#h. e. Edgmon

[softness-and-shattering]

The Fae Keeper, sequel to The Witch King by H. E. Edgmon

Context: The trans guy protagonist is being offered magic transition by an antagonist he's been chasing. She's stalling for time.

Italics are from the book, bold is mine for emphasis.

Page 24

I refuse to bend to the cis logic that my body is wrong, that I am a boy's soul stuck in a girl's bones, that the only appropriate way to be trans is to hate myself. I dont want to be cis. I don't want the magical penis Clarke is offering me, and I wouldn't go back and give up the experiences transness has given me either.

Seriously. Me, a cis man? No thank you.

And yet...there is a part of me that wants to buy what she's selling, and I hate myself for it.

1. Relatable oof ouch ow that dichotomy

2. "I dont hate myself because Im trans! I hate myself for other reasons! My self hate has nothing to do with you! I hate myself for all my own reasons!!! Nyeehhhhhh"

This is so fucking funny.

(This is not lack of reading comprehension. Its deliberate character work. Its good writing. Its also hilarious. Dude is making progress. He has very far to go).

[26lettersandmanyjourneys]

09.01.2023

Another Christmas gift I just couldn't wait to read

[monstercollection]

Finally back to making progress on the Literary Tarot Deck Challenge.

For anyone new to my tumblr, the Brink Literacy Project created a tarot deck with cards based on works of classic literature. Each card was selected by a contemporary author or comics/graphic novel illustrator who also helped write the guide to interpreting that card.

The challenge I’ve set for myself is to read each classic work and one thing by every author/illustrator. Including the fan-picked alternative cards, that comes out to 162 books.

I just finished The Witch King by H. E. Edgmon. It’s a queer YA urban fantasy novel about a trans witch named Wyatt who is pulled back into the magical world he tried to escape. As a child, he was betrothed to the crown prince of the Fae who wants the marriage to go forward for the sake of the kingdom and his own heart.

The book deals with some pretty heavy content and Edgmon who is himself transmasc admits in the forward that it’s very much a vehicle for processing his trauma. But it’s also a love letter to queer identities in every combination.

The book’s cast also includes a bisexual ace Indigenous teen who identifies with womanhood and matriarchy but rejects European society’s construction of those two things. There is a non-binary lesbian freedom fighter witch. I also think there is also a solid case to be made that Prince Emyr’s soulmate bond with Wyatt is a a flavor of demisexuality but it’s not ever explicitly described as such.

Wyatt’s experience as a trans man is also different from the most commonly pushed narrative of a person “born in the wrong body.” I think it’s extremely important to have the representation of a variety of trans experiences, especially when drawn from the personal experience of that author.

Style wise, the writing reminds me of the Percy Jackson books, but with a more chaotic stream-of-consciousness, lots of memes, Gay Culture and teenage horniness.

I don’t think Edgmon always manages to pull off first-person present tense style well. The plot is rushed and we are constantly bombarded with one chaotic situation after another, and many times they don’t feel linked by cause and effect in a way that would be natural.

At the same time, this is Edgmon’s first book, and it’s level of dedication to portraying queerness in all it’s messiness and beauty is something you just don’t find in other books. He treats each character’s experience of identity and sexuality and something unique to them. He’s committed to the idea that there is no one way to construct gender and no boxes to limit sexuality. This is a book I desperately wish I’d had 15 years ago.

Edgmon does begin the book with a pretty thorough content warning and I want to include it here so people are aware without buying the book. There are instances of sexual harassment of a minor and one assault scene that is not graphic but it’s there. There is also a character who attempts to use his psychic powers to groom a minor. Bodily autonomy is a major theme and especially with the state of things in the US being what they are, this may hit close to home for some folks.

Again, Edgmon says right up front some of this book is rooted in his personal trauma but there is also a strong sense of the empowerment of that comes from reclaiming your pain. There is also an element of revenge fantasy that feels satisfying. If you’re the type of person who finds yourself joking about your own trauma as a way of coping, you’re going to relate to Wyatt.

I do plan to eventually read the sequel— The Fae Keeper— at some point. For all it’s flaws, I liked The Witch King enough that I’m willing to see if Edgmon grew as a writer between the two. If he didn’t, it’s a fast enough read that I won’t mind. I still want to know what happens next and spend more time with these supernatural disaster queers and their world.

