Alex C. Vick's Blog

“To be at the beginning again, knowing almost nothing…”
— Tom Stoppard
Today's blog post is my eighth annual celebration of Young Adult stories with brilliant beginnings. These are the books I add to my TBR without hesitation because they start in a way that's so intriguing, or shocking, or funny that I can't wait to discover happens next. In my experience, if I love the first page of a story, then I will love the rest of it too.
Of course, what makes a brilliant beginning is subjective, and my top ten(s) won't be the same as anyone else's! But fortunately, there are lots and lots of Young Adult books in the world to choose from. I hope there's an opener on my new list that helps you to find your next great read, and thank you very much for visiting my blog today 💕.
1️⃣ “When did you first meet Miss LaRoux?”
“Three days before the accident.”
“And how did that come about?”
“The accident?”
“Meeting Miss LaRoux.”
“How could it possibly matter?”
“Major, everything matters.”
These Broken Stars, by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner 
2️⃣ “Anything could happen in the blink of an eye. Anything at all.
One. Two. Three. Blink.”
Abandon, by Meg Cabot
3️⃣ “Three weddings.
Three funerals.
A better person would have been devastated, but Alessa bowed her head to hide dry eyes as she knelt before the jewel-encrusted coffin on the altar. The temple beneath the Cittadella smelled of mildew and death, the air thick with dust motes drifting like the ghosts of fireflies.
She would cry. Later. She always did. Being widowed at eighteen was tragic, after all, and none of her partners had deserved to die. Still, it was difficult to muster tears for yet a third time.”

This Vicious Grace, by Emily Thiede

4️⃣ “Tomman Hail of House Ever-Loyal was going to die before the sun rose. It wasn’t as heroic as it sounded.It was a lonely, terrible thing. Made worse by the lonely, terrible knowledge weighing on his chest. The secret he’d uncovered.It’ll be our lives if we’re caught, he’d said.Now, as then, he believed the cause worth the cost.”
Master of One, by Jaida Jones
5️⃣ “The face on a missing-person sign is supposed to be a stranger’s. Those yellowed papers tacked up in grocery stores are children who disappeared fifteen years ago. Amber Alerts are kids from other states with parents fighting for custody. And yet the face staring back at me from the TV—the girl under the siren-red MISSING letters—
That’s me.”

Silent Sister, by Megan Davidhizar
6️⃣ “Welcome to the beautiful Sinclair family.
No one is a criminal.
No one is an addict.
No one is a failure.”

We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart
7️⃣ “I wasn’t always a ghost. I was told to be. Dad and King said it was for protection.My protection. Their protection.The Winterfolk’s.The problem with being a ghost—Is that no one can see you.”
Winterfolk, by Janel Kolby
8️⃣ “‘Take only what your cloak can carry, and your conscience can bear.’
Armand Versini, Founder of the Order of Cloaks
‘Those who refuse to wield the dagger are doomed to die by its blade.’
Hugo Versini, Founder of the Order of Daggers”

The Dagger and the Flame, by Catherine Doyle

9️⃣ “1. A Lot of Bad Decisions Led Me to This Moment, But in My Defense, I Made Them Really Fast
When I woke up this morning with a feeling that this was going to be the Worst Day of My Life So Far, I brushed it off as the self-destructive voice in my head doing his daily affirmations.I was wrong. This is turning out to be the Worst Day of My Life, Ever.”
Bingsu for Two, by Sujin Witherspoon

🔟 “There’s something inherently wrong with any home that’s easy to get into and hard to break out of.The Winter Ridge Academy for Boys is both.”
Seasons of the Storm, by Elle Cosimano

To celebrate the release of Bonus Magic, up to and including Monday 9th June 2025, the Legacy of Androva series will be at a special price on Amazon! Breaking Magic will be FREE and the other books in the series will be priced at $0.99/£0.99 on Amazon US and UK.
A date with death. The Breaker is waiting.
Callax is fifteen and he already knows he won't ever grow old. Twelve years after leaving the childstation, he will be summoned to the Gathering, where life essences are taken by a deadly and irresistible spell. On his world, this is one of the many ways in which the Exta serve the Opta. His best hope is to avoid an early binding by staying out of trouble. 
But in protecting his younger brother, Benedar, he is noticed by the Breaker, the evil magician in charge of the Gathering. The closer Callax gets to the ruling house and the girl who lives there, the more he learns, and the greater the danger. A danger he might not understand until it is too late. Callax thinks the Breaker's defeat will save him. He is wrong.
You can find the Legacy of Androva series here ☺

Amazon UK Legacy of Androva

Amazon US Legacy of Androva

“Friends... they cherish one another's hopes. They are kind to one another's dreams.”
— Henry David Thoreau

Jax, Shannon, Darius, and Penny are about to go on another adventure. And although they still have lots to figure out in terms of their futures, their friendship is stronger than ever, which is fortunate considering their enduring ability to get into trouble!
Bonus Magic will be released next month. It contains all of the short stories from this blog plus a 34k-word novella, Solving Magic.
I've also written a new 5k-word story from Galen's POV where he contemplates returning to Androva after two thousand years away.
A pre-order for the eBook (6th June 2025) will be on Amazon very soon, and I’ll update this post with a link when it’s available. The price will be £0.99/€0.99/$0.99.
Update ☺Amazon UK Bonus Magic
Amazon US Bonus Magic
There's a short description and extract below. Thank you very much for visiting my blog today, and if you decide to read Bonus Magic, I hope you enjoy it!
An island with a secret. One more adventure. In Solving Magic, Jax, Shannon, Darius, and Penny are on vacation when they discover a mysterious medieval spell. Can they figure out its purpose and live to tell the tale?Meanwhile, Galen has to decide if he wants to be a part of Androva's post-treaty future. His meeting with Jax's father doesn't go the way either of them expect. 

“I’mhungry,” said Jax.

“So amI,” said Shannon. “How about we walk to the diner and bring back some food? Wecould try the pizza this time. Darius?”

Dariusdidn’t take his eyes off the table, frustrated that he still couldn’t see apattern. “Hmm?” he said distractedly.

“Jax andI are going to get pizza.”

“Okay,”he said. “Sounds good.”

“Youknow, it might not be possible to solve it,” said Shannon. “Some jigsaws havetoo many missing pieces.”

“What?”said Darius. “What’s a jigsaw?”

Shannonlooked at Jax. He shook his head. “I don’t know what a jigsaw is either.”

“Oh.Well, it’s a puzzle. You have to remake a picture of something by puttingtogether lots of small pieces in the right order.”

She wentto the bookcase behind the table and scanned the shelves. Underneath a stack ofboard games, she found a single jigsaw box, creased with age. It had a seascapeon the front.

Sheshowed Jax and Darius. “See? One thousand pieces.”

Jax heldout a hand for the box. It rattled as Shannon handed it to him. When he removedthe lid and saw what was inside, his mouth fell open. “You’ve got to bekidding. They’re all blue. It would take forever.”

“That’skind of the point,” said Shannon. “It’s a challenge.”

“Nothanks,” he said. “I wouldn’t even attempt it with magic.”

Shannonrolled her eyes. “Clearly nothing worse could be said of any Terran activity.”

“Some adventures require nothing more than a willing heart and the ability to trip over the cracks in the world.”

― Seanan McGuire
Writing a new adventure for the Legacy of Androva series wasn't something I had planned to do, but apparently, my characters had other ideas, and here I am ☺. 
What started as a summer vacation interlude quickly grew into something more, and by the time Jax, Shannon, Darius, and Penny uncovered a mysterious new chapter in Terra's magical history, I'd forgotten that I was supposed to be writing a short story! 
Today's blog post contains some information about what to expect, including 5️⃣ facts, a new aesthetic, and a short extract.
1️⃣ The title will (probably) be Solving Magic.2️⃣ Most of the adventure happens on Lanver Island. Lanver Island is fictional, but it's inspired by real UK places where I've spent previous vacations.3️⃣ The vibe is a blend of beach sunshine and medieval history, which includes real castles and sandcastles, spells old and new, a wishing well, and lots of ice cream 🍦.4️⃣ I think it will be around 30-35k words, depending on how the villain behaves in the final confrontation.5️⃣ I hope to publish before the end of June this year. As Solving Magic is shorter than the other stories in the Legacy of Androva series, I'm going to include all of the other bonus content from this blog, and I'm also going to write an extra short story from Galen's POV. I think it's about time he met Revus ☺.
These are the images I've collected as I write to tie everything together in my head. I really needed the visual reminders of summer because even though the calendar says March 5th, it's been quite cold and frosty here in the south of England! 
I hope you enjoy my latest writing update, and thank you very much for visiting my blog today 💕.
“A vacation!” said Penny.“Just the four of us,” said Darius.“Anywhere we want,” said Shannon. “Anywhere on Terra,” said Jax. He was a bit disappointed about the restriction.“There’s nothing wrong with Terra,” said Penny. “It’s much bigger than Androva, for a start.”Jax’s mouth opened, ready to deliver a cutting retort about the downside of having more land without magic, but Shannon spoke first. “Can we not have the ‘my world is better than your world’ argument right now? We’re going on vacation.”“I happen to think Terra has the edge on tourism,” said Darius. He squeezed Penny’s hand. “Anyway, I don’t mind where we go.”“Speak for yourself,” said Jax. “I have ideas.”“So do I,” said Penny. “Shannon? I wonder if you’re thinking what I’m thinking.”“Where?” said Jax. “Somewhere exciting, I hope.”Shannon grinned. “And I hope Revus can’t hear you.”Jax’s green eyes glinted with mischief. “I can’t help it if I find adventures relaxing. Why don’t we play Time Trial, and the winner can choose?”“Time Trial’s not very quick,” said Penny. “We should do rock, paper, scissors instead.”Jax gave her a wary look. He’d been wrong about Terra enough times to know there was a chance Penny wasn’t joking, however ridiculous the words sounded. She held out her hands to demonstrate the game. “You make one of three shapes. Like this. Rock breaks scissors, scissors cut paper, and paper covers rock. See?”“I see,” said Jax. “It’s basically a boring version of boat, fire, water.”“BFW,” said Darius with a smile. “I haven’t played that in ages.”“I’ll get the box,” said Jax.

“I find the world changed when it snows. Sometimes I wonder if it's the closest thing to magic I shall ever experience.”
― M.A. Kuzniar
As the holiday season approaches, the landscape is dressed for winter in stark silhouettes with a touch of frosty sparkle, while early sunsets turn the sky orange and purple. It’s already looking magical! We haven’t had any winter snow yet where I live, but that doesn’t mean I can’t curl up on the sofa with my cat and immerse myself in a snowy YA story. 
I’ve limited myself to three new books in the hopes that I’ll have time to read them all before the end of the year. I hope you enjoy my choices, and thank you very much for visiting my blog today 💕.
Happy holidays, and happy holiday reading!

1️⃣ Snow & Magic
Winterwood, by Shea Ernshaw

I was drawn to this book before I knew anything about the story because of the beautiful cover. And when I read the description, it didn’t disappoint.
“Dark fairy tales and enchanted folklore collide after a boy, believed to be missing, emerges from the magical woods—and falls in love with the witch determined to unravel his secrets.”
The main character is Nora Walker, a girl with nightshade blood who is descended from a long line of witches. She lives in the mountains in a place called Fir Haven. On a freezing winter night when the moon is full, she follows a bone moth (an omen of death) into the Wicker Woods. Lying in the snow is a boy called Oliver Huntsman. Nora is shocked to find that Oliver is alive, something that shouldn’t be possible because he went missing during a terrible storm two weeks earlier.
The dual POV, the dark magic, the intriguing backstories, and the romance are all reasons why I chose this book! Here are a couple of extracts from the beginning of the story on the day Nora and Oliver first meet.
Nora: “I think of the woods, the moment I found him in the snow: how his eyes snapped open, the whites like cracked eggshells. Fear trembling across his lips. What did he see in those woods? Why did the forest let him live? I wish I could peel him open, cut away his hard exterior, and see what he hides inside. Now he sleeps downstairs, and I know that even the heat from the woodstove won’t warm the chill from his flesh, won’t cure what haunts him.”
Oliver: “She can’t possibly steal boys from their bunks and bury them beneath the floorboards. She can’t possibly turn herself into a fanged beast and crash through the forest, knocking down trees. She can’t possibly be a witch who boils toads for breakfast and ties knots in her hair to bind curses that can’t be broken. She is just a girl.With raven hair and crush-your-heart-in-half eyes.”
2️⃣ Snow & Romance
Some Like it Cold, by Elle McNicoll
I came across this book at the Young Adult Literature Convention, and I’ve been saving it to read in December. I love the play on words in the title, and the tagline on the cover promises the perfect holiday romance. 
“She came home to say goodbye. Not to fall in love…”
The main character is Jasper Montgomery, and she’s returning to Lake Pristine for the holidays. She wants to tell everyone she’s dropping out of university to go to design school. The problem is that Jasper, a neurodivergent people pleaser, doesn’t know how to escape from the weight of her family’s expectations. 
Then there’s Arthur Lancaster. His family isn’t rich like Jasper’s. After his father died, Arthur gave up the chance to go to university to run the family business—Lake Pristine’s iconic cinema. Arthur is possibly the only person in town who isn’t happy to hear that Jasper is back. They have history. 
Throw in a nightmare sister (Jasper’s) and an irreverent cousin (Arthur’s) plus lots of small-town drama, and you have an enemies to lovers story I can’t wait to read! Here are a couple of extracts from the moment of Jasper’s return that show how she and Arthur feel about each other…
Jasper: “Arthur Lancaster. Gruff, taciturn, and judgemental. An old foe, in some respects.
Jasper and Arthur had both grown up in Lake Pristine and gone to high school together. She hardly wished to see him on a normal day in Lake Pristine, let alone when she was embarrassed and covered in snow and slush. His face was unreadable, just watching her with his typical cold intensity.
Jasper was known for being sweet and pleasant to everyone. 
Everyone, that was, except Arthur Lancaster.”
Arthur: “Jasper was back. She glanced over at him for the most fleeting of moments and then away again. He was used to that. He had never been within her notice. She had floated above him in school and there was nothing for them to be friendly about. He had probably snapped at her one too many times, and she had remained loyal to her terrible friends.”
3️⃣ Snow & Mystery
A Castle in the Clouds, by Kerstin Gier
This one is more of a wild card! I’ve been trying to read a little further outside of my comfort zone (romantasy) in recent weeks, and I thought I’d keep going with a story that looks like it’s going to keep me on the edge of my seat (or sofa ☺). The description and the cover are intriguing in the best of ways.
“Find yourself lost in the winding hallways of our grand Swiss hotel where secrets, romance, and danger coalesce into one unforgettable experience.”

The main character is Sophie Spark. She’s an intern at a hotel nicknamed Castle in the Clouds because of its misty mountain location. Sophie’s job involves a bit of everything, and at the beginning of the book, she’s babysitting a pair of misbehaving children.
After chasing the children halfway down the mountain in the snow, she narrowly escapes being run over by the son of the hotel owner. Unfortunately for Sophie, she doesn’t find out who he is until after she’s told him all about her other mistakes. Sophie is a great character—likeable and funny. I knew I was going to read this book before I was halfway through the prologue! I can’t wait to find out how Sophie gets herself into—and hopefully out of—this situation (extract below).
“So there I stood, exhausted, in the snow, as the sound of violins drifted toward us from the ballroom. Around my neck was a thirty-five-carat diamond that didn’t belong to me, and in my arms was a sleeping child who didn’t belong to me, either.
Somewhere along the way, I’d lost a shoe.
People always say that in an emergency you don’t feel pain or the cold because of all the adrenaline coursing through you, but it’s not true. The wound in my shoulder was throbbing like mad, the blood was running down my arm and dripping onto the snow, and the cold gnawed painfully at my foot. The muscles in my arms and shoulders were burning from carrying the child, but I didn’t dare put her down in case she woke up and alerted our pursuers to where we were.
People also say your brain works best in moments of great danger, arming you with razor-sharp insights. But that wasn’t true in my case, either. I couldn’t tell who was good and who was bad anymore. And the only razor-sharp insight I’d had recently was that silencers on guns really do what they say they will. 
And that there were definitely better moments for a kiss than this one.”

“Without a reader, a story is only half complete…Without a reader, the words just sit on the page, waiting to come alive in someone’s imagination.”
― Jodie Picoult
YALC, first and foremost, is a place where stories come alive. 16-17 November 2024 at London Olympia was its tenth anniversary and my third year of attending (accompanied as always by my youngest daughter ☺). If you love Young Adult books, YALC is a bit like walking into an alternate dimension where all of your favourite things are in the same place at the same time. A huge amount of work goes on behind the scenes to make it happen, and the end result is magic. 
For today’s post, I’m going to focus on our top ten highlights from a brilliant YALC weekend. 
1️⃣ The Vibe:Hundreds of readers + thousands of books = a brilliant atmosphere
2️⃣ Awesome Aesthetics (a):
Books that are works of artPerfectly EdgedVictoria Alyesa

3️⃣ Awesome Aesthetics (b):
Best-in-class bookish merchBluelybooNo0neDesigns
4️⃣ Nostalgia:
Percy Jackson ⚔
The stand was beautiful. And if you held one of the shells up to your ear, you got to hear an extract from the audiobook. Jesse Bernstein, the narrator, was so great that we stayed to listen for ages.
5️⃣ Authors:Author signings are a big part of what makes YALC special. We met five different authors, and they were all so friendly and approachable. Jennifer Lynn Barnes was very  interested to see the pink cover of Games Untold (see 6️⃣ below)—her publisher had heard of it, but they hadn't actually seen it. Bea Fitzgerald had just revealed the title of her next book (A Beautiful Evil), along with the colour of its cover 💚💚. 
Krystal Sutherland mentioned that her sister is also a writer, and Ravena Guron asked my daughter which she thought was the most relatable of the three POVs in Catch Your Death. Holly Jackson talked about Taylor Swift, specifically how the lyrics of Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me are very Rachel Price coded (they really are!).
6️⃣ Cool Cover Colour:
For reasons of (very) limited bookshelf space, most of the books I own are ebooks, and The Inheritance Games series is no exception. I visited the Waterstones stand to buy a physical copy of the latest book, Games Untold, before I met Jennifer Lynn Barnes. There were some special edition hardbacks in orange, and I was about to get one when I saw a few copies on a separate shelf in a different colour (pink). I preferred the pink, so that's the one I chose. It turned out to be a printing error and there are only three copies in existence! Having a signed copy was special enough, but I'm over the moon to have the pink cover too 💟.
7️⃣ Four Fantastic Proofs:
We’re still a little shocked (and very happy!) about the proofs we came home with this year. It’s a privilege to have the chance to read a new story before its release date, and all four books look like they’re going to be really good.
Girls of Dark Divine, by E. V. Woods (release date August 2025)Daughter of Chaos, by A. S. Webb (release date January 2025)Lady's Knight, by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (release date June 2025)Circle of Liars, by Kate Francis (release date July 2025, no Amazon pre-order link was available at the time of writing this post)

8️⃣ 10-Year Bonus Bag:
Because we bought our tickets early, we were given a special YALC tote bag full of surprise souvenirs. These included a proof copy of Spellbound, by Georgia Leighton (release date April 2025) that I can’t wait to read. 
9️⃣ Treasure Hunting:
Some of the publishers’ challenges were more difficult than others, and we had a lot of fun tracking down hidden clues. The most difficult was for the Walker YA Darkly competition. You had to find all four posters (left) to reveal the answer. I think we must have walked an extra mile around Olympia before we found the last one!
🔟 The Unexpected Keepsake:
We played spin the wheel when we were visiting the Hot Key Books stand and won this absolutely beautiful special edition of The Prisoner’s Throne by FairyLoot. I already own (and love) the ebooks in The Stolen Heir duology—in fact, reading The Prisoner’s Throne was one of my reading resolutions at the beginning of 2024. Adding a physical copy to my bookshelf makes me very happy, and I can’t stop admiring the artwork 💜.
Have you ever been to YALC? If you have, I hope you had a great time! And if you haven’t, I hope I’ve managed to convince you to think about it for next year. Thank you very much for visiting my blog today 💕.

“Who calls me villain?”

― Hamlet, William Shakespeare
Today's post is an updated A to Z about Loki—shapeshifting mischief-maker extraordinaire and my favourite fictional character. He's been starring in myths and legends for thousands of years, and he continues to inspire all kinds of twenty-first century stories. Most of the time, he walks a very fine line between right and wrong while having more fun than the rest of the characters put together! You can find the first A to Z here, and thank you very much for visiting my blog 💕.
And if you're interested in adding a Loki story to your TBR, here's a new book that I can't wait to read...
What If... Loki Was Worthy?, by Madeleine Roux
Loki and Valkyrie seek redemption in the first adventure of an epic new multiversal series that reimagines the origins of iconic Marvel heroes.
So many worlds, so little time. Infinite possibilities, creating infinite realities. Long have I watched the trickster god sow chaos. But... what if Loki saved Asgard from Tony Stark's revenge?

A is for Awful"I don't know if you know this, but I've done some terrible, awful things."
B is for Burdened"Burdened with glorious purpose. My life was a waste of time."
C is for Complicated"In the future. Well, it's your future. My present. It's complicated."
D is for Differently"What could we have done differently?"
E is for Enjoy"Simple question, really, but it doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves as we go along."
F is for Friends"I want my friends back. I don't want to be alone."
G is for Glad"You still glad we're here?"
H is for Harder"It's harder... to stay."
I is for Illusion
J is for Just"What other guys?""It's just O.B.""It's just O.B."
K is for Kingdom"This is his kingdom. And he said he keeps us safe, but how can you believe that?"
L is for Loki, God of Stories
M is for Me"Mobius, it's me."
N is for Not"Thor's not that tall."
O is for Okay"It's okay. Look, it happens."
P is for Pie"It's really good.""It is."
Q is for Quick"Now, come back. Quick."
R is for Rewrite"I can rewrite the story."
S is for Soft"I mocked him. Said he'd gone soft."
T is for Tactical"Tried to use the Mind Stone on Tony Stark. It didn't work, so I threw him off the building. I mean, let me tell you something. Wasn't tactical."
U is for Up to us"It's up to us to do better than He Who Remains."
V is for Villain"I'm not trying to be a hero, Brad. I'm a villain. Remember?"
W is for What I want"I know what I want. I know what kind of god I need to be... for you. For all of us."
X is for X-5"Come on, X-5. Did you really think you could outrun me?"
Y is for Yeah"Of course. Yeah."
Z is for Zaniac on the run"Is he running now?""He is running."

“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were.”
― Carl Sagan
When I finish writing the last book in a series, I have to say goodbye to the imaginary places my characters visited on their adventures. Of course there’s an upside to moving on because I get to discover something new, but I still feel a bit nostalgic about it ☺. After the Legacy of Androva, I wrote a farewell blog post to some of the locations in the series, and I did the same thing for the Light Mage trilogy. Today it’s the turn of Beyond Androva. I hope you enjoy the extracts, and thank you very much for visiting my blog today 💕.
Xyleander Woods
The city of Vayl is surrounded by woodland, and at first glance, the trees are nothing out of the ordinary. But if you were to follow the path for a mile or so until it becomes narrow and overgrown and much less welcoming, you’d find something very different. These particular trees have distinctive purple leaves and an abundance of living magic. They’re also protected by spells that disorient any passing visitors who might otherwise discover the Dimension Cells concealed within.
The woods appear in all four books. They’re the first thing Serena sees when she arrives in Xytovia. Later in the series, Kellan and Averine are both trapped inside Dimension Cells, and it’s a xyleander tree that offers the first clue to Art’s unique magical abilities. 
Here's an extract from Engraved in Magic when Art and Serena travel back to the xyleander woods from Galen’s island.
***The forest on the other side of the portal was shadowy and cool. And wet. It was raining. Heavy drops penetrated the canopy of purple leaves, several of them falling straight down the back of my neck as if they’d targeted me deliberately. I hunched my shoulders and ducked to one side in search of better shelter.
“Swap the light reflection for water reflection and you’ll be fine,” said Serena.
“What?”
“The Protection Spell we used yesterday,” she explained. “It’s a Universal Spell. I’ll show you.”
I shook my collar. The water trickled lower, trapped beneath the newly reinstated layers of my Xytovian clothing.
Serena walked under a low branch, then raised her hand and gave it a sharp push. The leaves trembled, releasing a small deluge of water. Although it appeared to land right on top of Serena, she didn’t flinch. Her hair was glistening. There were drops of water all over it. But somehow it wasn’t wet. Giving me a mischievous smile, she shook her head quickly from side to side. 
“Hey!” I protested, jumping back.
“It’s only water,” she said. “You’re not going to melt, are you?”
“Easy for you to say. You’re dry.”
Her smile widened. “I know. It’s magic.”
I laughed. Serena used her force field like an extension of herself. For me it was like a coat I kept taking off and putting back on again.***
Alchemist’s Workshop
An alchemist is a cotidian who combines magic with other materials to create complicated spells. In post-war Xytovia, cotidians and magicians have to live apart to prevent the spread of mage-sickness, which means alchemy is against the law. But villains never allow a simple thing like the law to get in their way! Of course, not every alchemist is bad, and not every magician is good, and my characters have to figure out who’s who before it’s too late.
Here's an extract from Lost in Magic when Kellan is remembering a childhood visit to his mother’s workshop.
***It was said that if the price was right, alchemy could figure out a solution no matter how insurmountable the challenge. The ultimate proof of this had been demonstrated by the recent creation of a trade in life itself. At the age of eight, however, I did not give much thought to my future mortality.
“Kellan, I see you there,” said my mother, her voice warm and affectionate. “People are always going to think you’re up to no good if you stay in the shadows.”
“Maybe I am up to no good,” I said, stepping into the light. 
“Are you?” She gave the molten silver mixture she was brewing a careful stir. “Make yourself useful and count to twenty.”
I counted under my breath while she fetched a tray from the top shelf and placed it next to the steaming pan. “Twenty,” I said, raising my voice as I reached the end.
“Thank you,” said my mother. After tucking a loose strand of black hair behind her ear, she stirred again, then grasped the handle of the pan.
“Well, are you up to no good?” she added, glancing over her shoulder with a teasing grin.
“I haven’t decided,” I said solemnly.
She laughed. “Is that so? Then I will be on my guard.”***
Phidiom
On the world of Xytovia, there are three principal territories and an unspecified number of outer territories—‘outer’ because their citizens chose to live outside of the pact when the war finally ended. The smallest of these is Phidiom, a rocky island in the middle of the ocean. In Matched in Magic, it plays a small but important role in distracting Art’s grandfather long enough for Art and Serena to escape, and it really comes into its own in Bound in Magic, the series conclusion!
Here's an extract from Bound in Magic when Averine and Kellan are imagining a future together outside of their respective prisons. The singing reference is from their very inventive game of Truth or Dare ☺.
***“And once we’re both free, where shall we go?” he said.
“Somewhere without the Five Tenets.”
“Definitely.”
“What do you think about Phidiom?” I asked.
“Phidiom?” said Kellan, raising his eyebrows. “The territory on a rock at the end of the world?”
“I know it’s far,” I said. “But there’s at least one mage-glass. We wouldn’t have to cross the ocean in a boat or anything.”
Kellan nodded. “I like the idea of starting over in a place where no one knows us.”
“There’s another reason,” I said. “Phidiom made alchemy a protected profession when it refused to sign the pact. It was the only territory that did. I’ve always wanted to visit. My mother promised we’d go together as a celebration trip when the war ended.”
“To Phidiom?” he said. His mouth twitched. “Wouldn’t that be more like a punishment?”
“Very funny. It used to be a tourist attraction, especially for aspiring alchemists. Most of Xytovia’s crystals come from the caves above the capital city.”
“Right,” said Kellan. “I forgot about the caves. I never saw the point of learning about crystals.”
“You and every other magician.”
“I know a lot more about crystals than you do about projecting spells,” he protested.
“You don’t. You never read any of the textbooks I showed you.”
“Maybe not. But I had one of them sung to me, and let’s just say it was memorable.” 
I narrowed my eyes, and he laughed.***

