A review by kateywumpus
Magica Riot by Kara Buchanan

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Transgender lesbian punk rock magical girls! Transgender lesbian punk rock magical girls! If those four things don't get you excited for this book, then it's probably not for you. If it does? Boy, are you in for a treat. You've got twirly transformations! You've got extra-dimensional alien invaders! You've got kaiju! You've got a girl learning to love herself through the power of love, friendship, and magic! It doesn't really do anything to buck the genre but, honestly, that's okay. There's a reason why there's a billion seasons of Precure, and only one of Madoka. The formula simply *works.* It's fun, and entertaining, and a joy to read. I've been reading a few magical girl online fics this year, and they've all been pretty dark, so this was a breath of fresh air. 

I think the transgender themes are particularly suited to the genre. Transforming into something powerful that suits your identity, which gives you the courage to come out and live your authentic self slots into the themes of magical girl shows almost perfectly. I'd love to see more of it, *especially* in anime, but the one I can think of is really only a technicality, and is kinda bad, so I don't count it. The rest of the cast is queer and diverse which is something you *definitely* don't see in anime, so I'm glad for it. 

All in all, I highly recommend this book if you're into magical girls at all. Even if you're not, I'd say give it a try. It's a good entry point into the genre, and might get you interested in watching some of the shows this book is inspired by.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, especially with how Kara shook things up at the end. Four stars. 
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