Absolutely! 'River of Teeth' is a rainbow-coated thrill ride. Houndstooth’s bisexuality is as natural as his knack for hippo heists, and Adelia’s non-binary identity is portrayed with nuance—they’re fierce, flawed, and utterly captivating. The book avoids tokenism by giving queer characters messy motives and heroic arcs. Hero’s genderfluidity isn’t a gimmick; it’s part of their lethal charm. Even the villains aren’t straight-washed, which feels refreshing. Gailey’s worldbuilding treats queerness like breathing—essential and unremarkable. The romance subplots aren’t sidelined; they’re entangled with the action, making every stake personal.
'River of Teeth' isn't just about hippo wranglers and alternate history—it's a queer-infused adventure that celebrates diversity. The protagonist, Winslow Remington Houndstooth, is openly bisexual, and his relationships are woven seamlessly into the narrative without feeling forced. The author, Sarah Gailey, crafts a world where LGBTQ+ identities are normalized, not exoticized. Houndstooth's romance with a non-binary character, Adelia Reyes, adds depth to the heist plot, blending passion and danger. Even side characters like Hero, a genderfluid assassin, defy stereotypes, making the story feel fresh and inclusive. The book's strength lies in how it treats queerness as mundane yet vibrant, never reducing characters to their orientations.
The supporting cast includes Archie, a gay explosives expert whose humor lightens tense moments, and a sapphic couple running a rival operation. Their dynamics aren't just background noise; they drive alliances and betrayals. Gailey's choice to set this in a gritty, fantastical 1890s America—where queer folks exist unapologetically—subverts expectations. It's rare to see historical fiction (even alternate history) center LGBTQ+ voices so boldly, and 'River of Teeth' does it with flair.
Yep, and it’s done with such ease that it feels revolutionary. Houndstooth flirts with men and women alike, and no one bats an eye. Adelia’s pronouns are respected without debate, a detail that matters in today’s literary landscape. The queer relationships here aren’t tragic or purely erotic—they’re layered, sometimes tender, sometimes strategic. Even minor characters, like the gay couple who run a rival crew, get memorable moments. Gailey doesn’t shout about diversity; she just lets her characters live, love, and scheme authentically.
Definitely. From Houndstooth’s fluid sexuality to Adelia’s non-binary identity, 'River of Teeth' brims with LGBTQ+ representation. Hero’s genderfluidity is woven into their assassin persona seamlessly. The book’s strength is its casual inclusivity—queerness isn’t a plot device but a lived reality. Even the hippos feel more traditionally binary than some humans here, which is hilarious and heartening.
2025-07-07 03:11:04
6
View All Answers
Scan code to download App
Related Books
River Pack and the Vampires
Abigail Phillips
10
131.0K
A broken Alpha series (Can be read as a stand-alone)
What happens when a full blooded vampire is born in a pack of werewolves?
What happens when the elders from the vampire coven sense a full blooded vampire has been born, and it's not with them? What happens when they discover that baby is living with werewolves, living with a race they don't like. Even though they have a treaty, they simply tolerate each other.
What happens when they say that full-blooded vampire baby needs to be with its own kind, and they come for it? Will they keep the treaty they've had for so long, or will they break it and end up in a war?
Everyone's favorite character and favorite couples continues. Watch the love bloom between the new couples, and watch their newly rescued omegas learn how to live, after being raised in a life of nothing but pain and torture.
Watch their mates. show them what real love is. And those Omegas learn they are now finally safe and learn, what love is.
This is book 5 of, A Broken Alpha series. Here's a list of the series in order.
4) Noah, an Omega's story. (Complete)
(This is a prequel to book 1, and should be read either before, or after book 1)
1) A Broken Alpha (Complete)
2) Alpha Reid and the Hybrids (Complete)
3) Maddox, the Broken Alpha (Complete)
5) River Pack and the Vampires ( ongoing)
Fate doesn’t ask. It demands.
On the night of his 18th birthday, Kieran Blackwood's future was supposed to begin. Instead, it shattered.
Bound by an impossible mate bond, drawn to someone he was never meant to love, Kieran's world spirals into darkness, secrets, and betrayal. As the past resurfaces and power shifts, he learns that some mistakes don’t stay buried—and some bonds never break.
