5 asian adult fantasies to add to your tbr

Hello everyone! If you’ve been here a while you should already know I’m a big fan of fantasy and of asian representation and this post combines both of them! I love recommending books (especially when they’re underrated) so people can get new books to check out so I hope you can find a book in this list you think you might enjoy and go read it 🙂

the bone shard daughter

The Bone Shard Daughter is a beautiful and complex story that is full of unexpected twists and reveals, intriguing and fascinating characters and a different magic system which had me hooked right from the beginning. It tells us the story of an Empire whose Emperor is struggling to hold on to control, there is a growing unrest among the people and a rebellion is brewing and our main characters somehow find themselves in the centre of it all unknowingly.

MY REVIEW | GOODREADS

jade city

Fonda Lee creates a thrilling atmosphere in Jade City as we explore the city of Janloon and read about the growing tension between the rival clans of No Peak and The Mountain. There is a lot of history and world building to be done and it’s sprinkled slowly through the book making sure we aren’t overloaded with information. Jade City is a riveting tale filled with politics, romance, family drama and fight for power. It tells a story that you will not be able to put down and I highly recommend it if you want an asian-inspired historical fantasy with political intrigue, a very different magic system and complex characters. 

MY REVIEW | GOODREADS

she who became the sun

She Who Became The Sun is a magnificent book which is a genderqueer retelling of the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. Beautifully written, this book captured me from the very beginning as it told us the story of two ambitious, determined and morally grey main characters who would do anything to achieve what they desired. If you’re looking for a high-stakes book with war, political intrigue, discussions of power, desire and gender with an exceptional plot and complex, morally grey characters that has you enraptured and turning the page, this is definitely the book for you!

MY REVIEW | GOODREADS

the jasmine throne

The Jasmine Throne is an epic fantasy inspired by Indian history and epics, with powerful, morally grey lesbians and a horrifying disease which cannot be explained creating fear and horror among everyone. 

This book is all about the yearning, powerful women and political intrigue – some of my favourite things and I enjoyed them all a lot. I loved the dynamic between Priya and Malini and how they would do anything to get what they wanted and yet somehow, the other worms their way into a special place in the other’s heart. 

GOODREADS

the sword of kaigen

The Sword of Kaigen is an east asian military inspired fantasy based on about war and the repercussions of it. It is definitely a hard read at times, dealing with a lot of intense moments involving complicated familial relationships, grief and betrayal. Each of the characters were written so well and their emotions were so vivid that they felt like they were leaping off of the page and embedding themselves in me. The loneliness, the insecurity, the grief, the loss, the uncertainty and the love all felt too real and honest and raw. It’s hard to fully explain why you should read this book except its wonderful and emotional and devastating and I loved it. 

GOODREADS

bonus:

the poppy war

I couldn’t not mention the poppy war but I decided not to make it a part of the main list considering how popular it already is! You’ve probably heard a lot of great things about this book and I’m here to tell you they are all true!

This book is so brutal and honest and tragic and a perfect and realistic portrayal of war and it’s affects and doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities, and as amazing as it is, it was also such a hard book to read at time. It’s brilliantly written and plotted and if you’re a fan of fantasy, you will surely love it!

GOODREADS

I hope you are intrigued by these books and decide to check them out! If you do pick them up, feel free to share your thoughts with me (you can find my socials below!) and talk to me about them since I adore all of them so so much! What are some Asian Adult Fantasies you would recommend to me? Let me know in the comment!

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