Fantasy World based on a non-western country

Girls of Paper and Fire (Girls of Paper and Fire #1)

By Natasha Ngan

Each year, eight beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It’s the highest honor they could hope for…and the most demeaning. This year, there’s a ninth. And instead of paper, she’s made of fire.

In this richly developed fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most persecuted class of people in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards for an unknown fate still haunts her. Now, the guards are back and this time it’s Lei they’re after — the girl with the golden eyes whose rumored beauty has piqued the king’s interest.

Over weeks of training in the opulent but oppressive palace, Lei and eight other girls learns the skills and charm that befit a king’s consort. There, she does the unthinkable — she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens her world’s entire way of life. Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide how far she’s willing to go for justice and revenge.

Representation: Asian lesbian MC.

Ownvoices: for Asian and queer representation.

The Heart Forger (The Bone Witch #2)

By Rin Chupeco

No one knows death like Tea. A bone witch who can resurrect the dead, she has the power to take life…and return it. And she is done with her self-imposed exile. Her heart is set on vengeance, and she now possesses all she needs to command the mighty daeva. With the help of these terrifying beasts, she can finally enact revenge against the royals who wronged her―and took the life of her one true love.

But there are those who plot against her, those who would use Tea’s dark power for their own nefarious ends. Because you can’t kill someone who can never die…

War is brewing among the kingdoms, and when dark magic is at play, no one is safe.

Representation: gay and lesbian characters.

Ownvoices: Filipino representation.

For a Muse of Fire (Shadow Players #1)

By Heidi Heilig

A young woman with a dangerous power she barely understands. A smuggler with secrets of his own. A country torn between a merciless colonial army, a terrifying tyrant, and a feared rebel leader.

Jetta’s family is famed as the most talented troupe of shadow players in the land. With Jetta behind the scrim, their puppets seem to move without string or stick—a trade secret, they say. In truth, Jetta can see the souls of the recently departed and bind them to the puppets with her blood. But ever since the colonizing army conquered their country, the old ways are forbidden. Jetta must never show, never tell. Her skill and fame are her family’s way to earn a spot aboard the royal ship to Aquitan, where shadow plays are the latest rage, and where rumor has it the Mad King has a spring that cures his ills. Because seeing spirits is not the only thing that plagues Jetta. But as rebellion seethes and as Jetta meets a young smuggler, she will face truths and decisions that she never imagined—and safety will never seem so far away.

Representation: Jetta is bi or pansexual.

Ownvoices: biracial and bipolar representation.

Girls of Storm and Shadow (Girls of Paper and Fire #2)

By Natasha Ngan

In this sequel to Girls of Paper and Fire, Lei and Wren have escaped their oppressive lives in the Hidden Palace, but soon learn that freedom comes with a terrible cost.

Lei, the naive country girl who became a royal courtesan, is now known as the Moonchosen, the commoner who managed to do what no one else could. But slaying the cruel Demon King wasn’t the end of the plan—it’s just the beginning. Now Lei and her warrior love Wren must travel the kingdom to gain support from the far-flung rebel clans. The journey is made even more treacherous thanks to a heavy bounty on Lei’s head, as well as insidious doubts that threaten to tear Lei and Wren apart from within.

Meanwhile, an evil plot to eliminate the rebel uprising is taking shape, fueled by dark magic and vengeance. Will Lei succeed in her quest to overthrow the monarchy and protect her love for Wren, or will she fall victim to the sinister magic that seeks to destroy her?

Representation: all Asian characters; lesbian MCs; side characters in m/m relationships.

Ownvoices: Asian representation.

The Hand, the Eye and the Heart

By Zoë Marriott

Zhilan was assigned female at birth; despite an unusual gift for illusions, they know they will live out their life in the perfumed confines of the women’s quarters. But when civil war sets the country aflame, Zhilan is the only one who can save their disabled Father from death on the battlefield.

By taking his place.

Surviving brutal army training as a male recruit – Zhi – is only the first challenge. Soon Zhi’s unique talents draw them into an even more perilous fight, in the glittering court of the Land of Dragons, where love and betrayal are two sides of the same smile. The fate of an Empire rests on Zhi’s shoulders. But to win, they must first decide where their loyalty, and their heart, truly belongs.

Representation: nonbinary MC.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn

By Melissa Bashardoust

There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story.

As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison.

Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming…human or demon. Princess or monster.

Representation: Persian-coded cast; bi or pansexual MC; sapphic love interest.

Stealing Thunder

By Alina Boyden

In a different life, under a different name, Razia Khan was raised to be the Crown Prince of Nizam, the most powerful kingdom in Daryastan. Born with the soul of a woman, she ran away at a young age to escape her father’s hatred and live life true to herself.

Amongst the hijras of Bikampur, Razia finds sisterhood and discovers a new purpose in life. By day she’s one of her dera’s finest dancers, and by night its most profitable thief. But when her latest target leads her to cross paths with Arjun Agnivansha, Prince of Bikampur, it is she who has something stolen.

An immediate connection with the prince changes Razia’s life forever, and she finds herself embroiled in a dangerous political war. The stakes are greater than any heist she’s ever performed. When the battle brings her face to face with her father, Razia has the chance to reclaim everything she lost…and save her prince.

