Boundless Press | Aicha
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Aicha
Soraya Bouazzaoui
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TEMPTRESS. MONSTER. WARRIOR.
The ultimate female rage fantasy, Aicha is a fierce and devastatingly powerful romantic epic fantasy perfect for fans of The Priory of the Orange Tree and She Who Became the Sun. The Portuguese flag has been planted across Morocco, its empire ruling with an iron fist. But eventually, all empires must fall.
Aicha, the daughter of a Moroccan freedom-fighter, was born for battle. She has witnessed the death of her people, their starvation and torture at the hands of the occupiers, and it has awakened an anger within her. An anger that burns hot and bright, and speaks to Aicha's soul.
Only Aicha's secret lover Rachid, a rebellion leader, knows how to soothe her. But as the fight for Morocco's freedom reaches its violent climax, the creature that simmers beneath Aicha's skin begs to be unleashed. It hungers for the screams of those who have caused her pain, and it will not be ignored.
Praise for Aicha:
“Aicha is a sharpened blade, swinging between the celebration of love in all its forms and unbridled anger. A ferocious debut.” — Eliza Chan, author of Fathomfolk
“Aicha lit a whole bonfire in my belly, stole the air right out of my lungs and then left my heart in tiny little pieces. An incredible debut.” — Ellis Hunter, author of Blood Bound
“A heady, heart-wrenching, magnetic debut, bursting with both love and fury.” — Holly Race, author of Six Wild Crowns
“A debut of epic scope, Aicha instantly establishes this author as one to watch. Furious, heart-wrenching, and utterly enchanting, Aicha tells the story of a heroine unlike any other.” — Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson, author of The Principle of Moments
“A heart-pounding and immersive read that has it all: intriguing magic, devastating romance, detailed world-building and fascinating mythology. Bouazzaoui crafts her powerful debut with gut-wrenching intricacy. A must read.” — Aamna Qureshi, author of The Baby Dragon Café
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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Apr 10
all the books I want to read this spring 🌸📚 a long overdue book haul!
open for an exclusive giveaway! 👀
22 books
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Posts about this book from across Bindery
Chanterelle Solace\ \ Sabie\ \ • Jun 1
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17 books that make me feel seen because ...
Is there any book(s) that you feel makes you seen? 👀
Books that make me feel seen belong to a lot of categories, including those that focus on found family, cozy fantasy and retellings. A lot of the themes that tie this books together are finding a place where you belong, having our stories told with the beauty and fairness they deserve and being accepted wholly for who you are 🤎
Each of this piles carry books that are in different genres, including Cozy Fantasy, Romance, Retellings and Anthologies to name a few but I saw myself in each of them! Sometimes it was the representation like Aicha, being a Moroccan Retelling as someone who is from there or a Muslim Romance in The Mis-Arrangement of Sanaa Saeed! I also saw alot of my struggles as a disabled/CI in Its all in your Head and there’s a piece of my in all of these books🥺
And the STEM field Related books will always have a special place in my heart because of how relatable it is as someone who works in the field!
And here is a list of all the books mentioned in this post: 🍄 It’s all in your head by Sabina Nordqvist 🍄 The Mis-Arrangement of Sana Saeed by Noreen Mughees 🍄 The Between-Worlds B&B by Amy Mae Baxter 🍄 The Ex-Perimento by Maria J. Morillo 🍄 The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow 🍄 Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett 🍄 Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi 🍄 House of Frank by Kay Synclaire 🍄 Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal-Mohtar 🍄 A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison by Aamna Quershi 🍄 The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru by Olesya Salnikova Gimore 🍄 The Girl with a Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean 🍄 Aicha by Soraya Bouazzaoui 🍄 Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity 🍄 One Yellow Eye by Leigh Radford 🍄 Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm 🍄 Next Level Love by Shameez Patel
17 books
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Books Right Now\ \ Rashi Dembi\ \ • Apr 30
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Review of my last two 5⭐️ reads: So Let Them Burn and This Ends in Embers by Kamilah Cole + 4 more anti-colonizer books to add to your TBR!
