Week 11 - Fantasy Annotation - The Monsters We Defy

Author: Leslye Penelope

Title: The Monsters We Defy

Genre: Fantasy

Publication Date: August 9, 2022

Number of Pages: 384

Geographical Setting: Washington D.C.

Time Period: 1920s

Series (If applicable): N/A

Plot Summary: Every charm a spirit bestows comes with a price, one young Clara Johnson knows about all too well. Clara uses her ability to walk the line between the living and dead to often broker deals on behalf of spirits with those desperate enough to make them. When local residents start acting strange, almost zombielike, before they go missing, Clara uses her gifts and discovers a magical ring may be the connection. With the help of a handsome musician, his gifted cousin, Clara’s strange albino roommate, and a glamourist, Clara and resulting company find themselves on a dangerous mission that takes them through Washington, D.C.’s historical 1925 Black community, one filled with speakeasies, literary salons, and Fairy Balls as they discover the true meaning of love and friendship, and why sometimes magic isn’t all its cracked up to be.

Subject Headings:

African Americans – Paranormal – Fiction – Spirits – Fantasy – Jazz – Historical – Magic – Romance

Appeal:

-         Own voices – diverse set of underrepresented, marginalized groups or characters written from or by authors who share the same identity and perspective or experiences.

-         World building – these books immerse the reader in vivid imaginary worlds of invented histories, languages, geography, or cultures.

-         Engaging writing style – these books capture the imagination of readers through narrative style, character, or use of detail.

3 terms that best describe this book:

1.      Descriptive

2.      Richly detailed

3.      Engaging

Similar Authors and Works (why are they similar?):

Many of these recommendations and read-a-likes came from NoveList, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. The fiction works are similar in that they all possess characters on a quest for magical items, feature world-building, fantasy and supernatural elements. The writing is descriptive and feature characters who are the ‘chosen ones’ and often complex yet truly authentic in their representation.

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors:

1.      Black Broadway in Washington, DC (American Heritage) by Briana A. Thomas

From the early 1900s to 1950s, African Americans were free to own businesses in Washington, D.C. and built what can only be described as a city within a city. Thomas takes readers on a journey through the infamous U Street which brought about important historical figures such as Mary Church Terrell and Duke Ellington, while also taking us through the struggles of gentrification.

2.      Washington’s U Street: A Biography by Blair A. Ruble

Tracing the history of the U Street neighborhood in Washington D.C., Ruble takes us on a journey through a critical zone of contact between black and white America in the diverse neighborhood known as U Street, which saw the rise of African American middle and elite classes, and cultural and educational institutions: Paul Laurence Dunbar High, the first Black YMCA, and the first black owned bank.

3.      The Annotated African American Folktales by Henry Louis Gates Jr. & Maria Tatar

A 150 groundbreaking collection of African American folktales, myths, and legends that bring light to lost culture and redefine American literature. Tales not seen since the Harlem Renaissance are brought back to life and feature stories such as ‘The Talking Skull’ and ‘Witches Who Ride’ as well as out-of-print stories including the ‘Southern Workman.’

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors:

1.      The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith

Unfinished books reside in the Library of the Unwritten in Hell, where it’s up to the recently named Head Librarian, Clarie, to keep restless characters from escaping. However, when one character escapes and goes in search of the author who wrote him, what should have been a simply retrieve and return goes terrifyingly wrong with an Angel attacks Clarie, her assistant, and a nervous… demon courier, convinced that Clarie and her friends hold the Devil’s Bible, a powerful book used in the struggle between worlds. Now it’s up to the librarians to find it… or Heaven help us if they fail.  

2.      A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab

Kell is a magician, one of the last Antari, known for their rare and coveted abilities to travel between parallel, colored versions of London – Red, Grey, White, and, a long time ago, Black. Kell is also a smuggler, a hobby that comes with dangerous consequences. When an exchange goes terribly awry, Kell goes to Grey London, where she runs into a Delilah Bard. After saving him from a deadly enemy, he forces her to take him to another version of London for an adventure where they end up trying to save ALL versions of London… but they’ll need to stay alive first to do it.

3.      Uprooted by Naomi Novik

The Dragon is a cold, power driven wizard who demands a terrible price for his help in keeping a quiet village safe from the Wood, a malevolent power with a terrible fate for those who dare to venture beyond its borders. Every ten years, the Dragon chooses a young woman to keep for service. The next choosing is fast approaching and our young heroin, Agnieszka, is terrified he’s going to take her friend, Kasia. There’s no way to stop him. He will come. But will it be Kasia he chooses? Or, worse… will it be her?