(Click on the Title of Each Novel for More Information)
While I did encounter a few problematic things in certain characters and their relationships, the world, the plot, and Helene made up for it. An Ember in the Ashes was the perfect first book in an epic YA Fantasy series. I am currently halfway through a Torch Against the Night and I am enjoying it; however, I still love Ember more. If you have yet to read An Ember in the Ashes, I highly recommend starting it. Ember has the perfect balance of action and romance in a beautifully created world that leaves the reader wanting more.
My favorite class last year was AP World History. I loved learning about the history of the world and my second favorite empire is the Ottoman Empire. When I discovered that And I Darken was a gender-bender retelling of the life of Vlad the Impaler, I began highly anticipating it. Throughout the years, I had heard mixed reviews on Kiersten White's other novels and series, but And I Darken was a gorgeous tale of love, trust, and self-discovery. It features an amazing cast of diverse characters based in a beautiful historical setting. You can read my review of And I Darken here.
And I Darken is a long novel with a slow pace. While I loved that element of the story because it allows the deeper development of its characters, the slow pace was a flaw others found in And I Darken. If you are not interested in a slow-burning tale, I would not recommend reading And I Darken. If you either enjoy slow novels or can look past the pace, I highly recommend trying And I Darken, especially before the release of its sequel, Now I Rise, in late June of 2017. You do not want to miss And I Darken, I can see it gracing your TV screen.
Burying Water was the novel that surprised me the most this year. While I had read several rave reviews for an array of K.A. Tucker titles, I never expected to feel so much for the characters of Burying Water. It is most certainly a novel that the reader should know little to nothing about it before starting it. The most I will say about it is that there are two points of view, one that is based in the present and the other is based in the past. Both perspectives seamlessly weave together a chillingly gorgeous tale. You can read my review of Burying Water here.
Burying Water is a New Adult novel that I highly recommend to everyone. Burying Water is a beautiful story of love, loss, and self-discovery that is slowly weaved together with tiny threads that eventually form a massive picture. The characters, the plot, everything in Burying Water is truly beautiful. It is hard to describe how amazing the novel is. Burying Water gripped my heart from page one and never let me go, not even after I turned the last page.
I was fortunate enough to review advanced copies of both Truthwitch and Windwitch. Although Truthwitch released in early January and I received an ARC five months earlier, I did not read Truthwitch until February. However, when I received my ARC of Windwitch last month, I quickly devoured it. You can read my review of Truthwitch here and my review of Windwitch here. Windwitch is expected to be released January 10th of 2017 and is currently available for preorder.
The first two novels in the Witchlands series are absolutely magnificent. Truthwitch is the first novel in a new YA Fantasy series that follows four main characters, Safi, Merik, Iseult, and Aeduan, and their paths cross throughout the course of the novel. The sequel, Windwitch, takes place a couple weeks after the concluding events of Truthwitch and I loved it even more than Truthwitch. In Windwitch, the reader meets new main and secondary characters that assist the deepening of the story and its intricate world. The novels are full of magic, friendship, and hijinks. If you love YA Fantasy and have yet to read Truthwitch, I highly recommend putting it on your wishlist.
While I did read some other fantastic books this year, those five books were my absolute favorite reads. Comment below about your favorite book that you read this year. Also let me know if you have read any of the books I listed and what you thought of them. I hope 2017 is a great reading year for each and every one of you!
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I really need to read these, especially Ember and Windwitch. I hear so many people say all the great things about them.
ReplyDeleteGreat list! Thanks for the reminder of the great books waiting on my TBR XD