21 must-read queer books like Illusions by Madeline J. Reynolds

Cover of Illusions by Madeline J. Reynolds

Illusions

By: Madeline J. Reynolds

3.70

Format: 380 pages, Paperback

Thomas Pendelton was born into wealth and prestige. He has a sensitive heart and wants nothing more…

"O, the things I tolerate to portray the ultimate illusion: love."

-Madeline J. Reynolds, Illusions

"O, the things I tolerate to portray the ultimate illusion: love."

-Madeline J. Reynolds, Illusions

"I offer a kiss, my bed, my body. And then, for my own trick, I disappear."

-Madeline J. Reynolds, Illusions

"I offer a kiss, my bed, my body. And then, for my own trick, I disappear."

-Madeline J. Reynolds, Illusions

If you liked the queer plot in Illusions by Madeline J. Reynolds , here is a list of 21 books like this:

Cover of A Mortal Song by Megan Crewe

1. A Mortal Song

By: Megan Crewe

3.69

Format: 382 pages, Kindle Edition

Sora's life was full of magic--until she discovered it was all a lie. Heir to Mt. Fuji's spirit … read more

Similar categories in Megan Crewe's A Mortal Song book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • young adult
  • young adult fantasy
  • fiction
  • fantasy
Cover of The Tiger's Watch (Ashes of Gold #1) by Julia   Ember

2. The Tiger's Watch (Ashes of Gold #1)

By: Julia Ember

3.50

Format: None pages, ebook

Sixteen-year-old Tashi has spent their life training as a inhabitor, a soldier who spies and kills … read more

Similar categories in Julia Ember's The Tiger's Watch (Ashes of Gold #1) book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • lgbt
  • young adult
  • fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
Cover of Hook (Duplicity Duet, #1) by Elisabeth Grace

3. Hook (Duplicity Duet, #1)

By: Elisabeth Grace

4.11

Format: 528 pages, Kindle Edition

Women loathed me without even knowing my name. Men coveted the very idea of me. Escort. Call girl. … read more

Similar categories in Elisabeth Grace's Hook (Duplicity Duet, #1) book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance

4. Ash Princess

By: Laura Sebastian

3.98

Format: None pages, Hardcover

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Queen of Flame and Fury, was mur… read more

Similar categories in Laura Sebastian's Ash Princess book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • young adult
  • young adult fantasy
  • fiction
  • fantasy

5. The Sleeping Prince (The Sin Eater’s Daughter, #2)

By: Melinda Salisbury

3.52

Format: 257 pages, Hardcover

Return to the darkly beautiful world of The Sin Eater's Daughter with a sequel that will leave you … read more

Similar categories in Melinda Salisbury's The Sleeping Prince (The Sin Eater’s Daughter, #2) book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

6. Half Wild (The Half Bad Trilogy, #2)

By: Sally Green

3.65

Format: 432 pages, Hardcover

"You will have a powerful Gift, but it's how you use it that will show you to be good or bad." In a… read more

Similar categories in Sally Green's Half Wild (The Half Bad Trilogy, #2) book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

7. Black Bird of the Gallows

By: Meg Kassel

4.79

Format: None pages, Hardcover

A simple but forgotten truth: Where harbingers of death appear, the morgues will soon be full. Angi… read more

Similar categories in Meg Kassel's Black Bird of the Gallows book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

Cover of You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian

8. You Should Be So Lucky

By: Cat Sebastian

4.39

Format: 400 pages, Paperback

An emotional, slow-burn, grumpy/sunshine, queer mid-century romance about grief and found family, b… read more

Similar categories in Cat Sebastian's You Should Be So Lucky book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • lgbt
  • historical
  • fiction
  • historical fiction
  • queer
"Sometimes you want to look at a guy and say: Well, he’s fucked, but he’s trying."

-Cat Sebastian, You Should Be So Lucky

"But he also wants that feeling he had earlier, that feeling of being seen for who he is, and of being liked anyway."

-Cat Sebastian, You Should Be So Lucky

"This urge to be kind to a relative stranger is unfamiliar and disconcerting, as if he's discovered in himself a hunger for raw meat or an enthusiasm for vaudeville."

-Cat Sebastian, You Should Be So Lucky

"The actual problem is incredibly boring, and Mark hates admitting it even to himself. Unless a couple has the good fortune to get hit by the same freight train, their story ends in exactly one way. H…"

-Cat Sebastian, You Should Be So Lucky

Cover of The Mars House by Natasha Pulley

9. The Mars House

By: Natasha Pulley

4.02

Format: 469 pages, Hardcover

From the author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, a queer sci-fi novel about an Earth refugee a… read more

Similar categories in Natasha Pulley's The Mars House book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • lgbt
  • fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
Cover of Ember Queen (Ash Princess Trilogy, #3) by Laura Sebastian

10. Ember Queen (Ash Princess Trilogy, #3)

By: Laura Sebastian

4.03

Format: 512 pages, Kindle Edition

The thrilling conclusion to an epic fantasy about a throne cruelly stolen and a girl who must fight… read more

Similar categories in Laura Sebastian's Ember Queen (Ash Princess Trilogy, #3) book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • young adult
  • young adult fantasy
  • fiction
  • fantasy
"I’m sorry,"

-Laura Sebastian, Ember Queen (Ash Princess Trilogy, #3)

"Is that all you want?"

