It’s that time of year again!! When book bloggers from far and wide dust off their Goodreads shelves and look back fondly at the books they’ve read that year. And then we torture ourselves by trying to narrow those books down to a handful of favorites. LOL.
Nevertheless, every day this week will feature my favorite reads for 2016!
Monday – Contemporary
TODAY – Fantasy/YA/Fairy Tales (for Top Ten Tuesday )
Wednesday – Historical
Thursday – Mystery/Suspense
Friday – Amish Fiction
Saturday – Nonfiction
Back in November, I had the privilege of being on The Writers Alley and I talked about what makes a great book. As a way of helping myself with this impossible task of picking favorites, I’m using those three factors as a guide:
- It hit me in the feels (I laughed. I cried. I swooned.)
- Characters that just march right into my heart and set up camp for the duration of the read and beyond.
- Somewhere in the story is a thread of redemption. (This doesn’t have to be just in Christian fiction either)
So without further ado, here are my favorite FANTASY/YA/FAIRY TALE reads from 2016!
Unblemished by Sara Ella
PUBLISHER: Thomas Nelson
RELEASE DATE: October 11, 2016
PAGES: 352
Unblemished is completely captivating! The cover is deliciously romantic and mesmerizingly gorgeous, and so is the book. Fans of fairy tales, Once Upon a Time, Narnia, even the Harry Potter series will find much to love in this book as well. Sara Ella’s writing voice is simultaneously adorable and compelling, and you will find yourself unable to put this book down until you find out what happens.
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
PUBLISHER: Jimmy Patterson
RELEASE DATE: September 20, 2016
PAGES: 326
Riveting and engrossing, Stalking Jack the Ripper is a book that you won’t be able to put down. The science will captivate you, the case will enthrall you, and Audrey Rose will win your heart. While gory in parts and disturbing in others, the very nature of the Jack the Ripper murders leads this to be rather expected. In all other ways, I consider this a “clean read” and highly recommend it for fans of Sherlock Holmes (LOVE one of the main characters’ Holmesian deduction skills), Bones, and even the Murdoch Mysteries.
The League and the Lantern by Brian Wells
PUBLISHER: Republic Ink
RELEASE DATE: May 16, 2016
PAGES: 282
I. Loved. This. Book. C.S. Lewis once said, “A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” Y’all. THIS? is a good children’s story. It’s a good adult story. It’s just a good story. In fact, I haven’t been as captivated or entertained by a middle grade novel since the Harry Potter series. Before that it was of course The Chronicles of Narnia. And while I haven’t yet read the Percy Jackson books, what I have heard about them leads me to easily put The League and the Lantern in the same … well, league.
The Beautiful Pretender by Melanie Dickerson
PUBLISHER: Thomas Nelson
RELEASE DATE: May 17, 2016
PAGES: 320
Melanie has captured the “beast”-like gruffness of the Margrave and tempered it with that deeply intense tenderness we love in our heroes. And the story! The Beautiful Pretender has it all! Romance (whew! SUCH a swoonworthy romance), adventure, suspense, and action. I couldn’t put it down from the moment I picked it up until I had devoured every last word.
The Silent Songbird by Melanie Dickerson
PUBLISHER: Thomas Nelson
RELEASE DATE: November 8, 2016
PAGES: 296
The Silent Songbird is warm and funny and sweet, with a dash of suspense and a cartload of adventure. Melanie Dickerson is in top form with this return to Glynval, but even if you’ve never read The Merchant’s Daughter you will feel right at home. Expertly taking a couple of the world’s most familiar and beloved tales and weaving them into a story of even truer love and gentle faith, Melanie Dickerson proves once again why she’s the queen of fairy tale retellings!
What about you? What are some of your fave fantasy/young adult/fairy tale reads of 2016?
I’d have to add Black Tiger by Sara Baysinger and The Gifting Series by K.E. Ganshert (I think it was published last year but I read it this year). Oh! And Slave by Laura Francis.
I have a lot of fantasies on my TBR. I really enjoy the genre but they are usually trilogies so I have to wait until all the books have been published before I am start the series.
haha! probably wise, especially with fantasy
I have The Gifting series and now I just need to read it!!!
That one invaded my dreams at night. Fair warning.?
Thanks for the heads up haha!
OH! Good list! A couple my daughter and I haven’t read yet! And, she’d support Sarah with Black Tiger. She loved it! (I haven’t read it yet, because, have I mentioned I’m a slow reader?) I’m building my to-read-list off of these! Love it!
I haven’t heard of Black Tiger before Sarah mentioned it. Must look it up!
I need to read Stalking Jack the Ripper! 🙂
it’s so good!
Oh my goodness, I just put Unblemished on hold at my library. I had no idea of its existence. I must of missed your review. I love YA and enjoy some fantasy. I also fancy myself a well-researched reader when it comes to new releases, but totally missed this one. Thanks Carrie.
Oh it’s so good! Yay!!
I definitely want to read these Melanie Dickerson novels listed here.
you absolutely need to!!