Over on facebook, the OSRBC Authors Chat invited me to join them to discuss Oak King Holly King (and Tales from Blackthorn Briar)!
The video is now up for all to watch. They asked some really insightful questions that allowed me to delve into detail for Wren and Shrike’s motivations and what lies ahead for the fae realms. I had a delightful time chatting with them. Check ’em out!
The third volume of Shrike and Wren’s tale is a ways off yet. In the meantime, however, please enjoy this glimpse into the beginning of their next adventure.
What does the Summer Solstice ritual look like after Wren’s grisly injuries over the winter? How will the Oak and Holly Kings contrive to overcome this new obstacle? And what fresh marvels will their rite display?
Find out now over on Patreon! (Warning: spicy!)
The first two chapters of Booksellers and Bone Setters – a brand new Oak King Holly King tale – are now on Patre♡n! Wherein Mr Grigsby and Hullvardr have a hurt/comfort adventure.
~
The ringing of the downstairs bell as the office’s outer door opened didn’t surprise Ephraim. After all, Hull had gone out hours ago and was due to return at any moment.
Rather than the expected click-click-click of Hull’s hooves trotting up the stairs, however, the subsequent sounds to reach his ears were a series of unsteady arrhythmic thuds lurching in ascent. Perhaps a client, then—though not any whose footsteps Ephraim recognised, unless they’d developed a very bad limp since he’d seen them last. His clerk being out, he arose to get the door himself before his unknown visitor need knock.
What he beheld when he opened the door left him aghast.
~
Joining me on Patre♡n will give you access to “drawer fic” – aka the 500k+ words worth of manuscripts that have been shelved until I figure out how to fix or finish them. You’ll also be invited to join an exclusive Discord server just for patrons!
A new chapter will go up every week. Missing (unwritten) scenes will be indicated by brackets describing what would probably happen if the scene were written. Example: [in this scene Aubrey and Lindsey ride a carousel]
Currently posting…
♡ A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow (historical m x nb romantasy)
Completed works…
♡ the Aubrey & Lindsey solar fantasy project (mm)
♡ A Willing Canvas – John Halloway x Lord Cyril Graves (mm)
♡ The Train Job – Rowena Althorp x Rebekah (ff)
♡ Hold Fast 2 – Hold Faster (mm)
♡ Vampires Vampires Vampires (mmm)
♡ The Sebastian Nothwell Contemporary Expanded Universe (mmm+)
♡ Theo. (transmasc historical mm romance)
Happy Autumnal Equinox! Three years ago today, Shrike and Wren embarked on their second voyage out into the world – alongside Mr Grigsby, Daniel Durst, and all their other friends from Oak King Holly King, with new friends gathered along the way.
Shrike and Wren hold a special place in my memory for getting me through some rough moments, and I am so beyond grateful for every single reader who has taken their story to heart.
If you enjoy happily-ever-afters, hurt/comfort, and catching up with old friends, I wrote this book for you.
Tales from Blackthorn Briar is a collection of sequels to the fae romance Oak King Holly King – including…
Mabon
Mr Grigsby’s Clerk
Jack in the Green
Winter Solstice
The Holly King’s Peril
The Ballad of Daniel Durst
Amazon • Apple Books • Barnes & Noble • Bookshop dot org • Kobo • Payhip • Scribd • Smashwords
This week’s episode of Right Here Write Queer is a preview of the Oak King Holly King audiobook, narrated by Gary Furlong.
Since we’re four chapters deep into the podcast version, I made a playlist of them on YouTube so you can listen in order easily.
Oak King Holly King is a gay romantasy wherein a fearsome fae warrior destined for ritual sacrifice seeks a Victorian clerk fated to save him – available now wherever fine books are found, possibly including your local library!
There’s a brand new Oak King Holly King short story awaiting you when you subscribe to my newsletter.
The Unveiling of Daniel Durst – wherein fae and mortal secrets alike are revealed, and Mr Grigsby learns the truth at last.
This brings the newsletter story total up to four. (And possibly more on the way…?) Including…
♡ Valentine (an Aubrey & Lindsey tale), wherein Aubrey is forced to celebrate his birthday for the first time in his whole life.
♡ Silver & Bone (a Fiorenzo tale), wherein Enzo fulfills a promise to Fiore.
