Court of Thorns and Roses

Why did it take me so long to read this!? People have been hyping up this fantasy series for years and I've never paid it any mind. I was an idiot, I enjoyed this book so much, I couldn't stop reading it! It's suspenseful, intriguing, romantic, adventurous and more - everything I want in a fantasy. Even though this is a "teen" book I would categorize it more as "new adult" - there are a few steamy moments and since it's a fantasy - the age isn't necessarily as important since the main character isn't in high school. Nineteen year old Feyre is responsible for her two older sisters and her crippled father, once wealthy they have sunk to the very bottom and they are very near starving. Feyre made a  promise to her mother before she died to take care of her family so she hunts and works herself to the bone even though none of them ever seem grateful for it. One day she manages to kill not just a doe but a big wolf as well. She soon finds out it was a faerie she killed and as penance she must go to over the wall and be a captive with them for killing one of their kind. She doesn't expect to be treated to warm baths, new wardrobes and good company when she gets there. What is going on? LOVED it and I will be reading the rest in this series!

The Last Wish

Honestly I love how much this fleshed out the show for me. I had some questions and this book definitely filled in the gaps! I loved how many of the monsters had backstories from fairy tale lore that we all know and love (Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White). The stories are told mostly through flashbacks as Geralt recovers from wounds he got while fighting a Striga. From meeting Yennefer for the first time, to travelling to the "end of the world," to the law of surprise - Geralt has many an adventure. Nearly all the stories in the book are told during season one of the Netflix series, The Witcher.  Freaking fun and I definitely plan on reading more in this series. I want to know more about the man and his adventures!

Stardust

I literally didn't even know this was a movie but after reading it I HAVE to watch the movie now. Where was I and how did I not know this was a thing?! A perfectly charming, unique, and wonderful fantasy about a boy who vows to bring back a fallen star to prove his love to a village girl. To get to the star he must cross over the fairy wall and enter a new realm - one where everything is different and nothing is what it seems. It reminded me of The Princess Bride and The Hobbit. Super cute and adorable; I loved all the characters and the storyline was superb!

Kingdom of the Silver Cat

If Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia had a love child, Kingdom of the Silver Cat would be it! This delightful middle grade fantasy follows a group of children who are mysteriously transported to another world while on their way to school. After the school bus crash lands into a crazy field and their bus driver doesn't return after going to look for help; the fifteen kids on the bus (ranging from ages 8 to 13) realize that they are on their own. They are in a magical place unlike anything they've ever seen; fireballs, ferocious mists, faeries, and other fantastical creatures greet them at every turn. And what's more, the kids discover that they have all inherited some crazy abilities; no two are alike! From fire to super speed to creating music to becoming invisible; the kids are learning more about themselves and their new powers every day. Kingdom of the Silver Cat is an epic coming of age adventure that highlights; friendship, trust, confidence, and the power of belief. While intended for kids; this story appeals to all ages in it's timelessness and readers will be begging for the next book in the series after the climactic ending! Also included are: maps, a glossary of faerie words, and drawing of each of the kids that really help put faces to each of the kids. A wonderful new fantasy adventure with lots of twists, turns, an unforgettable cast of characters and new marvels on every page!

Serpent & Dove

Give me the sequel and give it to me now! I haven't been this obsessed with a young adult fantasy/adventure for years and I'm ALL IN!

A witch is forced to marry a witch hunter... who doesn't know she's a witch. How can this possibly go wrong?! Delightful and full of characters that just reach out to you from the page and right into your heart. Funny, inventive, and endlessly witty. I won't say much more than that, other than I read this book in like one day. I couldn't put it down! As a final note, I will say I pictured the Archbishop (head of the witch hunters) as Frollo from Hunchback of Notre Dame. You're welcome. 

Tiger Queen

This was a young adult fantasy novel that reminded me a lot of Dune (in a good way) but had more scorpions, romance, and tigers and wasn't set in space. Achra is a kingdom secluded in the desert; it's people virtually trapped by the lack of water. For years, the "desert boys" have raided the city and stolen water; making the rationing even harder on the people. Princess Kateri wants to see the desert boys punished just as much as anybody; but right now she's focused on battling her suitors. Each month she has to defeat a suitor in the arena or else marry him, but when she finds out that her last opponent is her father's right hand man, her trainer, and the most cruel man she's ever met, she panics and flees into the desert. In the desert she'll find answers she didn't even know she was seeking and in the process might even find a new purpose and love. A young adult fantasy that's full of great fighting scenes and intrigue. As an adult though, I found it quite predictable, the Easter eggs were obvious and the characters were a little flat. Still very enjoyable though!

