20 fantasy and science fiction books to read in February 2024
By Daniel Roman
MEDEA by Eilish Quin — February 13
If you enjoy books like Circe by Madeline Miller, this next one will probably be up your alley. Medea is the debut novel from Eilish Quin, a reimagining of the tale of "one of the most reviled and maligned women of Greek antiquity." That would be Medea, the enchantress who helped Jason obtain the Golden Fleece from her father, King Aeëtes of Colchis, and later married him. In Greek myth, Jason leaves Medea for another woman, Princess Corinth. Medea then takes a horrific revenge, murdering Jason's children and his new wife so that he will have no more legacy in the mortal world.
What about a version of the tale told from Medea's perspective? After all, Jason did abandon her after she betrayed her own father to help him. I want to hear Medea's side of the story!
Among the women of Greek mythology, the witch Medea may be the most despised. Known for the brutal act of killing her own children to exact vengeance on her deceitful husband, the Argonauts leader Jason, Medea has carved out a singularly infamous niche in our histories.
But what if that isn’t the full story?
The daughter of a sea nymph and the granddaughter of a Titan, Medea is a paradox. She is at once rendered compelling by virtue of the divinity that flows through her bloodline and made powerless by the fact of her being a woman. As a child, she intuitively submerges herself in witchcraft and sorcery, but soon finds it may not be a match for the prophecies that hang over her entire family like a shroud.
As Medea comes into her own as a woman and a witch, she also faces the arrival of the hero Jason, preordained by the gods to be not only her husband, but also her lifeline to escape her isolated existence. Medea travels the treacherous seas with the Argonauts, battles demons she had never conceived of, and falls in love with the man who may ultimately be her downfall.
In this propulsive, beautifully written debut, readers will finally hear Medea’s side of the story through a fresh and feminist lens.
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SUN OF BLOOD AND RUIN by Mariely Lares — February 20
Sun of Blood and Ruin is the debut fantasy novel from Mariely Lares. It's a gender-bent reimagining of Zorro which draws on Mesoamerican mythology and Mexican history to give it a fresh spin. I'm going to be straight with you, I am an enormous sucker for stories which take inspiration from Mesoamerican myth. The idea of a female swashbuckler (Pantera!) who uses magic and blades to fight against the Spanish colonial government sounds like a total blast.
A new legend begins…
In sixteenth-century New Spain, witchcraft is punishable by death, indigenous temples have been destroyed, and tales of mythical creatures that once roamed the land have become whispers in the night. Hidden behind a mask, Pantera uses her magic and legendary swordplay skills to fight the tyranny of Spanish rule.
To all who know her, Leonora de las Casas Tlazohtzin never leaves the palace and is promised to the heir of the Spanish throne. The respectable, law-abiding Lady Leonora faints at the sight of blood and would rather be caught dead than meddle in court affairs.
No one suspects that Leonora and Pantera are the same person. Leonora’s charade is tragically good, and with magic running through her veins, she is nearly invincible. Nearly. Despite her mastery, she is destined to die young in battle, as predicted by a seer.
When an ancient prophecy of destruction threatens to come true, Leonora—and therefore Pantera—is forced to decide: surrender the mask or fight to the end. Knowing she is doomed to a short life, she is tempted to take the former option. But the legendary Pantera is destined for more than an early grave, and once she discovers the truth of her origins, not even death will stop her.