6 books
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Ink & Ether\ \ Michelle, The Keeper\ \ • Apr 28
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You belong here if you’re always chasing that feeling a book gave you.
These are a few pairings from the shelves made for readers who want something just as immersive, just as unforgettable.
Tell me, what book are you trying to find again in a new story?
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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Apr 10
all the books I want to read this spring 🌸📚 a long overdue book haul!
open for an exclusive giveaway! 👀
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The Alchemist Society\ \ Shay\ \ • Apr 6
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[March was Women's History Month, and I had some great reads that I need you to read too). One was my second 5-star read of the year (and was only 164 pages). \ \ Just a reminder, as with any other month of the year, whether it's Black History Month, Pride Month, Women's History, or any other month recognizing a marginalized group of people... these months are given these titles in order to allow for the opportunity to highlight and be intentional about celebrating them! It doesn't stop once the month is over. Keep reading diversely and continue to open up your world!\ \ Ok, first up; I want to highlight my 5-star read, which was I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman. \ \ \ \ This book was only ~164 pages, yet it packs quite the punch. This book is a speculative dystopian work of fiction following a young women who can not remember her past and who relies on the memories of the 39 other women of varying ages who are imprisoned with her, to shape her knowledge of the world "before" and provide perspective into their imprisonment and their current existence. \ \ I Who Have Never Men explores the world where there are no men. Initially, there were guards but they disappear and we don't see another man again. The story itself explores life without men, both through the lens of our MC who really has never known any men, and through the perspective of the 39 other women who have their memories and are able to miss the companionship and presence. One of the things I found the most interesting was in the novel was the way in which the women work together and have their small community together, while working to survive. The lack of men helps to subtlety highlight how each sex "lacks" in a way. \ \ The novel is an incredibly moving look into a foreign world where we never know what is going on. The loneliness, despair, confusion all cut like a knife, and regularly choked me up or caused me to tear up. It is a look at the human spirit to persist, or choose not to. To survive, and how community shapes how that survival looks. \ \ The author was a Belgian Jewish refugee. Her family fled from Belgium during the Nazi occupation, moving to Morocco, where they had built a successful business exporting fabrics and laces. The book itself never explicitly references the holocaust, but we can see the effect it had on her writing and imagery in I who have Never Known Men, especially when discussing the guards and their treatment, the prison and the various ways in which other prisoners were found. The novel was originally published in its original French and translated into English in 1997. \ \ I'm so happy to see so many people talking about recently. The exploration of female friendships, intimacy, support, community and friendships, which are only highlighted by the setting and events, are devastatingly moving, heartbreaking, and beautiful. I can only hope that it will receive similar treatment to Lord of the Flies and get its own adaptation someday. \ \ \ \ Burn the Sea is an upcoming novel (1st in a planned duology) which will be released on April 21, 2026. The novel explores a reimagining of the Portuguese invasion of southern India in the 1500's and the efforts of the warrior queen, Abbakka Chowta at repelling them. In Burn the Sea, the Portuguese are replaced by sea monsters half man half snake. We see her fight for her family and her country's freedom from these invaders, rising to the office of ruling, something which Abbakka's sister was born to do. \ \ The novel features a love triangle, lush imagery, moving friendships and a look into the female support that surrounds Abbakka, and political intrigue and machinations that are essential for preserving the sanctity and freedom of Ullal. \ \ Growing up, I devoured books about the Tudor women, Boudicca, Zenobia, and Cleopatra. The Royal Diaries were well-read in my household. This is a fictionalized version of events, but it takes heavy inspiration of the real world events that Rani Abbakka Chowta went through while fighting the Portuguese invaders. I can't wait to see what happens in book two. If you want some follow up reads to learn more about the history and events that inspired Burn the Sea, see the following: \ \
