Magic Has No Borders

by Sona Charaipotra, Naz Kutub, Sabaa Tahir

A pair of star-crossed lovers search for a way back to one another against all odds…

A girl fights for her life against a malignant, generations-old evil…

A peri seeks to reclaim her lost powers…

A warrior rebels against her foretold destiny…

From chudails and peris to jinn and goddesses, this lush collection of South Asian folklore, legends, and epics reimagines stories of old for a modern audience. This fantasy and science fiction teen anthology edited by Samira Ahmed and Sona Charaipotra contains a wide range of stories from fourteen bestselling, award-winning, and emerging writers from the South Asian diaspora that will surprise, delight, and move you. So read on, for after all, magic has no borders.

With stories by:
▪Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Ember in the Ashes series, and winner of the National Book Award and Printz Award for All My Rage
▪Sayantani DasGupta, New York Times bestselling author of the Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond series
▪Preeti Chhibber, author of Spider-Man’s Social Dilemma
▪Sona Charaipotra, author of Symptoms of a Heartbreak and How Maya Got Fierce, and coauthor of The Rumor Game and Tiny Pretty Things, now a Netflix original series.
▪Tanaz Bhathena, award-winning author of Hunted by the Sky and Of Light and Shadow
▪Sangu Mandanna, bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and the Celestial Trilogy
▪Olivia Chadha, author of Rise of the Red Hand
▪Nafiza Azad, author of William C. Morris Award nominee, The Candle and the Flame
▪Tracey Baptiste, New York Times bestselling author of The Jumbies series and Minecraft: The Crash
▪Naz Kutub, author of The Loophole
▪Nikita Gill, bestselling author of Wild Embers and Fierce Fairytales
▪Swati Teerdhala, author of the Tiger at Midnight trilogy
▪Shreya Ila Anasuya, New Voices selection
▪Tahir Abrar, New Voices selection

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Young Adult, Anthologies, Mythology, Fiction, Retellings

1 pages, Audio CD

First published May 23, 2023

About the author

The author of the YA doc dramedy Symptoms of a Heartbreak, SONA CHARAIPOTRA is not a doctor — much to her pediatrician parents’ chagrin. They were really hoping she’d grow up to take over their practice one day.
Instead, she became a writer, working first as a celebrity reporter at People and (the dearly departed) TeenPeople magazines, and more recently contributing to publications from the New York Times to TeenVogue. She was also the editor of the Barnes & Noble Teen blog. These days, she uses her Masters in screenwriting from NYU and her MFA in creative writing from the New School to poke plot holes in her favorite teen TV shows — for work of course. She’s the co-founder of CAKE Literary, a boutique book packaging company with a decidedly diverse bent, and the co-author of the YA dance dramas Tiny Pretty Things and Shiny Broken Pieces (now a Netflix original series!), as well as the upcoming psychological thriller Rumor Game. Her follow-up to Symptoms will be the YA contemporary romp How Maya Got Fierce, which draws on her magazine world experience and is pitched as the Bold Type meets Younger. She’s a former We Need Diverse Books board member. Find her sharing pictures of her kids and her chai on Instagram @sonesone2, talking writing and books on Twitter @sona_c, or pinning gorgeous lenghas and her favorite Indian food on Pinterest.

Reviews

[queenie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It was easier to blame a woman for what went wrong with the choices of men than it was for men to take responsibility for the harm they caused.”

— Chudail, by Nikita Gill

Rating: 4.5/5.0
★★★★✩

Reading this book felt like a hug to me. A number of diverse voices went into the making of this book—my favourite part was how the book was a love letter to South Asians. That it was not a book for all, but for a very specific audience in mind. I have quite a complicated relationship with anthologies, usually reading them for the one or two authors contributing, and rarely for the idea. But this was different, I was hooked through every story, and all of them were equally enjoyable to breeze through!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, for presenting me with an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

[౨ৎ]

literally giggling and kicking my feet in the air cause desi books exist.

[Zoë!]

NEW SABAA TAHIR 🙏🙏

[Kirin]

I don't know what I was expecting from this collection, but I don't think this was it. I was hopeful that rich culture would emerge from the multiple stories showing the depth and diversity of the area, not all be so tied to religious mythology. Nearly all the stories have queer story lines, have sexual assault and content, are Hindu centered, and Samira Ahmed doesn't even have a story in the collection she's co edited, I read the entire book, and tried to be open minded with all the reimaginings of Hindu gods and goddess, but I never really got comfortable with the liberties taken of what I presume are characters central to religious doctrine for practicing Hindus. Of the few Muslim leaning inclusions: one story had a jinn and a gay main character, but really the only stories that I genuinely enjoyed were the other two by Muslim authors: Mirch, Masala, and Magic by Nafiza Azad and What the Winds Stole by Sabaa Tahir, neither religious focused but culturally rich with magic and a peri. The Chudrail story was mediocre, but the rest did little to hold my attention with the instant gay romances and weak world building. The 14 stories over 352 pages is marketed as YA, but I don't know what purpose it would serve: it doesn't celebrate South Asian folklore to me, it doesn't provide insight to a vibrant culture, and the majority of the stories just aren't engaging and memorable.

