The Bathala Games - by E Manawari (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

TWO WORLDS AND ONE WILD (AND KINDA EPIC) FILIPINO MYTHOLOGY ADVENTURE

Michelle Macabebe--aka Chi--dreams of adventure outside her home island of Luna Asul. All she has to do is survive the boredom of high school to one day escape to a university in a faraway land. The adventure she seeks comes early and against her will when a fat, talking cat chooses her for a suspicious, out-of-this-world (literally) competition.

Bickering deities, (not-so) gentle giants, a moon-eating dragon--all the forgotten stories from her childhood have come to life. Chi navigates the lands of gods and spirits, competing against (and struggling alongside) four other contestants to complete their missions. Meanwhile, her real-life problems are piling up too--a strict mother, a one-sided crush, a secret that will break her heart (and potentially her brother's and best friend's too).

Amidst her confusing search for meaning, will Chi find the right answers?

About the Author

E. Manawari is a multi-genre author from the island of Siargao, Philippines. Her novella, I Highly Nominate, was awarded a place on the Honor List for the Severino Reyes Medal's Young Adult Book category for 2025. Her current obsessions include grass cultivation, planting dwarf varieties of fruit-bearing trees, and growing winged beans. On better days, she also draws digitally and in watercolour. She's a fur mom to one sassy cat--her company during long writing nights. Follow her journey at emanawari.com.