If you like the “fated soulmate” trope and are down for a friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers-again romance, I honestly think it’s worth the read. If you’ve got an LGBTQAI+ teen in your life that could use a book that they can see themselves in, I recommend it for them too.

This puts me at 46/162 books. I’m not sure what I’m doing next. I know I was supposed to tackle Whitman but am trying to keep up with my book club, Dracula Daily, and finish the Daevabad Trilogy so I may just try to knock some easy reads and short stories off the list.

[cateyedfox36]

Call me a baby (you're a baby) but the worst thing about library books is that I can't highlight or mark up my books. Like how do I show "haha this part is funny/sad/poignant/ect" without scribbling in a book? I won't freaking remember this line in 10 minutes, let alone the page number!

Grump grump grump

Anyways I'm really enjoying The Witch King, and as much as Wyatt is not interested in political intrigue I love that shit and dearly want to know more. Hope someone actually explains it to him.

[draconiclore]

30 Days of Pride books (with @miraclerizuin)

Day 5: The Witch King by H. E. Edgmon

[yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere]

Tahereh Mafi, i love you so much❤ 🍉 👑

besides my queen Tahereh Mafi-some other favorite authors of mine that support Free Palestine, and speak out against Israel's crimes include: Sabaa Tahir, Aaron H Aceves, Jackie Khalilieh , Adam Silvera, H.E. Edgmon (he/they), Mason Deaver (they/them), Casey McQuiston (they/them), Leigh Bardugo, Holly Black, Zoulfa Katouh

+

♥.

♥.

[sparkystar26888]

just finished godly heathens by h e edgmon and currently going insane please let me know someone else is too it was SO GOOD

[satan-wishes-he-was-me]

[pearblossommina]

I LOVE THIS BOOK I LOVE THIS BOOK I LOVE THIS BOOK

“Faery is not arrogant enough to assume we know anything about our children before they’ve a chance to learn it for themselves.” She shakes her head. “There are as many genders as there are people. And each one of them comes into the language they’d like to use for themself, in their own time.”

[gabiioreblogs]

HOLY SHIT it's the first time I read neo pronouns in a published novel! hell yeah!

[nerd-at-sea5]

just finished godly heathens and my first thought is ‘holy crap there better be a sequel’ AND THERE IS

and bc i am implosive and love reading i have already bought merciless saviors on my kindle

this might be my new favorite book series and i’ve only read one of them

[lilibetbombshell]

[ilikereadingactually]

Godly Heathens

Godly Heathens by H. E. Edgmon

i went back and forth on this book all the way through reading it. i think it's not quite for me, but i can easily imagine the readers who will really love it! it's got some compelling moments and an interesting premise, and it's such a hugely delightful experience to read about trans characters in a plot that's not totally centered around the struggles of being trans. those stories absolutely have a place, but i love reading about people just doing wild things while also being trans. i also really specifically enjoyed the embodiment of transness in this book--different kinds of trans bodies, people wearing binders, top surgery scars, attraction rooted in physical sensation, pronouns often decoupled from physical descriptions even as pronouns were shifting back and forth. WHAT! A! DELIGHT!

the plot had a comic-booky feel to me, in a fun way! alternate universes, reincarnated gods, magical power and weird memory things, all pretty neat in concept. i honestly think a graphic novel adaptation of this book would be very fun and might work better for me personally. it's very fast-moving, and i've found that i usually need a little more time to get to know and love the characters before i can follow along with a story that escalates as quickly as this one does. the pacing and characterization often strained my suspension of disbelief and the twists were easier to see coming than i prefer, but for a different reader i think it would be thrilling and full of little surprises and turns! (and i know a lot of readers like a fuckboy--character's own assessment--a bit more than i do lmao)

i was really into the theme of balance happening in the book though, on every level from the cosmic good and bad of two different worlds to the very personal balance of the biracial, nonbinary main character! the push and pull between aspects of their gender, their god-heritage passed through one parent and Seminole heritage passed through the other, their opposing relationships--everything tied back to the balance theme, which was fantastic.

the ending is really where i got hung up. i enjoy a good cliffhanger, something that introduces a new conflict or problem or goal to draw you into the next book in a series after the main conflict of the book you're reading has been resolved. that's not quite what happened here; what seemed to me to be the main conflict, the latest incarnation of a battle between these various gods, came down to a choice made in the very last moment, with the resolution presumably yet to come in the next book. so for me, it's wanting without getting satisfaction versus wanting, feeling the satisfaction of triumph or tragedy, and then discovering that there's more and wanting that. this is probably less of a turn off for folks without ADHD, but i need that big dopamine hit!!