Five Dark Fates

Honestly, this was a pretty solid ending for this series. I didn't see who would ultimately wear the crown and my opinion changed after each new book; even in this one I was kept guessing until the end. Five Dark Fates is the fourth and final installment of the Three Dark Crowns series and finally solves the question over who will rule the island. You have the triple queens (who did NOT successfully kill each other as tradition decrees) and now the popular Legion Queen, Jules, a commoner born with insane gifts that not even the queens can match; fighting for the throne that no one really wants. You also have the friends, lovers, and consorts trying to get their piece of their pie (or more realistically, just trying to survive) AND the mist which is getting closer and closer to the island and murdering any who fall under its spell. There's a lot of action, a lot of excitement, and only a teensy bit of romance. Just how I like my teen reads to be. A pretty solid series from start to finish.

Hidden Scales

Tightly woven and thoroughly engaging; this middle grade fantasy novel will win over boys and girls of all ages. Thought to extinct for decades, merrows have only lived in the imagination. Merrows were water breathing humans able to live on land and under water and were thought to be quite magical and strong although no one is sure why or when they disappeared. When eleven year old Mira is abducted from her cozy little coastal town along with her best friend Peter, they have no idea what kind of adventure they are about to embark on. Everything they knew about their kingdom and their lives is about to be flipped upside down as they try to keep one step ahead of the shadowveils who are hunting them and their new companions. Mira and Peter as well as a flying horse, a mischievous young boy, a sly gnome, and a saucy woman must race against the clock to discover the secrets of the merrows, rescue their kidnapped friends, and evade the shadowveils. Accompanying each chapter is a gorgeous illustration to really help paint the scene. Wonderfully paced and imagined; this fantasy novel is unique and readers will be eagerly waiting for the rest of this series.

The Fall

A fantastic follow up to The Nine! Steampunk fantasy and adventure that takes the readers on an incredible journey across continents, through the skies, and in the dark underbelly of the city. The book of secrets, the book that holds the fate of humanity, has been lost and now it's in the wrong hands. It's up to the unlikeliest bunch of people to recover the book and decipher its secrets before their universe is forever altered. Rowena Downshire has no idea how central she is to the book's secrets, all she knows is that she has to help the alchemist and some other mercenary allies track down the book. Their chase leads them far across the skies to the Grand Library where there is more than meets the eye. Full of adventure and tight plot lines, this book will take readers on a breathless race against time to find the book. I will note that this is not a standalone book and it is crucial to read the first in the series before attempting this, it had been nearly a year since I read the first one and even I needed to reference back to it!

Uprooted

Naomi Novik is quickly approaching favorite author status. She writes fantasy as it's MEANT to be written. It flows right off the page and into the reader's imagination that you can't help believe or wish it all to be true. Uprooted tells the story of a young village girl who is sent to live in a sorcerer's tower for a decade. Agnieszka, never thought much beyond her village and her dangerous, yet well loved forest, so when she is chosen as tribute, it comes as a complete shock. What can he see in her?!? Well magic, that's what he sees, unbeknownst to her, there is a vein of magic running through her and with a little nourishment and training she may surpass the sorcerer himself. It's very auspicious timing really, because the wood is angry. It's been lobbying attacks for years, but now the wood is on a mission and the sorcerer can barely keep it at bay. Can Agniescka help keep the wooded monsters in check? Beautifully written, it's like a song. I adored this book and can't wait for more from this author!!!

The Grey Bastards

I freaking loved this!!!! It's high fantasy meets Sons of Anarchy and it couldn't be any cooler. Legit, this is one of the most unique and exciting fantasy books I've read in a while. It's gritty, raunchy, bloody, funny, and action packed. The characters are amazing, the world building is unmatched, and the plot is tightly woven together. This better be the beginning of a long series, because after a journey like this, I AM ALL IN! I want more! Jackal is a member of the Grey Bastards one of the nine hoofs who lord over the lot lands. They're barbaric half orcs and proud of it, they live in the saddle and die on the hog. Jackal has long had his sights set on the leader's seat and when the Grey Bastards weak willed leader lets some savage orcs live after an attack, Jackal is furious. He's got rampaging blood lusty centaurs, ravaging orcs, the sludge man, and some dumb ass frails (humans) to contend with before he can try for the leaders seat, but that doesn't slow his roll. He's got ladies to screw, enemies to kill, and Grey Bastards to laugh with. One hell of a book!!!

Spinning Silver

This book is more than likely to end up in my Christmas card top picks. I ADORED this book; the stars aligned and everything about it made me happy. I'm already anticipating reading it again, that's how much I liked it! Spinning Silver is a Russian folk tale/medieval-fantasy with bad ass heroines. The first of these heroines and the star of the whole show is, Miryem. Miryem has a great sense for bookkeeping and scheming and once she takes over her father's money lending trade in town and starts calling in debts (with interest) and investing them in other items, her family becomes relatively wealthy (rather then dirt poor like she had been raised). Next is Wanda. Wanda grew up even poorer than Miryem and when Miryem comes to collect her father's debt, her father basically sells her out as an indentured servant and Wanda starts working for Miryem and her family. Finally we have Irina, a wealthy Duke's daughter in a city a day's ride away. In the kingdom where they live, their lies a dark force, the Staryk. Whenever a shining white road appears and the snow thickens, the Staryk are near. Legends of their barbarity and thirst for gold are well known. One day Miryem's money skills are noticed and a Staryk leaves behind a small white coin pouch filled with three silver coins. Miryem knows that she needs to find a way to turn them into gold. Will she be able to fend off the Staryk? These three women will find their lives drawn together in unexpected ways. Although none of them were valued for their skills initials, they are more valuable then all the knights and gold in the kingdom. They are no damsels in distress! The "villains" if you will are also wonderful! I imagined the Staryk Lord as Jareth the Goblin King (which obviously makes Miryem Jennifer Connelly) and the demon possessed tsar as Lord Farquaad from Shrek. There's not too much fantasy, not really any romance to speak, but plenty of adventure and wit. BRB I'm going to go voraciously read all this author's others books!

The Gilded King

LOVED this! I've been looking for a new fantasy series to start and this is even better than I anticipated. My only complaint is that I'll now have to wait for the rest of the series to be published! And I have questions! And I'm impatient! The Gilded King is the first book in the high fantasy series, Sovereign. In this dystopian Europe (think Shannara) Blue is the last existing city in the world. At the top are the Nobles, aka the immortals, and below them are the human servants that they rely on. Julia is a lowly kitchen servant, but all that changes when she is assigned to be an attendant to a Noble. Her perspective on her very small world is about to be drastically changed. Outside the Blue is the Red, a place where contagion reigns supreme and the remnants of civilization lay buried. Mere humans can never survive in such a wasteland... or so they're told. In the Red, a noble is out searching; Cameron has been on the hunt for Emma for centuries, but nothing will stop him from combing the wild forests of the Red. Alternating chapters show Julia's mortal life in the Blue and Cameron's immortal life out in the Red; little do they know that both their worlds are to be forever altered by forces outside their control. They are living in the calm before the storm. A fantastic fantasy read and I can't wait to continue the series!

Three Dark Crowns

One of the most unique teen fantasy novels I've read in a while. Three triplets with special abilities are born to the queen and on their 16th birthday they must fight to the death to see which will become the future ruler. The three sisters are raised apart from each other by people who share their talents; Mirabella is an elemental and seemingly the strongest of the sisters, Arisnoe is a naturalist and has so far been unable to develop any of her talents, same goes for Katherine, the poisoner, she too is helpless at her craft. Their time is running short, they must soon face each other and see what damage their talents can afflict, wonderfully written with one hell of an ending. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series!

