THE ADVENTURES OF AMINA AL-SIRAFI by Shannon Chakraborty

Amina’s sassy narrative quickly grabbed my attention, and I loved the humour this brought to the story. I was also pulled in by the fascinating world, with its rich mythology, culture, history and religion. While this world-building is presented in information dumps, these were easy to follow and strengthened by vivid descriptions which brought the world to life.

CHAIN OF THORNS by Cassandra Clare

Through multiple third-person points of view (POVs), the descriptive writing style provides a detailed depiction of the characters and world. While this broad scope allows the story to delve into the complicated relationships between the characters, it also gives a slow, sluggish pace. The highlight for me was the slight comic relief dispersed throughout the story, as this made me smile and reminded me of why I first liked this series.

GIDEON THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir

The descriptive writing style is made even more engaging through a quirky and witty third-person narrative from Gideon’s point of view. Not only was the sarcastic, easygoing humour so entertaining that I was constantly laughing, but it also made Gideon’s character relatable and easy to like. While I also loved the captivating world, I craved a deeper exploration of the Houses and magic system.

FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros

Bringing the story to life is a lush, descriptive writing style that constantly details the setting and characters without impacting the story’s pace. Equally impressive is the rich, unique world that is easy to grasp yet complex, with a delightful blend of magic, dragons and politics. Cliffhanger chapter endings are also skillfully used, making it difficult to put this book down.