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The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron Saves the World Again
When the world is endangered, there's no point in sparing the spangles, spilling the drinks, or withholding the glitter. In this collection of whimsical stories of fierce femmes and brave butches, the Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron is a phone call away…
The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron Saves the World Again is a collection of inter-linked short stories featuring the sparkliest, bravest, most bad-ass women you are ever likely to meet. Any old hero can save the world, but these ladies can do it all in glitter and high heels, and still make it home in time for tea (and cocktails, of course).
The collection features two reprints and seven original short stories, plus bonus cocktail recipes.
The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron Saves the World Again is a collection of inter-linked short stories featuring the sparkliest, bravest, most bad-ass women you are ever likely to meet. Any old hero can save the world, but these ladies can do it all in glitter and high heels, and still make it home in time for tea (and cocktails, of course).
The collection features two reprints and seven original short stories, plus bonus cocktail recipes.
278 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2015
6 people are currently reading
699 people want to read
About the author
A.C. Wise
165 books417 followersA.C. Wise's fiction has appeared in publications such as Uncanny, Shimmer, and Tor.com, among other places. She had two collections published with Lethe Press, and a novella published by Broken Eye Books. Her debut novel, Wendy, Darling, is out from Titan Books n June 2021, and a new collection, The Ghost Sequences, is forthcoming from Undertow Books in October 2021. Her work has won the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, as well as being a two-time Nebula finalist, a two-time Sunburst finalist, an Aurora finalist, and a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. In addition to her fiction, she contributes review columns to the Book Smugglers and Apex Magazine, and has been a finalist for the Ignyte Award in the Critics category.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
September 3, 2018
By night, they work at clubs with names like Diamond Lil’s, the Lil’ Diamond, and Exclusively Lime Green. Every Thursday, they bowl. In between, when they’re not bowling, or dancing, or singing on stage, they kick ass harder than you’ve seen ass kicked before. And they do it all in silver lamé and high heels.
Meet the Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron. Their fierce leader is Bunny (born Phillip Howard Craft the Third). When the world needs saving, this is the team you call to take care of it.
The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron Saves the World Again is comprised of 9 inter-connecting stories that - along with a new adventure - gives you the history of one of the squad members and how they came to join the team. And it’s through those stories that we are allowed a look of what’s behind the fabulous armor of glitter, plateau shoes and high hair. There we find real hurt and heartbreak, but also love and strength. They are a family that sticks together where the world was most times cruel and uncaring.
I think A.C.Wise (oh, how I adore her stories!) not only gave us a kick-ass extravaganza filled with fun and weirdness in matching fab couture but also unexpected depth, humanity and compassion. Yes, there are electric space eels, giant murderous beetles, flying harpies and trapped ghosts to deal with, but in the end I found it a very affirming read. Oh, and there’s a delish cocktail recipe to match each member of the squad between chapters.
I highly recommend!
Themes: life is a drag!, they are so fabulous together, I loved how they matched their outfits to their mission, family.
5 stars
Meet the Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron. Their fierce leader is Bunny (born Phillip Howard Craft the Third). When the world needs saving, this is the team you call to take care of it.
The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron Saves the World Again is comprised of 9 inter-connecting stories that - along with a new adventure - gives you the history of one of the squad members and how they came to join the team. And it’s through those stories that we are allowed a look of what’s behind the fabulous armor of glitter, plateau shoes and high hair. There we find real hurt and heartbreak, but also love and strength. They are a family that sticks together where the world was most times cruel and uncaring.
I think A.C.Wise (oh, how I adore her stories!) not only gave us a kick-ass extravaganza filled with fun and weirdness in matching fab couture but also unexpected depth, humanity and compassion. Yes, there are electric space eels, giant murderous beetles, flying harpies and trapped ghosts to deal with, but in the end I found it a very affirming read. Oh, and there’s a delish cocktail recipe to match each member of the squad between chapters.
I highly recommend!
Themes: life is a drag!, they are so fabulous together, I loved how they matched their outfits to their mission, family.
5 stars
Read
June 19, 2018Glorious. The setup is a sort of bonkers Saturday morning cartoon meets pulp adventure where a gang of butches, femmes, trans people, nonbinary people, drag kings and much more save the world from alien supernatural threats in high heels while looking fabulous. The cover says it all, only imagine it in full colour and sparkling.
Which sounds like ridiculous fun and it is, but there's a lot more to it. There are painful backstories about bigotry and poverty or family love lost, and intense depth of emotion and thought. There's huge painful depths under the glitter, above which the characters rise through force of will and determination to be themselves as hard as they can (and also amazing shoes). And a very diverse cast including fat rep.
Highly readable and I wish it was a Saturday morning cartoon. The new Scooby Doo with platform heels and extra glitter.
At the time of writing this is in the LGBT Fantasy Storybundle and thus a bargain, btw.
Which sounds like ridiculous fun and it is, but there's a lot more to it. There are painful backstories about bigotry and poverty or family love lost, and intense depth of emotion and thought. There's huge painful depths under the glitter, above which the characters rise through force of will and determination to be themselves as hard as they can (and also amazing shoes). And a very diverse cast including fat rep.
Highly readable and I wish it was a Saturday morning cartoon. The new Scooby Doo with platform heels and extra glitter.
At the time of writing this is in the LGBT Fantasy Storybundle and thus a bargain, btw.
June 16, 2016
A.C. Wise's first collection grabbed my attention with its title. Let's be honest, The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron Saves the World Again is a fabulous title and coupled with its colourful cover image it is hard to pass up. Once I read the flap text, I knew I could't pass it up, because it sounded like it would be so much fun to read. And not to mince words, it was, but it was also surprisingly touching and serious.
Let's start with the Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron though. This is a group of women all over the gender spectrum — cis, trans, transitioning, male identifying as female, female presenting as male, non-binary — and all over the spectrum when it comes to their sexuality as well, they are queer, straight, bisexual, or undeclared and they are fabulous. They are a kaleidoscopic representation of femininity, with a shifting roster of members, but with a core group around which they orbit. Their guiding star is Bunny, whose decision to live life fearlessly, wearing the armour of her femininity and kicking ass, gives the Squadron its leading principle. I love the group as a whole and the separate members we meet in each story.
In essence the book is a collection of origin stories, in which we find out how the various Squadron members find their way to it. They form a found family, with all the of the accompanying tensions, but mostly with a lot of love and compassion for one another. While all the stories can be read as standalone, there is a progression through the stories that allows the reader to see the characters we've been introduced to interact and get to know them better. The cocktail recipes slotted in-between stories were awesome, especially as they not only reveal Sapphire’s keen insights into her sisters’ natures, but they also reveal a lot about Sapphire herself. There’s so much to love about all of these characters it’s hard to pick a favourite. Yet if I had to pick one besides Sapphire, it would be Cécé. M intrigues me no end, because the glimpses we get of her are mysterious and tantalising, but Cécé stuck with me. I loved Cécé’s individual story The Devil Comes to the Midnight Cafe. I was grabbed by her struggle to commit, to allow herself to fully commit to the person she loves. Yes, there’s a devil and there is heroic shenanigans, but ultimately this is a story about a person choosing to commit to one single person and how scary it is to make yourself that vulnerable and intertwined with someone else. The way this relationship develops also features in some of the subsequent stories and it was beautiful.
It would be so easy to go over the top with these stories, to camp it up and play it for the easy laughs, but Wise avoids falling into this trap. Not that she plays it straight; there is a lot of humour in this collection and not that she doesn’t bring the camp, but she also manages make these stories deeply genuine, dealing with ordinary human emotions and predicaments experienced by extraordinary women. There is not one story that didn’t touch me in some way, made me smile in amusement or sad recognition. I’d love read more Glitter Squadron adventures. I want to know what happens after the final story in the collection. If you’re hankering for a fun set of stories with a lot of heart and emotional depth then The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron Saves the World Again will fill your need and then some.
This collection was provided for review by the author.
Let's start with the Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron though. This is a group of women all over the gender spectrum — cis, trans, transitioning, male identifying as female, female presenting as male, non-binary — and all over the spectrum when it comes to their sexuality as well, they are queer, straight, bisexual, or undeclared and they are fabulous. They are a kaleidoscopic representation of femininity, with a shifting roster of members, but with a core group around which they orbit. Their guiding star is Bunny, whose decision to live life fearlessly, wearing the armour of her femininity and kicking ass, gives the Squadron its leading principle. I love the group as a whole and the separate members we meet in each story.
In essence the book is a collection of origin stories, in which we find out how the various Squadron members find their way to it. They form a found family, with all the of the accompanying tensions, but mostly with a lot of love and compassion for one another. While all the stories can be read as standalone, there is a progression through the stories that allows the reader to see the characters we've been introduced to interact and get to know them better. The cocktail recipes slotted in-between stories were awesome, especially as they not only reveal Sapphire’s keen insights into her sisters’ natures, but they also reveal a lot about Sapphire herself. There’s so much to love about all of these characters it’s hard to pick a favourite. Yet if I had to pick one besides Sapphire, it would be Cécé. M intrigues me no end, because the glimpses we get of her are mysterious and tantalising, but Cécé stuck with me. I loved Cécé’s individual story The Devil Comes to the Midnight Cafe. I was grabbed by her struggle to commit, to allow herself to fully commit to the person she loves. Yes, there’s a devil and there is heroic shenanigans, but ultimately this is a story about a person choosing to commit to one single person and how scary it is to make yourself that vulnerable and intertwined with someone else. The way this relationship develops also features in some of the subsequent stories and it was beautiful.
It would be so easy to go over the top with these stories, to camp it up and play it for the easy laughs, but Wise avoids falling into this trap. Not that she plays it straight; there is a lot of humour in this collection and not that she doesn’t bring the camp, but she also manages make these stories deeply genuine, dealing with ordinary human emotions and predicaments experienced by extraordinary women. There is not one story that didn’t touch me in some way, made me smile in amusement or sad recognition. I’d love read more Glitter Squadron adventures. I want to know what happens after the final story in the collection. If you’re hankering for a fun set of stories with a lot of heart and emotional depth then The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron Saves the World Again will fill your need and then some.
This collection was provided for review by the author.
July 28, 2016
Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron is a series of short stories about the same 'found family', a team of mostly female superheroes (trans women, cis women, and some nonbinary characters) who "save the world" over and over again from monsters, aliens, and typical old-fashioned comic book villains. It has a very fluffy Saturday morning cartoon feel in that most of the women have costumes that beg for a Sailor Moon style transformation sequence -- iridescent rainbow glitter, bunny ears, etc.
