Manuela Azul has been crammed into an existence that feels too small for her. As an undocumented immigrant who’s on the run from her father’s Argentine crime-family, Manu is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida.
Until Manu’s protective bubble is shattered.
Her surrogate grandmother is attacked, lifelong lies are exposed, and her mother is arrested by ICE. Without a home, without answers, and finally without shackles, Manu investigates the only clue she has about her past–a mysterious “Z” emblem—which leads her to a secret world buried within our own. A world connected to her dead father and his criminal past. A world straight out of Argentine folklore, where the seventh consecutive daughter is born a bruja and the seventh consecutive son is a lobizón, a werewolf. A world where her unusual eyes allow her to belong.
As Manu uncovers her own story and traces her real heritage all the way back to a cursed city in Argentina, she learns it’s not just her U.S. residency that’s illegal. . . .it’s her entire existence.
My Review
As I’ve heard stories about what it’s like to come to the US as an immigrant, I’ve been moved, felt sympathy, wanted to change things. Nothing has ever made me feel like I’ve slipped into someone else’s shoes the way this book did, though.
Manu is smart. She’s vulnerable, yet fierce. She loves her family, but she’s always felt like an outsider who did not belong, even among them. More than anything else, this is the story of a girl who has never belonged not just finding her place, but carving it out of the landscape and building a true family around her.
I really, really like this book. The magic was fascinating, and again and again the story comes back to questions about what makes a person valuable. Is it where someone was born? What gender they are? Whom they love? What they can do for someone else?
LOBIZONA explores all that and on top of it delivers a sizzling romance set in a dazzling landscape. If you like found families, revolution, and unexpected alliances, this is one you’re going to want to grab, fast.
Representation Manu and most other characters are Latinx. A few side characters are gay.
Profanity/Crude Language Content Extreme profanity used infrequently.
Romance/Sexual Content Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two girls. One scene shows some intense kissing between a boy and girl.
There’s a brief reference to a rape that happened in the past.
Spiritual Content Because of a demon who fell in love with a human, seventh consecutive daughters become witches with nature-based magic abilities, and seventh consecutive sons become werewolves.
Violent Content Some intense scenes involving running from ICE and police. Battle scenes. Situations of peril.
Drug Content Manu takes a medication every month that knocks her out for three days. Some characters drink mate, which heightens their magic.
Note: I received a free copy of LOBIZONA in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.
ROMINA GARBER (pen name Romina Russell) is a New York Times and international bestselling author. Originally from Argentina, she landed her first writing gig as a teen—a weekly column for the Miami Herald that was later nationally syndicated—and she hasn’t stopped writing since. Her books include Lobizona. When she’s not working on a novel, Romina can be found producing movie trailers, taking photographs, or daydreaming about buying a new drum set. She is a graduate of Harvard College and a Virgo to the core.
By now you’ve probably already heard the news that the release date for Disney’s Mulan is getting pushed back indefinitely. I’m so bummed about this! I don’t go to the movies all that often, but this one has been at the top of my must-see list.
So here’s a thing that I’m pretty embarrassed about: I grew up as a Disney girl, and Mulan is one of my favorite movies they’ve made, but it wasn’t until I started to hear buzz about a new live-action remake that I learned that Disney’s inspiration for the story of Mulan actually comes from a Chinese folk song from the North Wei Dynasty.
I shouldn’t have been surprised– Disney didn’t make up The Little Mermaid or Cinderella, either, you know? I guess I just never really thought about the origin of the story until I heard about the live-action remake and the controversy surrounding who was writing Mulan retellings– and whether white writers should be the ones telling this Asian-inspired fantasy story or whether it should be told by Chinese writers instead.
UPDATE: I wrote this post before the movie came out and before I learned of some of the controversy over its filming. It has been bothering me for a long time that I haven’t acknowledged that here. Here’s some information about why people have decided to boycott the movie because of the filming location and China’s treatment of Chinese Uighur Muslims.
So…. Perhaps instead of watching the movie, check out and buy these books inspired by Asian myth, folklore, and legend that were written by Asian authors.
Reading Asian-Inspired Fantasy by Asian Authors
All of that started me thinking about books by Asian authors and as I started reading, I began to fall in love with books inspired by Asian history, folklore, and mythology that are written by Asian authors.
The good news is this: there are some amazing books that, like Mulan, are inspired by Asian history and folklore and are just waiting for us to snatch them off the shelves and read them.
I’ve broken the list into two sections: series and stand-alone books. Check them out, let me know what you’ve read, and please tell me if I’ve missed any titles that should be included! I searched quite a bit before making my list, but I’m sure there are a few I’ve missed and I would love to add them.
Asian-Inspired Fantasy Series
Some of the series listed here (such as Shadow of the Fox) require you to read the books in order, but others (like The Star-Touched Queen) are much more loosely connected and allow you to read whatever appeals to you in whatever order. Check them out and see what meets your preferences. Also– for the books I’ve reviewed, you’ll find detailed content at the bottom of my review post, so be sure to click over to the review and look for that if it interests you.
Note: Many of the links below are affiliate links, which don’t cost you anything to use, but when used, help support this blog.
What you need to know: Hailed as Mulan meets Project Runway. The series is also set in the Silk Road era and full of Chinese culture. It’s got magic, forbidden love, and unforgettable characters. One of my favorite books of 2019. Read my full review.
What you need to know: Forbidden romance, political intrigue, magic gone awry. A girl touched by a demon and forced into an engagement with the emperor to keep the peace for her people. This is at the top of my To-Be-Read list.
What you need to know: Two sisters with very different preferred weapons: one uses a sword, the other, words. Loads of political intrigue, battles, strong heroines. It’s beautiful. Read my full review.
The Empress of Flames
What you need to know: I’m pretty sure the release date for this book was originally early this year, but it’s since been pushed back to March of next year, which is super sad! I wanted to at least mention it in this list, since I’m really excited to read it. You can add it to your reading list and learn more on Goodreads.
What you need to know: Inspired by Indian folklore. Friends to Enemies to Lovers. A female rebel assassin. Forbidden magic. Adorable romance. Read my full review.
What you need to know: Rebels in disguise, political intrigue, and adorable romance. Just a warning, this one will make you really want to read book three! Read my full review.
Girls of Paper and Fire Series by Natasha Ngan
Note: I haven’t read this series yet, but I have heard the content needs some trigger warnings for sexual abuse, violence, and animal cruelty.
What you need to know: F/F romance. Hope and recovery from trauma. Fierce girls refusing to accept a society that treats them as less-than. Beautifully rendered Asian mythology.
What you need to know: Explores themes about morality during war. Continues the journey of healing for women who’ve experienced trauma. Features strong, warrior women. F/F romance. Asian mythology.
What you need to know: Described as a “richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia” on Goodreads. Enemies to lovers. Witty banter. Read my full review.
What you need to know: A cursed princess who turns out to be the only one who can save everyone. Steeped in Indian folklore and mythology. Total must-read. Read my full review.
What you need to know: Less a sequel and more a companion novel. Filled with the same gorgeous writing and world-building as the Star-Touched Queen. Enemies to lovers. Witty banter. Filled with eerie mythological creatures. Read my full review.
What you need to know: Based on Japanese folklore. Enemies to lovers. Unlikely allies embarking on an impossible quest. Absolutely charming characters. Read my full review.
What you need to know: Read the other books in the series before this one– lots of it focuses on the final battle, so it won’t be as easy to follow or understand if you haven’t read earlier books. Based on Japanese mythology. Fierce heroine who never gives up and refuses to sacrifice her friends. Fantastic conclusion to an incredible series. Read my full review.
What you need to know: Based on Korean folklore but told in modern-day Seoul. An opposites-attract love story about a fierce girl and a cheery, charming boy. Fantastic grandma/grandson relationship.
What you need to know: Expected publication in August 2020. Promises new dangers and romance. Based on Korean folklore but told in a contemporary setting.
What you need to know: A dark, Asian-inspired fantasy origin story of the Wicked Queen in the Snow White fairytale. Desperate, creepy magic. Compelling anti-heroine. Read my full review.
What you need to know: I’m not sure if this book is part of the series exactly– Goodreads lists it as book 2.5, so it takes place between the other two books and maybe more of a companion novel? Same beautiful Asian-inspired fantasy story-world.
What you need to know: Features the creepiest trees you’ve ever read. Seriously spooky! Celebrates the bonds of sisterhood/friendship. Packed with fantastic banter and sarcasm. High energy plot that will keep you turning pages. Read my full review.
Books two and three are currently untitled, but expected to follow. I can’t wait!
Standalone Asian-Inspired Fantasy
Sometimes a series feels like a big commitment, especially when the books are so closely tied together that you can’t read one without reading the others first. These are two standalone novels inspired by Chinese history, culture and mythology that are a perfect choice for readers who aren’t up for the commitment of a whole series.
What you need to know: Coming-of-age story about a child bride in medieval China. Based on history, culture, and mythology. Haunting and unusual. Reminded me a little bit of the story of Mulan in that it features a a strong heroine in a time period and culture where she feels entirely out of place for her strength. Read my review.
What you need to know: Chinese-inspired fantasy. Features a strong heroine willing to risk everything in the pursuit of justice. Thrilling courtroom drama. Ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but it’s uncertain whether there will be a follow-up novel.
What you need to know: Set on the Silk Road and featuring Middle-Eastern mythology. Brilliant characters– especially the female characters. Might be better classified as new adult than young adult.
What are your favorite Asian-inspired fantasy books?
Have you read any of the books on the list? If you’ve thought of other Asian-inspired fantasy that I should add, please leave me a comment with the title and author. I would love to add to my list!
Inez Finley is just like most ten-year-olds. Her life is filled with love from her family. Mainly from Grandma Esther.
Her parents love her, too, but Grandma is the only one Inez can truly talk to about the dreams she has.
Especially after one of them comes true on the schoolyard. She is the only one who understands what Inez can see and what the woman in the old photo in Dad’s office has to do with it.
My Review
It’s not often that I review serial or short fiction, but in this case, I wanted to help out a fellow book blogger and share something about her book.
“Wicked in Rhyme” is four chapters introducing Inez Finley, a bright, empathetic girl with vivid dreams. Even in these first few chapters, Inez’s special relationship with her grandmother comes through. There’s also a really fun element of mystery and intrigue as Inez realizes her dreams aren’t just dreams. But unlocking their secrets won’t be easy.
I found myself drawn in and deeply interested in Inez’s story and her dreams. I would definitely read more of her story.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.
Representation Inez is Black.
Profanity/Crude Language Content None.
Romance/Sexual Content None.
Spiritual Content Inez has a dream that something bad happens to someone, and then it does.
Violent Content None.
Drug Content None.
Note: I received a free copy of “Wicked in Rhyme” in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.
Four beautiful girls. Quadruplets. They are not identical. But each is named Claire. Claire V is Clairvoyant—clear seeing with visions of the future. Claire S is Clairsentient—clear feeling as she embraces another’s pain. Claire A is Clairaudient—clear hearing to tap into the spirit world. Claire C is Claircognizant—clear knowing with 100% accuracy.
Born in 1911, they first died together in 1928 at age seventeen. Two months later, they were reborn. And reborn. THE CLAIRES only live to seventeen and then they’re violently murdered. Somewhere in the world, a woman finds out she’s pregnant with quads. The Claires return to a new family as they try to break a curse that guarantees they die young.
It’s current-day Los Angeles, and once again, their seventeenth birthday is looming. Can they save themselves, clean up the streets in the name of penance, and crash their own prom?
The Claires is the first novel spin-off of the best-selling Ascenders Book Saga. Also available in paperback starting on January 14, 2020.
