Latine Fantasy for Teens

Fantasy is one of my favorite genres (maybe top favorite tied with horror). A good fantasy story draws on the heritage and customs of its characters to give relatability to a unique new world. Here are a few great examples of stories that bring in aspects of Latine cultures and weave them into fantastical stories.   

Saying that The Sunbearer Trials is “Hunger Games meets Percy Jackson” isn’t wrong, but I’d also add “fabulously queer, Mexican-mythos-inspired Goblet of Fire.” The story follows Teo, a trans semidiós (or demigod) who is chosen to compete in the Sunbearer Trials against 9 other teen semidióses, the loser of which is sacrificed by the winner. Despite how heavy and violent this might sound, this book is also humorous and joyful. The world of Reino del Sol is brilliantly crafted with vibrant cities and patron dióses that symbolize different aspects of the world. The characters are complex, endearing and relatable (despite being literal gods) and I fell in love with more than one of them. Round out the duology with Celestial Monsters if you enjoy this like I did.  

For dark fairytale vibes, Before the Devil Knows You're Here is a dark spin on the legends of Johnny Appleseed and Paul Bunyan. Catalina is a Mexican-American teen poet living in 1830s Wisconsin. When poisoned apples are left on her doorstep, they lead to her father’s death and her brother’s kidnapping by the legendary Man of Sap (aka Johnny Appleseed). Catalina ventures into the wilderness to rescue her brother and meets Paul (Bunyan) along the way. They encounter many magically twisted scenes and how their pasts connect to the Man of Sap’s. This fantasy combines American folktales with Mexican poetry to create a story that is lyrical and incredibly unique, and very spooky at times. 

Another spooky fantasy steeped in folklore, These Vengeful Wishes follows Ceci as she moves to her mother’s hometown after her stepfather’s arrest. Their new hometown is rumored to have ties to La Cegua, a woman with a horse’s face from Nicaraguan folktales that lures corrupt men and petrifies them. Ceci is an artist, and she paints a door that magically appears outside of her new home and leads to a wishing well guarded by a statue of La Cegua. Ceci’s wishes come with a price as she learns the history of the town and her mother’s secrets.  Ceci’s desire is relatable and just like La Cegua’s: she’s been wronged, and she wants justice. This is a captivating story of female power and anger. 

Finally, The Hills of Estrella Roja is a gorgeously illustrated graphic novel about family secrets and supernatural happenings. Kat hosts a podcast about all things supernatural and creepy in Texas. When she gets an anonymous email urging her to look into the "devil lights" in the town of Estrella Roja, she can't help but set off to investigate. Meanwhile, Marisol is on her way back to Estrella Roja for her abuela's funeral after leaving the town and her family there as a child. Their family is given the cold shoulder and treated like outsiders by the town, and it doesn't help that Mari keeps having these weird nightmares she can't make sense of. Kat and Mari cross paths and investigate some of the strange stuff in the town's, and Mari's own family's, history as their relationship develops. This is campy and fun and Mexican folklore is weaved beautifully into the paranormal elements of the story.  

Have you read any great Latine-inspired fantasies? Let us know in the comments!