Recs if you like Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 1...

as an antidote to the ‘bury your gays’ trope, here are queers who defy death; who are reincarnated, immortalised, or escape death by the skin of their teeth. these characters may die at some point following this, but are allowed well-rounded arcs before that point.

please note that due to the nature of the list, spoilers may follow. enter at your own risk.

recommendations welcome!

All the volumes licensed in English that I could find on here. I've added ones I couldn't find whenever possible, and did my best to select the correct editions.

This list contains the first volume of several popular series from danmei subgenres such as: wuxia, xianxia, cultivation, omegaverse, infinite flow, e-sports, etc.

This list is just a point to start from if you want to dip your toes into Danmei 🥰

I’m an international fan, so this list prioritizes works that have been published in English and that are popular in international spaces. I’ve not read all these, but I’m certainly gonna try!!

I’m always open to feedback <33

Books set in an Asian or Asian-inspired setting or incorporates elements of an Asian culture or mythology. Only the first book in a series is listed.

danmei gongs who act particularly dog-like

a collection of men who pretend to be really innocent and weak to gain their lover’s favour. the title comes from the chinese slang term 绿茶 / green tea, which refers to someone who acts really pitiful and helpless, as if they’ve endured a lot of hardships, but in actual fact is very cunning and ambitious.

note: the origin of the term is quite misogynistic, hence why this list will not be including any women.

A list of Danmei and Baihe novels officially published in English. Note: Danmei/Baihe are same sex fiction books from China (MM/FF) Only first volumes of series will be listed here~

Unhinged and chaotic queer stories that are beyond entertaining (and in some ways, very disturbing as the best are haha!)

All Danmei/Baihe published by Seven Seas translated into english (Updated August 2025)

Books on my TBR with LGBTQIA+ characters or themes.

when a single encounter or ending was determined by fate long ago, and we are powerless against it. through the twists and turns of life, it all comes back to you.

— “life fleets as though it abides in dreams upon dreams; the affairs of the world are as faint as winds within winds.”

gay chinese novels

Today is Senior Citizen's Day! It's stupidly hard to find books with older characters, but we've done our best to put together a list of queer books with older characters (we aimed for 65+ but not all books specify and ymmv on your estimate of the age of some of these folks). Happy reading! (This list is presented by Duck Prints Press, the indie publisher focused on publishing queer art and stories by queer creators! A group of us collaborate to make these recommendations.)

For those who have wandered close but yet to sink into this rabbit hole:

"Danmei (耽美) is a Chinese literary genre that focuses on romantic relationships between male characters."

read a few, and keeping an eye on the rest 👀 I'll be editing the list as I go! please feel free to suggest any additions 🌸

characters who embody the benevolence and grace of the divine, even in a world muddied with mortal follies.

— “the figure of the divine in the unrelenting abyss of hell.”

Inexhaustive list of danmei novels 👑

Danmei is Chinese BL (boy's love), evolved from the japanese genre tanbi, which derived from an anti-naturalistic literary movement, with focus on beauty and aesthetic, which later on became the known genre of love between men (also known as yaoi). Danmei is a known genre mainly for women, also primarily written by women. It is an interesting genre to read into feminist studies, queer studies and probably also other literary studies. Other than that, it's great entertainment! Give it a shot :)

All the volumes licensed in English that I could find on here. I've added ones I couldn't find whenever possible, and did my best to select the correct editions. This is a modified version of my existing Danmei Officially Published in English, but this one only includes the first volume of each series. (Someone asked I make this version, so here we are. :D )

Happy International Non-Binary People's Day! Here's a pile of books that our rec list contributors love that feature non-binary representation (some explicit, some subtextual/interpreted - so your interpretation may differ, and that's okay!). (This list is presented by Duck Prints Press, the indie publisher focused on publishing queer art and stories by queer creators! A group of us collaborate to make these recommendations.)