CW: Sexual violence, rape of minor, exploitation

A thoroughly enjoyable book. I loved the bond between Razia and her sisters. The connection they felt with each other through being hijra (assigned male at birth but have had an operation and treatments that allow them to live as transfeminine women) means the depth of love and understanding they have for each other makes them true sisters in their eyes. The relationship between Razia and Arjun developed naturally and was quite sweet but there was a bit of instalove and instatrust that did feel a bit off given that revealing her identity was life threatening. This is not a fantasy in the truest sense of the word as aside from the zahhaks presence (dragons), no magic existed (well not in the first book anyway). I thought Razia was an engaging main character and found her to be a strong, intelligent and confident woman. I think there were some pacing issues and there were a few points that were a bit laboured for me. The last quarter of the book was really exciting which elevated this book from a 3.5 to a 4 Star for me. I also think diversity is important as everyone should be able to see themselves represented in novels. I look forward to reading the next book. ( )

I got about 3/4ths of the way through this book and then had to stop, I just couldn't take it anymore. I was so so excited for this book, the first adult fantasy book with a trans main character written by a trans woman out of a USA mainstream press? I was sold! Unfortunately the writing is just not up to par here. I was so frustrated with the main character Razia who talks over and over again about how dangerous it is for her if anyone were to find out she was a prince before her transition, her father would send assassins, she would be held as a political hostage, etc. and yet she is CONSTANTLY dropping clues to absolutely EVERYONE she meets about who she is and is just basically incapable of keeping her mouth shut about anything. She is bought to be a companion./concubine by a prince whom she starts to develop feelings for and who promises to protect her and yet doesn't do a damn thing to protect her. I can't go into more details without spoiling but none of it made sense. Plus she is stealing for the woman who took her in who keeps promising her this is the last time she needs to steal and who is blackmailing her (if you don't steal I won't give you this approval you need to start your own career) and the main character absolutely knows she is being manipulated and still goes along with it even though it threatens her life and the lives of her sisters. Author also tries to create some kind of human/animal bond in this world which is normally a theme I like in fantasy novel but in this one she does not explain it very well so you are left wondering if there is such a thing or is it just people who really like their flying pet. It's just a hot mess. That being said I really, really hope that this book acts as a stepping stone for other authors to write fantasy books with trans main characters. It's ridiculous that the 1st adult fantasy book with a trans main character took until 2020 to be published. ( )

Stealing Thunder was a book that had immense appeal for me. Inspired by the third gender that exists (and is legally recognized) in India known as the hijra, it stars Razia, a former prince living her true self as a hijra courtesan. Although I’m not trans myself, I was looking forward to experiencing a new perspective and couldn’t wait to read about a trans main character in a fantasy setting (fantasy is one my FAVORITE genres!). I went in with high hopes, although I hadn’t read many queer books, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

At the very least, I can say this was an interesting story, although that might be the extent of it for me. The story line is a typical romance trope – Razia meets a captivating client, who actually seems to like her for her, he finds out who she really is, they fall in love, and live happily ever after. It was a fluffy romance, which I didn’t mind at all, but story and character development didn’t happen until the last bit of the story.

Much of the story is propelled by Razia’s inner dialogue with herself, and the constant repetition of stating her past choices and history that led her to her current life, as well as all the things she missed when she used to be a prince – but it’s all okay because she’s living as her true self. It was exhausting and tedious to read the same thing for pretty much 75% of the story.

Any action that occurred was generally of Razia’s own doing as well – telling herself she couldn’t tell anyone who she was or what she did, and then divulging exactly that, causing herself angst and stress over telling people her secrets. What bothered me the most though, is that it really wasn’t a fantasy in any real regard. They had magical dragon-birds called “Zahhaks,” which were phenomenal and beautiful described, but that was the only aspect of the story that was fantastical in nature, and even then, you only really got to enjoy them at the very end.

All that being said, I loved the world-building. Boyden provided beautiful descriptions and imagery, and while reading, you could picture every aspect that was described. It was so colorful, and while the story itself was lacking, the descriptions compelled me to continue reading. The end of the book was by far the best; I was bored through most of the story until the end, and then it exploded in a flurry of action, adventure, and development.

Overall, this book was just okay, and I came out feeling more than a little disappointed. I would say that it’s worth a read though for the queer perspective and the imaginative language that pulls you through Razia’s world.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I LOVED it, Alina Boyden is going on my auto-buy list. It’s a simple story told on a grand scale—Razia is looking for love and security in life, and she finds it. Also, there are feathered dragons. Highly recommend this book. ( )

Razia was assigned male at birth—actually she was assigned princehood at birth—but escaped to become a hijra, with many associated risks including the contempt of many powerful men. (In this fantasy realm, the alchemists supplement surgery with hormone therapy-like potions.) If her emperor-father ever finds out, he is likely to send his assassins to erase the shame he feels. She felt she had no choice because of her woman’s soul, though the one thing she really missed was riding her dragon, a valuable creature reserved to the most important princes. When she meets a handsome prince whose nation is a bitter enemy of her birth empire’s and foolishly lets her secret slip, she gets involved in dangerous politics. Also she’s a thief on behalf of her dera, which creates its own set of problems, but also gives her important skills. I got frustrated that she couldn't seem to keep her mouth shut about her identity, but it wasn't ridiculous characterization for a reckless teen. If you can’t stand her having to be deferential to men who casually insult and threaten her—including one who previously assaulted her—then be warned that there’s a lot of that here given the power and gender relations. Razia does negotiate greater power for herself, but it’s from a position of being the “special” woman who gets to break the rules and help a couple of others. ( )