Book Review: Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Book Review: Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
A stunning #OwnVoices debut representing Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) culture in a hook-you-from-the-start thriller. Teenage Daunis Fontaine gets roped into an FBI investigation of a meth ring in her small hockey-obsessed town near the Canadian border. Her knowledge of the Anishinaabe community, the hockey world, and medicinal plants make her the perfect informant, but digging too deep will put her in…
“Had our hearts really become so numb that we needed dead bodies in order to feel a beat of compassion in our chests?”
All American Boys was another tough one to read. I read it after The 57 Bus, and my emotions were already running high—I kept waiting for it to get worse. Luckily, though, it never got as bad as I anticipated. This book did a really good job of showing that your heroes are human, and not always deserving of the pedestal you put them on—not to say that they are bad people, but that even decent people can do bad things. Though this story ended on a fairly good note—I know it would have been an entirely different story if Quinn had not been at the scene and seen with his own eyes what happened. This would be a good book to help encourage readers to stand up for what is right, to question their heroes even though that is really difficult, and not to not be complacent and expect that problems will just fix themselves—especially when those problems are ones that you could ignore from a place of privilege.
We asked you to tell us about your publications to have it featured on our page, so here we are! These are the ten (10) books submitted to us written by Writing With Color readers. Thank you for sharing your lovely diverse works. Folks who missed out on this shout-out or haven’t had their works released just yet, look out for more submit requests in the future!
Premise:Disabled veteran Michael Baldwin retreats to his family’s vacation home with his service dog, Kaylee, intending to rebuild his life without giving in to his father’s political ambitions. On his first day there, he discovers the local bagel shop – and proprietor Josh Goldberg. Letting someone in is a tall order for two men who can’t trust themselves, but if they have any hope of a future together, that’s exactly what they’ll need to do.
Themes/Elements:Romance
MC Background: Michael (white), Josh (white, Jewish, adopted, ownvoices)
Other Diversity: Queer (gay, bisexual), Jewish family (ownvoices), mental illness (PTSD, anxiety, service dog, ownvoices; also aphasia and dyslexia), physical disability (traumatic brain injury), weight (fat character, insecurity but no fat-shaming, ownvoices)
Premise: Someone’s been leaving Hanukkah presents on Mara’s doorstep. Sweet presents – thoughtful presents. Hopefully her secret admirer is the cute guy who moved in next door and not the creep from 7A.
Premise:Alyssa was on a well-deserved vacation when she met the lead singer of Djed. The two hit it off immediately but is there more to their attraction? Will Alyssa let down her guard and give Marcu a chance? There may be something stronger than chemistry drawing them together.
Premise: An author’s sudden death means her characters need to find a replacement writer to be their home and tell their stories. 16-year-old Annabelle could be just what they’re looking for. …if she can put in the work to one exacting muse’s satisfaction.
Themes/Elements: The art of writing; imaginary friends; multiple planes of realty; stories within stories
MC Race: Annabelle = African American
Other Characters: Apart from Annabelle and her family, no human* races/ethnicities are specified (*fantastic races like light elemental and cat god, though present and hella awesome, don’t count)
Other Diversity: Both Annabelle and character Uri identify as asexual
Premise: Afghanistan vet and new teacher, Cole Visser, never expected to find himself teaching at his old high school. Which is why when he runs into his old college girlfriend, Zara, and her cute-as-a-button daughter, Angelica, Cole’s life turns on its head. How is he going to reconcile his feelings for the one who got away while trying to build a relationship with his newly discovered daughter?
Themes/Elements:Romance, Second Chance Romance, Teachers
MC Race:White
Other Characters: Hispanic/White Bi-racial.
Other Diversity: LGBTQIA+, disability, mental illness, etc.) Main character is an amputee with PTSD, Love Interest has Depression
Premise:Cadan is the king of Nidum star system’s favorite weapon, and his beloved cousin. Her sometimes-lover and main annoyance Sophi captains a smuggler ship. When the king’s children are kidnapped, Cadan knows only Sophi has the skills to help her get them back before full war breaks out.
Themes/Elements:Lesbians IN SPACE, aliens, antagonistic relationship to romance, family both found and blood, love in many permutations
MC Race:Black
Other Races: Chinese diaspora
Other Diversity: Lesbians, Trans characters, Disabled characters, Nonbinary characters, Muslim characters, Polyamorous characters
Premise: Siblings Luke and Ellie Kakiro are the last surviving members of an ancient line of seers. Armed only with their late mother’s journal to teach them control over a perilous and oftentimes forbidden gift, the two become the target of complex hidden societies and forces not entirely human. Entangled with Lilith, a complicated woman trapped in the modern world and on the run from the same enemies, and aided by Viper Insane, an all-women street-racing gang, the Kakiro siblings journey across the country—and sometimes between worlds—in search of the secrets behind their mother’s research.
