…in which our heroine rides into the desert and we learn about the need for intersectional feminism.
Featured image from here.
In addition to spoilers for Book 1, 2, and 3, we’ll be discussing issues related to racism (including white feminism and the idea of white saviors) and with partner misogyny.
What’s the Beyond Binaries Book Club?
Long version here.
Our focus is on books (and media) about characters with sexualities, gender identities, or gender expressions that aren’t simply male/female or gay/straight. That is, characters who are bi/pansexual/queer-identified, or whose gender expression or identity is not strongly fixed to the gender binary (may include agender, transgender, gender-nonconforming, gendervariant, genderfluid, intersex [as identity], non-binary, genderqueer, et al.). We tend to read speculative fiction novels (as opposed to non-fiction, including autobiographies), but other genre fiction, graphic novels, comics, and short stories may be on our list.
The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
Newly knighted, Alanna of Trebond seeks adventure in the vast desert of Tortall. Captured by fierce desert dwellers, she is forced to prove herself in a duel to the death—either she will be killed or she will be inducted into the tribe. Although she triumphs, dire challenges lie ahead. As her mysterious fate would have it, Alanna soon becomes the tribe’s first female shaman—despite the desert dwellers’ grave fear of the foreign woman warrior. [Editor’s note: even the back of the book is racist oh boy] Alanna must fight to change the ancient tribal customs of the desert tribes—for their sake and for the sake of all Tortall. [Ed. NOOOOOPE let Kara and Kourrem do it stop it Alanna]
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