A debut urban fantasy perfect for readers of N.K. Jemisin and S.A. Chakraborty, Yume is imbued “with empathetic characters, terrifying monsters, and a cinematic feel” (Richard Ford Burley). As Cybelle struggles with the ostracism she faces daily teaching English in Japan, she gets caught in a supernatural clash between the yokai in a dreamworld spilling onto the streets of Osaka and Kyoto. Faced with these out-of-control demons, Cybelle must figure out what is real and, more importantly, what she really wants … before her life spirals out of control altogether. The exclusivity of goods coming from only one source and the echoes of the European medieval feudal system of chivalry, with its knights and ladies and the nostalgia surrounding it, all combined to create an exotic and easily romanticized picture that persists to this day. This is aggressively not intended to be a compliment to the western world’s fetishization of Asian cultures and people. The rich topography of the country — islands, mountains, and forests — lends itself particularly well to the “group of misfits brought together on a journey” trope, and when we add in the complex system of Japanese kami and deities, feudal Japan becomes a perfect setting for fantasy novels. You know, the thing I might like best about fantasy novels is that they’re so often part of a whole saga or series, and this list is no exception. A list of eight books is actually a list of 21! I hope you enjoy your journey to the fantastical world of feudal Japan. Book 1 of the Keeper of the Night duology. Nightblade is the first book of a trilogy.
