Category: Fantasy World based on a non-western country

Witchy

By Ariel Ries

Hyalin is kingdom of witches where the strength of your magic is determined by the length of your hair, but when your hair is too long you become a danger to the kingdom. Nyneve hides her long hair every morning before going to school, but when conscription time comes around she is unable to hid anymore and makes a drastic decision with unforeseen consequences.

Authors Description:

Witchy is an ongoing webcomic about the young witch Nyneve, who is haunted by the death of her father and the threat the witch guard poses to her own life. When conscription rolls around, Nyneve has a choice to make; join the institution complicit in her father’s death, or stand up for her ideals?

Genre: Fantasy, Comic

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Nyneve
Cis boys: Bato
Trans girls: Prill

Sexuality:
Bisexual: Prill
Not mentioned yet: Batu, Nyneve

Romantic Orientation:
Not mentioned in the book.

Race/Ethnicity:
Afghan/Indian: Nyneve
Chinese/Southeast Asian: Prill
Mongolian/Tibetan: Batu

Location: Fantasy Southeast Asian/Oceana country

Trigger Warnings: Bullying, death, running away from home, transphobia.

Additional Notes: This is an ongoing webcomic, read it here: http://witchycomic.com/comic/page-1/

Ownvoices: Creator is queer

Ending: Comic is ongoing.

Banished Sons of Poseidon

By Andrew Peters

Escaped from a flood that buried the world in seawater, a young priest with a dishonorable past may be the survivors’ only hope to return aboveground.

Publisher’s Description:

After escaping from a flood that buried the aboveground in seawater, a fractured group of boys contend with the way ahead and their trust of an underground race of men who gives them shelter. For sixteen-year-old Dam, whose world was toppling before the tragedy, it’s a strange, new second chance. There are wonders in the underworld and a foreign warrior Hanhau who is eager for friendship despite Dam’s dishonorable past.

But a rift between his countrymen threatens to send their settlement into chaos. Peace between the evacuees and Hanhau’s tribe depends on sharing a precious relic that glows with arcane energy. When danger emerges from the shadowed backcountry, Dam must undertake a desperate mission. It’s the only hope for the Atlanteans to make it home to the surface. It’s the only way to save Hanhau and his people.

Genre: Fantasy

Representation: 

Gender:
Cis girls: Ysalane
Cis boys: Dam, Aerander, Hanhau, Hephad, Lys
Gender Fluid: Calaeno (a cis girl who was raised as a boy)

Sexuality:
Gay: Dam, Aerander, Hanhau, Hephad, Lys
Lesbian: Ysalane
Heterosexual: Calaeno

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Dam, Aerander, Hanhau, Hephad, Lys, Ysalane
Heteroromantic: Calaeno

Race/Ethnicity:
It’s a fantasy world so modern races/ethnicities don’t really apply; the main characters Dam and Aerander are described with Mediterranean, Caucasian features; Hanhau and Ysalane are of a fantasy race described as darker skinned and with Indigenous features; Hephad is described as having North African features.

Ownvoices: Own voices for gay rep

 

The Seventh Pleaide

By Andrew Peters

A young gay prince uncovers a conspiracy to barter boys for dark spiritual power during the last days of Atlantis.

Publisher’s Description:

Atlantis is besieged by violent storms, tremors, and a barbarian army. For sixteen-year-old Aerander, it’s a calamitous backdrop to his Panegyris, where boys are feted for their passage to manhood.

Amid a secret web of romances among the celebrants, Aerander’s cousin Dam goes missing with two boys. With the kingdom in crisis, no one suspects the High Priest Zazamoukh, though Aerander uncovers a conspiracy to barter boys for dark spiritual power. Aerander’s proof– an underground vault that disappears in the morning–brings shame on his family and charges of lunacy. The only way for Aerander to regain his honor is to prove what really happened to the missing boys.

Tracking Dam leads Aerander on a terrifying and fantastical journey. He spots a star that hasn’t been seen for centuries. He uncovers a legend about an ancient race of men who hid below the earth. And traveling to an underground world, he learns about matters even more urgent than the missing boys. The world aboveground is changing, and he will have to clear a path for the kingdom’s survival.

Genre: Fantasy

Representation: 

Gender:
Cis girls: Alixa
Cis boys: Aerander, Dam, Lys, Calyiches, Dardy

Sexuality:
Gay: Aerander, Dam, Lys
Bisexual: Calyiches
Heterosexual: Dardy, Alixa

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Aerander, Dam, Lys
Biromantic: Calyiches
Heteroromantic: Dardy, Alixa

 

Race/Ethnicity:
It’s a fantasy world so modern races/ethnicities don’t really apply; the main characters Aerander, Dam and Lys are described with Mediterranean, Caucasian features; some supporting characters are described as brown-skinned, and some are described with Asiatic and Indigenous features.

 

Ownvoices: Ownvoices for gay rep

Ending: Bittersweet

Shadows of Humanity (Book 2 of The Immortal Coil series)

By J Armand
Another globetrotting, action-packed adventure awaits Dorian in this sequel to The Immortal Coil. A newfound confidence instilled by an unlikely friendship with Noah spurs Dorian to make a name for himself in the supernatural community. It isn’t long until he finds himself in over his head and his desire to return to a normal life because of it only complicates matters further. With Dorian’s powers growing by the day he begins attracting more attention than he bargained for, but not all of it turns out to be so bad.
Publisher’s Description:
Two years have passed since Dorian began his training in Japan with Noah. Stronger and wiser than ever, he returns to New York where he is met with dire news. A dark storm is rolling in to blanket the Earth until all life is snuffed out.
Dorian had heard prophecies of an ancient evil bent on resetting the world from immortal beings that were present the last time it rose. He must now decide between using his newfound strength to save himself, or fight against the tide for the humans that would never accept him.
New and familiar faces join the fray as Dorian’s journey takes him across the globe, but not all of them are there for the same reasons. Dorian is quick to learn that the darkest corners do not compare to the bottomless depths of a corrupt mind as innocent lives begin to disappear, swallowed by the shadows themselves.
What manner of demon or deity awaits Dorian and his allies once the lights go out?
Genre: Science Fiction / Fantasy

Representation
Gender:
Cis girls: Emily, Aurelia, (many others)
Cis boys: Dorian, Gianluca, Noah, (many others)

Sexuality:
Gay: Dorian, Gianluca
Bisexual: Micah
Heterosexual: William, Emily, Owen, (many others)

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Dorian/Gianluca
Heteroromantic: William/Emily

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Dorian, Gianluca, Noah, and more
East Asian: (many)

Religion:
Christianity: William, Emily
Shinto: (many, mythological characters)

Disability: Mental illness (anxiety, depression, PTSD)

Trigger Warnings: Homophobia/homomisia, Violence, PTSD, Domestic abuse, drug and alcohol use

Ownvoices: Gay male

Institute of Evil versus Heroes Academy (IEvsHA) 

By Cirkadia

This book is a juvenile fantasy novel written in small chapters on Wattpad.  The main character, know as “Nameless”, is a teenager that ends studying at the Institute of Evil thanks to a trap in an on-line game and a perfidious end-user license agreement (EULA) . There she finds a lot of very different characters of every kind, genre, orientation, etc.   while at the same time, she would find who she truly is. She also finds that “villain” and “hero” are used more as a political label and propaganda.

The book is written with a dark sense of humor.  The main character is asexual (and there is one scene where another character explains it), there are others that falls on the LGTBQIAP+ spectrum and the book has a very strong feminist message.

Publisher’s Description:
Ella no quiere estar en el Instituto del Mal, pero no tiene otra salvación que ser una alumna modelo.
Una historia de supevillanos y superhéroes todavía en edad escolar.

English translation:
She don’t desire to stay in the Evil Institute, but she does not have an other choice besides being the model student.
A history of teenage super-villains and superheros.

Genre: Action/Contemporary fantasy

Representation:
Note: From @ZardoZ89 who wrote this entry:  There are some characters that are confirmed by the author as trans, demisexual or gray asexual, but that not are evident at this point (planed sequels and spin-offs…) or that saying it now, would be a spoiler. So, I put a “At least X” in these cases. Same with the ethnicity.

Gender:
Cis girls: Nameless, Roca Eisenblut, Sica Morilec, Herilane, Nova, Furia, Mantis, Veda, Violet Kill, Tess Bloodmist, etc
Cis boys: Ludo Kahos, Jeff, Full, Foster, Killgore, Jack, Sinister, Bester, etc
Trans girls: At least two…
Trans boys: At least one…
Agender: Liss
Gender Fluid: Zack Darkheart

Sexuality:
Lesbian: Roca Eisenblut
Bisexual: Zack Darkheart, Foster, Furia
Asexual: Nameless, other…
Demisexual: At least one…
Gray-Asexual: At least one…

Romantic Orientation:
Not mentioned in the book.

Race/Ethnicity:
Not mentioned explicitly in the book.

Trigger Warnings:  Kidnapping.

Additional Notes:
– From the author: “The truth is that in IEvsHA, unless it is specified, better to think that all people are queer”.
-Contains sex/kink scenes.
-Written in Spanish, not translated yet to English.
-Totally free on Wattpad platform. https://www.wattpad.com/story/97473466-institute-of-evil-versus-heroes-academy-ievsha
-This entry was written and recommend by @ZardoZ89.

Ownvoices: asexuality

The Tiger’s Watch (Ashes of Gold #1)

By Julia Ember

Publisher’s Description:

Sixteen-year-old Tashi has spent their life training as a inhabitor, a soldier who spies and kills using a bonded animal. When the capital falls after a brutal siege, Tashi flees to a remote monastery to hide. But the invading army turns the monastery into a hospital, and Tashi catches the eye of Xian, the regiment’s fearless young commander.

Tashi spies on Xian’s every move. In front of his men, Xian seems dangerous, even sadistic, but Tashi discovers a more vulnerable side of the enemy commander—a side that draws them to Xian.

When their spying unveils that everything they’ve been taught is a lie, Tashi faces an impossible choice: save their country or the boy they’re growing to love. Though Tashi grapples with their decision, their volatile bonded tiger doesn’t question her allegiances. Katala slaughters Xian’s soldiers, leading the enemy to hunt her. But an inhabitor’s bond to their animal is for life—if Katala dies, so will Tashi.

Genre: Fantasy

Representation:
Gender:
Tashi is genderfluid

Sexual and Romantic Orientation
Tashi is pansexual

Race/Ethnicity:
East Asian

Trigger warning: abuse

Additional Notes: Love triangle with an enemy and best friend. Occasional misgendering, quickly corrected.

The Secrets of Eden

By Brandon Goode

A Cinderella retelling with a black gay protagonist. Eden discovers he has forbidden magical powers, and explores the secrets of his mother’s disappearance as he conducts an affair with the crown prince.

Check out this book and more on our best of list for books with Black characters.

Publisher’s Description:

When Eden discovers he possesses forbidden magic, keeping his affair with the crown prince a secret becomes the least of his worries. Eden has always obeyed the laws of Rolaria. He spends his days teaching children how to read in order to distract him from his mother’s bizarre disappearance. She worked in the castle before suddenly vanishing, and when Eden mistakenly receives an invitation to the Royal Ball, he goes to feel closer to her. That same night, Prince Jared must find a bride. But after an unexpected encounter between Eden and the prince, a relationship begins. After a night with the prince, Eden explores the castle on his own. Lost in the corridors, he stumbles upon a hidden room and finds his mother’s journal, whose pages reveal a lineage of outlawed magic. He soon realizes the castle walls not only hide his romance with Jared but secrets about his mother’s disappearance. In order to unravel the mystery and understand his awakening abilities, Eden must risk exposing his relationship and thwarting Jared’s chances to rule Rolaria. The closer Eden gets to the truth, the closer he finds himself facing the same fate as his mother.

