Multicultural Fantasy

Quasi-Celtic-Norse-medieval fantasy is easy to find: walk into a bookstore, stick your hand toward a shelf, and you’ve got pretty good odds of hitting a work of generic Eurofantasy. The purpose of this list is to collect in one place the other stuff, the books that take place in other parts of the world, or invent worlds that look like something other than pre-Renaissance northwestern Europe.

Not all of the books on this list are necessarily good; not all of them are accurate, either. (Two different concepts.) My aim here is to provide a comprehensive resource, a foundation for more critical work. If you want to know whether a given title is worth reading, I recommend searching for reviews online. Also, this list is primarily composed of works originally composed in English. If you happen to know that something in here was translated from another language, please let me know, and I’ll annotate the entry with that information.

Please note: This page has not been seriously updated in years, and as such, it’s even more incomplete than it was in the first place. I leave it here mostly because it might be a useful guide to older works. More detail on the semi-logic behind my groupings may be found at the bottom of this page.

AEGEAN/GREECE

Patrick H. Adkins, Lord of the Crooked Paths
Patrick H. Adkins, Master of the Fearful Depths
Patrick H. Adkins, Sons of the Titans
Lloyd Alexander, The Arkadians
Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Fall of Atlantis
Kara Dalkey, Euryale
Avram Davidson, The Phoenix and the Mirror, Vergil Magus 1
Avram Davidson, Virgil in Averno, Vergil Magus 2
Esther Friesner, Nobody’s Princess, Princesses of Myth 1/1
Esther Friesner, Nobody’s Prize, Princesses of Myth 1/2
Richard Garfinkle, Celestial Matters
David Gemmell, Lion of Macedon, Lion of Macedon 1
David Gemmell, Dark Prince, Lion of Macedon 2
Jo Graham, Black Ships
Kerry Greenwood, Cassandra, Delphic Women 1
Kerry Greenwood, Electra, Delphic Women 2
Kerry Greenwood, Medea, Delphic Women 3
Naomi Kritzer, Freedom’s Gate, Dead Rivers 1
Naomi Kritzer, Freedom’s Apprentice, Dead Rivers 2
Naomi Kritzer, Freedom’s Sisters, Dead Rivers 3
Stephen R. Lawhead, Taliesin
Ursula K. Le Guin, Lavinia
Juliet Marillier, Cybele’s Secret
Richard Purtill, The Golden Gryphon Feather, The Kaphtu Trilogy 1
Richard Purtill, The Stolen Goddess, The Kaphtu Trilogy 2
Richard Purtill, The Mirror of Helen, The Kaphtu Trilogy 3
Thomas Burnett Swann, Day of the Minotaur, Minotaur Trilogy 1
Thomas Burnett Swann, The Forest of Forever, Minotaur Trilogy 2
Thomas Burnett Swann, Cry Silver Bells, Minotaur Trilogy 3
Megan Whalen Turner, The Thief, Attolia 1
Megan Whalen Turner, The Queen of Attolia, Attolia 2
Megan Whalen Turner, The King of Attolia, Attolia 3
Megan Whalen Turner, A Conspiracy of Kings, Attolia 4
Gene Wolfe, Soldier of the Mist (collected as Latro in the Mist)
Gene Wolfe, Soldier of Arete (collected as Latro in the Mist)

AFRICA

Steven Barnes, Lion’s Blood
Steven Barnes, Zulu Heart
Marie Brennan, The Tropic of Serpents, Memoirs of Lady Trent 2
Octavia Butler, Wild Seed
Milton Davis, Meji
Bernardine Evaristo, Blonde Roots
Nancy Farmer, The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm
H. Rider Haggard, King Solomon’s Mines
H. Rider Haggard, She
Robert E. Howard, The Moon of Skulls, Solomon Kane 1
Robert E. Howard, The Hand of Kane, Solomon Kane 2
Robert E. Howard, Skulls in the Stars, Solomon Kane 3
Robert E. Howard, The Hills of the Dead, Solomon Kane 4
Robert E. Howard, Solomon Kane, Solomon Kane
Robert E. Howard, The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane, Solomon Kane
Sarah Hoyt, Heart of Light, Magical British Empire 1
Sarah Hoyt, Soul of Fire, Magical British Empire 2
Lee Killough, The Leopard’s Daughter
Naomi Novik, Empire of Ivory, Temeraire 4
Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, Zahrah the Windseeker
Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, The Shadow Speaker
Charles Saunders, Imaro, Imaro 1
Charles Saunders, The Quest for Cush, Imaro 2
Charles Saunders, The Trail of Bohu, Imaro 3
Elizabeth E. Wein, A Coalition of Lions, Arthurian sequence 2
Elizabeth E. Wein, The Sunbird, Arthurian sequence 3
Elizabeth E. Wein, The Lion Hunter, Mark of Solomon 1
Elizabeth E. Wein, The Empty Kingdom, Mark of Solomon 2

ASIA (GENERIC)

Sasha Miller, Ladylord
Sean Russell, The Initiate Brother, Asian Duology 1
Sean Russell, Gatherer of Clouds, Asian Duology 2

