Fall is here! And the temps are trying to get their act together and finally lower. That means it’s the coziest time of year to curl up with your favorite bevi and a great book. Fantasy books have always screamed fall to me. Maybe it’s the magic of spooky season, but I am here. for. it.
Two of my most recent fantasy reads are Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (like everyone else with a pulse and a fondness for reading) and Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong. Just a heads up, both of these have cliff hangers with sequels coming. It’s important to dive into a book knowing whether there is more to come. I thoroughly enjoyed both of these books. Here’s why…
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
If you aren’t into Fantasy (how dare you) this is the perfect gateway book. Fourth Wing is like Harry Potter meets A Court of Thorns and Roses. The world building was very easy to follow, which isn’t always the case in fantasy books. Is the writing the most highbrow I’ve ever read, no. However, I can easily over look that for nonstop action and a narrative that I cannot walk away from. I checked this book out in e-book form from Libby. I finished it in about one day AND I loved it so much that I reread it immediately after. That’s right — two times in a row. I just didn’t want to leave Violet’s world at Basgaith War College. Violet is a 21-year-old first year student in the Rider Quadrant, in spite of only being trained to be a scribe. She has to pass several death defying challenges and survive (literally) cutthroat competition with other students. Then, she must bond with a dragon or get scorched to death by one. On top of all of this, there’s a love interest situation that does get spicy, you’ve been warned. The Fourth Wing sequel is Iron Flame, with a 11/7 release date. Buy it here.
Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
Immortal Longings is similar to The Hunger Games, but for adults. I loved this book, but it was a bit more difficult to get into. The world building left me slightly confused at some points, but if you hang in there, the payoff is so good. In the kingdom of Talin, every year the palace hosts a competition that is a fight to the death to win unimaginable riches. The story follows a princess in hiding, Calla, and an exiled aristocrat, Anton. They form an unlikely alliance to help King Kasa’s adopted son, August, who wants to heal the kingdom of its ills. However, they each have different goals. The fantasy component of this world that kept me equal parts intrigued and on my toes is that some people are “jumpers,” which means they have the ability to jump into a different body, at will. Anton is one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, so he can play the game even better. Ultimately, Calla is forced to choose if she’s playing the game for her lover or her kingdom. Immortal Longings’ sequel is coming sometime in the summer of 2024. Whew. I finished that book not knowing it was going to be a series and I was SO stressed out, in the best way possible. Buy it here.
