Claire always wanted to be a girl.
She never dreamed she'd be a magical girl.
The last night of Claire Ryland's old life was pretty normal, aside from the alley fight with interdimensional monsters. Fortunately, the drummer of her favorite local band transformed into a magical girl and saved her.
Then Claire became a magical girl as well. Things got a little complicated after that.
Now Claire is juggling two new lives: living as a girl and as a member of Portland's super-secret supernatural defense squad, the hard-rocking magical girls known as Magica Riot!
Magica Riot is now available in both print and ebook formats! Written by Kara Buchanan, with beautiful cover art by Amber Dill.
"This book asks the important question: What if the Powerpuff Girls were a trans punk band with magical music powers who fight monsters and save the world? The answer, it turns out, is a heck of a lot of fun." –Dani Finn, author of The World Within and They of the West
"When I read the first book in Charlie Jane Anders' Unstoppable Trilogy, I knew it was the sort of book I would have been obsessed with in middle school, had such queer books existed. Magica Riot gives me the same vibes." -Vivian Moira Valentine, author of the Amelia Temple series
Meet the Members of Magica Riot
Claire Ryland - Riot Purple
Claire's just come out of the closet as a trans girl in a most unexpected way: undergoing her awakening as a magical girl! She's found herself as the new keyboard player of secret magical girl rock band Magica Riot. Now she has to wrestle with all her anxiety from being a newly-out trans girl and the challenges of fighting interdimensional monsters while keeping her magical life a secret from her best friend, Hazel. She's going to do her best, but it sure would be nice to catch a break!
Sara Ward - Riot Red
Sara is Magica Riot's leader, and their rhythm guitarist and lead singer on stage. A serious and determined fighter, Sara has spent the last two years trying to heal and move on from the loss of Iris Carr - her girlfriend, and the original Riot Purple. With Claire's unexpected arrival, Sara is forced to face her feelings and consider taking the band's new, anxious member under her wing.
Cass Coates - Riot Yellow
Magica Riot's second-in-command, lead guitarist, and backing vocalist, Cass is one of the most capable magical girls in the entire Starlight Alliance. Fiercely precise on stage and in a fight, she's always ready to face the group's challenges head-on. She's also thoughtful and kind, capable of breaking emotional walls and offering a guiding hand. This quality has been crucial to the group's success, whether serving as a leadership peer alongside Sara, helping to steer Claire through her adjustment period, or engaging with the community through her mutual aid organization.
Hana Hasegawa - Riot Green
Hana is the sunbeam that lights up Magica Riot's feelings, and the rock-solid bass player who drives the group's music and fighting with her keen sense of rhythm. She's always ready with a smile and a helping hand whenever the other girls are down, and her deep empathy also lets her crack even the thorniest problems in the group's way. She's developed a protective nature that sees her looking out for everybody - especially Nova, and now Claire as well.
Nova - Riot Blue
Nova is Magica Riot's drummer, the youngest member, and a barely-contained firecracker of energy on stage and on the battlefield. She's the one who finds Claire at the moment of her awakening, and latches on to her in a sisterly way. As the group's other trans member, she understands Claire's anxiety especially well. To Nova, Magica Riot is the only family she wants - so she's especially sensitive about threats to that family.
About the Author
Kara is a former city planning journalist and current musician turned fiction author. After a dozen years writing about urban issues for various publications in her hometown, she moved to the Pacific Northwest and finally got to be her real self. Taking her love of magical girl anime, her life playing in bands, and her personal experiences dealing with gender issues, she created Magica Riot to bring a joyful, action-packed queer story of self-discovery and adventure to the world. She lives in a modest house with a pretty garden, with her wife and three cats.
Magica Riot on Tumblr | Kara on Bluesky | Email: kara@magicariot.com
Content Warnings
Mentions of off-screen abuse, mentions of off-screen death, realistic fantasy blood and viscera, comic book-style action and combat, multiple head impacts, mention of heights/falling, one instance of biting in the context of a fight, one mild instance of misgendering, romantic intimacy, body possession, a plot-relevant insect, occasional cursing.
Servants of the darkness, be silenced by the song of Magica Riot!
Copyright © 2024 Kara Buchanan. All rights reserved.
Artwork, character design, and logo design by Amber Dill - ambisweetiepie.com
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