Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunters Chronicles is beloved by many and once you’re done reading the latest instalment, you might be looking for some other books and series to read. The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, and The Dark Artifices series take part in the Shadowhunter world, but each series follows a different set of characters while also being set in different time periods. We’ve rounded up a couple of suggestions based on each!

THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS

This is Cassandra Clare’s first series and the one that first introduced us to the Shadowhunter world! This series is all about Clary Fairchild as she is introduced to a whole new side of the world where ‘all the stories are true’. Clary learns that she is half angel, which makes her a demon hunter! Clary and her friends all deal with relationships, villains, and everything else in between.

The Vampire Academy and its spin-off Bloodlines also have a big set of characters, lots of drama, forbidden romances and very swoonworthy characters. It follows Rose Hathaway, the protector of Lissa Dragomir who is a vampire. Rose starts developing feelings for an older guardian and they are faced with a greater enemy. Bloodlines follows Sydney Sage who is an Alchemist. She has been brought up believing that vampires are evil, but when she is sent to protect the princess, she discovers that there is more to these ‘evil’ vampires. 

Maximum Ride is all about six kids who have wings and can fly, plus they all also have other powers. However, they don’t know what these powers mean and they are on the run. These books are perfect for fans of TMI as they also revolve around teens with magical abilities, There is plenty of drama, a fight for justice and some badass characters.

The Lunar Chronicles is ideal to read after TMI. These books are sci-fi fairytale retellings set in the future with each book being a different retelling, such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White. The first book in the series is about Cinder who is a cyborg and her stepmother treats her horribly, but when she meets Prince Kai, her life gets even more complicated. The Lunar Chronicles are perfect for fans of TMI as they also have badass characters, great humour, and a group of teens fighting to save their world.

THE INFERNAL DEVICES

The Infernal Devices is Cassandra Clare’s second published series, but chronologically, it occurs before The Mortal Instruments. This series is set in 1878 and follows Tessa Grey as she travels from America to London. Tessa is trying to find her brother, but she meets Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs at the London Institute. This book is less action packed and diverse than TMI, but it reads like a beautiful historical fiction and has romances to cry and scream over.

The Doon series by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon is perfect for fans of TID as it is set in Scotland and all about two girls from America who travel to the magical town called Doon. Vee and Kenna were just meant to explore Scotland, but they are transported to a quaint town and it is there that they meet the princes and want to stay in Doon, but there are secrets hidden in Doon and are the girls ready to give up everything they know to stay?

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is all about Karou, a girl with blue hair and able to speak all languages including ones that are not human at all. When black handprints start turning up around Prague, Karou must try to save the world she knows and she also has to figure out what the mysterious Akiva wants. This is a story about devils, angels, and everything in between.

A Darker Shade of Magic is set in London, Kell is one of the last Antari and he can travel between parallel Londons. Kell is a smuggler, but he officially works for the Maresch Empire in Red London. But when he meets Lila Bard, his plans change and they both need to fight to stay alive. This book is also set in London, just like TID, and has a great set of characters and magic that will leave you in awe.

THE DARK ARTIFICES

The Dark Artifices takes place a few years after The Mortal Instruments and follows Emma Carstairs and her parabatai Julian Blackthorn. Their lives have been destroyed by the war and they are fighting for a new normal. They discover a demon plot in Los Angeles and Julian’s half brother, who has been living in faerie, suddenly turns up.

Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus is perfect if you love The Dark Artifices (TDA) as it has a beachy feel, a great set of unique characters, and lots of drama. Percy Jackson is all about Percy and he’s a demi-god who is still trying to figure everything out. This series will make you laugh out loud and you will learn lots about Greek mythology. The Heroes of Olympus series is a spin-off from Percy Jackson as it follows new characters who are a bit older and there’s always a lot going on!

 

Six of Crows is all about six teenagers who set out to pull off a near impossible heist. This book is perfect for TDA fans as it has great characters, an amazing plot, and it will have you frantically flicking to the next page.

 

The Falconer is great for fans of TDA and TID and it follows Aileana who is a fairy hunter. This book takes place in 1844 Edinburgh and combines Scottish folklore with lots of drama. If you love the fairy aspect in TDA and love the setting/time period of TID, this series is perfect for you.

 

What is your favourite Cassandra Clare series? Do you have any other recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

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One of the highest appraised supernatural characters in the world of fiction are vampires. By the onset of the nineteenth century, authors began to write about this mysterious creature that lived by feeding on blood. Generally portrayed in modern literature as sleek, sensual, and dangerous, there are tons of books centred on vampires. Sometimes you just get the need to start reading a good long series, immerse into it completely, and forget the rest of the world. We know just how that feels!

In this list, we have picked out five fantastic series that feature vampires if you want to satisfy yourself by reading about these bloodthirsty creatures.

1. Black Dagger Brotherhood by J. R. Ward

What is more exciting than a group of attractive vampires that protect the rest of the vampire world? Not much. In this ongoing vampire romance series, the Brotherhood is a group of six vampires that protect the normal vampires from the vampire hunters and each book focuses on one couple. Besides the brotherhood’s members, several other side characters go on to get their own books, making this series now having 18 books, with more to come. J. R. Ward has given this amazing write up of books with thrilling romances that will make you fall in love, begging for more. In addition, the characters are so complex with interesting backstories and most of them will hook you from the start.

2. The Blood Magic by K. A. Young

Initially published on Wattpad, this adult vampire romance series is a multi-generational saga of royal vampires. Like almost all vampire novels, this also has vampires and their hunters. However, vampire hunters are actually descendants of a bond between a pureblood vampire and a human, but now live to exterminate the vampires because of them being human killers. Moreover, some hunters are gifted with a rare trait called the blood magic, which enables them to shape and control blood to their will. In the first book, The Slave That I Am, Annika Larson is a hunter born gifted with the blood magic and living out of the life meant for her, traumatised by seeing her sister die the first time she was out in the field. At her twenty-first birthday, however, she is captured for what she is by Locaine, the Vampire King.

3. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

In this series by Richelle Mead, the vampires’ Moroi princess, Lissa Dragomir, and her best friend and guardian, Rose Hathaway, are brought back to the Vampire Academy following two years of unexplained disappearance. Back at the Academy, Rose starts training to be a full-fledged guardian to her princess, but things do not go the best way. Lissa shows a strange healing power, there is a psychotic bond between the two girls and there are immortal vampires called Strigoi hell bent on killing the princess. Vampire Academy is a stunning six-book series filled with friendships, vampires, and a forbidden romance.

4. The Vampire Diaries by L. J. Smith

You might be familiar with The CW’s The Vampire Diaries, but its original book series is not that popular. The first book, The Awakening, was published in 1991 and many more followed. It deals with the teenage girl, Elena Gilbert, looking for a thrill in life, who vows to have Stefan, one of the two Salvatore brothers. But enter Damon, the other, more darker brother who enthrals Elena, and voila, you get a wonderful love triangle. If you have seen the television show, don’t feel hesitant to read the books as well, because they are actually quite different and worth the read.

5. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

This four book series by Stephenie Meyer follows Bella, a high school student who decides to live with her father in Forks, Washington. In school, she notices the Cullen family, decreed by everyone as mysterious. But soon, she develops a strange friendship with the youngest Cullen, Edward. He saves her from an accident without even a scratch and that is when she begins to have doubts about who, or what he is. This starts the irrevocable romance and Bella learns that falling in love with a vampire is not a piece of cake. The audience doesn’t hail the adapted movies as being brilliant but trust me, the books are much better and have the essence of a good vampire romance story.

Do you have any other recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Five Series That Make For An Epic Vampire Binge-Read appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

About three things I was absolutely positive.
First, Edward was a vampire.
Second, there was a part of him—and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be—that thirsted for my blood
And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

Remember these lines? Remember gushing over them? That was over fifteen years ago.

Needless to say, Twilight was one of the most talked about books of 2005, that forever changed the way we think about vampires. Twilight was named an “ALA Top Ten Books for Young Adults,” an Amazon.com “Best Book of the Decade So Far”, and so much more!

There is a reason for it being the huge hit that it is… that high school romance coupled with the promise of eternity, the right amount of intrigue, and that fairytale vibe, which is kinda hard to resist, isn’t it?