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND

Alan Garner, Strandloper
Karen Healey, Guardian of the Dead
Ambelin Kwaymullina, The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf, The Tribe 1
Ambelin Kwaymullina, The Disappearance of Ember Crow, The Tribe 2
Ambelin Kwaymullina, The Foretelling of Georgie Spider, The Tribe 3
Justine Larbalestier, Magic or Madness, Magic or Madness 1
Justine Larbalestier, Magic Lessons, Magic or Madness 2
Justine Larbalestier, Magic’s Child, Magic or Madness 3
Michaela Roessner, Walkabout Woman
Sean Williams, The Stone Mage and the Sea, The Change 1
Sean Williams, The Sky Warden and the Sun, The Change 2
Sean Williams, The Storm Weaver and the Sand, The Change 3
Sean Williams, The Crooked Letter, The Cataclysm 1
Sean Williams, The Blood Debt, The Cataclysm 2
Sean Williams, The Hanging Mountains, The Cataclysm 3
Sean Williams, The Devoured Earth, The Cataclysm 4
Sean Williams, The Changeling, Broken Land 1
Sean Williams, The Dust Devils, Broken Land 2
Sean Williams, The Scarecrow, Broken Land 3
Patricia Wrightson, The Ice Is Coming, The Ice Is Coming 1
Patricia Wrightson, The Dark Bright Water, The Ice Is Coming 2
Patricia Wrightson, Journey Behind the Wind, The Ice Is Coming 3
Patricia Wrightson, The Nargun and the Stars

BYZANTIUM

Guy Gavriel Kay, Sailing to Sarantium, Sarantine Mosaic 1
Guy Gavriel Kay, Lord of Emperors, Sarantine Mosaic 2
Stephen Lawhead, Byzantium
Judith Tarr, The Eagle’s Daughter
Harry Turtledove, Agent of Byzantium
Harry Turtledove, The Stolen Throne, The Time of Troubles 1
Harry Turtledove, Hammer and Anvil, The Time of Troubles 2
Harry Turtledove, The Thousand Cities, The Time of Troubles 3
Harry Turtledove, Videssos Besieged, The Time of Troubles 4
Harry Turtledove, Krispos Rising, The Tale of Krispos 1
Harry Turtledove, Krispos of Videssos, The Tale of Krispos 2
Harry Turtledove, Krispos the Emperor, The Tale of Krispos 3
Harry Turtledove, The Misplaced Legion, Videssos Cycle 1
Harry Turtledove, An Emperor for the Legion, Videssos Cycle 2
Harry Turtledove, The Legion of Videssos, Videssos Cycle 3
Harry Turtledove, Swords of the Legion, Videssos Cycle 4

CARIBBEAN

Tobias Buckell, Crystal Rain
Avram Davidson, Limekiller!
Nalo Hopkinson, The Salt Roads
Nalo Hopkinson, Skin Folk
Mary Robinette Kowal, Of Noble Family, Glamourist Histories 5
Tim Powers, On Stranger Tides
Thomas Burnett Swann, The Goat Without Horns

CENTRAL ASIA

Elizabeth Bear, Range of Ghosts, Eternal Sky 1
Elizabeth Bear, Shattered Pillars, Eternal Sky 2
Gillian Bradshaw, The Horses of Heaven
Shannon Hale, Book of a Thousand Days
Naomi Kritzer, Freedom’s Gate, Dead Rivers 1
Naomi Kritzer, Freedom’s Apprentice, Dead Rivers 2
Naomi Kritzer, Freedom’s Sisters, Dead Rivers 3
Naomi Novik, Black Powder War, Temeraire 3
Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear, Mark Teppo, E.D. deBirmingham, Erik Bear, Joseph Brassey, Cooper Moo, The Mongoliad

