Prince George has tried his entire life to be like his father, but in his magic, he will always be like his mother. Animal magic, the ability to understand and talk to animals, has never been officially outlawed by his father, but those with animal magic are rarely left to live in peace, and before her death, George’s mother made it clear that his magic was best left a secret—even from his father. When the king of a rival kingdom offers his daughter, Princess Beatrice, in marriage, George can’t refuse. Princess Beatrice is unlike any woman George has ever met.
10-year-old Alanna of Trebond wants to be a knight. Unfortunately, in the land of Tortall, girls of noble birth are sent to the convent to learn the skills they will need as the wives of knights and lords. Her twin brother, Thom, wants to learn to use the powerful magic that they were both born with, but as the only son of the fief of Trebond, Thom must become a knight of the realm. Alanna and Thom trade places, so that Alanna, disguised as a boy, can travel to Corus to become a great knight and Thom can travel to the City of the Gods to study magic.
You-Know-Who is back. Harry did not think he would return, but he did. Harry has to go back to Hogwarts, thankfully, and has protection from his professors. Until he doesn’t. A new professor has joined the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, where Harry learns all about new spells and new techniques to defend himself from Voldemort. But, this professor is not a good one. She teaches in the “safety” of her classroom. The pink might look like she is friendly, but trust me, she is not.
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is about two main characters, Malik and Karina. This book is fantasy fiction with a little bit of West African culture as inspiration for key parts of the book. The point of view shifts from Malik and Karina throughout the book to show two very different perspectives, one a poor refugee, and the other a princess. Unfortunately, both Malik and Karina need the other to die in order to save someone they love.
Alianne of Pirate’s Swoop wants nothing more than to have fun and be a spy like her father, the spymaster of the kingdom of Tortall. After an argument with her mother, the famed Lioness and King’s Champion, Aly decides to leave home for a brief taste of independence. When she is captured by slavers and taken to the Copper Isles, she finds that her knowledge in the art of spying is about to be put to the ultimate test.
Zahra, a Jinni, has been imprisoned in her lamp ever since her last master and best friend, Queen Roshana, was killed by a Jinn. She has just resigned herself to an eternity alone when a boy, Aladdin, stumbles across her lamp—and picks it up. Now Aladdin, the son of long-dead revolutionaries, has the power to finally create the change he had believed impossible—and to get revenge on the monarchy that killed his parents.
The School for Good and Evil is the first book in a series of the same name by Soman Chainani. This is a middle-grade fantasy novel that follows two girls in their early teens as they are taken from their hometown and thrust into a school to learn to become either good or evil. Although this is a middle-grade book, it has some more mature themes and insinuating moments in the dialogue.
There is a breakout from Azkaban! Sirius Black is on the loose, and he is trying to find Harry Potter, for Black was a supporter of the Dark Lord. Sirius Black is also known for killing thirteen people with a single curse. Because of Harry Potter’s defeat against the Dark Lord, there was a downfall for all the dark wizards, including Sirius Black. Azkaban guards heard Sirius Black saying “He’s at Hogwarts...He’s at Hogwarts,” which happens to be the place Harry studies at. Even though Harry is protected by spells and Professor Dumbledore, he is not safe.
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le. Guin is the classic tale of how Ged, a young wizard, comes into his powers and repairs the mistakes of his youth, restoring balance to the land of Earthsea. Along the way he attends a school of magic, battles a dragon, and faces true evil. I really wanted to love this book. It’s high fantasy with a cult following and I wanted it to capture my heart the way that it has for so many people over the years.
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.