[nihaarika · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had an anthology like Magic Has No Borders when I was still in high school, it would have meant so much to me then. And it means so much to me now. The pure joy and delight I felt reading this collection of captivating South Asian stories and recognising many of the myths and legends being retold across the stories was incredible. I literally couldn't choose a favourite story out of these; all of them were sooo good. I honestly would not mind if there was a volume 2 of this anthology with even more stories.

[tahaslibrary]

south asians x fantasy = unparalleled combo

[Rojda · Rating 3 out of 5]

good for falling asleep and dreaming about fantastical and mysterious adventures 🥰

[Tilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars
Overall, it was a good book but unfortunately it didn't excite me and so I cannot give it more than 3 stars. I am a huge fan of south Asian mythology and magic, but for me, this Anthology just didn't live up to my expectations.
Also the artwork for some of the stories was awful so I really hope that is changed before it is published (I read the ARC).

Here is a breakdown of all 14 stories:

1. Kiss Me Goodbye by Tracey Baptiste
⭐⭐ This was an interesting story but there was a definite lack of background and the characters just switched 180 so quickly it wasn't realistic.

2. Chudail by Nikita Gill
⭐⭐⭐ This was better as the worldbuilding was there and the story felt more detailed and complete.

3. A Goddess of Fire and Blood by Tanaz Bhathena
⭐⭐⭐ I enjoyed this one! I loved the story and the characters. I actually think it would be a fantastic premise for a full book!

4. Infinite Drift by Olivia Chadha
⭐⭐⭐⭐ I really enjoyed this one, it is a scifi and packed a real punch in such a short amount of time. Will definitely look this author up.

5. Dismantle the Sun by Sangu Mandanna
⭐⭐⭐.5 Another great little story full of fierce females, corrupt nasty men and a vengeful god. Such a great read!

6. Shamsuddin-Jalal by Tahir Abrar
⭐ On one page the lead character's name "Shamsuddin" was written 9 times (and the writing was big so not much else was said). And generally 7 times a page. Such bad writing it took me out of the story 

7. The Collector by Sona Charaipotra
⭐⭐ Just wasn't a huge fan of the story, it didn't really grab my attention or imagination.

8. Unraveled by Preeti Chhibber
⭐⭐.5 I found this story to be full of promise but sadly in the end it was just a little silly for me.

9. She Who Answers by Shreya Ila Anasuya
⭐⭐⭐ For a short story this one seemed to drag a little, although I did enjoy the mythology and magic, I felt the story wasn't that strong.

10. The Hawk's Reason by Naz Kutub
⭐⭐⭐ A sweet short story that has a MM romance.

11. Poetry of Earth by Swati Teerdhala
⭐⭐⭐ It was a sweet story but rather unoriginal and the ending was a little obvious.

12. Mirch, Masala and Magic by Nafiza Afad
⭐⭐⭐ A lovely little story of family love, not letting bullies win and a sprinkle of magic. It was a nice read but nothing special in my opinion.

13. Daughter of the Sun by Sayantani DasGupta
⭐⭐.5  Unfortunately the story didn't do much for me but the Author's note broke my heart. Thank you for raising awareness of this issue through your storytelling.

14. What the Winds Stole by Sabaa Tahir
⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was such a great story and in my opinion with the best writing and characters in this book. I really enjoyed it as for a short story it still managed to pack and emotional punch.

Please note that I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.

[mads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not writing an actual review because I’m currently sick and feel like crap but! This is probably the first story collection where I enjoyed (almost) every story. So good!