- https://web.archive.org/web/20070807132003/http://www.boloji.com/history/028.htm\\ \
- https://kamat.com/kalranga/itihas/abbakka.htm\\ \
- Yugal Joshi (2019). Women Warriors of India. Rupa Publications. pp. 78–82. ISBN9789353334079.\ \ \ Lastly, I have to talk about The Poet Empress (one of my February reads). This was (unbelievably) a debut novel by the author, Shen Tao. \ \ \ \ The story follows a young peasant women who finds herself as a part of the royal harem and is then set to become the future empress of her country. She is searching for a way to save her home from famine and her people from starvation. All of this leads to her being selected to become a part of the Crown Princes harem, and then later chosen as the future Empress. Her new husband, the next Emperor is a despot, with a magical penchant for violence and weapons (and several brothers with other varying magical abilities). Wei Yin, our fmc, decides she must kill him in order to bring about peace and save her country (and by extension her family), but the only way she can kill him is to write a spell. It just so happens that the only spell that can kill her husband requires that she love him. We see deep and heavy familial bonds and and the breaking of those bonds, court politics, difficult decisions, magic and lies, but also moments of kindness and empathy. \ \ We see a young woman who is abused and hurt, but who pushes through for the love of her family and for those around her. Wei Yin is an intelligent, capable and empathetic young women. We see things through her eyes, we learn of other through her eyes. I really enjoyed the empathy that she has for those around her, but also the nuance that was a central the her character and growth. \ \ I can not wait to see more from Shen Tao in the future because this was a wonderful and moving standalone novel.\ \ I'm currently reading Aisha, by Soraya Bouazzaoui a novel inspired by the Moroccan warrior goddess, Aisha. The story follows a young freedom fighter and rebel who has much more under the surface than meets the eye. Literally. Coincidentally, this rebellion in this novel is also set in opposition to the Portuguese. \ \ \ \ I love stories of strong and powerful women and I'm all the happier when they are inspired by reality, like with Rani Abbakka Chowta, who kept the Portuguese at bay from her homeland for decades. \ \ Drop some recs for me if there are any similar stories you love that I should add to my tbr <3](https://the-alchemist-society.binderybooks.com/item/FryiWySQYVMwk4QLGloi/)
Women's History Month Reads: Female rage, loneliness, and empathy
4 books
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Chanterelle Solace\ \ Sabie\ \ • Mar 23
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[Poll:\ \ Do you enjoy Historical Fantasy?\ \
"Is there any line that you will not cross for our freedom?"\ \ \ \ GENRE: Fantasy with Retelling & Moroccan Mythology Folklore\ \ RATING: 4.75/5\ \ FORMAT: Arc (eBook & physical)\ \ Review:\ \ Historical Fantasy and Retellings/Mythologies as a sub-genres are one of my favourites and when you mix them together, I always know I'm going to end up loving it. In the case of Aicha here, this is a Moroccan Folklore written by an OwnVoice author and it was beautiful to see a representation of my own culture in Fantasy books.\ \ I think the author did an amazing work of building up to that climax in the story. Perhaps it isn't the way most people would prefer in stories (which is completely valid) but to me, it was written in a way that slowly showed us all the various points that Aicha and her family are fighting for. It built the stakes and showed what life was under occupation. It showed what happens when your country is taken over by colonisation and their attempt of erasing your culture. It's the culmination of years of grief, loss and anger coming through Aicha.\ \ You get to see Aicha in her community, with Rachid and see their love blossom in a way that it could when you're fighting for so many things. You could see Aicha and her sister, Samira, as you feel their loss after losing their mother. You see Aicha caring for her father, her friends and the community overall. And most importantly? You see Aicha's internal struggle against her rage and the monster inside her.