Elsie Chapman delves into the complexities of human relationships and the moral quandaries faced by her characters, often centering on young adults navigating challenging life circumstances. Her prose is characterized by a keen psychological insight and an ability to render intricate emotions with sensitivity and precision. Chapman skillfully weaves compelling narratives with ethical explorations, providing readers with not only engaging stories but also ample food for thought. Her work is celebrated for its sincerity and authenticity.
Aza Wu knows that casting magic can kill--it killed her sister--but she needs money desperately to pay off Saint Willow, who controls her sector of Lotusland, and save the family teahouse, so she secretly enters an underground casting tournament--and finds herself competing against other castors with "full magic," and where even victory could cause her to lose her freedom, her magic, and her life.
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. Fifteen 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. Compiled by We Need Diverse Books’s Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman, the authors included in this exquisite collection are: Renée Ahdieh, Sona Charaipotra, Preeti Chhibber, Roshani Chokshi, Aliette de Bodard, Melissa de la Cruz, Julie Kagawa, Rahul Kanakia, Lori M. Lee, E. C. Myers, Cindy Pon, Aisha Saeed, Shveta Thakrar, and Alyssa Wong. 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. For fans of Neil Gaiman’s Unnatural Creatures and Ameriie’s New York Times–bestselling Because You Love to Hate Me.
West Grayer lives in a world where every person has a twin, or Alt. Since only one can survive to adulthood, West has received notice to kill her Alt