Top 5 Standalone Books I Want to Read

This Top 5 series started back in October and I kind of lost motivation for making it every week. But it’s back! This is a series of books that I want to read that all have a common theme. Previously on the blog I have focused on witches, werewolves, thrillers, faeries, fairy tale re-tellings, high fantasy and many more. I am going to try and bring this series back for every Saturday.

The Upcoming Schedule Is:

12/6/19 — Standalone Books

12/13/19 — Books about Pirates

12/20/19 — Books that have been made into Movies

12/27/19 – Books coming in 2020

 

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Rules!

• Share your top 5 books of the current topic– these can be books that you want to read, have read and loved, have read and hated, you can do it any way you want.
• Tag the original post (This one!)
• Tag 5 people

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Standalone Books

As a big fantasy buff I read a lot of series. I have tons of series that are left unfinished as well. I think there is something to be said about a standalone book and the feeling of having a complete story in one volume. Of course I love reading series, but there are so many that I have started that I will just never know the proper ending of many of them. I am more of a series person than a standalone person, but at the same time I don’t need every single book out there to be a series, which is what it seems like lately. I have so many unfinished series and I’m slowly trying to finish them one at a time. I’m going to make some goals for next year that might help me finish some series that I have started. With all of that said, sometimes a standalone can be better than dragging the story out into a trilogy (*cough* The Selection Series should have just been one book. *cough*) Below are some standalone titles that I am really excited to read!

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The King’s Questioner by Nikki Katz

Publication Date: January 14th, 2020

From the author of ‘The Midnight Dance’ comes an epic YA fantasy featuring royal drama, dark magic, and a secret that could topple a kingdom.

Kalen has been cursed with a gift: he’s a mental picklock, able to access a person’s memories and secrets by touch. His skills make him the perfect questioner to the king, and he spends his days interrogating prisoners of the crown.

But when Kalen’s estranged childhood friend, Prince Cirrus, falls into a sudden coma, the king begs Kalen to intervene. By accessing Cirrus’ mind, Kalen saves his life—and uncovers a terrifying secret. The prince has a sister, banished long ago, and she is the key to the destruction or survival of the kingdom.

With the help of Cirrus and a silver-haired thief named Luna, Kalen must find the princess and bring her home. Or risk death at the hands of his king.

The idea of magic that could reveal secrets is incredibly interesting, but combine it with royalty and it’s a recipe for corruption. Add a thief to the plot and suddenly you’ve got a book that I’m absolutely dying to read. I have high hopes for this book and I’m so thrilled that it’s almost time to actually read this one because I hate waiting.

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The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne

Publication Date: February 4th, 2020

Engagement season is in the air. Eighteen-year-old Princess Leonie “Leo” Kolburg, heir to a faded European spaceship, only has one thing on her mind: which lucky bachelor can save her family from financial ruin?

But when Leo’s childhood friend and first love Elliot returns as the captain of a successful whiskey ship, everything changes. Elliot was the one that got away, the boy Leo’s family deemed to be unsuitable for marriage. Now, he’s the biggest catch of the season and he seems determined to make Leo’s life miserable. But old habits die hard, and as Leo navigates the glittering balls of the Valg Season, she finds herself falling for her first love in a game of love, lies, and past regrets.

If you follow my blog you know that I love a good fluff read every now and then. This book sounds like The Bachelorette on a spaceship and I’m totally here for the drama. Give me fancy dresses and entertainment please! I look for books like this when I’m in a slump or when I just need a fun read.

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The Glass Magician by Caroline Steveremer

Publication Date: April 7th, 2020

A gilded menagerie rules a Gilded Age: Bears and Bulls are not only real, but dominate humanity in The Glass Magician, an amazing historical fantasy by Caroline Stevermer

What if you could turn into the animal of your heart anytime you want?

With such power, you’d enter the cream of New York society, guaranteed a rich life among the Vanderbilts and Astors, movers and shakers who all have the magical talent and own the nation on the cusp of a new century.
You could. If you were a Trader.

Pity you’re not.

Thalia is a Solitaire, one of the masses who don’t have the animalistic magic. But that is not to say that she doesn’t have talent of another kind—she is a rising stage magician who uses her very human skills to dazzle audiences with amazing feats of prestidigitation. Until one night when a trick goes horribly awry…and Thalia makes a discovery that changes her entire world. And sets her on a path that could bring her riches.

Or kill her.

I am really excited for this book for a couple of reasons, but mainly because it’s a historical fantasy about the Vanderbilts and New York Society during that time period. I went on a vacation a while back with my mom and visited the Biltmore in Asheville and ever since then I have been fascinated with the Vanderbilts. The fantasy aspect of this book looks absolutely fascinating, but it’s actually the historical aspects that have me super excited to read it. Luckily I already have a physical ARC of this book, I’m just having a hard time waiting to read it until closer to publication.

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Master Class by Christina Dalcher

Publication Date: April 21st, 2020

The future of every child is determined by one standardized measurement: their quotient (Q). Score high enough, and they attend a top tier school with a golden future ahead of them. Score low, and they are sent to a federally run boarding school with limited prospects for future employment. The purpose? Education costs are cut, teachers focus on the best students, and parents are happy.

Elena Fairchild is a teacher at one of the state’s elite schools. When her nine-year old daughter fails her next monthly test, her Q score drops to a disastrously low level and she is immediately forced to leave her top school for a federal school hundreds of miles away. As a teacher, Elena knows intimately the dangers of failure in their tiered educational system, but as a mother who just lost her child, all Elena wants is to be near her daughter again. And she will do the unthinkable to make it happen.

I read Vox by Christina Dalcher and absolutely loved it! It is probably one of my all time favorite feminist novels and when I saw she had another dystopian novel coming out I knew I had to read it. Christina Dalcher’s writing was very powerful in Vox and I hope that Master Class has as big of an impact on me as well. I have my fingers crossed hoping that I can get an ARC of this one! Read my review of Vox here!

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Don’t Call the Wolf by Aleksandra Ross

Publication Date: April 28th, 2020

A forest, besieged. A queen, unyielding. Fans of Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black will devour this deliciously dark Eastern European–inspired YA fantasy debut.

When the Golden Dragon descended on the forest of Kamiena, a horde of monsters followed in its wake.

Ren, the forest’s young queen, is slowly losing her battle against them. Until she rescues Lukasz—the last survivor of a heroic regiment of dragon slayers—and they strike a deal. She will help him find his brother, who vanished into her forest… if Lukasz promises to slay the Dragon.

But promises are all too easily broken.

I don’t really know what to expect from this standalone because it’s a debut, but it’s marketed as for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black, and that’s more than enough to get me interested. It’s an Eastern European inspired dark fantasy, so that alone has me intrigued, but it’s also about dragons, which I find fascinating! I already have an eARC of this one, and I can’t wait to see some early reviews because this one looks incredible.

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Check out Other Book Blogger’s Top 5!

Blair @ Feed the Crime —-| 5 Best Standalone Books|-

Dini @ Dinipandareads — Top 5 Saturday: Standalone Books

Susan @ Novel Lives — Single And Proud (Shaddup) Saturday Top Five Stand Alone Books

Louise @ Foxes and Fairy Tales: Book Blog — Top 5 Standalone Books

Tagged!

Imyril @ There’s Always Room for One More

Donna @ Donnasbookblog

Steph @ Steph’s Story Space

Sophie @ Beware of the Reader

Steph @ Bookslovereaders

Hallie @ Book Loaner

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Let’s Chat!

What are some of your favorite standalones? Have you ever heard of any of these titles or authors? What do you think I should read first? How do you feel about standalones versus series? What standalones are you dying to read? Make sure to comment below so we can talk about standalone books!