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There’s been a small explosion of trans and nonbinary witch books recently, especially in YA, and it makes sense to me, because there is something inherently magical about queer, trans, and nonbinary lives. Yes, a lot of trans and nonbinary people have to deal with a lot of awful stuff — but all of that is because of transphobia and the narrowness of western ideas about gender and the lingering violence of colonization. Transness itself is natural and infinite and full of possibility. Trans and nonbinary people bring so much wonder into the world — including witchy stories!
These books are either about trans and nonbinary witches, written by trans and nonbinary authors, or both. I’ve defined witches and witchery broadly. Witches take all kinds of forms and have long histories, mythologies, and traditions in cultures all over the world. Some of the characters in these books are witches, some are brujos, and some are other kinds of magic-users who identify as witches. A lot of these books put witch magic front and center, but in some cases a character’s witchcraft is just a minor part of the story. Some of these trans and nonbinary witch books are lighthearted and fun, some are serious and deal with some intense subjects, and some fall somewhere in the middle. It’s mostly fantasy, but I’ve also included a few works of nonfiction to balance things out.
8 Trans and Nonbinary Witch Books
The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon
This book has a little bit of everything — magic, romance, revolution — including a very exhausted, very snarky, very angry, and very relatable trans teenage witch who’s just trying to live his life. Wyatt flees the fae kingdom of Asalin where he grew up after a devastating fire, and has found a family he loves in the human world. But when his betrothed, the fae prince Emyr, comes looking for him, he’s drawn back into the thorny politics of the home he thought he’d left behind forever.
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu
A teen witch who works at her gay grandmothers’ magical bookshop! Her long-lost nonbinary crush who has their own magical powers! Cozy queer family vibes! A tiny New England town! Honestly, there is nothing I don’t love about this graphic novel. It’s a sweet second-chance romance, a witchy adventure, and a moving story about family, belonging, and home.
I’m a Gay Wizard by V.S. Santoni
It’s pretty hard not to love a book titled I’m A Gay Wizard. This heartwarming YA romp about friendship and acceptance stars best friends Johnny (the aforementioned gay wizard) and Alison, a trans wizard. After a summer spent casting spells and dabbling in magic, they accidentally cause an earthquake in Chicago. Their mistake gets them invited to the Marduk Institute, a training institute for wizards — where they continue getting into a lot of trouble.
Arcane Perfection edited by Pat Mosley
This anthology of poetry, essays, spells, musings, manifestos, spells, art, and more began as a coven project intended to highlight the craft of queer, trans, and intersex members. It grew from there, and the finished book contains contributors from queer, trans, and intersex witches from all over the world. The offerings cover a wide range of topics and styles, from personal essays and explorations of mythology to practical magic in the form of spells, rituals, and incantations.
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Determined to prove to his family, who aren’t especially accepting of him as trans, that he’s a real brujo, Yadriel takes his magic into his own hands…and gets into a whole lot of trouble. He accidentally summons the wrong ghost in a ritual, and then goes and falls in love with that ghost. This YA coming-of-age novel is overflowing with romance and magic. It deals with some heavy subject matter but it ends on a decidedly joyful note.
Caroline’s Heart by Austin Chant
This gorgeous romance novella stars a gentle trans cowboy and a cranky, powerful trans witch. Since losing her lover, Cecily has devoted her life to a creating a resurrection spell, which she intends to use to bring her back to life. But when Roy, a cowboy Caroline doesn’t even know, sustains a fatal injury, she knows the only way to save him is to sacrifice the spell. Chant packs so much depth into less than 100 pages — you’ll feel like you know these characters as deeply as they come to know each other.
The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore
This is a hard but ultimately uplifting story about trauma and healing. It’s about two teens who realize they were both sexually assaulted at the same party, and slowly develop a friendship that ends up being an important part of their healing journeys. One of the teens, Ciela, is a pastry bruja — she can tell exactly what pastries customers at her family’s pastelería need to eat. McLemore takes such care with this story, and, as always, their prose is luminescent.
Maiden, Mother, and Crone: Fantastical Trans Femmes edited by Gwen Benaway
While this collection is not limited to witches, it does feature stories about witches — along with lots of other magical and supernatural beings. It includes work by trans women and trans femme writers, including a few of my favorite authors, such as Casey Plett and Kai Cheng Thom. Every story places trans characters front and center — whether they’re fighting to save the world or dealing with problems in their own lives.
Looking for more witchy queer and trans magic? Check out these 12 queer witch books! You might also be interested in these trans fantasy and sci-fi books, and if that’s not enough, here are even more!