As a big fantasy reader and as someone with a deep interest in Japanese art, history and mythology — which began with the manga I consumed in bulk as a pre-teen — I was overjoyed to see more and more Asian-esque fantasy covers pop up across social media and litter the shelves of my favorite bookstores in recent years.
While I love a good, classic Arthurian-style fantasy, I’m excited to expand past the Euro-centric scope that’s trapped fantasy in the past. Because it’s a lesson that bears repeating: representation matters.
Not only is it important for people of marginalized groups to see themselves prominently displayed in a positive light in media — it’s also important that they are the ones sharing these stories.
That’s why dedicating time and space to these voices and these stories is so important. Like ordaining May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
So to celebrate this month of cultural diversity — and to help my fellow fantasy lovers fill up their TBRs — I’ve compiled a list of 15 fantasy books inspired by AANHPI culture and written by AANHPI authors. (Some books even have a second recommendation at the bottom of the paragraph, so keep an eye out!)
Dive in and enjoy the adventure!
Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
This dazzling romantic fantasy inspired by Pacific Island mythology follows Hanalei, exiled from her island after her father stole a seadragon egg — a dragonfruit. After years in exile spent studying the seadragons, an encounter with a female dragon offers Hanalei what she desires most — a chance to return home. Reunited with her childhood companion, her island’s last remaining prince, Hanalei must find the dragonfruit in hopes of curing the sickness that has long plagued the queen. But these two aren’t the only ones searching for the dragonfruit, and enemies lurk both near and far.
And the Sky Bled by S. Hati
Amid the chaos of a dying city ruled by colonizers, rumors of a secret stash of magic propel three unlikely treasure seekers to risk everything in this searing climate fantasy. Contending for this hidden cache of magical fossil fuel are tenacious and street-smart Zain Jatav, slumlord and ambitious revolutionary Iravan Khotar, and heiress Anastasia Drakos — all who’ve unknowingly met before, in a fire that destroyed each of their lives in different ways a decade ago. And their reunion just might bring the already-weakened city to its knees. The book comes out October 15 — prepare your bookshelves!
The Descent of the Drowned by Ana Lal Din
Set in a colonized Indo-Persian world and inspired by pre-Islamic Arabian mythology, this story follows the fates of Roma, a lower caste slave to a goddess, and Leviathon, a deadly soldier and bastard son of an immortal tyrant. In their struggles to protect the people they love and rebuild their identities, Roma and Leviathan’s destinies interlock. The tyrant hunts an ancient treasure that will doom humankind should it come into his possession — a living treasure to which Roma and Leviathan are the ultimate key.
Off With Their Heads by Zoe Hana Mikuta
This Korean-inspired Alice in Wonderland morphs the surreal Wonderland into a dark forest where monstrous Saints lurk — and where young witches Caro Rabbit and Iccadora Alice Sickle were both sentenced for a crime they didn’t commit. Years later, the former lovers live very different lives: Caro in the glittering capitol alongside her beloved — and mysterious — Red Queen, while Icca, a hardened hunter, trudges a path of vengeance against Caro and the throne. But there’s a volatile magic at play even more dangerous to Icca and Caro than they are to each other.
If you’re looking for more “remixed classics” like this, check out C.B. Lee’s Chinese-inspired Treasure Island retelling, A Clash of Steel (part of the Remixed Classics series).
Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar
This YA fantasy blends Hindu mythology and celestial intrigue to tell the story of Sheetal, the daughter of a star and a mortal. When an accidental slip of her powers sends her human father to the hospital, Sheetal must find a star like her mother to heal him. But her mother returned to the sky long ago, and so she must travel to a celestial court of shining wonders and dark shadows. There she takes the stage as her family’s champion in a competition to decide the next ruling house of the heavens — and win, or risk never returning to Earth at all.
And Break the Pretty Kings (The Sacred Bone series) by Lena Jeong
This high-stakes fantasy, inspired by Korean history and myths, follows the ill-fated Mirae, who was meant to save her queendom, but instead unlocks a strange new power within her. Desperate to save her kidnapped brother and defeat this ancient enemy before the queendom is beset by war, Mirae sets out on a journey with an unlikely group of companions while her unpredictable magic gives her terrifying visions of a future she must stop at any cost.
