Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books (So Far) in 2015

2. Burn and the rest of The Rephaim series by Paula Weston

Suddenly, Gaby remembers everything.

For a year she believe she was a backpacker chilling out in Pandanus Beach. Working at the library. Getting over the accident that killed her twin brother.

Then Rafa came to find her and Gaby discovered her true identity as Gabe: one of the Rephaim. Over a hundred years old. Half angel, half human, all demon-smiting badass and hopelessly attracted to the infuriating Rafa.

Now she knows who faked her memories, and how—and why it’s all hurtling towards a massive showdown between the forces of heaven and hell.

More importantly, she remembers why she’s spent the last ten years wanting to seriously damage Rafa.

If you’re interested in the Rephaim series, you can listen to our interview with Paula Weston on the latest episode of TTT Podcast. You can also enter to win copies of her books!

– Angelya and Philippa

3. The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes

The Kevinian cult has taken everything from seventeen-year-old Minnow: twelve years of her life, her family, and her ability to trust.

And when Minnow rebelled, they took away her hands, too.

Now the Kevinian Prophet has been murdered and the camp set aflame and it’s clear Minnow knows something. But she’s not talking. As she adjusts to a life behind bars in juvenile detention, Minnow struggles to make sense of all she has been taught to believe, particularly as she dwells on the events that led up to her incarceration. But when an FBI detective approaches her about making a deal, Minnow sees she can have the freedom she always dreamed of; if she is willing to part with the terrible secrets of her past.

– Philippa 

4. The Vagrant by Peter Newman

The Vagrant is his name. He has no other.

Friendless and alone he walks across a desolate, war-torn landscape, carrying nothing but a kit-bag, a legendary sword and a baby. His purpose is to reach the Shining City, last bastion of the human race, and deliver the sword, the only weapon that may make a difference in the ongoing war.

But the Shining City is far away and the world is a very dangerous place.

– Loved this dark but unique fantasy – Angelya

5. Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

Third time read and I still love it madly! – Natasha

6. Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.

A sometimes dark but gorgeous fairytale – Angelya

7. Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

– Philippa

8. Cracks in the Kingdom (Colours of Madeleine #2) by Jaclyn Moriarty

Princess Ko’s been bluffing about the mysterious absence of her father, desperately trying to keep the government running on her own. But if she can’t get him back in a matter of weeks, the consequence may be a devastating war. So under the guise of a publicity stunt she gathers a group of teens — each with a special ability — from across the kingdom to crack the unsolvable case of the missing royals of Cello.

Chief among these is farm-boy heartthrob Elliot Baranski, more determined than ever to find his own father. And with the royal family trapped in the World with no memory of their former lives, Elliot’s value to the Alliance is clear: He’s the only one with a connection to the World, through his forbidden communications with Madeleine.

Through notes, letters, and late nights, Elliot and Madeleine must find a way to travel across worlds and bring missing loved ones home.

Quirky and whimsical, and also rather awesome –Angelya

9. Jinx’s Fire (Jinx #3) by Sage Blackwood

The young wizard Jinx concludes his suspenseful and dryly humorous adventures in the magical forest of the Urwald with this third installment in the series that ALA Booklist says “deserves a permanent place in the children’s fantasy pantheon, with Narnia and Earthsea” (Jinx’s Magic, starred review). This action-packed conclusion is perfect for readers of fantasy adventure series such as Septimus Heap, the Sisters Grimm, and Fablehaven.

The forest is under attack and its magic is fading. Can Jinx summon enough of his magic–the bright fire within him–to rescue Simon, defeat the Bonemaster, unite the Urwald, and fight off the invaders? He is the Urwald’s only hope. . .

– Angelya

10. Bitroux: The Metalsmith by Jordan Harcourt-Hughes

How much can the bonds between twins survive? Can they survive anger, distance, arguments left unsettled and a lifetime of experiences left unshared? Merouac is full of regret about the way he left things with his twin sister Malaena. Now she’s gone and he’s got his hands full taking care of her young daughter; a wilful and curious girl intent on giving him a crash-course in parenting. As Merouac juggles taking care of Evra and the pressures of his job as head metalsmith on the Transcontinental Railroad, a series of mysteries begin to emerge. A new star appears in the night sky; evidence that Ahm’s protective shield is down. Strange blue apparitions make themselves known to Merouac, chanting the words ‘Down, Down.’ And then the mystery of Malaena’s death deepens, leaving Merouac with twice as many questions and no answers. As Merouac goes in search of his sister, he embarks on a journey across space and frequency and discovers that both memory and reason are fragile, and that the bonds of the heart may be more resilient than the planets themselves.

-Angelya