CHINA

Alma Alexander, The Secrets of Jin-shei, Jin-Shei 1
Alma Alexander, The Embers of Heaven, Jin-Shei 2
Lloyd Alexander, The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen
Beth Bernobich, Fox and Phoenix
Ernest Bramah, The Wallet of Kai Lung
Ernest Bramah, Kai Lung’s Golden Hours
Ernest Bramah, Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat
M. Lucie Chin, The Fairy of Ku-She
Eleanor Cooney, Deception
Eleanor Cooney and Daniel Altieri, The Court of the Lion
Leah Cutter, Paper Mage
J. Damask, Wolf at the Door
J. Damask, Obsidian Moon, Obsidian Eye
Charles G. Finney, The Magician Out of Manchuria
Daniel Fox, Dragon in Chains
Allison Goodman, Eon: Dragoneye Reborn
Sarah Hoyt, Heart and Soul, Magical British Empire 3
Barry Hughart, Bridge of Birds
Barry Hughart, The Story of the Stone
Barry Hughart, Eight Skilled Gentlemen
Guy Gavriel Kay, Under Heaven
Jeanne Larsen, Silk Road
Jeanne Larsen, Bronze Mirror
Jeanne Larsen, Manchu Palaces
Grace Lin, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Jane Lindskold, Thirteen Orphans, Breaking the Wall 1
Jane Lindskold, Nine Gates, Breaking the Wall 2
Jane Lindskold, Five Odd Honors, Breaking the Wall 3
Malinda Lo, Huntress
Maureen F. McHugh, China Mountain Zhang
Donna Jo Napoli, Bound
Andre Norton and Susan Shwartz, Imperial Lady
Naomi Novik, Throne of Jade, Temeraire 2
Fuyumi Ono, The Twelve Kingdoms
Ricardo Pinto, The Chosen, Stone Dance of the Chameleon 1
Ricardo Pinto, The Standing Dead, Stone Dance of the Chameleon 2
Cindy Pon, Silver Phoenix
Cindy Pon, Fury of the Phoenix
E. Hoffman Price, The Devil Wives of Li-Fong
E. Hoffman Price, The Jade Enchantress
Jenn Reese, Jade Tiger
Mary Rosenblum, Horizons [Taiwan]
Sean Russell, Gatherer of Clouds, Initiate Brother 1
Sean Russell, The Initiate Brother, Initiate Brother 2
Jessica Amanda Salmonson, Ou Lu Khen and the Beautiful Madwoman
Sharon Shinn, Gateway
Carol Wilkinson, Dragon Keeper
Liz Williams, Snake Agent, Detective Inspector Chen 1
Liz Williams, The Demon and the City, Detective Inspector Chen 2
Liz Williams, Precious Dragon, Detective Inspector Chen 3
Liz Williams, The Shadow Pavilion, Detective Inspector Chen 4
David Wingrove, The Middle Kingdom, Chung Kuo 1
David Wingrove, The Broken Wheel, Chung Kuo 2
David Wingrove, The White Mountan, Chung Kuo 3
David Wingrove, The Stone Within, Chung Kuo 4
David Wingrove, Beneath the Tree of Heaven, Chung Kuo 5
David Wingrove, White Moon, Red Dragon, Chung Kuo 6
David Wingrove, Days of Bitter Strength, Chung Kuo 7
David Wingrove, The Marriage of the Living Dark, Chung Kuo 8
Lawrence Yep, The Dragon of the Lost Sea, Dragon of the Lost Sea 1
Lawrence Yep, Dragon Steel, Dragon of the Lost Sea 2
Lawrence Yep, Dragon Cauldron, Dragon of the Lost Sea 3
Lawrence Yep, Dragon War, Dragon of the Lost Sea 4

COLONIAL/FRONTIER AMERICA

Lois McMaster Bujold, Beguilement, Sharing Knife 1
Lois McMaster Bujold, Legacy, Sharing Knife 2
Lois McMaster Bujold, Passage, Sharing Knife 3
Lois McMaster Bujold, Horizon, Sharing Knife 4
D.J. Butler, Witchy Eye, Witchy 1
D.J. Butler, Witchy Winter, Witchy 2
Orson Scott Card, Seventh Son, Tales of Alvin Maker 1
Orson Scott Card, Red Prophet, Tales of Alvin Maker 2
Orson Scott Card, Prentice Alvin, Tales of Alvin Maker 3
Orson Scott Card, Alvin Journeyman, Tales of Alvin Maker 4
Orson Scott Card, Heartfire, Tales of Alvin Maker 5
Orson Scott Card, The Crystal City, Tales of Alvin Maker 6
Thomas K. Carpenter, Revolutionary Magic, Dashkova Memoirs 1
Thomas K. Carpenter, A Cauldron of Secrets, Dashkova Memoirs 2
Thomas K. Carpenter, Birds of Prophecy, Dashkova Memoirs 3
Beth Cato, Breath of Earth, Breath of Earth 1
Beth Cato, Call of Fire, Breath of Earth 2
C.C. Finlay, The Patriot Witch, Traitor to the Crown 1
C.C. Finlay, A Spell for the Revolution, Traitor to the Crown 2
C.C. Finlay, The Demon Redcoat, Traitor to the Crown 3
Laura Anne Gilman, Silver on the Road, Devil’s West 1
Laura Anne Gilman, The Cold Eye, Devil’s West 2
Bowie Ibarra, Alamo Rising
D.B. Jackson, Thieftaker, Thieftaker Chronicles 1
D.B. Jackson, Thieves’ Quarry, Thieftaker Chronicles 2
D.B. Jackson, A Plunder of Souls, Thieftaker Chronicles 3
D.B. Jackson, The Dead Man’s Reach, Thieftaker Chronicles 4
Greg Keyes, Newton’s Cannon, Age of Unreason 1
Greg Keyes, A Calculus of Angels, Age of Unreason 2
Greg Keyes, Empire of Unreason, Age of Unreason 3
Greg Keyes, The Shadows of God, Age of Unreason 4
Katharine Eliska Kimbriel, Night Calls, Alfreda Sorensson 1
Katharine Eliska Kimbriel, Kindred Rites, Alfreda Sorensson 2
Katharine Eliska Kimbriel, Spiral Path, Alfreda Sorensson 3
George R. R. Martin, Fevre Dream
Mike Resnick, Revolution Dragon America
Arianne “Tex” Thompson, One Night in Sixes, Children of the Drought 1
Arianne “Tex” Thompson, Medicine for the Dead, Children of the Drought 2
Arianne “Tex” Thompson, Dreams of the Eaten, Children of the Drought 3
Patricia C. Wrede, The Thirteenth Child

