shereadstales 's review for:

The Cleveland Heights LGBTQ Sci-Fi and Fantasy Role Playing Club by Doug Henderson

3.5

adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Thanks to NetGalley and University of Iowa Press for the digital galley of this book.

Welcome to Thursday night role playing club. Celeste is the dungeon master; Valerie, who works at the store, was roped in by default; Mooneyham, the banker, likes to argue; and Ben, sensitive, unemployed, and living at home, is still recovering from an unrequited love. This book follows their ups and downs both in real life and in game. As life gets messy, they may decide the group just doesn’t work anymore. Growing up is the worst.

I 100% picked this one for the title and its cover. It looked like it’d be fun, and it didn’t let me down.

The story follows the only queer DnD group in Cleveland heights, their ups and downs as friends. Some relationships end and some begin, and the members may decide they’ve just outgrown each other. And all the while, they meet on Thursdays and jump into a fantasy world where they can be heroes.

If you’re a DnD fan or just want to read more queer stories about friendships as well as romantic relationships, def check this one out.

It’s an excellent balance of fantastical adventure plots and real life drama. I liked how the story jumped back and forth and we got to know the characters’ alter egos as much as we followed them. It’s like reading a DnD novel light. The perfect addition to your Pride month reading list.