Themes/Elements:modern fantasy, magic & tarot, family, the first generation experience, mental illness worsened/complicated by magic, moral dilemmas, society, girl gangs
MC Race: Mixed - Puerto Rican, White, and Middle Eastern/North African Diaspora
Other Characters: Colombian, Mixed - White, Middle Eastern/North African Diaspora
Other Diversity: Bisexual main character, LGBTQIA+ major secondary characters; mentally ill main character & major secondary character
Premise: It’s a coming of age tale about 4 young and very different girls who get paired together for a science fair project. Something goes wrong and they end up blowing up their school. The series follows them afterwards as they try to pick up the pieces of their lives, manage new friendships, juggle school, maneuver through family drama all while discovering new abilities.
Themes/Elements: Superhero, Friendship, Diversity, Life skills
MC Race: Cuban/Puerto Rican , African American , Caucasian , and Pakistani
Other Characters:Creole
Other Diversity: Muslim, Plus size
If you enjoy any of these books, let us know here so the author can see! Also please leave a review on goodreads, amazon, etc.
Hi tumblr. This is where it all started for me. I want to say thank you. My LGBTQ novel in verse just got optioned for a tv show by Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey. It’s been a fantastic journey. And I can’t wait to share all the other projects I’ve got coming up too. Thanks for supporting my dreams, tumblr squad. ❤️
OmoiBloom is releasing ETOMAIM RISING five months in advance for FREE. $1 of every book purchased on Kindle and in physical format will be donated to Voices of Children to aid children displaced in war torn regions.
since the response was so very fast and generous with the last one- anybody has any good short stories collections to recommend? bit weird is fine with me, diverse would be fantastic
Shelf Confidence Book Photo Challenge | Day Ten: Heartbreak Even with a *SPOILER* pretty happy ending, there was definitely some heartbreak in this book
Black Wizard History Month may be a celebration of the Black magical people in the Harry Potter universe, but there are plenty of stories written by and about Black magical protagonists. If you’re looking for books about Black kids living in magical worlds and/or with magic of their own, check out this shortlist of recommendations pulled together by the BGC team!
The Belles, Dhonielle Clayton
The Belles is a fantasy story that follows Camellia Beauregard, a Belle — one of few who control beauty in the world of Orleans. In her quest to become the favorite of the royal family, Camille learns that for all of its obsession with beauty, Orleans has a sinister underside that threatens not only her but the people she loves. This book interrogates the concept of what is beautiful, who gets to decide beauty, and who gets to control beauty, with an original magic system set among a lush and descriptive backdrop.
The Legacy of Orïsha series, Tomi Adeyemi
The Legacy of Orïsha series follows diviner Zélie Adebola on a journey to restore peace and liberate the maji of Orïsha after a chance encounter with a mysterious runaway, who turns out to be Amari, the princess of Orïsha. In their quest to restore balance in the world and exact justice, Zélie instead throws the very structures of magic and identity into chaos. The first two books in the series, Children of Blood and BoneandChildren of Virtue and Vengeance, inspect systems of oppression outside of a western colonial lens, the dangers and pitfalls of power, and the importance of cultural knowledge all while celebrating the beauty and power of Blackness.
A Phoenix First Must Burn, Patrice Caldwell, et al.
Looking for a bunch of Black Girl Magic in one concentrated dose? That’s exactly what you find in this anthology of 16 fictional stories by as many Black authors. From the vampire/Hollywood star Black girl romance you didn’t know you needed (“The Actress” by Danielle Paige) to an over-qualified magic apprentice conversing with mermaids (“Melie” by Justina Ireland), your magical wish is this book’s command. Super powers? (“All the Time in the World” by Charlotte Nicole Davis) ✅ Neuro-atypical loner meets mysterious — and magical — queer romance? (“Letting the Right One In” by Patrice Caldwell) ✅ Magical elder hidden in plain sight? (“Tender-Headed” by Danny Lore) ✅✅
Are you a Phoenix yet?
A Blade So Black, L.L. McKinney
Often called Alice in Wonderland meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer, A Blade so Black follows Alice as she fights monsters between Wonderland and Atlanta, juggling school with training in magic weapons and psycho killer queens. The story includes the very real threat of police violence in the real world, and how that affects people, especially Black mothers who don’t know their daughters have magic powers to defeat evil. There are great twists on Alice in Wonderland characters (Addison Hatta, get it?) and the cover is gorgeous.
How Long ‘til Black Future Month?, N.K. Jemisin
There are many stories of magic and science-fiction in this short story collection by N.K. Jemisin, but some favorites with magical characters include: “Red Dirt Witch,” which features a battle between an older Black magic practitioner and a white fae who comes after her kids in the Jim Crow South. “The City Born Great” — a sort of prequel short to Jemisin’s upcoming novel, The City We Became — stars a homeless queer Black man who must fight a being older than anything (Cthulhu-style, and which may be the cause of gentrification) and reclaim New York City for it’s more marginalized inhabitants. “L’Alchemista” is about a Black chef who is visited by a strange visitor who leaves her some curious ingredients and challenges her to make what he says. The whole collection is great, and even the sci-fi stories have Jemisin’s particular magical talent of fantastic writing.
Daughters of Nri, Remi K. Amayo
Twin sisters separated at birth can be pretty cliché, but Daughters of Nri takes this trope and makes it passion. In this story, Naala and Sinai begin on completely different paths — Naala, to become wife of her village chief’s son and Sinai, keeping her head down in the palace courtier system to avoid bullies. Through some pretty lethal stakes (loved ones murdered by a tyrannical leader) and challenges (powers manifesting for the first time) we see each girl using her haters as motivators to a satisfying victory in the end of the book. Almost too satisfying… Suffice to say this is a series to keep an eye on.
A River of Royal Blood, Amanda Joy
While the title alone could win an award for its drama, A River of Royal Blood aptly describes the protagonist’s, Eva, magical ability and the blood letting it requires as well as some major plot points in the book. As a princess and younger sister of a land where only one princess can survive to adulthood, Eva is already short of luck. Add in her mother’s preference for her older sister based on bias against her blood magic abilities alone, and Eva is almost a guaranteed failure. Luckily, she befriends some boss magical Black fae and others who help her stand a fighting chance. Come for the drama, stay for the multi-magical species historical mystery that unfolds.
Hello everyone! I’m so excited to be a part of the cover reveal for DARK OF THE WEST by Joanna Hathaway! This stunning debut will be out next spring from the wonderful people at Tor Teen!
ABOUT THE BOOK By: Joanna HathawayPublished by: Tor Teen To Be Released on: 5/8/2018 Pre-Order from:Macmillan|Amazon|B&N|IndieBound
Add it toGoodreads He was raised in revolution. She was raised in a palace. Can their love stop a war? Code Name Verity meets The Winner’s Curse in Joanna Hathaway’s Dark of the West, a breathtaking YA fantasy debut.
Aurelia Isendare is a princess of a small kingdom in the North, raised in privilege but shielded from politics as her brother prepares to step up to the throne. Halfway around the world, Athan Dakar, the youngest son of a ruthless general, is a fighter pilot longing for a life away from the front lines. When Athan’s mother is shot and killed, his father is convinced it’s the work of his old rival, the Queen of Etania—Aurelia’s mother. Determined to avenge his wife’s murder, he devises a plot to overthrow the Queen, a plot which sends Athan undercover to Etania to gain intel from her children.
Athan’s mission becomes complicated when he finds himself falling for the girl he’s been tasked with spying upon. Aurelia feels the same attraction, all the while desperately seeking to stop the war threatening to break between the Southern territory and the old Northern kingdoms that control it—a war in which Athan’s father is determined to play a role. As diplomatic ties manage to just barely hold, the two teens struggle to remain loyal to their families and each other as they learn that war is not as black and white as they’ve been raised to believe. PRAISE FOR THE BOOK In this reimagining of Europe’s world wars, Joanna Hathaway delivers a novel of court intrigue and action-packed military adventure. Dark of the West is a heart-pounding romp that will leave the reader wanting more.”—Melissa de la Cruz, #1 New York Times bestselling author “Airplane battles, revolutions, palace intrigue, star-crossed love, feuds spanning generations. This story’s scope is ambitious, a world unto itself, yet Hathaway wields the narrative with powerful precision. Dark of the West is a debut to be reckoned with.” —Ryan Graudin, author of the Wolf By Wolf duology
ABOUT THE AUTHOR JOANNA HATHAWAY is an avid storyteller and history buff whose writing is inspired by her great-grandfather’s participation in WWI. She loves traveling the globe, flying in airplanes, and is forever a “horse girl.” Born in Montréal, Canada, Hathaway now resides in Minnesota. Dark of the West is her debut novel.
