Hi everybody,
it's been a while. (I feel like I start every single one of my posts like this. Never mind.)
I've been reading a lot of fantasy recently - thanks to all the ignored ARCs I need to read - and I thought, why not recommend some to you? So here's a selection of great fantasies you probably haven't heard much about but are very much worth it! (Editing Miriam here: some of them you have definitely heard about. Sorry. Couldn't help myself.)
Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft! It's a fantasy romance set in an 18th-century-esque world. It follows Wren - a healer, and Hal - a warrior with a special ability to kill everyone who looks him in the eye, as they are trying to save their kingdoms together. It is a standalone, so you don't have to worry about long, boring, dragged-out chapters that seem endless. The pace is definitely not the quickest at the beginning, but once you get into it, you won't be able to put it down!
The best thing about this book is definitely the romance. Both the enemies-to-lovers and the only-one-bed tropes are used and if those aren't the best things ever, I truly don't know what is.
(If you are wondering what the cover is about, most of this book is set in a mansion deep in the mountains in the middle of winter. Doesn't that sound so exciting? Ugh. I still feel the chills.)
The next one is A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik. It is a dark academia set in a school for witches without teachers.
Our main heroine El is one of the poorer kids, and she's not part of an enclave, which basically means that she has to work more and is a pariah. She suddenly befriends the most popular boy from her year, Orion, and they work together to get through the year. Their friendship is absolutely beautiful and hilarious...
I also loved how El's personality was so unique to the YA genre: she is tough and sarcastic, but not for the sake of it. It was so refreshing to get out of the YA main character stereotype, which most books have to some degree.
If you're looking for something fun and well-written, A Deadly Education is definitely worth your consideration!
It follows Lara, a princess-made-spy, as she tries to destroy an enemy kingdom (and falls in love in the process). The romance is totally swoon-worthy and is just done so well... Chef's kiss.
The world-building is also pretty original and the whole book is quick to get through. I haven't seen this a lot on BookTube nor on any blogs, so I'm recommending it here.
Hope you enjoy!
You've definitely heard of this one, but haven't picked it up. Yet. The Lies of Locke Lamora is an epic high fantasy about Locke Lamora (surprise surprise) and his friends/found family, written by Scott Lynch.
Camorr is a Venice-like city: canals and cut-throat nobles, towers and merciless villains. And Locke Lamora is a thief.
(Did I manage to make it sound epic and amazing?)
Well, excuse my skills at hyping up books - no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn't do this one justice. It's a debut, and yet it is so brilliantly-written sometimes it'll make you breathless. The world-building is quite complex and thought-through, but isn't confusing like in some books.
However, if you prefer simpler writing and light themes, this one probably isn't for you. I'd choose one of the other books mentioned in this post.
The second-to-last book on this list is none other than Fable by Adrienne Young. This one was so hyped everywhere (and then nobody seemed to actually read it... so sad) and let me tell you, it is worth it.
I was so impressed with the writing - especially the vivid imagery - and the way this story was crafted! This was my first book by Adrienne Young and I really regret not picking up any of her book sooner (you're saying that as if you read anything else since then, you idiot).
The book is about Fable, a girl who's been surviving alone on an island for a few years. Gradually, we learn about why she is there and see her fight for herself. There's a beautiful romance as well!
I must warn you, though, the book ends with a cliffhanger. However, the second book, Namesake, just came out, so you can binge them both!
Aand... we're here. The final book. And the best one. To clarify, this is one of my favourite books of all time. And I'm talking, of course, about Chloe Gong's These Violent Delights.
This is also a book that's been hyped everywhere - Goodreads, BookTube and Bookstagram -, but then nobody seemed actually to read it.
It is set in 1926 in Shanghai, and it's a Romeo and Juliet retelling. That's all I should say for you to be extremely excited to read this, to be honest, but I'll also elaborate a bit, for the sake of... what am I even saying. I just want to talk about this book.
Our characters - Roma and Juliette - are the heirs to two rival gangs operating in Shanghai. Four years ago, they fell in love. Today, Juliette returns from New York after Roma's heart-breaking betrayal only to find her city descending into (literal) madness. She has to investigate who is causing her people to tear out their own throats. (The scenes aren't that graphic.)
I cannot describe how beautiful this book is. Truly. The level of pain you'll experience... And to make it even better, Chloe Gong is a 22-years-old college student and this is her debut. I didn't want to believe it, honestly. The writing, the everything...
And now I'm just babbling, so I'll stop. Read. This. Book.
That's all! Hopefully, you found something to read today and if you did, definitely let me know, either here or on Goodreads!
- Have a lovely day,
Miriam
