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Fantasy Novels with (Almost) no Sex in Them

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This is a topic I’ve been thinking about for awhile now. If you’re anything like me, you’re not interested in all those so called “steamy” or “spicy” scenes in books. A lot of what I see on Bookstagram and the like are often about those types of books. Hot and spicy romance which is really just long extended sex scenes that I’m really not interested in reading. I want world building, character development and plot twists, not fifty pages of his “rod” or her “love juices” *gag*

I scrolled through my entire read list on Goodreads to try to come up with as many fantasy books/series with as little sex as possible in them. This was more difficult than I anticipated. Surely I must have read at least one series that didn’t have any sexy time, right? Well, yes and no. Just about every fantasy book I’ve read has a love interest or romantic subplot of some kind. So with that in mind, here is the best I could do based on my own read, fantasy novels with (almost) no sex in them:

  • Sevenwaters Series by Juliet Marllier
  • Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis
  • Codex Alera by Jim Butcher
  • Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
  • Riyria Revelations by Michael J Sullivan
  • Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey
  • Princess series by Jim C Hines
  • Cloud Mages by S.L. Farrell
  • Tears of Artamon by Sarah Ash
  • Deverry series by Katharine Kerr
  • Chronicles of the Cheysuli by Jennifer Roberson
  • The Griffin Mage by Rachel Neumeier

These are the ones I came up with though keep in mind that some of these I haven’t read for years and I can’t remember precisely if they had sex scenes or not. Some, like the Sevenwaters series, have romantic plots in them but no long descriptive sex scenes. I will be updating this list as I continue to read and find more series with little to no sex.

If you have any to add to this list, I’d really love to know, so please leave titles and/or authors in the comments. If you are interested please also check out my Urban Fantasy With (Almost) No Sex list.

As always, thanks for reading!

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Fantasy Book Review – Child of the Prophecy by Juliet Marillier

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Synopsis:

Child of the Prophecy is the thrilling conclusion to Juliet Marillier’s award-winning Sevenwaters Trilogy.

Magic is fading… and the ways of Man are driving the Old Ones to the West, beyond the ken of humankind. The ancient groves are being destroyed, and if nothing is done, Ireland will lose its essential mystic core.

The prophecies of long ago have foretold a way to prevent this horror, and it is the Sevenwaters clan that the Spirits of Eire look to for salvation. They are a family bound into the lifeblood of the land, and their promise to preserve the magic has been the cause of great joy to them… as well as great sorrow.

It is up to Fainne, daughter of Niamh, the lost sister of Sevenwaters, to solve the riddles of power. She is the shy child of a reclusive sorcerer, and her way is hard, for her father is the son of the wicked sorceress Oonagh, who has emerged from the shadows and seeks to destroy all that Sevenwaters has striven for. Oonagh will use her granddaughter Fainne most cruelly to accomplish her ends, and stops at nothing to see her will done.

Juliet Marillier is fast becoming one of those authors whose books I auto-buy. I don’t even need to know what they are about, if I see her name, I will buy her books. I’ve already added her other novels to my Goodreads TBR and when I can I will pick up the actual books to sit on my lovely shelf for who knows how long.

Child of the Prophecy is written from Fainne’s point of view. She is the daughter of Niamh and Ciaran and was raised far away from Seventwaters by her father alone after her mother died. She was taught from a very young age, how to use the sorcerer’s craft of magic. She is skilled and disciplined, despite being only 15 years old.

It is interesting to read this novel after the first two because of Fainne’s point of view. She grew up far away from Sevenwaters so when she does go there her perspective of that place and the family that resides there is very different. She was taught that the family of Sevenwaters was responsible for tearing her parents apart, treating her mother terribly and likely her death. She there to do her grandmother’s bidding, to destroy the family of Sevenwaters.

Fainne initially goes into this fairly willingly, though her grandmother is manipulating her by threatening the people she cares about if she doesn’t do as she’s told. She doesn’t expect to be truly welcome at Sevenwaters or to actually care about the people there. But of course, the longer she spends there, the more she comes to care the family she never knew.

Much of this story is about Fainne’s internal conflict. She wants to protect the people she cares about from her grandmother’s wrath, but doing so means bringing about the destruction of those very same people.

Fainne is smart and resourceful. I really enjoyed reading from her perspective. I would love to read more about her but judging by the ending of this novel, she isn’t likely to appear in the series again.

My rating for Child of the Prophecy is 4 out of 5 stars. I definitely recommend it to fans of this series, to fans of Celtic fantasy and fantasy in general.

Thanks for reading.

Fantasy Book Review – Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier

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Synopsis: After years of comparative peace, darkness has fallen upon Ulster. Trouble is brewing and even those in the heart of the forest are not safe. Niamh, elder daughter of Sorcha, is required to make a strategic marriage, while her sister Liadan, who has the gift of Sight and her mother’s talent for healing, finds herself drawn into the shadowy world of the Painted Man and his warrior band. There Liadan begins a journey that is to transform her life.

Son of the Shadows, book 2 of the Sevenwaters series is told from the point of view of Liadan, the youngest daughter of Sorcha and Hugh of Harrowfield. Liadan has inherited her mother’s talent for healing, as well as her uncle Finbar’s unique gifts.

It has been around 18 years since Sorcha’s ordeal. Her and her family have been living happily until the oldest daughter, Niamh enters into a forbidden relationship and ends up being married off to a strategic ally. While on the road to see Niamh off to her new home, Liadan is abducted by bandits who need a healer to help one of their men who is gravely injured. This brings her in contact with the notorious leader of outlaws, the Painted Man, and changes the course of her life.

Liadan is mature for all of her 16 years. She is skilled at healing and shows quite the stubborn streak. She rarely does what people tell her she should do. She forges ahead, determined to make her own path. I liked this about her, although sometimes her blind faith in certain people got a bit on my nerves.

I didn’t really feel the natural progression of her relationship with Bran. He was down right cruel to her not only when they first meet but even after their relationship gets established. I honestly don’t know why she puts up with it.

Did I like this book? Yes, I did, though not as much as I enjoyed Daughter of the Forest. There’s nothing wrong with Liadan as a character, I just didn’t feel as invested in her story as I did with Sorcha. There isn’t the same sense of tension as in the first book.

That’s not to say that Liadan doesn’t face any dangers. Her life is in peril more than once and she goes through a great deal to protect the people she loves.

My rating for Son of the Shadows is 3 out of 5 stars and I would definitely recommend reading it if you’ve read Daughter of the Forest and want to continue the series.

Thanks for reading!

Clear the Shelf Book Challenge 2023

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For a few years now I’ve been saying that I want to read books that the series is completed and I own all the books. I even made a shelf on Goodreads to help me track it. Have I done well at this? Well, it started with nearly 100 books on it and is now down to 53.

I realize that 2023 is already more than half over, but now is as good of time as any to start tracking this in a different way. This year hasn’t been a great year for reading for me. I’m hoping keeping track on the blog will help motivate me as it’s more than just updating a list. I can write down my thoughts and moods here to help me keep going.

So, I will do my best to post updates on this at least once a month, sharing which books I finished, what I am currently reading, what I plan to read next along with why I have or haven’t stuck to the Goodreads list, if I deviate, why. I really feel like this will help keep me motivated as I also reread some books before finishing off the series.

So, let’s get started.

What book did I just finish?

Son of the Shadows Book 2 of the Sevenwaters series by Juliet Marillier.

Was this book on the list? No

Why did I read it? It was a reread as I need to refresh on the beginning of this series before finishing it.

What am I reading now?

Child of the Prophecy Book 3 of the Sevenwaters series by Juliet Marillier

Was this book on the list? no

Why am I reading it? Same reason as above

What am I reading next?

Seer of Sevenwaters Book 5 of the Sevenwaters Series

Is it on the list? Yes

Fantasy Book Review – Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

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Synopsis:

Lovely Sorcha is the seventh child and only daughter of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters. Bereft of a mother, she is comforted by her six brothers who love and protect her. Sorcha is the light in their lives: they are determined that she know only contentment.

But Sorcha’s joy is shattered when her father is bewitched by his new wife, an evil enchantress who binds her brothers with a terrible spell, a spell which only Sorcha can lift—by staying silent. If she speaks before she completes the quest set to her by the Fair Folk and their queen, the Lady of the Forest, she will lose her brothers forever.

When Sorcha is kidnapped by the enemies of Sevenwaters and taken to a foreign land, she is torn between the desire to save her beloved brothers, and a love that comes only once. Sorcha despairs at ever being able to complete her task, but the magic of the Fair Folk knows no boundaries, and love is the strongest magic of them all…

After reading Heir to Sevenwaters, I realized how much of the first three books I didn’t remember so I decided to go back to the beginning and read them again. I’m really glad I did because there was so much I had forgotten. The first time I read Daughter of the Forest was well over five years ago and I’ve read a lot of books since then.

