The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy was so good; I tore through it. In a world where only women can be witches, Lorel, who has always been seen as a boy and who wants to be a witch, agrees to take her friend Lane’s place when the witches come to collect Lane. What unfolds is a story of magic, identity exploration, friendship, magic, grief, joy, and growth. The witches must find the source of a plague, the colddead, that is spreading across the land or else they will take the blame for it and probably be destroyed. To do this, they must trace the source of the magic of the Sapling Cage, a golden cage with a magical sapling in it that allows anyone, not just witches, to do magic.
Lorel is a delightful character and excellent narrator. Her friends, the other whelps who have also recently joined the witches, were interesting and varied and the whole thing made for a good story. I pledged to the kickstarter campaign for this book, which is why I have an actual physical copy. I don’t buy a lot of books anymore. The only thing I find disappointing about it is that it is the first in the series and now I have to wait for the next one to come out.
I know, I know. It is Sunday Scaries time, the weekend is over, why I am even bothering? For starters, I’m trying to make a commitment to this new regular feature. And, secondly because we announced this month’s theme for the TBR project and I want to recommend some books!
The TBR project is our book club on Fable. Unlike regular book clubs, where everyone reads the same book, the structure of this club is a bit different. We pick a theme and everyone picks something off their TBR that has been hanging out there for awhile and fits the theme. We then share our choices, our struggles, and we cheer each other on towards a TBR that is one book shorter!
This month’s theme is Fiction that was meant to stay fiction a.k.a. It was a story, not a suggestion. So, now is the time to find the dystopian classic that is feeling a little too real for a lot of people and dive in. The theme is meant to be interpreted as broadly or as narrowly as you’d like, so I imagine you could also go for that non-fiction book about something historical that shouldn’t have happened. Without further ado, here are some of our suggestions. If one of these is on your list, March might be its month!
This is the first book of a trilogy that is unflinching. R. F. Kuang’s writing often deals with themes of colonialism, trauma, and racism. This one also deals with war and sexual assault, and doesn’t shy away from depictions of violence. The story follows Rin as she goes from a poor orphan to a member of the army. Beth loved this, and you might, too, but keep in mind it may contain upsetting descriptions
Another first book in a series, Children of Blood and Bone follows Zelie, who has a chance to bring magic back to Orïsha after it has been brutally wiped out by the monarchy. She and her friends must escape from the crown prince and stay a step ahead of him because if he wins, magic will be gone forever. These books are so good and a film based on them is now in production!
I hadn’t intended on picking three books that were first in a series, but I have. The Sapling Cage is the story of Lorel, a trans character who joins the witches in the place of her friend Lane. She must protect her identity to keep herself safe, but also help solve a mystery that has the power to be tragic not only for herself and witches, but for the entire world. Magic is being taken from the land, leaving it barren and dead. The witches have to figure out what is happening and stop it before they are blamed and hunted to extinction. I loved this one so much. Lorel is such a wonderful character and the side characters were also very fun.
So, here are three to get you started. Let us know in the comments what your favorites are. And, if it sounds like fun, join us on fable!
2 Women, So Many Books 