You are reading: Stand alone fantasy books
You know that feeling when you finish a fantasy novel and then it ends on a cliffhanger? And then you go to goodreads and only find out that the next book won’t be out for a year or even two? and then spend the rest of eternity thinking of all the ways the author could start the next book? yes, we know that feeling.
As much as we love to dive into the series and have something to (painfully) look forward to, we also appreciate a good standalone version! it’s refreshing to be able to experience everything we love about fantasy—rich, vivid worlds, magic, mythology, kingdoms, and more—in one book.
So if you’re feeling a bit wary about committing to a full series at the moment, here are some fantastic standalone fantasy books for you to read!
35 independent fantasy books
for commitment phobia
1. claire legrand ecstasy
From New York Times bestselling author Claire Legrand comes a new, bone-chilling YA horror novel about a girl who joins a coven to root out a vicious evil that’s stalking her village.
your name is not important.
all you need to know is that today he will become one of the four saints of haven. the elders will mark her and place the red hood on her head. With her sisters, she will face the evil power that lives under the black mountain, an evil that has already killed nine of her village’s men.
She won’t tell any of the white-eyed beasts that follow her. or the faceless gray women tall as houses. or the girls he saw kissing in the elm forest.
Today she will be an asylum saint. she will at last free her family from her mother’s shame and save her people from her destruction. She is not scared. is that you?
This scathingly lyrically written novel by the critically acclaimed author of Sawkill Girls invites readers to follow her fierce heroine into a world filled with secrets and blood, where truth is buried in lies and devastating power awaits. , boiling, someone. brave enough to use it.
- buy ecstasy now!
2. a thousand steps into the night by traci chee
From New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist Traci Chee comes a Japanese-influenced fantasy brimming with demons, adventure, and plans gone awry.
In the kingdom of Awara, where gods, monsters, and humans coexist, Miuko is an ordinary girl resigned to a safe, yet uneventful, existence as an innkeeper’s daughter.
but when miuko is cursed and begins to transform into a demon with a death touch, she embarks on a quest to reverse the curse and return to her normal life. Aided by a thieving magpie spirit and continually thwarted by a demon prince, Miuko must outsmart tricksters, escape demon hunters, and negotiate with the wild gods if she is to return home.
With his transformation comes power and freedom he never even dreamed of, and he’ll have to decide if it’s worth trying to save his soul to get back into an ordinary life that no longer suits him…and maybe never. he did.
- Buy a thousand steps into the night now!
3. gallant by v.e. brat
Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.
olivia prior has grown up in merilance school for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s diary, which seems to spiral into madness. Then a letter invites Olivia to come home with Galant. However, when Olivia arrives, no one is waiting for her. But Olivia is not ready to leave the first place she feels like home; It doesn’t matter if Ella’s cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed demons prowling the halls.
olivia knows that gallant hides secrets and is determined to discover them. When she walks through a crumbling wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is dashing but not. the mansion is falling apart, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now, Olivia sees what has torn generations of her family apart and where her father may have come from.
olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as prioress, protecting our world against the master of the house? Or will she take her place at her side?
- buy gallant now!
4. the book of living secrets of madeleine roux
Perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood, this genre-bending page-turner from New York Times bestselling author Madeleine Roux follows two girls who transport themselves into the world of their favorite book only to encounter the sinister alternate reality that awaits them.
No matter how different best friends Adelle and Connie are, one thing they’ve always had in common is their love for a little-known gothic romance novel called Moira. so when the girls are tempted by a mysterious man to enter the world of the book, they hardly suspect it will work. But suddenly they find themselves in Moira’s world, living among characters they’ve been obsessed with for years.
except… not everything is as they remembered it. the world has been turned upside down: lavish balls and ill-fated love affairs are now intertwined with unspeakable horrors. the girls realize something dark lurks behind their foray into fiction, and they’ll have to rewrite their own arcs if they hope to escape this nightmare with their lives.
- buy the book of living secrets now!
5. the girl who fell under the sea by axie oh
- buy the girl who fell under the sea now!