I remember liking these books the first time but not necessarily loving them. I think I have grown as a reader since then because this time around, I loved Daughter of the Forest. Sorcha is such an amazing character. She’s barely more than a child when her father is enchanted by an evil sorceress, and her brothers are all turned to swans. I can be silent for hours without thinking about it but Sorcha remains silent for YEARS, while enduring some of the worst trauma a person can go through. She is isolated and alone through the majority of her ordeal. Even when there are people around her, they don’t understand what she’s doing or why and make assumptions about her that nearly lead to her death.

Can I relate to Sorcha as a character? No. Her experiences are far beyond anything I can imagine. However, reading this book from Sorcha’s point of view really draws the reader in to her experience. I don’t think it would have quite the same impact if it were told from third person point of view.

My rating for Daughter of the Forest is 4 out of 5 stars and I would recommend it to anyone who loves Celtic based fantasy, fantasy in general and folklore retellings.

Thanks for reading!

Monthly Wrap Up – March 2023

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Well, I have to say, I’m kind of disappointed in myself. It’s the end of March already and I’ve only read 5 books this year. 5 books in 3 months? For me, that’s pretty unusual. I’ve read 5 books in a month before! Am I in a reading slump? No, I’m actually recovering from one. So, maybe 5 books in 3 months is pretty good considering…

I recently reopened my Etsy shop and have been making jewelry again, as well as crochet stuff. I finished the cross stich I was working on. (forgot to take a picture of it so can’t share that). I saw the Irish Rovers live. That was really cool.

Wow, this is a really short update.

Fantasy Book Review – Vorodin’s Lair by J.V. Hilliard

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Synopsis:

Ominous Omens

Daemus, a low Keeper of the Cathedral of the Watchful Eye, isn’t the only one having visions. His nightmares speak of the ageless sorcerer, Vorodin, who may be able to help. But the answers he seeks may bring him—and the realm—to the brink of war.

Elven princess, Addilyn Elspeth, must discover why she’s receiving visitations from a mysterious creature that shouldn’t exist. She combines forces with Daemus on their harrowing journey to the scholar city of Abacus, where Vorodin’s Lair awaits.

A Plot of Revenge

Their powerful adversary and fallen Keeper, Graytorris the Mad, continues to chase the young Keeper throughout the realm, seeking vengeance against his order while trying to find a cure for his own affliction.

Explore the realm of Warminster, as fantasy and magic mixes with epic adventure and romance. Omens, battles and plot twists await you in the pages of Vorodin’s Lair.

Have you read The Last Keeper, Book 1 of the Warminster series? No? Go read it right now and then come back to this because this review will contact spoilers for the first book.

Read it? Ok, good. Now you can read this review for book 2.

Vorodin’s Lair picks up right where The Last Keeper left off. Faux and Arjun are in jail with a death sentence hanging over their heads. To secure their freedom, they are given the chance to protect Daemus and secure the help of a neighboring ruler.

At the same time, Prince Montgomery is sent elsewhere to secure more allies for Thronehelm, as war is officially declared with the recent defectors.

There are multiple threads of the plot happening in various places to different characters. I started to feel like this novel was going in a similar direction as The Wheel of Time and A Song of Ice and Fire series have, with so many characters, POV’s and subplots going on that the story doesn’t really move forward. Although I wouldn’t say that I was bored or that I dislike any particular character as to not want to read their POV, there were times when I wish the story stayed with some of the more central characters. Most of all, as a reader, I don’t always want to know everything that is going on. Not knowing what is happening with the bad guys can enhance the plot in a different way.

That being said, it would also been seen as a positive. Yes, I occasionally forgot that other characters existed as I was reading about a different set, but that is more likely because the writing is so good that the reader gets sucked into what is happening in the moment and everything else fades to the background.

J.V. Hilliard has such amazing descriptive skills in his writing, especially during battle scenes, that it’s impossible to put this book down. I felt like my heart was in my throat at times. Deaths can occur so suddenly and I just kept hoping the ones I liked most wouldn’t be the next to die.

I truly look forward to the next installment in this series and to see how the story continues on.

My rating for Vorodin’s Lair is 4 out of 5 stars and I highly recommend it to all lovers of fantasy, just don’t forget to read The Last Keeper first.

I’d like to thank the author, J.V. Hilliard for providing me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and this review was 100% written by me.

Thanks for reading!

