Spotlight: Queer Books by Asian Authors Releasing in 2022

Supporting Asian stories has been a constant activity on this blog. For Pride Month, I bring to you the queer Asian stories that released in 2022! We’ve got a pretty great line up!!

*Please note if I’ve missed out on any of the releases, let me know about them!

Café Con Lychee by Emery Lee

—Tells the story of Theo Mori and Gabi Moreno, two high schoolers with a complicated relationship and a fair amount of bad blood between them. But eventually, they have to set their rivalry aside when a trendy gentrifier cafe comes to town and starts stealing business from their family’s cafes. 

—gay Chinese-Japanese & Puerto Rican MCs

—Rivals to lovers with food, I’m sold

Flip the Script by Lyla Lee

—Romance is everywhere in this swoony, joy-filled novel, with fake dating, a secret relationship, and a classic love triangle! Visit South Korea as Hana takes readers through popular spots and hidden gems.

—all Korean cast, bi MC, lesbian li

—As a k-drama lover I really need to read this and digest my dose of cute sapphics

A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar

—A thief. An artist. A acrobat. An actress. A Million to One gives Titanic an Ocean’s 8 makeover in a heist for a treasure aboard the infamous ship that sank in the Atlantic many years ago.

—sapphic protagonists, Bangladeshi Muslim author

—I mean, I’d read anything by Adiba Jaigirdar but she’s giving me sapphic heist on Titanic!!

The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri

—Their chosen paths once pulled them apart. But Malini and Priya’s souls remain as entwined as their destinies. And they soon realize that coming together is the only way to save their kingdom from those who would rather see it burn—even if it will cost them.

—lesbian MCs, Indian cast & setting

—The Jasmine Throne was my favourite book last year so naturally I’m really looking forward to this sequel! (The cover you guysssss!!)

If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So

—In a summer of repairing broken connections and building surprising new ones, Elsie realises that she isn’t nearly as alone as she thought. But now she has a choice to make…

—Chinese characters; queer rep includes bisexual, lesbian, gay, asexual, non-binary, questioning

—Recently finished this book and oh it’s so thoughtful and beautifully crafted. Definitely a favourite

The Loophole by Naz Kutub

—With a focus on identity, found family, and friendship, follows a queer Indian-Muslim boy travelling the world for a second chance at love after a possibly magical heiress grants him three wishes.

—queer Indian-Muslim MC

—How colourful is the cover? As always, I’m all in for South Asian stories

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

—A stunning debut from a powerful new voice, Kaikeyi is a tale of fate, family, courage, and heartbreak—of an extraordinary woman determined to leave her mark in a world where gods and men dictate the shape of things to come.

—Aro-ace protagonist, Indian mythology inspired

—Truly a fabulous reimagining that’s been written with exquisite detail and characterisation!!!

Deep in Providence by Riss M Neilson

—A spellbinding young adult fantasy debut following three best friends who turn to magic when they’re haunted by a friend’s death…and perhaps her spirit.

—bisexual MC, queer Black, Filipino characters

—This contemporary fantasy is a must read! Very emotional writing that blends with thought provoking themes and deep rooted friendships

Dauntless by Elisa A Bonnin

—A teen girl must bring together two broken worlds in order to save her nation in this lush, Filipino-inspired young adult fantasy debut novel.

—Filipino sapphics

—Epic battles, star-crossed lovers, south-east Asian sapphics

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

—Siren Queen offers up an enthralling exploration of an outsider achieving stardom on her own terms, in a fantastical Hollywood where the monsters are real and the magic of the silver screen illuminates every page.

—Chinese-American characters, lesbian mc

—Nghi Vo’s writing style is unlike any I’ve read and this take on Old Hollywood already sounds fabulous

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

—In the first book of a visionary fantasy trilogy with its roots in the mythology of Africa and Arabia, three women band together against a cruel empire that divides people by blood.

—Afro/Arab inspired, bi/pan mc,

—Epic adult fantasy with tournaments and f/f friends to lovers!!

The Chandler Legacies by Abdi Nazemian

—A novel about the enclosed world of privilege and silence at an elite boarding school and the unlikely group of friends who dare challenge the status quo through their writing.

—gay Iranian protagonist

—Boarding school stories always intrigue me and with a blurb like that I’m definitely reading this soon!

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

—Ocean’s Eleven meets The Farewell in Portrait of a Thief, a lush, lyrical heist novel inspired by the true story of Chinese art vanishing from Western museums; about diaspora, the colonization of art, and the complexity of the Chinese American identity.

—Chinese American lesbian and bi MCs

—Portrayal of diaspora kids in this book is so well done

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

—Both a sweeping adventure story and an intimate exploration of identity, legacy, and belonging, The Spear Cuts Through Water is an ambitious and profound saga that will transport and transform you—and is like nothing you’ve ever read before.

—mlm rep, Filipino culture inspired

—I am SO eager to read this you guys have no idea, it sounds brilliant

Beauty and the Besharam by Lillie Vale

—In which Kavya, an Indian-American teen learns to break down her walls and allow love in for the first time with the last guy she expected, her rival Ian.

