As 2018 draws to a close, I have the chance to look at some of books I’ve picked up this year. I’ve had some great reads…and some not so great reads. As a highly critical reader, I realize that I’ve definitely limited myself. Coupled with the fact that its my first year at The University of Florida (Go Gators! 
) and I’ve been swamped with school work and finals, it is no surprise that I didn’t meet this year’s Goodreads Challenge (50 Books Read). That is not to say that I didn’t have any great reads this year. So without further ado, here is my list of the top 5 books published in 2018.
1. The Bird and the Blade - Megan Bannen
☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5
A Middle Eastern fantasy, The Bird in the Blade is a fantastic retelling of the famous opera Turandot written by Puccini. The opera actually originated from a play that was based off of a story from the work of a 12th-century Persian Poet named Nizami. (The history of the work is very fascinating and deserves it’s own recognition.)
The book revolves around a slave who must travel with a prince and his father to seek a marriage to a gorgeous and wealthy princess. The princess (Turandot) is highly saught after and has a stipulation to any marriage proposal. All suitors must solve three riddles correctly in order to win the princesses’ hand. However, if they answer any of the riddles incorrectly, the princes must die. So far, none have succeeded.
Megan Bannen, a debut author, writes a powerful and intriging story filled with love and loss, riddles and secrets.
2. Shadow of the Fox - Julie Kagawa
☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5
Shadow of the Fox was definitely the most fun read this year. The characters were lively and interesting and the plot was surprising. Kagawa really pulled no punches when it came to writing this awesome book.
The story follows a half fox yokai girl and a dangerous samurai on an adventure through fudeal Japan. The two main characters, who meet lots of interesting people along the way, are on a mission to retrieve a special dragon scroll from a secret temple. Mishaps emerge, and unsuspecting allies and enemies are revealed. What could go wrong? But secrets are kept hidden. Like the fact that the yokai fox girl already has the scroll, and the samurai has no idea. It might be a good thing though, becuase he’d stop at nothing to get it, and kill anyone who got in his way.
If you’d like to read more about this book, check out my full review here, which dives into way more detail!
3. Empress of All Seasons - Emiko Jean
☆☆☆☆☆ 4/5
This book is the epitome of a cruel beauty. The elegance of the world building mixed with the harshness of the characters really brings to mind a tornado; the clash of hot and cold air can create something so natural and beautiful, but it can also form something with deadly consequences. The collection of characters and setting create perfect tornado weather in Emiko Jeans second published book.
If you like:
- Mythology (especially Asian)
- Demons
- Magic
- Royalty/Empirical Rule
- Blurred lines between heros & villians
Then you’ll probably like this book!
In this book, a half demon girl, Mari, must compete in a tournement to win the opportunity to marry the future emperor of the kingdom. In this competition Mari must survive four rooms in the Palace of Illusions. In the Palace, there are four rooms that are influenced by the four seasons in a year, and they test a persons endurance. In the competition though, there are a few rules. First and foremost, only human girls are allowed to compete. So Mari must hide her identity in order to compete. Can she survive the four seasons and win the prince’s hand? Read the book to find out.
If you’d like to read more about this book, check out my full review here, which dives into way more detail.
4. Beyond the Darkened Shore - Jessica Leake
☆☆☆☆☆ 3.8/5
This book brings together to different cultures and myths in an epic, fantasy filled way; by combining Celtic and Norse mythology. The book has the allure of Celtic mystery with the power and prestige of Norse figures such as Odin and Thor. A perfect mix of romance and bloodshed-filled war, this book is the literary equivalent to an action-packed chick-flick. (Like Knight and Day with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz – its got fight scenes and fun romance).
The premise of the book consists of a seer princess named Ciara who’s land is about to be invaded by Northmen. However, instead of starting war with them, Ciara has a vision of a greater enemy that she and her people must face, with the help of her supposed enemy; the leader of the Northmen’s army. Her own people don’t believe her though, and would rather fight the invading Vikings. But the leader of the Northman, Leif, shares her vision, and, agrees to help. They then embark on a journey to save the world.
5. The Lantern's Ember - Colleen Houck
☆☆☆☆☆ 3.6/5
Colleen Houck’s eleventh book is by far the most different from anything she has written so far. I’m a big fan of hers and have read almost everything she has written. While this was not my favorite book of hers, its still very muych enjoyable and very unique.
A retelling of the The Headless Horseman from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, The Lantern’s Ember focuses on the story of Jack, an immortal watchman of the Otherworld who must guard portals from would-be trouble makers who wish to cross over to the other side.
One such trouble maker happens to be Ember O’Dare, a young female witch intent on crossing the barrier between the human realm and otherworld. As she atempts to do so, Jack makes it his personal mission to stop her, and keep her safe from further harm. But Ember seems intent on taking her chances, and makes every efffort to make it to the other side. What happens if she does?
A perfect halloween read, this book has just the right amount of autumn vibes and a haunted spooks. Recomended with a pumpkin spice latte. 
If you’d like to read more about this book, check out my full review here, which dives into way more detail!
While most of the titles listed above are standalone novels, you should also acknowledge that some of the stories in the books above and further plots in upcoming books.
As of now, complete standalone books (with no plans for future books in the series):
- The Bird and the Blade
- Empress of All Seasons
- The Lantern’s Ember
Books that have sequel/continuation:
- Shadow of the Fox – The only true sequel on this list. Book 2, Soul of the Sword, can be expected June 25th, 2019.
- Beyond the Darkened Shore – Set in the same world as this book, Through the White Wood (Published April 9th, 2019) is a standalone novel that features characters from Beyond the Darkened Shore, similar to a companion novel. It is not a continuation of the book, however.
Here are some things you should know:
- This list is obviously subjective. (I maintain the right to my opinion and I hope you respect that)
- The list only contains 2018 debuts / first books in a series. (No sequals or spinoffs.
- As I try to try read newer and older releases every year, this limits the amount of high rated reviews for books of this year.
- Just because I liked a book doesn’t necessarily mean you will. Always be sure to read a book’s synopsis before purchasing it, unless my review really spurred your interest in the book!
Please follow and like us:
