1) Fonda Lee's Green Bone Saga. This is a modern fantasy set in the fictional country of Kekon, where jade is power and family is everything. It's been described as a crossover between a Hong Kong gangster film and a political drama, and I would strongly recommend it if you like complex power dynamics, well-considered worldbuilding, and strong women. While it's a fantasy setting, the books touch on race within the setting in a really powerful way, including one of the protagonists struggling with his mixed-race identity. The same protagonist is also gay and in the second book has an ongoing relationship with another young man. The series also explores violence and anger and power, and how each can manifest differently. The first book is called Jade City, and while it's not exactly feel-good, I think it's a strong story that you might appreciate.
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I have a couple books to recommend!
1) Fonda Lee's Green Bone Saga. This is a modern fantasy set in the fictional country of Kekon, where jade is power and family is everything. It's been described as a crossover between a Hong Kong gangster film and a political drama, and I would strongly recommend it if you like complex power dynamics, well-considered worldbuilding, and strong women. While it's a fantasy setting, the books touch on race within the setting in a really powerful way, including one of the protagonists struggling with his mixed-race identity. The same protagonist is also gay and in the second book has an ongoing relationship with another young man. The series also explores violence and anger and power, and how each can manifest differently. The first book is called Jade City, and while it's not exactly feel-good, I think it's a strong story that you might appreciate.
2)Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse. This book is post-apocalyptic (the current USA has been flooded and dissolved) in a sense, but it's really more about the ending of apocalypse in a lot of ways. The story follows Maggie, who is a Diné (Navajo) monster hunter. She uses her cultural heritage and connections to fight against both outside and internal threats, and is a really strong exploration of an Indigenous future. For content warnings, there are mentions / implications of rape, but nothing 'onscreen.' There's also some animal harm/death in the context of hunting for food, and the trickster god Coyote is involved in some fights in his animal form. In book 2, there is offscreen dubiously consensual body modification, though I'm not sure that's exactly what you wanted CWed. Please feel free to come talk to me about this series if you have any other questions!