The Twelve Realms

So sweeping and epic historical fantasy is hard to pull off, but The Twelve Realms does it expertly. Sloane digs up forgotten nuggets from history and inserts them into the tapestry of this book, pulling from African and Druidic lore and blending them with elemental magic: water, air, and fire. swoon

Though vastly different (an intellectual vs a warrior), Nabii and her twin Nahlah both control water, and their story is one of two powerful sisters who carry the fate of the world in their hands. Even when they make decisions you know they shouldn't, you can't help wanting them to succeed because the world they're living in is so ruthless, magical, beautiful, and often times deeply patriarchal—you want these two women to overcome the challenges facing them.

Yet the elemental and prophetic conflicts are, at bottom, human stories. I enjoyed the painstaking vividness of being plunged into ancient Africa and Mesopotamia. The characters stole my heart. If there's a book 2, I'm in.

Thanks to the publisher for the 2nd edition of this book.