Genre: Fantasy, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay, Lesbian, Non-Binary
Reviewer: Lucy
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About The Book
Love comes in all forms, from enduring friendships, the classic love at first sight, and misunderstandings that unfurl into blooming romance. Queer Windows gives a glance at four fantastical, queer love stories.
The Wizard’s Garden
Sil, a plant lover and head clerk of a plant shop finds himself slowly befriending a quirky wizard, while also falling in love with his garden.
Rosemary for Remembrance
Vivian has always dreamed of being swept away from her ordinary life. A chance meeting with a mysterious stranger may just grant her wish.
Kingdom Fall
Imre had carefully calculated his every move to best serve his kingdom. But he could not foresee the past catching up to him and the choices of others.
Lady of Spring
Vinq is preparing to transition from a child into an adult. While she knows she can’t avoid this right of passage, she also does not want to lose who she is.
The Review
Queer Windows is a lovely collection of shorts by Cay Fletcher. They are short enough that they’re easy to get through quickly, but long enough that you get a fully developed story.
The writing is stellar, with a sweet, romantic, almost nostalgic feel. Cay Fletcher manages to capture the sensation you get during a damp twilight in the woods, somehow both mysterious and magical.
I truly loved every story, and while there was an underlying theme, each tale was unique.
The collection begins with “The Wizard’s Garden” with Sil, an avid flower enthusiast who works at the local nursery. He has an underlying bias against wizards and their apprentices, which might be a case of “he doth protest too much.” But once he’s invited into the wizard’s garden, Sil finds a place to love and belong. And to belong and love.
“Rosemary for Remembrance” gives us Viv and her mysterious stranger. It’s a sweet, lovely take on time travel that leaves us guessing a little bit. We never know exactly how it all comes about, but we’re given enough clues to know it ends well.
In “Kingdom Fall,” there are twists and turns, and revelations that will keep you guessing. But, as with the other stories in this collection, the characters are beautifully described and there’s a rightness to the way the tale plays out. It’s knights and kings and court intrigue, twisted around love and admiration for someone dear.
Poor Vinq in “Lady of Spring” is convinced that in growing up, she will lose herself. She doesn’t trust the folks in charge to pick her place in their society without forcing her to change. and to turn her back on what she loves most. This story captures the worries so many young people have when trying to make decisions for their future.
These are wonderful short stories, written beautifully in a sweet, romantic style that is both engaging and charming. Queer Windows is a great introduction to the writing of Cay Fletcher. I will definitely look for more works from this author.
The Reviewer
I’m an avid reader who loves pretty much all genres except math textbooks. As a kid, my parents exposed me to everything from fairies, hobbits, and dragons to the biographies of interesting people around the world, interspersed with poetry, plays, and music. Into adulthood, I spent a lot of years with my nose buried in various textbooks. Now, I read whatever grabs my fancy.