My Review
The thing that really drew me to this story was the idea that it’s about four sisters who are all under a curse that they’re trying to break before they turn 17 and are destined to die. It’s got great stakes and I’m a huge fan of sisterhood stories.
The writing style is a little unusual. Reading it, I felt sometimes like I was looking through a camera that kept refocusing and refocusing, zooming in and out so that I felt yanked around a little bit trying to follow what was happening. There’s an element of that that I liked– it created kind of a unique sort of conversational voice. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was taken down a notch or two.
I also felt like all of the sisters’ characters were basically the same. They have these super advanced powers and have basically lived for 200 years, so they kind of come off as superior and arrogant. Like normal mortals just aren’t worth their time, really. I could see how living so long would definitely make someone feel jaded– about high school especially! ha!– but sometimes it kept me from really investing in the characters.
Around the three-quarters mark, it seemed like the girls softened a little bit. I liked that. Their brother also has chapters and sections from his point-of-view, and I thought he was a lot more of a sympathetic character, but I didn’t really see how his story fit in with the girls.
I thought the way the book was formatted was really interesting, too. It’s broken into sections and each section has chapters and scenes in it, usually from one character’s point-of-view. Sometimes it changed narrators in the middle of a section though, which was a little confusing, since it felt out of sync with the rest of the book.
I kind of also got hung up on the fact that in a scene set in 1925, one of the girls gets excited about reading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s latest book, THE GRAPES OF WRATH. I was confused because THE GRAPES OF WRATH is written by John Steinbeck and didn’t come out until 1939. I’m guessing the author meant THE GREAT GATSBY, which is by Fitzgerald and came out in 1925? It’s not a big thing, but it did seem really odd.
Anyway, on the whole, I think I was looking for a book experience more like Blue and her mother and their housemates in THE RAVEN BOYS with that close female bond and otherworldly adventure. While THE CLAIRES is a very different kind of story, it’s got that gritty dark feel to it that might appeal to fans of HOUSE OF NIGHT series by Kristin Cast and P. C. Cast.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 18 up.
Representation Major characters are white. One of the sisters is in love with another girl.
Profanity/Crude Language Content Strong profanity used regularly throughout the book.
Romance/Sexual Content Some brief but graphic descriptions of sex. Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between girl and ghosts. Kissing between two girls.
Spiritual Content Lots of descriptions of predicting the future or knowing things through psychic means. Some descriptions of rituals once thought to bind witches. Descriptions of witches using power to harm others.
Violent Content Several scenes show or reference graphic murders.
Drug Content References to teens drinking alcohol.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE CLAIRES in exchange for my honest review.
For the first time ever, I’m going to do an unboxing post! I kind of wish I’d thought to do this with my OwlCrate boxes when I got them before, but I didn’t, though maybe in the future, I’ll give that a go.
I received this box from Wunderkind PR near the end of March, and I feel really badly that I’m only now getting to post the unboxing. Between adjusting to online/distance learning with my older daughter and adjusting to staying at home 24/7 with a toddler, plus juggling work and blogging and sewing cotton masks with my family, it’s been a busy, hectic, and stressful month.
Which makes me even more grateful to have something fun and creative as a little breath of fresh air right now! So… on to the unboxing of The Claires by C. L. Gaber.
Unboxing The Claires
Here’s the box, and what it looked like inside when I opened it.
All the items inside the box were wrapped in purple tissue paper. I like the rich colors of the box and paper together. The book is kind of neutral, so the contrast of the strong colors and the book created a really cool look, I thought.
The first thing I opened is probably my favorite thing in the box. It’s a small “witches’ bottle”. The idea is that you write down your fears, put them in the bottle, cork it up and they disappear.
It’s a lovely idea, right? I think I need a bigger bottle? Is there a 2020 Super-Size option?? Haha.
The next thing in the box was a small Booklovers’ soy candle from Frostbeard Studio. It’s Old Forest scent, with rosewood, fig, dirt, and spices. I can definitely smell the rosewood. The candle smells really fresh and clean. And the outside of the jar has pictures of books on it! It’s super cute.