[jabulisile (chaotic.pagesofjae) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I enjoyed this anthology.
These were my top enjoyed stories:
- Infinite Drift by Olivia Chadha
- Dismantle the Sun by Sangu Mandanna
- Unraveled by Preeti Chhibber
- Poetry of Earth by Swati Teerdhala
-What the Winds Stole by Sabaa Tahir

Honorable mention
- Shamsuddin-Jalal by Tahir Abrar

[Elevetha · Rating 3 out of 5]

*An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*


Kiss Me Goodbye – 1 star. Rushed, no backstory, and asinine. The goddess Manasa reincarnates into different hosts to come back to kill Lakhinder, as his lady love Behula attempts to stop her. She does this whenever the world forgets about her, and then falls asleep or dormant or something until the next time the world forgets. I know this is a short story, but I was still lost on the backstory here and why all this was taking place. Was she fated to do this? Cursed? She claims to be doing it because she's a goddess and must be remembered; it's her right and her due, but that doesn't really explain why Lakhinder and Behula and why murder is the only way to make anyone remember her. Anyways, this is set in a modern high school and Manasa is a goddess in a teenage girl host body but never once does she come across as anything but a slightly-more-than-average homicidal teenage girl. She's dramatic, annoying, and drooling over a boy's ass. Spare me. I liked the aspect of the girls deciding to just stop this endless game of hunting and killing, but they have no idea if it will “reset”. And what about the humans remembering them part? It's implied they will find a (less murderous) way to do that, but couldn't they have done that from the get-go? And then to cap this all off, we get slammed with literally the most instantaneous insta-love I've ever had the misfortune of reading. Manasa just kisses Behula because ????? and is like, this is the love I've been searching for. SPARE ME.

Chudail – 3.5 stars. Girls have been going missing for centuries, always precluded by a sighting of the Chudail. The quality of writing was good, and I liked the eerie spookiness of it all. I do wish we would have been told what exactly the not-Chudail was though. Reminded me a little tiny bit of Elatsoe.

A Goddess of Fire and Blood – 2 stars. The beginning was a lot of into-dumping, and then became hard to follow as we switched which girl we were talking about so seamlessly I had to go back three times to make sure I was following the name and backstory changes. The story of escaping their prison was compelling, but the goddess storyline completely lost me.

Infinite Drift – 3 stars. A girl appears in the desert, out of time, on an unknown mission. Concept was unique, but I wish there had been more backstory or info on the Drift Riders. I liked that it was her brother though! Author notes were interesting.

Dismantle The Sun –3.5 stars. Good story. I liked the almost father-daughter relationship, and the decision our MC made at the end; her realization she could do better and the determination to do so.

Shamsuddin-Jalal – 2 stars. Would have been good but for the overwhelming woke agenda permeating the entire story.

The Collector – 2 stars. Very confusing. The author's note informs us that it is part of a larger story, and gives some background to said story, but on it's own, it has little merit.

Unraveled – 2.5 stars. A hostage of a mythical and revenging bird-man, our MC finds that her experience there leads her to a change of heart and a discovery of her own worth. Tantalizing enough to want to know what the history was there, but suffered from a lack of background and answers. Her boyfriend was worthless, but it was upsetting that there was no forewarning that he would be so until the end of the story.

She Who Answers – 3 stars. I appreciated seeing this goddess giving her all to help the boy and his mother as they pray to her. Good story.

The Hawk's Reason ��� DNF. Gay insta-love. Not my thing.

Poetry of Earth – 3 stars. A little simplistic in the telling, but a good story overall. An Aspera is sentenced to live a year with the humans, and learns that her dislike of them maybe isn't as warranted as she thought. Author's note helped it out a bit.

Mirch, Masala, and Magic – 3.5 stars. A family uses magic in cooking to get back at the family that hurt one of their own. The way the food, and the magic within, was described was excellent. Liked the close-knit main family, but it was strange that the whole family of in-laws was so awful.

Daughter of The Sun – 2 stars. Just not my thing. Mostly confused and didn't care for the writing.

What The Winds Stole – 4 stars? I really liked the prose, the overall story, and that Peri lived up to her name. Her character arc was lovely, really. But I couldn't get past the insta-love, Sule's motivations(why did he come in the first place?), or the ending, which was anti-climatic.

[Jerney · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5
It’s a good fun book with lovely different stories and complex characters

My favorite stories: ‘kiss me goodbye, ‘dismantle the sun’, ‘B… reason’, ‘poetry of earth’, ‘daughter of the sun’ en ‘what the winds stole’ ✨

After this I’m surely going to checkout the other works of all these wonderful authors 💕


🎧 audiobook

[Marte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average rating: 3.2 ★

As with any anthology, there were hits and there were misses. I overall enjoyed the collection, and even if I didn’t rate a story very high, I appreciated how the stories uplifted and showcased voices, folklore, and myths we don’t get to see enough in publishing. The different artworks that accompanied each story were also gorgeous.

