Amanda Jean

My Dearest Enemy

2/14/2017

The My Dearest Enemy collection (partner to the My Dearest Friend collection) is out! It's been in the works since the end of 2015, and I feel as though I've been simmering in excitement this whole time.

I've always had a thing for enemies to lovers. When I pitched the dual call to my bosses at LT3, I wasn't sure which of the two I'd be running, but as much as I love a friends-to-lovers story (the pining, oh God, the pining), enemies is my jam. I think it's because the concept of enemies is so much larger than life. Who in their day to day can say they have an actual enemy? I think if pressed I could list a handful of people I'd prefer to politely ignore, but an enemy? That's the stuff of myths and legends.

All the MDE stories nail that sense of heightened reality--and stakes--in their own way.

Behind Bars by Meredith Katz

The city of Dolana has kept itself free from demonic rule the hard way: by interrogating its citizens and sending anyone who could possibly be under demonic influence to the Inquisition. City innkeeper Pelerin is happy to help out however he can—after all, he lost his beloved wife to demons many years earlier, leaving him to raise their son on his own. If anyone deserves to have a grudge against demons, it's him.

But when his now-adult son disagrees with his actions, he is forced to reexamine the past. Is he doing the right thing, when it could lead—has led—to the deaths of innocents? Why is his son skulking about, and what secrets is he keeping? And while Pel's hands are full with this, a stranger comes to stay at his inn... a stranger who makes the question more relevant than Pel ever imagined would be possible.

I was really drawn to Pel's relationship with Bru, and the tough spot Pel is in. He'd do anything for his son, who is curious and mutinous and very much a young adult trying to find his own way. When Pel encounters Tari, amazing genderqueer character, they disarm and challenge him with their sly, funny, and open personality. There's something satisfying about watching Pel's carefully measured life start to strain at the seams until it all bursts open.

40,000 words, bisexual, pansexual, genderqueer, fantasy

Dangerous Times by Isobelle Winter

Over seven hundred star systems have been colonized by the Augment Empire, a cybernetic species that requires organic tissues to process food into usable fuel. When the cruel King Taen attempts to appropriate the lands of Lord Mavren, ne instead makes an enemy of the once-loyal lord, and turns all the power of the Empire against itself in a brutal civil war.

Young and ambitious Nact moves swiftly up the ranks of Mavren's rebel army to the coveted post of General. To cement nir position, and prove once and for all the lower castes are just as capable as the highest nobility, ne has only one task left to accomplish: capture Lord General Aiomonni, the brilliant, lethal head of King Taen's military... and Mavren's defected lover.

When the disastrous aftermath of a battle flings Nact and Aiomonni beyond the charted galaxy to land on a hostile planet, their only hope of survival lies in cooperation. But being enemies makes finding common ground impossible, and no matter how compelling Nact finds the beautiful, intelligent Aiomonni, it's hard to trust someone known not only for nir prowess in war, but for nir treachery...

The world building is exquisite: it's sci-fi with a completely alien race, and one that does not exist within a gender binary. Isobelle reveals details about the Augment species at just the right time, and sometimes what we learn is unsettling, but that's an element I loved.

53,000 words, nonbinary, sci-fi

Peter Darling by Austin Chant

Ten years ago, Peter Pan left Neverland to grow up, leaving behind his adolescent dreams of boyhood and resigning himself to life as Wendy Darling. Growing up, however, has only made him realize how inescapable his identity as a man is.

But when he returns to Neverland, everything has changed: the Lost Boys have become men, and the war games they once played are now real and deadly. Even more shocking is the attraction Peter never knew he could feel for his old rival, Captain Hook—and the realization that he no longer knows which of them is the real villain.

Austin pitched this as "trans Peter Pan" and it was all over for me. Peter Darling is a dreamy book, filled with lush descriptions and often fairytale prose, but he tucked in some really interesting and gutting character stuff. I think the book works if you're a huge fan of the canon or if you only have a vague awareness of it, because the material is so transformative.

Plus Hook is really hot in this.

50,000 words, gay, trans, historical, fantasy

Skyborn by Helena Maeve

Wealthy, wrathful Silvergarde has fallen, but one of its conquerors isn't celebrating. Jailed for betraying the rebellion that brought the floating city to its knees, Joslin is ready to hang up her ideals—until she overhears the confession of an enemy officer.

Her cellmate Gavia may despise the rebels, but she is Silvergarde's youngest airship pilot, a formidable fighter, and an invaluable ally. While their methods clash and their goals may not align, the two are pushed together by necessity and undeniable attraction. With time running out, a dishonored rebel and a prisoner of war may be all that stands between a successful coup and Silvergarde's complete annihilation.

The snark was what caught me on this one. I was intrigued by the steampunk premise and the competency of the main characters, but really? The bitter back-and-forth between Gavia and Joslin as they're trapped in a cell together sold me. Good character voice drives an interesting dynamic, and Helena always nails that.

21,000 words, lesbian, steampunk, fantasy

Sparkwood by Daria Defore

Finn has never trusted fairies, so it's no surprise to him when his twin brother turns up dead, probably by magical means. What he doesn't expect is an invitation to the funeral—in the fairy realm—and a chance to find out who killed him.

Investigating Luke's death is probably the stupidest thing Finn has ever done, and soon he's up to his neck in fairy trouble. In the midst of it all is Robin, the fairy who's supposed to be watching out for him—but who just might have had something to do with Luke's death.

The most contemporary of all the MDE stories, Daria gave me a murder mystery with hints of Twin Peaks and a very contemporary portrayal of fairies. Finn is prickly and eager to reject fairies for more or less stealing his twin brother away--and now that his brother's been found dead, Finn's on a mission to discover the truth. He's suspicious of absolutely everyone on the fairy side of Sparkwood, and he's struggling with very messy feelings about his twin even as he tries to solve his murder.

I love the dynamic between Robin and Finn, and but I am also completely obsessed with Alan and am nudging Daria into writing his book next.

53,000 words, bisexual, urban fantasy

The five stories are all quite different in terms of plot and even genre, but they all show us what a combustible force enemies-to-lovers is as a romance trope. I hope you enjoy the collection as much as I do.

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Written in the Stars - Collection Call @ LT3

My Dearest Enemy

Amanda Jean

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Written in the Stars - Collection Call @ LT3

﻿My Dearest Enemy

Amanda Jean

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My Dearest Enemy