EASTERN EUROPE

Marie Brennan, A Natural History of Dragons, Memoirs of Lady Trent 1
Steven Brust, Brokedown Palace
Steven Brust, The Sun, The Moon, and the Stars
Leah Cutter, The Caves of Buda
Avram Davidson, The Adventures of Doctor Eszterhazy, Doctor Eszterhazy 1
Avram Davidson, The Enquiries of Doctor Eszterhazy, Doctor Eszterhazy 2
Leo Frankowski, The Cross-Time Engineer, Adventures of Conrad Stargard 1
Leo Frankowski, The High-Tech Knight, Adventures of Conrad Stargard 2
Leo Frankowski, The Radiant Warrior, Adventures of Conrad Stargard 3
Leo Frankowski, The Flying Warlord, Adventures of Conrad Stargard 4
Leo Frankowski, The Lord Conrad’s Lady, Adventures of Conrad Stargard 5
Leo Frankowski, Conrad’s Quest for Rubber, Adventures of Conrad Stargard 6
Leo Frankowski, Conrad’s Time Machine, Adventures of Conrad Stargard 7
Merri Haskell, The Princess Curse
Judith Marillier, Wildwood Dancing
Paul Park, A Princess of Roumania, Roumania 1
Paul Park, The Tourmaline, Roumania 2
Paul Park, The White Tyger, Roumania 3
Paul Park, The Hidden World, Roumania 4

EGYPT

Catherine Fisher, The Oracle Betrayed, Oracle Prophecies 1
Catherine Fisher, The Sphere of Secrets, Oracle Prophecies 2
Catherine Fisher, The Scarab, Oracle Prophecies 3
Esther Friesner, Sphinx’s Princess, Princesses of Myth 2/1
Esther Friesner, Sphinx’s Queen, Princesses of Myth 2/2
Lisa Goldstein, Dark Cities Underground
Jo Graham, The Hand of Isis
P.B. Kerr, The Akhenaten Adventure, Children of the Lamp 1
P.B. Kerr, Blue Djinn of Babylon, Children of the Lamp 2
Mercedes Lackey, Joust, Dragon Jousters 1
Mercedes Lackey, Alta, Dragon Jousters 2
Mercedes Lackey, Sanctuary, Dragon Jousters 3
Mercedes Lackey, Aerie, Dragon Jousters 4
Jane Lindskold, The Buried Pyramid
George Mann, The Osiris Ritual, Newbury & Hobbes Investigations 2
Tim Powers, The Anubis Gates
Judith Tarr, Pillar of Fire
Judith Tarr, Lord of the Two Lands
Judith Tarr, Throne of Isis
Judith Tarr, King and Goddess
Roger Zelazny, Creatures of Light and Darkness

ENGLAND (TUDOR)

Peter Ackroyd, Hawksmoor
Peter Ackroyd, The House of Doctor Dee
Elizabeth Bear, Ink and Steel, The Stratford Man 1
Elizabeth Bear, Hell and Earth, The Stratford Man 2
Marie Brennan, Midnight Never Come, Onyx Court 1
Mark Chadbourn, The Silver Skull, Swords of Albion 1
Jane Louise Curry, The Black Canary
Lisa Goldstein, The Alchemist’s Door
Lisa Goldstein, Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon
Sarah A. Hoyt, Ill Met by Moonlight
Sarah A. Hoyt, All Night Awake
Sarah A. Hoyt, Any Man so Daring
Mercedes Lackey and Roberta Gellis, This Scepter’d Isle, Doubled Edge 1
Mercedes Lackey and Roberta Gellis, Ill Met by Moonlight, Doubled Edge 2
Mercedes Lackey and Roberta Gellis, By Slanderous Tongues, Doubled Edge 3
Mercedes Lackey and Roberta Gellis, And Less Than Kind, Doubled Edge 4
Michael Moorcock, Gloriana
Elizabeth Marie Pope, The Perilous Gard
Melissa Scott & Lisa Barnett, The Armor of Light
Patricia C. Wrede, Snow White, Rose Red

ENGLAND (POST-TUDOR)

Joan Aiken, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Joan Aiken, Black Hearts in Battersea
Joan Aiken, Nightbirds on Nantucket
Joan Aiken, The Stolen Lake
Joan Aiken, The Cuckoo Tree
Joan Aiken, Dido and Pa
Joan Aiken, Is Underground
Joan Aiken, Cold Shoulder Road
Joan Aiken, Dangerous Games (aka Limbo Lodge)
Joan Aiken, Midwinter Nightingale
Poul Anderson, A Midsummer Tempest
Galen Beckett, The Magicians and Mrs. Quent
Marie Brennan, In Ashes Lie, Onyx Court 2
Marie Brennan, A Star Shall Fall, Onyx Court 3
Stephen Brust & Emma Bull, Freedom and Necessity
Stephanie Burgis, A Most Improper Magick
Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
Teresa Edgerton, Goblin Moon
Teresa Edgerton, The Gnome’s Engine
Teresa Edgerton, The Queen’s Necklace
Mary Gentle, Rats and Gargoyles, Rat Lords (aka White Crow) 1
Mary Gentle, The Architecture of Desire, Rat Lords (aka White Crow) 2
Mary Gentle, 1610: A Sundial in a Grave
Greg Keyes, Newton’s Cannon, Age of Unreason 1
Greg Keyes, A Calculus of Angels, Age of Unreason 2
Greg Keyes, Empire of Unreason, Age of Unreason 3
Greg Keyes, The Shadows of God, Age of Unreason 4
Mary Robinette Kowal, Shades of Milk and Honey, Glamourist Histories 1
Mary Robinette Kowal, Glamour in Glass, Glamourist Histories 2
Mary Robinette Kowal, Without a Summer, Glamourist Histories 3
Mary Robinette Kowal, Valour and Vanity, Glamourist Histories 4
Mary Robinette Kowal, Of Noble Family, Glamourist Histories 5
Ellen Kushner, Swordspoint
Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman, The Fall of the Kings
Ellen Kushner, The Privilege of the Sword
Hope Mirrlees, Lud-in-the-Mist
Naomi Novik, His Majesty’s Dragon, Temeraire 1
Naomi Novik, Victory of Eagles, Temeraire 5
M.J. Putney, Dark Mirror
Michael Scott Rohan, Maxie’s Demon
Patricia Wrede, Mairelon the Magician
Patricia Wrede, The Magician’s Ward
Patrica C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, Sorcery and Cecelia
Patrica C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, The Grand Tour

