Asian Reads

Daughter of the Moon Goddess

Young Adult Fantasy

TW: death, war, kidnapping

Xingyin, the daughter of the Moon Goddess, Chang'e, will do anything she can to free her mother from her centuries long enslavement on the moon. Along her journey she encounters princes, dragons, and demons, all while learning to true story behind her parents Chang'e and Hou Yi.

This novel feels like a C-Drama. Not necessarily the most original C-Drama, but it does feel like one. I originally loved following Xingyin because her adventure was really fascinating. Unfortunately, this book started to feel weighed down by the pointless love triangle and pacing issues. At the start, the story was going at breakneck speed, then started to lose momentum while not actually growing the characters at the same time. The love triangle caused all parties involved to become a lot less interesting as they started to have unnecessary conflict with each other. However, the final act of the book was definitely my favorite part. I am considering reading the next installment solely because of how this one ended.

If You Could See the Sun

YA Contemporary/Slight Fantasy

TW: mental health, kidnapping, racism

Alice is one of the top students at her international boarding school in Beijing. One of the top – as in – the other person sharing her pedestal is her school rival Henry. Unlike most kids at her school, Alice's family struggles financially and the school's financial aid combined with her parents' money is not enough to allow Alice to attend another year. But then suddenly, Alice finds out that she has an ability to turn invisible! Now she has a way of making money... by selling rumors and test answers to her fellow classmates.

Okay, so it's not actually as messed up as it sounds. The story is actually pretty fun. I'll always love a book that challenges the Model Minority Myth and Alice isn't really a hero. In fact, she does some pretty questionable things, but that's what made her so interesting! I love following an anti-hero. Honestly, I wasn't that into the romance, as it kind of moved pretty fast and wasn't super related to the plot, but it was cute nonetheless.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me this arc to review!

Official Release Date: October 11, 2022

XOXO

YA Contemporary

TW: cancer, death of parent (in past), bullying

All Jenny needs to do is live a little. That's fine. She meets a cute boy named Jaewoo while living in LA who then disappears off to Seoul, never to be heard from again. But suddenly, Jenny transfers to a performing arts school in Seoul where, you guessed it, Jaewoo happens to also attend! Turns out he's also part of the an extremely famous K-Pop group called XOXO. Now the real question is if Jenny and Jaewoo are able to make their relationship work, dodging paparazzi and the K-Pop band's no dating policy.

Yeah, this was so much fun. Jenny and Jaewoo were the sweetest and the premise was honestly just very addicting to watch play out. What also stood out to me were the friends that both Jenny and Jaewoo had. Jenny and her roommate have this amazing hate-to-best-friends growth that I just loved to see. Jaewoo's bandmate, Nathaniel, was probably my favorite character just because he had so much heart and charm. It looks like this book is creating a real surge in K-pop rom coms because there seems to be a lot more coming out after this one.

Once Upon a K-Prom

YA Contemporary

TW: bullying, dysfunctional family

Elena and Robbie made a deal when they were 10 that they'd go to prom together. But that was before Robbie moved to Seoul and became part of one of the world's most famous k-pop group (no, it's not BTS). When prom swings around, the last thing Elena wants is to actually go, but suddenly, Robbie is back in town and he's asking her to prom! Yes, you heard it right here, this story total k-pop mania!! (yes. another one)

There was a lot to like here! Both of the main characters were super fun to follow and their interactions were super cute. The k-pop members of Robbie's group are all very charismatic and honestly really adorable together. I really hated Elena's brother, Ethan, and the excuses that he gave for acting the way he did towards her seemed very lame. This happened a lot, in fact. Characters were given excuses as to why they acted a certain way (such as bullying Elena) but they really just came off as half-a**ed and I couldn't sympathize with them. Also a lot of the problems that Elena faced seemed to be solved by other people, which was fine but I would have appreciated a little more done by Elena herself.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc to review

Official Release Date: May 17, 2022

Six Crimson Cranes

Young Adult Fantasy

TW: blood, death, violence, emotional abuse

Set in the same world as Spin the Dawn, Shiori-anma has magic that she must hide. When Shiori accidentally finds her stepmother using forbidden dark magic, her stepmother banishes her from the kingdom, turning her six brothers into crimson cranes. Shiori is warned that if she utters a word of her curse or identity, one of her brothers will die with each word spoken.

I absolutely loved how much more of this fantasy world was explored with this book. Shiori was a joy to follow and her journey was SO STRESSFUL. Like, seriously, Shiori not being able to talk or make a sound and also having to hide who she is... I was on the edge of my seat. I loved the dragon that she becomes friends with, though I wish he showed up a lot more, and I was surprised by how much I really liked her ex-betrothed. I ended up liking this book a LOT more than Spin the Dawn. The story felt more intense and the pacing felt smoother. The characters also felt more developed. Shiori definitely was a stand-out character (I love her). I honestly had some trouble differentiating her six brothers but other than that, I felt that every character had their part to play, if not some more than other.

Violet Made of Thorns

Young Adult Fantasy

TW: abusive parent, body-horror, self harm, casual racism, violence

Violet is a prophet working for the royal family, who normally gets her way by lying. When Violet accidentally awakens a curse, she must decide between her definitely-not-romantic feelings developing between her and the pretentious prince, and the price that must be paid for saving the kingdom.

Violet has just my kind of humor and sarcasm. Her and the prince Cyrus's banter is so entertaining and I loved watching their relationship grow. This is an enemies-to-lovers situation so there is much to enjoy with the crazy amounts of angst. One thing I wish the book did a little better at was exploring the different countries of the world a little more. I didn't even know that the main character was supposed to be Asian until I saw other people mention it. The world-building was a little too brushed over and I wish I got to learn more about where the main character's family came from and how the different countries interact with each other.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me this arc to review

Official Release Date: July 26, 2022

A Magic Steeped in Poison

Young Adult Fantasy

TW: torture, death of parent (off-page), sexism

When Ning's sister, Shu, is subjected to a terrible illness, caused by a poison sweeping the kingdom, Ning enters a competition, where she will compete to become a shénnóng-shī (master of the art of tea-making) in hopes of finding an antidote for the poison. But there she learns that the royalty in the palace may be hiding more than they know.

The writing just feels as lush and gorgeous as the cover. It really sweeps you away into the story and holy smokes did the food sound so good. Just the descriptions of smells and tastes made my mouth water every few pages. The atmosphere and setting are really the standouts of this story. I felt that the characters, although likeable, took some time to grow on me. The love interest, Kang, felt the most underdeveloped, as he tended to disappear for long periods of time without a clear reason why. Other than that, this was a very impressive debut and I really want to see where this story goes, what with that massive cliffhanger and all.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc to review.

Official Release Date: March 29, 2022

Blood Heir

Young Adult Fantasy

TW: death, death of a child, blood, gore, violence

In this Russian-inspired fantasy, Anastacya Mikhailov must take back her crown before her kingdom goes to ruin. In her quest to find her father's killer, Anastacya is forced to except the help of thief and con man, Ramson Quicktongue.

Now I know what you're thinking– doesn't this synopsis sound quite basic? Well, lemme tell you, even though the CONCEPT sounds very similar to many young adult fantasy stories, this one has a lot going for it. It's set in a diverse world with many different cultures, magic, and on-the-edge-of-your-seat action. There's also a lot of heart. The characters are so well developed and have incredible journeys. Even the side characters are so lovable in their own ways. I can just see this series being adapted into a television series or movie. Also, not enough people have read this series which makes me angry. If you liked Shadow and Bone or Avatar: The Last Airbender, you'll definitely find lots to love in this series.

Iron Widow

Young Adult Fantasy

TW: sexism, sexual assault (off-page), rape, torture (i.e.: foot binding), blood, death, gore, drowning, alcohol addiction

After Wu Zetian's sister is killed in the Concubine piloting system of her country, she swears vengeance against the man responsible for her sister's death. From there, Zetian goes on a journey of trying to figure out why girls are seen as lesser than boys in her society.

