Hello friend. Today’s Indie Recommends Indie post features author Lindsey Bakken and she shares her favorite indie reads. Her book, The Invisible Circus, is a Fantasy that I am excited to dive into and you can learn more about it at the end of the post.
Lindsey, welcome to Armed with A Book! Since it’s your first time on the blog, can you please tell me and my readers about yourself?
Hi! I am so honored to be here. You’ve built a wonderful platform and community.
I’m fascinated with stories. Be it the plot of video games, interesting board games, or books. It takes next to nothing to sweep me away with words, and I often have a hard time staying in reality—great for writing, not great for my day job. I’ve never lost that childlike wonderment with stories. They challenge us, teach us, and take us far away.
In high school, I wrote the books I wanted to read in between sports or hanging out with friends. And I got serious about it. I didn’t want to go to college, so I worked really hard: sending novels to agents and publishing companies, but, unfortunately, I needed to further develop my skill set before I’d publish anything. That’s how I got around to publishing my first novel in 2014 (rereleased in 2017). Since then, my laptop has been a revolving door of idea outlines, incomplete manuscripts, and final drafts.
Do you read a lot of indie books?
Ooooh this is tough. As a self-published author, I lean indie because I love smaller presses and books with a unique spin or book that aren’t mass marketed by a large publisher. That said, I usually come across books through word of mouth or whatever catches my eye in small bookstores.
I think it’s a 40/60 split, but I’d love to flip that and have a majority of my reads be indie.
Lindsey’s Indie Recommendations
Between Starfalls by S. Kaeth
Fantasy
Published 2020
Children of the Nexus #1
Never leave the path.
It’s sacred law, punishable by exile.
When her son goes missing in the perilous mountains, Kaemada defies the law to search for him. She enlists the help of her hero brother, a priestess berserker, and a fire-wielding friend.
But the law exists for a reason.
When the search party is captured by the mythical Kamalti, they learn that Kaemada’s son was sent to an ancient prison city. As they battle for freedom, they discover a horrible truth that will change the future of both races forever.
With their world in upheaval, Kaemada must find a way to peace if she’s to save her son—but tensions between the two races are leading to war.
As this is a vast world with many groups of people and powers, I love that each chapter begins with a journal entry. It helped me get quickly oriented so I could enjoy the atmospheric writing.
It’s immersive and vivid.
From the start, the world S. Kaeth built intrigued me, but it held my interest and would not let go until I finished book 1. Now I’m going to have to cancel plans to finish the second one.
This world is beautifully painful and painfully beautiful. Each character stood on its own, but I was drawn the most to Kaemada. She’s brave, empathetic, and aware of those around her. In a place of power, villains, and different clans, she doesn’t see divide. Instead, she sees ways to make the world a better place. And she stands by those convictions, which I loved to see—even though I wanted to yell at her to give up and take the easy road sometimes!
From the start, you can tell that all Kaemada cares about is helping others and not being a liability in their tight-knit community. I loved seeing her people interact, and then when things happen—no spoilers—I couldn’t wait to see how it shaped out.
“All she had was herself, and she felt woefully inadequate.” This Kaemada… Man, she does not give up. Even when she’s down and doubts herself. And it’s not just her, the rest of the characters aren’t just a supporting cast, they’re each intricate with their own journeys, problems, and outlooks.
Poignant writing. Fantastic world and character building. 10/10. Perfect for high-fantasy lovers.
📖 Check out my review of Between Starfalls here. 📖
Reclaimed by Sarah Guillory
YA contemporary
Published 2013
Standalone
Jenna Oliver doesn’t have time to get involved with one boy, let alone two.
All Jenna wants is to escape her evaporating small town and her alcoholic mother. She’s determined she’ll go to college and find a life that is wholly hers—one that isn’t tainted by her family’s past. But when the McAlister twins move to town and Jenna gets involved with both of them, she learns the life she planned may not be the one she gets.
Ian McAlister doesn’t want to start over; he wants to remember.
