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magnifiqueNOIR #1
I Am Magical
"The revolution will be magical"
There’s a city. It’s like most other cities. Buildings. People. Monsters who can destroy sidewalks by vomiting acid onto the ground, and an elite group of black, queer, magical girls who work to put those monsters in their place.
See? Just like most other cities.
Bree Danvers would’ve compared it to a video game, maybe a cartoon or comic book, except black girls are rarely the heroines of the story. But there her heroine stood, plus size and wonderful, rocking a dazzling amount of purple and defeating monsters with galactic sparkles. Galactic Purple, that was her name, and soon, Bree was joining her on a magical adventure full of transformations and after school battles to defend a city like most other cities.
And soon, others would join them, and each one would be magical in their own way… give or take a few bumps on the acid covered ground.
There’s a city. It’s like most other cities. Buildings. People. Monsters who can destroy sidewalks by vomiting acid onto the ground, and an elite group of black, queer, magical girls who work to put those monsters in their place.
See? Just like most other cities.
Bree Danvers would’ve compared it to a video game, maybe a cartoon or comic book, except black girls are rarely the heroines of the story. But there her heroine stood, plus size and wonderful, rocking a dazzling amount of purple and defeating monsters with galactic sparkles. Galactic Purple, that was her name, and soon, Bree was joining her on a magical adventure full of transformations and after school battles to defend a city like most other cities.
And soon, others would join them, and each one would be magical in their own way… give or take a few bumps on the acid covered ground.
400 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2017
24 people are currently reading
330 people want to read
About the author
Briana Lawrence
20 books70 followersAt the age of nine, like most kids, Briana Lawrence had a dream. She wanted to be the best “WRITTER” in the whole wide world. Her fourth grade class laughed and wondered how one hoped to become a “writer” if they couldn’t even spell the word. Back then her stories were created with crayons and construction paper. As she grew older they progressed into notebooks and colored ink pens of pink, blue, and purple. When she lost her older brother, Glenn Berry, in a car accident, she stopped writing.
Dreams, however, have a funny way of coming back.
Before she realized it she was grabbing her notebook and pens again. She would write stories that ranged from high school romance to her imagination running wild with the likes of Goku, Vegeta, and the other characters of Dragonball Z. This continued throughout college where she would always end up writing about the space exploits of the pilots of Gundam Wing and other works of fan fiction. Soon she realized that she wanted to do more than that. Her head was full of ideas, full of original characters and worlds that she wanted to share with others.
Thus, she stepped into an English Major with some Women’s Studies on the side.
She graduated Iowa State University in 2006 and moved to Minneapolis with her partner. Here, she tried to get into graduate school, but things didn’t pan out the way she wanted. She ended up working retail, her dream becoming buried by Black Fridays and other busy times of year. Once again, however, that dream returned. She went from immersing herself in geeky fan fiction to actually writing about the geeky things she loved for several anime and video game review sites. However, it was her discovery of National Novel Writing Month that made her go back to creating her own characters and plots.
Now, here she is, an author in the writing world.
Dreams, however, have a funny way of coming back.
Before she realized it she was grabbing her notebook and pens again. She would write stories that ranged from high school romance to her imagination running wild with the likes of Goku, Vegeta, and the other characters of Dragonball Z. This continued throughout college where she would always end up writing about the space exploits of the pilots of Gundam Wing and other works of fan fiction. Soon she realized that she wanted to do more than that. Her head was full of ideas, full of original characters and worlds that she wanted to share with others.
Thus, she stepped into an English Major with some Women’s Studies on the side.
She graduated Iowa State University in 2006 and moved to Minneapolis with her partner. Here, she tried to get into graduate school, but things didn’t pan out the way she wanted. She ended up working retail, her dream becoming buried by Black Fridays and other busy times of year. Once again, however, that dream returned. She went from immersing herself in geeky fan fiction to actually writing about the geeky things she loved for several anime and video game review sites. However, it was her discovery of National Novel Writing Month that made her go back to creating her own characters and plots.
Now, here she is, an author in the writing world.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 30, 2019
This book was provided for free as the August's Sapphic Book Club read hosted by sapphicbookclub.
This book is really sweet. It's rainbows, glitter and cupcakes - quite literally. A magical girl anime come to life, but with the cast beeing black queer girls.
I had fun with this read because it was something entirely different and new, but it didn't capture me in the end as much as I wanted it to.
The characters are amazing, the dialogues are great and there's cute pictures inbetween, which helps a story like this very much.
Just the construction of the story threw me off a bit. In the beginning there're a few flashbacks inbetween the present story and the way they're written is something that might be common for other media like tv shows or movies or video games, but even tho it fits the 'theme' of the book, it doesn't work that well written out.
"Half-naked girl coming to tell you to eat cake with her? Whose erotic fanfiction is this?"
This book is really sweet. It's rainbows, glitter and cupcakes - quite literally. A magical girl anime come to life, but with the cast beeing black queer girls.
I had fun with this read because it was something entirely different and new, but it didn't capture me in the end as much as I wanted it to.
The characters are amazing, the dialogues are great and there's cute pictures inbetween, which helps a story like this very much.
Just the construction of the story threw me off a bit. In the beginning there're a few flashbacks inbetween the present story and the way they're written is something that might be common for other media like tv shows or movies or video games, but even tho it fits the 'theme' of the book, it doesn't work that well written out.
August 9, 2018
This book was Sapphic Book Club's August book of the month. http://sapphicbookclub.tumblr.com/
I had a lot of fun with this one. It was an entertaining take on magical girls. I liked the distinct powers between all the magical girls and how those tied in with their everyday interests. Powers such as Galactic Purple's exploding cupcakes when she works a job as a baker and Cosmic Green's pixelated powers in connection to her love of gaming and all things geeky were fun reflections of their characters and also made for some pretty entertaining fight scenes.
I also, like how each of the magical girls were fleshed out from their powers, their daily lives, and how the people in their lives reacted to those powers. I thought it added a lot of depth to the story to see girls from such different backgrounds having their powers received differently by their loved ones.
I also really liked how there was artwork of the characters in the version I read. The art was very cute and helped add whimsy to this execution of the magical girls story.
One complaint I had with the story was the execution of flashbacks. It messed with the flow of the story and was really only incorporated in the first part of the book making it feel disjointed. While the scenes contained within the flashbacks are just as fun as the rest of the book, I feel that restructuring the story so that the same information is conveyed chronologically or using a different method outside of flashbacks would've made for much smoother storytelling.
Overall this book is a must-read for people who are fans of magical girl stories. I personally am not big on magical girl stories, but I was drawn in by the exciting action sequences and quirky characters and would recommend this to someone who wants a fun read.
I had a lot of fun with this one. It was an entertaining take on magical girls. I liked the distinct powers between all the magical girls and how those tied in with their everyday interests. Powers such as Galactic Purple's exploding cupcakes when she works a job as a baker and Cosmic Green's pixelated powers in connection to her love of gaming and all things geeky were fun reflections of their characters and also made for some pretty entertaining fight scenes.
I also, like how each of the magical girls were fleshed out from their powers, their daily lives, and how the people in their lives reacted to those powers. I thought it added a lot of depth to the story to see girls from such different backgrounds having their powers received differently by their loved ones.
I also really liked how there was artwork of the characters in the version I read. The art was very cute and helped add whimsy to this execution of the magical girls story.
One complaint I had with the story was the execution of flashbacks. It messed with the flow of the story and was really only incorporated in the first part of the book making it feel disjointed. While the scenes contained within the flashbacks are just as fun as the rest of the book, I feel that restructuring the story so that the same information is conveyed chronologically or using a different method outside of flashbacks would've made for much smoother storytelling.
Overall this book is a must-read for people who are fans of magical girl stories. I personally am not big on magical girl stories, but I was drawn in by the exciting action sequences and quirky characters and would recommend this to someone who wants a fun read.
August 15, 2018
This book was read for Sapphic Book Club, hosted by sapphicliterature.
This was an absolutely wonderful read. I enjoyed it greatly, and when that happens I usually bother my friend who doesn't know what I'm talking about but I just need to gush about cute things with someone. I must be an annoying friend. But this book truly deserved that with gorgeous characters and flowing writing style, it had plenty of elements I liked.
While this was a story about magical girls (or more like a beginning of the story, since it's part 1), it dealt with so many other things too. It discussed about body image, people of color, coming out, your identity, being accepted as yourself, relationships etc. I loved that this wasn't just an adventure story, it had so much depth. It explored the daily lives, the common struggles many of us can surely relate to. The girls were really likable characters, and I fell in love with all of them basically.
Sometimes pacing was a little off, though. Mostly with flashbacks and long chapters. Flashbacks, while they truly were good with giving more information, just cut the story and it didn't seem to flow. The latter part of the book without flashbacks flowed much nicer, because you could just focus on the present time. Also, I'm the kind of reader who hates to leave a chapter unfinished. I need to read to the end of the chapter before I can stop it, and so when the book has very long chapters, it's difficult for me to manage my reading. This is of course just my reading preference. But considering how there are many cuts in chapters, moving to another place or having a flashback in middle of a chapter, it all could've been put into their own chapters.
Despite that, I really loved this book and I'm going to look forward to reading more about these characters as well as other stuff the author has created.
August 10, 2018
This book was August's Sapphic Book Club read hosted by http://sapphicbookclub.tumblr.com/.
I loved this book! The characters were all so fun and the conflicts between them felt very real. I really liked the different ways their families reacted to their powers. The fighting scenes were wonderful, I loved how unique their powers were (exploding cupcakes?? love that) and how they related to their personalities.
The art was very cute and it was nice to have a visual on what the girls looked like!
The one thing I wasn't a fan of (and I think it's more of a me thing then a problem with the book) was the geeky references? I love reading about nerds (Bree was very relatable to me) but reading about real youtubers in a magical girl book pulled me right out of the story.
All in all it was a very fun read! If you like magical girls (which I do. a lot) you should definitely read this, and even if you don't, give it a try!!
July 17, 2019
I started following Briana Lawrence when I created my own offshoot of the #28DaysofBlackCosplay called #365DaysOfBlackCosplay. Known as BriChibi, she is one of the few plus-sized cosplayers who has a sizeable following on social media, along with TalynKel. Like BIPoC cosplayers, plus-sized cosplayers tend to get a lot of hatred from jerkwads who like to dictate who is allowed to cosplay and what they should cosplay.
Anyway, when I saw she'd written a magical girl a la Sailor Moon story with kick ass Black girls, I was in. And this is a fun, adventure filled tale that the little Black nerd girl in me would have loved to have. There's queer rep, size rep, all shades of Black and natural hair rep. There's strong friendships and of course, evil monsters to defeat.
Anyway, when I saw she'd written a magical girl a la Sailor Moon story with kick ass Black girls, I was in. And this is a fun, adventure filled tale that the little Black nerd girl in me would have loved to have. There's queer rep, size rep, all shades of Black and natural hair rep. There's strong friendships and of course, evil monsters to defeat.
January 13, 2018
This book is so much fun! Imagine Sailor Moon with queer black girls and cupcakes! I loved all the characters and their great costumes! Can't wait to read the next one!
January 7, 2025
An extremely fun read! I picked up this book from the author's table at GenCon 2023 and finally got to sit down and read this book. Marianna, Bree and Lonnie are all excellently written characters and their lives as we read about them are engaging, which is really needed the way the story is formatted. The chapters, titled as episodes, read exactly like that- it's like the first half of a new series all about black, queer, magical women. Because of that I think it lacks a little of an overarching story until the last third of the book, so it's really wonderful that the characters are solid enough to carry the premise until we get more answers, mirroring the media that the author was inspired by. By the end though the reader is fully invested in our girls, their team, and their future going forward. The interesting story format and the fantastic artwork throughout are highlights I'm keen to see more of! I'm very excited to pick up the next book! My one complaint, and the only reason this is 4 stars instead of 5, is because the book desperately needs another editing pass. There was some wonky flow between the episodes and consistent spelling and grammatical errors that, for me, were jarring at times and pulled me out of the flow of the book. I Am Magical is great and just having those touch ups would have made it shine. For anyone who loves magical girls and empowering stories of queer folks and people of color, I highly recommend.
May 7, 2018
Plenty here to squee about. Pop culture gamer references, fast paced action, fun, food, feelings, flirting, fashion, family, fantastic monsters, and geek graphics galore.
Oh, and more queer, black, magical heroines than you could shake a game controller at. At a pajama party. Eating cake. Magical, yes?
This "Part One" suggests more to come. So read I Am Magical for the achievement unlock, and pray for the next level in this must-read series.
Oh, and more queer, black, magical heroines than you could shake a game controller at. At a pajama party. Eating cake. Magical, yes?
This "Part One" suggests more to come. So read I Am Magical for the achievement unlock, and pray for the next level in this must-read series.
September 27, 2024
I should have loved this. After all, it's about Black queer AF magical girls - it aims to break every tradition, convention and expectation in terms of rep in the genre - and for the most part, it's charming and well written. Included in the novel are illustrations of each of the four magical girls of magnifiqueNOIR (plus their mentor who's a former magical girl) by different, prominent artists, and their bios, and one-page comic panels, furthering its adorable, independently-made charm. Each magical girls' place on the LBGTQ+ spectrum is reflected in their colour schemes; in their hair and fabulously fashionable outfits.
'magnifiqueNOIR Book One: I Am Magical''s geeky heart is in the right place.
Sadly, there is one problem. Wait--more accurately, it's the first problem: The confusedly-placed flashbacks at the beginning, which become too long and overstay their welcome, and which also create a nonlinear style of storytelling that doesn't continue or flow well with the rest of the book. Add in the inconsistencies between the flashbacks, and what happens and what is said between the past and the present day scenes, inadvertently giving the impression of an unreliable narrative device, and I was having a jarring reading experience. The "This is how I got here"/superhero origin flashback scenes should not leave me scratching my head and flipping back pages, to see if I'd missed something, only to find I hadn't; there are contradictory and nonsensical details and dialogue, in need of proofreading.
Other flaws include: Some of the characters, as well realised and well developed as they are, had their sudden selfish arsehole moments that made me want to tear my hair out. Or some other (or the same, actually) characters are just arseholes and are never called out on it. It annoys me.
While I'm on the point of inconsistencies and characters, one of the magical girls of magnifiqueNOIR (always in bold in the book) once refers to an ordinary civilian character as one of the most important people in her life (page 152)... when she'd only met him three times by then (that we know of), and each time very briefly. And the last time she met him he was screaming at her and being suddenly and frighteningly hysterical - an out-of-character moment that is never remarked on again. WTF?
There's also the changing of POVs being given new characters later on in the book, which might have been okay and acceptable if we'd met and gotten to know these people a bit more earlier on.
The monsters that the magical girls fight are generic, often slimy and oozing things that are easily and quickly defeated. Some fights even happen off-page - they are skipped over; not helping the impression that the monsters are an afterthought and nonthreat overall. Nothing about their origins, what they are, where they come from, and why they are attacking this specific (nameless) city now, after a generation ago, is explained. The origins of magnifiqueNOIR's existence and powers are not revealed, either. I've heard everything will be clarified in the sequel, though. I guess I'll have to take the blurb's and book reviewers' word for it. A lot of info is left out, to be explained and explored in the sequel, in fact.
Aaaaannnnd to point out another inconsistency, although this time it's due to a miscommunication between writer and artist, one of the comic panels (Page 161) has one of the girls fighting a female-in-appearance monster that is designed to look like a spider with horns on her head, but in the prose, in that same chapter, the monster is not described as anything like that - she's just a hideous, leaky, pimply, pus-filled mess of a creature ('pus' is incorrectly spelled as 'puss' every time it is mentioned in the book). It's a shame because a lady arachnoid, a giant black widow spider, sounds like an awesome monster for the magical girls to battle.
The chapters get increasingly, overly long, to boot. There are many typos - more editing and proofreading was needed - but then again, these days I've seen more typos in books from renowned publishing houses; this isn't only a problem in self-published works.
Yet, in spite of these flaws...
'magnifiqueNOIR Book One' is a geek girl's dream, and is full of heart and style. It is brimming with pop culture references, especially those of the video game and anime communities, and most of them are charming and cute instead of annoying and forced. It's like a better, feminist, more-loving-and-enthusiastic version of 'Ready Player One'. However, a few of the references, and the political and social climate of 'magnifiqueNOIR Book One', like in the attitudes towards queer people existing (wow are a lot of the older generation bafflingly ignorant and irritating), do give away that it came out in 2017.
How sad is it that nowadays I consider 2017 to be a long time ago? These last several years have been long, heavy, exhausting, regressive, worrying, dreary and deeply depressing, haven't they?
Oh look, positivity! And 'magnifiqueNOIR Book One: I Am Magical' is bursting with glittery, explosive positivity.
There's the wonderful inclusivity, the memorable, bright, literally colourful characters, and baking and cupcakes, and 8-bit pixels, as well as magical girl awesomeness! The magnifiqueNOIR girls' names are Galactic Purple, Cosmic Green, Radical Rainbow, and Prism Pink (who appears much later on and whose identity is a mystery)! They're great, vibrant, kaleidoscopic, magical Black queer heroines!
Maybe it would have been better if the whole thing had been a comic book instead of a prose novel.
I wish it could have been a bit more careful and thoughtful in its editing and characterisations and character consistencies (not to mention how it handles its flashbacks at the start).
But the passion, the commitment, the love for the characters, it's on every page. I don't know, maybe my love for the magical girl genre and diverse representation is clouding my judgement, but I think I might like 'magnifiqueNOIR Book One: I Am Magical' after all, when it is far from a masterpiece.
I've decided I will keep it. It's cool, cute and charming. And totally unlike anything you'll find in your average bookshop.
'magnifiqueNOIR Book One: I Am Magical' - A fangirl-made, western Magical GirlTM hidden gem.
Add this to the list of (legit) Magical GirlTM books I read and enjoyed in 2024. Others on the list are 'A Magical Girl Retires', 'Hovergirls', 'Flavor Girls', 'Save Yourself!', 'Sleepless Domain', 'Magic Girls: Kira and the (Maybe) Space Princess', and 'Winx Club' and 'W.I.T.C.H.' stuff.
Final Score: 3/5
'magnifiqueNOIR Book One: I Am Magical''s geeky heart is in the right place.
Sadly, there is one problem. Wait--more accurately, it's the first problem: The confusedly-placed flashbacks at the beginning, which become too long and overstay their welcome, and which also create a nonlinear style of storytelling that doesn't continue or flow well with the rest of the book. Add in the inconsistencies between the flashbacks, and what happens and what is said between the past and the present day scenes, inadvertently giving the impression of an unreliable narrative device, and I was having a jarring reading experience. The "This is how I got here"/superhero origin flashback scenes should not leave me scratching my head and flipping back pages, to see if I'd missed something, only to find I hadn't; there are contradictory and nonsensical details and dialogue, in need of proofreading.
Other flaws include: Some of the characters, as well realised and well developed as they are, had their sudden selfish arsehole moments that made me want to tear my hair out. Or some other (or the same, actually) characters are just arseholes and are never called out on it. It annoys me.
While I'm on the point of inconsistencies and characters, one of the magical girls of magnifiqueNOIR (always in bold in the book) once refers to an ordinary civilian character as one of the most important people in her life (page 152)... when she'd only met him three times by then (that we know of), and each time very briefly. And the last time she met him he was screaming at her and being suddenly and frighteningly hysterical - an out-of-character moment that is never remarked on again. WTF?
There's also the changing of POVs being given new characters later on in the book, which might have been okay and acceptable if we'd met and gotten to know these people a bit more earlier on.
The monsters that the magical girls fight are generic, often slimy and oozing things that are easily and quickly defeated. Some fights even happen off-page - they are skipped over; not helping the impression that the monsters are an afterthought and nonthreat overall. Nothing about their origins, what they are, where they come from, and why they are attacking this specific (nameless) city now, after a generation ago, is explained. The origins of magnifiqueNOIR's existence and powers are not revealed, either. I've heard everything will be clarified in the sequel, though. I guess I'll have to take the blurb's and book reviewers' word for it. A lot of info is left out, to be explained and explored in the sequel, in fact.
Aaaaannnnd to point out another inconsistency, although this time it's due to a miscommunication between writer and artist, one of the comic panels (Page 161) has one of the girls fighting a female-in-appearance monster that is designed to look like a spider with horns on her head, but in the prose, in that same chapter, the monster is not described as anything like that - she's just a hideous, leaky, pimply, pus-filled mess of a creature ('pus' is incorrectly spelled as 'puss' every time it is mentioned in the book). It's a shame because a lady arachnoid, a giant black widow spider, sounds like an awesome monster for the magical girls to battle.
The chapters get increasingly, overly long, to boot. There are many typos - more editing and proofreading was needed - but then again, these days I've seen more typos in books from renowned publishing houses; this isn't only a problem in self-published works.
Yet, in spite of these flaws...
'magnifiqueNOIR Book One' is a geek girl's dream, and is full of heart and style. It is brimming with pop culture references, especially those of the video game and anime communities, and most of them are charming and cute instead of annoying and forced. It's like a better, feminist, more-loving-and-enthusiastic version of 'Ready Player One'. However, a few of the references, and the political and social climate of 'magnifiqueNOIR Book One', like in the attitudes towards queer people existing (wow are a lot of the older generation bafflingly ignorant and irritating), do give away that it came out in 2017.
How sad is it that nowadays I consider 2017 to be a long time ago? These last several years have been long, heavy, exhausting, regressive, worrying, dreary and deeply depressing, haven't they?
Oh look, positivity! And 'magnifiqueNOIR Book One: I Am Magical' is bursting with glittery, explosive positivity.
There's the wonderful inclusivity, the memorable, bright, literally colourful characters, and baking and cupcakes, and 8-bit pixels, as well as magical girl awesomeness! The magnifiqueNOIR girls' names are Galactic Purple, Cosmic Green, Radical Rainbow, and Prism Pink (who appears much later on and whose identity is a mystery)! They're great, vibrant, kaleidoscopic, magical Black queer heroines!
Maybe it would have been better if the whole thing had been a comic book instead of a prose novel.
I wish it could have been a bit more careful and thoughtful in its editing and characterisations and character consistencies (not to mention how it handles its flashbacks at the start).
But the passion, the commitment, the love for the characters, it's on every page. I don't know, maybe my love for the magical girl genre and diverse representation is clouding my judgement, but I think I might like 'magnifiqueNOIR Book One: I Am Magical' after all, when it is far from a masterpiece.
I've decided I will keep it. It's cool, cute and charming. And totally unlike anything you'll find in your average bookshop.
'magnifiqueNOIR Book One: I Am Magical' - A fangirl-made, western Magical GirlTM hidden gem.
Add this to the list of (legit) Magical GirlTM books I read and enjoyed in 2024. Others on the list are 'A Magical Girl Retires', 'Hovergirls', 'Flavor Girls', 'Save Yourself!', 'Sleepless Domain', 'Magic Girls: Kira and the (Maybe) Space Princess', and 'Winx Club' and 'W.I.T.C.H.' stuff.
Final Score: 3/5
December 30, 2023
In the wondrous place of the magical girl realm, a wide place filled with friendship, rainbows, and inevitable darkness looming over the horizon, there was always something missing. Something special. Something important. Something unique to the genre that just really, really needed to see the light of day. That, fellow reader, is this book. This here gem.
This book needed to be brought out from the swirling mind of author Briana Lawrence (fellow nerd, geek, gamer, cosplayer, and secret-not-so-secret magical girl) and transformed into the pages of something magical that now dot the homes of many fans across the nation, as well as their hearts.
As I sat around Kuzco-facing my monitor and wondering how to go around writing this, I thought it might be easier to do this:
Cosmic Green: Precious Bean waifu.
Galactic Purple: Cinnamon Roll waifu.
Radical Rainbow: Kick*** waifu.
Prism Pink: Best waifu.
But then, I thought how… underwhelming that was, considering how spectacular this book really is. So there I sat, trying to form just the right words that would do this book justice. (Even though I could just say, “Read the dang book already! What are you waiting for?”) It was only then the words came to me, though in a way much different than Blaze deciding the ideal moment to appear from behind a closed door and extend a helping hand.
Admittedly, I don’t do as much reading as I probably should despite my collection and fondness for literature. It has nothing to do with font-size, paperback or hardback, or lack of interest in sitting around with my nose between dainty pages filled by blood, sweat, and tears. It was a lack of connection. Most books I have felt just like ink on pages. There was no… connection, no emotion, and no meaning. There was nothing to me. Nothing but words.
This book delivered everything I didn’t know I needed in a blow more powerful than Radical Rainbow herself. It flowed as flawlessly as Prism’s Pink’s “Sewn Together Symmetry”. It pulled me in so far that I only reluctantly ever put this book down to get sleep for the little sanity I have while at work. The characters moved me in ways I hadn’t felt for the longest time. Each one captured a piece of my 8-bit heart, and together, as a team, I hold them dearly while eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.
When they were laughing, I found myself laughing with them. When they were crying, I was a sobbing wreck who horded rolls of toilet paper in my room and praying these babies would get through whatever hardship they faced. And when they felt that certain warmth only friendship could offer, I felt it too. I encouraged them along the way, and finally I felt that connection I once thought I lacked as a human being. It was like watching an anime unfold before my eyes with each "episode", sweeping me away with each page I turned. It may have the lacked ice-skating husbands that I used for bookmarks, but it offered something on the same level. Pft. Who am I kidding? It offered something MORE, something steps far above them. It offered many a chance to connect with characters who would normally have been underrepresented in today’s society. I’m talking about the goddess who would otherwise be known as black queer girls.
This book was something I knew was needed. It delivers, and it represents. Boy does it represent. This is a book I can give to friends I just know who need it, and watch as their eyes light up in ways they didn’t know possible, only to point at the cover and say, “They’re like me!” Yes, hon. They are very much like you. Magical right down to your smile, and ready to show the world that you too were born to make history. I know this because that’s exactly what I did for my yearly Christmas book exchange with a good friend. Ironically, our friendship was founded on conversations of Sailor Moon. So this book… it held a much deeper meaning to us. And I could not have felt that kind of Christmas miracle had this book never came forth. Thank you for making such a memorable time possible, Briana.
My only complaint, and the only thing I didn’t get from this book, was Marianna’s brownies, cookies, or cheesecake. I am a sucker for baked goodies, especially cheesecake. Though had they decided to sprout up from the pages, I highly doubt Bree would be willing to share without pulling out a fight stick and going head-on in a “best two out of three” match. According to her, I’m probably not “Cheesecake worthy” yet. And yes, Marianna, that is an actual thing.
Seriously though. There’s someone out there who needs this book in their lives. If not you, then surely someone you know. Someone who needs to be reminded that they are magical, and that they are very much real and capable of doing all kinds of amazing things. So what are you doing right now? Stop reading this review and get to reading a memorable journey you won’t forget. Trust me when I say you won’t regret it.
This book needed to be brought out from the swirling mind of author Briana Lawrence (fellow nerd, geek, gamer, cosplayer, and secret-not-so-secret magical girl) and transformed into the pages of something magical that now dot the homes of many fans across the nation, as well as their hearts.
As I sat around Kuzco-facing my monitor and wondering how to go around writing this, I thought it might be easier to do this:
Cosmic Green: Precious Bean waifu.
Galactic Purple: Cinnamon Roll waifu.
Radical Rainbow: Kick*** waifu.
Prism Pink: Best waifu.
But then, I thought how… underwhelming that was, considering how spectacular this book really is. So there I sat, trying to form just the right words that would do this book justice. (Even though I could just say, “Read the dang book already! What are you waiting for?”) It was only then the words came to me, though in a way much different than Blaze deciding the ideal moment to appear from behind a closed door and extend a helping hand.
Admittedly, I don’t do as much reading as I probably should despite my collection and fondness for literature. It has nothing to do with font-size, paperback or hardback, or lack of interest in sitting around with my nose between dainty pages filled by blood, sweat, and tears. It was a lack of connection. Most books I have felt just like ink on pages. There was no… connection, no emotion, and no meaning. There was nothing to me. Nothing but words.
This book delivered everything I didn’t know I needed in a blow more powerful than Radical Rainbow herself. It flowed as flawlessly as Prism’s Pink’s “Sewn Together Symmetry”. It pulled me in so far that I only reluctantly ever put this book down to get sleep for the little sanity I have while at work. The characters moved me in ways I hadn’t felt for the longest time. Each one captured a piece of my 8-bit heart, and together, as a team, I hold them dearly while eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.
When they were laughing, I found myself laughing with them. When they were crying, I was a sobbing wreck who horded rolls of toilet paper in my room and praying these babies would get through whatever hardship they faced. And when they felt that certain warmth only friendship could offer, I felt it too. I encouraged them along the way, and finally I felt that connection I once thought I lacked as a human being. It was like watching an anime unfold before my eyes with each "episode", sweeping me away with each page I turned. It may have the lacked ice-skating husbands that I used for bookmarks, but it offered something on the same level. Pft. Who am I kidding? It offered something MORE, something steps far above them. It offered many a chance to connect with characters who would normally have been underrepresented in today’s society. I’m talking about the goddess who would otherwise be known as black queer girls.
This book was something I knew was needed. It delivers, and it represents. Boy does it represent. This is a book I can give to friends I just know who need it, and watch as their eyes light up in ways they didn’t know possible, only to point at the cover and say, “They’re like me!” Yes, hon. They are very much like you. Magical right down to your smile, and ready to show the world that you too were born to make history. I know this because that’s exactly what I did for my yearly Christmas book exchange with a good friend. Ironically, our friendship was founded on conversations of Sailor Moon. So this book… it held a much deeper meaning to us. And I could not have felt that kind of Christmas miracle had this book never came forth. Thank you for making such a memorable time possible, Briana.
My only complaint, and the only thing I didn’t get from this book, was Marianna’s brownies, cookies, or cheesecake. I am a sucker for baked goodies, especially cheesecake. Though had they decided to sprout up from the pages, I highly doubt Bree would be willing to share without pulling out a fight stick and going head-on in a “best two out of three” match. According to her, I’m probably not “Cheesecake worthy” yet. And yes, Marianna, that is an actual thing.
Seriously though. There’s someone out there who needs this book in their lives. If not you, then surely someone you know. Someone who needs to be reminded that they are magical, and that they are very much real and capable of doing all kinds of amazing things. So what are you doing right now? Stop reading this review and get to reading a memorable journey you won’t forget. Trust me when I say you won’t regret it.
December 28, 2019
The Basics:
In a city besieged by mysterious giant monsters, a group of magical girls begins to rise, one by one, to meet the challenge. But between fending off attacks using their exploding cupcakes and sparkling pixels, they have to figure out how to live together, make it to their classes on time, and talk to their families about what they do and who they are.
The Downside:
The action can be a bit repetitive and low-stakes, with each monster inevitably succumbing to having enough magic thrown at it. That's okay; a bit of lighthearted monster-smashing is rarely a bad thing, but the informed nature of the danger makes it all the more grating to see the girls constantly scolded for just about everything they do. (How dare they not build their whole lives around never worrying anyone?) Lawrence is obviously on the girls' side, and this undermining that they face is a real-world problem thoroughly worthy of depiction and criticism, but its pervasiveness throughout each girl’s storyline does become tiresome. Between the different dynamics of three different magical girls’ home lives, it would have been nice to see at least one example of someone wholeheartedly supporting one of them, without a perpetually underlying tone of, “Well, I understand that this is what you need to do, and you have a right to do it, but I still really wish you wouldn’t, so you totally owe me for not trying to stop you.”
The Upside:
While the fights themselves can be a noisy blur of powers and punching, the monsters are nicely memorable in that they hide in plain sight, always as that person in the crowd. The creep stalking younger girls at bus stops. The crude provocateur harassing women at the gym. Even the diva who expects the whole store to wait while she demands the manager’s attention. Each one represents a piece of toxicity or hostility that most women — and sometimes most people — can relate to coming up against in public spaces, which makes them quite satisfying to see obliterated in magical girl fashion.
Indeed, it’s the social, human, non-magical aspects of I Am Magical where most of the storytelling magic actually happens. For starters, the audacity of the team makeup is a thing of beauty unto itself. Every single member of magnifiqueNOIR is female, black, and somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum.
All of them.
They’re all in their own phases of asserting their identities and dealing with their own related challenges, and most importantly, they’re all distinct, complex people who cannot be summed up simply by checking boxes on a questionnaire.
Without ever forcing a pedantic, on-the-nose discussion of the matter, magnifiqueNOIR flatly rejects the old tendency to introduce more representation into existing structures in timid, measured, token doses, celebrating the tiniest victories and carefully never asking for too much. Instead, it seems to ask, so what if it’s statistically improbable for there to be this many LGBTQ+ black women all in one place, coincidentally brought together by something other than having those things in common? It’s still far more probable than anyone being able to generate exploding cupcakes out of thin air, so why not? Why not go all in and make up some ground in a media stream that so often offers far less than statistically accurate representation of all of these things?
The girls also all have different relationships with traditional femininity, both aesthetically and in the activities they pursue, and with how that meshes with their staggering cosmic powers and the nontraditional aspects of their private lives. Bree is a gamer girl and all-around geek who’s conventionally attractive and loves it, especially when she’s cosplaying for her YouTube channel. Marianna is a fashionable plus-sized baker who can conquer the day in heels. Lonnie is a muscular kickboxer who lives in unisex comfortwear. None of them are wrong, and no authentic expression of gender is ever at odds with the state of being a capable, complete human being.
For anyone who loves reading about magical girls kicking butt, this is a new series not to be missed, brimming with positivity and geekery in equal measures.
In a city besieged by mysterious giant monsters, a group of magical girls begins to rise, one by one, to meet the challenge. But between fending off attacks using their exploding cupcakes and sparkling pixels, they have to figure out how to live together, make it to their classes on time, and talk to their families about what they do and who they are.
The Downside:
The action can be a bit repetitive and low-stakes, with each monster inevitably succumbing to having enough magic thrown at it. That's okay; a bit of lighthearted monster-smashing is rarely a bad thing, but the informed nature of the danger makes it all the more grating to see the girls constantly scolded for just about everything they do. (How dare they not build their whole lives around never worrying anyone?) Lawrence is obviously on the girls' side, and this undermining that they face is a real-world problem thoroughly worthy of depiction and criticism, but its pervasiveness throughout each girl’s storyline does become tiresome. Between the different dynamics of three different magical girls’ home lives, it would have been nice to see at least one example of someone wholeheartedly supporting one of them, without a perpetually underlying tone of, “Well, I understand that this is what you need to do, and you have a right to do it, but I still really wish you wouldn’t, so you totally owe me for not trying to stop you.”
The Upside:
While the fights themselves can be a noisy blur of powers and punching, the monsters are nicely memorable in that they hide in plain sight, always as that person in the crowd. The creep stalking younger girls at bus stops. The crude provocateur harassing women at the gym. Even the diva who expects the whole store to wait while she demands the manager’s attention. Each one represents a piece of toxicity or hostility that most women — and sometimes most people — can relate to coming up against in public spaces, which makes them quite satisfying to see obliterated in magical girl fashion.
Indeed, it’s the social, human, non-magical aspects of I Am Magical where most of the storytelling magic actually happens. For starters, the audacity of the team makeup is a thing of beauty unto itself. Every single member of magnifiqueNOIR is female, black, and somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum.
All of them.
They’re all in their own phases of asserting their identities and dealing with their own related challenges, and most importantly, they’re all distinct, complex people who cannot be summed up simply by checking boxes on a questionnaire.
Without ever forcing a pedantic, on-the-nose discussion of the matter, magnifiqueNOIR flatly rejects the old tendency to introduce more representation into existing structures in timid, measured, token doses, celebrating the tiniest victories and carefully never asking for too much. Instead, it seems to ask, so what if it’s statistically improbable for there to be this many LGBTQ+ black women all in one place, coincidentally brought together by something other than having those things in common? It’s still far more probable than anyone being able to generate exploding cupcakes out of thin air, so why not? Why not go all in and make up some ground in a media stream that so often offers far less than statistically accurate representation of all of these things?
The girls also all have different relationships with traditional femininity, both aesthetically and in the activities they pursue, and with how that meshes with their staggering cosmic powers and the nontraditional aspects of their private lives. Bree is a gamer girl and all-around geek who’s conventionally attractive and loves it, especially when she’s cosplaying for her YouTube channel. Marianna is a fashionable plus-sized baker who can conquer the day in heels. Lonnie is a muscular kickboxer who lives in unisex comfortwear. None of them are wrong, and no authentic expression of gender is ever at odds with the state of being a capable, complete human being.
For anyone who loves reading about magical girls kicking butt, this is a new series not to be missed, brimming with positivity and geekery in equal measures.
January 1, 2020
Review to follow.College life can be hard to balance. There’s classes, social life, maybe a part-time (or even full time) job, and of course fighting off monster attacks. Or at least that one applies to gamer girl Bree Williams and her friends in MagnifiqueNoir, a team of black, queer magical girls that defend the city. Now known as Cosmic Green, Bree’s pixelated powers are an essential part of the team’s tactics.
This series is heavily inspired by the “warrior magical girl” tradition started by the Sailor Moon series. Young women in brightly colored costumes, magical jewelry, awesome powers, and vile monsters. That framework has been clothed with the author’s own life experiences and those of the women around her to match their interests.
Bree isn’t the first member of the team. That’s Marianna Jacobs, aka Galactic Purple. A baker by avocation, this plus-size and very responsible young woman was recruited by the mysterious Gold Blaze to be the leader of a new iteration of MagnifiqueNoir when monsters began attacking the city again. She and Bree (who’s more of a “seat of pants” person) have some difficulty getting along when the latter is recruited.
Before the end of the book, the team’s also recruited kickboxer Lonnie Knox, aka Radical Rainbow, and met the enigmatic seamstress Prism Pink, who seems to be on their side.
Good: The girls (and Gold Blaze) have an interesting mix of personalities that keeps the dialogue and character development moving right along. The personality flaws are not too off-putting, and the protagonists try to work on them.
There are full-color illustrations, many in a comic book page format; they greatly enhanced my ability to visualize the characters and provide extra little jokes.
While racism,sexism, and the difficulties faced by black women in American society do come up (particularly with one specific monster), they’re not a primary focus within the text. This is a “black girls are magic” celebration.
Not as good: The geeky references are all “real world” things, despite the unnamed city being clearly fictional, and are going to date this book terribly in a decade or so.
While the book’s slow introduction of each new character certainly allows it time to breathe, I felt it dragging frequently. I also felt that too much of the background premises were left off for the next volume. Where do the monsters come from? Why are they attacking? (It seems random at first, but later attacks are clearly not random.) Why did monsters stop attacking for a couple of decades and then start again recently? Is there an actual enemy behind the monsters or are they spawning due to natural events? What was Gold Blaze doing during the fallow years? All these questions and more are met with shrugged shoulders.
I should note that the book is very well put together for a self-published volume, but the full color and special typography (MagnifiqueNoir is always in a specific font) have driven up the price. If you have a color e-book reader, you may want to purchase the downloadable version instead. The protagonists are in college, but the story feels more aimed at the older end of young adult and should be okay for senior high readers and up.
Recommended primarily to magical girl fans who are looking for something a little different.
This series is heavily inspired by the “warrior magical girl” tradition started by the Sailor Moon series. Young women in brightly colored costumes, magical jewelry, awesome powers, and vile monsters. That framework has been clothed with the author’s own life experiences and those of the women around her to match their interests.
Bree isn’t the first member of the team. That’s Marianna Jacobs, aka Galactic Purple. A baker by avocation, this plus-size and very responsible young woman was recruited by the mysterious Gold Blaze to be the leader of a new iteration of MagnifiqueNoir when monsters began attacking the city again. She and Bree (who’s more of a “seat of pants” person) have some difficulty getting along when the latter is recruited.
Before the end of the book, the team’s also recruited kickboxer Lonnie Knox, aka Radical Rainbow, and met the enigmatic seamstress Prism Pink, who seems to be on their side.
Good: The girls (and Gold Blaze) have an interesting mix of personalities that keeps the dialogue and character development moving right along. The personality flaws are not too off-putting, and the protagonists try to work on them.
There are full-color illustrations, many in a comic book page format; they greatly enhanced my ability to visualize the characters and provide extra little jokes.
While racism,sexism, and the difficulties faced by black women in American society do come up (particularly with one specific monster), they’re not a primary focus within the text. This is a “black girls are magic” celebration.
Not as good: The geeky references are all “real world” things, despite the unnamed city being clearly fictional, and are going to date this book terribly in a decade or so.
While the book’s slow introduction of each new character certainly allows it time to breathe, I felt it dragging frequently. I also felt that too much of the background premises were left off for the next volume. Where do the monsters come from? Why are they attacking? (It seems random at first, but later attacks are clearly not random.) Why did monsters stop attacking for a couple of decades and then start again recently? Is there an actual enemy behind the monsters or are they spawning due to natural events? What was Gold Blaze doing during the fallow years? All these questions and more are met with shrugged shoulders.
I should note that the book is very well put together for a self-published volume, but the full color and special typography (MagnifiqueNoir is always in a specific font) have driven up the price. If you have a color e-book reader, you may want to purchase the downloadable version instead. The protagonists are in college, but the story feels more aimed at the older end of young adult and should be okay for senior high readers and up.
Recommended primarily to magical girl fans who are looking for something a little different.
March 29, 2022
A sweet book with a lot of heart. The characters are fun, and I loved the little comics and illustrations peppered throughout. We could really use some more magical girl stories, especially about black queer girls!
My biggest critique is the book's structure felt a little 'off', especially in the beginning, with the pacing of the flashbacks distracting from the flow of the actual story. That, and all of the mysteries surrounding the actual monster attacks is left entirely for the second book. It would have been nice to have at least one mystery answered by the end, even if it led to a different mystery.
But once the flashbacks were all out of the way, the story proceeded nicely and I really liked the look at all the different and complicated relationships in the girls' lives. That really gets at the heart of the magical girl genre, really: friendships, romance, relationships in general. Clearly it's a genre that the author understands, and her love for it really shines off the page.
My biggest critique is the book's structure felt a little 'off', especially in the beginning, with the pacing of the flashbacks distracting from the flow of the actual story. That, and all of the mysteries surrounding the actual monster attacks is left entirely for the second book. It would have been nice to have at least one mystery answered by the end, even if it led to a different mystery.
But once the flashbacks were all out of the way, the story proceeded nicely and I really liked the look at all the different and complicated relationships in the girls' lives. That really gets at the heart of the magical girl genre, really: friendships, romance, relationships in general. Clearly it's a genre that the author understands, and her love for it really shines off the page.
January 1, 2020
This book was our November/December 2019 Book of the Month selection. Read our full review on F-BOM.com: https://f-bom.com/2019/11/01/magnifiq...
"For those unfamiliar with Magical Girl as a genre, this is a great introduction featuring all the Magical Girl staples: secret hideout, mysterious leader, monsters from an unknown origin, cute outfits, cute yet powerful attacks unique to each character. Think of it as a feminine alternative to the machismo of Marvel’s Avengers, with the same level of firepower.
While the overarching plot of the book relates to monsters and how to defeat them, the real underpinnings of the story are the relationships that develop between the members of magnifiqueNOIR. Each woman approaches being a Magical Girl differently, which can lead to tensions in the group as the pressures of battling monsters threatens to tear them apart at the seams."
"For those unfamiliar with Magical Girl as a genre, this is a great introduction featuring all the Magical Girl staples: secret hideout, mysterious leader, monsters from an unknown origin, cute outfits, cute yet powerful attacks unique to each character. Think of it as a feminine alternative to the machismo of Marvel’s Avengers, with the same level of firepower.
While the overarching plot of the book relates to monsters and how to defeat them, the real underpinnings of the story are the relationships that develop between the members of magnifiqueNOIR. Each woman approaches being a Magical Girl differently, which can lead to tensions in the group as the pressures of battling monsters threatens to tear them apart at the seams."
August 21, 2019
Ich war schon immer ein Magical Girl Fan und schreibe selbst gerne solche Geschichten. Auf der Suche nach anderen Autor_innen in diesem Genre bin ich auf I am Magical gestoßen und es hat mich verzaubert. Ich liebe die Figuren, die Geschichte, die kleinen Anime Anspielungen und die Comics und Zeichnungen im Buch. Genau das richtige für Fans von Sailor Moon, Pretty Cure und generell Magical Girl Animes.
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I've always been a Fan of Magical Girls and I also write similar stories. So I searched for other writers in that genre and found I am Magical. It enchanted me. I fell in love with the characters, the story, the anime references, the comics and sketches in the book. If you like Sailor Moon, Pretty Cure or other Magical Girl series, I am Magical is perfect for you.
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I've always been a Fan of Magical Girls and I also write similar stories. So I searched for other writers in that genre and found I am Magical. It enchanted me. I fell in love with the characters, the story, the anime references, the comics and sketches in the book. If you like Sailor Moon, Pretty Cure or other Magical Girl series, I am Magical is perfect for you.
September 24, 2022
What a great book! The characterization is fantastic. Each of the main characters reads like a living person. We see their flaws and strengths and how they work together. The magical girl renaissance is happening and it's wonderful to see it finally happening to black, plus-sized girls who aren't necessarily straight. There's transformation sequences, named attacks, and descriptions of baked goods that make me want to live in a bakery. I was surprised how quickly I made it through the book, but I didn't want it to end. Good thing I already have the sequel.
Also, as a fellow nerd, I loved all the Easter eggs of nerd culture throughout. You can absolutely still enjoy the book without knowing that Bree plays Mario Maker, but if you do know, it's an extra thrill.
