Mistborn: The Final Empire is the first book in the Mistborn series written by the acclaimed fantasy author, Brandon Sanderson. Set in a fresh and unique fantasy world without the usual fantasy tropes and overused creatures, it tells a tale that is part coming of age, part heist, and part fantasy.
How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories is the latest addition to The Folk of the Air trilogy by Holly Black. This novella provides more insight into how and why Cardan wears his cruel facade. This novella is a series of interconnected stories that tell the tale of Cardan’s life, past, present, and future. My favorite parts of this book were the retellings of events that happened in The Folk of the Air trilogy told from Cardan’s perspective. Additionally, I loved the illustrations.
The Lost Sisters is a novella in Holly Black’s The Folk of the Air trilogy. Set after The Cruel Prince, this novella is a kind of letter from Taryn to Jude quasi-apologizing for and explaining how Taryn fell for Locke. While I assume Black wrote this novella to garner some understanding for Taryn’s actions, Taryn’s attempts at justification only made me like her less.
The final novel in Holly Black’s, The Folk of the Air trilogy, The Queen of Nothing, is fast-paced and unexpected. Jude, the Queen of Faerie, has been exiled, but she must risk everything and return to the Faerie Court to save her sister. Elfhame is different, stuck deep within a brewing war, and crossing over from the mortal world will trap Jude in a world of sensitive politics. The ending of this book felt rushed and somewhat incomplete, but the rest of the novel was fantastic.
The Wicked King by Holly Black is the second novel in her The Folk of the Air trilogy. This novel was way better than its predecessor. After Jude tricks him, Cardan is the new High King of Elfhame, and he must listen to all of Jude’s commands. This book is filled with twists and turns; even the last page is a heart wrenching cliffhanger. I loved the display of power dynamics in this book. Jude should have had all the power, but Cardan and other nobles could still get things over her.
Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat is the first novel in a young adult fantasy series of the same name. The world of ancient magic has been forgotten, but not by everyone. Set in London, Will Kempen is on the run from the man who killed his mother, but he is quickly rushed back into the world of magic to follow his destiny and fight among the Stewards. This novel was refreshingly unique. The characters were distinctive, the plot was full of twists, and the world-building was flawless.
Before We Disappear is about Jack and Wilhelm, two magician’s assistants who meet in unfortunate circumstances. One magician is full of stolen tricks and the other is of full of tricks using stolen magic. They want away from the lives they live but they feel indebted to their respective magicians. Stuck between choices and rapidly running out of time the two work together to navigate this sticky situation.
Exile by Shannon Messenger is the second book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities fantasy series. In this book, Sophie Foster is safe at home with her friends and family. She is trying to put all her focus into working with the new alicorn, Silveny. She is the second alicorn to be found, and she is incredibly valuable. Sophie is struggling to keep some her friendships after an accident she believes was her fault.
Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger is the first book in this fantasy series. In this book, Sophie Foster is living with humans. However, she soon discovers that she is an elf instead. She must leave her human family and learn how to live with the elves. But, between her human upbringing and stronger abilities, she still does not have a normal life. While she settles into her new home, she makes new friends who help her along the way.
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman is the story of Lyra Belacqua, a young girl living at Jordan College, in a world similar to ours. However, in this world, people have companions called daemons that are bonded with their souls and take the form of animals. Lyra, with her daemon Pantalaimon, have to face a dangerous journey to rescue her friend Roger from the Gobblers. These Gobblers take children to perform experiments, and work for the mighty Magisterium.
