Transmogrify!: 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic ed. by G. Haron Davis

Abstract

Reviewed by: Transmogrify!: 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic ed. by G. Haron Davis April Spisak Davis, G. Haron, ed. Transmogrify!: 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic. HarperTeen, 2023 [416p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780063218796 $19.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780063218826 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 8-12 This remarkably creative collection of fourteen stories explores the multitudes of trans identities and how they overlap, at least in this anthology, with magic. A.R. Capetta and Cory McCarthy's droll story, "Dragons Name Themselves," sees two teens bound together by a class assignment that eventually has them co-parenting a charmer of a baby dragon (though it is, obviously, quite dangerous). "Origin Story" by Saundra Mitchell is a grittier story of a teen who is coming to terms with having been expelled from magic school and facing the fact that their mom doesn't really want them back. An entirely different view of magic is offered by editor g. haron davis in "If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power," which centers on Mars' pursuit of a ditch witch to right everything that has gone wrong in Mars' life recently—which is a lot—in one magical swoop. There is a running thread of acceptance through the collection, and the fantasy elements link the stories as much as the fact that they all feature gender nonconforming or trans teens. Characters are thoughtfully developed, and authors approach representation with a refreshing nuance, where transgender identities are part of the story of a person but not the sole thing that is important about them. An anthology that explores and celebrates the diversity, importance, and just plain rightness of trans teens is an essential addition to the fantasy field, and the magic is cool and varied enough to likely appeal to any reader. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois