Reviews by Tag: historical fantasy

Rin grew up in the village of Tikany, in the south of Nikara. At the age of 14, her foster parents

threaten to marry her off, and she knows she must escape her future. When she attempts and aces

the Keju (the national college entrance exam), being a poor girl from a relatively unknown

province, it shocks everyone. Now, attending Sinegard, the nation's top military school, she

attempts to prove herself amidst discrimination and mistreatment. But, Rin later learns that she

Written by Shelley Parker-Chan, She Who Became the Sun is an exhilarating and emotional

read, especially if you like queer historical fiction and fantasy. It follows the growth of a young

woman who takes her brother’s name, a name destined for greatness. In Mongol China, peasants are

starving, famine is commonplace, and bandit attacks are frequent. When a bandit attack leaves both

children without a father and eventually takes the life of the brother, Zhu--the name the young

Celine Rosseau has just left her past behind in France to start a new life in America, boarding a

boat to the city of New Orleans. There’s a dark secret she’s keeping under wraps, and in an

attempt to start a new life, she joins the Ursuline covent. As she continues to adjust to life there,

she’s also introduced the the city’s mystical underworld (also known as the Court of Lions).

There, Celine meets Sébastien Saint Germain. However, Celine quickly becomes involved in the

The Diviners is a historical fiction fantasy novel by Libba Bray. It is the first novel in The Diviners

series. It follows Evie O’Neill, who has recently been sent to New York to live with her uncle.

After her uncle is called to a murder scene, she decides to use a secret ability she possess in

order to solve the case. However, the novel also features Memphis, a young man caught in the

occult world, Theta, a girl fleeing her dark past and Jericho, a man hiding a dark secret.

Splinters of Scarlet is by Emily Bain Murphy, the genre is YA historical fantasy. It’s about a girl

named Marit whose father died in a mining accident, and was moved to an orphanage where

she eventually grew out of the age limit for being adopted. Even when she has every reason to

be bitter, she's not and tries her best to get her friend Eve adopted. On the day of Eve's last

chance to be adopted by someone, Marit uses her magic to sew an amazing costume for Eve.

Rating: 4 My rating for this book is a 4 because the book has a great plotline. The only reason his is not a 5 is because it can get confusing at times.

The Bird and The Blade is set in the ancient Mongolian empire. Jinghua, our protagonist, is a slave in the Khipkhak Khanate, that is, until the kingdom is taken over by enemy forces and the only people able to escape are the Khan (King), the prince, and Jinghua. Together they journey across the kingdom, fleeing pursuing forces. With no other options, Khalaf plans to marry Turandokht, the cunning and beautiful daughter of the Great Khan. Easier said than done.

The Gilded Wolves​ by Roshani Chokshi is the story of a unique and talented group of teenagers and the eclectic leader who holds them together. The characters are already a seasoned group of treasure hunters by the time the story begins, but the mission that the book sends them on is an important one. The acquisition of this ancient artifact has the power to alter each of their individual lives for the better.

Beatrice Clayborn is a young, powerful sorceress secretly practicing magic in a patriarchal world that doesn’t allow women the freedom of sorcery. Beatrice’s greatest dream is to become a Mage, but her family is relying on her to secure an advantageous marriage in order to avoid financial ruin. There’s only one problem with this — once married, she will be locked into a collar that will cut off her magical powers to protect the children she will inevitably bear.

Not unlike Disney's "Mulan", Rain, daughter of a Neshu grandmaster and a Neshu fighter herself, is unwilling to let her twin brother and father leave to fight in the war. Especially because when she'd been little, she and her brother had fallen sick, and Rain was accidentally given the medicine reserved for the family's only son- leaving her brother with slight cognitive scars.