♡ Bruises Bloom in Blackthorn Briar (an Oak King Holly King tale), wherein we see a pivotal scene from a whole new point-of-view.
In addition to these four free stories, you’ll also receive updates about beta reading opportunities, ARC offers, and new releases. (The number of readers who are to this day still surprised to discover that Oak King Holly King has a sequel? Don’t fall through the cracks like them. Be alert! Be the first to know! Be a newsletter subscriber!) You’ll never miss another book!
And thank you for reading!
Happy book birthday to Shrike and Wren! Three years ago today, Oak King Holly King was published.
Oak King Holly King is a queer Victorian romantasy wherein a fearsome fae warrior destined for ritual sacrifice seeks a mortal clerk fated to save him.
Perfect for readers who enjoy…
• big buff guys who just wanna be soft
• sharp little guys who are tired of being kicked around
• lush fantasy worlds
• liminal spaces
• cozy cottagecore vibes
• and queer community.
Amazon • Apple Books • Audible • Barnes & Noble • Bookshop.org • Chirp • itch.io • Kobo • libro.fm • Overdrive • Smashwords
There’s a new episode of Right Here Write Queer waiting for you in your favorite podcast app!
Please enjoy this special sneak peek into the audiobook of Oak King Holly King – a gay Victorian fae romance by Sebastian Nothwell, read by Gary Furlong.
Shrike, the Butcher of Blackthorn, is a legendary warrior of the fae realms. When he wins a tournament in the Court of the Silver Wheel, its queen names him her Oak King – a figurehead destined to die in a ritual duel to invoke the change of seasons. Shrike is determined to survive. Even if it means he must put his heart as well as his life into a mere mortal’s hands.
Wren Lofthouse, a London clerk, has long ago resigned himself to a life of tedium and given up his fanciful dreams. When a medieval-looking brute arrives at his office to murmur of destiny, he’s inclined to think his old enemies are playing an elaborate prank. Still, he can’t help feeling intrigued by the bizarre-yet-handsome stranger and his fantastical ramblings, whose presence stirs up emotions Wren has tried to lock away in the withered husk of his heart.
As Shrike whisks Wren away to a world of Wild Hunts and arcane rites, Wren is freed from the repression of Victorian society. But both the fae and mortal realms prove treacherous to their growing bond. Wren and Shrike must fight side-by-side to see who will claim victory – Oak King or Holly King.
Oak King Holly King is a romantasy wherein a fearsome fae warrior destined for ritual sacrifice seeks a Victorian clerk fated to save him.
Amazon • Apple Books • Audible • Barnes & Noble • Bookshop.org • Chirp • itch.io • Kobo • libro.fm • Overdrive • Smashwords
Surprise! We interrupt your regularly-scheduled Theo to bring you a rough draft of a short story featuring Shrike and Wren from Oak King Holly King.
~
“Sentiment,” Shrike had told him, “is the highest value any artifact may attain. It would grant powerful magic to its wielder. Your milk-teeth, imbued with a child’s innocence and a mother’s love, would prove potent indeed.”
~
Joining me on Patre♡n will give you access to “drawer fic” – aka the 500k+ words worth of manuscripts that have been shelved until I figure out how to fix or finish them. You’ll also be invited to join an exclusive Discord server just for patrons!
A new chapter will go up every week. Missing (unwritten) scenes will be indicated by brackets describing what would probably happen if the scene were written. Example: [in this scene Aubrey and Lindsey ride a carousel]
Currently posting…
♡ Theo. (transmasc historical mm romance)
Completed works…
♡ the Aubrey & Lindsey solar fantasy project (mm)
♡ A Willing Canvas – John Halloway x Lord Cyril Graves (mm)
♡ The Train Job – Rowena Althorp x Rebekah (ff)
♡ Hold Fast 2 – Hold Faster (mm)
♡ Vampires Vampires Vampires (mmm)
♡ The Sebastian Nothwell Contemporary Expanded Universe (mmm+)
E. H. Lupton very kindly interviewed me on the Ask A Medievalist podcast about Oak King Holly King and the Peasants Revolt!
See also…
Listen now on Spotify or wherever you find your fave podcasts!
Sebastian Nothwell 