sarix's hall of fame
This is the list of all the books and series that live rent free in my mind.
It changes all the time, more books are added and some books get demoted, so I recommend you come back frequently.
You can also visit my Goodreads page, my Story Graph page or my Fable page to get an up-to-date list of what I’m reading, what I’ve finished and check out my reviews on these and all the other books I can get my hands on.
Kaikeyi,
by Vaishnavi Patel
What it’s about: The woman often cast as a villain in the Ramayana tells her own story, from a powerless girl to a queen determined to shape her future.
Why I love it:Fiercely feminist, immersive, and full of feeling. Patel’s descriptions made me almost smell the food and feel the textures around Kaikeyi. I loved being inside this story.
The Shades of Magic Trilogy,
by V. E. Schwab
What it’s about: A rare magician who can travel between parallel Londons smuggles a dangerous object from a forbidden world and meets a thief who changes everything.
Why I love it:The four Londons, the magic, and the characters make this series pure adventure for me. I had fun with every book, especially A Conjuring of Light.
The Sword of Kaigen,
by M. L. Wang
What it’s about: On a remote peninsula, warriors who command water and ice face an approaching war, and the truths their empire has kept from them.
Why I love it:Beautiful, devastating, and emotionally relentless. I started crying early and barely stopped. It gives me everything I want from a story, even if it left me a little traumatized.
The Aurelian Cycle,
by Rosaria Munda
What it’s about: After a revolution topples the dragonlords, young dragon riders must decide what kind of society they’re willing to fight for.
Why I love it: Dragon riders, an academy, class conflict, and revolution with the political weight and character work to make it all matter. I love the entire trilogy; Furysong is my favorite.
Six of Crows Duology,
by Leigh Bardugo
What it’s about: Six outcasts take on an impossible heist in a world of crime, magic, and dangerous bargains.
Why I love it: I adore this crew. Both books are funny, tragic, adventurous, and impossible to put down. Bardugo’s writing makes every moment hit harder.
Thornhedge,
by T. Kingfisher
What it’s about: A Sleeping Beauty retelling from the perspective of the creature guarding the sleeping princess, and the truth behind the thorns.
Why I love it:Short, whimsical, unexpectedly dark, and very funny in that unmistakable T. Kingfisher way. It’s the perfect little fairy tale to break a reading slump.
The Book Eaters,
by Sunyi Dean
What it’s about: In a hidden society whose members consume books for sustenance, one woman pushes back against its brutal rules for women and children.
Why I love it:The premise is wonderfully strange, but the writing and characters make it stick. It’s inventive, unsettling, and unlike anything else I’d read.
An Ember in the Ashes Quartet,
by Sabaa Tahir
What it’s about: In a ruthless empire, a scholar, a soldier, and their allies fight for freedom as ancient magic and political violence reshape their world.
Why I love it: One of the best YA fantasy series I’ve read. I love the magic, the stakes, and especially Helene Aquilla. It kept me on the edge of my seat and repeatedly broke my heart.
Heir,
by Sabaa Tahir
What it’s about: A new generation faces the consequences of power in the world of An Ember in the Ashes, as an orphan seeking vengeance, an outcast tracker, and an imperial heir are drawn toward the same growing threat.
Why I love it: Returning to this world felt like settling in for a big, thrilling fantasy movie. The danger, the magic, and the collision of these characters made it such a fun read.
Strange the Dreamer & Muse of Nightmares,
by Laini Taylor
What it’s about: A dreamer obsessed with a lost city is drawn into a magical world of gods, ghosts, and impossible love.
Why I love it: These books are simply beautiful: strange, lush, and full of wonder. Both are worth reading, though Strange the Dreamer has a special place in my heart.
Blood Over Bright Heaven,
by M. L. Wang
What it’s about: The first woman admitted to an elite order of mages discovers the horrifying price of the magic that powers her society.
Why I love it: Wang pairs a gripping story with fierce feminist anger and hard questions about power, progress, and complicity. Its questions feel painfully current. I loved every bit of it.
Foul Days,
by Genoveva Dimova
What it’s about: During the monstrous days at the turn of the year, a witch who has lost her shadow teams up with a detective to investigate a series of murders.
Why I love it:Slavic folklore, strange creatures, witches, and characters with a terrible sense of humor: I was sold. It’s dark, occasionally cozy, and still very dear to me.
The Night Ends with Fire,
by K. X. Song
What it’s about: A darker reimagining of Mulan follows a young woman into war as a dragon spirit offers her dangerous power.
Why I love it:It’s angrier, more cynical, and more violent than the familiar version of the tale. It made me furious in exactly the way a great story can.
The Daevabad Trilogy,
by S. A. Chakraborty
What it’s about: A young woman is swept into a hidden world of djinn, ancient magic, and dangerous political rivalries in the city of Daevabad.
Why I love it:The folklore, culture, political intrigue, and deeply lovable characters make this one of my favorite series ever. All three books deliver; The Kingdom of Copper might be my favorite.
Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng,
by Kylie Lee Baker
What it’s about: After her sister’s murder, a crime scene cleaner begins encountering ghosts while violence against Asian women rises around her.
Why I love it:The horror is eerie, but Cora’s traumatized, obsessive mind is what stayed with me. I also loved the ghost lore and funerary traditions woven into the story.
The River Has Roots,
by Amal El-Mohtar
What it’s about: Two sisters live beside the border of Faerie, where song and magic shape their lives—until love and tragedy threaten to pull them apart.
Why I love it:This short fairy tale is lyrical, romantic, and a little heartbreaking. The prose feels like music, and the audiobook actually lets you hear the songs.
Water Moon,
by Samantha Sotto Yambao
What it’s about: A hidden pawnshop accepts people’s regrets instead of valuables, setting its new owner on a journey through a magical world.
Why I love it: That premise hooked me immediately. The imagery feels like a Studio Ghibli film, and its whimsy won me over even though cozy fantasy and instant romance usually aren’t my thing.
His Mortal Demise,
by Vanesa Le
What it’s about: The conclusion to The Last Bloodcarver duology returns to a Vietnam-inspired world of medical magic as its characters face the cost of saving the people they love.
Why I love it: The first book entertained me; this one broke my heart. Its portrayal of grief and loss stayed with me, and it gave the duology the emotional ending I wanted.
The Raven Scholar,
by Antonia Hodgson
What it’s about: When a contender in a deadly imperial succession contest is murdered, scholar Neema Kraa must find the killer while competing for the throne herself.
Why I love it: It’s a murder mystery, a contest for power, and a richly imagined fantasy all at once. Neema and the rest of the cast feel like actual adults, and I can’t wait to return to this world.
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil,
by V. E. Schwab
What it’s about: Across different centuries and places, the lives of three women turned vampires collide in a story of desire, power, and survival.
Why I love it: The plot is almost secondary to the character study, and that’s where Schwab has me completely. Her writing does something wonderful to my brain, and I loved her take on vampire lore.
Red Rising Series,
by Pierce Brown
What it’s about: In a brutal, Roman-inspired future, a young man from an enslaved caste infiltrates the ruling elite to bring down their system from within.
Why I love it: Ruthless stakes, brilliant political intrigue, impossible choices, and consequences that actually hurt. This is one of my favorite stories in any medium. Golden Son and Light Bringer are my standouts.
The Library at Hellebore,
by Cassandra Khaw
What it’s about: At a school for the paranormal, students barricade themselves inside the library when the faculty comes to eat them. Survival is far from guaranteed.
Why I love it: Creepy, gory, and gloriously horrendous, with writing that held me in suspense throughout. I’m still not entirely sure I understood the ending, but I loved the ride.
I'll Find You Where the Timeline Ends,
by Kylie Lee Baker
What it’s about: A teen descended from a dragon god teams up with a rogue time traveler to uncover what happened to her missing sister.
Why I love it: It feels like a K-drama with dragons, time travel, a cute boy, and a little extra violence. I had so much fun watching these two get into trouble together.
Red City,
by Marie Lu
What it’s about: Alchemy meets organized crime in a city where rival powers use magic to build and defend their empires.
Why I love it: Magical mafia politics is an excellent pitch, and this book delivers on the fun. I loved the concept, the magic, and the characters; I had a ridiculously good time with it.
Wild Reverence,
by Rebecca Ross
What it’s about: In the world of Divine Rivals , a goddess and a mortal lord are drawn together while war threatens his lands and secrets threaten them both.
Why I love it: Rebecca Ross is one of the few romantasy authors I’ll pick up on name alone. Her beautiful prose, rich world, and characters made this romance deeply satisfying.
Fellow Creatures,
by Emma Lowther
What it’s about: At an elite drama school, a young woman’s search for herself becomes tangled in ambition, obsession, and a friendship that turns dangerously intense.
Why I love it: The layered characters and creeping sense that something is very wrong kept me hooked until a genuinely wild twist. It reads like a bingeable prestige TV thriller.
The Invocations,
by Krystal Sutherland
What it’s about: Three young women become entangled in dangerous witchcraft, a string of murders, and desperate attempts to reclaim what they’ve lost.
Why I love it: Think The Craft with sapphic energy and a much darker bite. The characters, magic, and momentum would have absolutely consumed teenage me. Adult me had a blast, too.
House of Hollow,
by Krystal Sutherland
What it’s about: Three sisters vanish as children and return days later, changed in ways no one can explain. A dark modern fairy tale unfolds around what happened to them.
Why I love it: The gothic atmosphere, the sisters, and their complicated bond are irresistible. It’s exactly the kind of strange, beautiful darkness my 15-year-old self would have made her entire personality.
