Week 2 Review: A Phoenix First Must Burn

From Goodreads:

Sixteen tales by bestselling and award-winning authors that explore the Black experience through fantasy, science fiction, and magic.

Evoking Beyoncé's Lemonade for a teen audience, these authors who are truly Octavia Butler's heirs, have woven worlds to create a stunning narrative that centers Black women and gender nonconforming individuals. A Phoenix First Must Burn will take you on a journey from folktales retold to futuristic societies and everything in between. Filled with stories of love and betrayal, strength and resistance, this collection contains an array of complex and true-to-life characters in which you cannot help but see yourself reflected. Witches and scientists, sisters and lovers, priestesses and rebels: the heroines of A Phoenix First Must Burn shine brightly. You will never forget them.

Authors include Elizabeth Acevedo, Amerie, Dhonielle Clayton, Jalissa Corrie, Somaiya Daud, Charlotte Davis, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Justina Ireland, Danny Lore, L.L. McKinney, Danielle Paige, Rebecca Roanhorse, Karen Strong, Ashley Woodfolk, and Ibi Zoboi. 

My Review:
I had a really great time reading this anthology! I've read from some of these authors before, though most of them were new to me, and I had a great time, this was such a great collection of Black Girl Magic, from historical to sci fi to fantasy, and I really enjoyed it! 

Of these stories, the ones that really stood out to me were Melie, The Goddess Provides, and The Actress. I loved the worlds, the voices of these stories, and the stories themselves, they were all so fantastic to read! 

Melie was so fantastic, loved that she was trying to become an apprentice of this magician, and she gets along quite well with these various magical creatures, but not with the magician himself. Loved that story and how it turned out! The Goddess Provides, it was a great story of religion and belief, and of injustice and facing it, and I loved that ending! The Actress, I loved they cast her, her magic, and her relationship with Rand, it worked really well for me! 

There are a few stories that I would love a full length novel from, and that'd be Melie and The Goddess Provides because there were both so fantastic. And there were a few that I wish were, instead of a short story here, and that'd be When Life Hands You a Lemonfruit Bomb and A Hagiography of Starlight, because these concepts just didn't get explored enough for me, and I was left a bit confused! 

This was such a great read, and I'm really hoping that we might get some full length stories from some of these worlds! 

Authors:  Patrice Caldwell, Elizabeth Acevedo, Amerie, Dhonielle Clayton, Jalissa Corrie, Somaiya Daud, Charlotte Nicole Davis, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Justina Ireland, Danny Lore, L.L. McKinney, Danielle Paige, Rebecca Roanhorse, Karen Strong, Ashley Woodfolk, Ibi Zoboi  
Read: January 10th, 2022
Source: Library
Reason Why: Love these authors and this collection sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2022 Book! 
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Published: March 10th 2020

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars