I don’t give 5-star ratings to books lightly. A 5-star book is one that I will reread, a book that will occupy the top spot on my bookshelf. The story of this book is so compelling that I refused any criticism on it (Period)!. With that being said, here are the top 5 books of 2023.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.
With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.
Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die
This book had me screaming, gasping for air, and crying all the happy and sad tears. (I generally don’t cry when I read). The foreshowing was a masterpiece and it kept me glued to the pages for a solid 8 straight hours! The betrayals cut deep. The friendships were beautiful. The enemies to lovers romance was a slow burn that was passionate and steamy. And the battles were intense and epic.
I was in love with Violet and her strength from page one and Xaden is someone who demands love even though he is the one everyone is suppose to hate. The slow burn of the growing relationship and the tight bonds at the end had me in a choke hold. The dragons in this book were EVERYTHING! Without giving to much away, Ill say the conversations and interactions were captivating. Throughout this story, there was always this charge in the air that left me terrified of what was to come. And it was impossible not to have sweaty palms during some of the scenes or to feel your heart pounding in your chest! Plus the twists and turns were done beautifully! Some of it I saw coming, but others left me with my mind blown!
Iron Flame’ by Rebecca Yarros
“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” —Xaden Riorson
Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.
Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.
Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.
But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.
Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.
The second book in the The Empyrean series, Iron Flame, picks up right at the huge cliffhanger of Fourth Wing. I will say, it in no way, shape, or form, was better than Fourth Wing, but it is an amazing installment into the world that I have grown to love so much. The story is action-packed from start to finish, so I never want to put this book down. I NEEDED to know what was going to happen next. These characters are some of my favorites and need to be protected at all costs. Violet is still a badass. Xaden is still daddy. Tairn is hilarious. and Andarna is the sassiest bitch individual in the realm. Her glow up at the end is unmatched and I cannot wait to see what type of power she brings to book three. Dain is no longer on my hate list and OMG, Liam, LIAMMMMMMMMMMMM! Violet battles a lot with herself in this book, but I loved it because most females battle with these types of things and it shapes her character so well. The sacrifice of her mother had me in tears again! I did not like that woman, but now I understand why she did the things she did. I cannot wait until book 3 comes out.
Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent
Six roses. Six vials of blood. Six visits to a vampire who could be her salvation… or her damnation.
Lilith has been dying since the day she was born. But while she long ago came to terms with her own imminent death, the deaths of everyone she loves is an entirely different matter. As her town slowly withers in the clutches of a mysterious god-cursed illness, she takes matters into her own hands.
Desperate to find a cure, Lilith strikes a bargain with the only thing the gods hate even more than her village: a vampire, Vale. She offers him six roses in exchange for six vials of vampire blood–the one hope for her town’s salvation.
But when what begins as a simple transaction gradually becomes something more, Lilith is faced with a terrifying realization: It’s dangerous to wander into the clutches of a vampire… and in a place already suffering a god’s wrath, more dangerous still to fall in love with one.
I absolutely adore this novella! Usually, I steer clear of novellas because they can feel rushed and incomplete, but this one completely blew me away. It’s a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, which instantly hooked me in. The protagonist, Lilith, is a terminally ill human living in a cursed town. Despite countless attempts to break the curse, they’ve all failed. Driven by her scientific mind, Lilith decides to take matters into her own hands and seeks out a vampire named Vale for a cure. What unfolds is not just a deal, but a deeply engaging and obstacle-filled journey. The author’s ability to develop such a complex plot in a novella is truly impressive. Every mention of the disease made me genuinely fearful, and Lilith’s brave facade broke my heart. By the end, I was left yearning for more of their story and eagerly anticipating their next adventures in The Ashes and The Star Cursed King.
The Book of Azrael by Amber Nicole
World Ender meets Ender of Worlds…
A thousand years ago, Dianna gave up her life in the deserts of Erioa to save her dying sister. She called upon anyone who would listen, not expecting a monster far worse than any nightmare to answer. Now she does what Kaden asks, even if that means securing an ancient relic from the very creatures that hunt her.
A King thought long dead and long forgotten.
In the old world his name was Samkiel. In the new world it is Liam, but one title remains true throughout time. He is the World Ender, a myth to his enemies, a savior and King to those loyal to him. After the Gods War, he locked himself away, hiding from the world. He denied his crown and responsibilities, leaving the very ones who needed him most to deal with the fallout of the death of their homeworld. Now an attack on those he holds dear sends him back to the one realm he never wished to visit again and into the sights of an enemy he thought imprisoned eons ago.
Now enemies older than time must put aside their differences and work together in hopes of saving both their world and every realm in between.
Okay now, this was a long book and when I realized how many pages it was, I almost put it down. I was the longest book I read in 2023. DO NOT let the length of this book stop you. If you want enemies to lovers and a female villain that is exactly what you will get from this book. By nature of who they are, Dianna and Liam are technically mortal enemies – their kinds have been fighting each other for centuries. Both Dianna and Liam try to kill the other and their companions at various points in this book. But watching their relationship develop, albeit a bit slowly, was sweet. You get fantastic flirty banter and fighting, but also some real emotions and deep feelings between them. I never knew if they were going to like each other or hate each other over the chapters. The book is balanced with action and romance but there is never a dull moment in the story making it all the more reason to keep going.
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.
This book, oh, this book! It’s one of those rare finds that just sets your heart racing, transporting you to a world so vivid and intense that it’s hard to believe it’s all fiction. The setting is hauntingly dreadful yet utterly captivating, and the complex web of love and loyalty kept me on the edge of my seat. The story unfolds from two enthralling perspectives. There’s Laia, a member of the oppressed Scholars under the Martial Empire’s rule. When her brother is captured and likely tortured by the enigmatic Masks, she bravely seeks aid from the Resistance. Their condition for help is steep: she must infiltrate the brutal Blackcliff Military Academy as a slave to gather intelligence on the nefarious Commandant. Then there’s Elias, the Commandant’s son, whose viewpoint adds another layer of depth and intrigue to this gripping tale. This fast-paced, emotionally charged narrative will keep you spellbound from start to finish!
Plot Twist Dairies 
Leave a comment