The Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo is a fantasy novel, the second in the Six of Crows Duology and part of the greater Grishaverse series. Following the first book where the group of teenagers broke into the Ice Court to free the chemist who created jurda parem, this book follows the group again as they attempt to get the money they were promised after being double-crossed by the lord who sent them on the mission. At the same time, there are conflicts between the different countries as well.
The Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is a fantasy novel, the first in the Six of Crows Duology and part of the greater Grishaverse series. It is about a group of teenagers who set out on a mission to free a Grisha chemist who has made a drug that can greatly enhance Grisha's Powers. Grisha are people born with magical powers, highly valued in most countries. However, the country of Fjerda considers them witches and wizards and wants to do away with them.
The Crimson Fortress by Akshaya Raman is a young adult fantasy novel, the sequel to The Ivory Key, mildly inspired by Indian culture and mythology. It features the main character — Vira, Queen of Ashoka, and her journey to recover the Ivory Key and solve its riddle to unlock the hidden quarries. However, the Ivory Key is not what they thought it was. It is bound to unlock more horrors than magic, at least at first.
The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman is a young adult fantasy novel, mildly inspired by Indian culture and mythology. It features the main character — Vira, Queen of Ashoka. Having grown up in the palace with her three siblings, destined to be the next queen, she idolized her mother’s extroverted personality and grace. She was awed at how her mother was able to gain respect and love from her citizens. Vira, however, is not as perfect and struggles to prove her capabilities to be the perfect queen.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is a classic novel set in North Carolina during the mid to late 1900s. It follows Kya, a young girl who lives in a marsh with her poor family. Abandoned by her mom and eventually her siblings at the tender age of six, leaving her alone with her abusive and alcoholic father. He too eventually abandoned her at the age of seven.
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn is a historical fiction novel set in England. It alternates between the years 1940 - WW2 - and 1947 - Post World War normalcy. The book features three British women - Osla, Mab, and Beth - working as code breakers in 1940 at the secretive estate of Bletchley Park. They are part of a big mission and crucial to the outcome of the war. Recruited for their unique abilities and minds, they work all day cracking German codes, including the infamous Enigma machine.
Wanting answers about her past, Bree infiltrated the Lengendborn society, magical descendants of King Arthur’s knights, only to discover she had powers of her own. Bree has a power that is completely unique and makes her important to the Order. The Regents will do anything to hide her from the war, but all Bree wants is to rescue Nick; a task that comes with many dangers and forces her to work with Selwyn, Nick’s Kingsmage. Bree is set on Nick but if she wants any chance of saving him and the people she loves, she must learn to control her powers, and herself.
The story revolves around Charlie and Silas, two strangers who wake up together in a hospital with no memory of who they are or how they got there. As they try to piece together their past, they realize they are married, but their love story is shrouded in mystery. Charlie and Silas's journey takes them through a series of twists and turns, uncovering dark secrets and shocking revelations about their relationship and themselves. With each new discovery, they must confront the truth about their past, their love, and their very identities.
In a mix between historical fiction and fantasy, R.F Kuang’s Babel illustrates the idea of colonialism and the strong hold over government that language and communication have. Robin Swift, a young boy from Canton, loses his family and is brought to London by Professor Lovell, a teacher at Oxford. He is swept into the world of English propriety and the education of languages in preparation to attend Oxford’s Royal Institute of Translation.
After her mother’s death, 16-year-old Bree Matthews attempts to escape her guilt and pain by attending a program at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she discovers a secret society of “Legendborn” students that hunt down demon energies feeding on the school. Caught by a mysterious mage, an effort to wipe Bree’s memory fails, and instead reveals a hidden memory about the night her mother died. She recruits Nick, a Lengendborn, who reluctantly joins Bree in a partnership.
