#lumatere chronicles

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The Wicked + the Divine by Kieron Gillan (2014-2019)

Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead. The team behind critical tongue-attractors like Young Avengers and PHONOGRAM reunite to create a world where gods are the ultimate pop stars and pop stars are the ultimate gods. But remember: just because you’re immortal, doesn’t mean you’re going to live forever.

The Checquy Files by Daniel O'Malley (2012-2022)

"The body you are wearing used to be mine." So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her.

She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly supernatural ability of her own.

In her quest to uncover which member of the Chequy betrayed her and why, Myfanwy encounters a person with four bodies, an aristocratic woman who can enter her dreams, a secret training facility where children are transformed into deadly fighters, and a conspiracy more vast than she ever could have imagined.

Tea Dragon by K. O'Neill (2017-2021)

From the award-winning author of Princess Princess Ever After comes THE TEA DRAGON SOCIETY, the beloved and charming all-ages book that follows the story of Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons. After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care-taking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives--and eventually her own. 

The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper (1965-1977)

When the Dark comes rising, six shall turn it back, three from the circle, three from the track; wood, bronze, iron; water, fire, stone; five will return, and one go alone.” 

With these mysterious words, Will Stanton discovers on his 11th birthday that he is no mere boy. He is the Sign-Seeker, last of the immortal Old Ones, destined to battle the powers of evil that trouble the land. His task is monumental: he must find and guard the six great Signs of the Light, which, when joined, will create a force strong enough to match and perhaps overcome that of the Dark. Embarking on this endeavor is dangerous as well as deeply rewarding; Will must work within a continuum of time and space much broader than he ever imagined.

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter (1979)

In The Bloody Chamber - which includes the story that is the basis of Neil Jordan's 1984 movie The Company of Wolves - Carter spins subversively dark and sensual versions of familiar fairy tales and legends like "Little Red Riding Hood," "Bluebeard," "Puss in Boots," and "Beauty and the Beast," giving them exhilarating new life in a style steeped in the romantic trappings of the gothic tradition.

Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews (2013-2022)

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night...Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley (2005-2012)

For Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, life has not been a fairy tale. After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, the sisters are sent to live with their grandmother--a woman they believed was dead! Granny Relda reveals that the girls have two famous ancestors, the Brothers Grimm, whose classic book of fairy tales is actually a collection of case files of magical mischief. Now the girls must take on the family responsibility of being fairy tale detectives.

Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta (2008-2012)

Finnikin of the Rock and his guardian, Sir Topher, have not been home to their beloved Lumatere for ten years. Not since the dark days when the royal family was murdered and the kingdom put under a terrible curse. But then Finnikin is summoned to meet Evanjalin, a young woman with an incredible claim: the heir to the throne of Lumatere, Prince Balthazar, is alive.

Evanjalin is determined to return home and she is the only one who can lead them to the heir. As they journey together, Finnikin is affected by her arrogance . . . and her hope. He begins to believe he will see his childhood friend, Prince Balthazar, again. And that their cursed people will be able to enter Lumatere and be reunited with those trapped inside. He even believes he will find his imprisoned father.

But Evanjalin is not what she seems. And the truth will test not only Finnikin's faith in her . . . but in himself.

Damar by Robin McKinley (1982-1984)

Harry Crewe is an orphan girl who comes to live in Damar, the desert country shared by the Homelanders and the secretive, magical Hillfolk. Her life is quiet and ordinary-until the night she is kidnapped by Corlath, the Hillfolk King, who takes her deep into the desert. She does not know the Hillfolk language; she does not know why she has been chosen. But Corlath does. Harry is to be trained in the arts of war until she is a match for any of his men. Does she have the courage to accept her true fate?

The Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook (1984-2000)

Some feel the Lady, newly risen from centuries in thrall, stands between humankind and evil. Some feel she is evil itself. The hard-bitten men of the Black Company take their pay and do what they must, burying their doubts with their dead. 

Until the prophesy: The White Rose has been reborn, somewhere, to embody good once more. There must be a way for the Black Company to find her... 

[haveyoureadthisfantasybook]

vote yes if you have finished the entire book.

vote no if you have not finished the entire book.

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[provincara]

thinking about how froi and finnikin have like, reverse likeability throughout the series

bc froi starts off exTREMELY unlikeable, but that's the point—we need to see his base side in order to experience his growth, which then makes for wonderful character development. whereas finnikin starts off likeable (mostly in the sense that he's our main character and we have no other options), but as we get to know other characters and see more of him, he ends up not that favorable

[quietflorilegium]

“Never underestimate the value of knowing another's language. It can be far more powerful than swords and arrows.”