And now, in 2020, Midnight Sun is expected to be released on August 4^th 2020. When Bella met Edward, an unforgettable love story was born, and now fans get to experience this all over again but through the eyes of Edward Cullen.

Whether it’s been years since you read the book or if you have been going back to it for rereads, we got you covered. Here are a few book series that you can read if you loved The Twilight Saga and these will get in the perfect mood before the release of Midnight Sun.

1. Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead

This series features vampires, though not in the way Stephenie Meyer did. There are the Moroi and the Strigoi (the good ones and the bad) and Rose is training to be a guardian for her best friend Lissa, but trouble seems to find them in the very place that is to be their refuge. It is a wonderful tale of friendships, sacrifices, suspense, and romance, especially because Rose and Dimitri have to make up one of the best ships in the entire YA genre. You are sure to fall in love with them and the series, which is made up of six books, perfect for a binge read, don’t you think?

2. Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead

This is a spin-off of to The Vampire Academy series and features Adrian, the royal Moroi and Sydney, an alchemist. If forbidden love is your guilty pleasure, then this book is perfect for you. Sydney has been taught her whole life that vampires are evil and unnatural, but all that changes when she is forced into hiding with three of them. There’s something about Adrian that she can’t seem to resist and as if that is not enough, she gets caught up in secrets and lies and has to deal with high school! The series comprising of six books is sure to keep your heart racing. Oh, and the slow burn? Yes, please.

3. Hush Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick

Okay, this isn’t about vampires, but the series does involve a fallen angel! Nora Grey’s life changes when she meets Patch and against her better judgement, she seems to be drawn to him and a world she didn’t know existed. This is a perfect fit for lovers of Twilight and will keep you up through the night, glued to the pages.

4. The Immortals series by Alyson Noel

Now for an addictive, haunting, and mesmerising tale, The Immortals series! Sixteen-year-old, Ever, lost her family and now has a weird superpower that got her branded as a freak. But her life takes a drastic turn when she meets Damen, a gorgeous, exotic, wealthy man belonging to another world, the only one who can soothe her powers. This book has the ability to capture your heart and your imagination, transporting you to a whole new world.

5. Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Katy starts her senior year in a new school resigned to a boring life…. until she meets her neighbour. Daemon is infuriating, arrogant, gorgeous…. and what did I miss? Right, he’s an alien. When the alien next door marks her, things get complicated and also extremely entertaining. With Daemon’s attitude and Katy’s wit, this book will have you laughing, crying, and swooning. Again, not a vampire novel, but nevertheless it will definitely appeal to your inner Twilight fan.

6. The Vampire Diaries 

It’s almost impossible to talk about vampires and not mention The Vampire Diaries. If the book series by L.J. Smith isn’t your thing, then you have to check out the television series, or rewatch it again, as it is vastly different from the books.

The eight seasons are one huge rollercoaster ride following the life of Elena Gilbert as she falls in love with Stefan Salvatore. Their relationship gets increasingly complicated as Damon returns with plans of resurrecting their past love, Katherine Pierce. What happens next?

7. The Twilight Saga

This is a no-brainer. If you loved Twlight back then, now is the time to revisit Forks and you have the perfect excuse! What better way to read Midnight Sun other than to reread the Twilight saga?

Other than the four books – Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn, there are a few extras.

• The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (The Twilight Saga #3.5) was published in 2010. It’s the devastating tale of the newborn army as they prepare to close in on the Cullens.
• Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined (The Twilight Saga #1.75) published on November 1^st 2016

Be sure to check out Stephenie Meyer’s website where a quote from the book is to be posted every Tuesday and Friday until Midnight Sun is released!

Are you looking forward to Midnight Sun? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 7 Book Series To Read While Waiting For ‘Midnight Sun’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Everyone always needs a light, fluffy, funny, and enjoyable book every now and then, so we have compiled a list of some incredibly heartwarming, funny, and feel good books. Let’s start off with some feel good fantasy books!

Fantasy

Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson will make you laugh out loud. Percy is a demigod, has no idea what he is doing, and he attends Camp Half Blood where he meets teens just like him. Percy is sassy, sarcastic, and awkward, plus this one is getting a Disney+ adaptation so you have that to look forward to after finishing the book!

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows
Who doesn’t want to read a retelling of history? This book is based on the real monarch Lady Jean Grey, but takes some artistic liberties to give you a hilarious historical retelling. With characters turning into animals and witty banter, this book will have you giggling the entire way through.

Doon by Lorie Langdon & Carey Corp
This book is about two teen girls who take a vacation in Scotland and then travel to a small, magical village. The story is based on the musical Brigadoon, but it will make you want to travel to Scotland and find Doon. It has very relatable and funny characters and romances to swoon over. This book is great for people who loved Royals by Rachel Hawkins and/or Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
This is a story that is filled with such magic and warmth. In case you somehow don’t know what this one is about, it follows Harry Potter who learns he is a wizard and goes to a magical boarding school. This book is all about friendship and will fill your heart with love and you will want to pack your bags and attend Hogwarts once you’re done.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
If you’re looking for a fun vampire series, this is for you! This book is filled with badass characters, a great storyline, and characters to root for. Vampire Academy has plenty of sass and moments that will make you laugh out loud. This book is about Rose who is the protector of her best friend, who just happens to be a vampire, and we follow these two at a boarding school and what happens when romance comes into play.

Contemporaries

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Simon is so fluffy and sweet! Simon Spier (the protagonist) is a very relatable nerdy character and this book is all about him coming out and how he connects with someone over email. The catch is he doesn’t know who he’s emailing and when will all these secrets become too much?

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
This is a graphic novel and a very short read, but this one will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. The story is all about two boys in England and how their friendship grows into something more. Charlie and Nick are both precious and you will want to wrap them both up in bubble wrap after reading this one and you will also want to curl up and watch movies with all of these characters.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Although this is a children’s book, it is a great book! Wonder follows August who has a facial difference and when he starts school, he has to deal with how people react. It will have you smiling through happy tears and you will be reminded about the innocence and purity of children. You will also see that humanity is not doomed and that children love so fiercely and will protect each other. 

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is a fluffy YA romance story, but it’s filled with romantic letters, great siblings, and just all around cuteness. This book follows Lara Jean and what ensues when all her love letters are sent out to their recipients. What follows is a fake relationship that could turn into more and lots and lots of drama. Once you’re done, you can also watch the Netflix film and it’s sequel!

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
This is an adult contemporary and will have you awwing out loud. Henry (the Prince of England) and Alex (America’s first son) have a long held rivalry, but what happens when their dislike grows into something else? This book is filled with great political discussions and a romance to scream about.

My Faire Lady by Laura Wetterstern
This book follows Rowena and how her summer job at the Renaissance fair is filled with romance and lots of medieval drama. This is an easy and cheesy contemporary, but it’s filled with some great romance and funny moments.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
This book is filled with a sweet romance, a Twitter war, and lots of baking. Pepper and Jack are rivals and start a heated Twitter war, but they also start falling for each other over an anonymous app. This book will make you laugh out loud and you will squeal at all the pop culture references. 

Classics & Poetry

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Anne of Green Gables is a classic, which follows orphan Anne and her life on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Anne has a big imagination and a heart overflowing with love. This book has gorgeous nature descriptions and characters to fill your heart.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery
This is a really sweet book with beautiful illustrations, which follows a little boy who travels around the universe and learns about adults and the world. It’s a really short read but will fill your heart with some warmth and love.

Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill
This poetry collection is filled with inspiring retellings of fairy tales. If you ever need a pep talk, this book will make you want to kick some butt and change the world.

The Princess Saves Herself In This One by Amanda Lovelace
This is another great feminist read which will make you pump your fist in the air and grin from ear to ear!

Hopefully one of these books will put a smile on your face. All of these books are magical in their own way.

What are some of your favourite feel good books? Tell us in the comments below!

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For more than a decade, Taylor Swift has been blessing us with catchy songs and lyrics to-die-for! She went from cutesy country songs to badass pop singles, and gorgeous love ballads. As much as we adore all her albums, I am sure that we all have slight preferences – be it her sweet debut album Taylor Swift or the snarky Reputation one! And since this quarantine is the perfect time to add some new books to your TBR, I made a list of YA books you should read based on your favourite T-Swift album! Without further ado, here are some epic YA recs that you can read while blasting Taylor at full volume!

