Jen Blair
Because...magic. It heals, it gives power, it gives us hope.
The town of Allora is a magical place where fish fly out of the ocean and the colorful houses can be seen for miles around. Alberto lives contentedly here as the town coffin maker, after his wife and children die from the plague. One day a strange bird flies into his house, followed by a boy, Tito. Tito is looking for a safe haven, which lonely Alberto is happy to provide. But Tito is running away from something. Something that could disrupt the peace and magic in the tiny town of Allora.
My favorite book this year. I have read it twice, I loved it so much. In the land of Orisha, cruel King Saran has destroyed magic by killing all magi, the powerful few who wielded magic. Now Zelie, a daughter of magi, is in a race against time to restore magic to the land and its people with the help of her brother and the unlikely ally, Princess Amari. Rise up, indeed.
Nor Blackburn tries to lead as normal a life as possible in a tiny island village in the Pacific Northwest, even though she is a descendant of witches who are cursed. But Nor is the daughter of Fern, a ruthless woman known for her magical powers. And her willingness to use blood magic to gain more power. Nor can no longer watch as her friends and family are harmed, she must fight back.
Brienna has never really fit in anywhere. Although she has spent years at the famed boarding school, Magnalia House, she has never mastered a “passion” and is now left without a patron. Unexpectedly, a disgraced lord offers to be her patron, and now she finds herself swept up in a plot to overthrow the king.
