annieb123
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Transmogrify! is a YA fantasy anthology edited by G. Haron Davis. Released 16th May 2023 by HarperCollins on their HarperTeen imprint, it's 416 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is an anthology of 14 fantasy short fiction pieces by non-binary authors and featuring non-binary characters. It's unclear from the material provided for review, but it seems that these stories are previously unpublished, and it contains all-new content. There are no story introductions but the editor/publisher has included short author bios in the back of the book for further information/following.
The stories are varied, there were (as always) some which didn't grab me personally, but all were well written and competently plotted. They were mostly in the 3.5 - 4 star range(ish) with a smattering of really standout stories.
One reason I prefer collections and anthologies is that short fiction is really challenging. It's spare and the author doesn't have a wealth of wordage to develop characters or the plotting. Well written short fiction is a delight. I also love collections because if one story doesn't really grab me, there's another story just a few pages away. I can only recall a few times where I've read a collection (or anthology) straight through from cover to cover as I did this one.
Four stars on average. It's a diverting read, but readers should be aware of potentially triggering descriptions of violence, suicide ideation, misgendering, light body horror, and transphobia.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.