January News

It's 2024, and we're kicking off the year with a fun photoshoot. We dragged an aerial apparatus into the photo studio and our collaborators held hard AF poses while balancing precariously in a hoop, but don't worry, they're professionals. We worked with our good friends at Equinox Entertainment for the February shoot. Once upon a time Rae from No Margins and Cas from Equinox went to the same pole and aerial dance studio and shook their money makers on stage together - they still do the latter.

The apparatus is called a lollipop and can spin for performances. For everyone's sanity, we kept it on static. We imagine the photos in the lollipop will work great for characters floating in bubbles, resting inside typeface, or flying through space.

You can check out all the photos on our website.

Next month we'll be doing a photoshoot at the Superstars Writing Seminar and we'll be taking photos of an older, white male in a steampunk outfit with his guitar and a female plus-sized, red-haired pirate! Keep an eye out for next month's newsletter when we'll release the photos.

In other news, we're soliciting book reviews from marginalized contributors with a focus on books by marginalized authors. If you're interested, you can fill out this form and we'll let you know if your review is accepted. We want to a be the place people go to diversify their TBR and decolonize their bookshelf with an emphasis on recent books within the last few years.

Read on to get our first reviews of the year and get your hands on those sweet, sweet new reads.

Mari's Drinking in A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin

Do you like tea? Do you like magic?

How about tea magic?

Then A Magic Steeped in Poison might be your jam.

“When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom’s greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning’s only chance to save her sister’s life.”

I’ve had this book on my TBR for a long time. I mostly picked it up because the cover is gorgeous. Personally, tea ceremonies always felt magical to me, and the fact that in this book they are magic was very exciting to me. It was something I’ve never seen before and the whole magic system made me what to know more about it. The magic of the tea ceremony didn’t work the same for any of the competitors and I like that aspect. Even though this is a fantasy, the writing revolved more around the politics of the world. It was just enough politics to keep you on the edge of your seat.

There is a bit of a found family trope involved in this book as Ning navigates the court life.

This book is an own voice YA fantasy. I highly recommend it. There is magic, politics, and some romance (bell pepper). Also, both of the books are out so if you enjoyed book one, you won’t have to wait to find out what happens in book two!

Content warnings as reported by users on StoryGraph

Graphic - Death of parent, Death, Violence

Moderate - Murder, Blood, Grief

Rae Can't Get Enough of Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon by Wole Talabi

I listened to this book on audio, and I couldn't stop. The story is based around the nightmare god, Shigidi, disgruntled with his work life and underappreciated, he leaves the Orisha Spirit Company to join Nneoma, a succubus-like entity to find independence in a hard knock world where gods vie for spiritual market share. Unsurprisingly, freedom is hard to come by and they are roped into a heist to pay a debt.

The book weaves West African Orisha's and modern disenfranchisement with capitalism and social norms in a rollicking fun time as the pair fight external pressures as well as their complicated feelings for each other. The story moves through time and across continents with some very steamy sex scenes, not for the faint of heart.

This was one of my favorite books of 2023, and anyone who loves urban fantasies and heist stories will love this book. It's reminiscent of Nnedi Okorafor and Neil Gaiman, with effortless description and magical elements peppered throughout.

Content warnings as reported by users on StoryGraph

Graphic - Sexual assault, Violence, Rape

Moderate - Sexual content, Body horror, Body shaming

Brandon's Crushing on Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Strong female lead? Check. Black girl magic? Check. Turning a misogynistic/racist underground society on its head? Check. 

I know this book has been out for quite a while, but I finally got around to reading it after seeing it recommended by so many people, and I have to admit, I was not disappointed. This book is a new take on the legend of King Arthur and the round table mixed with a bit of a hidden magical society within a school. It reminded me a bit of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. You follow the main character, Bree, as she attends the University of North Carolina and stumbles upon a hidden magical society that might have had something to do with her mother’s death. Along the way, she learns more about her heritage, and she has to decide whether to join this historically white society, or if she wants to dismantle it. What I liked most about this book is that it really leans into the complexities of intersectionality without getting too bogged down in political correctness.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but if you’re looking for a fresh take on a teen hero thrust into a magical society and trying to figure out how to navigate these new waters, I would highly recommend this book. 

Content Warnings as reported by users on StoryGraph

Graphic - Racism, Death of parent, Grief

Moderate - Slavery, Car accident, Rape

Until next month, happy reading!

The No Margins Crew