Many of the stories are origin stories -- i.e. how this or that crimefighting glamour queen came to join the team. Bunny's story gives us the most memorable image of the book, a trans woman fighting a sea monster that had traumatized her by killing a man and his dog right in front of her the day before. Starlight's was the most adorable, another trans woman--with a loving and supportive mom--working at the roller rink until the day she defended herself a little too well from random shitheads and earned a job offer from Bunny's team.
The stories also include a f/f love triangle, racial diversity, and villains who reform and become friends instead of being destroyed--which, pardon me for my sweet, gooey center, but I liked that.
If you read my books for the "queer SFF about found family that's sweet enough to cause cavities" angle you're gonna want to check out Wise's book, too.
Many of the stories are origin stories -- i.e. how this or that crimefighting glamour queen came to join the team. Bunny's story gives us the most memorable image of the book, a trans woman fighting a sea monster that had traumatized her by killing a man and his dog right in front of her the day before. Starlight's was the most adorable, another trans woman--with a loving and supportive mom--working at the roller rink until the day she defended herself a little too well from random shitheads and earned a job offer from Bunny's team.
The stories also include a f/f love triangle, racial diversity, and villains who reform and become friends instead of being destroyed--which, pardon me for my sweet, gooey center, but I liked that.
If you read my books for the "queer SFF about found family that's sweet enough to cause cavities" angle you're gonna want to check out Wise's book, too.
January 7, 2016
The character of Bunny sets the agenda for the Glitter Squadron. Née Phillip Howard Craft (note the absence of love in this version of herself), she comes into her own when she faces down a tentacled sea monster and, so far from going mad (or being heinously racist), she dons a fabulous outfit, takes the name of an adorable fluffy animal, and assembles a team of gloriously queer women and women-adjacent people to fight evil and drink cocktails. Fantastical adventures and literary inversions notwithstanding, this is ultimately a very human story, and I could have spent much more time with these characters. I hope we can look forward to future escapades with the Glitter Squadron.
February 8, 2016
A.C. Wise’s “The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron Saves the World Again” is as beautifully, sparklingly camp as the title suggests, mixing elements from raygun sci fi with a drag aesthetic. Whether drag queens, trans women, or cis-gendered women, the heroines in Wise’s novel are FIERCE. Whether fighting homophobia and misogyny at home or amongst the stars, The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron challenges assumptions and pushes for change. These characters are complex, powerful, and absolutely fabulous!
Escaping from different problematic home environments and desiring a change, The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron create a diverse family of people who have sought to find themselves and have discovered a safe space to be who they are and kick but while being themselves.
A.C. Wise combines images that are normally not associated in science fiction – drag and battle. Fiction often presents the figure of the drag queen as passive and powerless despite the fact that many drag performers have had to fight for every bit of respect and safety they have earned. Wise recognizes that drag communities are in perpetual struggles, perpetual battles to make space for themselves in a world that either erases or fetishises them. There is a FIERCE power in the figure of the drag queen, a figure who resists the control of normativity and is willing to challenge the powers of heteronormativity by being fabulous in public, by meeting the gaze of those who would judge and staring back. The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron transforms the fear they experience into strength, looking for opportunities to empower themselves and others.
The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron, this assemblage of mighty, modern glamazons, is not only made up of drag queens but also trans women and cis-gendered women, uniting in the expression of the power of femininity and unwilling to be disempowered by patriarchy or heteronormativity. These women challenge the way that society presents femininity to us, the audience, and express new ideals of feminine beauty, expression, power, and resistance… and they do it all without casting shade on one another.
Despite all of the glitter, one shouldn’t assume that this is a fluffy book… well, it does feature a character named Bunny…. but this book combines the power of playful, glittery, shiny fun with messages of empowerment and working together as women of diverse backgrounds to challenge assumptions and re-make the world. “The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron Saves the World Again” is as clever as it is campy.
This is definitely a read that you want to have next to a disco ball, wearing your finest, glitteriest frock, with a martini in hand. Prepare yourself to read some DRAG ’em out battles.
April 2, 2016
That was campy, earnest, sweet fun. Potentially great for YA collections too, esp public - there's some language and content (kink) that could be a tough sell for a school library.
I was cautious -- so easy to misstep when identities are such a huge part of your story -- and I can't say there was nothing off, because I didn't give it a deep and critical read. But there was a lot that I really loved, and moments where I held my breath and then the author didn't let me down. For example, in the first story (fighting giant spiders and a ridiculous bad guy on Mars):
There are two female guards in the whole sprawling expanse of the base, both wearing bikinis, chests heaving before they've even thought to pick a fight.
'Oh, how progressive!' Starlight claps her hands in mock rapture. 'I suppose there's a mud pit just behind that door?'
The girls in bikinis exchange; this is outside their training.
(ME: NOOOOOOOOO! Don't start this book throwing other ladies under the bus!!)
"Look, honey. Honeys,' Sapphire, who has just helped to take out a trio of genetically-altered snake creatures, says. 'Let me explain something to you. Supervillains pay crap. And there's no such thing as an Evil League of Evil healthcare plan.'
One of the women takes a questioning step forward. Sapphire holds up a hand.
'I won't make a grandiose speech about the fate of the world, or doing it for the children you'll probably never half, but I will say this -- killing bad guys is a heck of a lot of fun. And we pay overtime.'
And the forces of might and justice and looking damned fine in knee-high high heels swells to fourteen.
(ME: PHEWWWWWWWWWW.)
So they join the squad and reappear briefly later on. (With bikini costumes, in a nod to their supervillainous origins.) And that in itself is significant, I think -although each of the squad IS special, it's not their "super" identity or their centrality as a character that makes them worthy of or valuable to the team. Anyfemme* (or glittery butch) could potentially be part of it if they have the courage and willingness-to-act and metaphorical sparkle to do so, and although there's a few core people, there are various ancillary Squad members who pop in and out as well. That's a really, really sweet message.
*Yes, I made a My Little Pony joke! It's... not dissimilar.
I was cautious -- so easy to misstep when identities are such a huge part of your story -- and I can't say there was nothing off, because I didn't give it a deep and critical read. But there was a lot that I really loved, and moments where I held my breath and then the author didn't let me down. For example, in the first story (fighting giant spiders and a ridiculous bad guy on Mars):
There are two female guards in the whole sprawling expanse of the base, both wearing bikinis, chests heaving before they've even thought to pick a fight.
'Oh, how progressive!' Starlight claps her hands in mock rapture. 'I suppose there's a mud pit just behind that door?'
The girls in bikinis exchange; this is outside their training.
(ME: NOOOOOOOOO! Don't start this book throwing other ladies under the bus!!)
"Look, honey. Honeys,' Sapphire, who has just helped to take out a trio of genetically-altered snake creatures, says. 'Let me explain something to you. Supervillains pay crap. And there's no such thing as an Evil League of Evil healthcare plan.'
One of the women takes a questioning step forward. Sapphire holds up a hand.
'I won't make a grandiose speech about the fate of the world, or doing it for the children you'll probably never half, but I will say this -- killing bad guys is a heck of a lot of fun. And we pay overtime.'
And the forces of might and justice and looking damned fine in knee-high high heels swells to fourteen.
(ME: PHEWWWWWWWWWW.)
So they join the squad and reappear briefly later on. (With bikini costumes, in a nod to their supervillainous origins.) And that in itself is significant, I think -although each of the squad IS special, it's not their "super" identity or their centrality as a character that makes them worthy of or valuable to the team. Anyfemme* (or glittery butch) could potentially be part of it if they have the courage and willingness-to-act and metaphorical sparkle to do so, and although there's a few core people, there are various ancillary Squad members who pop in and out as well. That's a really, really sweet message.
*Yes, I made a My Little Pony joke! It's... not dissimilar.
May 26, 2016
Quite fabulous.
If ever I have wanted to see fanart it's for this book, because these amazing women wear the best clothes and kick arse !
So the UFGS is a group of people who roam an AU saving the world, from monsters of the human and non human variety. All of them have re invented themselves in one way or the other and are wonderfully supportive, and the book gives us insights into how they all came to be, except M, 'because there is nothing here for you. Just leave it and move on'.
Its exciting, funny and poignant and a great read.
If ever I have wanted to see fanart it's for this book, because these amazing women wear the best clothes and kick arse !
So the UFGS is a group of people who roam an AU saving the world, from monsters of the human and non human variety. All of them have re invented themselves in one way or the other and are wonderfully supportive, and the book gives us insights into how they all came to be, except M, 'because there is nothing here for you. Just leave it and move on'.
Its exciting, funny and poignant and a great read.
August 14, 2016
It is exactly what it sounds like and more. So much more. Excellent plotting, fantastic characters and many many many heartfelt moments, all wrapped up in sequined queer beauty. Could not have asked for more, but AC Wise kept delivering. One of the best I've read this year.
January 27, 2019
3.5 stars
This wasn't what I expected. There is no world-building. The protagonists fight bug-eyed monsters and act as a galactic mercenary force (well, solar-system force). That part is very shallow.
They are led by a transwoman (formerly Philip, decided to go drag after hitting a sea monster with a stiletto-heeled shoe). Most of the characters are lesbian or sexually ambiguous, and a lot of the stories are as much about the individuals' back history as they are about the sci-fi aspect. That part is memorable.
This wasn't what I expected. There is no world-building. The protagonists fight bug-eyed monsters and act as a galactic mercenary force (well, solar-system force). That part is very shallow.
They are led by a transwoman (formerly Philip, decided to go drag after hitting a sea monster with a stiletto-heeled shoe). Most of the characters are lesbian or sexually ambiguous, and a lot of the stories are as much about the individuals' back history as they are about the sci-fi aspect. That part is memorable.
January 10, 2017
The book begins with a stereotypical battle on Mars, complete with an evil science genius, giant spiders and numerous other tropes, all of which the author cheerfully acknowledges. In fact, the whole book is filled with campy, retro combat scenes, fought by scantily clad heroes and heroines. But below that surface, the heroes and heroines are deep, complex and troubled humans, struggling to figure out who they are and where they belong. It doesn't seem like that combination should work, but it does. It so does. The book is fun, the battles are funny and riveting. But the book is also difficult. It breaks your heart at the same time it fills you with hope. It makes you want to know the Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron. To be their friends and be their shoulder, while also utilizing their be-spangled shoulders when you need.
The cover and title draw you in, but the characters demand that you stay and love them. Thank you, A.C. Wise, for your beautiful words and story.
The cover and title draw you in, but the characters demand that you stay and love them. Thank you, A.C. Wise, for your beautiful words and story.
May 29, 2017
More than an action-packed adventure (which it is), this is a story about family, the chosen kind, and a wonderful one at that..
Beautifully written, this is a story about family (the chosen kind) as much as it is about saving the world. Each member of the Glitter Squad has their own unique identity and more than their share of pain. Each has the other's back, whether it's world saving or the nastiness of ignorant people. Recommended.
Beautifully written, this is a story about family (the chosen kind) as much as it is about saving the world. Each member of the Glitter Squad has their own unique identity and more than their share of pain. Each has the other's back, whether it's world saving or the nastiness of ignorant people. Recommended.
November 17, 2016
A totally delicious outrageous romp - with various genders in glitter and heels but also with hunks in g-strings. And they do save the day against alien invaders and other Foul Beasties. Treat yourself to this!
June 22, 2017
This book has it all! I couldn't put it down.
September 6, 2016
I loved this crazy wacky glittery book full of my favorite kind of heroes - tough and sparkly on the outside but soft on the inside.
Thank you Christian for the recommendation!
Thank you Christian for the recommendation!
May 19, 2020
Oh my dear lordy pope... This was...an interesting adventure.
When I started listening to this I had literally no idea what I was getting myself into. I just did a search for books tagged LGBTQ, saw the title and thought to myself that this sounds like something fun and maybe a little bit ridiculous which is exactly what my mood at the moment called for. And when I listened to 3 seconds of the sample audio featuring the sultry, lightly husky voice of Renata Friedman I fell halfway in love (although it could have been lust because her voice gives me tingles in all the best places).
It starts off innocuously enough. The first person we meet is Bunny. But we meet Bunny before she becomes Bunny, while she is still Phillip Howard Craft and a popular with the ladies and gents lifeguard at a beach resort. The first hint of the craziness to come and the revelation (for me) that this is going to be a sci-fi story is when we're told that this is
That was when I paused and went looking for the description of this book. I'm not a massive sci-fi fan as I've said time and again, and I wasn't sure if I could stomach trying to keep track of all things futuristic and complicated at the time - even if it was all being delivered in that beautiful voice I mentioned before. Upon reading the blurb I was like okaaaayyy...this is maybe not my cup of tea. But that voice, people that voice. Renata Friedman's voice just lured me in like a siren. And so I braced myself for what was to come then pressed play once more.
And I was immediately rewarded for my decision when almost immediately we hear that:
Oh my, I thought. This is going to be ridiculous. But it's going to be clever . As someone who grew up devouring Terry Pratchett because of his deliciously humourous and perfectly sensible nonsense, I ADORE any writer who pokes fun at something in a way that is so subtle that many (and often those at whom the comment is directed) won't get it. And from that moment I was invested. No matter what came after this I was in it for the long haul. Bring on the glitter and the aliens and the insanity - I'll be ready for it. Because those little digs at tropes and cliche's and the ridiculousness of humanity are what I live for!
And then Phillip goes for a walk along the beach and it starts getting deep. Making you think Big Thoughts about Important Matters.
By this point I am so invested someone could come have come through my window with an assault rifle and I would have told them to wait because I was otherwise occupied and really didn't have time for their violence right now.
Because not only is A.C. Wise playing incredibly clever games with words, she's using ridiculousness to disguise important lessons and messages just like the aforementioned Terry Pratchett. And that is the only thing I love more than clever words. Teach people about the world, about all the issues, about all the things that are wrong with the world, about what life is like for a certain group of people. But do it in a way that they'll never realise what you're doing. Make them laugh or giggle or roll their eyes at the pure foolishness, but let that laughter plant the seed of something that will hopefully grow into understanding and acceptance. Or understanding and revolution as the case may be.
Tugging at heartstrings or confronting someone with the harsh truth of a thing is all good and well. But the automatic reaction of anyone opposed to a certain point of view, who doesn't know anything about this Important Matter you're trying to teach them about - is resistance. Will they learn anything from this method of message delivery? Perhaps. But your odds are a hundred times better with humour.
And then things get very fucqing dark and twisty (excuse the language but there is literally no other way to say it). This chapter should come with the biggest trigger warning in the world. Because some things will trigger EVERYONE and what happens is possibly a reason why this book has as few reviews as it does. Many will reach this part and refuse to go any further. I honestly nearly did exactly that because WHY??? Of all the things? And if it had to be done, then why be so brutally graphic about it?
So I put it away, kept myself busy with fluffy fanfics on AO3 and went to bed - debating the whole time whether or not I would give the Glitter Squadron another go. Next morning I went and read some reviews on Amazon, Audible and here on Goodreads. Besides the incident on the beach with the frisbee chasing Golden, I saw no other mention of gut-churning events so I decided to give it one more try.
I'm glad I did. There are lots of important things to be learned from this. It's silly and funny, but it will evoke every emotion even while making you laugh out loud. And that is important I think. I loved how the stories all sort of tie together, but they could also be read completely on their own if you wanted (some might decide to do this with How Bunny Came To Be and should know that this chapter is where Esmeralda first meets Bunny in case they do)
Is the writing good?
