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.

Zuhra can barely remember the night everything changed, when her sister was born, her father disappeared, and the hedge surrounding her home, the ancient Citadel of the Paladin, grew to imprison herself, her newborn sister, their mother and their close friend Sami within its walls. Her mother never discusses their father—she’s convinced he abandoned them—but Zuhra knows he must have been Paladin. After all, they live in their citadel. And Inara, her sister, has inherited the powerful magic of these mythical warriors—and the glowing blue eyes which show this to the world.

But Inara is lost to what she calls the ‘roar’—an endless noise in her mind which she’s rarely free of, which keeps her eternally distant from Zuhra. Zuhra is certain that it has something to do with her sister’s magic, but she doesn’t know enough about the Paladin to help her. But that changes when a scholar of the Paladin arrives at the citadel—and Zuhra learns that the world is much more dangerous than she ever could have imagined.

Sisters of Shadow of Light is a fantasy novel with an excellently developed world. I loved the many layers of the setting and the Paladin history and culture, as well as the interesting magic in this land. Zuhra and Inara, both of whom narrated chapters, were both different and interesting. There were also a number of plot twists I hadn’t expected! I think this book would appeal to fans of epic fantasy novels with unusual worlds such as Shadow and Bone and Seraphina. There was some romance in Sisters of Shadow and Light, which constitutes it being places on the ‘For Older Readers’ page; therefore, I believe it would be most enjoyed by readers ages thirteen and up. 

By Piranha T.

Seventeen-year-old Echo has lived for years among the Avicen—mysterious creatures with powerful magic and feathers instead of hair. They’ve lived hidden for centuries beneath the streets of New York, and Echo is the only human ever to have learned of their existence. Despite the discord this difference brings, the Avicen are Echo’s home.

But her serenity shatters when she steals a music box and discovers a centuries-old secret hidden within it. And because of it, she’s sent on a mission to retrieve a mythical firebird and bring an ancient war to a close. Echo has only ever been a thief—finding something this complex is beyond her area of expertise. Only with the help of a group of unlikely friends can she begin to draw close to discovering it. And even then, there are difficult secrets to uncover. This mystery has lain hidden for centuries, and as she uncovers more of the secrets which lead her along the firebird’s trail, the truths which have always governed her world begin to fall apart.

The Girl at Midnight is one of the best books I’ve read for a long time. Melissa Grey expertly creates a world born from this one fraught with danger and war, with unusual magic and dark secrets. Simultaneously, this book is completely fantasy, and could be occurring under our very noses. Echo is an incredible main character with complicated thoughts and desires, fierce loyalty, a brilliant sense of humor, and an awesome attitude. All the supporting characters (many of whom I adore!) have complex relationships and unusual, often unconventional, personalities, ranging from a disgraced guard to a flamboyant thief. And there were many points where I was literally blown away by a plot twist which I had never expected. It’s action-packed, fast-paced and unique (and great for fans of Six of Crows). The Girl at Midnight has a number of thematic elements, including mild romance and violence, which categorizes this as YA—in this case, ages 13+. For those readers, however, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves sophisticated, well-plotted fantasy novels with unforgettable characters.