One of the most interesting interviews I did back in 2023 was with Margaret Killjoy. She is the author of A Country of Ghosts and The Sapling Cage. She also plays piano, synth, and harp in the feminist black metal band Feminazgûl and hosts several podcasts. So when I found out I got to check an advance copy of the third book in the Danielle Cain series prior to it being offered on Kickstarter, I knew I had to jump at the chance.
I think that the most important thing a book can do to captivate readers is to bring a person into the character’s perspective and world fully. In this regard, Margaret Killjoy’s upcoming book The Immortal Choir is a masterclass. In just the first few pages, you can feel yourself sitting around the campfire with this team of queer anarcho-punks as they sit around and tell stories to keep ancient evils from encroaching.
The novella is told through four interlocking stories. The first is Danielle Cain and her friends being on the run from magical cops due to the events of the last book. They are camping out on Samhain and hear what may be the approach of a supernal entity. They decide to placate in the old ways by providing it food and telling tales. Each member of the group tells a story about their encounter with magic, both real and fancy, as they define the different kinds. Fancy magic is otherworldly spirits and spells, while real is the magic that happens when people share friendship and a cause.
The book was very different from some of the things that I have been reading recently, and it was a welcome change to hang out with a bunch of queer punks united in the fight against the powers that be and standing by one another no matter what it takes. I enjoyed going along for the ride as they encountered troll cults, murder faeries, and the horrors of riot cops.
I give this once a wholehearted two thumbs up and you should check it out and back it on kickstarter at
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tangled-wilderness/the-immortal-choir-holds-every-voice
Paper Phoenix ink 