Erewhon Books 2020 Year in Review
Thank you for all of your support of our first three titles and authors this year. Here is a list of some of the accolades they've earned. Please consider these titles as we approach awards season for the year 2020.
The Fortress by S. A. Jones, March 17, 2020
Starred Review in Publishers Weekly
“Jones’s radical, detailed vision of what extremes it might take to unlearn misogyny is rendered with insight, immediacy, and painful honesty. This gut-punch of a story is sure to start conversations.”
“Each raw turn in the novel holds a counterargument that people are significant and should be treated as such. So resisting the notion that gender inequality can be waited out, The Fortress is a compassionate and piercing speculative novel.”
“The Fortress is a visceral, uncomfortable read that scrutinizes, among other things, society’s approach in its treatment of women and how to resolves the gender and power issues we face today.”
The Scapegracers by Hannah Abigail Clarke, September 15, 2020
Indie Bestseller in September 2020
New York Times Best Books To Give This Year
“As tender and intimate as it is ferocious and volatile, “Scapegracers,” deserves to be this generation’s go-to grimoire. May it launch a thousand covens of angry, loving, brilliant girls.”
Starred Review in Publishers Weekly
“Unapologetically queer—and seething with raw emotion, this fantasy opens strong while leaving much to be explored in future installments.”
Starred Review in Kirkus Magazine
“Teenage girl magic is palpable, urgent, and simply marvelous in this must-have debut.”
Autostradde’s 67 of the Best Queer Books of 2020
“The Scapegracers turns the tropes of mean girl high school social hierarchies and lesbian teen witchery on their heads.”
The Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk, October 13, 2020
Canada Reads 2021 Shortlist, championed by three-time Olympian and broadcaster, Rosey Edeh
The New York Times Book Review
“Polk’s contribution to the genre is smooth and confident, with prose that reads like running a hand over velvet. She uses historical fantasy not to simply dismiss outdated mores on sexuality and desire but to engage with the contemporary issues of birth control and parental leave, which remain frustratingly controversial in much of the world. A sleek, beautiful book with a quietly serious heart.”
Starred Review with Publishers Weekly
“Polk expertly balances propulsive pacing, a rich multicultural world, and a vivid and subversive cast of characters. Readers will be swept away by this powerful and passionate fantasy.”
Starred Review in Kirkus Magazine
“An expertly concocted mélange of sweet romance and sharp social commentary.”
Starred Review in Library Journal
“Polk’s (Witchmark) foray into a society of magic and politics places the woman in the secondary role, but neither Beatrice nor Ysbeta will stay in place. Fans of romantic fantasy set in a multicultural world will find this a fascinating read.”
“The Midnight Bargain is a marvel of fantasy world-building, full of fascinating details and complex rules that govern the rituals of sorcery and marriage.
Indie Next Pick of November 2020
“Sorcery, historical romance, feminism, female friendships, and reproductive rights — this enjoyable novel had everything I needed. Readers of Gail Carriger and Naomi Novik will gobble this up.”
“This novel is a fast-paced, delightful read full of plot twists, romantic angst, and social justice themes.”
“When I was deep in my pandemic reading slump and couldn’t seem to focus on anything for longer than a page or two, it was fantasy that pulled me back to attention. And C.L. Polk’s The Midnight Bargain is everything I love about the genre that made me fall in love with reading 30-odd years ago.”