Maiden, Mother, and Crone: Fantastical Trans Femmes edited by Gwen Benaway
"Maiden, Mother, Crone: Fantastical Trans Femmes is a Bedside Press anthology of new fantastical short fiction by trans women and trans feminine writers curated by celebrated poet and author Gwen Benaway.
Drawing on high fantasy and other genres of fantasy writing, Maiden, Mother, Crone is the first anthology by trans femme authors to explore the realms of magic, supernatural beings, and alternate universes. Enter a universe of wonder where trans femmes are powerful heroines, sorceresses, and warriors fighting against dark forces in vivid magical worlds."
I have truly, always enjoyed fantasy stories. And as I got older I realized how white, straight, and cisgender the lens was that these stories were being told through. Which is one reason I so enjoyed this anthology. Every story had trans characters. And in a lot of the stories, their being trans lead them to a life of greater freedom. Which was so wonderful to read, since usually, trans stories tend to be tragic. And it’s not that tragedies don’t have an important place in society, but it was nice to take a break from the reality of the social and economic injustice facing trans people today, to read a collection of stories where they are thriving. The fantasy genre needs more stories from queer and trans perspectives.
I would LOVE to read full novels of some of these stories. I loved the group of women from “Freeing the Bitch” so much. I want to know how they met, I want to know where their journey takes them. I want more! I also would love to read more mystery-solving from the duo in “Perisher”. But all in all, this collection of stories was so rich with wonderful characters. I highly recommend it!
I read this book as a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book will be available on April 28th, 2019
Genre: fantasy, lgbtqia+, anthology
Representation: trans
Content Warnings: Animal death, Misgendering, Sexual abuse (child, mentioned), Sexual assault (mentioned), Transphobia