#ya fantasy series

[ettawritesnstudies]

Indie Author Interview: Brianna R Shaffery

Check out Brianna’s Website to see art and read more lore about the world of Tenebris Read my review for Fire and Flight Grab a copy on Bookshop.org to support local independent bookstores! This is an affiliate link so I’ll also get a small part of the sale if you order through my shop. Transcript: Etta: Hi, my name is Etsy Grace and welcome back to my YouTube channel. Today I’m interviewing…

[lannegarrett]

Exciting news!

My YA Fantasy Trilogy has been contracted!

Book one, Siphons and Souls will be released in Spring 2025.

[beanbowlbaggins]

Instagram Book Review:

I was home sick over the long weekend, and while I mostly played The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, I did finish one book. I read Graceling by Kristin Cashore since I received her Graceling book series for the holidays. I just sat in the couch with my favorite blanket and read between naps.

First impressions:

- There could have been more boats and Lienid pirates. I loved them.

- The romantic interest is interesting, but theres no commonplace tropes if that's what you're expecting (and I'm a sucker for happy marriage honestly)

- The horses have no names or personalities, which is too bad because they do an awful lot of demanding work with no complaint.

- and names of certain characters are wonderfully absurd

It's overall a great start to a series, and I took the second book, Fire, to work with me. I'm excited to see what develops in this world.

(a more in depth review is on my Goodreads)

[oracleofmadness]

This epic lgbtqia fantasy is absolutely everything I wanted! The descriptions, the politics, the characters, and the representation are incredible.

Rosy is a shifter who winds up going to a very prestigious school. For Rosy, this is a different experience than what she is used to, tending horses with her grandmother. With this huge change, Rosy finds herself even getting attention from the princess. This story takes some interesting twists and turns that leave me anticipating the next book bc yes (!!!!) This is a series!!!

I'm so excited about this one and recommend it.

Out February 27, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

[lilibetbombshell]

[jjspina]

Official Announcement: MOM’S CHOICE AWARDS WINNERS - GOLD MEDALS!

PROMO BY BMGN The Mom’s Choice Awards® has named Gateskin Chronicles Series Books 1-3 – The Legend of the Taken Ones: Gateskin Chronicles Book 1, The Unknown Territory: Gateskin Chronicles Book 2, Search for the Medallion: Gateskin Chronicles Book 3 by Janice Spina as among the best in family-friendly media, products and services. The MCA evaluation process uses a propriety methodology in which…

[thepeakygurl]

This is going to be a stretch but let’s try…

FIRST OF ALL HELLO???? HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN???

I’m currently writing a story, I’m planning for it to be a YA Fantasy (but we shall see, may turn into a new adult).

I would really love some feedback as I do want to eventually try and get a literary agent and try to publish the book.

So I guess i’m wondering, if there is anyone that would like to be a Beta reader? Unfortunately at the moment I can not afford to pay, but if you did follow me and liked my writing then I would really appreciate the help😭

[melaniem54]

Review: Fall of the Crystal Moon: An Epic Dragon Fantasy Saga (The Crystalline Dragons Saga Book 5) by Eoghan R. Cunningham

Rating: 5🌈 Fall of the Crystal Moon is the finale novel of The Crystalline Dragons Saga and it’s a grand epic fantasy adventure. Cunningham’s young heroes are finally grown up, they’re facing the end of their world, the villain who they’ve battled they killed. That person has been replaced by someone who is more powerful, more frightening, yet still someone who they knew, who they once trusted.…

[annafromuni]

City of Fallen Angels is a Wild Ride

There are things I absolutely love about this books and then there’s Jace. References and relationships that made my heart flutter and then there’s Jace. Killer plot devices and action sequences. And then there’s Jace. Let me start by saying it’s not as serious of a hate as I’m painting it out to be. Jace just infuriated me throughout this whole book and Clary simping and accepting this broken…

[dreaminginpencil]

me and my gf are rereading acotar together and I guess I just wanted to draw feysand

[ekbelsher]

Alina and Mal get attacked by volcra, and her Sun Summoner powers finally show up (for the Litjoy Shadow and Bone box set)

[siriuslyobsessedwithfiction]

Alina Starkov - the most inconsistent main character. A tragedy of not wanting to have an identity.

The main character in Shadow and Bone trilogy, a prime example of "she deserved better". A.k.a. soldier, Sun Summoner, Sun Saint. In reality, a false saint and a false hero, who has less personality, goals, spine and consistency than her three love interests. How did this happen? Short answer - bad writing. Long answer? Here we go.

Her character at the beginning - a blank slate.

Physically small and weak, sickly, fragile, with a sour face and sourer attitude. Grew up in an orphanage funded by a Duke, who they were taught to basically worship while looking down on religion and beliefs in saints. Children in the orphanage were beaten if they misbehaved or didn't do chores, but were given education and fine food, which means they were faring better than peasants and farmers. Alina had not many, but several options in her life. She could learn a trade that would not require physical labour, like sewing. Or, she could marry and hope her husband was gracious enough to buy a donkey instead of making her carry heavy sacks of salt on her back, as we see a random man do to his wife. But Alina had no hobbies, interests, aspirations or ambitions in her life. Except her childhood friend Mal. Mal gets a mandatory draft in the First Army, and of course Alina follows, and settles for being a mediocre cartographer. Mal thrives in the army, showing off muscles and hooking up with women, while Alina dutifully waits for him saints know why. She doesn't have other genuine friends, she doesn't like people, she doesn't like anything. This is not a bad start in a sense that there is much room for growth and improvement.

Refusing to belong

Alina discovers she's a long awaited sun summoner, who can vanquish the Fold and unite Ravka. She doesn't want to be special, but not for the reasons you might think. Instead of fearing the burden of such an important task or genuinely becoming paranoid of being assassinated (she gets over those in five minutes), she just...doesn't want the responsibility of actually being useful for something. She'd rather not have powers at all, and go back to being in a constantly sickly state. She'd rather be tailing Mal like a mouse. Which doesn't make any sense for following reasons:

Alina's insecurities in SaB:

Not being pretty and talented

2. Not being as pretty and talented as Grisha

3. Being an orphan, being unwanted.

Being a Grisha actually solves all those problems for her. She gets prettier and healthier once she stops repressing her powers, has a unique cool power, and a community that cares for her. Plus, the support from important figures in Ravka. In time, she could have a family.

Instead, she refuses to acknowledge she's one of them, doesn't train properly, preferring to cling to her prejudices and make digs at Grisha. She'd rather complain that they're prettier, confident and pampered than acknowledge they are serfs, nothing but glorified servants with no basic human rights. Instead of her superstitions and prejudices being shattered when she starts living with them and realizing what Grisha have to go through, becoming rightfully enraged that her people are being treated this way, she still doesn't feel any empathy. In fact, she still doesn't see the General as a HUMAN BEING WHO MIGHT HAVE FEELINGS, even though he makes time in his busy schedule of running an army to make sure she's comfortable, jokes along with her, listens to her fears and reassures her, etc. Why would he go through the trouble if he was heartless? He's the General of the Second Army, by the King's law, she's his soldier. She is obligated to obey him regardless.

The narrative supports her delusions.

I get missing her friend, I get struggling to adjust, but it's more than that. Alina is getting dragged along from a plot point to a plot point kicking and screaming, as if she has anything better to do. She doesn't have a life, why is she so against of getting one? Once she finally somewhat adjusts to her life in the Little Palace, it turns out Darkling has had malicious intents towards her powers all along! Aha, you were right to be prejudiced, Alina! Now abandon your people, your country, and run!

“He … he said that Darklings are born without souls. That only something truly evil could have created the Shadow Fold.”

