What gets better than the line on the front of the book, "magic is for everyone". I adore the concept of this anthology - the celebration of marginalized voices, of the myriad images of trans identities, and all in a fantasy anthology. Transmogrify balances an anthology of joy with fantasy stories.

Absolutely let's celebrate trans and non-binary characters being written by trans and non-binary authors, I will never complain about the trend of anthologies of diverse short stories by diverse authors. Some of the stories don't hit it out of the park for me and some were amazing, and that's par for the course on these, I'm not mad at all.

This book was a fun and mystical way to tell queer stories. It is important to spread this kind of joy. I enjoyed reading each of the different shorts. They were all unique and each presented their own personal charm. I would recommend this book to several of my peers in the LGBTQ+ community.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wonderfully curated collection of lovely little short stories about non-binary/trans/gender nonconforming teens with fantasy elements. For the most part, the authors are familiar names that we have stocked on our library shelves, and the stories they’ve included give you just enough. Occasionally, these stories make you wish for more- in a good way, as in some of the worlds included in these pages would be nice to explore in a full length book or even novella.

My particular favorite story was probably “Dragons Name Themselves”, but that might just be because I love dragon stories, and there really weren’t any huge misses in this collection. An excellent, quick read for those looking to dip their toes into genre fiction that explores main characters who lie beyond the gender binary.

A magic mirror, a sentient school, queer crushes, and all of the trans magic you could ask for!
I'm grateful this anthology exists.
The stories are a mixed-bag. There are various styles and skillsets on display.
If I'm being honest, there were a couple of stories that just weren't up to par quality wise.
I did like quite a few stories, especially the ones that were in the later half of the book.
Overall, the anthology mostly represented nonbinary identities. There weren't many trans-masc protagonists. Just don't go into the book expecting a fair, diverse array of trans experiences.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Such a solid collection, which is a delicate balance when there are so many unique voices and varied stories! I have saved this list of authors and I'll be diving into anything else they've written, because many of these worlds I'd love to explore more. As with any short story collection, there were one or two that didn't appeal to me, but I'm sure everyone will find something to adore. I also enjoyed the many tongue-in-cheek comparisons to fantasy worlds that are not as inclusive (or downright hostile). Listen up, publishers! We want inclusive fantasy. We want trans authors and trans characters and diverse authors and diverse characters. Representation matters. And this book is an amazing introduction for anyone to read.

Reviewing anthologies is always difficult, because of course, there are authors and stories you like better than others. That said, this was generally a fun read and I enjoyed it. I'm a fan of any queer fantasy and these stories were cute and fun, and I love the cover art!

Transmogrify! is a YA fantasy anthology edited by G. Haron Davis. Released 16th May 2023 by HarperCollins on their HarperTeen imprint, it's 416 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is an anthology of 14 fantasy short fiction pieces by non-binary authors and featuring non-binary characters. It's unclear from the material provided for review, but it seems that these stories are previously unpublished, and it contains all-new content. There are no story introductions but the editor/publisher has included short author bios in the back of the book for further information/following.

The stories are varied, there were (as always) some which didn't grab me personally, but all were well written and competently plotted. They were mostly in the 3.5 - 4 star range(ish) with a smattering of really standout stories.

One reason I prefer collections and anthologies is that short fiction is really challenging. It's spare and the author doesn't have a wealth of wordage to develop characters or the plotting. Well written short fiction is a delight. I also love collections because if one story doesn't really grab me, there's another story just a few pages away. I can only recall a few times where I've read a collection (or anthology) straight through from cover to cover as I did this one.

Four stars on average. It's a diverting read, but readers should be aware of potentially triggering descriptions of violence, suicide ideation, misgendering, light body horror, and transphobia.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

As with most short story anthologies, this one had some stories that I really loved and some that I didn't connect with. As a whole, this anthology shines with fanciful stories featuring trans and nonbinary characters. Each author uses their own unique voice to bring their characters and worlds to life, and it was fun seeing how they interpreted the theme. My favorite story is Espejismos by Dove Salvatierra, and I'm excited to see what this author will write next! I liked that I got to sample the work of many new-to-me authors, as well as reading stories by authors I already follow. I will definitely recommend this to fans of fantasy, as well as to the trans and nonbinary teens that I know!

A wonderful collection of stories that everyone can find their place in fantasy! I loved every story and there are multiple I really wish would become full novels so that I can spend a little more time in those worlds (but maybe that's just the magic of short stories). I would definitely recommend this collection!

14 YA short story Fantasies with magical transgender characters - written by trans & non-binary authors!! This was so much fun to read and very insightful.

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins, and all of the authors for the ARC.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This is a charming collection of fantasy stories by trans and gender nonconforming authors. I loved reading more from some of my faves, like AR Capetta and Cory McCarthy, Emery Lee, and Sonora Reyes, as well as reading some new authors. I liked the balanced approach overall between focus on identity and magic, although of course it depended on each author’s approach. And with the collection also being intersectional, and featuring authors from different cultural backgrounds, I liked how that further added more flavor to the collection and showed how diverse the trans community is.

Transmogrify was a really slow read for me because I hadn’t realized all 14 stories were entirely different. I had assumed they were all interconnected.

I have a hard time getting in to books like this just because my brain needs something to latch on to to continue on. With it being a compilation of short stories that weren’t connected, I didn’t have that. But that’s just me! You may love this style of book.

That being said, all of the stories were fun, centered on trans people and really well written. If you love short stories about magic, adventure and queer exploration this book is definitely for you!

Absolutely loved this magical collection of trans and nonbinary fantasy stories. ‘Transmogrify’ by g. haron davis, Saundra Mitchell, Nix Traxler, Dove Salvatierra, Francesca Tacchi, Ayida Shonibar, Jonathan Lenore Kastin, Ash Nouveau, AR Capetta, Cory McCarthy, Mason Deaver, Emery Lee, Cam Montgomery, Sonora Reyes, and Renee Reynolds was just the sweetest collection of short stories written by a group of amazing authors, and I highly recommend it!

As with all short story collections this one is somewhat mixed. Some of the stories are great and some are lukewarm.

My favorite of them was one called "Dragons Name Themselves" which is a cool queer take on what an inclusive queer wizard school could be if it wasn't created by a TERF. I loved the making of magic through music and I LOVE a good hearted queer matchmaker. Especially when it's the school BUILDING itself.

I also liked the first one about the student who was expelled and then found another queer student and they decided to go rescue other kids who were kicked out and teach them how to do magic more freely.

3.75 stars
I have mixed feelings about this book, which is kind of sad because I was so excited. I'll start by saying that I really liked most of the stories, they are fast paced, for the most part the characters and plot were compelling and entertaining. My favorite stories were:
Dragons Name Themselves by R. Capetta and Cory McCarthy
Halloween Love by Sonora Reyes
Seagulls and Other Birds of Prey by Ash Nouveau
The Hallow King by Jonathan Lenore Kastin

I really liked the way gender and transness intertwined with the magic and world of some of the stories. Overall, most of them are really whimsical and atmospheric. Each story has a different writing style and different concepts and genres, but I think they all fit together very well.

Finally, I want to add something important. The editor of this book (g. haron davis) made some -weird- comments when confronted with the mention that this trans anthology does not contain a single story written by a trans woman (at least not to my current knowledge) a group that is is severely marginalized and even more within the traditional publishing industry. This anthology is written mostly (if not entirely) by non-binary and transmasc authors. My point here is not to question the right of any of the contributors to be part of the anthology nor to invalidate their transness, we’re not entitled to anyone's identity and no author should have to share it with us; my point is to comment on the lack of trans women in a piece of media that apparently focuses on VARIED trans and gender non-conforming experiences and still excludes a significant portion of the community. By itself this anthology would be a solid 4 star read, I enjoyed most of the stories. Despite the editors response to the feedback given I don't think the book deserves a bad rating. I want to see more people read trans stories and more trans stories get published. And I especially want to see more trans women's stories published, I admit I haven't read enough myself.

CW: gender confusion, transphobia, body horror, suicide mention, fantasy violence

A magical and diverse collection of stories that celebrate transness in all its forms. Loved it! 💖🌈🔮

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this short story compilation!
Initially I had planned to read this for #TransRightsReadathon, but didn't get it started in time. I'm glad I didn't rush through this collection. I enjoyed each of these stories, and wish many of them were full length novels! If you're looking for magic and trans joy, this is it! Definitely recommend!

Overall, I really enjoyed these stories. Reading about all the trans and queer rep with the sprinkle of magic was so comforting even when some of the stories dealt with some heavier topics. Most of the stories were pretty lighthearted and angst with a happy ending. While I didn’t love all of the stories they were still nice to read. Thank you to the authors and to NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.


Origin Story by Saundra Michell (she/they)
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5, (First Person POV)
I liked the vibes of this story and like something that could be made into a book on its own. However, leaving it as a short story it just kinda fell flat in a few places. It was good, just not anything overly great.
Rep: Non-Binary MC, Bisexual SC, Aro-Ace SC
Content Warnings: Fantasy Violence


Halloween Love by Sonora Reyes (they/them)
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5, (First Person POV)
I really liked how this one started out, the magic was really cute. However, I just couldn't really get interested in it all that much. It was just kinda meh to me.
Rep: Queer Non-Binary MC, Transfem SC, POC MC
Content Warnings: Harassment, Bullying


Verity by Renée Reynolds (they/them)
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5, (Third Person POV)
This was such a cute idea. I loved the setting and for a fast-paced story, it didn’t feel like it, in the best way. A magic academy that was done so well. I would definitely read a full book on this story.
Rep: Non-Binary MC, Genderfluid SC
Content Warnings: None


Dragons Name Themselves by A.R. Capetta (they/them) and Cory McCathy (he/they)
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5/5, (First Person POV)
I really liked this one too. The main character and their love interest are brought together by the dragon egg they were taking care of. It was adorable.
Rep: Non-Binary MC
Content Warnings: None


High Tide by Francesca Tacchi (xe/xir)
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5, (First Person POV)
I would read a full book about this story as well. While it was much too fast-paced for my liking, I loved the idea and overall vibe of it. Proving elders wrong and breaking gender norms is always a good vibe to me. The world-building in this story was really nice too.
Rep: Non-Binary MC
Content Warnings: Transphobia, Near Drowning Experience


In a Name by Ayida Shonibar (she/they)
⭐⭐ 2/5, (First Person POV)
I honestly just couldn’t get into this one very well. I think it had some good ideas but I just didn’t really care about the characters all that much.
Rep: Non-Binary MC and SC
Content Warnings: Transphobia, Sexism, Fantasy Violence


Bite the Hand by Nik Traxler (they/them) and Pinar Ateş Sinopoulos-Lloys (they/them + he/him)
⭐ 1/5, (Third Person POV)
I was kinda annoyed by this one. I just didn’t care for the writing style all that much and just didn’t really care for it in general.
Rep: Non-Binary MC
Content Warnings: Blood, Violence


If I can’t have love, I want power. by g.haron-davis (they/them)
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5, (First Person POV)
I feel like this could have been better if it wasn’t a short story. The characters were okay but it was too fast-paced to really care enough about them. The overall idea of this story seemed entertaining enough but again it felt too much like a summary and would have been better if there was more background and just overall less rushed.
Rep: Non-Binary MC and SCs
Content Warnings: Depression, Cancer


The Hallow King by Jonathan Lenore Kastin (he/they)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5, (Third Person POV)
Probably one of my favorites. I loved how this started out and the writing style of it. The pacing in this story was done very nicely and just the overall theme was so nice to read. Summoning the Hallow King for revenge on Halloween? Yes, love it.
Rep: Transmac MC
Content Warnings: Blood, Violence, Transphobia


Genderella by Mason Deaver (they/them)
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5, (First Person POV)
I just could not get into this one. I really like this author and their work but I just didn’t care for the writing style of this story. It was an interesting idea and maybe I would like it better as a book and not just a short story but I could not get interested in it or the characters, unfortunately.
Rep: Transfem MC
Content Warnings: Parental Abuse, Deadmaning Mentioned


Seagulls and Other Birds of Prey by Ash Nouveau (they/them)
⭐⭐⭐ 3.5/5, (First Person POV)
Broomstick derby teams sounds like an awesome story idea. This story was enjoyable even if it was a little meh at times. I liked the characters and I enjoyed the overall vibe, I just think it lacked plot. This would make a better book than a short story.
Rep: Non-Binary MC and SCs, SC in a Wheelchair
Content Warnings: Violence, Transphobia


Bend the Truth, Break It Too by Cam Montgomery (non-binary, she/they)
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5, (First Person POV)
I liked the length of this story, I don’t think I would read a full book on it but as a short story, it was good. The setting and overall vibe were nicely done and I liked the characters. It was cute.
Rep: Non-Binary MC
Content Warnings: Angst


Espejismos by Dove Salvaierra (they/them)
⭐⭐ 2/5, (Third Person POV)
I loved the idea of this. Angus was doing their best just to survive when a shape shifter pays them a visit. It was cute. I just didn’t like all the internalized transphobia and all the other things the father drilled into Angus’ mind. It was annoying to read about them saying something rude because that's how their dad raised them. It ending happily so that helped.
Rep: T4T, Non-Binary MC, and SC
Content Warnings: Death, Death of Parents, Death of Sibling, Monsters, Transphobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal Thoughts


The Door to the Other Side by Emery Lee (e/em)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5, (Third Person POV)
I need a full book on this story. It was depressing and angsty but in a lighthearted way almost. Aryn finding out who they were with the help of a stranger D.J. and I just loved them both. The setting and plot of this were so good.
Rep: Non-Binary MC and SC
Content Warnings: Transphobia, Suicide (Mentioned)

Like most anthologies, Transmogrify: 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic is somewhat hit and miss. Some of the stories are amazing, others so-so.

Some standouts, based on what I think my students might enjoy, include the opening story, "Origin Story," by Saundra Mitchell, "Bite the Hand," by Nik Traxler & Pinar Ateş Sinopoulos-Lloyd, and "Seagulls and Other Birds of Prey," by Ash Nouveau.

I did not read all of these stories in one sitting, which was probably for the best as there was some repetitiveness to the themes and the messages. Many of these stories have a clear lesson that they want to teach the reader, which is fine, especially in YA. However, through no fault of the individual writers, the lessons lose some of their effectiveness when the teaching gets repetitive. Perhaps greater care could have been taken in choosing stories which, while representing the trans experience, explored more varied expressions of that experience.