Archives de catégorie : Fantasy

SONG OF THE LAST KINGDOM SERIES d’Amélie Wen Zhao

In a fallen kingdom, one girl carries the key to its forgotten past – and the demons that sleep at its heart…

SONG OF THE LAST KINGDOM Series
by Amélie Wen Zhao
Delacorte, 2023 – 2024
(via Park & Fine Literary and Media)

SONG OF SILVER, FLAME LIKE NIGHT (Book 1 – January 2023)

Once, Lan had a different name. Now she goes by the one the Elantian colonizers gave her when they invaded her kingdom, killed her mother, and outlawed her people’s magic. She spends her nights as a songgirl in Haak’gong, a city transformed by the conquerors, and her days scavenging for what she can find of the past. Anything to understand the strange mark burned into her arm by her mother in her last act before she died.

The mark is mysterious—an untranslatable Hin character—and no one but Lan can see it. Until the night a boy appears at her teahouse and saves her life.

Zen is a practitioner—one of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom. Their magic was rumored to have been drawn from the demons they communed with. Magic believed to be long lost. Now it must be hidden from the Elantians at all costs.

When Zen comes across Lan, he recognizes what she is: a practitioner with a powerful ability hidden in the mark on her arm. He’s never seen anything like it—but he knows that if there are answers, they lie deep in the pine forests and misty mountains of the Last Kingdom, with an order of practitioning masters planning to overthrow the Elantian regime.

Both Lan and Zen have secrets buried deep within—secrets they must hide from others, and secrets that they themselves have yet to discover. Fate has connected them, but their destiny remains unwritten. Both hold the power to liberate their land. And both hold the power to destroy the world.

Now the battle for the Last Kingdom begins.

DARK STAR BURNING, ASH FALLS WHITE (Book 2 – January 2024)

The Demon Gods have risen. Skies’ End has fallen to the colonizers. And Lan and Zen have chosen sides.

But they will not fight together.

Though Lan inherited the power of the Silver Dragon, she understands the path she must take. She believes the Demon Gods to be the cause of war, conflict, and turmoil, and that the future of the Last Kingdom depends on their being eliminated forever. Worse, she knows that if the Elantians manage to bind one of the legendary beings, their army will be unstoppable. To save her kingdom and her people, Lan will need to find the only mythical weapon capable of destroying the Demon Gods: the Godslayer.

Zen is sure that the only way to free the Last Kingdom is to use the power of the Demon Gods. When he bound the Black Tortoise, he paid the ultimate price: to inherit its strength, he will forfeit his body, his mind, and his soul. Yet one Demon God is not enough against the might of the colonizers. In the ruins of the northern Mansorian lands slumbers a magical army of demonic practitioners capable of facing off against the Elantians—but Zen must find the Seal to awaken them to fight by his side.

At the center of both Lan’s and Zen’s journeys is one city: Shaklahira, a former stronghold of the Imperial Court that vanished without a trace when the Elantians invaded. Its location is a mystery, and both are sure that it holds the answers they need, but the past it hides might be more dangerous than anything they’ve faced yet.

The battle for the Last Kingdom rages on. But to win the war, Lan will have to decide: Can she face the boy she loves again? And when she does, can she kill him to free her people?

Amélie Wen Zhao（赵雯）was born in Paris and grew up in Beijing, where she spent her days reenacting tales of legendary heroes, ancient kingdoms, and lost magic at her grandmother’s courtyard house. She attended college in the United States and now resides in New York City, working in finance by day and being a fantasy author by night. Amélie is the NYT bestselling author of the SONG OF THE LAST KINGDOM duology and the Blood Heir trilogy.

CRADLE OF SECRETS de Jasmin Wigham

A Victorian fantasy romance perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare and Alexandra Christo.

CRADLE OF SECRETS
by Jasmin Wigham
Podium, TBD
(via Zeno Agency)

Jem has lied, cheated and stolen to make his way into the swankiest circles of London’s elite. And now he almost has everything he ever wanted, a beautiful if vapid fiancé, a patron who’s willing to fund his lavish lifestyle. But now he’s here it doesn’t deliver the high he wanted. So when a mysterious blond called Felicity appears and asks him to demonstrate his legendary gunslinger skills, he can’t quite resist.

Jem’s about to realise the problem with inventing yourself an elaborate adventuring background is, it doesn’t hold up very long when you’re confronted with real monsters.

Narrowly escaping with his life, Jem realises Felicity isn’t all she appears. He tries to slip back into his normal life but can’t quite resist the pull of an actual adventure. So alongside Felicity, a young woman cursed with immortality to watch everyone she loves grow up and leave her; Odessa, a witch with no magic; Rashid, a scientist who figured out how to turn people invisible but not how to turn them back; and McLaren, a Scotsman who may or may not be a werewolf – Jem must figure out who is creating monsters out of men.

Jasmine Wigham lives in Country Durham. After finishing a degree in History and English literature, she went on to become a finalist in Penguin Random House’s 2020 ‘Write Now’ scheme, which aims to champion promising new writers who are so far underrepresented in the publishing landscape. CRADLE OF SECRETS is her debut novel.

SPICE ROAD TRILOGY de Maiya Ibrahim

Raised to protect her nation from the monsters lurking in the sands, sixteen-year-old Imani must fight to find her brother, whose betrayal is now the country’s greatest threat.