“Like all sweet dreams, it will be brief, but brevity makes sweetness, doesn't it?”
― Stephen King
I love reading YA books, but I especially love reading YA fantasy/romantasy. And the thing about stories involving magic is the world-building—there’s a lot of it. Often far too much to fit into one book. That means I read a lot more series than I do standalones.
I’m definitely a fan of the series format, both as a reader and a writer. But I’m also a fan of mixing up my reading choices because I discovered some of my favourite books that way. And so I got to thinking about standalone YA fantasy books. When I made my New Year reading choices a few months ago, I included Revelle, by Lyssa Mia Smith, and I really enjoyed it ☺. I decided to search for more standalones to add to my TBR. Today’s blog post contains my top five, and I can’t wait to read them! I hope you enjoy my choices, and thank you very much for visiting my blog today 💕.
1️⃣ Dreams Lie Beneath, by Rebecca Ross
Do not trust your eyes alone…
The realm of Azenor has spent years plagued by a curse. Every new moon, magic flows from the nearby mountain and brings nightmares to life. Only magicians—who serve as territory wardens—stand between people and their worst dreams.
Clementine Madigan is ready to take over as the warden of her small town, but when two magicians arrive to challenge her, she is unknowingly drawn into a century-old conflict. She seeks revenge, but as she gets closer to Phelan, one of the handsome young magicians, secrets—as well as romance—begin to rise.
To fight the realm’s curse, which seems to be haunting her every turn, Clementine must unite with her rival. But will their efforts be enough to save Azenor from the nightmares that lurk around every corner?
Seven magicians had kept detailed dream recordings before Papa had come to Hereswith, and I had always hoped to become the ninth magician, after my father retired. But I felt the weight of those inked dreams of people now dead and buried. I felt them as if I had embraced a millstone. 
I met Papa’s gaze, and he saw my shock. I hadn’t realized it until now. The weight he carried as the town’s magician. And suddenly… I didn’t know if I was strong enough to bear it. 
“Come here, daughter,” he whispered.
I crossed the room, the book heavy in my arms, and sat on the edge of his bed. I could feel the feverish heat rolling off him in waves, and it made me worry. 
“I’ve taught you all that I know,” he said. “You’ll do just fine recording this dream, so long as you stick to the rules and pre-determined spells.” He paused to study me with squinted eyes. “You know, it’s not a bad thing to be fearful every now and then. The fear reminds you of limits, of what lines you should not cross. Of the doors you shouldn’t open.”

2️⃣ Where the Dark Stands Still, by A. B. Poranek
A cursed forest. A twisted bargain. A love eternal.
Raised in a small village near the spirit-wood, Liska Radost knows that Magic is monstrous, and its practitioners, monsters.
After Liska unleashes her own powers with devastating consequences, she is caught by the demon warden of the wood - the Leszy - who offers her a bargain: one year of servitude in exchange for a wish.
Whisked away to his crumbling manor, Liska makes an unsettling discovery: she is not the first person to strike this bargain and all of her predecessors have mysteriously vanished. If Liska wants to survive the year and return home, she must unravel her host's spool of secrets and face the ghosts of his past.
Those who enter the wood do not always return…
“Yes, I am he,” said the demon. He is tall and lean in stature, holding himself with the elegance of an aristocrat. “As for you, I will only ask once more. What is your name?”
“Kasia,” Liska says quickly.
The demon goes still, and so does the wood around him, as if every bracken and bough is straining to listen to their conversation. Then he murmurs, “I can hear the skips in your heartbeat, little liar. Try again.”
Liska’s throat constricts with shock. She swallows, then speaks once more, chastened now. “L-Liska.” That is all she will give him. Her surname is hers to keep. 
He chuckles warmly. “Liska, Liseczka … oj, lisku. You’re not a very clever fox, are you?”

