ARC Review: Battle of the Round House, by Tananarive Due

Title: Battle of the Round House

Author: Tananarive Due

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories

Genre: Fantasy

Date of Publication: July 28th, 2026

Number of Pages: 288

See it on Goodreads: Pictures of You

*Disclaimer: I have received a free copy of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to Amazon Original Stories for providing me with this copy.

Summary

This spellbinding short story from the award-winning author of The Reformatory reimagines the Wild West through the eyes of a young Black girl with a gift.

1871: Ten-year-old Lucy Freeman and her family flee threats in Kentucky for a new life in the post–Civil War frontier. Their refuge is Zipporah Ranch, a hidden settlement founded by Black women and children that thrives, if the folktales are true, on magic. But a mob of bounty hunters is bringing hell to paradise, and it’s Lucy’s own secret magical ability that may be the only defense.

Tananarive Due’s Battle of the Round House is part of the Magic & Mystery collection, puzzle-box mysteries from top fantasy authors. They can be read or listened to in one enchanting sitting. 

Review - Whispering in the Wild West

Why am I only learning of the Magic & Mystery series just now? When I first received this ARC via NetGalley, I was excited (Tananarive Due is an author that’s been on my radar for a while). But then, I looked into the series and, apart from Tananarive Due, it features short stories by J.M. Miro, Heather Fawcett, Robert Jackson Bennett, Travis Baldree, Sarah Beth Durst, and Scott Lynch. And they all come out on July 28th. Guess what I’ll be doing this August, especially if the rest are just as good as this one.

But I’m getting ahead of myself here. Battle of the Round House is the story of Lucy and her family as they try to reach Zipporah Ranch, a hidden settlement founded by Black people after emancipation. The story takes place in 1871, when a mob attacks the ranch (leading to their mysterious disappearance), while we also read Lucy’s testimonial of that night’s events from an interview in 1936.

First of all, I can’t begin to describe what I loved about this short story. In just a few pages, it managed to tell a story that felt complete (a common complaint I have with short stories) yet left me wanting to read more. The Wild West atmosphere was impeccable, and I loved all the descriptions, both of the town of Abilene and the ranch itself. I loved how this community embraced the traditions and heritage of all people living there (Black and Kaw).

But most importantly, I loved Lucy as a character. As a 10-year-old, she retains some of childhood’s innocence, while showing the implications of what is happening. Reading her realizing what would happen if the mob reached the ranch and they couldn’t drive them away was heartbreaking (also the way that the realization came upon her by overhearing her father).

You might be wondering though, where the fantasy elements are since the series is called Magic & Mystery. Well, Lucy has the ability to whisper to both animals and humans and influence them. Throughout the story, we see her use this ability a bunch of times, even though in most instances it’s not something dramatic. However, there is another girl in the ranch, Binta, who clearly can also use the same magic. If I could pick an element that I wanted explored more, this would be it – maybe Lucy and Binta bonding over their shared ability.

Finally, I can’t end this review without mentioning that reading the author’s note put Battle of the Round House in a new light. The story was inspired by the author’s father and great-grandmother’s story, which made it even more touching.

All in all, Battle of the Round House took me by surprise. Even though it was light on fantasy, it had a compelling story and engaging writing. And with it being a short story, you have all the reasons to pick it up – I wholeheartedly recommend it. When it comes to myself, I will also be checking out the rest of the short stories in the series.  

Read more of my reviews here.