​By Ella
​
Tarisai has grown up in Bhekina House, a strange, mysterious building full of rumors and spirits, where she is surrounded by tutors who avoid touching her skin and a vast grassland which she is forbidden from venturing  into. For as long as she can remember, her life has been full of secrets--and her mother, known only as The Lady, visits Bhekina House too infrequently to provide any answers. More than anything, Tarisai longs for the Lady's love and connection, but her long absences curtail any such dreams. 

When Tarisai is sent away from Bhekina House, though, it is not with her freedom. She must now compete for a spot on the crown prince's council--a group of individuals from across the Aritsar empire bonded by the prince's magical Ray--a position that would offer the connection and family Tarisai has always wanted. But she is ensnared by a cursed command: when she loves the prince and is chosen for his council, she must kill him. 

Caught between her birth and past and a new future she may not be able to forge, Tarisai must find the strength to choose her own path--or lose the family she has only just found. 

As I found myself struggling to write a review for Raybearer which accurately described this book to its fullest, I eventually came to the conclusion that nothing so brief could truly encapsulate this story. I picked up this book after hearing about it for months, and it exceeded even my highest expectations. Ifueko delivers an exquisitely written, superbly plotted story full of complexity, originality and magic. I was sucked in from the first sentence and was caught up in its magic even before I finished the first page; the combination of engrossing, beautiful writing and a vivid, atmospheric world make it compelling and incredible. Tarisai is a strong, fierce, determined protagonist who refuses to let her fate be controlled by another, whose conflicts and choices are relatable and never felt contrived, who makes this book character-driven even in the midst of a complex plot full of twists and surprises. Raybearer is brimming with unique twists and details which make the world feel expansive and vividly realized. I highly recommend Raybearer to readers ages twelve and up--it's one of my favorite books, period! 

By Piranha T.

Sabriel is hardly like the other girls at her boarding school in the modern realm of Ancelstierre. She was born in the magical and mysterious Old Kingdom, where her father, the necromancer Abhorsen, still dwells. He has taught her how to use the seven bells which are the root of the craft of necromancers, journey through Death, and bind the creatures who lurk there. And when Abhorsen disappears, Sabriel finds herself in need of all these skills as she is pulled into an ancient conflict in the Old Kingdom--and discovers a plan more nefarious than she ever could have imagined. 
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Sabriel is an engrossing read, starring a capable, clever, and believable heroine. This book, widely acknowledged as a modern classic, is set in a well-developed fantasy world with intricate, dangerous magic and a plot with mysteries that keep you wondering at the ending. This is the first book in Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series (Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, Clariel and Goldenhand), all of which are excellent. I highly recommend Sabriel and the entire Old Kingdom Series to readers ages twelve and up. 

Note: This review is adapted from our original, posted on our fiction page several years ago. Sabriel ​remains one of our favorite books! You can read the original review here. 

By SK

​Arthur's soon-to-be-bride Guinevere travels toward Camelot, accompanied through the unfamiliar landscape by a group of the new king's best knights, as all of Camelot eagerly awaits her arrival and the coming wedding. 

But the approaching wild-haired girl is not the real Guinevere--and being queen is the least of her worries.

When Guinevere-not-Guinevere arrives in Came-lot, she has no idea where to begin. There is the blur of the wedding and feasts and celebrations, of course, and an endless stream of new people whose names she immediately forgets. She has never seen so many people. But she did not come for them--she came for Arthur. Merlin's warning was vague (well, when isn't he vague?) but his message was clear--the king is in grave danger, and he needs someone beside him who is powerful and willing to bend the rules. 

Of course, Merlin didn't say what the threat actually is. He just sent her here, equipped only with the magic of a forest witch. And somehow simple knot magic doesn't seem like it'll be enough. 

As Guinevere begins to uncover a web of secrecy in Camelot's walls and beyond, she discovers a web of deceptions hiding far below the surface, and a plot which could destroy Arthur's fledgling rule. 

But how do you stop a gathering storm of secrets when you might be the biggest one of all?

I always enjoy reading retellings of classic stories and myths, especially ones like the Arthurian legends which I've read many versions of, and The Guinevere Deception didn't disappoint. White's Guinevere is intriguingly mysterious, but also resourceful and funny, and her magic is quite interesting. The portrayals of other central characters are also excellent, and I especially liked Lancelot--the characters feel unique, yet still fit with the impressions of them which I've gotten from other versions. And the plot reimagines many elements of the original stories as well, leading to some excellent twists. I would recommend The Guinevere Deception to readers ages twelve and up who enjoy magic, action, and court intrigue, and I'm looking forward to the next two books in the Camelot Rising trilogy!

