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The Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean

Each generation, a competition is held to find the next empress of Honoku. The rules are simple. Survive the palace's enchanted seasonal rooms. Conquer Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Marry the prince. All are eligible to compete--all except yokai, supernatural monsters and spirits whom the human emperor is determined to enslave and destroy. Mari has spent a lifetime training to become empress. Winning should be easy. And it would be, if she weren't hiding a dangerous secret. Mari is a yokai with the ability to transform into a terrifying monster. If discovered, her life will be forfeit. As she struggles to keep her true identity hidden, Mari's fate collides with that of Taro, the prince who has no desire to inherit the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human, half-yokai outcast. Torn between duty and love, loyalty and betrayal, vengeance and forgiveness, the choices of Mari, Taro, and Akira will decide the fate of Honoku in this beautifully written, edge-of-your-seat YA...

The Measure of a Monster by Seanan McGuire (Incryptid, #8.5)

This novella is included with most editions of THAT AIN'T WITCHCRAFT.

TITLE: The Measure of a Monster
AUTHOR: Seanan McGuire
PUBLISHER: Daw Books
YEAR: 2019
LENGTH: 76 pages
AGE: Adult
GENRE: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
RECOMMENDED: Highly

Queer Rep Summary: No canon queer rep.

THE MEASURE OF A MONSTER brings us briefly back to Alex’s perspective as he searches for some kidnapped gorgon children with Sarah and Shelby’s help. 

It's making a statement about personhood, humanity, and monstrosity which is working on several different levels, impressively so for such a short story. It's perfectly placed to be read after THAT AIN'T WITCHCRAFT, and I like this one. One line towards the end will haunt me, I think, spoken softly and heralding death. 

CW for kidnapping, child abuse (not depicted), gun violence, violence, death.

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A woman with long brown hair stands in a golden field, a knife held at the ready in each hand.


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