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A review by sages_books
Oak King Holly King by Sebastian Nothwell
5.0
I was sent a copy of this book by Sebastian Northwell’s agent in exchange for an honest review!
Oak King, Holly King is a lovely story of queer love and resistance set in an atmospheric and engrossing light fantasy world. The story takes place in pre-industrial England, but it also has lots of scenes set in a parallel world based off fae lore.
This is a wonderful read if you’re looking for something like Holly Black’s books but queer. I really enjoyed that the author explored the sodomy laws that were present at the time but gave his characters a queer realm where they could be themselves without fear of persecution. When I picked up this book, I was pleasantly surprised by the themes of queer love that were so present, Oak King, Holly King is a definite celebration of queer love stories and I really enjoyed that aspect of the story.
Another thing I liked about this book was that the fantasy aspects weren’t too hard to grip. At the beginning I was slightly confused about the politics of the fae world, but after a bit I was able to grasp it better! Plus, all the fluffy scenes of the two mcs just living their lives were so cute and exactly what I needed!
Overall, I really liked Oak King, Holly King, I thought the mix of fantasy and historical fiction was really well done, and the exploration of queer love was *chefs kiss*! The only thing I wish had been different is the lack of BIPOC and female characters! If you’re looking for a light, gay story about fae and pre-industrial England, this book is for you!
Oak King, Holly King is a lovely story of queer love and resistance set in an atmospheric and engrossing light fantasy world. The story takes place in pre-industrial England, but it also has lots of scenes set in a parallel world based off fae lore.
This is a wonderful read if you’re looking for something like Holly Black’s books but queer. I really enjoyed that the author explored the sodomy laws that were present at the time but gave his characters a queer realm where they could be themselves without fear of persecution. When I picked up this book, I was pleasantly surprised by the themes of queer love that were so present, Oak King, Holly King is a definite celebration of queer love stories and I really enjoyed that aspect of the story.
Another thing I liked about this book was that the fantasy aspects weren’t too hard to grip. At the beginning I was slightly confused about the politics of the fae world, but after a bit I was able to grasp it better! Plus, all the fluffy scenes of the two mcs just living their lives were so cute and exactly what I needed!
Overall, I really liked Oak King, Holly King, I thought the mix of fantasy and historical fiction was really well done, and the exploration of queer love was *chefs kiss*! The only thing I wish had been different is the lack of BIPOC and female characters! If you’re looking for a light, gay story about fae and pre-industrial England, this book is for you!