Round-up 2020 – YA Fantasy Fiction books!

Having read a whole lot of books this year, I have decided to do a sum up of the different genres and list my favorite books among those read in 2020!

These posts will help me with the final round-up of favorite books read in 2020 at the end of the year (in another 15 days! :D)

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In this post, I am summarizing the list of YA Fantasy fiction books that I read and enjoyed this year! They are not listed in any particular order and I truly enjoyed all of them.

In recent times, I have enjoyed reading all the new YA fantasy fiction series that have come out. Some have really stood out and stuck with me, some were so so, but I still enjoyed them. I think that this means I enjoy this genre no matter what! 

I have provided summaries or snippets from my reviews of the books. To read the complete review, you can click on the book title.

Read on to get to know some of the books I read this year!

A ​Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) by Sabaa Tahir

A ​Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes, #4)

A Sky Beyond the Storm is the conclusion to the epic Ember Quartet, a tale that began with an introduction to characters who have become beloved to us! We have gone on long journeys with them through this series and Sabaa Tahir does a brilliant job bringing everything together in this epic conclusion.

This is a story of loss, yes a lot of it, sadness, hatred, but also understanding and forgiveness. The author weaves a magical and spell-binding tale keeping the reader enthralled until the very end. This is a fitting conclusion and culmination of the events that happen across all the books in the series!

 

 

 

Finale (Caraval #3) by Stephanie Garber

Finale (Caraval, #3)

 

The most awaited conclusion to the Caraval series, Stephanie Garber brings us a well-crafted ending! This is definitely one of the most talked about series in today’s world!

There is so much happening in this book that it will keep the reader hooked until the very end. The entire concept of the series is intriguing and it’s a pleasure to meet our favorite characters one last time!

I thoroughly enjoyed this conclusion and loved the way the author has crafted the plot of the entire series. A well-written fantasy fiction, this series will take the reader on an adventure that is amazing, with colorful characters whom we cannot help but fall in love with! This series is indeed a must-read and is well worth the time spent on it.

 

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1)

 

 

House of Earth and Blood is a well-written, fast paced story that has it’s ups and downs. The story is gripping and is a wild roller-coaster until the very end. The author ensures that the readers attention is on the book and nowhere else!

One message which is persistent throughout the book is the meaning of friendship and loyalty. The author also shows us the true power of love above all else.

This book is definitely a must read, especially for fans of Fantasy Fiction and of Sarah J. Maas.

 

 

The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh

 

The Beautiful has to be one of the most talked about books! I was quite intrigued by the book cover and premise that I had to pick it up! It is a dark and sultry romance with murder, mystery and thrills all thrown into the mix!

The story is a roller-coaster of a ride as we navigate the sub-plots and various supporting characters who add such flavor to the story!

Though there were some ups and downs with the story, it is definitely worth the read!

 

 

 

 

The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising #1) by Kiersten White

The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising, #1)

 

 

The Guinevere Deception, Book 1 in the Camelot Rising series, is a re-telling of the famous King Arthur story from Guinevere’s point of view. However, this is a story with a twist. Here, the focus is on the heroine, but the story is placed at a time when all magic has been driven out of Camelot and Merlin is no longer present. Arthur sits on the throne, but needs to wed and produce an heir to ensure that his line continues. 

I did enjoy some parts of it and I would recommend this book for those who want to try out a re-telling.

 

 

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen (Red Queen, #1)

 

 

The Red Queen is another first in a series of fantasy fiction that caught my attention. This book has garnered a lot of attention and it talked about a lot. The story follows Mare as she navigates life in the poverty-stricken Stilts. The author has created an interesting Dystopian world, divided based on the color of a person’s blood.

However, one thing about this book is that even though some aspects are predictable, the author keeps throwing some curve balls as us. This brings some intrigue into the mix and thus makes the book an enjoyable read.

 

 

 

Prism (The Color Alchemist #1) by Nina Walker

Prism (The Color Alchemist, #1)

 

 

Prism by author Nina Walker introduces the reader to an intriguing concept of magic and magical abilities and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. The story is well-written and fast paced, keeping the reader hooked until the very end.

The story will draw the reader in until the very end and is not without some well placed twists and turns. With everyone having their own agenda, what happens to the story and all the characters remains to be seen. This book is well worth the read and I am looking forward to finishing the series!

 

 

 

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil #1)

 

Author Soman Chainani brings us a very dark take on fairytales with several twists and turns. the story follows Sophie and Agatha as they are kidnapped and brought to the School for Good and Evil.

If we go by cliches, one would expect Sophie to end up at the school for Good and Agatha at the school for Evil. But fate has a different plan and the two are swapped.

The climax is interesting and leads to many questions which lay down a good base for the next book.

All in all, give this book a shot! It will take you on a rather enchanting journey!

 

 

Dragon Connection (The Stone Crown #1) by Ava Richardson

Dragon Connection (The Stone Crown, #1)

 

 

Dragon Connection is the first book in the Stone Crown series by author Ava Richardson. It is a well-written, fast paced, YA fantasy fiction novel that follows the life of Narissea as she navigates the mines as a slave and later embarks on a journey to find the Stone Crown.

With a strong desire to thwart Lady Inyene’s plans, Nari embarks on a journey that involves an injured dragon, the Lady’s brother and a mage. Add to this mix some magic and we have the perfect recipe for an enjoyable read! I truly cannot wait to pick up the next book and find out what happens!

 

 

 

I would love to know what you all think about these books, so don’t hesitate to share your thoughts on this post! In addition, I am open to book recommendations in this genre, so do stop by and comment!

Book Review: The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising #1) by Kiersten White

I would like to stress that the below review reflects my honest opinion.

 

About the Book:

The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising, #1)

From New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White comes a new fantasy series reimagining the Arthurian legend, set in the magical world of Camelot.

There was nothing in the world as magical and terrifying as a girl.

Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom’s borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution–send in Guinevere to be Arthur’s wife . . . and his protector from those who want to see the young king’s idyllic city fail. The catch? Guinevere’s real name–and her true identity–is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot.

To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old–including Arthur’s own family–demand things continue as they have been, and the new–those drawn by the dream of Camelot–fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land. Arthur’s knights believe they are strong enough to face any threat, but Guinevere knows it will take more than swords to keep Camelot free.

Deadly jousts, duplicitous knights, and forbidden romances are nothing compared to the greatest threat of all: the girl with the long black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods toward Arthur. Because when your whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself?

*THE FIRST BOOK IN THE CAMELOT RISING TRILOGY*

My Thoughts:

The Guinevere Deception, Book 1 in the Camelot Rising series, is a re-telling of the famous King Arthur story from Guinevere’s point of view. However, this is a story with a twist. Here, the focus is on the heroine, but the story is placed at a time when all magic has been driven out of Camelot and Merlin is no longer present. Arthur sits on the throne, but needs to wed and produce an heir to ensure that his line continues. In this version of the story, Guinevere is not who she claims to be, but is sent to Camelot under the guise to protect Arthur.

The story is rife with attempts on Arthur’s life and we get a glimpse into the his past and a little of the actual legend behind his sword, Excaliber. There is a lot going on, but the character of Guinevere did not grow on me. In fact she quite annoyed me sometimes with the way she thinks and whines. She is not as strong as I expected and not very charismatic. In fact she seems to cause more problems than prevent them. The bond between the principal characters is good, but could have been developed more. Even though the plot is deep, it always seems to be missing something and there are moments when the reader is just spending time wondering where the story is going.

I particularly enjoyed the jousts and the mystery surrounding Lancelot. Though the mystery was unnecessarily dragged on, it was quite interesting to read about the author’s idea of the characters and her versions of them. On the whole the re-telling was interesting, it cannot be right or wrong as it is a point of view, but it seemed to drag on and I am not sure where this will take us in the books to come. I did enjoy some parts of it and I would recommend this book for those who want to try out a re-telling.