-Laura Sebastian, Ember Queen (Ash Princess Trilogy, #3)

"He looks at Erik. “The last thing you’re going to do is wallow. You’re going to get back on your feet and figure out how to adjust. Trust me, you’ll thank me for it later."

-Laura Sebastian, Ember Queen (Ash Princess Trilogy, #3)

"You aren’t useless. You have your mind, you have your determination. You can still probably wield a sword better than half of Cress’s army, I’d bet, depth perception or no. Stay and fight and show he…"

-Laura Sebastian, Ember Queen (Ash Princess Trilogy, #3)

Cover of A Taste of Gold and Iron (Mahisti Dynasty, #1) by Alexandra Rowland

11. A Taste of Gold and Iron (Mahisti Dynasty, #1)

By: Alexandra Rowland

4.05

Format: 512 pages, Hardcover

The Goblin Emperor meets "Magnificent Century" in Alexandra Rowland's A Taste of Gold and Iron, whe… read more

Similar categories in Alexandra Rowland's A Taste of Gold and Iron (Mahisti Dynasty, #1) book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • gay
  • lgbt
  • fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
Cover of In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens

12. In Deeper Waters

By: F.T. Lukens

3.88

Format: 320 pages, Hardcover

A young prince must rely on a mysterious stranger to save him when he is kidnapped during his comin… read more

Similar categories in F.T. Lukens's In Deeper Waters book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • gay
  • lgbt
  • historical
  • young adult
  • fiction
  • historical fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
"The world isn't kind" Tal said as Garrett held him at arm's length, the flames of the torch flickering from the ground, casting both in eerie shadows. "But that doesn't mean I cant be."

-F.T. Lukens, In Deeper Waters

"Heart aching, he decided then he wouldn't allow his magic to become a weapon, even for his own family. He'd rather be locked in a tower or exiled off the known map than become the monster his heritag…"

-F.T. Lukens, In Deeper Waters

Cover of Lady Smoke (Ash Princess Trilogy, #2) by Laura Sebastian

13. Lady Smoke (Ash Princess Trilogy, #2)

By: Laura Sebastian

3.97

Format: 496 pages, Hardcover

The sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller that was "made for fans of Victoria Aveyard and… read more

Similar categories in Laura Sebastian's Lady Smoke (Ash Princess Trilogy, #2) book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • young adult
  • young adult fantasy
  • fiction
  • fantasy
"You said they were a…religious…?"

-Laura Sebastian, Lady Smoke (Ash Princess Trilogy, #2)

"You are sweet and docile and dumb."

-Laura Sebastian, Lady Smoke (Ash Princess Trilogy, #2)

"...fear is not a thing to be controlled by logic."

-Laura Sebastian, Lady Smoke (Ash Princess Trilogy, #2)

"There is no pleasing everyone without losing yourself."

-Laura Sebastian, Lady Smoke (Ash Princess Trilogy, #2)

Cover of Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte

14. Four Dead Queens

By: Astrid Scholte

3.80

Format: 413 pages, Hardcover

Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but in fact, she's one of Quadara's most s… read more

Similar categories in Astrid Scholte's Four Dead Queens book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • young adult
  • young adult fantasy
  • fiction
  • fantasy
"Dream bigger,"

-Astrid Scholte, Four Dead Queens

"Get in quick. Get out quicker."

-Astrid Scholte, Four Dead Queens

"Sometimes failure is the beginning of success"

-Astrid Scholte, Four Dead Queens

"Let love guide your, heart and everything else will fall into place."

-Astrid Scholte, Four Dead Queens

Cover of The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo

15. The Woods All Black

By: Lee Mandelo

3.81

Format: 153 pages, Kindle Edition

The Woods All Black is equal parts historical horror, trans romance, and blood-soaked revenge, all … read more

Similar categories in Lee Mandelo's The Woods All Black book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • lgbt
  • historical
  • fiction
  • historical fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
"Spill enough blood on it, and the earth was bound to go strange."

-Lee Mandelo, The Woods All Black

Cover of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 5 by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù

16. Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 5

By: Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù

4.59

Format: 444 pages, Paperback

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are headed for a showdown at Guanyin Temple, where their path converges w… read more

Similar categories in Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù's Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 5 book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • lgbt
  • historical
  • fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
Cover of The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley

17. The Half Life of Valery K

By: Natasha Pulley

4.20

Format: 375 pages, Hardcover

From the author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street and The Kingdoms, an epic Cold War novel set i… read more

Similar categories in Natasha Pulley's The Half Life of Valery K book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • lgbt
  • historical
  • fiction
  • historical fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
"Guilt like that, it's a sort of arrogance, you know? An assumption that everything is your own fault when that's clearly absurd."

-Natasha Pulley, The Half Life of Valery K

Cover of Godly Heathens (The Ouroboros, #1) by H.E. Edgmon

18. Godly Heathens (The Ouroboros, #1)

By: H.E. Edgmon

3.85

Format: 400 pages, Hardcover

Infatuation. Reincarnation. Damnation. Gem Echols is a nonbinary Seminole teen living in the tin… read more

Similar categories in H.E. Edgmon's Godly Heathens (The Ouroboros, #1) book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • lgbt
  • young adult
  • fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
"We are not just gods walking around steering human bodies. We are also humans housing the souls of gods. Okay? And if it really matters that the Mountain is never a colonizer'--I brush my thumb again…"

-H.E. Edgmon, Godly Heathens (The Ouroboros, #1)

Cover of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 4 by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù

19. Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 4

By: Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù

4.72

Format: 388 pages, Paperback

History stands poised to repeat itself as Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are besieged by walking corpses… read more

Similar categories in Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù's Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 4 book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • lgbt
  • historical
  • fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
"Yin Yu and the farmers were nervously spectating the action and providing commentary. “Yeah, I can tell that lady ghost's love has warped into hatred. She's going nuts!"

-Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 4

Cover of Icarus by K. Ancrum

20. Icarus

By: K. Ancrum

4.08

Format: 382 pages, Hardcover

Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, this… read more

Similar categories in K. Ancrum's Icarus book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • lgbt
  • young adult
  • fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
Cover of Little Mushroom: Revelations (Little Mushroom, #2) by Shisi

21. Little Mushroom: Revelations (Little Mushroom, #2)

By: Shisi

4.55

Format: 396 pages, Paperback

With the retrieval of his spore, An Zhe is closer than ever to being discovered as a xenogenic in t… read more

Similar categories in Shisi's Little Mushroom: Revelations (Little Mushroom, #2) book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • lgbt
  • fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
"In fact, humans are not different from the monsters of the outside world. It's just that because of the brain's flexibility, they give their various actions self-deluding meanings. Humans are just on…"

-Shisi, Little Mushroom: Revelations (Little Mushroom, #2)

Cover of Little Mushroom: Judgment Day by Shisi

22. Little Mushroom: Judgment Day

By: Shisi

4.59

Format: 402 pages, Kindle Edition

"Until the day humanity falls." In the year 2020, Earth's magnetic poles disappeared and hum… read more

Similar categories in Shisi's Little Mushroom: Judgment Day book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • lgbt
  • fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
Cover of Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

23. Fake Dates and Mooncakes

By: Sher Lee

3.84

Format: 272 pages, Paperback

Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians in this heartfelt, joyful paperback original rom-com that foll… read more

Similar categories in Sher Lee's Fake Dates and Mooncakes book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • gay
  • lgbt
  • young adult
  • fiction
  • queer
"We have the destiny to meet across a thousand miles."

-Sher Lee, Fake Dates and Mooncakes

"I'm not sure which knife on my place mat is for cutting the tension"

-Sher Lee, Fake Dates and Mooncakes

"Grief has a way of sneaking up on you when you're least expecting it. A song, a phrase, a scent...then you're falling into an empty space inside that you thought you'd patched. That you thought could…"

-Sher Lee, Fake Dates and Mooncakes

"I shrug. "He lives in a huge mansion and drives a Ferrari. I ride a bike with a squeaky front wheel. Our worlds are as far apart as the sun and the moon." "They align every now and then," Aunt Jade p…"

-Sher Lee, Fake Dates and Mooncakes

Cover of The Temperature of Me and You by Brian Zepka

24. The Temperature of Me and You

By: Brian Zepka

3.52

Format: 412 pages, Hardcover

Sixteen-year-old Dylan Highmark thought his winter was going to be full of boring shifts at the Dai… read more

Similar categories in Brian Zepka's The Temperature of Me and You book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • gay
  • lgbt
  • young adult
  • fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
"One ingredient for love might be when the person you are with starts loving the people in your life who came before them."

-Brian Zepka, The Temperature of Me and You

"When you lose that many parts of yourself, it hurts. And when you realize those parts are irreplaceable, you become lost too."

-Brian Zepka, The Temperature of Me and You

"Jordan and I were each part of a story, a hug, a kiss, and a friendship. None of those things can exist without the other part. When you lose that many parts of yourself, it hurts. And when you reali…"

-Brian Zepka, The Temperature of Me and You

Cover of Before We Disappear by Shaun David Hutchinson

25. Before We Disappear

By: Shaun David Hutchinson

3.88

Format: 512 pages, ebook

The Prestige meets What If It’s Us in Before We Disappear, a queer ahistorical fantasy set during t… read more

Similar categories in Shaun David Hutchinson's Before We Disappear book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • gay
  • lgbt
  • historical
  • young adult
  • historical fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
"Running from you would be like running from the air in my lungs."

-Shaun David Hutchinson, Before We Disappear

"I'll steal your heart,' he said 'You cannot steal a gift freely given."

-Shaun David Hutchinson, Before We Disappear

"He was a million mirror shards turned inward, he was a rootless tree following the sun."

-Shaun David Hutchinson, Before We Disappear

"Jack was home to me now too, and I knew with absolute conviction that I could find him anywhere."

-Shaun David Hutchinson, Before We Disappear

Cover of The Witch King (Witch King #1) by H.E. Edgmon

26. The Witch King (Witch King #1)

By: H.E. Edgmon

3.89

Format: 421 pages, Hardcover

To save a fae kingdom, a trans witch must face his traumatic past and the royal fiancé he left behi… read more

Similar categories in H.E. Edgmon's The Witch King (Witch King #1) book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • lgbt
  • young adult
  • fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
Cover of A Long Time Dead by Samara Breger

27. A Long Time Dead

By: Samara Breger

3.79

Format: 412 pages, Paperback

Samara Breger's A Long Time Dead is a lush, Victorian romance, drenched in blood and drama, about t… read more

Similar categories in Samara Breger's A Long Time Dead book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • lgbt
  • historical
  • fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
Cover of Illusions by Madeline J. Reynolds

28. Illusions

By: Madeline J. Reynolds

3.70

Format: 380 pages, Paperback

Thomas Pendelton was born into wealth and prestige. He has a sensitive heart and wants nothing more… read more

Similar categories in Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • gay
  • lgbt
  • historical
  • young adult
  • young adult fantasy
  • fiction
  • historical fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
"O, the things I tolerate to portray the ultimate illusion: love."

-Madeline J. Reynolds, Illusions

"I offer a kiss, my bed, my body. And then, for my own trick, I disappear."

-Madeline J. Reynolds, Illusions

"You just told me that you were giving me a taste of what I've always wanted, but you've already done that - and without the use of magic."

-Madeline J. Reynolds, Illusions

"And though I may still have to hide from those who would intend me harm, I can at least stop hiding from one person in particular... Myself."

-Madeline J. Reynolds, Illusions

Cover of The Nightmare Before Kissmas (Royals and Romance, #1) by Sara Raasch

29. The Nightmare Before Kissmas (Royals and Romance, #1)

By: Sara Raasch

4.30

Format: 368 pages, Paperback

Red, White & Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas in a sexy, quirky romcom where the gol… read more

Similar categories in Sara Raasch's The Nightmare Before Kissmas (Royals and Romance, #1) book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • lgbt
  • fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
Cover of Yield Under Great Persuasion by Alexandra Rowland

30. Yield Under Great Persuasion

By: Alexandra Rowland

4.47

Format: 320 pages, Hardcover

Tam Becket has hated Lord Lyford since they were boys. The fact that he’s also been sleeping with t… read more

Similar categories in Alexandra Rowland's Yield Under Great Persuasion book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • lgbt
  • fiction
  • fantasy
  • queer
Cover of Love and Other Secrets (The First Kiss Hypothesis #2) by Christina Mandelski

31. Love and Other Secrets (The First Kiss Hypothesis #2)

By: Christina Mandelski

3.74

Format: 280 pages, ebook

Star lacrosse player Alex “Kov” Koviak has it all. Or so everyone thinks. He’s real good at pretend… read more

Similar categories in Christina Mandelski's Love and Other Secrets (The First Kiss Hypothesis #2) book and Madeline J. Reynolds's Illusions

  • romance
  • young adult

25 Top fiction books like Illusions by Madeline J. Reynolds

Transform Your Habits

A Mortal Song

Megan Crewe

3.69

Transform Your Habits

The Tiger's Watch (Ashes of Gold #1)

Julia Ember

3.50

Ash Princess

Laura Sebastian

3.98

Transform Your Habits

You Should Be So Lucky

Cat Sebastian

4.39

View all the books

19 must-read fiction books like Icarus by K. Ancrum

Transform Your Habits

The Sunshine Court (All For the Game, #4)

Nora Sakavic

4.59

Transform Your Habits

Otherworldly

F.T. Lukens

3.99

Transform Your Habits

You Should Be So Lucky

Cat Sebastian

4.39

Transform Your Habits

Evocation (The Summoner’s Circle, #1)

S.T. Gibson

3.66

View all the books

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