Newest Additions

Cover Title and Author Summary (Scroll) Reasons (Scroll) Tags Date Audience

Castoffs
by M K Reed
It's Mage against the Machine! Magic vs technology in Roar's newest graphic novel. When three apprentice mages are sent to help a neighboring guild, they reignite a decades-old war with a robot army that has destroyed the world.
Indian and Asian protags
race, setting, multiple culture, South_Asian, East_Asian 2017 YA

Red Winter
by Annette Marie
Emi is the kamigakari. In a few short months, her life as a mortal will end and her new existence as the human host of a goddess will begin. Carefully hidden from those who would destroy her, she has prepared her mind, body, and soul to unite with the goddess-and not once has she doubted her chosen fate. Shiro is a yokai, a spirit of the earth, an enemy of the goddess Emi will soon host. Mystery shrouds his every move and his ruby eyes shine with cunning she can't match and dares not trust. But she saved his life, and until his debt is paid, he is hers to command-whether she wants him or not. On the day they meet, everything Emi believes comes undone, swept away like snow upon the winter wind. For the first time, she wants to change her fate-but how can she erase a destiny already wrought in stone? Against the power of the gods, Shiro is her only hope... and hope is all she has left.
Japanese characters
race, setting, East_Asian 2016 YA

the tiger's daughter
by K Arsenault Rivera
Even gods can be slain…. The Hokkaran empire has conquered every land within their bold reach―but failed to notice a lurking darkness festering within the people. Now, their border walls begin to crumble, and villages fall to demons swarming out of the forests. Away on the silver steppes, the remaining tribes of nomadic Qorin retreat and protect their own, having bartered a treaty with the empire, exchanging inheritance through the dynasties. It is up to two young warriors, raised together across borders since their prophesied birth, to save the world from the encroaching demons. This is the story of an infamous Qorin warrior, Barsalayaa Shefali, a spoiled divine warrior empress, O-Shizuka, and a power that can reach through time and space to save a land from a truly insidious evil.
Central Asian setting, f/f relationship
lesbian, race, setting, Central_Asia 2017 YA

In Other Lands
by Sarah Rees Brennan
The Borderlands aren’t like anywhere else. Don’t try to smuggle a phone or any other piece of technology over the wall that marks the Border—unless you enjoy a fireworks display in your backpack. (Ballpoint pens are okay.) There are elves, harpies, and—best of all as far as Elliot is concerned—mermaids. Elliot? Who’s Elliot? Elliot is thirteen years old. He’s smart and just a tiny bit obnoxious. Sometimes more than a tiny bit. When his class goes on a field trip and he can see a wall that no one else can see, he is given the chance to go to school in the Borderlands. It turns out that on the other side of the wall, classes involve a lot more weaponry and fitness training and fewer mermaids than he expected. On the other hand, there’s Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle, an elven warrior who is more beautiful than anyone Elliot has ever seen, and then there’s her human friend Luke: sunny, blond, and annoyingly likeable. There are lots of interesting books. There’s even the chance Elliot might be able to change the world.
Bisexual protagonist
bisexual, multiple culture, 2017 YA

Spots the Space Marine: Defense of the Fiddler
by MCA Hogarth
Pollyanna meets Starship Troopers in this fast, screenplay-like novel about a 30-something Marine private called out of retirement to join the war against the crabs. But shattered morale is the least of her company's problems, and their survival may hinge on an unlikely friendship forged between an alien weapons designer and a mother-turned-warrior....
Hispanic woman protagonist, diverse cast
race, Hispanic 2010 Adult

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns
by Julie C Dao
Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high? Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins--sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute.
Chinese setting
race, setting, East_Asian 2017 YA

Cheerleaders From Planet X
by Lyssa Chiavari
Aliens are among us. And humanity’s only hope just happens to carry pom-poms. Laura Clark thought she was just your average college freshman—until the day she saw a cheerleader on a skateboard get into a superhuman brawl with a lightning-wielding stranger in a trenchcoat. And the weirdest thing of all? Nobody else saw it happen. Nobody, that is, except the beautiful but standoffish Shailene, one of the mysterious (and possibly super-powered) cheerleaders from Laura’s rival school, Bayview University. When girls start disappearing all over the City, Laura suddenly realizes that she may have seen more than she should. And if she wants to keep from disappearing herself, she needs to find some answers. But though Laura can’t shake the feeling that they’re somehow connected, Shailene is more than a little reluctant to share her secrets. With strange, bug-like creatures and a sinister man in a dark coat stalking her every step, Laura will have to uncover the truth fast if she wants to survive. The fate of the planet just might hang in the balance
F/F ace represenation
lesbian, asexual, 2017 YA

