Maia Tamarin has traveled to the very ends of the earth to create three otherworldly dresses made from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of the stars. However, Maia has paid a grievous price for this. Every day since she struck a deal with the demon Bandur, she becomes more and more like him — her eyes glow red, she hears voices urging her to harness the darkness inside of her, and she sees visions of a bloody future. However, Maia has much, much more to worry about.
17-year-old Clara Densmore is a witch whose powers revolve around the weather. Unlike normal witches, Clara’s power is strong throughout all seasons of the year. This is because she is an Everwitch, meaning she can control all seasons. Clara is a pariah at the Eastern School of Solar Magic. She wants to give up her powers because of a tragic incident that had happened in the past. But with huge natural disasters and dying witches- that doesn’t seem like an option to her. Clara soon realizes that only she can save the world.
Circe by Madeline Miller is an epic that follows the trials and triumphs of the Witch of Aiaia and Daughter of Helios, Circe. Written from Circe’s perspective in the form of a flashback, the novel begins with Circe’s birth into an immortal family, one with which despises her and with which she doesn’t fit into. After discovering her talent for Pharmakeia--or witchcraft--and using it to transform her mortal love interest and a fellow nymph into different forms, Zeus and Helios exile Circe to the island of Aiaia.
Meet Karou. She is a 17-year-old art student living in Prague, loves going out for goulash with her friend Zuzana, and spends an excessive amount of time avoiding her nightmare of an ex-boyfriend. But there’s more — Karou was raised by demon-like chimaera, uses tiny beads to make wishes that really do come true, and runs errands with magic portals that take her over the entire world. However, when mysterious black handprints start appearing on doorways around the world and winged strangers make themselves known, Karou is swept up into a conflict much larger than anything she’s ever known.
Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy, the first book in a series of the same name, was excellent. After running away from school, Lissa, a Moroi princess, and her unofficial guardian/best friend, Rose, are caught and forced to return to St. Vladimir's Academy. There, the two girls must figure out who's after Lissa, all while trying to navigate a high school filled with vampires.
It’s a shame Maia wasn’t born as a boy. She has the makings of one of the best tailors in all of A’landi — she spins silk into the finest thread, weaves gossamer cloth that almost floats in its delicacy, and embroiders scenes that seem to dance with life — but as a girl, she is destined not for greatness as a tailor, but for marriage. However, when her elderly father is summoned to the palace to compete against eleven other tailors for the position of imperial tailor, Maia assumes the identity of her brother Keton and travels to the palace in her father’s stead.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, written by J.K. Rowling, is the second book in the Harry Potter series. It’s a compelling book with diverse characters and I couldn’t put it down. Harry and his friends try to figure out who is trying to killing the kids at Hogwarts. When word gets out that Harry is Slytherin's heir, everything gets more complicated for him.
Red Queen is a Fiction, Fantasy novel by Victoria Aveyard. This book tells the story of a 17-year-old girl, Mare Barrow, in an Alternate reality. In this world, the color of your blood determines whether or not you have superpowers. People with red blood are powerless, and people with silver blood have superpowers. Mare has red blood and lives in a poor town called the Stilts, but when she finds herself working in a silver palace, she discovers that she has a power of her own.
Poisoned brings an interesting alternative plot line to the classic fairytale Snow White. Sophie is both compassionate and the heir to her father’s throne. Her stepmother shares different ideas when it comes to ruling. She orders for the hunter to bring back Sophie’s heart. Unlike the traditional tale, the hunter accomplishes his task. Sophie is thankfully saved by many mysterious strangers that she meets along the way. She of course has also saved many creatures of sorts, and many of them return the favor.
This fantasy book by J.K Rowling is one of my favorites. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is about an 11-year-old boy named Harry, who is taken in by his cruel aunt and uncle. One day he gets a letter that changes his life forever. He meets new friends and enemies, and adventures towards his old enemy. I think the most compelling aspect of this book is when Harry learns about the wizarding world from a big man named Hagrid. I recommend this book to anyone who is willing to explore the land of fantasy.