It's good to go into this book knowing that there are a plethora of trigger warnings that need to be addressed. I would say that this book is closer to Adult than Young Adult in terms of violence, as it is also very VERY dark. I thought that it was pretty incredible. I was a little confused about the world, as the characters kind of spew out world building super fast and I kind of forgot what they said by the next paragraph. The pacing goes at lightning speed and there really isn't a time to breathe. I don't believe that the world was as fleshed out as it could have been, as I couldn't get a clear picture of where everyone was and what they were doing. The characters were great, though. Zetian really shines as the leading lady of the story. I cared for the two dudes significantly less than Zetian, but they grew on me as the story progressed.

Counting Down with You

Young Adult Contemporary

TW: Emotional Abuse, Mental Illness, Anxiety attacks, Homophobia

Karina is charged with the task of tutoring the bad boy of her school, Ace Clyde. Ace doesn't want anyone to know that he has a tutor so he tells his family that Karina is his girlfriend. Thus begins a fake dating romance between an unlikely pair.

This book completely messed with my emotions. One moment I'm laughing my head off and grinning like an idiot, and the next I'm holding back tears. This is a romance story but the romance isn't the only thing in Karina's life. She has super awesome friends, a wonderfully developed relationship with her brother, and really heartwarming moments with her grandmother. I honestly thought that her "boyfriend" Ace was a little too good to be true but he was super sweet, which I loved.

Not Here to Be Liked

Young Adult Contemporary

TW: sexism, racism (both challenged)

After losing the election to be editor in chief for the school newspaper Len, and inexperienced ex-jock who decided last minute to run for editor in chief, Eliza writes a manuscript that's not intended to get out. Obviously, the manuscript gets posted without Eliza's knowledge, causing Eliza to accidentally starts a feminist movement at her school.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and I LOVED IT!!!! Even though the plot was frustrating at times because of the amount of sexism portrayed, the characters' charisma made this book so fun. Literally every single time the two main characters, Len and Eliza, were on page, I was either smiling or laughing because they were just too cute.

I also stayed up until 4 in the morning because I couldn't put this book down so I recommend cancelling some plans on September 14, when this book comes out, to just read it.

Sisters of the Snake by Sarena & Sasha Nanua

Young Adult Fantasy

TW: death, torture, blood, poison

Rani and Ria are identical twins, split at birth. Rani grew up a princess and Ria grew up an orphan and a thief. When the two of them meet, they decide to switch places. Rani can now have her freedom and go on a quest to find a magical object that may save her kingdom from war. Meanwhile, at the castle, Ria tries to discover why she was left an orphan while grappling with palace life.

I always love when there's a sibling bond and this book definitely had one. I wish it had it even more but there was also a found family aspect of the story that I really loved. I will say that while this isn't my favorite young adult fantasy by a long stretch, it was so entertaining and the book pretty much flew by even though it was 500 pages long.

Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Young Adult Sci-Fi

TW: death, blood, torture

In this world there are huge machines (think Pacific Rim) called Windups, that are piloted by cyborgs and terrorize the Badlands for Godolia's tyrannical rulers. Sona is a pilot for a Windup who has infiltrated Godolia's Windup program in order to destroy it from within. Eris is part of a group of Gearbreakers– rebellious people from the Badlands whose main job is destroying Windups. When Sona and Eris cross paths, they find that if they help each other, they may be able to do more destruction to Godolia than when they were alone.

I received an audiobook ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. And I freaking loved it. The narrators were really solid and brought so much personality, humor, and emotion to the characters. I will say that I thought the book could have done with just one narrator but I get that having two narrators really gives a distinct difference between the two points of views. The story itself was so much fun. There were hilarious moments and also really emotional moments as well as epic action moments. If you're a fan of sci-fi and/or audiobooks, definitely check this one out!

The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He

Young Adult Sci-Fi

TW: suicide, death, blood, drowning

Cee has been trapped on a deserted island for over three years with no recollection of how she arrived. All she knows is that she has a sister and she needs to find her. Kasey has no idea what happened to her sister, Celia, after she disappeared at sea but she's determined to find out.

