Finn’s latest and greatest diverse books review 1:
Our page Finn set a goal for themself last fall to read as many LGBTQIA+ books in the district that they could find. They’ve already managed to read almost 30 books! Here’s a short list of some of their favorites so far and what they thought of them:
What is world and what is human when everything is made of the same stuff, literally? What would you sacrifice to save a world? How many sacrifices is too many? Who can you trust when you can’t remember anything? This book is shocking, emotional, visceral, and overflowing with ideas bigger than the book itself. Hurley brings to life—in vivid, horrifying detail—the worlds of the Legion.
Finn says it’s not for the squeamish or faint of heart, but it’s exciting and hard to put down once you’ve started. They enjoyed reading about lesbians in space fighting to survive against insurmountable odds.
Diversity Rating: 5/5 – “Lesbians in space are cool.”
Gore Rating: 5/5 – “Body parts and fluids everywhere, yikes!”
Men Free Rating: 5/5 - “Not a single man in sight in an only women universe.”
The Perfect Assassin by KA Doore
Startling and heart wrenching, the tale of Amastan is unforgettable. Being an assassin with no taste for killing when there’s no contracts to be had seems like the perfect situation for him, until he stumbles upon the body of a murdered drum chief. As the bodies pile up, and their restless jaan (spirits) go rampant in the alleys of Ghadid, Amastan finds himself tasked with finding the killer before his family of assassins takes the fall. But the killer might just be in the last place he thinks to look.
Finn says it’s a great read, with likeable characters. They enjoyed watching Amastan, an asexual main character, fall in love for the first time. They felt moved by his struggle against his heart and morals as he tries to protect the city and people he loves from the encroaching danger.
Diversity Rating: 5/5 – “Best asexual main character I’ve read about so far!”
Murder Rating: 5/5 – “Someone did die.”
Spooky Ghost Rating: 5/5 – “There were ghosts.”
The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson
Demane is a demigod, bound to the earth and unable to transcend. Traveling far from his homeland, he’s been labeled sorcerer or witch, but in the service of the Captain, he has found companionship and an equal. His beloved Captain has a song for a voice, hair that drinks sunlight, and is beautiful to behold… but he is also gifted in the deadly art of war. Traveling as part of a group of mercenaries who guard a caravan, they struggle against each other and toward each other. Ultimately, they must work together with all the gifts the gods have given them in order to survive against the danger that lurks in the Wildeeps.
Finn was surprised at how quickly this little novella pulled them in. They say the mixture of traditional fantasy elements with a rich jazz and hip-hop feel to some of the characters’ speech was fun and made this story all the more interesting. They’ve never met a book that they wanted to throw across the room in shock at the ending but also clutch close to their chest and weep because it was over… except this one.
Diversity Rating: 5/5 – “Gay men in love but hiding it, very heartbreaking. Also not a single white person in sight.”
Breaking Expectations Rating: 5/5 – “This book took a lot of literature conventions and turned them on their head or rejected them completely. I liked it.”
Ending Rating: 5/5 – “I feel like the author himself came into my home, stabbed me in the heart 9 times, and left. Honestly, I’d let him do it again and I’d thank him.”