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The Panther Chronicles #1
To Raise a Clenched Fist to the Sky
1968: magic and tear gas fill the air.
Eighteen year old Jasmine Jones, hereditary sorcerer, steps off a Greyhound bus in Oakland and walks straight into the arms of revolution…
Battling the shadowy danger stalking her family and friends, Jasmine must shake up the stodgy Association of Magical Arts and Sorcery and find her place among the Black Panthers, who keep secrets of their own.
Patricia Briggs meets L.A. Banks in this exciting urban fantasy series.
Eighteen year old Jasmine Jones, hereditary sorcerer, steps off a Greyhound bus in Oakland and walks straight into the arms of revolution…
Battling the shadowy danger stalking her family and friends, Jasmine must shake up the stodgy Association of Magical Arts and Sorcery and find her place among the Black Panthers, who keep secrets of their own.
Patricia Briggs meets L.A. Banks in this exciting urban fantasy series.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 20, 2017
76 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
About the author
T. Thorn Coyle
89 books191 followersTT. Thorn Coyle has been arrested at least four times. Buy her a cup of tea or a good whisky and she'll tell you about it.
A salty-tongued, tattooed mystic, Thorn is author of the alt-history urban fantasy series The Panther Chronicles, the novel Like Water, and two short story collections. The Witches of Portland will be out in Spring, 2018. She has also written multiple non-fiction books including Sigil Magic for Writers, Artists & Other Creatives, Kissing the Limitless, and Evolutionary Witchcraft. Thorn's work appears in many anthologies, magazines, and collections.
She has taught magical practice in nine countries, on four continents, and in twenty-five states. Her other occupations have been numerous, and include working four years each on the Pacific Stock Options floor (as a young Anarchist punk with a blue, flat-top Mohawk), in a woman-run peep show, and full time in the San Francisco soup kitchen she ended up volunteering at for twenty years. All of this, along with her activism, informs her fiction.
An interloper to the Pacific Northwest, Thorn joyfully stalks city streets, writes in cafes, and talks to crows, squirrels, and trees.
Thorn is active on:
Twitter @ThornCoyle
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tthorncoyle
Medium https://medium.com/@ThornCoyle
Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ThornCoyle
http://www.thorncoyle.com
A salty-tongued, tattooed mystic, Thorn is author of the alt-history urban fantasy series The Panther Chronicles, the novel Like Water, and two short story collections. The Witches of Portland will be out in Spring, 2018. She has also written multiple non-fiction books including Sigil Magic for Writers, Artists & Other Creatives, Kissing the Limitless, and Evolutionary Witchcraft. Thorn's work appears in many anthologies, magazines, and collections.
She has taught magical practice in nine countries, on four continents, and in twenty-five states. Her other occupations have been numerous, and include working four years each on the Pacific Stock Options floor (as a young Anarchist punk with a blue, flat-top Mohawk), in a woman-run peep show, and full time in the San Francisco soup kitchen she ended up volunteering at for twenty years. All of this, along with her activism, informs her fiction.
An interloper to the Pacific Northwest, Thorn joyfully stalks city streets, writes in cafes, and talks to crows, squirrels, and trees.
Thorn is active on:
Twitter @ThornCoyle
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tthorncoyle
Medium https://medium.com/@ThornCoyle
Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ThornCoyle
http://www.thorncoyle.com
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 31, 2021
I started reading and the voice of the character sounded off. I did research and found that the author is either white or white passing. Either way, I felt uncomfortable continuing to read a book that borrowed from a history of struggle for black folks to build the story. There is no way the author can understand that struggle.
June 17, 2021
Awesome Read
When I got this book I was put in mind of Black Panther Revolution. When I read it I was like omg what a spin take of that era..
When I got this book I was put in mind of Black Panther Revolution. When I read it I was like omg what a spin take of that era..
June 29, 2017
A very inspiring read with beautifully crafted language that captures the simplicity of mundane life as well as the magical dimensions. The book is full of magic and this magic captured me and made me vibrate at my core. It is a very good book for anybody interested in magic because reading it makes you really feel your own magic.
The book if full of the friction caused by the struggle for justice. |I was lit up by the sparks made by that friction and it really made me ask myself over and over again where is my place in this revolution. Which action do I want to take next to break the spell of oppression and weave magic that brings beauty equality and connection.
The book if full of the friction caused by the struggle for justice. |I was lit up by the sparks made by that friction and it really made me ask myself over and over again where is my place in this revolution. Which action do I want to take next to break the spell of oppression and weave magic that brings beauty equality and connection.
June 30, 2019
This was so good! A very cool blending of history and magic. It does a good job at portraying the simmering tension of the time period. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series!
July 7, 2017
I loved this book, and am stoked for the rest of the series to come out!
This is basically an alternate-history tale, with magic stirred in for some extra kick. It's set during the 60s and focused on two organizations: the Association of Magical Arts and Sorcery and the Black Panther Party. The AMAS is all about training sorcerers and making sure that everyone with magical talent knows to keep their abilities hidden. The BPP is all about helping and protecting people, even when that means putting yourself - and your abilities - on the line.
I really enjoyed Thorn's multiple-first-person-narrators approach in her previous novel, "Like Water," and she weaves the voices well here too. The narrators all have different voices and different attitudes, and letting them narrate things from their own points of view helps us see exactly how they got to where they are, and why they're acting the way they are.
The magic is awesome, and the rising tension between the BPP and the police resonates all too well with events today. This is a book that is inspiring without being cheesy, thrilling without losing sight of how people actually think and act. So good!
This is basically an alternate-history tale, with magic stirred in for some extra kick. It's set during the 60s and focused on two organizations: the Association of Magical Arts and Sorcery and the Black Panther Party. The AMAS is all about training sorcerers and making sure that everyone with magical talent knows to keep their abilities hidden. The BPP is all about helping and protecting people, even when that means putting yourself - and your abilities - on the line.
I really enjoyed Thorn's multiple-first-person-narrators approach in her previous novel, "Like Water," and she weaves the voices well here too. The narrators all have different voices and different attitudes, and letting them narrate things from their own points of view helps us see exactly how they got to where they are, and why they're acting the way they are.
The magic is awesome, and the rising tension between the BPP and the police resonates all too well with events today. This is a book that is inspiring without being cheesy, thrilling without losing sight of how people actually think and act. So good!
June 29, 2017
There are certain things that I really enjoy in fiction novels: a narrative that engulfs me as I'm reading it and ideas that make me think after I have put the book down. I found both of these things in "To Raise A Clenched Fist to the Sky."
The characters and places were well thought out and developed. Each character had a distinctive voice, which was incredibly important as the view point shifted every couple of chapters. This could have been incredibly distracting but the story was woven together so that it added to the overall story and kept the plot moving forward. The first couple of chapters are a bit clunky because of this but do smooth out very quickly. While the story does deal with social justice issues throughout, it is part of the story. I didn't feel like it was a thinly veiled lecture about the state of America. Have no doubt, the social justice aspect is an important aspect to the story but I found it added, and not distracted, from the overall story.
The one thing I do wish was different, was that the Author's Notes had been at the beginning of the book.
The characters and places were well thought out and developed. Each character had a distinctive voice, which was incredibly important as the view point shifted every couple of chapters. This could have been incredibly distracting but the story was woven together so that it added to the overall story and kept the plot moving forward. The first couple of chapters are a bit clunky because of this but do smooth out very quickly. While the story does deal with social justice issues throughout, it is part of the story. I didn't feel like it was a thinly veiled lecture about the state of America. Have no doubt, the social justice aspect is an important aspect to the story but I found it added, and not distracted, from the overall story.
The one thing I do wish was different, was that the Author's Notes had been at the beginning of the book.
June 26, 2017
This is the story of Jasmine, her friend Carol und her aunt Doreen -written alternating between first and third person narration- gives an alt history view of the early years of the black panther party and the surrounding social unrest. For me, reading the book, was like opening a spice cabinet. At first I had a little trouble getting into reading it, all those smells getting into my nose at once. As I got closer to the individual strands of the story, I enjoyed each one. As a white European reader, that isn't as familiar with that part of American history, I enjoyed the insight it offered. The story is well paced and rounded. I like the characters and their development. I can recommend it as a very enjoyable read.
PSA: I like the non fictional work of the author, so I might have been biased. Also I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
PSA: I like the non fictional work of the author, so I might have been biased. Also I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
June 25, 2017
Weaving together the magical and the mundane, this novel relates a fictional history of the Black Panther movement in the San Francisco area in the late 1960's as told by its three female protagonists, all of whom are magic workers. The plot is intriguing and well-paced; the characters three dimensional. Coyle captures the ambiance of the times (slang, dress,etc.) in a way that lends color without going overboard (which would be easy to do as they were "overboard" sort of times, as I recall). One of the things that make this novel different is that it is not just about an interesting premise as with so much of fantasy fiction. This book explores the claiming of and uses of power. While this gives the reader meat to chew on, it does not come across as ponderous or preachy. I really enjoyed To Raise a Clenched Fist to the Sky and eagerly look forward to the next in the series.