\ \ Essentially, Soraya Bouazzaoui wrote a story in which we get to see Moroccan culture represented through food, setting and other elements. We get to see it's beauty and what people would do to preserve their home and get it back. It shows the cost of being part of a rebellion and what everyone gives up to win against colonial powers in their own homes. It's a story of Atay, Meloui and beautiful Moroccan settings that reminds me of being in there with family, years later where we reap the reward of those who have fought before us.\ \ Before I end this review, I do want to point out that after discussing the book with other readers who have read it, I will say that I did enjoy the narrative style in here personally but there's been a lot of discussion as to whether the rage is being told as opposed to being shown. Overall, this may not work for you if you prefer action packed stories or stories in which there is more "telling" as opposed to "showing". I think this can be very subjective, as to me, I felt we could feel Aicha's Anger and the Feminine Rage in the way she was allowed to. Aicha lives in a time where she wasn't able to express this rage and had to hide it in smaller, defiant actions or keep it entirely internal. I did feel that the way her rage was reflected throughout the story was fitting for the entire thing. I always love discussing books with others and it was interesting to see how we all interpreted the book!\ \ Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy! I can't wait to read more from the author in the future.](https://cozysabie.binderybooks.com/item/0OQ9om1oSHTE9ZIli5c0/)
Moroccan Folklore: Aicha by Soraya Bouazzaoui
1 book
Chanterelle Solace\ \ Sabie\ \ • Mar 14
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Early Access: 12 Books by Muslim Authors in Fantasy, Romance, Middle Grade & Comics
13 books
Chanterelle Solace\ \ Sabie\ \ • Mar 11
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5 New Recent Favourites Read & Why you should read them!
5 books
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Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Jan 3
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\ \ I don't know about y'all, but I've been screenshotting new releases every time I see them on Instagram! Between those and the books I've seen popping up on Netgalley, I was able to figure out which new books I'm excited to check out this year. Here's what I've got my eyes on:\ \ The Starseekers by Nicole Glover \ \ According to the publisher, this is "a stand-alone historical fantasy set in the world of The Conductors, in which the space race of the mid-20th century will be determined by magic...if not murder." This makes sense since the magic system is directly tied to the constellations. The cover and description also connect the story to _Hidden Figures_byMargot Lee Shetterly, which was a fascinating book to me. I'm currently finishing up The Undertakers (Murder and Magic #2)!\ \ Muñeca by Cynthia Gómez \ \ The cover of this novel caught my eye right away! The description says this is "a vivid, surreal Gothic about a queer, Latine, working class witch who sets out to rescue a bespelled heiress and loses control of her powers and her heart in the process." I've been loving Latine Gothic novels, thanks to authors like Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Isabel Cañas. Hopefully, this one will be another gripping read.\ \ Goldenborn by Ama Ofosua Lieb \ \ The cover of this book says, "Love, lies, and legacy–all tangled in a trickster's web," which makes me excited because it makes me think of Anansi, the West African trickster of lore. So I was pleased when I read the description, "When 17-year-old Akoma Addo stumbles into a world of ancient gods and modern magic, she’ll have to choose between saving her father… or staying true to everything she’s ever believed." I love that! Also, this novel takes place in San Francisco’s AfricaTown, which I've haven't read about before.