The writing is utterly amazing in my opinion. It is beautifully descriptive and will drag you (kicking and screaming if necessary) into every emotion ACW wants you to feel. I can't stand when authors use big fancy words just for the sake of using them, or because they can't think of how to say that thing in a simpler way. But ACW has found a beautiful balance with her words. Some of it is simple, some of it is complex. But every word is the best words to say what is being said at that moment. This story embraces every single possible 60's movie trope about kickass womxn and flaunts it. Imagine Austin Powers, now put him in a slinky mouthwateringly sexy outfit best suited to a night at a club and sky-high shitkicker boots and imagine it wasn't a misogynistic prat who wrote the script, but rather a gorgeous LGBTQ author possessed by the ghost of Terry Pratchett (or spirits of Tumblr - because you'll definitely get a Tumblr shitpost vibe from this) and you might come close.
It screams 'I am a trope and I know I am a trope and if you don't like it well then fucq you very much'
Was the narrator good?
You may have noticed my little fangirl moment at the start of this review, so unless it wasn't clear - yes. Renata Friedman was an amazing narrator. Not only does she have this amazing voice that will melt you into a puddle of goo (and which I would kill for), she is an amazing voice actor. If you were to read along with her narration, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference from your mental voice. She pauses in all the right places, emphasises all the right points, drops her voice low at exactly the right moment, turns up the volume only when its called for and just nails every word and sentence and scene right on the head. Definitely one of the better narrators I've heard.
Are the lead characters likeable?
It's hard to say who the leads are in this, seeing as every story in this is the origin story of different members of the team. But the answer is yes. I adore them. Bunny is gentle and kind and fierce and everything a leader should be. Starlight is adorable and I just want to hug her and then twirl her so her mirrorball inspired outfit can shine how its meant to. Ruby reminds me of a good friend. Sapphire is mysterious in the smoky-eyed womxn in an out of the way bar kind of way. Cece (Velvet) and Madelaine remind me so much of Tipping The Velvet it was a little easy actually. I want so much to know more about Em of the Michelle Pfeiffer Catwoman aesthetic. And I'd really like to know Penny's story.
Is the supporting cast good?
When each of the members of the Glitter Squadron is not telling you their story, they are the perfect supporting cast. They're gorgeous, they're gentle, they're understanding, they're take no prisoners fierce and they're flaunting everything that makes them the Glitter Squadron Who Saved The World (Yet Again!).
Is there a suitably nasty villain?
There are a few, they're the typical terrible 60s sci-fi movie villains and you'll adore meeting every single one
Is this story believable?
Is the sci-fi portion of this believable? Not in the least. But are the stories of each of our team members journeys to finding themselves believable? Oh yes. I have never seen the struggles of so many LGBTQ people (particularly those who are on the fringes and often ostracised by a community that is meant to be all-accepting) handled so compassionately, with so much empathy and with so much understanding. It was heart-wrenching and I'll never forget those emotions I felt.
Is there anything I would change?
Yes. A very horrible thing happens to a delighted bouncing Golden Retriever and I was completely horrified. I had to pause and work hard to swallow the bile in my throat. My stomach heaved and I turned my audio player off, went to make coffee and did my best to erase the horrible images from my mind. I didn't want to go back to the story. If something like that was in the first few hundred words of the first chapter then what in the hell would come next? And I honestly didn't think I could stomach it.
When I started listening to this I had literally no idea what I was getting myself into. I just did a search for books tagged LGBTQ, saw the title and thought to myself that this sounds like something fun and maybe a little bit ridiculous which is exactly what my mood at the moment called for. And when I listened to 3 seconds of the sample audio featuring the sultry, lightly husky voice of Renata Friedman I fell halfway in love (although it could have been lust because her voice gives me tingles in all the best places).
It starts off innocuously enough. The first person we meet is Bunny. But we meet Bunny before she becomes Bunny, while she is still Phillip Howard Craft and a popular with the ladies and gents lifeguard at a beach resort. The first hint of the craziness to come and the revelation (for me) that this is going to be a sci-fi story is when we're told that this is
"before the Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron saved the world from Mars, or fought the lizards from the centre of the earth or kept Air Force 1 from exploding with nothing more than a jewelled hairpin and a wad of peach flavoured chewing gum."
That was when I paused and went looking for the description of this book. I'm not a massive sci-fi fan as I've said time and again, and I wasn't sure if I could stomach trying to keep track of all things futuristic and complicated at the time - even if it was all being delivered in that beautiful voice I mentioned before. Upon reading the blurb I was like okaaaayyy...this is maybe not my cup of tea. But that voice, people that voice. Renata Friedman's voice just lured me in like a siren. And so I braced myself for what was to come then pressed play once more.
And I was immediately rewarded for my decision when almost immediately we hear that:
"Nearly the entire female population of Sun Haven Beach swoons over Phillip, from the giggly teenage girls barely out of braces and only just filling in their brand new bikinis to the lifers who have been coming to the resort every year, their skin tanned leather orange and stitched together with so many surgeries they either can't smile, or can do nothing but."
Oh my, I thought. This is going to be ridiculous. But it's going to be clever . As someone who grew up devouring Terry Pratchett because of his deliciously humourous and perfectly sensible nonsense, I ADORE any writer who pokes fun at something in a way that is so subtle that many (and often those at whom the comment is directed) won't get it. And from that moment I was invested. No matter what came after this I was in it for the long haul. Bring on the glitter and the aliens and the insanity - I'll be ready for it. Because those little digs at tropes and cliche's and the ridiculousness of humanity are what I live for!