Then of course there’s the book. I’d been thinking a lot about books about sisters when I heard about this book, so I kind of had to check it out, even though paranormal and particularly psychic-type stories aren’t my usual go-to. I’m definitely into sister stories, though.
Four beautiful girls. Quadruplets. They are not identical. But each is named Claire. Claire V is Clairvoyant—clear seeing with visions of the future. Claire S is Clairsentient—clear feeling as she embraces another’s pain. Claire A is Clairaudient—clear hearing to tap into the spirit world. Claire C is Claircognizant—clear knowing with 100% accuracy.
Born in 1911, they first died together in 1928 at age seventeen. Two months later, they were reborn. And reborn. THE CLAIRES only live to seventeen and then they’re violently murdered. Somewhere in the world, a woman finds out she’s pregnant with quads. The Claires return to a new family as they try to break a curse that guarantees they die young.
It’s current-day Los Angeles, and once again, their seventeenth birthday is looming. Can they save themselves, clean up the streets in the name of penance, and crash their own prom?
The Claires is the first novel spin-off of the best-selling Ascenders Book Saga.
Note: The Amazon link is an affiliate link.
Quiz: Do You Have a “Clair” Ability?
Another thing from the box was a quiz to see if you have a “Clair” ability. The quiz marks me as a possible “clairsentient”, or someone with off the charts empathy. So I’ll have to see whether I identify most with the sister with this particular ability as I read the book.
Altogether this was a really fun and creative box! It definitely made me feel like I have an inside view into the story world without having opened the book yet. I’m excited to read it and to get to know the sisters and see if they are able to break their curse.
It’s been two months since Laila was found lifeless on Kilshamble village green, not a mark on her. Rumour says she died of an overdose. Or maybe it was suicide? The autopsy found nothing, but somebody must know what happened.
Now Laila’s sister Zara is ready to pick up the trail. But retracing her sister’s footsteps takes her to David, a Judge at the dangerous heart of an ancient magical feud. All too unwittingly, she begins to tread the same path that led her sister to the village green .
Mary Watson’s sequel to THE WREN HUNT is an eerie, magical thriller about a dead girl, her sister and the boy who can unlock the truth of what happened the night she died. Perfect for fans of Frances Hardinge and Emily Bain Murphy’s THE DISAPPEARANCES.
My Review
In the book THE WREN HUNT, the story follows Wren, a young Augur who’s caught in the middle of the war between her people and the Judges, her enemies. THE WICKERLIGHT is told by two people: one of the Judges who hunted Wren named David (and get ready, because there’s so much more to this guy than you thought there was in the first book!) and an outsider named Zara who simply wants to know what happened to her sister.
I had a much easier time connecting with the story this time through– I think maybe because I was already a bit familiar with the story world. I also LOVED getting to see a whole different side of David, who was in the first book. And seeing the community from an outsider’s perspective also gave the story a lot more intrigue, too. Right off the bat, the reader knows so much more than Zara does, and it added a lot of tension to many of the things she did, because we knew the danger she was placing herself in, even when she didn’t.
Some of the other characters from THE WREN HUNT appear in THE WICKERLIGHT, too. Cassa Harkness, Wren, and Tariq all appear on the page here and there. It was cool to read about them again and find out what had happened to them since the end of the first book.
Would I read a third book in this series? Um. YEAH. Especially after the way THE WICKERLIGHT ends, yes, yes, YES! Please tell me more. I can’t wait to dive back into this really delicious, dark Irish storyworld.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 16 up.
Representation Zara and her family are Indian and from Australia. Other characters are Irish.
Profanity/Crude Language Content Extreme profanity used infrequently by one character.
Romance/Sexual Content Kissing between boy and girl.
Spiritual Content Use of magic and curses.
Violent Content Some graphic violence and brief scenes of torture.
Drug Content Some reference to experimentation with drugs.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE WICKERLIGHT in exchange for my honest review.
