Raybearer (Raybearer #1)
8.0
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The epic and phenomenal West-African inspired New York Times bestselling YA fantasy from an...
West Africa Magic High Fantasy
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Shifting Flames ( Bound by Fire 1) in Books
May 2, 2024
Kindle
Shifting Flames ( Bound by Fire 1)
By Victoria A. Williams
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hunted, persecuted and taken as slaves, the Fire Born know one thing, hide or die.
When Cyra is taken by the terrifying Prince Theron to become a slave in Wolfram Citadel, she must adapt or fight. Beautiful and ferocious, Cyra would rather die, killing as many of her enemy as she can, than submit to them.
Prince Theron knows his enemy, his duty and to follow his orders. Kill the Fire Born, protect the country. So why does he refuse to kill the ferocious Fire Born girl keeping her hidden instead? His beliefs and sanity are challenged and he is drawn to her even knowing he risks being burnt.
If you enjoy slow burn enemies to lovers romance, epic fantasy world building and elemental magic then this is the book for you. Enjoy it while it’s hot.
This was pretty decent read a good fantasy fire vs ice! Characters we’re interesting the story was interesting. I can’t help but think I’ve read a similar book though.
Merissa (12066 KP) created a post
Mar 25, 2021
The Jaguar King (The Wild Rites Saga #1)
5.0
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Magic is real? Big deal. Bills still gotta be paid. Especially when you’re heading into vet...
Blood Witch (Witches of Westwood Academy, #5)
8.0
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Will the hunted become the hunter before it’s over? Everyone thinks Mabe Marlow is a total...
Urban Fantasy Romance
Sun of Blood and Ruin
6.0
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Mexican history and Mesoamerican mythology meet in this thrilling historical fantasy with magic,...
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Children of Blood and Bone: Book 1 in Books
Feb 18, 2018
That massive frustration aside, I LOVED THIS BOOK. African-inspired fantasy novels are starting to crop up, along with other non-European based fantasy, and I'm loving it. (You can find Russian inspired fantasy that I've read previously here and here, and Jewish/Arab fantasy here.) Adeyemi is a Nigerian-American author, and this is her debut novel. It definitely shows some hallmarks of a debut novel - the dialogue is a bit stilted in places, and it's a little bit formulaic - but the world building is excellent.
Children of Blood and Bone is a story of oppression, and the sparks of a rebellion. I assume the rest of the trilogy will deal with the actual rebellion, but given the cliffhanger it ends on, I'm not actually sure of that. When Zélie, the main character, was very young, magic failed, and the king, who was afraid of maji, took the opportunity to kill every maji in his kingdom before they could find a way to regain their powers. Since then, every person who could have become a maji as they grew (they're marked by their white hair) has been treated as a second-class citizen. They're forced into slums, used as slave labor, kicked around by nobility and guards, made to pay higher taxes, and forbidden to breed with the other classes. They don't have magic - and they have no way to get it - but they're treated as trash by the king that hates them, and accordingly by the rest of his subjects.
At the beginning of the book, a magical artifact resurfaces that restores magic to any diviner (potential maji) that touches it. This, of course, is not okay with the king, and most of the book is about the race to use the magical artifact while being chased by the king's son and his guards who are trying to destroy it. The conflicted prince has secrets of his own, though, and as the book weaves through jungles, mountains, and seas, he wavers in his mission.
It's always difficult to review books without giving too much away about the plot, so I won't say much more about the events. I really enjoyed that they rode giant cats - leopanaires. Zélie and her allies ride a lion leopanaire, which is apparently somewhat unusual. Most of the guards ride leopards or cheetahs, while the royal family rides snow leopanaires. The magic is unique, the gods and religion are beautifully fleshed out, and overall I just really loved this world, and I'm very sad it will be so long before I can dive back into it.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Paper Magician (The Paper Magician Trilogy, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>The Paper Magician</i> is the first in a trilogy of fantasy books by Charlie N. Holmberg. Set in London in the early 1900s it explores the idea of magic in a unique and original way. The protagonist, Ceony Twill, is only nineteen and has recently graduated from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined. For the next few years of her life she is to be apprenticed to a magician who will teach her to use the magic of their chosen material. To Ceony’s disgust she is paired with Magician Emery Thane, a Folder. She is going to spend the rest her life bonded to an extremely boring object: paper.
Ceony and the reader soon discover that there is a particular art to folding paper correctly in order to produce something (e.g. a paper bird) that lives and breathes. But there is something peculiar about Mg. Thane and he ends up in a life and death situation that only Ceony can save him from.
The originality of the plot made this book fascinating to read. A large variety of magical abilities have been explored throughout novels over the years but until now I have not read one that focuses on the material paper. The author has taken something that exists in the known world – origami – and given it a whole new purpose.
Both Ceony and Mg. Thane are likable characters that have a variety of character traits that appeal to a range of different personalities. There were times when their behaviour and speech felt too contemporary for the historical setting resulting in the time period being completely irrelevant to the narrative. Despite this the general storyline was still exciting.
Fantasy novels naturally involve ideas a little beyond the average person’s comprehension, however the middle of <i>The Paper Magician</i> became so far fetched that it was a little confusing for a while.
Overall, <i>The Paper Magician</i> is a fast paced, easy to read book suitable for young adults and fans of fantasy and magic. The story continues in <i>The Glass Magician</i> and the third and finally book can be expected in 2015.
Dragon Called
7.0
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In a kingdom that has fallen into chaos, one young woman—and her dragon—are thrust into the role...
dragons fiction fantasy young adult ya epic fantasy
Toy Defense Fantasy
Games, Entertainment and Stickers
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Toy Defense Fantasy 2.0 will please fans of tower defence genre with excellent graphics,...