TAYLOR SWIFT

Taylor’s self-titled debut album is an almost all-country album that is sweet and fluffy, while talking about high school life, heartbreak, and longing. There are a few songs, like Picture to Burn, that show the sass and confidence we get to expect from the singer in her later albums, but mostly this album is all sugar. So the books selected reflect that sweet quality of the album with occasional bursts of passion and anger! 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
The To All the Boys trilogy is one of the most beloved YA contemporary series in the book community, best known for its fluff, plenty of baking sequences, and mostly for its ability to divide fans into teams. We follow Lara Jean, a sweet and shy 16-year old who comes face to face with all her past crushes, when her well-hidden love letters to them come out. Drama ensues. 

Geekerella by Ashley Poston
Geekerella might be an adorbs retelling, but with its endless fandom references, an actual actor-geek romance blooming, and a convention in the making it is also a beautiful love letter to fandoms and all their magic. Elle is a huge fan of a classic sci-fi show Starfield and Darien, a famous heartthrob and a secret geek, snatched the role of the main character, Prince Carmindor, in the Starfield reboot. As their paths cross, they learn a lot about themselves and also about the fandom they (in many ways) dedicated their lives to.

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
This beautiful graphic novel is simply the cutest story of first love and self-discovery you will ever stumble upon! Nick and Charlie are high school students in an all-boys school. They are desk mates in class and when their unlikely friendships starts blooming into something more in time, we get a chance to witness a truly inspiring and queer love story that will give solace to the generations to come. 

FEARLESS

Her second album, Fearless, is a country pop album where Taylor delves deeper into her romantic relationships and her perception of them. One of the most prominent underlying themes of this album is unrequited love and yearning that comes with it, making the songs on this album an audio equivalent of seating on your bed, gazing out the window at the falling rain, and daydreaming about the person that puts your heart on fire. To honour Fearless, I picked three books that talk of growing up, growing into yourself, of unrequited love, and longing.

Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen
This is another one of those stories where the characters just suck you in and make you root for them no matter what! When eighteen-year-old Ever is forced to spend her summer in far away Taiwan to improve her Mandarin, she is convinced that her perfect summer of dancing is over. She soon realises that the strict program is actually dubbed ‘Loveboat’ by students and might actually present a chance to be as free as she wants to be and dance her heart out. This is a story of finding yourself, a story of first loves, and giving your dreams everything you’ve got. 

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
When Jamie, an awkward geeky guy who likes to stay behind the scenes on political campaigns, and Maya, a girl with a heap of problems who is having the worst Ramadan ever, are forced to work together on political canvassing, it seems like the end of a perfectly good summer. But as they get more and more invested in the cause they are canvassing for, they also start falling for each other. Yes No Maybe So is both a love story and an ode to activism, finding your cause, and fighting for what you believe in.

The Upside of Falling by Alex Light
Fake dating trope, cynical view of love, and the improbable odds that change that? Sign me right up! This cute contemporary follows a girl named Becca who gave up on love when her dad walked out on her and her mother, and a boy named Brett who jumps in to help her with a fake boyfriend ruse to get people off his back about not dating in high school will steal your heart! It’s a sweet and fluffy read but with underlying themes of heartbreak, letting go of the past, and believing in love.

SPEAK NOW

Speak Now was the first album written solely by Taylor. This album took her a bit closer to the pop genre with a sprinkle of country here and there, and Swift also expanded on her themes. She still sings about love and heartbreak, but there are also themes of regret, betrayal, and falling for someone you maybe shouldn’t fall for. So my picks are a hearty mix of said themes! 

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds
This lovely contemporary with a magical twist will both break and mend your heart! When Jack meets Kate at a party and they bond almost instantly, he is convinced that she is the one! But then Kate dies unexpectedly – and what should be the end of their story actually marks a beginning of a devastating tale. Jack is sent back to the beginning, to the day he first met Kate, and gets a chance to do it all over again and maybe save Kate in the process. But things are more complicated than they seem and Jack will have to figure out what and who he is willing to sacrifice in order to finally save Kate in one of his many time travels!

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
This is one of the books that will make you think of the ‘what ifs’. As Natasha and Daniel’s paths cross, them falling in love seems impossible. Natasha is twelve hours away from being deported and doesn’t believe in love. Daniel always worked hard to live up to his parent’s expectations, but his heart is that of a poet. Which one of them has it right? Can they beat the odds and actually fall in love or does the universe have different plans for them? The Sun Is Also a Star will make your heart sing with joy, but also face the harsh realities of our world. 

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
Now this fantasy book filled with rich imagery and deeper themes might be a more political book, but I believe it might intrigue the fans of Speak Now because of that! When Lei is chosen to be one of the nine king’s consorts picked from the lowest Paper cast, her life is turned upside down. But with the honourable job that threatens to break Lei apart also comes a chance to find out what happened to her mother and fight for her people – and the woman she loves. Will she be able to persist and rebel against the tyrannical king? 

RED

Taylor’s fourth album, Red, was released in October 2012 and it reflects her growth as both a woman and an artist. The title of this album was inspired by the intense emotions she felt during one of the relationships she was in while writing it – and you can feel these emotions throughout the whole album. From burning love and confusion, to jealousy and frustration, the songs dig deeper into one’s psyche and present a more mature angle. Another important theme Taylor touches on is also fame and what it means for her life to be constantly under scrutiny.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
The first book in The Dark Artifices trilogy is just the type of book that will make you feel as if your heart was put through a ringer. We follow parabatai Emma and Julian as they try to navigate the looming threats to the LA Institute, raising Julian’s younger siblings, and most perilous of them all – their feelings for one another. But parabatai are forbidden to fall in love, this can only bring heartbreak and devastation. Can they find a way to be together in secret while keeping the rest of their family and the world safe from ruin? Basically, Lady Midnight deals with a lot of heart-wrenching drama, unresolved issues, and emotions so deep you will need a whole box of tissues to get through the book. 

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
Some might argue that every Silvera book is filled with the deepest emotions, the ones that are difficult to face. But this heart-wrenching story of first love and what follows when you lose it in the most permanent of ways packs an especially big punch. As Griffin is trying to deal with the death of his first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, we journey through the past to piece together their story but also to find out what went wrong. The only thing Griffin can do is confront both his past and his present to be able to move on with his life. 

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Did someone say heartbreak of epic proportions? In this lyrical rendering of the sung-about Trojan War, we see a different side of the story. Not the tale of war and battles, but the tale of fateful love and how it can colour every aspect of your life. As we follow Patroclus and Achilles, epic heroes of the Trojan War, from their childhood all the way to the war we get to know their story of blossoming friendship and later on legendary love.

1989

1989 was Taylor’s first official all-pop album, and the songs are bolder, full of potential, and infinite possibilities. Taylor mentioned that she was inspired by the late 80s pop songs – she still sings about love, but this theme takes a step back to let the themes of self-discovery, leaving idealism behind, and saying goodbye shine.

The books I picked had to be bolder, full of deeper love, and finding yourself in the process, books that aren’t afraid to shine the light on the ugly, call it out, and transform it into something lovelier.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Taylor’s fifth album is full of self-discovery and shows us a different take on love. Nothing sounds more in tune with that than Maggie’s magical book about five characters who work together in order to find a long dead Welsh king and uncover a legend, while also falling in love – but not in the most traditional sense. Love is a very present theme throughout this whole series but it is not limited to the romantic love. In the centre of this magical realism story is the love you feel for your friends and family and how limitless it can make you feel. Let me blast I Wish You Would and cry over all these beautiful character who are all in love with one another. Maybe in different ways, but it is love nonetheless.

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales
This queer Grease retelling will make you go ‘awww’ on more than one occasion! But the beauty of it is not only in its cute love story (though that is a very important part of it as well), but in the journey these characters go through in the book. Every one of them is facing different inner demons and they find their strength in fighting them but also in realising that they are all dealing with things as best as they know how and need to accept and understand that. 

The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman
For some reason, 1989 really fits well with magical realism books for me! A dark story of a small town, its founding families, and five teenagers who have to work together in order to save it from a dangerous monster praying on its locals. This might be a book about monsters and mysterious powers, but in its centre it is also a beautiful story of friendship, forbidden love, beating the odds, and standing up for yourself and what you believe in! Did someone say Bad Blood and This Love?

