Recommendations based on "The High Mountain Court (The Five Crowns of Okrith)"

Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” —Xaden RiorsonEveryone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

See the Grishaverse come to life on screen with the Netflix series, Shadow and Bone -- Season 2 streaming now!Discover the adventure that started it all and meet Alina, Mal, and the Darkling in Shadow and Bone from #1 bestselling author, Leigh Bardugo.Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold―a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite―and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems.A New York Times BestsellerA Los Angeles Times BestsellerAn Indie Next List BookThis title has Common Core connections.Read all the books in the Grishaverse!The Shadow and Bone Trilogy(previously published as The Grisha Trilogy)Shadow and BoneSiege and StormRuin and RisingThe Six of Crows DuologySix of CrowsCrooked KingdomThe King of Scars DuologyKing of ScarsRule of WolvesThe Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous MagicThe Severed Moon: A Year-Long Journal of MagicThe Lives of SaintsDemon in the Wood Graphic NovelPraise for the Grishaverse“A master of fantasy.” ―The Huffington Post“Utterly, extremely bewitching.” ―The Guardian

By #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, the first book in a stunning new series about a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a web of royal faerie intrigue.This Barnes & Noble exclusive edition features a special jacket and bonus story starring fan-favorites Kaye and Roiben of the bestselling Tithe series, allowing readers to witness the pivotal coronation scene from an alternate point of view.Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.To win a place at the Court, she must defy him--and face the consequences.In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in ... well, everything. Her identical twin sister Amy, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meeting with her fiance is something out of a romantic comedy (ugh) and she's managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of online contests (double ugh). Worst of all, she's forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man. Olive just has to get through twenty-four hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party - except for Olive and Ethan - gets food poisoning, there's an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs. Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him becomes a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds. But the weird thing is that she doesn't mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of ... lucky.

THE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Featuring a never-before-in-print bonus scene and full-colour endpapers ⚔️Step into the Coliseum at the Spartan War Academy where monsters are made, immortality is won, and even a god can die...⚔️ Alexis Hert isn't a hero, and she certainly isn't a god. All she's ever been is a survivor. But the Fates disagree. When a blood test leads to her admittance at the Spartan War Academy, she'll have to do more than merely survive. Alexis will have to claim her birthright: immortality. But immortality is a privilege, one earned in the crucible of the academy, where the heroes are villains and classrooms battlegrounds. While gladiators Achilles and Patro, her demanding mentors, hone her into a warrior, Augustus and Kharon, her professors and the brooding heirs to the underworld, haunt her steps and her thoughts. Because where there are gods, there are bound to be monsters, and there is more than one hunting Alexis... 'This was damn fun. Alexis was original, full of personality, and I loved being with her on this fun (unhinged) ride. You won't be able to stop yourself from binge reading this' RAVEN KENNEDY, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF GILD You might just come across these favourites: 🏛️ War academy 😈 Villainous love interests ⚔️ Gods, gladiators, and warriors, oh my! 🦝 Adorable animal companions 🐍 Animal companions with a lot of ~opinions~ 🔮 Prophecies 🌶️ Dark romance 🤷 Why choose? 💀Touch her and die 💍 Marriage law ☣️ Post-apocalyptic world The romantasy OBSESSSION of 2024: 'This was addictive as hell' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'THAT WAS SO GOOD!!! Wow. I'll be thinking about this book for awhile. Greek mythology + a spartan war academy + a STRONG FMC?! It was perfection. I love all the twists and turns and the guessing along the way. It was such a unique Hercules story and I'm OBSESSED! I need book 2 asap. ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Actually iconic' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'LOOOOOOOOOVED IT OMG I literally tried to read it as slow as possible so I would have the book, the characters, their world... EVERYTHING for a little longer... but IT WAS HARD OK bc I really wanted to binge it in one night 👀' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Literally gonna live rent free in my brain' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Perfection, favorite read this year so far' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Blood of Hercules was a No.11 New York Times bestseller on the trade fiction paperback list the week of 22 December 2024.

Her life for freedom. Her blood for love. Her soul for vengeance. Ripped from a forgotten homeland as a child, Tisaanah learned how to survive with nothing but a sharp wit and a touch of magic. But the night she tries to buy her freedom, she barely escapes with her life. Desperate to save the best friend she left behind, Tisaanah journeys to the Orders, the most powerful organizations of magic Wielders in the world. To join their ranks, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius Farlione, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder who despises the Orders. The Orders' intentions are cryptic, and Tisaanah must prove herself under the threat of looming war. But even more dangerous are her growing feelings for Maxantarius. The bloody past he wants to forget may be the key to her future... or the downfall of them both. Tisaanah will stop at nothing to save those she abandoned. Even if it means gambling in the Orders' deadly games. Even if it means sacrificing her heart. Even if it means wielding death itself. A tale of dark magic, passionate romance, vengeance and redemption, for fans of Carissa Broadbent's Crowns of Nyaxia series. Continue the series with Children of Fallen Gods, the captivating second book in the War of Lost Hearts trilogy.

Enter the brutal world of Endlock, a prison where the wealthy hunt the inmates for sport. The first novel in an electrifying dystopian romance series, this high-octane debut about forbidden love, found family, and a fight for survival will leave you breathless. In the city of Dividium, the law is simple: commit a crime, and your punishment is a life sentence in Endlock. Raven Thorne is Dividium’s most notorious bounty hunter, living on the edge of society. But when her younger brother, Jed, is sentenced to Endlock, Raven will do anything to save him—even if it means getting herself arrested. Now trapped in a prison where danger lurks around every corner, Raven must use all her cunning and strength to protect Jed—and herself if she is to complete her perilous mission. But there’s one obstacle she never expected: the prison guard who stirs something deep inside her. The man she should hate. The man whose true motives seem impossible to pin down. In a world where trust is a weapon and love is a liability, Raven must decide if she will risk everything to tear down a vicious system.

Welcome, welcome to CARAVAL, Stephanie Garber’s enchanting, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling fantasy debut about two sisters swept up in a mysterious competition filled with magic, heartbreak, and dangerScarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful and cruel father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.But this year, Scarlett's long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to attend. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season's Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, and her sister disappears forever.Continue the adventure in Legendary and Finale—out now!

THE FANTASY BOOKTOK SENSATION! For fans of Uprooted and For the Wolf comes a dark, lushly gothic fantasy about a maiden who must unleash the monster within to save her kingdom--but the monster in her head isn't the only threat lurking. Elspeth needs a monster. The monster might be her. Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom she calls home--she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets. But nothing comes for free, especially magic. When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it. Except the highwayman just so happens to be the King's own nephew, Captain of the Destriers...and guilty of high treason. He and Elspeth have until Solstice to gather twelve Providence Cards--the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly, darkly, taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.