i want to end on a high note though, so let me sum up by saying that this is an exciting and speedy, snappy book that i think a lot of readers will really enjoy!

the deets

how i read it: an e-galley from NetGalley. i got a bunch of approvals all at once recently so look forward to several more galley reviews from me in the near future! love that phase in the marketing where it's getting close to the pub date and the publishers look at my extremely average stats and go "yeah ok we've approved all the useful reviewers already, we can throw her a bone"

try this if you: delight in a majority-trans cast, dig a speedy pace, crave a little horror tinge in your fantasy, or like a little complicated and messy relationship stuff on the side.

a line i really liked:

"But let's not overstate our similarities. I've built my dominion on wonder and yearning. You are the king of cacoëthes. Your kingdom knows only bloodshed and damnation."

I literally do not even know what cacoëthes is. Dream-me is so big-brained and sexy.

pub date: November 28, 2023!

[cateyedfox36]

I made a poster board!

This was meant to go to work, but apparently we can't display solicitations bc as always the MLM huns ruined it for everyone.

So here it is! I was feeling very elementary school science fair when I made this and gosh I am delighted!

I'm starting bright and early tomorriw- I'm cheating a little by already starting 'When the angels left the old country" but it's so flapping good you guys!

Ok the organization is my local trans support project that provides clothing and other necessities to trans folks in my state. If you want to donate to your own, that's cool, I know in US every state is going full nazi on trans folks, just keep in mind SOUTH DAKOTA is a trash pit of human rights and were very small.

Heres the link. Any amount pledged helps.

[instantkrazy]

My first book festival experience at yallwest was very fun. If I keep going to festivals I will need another bookshelf.

[literarymagicfloatingonclouds]

Book Review!

This is an attempt to try and get in the habit of writing reviews on the books that I am reading. Hopefully it will be the first of many.

The book I will be starting with is: The Witch King by H. E. Edgemon

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Initial thoughts: I wasn't sure about how much I would like this book but I absolutely loved it. It was a wonderful read that aligned with what I am learning in my current LGBTQ+ Literature and Film class. It has messages of hope, fae, and so many queer and poc characters.

There will be spoilers below the line:

Start of Book Review

I have to say that a story about Fae and witches definitely piqued my interest. I am a sucker for young adult fantasy novels and this was definitely that. It said a lot of the things that I was thinking when I was 17.

Wyatt the main character is a trans 17 year old boy. He is forced to come back to his home in the Fae realm in order to help Emyr, who was betrothed to him at a very young age, become the king. He does not want to become a king and he certainly does not want to become a baby making machine.

There is so many different types of discrimination in this book so if that is not for you please take care of yourself first and foremost. The author even includes an amazing authors note about what to avoid and it was really an empowering speech.

But to dig deeper into the discrimination, not only is there discrimination towards people of color and sexuality, there is also a whole other giant issue of witches being born of fae but not being able to use magic in the same way. They also lack the features of a fae. This leads to many fae families leaving their children in the woods to die or to be taken in by a kind soul who might happen to stumble into them before they are frozen or eaten by one of the magical creatures in the forest. Of which there are hellhounds, gnomes, and trolls if I am remembering correctly.

It is one of the only books that I have read with a main character who isn't ashamed of their body. It is a trans narrative without being a narrative about feeling the body dysmorphia that typically comes with being trans. It was a nice breath of fresh air.

As for the queer couples, there are gay couples, lesbians, polycules, and so many more. There are also people of nearly every gender. There are gender-fluid characters, and asexual characters. The royals are allowed to be queer, and there is a lesbian queen couple and a gay king couple.

The villains aren't necessarily the straight people in the novel but they certainly are one of the more major ones.

Oh and before I forget this is a duology and the second book is just as good as the first. I was able to zoom through both of these books because I listened to them as audiobooks and it was so beautifully written, but also an amazing reader.

Overall I love this book, and I am very sad that there are no more books that are set in this world with these characters. I would highly recommend picking this book up if you love fae books, books about fighting institutionalized problems, and childhood-friends to enemies to I-have-a-crush-on-you-but-I- won't-admit-it to Lovers to a situationship- to lovers again.