Wench

Great potential, but honestly it was too meandering and complicated for a feminist teen fantasy. When Tanya's guardian (the owner of the tavern she works at) unexpectedly die - Corpsmen under seize the tavern and she has nowhere to go. She's only seventeen but the best years of her life were spent working there, brewing beer, breaking up barfights, cooking, and cleaning. She's at a loss for what to do when she decides that she will accompany the contingent of men who requisitioned her bar and stole her supplies to the capital to see the Queen. Along the way there are bandits, thieves, junkoff (magical spill off), romance, detours, and unexplained magical objects. Tanya finds herself wielding a magic feather with the potential to change the world as she knows it. The only question is why she, a teenage tavern wench, can use it and not the wizards and magic users of the realm. This book was ALL OVER THE PLACE. Great concept - poor execution. 

We Hunt the Flame

Rich, complex, and fantastical; this young adult fantasy is filled to the brim with memorable characters, beautiful world-building (very old world Arabian), and atmosphere. Zafira has always braved the wicked forest of Arz to help feed the people in her community. Only a handful of people close to her know that she is "the hunter," the kingdom is rigidly patriarchal and would bite the hand that feeds them rather than accept that a woman disguised as a man is their savior. When Zafira is visited by a silver witch who invites her on a quest to bring back magic to the world, Zafira is torn, but ultimately decides that she has to go. Little does she realize that the people who will accompany her on this dangerous mission are more bloodthirsty and cruel then the darkness of the Arz. A little overwhelming at times with special language inserted into the dialogue and into the names of all that surrounds them, but as the reader gets further along in the story it all starts to click into place. It wouldn't be a young adult fantasy without some romance so of course we have a little of that and a LOT of action. I can't wait for the next one in the series!

A Touch of Gold

I ADORED this book! I loved the concept and I love reading any books with twists on old mythology. A Touch of Gold is centered on King Midas' daughter. She too is cursed like her father but in a different way; her skin is gold and "things" happen when she comes into contact with gold. For a decade she has been locked in the castle, virtually friendless, but when a thief comes into the castle and steals the precious gold pieces keeping her father alive, she knows she has to act. She secures the help of one of her suitors (the only one that hasn't been terrified at the sight of her) and they set off to reclaim her father's goods and save his life. Along they way they encounter pirates, temptresses, and desires of the heart. It's fast paced, filled with unforgettable characters, romance, adventure, and is full of surprises. I can't wait for the next book in this series!

Graceling

I'm super late on this one, but I found Graceling to be a super original medieval, young adult fantasy. It seemed very fresh even though teen fantasy has been more than a bit lackluster in recent years. In this tale, there are many kingdoms close together, currently they are at a peace, but that doesn't mean that all is well. Katsa is a Grace, every kingdoms has Graces, individual with different colored eyes and varying special abilities. Katsa is graced with killing. She is unmatched in brute force and strength. Her uncle is a king and sends her out to do his dirty work and she is sick of it. To try and balance the scale she created an underground council that operates in all the kingdoms and works to root out evil and injustice. When she helps rescue a kidnapped old man, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. She encounters unheard of dangers, an unthinkably evil plot, and the biggest threat to herself and the kingdoms; someone nearly equal to her in strength and cunning. A mild romance, plenty of adventure, and lots of intrigue. Great fun and I think I may continue 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!