Ian can’t recall a single thing from the last three months—and he seems to be losing more memories every day. His family knows the truth, but no one will tell him what really happened before he lost his memory. When he meets Jenna, Ian believes that he can be normal again because she makes not remembering something he can handle.
The secret Ian can’t remember is the one Luke McAlister can’t forget.
Luke has always lived in the shadow of his twin brother until Jenna stumbles into his life. She sees past who he’s supposed to be, and her kiss brings back the spark that life stole. Even though Luke feels like his brother deserves her more, Luke can’t resist Jenna—which is the trigger that makes Ian’s memory return.
Jenna, Ian, & Luke are about to learn there are only so many secrets you can keep before the truth comes to reclaim you.
It’s real. Raw. A lot of books take me to wonderful worlds—which I absolutely love, don’t get me wrong—but this one hit me in the gut.
To be honest, the book started slow, but it was so intriguing that I did not care. And the tone the first few chapters set laid out consistently what I got through the rest of the book. It’s gloomy with brief glimpses of hope.
We have a teenage girl who’s been trapped in one town all of her life. A town that’s so small it’s impossible to have any privacy. Everyone knows her mom as the girl who got knocked up in high school and as an alcoholic. Jenna, our main girl, has known all of her classmates since she was born. For as well as she knows everyone around her, the story really focuses on her relationship with her mom, her grandma, and the McAlisters.
The prose was poetic at times. Beautiful, non-cliches passages told the emotional tale of the characters. Having multiple points of view for Ian, Luke, and Jenna was integral to the story for many reasons. Some of which I can’t say because it’d spoil the book and lemme tell you, you do not want this one spoiled!
I liked the gritty, realistic romance and characterization. It didn’t fall into the tropes that YA romance tends to—girl in trouble, hopeless romance, etc. I could tell the entire time that something strange was brewing in the background, but what I got was so much more intense than what I expected.
Start this book for the writing and characters. Stay to find out what happens.
Great for fans of All the Wind in the World or for those looking for a steady ride with a sudden, major lurch at the end.
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
YA Fantasy
Published 2011
Lux #1
Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens.
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.
If I don’t kill him first, that is.
I cannot believe this book has been out for over a decade! That makes me feel old. I don’t like feeling old.
This is one of the first paranormal fantasy books I’ve ever read, and it gave me so many feelings. It’s like hometown meets alien, but not very Hallmark-y because there’s a bit of steam. I devoured this series
I’m a sucker for the arrogant, bad-boy type. Especially when it’s done like this! Daemon is rude but alluring. He’s literally out of this world. An alien. But Katy doesn’t know that. All she knows is that her neighbors fascinate her. There’s also Dee, Daemon’s sister, who befriend’s Katy and tries to make Daemon be nicer to her. She’s an excellent addition to the cast.
Katy handled everything that came her way like a boss. She’s witty, smart, and doesn’t take anyone’s crap. I love that in a main character. She doesn’t have a “pick me” or “save me” complex.
I will say that, since I read this book, Jennifer L. Armentrout BLEW UP. So I almost didn’t include it. But I love this book, so I had to.
If you live for swoony scenes and like books from Kresley Cole or Mary E. Pearson, this is a great choice.
Vikings Academy by S. T. Bende
YA fantasy
Published 2019
Viking Academy #1
When seventeen-year-old Saga Skånstad discovers an antique dagger, she’s instantly sucked into a world where Vikings rule the seas and dragons roam the skies, and the only thing more dangerous than the chief who takes her captive is the rival who steals her away. The heir of Norway’s most feared tribe is fierce, cold, and absolutely unyielding. With intruders encroaching upon his borders, Erik Halvarsson has little patience for the girl whose ignorance threatens his very existence. He enlists Saga in the magical Valkyris Academy, where she learns the skills she’ll need to protect herself from foreign raiders and domestic terrors. But nothing can protect her from falling for the one guy in all the world she’s absolutely forbidden to choose . . . or from risking everything to unlock the secrets that haunt him.
When darkness threatens Saga’s new home, she must decide whether to return to the life she’s always known, or fight for a love she never could have imagined. Her decision will determine a legacy–not only for Saga, but for the world she never knew she was fated to lead.