The Blind Raven
by Regina Del Madrigal
All her life, Daphne, a blind girl, has been confined to her aunt’s old manor house with her guardian raven Rayne, her Sight and her sole link to the world outside. One fateful day, the charismatic Fey Prince, Alistair of Artigo, pays a visit to the manor with his enchanting companion, Ambrose D’Archer. Daphne experiences a love she will never forget in Ambrose before he is taken from her. She embarks on a quest to find him again. Her journey leads her to uncover her true past and an ancient, terrible power awakening within herself. With occults and masked killers on the hunt to end her bloodline forever, Daphne must risk her life to find the one she holds most dear…
Blind protag
disability, Blind 2017 Adult

Failure to Communicate
by Kaia Sønderby
As one of the only remaining autistics in the universe, Xandri Corelel has faced a lot of hardship, and she's earned her place as the head of Xeno-Liaisons aboard the first contact ship Carpathia. But her skill at negotiating with alien species is about to be put to the ultimate test. The Anmerilli, a notoriously reticent and xenophobic people, have invented a powerful weapon that will irrevocably change the face of space combat. Now the Starsystems Alliance has called in Xandri and the crew of the Carpathia to mediate. The Alliance won't risk the weapon falling into enemy hands, and if Xandri can't bring the Anmerilli into the fold, the consequences will be dire. Amidst sabotage, assassination attempts, and rampant cronyism, Xandri struggles to convince the doubtful and ornery Anmerilli. Worse, she's beginning to suspect that not everyone on her side is really working to make the alliance a success. As tensions rise and tempers threaten to boil over, Xandri must focus all her energy into understanding the one species that has always been beyond her: her own.
Autistic protag
multiple culture, disability, Autistic 2017 YA

The Lifeline Signal
by RoAnna Sylver
Parole is still burning. And now the day everyone has been waiting for is finally here: it’s collapsed. A lucky few managed to escape with their lives. But while their city burned, the world outside suffered its own devastating disaster. The Tartarus Zone is a deadly wasteland a thousand miles wide, filled with toxic storms, ghostly horrors, and just as many Eyes in the Sky as ever. Somehow, this new nightmare is connected to Parole. And it’s spreading. Now Parole’s only hope lies in the hands of three teenagers reunited by their long-lost friend Gabriel - in their dreams. Growing up outside Parole, Shiloh Cole always had to keep xir energetic powers a secret, except from xir parents, Parole’s strategist-hero Garrett, and Tartarus expert Maureen. When Parole collapsed, all contact was lost. Now, connected by Gabriel and their colliding pasts, xie joins collapse survivor Annie and the enigmatic, charismatic Chance on a desperate cross-country race, carrying a disc of xir mother’s vital plans, whose encrypted contents may be Parole’s salvation. First they’ll board the FireRunner, a ship full of familiar faces that now sails through Tartarus’ poison storms. Together, they’ll survive Tartarus’ hazards, send a lifeline to lost Parole - and uncover the mystery connecting every one of them. The world outside Parole isn't the one they remember, and it didn’t want them back. But they'll save it just the same. It's what heroes do.
Diverse cast, disability and queer representation, ace/aro representation
asexual, transgender, genderqueer, race, queered culture, multiple culture, disability, pronouns, class, aromantic, Chronic_Illness, Autistic, Mobility, MULTIPLE, VARIOUS, FPC 2017 Adult

Hundred Ghost Soup
by Robert Chansky
A Beijing orphan is nearly eighteen. He wants a family and a name, if only for a while. He hacks adoption papers to get them. He also gets: a long train ride into an empty station in a ghost town. Ghosts. Their leaders, calling themselves Mr. and Mrs. Vulpin, are his new parents. They are illusion-casting fox spirits, glamorous, clever, and trapped. They need him to free themselves of the ghosts. Our hero works for them and accepts their flaws so long as they pretend to be a family. But then he discovers their wonderful meals are illusory. Are the Vulpins up to no good? And the People's Republic of China will never allow spirits to possess a town. To save them all, he must travel back to Beijing, rifle the Politburo's files, and find a Minister's secrets. When he kindles the wrath of the People's Liberation Army and the Minister of Fate himself, he must penetrate layers of illusions, decide whom he can trust, and learn to cook.
Chinese characters and culture
race, setting, class, East_Asian 2016 YA

