In Case You Missed It: Backlist Book Love (August 7)
Political Fantasy Edition
Welcome to ICYMI, where I yell about and encourage you to read some books that didn’t just come out within the past few months! Maybe they’re a few years old; maybe they’re a lot of years old. Why am I doing this? Because books (and their authors) shouldn’t have to thrive or die based on the first week of sales. Check out the first installment for the full explanation!
This month, let’s check out some great fantasy books, all of which cast an interesting eye on ideas of power, privilege, and politics.
Links in this post are affiliate links to Bookshop; if you buy a book using them, then I get a little somethin’-somethin’ from Bookshop, which I will then use to… buy more books.
Torn by Rowenna Miller
Published March 2018
The Age of Revolution in a fantasy realm, with a heroine who is a dressmaker. I love so much that Sophie’s magic is dependent on the very kind of feminine skill that so many other fantasy books disdain to show how very independent their heroines are. Nah; you don’t have to do that! The Unraveled Kingdom series explores the total messiness of revolution and nation-building, through the eyes of characters with plenty of reasons to feel conflicted about it. Read this, then follow it up with Fray and Rule.
Witchmark by C. L. Polk
Published June 2019
When this book came out, it won the 2019 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel and was a finalist for the Nebula, the Locus, and the Lammy. And yet… somehow I missed it at the time! Maybe you did, too. Or maybe you read this one and didn’t then go on to Stormsong and Soulstar. Well, consider this your sign to remedy that. This series is a fascinating look at the lengths that those in power will go to in order to keep that power. The politics are sharp and incisive; the magic is dazzling and harrowing; the characters are compelling and full of heart.
Gilded Cage by Vic James
Published July 2017
What if a magical 1% used their power to keep the rest of a nation in thrall to them? In an alternate version of modern-day Britain, all non-magical citizens owe ten years of service to the magical elites. When it comes the Hadley family’s time to serve, things… do not go exactly as planned, for them or their overlords. The Dark Gifts trilogy
Hmm. All these stories are about revolution, the power of popular movements, and challenging the status quo… Wonder why that’s what I have on my mind…
Anyway!
Go forth and read! You have nothing to lose but your imagination’s chains.
