#QueerLitLoft

LesFic Eclectic Volume Three was my last LesFic book of 2021 and for people yet to turn its pages, it is the perfect palate cleanser before embarking on another year of reading.

The beauty and uniqueness of all three volumes of LesFic Eclectic is the collation of a true variety of genres, with short stories told by established, emerging and new voices.

When time and/or finances are tight, it’s all too easy to stay in lane, to pass on a chance to hear a new voice in favour of an old favourite, or to keep within a familiar genre rather than opting for something outside of your comfort zone.

The LesFic Eclectic Volumes provide readers with an opportunity to explore stories and voices they might otherwise never choose. All three volumes are free (see below), allowing readers to dib in and out at their pleasure.

Having read the previous two volumes, i wondered if volume three would still achieve the same delightfulness as its counterparts, but truth be told it’s the most magical one yet. With 23 short stories to sink your taste buds into, you’ll find my top 4 picks from the latest volume below;

1. The Black Suite by Ally McGuire – A new voice which i dearly hope we get to see more from. Just like some people have the knack for telling jokes, some authors just have that uniquely fantastic storytelling voice that pops off the page. With wine, swearing and sarcasm all before the end of the fourth paragraph, I was and still am hooked.
2. Wings Apart by Lee Haven – This is a melting pot of fantasy, whereby you really wish it wasn’t a short but the beginning of a full length novel. I also now have the desire to touch an angels wing, just to feel those silky, magical feathers beneath my fingertips.
3. Apex Predator by Emma Wallis – Werewolves; not a theme i would ever select by choice. And yet i’d credit this short with igniting my imagination the most, to the extent that i’ll be on the look out for a werewolf novel to test the waters with. The author of Apex Predator keeps the human and wolf side of each character perfectly aligned and in sync, resulting in a story that’s as easy and as interesting to read as any that doesn’t feature shape shifting humans. I can only imagine that it’s doubly hard to put a wolfs most inner thoughts and feelings into words, but there are key phrases used within this story, such as ‘chuffing with happiness’, which really do help to evoke a mental image of a wolf shaking its fur and huffing a breath out with a gleeful look on its face – literally chuffing with happiness.
4. Before You – Helena Harte – It takes a lot to make me feel all soft and gooey inside, unless you happen to be some form of a four legged fluff ball, so bare with me as this reduced me to a puddle of mush, in all the best ways. Upon first reading Before You, i came away with a niggle of familiarity that i just couldn’t place, a feeling that i’d seen this before but with key differences. Long story short, having finally caught up on the blog train that goes with the release of every new LesFic Eclectic volume, i discovered that the reason my memory banks were niggling at me is because Before You, is the counterpart to But You featured in LesFic Eclectic Volume Two. Mind Blown. The individual stories are superb, but i’d urge you to read them together in chronological order at least once. I felt like i was literally watching two halves of a heart become one whilst secretly reading someone else’s love letters. Pass me the tissues, please.

So there we have it, another excellent volume of LesFic Eclectic which continues to push the bar higher year on year. Download the newest volume (#3) and previous ones (#1 and #2) for free via the links below;