The Knife’s Daughter

Food writer Coletti’s debut cleverly explores how themes of gender fluidity and reluctant adherence to duty cast new light on the classic fantasy quest story. The unnamed protagonist, referred to only as “you” by a mysterious narrator, is the 18-year-old child of an exiled queen, finally of an age to fulfill a prophecy about avenging their murdered father. The child was designated female at birth, but the prophecy specified a male child, so the protagonist’s mother has raised them as a boy, calling them “Prince.” Coletti tackles the evolution of the protagonist’s gender explorations, denials, and stereotypes, then adds a higher level as the character draws on both in order to solve the quest’s challenges. The narrative is written as a classic fantasy in which the everyday world constantly interacts with the magic and mythical, and the transgender elements are simply and seamlessly an underlying part of both. This is a perfect excursion for readers interested in examining how others’ expectations can be far more challenging and dangerous than dragons or evil sorcerers. (July)