Fantasy stories are, well, fantastical, with elements such as magic, alternate worlds, different species, etc. But it’s also a good place to bring awareness to issues, like discrimination, and to speak on different parts of life, such as immigration. Immigration actually makes a lot more sense in fantasy than most of us think, and it’s great to see. Read on for fantasy books that use immigration as a subplot.
The Black Coast by Mike Brooks
When the people of Black Keep see ships coming toward them, they think the clanspeople of Tjakorsha are coming to raid again. But as they hurry to defend their home, they find out that the clanspeople had actually been driven away from their homeland by a daemonic tyrant who prophesied the world’s end. The clanspeople are in search of a new home, but Black Keep is about to be thrown in the middle of the war brewing in the wider continent of Narida. Will this new society survive these trials?
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
Chava is a golem who was made by a disgraced rabbi to be the wife of a Polish merchant, one who died on his way to America. When the ship arrives in 1899, Chava drifts around until another rabbi recognizes what she is and takes her in. Ahmad is a jinni, which is a creature born of fire in the Syrian desert, and he was trapped by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago. He is released by a Syrian tinsmith in Manhattan, but he isn’t free. An iron band binds him both to the wizard who trapped him and to the physical world. These two meet and surprisingly become friends and eventually soul mates. But their bond is quickly put to the test.
Bas-Lag Trilogy by China Miéville
The first book is Perdido Street Station, set in New Crobuzon, a metropolis in the middle of the world. Mutants, arcane races, and humans brood together in the gloom, the river is overrun with waste, and factories pound into the night. The Parliament and its harsh militia have ruled over all sorts of people, such as workers, artists, magicians, crooks, etc., for over a millennium. One day, a stranger comes, with both money and an impossible request, and something unimaginable is released. The city is in danger, and it all comes to a head underneath Perdido Street Station, at the city’s heart.
Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
In Bassa, an ancient city, Danso is an intelligent scholar who is just about to achieve greatness. The problem is, he doesn’t want that. He’d much rather track down banned stories about what the world is like outside the city walls. The city’s elite says nothing important is out there, and all the immigrants won’t say anything. One day, Danso comes across a warrior who possesses magic that shouldn’t exist, and he starts unraveling Bassa’s dark secrets. To learn the city’s history, he ventures beyond the borders — and the chaos that will come with his discovery could ruin the empire.
Spirit Beasts Awakening by A.P Beswick
Despite being almost fifteen, Arnold doesn’t have a Spirit Beast, a creature deeply connected to one’s soul. But one day, he rescues a retired Doyen. Spirit Wardens then presents him and his close friend, Otto, with an offer to join them. They immediately accept, diving into a fierce journey while strengthening their ties to the spirit world and discovering their latent abilities. But peace doesn’t last. An old enemy comes back, swearing revenge on the Spirit Wardens. Arnold’s life, as well as the lives of those around him, are now in danger.
All of these books are great choices. Which one is your favorite?
For more on fantasy, click here.
Check out the Fantasy shelf on Bookstr’s Bookshop page.
