I’ve been hooked on fantasy since my early teens. I’ve devoured all the classics, from Tolkien to classical classics (think ancient Grecian myths). Elemental magic might not be new, but it has ancient roots and multiple ways of imagining the powers that I love. As for adventure…I’m a sucker for travel, especially in a whole new land. Combine elemental magic with adventure across a new world, and I’ll happily tag along! If the group includes some awesome new and snarky friends, well, you probably won’t be able to get me out of the book.
I love the characters in this book. Don’t get me wrong, the world-building is great and the magic fantastic, but the bond between the two brothers, Jake and Louie, is so real and touching.
I’m a sucker for deep friendships, including siblings, as well as characters with some quirks (and spice). In addition to that, the fast-paced adventure in this book had me flipping pages like I didn’t have a bedtime.
I love the main character, Arianna, and her depth. She struggles to contain the lightning spirit inside of her… and fails… and succeeds… and tries again. Plus, her mission is noble: to end a drought and save her people! Which she picked up after the death of her father as it was his quest.
Noble quests, a well-developed world with unique cultures, and rich writing connected to a spirited character hook me every time.
A storm is brewing in the kingdom. If she unleashes the power inside her, can she make justice rain?
Arianna struggles to control the tempest deep in her heart. Longing to rid herself of the quick-tempered Lightning Spirit trapped within her, she’s desperate to cool her emotions and save her people from the devastating drought that began the day she was born. But when her father is murdered during a quest to break the curse, Arianna vows to channel her powers to end the suffering and take revenge.
Teaming up with her skilled swordsman best friend, she embarks on a…
For this one, it is honestly difficult to say what I liked the most. The writing is superb and even masterful. You sink right into the character and fall in love. Then the POV changes and you meet the next character, and you think she/he is brilliant.
Maybe that is what I love the most: how well written and chosen each of the characters are. They represent the world, and through them, you enter a magical place without missing a step.
An Eternal Flame.
A Powerful Secret.The Republic of the Sand Sea is a dangerous land where fire wielders are forced to battle dragons for the entertainment of the wealthy families.
There are none wealthier or more dangerous than the Thirteen.
But the First of the Thirteen has gone missing and Jura, his only heir, is thrust into a world of political intrigue and threats from assassins.
In the arena, Ash, a retired Fire Dancer, is determined to reclaim his glory, no matter the unthinkable cost. Might the life of a captured child be the ultimate price?
This story is decidedly YA, but I like to sneak them in on occasion! There is something sweet and powerful in a coming-of-age, young adult fantasy that I find hard to ignore.
And this one has it all: two unlikely friends who must find a way to work together to save their world, surprising twists and turns, and a rich, vivid world that feels completely real. It reminds me a bit of what I loved about Narnia in a new take.
Torn from Earth, Brave Kingsfort lands alone in a wild new world. On the run from a ruthless tyrant, his unpredictable elemental power is the least of his worries until he discovers it might be his only way out.
True Harboursfort is determined to impress her parents but when a heart-breaking decision at the root of her family’s downfall is revealed, everything changes. Including herself. It’s terrifying. So why does it feel so good?
Forced to make an alliance, Brave and True must overcome their families’ lies to trust one another and survive, while…
For this one, I loved how utterly surprising the plot was. The book is well written, and the characters are so dynamic, but just when I thought I had things figured out, I realized I was completely wrong. There is an adventure in this one, but it really weaves around a love story… maybe a potential love story? I don’t want to give too much away!
The world is really well built, the characters are fun, and I found it difficult not to root for some sparks to fly (beyond the magical ones, of course!).
The first book in a brilliant epic fantasy series about a young woman who goes from having nothing to fighting for everything. Perfect for fans of Throne of Glass and Shadow and Bone.
She wasn’t supposed to become so powerful. She wasn’t even supposed to survive.
In an empire divided into three rings, Talise is from the lowliest and most dangerous outer ring. To escape that life, she just has to do three things.
1) Attend an elite academy for manipulating the elements of water, air, earth, and fire. 2) Become the most powerful student in her year. 3) Prove…
My book tells the story of a girl born with forbidden magic and the rogue Water Priestess who saves her. Oh, that isn’t the end of the story. It is just the beginning. Water Priestess Nirine’s choice to save the life of Ria catapults them and two siblings on a desperate journey across the breadth of their world. They need to find a way to save Ria from the Church of Four Orders, Fire, Earth, Water, and Air, which has unleashed its deadliest creature to hunt for her.
This is a story of unlikely friendship, spell-binding settings, elemental magic, and fantastical adventure, all wrapped in the mystery of what special magic Ria holds and why the Church wants it destroyed.
My favorite fantasy novels tend to be rather complex. Winding plotlines, mysteriously interconnected characters, whimsical settings, and intricate, thoughtful worldbuilding combine to create immersive stories that stick in the mind like overworn folklore. Time travel or interworld travel lend additional layers of intrigue and mystery, forcing the inescapable contemplation of a more thrilling, alternate reality. And if it’s all packaged in artful, breathtaking prose that breeds full-color images, audible noises, indelible flavors, nose-crumpling odors, and tangible textures, I will happily lose myself in the pages, truly forgetting about the strictures of everyday life… at least until I get hungry and remember I need to consume more than books to survive.
An Heir of Realms tells the tale of two young heroines—a dragon rider and a portal jumper—who fight dragon-like parasites to save their realms from extinction.
Rhoswen is training as a Realm Rider to work with dragons and burn away the Narxon swarming into her realm. Rhoswen’s dream is to Ride, but her destiny will pit her against her uncle and king, who have scorned her since before her birth.
In the Exchange, the waystation between realms, Emmelyn fights the G’Ambit, a gambling ring with members more intent on lining their pockets than protecting the realms—or their own lives.
Realm-devouring parasites threaten all existence. The Exchange is desperate to destroy them. But could their radical plans endanger the realms, too?
Soul-sucking parasites are overwhelming the realms.
Rhoswen of Stanburh is of age to train as a Realm Rider—a defender of the realms. Riders and their dragons work together to burn away infiltrating Narxon as they swarm in through tears in a realm’s fabric. But it’s not an easy battle: the mere touch of the smoky, dragon-like adversaries can reduce the lively winged beasts—and their Riders—to ash.
Becoming a Realm Rider is Rhoswen’s dream, but she carries far more responsibility…
