Five star reads

The Knight and the Moth

Rachel Gillig · 2025

This Is How You Lose the Time War

Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone · 2020

The Jasad Crown

Sara Hashem · 2025

<b>In the thrilling conclusion to the Egyptian-inspired Scorched Throne duology, a fugitive queen must risk everything and everyone she loves for the chance to restore her lost kingdom of Jasad.</b><br>  <br> Held deep in a mountain refuge, Sylvia has been captured by the Urabi, who believe the Jasad Heir can return their homeland to its former power. But after years of denying her legacy and a forbidden alliance with Jasad’s greatest enemy, Sylvia must win the Urabi’s trust while struggling to hide the dangerous side effects her magic is having on her mind.<br><br> In a rival kingdom, Arin must maneuver carefully between his father's desire to put down the brewing rebellion and the sacred edicts Arin is sworn to uphold. He is determined to find Sylvia before it's too late, but Arin's search unravels secrets that threaten the very core of his beliefs about his family and the destruction of Jasad. <br>  <br> War is inevitable, but Sylvia cannot abandon her people again. The Urabi plan to raise the Jasadi fortress, and it will either kill Sylvia or destroy the humanity she's fought so hard to protect. For the first time in her life Sylvia doesn’t just want to survive. She wants to win.<br>  <br> The fugitive queen is ready to reign.<br><br>

The Jasad Heir

Sara Hashem · 2023

Blood Over Bright Haven: A Novel

M. L. Wang · 2025

If We Were Villains: A Novel

M. L. Rio · 2017

The Mindf*ck Series

S.T. Abby · 2019

Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices Book 3)

Cassandra Clare · 2013

A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, 2)

Sarah J. Maas · 2020

Ignite Me (Shatter Me Book 3)

Tahereh Mafi · 2014

The heart-stopping third installment in the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Hollow City, called "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love."<br/>With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn't know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won't keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that's not all he wants with her.<br/>The Shatter Me series is perfect for fans who crave action-packed young adult novels with tantalizing romance like Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Legend by Marie Lu. Tahereh Mafi has created a captivating and original story that combines the best of dystopian and paranormal and was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a gripping read from an author who's not afraid to take risks."<br/>This bestselling series from powerhouse author Tahereh Mafi showcases relentlessly thrilling action, heart stopping romance, and a war-torn world in which rebellion is the only path to freedom.

Imagine Me (Shatter Me, 6)

Tahereh Mafi · 2021

Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, 3)

Sarah J. Maas · 2023

Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, 1)

Rebecca Yarros · 2023

<p><b>A #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestseller • TV series in development at MGM Amazon Studios with Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society • Amazon Best Books of the Year, #4 • Apple Best Books of the Year 2023 • Barnes & Noble Best Fantasy Book of 2023 • NPR “Books We Love” 2023 • Audible Best Books of 2023 • Hudson Book of the Year • Google Play Best Books of 2023 • Indigo Best Books of 2023 • Waterstones Book of the Year finalist • Goodreads Choice Award Winner • Newsweek Staffers’ Favorite Books of 2023 • Paste Magazine's Best Books of 2023</b><br><br><i>"Suspenseful, sexy, and with incredibly entertaining storytelling, the first in Yarros' Empyrean series will delight fans of romantic, adventure-filled fantasy."</i> —<i><b>Booklist</b></i><b>, starred review</b><br><br><i>"</i>Fourth Wing<i> will have your heart pounding from beginning to end... A fantasy like you've never read before."</i> <b>―#1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout</b><br><br><br><b>Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author Rebecca Yarros</b><br><br>Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: <i>dragon riders</i>.<br><br>But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.<br><br>With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.<br><br>She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.<br><br>Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.<br><br>Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: <i>graduate or die</i>.<br><br>The Empyrean series is best enjoyed in order.<br>Reading Order:<br>Book #1 Fourth Wing<br>Book #2 Iron Flame<br>Book #3 Onyx Storm</p>

Finale (Caraval, 3)

Stephanie Garber · 2020

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City)

Sarah J. Maas · 2021

A #1 New York Times bestseller!<br/><br/>Sarah J. Maas's brand-new CRESCENT CITY series begins with House of Earth and Blood: the story of half-Fae and half-human Bryce Quinlan as she seeks revenge in a contemporary fantasy world of magic, danger, and searing romance.<br/><br/>Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life-working hard all day and partying all night-until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She'll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.<br/><br/>Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose-to assassinate his boss's enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he's offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.<br/><br/>As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City's underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion-one that could set them both free, if they'd only let it.<br/><br/>With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom-and the power of love.

