Hello friend. Today’s Indie Recommends Indie post features author Mara Valderran and she shares her favorite indie reads. Her spotlight book, Heirs of War, Ordained by Fate is the first book in a Young Adult Fantasy series that you can learn more about it at the end of the post. I am very excited to read this book! 🙂
Mara, welcome back to Armed with A Book! Please tell me and my readers about yourself!
Hello! My name is Mara Valderran, and I’m a young adult author, mommy blogger, and reader. I’ve worked in the indie publishing industry as a marketing director for a small publisher and organized blog tours and book signings with my fellow indie authors. That being said, this list was really hard to narrow down and I might request a part 2 option! Because how can I not also tell you about Jacob Devlin and Eliza Tilton and PK Hrezo and Ryan Hill and so many more!
Do you primarily read indie books or big publishers books as well?
I used to primarily read indie books, but now I’m not sure what the percentage is. I do read more mainstream books than I used to, but with my Kindle Unlimited membership, I’m discovering new authors all the time. I’d say it’s probably 50/50 right now.
Mara’s Indie Recommendations
Charming by Krystal Wade
YA Horror/Suspense
Published 2014
Standalone
They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and that’s great . . . as long as you don’t die.
Sixteen-year-old Haley Tremaine had it all: top-notch school, fantastic family, and a bright future, but all of that changed when an accident tore her family apart. Now, an alcoholic father, a bitter younger sister, and a cold headstone bearing her mother’s name are all she has left.
Chris Charming has it all: a powerful CEO for a father, a prestigious school, and a fortune at his fingertips, but none of that matters when he lands a reputation as a troublemaker. Struggling to follow in his father’s footsteps, he reaches out to the one person he believes truly sees him, the one person he wants: Haley.
Little do they know someone’s determined to bring the two together, even if it means murder.
I can’t even begin to gush enough about how much I loved this book. My poor heart could hardly take this book–one minute it is causing flutters over how incredibly sweet and swoon-worthy Chris Charming is, the next it is wrenching over how horrible Haley’s life has been and how rough she has had it, and then it is pounding with anticipation of flipping the page after an “Oh my god!” thriller of a moment. I’m usually pretty good at guessing the killer or culprit, but Krystal Wade had me changing my top suspect at every turn. The romance was icing on the cake for Charming–just enough to make the book sweeter without making you feel sick with overkill (pun intended). Krystal Wade did an excellent job of balancing backstory, romance, and suspense in this gripping retelling of Cinderella. Definitely a book I would highly recommend!
Fans of fairy tale retellings with a twist (like Cinder by Marissa Myer) will definitely enjoy this book!
Destruction by Sharon Bayliss
Fantasy
Published 2014
The December People #1
David Vandergraff wants to be a good man. He goes to church every Sunday, keeps his lawn trim and green, and loves his wife and kids more than anything. Unfortunately, being a dark wizard isn’t a choice.
Eleven years ago, David’s secret second family went missing. When his two lost children are finally found, he learns they suffered years of unthinkable abuse. Ready to make things right, David brings the kids home even though it could mean losing the wife he can’t imagine living without.
Keeping his life together becomes harder when the new children claim to be dark wizards. David believes they use this fantasy to cope with their trauma. Until, David’s wife admits a secret of her own—she is a dark wizard too, as is David, and all of their children.
Now, David must parent two hurting children from a dark world he doesn’t understand and keep his family from falling apart. All while dealing with the realization that everyone he loves, including himself, may be evil.
This book might have wizards and magic, but the story is in this family and the problems they have, which are very rooted in reality. Their disfunction makes them feel so normal, but when you add magic to the mix, disfunction doesn’t cover it. The characters are beautifully flawed, and sometimes do unforgivable things, but you still find yourself rooting for them. The Vandergraff kids aren’t just accessories to David and Amanda’s story, but are integral parts of the whole, and have their own enriching plots that will tug at your heart. The demons they are all facing are more within themselves than some evil wizard out to get them. They are their own villains, which makes the face off with the real villain so much more intense. Even if they win, will they truly win? Or will they be their own defeat?
Right when the plot heads in one direction, Sharon Bayliss throws you for a loop. Predictable is not in her vocabulary, that’s for sure. Definitely a must read, and can’t wait for more.
Shadow Fall by Audrey Grey
YA Scifi/Dystopian
Published 2020
Shadow Fall #1
My name is Maia Graystone: prisoner, rebel, and reluctant savior of a dying world.
In exactly 552 hours, an asteroid will end life as we know it. Not that I’m counting or anything. Trapped inside a hellish prison with thieves and murderers, I have more current worries.
Like the brother I left behind or the not-so-friendly inmates or the fact that I’m wanted by the most powerful man in existence.
Then a mysterious benefactor breaks me out and offers the impossible: a spot in the Shadow Trials. Win and I’ll receive a coveted place for my brother and I on the space station in the stars.
But the opportunity comes at a steep price. Partner with a dashing psychopath, enter the court that once condemned me to death, survive the ruthless trials created by my own mother, and kill the Emperor–the very man who’s hunting me.
In this cunning game of life and death, nothing is as it seems and everyone expects me to fail. But they forgot one tiny detail.
Never underestimate the girl with nothing left to lose.
