So. I went a little wild and read 5 fantasy novels by women of color in 5 days. It was a glorious, fulfilling, satisfying reading journey. And today I’m sharing it with you!
Title: Empire of Sand Series: Books of Ambha #1
Author: Tasha Suri
Published: November 13, 2018
Genre(s): Fantasy
Page Count: 496
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads:The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited.
When Mehr’s power comes to the attention of the Emperor’s most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda.
Should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance…
I enjoyed Empire of Sand. It’s a Mughal-inspired fantasy with a very interesting cultural dynamic and dream-magic. Suri is a strong writer, and she was able to tell a story that engrossed from beginning to end. I also appreciated that I did not see where things were headed. Sometimes being surprised by a story is a rare, wonderful commodity.
That being said, it is true that the pace of the novel is a bit slow, and the plot feels dense in places. I didn’t feel that the book was too long, but I wonder if there might have been a way to inject a bit more energy into the middle sections of the book before the conflict starts ramping up.
But, again, I really liked the book overall and appreciated the care and detail Suri put into her setting. It was so vivid and complete.
Title: Lobizona Series: Wolves of No World #1
Author: Romina Garber
Published: August 4, 2020
Genre(s): Fantasy
Page Count: 400
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads:Manuela Azul has been crammed into an existence that feels too small for her. As an undocumented immigrant who's on the run from her father's Argentine crime-family, Manu is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida.
Until Manu's protective bubble is shattered.
Her surrogate grandmother is attacked, lifelong lies are exposed, and her mother is arrested by ICE. Without a home, without answers, and finally without shackles, Manu investigates the only clue she has about her past--a mysterious "Z" emblem—which leads her to a secret world buried within our own. A world connected to her dead father and his criminal past. A world straight out of Argentine folklore, where the seventh consecutive daughter is born a bruja and the seventh consecutive son is a lobizón, a werewolf. A world where her unusual eyes allow her to belong.
As Manu uncovers her own story and traces her real heritage all the way back to a cursed city in Argentina, she learns it's not just her U.S. residency that's illegal. . . .it's her entire existence.
This book is a perfect illustration of the oft-repeated argument that “no trope is dead until it’s been written with marginalized characters as protagonists.”
The consensus has been made clear: YA fiction does not need any more books about Special Girls with Secret Paranormal Identities who Attend Magical Schools and Realize They Can Save the World and ooo, Maybe There’s a Love Triangle (?).
…
Except! We do need those books when they’re about BIPOC, disabled, queer, or people with otherwise completely underrepresented identities in mainstream media. Lobizona is a Hogwarts story for brown girls, for immigrants, or for people who just honestly don’t have time for the flaming trash heap that is J.K. Rowling. I mean, yeah…a race of magical people with glowing pink and purple and green and red eyes is kind of cooky. But haven’t we all put up with some pretty batshit stuff from white authors in our day?
Speaking just for myself: I don’t even like any of these tropes usually! I’ve never been a big fantasy reader, I strongly dislike Special Chosen One-type protagonists, and portal fantasy isn’t my preferred subgenre. But YOU KNOW WHAT?! I liked Lobizona anyways! Because it’s a really good book! It’s smart, it’s unique, the magical society is fun to explore, and the author’s unapologetic embrace of Argentinian culture is refreshing. I think it’s an important book.
Anyway. This isn’t a review, exactly. I’m just saying.
Title: The Year of the Witching Author: Alexis Henderson
Published: July 21, 2020
Genre(s): Fantasy
Page Count: 368
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads:In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet’s word is law, Immanuelle Moore’s very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol, and lead a life of submission, devotion, and absolute conformity, like all the other women in the settlement.
But a mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood surrounding Bethel, where the first prophet once chased and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are still lurking there, and they bestow a gift on Immanuelle: the journal of her dead mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood.
Fascinated by the secrets in the diary, Immanuelle finds herself struggling to understand how her mother could have consorted with the witches. But when she begins to learn grim truths about the Church and its history, she realizes the true threat to Bethel is its own darkness. And she starts to understand that if Bethel is to change, it must begin with her.
