Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Our Dragon doesn't eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley.

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests, and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its evil at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years. Agnieszka is terrified when she is chosen, but she finds that the Dragon, the Wood, and magic itself are far more complicated than she ever thought...

I loved this gorgeous young adult fantasy steeped in the rich traditions of Eastern European folklore. The story quickly swept me up and I found myself absorbed in the tale of Agnieszka and the Dragon as they battled to keep the Wood at bay. I also really liked the quiet humour which underlaid the first person narrative. My only niggle was that there was so much crammed into the plot, especially in the last half of the book, that it felt a bit rushed. I wanted to both devour Uprooted in one sitting because I was desperate to know what happened next and also wanted to slow down and savour the story properly... definitely one for a future re-read!

At its heart, Uprooted is about the power of love; love may make you vulnerable and desperate at times, but the ties it creates are powerful.

Recommended For: Anyone who likes their YA fantasy full of folklore and magic

Read On: Spinning Silver is another retelling by Naomi Novik, as is To Kill a A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo. Another tale of a malevolent and ancient forest aimed at adults is In The Night Wood by Dale Bailey.

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett

As Sancia Grado lay facedown in the mud, stuffed underneath the wooden deck next to the old stone wall, she reflected that this evening was not going at all as she had wanted.

There's not much in the way of work for an escaped slave like Sancia Grado, but she has an unnatural talent that makes her one of the best thieves in the city of Tevanne. When she's offered a lucrative job to steal an ancient artefact from a heavily guarded warehouse, Sancia agrees, dreaming of leaving the city behind - but instead, she finds herself the target of a murderous conspiracy. Someone powerful in Tevanne wants the artefact, and intends to kill Sancia to get it.

Foundryside is a action-packed epic fantasy full of heists, innovative magic, and ancient mysteries. It's exactly the kind of fantasy I love with immersive world-building, a magic system with rules, tangled politics, a clever protagonist, and a dangerous conspiracy right at the centre of it all. I really liked the characters, especially Sancia, and the banter between them adds a sly humour to a dark tale. Honestly, just a fab book, and I can't wait for the sequel to come out!

Recommended For: Fans of slightly darker fantasy with imaginative magic systems.

Read On: Other fantasy stories involving the problems of stealing something that you probably shouldn't have are The Palace Job by Patrick Weekes and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. And if you like Robert Jackson Bennett, try his Divine Cities trilogy, beginning with City of Stairs.

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

On the run and haunted by the lives she took in the Fold, Alina realises that she can't outrun her past or her destiny as the Sun Summoner. With the help of a notorious privateer, she returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces of the Darkling. But as her power grows, Alina becomes torn between the man she loves, her desire for greater power, and her duty to her country. 

Siege and Storm is a Russian-inspired fantasy, and the second book in the Grisha trilogy. I always enjoy Leigh Bardugo's writing, but I felt that this book didn't quite live up to the first. The writing was just as good, and she has a real talent for creating characters who are both flawed and complicated. Her characters also have real emotional depth, and there were times when my heart broke as Alina had to choose between her duty to her country and her heart.

However, not even beautiful writing and complex characters could save Siege and Storm from a long period in the middle of the book where nothing really happened. The beginning and ending of the book had me hooked, but I felt that the middle just... drifted until something exciting happened.

Recommended For: Anyone who loves complicated characters that will break your heart.

Read On: The next book in the Grisha trilogy is Ruin and Rising. Other Russian-inspired fantasies include The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden, and The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye.

Witchmark by C.L. Polk

Doctor Miles Singer went to war to escape his destiny, and came home a changed man. With a fake name and a gift for healing, Miles is working in a cash-strapped veterans hospital when a fatally poisoned man asks him to catch his killer. With the help of the mysterious Mr Hunter and a sister he cannot trust, Miles must risk his hard-won anonymity and freedom to unravel a conspiracy that could topple nations.

