A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) Published by Bantam on August 6, 2005 Pages: 848
Here is the first volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin’s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.
A GAME OF THRONES
Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.
Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.
source: georgerrmartin.com
The Dragon's Path (The Dagger and the Coin, #1) by Daniel Abraham Also by this author: The Dragon's Path
Published by Orbit on April 7, 2011
Pages: 555
All paths lead to war...
Marcus' hero days are behind him. He knows too well that even the smallest war still means somebody's death. When his men are impressed into a doomed army, staying out of a battle he wants no part of requires some unorthodox steps.
Cithrin is an orphan, ward of a banking house. Her job is to smuggle a nation's wealth across a war zone, hiding the gold from both sides. She knows the secret life of commerce like a second language, but the strategies of trade will not defend her from swords.
Geder, sole scion of a noble house, has more interest in philosophy than in swordplay. A poor excuse for a soldier, he is a pawn in these games. No one can predict what he will become.
Falling pebbles can start a landslide. A spat between the Free Cities and the Severed Throne is spiraling out of control. A new player rises from the depths of history, fanning the flames that will sweep the entire region onto The Dragon's Path-the path to war.
Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars, #1) by Elizabeth Lim Also by this author: Spin the Dawn
Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers on July 9, 2019
Pages: 416
Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.
Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.
Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia's task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.
And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.
The Alchemist of Souls (Night's Masque, #1) by Anne Lyle Also by this author: The Prince of Lies
Published by Angry Robot on March 27, 2012
Pages: 518
When Tudor explorers returned from the New World, they brought back a name out of half-forgotten Viking legend: skraylings. Red-sailed ships followed in the explorers’ wake, bringing Native American goods--and a skrayling ambassador--to London. But what do these seemingly magical beings really want in Elizabeth I’s capital?
Mal Catlyn, a down-at-heel swordsman, is seconded to the ambassador's bodyguard, but assassination attempts are the least of his problems. What he learns about the skraylings and their unholy powers could cost England her new ally--and Mal his soul.
Wake of Vultures (The Shadow, #1) by Lila Bowen Also by this author: Wake of Vultures, Conspiracy of Ravens
Published by Orbit on October 27, 2015
Pages: 342
A rich, dark fantasy of destiny, death and the supernatural world hiding beneath the surface.
Nettie Lonesome lives in a land of hard people and hard ground dusted with sand. She's a half-breed who dresses like a boy, raised by folks who don't call her a slave but use her like one. She knows of nothing else. That is, until the day a stranger attacks her. When nothing, not even a sickle to the eye can stop him, Nettie stabs him through the heart with a chunk of wood and he turns to black sand.
And just like that, Nettie can see.
But her newfound sight is a blessing and a curse. Even if she doesn't understand what's under her own skin, she can sense what everyone else is hiding—at least physically. The world is full of evil, and now she knows the source of all the sand in the desert. Haunted by the spirits, Nettie has no choice but to set out on a quest that might lead her to find her true kin . . . if the monsters along the way don't kill her first.
Tess of the Road (Tess of the Road, #1) by Rachel Hartman Also by this author: Seraphina, Tess of the Road
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on February 27, 2018
Pages: 544
Meet Tess, a brave new heroine from beloved epic fantasy author Rachel Hartman.
In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons get to be whomever they want. Tess, stubbornly, is a troublemaker. You can’t make a scene at your sister’s wedding and break a relative’s nose with one punch (no matter how pompous he is) and not suffer the consequences. As her family plans to send her to a nunnery, Tess yanks on her boots and sets out on a journey across the Southlands, alone and pretending to be a boy.
Where Tess is headed is a mystery, even to her. So when she runs into an old friend, it’s a stroke of luck. This friend is a quigutl—a subspecies of dragon—who gives her both a purpose and protection on the road. But Tess is guarding a troubling secret. Her tumultuous past is a heavy burden to carry, and the memories she’s tried to forget threaten to expose her to the world in more ways than one.
Returning to the fascinating world she created in the award-winning and New York Times bestselling Seraphina, Rachel Hartman introduces readers to a new character and a new quest, pushing the boundaries of genre once again in this wholly original fantasy.
The House of the Four Winds (One Dozen Daughters, #1) by Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory Also by this author: The House of the Four Winds
Published by Tor Books on August 5, 2014
Pages: 304
The tiny nation of Swansgaard is a lovely place with abundant natural resources, including the royal family, which has been blessed with twelve daughters and a son. As this boisterous baker's dozen approaches adulthood, the king and queen lovingly tell their daughters, "You must make your own fortune, for we cannot enrich you without impoverishing our people or leaving our lands defenceless, and that we will not do."
Happily, the princesses of Swansgaard are eager to meet this challenge, for they yearn for adventures both near and far from home.
Clarice, an expert swordswoman, is the first to depart. Disguising herself as Clarence, she signs on for a voyage to the New World. The captain is vile and blackhearted, and the crew soon mutinies. Clarice becomes first mate - and finds her heart captured by the new captain, Dominick, who is, to his own surprise, increasingly attracted to Clarence.
Now outlaws, Dominick and his crew turn to piracy - though their hearts are not entirely in it. They soon run afoul of the Pirate Council, who orders them to retrieve the Heart of Light. All who have searched for this great treasure have vanished, with neither ships nor crews ever seen again and no sign of their fates ever discovered.
But none before have carried with them the sorceress Shamal, who stakes a claim of her own on Dominick's heart.
Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands #1) by Alwyn Hamilton Also by this author: Rebel of the Sands
Published by Viking Books for Young Readers on March 8, 2016
Pages: 314
Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mythical beasts still roam the wild and remote areas, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinn still perform their magic. For humans, it’s an unforgiving place, especially if you’re poor, orphaned, or female.
Amani Al’Hiza is all three. She’s a gifted gunslinger with perfect aim, but she can’t shoot her way out of Dustwalk, the back-country town where she’s destined to wind up wed or dead.
Then she meets Jin, a rakish foreigner, in a shooting contest, and sees him as the perfect escape route. But though she’s spent years dreaming of leaving Dustwalk, she never imagined she’d gallop away on mythical horse—or that it would take a foreign fugitive to show her the heart of the desert she thought she knew.
Rebel of the Sands reveals what happens when a dream deferred explodes—in the fires of rebellion, of romantic passion, and the all-consuming inferno of a girl finally, at long last, embracing her power.
Great list! Girls dressing as boys is one of my favourite tropes in fiction, so I’ll definitely be checking some of these out. I’m reading Seraphina at the moment and really enjoying it, so Tess of the Road is one I’d really like to get to.
Jess @ Jessticulates recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday | My recent OTPs
Fun topic! I’ve not read most of these books so I’m off to go find out more!
Sharlene recently posted…Books read in June
Oh, this is a really neat topic! I didn’t even realize how much I loved this trope until I read this list. xD But I do. Probably because of the whole women defying societal limitations thing. I loved Rebel of the Sands, and Amani was so badass! I haven’t read Spin the Dawn yet, but I’m looking forward to it. Great post!
Sammie @ The Writerly Way recently posted…Favorite Literary Villains (Because Sometimes It’s Good To Be Bad)
I enjoyed The House of the Four Winds
Well, several of these are on my super, very long TBR. Maybe this will inspire me to bump them up! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Ooh cool topic. Arya! I love how many names she picked up in her travels lol. The rest of these I don’t know, but it’s a cool trope and several of these look good.
Greg recently posted…Tuesday Tagline #148
Fun topic! I haven’t read any of these, but my favorite character who dresses like a boy in order to get what she wants is Jackie Faber of the Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer. She dresses like a boy to go to sea and goes on to have many, many pirate-ish adventures. It’s an awesome series.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Great topic, and I love many of the books listed. Off the top of my head I can only think of a couple more than I really liked. Starless by Jacqueline Carey comes immediately to mind, if that counts.
Oh! It was driving me nuts when I made my list that there was a recent science fiction one, but just drew a blank. I even left room on the list, but got too busy to come back and figure out out
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday – A Conjuring of Assassins by Cate Glass
I just finished Spin the Dawn – it was fantastic!
Check out my TTT
There’s a lot of great stuff on your list and a couple I’m excited to get to eventually. Very excited to dive into Spin the Dawn–hopefully soon!
Lisa @ waytoofantasy recently posted…Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Master of the World by Edward Willett
What a great list – I would add Vasya from Katherine Arden’s Girl in the Tower.
Lynn 😀