6. the color of dragons from r.a. Salvatore & erika lewis
Powerhouse adult fantasy author R. A. Salvatore and Erika Lewis deliver a sweeping, action-packed, romantic pre-Arthurian tale of the origins of magic (and Merlin), perfect for fans of Falling Kingdoms and Seraphina.
magic needs a spark.
and maggie’s powers are especially fickle. With no one to help her learn to control her magic, her debt of life to her rests forever on her head, with no way to repay it.
Until he meets griffin, the king’s champion, infamous for hunting down the draignochs that plague his kingdom.
Neither has any idea of the fate they both lead, or that their meeting will set off a chain of events that will alter every aspect of life they know, and all of history thereafter.
This epic, romantic tale will enchant readers and draw them into an exciting world of star-crossed lovers, magic, fate, and the paths we choose.
- buy dragon color now!
7. jade fire gold june cl tan
in an empire on the brink of war. . .
ahn is nobody, without a past or family.
altan is a lost heir, his future taken from him as a child.
When they meet, Altan sees in Ahn a path to reclaim the throne. Ahn sees a way to finally unlock her past and understand her deadly magical abilities.
But they may have to pay a much deadlier price than they could have imagined.
- buy jadefire gold now!
8. dreams lie beneath rebecca ross
The realm of Azenor has spent years plagued by a curse. Every new moon, magic flows from the nearby mountain and brings nightmares to life. Only magicians—who serve as territory wardens—stand between people and their worst dreams.
Clementine Madigan is ready to take over as guardian of her small town, but when two wizards arrive to challenge her, she unknowingly finds herself embroiled in a centuries-old conflict. She seeks revenge, but as she grows closer to Phelan, one of the handsome young wizards, secrets, as well as romance, begin to emerge.
In order to fight against the curse of the kingdom, which seems to haunt her every moment, Clementine must join her rival. But will her efforts be enough to save Azenor from the nightmares that lurk around every corner?
- buy the dreams that lie beneath now!
9. year of the reaper by makiia lucer
The past never forgets…
Before an ambush by enemy soldiers, Lord Cassia was an apprentice engineer on a mission from the king. But when the plague sweeps across the land, leaving countless dead and ravaging the kingdom, not even the title of cas can save him from a rotting prison cell and vicious disease.
Three years later, Cas just wants to return home to the mountains and forget the horrors of the past. but home is not what she remembers. Her castle has become a refuge for the royal court. and have brought with them the enemies of him.
When an assassin targets those closest to the queen, Cas is thrown into the hunt for an assassin…one that leads him to form an unexpected bond with a brilliant young historian named Lena. Cas and Lena soon realize that who is behind the attacks is much less important than why. they must look into the past, on the trail of a terrible secret, one that could threaten the kingdom’s newfound peace and plunge it back into war.
- buy the year of the reaper now!
10. star daughter by shveta thakrar
This gorgeously imagined YA debut blends shades of Neil Gaiman’s Stardust and a breathtaking landscape of Hindu mythology into a radiant contemporary fantasy.
The daughter of a star and a mortal, Sheetal is used to keeping secrets. pretending to be “normal”. But when an accidental flash of Ella’s starfire lands Ella’s human father in the hospital, Ella Sheetal needs the help of a full star to heal him. a star like her mother, who returned to heaven a long time ago.
See Also: The 30 Best Self-Published Books of All Time (in 2022)
Sheehal’s quest to save her father will take her to a heavenly court of bright wonders and dark shadows, where she must take the stage as her family’s champion in a competition to decide the next ruling house of the skies, and win, or risk never coming back to earth.
- buy star daughter now!
11. squire of nadia shammas and sara alfageeh
From two incredible rising talents comes the fantasy graphic novel Molly Knox Ostertag calls “instantly compelling.”
aiza has always dreamed of becoming a knight. It is the highest military honor in the once great Bayt-Sajji empire, and as a member of the subjugated Ornu people, knighthood is his only path to full citizenship. Ravaged by famine and rising tensions, Bayt-Sajji finds himself on the brink of war once again, so Aiza can finally enlist in the competitive squire training program.
