Published in 2015, this novella shares a universe with a later novella A Taste of Honey in addition to other stories (all epic fantasies) by Wilson. To keep his captain and their traveling brothers alive, the protagonist Demane must use more of his wild powers that make him less and less human and more and more godlike. Two demi-gods (the Sorcerer and the Captain) travel with their caravan on a deadly trek between an oasis and the southern kingdom. I can’t say much more than that without getting into spoilers (which happened to me!) This trilogy is followed by The Dragon Republic and concludes with The Burning God.
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Like many popular fantasy writers, Kuang uses heavy historical influences to tell her story including the Opium Wars and the Chinese Revolution. All of the trigger warnings apply because this book is about war and power. Also, it may cost her her humanity as she grapples with controlling these spirits.ĭespite the fact that the main character Rin is that young adult age a lot of YA protagonist tend to be, doesn’t make this YA. This is something that might come in handy because while her country is at peace, a Third Poppy War is on the horizon and everyone knows it. Overly practical and extremely determined, Rin finds herself a mentor to help her get through the academy and between him, and psychoactive substances, she learns she has the power to wield the gods’ might. At every step of the way, she is deemed unworthy because of her gender, color, and social class with many accusing her of cheating on the test to get in. This book follows an orphan child named Rin and the events following her against-all-odds acceptance of an elite military school. But at least it inspired the creation of this list.Īnyway, on to the recs! Here are some fantastically epic books by authors of color that everyone should be reading: However, that is not the conversation the original Twitter poster appeared to be trying and have. There is a critique to be had about the lack of acquisitions, marketing/support, adaptations, etc of work by authors of color of ANY genre. Even then, this recognition usually isn’t up to par. I say this to further drive home the point that authors of color have long existed in the epic fantasy space, but are only as of late being recognized and properly celebrated. While I didn’t necessarily set out looking for the crème de la crème, many of these titles are already decorated with awards and honors. Jemison all have heavy fantasy elements, but are often considered under more science fiction or dystopian categories. Alex Brown ? (they/them) October 12, 2021Īny returning readers might feel like I’m preaching to the choir considering how we often share science fiction and fantasy titles (many of which are by POC and considered epic), but there is always more room for more books! In compiling this list, I found that upon further examination that the greats like Octavia Bulter, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and N.K. The books are out there at this point if you can’t find them it’s because you’re choosing not to look. Or visit your local library or indie bookstore. If you want recs, ask! Or put it into a search engine. I think the author (among their many talents) Alex Brown put it best here: A lot (though still not enough) has changed in the last 100 years of fantasy writing, even within each subgenre. Secondly, when they state that fantasies tend to be epic, I’m lost? That is a subgenre, and while it’s a popular one, so is historical fantasy, magical realism (which is very big in Latinx literature and has been for a very long time), and many other fantastical modes of storytelling. While many try and call it a genre, like YA, adult, middle grade, etc., it isn’t. Sometimes I see people explain it as characters of that age which is strange, but okay. New Adult is a marketing term trying to capture an audience of 18-ish to 30. There is a lot to unpack, but let’s hit a few points and move on to the reason you are here (for some recommendations). With the emergence of New Adult genre, we should get more (concise) adult fantasy, with inclusion and diversity. So, as he was contemplating about what he should do next, another adventurer called out to him.A little over a week ago, a screenshot was making the rounds on book Twitter of a seemingly well-meaning person who said this:Īdult fantasy tends to be epic fantasy, which tends to be bogged down with huge blocks of descriptions and meandering off topic (And written by old white men.) However, for Loren who had no acquaintances and nothing but an empty pocket on him, receiving a single quest seemed like a faraway aim.
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After the soldiers’ mercenary group where he used to work had been utterly destroyed, Loren, who survived the disaster, decided to walk the adventurer’s path as a way to make a living.