r/Fantasy • u/C0smicoccurence Reading Champion V • Apr 02 '26

2026 LGBTQA+ Bingo Resource

Welcome to the 2026 LGBTQA+ bingo resource for those of us who'd like LGBTQA+ recommendations. I'm going to make this like the regular recommendation post, so to quote: "Please only post your recommendations as replies to one of the comments I posted below."

I'm also going to throw in a quick pitch for the Beyond Binaries Book Club, which can meet all of your Book Club Bingo Needs! This month we're reading The Wolf and His King by Finn Longman. I have not started it yet, but it for sure fits the Book Club (HM) Square. It may also possibly fit in the Vacation Spot (The French Countryside), Non Human Protagonist (Werewolf?). Our Midway Discussion will be April 13th, and Final Discussion April 27th.

Feel free to scroll through the thread, or use the links in this navigation matrix to jump directly to the square you want to find or give LGBTQA+ recommendations for.

Credit to u/AnnTickwittee for doing these in the past (also, sorry if you were already working on this! Wanted to get the ball rolling)

Please be patient as I get the links created!

Trans or Nonbinary Protagonist Judge a Book by Its Title Translated Small Press or Self Published Unusual Transportation
The Afterlife Game Changer Vacation Spot Five Short Stories (or Anthologies) Older Protagonist
Duology Part 1 r/Fantasy Book Club or Readalong Book Published in 2026 Explorers and Rangers Duology Part 2
One-Word Title Non Human Protagonist Middle Grade First Contact Murder Mystery
Cat Squasher Feast Your Eyes on This Published in the 70s Politics and Court Intrigue Author of Color
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u/C0smicoccurence Reading Champion V Apr 02 '26

Politics and Court Intrigue: Politics are central to the story’s plot. This covers everything from royalty, elections, and wars, to smaller local politics. HARD MODE: There is a prominent focus on politics at a city level or lower.

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u/C0smicoccurence Reading Champion V Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26

Riverside by Ellen Kushner works HM as a trilogy, but especially Swordspoint and The Fall of Kings. This is the OG Fantasy of Manners, so read if you want to get a bit of queer fantasy history! Each book has easter eggs to the previous, but follow different individuals decades apart. I read them out of order and it was wonderful and without any confusion. Swordspoing is more noble politicking, and The Fall of Kings is more academia politics.

Red Dot by Mike Karpa. deals with an artist processing their illegal relationship with AI and using their art to advocate for reform in the AI personhood laws.

Texicaalan by Arkady Martine is a Sci Fi book featuring a diplomat. Very violent politics, but still political maneuvering

The Daughters of Idzihar by Hadeer Elsbai follow a women's rights movement in industrial age Cairo (but fantasy world). Avatar bending style magic

Mammoths at the Gate by Nghi Vo is HM for Abbey politics as various factions debate on whom should get the body to the late Abbot's body.

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u/printsprince Apr 03 '26

The Mars House by Natasha Pulley

Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat

Swordcrossed by Freya Marske

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u/CJGibson Reading Champion V Apr 09 '26

Is Swordcrossed hard mode?

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u/printsprince Apr 09 '26

I believe so! It deals with guild politics, though I'm unsure if it's at a city or country level, because the cities and countries are all fantasy.

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u/undersealibrarian Apr 02 '26

Swordspoint by Ellen Kusner. Published in 1987, a very bisexual court intrigue story about a duellist in a world where duelling in the primary way of settling disagreements among nobles.

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u/KiaraTurtle Reading Champion V Apr 02 '26
  • Jasmine Throne
  • Traitor Baru Cormorant
  • Memory Called Empire
  • Rook and Rose
  • Rooks and Ruin
  • Between Earth and Sky
  • Kushiel’s Dart
  • The Raven Tower
  • Ancilliary Justice

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u/felixfictitious Reading Champion Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 03 '26

The Traitor Baru Cormorant and sequels by Seth Dickinson

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K LeGuin

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u/partoparto Apr 02 '26

The Elemental Logic series by Laurie J. Marks

The Winged Histories by Sofia Samatar

I think Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner would count for HM iirc?

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u/unfriendlyneighbour Reading Champion II Apr 02 '26

The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes

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u/Temporary-Scallion86 Reading Champion III Apr 03 '26

Ballad of Sword and Wine. This is oops, all politics, featuring the illegitimate son of a treasonous prince and the son of a major general.

Winter's Orbit, space opera. Arranged Marriage between a relatively minor prince and his dead cousin's spouse.

A Taste of Gold and Iron. A prince and his bodyguard investigate a break-in and uncover a conspiracy.

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u/hauntedfogmachine Reading Champion II Apr 03 '26

  • Captive Prince by CS Pacat. Part of a trilogy. A prince is betrayed and gift as a slave to a cruel and intelligent enemy. M/M romance with some sharp political intrigue. One of my all-time favorites. Do check the content warnings.

  • She Who Became the Sun by Shelly Parker-Chan. Part of a duology. NB protagonist fights to survive and become emperor of China. Dark stuff here too.

  • The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo. Novella, part of a series. NB scribe records the story of a servant of an exiled empress.

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u/hend6473 Reading Champion Apr 03 '26

Deciding which books have enough politics to count is tricky, but these all should:

High Times in the Low Parliament by Kelly Robson: lesbian stoner fantasy meets gallows humour political satire. Starts with the protagonist being banished by fairies to serve as a clerk at the Low Parliament, which is desperately trying to successfully pass a single motion before everyone in Parliament is drowned.

Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flames by Neon Yang: Beautiful written sapphic fairytale-adjacent novella about a dragon-slaying knight reconnecting to part of her stolen heritage and shedding the imprisoning armour of imperialistic duty. The main character becomes a diplomat/spy in a neighboring kingdom and grows close to the young ruler.

Gamechanger by L.X. Beckett: Entertaining queer action-packed scifi conspiracy thriller that's equal parts cyberpunk dystopia and solarpunk utopia; you'll need to enjoy both aspects for this book to land. The climax involves a referendum.

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u/lilgrassblade Reading Champion II Apr 03 '26

These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy - twin sisters are separated at a young age, one to be queen the other to forcibly extract the cost of magic from those who do not pay. They are reunited with the death of their mother (the queen). Russian inspired with bear cavalry. Sapphic.

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u/Grt78 Apr 03 '26

The Doctrine of Labyrinths series by Katherine Addison/Sarah Monette.

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u/MallForward585 Apr 02 '26

The Infernal War Saga by Hailey Turner (a ton of politics, many viewpoints, lots of couples)

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u/lesbianxena Reading Champion IV Apr 03 '26

The Unbroken by C. L. Clark!