Imagine telling a person who saved your life that he was a soulless abomination, even though you do not know him, and he is still kind to you and reveals as much about him as he can. There is no grooming and manipulation here, it's just called not being a bitch. Darkling tells Alina he's over 120 years old, Alina is an adult, and the damned kiss was consensual. Of course he didn't tell her everything. Even regular people don't reveal their life-long ambitions and deepest childhood trauma to their crush after several conversations. It took Alina months to stop being in denial about being a Grisha, still didn't like being one, you're telling me if Darkling set her down and explained the complex political situation and his plan to overthrow the corrupt monarchy and bring an end to the war, Alina wouldn't jump out of the window?

Alina running away, not confronting the problem, and straight up deciding Darkling was evil incarnate with no evidence snowballed into Darkling deciding she couldn't be trusted and taking more drastic measures. Liberation of his people was on the line and one pesky girl screwed up a carefully planned coup because she couldn't handle her feelings.

False badassery

Throughout the whole three books, every time Alina makes a decision, it's immediately followed by self-doubt, shame and scorn. But no actual objective criticism. We often see variations of "It was foolish, but I didn't care", "I knew it was reckless but I couldn't bring myself to care", but never her actually analyzing why, or deciding not to do something like that again. Her small victories are immediately followed by thoughts on how would others feel about it, even though the person in question isn't even there and couldn't give less of a shit: "Never is it to be said that Ana Kuya didn't teach us manners", "A cheap trick, but a good one. Nikolai would be proud". Ana Kuya was an abusive mother figure, Nikolai was using Alina's status to get the throne. Sure, it's good that Alina is capable of learning useful things from every kinds of people, but she doesn't think "That was smart of me. I learnt that. I'm proud of myself for an accomplishment". She thinks "Is it good? Would they like it? They like things like that, right?". She attaches herself to people that fit her view of "deserving" and helps them, even though it might not be for the best. Extreme lack of self-worth, combined with entitlement.

When Alina hears a rumour Darkling ordered his heartrenders to sew a traitor's mouth shut, she's horrified. Even though that's hardly the worst punishment for a traitor in an army. But when some pilgrims insult Genya, she orders to have their tongues cut out after they're given only one warning. When Alina commits violence at slightest provocation, it's baddass. But when Darkling commits a controlled necessary military act to stop enemies from overrunning the country, it's madness and is falsely labeled genocide. Look up the definition, genocide is what was happening to Grisha.

The Darkling never kidnapped children and put them in the war zone. He only lied to Alina that he did, a clever strategy with no bloodshed. Meanwhile, Alina let her cult fight for her, whose members were brainwashed children, some only twelve years old.

When Alina faces a dilemma or a tense military situation, her go-to strategy is suicide. That is not martyrdom, nor it is badass.

Darkling became a bad person out of good intentions and desperation, Alina is just a bad selfish person.

Desperate people are the ones capable of the worst acts. Darkling didn't go nearly as crazy as he could, and frankly had a right to on behalf of his people.

"Aleksander had marched south with the king’s soldiers, and when they’d faced the Shu in the field, he’d unleashed darkness upon their opponents, blinding them where they stood. Ravka’s forces had won the day. But when Yevgeni had offered Aleksander his reward, he had refused the king’s gold. “There are others like me, Grisha, living in hiding. Give me leave to offer them sanctuary here and I will build you an army the likes of which the world has never seen.”

It doesn't matter how much genocide, prejudice, abuse and dehumanization the Grisha suffered through for centuries all around the world, Alina never bothers to look at the big picture. Her help is only for those who she deems worthy of it.

She attaches herself to people who fit her narrow-minded view of "worthy". She immediately believes Baghra's rather flimsy expose of Darkling, even though the old woman has been nothing but unhelpful to her, only insulting her and beating her. But Alina associates her with her only mother figure, Ana Kuya, another old hag she had a toxic relationship with. And even though Baghra is an immensely powerful Grisha who refuses to help or even lift a finger, or just spit out vital information, Alina coddles her and provides protection. Instead of telling her to fess up the useful information and save her unhelpful comments, Alina looks up to her as a mentor.