Fantasy Book Review – Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

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Synopsis: The chieftains of Sevenwaters have long been custodians of a vast and mysterious forest?and a new heir has been born. But the family’s joy turns to despair when the baby is taken, and something unnatural is left in his place. To reclaim her newborn brother, Clodagh must enter the shadowy Otherworld and confront the powerful prince who rules there?

Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier is the 4th book in the Sevenwaters series. This book is told in the first person point of view of Clodagh, one of six daughters of Lord Sean and Lady Aisling.

Clodagh is seen as the “domestic” daughter. Her skills are thought to be that of a housewife, and therefore rather boring. Her other sisters have talents of their own, as a healer, a seer and just a more outgoing personality.

This book begins with Clodagh tying a ribbon as an offering to a tree in the forest to pray for the safe delivery of her newest sibling. Lady Aisling is older now, has already had six children and her health is not at it’s best. There is an oppressive sense of doom hanging over everything even though the house is also preparing for Clodagh’s sister’s wedding. With her mother mostly confined to bed, Clodagh is expected to keep the household running.

Clodagh is an interesting character, one I felt I could relate to. She is expected to keep the house running smoothly, take care of wedding preparations, as well as keeping her sister, the bride from going a bit crazy. I felt her sense of duty to her family, how she pushed herself to keep going even when she was exhausted and kept up appearances of being calm and in control. When the new baby is born, a son, Clodagh is the first to step up and help care for the baby. She even tells herself that there is no sense in thinking of what her own marriage might entail because she is needed at home to help her mother care for the baby. When the baby unexpectedly disappears and a changeling is left in his place, only Clodagh can see that he is a living being, the only one who can hear his cries.

Since she was the one watching the baby when the abduction occurs, she is blamed by her father for not watching every second. Although men are sent to search for the baby, Clodagh knows that this isn’t a normal sort of abduction and that the Fair Folk have something to do with it. Clodagh sets out on a perilous journey to find her brother, facing all kinds of dangers and heartache along the way.

This woman, who most dismiss as the “housewife” type of daughter has more courage and love than most people have in their little finger. When she puts her mind to something, she will see it through no matter the personal cost.

Based on the title of this novel, Heir to Sevenwaters, I had expectations of how the story would likely go. I’m so glad that my expectations were completely dashed. This story is in no way predictable and a complete rollercoaster of emotions.

After reading several books with multiple POV, this first person POV felt like a breath of fresh air. The reader doesn’t know anything that Clodagh doesn’t. We don’t see what the bad guys are up to, or even other people in the household. I love that.

Although I can rarely pronounce the names correctly, Celtic fantasy has to be one of my favorite subgenres of fantasy. The three books that precede Heir of Sevenwaters are all excellent and I look forward to the rest of the series.

My rating for this book is 5 out of 5 stars! I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Celtic fantasy, though I’d recommend reading the three previous books first.

Have you read this book? What did you think?

Thanks for reading!

Fantasy Book Review – The Last Keeper by J.V. Hilliard

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Synopsis:

A young boy’s prophetic visions.
Blind at birth, Daemus Alaric is blessed with the gift of prophetic Sight. Now, as a Keeper of the Forbidden, he must use his powers of the Sight to foil the plans of a fallen Keeper, Graytorris the Mad.

An elven Princess with a horrifying secret.
Princess Addilyn Elspeth travels from Eldwal, the magically hidden home of the Vermilion elves, to begin her life as a diplomat to the human capital of Castleshire. During her journey, she stumbles upon a mystical creature foretelling ill tidings.

A terrifying force of evil.
Daemus’ recurring nightmare vision threatens to catapult him into a terrifying struggle that will leave the fate of the Keepers—and the realm—hanging in the balance. Daemus and Princess Addilyn must set out to face the menace that threatens their very existence.

Will the entire realm fall to its knees?
The Last Keeper is the first book in The Warminster Series. With gripping, epic action and heart-pounding adventure, you’ll love this new adventure series.

When I first started reading this book, I was in the beginning of a pretty bad reading slump. I couldn’t focus. There seemed like there were a lot of characters and I just couldn’t keep track of who was who. I had to stop as I knew I wasn’t doing this book justice by continuing. When my focus did return, I decided to start this book over from the beginning, which I’m very glad I did. The way I felt about the book completely changed. There weren’t too many characters, how could I not keep track of them in the first place? I don’t know if was because I’d already read the beginning that I absorbed more on the second attempt or if I was just back to normal in terms of reading. I’m going to go with the latter as what I hadn’t read the first time continued to feel fresh and exciting.