June 13, 2018
It was a really interesting premise, and well-written... But, the extensive internal monologue and exposition really didn't do it for me. I felt like I was waiting 90% of this book for something to happen, and they when it 'did', the climax fizzled a bit for me.
You might find it different, especially if you're interested in this period of American history.
This author writes great short fiction!
You might find it different, especially if you're interested in this period of American history.
This author writes great short fiction!
January 30, 2021
Good, but choppy at times
The overall story was good, but at times the writing felt choppy, as though something was missing. It was almost as though the writer forgot to write something down yet still expected the reader to know what was going on.
The overall story was good, but at times the writing felt choppy, as though something was missing. It was almost as though the writer forgot to write something down yet still expected the reader to know what was going on.
January 28, 2021
Meh
It was very ok.
Wtf was up with the main character constantly bringing up her middle class upbringing?
Definitely needs work
It was very ok.
Wtf was up with the main character constantly bringing up her middle class upbringing?
Definitely needs work
August 3, 2017
I couldn't put it down. In the first book of her Panther Chronicles, Thorn Coyle introduces us to women who can be loosely described as maiden - mother - crone working in their various ways. They, together with men, generally work well together as a tribe. There is a hierarchy of leadership; however, desperate times call for all hands active doing what needs to be done. Forces are described through white and brown spiders which fight each other and we are introduced to a snake energy as well. She gives us a glimpse into a reality where what we may call 'paganism' is sorcery, ceremonial, and solomonic. There are large organizations, and the usual politics that go on within each.... except that of course, magick is involved.
Coyle writes in a descriptive style that allows readers to "see" through her eyes, imagine it all unfolding before us. We can feel and see the water coming through Jasmine to support in her magick, smell the cinnamon that tells us Doreen is working with her dominant element, fire. This is often foreshadowing magickal work, or as an indicator that something happened recently. As some other reviewers have said, the back and forth rhythm between characters and places take a bit of time in which to adjust, but the flowing and darting are well worth it! I'm looking forward to where she takes this all in the upcoming books. Note: I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
Coyle writes in a descriptive style that allows readers to "see" through her eyes, imagine it all unfolding before us. We can feel and see the water coming through Jasmine to support in her magick, smell the cinnamon that tells us Doreen is working with her dominant element, fire. This is often foreshadowing magickal work, or as an indicator that something happened recently. As some other reviewers have said, the back and forth rhythm between characters and places take a bit of time in which to adjust, but the flowing and darting are well worth it! I'm looking forward to where she takes this all in the upcoming books. Note: I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
October 31, 2017
An urban fantasy set in the 70's LA. The protagonist Jasmine has just gone to LA to study and have joined up with the Black Panthers. She's a Ocean magician and lives with her aunt who used to practice fire magic.
Overall it's an OK book. I felt like the magic system didn't really make sense to me and some of the writing felt clunky. Otherwise it was fairly enjoyable.
Overall it's an OK book. I felt like the magic system didn't really make sense to me and some of the writing felt clunky. Otherwise it was fairly enjoyable.
November 9, 2021
Lots of very subtle atmospheric clues to remind us of what it was like then. A few name dropping that was a little out of character. Overall, a delightful take on "panthers" that gave us an alternative experience of that emotionally charged and spiritually challenged timeframe. We could use some good magic these days, for sure. Weird ending.
August 3, 2017
I wanted to like this, but I am having trouble with the language, it doesn't feel authentic. I wanted so bad to enjoy this, and I feel like Coyle's ideals are ones that I strive for, but I am not enjoying this book.
25% read
25% read
March 26, 2024
✊🏽
This was good and suspenseful. Jasmine’s change and growth, Darlene‘s acceptance of her powers, Carol’s visions…I couldn’t stop reading. Can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
This was good and suspenseful. Jasmine’s change and growth, Darlene‘s acceptance of her powers, Carol’s visions…I couldn’t stop reading. Can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
Read
August 5, 2020I read some of it. Half? A third? I can't remember. I just couldn't really get into it, though. May try again one day.
April 8, 2022
I was looking forward to reading this because the subject matter is interesting, but it took me a while to read because it switched around a lot so I couldn't really get into it.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews