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706 reviews
White Magic by Elissa Washuta
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
The audiobook was hard to follow. I enjoyed the beginning but lost interest when the focus shifted to the author's relationship with her ex.
A Girl Called Echo Omnibus by Katherena Vermette
5.0
“We are the free people. We built this place and we will always be here. No matter what they have done to us, we’re still here. We know we will survive.”
A Girl Called Echo is a stunning comic series about a time-travelling Métis teenager. After starting classes at a new school, Echo finds herself being pulled back in time during her history class as her teacher discusses Métis history. Echo is thirteen and doesn’t know much about what it means to be Métis, but her journey in this book helps her reconnect with her heritage and overcome her struggles with her identity. This omnibus edition collects all four volumes of the comic created by katherena vermette, Scott B. Henderson, & Donovan Yaciuk, and explores pivotal moments in Métis history: the Pemmican Wars, Red River Resistance, Northwest Resistance, and the Road Allowance Era. This book discusses Métis resistance, survival, grief, hope and connection through impactful writing and beautiful art.
vermette’s writing is earnest and emotional. The use of time travel in this book creates a story that depicts everyday Métis life in the 1800s alongside Echo’s life in the present day. The way past and present narratives are woven together effectively shows readers that history is always with us. Even for those of us who are disconnected from our heritage and feel like we don’t belong, vermette makes it clear that the connection is always there, we just have to be willing to reach for it. Reaching for her ancestors helps Echo through her struggles in present day, and it also helps her strengthen her connections with her family and friends. The artwork by Henderson and Yaciuk showcases the beauty in everyday moments, which create a sense of quiet and peace interspersed between the violence of settler colonialism. This includes heartwarming moments of joy, showing that joy is a form of resistance, too.
I love this book’s commitment to educating readers and making history more accessible. Each comic highlights a pivotal moment in history and readers learn about it with Echo in a way that’s easy to understand. There are also timelines of historical events at the end of each issue that provide more context. Although each volume focuses on a different moment in history, they are all tied to the Métis struggle against white settlers who are displacing them from their land. White settlers acting on behalf of the crown steal land simply because they think they can, but the Métis are determined to uphold their rights and seek justice. This discussion of Métis land rights has clear parallels to Palestine, and it serves as an important reminder that the enduring legacy of colonialism impacts us all and its ripple effects are still felt today, from Turtle Island to Palestine.
I think the most important aspect of A Girl Called Echo is that it focuses on Métis people in narratives about their own history as opposed to focusing on the white settlers and colonizers, which was the case when I was learning this history in elementary school. This book doesn’t shy away from showing the truth or depicting the violence that went into the creation of so-called Canada. It’s also wonderful to see Métis history and culture illustrated in a graphic novel, and I think Echo’s personal journey will resonate with a lot of people.
Highly recommend to anyone who loves reading graphic novels or Indigenous lit, and anyone who loves learning about history. I think people who enjoyed reading Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction will enjoy this too.
Thank you HighWater Press for the gifted copy!
Loving Safoa by Liza Wemakor
hopeful
mysterious
4.5
Liza Wemakor’s Loving Safoa is an intimate sapphic story about two Black vampires in love. This novella begins in New York in 1999, but frequently flashes back to the 1800s in West Africa as Safoa recalls her journey to becoming a vampire to her partner, Cynthia. Cynthia is on the verge of becoming a vampire herself and by intertwining their journey’s, Wemakor gives readers a spellbinding character study that sweetly explores love and partnership.
Loving Safoa feels like a unique take on vampires because it mostly avoids the typical tropes found in vampire stories. Yes, there’s blood, immortality and pleasure, but the focus is always on Safoa and Cynthia’s relationship and experiences. It also discusses colonialism and racism, and I love how discussions of politics were included, with the story becoming increasingly political throughout the book. It touches on the importance of solidarity and community, and I was pleasantly surprised by the ending.
There are a lot of different aspects that make up this story—vampires, queer romance, history, colonialism and some speculative elements—but Wemakor ties it all together brilliantly. Pick this up for a thoughtful and intricately written vampire story full of love and hope.
Thank you Neon Hemlock for the gifted copy!