And then Phillip goes for a walk along the beach and it starts getting deep. Making you think Big Thoughts about Important Matters.
"He thinks about the impermanence of his footprints, devoured by the tide. Why shouldn't his whole life be that way? There has to be something else out there, further down the road, something more."
By this point I am so invested someone could come have come through my window with an assault rifle and I would have told them to wait because I was otherwise occupied and really didn't have time for their violence right now.
Because not only is A.C. Wise playing incredibly clever games with words, she's using ridiculousness to disguise important lessons and messages just like the aforementioned Terry Pratchett. And that is the only thing I love more than clever words. Teach people about the world, about all the issues, about all the things that are wrong with the world, about what life is like for a certain group of people. But do it in a way that they'll never realise what you're doing. Make them laugh or giggle or roll their eyes at the pure foolishness, but let that laughter plant the seed of something that will hopefully grow into understanding and acceptance. Or understanding and revolution as the case may be.
Tugging at heartstrings or confronting someone with the harsh truth of a thing is all good and well. But the automatic reaction of anyone opposed to a certain point of view, who doesn't know anything about this Important Matter you're trying to teach them about - is resistance. Will they learn anything from this method of message delivery? Perhaps. But your odds are a hundred times better with humour.
And then things get very fucqing dark and twisty (excuse the language but there is literally no other way to say it). This chapter should come with the biggest trigger warning in the world. Because some things will trigger EVERYONE and what happens is possibly a reason why this book has as few reviews as it does. Many will reach this part and refuse to go any further. I honestly nearly did exactly that because WHY??? Of all the things? And if it had to be done, then why be so brutally graphic about it?
So I put it away, kept myself busy with fluffy fanfics on AO3 and went to bed - debating the whole time whether or not I would give the Glitter Squadron another go. Next morning I went and read some reviews on Amazon, Audible and here on Goodreads. Besides the incident on the beach with the frisbee chasing Golden, I saw no other mention of gut-churning events so I decided to give it one more try.
I'm glad I did. There are lots of important things to be learned from this. It's silly and funny, but it will evoke every emotion even while making you laugh out loud. And that is important I think. I loved how the stories all sort of tie together, but they could also be read completely on their own if you wanted (some might decide to do this with How Bunny Came To Be and should know that this chapter is where Esmeralda first meets Bunny in case they do)
Is the writing good?
The writing is utterly amazing in my opinion. It is beautifully descriptive and will drag you (kicking and screaming if necessary) into every emotion ACW wants you to feel. I can't stand when authors use big fancy words just for the sake of using them, or because they can't think of how to say that thing in a simpler way. But ACW has found a beautiful balance with her words. Some of it is simple, some of it is complex. But every word is the best words to say what is being said at that moment. This story embraces every single possible 60's movie trope about kickass womxn and flaunts it. Imagine Austin Powers, now put him in a slinky mouthwateringly sexy outfit best suited to a night at a club and sky-high shitkicker boots and imagine it wasn't a misogynistic prat who wrote the script, but rather a gorgeous LGBTQ author possessed by the ghost of Terry Pratchett (or spirits of Tumblr - because you'll definitely get a Tumblr shitpost vibe from this) and you might come close.
It screams 'I am a trope and I know I am a trope and if you don't like it well then fucq you very much'
Was the narrator good?
You may have noticed my little fangirl moment at the start of this review, so unless it wasn't clear - yes. Renata Friedman was an amazing narrator. Not only does she have this amazing voice that will melt you into a puddle of goo (and which I would kill for), she is an amazing voice actor. If you were to read along with her narration, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference from your mental voice. She pauses in all the right places, emphasises all the right points, drops her voice low at exactly the right moment, turns up the volume only when its called for and just nails every word and sentence and scene right on the head. Definitely one of the better narrators I've heard.
Are the lead characters likeable?
It's hard to say who the leads are in this, seeing as every story in this is the origin story of different members of the team. But the answer is yes. I adore them. Bunny is gentle and kind and fierce and everything a leader should be. Starlight is adorable and I just want to hug her and then twirl her so her mirrorball inspired outfit can shine how its meant to. Ruby reminds me of a good friend. Sapphire is mysterious in the smoky-eyed womxn in an out of the way bar kind of way. Cece (Velvet) and Madelaine remind me so much of Tipping The Velvet it was a little easy actually. I want so much to know more about Em of the Michelle Pfeiffer Catwoman aesthetic. And I'd really like to know Penny's story.
Is the supporting cast good?
When each of the members of the Glitter Squadron is not telling you their story, they are the perfect supporting cast. They're gorgeous, they're gentle, they're understanding, they're take no prisoners fierce and they're flaunting everything that makes them the Glitter Squadron Who Saved The World (Yet Again!).
Is there a suitably nasty villain?
There are a few, they're the typical terrible 60s sci-fi movie villains and you'll adore meeting every single one
Is this story believable?
Is the sci-fi portion of this believable? Not in the least. But are the stories of each of our team members journeys to finding themselves believable? Oh yes. I have never seen the struggles of so many LGBTQ people (particularly those who are on the fringes and often ostracised by a community that is meant to be all-accepting) handled so compassionately, with so much empathy and with so much understanding. It was heart-wrenching and I'll never forget those emotions I felt.
Is there anything I would change?
