When Women Were Dragons

When Women Were Dragons 

By Kelly Barnhill 

Doubleday, 2022. 340 pages. Sci-Fi 

After the Mass Dragoning of 1955, when thousands of women, including her beloved Aunt Marla, transformed into dragons, left a trail fiery destruction and took to the skies, young Alex Green must face the consequences of this event as she learns to accept people as they really are. 

This allegorical tale tells the story of a family of women and how the Mass Dragoning affects each one, as they either accept it or reject it in their lives. It also weaves in fictitious scholarly research surrounding the event, rounding out Alex’s hazy childhood memories. This is a great read for anyone who enjoys the often dual role of Magical Realism, as it can not only present an engaging story about dragons, but also reveal insight on societal problems.

If you like When Women Were Dragons, you might also like: 

Shark Heart 

By Emily Habeck 

Marysue Rucci Books, 2023. 408 pages. 

When her husband Lewis, a few weeks after their wedding, receives a rare diagnosis that his physical body will gradually turn into a great white shark, Wren, struggling with his fate, finds his developing carnivorous nature activating long-repressed memories which forces her to make an impossible choice. 

The Power 

By Naomi Alderman 

Little Brown and Company, 2017. 386 pages. Sci-Fi 

When a new force takes hold of the world, people from different areas of life are forced to cross paths in an alternate reality that gives women and teenage girls immense physical power that can cause pain and death. 

AB

The Witch's Heart

The Witch’s Heart 

By Genevieve Gornichec 

Penguin Audio, 2021. 359 pages. Fantasy 

    Angrboda is a witch so old and reborn so many times that even she doesn’t know her origin. She knows only that she possesses powerful prophetic powers. After her most recent burning, Angrboda runs away, physically stripped of heart. Loki, the Norse trickster god, returns her heart, and Angrboda in turn falls in love. Angrboda bears three children with Loki, and each one is as unique as their parents. But this isn’t a story of domicile bliss as Odin continues to hunt for Angrboda and her gift. When she foresees a grim future for her family, she devotes herself to protecting them, aided by the mighty huntress, Skadi. In this epic tale of love and loss, Genevieve Gornichec retells Norse myths that connect with modern readers for its inventive twists that center women’s stories. Fans of Norse folklore, fantasy, and LGBTQIA+ romance will love this book. 

    I love stories of women with unending potential who learn to embrace their uniqueness. I’ve found myself questioning why Angrboda isn’t included in every Norse tale since reading this book. I also enjoyed Gornichec’s re-imagining of Hel, the goddess of death popularized by Cate Blanchett’s portrayal in Thor: Ragnorok. The audiobook, narrated by Jayne Entwistle, is clear and compelling, allowing listeners to keep up with the many Norse characters and their mythical tales throughout the novel. 

If you like The Witch’s Heart, you might also like:

Kaikeyi 

By Vaishnavi Patel

Redhook, 2022. 478 pages. Fantasy

The only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, Kaikeyi is raised on grand stories about the might and benevolence of the gods. Yet she watches as her father unceremoniously banishes her mother, her own worth measured by how great a marriage alliance she can secure. And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear. Desperate for some measure of independence, she turns to the ancient texts she once read with her mother and discovers a magic that is hers alone. She uses it to transform herself from overlooked princess into warrior, diplomat, and most-favored queen, determined to forge a better world for herself than the one that gods and men have granted.

Ithaca 

By Claire North 

 Redhook, 2022. 391 pages. Fantasy

This is the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before: On the isle, it is the choices of the abandoned women—and their goddesses—that will change the course of the world. 

AB