Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence

The dissolution of any monastery or convent is not something to be lightly undertaken. Even the might of House Tacsis, whose line was born of emperors, may not suffice.

I devoured Grey Sister in a day because I just could not tear myself away! I loved the political intrigue and the strong female friendships that formed the core of the story. I also enjoyed the greater role that Abbess Glass plays in this story as I always like clever characters who see the world as a chess game and other people as pieces to be set up as needed. My favourite thing about this series, however, has to be just how effortless the worldbuilding is. Not once is there any info-dumping - things are just presented as they are - and yet I have a real picture of the precarious world that the Sisters inhabit.

If I have any niggles with Grey Sister, it's that Nona was almost becoming too super-powered by the end of the book and some of the things she did broke the established rules of the world. However, this may have consequences in the third book, so I'll reserve judgment until then.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and fast-paced dark fantasy with lots of politics, brutal fight scenes, and brief flashes of humour. It maybe wasn't quite as good as Red Sister, but as the tricky middle book of a trilogy, it was a good read.

Recommended For: Fans of dark fantasy full of action

Read On: The final book of the trilogy is Holy Sister. Mark Lawrence has also written the Red Queen's War trilogy which is another excellent series of dark fantasies shot through with sardonic humour. The first book is Prince of Fools.

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.

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

The daughter of the siren queen, Lira killed her first prince on her twelfth birthday. She has since killed five more, and has become feared far and wide as the Prince’s Bane. She’s well on her way of living up to her mother’s savage reputation. However, an unintended act of compassion sees Lira cursed into the body of a human - and the only way to break the enchantment and return to the sea is to take the heart of Prince Elian of Midas. The problem? Prince Elian is more pirate than royal prince. He’s a siren-hunter. He’s wily and ruthless and determined to wipe out the sirens once and for all, starting with the Prince’s Bane herself. Who will take the other’s heart first? 

To Kill a Kingdom is a deliciously dark YA fantasy with a fierce heroine that was a lot of fun to read during a long day of travelling. The trope of enemies-becoming-friends is well worn, and the ending was obvious from the get-go, but I loved the sheer exuberance of the plot and the witty bickering between Elian and Lira. For all that the plot is vaguely ridiculous and the world building is a little thin, the two protagonists had flashes of emotional depth which were really quite touching and, if I'm honest, unexpected. In the first few chapters both characters seemed a little uninspired, but they became much more interesting as they struggled against the expectations placed onto them by their parents and searched for the bravery to defy the stereotypes of what they are.

At its heart, To Kill a Kingdom is a dark retelling of the fairy tale of the little mermaid which is crammed full of sass and swashbuckling adventure. The ending can be seen from miles off, but the joy of this book is totally in the journey to get there. 

Recommended For: Fans of darkly funny and character-driven YA fantasy 

Read On: Other dark YA fantasies with fierce and ruthless protagonists include Half a King by Joe Abercrombie and Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake.