Tag: Book Reviews

For the Love of Books #26

If ever I needed a reminder of the heights of great worldbuilding, this collection, from one of our great SFF pioneers, Ursula Le Guin, offers a masterclass. Eight short stories and novellas bring us worlds near and far, those travelling between worlds, and shifting perspectives from outwards to inwards with thought-provoking poignancy.

The Birthday of the World; by Ursula Le Guin

To give you a sneak peek into the inner workings…

The Birthday of the World

The Birthday of the World is considered to be the time the sun stands over Mount Kanaghadwa, when people count themselves a year older, although the rituals and ceremonies are no longer remembered. In a society struggling with their concept of god, the narrator reflects on their own beliefs, rituals and ceremonies, layering a world where gods dance and die, and wild dragons fly. But with wars at the borders, lands have grown too large and the existence of God itself is threatened. The world must die so that God may live, and so the narrator is left pondering the identity of God itself.

Old Music and the Slave Women

Esdan, a chief intelligence officer, ends up on a clandestine mission during a civil war. Intercepted by government forces, he is imprisoned on a large slave estate, where his perspective becomes increasingly limited. In a brutal world, this is a story of survival, and hopeful endeavour in the coming revolution. Will the rebellion reach them? From humiliating violence, to muddy waters of human inequity in supposed liberation, to the failings of world construct to deliver utopia, it is in the bonds between slaves that kindness and comfort is found, and where the heart of the story lies.

Paradise Lost

On a multi-generational voyage to a potentially habitable planet, Liu Hsing and Nova Luis are members of the fifth generation born on the space ship. Many are excited by the idea of discovery, a planet to explore and send information back to the human species. But some people, especially the older generation, subscribe to the religion of Bliss – the state of a blissful journey, with no end. For them, Bliss is the only reason to stay alive. Liu and Nova are faced with followers of the religious cult who question if living on a planet is such a joy. There are also environmental themes, highlighting the challenge of making change, and the overall question of what is natural and what is not. An interesting read, fascinating in its construct, and thought-provoking in the themes of isolation, religion and utopia.

Solitude

Solitude is told by the narrator, as she reflects on her experiences growing up on Eleven-Soro. Her mother was an Observer, whose work involved settling among the native people of Eleven Soro, to learn about this complex alien world. Cultural differences between mother and daughter eventually drive them apart. Where the mother shuns the alien culture, the narrator adopts it as her own, wanting to grow her soul and experience what it means to be  a person of that culture. It is a theme reflective of generational confusion, complicated by outside influence. It is also an interesting use of perspective, approaching the culture of Eleven-Soro from a colonised mindset, yet entirely shifting perspective onto a young woman who becomes part of it. Cultural norms are highlighted, which require societies of modest population, driven by a desire for solitude and the social norm being introverts, perhaps essentially selecting for autism. In true style of Ursula Le Guin, subverted expectations are delivered with ease, which illuminate and surprise, in this creative and thought-provoking world.

The Matter of Seggri

Set in the dystopian society of Seggri, the story is written as a first contact report on the ship’s log of the Wandership. The captain describes a complex society which demonstrates gender as a social construct. Gender expectation is subverted and replaced with inventive roles. The impact of colonialism is also questioned, with consideration given to a society destabilised by outside contact. Previous colonial interference messed with chromosomes, which now results in there being sixteen women for every one man. In the present day, men have all the privilege and women have all the power. Given the opportunity, would men cling to their privileged status or demand freedom, and would women resist giving up their power? Would the sexual system break down?

Unchosen Love

In a world textured with colour, legend and mystery, a polygamous society is structured around family units called sedoretu. Hadri has been chosen to join one such family, after a man seeks out his affections. Homosexual and heterosexual coupling is commonplace, and various aspects of relationships are explored, including the more insidious coercive control.

‘Being unhappy in a room is worse than being unhappy outdoors.’

It is following one mysterious encounter that Hadri comes to realise his true feelings. It is a startling discovery, not least for himself, and brings with it a tantalising coming-of-age feel.