I was hooked from the get go with this fast-paced book.
I love the leap from the normal world straight into the fantastical. Grabbing the dagger turns Saga’s life around in the span of five minutes. But she’s a fighter, and she enters this new realm with courage even though she’s terrified and confused. Her reactions were so realistic and fierce as she navigated what was going on, what to do, and what her place was. I mean, home girl was supposed to be in college, but instead she’s held prisoner to wed a Viking prince!
The contrast from today’s world to one where women have no autonomy was startling to read, and Saga took it like a champ. Her internal dialogue brought me joy: “After crawling under the pelt, I promised to never take for granted the miracle of modern bedding again.”
This book is only 250 pages but somehow didn’t feel rushed. Although the world was built believably, I wouldn’t say no to another 100 pages just to really fill it out. It’s a unique place, and I think it could be delved further into.
If you like Vikings tales like Sky in the Deep or Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, this is for you.
Second Nature by Amber Boudreau
Urban Fantasy
Published 2022
Standalone
Mavis Corvid can’t remember. Not who she is, nor where she came from. It’s been six months and nothing. Zip. Zilch. Now she’s settling into a new life. She’s back on her feet, literally, and working at a garage in Eustace Park for a boss as grumpy as he is handsome. She has an apartment, friends, and an insatiable curiosity about werewolves.
No one knows why the wolves disclosed their existence to the world, but the one-year anniversary of their reveal is fast approaching. A fight brews between two alphas that could threaten the rest of humanity unless Mavis can remember who she was. She knows she’s not a werewolf, but she is something else.
When pushed from a balcony Mavis’ second nature reveals itself. She shifts into a magpie to save her skin. Now she’ll have to harness her strange abilities and investigate her disappearance to find out what happened to the Aldwulf, the alpha of all alphas. However, the past is gone and Mavis isn’t the same person. With the opportunity to be whoever she wants, what kind of person will she choose to be?
I got this book from a fellow Minnesotan writer, and it was a fun, unique read. It’s got a supernatural theme—werewolves—but it’s refreshingly different from other books because werewolves are well known.
Most books make you wait until the supernatural clans get found out by “regular” humans, but this one didn’t build up to an inevitable ball drop. Without waiting for that, readers are free to explore the tension in other parts of the story, like from the main character: She can’t remember who she is, but it’s obvious that the people around her know something she doesn’t. I was really excited to see what that was. She disappeared a year ago and “no one” knows what happened to her.
It’s enjoyable to watch her piece together the bits of her life that she lost and find her way in the world as an adult that has no memory of before. I do wish that there was more drama, but it was an interesting take on werewolves in the modern day. It’s more like magical realism than fantasy, I would say, which was a fun difference. It was a good, quick read.
Readers that liked What the Fang would like this book.
Lindsey’s Book Spotlight
The Invisible Circus
YA contemporary fantasy; published 2022
The world as you know it, but with a dash of the fantastical.
When Michelle (Mikey) leaves home to work a circus job for the summer, she dreams only of shaking the depression that haunts her. But she gets more than she bargained for after a freak accident leaves her with the power to turn invisible.
Desperate to carve a future for herself as a performer, eighteen-year-old Mikey must learn to control her dark emotions and mysterious gift. But not everyone is glad to have a new performer, and Mikey must balance being “other” in a world dominated by flashy promises and hidden secrets.
Between a suspicious death no one talks about, guys vying for her attention, and her boss’s hidden agenda, Mikey has her work cut out for her.
As her life and power spiral out of control, she’ll have to choose carefully who to give her loyalty—and love—to.
Find the book on Goodreads and IndieStoryGeek. Here is the buy link.
Readers who loved That Dark Infinity for the layers of characterization and light magic and The Naturals for the special abilities, romance, and thrill will like this book.
Did you add any books to your TBR today based on this post or did you see any you have already read? Tell us in the comments!
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Thanks for hanging out with us today! Connect with Lindsey on Instagram and TikTok! To get updates about books, along with bookish entertainment, sign up for her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/hBGjfX.
Banner Photo of library by Alfons Morales on Unsplash
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