An author has named some of their favourite reads of all time – and there’s something for everyone, whatever your preferred genre
A fantasy author has shared five of her favourite books of all time. Anna Fiteni is the author of The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire, a brand new dark fae romantasy inspired by Welsh mythology perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Holly Black.
It’s not easy being Sabrina Parry; life in her small Welsh mining town is cruel and practical, her father is in prison and she must try to marry her sickly sister Ceridwen off to a man rich enough to look after her.
So of course when Ceridwen vanishes into the woods, it’s down to Sabrina to venture into Eu Gwald, the fairyland, to find and bring her sister home. Along the way, she encounters dangerous deals, a thrilling quest and a charming fae prince.
To mark the release of her debut, author Anna has revealed her top five book recommendations, from romantasy to non-fiction.
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1. Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
Anna’s first pick is Northern Lights by Philip Pullman, which follows a young girl, Lyra, who lives in a world where humans share their souls with animal companions named dæmons. When children begin mysteriously disappearing, Lyra’s search for answers pulls her into a dangerous adventure reaching beyond her world.
“This is the book that made me truly fall in love with reading – it was also the first book I remember where I felt like the main character, Lyra, was someone I understood and saw myself in,” Anna said. “It’s one of those classic fantasy stories that doesn’t get old, no matter how many times you come back to it.”
2. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
In a quiet village overshadowed by a dark and dangerous Wood, the people are protected by a powerful wizard known as the Dragon, who in return demands a girl from the village every 10 years.
Agnieszka lives in fear of the day the Dragon picks her best friend Kasia, but when this year’s choosing arrives, it becomes clear she was afraid of the wrong thing.
“To me, this is the definitive romantasy book,” Anna said. “Uprooted is a modern fairytale that balances everything I love in a story; a complex female protagonist, a coming-of-age narrative, an eerie but beautiful setting, and a delicately handled romance.”
3. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Jude, a mortal girl living in the High Court of Faerie, struggles to find her place in a world of beauty, power and cruelty. Determined to earn respect among the fae, she becomes entangled in palace intrigues and dangerous rivalries with the power to change the court forever.
Talking about her love for the series, Anna said: “It’s just YA fantasy perfection. The plot is propulsive and full of intrigue, the characters (especially the protagonist, Jude) are multi-faceted and sharp edged, and the Fairyland presented in this book is so imaginative and unique. The second book is actually even better!”
4. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Four people arrive at the mysterious Hill House to investigate its reputation for supernatural disturbances in Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. As they spend more time within its walls, the line between reality and fear blurs.
Anna said: “I read this in high school and then came back to it as an adult, where I found a deeper appreciation for how Jackson writes about isolation, and manages to create a location that only exists on the page but feels unsettlingly real. It’s a classic for a reason, and I can probably recite the first page by heart.”
5. The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown
The Indifferent Stars Above tells the true story of a young woman and her family who in 1846 left Illinois and later joined a party of emigrants led by George Donner.
Anna said: “Though this is a nonfiction book about the Donner Party and survival cannibalism, somehow the author managed to provide facts and figures while recounting the human side of the incident so vividly and empathetically that it feels like being told a story around a campfire. It’s the only nonfiction book I’ve ever reread.”
You can buy The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire by Anna Fiteni from Waterstones or Amazon now.