This book is a glorious, rage-filled anthem written for all those who have ever been oppressed by the white, Christian patriarchy. A fantasy with strong notes of the Salem witch trials, The Year of the Witching is dark and gruesome and perverse and full of justified, righteous anger. Hendersen expertly creates a dystopian fantasy world that mirrors certain aspects of US history in increasingly uncomfortable ways, and places a young Black woman at its center. With chilling imagery and beautiful prose, this is not a book to be missed. Example:
I have seen the beasts of the wood. I have seen the spirits that lurk between the trees and swam with the demons of the deep water. I have watched the dead walk on human feet, kept company with the cursed and the crucified, the predators and their prey. I have known the night and I have called it my friend.
Did you like the movie The Witch? Then you’ll love this. (There’s even a black ram named Judas!)
Yeah: I liked it. A lot.
Title: Thorn Series: Dauntless Path #1
Author: Intisar Khanani
Published: May 12, 2012
Genre(s): Fantasy
Page Count: 460
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads:Between her cruel family and the contempt she faces at court, Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life. But when she’s betrothed to the powerful prince Kestrin, Alyrra embarks on a journey to his land with little hope for a better future.
When a mysterious and terrifying sorceress robs Alyrra of both her identity and her role as princess, Alyrra seizes the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl.
But Alyrra soon finds that Kestrin is not what she expected. The more Alyrra learns of this new kingdom, the pain and suffering its people endure, as well as the danger facing Kestrin from the sorceress herself, the more she knows she can’t remain the goose girl forever.
With the fate of the kingdom at stake, Alyrra is caught between two worlds and ultimately must decide who she is, and what she stands for.
This is such a delicate, quiet novel. There are no big dramatic moments, no battles, no perilous quests. Thorn is a gentle story about a princess who wishes she could be a stablehand, who wishes to sink into obscurity and hide from her duties and responsibilities—and it’s about how she rises above her fears and her traumas and makes the difficult choice to fight for justice.
It’s also a retelling of The Goose Girl, which may mean things to other readers, but since I’m a weirdo who never loved fairytales as a kid, it wasn’t much to me. (Though that might be a good thing in this case, since I was able to appreciate this book on its own, without comparing it unfavorably with a favorite childhood story.) In any case: I love the subtle themes of privilege and social justice that wove through the heroine’s journey into standing on her own two feet.
I really, really enjoyed this book.
Title: Girl, Serpent, Thorn Author: Melissa Bashardoust
Published: July 7, 2020
Genre(s): Fantasy
Page Count: 336
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads:There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story.
As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison.
Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming...human or demon. Princess or monster.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn is so good! Like…super super good. Bashardoust beautifully uses Persian myth/fairytale to explore morality and what it means to be “a good person.” Our protagonist, Soroya, works so hard to make good choices, to be more than a monster, to rise above her curse…only to realize everything she thought she knew about herself is either wrong or completely out of context. I love that this book both creates a nuanced protagonist and an intricate fantasy setting. No choice but to stan.
This is a beautiful book with a really good surprise twist in the first half that completely changes the trajectory of the plot and the reader’s experience. I think Girl, Serpent, Thorn subverts traditional “damsel in distress” fairytales and ALSO subverts “monster girl saves herself from monsterhood” plots. It’s something different, in a much-needed way.
I think I need all of these books in my life? I’ve been primarily reading Adult Romance lately, but I think some Fantasy is needed now.
Look at you tearing through SFF books like there’s no tomorrow! I am delighted that you enjoyed some of my recs and also are reading loads of other things. I can’t WAIT to read Lobizona when my library gets it in, as I DO love all those tropes. 😀 😀 😀
YOU READ SO MANY RENAE! I keep hearing great things about Empire of Sand. I like slower paced fantasies so I think it’ll work out for me. I can’t wait to read The Year of the Witching (although I haven’t seen The Witch).
I was so surprised by Girl, Serprent, Thorn! A very happy surprise.
I’m reading Born Shard Daughter and it’s pretty good!