The Folk of the Air by Holly Black
Though this series is titled the Folk of the Air Trilogy, don't let that scare you off. I know that if you aren't very into fantasy, a title like that would make you think these books are really weird. In reality, these books are more political dramas than they are magical fairy tales. They are actually about a female spy named Jude.
Jude has two sisters: an identical twin named Taryn and a half-sister named Vivi (short for Vivianne). They live in a land called Faerieland. As the title suggests, it is a magical land of faeries. Full of exciting creatures, magic, and adventure, Faerieland serves as the perfect setting for this entertaining, fantasy-adventure-romance series. Jude and Taryn are humans. Vivi is half human and half fairy. Fairies are immortal, beautiful, and possess extraordinary abilities, even mind control. How did Jude and her sisters end up here, you ask?
Well, their parents were murdered by a fairy named Madoc, who took them in as his own children. Even at the very beginning of these books, the drama is incredible. Needless to say, growing up in a magical land as a mortal was a very tough experience for Jude and Taryn. Due to Madoc's status as the general of the king's army, Jude and Taryn went to "school" at the palace with other children of high status. This is where Jude met Cardan, the cruel prince. Malcontented, powerful, morally gray, and very attractive, he makes the perfect antihero of any fantasy series. You guessed it, this is an enemies-to-lovers tale. When does the spy part come in though? I'm about to get to that.
The King has grown old and tired of ruling, so he is stepping down and giving the crown to one of his five children: Dain, Balekin, Elowyn, Rhyia, and Cardan. Dain is the most likely to receive the crown as he is the oldest and favorite child of the King. Dain, however, fears Balekin is working on a plan to steal the crown. Jude fits into this scenario after a rather cruel prank from her classmates, involving mind control. This leaves her desperate to gain control of her life and earn a place in this world. Dain recruits Jude as a spy by gifting her immunity to glamour. which is their word for mind control. Her adventures begin as she navigates the twists and turns of the political world with a side of romance too.
Watching Jude overcome challenges, go on exciting adventures, experience romance, and more throughout this series was a great experience. There is never a dull moment in these books, which makes them perfect for getting back into reading. You'll never want to put it down.
P.S. - In my opinion, the last book is the best book of the series, so you'll want to get through the whole thing.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
This very well-known duology takes place in Leigh Bardugo's iconic Grishaverse. If you've never heard of it, the Grishaverse is a world comprised of six countries. There are certain people with supernatural abilities in this world known as Grisha. Grisha a separated into three categories: the Corporalki, who can manipulate human anatomy to either do harm or heal, the Etherealki, who manipulate the elements like fire, water, and more, and the Materialki, who can manipulate materials such as metal and glass along with chemicals. If this seems confusing, when you read these books, you'll understand it perfectly.
Like all fantasy books, the first few chapters are an adjustment period to learn how the world works, who the characters are, and what's going on. This series revolves around a group of six people. Kaz Brekker is the leader, a morally gray criminal mastermind, and has a tragic backstory. Inej is a talented spy, thrower of knives, acrobat, and an honorable character. Jesper is a sharpshooter, the comic relief, and a gambling addict. Nina is a powerful Heartrender (Grisha) trapped in a complicated enemy-to-lover romance. Matthias is a Fjerdan (Fjerdans hate and kill Grisha for religious and ideological reasons) who is being forced to participate. Lastly, Wylan is a shy, small chemist and demolition expert. This group of people, who have nothing in common, come together to pull off an impossible heist. Their job is to retrieve a chemical weapon from the most secure prison in the world: the Ice Court in Fjerda.
This adventure is thrilling and full of plot twists you won't see coming. The main characters are so well described, and the plot and writing of the book develop them so well. Any reader of this series becomes attached to all six of them. Jesper made me actually laugh out loud on many occasions. Wylan's personality was like a blanket being wrapped around me. Matthias annoyed the heck out of me, but in the end, even I liked him. I related to Nina the most. Her silly, fun, flawed but lovable character was a breath of fresh air. Inej is just a pure rebel with a great personality, and I love her to death. Kaz is broken and definitely flawed, but his tricks and schemes are extremely entertaining. Anyone who reads these books knows that his complex character is a huge part of what really makes these books so enjoyable.
The scheming, adventure, friendships, twists, turns, and romances within the group and this story make the series a true masterpiece of Y.A. fantasy. You definitely won't regret reading it.
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
This series is also a part of the Grishaverse. If you want to read the Grishaverse books in order, this trilogy happens before the duology of Six of Crows. It doesn't matter which order you read these two series in, though, because the plots are completely separate and marvelous on their own.
This series follows a girl named Alina Starkov. She lives during a time of war in her country Ravka. There is a piece of land known as the Fold that splits Ravka in half. It is a barren land without light and filled with monsters called Volcra. Bordered by two countries that want to take over Ravka, and with the Fold cutting off their ability to obtain supplies by sea, the country is in a very dangerous state. The King has two armies: the First Army, filled with soldiers who are drafted at 18 years old, and the Second Army, comprised of Grisha. Grisha are hunted, killed, and sold as slaves in all other countries except for Ravka. They are usually seen as witches and freaks, Ravka acts as a safe place for them. This is because of the leader of the Second Army: the Darkling.
He is an ancient Grisha with the unique power to manipulate shadow and darkness. His ancestor created the Fold and he wants nothing more than to destroy it. The only way to do that is prophesied to be with a wielder of light: the Sun Summoner. Alina, a mousy, timid cartographer must cross the Fold to reach her station as a cartographer. A small military force, including her childhood friend Mal, attempts the crossing, but disaster strikes. They are attacked by Volcra. When all seems lost, Alina saves the force with a beam of light. She is discovered to be the Sun Summoner. Her world is turned upside down when she is taken to the palace to be trained as a Grisha and turned into Ravka's savior. She grew up as a poor, orphan girl whom no one respected. Now, the Darkling himself is trusting her to help pull Ravka out of a state of ruin.
This book has an incredible plot twist you won't see coming, a love triangle, action, and adventure. It's a great book for getting back into reading because of its fast pace, interesting, and exciting plot.
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