However, it’s not how she imagined it. Aiza must navigate new friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the uncompromising Hende general, all while she hides her ornu’s past from her. As the pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the “greater good” of Bayt-Sajji’s military promises might not include her, and that the recruits might be in greater danger than she ever imagined. p>
In this stunning and timely story, Aiza will have to choose, once and for all: loyalty to her heart and heritage, or loyalty to the empire.
- buy squire now!
12. from the dust, a flame by rebecca podos
hannah has spent her entire life on the move. Her mother has kept her and her brother, Gabe, on the road for as long as she can remember, leaving a trail of rentals and faded relationships behind them. without roots, without family, but with each other, and without explanations.
All that changes on hannah’s seventeenth birthday when she wakes up transformed, a pair of golden eyes with knife-cut pupils blinking from the mirror, the first of many impossible mutations. Vowing that she knows someone who can help her, her mother leaves Hannah and Gabe behind to find a cure. But as the days turn into weeks and her mother doesn’t return, they realize it’s up to them to find the truth.
What they discover is a family they’ve never known and a story more tragic and fantastic than Hannah could have dreamed of, one that goes back to her grandmother’s childhood in Prague under Nazi occupation, and beyond, to the Kingdom of Israel. of Jewish mysticism and legend. As the past collides with the present, Hannah must race to unearth her family’s secrets to break the curse and save the people she loves most, as well as herself.
- buy from the powder, a flame now!
13. sisters of sword and song by rebecca ross
After eight years, Evadne will finally be reunited with her older sister, Halcyon, who has been serving in the queen’s army. But when Halcyon unexpectedly appears a day early, Eva knows something is wrong. Halcyon has charged with a heinous crime, and though her life is spared, she is sentenced to 15 years.
Suspicious of the charges brought by Halcyon’s army commander, as well as the details of the crime, Eva volunteers to take part in her sister’s sentence. If there is a way to absolve Halcyon, she will find it.
But as the sisters begin their prayers, they quickly learn that there are fates worse than death.
- buy sisters of sword and song now!
14. an underwater song by bethany c. tomorrow
In a society determined to keep her under lock and key, Tavia must hide her siren powers.
Meanwhile, Effie grapples with her own family struggles, literally facing demons from her past. Together, these best friends must navigate through the perils of junior year.
But everything changes after a mermaid murder trial rocks the nation, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice at the worst possible time.
soon, nothing in portland, oregon seems safe. To save himself from drowning, only the unbreakable sisterhood of Tavia and Effie proves to be the most powerful magic of all.
- buy a song underwater now!
15. between the beasts and the brambles by ashley poston
Cerys is safe in the Kingdom of Aloriya. Here there are no droughts, disease, or famine, and peace is everlasting. It has been this way for hundreds of years, since the first king made a bargain with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed, and forbidden.
cerys knows this very well: when he was young, he barely escaped when the forest killed his friends and his mother. Now Cerys carries a bit of the curse, the magic, in his blood, a reminder of the day he lost everything.
As a new queen is crowned, however, things long hidden in the forest descend on the kingdom itself. Cerys is forced to flee, her only companions being an irritating little fox from the royal garden and the magic that runs through her veins. It’s up to her to find the legendary lady of the wild and pray for a way to save her home.
But the path is darker and more dangerous than she thinks, and as secrets from the past are unraveled between the teeth and roots of the forest, she will need everything she has to survive.
- shop among the beasts and the briars now!
16. empire of dreams by rae carson
Red Sparkle Stone is a foundling orphan with an odd name, a veiled past, and a mark of magic in her hair. But finally—after years and years of running, of fighting—she is about to be adopted into the royal family by Empress Elisa herself. She’ll have a home, a family. Sixteen-year-old Red can hardly believe her luck. Then, in a stunning political masterstroke, the empress’s greatest rival blocks the adoption, and everything Red has worked for crumbles before her eyes.
But Red is not about to let herself or the empress become a target again. Determined to prove her worth and protect her chosen family from her, she joins the royal guard, the world’s most elite fighting force. however, it is no coincidence that someone wanted her to fail as a princess. someone whose dark agenda puts everything, and everyone, she loves at risk. as she approaches danger, red must save the empire. if she can survive the draft year, something no woman has ever done before.
- buy empire of dreams now!
17. when the moon was ours by anna-marie mclemore
To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town.