When Genya tells her story, Alina feels bad for her, but not bad enough to see things her perspective. She only becomes protective of Genya once she gets mutilated, out of pity. If it was genuine compassion, she would've forgiven and understood her from the start.

Every Grisha has been hunted and shamed for merely existing, almost every Grisha has lost a loved one to war. But Alina pointedly ignores it, because she doesn't personally know and care for those people. Therefore, she doesn't feel empathetic. Because if she feels empathetic, she might start feeling guilty about how she runs away from her responsibilities at every given opportunity. Just look at this passage:

“You know what he plans to do, Ivan.” “He plans to bring us peace.” “At what price?” I asked desperately. “You know this is madness.” “Did you know I had two brothers?” Ivan asked abruptly. The familiar smirk was gone from his handsome face. “Of course not. They weren’t born Grisha. They were soldiers, and they both died fighting the King’s wars. So did my father. So did my uncle.” “I’m sorry.” “Yes, everyone is sorry. The King is sorry. The Queen is sorry. I’m sorry. But only the Darkling will do something about it.”

The Darkling never wanted power for selfish reasons. He didn't want to take over other countries or lift Grisha above regular people. He wanted his kind to have basic human rights. Centuries of diplomacy and servitude only gave him enough power to make a school for Grisha children and save adults from slavery and getting slaughtered by serving nobles. He wanted to use the Fold as a border, to stop enemies from invading whenever they pleased, so he would have the time to save Ravka from collapsing. What has Alina done? Started a civil war, destroyed the Second army and helped put a morally dubious man with no claim on the throne to continue an outdated absolute monarchy tradition.

Alina Starkov was meant to be the sun, but turned out to be a trick of the light.

Every time it felt like Alina was emerging from her cocoon as a beautiful butterfly, embracing her true self, she went back to the toxic situationship and the toxic mindset. The narrative also always struck her down. Every book begins and ends with her being sickly, fragile, missing an essential part of herself. It would be good if it was written differently and showed themes of being disabled or having a chronic illness accurately, but it's not. It started out well. Alina was removed from an abusive environment, found a purpose in life, started loving her newfound powers, outgrew the stupid crush who she was way too dependent on, but it all went downhill from there. And then some. This constant vicious cycle does not fit the theme of growth and improvement, and neither does the ending, where Alina loses her powers and goes back to the orphanage. Once again, she's frail and strange, servants (who she now employs) don't respect her, sneer and make fun of her, while her now husband Mal turns a blind eye. Everything is back to the way it was: Mal thrives, Alina is...there. The ending is supposed to be bittersweet, a couple who survived a war building a new life together, but I don't see the sweet part.

Trick of the light - definition: something appearing different from what actually is as a result of the quality of light.

Darkling wanted her to be a strong Grisha, his equal and balance. Grisha wanted her to be a capable leader, Bataar twins wanted a living saint they could worship, Nikolai wanted a wife interested in Ravka and politics. Alina tried to be all of that, but never really wanted to be any of those, so she half-assed it. Mal wanted the version of Alina who was small and insignificant, because anything more made him insecure, and he got his wish.

Illusion, mirage, spectre.

No matter how much the author tries to tell us that Alina's every problem is Darkling's fault, her thought process and actions paint a different picture. Alina was never mentally healthy and she never addressed or resolved her problems. Growing up in a controlled and abusive environment affected her more than anyone, including herself, wants to admit. I am not a licensed psychiatrist, so I will refrain from officially diagnosing Alina, even though she's a fictional character. I am NOT saying I know for certain that Alina has these, if any, mental problems, but she does have some alarming symptoms. It seems like depersonalization. While her symptoms don't fit into one particular mental disorder, I am reminded of psychiatric infantilism, but it is not a mental illness with symptoms. Psychiatric infantilism doesn't necessarily mean the person acts outwardly childishly. To explain very roughly and simply, it means the psych is not as developed as it should be (even if the person is very smart and clever). It shows in avoiding responsibility or not feeling it at all, problems with social connections, not seeing the big picture and taking it seriously, etc. When Harshaw tells the story of his brother getting brutally murdered by people who hate Grisha, even brash Zoya is appalled and expresses her condolences. While all Alina thinks about is that Harshaw might base his hope of having a better life on her now.

