The tradition of storytelling is an ancient one, and one that spans the entire earth. I grew up reading, watching, and listening to epic tales that were grounded in the lush stories of my Indian heritage–everything from ancient Indian epics, like the Mahabharata, to classic children’s folktales, like the Panchatantra. In due time, as I switched to public libraries as my source of storytelling and inspiration, I fell in love with fantasy as a genre. It captured that same magic and wonder of the tales I had grown up with and offered to take me away on new adventures.
But it was years and years before I read a fantasy world that wasn’t just a standard medieval European mold. And I certainly didn’t see any characters who looked like me in the books I read as I grew up. It was a missing hole, and one that made me want to be a writer. But the good news? Things have changed.
Here are five recently published books with fantasy worlds inspired by India and Indian history that will transport you away—and make you never want to come back to the real world.
Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri
Tasha Suri’s debut novel is a dream, weaving together rich characterization and lush magic to create a beautifully imagined fantasy world inspired by Mughal India. Mehr, the main character, lives on the outer edge of her society as the illegitimate daughter of the governor and an Amrithi mother, a tribe of magic-wielders who are shunned. When her magic is discovered and she is sent to the stronghold of the empire’s mystics, Mehr must find her courage to survive and resist. Suri deftly combines history and fantasy to create a world that is fully realized and compelling.
A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi
This book had so many things I loved and didn’t know I needed. First of all, Gauri and Vikram, two of my all time favorite characters. They’re forced to work together to win back her kingdom at the Tournament of Wishes, despite being entire opposites. The tournament itself is a delightful combination of Indian folklore and Hindu mythology and every inch of this story drips with delicate and delicious worldbuilding and magic.
The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana
Khorana’s first venture into epic fantasy explores the story of Princess Amrita, who has offered her hand in marriage in order to prevent ruin from falling upon her kingdom. When ruin still arrives, Amrita embarks on a search for the Library of All Things, the one place that could turn back time–and help her save her people. The world of this book is heavily influenced by ancient India, with clever twists on history and historical characters like Alexander the Great (who had dealings with India in the ancient past).
Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena
Inspired by medieval India, the world in Hunted by the Sky is filled with magic and danger. Gul was born with a star-shaped birthmark, one that marks her as a target of the ruthless King. Girls with birthmarks like hers have been disappearing for years and when Gul narrowly escapes an attempt on her life which ends in her parents death, she sees revenge as her only path forward. Bhathena provides a fresh, new take on medieval India with prophecies and ancient magic.
Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar
Thakrar takes inspiration from Hindu mythology to create a stunning contemporary fantasy debut with celestials and star magic. When Sheetal’s magic flare up lands her father in the hospital, she must travel to a celestial court, take on the role of her family’s champion in a dangerous competition, and save her father. Hindu mythology takes the spotlight in Thakrar’s beautifully written, luminous world, giving us a glimpse into a world inspired by the skies.
Swati Teerdhala is the author of The Tiger at Midnight series, which has appeared on both Barnes and Noble and Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Novels lists. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a BS in finance and BA in history, she tumbled into the marketing side of the technology industry. She’s passionate about many things, including how to make a proper cup of tea, the right ratio of curd-to-crust in a lemon tart, and diverse representation in the stories we tell. She currently lives in New York City.
I love The Books of Ambha Duology!!! I need to read the other books on this list!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
I’m so glad that we’re seeing sf/f inspired by India’s long and complex history and the many national cultures. More to add to my to-be-read list.
Any expansion beyond the medieval European-inspired fantasy milieu, which is not only well-trodden, but too often doesn’t tread far from Tolkien’s all-male adventure, is welcome.
AHHH! More books to add to my TBR pile! Thank you so much! I love broadening my horizons!
nice list & all, but a tad appalled not a single fantasy novel published in India, by Indian writers has appeared in this list of books inspired by India. unless of course books published in India are not considered “Indian” enough or (in the face of all evidence to the contrary) assumed to be not-inspired by their own country’s culture & heritage…
@@.-@ – So true. FWIW, Indra Das’s The Devourers is an excellent place to start I think.
@5 – Sar, yes, it’s as good a starting point as any. my personal list of a starter pack of Indian SF (just sticking to fantasy) most definitely includes that but also: Samit Basu–Simoqin Prophecies (India’s first fantasy novel in English), Sukanya Venkatraghavan–Dark Things, Tashan Mehta–Liar’s Weave, Achala Upendran – Sultanpur Chronicles: Shadowed City….
Should it not say “Five Books” in the title not “Five Book”?
@7 Fixed, thanks!
Hey, moderators, could you please fix the spelling of my first name in the article and also in the tags? It’s Shveta, not Svetha. Thanks!
@9 – Fixed, thank you!
Shenoy @@@@@ 4:
Here’s an article from 2016 arguing that the Indian market for “fantasy” is dominated by retellings of classic (Hindu) religious myths (“METOO” = Mythological Epics Told Over and Over).
(It does mention Samit Basu’s Gameworld trilogy as a “non-mythological fantasy”.)
And here’s another article from the same site trying to argue otherwise, though the examples given all seem to be more contemporary/urban or historical fantasy set in India, rather than secondary-world fantasies. My understanding is that Indra Das’s novel is a historical fantasy set in India. (There’s an extended discussion of Tolkien that underestimates how much and how far back [Western, English-language] fantasy has departed from the Tolkienesque mode, though I’ll admit the author’s attempt to redefine “METOO” as “Middle Earth Told Over and Over” is kind of clever.)
Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories strikes me as a possible early example. (His other novels often have fantastical elements — traditionally glossed as “magic realism” rather than “fantasy” — though since they have contemporary or historical settings, they wouldn’t qualify as secondary-world fantasies.)
Holly Phillips’ excellent standalone novel The Engine’s Child has a world that seems inspired — very loosely — by a combination of India and Southeast Asia.
How about Nilanjana Roy’s The Wildings (2012)? Best cat fantasy ever, set in Delhi, cover blurb by Salman Rushdie.