ENGLAND (VICTORIAN)

Marie Brennan, With Fate Conspire, Onyx Court 4
Marie Brennan, A Natural History of Dragons, Memoirs of Lady Trent 1
Marie Brennan, The Tropic of Serpents, Memoirs of Lady Trent 2
Marie Brennan, Voyage of the Basilisk, Memoirs of Lady Trent 3
Marie Brennan, In the Labyrinth of Drakes, Memoirs of Lady Trent 4
Marie Brennan, Within the Sanctuary of Wings, Memoirs of Lady Trent 5
Gail Carriger, Soulless, Parasol Protectorate 1
Gail Carriger, Changeless, Parasol Protectorate 2
Gail Carriger, Blameless, Parasol Protectorate 3
Gail Carriger, Heartless, Parasol Protectorate 4
Gail Carriger, Timeless, Parasol Protectorate 5
Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel, Infernal Devices 1
Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Prince, Infernal Devices 2
Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Princess, Infernal Devices 3
Esther Friesner, Druid’s Blood
Randall Garrett, Too Many Magicians, Lord Darcy 1
Randall Garrett, Murder and Magic, Lord Darcy 2
Randall Garrett, The Napoli Express, Lord Darcy 3
Randall Garrett, Lord Darcy Investigates, Lord Darcy 4
George Mann, The Affinity Bridge, Newbury & Hobbes Investigations 1
George Mann, The Osiris Ritual, Newbury & Hobbes Investigations 2
George Mann, The Immortality Engine, Newbury & Hobbes Investigations 3
Ian R. McLeod, The Light Ages
Ian R. McLeod, Mother of Storms
Tim Powers, The Stress of Her Regard
Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass, His Dark Materials 1
Philip Pullman, The Subtle Knife, His Dark Materials 2
Philip Pullman, The Amber Spyglass, His Dark Materials 3
Sean Russell, World Without End, Moontide & Magic Rise 1
Sean Russell, Sea Without a Shore, Moontide & Magic Rise 2
Sean Russell, Beneath the Vaulted Hills, Moontide & Magic Rise 3
Sean Russell, Compass of the Soul, Moontide & Magic Rise 4
Paula Volsky, The Grand Ellipse
Jo Walton, Tooth and Claw
Roger Zelazny, A Night in the Lonesome October

FRANCE

Gillian Bradshaw, The Wolf Hunt
James Branch Cabell, The High Place
Jacqueline Carey, Kushiel’s Dart
Jacqueline Carey, Kushiel’s Chosen
Jacqueline Carey, Kushiel’s Avatar
L. Warren Douglas, The Sacred Pool, Veil of Years 1
L. Warren Douglas, The Veil of Years, Veil of Years 2
L. Warren Douglas, The Isle Beyond Time, Veil of Years 3
Guy Gavriel Kay, A Song for Arbonne
Manuel Mujica Lainez, The Wandering Unicorn
Vonda McIntyre, The Moon and the Sun
Delia Sherman, The Porcelain Dove
Paula Volsky, Illusion
Martha Wells, The Element of Fire
Martha Wells, The Death of the Necromancer
Martha Wells, The Wizard Hunters, The Fall of Ile-Rien 1
Martha Wells, The Ships of the Air, The Fall of Ile-Rien 2
Martha Wells, The Gate of Gods, The Fall of Ile-Rien 3

HIMALAYA/TIBET/NEPAL

Marie Brennan, Within the Sanctuary of Wings, Memoirs of Lady Trent 5
Eleanor Cooney and Daniel Altieri, Shangri-la
James Hilton, Lost Horizon
Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, Nothing Sacred, Tibet 1
Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, Last Refuge, Tibet 2
Susan Shwartz, Silk Roads and Shadows

INDIA

Lloyd Alexander, The Iron Ring
Ashok K. Banker, Prince of Ayodhya, Ramayana Series 1
Ashok K. Banker, Siege of Mithila, Ramayana Series 2
Ashok K. Banker, Demons of Chitrakut, Ramayana Series 3
Ashok K. Banker, Armies of Hanuman, Ramayana Series 4
Kara Dalkey, Goa, Blood of the Goddess 1
Kara Dalkey, Bhagavati, Blood of the Goddess 2
Kara Dalkey, Bijapur, Blood of the Goddess 3
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, The Conch Bearer, Brotherhood of the Conch 1
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming, Brotherhood of the Conch 2
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Shadowland, Brotherhood of the Conch 3
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, The Mistress of Spices
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Queen of Dreams
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, The Palace of Illusion
Eric Flint and Griffin Barber, 1636: Mission to the Mughals
Sarah Hoyt, Soul of Fire, Magical British Empire 2
Ian McDonald, River of Gods
Ian McDonald, Cyberabad Days
Juliet McKenna, Southern Fire, Aldabreshin Compass 1
Juliet McKenna, Northern Storm, Aldabreshin Compass 2
Juliet McKenna, Western Shore, Aldabreshin Compass 3
Antonia Michaelis, Tiger Moon
Holly Phillips, The Engine’s Child
Dan Simmons, The Song of Kali
Suzanne Fisher Staples, Shiva’s Fire
S. M. Stirling, The Peshawar Lancers
Heather Tomlinson, Toads & Diamonds
Roger Zelazny, Lord of Light

