After much deliberation, I decided to change up my normal top 10 post. Obviously that's by dropping it to top 5. This is not because I didn't have a good year with books, but rather that one of my "resolutions" for last year was to be better about completing series in a reasonable amount of time.
See I'm rather crazy and will add only the first book of a series on my reading list. Then if I like it I'll add the next book but it'll go to the back of my list. By the time it comes up to the top it can be months or years after I'd read the previous book.
I'm not sure how I fell into that habit but I'm working on not doing that. It's a work in progress as I have LOTS of series in progress from over the years. I can say that I did make strides towards sorting out that mess though and changing the habit.
All that to say, I don't like having my top 10 list holding multiple books from the same series. I'd rather put the first book in a spot and then noting that I also loved x number of other books from the series. Since I did a decent job of holding to my resolution for 2023... to make this a top ten would've looked like 8 books on my top list being from two series.
Now to the actual meat of the post.
#1 The Fate of Eyrinthia
As of right now four books in this series have been published(with the 5th due in 2025). I devoured all four in a way I haven't read anything in a long time. Not only did this series hit my #1 spot for the year, this was the best thing I've read in at least 9 years(650ish books). (I can't remember back farther, I apologize) So instead of taking up the first 4 spots in a top 10 list I'm putting the entire series in the top spot.
To avoid spoilers I'm only going to share my thoughts on the first book which since I wrote this after I read the four books was hard to separate as an individual.
I absolutely loved this book. Right from the beginning I felt my emotions engaged and was so ANGRY for Claire. At no point did I feel disconnected from the story or bored. There's such a rich cast of characters with unique personalities. It was very easy to remember who was who and picture all that was happening.
Let me say that I have read some great books, some amazing books, some books that have kept me up at night and have had me gushing to everyone to please read this.
When I say this series is "amazing" I don't mean like a stranger just walked up and handed you a thousand dollars amazing. I've had books like that. I've had books that are like a hundred thousand amazing.
THIS is like someone leaves you a billion dollars amazing. It doesn't mean I haven't experienced many wonderful books prior to this. Only that this is at a level so far above everything else.
I had some concerns for my health because my chest was so tight and I'd stop breathing while I was reading. My husband had to tell me to stop because I'd randomly realize it and gasp for air. Quite simply I was driving him crazy.
For me the second book is really where things kick up a notch. So if you enjoyed the first book... be aware you won't get a moment to recover emotionally for the next two books.
A SERVANT blackmailed into becoming a princess’s decoy.
A BODYGUARD determined to keep her alive.
A PRINCE forced to execute his father’s brutal laws.
A PRISONER used to keep him compliant.
A WORLD on the brink of war.
In one horrible night, Clare goes from kitchen maid to royal decoy. She has three months to become the princess's perfect double so she can ensure her betrothal to an enemy prince. Desperate to survive, Clare throws herself into self-defense training, taught by her distractingly attractive bodyguard. The danger increases when a ruthless assassin begins stalking her, intent on ending the tenuous peace.
Across the northern mountains, Prince Grayson is his father’s ultimate weapon. He carries out the king’s harsh orders because the one person he cares about is his father’s prisoner. Grayson's silent obedience is tested when his father plans to exploit the marriage alliance between two of their greatest enemies. If Grayson submits, the blood of thousands will spill. If he resists, the girl who means everything to him will die.
The fate of Eyrinthia hangs in the balance. Some want peace. Some want war. All will be thrown into chaos.
Available on Amazon
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#2 Twisted Pages
You think you know the tale as old as time, but you’ve already got it wrong.
There never was a beauty and a beast, only a girl who was both.
And that girl was me.
Zaina will never be free.
She's forced into an arranged marriage to a Viking King in a castle full of secrets. But she carries secrets of her own, and the scars of her haunted past.
Handed off from one monster to another, she has no choice but to do her best to survive and protect her sisters.
Even if it costs her everything.
They say a dream is a wish your heart makes, but what happens when you’re trapped in nightmares?
Aika is playing a dangerous game.
Torn between the loyalties she thought she had and revelations she wishes she didn’t, she will burn the city down to get the answers she needs.
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#2 Twisted Pages
I love love that we have a new adult series with older characters and more mature themes. And it's a retelling!! I genuinely felt my emotions engaged with what Zaina was going through.
Though I haven't experienced in small or large ways a lot of what she went through, there were so many things that resonated. I thought it was a book that was well-written and powerful in the way it baldly stared at some of the ugliness in the world(Because let's be honest these aren't fantasy situations. They're in the dark corners of our world.). I thought Zaina was very real in how she reacted to things. Her decisions were logical considering what she has been through. Her inward process of protect me and mine and that's it made all the sense in the world.
Though I haven't experienced in small or large ways a lot of what she went through, there were so many things that resonated. I thought it was a book that was well-written and powerful in the way it baldly stared at some of the ugliness in the world(Because let's be honest these aren't fantasy situations. They're in the dark corners of our world.). I thought Zaina was very real in how she reacted to things. Her decisions were logical considering what she has been through. Her inward process of protect me and mine and that's it made all the sense in the world.
Overall I adored the first four books of this series. The first two books revolve around Zaina while Aika is the Cinderella character of books 3 and 4. The one problem I have is the fifth and final book is complete trash. As in it should be removed from the market, rewritten, and then republished.
While this doesn't detract from the amazingness of the first four books it does unfortunately leave me recommending that you invent your own HEA instead of reading book 5. Once book 4 wraps up Aika and Zaina's stories are essentially over at that point. In book 5 the only progression of their story/tying up loose ends takes place in like the final 2 chapters. Prior to that point they're sailing on a ship where nothing happens. So I've now answered the question of what you'll miss of their story if you skip book 5.
There never was a beauty and a beast, only a girl who was both.
And that girl was me.
Zaina will never be free.
She's forced into an arranged marriage to a Viking King in a castle full of secrets. But she carries secrets of her own, and the scars of her haunted past.
Handed off from one monster to another, she has no choice but to do her best to survive and protect her sisters.
Even if it costs her everything.
Aika is playing a dangerous game.
Torn between the loyalties she thought she had and revelations she wishes she didn’t, she will burn the city down to get the answers she needs.
Available on Amazon
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#3 Ugly: The Stepsister's Story
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#4 Becoming Hook
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#5 Vega Jane
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#3 Ugly: The Stepsister's Story
One of my favorite aspects of this story was Truly learning to love and accept herself. Mecham does a great job in numerous books of confronting real-life struggles and addressing them boldly. While having the stepsisters be kind and Cinderella be the horrid one is not a new twist, it is a twist that isn't often used. It's one I enjoy seeing and this was done very well. Comfort, the other stepsister, is amazing to Truly and is a good representation of that friend or family member who helps you during your darkest times.
I liked that Truly was not only battling her low self-esteem due to her scars, but also the loss of her father. Both loss and not loving oneself are issues I think a lot of people can relate to.
You probably know me as the younger ugly stepsister. The foolish stepsister. The girl who was so jealous of Cinderella's charm and beauty that I forced her to dress in rags and do all the chores while my mother and sister and I did nothing, sitting in our rooms all day while Cinderella slaved away to serve us. But that is not at all what happened.
No one ever remembers that it wasn't just Cinderella's father who died. Mine did too. No one asks why I am considered ugly or remembers that I fell in love with Prince Curtis years before that fateful night at the ball. No one wonders what my family was doing while Cinderella was cleaning. But I am here to tell you. I am the ugly stepsister, and this is my story.
No one ever remembers that it wasn't just Cinderella's father who died. Mine did too. No one asks why I am considered ugly or remembers that I fell in love with Prince Curtis years before that fateful night at the ball. No one wonders what my family was doing while Cinderella was cleaning. But I am here to tell you. I am the ugly stepsister, and this is my story.
Sadly, for reasons I can't seem to find anywhere, this story is no longer available. I'm hoping since it was the author's first? book that maybe she's just going through a cover redesign or something for a re-release.
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Hands down this is my favorite retelling of Peter Pan. I don't always love Mecham's books but when I don't it's always a case of me not the book. She has a great style that incorporates so many real life aspects.
Becoming Hook is more of a retelling based off the Disney version than the original which I usually do not like, but this was an exception.
Hook and Tink made for great characters. Peter was a properly vile villain. I thought the twist of Hook being the first lost boy who simply came to his senses and now wants to protect others was great.
I especially like how Mecham took all of the quirky things we know about Hook(Disney) and made them signs of his struggle with balancing self-care with protecting people. From the eye twitch and shaking(instead of being out of fear of the crocodile) being sings of lack of sleep to his unkempt hair being letting his personal hygiene go down hill from being under so much stress.
Mecham's ability and willingness to include real life struggles in her work for people to relate to is a large part of what makes her work shine above the rest.
Overall a fun story that while you'll never forget it's a retelling(and if we're reading them do we really want to forget?) it's really a whole new adventure.
Becoming Hook is more of a retelling based off the Disney version than the original which I usually do not like, but this was an exception.
Hook and Tink made for great characters. Peter was a properly vile villain. I thought the twist of Hook being the first lost boy who simply came to his senses and now wants to protect others was great.
I especially like how Mecham took all of the quirky things we know about Hook(Disney) and made them signs of his struggle with balancing self-care with protecting people. From the eye twitch and shaking(instead of being out of fear of the crocodile) being sings of lack of sleep to his unkempt hair being letting his personal hygiene go down hill from being under so much stress.
Mecham's ability and willingness to include real life struggles in her work for people to relate to is a large part of what makes her work shine above the rest.
Overall a fun story that while you'll never forget it's a retelling(and if we're reading them do we really want to forget?) it's really a whole new adventure.
A pirate, a pixie, and a plot to foil Peter Pan…
James Hook never meant to become a pirate, and never dreamed that he would turn against best friend, Peter Pan. Every adventure and eternal youth awaited them… until a pixie exposes a shocking revelation. Tinkerbell’s information forces James into acknowledging that, far from being the benevolent hero he painted himself to be, Peter Pan was kidnapping innocent children.
After accepting the traumatic loss of his hand and of the family he can barely remember, James deserts Pan. In the fight to rescue the Lost Boys, Hook will risk everything, even if that means becoming the most notorious villain in Neverland… or losing the fiery pixie who is stealing his heart.
Can the original Lost Boy vanquish Neverland’s greatest threat?
James Hook never meant to become a pirate, and never dreamed that he would turn against best friend, Peter Pan. Every adventure and eternal youth awaited them… until a pixie exposes a shocking revelation. Tinkerbell’s information forces James into acknowledging that, far from being the benevolent hero he painted himself to be, Peter Pan was kidnapping innocent children.
After accepting the traumatic loss of his hand and of the family he can barely remember, James deserts Pan. In the fight to rescue the Lost Boys, Hook will risk everything, even if that means becoming the most notorious villain in Neverland… or losing the fiery pixie who is stealing his heart.
Can the original Lost Boy vanquish Neverland’s greatest threat?
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#5 Vega Jane
This is a bit of an unusual experience, because most of the readers for this book have read something else by this author. I picked this up because I'm more inclined to read YA or NA. A lot of readers didn't care for this because Baldacci normally writes adult books, and it was written in a different style from his norm. I was intrigued with this because it was YA.
I loved this dystopian series way more than I normally enjoy the genre. Delph and Vega are great characters, and this series was great at keeping me on the edge of my seat. I was constantly wondering what was next. Each book had such a different set of events that you never really knew what would come next. I would say I preferred the first three books, whereas the last book left something to be desired. Overall a strong series though that I started in 2023 and wrapped up in 2024.
Vega Jane was always told no one could leave the town of Wormwood. She was told there was nothing outside but a forest filled with danger and death. And she always believed it -- until the night she saw Quentin Herms run away.
Vega knows Quentin didn't just leave -- he was chased. And he left behind a trail of clues that point to a dark conspiracy at the heart of Wormwood. To follow the clues will attract the attention of influential people willing to kill to keep their secrets. If Vega wants to stay safe, she just needs to keep her head down and her mouth shut. There's only one problem -- Vega Jane never walks away from a fight.
Vega knows Quentin didn't just leave -- he was chased. And he left behind a trail of clues that point to a dark conspiracy at the heart of Wormwood. To follow the clues will attract the attention of influential people willing to kill to keep their secrets. If Vega wants to stay safe, she just needs to keep her head down and her mouth shut. There's only one problem -- Vega Jane never walks away from a fight.
