{"title":"Books by Park Seolyeon","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780063373266","title":"A Magical Girl Retires","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA millennial turned magical girl must combat climate change and credit card debt in this delightful, witty, and wildly imaginative ode to magical girl manga.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwenty-nine, depressed, and drowning in credit card debt after losing her job during the pandemic, a millennial woman decides to end her troubles by jumping off Seoul’s Mapo Bridge.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut her suicide attempt is interrupted by a girl dressed all in white—her guardian angel. Ah Roa is a clairvoyant magical girl on a mission to find the greatest magical girl of all time. And our protagonist just may be that special someone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut the young woman’s initial excitement turns to frustration when she learns being a magical girl in real life is much different than how it’s portrayed in stories. It isn’t just destiny—it’s work. Magical girls go to job fairs, join trade unions, attend classes. And for this magical girl there are no special powers and no great perks, and despite being magical, she still battles with low self-esteem. Her magic wand . . . is a credit card—which she must use to defeat a terrifying threat that isn’t a monster or an intergalactic war. It’s global climate change. Because magical girls need to think about sustainability, too.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePark Seolyeon reimagines classic fantasy tropes in a novel that explores real-world challenges that are both deeply personal and universal: the search for meaning and the desire to do good in a world that feels like it’s ending. A fun, fast-paced, and enchanting narrative that sparkles thanks to award-nominated translator Anton Hur, \u003cem\u003eA Magical Girl Retires\u003c\/em\u003e reminds us that we are all magical girls—that fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight can be anyone's game.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTranslated from the Korean by Anton Hur\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":57685852324213,"sku":"9780063388277","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":56222725210485,"sku":"9780063373266","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780063388277.jpg?v=1792599065"},{"product_id":"9780063469242","title":"A Magical Girl Retires (Nomad Edition)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA millennial turned magical girl must combat climate change and credit card debt in this delightful, witty, and wildly imaginative ode to magical girl manga.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwenty-nine, depressed, and drowning in credit card debt after losing her job during the pandemic, a millennial woman decides to end her troubles by jumping off Seoul’s Mapo Bridge.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut her suicide attempt is interrupted by a girl dressed all in white—her guardian angel. Ah Roa is a clairvoyant magical girl on a mission to find the greatest magical girl of all time. And our protagonist just may be that special someone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut the young woman’s initial excitement turns to frustration when she learns being a magical girl in real life is much different than how it’s portrayed in stories. It isn’t just destiny—it’s work. Magical girls go to job fairs, join trade unions, attend classes. And for this magical girl there are no special powers and no great perks, and despite being magical, she still battles with low self-esteem. Her magic wand . . . is a credit card—which she must use to defeat a terrifying threat that isn’t a monster or an intergalactic war. It’s global climate change. Because magical girls need to think about sustainability, too.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePark Seolyeon reimagines classic fantasy tropes in a novel that explores real-world challenges that are both deeply personal and universal: the search for meaning and the desire to do good in a world that feels like it’s ending. A fun, fast-paced, and enchanting narrative that sparkles thanks to award-nominated translator Anton Hur, \u003cem\u003eA Magical Girl Retires\u003c\/em\u003e reminds us that we are all magical girls—that fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight can be anyone's game.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTranslated from the Korean by Anton Hur\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56367722758517,"sku":"9780063469242","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780063469242_6c769662-bf82-444d-adfa-cb5852c40a10.jpg?v=1786011074"},{"product_id":"9780063475960","title":"A Magical Girl Rehired","description":"In this charmingly chaotic follow-up to A Magical Girl Retires, our favorite millennial-turned-magical girl begrudgingly returns to the workforce to fight crime and the forces of evil.   Our protagonist from A Magical Girl Retires is done with the magical girl life . . . but the magical girl life isn't done with her. After her request to take early retirement is resoundingly rejected by the chairperson of the National Trade Union of Magical Girls, her trusted friend and guardian angel Ah Roa asks our mostly-over-it magical to protect the now vulnerable members of the union, whose magical powers were severely diminished after the climactic battle with the Magical Girl of Time. With no choice, our magical girl returns to work. But given what happened last time, this new union rep can't afford to be anything less than a model employee.   When a toxic substance leaks from a local factory, our protagonist must devise an impromptu rescue mission that puts her powers to the test and leads to a business trip to the Headquarters for the Advancement of Far Eastern Magical Girls, where the mysterious “Magical Girl of Everything” holds court. Our protagonist has never been on a business trip before—are they always this weird? And, of course, things only get weirder for Roa and our protagonist. Not to mention dangerous. Business matters will simply have to take a backseat as these magical girls must fight their way out of this Far East fortress…Park Seolyeon's witty, imaginative, and purely fun sequel to A Magical Girl Retires—the mega-charming magical girl manga riff that captured BookTok's heart—expands the Magical Girl world as it explores modern issues, including unemployment, the housing crisis, and snake oil pseudo-religions. Translated by award-winning Anton Hur, A Magical Girl Rehired finds light in the darkness and inspires us to fight for love, justice—and perhaps even overtime.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56998993920373,"sku":"9780063475960","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780063475960_56e345d4-37f5-493c-b331-621d78b8639c.jpg?v=1786033214"},{"product_id":"project-v","title":"Project V","description":"Robotics prodigy Kim Wooram returns to Korea to pursue Project V, a government-run competition to pilot the country's largest robot, only to discover that only men can apply. Determined, she disguises herself as her twin brother and enters the widely televised competition.   As Wooram fame rises, she uncovers a dangerous truth: V's unstable AI could put countless lives at risk. With victory within reach and her secret on the line, she must choose between achieving her life-long dream or destroy V to save lives.   Blending mecha action with commentary on gender, reality TV, and AI, Project V is a story of ambition and identity, a wildly imaginative tale of unexpected friendship and an existential quest to understand what it means to be human.   READER REVIEWS\"The Vibe: Mulan meets giant sci-fi robots and reality TV drama. Pure fun!\"\"I cannot recommend it enough! IT IS A MUST READ! STAT!\"\"Cinematic and bright. Highly recommend!\"\"Real Steel meets She's The Man. action packed, disarmingly funny, strong female protagonist...I had so much fun with this one!\"\"It's quick, it's fast, it's fun, and it's immensely enjoyable.\"\"It’s a must-read for fans of strong female leads and futuristic tales with depth.\"","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57695276597621,"sku":"9781787706774","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781787706774.jpg?v=1793032755"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-park-seolyeon.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}