The Bibliophile's Bookshelf

It’s time for another Summer Reading list!

This week’s theme is Books That Take Place in Another World. I have graphic novels, middle grade, and young adult books. These are some of my favorite fantasy books!

Grpahic Novels

The Remarried Empress by Alphatart

“I ACCEPT THIS DIVORCE… AND REQUEST AN APPROVAL OF MY REMARRIAGE.”

Empress Navier and Emperor Sovieshu: a match made in heaven, they were the two pillars of the land whom everyone believed would stand by each other through thick and thin…until a chance encounter with a beautiful girl in the forest leaves the emperor smitten! Though hurt by the betrayal, Navier’s not one to waste time wallowing in despair. And when Sovieshu requests a divorce, she has but one condition in return—permission to remarry the man of her choosing!

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End by Kanehito Yamada

Elf mage Frieren and her courageous fellow adventurers have defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the land. But Frieren will long outlive the rest of her former party. How will she come to understand what life means to the people around her?

Decades after their victory, the funeral of one her friends confronts Frieren with her own near immortality. Frieren sets out to fulfill the last wishes of her comrades and finds herself beginning a new adventure…

Middle Grade

Thornwood by Leah Cypess

A middle grade Sleeping Beauty rewrite about a girl who lives in the shadow of her older sister and the curse that has haunted her from birth.

For years, Briony has lived in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Rosalin, and the curse that has haunted her from birth–that on the day of her sixteenth birthday she would prick her finger on a spindle and cause everyone in the castle to fall into a 100-year sleep. When the day the curse is set to fall over the kingdom finally arrives, nothing–not even Briony–can stop its evil magic.

You know the story.

But here’s something you don’t know. When Briony finally wakes up, it’s up to her to find out what’s really going on, and to save her family and friends from the murderous Thornwood. But who is going to listen to her? This is a story of sisterhood, of friendship, and of the ability of even little sisters to forge their own destiny.

Young Adult

Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard

Save the world or end it.

A strange darkness is growing in the Ward. Even Corayne an-Amarat can feel it, tucked away in her small town at the edge of the sea.

Fate knocks on her door, in the form of a mythical immortal and a lethal assassin, who tell Corayne that she is the last of an ancient lineage—with the power to save the world from destruction.

Because a man who would burn kingdoms to the ground is raising an army unlike any seen before, bent on uprooting the foundations of the world. With poison in his heart and a stolen sword in his hand, he’ll break the realm itself to claim it. And only Corayne can stop him.

Alongside an unlikely group of reluctant allies, Corayne finds herself on a desperate journey to complete an impossible task, with untold magic singing in her blood and the fate of the world on her shoulders.

The Princess Companion by Melanie Cellier

One dark and stormy night, lost and alone, Alyssa finds herself knocking on the door of a castle.

After a lifetime spent in the deep forest, Alyssa has no idea what to expect on the other side.

What she finds is two unruly young princesses and one very handsome prince. When Alyssa accepts the job of Princess Companion she knows her life will change. What she doesn’t know is that the royal family is about to be swept up in unexpected danger and intrigue and that she just might be the only thing standing between her kingdom and destruction.

This retelling of the classic fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea, reimagines the risks and rewards that come when one royal family goes searching for a true princess.

Danger and romance await a woodcutter’s daughter in a royal palace.

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

Isabelle should be blissfully happy – she’s about to win the handsome prince. Except Isabelle isn’t the beautiful girl who lost the glass slipper and captured the prince’s heart. She’s the ugly stepsister who’s cut off her toes to fit into Cinderella’s shoe … which is now filling with blood.

When the prince discovers Isabelle’s deception, she is turned away in shame. It’s no more than she deserves: she is a plain girl in a world that values beauty; a feisty girl in a world that wants her to be pliant.

Isabelle has tried to fit in. To live up to her mother’s expectations. To be like her stepsister. To be sweet. To be pretty. One by one, she has cut away pieces of herself in order to survive a world that doesn’t appreciate a girl like her. And that has made her mean, jealous, and hollow.

Until she gets a chance to alter her destiny and prove what ugly stepsisters have always known: it takes more than heartache to break a girl.

Lost Starlight by Kayla Esbaugh

Happily ever after was only the beginning of their story.

