekel
Cateline is the seventeen-year-old daughter of a nobleman in fourteenth-century France. It's a time when children aren't seen as those to be loved and cherished, but instead are used as pawns and bargaining chips on the chessboard of control and privilege. She is married off to a prince in the country of Sursha, a Gaelic-speaking island nation near Ireland... -
![Clematis and the Queen of the Void by Hiyodori]()
Clematis and the Queen of the Void by Hiyodori
"I’ve been your enemy before. I can be your enemy again. "Clematis and the Queen of the Void continues the Clem & Wist series with a horror-tinged saga of lovers to enemies (and back again). In this slow-burn f/f romance, devoted partners transform into devious adversaries—but opposition only serves to deepen their bond. The best place to take a mage on a country without magic... -
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![Thorn by Anna Burke]()
Thorn by Anna Burke
On a cold day deep in the heart of winter, Rowan’s father returns from an ill-fated hunting trip bearing a single, white rose. The rose is followed by the Huntress, a figure out of legend. Tall, cruel, and achingly beautiful, she brings Rowan back with her to a mountain fastness populated solely by the creatures of the hunt... -
![The Sovereign by C.L. Clark]()
The Sovereign by C.L. Clark
The Sovereign brings princess Luca and soldier Touraine together one last time in the thrilling conclusion to C. L. Clark's beloved queer political fantasy trilogy. Luca is the new queen of Balladaire. Her empire is already splintering in her hands. Her uncle wasn’t the only traitor in the court, and the Withering plague will decimate her people if she can’t unearth Balladaire’s magic... -
![Heart of Sherwood by Edale Lane]()
Heart of Sherwood by Edale Lane
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen Robyn's father and brother are killed in the Third Crusade, she is banished from her manor home and branded a traitor by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Disguised as a boy, she joins Little John and the rest of the gang in Sherwood Forest—and soon finds herself their leader. Queen Eleanor suspects Prince John is up to no good, and colluding with Sir Guy and the Sheriff of Nottingham... -
![Her Blushing Hero by Mariah Rae Birch]()
Her Blushing Hero by Mariah Rae Birch
A runaway witch makes a deal with a retired lady knight…. After a career-ending injury forces Sir Hildith into a reluctant retirement, she retreats to a secluded cottage in the woods to recover, not at all looking forward to peace and quiet. But what she discovers instead is a beautiful baker who fills her belly with butterflies as well as bread... -
![Jasyn and the Astronauts: Under The Ice Skies by Gwenhyver]()
Jasyn and the Astronauts: Under The Ice Skies by Gwenhyver
A sapphic swords & sorcery space adventure! JASYN is an explorer with a talent for reaching for the stars and upending weather systems with her emotions. She spends her days dreaming of adventure, hiding her power of ice, and definitely not thinking about what it’d feel like to be the snow on her best friend’s cheek... -
![Broken Wings by L.-J. Baker]()
Broken Wings by L.-J. Baker
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn a magical world where being different is the norm, why must Rye Woods fear for her life if the truth about her hidden identity is revealed? When Rye Woods, a fairy, meets the beautiful dryad Flora Withe, her libido, as squashed and hidden as her wings, reawakens along with her heart...Categorized as:
class difference queer f-f fantasy contemporary length-short standalone standalone-first -
![The Shattering of the Spirit-Sword Part I by Sam Farren]()
The Shattering of the Spirit-Sword Part I by Sam Farren
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPrincess Castelle is the last of her bloodline. Kept safe by the spirits bound to the forest surrounding her, Castelle devotes herself to studying all a future Queen needs to know, waiting for the day she can wield Brackish. The spirit-sword is her birthright. Only those worthy of ruling the archipelago can temper Brackish’s ancient rage without succumbing to it...Categorized as:
high fantasy queer fantasy f-f political-intrigue length-medium first-in-series standalone-first -
![The Impossible Contract by K.A. Doore]()
The Impossible Contract by K.A. Doore
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSecond in K. A. Doore's high fantasy adventure series the Chronicles of Ghadid, a determined assassin travels to the heart of the Empire in pursuit of a powerful mark, for fans of Robin Hobb, Sarah J. Maas, and S. A. Chakraborty. Thana has a huge reputation to live up to as daughter of the Serpent, who rules over Ghadid’s secret clan of assassins... -
![The Fletcher by K. Aten]()
The Fletcher by K. Aten
Kyri is a fletcher, following in the footsteps of her father, and his father before him. However, fate is a fickle mistress, and six years after the death of her mother, she's faced with the fact that her father is dying as well. Forced to leave her sheltered little homestead in the woods, Kyri discovers that there is more to life than just hunting and making master quality arrows...Categorized as:
class difference queer aristocratic heroine warrior-heroine f-f fantasy length-medium ancient times -
![Mirrorstrike by Benjanun Sriduangkaew]()
Mirrorstrike by Benjanun Sriduangkaew
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWith her mother's blood fresh on her hands, Nuawa has learned that to overthrow the tyrant Winter Queen she must be as exact as a bullet. .. and as pitiless. In the greatest city of winter, a revolt has broken out and General Lussadh has arrived to suppress it. She's no stranger to treason, for this city is her home where she slaughtered her own family for the Winter Queen... -
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![The Queen of Rhodia by Effie Calvin]()
The Queen of Rhodia by Effie Calvin
