Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim is out July 28, 2026 from Del Rey publishing.

I was so delighted to receive an early ARC of Fishbone Cinderella from Del Rey. Elizabeth is a long time YA fantasy favorite of mine. I’ve interviewed her on my BookTube channel, chosen her previous work for Fabled Bookshop’s YA book box, and picked her for my local book club discussion. Lim always delivers creative, whimsical and beautifully descriptive stories. 

Fishbone Cinderalla is Elizabeth’s first foray into adult fiction and she delivers a powerfully heartbreaking, magical novel. I’ve been raving about it on socials since January. Now that it’s almost publication time, it deserved a permanent place on my blog!

Oof. This seems to be the year for books that make me cry! And this one about crushed me.

For Fishbone Cinderella, she dug into her grandmother’s history. She pressed into the challenges and burdens of the immigrant experience across generations. This intensely emotional tale is about a family curse. It is based on the Chinese version of Cinderella, a much darker tale than it’s Western counterpart. 

What Lim delivers is so much more!  This is a brilliant, dual narrative historical fantasy about the complexity of the mother-daughter relationship, effects of multigenerational trauma, and explores the Japanese occupation of China and its devastating aftermath. Told in a dual narrative blending historical depth with a touch of magic, Fishbone Cinderella looks at relationships, their connections and gaps, and the circumstances that can change a person. Oh! And there’s a slow burn romance in there, too.

Lim’s writing is again descriptive, immersive and so beautiful, it lights up even the darkest chapters. I’ll be discussing this again with Elizabeth via Book Tube, so stay tuned for the recording.  And don’t miss the book when it comes out July 28, 2026. 

Fishbone Cinderella is a great book to pitch to readers who love a non traditional fantasy and lovers of historical fiction with magical realism – good comps would be The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates and A Woman of Endurance by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa.

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