\ \ Score by Kennedy Ryan \ \ Let's be real, Kennedy Ryan is an autobuy author for me. I love the Skyland Series and Reel was amazing. I'm pumped to read another book in the world of Reel! After I read the blurb below, I was completely sold. We've got a second-chance romance between a world-class musician and an award-winning screenwriter as they are forced to reconnect over an epic Harlem Renaissance biopic. swoon\ \ Bound by Fury by Noelle Monét \ \ This cover is gorgeous and one thing I'm loving in BIPOC fiction lately is the emphasis on ancestral magic and southern folklore! Read this description: " Legendborn meets The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina in this captivating contemporary fantasy debut about a teen whose newly awakened magical abilities send her searching for answers at an elite boarding school that has a mysterious connection to her family’s history." HELLO!?! That sounds amazing.\ \ Before We Burn (Born from the Ashes, #1) by Ophelia Reign \ \ I saw some exciting promos on the author's IG and decided to add this mysterious book to my list. Before We Burn follows ex-assassin Marzana, who teaches young vamps how to control their hunger, power, and rage, until her academy is raided by humans and her pupils are taken. Intriguing!\ \ To Ride a Rising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose \ \ This pick was inevitable! I read To Shape a Dragon's Breath twice and loved it, so I've been waiting for news of book 2 for a while. Anequs has passed her first year at Kuiper’s Academy with flying colors and is ready for a break back on Masquapaug with her dragon Kasaqua and close friend Theod. Unfortunately, her notoriety brings an Anglish presence pressing to control her people. As if Anequs would let them have the chance! If you have a hard time with language in Fantasy books or even just want to make sure you have the pronunciation correct, I highly recommend the audiobooks for this series.\ \ Heir of Prophecy by Analeigh Sbrana \ \ I loved Sbrana's Lore of the Wilds duology so it's no surprise that I wanted this book as soon as I saw it on her IG. The cover is amazing and the description has me floored. Audra, the female MC, is kidnapped by Fae to be trained as a soldier by the Priestesses at their cult-like school. They are looking for the Heir of Prophecy but Audra isn't going to just accept her fate as their prisoner while they search.\ \ The Summer Girlfriend by Kristina Forest \ \ A fake summer fling?! Fake dating romances give me life and I don't care who knows it. I loved the Greene sister series, so I think this will be right up my alley.\ \ Blood Rising (Volume 2 of The Blood Saga) by Markus Redmond \ \ Blood Slaves was one of the best books I read in 2025 and the ending was the perfect set-up for book 2. I can't wait to read it!\ \ Honey by Imani Thompson \ \ I feel like this book is gonna be a bit cathartic for many WOC in academia. Our MC is bored with her PhD program, work, and the crappy men in her life. Then, she accidentally kills one of them, a problematic professor, and feels a little more alive. She's been researching, writing, and teaching about feminism and racial solidarity for a while, but now it feels extremely useful. Of course, her stint of righteous murders can't continue forever...\ \ The Jellyfish Problem by Tessa Yang\ \ "A marine biologist makes the discovery of a lifetime when called to rescue the inhabitants of a small Maine island being menaced by a giant, glowing jellyfish in this richly imagined, wholly original debut." That sounds hella whimsical and like it might be weirdly scary which is intriguing!\ \ Until The Clock Strikes Midnight by Alechia Dow \ \ Listennnnnnn, I enjoy Alechia Dows books but the promos for this one have me locked in. " The Good Place meets the Brandy version of Cinderella in Until the Clock Strikes Midnight, a cozy, romantic fantasy from award-winning author Alechia Dow." Yes, please! \ \ Aicha by Soraya Bouazzaoui \ \ I was scrolling on IG minding everyone's business when I saw this queenly book cover and internally gasped. They say not to judge a book by it's cover so here's the description: "Aicha is the story of Morocco's warrior goddess, her strange magic, fierce rebellion, and devastating romance."\ \ The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura \ \ I've loved Jo Segura's first two books, Raiders of the Lost Heart and Temple of Swoon, so I know The Lust Crusade will give me that wonderful mix of archaeology, romance, and intrigue. On top of that, the female MC is a librarian (like me)!\ \ Burn Down Master's House by Clay Cane \ \ Since the plantation fire last year, I've felt inspired more and more by stories of resistance on those plots of Hell on Earth. I think this novel will be perfect for that. "Sparked by individual acts of resistance among those enslaved across the American South, their seemingly disparate rebellions fuel a singular inferno of justice, connecting them in ways quiet at times, explosive at others." I love that it follows multiple people seeking justice!\ \ Fire Sword and Sea by Vanessa Riley \ \ This novel is a new take on the "life of the legendary seventeenth-century pirate Jacquotte Delehaye." You might remember that I read The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye by Briony Cameron last year, which was very entertaining, so I'm looking forward to reading another about this fascinating figure.\ \ The Art of Loving You (The Forever Falling Series) by Natasha Bishop \ \ A beautiful cover and some of my fave Romance tropes: friends to lovers, he falls first, second-chance romance, Black joy, forced proximity, right person, wrong time. I'm in!\ \ Witch Queen Rising by Savannah Stephens \ \ Look at that baddie on the cover! This novel is about an outcast witch in New Orleans named Seraphine Barreau who can "feed on magic and make it her own." After her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, Barreau becomes the ruler of the same people who misunderstood her. I love stories like this!\ \ Devil of the Deep by Falencia Jean-Francois\ \ "Lu watched the love of his life walk the plank and sink into the inky-black depths of the sea. Nnenna was dead . . . or so he thought." Ooop! We've got another Black pirate adventure on our hands and I'm so down. In Devil of the Deep, a pirate, a fleet officer, and a mermaid who "must choose their loyalties, find their courage, and race to protect the island from false gods and forces of evil--or risk unleashing an ancient curse that could destroy them all."\ \ The Missed Connection by Tia Williams \ \ This Romance is about a boss casting agent named Sasha, who, despite her typical thorniness around men, believes she might have found her soulmate on a flight to Paris. They miss their chance to exchange contact info but Sasha isn't going to give up that easily. As she enlists her work friend to help her search, Sasha realizes that she accidentally sent the email to the entire company and now they are also on the lookout. This sounds hilarious and wholesome!\ \ Charmed and Dangerous by Shelly Page\ \ "A teen mystic will do anything to solve a series of love-related magical mishaps plaguing her high school, including fake dating her boss's daughter, in this charming sapphic romance." Sounds adorable!!!\ \ The Case of Elmwood Ranch by Deanna Grey \ \ Romance and a haunted house? I'll take that!"A legacy paranormal investigator, loner horse rancher, and a haunted house."\ \ The Bridge Back To You by Riss M. Neilson\ \ "Exes discover they’ve both inherited the restaurant they love..." Tis' the year for second-chance romance, it seems! I'm looking forward to this one because I love a good foodie Romance, especially with a deep emotional connection.\ \ Death Card by Jasmine Smith \ \ The cover drew me in but this description made me wanna pre-order it: "A dark contemporary fantasy featuring witchcraft, tarot, death, and a bit of romance that's perfect for fans of Immortal Dark and Cinderella Is Dead."\ \ The Starter Ex by Mia Sosa \ \ Mia Sosa is an autobuy author for me because she always knows how to mix the perfect amount of hilariousness with tender and sexy romance. I know The Starter Ex won't let me down because the description has me hooked already. Vanessa Cordero had a side gig where she'd date your crush and annoy/scare the hell out them so they'd see how much of a catch you really are. Now, Vanessa's sister is asking her to do the same to Jason Torres, a "certified commitment-phobe" she has her eye on. The problem is, Jason actually wants a temporary ridiculous girlfriend so his mom will stop trying to get him to the altar. Uh oh!\ \ The Other Moctezuma Girls by Sofia Robleda\ \ "In sixteenth-century Mexico, a fearless young woman strives to uncover the secrets her mother kept as the last Aztec empress in a sweeping historical epic by the author of Daughter of Fire." Sounds like a fascinating novel!\ \ _The Rhythm of Raine at Dawn (Perfect Muse, # 1)_by Aricka Alexander \ \ This looks like a cute sapphic romance. Raine Williams, a choreographer, posts a video to R&B artist Dawn Anderson's newest hit and it goes viral. So viral that the musician herself reaches out. Then, she realizes that Dawn isn't only interested in her choreo...\ \ Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi\ \ "Cleopatra tells her own story in this evocative and sensuous historical epic from the bestselling and award-winning author of Faebound and The Final Strife." As someone who used to be obsessed with Ancient Egypt, I think this will be a really cool take on the story of Cleopatra VII.