(Note: This page is no longer being updated. I occasionally talk about books at my LiveJournal, though.)
The Scar, by China Mieville
Not only does China Mieville have the coolest name in the world, he can really, really write. This book has everything--a floating city, machine-human hybrids, vampires, conspiracies, a slashy subplot, and suspense that will keep you reading. And every sentence is a gem.
Flanders, by Patricia Anthony
This book, the story of a young Texas sharpshooter fighting with a British regiment during WWI, is part historical novel and part fantasy. The horrors of war come through clearly here, and so do the intense emotions (including love) experienced by the soldiers. The fantasy element comes in when the hero starts having visions of the dead and of a place that may, perhaps, be heaven. Don't miss this wonderful book.
Point of Hopes and Point of Dreams, by Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett
I love almost all of Scott's work, but I have a particular soft spot for this series (another one, Fair's Point, is coming eventually). These are great fantasy novels set in a world that's kind of like Renaissance Europe, but not quite. The worldbuilding is amazing and the characters feel like real people, not the usual fantasy-novel stereotypes. The first book has lots of slashy subtext, the second one brings it out of the subtext and into the plot.
An Exchange of Hostages, by Susan R. Matthews
The first book in an extremely compelling series about the Inquisitor Andrej Koscuisko (don't worry, Matthews explains how to pronounce it). These books are dark and gorgeous, though the slash is almost all subtext. They're not for the faint of heart, though. An Exchange of Hostages follows the reluctant Koscuisko's training to be an Inquisitor (a torturer, in other words) and his appalled discovery that he enjoys it. There are graphic and disturbing violent scenes.
The Bone Doll's Twin, by Lynn Flewelling
Another first book in a series; the second one just came out recently. A princess in disguise, sorcery with terrible consequences, and a very angry ghost. The story is set in the same universe at Flewelling's Nightrunner series, but is even better.
A Song for Arbonne, by Guy Gavriel Kay
Not slashy at all, but a wonderful story based on the troubadour culture of medieval France. Kay writes compelling characters and has a knack for both the beautiful and the appalling.
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