In 1978, the United States Congress passed the creation of Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Week, which expanded to the whole month of May in 1992. AAPI Heritage Month serves as a time to acknowledge and celebrate the history, culture, and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the US and to the world.
To celebrate, I wanted to share eight Science Fiction and Fantasy stories written by Asian American and Pacific Islander authors that are full of adventure and culture, which add to the diversity of our communities and shelves every day.
Ready To Explore Books By Asian American And Pacific Islander Authors? Let's Go...
Science Fiction And Fantasy Books
Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen
SPICE LEVEL: 0
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
bullying, death, and murder
Aihui Ying wanted to be a world-class engineer just like her father, a dream that was all but out of her reach as a woman. After the devastating discovery of her father’s murder, she’s pushed to disguise herself as her brother and enter the Engineer’s Guild as she follows clues to uncover the identity of her father’s assassin.
While learning from the best engineers in the land, and with help from the eighth prince of High Command, Aogiya Ye-yang, she begins to uncover secrets hidden within the Guild and learns more than she ever bargained for.
This silkpunk fantasy seamlessly mixes scientific automation and engineering with magic in a Chinese-inspired setting . The romance subplot had me swooning, and the family she finds in her fellow engineers as they move through their trials is heartwarming. The political intrigue gives meaning to “keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” You never really know who you can trust.
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le
SPICE LEVEL: EXTRA MILD (🌶️)
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
death, medical complications, and murder
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 this 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 what happens next ,even if you don’t know how the story truly ends until the end of the second book, His Mortal Demise.
Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
SPICE LEVEL: MILD (🌶️🌶️)
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
death, murder, blood
In the capital twin cities of Talin and San-Er, the time has come for the annual games where those with proficiency in the power of body jumping compete in a fight to the death in hopes of winning riches beyond their comprehension. Princess Calla Tuoleimi and Anton Makusa have entered the competition with very different goals. Calla wishes to destroy the monarchy while Anton is trying to keep someone he cares about alive.
Prince August provides Calla with assistance in her games in hopes that their partnership will allow him to right Talin’s wrongs and be a better leader. Calla and Anton’s rivalry turns into an alliance that makes Calla question whether her goals are where her heart lies.
A perfect blend of science fiction dystopia and fantasy, Immortal Longings leads readers to question everyone’s true motives and identities. For if they have the ability to jump bodies, who’s to say anyone is who they say they are? The writing is incredibly descriptive and immersive. I can still vividly picture scenes from this story, and it’s been months since I last read it.
Science Fiction Books
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
SPICE LEVEL: 0
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
transphobia, violence against trans people, deadnaming, sexual assault, child abuse, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and racism
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.
Light from Uncommon Stars is an award-winning novel and absolutely stunning read, full of quirky, lovable characters, difficult topics, and science fiction elements. With LGBTQ+ representation and found family, this book is both heartwarming and heartbreaking as it deals with a lot of heavy topics, but still, it's well worth the read.
Skyhunter by Marie Lu
SPICE LEVEL: 0
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
xenophobia and violence
Mara, one of the last free nations in the world, is a refuge for those fleeing the control of the Karensa Federation and their 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. You become so invested in what happens to Talin and Red and desperate to learn what secrets the government has been keeping.
I Hope You Get This Message by Farah Naz Rishi
SPICE LEVEL: 0
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
underage use of illicit substances, strong Language, and mild violence.
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 had 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.
A story that is more about the emotional struggles of the characters at the end of the world than it is about the aliens causing it. It also features commentary on environmentalism and global warming, which are relevant topics today. It’s heartwarming and tragic and leaves you thinking about life and your connection to others.
Young Adult Fantasy Books
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
SPICE LEVEL: EXTRA MILD (🌶️)
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
alcohol consumption, mild language and mild violence
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 story full of magic and design. It contains elements of Cowherd and Weaver and Hou'Yi and Chang'e from Chinese folklore, but specifically draws on the themes of love and separation. Competition, disguises, and a forbidden love draw you in and keep you reading until the last page.
The Lotus Flower Champion by Pintip Dunn & Love Dunn
SPICE LEVEL: 0
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
captivity, mental health, death of a loved one, death, and violence
While on a trip to Thailand, 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.
When Thai mythology begins to play out around them, they find that they are forced into a competition where the prize is freedom, but failure could mean death.
I was fortunate enough to read this story as an arc, and it is full of Thai mythology, puzzles, and secrets. Between the different challenges and the other competitors, it’s difficult to decide who to trust. The wrong alliance could mean losing not only a challenge but also your life.
There is also OCD representation, though, as someone who does not have this disorder, I cannot share whether it’s an accurate depiction or not. Alaia’s relationship with her mother plays a big part in this story as well. I very much enjoyed this read. It’s definitely one of a kind and written by a mother-and-daughter duo!
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