Binti: The Night Masquerade
by Nnedi Okorafor

Series: Binti
Book 3 of 3
Binti has returned to her home planet, believing that the violence of the Meduse has been left behind. Unfortunately, although her people are peaceful on the whole, the same cannot be said for the Khoush, who fan the flames of their ancient rivalry with the Meduse. Far from her village when the conflicts start, Binti hurries home, but anger and resentment has already claimed the lives of many close to her. Once again it is up to Binti, and her intriguing new friend Mwinyi, to intervene--though the elders of her people do not entirely trust her motives--and try to prevent a war that could wipe out her people, once and for all.
WOC characters
race, setting, African, Black 2017 YA

Binti: Home
by Nnedi Okorafor

Series: Binti
Book 2 of 3
The thrilling sequel to the Nebula and Hugo winning Binti. It’s been a year since Binti and Okwu enrolled at Oomza University. A year since Binti was declared a hero for uniting two warring planets. A year since she left her family to pursue her dream. And now she must return home to her people, with her friend Okwu by her side, to face her family and face her elders. But Okwu will be the first of his race to set foot on Earth in over a hundred years, and the first ever to come in peace. After generations of conflict can human and Meduse ever learn to truly live in harmony?
WOC characters, trans woman character
transgender, race, setting, African, Black 2016 YA

Heart of the Lost Star
by Megan Derr

Series: Tales of the High Court
Book 3 of 3
Kamir is on the verge of losing everything. Knowing full well he can't meet the ultimatum his parents have issued, he instead finally puts in motion his plans to live completely independent of them. His plans are interrupted, however, by the unexpected return of his despised ex-husband—and thrown even further into upheaval when he ends up comforting the man he's secretly loved for years. Jader may not know where he comes from, but he knows where he belongs and what he wants—until he helps rescue some stranded Bentan travelers, one of whom look almost exactly like Jader, throwing his life and everything he thought he knew into tumult. Scared and overwhelmed, Jader flees—and lands unexpectedly in the arms of a man he's always seen, but never really noticed.
Trans character, M/M romance
gay, transgender, race, setting, multiple culture, FPOC 2017 Adult

The Pirate of Fathoms Deep
by Megan Derr

Series: Tales of the High Court
Book 2 of 3
High Commander Lesto Arseni is the most feared man in the Harken Empire. None but the High King dares risk his wrath—and a pirate who once punched him in the middle of the imperial pavilion. A pirate who later snuck away with Lesto to an empty room, touched him in ways far more memorable. And then immediately bolted like a man who'd gotten what he wanted. Shemal just wants to live a normal life, leave his pirating days behind him and prove that he's respectable now. The last thing he needs is the two idiots who show up wanting his help with the noble they've kidnapped—the very man Shemal had been hoping to prove himself to, the man he hasn't forgotten since Shemal punched him a year and a half ago.
M/M romance, trans side characters
gay, transgender, multiple culture, 2016 Adult

Portal of a Thousand Worlds
by Dave Duncan
Epic in scope and imagination, "The Portal of a Thousand Worlds" is a novel of love, murder, magic, treason, rebellion, and politics in nineteenth-century China. The portal opens once every thousandyears or so always with disastrous results and omens suggest it is due to open again. An inventive tale that seamlessly combines history and fantasy, Dave Duncan's newest tale is surely his best."
Chinese setting
race, setting, East_Asian 2017 Adult

The Seafarer's Kiss
by Julia Ember
Having long-wondered what lives beyond the ice shelf, nineteen-year-old mermaid Ersel learns of the life she wants when she rescues and befriends Ragna, a shield-maiden stranded on the mermen’s glacier. But when Ersel’s childhood friend and suitor catches them together, he gives Ersel a choice: say goodbye to Ragna or face justice at the hands of the glacier’s brutal king. Determined to forge a different fate, Ersel seeks help from Loki. But such deals are never as one expects, and the outcome sees her exiled from the only home and protection she’s known. To save herself from perishing in the barren, underwater wasteland and be reunited with the human she’s come to love, Ersel must try to outsmart the God of Lies.
F/F romance
lesbian, 2017 YA

Jupiter Rising
by Zachary Brown
In this concluding volume of the trilogy, The Icarus Corps battle the Conglomeration on Jupiter against all odds as humanity continues to suffer the brutalities of war as cannon fodder unless they redefine the rules of engagement. The outgunned PAC-Human forces attack Jupiter as a desperate last attempt to hold the Conglomeration forces at bay. A greater threat, however, is revealed as we find out why the Conglomeration-PAC war has been raging across the galaxy. Evermore the battle to stay human and relevant dovetails with the war and how a victory for Earth may not be in the PAC's best interest.
WOC protagonist
race, Black, MULTIPLE 2017 Adult