3️⃣ A Face Like Glass, by Frances Hardinge
Child, thief, madman, spy, which speaks the truth and which one lies?
In the underground city of Caverna the world's most skilled craftsmen toil in the darkness to create delicacies beyond compare – wines that can remove memories, cheeses that can make you hallucinate and perfumes that convince you to trust the wearer, even as they slit your throat. The people of Caverna are more ordinary, but for one thing: their faces are as blank as untouched snow. Expressions must be learned, and only the famous Facesmiths can teach a person to show joy, despair or fear – at a price.
Into this dark and distrustful world comes Neverfell, a little girl with no memory of her past and a face so terrifying to those around her that she must wear a mask at all times. For Neverfell's emotions are as obvious on her face as those of the most skilled Facesmiths, though entirely genuine. And that makes her very dangerous indeed…
In the fleeting second before the door closed between them, Neverfell glimpsed something that made her heart stumble in its pace. Madame Appeline was watching her with a Face she had never seen before. It was unlike anything from the many Facesmith catalogues Neverfell had treasured over the years, nor was it smooth and beautiful like the other Faces Madame Appeline had worn during her visit. It contained a smile, but one with a world of weariness behind the brightness, and sadness behind the kindness. There was something a little haggard around the eyes as well, that spoke of sleeplessness, patience and pain.
Next instant the image was gone, and Neverfell was left staring at the door as it clicked to. Her mind was crazed with colour and jumbled thoughts. It took her a moment or two before she remembered that she should be throwing all the bolts.
That extraordinary Face had sent a throb through her very soul, like a breeze shivering the string of a harp, and she could not account for it.

4️⃣ The Forbidden Wish, by Jessica Khoury
She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world…
When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years—a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?
He stands still for a moment, watching me. He has tied the lamp to his belt, and his hand strokes it absently. It’s an affectation common to Lampholders, and he’s picked it up already.
“How old are you?” he asks.
A cool wind flows between the dunes, pulling my hair across my face and ruffling his patched cloak.
“Three thousand and one thousand more.”
“Great gods,” he says softly. “But you look no older than me.”
“Looks are deceiving.” I don’t tell him that the face I wear is stolen, its possessor five hundred years dead. Of course, I have a face of my own, one slightly younger than yours. I was seventeen the day I was first put into the lamp, when I ceased aging and became the timeless slave I am now. I have little desire to wear that face anymore. It is the one that betrayed you to your death, Habiba. The face of a monster.
5️⃣ The Wicked Deep, by Shea Ernshaw
Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…
Two centuries ago, in the small, isolated town, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town. Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return from the depths, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them down to their watery deaths.
Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into or the fact that his arrival will change everything…
Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.
But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.
Tourist season starts tomorrow. And with it comes an influx of outsiders and the beginning of an eerie and deadly tradition that has plagued Sparrow since 1823—ever since the three Swan sisters were drowned in our harbor. Tonight’s party is the start of a season that will bring more than just tourist dollars—it will bring folklore and speculation and doubt about the town’s history. But always, every year without fail or falter, it also brings death.
It starts as a low croon that rolls in with the tide, a sound so faint it might just be the wind blowing through the clapboard shutters, through the portholes of docked fishing boats, and into narrow cracks along sagging doorways. But after the first night, the harmony of voices becomes undeniable. An enchanting hymn sailing over the water’s surface, cool and soft and alluring. The Swan sisters have awakened.

“There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds.”
― G.K. Chesterton
One of the things I love about writing fantasy is the world-building. When the world is entirely of your own making, you don’t have to worry about limits or conditions. Of course, entirely is a relative concept because it’s impossible not to be influenced by personal life experience and the reality you see every day. But that’s half the fun of it—finding a reference point from the real world before letting your imagination take over.

Today’s blog post is about the world-building for Xytovia, the setting for the Beyond Androva series. At first, I thought Beyond Androva was going to be a duology because Serena’s and Art’s character development wrapped up so neatly at the end of Engraved in Magic. Although I wanted to explore Kellan’s backstory, I didn’t feel like it was strong enough to stand alone (sorry, Kellan ☺). 
That’s where Averine came in. She would be the link between Kellan’s past and his future, but more than that, she allowed me to explore what it was like to be a cotidian and an alchemist instead of a magician. And the world-building all started with a poem—two characters trapped in different Dimension Cells dreaming of something they didn’t think they could ever have.
After the poem came the props! I happened to be visiting a small town on the south coast of England famous for its fossils, and I discovered a shop selling all kinds of beautiful crystals. As soon as I saw them, I thought they looked magical and exactly like the kind of ingredients a Xytovian alchemist would probably use. Soon after that, I started writing Lost in Magic to continue the series. 
Which fictional worlds are your favourites? In the past few months, my imagination and I have visited Elfhame, the Magnificent North, and Charmant, and I loved all of them! Thank you very much for visiting my blog today 💕.
Dimension Cell Dreaming
Every night he falls asleep
A promise he has sworn to keep
The line between dimensions blurs
No regrets, his heart is hers
Every day he wakes the same
Memories erased again
Knowing not how great the cost 
Two prisoners, one love, divided, lost

Every time she sees him leave
She doesn’t know what to believe
She tells herself it isn’t real
Pretend, deflect, play games, conceal

They cannot ever be together
For one day he will leave forever
A maze of magic and mixed-up feelings
No future in Dimension Cell dreaming
― Alex C. Vick