fantasy
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Glow by Raven Kennedy (The Plated Prisoner #4)
My reviews for this series just keep getting shorter and shorter. Some brief thoughts: -This is definitely the book where Kennedy is trying the hardest to incorporate elements of introspection, healing and growth. Props for that, for sure! Unfortunately, she’s taken a page from the Sarah J. Maas Book of Trauma Recovery because most of… Continue reading
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Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier
So What’s It About? After years of comparative peace, darkness has fallen upon Ulster. Trouble is brewing and even those in the heart of the forest are not safe. Niamh, elder daughter of Sorcha, is required to make a strategic marriage, while her sister Liadan, who has the gift of Sight and her mother’s talent… Continue reading
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An Ava Reid Essay
Ava Reid is a fantasy author who started publishing in 2021 and has since published four books, reaching huge audiences with TikTok virality and acquiring a reputation for writing dark, Gothic, atmospheric fantasy that focuses strongly on feminism and the stories of women who are trauma survivors. There are all things I adore in books… Continue reading
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The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed
SummaryA world-weary woman races against the clock to rescue the children of a wrathful tyrant from a dangerous, otherworldly forest. At the northern edge of a land ruled by a monstrous, foreign tyrant lies the wild forest known as the Elmever. The villagers know better than to let their children go near—once someone goes in,… Continue reading
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Blood Mercy by Vela Roth (Blood Grace, #1)
Year published: 2018 Category: Romantasy Summary: One human. One immortal. Will their alliance save the kingdom, or will their forbidden love be a death sentence? When Cassia seeks out a Hesperine, he could end her mortal life in a heartbeat. But she has no fear of his magic or his fangs. She knows the real monster is the… Continue reading
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Chalice by Robin McKinley
Year published: 2008 Category: Fantasy Summary: As the newly appointed Chalice, Mirasol is the most important member of the Master’s Circle. It is her duty to bind the Circle, the land and its people together with their new Master. But the new Master of Willowlands is a Priest of Fire, only drawn back into the human world… Continue reading
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Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
Year published: 2021 Category: YA fantasy Summary: The dead of Loraille do not rest. Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living. She would rather deal with the… Continue reading
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Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi
Year published: 2011 Category: Litfic/magical realism Summary: It’s a bright afternoon in 1938 and Mary Foxe is in a confrontational mood. St John Fox, celebrated novelist, hasn’t seen her in six years. He’s unprepared for her afternoon visit, not least because she doesn’t exist. He’s infatuated with her. But he also made her up.“You’re a villain,” she… Continue reading
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Sandry’s Book by Tamora Pierce (Circle of Magic #1)
Year published: 1997 Category: Children’s fiction Summary: With her gift of weaving silk thread and creating light, Sandry is brought to the Winding Circle community. There she meets Briar, a former thief who has a way with plants; Daja, an outcast gifted at metalcraft; and Tris, whose connection with the weather unsettles everyone, including herself. At… Continue reading
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Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan (Girls of Paper and Fire #2)
Year published: 2019 Category: YA fantasy Representation: F/F, main character and side characters, M/M, side characters Summary: In this mesmerizing sequel to the New York Times bestselling Girls of Paper and Fire, Lei and Wren have escaped their oppressive lives in the Hidden Palace, but soon learn that freedom comes with a terrible cost. Lei,… Continue reading
Charlotte Kersten 