But as strange as everyone considers Honey and Sam, even they steer clear of the Bonner Girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. now they want the roses that sprout from the skin of honey, convinced that their aroma can make anyone fall in love.
And they’re willing to use all the secrets honey has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up.
- shop when the moon was ours now!
18. little red riding hood by elana k. arnold
You are alone in the woods, seen only by the unblinking yellow moon. Your hands are empty. You are nearly naked. And the wolf is angry.
since his grandmother became his caretaker when he was four years old, bisou martel has lived a quiet life in a small house in seattle. she has mostly kept to herself. she has been good.
But then comes the night on the way home, when she finds herself running for her life over roots and through trees, a fury of claws and teeth behind her.
a wolf attacks. bisou fights back. a new moon rises and with it, questions.
about the blood in bisou’s past and on his hands when he stumbles home.
about broken boys and big bad wolves.
about girls lost in the woods, scared, but not alone.
- buy red hood now!
19. Seven Deadly Shadows of Valynne E. maetani & courtney alameda
Seventeen-year-old Kira Fujikawa has never had it easy. She’s bullied by the popular girls in school. Her parents ignore her. And she’s also plagued with a secret: She can see yokai, the ghosts and demons that haunt the streets of Kyoto.
But things go from bad to worse when he learns that shuten-doji, the demon king, will rise on the next blood moon to hunt down an ancient relic and bring the world to a catastrophic end.
>Quira isn’t exactly adept at fighting anything, let alone the dead, and enlists the aid of seven powerful death gods to help her slay shuten-doji. they include shiro, a boy-band-looking kitsune who is more flirtatious than helpful, and o-bei, a royal court demon with his own reasons for getting involved.
as the showdown with shuten-doji draws near, the fate of japan hangs in the balance. Will Kira be able to save humanity? Or will the demon king manage to bring eternal darkness over the world?
- buy seven deadly shadows now!
20. the darkest part of the forest by holly black
In the woods is a glass coffin. It rests on the ground, and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives….
hazel and her brother, ben, live in fairfold, where humans and people coexist. Ever since they were children, Hazel and Ben have told each other stories about the boy in the glass coffin, that he is a prince, and that they are brave knights, pretending that their prince would be different from the other fairies, the ones who would do cruel things. , he lurked in the shadows of the trees and condemned the tourists. But as Hazel gets older, he lets go of those stories. Hazel knows that the horned boy will never wake up.
until one day he does…
While the world is turned upside down, Hazel has to become the knight she once pretended to be.
- buy the darkest part of the forest now!
21. sorcerer of m. k. England
In Kyrkarta, magic—known as maz—was once a freely available natural resource. Then an earthquake released a magical plague, killing thousands and opening the door for a greedy corporation to make maz a commodity that’s tightly controlled—and, of course, outrageously expensive.
That’s why Diz and her three best friends have a lucrative, illegal side job of Maz Siphoning. her next job is supposed to be her last heist.
But when their plan reveals a powerful new variety of corn that (literally) blows up in their faces, they’re forced to unravel a conspiracy at the very center of the spell plague and possibly save the world.
> >
- buy spellhacker now!
22. soulswift by megan bannen
Gelya is a Vessel, a girl who channels the word of the One True God through song. Cloistered with the other Vessels of her faith, she believes—as all Ovinists do—that a saint imprisoned Elath the Great Demon centuries ago, saving humanity from earthly temptation.
When gelya stumbles upon a deadly cover-up by the ovinist army, she reluctantly teams up with tavik, an enemy soldier, to survive. Tavik believes that Elath is actually a mother goddess who must be freed, but while he manages to open her prison, she inadvertently turns Gelya into Elath’s unwitting human vessel.
now the church that raised gelya considers her a threat. In a race against time, she and Tavik must find a way to exorcise Elath’s presence from her body. But will this launch stop the countdown to the end of the world, or will it cause the destruction of the earth?
See Also: Mike Adams – Audio Books, Best Sellers, Author Bio | Audible.com
and as tavik and gelya grow closer, another question arises between them: what will become of gelya?
- buy soulswift now!
