• The cover of the book A Phoenix First Must Burn

    A Phoenix First Must Burn



    A Phoenix First Must Burn is an SFF anthology of sixteen short stories written by bestselling and award-winning Black women and gender non-conforming people. I love this anthology because it’s both a celebration of and a testament to the innate power and magic of Blackness, as experienced through the lens of women and people of other marginalized genders. All of these stories are well-written, compelling, and I highly recommend them, but some of my feminist faves include “Gilded” by Elizabeth Acevedo, “Hearts Turned to Ash” by Dhonielle Clayton, and “Letting the Right One In” by Patrice Caldwell.



     


  • The cover of the book Gods of Jade and Shadow

    Gods of Jade and Shadow



    Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the mastermind behind one of my favorite horror novels to-date, the New York Times bestselling Mexican Gothic. Gods of Jade and Shadow does with magical realism what Mexican Gothic does with horror. The story follows Casiopea, a young woman living in a small town in southern Mexico, who accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan death god. What follows is a thrilling adventure that takes Casiopea on a journey through the harrowing Mayan underworld.



     


  • The cover of the book The Space Between Worlds

    The Space Between Worlds



    Micaiah Johnson is a staggering talent, and her debut novel, The Space Between Worlds, is a thrilling exploration into the themes of feminism, race, and poverty set against the backdrop of a vivid and intricate multiverse. The story follows Cara, a professional time-traveler whose citizenship depends upon the success of her work. But when her doppelgangers on other worlds began to die mysteriously, Cara’s quest to uncover the truth reveals a plot that endangers not just her life, but the entirety of the multiverse. The New York Times calls this story “Profoundly satisfying,” and I couldn’t agree more.



     


  • The cover of the book An Ember in the Ashes

    An Ember in the Ashes



    The best of grimdark feminist fantasy, An Ember in the Ashes is a page-turning (and, at times, gut-wrenching) look into one girl’s fight to save her brother and rebel against a brutal system of tyranny, slavery, and oppression. This is a gritty YA fantasy read with a sprawling world, compelling characters, and stakes so high you’ll have trouble putting this book down. A must-read!



     


  • The cover of the book The Bear and the Nightingale

    The Bear and the Nightingale



    The perfect read for the winter season, The Bear and the Nightingale is a Russian-inspired fantasy that follows our main character, Vasilisa, a spirited young woman raised in the Russian wilderness, who struggles against her controlling stepmother, who would rather see her married off or committed to a convent. But when misfortune falls upon her village, Vasilisa is forced to look within in order to find the strength and power she needs to stop it. With its stunning prose and folkloric worldbuilding, The Bear and the Nightingale is certain to sweep you away.



     


  • The cover of the book Wilder Girls

    Wilder Girls



    Wilder Girls is a beautifully written (and eerily relevant) horror story about Raxter, an all-girls school on a remote island in Maine that succumbs to a strange and gruesome virus called the Tox. A few months into quarantine, students begin to disappear mysteriously in the night. One of them is the enigmatic Byatt, the best friend of our protagonist Hetty, who will do almost anything in order to find her. But her plight to find her friend reveals horrible secrets about Raxter, the Tox, and everything Hetty believed to be true. Best suited for those who love their feminist fantasy with a helping of existential angst and body horror. I can’t recommend it enough!



     


  • The cover of the book The Girl in Red

    The Girl in Red



    The Girl in Red is a gritty, post-apocalyptic reimagining of the story of Red Riding Hood. It follows our protag, Red, a razor-sharp young woman doing her best not to become prey in a world full of blood-thirsty predators. This page-turner is perfect for those who like their fairytale reimaginings with a feminist edge. It’s a sharp and engrossing read.



     


  • The cover of the book The Year of the Witching

    Featured Book

    The Year of the Witching



    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.