Genre: Fantasy

Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Eden

Sexual Orientation:
Gay/Queer: Eden

Romantic Orientation:
Not mentioned in the book. Presumed to be the same as the characters’ sexual orientation.

Race/Ethnicity:
Black: Eden

Ownvoices: This book is ownvoices for Black and Queer rep

The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #3)

By Rick Riordan

In book three of The Gods of Asgard, Magnus Chase, formerly homeless child of the Norse god Frey and now resident of Valhalla and his friends – hijabi Valkyrie Sam, dwarf Blitz and deaf ASL-signing elf Hearth, and genderfluid Alex – travel to stop the escaped Loki from triggering Ragnarok, the end of the world. Includes a slow burn romance.

One of our Best of Trans Books: “Alex’s gender identity is crucial to the plot, but doesn’t rehash any clichéd narratives about coming out or overcoming oppression; Alex’s gender fluidity saves the day.”

Publisher’s Description: 

“Magnus Chase, a once-homeless teen, is a resident of the Hotel Valhalla and one of Odin’s chosen warriors. As the son of Frey, the god of summer, fertility, and health, Magnus isn’t naturally inclined to fighting. But he has strong and steadfast friends, including Hearthstone the elf, Blitzen the dwarf, and Samirah the Valkyrie, and together they have achieved brave deeds, such as defeating Fenris Wolf and battling giants for Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. Now Magnus and his crew must sail to the farthest borders of Jotunheim and Niflheim in pursuit of Asgard’s greatest threat. Will they succeed in their perilous journey, or is Ragnarok lurking on the horizon?”

Genre: Fantasy

Representation:
Gender:
Cis boy: Magnus Chase
Cis girls: Samirah
Gender fluid: Alex

Sexual and Romantic Orientation
Magnus loves Alex through all genders, and could be described as pansexual
Samirah is straight

Race/Ethnicity:
Samirah is Arab-American

Disability:
Hearthstone is deaf and uses ASL.

Religion:
Samirah is Muslim and wears a hijab

Additional Notes:

Huntress

By Malinda Lo

Kaede and Taisin, both seventeen year old girls, head on a dangerous journey to the city of the Fairy Queen to attempt to save the human realm. Features Chinese influences.

Publisher’s Description: 

“Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn’t shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people’s survival hangs in the balance.

To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls’ destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.

The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo’s highly acclaimed novel Ash is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance.”

Genre: Fantasy

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Kaede, Taisin

Sexual Orientation:
Kaede & Taisin are lesbian/queer.

Romantic Orientation:
Kaede & Taisin are homoromantic

Race/Ethnicity:
Chinese: Kaede, Taisin

The Culling

By Steven Dos Santos

Lucian is forced to compete to join the Imposer task force– an arm of the Establishment, a violent regime. If Lucky fails in any of the increasingly difficult tasks, his four-year-old brother Cole will be brutally murdered. As Lucky tries to keep his brother alive, he ends up falling for fellow recruit Digory Tycho.

Publisher’s Description 

Recruitment Day is here…if you fail, a loved one will die…

For Lucian “Lucky” Spark, Recruitment Day means the Establishment, a totalitarian government, will force him to become one of five Recruits competing to join the ruthless Imposer task force. Each Recruit participates in increasingly difficult and violent military training for a chance to advance to the next level. Those who fail must choose an “Incentive”—a family member—to be brutally killed. If Lucky fails, he’ll have to choose death for his only living relative: Cole, his four-year-old brother.

Lucky will do everything he can to keep his brother alive, even if it means sacrificing the lives of other Recruits’ loved ones. What Lucky isn’t prepared for is his undeniable attraction to the handsome, rebellious Digory Tycho. While Lucky and Digory train together, their relationship grows. But daring to care for another Recruit in a world where love is used as the ultimate weapon is extremely dangerous. As Lucky soon learns, the consequences can be deadly…

Genre: Fantasy

Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Lucky

Sexual Orientation:
Gay/Queer/: Lucky

Romantic Orientation:
Not explicitly labeled.

Race/Ethnicity:
Latinx: Lucky

Additional Notes:

Ownvoices: Queer, Latinx