Magical worlds for teens to discover
Sprawling city-states crisscrossed by a rabbit warren of hidden passageways. A kingdom inhabited by dream-eating naga. Celestial palaces hidden away beyond misty mountain peaks. A world of giant robots battling mecha aliens. Often a dash (or a heaping) of romance.
The world of Young Adult (YA) fantasy novels is wide and varied – more so now than ever before. To mark the start of Asian Heritage Month, I’d like to share recommendations for fantasy stories from authors who draw from diverse Asian myths, legends, and traditions – while creating worlds that are very much all their own.
All of these books can be found in our teen collections, and the descriptions below are from their publishers.
And Break the Pretty Kings (Lena Jeong)
Mirae was meant to save her queendom, but the ceremony before her coronation ends in terror and death, unlocking a strange new power within her and foretelling the return of a monster even the gods fear. A Bright Heart (Kate Chenli) What if you could avenge your own murder? A brilliant young woman gets a second chance at life in this debut YA tale of vengeance, court intrigue, and romance, inspired by classic Chinese tropes.
Catfish Rolling (Calra Kumagai – Canadian)
Years after a major earthquake in Japan creates different zones in which time passes differently, Sora and her father secretly investigate the off-limit zones in order to find the answer behind the time anomalies and the disappearance of Sora’s mother.
The Dream Runners (Shveta Thakrar)
Spirited away to the subterranean realm of Nagalok as children, seventeen-year-olds Tanvi and Venkat are charged with harvesting human dreams for the entertainment of the naga court--until one of them begins to remember the mortal life she left behind.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea (Axie Oh)
A girl travels to the Spirit World to break a curse that threatens the lives of her people in this feminist YA retelling of the popular Korean legend “The Tale of Shim Cheong.”
Iron Widow (Xiran Jay Zhao – Canadian)
The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn’t matter that the girls often die from the mental strain. However, the tables are turned when Zetian turns out to be an Iron Widow, a muchfeared female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.
Kindling (Traci
Chee)
A gut-wrenching, introspective fantasy about seven lost soldiers searching for the peace they once fought for and the future in which they’re finally daring to believe.
The Last Bloodcarver (Vanessa Le)
Nhika, a young woman hiding in the fringes of society, must use her forbidden healing ability to cure the only witness to a murder.
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night (Amélie Wen Zhao)
Lan’s last remnant of her mother--and the fallen Hin dynasty of her ancestors--is a symbol seared onto her wrist, which, if the mysterious boy she encounters is to be trusted, may be the key to freeing her people by mastering the ancient, forgotten art of practitioning.
Song of the Six Realms (July I. Lin – Canadian)
Seventeen-year-old musician Xue faces a lifetime of servitude until Duke Meng offers her freedom in exchange for serving as a musician in residence, but Xue soon discovers the Duke is a celestial ruler with ulterior motives and she must unlock her past to prevent an impending war in the Six Realms.
Excited by these suggestions and looking for more? Check out the larger list in the LPL catalogue, or fill out the “Surprise Me” form on at lethlib.ca and we’ll select books you may like for you to pick up on your next visit to any of the LPL branches.
Paige McGeorge is Teenbrarian at the Lethbridge Public Library