From the beginning, I didn’t quite know what to expect, which was great. As the first book in a series, there is a lot of set up going on, introducing characters, establishing the world and it’s rules. Thankfully, I didn’t feel like I was being told about the world. The author has an amazing was of describing things that feels natural and really helps a visual person like me picture the characters and events. Everything feels incredibly natural and the words just flow so well.

The characters are all very interesting and I have to say that I really love the diversity of the races in this world. There are people with crimson eyes or blue skin. Although there are what is known as trollborn – which are basically half breeds – that are sometimes looked down upon or discriminated, there are so many of them that it isn’t as horrible as it could be. I’m not really explaining that correctly. There are some that would say “trollborn” with scorn but most don’t. They are simply a part of the world as a whole.

If there was one think I didn’t like, it was how often the point of view would change during tense scenes. For instance, in the middle of a battle, the POV would constantly switch after a couple of paragraphs from one side of the battle to the other, from one character to another. I think this novel could have benefitted from showing less of what the villainous side was up to. Sometimes, as the reader, I prefer not to know everything . It can be too much information and I lose track of what character knows what.

Overall, this is an excellent novel. I never found it predictable, it was exciting, tense and emotional. It also ended on quite the cliffhanger so I’ll be needing the next book sooner rather than later.

My rating for The Last Keeper is 4 out of 5 stars and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fresh and exciting fantasy novel.

Thanks for reading!

Book Review – In Full Color by Rachel Dolezal

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Before I begin this review, I want to say that I am not the type of person who pays a lot of attention to the news, nor am I American, so I had no idea who Rachel Dolezal was until I saw her documentary on Netflix. I found the documentary very interesting, perhaps more so because I had no previous knowledge of the media storm that had become her life and therefore, had no bias going in. It was from the documentary that I learned about this book and I decided to add it to my Christmas list. My brother was kind enough to get it for me and I was excited to read it.

I’m really glad I went into this with no preconceived notions about her or her life. I was able to read this with no real expectations and I think that going that way allowed me to simply absorb her life story without judgement.

Rachel Dolezal did not have an easy life from the very beginning. Her parents were horrible people, her older brother molested her and when her parents decided to adopt four babies within a year, she basically became a live-in free nanny.

I actually don’t want to say too much about her life, as I think it’s better to read this book knowing as little about her as possible. This book is well written and written from her heart. It’s clear she wants people to understand her better and really, there was no other way than writing a book. So many people have judged her and jumped to conclusions. The hate she has directed at her is not deserved. She tried her entire life to help others, to make life better for Black Americans. She should be seen as an inspiration, not a liar and pariah.

I’m not BIPOC, so I can never understand that perspective. I can never understand what it is like to grow up as a Black person in America. I can however, relate to her feelings of “other” of being on the outside, of not fitting in. I think a lot of people experience this, especially in their formative years, but as a society, we never talk about it. We’re expected to behave in a certain way, to see ourselves in a certain way, so that when we don’t others can’t understand.

Identity is something that is spoken of a lot nowadays. There’s gender identity, racial identity, etc. Society is on the path to being more inclusive and diverse, of recognizing that people don’t always identify with the gender they are born with. So, I wonder, is feeling that you are more connected to a different race that much different? I don’t know the answer to that and wouldn’t presume to give an answer.

Mostly, I feel like this book and Rachel Dolezal’s life and subsequent media scandal is very thought provoking. I can’t help but wonder where she would be now had that particular interview never occurred. Certainly, she wouldn’t be harassed online nearly as much. Which is another thing that bothers me. Having read this book about her life, she truly doesn’t deserve the harassment she and her family get. Telling her son that his mother should kill herself, calling a new born baby the N word. How does saying stuff like that online make those people any better than they perceive her to be? In my eyes, it makes them worse. Hate her all you want, telling someone that they are a family member should kill themselves is NOT ok. I wish people would stop and think before they post horrible things like that.

I’m sure very few, if anyone, will read this post, and I know this isn’t much of a review of the book itself, and if anyone does read this, I could get some hate directed at me for saying what I have, but I also feel like it needs to be said.

I would truly recommend that people read this book. I would encourage going into it with an open mind and try to forget anything you may have seen in the media. I’m giving this book 5 out of 5 stars as it was probably one of the most though provoking books I’ve ever read.

Thank you for reading and please give it a chance!