An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan
Get ready for Romeo & Juliet with a splash of Chinese mythology! When high-school senior Luna Cheng begins to break the rules, she finds her life upended by the strange new boy in her class — Hunter Yee, an all-star with a bow and arrow who’s haunted by his family’s past mistakes. As everything around them begins to fall apart — including the town itself — all Hunter and Luna can depend on is their love… but time is running out, and fate will have its way.
A Magic Steeped in Poison (The Book of Tea series) by Judy I. Lin
Ning unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her mother, and now, that same poison tea threatens to also take her sister. When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom’s greatest shennong-shi ― masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making ― she travels to the imperial city to compete in hopes of saving her sister with the reward. But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.
While you’re at it, you should check out Lin’s dreamy gothic romance, Song of the Six Realms.
The First Binding (Tales of Tremaine series) by R.R. Virdi
This stunning Silk Road-inspired epic fantasy follows a singer on the run, hoping to find obscurity in a tavern bar. But the sins of their past aren’t forgotten, and neither are their enemies. Their old lives are catching up swiftly and it could cost them the entire world. No one can escape their pasts and all stories must have an ending. Witness the legends and the lies — from the mouth of the secretive storyteller who spun them all.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess (Celestial Kingdom series) by Sue Lynn Tan
This romantic, epic fantasy is inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang’e. Forced to flee her home and leave her mother behind, Xingyin makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom. There she disguises herself and seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor’s son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor — striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.
For more fantasy inspired by deities, check out Sophie Kim’s The God and the Gumiho (out June 4).
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
The people suffer under the centuries-long rule of the Moon Throne, whose rulers draw their frightful powers from the god locked under their palace. But with the aid of Jun, a guard broken by his guilt-stricken past, and Keema, an outcast fighting for his future, the god escapes from her royal captivity. And so it is that she embarks with her young companions on a five-day pilgrimage in search of freedom — and a way to end the Moon Throne forever. The journey ahead will be more dangerous than any of them could have imagined.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
An enthralling feminist retelling of the classic Korean folktale, “The Tale of Shim Cheong.” To appease the Sea God that curses their village, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride. To save her brother and his beloved — Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village — Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead. Swept away to the Spirit Realm, Mina sets out to free the Sea God from his enchanted sleep with the help of a mysterious young man and a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits. But there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…
If you want something with a similarly gorgeous cover, check out Kate Chenli’s A Bright Heart.
Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim
From the bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes comes a fantasy tale that explores the dark side of beauty and the deepest bonds of sisterhood. Cursed with a serpent’s face, Channi is the exact opposite of her beautiful sister, Vanna — the only person she loves and trusts. When Vanna is to be married off in a vulgar contest, only Channi can defend her sister against the cruelest of the suitors. But in doing so, she launches a grisly battle royale, a quest over land and sea, a romance between sworn enemies, and a choice that will strain Channi’s heart to its breaking point.
The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker
In an alternate Tang Dynasty China, impoverished Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, but instead settles for an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table — resurrecting the dead, for a price. When Zilan seizes her chance to compete against the best alchemists in the country, she finds that the more she succeeds in her alchemy, the more she gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family — and there are monsters lurking within the palace walls.
Looking for more alternate historical periods? Check out the magical, Manchurian-inspired world of Pangu in Molly X. Chang’s To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods.
The Jasmine Throne (The Burning Kingdoms series) by Tasha Suri
Inspired by Indian epics, this sapphic fantasy follows the intertwined fates of a ruthless princess seeking to steal a throne, and a powerful priestess desperate to save her family. Princess Malini spends her days dreaming of vengeance while imprisoned in the Hirana — an ancient cliffside temple — while Priya cleans Malini’s chamber and works as a servant in the loathed regent’s household in order to keep her past safely hidden. But when Malini witnesses Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled. Together, they will set an empire ablaze.