By Piranha T.

Lee and Annie have been friends since they were sent to the same orphanage in the fractured aftermath of a revolution which overthrew the tyrannical ruling Dragonlords. Now, years later, they’re part of the new leader’s plan to train dragonriders based on merit, not class, and they’re two of the best in the program. Annie’s background lends its own challenges—her family was killed by dragonfire before the revolution, and despite the new regime’s rulings, not everyone is happy to have a former serf in the government. But Lee’s past is more dangerous still. He’s never told anyone, but his family members were Dragonlords, murdered in the last days of the revolt. And if anyone learns the truth of his ancestry, he’ll be killed, too.

Then news comes. Lee isn’t the only Dragonlord who survived the rebellion, and the others are ready to retake their old land, Callipolis. As war mounts and Annie and Lee are faced with new challenges, Annie must decide whether she trusts Lee, or believes he is working with the dragonlords. And Lee must choose between the family he was born into and the one he’s made during the new regime.

​Fireborne was a book I didn’t know what to expect from, but is an outstanding new favorite. Annie and Lee are both strong and fiercely unique characters with intricately woven personalities and conflicts, and their alternating perspectives make this story much deeper and more interesting. The supporting cast is also full of excellent characters (I especially love Power and Julia!), who all have an interesting multidimensionality. The plot is fast-paced and full of twists; I particularly like how Rosaria Munda takes elements like dragonriding, rebellions, and characters with family working against the protagonist and uses them in a fully new way, twisting clichés into something much more interesting and skillfully overthrowing beliefs and assumptions. Even if this sounds like a story you’ve read before, trust me: it isn’t. This is a book I’m going to reread many times, and I’m looking forward to the release of the sequel, Flamefall. I highly recommend Fireborne to readers ages twelve and up who love fantasy novels with strong characters and multilayered plots. 

Note: Check out our interview with Fireborne's author, Rosaria Munda! 

By Piranha T.
 
I’ve heard it said that girls can’t keep secrets. That’s wrong: we’ve proved it. We’ve kept ours for years and years, ever since we came to Piscul Dracului and stumbled on the way into the Other Kingdom…We’d been going out and coming in nearly every month since then: nine whole years of Full Moons.
                              -Excerpt from Wildwood Dancing
                                                          by Juliet Marillier
 
Nine years ago, Jenica and her four sisters discovered the portal into the Other Kingdom, a place of magic, danger and mystery which exists at the edges of the Transylvanian town they live in. Their home, a crumbling castle called Piscul Dracului, is perched on the edges of the myth-ridden Wildwood, and is rumored to be as full of magic as the trees it lies on the skirts of.

In this, the tales are true. Every Full Moon, a portal opens there for Jena and her sisters which brings them to a midnight world of perilous magic and strange creatures, and Dancing Glade, where they spend the night among beings told of in whispered legends, as full of magic as the Wildwood itself. It’s always been dangerous—but one night, when the Night People, subjects of many dark and terrible stories, appear, it becomes much more so. Especially as one of them appears to take a particular interest in Jena’s elder sister.

As the Night People make the visits to Dancing Glade more perilous, the world Jena returns to after each monthly escapade into the Wildwood is growing worse and worse as well. Jena’s father, a merchant, has grown deeply ill, and he leaves Jena and her sisters in the care of their tyrannical cousin, Cezar, who is intent to destroy the Wildwood in revenge for his brother’s death years before, and constrict the sisters’ independence as much as possible. As both the Other Kingdom and the land Jena and her sisters inhabit grow more dangerous, she must confront those in both worlds if she is to protect not only the Wildwood, but the freedom of her and her sisters.
 
Deeply based in both Transylvanian folklore and the fairytale ‘The Twelve Dancing Princesses’, Wildwood Dancing is a story full of mystery and magic. Juliet Marillier’s writing effortlessly conjures a fairytale-like feeling, and the strange and dangerous setting of the Wildwood, which feels very real. Jena and her sisters are very interesting and multifaceted characters, especially Jena—I love her determination, stubborn nature, and protectiveness of her sisters. There is some romance in it, which is the major reason we've categorized this book as young adult. Overall, I recommend Wildwood Dancing to readers ages twelve and up. 