Thyme Travellers: An Anthology of Palestinian Speculative Fiction by Sonia Sulaiman
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
4.5
I reviewed this book for Canthius! You can read my review here: https://www.canthius.com/feed-2/2024/7/31/review-of-thyme-travellers-an-anthology-of-palestinian-speculative-fiction
Countess by Suzan Palumbo
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Suzan Palumbo explores revolution and belonging in her latest book Countess. This queer, Caribbean, anticolonial novella is set centuries into a future where the Æcerbot Empire has colonized space. Descendants of the British West Indies known as Exterran Antilleans, whose ancestors were enslaved and indentured on Earth, are once again indentured in this new empire. One of these descendants is Virika Sameroo, an immigrant to the empire and the first person of her heritage to work their way up the ranks of the merchant marines. Virika knows that becoming a model citizen is the only way for her family to survive. After returning from her latest mission, Virika is wrongfully convicted of murder and is cast out from Æcerbot society. Countess is a story of vengeance, survival, and resistance against systems of oppression, and it thoughtfully addresses legacies of colonialism and trauma in the Caribbean. Palumbo richly imagines a Caribbean future that honours the Caribbean past.
Countess incorporates elements of Caribbean history and culture into the worldbuilding to bring this speculative future to life. The Caribbean is wholeheartedly represented in these pages—there are vivid descriptions of food and some of the places and characters are named after Caribbean locations and revolutionary leaders. The most brilliant aspect of the worldbuilding is the way it honours the legacy of real life Caribbean indentured labourers. The indenture system was created to replace slavery, and labourers from India and China were “recruited” (but in some cases they were more likely kidnapped or manipulated into signing contracts) to work the sugar plantations in the Caribbean. They were promised a better life and the possibility of returning to their homeland once the contract ended, but instead, this system alienated labourers from their homeland and the “better life” involved minimal pay and harsh working and living conditions (for more information about indentureship in the Caribbean, read Coolie Woman by Gaiutra Bahadur (The University of Chicago Press, 2014)).
This history is not widely known, so to see it reflected in Countess is no small feat. Many of the restrictions imposed by the Æcerbot Empire on the Exterran Antilles reflect the loss of cultural ties, sacrifices and struggles experienced by real life indentured labourers. And this is why Virika and so many Indo-Caribbean people, myself included, have experienced feelings of cultural disconnection. The exploration of these experiences in Countess allows for a reckoning with the impact of colonialism and the legacies of trauma left behind in the Caribbean. Through Palumbo’s writing and Virika’s characterization, these discussions feel heartfelt and personal. Countess grasps the pain and trauma from colonialism, holds it up for everyone to see, and demands a different future that includes justice and solidarity.
Countess also tackles racism and white supremacy by recognizing the violence of these systems and forcing colonizers to deal with the consequences of their actions. Throughout the book, Virika is undermined and seen as lesser because of her race. She tries to blend in and does what’s required for her family to survive. This idea of sacrificing your culture and identity to assimilate is not new; empire requires this of most of us. But no matter how hard we try to fit in, empire will never love us back. Anyone who dares to challenge the status quo, like Virika, is seen as a threat. Virika says “The Empire cannot tolerate me. I am a threat to their doctrine, to the belief that they are superior and civilized.” (78). Countess is steadfast in showing readers that it doesn’t have to be this way. Along with demanding justice and solidarity, it advocates for self-determination because “They will never admit you are good enough, no matter how docile you are. You will always be proving to them that you deserve to live. You must see that you don’t need them.” (136). Despite everything she experiences in this book, Virika never loses hope, and she uses her hope to unite the Exterran Antilleans and reignite the revolution against the empire.
Virika’s journey in this novella is difficult, but her love for her people powers her through. Amidst her hardships, she goes on a journey of reconnecting with her heritage and tries to find where she belongs. This inner transformation informs her actions and helps her realize her place in the fight against the empire. One of the ways she reconnects is through random encounters with people who share her heritage. Every time Virika experienced one of these moments, I thought about a line from Linzey Corridon’s poetry collection West of West Indian (Mawenzi House, 2024). In Corridon’s poem “Greater Toronto Area,” he discusses this exact scenario and there’s a line that reads “I see my ancestors in you.” (West of West Indian, 58). This may seem insignificant to some but for Virika it’s affirming, and these moments lead to revelations that help her find herself and make her feel seen. This is also how I felt reading this book. I see myself and my ancestors in these pages, and it’s a beautiful thing to be represented and understood in this way.
We’re living in a moment in time where all the ugliness of empire is coming to light. Now more than ever, people are becoming aware of how colonialism, white supremacy and racism have shaped the world. Countess critically examines these systems in a future reality that is not so different from our own. It challenges colonialism and emphasizes the importance of solidarity, community and justice. It also makes room for love and tenderness in a brutal world. By exploring these themes through speculative fiction, and alongside Caribbean culture and history, Countess allows readers to dream of what’s possible and hope for a different future.
Thank you ECW Press for the gifted copy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Suicide attempt, Colonisation
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment