Recommendations based on "Shapers of Worlds Volume II Science fiction & fantasy by authors featured on the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers"

International No.1 bestselling author Trudi Canavan returns with the second novel in the Millennium's Rule series -- her most powerful and thrilling adventure yet. Tyen is teaching mechanical magic at a school respected throughout the worlds. News arrives that the formidable ruler of all worlds, long believed to be dead, is back and enforcing his old laws -- including the one forbidding schools of magic. As teachers and students flee, Tyen is left with no home and no purpose. . .except the promise he made to Vella, the sorcerer imprisoned in a book. Tyen must decide what he is willing to do to free her. After five years among the tapestry weavers of Schpeta, Rielle's peaceful new life has been shattered by a local war. As defeat looms, the powerful Angel of Storms appears and invites Rielle to join the artisans of his celestial realm. But what will he require in return for this extraordinary offer? Escape to a new world. Discover the magic of Trudi Canavan.

The highly anticipated sequel to Heart of Iron, Soul of Stars is a thrilling sci-fi adventure packed with romance, shocking twists, and witty banter, perfect for fans of Six of Crows and Cinder. Once Ana was an orphaned space outlaw. Then she was the Empress of the Iron Kingdom. Now, thought dead by most of the galaxy after she escaped from the dark AI program called the HIVE, Ana is desperate for a way to save Di from the HIVE’s evil clutches and take back her kingdom. Ana’s only option is to find Starbright, the one person who hacked into the HIVE and lived to tell the tale. But when Ana’s desperation costs the crew of the Dossier a terrible price, Ana and her friends are sent spiraling through the most perilous reaches of the Iron Kingdom to stop the true arbiter of evil in her world: an ancient world-ending deity called the Great Dark. Their journey will take their sharp-witted pilot, Jax, to the home he never wanted to return to and the dangerous fate he left behind. And when Robb finds out who Jax really is, he must contend with his own feelings for the boy he barely knows, and question whether he truly belongs with this group of outcasts. When facing the worst odds, can Ana and her crew of misfits find a way to stop the Great Dark once and for all?

"Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery, Icefall has palace intrigue, plot twists, and fantasy worthy of a Game of Thrones plot, but with content appropriate for an advanced pre-teen reader." - Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor Trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen sea, Solveig, along with her brother the crown prince, their older sister, and an army of restless warriors, anxiously awaits news of her father's victory at battle. But as winter stretches on, and the unending ice refuses to break, terrible acts of treachery soon make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst. A malevolent air begins to seep through the fortress walls, as a smothering claustrophobia slowly turns these prisoners of winter against one another.Those charged with protecting the king's children are all suspect, and the siblings must choose their allies wisely. But who can be trusted so far from their father's watchful eye? Can Solveig survive the long winter months and expose the traitor before he manages to destroy a kingdom?"A well-crafted story rich with emotion and intrigue. A thoroughly engaging read!" -- Brandon Mull, bestselling author of the Fablehaven and Beyonders series

From #1 bestselling author Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson comes the second of three Skyward series novellas, each told from the perspective of a different member of the team back on Detritus. Read Alanik's story between Starsight and Cytonic. “Don’t trust their lies. Don’t trust their false peace.” That is the warning that Alanik of the planet ReDawn gave the human pilot Spensa after Alanik’s ship crash-landed on Detritus. While accepting an invitation to meet with her people’s enemy, the Galactic Superiority, Alanik heard Spensa’s cry for help across the vastness of space, and she used her cytonic powers to hyperjump her ship to the source of that cry. What she found there was a shock—a whole planet of free humans fighting against the Superiority. Were they the allies her people desperately needed?   When she recovered from her injuries and met the friendly humans Jorgen and FM of Skyward Flight, she found that her warning to Spensa had gone unheeded by the government of Detritus, and they were considering a peace overture from the Superiority. Now having returned to ReDawn, Alanik is dismayed to learn that her own people are falling into the exact same trap.   The faction in ReDawn’s government that wants to appease the Superiority has gained the upper hand. With Alanik’s mentor, Renakin captured, she has no one to turn to but Jorgen, FM, and their friend Rig. An ancient technology may have the power to save both of their planets from disaster, but can they discover its secrets before it’s too late?   Praise for Skyward An Instant New York Times Bestseller A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year    • "Startling revelations and stakes-raising implications . . . Sanderson plainly had a ball with this nonstop, highflying opener, and readers will too." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review    • "With this action-packed trilogy opener, Sanderson offers up a resourceful, fearless heroine and a memorable cast." —Publishers Weekly, starred review    • "It is impossible to turn the pages fast enough." —Booklist

The first novel of Pierce Brown’s iconic, New York Times bestselling Red Rising Saga, now in a stunning deluxe hardcover edition, featuring:• Illustrated slipcase with foil• Designed sprayed edges• New cover and full wrap-around book case art• Fold-out poster• Full-color illustrated endpapers with a new mapDarrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he toils willingly, trusting that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago.Driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies . . . even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.“Meteoric.”—Entertainment Weekly“Top-notch.”—USA Today“[Pierce] Brown’s plots are like a depth charge of nitromethane dropped in a bucket of gasoline.”—NPRDon’t miss any of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga:RED RISING • GOLDEN SON • MORNING STAR • IRON GOLD • DARK AGE • LIGHT BRINGER

From Alex Aster, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Lightlark series, comes her first adult romantasy. Enter the world of Starside, where swords wield magic and power is not inherited...but claimed. Hundreds of years ago, a brutal war split a land in two. Starside is the realm of magic and immortals--the descendants of the gods, living in a power-rich paradise. Stormside is where mortals fight for scraps of that magic. Every fifty years, the gates between them open, and fifty challengers are allowed to journey across Starside on a deadly quest to access a pool of magic that can heal, grant wealth, or extend life. Everyone has their reasons for entering, but Aris has only one: vengeance. As a child, a goddess set fire to her village, killing her family. Aris isn't after the gods' magic--she's going to kill them. First, she must survive the Culling, the king's deadly competition to choose his fifty challengers. An orphaned blacksmith's apprentice, Aris doesn't have the superior weapons of the heirs from the Great Houses. But the greatest swords--ones that contain power--are not inherited or bought, they are claimed, by both sides. And when Aris claims a great sword, it makes her not just a real competitor--but a target. Getting past the gates is only the beginning. Starside is deadlier than it seems. If the ancient creatures, magic-wielding beasts, and bloodthirsty immortals weren't dangerous enough, a new peril has even immortals fearing what rises from the ground at night. With a blade most would kill to claim, Aris can't trust anyone. Especially not Harlan Raker, the merciless and mysterious king's guard who betrayed her years ago--and who may now be the key to her survival. But Aris is hiding a secret tied to her family's death. And when it's revealed, not even the gods will be able to stop what's coming...

The second book in the acclaimed Torch Trilogy, set in a future dystopia with star-crossed lovers, impossible friendships, and forbidden power. Welcome to a world where songlight is either your greatest power--or your greatest curse. Lark has fled Northaven with her mother and is urgently seeking a safe haven. Nightingale is being held captive and forced to use her songlight against her own people. Piper has been promoted up the ranks, where nothing but bloodshed is demanded of him. Rye has stumbled across an incredible airship, the likes of which has never been seen before. . . . All four are united by their desire for peace. But peace between feels more fragile than ever. In this sequel to the brilliant and acclaimed Songlight, Lark and Nightingale see the glimmers of hope for a world in which they can live freely--but at what cost? Torchfire is perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, and Adrienne Young.

The Stunning Conclusion of In Fire Forged, A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2003The island nation of Sileria lies in the shadow of Darshon, the Destroyer Goddess, the great volcano that dominates the landscape and people of Sileria. When she awakens, their world trembles. She has lain quiet for decades, throughout the occupation of foreign invaders. But Darshon has begun to stir.Sileria has finally been freed from foreign rule, only to fall under the power of the ruthless waterlords, powerful mages who terrorize those who depend on their mercy for the water that all life must have. Now their mercy is denied.Tansen, the rebel warrior, joins forces with Mirabar, a Guardian who is feared and admired for her fire magic, and Zarien, a mysterious sea-born boy, in a stand against the waterlords rule.As the power struggle among Sileria's warring factions intensifies to a fevered pitch, the tremors of Darshon increase, threatening to engulf them all in molten death. There will be a final reckoning that will change Sileria forever. But no one may triumph unless the Destroyer Goddess wills it . . .

In this highly anticipated conclusion to New York Times best-selling author Amy Tintera's All These Monsters duology, Clara and Team Seven's quest to expose the truth behind the scrab menace has them facing their biggest threat yet: their own demons. Perfect for fans of Warcross and Renegades. When the world was crumbling, seventeen-year-old Clara fought back. She escaped her abusive home and joined Team Seven, a monster fighting squad of runaways and misfits formed to combat the scrabs terrorizing the planet. And after nearly dying in Paris, Clara and Team Seven discovered the sinister truth behind the scrab invasion. Scrabs aren't just mindless monsters set on destruction. They're being trained and weaponized by MDG, a private security firm hired by the government. Now Clara and the rest of Team Seven have made it their mission to expose MDG. But no one said fighting for the truth would be easy. And as Clara and Team Seven find themselves at the center of a global conspiracy, they must face their biggest threat yet: their own demons.

"An exquisite conclusion to the thrilling Unblemished trilogy." —RT Book Reviews Sara Ella masterfully takes readers to new worlds in the jaw-dropping finale to the Unblemished trilogy. With the fate of the Reflections at stake, Eliyana must destroy the Void . . . but at what cost? Eliyana Ember is a reluctant queen. As vessel of the Verity—the purest of souls—only she can lead the fight against the wicked magnetism of the Void. If she fails, the paths between Reflections will cease to exist, and those she loves will remain plagued by darkness. After falling through a draining Threshold and suffering near-death, Eliyana awakens to a Shadowalker-ridden Venice, Italy. From there, she must learn to navigate mysteries of time and space. Traveling across the seven Reflections, Eliyana seeks one thing: the demise of the Void. But something else is at stake—the fate of her heart. Kyaphus Rhyen and Joshua David, brothers in arms, duel to win her hand. Ky remains ensnared and tortured by the Void. Joshua, though well-meaning, harbors dark secrets. Meanwhile, Eliyana finds herself torn, her mind and memories leading her in one direction, but her heart pulling her toward a man she knows she shouldn’t trust. How can she discern whom to believe when she cannot even depend on her own fragmented memories? Traversing the realms of fantasy and reality through a labyrinth of plot twists, Unbreakable delivers a thrilling conclusion to Sara Ella’s Unblemished Trilogy.