Mountain Ways

This story continues with the themes from Unchosen Love, with society structured around the same sedoretu units. Two women fall in love outside of convention, but over time they conform and strive to form a sedoretu. Through it we see the cost of compromise, the bitterness of conformity and restriction, a stark contrast to two previously independent souls. It was an intriguing and illuminating play on character, that also undoubtedly left a bitter taste. There was also an interesting interplay with the natural world, challenging the concept of ownership. I particularly enjoyed the portrayal of environmental equity.

Coming of Age in Karhide

Set on the fictional planet of Gethen, a place where adults have no fixed gender identity, the story follows Sov Thade Tage em Ereb, a teenager living in a large communal home in the Karhidish city of Rer. As Sov experiences biological changes, it is clear they are ready for kemmer, held in a communal Kemmerhouse for those sexually receptive. Any children conceived in the Kemmerhouse are raised in the communal home, the hearth. Sov and their friend, both ready for kemmer, express fears that being in kemmer is dehumanizing, being seen as a sex machine. And so Sov’s coming of age story is told, of changing bodies and sexuality that was utterly relatable, as well as a meaningful alternative look into gender identity in a place where, quite simply, love is love.

What are you reading?

For the Love of Books #25

Summer is here, the lavender is in bloom, and it’s the perfect time to cast away into imaginative landscapes anew. While I fine tune the layers of my third instalment of Blood Gift Chronicles, checking depth of sweeping landscapes filled with magic and colour, I smile to think of the times my work has been compared to Ursula Le Guin’s. Huge compliment, and she is of course a wonderful source of inspiration. And I’m also honing in on the characters, seeing them in my mind’s eye, carving out strengths they never knew they had.

I adore character arcs that surprise, illuminate, fill with dread and show possibility, the storylines that find new paths, reflect, inspect and seek out the poetry of humanity. While I continue on the path for my own story, this train of thought brought a wonderful title to mind, with characters I simply adore. Enjoy…

The Second Bell, by Gabriela Houston

The Second Bell is an intimate and heartfelt tale that had me captivated from the start. Set in an isolated mountainous community, we first meet Miriat, a woman faced with an impossible choice. She has a daughter named Salka, but Salka is no ordinary girl: she is a striga, a child born with two hearts, considered to be a dangerous demon. Salka’s fate is to be banished from the community and likely perish in the wilderness. But Miriat will not abandon her daughter and instead leaves with her, to face a life of hardship and deprivation. They reach a remote outcast village where previous strigas have gone before. It is a suspicious community with harsh self-imposed laws: it is forbidden for a striga to follow the impulses of their second heart; to do so faces the punishment of having their second heart burned out of their chest. For a mother like Miriat, the advice is simple: since an infant cannot be expected to have any self-control, ensure the other heart doesn’t have any reason to assert itself.

Miriat’s personal story arc is one I adored, demonstrating a mother’s unreserved and steadfast love for a daughter whose very existence is a fight for survival; a love uncompromising in its willingness to self-sacrifice. Immersive writing takes you deep into the heart of the community, where villagers share bonds of communal living and struggle, sacrifice and an uncompromising vision. An array of characters come to life on the page, with needs and desires, loyalties and betrayal, where seers are revered and the most indoctrinated hide secrets.

Fast forward years later and Salka is a young woman, still living with her mother in the village, and trying with all her might to adhere to the rules. She is taught self-loathing for a power that is integral to her, and to approach life with self-discipline that leaves no room for compassion. She is soon tested, and fails, and tested again, to the point she might break. And as the reader, I was rooting for her each step of the way, appalled and teased by a complicated community that enforce bleak truths and live out hypocrisies. Salka’s journey is one of courage and loyalty to integrity, compassion and truth, one that encourages the reader to reflect on what it means to be human, what it means to dare to embrace ourselves. A wonderful and unforgettable read.

What are you reading?

For the Love of Books #24

With summer upon us, I thought I would bring you some wonderfully inventive reads, colourful enough to add vibrancy to any sun-filled day. It’s a trilogy of novellas, bringing us Binti, a young woman from the Himba people, who reveals Namibia in a whole new light, treating us to an intimate glance of the rich traditions of this tribe: a desert people who wash with red clay and oils from flowers. Or at least it starts that way…

From an author intent on showing the magic of Africa through the magic of Africanfuturism.