It has been sixteen months since Princess Esofi arrived in Ieflaria, and eight since her marriage to Crown Princess Adale. The princesses have a peaceful life together, preparing to become co-regents and raising their baby dragon, Carinth. Their peace is shattered when Esofi’s mother, Queen Gaelle of Rhodia, arrives in Birsgen...Categorized as:
queer magic f-f fantasy length-medium glimpses-kisses past-child-abuse arranged marriage -
![Sword of the Guardian by Merry Shannon]()
Sword of the Guardian by Merry Shannon
Rated: 3.99 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsA shocking assassination creates an unconventional bond between a princess and her guardian in a kingdom filled with political intrigue, danger and unexpected romance. Princess Shasta Soltranis enjoys a pampered life of court dances, elaborate finery, and the occasional secret fencing match with her twin brother, Daric...Categorized as:
class difference high fantasy queer f-f fantasy bodyguard-heroine length-medium first-in-series -
![The Warrior Moon by K. Arsenault Rivera]()
The Warrior Moon by K. Arsenault Rivera
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe Warrior Moon, the sequel to The Phoenix Empress and striking conclusion to K Arsenault Rivera's wildly buzzed about epic fantasy, which began with The Tiger's Daughter. Barsalayaa Shefali, famed Qorin adventurer, and the spoiled divine warrior empress, O-Shizuka, have survived fights with demon armies, garnered infamy, and ruled an empire... -
![A Kiss of the Siren's Song by E. A. M. Trofimenkoff]()
A Kiss of the Siren's Song by E. A. M. Trofimenkoff
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Kraken's Fang is all that stands between Drakkon Stormson, Captain of the Vindicta, and his reign over the seas. When a professional thief strikes the wrong target, she is forced to flee land, unknowingly returning to her home at sea. Aboard the Vindicta, she meets a sailor hell-bent on avenging her father... -
![Thorn by Anna Burke]()
Thorn by Anna Burke
On a cold day deep in the heart of winter, Rowan’s father returns from an ill-fated hunting trip bearing a single, white rose. The rose is followed by the Huntress, a figure out of legend. Tall, cruel, and achingly beautiful, she brings Rowan back with her to a mountain fastness populated solely by the creatures of the hunt...Categorized as:
high fantasy queer magic legends & fairy tales f-f fantasy cold heroine length-short -
![The Bloodless Princes by Charlotte Bond]()
The Bloodless Princes by Charlotte Bond
Orpheus meets A Natural History of Dragons in a tale of death, honor and true love's embrace. It seemed the afterlife was bustling. Cursed by the previous practitioner in her new role, and following an. .. incident. .. with a supremely powerful dragon, High Mage Saralene visits the afterlife with a boon to beg of the Bloodless Princes who run the underworld...Categorized as:
queer high fantasy friends to lovers fantasy length-short glimpses-kisses medieval f-f -
![Turning the Storm by Naomi Kritzer]()
Turning the Storm by Naomi Kritzer
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA powerful new voice in fantasy fiction, the acclaimed author of Fires of the Faithful continues her enthralling epic of persecution and war, passion and triumph, and of the brave young woman who must succeed in. .. Turning the StormShe is called musician, rebel, soldier, legend... -
![A Thorn Among Roses by Hayley Anderton]()
A Thorn Among Roses by Hayley Anderton
At seventeen, Alana single-handedly defeated the biggest army that Thornwood had ever seen. By sunrise the very next day, she'd been shunned by her own people, forced to become a recluse and reside in the castle where she was supposed to rule over them...Categorized as:
magic high fantasy queer warrior-heroine aristocratic heroine gifted heroine fantasy f-f -
![Vow of Celibacy: A Novel by Erin Judge]()
Vow of Celibacy: A Novel by Erin Judge
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsNatalie has made a promise: a vow of celibacy, signed and witnessed by her best friend. After a string of sexual conquests, she is determined to figure out why the intense romantic connections she’s spent her life chasing have left her emotionally high and dry... -
![Lady Knight by L.-J. Baker]()
Lady Knight by L.-J. Baker
Rated: 3.82 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRhiannon, outcast and female knight, seeks a cause worthy of a chivalric hero in a medieval world of magic and misogyny. Eleanor, a wealthy widow, has given up all hero of finding passionate love and her perfect knight - until she meets Rhiannon. Aveline, a powerful priestess, needs a warrior for her secret mission of starting a holy war... -
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![Fate's Bane by C.L. Clark]()
Fate's Bane by C.L. Clark
Ignyte Award-winning author C. L. Clark brings fantasy to the fens with Fate's Bane, a tragic sapphic adventure. Warring clans. Burning hearts. Deadly fate. The clans of the fens enjoy a tenuous peace, and it is all thanks to Agnir, ward and hostage. For as long as she can remember she has lived among the enemy, learning their ways, growing strong alongside their children... -
![Her Princess at Midnight by Erica Ridley]()
Her Princess at Midnight by Erica Ridley
What if Cinderella fell for the handsome prince’s… sister? Cynthia lives a life of drudgery, toiling for her stepmother and stepsisters without receiving gratitude or pay. Every day is the same… until a royal retinue sweeps into town, inviting every unwed maiden to vie for the hand of the visiting prince. The moment she lays eyes on the prince’s beautiful sister, Cynthia is smitten...Categorized as:
class difference sweet heroine aristocratic heroine queer historical regency f-f behind-doors -
![Burning Roses by S.L. Huang]()
Burning Roses by S.L. Huang
Rated: 3.72 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsWhen Rosa (aka Red Riding Hood) and Hou Yi the Archer join forces to stop the deadly sunbirds from ravaging the countryside, their quest will take the two women, now blessed and burdened with the hindsight of middle age, into a reckoning of sacrifices made and mistakes mourned, of choices and family and the quest for immortality.
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