Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Magic Has No Borders

Magic Has No Borders       
By Sona Charaiportra
HarperTeen, 2023. 338 pages. Young Adult Fiction

From chudails and peris to jinn and goddesses, this lush collection of South Asian folklore, legends, and epics reimagines stories of old for a modern audience. This fantasy and science fiction teen anthology edited by Samira Ahmed and Sona Charaipotra contains a wide range of stories from fourteen bestselling, award-winning, and emerging writers from the South Asian diaspora that will surprise, delight, and move you. So read on, for after all, magic has no borders.

I always love finding books that give more people opportunities to see themselves in stories. The premise of this collection is that it provides updated versions of tales that are familiar to South Asian cultures. Even though the legends and characters were new to me, I enjoyed that I found themes common to my usual fairytales. Each story was unique, and I was amazed at how each authors voice came through distinctly. This is an obvious recommendation for anyone who grew up devouring books about mythology. I would also suggest it to anyone who wants to revitalize their imagination. It was delightful to see how these stories sunk into my subconscious and influenced my dreams.


If you like Magic Has No Borders, you might also like: 


By Zoraida Cordova
Wednesday Books, 2022. 417 pages. Fiction

From stories that take you to the stars, to stories that span into other times and realms, to stories set in the magical now, Reclaim the Stars takes the Latin American diaspora to places fantastical and out of this world.
Follow princesses warring in space, haunting ghost stories in Argentina, mermaids off the coast of the Caribbean, swamps that whisper secrets, and many more realms explored and unexplored; this stunning collection of seventeen short stories breaks borders and realms to prove that stories are truly universal.


Transmogrify: 14 fantastical tales of trans magic

By Haron G. Davis

HarperTeen, 2023. 400 pages. Young Adult Fiction


Perfect for fans of All Out and Cemetery Boys, this anthology claims a seat at the table of fantasy literature for trans and gender nonconforming stories. Transness is as varied and colorful as magic can be. In Transmogrify!, you'll embark on fourteen different adventures alongside unforgettable characters who embody many different genders and expressions and experiences--because magic is for everyone, and that is cause for celebration.




A Thousand Beginnings and Endings: 15 retellings of Asian myths and legends

By Ellen Oh

Greenwillow Books, 2018. 328 pages. Young Adult Fiction


Star-crossed lovers, meddling immortals, feigned identities, battles of wits, and dire warnings: these are the stuff of fairy tale, myth, and folklore that have drawn us in for centuries. Sixteen bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate. A mountain loses her heart. Two sisters transform into birds to escape captivity. A young man learns the true meaning of sacrifice. A young woman takes up her mother's mantle and leads the dead to their final resting place. From fantasy to science fiction to contemporary, from romance to tales of revenge, these stories will beguile readers from start to finish.


KJ

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