Legend of the White Snake

Lee (Fake Dates and Mooncakes) offers up a queer rendition of a Chinese folktale in which a snake-turned-teenager must hide his true identity when he falls for the prince who’s hunting him. Seven years ago, young Prince Xian’s mother was bitten by a white snake, sentencing her to a painful, yearslong death. But Xian possessed an elusive spirit pearl, the one thing needed to create an antidote. A cure seemed certain—until a white snake swallows the pearl and disappears. Years later, Xian persists in his search for a cure. He heads to the city of Changle, where he is prophesied to capture a white snake—and where he meets handsome stable boy Zhen. What Xian doesn’t know is that Zhen is the snake that swallowed the pearl, an act that endowed him with supernatural powers, including the ability to shape-shift into human form. When Zhen is appointed as Xian’s personal attendant, the two begin to fall for each other, but with the truth looming, Zhen is unsure of their future. Lush worldbuilding and flowing purple prose culminate in a story of love, loss, and destiny that pays homage to Chinese xianxia fantasy dramas. Ages 13–up. (Oct.)