Representation: trans MC; South Asian cast.

Ownvoices: trans representation.

Avatar, The Last Airbender: The Rise of Kyoshi (The Kyoshi Novels #1)

By F. C. Yee

The longest-living Avatar in this beloved world’s history, Kyoshi established the brave and respected Kyoshi Warriors, but also founded the secretive Dai Li, which led to the corruption, decline, and fall of her own nation. The first of two novels based on Kyoshi, The Rise of Kyoshi maps her journey from a girl of humble origins to the merciless pursuer of justice who is still feared and admired centuries after she became the Avatar.

Representation: bisexual MC; f/f relationship.

Ownvoices: Asian representation.

Infernal Providence: Heir of Destruction

By J Armand

The fifth book in The Immortal Coil series is here! Jump back into the apocalyptic adventure with Dorian and his allies as they take on the first of the Infernal Kings in this hellish epic. Who will be left to pick up the pieces when the flames of war are extinguished and can Earth’s forces rebuild a better, more inclusive world for the future of humanity?

Publisher’s Description:
The inevitable has arrived. Civilizations across the globe have begun to collapse under the insurmountable pressure exerted by the invasions from Hell, and there is no going back. All attempts to staunch the hemorrhaging of mortal lives have produced anemic results at best. As populations and resources are depleted in a steady downward spiral, the skeletal remains of governments worldwide close their borders and abandon international aid treaties in favor of riding out the storm alone in their own dark corners.

While humanity trembles and death tolls soar, the gods and their supernatural allies continue fighting to stymie the ever-advancing Infernal hordes. Each divinity has staked their claim in certain locations to foster relations with the survivors there, be it a modest abbey or multinational empire. Dorian, the Ascended One, and his Alabaster Order have fought without pause for months to tip the delicate balance of peace and chaos ever so slightly in their favor, but it is Dorian’s champion, Nathaniel, who has made the greatest impact on both sides. Known throughout the world as a bringer of hope to the innocent and a foe to demons rivaling the gods themselves, Nathaniel has thrived under his master’s tutelage.

But as the already frenetic pace of demonic invasions accelerates further, no amount of hope or divine might will prepare Earth’s forces for what is about to blow the doors off on its way to total domination.

Genre: science fiction/fantasy

Representation:

Gender:
Cis girls: [many] incl. Marianna, Isis, Kamakura, Aífe, Aurelia, Sierra, Minerva
Cis boys: [many] incl. Dorian, Nathaniel, Noah, Lyle, Gianluca, Calder, Octavio

Sexuality:
Gay: Dorian, Gianluca
Bisexual: Noah
Heterosexual: Lyle, Calder, Aífe, Rebecca, Sierra

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Dorian/Noah
Heteroromantic: Lyle, Rebecca

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Dorian, Lyle, Noah, Aurelia, Aífe, Calder
Black: Isis, Monique
Latinx: Sierra
East Asian: Empress Kamakura & Guardian Spirits
Multiracial: Liam, many [most of the Alabaster Order]
Middle Eastern/North African: Samir

Disability: Mental illness [anxiety disorder], Physical [missing limb]

Location: Greece, India, Italy, China, Japan, Iceland, Greenland

Trigger Warnings: violence/death for action media, very minor reference to alcohol abuse]

Additional Notes: Many religions, sexualities, and genders not listed if not plot-relevant, specifically referenced, or yet to be revealed.

Ownvoices: Gay male, anxiety disorder

Ending: Happy ending

Cucumber Quest

By Gigi D.G.

Dark times have fallen on the Doughnut Kingdom, the usurper Queen Cordelia has summoned the Nightmare Knight and a legendary hero is needed. Cucumber would much rather be studying magic than fighting evil, but with his sister and new found friends by his side maybe they can defeat the Nightmare Knight and restore order to their kingdom.

Publisher’s Description:

The same old story.

An ancient evil resurrected, a world of dreams in peril . . . you know how it goes. What we need is a legendary hero, but what we’ve got is Cucumber, a boy who’s better suited to studying than monster-slaying. He’s just been accepted to the school of his dreams, but because his dad thinks his dreams are kind of lame, it’s up to him and his much more heroic sister, Almond, to save the world . . . even if that may be a little more complicated than they think.

Genre: Fantasy, middle grade, comic

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Almond, Peridot, “Queen” Cordelia, Princess Parfait, Princess Nautilus
Cis boys: Cucumber, Sir Carrot
Trans girls: Rosemaster

Sexuality:
Heterosexual: Princess Parfait, Sir Carrot, Princess Nautilus¸ Cucumber
Not Mentioned: “Queen” Cordelia, Rosemaster, Almond, Peridot (Almond and Peridot do like each other however)

Romantic Orientation:
Not mentioned in the book.

Race/Ethnicity:
All characters are anthropomorphic animals, mostly rabbits.

Location: Mystical Kingdom

Trigger Warnings: Mild violence and bullying.

Additional Notes: This is an ongoing webcomic, check it out here: http://cucumber.gigidigi.com/cq/page-1/

Ending: Comic is ongoing.