23. descendant of the crane by joan he
Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own. Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father’s killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer―a treasonous act, punishable by death… because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago.
Using the information illicitly provided by the trial, and not knowing if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira, a brilliant investigator who is also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of his kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?
- buy offspring of the crane now!
24. those touched by andrew eliopulos
Living in a small town where magic is frowned upon, Sam needs his friends James and Delia—and their time together in their school’s magic club—to see him through to graduation.
But as soon as the senior year begins, small cracks start to appear in your pool. Sam may or may not be in love with James. Delia becomes increasingly frustrated with her amateur magic club. And James reveals that he got mixed up with some sketchy wizards over the summer, putting a target on everyone’s back.
With so many fault lines threatening to derail his hopes for the year, Sam is forced to face the fact that the same love of magic that brought his group together is now driving them apart, and there are some issues that neither amount of magic can fix.
- buy headpieces now!
25. erin morgenstern’s night circus
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition rages: a duel between two young wizards, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to both of you, this is a game where only one can remain standing.
Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon fall head over heels in love, sparking a domino effect with dangerous consequences and leaving the lives of everyone from performers to patrons hanging in the balance.
- buy the night circus now!
26. mage angel by garth nix
More than a century has passed since Liliath crept into the empty sarcophagus of Saint Marguerite, fleeing the Fall of Ystara. But she emerges from her magical sleep still beautiful, looking no more than nineteen, and once again renews her single-minded quest to be united with her lover, Palleniel, the archangel of Ystara.
It’s a seemingly impossible quest, but Liliath is one of the greatest practitioners of angelic magic that ever lived, summoning angels and forcing them to do her bidding. Four young men hold her interest: Simeon, a scholarly doctoral student; henri, a dedicated fortune hunter; agnez, a musketeer in search of glory; and Dorotea, iconography and scholar of angelic magic.
The four feel a strange kinship from the moment they meet but do not suspect its importance. And none of them know how Liliath plans to use them, as mere pawns in her plan, no matter the cost to everyone else. . .
- buy magician angel now!
27. the houses of bones by emily lloyd-jones
Seventeen-year-old Aderyn (“Ryn”) only cares about two things: her family and her family’s graveyard. And right now, both are in dire straits. Since the death of their parents, Ryn and her siblings have been scraping together a meager existence as gravediggers in the remote village of Colbren, which sits at the foot of a harsh and deadly mountain range that was once home to the fae. The problem with being a gravedigger in Colbren, though, is that the dead don’t always stay dead.
The resurrected corpses are known as “houses of bones” and legend has it that they are the result of a decades-old curse. When Ellis, a cartographer’s apprentice with a mysterious past, arrives in town, the Bone Houses attack with new ferocity. what is it that brings them closer? and, more importantly, how can they be stopped forever?
Together, Ellis and Ryn embark on a journey deep into the heart of the mountains, where they will have to confront both the curse and deeply buried truths about themselves.
- buy the bone houses now!
28. house of salt and pains of erin a. craig
Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor with her sisters and their father and stepmother. Once there were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last-the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge-and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.
Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh grows suspicious that her sister’s death was no accident. The girls have been sneaking out every night to shimmery balls, dancing until dawn in silk dresses and shimmery slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure if she’s trying to stop them or join her forbidden date. because who or what are they really dancing with?
When annaleigh’s relationship with a mysterious stranger with secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen on her family, before it claims her. The House of Salt and Sorrows is a captivating novel filled with magic and the rustle of chiffon skirts down long, dark corridors. prepare to be carried away.
- buy house of salt and pains now!
29. ash by malinda lo
In the wake of her father’s death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.
The day Ash meets Kaisa, the King’s Huntress, his heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Although her friendship is as delicate as a new flower, it reawakens Ash’s capacity for love and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must choose between fairytale dreams and true love.
- buy ashes now!
30. the library of destinations by aditi khorana
No one is entirely certain what brings the Emperor Sikander to Shalingar. Until now, the idyllic kingdom has been immune to his many violent conquests. To keep the visit friendly, Princess Amrita has offered herself as his bride, sacrificing everything—family, her childhood love, and her freedom—to save her people. But her offer isn’t enough.
