all about diverse, debut, and indie sci-fi & fantasy books written by women and nonbinary authors

Category: Book Reviews

Book Review: The Library of Fates by Margot Harrison

There are so many things I didn’t like about this book, it’s hard to decide where to start. Maybe with the lack of diversity…unless I missed something (which is possible listening to the audiobook), I didn’t pick up on any characters with any bipoc, lgbtqiap+, neurodivergent, disabled, etc. representation.

Library of Fates centers around two timelines, a group of students, their professor, a magical library, and a magical book. One timeline takes place while they are in college taking a seminar together. The other is 20 something years down the road when some of them reunite to solve a mystery about the magical book and the library it powers.

Without spoilers, the idea of the magic book/crux of the whole story falls short to me. It imagines a promise which the author makes it seem is assumed to be the natural choice for people. However, I found this assumption to be coming from a place of superiority and ego. It’s hard to say this without spoilers but the book assumes people would make a certain choice given the ultimate power of something at the end. That people read books to see only themselvs in as the hero. Yet many do and should read books with others represented as the main to learn about different perspectives and backgrounds and stories. The concept presented in the book assumes people center themselves in everything, and yes many do, but many don’t and given the choice wouldn’t and shouldn’t.

The romance is not believable and superficial at best. It’s also a little messed up. I didn’t know before going in, but the male main character is a “player”. That alone would have made me put the book down. The language used in this book, the terms used, the adjectives, the way the characters speak to each other is reminicent of 90s-2000s rom com american hollywood-speak, bland, crass, unimaginative, and infused with misogyny. Such quotes like “you look sexy when you use the power”…NO THANK YOU.

There’s one comment about American tourists in this book that reeks of a French superiority complex. Not that American tourists aren’t known to have a certain reputation but it added to the already pretentious francophilia of the book.

I wouldn’t recommend this at all.

Perhaps the only part I enjoyed was that it brought back memories of living in Boston and being around the areas mentioned in the book.

About the Author

About the Publisher

Graydon House is part of Harper Collins.

December 10, 2025
Book Review: Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher

Cosy, hilarious, slighly creepy evil roadrunner god to deal with…

Snake-Eater is written in T. Kingfisher’s easily identifiable style which includes a protagonist in her 30s, a fairytale-esque quest against a villain that is not sympathized, a quirky found family, and animals (most likely chickens somewhere).

Our protagonist with severe anxiety runs away from a toxic relationship to the desert where her aunt lives. Only, her aunt has passed away and no one in town seems to mind her moving into the house. In fact, they seem to want her there. Then, a few strange things start happening and before you know it, she might have some creepy creatures to fend off with her new small-town found family.

Snake-Eater is what some might call a “cosy horror” story. I get nightmares quite easily and tend to stay away from horror but I really enjoyed this book! I’ve been wanting to read more “horror” but make it lighter and cosier and this fit that bill so perfectly.

T. Kingfisher excels at creating quirky found families that make everything feel like it’s going to be alright and you know the dogs aren’t going to die. At least not in this one. I love how she pulls in chickens often into her books (coming from a backyard chicken owner). Anyone who owns and loves their chickens (as opposed to pure livestock) from a backyard perspective has got to have a good sense of humor!

There’s something about Kingfisher’s writing that makes the book from about 40% to 70% feel slow. This happened in Hemlock & Silver, in Nettle & Bone, and in Snake-Eater. I’m not sure why but I do reach a point where the pacing easily disconnects me but once I get closer to the end, it’s a mad dash to the finish line.

Content warnings: For much of this book, the main character is dealing with and working through a high level of anxiety due to childhood trauma from their mother (including religious indoctrination) and current gaslighting from their now-ex partner (since the beginning of the book). If you don’t want to read about a character struggling with their mental health due to an manipulative partner with strong gaslighting techniques, maybe steer away from this one until you are ready.

There is also occasional discussion of religion and beliefs. One of the characters is a Catholic priest but one that not traditional. Even so, this may also be a trigger to some.

I would still recommend Snake-Eater overall though with always a caveat for checking the trigger warnings for any book first. Without giving spoilers away, I will say that the character arc for the protagonist is immensely satisfying.

I wanted to stay in this world in the desert myself in a small house with a backyard garden and hilarious neighbors with chickens that come over with drinks and we can shoot the breeze on the porch. After we’ve cleared all the scorpions out though…

Check your library for a copy or buy direct from a local indie bookstore! This can offset this book being unfortunately published by an Amazon imprint, 47North…something I didn’t realize until after.

Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

About the Author

December 8, 2025
Book Review: Red City by Marie Lu

This book is one of the most well-written/edited books I’ve read. Full stop.

It manages to maintain excellent pacing throughout the entire work while still building incredible world/magic systems, but also leading readers through robust character development.

Red City is a violent story of rival criminal syndicates based in L.A. that centers around the practice of alchemy and a drug called Sand. We follow two best friends who find themselves on opposite sides without realizing until it’s too late.

There are horror elements in this urban fantasy, including a serial-killer coworker and body horror tied to alchemical transformations. It gets gritty to say the least.

Please check trigger warnings. I’m really disappointed that one specific content warning was not on the author’s website. This should be standard for any authors/books that contain triggering content, such as (see below). I didn’t see it on Goodreads either. The only warnings I found were on StoryGraph, but since the tags are community-added, it’s hard to know the content level accurately.

While objectively this book is a finely crafted creation, can I say I enjoyed it? Did I enjoy watching two innocent, beautiful souls enter a world of destruction, survival, coercion, retaliation, drugs, crime, violence, etc.? No. But hope always holds out longest, and I devoured this book for glimpses of it.

Order it and support indie book shops here:

Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

Trigger warnings detail: SPOILER ALERT!

Click to reveal spoiler
Specific content warnings: There is a side character (Sam’s mother) who’s boss rapes her. It’s off-screen, but what’s on-page is the scene leading up to it, so please bear this in mind. It’s incredibly triggering. She also has flashbacks later on, and the perpetrator shows up in other scenes of the book, so it’s not something that only appears once, but the event and theme pop up again a few times. Additionally, there are scenes with explicit sexual content that I skipped over (because, trauma), but from catching a few words of Sam and Will’s pages, it didn’t sound good. It sounded rough. And I would offer another caution for this as well, for those who may not want their trauma to be triggered. Again, I wish the author had provided content warnings somewhere obvious, like her website or Goodreads.

Of course, there are far more content warnings regarding violence, body horror, and drug use.

About the Author

Marie Lu was born in China but currently lives in L.A. Find more information on the author’s website linked here.

December 2, 2025
Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris

No notes.

Loved this book!

If you are looking for a combination of murder mystery, detective work, and creatures of myth & legend that is set in London/Paris featuring women leads in a man’s world, this is the book for you.

I really enjoyed the story crafted here that draws on history while also critiquing the systems of oppression that would see woman as less than.

Interestingly, the author makes a choice to have both protagonists be Catholic although nothing about them IS Catholic. None of their actions or beliefs from what I can remember stick out to me as characters that are part of this faith. This is coming from someone who spent their childhood forcibly indoctrinated in this religion. It didn’t fit the story, it didn’t fit the characters. Or the author didn’t make the connection and it’s purpose clear.

Aside from this, I enjoyed the book and it began to border on horror a bit in some places. It wasn’t too much so this might be a good beginner horror book for those looking to test out the waters so to speak?

5 stars.

Buy from Bookshop.org here.

Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

Find more information about the author and their books at their website linked here!

November 26, 2025
Firstborn of the Sun by Marvellous Michael Anson

HIGHLY recommend this book – especially the audiobook. What an amazing performance from narrators Adjoa Andoh and Folake Olowofoyeku!!

This is the first part of an epic fantasy series rich in Yoruba inspiration. Forbidden powers, political maneuvering, and secrets upon secrets. The magic system is well thought out and explained. The political lineage was a bit confusing at first as to who was related to who but eventually as the story progressed, it became very clear. So, if you are confused initially, continue to go with the flow – it’s worth it.

I love the complex world that the author weaves with excellent character building and development, it’s incredible and I can’t wait for more!

Find more information about the author and their books at their website linked here.

Marve has been writing for over a decade and has self-published a thriller, HIS DARK REFLECTION, to critical acclaim. Her debut fantasy novel, FIRSTBORN OF THE SUN, is the first in a trilogy being published by Penguin Michael Joseph in October 2025. This novel also placed her as a finalist in many competitions, including the 2023 Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy Writers of Colour.

Marve is an award-winning filmmaker, and when she’s not weaving fantastical tales, you can find her exploring life as a serial hobbyist, delving into everything from obsessing over myths and histories, collecting books and passionately assembling her own personal library to indulging in an unapologetic obsession with all things Christmas. She is represented by Ciara Finan and Flo Sandelson at Curtis Brown Literary Agency (UK) and United Talent Agency (USA).

She can be found online @justmarvewrites and justmarve.org

November 23, 2025
Book Review: Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots is a hilarious, fun, and devious story about superheroes and villains where you might just side with evil on this one. I certainly did.

Plot Summary:

Anna is a low-level assistant to villains working temp jobs when she is seriously injured by the most famous superhero alive. While recovering from her injury, she ends up calculating the costs of damage done by said superhero and others like him. Suddenly she finds herself employed again and diving into the world of true villainy or is it heroism? And maybe the superheroes aren’t so super after all?

Author bio (from their website):

“Natalie cultivates fandoms, builds new communities, develops character voices, leads interactive fiction workshops, designs alternate reality games, constructs branching narratives, and most mornings opens Tumblr before opening her eyes. Her client list includes scrappy indie game studios, critically acclaimed television shows, mixed martial artists, print magazines, talk shows, NGOs, and a few more that defy categorization.

tl;dr: free lance, writer, memesmith, bailed academic, nerd, gamer, metal head, SJW, world builder, supervillain.”

Review:

I rated this book five stars and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys analyzing data and human psychology that feels like they might have a tiny villain inside.

The author hits on several themes surrounding good and evil as we would call it. How some people we put on a pedestal don’t live up to how high we have built them and how some people we condemn are the farthest thing from evil. And the costs of doing “good” can far outweight the good done and was any good done at all?

One of my favorite discussions that can be had from this book is that of the creation of a villain. How are villains made? And sometimes, are heroes to blame for the existence of evil? How careless acts can damage and how covering it up hurts even more…

At first, this book seemed all fun and games but then by the end, it became a cavern of depth. Heavy on the theme of collateral damage of “doing good”. There was a lot of development of the themes, of characters, of plot action, and suddenly I was so invested, I was figuratively biting my nails until the last page.

I very much enjoyed the found family formed but make it villain. There’s also an aspect of how success can create a space for jealousy and the loss of a former life and contacts.

I was buckled in for the ride on this one and I CANNOT WAIT to start reading the ARC for the next installment, VILLAIN – coming out May 2026.

Buy from Bookshop.org here.

Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

Find more information about the author and their books at their website linked here.

November 23, 2025
Book Review: Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri

Book #1 of Tasha Suri’s DEBUT Fantasy Duology

I read this book as part of the Fantasy Finishers Book Club on Fable and I’m so glad I did. Although I will issue a specific trigger warning (see bottom of this post, warning – it’s a spoiler) along with general content warnings.

Surprisingly, this is the first book I’ve finished by Tasha Suri although I do own The Isle in the Silver Sea and started The Jasmine Throne last year.

I am NOW going to need to fast track ALL of her books.

Tasha’s writing is so so good.

Official Synopsis:

“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. Unbeknownst to her, she can manipulate the dreams of the gods to alter the face of the world.

When Mehr’s power comes to the attention of the Emperor’s most feared mystics, she is coerced into their service, as they are determined to harness her magic for the glory of the Empire. She must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist the mystics’ cruel agenda — and should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance…”

Author’s Official Bio:

Tasha Suri is the World Fantasy Award winning author of The Isle in the Silver Sea, The Burning Kingdoms Trilogy, The Books of Ambha Duology, What Souls Are Made Of and Doctor Who: The Cradle. Once a librarian, she is now a part-time writing tutor and a full-time cat and rabbit wrangler. She lives with her family in a mildly haunted house in London.

Review:

I love the world that Tasha Suri builds in this first installment of The Books of Ambha Duology. There is a map that looks like India split into various parts of the Empire. It’s very much a story of colonialism/imperialism and opression with a central ruler. Within this story, there’s also both religious and political imperialism that are closely tied to each other.

It’s rich in both character development, world building, and plot action. The concept of choice is central to the plot and I enjoyed how in depth the author explores this. Is choice an illusion or something that we can still maintain control over despite others trying to take it away from us?

The writing is well-crafted, smart, and elegant.

I would recommend this book to any fantasy reader although please check the trigger warning discussion below first if you don’t want to read about situations where choices are taken away especially from women.

Trigger warning – SPOILERS >>> a large part of this book follows a situation where a woman’s right to choose is taken away from her and she must “wed” a man she (Mehr) hardly knows. The Empire is forcing her into this and she chooses it to save her family or it’s likely they will all be killed. Her new husband Amun is also essentially a slave to the Empire and controlled by the “religious” authority. This “religious” authority tries to force them to consumate the marriage because then it will give him ultimate control over Mehr as well. Through the magic system in place. Mehr and Amun are able to avoid this for a while but then the Maha (the religious authority) finds out and tries to force them to do it in front of other people for proof. By this point they have fallen in love though and they do consumate the marriage (but not in front of others). This was hard for me to read at times because of the constant threat of sexual violence, lack of choice, and being forced to do something both Mehr and Amun do not want to do.

This situation twisted my stomach. It hangs over their heads for a lot of the book. I was able to press on because although it was always lurking in the shadows, it wasn’t front and center for most of the book. And in a way, it still remains their choice in the end because I’m sure they would have killed themselves if they didn’t want to do it. Still pretty twisted and sickening and evil situation they find themselves in, which does reflect much of the world and the violence inflicted on women by men especially by the removal of their choices.

It’s a very interesting book and I rate it quite highly at the moment.

Buy from Bookshop.org here.

Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

Find more information about the author and their books at their website linked here.

November 23, 2025
Book Review: To Shape A Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

This book should be recommended reading in schools. And for all, frankly.

I’ve seen quite a few reviews mention that this book is “slow” and there’s “not much going on (action)” and I would refute that claim. There’s A LOT that happens in this book. We follow the main character Anequs as she navigates being the first in a long time to be chosen by a dragon (something her people thought was long lost) and being forced into the colonizer’s world after they threaten her, the dragon, and her people. Since of course, they “regulate” all dragons and the people who are chosen by them.

If this story doesn’t incite rage within you, there’s a problem. There is A LOT of juxtaposing colonial ways and culture and rules with the ways of the people on the island of Masquapaug, where Anequs is from.

I adored the character of Anequs, she is strong and straightforward and stands up for what’s right consistently. If you despise the way many heroines are written in popular mainstream fantasy stories these days, this book is for you.

About the author (this is from her media blurb):

“Moniquill Blackgoose began writing science fiction and fantasy when she was twelve and hasn’t stopped writing since. She is an enrolled member of the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe, and a lineal descendant of Ousamequin Massasoit. She is an avid costumer, and an active member of the steampunk community. She has blogged, essayed, and discussed extensively across many platforms the depictions of Indigenous and Indigenous-coded characters in sci-fi and fantasy. Her works often explore themes of inequality in social and political power, consent, agency, and social revolution.”

Get to know the author more in an interview here: https://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2023/04/women-in-sff-month-moniquill-blackgoose

In another interview, the author explains more about the setting of the book:

JJ: Where does your novel take place, and how is the protagonist of your novel different from most mainstream fantasy protagonists?

MB: To Shape a Dragon’s Breath takes place in southern New England (Rhode Island, Massachussetts) in the 1840s in a very alternate timeline — the Roman Empire never existed, the British Isles were settled by Scandinavian seafarers, and the European colonization of the east coast of the US is proceeding differently. Also, there are dragons.

In the same interview, she says, “One of my greatest goals in telling Anequs’ story is to get the readers to comprehend how fundamentally different the European/colonialist perceptions of the world are from the Indigenous perceptions.” On the other side of this intention as a reader, the author has accomplished this and it is the focus of the novel.

source: https://www.bookweb.org/news/indies-introduce-qa-moniquill-blackgoose-1629444

There is a lot of info-dumping in this book and perhaps this can make readers feel like the pacing is slow but it does lay the groundwork for the future. This is perhaps my one critique of the writing style, perhaps the info-dumping might have been more spread out or worked into the story a bit more.

Although, a counter point, Anequs is in school and much of the info-dumping comes during lectures so it does invoke the feeling of actually being in a lecture, sharing the perspective and experience of the main character.

Overall, I would highly recommend reading this book, and a close reading at that. It’s one of the most important stories that needs to be heard and told. It’s beautiful, measured, heartbreaking, enraging, and one that I will be thinking about and recommending for a long time.

Book 2 is also coming out in 2026 and I have the ARC from NetGalley so stay tuned for updates on that!!

Buy from Bookshop.org here.

Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

Find more information about the author and their books at their website linked here.

November 23, 2025