As the end of 2022 approaches, so does my time as an Opus Columnist. Getting to write for the magazine for the past two years has been a truly great experience, and I have had so many opportunities that I am so very grateful for!
Sharing my love (more like obsession) of books with you all is something I never thought I would do. So, for my final column, I want to share some reading recommendations that will get you through the uni break!
The Farseer Trilogy—Robin Hobb
High Fantasy lovers, if you haven’t read this series already, I recommend you do so. The trilogy follows Fitz Farseer, a royal bastard, as he navigates the machinations of the royal court, his frowned-upon magic use, training to become a royal assassin, and what these require of him in the present and future.
It took some time to get into the first book in the series, due to trying to wrap my head around the worldbuilding. However, that is usually the case when I start a new high fantasy series, so don’t let that deter you! My favourite part of Hobb’s writing was how the characters are written. There are no one-dimensional characters found within this series, and their interactions and relationships are so well written that it feels as though you’re watching real-life interactions.
Once I understood the world that Hobb had created, I devoured the rest of the first novel and its successors.
The Socialite’s Guide to Murder—S. K. Golden
I’m not quite sure why, but this book made me think of if the TV show Only Murders in the Building and the game Cluedo had a love child.
Set in 1958, Golden’s novel follows Evelyn Murphy, a hotelier’s daughter, who has not left the Pinnacle Hotel in fourteen months due to her diagnosis of agoraphobia. However, her sanctuary is in trouble as it becomes the newest site of a murder—of which her best friend Henry is the main suspect. As Evelyn teams up with Mac, an employee at the hotel, to prove Henry’s innocence, they find the hotel is not the place they once thought it was, and Evelyn throws a party to catch the killer.
I tend to stay away from murder mysteries as they usually happen to be quite graphic, but there was none of that here! This made for an enjoyable read, where the mystery of the event, and the characters, takes centre stage.
Legendborn duology—Tracy Deonn
Legendborn is one of the best books that I’ve read in the past couple of years, and I was beyond excited when I found out Bloodmarked was being released this year. If you are a fan of YA, or YA Fantasy, then this will be your jam, but if not I still recommend it with every book-loving fibre of my being.
The duology follows Bree Matthews as she navigates a world of magic after her mother dies in an accident. When Bree finds out there was more to her mother’s death than she realised, she vows to infiltrate the Legendborn society of demon hunters to get answers at any cost. But, as the war between the society and the demons intensifies, Bree finds herself facing a future she did not expect.
As someone who often gets iffy about endings, I was both excited and nonplussed about the release of the second instalment. However, Deonn did not disappoint with Bloodmarked, and continued her sensational worldbuilding, plot arc, and characters.
Hi, I’m Phoebe and I’m a contributor and columnist for Opus! I like writing about the creative arts with a focus on anything book related. When I’m not studying, writing, or procrastinating, you’ll find me either reading, plotting, talking, or thinking about books!