Alina also might have Dependent Personality Disorder, but it's hard to say, since we are never shown her being on her own long enough to see whether or not she can take actually care of herself. But her relationship with Mal, Darkling and Baghra (after she no longer objectively needs them) is weird, to say the least.

She never gains the sense of self or an identity, she refuses to become something, then delivers an inner monologue of accepting her fate and five minutes later goes back on her words. Her willingness to sacrifice her life is never out of thinking of the greater good and future, justice, or patriotism. She just doesn't want to live, especially without Mal, who has been doing nothing but shitting on her. Her titles are slapped on her, and she peels them off. Her personality never really changes. Everything she went through feels like a really bad exchange program she was in for a year, and from which she has learnt nothing.

P.S. I don't hate Alina's character, I just mourn her lost potential.

If you have made it to the end, I salute you, congratulations and thank you. 😊 🙏 ❤️

[lannegarrett]

Run from me, darlin'... You'd better run for your life...

The Seven Year Crow

In Whitwick Gates, where every mortal child faces the risk of almost certain death at the hands of Fae, Perdi is named the next Crow, a sacrifice to Elphame. But once inside the Sidhe, the Fae will question if they’ve Taken the wrong Crow, the last Crow.

Available Today!

Amazon: a.co/d/bRVssmW

Choose your ebook provider: books2read.com/u/4ARKVe

[soranatus]

I just wanted to make a post showcasing some of my favorite illustrations by Keith Thompson for the Leviathan Trilogy.

The art went so hard in these books, it’s crazy. The plot is basically an alternate universe WW1 about the major two powers, the Darwinists, and the Clankers. The Darwinists genetically engineered animals to fight for them creating huge flying whale battleships, while the Clankers made huge robot mechs and powerful guns. A few historical people and places show up in these books, like Nikola Tesla.

But my favorite parts of the books were the art, truly breathtaking, it was beautifully grotesque at times. But that’s not unexpected, after all Keith Thompson helped create the design of Moder from The Ritual!

[oracleofmadness]

I had high expectations for this book, and it went beyond those plus another billion high. This is my new favorite ya series right now! I have not been so invested in a ya fantasy in a while, and this had me heart and soul. Very character driven, plot driven also. But these characters, Selly, Leander, and Keegan, feel like my new best book friends.

A sentinel goddess that requires a sacrifice, a slumbering god that needs to awaken. These are the two sides of a war that seem hellbent on coming. Leander is a prince who is journeying to make a sacrifice to his kingdom's goddess, unknowingly entering dangerous waters on Selly's ship. Keegan, a scholar, is also aboard, unwittingly being dragged into the middle of history in the making.

What they don't know is that the country across from them has been paying attention. Particularly Laskia, dying to prove that she is better and worth more than her infamous sister.

I cried 5 times reading this, and I really never cry in books. This author had me instantly feeling attached to these characters and their emotions, so yeah... some tearjerker moments had me.

Out May 2, 2023!

[ettawritesnstudies]

I had such a good time chatting with @world-of-fire-and-flight ! Be sure to check out the full interview and all the cool art on her blog :)

Indie Author Interview: Brianna R Shaffery

Check out Brianna’s Website to see art and read more lore about the world of Tenebris Read my review for Fire and Flight Grab a copy on Bookshop.org to support local independent bookstores! This is an affiliate link so I’ll also get a small part of the sale if you order through my shop. Transcript: Etta: Hi, my name is Etsy Grace and welcome back to my YouTube channel. Today I’m interviewing…