Four Underrated Self-Published BL Stories of 2025

Here at Brink, we celebrate all storytellers, traditionally published and self-published alike! This past year has showcased amazing BL stories that have come out of the self-publishing sphere.

BL (or boys’ love) is a term originating from Japan referring to the male-male romance genre that spans across a wide range of media, like audio dramas, TV, manga, and novels. In the recent decade, this term has been adopted across the globe by creators and audiences alike.

Interested in knowing where to start? Here are four hidden gems we recommend.

For a Horse and Horseman, Vol. 1 by Lorian Merriman

For fantasy enjoyers and those who love a good ol’ romance, For a Horse and Horseman ticks all the boxes for an immersive spring read!

Timid and sensitive, Osmund isn’t a prince cut out for leading the Kingdom of Valcest, especially to his merciless father. Things become absolute chaos once his kingdom is seized by a usurper. Forced to flee across the seas, Osmund ends up as a an anonymous, horse-tending servant in Cemil’s household. Cemil, the beloved fourth son of the Meskato Emperor, takes an interest in Osmund, and their feelings slowly grow. But during it all, a terrifying plot stirs up the Empire’s fraternal power struggle, threatening the duo’s home and relationship. Now, it’s up to Osmund to stand against these enemies and his own assumptions about himself.

For a Horse and Horseman features great atmosphere, drama, and tension to keep you hooked until you realize the sun has come up though you swear you started reading at sundown. This mature fantasy is an absolute must when travelling out of the city to touch grass or in your room when the leaves are green and the flowers are blooming and beautiful—much like the stunning illustrations inside!

Return to the World! by Piamo

Whether you hate Christmas or love it, this book will make you gasp, wheeze, and cry—maybe even all at the same time.

It’s the holiday season in Return to the World!’s universe. Giant Christmas trees are in every shopping mall, children are making snowmen, and Mariah Carey has melted out of her ice block. Unfortunately, Mikhail Li is not feeling the Christmas spirit. As someone who doesn’t care whether he’s on the naughty or nice list, Mikhail uses the holidays as an excuse to ask his dad for exorbitant amounts of money. But fiddling with the radio to avoid bad Christmas carol remixes may not be the safest thing to do when driving more than 170 mph and he T-bones a telephone pole. Having knocked out his guardian angel, who was collecting Mikhail to Heaven, he’s now equipped with the angel’s halo, which keeps him alive, but only for twenty-five days unless he finds a way to reverse his fate.

This novella is packed full of some of the most insane, wholesome, and downright funniest scenes you can imagine. From stealing a guardian angel’s job and witnessing the heavens attempting to murder Santa, you’d think it was December already! This is a perfect read against the cozy fireplace with a hot cocoa in hand (plus two marshmallows) on Christmas Eve, or in the middle of summer when you’re sweating buckets and need to transport to the North Pole ASAP.

Flesh and Bone by Arden Powell

Want a short novella that packs a punch? Look no further than Powell’s western gothic horror novella, Flesh and Bone.

It’s 1889 in the Canadian wild west. Guilt and shame either kills or consumes you. A month ago, Everett did something unforgivable. Now he and his best friend, Marshall, are paying the price. Driving their cattle west into the Rocky Mountains, they notice something stalking them under the light of the full moon. Everett survives the monster’s attack, but it leaves him with the bloodthirsty urge to tear himself and Marshall apart. While the survival of the cowboys is still threatened, Marshall now must come to terms with the hand he’s been given to protect his secret beloved before the monster gets both of them.

Flesh and Bone is everything you’d want in a supernatural horror: gritty, terrifying, raw, and filled with so much yearning it’s as bittersweet as 95% dark chocolate. The texture of the setting makes it feel as if you’re right where the characters are standing (or running). Reading this will be a ride you won’t forget!

The Salvation of the Scum Prince, Vol. 1 by L. L. Yovoki

Subversive and filled with mystery, Salvation of the Scum Prince is a fantastic dark fantasy BL for transmigration fans and a great introduction to the genre.

Suddenly transmigrated into the body of a cannon-fodder character in his favorite, tragic book, Ren Suzuki finds himself as Soren Rosenbaum right when he’s supposed to die. But, instead, survives through his interaction with the protagonist of the novel, Raphael Han. Soren never wanted to live in the first place. From birth, he’s been cursed with the inability to die and aims to wait out the universe’s end to finally taste the sweet release of death. In the meantime, Ren changes the main aspects of the plot through Soren’s identity, so every character’s journey is resolved, but keeps crossing paths with Raphael…

For book one in a series of three, expect to be blown away by the depth of the characters, lore, and relationships this story features. Soren stands out amongst the plethora of transmigration genre protagonists with his unorthodox goal and personality, and his evolving relationship with Raphael leaves you wanting more with every chapter, and before you know it, you’re already preordering book two!

I hope you found some stories for your TBR or to recommend to your friends! To find more hidden gems in the writing community, join more online reading communities and browse F(r)iction’s catalog that includes self-publishing authors and queer representation!