{"title":"Mia Tsai","description":"Mia Tsai is a Taiwanese American author of speculative fiction, including Bitter Medicine and The Memory Hunters. An editor at GigaNotoSaurus, a 2024 Hugo Finalist for Best Semi-pro Zine, she is also a musician, teacher, and erstwhile photographer who earned her bachelors of humanities and arts in music and psychology at Carnegie Mellon University and her masters of music in piano pedagogy at Georgia State University. She lives in the Atlanta area with her family, and, when not writing, is a hype woman for her orchids and devoted cat gopher. She can be found online at MiaTsai.com and @mia.tsai.books on Instagram and Tiktok.","products":[{"product_id":"the-memory-hunters-hardcover","title":"The Memory Hunters - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eInception\u003c\/i\u003e meets \u003ci\u003eIndiana Jones\u003c\/i\u003e in this cinematic, slow burn, romantic fantasy following a headstrong academic and her equally stubborn bodyguard as they unearth an ancient secret that rocks the foundations of their society...and challenges their unspoken love for one another. A sapphic, dark academia-adjacent, climate dystopia -- with mushrooms -- for readers of \u003ci\u003eBlood Over Bright Haven, \u003ci\u003eA Memory Called Empire, \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eInk Blood Sister Scribe. \u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"The relationship between Vale and Key is beautifully vivid and takes a well-earned, startling turn toward the end. \u003ci\u003eThe Memory Hunters\u003c\/i\u003e is a haunting story about how we preserve the past, and the cost of clinging too tight.\" - \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eKiana Strade can dive deeper into blood memories than anyone alive. But instead of devoting her talents to the temple she's meant to lead, Key wants to do research for the Museum of Human Memory. . . and to avoid the public eye. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eValerian IV's twin swords protect Key from murderous rivals and her own enthusiasm alike. Vale cares about Key as a friend--and maybe more--but most of all, she needs to keep her job so she can support her parents and siblings in the storm-torn south. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut when Key collects a memory that diverges from official history, only Vale sees the fallout. Key's mentor suspiciously dismisses the finding; her powerful mother demands she stop research altogether. And Key, unusually affected by the memory, begins to lose moments, then minutes, then days. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAs Vale becomes increasingly entangled in Key's obsessive drive for answers, the women uncover a shattering discovery--and a devastating betrayal. Key and Vale can remain complicit, or they can jeopardize everything for the truth. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEither way, Key is becoming consumed by the past in more ways than one, and time is running out.","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50102862676191,"sku":"9781645662082","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/RmsZph5mBH9781645662082.webp?v=1781087496"},{"product_id":"bitter-medicine-paperback","title":"Bitter Medicine - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e[STARRED REVIEW] \"Sparks fly in Tsai's refreshing and enchanting paranormal debut.... With brilliantly developed, multifaceted characters; a clever magic system; and witty prose, the pages of this fantasy fly. This marks Tsai as a writer to watch.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"There are so many joys in this paranormal. The wealth of languages, mythologies, religions and magicks are a weight that balances the emotional tenderness.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eIn this inspired contemporary fantasy, a Chinese immortal and a French elf try to balance new romance, familial loyalty, and workplace demands. In her debut novel, Taiwanese American author Mia Tsai has created an unforgettable paranormal adventure that is full of humor, passion, and depth.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAs a descendant of the Chinese god of medicine, ignored middle child Elle Jiang was destined to be a doctor. Instead, she is underemployed as a mediocre magical calligrapher at the fairy temp agency. Nevertheless, she challenges herself by covertly outfitting Luc, her client and crush, with high-powered glyphs. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHalf-elf Luc, the agency's top security expert, has his own secret: he's responsible for a curse laid from an old assignment. To heal them, he'll need to perform his job duties with unrelenting excellence and earn time off from his tyrannical boss. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen Elle saves Luc's life, they begin a dangerous collaboration, but their chemistry blooms. Happiness, for once, is an option for them both. But Elle is loyal to her family, and Luc is bound by his true name. To win freedom from duty, they must make unexpected sacrifices.","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50104083644639,"sku":"9781616963842","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/ZuPSM9nlRR9781616963842.webp?v=1781100002"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/mia-tsai.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}