When the outcast becomes the king, what’s left for the prince who turned him away?
There are three choices; Bite Bleed, Bow
---
River Witch
Some bloodlines are bound to water. Some debts are never paid in full.
When Evelyn Blake returns to the remote riverside village of Elowen after fifteen years away, she expects grief and silence—but not the whispers that rise from the mist-covered water. As bodies resurface and ghostly lights drift through the fog, Evelyn uncovers a buried legacy: a pact made generations ago between her family and a nameless spirit that haunts the river.
With the curse's final reckoning approaching, Evelyn must confront the sins of her bloodline, unravel the truth behind her ancestor’s forbidden ritual, and decide whether to escape the fate written for her—or embrace it.
In a village where no one speaks of the drowned, the river never forgets. And it always collects what it’s owed.
The city was a cage. The forest is a hunt.
Lila Voss ran to the decaying town of Eldridge Hollow to disappear. Broken by the suffocating expectations of her old life, she wanted nothing more than to be invisible. But when she cuts through a rain-slicked alley on her first night, she learns that some things cannot be outrun.
She is found by Jax—a massive, feral Alpha wolf shifter who has been tracking her scent. He doesn't offer help; he offers a claim. Driven by a primal biological imperative, Jax bites her, kidnapping her into the depths of the forest to face a destiny she never chose.
Now, Lila is no longer human, but she isn’t yet a wolf. Trapped in the pack’s subterranean den, she must survive the agonizing, bone-breaking transformation into a rare Silver Wolf. But her survival isn't just about the shift. Thorne, a sadistic rival Alpha, covets Lila as a trophy to breed a stronger bloodline, and he’s willing to burn the forest down to take her.
With a war brewing on the border and a scorching, undeniable bond consuming her from the inside out, Lila must decide: will she remain the victim, or will she embrace the monster within and become the Queen the pack needs?
Calypso has always been a cast-off, not enough of a vampire or wolf to join a coven or pack. However, the choice to be a loner isn't an option. Now she must join a pack since no coven wants her.. Until the covens find out who her father is and what secrets her blood holds.
Complications arise with Lost River Pack. She turns to her father, but is that also a mistake? How often have they betrayed her before she loses faith in everyone else? Who is really on her side?
17-year old Lexy and her girlfriend try to balance high school life with a major secret; they’re vampires. However, when a new girl arrives in class one day, school soon becomes the least of their worries as they fight against pure evil to save the human world as we know it. Relationships will be tested, hearts will be broken, blood will be spilled.
The main antagonists in 'River of Teeth' are a ruthless gang of feral hippo wranglers led by the infamous Archie. These guys are the worst kind of outlaws, using their knowledge of hippo behavior to control the riverways and terrorize anyone who gets in their way. Archie's particularly nasty—he doesn’t just kill his enemies, he feeds them to his hippos. The gang’s brutality makes them a perfect foil for the protagonist’s crew, who are trying to clean up the mess they’ve made. The dynamic between these two groups turns the story into a high-stakes battle of wits and survival.
'The River Has Teeth' is one of those books that sticks with you because of its raw, witchy vibes and complex characters. The story centers around Natasha, a girl desperate to find her missing sister, and Della, a young woman from a family of witches tied to the land and its secrets. Natasha’s determination is heartbreaking—she’s not the typical protagonist who waits around for answers. She barges into the eerie world of the Lloyd family, where magic isn’t just folklore but something dangerous and alive. Della, on the other hand, is caught between her family’s dark legacy and her own moral compass. Their dynamic is electric, with Natasha’s grief-fueled rage clashing against Della’s guarded, almost feral protectiveness of her family’s secrets.
What I love about these two is how they subvert expectations. Natasha isn’t just a damsel in distress; she’s messy, furious, and willing to risk everything. Della isn’t the aloof magical girl trope—she’s deeply human, struggling with loyalty and guilt. The supporting cast, like Della’s intimidating mother and the cryptic river itself, almost feel like characters too. The way the author weaves their stories together makes the woods and water feel alive, like they’re whispering secrets just out of reach. It’s the kind of book where the setting and characters bleed into each other, creating this immersive, unsettling atmosphere that lingers long after you finish reading.