Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month: Books Written By Asian American And Pacific Islander Authors

Nhika is a bloodcarver and presumed to be the last of her kind. Bloodcarving allows her to alter human biology at its smallest level, and while it’s used to help, many in the land of Theumas see it as dangerous. After being caught using her bloodcarving, she’s captured and sold to a wealthy family desperate for someone to heal the only witness to the murder of their father.

As she investigates, she begins to grow closer to the family and the physician’s aide, Ven Kochin, and starts to discover that there's more to this murder than meets the naked eye. She finds herself between pearls, with her only way out being a decision: become the monster Theumas sees her to be, or stay the course and risk everything she’s sworn to protect.

This Vietnam-inspired world blends elements of fantasy with medical science and features silkpunk-style automations. The world comes to life on the page as you find yourself immersed and practically standing with the characters as they try desperately to solve the murder mystery. You come to know the characters and care about what happens next, even if you don’t know how the story truly ends until the end of the second book, His Mortal Demise. 

While on a trip to Thailand, which was her mother’s dying wish, Alaia and her mother find themselves stranded on an island.

At first, it seems like paradise, and the only real problem is that her other family members are nowhere to be found. Instead, they’re surrounded by strangers in an equally confusing predicament.

As Thai mythology begins to unfold around them, they find themselves forced into a competition where the prize is freedom, but failure could mean death.

The Lotus Flower Champion is full of Thai mythology, puzzles, and secrets, and I was fortunate enough to read this story as an ARC. Between the various challenges and other competitors, it’s difficult to decide whom to trust. The wrong alliance could mean losing not only a challenge but also your life, which kept me on the edge of my seat and left me questioning every new character I was introduced to.

This one-of-a-kind book was written by a mother-and-daughter duo, and I loved how Alaia’s relationship with her mother plays a big role in the story, which made it such an enjoyable read. I also loved that the book has OCD representation, though, as someone who does not have this disorder, I cannot share whether it’s an accurate depiction or not. 

While working in her father’s tailor shop, Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming a great tailor herself. Due to her gender, that dream is out of reach, and the best she can hope for is a great marriage match.

When an opportunity arrives at her doorstep in the form of a royal messenger with an invitation to compete for the position of the royal tailor, Maia goes in place of her father, disguised as a boy. There, she competes against twelve other tailors for the chance to save her family from ruin and live her dream.

The competition is more difficult than she expected, and her secret may be in jeopardy thanks to the court enchanter, Edan. Can she make it to the end of the competition, or will the judges find her work lacking, and will she lose her one chance?

Mulan meets Project Runway in this Chinese folklore-inspired fantasy full of magic and design. It draws on elements of Cowherd and Weaver, Hou'Yi, and Chang'e from Chinese folklore, specifically the themes of love and separation. Competition, disguises, and a forbidden love draw you in and keep you hooked until the last page.

Mara, one of the last free nations in the world, is a refuge for those fleeing the Karensa Federation and its Ghosts. Strikers, Mara’s elite fighting force, is the only thing standing between freedom and the Federation.

Talin Kanami knows what it’s like to lose her home and have to flee to a place that, while free from the turmoil of the Federation, is full of racism and bigotry. The only solace she has is in her fellow Strikers.

When Red, a prisoner, is brought from the front, she’s intrigued and uncovers secrets that could put the only safety she has in jeopardy.

Hooked from the first page, Skyhunter pulls you into this dystopia and brings you into the rebellion against a tyrannical government. I guarantee you’ll become so invested in what happens to Talin and Red, and desperate to learn the secrets the government has been keeping, that you'll want to start reading the next book as soon as you reach the final page.

When Shizuka Satomi finds herself bargaining for her soul, she must convince seven other violinists to trade their souls for success. After finding six souls, she discovers her seventh and is ready to finish her bargain.

What she doesn’t expect is for Lan Tran, retired starship captain and interstellar refugee, to come into her life and change her trajectory of freedom.

But the relationship between the two and the life of the seventh violinist, a talented transgender runaway named Katrina Nguyen, becomes more than Shizuka bargained for. And these women may be her redemption.

This award-winning novel is an absolutely stunning read, full of quirky, lovable characters and science fiction elements. With LGBTQIA+ representation and found family, this book is both heartwarming and heartbreaking as it tackles heavy topics, but it's still well worth the read.

Planet Alma has made contact with Earth and has threatened to destroy life in seven days.

Jesse Hewitt has had a life of constant change. What is another threat to his daily living?

Cate Collins decides to use what time she has left to find the father she has never met.

Computer programming wiz Adeem Khan struggles to forgive his sister for leaving him behind, even with so little time left.

The three find their lives entangled in these seven days as they face their pasts and presents and come to terms with their potential futures.

I Hope You Get This Message is more about the characters' emotional struggles at the end of the world than about the aliens causing it. It’s heartwarming and tragic, leaving you thinking about life and your connection to others. I also loved the commentary on environmentalism and global warming in this novel, which is important for us to reflect on in this day and age.