Also, as a fellow nerd, I loved all the Easter eggs of nerd culture throughout. You can absolutely still enjoy the book without knowing that Bree plays Mario Maker, but if you do know, it's an extra thrill.
November 9, 2023
Despite being a lifelong reader, it had been years since I had picked up a physical book and read it. I happened across this author’s table at Acen 2022 and was intrigued. I was also somewhat daunted by the size of the book, but I quickly got over that when I started reading. There was no part of this book that felt like filler, so all the pages were warranted. I was enamored with the overall concept of black magical girls, as a black woman who subsisted off of magical girl anime as a kid. I especially adore the inclusion of an asexual character! I did eventually pick up this book’s sequel, and when the mood strikes to read that one, I’ll probably read this one again to remind myself of the fine details.
July 9, 2020
This was an original story for sure. The anime,gamer and comic references are on point. I especially loved that each of the girls transformed outfits reflected the LGBTQ flags so each girl is a representation of a minority group within a minority. Its genius. The social issuses this book tackles are handled with such grace, its insightful. There were a few typos here and there and one flash back that came out of nowhere, but overall it was a smooth read will beautiful art work throughout. The only thing that could have made it better was if it were a full on graphic novel. I'm looking forward to the next book.
August 14, 2020
5 HUGE STARS TO THIS BEAUTIFUL MAGICAL BOOK.
I loved everything about this. The game references, the queer rep, the black girl magic, the sisterhood, the fat rep (and how Marianna wasn't apologetic about being plus size -yes girl!). The storyline was strong, the artwork was STUNNING. I must have cheesed a million times reading this book. It literally gave me all the feels and I don't understand how more people aren't talking about this book! I just now I'm going to be gushing about this forever!!! Can't wait to get my copy of Book 2!!!!!
I loved everything about this. The game references, the queer rep, the black girl magic, the sisterhood, the fat rep (and how Marianna wasn't apologetic about being plus size -yes girl!). The storyline was strong, the artwork was STUNNING. I must have cheesed a million times reading this book. It literally gave me all the feels and I don't understand how more people aren't talking about this book! I just now I'm going to be gushing about this forever!!! Can't wait to get my copy of Book 2!!!!!
August 23, 2022
This was a book I found at GenCon, and even better the author signed it. I liked the contemporary take on magical girls as well as combined realism to boot. The characters are unique and relatable, Bree being my favorite. The comics included were cool and added interesting elements to the story. Finally, while I look forward to seeing where this series goes, I would also like to see it adapted into an animated series.
April 29, 2018
4.5 stars. Review to come on Just Love Reviews
June 7, 2023
This book is FUN! I'm torn between "the references will date this book in a decade or two" and "OMG I love literally everything mentioned." Prepare yourself for a geeky, positive, and colorful magical girl adventure in this series starter. We jump right in with Bree, a queer Black girl at college who doubles as a YouTuber at night and a magic-wielding defender of the city at, er, later night. She and her partner-and-team-leader Mariana must battle monsters and keep their secret identities to themselves while also navigating classes, dating, and relationships with their families back home.
This book does get off to a somewhat rough start. The story is engaging from the start, but the writing takes a while to settle, bouncing between perspectives occasionally and working in a handful of flashbacks to catch us up to where we are today. I loved the characters enough to work through, and once the flashbacks were done, this book soared. The pacing in the second half was great, and I loved how well fleshed out the girls were, how their unique personalities shone both in their magical girl personas and in their "normal" lives. I want to know more about this world: where do the monsters come from? Why were they quiet for a while, and why are they back now? What's Blaze's full story? I can't wait to get my hands on the next book and see where this goes. Two thumbs up for body positivity and representation too, but let's be real, if you grew up loving Sailor Moon, Card Captor, et all, you are going to love magnifiqueNOIR.
This book does get off to a somewhat rough start. The story is engaging from the start, but the writing takes a while to settle, bouncing between perspectives occasionally and working in a handful of flashbacks to catch us up to where we are today. I loved the characters enough to work through, and once the flashbacks were done, this book soared. The pacing in the second half was great, and I loved how well fleshed out the girls were, how their unique personalities shone both in their magical girl personas and in their "normal" lives. I want to know more about this world: where do the monsters come from? Why were they quiet for a while, and why are they back now? What's Blaze's full story? I can't wait to get my hands on the next book and see where this goes. Two thumbs up for body positivity and representation too, but let's be real, if you grew up loving Sailor Moon, Card Captor, et all, you are going to love magnifiqueNOIR.
December 18, 2019
I heard about this book online, and for some reason, I thought it was a graphic novel, but it's a book with illustrations and mini-comics inside. The format is almost like a collage or mixed-media piece but in written/ book form. I can tell that the authors and illustrators put a lot of heart into this book. In shows about girl groups, it's common for each girl to fill a trope, but all the characters felt fresh and real. My personal favorites were Marianna and Lonnie. Bree makes a lot of pop culture references, which I got, but I don't think it's too distracting if you didn't. I didn't realize how much I needed to see Black LBT+ women being happy and having friendships with each other. Even the side characters had fuzzy interactions. I loved Rodney and Raye's relationship and their gym. The author also did a great job of escalating the monsters and the conflicts throughout the book. The interpersonal issues she chose to address really resonated with me. I don't really watch much of the magical girl genre, but I still loved this book, and I hope to see more installments of magnifiqueNOIR.
February 21, 2021
TW: mentions of harassment/stalking, sexist /racist comments, mentions of trauma. It’s not all but I tried.
First I requested for a review copy from the author like how many years ago. Sort for that but I’m glad I’m finally reading it.
I really liked the premise of queer people of color magical girls. It’s fun and I’m here for the diversity in this book.
If I had to stay what mostly drives the story..it would definitely be the characters. from Bree to Marianna and everyone in between. That’s what makes me want to read more. Of course the plot is okay. But the characters, did I mention the characters? Along with the art too? To die for.
Honestly my favorite past would be the outfits and how they represent them.
I’m so glad to have read this book and I’m so sad that I finished it too soon. Once again I’m grateful for the opportunity.
First I requested for a review copy from the author like how many years ago. Sort for that but I’m glad I’m finally reading it.
I really liked the premise of queer people of color magical girls. It’s fun and I’m here for the diversity in this book.
If I had to stay what mostly drives the story..it would definitely be the characters. from Bree to Marianna and everyone in between. That’s what makes me want to read more. Of course the plot is okay. But the characters, did I mention the characters? Along with the art too? To die for.
Honestly my favorite past would be the outfits and how they represent them.
I’m so glad to have read this book and I’m so sad that I finished it too soon. Once again I’m grateful for the opportunity.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews