Fantasy Book Recommendations

The Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted, has no teachers or holidays. There is danger lurking in every corner, vent, and sink, which means failure at the Scholomance will result in a painful demise. Unlike other students, Galadriel Higgens holds deadly power: she can summon supervolcanoes and kill thousands of people with just a few words. She intends to survive until graduation without attracting too much attention. The issue? Orion Lake, the school’s hero, takes a special interest in her.

Written by Naomi Novick, a cofounder of popular fanfiction site “Archive of Our Own,” this novel is inspired by Romanian folklore about the Scholomance, which is said to be a school of black magic in the region of Transylvania. The book resembles a darker version of Harry Potter, taking place in a magic school, with El begrudgingly making friends along the way. We recommend this book to those who enjoy magical school settings and highly opinionated protagonists.

*All of Us Villains* by Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman

Every Blood Moon, seven families in Ilvernath send a champion to compete in a tournament to the death. The winner’s family gets exclusive control of “high magick,” a source of magick that everyone else thinks is long depleted. Nobody but the seven families knew about this tournament until this year, as a tell-all book was anonymously published and gives all of the details about not only the tournament but the seven families as well.

This book is similar to the tournament-style plot of The Hunger Games but with the addition of magic. Each character is complex and well developed, with each one having different goals and different motivations. Although the book can seem drawn out at first, the high stakes plot will make you want to keep turning the page once the book does eventually pick up the pace. The book explores why we make choices—both good and bad—and how we live with the consequences, making it a thought-provoking and engaging read.

After Bree Matthews’s mother dies, Bree enrolls in a residential program for high schoolers. However, she witnesses a magical attack on her first day: a flying demon attacking students. After two teenage mages defeat the demon, one attempts to wipe Bree’s memory. Not only does he fail to do so, but he unlocks another memory—the night of her mother’s death, revealing that there was another mage at the hospital. Bree begins investigating the society of mages in an attempt to discover the truth behind her mother’s death. But a magical war is on the horizon…

This book is action packed and the magic system is so creative. It does a great job discussing grief and how to embrace it while being able to move on.. Surprisingly, this book is based on the legend of King Arthur, but rest assured—the way the book reinvents the tale will be like nothing you have seen before. We would recommend this to anyone who likes a fast paced plot and great worldbuilding.

*The Answer You Are Looking For is Yes: A Witch Way Anthology* by Olivie Blake

This book is a collection of short stories Olivie Blake wrote for Witch Way, a magazine focused on witches and spells. Each story is unique: an anthropologist accidentally ends up in another realm while searching for his brother, a witch is forced to return to her hometown and has to pretend to date someone, a journalist sent to a mysterious island discovers it holds a dangerous secret, a politician who is always lucky falls for her always unlucky neighbor, and a disgruntled employee seeks revenge on her boss.

The short stories are vastly different, yet all of them are captivating. The anthology is tied together by common themes of paranormal romance, humor, and adventure. It’s a fairly short read, and each story can be read individually in one sitting. The small, bite-sized pieces make it great for people in a reading slump.

The Dregs are a gang consisting of thieves, spies, and sharpshooters who operate in Ketterdam, the international hub of trade. When criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker, a member of the Dregs, receives the offer to complete a dangerous heist in return for a large sum of money, he brings together a versatile team to help him pull it off. This novel features the popular “found-family” trope, but be warned, it is far from warm and wholesome. Grappling with traumatic pasts, many of the characters find it hard to open up to each other.

The book’s action-packed plot hooks readers in from the first page, forcing them to keep turning pages. The worldbuilding and character backstories are seamlessly integrated into the storyline, allowing for a satisfying reading experience. Let’s just say there’s a reason Six of Crows is one of the most popular young adult fantasy novels.

What if you were told the Library of Alexandria was never truly lost? The Alexandrian Society is a secret society of some of the most well regarded magical academics in the world. They are caretakers of a vast pool of knowledge from some of the greatest civilizations in history. Anyone who joins their numbers is guaranteed a life of wealth, power, and prestige. Every decade, six of the world's most skilled magicians are recruited by the caretaker. They will spend a year together with access to the archives, where they will prove their worth. However, there is a catch: only five magicians will be initiated.

This novel is for the lovers of morally gray characters and complex character dynamics. Paired with secrets about the Society that are still waiting to be uncovered, this book is sure to hook you in.

Le Cirque des Rêves is only open at night. It arrives without warning, and disappears just as abruptly. However, its patrons don’t know it is the stage for an old grudge that two magicians hold, using their apprentices to fight each other. Celia and Marco are two young magicians competing against each other for…well, for what, they aren’t exactly sure. Despite their rivalry, they fall head over heels for each other, not knowing only one of them can survive.

The book has a cast of complex and interesting characters, and the reader gets to discover more and more about the competition as they do. The prose for this book is gorgeous and lyrical, and Morgenstern’s descriptions make the circus come to life.

Foul Lady Fortune is a spinoff of popular young adult novel These Violent Delights. It follows Rosalind Lang, a Nationalist spy, who goes by the codename “Fortune.” After a previous heartbreak, Rosalind no longer believes in love. However, when she is given the mission to infiltrate foreign society, she must pose as the wife of Orion, another Nationalist spy. While his playboy personality irritates her, Rosalind is willing to cooperate with him for the greater good.

This book is great for those who love mystery and undercover agents. It’s also wonderful for those who have already read the These Violent Delights duology, because it features many familiar characters. But be warned, the novel does end on quite the cliffhanger.