And now my individual ratings:

Kiss Me Goodbye by Tracey Baptiste – ★★★½☆
⇨ Really intriguing concept which could’ve made for a great book. As a short story it's just good.

Chudail by Nikita Gill – ★★★½☆
⇨ Really liked the horror elements in the beginning and the focus on storytelling/myths throughout, but it wrapped up too quickly for me.

A Goddess of Fire and Blood by Tanaz Bhathena – ★★★☆☆
⇨ It feels silly to call a short story underdeveloped, but that’s all I was thinking about when finishing this one.

Infinite Drift by Olivia Chadha – ★★★¾☆
⇨ I’m always a sucker for alternate realities/jumping between different timelines and this didn’t disappoint. It always taught me something about a historical event I ‘d never really heard about.

Dismantle the Sun by Sangu Mandanna – ★★★★½
⇨ Whenever I pick up a short story collection or anthology, I always start to wonder if I actually enjoy the format. Then I come across a story like this and I’m reminded that: yes, I am indeed capable of loving a short story.
This was great from the very first line to the somewhat open ending. If Sangu Mandanna – if/when she wants to take a break from current cozy fantasy era – decided to write an epic adult fantasy based on this short story I would be first in line to pick it up!

Shamsuddin-Jalal by Tahir Abrar – ★★½☆☆
⇨ Aaaand we’re at another good, but not great, story. I liked the stories within the story, but something about the writing style didn’t quite work for me.

The Collector by Sona Charaipotra – ★½☆☆☆
⇨ Maybe I’m dumb, but this was really confusing. The ending held some potential though.

Unraveled by Preeti Chhibber – ★★★☆☆
⇨ The ending and author’s note was good, but I didn’t find the rest particularly gripping.

She Who Answers by Shreya Ila Anasuya – ★★★½☆
⇨ Take a shot everytime the word good appears in this review. I liked this a bit more than the previous one. The setting felt more lush and I’m always a sucker for stories told from a god/goddess’ the point of view.

The Hawk’s Reason by Naz Kutub – ★☆☆☆☆
⇨ Sorry, but the share amount of insta-love is not for me.

Poetry of Earth by Swat Teerdhala – ★★★½☆
⇨ Maybe the previous story lowered my standards, but I found the romance in this to be cute. It really was a shorter, better version of Trials of Apollo. >.

Mirch, Masala, and Magic by Nafiza Azad – ★★★½☆
⇨ Loved the food magic and I could imagine a short story collection with stories solely focused on different people and/or generations in this family.

Daughter of the Sun by Sayantani DasGupta – ★★★¾☆
⇨ Really enjoyed this retelling/re-imagining and how it incorporated the missing/dead girls. Also probably my favourite artwork of the entire collection, and I really enjoyed

What the Winds Stole by Sabaa Tahir – ★★★¾☆
⇨ Great way to end the collection. Not my favourite – I would’ve liked less romance in not just this story, but the collection as a whole – by Sabaa Tahir sure knows how to create a compelling narrative.

[Azanta (azantareads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a such a lovely anthology, full of South Asian magic, appreciation, and love from the deep myths of our cultures to the every day practices and pieces of ourselves and make us South Asian. i loved every story!

[Alicia]

Reviewing for professional magazine- see review there.

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not always a fan of anthologies or short stories, not because they aren’t good, but because I’m greedy and want more , I get so sad if I love a story and there’s no more to it. I’m insane yes I know don’t worry about it, there’s no help for me ! However, I was drawn to this by it’s name, the authors contributing and because it’s South Asian magic, the stories and love from the myths and cultures, but also the everyday lives of South Asia and I just couldn’t resist.

Two of my favourite stories were What the Winds Stole by Sabaa Tahir I really enjoyed the idea of being cursed, but love, friendship ultimately redemption, it’s hard to describe without ruining the story. Daughter of the Sun by Sayantani DasGupta I love the story of reincarnation, cycles of life and trying to break a bad cycle. I loved how the stories in this anthology ranged from family, love, heartbreak and romance to self-discovery and life changing lessons, that some were dark and twisted feeling tales, others retelling, heroes and villains. Something I especially loved was that some of the stories had a note from the author explaining the inspiration /mythology origins, I would love more like this (even if some made me cry)

As a someone who isn’t an own-voices reader ( if you are looking for these reviewers for South Asian thoughts, opinions on these stories, I am not one, but there are many other voices who will be able to give an accurate review)
I was overjoyed by so many myths and legends from the South Asian community, these were new to me (but may not be to own voices readers) and I love to be able to read something that isn’t the same story I’ve heard or read a million times over. We need more diversity in publishing, because it’s not for a lack of authors, we need more ! And yes, I’m changing my mind on anthologies if this is what I could be missing!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

From goddesses to warriors to peasants they have every kind of story in this book those seeking redemption rebirth and so much more it is rare I read an anthology and the first story be my favorite but I love the one with Kayla and love her. Not to say I was disappointed by the rest I did find the second story to be a tad bit confusing but that could just be me. As far as the rest I have no special comments just know you won’t be disappointed when buying this book it is stories of magic and strong females. All the authors are from East Asia and they all seem to be quite talented. I have read books by Samira Ahmed before and loved it and so was super excited to read this one and I was not disappointed at all. As far as the Resco they were all new to me but would definitely be down with reading more from them in the future. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of fantasy tales from Asian cultures.
Like many short story collections I find I enjoy reading as a pickup and enjoy a couple and pop it back on the table until the urge to disappear on a flight of wonderful fantasy with such clear visual images arising with the words as they weave their tale of magic and intrigue and good verses evil. Mind you like every good fairy story/magic tale it can become very complex attempting to decide who is good or how evil they are.
Entertaining. Fantasy from a cultural root other than my own background, and the those smallish cultural differences just highlight the similarity of all of us humans in our thoughts and desires.
Definitely better enjoyed as stand alone stories rather than trying to digest the collection as a whole.

[Aquari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.25/5 ⭐️

This was an incredible anthology of South Asian myths, legends, and magic written by South Asian authors. I loved learning more about the different folklore within the South Asian diaspora as a folklore lover. This has definitely become one of my favorite anthologies that I’ve read so far.

My favorite stories were The Hawk’s Reason by Naz Kutub, Poetry of the Earth by Swati Teerdhala, The Collector by Sona Charaipotra, and What the Winds Stole by Sabaa Tahir.

Please note that I am not an ownvoices South Asian reviewer so please look for those reviews!

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magic Has No Borders is a collection of South Asian tales celebrating diversity and myth edited by Sona Charaipotra and Samira Ahmed.

I really enjoyed the idea of this short story collection. I always love to explore cultures that I haven't learned about before and I think this book was a great way for many authors to share their histoy and culture with the reading community.

I loved how unique the stories felt because I hadn't heard the myths they were based on before! And even if I had I think each author brought something unique to the tales and I enjoyed the diversity!

If there was anything I wished for more of with this novel were for some of the stories to be longer! I think some of them could have done with more fleshing out and some of the worlds created I didn't want to leave! I guess I just have some new authors I need to check out though, because I haven't read the majority of these before.

All in all, I think Magic Has No Borders is a great collection of YA fantasy and science fiction tales centered around South Asian culture and I would definitely recommend to to those who want to explore new topics or who knows the tales well!

Thank you to HarperTeen and Netgalley for an eARC of this novel. All thoughts and opinions contained within this review are my own.

[Kathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kiss Me Goodbye - 3.5/5
Chudail - 4/5
A Godess of Fire and Blood - 3/5
Infinite Drift - 3/5
Dismantle the Sun - 5/5
Shamsuddin-Jalal - 1/5
The Collector - 2/5
Unraveled - 2/5
She Who Answers - 1/5
The Hawk‘s Reason - 2/5
The Poetry of Earth - 3/5
Mirch, Masala and Magic - 3/5
Daughter of the Sun - 2/5
What the Winds Stole 4/5

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting stories. I liked the majority of them, which is an amazing outcome with an anthology with as many authors as this one.
I also loved that there were little explanations for what inspired them in between most of the short stories.
The narrators were great as well.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely gorgeous book. Every single story was magic, brimming with emotion. I want to find the final published copy (I read the advanced readers copy) cause I really want to see all of the artwork now. So so good.

[hima · Rating 2 out of 5]

it's unfortunate i did not like this, i feel like if i read this when i was younger i would've ate it up bc seeing a lot of the south asian stories would've made me so happy. but unfortunately i think most of the stories were mid...

[zai · Rating 4 out of 5]

desi stories make me so happy !!

[Lucía · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable bouquet of beautiful stories of love, bravery and courage.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m just not a fan of short stories. Some of those included here were great and I wanted MORE!

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[MT Reads! · Rating 5 out of 5]

- I loved these short stories that showcased South-Asian folklore with modern twists
- wanted follow ups on lots of the chapters
- neat to hear about the authors’ identities also

[Stephanie Strick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Myths, legends, folklore, and fantastical tales make up this book of short stories featuring authors and tales from South and Southeast Asia. Each story was unique and special and their own right and even though I didn’t love all of the stories, I did enjoy this book.