House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City, 3)

Sarah J. Maas · 2024

The stunning third book in the sexy, action-packed Crescent City series, following the global bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath.<br/><br/>Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she's going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that's no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.<br/><br/>Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he's in the Asteri's dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce's fate. He's desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri's leash, his hands are quite literally tied.<br/><br/>In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas's Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt's world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.

When the Moon Hatched

Sarah A Parker · 2024

The Creators did not expect their beloved dragons to sail skyward upon their end. To curl into balls just beyond gravity's grip, littering the sky with tombstones. With moons.<br/><br/>They certainly did not expect them to fall.<br/><br/>As a valued Elding Blade of the rebellion group Fíur du Ath, Raeve's job is to kill. To complete orders and never get caught. When a renowned bounty hunter is employed by The Crown to capture a member of the Ath, Raeve's world is turned upside down. Blood spills, hearts break, and Raeve finds herself at the mercy of the Guild of Nobles-a group of dual-beaded elementals who intend to turn her into a political statement. Only death will set her free.<br/><br/>Crushed beneath a mourning weight, Kaan Vaegor took the head of a king and donned his melted crown. Now on a tireless quest to assuage the never-ebbing ache in his chest, his hunt for a moonshard lures him into the belly of Gore's notorious prison where he stumbles upon something that rips apart his perception of reality. A shackled miracle with eyes full of rage and blood on her hands.<br/><br/>The echo of the past sings louder than the Creators themselves, and even Raeve can't ignore the truths blaring at her from a warmer, happier time. However. There's more to this song than meets the eye, and some truths ... They're too poisonous to swallow.<br/><br/>When the Moon Hatched is a fast-paced fantasy romance for fans of witty banter and strong, sassy protagonists. Beneath the cover is an immersive, vibrant world with mysterious creatures, a unique magic system, and a love that blazes through the ages.

Quicksilver (The Fae & Alchemy Series Book 1)

Callie Hart · 2024

<b><i>From USA TODAY Bestselling Author Callie Hart comes a brand new, highly addicting enemies-to-lovers Romantasy with razor-sharp banter, heart-stopping action, and blistering hot romance that you won't be able to put down!</i></b> <p><b><i>Do </i>not<i> touch the sword.</i></b> <p><b><i>Do</i> not<i> turn the key.</i></b> <p><b><i>Do </i>not<i> open the gate.</i></b> <p><i>In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn't much a girl wouldn't do for a glass of water.</i> <p>Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen's reservoirs for as long as she can remember. <p>But a secret is like a knot. <p>Sooner or later, it is <i>bound</i> to come undone. <p>When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently reopens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares...but it turns out they're real, and Saeris has landed herself right in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed. <p>The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist's magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him... <i>or her.</i> <p>Death has a name. <p>It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. <p>His past is murky. <p>His attitude stinks. <p>And he's the <i>only</i> way Saeris is going to make it home. <p><b><i>Be careful of the deals you make, dear child.</i></b> <p><b><i>The devil is in the details... <p>N.B. Quicksilver contains depictions of graphic violence/adult situations and is therefore recommended for readers 17+. For a full list of tropes and TWs, please visit the author's website at www.calliehart.com.</i></b>

The Poppy War: A Novel (The Poppy War, 1)

R. F Kuang · 2019

<p>“I have no doubt this will end up being the best fantasy debut of the year [...] I have absolutely no doubt that [Kuang’s] name will be up there with the likes of Robin Hobb and N.K. Jemisin.” -- Booknest</p><p>A Library Journal, Paste Magazine, Vulture, BookBub, and ENTROPY Best Books of 2018 pick!</p><p>Washington Post "5 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Novel of 2018" pick!</p><p>A Bustle "30 Best Fiction Books of 2018" pick!</p><p>A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy.</p><p>When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.</p><p>But surprises aren’t always good.</p><p>Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.</p><p>For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .</p><p>Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.</p>