Witchmark is a cute historical fantasy that was perfect for a lazy morning in bed. While the story hasdits flaws, I did like Witchmark even though I was never hooked by it. For me, the world-building was very skinny indeed, and I felt like too much information was revealed far too late in the story. Also, the mystery at the centre of the book was very shaky at times, relied a lot on coincidental meetings, and took ages to get anywhere interesting which made Witchmark very easy to put down between chapters. 

That being said, I still enjoyed it. Set in a world reminiscent of Edwardian England, Witchmark just about managed to stay on the right side of twee, and the romance between Miles and Tristan was endearing, if a little instalovey. What I really liked - and kept me reading - was Miles' very complicated relationship with his sister and his constant fight to be his own person.

Recommended For: Anyone in need of a light and undemanding read on a lazy day

Read On: The second book in the Kingston Cycle is Stormsong. Another enjoyable historical fantasy romance is Soulless by Gail Carriger. 

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Sabriel is the daughter of the Abhorsen, the magical protector of the Old Kingdom who makes sure that the Dead stay Dead. But having spent her childhood at boarding school in the neighbouring country of Ancelstierre, Sabriel knows little about her homeland and the dangerous creatures that roam there. When her father becomes trapped in Death, however, Sabriel must return to the Old Kingdom. Armed with her father's sword and binding-bells, and accompanied by an ancient spirit in the form of a white cat and a secretive young mage, Sabriel must discover and defeat whoever or whatever is behind this uprising of the Dead.

I really enjoyed this gem of a historical fantasy. It's aimed at younger readers so the plot is fairly straightforward, and there's no swearing, sex, or bad language, but Sabriel is one of those books which never reads like its written for children. It's fun, scary, action-packed from start to finish, and deals with issues of responsibility, duty, and the death of a parent. Sabriel herself is a necromancer with dark and deadly abilities, but she's also very likeable. She's tough, sensible, very relatable, and does whatever needs to be done with the minimum of fuss or angst. She also stumbles, and doubts herself, and realises that learning how to do something and actually doing it are two very different things. 

Recommended For: Anyone looking for fantasy stories that don't patronise younger readers

Read On: The next book in the Old Kingdom series is Lireal by Garth Nix. Another children's fantasy with a practically minded heroine is Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones.

The Magician's Guild by Trudi Canavan

Born in the slums of Imardin and struggling to make an honest living, Sonea hates the magicians. She hates their arrogance, she hates their power, and, most of all, she hates the way they use their magic to oppress the poor. So no one is more surprised than she is when she throws a stone through a magician's protective shield and knocks him out... 

The Magician's Guild is a high fantasy and the first book in the Black Magician trilogy. It was ok, but not amazing or even particularly memorable. It's a generic and inoffensive fantasy story with a largely predictable plot, a stock-and-trade medieval European setting, and flat characters. Mostly what it lacked was depth and complexity. I did like the premise though, and there were hints of a darker and much more interesting story to come.

Recommended for: I think this might appeal more to younger readers, or anyone looking for a quick and unchallenging fantasy story.

Read On: The next book in the Black Magician Trilogy is The Novice.  A similar fantasy about a slum girl finding her magical powers is The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso.

The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin

When young Tenar is chosen as high priestess to the ancient and nameless Powers of the Earth, everything is taken away - home, family, possessions, even her name. For she is now Arha, the Eaten One, guardian of the ominous Tombs of Atuan. While she is learning her way through the dark labyrinth, a young wizard, Ged, comes to steal the Tombs' greatest hidden treasure. But Ged also brings with him the light of magic, and the chance to escape the darkness for ever...

I liked A Wizard of Earthsea, but I loved The Tombs of Atuan even more. The writing is just as beautiful, the story is just as simple and absorbing, and the world-building is as compelling. What makes the difference for me, however, is that The Tombs of Atuan is a story framed by women. A Wizard of Earthsea was good, but there is barely a female character in sight. The Tombs of Atuan, however, is dominated by female characters, whether they are protagonists, antagonists, friends, or mentors  -  a rare bird indeed in fantasy. 

Recommended For: Anyone looking for a short and beautifully written children's fantasy

Read On: The next book in the Earthsea Quartet is The Furthest Shore.