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Artifice & Access by Ella T. Holmes, Ashley N.Y. Sheesley, M. Stevenson, Lynne Sargent, Kara Siert, Adie Hart, Harper Kinsley, Natalie Kelda, Rascal Hartley, Casper E. Falls, Zira MacFarlane, Tam Ayers, Elior Haley, Rory G. It’s long been acknowledged that disability representation is lacking in the fantasy genre landscape, so in this cozy anthology, fourteen writers from around the globe come together to bring you wonderful fantasy stories centering disabled and chronically ill characters. Teeming with magic, otherworldly creatures, discoveries, and journeys, every story is as thrilling and fascinating as it is passionate and meaningful. Worlds are discovered, lives are changed, and swords are drawn. Disabled and chronically ill characters go questing, fighting dragons, healing, and enacting strange magics. Familiar fairy tales are reimagined, and new fairytales are forged, with each story shattering stereotypes and challenging traditional narratives. Come see yourself reflected—or discover something new. Stories included: One Cream, Five Sugars by Harper Kinsley A Witch's Tale by Rascal Hartley Use Your Words by Zira MacFarlane The Changeling of Brushby by Natalie Kelda To Make Her Eat by M. Stevenson Hope, Be It Never So Faint by Ashley N. Y. Sheesley A Night For Mischief by Elior Haley Lessons in Botany by Casper E. Falls Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass by Adie Hart In Another World, I Twist The Knife by Rory G The Knife That Makes The Cut by Lynne Sargent Angharad ferch Truniaw by Tam Ayers The Girl & The Gum-riddle by Ella T Holmes City of the Sun by Kara Siert |
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Child of the Dragon by Ashley N. Y. Sheesley The chosen one is dead, the prophecy left unfulfilled, and the shape-shifting dragons of modern-day Earth are still cursed to be puppets to their dragon kings. It’s now up to a chronically ill ex-assassin, a sarcastic rebel, the chosen one’s granddaughter, and her anxious best friend to take up the mantle and save the dragons once and for all. Coleman, a teenage, chronically ill, shape-shifting dragon, thought betraying the king that cursed the shifters would be a “one time” thing. But when he watches the resistance’s leader—the only uncursed shifter and the chosen one—die, his only choice is to return to his king, fool him again, and buy time for his best friend to find and train the late leader’s granddaughter. Otherwise, the curse will never be broken. When studious high school senior Kat’s grandma dies, and she accidentally turns into a dragon, she realizes that all her grandma’s old stories were true. And now that her grandma is gone, Kat is the last dragon immune to the king’s curse. Now, training in secret, her best friend, Aaron, is suspicious that something is wrong, and he desperately wants to help her. He just didn’t think helping her would involve fighting by her side (and from her dragon back) to save a secret society of shifters—a threat that is about to become a lot more personal than he ever imagined. With cursed dragons lurking around every corner, it’s up to Coleman, Kat, Aaron, and the rest of the resistance to take fate into their own hands, but if Kat can’t master her new powers and break the king’s curse, her friends will remain puppets to him forever, and she too might succumb to his curse. |
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Cursed Cocktails by S.L. Rowland
Worldbuilding: Aided the story
Plot: Mostly clear Characters: Roles are clear
Storytelling: Balanced
Immersion: Satisfying, fulfilling experience Emotional Response: Engaging
Thought Provoking: New ideas came up
Cover: Matches the story well This was so cute and fun and I loved how cozy it was. I also really loved the way the author used the fantasy setting and magic to present the disability/chronic pain rep. Reviewed on |