The palace is soon under siege, and Amrita finds herself a fugitive, all alone except for an oracle named Thala, who was held by Sikander as a slave and managed to escape amidst the chaos. With nothing and no one else to turn to, Amrita and Thala are forced to trust each other. But while Amrita feels responsible for her kingdom and sets out to warn the people of her, the newly freed Thala has no such ties. She encourages Amrita to go on a quest to find the fabled library of all things, where each of them may reverse her fate. come back before sikander took everything from them.
Stripped of everything she loves, caught between her rosy past and an unknown future, can Amrita restore what was lost, or does another life and love await her?
- buy the library of destinations now!
31. don’t call the wolf by aleksandra ross
A fierce young queen, neither human nor lynx, who fights to protect a forest humans have long abandoned.
an exhausted young soldier, last of his name, searching for the brother who disappeared under those trees without a trace.
a golden dragon, fearsome and vengeful, whose wings haunt his nightmares and his steps.
When these three paths cross on the brink of a war between monster and man, the shapeshifting queen and the reluctant hero strike a deal that may finally turn the tide against the growing hordes of darkness. Ren will help Lukasz find his brother…if Lukasz promises to kill the dragon.
but promises are broken too easily.
- buy don’t call the wolf now!
32. the year of grace by kim liggett
No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden.
in garner county, girls are told they have the power to drive grown men out of their beds and drive women mad with jealousy. they believe that their own skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the brink of femininity. that is why they are banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not everyone will make it home alive.
Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life, a society that doesn’t pit friends against friends or women against women, but as her own grace year approaches, she quickly realizes they’re not only the brutal elements need fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men waiting for a chance to grab one of the girls to make a fortune on the black market. their greatest threat may very well be each other.
- buy the grace year now!
33. the sound of the stars by alechia dow
Two years ago, a misunderstanding between the leaders of Earth and the invading Ilori resulted in the deaths of one-third of the world’s population.
today, seventeen-year-old ellie baker survives in a facility controlled by ilori in new york city. with humans considered dangerously volatile due to their initial reaction to the invasion, emotional expression can be grounds for execution. music, art, and books are illegal, but ellie still has a secret library.
When the young commander of ilori m0rr1s finds ellie’s library, it’s his duty to deliver her up for execution. The problem is that he is drawn to human music and desperately needs more.
Humanity’s fate rests in the hands of an alien Ellie should fear, but m0rr1s has a possible solution: thousands of miles away. The two embark on a wild and dangerous journey with a bag of books and their favorite albums, while creating a story and a song of their own that could save them both.
- buy the sound of the stars now!
34. burn by patrick ness
Sarah Dewhurst and her father, outcasts in their little town of Frome, Washington, are forced to hire a dragon to work their farm, something only the poorest of the poor ever have to resort to.
However, the dragon, Kazimir, has more than meets the eye. Sarah can’t help but be curious about him, an animal that supposedly has no soul but is apparently intent on keeping her safe.
because the dragon knows something she doesn’t. she has arrived at the farm with a prophecy in mind. a prophecy involving a deadly assassin, a cult of dragon worshipers, two fbi agents on the hunt, and somehow sarah dewhurst.
- buy burn now!
35. crown of oblivion by julie eshbaugh
In Lanoria, Outsiders, who don’t have magic, are inferior to Enchanteds, who do. That’s just a fact for Astrid, an Outsider who is indentured to pay off her family’s debts. She serves as the surrogate for the princess—if Renya steps out of line, Astrid is the one who bears the punishment for it.
but there is a way out: the life and death race of oblivion. first, the runners are given a dose of the forgetfulness drug, which erases their memories. then, when they wake up in the middle of nowhere, only cryptic clues, and a sheer will to live, will lead them through treacherous terrain filled with opponents who wouldn’t think twice about killing each other to get ahead. /p>
But what amazes her most is what she never expected to find in this race. a familiar face he can’t identify. secret powers she shouldn’t have. and a confused memory of the past that, if real, could mean the ruin of the entire social structure that has kept her a slave all her life.
competing could mean death… but it could also mean freedom.
- buy the crown of oblivion now!
what are your favorite independent fantasy books? tell us in the comments!
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