87 books like The Wolf of Oren-Yaro

This might be cheating a little, as the ‘dragon’ in this book is actually a giant robot-like mecha that is piloted by human soldiers, but I couldn’t leave this list without a mention of Iron Widow.

This is a fierce feminist fantasy re-imagining of China’s only female sovereign, Wu Zetian, and it absolutely pulls no punches. A furiously paced story of vengeance and redemption, this book was a thrill from start to finish.

This pick made me fall in love with a Mulan-style gender swap all over again. From the moment Zhu steals the fate of greatness promised to her dead brother and takes his place, prepared to use any amount of trickery and the occasionally necessary murder to claim the mandate of heaven for herself, I was ride or die.

I loved the way Zhu molded herself into the perfect person to inhabit whatever role the situation required of her. She was prepared to trick monks, generals, lords, and even the gods themselves into granting her greatness.

I loved this novel about the legendary Chinese pirate queen Shek Yeung because I love a woman who is willing to do whatever it takes to stay on top.

What’s more compelling than watching your husband being cut down and immediately hatching a plan to marry his second-in-command to prevent her pirate fleet from fracturing? In addition, I loved the very subtle magic/spirituality woven throughout in the mirrored relationship between the young pirate empress scrabbling for survival and power and the Sea Goddess Ma Zou, who is present from Shek Yeung’s earliest days as a fisherman’s daughter until she is the leader of the red banner pirate fleet.

I love a complicated patron-goddess relationship.

From the very first page, I fell in love with this book and the female lead, Shan. Mistress opens strong with willful, unrepentant patricide as Shan ascends to her place at the head of her family, prepared to kill and claw her way to the top of an empire that quite literally runs on blood.

In this house, I support women’s rights and women’s wrongs. I love an unrepentant spymaster, and this one more than delivers with its magnificent web of blood, politics, and amorous entanglements that will either topple an empire or ruin the character’s lives, maybe both.

From patricide to unethical blood magic experiments I was cheering Shan on the whole way.

Lee’s witty stories make smart observations about the nature of identity without ever feeling didactic. His characters are flawed and fully human, they make mistakes, fall in love, face criticism. Many of the stories feature Asian Americans trying to negotiate careers in the arts—from filmmakers to actors to a translator going up for tenure review. The collection feels particularly timely amid the conversations about representation and lack thereof in Hollywood and publishing.

When I read this heart-wrenching, poignant memoir about the devastating costs that comes with pushing yourself to live up to others’ expectations, I felt like I was watching part of my life’s story from a bird’s-eye view.

As a daughter of immigrants, I grew up being told that success was conditional on my being exceptional, no matter the cost. But when we tell people that their mental health, community, love, relationships, and compassion come secondary to living up to others’ expectations, it isn’t success at all. A must-read for all, but especially for anyone who has had to contend with the Model Minority Myth as a core definition of success.

Savage Dominion is just plain fun and worth the read. But you know how it’s even better? On audio, narrated by Luke Daniels. Seriously, pick up the audio if you can. Luke’s narration alone is worth every penny.

Here we have a big, dumb nerd who honestly wasn’t hero material but when a wolf shows up to ruin his already bad date, our man sacrifices himself. This doesn’t go unnoticed and he is given the chance to become an eternal, basically a demi-god. Only he ends up being one for the “baddies” according to the solar court. 

So Maulkin has to overcome everyone thinking he’s the devil, learn how this new world of his works, and all of that while being more brawns than brains in one of the funniest characters I’ve read in a good long while.

Bastion is a story about a demi-god who did nothing wrong and yet the whole world thinks he did.

The question is, did he?

We don’t know and neither does Scorio. He is brought to this world without a clue as to who he is and immediately put into danger. The second he gets out he is told he is a monster and they try to kill him.

What initially seems to be a simple quest for revenge and seeking more power grows into a journey of self-discovery. Not only of what Scorio is capable of doing but who he really is. All while fighting a system hell bent on keeping him down.

What can I say? I love a good underdog story.

Oh and this beauty legitimately feels like reading two books. Somewhere around the middle I swear the first book ends and the second one begins. 

It’s a… show more.

The Bacteria Book is an in-depth look into one of the heaviest hitters in the microbial world: bacteria.

Even though it’s a bacteria book (quite literally) other microbes get honorable mentions along the way (viruses, fungi, archaea, etc.) helping to round out the information. The book has lots of really interesting photographs and images from microscopes; bacteria on teeth are revealed in all their sticky glory through the magic of the electron microscope.

My son was drawn to the real-world images of molding fruit and zombie ants, and we both appreciated the fact-filled “Timeline of Microbiology” towards the end. 

The best for last!

You may not recognize the name William Goldman but I guarantee loved at least one of his stories. An amazing storyteller, novelist, and screenwriter: Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid, Marathon Man, Misery (he adapted Steve King), Chaplin, The Ghost, and The Darkness, and… The Princess Bride. He’s a man who moves between genres with ease and expertise.

His book Magic tops them all. A depressed magician/ventriloquist heads to a lake house vacation. Murder, mystery, and thrills ensue all told in a shocking style that is truly original. I can’t say more without spoiling it. It’s a short novel, a fast read and it will leave an impression on you for weeks to come. After your mind is blown by Magic, look him up, you’ll be impressed!