Traditionally, fantasy fiction has majorly dropped the ball when it comes to representing racially diverse, non-heteronormative, non-male characters — for reasons that are both historical and societal. I have been discussing a lot of fantasy’s failures in regards to race lately, so now that you can’t unsee it, what do you do? Rest easy, because I’m here to spotlight some books I have read recently that are fantastic and feature diverse casts that you should be reading right now.
N.K. Jemisin writes really good fantasy, and you should read it. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is a part of the Inheritance Trilogy, and it is wonderful. Not only does it take place in a multicultural world with fluid sexuality, it is just really well written. Jemisin also manages to avoid the fantasy pitfall of infodumps. She creates her world without ever having to resort to awkward conversations or paragraphs of text describing the world. Her Dreamblood series is similarly inventive. It is fascinating and you really feel like you are sinking into the world she has created. If you are tired of the “special farmer’s kid” having to save the (mostly white) universe and get the girl type of fantasy, Jemison should be at the top of your list.
Alaya Dawn Johnson should also be a priority. She has several series, but I really enjoyed the first book about Zephyr Hollis. 1920s prohibition combined with vampires and magic, interlaced with social justice themes? YES PLEASE. Also, her YA offering, The Summer Prince, takes place in a futuristic matriarchal Brazil. It is definitely mature YA, with themes of sexuality, social class, and the meaning of art.
Let’s say you want to go the dystopian route, which is oh-so-popular right now because of The Hunger Games and Divergent. Check out Orleans, by Sherri L Smith. Orleans is about a future where the Gulf Coast has been hit with a string of hurricanes that leaves it devastated and riddled with disease. The rest of the US abandons the area behind a wall, and leaves the survivors to fend for themselves. This book is actually reflective of the diversity of New Orleans (isn’t it a bummer when a setting that should be diverse is totally whitewashed?). It is dark and interesting, and I loved Fen, the main character. This book will break your heart in the best way. (Also, check out Flygirl by the same author. It’s not sci-fi/fantasy, but it is worth your time.)
What about Malinda Lo’s retelling of Cinderella, where Cinderella falls for the huntress instead of the Prince? She also wrote Adaption, which starts when birds start falling from the sky in huge numbers and disrupting the world. If you want something a little more typical fantasy, you should check out Huntress, which centres around two young women who have to go to the Fairy Queen’s court to save their world. All three of these books are fun reads, and they definitely provide a counter to the mostly-heterosexual white romance of YA.
Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed must be mentioned in this list. It is inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, and it is written so well. One of the things I loved about it was seeing a different perspective from the narrative itself. I am used to seeing Eurocentric fantasy, and I think it is important to realize that is a narrow (and mostly white) view of magic.
If you are looking for more suggestions, check out some of these books:
The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima is the start of a four-book series that shows how great YA and high fantasy can be when mixed together.
Kate Elliot’s Spiritwalker trilogy takes place in a steampunk world that is populated almost entirely by people of color. Although the first one (Cold Magic) can be a little slow to start with, it is an excellent series well worth your time with a bonus handsome male lead (somewhat reminiscent of Mr. Darcy).
Partials, by Dan Wells, is another futuristic world, but this one actually reflects how diverse the world would be in 2076. It is also action-packed and has robots.
Tamora Pierce has done a great job with her fantasy, but her Beka Cooper series (especially Mastiff) is where she shows how much she has grown as an author. Pierce has always worked to produce diverse fantasy that the YA genre needs.
Libba Bray’s The Diviners is another immediate must-read, for the 1920s setting, eerie atmosphere, and amazing characters. This is a book I had to finish with the light on because it, quite frankly, CREEPED ME OUT.
Melina Marchetta’s Finnikin of the Rock is another YA fantasy series that deals with some serious issues, and really focuses on female agency and what that means.
Finally, Cassandra Rose Clarke’s Assassin’s Curse duology offers diverse settings and characters, and is full of action, believable romance, and pirates!
There are so many more I could list here, but I think this is a great place to start. The best thing about this list is that these books are different, exciting, and fun to read… on top of their basic avoidance of the rampant whitewashing that plagues the genre so. Isn’t it boring reading the same type of fantasy over and over again? Aren’t you tired of the same setting just with slightly different characters and a different pale spunky redheaded heroine? Don’t you want MORE? Well, this is a good place to start. GO FORTH AND ENJOY!
What have you been reading that deserves to be on this list? I could always add more books to my to-read list.
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