ITALY

Lloyd Alexander, The Rope Trick
Diana Wynne Jones, The Magicians of Caprona
Guy Gavriel Kay, Tigana
Mary Robinette Kowal, Valour and Vanity, Glamourist Histories 4
Naomi Kritzer, Fires of the Faithful
Naomi Kritzer, Turning the Storm
R.A. MacAvoy, Damiano, Damiano Trilogy 1
R.A. MacAvoy, Damiano’s Lute, Damiano Trilogy 2
R.A. MacAvoy, Raphael, Damiano Trilogy 3
Melanie Rawn, Jennifer Roberson, and Kate Elliott, The Golden Key
Michaela Roessner, The Stars Compel
Michaela Roessner, The Stars Dispose

JAPAN

C.J. Cherryh, The Paladin
Kara Dalkey, The Nightingale
Kara Dalkey, Genpei
Kara Dalkey, Little Sister
Kara Dalkey, The Heavenward Path
Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts, Daughter of the Empire
Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts, Servant of the Empire
Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts, Mistress of the Empire
Esther Friesner, Spirit’s Princess, Princesses of Myth 3/1
Esther Friesner, Spirit’s Chosen, Princesses of Myth 3/2
Neil Gaiman, The Dream Hunters
Thomas Harlan, Wasteland of Flint
Thomas Harlan, House of Reeds
Lian Hearn, Across the Nightingale Floor, Tales of the Otori 1
Lian Hearn, Grass for His Pillow, Tales of the Otori 2
Lian Hearn, Brilliance of the Moon, Tales of the Otori 3
Lian Hearn, The Harsh Cry of the Heron, Tales of the Otori 4
Lian Hearn, Heaven’s Net Is Wide, Tales of the Otori 5
Kij Johnson, The Fox Woman
Kij Johnson, Fudoki
Richard Lupoff, Sword of the Demon
Zoë Marriott, Shadows on the Moon
Sasha Miller, Ladylord
Noriko Ogiwara, Dragon Sword and Wind Child
Richard Parks, The Heavenly Fox
Nahoko Uehashi, Guardian of the Spirit, Moribito 1
Nahoko Uehashi, Guardian of the Darkness, Moribito 2
Jessica Amanda Salmonson, Tomoe Gozen, Tomoe Gozen 1
Jessica Amanda Salmonson, The Golden Naginata, Tomoe Gozen 2
Jessica Amanda Salmonson, Thousand Shrine Warrior, Tomoe Gozen 3
Catherynne Valente, The Grass-Cutting Sword

LATIN AMERICA

Isabel Allende, City of the Beasts, City of the Beasts 1
Isabel Allende, Kingdom of the Golden Dragon, City of the Beasts 2
Isabel Allende, Forest of the Pygmies, City of the Beasts 3

MESOAMERICA

Clare Bell, The Jaguar Princess
Tobias Buckell, Crystal Rain
Brenda Cooper, Mayan December
Leah Cutter, The Jaguar and the Wolf
Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion
Thomas Harlan, Wasteland of Flint
Thomas Harlan, House of Reeds
Ernest Hogan, Smoking Mirror Blues
Alexander Irvine, A Scattering of Jades
Mercedes Lackey, Burning Water
Kenneth Morris, The Chalchiuhite Dragon
Pat Murphy, The Falling Woman
Warren Norwood, True Jaguar
Ricardo Pinto, The Chosen, Stone Dance of the Chameleon 1
Ricardo Pinto, The Standing Dead, Stone Dance of the Chameleon 2
Marella Sands, Sky Knife
Marella Sands, Serpent and Storm

NATIVE NORTH AMERICA

Judith Berman, Bear Daughter
Charles de Lint, Svaha
Mercedes Lackey, Sacred Ground
Madeline L’Engle, A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Madeline L’Engle, An Acceptable Time
Rebecca Roanhorse, Trail of Lightning, The Sixth World 1
Rebecca Roanhorse, Storm of Locusts, The Sixth World 2
Dan Simmons, Black Hills
S.P. Somtow/Somtow Sucharitkul, Aquila in the New World, The Aquiliad 1
S.P. Somtow/Somtow Sucharitkul, Aquila and the Iron Horse, The Aquiliad 2
S.P. Somtow/Somtow Sucharitkul, Aquila and the Sphinx, The Aquiliad 3