By Super Kitty

​Nannerl Mozart is an exceptional musician. A miracle. Destined for greatness. She can lose herself in music, find freedom in the pages which her father teaches her to play. But one day, her little brother Wolfgang copies her movements when she plays the clavier. And everything changes. 

Nannerl longs to be great. Loved and remembered always. But as she grows into a young woman and the already limited opportunities available for a young child fade away, she truly begins to feel the suffocating restrictions of being a woman in Europe in the 1700s. Desperate not to fade out of memory and lose any hope of a future beyond marriage, she strikes a bargain with a wild, mysterious boy from another world. At first, her dreams seem to indeed be coming true. But his help is not simply a gift, and she begins to wonder: what exactly will he require in return? 

As Nannerl and Wolfgang grow older, they travel Europe with their parents, performing for royalty and earning praise from some of the greatest rulers of the time. And they are pulled ever deeper into the world of the Kingdom of Back, where secrets rule like queens and enchantment goes far below the surface.

Marie Lu's luminous, evocative writing is stunning, and she blends fairy tale elements, historical settings and characters, and original fantasy ideas seamlessly. I was especially struck by the unique, deft transitions and connection between our world and that of the Kingdom of Back, and the contrast between our world and the ethereal Kingdom. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Kingdom of Back the first time, but it was only after I read the Author's Note that I fully understood the brilliance of it. Apparently, Nannerl was a real person, a musical prodigy who toured Europe with Wolfgang when they were children. And on the lengthy carriage rides between performances, the siblings would make up stories about an enchanted land they named the Kingdom of Back....

By Piranha T.
 
Sixteen-year-old Seraphina Dombegh is hardly like others in the land of Goredd, and not just because of her extraordinary musical talent. Her mother was a saarantras—a dragon in human form—and although the Goreddi-dragon treaty signed forty years ago frames the two species as allies, intolerance remains rampant between them. Seraphina can only keep this secret by remaining out of the spotlight, but when she is apprenticed to the court musician, Viridius, and begins to be caught up in the multilayered intrigues of Goredd’s royal family, it becomes much more difficult. Yet she might be the only one able to uncover the plot against the dragons, the royal family, and the treaty itself.

Seraphina is a multilayered, engrossing fantasy novel full of well-defined characters and intricate worldbuilding. Seraphina is one of my favorite main characters, equal parts sympathetic and flawed, many-layered and understandable. Her emotional and internal journey is what makes this book so beautiful and strong: it’s about more than dragons and court intrigue, it’s about a girl who is, despite her mixed ancestry, deeply and beautifully human. Her choices and decisions make this story much more than it might have been otherwise.

That said, Seraphina is one of my favorite books for other reasons, too. Goredd and the surrounding lands (though fleshed out more fully in the sequel, Shadow Scale) feel very real; the same can be said for all the supporting characters, who are unique and interesting. The plot, similar to a mystery, is full of twists, court intrigue, and unexpected realizations; it reminds me a little of books such as Shadow and Bone and The Candle and the Flame. Overall, I highly recommend Seraphina to readers ages twelve and up looking for a strong heroine, a complex plot, and an engrossing story which you won’t want to leave.

Note: We selected Seraphina as our favorite For Older Readers book of 2020! For the full summary, see our original review, here. 

By Piranha T.

We were all villains, once. 
                                                            -Renegades by Marissa Meyer

In a world where superheroes are leaders as well as champions, Nova Artino has grown up among the villains they once defeated. She’s set on vengeance and justice, and when she infiltrates the Renegade headquarters, she’s on her way to achieving just that. Adrian Everhart is one of the superheroes, or Renegades, and although he isn’t certain whether the current system is perfect, he despises the defeated villains—like Nova. When their paths collide, both unknowing of the other’s hidden identity, they form a partnership which could easily be destroyed by learning the truth. But which side will the connection profit? And when the struggle comes, who will win dominance—the heroes or the villains?

Renegades is a well-written and executed novel which simultaneously creates a dangerous and enthralling story and makes fun of every superhero book ever written. It pulls you in from the first sentence and through a combination of Marissa Meyer’s excellent writing and deep, multilayered characters. Nova, Adrian and all the supporting characters, both Renegades and villains, are full of multiple layers and complicated thoughts. I highly recommend Renegades to readers ages twelve and up.