Hello, my name is Rosina and I use she/her pronouns but I’m actually genderfluid. So when better than pride month to celebrate that? My genderfluidity is something that I’ve only really been figuring out in the last few years. It’s definitely something I thought about briefly as a teenager but…even with the internet, I didn’t really know where to look so I always just brushed it off.
If Mask of Shadows had been out when I’d been a teenager then that would have been…it would have been something.
Mask of Shadows is a YA fantasy novel by Linsey Miller. It’s not own voices but it features a gender fluid MC called Sal who feels realistic. They dress the gender they feel that day and I get that. As it’s the way I deal with my own gender. They’re unapologetic about it and they aim to be the best no matter how people see them.
There isn’t many books featuring genderfluid characters out there. This is the only one I can think of and the fact it’s YA fantasy? That means so much more. I want to be the kickass lady in a beautiful dress but I also want to be the handsome rogue who knows his smile can get him anywhere. I don’t want to think about myself in real situations, I don’t want depressing contemporary. I want fun adventure like this.
I could ramble about this book all day as it means so much. I was so damn happy to find myself in this book and I just want to hug it. It’s encouraged me to think that it’s okay to write a book with a genderfluid MC. That people will want to read it. So now I’m doing that.
Mask of Shadows is such an amazing book and I’m super excited for Ruin of Stars when it comes out. I just want to thank Linsey Miller for putting this book out there. And if you haven’t read it yet? Buy it now!
Lace and Dagger Books 