Why did I love this book? Because Riser has my heart. Look, he is not the most verbose or romantic, but there was something about him. Audrey Grey took a cliché and turned him into this compelling character. In fact, that’s probably what I loved the most about this book—the three dimensional characters that broke the tropes and the norms. The protagonist isn’t some perfect Mary Sue badass. Instead, she’s incredibly flawed and her narrow focus is damning to those around her. I get it, she loves her brother. But some of the choices she makes really made me side-eye her. That just made her more interesting. Because of the depth of the characters, the love triangle didn’t feel like it was a forced YA trope. It felt natural. The chemistry between the characters is palpable and I got so lost in them that I didn’t even see some of the plot twists coming.
If you read the Hunger Games or Maze Runner series and found yourself wanting a little something more, then this apocalyptic space tale is right up your alley.
Kiya by Katie Hamstead
Historical Fiction
Published 2013
KIYA Trilogy #1
When Naomi’s sisters are snatched up to be taken to be wives of the erratic Pharaoh, Akhenaten, she knows they won’t survive the palace, so she offers herself in their place. The fearsome Commander Horemheb sees her courage, and knows she is exactly what he is looking for…
The Great Queen Nefertiti despises Naomi instantly, and strips her of her Hebrew lineage, including her name, which is changed to Kiya. Kiya allies herself with Horemheb, who pushes her to greatness and encourages her to make the Pharaoh fall in love with her. When Akhenaten declares Kiya will be the mother of his heir, Nefertiti, furious with jealousy, schemes to destroy Kiya.
Kiya must play the deadly game carefully. She is in a silent battle of wills, and a struggle for who will one day inherit the crown. If she does bear an heir, she knows she will need to fight to protect him, as well as herself, from Nefertiti who is out for blood.
I’ve never been one to jump at historical fiction, but this book was beyond amazing. I suddenly find myself enthralled by Egyptian culture. Katie Hamstead did an amazing job of teaching the reader about ancient Egypt through Naomi’s eyes and not making it feel like a lesson. There was never a dull moment of world-building or history lessons. It was all contextual.
Naomi is a believable heroine. She is brave, strong, true to her beliefs, but also stubborn, and she can be a bit naive. She wears her heart on her sleeve, which I suspect is going to bite her in the ass later on in the series. I love that in Kiya, Nefertiti has met her match. Nefertiti is believably cunning and vile, but her motivations are always clear. And just when you think she is done, she strikes like a snake.
The love triangle in this book came out of nowhere for me. I don’t want to say too much because of spoilers, but I love how, because we see everything through Naomi’s eyes, we were just as surprised as she was.
Daughter 4254 by Leigh Statham
YA Dystopian
Published 2017
Daughter 4254Â #1
Daughter4254 used to think life in a community where art, music and names are outlawed would suffocate her creative spirit. Now that she’s rotting in a prison cell, she’s not sure her dying mother made the right choice when she entrusted her with the secrets of rebellion. Prison has given her plenty of time to relive every mistake and lose all hope.
Then she meets Thomas, a fellow inmate, who tells her stories of the mythical mountain colonies where people have names and the arts thrive. Together they plot an escape, knowing if they fail, they will die. Or worse, their consciousness will be taken by the MindWipe, leaving their bodies free for the government to use. When nothing goes as planned, Daughter4254 must choose between using her mother’s secret to better the world she hates, or following Thomas to the quiet life of freedom she has always craved.
What don’t I love about this book? The fresh take on dystopian drama. It has the feel of The Giver, but gives us so much more (don’t come at me—I’m referring to the movie). Daughter4254 is considered to be deficient because she has passion in a world where passion, emotions, and the arts are forbidden. Those are hindrances to society progressing. I loved the way the story unravels between past and present, revealing bits and pieces of what happened and what is happening (lawd, does Leigh Statham know how to build intrigue and keep you flipping the pages!) until we land firmly in the present. The chemistry between Daughter4254 and Thomas, and the heartbreaking relationship with her brother, and just Daughter4254 herself. I think what I love most is how Leigh Statham shows us that being different isn’t a bad thing, even if society says it is. She shows us what a beautiful and powerful thing being different can be.Â
Mara’s Book Spotlight
Heirs of War, Ordained by Fate
YA Fantasy, Published 2013
Heirs of War #1
Seventeen-year-old Zelene had never believed in magic or prophecies; until the day she was attacked by an assassin with unnatural powers. Now, her life has been thrust into a war between two worlds she knows nothing about and told that she must fight against an enemy determined to snuff out her existence—all because of some ancient prophecy that claims five girls from her bloodline will unite and end the war between the worlds.
The girls are taken back to their home world and discover the ties binding them together. Rhaya has always had an uncanny knack for reading people, but can’t seem to unravel the mystery tying her to Isauria, the new friend she bonded with instantly. For years, Isauria has been dreaming of Terrena, a girl living her life on the run in a magical world ripped apart by the tragedies of war, completely unaware that she is psychically linked to the world she was born in. Zelene sees this connection as a prison rather than protection and can think of a place or two she’d like to shove the crown she supposedly inherited.
When Zelene finds out her long-lost twin Ariana has been captured by rebels, her attitude changes abruptly. She doesn’t know how she can go up against an army of powerful adversaries when her own ability to manipulate the elements remains dormant within her. But time is running out and all that matters to Zelene is rescuing her sister—no matter how much destruction it causes in its wake.
Find the book on Goodreads and IndieStoryGeek.
Fans of strong and snarky female protagonists who go on incredible journeys through fantastical realms, such as The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer or the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, will enjoy Heirs of War.
Want to review Heirs of War, Ordained by Fate? Sign up on StoryOrigin here! You can also find the series on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.
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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Banner Photo of library by Alfons Morales on Unsplash
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