As promised, I have posted another review of a book containing a trans character. This one is very different from The Fifth Season. Masks and Shadows is set in our world, in the 18th Century, and therefore has to navigate the actual social attitudes of the time. Stephanie Burgis has achieved this by making clear just how vile the behavior of rich aristocrats was at that time.

By the way, some of you might wonder at my inclusion of eunuch at trans, particularly one who still identifies as straight male. However, people of the time regarded eunuchs as a third gender, and they suffered social discrimination regardless of how they identified.

The book is also interesting because it is, in part, about the history of music. Burgis has played in orchestras, and studied music history in Vienna. The story is set in the Eszterháza Palace and Joseph Haydn is a major character.

I really enjoyed this book. It has a gorgeous cover too. You can find my full review here.