Magic and sorcery fiction is often leaves a slightly sour note in the mouths of the queer community, especially the Trans+ community, given the prevalence of Harry Potter and its author. But there are magical stories that not only are Trans+ inclusive, but are written surrounding this community.
Transmogrify! – 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic is an anthology collection of various stories, each with a magical basis to them. Each story also focuses on characters with distinct Trans+ identities, navigating their various magical worlds in their own way. From one about a hidden mirror, to adventurers safeguarding their homelands to a sports tournament, these stories all show a mysterious world with a mystical storyline to keep you enamoured.
First of all, I love the representation this book provides. A different Trans+ character in every story? Sign me up immediately! But what I loved more is that each character felt unique, separate and individual in their various worlds, whilst also being Trans+ tales not focused exclusively on love stories. Having a range of authors obviously helped towards this, but even stories written by the same authors felt so unique.
Whilst not every story worked for me, in an anthology this is to be expected! And the vast majority of them were amazing. My favourite was Dragons Name Themselves by A.R.Capetta & Cory McCarthy, which was not only a really sweet story about two unlikely project partners who become more than that, but had me imagining a new-born dragon causing chaos, which is always a fun image.
I really enjoyed this collection. Whilst I would have liked to see a bit more Trans+ women / AMAB characters throughout, a collection like this was a very cute read that was entertaining and heartfelt throughout.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Transmogrify! – 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic (ISBN: 978-0-06-321879-6) was published in 2023. A copy is available to borrow from the LGBTQ+ Lending Library in the LGBTQ+ Lounge
