H.E. Edgmon – Mom Read It

The Flicker, by H.E. Edgmon, (Sept. 2024, Feiwel & Friends), $9.99, ISBN: 9781250873965

Ages 9-12

A year after a solar flare – The Flicker – scorched the Earth and ended life as we know it, step-sisters Millie and Rose are orphaned. Millie, convinced her grandmother – a Seminole elder – is alive, convinces Rose to join her and their baby half-brother, Sammy, on the journey. Rose isn’t sure about how she feels, but joins Millie and Sammy, hoping to find the location of the rumored Sanctuary she hears codes from over the radio. They meet a group of kids called The Lost Boys and their leader, Ben, who was their counselor at theatre camp when the flare hit; Ben agrees to give them a lift to Millie’s grandmother’s home, but the land is full of terrors. Aside from the scorching heat and risk of wildfires, there’s The Hive: a shadowy corporation that militarized during the flare. The Hive’s soldiers hoard supplies so their people can live as if nothing ever happened, and they’ll go to any lengths to keep their people comfortable. Edgmon excels in his middle grade debut, exploring Indigenous identity through Millie and her memories of her grandmother, who has strong ties to the land. Edgmon introduces us to fully realized characters that readers will want to spend time with; Millie, though outwardly strong, is tender and vulnerable, locking all her feelings “deep inside her belly”; Rose wears her feelings on the outside for everyone to see, much to Millie’s aggravation. Sammy unites the two in their determination to protect him. Touching on themes of climate change, gender identity, and survival, The Flicker is unputdownable. An essential for middle grade collections, especially where survival fiction is popular. I loved this book.

The Flicker has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal.

The Witch King, by H.E. Edgmon, (June 2021, Inkyard Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781335212795

Ages 14+

Wyatt Croft is a witch on the run. Originally from the fae kingdom of Asalin, Wyatt – a transgender 17-year-old boy – escaped a past loaded with trauma and abuse, finding home and family in our world. That all changes when Wyatt’s fated mate, the fae prince Emyr, shows up and demands that Wyatt return with him to fulfill his role as Emyr’s husband and take the throne of Asalin. Wyatt reluctantly returns to Asalin, with his best friend, Briar, in tow, and learns that relations between witches and fae are heading toward revolution – and Wyatt, who’s trying to resolve his own conflicted feelings about Emyr – is right in the middle of it. An anti-fascist, queer fantasy with incredible worldbuilding and characters you’ll love – and love to loathe – The Witch King has it all: romance, high fantasy meets contemporary fiction, and a wicked sense of humor. There’s powerful storytelling throughout The Witch King: being trans isn’t at the heart of the hatred toward Wyatt; transgender and nonbinary characters are major characters in the story, but Wyatt’s being a witch is the issue. The abuse and abandonment of witches takes the place of being LGBTQ+ in our society here, allowing readers to both see a functioning society where diversity is embraced in theory, but in practice, it’s very different. Sound familiar? Revolution, reform, and the idea of burning everything down to rebuild make The Witch King one of the most readable, relevant novels you’ll read this year.

Tag: H.E. Edgmon

Native American Heritage Month Books Worth Reading: The Flicker

H.E. Edgmon’s The Witch King: All Hail the Kings!