The midlands is home to humans, stuck between the worlds of gods and demons. Odin gave much to learn the future and spent his life trying to avoid it. But the end of his world came anyway. Now the midlands is a barbaric place with very little magic and even less hope for the future.
Reggin Eiklund is a thrall, or slave, to Asger Elder, a demon stranded from the fiery world of Muspelheim. She works as a singer, healer, and seer while Asger travels nearby, always watching. He abuses her and draws out her magic to strengthen his own. She is offered a chance to escape to the mysterious Temple at the Grove, promised safety and a chance to learn about the magic she didn’t realize she had.
Eiric Halvosen is an angry young viking, falsely convicted of murdering his mother and step-father. A rich jarl offers to pay the blood fee if Eiric takes on the job of locating the Temple. As he prepares to leave, his half-sister demands to go with him across the sea, along with an untested stranger willing to learn to sail in return for adventure. And it appears that only with her help will Eiric be able to locate the hidden island where the Temple is located.
This is the first in a series, so much of the book is spent worldbuilding. It is a complicated world, especially for those less familiar with Norse Mythology. (Even the movies about Thor barely touch on the information crammed into this book.) It is slow going. Very slow. As a fan of Chima, I pushed on but I don’t know if my high school students will do the same. The story could be tighter and would appeal to many more readers. It is a slog, even for fans of Norse mythology – and Cinda Williams Chima.
I read this as a proof copy for NetGalley. Here is my review: Sage is quite observant, brutally honest, and totally unfit for marriage according to those around her. Instead she is apprenticed to the local matchmaker and tasked with not only keeping an eye on the girls during their travel to the main city, but also to recommend which eligible bachelor would make a good match. Her astute observation skills catch the notice of an attractive soldier/captain and soon she is recruited to spy for the soldiers too. As the journey progresses, danger increases, and her heart has difficulty staying out of the matching pool. The only complaint I have is that the title does not really reflect the story.
Update: I enjoyed the rest of the series but once again, I didn’t like the title. Every time I see the title, I struggle to remember the series because it just doesn’t fit!
The Traitor’s Circle: The Traitor’s Kiss, The Traitor’s Ruin and The Traitor’s Kingdom
Hilari Bell – Fall of a Kingdom
The kingdom of Farsala has enjoyed peace and prosperity for so long that it doesn’t see the danger rising next door. Three young people do see the prospect of war and try to prepare Farsala against the immovable political structures. Each of the three heroes have a unique voice and perspective throughout the series. The story is supposedly based on a Persian legend and definitely brings this culture alive.
The Farsala Trilogy: Fall of a Kingdom, Rise of a Hero, and Forging the Sword
Holly Black – The Cruel Prince
Jude and her sisters were taken to the Faerie world after her step-father murdered her father. Now at seventeen, Jude wants to earn a place in the Faerie world in spite of her significant handicap of mortality. She finds her human ability to lie an advantage to her new position as spy. Now if only her staunchest enemy, the crown Prince, would just get out of her way.
Holly writes awesome “faeries behaving badly” urban fantasies. This trilogy is just her latest.
The Folk of the Air: The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King, and The Queen of Nothing
Kristin Cashore – Graceling
A “graceling” is one who was born with a special talent – baking bread that never burns, calming any animal, the voice of an angel – and are noted because of their two different colored eyes. Katsa’s grace is the ability to kill. As the king’s enforcer, she is feared across the land yet she hides a double life working for justice. When she is sent to rescue a kidnapped king, she meets Po and her world gets upended.
The other two books in this “series” focus on different characters and time periods in the same world but this first one was my favorite.
Series: Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue
Cinda Williams Chima – The Warrior Heir
Imagine the War of the Roses is not between British royal families but between two magical houses competing for leadership of the Weir, or magical world. Jack lives with his hippy mom in a little town in the middle of nowhere and his only ambition is to be on the soccer team. When he tries out for the team, he blasts by the rest of the players with strength and energy he has never had before. The only thing that is out of the ordinary is that he forgot to take his daily heart medicine. And now everything is out of the ordinary because he is one of only two surviving Warriors destined to duel to the death, this year.
Series: The Warrior Heir, The Wizard Heir, The Dragon Heir, The Enchanter Heir, and The Sorcerer Heir
Cinda Williams Chima –The Demon King
Former street gang leader Han is trying to live a straight life taking care of his mother and sister. After confronting three privileged young wizards, he ends up with the amulet of the long-dead demon king. And he knows the wizards will be after him to get it back. Princess Raisa has returned to court after three years of freedom running in the mountains with the clans of her father. Court life is stifling when she realizes her mother plans to marry her off.
I LOVE this series. The world is so intricate and the characters are plenty complicated, even the minor ones. This is definitely a re-read.
Series: The Demon King, The Exiled Queen, The Gray Wolf Throne, and The Crimson Crown
Honestly I would read anything that Chima writes. Her characters are diverse, complicated, and compelling. Her worlds are easily imagined and complete. And she always surprises.
My nephew’s girlfriend asked for some book recommendations to read while quarantined during this COVID-19 pandemic. I think others might also want some suggestions so I decided to resurrect my blog and publish a few different lists. I am starting with my one of my favorites, YA fantasy series. These also appeal to adults but are marketed to teens. So if you are looking for adult titles, this isn’t your list. And since there are so many great authors out there, I will split up the post and cover a few authors a day with a final pdf on the last post.
These are the first books in their series. Some are duologies, others much longer.
Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh
While traveling to marry the emperor, Mariko’s entourage is attacked and all are left for dead. Mariko manages to get away and joins the band of bandits she believes is responsible for the attack. Sequel is Smoke in the Sun.
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
Every night a girl is married to the young king and every morning, she is killed. When Sharhrzad’s best friend is one of the girls, she volunteers to be the next bride in order to get close enough to kill him. Sequel is The Rose and the Dagger.
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
The color of your blood determines your class: those with silver are the rulers over those with red. When the red-blooded Mare is discovered to have some of the powers of silver-bloods, she is drawn into the palace, the princes, and all of its intrigue. Series includes Red Queen, Glass Sword, King’s Cage, and War Storm. To be upfront, I’ve only read the first of this series but I’ve included it because my students really like it.
The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad
Fatima lives in a city of immigrants living cooperatively under the safety of the Ifrit, a race of djinn committed to order and reason. When her friend and mentor dies, Fatima is filled with a unfamiliar power that may threaten the peace she has known. This is actually a one-off! Great to read a story that actually ends.
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
When common soldier Alina demonstrates unusual powers, she is whisked away from her best friend, Mal, to the city to be trained by the Grisha, the magical elite who serve the king. This series has a Slavic/Russian setting and folktale background. Pretty unique when it was written (2012). Series includes Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Kaz Brekker selects a team of criminals, each with special skills, to break into a fortress within the ice palace of an enemy kingdom. Set in the same world as Shadow and Bone, this duology features others with Grisha skills. Sequel is Crooked Kingdom.
