Yay, a new post series! I read so much that I figured I should share my favorite books with you, too! I will share four of my favorites in each post and give a short plot exposition and my personal opinion on them. If you are fluent in Finnish you can also check out The YA Diaries book blog that I write for with a bunch of other bookworms!
E. Lockhart: We Were Liars
This novel deals with self-acceptance, difficult familial relationships, morality and the consequences of thoughtlessness and mistakes. Most of the events take place on a private island of a wealthy, seemingly perfect Sinclair family, who meet there every summer. However, one particular summer is different from the rest. Now, after a two year break, Cadence, Johnny, Gat and Mirren return to the island, and their secrets as well as the mystery of Cadence’s recent memory loss are unveiled.
This book I spotted originally on social media and I got it without knowing too much about it. In the beginning I had a bit of a tough time getting into the story but once I did I was completely immersed. I don’t necessarily even like the plot that much but rather the atmosphere and style of the novel.
Sarah J. Maas: Throne of Glass -series
This high fantasy series follows Celaena Sardothien, an 18-year-old assassin in Adarlan, a land ruled by a ruthless king. After being imprisoned for a year Celaena enters a competition to become the king’s champion and, thus, earning her freedom after a four year contract. She bonds with Chaol, the captain of the guard, and finds an unexpected ally in the crown prince Dorian. However, there is something evil lurking in the castle and soon everyone is in danger. Celaena has a bigger destiny than she can even begin to guess, and the whole kingdom is at stake!
I could go on and on about this series (I couldn’t even narrow it down to one favorite book in the series) but I will try to keep it brief. I love kickass heroines who need no saving and are super sassy. And the world and different creatures in the series are really well fleshed out. It’s truly an epic fantasy (my fav kind!). I think you can definitely tell that Maas started writing very young and the first book is NOT my favorite but the series and characters develop really quickly and during the second book I was already in love. The romance plots don’t overwhelm the other parts of the novels and you just can’t help but root for the young, beautiful assassin!
Susan Ee: Angelfall
Angels of the apocalypse are destroying the human world as we know it. Street gangs, crime, fear, violence… it’s rough trying to just survive from day to day. 17-year-old Penryn is trying to do just that but when her little sister is taken by the angels she has to take action. In this case, that means aligning herself with another angel. Raffe is a warrior angel who has been attacked by his own kind – Penryn helps him in exchange for him leading her to the stronghold of the angels who have her sister. Penryn will risk everything to save her family… but can she trust her enemy?
Angelfall I discovered on Amazon while browsing for books, and I was intrigued by the premise. I think Supernatural has sparked my interest in angels and the lore around them, so I ended up buying the book and, I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. While there is a fairly obvious love story going on, the angels are interesting and I like that they are the dangerous enemy, instead of some more obvious monsters. This was a very quick read and I definitely recommend it to fantasy readers, who are looking for a little break from vampires, werewolves, and witches.
Sabaa Tahir: An Ember in the Ashes
The Martial Empire rules over its lands with an iron fist. Whoever resists meets a swift death. Laia is a slave girl, one of the Scholars under the Empire’s control. Elias is a soldier but also a prisoner of his surroundings. When Laia’s brother is arrested for conspiring against the Empire, she has to risk her life and trust strangers in a world that rewards trust with suffering. When Laia and Elias’s paths cross, neither knows how far the consequences will stretch.
MY NEW FAVORITE! Okay, not super new since I’ve already read the sequel as well. But a recent favorite nonetheless. I love desert fantasy and the new kind of setting for fantasy stories. It’s nice to have a different set of lore that the author pulls inspiration from.
Have you read any of these books? Did you like them? Also, gimme reading tips if you have any…I’m always on the lookout for more books :D
