The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang Also by this author: The Poppy War
Published by Harper Voyager on May 1, 2018
Pages: 544
When Rin aced the Keju, the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies, it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard, the most elite military school in Nikan, was even more surprising.
But surprises aren’t always good.
Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.
For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .
Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.
Ink and Bone (The Great Library, #1) by Rachel Caine Also by this author: Ink and Bone, Paper and Fire
Published by NAL on July 7, 2015
Pages: 355
In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time…
Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.
Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.
When his friend inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn…
The Emperor's Blades (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, #1) by Brian Staveley Also by this author: The Emperor's Blades, The Providence of Fire
Published by Tor Books on January 14, 2014
Pages: 480
The circle is closing. The stakes are high. And old truths will live again...
The Emperor has been murdered, leaving the Annurian Empire in turmoil. Now his progeny must bury their grief and prepare to unmask a conspiracy.
His son Valyn, training for the empire’s deadliest fighting force, hears the news an ocean away. He expected a challenge, but after several ‘accidents’ and a dying soldier’s warning, he realizes his life is also in danger. Yet before Valyn can take action, he must survive the mercenaries’ brutal final initiation.
Meanwhile, the Emperor’s daughter, Minister Adare, hunts her father’s murderer in the capital itself. Court politics can be fatal, but she needs justice. And Kaden, heir to an empire, studies in a remote monastery. Here, the Blank God’s disciples teach their harsh ways – which Kaden must master to unlock their ancient powers. When an imperial delegation arrives, he’s learnt enough to perceive evil intent. But will this keep him alive, as long-hidden powers make their move?
The Magicians (The Magicians #1) by Lev Grossman Also by this author: The Magicians, The Magician King
Published by Viking on August 11, 2009
Pages: 402
A thrilling and original coming-of-age novel for adults about a young man practicing magic in the real world.
Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. A senior in high school, he’s still secretly preoccupied with a series of fantasy novels he read as a child, set in a magical land called Fillory. Imagine his surprise when he finds himself unexpectedly admitted to a very secret, very exclusive college of magic in upstate New York, where he receives a thorough and rigorous education in the craft of modern sorcery.
He also discovers all the other things people learn in college: friendship, love, sex, booze, and boredom. Something is missing, though. Magic doesn’t bring Quentin the happiness and adventure he dreamed it would. After graduation he and his friends make a stunning discovery: Fillory is real. But the land of Quentin’s fantasies turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than he could have imagined. His childhood dream becomes a nightmare with a shocking truth at its heart.
At once psychologically piercing and magnificently absorbing, The Magicians boldly moves into uncharted literary territory, imagining magic as practiced by real people, with their capricious desires and volatile emotions. Lev Grossman creates an utterly original world in which good and evil aren’t black and white, love and sex aren’t simple or innocent, and power comes at a terrible price.
The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1) by Patrick Rothfuss Also by this author: The Slow Regard of Silent Things
Published by Gollancz on June 12, 2008
Pages: 662
'I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.
My name is Kvothe.You may have heard of me'
--back cover
The Just City (Thessaly, #1) by Jo Walton Also by this author: The Just City, The Philosopher Kings
Published by Tor Books on January 13, 2015
Pages: 368
"Here in the Just City you will become your best selves. You will learn and grow and strive to be excellent." Created as an experiment by the time-traveling goddess Pallas Athene, the Just City is a planned community, populated by over ten thousand children and a few hundred adult teachers from all eras of history, along with some handy robots from the far human future--all set down together on a Mediterranean island in the distant past.
The student Simmea, born an Egyptian farmer's daughter sometime between 500 and 1000 A.D, is a brilliant child, eager for knowledge, ready to strive to be her best self. The teacher Maia was once Ethel, a young Victorian lady of much learning and few prospects, who prayed to Pallas Athene in an unguarded moment during a trip to Rome--and, in an instant, found herself in the Just City with grey-eyed Athene standing unmistakably before her.
Meanwhile, Apollo--stunned by the realization that there are things mortals understand better than he does--has arranged to live a human life, and has come to the City as one of the children. He knows his true identity, and conceals it from his peers. For this lifetime, he is prone to all the troubles of being human.
Then, a few years in, Sokrates arrives--the same Sokrates recorded by Plato himself--to ask all the troublesome questions you would expect. What happens next is a tale only the brilliant Jo Walton could tell.
The Magicians' Guild (Black Magician Trilogy, #1) by Trudi Canavan Also by this author: Thief's Magic, Angel of Storms
Published by Orbit on January 31, 2004
Pages: 467
"We should expect this young woman to be more powerful than our average novice, possibly even more powerful than the average magician."
This year, like every other, the magicians of Imardin gather to purge the city of undesirables. Cloaked in the protection of their sorcery, they move with no fear of the vagrants and miscreants who despise them and their work-—until one enraged girl, barely more than a child, hurls a stone at the hated invaders...and effortlessly penetrates their magical shield.
What the Magicians' Guild has long dreaded has finally come to pass. There is someone outside their ranks who possesses a raw power beyond imagining, an untrained mage who must be found and schooled before she destroys herself and her city with a force she cannot yet control.
Thief's Magic (Millennium’s Rule, #1) by Trudi Canavan Also by this author: Thief's Magic, Angel of Storms
Published by Orbit on May 27, 2014
Pages: 553
The beginning of an all new epic fantasy series by international bestseller, Trudi Canavan.
In a world where an industrial revolution is powered by magic, Tyen, a student of archaeology, unearths a sentient book called Vella. Once a young sorcerer-bookbinder, Vella was transformed into a useful tool by one of the greatest sorcerers of history. Since then she has been collecting information, including a vital clue to the disaster Tyen's world faces.
Elsewhere, in an land ruled by the priests, Rielle the dyer's daughter has been taught that to use magic is to steal from the Angels. Yet she knows she has a talent for it, and that there is a corrupter in the city willing to teach her how to use it -- should she dare to risk the Angels' wrath.
But not everything is as Tyen and Rielle have been raised to believe. Not the nature of magic, nor the laws of their lands... and not even the people they trust.
The Thorn of Dentonhill (Maradaine, #1) by Marshall Ryan Maresca Also by this author: The Thorn of Dentonhill, A Murder of Mages
Published by DAW on February 3, 2015
Pages: 388
Veranix Calbert leads a double life. By day, he’s a struggling magic student at the University of Maradaine. At night, he spoils the drug trade of Willem Fenmere, crime boss of Dentonhill and murderer of Veranix’s father. He’s determined to shut Fenmere down. With that goal in mind, Veranix disrupts the delivery of two magical artifacts meant for Fenmere's clients, the mages of the Blue Hand Circle. Using these power-filled objects in his fight, he quickly becomes a real thorn in Fenmere's side. So much so that soon not only Fenmere, but powerful mages, assassins, and street gangs all want a piece of “The Thorn.” And with professors and prefects on the verge of discovering his secrets, Veranix’s double life might just fall apart. Unless, of course, Fenmere puts an end to it first.
The Girl With All the Gifts (The Girl With All the Gifts #1) by M.R. Carey Also by this author: The Girl With All the Gifts, Fellside
Published by Orbit on June 19, 2014
Pages: 461
Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her "our little genius."
Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.
Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.
The Girl with All the Gifts is a sensational thriller, perfect for fans of Stephen King, Justin Cronin, and Neil Gaiman.
Nice list. I didn’t realize some of these featured schools!
well, some of them feature school more prominently than others 🙂
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday – The True Queen by Zen Cho
You’ve reminded me that I need to read The Poppy War?
Tammy @ Books, Bones & Buffy recently posted…VICIOUS RUMER by Joshua Winning – Review
Yes! You do! (you’ll be glad you did)
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday – The True Queen by Zen Cho
Ink and Bone is one of my recent favorites! I love that whole series so far. Great post! Here’s my TTT.
I loved Ink and Bone!
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday – The True Queen by Zen Cho
I have the first Caine novels for a while but I still need to read it
I haven’t read her first series. I found my interest wane a bit with The Great Library as the series progressed, but I absolutely loved the first book
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday – The True Queen by Zen Cho
I haven’t read any of these, but The Name of the Wind sounds like something I would like. Here is our Top Ten Tuesday
The Name of the Wind is such a great book! Highly recommend it 🙂
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday – The True Queen by Zen Cho
Ooh The Name of the Wind. I haven’t read it but I know there was a school in the story, and that it played a fairly big part in the story- I think? Also The Magicians. Great picks!
Greg recently posted…Top Ten Back To School
Wow! I always forget there are readers that haven’t read Name of the Wind yet. I highly recommend it (and yes, the university plays a huge role in the story)
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday – The True Queen by Zen Cho
Oh my god, I just added some new books to my TBR after reading this amazing list! GREAT POST!
Yay! I love that about lists. Hope you enjoy 🙂
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday – The True Queen by Zen Cho
The Girl With All The Gifts was enjoyable. I also liked the movie version too.
Here’s a link to my TTT post this week: https://captivatedreader.blogspot.com/2018/08/top-ten-tuesday-back-to-schoollearning.html
I haven’t watched the movie version yet for some reason, hope to soon
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday – The True Queen by Zen Cho
Gah, I’m drawing a complete blank on Thief’s Magic. Can’t believe I forgot that one partially takes place at a school.
Honestly, I think thats one that didnt play a huge role, but it is there 🙂
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday – The True Queen by Zen Cho
This is a great list. I haven’t yet read Rachel Caine’s book but it’s on my TBR pile. The Magicians made my list as well. It’s another one I haven’t yet read. I loved Girl With All the Gifts. And I enjoyed The Magicians’ Guild.
The Magicians is a great pick for this 🙂 Hope you enjoy Ink and Bone!
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Stacking the Shelves – September 1, 2018
Girl with All The Gifts and Just City are inspired choices – wish I’d thought of those.
Lynn 😀
Thanks! Those were two of my favorite picks for this list because they didn’t jump out as immediately obvious.
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Stacking the Shelves – September 1, 2018