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moonshinesapphic · 4 years

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Books and Graphic Novels to curb the She-Ra s5 hangover (Pt.1/?)

So, I've been wallowing in the She-Ra feels for the past few days. Mostly reading fanfics, swimming in Tumblr and rewatching s5 (as most of us are). And, because I'm a big reader, I started thinking about books I've read that remind me of spop. I came up with a handful of books/graphic novels that I’ve already read and made this lil list for my fellow She-Ra loving readers out there. As I read more I will most likely add to this list. (Especially with #prideathon coming up next month!!!) So keep an eye out for part 2...

1) Cosmoknights by Hannah Templer

Okay! So I read this graphic novel semi-recently and freaking loved it! Plot-wise it doesn’t have a whole lot of similarities (except for childhood BFFs... these one are long lost and in need of a reunion though, not at each others throats) to She-Ra. But the art style and queer themes/characters are very She-Ra. Not to mention it’s all about sapphic space knights fighting the patriarchal galactic empire; what more could you want! Literally all of the characters in this book are queer women... and most of them are badass knights or sexy spies and it’s GREAT! I need more people to read this book!!! Also this GN was written by a queer woman! I honestly think the only con to Cosmoknights is that it’s quite new so only Vol. 1 is out right now.

Synopsis: “Pan's life used to be very small. Work in her dad's body shop, sneak out with her friend Tara to go dancing, and watch the skies for freighter ships. It didn't even matter that Tara was a princess... until one day it very much did matter, and Pan had to say goodbye forever. Years later, when a charismatic pair of off-world gladiators show up on her doorstep, she finds that life may not be as small as she thought. On the run and off the galactic grid, Pan discovers the astonishing secrets of her neo-medieval world... and the intoxicating possibility of burning it all down.”

2) Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan (Author), Cliff Chiang (Illustrator), Matthew Wilson (Colorist), Jared K. Fletcher (Lettering)

Paper Girls is hard to explain but it’s essentially about a group of papergirls in the 1980s who get caught up in a inter-dimensional, time-space tear in the fabric of the universe that lands them and others in different points in time and they must work together to get home. I seriously loved this GN series. The girl gang/girl power aspect and many of the characters and relationship dynamic reminds me of She-Ra. Once again it’s not exactly the same plot but the chaotic sci-fi elements are there. There are cool space monsters, complicated bag guys, gay aliens, and snarky ladies who will smack you over the head with their hockey stick. Its also queer as hell and features a prominent wlw relationship (a relationship that has some delicious catradora vibes if you ask me...)! It’s also a completed series so it’s ready for you to totally binge in this quarantine time!

Synopsis: “Paper Girls follows the story of four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls (Erin, MacKenzie, KJ, and Tiffany) set in Stony Stream, a fictional suburb of Cleveland, Ohio.. While out delivering papers on the morning after Halloween, the town is struck by an invasion from a mysterious force from the future. The girls become unwillingly caught up in the conflict between two warring factions of time travelers.”

3) This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

This is a the book on this list that I’ve read the most recently and it completely blew me away. The prose is stunning and the story is so complex in the most beautiful ways and ties in so wonderfully at the end. Its about two woman on the opposite sides of a time war who are rivals and then fall in love with each other as they send letters back and fourth. If you have already read all the fanfics and are in need of some catradora vibes this is the book for you. It does the enemies to lover trope so so well and I was really impressed by how much emotion El-Mohtar and Gladstone put into their story. Honestly Blue and Red’s romance had me crying at the end (not from sadness!) it was just so moving and heartwarming. Not to mention the world/setting with which this book takes place in is so unique and honestly like nothing I’ve ever read before.

Synopsis: “ Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. . Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future. Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There’s still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war.”

4) Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

Okay so this book is the wildcard of the bunch. I was originally going to make this a three book long list but as I was thinking back on the books that I’ve read and Skyward popped into my head. It’s a YA Sci-fi book that’s basically Top Gun but in space and with a headstrong and noble teen girl as the protagonist plus a sentient spaceship. I was wracking my brain for why this book made me think of She-Ra because it’s not queer (as far as I know... I’ve yet to read book two), it’s not really the same hero’s journey type plot and nor are any of the relationships similar to those in She-Ra. But then it hit me. Like She-Ra, this book does a really good job a depicting kids and teenagers as soldiers. All of the characters in this book are made into pilots at a young age to fight an unknown foe. Sanderson does a really good job at showing the repercussions of this, as well as the real life risks to being a soldier in a war. This book also has some Fright Zone vibes with the setting and, the more I think about it, the lead character, Spin, shares a lot of qualities with both Catra and Adora. Qualities which make for a fantastic MC who I think, if universes collided, would be a great addition to the Princess Alliance. (Side bar: this book also has some AWESOME action sequences that literally kept me on the edge of my seat.)

Synopsis: “ Defeated, crushed, and driven almost to extinction, the remnants of the human race are trapped on a planet that is constantly attacked by mysterious alien starfighters. Spensa, a teenage girl living among them, longs to be a pilot. When she discovers the wreckage of an ancient ship, she realizes this dream might be possible—assuming she can repair the ship, navigate flight school, and (perhaps most importantly) persuade the strange machine to help her. Because this ship, uniquely, appears to have a soul.”

BONUS: (aka the honorable/obvious mentions) Lumberjanes and Nimona both by Noelle Stevenson!

Noelle Stevenson is the creator of spop and also a graphic novelist and artist herself (as many of you may know)! I’ve read and loved both of these graphic novels and you can totally see the essence of Noelle’s storytelling that you see in She-Ra appear in these GNs as well. I highly recommend for a reread if you’ve already read them but also if you’re a She-Ra fan and have never picked up any of Noelle’s other works yet this is a great time to do it! They’re also both really queer regrading both themes and characters, which is no surprise cause it’s our Queen Noelle, you guys!

Lumberjanes Synopsis: “At Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's camp for hard-core lady-types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together... And they're not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here.”

Nimona Synopsis: “Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are. But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.”

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