Evanjalin, Melina Marchetta, "Finnikin of the Rock"

[dangermousie]

One of the things I love about this series is how well it conveys the sense of loss and longing for the past that seeps through your life and you learn to live with it and put it in the back of your mind but it never truly goes away.

And how even if you get back the people and places from your past, it’s never as perfect as it was and the damage remains. It’s better than you feared but worse than you hoped.

[archersgoon]

thinking about froi again. like it's so. why are you making this teenager perform your secret executions for war crimes. perri and trevanion telling him he has to join the guard when it is very clearly the worst possible option for him for three straight years then getting on his back when he skips out on lessons with the priestking like what reason would he have to even bother going? like, they clearly believe that they know what's best for him yet fundamentally misunderstand him so continually on every level (see the fact that no one has gotten any of his jokes in three years). like he is happiest doing farmer shit. we see this. he says it himself. and yet he's not allowed to be because he's just so good at killing!!! basically: you fucked up a perfectly good farmer is what you did. look at him he's got anxiety

[provincara]

thank you 🥰

The ship dynamic of "I love you but I will always choose the world over you. I love you but my conscience binds me to the greater good in a way I can never escape. I love you but I would sacrifice you to save the world if I had to, even though it would kill me and I would never forgive myself. I love you and a part of me wishes that I could be the kind of person who would sacrifice everything for you. But I'm not, and I never will be, and if you're going to love me I need you to understand that."

[darlingiswriting]

-Melina Marchetta, Quintana of Charyn

[logarithmicpanda]

ok so special interest info dump time. I’m literally obsessed with the book series The Lumater Chronicles by Melina Marchetta and NO ONE ON HERE TALKS ABOUT IT like literally there’s a handful of posts under the tag. (If there is an active fandom anywhere and I’m just missing out someone better fucking tell me about it) Anywho it’s fantasy trilogy that’s technically YA but besides the young ages of some of the characters it’s quite mature and deals with heavy shit BUT like the main moral is the power of love and family and friendship which sounds cheesy but is SO beautiful in this story. And like all of the characters are so fascinating and flawed and they fight but ultimately they love. One of my favorite characters is named Phaedra and she’s more quiet and unsure of herself but she also always does the right thing even if it’s hard and when u first read these books at like 14 she was so important for me to read, like you don’t have to be a tough warrior to be a strong female character and I desperately needed to learn that at that age. But yeah I reread this series every two years because it’s long enough that I can forget some of the minor details but soon enough that I don’t go insane from withdrawal

Hey :D hey :D hey :D guess what? I did read that series! I loved it! I was so surprised by how well it handled its characters and the darkness (very often I feel the dark elements in YA are a bit cartoonish)

I really should reread it at some point (also I wish it had prettier covers, I feel like it would be more popular if it did, which is sad)

[obscuremilfoff]

lirah of serker art by @winnie-darling

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Hi everyone, there’s only around 12 hours left to vote in preliminary rounds 1-8 for Best Fantasy Book. If you’ve yet to cast your vote, check out my pinned post for links to all the polls, and here’s a quick update on books at risk of being eliminated (less than 2% of the vote when adjusted for the 'see results' option) in all the polls:

Poll 5: Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Poll 6: Legacy of Orisha by Tomi Adeyemi

Poll 8: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, Fables by Bill Willingham

Poll 9: The Hollows by Kim Harrison

Poll 11: The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist

Poll 13: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams, Starbound by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Poll 14: The Checquy Files by Daniel O'Malley, Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta

Poll 15: The Chronicles of Alice by Christina Henry

Poll 16: Entwined by Heather Dixon Wallwork

Poll 17: The Thief of Always by Clive Barker

Poll 18: Weaveworld by Clive Barker

Poll 19: The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Poll 21: Traveler's Gate by Will Wight

Poll 24: Healer Seer by Victoria Hanley

Poll 25: Tales of Alderly by Alan Garner

Poll 27: Guides for Dating Vampires by D. N. Bryn

Poll 28: Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz

Poll 31: Lilah's Adventures by Sherwood Smith

Poll 32: Knights of Liofwende by Garry Kilworth

[haveyoureadthisfantasybook]

vote yes if you have finished the entire book.

vote no if you have not finished the entire book.

(faq · submit a book)

[provincara]

i absolutely love that froi is canonically not that attractive looking

[quietflorilegium]

“He hesitated, remembering something Finnikin had said to him on their journey. That somehow, even in the worst of times, the tiniest fragments of good survive. It was the grip in which one held those fragments that counted.”

Melina Marchetta, "Finnikin of the Rock"