Binti, by Nnedi Okorafor

Binti is the first of Namibia’s Himba people to be offered a place at Oomza University. But to take the place means defying her core traditions, leaving her family behind, and risking scandilizing her entire bloodline. Nevertheless, she heads out into the galaxy and into a world that incorporates biotechnology, with space ships possessing natural exoskeletons that could genetically enhance to grow breathing chambers. There is also an interesting fusion of fantasy: astrolade scanners that can see a person’s future; and strange, many-pointed artefacts called Edens, that no one knows the function of, just that it appears like art. It is one of the many ways in which this author’s work is often genre defying, and defining, with stories championing their own rules, paving the way for real innovation.

Binti is a skilful builder of astrolades and gifted as a harmonizer, but knowledge comes at a cost and the journey is far from easy. The Meduse are an alien race and long-term enemy of Oomza university, and now they are attacking her ship to devastating consequences. But our plucky heroine is grounded by the wisdom of her people, a tribe obsessed with innovation and technology, although as a general rule, they prefer to explore the universe by travelling inward.

Binti Home, by Nnedi Okorafor

Binti is returning home, after a year of study at the university, with her alien friend, Okwu. She is not the same girl and it is not certain that there will be a place for her among the tribes of her desert homeland. She has been suffering PTSD after what happened on the journey out – waking dreams and hallucinations – and has been seeing a therapist.  As she approaches home, she considers how she hasn’t told her family about her hair not being hair anymore, that it was now a series of tentacles resulting from Meduse genetics being introduced to her genetics. She was still coming to terms with the sensation, and could hide the truth when speaking with her family through the astrolabe, but in person she wouldn’t be able to hide the fact that her locks moved on their own.

Surprises await her at home, and while some of her tribe are resistant to Binti’s changed outlook, acquired through inter-solar travel, the truth cannot be denied: Binti has seen the Night Masquerade. And so the story is told, blending culture and tradition with the innovation of space travel and marvellous invention. I loved the Africanfuturistic vison, with solar power ingrained into homes, covered by bioluminescent plants growing on the outside, homes that are more like self-sustaining creatures than homes. Among the tribes of her homeland, Binti learns about the mysterious and ancient edan she wears, and she discovers more about her origin, among the undying trees of the desert.

Binti, The Night Masquerade, by Nnedi Okofafor

In this concluding part to the trilogy, Binti returns, with a heartfelt tale that makes you just love her even more. A war is coming, and together with her new friend, Mwinyi, Binti attempts to stop it. Prepare for a feast for the imagination in what feels like an explosive finale. I adored the narrative, each word alive on the page, bursting with colour and invention. And I loved the deep-dive into the desert hinterland and the mysteries of the tribes. While Binti’s truths are layered in visions brought on by the alien zinariya, humanity and alien once again merge, taking us on a cascading journey of glorious technicolour. As Neil Gaiman says, ‘Prepare to fall in love with Binti.’

What are you reading?

For the Love of Books #23

Spring in the UK, from heavy rain to glorious sunshine, fading daffodils to colourful tulips; the unpredictability of changing seasons brings its own kind of magic. And so I’m stopping by with two recommendations of stories with magic in recognisable worlds.

The Iron Brooch by Yvonne Hendrie

In 1940s London, seventeen-year-old Brigid chooses an iron brooch, a family trinket, as her ‘something old’ to wear on her wedding day. But the heirloom is more mysterious than she could have imagined: through it she receives bird-like visions of Scotland’s Doon Hill in Aberfoyle, the place of her father’s homeland. Pregnancy forces Brigid to leave her family home and head to London to find lodgings, but the visions grow stronger, leading Brigid right out of 1940s time, for a while.

So begins the magical dual-timeline novel, connecting 1940s London inextricably with 1690s Scotland, and the story of Robert Kirk, searching for his lost love in realms beyond this world. It is around the time of the festival of Beltane when the veil grows thin, revealing fae sightings and dangerous magic from a wholly mysterious race. Robert’s heartfelt search leads to research and a resulting manuscript, ‘The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies,’ by Robert Kirk, a book Brigid grew up reading.

I was absorbed by Brigid’s story from the first, moved by her struggles of grief and pregnancy, and rooting for her as she is forced to navigate the world alone. And as she increasingly sees through the veil, I was utterly captivated by the depth into which the author delves into the preternatural, while expertly grounding us into the real. It is a truly spellbinding tale so tightly woven, that for a moment at least, you question the flickering haze in the corner of your eye.

A Master of Djinn by P.Djeli Clark

The year is 1912, and Lord Worthington oversees the gathering of a secret brotherhood, established to uncover the wisdom of Al-Jahiz, the disappeared Soudanese mystic. The world sits at a precipice, man’s ability to create has exceeded his ability to understand, leaving dangerous forces at play. A masked man arrives, claiming to be Al-Jahiz, and slaying the Brotherhood with powerful magic.

Meanwhile, Fatma is puffing on her hookah. Enchanted massel is a banned substance, but Fatma is practised at sorcery, skilled in conjuring the smoke. While surrounding deals are made over discovered antique bottles, Fatma produces her badge which states she is with the ministry, an organisation charged with creating balance between the mystical and the mundane. When a eunuch arrives with a message for Fatma, she heads off to Giza to investigate the supernatural crime at Lord Worthington’s house. Twenty-four people are dead, burned by fire, though there are no signs of a fire. Abigail, Lord Worthington’s daughter, saw a masked man in the house, but otherwise the identity is a mystery. And so begins a detective investigation by Fatma, her new partner, Agent Hadia, and her old love, Siti.

A magical read, founded on the old Gods entombed beneath the earth of Egypt in colossal sarcophagi, like the Pharoahs of old. And among the hum drum life of Egypt’s streets, alive with tantalising description and compelling narrative, there are men in gold masks, ghuls, beings of flames called Ifrits, and elemental djinns with ephemeral bodies as transparent as sheer fabric. Among city riots, the investigation is brought alive by the central relationship between Fatma and Siti, two women, or a woman and a djinn? And as momentum gains pace, the characters deepen, exploring identity, exploitation, oppression and magic, bringing to life the humanity of magical beings.

What are you reading?

For the Love of Books #22

Approaching the end of LGBTQ+ history month here in the UK, and I thought I would share two SFF titles, if not for historical relevance, for the significance of representation. Sci-fi has often been seen as ahead of the curve in breaking barriers, and across the genres, marginalised voices are coming to the fore.

The Four Profound Weaves; by R.B. Lemberg

The first of the four profound weaves is woven from wind to signify change, invisible threads woven into whispered weaves, spun from a captured wind and revealing hints pf pink and silver desert hues. This type of descriptive narrative flows throughout this magical novella, with tantalising magic woven from the surrounds, almost plain to see but impossible to catch – just like a magic carpet, which was one of the reasons I was drawn to this book.

The story begins with Uiziya, sitting in her goatskin tent waiting for the return of her exiled Aunt Benesret. Her weaves cannot compare to Benesret’s, whose expert fingers could weave even from bones. Uiziya’s lessons of the Four Profound Weaves are unfinished, and still she waits to inherit her aunt’s loom, waiting to learn the weave of death. It’s a weave that involves an actual death. Benesret previously killed Uiziya’s husband for the sake of the weave. It was the reason Benesret was banished, because she killed. Nevertheless, it is a weave Uiziya must learn, since she is destined to become a great weaver of the Four Profound Weaves, one who would bring the gods themselves to her bidding.

Uiziya’s search for Benesret coincides with the Nameless Man’s search for his name. It is three months since the Nameless Man’s transformation at the ceremony of change, but his people, the Khana, don’t recognise transformed people, instead insisting that the shape of one’s body determines one’s fate. Uiziya is also a changer, since after weaving her cloth, the sandbirds came to her.

This is a brooding tale against a colourful backdrop, incorporating thought-provoking contemporary discussion of gender identity and transitioning. The Nameless Man ponders the social impact of his transformation: all his life he had been a lover, trader, and reluctant grandmother who cared for their grandchildren. Now he was a grandfather. But in his culture, grandchildren never saw their grandfathers. It is insight like this that gives real depth to character, narrative and backdrop. Fantasy woven alongside these personal journeys of transformation, reveal the challenges of surrounding microaggressions designed to undermine an identity to uphold another. I loved the simple statement given in one response to tireless questioning of a person’s identity: ‘This is what feels right to me.’

Thought-provoking themes set against an imaginative world called Birdverse, described with magical lyricism that is a feast for the senses, makes for a truly memorable story.

Gideon the Ninth; by Tamsin Muir

Enter the world of lesbian necromancers…

Gideon lives on a remote planet, home to both the stronghold of the House of the Ninth, and a tiny prison used for criminals whose crimes are so repugnant, they cannot be rehabilitated in their own houses. The Ninth House is an enormous hole cracked vertically into the planet’s core, and the prison is a bubble installation set halfway up into the atmosphere. Gideon first arrived when her mother mysteriously appeared, falling down the planetary shaft. Gideon, just one year old at the time, survived the fall. She was chipped, surnamed and put into the nursery. By age five they knew that she was not a necromancer, and by eight that she would never be a nun. By ten they knew she knew too much and could never be allowed to leave. By the time she is eighteen, Gideon has attempted to run away eighty-six times. The alternative would be to die in this dark netherworld, which would only be the beginning.

On the tenth thousand year of the King of the Undying, Prince of Death, Gideon makes another attempt, only to be thwarted by the Lady of the Ninth House, Reverend Daughter Harrowhawk. Harrowhawk has her own plans for Gideon: for Gideon to become cavalier primary of the House of the Ninth. Serving Harrowhawk may not be Gideon’s idea of a good time, but it’s the only way to leave. But what will she be leaving for?

Welcome to an inventive and ghoulish world, where mysterious tendrils lie in wait to ensnare and crush the life out of those still living; a labyrinth of death, bones, panic, quest and mayhem. Disorganised chaos is punctuated with sarcastic, sadistic and mysterious notes that speak to the reader as much to the characters, tempting you to turn the page and delve further into this Alice in Wonderland-esque creepy maze. Magically weird, dark worldbuilding, with lively narrative and well-scripted dialogue brings to life the humanity of necromancers.

What are you reading?

 

For the Love of Books #21

2023 so far has been filled with some magical reads. As writers we look for those layers to encapsulate and bring to life the essence of characters, cultures, worlds… and two titles stand out, for their intrinsic connection with music, that adds depth in a way that is difficult to define, because it’s as omnipresent as culture in stories masterfully woven.

Nine Bar Blues, by Sheree Renee Thomas

Nine Bar Blues is an extraordinary collection of evocative tales, rich, layered and textured with magic that haunts, uplifts and ascends any bounds of expectation. With prose that sings and muse that flies through the pages, I was hanging onto every word that guided me deeper into the authors layered imaginings and startling observations. From curse-bound sisterhood journeying to the source of ancestry, through poisoned landscapes of an other-worldly earth, to golden mermaids, tales are woven with musical renditions that move with the rhythm of cultural change, alive with the sounds of souls.

This is magic and fantasy rooted in the real; snapshots of life as sharp as cut glass that stop you in your tracks and make you lose your breath for a long pause. From contemporary social justice concerns, and words that carry the weight of history in finely-drawn prose, this collection speaks truth to the abuse of power, truths that sing to slave songs, lost souls, and the blues. An inspiring and masterfully woven collection.

Songspinners, by Sarah Ash

Orial works with her father, Dr Magelonne, in the Sanatorium of the spa city of Sulien. She is close to her father, more so since her mother, Iridial, died. Iridial had lived and breathed music, and now Dr Magelonne forbids music, since it provokes memories too painful to endure. But, like her mother, music flows from Orial like water. Only in the Undercity, at her mother’s shrine, can she practice the art that she has taught herself. But there she experiences strange visions in a waking dream – the searing pain of burning flames.

The underground labyrinth of the Undercity was built by ancient builders, the Lifhendil, commonly known as Songspinners in modern-day Sulien. Their artwork is still displayed on the Undercity’s walls, but their beliefs and language are lost, save for fairy stories and folk tale. This mysterious race possessed a unique trait – multi-coloured irises, which Orial and her mother shared. And as the world unfolds, revealing the depth of Orial’s gift, wonder, intrigue and danger merge.

In the Undercity, Orial is approached by refugees from Bel’Esstar, fleeing persecution from the Commanderie. One of the refugees, Amaru Khassian, is a composer, whose hands have been badly burned, injuries so severe, he won’t regain the use of his hands. A strange and unique connection exists between Orial and Khassian, one that makes clear to Orial that she simply must have music in her life, whilst for Khassian, a dangerous chain of events are triggered. Their personal music describes their uniqueness, and their contrasting and connected plights: Orial’s as darting and bright as a dragonfly’s flight; Khassian’s with despair and madness fuelled by ego.

This is an evocative, beautifully drawn world. I adored the magic, memorable, tangible, yet delightfully just beyond our reach, with tales of musical telepathy, faeries and dragonflies, and mystical reservoirs. Orial’s character was utterly captivating from the start, a thoughtful, determined, empathic young woman, and utterly intriguing in her magic as the story unfolds like an orchestral song. And as tensions run high in this complex world, the question remains, will Orial succumb to madness?

What are you reading?

For the Love of Books #20

The new year begins with a flurry of writing projects, and a stack of books just waiting to be devoured. I can’t wait to get stuck into my Xmas haul:

Nnedi Okorafor’s Binti series has been on the list for a while now, as I steadily devour everything this author has written from her ever-expanding wonderfully inventive collection. Which brings me to my ‘For the Love of Books’ book recommendations, both titles by this brilliant author.

Broken Places and Outer Spaces, By Nnedi Okorafor

Broken Places & Outer Spaces is an extraordinary, powerful and intimate biographical read. From star athlete with lifelong scoliosis, to a paralyzed patient following what should have been routine surgery, Nnedi Okorafor shares a journey she was forced to navigate. It was a battle that would ignite her passion for storytelling and the transformative power of imagination. It is a journey that, combined with her strong ties with Africa, in turn brought her back to science, allowing her to forge a connection with science fiction where previously she had felt disconnected.

‘In much of science fiction, when something breaks, something greater often emerges from the cracks. This is a philosophy that positions our toughest experiences, not as barriers, but as doorways, and may be the key to us becoming our truest selves.’

‘Inventive’ and ‘illuminating’ spring to mind when describing this author’s work. There is vivid colour and tone in her work that touches the senses, and a truth to the content and style that is steadfast, determined, and perhaps deeply driven to connect with the deepest parts of self. After reading this book, I have a greater appreciation of where that colour comes from. It is an account touching on illness and disability, with experiences I could relate to on a personal level, which in turn was incredibly illuminating and inspiring. In true form of where reality meets science fiction, this is Nnedi’s potentially true story of transforming into a cyborg.

Noor, By Nnedi Okorafor

Anwuli Okwudili, by definition to many Nigerians, is trouble. In her home of Abuja she is a demon, a witch, an abomination. To replace an organ or two with cybernetic, 3D-printed, non-human parts was fine, but go too far and you will be seen as more machine than human, the lowest of the low, cultureless offspring of the elite. In truth her cybernetics made her a damn good mechanic, but fixing cars, phones, problems… making people happy, still wasn’t enough to be understood. Disabled at birth, further disabled in a following car accident, she had been building on herself for years. The neural implants cost her her fiancé who claimed enough was enough, but AO saw no reason why she shouldn’t make her own decisions, that would mean she could move through the world on her own terms. And she did, in her hometown Abuja, until events took a turn and she was forced to flee into the desert.

‘There are times when you either save yourself or you don’t.’

Interesting characters come and go, including Baba Sola, a white man in the desert, not there to colonize, appropriate, seize and destroy, but rather to travel, learn, laugh, share and observe. And her main companion, a herdsman from nowhere, called DNA. Baba Sola leaves them with a message: they’re coming, and when they come, know your worth. And they did come, and AO knew her worth, and her capability at taking on the Ultimate Corporation.

I adored the unlikely heroine, a real survivor, feisty and determined in her independence and self-worth. It is an inventive story set in Nigeria, with mysterious haboobs and Ultimate Corp warehouses – a place you’ll never understand unless you enter one, and when you do, prepare for a ride. And the city of legend, the Hour Glass, where people go to be found, to disappear or to just be. It is there where AO discovers her true powers, that will make her question whether she was an experiment, an accident, a glitch or a mutation. Whatever she was, now the whole world knows it. Game on. A brilliantly inventive read.

What are you reading?

Jolabokaflod 2022

In celebration of Iceland’s very wonderful Christmas Eve tradition, Jolabokaflod, I bring to you my own ‘Christmas book flood’: a 12 day book advent of my personal favourite reads from 2022. From fantasy and sci-fi, to short collections, to biography, steampunk, and epic historical fiction, it is a wonderful and eclectic collection brought to you in no particular order.

Enjoy!

Day 1 – Book of Fire by Michelle Kenney: feral people, a wild girl, hidden forests and so much more. A perfect blend of imagination, mythology, and plausible science to describe a possible future dystopia.

Day 2 – The Second Bell by Gabriela Houston – the intimate heartfelt story of Salka, a girl born with two hearts. An unforgettable MC, courageous in the face of harsh laws that test her demon heart.

Day 3 – The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi – and just WOW what a read! Epic, deeply personal, and a testament to the true and lasting connections between history, tradition, the present day… and the immense power of stories.

Day 4 – Coalescence by Tim King – an extraordinary and dynamic collection of rhyming memoir, storytelling verse, rants, raves and revelations that reflect the clear light of day, told with grace, sparkling humour, punchy frankness and expert simplicity.

Day 5 – The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri – evocative fantasy with sapphic romance, lush world building, and forbidden tales of origin and magic folklore. Loved the feminist edge, unafraid of tackling issues of independence and empire pertinent to the world as we know it.

Day 6 – Everfair by Nisi Shawl – alternate history of Belgium’s colonization of Congo, exploring an outcome if indigenous people had had their own steam tech. Loved the inventiveness that blends perfectly with the African backdrop.

Day 7 – Broken Places and Outer Spaces by Nnedi Okorafor – biographical read from star athlete with lifelong scoliosis, to a paralysed patient following routine back surgery; how the transformative power of imagination ignited her passion for storytelling.

Day 8 – Noor by Nnedi Okorafor – biotechnology, cybernetics, destiny, and a kick-ass MC, AO, disabled from birth, determined, independent and powerful. ‘There are times when you either save yourself or you don’t.’

Day 9 – There – a wonderful poetry collection from Exeter’s Slam Champion Poet 2022, Clare Morris, in collaboration with artist, Nigel Bird. Word and art woven together, oozing with soul, that makes you want to saviour the moment.

Day 10 – The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey – on an imaginary Caribbean island, the love between man and mermaid felt as real as a blackbird’s song. Tantalising blend of the mythical woven into visceral realism of everyday life. A wonderful read.

Day 11 – The Iron Brooch by Yvonne Hendrie – a magical, dual-timeline novel, with captivating depth that delves into the preternatural. Brigid is forced to navigate a world where the veil grows thin, revealing the dangerous and mysterious Celtic fae. Spellbinding.

Day 12 – The Four Profound Weaves by R.B. Lemberg – Uiziya’s journey becoming a great weaver: tantalising magic woven from wind, sand, song and bone. A brooding, sinister and colourful backdrop, with thought-provoking gender politics. Loved the trans MC. And magic carpets! Wonderful read.

***

In turn, it was wonderful to see my own Blood Gift Chronicles make several advents this year, including Stairwell Books.

Now back to my Xmas Eve read…

Wishing everyone a wonderful festive season!

For the Love of Books #18

Thinking along the lines of complex characters, non-conforming women with agency, and sapphic romance in the fantasy genre, I thought I’d stop by with a recent read:

The Jasmine Throne; by Tasha Suri

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