Five fantasy titles driven by traumatic family bonds

Jordan Ifueko is a Nigerian-American author of Young Adult fiction. She stans revolutionary girls and 4C curls.

Raybearer is her debut novel.

At Tor.com she tagged five favorite fantasy titles that expertly explore traumatic family bonds, including:

Circe by Madeline Miller

This hypnotic, lyrical first person retelling of the Odyssey from Circe’s perspective is one of my favorite books that I read last year. From the beginning, Circe is an outcast among her divine family of gods while having her identity completely defined by that family. Her father and jealous relatives pull the strings of her life, until she is exiled by herself on an island where her own power grows. Circe is also deeply challenged by her relationship with her demigod son, who for quite some time is her only companion in exile. While this masterfully written novel is also driven by Circe’s personal reflections, romantic relationships, and eventual motherhood, the legacy of her Titan family—especially her father—looms throughout.

Read about another entry on the list.

Circe is among Eleanor Porter's top ten books about witch-hunts, Emily B. Martin's six stunning fantasies for nature lovers, Allison Pataki's top six books that feature strong female voices, Pam Grossman's thirteen stories about strong women with magical powers, Kris Waldherr's nine top books inspired by mythology, Katharine Duckett's eight novels that reexamine literature from the margins, and Steph Posts' thirteen top novels set in the world of myth.

--Marshal Zeringue