I picked a bunch of SFF books coming out by black authors. Even though it is no longer Black History Month anymore, those of us in the book community shouldn’t stop talking about and supporting black authors. We can’t just limit this to a month. There are some great books coming out this year, a lot of them by black authors. I’ve been eager for more fantasy by black authors since forever. Publishing and authors are starting to provide that.
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
A West African feminist fantasy is just what we all need. After her people’s traditional cermony did not go as expected, Deka is approached by a woman to join the emperor’s fight in an army of immortal girls. An immortal army of girls is just the thing.
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
A Black Princess. Some murder babies start to have feelings for each other. She must acquire the beating heart of a king. A thousand prayers to this book.
The Conductors by Nicole Glover
This adult fantasy is pitched as The Dresden Files meets Octavia Butler’s Kindred. History, magic, and mystery all wrapped up in a single good book. Hetty Roades: conductor of the Underground Railroad, magic user, and crime solver. She and her husband now solve crimes that the white authorities ignore. This sounds like nothing else being published in fantasy, particularly adult fantasy.
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
In N.K. Jemisin’s newest, the city becomes a character, like a living breathing city with its own children. Those children must come together to protect their city. As always, Jemisin thinks outside the box.
A Phoenix First Must Burn, edited by Patrice Caldwell.
This anthology is packed full of SFF by black women and gender non-conforming authors. To me, this book is exactly the anthology I want to read more of. I want all the black SFF books to be published. I want so many choices that I couldn’t possibly read them all.
Tristan Strong Destroys The World by Kwame Mbalia
This is the second installment of Tristan Strong Punches A Whole In The Sky, Mbalia’s debut. This is middle grade fantasy from Rick Riordan Presents. It follows Tristan’s continuation of the this secondary world he’s thrown into, full of African tales and African American lore.
Trouble The Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson
Pitched as the magic of Night Circus sprinkled with the historical details of the Underground Railroad but located in New York City at the dawn of World War I. A Harlem girl is taken into the underground scene of Manhatten to strike the fear into dangerous citizens. A magical love story. Politics. America’s past.
A magical YA mystery meshed with legendary tales and southern black girl magic. Bree finds herself lost when her mother dies. Suddenly she’s thrown into a world of magic, an Arthurian society of demon hunters. What is lost is found. Bree discovers her own magic and memory ignited.
A Song Below Water by Bethany Morrow
Sirens are suppressed in the city of Portland. A murder trial lures people’s attention and a musician comes out as a siren. It’s got black sirens. The cover gives me Chloe x Halle vibes. It’s an obvious choice.
Tarisai is sent to be chosen amongst other children to be on the Crown Prince’s council. She’s told and compelled to gain the prince’s trust and then kill him. This is a YA inspired by Nigerian culture.
This book is already out but I thought I would add it anyway. This book is set in different locations and time periods. It’s set in present day Ohio, 18th century Haiti, and 19th century New Orleans. It features women connected through time and it’s sprinkled with some magic and fantastical elements.
Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
200 years after Cinderella married her prince, girls are expected to present themselves to men searching for a wife. The ones not chosen are forgotten forever. Sophia is in love with Erin, her best friend. She spontaneously flees the annual ball and meets Constance, Cinderella’s last known descendant. They decide to rip at the kingdom. Here for girls destroying misogyny? So am I.
What books do you think you will read? All of them. Right?
So many amazing and exciting recommendations! I am hype for so many of these, but I find that I am not as aware of black authors releasing in this genre, so this list is super exciting to see and celebrate.
Yeah there’s a lot of new and not so new Black authors coming out with fantasy books this year. It’s exciting.
Love this! Thank you!
Cry of Metal and Bone by L. Penelope, too? SO excited for that one!
Right? There are so many great books coming out.