—bi Indian American MC and side character

—Gender swapped beauty and the beast with a desi protagonist yes sign me up

Zachary Ying & the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao

—A middle grade contemporary fantasy that follows a young boy as he journeys across China to seal the underworld shut and save the mortal realm.

—Chinese characters & setting, gay MC

—Maybe this book is a sign to pick up MG again

Meet Me in Mumbai by Sabina Khan

—A novel in two acts—told eighteen years apart—gives voice to both mother (Ayesha) and daughter (Mira) after an unplanned teen pregnancy led Ayesha to place Mira up for adoption.

—Indian American characters, f/f relationship

—Physically impossible for me to not read a book with a cover like this one

The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia

—In this intricate debut fantasy introducing a queernormative Persian-inspired world, a nonbinary refugee practitioner of blood magic discovers a strange disease that causes political rifts in their new homeland.

—Persian inspired; non-binary, trans, aro-ace characters

—Blood magic and refugees yesssss

Fiona & Jane by Jean Chen Ho

—A witty, warm, and irreverent book that traces the lives of two young Taiwanese American women as they navigate friendship, sexuality, identity, and heartbreak over two decades.

—Asian-American queers

—From that description, this sounds very emotional

Drizzle, Dreams and Lovestruck Things by Maya Prasad

—Four sisters, four seasons, four flavors of romance.

—desi characters, sapphic couple, bi father

—A story of four desi sisters, why is this not in my hands already?

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

—First book in a captivating new duology following an ill-matched pair of spies posing as a married couple to investigate a series of brutal murders in 1930s Shanghai.

—Chinese, demi, bi, aro-ace, trans characters

—Marriage of convenience is my favourite trope I’m just saying

A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo

—Malinda Lo returns to the Bay Area with another masterful coming-of-queer-age story, this time set against the backdrop of the first major Supreme Court decisions legalizing gay marriage. 

—Chinese-American bi MC

—coming of age stories in historical settings are my new favourite thing maybe

The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman

—Magic, a prized resource, is the only thing between peace and war. When magic runs out, four estranged royal siblings must find a new source before their country is swallowed by invading forces. The first in an Indian-inspired duology.

—gay MC

—Read this for the great worlbuilding!!

Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller by Meredith Ireland

—Today Tonight Tomorrow meets A Pho Love Story in this whip-smart young adult novel about a girl who embarks on a road trip with her longtime rival to win back her best friend and his girlfriend.

—Korean-American demisexual MC

—One line: rivals to lovers on a road trip

The Sevenfold Hunters by Rose Egal

—Sci-fi fans will love this genre-bending debut full of cutthroat school politics and the speculative intrigue of alien contact.

—Muslim Somali and Black bisexual protagonists

—Did someone say Black girls hunting vampires in a sci-fi setting…..

The Circus Infinite by Khan Wong

—A queer space fantasy where the hero finds a new family in an intergalactic circus and comes up against a crime boss who threatens their lives and livelihood

—Ace MC, Asian author

—Three things: found family, space, circus

Messy Roots by Laura Gao

—In Messy Roots, Laura illustrates her coming-of-age as the girl who simply wants to make the basketball team, escape Chinese school, and figure out why girls make her heart flutter.

—queer Chinese-American MC

—I fee like this graphic novel is going to reflect a lot of us

Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min

—A “dizzying, sexy, and utterly heartfelt” love letter to internet friendships, anime, and indie rock.

—Biracial Filipino adopted pansexual MC, Korean-Japanese achillean trans male MC, queer and BIPOC side characters.

—I hear this is best friends to lovers and queer and emotionally nuanced

Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow

—I Killed Zoe Spanos meets The Cheerleaders in this haunting mystery about an island town with a history of unsolved deaths—and a girl desperate to uncover the mystery behind it all.

—Black biracial lesbian MC, biracial Filipino American sapphic li

—I’m a sucker for small town murder mysteries

Nikhi Out Loud by Maulik Pancholy

—A new middle grade novel about a gay Indian American boy, the voice actor of a hit animated series, who learns the power of using his own voice after his family moves to a small town in Ohio.

—gay Indian-American MC

—This year’s MG is definitely an interesting package

Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo

—Wandering cleric Chih of the Singing Hills travels to the riverlands to record tales of the notorious near-immortal martial artists who haunt the region. On the road to Betony Docks, they fall in with a pair of young women far from home, and an older couple who are more than they seem.

—Southeast Asian inspired, non-binary MC

—The plot twists in this series left me shook and I admire how the worldbuilding and different themes are packed into novellas

Can’t Resist Her by Kianna Alexander

—Two very determined women—in love, at odds, and risking a lot on a second chance.

—Black lesbian MC, biracial(Black, Japanese) lesbian MC

—How cute is the cover!!!

Godslayers by Zoe Hana Mikuta

—Godslayers–Zoe Hana Mikuta’s high-octane sequel to Gearbreakers–is perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu’s Legend series.

—lesbian and bi Korean protagonists

—Cover art for this duology is on point