Posted in: Comics | Tagged: F T Lukens, fantasy, LGBTQ, So This is Ever After, ya, young adult

So This is Ever After: Subversive LGBTQ YA Fantasy Debuts March 29th

Published Tue, 08 Mar 2022 21:33:10 -0600

So This is Ever After is a new LGBTQ YA Fantasy novel by F.T. Lukens (they/them) where Carry On meets Arthurian legend in a funny, subversive, queer tale about what happens after the chosen one wins the kingdom and has to get married to keep it…and to stay alive. It's told in the style of an addictive RPG game that explores fairytale tropes, gender and sexuality norms, and what it truly means to live happily ever after.

So This is Ever After: Subversive LGBTQ YA Fantasy Debuts March 29th — "So This is Ever After" cover art courtesy of Simon and Schuster.

Arek hadn't thought much about what would happen after he completed the prophecy that said he was destined to save the Kingdom of Ere from its evil ruler. So now that he's finally managed to (somewhat clumsily) behead the evil king (turns out magical swords yanked from bogs don't come pre-sharpened), he and his rag-tag group of quest companions are at a bit of a loss for what to do next.

As a temporary safeguard, Arek's best friend and mage, Matt, convinces him to assume the throne until the true heir can be rescued from her tower. Except that she's dead. Now Arek is stuck as king, a role that comes with a magical catch: choose a spouse by your eighteenth birthday, or wither away into nothing.

With his eighteenth birthday only three months away, and only Matt in on the secret, Arek embarks on a desperate bid to find a spouse to save his life—starting with his quest companions. But his attempts at wooing his friends go painfully and hilariously wrong…until he discovers that love might have been in front of him all along.

F.T. Lukens (they/them) is the author of In Deeper Waters and five young adult novels published through Interlude Press. Their book The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic was a 2017 Cybils Award finalist in YA Speculative Fiction, the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Gold Winner for YA fiction, the Bisexual Book Award for Speculative Fiction, and on ALA's 2019 Rainbow Book List. F.T. lives in North Carolina with their spouse, three kids, three dogs, and three cats. Visit them at ft-lukens.com.

F.T. Lukens will be hosting a virtual launch event on March 29 via Malaprop's in conversation with Steven Salvatore at 6 pm ET and another virtual event on March 30 via Mysterious Galaxy in conversation with Ryan La Sala at 7:30 pm PT.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!