A Promise of Peridot (The Sacred Stones)

Kate Golden · 2024

Golden Son (Red Rising Series)

Pierce Brown · 2015

<b><i>NEW YORK TIMES </i>BESTSELLER •<i> Red Rising</i> hit the ground running and wasted no time becoming a sensation. <i>Golden Son </i>continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom.</b><br><br><b>NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR, <i>BUZZFEED,</i> AND <i>BOOKLIST </i><b>• “Gripping . . . On virtually every level, this is a sequel that hates sequels—a perfect fit for a hero who already defies the tropes. [Grade:] A”—<i>Entertainment Weekly</i></b></b><br><br>As a Red, Darrow grew up working the mines deep beneath the surface of Mars, enduring backbreaking labor while dreaming of the better future he was building for his descendants. But the Society he faithfully served was built on lies. Darrow’s kind have been betrayed and denied by their elitist masters, the Golds—and their only path to liberation is revolution. And so Darrow sacrifices himself in the name of the greater good for which Eo, his true love and inspiration, laid down her own life. He becomes a Gold, infiltrating their privileged realm so that he can destroy it from within.<br>  <br> A lamb among wolves in a cruel world, Darrow finds friendship, respect, and even love—but also the wrath of powerful rivals. To wage and win the war that will change humankind’s destiny, Darrow must confront the treachery arrayed against him, overcome his all-too-human desire for retribution—and strive not for violent revolt but a hopeful rebirth. Though the road ahead is fraught with danger and deceit, Darrow must choose to follow Eo’s principles of love and justice to free his people.<br>  <br> He must live for more.<br><br><b>Praise for <i>Golden Son</i></b><br> <b><i> </i></b><br>“Stirring . . . Comparisons to <i>The Hunger Games </i>and<i> Game of Thrones</i> series are inevitable, for this tale has elements of both.”<b><i>—Kirkus Reviews</i></b><br><br>“Brown writes layered, flawed characters . . . but plot is his most breathtaking strength. . . . Every action seems to flow into the next.”<b>—NPR</b><br><br><b>Don’t miss any of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga:</b><br><b>RED RISING • GOLDEN SON • MORNING STAR • IRON GOLD • DARK AGE • LIGHT BRINGER</b>

Red Rising

Pierce Brown · 2014

The Dawn of the Cursed Queen (Gods & Monsters)

Amber V Nicole · 2024

Pride and Prejudice (Penguin Classics)

Jane Austen · 2002

Austen's most popular novel, the unforgettable story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy<br/><br/>Few have failed to be charmed by the witty and independent spirit of Elizabeth Bennet in Austen’s beloved classic Pride and Prejudice. When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited; he is indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever. In the sparkling comedy of manners that follows, Jane Austen shows us the folly of judging by first impressions and superbly evokes the friendships, gossip and snobberies of provincial middle-class life. This Penguin Classics edition, based on Austen's first edition, contains the original Penguin Classics introduction by Tony Tanner and an updated introduction and notes by Viven Jones.<br/><br/>For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, 7)

Sarah J. Maas · 2023

The Song of Achilles: A Novel

Madeline Miller · 2012

A New York Times Bestseller<br/>“At once a scholar’s homage to The Iliad and startlingly original work of art….A book I could not put down.” —Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House<br/>A thrilling, profoundly moving, and utterly unique retelling of the legend of Achilles and the Trojan War from the bestselling author of Circe<br/>A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly reimagines Homer’s enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic love story, a marvelously conceived and executed page-turner, Miller’s monumental debut novel has already earned resounding acclaim from some of contemporary fiction’s brightest lights—and fans of Mary Renault, Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, and Colleen McCullough’s Masters of Rome series will delight in this unforgettable journey back to ancient Greece in the Age of Heroes.<br/>“A captivating retelling of The Iliad and events leading up to it through the point of view of Patroclus: it’s a hard book to put down, and any classicist will be enthralled by her characterisation of the goddess Thetis, which carries the true savagery and chill of antiquity.” — Donna Tartt, The Times