It’s dangerous to go alone–take this book list!
Gamers and fantasy fans have been going wild over Tears of the Kingdom: the newest installment in the Legend of Zelda series. The game invites players to check out a vast world filled with places to explore, secrets to unlock, and battles to fight (and it isn’t a secret to everybody).
We’ve compiled a list of fantasy titles you might want to check out while you’re exploring Hyrule, battling monsters, building different contraptions with the game’s new functions, and hunting for that one hard-to-find Korok seed.
The third volume in N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy, THE STONE SKY follows the paths of Essun and her daughter Nassun: orogenes, or beings that can manipulate earth and stone. The moon’s orbit has been put out of balance, and the result is that the Earth is plagued with a series of earthquakes, cataclysms, and volcanic winters. It falls to Essun to put the moon’s orbit right as it nears its closest position to the Earth, and put an end to the chaos. But Nassun, angry and saddened by a recent trauma, is determined to cause the moon to crash into the Earth, destroying it. Essun and Nassun must each embark on their respective journeys and ultimately come face to face with each other, as the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
The first book in Melissa Caruso’s Rooks and Ruin series introduces the reader to Ryxander, or Ryx. She comes from a long line of magic users, but she wields a kind of magic, a magic that destroys rather than heals, that causes people to fear her and shun her. She is given the task of guarding the sealed door of a mysterious black tower, which conceals a deadly secret in its walls. Under no circumstances must the tower door be unsealed, or disaster will result. But Ryx has barely started in her job as the Warden before the tower is unsealed. As she works to make things right, she finds herself delving deeper into the mystery of why the tower was sealed in the first place.
There was once a song about two sisters, but sometimes, in the song there were three. In SISTERSONG, Lucy Holland takes the reader to the ancient British kingdom of Dunmonia, a land beset by warring factions: the invading Saxons, and the advent of a new religion that is doing away with the old gods. Riva, Keyne, and Sinne are the three children of King Cador; all three carry heavy internal burdens and long for lives outside the castle walls. The sudden arrival into their midst of a magician and a handsome warrior may lead to the siblings finding their new paths. But it could also lead to betrayal and heartbreak, and either way, it will have a lasting effect on the kingdom for many ages to come.
Once, the kingdom of Andarra was ruled by powerful magic users known as Augurs, assisted by people known as the Gifted. But twenty years ago, the Augurs were executed during a time of upheaval, and the Gifted placed under strict laws governing their use of magic. In the present day, Davian, a young Gifted who is blamed and ostracized for his ancestors’ actions, unexpectedly learns that he is actually an Augur. Moreover, Andarra is under attack from invaders from beyond its increasingly weakened boundaries. It falls to Davian, together with his friends, to save Andarra from further destruction, and in doing so, learn about their respective connections to the Augurs and the other players in the old war.
A violent war brought about the end of one empire and the rise of a new one in its place. With old rivalries and hates still in existence, history is about to violently repeat itself. Twelve years ago, Gyre lost his beloved sister Maya, when their parents sold her to the Twilight Order. Now, Gyre is bent on destroying the Order and getting his revenge. But he finds himself crossing paths with Maya, now grown up and a warrior for the Twilight Order. As a result, brother and sister find themselves on opposite sides of the pending war, a conflict that threatens to destroy the world all over again, and sibling bonds may not be enough to override their status as enemies.
N.K. Jemisin continues the Inheritance Kingdoms trilogy with this second installment. Oree Shoth is blind in her eyes, but is able to see and sense magic. She lives and works as an artist in a city called Shadow, so called because it now stands in the shadow of the towering World Tree, and where humans and “godlings” live alongside one another. One day, Oree takes in a homeless man whose shiny magical aura gives him the nickname of Shiny. But soon after, Oree realizes that something, or someone, is going through the city and killing godlings, and her association with Shiny has put her into terrible danger.
Danso, a bright young scholar, but also a societal misfit, has lived all his life inside the city of Bassa. He longs to know what is outside the city walls. The outside world is a taboo subject, so much so that people who know of the outside are forbidden to speak of it. Through a chance encounter with a strange magic-wielding warrior, Danso starts learning more about Bassa’s long-kept secrets and makes his way to the outside world. But this journey will lead to widespread chaos and disruption.
Guerdon, an ancient, gritty, magic-filled city, is under threat from the wars that rage outside its walls, and from a terrible magical power that is starting to awaken deep underground.
Carillion, or Cari, and her friends Spar and Rat, are members of the Thieves’ Brotherhood. A thieving assignment goes horribly wrong after the head of the brotherhood betrays them. But as the three set out to get their revenge, they find themselves delving deep into the city’s secrets, and becoming the last line of defense against the Guerdon’s certain doom. The ensuing quest will test the limits of their strength and endurance, and the bonds of their friendship.
Erin Roll is a freelance writer, editor, and proofreader. Her favorite genres to read are mystery, science fiction, and fantasy, and her TBR pile is likely to be visible on Google Maps. Before becoming an editor, Erin worked as a journalist and photographer, and she has won far too many awards from the New Jersey Press Association. Erin lives at the top floor of a haunted house in Montclair, NJ. She enjoys reading (of course), writing, hiking, kayaking, music, and video games.