REPUTATION

Taylor’s most badass album to date dropped heavy and unexpected, rocking the music industry, and bringing Taylor heaps of new fans with its confident and edgy songs! Whether this one is your favourite album or not, you can’t deny that Taylor reached new depths with it. From afar, this is an album about bad blood, enemies, and tarnished reputations, but at a closer look, we can see tendrils of love and romance that survive despite all the ugliness and cruelty.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Now, nothing says cunning and badass as much as cruel faeries that are ready to trick you and get you on your knees in no time. In The Cruel Prince, we follow a story of Jude Duarte, a mortal living in the High Court of Faerie. She is often ridiculed and frowned upon for her mortality, but as Jude gets tangled into a dangerous scheme, she realises she possesses all the thirst for blood and cunning she will need to defy the odds and come out on top!

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Epic heists, mastermind plans, and beating the odds – Six of Crows has it all, and more! There will never be a duology about heists more perfect than this one, but it’s more than that! It is a story of surviving, of finding your crew even when the world all but abandoned you, of finding love in face of all the pain, and scars you were dealt. As we follow along with a criminal mastermind Kaz Brekker and his epic crew as they try to sneak into the Ice Court and free the most valuable and dangerous prisoner, we learn that this heist is about so much more than the money the crew was promised! No mourners, no funerals.

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
This dark academia masterpiece with a gruesome murder in its centre and a group of friends ready to do anything to hide the truth will make you gasp both in horror and twisted delight. The story jumps back and forth – on one hand we follow Oliver Marks as he is released from prison after serving ten years for a murder he might’ve committed, and on the other we delve into the past as we try to piece together what actually happened on that fateful night when one of the seven students, seven Thespians, lost their life. Its many twists and turns are perfect for the fans of a darker and more powerful Reputation. (I might be cheating slightly since this is not technically YA, but it fits Reputation too well to not scream about it!)

LOVER

And last, but never least, Taylor’s most recent album, Lover, which was released in the summer of 2019 and shaked the music industry yet again! Lover is a beautifully romantic album, where Taylor uncovered her personal journey and dared to be vulnerable. The romance is not evident just in the way Taylor sings about her lover, but in the way she sings about everything, as if one puts on the romantic googles. Lover is the album of positivity, vulnerability, and hope, where the main themes are being happy and feeling good.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
This YA classic of a coming out story will warm your heart and make you believe in love again! Simon Spier is an awkward sixteen-year-old with a pen pal who knows Simon’s secret – he’s gay – and who Simon might be in love with. But when someone discovers their emails and starts blackmailing Simon, his life is turned upside down. Will Simon be able to fight off the blackmailer and finally figure out who his mysterious Blue really is? Pick up this cuteness of a book, press play on Lover and buckle up for a geeky ride!

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Nothing says Lover quite like deep yet forbidden love! In Bloodlines, an urban fantasy series that will steal your heart, we follow Sydney Sage who is an Alchemist, a part of a secret society that is tasked with keeping vampires a secret from the rest of mankind. When Sydney is sent on a top-secret mission to keep the Moroi princess safe, she starts questioning her loyalties – especially when said assignment brings an artsy, charming, and sassy Moroi into her life. Do love and loyalty really run deeper than blood? Bloodlines is a beautiful series that next to epic love also tackles some important issues such as mental health and what it really means to defy prejudices you were raised with.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
And we are back at gorgeous retellings that will make you clutch your heart in awe again! When Cinder, ostracised as a cyborg, is forced to volunteer her body for plague research after her stepsister is infected with a plague, her life is turned upside down. Her body carries secrets – secrets not even Cinder knows about. When Prince Kai also steps into the picture and starts falling for Cinder, she must decide between telling the truth and fighting for the future of her world or running away and saving her own life! Cinder (and all the other books in The Lunar Chronicles series) is perfect for fans of Lover – filled with beautiful love stories, badass heroines, and saving the world!

Do you have any other recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

The post YA Books Based On Your Favourite Taylor Swift Album appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Two fangirl besties discussing all things nerdy. Yes, we did a thing. A thing where we sit down and discuss our favourite things and try to convince you to join us in fangirling about them! Today’s focus, a book series that isn’t talked about enough – but should be – is Richelle Mead’s Bloodlines. Read on to see us fangirl about this book and tell you why you should definitely pick this one up.

A brief summary of Bloodlines
In Bloodlines, the heart-shattering spin-off of Vampire Academy, we follow the story of Sydney Sage, an 18-year-old Alchemist who is tasked with keeping the princess of the Moroi world hidden and safe from the assassins who are threatening her life and with that the future of the Moroi. Sydney is joined by Jill, the shy Moroi princess, Eddie, her faithful guardian, and Adrian, irreverent party boy who joins the trio because of a deep-hidden secret. Can they work together, keep Jill alive, and save the Moroi world from political collapse? Or will their squabbles and constant threats from both the Moroi and Alchemists reveal their scheme and ruin them all?

Describe Bloodlines in 5 words!

Maša: I have to go with forbidden love and magic and…
Hannah: We’ve got to mention vampires and let’s go with loyalty.
Maša: Yes, perfect!

What do you love most about the series?

H: Adrian!

M: Naturally, he is one of the biggest factors (if not the biggest one!). But basically, just everything! Sydney is also amazing, she’s such a badass. And I love how she’s not your typical YA badass, not a fight-y type (and same goes for Adrian)! She has her smarts and her books and … Basically a Hermione and Nina Zenik from Six of Crows mixed together!

H: I also love the side characters in this book. They all have great storylines and you will be rooting for them all. They are not just cardboard cutouts, there to further the main protagonist’s development. They have relevant backgrounds and goals. And we can’t forget about the plot itself!

M: Sydney is an Alchemist and she overcomes her prejudice about the vampires she learns to fight for what she believes in and make her own choices! We also need to mention the romance *swoon*.

H: It has the greatest forbidden romance, I am telling you! Romeo and Juliet who?

Everything you need to know about the main characters

H: Let’s start with our protagonist Sydney Sage! Independent, straight-forward and overly logical. She is a stereotypical Ravenclaw.

M: Yeah, she has all those Ravenclaw traits and what I love most about her is the character development she goes through! From her childhood she’s been told to believe that all vampires are “evil creatures of the night” but she slowly realises that those might just be prejudices born from fear! This quote says it all:

“The greatest changes in history have come when people were able to shake off what others told them to do.”

H: Her partner in crime Adrian Ivashkov is the notorious party boy. Pretty much everything Sydney is not. Adrian is a Moroi, burdened by his mysterious power that impacts his mental health more than he would like to admit. Adrian comes across as a carefree and arrogant guy but there is more hidden beneath the surface.

M: Adrian is one of the main protagonists of Vampire Academy, the series that comes before Bloodlines, and at the end of that series he is left with some pretty serious emotional wounds. Plus another thing that we just have to point out is his loyalty. That’s why I’ll always say he is *the* Hufflepuff! His loyalty to Jill Mastrano shapes the whole story.

H: Adrian is totally a Hufflepuff but he also has some serious Gryffindor tendencies. Let’s just talk about how impulsive he is and he is also very brave.

M: He’d want you to say that he is very “manly” brave. *laughs*  But toxic-masculinity is not in his vocabulary. I think that’s one of the things I love most about him. He will say things like “That was very manly, wasn’t it?” but it is very evident that he does not condone any sort of sexist behaviour!

H: Adrian does always say that;  “These hands don’t sully themselves with fighting.”  His loyalty to Jill is so heartwarming and sweet. Jill is a girl who has a huge responsibility on her shoulders but still remains incredibly sweet, kind and caring.  She grows up before your eyes in this series, she becomes the princess she was always meant to be. So of course we have another Hufflepuff here! And then last but not least, the Dhampir aka the guardian of the group, Eddie Castile. Our resident Gryffindor!

M: Eddie is fiercely protective which stems from his pretty traumatic past (you’ll have to read Vampire Academy to find out what this means). Well we can easily say that all of these characters deal with some pretty heavy issues but that makes them even more relatable and their stories more powerful! We all carry things that are not fun or light but that somehow shapes who we are.

Why you should pick Bloodlines up and what themes are discussed

H: Bloodlines isn’t the typical vampire book. It’s so much more! If you want something with a bit older characters and some great discussions about mental health and addiction I would definitely go and buy this series right now.

