When planning these posts I surprised myself by how short my current list of must read fantasies is. I’ve always prided myself on being a big fan of fantasy, but apparently I don’t have the backlog of books to back that up. Oh well, that just means I need to read more, which is a win-win situation if you ask me.
Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
My controversial Cassandra Clare opinion is that The Dark Artifices is my favourite series. I love the characters, I love the setting and the plot is super interesting. It also brings back a lot of older characters and it’s always great seeing characters you love return.
I don’t want to spoil anything here in case anyone hasn’t read this yet, but my love for Emma and Julian knows no bounds. It’s both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. The same can be said for the relationship between any of the characters in the main cast. They are some of my absolute favourites.
I really want to re-read this series at some point as I’ve just bought two of them on my Kindle. They’re pretty big books though…
Synopsis: It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.
Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…
Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
I was completely captivated by this book. I thought the world was so magical and well other worldly. I’m realising now that it reminded me a lot of The Night Circus, which is one of my all time favourite books. I wonder if that was inspiration for this series?
This is another book I would like to re-read at some point. I’m curious to see if the magic is still there or if it’s a first read type of situation. I did read this a few years ago now so I’ve most likely forgotten the smaller details that make Caraval an absolute must read for fantasy fans.
Synopsis: A legendary competition.
A mesmerizing romance.
An unbreakable bond
between two sisters.
Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.
But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.
Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away.
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