This is another discussion post for the Hype or Like Friday meme!
The topic for this week is Favorite Fantasy Novels!
Fantasy is one of my favorite genres to read. So I'm going to recommend some of my favorites!
The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows
Wilhelmina has a hundred identities.
She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.
She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.
She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others.
Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.
This book follows one of my favorite tropes of a queen who needs to reclaim her throne. I have not yet finished this series, but I absolutely adored this book! I loved the romance and the nighttime vigilante adventures, the spying and the magic, just everything!
She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.
She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.
She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others.
Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.
This book follows one of my favorite tropes of a queen who needs to reclaim her throne. I have not yet finished this series, but I absolutely adored this book! I loved the romance and the nighttime vigilante adventures, the spying and the magic, just everything!
The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
A princess must find her place in a reborn world.
She flees on her wedding day.
She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.
She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.
She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.
The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.
Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.
This book follows another of my favorite tropes of the lost princess! I thought this one had a seriously epic plot twist! It has a little bit of a love triangle in it. But that PLOT TWIST MAN! Floored me completely. I see a lot of people didn't fall for the twist, but I did! I'm so excited for this series finale to come out in August! I need to see how things end up for Lia!
She flees on her wedding day.
She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.
She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.
She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.
The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.
Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.
This book follows another of my favorite tropes of the lost princess! I thought this one had a seriously epic plot twist! It has a little bit of a love triangle in it. But that PLOT TWIST MAN! Floored me completely. I see a lot of people didn't fall for the twist, but I did! I'm so excited for this series finale to come out in August! I need to see how things end up for Lia!
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?
Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.
Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?
ASSASSIN NUNS! What more do you need to know?! They are nuns who work with St. Mortain (AKA Death) to kill those who just gots ta go. The series is three books long right now, each one following a different girl from the convent. And there are going to be MORE books in this series following the girl from the second book! I am jazzed for this!
Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.
Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?
ASSASSIN NUNS! What more do you need to know?! They are nuns who work with St. Mortain (AKA Death) to kill those who just gots ta go. The series is three books long right now, each one following a different girl from the convent. And there are going to be MORE books in this series following the girl from the second book! I am jazzed for this!
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
One Life to One Dawn.
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end.
This one I mostly read because I had heard that it had a little bit of a hint of Beauty and the Beast in it. I could see it, but I think it's primarily more of a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights. It takes place in a Middle Eastern setting so it's diverse! The romance is fantastic even though I kind of felt like a dirtbag rooting for it for awhile there.
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end.
This one I mostly read because I had heard that it had a little bit of a hint of Beauty and the Beast in it. I could see it, but I think it's primarily more of a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights. It takes place in a Middle Eastern setting so it's diverse! The romance is fantastic even though I kind of felt like a dirtbag rooting for it for awhile there.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
If you are looking for a book with a badass heroine, look no further! This series contains another one of my favorite tropes in it, with a queen needing to reclaim her throne. I liked the Hunger Games-y feel of this book even though I would have liked to see more bloodshed. The ships in this series are basically just a mess. Celaena is so sassy and fierce and strong! I loved her so much. I was kind of late to this party, but I'm glad I got on board!
Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
If you are looking for a book with a badass heroine, look no further! This series contains another one of my favorite tropes in it, with a queen needing to reclaim her throne. I liked the Hunger Games-y feel of this book even though I would have liked to see more bloodshed. The ships in this series are basically just a mess. Celaena is so sassy and fierce and strong! I loved her so much. I was kind of late to this party, but I'm glad I got on board!
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.
The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.
That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.
Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.
But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.
When I picked this book up, I didn't really know what it was about, but I was quickly impressed by this one! I loved the world with the separation of Reds and Silvers. I loved all the different powers and the court life that Mare finds herself in! There is a very "OH" worthy plot twist in this one too, I thought! And the romance is fun! I like how tough Mare is! I just was impressed with this one and I'm sad that I haven't found the time to read Glass Sword yet! But soon!
The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.
That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.
Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.
But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.
When I picked this book up, I didn't really know what it was about, but I was quickly impressed by this one! I loved the world with the separation of Reds and Silvers. I loved all the different powers and the court life that Mare finds herself in! There is a very "OH" worthy plot twist in this one too, I thought! And the romance is fun! I like how tough Mare is! I just was impressed with this one and I'm sad that I haven't found the time to read Glass Sword yet! But soon!
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.
Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.
Usually, I'm not a big fan of books with multiple points of view! But it works wonders for this book! The characters in this book are fantastic and if you loved the Grisha series, you'll love revisiting the world! The books revolves around the crew trying to pull of an impossible heist, but when you're reading this, you might find yourself thinking there isn't much that's actually impossible for Kaz Brekker.
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.
Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.
Usually, I'm not a big fan of books with multiple points of view! But it works wonders for this book! The characters in this book are fantastic and if you loved the Grisha series, you'll love revisiting the world! The books revolves around the crew trying to pull of an impossible heist, but when you're reading this, you might find yourself thinking there isn't much that's actually impossible for Kaz Brekker.
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.
Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.
And finally, we have the Grisha series! I'm glad that I finally got pushed to read this one! It's probably got my favorite bookish villain in it. I loved the characters. I loved the powers the Grisha had. I loved the romance. I loved how the line between wrong and right is a little bit skewed. I liked seeing how her new powers affected the main character.
These are some of my all time favorite fantasy series! Are there any that you think I might not have heard of that you think I might like? Are there any on this list that you haven't read, but want to? Are there any that I just convinced you to read? :)
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.
Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.
And finally, we have the Grisha series! I'm glad that I finally got pushed to read this one! It's probably got my favorite bookish villain in it. I loved the characters. I loved the powers the Grisha had. I loved the romance. I loved how the line between wrong and right is a little bit skewed. I liked seeing how her new powers affected the main character.
These are some of my all time favorite fantasy series! Are there any that you think I might not have heard of that you think I might like? Are there any on this list that you haven't read, but want to? Are there any that I just convinced you to read? :)
I have seen so many mixed reviews on The Orphan Queen that I'm completely unsure if I should read it or not. This waffling has been going on since before the book was out.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 300% on Grave Mercy and Six of Crows. Liked but didn't love The Wrath and the Dawn. And I'm about to read The Kiss of Deception right now!
It took me a little bit to get into The Orphan Queen, but I really loved it once I did! I'm excited to read The Mirror King! I need to get on that! I hope you love The Kiss of Deception! I really really loved that one and I can't wait for The Beauty of Darkness in August!!! :)
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