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beautyinruins_ca 's review for:
The Sapling Cage
by Margaret Killjoy
The Sapling Cage is a book I very nearly gave up on. In fact, I consigned it to the DNF pile within a few chapters of starting it, but I hated the thought of allowing the tale of a transgender witch to fall slip through my hands, so I gave it a second chance. It was still an awkward, abrupt beginning that reeks of plot convenience, and I still struggled with some of the early chapters, but at some point, Margaret Killjoy found her footing and her voice, and I was swept up in the tale.
This is the story of Lorel, a young transwoman who takes her best friend's place with a coven of witches, just as determined to be accepted as a witch as a woman. In many ways - at least thematically - this is a story of gender as well. Sometimes it's subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, but gender, gender roles, and gender expectations are important to the story. We're in a very medieval-like fantasy world, but for all that the witches are gender exclusive, the knights are gender inclusive, and while same-sex and polyamorous relationships still have their naysayers, as a whole the society is largely tolerant. Lorel spends much of the book fearing discovery and rejection but, without getting into spoilers, this is not a story of biology.
As for the story itself, we're presented with a world in which a magical blight is killing trees, monsters of old are roaming the land, and children and travelers keep turning up dead - and, of course, the witches are blamed for it. There's a political aspect to the story as well, with a Duchess looking to consolidate power, pitting knights against renegade knights and witches, but that felt a little underdeveloped for me. It was magic that propelled the story forward, with a new kind of magic - one that comes at a cost - playing a significant role in the wider conflict.
For all of that, though, Lorel and her sister whelps - witches in training - never get to actually cast a spell throughout the book. They learn to see the ley lines, to recognize where power resides, but not how to tap into it. Instead, their growth is more about working together, recognizing their own inner strengths, and outwitting their opponents. Of course, this being a book with strong YA vibes, they save the day more than once, undermining and overriding the witches around them. It's preposterous and frustrating, but one of those tropes you just have to accept.
For Lorel's sake alone, I'm glad I gave The Sapling Cage a second chance because I think Killjoy did a superb job of exploring a transgender heroine, acknowledging her physical challenges, and confronting her inevitable outing, but never losing sight of her as a young woman. The story started to come together about halfway through as well, and by the time we were hit with the twists and reveals in final arc, I was invested enough to feel the same sense of shock and betrayal as Lorel and her sisters. Maybe not the great read I always hope for when transgender characters are involved, but definitely a good read.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/11/18/finding-my-way-with-the-sapling-cage-by-margaret-killjoy/
This is the story of Lorel, a young transwoman who takes her best friend's place with a coven of witches, just as determined to be accepted as a witch as a woman. In many ways - at least thematically - this is a story of gender as well. Sometimes it's subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, but gender, gender roles, and gender expectations are important to the story. We're in a very medieval-like fantasy world, but for all that the witches are gender exclusive, the knights are gender inclusive, and while same-sex and polyamorous relationships still have their naysayers, as a whole the society is largely tolerant. Lorel spends much of the book fearing discovery and rejection but, without getting into spoilers, this is not a story of biology.
As for the story itself, we're presented with a world in which a magical blight is killing trees, monsters of old are roaming the land, and children and travelers keep turning up dead - and, of course, the witches are blamed for it. There's a political aspect to the story as well, with a Duchess looking to consolidate power, pitting knights against renegade knights and witches, but that felt a little underdeveloped for me. It was magic that propelled the story forward, with a new kind of magic - one that comes at a cost - playing a significant role in the wider conflict.
For all of that, though, Lorel and her sister whelps - witches in training - never get to actually cast a spell throughout the book. They learn to see the ley lines, to recognize where power resides, but not how to tap into it. Instead, their growth is more about working together, recognizing their own inner strengths, and outwitting their opponents. Of course, this being a book with strong YA vibes, they save the day more than once, undermining and overriding the witches around them. It's preposterous and frustrating, but one of those tropes you just have to accept.
For Lorel's sake alone, I'm glad I gave The Sapling Cage a second chance because I think Killjoy did a superb job of exploring a transgender heroine, acknowledging her physical challenges, and confronting her inevitable outing, but never losing sight of her as a young woman. The story started to come together about halfway through as well, and by the time we were hit with the twists and reveals in final arc, I was invested enough to feel the same sense of shock and betrayal as Lorel and her sisters. Maybe not the great read I always hope for when transgender characters are involved, but definitely a good read.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/11/18/finding-my-way-with-the-sapling-cage-by-margaret-killjoy/