Books like 'Bestiary'
Readers who enjoyed Bestiary by K-Ming Chang also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary fantasy supernatural magical-realism lgbtq literary-fiction wlw myths poc-mc family
-
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsAfter her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.A flying demon feeding on human energies... -
![Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson]()
Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsThe award-winning poet Anne Carson reinvents a genre in Autobiography of Red, a stunning work that is both a novel and a poem, both an unconventional re-creation of an ancient Greek myth and a wholly original coming-of-age story set in the present...Categorized as:
coming-of-age historical-fiction lgbtq literary-fiction magical-realism myths poc-mc retellings -
![Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn]()
Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe powerful sequel to the instant New York Times bestselling and award-winning Legendborn—perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare and Margaret Rogerson!The shadows have risen, and the line is law. All Bree wanted was to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death. So she infiltrated the Legendborn Order, a secret society descended from King Arthur’s knights—only to discover her own ancestral power... -
![Trickster Drift by Eden Robinson]()
Trickster Drift by Eden Robinson
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFollowing the Scotiabank Giller Prize-shortlisted Son of a Trickster comes Trickster Drift, the second book in Eden Robinson's captivating Trickster trilogy.In an effort to keep all forms of magic at bay, Jared, 17, has quit drugs and drinking. But his troubles are not over: now he's being stalked by David, his mom's ex--a preppy, khaki-wearing psycho with a proclivity for rib-breaking...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family lgbtq literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism myths poc-mc -
-
![Chew the Bullet by Martha Carr, Michael Anderle]()
Chew the Bullet by Martha Carr, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIdina Moorfield isn’t the only one on her team with unusual powers.Her buddy, Stop remembers everything he sees, and Cake is a new kind of man of steel.That’s the last two, which means everyone in Idina’s unit has a unique talent.Why would the Army want to bring them all together?Her commander, Hines is still refusing to answer her questions...Categorized as:
coming-of-age low-fantasy magical-realism myths retellings action-adventure book contemporary -
![Chaos and Gunfire by Martha Carr, Michael Anderle]()
Chaos and Gunfire by Martha Carr, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIdina Moorfield is a new kind of magical with a dark and twisty lineage.Any other combat engineer in the 82nd Airborne Division would be proud of how far Idina's come, but the visions and voices in her mind are only getting worse.When it affects her work, Idina gets transferred to a new unit—a unit of misfits with their own problems...Categorized as:
coming-of-age low-fantasy magical-realism myths retellings action-adventure book contemporary -
![The Oversoul Seven Trilogy: The Education of Oversoul Seven, The Further Education of Oversoul Seven, Oversoul Seven and the Museum of Time by Jane Roberts, Robert F. Butts]()
The Oversoul Seven Trilogy: The Education of Oversoul Seven, The Further Education of Oversoul Seven, Oversoul Seven and the Museum of Time by Jane Roberts, Robert F. Butts
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJane Roberts has contributed to The Oversoul Seven Trilogy as an author.Roberts was considered one of the most important psychics of the twentieth century...Categorized as:
literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism adult anthologies contemporary fiction philosophy -
![The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies]()
The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThe complete volume of Robertson Davies's acclaimed trilogy, featuring Fifth Business, The Manticore, and World of Wonders, with a new foreword by Kelly Link Fifth Business Ramsay is a man twice born, a man who has returned from the hell of the battle-grave at Passchendaele in World War I decorated with the Victoria Cross and destined to be caught in a no man's land where memory, history, and... -
![Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown]()
Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsEcho Brown is a wizard from the East Side, where apartments are small and parents suffer addictions to the white rocks. Yet there is magic . . . everywhere. New portals begin to open when Echo transfers to the rich school on the West Side, and an insightful teacher becomes a pivotal mentor...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family historical-fiction lgbtq literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism poc-mc -
![We Can Be Heroes by Kyrie McCauley]()
We Can Be Heroes by Kyrie McCauley
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsKyrie McCauley, author of If These Wings Could Fly, delivers a powerful contemporary YA novel about a trio of girls fighting for each other in the aftermath of a school shooting and the lasting bonds of friendship. Perfect for fans of Laura Ruby and Mindy McGinnis... -
![When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller]()
When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSome stories refuse to stay bottled up...When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, a magical tiger straight out of her halmoni's Korean folktales arrives, prompting Lily to unravel a secret family history. Long, long ago, Halmoni stole something from the tigers. Now, the tigers want it back... -
![Imagineer by Honor Raconteur]()
Imagineer by Honor Raconteur
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsImagination has no limit… Our Heroine: Me. And boy, are we all in trouble. A seventeen-year-old with a love of fantasy and unmanageable hair? Hardly anyone’s idea of the knight in shining armor. I went about life with no idea the world around me was not as it seemed, until one dark night I saw glimpses of things I knew shouldn’t exist...Categorized as:
coming-of-age low-fantasy magical-realism myths retellings action-adventure book contemporary -
![Every Gift a Curse by Caroline O'Donoghue]()
Every Gift a Curse by Caroline O'Donoghue
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA spellbinding supernatural teen drama and final book in the Gifts series from a New York Times bestselling author.With the return of the Housekeeper on the cards, Maeve must find out everything she can about the vengeful tarot spirit in order to finally defeat her...Categorized as:
lgbtq romantic-love wlw magical-realism coming-of-age low-fantasy fantasy young-adult -
![This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron]()
This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsDarkness blooms in bestselling author Kalynn Bayron's new contemporary fantasy about a girl with a unique and deadly power.Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch.When Briseis's aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer... -
-
![Philippa Fisher And The Fairy's Promise by Liz Kessler]()
Philippa Fisher And The Fairy's Promise by Liz Kessler
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsPhilippa is looking forward to spending New Year in the village where her new friend Robyn lives... -
![A Very Declan Christmas by Maggie Stiefvater]()
A Very Declan Christmas by Maggie Stiefvater
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratings"I’ve done a holiday short for the last few years. Here’s another one from the Raven Cycle universe... -
![A Trip to the Stars by Nicholas Christopher]()
A Trip to the Stars by Nicholas Christopher
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA young boy and his adopted aunt become separated when the youngster is kidnapped by his wealthy, eccentric great-uncle, but mysterious ties continue to link the two unknowingly over the fifteen-year separation... -
![Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B.B. Alston]()
Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B.B. Alston
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe highly anticipated third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Supernatural Investigations series that began with Amari and the Night Brothers! Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Nevermoor.War has come to the supernatural world, and Amari’s two worst enemies are leading the charge... -
![Soul Stone Mage Complete Collection Boxed Set by Sarah Noffke, Martha Carr]()
Soul Stone Mage Complete Collection Boxed Set by Sarah Noffke, Martha Carr
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“Magic could be the very death of you…or it could be what saves the world.” In the Kingdom of Virgo, witches and wizards have lived peacefully for thousands of years. On the other side of the Dark Forest resides the Land of Terran. The humans of Terran treat those from Virgo as second-class citizens, disgracing and trapping them at every turn...Categorized as:
coming-of-age low-fantasy magical-realism myths retellings action-adventure book contemporary -
![Three Scenarios In Which Hana Sasaki Grows A Tail by Kelly Luce]()
Three Scenarios In Which Hana Sasaki Grows A Tail by Kelly Luce
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThree Scenarios in Which Hana Sasaki Grows a Tail is a debut collection of stories from Kelly Luce. Hana Sasaki will introduce you to many things—among them, an oracular toaster, a woman who grows a tail, and an extraordinary sex-change operation. Set in Japan, these stories tip into the fantastical, plumb the power of memory, and measure the human capacity to love...Categorized as:
literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism adult anthologies contemporary dark fiction -
![Sheine Lende by Darcie Little Badger]()
Sheine Lende by Darcie Little Badger
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDarcie Little Badger's Elatsoe launched her career and in the years since has become a beloved favorite. This prequel to Elatsoe, centered on Ellie's grandmother, deepens and expands Darcie's one-of-a-kind world and introduces us to another cast of characters that will wend their way around readers' hearts... -
![Mama Day by Gloria Naylor]()
Mama Day by Gloria Naylor
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsA fascinating novel that reworks elements of Shakespeare's The Tempest. On the island of Willow Springs, off the Georgia coast, the powers of healer Mama Day are tested by her great niece, Cocoa, a stubbornly emancipated woman endangered by the island's darker forces...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family historical-fiction literary-fiction magical-realism myths poc-mc retellings -
![Return of the Trickster by Eden Robinson]()
Return of the Trickster by Eden Robinson
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe third and final book of the brilliant and captivating Trickster Trilogy, from the bestselling author of the Scotiabank Giller-prize finalist Son of a Trickster and Trickster Drift...Categorized as:
coming-of-age literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism myths poc-mc retellings audiobook -
![House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland]()
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 63 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Iris Hollow has always been strange. Something happened to her and her two older sisters when they were children, something they can’t quite remember but that left each of them with an identical half-moon scar at the base of their throats. Iris has spent most of her teenage years trying to avoid the weirdness that sticks to her like tar... -
-
![Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi]()
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsAn extraordinary debut novel, Freshwater explores the surreal experience of having a fractured self. It centers around a young Nigerian woman, Ada, who develops separate selves within her as a result of being born "with one foot on the other side...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family lgbtq literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism myths poc-mc -
![Flames by Robbie Arnott]()