SPICE ROAD TRILOGY
by Maiya Ibrahim
Delacorte Press, 2023 – 2024
(via Park & Fine Literary and Media)

SPICE ROAD (Book 1 – January 2023)

In the hidden desert city of Qalia, there is a secret spice magic that awakens the affinities of those who drink the misra tea. Sixteen-year-old Imani has the affinity for iron and is able to wield a dagger like no other warrior. She has garnered the reputation as being the next great Shield for battling djinn, ghouls, and other monsters spreading across the sands.

Her reputation has been overshadowed, however, by her brother, who tarnished the family name after it was revealed that he was stealing his nation’s coveted spice—a telltale sign of magical obsession. Soon after that, he disappeared, believed to have died beyond the Forbidden Wastes. Despite her brother’s betrayal, there isn’t a day that goes by when Imani doesn’t grieve him.

But when Imani discovers signs that her brother may be alive and spreading the nation’s magic to outsiders, she makes a deal with the Council that she will find him and bring him back to Qalia, where he will face punishment. Accompanied by other Shields, including Taha, a powerful beastseer who can control the minds of falcons, she sets out on her mission.

Imani will soon find that many secrets lie beyond the Forbidden Wastes—and in her own heart—but will she find her brother?

★ “A beautifully written, surprise-filled page-turner.” ―Kirkus Review, Starred Review

★ « Overflowing with culturally specific details and set in a fictional, Arabian-inspired world, this high-octane adventure maintains a steady clip toward a scintillating conclusion. »―Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

★ “Spellbinding magic, lush description and whirlwind action define Maiya Ibrahim’s YA debut….readers will find much to admire in this powerful young woman who learns that thinking for herself is as vital as the magic she wields. » ―Shelf Awareness, starred review

SERPENT SEA (Book 2 – September 2024)

Imani is a magic-wielding warrior sworn to protect her land from the monsters that roam the desert. But an even worse enemy now threatens the Sahir. As the powerful Harrowlanders march south with their greatest weapon—spice magic—Imani knows it’s only a matter of time before their invasion of her land begins . . . and it will be a losing battle for her people.

But Imani also knows that one way to fight magic is with monsters. If she can restore Qayn’s stolen powers, together they can summon a supernatural army to defend the Sahir from the Harrowlanders. Forming an alliance with a djinni king is risky, but Imani will do anything to save her people, even embarking on a dangerous quest beyond the sands to find the magical jewels of Qayn’s lost crown.

As Imani journeys far from home, she will discover monsters that warriors have only heard about in myths . . . monsters that can strike at any moment. Meanwhile, her rival, Taha, has been captured and is on a dangerous mission of his own.

One wrong move could cost them their lives—and everyone they love. But they may find that there is more than meets the eye crossing the Serpent Sea . . . and betrayal cuts deeper than any dagger.

In this richly imagined Arabian-inspired fantasy told from a riveting dual perspective, critically acclaimed author Maiya Ibrahim dives into the complexities of love and war.

Maiya Ibrahim is the debut author of SPICE ROAD, an instant Sunday Times bestseller. Born and raised in Sydney, she has been writing stories since she learned how to boot up a PC and open her notepad. When not writing, Maiya can be found indulging in Lebanese food with her family, playing Skyrim, watching Game of Thrones, or swimming with friends at one of Australia’s many spectacular beaches.

INFERNO’S HEIR de Tiffany Wang

For fans of Chloe Gong and Marie Lu: a debut YA fantasy that subverts expectations, featuring a diverse cast and a morally grey AAPI protagonist.

INFERNO’S HEIR
by Tiffany Wang
Bindery, October 2024
(via KT Literary)

A despised princess has survived her murderous half-brother’s many assassination attempts thanks to wits, magic, and a whole lot of blackmail.

With her brother’s coronation looming and her own life on the line, she hatches one last desperate plan: infiltrate the rebellion seeking to overthrow the monarchy, gain their trust, and then betray them to that same brother in exchange for her own safety and freedom.

Tiffany Wang hails from a town in North Texas, although she’s currently wandering her way through New York City. She studied communication and international relations at the University of Pennsylvania. In her spare time, she enjoys reading a variety of books (especially in YA!) and snacking on a questionable amount of Cheetos.

WAR HOUR de Lauren Loscig

When powers are earned and not born, who shall wield them?

WAR HOUR
(The Broken Trials, Book 1)
by Lauren Loscig
Self-published, November 2023
(via The Whalen Agency)

Lysta lives in constant fear of Trialing, a deadly test that bestows an ability upon its victors, but only after pushing their mental and physical limits. Forced to Trial against her will, Lysta becomes a weapon others plan to use against the Untrialed, until an unexpected intruder from another Court presents her with an opportunity to stop it. But can she trust the plans of a man who seems to play the lines between enemy and ally?

Only through treason can Lysta save the people she once struggled beside. With the fate of her Court and the lives of the Untrialed at stake, the burden will fall on Lysta to convince the other Courts to intervene. Not to mention, the Crowns seem to fear the frustrating albeit handsome man who rescued her more than the one she testifies against. Lysta must find her own strength in a world of powers, battles, and court politics while navigating tumultuous relationships and hidden enemies.

Will Lysta save her Court or be ended by it?

Lauren Loscig is the debut author of YA Fantasy, WAR HOUR, first in The Broken Trials series. A lifelong reader and writer, she prefers being enraptured in stories rather than reality, whether that be in books, fanfiction, or her imagination.