M: Yes, the mental health rep in Bloodlines is very accurate, and I love the way the author connected some illnesses with the magical parts of the story. The bipolar disorder rep really stands out and it is one of the best ones I’ve seen in books to date!

H: Adrian struggles with addiction and his spirit powers. Both of these impact his mental health We see him try to come to terms with the illness and try to cope using different methods.

M: So on one hand we have bipolar disorder rep and on the other the series talks a lot about body image issues and unhealthy behaviours that stem from that. You will see Sydney’s struggles from the first book and her trying to reach for perfection when there is no such thing.

H: Closely related to this is that we see both Jill and Sydney struggle with low confidence and figuring out who they are. They both learn to defy what they’ve been told is right and have  great character developments throughout the series.

M: Of course we also can’t forget about the consent talk – Richelle weaves it in seamlessly and in different situations, be it related to sex or not. It is a very much present theme but maybe not in the most obvious ways. All these themes make Bloodlines a timeless read!

What makes Bloodlines special and/or relevant today?

M: Everything we just pointed out! There are some underlying mental health themes that work really well with the urban fantasy plot and enrich the story as a whole. 

H: The prejudice that we see from the Alchemists is very relevant in today’s political climate! Richelle discusses how people’s assumptions can influence the way people are treated and broader decisions are made. She also shows that people’s perceptions can influence how they act.

M: There is also the forbidden love part and that is another theme for the ages – even in our “progressive” world there are still relationships that are not as accepted and are in many ways coloured by prejudice. Our main love story deals with everything that comes from people not accepting your love as equal and as strong as some other relationships.

H: Talking about the relationship in this book, let’s mention that these two characters have one of the healthiest relationships that I’ve ever read about in books. These two communicate so well and support each other in everything they do. There is none of that male dominant, possessiveness trope. They build their relationship on trust and it’s a very believable slow burn. We can see their friendship blossom into something more. This relationship is also about accepting someone, flaws and all.  

“He was too perfect, despite being one of the most imperfect people I knew.”

M: One of our favourite parts of the series are also the friendship dynamics – be it between Jill and Sydney who never show any jealousy or competitive behaviour towards each other, they are just two girls loving and supporting each other which screams “girl power”, or between Eddie and Adrian. These two guys never get into fights over who’s the “alpha” male, there is just no toxic masculinity – every one of the characters is a fighter in their own right.

H: We also need to talk about the friendships between girls and guys. Eddie and Sydney have a very sibling like relationship, they never even consider being anything but friends. The same goes with Jill and Adrian, they have very strong relationships and there is nothing romantic about them. It’s a beautiful representation about girls and guys being friends. We need more of that.

Book recommendations if you liked Bloodlines?

H: Obviously Vampire Academy! If you haven’t read it yet that is the best choice – plus you get more of Adrian. *wink wink* Also you could read anything by the queen herself, Cassandra Clare! She also discusses important themes, has a wide range of friendships, and she deals with all of these without “shoving” them in your face and being too heavy.

M: Some more recs… Okay this is super hard, actually! Bloodlines is just a really unique series and it’s harder than I thought it would be to come up with some good recs! Oh, maybe The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. Although it’s a different genre the feel of the series is quite similar. The leading ladies are also badass and the side characters are well developed and totally epic!

H: And if you’ve already read all of those you can just reread Bloodlines as you can never read them too many times. Maša can attest to that! She’s read the second book, The Golden Lily, about… Nineteen times? Yes, she is obsessed.

M: I am. So the moral of the story: Go read Bloodlines and join the fanclub.

Will you be reading Bloodlines? And if you’ve read it already, tell us who your favourite character is in the comments below!

The post A Chat Between Two Fangirls: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Deserve The Hype

Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo
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A band of misfits, led by Ketterdam’s criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker, goes on an epic heist promising glory and destruction in equal measures. That’s the premise of Leigh Bardugo’s enchanting and straight-up hilarious duology following six people who might just be able to go down in history as the ones who have it all – that is, if they don’t kill each other first. If you’re looking for some quick wit, breathtaking world-building and tense plot twists, Six of Crows should be right up your alley.

This Savage Song by V.E. Schwab
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In a city overrun with monsters, everyone must choose sides. In Verity, violence breeds actual monsters that need to be eradicated if the citizens ever want to feel safe again. But who’s the real monster here? The monsters – or the people whose violence creates them? V.E. Schwab excels in making you question your beliefs of good and evil and This Savage Song, told in alternating perspectives of two people who ask themselves whether they are on the right side of the fight, will make you question if it’s the side you’re standing on that’s wrong – or the fight in and of itself.

Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare
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It’s intimidating at first glance, I know. An entire fantasy world that, to date, encompasses twelve full-length novels and three short story collections – not exactly what you would call a quick beginning to your fantasy adventures, right? But here’s the thing: it is so worth it. Cassandra Clare has created a fandom and a world that she expands on in ways no one could ever imagine. Spanning centuries and everything from Shadowhunters who protect the world from demons to warlocks who just want to find love – Clare paints characters that will tug at your heartstrings. While The Mortal Instruments is the first series in this world, The Infernal Devices can also be read without any prior knowledge (and it’s a real favourite of the fans, trust me).

Fandom Favourites

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
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Have you ever wondered what would happen if the Chosen One…was kind of the worst person to be chosen to save humanity from disaster? Well, wonder no more! Carry On follows Simon Snow as he braves the many dangers of attracting way too much demonic attention (both from evil creatures that want to see him dead and his enigmatic roommate Baz who…also wants to see him dead, like, half of the time?) at the Watford School of Magicks and gets into all kinds of trouble – all while trying to solve a mystery that has everyone waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
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Following Jude Duarte, a human girl swept off to the magical land of Faerie, this is the story of a girl who will go to unimaginable lengths to get what she wants – even if it means spiting all the immortal beings that see her as weak, or maybe just to do that. Jude Duarte is unapologetic in her quest to make Faerie a more just place…but that does not mean that she’s not ready to break some of the rules herself. If you like morally grey characters, descriptive writing and plot twists that will leave you begging for the next instalment, The Cruel Prince will provide.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
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At this point, it is impossible to follow the YA fantasy genre and not encounter Sarah J. Maas. This author has spawned some of the most beloved characters, from Illyrian fighters to stubborn assassins. Her first series, Throne of Glass, follows Celaena Sardothien who, after a stint in the salt mines as punishment for her criminal indulgences, finds herself vying for the spot as the King’s personal assassin. Competing against men with more experience and sway in the court, Celaena has to hold her own – all while on the hunt for a greater destiny that might just change everything she thought she knew. That being said, over the course of the series, it becomes a little questionable as to whether we can call it YA.

Deserves More Attention

With new releases hitting the market every week, some older but amazing fantasies sometimes don’t get the attention they merit. If you’d like to read some lesser talked about series, these might be for you.

The Young Elites by Marie Lu
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You don’t want to read about the heroes of the world? Then you might consider Marie Lu’s Young Elites trilogy. This series chronicles the descent of Adelina, one of the few people that have survived the blood fever decimating the lands. Thought to have supernatural powers, Adelina finds herself taken away by strangers to work on her abilities…and questioning what is right and wrong. If you ever wondered what happens when the good guys turn bad, The Young Elites make a fascinating case for becoming the anti-hero you never picture yourself as.

The Winner’s Curse trilogy by Marie Rutkoski
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As a young woman in a war-hungry world, Kestrel has only two options: join the military or get married. Unsatisfied with either of those options, Kestrel tries to find her own path in life. Aided by a young slave she frees, Kestrel begins to figure out what she wants – only in time for everything to come crumbling down around her. A story of betrayal, love and death, this trilogy keeps you on the tip of your toes from beginning to end.

Fantasy Retellings

So you’d like to start your journey into the magical world of fantasy with some recognisable plot structure to ease you in? Fairytale retellings with a fantastical spin might be for you!

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
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For a retelling with a more contemporary feel to it, this reimagination of Beauty and the Beast is partly told in a Emberfall and Washington, D.C. Follow young Harper as she gets swept away into a magical world, meets a reluctant Prince and ends up wanting to save the world that is holding her captive.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer
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Imagining the Queen of Hearts’ life before she became the ruthless ruler we all love to hate, Marissa Meyer spins a dramatic tale of a young girl who loses everything because of who she loves. Romantic, heartbreaking and leaving you breathless even though you know what happens at the end, this one will require some tissues for sure.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
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Based on 1001 Nights, this book (and its sequel The Rose and the Dagger) follows young Sharzad and King Khalid. King Khalid is cursed – to keep his kingdom, he has to kill his brides. Enter Sharzad, a resilient and stubborn woman who refuses to keep watching her friends marry the King and die – and gets selected as his new…and maybe last…bride.

Easy Starters

High fantasy can be really dense and hard to immerse yourself into. Down below, you will find two series that are long but have a flowing writing style that will have you turning pages in no time.

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
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The Falling Kingdoms is one of the best series to start your fantasy experience with. Easy-flowing writing, drama beyond anything you can imagine and pairings that will make you want to rip your hair out – or swoon on the spot.  Falling Kingdoms has it all. It reads a bit like a telenovela series in the magical lands of Mytica and, told in alternating perspectives,  will have you choose your favourite in a heartbeat and then sob because you just want everyone to be okay – even if you know they won’t be.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
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You heard it here first, ladies and gentlemen: Vampires are rising from the dead once more! With both Renee Ahdieh and Jay Kristoff set to release new vampire fantasy novels this fall, the YA world is set to take another spin at one of the most popular fantasy niches – supernatural creatures! For those of you who read Twilight (the beginning of it all, if you will), the Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead may be just right for you to get back into the undead groove. Filled with dhampirs to protect the elite vampires and evil Strigoi that want to make everyone immortal and – you know – evil, this six-book series seriously packs a bunch of action!

Not Interested In Young Adult?

You don’t want to read about young adults but would still like a nice start to the fantasy genre?

Then you might be more inclined to Victoria Schwab’s duology Vicious and Vengeful which follows two brilliant students who want to turn themselves into heroes – but end up toeing the line between playing god and playing villain more than once.

Alternatively, if you’re a fan of Harry Potter and would like to read more about young children taking on a magical world, Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend might be of interest to you. Following a young girl, Morrigan Crow, who has been cursed to die as a child but ends up in a place called the Wondrous Society, this story will give you all the Harry Potter vibes with extravagant characters, lots of remarkable quests and a protagonist you just can’t help but root for.

Do you have any other YA fantasy suggestions? Tell us in the comments below!

The post A Guide To Young Adult Fantasy Books appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The best way to escape our monotonous reality is by reading and fantasy is probably the best genre for that because it takes us to a completely new world. By reading pages and pages of unreal creatures, breathtaking adventures, and swoon-worthy characters, you will definitely be less stressed from your worldly tasks. So, here are our picks for the top 5 YA fantasy series everyone needs to read!

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
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This six-book series by Richelle Mead starts by the capturing of the mortal vampires’ Princess Lissa Dragomir and her best friend, Rose Hathaway by the guards and bringing them back to the Vampire Academy, after two years of disappearance. Back at the institute, Rose starts training to be a full-fledged Dhampir guardian to her princess. The pair face multiple problems following their return like hiding Lissa’s healing abilities, Rose and Lissa’s psychotic bond, and the immortal Strigoi hell bent on killing the mortal princess. To top it all, Rose starts to have feelings for her trainer, Dimitri Belikov. A stunning write-up of teenage friendships, psychotic bonds, bad vampires, good vampires and their guardians, and a thrilling forbidden romance, Vampire Academy is a remarkable fantasy series you have to read.

“Only a true best friend can protect you from your immortal enemies.” ― Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
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One of the longer YA fantasy series, with seven books and a prequel, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas is an epic read. Celaena Sardothien, an assassin entrapped in slavery by a tyrannical king is called to the castle as Prince Dorians’ nominee to compete with other thieves and assassins so she could be freed from slavery after serving as the king’s champion for a few years. Once in the glass castle, Celaena starts training with Chaol Westfall, Captain of the Royal Guard, and occasionally associates with Prince Dorian. Inevitably, Celaena is torn between the two men as she goes on with her tasks to become the king’s champion. The series is filled with humor, romance, amazing characters, and of course, badass heroines!

““You could rattle the stars,” she whispered. “You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.”” –Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
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The young princess, Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, on her nineteenth birthday, sets off towards the castle where she was born to become the Queen and save her country, the Tearling, from the Red Queen, a sorceress possessing dark magic. Kelsea being solemn and simple, is different from her dead mother, Queen Elyssa Raleigh who was known for being beautiful yet frivolous. But determined to claim the throne that was rightfully hers, Kelsea is accompanied by her queen’s guard, led by the covert Lazarus, and comforted by her love for books and education, to improve the situations of her people in her country. This trilogy by Erika Johansen is a combination of mystery, magic, romance, action and adventure.

“There’s a better world out there, so close we can almost touch it.” ― Erika Johansen, The Invasion of the Tearling

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
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Sabaa Tahir wrote An Ember in the Ashes, one of the best YA fantasy series of all time. The Martial Empire oppresses the scholars since they had taken over the rule from the Scholars five centuries ago. When Laia, a scholar girl’s grandparents are murdered and her brother taken by the Martial Empire, she strikes a deal with the Resistance- she will spy on the Blackcliff military academy’s commandant and in return, they will help her find her brother. At the strict Blackcliff Academy, Laia acts as a slave, and eventually meets Elias Veturius, a masked student and son of the commandant, who secretly loathes the oppression on the Scholars. When the two get acquainted, they will realise that they are supposed to change the fate of the Empire. Still incomplete, this series has An Ember in the Ashes, A Torch against the Night, and A Reaper at the Gates, with book 4 scheduled to release sometime in 2020.

“You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it.” “You are full, Laia. Full of life and dark and strength and spirit. You are in our dreams. You will burn, for you are an ember in the ashes.” ― Sabaa Tahir, An Ember in the Ashes

Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo
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The Grishaverse follows a world where there are people who can exhibit a special type of magic called the small science who are called Grisha, and the others are normal. In the first series, The Shadow and Bone trilogy, Alina Starkov, when faced with danger of the volcra in the fold, exhibits a dormant Grisha power that saves her best friend’s life. The Darkling immediately rushes her to the Little Palace, knowing she bears power similar to his own. Alina becomes the Sun Summoner, and everyone counts on her to destroy the fold in the Unsea. But her own problems arise, the unwillingness of her power, her unusual lust for the darkling, and her wanting to find her best friend, Malyen Oretsev. Shadow and Bone trilogy is followed by the Six of Crows duology which takes places two years after the former, in Ketterdam, another place in the Grishaverse. The third series is the King of Scars duology, whose second book is yet to be released.

“I didn’t think he was in love with me and I had no idea what I felt for him, but he wanted me, and maybe that was enough.” ― Leigh Bardugo, Shadow and Bone

Any other must-read YA fantasy series you would recommend? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 5 YA Fantasy Series To Read appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Over the course of the series, readers split into Team Dimitri and Team Adrian while they waited for Rose to finalise her decision as to whom she truly loved. Adrian, the wealthy troublemaker Moroi who which made his first appearance in Frostbite, was my choice from the beginning. He has a certain sadness in him which made me very protective of him. When Mead announced they will be a spin-off series called Bloodlines that would continue his story, I was excited. However, he has to share the spotlight with another known characters from VA, Sydney Sage, an alchemist who made her first appearance in Blood Promise and helped Rose find Dimitri after his abduction.

In Bloodlines, Sydney showed she is able to take over missions and start her work as an alchemist. Her first mission brings her to Palm Springs where she has to protect Jillian Mastrano Dragomir, half-sister of Vasilisa Dragomir. There she is joined by Adrian Ivashkov who was assigned to be near Jill because he is a friend of the Dragomir’s. At first, Sydney dislikes him because alchemist’s and Moroi’s never got along and never will. They are forced to spend a lot of time together and she starts to see behind his poker face and sees the real Adrian, the selfless, open-hearted, and artistic man he only showed to Sydney. As the story continues, Sydney, Adrian, and their newly made friends not only have to face every day school life, but make sure to protect Jill from Moroi rebels who want the kill her in order to invalidate Vasilisa from the throne, but also face her personal demons and first real love.

For me, Bloodlines is much better than Vampire Academy, but not just because I was able to read more about Adrian.

1. Bloodlines shows the complexity of the world better

There are different groups of beings in the Vampire Academy world. You have the Moroi, the born, mortal, and wealthy vampires and some of them develop abilities from the five elements. Then there are Strigoi who are made, bad, and everything we fear of vampires.

Dhamphir’s are half vampire and half human who become Moroi guardians. They are born with quick reflexes and increased strength. And then there are the alchemists and their job is to protect the human world and the world of vampires equally from each other.

In VA, we get to know the vampire world pretty well, but not how it looks like on the other side. Through Sydney we finally get to see the other side and that it is as broken as the one we know about already. There are hierarchies and secret organisations and conspiracies, and it is not easy to live in a world of secrets and lies. Why do alchemists dislike vampires so much? Why do Moroi think they can do everything? How hard is it to put aside everything you grow up with and make your own opinion of the situation and people around you? While Vampire Academy mostly shows us the world, Bloodlines questions it.

2. It may be a YA but it feels more grown up

Vasilia and Rose have to face current events and do their best to get out of them. They find their new position in their society and fight for the love they have found. Meanwhile, Sydney and Adrian have to face their own demons while being on their mission. Adrian is suffering from mood swings and diagnosed with bipolar, which he tries to cope with by drinking a massive amount of alcohol and not the solution to his problems. He feels a certain pressure because of his family name and all he wants is a life of his own and to pursue his art. To be a spirit user and be able to go into someone else’s mind does not help his mental state and confuses him more.

It is the first time Sydney has to be away from her home and family and living completely on her own. She heard so much about the world, but never was in touch with it and therefore she feels like she had lived in a bubble for all those years. She has anxieties and wants to see the wonders of the world, which distracts her a bit from her mission. Sydney feels responsible to represent the alchemists, but does want to taste the bit of freedom she finally has as well.

I think people can identify with both characters as they come from a troubled house, each in their own way, and have to face the world and certain problems at once.

3. Sydney fights for her rights and stands against everything wrong in society

Sydney is one of those characters I would call a role model. She is intelligent, kind of nerdy, and although she may feel socially awkward, she tries her best to be a part of society, especially being surrounded by a group of vampires she should dislike and not become friends with. Through Sydney and Adrian, we learn what discrimination can do to people and we see how you can survive.

As with almost every story, Bloodlines also has a love story in it. The love between an alchemist and a Moroi, between Sydney and Adrian. They should never be together alone because of their different heritages and they know it. They fought against it until they understood that it does not matter where they come from, the heart demands what it wants and does not care if one has to go to prison because of it.

4. Second chances: Adrian shows his real self

As I have mentioned before, I was always Team Adrian. I knew that behind his arrogant bad boy façade, there had to be more and an explanation as to why his is that way.

Adrian deserved a second chance with the audience as well as in his life. He comes from a troubled home, he loves his mother unconditionally, but hates his father just as much. He had to behave because of his family name, but never felt truly accepted and because he is a spirit user and be able to feel other people’s emotions, it is a burden for him. Over the course of Bloodlines, he finally gain control of his powers and because he is far away from his family, he has the time to think about his future and actually has the chance to be happy.

He falls helplessly in love with Sydney, who at first does not want to admit that she feels the same way. He opens up his heart as he has never done before. For me, Adrian is the one characters who has one of the most beautiful declarations of love:

“No, you ‘will’ listen. For once, you’re going to hear something that doesn’t fit into you neat, compartmentalised world of order and logic and reason. Because this isn’t reasonable. If you’re terrified, believe me- this scares the hell out of me, too. You asked about Rose? I tried to be a better person for her- but it was to impress her, to get her to want me. But when I’m around you, I want to be better because… well, because it feels right. Because ‘I’ want to. You make me want to become something greater than myself. I want to excel. You inspire me in every act, ever word, every glance. I look at you, and you’re like… like light made into flesh. I said it on Halloween and meant every word: you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth. And you don’t even know it. You have no clue how beautiful you are of how brightly you shine. And I know, Sage. I know how you guys feel about us. I’m not stupid, and believe me, I’ve tried to get you out of my head. But there isn’t enough liquor or art or any other distraction in the world to do it. I had to stop going to Wolfe’s because it was too hard being that close to you, even if it was all just pretend fighting. I couldn’t stand the touching. It was agonising because it meant something to me and I knew it meant nothing to you. I kept telling myself to stay away altogether, and then I’d find excuses like the car anything to be around you again. Hayden was an asshole, but at least as long as you were involved with him, I had a reason to keep my distance.”

5. A better love story

This series features a better love story in a Romeo and Juliet kind of way, but at least with a happy ending. It is a love that can move mountains, literally. They not only overcome their own boundaries, but also show society that nothing really bad comes out of it. Why should they not follow their hearts? They even get married because it is their way to say that they feel this love will last until the end of times. Unfortunately, they have to go through hell and Sydney has to suffer the most while she gets abducted and held a prisoner by her own people.

6. Fighting for yourself and the people you care about

Bloodlines is a series strong with courage with everyone is trying to help and looking out for one another. The world is not safe so they have to make the best out of it. If only every human being on earth would feel the same we could be living in a better world in a blink of an eye. To see the characters doing that, it kind of gives you hope that one day we are able to do the same in real life.

7. Growing up means accepting changes

Growing up is a scary thing as you not only have to find your new place in the world, but also try to combine your current life with the one you want for yourself. Adrian has to distance himself from his parents to be capable of doing so. Sydney has to make the choice between her father and two sisters and the love of her life, especially since her father would never accept Adrian as his son-in-law.

How far would you go to follow your path? Would you leave everything you know behind? Well, you not always have to act like that, but sometimes it is the only way to find your happiness.

8. Abilities and art are an important part of communication

What I like the most in Bloodlines is that the abilities and the art are a very important part of the story. Not only can Adrian help the others with using the spirit element, but he can also create beautiful places in the mind of others. Through the dreams he creates and reaches out to Sydney so they can spend some time together without anyone being suspicious about how they treat each other. When Adrian is not building things with his mind he likes to paint. As we know, the artist puts his soul into his art and art is also a way of coping with everything for him.

How important art is for Adrian can be seen in the end of Indigo Spell. After Adrian has told Sydney how he feels about her, he leaves her coordinates which leads her to an ancient Roman and Greek museum where she then tells him she loves him.

I hope after reading this you will want to pick up Bloodlines immediately! If so, please do not be shy to tell us what you think about it.

Do you like Bloodlines more than Vampire Academy? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Richelle Mead’s ‘Bloodlines’ Is Better Than ‘Vampire Academy’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The category that is young adult is filled with so many different types of books and genres that nowadays it can be a bit tricky to find what to read since there are so many options. However, like most things, there are certain styles and genres that create a trend.

Many trends have emerged to worldwide acclaim this century and are part of (now) adults’ teenage reading favourites, including my own. Trends peak and fade with time and interest by readers and many new ones emerge every year, so let’s go down memory lane and see the biggest trends in the last decade or so, as well as the current trends and predictions for 2018 and beyond!

The Paranormal Band: Vampires, Werewolves & Witches

It would be an understatement to say that the paranormal trend took to young adults (and adults!) by storm. It was so hugely popular especially with the fast development of social media that it began a domino effect and crossover into Hollywood as YA book to movie adaptations smashed box offices around the world. Many consider Twilight as the pivotal origin of the paranormal hype as sparkling vampires became famous. More and more successful novels and series such as Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, The Southern Vampire Mysteries (True Blood), and House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, were consequently eaten up by readers, some adapted in movies and many remain current favourites for readers. This trend didn’t only apply to vampires but also to witches (Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia), ghosts (Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake) and werewolves (Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater).

Angels and Demons

There’s nothing more attractive to teen girls than the heavenly dream of finding the perfect boyfriend that is literally an angel or at least angel related, despite all the angst and probable family issues it brings. Angels and Demons was another huge trend, as a subcategory of the paranormal and fantasy genres. Angels were all the rage, with the building of backstories, describing those beautiful wings and the challenges of falling in love with an angel – an angel who might’ve literally fallen out of heaven and fallen for you too. Demons played their part too of course, and some might say the mixed elements of angel and demon drama in The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare and the entire Shadowhunter Chronicles it triggered is what continues to make it the most successful angel themed YA book series to date.

A Recipe for a Utopia with a Dash of Science Fiction

Dystopian and science fiction was another massively successful trend that created many book to movie adaptations and loyal fandoms worldwide. The concept of different worlds and societies in the future gone wrong was fresh and thought-provoking for young adults. It sparked discussion on themes of identity, society, class, politics, power and different versions of reality in a unique way. It even had teenagers taking personality tests for which faction you’d be in (Divergent by Veronica Roth). The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is the obvious game-changing novel that began this trend with many more that preceded it like Matched by Ally Condie adding to the fuel.

Fantastic Female Fronted High Fantasy

Any current YA reader would have heard of Sarah J Maas at least once, since her Throne of Glass series was among the great number of amazing female fronted high fantasy series to influence YA books in the last few years. These fantasy books are packed with action, intricate world-building, a bit of romance here and there, and a wide cast of characters to choose your favourite from. The protagonists aren’t delicate ladies either but are strong women who won’t back down or give up the fight and inspire other young women everywhere. Not only do these high fantasy books create an addiction for more but they have also popularised sub-genres of faeries, assassins and dragons which are all current trends of today. These high fantasy books had so much imagination to offer and are still cult favourites in the YA high fantasy genre since they brought so much to love. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder brought gorgeous magic, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir and Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard brought spies in disguise and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo brought the most badass villain who likes to wear black. It is no wonder that this started a trend and is still successful to this day.

Retold Again and Again

Retellings have also become a trend in the last few years, with many more reaching beyond the usual Grimm Brothers fairy tales. While books based on these tales like Cinder by Marissa Meyer and A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, inspired by Cinderella and Beauty & The Beast respectively, are still extremely popular, there has been a great turnaround for alternatives. A unique and well-loved series by Rick Riordan is of course Percy Jackson & The Olympians series, which is based on Greek mythology. Other alternative inspiring retellings are The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh, a retelling of the Arabian Nights and Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff which is a retelling of Japanese mythology. These books have become quite popular and trending with readers because the innovation of having the same story retold in a different and new way that is fresh and well executed is very appealing. Let’s hope this trend doesn’t die out too fast and continues its minor reign within YA fantasy books.

The Diversity Movement

Diversity has become a huge issue with readers and within the publishing community as more people demanded and expressed their need for equal and widespread representations. Race, sexuality, disabilities and gender themes have been some of the issues young adults have been craving to read in YA Fiction so they can relate what they’re reading to who they are and their everyday lives. The huge push by readers for more diversity has been a slow and successful ongoing trend that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon and sure has gotten some incredible diverse novels out there for us to enjoy.

YA Trend Predictions for 2018

So, these are some of the trends that have occurred in the last decade, but what about what’s happening now? Currently many of the trends below are predicted to make it big and rise in popularity. The success of certain novels in these genres in the last year shows how future books in those same categories can truly boom.

Thrillers & Whodunnits

Novels like One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus and Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco in the last year has shown how powerful and addictive thrillers and mysteries can be, and this genre really seems like it’s about to take off especially because of the second rise in popularity of the book to TV adaptation of 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

2018 Book Recommendations:

• All of This is True by Lygia Day Penaflor
  Four teenagers obsessed with a novel called Undertow make a plan to befriend its author Fatima Ro, and they can’t believe their luck when she lets them into her life. Until they are shocked to discover that Fatima’s latest book unveils all their secrets and revelations with devastating effects.
• The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas
  After the multiple consecutive deaths of cheerleaders, Sunnybrook High disbands its cheer squad. Yet 5 years later it seems that there is more to it and something is still going on as Monica, the sister of the last cheerleader killed, unravels secrets and suspicious activity. Some people in Sunnybrook may be hiding more than they’re willing to admit, and even though there are no more cheerleaders, it doesn’t mean everyone is safe.

Hi-Tech Worlds & Games

With the massive fandoms and widespread love for gaming, social media and new technology in this era, it makes sense that young adults would embrace these high tech sci-fi books that show the potential technology may have one day in the future. The thought of spaceships and virtual reality gaming The Illuminae Files by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman and Warcross by Marie Lu have brought in the last year are pretty mind-blowing and interesting to read about. It seems logical that this YA genre and its themes will remain consistent in 2018.

2018 Book Recommendations:

• The Leveller by Julia Durango
  Nixy Bauer is a bounty hunter with the task of taking kids back to their parents in the real world from their virtual reality gaming world. However when the game’s rich developper loses track of his own kid, Nixy has the biggest challenge of her life finding him especially when it seems that he wasn’t trying to hide but is being held captive against his will within the game.
• Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston
  A space action-packed Anastasia retelling, this fun sci-fi novel depicts a girl named Ana, who was found aboard a pod with no recollection of her past. Desperate to help fix the android named D09 who was aboard with her, she tries to find the coordinates to the lost ship that may hold all her answers. Until a spoiled Ironblood boy beats her to it, yet events unfold that have them both running for their lives, marked as fugitives, and not everyone wants to capture them alive.

Shock! Horror!

Horror has always be a favourite genre for many people in fiction, however for young adult fiction it can be quite rare. Not all young people tend to want to be scared, however this genre might just be on the rise. With the popularity of Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco (Sequel to Stalking Jack the Ripper) and recent release The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert, many more older young adults may lean more towards this direction.

2018 Book Recommendations:

• Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
  The sequel to the its predecessor Scythe, Thunderhead follows the adventures, deadly tasks and dilemmas its protagonists must endure following the last event of Scythe. Scythe introduces a dystopia far in the future where humans are no longer affected by age, disease or war. Now scythes are the only ones who can and will end life to manage the world’s constant growing population. Rowan and Citra are two teenagers unwillingly chosen to apprentice for a Scythe. They must master the art of killing yet they must also understand learning the consequences of failing to take a life, as it may take their own.
• Contagion by Erin Bowman
  An urgent SOS is sent from a distant planet. A small crew is dispatched for search and rescue yet what they find is something best left uncovered as they try to piece together who or what decimated a whole operation on this planet.

For Realz

As mentioned above, the explosion of diversity in YA literature has created so many more representations and opportunities of expression. The diversity movement has also helped create another subgenre of Realistic Fiction. This genre is basically fiction that describes real life issues of today, more serious points of discussion everyone should be exposed to regardless of what format they’re influenced by including books. This subgenre is great and it seems like a major theme in 2018 for YA contemporaries and fantasies as well. There’s hope that more novels with themes such as mental illness, race, lgbtqia+, the effect of terrorism as well as teen depression and suicide are well read by teens to engage in discussion about important social and life issues we may all face.

2018 Book Recommendations:

• Not if I Save You First by Ally Carter
  Maddie’s best friend Logan is the President’s son, while her dad is a secret service agent. Unfortunately, life gets in the way and forces her to be dragged to the middle of nowhere in Alaska where she gets not word from Logan. Then he shows up, 6 years later, and an assailant gets in the way of Maddie killing him herself and she really wants to.
• The Place Between Breaths by An Na
  Grace is in a race against time and she doesn’t even know it. When her mother flees in fear of hurting their family due to the schizophrenia she’s been struggling with for years, her dad’s schizophrenia research continues in full force. Grace does her part by interning there, and they find what might be a breakthrough, but Grace starts to unravel and starts to question what’s real and what isn’t. Is her discovery real or a side effect of schizophrenia taking hold?

Under the Sea

While many mermaid novels and series have come out in the past decade such as Of Poseidon by Anna Banks, there hasn’t been a whole lotta love for them but there may be a change in the air. These book recommendations below could mean a massive turnaround for mermaid to come in the future.

2018 Book Recommendations:

• To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
  Princess Lira is a lethal siren royal, known for bringing prince’s hearts home to her collection until she’s forced to kill one of their own. As punishment, she’s made a human and has a year to bring home the heart of Prince Elian, a prince who’s siren killing hobby is peaked when a drowning woman he saves promises him the key to wiping out all sirenkind.
• Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
  Evie has become an outcast witch ever since her best friend Anna drowned, yet she’s convinced Anna survived as she meets another girl with limited time on land who resembles Anna. However, she’s got secrets of her own and Evie will try anything to keep her humanity as well as a prince’s heart with her magic until she discovers too late, the truth of the bargain she made.

Do you know any of these iconic novels and series in these older trends? What do you think of these trend predictions for 2018? Let us know in the comments!

The post YA Book Trend Report & The Trends of 2018 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.