Yes. A very horrible thing happens to a delighted bouncing Golden Retriever and I was completely horrified. I had to pause and work hard to swallow the bile in my throat. My stomach heaved and I turned my audio player off, went to make coffee and did my best to erase the horrible images from my mind. I didn't want to go back to the story. If something like that was in the first few hundred words of the first chapter then what in the hell would come next? And I honestly didn't think I could stomach it.
May 24, 2019
The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron is a glamorous superhero/secret agent team, which includes a mixture of women, drag queens, trans women, the mysterious M (described as an animate slab of leather) and their leader Bunny, the superheroic alter-ego of Phillip Howard Craft the Third, who like Kid Miracleman prefers to live as the alter-ego full-time. It's not entirely fair to judge a book against the expectations you had for it, but here I was expecting something rather like the Senor 105 or Iris Wildthyme books, and while it has a similar tone and sensibility, I was disappointed by how little of this book saw the team in action, most of it being side stories or flashbacks or recruitments. Nevertheless, the stories it does tell are sensitive and moving. It doesn't present joining the team as a cure-all for the personal problems everyone faces, but it gives them a supportive place to work things out. The final story does give us a fully-fledged adventure for the team as a whole, but it's a bit of a let-down, being a perfunctory fight against a pair of mad scientists who have created giant insects. Overall, though, I thought it was a good book.
July 2, 2018
This is 4.49 stars: for some reason I just can't bring myself to round up to 5 even though I love this book. The concept is fabulous and I'm having a hard time thinking of something that I've read that was more empowering. A number of the stories are as moving as they are delightful, fun, and absurd, but one or two fell flat for me. I liked the final scene, but the final story was one of the ones that didn't quite do it for me. It's the only one that really addresses the difficulties involved in the regular operation of the squadron rather than the challenges that each of the heroines are facing. While it wasn't really bad at all, I felt that it opened up things that really should be filled out more in a novel than just thrown out there in a short story. And I'd totally read that novel if Wise ever writes it.
July 21, 2018
Every now and again, you're lucky enough to pick up a book which is exactly what you need at the time - and this book is exactly what I needed. It's gloriously fun, mixing B-movie evil scientist villains and aliens and cursed objects with quieter, more subtle threads of blood family and found family as the most fiercely queer group of people fight to save the world while wearing sequins and glitter and platform boots and perfect eye makeup. (Except for M, who sets their own standards for costume.) Drag queens, drag kings, trans women, cis women, supporting each other and forming the most glamourous squadron to ever save the world. Again.
December 29, 2022
2.5
I haven't noticed anybody upset about the misgendering. This book was written in 2015, not exactly an age of misinformation about a respectful interaction with trans people. There is repeated misgendering not from some external character but within the group, quite unbearable in the last story.
For the rest it is a kind of enjoyable romp, with a great title and a great cover. I liked especially the backstories of very diverse members of the Squadron.
Disclaimer: I'm a cis-woman.
Warnings: transphobia, misgendering
I haven't noticed anybody upset about the misgendering. This book was written in 2015, not exactly an age of misinformation about a respectful interaction with trans people. There is repeated misgendering not from some external character but within the group, quite unbearable in the last story.
For the rest it is a kind of enjoyable romp, with a great title and a great cover. I liked especially the backstories of very diverse members of the Squadron.
Disclaimer: I'm a cis-woman.
Warnings: transphobia, misgendering
June 25, 2018
This book is campy and fabulous to begin with, from amazing costume design and descriptions straight out of a cheesy retro scifi flick, but don't think that's all you're getting. The stories are heartfelt and meaningful, exploring things from coming out as trans, to non-binary identities, from fear of intimacy to worries about identity and validity. The characters are inclusive and diverse and you'll be laughing and crying all the way to the end.
February 5, 2020
The stunning design of this book wraps its tentacles around you and drags you in. This braided short story collection is packed with fun, inclusive, pulpy action. Once we get past the introductions and getting the band together portion of the book, the punches really land. “Penny in the Air” is loaded with excellent action and moral ambiguity, leading to some tough decisions. This one fits the braided collection really well, but also stands rather well on its own.
January 13, 2019
First chapter: one star. Reads like a listing of things that ought to be funny, but are not due to the flat way they are presented. Also contains unrealistically exaggerated caricatures that don't add anything to the plot.
Thankfully, the rest of the book is markedly better and a surprising amount of depth is given to the cast. Bonus points for diversity.
Thankfully, the rest of the book is markedly better and a surprising amount of depth is given to the cast. Bonus points for diversity.
September 29, 2019
SO much fun, and so warming and kind at its heart - found family, gender things, self-determination. Joy in pain and reinvention. Each story has a new element of spec fic, drawn with grace and high energy through implicit reference and SF canon. Just a big glittery hug with aliens and monsters and all sorts of wonders.
December 27, 2016
3 (Add one for diversity subject)
Interesting with a truly diverse cast, but more a collection of short stories about individual squad members than a true novel. Still good tho.
Review to follow.
Interesting with a truly diverse cast, but more a collection of short stories about individual squad members than a true novel. Still good tho.
Review to follow.
May 14, 2017
To cure your insomnia
August 13, 2018
Cute short story collection. Suspension of disbelief required.
November 14, 2018
Entertaining collection of superhero origin stories featuring queer and trans women, drag queens and other folks. Fun read!
June 12, 2023
Very fun, very quick read. I enjoyed the playful characters!
Read
March 13, 2017Meh. idk what to rate this.
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