As winter slowly comes to an end, here are some amazing and binge-able books to help you end the season off right!
Spinning Silver - Naomi Novik
If you only read one book out of the five on this list, I hope it is this one.
Spinning Silver focuses on 3, starkly different, but powerful and complex women. There is Miryem, a girl who serves as the town banker. She is the main character of the novel and utterly inspiring- Miryem has a fiery strength to her that warms up the entire book. Her determination and desire to save her family resonated with me and made me root for her character until the last page. Secondly, there is Irina, the seemingly gentle but clever daughter of a tsar- who was forced into an unhappy marriage. Her personality juxtaposes Miryem’s with its own quiet strength and makes the novel all the more empowering because you are able to watch Irina overcome her insecurities and grow into a confident woman. And finally, there is Wanda, a woman trying to escape her abusive father.
Spinning Silver is both a character study and fairy tale. It’s plot comes from elements of Rumpelstiltskin, The Snow Queen, and The Glass Mountain! If you love fantasy, a decadent historical setting, and powerful female characters, this book is for you!
Wintersong - S. Jae Jones
Wintersong is another historical fantasy set in northern European countries! This novel is about a girl named Liesl who helps maintain her family inn. She has a beautiful older sister and a prodigy musician younger brother with whom she shares her love of music with. After her older sister goes missing and is taken by the Goblin King, Liesl sacrifices herself and takes her sister’s place. Wintersong is also a more character-driven story than action, but doesn’t leave you bored. The novel centers around the romance between Liesl and the Goblin King- so for all you romance fans, this book is for you. However, it also deals with themes like familial bonds, esteem issues, and self sacrifice. To top it all off, S. Jae Jones’s writing is impeccable and elevates the book to another level.
Girls Made of Snow and Glass - Melissa Bashardoust
This wintry story is also another fairytale inspired novel. It centers around two teenage girls: Mina and Lynet, but the story is twisty and exciting. I was incredibly connected to both the female leads and the way their character arcs developed was satisfying. This book also deals with themes of familial relationships, specifically a mother and daughter relationship. Also, one of the main characters is LGBTQ+ and her relationship was portrayed incredibly well. The only con of this novel is that the pacing is not for everyone- if you’re looking for a fast paced novel, look elsewhere.
However, if you’re looking for an emotional read with LGBTQ representation, complex characters, a sweet romance, lyrical and descriptive language, and fascinating plot, Girls Made of Snow and Glass is definitely the book for you!
Wicked Saints - Emily A. Duncan
Wicked Saints is similar to Spinning Silver in many aspects: it is set in northern Europe, includes a deliciously wintery setting, magic, and 3 fierce main characters. However, Wicked Saints is a much darker fantasy and is the first book of the expansive Something Dark and Holy trilogy. If you’re a fan of books like Six of Crows and Shadow and Bone, this story is definitely for you! Wicked Saints follows Nadya- a girl with the power to communicate with the entire pantheon of gods, the mage prince of Tranavia, Serefin, and tortured bad boy Malachiasz, who is fleeing Tranavia (no love triangle, this time, though).
Wicked Saints was dense and high-level but I loved the world building and world that Duncan built. Additionally, Serefin is bisexual! The writer expertly weaves in both fantasy, political intrigue, action, and so much tension that my fingers would cramp while I was turning the pages since I was reading so fast! If you’re looking for a solid YA fantasy but don’t want to go too much out of your comfort zone, Wicked Saints is perfect for you!
I hope you enjoy these reads, because I certainly have!
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