Transmogrify! 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic

This beguiling collection of fantasy stories, edited by contributor davis, showcases a vivid spectrum of gender identities, settings, and tropes by 14 authors, including Mason Deaver, Cam Montgomery, Nix Traxler, and more. Several stories chronicle nonbinary teens railing against cultural prohibitions on crossing gender lines, as in Francesca Tacchi’s stirring “High Tide,” in which regatta roles are sex-segregated, and Emery Lee’s touching “The Door to the Other Side,” which stars enby Aryn, who, as a ferryperson traversing the boundary between life and death, must shepherd someone who died by suicide into the afterlife. Transgender youth use magic to ward off bullies in Sonora Reyes’s haunting “Halloween Love,” and in Jonathan Lenore Kastin’s empowering “The Hallow King,” trans enchanter Ronan Mayhew procures an ancestor’s grimoire to frighten prejudiced school officials. Contributors ground tales following magical teens combatting supernatural forces with insightful prose that emphasizes the characters’ expansive interiorities. Wide-ranging genre fare centering intersectionally diverse protagonists add levity to major themes regarding the rejection of one’s gender identity, either internally or due to socially constructed binaries, making for a polished and enjoyable work solidly steeped in classic high-fantasy tropes. Ages 13–up. (May)