Top Ten Books You Need to Read Right This Second to Help Your Queen of Shadows Book Hangover

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Having withdrawal from the lack of Aelin in your life? I think a lot of us are experiencing a rather huge bookish hangover after Queen of Shadows, so that got me thinking about all the books that I wanted to read because of similarities, assassins, fantasy worlds and brilliant writing. So without further ado, my top ten books you should really get onto to help get you through the next year of waiting.

If You Loved... 

The Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J Maas

You Need to Read... 

The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce
This is the series that first got me into fantasy books way back when I was but a little wide eyed eleven year old who was attempting to read all the books in the school library, and I can pinpoint this series as being the one that set my love of fantasy off. Kickass heroine who won't let her being a girl stop what she wants to do with her life, a brilliantly real and detailed fantasy world, plus a whole heap of magic.


His Fair Assassin Trilogy by Robin La Fevers
Heroines with a healthy dose of murder? No problem. These three ladies each have a book of their own in the trilogy and all three of them are deadly. If your favourite aspects of Throne of Glass are the murderous sassy ladies, with a hint of utterly gorgeous romance then these books need to go to the top of your to read pile asap.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Seraphina may be more comfortable playing with an instrument rather than a weapon, but if you're after a detailed an fascinating fantasy world then this is one of the best. There isn't any magic, but there are dragons. Seriously, actual dragons. I think that kinda balances it out. Plus the writing is gorgeous.

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin
The fantasy world with the politics, intrigue, machinations and murder that come along with it are what you want more of? Look no further than the books that the show Game of Thrones is based upon. They're hefty tomes so they can look daunting, but they are chock full of brilliant writing, complex characters, murder, mayhem and power plays.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
Kind of an obvious one but always worth mentioning. Maas has started a whole new series, so if you're simply after another fix of Maas and her fantastic writing then look no further than this book.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
So you like your heroines with a healthy dose of murder? Katsa is definitely one you need to get to know. There are three books in this trilogy, but Katsa is definitely the most murderous. All three ladies are fascinating, complex and very very different, plus there is magic in the form of Graces, beautifully constructed fantasy realms and some truly gorgeous prose.

Scarlet Trilogy by A C Gaughen
Less murderous than Katsa but still highly skilled with her knives, this gender-twisted Will Scarlet offers a fresh and beautiful retelling of the Robin Hood story. It's one of the most gorgeously written stories I've had the pleasure of reading, with a wonderful strong, feisty and determined heroine at its heart. This series is a definite favourite as we get to know Scarlet from knife wielding girl disguised as a boy to the woman she becomes as her past is revealed.

The Study Series by Maria V Snyder
I cannot believe how long ago the first book 'Poison Study' was published, because it shows just how long I've been reading it and loving it. Another book that rekindled my love of fantasy worlds and the people and politics that come along with magic, if you're after another 'magic is bad' fight like we've been seeing in Throne of Glass, then this series is a must read.

The Bekka Cooper Trilogy by Tamora Pierce
I picked this trilogy because of the setting, right in the heart of the city of Corus, which reminded me a lot of Rifthold, plus Bekka is part of the guards, so any Chaol fans will love her. However this could easily be any of Tamora Pierce's books and series because she is the official queen of fantasy children's and YA as far as I'm concerned. You want magic? Complex and interesting characters? Feisty and strong heroines? Interesting fantasy worlds? Diversity in every book? Seriously, look no further than Tamora Pierce.

The Girl of Fire & Thorns Trilogy by Rae Carson
Another diverse and brilliant fantasy world with a breathtaking plot and a complex heroine. Elisa may not be as badass with a sword as Celaena, but she is strong and powerful in her own ways, and watching her grow over the course of the books is so wonderful. This is another stunning series.

So there you have it, the top ten books or series that you should be stockpiling to see you through the bookish hangover left after reading 'Queen of Shadows'. It's going to be a long wait for the next book, but these will help get you through. And when you make your way through all of these there's always re-reading the Throne of Glass series on repeat...

Rosy Rec's The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce

I realized the other day that there are quite a few staple favourites of mine that due to reading long before the blog started, or getting skipped over in a particularly busy reviewing patch, have never been fully reviewed on here.
So over the next few months instead of posting full reviews for these, I will be posting up 'Recs' or recommendations explaining a bit about the book (or series) why I love them so much, who it's suitable for and similar reads.

First up is a series that I first read when I was eleven and manically reading through everything in the school library, and I re-read again (for the hundredth time) just before Christmas - The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce. As I'm covering the entire series there will be plot spoilers for the books, although I will try to keep them to a minimum.

What's it about?
Ten year old Alanna doesn't want to learn to be a Lady, she has her heart set on being a Knight. So she and her twin brother Thom trade places - he goes to the convent to learn how to be a mage, and she disguises herself as a boy and heads to the castle to begin her training to be a knight. The series follows the next nine years of Alanna's life as she trains hard, fights harder, and proves to everyone that she is just as good and worthy of being a knight as the other boys around her. She makes friends, enemies and has some incredible adventures along the way as she discovers who she is and what it means to be a Lady Knight.

Break down of the books:
Alanna: The First Adventure
The first book covers Alanna's journey from ten year old determined girl to a fourteen year old who is best friends with Prince Jonathan and on the cusp of being made his squire. She has to navigate the pitfalls of hiding her true self and being a girl in a boys environment.

In the Hand of the Goddess
The second book is all about her journey from squire to knight, as more people are let in on her secret and love blossoms in unexpected places, Alanna has to begin to merge her two selves, both the boy she has pretended to be to get where she is and the girl she has been hiding all along. The book culminates in a truly epic battle against her arch enemy.

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
Book three sees Alanna taking a break from court now that she is a true knight and everyone knows her secret. She travels to the desert and makes her home with a tribe of desert warriors, becoming their shaman and training some new mages. After the fallout from her unmasking as a girl this book is quieter, more about reflection and Alanna's continuing journey to become comfortable with the two halves of herself and the loves of her life.

Lioness Rampant
The final book kicks everything off. Alanna undertakes the biggest quest of them all and makes a band of friends along the way, but it soon is time to return home back to the court and to face the fallout from her unmasking as a girl. But all is not well at the court, an old enemy has returned and the battle that culminates the series is ferocious and terrible.

Why I love them:
Alanna is a wonderful heroine and the books tackle a range of themes that I think are really important for young people (and older alike!) to read. Alanna taught me that you can do anything, regardless of your gender. She taught me that it was ok to love, that sleeping with people did not automatically brand you promiscuous, and that you could love more than one person in your life and that was ok. Reading these books at a young age was incredibly important in the shape that my reading took, and my expectations of the world and myself in it. It formed my love of magic and fantasy lands and strong heroines who know what they want and are damned if they're going to let anyone tell them they can't have it. I also love how Pierce tackles Alanna/Alan and how Alanna has to learn to integrate the two halves of herself into a whole.

Who should read them?
I discovered these at the age of eleven and I loved them. I think they really shaped my love of fantasy, strong heroines and what a woman could do or be, that there should be no limits just because you're a girl. I think these books were incredibly important reading for me at that age, so I would recommend them for anyone 11 and upward. That said, I love them as much now as I did then, so whilst Alanna starts off very young in the first book, her struggles are very accessible for any age. 

Read this if you liked:
Any strong fantasy realm or magic books.
The Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J Maas
The Study Series by Maria V Snyder
The Seven Kingdoms Series by Kristin Cashore
Other Tamora Pierce books