My 2021 Q1 Top SFF Reads

First published here.

Burning Girls by Veronica Schanoes

From: @tordotcompub
Haven’t been reading collections lately but this was an unexpectedly intriguing collection. Schanoes plays with genre well; mixing folklore, myth, fantasy, and history and creates these feminist and eye‑opening renditions of the Jewish existence throughout time.

The Conductors by Nicole Glover

From: @hmhbooks
I‑ was‑ not ready. I just wanted a quick audiobook and had some @librofm ones lined up so I was like, 🤷🏾‍♀️, why not? I wasn’t expecting to find a gem! This was such a fun historical, post‑Civil War, fantasy mystery, with a Black cast that felt so real, and personable, and well‑rounded with personal histories. I loved the magical system, and honestly… A husband‑and‑wife crime‑solving duo who go from convenient marriage to true love was *chef’s kiss*. I want book two. Now. Please.

Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell

From: @torbooks
I cannot believe how much I loved this! If you liked the main couple in Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall, you’ll love these two. I’ve also seen it comp’d to Red, White and Royal Blue which makes TOTAL sense! Love me some political sci‑fi but when you mix in slow‑burn romance (arranged marriage to actual love), partners that respect boundaries, and the importance of acknowledging power imbalances and abuse of power… You have me.

Root Magic by Eden Royce

From: @waldenpondpress
If you follow @ifthisisparadise, you already have this book on your radar (she has too much power tbh). This is an amazingly atmospheric and magical story following a Black family in 1960s South Carolina. With the Gullah Geechee rep and exploration of the root magic tradition, you’re bound to get sucked into this book. The themes, the magic, the awesome family dynamics that will make you warm and truly invested, are all the reasons to pick this up!

No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull

From: @blackstonepublishing
My phone’s autotext literally has the words ready when I type No Gods🤩 This is me shoving it down your throat.. I literally stopped my sister from reading another book to finish this. This. Is. One of. My favourite books of 2021! Who thinks of this shit, seriously? Like.. Where were we supposed to line up for that kinda creativity? Why didn’t y’all wake my ass up? I will direct you to the @publisherswkly review cause like… same.

Honourable Mention: The First Sister By Linden A Lewis

From: @sagasff

Not a 2021 release but I’m now excited for the sequel out later this year. I passed on reading this last year and I played myself. Obviously. I’m in such a sci‑fi kick and this was the reading experience I needed. This is a fast paced adventure in space, featuring a complex travelling sisterhood of nuns who do not speak, trained military members under a corrupt government and a whole lot of “oh, is this trauma?” “I’ve been hella traumatized” “I prob have some things to work through but I gotta kick some ass first, y’know?”. My body is ready for Book Two.