A phoenix first must burn Sixteen stories of black girl magic, resistance, and hope

Review by Booklist Review

If you're looking for your next deep dive into sf and speculative fiction, look no further. Editor Caldwell here collects 16 stories that embrace and reimagine the histories of Black women and their resistance, hope, and liberation. Featuring an array of well-known and breakout #OwnVoices authors, this volume boasts ample variety in style, voice, and approach that ensures readers will find at least one story to enjoy (though likely many more). Standouts include Dhonielle Clayton's Hearts Turned to Ash, about a girl faced with the choice of how to restore her heart after matchmaking magic goes awry. Then there's the clever and witty Tender-Headed by Danny Lore, about an attitudinal hair braider who needs to have her own head fixed up. Ibi Zoboi offers up Caribbean folklore with a story of a skin-shedding soucouyant, calling us to question the weight of our complexion in how we value ourselves, and Amerie calls readers to reconsider the primordial soup story of humanity with her intergalactic tale. Readers will appreciate the wide representation of the African diaspora and will also take note of the multiplicities of lived experiences, cultures, and gendered and sexual expression. That the stories center Black girlhood creates layers of depth in these racialized and gendered experiences alongside the joys and trivialities of stories often missing from the mainstream. Luminous reading.--Melanie Kirkwood Copyright 2020 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Lovers of Octavia Butler will find her spirit in this smoldering anthology of 16 short stories that center black female and gender nonconforming characters within fantasy and speculative fiction. Written by authors of varying backgrounds, including Elizabeth Acevedo, Justina Ireland, and Rebecca Roanhorse, the stories cover timely themes such as colorism, mental health, ancestry and tradition, and sexual and gender identity. Alaya Dawn Johnson's folkloric "The Rules of the Land," about the child of a sea entity and a human, considers bearing the weight of a parent's decisions. Ibi Zoboi's "Kiss the Sun" and Ashley Woodfolk's "The Curse of Love" explore self-love and self-preservation amid sacrifice. Some are lighthearted, such as Ireland's "Melie" and Danielle Paige's "The Actress," while others skew heavier, such as the editor's "Letting the Right One In," which calls upon queer black women to embrace and explore their identities. Caldwell writes in the introduction, "Black people have our pain, but our futures are limitless. Let us, together, embrace our power." These stories do, exploring the beauty, bravery, fear, history, and empowerment of being black. Fiercely fantastical and achingly honest, this book delivers a more inclusive means of self-discovery. Ages 12--up. Agent: Pete Knapp, Park Literary. (Mar.)

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Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 7 Up--A collection of short stories that features characters across the black diaspora and blends magical realism with issues affecting the black community. In "Gilded," a girl gifted with healing and the ability to manipulate metal is forced to decide between buying her freedom from a corrupt slave owner and a boy who insists she use her magic to claim her freedom. A prickly hairdresser gets her hair done and her mind regulated by a master braider in "Tender-headed," and in "Kiss the Sun," soul-stealing fire spirits debate the benefits of being light or dark skinned. In other stories, a sorcerer's apprentice partners with a dragon to stop the machinations of her corrupt mentor, a dethroned princess harnesses the power of a god she doesn't believe in to reclaim her throne, and an actress deals with the perils of being a young black witch with a daytime television program. This book is a wonderful assortment of genre-bending narratives. The stories allow readers to view racism and gender conformity through the prism of science fiction and fantasy, and the collection infuses the genre with color and complexity. VERDICT This is a title for public and school libraries interested in diversifying and strengthening their short story collections.--Desiree Thomas, Worthington Library, OH

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

Sixteen #ownvoices authors offer up fantasy and science fiction short stories centering black girls.In her introduction, editor Caldwell extols the importance of representation and storytelling in black communities and asks "Where is my fantasy, my future? Why don't Black people exist in speculative worlds?" The diverse contributors to this vibrant and varied collection include acclaimed YA authors such as Elizabeth Acevedo, Dhonielle Clayton, Justina Ireland, Rebecca Roanhorse, and Ibi Zoboi. Their stories run the gamut from lighthearted to intense. Some use fantastical or SF elements to explore relevant and timely issues such as colorism, violence against black communities, and abuse of minority groups. Multiple stories are delightfully queer. There's the girl working as an alien interrogator on another planet who's starting to think things might be more complicated than she realized in Amerie's (editor: Because You Love To Hate Me, 2017, etc.) "When Life Hands You a Lemon Fruitbomb." In Alaya Dawn Johnson's (contributor: Three Sides of a Heart, 2017, etc.) "The Rules of the Land," the daughter of a sea woman makes a deal with her powerful and enraged kin to save her people. All these well-spun tales are enjoyable and accessible to readers of any background. Magical and real, this collection lives up to its goal with stories as diverse as the black experience.#BlackGirlMagic indeed. (Fantasy. 14-adult) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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Introduction Patrice Caldwell When I was fourteen, a family friend gifted me a copy of Octavia Butler's Wild Seed . I still remember that moment. The Black woman on the front cover. The used-­paperback smell. The way I held it close like it carried within it the secrets of many universes. I devoured it and all of her others. I found myself in her words. And I'm not the only one. It seems only fitting that the title of this anthology comes from Butler's Parable of the Talents , a novel that is ever relevant. The full quote is " In order to rise from its own ashes, a phoenix first must burn ." Storytelling is the backbone of my community. It is in my blood. My parents raised me on stories of real-­life legends like Queen Nzinga of Angola, Harriet Tubman, Phillis Wheatley, and Angela Davis. Growing up in the American South, my world was full of stories, of traditions and superstitions--­like eating black-­eyed peas on New Year's Day for luck or "jumping the broom" on your wedding day. Raised on a diet of Twilight Zone , Star Trek , and Star Wars , I preferred creating and exploring fictional universes to living in my real one. But whenever I went to the children's section of the library to discover more tales, the novels featuring characters who looked like me were, more often than not, rooted in pain set amid slavery, sharecropping, or segregation. Those narratives are important, yes. But because they were the only ones offered, I started to wonder, Where is my fantasy, my future? Why don't Black people exist in speculative worlds? Too often media focuses on our suffering. Too often we are portrayed as victims. But in reality, we advocate for and save ourselves long before anyone else does, from heroes my parents taught me of to recent ones like Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi, the Black women who founded Black Lives Matter. Malcolm X said, "The most neglected person in America is the Black Woman." I believe this is even more true for my fellow queer siblings, and especially for those identifying as trans and as gender nonconforming. We ­are constantly under attack. And yet still we rise from our own ashes. We never accept no. With each rebirth comes a new strength. Black women are phoenixes. We are given lemons and make lemonade. So are the characters featured in this collection of stories. These sixteen stories highlight Black culture, folktales, strength, beauty, bravery, resistance, magic, and hope. They will take you from a ship carrying teens who are Earth's final hope for salvation to the rugged wilderness of New Mexico's frontier. They will introduce you to a revenge-­seeking hairstylist, a sorcerer's apprentice, and a girl whose heart is turning to ash. And they will transport you to a future where all outcomes can be predicted by the newest tech, even matters of the heart. Though some of these stories contain sorrow, they ultimately are full of hope. Sometimes you have to shed who you were to become who you are. As my parents used to remind me, Black people have our pain, but our futures are limitless. Let us, together, embrace our power. Let us create our own worlds. Let us thrive. And so our story begins . . .  Excerpted from A Phoenix First Must Burn: Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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