Children of Blood and Bone

Worth. The. Hype! I haven't read a teen fantasy series this inventive and new for a while, let alone one with a DIVERSE cast of teen characters. Children of Blood and Bone combines adventure, magic, romance, black culture, and friendship to create a unique, impossible to put down book. The page count was a little imposing, but once I started reading it didn't matter anymore; I was flying through it! Zelie, a young girl with a mischievous streak finds herself in a precarious situation. When her mother and all the maji were slaughtered over a decade ago; magic died with them, but now Zelie has a chance to restore magic to their country. The oppressed could finally rise and restore order to the chaos! Aided by the princess and Zelie's brother, they must traverse the countryside to find three magic relics and return them to a sacred island before the solstice or all hope is lost. Hot on their tails are the princesses brother, the king, and the entire Orisha army. Then the book ends with a cliffhanger! I like NEED TO KNOW MORE! So good!

Shadowsong

I was very meh, about the first book (Wintersong), but I obviously had to continue because THE GOBLIN KING. Anything that is even remotely kind of like David Bowie in Labyrinth is worth at least one read through by me. I had to know! Unfortunately, this book was even slower and less exciting then the first in the series. Yes, it wrapped everything up, but no I didn't care. Especially since the goblin king played such a minor role in this. I needed more of him! A lot more! Also, Josef (Elizabeth's brother) is a whiny lil' bitch and I could care less what happened to him. The ending was predictable, and pretty much everything gets all wrapped up in a happy shiny bow. It was an alright attempt at a series, but not one I will ever re-visit. I would however, still want to read anything by this author, she has a way with words and one day I know she's going to write something that resonates with me and knocks the socks off me.

Rebel of the Sands

Arabian Nights meets Aladdin meets teen romance. A wonderfully executed teen fantasy novel set in the harsh desert where guns are the currency of the land. As a woman, Amani knows that she has no rights and might soon be forced to marry her uncle and become one of his many wives. Trying to escape she goes to the pistol pit disguised as a boy trying to win a shooting contest to get money to escape the hell hole she's grown up in. While their things get out of hand and she finds herself befriending a foreigner who is almost as a good shot as she. Little does she know that her chance encounter with him will forever change her future. Full of daring escapes, magic, folklore, and all around badassery, this young adult novel is a slam dunk. I'll have to check out the second in the series.

American Gods

Though it's size may be intimidating, this book was even better the second time I read it. Honestly, I liked it the first time I read it six years ago, but this time I really LOVED it! I kept seeing all the new trailers for the Starz TV adaptation and I knew that I had to re-read this before I saw it. The concept of this book is just insanely bad-ass. What happened to all the old gods that immigrants brought to America for thousands of years? They brought their beliefs, religions, and gods and slowly they stopped believing; trapping their old gods here. They're slowly dying out with no one to believe in them and they have a new enemy, the new american gods; greed, media, technology, etc. Shadow (a human) gets enlisted to help Mr. Wednesday as an errand boy and finds out more then he ever bargained for. He will help the old gods prepare to standoff against the new gods. Wonderful, witty, clever, and fucking brilliant. I love this book so much. I hope the show does it justice!

Heroes or Thieves

A slam dunk follow up the first in the series, Kings or Pawns. World building isn't easy, but author J.J. Sherwood, makes it look like a piece of cake. She seemlessly picks up where the last book left off and we continue to follow our favorite (and least favorite) characters on the next steps of their journeys. Jikun and Navon have crossed the sea and are looking for a way to gather troops and somehow attack the tyrant ruler Saebellus again, Alvena is trying to put as much distance between herself and the city before the queen finds her and murders her, Sellamar is trying to assist the resistance while playing politics with the bad boys, and we get to see a whole new side of "the beast." New characters are introduced, some old characters die, and political intrigue, adventure, heroics, and fantasy reign supreme in this stellar follow up. A fantastic series that fantasy fans will eat up. Definitely an emerging author to watch for; the story line and plot are intricate and tightly woven, no plot holes, weak characters, or bad writing. A fast and entertaining read!

Prudence

Admittedly, I've only read one other steampunk novel, but I think this may not be the genre for me. The writing was great, the characters fleshed out, and the plot intricate, but overall I was not a fan. I can't pinpoint exactly why, but maybe it's just a little too out there for more. I didn't love this for the same reason that I don't love Alice in Wonderland. It's just too over the top for me. The most redeeming thing about this audiobook for me is the narrator's telling of it. She had an amazing British accent and her ability to differentiate between character's voices was amazing. I loved all her little accents and sing song voices! If you like futuristic historical intrigue novels mixed with supernatural elements like vampires and werewolves then you would most likely enjoy this book. If not, pass it on by.