When Lady Gwendolyn Darling’s betrothed, Prince Peter, goes missing, rumors spread throughout the kingdom that he left to escape her. Gwendolyn begins to wonder if she was ever enough for Peter, or if her timid ways, which have always been difficult for others to embrace, was the reason he left. Was Peter unable to love her with such flaws? He, after all, knew her better than anyone else.

Determined to understand the reason for him leaving for herself, Gwendolyn goes on a quest to find him–and the truth, even if it breaks her heart in the end.

When a pirate Captain, named Hook, begins stealing lost boys from Pixie Isle, the pixies come to collect their debt from Prince Peter of Walden. It is his task to save these boys and remove Captain Hook from the Misted Seas forever.

Peter will do everything he can to repay his debt and make his way back to the proper, kind, and lovely Lady Gwendolyn Darling. She calms his restless heart, tames his curse, and has given him purpose in his life. She is his guiding star in an endless night. But even if he repays his debt, will she ever forgive him for leaving in the first place? Has he lost her starlight in his life forever?

Peter spent most of his life before meeting Gwendolyn longing for things far beyond Waldon’s shore, cursed to always seek adventure and never be satisfied. Now, all he wants is to return home and never leave her again.

I have a debt that is due–one that comes at the steep price of my happiness.

That is the price these pixies come in the dark of night to collect.

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

People lived because she killed. People died because he lived.

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya–but neither wants to be.

War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds–and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

Why save the world when you can have tea?

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone.

Calling on some of the city’s most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate the sinister, glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it.

From the New York Times—bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame comes the first book in a hotly anticipated fantasy duology teeming with romance and revenge, led by an orphan girl willing to do whatever it takes to save her self-made kingdom. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

Gilded Locks by Julene Johnson

A Rogue returned in need of unmasking. A dangerous magic in need of containing. Her town and her heart hang in the balance.

Grace Robbins knows the truth about the Rogue, Fidara’s dead rebel, and she’d planned for years to take up the fallen green mantle. Mayor Nautin’s taxes have devastated lives and laid waste to an already struggling town. But life, and legends, have taught Grace that even if she could survive rebellion on her own, such blatant defiance would put at risk secrets she must keep. Secrets she must protect.

When Grace glimpses a figure in green dashing into Sherwood Forest, the past collides with the present. Someone has revived the legend she’d abandoned. Grace sees an opportunity to prove herself a true unmask the rebel and convince him to hang up the cloak. But the identity of this new Rogue isn’t as obvious as Grace hoped.

The mysterious man has no intention of ending his rebellion, and the more Grace tries to change his mind, the more she remembers how it felt to desire to fight for the people, and how it felt to truly be seen by someone who believes in her.

How can Grace defend Fidara and its people against mystic treasure if she joins the new Rogue? But how can she stand by while her people suffer unjustly?

Can she trust a man who guards his identity so jealously? Grace doesn’t know if her heart will survive the choices she must make.

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl’s castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there’s far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I’ve gotten what I came for.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map―the key to a legendary treasure trove―seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

In Daughter of the Pirate King, author Tricia Levenseller blends action, adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic into a thrilling pirate tale.

A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna

In a universe of capricious gods, dark moons, and kingdoms built on the backs of spaceships, a cursed queen sends her infant daughter away, a jealous uncle steals the throne of Kali from his nephew, and an exiled prince vows to take his crown back.

Raised alone and far away from her home on Kali, Esmae longs to return to her family. When the King of Wychstar offers to gift the unbeatable, sentient warship Titania to a warrior that can win his competition, she sees her way home: she’ll enter the competition, reveal her true identity to the world, and help her famous brother win back the crown of Kali.

It’s a great plan. Until it falls apart.

Inspired by the Mahabharata and other ancient Indian stories, A Spark of White Fire is a lush, sweeping space opera about family, curses, and the endless battle between jealousy and love.

Diamond Wishes by Abigail Manning

A mute guard, a chatty parrot, and a diamond ring that could change it all…

Few people have heard the legend of the wondrous wishing diamond, and even fewer have wasted their efforts searching for it. Kya could care less about jewels unless they can sell for enough money to feed her and her mouthy parrot. Her chronic fainting spells make it impossible to hold down a real job, and difficult to escape the guards when a charming stranger interrupts her heist.
Caught and caged, Kya admits defeat as she wastes away in the palace prison. Not even befriending a royal guard can get her out of her chains, but a deal with a smooth-talking nobleman might… It would seem that the boy from the market isn’t the only person on a diamond hunt.
If anyone can find a diamond ring in a cave full of treasures, it’s a jewel thief, but that doesn’t mean she knows how to use it. Wishes gone wrong and a power struggle between royals quickly trap Kya once again, but this time as a fake princess. Even a counterfeit diamond can sparkle, but can it fool a treasure hunter? Life as a royal sure does have a nice ring to it, if you can live long enough to wish for a crown.

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point—he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

The Traitor’s Game by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Nothing is as it seems in the kingdom of Antora. Kestra Dallisor has spent three years in exile in the Lava Fields, but that won’t stop her from being drawn back into her father’s palace politics. He’s the right hand man of the cruel king, Lord Endrick, which makes Kestra a valuable bargaining chip. A group of rebels knows this all too well — and they snatch Kestra from her carriage as she reluctantly travels home.The kidnappers want her to retrieve the lost Olden Blade, the only object that can destroy the immortal king, but Kestra is not the obedient captive they expected. Simon, one of her kidnappers, will have his hands full as Kestra tries to foil their plot, by force, cunning, or any means necessary. As motives shift and secrets emerge, both will have to decide what — and who — it is they’re fighting for.

Stolen Magic by Camille Peters

In a world where magic once reigned, Lysandra must decide how much she is willing to lose to fulfill her vengeful plans…or if her heart will undo her carefully laid schemes.

Revenge burns in the heart of Lysandra, the daughter of a slain witch, whose life is forever changed when her village is raided and her family’s magic stolen by the ruthless kingdom of Eldoria. Sworn to reclaim her birthright and make the enemy pay, Lysandra embarks on a perilous journey of deception and vengeance. Disguising herself within the very walls of her foes, she becomes a handmaiden who secretly takes the place of the princess planning to marry the unsuspecting Prince Callan and ascend to the throne that should have been her destruction.

But as Lysandra weaves her way through the treacherous webs of court politics in search of her lost power, her quest for revenge is complicated by the a burgeoning affection for the prince she is meant to deceive. Lysandra must navigate a dangerous path between her desire for retribution and the pull of a love that could be her salvation—or her ultimate undoing.

Feathered Thief by J.M. Stengl

Stolen apples. Divided lovers. A bungled curse.

Young Princess Helena of Kielce despises her tormentor, Prince Kazik of Ostrów, until the day she realizes the boy actually likes her and true friendship blossoms. In time, their royal parents arrange a betrothal, but first the princess vanishes, then the prince, and the entire region falls under a strange curse.

Five years later, a girl known as Lenka the Archer tends a lonely golden-apple tree and wonders who she really is. Serving in the King of Trinec’s magical garden is a worthy position, but how did she and the tree come to be there? When golden apples go missing and the king’s two sons fail to identify the thief, the task falls on Lenka, who catches a golden bird in the act. Instead of shooting it, she receives from the bird one golden feather and a promise.

After the princes go in search of the elusive bird and vanish, the king orders Lenka to bring back the golden bird, the apples it stole, and the two missing princes. While disguised as a man and guided by a talking fox, Lenka takes on impossible challenges in unexpected places . . . and absolutely nothing goes as planned.

Will the stolen princess find her true self and her beloved prince? Can she rescue her homeland from its hopeless tangle of magic and mayhem?

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Cimorene is everything a princess is not supposed to be: headstrong, tomboyish, smart – and bored. So bored that she runs away to live with a dragon – and finds the family and excitement she’s been looking for.

Fable by Adrienne Young

For seventeen-year-old Fable, the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home she has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one, and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father, and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him, and Fable soon finds that West isn’t who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they’re going to stay alive.

Welcome to a world made dangerous by the sea and by those who wish to profit from it. Where a young girl must find her place and her family while trying to survive in a world built for men. Fable takes you on a spectacular journey filled with romance, intrigue, and adventure.