The book contained sixteen varying fantasy stories. I felt that some were more in-depth than others and had more complicated world building. However, the stories included a broad range of emotions, plots, and twists. While I did not enjoy all of the stories, I thought it was overall strong collection. I appreciated the afterword at the end of the book that identified some key themes, symbols, and locations for each of the stories. I feel that his helped to provide a better understanding of why they authors chose to write their short stories the way that they did.

This anthology has been one of my favorites to read this year. I am a teacher, and have used a few of the short stories in here for my students to read. These short stories are full of magic and wonder. There are great examples to use for theme, conflict, and character development. All sixteen tales are worth reading. I highly recommend this anthology for any reader.

I did not enjoy this book, but not for the usual reasons. This book is made up of several short stories written by BIPOC women authors in the science fiction/fantasy genre. Although I generally enjoy the fantasy genre in books, I am not a fan of short stories. I like books to last and to savor. That’s not really possible with short stories. I am also not a fan of science fiction which many of the short stories are. However, I think that this book is important due to the fact that there are so few women of color who write in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. It is important that more women and especially more BIPOC women write in this genre. Follow in Octavia Butler’s footsteps so to speak. Just because it is not my cup of tea doesn’t mean it won’t appeal to a larger and more diverse audience.

In general, I tend to give short story anthologies a 3 because some stories are great and some aren't as strong, and I think fantasy/sci-fi short stories are especially hard to do because you have to do all of the world building in a shorter amount of time. An extra star because yes, let's tell more of these stories by more of these authors.

I received this book in exchange for a honest review from NetGalley.

I absolutely adored this anthology and it got the best response out of me which is that I wish it could go on forever. The use of folklore and history throughout the stories is magnificent and there wasn't a story in the bunch that I didn't like. The story that I think I loved the most was "The Witches Skin" by Karen Strong. I loved the Gullah/Geechee inspiration with the futuristic twist. I also loved "Gilded" by Elizabeth Acevedo it was beautifully written with an interesting and strong main character. I also have to give a huge shout out to "The Hagiography of Starlight" which I also adored and I loved seeing a fat black woman as the main character of something, let alone a high fantasy story. Overall easily one of my favorite books I have read this year. I will be recommending it to everyone.

Despite not being what seems like the "targeted" demographic, I enjoyed reading these stories and am so glad to see books that involve hope for African American girls although I wish it had been marketed slightly different.

I'm not usually one for reading short stories but when Dhonielle Clayton (author of The Belles) started talking about this collection I knew I had to read it. 16 authors who identify as black, come together to share their experiences and magic and y'all it's literal magic. Taking inspiration from Beyonce's Lemonade the reader is taken on a roller coaster ride of heart breaking experiences and triumph. I was familiar with a few of the authors already but after reading this I've got literally all their works in my TBR pile because it was that good. Really all you need to know is that the name came from an Octavia Butler quote and we all know she's queen. Seriously do yourself a favor and read this collection. (Read with the physical text and audio--audio was incredibly well done)

Thanks Netgalley for this AMAZING ARC!  Whoa, I love shorts because they pack a punch in such a short time.  This book is so much more than a simple punch, every stories had so much intensity that it left me wondering about the rest of the characters lives, I wanted more from each story.  Anthologies are meant to introduce you to new authors, new writing styles, etc. well now my holds list is 20 books longer and I couldn’t be more pleased.  An absolutely amazing read.

Phoenix Must Burn

I received an ARC of this collection in return for an unbiased review.
This was a fantastic collection of stories by a creative collection of authors.  The stories drew on many African, Afro-Carribean, and Afro-American cultures and mythology. The characters are all young women experiencing and overcoming obstacles, all with a science fiction, fantasy bent.  
Obviously, I enjoyed some more than others, but overall it was a great collection. I would highly recommend for most young adults.

Interesting selection of YA folklore/magical world stories written by respected African-American women. Some of the stories were better than others. There was a diversity of character and settings, but seemed rushed and might have been better as a full novel.  Overall though it is a good selection.
Thanks for netgalley and publisher for and ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A PHOENIX FIRST MUST BURN is YA fantasy, sci-fi, and magic meets Lemonade. This collection might be the best anthology I’ve ever read. What's great about PHOENIX is that there are stories for everyone! Fan of sci-fi will enjoy Amerie and J. Marcelle Corrie's contributions. Love historically-inspired fantasy? Elizabeth Acevedo, Rebecca Roanhorse, and Somaiya Daud (I will absolutely add the latter's piece to my syllabi on the Middle East) have you covered! Danny Lore and Ibi Zoboi have outstanding retellings of myths. L.L. McKinney's piece is the HIGHEST of high fantasy and I hope it becomes a full length novel. There isn't a single weak contribution and I could rave all day about PHOENIX. I hope editor Patrice Caldwell puts together more anthologies as she did such an amazing job.

If I had to pick my five favorite stories, they are:
-Melie by Justina Ireland: A young sorcerer in training is the only one in the kingdom with any damn sense. Give Melie a 7 book series!! 
-Hearts Turned to Ash by Dhonielle Clayton: Etta's heart gets broken and she has to make the choice to replace it or put it back together. Excellent message of not losing yourself in a relationship! 
-The Actress by Danielle Paige: would make an excellent romcom! 
-All the Time in the World by Charlotte Nicole Davis: Inspired by the ongoing crisis in Flint, Black citizens gain superpowers. A sharp commentary of how our society continues to fail communities of color. 
-The Witch’s Skin by Karen Strong: A superrrrrr dark tale of how the patriarchy oppresses women and how those in power only care about maintaining power. A story of resistance and survival. 

I loved the diversity of settings, characters, and themes. Honestly, I would read full novels of each and every story! Overall, an incredible gift of a book and I would encourage high school libraries and classrooms to get as many copies as possible in the hands of their students.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 
⁣

I love the concept of this story collection. Black girl magic. The kind that should have been filling the shelves for years. I am so thankful that this now exists in the world, That being said, the ideas for all of these stories were incredible but the execution didn’t always work for me. Fantasy in short form is not easy, and that was unfortunately very apparent in this collection. I adored Gilded by Elizabeth Acevedo, and Kiss the Sun by Ibi Zoboi. Hearts Turmed to Ash by Dhonielle Clayton had me for about 75% and then the ending felt rushed and incomplete. Many of these stories were so conceptually compelling but just felt off in pacing. I wanted to love this but it wasn’t quite there for me personally.

This will not stop me from making sure it is on my shelves for my students.

This collection of stories, all by respected African-American women, sets out to explore race and gender through speculative short fiction, all featuring young heroines. Whether set in the future or in folklore, or magical worlds, these stories portray their characters' strength, tenacity, and creativity. For this reader, the success of the stories was uneven, perhaps because the formatting of the e-galley made some of them difficult to follow.

It's been a while since I enjoyed a book so much as I enjoyed this one. In the past, whenever I have read such anthologies, I usually find that one or two stories stand out in particular as my favorite. Not with this book. Patrice Caldwell has curated an amazing compilation of stories by truly talented and incredible authors. I will admit to being partial to Patrice's story; her descriptions of depression truly hit home for me in addition to my love of vampires. Recommended for lovers of fantasy, sci-fi, and some truly fantastic storytelling.

Each story was captivating and filled with a gorgeous story, unique in every way possible. My one complaint is over my sense of frustration when each story ended. I know they're short stories, but I wanted more. I would absolutely read a full length novel or series of each plot. All authors are being added to my TBR.

A Phoenix First Must Burn is an outstanding collection of short stories all centered around Black women and gender nonconforming individuals. I cannot stress how important this book is. With stories by many of the hit YA authors, there is a nice variety of stories throughout all with fantasy or science fiction genres. There are tales of witches, aliens, dragons, and so many things in between. Of course, as with all short story collections, some stories are better than others, but all are entertaining and deserved a place in A Phoenix First Must Burn. The representation in this book is phenomenal. Highly recommended to readers who enjoy short story collection. Be sure to check out A Phoenix First Must Burn today!

I admit up front that as a white, cis gender, middle age woman, I am probably not the main target audience for this book. However, I love #OwnVoices stories and I love fantasy/sci-fi. I'm a history buff and I've always thought that the strongest American is the Black woman - she who has endured so much, yet her story is rarely told. So, I was looking forward to reading this collection. Sadly, this book was a really uneven read for me. Several of the short stories were gripping and I just couldn't stop reading, others bored me to tears. All of the books had some fantasy or sci-fi mixed in and a fair percentage also had at least one character that identified as LGBTQ. 

Being a collection of short stories, it's difficult to review this book. I enjoyed <i>When Life Hands You a Lemon Fruitbomb, Guilded, Melie, The Goddess Provides, Hearts Turned to Ash, Letting the Right One In, The Actress, Kiss the Sun,</i> and <i>The Witch's Skin.</i>  I was bored by <i>Abigail Fields Recalls Her First Death and, Subsequently, Her Best life, The Rules of the Land, a Hagiography of Starlight, Tender-Headed, The Curse of Love, All the Time in the World,</i> and <i>Sequence</i>.

This would be a great book to introduce the reader to authors with whom they are unfamiliar - it definitely gives you a feel for each different writing style. I would also recommend it to anyone who enjoys magical realism and #OwnVoices stories.

Disclaimer: I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Interesting short stories involving science fiction or fantasy all written by women of color.  Some familiar authors and some are new to me. I particularly enjoyed Justina Ireland.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This anthology is written by various extremely talented writers. The variety of stories are amazing! The diversity of characters inspiring. It covers a wide range of aspects I love, dragons, witches, space travel, super powers... It's all there. The cover is gorgeous. I will definitely add the physical copy as I read an uncorrected proof, but it was fantastic already. Everyone should read it!

This book is an amazing collection of authors. It's been a long time since I've read a short story collection that made me wish that every story was longer and I could just stay in that world a few pages longer. I can't wait to share this book with my library patrons.