This is a beautifully written story about sisterly love, world destruction, and the questions of who really is to blame for the destruction of our planet and in turn, the people on it.

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

Young Adult Fantasy

TW: Death, Murder, Violence, Torture, Child Abuse

Zafira, known as the Hunter for disguising herself as a man, is given the quest to retrieve a lost artifact that could bring magic back to her world and stop a cursed forest called the Arz from spreading. Nasir is the Prince of Death who is sent to stop the Hunter and retrieve the artifact for his sulton, while also killing the Hunter in the process.

There is a trope that I just can't get enough of and that is a found family and this book absolutely nailed that trope. There was also an enemies to lovers trope for all you romance fans out there.

The characters are what really won me over with this. Zafira and Nasir were excellent main characters and I absolutely loved their banter. Even the side characters were so good. The plot was intriguing but what really kept me hooked all the way was the way everyone interacted with each other. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a slightly slower paced but action packed story!

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Young Adult Fantasy

TW: BUGS, graphic depiction of throats being ripped out, gore, death, death by bullets

A Romeo and Juliet retelling set on the streets of Shanghai in 1926.

Roma and Juliette have some serious trust issues after Roma betrayed Juliette a few years back. However, when a monster seems to be attacking the city of Shanghai by causing its residence to rip out their own throats, Roma and Juliette have to put aside their differences in order to work together to stop it.

I had pretty much zero expectations for this book going in. I read it before I heard much about it and was blown away by how much I loved it. There technically is a love story within the book but it's very plot-centric, which worked out really nicely for me because I don't necessarily love a lot of romance in books. There's a lot of political intrigue and amazing characters that I loved so much. Chloe Gong has really become one of my favorite authors after this book's epic-ness.

Spin the Dawn

Young Adult Fantasy

TW: Sexism, Death, Bullying

When all of Maia's brothers are killed in war but one and her family comes on the brink of poverty, Maia makes the decision to attend a competition between seamstresses, where she must dress up like a man to enter.

I definitely enjoyed the competition, as the stakes were high and so many times Maia had to dodge bullies and the Empress's scrutiny. However, at some point, Maia obtains magical scissors that basically do all her sewing for her and to be honest, as a fellow seamstress, that seems a lot like cheating. The boy, Eden (1000+ year old actually), she meets is nice and all but I also didn't really care for their romance and Eden ended up doing most of the work for Maia as well. Overall, I felt that Maia needed to come into her own a lot more. One praise I can definitely sing is of the writing, which is absolutely gorgeous.

The Poppy War

Adult Fantasy

TW: sexism, racism, death, gore, blood, graphic death/disembodiment, graphic rape depictions, sterilization scene

In order to avoid being married off by her terrible family, Rin takes and aces a near impossible test and is sent off to Sinegard, an elite military academy. There, while dealing with bullies because of her gender and darker skin tone, she discovers that she may have a power that could help stop an impending war.

Nobody is ever truly ready to read this book. I had pretty decent expectations, and then was absolutely blown away by everything. This book never takes a break with pacing. You are always in the middle of some heart-thumping situation. Absolutely incredible and would highly recommend to anyone who likes darker fantasy.

Note: This is a corruption story. Some of the decisions that Rin makes are not very applaudable. However, a lot of it does come back to bite her later. This story is definitely not about "good people" who make outstanding choices. There are a lot of stressful situations where people make decisions on a whim.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Young Adult Fantasy

TW: Slavery, Torture, Death, Blood, Violence, Sexual Assault (not on page)

Laia makes a deal with the rebellion group that is growing and in return for agreeing to break her brother out of the imperial prison, she agrees to pose as a slave at a school for the imperial soldiers and spy on the Commandant. Elias is one of the top students at the imperial academy. But all he wants is to escape and be free. That is where Elias and Laia's paths cross.

I cannot sing enough of this books' praises. The writing is superb and the characters are to die for! Laia and Elias are amazing as main characters. Right when I finished the first book I immediately needed to second book because I couldn't stop thinking about them. I would suggest bringing tissues for this series as it tends to be pretty brutal to its characters.