Flames by Robbie Arnott
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsA young man named Levi McAllister decides to build a coffin for his twenty-three-year-old sister, Charlotte—who promptly runs for her life. A water rat swims upriver in quest of the cloud god. A fisherman named Karl hunts for tuna in partnership with a seal. And a father takes form from fire...Categorized as:
family lgbtq literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism 21st-century adult animals -
![Never Have I Ever by Isabel Yap]()
Never Have I Ever by Isabel Yap
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“Am I dead?”Mebuyen sighs. She was hoping the girl would not ask.Spells and stories, urban legends and immigrant tales: the magic in Isabel Yap’s debut collection jumps right off the page, from the joy in her new novella, 'A Spell for Foolish Hearts' to the terrifying tension of the urban legend 'Have You Heard the One About Anamaria Marquez'... -
![Avi Cantor Has Six Months to Live by Sacha Lamb]()
Avi Cantor Has Six Months to Live by Sacha Lamb
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAvi Cantor Has Six Months To LiveAvi comes across these foreboding words scrawled on the bathroom mirror, but what do they mean? Is this a curse, a prediction, or a threat from Avi's emboldened bullies? And how to they know his real name when he hasn't even told his mother yet?Then there is Ian—the cool new guy at school, who is suddenly paying attention to Avi... -
![The Anatomy of Curiosity by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton]()
The Anatomy of Curiosity by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe follow-up to the acclaimed title The Curiosities: A Collection of Stories by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff.In an unassuming corner of Brooklyn, a young woman learns to be ladylike, to love context, and to speak her mind from a very curious sort of tutor...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family historical-fiction lgbtq magical-realism myths anthologies contemporary -
![Cazadora by Romina Garber, Romina Russell]()
Cazadora by Romina Garber, Romina Russell
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn Cazadora, Romina Garber weaves together Argentine folklore and what it means to be illegal in a timely, intimate, and emotionally powerful narrative.Werewolves. Witches. Romance. Resistance.Enter a world straight out of Argentine folklore.. -
![Man Tiger by Eka Kurniawan]()
Man Tiger by Eka Kurniawan
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA wry, affecting tale set in a small town on the Indonesian coast, Man Tiger tells the story of two interlinked and tormented families and of Margio, a young man ordinary in all particulars except that he conceals within himself a supernatural female white tiger. The inequities and betrayals of family life coalesce around and torment this magical being... -
![The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia]()
The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe People of Paper reveals the ever-elusive prophesies of the Shandean Baby Nostradamus and the approximate temperature and incendiary potential of halos. Herein disillusioned and AWOL saints reclaim their crowns and fight purses, while a gang of flower pickers go off to war, led by a lonely man who can not help but wet his bed in sadness...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism poc-mc adult book classics -
![The Keepers of Metsan Valo by Wendy Webb]()
The Keepers of Metsan Valo by Wendy Webb
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe spirits of Nordic folklore come calling in this entrancing tale of family secrets and ancient mysteries by the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Haunting of Brynn Wilder.In Metsan Valo, her family home on Lake Superior, Anni Halla’s beloved grandmother has died. Among her fond memories, what Anni remembers most vividly is her grandmother’s eerie yet enchanting storytelling...Categorized as:
myths magical-realism family historical-fiction retellings low-fantasy mystery fantasy -
![Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson]()
Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsLisamarie Hill, the protagonist of Eden Robinson's coming-of-age novel Monkey Beach, is a terror. She'll run out of an evacuating car to get a better view of a tidal wave. She'll drag you unconscious to a deserted island with nothing but cigarettes, marshmallows, and the need to get you talking. Whatever her age, she'll ask awkward questions...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family historical-fiction literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism myths poc-mc -
-
![The Strawberry Thief by Joanne Harris]()
The Strawberry Thief by Joanne Harris
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsThe compelling new novel from the author of the bestselling Chocolat.Vianne Rocher has settled down. Lansquenet-sous-Tannes, the place that once rejected her, has finally become her home. With Rosette, her 'special' child, she runs her chocolate shop in the square, talks to her friends on the river, is part of the community. Even Reynaud, the priest, has become a friend... -
![Margaret and the Mystery of the Missing Body by Megan Milks]()
Margaret and the Mystery of the Missing Body by Megan Milks
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsMeet Margaret. At age twelve, she was head detective of the mystery club Girls Can Solve Anything. Margaret and her three best friends led exciting lives solving crimes, having adventures, and laughing a lot. But now that she's entered high school, the club has disbanded, and Margaret is unmoored--she doesn't want to grow up, and she wishes her friends wouldn't either...Categorized as:
lgbtq coming-of-age magical-realism historical-fiction wlw literary-fiction romantic-love fiction -
![Colorful by Eto Mori]()
Colorful by Eto Mori
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA beloved and bestselling classic in Japan, this groundbreaking tale of a dead soul who gets a second chance is now available in English for the very first time."Congratulations, you've won the lottery!" shouts the angel Prapura to a formless soul. The soul hasn't been kicked out of the cycle of rebirth just yet—he's been given a second chance...Categorized as:
asian-mc literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism poc-mc 20th-century anthologies audiobook -
![The Threads of the Heart by Carole Martinez]()
The Threads of the Heart by Carole Martinez
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThey say Frasquita knows magic, that she is a healer with occult powers, that perhaps she is a sorcerer. She does indeed possess a remarkable gift, one that has been passed down to the women in her family for generations... -
![Blue-Skinned Gods by S.J. Sindu]()
Blue-Skinned Gods by S.J. Sindu
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom the award-winning author of Marriage of a Thousand Lies comes a brilliantly written, globe-spanning novel about identity, faith, family, and sexuality.In Tamil Nadu, India, a boy is born with blue skin...Categorized as:
asian-mc coming-of-age family historical-fiction lgbtq literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism -
![Crow Winter by Karen McBride]()
Crow Winter by Karen McBride
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNanabush. A name that has a certain weight on the tongue—a taste. Like lit sage in a windowless room or aluminum foil on a metal filling.Trickster. Storyteller. Shape-shifter. An ancient troublemaker with the power to do great things, only he doesn’t want to put in the work.Since coming home to Spirit Bear Point First Nation, Hazel Ellis has been dreaming of an old crow...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism myths poc-mc retellings adult -
![Kim by T. Cooper, Allison Glock-Cooper]()
Kim by T. Cooper, Allison Glock-Cooper
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat if every year of high school you woke up as somebody else?When we last saw Oryon Small he was kidnapped and locked in a basement, his best friend Chase dying in his arms. In Changers Book Three: Kim, Oryon awakens as Kim, an Asian American girl who looks nothing like she expected or desired... -
![Ravensong by Cayla Fay]()
Ravensong by Cayla Fay
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA demi-god who refuses to cohabitate with humans accidentally falls in love with one in the first book of a pulse-pounding teen duology that’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Celtic mythology.Neve has spent lifetimes defending the mortal world against the legions of hell with her two sisters... -
![Verdigris by Michele Mari]()
Verdigris by Michele Mari
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAt the tail end of the 1960s, the thirteen-year-old Michelino spends his summers at his grandparents’ modest estate in Nasca, near Lake Maggiore, losing himself in the tales of horror, adventure, and mystery shelved in his grandfather’s library... -
![Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai]()
Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsIn this xianxia-inspired contemporary fantasy, a Chinese immortal and a French elf navigate romance, family loyalty, and workplace demands. In her debut novel, Mia Tsai has created a paranormal adventure that is full of humor, passion, and depth.As a descendant of the Chinese god of medicine, ignored middle child Elle was destined to be a doctor... -
-
![This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron]()
This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsHow much would you risk to save the ones you love? Would you tempt even the most dangerous fate?Briseis has one chance to save her mother, but she'll need to do the impossible: find the last fragment of the deadly Absyrtus Heart... -
![The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova]()
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova
Rated: 3.99 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsThe Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. They know better than to ask why the pantry never seems to run low or empty, or why their matriarch won’t ever leave their home in Four Rivers—even for graduations, weddings, or baptisms...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction lgbtq literary-fiction magical-realism myths poc-mc action-adventure -
![Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu]()
Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsIn the twelve unforgettable tales of Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century, the strange is made familiar and the familiar strange, such that a girl growing wings on her legs feels like an ordinary rite of passage, while a bug-infested house becomes an impossible, Kafkaesque nightmare...Categorized as:
literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism poc-mc adult anthologies audiobook contemporary -
![Things We Say in the Dark by Kirsty Logan]()
Things We Say in the Dark by Kirsty Logan
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 15 ratings'Gripping . . . You won't put it down' Sunday TelegraphA shocking collection of dark stories, ranging from chilling contemporary fairytales to disturbing supernatural fiction.Alone in a remote house in Iceland a woman is unnerved by her isolation; another can only find respite from the clinging ghost that follows her by submerging herself in an overgrown pool... -
![Falling in Love with Hominids by Nalo Hopkinson]()
Falling in Love with Hominids by Nalo Hopkinson
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNalo Hopkinson (Brown Girl in the Ring, Skin Folk) has been widely hailed as a highly significant voice in Caribbean and American fiction... -
![A Portable Shelter by Kirsty Logan]()
A Portable Shelter by Kirsty Logan
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn their tiny, sea-beaten cottage on the north coast of Scotland, Liska and Ruth await the birth of their first child.Each passes the time by telling the baby stories, trying to pass on the lessons they’ve learned: tales of circuses and stargazing, selkie fishermen and domestic werewolves, child-eating witches and broken-toothed dragons...Categorized as:
lgbtq literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism myths retellings romantic-love wlw
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.