NEAR EAST/MIDDLE EAST/CRUSADES

Saladin Ahmed, Throne of the Crescent Moon, The Crescent Moon Kingdoms 1
Lloyd Alexander, The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha
Lloyd Alexander, The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio
Piers Anthony, Hasan
Carol Berg, Transformation, Rai-Kirah 1
Carol Berg, Revelation, Rai-Kirah 2
Carol Berg, Restoration, Rai-Kirah 3
Steven Billias, The Quest for the 36
Chaz Brenchley, Tower of the King’s Daughter, Outremer 1
Chaz Brenchley, Feast of the King’s Shadow, Outremer 2
Chaz Brenchley, Hand of the King’s Evil, Outremer 3
Chaz Brenchley, Bridge of Dreams, Selling Water by the River 1
Chaz Brenchley, River of the World, Selling Water by the River 2
Marie Brennan, In the Labyrinth of Drakes, Memoirs of Lady Trent 4
F. Marion Crawford, Khaled
M. Coleman Easton, Iskiir
Susan Fletcher, Alphabet of Dreams
Esther Friesner, Wishing Season
Stephen Goldin, Shrine of the Desert Mage, Parsina 1
Stephen Goldin, The Storyteller and the Jann, Parsina 2
Stephen Goldin, Crystals of Air and Water, Parsina 3
Stephen Goldin, Treachery of the Demon King, Parsina 4
Joyce Ballou Gregorian, The Broken Citadel, Tredana 1
Joyce Ballou Gregorian, Castledown, Tredana 2
Joyce Ballou Gregorian, The Great Wheel, Tredana 3
Jim C. Hines, Red Hood’s Revenge, Princesses 3
Howard Jones, The Desert of Souls
Manuel Mujica Lainez, The Wandering Unicorn
Tanith Lee, Night’s Master, Tales from the Flat Earth 1
Tanith Lee, Death’s Master, Tales from the Flat Earth 2
Tanith Lee, Delusion’s Master, Tales from the Flat Earth 3
Tanith Lee, Delirium’s Mistress, Tales from the Flat Earth 4
Madeline L’Engle, Many Waters
Nathalie Mallet, The Princes of the Golden Cage
Judith Marillier, Cybele’s Secret
Maureen F. McHugh, Nekropolis
Juliet McKenna, Southern Fire, Aldabreshin Compass 1
Juliet McKenna, Northern Storm, Aldabreshin Compass 2
Juliet McKenna, Western Shore, Aldabreshin Compass 3
Juliet McKenna, Eastern Tide, Aldabreshin Compass 4
Donna Jo Napoli, Beast
Naomi Novik, Black Powder War, Temeraire 3
Susan Palwick, The Necessary Beggar
Tim Powers, Declare
Salman Rushdie, Haroun and the Sea of Stories
Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, The Harem of Aman Akbar
Sharon Shinn, Archangel, Samaria 1
Sharon Shinn, Jovah’s Angel, Samaria 2
Sharon Shinn, The Alleluia Files, Samaria 3
Sharon Shinn, Angelica
Sharon Shinn, Angel-Seeker
Judith Tarr, Queen of Swords
Judith Tarr, Devil’s Bargain
Judith Tarr, House of War
Judith Tarr, Alamut
Judith Tarr, The Dagger and the Cross
Judith Tarr, A Wind in Cairo
Michael Tunnell, Wishing Moon
Harry Turtledove, Between the Rivers
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, The Will of the Wanderer, Rose of the Prophet 1
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, The Paladin of the Night, Rose of the Prophet 2
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, The Prophet of Akhran, Rose of the Prophet 3
Martha Wells, City of Bones

PACIFIC ISLANDS

Marie Brennan, Voyage of the Basilisk, Memoirs of Lady Trent 3
Steven Goldberry, Maui the Demigod
Kathleen Ann Goonan, The Bones of Time
Alaya Dawn Johnson, Racing the Dark, The Spirit Binders 1
Alaya Dawn Johnson, The Burning City, The Spirit Binders 2
Carol Severance, Demon Drums, Island Warrior 1
Carol Severance, Storm Caller, Island Warrior 2
Carol Severance, Sorcerous Sea, Island Warrior 3

ROMANI/”GYPSY”

ElizaBeth Gilligan, Magic’s Silken Snare, Silken Magic 1
ElizaBeth Gilligan, The Silken Shroud, Silken Magic 2

ROME

Poul Anderson, Roma Mater, The King of Ys 1
Poul Anderson, Gallicenae, The King of Ys 2
Poul Anderson, Dahut, The King of Ys 3
Poul Anderson, The Dog and the Wolf, The King of Ys 4
Alice Borchardt, The Silver Wolf
Jim Butcher, Furies of Calderon, Codex Alera 1
Jim Butcher, Academ’s Fury, Codex Alera 2
Jim Butcher, Cursor’s Fury, Codex Alera 3
Jim Butcher, Captain’s Fury, Codex Alera 4
Jim Butcher, Princep’s Fury, Codex Alera 5
Jim Butcher, First Lord’s Fury, Codex Alera 6
L. Sprague de Camp, Lest Darkness Fall
Esther Friesner, Child of the Eagle
Thomas Harlan, The Shadow of Ararat, Oath of Empire 1
Thomas Harlan, The Gate of Fire, Oath of Empire 2
Thomas Harlan, The Storm of Heaven, Oath of Empire 3
Thomas Harlan, The Dark Lord, Oath of Empire 4
Sean McMullen, The Centurion’s Empire
Robert Silverberg (ed.), Roma Eterna
S.P. Somtow/Somtow Sucharitkul, Aquila in the New World, The Aquiliad 1
S.P. Somtow/Somtow Sucharitkul, Aquila and the Iron Horse, The Aquiliad 2
S.P. Somtow/Somtow Sucharitkul, Aquila and the Sphinx, The Aquiliad 3

