Lucky Seed
A Novel
Checking Availibility...Description
Succession meets Crazy Rich Asians in this chaotic, darkly funny romp about the lengths a wealthy family will take to ensure the birth of a male heir from the gay black sheep of their clan.
The billionaire Sun Clan of Greater Los Angeles is your typical American family, with power-struggling aunties, emasculated uncles, scheming cousins, scandalous secrets and a fortune teller on retainer. But at the end of each combative day, the Suns are chained together with golden handcuffs, whether they like it or not.
Yet strange storms are a-brewing. Their matriarch, Roses Sun, is grappling with an existential crisis: she must produce a male heir that bears the clan's surname. She fears that if her generation is the one in which their esteemed lineage ends, they will be punished as "hungry ghosts" in the afterlife--an ancient but very real Asian superstition.
Faced with this terrifying fate, Roses summons her favorite nephew, Wayward. Believing him to possess the "lucky seed," Roses presents Wayward with a mandatory suggestion: to father a baby boy who will inherit everything. When the other members of the Sun Clan catch wind of Roses's plot, all hells break loose. Wayward's family will now clash like never before in an epic war over the future of the Suns...if there is a future at all.
Yet through the chaos, Wayward sees opportunity. What if he can leverage all the conflict into a solution for his problematic family? What if he can reunite the Sun Clan by healing them? And what if the tumultuous Suns can finally learn how to love each other for the first time?
About this Author
Justinian Huang's debut novel, THE EMPEROR AND THE ENDLESS PALACE, was hailed by Booklist as "a sweeping triumph," and "page-turning and deeply thoughtful," in a starred review by Publishers Weekly. In 2025, it was named a Stonewall Honor Book in Literature by the American Library Association. Born in California to immigrants, Justinian spends his time between Los Angeles and Bangkok, with his rescue dog Swagger in tow. LUCKY SEED is his second novel, with more thrilling and twisty stories to come.
Reviews
For Lucky Seed
"Lucky Seed is a delicious layer cake of drama and lore, a family story glittering with humor, heart, intrigue and the winning talent of an author I'll follow anywhere. I was horrified by its villains, cheering for its heroes, and utterly absorbed by the dynamics of the Sun cousins. Even the pets in this novel have a story to tell."--John Glynn, author of Out East
"You'll gasp, you'll laugh, but most of all you'll keep asking yourself--how did he do it?--because Justinian Huang's latest is an uproarious, jaw-droppingly audacious ride. Huang navigates the intertwining branches of this outrageous family tree with sizzling panache, managing to both skewer and elicit deep affection for its characters. Lucky Seed is a riveting comedy of (bad) manners, told the way only Huang could tell it." --Elaine U. Cho, author of Ocean's Godori
"An incredibly fun yet sharply observed, wild and original ride of a novel that will keep you laughing into the night with all of the hijinks and twists that the Sun family find themselves in, yet unravel you with its deeply felt emotion." --Nayantara Roy, author of The Magnificent Ruins
"Equal parts irreverent, thrilling and poignant, Justinian Huang's Lucky Seed is a riotous romp about (quite literally) breaking generational curses that left me gasping for breath, laughing out loud, and occasionally tearing up. A masterpiece unlike anything you've ever read and perfect for fans of Knives Out and Crazy Rich Asians. The twist ending had me screaming!" --Shirlene Obuobi, author of Between Friends & Lovers
"A sexy romp with bite. Justinian Huang crafts unforgettable characters who linger in your mind long after the final page. Smart, stylish, and wickedly entertaining." --Lauren Ho, bestselling author of Last Tang Standing
"Fortune favors the chaotic in this charming familial romp. Full of thrills and even more heart, I was on the edge of my seat. Huang does it again!" --Carolyn Huynh, author of The Family Recipe
For The Emperor and the Endless Palace
"At once page-turning and deeply thoughtful, Huang's excellent debut conjures a sweeping gay love story that unfolds across multiple timelines...this mesmerizing debut is not to be missed." --Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Exquisitely crafted, dazzlingly rendered, and searingly romantic, The Emperor and the Endless Palace is a technicolor dream of passion, obsession, and transcendent love. Huang's genre-bending debut is vividly mesmerizing." -- Amélie Wen Zhao, New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night
"Opulent...a mystical story of star-crossed lovers who chase true love and atonement across thousands of lifetimes" --Library Journal
"An epic vision of romance, destiny, and Chinese folklore. This lyrical, adventure-filled fantasy will completely pull you in and leave your heart pounding." --Dustin Thao, New York Times bestselling author
"With great skill and verve, Justinian Huang has written a groundbreaking novel. The Emperor and the Endless Palace captures the splendor and intrigue of Imperial China, even as it celebrates queer Asian love and lust through the centuries." --David Henry Hwang, author and Tony-winning playwright of M Butterfly
"A compelling, genre-bending romantic epic about two lovers destined to meet lifetime after lifetime. The inexplicable push and pull of their supernatural connection will keep readers jumping across timelines to see what lies in store for these fated mates." --Julie Tieu, author of Fancy Meeting You Here
"The Emperor and the Endless Palace is the story of an iconic queer romance that transcends time and defies fate; it is, moreover, an exuberant celebration of beautiful Asian men across eons. Sultry, irreverent, and thoroughly entertaining--I couldn't put it down! Justinian Huang is a brilliantly imaginative storyteller, and his debut novel announces a bold literary voice for the ages." --Jean Chen Ho, author of Fiona and Jane
"A frisky romp across continents and dynasties that imparts some profound truths about romance along the way. Justinian Huang's debut is a red-hot and magical love story for the ages." --Daniel Nieh, author of Beijing Payback
"An epic love story that transcends lifetimes... It is, simply, spectacular." --Reactor
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