Everyone on BookTok can’t stop talking about Fourth Wing, and for good reason. Violet Soreingail wanted to enter the scribe quadrant, but instead, she’s sent into the brutal Basgiath War College to become an elite Navarre, a dragon rider.

With her small stature and fragile bones, it’s the worst possible place for Violet to have found herself, as dragons don’t bond with weak humans. Yet she has to train and stay among her enemies as there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

Throw in an enemies to lovers plotline, a love triangle, some life-threatening trials and the threat of war in the outside world, and you’ve got yourself a deliciously gripping dish, which I downed in one sitting. It’s The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, need I say more? 

Shop Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (Red Tower Books) at WHSmiths, £10.99

A Court Of Thorns And Roses fans may have already explored Sarah J Maas’s wider works, but don’t sleep on her latest series.

Bryce Quinlan is Crescent City’s go-to party girl – that is, until a brutal murder changes the whole trajectory of her life. Two years pass in a blur before the murderer attacks again. This time Bryce can’t stand by, and fallen angel Hunt Athalar is assigned to watch and work with her to uncover the dark, twisted truth.

The House Of Earth And Blood, along with its sequel The House Of Sky And Breath are out now, and it’s a great time to start the series before the threequel comes out in January. It’s ideal for fans of Buffy The Vampire Slayer or True Blood. Be prepared for a major surprise at the end of book two, too…

The House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas (Bloomsbury) at Waterstones, £9.99 

For all fans of Harry Potter, Wednesday or even Fourth Wing, Naomi Novak’s A Deadly Education trilogy is a must-read.

El Higgins enters a school of magic like no other. There are no teachers, only students and a shedload of monsters. The odds of survival are slim, and very few students will make it to graduation.

El possesses a dangerous dark power that could consume them all if she doesn’t control it, but she refuses to be defined by the bleak prophecy that was foretold. Instead, she embarks on a risky plan to change the rules and save all the students.

Shop A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik (Cornerstone) at Waterstones, £9.99

Namina Forna’s debut novel takes us to a deeply patriarchal (and problematic) kingdom where a woman’s worth is determined by the colour of her blood. Deka bleeds gold, which is a sign of impurity, or so she’s been told. Until a mysterious woman arrives and reveals that golden blood is a sign of power, as Deka is an Alaki and has special gifts. She’s given an ultimatum that will determine her future for better, or worse. 

Two of the three confirmed books are already out and have become instant bestsellers, with a third instalment on the way in February 2024. If you loved Children Of Blood And Bone or Marvel’s Black Panther, this series is for you (I adored it).

Shop The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna (Usborne) at Amazon, £6.29

In less than a week’s time, Amazon’s adaptation of The Wheel of Time returns for its second season. The first book in the 14-book series (yes, it’s a real investment) follows Moiraine as she arrives in a small village in search of the Chosen One, the Dragon Reborn. However, she’s not the only newcomer in the area to embark on the quest… 

As the title suggests, this epic adventure is a race against time that blends myths and legends from different cultures into a stunning high fantasy tale. 

Shop The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (Tor Books) at Amazon, £6.99

After her bestselling debut series Red Queen, Victoria Aveyard is back with Lord Of The Rings-style epic Realm Breaker. Corayne is tucked away in a small town when fate comes knocking at her door, as a mythical immortal and lethal assassin arrives and reveals her true heritage.

As the last in an ancient line, Corayne has the power to save the world with the magic coursing through her veins. The fate of the world is on her shoulders, but will she be able to save it?

Shop Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard (Orion) at Waterstones, £9.99

If you haven’t already stepped into Sabaa Tahir’s fictional worlds, then you desperately need to. Laia’s sweet life is overturned when her grandparents are killed and her brother is captured by the empire for treason. She seeks help with the rebellion group he worked for, but in exchange they want her to spy on the ruthless commandment of Blackcliff, the greatest military academy.

The dangerous task leads Laia to come face to face with the most feared soldier, though it quickly becomes clear this mission was never going to be a simple one… 

This four-book series debuted back in 2016, and it’s a heartbreaking tale of the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.

Shop An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (HarperCollins) at Waterstones, £9.99

Unless you’ve never ventured into Booktok (if so, why not?), then you’ll have heard of Alex Aster’s sensational hit, Lightlark. Every 100 years, the rulers of six cursed realms come to the island of Lightlark to enter a deadly tournament to break the curse that has plagued their realms for centuries.

Isla Crown is amongst them, the young ruler of the Wildling. With several twists and shocking turns, this gripping read will hook you from the start. With the second instalment Nightbane on the way in November, it would be rude not to start your journey into this young adult fantasy.

Shop Lightlark by Alex Aster at Waterstones (Abrams), £12.99

Tracy Deonn’s Legendborn is a tale of grief and magic, and a modern-day twist on the well-known legend of King Arthur. After her mother dies, Bree escapes to a residential programme for high school kids, which seems pretty harmless… or so you’d think.

However, on the first night she witnesses a magical attack by a demon. A mage, Merlin, tries to wipe her memory of the evening’s events. Instead, he accidentally unlocks Bree’s unique magic and puts a sequence of events in motion that she could never have predicted.

With her new power, and the world on the brink of war, will she join the fight? Have a read and find out. 

Shop Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (Simon & Schuster Ltd) at Amazon, £9.19

The Priory Of The Orange Tree is another firm favourite for fantasy readers. The high fantasy follows Queen Sabran the Ninth, who is unwed but needs to conceive a daughter to protect her realm and produce an heir.

Loyal lady-in-waiting Ead keeps a watchful eye (and a host of forbidden magic) over Sabran, as assassins close in and an ancient enemy awakens. The world is divided and chaos is breaking out across the realm; will anyone be able to stop it? It’s a beautiful read that I didn’t want to ever end.

Shop The Priory Of The Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (Bloomsbury) at Waterstones, £10.99