RUSSIA

Katherine Arden, The Bear and the Nightingale
Sarah Ash, Lord of Snow and Shadows, Tears of Artamon 1
Sarah Ash, Prisoner of the Iron Tower, Tears of Artamon 2
Sarah Ash, Children of the Serpent Gate, Tears of Artamon 3
Orson Scott Card, Enchantment
C. J. Cherryh, Rusalka
C. J. Cherryh, Chernevog
C. J. Cherryh, Yvgenie
Mercedes Lackey, The Firebird
Sergei Lukyanenko, Night Watch, Watch 1 (translated from Russian)
Sergei Lukyanenko, Day Watch, Watch 2 (translated from Russian)
Sergei Lukyanenko, Twilight Watch, Watch 3 (translated from Russian)
Sergei Lukyanenko, Last Watch, Watch 4 (translated from Russian)
Sergei Lukyanenko, New Watch, Watch 5 (translated from Russian)
Peter Morwood, Prince Ivan, Prince Ivan 1
Peter Morwood, Firebird, Prince Ivan 2
Peter Morwood, The Golden Horde, Prince Ivan 3
Ekatarina Sedia, The Secret History of Moscow
Josepha Sherman, The Horse of Flame
Josepha Sherman, The Shining Falcon
Sarah Zettel, A Sorceror’s Treason, Isavalta 1
Sarah Zettel, The Usurper’s Crown, Isavalta 2
Sarah Zettel, The Firebird’s Vengeance, Isavalta 3
Sarah Zettel, Sword of the Deceiver, Isavalta 4

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Sophie Masson, Snow, Fire, Sword
Tamora Pierce, Trickster’s Choice, Daughter of the Lioness 1
Tamora Pierce, Trickster’s Queen, Daughter of the Lioness 2
Martha Wells, Wheel of the Infinite

SPAIN/MOORISH

Lois McMaster Bujold, The Curse of Chalion, Curse of Chalion 1
Lois McMaster Bujold, Paladin of Souls, Curse of Chalion 2
Lord Dunsany, The Charwoman’s Shadow
Lord Dunsany, Don Rodriguez
Guy Gavriel Kay, The Lions of Al-Rassan

SUMER

Roberta Cray, The Sword and the Lion
Anne Harris, Inventing Memory
Harry Turtledove, Between the Rivers

TROY

Hilary Bailey, Cassandra: Princess of Troy
Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Firebrand
Sara Douglass, Hades’ Daughter, The Troy Game 1
Sara Douglass, Gods’ Concubine, The Troy Game 2
Sara Douglass, Darkwitch Rising, The Troy Game 3
David Gemmell, Lord of the Silver Bow, Troy 1
Richard Purtill, The Mirror of Helen, The Kaphtu Trilogy 3
Dan Simmons, Ilium, Ilium 1
Dan Simmons, Olympos, Ilium 2

MIXED (being a category for those authors and works which draw coherently and recognizably on material from enough different cultures that trying to decide where to place them has given me a headache)

K. A. Applegate, Everworld series
Jacqueline Carey, Kushiel and Na’amah series
Hal Duncan, Vellum
Hal Duncan, Ink
J. Gregory Keyes, Era of Unreason series
China Miéville, New Crobuzon series
Tamora Pierce, Tortall series
Kim Stanley Robinson, The Years of Rice and Salt

My criteria for building this list are admittedly fuzzy. I want books that draw substantially on a particular culture for their subject matter or setting; what I mean by “substantial” is highly subjective. I’m personally interested mostly in fantasy, but there’s some SF in here, and I will certainly add more if anybody can point me in the right direction.

This list consists of novels and the very occasional single-author short story collection. My reason for not listing short stories individually is partly that my task would quickly become overwhelming; there’s also the consideration that short stories are often much harder for a reader to track down than novels are.

The categories I’m leaving out are Celtic fantasy, Norse fantasy, and fantasy based on England prior to the Tudor period. Thanks to our good friend J. R. R. Tolkien, these are the three settings most commonly seen in the genre, but in a simplified, flavorless form brought on by too many writers copying other writers copying other writers copying Tolkien. I may someday go looking for fantasy with those settings where the author appears to have done some actual research, but that’ll have to be a separate list, since I’ll want to read everything I put on it and make judgement calls on how solid I think it is.

As for the categories I do have, there’s a certain blurriness to them, too, based on how many books there are of a certain type, and how much different sub-categories blend together. I’ve lumped the entirety of Africa together, for example, because at present there aren’t enough novels in that list to make up substantial sub-categories. I’ve also lumped the Aegean region (which includes Greece, Crete, and because I feel like it, Atlantis — but not Troy, which got big enough to have its own category). I split England by time because there’s a whole subset of Elizabethan fantasy, and likewise ended up splitting Rome from later periods of Italy. Spain’s got the secondary header of Moorish because it’s pretty tough to separate those two; same for the Near East, Middle East, and Crusades (but Sumer’s off on its own). Like Sumer, the Caribbean gets its own category, even though it’s obviously heavily linked to African material. If you think I’ve put something in the wrong category, feel free to let me know, but on the whole, I hope this is enough to steer readers in appropriate directions.