“What is grief, but love that’s lost its object?”
Kelly Barnhill’s When Women Were Dragons is a powerful exploration of feminine rage, transformation and empowerment. The story centres around Alex, a young girl living in an alternative 1950s US where persecuted women are able to transform into dragons. Blending magical realism with scathing social commentary about women taking back the spaces they deserve. Barnhill’s work quickly became one of the most talked about fantasy books from 2022, which is why we here at What We Reading thought we would pull together some of our favourite books like When Women Were Dragons for anyone looking for a follow-up read that captures the same themes of identity, feminism and suppressed power. From stories of magical rebellion, defiance of social expectations and fantastical tales of self-discovery, these tales all bend reality and offer a fresh take on the struggles and strengths of women.
The Crane Husband – Kelly Barnhill
Kicking off our list of books similar to When Women Were Dragons is another one of Kelly Barnhill’s best books, 2023’s The Crane Husband. A fifteen-year-old teenager is the backbone of her small Midwestern family. She budgets the family finances and helps bring up her younger brother whilst her mother, a talented artist, weaves tapestries. For six years, it has been just the three of them. Her mother has occasionally brought home guests, but none of them have ever stayed.
Yet when her mother brings home a six-foot-tall crane with a menacing air, the girl is powerless to prevent her mum from letting the intruder into her heart and into their family. Utterly enchanted by the crane, her mother abandons the world around her to weave the masterpiece the crane demands. A modern retelling of The Crane Wife, The Crane Husband is the enthralling story of a fierce teen forced to grow up fast and do whatever it takes to change the story.
The Power – Naomi Alderman
Naomi Alderman introduces a world most of us are familiar with in The Power. A wealthy Nigerian boy lounges around in the family pool, the religious parents of a foster kid hide their true nature, an American politician looks to climb the ladders of power and a tough-looking girl in London returns home to a less-than-happy family.
Then, a new force emerges, causing all of their lives to collide with devastating effects. In one of the best feminist science fiction novels like When Women Were Dragons, The Power sees teenage girls infused with immense physical gifts. With the ability to generate electrical charges, the world and its traditional power dynamics are completely upended.
The Inheritance Of Orquídea Divina – Zoraida Córdova
The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. They know better than to ask why their pantry never seems to run out of stock, or why their matriarch won’t ever leave their home in Four Rivers. But, when Orquídea Divina invites them to her funeral and to collect their inheritance, they finally hope to discover the truth behind the secrets that she has kept such a tight grip on over the years. Instead, Orquídea transforms into something beyond their wildest dreams, leaving them with more questions than answers.
Years later, Marimar, Rey, Tatinelly and Tatinelly’s daughter, Rhiannon’s gifts have manifested in different ways and granted them unexpected blessings. But soon, a hidden figure begins cutting through them one by one, hoping to eliminate Orquídea’s lineage. To save their family, the four travel to Ecuador, the place where their matriarch buried her secrets and broken promises. Like When Women Were Dragons, Zoraida Córdova’s The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is a fantastical tale is a story of complex family dynamics and female empowerment.
The Ten Thousand Doors Of January – Alix E. Harrow
In a sprawling mansion filled with eccentric and peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr Locke, she doesn’t feel any different to the many artefacts that line the halls, all carefully maintained, largely ignored and all completely out of place.
Then, January discovers a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and which tells the incredible story of secret doors, of love, danger and adventure. Every page reveals impossible truths about the world, and January soon begins to discover how this story entwines with her own. Alix E. Harrow’s debut novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, is a story about a young woman, secret doorways to other worlds and contains the sorts of themes around personal transformation and the fight for freedom that any fan of When Women Were Dragons are sure to love.
A Song Below Water (A Song Below Water #1) – Bethany C. Morrow
Tavia is already at odds with the world, forced to keep her identity as a siren a secret from the world that would keep her kind tightly bound under lock and key. She’s also stuck in Portland, a city with only a handful of fellow Black folk and even fewer of those infused with magical powers like hers. At least she has her best friend Effie to help her navigate through high school dramas, family secrets and unrequited crushes.
Then, everything changes for the girls as a siren scandal envelops the nation. The two girls’ favourite internet fashion icon reveals herself to be a siren too, and the news rips through their community. Tensions soon begin to grow as Effie begins to be plagued by demons from her past and Tavia inadvertently lets her magical voice slip during a police stop. One of the best YA fantasy books like When Women Were Dragons, Bethany C. Morrow’s transformative tale, A Song Below Water, follows the two girls as they take Portland by storm.
The Priory Of The Orange Tree (The Roots Of Chaos #1) – Samantha Shannon
The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still without a husband, Queen Sabran the Ninth needs to conceive a daughter to ensure her realm is protected. Yet, assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outcast in court. Whilst she has risen to the position of a lady-in-waiting, she is still loyal to a secret society of mages. With the assistance of forbidden magic, she keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, protecting her.
Across the dark sea, Tane has trained to be a dragonrider ever since she was a child. But, she soon finds herself grappling with a choice that could see her life shattered. As tensions between East and West grow, forces of chaos soon start to rise from their slumber. An epic fantasy tale, Samantha Shannon’s The Priory of the Orange Tree is the perfect follow-up to When Women Were Dragons for another exploration of women rising to power.
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The Mermaid And Mrs. Hancock – Imogen Hermes Gowar
One September evening in 1785, the merchant Jonah Hancock finds one of his captains waiting eagerly on his doorstep. He informs him that he has sold Jonah’s ship for what appears to be a mermaid. Gossip soon begins to swirl across the docks, coffee shops, parlours and brothels, with everyone wanting to catch a glimpse of Mr Hancock’s marvel.
The arrival knocks him out of his ordinary existence and through the doors into high society. There, he encounters the enigmatic Angelica Neal, the most stunning woman he has ever seen, and a courtesan of great accomplishment. Their meeting will soon steer both of their lives’ onto a dangerous new path. Brimming with fantastical elements like When Women Were Dragons, Imogen Hermes Gowar’s The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock is a historical story about women’s transformation and empowerment.
Queen Of The Conquered (Islands Of Blood And Storm #1) – Kacen Callender
Sigourney Rose is the only surviving daughter of a noble lineage on the islands of Hans Lollik, When she was a child, her family were killed by the island’s colonisers, who have enslaved generations of her people in the years since. When the childless king of the islands decrees that he will select his heir from one of the noble families, Sigourney uses her abilities to read and control minds to manipulate her way to the royal island and into the ranks of the colonising elite. Yet, upon her arrival, she discovers that she is the target of a dangerous, mysterious magic.
Someone is killing off the ruling families to make a path to the throne. As the bodies begin to pile up, suspicion around her begins to mount. To survive, she must find allies among her prey and a killer among her peers. Similar to When Women Were Dragons, Kacen Callender’s Queen of the Conquered reckons with the layers of power and privilege and makes use of a stunning Caribbean backdrop for a lush fantastical tale.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