Updraft
by Fran Wilde
Welcome to a world of wind and bone, songs and silence, betrayal and courage. Kirit Densira cannot wait to pass her wingtest and begin flying as a trader by her mother's side, being in service to her beloved home tower and exploring the skies beyond. When Kirit inadvertently breaks Tower Law, the city's secretive governing body, the Singers, demand that she become one of them instead. In an attempt to save her family from greater censure, Kirit must give up her dreams to throw herself into the dangerous training at the Spire, the tallest, most forbidding tower, deep at the heart of the City. As she grows in knowledge and power, she starts to uncover the depths of Spire secrets. Kirit begins to doubt her world and its unassailable Laws, setting in motion a chain of events that will lead to a haunting choice, and may well change the city forever-if it isn't destroyed outright.
WOC protag
race, FPOC, Black 2016 YA

Olympia Knife
by Alysia Constantine
Born into a family of flying trapeze artists, Olympia Knife has one small problem: When her emotions rise, she becomes invisible. Everyone in the traveling circus has learned to live with this quirk; they banded together to raise Olympia in a loving environment when her parents vanished midair during their act, never to return. But the same fate befalls Arnold, the world’s shortest man, followed by one act after another, until the show is a crumbling mess of tattered tents and terrified troupers. Into this chaos walks Diamond the Danger Eater. Olympia and Diamond forge a friendship, then fall in love, and, together, resolve to stand the test of time, even as the world around them falls apart.
F/F romance
lesbian, 2017 Adult

Foreshadow
by Cynthia Joyce Clay
“I am Princess Royal Burta, and I call out your challenger!” In a time when dragons and gods seduced mortals, greedy kings plot to overthrow the tiny, impoverished kingdom of Allsongs, tempted by the promise of its future. It is said the hope and best defense of Allsongs lies in the person of a small child, Tristabé-airta, the Princess Royal, whose magic always works. Yet, it is the king and sword souled dragon born children whom the enemy kings fear will usurp their kingdoms. An assassin is sent to kill them. One of these children is surely a threat, Princess Burta who trains in arms for the day she can snatch the Allsongs kingdom from Tristabé-airta. While Tristabé-airta knows Burta hates her, Tristabe-airta must do what she can to save her or Allsongs will fall when they come of age.
WOC protag
race, setting, FPOC, MULTIPLE, mobility, mental_illness 2017 YA

monsterkind
by
webcomic at http://monsterkind.enenkay.com/about Monsterkind is a light-hearted story that follows Wallace Foster, a human social worker, on his quest to help the monster inhabitants of District C with their various problems.
Queer characters
gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual, transgender, nonbinary, multiple culture, pronouns, class, 2017 YA

Labyrinth Lost
by Zoraida Crdova
Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation…and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can’t trust, but who may be Alex’s only chance at saving her family.
bi Latina protag
bisexual, race, Latino, Hispanic 2017 YA

Good Angel
by A.M. Blaushild
Iofiel is an ideal candidate to become a guardian angel, and help steer humans away from sin: she's helpful, cheery, and utterly loyal. And, as the 'angel of beauty', it's not like she has anything better to do. Heaven and Hell long ago ran out of space: there's too many humans these days, so both have come to a shaky truce – one school sheltered in the forests of Canada, hidden from humanity, where their young can study. All seems well for Iofiel's first days at university – her Archangel roommate is a bit uptight, and dealing with demons feels weird– but when a picked on demon confesses he's too nervous to pursue his true passion of soul stealing... Iofiel promises she'll major in it with him! So much for being a proper angel. Her helpful impulse has repercussions that shake the school, and may just change the world forever. Or just end it. Because that's a possibility too.
Ace charaters
lesbian, asexual, multiple culture, aromantic, 2017 YA

Keeper of the Dawn
by Dianna Gunn
Sometimes failure is just the beginning All Lai has ever wanted is to become a priestess, like her mother and grandmother before her, in service to their beloved goddess. That’s before the unthinkable happens, and Lai fails the trials she has trained for her entire life. She makes the only choice she believes she can: she runs away. From her isolated desert homeland, Lai rides north to the colder, stranger kingdom of Alanum—a land where magic, and female warriors, are not commonplace. Here, she hears tales about a mountain city of women guardians and steel forgers, worshiping goddesses who sound very similar to Lai's own. Determined to learn more about these women, these Keepers of the Dawn, Lai travels onward to find their temple. She is determined to make up for her past failure, and will do whatever it takes to join their sacred order. Falling in love with another initiate was not part of the plan. Keeper of the Dawn is a tale of new beginnings, second chances, and the endurance of hope.
WOC characters, asexual characters, F/F
lesbian, asexual, race, setting, multiple culture FPOC, MULTIPLE, mobility, mental_illness 2017 YA