rec list: bureaumancy

Welcome, travelers!

Lately, I discovered I liked a special sub-genre of fantasy: bureaumancy.

What’s that thing, you ask? Well, traveler, bureaumancy is a mix between magical worlds and the joy of bureaucracy. Novels from that genre usually have an almighty organization (but not necessarily evil), with lots of rules and regulations, paperwork, and characters working behind a desk — anonymous cogs in a huge machine.

I wanted to do a rec list and compile several books from that genre, but sadly, my researches haven’t been successful… Bureaumancy isn’t a very popular genre, and I haven’t found many books. But I still wanted to write about this genre, so here is a small, tiny list!

lgbt+ rep 🌈
poc rep ✊
disability rep 🤝
ownvoices 📣

Disclaimer: I haven’t read all of these books, only those marked with an asterisk.
If I get it wrong somewhere, first of all, I’m sorry, and please notify me.

🌈 the house in the cerulean sea* – t.j. klune
🌈✊ a dead djinn in cairo* – p. djèlí clark
🌈 a marvelous light – freya marske
🌈✊ the watchmaker of filigree street – natasha pulley

Do you know any books with magical bureaucracy?
What’s your favorite fantasy subgenre?

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