RECOMMENDING BOOKS BY ASIAN AUTHORS BASED ON BOOKS YOU PROBABLY LOVE

Hullo, bookdragons!

It’s been a while since I wrote a recommendations post so I thought, “ooh maybe you should get off twitter and do something useful for once” and that’s how this post came to be. Actually, this has been on the back of my brain for months but I didn’t really get the chance to write it because a) it was difficult to choose the books to include in this post, b) I had more urgent blog posts to publish, and c) Twitter exists.

In this post, I’m going to recommend books by Asian authors based on hyped books you probably love. Just think of this post as a tribute to some of my favorite unapologetically Asian books. At this point I’m just snatching all the chances I can get to promote my faves and no one can stop me 😌

 

If you think that I’m here to compare these two books, you’re sorely mistaken. Six of Crows and The Gilded Wolves are both phenomenal and I think it’s time that we stop pitting these bookish royalties against each other. TGW has a different premise from SoC but I’m certain that fans of the beloved duology will appreciate Roshani Chokshi’s spectacular historical fantasy. It also has a heist subplot, diverse cast of characters (would die for them all in a heartbeat), and witty dialogues that will make you laugh out loud.

Descendant of the Crane is already dubbed as the Chinese Game of Thrones so it’s no surprise that it’s on this list. DOTC offers a complex storyline filled with political intrigue and mystery that will certainly appeal to fans of George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy series. The female protagonist also has a lot of fire in her heart like Daenerys. If you’re looking for a book that will fill the void after THAT mistake of a season (I’m still angry about GoT season 8 and now I’m just going to pretend that it doesn’t exist), I highly recommend you read Descendant of the Crane.

Dragon Pearl is a middle-grade science fiction standalone inspired from Korean mythology that filled me with Illuminae nostalgia. Both books are thrilling space operas that kept me at the edge of my seat. Like Illuminae, Dragon Pearl also gives importance to friendship which I greatly appreciate. It also has epic spaceship chases, dragons, goblins, and shape-shifting foxes. Basically, it has Illuminae vibes plus a supernatural cast. IT’S WORTH THE READ. Let’s support Rick Riordan Presents yes!

I have to admit that I am in need of a COBAB reread because I hardly remember anything except pure fantasy goodness and a great hate for Inan. The important thing is that I’m sure it was one of my best reads of last year. I can relate We Hunt the Flame to COBAB because they’re both epic and the protagonists are on their way on an adventure to bring back magic to their lands ft. brooding princes that are out for their blood. They’re the kind of books that will hold you in its grasp until the last page. Oh and both of them have killer endings. WHERE ARE THE SEQUELS I NEED THEM NOW I’M ON MY KNEES.

Yes yes, I know I have no right to include The Hunger Games on any of my posts because I haven’t read it yet but I’ve seen the movies which is a lame excuse but please forgive me Empress of All Seasons is an absolute favorite and it deserves a space here. It definitely has that survival of the fittest Hunger Games vibe going on as girls from all around this Japanese-inspired world undergo deadly challenges to become the next Empress. It’s important to note that this book has killer seasonal rooms that are filled with danger and blood. It’s an action-filled page-turner that y’all should check out.

Surprise! I actually read books that aren’t fantasy or sci-fi thank you very much. Two of my favorites from the contemporary genre are The Hate U Give and Patron Saints of Nothing. They’re starkly different from each other but both explore themes of grief, family, and speaking up for what is right. Kudos to them for stabbing my heart in the same fashion. I gladly offered up my tears for these masterpieces and maybe you should too.

Can you give me more recommendations based on more popular books you love? Have you read any books on this list?