Like all fantasy and sci-fi books, Asian-inspired fantasy takes readers to some fascinating worlds. I love this specific genre because Asia has some of the richest history and culture, which is evident in these authors’ enchanting words and worlds.
Why Read Asian Stories?
- They have rich, beautiful legends and mythology filled with dragons, gods/goddesses, nature, and delicious food.
- They value tea, which I always love. 🙂
- These books often feature animals, be it dragons, foxes, or birds. And who doesn’t like animals?
- So many Asian-inspired fantasy books have martial arts.
- Beautiful places draped with nature, dazzling palaces, and
- Family relationships is often a huge part of Asian culture and can often be found in these stories.
If you’re participating in our 2024 Fantasy/Sci-Fi Reading Challenge (and it’s never too late to join!), August’s theme is to read an Asian-inspired fantasy or sci-fi book.
Asian-Inspired Sci-Fi Books
Snow Globe by Soyoung Park
In this dystopian YA novel newly translated from Korean, Snowglobe–a vast dome–is the last place on Earth that’s warm.
The less fortunate live outside and watch the lives of those who live inside like a reality show (and possibly a less violent Hunger Games?).
When Chobahm gets to take her idol’s place in the Snowglobe and on TV, she quickly realizes that life in the globe is nothing like what she’s seen on the screen.
Warcross by Marie Lu
Video games are taken to the next level in Warcross. Emika Chen, a teenage bounty hunter in futuristic New York City, accidentally hacks herself into the Warcross game, drawing the attention of the game’s creator.
He whisks Emika off to Tokyo and offers her a deal she can’t refuse.
Skyhunter by Marie Lu
Mara is a Striker, trained to kill mutant war beasts called Ghosts (think zombies). Then a mysterious prisoner changes all she knows about her country and the people who rule it.
This is a very emotionally heavy duology, but Talin, the MC, is wonderfully complex and never stops fighting. This series will grab your heart and not let go!
Want by Cindy Pon
In this Asian-inspired dystopian sci-fi, the wealthy use their resources to buy longer lives. They can afford the special suits that protect them from the city’s pollution and viruses.
Zhou, the protagonist, is determined to change things, no matter the cost.
The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei
An adult sci-fi thriller that will keep you turning the pages deep into the night.
On the spaceship that holds humanity’s last hope–eighty graduates of a competitive program who will give birth to children–a bomb kills three people.
The MC, a half-Japanese girl raised in America, must find the culprit before everyone dies.
The Infinity Particle by Wendy Xu
You’ll find lots of questions about AI in this YA Asian-inspired sci-fi.
Clementine Chang moves to Mars and starts a job with Dr. Marcella Lin, an Artificial Intelligence pioneer. When she starts falling in love with his AI assistant, Kye, everything Clementine thought she knew about artificial intelligence and free will is thrown into question.
This one will make you think!
If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang
When Alice Sun begins turning invisible for no apparent reason, she decides to use the power to her advantage by monetizing it. She’ll find out scandalous secrets for you–for a price.
But soon, the tasks escalate, and Alice must decide if the money is worth losing her conscience for. Or worse, her life.
The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He
A YA sci-fi full of surprises, sisters, and futuristic science.
Cee awoke on an abandoned island three years ago. With no idea of how she was marooned, she only has a rickety house, an old android, and a single memory: she has a sister, and Cee needs to find her.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
A fairy-tale retelling of Cinderella set in a futuristic China, this book features talking spaceships, gutsy cyborg mechanics, and an evil moon queen.
A must-read for anyone eager for a new take on an old classic!
Enhanced by Candace Kade
A cyberpunk novel that takes place in a futuristic Asia in which Lee Urban’s DNA lacks the fancy enhancements that everyone else’s does. And if anyone finds out, she could be killed.
Like the idea of sci-fi but not excited about all the science? Check out these 25 sci-fi books that are perfect for people who don’t like the hard sciences.
Asian-Inspired Fantasy Books
The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song
Published in July, this Asian-inspired fantasy book will give you all the Mulan vibes as Meilin disguises herself as a boy and enlists in the army.
But in this version, Meilin has visions of a sea dragon that offers her power and freedom with a deadly price.
Wicked Fox by K.X. Song
In modern-day Seoul, Gu Miyoung is a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive (yum!).
Then, because this is a YA fantasy, she finds a (cute) boy and rescues him. Later, he finds her fox bead, which is her soul, and must decide what to do with it as dark forces draw close.
Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen
A young adult book about Aihui Ying, who, (like in many Asian-inspired fantasy novels) disguises herself like a boy to enter the famed and dangerous Engineer’s Guild trials to discover the truth of her dad’s murder.
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
Folklore and history mingle in this historical fantasy that takes place in Northeastern China. A slow-paced, character-driven novel in which a woman searches for the man responsible for the death of her daughter and if or how fox spirits could be involved.
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy (what a surprise! :)), and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
Another lovely, heartwarming book by Lim, though this one is a standalone (Spin the Dawn is a duology).
Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.
Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.
Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim
How would you feel if you were cursed to have a serpent’s face? That’s Channi’s lot in this story about sisters, suitors, and sworn enemies.
Channi must protect her sister from a suitor’s wrath, but ends up becoming a target of his wrath, launching a battle, a quest, and an unlikely romance. This book has anything your fantasy heart could want!
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Xingyin and her mother live on the moon, which she later learns is actually a prison sentence.
When Xingyin must leave her mother, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom. There, she hides her identity (but not by pretending to be a boy), and embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies to free her mother.
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao
Inspired by ancient Chinese mythology and folklore, this book is about Lan who wants to discover the truth about a mark on her arm that her mother made, and Zen, a fabled magician. Together, they can save their kingdom. If they don’t destroy it first.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
The story inside these pages is just as beautiful as the cover! Mina sacrifices herself to the sea god to save her brother’s love. Then, in the Spirit Realm, she seeks to wake up the sea god from an enchanted sleep with the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits.
For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig
In this Asian-inspired fantasy book that’s the beginning of a trilogy, you’ll find a young woman with a dangerous power she barely understands, a smuggler with secrets of his own, and a country torn between a merciless colonial army, a terrifying tyrant, and a feared rebel leader.
A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee
A Japanese-inspired novel in which Miuko embarks on a quest to reverse a curse that will turn her into a demon. On her journey, she must outfox tricksters, escape demon hunters, and negotiate with feral gods.
A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin
Ning has inherited her mother’s ancient and magical art of tea-making and travels to the imperial city to earn the title of the palace’s tea master. If she wins, she’ll earn a favor from the princess–the opportunity to save her sister’s life.
But between the desperate competitors, bloody politics, and a boy with a shocking secret, Ning might be in more danger than her sister.
Descendant of the Crane by Joan He
The doctors say that Hesina’s father, the king, died a natural death, but she believes he was murdered. But during her investigation, Hesina realizes that no one is innocent, and more blood will spill if she can’t find the murderer soon.
Strike the Zither by Joan He
In year 414 of the Xing Dynasty, Zephyr serves as the best strategist of her land. When she infiltrates an enemy’s camp, she meets an opposing strategist who is just as brilliant as her. But they will have to fight enemies that aren’t human before peace can reign.
Which of these Asian-inspired fantasy and sci-fi books will you add to your TBR?