\ \ The Re-Do List by Denise Williams \ \ I feel like this book will be a great palette-cleanser after reading Fantasy or Horror."Willow experienced all her big firsts with her high school sweetheart. Now, reeling from their very public breakup, she wants to get a re-do on those important moments. While dog-sitting for her brother during his deployment, she has a chance to start over and spending time with his best friend gives her the confidence to start checking items off her “Re-Do list.”\ \ As you can see, I'm really hype about Fantasy, Historical, Romance, and Horror this year. I only realized after compiling this post that I don't have many men on the list and that was totally unintentional! If you know of any books by men of color and/or queer men you think I'd enjoy based on this list, please share! Did any of these books catch your eye? What are you excited to read this year?](https://bookish-afrolatina.binderybooks.com/item/OAiJvLeytAiBRF2D8MAp/)
30 New Books I'm Excited About In 2026
30 books
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Chanterelle Solace\ \ Sabie\ \ • Dec 27 2025
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[Poll:\ \ What genre(s) do you enjoy the most?\ \ So I heard you're looking for books to pre-order in preparation for 2026?👀 \ \ So you may have heard about pre-orders and you may have heard WHY its important but let's get into it a bit more, in a summarised manner! I will attach the resource of why you should pre-order the books, especially by marginalised authors who depend on these numbers to release more books, get a larger marketing budget (or a decent one), and show that there is a readership for their books!\ \ THE GRAPHICS ARE ALL THE WAY IN THE BOTTOM WITH A BOOKSHOP.ORG UK AND US SHOPS to browse through and HERE is a goodreads list of all the available SWANA books too so you can add it in your TBR!!!!\ \ Why are pre-orders important? \ \ Thank you to authors who continue to educate us readers and the community on why Pre-orders are important! As someone who has been learning this throughout the year and advocating for it,\ \
- It shows publishers that we, as readers and well buyers, are interested in the books BiPOC authors are publishing\ \
- The more the book sells (yes, as a pre-order) the more marketing effort goes into it\ \
- It alerts bookshops, book subs...etc. that the book is doing well and they should stock more of it (this is so important because it shows it'll sell if they do buy it AND this allows more reader to find the book)\ \
- It helps the authors hit a best seller list (which does wonders for the author and the book)\ \ \ In a world where SWANA authors make up less than 1% of the trad pub world (thank you to Jananie from Boundless Press for sharing this stats on threads, check her Bindery page out in here and check out Dust Settles North by Deena which was one of the SWANA 2025 releases) we need to continuously share and advocate for the authors who are here now and show that we want more of them!\ \ So, what SWANA books are we pre-ordering in 2026? \ \ Here's a list and attached to this blog post are the books you can click on to pre-order easily if you're in the US or access my bookshop.org list and get clicking! If you're in the UK, here is the bookshop.org list for you guys but some books are missing so I have added the link to get them elsewhere (some are affiliate). \ \ Keep in mind, for some of the books, it is too early as they're not on the list YET but I will update and let you guys know when it is!\ \ Here are the ones missing from bookshop.org: \ \
- Our Ex's Wedding by Taleen Voskuni: Amazon (UK)\ \
- Where No Shadow Stays by Sara Hashem: Amazon (UK), Blackwell's (UK)\ \
- In the Country I Love by Alaa Al-Barkawi: Amazon (UK)\ \
- Everything Comes back to you by Jackie Khalilieh: Amazon (UK)\ \
- Letters from the Last Apothecary by Bita Behzadi: Amazon (UK)\ \
- Ungodly Chaos by Selma Soren: Amazon (UK)\ \
- Bashir Boutros and the Forgotten Realm by George Jreije: Amazon (UK)\
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AND FINALLY, here are the graphics of the list: \
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Thank you for subscribing to Chanterelle Solace and Ifrits & Ink! Please do consider joining as a paid member to help us become an imprint and support/uplift marginalised authors in the future for either $5 or $12](https://cozysabie.binderybooks.com/item/9RuC7Gu1HtNmIXQm37CM/)
21 SWANA Authors 2026 Release with Pre-order Links & Goodreads List
18 books
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