Amy Rose Capetta & Cori McCarthy Once and Future
Treat Your Shelfs October book was a queer-packed space opera and a retelling of the Arthurian legend. Once and Future is set between worlds, with a pervasive capitalist corporation who are trying to stop a refugee from igniting a galactic revolution.
Ari Helix crash lands on Old Earth, pulls a magic sword from a tree and is named the 42nd reincarnation of King Arthur. Along with her brother, a rag-tag bunch of knights and a backwards-ageing wizard, she sets out to defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to humankind. Expect gender neutral pronouns, sapphic relationships aplenty and a universe where homophobia is so alien that its jarring.
Its a wonderfully comical retelling of a well-known story. Usually
when we have books with this level of diversity, they are about
challenging situations or about peoples oppression, and this book isnt
that. Although it touches on aspects of colonialism, the refugee crisis,
gender, sexuality and is an 'own voices' story, ultimately its a fun,
action-packed romp through space.